Enchanted Realms Rulebook
Coign of Vantage
Besides the Fischer quote above, another one that is quite relevant is from Shakespeare&rsqo;s MacBeth: “No jutty, frieze, Buttress, nor coign of vantage…” This, of course, references an advantageous corner where the summer birds build nests to gain a good lookout. The physical terrain or structure grants the birds an advantage. This is the same concept as in the game.
Perhaps because of magic, environmental circumstances or even events from the prior combat round, but there will be times when a character or monster has some sort of superior position or tactical dominance. In game terms, this is called “advantage.” Likewise, the converse can occur where one is at “disadvantage.” When this happens for skill actions, unless stated otherwise, a being with advantage is granted an extra die for the roll. The default for disadvantage removes a die.
That works well for fighting, stealthy actions and similar calculations. If someone has 1d20 for an attack, but circumstances are such that he or she has advantage, then that attack would be made with 2d20. Contrarily, if that same PC were at disadvantage, then the loss of a die would drop his or her attack to 0d20. Oops! How would that work?
The short answer is it is the same as any single-only die roll. Two dice are rolled, and in this case of disadvantage, the lesser of the two scores would be the one used. Clearly, this wouldn’t apply to the fighting example above, but when advantage is need for a single-only die roll, such as Awareness or a save, then again two dice are rolled, but for advantage, the better of the two would be the roll that counts.
| Event | Adjustment | |
|---|---|---|
| Combat | Advantage | extra d20 and +2 damage |
| Disadvantage | lose d20; -2 damage; and half movement | |
| Reactions | Advantage | use two d4s, d6s, d8s, d10s,d12s or d20s as described by the reaction skill, the select the greater of the two roll results |
| Disadvantage | use two of the appropriate dice, using the lower score of the two rolls | |
| Competition | Advantage | use two d12s, taking better score |
| Disadvantage | use two d12s, taking lower score; and half movement | |
| Save or Check | Advantage | use two d20s, taking better score |
| Disadvantage | use two d20s, taking lower score; and half movement | |
| Stealth | Advantage | extra d6 to set Awareness TM OR roll two d20s, taking better score depending on the circumstance |
| Disadvantage | lose d6 to set Awareness TM OR roll two d20s, taking the lesser score depending on the circumstance | |
| Divine Incantation | Advantage | Spirit Cost: -1 |
| Disadvantage | Spirit Cost: +1 | |
| Sorcery Axiom | Advantage | Lowest Oversiphoning at normal cost |
| Disadvantage | Double casting time | |
| Concentration | Advantage | As Save |
| Disadvantage | As Save |
In combat, there is an additional bonus or penalty to advantage/disadvantage, but this adjustment applies only to the primary attack. If at advantage, when successfully striking an opponent (with any die, not just from the extra), then bonus damage of +2 points being added. If at disadvantage, the reverse happens, penalizing -2 points of damage. If net damage becomes zero or negative, then the attack acts as a miss, not allowing any other special powers or properties to transfer to the victim, such as infusion of ice. The one exception to the zero damage rule would be if a single d20 scores a “natural 20.” In this event, the guaranteed hit will inflict 1 point of damage and allow those other special transferences to occur. (Of course, the target could be resistant or immune.) Finally, on the damage component, it is applied by target, not by strike, meaning if multiple targets can be attacked at advantage, then those separate targets could each be inflicted with bonus damage. These details will become more clear in later, but it is an important factor of advantage to understand.
As a quick reminder of what was stated quickly above, when a single die is used and an extra one has no meaning, such as on a save, then two dice are rolled, taking the better of the two scores for advantage -- or the worse of the two for disadvantage. Competitions are a good example of this, where d12s are used. If at advantage on the competition, the two rather than d12s are rolled picking the higher value.
A very important rule is that advantages and disadvantages do not stack. If a creature has gained two advantages from multiple effects, the general rule is that creature is still only “at advantage” and rolls one extra die. The same is true for multiple disadvantages. However, if the circumstances and effects are such that a creature gains both advantage and disadvantage, then neither apply and the normal amount of dice are rolled. This is true even if multiple disadvantages apply while only one advantage occurs – and vice versa. However, there are a very few and specific effects that override this rule, but those are explicitly stated in the description of the item/skill/magic.
When having advantage or disadvantage along with another circumstance, such as a nhoblit’s chance trait, which allows a re-roll, then only one-die may be re-rolled. Even if both d20s score natural 1s, the player chooses only one dice to re-roll.
Final note: when at disadvantage, the character can only move half of his or her normal rate for the round.