New Jyhad FAQ: 6/15/95 version
Thomas R Wylie
/*
** This basically incorporates recent design team rulings, and
** cleans up the phrasing of a lot of answers.
*/
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Jyhad
The Disguised Flamethrower Edition
Compiled by: Chris Ferris, Paul Peterson, Bob Kruger, Matt Burke,
Jeff Harris, Shawn F. Carnes, Rich Redman, Scott Hungerford,
& Tom Wylie
Edited by: JD Wiker
This list of questions is intended to clarify the Jyhad rules.
These questions and answers are not meant to supercede or
substitute for the rules. If any answer below actually modifies or
corrects the published rules it will be made clear.
Contents:
General Rulings
General Questions
Vampires
Torpor
Allies / Retainers
Equipment
Master Cards
Locations
Out-of-Turn
Political Actions
Actions
Action Modifiers
Reactions
Combat
Rules Errata
Card Errata
General Rulings:
First an important overall ruling: A card or ability can be
played, even if only part of its effects can happen. For example
Anarch Troublemaker can be played even if your prey only has one
vampire in play. Please note that this is completely opposite how
we rule on Magic cards. (12/2)
Betrayer: 1) You must guess the name of the Vampire. Note that
you don't point at the player's uncontrolled region,you just guess
the name.
2)If a player takes control of the vampire that is the target of
the betrayer, that player takes the pool loss. If the vampire that
is the target of the Betrayer becomes contested, the pool loss
stops until the contention ends.
Blood Doll: You can draw from a Blood Doll immediately after
placing the card on a vampire. Blood Doll gives blood to whomever
controls the vampire, even if controller changes.
Bomb: If Bomb is used as a strike, the damage is dealt and the
bomb burned if and only if the strike resolves. If the acting
minion uses Bomb and the blocking minion ends combat, the Bomb
doesn't do anything. If a Bomb is dodged, the minion who used it
still takes the damage, and the bomb is still burned.
Brainwash: You can not transfer blood on or off the vampire.
Bum's Rush: Being attacked directly does not cause a vampire to
become tapped.
Change of Target: Change of Target does not allow a tapped
blocker to untap. The blocking minion will retain whatever tapped
status it had when it attempted to block the action. A vampire
that used Wake With Evening's Freshness would not be untapped by
Change of Target, for example.
Charming Lobby: 1) This card requires three vampires to be
effective: one to play Charming Lobby, another to call the first
vote, and the third to call the second vote.
2) The second vote can be blocked, but it will pass automatically
if it isn't.
Cryptic Rider: The vote can be blocked, but it will pass
automatically if it isn't.
Cultivated Blood Shortage: Cultivated Blood Shortage is
cumulative.
Diablerie: You take the blood on the diablerized vampire, then
drain any excess, then gain a skill, if appropriate.
Dread Gaze vs. Pulling Strings: Pulling Strings will cancel
the Dread Gaze vote.
Dodge: This will cancel a first strike. But Dodge just neutralizes
a strike with respect to the dodging minion. It does not
neutralize other aspects of the strike, so the additional strike
provided by Acrobatics will be produced, dodging a Burst of
Sunlight still results in the other minion taking damage, and so
on.
Eagle's Sight: Eagle's Sight can not allow you to block
unblockable actions.
First Strike: If an opponent declares strike with a weapon, and
you play steal weapon with a first strike, the opponent's strike
fizzles.
Flak Jacket: Flak Jacket cannot protect a retainer.
Govern the Unaligned: When you play superior Govern the
Unaligned, you may choose any vampire, even one belonging to
another player. If that vampire turns out to not be younger than
the acting vampire, then no blood is placed. For example, if
Helena Casimir uses Govern the Unaligned on someone else's vampire
that turns out to be Democritus, the action simply doesn't do
anything. The acting player does not find out that she tried to
put blood on Democritus, and only knows that it must be some 10-
blood vampire. This applies to all similar cards, such as Enchant
Kindred.
Hidden Lurker: Hidden Lurker is an action modifier, just as the
card says.
Malkavian Dementia: If the player is ousted before their next
untap the Malkavian returns to the original controller. If the
Malkavian is under Dementia by one Methuselah and someone else
plays Dementia, when they both wear off the Malkavian is burned.
However, if someone else takes permanent control before they wear
off, than it stays with the new controller.
Madness Network: If a Malkavian takes an action on your turn
using Madness Network, you may not use reaction cards, since the
rules state that reaction cards may not be used on your turn. If
a Malkavian takes an action during someone else's turn, that
player may not use action cards, but may only use the standard
actions (such as hunting), or actions provided by cards in play
(such as burning Army of Rats). A Malkavian in torpor may take
advantage of Madness Network to rescue itself on another player's
turn. Note that equipment cards are not action cards, so equip
actions can be taken normally.
Minor Boon: If a vampire is going to torpor due to combat and a
minor boon is played, thus saving it, combat is still over.
Ousting: If you manage to oust your prey and your prey's prey at
the same time (with a Conservative Agitation vote for example) you
only get the six blood and one victory point. Your prey dies, but
antes and victory points are distributed normally.
Retainers: When the vampire attacks, the retainer must take their
action unless the card states otherwise.
Rotschreck: This card affects the vampire doing the damage.
Telepathic Counter: You can still block after Telepathic Counter
is played.
Voting: The Vote card must be shown before blocking is declared.
General Questions:
Q: How does the sequence of play run?
A: (Sec. 12, "What You Can Do On Your Turn") There are five phases
to each Methuselah's turn:
UNTAP: At the beginning of each turn you must untap any cards
that are tapped, including any vampires in torpor. Being in torpor
does not prevent a vampire from untapping.
MASTER: You can then play one master card, and any effects
generated by master cards also occur.
MINION: The minion phase is next, and any untapped minions may
take an appropriate action.
INFLUENCE: After the minion phase is over, the four transfers
allotted for the influence phase may be spent.
DISCARD: Once all or any influence is used, the last action a
Methuselah may take is to discard one card from her hand and
replace it with one from her library.
Q: How do I replenish my pool? Can't I take blood off my
ready vampires?
A: Currently the only time you can remove blood from a ready
vampire and place it in your pool is when it has a Blood Doll or a
Minion Tap card played on it. Otherwise the Methuselah cannot feed
off of his or her minions. There are cards that allow pool
increases, and ousting your prey pays off as well.
Q: In the section "Winning the Game," (Sec. 18.1) it says
that the predator gets the victory point and the blood.
What if I bleed someone as a directed action who is not my
prey and oust him or her? Shouldn't I get the points and
blood? This must be a error.
A: Actually, it's not a error. The predator will still get the
point and the blood; this encourages everyone to concentrate on
his or her prey.
Q:What happens when I run out of cards?
A:(Sec. 11.4, "Organizing the Cards," and Sec. 18.2, "Withdrawing
from the Game") Play continues when you use the last of your
library cards. The only time you are out of the game is when you
are reduced to zero pool or when you successfully withdraw from
the game.
Q: When a player is ousted or withdraws, do they take all
their cards with them, including those which might have
been under the control of some other player?
A: Yes, they take all of their cards with them.
Q: Who do you bleed? And if I have a card with the D in
the circle, who then? And wasn't bleeding a direct action
anyway?
A: Usually the only one you bleed is your prey. That action is
direct, that is, it can only be blocked by your prey. If,
however, a card allows you to bleed as a directed action, then you
can bleed any Methuselah you like. It's still a directed action,
so only the target of the bleed can attempt to block.
Q: How fast are cards replaced? For example, suppose I
play an Action. Do I immediately draw a card to replace
it, so that if it were an appropriate act to the Action, I
could use it?
A: Action cards are replaced immediately after they are played.
You can use the drawn card to modify the action.
Q: What's the deal with contested cards?
A: You cannot affect contested cards in any way. (The older FAQ is
incorrect in this respect.)
Q: Can you do something that is doomed to fail? For
example, can you play an Anarch Troublemaker when your
prey has no vampires in play?
A: Yes, but if a card specifies that it can only be used at
certain times, it can only be played at those times.
Q: If I have a superior Discipline, can I use both the
bold type and the normal type on my card at the same time?
A: No. The superior Discipline gives you a choice between the two
options.
Vampires:
Q: What happens when my vampire has no blood counters on
it?
A: Your vampire only goes into torpor when it is reduced below
zero blood. If it is reduced to zero, then the next turn it must
hunt as an action; a vampire can take no other action unless it
has at least one blood.
Q: How do I get out of torpor?
A: If your vampire went into torpor with blood still on it , then
it can, as an action, rescue itself at the cost of two blood. If
it doesn't have enough, then it can be rescued by another vampire.
The rescuing vampire taps to visit the vampire in torpor. Two
blood must be spent; this blood comes from either the rescuing
vampire, the rescued vampire, or one from each. The vampire so
rescued is then active again, but if it has no blood, it must hunt
the next turn.
Q: My vampire went into torpor tapped but he had enough
blood to get himself out. How can he get himself out if
he's tapped?
A: Even vampires in torpor untap during the untap phase, unless
paralyzed.
Q: Who pays the cost if I rescue someone else's vampire
from torpor?
A: If you rescue someone else's vampire from torpor, your vampire
must pay both blood. The vampire being rescued may only pay the
blood cost of being rescued if you're rescuing your own vampire.
Q: If someone has a vampire in torpor with Haven Uncovered
played on it, can I diablerize it or attack it with +1
stealth?
A: Once a vampire is in torpor it is no longer "ready," so it
cannot be ambushed via Haven Uncovered. Once the vampire escapes
torpor, however, it is prey to the effects of the card again.
Q: What happens to my equipment, etc., when my vampire
becomes an invalid target (i.e., it goes into torpor)?
A:The equipment and all modifiers stay on a vampire when it goes
into torpor.
Q: When does my vampire heal itself with stolen blood? The
example in the book I got in my card pack is confusing.
A: The example in the rules prior to the "Duelist Companion" rules
release refers to an early conception of the rules. The example is
in error. Stolen blood can immediately heal a vampire. This may
prevent a vampire's going into torpor on the strike phase during
which it stole the blood, as long as the vampire striking it does
not do enough "first strike" damage to send it into torpor. In
that case, the vampire attempting to steal blood is considered to
have not even gotten the opportunity to steal blood before being
sent to torpor.
Q: In Section 7.2.2 Minion Cards, it says the same action
modifier or reaction card cannot be used twice in the same
action by the same MINION, but in Sections 13.2 and 14 it
says the same card cannot be used twice in the same action
by the same PLAYER. Which is correct?
A: Minion is correct. The same action modifier or reaction card
may not be played by the same Minion in the same action.
Q: Is Caitiff a "clan" for the purposes of cards where you
choose a clan (such as Consanguineous Boon)?
A: Caitiff are clanless.
Q: If something gives control of a vampire to a different
player, do all cards played on that vampire stay on it?
A: Yes.
Q: Sabine Lafitte: Can you transfer blood onto an
uncontrolled Tremere, or does "in the game" mean "in
play"?
A: Not to an uncontrolled vampire, but you can to a vampire in
torpor. It should read "in play."
Q: Uriah Winter will still defect (if appropriate) if he's
in torpor, right? And I assume that if so, he will go to
the new controller's torpor region.
A: This is correct.
Q: If I have a vampire that has no blood on it, can I skip
the Minion phase to avoid hunting?
A: No.
Q: If I have a vampire that has no blood on it, do I have
to hunt with it right away?
A: If you start the minion phase with any vampires with no blood,
then those vampires must all hunt before any other actions can be
taken. Vampires with no blood can take no action other than
hunting, but they are only forced to hunt at the start of the
minion phase. For example, if your vampire that has no blood on
it is rescued from torpor, it can be left available to block until
your next minion phase.
Q: Do I have to use a minion's equipment? What about my
minion's retainers?
A: Using equipment is always optional, while using retainers is
always mandatory. Card texts may break these rules, of course.
While several retainers are phrased as being optional (Ghoul
Escort, Resplendant Protector, etc.), retainers in general default
to being mandatory. Note that using Ghoul Retainer is not
optional; it is giving you the option of using hands vs. using a
weapon.
Q: I have Democritus in play. Do contested titles cost
extra?
A: Titles are never considered to be cards in play, even though
Praxis Seizures are often "played" on a vampire to remind everyone
it has that title. This means that Democritus's ability does not
apply to contested titles, Praxis: Solomon cannot dictate the
outcome of a contested title, etc.
Vampires: Torpor
Q: Someone's vampire just got sent to torpor, and the
other player is planning on burning it with Amaranth. Do
I have time to save the vampire with Minor Boon? If I do,
does it continue the combat? And if a vampire is saved
with Minor Boon, can I play Pulled Fangs on it, and send
it to torpor again?
A: Minor Boon is used after the combat is actually over. Thus it
is used after Pulled Fangs could be played, and using it does not
cause the combat to continue. If it matters whether it is used
before or after another card, use the normal play procedure for
combat: acting player plays first, then blocking player, then in
turn order starting with the acting player's prey.
Allies / Retainers:
Q: Are allies linked to one vampire? How are they
different from retainers?
A: Allies are not linked to vampires as retainers are; allies are
simply called to the service of a Methuselah by a vampire capable
of taking an action. Both allies and retainers are mortal, but
retainers are not considered minions. In fact, retainers are the
equivalent of vampire modifier cards that can be destroyed by
ranged damage only. Allies, however, can take actions of their own
accord.
Q: In Section 12.3.1 Minion Actions/Recruit Ally, it says
allies can block and bleed. Are these the only actions
they can take, i.e., can allies be equipped, employ
retainers, or encounter vampires in torpor?
A: Allies can be equipped as they are minions, they may employ
human retainers (it says so in the second sentence of Employ
Retainer), but they cannot encounter vamps in torpor (16.3 says
only vamps may do so).
Q: Please explain Wolf Companion.
A: Note: All of these also apply to Murder of Crows except [c]:
a) The Wolf's damage is not a strike, and therefore cannot be
prevented by Dodge.
b) Combat Ends will stop it, since you never reach the ``resolve
strikes'' step.
c) It only deals damage at close range.
d) If the vampire goes to torpor due to a First Strike with
aggravated damage, the Wolf does not do its damage.
e) Its number of lives depends only on the skill of the recruiting
vampire at the time it is recruited; if the skill changes later,
the Wolf doesn't change. (This is true of all retainers.)
f) The Wolf does its damage each round of combat, but not during
"additional strike" strikes. (This is true of all retainers.)
Q: Suppose a vampire is in torpor, has no blood, but has
Charnas on it. The vampire untaps; does anything bad
happen to the vampire?
A: Charnas does nothing to a minion with no blood that untaps in
torpor.
Q: Does Ghoul Retainer work the same way as the Wolf
Companion? That is, if I attack do I have to use its
ability?
A: Yes.
Equipment:
Q: Chainsaw and Talbot's Chainsaw aren't ranged but don't
say Melee Weapon. Are they a special class of non-ranged
non-melee weapon, or should they have errata adding
"Melee"?
A: The Chainsaw and Talbot's Chainsaw are not considered melee
weapons, so cards that add to melee damage (such as Growing Fury)
do not add to the damage done by chainsaws.
Q: Can my Ghoul Retainer keep firing my Sawed-Off Shotgun
over and over during a combat?
A: No. The ghoul is actually using the weapon in question, and
must follow all the normal rules for using it. Also, you cannot
have your vampire and its ghoul fire the shotgun at the same time.
Master Cards:
Q: I have a vampire with Blood Doll played on her but the
vampire is contested. Can I still get blood from her?
A: No. The vampire is considered out of the influence of either
Methuselah.
Q: My opponent gains control of one of my vampires with
Blood Doll played upon it. Do I get the blood, or does my
opponent?
A: Your opponent now gets the blood from the Blood Doll, or gets
to put blood on it..
Q: Vast Wealth: If you use this ability, are you forced
to purchase the weapon you locate or can you look at what
it is and then decide whether to purchase it or not? If
the latter, what happens when the weapon costs 5 blood and
you only have 4 blood left in your pool?
A: If you choose to use the Vast Wealth, then you must use the
weapon you pull out. If you do not have enough blood to pay for
that weapon, then you are ousted.
Q: Can Gird Minions be used to put blood on a vampire in
torpor? It sort of seems like one shouldn't be able to,
but there's nothing in the rules or on the card stopping
this. Can this be done, and if not, exactly where does it
say that it can't be done? And is it the same for Minion
Tap?
A: Yes, it can be done, for both Gird Minions and Minion Tap.
Q: Deal with the Devil: Do I draw a new card (to replace
Deal with the Devil) and then discard my hand?
A: No You discard your remaining cards, then draw the new hand.
Q: If I have one blood left in my pool and I successfully
block a vampire with Aching Beauty, do I go into combat?
A: You are ousted before combat.
Master Cards: Locations
Q: I have a unique location master card, and someone else
just played the same one. How does this work?
A: (Sec. 8, "Contested Cards") Just like contested vampires: they
go face down and each owner loses one blood each untap until he
yields his card, or until his card is the only one remaining, at
which point it is put into play on his side. He may not use it,
however, until the beginning of his next turn.
Q: Can I play multiple Hunting Ground cards? It says on
the Hunting Ground cards that "only one blood can be given
to a vampire from Hunting Ground cards each turn"?
A: Yes. What it should say is that each vampire can "receive" no
more than one blood from Hunting Ground cards each turn. If you
have two vampires out that are below capacity and you have two
Hunting Ground cards out, you can give each vampire a blood point
during untap: one point to one vampire for one Hunting Ground.
Q: In the original FAQ, it says that if one contested
unique location is burned, then all cards contesting the
location are burned. Why?
A: This is a mistake. Contested cards may not be affected by any
card that does not specifically do so.
Q: Maybe I'm just missing something in the rules, but what
happens if one person wants to use Elysium, and another
person wants to use Trap? Who goes first? Would it be
acting player then blocking/victim player than all other
players in the game, or what?
A: The order is: acting player, blocking player, and then
clockwise from the acting player.
Q: Another "slap" situation. One player has Elysium, and
another has the vampire Mariel. Each of these must be
used at the beginning of combat, before range is
determined, and each of them ends the combat immediately.
So using one makes using the other illegal. What if both
players try to use them simultaneously -- who gets
priority?
A: The order is: acting player, blocking player, and then
clockwise from the acting player.
Q: The Barrens: Can you use it if you have no cards in
your hand?
A: Yes.
Q: Is using the Chantry optional?
A: Yes
Master Cards: Out-of-Turn
Q: Can I play an Out-of-Turn Master on my own turn?
A: While the original conception of out-of-turn cards had them
playable during your turn, this changed before Jyhad went to
press, and some of the rules and cards were not properly adjusted.
You may only play out-of-turn cards during someone else's turn.
Q: Sudden Reversal doesn't retroactively undo the card
being burned, it just gives the master's controller any
pool back, right? So for example, if I use Sudden
Reversal to burn someone else's out-of-turn card as they
play it, they would still lose their next master phase,
right?
A: This is correct. Also, a Reversed Giant's Blood still counts
as the one use for the game.
Q: In the original FAQ, it said that Sudden Reversal could
be used to burn a card in play as well as one being
played. Can you confirm this ruling?
A: You cannot use it to burn a card in play.
Q: Brujah Frenzy: Can you have the Brujah attack someone
who is already tapped (like a directed attack) or not?
A: You can have the Brujah attack a tapped minion, but it must be
ready..
Political Actions:
Q: When can a vote be called?
A: (Sec. 17.1, "Voting") Calling a vote is an action that must be
taken by one of your minions. The only other vote in Jyhad besides
ones written out on cards is for a bloodhunt (Sec. 16.3,
"Diablerie").
Q: My vote card says Prince or Justicar. Now what?
A: The only minion that can call that particular vote would be a
vampire with the appropriate title. Any ready vampire can call a
vote that states "All Kindred."
Q: Can my ally call a vote?
A: Any card that states "Kindred" excludes allies. An ally is a
minion but is not Kindred. (Allies are mortal.)
Q: Can I just make up a referendum? The referendum for the
vote is described on the vote card; you cannot arbitrarily make
one up.
Q: Does the vote on the vote card count towards my
referendum?
A:Yes, when you call a vote, the card itself is worth one vote.
Q:What happens when a vote ties?
A: (Sec. 17.1, "Voting") A tied vote is a failed vote.
Q: (Sec 17.1, "Voting") The rule book implies that you
cannot play additional political vote cards if you used a
vote card to call a vote. "Additional political cards can
also be used by any of the other Methusulahs for votes".
Can you play additional political vote cards?
A: Yes, all Methusulahs can use political vote cards.
Q: If I throw in another card from my hand for one vote,
do I replace it right away -- thus possibly getting
another vote card?
A: (Sec. 17.1, "Voting") No; cards do not get replaced until the
vote is concluded.
Q: Ok, I've got a Justicar, but he's tapped. Do I still
get his votes?
A: (Sec. 11.1, "The Playing Area") He sure does, because tapped
minions are considered "ready."
Q: What about my Primogen in torpor? Can't she vote?
A: (Sec. 11.1, "The Playing Area" and Sec. 17.1, "Voting")
Vampires in torpor are not considered "ready" and cannot lend
their votes.
Q: Vampire "Astrid Thomas": Is "abstain" a vote? i.e.
must all Tremere vote with her, or can they abstain?
A: You can abstain from the vote, but if they do vote, they must
vote in her favor. If Astrid votes, any previous votes by Tremere
that disagree with her are reversed.
Q: What happens if Peace Treaty is played and I want to
keep a free weapon, such as a Grenade?
A: You can keep free weapons without paying anything, including 1-
cost weapons on Black Cat.
Q: If a Primogen, Prince, or Justicar is given a new
office by a Praxis Seizure or a Justicar card, does she
keep the original title as well? Does she get the votes
for both titles, for only her original title, for only the
new title, or for whichever gives the higher number of
votes?
A: Any vampire given a new office relinquishes their old office in
favor of the new -- even if this is a demotion (from Justicar to
Prince, for example).
Q: Is the First Tradition cumulative?
A: Yes, they would happen at the same time. So if you paid two
blood, you would still have to skip a turn unless you paid another
two. But if you simply skipped three turns it would satisfy both
of them.
Q: When a political action card is played, is the vote on
the political card considered to be cast by the player or
the vampire?
A: If a vampire uses a political action card such as Disputed
Territory to call a vote, the vote provided by that card is
considered to be cast by the player rather than by the vampire.
So the vote provided by the political action card cannot be
canceled by Pulling Strings, for example.
Actions:
Q: Can I use the +1 stealth on an action card to increase
the stealth of another action?
A: No, because you'd need an action modifier card. The action card
merely indicates that that particular action has an intrinsic
stealth bonus.
Q: At the top of my action card it says +1 Stealth in bold
typeface. Do I have to have a superior Discipline to use
this card?
A: The +1 stealth covers both aspects of the card, so whichever
level discipline you have, and whichever one you choose, the
action is still at +1 stealth.
Q: OK, so it's been established that I could use Govern
the Unaligned, or a similar action, to put blood on
someone else' uncontrolled vampire. Would that vampire pop
out at the end of my influence phase, or at the end of the
other player's influence phase?
A: The vamp would pop out at the end of its Methuselah's
influence.
Q: Kine Resources Contested: Can you divide the points by
giving 4 points to one and zero points to the other?
A: At least one point must be allocated to each Methuselah chosen.
Q: If you take an action, no one blocks, and you play an
action modifier to make it nastier, can they then decide
to block after all?
A: No. The decision to block or not is final.
Q: If Pulse of the Canaille is played on a Vampire that
has Gangrel De-Evolution played on it, what is the
vampires Bleed?
A: Its bleed is 2.
Action Modifiers:
Q: When exactly can and can't Action Modifiers be played?
A: They can be used both before and after an action is blocked, so
you can wait until after they decide to not block to play
Conditioning.
Q: In Stealth and Intercept (section 13.3.2), it says that
if the intercept of the minion attempting to block is less
than the the stealth of the acting minion, the blocking
minion is left untapped, and another minion may attempt to
block. Please confirm that the acting minion would still
enjoy any increased stealth, and the second attempt to
block would have to match that increased stealth.
A: The acting minion would still enjoy all benefits derived from
the action modifiers played earlier.
Q: Can Mask of a Thousand Faces be used if the Masking
vampire couldn't legally perform the current action? For
example, can I attack a vampire with my Muddled Vampire
Hunter and then take over with another vampire using the
Mask? Part of me says that it shouldn't be able to, but I
think that's just the how this all works in "reality",
and I think the card would allow the vampire to Mask an
"illegal" action in this manner.
A: You can use the Mask of 1000 Faces to make a minion perform an
action that they normally couldn't.
Q: Also, are action modifiers applied to the acting
vampire, or to the action itself? For example, suppose a
vampire used Earth Control to increase its stealth, then a
vampire takes over with the Mask. Does it still enjoy the
increased stealth? Does it matter whether the new vampire
has Protean? (I don't think whether it has Protean should
be relevant, but am unsure about whether the stealth would
still apply.) I can really see arguments for both sides
on this one.
A: Modifiers are applied to the action itself, so would apply even
if the Masking vampire couldn't have played them.
Q: Cloak the Gathering: The rules, in section 7.2.2., say
"The same action modifier card type cannot be used twice
by a minion during the same action." Cloak the Gathering
is an odd action modifier which can be used either by the
acting minion on itself, or (with superior Obfuscate) can
be used by a non-acting minion on the acting minion. I
believe that it is legal for two different minions to use
Cloak the Gathering during the same action, but not for
the same minion to use it twice. Is this correct?
A: Two different minions can use Cloak of the Gathering to modify
the same action.
Q: Cryptic Mission: Can you play Cryptic Mission on a
vampire that has no blood?
A: Yes. Your vampire still gets a blood if Cryptic Mission is used
at the superior level.
Q: If I use the Mask of 1,000 Faces and the original
Vampire had a Laptop or a Bomb, can the new vampire use
them?
A: No. Action modifiers carry over, but equipment does not.
Reactions:
Q: When can I play a reaction card?
A: A reaction card can only be played in response to the actions
of another Methuselah's minion. You cannot play reaction cards
during your turn.
Q: Can any minion play a reaction card? What if she's
tapped?
A: A tapped minion cannot react (bring a reaction card into play).
The untapped minion that plays a reaction, however, does not
become tapped.
Q: If the Superior version of Form of Mist is used, then
the action resumes with another +1 stealth stacked on top
of it, right? So any previous stealth would be in effect,
Dawn Operation would still apply if the action is blocked
a second time, and so on?
A: This is correct. All previous stealth bonuses and blocking
restrictions still apply.
Q: If Obedience is used, then the vampire which was
blocked cannot perform the same action again that turn. Is
each type of Bleed considered a different action? For
example, if a vampire was blocked from Computer Hacking
and Obedience was then used, would it be able to use
Social Charm later that turn?
A: Each type of Bleed is a different action.
Q: Suppose the blocked vampire was trying to rescue a
vampire from torpor. I assume the actual action here was
"encounter a vampire in torpor", not "rescue a vampire
from torpor" or "rescue Ricki from torpor", and thus it
couldn't try to rescue or diablerize anything else that
turn?
A: You can try to rescue a different vampire. Each action is very
specific: ie, rescue "Ricki" from torpor.
Q: Pulled Fangs: Must the two actions be taken in the
same turn, or can they be done on two separate turns? Can
they be done by two different vampires, or must they be
both done by the same vampire?
A: It takes two actions, which can be undertaken by different
vampires on different turns.
Q: Just how pervasive is Eagle's Sight? I'm assuming the
vampire using it would still have to raise its intercept
to match the acting minion's stealth, but would it allow
the reacting vampire to block "unblockable" actions such
as anything modified by Day Operation? Would it allow the
vampire to block after all other vampires have decided
whether to block, a la Anneke?
A: You must still have intercept equal to the stealth value of the
acting minion, but you cannot block a Day Operation.
Q: If I want to use Telepathic Counter against my
opponent's bleed and he wants to use Spying Mission, who
wins?
A: Telepathic Counter would win. It reduces the bleed to 0,
therefore Spying Mission would have no effect.
Q: Can you play a Reaction after your opponent plays an
Action Modifier, or only directly after they play the
Action? (Specific situation: Rob bleeds Roy. Roy
declines to block, but plays the reaction Telepathic
Counter. Rob plays the action modifier Conditioning. Roy
plays the reaction Telepathic Misdirection. Rob claims
that this is illegal, that Roy passed his chance to play
additional Reactions and so can't play one now.)
A: It is legal to play reaction cards both before and after action
modifiers.
Q: Obedience says that the acting minion may not repeat
the neutralized action later in the turn. What exactly
counts as "the same action"? If encountering a vampire in
torpor is neutralized this way, can I encounter some other
vampire in torpor? If a Bum's Rush is neutralized this
way, can I play another Bum's Rush?
A: Action cards may not be repeated this way, so that minion would
not be able to Bum's Rush something else later that turn. The
default actions provided by the game, and actions provided by
cards in play, are considered distinct as long as you're choosing
what gets affected. So a hunt or default bleed that was stopped
by Obedience could not be attempted again later in the turn, but
you could try to equip with a different piece of equipment, could
try to burn a different Army of Rats, etc. All of this applies to
Change Target as well.
Combat:
Q: What is the combat sequence?
A: (Sec. 15, "Combat")
1. Choose Range: There are two ranges, close and long. Range
starts at close and can only be changed by maneuvering. Any number
of maneuvers may occur until range has been determined; however,
each maneuver after the first must be played only to cancel
another maneuver. (I cannot just throw out five maneuvers to allow
myself to draw five new cards, for instance.) I can play a
maneuver to make combat long range, my opponent can then play a
maneuver to cancel mine and make the combat short, and I can then
play one to cancel hers and make it long again; we play maneuvers
back and forth until one of us stops.
2. Choose Strike: The second phase is to choose strike. A strike
can be by hand, by weapon, or by a combat card specifically
stating "strike." After each minion has declared its strike,
damage is determined and combat ends unless one or the other
minion "presses," which begins the whole round again.
Q: What does "press to end" mean?
A: Press to end allows you to counteract your opponent's press to
continue combat, but does not allow you to press to continue
combat. Presses continue to be played until the final press played
determines the outcome.
Q: I played "Strike: Combat Ends" and my opponent played
"strike: dodge." It says that dodge negates opponent's
strike. What happens?
A: (Sec. 15.3, "Special Combat Effects") "Combat Ends" takes place
before any other strike can take effect. Combat Ends beats any
other card out there. (Note that the acting minion must declare
its strike first.)
Q: If the acting minion plays a Combat Ends strike card,
does the combat end instantly, or does it end in the
"resolve strike" step?
A: Combat ends instantly, so the blocking minion cannot play a
strike card afterward.
Q: How do additional strikes work?
A: An additional strike allows the minion to strike two or more
times in a single round. If the other minion does not have
additional strikes, it cannot dodge the additional strikes, or
strike back. Range is not changed in the additional strikes.
Q:What exactly does "once per combat" mean?
A: Once per combat means once during the entire confrontation,
including any additional rounds due to presses that may prolong
the combat. If you get one maneuver per combat, and you maneuver
in the first round, you've used your manuevers from that card and
must find another card source if you want to maneuver again.
Q: My Gun says "3R" on it. What's the "R" mean?
A: It means that it delivers 3 points of damage either at long
range or short range. Some cards with the "R" on it (eg, Thrown
Sewer Lid) can only be effective from long range, but "R" does not
mean that it must be at long range to work.
Q: How does aggravated damage work?
A: Aggravated damage automatically sends your vampire to torpor.
The first point of Aggravated Damage doesn't cause the vampire to
spend a point of blood to heal, but every point after that does.
If Aggravated Damage from one source totals at least two more than
your vampire has blood to heal, your vampire is burned. This does
not count as Diablerie.
Q: If a vampire with 1 blood is hit by a 3-point (or
greater) aggravated damage strike, does the vampire go to
torpor and then to the ashheap, or does it just go
straight to the Ashheap? (This is a critical difference
if the vampire has Fame...)
A: The vampire goes straight to the Ashheap.
Q: If a vampire receives both aggravated and normal damage
at the same time, which is applied first?
A: Normal damage is applied first.
Q: The rules say: "You may only use hand damage modifiers
on melee-type weapons (such as knives, clubs, etc.)."
Does "hand damage modifiers" refer only to +N Hand Damage
effects, or does it include other modifiers such as those
that make hand damage aggravated?
A: It only includes the +N Hand Damage. You cannot use Wolf Claws
to make the Bastard Sword's damage aggravated.
Q: Can you choose "no strike" as your strike, or must you
choose one of "normal hand attack, weapon, or strike
card"?
A: You cannot choose "no strike" as your strike. You are free to
choose an ineffective strike, though.
Q: I have a "Strike: Steal Weapon" card. Can I take my
prey's Hawg? It's got that little gun on it, right?
A: Well, sure it's got the picture, but for the card to qualify as
a weapon it must also state "weapon" in the card text. The symbol
stands for "equipment" only.
Q: Fast Hands: Can you attempt to steal equipment if your
opponent has none?
A: Yes; you can attempt to steal a "weapon" regardless of whether
the opposing minion has one. However, if the opposing minion has
equipment, your minion must steal it.
Q: Dragon Breath Rounds in a Zip Gun: Do the rounds add +2
aggravated damage to just the strike, or do they also add
it to the damage done to the bearer of the zip gun?
A: Dragon Breath Round just add to the strike damage.
Q: Can Skin of Steel prevent previous damage in a round?
A: No, it can only prevent current and future damage.
Q: If I steal a piece of equipment that my opponent is
using as a strike, is the strike neutralized, or does my
minion still suffer the effect?
A: If the weapon is stolen at first strike, but its strike happens
normally, then the weapon's strike is neutralized so does nothing.
A Sawed-Off Shotgun stolen this way could be used again later in
the combat, a Bomb stolen this way would not be burned and would
not damage its user, etc. If the weapon and the steal weapon are
both used at first strike (or neither is), then the weapon is used
normally before changing controller.
Q: How does ``Combat Ends'' work?
A: "Combat ends" does not resolve during strike resolution; if a
"combat ends" strike is played, the combat is over immediately.
If the acting minion played the strike, the combat ends before the
blocking minion can even declare a strike.
Q: How do directed bleeds differ from regular bleeds?
A: If an action card such as Computer Hacking provides a directed
bleed, you may bleed any player other than yourself. This
overrides the rules for the default bleed, which is a directed
action only usable against your prey. This is something else that
changed during playtesting, which is why Cat Burglary indicates
different rules for directed bleeds. Any future printings of Cat
Burglary will be changed to make the card useful.
Q: Can I use a weapon's maneuver to change the range, then
use a different weapon for my minion's strike?
A: If you use a weapon's maneuver, then the first strike you use
that round must be to use that weapon. This means you cannot use
two weapons to maneuver in the same round. However, if you get
additional strikes that round, you may choose to strike with
something other than the weapon you maneuvered with.
Q: Can I use Elysium on a combat I'm not involved with?
How about Frenzy? Mob Connections? Police Department?
A: Presses can only be provided by players involved in the combat,
so you cannot use Mob Connections or Police Department on a combat
you're not involved in. Elysium and Frenzy may be used regardless
of whether you're involved in the combat.
Q: What happens if I play superior Form of Mist to end
combat, but the blocking minion plays Psyche?
A: Psyche forces a new combat, and the effects of Form of Mist are
lost. The same applies to Fast Reaction.
Rules Errata:
p. 20, Section 12.3.1. Bleed: Bleeding is a directed
action,usable only against your prey.
p. 20, Section 12.3.1 Equipment & Allies: Equipment and
allies are considered a separate class of cards, as described in
section 7.2.2.
p. 21, Section 12.3.1. Encounter vampire in torpor:
Encountering another Methuselah's vampire in torpor is a directed
action.
p. 29, Section 14. Summary of the Course of an Action: In
the fourth step, the second sentence should read, "The Methuselah
or minion must then pay any cost associated with the action."
Thus, if an action is unsuccessful, no cost is paid.
p. 31 Section 15.1. Choose Strike: In the fifth sentence it
reads, "If weapons were not used to maneuver, then, after range is
determined, the player with the acting minion first decides the
manner in which the minion is blocking." It should read, "...in
which the minion is striking."
p. 37, Section 16.1 Going Into Torpor: Add, "Any retainers and
equipment stay with the vampire going into torpor."
p. 38, Section 16.3. Diablerie: Bloodhunts are voted upon with
the usual voting procedure, except the Methuselah calling the
bloodhunt does not receive an automatic vote.
Sections 7.2.2 and 14.4 have conflicting statement about how many
times an action modifier may be played during a single action.
Section 7.2.2 is correct; the same *minion* may only play a given
action modifier once, but potentially each minion controlled by a
player may use the same card to modify an action. This means that
all of your vampires may play Cloak the Gathering on the same
action (assuming they all have superior obfuscate), that an action
modifier can be repeated if Mask of 1000 Faces is used, and so on.
Card Errata:
Anarch Troublemaker: Should say "During your untap phase..."
Army of Rats: Army of Rats is not cumulative.
Blood Doll: Blood Doll gives blood to whomever controls the
vampire, even if controller changes.
Blood Rage: This should be a Thaumaturgy card, not a Fortitude
card.
Cat Burglary: This card reads incorrectly. It will be fixed in
V:TES.
Disputed Territory: This is a political card.
The Embrace: The vampire created is the same clan as its creator.
Fame: This should be considered a unique master. If Fame is played
on a vampire that is already in torpor, the 3 pool loss does not
happen, but players start losing 1 blood on their turn as
described on the card.
The Fourth Tradition: The Accounting: This card should be an
action card, not a master card, but it has the gray master card
border.
Grenade: It should read: "If grenade is used at close range,
bearer suffers 1 damage."
Malkavian Time Auction: Should say "the Methuselah who played
Time Auction may not bid."
The Spawning Pool: This is a master card and as such should
have a gray background, but instead it has the minion card (ochre-
red) background.
The Third Tradition: Progeny: The vampire created is the same
clan as its creator.
Ventrue Justicar: If vote is successful, the vampire becomes the
Ventrue Justicar, not the Tremere Justicar.
The Disguised Flamethrower Edition is accurate as of June 15th,
1995.
Purple Kitty
: First an important overall ruling: A card or ability can be
: played, even if only part of its effects can happen. For example
: Anarch Troublemaker can be played even if your prey only has one
: vampire in play. Please note that this is completely opposite how
: we rule on Magic cards. (12/2)
Then why can't Superior Acrobatics be used, for just the dodge, if a Blur
card has already been played?
: Hidden Lurker: Hidden Lurker is an action modifier, just as the
: card says.
Uh...what? I think you have one word too many there...
: Malkavian Dementia: If the player is ousted before their next
: untap the Malkavian returns to the original controller.
<groan> Will you guys please MAKE UP YOUR MINDS about this?
: If the
: Malkavian is under Dementia by one Methuselah and someone else
: plays Dementia, when they both wear off the Malkavian is burned.
What?!? I hope this is a misprint for "returned to its original controller."
: Madness Network: If a Malkavian takes an action on your turn
: using Madness Network, you may not use reaction cards, since the
: rules state that reaction cards may not be used on your turn. If
: a Malkavian takes an action during someone else's turn, that
: player may not use action cards, but may only use the standard
: actions (such as hunting), or actions provided by cards in play
: (such as burning Army of Rats). A Malkavian in torpor may take
: advantage of Madness Network to rescue itself on another player's
: turn. Note that equipment cards are not action cards, so equip
: actions can be taken normally.
Come on...this ruling is just silly. You've overturned perfectly sane and
rational rulings before...why not overturn a silly one? :-)
: The Disguised Flamethrower Edition is accurate as of June 15th,
: 1995.
As accurate as these FAQs ever get, at least. <g>
--
Rev. Pee Kitty, of the order Malkavian-Dobbsian
Meow!
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