"or" phrases (e.g. Society of Leopold, Blade Clot)

This one is about "or" phrases ... Examples:

Society of Leopold

Unique master.
Put this card on a vampire. During his or her controller's untap phase, the vampire with this card either burns 1 blood or is burned (the controller's choice). The vampire with this card can move it to any other vampire as a +1 stealth action.

Blade Clot

Requires an anarch.
Only usable when this anarch diablerizes a vampire with capacity 7 or more. Put this card in play with 3 clot counters. When an anarch you control inflicts hand or melee weapon damage, you may move a clot counter from this card to the opposing minion. A minion with a clot counter goes to torpor or is burned during his or her untap phase. If an older vampire rescues the vampire, burn the clot counter.

Question: Is the controlling methuselah allowed to choose the first part of the "or" phrase (e.g. burn 1 blood, go to torpor) even if the given vampire cannot "fulfil" it (since e.g. he has no blood, is already in torpor)?

Thanks in advance!

One of the choises becomes ineligible, thus you are forced to choose another. On another way of thinking, your interpretation would be against the ephemeral "idea" of the card.

Hakuron wrote:

Question: Is the controlling methuselah allowed to choose the first part of the "or" phrase (e.g. burn 1 blood, go to torpor) even if the given vampire cannot "fulfil" it (since e.g. he has no blood, is already in torpor)?

Failing to burn a blood doesn't satisfy the requirement to "burn a blood". Think of it more like a cost if you prefer.

[LSJ 19981026]

LSJ wrote:

[Society of Leopold]
Since, by failing to burn a blood, the condition remains unsatisfied,
you'll still have to burn the vampire.

You can go to torpor if you're already there. (Unless you're an ally.)

[LSJ 20080612]

LSJ wrote:

> Can you "go to torpor" even though you are there already?
Yes.
...
> Its the last bit I am curious about. Does it mean that a minion must
> go to torpor or if he is there already, he is burned?
> Or is it merely to indicate that it will burn allies?
The latter (or a vampire's controller can choose to burn him, if desired).

kombainas wrote:

One of the choises becomes ineligible

Incorrect. You can go to torpor when already there.

kombainas wrote:

On another way of thinking, your interpretation would be against the ephemeral "idea" of the card.

Please don't tell people how cards function based on your personal ephemeral "idea" of the card.

Yea the wording is kind of confusing... go to room or you'll be spanked.... but I'm all ready in my room... ok so you get spanked anyways... for being a smart mouth ... doesn't sound right

delangen wrote:

Yea the wording is kind of confusing... go to room or you'll be spanked.... but I'm all ready in my room... ok so you get spanked anyways... for being a smart mouth ... doesn't sound right

That analogy is true for Blade Clot (i.e. you will not be spanked if you are already in your room).

However, it does not hold true for Society of Leopold. That is closer to something like "pay up now or lose your finger...you don't have the money? ok, we'll take the finger"