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Hello,

I need help understanding the mechanics of these rules interactions. As it feels like it should not work. However, I can't find a specific path to say why it doesn't.

Scenario 1:-

A unit (Battle Sisters Squad) with a Melta gun in range of an ability to ignore roll modifiers (Light of the Emp Stratagem).

The rules states the ability to ignore roll modifiers refers to: hit, wound, damage, charge, etc... rolls


The unit successfully wounds (within Melta range) a C'tan with it's half damage modifier and the C'tan fails it save.


My understanding is the Weapons Melta's damage characteristic is a roll, so can not be modified, the melta ability is applied after the modification, so the full damage pushes through into the C'Tan unchanged.



Scenario 2:-

Same again. the BSS successfully wounds (within Melta range) a Ghost Keel with it's set to 0 ability. there is no point activating the blank ability as:-

My understanding is the Weapons Melta's damage characteristic is a roll, so can not be modified, the melta ability is applied after the modification, so the full damage pushes through into the Ghost Keel unless it successfully makes a saving throw.


If this doesn't work as above. What scenario where modifiers to a damage roll would actually work? or is it poor wording on GW's part that's referenced a scenario that would never occur.

Thank you!!

Nothing in either of those scenarios is modifying the damage roll.

Nothing the C'tan has adds or subtracts from the damage roll in scenario 1. Nothing the Arc has adds or subtracts from the damage roll in scenario 2.

Their abilities work just fine.

Ah, ok.

Is this is where i was getting lost then?:-

The D6 roll is the contained within the damage characteristic. Once you roll, the damage characteristic is then set.

C'tans half damage ability affects the characteristic, not the roll per se?

darkskoll wrote:
Ah, ok.

Is this is where i was getting lost then?:-

The D6 roll is the contained within the damage characteristic. Once you roll, the damage characteristic is then set.

C'tans half damage ability affects the characteristic, not the roll per se?

C'tans half damage ability affects how much damage he takes. It has nothing to do with the damage characteristic of the weapon.

What do you mean? As it stipulates damage characteristic:-

"Necrodermis: Each time an attack is allocated to this model, halve the damage characteristic of that attack"

darkskoll wrote:
What do you mean? As it stipulates damage characteristic:-

"Necrodermis: Each time an attack is allocated to this model, halve the damage characteristic of that attack"

Which has nothing to do with ignoring roll modifiers to the damage roll. It says halve the damage characteristic of that attack, not modify the damage roll.

If you shoot the c'tan with a lascannon it does
D6+1 damage so you roll the dice and get a 5.
5+1=6 half this because of the special rule of the c'tan he will recive 3 damage if he fails his save.

To put another way, what has been stated above:

Step 1: You roll your attacks and output a value of damage based on the result. (This cannot be modified as per the strat).

Step 2: That damage is then dealt to the opposing unit, reduced by any abilities. (This cannot be modified as it is not affecting your roll, it's affecting the application of the damage.)

The Ghostkeel is a great example for this because you do ignore the -1 to hit from stealth, but not the D:0 from the drone.

Keep this in mind.

CORE RULES UPDATES VERSION 1.3 (WITH RULES COMMENTARY 1.5) wrote:Q: If a rule adds to the Damage characteristic of an attack (e.g. the [MELTA] ability) and another rule changes the Damage characteristic to 0 (e.g. the Thousand Sons Destined By Fate Stratagem), will the final Damage characteristic be 0?

A: No, rules that change the Damage characteristic to 0 take effect first, then other modifiers are applied, including the [MELTA] ability. In the example, if the attacking weapon had the [MELTA 2] ability, the Damage characteristic would be changed to 0 first, then the [MELTA 2] ability would add 2 to the Damage characteristic, for a final Damage characteristic of 2.