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Old 01-15-2013, 06:15 PM   #1
Augster
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Default Slightly confused NOOB questions

Hello. New to the game. Me, my friend, and my two kids played last Saturday. It was fun, but we got bogged down a lot. I've done a lot of reading since then, but a couple of things still escape my grasp, and not finding a decent YouTube video about the game has been rough as none of us has played before.

I've read the entire FAQ which was VERY helpful. But I still have a couple of questions, so here goes....

1. Do you have to put an item into play? Can you just keep it in your hand until you need it if you have less than 5 cards? What if I have 2 big items in my hand (of my 5 cards) and one big item, the giant rock say, in play as a human? Is this okay?

2. One shot items like potions and other things without a value on the bottom. Can these be put in play in order to bring my total cards down to 5 in my hand? I'd like to keep some things a secret to use from my hand, but if it's a choice between that or discarding to the low player (charity), I'd rather have it out in front of me. There was a wall card I had too. Is that played out in front of me, or do I need to keep it in my hand until I need to use it?

3. Kneepads of Allure. Is this an item that you play in front of you and considered armor? Footwear? One shot? And, I think, I have to have it in play in front of me before I start/enter combat. Or can I be losing a combat, put it in play, then make someone help me for the win? Then it stays in play?

I'm re-reading everything from the top, and I know I'll have more Q's when we play again.

Thanks for the help!
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Old 01-15-2013, 06:38 PM   #2
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Default Re: Slightly confused NOOB questions

Quote:
Originally Posted by Augster View Post
1. Do you have to put an item into play? Can you just keep it in your hand until you need it if you have less than 5 cards? What if I have 2 big items in my hand (of my 5 cards) and one big item, the giant rock say, in play as a human? Is this okay?
Just because you have an item in your hand doesn't mean that you must play it. You can keep it in your hand as long as at the end of your turn you don't exceed the hand size limit. Cards in your hand are not items, so it doesn't matter if you've got 2 "big" items in your hand. You can only have one of them in play though.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Augster View Post
2. One shot items like potions and other things without a value on the bottom. Can these be put in play in order to bring my total cards down to 5 in my hand? I'd like to keep some things a secret to use from my hand, but if it's a choice between that or discarding to the low player (charity), I'd rather have it out in front of me. There was a wall card I had too. Is that played out in front of me, or do I need to keep it in my hand until I need to use it?
Many one-shot cards are items (they have a gold piece value on them). Those can be played on the table to get them out of you hand, most people turn them sideways like other unused items to remind you that you're not getting their bonuses. There are other cards (such as curses and GUAL cards) which can not be played to the table as items, but may only be used. This includes cards like "wandering monster" as well.

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Originally Posted by Augster View Post
3. Kneepads of Allure. Is this an item that you play in front of you and considered armor? Footwear? One shot? And, I think, I have to have it in play in front of me before I start/enter combat. Or can I be losing a combat, put it in play, then make someone help me for the win? Then it stays in play?
The kneepads are an unslotted item, like the spiky knees (you can have both), you must be wearing them before combat to use them, since you can't play normal wearable items while you're in combat. The kneepads stay in play, yes.
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Old 01-15-2013, 06:53 PM   #3
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Default Re: Slightly confused NOOB questions

To further clarify, Items are any card that has a Gold Piece value or the text "No Value" written on the card at the bottom right. Any and all Items can be carried on the table unless there are restrictions on how many of those Items you can carry in the rules, such as the restriction that you can normally only carry one Big Item. In order to start carrying an Item, it must be your turn and you cannot be in combat. You also choose whether you are currently using each of your carried Items by keeping them upright to say you are using them or turning them sideways to say you are not using them.

You are under no obligation to play your cards. One-shot Items can be played either from your hand or from the table, so it is best to keep them in your hand so your opponents don't know about them. You should really only play cards you don't intend to use to the table if you want to perform a trade with someone or you need to avoid Charity.

On that point, Charity only comes into effect at the end of your own turn. You can have any number of cards in your hand at any other time, but in order to end your turn, you must get your hand down to your hand limit (typically 5). That is the only time when you need to follow the Charity rules.
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Old 01-15-2013, 07:25 PM   #4
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Default Re: Slightly confused NOOB questions

Thanks for the great, QUICK answers!

Clipper, I'm trying to print your flow charts. They'll be a HUGE help, especially if/when my kids introduce other kids to the game.

I just re-read the Rules and took pretty good notes this time, and not surprisingly, I have couple of extra questions.

As mentioned above, are the Spiky Knees considered Armor? When we played this came up, the player got his Armor cursed, but the only thing he was wearing was the Spiky Knees. We assumed they were, just like a sword or a mace is a weapon even if it doesn't specifically say weapon. LMK.

Give and Trade. I'm quite confused on this. You can GIVE items from anywhere, table, hand, equipped, unequipped, at any time to any player? Even one in combat? Or am I reading that wrong and you can ONLY GIVE items that are on the table? Not from your hand.

But you can't trade items with a player in combat. And if you trade with another player, the items have to come from the table? Or can they come from the hand? And it can happen on anyone's turn? Even during someone else's combat, then one of the tradees could theoretically join the combat as a helper?

I'll re-read the FAQ on those points...

Lastly, the Rules say, "You cannot discard ITEMS "just because"." So if I have more than 5 cards in my hand and it's the Charity phase, can I discard an item? Of course, I could put the item in play to get down to 5, but not if it's "big" and I already have a "big" in play. Also, the item may be something good my opponents would steal and I'd rather get it into the discard pile. Is this allowed? Can I discard ITEMS from my hand during Charity, or do I have to put them into play and only discard monsters and such?

Thanks very much! Off to the FAQ again.
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Old 01-15-2013, 07:52 PM   #5
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Default Re: Slightly confused NOOB questions

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Originally Posted by Augster View Post
As mentioned above, are the Spiky Knees considered Armor? When we played this came up, the player got his Armor cursed, but the only thing he was wearing was the Spiky Knees. We assumed they were, just like a sword or a mace is a weapon even if it doesn't specifically say weapon.
It's not. All Armor cards have Armor on the bottom left side, just as Headgear and Footgear. Spiky Knees and other cards with no specification simply just won't take any slot.

Quote:
Give and Trade. I'm quite confused on this. You can GIVE items from anywhere, table, hand, equipped, unequipped, at any time to any player? Even one in combat? Or am I reading that wrong and you can ONLY GIVE items that are on the table? Not from your hand. But you can't trade items with a player in combat. And if you trade with another player, the items have to come from the table? Or can they come from the hand? And it can happen on anyone's turn? Even during someone else's combat, then one of the tradees could theoretically join the combat as a helper?
You can only trade Itens that you carry (i.e. are played on the table). You can't trade during combat. If you are not in combat you can trade with another player not in combat.
The exception for this is after a combat with a helper: you can give a helper any cards previously agreed upon.
Giving Itens is the same as trading, only you get nothing in return.

Quote:
Lastly, the Rules say, "You cannot discard ITEMS "just because"." So if I have more than 5 cards in my hand and it's the Charity phase, can I discard an item? Of course, I could put the item in play to get down to 5, but not if it's "big" and I already have a "big" in play. Also, the item may be something good my opponents would steal and I'd rather get it into the discard pile. Is this allowed? Can I discard ITEMS from my hand during Charity, or do I have to put them into play and only discard monsters and such?
If you have more than 5 cards you don't discard, you give to the lowest LEvel player. If you have non-Big Itens you could play them to carry and avoid giving cards away. If you are the lowest Level (or tied) you may discard.
Note that you don't have to discard Itens, you could give/discard Monster, extra Classes or Races.
You could sell the Itens if you want, from your hand or from play, if it is 1000GP or more.
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Old 01-15-2013, 08:24 PM   #6
Andrew Hackard
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Default Re: Slightly confused NOOB questions

Some edits for clarity:

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Originally Posted by StormCrow42 View Post
Cards in your hand are not items, so it doesn't matter if you've got 2 "big" items in your hand. You can only have one of them in play though.
"One of them" refers to Big items here, just so it's clear.

Quote:
Originally Posted by StormCrow42 View Post
Many one-shot cards are items (they have a gold piece value on them). Those can be played on the table to get them out of you hand, most people turn them sideways like other unused items to remind you that you're not getting their bonuses.
"Most people" may be an exaggeration. The rules are intentionally vague on whether one-shots that have not yet been used should be turned sideways or not, because it doesn't matter.

However, one thing I have noticed is people who set up an overlapping set of cards where most of them cannot be read. This is shady, at best; any card you have in play is PUBLIC knowledge, and an opponent should be able to look at your layout and see what cards you have. If you're stacking them so the card names can't be read, you need to quit doing that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Clipper View Post
You are under no obligation to play your cards. One-shot Items can be played either from your hand or from the table, so it is best to keep them in your hand so your opponents don't know about them. You should really only play cards you don't intend to use to the table if you want to perform a trade with someone or you need to avoid Charity.
I can see other reasons to play cards down, including "I have a Wishing Ring, so send that Curse somewhere else" and "I have a +5 one-shot and I'm not afraid to use it!" "It is best" implies a value judgment that I don't think is warranted here.

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Originally Posted by bonetm View Post
The exception for this is after a combat with a helper: you can give a helper any cards previously agreed upon.
You may give a helper any cards out of the Treasure draw from the combat, as per the agreement reached when the helper joined the fight. But you cannot give away any OTHER cards that you couldn't normally trade, such as Classes or Curses. (And you cannot give non-Item Treasures out of the combat draw to anyone other than the helper.)

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Originally Posted by bonetm View Post
If you have more than 5 cards you don't discard, you give to the lowest LEvel player. If you have non-Big Itens you could play them to carry and avoid giving cards away. If you are the lowest Level (or tied) you may discard.
Note that you don't have to discard Itens, you could give/discard Monster, extra Classes or Races.
You could sell the Itens if you want, from your hand or from play, if it is 1000GP or more.
Everything Igor says here is about Charity, just so it's crystal clear. (BTW, it's "Items," not "Itens.")
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Old 01-15-2013, 08:33 PM   #7
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Default Re: Slightly confused NOOB questions

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Originally Posted by Andrew Hackard View Post
(BTW, it's "Items," not "Itens.")
I'm more used to the refined latin-based Portuguese language, not this barbaric thing called English. =P
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Old 01-15-2013, 09:39 PM   #8
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Default Re: Slightly confused NOOB questions

Thanks very much again!

I think I have a handle on most of my questions now. I'm sure I'll have more when I play again, most likely this weekend.

So finally, just to be sure I have it and let me know where I err here, items may only be given or traded that are in play, i.e. on the table. Is that correct? So I can show my hand, but I can't trade/give out of my hand.

If we can only give/trade items, what is a really good definition of "items" in the game context? Not curses, races, classes, monsters. Is it everything else or am I forgetting a few things that can't be traded?

Thanks very much!
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Old 01-15-2013, 09:44 PM   #9
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Default Re: Slightly confused NOOB questions

Quote:
Originally Posted by Augster View Post
So finally, just to be sure I have it and let me know where I err here, items may only be given or traded that are in play, i.e. on the table. Is that correct? So I can show my hand, but I can't trade/give out of my hand.
Correct.

Quote:
If we can only give/trade items, what is a really good definition of "items" in the game context? Not curses, races, classes, monsters. Is it everything else or am I forgetting a few things that can't be traded?
All Items have a value in Gold Pieces or the text "No Value" in the bottom right. All other cards are not Items (unless a card tells you to treat it as an Item).
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Old 01-15-2013, 09:44 PM   #10
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Default Re: Slightly confused NOOB questions

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If we can only give/trade items, what is a really good definition of "items" in the game context? Not curses, races, classes, monsters.
An Item is something with a Gold Value, even if it says "No Value" (which is the same as 0).
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