Hi everyone (and ktom in particular )

I noticed a discussion on agotcars.org about former champion and meereenese brothel.

If I have a former champion with a power token on him, can I trigger the brothel in what case:

a) only as response every time he gains a new power.

b) anytime I want, but only once per "power triggered reduction" (aka he is already in play with one power, i play the brothel and can trigger once and then I must wait until the next reduction)

c) anytime I want and how many time I want

My problem is that I've read that you can only trigger the brothel as a response to the placement of one power, because then the reduction will be a lasting effect. But if this is true, what happens if I play flaming sword on him? If the reduction disappears (because he cannot have is strength reduced by card effects), that means that the str reduction is alwys a card effects and thus a trigger for the brothel.

Or does the word "after" on the brothel mean that only a sudden change in str (a "step" response) is a valid trigger? That means if I already have flame-kissed in play and then I play the brothel I cannot use the brothel because it wasn't present at the moment of the application of the effect of flame-kissed? If this is the case, I'm definitely playing wrong.

SummerSeaCaptain said:

If the reduction does not happen, Meereenese Brothel has no trigger, so you can't use it. And response opportunities only last to the end of the action window in which they are triggered, so you cannot use Meereenese Brothel's response off a Flame Kissed you have played earlier (since playing either is an action with its own window) - by the time you play the Brothel, Flame Kissed's action windows has closed, so you can't trigger any response off its effects.

Specifically, the text "...After a character's STR is lowered by a card effect...." refers to the application of a new -X STR modifier. Once applied - and part of the environment - you have missed your chance to Respond.

Look at it this way: if you have a Response that says "after a character is killed," why can't you trigger that any time you want after something has died in the game? If is "after" something died, isn't it? But Responses are considered to take place as part of the action/event that they are Responding to, so once the action window in which the triggering effect was created closes, you have missed your chance (and must wait for a new one). So the lasting/continuous nature of a "gets -X STR" effect does not provide any more of a delayed/continuing trigger for Meereenese Brothel's effect any more than the fact that a character is still dead, three rounds later, can provide a delayed/continuing trigger for an "after a character is killed" Response.

When you look at the Response opportunity as being created by the application of a new -X STR modifier, it becomes very clear that Khudzlin is correct that a character with Flaming Sword will never provide a Response opportunity for the Brothel because a -X STR modifier can never be applied to that character.

It is also worth noting that the "application of a new -X STR modifier" explains why the Brothel can only be used when a character is hit with a "-X STR" effect, and never when a "+X STR" effect wears off.

Yep thanks both of you now is clear. And logic, once explained.