Hey, Scalpel: Dragos and Hidden Strength

[James Engman]

What happens if Dragos gets a Fortitude Master and uses Hidden Strength?
Can he prevent as much damage as he wants without burning any blood, or
can he only prevent one damage since he isn't burning blood anyway?
Since "X" is the cost of the card, does he get to select the cost?

[Mr. Invincible]

James Engman (eng...@okstate.edu) wrote:

: What happens if Dragos gets a Fortitude Master and uses Hidden Strength?

: Can he prevent as much damage as he wants without burning any blood, or
: can he only prevent one damage since he isn't burning blood anyway?
: Since "X" is the cost of the card, does he get to select the cost?

If the cost "x" to play the card is zero, then the card prevents zero
damage-it's the same situation as Elritch Glimmer. You simply can't
pay zero blood and then expect to assign another number to "x" mentioned
in the text.

--
Eric Manch (esm...@unix.amherst.edu)
http://www.amherst.edu/~esmanch
"Come...dry your eyes, for you are life, rarer than a quark and
unpredictable beyond the dreams of Heisenberg; the clay in which
the forces that shape all things leave their fingerprints
most clearly."
-Alan Moore, "The Watchmen"

[James Puzzo]

Mr. Invincible (esm...@unix.amherst.edu) wrote:
: James Engman (eng...@okstate.edu) wrote:

: : What happens if Dragos gets a Fortitude Master and uses Hidden Strength?
: : Can he prevent as much damage as he wants without burning any blood, or
: : can he only prevent one damage since he isn't burning blood anyway?
: : Since "X" is the cost of the card, does he get to select the cost?
:
: If the cost "x" to play the card is zero, then the card prevents zero
: damage-it's the same situation as Elritch Glimmer. You simply can't
: pay zero blood and then expect to assign another number to "x" mentioned
: in the text.

But it can be argued the other way, which is why asked for (and haven't
yet received) a ruling. The logic goes like this:

Dragos decides that he should play the card at a cost of 11.
Thus he prevents 11 damage. At this point, he notices that he doesn't
actually have to pay that 11. And so he burns no blood, despite the
cost of 11.

The cost is independent of the ability to pay. Dragos' ability can
be seen as inherently always being able to pay for any effect at any
cost. Dragos can play a card with cost X, with the side effect that
he burns zero blood. It doesn't inherently set X to zero... it means that
setting the X to any value does not cause him to lose blood.

Ah well. I know you will argue the other way. All I'm trying to point out
is that it is questionable, and a ruling is deserved.

-spongy

[L. Scott Johnson]

On 06-Nov-96, James Engman <eng...@okstate.edu> wrote:

>What happens if Dragos gets a Fortitude Master and uses Hidden Strength?
>Can he prevent as much damage as he wants without burning any blood, or
>can he only prevent one damage since he isn't burning blood anyway?
>Since "X" is the cost of the card, does he get to select the cost?

'X' is the cost of the card, as printed. So Dragos may prevent as much
damage as he wants, and doesn't pay the cost.

--
L. Scott Johnson (vte...@regency.wizards.com)
Official VtES Net.Rep for Wizards of the Coast.
(*) - Subject to review by Rules Team