An OW encounter says:

"The primitives are entranced by your equipment. You must discard 1 Common Item worth at least $2 or lose 3 Stamina.

If you pass a Will (+0) check, you convince them to give you their idol in exchange. You may search the Unique Item deck for the Obsidian Statue & take it."

First of all, the Character has no Common Items, so she has to lose 3 Stamina. But she is successful in passing the Will check & obtaining the Statue. Can she use this item immediately to cancel the loss of 3 Stamina or has this loss occurred before she came into possession of the statue with the healing powers?

I'm really new at this game too, (only two games ) but I believe you can't use it that way. The first event occurs first followed by the second. I try to read the cards as literal as possible. To me the idol is given after the loss.

Agreed. The idol is given in exchange, this means afterwards. So, no, you can't use Obsidian Statue to recover from damage

Nope. The only way to make the check is to have the Common item to begin with.

I believe you're getting the statue in exchange for a common item; you lose stamina because if you don't have the shiny, they beat you up instead. So no bartering after that.

Nope. The only way to make the check is to have the Common item to begin with.

Why are you saying this? I agree with you on the logical implication (you give the item and try to get something in exchange; you don't give the item, and you're wounded), but in this case the card should be worded:

"The primitives are entranced by your equipment. You must discard 1 Common Item worth at least $2. Then, if you pass a Will (+0) check, you convince them to give you their idol in exchange. You may search the Unique Item deck for the Obsidian Statue & take it. If you don't have any item to discard, you lose 3 Stamina"

The original (sloppy) wording:

"The primitives are entranced by your equipment. You must discard 1 Common Item worth at least $2 or lose 3 Stamina.

If you pass a Will (+0) check, you convince them to give you their idol in exchange. You may search the Unique Item deck for the Obsidian Statue & take it."

Gives you the idea that the two actions (discarding an item or losing stamina; and passing the Will check) are not related. So, the 3 Stamina could represent your blood used for a ritual. And then you say "hey, you've got my blood, gimme something back"

3 Stamina is a lot of blood...

Ok. Now I' m confused. If you don't have a common item to discard and lose the 3 stamina instead, do you still do the will check for the idol, "in exchange for your blood." I assumed if you didn't have a common item the second phase didn't kick in.

I would have to say that it comes down to you (or maybe the First Player) to decide. The situation sounds like you can do both. And it makes logical and thematic sense either way. I would say Julia's explanation make logistic sense but me, myself, says that it makes more thematic sense to do it that, 'No common item no trade'.

In the end, it's up to the player. I would say let the First Player decide in a situation like that.

I would have to say that it comes down to you (or maybe the First Player) to decide. The situation sounds like you can do both. And it makes logical and thematic sense either way. I would say Julia's explanation make logistic sense but me, myself, says that it makes more thematic sense to do it that, 'No common item no trade'.

In the end, it's up to the player. I would say let the First Player decide in a situation like that.

Agreed. Logic implies one thing, the way is worded the other. I'm curious to hear Tibs on this

Well, it does say "in exchange." If we're going by wording, then you would, indeed, have to give them something in return. This, too, implies that you only make the check if you give them the common item. You wouldn't have them give you the idol in order to have them tie you up and drop you off the nearest cliff.

Going by the straight reading of the card, I would say that they're two separate events. Discard the item/money/stamina. Then make a Will check and get Obsidian Statue if you pass. "In return" is flavor text, and not direct instruction.

You can use theme to justify why they're giving you the statue if you gave them nothing in return. It's a Will check so maybe you used guilt or threats.

There is nothing specifically in the text that links the two instructions, such as 'if you give up an item', which can be found in other cases where the instructions are linked. So my take on it agrees with Tibs.