Subj: BLOOD WARS(TM) Card Game Answers II

Date: 14 March 1995

From: Steven Schend
Post: America Online and all Boards In-Between
Ok, here we are a little more than one week after the release of my
"baby," the BLOOD WARS card game, and I can't believe the deluge of
commentary! In four days, I've received 32 pages of printed remarks
on my desk that need responses ASAP. Good or bad, keep all the
comments coming, because we're taking it all in and using it to
think about the successive releases in the game. Ok, enough opening
comments--on with the Q&A!

Topic: Misprinted Cards

From: [A whole lot of folks]
PDate: 6-14 March 1995
Well, many people mention a couple of cards that are misprinted;
rather than hit each question or comment, here are the cards with
printing or format errors (and what they should be):
-----BATTLEFIELDS
"Sheela Peryroyl's Realm" has an incorrect art border. The border
should be a square, not oblong border.
-----WARLORDS
"Bladeling Hero" has an incorrect color in the Challenge Box. It
should have the white/gray split color under the "N" instead of the
full gray color.
"Hawk Lord" is incorrectly labeled in the Challenge Box. The bottom
left box should read "12 IS" instead of "12 VP."
"Nalfeshnee Captain" is incorrectly labeled in the Challenge Box as
a NE Warlord. The box should have a "CE" on top with a red color
behind the "C" and gray behind the "E".
House Rule: Given the nature of this error, you have to decide
which alignment to play it as: the proper tanar'ri CE or a traitor
tanar'ri NE Warlord. It's really a matter of voting among the
players, though you should decide this at the start of each game.

Topic: Random Results

From: Patrick Dolan ([email protected])
PDate: 7 March 1995
Question:
"Several other cards . . . state to draw a card and use its RR
number for something. Does this card get discarded?"
Response:
Due to limited space, we couldn't always mention that same rule,
but it does apply in all cases (unless a card specifically mentions
otherwise--I can't recall any card out of the first 602 I designed
that is an exception, but I had to add this tagline anyway to cover
that eventuality.). Repeat after me: IF YOU NEED AN "RR" NUMBER,
ALWAYS DRAW A CARD OFF THE TOP OF YOUR DRAW PILE AND DISCARD IT!
Topic: Unopposed Challenges
From: Patrick Dolan ([email protected])
PDate: 7 March 1995
Question/Statement:
"No mention is ever made about what to do if nobody wants to fight
you."
Response:
The same things happen to the Challenger, whether he is resisted or
not. In other words, an unopposed Challenger in Intrigue must still
draw and discard a Hidden Ally for RR, flip, and unflip at the end
of his turn. An unopposed Challenger in Combat still discards all
Legions and Fates in his Battle Hand (unless they are protected by
Fate: Supports or Spirit powers)---think of this discard as the
troops occupying the Battlefield.

Topic: Battle Hands & Flipped/Unflipped Cards

From: Patrick Dolan ([email protected])
PDate: 7 March 1995
Question:
"Do both players show their hands to one another, and then play the
cards, or do they keep them hidden from one another the whole time?
Also, the Resolution Phase specifically contradicts the early rule
by saying that players now turn any flipped Warlords, along with
their battle hands, face up?"
Response:
Battle Hands are kept hidden under Warlords at all times. The only
time another player sees what's in that hand is when a power is
used to look into hands or when the card itself is used. Following
the normal pattern, players stuff extra Fate or Shock Troops into
Battle Hands, set aside Command Hands, and pick up Battle Hands.
Warlords are either set aside or activated first (unless otherwise
noted), Legion powers are used (i.e. a Berserker is discarded to
force the other player to discard a Legion, etc.), and once both
players have used all the powers they wish, they both spread out
all the remaining cards in their Battle Hands, assigning Fate to
particular Legions if needed and adding up the CS totals. If a
player doesn't wish to activate a Fate card, it still goes to the
discard, but effects only happen when the player wishes them to.
And yes, even that Warlord you just used in Combat unflips at
the end of your turn. This mechanic ensures that each player has
the maximum number of options to work with outside of his own turn;
of course, the more you do outside your turn, the more Warlords
flip over, and you've fewer to use during your own turn. This
allows people to be active at all times, not just working during
your turn and twiddling your thumbs in someone else's turn.

Topic: Dealmaking in Intrigue

From: Jeremy York ([email protected])
PDate: 7 March 1995
Question:
" . . . rules or guidelines for cutting deals, making promises .
. . I'd suggest discussing house rules on deals (e.g. are future
promises binding? Can players trade cards?) before playing."
Response:
House rules might be a good idea for Intrigue, and that's all up to
you and your friends. Trading cards is simply up to the players
involved, but those cards shouldn't be exchanged until the end of
that game, so the decks stay legal during play.
It was really my intent to leave this as open as possible to
allow for maximum "backstabbing" potential. Anyone who's played
with me or Lester knows better than to trust any promises we might
make during Intrigue Challenges---especially if we agree at once
and are smiling. . . . Remember, it's the Blood War, so deals and
promises are only made to be broken.

Topic: Timing of Fate Cards

From: Jason Grundy ([email protected])
PDate: 8 March 1995
Question:
"There is nothing on the timing of Fate cards. . . . Why isn't
anything covered in the rule book? It IS currently a race to see
who plays Fate first."
Response:
Just like the rules state, you play Fate cards at any time, so
attempting to impose some orderly way to do so is a waste of time.
In some ways, it IS SUPPOSED to be a race on who plays a Fate card
down, but there are always strategies for doing so, from forcing
another player to burn cards when they can't afford to do so, etc.
If you're really having a problem over who gets to play a card (if
attempted simultaneously), have the conflicting players draw a card
for RR and the highest RR gets to play his/her card first.
Cards that cancel the effects of other Fate cards are used and
then discarded. If you play a Pandemonium Madness on a Warlord,
that Warlord's player can play a Crown of Protection or a
Protection vs. Fate out of his Command Hand to cancel it; the Fate
cards go to discard after use. Items played out of a Command Hand
like the Crown (or Amulet or Ring) are assumed to be used by a
Warlord---they are not limited to use only by Legions (like the
Scepter of Shekelor), and they do not force a Warlord to discard.

Topic: Misc. Info on Cards

From: Jason Grundy ([email protected])
PDate: 8 March 1995
Question:
"Why are there all these things on the cards that have no effect?"
Response:
Be patient---there will be. . . . Battlefield alignments, races,
home planes and home realms, and particular alignment groups are
noted on each card for flavor and to tie it with the PLANESCAPE(TM)
Campaign Setting. They are also all factors that are being used in
future Escalation Packs as well as some variant rules that I'm
trying to work on in my none-too-copious spare time. . . . .

Topic: Combat Challenge Wins & Losses

From: Baywee (AOL)
PDate: 9 March 1995
Question:
"If the Challenger wins the Combat, but doesn't win by enough CS to
capture the Battlefield (Greater than or equal to its VP), what
happens to the Battlefield?"
Response:
The Battlefield is discarded; thematically, you didn't have enough
troops to occupy the area so you couldn't hold it after the battle
concluded. Remember though---the Challenger won the Combat, so the
Defender does not gain Spoils of Victory (RR amt. of cards). The
Defender simply sacrificed his army to weaken his foe enough to
prevent him from holding the territory in question--an admittedly
annoying tactic that I've enjoyed doing immensely!

Topic: Flipped Battle Hands

From: Jeremy York ([email protected])
PDate: 10 March 1995
Question:
"How are you supposed to indicate that a battle hand is flipped?"
Response:
Flip the battle hand over so all you can see is the card backs.
That's what we intended for both flipping Warlords and Battle
Hands---if you can't see the cards, you obviously can't play them.
You cannot do anything with a flipped Battle Hand (no additional
stacking, no action, etc.) except wait to unflip it during
Resolution Phase.

Topic: Fate card play

From: Michael Peceny ([email protected])
PDate: 10 March 1995
Question:
"[Fate cards] can only be played from the Command Hand, don't they?
. . . Are only card that use a Combat Power showed by putting them
on the table? . . . how am I to decide whether to use this ability
and on what Items?"
Response:
The majority of Fate card play will come from the Command Hand,
that's true. But, during Combat, you only have access to what you
have in your Battle Hand (your Command Hand is off-limits once the
Challenge is accepted), so if you want to use Fates in Combat
Challenges, that's where they go.
Oh, by the way, other players can launch Fate card powers at you
or each other at any time (this assumes that a card's effects do
take effect at that time). Yes, this does mean they can throw an
Assassination Plot at both Warlords in a Challenge, even if they're
not involved directly. For that matter, they could help or hinder
you by cancelling Fates or Warlord powers with other Fate play.
Yes, it adds to the confusion, but that's part of the fun.
Use of card powers is always a gamble. You've got to choose
blindly if you think a card's power is worth sacrificing it to
discard or flipping; most often, your opponent chooses which cards
of his own are affected by powers---your choice is in forfeiting
higher Combat Strengths for alternate powers of Legions et al. To
use the power, the card is placed out to determine effect and then
is flipped or discarded as noted, along with its target cards. Most
of the Legion powers that target other Legions are played against
a blind Battle Hand, and the opponent adjusts his hand according to
the power effects; Battle Hands are not fully revealed until the
final Combat Strength totalling is done at the end of Combat.

Topic: Unused Fate cards in a Battle Hand

From: Michael Peceny ([email protected])
PDate: 10 March 1995
Question:
" . . . Have I understood correctly that unplayed Fate Cards in a
Battle Hand when CS is added up count as 1 CS?"
Response:
Yup. If you don't end up using the particular Fate card's powers at
any time during the Combat Challenge, simply flip the card over and
have it count as a 1 CS Legion. It's going to the discard anyway,
so it ought to have some use. This happens quite often when I've
got a bunch of Fate cards that prevent powers to protect Legions
that never get powers used on them--use `em as 1CS Legions.

Topic: Shield Maidens of Odin

From: Jason Grundy ([email protected])
PDate: 10 March 1995
Question:
" . . . the Shield Maidens' power has to be Combat, at the very
least they're Dead-Booked when they use it. . . . "
Response:
Not to argue, Jason, but you're a bit off here. Here's what's what.
THE CARD IN QUESTION: The Shield Maidens of Odin, a.k.a. the
Valkyries, are a Legion card with a specific Intrigue power. As the
card states, "The Shield maidens can retrieve Legions from the
discard pile to the Command Hand. Draw and discard a card, checking
its RR for the number of Legions." This is followed by the discard
activator symbol.
THE CARD IN ACTION & INTENT: I simply wanted a card that
mimicked the valkyries' collecting the dead souls of fallen
warriors (i.e. Legions in discard). I also meant to allow players
a last chance to supplement their Command Hands with Legions. So,
an Intrigue Challenge is set up, and a player gets involved with
one Warlord. Warlord powers are used after all Warlords are
committed to the Intrigue. Then, Legion powers can be activated;
use the Shield Maidens' power as stated, restoring an RR number of
Legions to your Command Hand, and then discard the Shield Maidens.
Sure, if you bring up a number of Terrorist cards or other
Intrigue-effective Legions, you can wreak havoc---THAT WAS THE
WHOLE POINT OF THIS CARD!
As another aspect of strategy, use this card during Intrigue to
stall for time, pull in a lot of Legions, and then follow up with
a Upper Planar Recruitment or Lower Planar Conscription Fate card
to place the Legions in another Battle Hand entirely, and replace
those cards with more from the draw pile. It's a cheap way to build
an army out of sequence, prevent yourself from having to discard,
and another chance to dig up some potentially devastating Fate card
for use in the still-ongoing Intrigue Challenge.

Topic: Questions & Answers, the Self-Help Method

From: Douglas Limmer ([email protected])
PDate: 10 March 1995
Mr. Limmer posted a number of questions and answered them himself.
I'm simply clarifying any answers that were incorrect or defining
exactly what was meant on a particular card.
Question:
"Is the discard pile shuffled to make a new draw deck at any time
or only during the Opening Phase?"
Response:
The discard pile is reshuffled immediately after you run out of
your draw pile. No questions about it; the note's at the beginning
of the turn sequence as it's the best place to note it.
Question:
"When a Legion uses the Martyr power, it is flipped. How do you
unflip it?"
Response:
You don't, since it's a Combat power, and after the Combat
concludes, the card should go to the discard, barring any special
card play. After Combat, all that is left of a Battle Hand is the
Warlord and any Legions with the Spirit power (or those protected
by Fate cards), and they're all flipped until the Resolution Phase.
Question:
"Acolyte/Factions . . . How does this mix with the alignment
restrictions?"
Response:
Repeat after me: BATTLE HANDS MUST BE UNIFIED BY ONLY ONE CONCEPT,
WHETHER IT'S ETHICS (L/N/C), MORALS (G/N/E), FULL ALIGNMENT, OR
WORSHIP/FOLLOWING OF A POWERFUL WARLORD AVATAR/FACTOL.
Six Legions can stack if they are all of one alignment or if
they are all Acolytes of the Warlord (whether worshipers or Faction
members). You cannot mix these links up without limiting the Battle
Hand to four Legions.
In other words, a LG Warlord-Avatar can have these Legion
combinations in a Battle Hand: 4 Lawful Legions, 4 Good Legions, 6
LG Legions, or up to 6 Legion-Acolytes of whatever alignment
possible (The Converted card allows any Legion to become a
worshiper of an Avatar, so it breaks alignment restrictions.).
Legion-Acolytes can be part of other groupings if they follow the
alignment restrictions (i.e. a LG Acolyte could be in any BHand.).
Question:
"The Hawk Lord says 6 Legions can go into her Battle Hand; are
there any alignment restrictions at all?"
Response:
Nope; she's a wild-card Warlord with a great power that allows easy
Battle Hand construction, no matter what the Legions' alignments.
Every now and again, we thought we'd give you a simple power that
chucked the normal rules, just to throw you off.
Question:
"When does [the battlefield Arborea] unflip?"
Response:
On page 18, under the "Regroup" part of the Resolution Phase, it
should state "Any flipped Warlords (and their Battle Hands) or
Battlefields the Acting Player has are now turned face up, ready
for use again." In other words, when you unflip everything else,
unflip the Battlefields.
Response:
The rest of your self-tutored Q&A is dead-on; thanks for the help
in answering all those questions that you anticipated.

Topic: BLOOD WARS(TM) Card List

From: [email protected]
PDate: 11 March 1995
Response:
This kind person managed to type in the entire card list as printed
in DRAGON(TM) Magazine #215. I just wanted to say send a huge thank
you for that public service. That same list should see print in
SCRYE(TM) Magazine within the forseeable future, and there will be
successive lists for each of the Escalation Packs.

Topic: BLOOD WARS(TM) Suggestions

From: Patrick Dolan ([email protected])
PDate: 12 March 1995
These are my responses to Mr. Dolan's suggestions on how to avoid
confusion within your BW games. While I appreciate his zeal in
wanting to help his fellow players, I thought I'd clarify and
comment on some of these suggestions.
Statement:
"Unflip your Warlords immediately after the Assembly Phase. . . ."
Response:
Do not do this at all, and just follow the rules as they're laid
out! Yes, it seems a little odd to unflip a Warlord you've just
used, but it was more my intention to allow folks to do as much out
of their turns as possible, with that price paid during your turn.
Remember, you can only conquer Battlefields during your turn as the
Acting Player/Challenger, so if you're keeping everyone else from
gaining Battlefields, you're stopping yourself as well (unless
you've a far greater amount of Warlords).
Statement:
"Players can use any of their Warlords' powers during a Challenge,
even if they aren't the Challenger or Defender . . . "
Response:
Wrong---unless the power specifically states itself as a Personal
Power, all are marked for use during a Combat or Intrigue
Challenge. For that power to be used, the Warlord must be within
the Challenge on one side or the other. Personal powers tend to be
automatic powers that apply at all times (like the Hawk Lord's
stacking power), not just in Challenges. When you're in a
Challenge, you've only got one Warlord as your representative
(unless you use the Conclave of Generals card which changes that
rule and has a price if you lose: 2 Warlords to discard).
Statement:
"Only Fate: Items and Fate: Support cards may be placed with
Legions under a Battle Hand . . . but Spells and Orders can be
added . . . just before a combat begins."
Response:
While your reasoning is correct, there's no particular limit to
what Fates are in a Battle Hand before going to Combat. Yes, the
most logical ones are the Items and Support, since almost all are
useless without a Legion, but it's not limited to them. Think of
the Battle Hand as an army standing at ready, but they can guard
additional Spells, Orders, ad infinitum for the Warlords until you
need them. Battle Hands, especially for Intrigue decks, are simply
added storage to avoid discarding until you need to go to Combat.
Your suggestion is very sensible, but it's a little limiting at the
same time; don't sweat it though, `cuz your tactic is exactly how
I tend to play.
Statement:
"Unless specified, Warlord powers may be used at any point during
the Combat."
Response:
Warlord powers have very specific points where they can be
activated, and any differences are stated on their cards. To quote
page 16 of the rules: "The Challenger has the option to use his
Combat Power first, then the Defender may use his. But some special
Combat Powers may be used at other times in the Challenge, as
indicated on their Warlord's card." In Intrigue, Warlord powers can
be activated after all players have either abstained or committed
to Intrigue, and follows in a counter-clockwise order; like Combat,
any Warlords that work at different times are noted on their cards.
Statement:
"Players take turns laying down one legion at a time to total their
CS. . . Legion powers may be used at any time during combat . . .."
Response:
Just like the Warlord powers, Legion powers have their very
specific moments to be used as well (see pages 14 & 17 in the
rules), though some may be used at different points as well (and
such exceptions are noted on the cards).
Statement:
"If an Intrigue Challenge has no opposition, the Challenger must
draw for an RR. If the RR is 0, the Challenge still fails."
Response:
While this isn't in the official rules (where you'd still draw and
discard a Hidden Ally, opposed or not, and claim the Battlefield),
I like the idea. This is certainly a good, stable house rule that
folks can use if they wish.
Topic: Powers of (Whatever) Intervene!
From: Jason Grundy ([email protected])
PDate: 13 March 1995
Question:
". . what happens if two people both pull a Powers of card? . . "
Response:
Once the first card is played, the Challenge is over, the
Battlefield is lost or claimed, and no further card play affects
the claiming of spoils unless the Powers of Whatever card is
cancelled by something which cancels Fates. Another Powers of
(Whatever) card cannot change the outcome of the just-ended
Challenge unless the previous Fate is cancelled.
The simplest way to understand the use of these cards is to add
four words to the start of each card that reads: "The Challenge
ends, and . . . "

Topic: Use of Battle Hands during Intrigue

From: Jeremy York ([email protected])
PDate: 13 March 1995
Question/Statement:
" . . . our interpretation was that a Warlord in an Intrigue
Challenge could use Legions from her Battle Hand if they had
appropriate Intrigue abilities. . . . "
Response:
Sorry, Jeremy, but that's incorrect. Just like when a Command Hand
is out of play during a Combat Challenge (only Battle Hands in use
here), a Battle Hand under a Warlord is out of play during an
Intrigue Challenge (only Command Hands in use here). Think of it as
the Warlord's at the negotiating table and the army's outside, and
in Combat, the Warlord's on top of the hill sipping mint juleps
while the Legions charge into battle.
This is the general rule, but there are powers and cards that
alter that status quo; if a Warlord's power relies on cards from
its Battle Hand, it will say so on the card and that, of course,
takes precedence over the standing rule. Such Warlords include the
powers of Faerie Queen Morwel or Darktome the Arcanaloth.

Topic: Various & Sundry Questions

From: Hogan Long ([email protected])
PDate: 13 March 1995
Hogan had a number of questions that needed answering, so I'm
lumping them under a single Q&A setup with his numbers.
Question(s):
"(1) Can you play a Fate card if you are not involved in a Combat?
(2) If you have the Spirit ability and you have an Item during
Combat, does the Item come back with you to the Command Hand? (3&4)
What the heck are Battlefield Gates? Why do Battlefields have
alignments? (5) What are layers . . . ? (7&8) Is it legal to count
how many . . cards a player has in his/her Command Hand? . . . in
your own discard/Dead-Book? (9) Does the alignment of a Legion need
to match the player's Warlord . . to use the Legion's Intrigue
power (esp. Terrorists)?
Response:
Well, I didn't reiterate all your questions, as a few were covered
in the answers above, but that still leaves us with a hefty amount.
Here goes. . . .
(1) Sure! Fate cards from players outside of a Combat are almost
guaranteed to really spice things up (as intended) and some of the
cards were truly written for this purpose; let's be honest: you
don't really want to be on a Battlefield when you throw down a Rain
of Fire (destroys all Legions of 5/7CS or less on BF), do you? Bear
in mind that you can't throw in Items or Support to help Legions,
but you can play Orders and Spells if they apply to Combat or those
particulars involved.
(2) No, the Item is still discarded (unless it works otherwise,
and that's stated on the card) and the Legion with Spirit returns
to the Battle Hand under the Warlord (not the Command Hand).
(3&4) The Battlefields with the Gate Towns of the Outlands are
simply 6-point Battlefield towns with gates leading to other
planes; as with Battlefield alignments, these are strictly for
thematic purposes to tie it with the PLANESCAPE(TM) setting, though
there may be rules or special cards for them in the future.
(5) Layers are (thematically) a large subdivision of a plane,
but they are not the seat of power for a deity or the homeland of
a particular race. Layers include the Plain of Infinite Portals and
(coming in later packs) the nine layers of Baator, etc.
(7&8) Your questions here got a little similar, hence the
paraphrasing. The legality of counting cards in Command or Battle
Hands is up to individual house/table rules--I for one have no
problem with people counting the cards in my Command Hand (heck,
it's in plain view at all times), but the Battle Hand is off-limits
for counting (at least here at TSR). In general, we've just
eyeballed the stacks of cards under a Warlord to gauge its
effectiveness in Combat rather than ask for specific counts
(Helpful tip: A big stack of Horde Legions will scare off most
Defenders, even though it's very often a pitiful army!).
Can you look through your discard pile or Dead-Book? Sure, why
not? Just make sure you don't reshuffle how the cards are placed,
since some cards allow players to redraw from said piles, and
people shouldn't be able to "fix" their discards for such effects.
(9) [Mechanic] The alignment of a Legion does not need to match
the player's Warlord to use its Intrigue power. If it's in your
Command Hand and you want to use it, do so at the proper time.
[Thematic] The Command Hand represents the general forces and
powers aligned to work with a consortium of Warlords (those active
on the table), and even a Terrorist could be found to work for a LG
Warlord if it's among the general forces he can recruit from.
Battle Hands are the personal armies assembled under specific
Warlords and recruited from those general forces in the Command
Hand and Draw Pile.

Topic: Assassination Plots & Other "Killer" Cards

From: [That faceless bunch of folks]
PDate: 14 March 1995
Response:
This is a general response to those people out there believing that
there's no way to stop "killer" cards like Assassination Plot.
Well, that card in particular and others in general are balanced
out in play by Spell Mirrors, Protection vs. Fate, and a number of
other cards that either cancel or shift the targets of such nasty
effects. Yes, they are mean and powerful effects, and they should
be. Should they be banned from games? No---simply find other cards
that defend against them. Besides, you shouldn't get continually
hit by them unless these cards are not getting sent to the Dead-
Book like their activators say they should. . . .

Closing Comments from SES:

Well, I think I've answered as many questions as I had on my desk
immediately, and I'm about ready to pack it up and get back to my
other projects. Thanks for all the commentary, no matter what you
had to say, and keep it coming. I'm reading everything that's
posted on AOL and the Internet--even though my machine doesn't have
a modem, enough folks around TSR are hooked up that I've gotten
over 35 pages of postings in eight release days.
Yes, a number of cards could use clarification when put under
certain constraints by other Fate cards and such. However, to list
all the possible conditions a card or its power might come under
would require us to create cards roughly the size of newspapers,
given all the possible permutations of Fate cards et al. If a
really weird situation crops up, the best way to resolve it is to
vote amongst yourselves how to best solve the situation and get
past it---don't let one really weird, unplanned bit of card play
disrupt your games, just keep having fun.
Most of the questions within the postings are solved by simply
following the rules booklet closely; a lot of questions on when
something is resolved or when something is used are taken care of
by close scrutiny of cards and rules. Obviously, any real problems
should still be posted and we'll cover them ASAP; just be patient
with me on responses----I'm getting back to you as quickly as my
overbearing schedule allows me to do so.
For those who want to ensure that I (and Lester and David Wise
and the other Blood Wars pundits) see this quickly, here's the
addresses where we're most apt to find your comments (in order of
priority viewing, i.e. where we're likely to look first):
On TSR's America On-Line forum: Keyword: TSR, in the Q&A area Blood Wars
On Internet: rec.games.trading-card.misc
On Internet: rec.games.frp.dnd
& via listservers everywhere