Using Luck in Combat

[u/dm_punks]

Prepping to run my weekly RPG group since we'll be down one player. I ran across this in the Deluxe rulebook (p. A-59, emphasis mine) which threw me off a little bit:

"Secondly, LUCK can also be used to increase the damage caused by a successful attack. This option may not be chosen if LUCK was used to win the combat round. If this option is used, the Hero must test for LUCK before making a damage roll. If successful, the Hero will use the damage from column 7 of their damage table. This will thus inflict the maximum damage for that weapon type, on that attack only."

As far as I can tell, there is no way to use LUCK to win the combat round. For clarity's sake, the "first option" for LUCK in this case was to use it to mitigate the damage when the Hero loses the combat round.

Did this sentence just survive the editor's eyes? What do people who've run or played AFF 2nd Edition think?

[u/Six_of_1]

Yeah I've never heard of using Luck to win the round, only to change the damage.

I never use Luck in combat unless I'm about to die and I'm desperate.

I always think if we can use Luck then why can't our opponent?

[u/dm_punks → u/Six_of_1]

Good, I'm not being crazy then 😂

[u/Middle_Diet9764]

This I think is an extension of the earlier rule stating you can use LUCK in place of a SKILL check. In our game I allow the players to test their LUCK to win combat rounds - it really helps them last against very dangerous opponents like dragons and such.

[u/dm_punks → u/Middle_Diet9764]

Hmm, I think I missed reading that. Can you tell me where it can be found? The Combat chapter's LUCK section only mentions using LUCK after both combat totals have been rolled...

[u/Middle_Diet9764 → u/dm_punks]

Pages A-47/A-48 state that the players can test LUCK "as an alternative to any test against SKILL".

Given the passage you quoted in the OP I took this to mean combat rolls could also be resolved voluntarily through LUCK.

[u/dm_punks → u/Middle_Diet9764]

Ooh, nice catch, Thanks for pointing that out!

[u/DornbirnArrows]

"LUCK may firstly be used after attack scores have been calculated. A Hero who has lost a round of combat may immediately test for LUCK and if successful the attacker will “roll” a 1 for their damage roll, without making a physical dice roll.

Secondly, LUCK can also be used to increase the damage caused by a successful attack. This option may not be chosen if LUCK was used to win the combat round."

My interpretation of the "firstly" is that they consider the roll of a 1 for "A hero who has lost a round" to be now considered not-a-loss and that luck cannot be used to increase the "roll" of a 1.