Display power feat Olenjack (maybe Oloch to)


Rules Questions and Gameplay Discussion


1 person marked this as a favorite.

We have some discussion about one of Olenjacks card power feat. Oloch may have the same problem. Olenjacks card says this:
When you attempt a check, you may display any number of allies; for each Ally displayed add 1 (◻ 2) tot the check. Return displayed allies to your hand (◻ or recharge them) before you reset it.

The skulls and shackles rulebook says this:
Display: Place it faceup in front of your character, unless stated otherwise; the card’s powers function until it’s discarded. When a character displays a card, it is not part of that character’s hand, deck, or discard pile, but it still belongs to that character

Olenjack wants to use this ability on multiple checks because the allies remain displayed until he resets his hand.

The allies Olenjack displays can not be used for exploration or any card ability unless they have unless the card has the displayed ability (if such cards excised).

Or the add 1 ability should only be used for one check only. But than the card should say: place the card on top of character deck.

Your views on this on this issue is greatly appreciated.


Olenjack's power to display allies adds to 1 check, the check he displayed them on. It is worded as "the" check, meaning a singe check. If they wanted it to be multiple checks it would have said "add 1 to your checks".

They aren't placed on top of the character card specifically so that you can't do something to draw them again (lots of things let you draw cards).


Olenjack's power works like this:

Let's say he has 3 allies in his hand. He gets his first exploration and comes across a monster he'd like help defeating, so he displays 2 allies. This gives him a +2 on his check (unless he took the power feat to increase their power). He defeats the monster. The allies are still displayed. You cannot return them to your hand and thus cannot use them until the end of your turn before you reset your hand.

It's a balancing act of picking how many allies you want to display vs how many you want to keep for future explores / use of their powers, or evades.


I understand that ally cards that are displayed normally can not be used for anything else than the +1 bonus until they are returned to his hand, but Olenjack gets the bonus for each ally displayed and it should not matter when he displayed them.
For example: Olenjack has two allies he starts his turn encounters a barrier(blessing should work to) witch allows him to explore again after if he succeeds this check. To defeat the barrier he displays one of his two allies to get a +1 on his check. He succeeds and he explores again he encounters a monster he displays his second ally to get a bonus, now he has two allies displayed because his first ally is still displayed, and his card says he gets +1 for each ally displayed so he gets +2 on his second check.


The wording of the power is "When you attempt a check" and "add 1 (2) to the check." The words "a" and "the" indicate to me that each ally can only benefit one check.


Indy Rook wrote:
The wording of the power is "When you attempt a check" and "add 1 (2) to the check." The words "a" and "the" indicate to me that each ally can only benefit one check.

I agree. The semicolon also implies that those statements are tied together. Although I'm drawing a blank on how to alternately phrase that power if it were indeed intended to provide bonuses on future checks that turn.


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, PF Special Edition, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Pyrocat wrote:
Indy Rook wrote:
The wording of the power is "When you attempt a check" and "add 1 (2) to the check." The words "a" and "the" indicate to me that each ally can only benefit one check.
I agree. The semicolon also implies that those statements are tied together. Although I'm drawing a blank on how to alternately phrase that power if it were indeed intended to provide bonuses on future checks that turn.

Probably something like "You may display any number of allies. Add 1 (◻ 2) to your checks for each Ally displayed this way. Return displayed allies to your hand (◻ or recharge them) when you reset it."

However, the power as worded does not say that. The allies only help you on one check, and cannot be used to help you out again until future turns once they go back to your hand or deck.

Sovereign Court

This question was brought up a long time ago for Oloch (as you noticed it's the same situation). Vic or Mike came in and confirmed it is only for the check that you display the cards for, not all checks while they are displayed.


I believe you all don't take into account the rules (SS. pag. 10) about displaying cards. The effect of displayed remains until they are discarded. Or in Olenjacks displayed allies case until they return to their hand.

The ability would only stop when:
1.) the card(s) are some how undisplayed
2.)previously displayed cards are some how excluded
3.)the feat is limited to one check only.
Which is it and why?

Indy Rook wrote:
The wording of the power is "When you attempt a check" and "add 1 (2) to the check." The words "a" and "the" indicate to me that each ally can only benefit one check.

the word "the" refers to "a check". and "a check" does not exclude a second, third or forth check, all are "a check" to which this feat can apply to. the matter lies in for "each ally displayed".

I now understand your position; I have looked up Oloch and his role is incredibly strong but also incredible boring to play. I would keep him as an NPC, but than I think it breaks the game. But it is still in accordance with the rules.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Bubbe wrote:
I believe you all don't take into account the rules (SS. pag. 10) about displaying cards. The effect of displayed remains until they are discarded. Or in Olenjacks displayed allies case until they return to their hand.

You aren't displaying the card for it's own power, though. Instead, you are displaying the card to use Olenjack's power. This means you are not actually playing the displayed card.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

You are mis-interpreting the power. In all fairness there are almost multiple ways it could be interpreted (silly English), but Vic and Mike have stated that you only get the bonus for one check.

When you attempt a check, you may display any number of allies; for each Ally displayed add 1 (◻ 2) to the check.

1) (Bubbe's interpretation) For every check, determine how many displayed allies there are - take a bonus for each ally. In this case "displayed" is an adjective. For this to be the correct interpretation, you would need to switch the word "Ally" with the word "displayed" (and even then, the interpretation could be argued either way)

2) (Correct Interpretation) The act of displaying the ally is what gets you the bonus. You therefore do not get the bonus for a single ally on multiple checks. In this case the word "displayed" is being used as a verb, not an adjective.

The rule about displaying cards on pg 10 is a non-sequitur for this conversation. As First World Bard has already stated, you aren't using the power on the ally to get the bonus, the bonus comes from the action of displaying the ally (unless you had an ally that said while displayed you get a bonus to all checks - in that case you could get the bonus the entire time the ally is displayed)

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

5 people marked this as a favorite.

The rules under "Playing a Card" say that cards you play by displaying them "function" while it's displayed, but that does not mean that every word is always in effect as long as they're displayed—it means that anything on them *could* be active. You have to read the card you're displaying and evaluate what things are active and what things are not.

But that's not actually relevant here because you are not playing those allies. Playing a card means using a power on that card, and you're not doing that. All you're doing is using them to activate Olenjack's power, so that's what you need to look at.

Olenjack wrote:
When you attempt a check, you may display any number of allies; for each ally displayed, add 1 (□ 2) to the check. Return the displayed allies to your hand before you reset it.

Note the word "when." When A happens (you attempt a check), do B (display any number of allies) for effect C (add to the check).

You are trying to read this as: When A happens, do B for effect C, and when A happens again, do C again without doing B again.

If we wanted the effect to last until you reset your hand, it would have said something like "When you attempt a check, you may display any number of allies. While those allies are displayed, add 1 (□ 2) to your checks for each ally displayed. Return the displayed allies to your hand before you reset it."


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Well that's it, it is clear now how the character works.
In this case "...for each ally displayed" some how excludes all allies displayed previous to the check.
I would have written it like: "...for each ally displayed for this check, add...".
Thank you all for clearing this up.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder Adventure Card Game / Rules Questions and Gameplay Discussion / Display power feat Olenjack (maybe Oloch to) All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Rules Questions and Gameplay Discussion