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Rules Team Rulings - 5 January 1999

Rules Team Rulings 05-JAN-99

Sorry to those of you who were quick enough to read the first post of this rules set - I sent out an old, incomplete copy by mistake (that message has been canceled, hoepfully). Anyway, here's the complete post:

I should also have mentioned that the new errata and rulings don't go into effect for DCI santioned tourneys until 01-FEB-99 (the standard delay for rulings issued before the 15th of the month).

ERRATA

Ammo (Dragon's Breath Rounds, Glaser Rounds, Manstopper Rounds)

Are played "before resolution of a gun's strike", not "when damage from a gun is being resolved". That is, it is played after the strike is announced, but before the strike resolution phase.

# Doesn't change much of anything, but helps resolve an inconsistency regarding Rotschreck. The timing is now consistent with Claws.

Parity Shift

The reallocation is specified before votes are cast. (The VTES version left the reallocation unspecified until the referendum passes).

Clarification: In reallocating, you are free to give some players nothing, of course.

Tomb of Ramses, III

New card text: "When this card is brought into play or the controller of this card changes, you (the new controller) choose a vampire in your uncontrolled region. For each blood counter you transfer to the chosen vampire, put a blood counter on the Tomb from the Blood Bank. At the end of your influence phase, if the total number of counters on the chosen vampire and on the Tomb equals or exceeds that vampire's capacity, you may move the vampire to the ready region. Burn the Tomb (and the counters on it) when the chosen vampire leaves the uncontrolled region."

# Points of interest:

White Phosphorous Grenade

Change "if White Phosphorous Grenade inflicts damage at close range..." to "if White Phosphorous Grenade is used at close range..."

# That is, the grenade striker takes a point of aggravated damage at close range even if the opposing minion dodges.

Wooden Stake

New card text: "Melee Weapon. This weapon inflicts strength damage as a strike. If more than one damage is inflicted on the opposing vampire by this weapon in a given combat, then that vampire is sent to torpor. In that case, this card is transferred to him and he does not untap as normal during the untap phase as long as he remains in torpor."

# This text better mimics the Jyhad text (which is what the VTES text was attempting to do) and corrects a few problems introduced in the VTES text.

RULINGS

"At the Start of the Untap Phase"

means the same thing as "During the Untap Phase". Neither phrase specifies a period of time before the other.

# The phrase is otherwise meaningless, since you always "start" your untap phase by untapping your cards. All other untap phase events can be ordered as you wish [4].

Retainers

The current ruling that "Any reference to the employing vampire should be a reference to the employing minion, unless the retainer's ability clearly only applies to a vampire." is a little vague.

The following are "clearly" vampire-only: effects that burn or gain blood, effects that grant or remove disciplines (or clan or sect status, for that matter, not that there are any such retainers currently), effects that alter capacity, and/or effects that grant or remove titles or votes (again, not that the current set includes any of these). Everything else (including bleed, intercept, stealth, and combat modifiers) are applicable to allies as well as vampires.