In Tower of Cirith Ungol, would you interpret locations "Cannot leave the staging area" as "cannot become the active location" or "cannot become the active location or be explored?"

I would suppose that you can't explore them.

Thematically makes sense, you need to get past the Watcher before you start exploring the tower.

For me it it the second one: "cannot become the active location and can't be explored"

Technically, a location being explored is a separate action from being discarded. If you did acquire progress equal to the amount needed, the location would be explored and related triggers would go off. However, it would not be discarded, because it cannot leave the staging area.

6 hours ago, Wandalf the Gizzard said:

Technically, a location being explored is a separate action from being discarded. If you did acquire progress equal to the amount needed, the location would be explored and related triggers would go off. However, it would not be discarded, because it cannot leave the staging area.

Time to abuse Ancient Mathom, Ravenhill Scout, and Asfaloth!

Agree with Rouxxor: They can't leave the staging area in any way, traveling or explored. Of course, if you have enough progress tokens on any location(s), once that restriction is gone, they'd immediately get discarded.

3 hours ago, Wandalf the Gizzard said:

Technically, a location being explored is a separate action from being discarded. If you did acquire progress equal to the amount needed, the location would be explored and related triggers would go off. However, it would not be discarded, because it cannot leave the staging area.

Interesting. I'd never thought of that before. You sure that's right? I ask because it could create funky situations. Is "explored" a flag than once done cannot be undone? For instance, if you get enough progress on a location to explore it, yet it can't be discarded, but then some of those progress tokens are removed... can you still discard it later when locations can leave the staging area? You'd almost have to, otherwise you'd have to "explore" it again, which doesn't really make sense.

I'll send an email to Caleb.

Actually, I now see none of the locations in this quest have an explored trigger, so it's almost a non-issue... yet it could still affect certain player cards like Idraen and others. We'll see what Caleb says.

He replied very quickly. I wrote...

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In Tower of Cirith Ungol, locations can't leave the staging area, I assume even if they get enough progress tokens on them. That can create an interesting situation. If you get enough progress tokens on a location to match its quest points, is the location still considered "explored" and can therefore trigger player cards such as Idraen and others? I assume so, based on the rule book wording. In that case, what then happens if progress is removed from such an explored location (via Ravenhill Scout)? Does that location still immediately leave play when the scenario condition allows locations to leave the staging area because that location was once flagged as "explored"? If not, or even before that happens, what if progress is again added back onto the location? Is it again considered "explored" and can again trigger Idraen and other player cards?

And he replied...

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Great question. I’m actually surprised that this has not come up before. I think everyone has assumed that if a location cannot leave play, then it cannot be explored. Though you are correct that the rules don’t explicitly state that anywhere so it does leave some ambiguity. It would create a lot of problems if a location could be explored without actually leaving play, however. So everyone has pretty much assumed correctly: The act of exploring a location also includes that location leaving play. If a location cannot leave play, then it cannot be explored.

haha, hurray for common sense rulings!

I'm glad this was ruled the way it was. Otherwise you could "defeat" or "destroy" an indestructible boss and "win" some quests without fulfilling the requirements for them losing the indestructible keyword.