How does this bad boy interact with the likes of Threat from the North? Would he get +1str for each character that has their str lowered? Would Shadow Parasite gain strength during the challange phase from soemething like Harried by Dragons if it was played during the marshaling phase?

DerBarchen said:

Note that Shadow Parasites STR bonus only lasts until the end of the phase.

So sure, he would get the +1 for every character having its strength lowered by Threat from the North, but only until the end of the Plot Phase.

Likewise, a Harried by Dragons played in Marshaling would give the Parasite +1 STR until the end of the Marshaling phase.

The Parasite's ability only functions during the phase when the STR penalty is initiated.

The larger question here is that the Parasite can trigger its ability once for each reduction of STR on each character.

But pay attention to the timing of it, too. The Parasite's ability is a Response. So, if it is on the table (or it is played) when Threat from the North becomes the active plot, it is going to get -1 STR and be discarded at 0 (which is its printed STR) before it can use its Response can be triggered. So yeah, you can trigger its ability, effectively giving it +1 for each character on the board (including itself) when Threat from the North is revealed - but it will already be moribund and on its way out (irreversibly) when you do.

Ah I was wondering which would resolve first! Would that imply that he can trigger his response to Harried or Flame Kissed if he is played After one of the two attatchments?

DerBarchen said:

I may have been a little misleading above. If Threat is the plot there are 3 things Parasite could respond to:

• If it is already in play when Threat is revealed, it could Respond (and gain +1 STR) for each character currently in play. Unless it was at least 2STR when the plot was actually revealed, it would be too late to do any good (since the plot would discard it before the Response), but it could gain that much STR "on the way out."
• If you play it when Threat is the revealed plot, it could Respond to just itself (since all the other characters in play were already lowered and the Response opportunity for each of them is past). It would be too late to do any good (since the plot would discard it before the Response), but it could regain the 1 STR is loses (coming back to 0….)
• If it manages to survive somehow and both the Parasite and Threat are in play, you could use the Parasite's response once for each character that enters play - as it enters play.

ktom said:

So, say, King's Pavilion wouldn't help because it's a passive effect that kicks in too late. But if you played Holding the Trident (with fewer characters in play, of course) and were able to trigger its effect first, you could save your Parasite and it would get +1 for every character in play when Threat kicks in?

Actually king's Pavillion STR bounus is "always" in effect so yes it would help. Passives that grant lasting/permanent effects are not resolved because they are lasting and thus never resolve (or at least resolved in the sense that they cease being effective). It is important to remember that Plot revealing is not the first action taken in the Plot Phase which means that all passive bonuses (winterfell castle is another passive location bonus that springs to mind) are in effect prior to the revealing of plots.

If Threat is revealed and the Shadow parasite is standing it while Kings Pavillion is in play, the Shadow parasite is counted as a STR 2 character (3 from KP and -1 from Threat)

And yes Holding the Trident would also help.

Point is, like Holding the Trident, King's Pavilion is a constant effect (that happens to have a play condition, but its still a constant effect), not a passive effect. It is not a passive that initiates when a character stands, etc.

Also, ou don't "trigger" Holding the Trident, any more than you "trigger" Threat. They are both constant effects that apply from the moment you reveal the plots. The First Player only decides the order of "when revealed" plots, not constant effect plots. This is the same reason Power of Blood always trumps Valar or Wildfire, no matter what the First Player wants to do.

ktom said:

"Trigger" was a sloppy word choice. But your points are well taken. And I'm glad of the clarification on constant v. passive effects.