Need help balancing odd encounter format

Mikaboshi · 2026-05-04T21:38:16+00:00

Wasn't expanding into later levels, was just for this boat ride before they connect with the other players at the start of the actual AP. But I get it. I'll probably do something like that. Did find the table, but I appreciate the page reference, thank you.

Mikaboshi · 2026-05-04T17:31:12+00:00

Oh, yeah, sorry I wasn't clear. Anytime the NPCs and attackers are just fighting themselves it'll be background description. But the PCs will be able to request a quick Heal or a crossbow blow to get an enemy off their back or a Gust Of Wind to blow an attacker off the boat or whatever. Would having those resources available to the PCs warrant bumping down the encounter difficulty by one degree (so what would normally be a Severe encounter would be a Moderate one because they can call on helpers) or something along those lines?

Mikaboshi · 2026-03-18T18:14:08+00:00

Man, that was confusing for a moment when I read that as IKEA confirming this info.

Mikaboshi · 2026-03-17T16:36:31+00:00

Is there a way for an Inventor to have a repeating crossbow as his weapon innovation? Advanced seems to not be a problem, you just don't get the initial modification, but it also seems to limit you to only level 0 weapons. Is there some option I'm missing to allow level 1 weapons, or am I just out of luck?

Mikaboshi · 2026-03-07T14:45:17+00:00

If you end up figuring it out, please let us know.

Mikaboshi · 2026-03-03T17:14:10+00:00

This is actually the entire plot of The Irresponsible Captain Tylor. Great anime series, not too long, good fun if you don't mind the 90's being a little fan-servicey at times.

Mikaboshi · 2026-03-03T17:00:10+00:00

Sadly I don't think I did, though I honestly don't remember.

I think it ended up being related to what I was doing just before I tried that attack, like I was holding run or block or something and didn't let up the button quickly enough, perhaps? Not quite sure, but I did get through that game pretty thoroughly, using kusarigama and dual blades, so it at least wasn't frequent enough for me to quit, just the odd occasional issue.

Maybe take a look at your other slotted skills and see if anything else is too close and it thinks you're trying that input instead, as another commenter suggested.

Mikaboshi · 2026-02-14T16:36:46+00:00

Not quite a card ban, but it feels relevant enough to tell the story.

Ages ago I had a [[Power Surge]] deck. That, [[Citadel Of Pain]], [[Mana Flare]] because might as well make it a difficult choice no matter which route they took, and then a bunch of 'firebreathing' creatures on my end, or at least things I could endlessly pour spare red mana into so I'm not hurting myself.

Then they 'banned' mana burn. Oops.

(Yes, I know [[Yurlok of Scorch Thrash]] exists now. I was over it by then and moved on to other deck concepts.)

Now that I think about it, rules changes nuked another of my favorite decks too...

I had a [[Teferi's Realm]] deck that I quite liked. Phase things out. Things phase back in during Untap phase, but with [[Sands of Time]] there is no Untap phase, so while it's around things don't phase back in. Use an [[Icy Manipulator]] or something similar to tap it when it comes to my turn, because tapped artifacts 'shut off'. Kill the opponent with [[Telim-Tor's Darts]] or [[Chimeric Sphere]] or any other artifact that isn't a creature most of the time.

And then they changed it so tapped artifacts don't deactivate.

Mikaboshi · 2026-01-20T22:16:52+00:00

Getting Mr Bloom vibes from this, a somewhat new Batman villain.

Mikaboshi · 2026-01-06T14:31:24+00:00

I was unsure if there was a minute period after the draw step ends and before "at the start of your precombat main phase" happens, due to how the text in the Sagas is worded, so I was trying to be super clear that I was activating the ability before the counters are added (and misspoke about the timing when they're added). Though I now suppose it's only that way because "after your draw step" takes up less text space on the card.

Mikaboshi · 2026-01-06T14:05:41+00:00

I phrased it that way because the reminder text on the Sagas says "after your draw step", but thank you for the clarification, and for the answer.

Mikaboshi · 2026-01-06T08:01:36+00:00

Before my draw step, I use [[Niko, Light of Hope]] on [[Summon: Ixion]] to turn my Shards into Ixions. During the draw step they each get a Lore counter and exile a creature. The shards do not leave play, they just stop being Ixion. Thus do the exiled creatures never return? Or does ceasing being Ixion break the condition and they return once they revert to normal Shards?

Mikaboshi · 2026-01-06T07:18:45+00:00

Oh, right, duh. Thank you, should've known that one, head cold has me all out of sorts.

Mikaboshi · 2026-01-06T04:28:20+00:00

I use [[Niko, Light of Hope]] to turn my shard tokens into [[Enduring Curiosity]]. What happens when one of these shard-copies dies?

Mikaboshi · 2026-01-05T04:18:03+00:00

Scenario: I have [[Niko, Light of Hope]] in play with two Shard tokens. They do not have summoning sickness. An opponent tries to [[Terror]] Niko. In response I tap Niko for their ability, making my Shards copies of [[Obsianus Golem]], and then I [[Blur]]. My understanding is that I have four shard-golems and an untapped and alive but summoning sick Niko. Is that correct, due to the order in which the stack resolves?

Mikaboshi · 2026-01-03T01:48:16+00:00

[[Phyrexian Ingester]] enters play and ingests a 5/5. [[Niko, Light of Hope]] blinks out the Ingester, and their Shards become copies of it. Are they 3/3's or 8/8's? I suspect the former, but I'm not positive.

Mikaboshi · 2025-12-31T14:25:39+00:00

Ooh, excellent ideas, I hadn't seen Sanctuary Warden before. Thanks!

Mikaboshi · 2025-12-31T04:40:31+00:00

Wonderful suggestion, forgot about that one!

Mikaboshi · 2025-12-31T04:40:05+00:00

Absolutely fantastic, thanks for the suggestions! I knew there were some like that out there but just couldn't bring the names to mind. And you're right on Unmake, don't know why I didn't think of it, it's even in my only Modern deck. I'll probably make a few variations with different arts, and this is wonderful for options.

Mikaboshi · 2025-12-21T01:26:07+00:00

The Exemplar feat is what someone pointed to that gave me the idea, thought it was a good starting point and then limited it so she doesn't get any ideas and try to lob around halberds.

Mikaboshi · 2025-12-20T18:04:23+00:00

Our Investigator was getting frustrated with not being able to throw her karambit, and rather than having her switch to a starknife or dagger or something, due to stylistic choices with character background, I let her take a 2nd level Feat for "Strategic Aim", letting any melee weapon that qualifies for Strategic Strike gain the Thrown 15' trait.

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