How can you decipher if a plot card is for all players or just for the player who played the plot card?

This is a pretty broad question, so it's hard to answer conclusively. Did you have any specific cards in mind?

Generally, if a plot effect doesn't specify that it only affects certain players, it affects all.

Compare The Power of Blood with The Power of Arms . The former affects *all* noble-crested characters, no matter who controls them. The latter only affects war-crested characters controlled by the player who revealed the plot.

As a general rule in this game, if a card simply says "players" or "characters" without specifying which player or which characters (or characters controlled by a certain player), then then card affects all players/characters.

Any more narrow breadth of effect will be specified in the card text.

To be more specific, I'm trying to figure out why Focused Offense plot card is supposed to be so powerful if "you" means only the person who is playing the card.

BSGesus said:

It's powerful because it's a high gold, high initiative, high clam plot.

Yes, you only get one challenge, and you can't defend, but if you're winning initiative, chances are that a claim three military plot can come close to wiping out your opponent's board (especially if you've got additional kills like Core set Robb Stark, or Winter is Coming), or a claim three power challenge can easily close the gap and win the game (especially if helped out by Renown).

BSGesus said:

I'm not sure if it's supposed to be powerful - as far as I can see, it gets played very little.

It's pretty fun to reveal mid-Challeges phase (like with Bungled Orders or something).

It's pretty horrible to face Burning in the Sand with Focused Offense. Probably one of the reasons it's Restricted.

Bomb said:

Or Red Vengance (PotS)

I have a question along those same lines regarding which player it affects. In using the Condemned by the Realm plot card, is the player forced to kill a character from their hand ( as they do not "control" it yet), or does the opponent selected, have to select from another player''s cards in play► The confusing part of the text is that they kill a character they do not control. In using this as a plot card in a 2 player game,can they then choose one of your cards► Am I overthinking this►

Cards that are not in play are not actionable unless an effect specifically says so. Condemned By The Realm doesn''t say anything about killing a character "from your hand" (btw: there''s no such thing as "killing" a card that is not in play), so it doesn''t.

Condemned By The Realm, in a 2-player game, is letting your opponent kill one of your characters - because none of theirs are legal targets. They must kill one of yours.