If you want to sleeve the cards, you will need the following:

A revised PDF edition of the rulebook was posted on January 4. It includes all of the resolutions in the Rules Question section of this FAQ made prior to that date.

I'm just generally unclear about a lot of things. Can you help?

Probably! We find that many of the issues people have when playing the game are easily solved when players understand the philosophy of the game's design. To that end, we've created a number of "metarules" that explain how to approach the game. THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

If you’ve played other card games, board games, or roleplaying games, you may find a lot of familiar concepts in the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. However, bringing in assumptions from other games—including the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game—can potentially trip you up. Here are some guidelines you might want to keep in mind. Cards Do What They Say. Read any card as it is encountered or played, and do whatever it says as soon as it makes sense to do so. Let the card tell you what to do, and don’t impose limitations that aren’t there. You can play an armor card even if there isn’t one in your deck list. You can play a Cure spell even if it’s not your turn. You can play a blessing on a check even if someone else has played one. Cards say everything they need to say. Cards Don’t Do What They Don’t Say. Each card’s powers reference specific situations, and if you’re not in those situations, you can’t play it. If a card says it works on “a check,” you can play it on anyone’s check, but if a card says “your check,” it only works on yours. You can’t play a Cure spell to reduce the amount of damage you’re taking, because Cure isn’t about reducing damage. You can’t play Detect Evil to examine a location deck that has no cards. Your weapon doesn’t help you acquire new weapons. Each card tells you what it’s for, and you can use it only for that. No One Else Can Take Your Turn for You. Whenever you encounter a card or make a check, you—and only you—must resolve it. No other character can evade it, defeat it, acquire it, close it, decide what to do with it, or fail at doing any of those things. If Sajan encounters a monster, Merisiel can’t evade it for him. If Kyra encounters a Ghoul, Seoni can’t attempt the check to defeat it. If Amiri encounters a Battered Chest, Lini cannot use Thieves’ Tools against it. If Valeros encounters a Spyglass, Harsk can’t attempt the check to acquire it. If Ezren defeats a henchman at the Sandpoint Cathedral, Seelah can’t discard a blessing to close the location. If the game tells you to do something, you have to do it. Cards Don’t Have Memories. Cards forget they’ve been played after they’ve done whatever they do. So if you reveal an item to reduce damage dealt before an encounter, you can reveal that item again during the encounter. A monster isn’t affected by anything you did in a previous encounter with it. Even though you’ve played a card to explore again, after that exploration you can play another. Don’t ask your cards to remember what happened, because they’re just cards. Finish One Thing Before You Start Something Else. You do many things in a specific order, and you need to finish doing each thing before you do the next thing. You move before you explore, not after. If a spell used in a check can be recharged, finish the first check before you begin your check to recharge it. If a villain requires two sequential combat checks, finish the first before starting the second. Don’t start a new process until you’ve finished the last one. (That said, if the game doesn’t specify an order for things, you decide the order.) If It Isn’t Called Something, It Isn’t That Thing. Every term described in the rules and on cards has a specific definition. The Goblin Warchanter has the Goblin trait, but the Goblin Dog doesn’t, even though it has Goblin in its name. A Potion of Healing may sound like it’s magical, but it doesn’t have the Magic trait. A Ghost deals Combat damage when it damages you, even if you failed a Divine check to defeat it. Detect Magic doesn’t use the word “explore,” so you can play it at times when you can’t explore. Don’t make assumptions—just read the card. Add Only What You Are Told to Add. If a card adds another die, that’s all it gives you: a die. It doesn’t give you your bonuses again. It doesn’t give you the skill associated with that die. It doesn’t give you the ability to recharge an Arcane spell if you don’t have the Arcane skill. When you play a Longbow to add your Strength die to a Combat check, you don’t get to play a Blessing of Gorum to add 2 dice, because you’re not attempting a Strength check. You just get a die. Allow for Abstractions. Sometimes the story you imagine can get in the way of playing the game. Despite their aquatic nature, Bunyips can be encountered in the General Store. Caltrops work against Ancient Skeletons, even if they don’t have flesh on their feet. Harsk can fire a Heavy Crossbow from the Mountain Peak into the Deeper Dungeons. Don’t force the cards to fit your story; let the cards tell you their stories. Choices Matter. Your choices have consequences. Once you choose cards for your character, you can’t trade them for other cards whenever you like. If a location makes you choose between attempting a check or banishing a card before closing it, you can’t attempt the check and then banish the card if you fail. If you roll too low on a Combat check, it’s too late to play a Strength spell to improve your result. Once you choose a side of a role card, you can’t switch to the other side. If something kills your character, your character dies. Every choice matters—take your choices seriously. October 2013 | back to top posted

What if a card tells me to do something impossible, like examine a card from an empty deck, or draw more cards than there are left in a deck?

Ignore the impossible part—and only that part—of the card. Resolution: On page 2 of the rulebook, at the end of the Golden Rule, add the following: "If a card instructs you to do something impossible, such as examine a card in an empty deck, ignore that instruction. If a card tells you to do something with a specific number of cards, and there aren't that many cards available, use as many as there are. For example, if you're told to draw 4 cards from a deck that has only 3 cards, draw the 3 cards. (Regardless of this, if you need to remove any number of cards from your deck and don't have enough, your character dies; if you need to remove any number of cards from the blessings deck and don't have enough, you lose the scenario.)" January 2014 | back to top posted

How do I read the d4? And can I really roll a 0 on the d10?

On the d4, read the number that’s upright when you look at the die. And the 0 on the d10 should be treated as a 10. Resolution: In the "Rules: Rolling Dice" sidebar on page 6 of the rulebook, add the following as a new paragraph at the beginning: “The game comes with five dice: a 4-sider, 6-sider, 8-sider, 10-sider, and 12-sider. When you roll the 4-sider, use the number that is upright. The 0 on the 10-sider should be treated as a 10.” October 2013 | back to top posted

I have a card that tells me to add a particular die to multiple checks. Do I roll the die once and add the same result to all of the checks, or do I roll it once for each check?

Roll once for each check. Resolution: In the Rolling Dice sidebar on page 6, the last sentence should be: If a card calls for a die roll that affects multiple characters or situations (for example, if it says that each character at a location is dealt 1d4 damage), roll separately for each. March 2014 | back to top posted

I'm drawing my starting hand, and my favored card is one of the last cards in the deck. After all that discarding, there are only a couple cards left. Do I just start with a smaller hand?

No—just draw the last few cards, which will guarantee you've finally got your favored card type (as long as you remembered to actually put any in your deck!), then shuffle your discards and continue filling your hand. Resolution: On page 7 of the rulebook, under "Draw Starting Hands," add the following, just before the last sentence: "If you discard so many cards that you can't draw up to your full hand size, draw all of the remaining cards, then shuffle the discard pile into your deck and draw the rest of your hand." September 2013 | back to top posted

Ezren's Illusionist role card says "▢ Add 2 (▢ 4) to your check to acquire a spell (▢ or ally)." I know I have to check the "Add 2" box before I can check the "(▢ 4)" box, but do I have to check the "(▢ 4)" box before I check the "(▢ or Ally)" box?

No, you may check the "(▢ or Ally)" box first, if you like. Resolution: On page 7 of the rulebook, under "Feats," change the following: "...you must check the unchecked box farthest to the left before you can check subsequent boxes"

to

"...you must check the unchecked box farthest to the left before you can check any immediately adjacent boxes" September 2013 | back to top posted

Do I really have to write on my character cards?

Not if you don't want to. If you like, you can track your cards with the handy Character Sheets we created. Resolution: On page 7 of the rulebook, under "Feats", change the last sentence of the first paragraph to end "...lightly check the feat boxes, or track your character with the free character sheets posted online at paizo.com/pacg." October 2013 | back to top posted

Does the role card count as a character card?

Kind of. It counts as part of the character card. Resolution: On page 8, at the end of the first paragraph under "Role Cards", change the following: "…of the original character card." to: "…of the original character card, and your role card counts as part of your character card." October 2013 | back to top posted

I've just advanced the blessings deck. How do I acquire the blessing on top?

You don't. Resolution: On page 9 of the rulebook, under "Advance the Blessings Deck", add the following after the first sentence: “You never acquire this card, though some cards may refer to it during your turn.” September 2013 | back to top posted

The rules say that if I have to advance the blessings deck and can't, my party loses the scenario. Does this mean that if the deck is empty, and something would cause me to remove a card from the blessings deck without actually advancing it, we don't lose?

No. You lose. Resolution: On page 8 of the rulebook, under Advance the Blessings Deck, replace the entire text with the following: "Flip the top card from the blessings deck faceup onto the top of the blessings discard pile. You never acquire this card, though some cards may refer to it during your turn. If you have to remove one or more cards from the blessings deck for any reason, and there are not enough cards to do so, the players lose the scenario (see Ending a Scenario, Adventure, or Adventure Path on page 18)." Also, on page 18 of the rulebook, under Ending a Scenario, Adventure, or Adventure Path, replace the first sentence with the following: "If, at any point, you need to remove one or more cards from the blessings deck but there are not enough cards remaining in it to do so, the scenario ends immediately, and your party of adventurers loses." January 2014 | back to top posted

If something happens "at the start of my turn," does it happen before or after advancing the blessings deck?

It happens after. Advancing the blessings deck is always the very first thing that happens on your turn. Resolution: On page 8 of the rulebook, under Advance the Blessings Deck, add the italicized text below: At the start of your turn, flip the top card from the blessings deck faceup onto the top of the blessings discard pile. You never acquire this card, though some cards may refer to it during your turn. If you have to remove one or more cards from the blessings deck for any reason and there are not enough cards to do so, the players lose the scenario (see Ending a Scenario, Adventure, or Adventure Path on page 18). After advancing the blessings deck, apply any other effects that happen at the start of your turn. March 2014 | back to top posted

Can I play a blessing or ally to explore my location before I take my "free" exploration on my turn?

No. The rulebook says that many effects allow you to explore again on your turn, and we mean that. Resolution: On page 9 of the rulebook, under "Explore," add the following before the first sentence: "You may explore your location once each turn without playing a card that allows you to explore; this must be your first exploration for the turn." Later in the paragraph, strike the sentence "You may explore your location once per turn." October 2013 | back to top posted

There's a bunch of stuff I don't understand about resetting my hand and ending my turn, especially when I can and can't play cards. Can you help?

Yes! We've rewritten the "Reset Your Hand" section of the rules to help with that. Resolution: On page 9 of the rulebook, replace the Reset Your Hand section with the following: "Reset Your Hand: First, apply any effects that happen at the end of the turn; if a power allows or directs you not to reset your hand, you must still apply any effects that happen at the end of the turn. You may play cards and use powers unless a power directed you to reset your hand and end your turn. After resolving these effects, you may no longer play cards or use powers for the rest of the turn. "Next, you may discard any number of cards. Then, if you have more cards in your hand than your hand size specifies, you must discard until the number of cards in your hand matches your hand size. Finally, if you have fewer cards than your hand size, you must draw cards until the number of cards in your hand matches your hand size." On the Turn Overview on the back page, change the Reset Your Hand entry to: Reset your hand—apply end-of-turn effects, then discard any number of cards; finally, discard down to or draw up to your hand size. January 2014 | back to top posted

How do I know if I can play (this card) to (do this thing) (at this time)?

Just read the card. If it says it does something, it does that, and doesn't do anything else that's not specified in this rulebook. If the card doesn't say when it can do what it says, it can do it whenever the situation is applicable and you're allowed to play cards at all. Resolution: On page 10 of the rulebook, under "Playing Cards", add this as the first sentence: "Anyone can play a card whenever the card allows it." September 2013 | back to top posted

I have a power that lets me discard a card to trigger an effect. If I discard a spell, can I recharge it?

You may only recharge cards that you play; playing involves triggering an effect on that card, not on some other card. Resolution: On page 10 of the rulebook, under "Playing Cards," change the following: "Playing a card means activating a card's power by revealing, displaying, discarding, recharging, burying, or banishing the card."

to

"Playing a card means activating that card's power by revealing, displaying, discarding, recharging, burying, or banishing that card. Doing something with a card that does not activate that card's power does not count as playing that card. For example, if Kyra discards a spell to activate her healing power, it doesn't count as playing that spell (meaning she also can't recharge it)." September 2013 | back to top posted

I've just acquired a spell that says "If you do not have the Arcane or Divine skill, banish this card." My character does not have a required skill. When exactly do I banish the card—when I acquire it, or when I play it? Also, if my character isn't a spellcaster, can I actually play it?

You can play it—once—and then you have to banish it. (As for not being a spellcaster, think of it as using a spell from a scroll.) Resolution: On page 10 of the rulebook, under "Playing Cards," add the following sentence to the end of the first paragraph: "Any paragraph in the power section of a boon that doesn't involve playing the card for a particular effect is not itself a power—it's a mandatory action that you must take when you play the card." September 2013 | back to top posted

Can I reveal two Belts of Incredible Dexterity over and over to add ∞ to my Dexterity?

Of course not. Any specific card's power can be activated once per check or step, and then it can't do that again until the next time you do something. So you cannot reveal a single Belt of Incredible Dexterity twice to add 2 to your Dexterity check, but you could reveal two copies once each; similarly, you cannot reveal a single Magic Shield three times to reduce a single instance of Combat damage dealt to you by 6, but you could reveal it once to reduce “before the encounter” combat damage dealt by a Scout, and then reveal it a second time to reduce Combat damage if you fail to defeat the Scout. Resolution: On page 9 of the Rulebook, under Playing Cards, add the following sentence to the definition of Reveal: "You may not reveal the same card for its power more than once per check or step." March 2014 | back to top posted

Can I play a card to reduce damage when damage is not being dealt, or play a card to evade a monster when I'm not encountering a monster?

No. Resolution: On page 10 of the rulebook, add the following as a new paragraph immediately after the example: "You may not activate a power that doesn't apply to your current situation. For example, you may not play a card to reduce damage when damage is not being dealt, or play a card to evade a monster when you are not encountering a monster." September 2013 | back to top posted

If something tells me I have to bury a card, can I choose a card from my discard pile?

Only if it says to bury it from your discard pile. Otherwise, you must bury it from your hand. Resolution: On page 9 of the rulebook, under Playing Cards, add the following sentence to the start of the paragraph beneath the Example sidebar: "If you are instructed to play, reveal, display, discard, recharge, bury, banish, or otherwise manipulate a card, that card must come from your hand unless otherwise specified." January 2014 | back to top posted

Does a location deck still count as a location deck if it's empty?

Yes—just as your deck still counts as your deck when it's empty, your hand still counts as your hand when it's empty, your discard pile still counts as your discard pile when it's empty, and so on. Resolution: On page 10, just before Encountering a Card, add the following to the end of the previous section: "A deck is a deck, a hand is a hand, and a pile is a pile, whether or not it has any cards in it." January 2014 | back to top posted

There's a bunch of stuff I just don't understand about encountering cards, especially when I can and can't play cards. Can you help?

Yes! We've rewritten the "Encountering a Card" section of the rules to help with that. Resolution: • On page 10 of the rulebook, under "Playing Cards", replace the paragraph that begins "If a card in your hand..." with the following sentence: "If a card in your hand does not specify when it can be played, you can generally play it at any time, with the exception that during an encounter you may only perform specific actions at specific times." • On the same page, replace the "Encountering a Card" section with the following text: "When you encounter a card, you—and only you—can go through the following steps. No one else can perform these steps for you, though other players might be able to play cards to help you deal with the encounter’s challenges. During each of these steps, you and the other players may perform only the specified actions. Players may only play cards or activate powers that relate to each step. Each player may play no more than 1 card of each type during each step; for example, no one player may play more than 1 blessing while attempting a check, though multiple players could each play 1 blessing during that check. Each player may activate any power no more than once during each step. Players may not play any cards or activate any powers between these steps. If the card you’re encountering states that it is immune to a particular trait, players may not play cards with the specified trait, use powers that would add that trait to the check, or roll dice with that trait during the encounter. After you flip over the top card of the location deck, put it on top of the deck and read it, then go through the following steps in order. Evade the card (optional). If you have a power or card that lets you evade the card you’re encountering, you may immediately shuffle it back into the deck; it is neither defeated nor undefeated, and the encounter is over.

If you have a power or card that lets you evade the card you’re encountering, you may immediately shuffle it back into the deck; it is neither defeated nor undefeated, and the encounter is over. Apply any effects that happen before the encounter, if needed.

Attempt the check. If the card is a boon, you may try to acquire it for your deck; if it’s a bane, you must try to defeat it (see Attempting a Check, below). If a bane’s “Check to Defeat” section says “None,” look at the bane’s powers, and immediately do whatever it says there.

If the card is a boon, you may try to acquire it for your deck; if it’s a bane, you must try to defeat it (see Attempting a Check, below). If a bane’s “Check to Defeat” section says “None,” look at the bane’s powers, and immediately do whatever it says there. Attempt the next check, if needed. If another check is required, such as if you played a boon with a check to recharge, or if your bane requires a second check to defeat, resolve it now. Repeat this step until you have resolved all such checks.

If another check is required, such as if you played a boon with a check to recharge, or if your bane requires a second check to defeat, resolve it now. Repeat this step until you have resolved all such checks. Apply any effects that happen after the encounter, if needed. Do this whether or not you succeeded at your checks. At this time, deal with any effects that were triggered by the checks. For example, If Ezren played a spell with the Arcane trait during the check, he may now use his power that allows him to examine the top card of his deck.

Do this whether or not you succeeded at your checks. At this time, deal with any effects that were triggered by the checks. For example, If Ezren played a spell with the Arcane trait during the check, he may now use his power that allows him to examine the top card of his deck. Resolve the encounter. If you succeed at all of the checks required to defeat a bane, banish it; if you don’t succeed, it is undefeated— shuffle the card back into its location deck. If you succeed at a check to acquire a boon, put it in your hand; otherwise, banish it." • On the back page of the rulebook, add the following as a new list: Evade the card (optional).

(optional). Apply any effects that happen before the encounter, if needed.

Attempt the check.

Attempt the next check, if needed.

Apply any effects that happen after the encounter, if needed.

Resolve the encounter. October 2013 | back to top posted

There's a bunch of stuff I just don't understand about attempting a check, especially when I can and can't play cards. Can you help?

Yes! We've rewritten the "Attempting a Check" section of the rules to help with that. Resolution: • On page 11 of the rulebook, replace the "Attempting a Check" section with the following text: Many times during the game, you will need to attempt a check to do something, such as acquiring a new weapon or defeating a monster. Each boon card has a section called “Check to Acquire.” This section indicates the skills that can be used in checks to acquire the boon, and the difficulty of the checks. If multiple checks are listed on the card with “or” between them, choose one of them. If you succeed at the check, put the card into your hand. If you fail, banish the card. Each bane card has a section called “Check to Defeat.” This section indicates the skills that can be used in checks against the bane, and the difficulty of the checks. If multiple checks are listed on the card with “or” between them, choose one of them. If there’s a “then” between them, you’ll need to succeed at both checks sequentially to defeat the bane; you must attempt both checks, even if you fail the first, because failure often has consequences. “Or” takes priority over “then,” so if a card says “Wisdom 10 or Combat 13 then Combat 15,” you must first attempt either a Wisdom check with a difficulty of 10 or a Combat check with a difficulty of 13, and then attempt a Combat check with a difficulty of 15. In the case of a bane that requires sequential checks, any character at that location can attempt one or more of the checks, as long as the character who encountered the bane attempts at least one of them. If you fail to defeat a bane, it is usually considered undefeated and is shuffled back into the location deck. If you fail a check to defeat a monster, you take damage (see Take Damage, If Necessary, below). If you defeat the bane, it is usually banished. Many cards also require checks to activate powers or to recharge the cards after playing them. Attempting a check requires several actions that are explained below. Remember that each player may not play more than one card of each type or activate any one power more than once during each check. Determine which die you’re using. Cards that require a check specify the skill or skills you can use to attempt the check. Each check to defeat or acquire a card lists one or more skills; you may choose any of the listed skills for your check. For example, if a check lists Dexterity, Disable, Strength, and Melee, you may use any one of those skills to attempt your check.

Most monsters and some barriers call for a combat check. Weapons and many other cards that can be used during combat generally tell you what skill to use when you attempt a combat check; if you don’t play such a card, use your Strength or Melee skill. (A few items that can be used in combat don’t use any of your skills; they instead specify the exact dice you need to roll or the result of your die roll.)

Some cards may allow you to replace the required skill for a check with a different one; as part of this action, you may play only 1 card or use only 1 power that changes the skill you are going to use. When you play a card that does this, add that card’s traits to the check; for example, revealing the weapon Longsword +1 for your combat check adds the Sword, Melee, Slashing, and Magic traits to the check. (This isn’t the same as giving you a skill; for example, the spell Holy Light adds the Divine trait to your check, but it does not give you the Divine skill.) Even if your character doesn’t have any of the skills listed for a check, you can still attempt the check (unless you’re trying to recharge a card; see Recharge on page 15), but your die is a d4.

Cards that require a check specify the skill or skills you can use to attempt the check. Each check to defeat or acquire a card lists one or more skills; you may choose any of the listed skills for your check. For example, if a check lists Dexterity, Disable, Strength, and Melee, you may use any one of those skills to attempt your check. Most monsters and some barriers call for a combat check. Weapons and many other cards that can be used during combat generally tell you what skill to use when you attempt a combat check; if you don’t play such a card, use your Strength or Melee skill. (A few items that can be used in combat don’t use any of your skills; they instead specify the exact dice you need to roll or the result of your die roll.) Some cards may allow you to replace the required skill for a check with a different one; as part of this action, you may play only 1 card or use only 1 power that changes the skill you are going to use. When you play a card that does this, add that card’s traits to the check; for example, revealing the weapon Longsword +1 for your combat check adds the Sword, Melee, Slashing, and Magic traits to the check. (This isn’t the same as giving you a skill; for example, the spell Holy Light adds the Divine trait to your check, but it does not give you the Divine skill.) Even if your character doesn’t have any of the skills listed for a check, you can still attempt the check (unless you’re trying to recharge a card; see Recharge on page 15), but your die is a d4. Determine the difficulty. To succeed at the check, the result of your die roll and modifiers must be greater than or equal to the difficulty of the check. In checks to defeat a bane or acquire a boon, the difficulty is the number in the circle under the skill you’ve chosen. In other checks, the difficulty is the number in the text that follows the skill you’ve chosen. (For example, where a card’s power instructs you to attempt a Fortitude 7 check, the difficulty is 7.) Some cards increase or decrease the difficulty of a check; for example, if a card says that the difficulty is increased by 2, add 2 to the number on the card you encountered; if it says that the difficulty is decreased by 2, subtract 2 from the number.

To succeed at the check, the result of your die roll and modifiers must be greater than or equal to the difficulty of the check. In checks to defeat a bane or acquire a boon, the difficulty is the number in the circle under the skill you’ve chosen. In other checks, the difficulty is the number in the text that follows the skill you’ve chosen. (For example, where a card’s power instructs you to attempt a Fortitude 7 check, the difficulty is 7.) Some cards increase or decrease the difficulty of a check; for example, if a card says that the difficulty is increased by 2, add 2 to the number on the card you encountered; if it says that the difficulty is decreased by 2, subtract 2 from the number. Play cards and use powers that affect the check (optional). Players may now play cards or use powers that affect the check. Players may not play cards that modify a skill unless you’re using that skill, and players may not play cards that affect combat unless you’re attempting a combat check. Do not add traits from these cards to the check; for example, playing the spell Guidance on a check does not give the check the Divine trait.

Players may now play cards or use powers that affect the check. Players may not play cards that modify a skill unless you’re using that skill, and players may not play cards that affect combat unless you’re attempting a combat check. Do not add traits from these cards to the check; for example, playing the spell Guidance on a check does not give the check the Divine trait. Assemble your dice. The skill you’re using and the cards you played determine the number and type of dice you roll. For example, if you’re attempting a check using your Strength skill, and your Strength die is d10, you’ll roll 1d10. If another player played a blessing to add a die to your check, you’ll roll 2d10.

The skill you’re using and the cards you played determine the number and type of dice you roll. For example, if you’re attempting a check using your Strength skill, and your Strength die is d10, you’ll roll 1d10. If another player played a blessing to add a die to your check, you’ll roll 2d10. Attempt the roll. Roll the dice and add up their value, adding or subtracting any modifiers that apply to the check. If the result is equal to or greater than the difficulty of the check, then you succeed. If the result is lower than the difficulty, then you fail. No matter how many penalties are applied to a die roll, the result cannot be reduced below 0.

Roll the dice and add up their value, adding or subtracting any modifiers that apply to the check. If the result is equal to or greater than the difficulty of the check, then you succeed. If the result is lower than the difficulty, then you fail. No matter how many penalties are applied to a die roll, the result cannot be reduced below 0. Take damage, if necessary. If you fail a check to defeat a monster, it deals an amount of damage to you equal to the difference between the difficulty to defeat the monster and your check result. Unless the card specifies otherwise, this damage is Combat damage. For example, if the difficulty to defeat a monster is 10 and the result of your check is 8, the monster deals 2 Combat damage to you. See Taking Damage, below. Remember that players may not play more than one of each card type during a check, so if you previously played a spell to affect the check, you may not play a spell to reduce damage. • On the back page of the rulebook, modify “Attempting Checks” to read as follows (and rename to “Attempting a Check”): Determine which die you’re using.

Determine the difficulty.

Play cards and use powers that affect the check (optional).

(optional). Assemble your dice.

Attempt the roll.

Take Damage if you fail a check to defeat a monster. October 2013 | back to top posted

If Ezren is attempting to defeat a monster that requires two checks to defeat, and he casts an Arcane spell in each check, when does he get to examine the top card of his deck, when does he attempt to recharge the spells, and how many times does he get to examine his deck?

After he attempts the first check, he gets to examine his deck. Then, he attempts to recharge the spell he played on the first check. Then, he attempts the second check required by the monster, and examines his deck again. Finally, he attempts to recharge the spell he played on the second check. (This assumes that both of his spells would have been discarded after being played. If a spell was instead displayed, he wouldn't attempt to recharge it until it would be discarded.) Note that if he somehow managed to play two Arcane spells on a single check, he would only get to examine his deck once, as he can't activate the same power twice during a single step. Resolution: On page 10 of the rulebook, under Encountering a Card, change "Players may only play cards or activate powers that relate to each step" to "Players may only play cards or use powers that relate to each step, or relate to cards played or powers used in the step." At the end of Attempt the Check, add "After you attempt the check, deal with any effects that were triggered by the check." Under Apply Any Effects That Happen After the Encounter, If Needed, delete "At this time, deal with any effects that were triggered by the checks. For example, if Ezren played a spell with the Arcane trait during the check, he may now use the power that allows him to examine the top card of his deck." March 2014 | back to top posted

If I'm making a Perception check, and my Perception is based on my Wisdom, do cards that help Wisdom checks help my Perception?

Yes. Resolution: On page 11, insert this paragraph at the end of "Play cards and use powers that affect the check": "Some cards and powers affect only specific types of checks, such as Dexterity checks, Acrobatics checks, or noncombat checks. If, on your character card, the skill you're using refers to another skill, both skills count for the purpose of determining the type of check. For example, if you're using the Arcane skill on a combat check, and your character card says that your Arcane skill is Intelligence +2, the check counts as both an Arcane combat check and an Intelligence combat check. Traits also determine the type of check; for example, if you're making a combat check and you played a weapon that added the Ranged trait, it counts as a Ranged combat check." October 2013 | back to top posted

There's a bunch of stuff I just don't understand about taking damage. Can you help?

Yes! We've rewritten the "Taking Damage" section of the rules to help with that. Resolution: On page 12 of the rulebook, before "Examining and Searching", add the following new section: Taking Damage

When you are dealt damage, you and other players may play cards and use powers that reduce or otherwise affect the specific type of damage you’re being dealt. If you’re being dealt Fire damage, for example, you may play cards that reduce Fire damage, or cards that reduce all damage, but you may not play cards that reduce only Electricity or Poison damage. Each player may play no more than one of each card type to affect damage to the same character from the same source. If a card says it reduces damage, with no type listed, it reduces all types of damage. When you are dealt an amount of damage, choose that number of cards from your hand and discard them. If you don’t have enough cards in your hand, discard your entire hand and ignore the rest of the damage. October 2013 | back to top posted

The example on page 12 says that Seoni's Arcane skill is her Charisma die plus 1—shouldn't it be plus 2?

Yes, it should. Resolution: On page 12 of the rulebook, change sentences 4 and 5 of the example as follows: "Her character card says her Arcane skill uses her Charisma die, which is d12, plus 2. She rolls a 3 and adds 2 for a result of 5, 1 less than she needed to acquire the spell." September 2013 | back to top posted

What happens if a summoned creature would cause more creatures to be summoned? Can there be an infinite number of Ancient Skeleton henchmen in Black Fang's Dungeon?

Summoned cards cannot cause other cards to be summoned. Resolution: On page 12 of the rulebook, under "Summoning and Adding Cards," add the following sentence to the end of the first paragraph: "Summoned cards cannot cause other cards to be summoned." September 2013 | back to top posted

A card is telling me that everyone needs to summon and encounter the monster I'm fighting. Do I really have to go fetch cards from the box for that? And what happens if there are no other copies in the box?

The good news: You don't need to go to the box. The bad news: Even if the monster is unique, the rest of the party doesn't get to avoid it. Resolution: On page 12 of the rulebook, under Summoning and Adding cards, replace the first paragraph with the following: "Sometimes you will be told to summon a card and encounter it, or to add a card to a deck. When this happens, retrieve the card from the box. However, if you're told to summon and encounter a card that's already in play, just imagine that you have another copy of that card for the new encounter; this summoned copy ceases to exist at the end of the encounter. Summoned cards cannot cause other cards to be summoned." January 2014 | back to top posted

Can I evade a summoned monster? What do I do with it?

You can. Like any other summoned card, it goes back in the box when you're done with it. But it's important to note that while most cards that summon things require you to "summon and encounter" a monster, there are cards that ask you to "summon and defeat" a monster for an effect. If you evade that monster, it's not defeated, so the effect won't be triggered. Resolution: On page 12 of the rulebook, under "Summoning and Adding Cards," change the following: "After encountering a summoned card, return it to the box..."

to

"After evading or resolving all checks against a summoned card, banish it..." September 2013 | back to top posted

Do summoned cards ever get returned to location decks?

No. Summoned cards don't come out of location decks, so they can't return to them—they always get banished to the box when you're done with them. Resolution: On page 13 of the rulebook, add the following after the sentence "If the summoned card is a villain or henchman, defeating it does not allow you to close a location or win the scenario—ignore any such text on those cards": "Summoned cards are not part of any location deck." January 2014 | back to top posted

If I encounter a Skeleton Horde and I don't have enough Ancient Skeleton henchmen cards in the box for all the players to encounter, what happens?

Resolve each encounter sequentially, including the part where you banish it at the end. This means that as long as there's one in the box for anybody to fight, there's one in the box for everybody to fight. Resolution: On page 12 of the rulebook, under "Summoning and Adding Cards", after "...unless you're instructed otherwise," add the following sentence:

"If an effect causes multiple characters to summon and encounter cards, resolve the encounters sequentially, in any order you like, including banishing the card at the end of the encounter." September 2013 | back to top posted

Blessing of Gozreh lets me add dice to a check to close a location. If a location makes me defeat a monster to close it, does the Blessing help on the check to defeat the monster?

No—when we say "check to close a location", we mean a check specifically listed in the "When Closing" box on a location card. Resolution: On page 13 of the rulebook, under "Closing a Location", add the following after the first sentence: "Locations often require specific checks to close them; otherwise, they list specific tasks you must perform." January 2014 | back to top posted

Shrine to Lamashtu's When Closing box says "Succeed at a Divine 6 check or banish a blessing." Can I attempt the check and if I fail, banish a blessing?

No. You have to make the choice and live with the results. Resolution: On page 13 of the rulebook, under "Closing a Location", following the second sentence in the second paragraph, add the following sentence: "If the 'When Closing' text offers multiple options separated by 'or', you must make your choice of options before you make any rolls or play any cards. September 2013 | back to top posted

The rules say that my character dies if I have to draw a card from my deck, but can't. So if I'm forced to bury a card from my empty deck, that doesn't kill my character, right?

He has passed on. This character is no more! He has ceased to be. He's expired and gone to meet his maker. He's a stiff. Bereft of life, he rests in peace. He's kicked the bucket, he's shuffled off his mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible. He is an ex-character! Resolution: On page 14 of the rulebook, under Dying, change the first sentence to: "If, for any reason, you are ever required to remove one or more cards from your deck and you don't have enough cards, your character dies." January 2014 | back to top posted

When I die, are all my cards buried?

Yes. Resolution: On page 13 of the rulebook, under Dying, change "Place any cards in your deck, hand, and discard pile under your character card" to "Bury your deck, hand, and discard pile." April 2014 | back to top posted

Are the text boxes on story cards considered powers?

Yes. Resolution: On page 14 of the rulebook, adjust the following sentences as indicated in bold: Under Story Cards:

The front of each story card includes powers for playing it. Some rules are used during play, and some are used as you set up a particular scenario, so make sure you read them right away. Under Locations:

At This Location: These are special powers that are in effect while the location is open. When Permanently Closed: When a location is permanently closed, the powers listed here go into effect. January 2014 | back to top posted

In the Rise of the Runelords rules, it says that if you do not have at least one of the skills required to recharge a card, you can't recharge it. But that rule has changed in Skull & Shackles. How do I apply that change to Rise of the Runelords?

Do the following. Resolution: On page 15 of the rulebook, under "Recharge," replace the first two sentences with the following: This explains circumstances under which you may recharge the card—put it on the bottom of your deck—after playing it; it usually appears on cards that you would otherwise be required to discard. Usually, recharging requires a skill check. If the card is a spell, and you don’t have at least one of the skills listed for the check, you will usually be required to banish the spell. Otherwise, you may attempt to recharge the card using a d4 as your die. Also, on the back cover, under "A Few Rules That Are Easy to Forget," replace the third and fourth bullet points with the following: • If your character doesn’t have any of the skills listed for a check, you can attempt the check using a d4. September 2014 | back to top posted

When a card tells me to select a random card, how do I do it?

Shuffle the hand, deck, or pile of cards and then draw. Yes, this can indeed have major effects on the deck. Resolution: Add a "Rules" sidebar to the rulebook (we will probably add it on page 15) that says the following:

"Rules: Randomizing Cards

Whenever you are instructed to choose random cards, shuffle the cards you're drawing from and draw from the top." September 2013 | back to top posted

The die on some wands doesn't mention a skill—it's just a fixed die type. Can I use a blessing to get an extra die? What type of die do I add?

You can use a blessing; it will add more of the type listed on the card. Resolution: On page 16 of the rulebook, change the last sentence of the "Blessing" section to:

"The dice added are normally of the type associated with the skill the character is using for the check; if a card instead specifies the exact dice to roll for the check, the added dice are of the type specified by that card." September 2013 | back to top posted

Can cards like the Staff of Heaven and Earth be used to defeat a bane that lists the check to defeat as "None"?

No. Resolution: On page 17 of the rulebook, replace the "Check to Defeat" section with the following: "Check to Defeat: This is the skill check or combat check needed to defeat the bane. If the check is listed as "None", the bane cannot be defeated. You normally take damage if you fail a check to defeat a monster (see Take Damage, If Necessary on page 12)." December 2013 | back to top posted

Do temporarily closed locations really stay closed until the end of the turn?

No—just until the end of the encounter. Resolution: On page 17 of the rulebook, under "Attempt to Temporarily Close Open Locations," change "the villain cannot escape there this turn" to "the villain cannot escape there during this encounter". February 2014 | back to top posted

The rulebook says that if I fail a scenario, I need to try again. Can I move ahead now, and try again later?

No. Resolution: On page 18 of the rulebook, under Ending a Scenario, Adventure, or Adventure Path, change the last sentence of the first paragraph to: "You do not earn the reward on the scenario card, and if you’re playing an adventure, you didn’t complete that scenario; you will need to replay it successfully before you can attempt the next scenario in the adventure." January 2014 | back to top posted

Can I keep replaying scenarios to get lots and lots of rewards?

You can replay scenarios in the hopes of acquiring better boons through exploration, but a character can't gain the reward for a given scenario more than once. Resolution: On page 19 of the rulebook, at the end of the second paragraph of "Ending a Scenario", add the following: "No character may gain a reward from a given scenario, adventure, or Adventure Path more than once." September 2013 | back to top posted

In the Example of Play, the players are playing Black Fang's Dungeon, but the henchmen they're encountering are Bandits. Shouldn't they be Ancient Skeletons?

Yep. There are a handful of little issues with that example. Try this one instead: Resolution: On page 20 of the rulebook, replace the "Example of Play" section with the following: Edward and Monica sit down to play their third session of the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, using the scenario Black Fang’s Dungeon. Edward has opted to play the mighty wizard Ezren, and Monica plays Merisiel, the rogue. After setting up the location and blessings decks, Edward and Monica decide to start their characters together in the location Throne Room, so they put their token cards near the Throne Room card. Both players draw their starting hands, but since Monica’s hand doesn’t include any item cards—Merisiel’s favored card type—she has to discard her hand and draw again. This time, she gets an item—a Blast Stone—so she keeps her new hand and shuffles the old one back into her deck. Edward begins play by advancing the blessings deck, and then he chooses to have Ezren explore the Throne Room. He flips the top card over to reveal the spell Acid Arrow, which has a check to acquire of Intelligence or Arcane 4. Edward looks at his character card and sees that Ezren’s Arcane skill is d12+2, better than his Intelligence skill of just d12. He rolls a 7 and adds 2 for a total of 9, which easily exceeds the difficulty. Edward adds the Acid Arrow to his hand. Since he has just acquired a card with the Magic trait, one of Ezren’s special powers triggers, allowing him to immediately explore again. Edward flips over the next card of the location deck to discover an Ancient Skeleton henchman! Monica and Edward are excited because they know that defeating the henchman will allow them to close the Throne Room and move one step closer to completing the scenario and winning the game. The scenario’s special rule is “When any character encounters an Ancient Skeleton henchman, each other character at that location must summon and encounter an Ancient Skeleton henchman.” This means Merisiel must encounter one too, but Monica’s not worried—Merisiel has a power that allows her to evade her encounter, so she banishes her summoned Ancient Skeleton right away. To defeat his Ancient Skeleton, Ezren must attempt a combat check. Edward opts to play the Acid Arrow spell he just acquired, which lets him roll his Arcane die—d12+2—plus 2d4 for his check. The difficulty of the check is 8, and Edward wants to make absolutely sure he’ll succeed, so Monica plays her Blast Stone to add another 1d4 to the check. Edward assembles 1d12 and 3d4, and rolls a total value of 12, then adds 2 (the “+2” from his Arcane skill) to get a result of 14. Now Edward can try to recharge his Acid Arrow. The card says he must succeed at an Arcane 6 check, so he rolls d12+2 and gets a 9. He puts the card at the bottom of his deck. Playing the Acid Arrow spell triggered another of Ezren’s powers: after he plays a spell with the Arcane trait, he can examine the top card of his character deck, and if it’s a spell, he can add it to his hand. The top card is the spell Levitate, so he puts it in his hand. Best of all, because Ezren succeeded at the check, the Ancient Skeleton is defeated; Edward banishes it. Edward can now immediately attempt to close the Throne Room. To do so, he must attempt a Charisma or Diplomacy check with a difficulty of 6. Ezren doesn’t have the Diplomacy skill, and his Charisma die is just d6, so the odds aren’t in his favor. Monica sees that her friend could use some help, so she plays a Blessing of the Gods on Ezren’s Charisma check. Though Monica has 2 blessings in her hand, she can only play 1 card of any given type on a particular check, so she keeps the second blessing for later. Edward rolls 1d6 for Ezren’s Charisma die and another 1d6 for the blessing, and gets exactly 6. The Throne Room is now closed, and Ezren and Merisiel are one step closer to defeating Black Fang’s Dungeon. He gained 2 cards and played only 1, so if he resets his hand now, he'll need to discard down to his hand size of 6. Instead, he plays his new Levitate spell to move to the Desecrated Vault, but rolls a 5 on his recharge roll, and discards the card. Since he played a spell, his power lets him look at the top card of his deck, which is a Codex. That's not a spell, so he puts that back on his deck, and the turn passes to Monica. Black Fang’s days are numbered! October 2013 | back to top posted

What's the deal with the Starknife and Half-Plate on the suggested deck lists? They don't have the Basic trait!

That's a mistake. It's a pretty small one, though—if you've already built your deck with those cards, don't worry about it! Resolution: On page 21 of the rulebook, replace Kyra's and Seelah's Half-Plate with Chain Mail, and replace Harsk's Starknife with a Sling. September 2013 | back to top posted

The rulebook says that you can use the suggested deck lists to build any of the listed characters with any others, but there's only one Potion of Vision in the Base Set, and both Harsk and Merisiel have one; also, there are only two Burglars, but Lem, Merisiel, and Seoni each call for one. What should I do?