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Reading of "OR" on Power Cards?

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robb8888
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Reading of "OR" on Power Cards?

(Sorry if this has been asked/answered -- I tried searching for "or" in the forums, with (predictably) unhelpful results).

Is there a rule that states how "OR" on Power Cards should be read/interpreted?  The particular card that has me stumped is Sacrosanct Wilderness.  It reads (I'll try to reproduce the format as best I can; I've attached a picture of the card as well):

 

Push 2 [Dahan]

{empty line}

2 Damage per [Wilds] in target land.

-- or --

Add 1 [Wilds].

(no empty lines from "2 Damage..." through "Add 1 [Wilds].")

 

 

Does "or" on a power card apply to all wording that comes before it, or only the things after the empty line?  In other words, does this card work:

(a) Like this:  Push 2 Dahan no matter what, then choose between (i) 2 Damage per Wilds or (ii) adding 1 Wilds; or

(b) Like this:  Choose between (i) Pushing 2 Dahan + 2 Damage per Wilds or (ii) Adding 1 Wilds.

Thanks!

 

 

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grysqrl
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It's option A. That empty vertical space is separating the push from the or.

robb8888
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So is that the basic rule?  An "Or" on a power card only applies to any wording "attached" to it (i.e., not separated by empty space)?

 

grysqrl
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As much of a "yes" as I can give you without going through all of the cards again to verify that there aren't any exceptions.

dpt
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robb8888 wrote:
So is that the basic rule?  An "Or" on a power card only applies to any wording "attached" to it (i.e., not separated by empty space)?
Yes, that's the rule. Any exceptions are mistakes that should be fixed.

Since it's sometimes hard to see the blank space, I was thinking about going through and making a list for the FAQ, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

robb8888
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Below, I think, is the "list" of cards with (1) "OR"s and (2) an empty space before the "ORs."  Also, this is a suggestion I saw somebody else make on another board/thread, but for the next printing, might it be clearer to swap out the empty line for "Then, either....", similar to Serpent Slumbering's "Gift" cards?   

For example, with a "then, either," Sacrosanct Wilderness would read:  "Push 2 Dahan.  Then, either 2 Damage per Wilds in target land OR Add 1 Wilds."

List:

Crops Wither and Fade

Gift of Flowing Power (includes an "either")

Gift of the Primordial Deeps (includes an "either")

Growth Through Sacrifice

Sacrosanct Wilderness

 

dpt
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robb8888 wrote:
List:
Crops Wither and Fade
Gift of Flowing Power (includes an "either")
Gift of the Primordial Deeps (includes an "either")
Growth Through Sacrifice
Sacrosanct Wilderness
Yup, that's the list. Thanks for going through.

We went back and forth through many different ways of formatting these conditionals in playtesting. There's a real cost in increasing the amount of text on the card; you don't want to make people read much, and with conditionals formatted the way they are it's a bit easier to see at a glance (if you don't get confused). But maybe we went a little too far.

Bear in mind that future powers might well have an "or" clause followed by something that you always do. That would have to be worded slightly differently.

I'm not sure why Gift of Flowing Power and Gift of the Primordial Deeps are worded differently than Growth through Sacrifice; in both cases it's not the target spirit making the choice.

robb8888
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dpt wrote:

There's a real cost in increasing the amount of text on the card; you don't want to make people read much, and with conditionals formatted the way they are it's a bit easier to see at a glance (if you don't get confused). But maybe we went a little too far.

At least speaking for me, I think that the confusion stems from the fact that there are relatively few (3) of these type cards that don’t have an “either.”  Every other “OR” card is pretty straightforward:  Choose between *all* of the language before the “OR” or all of the language after it.   So, when these rare exceptions come up, it’s a little jarring:  Is that bit before the line break part of the “OR” choice or isn’t it?

Of course, it may be that I’m just extraordinarily dense, and most people read the cards the proper way with no second thoughts. :)