The rumour mythos cared The South Side Strangler Strikes pass affect requires you to pay 5 clue tokens while in Ma's Boarding House.

Ma Mathison's blight card states that Ma's Boarding House is closed for the rest of the game.

So, are players screwed? When I come to something like this I like to make sure that's a way for players to solve the problem. I'd change it to being in the Southside Streets or on Ma's Boarding House location, but not able to do anything, but pass the rumour.

Has there been a ruling on this particular instance?

I dont think there was ever a ruling on this. But...Ive always thought that it was interesting you place the activity marker for the strangler in the streets, but must pass it in a location, at Mas, unlike every other activity marker...this has always led me to believe Mas is an error and they meant Southside streets, so you could argue that you can still pass this rumour even with Mad Ma...otherwise, yes, you are indeed entirely frakked.

I always ruled that the "pass" text overrides the "activity at" text. Activity markers, after all, are just reminders. Maybe it's easier to see in the street to remind you that there's activity at Ma's (I put it at Ma's anyway). So I would say yes, this rumor can't be passed in that condition.

Not that it's a big deal, unless you're up against Glaaki (or Cthulhu..the penalty is -1 maximum right?).

As a side note, I also rule that new investigators that came into the game as a result of an investigator being devoured or retired also has to lower his/her maximum.

If you look at the "pass" text though, every other rumour requires you to be in a street location, I think...?

dj2.0 said:

Well, there is "Virulent Disease" from KiY and "Return to the Old Way" and "Cursed Relics" from CotDP at least that don't. "Plans in Motion" from IH. VD has no Pass, so maybe it doesn't count.

But are any passed in locations other than SSS???

Dam, I think he meant in the base game. Expansion Rumors are conducted in all manner of weird places (Curse of the Dark Pharaoh puts one in the Other World, and the other one in everywhere).

dj2.0 said:

I don't want to check for myself, but you're probably right. However, I enjoy the thematic interpretation that there's a police detective at Ma's trying to solve the crime (that's where all the bodies are piling up anyway). Then you show up with enough info to crack the case, putting the SS Strangler behind bars and receiving a reward from the police.

Yes I like that thematic element too! Its like an Agatha Christie novel.

By the way I just realsied you can escape this trap with the strangler and a closed or rubbled Mas with the Purifying the Town mission, it removes every rumour including those in play. So, there is but one slim chance!