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Frequently Asked Questions

The card game is based on the role-playing game, OVER THE EDGE, by Jonathan Tweet with Robin D. Laws, also published by Atlas Games (product #AG2000). What is true in one game is not necessarily true in the other, however. Both games are available from fine retailers worldwide.

This FAQ ("Frequently Asked Questions") answers questions and provides information commonly requested from us at Atlas Games. It will be frequently revised, clarified, and expanded; check the version number at the beginning of the file to see if this is newer than any other versions you have.

You may copy and share this file freely (but you may not charge anything for it). Feel free to print out copies, upload it to BBSs, share it with your friends, etc.

Q: The card says it pops all combatants "before combat is resolved." If I attack and use it to pop a Character with Pull, does the usual loss of Influence still take place?

A: Yes, since the popping is still the result of being attacked.

Copper Dagger (#62)

Q: The card says "automatically pops any Pharaoh in combat." If the Pharaoh Character has equal or higher DP, can the Glug also be popped as usual?

A: Yes, since the card doesn't specify what happens to the Glug.

Crystal Trap (#65)

Q: The card makes a Character Immune: Psychic, but it has the trait Psychic. Isn't this a paradox?

A: It's a solvable paradox. Say the player controlling the Character decides to have the Character use the Gear. After that happens, the Character will be Immune: Psychic until the end of the turn. It's true that after that happens, the Character can't be affected by Psychic cards, including any Crystal Traps. But since the effect is until the end of the turn, the Character no longer needs to be affected by the Crystal Trap. Once a turn is enough to confer as much Immunity as any Character needs.

Abanobi Famani (#88)

Q: The card says, "Crank to pop any Astral Condition or Environmental." Does this mean Famani can crank to pop any Environmental?

A: No. As it does on any other cards with similar grammatical phrasings, the trait name applies to both card types; Famani can only crank to pop an Astral Environmental.

Barber Hammock (#112)

Q: The section on "Cranking" of the Rules of Play says "If a Character can be cranked 'any time,' you can crank it when it is attacked in order to have its effect just before the attack is resolved. After the effect takes place, however, the attacker may choose to attack a legal target behind the newly cranked Character in the file instead of carrying through with the attack on the original target." If one of my Characters attacks Barber Hammock and he cranks to boost his DP, can I attack through to a Character behind him?

A: The answer is, "Not usually." There is a general rule that says an effect cannot be used if it does not involve a current event; for example, you can't use Ricardo Cerdo to boost another Character's Power while one of your opponents is in the process of Controlling him. The above quote from the Rules of Play grants a specific exception to that general rule; for example, when Cerdo is caught in the process of being attacked, he is permitted to have his effect take place previous to the resolution of the current event (the combat). But if a defending Character's effect directly involves the current event of the combat, then it does not violate the general rule; the defending player need take no recourse to the exception for the rule, and the attacking player will not receive the benefit of that exception. Therefore, Hammock can boost his DP without needing to expose the rank behind himself.

Kidnap (#132)

Q: What happens if two (or more) players try to play Kidnaps at the same time?

A: The card would give 3 Influence to the score of the attacking player, as printed on the Standard Version of the card. Therefore, it makes little difference who gets to play the Kidnap. If the players can't decide among themselves who gets to lose a card from their hand, have them all be played and then discarded once the 3 Influence is paid. Either that, or look at the variant rules for an option on resolving such rare timing questions.

Negative Energy (#166)

Q: Can a Character who is Immune: Astral use the card?

A: Yes. If so, the Character will neither be flipped nor popped as a result. The enemy combatant will still suffer the penalty until the end of the turn, and the Negative Energy will still end up discarded.

Psychovore (#186)

Q: The card makes a Character Immune: Astral, but it has the trait Astral. Isn't this a paradox?

A: It's a solvable paradox. Say the player controlling the Character decides to have the Character use the Gear. After that happens, the Character will be Immune: Astral until the end of the turn. It's true that after that happens, the Character can't be affected by Astral cards, including any Psychovores. But since the effect is until the end of the turn, the Character no longer needs to be affected by the Psychovore. Once a turn is enough to confer as much Immunity as any Character will ever need.

Stun Gas (#234)

Q: The card says "Character is not popped by the combat." Does this protect the Character from a combatant's Anti- Matter Grenade?

A: No. Stun Gas says nothing about taking effect before combat is resolved, which the Anti-Matter Grenade specifically does. The effects of the Anti-Matter Grenade take place first, and the Stun Gas ends up discarded.

Total Taxi (#246)

Q: Can I play this card after Whammies or other effects have already affected the combat? A: Yes.

Q: The card says, "Target Character may Avoid Combat and is cranked if it does." Can a Character who is cranked Avoid Combat with a Total Taxi?

A: Yes. "Is cranked" is a card effect of the Whammy on the Character; being cranked simply cranks a Character if it is not already cranked.

Q: The section on "Surprise" (in "Ability Descriptions") in the Rules of Play says that the defender cannot use any optional effects. Can the defender of a Surprising attack Avoid Combat with a Total Taxi?

A: No. An optional effect is any non-automatic effect, an effect which a player decides if it takes place. Since the card says, "Target Character may Avoid Combat," its effects are optional and are not available when Surprise is in effect.

Tulpa (#250)

Q: The card says the Tulpa is "a copy of the real Character." Can I play a Tulpa before a non-Tulpa version of the Character is in play?

A: Yes, since the card does not require the Character to already be in play.

Q: Can I call a non-Tulpa version of a Unique Character after I have played a Tulpa of the same Character?

A: No, since the card does not say "Target Character is not in play in terms of Uniqueness." The card instead says "Target Character can be called regardless of Uniqueness." This effect applies only to the Character with the Tulpa Condition. Since the non-Tulpa version of the card is Unique, the named Character already in play prevents it from being called.

Q: The card is a Psychic Condition. What happens when a Tulpa is Immune: Psychic?

A: Even though Tulpa is a Condition, the card must be called along with the Character it affects. In addition, if either card is discarded the other must be discarded as well. Since the Condition is an integral part of the Character, the special abilities of the Tulpa Condition that affect the Character are effects by the Character on the Character. This means that the Character is always affected by the special abilities of the Tulpa Condition, even if the Character is Immune: Psychic. This special ruling is discussed in the Generic Questions section of this FAQ.

Andalusia Dog (#C6)

Q: The card says, "When another player cranks a Character for Influence, you may crank the Andalusia Dog to divert those points towards your own Influence total instead." What happens when a Character's Pull is used partially to call cards, and partially for Influence?

A: A Character is usually cranked for Pull which is then translated into Influence during a player's Influence phase. Simply crank the Andalusia Dog during the Influence phase to divert the Influence gained from any Character's Pull so far that turn. Note that while you can wait to crank the Andalusia Dog later when a Character's Pull is translated into Influence, you opponent will be able to crank other Characters after you have used the Andalusia Dog's special ability. If a Character's special ability specifically says that it cranks to give its player Influence, you must crank the Andalusia Dog at that time to divert the Influence to your score.

Claus Brinker (#C8)

Q: The card says, "Gains +1 Power for each card named Brinker in play," and is itself named Brinker. Does Claus Brinker give himself +1 Power?

A: Yes.

Censorship Flap (#C13)

Q: This Resource is not Unique. Are multiple Censorship Flaps cumulative?

A: No, since the card does not say "Crank any time opponents' Artists are cranked for Pull to gain Influence equal to Pull generated." It instead says, "Whenever opponents' Artists are cranked for Pull, you gain Influence equal to Pull generated." This means you will get Influence every time any opponent cranks an Artist for Pull, but only once each time.

Cheap Baboon Trick (#C17)

Q: I'm confused. How does this card work?

A: The card says, "Play when one of your Chaos or Dog-Face Characters is attacked." Notice that playing the Whammy could be in response either to an attack by another player, or to an attack you make on your own Conspiracy. Once played, the original attack ends and you must select another Character to be the defender of a new attack. Although the card does not clarify this, the new defender must be a legal target of the original attacker. The new defender is popped or not popped as usual, by comparing total AP to the defender's DP. The original defender is popped only if the defender's DP is greater than the combined AP of the new attackers. The original attacker is always popped by the new combat. The card will make sense if you imagine the original defender turning on the original attacker either during or after the new combat is concluded in order to finish the original attacker off.

Copyright Violation (#C22)

Q: Where does the other card come from?

A: The card says nothing about circumventing the usual procedure for calling cards into play. You must draw it from you hand, which means you must have it in your deck at the start of the game.

Q: Does "number" mean number like "six," or numeral like "6?"

A: It means numeral, as in "6."

Q: If a card has a number like "123" does this yield a single value of "123," or three values: "1," "2," and "3?"

A: This will provide a single value of "123."

Death Car (#C25)

Q: The card says "Whenever a Giovanni's Cabbie is popped in combat, Death Car becomes active (if necessary) and attacks..." How far does "becomes active" extend?

A: The Death Car has to be in play in a position in a Conspiracy.

Q: What happens when Characters Gang Up to pop a Giovanni's Cabbie?

A: The card says "...attacks a Character that engaged in combat..." The player controlling the Death Car must choose one of the original attackers to be the defender of the new combat.

Q: What happens when the Death Car attacks and pops a Giovanni's Cabbie?

A: The section on "Attacks Within the Conspiracy" in the Rules of Play requires a Character to attack another Character. The Death Car cannot attack itself. The Death Car will uncrank if necessary, and then immediately crank for no effect.

Q: What happens if two Death Cars are in play when a Giovanni's Cabbie is attacked and popped?

A: Both Death Cars will have to attack, if possible. If the outcomes of each attack would be the same, then either both Death Cars are cranked or both Death Cars are popped. If the outcomes would be different, the attacks proceed as if simultaneous, with the respective results each taking place. For example, one Death Car might be popped and one might not.

Deific Aura (#C27)

Q: I'm confused. How does this card work?

A: Since the card does not say "Crank any time," you must use it on your own turn. Anytime during your turn you can opt to make a current or future defending Character a non-legal Target for attack. If the combat is already taking place, it is preempted, after which another target may be chosen. Therefore, you might want to target an opponent's Character if an attack by one of your own Characters has gone badly. Conversely, you might want to target one of your own Characters if some card effect has forced a Character in the same file and a higher rank to attack.

Eyeballs Drillbit (#C29)

Q: Are the bullets in costs ignored as well?

A: Yes. You do not have to have a matching trait in play to play bulleted-cost Gear on Eyeballs Drillbit.

Fractal Infection (#C33)

Q: Is the card's effect recursive?

A: Yes. If a card with a certain trait gains the trait Chaos by way of Fractal Infection, all other cards with that trait will also gain the trait Chaos. This expansion continues as long as is necessary. For example, if The Centipede (traits Human, Chaos, Burger) is in play along with Burford J. Slystick (traits Human, Burger, Artist), Burford will gain the trait Chaos; after that, any other Artists in play will gain the trait Chaos, and so on.

Koanhead (#C44)

Q: The card says "All Cut-Up and Control cards are flipped while Koanhead is in play." This is supposed to read "All Cut-Up and Control Characters..." isn't it?

A: No.

Q: What happens to Gear and Conditions which are flipped?

A: The section on "Types of Cards" in the Rules of Play says that Gear and Conditions remain on their cards until they are popped or the card they are on is discarded. Turn the flipped Gear or Conditions upside down on their cards. They remain there and are not in play except for Uniqueness, if any. If the card they are on is discarded, they are as well, as usual. If they unflip, simply turn them right side up. Since Gear and Conditions do not crank, the Gear or Conditions are immediately available again, as usual.

Matti Aaltonen (#C5)

Q: The card says, "Cost of all Astral cards increases by 1 when Matti is in play." The section on "Whammy" (in "Types of Cards") of the Rules of Play says that Whammies have no cost. Do Astral Whammies gain a cost of 1 while Matti is in play?

A: Yes.

Q: Can I play more than one 0-Cost Astral card while Matti is in play?

A: Yes. Since the cards now have costs of 1, they no longer count towards the limit of one 0-Cost card per turn.

Message to Space (#C47)

Q: The card says, "The object of the game is to now have 12 or more cards in play, none of which has an even collector's number." If I have 12 or more odd-numbered cards and at least one even-numbered card in play at the start of my turn, will I win?

A: No. Any even-numbered cards in play will prevent their player from winning.

Kofi Ogunlala (#C55)

Q: The card says, "Crank any time to flip a Character attacking a Kergillian before combat is resolved," and has the trait Kergillian. Can Kofi flip someone attacking her?

A: Yes.

Q: Can Kofi flip someone attacking her with Surprise?

A: No, Since she must crank to do so this is an "optional effect" and cannot be used by a Surprised defender.

Q: The card says, "Crank any time to flip a character attacking a Kergillian before combat is resolved." What happens if Kofi flips an attacker who uses an Anti-Matter Grenade?

A: Since both cards take affect before combat is resolved, both effects will take place. The attacker will be popped and flipped; since the Anti-Matter Grenade says "popped all combatants (no Save)," the Character will be popped before they could be flipped. If Kofi is not the Kergillian being attacked, then is not a combatant; she would not be affected by an Anti-Matter Grenade.

Q: What happens if Kofi flips an attacker who uses SACQ?

A: Since SACQ says, "If used immediately before combat," its effects take place first. After SACQ is resolved, a surviving attacker would still be flipped. If Kofi is not the Kergillian being attacked, then is not a combatant; she would not be affected by SACQ.

Paralytic Banana (#C59)

Q: The card says, "Unless cranked, Character must attack highest-DP legal target." If shifted during the Shift Phase to an uncranked Character, when will that Character attack?

A: Since the card dies not say "attack immediately," they will attack during your next Operations Phase.

Personnel Copier (#C60)

Q: The card says, "Pay 1 Pull any time to give Character all special abilities of any other Character in any Conspiracy until end of turn." Since the card doesn't say anything about cranking for this effect, can a Character copy abilities more than once per turn?

A: Yes. One point to note is that, even though this special ability does not require the Character to crank, the section on "Control" (in "Ability Descriptions") prevents a cranked Character from being controlled; you may not control an opponent's cranked Character to force them to gain special abilities.

Q: If Surprise is in effect, can the defender use the Personnel Copier?

A: No. An optional effect is any non-automatic effect, an effect which a player decides if it takes place.

Q: Do names in special abilities which are copied change?

A: No. If you Personnel Copy one opponent's Reek Rend to steal another opponent's Gear, the original Reek Rend will end up with the Gear.

Pocket Panic Button (#C61)

Q: The card says, "Pocket Panic Button is popped as normal, but any other Gear or Conditions return to their owner's hands." Since the card is Sub-Random Gear, if I play it on C. A. Radford (#68) does everything go back into the owner's hand when she is popped?

A: Yes.

Q: What happens when Loot is played on a popped Character using a Pocket Panic Button?

A: The Character will go into the hand of the player who owns the Pocket Panic Button, and the Pocket Panic Button will go to the non-popped combatant.

Q: The card says, "If Character is Popped, it returns to your hand instead of going to the dead pile." If I play a Pocket Panic Button on an opponent's Character, does the Character go into my hand when it is popped?

A: Since the Pocket Panic Button is Gear, the player who controls it decides whether the Character will use it. If you Blackmail and then pop the Character, you can choose to have it go into your hand.

Q: What if there are multiple Pocket Panic Buttons on a Character?

A: Again, the player who currently controls the Character can decide which, if any, Gear the Character uses. The Character would go to the appropriate player's hand.

C. A. Radford (#C69)

Q: The card says, "When popped, all other players lose 1 Influence." If C. A. Radford is Saved, do the other players still lose Influence?

A: Yes. In order to be Saved, a Character must first be popped; Saving cancels only the discarding effect of being popped.

Rain of Walrus (#C71)

Q: The card says, "Flip a coin for each Character in play." In what order are the coin flips for the Characters made in?

A: The player who played the Rain of Walrus chooses the order.

Q: If a Rain of Walrus is canceled, can a second Rain of Walrus be played?

A: No. The first was played and canceled and the rule on the Rain of Walrus prevents a second from being played.

Recursive Time Loop (#C73)

Q: The card says "All Throckmorton and Chaos cards in play are popped." Can any Throckmorton or Chaos cards Save any other cards being popped?

A: All the cards are popped simultaneously, so none of the Characters being popped can Martyr for other Characters. The Throckmorton Device cannot save Clyde Throckmorton or Angela Reyes.

Anatoly Taghel (#C83)

Q: The card says, "Crank to permanently replace any Character's second trait with Giovanni's Cabbies." Can he affect a Character without a second trait?

A: No.

Q: Can he affect a Character whose second trait is already Giovanni's Cabbies?

A: No.

Unified Conspiracy Theory (#C83)

Q: The card says, "If there are any cards in play that share the trait Control with other traits, all cards with those other traits are also considered to have the trait Control. This is supposed to read, "...with other traits except Human..." isn't it?

A: Yes.

Q: Is the card's effect recursive?

A: Yes. If a card with a certain trait gains the trait Control by way of Unified Conspiracy Theory, all other cards with that trait will also gain the trait Control. This expansion continues as long as is necessary. For example, if Clyde Throckmorton (traits Human, Throckmorton, Control, Entrepreneur) is in play along with Mary Zule (traits Glug, Entrepreneur), Mary will gain the trait Control; after that, any other Glugs in play will gain the trait Control, and so on.

Isil Ziya (#C90)

Q: The card says, "Pay 1 Pull any time to give her any trait for one round." Since the card doesn't say anything about cranking for this effect, can a Character copy abilities more than once per turn?

A: Yes. One point to note is that, even though this special ability does not require the Character to crank, the section on "Control" (in "Ability Descriptions") prevents a cranked Character from being controlled; you may not control an opponent's cranked Isil to force her to gain traits.

Q: If Surprise is in effect, can a defending Isil Ziya use her special ability to gain a trait?

A: No. An optional effect is any non-automatic effect, an effect which a player decides if it takes place.

Q: If I give Isil Ziya the trait Glug, will she gain Immunity to Astral, Control, and Psychic?

A: No. Immunities are special abilities, and abilities are different than traits.

Bavarian Illumanti (#S12)

Q: I'm confused. How does this card work?

A: This card is supposed to read "Crank any time to cancel any Cloak's action." Any time a Character with the trait Cloak cranks or has Pull paid to use any ability, such as attacking or generating Pull, you can crank this Resource to cancel the effects of the ability.

Closet Surrealists (#S13)

Q: This card says it's Unique, while the Cut-Ups version of the same card (#C20) does not. Which is correct?

A: Both are. The sample version is Unique, and the Cut-Ups version is Not Unique.

Q: How does this card interact with the Cut-Ups version of the card?

A: While a Cut-Ups version of the card is in play, another Cut-Ups version could be played. However, the sample version could not be played, since the named Resource or Resources already in play prevents it from being called. After a sample version of the card has been played, no other versions of the card can be played. The section on "Discard" in the Rules of Play says "You may discard any cards that you cannot bring into play because of Uniqueness." Since this does not require that a card itself be Unique, you can discard either version of the card for Uniqueness while the sample version is in play.

Desperate Ritual (#S15)

Q: The card says, "Your Character's Defense is permanently reduced by the Defense of the Character popped." Can this reduce a Character below 0 DP?

A: Yes.

Q: If the card drops my Character below 0 DP, does the card pop my Character?

A: No. The only time a Character with low DP is popped is when a combat is resolved and the AP of the attacker is compared to the DP of the defender.

Message to Space (#S16)

Q: The card says, "The object of the game is to now have 12 or more cards in play, none of which has an even collector's number," and itself has an even collector's number. Can a player win with this card in play?

A: Since any even-numbered cards in play will prevent their player from winning, the answer is not unless the players agree to a house rule by which 16 is an odd number.

A: No.

Q: Can a Character attack itself?

A: No. The section on "Attacks within the Conspiracy" of the Rules of Play says that when a Character attacks they must attack another Character.

Q: Can Environmentals be cranked by anyone?

A: Not unless the Environmental specifically says so.

Q: Can I choose an opponent's Character to Martyr for one of my Characters?

A: The player who controls a Character always has the choice of whether to let it Martyr or not; if you can Control another player's Character, then you will be able to force it to Martyr.

Q: Can I crank a Character for an action, such as providing Pull, the same turn I bring it into play?

A: Yes.

Q: Can I place Conditions or Gear on Characters in another player's Conspiracy?

A: Yes.

Q: Can I use a card's bonus Pull to pay for card effects?

A: Most bonus Pull is a specific bonus to call cards of a certain trait. Unless the card specifically generates bonus Pull to pay for card effects, the card effect must be paid for entirely with generic Pull.

Q: Can I use a Character or Resource's Pull only for cards with a matching trait, or for any card?

A: If a Resource were to have a pull of "1", "2", or so on, you would be able to spend its entire Pull for any card with no restriction. Resources with a Pull of "1*", as most of them do, split their pull as follows. Pull equal to the number ("1") can be applied towards any cards whatsoever. For the asterisk ("*"), you'll refer to the card text to see the rule associated with the pull; in most cases, you will be given a bonus of 1 Pull towards cards of a specific trait and/or type (for example, "+1 Pull to call Aries cards"); the bonus Pull can only be applied towards cards of the specific trait or type. Some cards have only an asterisk, in which case its entire pull is treated as "bonus Pull." You can always split up or combine Pull from various sources to pay the Cost or Costs of one or more cards.

Q: Do flipped Characters count to call bulleted-cost cards?

A: No. The section on "Playing the Game" of the Rules of Play says that flipped Character are in play only in terms of Uniqueness.

Q: Do I have to spend all the Pull points I get from my Characters or Resources before my turn ends?

A: No. Pull which is not spent by the end of your turn is simply lost.

Q: During my Discard Phase, if I draw a card that cannot be called because of Uniqueness can I immediately discard that card and draw another?

A: No. You must announce discard(s) on account of Uniqueness before drawing any new cards.

Q: How far does Immunity to Control extend?

A: A Character who is Immune: Control can not be Controlled by any card effect, nor can they be targeted by special effects with the trait Control.

Q: How much non-Weapon or non-Armor Gear can a Character have or use?

A: As much as can be brought into play and given to the Character, as long as the cards themselves do not specifically disallow any combinations.

Q: If a card refers to "you," which player is meant?

A: In the case of Characters, "you" refers to the player who currently controls the Character. In the case of all other cards, "you" always refers to the player who played the card.

Q: If a Character with Pull Martyrs for a Character popped as a result of being attack, does their player lose Influence?

A: Yes, since the popping is still a result of being attacked.

Q: If a Whammy doesn't say "Play any time," can you use it only on your own turn?

A: Yes, and only during your operations phase.

Q: If an attack against a Character of mine with more Pull than I have Influence pops the Character, does my Influence score go negative?

A: Yes. Some card effects have the provision that the effects cannot bring a player to a negative Influence score, but the rules for attacking and popping do not.

Q: If I move an opponent's Character to my own Conspiracy, and the Character is then popped as a result of being attacked, who suffers the loss of Influence?

A: Since you currently control the Character, you suffer the loss.

Q: If I only have one Character in play, what rank are they in?

A: Until you have defined three ranks, the numbering of the ranks remains fluid.

Q: If I have only a "Last Rank" Character in play, can I play a "First Rank Only" Character, or vice-versa?

A: Yes. The Character with the ability "Last Rank" will move (cranked) to the last rank, leaving an open space between the Characters.

Q: If only one Character resides in a single rank or file and that Character is popped, what happens to the rank or to the file?

A: If there are Characters on either side of the rank or file, then the line remains, albeit empty; the ranks or the files do not close to erase the gap.

Q: If two Characters are able to attack the same Character during the same turn, can their Attack scores add up to pop a Character neither would otherwise be able to pop?

A: Unless the one Character Gangs Up with the other in the same combat, each combat proceeds by comparing the Attack of the lone attacker to the Defense of the defending Character. The Rules of Play say nothing about damage carrying over between combats.

Q: In order to call a bulleted-cost card with multiple traits, do I have to have a card with a matching trait in play for each trait on the card?

A: No. Having just one Character or Resource with one matching trait in play is sufficient.

Q: Is a Character reduced below 0 DP popped?

A: No, not unless they are in combat with a Character with equal or greater AP.

Q: Is there any limit to the number of files I may have in my Conspiracy?

A: None in theory; how large your opponents let your conspiracy grow is another matter.

Q: Some cards give bonus Pull for more than one category of cards. What Pull is generated when such a card is cranked for Pull?

A: If the various bonus Pull are given separately, with "or" between them, the player must decide which bonus Pull to generate. For example, Monique D'Aubainne's Secret says, "4 Pull to call D'Aubainne cards or 1 Pull to call Government cards," and one or the other bonus Pull must be chosen. If there is no such separation, all bonus Pull listed is generated. For example, Havani Shagasemi says, "+2 Pull to call Kergillian Gear. +1 Pull to call other Kergillian cards," and he generates a total of 3 bonus Pull when cranked for Pull.

Q: The Environmentals that change the object of the game say that player may not accumulate Influence while they are in play. Can Characters still lose Influence?

A: Yes, since the cards say nothing about loss of Influence.

Q: The section on "Cranking" in the Rules of Play reads: "Sometimes a Character flips to have an effect rather than cranking. This is treated exactly like cranking (e.g., only active Characters may flip voluntarily), except that the character is flipped instead of cranked." Does the parenthetical phrase mean that I can flip any active Character for no other reason than to do so?

A: No. Some special ability or effect is required to flip a Character; the only "voluntary flippings" are those where a card's ability stipulates that its Character flip.

Q: The section on "Immune" (in "Ability Descriptions") of the Rules of Play say that a card effect has the traits of that card. Some Character are Immune to traits they possess; does this mean that their special abilities do not work on themselves?

A: A special ruling is required in this circumstance to maintain the usefulness of certain cards. A Character can always be affected by an effect by itself on itself, even if they are Immune to a trait they possess. Some examples of effects by a Character on the same Character are: Barber Hammock's "Crank any time to add +6 to own DP," the generic Glug's "+1 Power if at least one other Glug is in play in the same Conspiracy," Sir Arthur Compton's "Cannot be attacked by Comptons," and the second sentence of Elizabeth Pock's "Characters in her file have Pull =0 until end of your turn. For each Pull so lost, she gains +1 Pull." With one obvious exception (the Tulpa Condition), the effects of Gear or Conditions are not covered by this special ruling; since Elizabeth Pock is Immune: Astral, none of the effects of a Negative Energy can affect her. A Character's effect by itself on itself can still be blocked or canceled by means other than Immunity; Juana Salvador can still crank to block Elizabeth Pock's Astral effect.

Q: The section on "Cranking" of the Rules of Play say that Characters cannot crank just for the sake of doing so. If a Character has no Pull (-), can they be cranked for no Pull?

A: No.

Q: If a Character has Pull =0, can they crank for zero Pull?

A: Yes, since an actual number appears in the statistic for Pull.

Q: The section on "Gang Up" (in "Ability Descriptions") of the Rules of Play says that the defender can pop any attackers with AP less than or equal to the defender's DP. If the Human Zipper Gangs Up with the Mutant Barber Hammock to attack Malak Suzier, can Malak use her "+2 vs. non-Humans" to pop Zipper?

A: Yes. The section on "Vs." (in "Terms in Descriptions") of the Rules of Play says that the bonus applies whenever a Character is in combat with a Character of an appropriate trait.

Q: If the Mutant Jack Rack Gangs Up with Barber Hammock, will Malak get her bonus twice?

A: No. The Rules of Play say nothing about such a doubling of bonuses. Malak is still in combat with a Character of an appropriate trait, so her bonus applies (once).

Q: The section on "Gear" (in "Types of Cards") of the Rules of Play says "A player may always decide to have a Character not use a Gear." If in a combat I decide to use one Weapon, can I later in the same combat, switch over to use another Weapon?

A: No. When you choose to use one Weapon, you implicitly decide not to use any and all other Weapons the Character may possess. Once you choose not to use a Gear, it is assumed that the Character doesn't have access to it for the rest of the combat.

Q: The section on "Immune" (in "Ability Descriptions") of the Rules of Play say that a card effect has the traits of that card. If I call Sensitivity onto Ravage, will his "Crank to pop any cranked Character" ability be a Psychic effect?

A: Yes. A Character who is Immune: Psychic will then be Immune to Ravage's special ability.

Q: If I call Sensitivity onto Guglielmo Vigneto, then, his Bypass effect will be a Psychic effect. Will he be able to Bypass Characters who are Immune: Psychic?

A: Yes. The section on "Bypass" (in "Ability Descriptions") of the Rules of Play say that Bypass allows a Character to ignore another Character. Bypass is not an effect on the other Character; Immunity does not prevent it.

Q: The section on "Object of the Game" of the Rules of Play says that to win, you must begin your turn with enough Influence. What about the cards that change the object of the game?

A: To win, you must start your turn having achieved the current object of the game.

Q: The section on "Secret" (in "Types of Cards") of the Rules of Play says that each player can only have one copy of a given Secret in play at a time. Can I discard a Secret for Uniqueness if I have the same Secret in play?

A: Yes. The section on "Discard" (in "Card-Tending Phase") specifically says that Secrets may be discarded for Uniqueness.

Q: The section on "Surprise" (in "Ability Descriptions") of the Rules of play says that a Surprising Character is not affected when it attacks. What happens when a Character attacks with both Surprise and Bulldoze?

A: The section on "Bulldoze" says that the AP of a Bulldozing Character is reduced by the total DP of the Characters it has already attacked. This rule still holds when the attacker Surprises.

Q: The section on "Influence" (in "End of Turn Phase") of the Rules of Play says that cards with Pull can be cranked to generate Influence. Can I give a Character Gear which gives the Character Pull, crank the Character for Pull during my Operations Phase, shift the Gear during my Shift Phase, and crank the second Character for Pull during my Influence Phase?

A: A special ruling is required in this circumstance to maintain game balance. The order of turn for the End of Turn Phase is Influence, followed by Shift. This ruling should be considered a direct revision of the Order of Turn as printed in the Rules of Play.

Q: To call a bulleted cost card, do I have to pay for the card's cost with the same Character or Resource which provides the matching trait?

A: No. You just have to have a Character or Resource with a matching trait somewhere in play; even a zero-Cost Character with no Pull will suffice.

Q: To play a Whammy listing a trait, do I have to have a Character a matching trait already in play?

A: Not unless the hyphen in the cost box of the Whammy has a bullet after it.

Q: Using "Control," I force an opponent's Character to attack. Can I then attack the same turn with one of my own Characters?

A: Yes. The section on "Making an Attack" (in "Attacks") of the Rules of Play defines an attack as follows: "When you attack a player, one Character from your Conspiracy attacks one Character in the target player's Conspiracy." This is the definition for the purposes of the "one (and only one) attack" rule. When you Control, you always Control a Character in another player's Conspiracy. Therefore, Controlling and throwing an opponent's Character into combat does not count as an attack again your limit of one each turn.

Q: What does, "Pull =/= 0" mean?

A: It means that the Character does not already have Pull =0, which would be the case if, for example, Smear Campaign had been played on the Character. Think of it as a condition of special abilities that makes sure the Character can still gain Pull.

Q: What does "replace" mean?

A: When you replace something, a different item takes the place of the original item. If you replace a card, as with C. A. Radford (#S20), a physically different card must take its place. If you replace a trait, as with Anatoly Taghel, the name of the trait must be different; you cannot replace "Giovanni's Cabbies" with "Giovanni's Cabbies."

Q: What does "use" mean?

A: When a player decides to have their Character use or not use a Gear, they decide whether the card will be affecting the Character for the current turn. In the case of Weapons or Armor, a player decides which one Weapon and which one Armor will be affecting the Character at any given time; a player can, during subsequent combats, decide that the Character uses different Weapons, or even no Weapons, at any given time. A Character can possess as much Gear as their player can place on them, even if they cannot use all the gear at the same time. If a Character says, "Cannot use Gear," they may still have Gear called or shifted onto them; "Cannot use Gear" simply means that the Character cannot be affected by Gear they possess.

Q: What is an "action?"

A: An action is any non-automatic Character effect, an effect which the Character's player decides if it takes place. Some examples of actions are: launching an attack, generating Pull, shifting to a new position in the Conspiracy, or using any special ability. Only Characters take actions.

Q: What is an "optional effect?"

A: An optional effect is any non-automatic effect, an effect which a player decides if it takes place. Any text which simply gives a bonus still takes effect; if Malak Suzier is attacked by a non-Human Character with Surprise, she would still have her +2 bonus. Any effect of a Condition which give a player the choice to use, or not use, is an optional effect; if Malak Suzier has a Negative Energy when attacked by a Character with Surprise, the Negative Energy may not affect the combat.

A: Card lists for all three printings of the basic game as well as the first two expansion sets are available by anonymous FTP from: ftp.io.com/pub/Atlas.

Q: What order are the cards numbered in?

A: The order in any given release is alphabetical, with any secrets preceding all other cards. If a card is a Character with a surname, the card is alphabetized by the surname.

Q: How many cards are in a complete set?

A: For the Limited and the Unlimited Editions, the total is 269. With the release of the Standard Version, that total has increased by one, to 270. The first expansion set, THE CUT- UPS PROJECT, contains 90 cards, while the second expansion, SHADOWS, contains 117. In addition, two 11-card sets of sample cards have been printed to date. Therefore, there have been 499 differently numbered ON THE EDGE cards printed to date. An additional 157 cards -- not counting any promotional cards to be announced -- will be added when the third expansion, named ARCANA, is released in September 1995.

Q: What are the "sample cards?"

A: To date, two sets of 11 cards have been printed for promotional distribution through channels such as conventions and magazines. These cards have their own numbering scheme, with all collector's numbers preceded by an "S" and running from S1 on up. Several of these cards have already appeared in ON THE EDGE releases, but a few are limited to the sample run only and will not appear in any other format.

Q: What are the "chase cards?"

A: As yet, no chase cards have been printed. The third expansion set, named ARCANA, will contain chase cards when it is released in September 1995. At the rate of one chase card a display, one of a select group of four chase cards will be inserted loose in the display, in addition to the regular 60 packs. Of the four chase cards, three will be of equal rarity while one will be three times as rare as each of the other three. While the chase cards will be sought after by collectors, their actual play value will be of limited scope; in addition, the official tournament rules have been amended to ban chase cards from tournament decks. The following statement comes from John Nephew, president of Atlas Games: "Think of [chase cards] as a bonus for the game retailer... The retailer can retrieve the chase card when he opens a new display box and puts it out on the counter. The card could be sold as a single, given as a gift to s loyal customer, or a prize for a tournament. For the consumer, it's an encouragement to go ahead and buy a full display box all at once."

Q: What are the comparative rarities on the sample cards to the other cards?

A: The first sample set totaled 110,000 cards, and contained 11 evenly distributed cards, as printed, giving 10,000 of each card numbered S1 through S11. However, the card Lope in the original sample set (#S7) was printed with a black-and-white illustration, and for this reason was excluded from some promotional avenues; collectors may therefore find more difficulty in locating the sample Lope. The second sample set totaled nearly 180,000 cards, with all cards printed and distributed in equal proportions, giving roughly 16,000 copies for each card numbered S12 through S22.

For each of the three releases of the basic game, any given sample card is more common than the rarest cards in each release; for example, more Throckmorton Dominations (#S11) were printed than Limited Edition Monique D'Aubainnes (#71). When the three releases are combined, however, the total number of any given rare card in the set becomes greater than that of any given sample card numbered S1 to S11, and roughly equal to any sample card numbered S12 to S22. The following tables give the calculated numbers of cards printed for the rarest of each release to date, counted by thousands of cards (rounded down):

Release     R2   R1
-------------------
Limited     10    5
Unlimited   12    6
Standard     8    4
-------------------
Core Game   31   15

Release   U3   U2   U1
----------------------
Cut-Ups   70   47   23
SHADOWS   29   19    9

Releases

A: The Limited Edition was released October 19, 1994. The second printing, the Unlimited Edition, was released in December 1995, while the third printing, the Standard Version, was itself released in March 1995.

Q: What expansion sets have come out?

A: To date, two expansion sets have been released. First came THE CUT-UPS PROJECT, a 90 card set designed by Robin Laws and released in February 1995. The second expansion, SHADOWS, containing 117 cards designed by Jonathan Tweet, was then released in May 1995.

Q: Are any other expansions planned after SHADOWS?

A: Most definitely. The third expansion will be ARCANA. Designed by John Nephew and containing 153 cards, as well as 4 special chase cards, ARCANA will be released in September 1995. Visitors to the 1995 GenCon Game Fair(tm) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin will have the special, pre-release opportunity to purchase ARCANA. The fourth expansion, entitled WETWORKS, will be designed by Jonathan Tweet along with Richard Bark, but is not currently on the release schedule.