What happens to boons for which no acquisition attempt is made?

[RxDocSF]

I have a question about encountering boons. The rules state that when encountering a boon, you MAY attempt to acquire it. Later, it says that if you succeed at a check to acquire it, you put it in your hand; if you fail at a check to acquire it, you banish it. But, what happens if you simply choose not to attempt to acquire it? You are not succeeding or failing a check to acquire it. The check is simply not made. Does the boon just stay on top of that location's deck or is it banished as if you tried and failed to acquire it. If it is the latter, I'm not sure why the rules would even make the acquisition attempt optional. If you acquired it without wishing to, you could simply discard it.

I'm just not sure why the rules use the term "may" when talking about acquiring boons if the result of "no attempt" and "failed attempt" are identical.

Thanks.

[Zairos]

Rulebook, p. 15:
"If you encounter a boon while exploring a location, you may attempt a check to acquire the card. If you succeed at the check, put the card in your hand; if you fail, or choose not to attempt the check, banish the card."

[Vic Wertz]

Rules: Explore wrote:

If it’s a boon, you may attempt to acquire it; if you don’t, banish it.

There are situations in future adventures where you may wish to avoid acquiring certain cards, as doing so can trigger something you may wish to avoid.

[Gravedancer]

Vic Wertz wrote:

Rules: Explore wrote:

If it’s a boon, you may attempt to acquire it; if you don’t, banish it.

There are situations in future adventures where you may wish to avoid acquiring certain cards, as doing so can trigger something you may wish to avoid.

Oh really? Nice!

[OberonViking]

Vic Wertz wrote:

Rules: Explore wrote:

If it’s a boon, you may attempt to acquire it; if you don’t, banish it.

There are situations in future adventures where you may wish to avoid acquiring certain cards, as doing so can trigger something you may wish to avoid.

I recall someone saying that checks to acquire must be made. Now perhaps I see why.

[h4ppy]

No - checks to acquire are optional and Vic has confirmed this elsewhere.

Rulebook, p. 15 wrote:

If you encounter a boon while exploring a location, you may attempt a check to acquire the card.

Note the "may" in the rules when choosing whether or not to acquire boons. Banes, on the other hand, must be encountered.

[1970Zombie]

Vic Wertz wrote:

There are situations in future adventures where you may wish to avoid acquiring certain cards, as doing so can trigger something you may wish to avoid.

I believe that there is already a location or scenario in the first adventure deck which does damage for each failed check. A check to acquire is still a check. Not attemping the check is not a check.

To answer the original poster's question, there are two answers:

1)If you evade the boon, it would be shuffled back into the location deck.

2) If encountered the boon and did not acquire it (with or without a check), the boon would be banished.

[Misroi]

That's right, Zombie - I think it's the Glass Works. For example, Lem shouldn't try to pick up a Glaive there, since that will force him to discard the top card of his deck.