Rules for 23 September 2004

Your Rules for Thursday, Septemeber 23, 2004

Sculpting Flesh, Feign Death + 0 Chi

1.) Are the Personalities created by Sculpting Flesh permanent , i know it doesn't say permenant, but im thinking that the way things work in lotus terminology may work differently.

Bringing cards or tokens into play, either by creation or purchase, is typically permanent unless a card or rule says otherwise. Drawing cards is permanent. Gaining or losing honor is permanent. I know that's not an exhaustive list, but I think it answers the question.

Most effects that create "temporary" cards or tokens instruct you to remove them at a specific point in time. Sculpting flesh does not, so the created Personality sticks around like any other card.

2.) Personality hits 0C can i feign death them? or use Kisada's Shrine or the mountain does not move or any other # of "prevent death" cards ( like iron pillar). How does that work?

If a Personality dies, you can use Feign Death on them (card text). If the Personality dies due to having 0C, it still dies, does it not?

The only trick to it is that effects typically do not "wear off" when a card goes to the Discard Pile - unlike in Magic where damage to Creatures expires upon death. So, if you Feign Death a Personality who died with 0 Chi, he will likely be returning to play with 0 Chi, merely to expire again. The only thing death will clear off are Tokens.

One-shot "anti-death" meta-cards aren't very good pretty for staving off death due to 0 Chi. You keep preventing death, only to have the Rulebook throw another "die" effect at your Personality. You'll typically need some way to get your Chi back above 0, or you're a gonner.

Returning to play after death (Kisada's Shrine, Feign Death) is often ineffectual as well, but at least any Chi Penalty - Tokens - on the Personality aer cleared off when they are destroyed. Hida Shara (3 Chi base) with -2 Chi from on-going effects (say, Written in Blood) and -1 Chi from a Token would be put back into play with Feign Death, and she would lack the -1 chi Token (which was removed when she died). That would leave her at 1 Chi so he would not immediately die again.

However, if your Hida Tenshu (1 Chi base) is hit by Written in Blood (-2 Chi until the end of the turn), there isn't a whole lot you can do to save him.

Tower of the Ningyo

I want to clarify the cost of the Tower of the Ningyo's Limted action for a Dragon Clan player

Tower of the Ningyo Limited: Bow Tower of the Ningyo and pay 3 Gold to straighten a Personality. This costs 1 Gold instead if you are a Dragon Clan player.

For a Dragon Clan player the Limited action is:

A) Limited: Bow Tower of the Ningyo and pay 1 Gold to straighten a Personality. B) Limited: Pay 1 Gold to straighten a Personality.

I believe that answer is A, though I see a compelling case that can be made for B. I'll talk to Jeff about this because it involves important issues on Templating and Designer's Intent.

For now, go with A - it only replaces the Gold Cost, not the Whole Cost.

Rules for September 16 2004 (MARTY)

Comments Below:

Hi Marty,

As a rules monkey, you should be careful of the cards you suggest for people to use in combos. Overwhelmed destroys personalities, not units as you stated in your response (quoted below).

[MARTY] True. Overwhelmed destroys Personalities and sends home units. This is why off-the-cuff suggestions are bad. Sorry about that.

Actually, there don't seem to be many "destroy a unit" Action Cards out there in Diamond: Slaughter the Scout, To Do What We Must, Murder in the Streets, To Do What We Must, Strength in Numbers, and Direct Assault are all that I can dig up. Battle Resolution seems like the way to go.

- Marty Lund Deputy Rules Monkey

That looks like it covers everything from Thursday, September 23, 2004. If I missed your question not related to Dawn of the Empire, please repost it with the flag [RULES] as part of your Clear and Distinct Subject Line. I'll get back to you at the first opportunity.