Scenario: I have The Red Viper (Immune to Events) in play, and play another Lord.

My opponent plays A House Divided (Response: After a player plays a character with a Trait he already has in play, choose and return 1 character with that Trait to the top of its owner's deck.)

My Red Viper is immune to events, so can A House Divided recognize that TRV is in play? I say no, because his immunity is broader than just "immune to being targeted by events" - his immunity should protect him from events recognizing his existence.

My opponent says no, his immunity doesn't extend that far.

jmccarthy said:

I stand, as always, prepared to be overruled by ktom but I believe your opponent is correct. FAQ:

(3.14) Effects of Immunity A card with immunity ignores the effects of card types to which it is immune.
When determining immunity to event cards and character abilities, check the effect of each card. A card's immunity only extends to effects that would ordinarily be applied to cards of the immune card's type.
Specifically:
When an event card resolves, the effect cannot be applied to a card that is immune to events.
The effects of a character ability cannot be applied to a card that is immune to character abilities.

(3.15) Targetting and Immunity A card cannot be chosen as a target of effects to which it is immune.

Thus, TRV cannot be chosen as the target of AHD's bounce to deck effect, but nothing in the FAQ entry says that his immunity extends so far as to render his Traits invisible to AHD since that administrative task (identifying Traits in play) is not itself an effect that is applied to him. Accordingly, if you have TRV in play and play a second card with a Trait in common with him, your opponent can play AHD but must chose the newly played card as the target of AHD's actual effect.

BTW, I just noticed the FAQ has two consecutive sections numbered 3.14…. FFG must really like pi.

Amuk said:

Immunity to event protects the card from the direct effects of event cards, not the play restrictions of event cards.

Or, look at it this way: If the Viper's immunity to events means that events ignore him when checking their play restrictions, No Use for Grief - "Response: After a Sand Snake character is killed, kneel 1 influence to search your deck for 1 Sand Snake character, reveal it, and add it to your hand. (Kneel 3 influence to search for any number of Sand Snake characters and put them into play instead if The Red Viper was just killed). Then shuffle your deck." - effectively cannot be used for the "hyper combo" with the immunity version of TRV because, even when TRV does die, the event will not "see" it.

The "immunity is more than targeting" maxim is true, but it says that direct effects that are not targeted are ignored by the card, not that the immune card cannot be involved in the costs or play restrictions of what it is immune to.

It's spelled out in the FAQ:

(3.16) Direct Interaction
Immunity only extends to effects: It does not apply to the other elements of an event card or character ability, including costs and play restrictions.

That means you can pay the cost of To Be a Wolf by standing Shaggydog even if you control a Stark Lord (which makes him immune to events). And also that assuming if you have the immune Viper in play and play a 2nd Lord, an opponent can use A House Divided to put that Lord back onto your deck.