Ask a simple question, (hopefully) get a simple answer

[Berengar]

@Richard Love

@One Shot

There was a snafu early in ArM5, when authors and playtesters did not notice that wards (ArM5 p.114) needed to penetrate as they were written up. So they were initially balanced around not needing to penetrate.

It is more that some authors and playtesters did not notice that wards needed to penetrate, and were happy with that. Whereas other authors and playtesters did notice and where likewise happy with that. Because everyone was happy with their interpretation, thought that their interpretation was right, and did not realise that there was an alternative interpretation, nobody initially commented on it. It was only later that it became apparent that there were two interpretations.

AFAIK, the intention when the core ArM5 book was written was always that wards (and the Aegis) need to penetrate. If it was a mistake, there would have been errata.

I have now found half an hour to search the Atlas Games Forum and look up old threads. Here's an interesting one: wards and penetration, how to make it work? .

To facilitate reading it, I reference a relevant post by John Post from its middle, which summarizes Berklist: wards and penetration, how to make it work? - #76 by John_Post . There we find

@John Post

Anyway, as David Chart has stated, the issues with AotH and Wards are too big for simple errata and any fix requires a new edition or ArM5 RE.

By reading the entire seven page thread, everybody can judge the discussions on the 2005/2006 ward snafu himself, and draw the conclusions for his campaign.

Cheers