Ok this is a little confusing... you can use location (lower case) to refer to anywhere on the board (?) but

• Stable Location refers to locations with a green diamond.
• Unstable Locations refers to locations with a red diamond
• Street area not a Stable/ Unstable Location and between Locations
• Other World 1st Area
• Other World 2nd Area
• Lost in Time and Space
• Out Skirts

So did I miss something? Only reason I'm posting this that certain cards refer to these spots but really where the confusion is for me is Location vs. location!

Hurm.

Does anyone actually know a rule, card or encounter text where the term "location" is definitely used to refer to something else than a stable/unstable location?

Nacaal Key (tome from BGotW), some other cards but none come to mind lol being in a Location vs. Street Area.

Are we absolutely positiv that the naacal key can be used on a street area? Since it says "open [a gate] at your current location", does it really work if you're not at a location?

That would break an awful lot of things. You couldn't even enter a gate that appeared on the street if you strictly follow the rules.

I would say it is only possible at a location yes.. People arguing that you can use it in the streets as well must also accept that you can open it in a Other World if you happen to be located there...

What about the Milk of Shub Niggurth from BGotW? That lets you "summon" all monsters on the board to your current location. Why couldn't that bring them to a Street location? Some have even asked if it can be used in the Outer Worlds (I'm not sold on this interpretation, though).

This is the one aspect of the game that I feel could use the best clarification. I play alot of ccgs, and so wording in these games is vital, and often follows their own laws (for example, "put in play," and "is played" are two completely different effects in the Game of Thrones LCG). When a card in Arkham refers to a location, there are multiple "locations" in Arkham, but which types are meant?

Unfortunately, the game has too many expansion to just go back and change the wording on all the cards and rules documents to allow for a clear language version of the rules at this point. These are topics that need to be addressed in a FAQ, and preferably soon. And perhaps a "Master" rules document could even be created that does help clarify many of these types of outstanding issues.

And I'd like to argue that the Arkham secion of the board could use a specific "Rule Questions" subsection so that we can ask our rules questions in an area where they won't get lost in the shuffle, and even if we don't get a specific ruling we can at least see how other groups have ruled on the same question and come to an agreement among ourselves.

For some reason 90% of all BG cards are poorly written. That doesn't help.

The Naacal Key doesn't work in Other Worlds for a very simple reason, it requires Movement Points - and an investigator in an other world doesn't get any, or am I mistaken?

noth1ng said:

That is correct. Whether or not it works in street areas is unclear but I would rule against it. Regarding Milk- I would greatly rule against it being activated in other worlds. Street areas? sure, why not.

noth1ng said:

Nope, you're right there. Still, it would be problematic in some ways if gates could be opend at street areas.

For the milk, i believe that's just somewhat crappy written.

Perhaps it would be better/easier to list things that are worded location, but you'd like to use in a street. Can't really think of any that I'd really feel the need to use in the street. Playing location as referring to only circular rounds spots with a green or red diamond is probably the simplest way to go.

Milk seems a popular candidate. One reason I think FFG perhaps worded that as location is to prevent its use in the OWs. Area/space would've suckered people into reading it as totally street/OW-legal.

Going through my Common and Unique decks, Time Bomb came up, it's worded "Arkham location or street area". Sedanette clearly works only in the streets, though someone would probably like to benefit from it at locations or OWs .

Hmm. What about the Hound of Tindalos?

"When it moves the Hound of Tindalos moves directly to the nearest investigator inside a location in Arkham (Other than the Hospital or the Asylum)."

Seems it moves to locations only, and not streets - so basically that would mean you're safe from the Hound on the streets? Or should it move into streets, too? Has there been a clarification about this? How do you play?

noth1ng said:

Definately location only for HoT. Especially when you look at Hunting Horror's text (another green-bordered bouncer) "... in a street area or unstable location".

Dam said:

How about the spell Implant Suggestion? (Cast and exhaust while in Arkham to choose one monster in your location and have it move either in the direction of the white or black arrow in that location.)

It clearly states location, but I think it should be used in a street area as well. Otherwise, what's the point of choosing white or black arrow since all locations have both colors?

Once again, "location" is used very loosely to sometimes mean YOUR current location which can include street or other world areas.

Dam said:

Thematicly it makes sense for the Hound to ony appear in Locations, needing specific angles to appear and is less likely to appear on the streets...then again I can't explain the Woods or Unvisited Isle for this one.

Gamemaster said:

What if the monster you move is a Red-bordered one ? Would it get two moves? If so, then black/white would come into play.

So far, the examples of questionable locations have used the term "your location" or "your current location" which I would take to be a generic term as a opposted "a location" which refers back to the rulebook definition of location.

That gives a reasonable outcome to all the questions brought up so far. Naacal key requires movement points, but can be opened in a street (your location). It allows you to summon monsters back through the gates into the Outer worlds. This doesn't seem out of line to me. The flute of the gods can be used in the streets (and maybe even in the Terrible experiment. Debatable.)

Hound of Tindalos, I think we all agree, only works in a round location since it needs straight angle corners thematically.

Implant suggestion really makes the most sense if it can be used in streets "your location" is the wording on the spell card. I kind of like the spell and have used it several times, always in a street area. It would be pretty limited I think if you were restricted to only Arkham locations.

Of course, it would have been better and less confusing if FFg had used the term "space" or "area", but alas they did not.

After re-reading the thread I see Gamemaster already made allusion to this distinction between "location" and "your (current) location."

Also Carolyn, Vince and Minh's (maybe others) special powers refer to location but in terms of "her location" or "his location" which I'd also count as generic. In others they can help others even in the streets or in an Other World.

mageith said:

I remember a ruling, which states clearly, that the Flute cannot be used to kill the monsters on the Terrible Experiment, because they are not actually ON THE BOARD (or in "Arkham"), but on the card itself...

I think it would be fair to allow the flute to be used to kill one monster on the Terrible Experiment instead of making a combat check against it. Rarely useful, but I did need that once (and then didn't do it because Joe would have been devoured, and then of course got a whole pile of tough monsters show up).

pahapasi said:

All I remember is several discusions. However if that's the case, then that's the case. Still, you and the terrible monsters are both in "your current location" or couldn't kill even one, but if a rulings been made that would settle that. However I can't find that ruling on the official rulings page above.

Upon re-re-reading the flute it doesn't use the word "location" but "your current area."