[3E] Desecrated Soil - clarification needed

By varradami, in Fury of Dracula

The text of the encounter card Desecrated Soil reads (in part):

Draw 3 encounter cards. Then, discard up to 3 encounter cards from your hand. [emphasis mine]

A literal reading of this card suggests you could choose not to discard any cards at all, but that wouldn't make any sense (keep in mind there's no hand limit for encounters). The best guess I can make is you don't have to discard below five, since that would just cause you to draw again anyway - but I can't actually think of any way for you to have fewer than five cards before playing this.

Anyone have any better idea? Is there any reason you would

Edited by varradami

Why wouldn't it make any sense that you could choose not to discard any cards?

You normally only draw if you would have less than 5, so discarding encounters you don't want would let you draw again sooner to find ones that you do want. Or if you like the encounters you have, you can hang on to them and not draw any new ones until you're under 5 again.

Excellent point, it makes sense now. :-) Thanks.

You may not have 5 cards in your hand to start with so you may not need to discard 3 cards to get down to the hand limit . Thus the reason for "up to 3 encounter cards". The card would have been better worded if it had simply said you must then discard down to the 5 card hand limit.

There is no hand limit (important). The only "hand limitish" thing is - you always draw up to 5 ecounters, if you don't have 5.

Double post... can it be removed, please?

Edited by Eruantalon

You may not have 5 cards in your hand to start with so you may not need to discard 3 cards to get down to the hand limit . Thus the reason for "up to 3 encounter cards". The card would have been better worded if it had simply said you must then discard down to the 5 card hand limit.

There isn't a 5 card hand limit on encounters, though. Dracula always ends with at least 5, but he can have more by using this or the dark call power.