What is the answer? That damage gets partially negated, right? But one area takes a bit more damage to compensate?

Damage doesn’t ever overflow to the next location. (Even though, with area of effect attacks, one might expect that.)

If your defense is greater than the damage dealt the character would take zero damage correct?

Yup!

No, your dmg goes up to 26, 20 + each Hex effected after the first, one die will go down 5

Yes, everytime your dmg reaches a multiply of the defence a HP is lost. So for defence 5 it's 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30.

I don't think you would ever get the full 7 hexs on a large monster with a fireball since it would hit one of the edge hexs and explode from there in the AOE hex range... giving only 3-4 additional hexs including the spot hit. It could never hit the center hex, giving the full+6.

Unless there's a weapon or item that changes what you can target?

Depends on how the rule is written., like targe hex or the skill can bump around and explode at the center like a grenade or something.

The rulebook covers that example pretty explicitly.

when triggering a reaction - what happens to the stage card that is currently face up - is that used as the reaction? is it discarded and a new card drawn for the reaction?

It's used I believe

You use that card by default. However, if you need to advance to a new stage, the old stage of cards is discarded first.

If I use a token during Story Phase (redraw/empower/wotever) do I get it back from Encounter Phase?

no

I don't really understand the point in all the different types of checks in the story. It kind of feels like if it's not a might check, you're just throwing an arbitrary number of white dice at it and hope to succeed.

Think they just alter story beats.

They don't feel as pointless as something like the pathfinder card game but sometimes they do feel too frequent

Its a bit of an abstract, a way to increase interaction with thr CYOA part of the game.

Can I use item cards without a battle flow number to add to my defense against an attack? Or are these only used to add to my starting defense

No to the first, yes to the second

I understand WHY it's there. I don't understand why it's so unsupported. It's a huge missed opportunity for story stats and things like that.

You just get that much defense always added to your defense stat

So it’s just a dead card in my hand the whole encounter?

You can put it next to your character dashboard I would think. Instead of holding it

Or hold it I'm not your dad 😏 Or maybe I am

My dumb question: you don't have to finish a each character before another one goes right? You can bounce around as long as you have Animus right? Or is it just take your turn and move on?

The way the game seems for it to be intended is 'move, play a card, or play a card, move, next turn'

But you can pass infinitely and go on the next turn etc...

It's actually just a really really round about way of saying that turns are free flowing and anyone can go at any time for as much as they'd like.