This is probably a dumb question, but damage can be assigned to allies in your hand, it's not necessary to have actually played the card for it to be able to absorb damage, correct?

You'd have to have played it before you can assign damage.

StormyWaters, I know that's the logical thing (and how I automatically assumed it was at first) but the rules seem to contradict that. The learn to play booklet says "when an investigator is dealt damage, place damage on the investigator card and/or on any of that investigator's asset cards that have health..." and the rules reference says "... that investigator may assign it to eligible asset cards he or she controls." Controlled cards include played cards and cards in hand I thought.

I think the key to this is here:

Card abilities only interact with other cards that are in play, unless the ability specifically references an interaction with cards in an out-of-play area.

So while you do control the card even if it's not in play, you can't interact with it unless it specifically says so. You could possibly quibble with the "Card abilities" part and try to consider it a restriction, but even then I think every source of damage is coming from a card ability, even if that ability is a shorthand icon or game term rather than explicit text.

Thanks Buhallin and StormyWaters. That makes sense.

In a similar vein, if you are taking 1 damage and 2 horror, and have an ally that has 1/1, can the ally take both damage types and you only take 1 horror?

1 minute ago, Slothgodfather said:

In a similar vein, if you are taking 1 damage and 2 horror, and have an ally that has 1/1, can the ally take both damage types and you only take 1 horror?

Yes indeed!

On 6/26/2017 at 3:25 PM, StormyWaters said:

Yes indeed!

Are you sure? I was under the impression that the first damage dealt that would 'destroy' the card would cause it to be removed from play. Therefore, if something was 1/1, as soon as you dealt the horror it would be removed and you'd be forced to take the damage on either another asset or yourself.

Did I miss a rule?

9 minutes ago, Soakman said:

Are you sure? I was under the impression that the first damage dealt that would 'destroy' the card would cause it to be removed from play. Therefore, if something was 1/1, as soon as you dealt the horror it would be removed and you'd be forced to take the damage on either another asset or yourself.

Did I miss a rule?

This is detailed on Page 7 of the rules reference, under "Dealing Damage/Horror".

First damage and horror is assigned, up to the maximum printed health and sanity on the card respectively. Then all assigned damage and horror is applied simultaneously.

Thank you, much appreciated. Makes my allies feel a bit tankier.

Oh wow, I've been taking an extra point of damage then... I didn't know an asset could absorb max of both if it came from 1 attack / source.

Yep, that is correct, you can max out both types if it's from one source. Makes them very useful as meat shields.