rec.games.trading-cards.jyhad

LSJ: Corruption Q

13 messages from 8 participants · 22 June 2001 – 25 June 2001
original thread on Google Groups

Joshua Duffin

Corruption says: "+1 stealth action. (D) Put a corruption counter on a minion controlled by your prey. If the number of your corruption counters on the minion equals or exceeds the blood capacity of that vampire or the cost of that ally, you may burn all of your corruption counters on that minion to gain control of him or her." Does the second sentence allow you to burn corruption counters to take control of the minion at any time, or only when a Corruption action resolves? I think this is equivalent to "does Corruption create counters that each have the ability to take control of minions, or do the counters know nothing and it's the Corruption that gives the ability?". If the counters know nothing, why not? In general (if I recall correctly), all counters in VTES know what they do: Sabbat Threat counters for example; Vampiric Disease counters likewise. How can you distinguish, based on card text, counters that contain within themselves all their abilities from counters that rely on the card creating them for their abilities? Thanks. Josh

LSJ

duff...@bls.gov (Joshua Duffin) wrote: >Corruption says: > >"+1 stealth action. >(D) Put a corruption counter on a minion controlled by your prey. >If the number of your corruption counters on the minion equals or >exceeds the blood capacity of that vampire or the cost of that >ally, you may burn all of your corruption counters on that minion >to gain control of him or her." > >Does the second sentence allow you to burn corruption counters >to take control of the minion at any time, or only when a >Corruption action resolves? The latter. >I think this is equivalent to "does Corruption create counters >that each have the ability to take control of minions, or do >the counters know nothing and it's the Corruption that gives >the ability?". It seems equivalent to me as well. >If the counters know nothing, why not? In general (if I recall >correctly), all counters in VTES know what they do: Sabbat Threat >counters for example; Vampiric Disease counters likewise. How >can you distinguish, based on card text, counters that contain >within themselves all their abilities from counters that rely on >the card creating them for their abilities? By the use of the "You" in card text. The counters for, e.g., V.D. or Sabbat Threat do not give "you" some ability. Likewise, neither do Corruption counters. The ability given to "you" arises from the successful Corruption action or the resolution of the Venenation effect. -- LSJ

James Coupe

In message <59b20daa.0106...@posting.google.com>, Joshua Duffin <duff...@bls.gov> writes >Does the second sentence allow you to burn corruption counters >to take control of the minion at any time, or only when a >Corruption action resolves? Or during Venenation. >I think this is equivalent to "does Corruption create counters >that each have the ability to take control of minions, or do >the counters know nothing and it's the Corruption that gives >the ability?". The counters know nothing. You need card text. -- James Coupe PGP Key: 0x5D623D5D "You reinstall Dial-Up Networking. The Elf screams and becomes EBD690ECD7A1F an icon. *** CONGRATULATIONS! *** You completed the BT Internet B457CA213D7E6 Helpdesk training course in 15 out of a possible 9000 moves." 68C3695D623D5D

Aaron

> >If the counters know nothing, why not? In general (if I recall > >correctly), all counters in VTES know what they do: Sabbat Threat > >counters for example; Vampiric Disease counters likewise. How > >can you distinguish, based on card text, counters that contain > >within themselves all their abilities from counters that rely on > >the card creating them for their abilities? > > By the use of the "You" in card text. The counters for, e.g., V.D. > or Sabbat Threat do not give "you" some ability. Likewise, neither > do Corruption counters. The ability given to "you" arises from > the successful Corruption action or the resolution of the > Venenation effect. So we know that corruption counters don't know anything. Are they interchangable then? IE, if there are 2 of us playing FoS. Can I put 5 corruption counters on a Ezmerlda, and someone else put 6 on her and take control of her?(this came up in our pre-release)

LSJ

roans...@yahoo.com (Aaron) wrote: >So we know that corruption counters don't know anything. Are they >interchangable then? IE, if there are 2 of us playing FoS. Can I put >5 corruption counters on a Ezmerlda, and someone else put 6 on her and >take control of her?(this came up in our pre-release) No. Both Corruption and Venenation specify "your counters" - i.e., the counters you've placed. So apparently the counters remember who placed them. -- LSJ (vte...@white-wolf.com) V:TES Net.Rep for White Wolf, Inc. Links to revised rulebook, rulings, errata, and tournament rules: http://www.white-wolf.com/vtes/

Joshua Duffin

vte...@white-wolf.com (LSJ) wrote in message news:<9gvgmj$5ni$1...@taliesin.netcom.net.uk>... > duff...@bls.gov (Joshua Duffin) wrote: [re corruption] > >If the counters know nothing, why not? In general (if I recall > >correctly), all counters in VTES know what they do: Sabbat Threat > >counters for example; Vampiric Disease counters likewise. How > >can you distinguish, based on card text, counters that contain > >within themselves all their abilities from counters that rely on > >the card creating them for their abilities? > > By the use of the "You" in card text. The counters for, e.g., V.D. > or Sabbat Threat do not give "you" some ability. Likewise, neither > do Corruption counters. The ability given to "you" arises from > the successful Corruption action or the resolution of the > Venenation effect. Hmmm. OK, I can see that the "you" distinction exists - and these (Corruption/Venenation) also seem to be the only transient cards that produce counters with non-mandatory effects - but it seems to me an unsatisfying distinction. Why should it be that the use of the word "you" (as opposed to, on Sabbat Threat, "each Methuselah", or on Vampiric Disease, "a vampire" ... "the second vampire") makes this an effect that only exists while the card is being played, rather than one that exists as long as the counters being placed are in play? (All the other cards with optional effects and "you" wording dodge the question by putting the card on the vampire - which would also have been a good solution for Corruption/Venenation, but for some reason they weren't written that way.) I suppose a really satisfying answer to that question might not exist, but it would be nice if it did. :-) I think I'd be happier with the card text if it said "...or the cost of that ally, *when this action resolves* you may burn all of your corruption counters..." or something along those lines. Or maybe if there were a semicolon instead of a period after the first sentence. It's hard to come up with a wording that makes it obvious that you only get to use the take control effect when the card is played, but surely one must be possible... thanks for the answer, Josh

MrTubesteak

vte...@white-wolf.com (LSJ) wrote in message news:<9gvs3g$mq2$1...@taliesin.netcom.net.uk>... > roans...@yahoo.com (Aaron) wrote: > >So we know that corruption counters don't know anything. Are they > >interchangable then? IE, if there are 2 of us playing FoS. Can I put > >5 corruption counters on a Ezmerlda, and someone else put 6 on her and > >take control of her?(this came up in our pre-release) > > No. Both Corruption and Venenation specify "your counters" - i.e., > the counters you've placed. So apparently the counters remember > who placed them. LSJ, you're kidding right? Please tell me you are. With this ruling, Corruption is no longer a viable strategy. I just want to make sure that I have this straight... if Hesha, for example, places 3 corruption counters on Volker (5 cap Prince) and Amisa, places another 2 corruption counters, then that player can't take over Volker? All 5 corruption counters would need to come from the same vampire? That's just flat out insane. How can anyone have a viable corruption strategy with this? My playgroup plays with the understanding that a corruption counter put on by one vampire is the same as any other corruption counter by any other vampire under your control (ie, two vampires each put 3 corruption counters on a 6 pointer to steal him, but corruption counters put on by other players vampires don't count towards this total). This is difficult to pull off as is, but now it just got harder by over a degree of magnitude. Time to retire the old corruption deck if this is the case. I guess its back to Pre/Obf S&B for the old Setites. :( John Woods

Xian

"MrTubesteak" <gre...@soehne.org> wrote in message news:ab017a15.01062...@posting.google.com... > LSJ wrote: > > Aaron wrote: > > >interchangable then? IE, if there are 2 of us playing FoS. Can I put > > >5 corruption counters on a Ezmerlda, and someone else put 6 on her and > > >take control of her?(this came up in our pre-release) > > > > No. Both Corruption and Venenation specify "your counters" - i.e., > > the counters you've placed. So apparently the counters remember > > who placed them. > > I just want to make sure that I have this straight... if Hesha, for > example, places 3 corruption counters on Volker (5 cap Prince) and > Amisa, places another 2 corruption counters, then that player can't > take over Volker? No, you missed the inital context. The answer refers to two different *Methuselahs* corruption counters. > All 5 corruption counters would need to come from the same vampire? No, he's just saying that if *my* copy of Hesha placed 3 on Volker, and *your* copy of Amisa placed 2 on Volker, neither of us would get him at that point...I would need to put two more of my corruption counters on Volker for the steal, and you would need to put 3 more of your counters on Volker to steal him. Note that this is unlikely unless at least one of us is playing Venenation, and Volker keeps blocking for some reason. Xian

Gomi no Sensei

In article <ab017a15.01062...@posting.google.com>, MrTubesteak <gre...@soehne.org> wrote: >vte...@white-wolf.com (LSJ) wrote in message news:<9gvs3g$mq2$1...@taliesin.netcom.net.uk>... >> roans...@yahoo.com (Aaron) wrote: >> >So we know that corruption counters don't know anything. Are they >> >interchangable then? IE, if there are 2 of us playing FoS. Can I put >> >5 corruption counters on a Ezmerlda, and someone else put 6 on her and >> >take control of her?(this came up in our pre-release) >> >> No. Both Corruption and Venenation specify "your counters" - i.e., >> the counters you've placed. So apparently the counters remember >> who placed them. > >LSJ, you're kidding right? Please tell me you are. With this ruling, >Corruption is no longer a viable strategy. > >I just want to make sure that I have this straight... if Hesha, for >example, places 3 corruption counters on Volker (5 cap Prince) and >Amisa, places another 2 corruption counters, then that player can't >take over Volker? No, no. They must all come from the same METHUSELAH. So if Setite player A puts 4 counters on Volker, Setite player B can't leech off all that hard work to snag Volker with just one Corruption. I think the other way would be vastly more amusing (and how often do you see 2 Corruption decks at a table anyhow?), but the cardtext does bear out the Rulemonger. >Time to retire the old corruption deck if this is the case. I guess >its back to Pre/Obf S&B for the old Setites. :( No need to fret, MrTubesteak. That ol' corruption, she keeps on workin'. gomi -- Yes, I believe but I'd rather not pray What I believe in I'd rather not say, baby

LSJ

MrTubesteak wrote: > > vte...@white-wolf.com (LSJ) wrote in message news:<9gvs3g$mq2$1...@taliesin.netcom.net.uk>... > > roans...@yahoo.com (Aaron) wrote: > > >So we know that corruption counters don't know anything. Are they > > >interchangable then? IE, if there are 2 of us playing FoS. Can I put > > >5 corruption counters on a Ezmerlda, and someone else put 6 on her and > > >take control of her?(this came up in our pre-release) > > > > No. Both Corruption and Venenation specify "your counters" - i.e., > > the counters you've placed. So apparently the counters remember > > who placed them. > > LSJ, you're kidding right? Please tell me you are. With this ruling, > Corruption is no longer a viable strategy. No. Since Corruption has historically only targetted one's prey, I don't see how this is a limit at all. Corruption's only been extended by the new FN cards. > I just want to make sure that I have this straight... if Hesha, for > example, places 3 corruption counters on Volker (5 cap Prince) and > Amisa, places another 2 corruption counters, then that player can't > take over Volker? If the corruption counters are all "hers", then she can, sure. > All 5 corruption counters would need to come from the same vampire? From the same Methuselah. > That's just flat out insane. How can anyone have a viable corruption > strategy with this? > > My playgroup plays with the understanding that a corruption counter > put on by one vampire is the same as any other corruption counter by > any other vampire under your control (ie, two vampires each put 3 > corruption counters on a 6 pointer to steal him, but corruption > counters put on by other players vampires don't count towards this > total). Correct. That's what I said. > This is difficult to pull off as is, but now it just got > harder by over a degree of magnitude. I don't think so. If you find that I've written something "insane", you might try re-reading it first to see if a "sane" meaning is actually present before assuming the worst. [ quoted text not captured ]

MrTubesteak

> No. Since Corruption has historically only targetted one's prey, I > don't see how this is a limit at all. Corruption's only been extended > by the new FN cards. I completely agree. > If you find that I've written something "insane", you might try > re-reading it first to see if a "sane" meaning is actually present > before assuming the worst. I apologize for the insane comment, but in all honesty I did read it... not once, not twice, but thrice and I got the same thing out of it every time. By the way the question was phrased and by your answer, it seemed like the corruption counters did remember who put them on, in terms of vampires and not methuselahs (since the counters go on your prey's vampires, there isn't any chance where you'd be competing with another methusalah for a vampire). But, now everything is clear and everything is right with the world (especially with the corruption deck I was in the process of dismantling). Again, I apologize for any offense. John Woods

Jay Kristoff

James Coupe wrote: >I think this is equivalent to "does Corruption create counters >that each have the ability to take control of minions, or do >the counters know nothing and it's the Corruption that gives >the ability?". The counters know nothing. You need card text. Ok, If Nefertiti uses her special ability (Nefertiti can place a corruption counter on a minion controlled by your prey as a +1 stealth action that costs 1 blood.) to put a corruption counter on a one capacity vampire, can Nefertiti's controller burn the counter to take control of the vampire, or is a card (Corruption or Venenation) required? thanks, Jay

James Coupe

In message <JfEZ6.63602$V5.82...@typhoon.columbus.rr.com>, Jay Kristoff <j...@columbus.rr.com> writes > Ok, If Nefertiti uses her special ability (Nefertiti can place a >corruption counter on a minion controlled by your prey as a +1 stealth >action that costs 1 blood.) to put a corruption counter on a one capacity >vampire, can Nefertiti's controller burn the counter to take control of the >vampire, or is a card (Corruption or Venenation) required? A card is required. Nefertiti's card text only allows her to add counters, not activate them. In short, Nefertiti is excellent for providing cardless counters, but you still need a handful of Corruption/Venenation knocking round to activate them. In the instance you cite, of course, the best thing to do (most likely, corner cases excepted) would be to just use the Corruption in the first place. [ quoted text not captured ]