Say that for some wierd reason I am using Pickman on a Pulp Writer.

•Richard Upton Pickman, Genius Painter
--------------------------------------
Type : Character
Cost : 4
Skill : 3
Icons : CCI
Subtype : Cultist.
Game Text : Action: pay 2 to choose a character. Until the end of the phase, Richard Upton Pickman gains that character's keywords and triggered abilities. Then, treat that character as though its printed text box were blank until the end of the phase.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Nick Percival
Collector's Info : FC R38


Pulp Writer
-----------
Type : Character
Cost : 4
Skill : 5
Icons : TT
Subtype : Cultist.
Game Text : Action: pay 1 to choose a character with fewer T icons than Pulp Writer. That character loses a T icon, then goes insane, if able.
Flavor text : They were calling him the new Wilkie Collins, but he preferred to think of himself as the new Arthur Conan Doyle.
Illustrator : Laurel Austin
Collector's Info : FC C78

Pickman gets which ability?
Game Text : Action: pay 1 to choose a character with fewer T icons than Richard Upton Pickman. That character loses a T icon, then goes insane, if able.

or

Game Text : Action: pay 1 to choose a character with fewer T icons than Pulp Writer. That character loses a T icon, then goes insane, if able.

I'd go with the second, but I don't know if there has been any clarification.

Sorry for the misplacing

No idea since is no offcial rulings for this case, but in every other game I've played the correct answer would be case 1. Pulp Writer basically says "Action: pay 1 to choose a character with fewer T icons than CARDNAME. That character loses a T icon, then goes insane, if able." So Richard would gain that ability and CARDNAME would point to Pickman.

In the CoC universe however, anything is possible, so it might be just the other way around.

i have to think he would also just insert the card name. it says gains the trigger ability, so it sounds like you get the ability it a broad sense. but then i dont remember a card that says copy that cards textbox. youre copying the ability not the wording.

also thinking of

-- Agency --
•Neil's Curiosity Shop
----------------------
Type : Support
Cost : 3
Subtype : Location.
Game Text: Neil's Curiosity Shop gains the triggered abilities of each support card controlled by an opponent.
Flavor text: Men shall not live without rumor of old strange secrets…
Illustrator: Jessica Van Hulle
Collector's Info: AKD F2

if that was the case the shop wouldnt be able to really copy this, right?

-- Neutral --
Dimensional Rift
----------------
Type : Support
Cost : 4
Subtype : Location.
Game Text: Action: exhaust, pay 3 and sacrifice Dimensional Rift to destroy all characters and support cards in play.
Flavor text:
Illustrator: Gerardo Garza
Collector's Info: AE R223

you cant sacrifice other peoples cards, and if in taking the wording where its exact copy and not 'insert cardname' this would be pointless. makes sense that you could sacrifice the shop though, atleast to me it does. there are other cards that would also work funny too if it was exact copy of named card, and not 'insert cardname'.

some cards say exhaust or whatever and do such and such. other cards say exhaust 'cardname' and do such and such. the two different wordings must be that way for a reason......

i think i may have found an answer for this.

http://tzumainn.com/agot/cards/card.php?card_id=3161

its for agot, but its so closely linked to coc that i thought id bring it up. ktom5 is like the rules lawyer of agot and he is right almost all the time. if you read everything and check the cards he mentions and the faq i think it makes it pretty clear that ff card games arent like other card games so what would normally apply doesnt matter with ffg. so it seems since coc is more like agot than other card games the 'insert cardname' bit doesnt happen and pickman referes to the pulp writer. youd copy the text box exactly as printed.

I would say that the name changes, as their name is a placeholder for 'this card' - However, there is no rule to support the change, so strictly speaking the name wouldn't change.

From FFG Nate:

When Richard Upton Pickman steals a self-referential ability, the self-referential aspect of that ability refers to Richard Upton Pickman. Thus, in your example, Pickman would gain:

"Action: pay 1 to choose a character with fewer T icons than Richard Upton Pickman. That character loses a T icon, then goes insane, if able."

wow so its different than agot!