Hugues said:

So i have 4 MP left, okay, why not, and what about if i trade back the Ruby ? I have 5 or 7 MP left now ?

I think i won't like that card...

let's say i have 3 speed + ruby, no other relevant modifiers.

i move 3 steps to where another investigator is and give him the ruby. i now have 3 movement left (my original 3).
but then i move away one step, and back to the investigator, taking the ruby back. (using 2 movement.)
i now have gained the ruby and thus should gain the 3 movement points it entitles to (right?!)
thus i now have 4 steps left. riiight?

Taurmindo said:

Ehhh... I'd house rule that you only get the movement if you have it at the beginning of your movement phase. Otherwise it's too potentially exploitable. I'd assume that'd be official ruling. Otherwise you can trade and trade back the ruby while moving through the streets and basically use other investigators there to have effectively unlimited movement points (on the other hand, once you have more than speed eight, what good is it besides maybe carrying items between investigators?)

The Ruby thus should only grant its movement points at the beginning of an investigator's turn. So moving and claiming it should not grant you the movement points.

That's my solution anyway.

Tibs said:

Same. Our votes don't count though ;.(

Each investigator can only use the Ruby once and the Ruby does not work with Ghatanotoa. (sorry for mispelling)

grouik said:

What?! They said the ruby doesn't work vs. Ghatanotoa? That would mean that Motorcycle etc. also wouldn't work.

Avi_dreader said:

When fighting the Ancient One, investigators do not receive a Movement Phase and so cannot use the Ruby of R'lyeh."

Uh, so does that necessarily mean that Motorcycle and Map don't work? Is that because there is no movement phase?

But if there's no movement phase, investigators do not receive movement points, which means Ghatanothoa's attack is meaningless because the investigators can never survive it.

No, I don't like this ruling because there is a glaring logical disconnect where exceptions are not explicitly stated. I will be ignoring it.

Tibs said:

Another interpretation—although a stretch—is to say that during battle with Ghatanothoa, investigators receive movement points as part of their upkeep. Since there is no movement phase, they cannot use any items that trigger on the movement phase, such as the Motorcycle, Ruby, and Tomes.

Although, if movement-bonus items don't work, then what was the point of this attack? Why not simply say that they are devoured if they have less than N Speed? It seems like the "movement point" thing—which could have been distinct from Speed values—was reduced to a gimmick.

If it was meant that way, then why Speed? Why not make it Will instead, so that the investigators' Fight has to shrink during the battle?

If it was not an arbitrary choice, then I assume you're fleeing from Ghatanothoa—but then, why not allow items??

As to your question about why it says movement points instead of speed: I agree with you, it seems absurd. On the other hand, Arkham is infamous for these sorts of oddities. The answer to the question, whatever it may be, is most likely strikingly similar to the answer to "Why do the rules on gate bursts specify that a bursting seal does not cause a monster surge?" or "Why do the rules on being knocked unconscious/driven insane say that you discard all Retainers if you can only have one?" or "Why do so many encounters say you are arrested and taken to the police station?"

Tibs said:

::Laughter::

Gee ;') I guess you know what I think now, don't you.

Walk said:

That's an interesting thread :-) My two cents about the issues touched...

a) Healing stone: I'd say it's not necessary to say "exhaust", since you can use it during the Upkeep Phase, and trading items between investigators happens only during Movement Phase (or, at least, I think this is the latest proto-official version of this). So theoretically, no need to specify "exhaust". But anyway, I'm not confortable with the rule that you cannot trade outside movement, so I exhaust it

b) I've always played like this: you can gain extra movement points by obtaining unexhausted tools during movement. Let's say Harvey moves and reaches the spot where Joe is parked with his motorcycle. If Joe hasn't used the motorcycle this turn, I don't see any problems in renting and using it. So Harvey gains some extra movement points during his movement. And (I think now I should say as Houserules) I do exhaust the Ruby, and I do exhaust the Patrol Wagon.

c) I'm with Tibs and the others about the Ghatty issue. It's a non-sense you cannot use movement generating items during Final combat because there is no movement phase. I'd accept (probably) an official entry saying "discard all movement points generating items when Final Battle starts", but not this one.

Last but not least, if I might add my personal consideration about what happened lately... I noticed that often the answers reported on the forum as "official" as consequence of player asking rules clarification to FFG were in conflict with much of the things said before (sometimes for years; and sometimes they are opposite to what our triumvirate of FAQ-men said they thought the FAQ would have said - when they were still allowed to speak about this), creating a lot of confusion. I'm referring to the one Grouik reported, and to some of the answers Musha had some time ago (especially the one regarding the opportunity of sealing a gate you close as result of an OW encounter). My impression is that the person at FFG working on these questions answered too quickly, and possibly without a complete grasp on what was said before (and of the game, I'd say, allowing all investigator to use the Ruby can radically change the way a game goes. After all, Arkham is about clues, gates and movement), and this damages the game a lot. Just my impression, of course

Julia said:

we do it this way too.. but what do you do if you'd reach someone who has a refreshed motorcycle, you trade it to yourself and exhaust it.. can you then turn it back to the same investigator before moving on? where will the movement points go, do i get to keep them?

Julia said:

agreed. the "i got an answer quickly!" answers always seem like just that - quick answers disregarding earlier answers.

Taurmindo said:

I assume that for gaining those MPs you have to actually use the item. So basically, if you want to spend those points, you have to have the item with you. I know this isn't thematically perfect, but it works fine for me.

Taurmindo said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had this feeling.