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QUEST FOR THE GRAIL

Frequently Asked Questions & Useful Information Version 1.6

Posted with permission of Dave Nalle

DOMAINS & POWER

Q: Do kings produce additional Power from all the Domains you have in play or just ones with a matching name?
A: You only get additional Power from those of your Domains whose title matches the region name in the title of the King. The only exception to this is King Mordaunt of North Umber whose title is incorrect. North Umber is the same as the North Humber Domain card.

Q: If you have a King and someone else has a card for his Domain in play do you get Power for that card?
A: No. You only get Power for those Domains you have in play in your Court whose name matches the name in the title of a King you have in play.

Q: Are Domains Unique?
A: Only those Domains which specify that they are Unique in their text are Unique. There are no limits to how many of a non-Unique Domain you may have in play. This was not clearly spelled out in the rules, unlike other issues of uniqueness.

Q: What is the definition of a King's Kingdom?
A: A King's Kingdom is those Domain cards in play which have the same name as the one which appeas in his title. For example, King Leodegrance of Britain's Kingdom is all Britain cards which are in play, including those controlled by other players. He only increases the Power of those his playter controls, but the others are still technically part of his Kingdom.

Q: What happens if you lose a card which generates Power partway through your Turn.
A: During the Upkeep phase Power is counted at the very start of the phase based on the resources available at that time. It is spent immediately and does not change if some of the sources which produced it are lost later in the Turn.

EVENTS & SPELLS

Q: Can Events be played in response to other Events. For instance, if I play a Dispossesion on an opponent's Warrior, can he respond by playing Exile on one of that Warrior's Rewards to return it to his hand so that it does not get discarded?
A: Yes. Events can be played in response to other Events. In fact, many (like Exile) are designed specifically as a way of minimizing the impact of other events. As a general rule the one played last takes precedence.

Q: Can Enchanters cast Spells to benefit Knights to whom they are not assigned?
A: Yes. Spells are not limited as to targeting unless they specifically say so in their text.

Q: How does the timing of Events which last one Round work? For example, can someone play a Famine after his Upkeep phase and totally avoid the effects of the Famine.
A: This is an important rule clarification. For Events lasting for a Round, the Round does not actually last from the start of your Turn to the start of your next Turn as stated in the rules. It actually lasts from the point at which you play a card until the equivalent point in that player's next Turn. So if you played Famine on your Turn after your Upkeep it would last through your next Upkeep. As a general rule playing Events takes place between the phases of a Turn and they apply from that point forward for their duration.

Q: Can special abilities , such as Aid, be used on every player's Turn, or just on the Turn of the controlling player?
A: Aid can only be used during the Turn of the player controlling the Warrior giving Aid. As indicated in the rules, Aid uses a Warrior's action and actions are normally restricted to the controlling player's turn. Not all powers require an action. Many specify a duration and those may be used at any time unless they specifically indicate times when they can or cannot be used.

WARRIORS

Q: What use are non-Knight Warriors aside from the ability that some have to give Aid?
A: Their biggest value is that they don't get a Valor penalty when making a Mortal Challenge. This means that unlike many Knights they don't automatically get discarded for loss of Valor as a result of attacking other Warriors or Knights. The Gealt and the Sergeant at Arms are excellent for going around pounding weak Knights until they're dead. There are also Quests which can only be undertaken by non-Knight Warriors.

Q: What is the difference between Warriors, Knights, Warrior Knights, Warrior Kings and Kings?
A: If a card says Warrior on it, it is a Warrior. If it says Knight it is also a Knight. If it says King it is also a King. All Kings are automatically considered Knights. So a Warrior King is a Warrior, a Knight and a King. A plain Warrior is nothing but that. Cards which specify that they work on Warriors will work on all Warriors including Kings. Cards which are more specific will say just Knights or just Kings, or will specify that they work on Non-Knight Warriors, meaning all Warriors except for Knights and Kings.

Q: If a card says it can be played on a Knight or a Warrior can it be played on a Quest Knight?
A: Yes. Quest Knights are considered to be Knights for the purpose of Spells, Events and Powers, but not for assigning cards.

Q: If a Warrior starts off with Armor as an ability, can he be assigned Armor Rewards?
A: Yes. Having a point of armor from an ability does not count as an Armor Reward.

Q: Are non-Knight Warriors fully healed at the end a turn in which they take damage that is less than a Mortal Wound?
A: Yes. This is true for all Warriors. Unless the damage they receive is Dolorous.

Q: Can you use Knightly Healing on less-than-mortal wounds? Can you do this between Quests on a Quest for the Grail?
A: Yes. This may not be spelled out so well in the rules. You can use Knightly Healing at the end of any combat to heal all non-dolorous damage even if it is not mortal.

Q: When a Warrior has an ability to increase a characteristic by paying Valor, how often may this ability be used? Can the Knight spend as much Valor as he wants at any given point?
A: There is no imposed limit on how much Valor a Warrior may spend at any given time on an ability unless a limit is specified on the card. This is not generally a problem, because there is a natural, practical limit. Every time a Warrior spends Valor for an ability it gives him a temporary advantage, but moves him farther and farther away from being able to Quest for the Grail, so while he may gain a tempoary advantage he is paying a serious long-term cost.

ASSIGNED CARDS

Q: If a Knight who has a Lady Companion has been removed from play, and that Lady Companion cannot be reassigned to another Knight in play, is the Lady Companion discarded or returned to the player's hand?
A: She is discarded. The same is true for any other Companion.

Q: Can a Lady Companion be assigned to a King, or only to a Knight?
A: Kings are Knights unless they specifically say otherwise (Saxon King), so yes they can have ladies.

Q: Can Assigned cards be discarded by the controlling player? If not, how can you place a new weapon on a Warrior if one is already assigned to him?
A:Assigned cards with an upkeep cost may be discarded if you do not pay the upkeep for them. Assigned cards which do not have an upkeep cost cannot normally be discarded. However, all of them except for Ladies, Vows and Combat Experience can be transferred to another Warrior during the Assignment phase, so if you want to assign a new weapon to a Warrior you have to make sure that he has transferred his previous weapon to another Warrior during his Assignment phase.

Q: Can Assigned cards such as Armor or Weapons be given to Quests?
A:Assigned cards can only be assigned to Warriors you have in your Court, unless the Assigned card or the Quest specifically indicates otherwise in its text.

Q: Is there any limit to how many Combat Experience cards you can assign to a Warrior?
A: There is no limit, but you have to overcome an awful lot of Valor 1 Quests to get the equivalent benefits from Combat Experience cards that you would get from the Rewards you might get for overcoming more difficult Quests. They're nice, but they are weak enough that inflation isn't really a problem.

Q: What limits are there on the number of Vows you can assign to a Knight?
A: A Knight may have any number of Vows so long as he does not have more than one of each specific Vow assigned to him.

Q: Are there restrictions on which Rewards may be transferred from one Warrior to another?
A: Any Reward except for Vows and Combat Experience may be transferred to any other Warrior, using up the recipient's one assignment for that Turn.

Q: If I have assigned a weapon to a Knight and want to replace it with a different one, what happens to the first one?
A: If a Warrior has two contradictory Rewards assigned to him at the same time one must be discarded at the end of the Assignment phase. However, the extra Reward can be transferred to another Warrior during the Assignment phase if you want to avoid discarding it.

Q: Can I assugn or transfer a Reward or other assigned card to another player's Warrior?
A: There is nothing in the rules which forbids this, however the receiving Warrior may choose not to accept such an assignment. You may also wish to discuss this strategy before play and establish a house rule either for or against this practice. This strategy should be banned in most tournaments. In such assignements the assigned cards are always returned to their owner at the end of the game.

UNIQUE CARDS

Q: How many of a single non-Unique card can you have in a deck?
A: There is no limit on the number of a single card which you may have in your deck. This may change in future tournament rules, but most of the cards are self-limiting in one way or another.

Q: May I have more than one of a Unique card in my deck?
A: There is no limit on how many of a Unique card you may put in a deck. The limit applies only to how many you may have in play at a time. You may wish to put duplicate Unique cards in your deck in order to increase the chance of drawing them.

COMBAT

Q: Can Warriors give Aid to Quest Creatures or Quest Knights during combat?
A: Normally, warriors may not give Aid to Quests unless they have that as a special power.

Q: If a Warrior has the ability to receive Aid from other Warriors can this type of Aid be used when he is challenged during someone else's Turn?
A: No. Aid can only be given or received on the turn of the player controlling the Warriors giving and receiving Aid.

Q: Are there any limits on the number of Combat Action cards you can play in a combat or on who can play Combat Action cards in a combat?
A: Any player who wishes to play a Combat Action card in a combat may do so, and any player may play as many Combat Action cards as he is able to in a combat. This includes playing Combat Action cards on behalf of Quests or on behalf of other players' Warriors.

Q: What happens in a combat where it becomes apparent that neither combatant can actually do any damage to the other.
A: At any point during the combat when this becomes true, ask everyone at the table if they intend to play any Combat Action cards which might alter the results of the combat. If they say no, the combat is declared a draw and neither Warrior wins. If they say yes, proceed with the combat. At the end of any subsequent Combat Exchange where no Combat Action cards were played, the combat ends and is declared a draw. The Warrior initiating the Challenge may not Quest or issue another Challenge that Turn.

Q: If a card gives a Warrior the ability to reduce his opponent's Prowess by 2, does that apply during a Quest? Are there times when it does not apply?
A: The -2 reduction to an opponent applies during Quests and Mortal Combat, but if it is from an assigned card it does not apply during a Formal Combat where only characteristic bonuses granted by Ladies may be used.

Q: Does damage which bypasses Armor bypass the natural Armor of Sir Ector or Sir Lavaine?
A: Damage done by the Wraith, Dagger or other cards which bypass Armor bypasses all Armor, whether inherent to the Knight or from an assigned card.

SEQUENCE OF ACTIONS

Q: When does my turn end? Does it end automatically when I have quested with my last available Warrior, or does it end when I declare it to be over.
A: The reason 'End of Turn' is listed as one of the Phases of the turn is that you have to declare your turn to be over for it to end. This is because there are Event and Spell cards which you may wish to play before the end of your turn, but after your Challenge Phase is over.

QUESTING

Q: When you gain Valor from completing a Quest and turn it in for a card or a Reward of lower Value than the Valor you gained do you get to keep what's left over? For example, if you got 2 Valor and wanted to take a Combat Experience could you take a Combat Experience and 1 Valor?
A: You may only get one reward as the result of a Quest. It can be all the Valor, or a single Reward card or drawing a single card from your Court deck.

Q: When I overcome a Quest which has a 0 listed as its value, can I draw a card for overcoming that Quest instead of taking 0 Valor?
A: Cards which have 0 Valor provide other rewards instead and you may not draw a card instead of taking their special reward, even if you have a card like the Page which increases the Valor value of the reward.

Q: Can I play any Combat Action cards for a Quest Creature?
A: The only Combat Action card which cannot be played on behalf of a Quest Knight or Creature is Dastardly Blow, because it requires a Valor payment which a Quest cannot make.

Q: Can Aid be used to enhance characteristics when undertaking a Quest which does not require combat, such as the Floating Sword?
A: Aid is specifically designated in the rules as being used only in Combat, so it cannot be used in a non-combat Quest.

Q: The rules don't make clear whether the 3 quests in a quest for the Grail must be consecutive. Can you lose some of the quests so long as you win at least 3?
A: There is a slight omission from the rule section on Questing for the Grail. If you are defeated by any of the three quests you undertake as part of a quest for the Grail that quest for the Grail is over and you have failed.

Q: Once you have started a quest for the Grail, can you cancel the quest if you see that you will not suceed, for example if you have only 11 Valor left after the first Quest?
A: The only way out of a quest for the Grail is to finish it or to yield. If you complete the quest but are no longer qualified you are not penalized in any way. If you want to get out sooner you may yield to any quest and take the appropriate Valor penalty for failing a quest for the Grail. A typical strategy would be to yield to the weakest possible opponent to reduce the Valor penalty.

WINNING THE GAME

Q: The rules mention that a King may win the game by achieving an alternate objective. Not all of the Kings have these listed on their card. Do some kings not have them?
A: Only about half the Kings have alternate objectives. The remainder have other powers which set them apart from common Knights.

Q: If a King has a special victory condition, do you have to use it as soon as he reaches the requirements or can you wait.
A: You are never required to use any special victory condition. In most cases the wording is conditional, and just like questing for the Grail, you don't have to do it until you feel you are ready.

SPECIFIC CARDS & COMBOS

Q: We were playing a two-player game and I had just drawn my last Court card, so I had to send my Knight with 14 Valor on a Quest for the Grail or lose the game. But both I and my opponent had the Giant of the Wold as our revealed Quest, so my Knight couldn't go after either Quest. Does that mean I'm doomed?
A: It's a case of very bad luck, and there isn't anything you can do but admit defeat and not put the Giant of the Wold in your deck next time. If that situation had come up on anything but your very last Turn you would have been able to turn up a new Quest during your next Draw phase to replace the Giant of the Wold.

Q: Is a non-Knight Warrior who successfully completes the Sword in the Stone Quest now both a Knight and a King, or just a King?
A: This should be more specifically spelled out on the card. In this case he should become both a Knight and a King.

Q: Can you assign a lady to Britomart using Queen Morgana le Fay? Or can you use her to assign another Knight to Britomart? Or Both?
A: You cannot use Queen Morgana le Fay to do anything for Britomart because she cannot be assigned to Britomart in the first place, as Britomart may not have Lady Companions. However, you may assign the Witch of the Woods (not a Lady) to Britomart and use her power to assign a Lady to Britomart so long as Britomart does not already have a Knight assigned to her (Knights assigned to Britomart are treated as if they are Lady Companions). That Lady could be Morgana le Fay, in which case you could bring in a second Lady through Morgana's power. In general, Companions stolen by Morgana are treated as if they are assigned to Morgana for purposes of manipulation of the card, but with any benefits applying to the Knight to whom Morgana is assigned. If Morgana took a Knight Companion from Britomart, the new Chosen Knight would gain no benefits from having that Knight assigned to him, except that Britomart would no longer have that Knight.

Q: If I have Camelot in Play and the Phantom Host Quest revealed, how many cards do players get to draw during their Draw phase?
A: While the Phantom Host eliminates players normal draw they would still get to draw the additional card for Camelot.

Q: If I use Enthrall to turn a Quest Creature into a Companion can I then transfer it to another Knight using Queen Morgana le Fay.
A: Yes. Once the Quest Creature has become a Companion it is treated in every as a Companion, and can therefore be taken by Morgana and the ability to declare it as a Champion would then transfer to Morgana's Chosen Knight.

Q: If you have the Sea Maid as your revealed Quest and use Enthrall to make her a Companion, does her power continue to cause people to have to discard cards.
A: Yes. The Sea Maid's power specifically says that her power works while she is in play, and while she is a Companion she is still in play.

Q: Can Pellinore initiate his Quest of Sovereignty if there are fewer than 3 Knights in play for him to Challenge.
A: No. This is a limiting mechanic to keep him from winning the game before other players get a chance to compete.

Q: When the Tourney card is in play, do Knights gain 1 Valor for each opponent they defeat (since all the combats are Formal Combats) or does only the winner of the whole Tourney get Valor?
A: While the Tourney card specifies that combats are Formal Combats, that does not make them Challenges of Honor. It is the Challenge of Honor which has a Valor cost and reward associated with it, not Formal Combats in general. So the answer is that the only Valor lost or gained in a Tourney is the 3 Valor the winner gets at the end.

Vow of Atonement Corrected Text: Controller of Knight may not play Combat Actions in a combat in which the Knight is involved.

King Leodegrance of Britain Current Text: Warrior Knight Corrected Text: Warrior King

Cancellation Clarification: When a card which requires the discard of another card to work is cancelled the required discard is still discarded.

Love Philtre Ruling: When Love Philtre is played, previous assignment connections are negated and the transferred Lady is treated as if she were originally assigned to her new Knight.

Floating Sword Ruling: If two Warriors have the same Valor and it is the highest Valor, either of them may undertake this Quest.

King Berrant of the Hundred Knights Corrected Text: All Warriors you control are Knights. You gain 1 additional Power for every Knight you have in play. When Berrant comes into play discard any other Kings you have in play. You may not put any other Kings into play while Berrant is in play.

Vision of the Grail Clarification: Target Knight must go on a quest for the Grail even if he is not qualified, but he may not actually achieve the Grail unless he has 12 Valor at the end of the Quest. If he completes the Quest for the Grail successfully and does not have 12 Valor he receives no penalty. The target of this card can still choose never to start the quest for the Grail and just pay the 2 Valor penalty.

Faerie Ring & Ensorcelled Wood Clarification: While a Warrior is undertaking one of these Quests for multiple turns, the controller of that deck may not turn up a new Quest. Other Warriors may also undertake that Quest and it is discarded as soon as any Warrior completes it, and only that Warrior gains any benefits. Warriors who are questing for the Grail and get tied up in one of these Quests must complete it before they continue their quest for the Grail. For example, a Knight might be questing for the Grail, overcome 1 Quest, spend 3 turns in the Faerie Ring, and then complete his third Quest 4 turns after he started the quest for the Grail.. Another player may win the game during that period,and if someone else completes his quest while he is still undertaking it he has failed in his quest for the Grail.

Griflet le Fise Dieu Corrected Text: Pay 1 Valor to add +1 Strength for attack after roll is made.

Sir Sagramore le Desirous Corrected Text: When Sagramore is brought into play, you may take another Knight's Lady and assign her to Sagramore. When Sagramore leaves play any Lady assigned to him is returned to original Knight, if any. Explanation: If Sagramore steals a Lady and it is then transferred to another Knight with a card like Love Philtre and Sagramore then leaves play the Lady remains with the Knight to whom she was moved.

Tourney Ruling: Tourney may not be played if there is only one Knight in play.

Time of Darkness Added Text: Only the Quest which Questing Warrior chooses to undertake is revealed. It remains revealed until overcome. Warrior must attempt to complete the Quest which he chooses.

Lyonesse Corrected Text: This Domain provides 2 Power during your Upkeep. Explanation: This was the original intended text for this card which was accidentally omitted.

Lady Nymue Corrected Text: Enchanter 2. May cast any number of spells of Enchanter value 2 or less in a Round.

Imprisonment Ruling: Companions whose powers take effect on conclusion of a Quest may be used by a Warrior subject to Imprisonment.

Sir Wigalois Corrected Text: While Wigalois is in play no event, spell or power may cause you to discard a Domain.

North Wales Corrected Text: Borders: Rheged, Cambria, South Wales, Ireland

North Humber Corrected Text: Borders: Cambria, Britain, Rheged, Lothian

ALTERNATE RULE RECOMMENDATION

When playing with custom designed decks and experienced players you may wish to set a higher Valor total before Knights can quest for the Grail. We recommend 20 Valor as a good total for a slightly longer and more balanced game.

PREVIEW EDITION CARDS

Several cards from the Preview Edition were not reprinted in the Limited Edition. Unless specifically ruled otherwise by the tournament director at the start of the tournament, these cards are considered legal for play. If a tournament director wishes to ban any of these cards we recommend banning only the Spear of Ysbaddi.

A number of Preview Edition cards were substantially changed when reprinted in the Limited Edition. Unless specifically ruled otherwise by the tournament director at the start of a tournament these cards are considered legal for play. However, we recommend a standard policy of treating these cards as if they were the reprinted version rather than using the un-corrected text.


This page is maintained by Pat Ludwig, suggestions for improvements are always welcome
Last modified 10-17-96