> How to handle this is up to the narrator and the guidance in
Herowars isn't really good enough.
This should probably move to hw-rules, but traffic is quiet.
If a hero is defeated (reduced below 0AP) in a contest, but then left unmolested by the opposition, they may attempt to re-enter the contest using a Final Action. Both Hero Wars and Heroquest treat this as a contest of a suitable ability to keep going: Tough, Resilient, Relationship to X, or the like. Hero Wars just allows you to make an ability test, modified by defeat penalties, to carry out an action, and re-enter the contest if that action leaves you with positive AP. Heroquest (and I prefer this version) makes it a contest of your ability against your negative AP and a victory gives you AP equal to your ability (of course with your previous defeat penalties still in place).
The change makes it more straightforward for marginally or minor defeated characters to re-enter the contest, but harder for greater levels of defeat, because you need an ability higher than your negative AP to make it worth while trying. We never really used this under HW, but have a couple of times under HQ. It also makes those automatically succeed at a Final Action abilities, like Last Gasp Recovery more useful, even if not normally allowed - as they allow you to keep comping back into the contest from defeats below your secret value (beware death of a thousand cuts though). It also makes those really huge Hate Lunars abilities useful for Orlanthi, as it gives them the chance to fight to the death, beserker style.
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