Courage Spell

[Kurgan]

Another way you could handle it... a regular hero who casts "Courage" it lasts for only one attack. A CHAMPION hero (however defined, maybe having survived 3-5 quests) gets to use the stronger version that lasts as long as you can see monsters. Maybe an even more powerful hero (who survived say 10 or more quests) can cast a version of Courage that checks at the start of your turn and if you can't see any monsters, only then does it expire (but still works for AT LEAST one attack).

And the one you have cast it on reaps the benefits!

(or you could take it the other way... if the one it is cast UPON is a champion, it has a stronger effect, etc)

I do something like this with Rock Skin. I like the stronger version in the EU edition, so I say a Champion version of the spell is 2 defend dice, while the regular version is only 1.

[mitchiemasha]

Another way you could handle it... a regular hero who casts "Courage" it lasts for only one attack. A CHAMPION hero (however defined, maybe having survived 3-5 quests) gets to use the stronger version that lasts as long as you can see monsters. Maybe an even more powerful hero (who survived say 10 or more quests) can cast a version of Courage that checks at the start of your turn and if you can't see any monsters, only then does it expire (but still works for AT LEAST one attack).

And the one you have cast it on reaps the benefits!

(or you could take it the other way... if the one it is cast UPON is a champion, it has a stronger effect, etc)

I do something like this with Rock Skin. I like the stronger version in the EU edition, so I say a Champion version of the spell is 2 defend dice, while the regular version is only 1.

Yeah that's great, play it both ways.

[Daedalus]

This is interesting, I have always felt in my gut that Courage (and Rock Skin) would be better as spells with a duration but have never been able to pin down a mechanism to extend them that isn't either too complex (like checking LOS to every monster at every point on every turn) or overpowered (cast on Barbarian and sit back as he hacks his way through all the occupants of the quest room - yet again) or open-ended (like the current Rock Skin that potentially lasts from quest to quest and accumulates, so the rule I use for both is effectively the First/Original Edition [FE] as that was at least simple and clear.

The best thing about Hero Quest is that the rules were designed perfectly from the start!

Courage

This spell may be cast on any
one Hero, including yourself.
The next time the Hero attacks,
he may roll two extra combat dice.
As long as the Hero scores an
unblocked hit in combat, he may
attack this way on his future turns.
The spell ends when the Hero fails
to damage a monster on his turn.

I'm now considering adopting something along these lines for both Courage and Rock Skin so that they both give you an extra combat dice in attack or defence (respectively) and last until you have a turn in which you fail to inflict a loss of at least (for Courage) or block and prevent the loss of any (for Rock Skin). Just one question, when do they kick in, if the Wizard casts Courage on another hero, I assume that hero must inflict a loss of on and from his next turn onwards, or the spell ends, but what if the Wizard casts it on himself, he is unlikely to be able to inflict a loss on that same turn, so would it take effect on their next turn (and potentially end on their next turn). And for Rock Skin would it count from the first EWP turn after casting and end at that point if a was lost or they weren't attacked, or perhaps they must have blocked an attack completely by their next turn.

Yes, that's correct as I understand it. "The next time the Hero attacks" means the spell effect of Courage begins on the spellcaster's next turn if cast on himself.

[Bareheaded Warrior]

I'm currently considering...

The Courage effect lasts until you fail to inflict a BP loss on a monster on your turn (or you leave the dungeon)

Or

The Courage effect lasts until you fail to attack a monster on your turn (or you leave the dungeon)

And

The Rock Skin effect lasts until you lose a BP (or you leave the dungeon)

[wallydubbs]

I'd like to stick with the European 2nd edition version. What you're suggesting sounds more like Confidence instead of Courage. But I understand why you'd like it better.

[Daedalus]

Ha! That's insightful. My rationalization is Courage gives the affected Hero "fire in your belly" or a hot temperment. I don't see the failure to hit as causing the Hero's belly to turn cold--thus ending the spell, but rather the fire dying so then the Hero's attack fails as a result. For me the benefit of the mechanic is enough to justify a reversed explanation.

[Onan]

I'm also struggling with this spell. The simple +2AD on your next attack is lame, but good to handle. The LOS rule leads to pointless discussions if this means at any point in time or at the end of the hero's turn. One player even decided to keep a goblin alive and use its sight to courageously hop over to the boss room when she rolled high enough.

Another player suggested Daedalus' mechanic. It lasts while you keep dealing damage. This works much better.

In our last game we tried something I came up with (or rather borrowed from another dungeon crawler): The target of the spell immediately performs an attack action with +2 AD. Maybe you have seen a mechanic like that where you have a "controller" class that makes other heroes perform actions on the controller's turn. This way it's not only +2 AD, but also an extra attack. And the wizard feels like he dealt the killing blow himself, even though he just made the barbarian perform an attack. And you don't have to deal with the ending condition of the spell.