FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Jyhad Compiled by: Chris Ferris, Paul Peterson, Bob Kruger, Matt Burke, Jeff Harris, Shawn F. Carnes, Rich Redman, Scott Hungerford This list of questions is intended to Clarify the Jyhad rules. These questions and answers are not meant to supercede or substitute for the rules. If any answer below actually modifies or corrects the published rules it will be made clear. This is the Blood Doll Edition, accurate as of August 31, 1994 Q: Can I use the +1 stealth on an action card to increase the stealth of another action? A: No, because you'd need an action modifier card. The action card merely indicates that that particular action has an intrinsic stealth bonus. Q:What happens when I run out of cards? A:(Sec. 11.4, "Organizing the Cards," and Sec. 18.2, "Withdrawing from the Game") Play continues when you use the last of your library cards. The only time you are out of the game is when you are reduced to zero pool or when you successfully withdraw from the game. Q: What happens when my vampire has no blood counters on it? A: Your vampire only goes into torpor when it is reduced below zero blood. If it is reduced to zero, then the next turn it must hunt as an action; a vampire can take no other action unless it has at least one blood. Q:What happens when a vote ties? A: (Sec. 17.1, "Voting") A tied vote is a failed vote. Q: When can a voted be called, and can I make up the referendum? A: (Sec. 17.1, "Voting") Calling a vote is an action that must be taken by one of your minions. The referendum for the vote is described on the vote card; you cannot arbitrarily make one up. Some vote cards require a Prince or a Justicar to use them. The only other vote in Jyhad besides ones written out on cards is for a bloodhunt (Sec. 16.3, "Diablerie"). Q: Does the vote on the vote card count towards my referendum? A:Yes, when you call a vote, the card itself is worth one vote. Q: (Sec 17.1, "Voting") The rule book implies that you cannot play additional political vote cards if you used a vote card to call a vote. "Additional political cards can also be used by any of the other Methusulahs for votes". Can you play additional political vote cards? A: Yes, all Methusulahs can use political vote cards. Q: If I throw in another card from my hand for one vote, do I replace it right away? A: (Sec. 17.1, "Voting") No. No cards get replaced until the vote is concluded. Q: My vote card says Prince or Justicar. Now what? A: The only minion that can call that particular vote would be a vampire with the appropriate title. Any ready vampire can call a vote that states "All Kindred." Q: Can my ally call a vote? A: Any card that states "Kindred" excludes allies. An ally is a minion but is not Kindred. Allies are mortal. Q: Ok, I've got a Justicar but he's tapped. Do I still get his votes? A: (Sec. 11.1, "The Playing Area") He sure does, because tapped minions are considered "ready." Q: What about my Primogen in torpor? Can't she vote? A: (Sec. 11.1, "The Playing Area" and Sec. 17.1, "Voting") Vampires in torpor are not considered "ready" and cannot lend their votes. Q: How do I get out of torpor? A: If your vampire went into torpor with counters still on it (by paralyzation or by aggravated damage), then it can as an action rescue itself at the cost of two blood. If it doesn't have enough, then it can be rescued by another minion. The rescuing minion taps to visit the vampire in torpor and must spend two of its blood, or both the rescuing vampire and the rescued vampire spend one blood each. The vampire so rescued is then active again, but if it has no blood, it must hunt the next turn. Q: My vampire went into torpor tapped but he had enough blood to get himself out. How can he get himself out if he's tapped? A: Even vampires in torpor untap during the untap phase. Q: If someone has a vampire in torpor with Haven Uncovered played on it, can I diablerize it or attack it with +1 stealth? A: Once a vampire is in torpor it is no longer "ready," so it cannot be the object of the Haven Uncovered. Once the vampire escapes torpor, however, it is prey to the effects of the card again. Q: What happens to my equipment, etc., when my vampire becomes an invalid target (i.e., it goes into torpor)? A:The equipment and all modifiers stay on a vampire when it goes into torpor. Q: What is the combat sequence? A: (Sec. 15, "Combat") The combat sequence starts with the determination of range. There are two ranges, close and long. Range starts off close and can only be changed by maneuvering. Any number of maneuvers may occur until range has been determined; however, each maneuver after the first must be played only to cancel another maneuver. I cannot just throw out five maneuvers to allow myself to draw five new cards, for instance. I can play a maneuver to make combat long range, my opponent can then play a maneuver to cancel mine and make the combat short, and I can then play one to cancel hers and make it long again - we play maneuvers back and forth until one of us stops. The second phase is to choose strike. A strike can be by hand, by weapon, or by a combat card specifically stating "strike." After each minion has declared its strike, damage is determined and combat ends unless one or the other minion "presses," which begins the whole round again. Q: I played "strike: combat ends" and my opponent played "strike: dodge." It says that dodge negates opponent's strike. What happens? A: (Sec. 15.3, "Special Combat Effects") Well, "combat ends" takes place before any other strike can take effect. Combat ends beats any other card out there. Q: What does "press to end" mean? A:Press to end allows you to counteract your opponent's press to continue combat, but does not allow you to press to continue combat. Presses can continue to be played until the final press played determines the outcome. Q: If I have a superior Discipline, can I use both the bold type and the normal type on my card? A: No. The superior Discipline gives you a choice between the two options. Q: How do additional strikes work? A: An additional strike allows the minion to strike two or more times in a single round. If the other minion does not have additional strikes, it cannot do damage back during strikes after the first. Range is not changed in the additional strikes. Q:What exactly does "once per combat" mean? A: Once per combat means once during the entire confrontation, including any additional rounds due to presses that may prolong the combat. If you get one maneuver per combat, and you maneuver in the first round, you've used your manuevers from that card and must find another card source if you want to maneuver again. Q: When can I play a reaction card? A: A reaction card can only be played in response to the actions of another Methuselah's minion. Q: Who do you bleed? And if I have a card with the D in the circle, who then? And wasn't bleeding a direct action anyway? A: Usually the only one you bleed is your prey. That action is direct - that is, it can only be blocked by your prey. If, however, a card allows you to bleed as a direct action, then you can bleed any Methuselah you like. It's still a direct action, so only the target of the bleed can attempt to block Q: At the top of my action card it says +1 stealth in bold typeface. Do I have to have a superior Discipline to use this card? A: The +1 stealth covers both aspects of the card, so whichever level discipline you have, and whichever one you choose, the action is still at +1 stealth. Q: I have a unique location master card, and someone else just played one. How does this work? A: (Sec. 8, "Contested Cards") Just like contested vampires - they go face down and each owner loses one blood each untap until he yields his card, or until his card is the only one remaining, at which point it is put into play on his side. If someone wants to burn a contested unique location as a direct action, he or she is automatically successful, as it is not controlled; all cards contesting that location are burned. Q: How does the sequence of play run? A: (Sec. 12, "What You Can Do On Your Turn") There are five phases to each Methuselah's turn. At the beginning of each turn you must untap any cards that are tapped, including any vampires in torpor. You can then play one master card, and any effects generated by master cards also occur. The minion phase is next, and any untapped minions may take an appropriate action. After the minion phase is over, the four transfers allotted for the influence phase may be spent. Once all or any influence is used, the last action a Methuselah may take is to discard one card from her hand and replace it with one from her library. Q: Are allies linked to one vampire? How are they different from retainers? A: Allies are not linked to vampires as retainers are; allies are simply called to the service of a Methuselah by a vampire capable of taking an action. Both allies and retainers are mortal, but retainers are not considered minions. In fact, retainers are the equivalent of vampire modifier cards that can be destroyed by ranged damage only. Allies, however, can take actions of their own accord. Q: In the section "Winning the Game," (Sec. 18.1) it says that the predator gets the victory point and the blood. What if I bleed someone as a direct action who is not my prey and oust him or her? Shouldn't I get the points and blood? This must be a error. A: Actually, it's not a error. The predator will still get the point and the blood; this encourages everyone to concentrate on his or her prey. Q: How do I replenish my pool? Can't I take blood off my ready vampires? A: Currently the only time you can remove blood from a ready vampire and place it in your pool is when it has a Blood Doll or a Minion Tap card played on it. Otherwise the Methuselah cannot feed off of his or her minions. There are cards that allow pool increases, and ousting your prey pays off as well. Q: I want to play a reaction card. Can any minion play a reaction card? What if she's tapped? A: A tapped minion cannot react (bring a reaction card into play). The untapped minion that plays a reaction, however, does not get tapped. Q: I have a "strike: steal weapon" card. Can I take my prey's Hawg? It's got that little gun on it, doesn't it? A: Well, sure it's got the picture, but for the card to qualify as a weapon it must also state "weapon" in the card text. The symbol stands for "equipment" only. Q: I have a vampire with Blood Doll played on her but the vampire is contested. Can I still get blood from her? A: No. The vampire is considered out of the influence of either Methuselah. Q: When does my vampire heal itself with stolen blood? The example in the book I got in my card pack is confusing. A: The example in the rules prior to the "Duelist Companion" rules' release refers to an early conception of the rules. The example is in error. Stolen blood can immediately heal a vampire. This may prevent a vampire's going into torpor on the strike phase during which it stole the blood, as long as the vampire striking it does not do enough "first strike" damage to send it into torpor. In that case, the vampire attempting to steal blood is considered to have not even gotten the opportunity to steal blood before being sent to torpor. Q: My Gun says "3R" on it. What's the "R" mean? A: It means that it delivers 3 points of damage either at long range or short range. Some cards with the "R" on it (Thrown Sewer Lid, for example) can only be effective from long range, but "R" does not mean that it must be at long range to work. Q: Can I play multiple Hunting Ground cards? It says on the Hunting Ground cards that "only one blood can be given to a vampire from Hunting Ground cards each turn"? A: Yes. What it should say is that each vampire can "receive" no more than one blood from Hunting Ground cards each turn. If you have two vampires out that are below capacity and you have two Hunting Ground cards out, you can give each vampire a blood point during untap: one point to one vampire for one Hunting Ground. Q: How does Aggravated Damage work? A: Aggravated Damage automaticly sends your vampire to torpor. The first point of Aggravated Damage doesn't cause the vampire to spend a point of blood to heal, but every point after does. If Aggravated Damage equals more than your vampire has blood to heal your vampire is destroyed, this does not count as Diablerie. Q: If I have more than one Army of Rats in play, how much pool will my prey lose during their untap phase... one for each card? A: No matter how many Army of Rats one has in play, their prey will lose one pool on each untap phase.