[S&S2] Storm wording is ambiguous: "move"

[codhimself]

Storm (AP2 barrier) wrote:

Display this barrier next to the location deck.

If you start your turn at this location, roll 1d6. On a 6, banish this barrier. On any other result, your ship is dealt that amount of Structural damage; move this barrier faceup next to a random location.

The instruction to "move this barrier faceup next to a random location" is unclear. Which of these does it mean?

(1) move this barrier faceup next to a DIFFERENT random location.
(2) PLACE this barrier faceup next to a random location.

"Move" implies that the storm's present location should not be a valid target. Otherwise, the storm won't actually be moving.

But "a random location" isn't specific enough to confirm that interpretation without a word like "different" or "new" or "another."

I suspect that #1 is correct, and that's how I've been playing.

[elcoderdude]

I think you're being a little technical in parsing "move".

The consistent design in the game is to say "a random location" when any location is meant, including the current location, and "a random other location" when only a different location should be considered.

The analogy is:

Mummy's Mask rulebook p.7 wrote:

When you choose to move, you must always select a new location, although it is possible for some effects to move you to the same location you came from.

This pertains to characters, but it demonstrates the practice.

Tl,DR: (2).

[codhimself]

@elcoderdude

Thanks for the reply.

My reading of the quote you posted actually supports interpretation #1 more than #2, because the first clause specifies that "move" is supposed to indicate a NEW location if possible.

[Longshot11]

codhimself wrote:

@elcoderdude

Thanks for the reply.

My reading of the quote you posted actually supports interpretation #1 more than #2, because the first clause specifies that "move" is supposed to indicate a NEW location if possible.

This is when you CHOSE to move; the STorm is rather an "effect that moves <the barrier> to the same location it came from".

Also note that when a player is subject to a "move to a random location" effect and he ends up in the same location he's currently at - he is NOT considered to have moved at all (for purposes of effects like the Temple's power - "When you move here...")

[MorkXII]

Huh. I've always assumed it was (1) as well.. It tells you to move the barrier, and if stays in the same place, it never moved.

[skizzerz]

#2 is correct, the Storm can stay put. Similarly if you are told to move to a random location, you have the possibility of staying put as well. Elcoderdude provides the rulebook quote for this.

[Vic Wertz]

There are a few cards that tell you to "move" displayed cards, but "moving" is a thing that characters and their token cards do. These cards should really just tell you to display them somewhere else. So Storm should say "...display this barrier next to a random location." (We consider this a cosmetic issue—it doesn't affect gameplay.)

Regardless, whenever we refer to "a random location," it could be any location; when we want to exclude the current location, we say "random other location."

[Mike Selinker]

The other cards we noted in this regard were Give the Devil His Due, The Battle of Empty Eyes, and Vomit Twin, all of which move cards that aren't characters and tokens. If you find others, let us know.