Attack Challenges


Q: On page 205 of the rulebook, the Attack Challenges section states: "Unless otherwise noted, an attack must hit and inflict damage (in other words, your damage beats the target's damage reduction) in order to grant you the challenge's benefit." There are then 10 attack challenges listed, not one of which notes otherwise. Should I take this to mean that every attack challenge in the RAW only works if you hit and deal damage?

A: No, that definitely seems like an oversight, to me!  Here's the way I have been playing it, to date:

 

Must hit and damage to grant bonus: Hamper Movement, Force Movement, Improved Force Movement

Must hit to grant bonus: Bonus Damage, Improved Bonus Damage, Superior Bonus Damage

Need not hit to grant bonus: Fight Defensively, Improved Fight Defensively, Wild Flurry, Improved Wild Flurry

 


 

Q: For attack challenges, should there be a "no Hail Mary" rule on challenges where you already need a natural 20, to stop people "loading up" on penalties that don’t mean anything?

 

I could certainly see this being added as a house rule by many Gms, but it brings some other issues: what about defense challenges when the opponent can only miss on a ‘1’? Should they be allowed? For now, I’m inclined to leave this to individual GM fiat. If the situation comes up a lot, there is probably something amiss with the game: IH characters are generally pretty darn good at hitting stuff!

 


 

Q: When do the benefits of attack challenges take effect?

Attack challenge benefits take effect at the start of your action, when you declare them. They last until the start of your next action (see page 205). Ditto the penalties.

 


 

Attack Challenges and Ranged Attacks

Most attack challenges can be used with missile weapons (you shoot someone in the leg to hamper movement, or fire at their feet to make them move in a certain direction, or loose one last wild arrow, and so on).

 

The exception is the bonus damage challenge and the challenges based upon it. This challenge specifically states that it increases "melee damage". Characters with Point Blank Shot 2 can use these challenges when using a ranged weapon as a melee weapon.

 

House-ruling this series of challenges to be usable with ranged weapons would probably not cause any major issues.