Okay, it sounds like this is almost definitely official, and I know it's something a lot of people have wanted to know about for a long time (I know *I* definitely have), and it's going to effect the way everyone plays the game, so here's a copy pasting.

Q: Exactly where, when, and what can investigators trade?
A: Investigators may trade any time during the Movement Phase that they are in the same location or street area except during combat. They may trade before, during or after movement, which means trading does not end a move. They may also trade at the end of the Investigators Refresh step of battling the Ancient One.

The invisible manual strikes again! Raise the terror level!

---

Oh, and on a slightly more serious note, I skimmed the new proto-faq and searched for a few questions I really wanted to see answers to (and still wasn't sure about how they were resolved), it looks pretty good, I think it's nearing completion.

DAMMIT. That's how I played it when I first got the game, and then YOU ALL got me to change! Now I have to convince everyone else I play with!

There is a loopholer to blame here, I'm sure of it.

On the other hand...a long time coming..."I was right."

While I'm not sure it's allowed, we also house-ruled that you may trade items in final battle, each round before attacking.

Well, turns out I was right all the time - but it's good to have this confirmed, anyway, so thanks.

Now, the real question is, when will the new FAQ be finally released?

-Villain

Oh god not more rules

*joins the swiftly growing Cult Of I Told You So.*.

H.P. Lovecraft said:

Something you got to learn about Arkham Horror, the rules are unclear and these forms try to clear them up. If I have learned anything though my time with these forms and AH, its if the rules confuse you, check the forum. if the forum doesn't help, make a house rule. Finally, when making house rules, think logically and thematicly

The rules are fine in that they're flexible even when unclear, and making your own house-rules is easy because the game is well-balanced , so making minor(and even some major) adjustments doesn't break the game in any way, at least from my experience.

H.P. Lovecraft said:

Torment of forumites. Proof that there is an Elder God.

Hee! I really liked this ruling (I always hated this loophole). Alright... Back to proofing.

Q: If an investigator who has only one item is knocked
unconscious or driven insane, does he lose that item?
A: Yes, unless some other game effect allows him to keep
it (for example Finn Edwards’ [iH] Holdout ability).

But why?? It doesn't have any sense, at least to me. You should round down the number of items discarded, 1/2 = 0.5, round down = 0

No way.

1 item -> discard 1 (?)
2 items -> discard 1
3 items - > discard 1 (1.5 round down to 1)

It's rounded in a different way

Julia said:

Right, that was the loophole used. Now it's been specifically addressed and disallowed.

Avi_dreader said:

It wasn't a loophole, but a little sign of hope in a better future :-P
::sigh:: injuries and retirement are our only fate (in game and in life) ::laughing::

Just release the darn FAQ already. Unless it's going to be an all-new rulebook with all the issues addressed and FAQ clarifications indexed at the back, and then be something that we can buy to update verything going backwards and providing a template for everything moving forward. In that case, release it yesterday.

Outside of that, thanks for the clarifications.

There's a whole new guy heading the FAQ project. He got the new proof to us exactly when he said he would, and it ready very clearly and seems to cover almost everything. I'm sure it will be released soon.

dj2.0 said:

jjajajajaj... thank's god I always played the trading that way.

Yes, I believe we've always played trading that way as well. I'm not sure which way you were talking about... if it was an understanding on here, we probably would have been playing with it.

In other news, there are a great many characters who are going to be very distressed when they learn they will lose that solitary item they've been hanging on to when they go insane. Poor Michael and his tommy gun come to mind.

Actually, this same ruling for trading is in the FAQ in the IH and KH rulebook, so I don't really see how it's new.(aside from being unified with the entry about final battle) And we have always played that you lose your last item/Clue token.

Is this covered anywhere-can an investigator read a tome on the way from an Other World to Arkham? In other words, does returning to Arkham end his movement phase?

Avi_dreader said:

That's not a loophole, it's mathematics. The book said round down. I rounded down. That really couldn't have been much clearer. Interesting that no one had an issue with this before the Dunwich FAQ.

But I suppose this is the only way to make those "lost or stolen if you choose" clauses special.

jgt7771 said:

Ain't that the truth. Finally, the derringer might be useful!

zealot12 said:

Nope, the old FAQ was missing the specific during the Movement Phase bit, which led some deranged cultists to think they could trade during the upkeep, encounter or mythos phases. Now it is clear one cannot.

As for the last Clue token, you should still be able to keep it, as this new rule seems to address only the last item issue.

-Villain

Let me stress again that the FAQ is not done yet, so that ruling may be subject to change, or to be clarified in such a way that our current assumptions are wrong.

Anyway, I was told to not talk about the FAQ anymore, so, hands over my mouth. Sorry guys.

Hey! My 2000th post. Do I win a brand new car? Or at least a trip to Disneyland?

Avi_dreader said:

Ten brand new rulebooks to debug and a night in the nearby Asylum? ::laughing::

Julia said:

I'd rather have ten nights in the asylum and one rulebook. Ugh. ;')