A Test of Death Immunity

[Thunder_Gr]

First strikes don't always hit, but that doesn't matter. Unless you're fighting something immune to first strikes, three first strikes are mechanically identical to zero first strikes and ignoring the damage of the first three attacks an opponent hits with. Think about it.

First Strike round:
You attack and either hit for X damage or miss and deal 0 damage to opponent.
Opponent does not attack and deals 0 damage to you.

Stoneskin round:
You attack and either hit for X damage or miss and deal 0 damage to opponent.
Opponent attacks you and hits and deals 0 damage to you.

This is not the way I understand it works. What I think is:

Since it is specified that Stoneskin ignores the 3 first hits of the opponent, when a strike misses means it does not hit, no damage calculation is done, it is not the same as applying 0 damage, and the stonekin protection is not wasted. Example:

A unit with 3 to 6 first strike chance attacks your stoneskin protected Archmage.

Now, that unit gets 4 first strikes. 2 miss , 2 hit. Your stoneskin protection counter goes from 3 to 1. Now during normal combat your Archmage gets hit 4 times. Stoneskin will still block the damage from one, and your Archmage will get damage from the other 3.


As for being off topic, well, this thread is refering to a test about a game mechanic. It appears that some parameters of the test are unclear, and this is what we are trying to identify.

 

[xienwolf]

Just to clear up any confusion: Stoneskin grants 3 first strikes. End of Story. There is no "blocks damage when damage should be dealt" going on at all.

Someone attacks you with 3 to 6 first strikes and they only gain 1 of the chances (so net 4 first strikes), then you subtract your 3 from their 4 and they get 1 first strike. If they fail the attack roll for it, you don't damage them, because it was a first strike. Combat then ensues as normal, each round either you hit or they do.

 

[Thunder_Gr]

Just to clear up any confusion: Stoneskin grants 3 first strikes. End of Story. There is no "blocks damage when damage should be dealt" going on at all.

Someone attacks you with 3 to 6 first strikes and they only gain 1 of the chances (so net 4 first strikes), then you subtract your 3 from their 4 and they get 1 first strike. If they fail the attack roll for it, you don't damage them, because it was a first strike. Combat then ensues as normal, each round either you hit or they do.

If this is indeed the way stoneskin works, it is wrong and should be changed, or change the description of the spell. Stoneskin is not supposed to grand first strikes, neither themetically or any other way.

 

[Keeper_GFA]

It's the easiest way to code immunity to x number of hits.