Hills of Dunland, a new location from The Dunland Trap, reads:

While Hills of Dunland is in the staging area, it gains: "Forced: After a player draws any number of cards, discard the top card of the encounter deck. If the discarded card is a Dunland enemy, put it into play engaged with that player. This ability does not stack with other copies of Hills of Dunland."

Travel: Each player draws a card to travel here.

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The question arose while playing is does its Forced Effect trigger when you travel there? Is this location considered to still be in the staging area, or is it "in between" the staging area and the active location? The way we played it was that it was still in the staging area when you draw a card from its travel effect, so each player had to discard the top of the encounter deck. This seems to be what was intended.

What do you all think?

Hills of Dunland, a new location from The Dunland Trap, reads:

While Hills of Dunland is in the staging area, it gains: "Forced: After a player draws any number of cards, discard the top card of the encounter deck. If the discarded card is a Dunland enemy, put it into play engaged with that player. This ability does not stack with other copies of Hills of Dunland."

Travel: Each player draws a card to travel here.

_______

The question arose while playing is does its Forced Effect trigger when you travel there? Is this location considered to still be in the staging area, or is it "in between" the staging area and the active location? The way we played it was that it was still in the staging area when you draw a card from its travel effect, so each player had to discard the top of the encounter deck. This seems to be what was intended.

What do you all think?

Yeah that appears to be what should happen; to travel you must draw a card so for it to go from staging to the current location you must draw a card. Whilst drawing that card however I assume its still in staging so its other effect will trigger forcing each player to discard the top card of the encounter deck and put it into play engaged with him if it is an enemy. This makes it a very difficult location to deal with! You have to travel there or its effect will trigger every turn... and even traveling there ensures it will trigger at least that one time! Nasty!

We had the same problem with secluded farmhouse, and we come up with the same answer, the cost is paid beforehand.

Best way to deal with it : Strider's Path or Thror's Map.

The wording is that you must draw a card to travel here. My thinking is that it happens in order: you draw a card, and then you travel. Since you draw the card before you travel the location is still in the staging area and its effect triggers.

When a location has a Travel cost, the players must pay that cost before they can travel to that location. So, Hills of Dunland is in the staging area when you trigger its Travel effect, which means you will also trigger its Forced effect when you do.
Hope you’re enjoying The Dunland Trap!
Cheers,
Caleb

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Just to eliminate all speculation on the matter

Good man Nerdmeister