Do each player need a character in the conflict to have the benefit, like the imperial favor?

I'm also guessing the ability lingers even if the character leaves the fight since it's only a cost?

The rules specify you need a participating character to receive the bonus from the Imperial Favor. They don't specify you need one to receive any bonus. Btw, there's a developer ruling on fiveringsdb.

Once the action has resolved, the bonus applies regardless of what happens later.

You don't need a character to count the skill, but you do need a character to win the Conflict. If you have no presence but have higher skill the result is the same as a 0-0 tie, with no winner and the Ring returning to the pool.

49 minutes ago, Evilgm said:

You don't need a character to count the skill, but you do need a character to win the Conflict. If you have no presence but have higher skill the result is the same as a 0-0 tie, with no winner and the Ring returning to the pool.

There is nothing in the rules requiring a participating character to win a battle, just that you have higher skill, and that 0-0 counts as a tie. Before there was no way to physically do this.

Whoops I'm wrong. Why these aren't in the same place, I don't know, but see GoblinGuide's quote below.

From the Rules Reference

Quote

3.2.3. Compare skill values and determine result The conflict type indicates which skill value is used to resolve the conflict. During a military conflict use military skill. During a political conflict use political skill. First, determine the attacking player’s total skill in the conflict by adding together the skill (that matches the conflict type) of each ready attacking character and factor in all active modifiers. Then determine the defending player’s total skill in the conflict by adding together the skill (that matches the conflict type) of each ready defending character and factor in all active modifiers. The player whose side has the higher total skill wins the conflict. In order to win a conflict, a player must count a total skill of 1 or higher. In the case of a tie, the conflict is won by the attacking player. If both players count 0 skill, the conflict resolves with no winner, and the ring is returned to the pool of unclaimed rings

As mentioned, Imperial Favor explicitly requires having a participating character

From the Imperial Favor rules (Bold is mine for emphasis)

Quote

The +1 skill modifier granted by the Imperial Favor applies to any conflict of the specified type in which its bearer controls at least one participating characte r. This modifier applies to the player’s total skill that is counted for the conflict, but does not modify the skill value of any of the characters participating in the conflict.

19 minutes ago, Mirith said:

There is nothing in the rules requiring a participating character to win a battle, just that you have higher skill, and that 0-0 counts as a tie. Before there was no way to physically do this.

There is, it's just in a different section of the rules (because of course it is). From the "Winning a Conflict" section:

Quote

• A player must count at least 1 total skill and there must be at least one participating character on his or her side in order to win a conflict.

...

• If neither player can meet the requirements of winning a conflict, neither player wins (or loses) that conflict. When this occurs, return the contested ring to the unclaimed ring pool.

So it's fully possible for a disguised protector to be used and the conflict to still be a "tie".

So if my opposent has a 1 bid, and I have 5, i could defend, activate, then Smoke and Mirrors away and let him spend cards to beat a 4 without a character present. And have a 3/3 for another conflict. Fits right in the « jump in/out » of shinobi.

A bit situationnal but has more value than I initially thought

Smoke and Mirrors only sends home attacking shinobi, but swap that for Favorable and that works fine.

Yeah ^^’ also works good with HMD / Ambush for surprise