MAGIC REALM Q&A

The following questions have mostly come up during PBEM play. Some of these questions are answered in the rules, but I've included them because people were confused by them at first. The answers were figured out while playing or in discussion with the magic realm discussion group (So they aren't just my ideas). If you have more commentary, please send me a note. A lot of these vague rules have been rewritten and addressed in the 3rd edition rules, written by some dedicated Magic Realm players with the assistance and blessings of the game's creator Richard Hamblen.

1)If you are hidden, and you cast a spell targeting yourself, do/can you stay hidden? 

I could write a book on this question! However, in practice this works best if you can stay hidden. Whether you want to use the first edition rule that you always stay hidden, or apply an "ambush" rule that you roll. The rule in question is 41.3/2 which states you are unhidden when targeting a character or denizen, but also says you have to "see" (find hidden enemies) to target the denizen. Since you are never your own enemy, and can always see yourself, the rule doesn't really fit. The ambiguity here was a result of editorial shortening of the rulebook. TOURNAMENT RULE: Use the ambush table, as above. 

2) Do you die once all of your chits are out of play, even if some of them are just fatigued or committed to spells? 

Rule 11.7 specifies that you can rest to activate fatigued chits if none are active (If all your chits are wounded, you die.) If none are active and you are cursed with "wither" you die. If you have no active combat chits, you can, in this order: 1) Wound a color chit 2) Wound two fatigued chits  Once all your chits are wounded, you die. Also, if all your chits are fatigued or wounded, you must rest on the next phase or you die. If you are on a roadway, you can move to a clearing and then rest. Chits dedicated to spells are out of play and don't count for any of this. They cannot be fatigued or wounded under any circumstances, unless the spell is broken. 

3) Once and for all, can unalerted spears attack? 

The answer is yes, and maybe. First off, you can always use rule 22.4/2 a to "attack" no target with your spear in order to alert it. (How else would you fight off bats with your spear?) Optionally, you can attack someone with the handle of your spear per the weapons chart rules. I've never seen anyone want to do so, and it seems pretty useless a feat to me, though.

 TOURNAMENT RULE: Yes, they can attack as above. 

4) Just how do you distribute heads, clubs, and horses when you have lots of monsters on your sheet? 

 This question comes because of the smart guy who put all the natives in one box, and the horses in the other two. Most everybody believes this move shouldn't be allowed. There are three good ways to rule you should place denizens: a) There must be an attacking piece in each box if possible (Note that archers and goblins with spears would count as attacking pieces, even light side up, since they can always flip.) extra pieces can be distributed as you wish, as long as heads/clubs and horses are separate from their owners. Here you could put a giant in one box, his club in a second, and 6 goblins in the third. If you kill the giant before his attacks, you have only a 1/3 chance of being hit by the remaining monsters. b) There must be attacking body counter in each box if possible. This allows you to fight 2 Giants and only fill two boxes. This is rare and this rule doesn't seem overly beneficial to the players, so it seems to work. c) You have to spilt up attacking body pieces first, then place the remaining pieces so that they first fill empty boxes. This way sorta "keeps you honest" in that it plays the monsters closer to the way you would be playing them if you were on their side! Either way, you cannot stack the "attackers" and then split up the horses.

 TOURNAMENT RULE: We'll use option "a" above

 5)When do enchanted items become activated? 

When anyone looks at them or when they are found? The problem here is that rule 3.4/3 contradicts the "wish for vision". Richard has informed us that the wish fir vision should not activate items. In all other cases, if you see an enchanted card (searching, trading) you immediately flip it over for all to see! 

TOURNAMENT RULE: Wish for vision does NOT activate enchanted cards. 

6) How do you value multiple kills from simultaneous attack spells? 

Align them, by round, with the most valuable first. Yes, this can amount to extremely high scores. But I once scored 80 Not in turn one as the Sorcerer and didn't even meet my victory requirements in the game. It is very hard to score that much. Now , if you kill a ghost, goblin, and swordsman at once, how would you line them up?

 7) Is there a point at the end of combat to rearrange your items and trade with other players?

 Yes, see rule 22.9/3 But note it applies only if you are still in the clearing (haven't run away.) 

8) How do you stack all that stuff the natives have when their leaders die? 

Well, as to the first, when playing with my board game, I stack by the list (treasure cards on bottom, then what is listed on top: weapons, armor, horses in order they are listed). Within those "groups" I leave everything random, cause it would be a pain to look at every horse and figure out their order by value. But when running a e-mail game, since I don't actually set up the pieces, I write down that they are in order based on "cheapest on the bottom" and just cross things off the list as they are found. 

TOURNAMENT RULE: Items are stacked by size, biggest counters/cards on the bottom initially. Things sold to groups are put on the bottom of the stack (in the order designated by the seller, if applicable).

9) How do you stack spells at treasure locations and books? 

Some people have said they set up based on the order on the board, which always places higher roman number spells on top (V on top on I at the Shrine, for instance). Arguably, the lower number spells are the most powerful. But I don't think this is always the case, so I think I'll just randomize them from now on.  RH has played the game both ways: random and by numeral.

TOURNAMENT RULE: Spells at sites and books are mixed randomly.

10)How is the Berserk chit used? 

The 2nd edition rules are a little vague, so here's a more detailed explanation: You can record an "A" phase during your turn, and use it to go Berserk. (You don't have to use the phase for that, you could also flip your weapon.) If you do this, your Berserk chit fatigues immediately. A good strategy is to use your free "R" phase to get it back before your turn ends. (You still have to "make change") During combat, you can use the berserk chit to go berserk by playing it as you would a fight chit to alert your weapon. It does not fatigue immediately, but it count towards your * limit that round. So you have already reached your 2 * limit if you do this. At the end of the round you must then fatigue a fight asterisk, which may be any active fight *, including your Berserk chit. If you fatigue your berserk chit, make change 

11) How does the "wish for heath" affect chits that are enchanted or tied up in spells? 

From the description: "All your action chits are returned to play" this has caused confusion. What about the chit used to cast the spell, or the color chit used to power the spell? This result is easier defined by the 1st edition rules, which say it activates fatigued and wounded chits. This makes sense, and would activate the color chit used (since it fatigues immediately) but not the magic chit used (since it is tied up until the spell expires). Also, it wouldn't rest up chits that were tied up in other spells (So the Sorcerer can be rested without losing his transform spell.).  This is the interpretation RH intended.

 TOURNAMENT RULE: Only fatigued and wounded chits are activated. 

12) How does the "wish for strength" affect missile attacks? What about attacks using the optional combat rules? Speaking of which, how do the optional combat rules affect circled attacks? Can you poison a wish for strength to do MAX dam? 

I'm not sure. I've had too little experience with such instances. From discussion, most agree that "wish for strength" results in T damage no matter what. The 2nd edition rules don't have a MAX damage category, so a poison/wfs still does T damage anyway.

 TOURNAMENT RULE: T damage no matter what. 

13) Do T Dragons' and Giants' bodies flip when their extra counters hit? 

The ONLY part of the rules that addresses this is the missile table, which implies YES!  This was an intended change from the first edition rules, though it was not very clear.

TOURNAMENT RULE: Yes, the bodies flip.

14) How do the flowers of rest affect the wither curse? How does it affect you if you are transmogrified? Do sleeping characters attract monsters normally?

 Either: you don't fall asleep, or you must drop them and run (If you have all your move chits wounded, you are stuck till you can trade them away.)  RH has indicated you only fall asleep if you can rest the chits.  You can't rest the chits if cursed or transmogrified. Sleeping characters do not attract monsters. 

TOURNAMENT RULE: You don't fall asleep unless the chits can be rested. If your chits are "frozen" due to transformation, you don't fall asleep/rest. Sleeping characters do not attract monsters. 

15) Do you roll just once when you cast transform, or once every time the spell is activated? 

Doesn't say in the 2nd edition rules, but the 1st edition rules instruct you to "write down the results" and you become that creature every time. I think that clears it up. 

TOURNAMENT RULE: As above, roll once. 

16) What is the purpose of the "move T4" reference of the melt into mist spell? 

(46.4/3a.) HMMMM. Apparently it is important in 1st edition and was never omitted even though it is redundant in 2nd edition. The reference has no effect on play.

17) What are the limits to using extra phases from horses or items?

I put this here cause some people don't understand it. The main point is you must have the item active when you record and when you perform the action.  You are also committed to keep the item active until you perform the bonus phase(s).

18) Does the Imp flip like a Tremendous monster?

Despite the "red side", there is no reference to indicate the little critter would.

19) Is it treacherous to hire part of a group, then attack the rest of the group?

No. It is only treacherous to attack people you have under hire.

 20) What is the value of mission chits when the destination is not on the map?

This happens with weather rules. A general article puts the value at 30g. In practice, this works well.

21) Has anybody ever picked up a campaign chit?

Okay, this isn't a real Q&A thing. But an observance that most people playing MR wouldn't know if it would benefit them to pick up a chit, and if they figured it would, they wouldn't recall how to do so anyway. Maybe someone can write a short essay: Campaign chits: when and how to use them.

22) Can you use enchanted chits to pay fatigue?

No, they can only be used to power spells. They no longer even have asterisks. They can be used on nothing to fatigue, but it isn't the same as paying fatigue.

23) In solitaire play, if a chit would activate monsters from both monster rows, which monster(s) activate?

 I activate all I can! Its more of a challenge, and the idea of the 2 rows is to get more stuff out on the board and make the game less predictable.

24) Can the Protection from magic spell effect cancel the effects of an enchanted card?

 Like keeping you from falling asleep in the flowers of rest. I don't think so. The effects aren't really spells or curses. Likewise, Pro magic wouldn't keep a color magic source from activating a spell.

TOURNAMENT RULE: as above: no.

25) Can an attack spell open the vault? How about an inactive horse? 9.3/3 b says ...and so on, as long as it has T strength. So maybe you can blast the doors down?

Anything used to open the vault should be active, for instance the keys, or the 7 league boots wouldn't work inactive, so I say no horses in caves either.

TOURNAMENT RULE: You cannot target the vault with a spell to open it. You may use an inactive horse, but not in a cave.

26) In frigid air, what happens when all your asterisks are fatigued, but you still have active chits?

I think the non-asterisk chits could be wounded. Similar to the rules for wounding and resting from the general Q&A.

TOURNAMENT RULE: : Similar to the above, we will allow the following, in this order: 1) Fatigue a color chit 2) Wound a non-asterisked chit 3) Wound a fatigued chit

27) Does the dwarf get his duck chit at 1st level in a development game?

Yes. The duck chit wasn't even mentioned as a "Special Advantage" in 1st edition. It was just a special chit he had.  There's no reason for him to be taller when younger.

28) Can you read runes when transformed? Why does the Imp have a type VIII chit when he casts a V spell?

 Yes, you can learn any spell you have a chit for when transformed. The chit does not have to active to allow spell learning. Though the VIII is a typo on the Imp, I say keep it just to make the Imp different!

29) Do enchanted cards stay active with hired natives?

Cards activated before the native were hired stay active, but are inaccessible to be traded/sold/dropped/ etc. They radiate magic and any special effects normally.

30) When you absorb a Tremendous Dragon, can you ambush someone with the head/missile attack?

I'm assuming the details in the absorb essence spell do not take into account difference from the advanced rules. The spell makes the comment that heads (and clubs) may be used as "second attacks". However, I see no reason the head (or club) cannot be the only attack. Therefore, yes, roll on the ambush table as normal. Note: if you hit the target but don't kill it, you automatically pick it up/flip the body counter (see above), therefore you would immediately become unhidden!!

31) Does being transformed affect special abilities?

No. A dwarf/frog still gets two phases. A Troll/witch king still uses the magic sight table. If the Captain absorbs a T Dragon (using an artifact) he would subtract 1 from each die on the missile table when breathing fire.

32) Can take the F/Not penalty from the meeting table if it would give you a negative total?

Yes. It was intended to be possible, but the rules are vague. It has been played as "no" a lot, and seems to work okay that way too. TOURNAMENT RULE: Yes.