Set-up for Akhentepi's Legacy (Mummy's Mask, Adventure 1, Scenario 1): additional barrier in each location?


Rules Questions and Gameplay Discussion


Hi there! I'm cross-posting this from BGG, where there were a couple of different opinions. I'd love to get an official resolution on this. It still seems ambiguous to me because of the wording, and since no one else seems to have posed the question (or my search-fu is weak), I'm worried I'm missing something.

The setup for Akhentpi's Legacy, one of the scenarios in Adventure 1 of Mummy's Mask, reads as follows:

"When you build location decks, add a barrier that has the Trap trait to each deck before adding the cards from each location's list."

When it says "add a barrier", that implies to me an 11th card for each location, beyond the nine listed on each card and the henchman/villain. But then it specifies "before adding the cards from each location's list". That implies to me that you then build the location taking into account that there's already a single barrier present, and that the card count is just the usual 10 cards. In other words, the set-up is just specifying there's at least one trap barrier in every location.

But if that's the case, why does it say "adding the cards from each locations list" rather than something along lines of "add the remaining cards from each location's list"?

Which is correct and why is it phrased the way it is?

-Tom


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Of course, I cannot give an 'Official' resolution, but similarly worded powers in all PACG scenarios have always been "In addition to the normal location deck of cards". That is, you will be building 11 card location decks.

The text is pretty intuitive to parse, for me.

  • "When you build location decks, [...]"
    During scenario set-up, always read the scenario rules before anything else.

  • "[...]add a barrier that has the Trap trait to each deck[...]"
    Set aside a trap for each location.

  • "[...]before adding the cards from each location's list."
    You add the 9 cards from the location's list. It doesn't matter whether that location indicated 0 barriers or 5 barriers; you use the full list of cards. In addition, you will, of course, also be throwing in the henchmen and villains.

    If they wanted you to mess with the normal location building rules (I don't believe there's ever been a scenario that's caused you to strip OUT cards from a normal location build) they would make it explicit, like "Add the remaining cards" or "treat each location as if it has one less listed barrier".


  • That makes sense, Yewstance, and thanks for the detailed breakdown.

    I'm still puzzled why it's phrased the way it is. Why does it specify "before adding the cards from each location's deck list"? That's weird wording for what seems to be the functional equivalent of "in addition to the cards from each location's deck list".

    In other words, the word "before" implies there's something going on with timing that I just don't understand. And for what it's worth, someone on BGG said there are other scenarios that specify adding cards *after* a location deck is constructed, which again raises questions about this wording.

    -Tom


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    Tom Chick wrote:
    But then it specifies "before adding the cards from each location's list". That implies to me that you then build the location taking into account that there's already a single barrier present, and that the card count is just the usual 10 cards.

    It doesn't imply that to me at all, and I can't figure out why it would imply that to you. What if there's no barriers listed at the location at all?

    If the confusion is why they tell you to do it before rather than after (after is what they usually do), then I can tell you the reason is that if you build the location decks first then there might not be enough trap barriers left. Plus, when you search through the barriers for them, you would see what barriers have or haven't been put into the locations already. So either way it needs to be done first.


    Irgy wrote:
    It doesn't imply that to me at all, and I can't figure out why it would imply that to you. What if there's no barriers listed at the location at all?

    All of this scenario's locations, for any player count, have a barrier. I checked, hoping that might provide some insight.

    As for my thinking about taking into account the barrier already put into the location deck when building the deck, I was assuming the location card tells you how many of each card should be in play, and that the initially placed barrier would count as one of those cards. However, upon closer reading, the rules specify that the location card tells you how many card to *deal*.

    "Shuffle each card type and deal the correct number of cards of each type to form the basis of each location deck."

    Seems pretty clear to me now that regardless of how many cards are *present*, the rules specify that the location card determines how many are *dealt*. But that still leaves the timing question, and the second part of your response.

    Irgy wrote:
    ...if you build the location decks first then there might not be enough trap barriers left. Plus, when you search through the barriers for them, you would see what barriers have or haven't been put into the locations already. So either way it needs to be done first.

    Very good, Irgy! That's exactly the sort of explanation I was looking for, especially your first point about the number of Trap barriers available. Thanks so much for bringing that up and thanks to everyone for talking me through this.

    -Tom


    Irgy & Yewstance convince me that having 11 cards in each location deck is correct (which is how I've always played it).

    I vacillated on the BGG thread because the OP cited this rule:

    MM rulebook p.9 wrote:
    Build The Location Decks...Shuffle each card type and deal the correct number of cards of each type to form the basis of each location deck.

    An argument could be made that, applied to this scenario, this means "add enough barriers to the barriers already present in the location to bring the number of barriers up to the number listed for the location".

    Irgy's question "What if a location had no barriers?" is obviously rhetorical (after all, this is Mummy's Mask :) -- turns out, they all do), but his other two arguments are on point. For example, in setting up for 6 characters, the locations call for 14 barriers, whereas B+C+1 has 20 Trap barriers; it's at least theoretically possible not to have enough if you build the locations first. More significantly, it's definitely TMI to learn which barriers are and are not in the locations when you search the Barrier deck after building locations (the Triggers in particular, not the mention the Lightning Storms).

    EDIT: Ninja'd at 5 AM EDT. Totally not used to that. :)


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    I think what is confusing you is that you expect something like :
    After building the location decks, add a barrier that has the Trap trait in each of them.
    The issue if you do that is that you may lack traps if when building decks you (un)fortunately already used many of those.
    Hence the need to go fetch them ihn the box BEFORE building the decks.
    But altogether, it's pretty clear you end up with 11 cards per location.

    IMH(Frenchy)O.

    Aaaagh symetricallyninj'ed by and with the Dude himself!


    I've also treated this as an additional barrier in each location deck.


    Whoa, that was quite the bloodbath of ninja'ing up there!

    -Tom

    Lone Shark Games

    You guys have it right: 11 card locations

    The "before" language is exactly as Frencois guessed - to ensure there are enough Traps in the box. Or at least make sure it's not entirely too frustrating to find enough of them.


    If Keith allow me, I would even add something. This is an advice on how we play. Always assume the less you know about what you'll encounter in a scenario, the more fun it will be.
    So in this scenario, if there was room on the card, I would have exactly said:
    1) Before building the locations decks, get all barriers that has the Trap trait from the box, shuffle them and set aside without looking at them as many as there will be locations decks. Shuffle back the rest in the box with the other barriers.
    2) Then build the locations decks as usual.
    3) Then shuffle one of the barriers set aside in each location deck without looking at them.

    The whole point is that you shouldn't have any clue on which traps are in each in locations. And nothing should prevent from having 2 traps in a location.


    I applaud Irgy's restraint in not pointing out he first made the observation good Frencois is being credited with (but I will).


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    I'd like to also give all credit to Irgy.
    And some too to elcoderdude for the 5AM ninjafun.

    Years after, I'm still amazed by the fun/politness/efficiency/spirit of the PACG forums.

    Lone Shark Games

    1 person marked this as a favorite.

    Accolades all around!

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