This came up in a game last night. We drew the Planetary Alignment mythos card, which is a mystic environment that gives all spells a Sanity cost of 0. However, the Miriam Beecher Blight card was in play, which increases the Sanity cost of all spells by 1. The question is, in what order do these cards take effect? If the Blight card takes effect first, the Sanity cost for all spells is increased by one. Then the mythos card reduces the Sanity cost of all spells to zero. If the mythos card takes effect first, the Sanity cost is reduced to zero before the Blight card increases the Sanity cost to one. Therefore, depending on how you look at it, the Sanity cost for spells is either zero or one.

The KiY rules say that "the effects of Mythos cards are unaffected by Blight cards." However, I think that's just in reference to the rule that you lose 1 Sanity/Stamina if you encounter a blighted character. I suppose I could go with the old standby: "whichever interpretation is worse for the investigators", but I was wondering if there was something more tangible.

I would do it how ever you like...

this is sort of like the Mistrust rumor, if you fail it your focus is zero...so what about investigator cards that increase your focus or does it depend when you had the investigator card, i.e. before your focus was zero or after?

I think, I'd always apply effects first that set something to a fixed value then apply effects that provide a bonus or a penalty.

jhaelen said:

I disagree, for the same reason that no item or effect can stop an effect that says "immedaitely go to 1 sanity."

If all spells have a sanity cost of 0, they have a sanity cost of 0. If you apply Miriam's effect, a spell has a sanity cost of 1, which is not 0.

Same thing with the focus issue.

Methinks this calls for a general rule. Actually, when I wrote my last post I was thinking of another game where it's done the way I wrote.

If in AH it's meant to be the other way around, a general rule should be added.

Now I'm a very new player.. but I'd suggest selecting one of these three and sticking with it until you hear an official ruling:

1) Assume the game is supposed to be as difficult as possible.. meaning the Blight takes precedence in all cases.

2) Give precedence to the latest card put into play. If Miriam was out first then she is countered for as long as Planetary Alignment is at play. If Planetary Alignment was in play but Miriam Beecher was then placed into play.. I'd say that effectively nulls out the alignment.

3) Judge all effects on the basis of temporary vs permanent. Permanent effects (blights) are "background" factors. More temporary effects then act as modifiers on top of this background. If ever multiple temporary effects come into play (assuming that can happen - I don't have all the expansions!) then fall back on number 2.

Personally I like number 2 because it makes for a clear ruling in many different situations. However all three are perfectly reasonable - just make sure all the players agree prior to the game!

Who cares about a crazy woman, when the planets are aligned ?!?!

StarBurn said:

IRL the alignment of the planets won't try to kill me and eat my entrails.

Thanks for all the help! I really appreciate it. I agree with jhaelen that this type of situation could benefit from a general rule. I'm personally leaning towards Niledeltadisco's rule #3, i.e., temporary trumps permanent. In real life, it seems like temporary effects tend to be more disruptive than permanent effects. For example, ordinarily I like beer (permanent effect), but when I have a cold (temporary effect) I can't drink it. However, I agree that other interpretations are reasonable.