Ghoulfiends and Insurance Salesman
 

I've checked the rules, errata and FAQ (and in most cases tried searching the board). If I still missed that there in fact is a solution already avaliable, I apologize in advance.

Anyway, onto the questions:

6. Does one-shot items played from your hand to gain bonus help you out vs Ghoulfiends or Insurance Salesman, respectively?

Thanks a lot for helping me out!

Re: Some assorted questions
 

Ghoulfiends, no. You cannot use your bonuses, only your level counts. Ins. Salesman, yes. You cannot use your level to fight him, so only bonuses count.

However! Note that if you are fighting both at the same time, those effects stack
, and completely negate your ability to attack at all, since you can't use bonuses or levels.

Re: Ghoulfiends and Insurance Salesman
 

Ghoulfiends: No Items help against them, period.

Insurance Salesman: Yes, you can play one-shot Items for their bonuses.

Re: Ghoulfiends and Insurance Salesman
 

If you're fighting both in the same combat, you're reduced to a Combat Strength of 0 and are basically screwed, since neither your level nor any other bonuses can help you.

Re: Ghoulfiends and Insurance Salesman
 

What about other people?

Re: Ghoulfiends and Insurance Salesman
 

You can always use monster dehancers correct? They aren't items and do lower the monsters strength.

Re: Ghoulfiends and Insurance Salesman
 

You would be able to use monster dehancers, but you'd need a lot of them as the 2 monsters are level 22 together. Having a helper will not help, as they cannot use their level or bonuses either.

Re: Ghoulfiends and Insurance Salesman
 

That is correct. I'm sure searching will find instances where we have said this, and even provided examples of legal ways to get through this combat successfully. I'm on my phone, so I can't provide links as easily as I'd like. . .

Re: Ghoulfiends and Insurance Salesman
 

Any "help" you receive also must fight by the same conditions and rules as you. If a monster you're fighting has a bonus against Elves and you are not an Elf, but an Elf helps you, the Monster's combat strength increases when the Elf joins the combat.

Likewise, if someone were to help you against both the Ghoulfiends and the Insurance Salesman, your Helper would ALSO have to fight with no level and no bonuses just as you do. What this comes out to mean is that they would be forced to run away with you.

So don't EVER inflict this horror on someone wearing the Kneepads of Allure, or else they might force you to "help" them after you make winning impossible.

Re: Ghoulfiends and Insurance Salesman
 

It's also worth noting that such a monster's bonus is NOT cumulative for each Elf in the combat. "+5 vs Elves" is only applied once, regardless of the number of Elves fighting it.

However, if two monsters in the combat both have "+X vs Elves" and they are facing an Elf, each monsters would get its own bonus.

Re: Ghoulfiends and Insurance Salesman
 

As MM suggested, there are ways to win this fight.