We have a dispute over the effect of the King in Yellow item.

Once per round, after you suffer one or more horror, you may research one clue (place it on the scenario sheet).

I believe that the card allows you to take an extra action to Research when you suffer horror, rolling her Observation as normal, following rules 402.3 for extra actions and the text in parenthesis is just reminder text that tells you what happens on a successful roll.

Another player believes that the clue is automatcally placed on the scenario sheet without a roll, following rule 470.

What is the intention of this card?

22 hours ago, Anoirtrou said:

We have a dispute over the effect of the King in Yellow item.

Once per round, after you suffer one or more horror, you may research one clue (place it on the scenario sheet).

I believe that the card allows you to take an extra action to Research when you suffer horror, rolling her Observation as normal, following rules 402.3 for extra actions and the text in parenthesis is just reminder text that tells you what happens on a successful roll.

Another player believes that the clue is automatcally placed on the scenario sheet without a roll, following rule 470.

What is the intention of this card?

I believe it to be the latter.

• If it were intended for you to take the action, it likely would have read, "Once per round, after you suffer one or more horror, you may perform 1 additional research action." I think because it makes no mention of "additional" nor "action" indicates that it is not an action.
• Also, when you perform a research action, you research as many clues as you have successes (and clues to research). The limit of, "...one clue..." also makes me think it is automatically researched.
• As well as the parenthetical text of "(place it on the scenario sheet)."

I don't have the books in front of me, but it is 100% the latter. That came up in our game and if it ever tells you to straight research a clue, it is placed onto the scenario sheet without having to test.

23 minutes ago, Husker949 said:

I don't have the books in front of me, but it is 100% the latter. That came up in our game and if it ever tells you to straight research a clue, it is placed onto the scenario sheet without having to test.

Hadn't thought about looking it up. Thanks, Dad!

Quote

470 Research
470.1 To “research” a clue means to place a clue token from your player area onto on the scenario sheet. Clues are researched primarily by the research action.

So, yup.