The Genie

[mitchiemasha]

Well I guess that explains the artwork on this card. I always thought that was a bit abstract

Exactly what I just thought!

[drathe]

It's my understanding that the original rules of the game had doors with 1BP that you needed to attack and destroy. Which is also why they can never be closed again and the card shows a burning door. I never thought to examine the card shown in the TV spot. Good detective work there, Daedalus.

[Jasper Akhkharu]

I also saw the Genie spell used once, and to great effect, to open a door. The elf, who was all alone at the time, stood at the end of the wide hallway leading to the center room and opened the center room door. He did it so that he could see what kind of monsters he would have to face while staying out of harm's way. I don't remember the rest of the details, but he ended up clearing the room single-handed, so i'm guessing that a few bad dice rolls on my (Zargon's) part were involved...

That being said, I've never interpreted the Genie spell as actually summoning a Genie, but just saw it as a spell with multiple possible effects. Everyone was admittedly stunned that someone would even THINK of using the most powerful attack spell in the game to open a damn door, but then again, a creative adventurer is often the one who lives to old age!

[JCool]

It's odd for sure, but there is some merit to using the Genie to open a door.

I just ran 2 players (3 characters) through the Prince Magnus's Gold quest (#4). They were fighting a couple Orcs in the room down the hall from the center / final room and were curious about what dangers lay within. The wizard cast the Genie spell to open the door and reveal the angry horde that was inside. It let them figure out a proper strategy for finishing off the Orcs and leaving enough spells, HPs, etc. for their final battle.

So yes, it's usually an odd choice, but it can come in handy. I could also see it being used if you're on the opposite end of the dungeon from a door you skipped over and want to know if it's worth doubling back to explore.

[Daedalus]

...The option to open a door and reveal all the room, we always played it as revealing the room without actually openening the door, just noticed that the door is actually opened. If the door is actually opened by the Genie... wouldn't it be just as easy to open it yourself? Why waste a wish granting genie on that?...

I just realized you were playing the Genie spell as the Wizard of Morcar spell, Clairvoyance.
That WoM spell does allow you to reveal the contents of a room without opening the door. Was the optional power of the Genie spell lessened to leave design space for Clairvoyance as a separate detection spell? Maybe Genie originally allowed a room to be revealed without opening a door in the prototype version.

It's my understanding that the original rules of the game had doors with 1BP that you needed to attack and destroy. Which is also why they can never be closed again and the card shows a burning door....

Is there a source for this? I'd like to know more about the prototype design, including any other tidbits. Seems like ripe pickings for houseruling or Quest notes.

[Daedalus]

While going through Saiyaforthelight's houserules, I came across another published use of a Genie spell used to open a door. It's from the Hazards Pack of the Marvel Winter Special, specifically the Wall of Death. In that trap room, "...the door shuts behind them [a Hero] and is impossible to open, except with the Genie spell."

A Wizard or Elf can be required to cast the spell to escape before the wall crushes him. Morcar/Zargon might also include 1-2 Wandering Monsters and a secret door, but they must be defeated before the wall advances in 3,4 or 6 turns (depending on the room.) A Wizard or Elf may still need to open the locked door with a Genie to escape in time.

[wallydubbs]

Best possible use of the Genie Door Spell:
Frozen Horror, Quest 9 Heart of Ice: use the Genie to bi-pass the Crystal Key and open the central room to face the Frozen Horror. In essence Quest 10 doesn't need to happen... and that would maximize this spell to it's fullest potential.

[Jalapenotrellis]

Lame. I'd say no to that

[Goblin-King]

In any homemade quest it would make sense to make a locked bonus-treasure room which could only be entered by making the Genie open the door.

[Anderas]

In any homemade quest it would make sense to make a locked bonus-treasure room which could only be entered by making the Genie open the door.

... or give any other additional function. "This lever is high up the ceiling, you can't reach it. How could you possibly switch it?...."