Orc Half-Breed Question

[Revelation-Six]

Hey all,

I have a quick question about Orc Half-Breeds:

The Orc race card allows a player to disregard a Curse card but lose a level.

The Half-Breed card allows a player to retain all of the advantages of his or her race and none of the disadvantages.

Would an Orc Half-Breed thus be able to disregard a curse, an obvious advantage, while retaining their level... since losing a level is an obvious disadvantage?

The argument against such a ruling would be that giving the player a choice to trade a curse for a level is, in itself, an advantage. The problem is that the half-breed card is very specific with regard to "all" or "none." I believe the example listed on the card doesn't give any clarification one way or the other since it is only one of various ways this could be applied in the game.

[StaticHamster]

The advantages and disadvantages mainly come from the equipment you can use and monster reactions to your race.

The Half Breed card does not in any way modify how your racial powers work. So in order to disregard a curse, a half orc would still have to give up a level if he had it. If he did not want to or was at level 1...then the curse hits.

[Revelation-Six]

Static Hampster,

Do you know if there is somewhere in the rules that clarifies this further or is this just your understanding of the rules? I would argue that a Half-Breed Halfling would not receive a -1 penalty to running away because the Half-Breed card states, explicitly, "none of the disadvantages" of that race. I don't see anywhere that the Half-Breed card excludes racial traits.

[aeronaut]

I'm with static hamster on this one, but for a slightly different reason.

As I interpret the orc card, the advantage conferred is the choice of losing a level instead of taking the consequences of the curse. In order to disregard the curse, the orc must lose a level. So the whole choice, as it were, is a single advantage, not an advantage and disadvantage paired together.

Regards,
aeronaut

[StaticHamster]

The Halfling and Gnome no longer have -1 to run away anyway.

I did not say it excluded racial traits, I said it didn't affect how they work. In order to activate the Orc power you have to give a level. It is not a disadvantage its the price for using the ability. If you don't give up the level, you do not get to ignore the Curse.

[Kirt]

After turning it around in my head a few times though I agree with StaticHamster. Paying a level to avoid the curse is not a disadvantage of being an orc, it is a necessary cost to activate the orc's ability.

If you were NOT an orc you would not lose the level...but you wouldn't be able to avoid the curse, either.

I think the idea implicit is "disadvantage of being an orc compared to other races". For example, some races had penalties to run away (but no longer do). Some races make monsters they face more powerful. These are disadvantages compared to other races that don't have those effects in the same situation. But since no other race can pay a level to avoid a curse, paying a level is not a disadvantage of being an orc, it is part of the advantage of being an orc.

Now if there was some card that said "lose a level, lose TWO levels if you are an orc", that clearly would be a disadvantage of being an orc in that situation compared to another race.

[Andrew Hackard]

Originally Posted by Revelation-Six

Would an Orc Half-Breed thus be able to disregard a curse, an obvious advantage, while retaining their level... since losing a level is an obvious disadvantage?

It's a single ability: lose a level instead of suffering a Curse. It can't be unpacked into two separate pieces. If the Half-Orc chooses to evade the Curse, he has to sacrifice a level.