Duck of Many Things

[AliensHive2]

The other night my friends and I ran into an issue that we need clarification on please.

Question onthe card:

Duck of Many Things:

Do the following, in this order: Randomly take a card from the hand of the player to your left. Give a card of your choice to the player to your right. Take the top discard from either deck. Sing a little song. Go up a level. Discard two cards. Discard this card.

Situation where the problem arose:

I played this card when it was my turn, it was the only card I had in my hand, everything else was out on the table (Carried) Now, we followed the instructions in order...I took a card from the player to my left, which happened to be a very good card "now I have 1 card in my hand". Give a card of your choice to the player to the right..."Can this be a card from my hand or the table (carried items, class or race cards)? I gave him a potion form the table. Now take the top discard from either deck...I took the top discarded treasure card which was also very nice "now I have 2 cards in my hand". I sang a little song. Went up a level. Now it says discard two cards...which is where we had a HUGE argument about. Can I discard cards from the table (carried items, class or race cards) or does it have to be my hand or a mix of both, if a chose?

They argued that I had to discard the two new cards I just got from my hand. But the card (Duck of Many things) just says "discard two cards" and does not say discard from hand.

So what would be the verdict?

[MunchkinMan]

If it says to discard a card, it means from anywhere. If the card is to come from your hand, it will always specify (just like Duck Of Many Things does with respect to you taking a card from the hand of another player). Also, if the other players weren't going to argue about you giving the potion from the table to the other player, they have absolutely no leg to stand on when arguing that the two cards you discard must come from your hand. How can one interpret the same basic wording differently, especially when both instances are on the same card, and expect to get away with that???

[Blu]

It has been ruled in the past that you discard from where it specifies. If it doesn't specify, as in this case, then yes, it could have come from in play.

Edit....too slow....lol....

[Jarlaxle]

Probably been answered a billion times but i can't recall or find. Can the duck of many things be used on a level 9 since going up a level is just a secondary effect? I don't need full reasoning, just a yes or no will work. Thanks in advance.

[whassumattuh]

I am quite certain that you can only win the game by killing a monster or unless a card specifically says that it grants the winning level (e.g., Divine Intervention). I'll leave the final ruling to the higher ups.

However, I have an additional question about the Duck of Many Things. I am in the Dungeon of Mandatory Murder. I would like to play the Duck of Many Things. One of the many things performed with the card is to go up a level. Does that mean that I can't play Duck of Many Things while in the Dungeon of Mandatory Murder? If not, does that make it a Go Up a Level card, meaning that I can use it as a +10 one-shot item during combat while I am in the Dungeon of Mandatory Murder or as a Cheat! while I am in the Dungeon of Even More Rampant Cheating Than Usual (I think that's what it's called)? Thanks!

[SmokeRulz]

Originally Posted by Jarlaxle

Probably been answered a billion times but i can't recall or find. Can the duck of many things be used on a level 9 since going up a level is just a secondary effect? I don't need full reasoning, just a yes or no will work. Thanks in advance.

I imagine you can still use it, but it simply won't give you the level. If you're Level 9 and a card tells you to gain a level, you simply don't go up. Doesn't mean you can't use the card.

Originally Posted by whassumattuh

However, I have an additional question about the Duck of Many Things. I am in the Dungeon of Mandatory Murder. I would like to play the Duck of Many Things. One of the many things performed with the card is to go up a level. Does that mean that I can't play Duck of Many Things while in the Dungeon of Mandatory Murder? If not, does that make it a Go Up a Level card, meaning that I can use it as a +10 one-shot item during combat while I am in the Dungeon of Mandatory Murder or as a Cheat! while I am in the Dungeon of Even More Rampant Cheating Than Usual (I think that's what it's called)? Thanks!

Duck of Many Things isn't a "Go Up a Level" card. GUAL cards actually say "Go Up a Level" on the bottom of them, because that's pretty much all they're good for. Duck of Many Things is a unique card that happens to give you a level as part of its effects. Those Dungeons specifically affect GUAL cards.

Also, Mandatory murder says "All other "go up a level" instructions on cards are ignored." So I imagine you can still play Duck of Many Things and just ignore the level up effect, just like if you played Duck while Level 9.

[Mister Ed]

Originally Posted by SmokeRulz

I imagine you can still use it, but it simply won't give you the level. If you're Level 9 and a card tells you to gain a level, you simply don't go up. Doesn't mean you can't use the card.

So the inability to perform one of the actions required by the card doesn't keep you from playing it? So if you started out with NO cards (in hand OR in play) except for this one, you could still play it, even though you would be unable to discard the two cards required by the second to last step? Just wondering because this seems like it would be something addressed by a general principle. In general, can you play a card if you are unable to perform ALL actions required by the card? (I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm genuinely curious.)

[MunchkinMan]

Originally Posted by Mister Ed

So the inability to perform one of the actions required by the card doesn't keep you from playing it?

Normally, it absolutely does matter, and one can not play a card that would give one a Level one can't receive. I'm sure that with time and energy, one could search out and find all the instances where Andrew or I have said so in the last 2 or 3 years. So, SmokeRulz is not correct that one can just play Duck Of Many Things and just ignore that one step.

However, I would agree that since all card instructions to go up a Level are to be ignored while in Dungeon Of Mandatory Murder, one could play it, even if at Level 9

[Mister Ed]

Ah, so while in that dungeon, it isn't so much matter of being UNABLE to perform that step as it is a matter of that step being ignored, ro treated as if it isn't there at all...

Makes sense!

So if you WEREN'T in that dungeon, and were at level 9, your inability to take the level would mean you couldn't play the card. Good to know. (Not that I HAVE that card, but I'm hoping to SOMEDAY, and the general principle is good information. ;) )

[SmokeRulz]

Originally Posted by Mister Ed

So the inability to perform one of the actions required by the card doesn't keep you from playing it? So if you started out with NO cards (in hand OR in play) except for this one, you could still play it, even though you would be unable to discard the two cards required by the second to last step? Just wondering because this seems like it would be something addressed by a general principle. In general, can you play a card if you are unable to perform ALL actions required by the card? (I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm genuinely curious.)

That's not what I was trying to imply. If you are unable to satisfy all of the discards and what not you're supposed to do with the Duck, then obviously you can't play it. But I was referring to only the part about getting a free level. I think I've read somewhere official (but it may just be my imagination) that if you are Level 9 and something would grant you a level, then you simply don't get the level. So I figure if you're hit by a card that says "Go up a Level," you just don't. Kind of like if you're hit by a Curse that can't affect you. So I imagined the "Go up a Level" part of the Duck could be the only part of the card that can be ignored, not the other parts.

However...

Originally Posted by MunchkinMan

Normally, it absolutely does matter, and one can not play a card that would give one a Level one can't receive. I'm sure that with time and energy, one could search out and find all the instances where Andrew or I have said so in the last 2 or 3 years. So, SmokeRulz is not correct that one can just play Duck Of Many Things and just ignore that one step.

... I now know this! So this is good to know. :)