What happens to pre-Core cards displayed next to a location when the location closes ?


Rules Questions and Gameplay Discussion


Hi everyone, there has been some debates and some FAQ regarding how pre-core cards deal with post-Core locations returning to the box-now-vault when closed. But the FAQ mostly deals with Faqing characters or some specific cards.

I feel we are missing a more general statement on what happens to cards displayed next to the location when the location returns to the boxvault. Core pretty much covers what happens to Core cards (e. g. scourges...), but some pre-Core cards intended to be displayed next to a location didn't really state how they end their life (if the location was to close during the scenario, they were still active on the closed location, and you managed them at the end of the scenario... so by definition those cards wouldn't return in play during the scenario and didn't need a rule for that).

But post-Core what happens to them between the time the location closes and the end of the scenario?

E. g. : Vomit Twin. But I guess there may be quite a number of others. When the location closes, does the card get banished (with or without the recovery step)? Returned to the box? Discarded? Buried? Returned to the hand? Hidden under the table until you rebuild your deck? Posted by air mail to Mike so he deals with it?

Maybe the answer is in the rulebook or the Faq but I didn't find it.


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I brought up this same issue with Tonbarse


I would argue, just like in post-scenario cleanup, you move them to a Recovery pile or otherwise do your best to complete whatever action on the card would cause it to become un-displayed naturally.

This also exists on post-Core cards like Mist Horn (Core), incidentally. I always assumed it should just be sent to Recovery if the location closes, even though it says it lasts until the start of your next turn - because how can it be displayed next to a location that doesn't exist anymore?

In the case of Tonbarse, the only condition (on the card) that could cause it to be un-displayed is by redrawing it, so I would instantly redraw it if its location closed (making it a bit better, incidentally).


this came up recently in one of my games with Tree Fort. We decided to just bury it when the location closed since that seemed to be the closest intention of how the card was to be used (only ever displayed at one location, not mean to go through your deck like Elemental Treaty and get used multiple times).

But I'm not entirely certain this is covered in the rules exactly as written.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

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We've been working on this for a bit. The wording may not be 100%, but it'll change the standard closing rules to something like this:

"...Finally, apply any effects that say “on closing” and put the location card back into the vault. If cards displayed at that location would be processed when a certain condition is met (such as during recovery or at the end of an encounter or a turn), process them as if that condition is occurring; otherwise, characters bury any such displayed cards that belong to them, and the rest are banished. The location is no longer in play, and all characters that were at that location always immediately move."


Vic Wertz wrote:
"...If cards displayed at that location would be processed when a certain condition is met (such as during recovery or at the end of an encounter or a turn), process them as if that condition is occurring; otherwise, characters bury any such displayed cards that belong to them, and the rest are banished..."

So now let's look at

Vomit Twin wrote:
"...At the end of the scenario, if you do not have the Arcane Skill, banish this card."

That's start to be interestning. I guess I must read Vic's proposition as : when the location closes, process the card as if the end of scenario is occuring. Which means:

A) If I'm not Arcane proficient, I banish the card without recovering it. OK Vomit Twin is nerfed. It used to always provide me an escape route during the whole scenario and now only works until someone closes the location where it was displayed. Why not.

B) If I'm Arcane proficient, I... process (because there is a "At the end of the scenario" sentence) and not-process the card (because that sentence doesn't apply after all). So the cards goes into the buried cards of whoever the card "belongs to". The Vomit Twin is nerfed the same way. At least someone gets to keep it for the next scenario... unless...

And for the fun of it, here comes the weekly Can'O'Worms. Who is the character that the card "belongs to"? I guess is whoever played it last, but not really defined (could be whoever had it in his deck at the start of the scenario or acquired it from a location).

And you can't really say "...; otherwise, each character buries any cards they displayed, and the rest are banished." because somehow cards are always displayed by characters so if a scenario asks you to display a bane near a location, it may end up buried.

Fun...

This said, Vic's proposal seems altogether good. IMHO.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

I'm not sure what you mean by "played it last." Vomit Twin is only ever played by one person.


Vic Wertz wrote:

I'm not sure what you mean by "played it last." Vomit Twin is only ever played by one person.

I suspect Frencois means mainly the hypothesis where Character A starts with Vomit Twin in their deck, then gives it to Character B who actually casts it.Since the card is buried anyway, the distinction is not likely to matter, but there ARE powers out there that use bury pile shenanigans...


So Tonbarse gets buried?


Longshot11 wrote:
Vic Wertz wrote:

I'm not sure what you mean by "played it last." Vomit Twin is only ever played by one person.

I suspect Frencois means mainly the hypothesis where Character A starts with Vomit Twin in their deck, then gives it to Character B who actually casts it.Since the card is buried anyway, the distinction is not likely to matter, but there ARE powers out there that use bury pile shenanigans...

Exactly that. You may start the game with Vomit Twin, give it to someone during the scenario, and he plays it. So who does it belong to? Exactly as Longshot says, it's not an issue per se unless the fact that it goes into character A or character B's buried cards starts to matter.


Slacker2010 wrote:
So Tonbarse gets buried?

No; he gets drawn, as per my previous post and as per Vic's suggested rule.

Vic Wertz, emphasis added wrote:
If cards displayed at that location would be processed when a certain condition is met (such as during recovery or at the end of an encounter or a turn), process them as if that condition is occurring[...]

Tonbarse - assuming you're a Summoned - can be redrawn at the end of a turn.


Yewstance wrote:

Tonbarse - assuming you're a Summoner - can be redrawn at the end of a turn.

Actually he is draw when the location is closed not at the end of the turn.

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