Frequently Asked Questions
about the INWO cards

Created by Steve Jackson

Prepared by John Fiala, Master of Steam.
Based on the earlier work of Steve Hatherley and John Karakash.
Changed entries indicated by  (or by *** if Steve did 'em)

Updated November 2001 by Steve Brinich
Copyright © by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated.

There are separate files for frequently asked rules questions and for genuine errata.

Now including the Assassins Errata and play FAQ.

Plus, for those questions that go beyond 'Frequently Asked' we have the new Very Frequently Asked Questions page! New stuff will be added here as it is deemed worthy of inclusion.

Many of these questions were dealt with in the Unlimited Edition by wording changes; any mention to a change in wording refers to the Unlimited Edition (and in the Factory Set, which has the same text) unless "ERRATA" is given for the card.

General Classifications

Specific Cards

General Classifications

 
+10 Plot Cards
New wording for +10 cards: change the second paragraph to read:
"If used with an action, it must be played when that action is first declared, and counts only for the power of that action, not for other effects. If used for defense the bonus lasts until the end of the current turn, is good only for the strength of the defense(s), not for other effects, and does not count toward Goals. This card may only count once in any given action or defense."
These cards can give +10 to Power for the rest of the turn, if used for defense against an Attack to Destroy. Is it legal to set up a situation in which the Group survives and uses its increased Power in an attack? No. Sneaky idea, but no. We changed the card wording to make that explicit.
Can you have more than one +10 Plot on a Group at one time? Yes, as long as they are different cards.
If I play a +10 card on a Group that has more than one Action token (and can use them for one attack, like Germany), is the power of the attack raised by +10, or is each token increased by +10? The total power of the attack is raised by +10, no matter how many tokens are used.
Can I use these with Instant Attacks that allow certain Groups to spend an action and add their Power (various Assassinations, Annual Convention, Plague of Demons)? Yes -- the +10 is being applied to increase the Power of the action, not to the Instant Attack directly.
"Agents" Cards
Does immunity to a certain Group include immunity to an "agents" card for that Group? No. Immunity only applies to cards in play.
Do changes to a card on the table (such as alignment changes) affect Agents for that Group? This could be important with cards like Feminists wandering around... The Agent card in hand has the same alignments and attributes as the Group in play.
Alignment Bonuses
Alignment bonuses count as bonuses of the attacking Group (e.g. you get them when using a Truck Bomb).
Alignment Changers
If you use an Illuminati action to power one of these cards, do you need any other Groups? No. One of these cards can be powered either by your Illuminati action, or by actions(s) from Groups of the desired alignment.
What if the target Group has 0 Power? You still have to spend an Action token, but it can be of any Power down to and including zero.
Alignment Penalties
There are a few cards that give a bonus to do something involving an alignment instead of a penalty. Can you explain this further? (Especially when the alignments change?) Certainly. Take it a step at a time. For example, the Tobacco Companies "have a +8, not the normal -4, for direct control of any Government Group". There are really two special abilities here: 1) ignore penalties caused by the Corporate/Government opposition, and 2) +8 bonus for direct control of any Government Group. They are treated as one special ability with two effects.
When Tobacco Companies attacks to control a Government Group, it gets a +8 bonus and ignores the usual -4 penalty for Corp/Gov opposed alignment. TC, stripped of the Corporate alignment, still gets the +8 bonus. TC, changed to a Government Group, now gets the +8 bonus and a +4 bonus for the alignment match!
(The C.I.A. and A.A.D.A. have similar special abilities. Watch a Corporate C.I.A. destroy Bavaria's best Government structure! See TV Preachers for a particularly interesting example of such a special ability.)
Attribute Freeze!
If an attribute (Science, for example) is frozen, can I still use an "agents" card to assist in taking over a Group with that attribute from a rival? Yes. A careful reading of the Freeze card makes clear exactly what its effects are.
Canceler Cards
Can a canceler card (such as Hoax) block Instant attacks? Absolutely. It eliminates the Plot card that created the instant attack. There was no Plague of Demons -- it was all just a hoax.
Can a third player cancel a Privileged Attack card? Yes -- rivals can't interfere with a Privileged Attack, but they can negate the Plot or special ability that made it Privileged in the first place.
If I play a Hoax to block a Plot card and someone Hoaxes my Hoax, can I play a Hoax on their Hoax to let my first one go through? Not exactly, but close. You cannot play the same Plot card twice in one attack. So while you couldn't Hoax their Hoax (That would mean that both of your Hoaxes count as played), you could play a second Hoax on the Plot card that you Hoaxed in the first place (since your first Hoax was canceled, it is treated as if it never happened, so the second one doesn't count as "played twice in one attack").
Card Names
When a Place refers to itself by name on the card, does that special ability still work if the place is Partitioned and given a new name? All references on a Group card to itself by name are self-referential. Its special ability still works on itself, even though its name may change, and does not work on any other Group that somehow ends up with the same name.
Also, references to a card's name refer only to cards with that printed name -- if you partition Germany into "England" and "Australia", then Margaret Thatcher does not get a bonus to control this new "England".
Destroyed Resources
If a Resource whose effect has a duration (such as OMCL's alignment change) is destroyed, does the effect vanish immediately? Yes indeed.
Goals
Some cards affect exposed Goal cards. But aren't Goals exposed only at the end of the game? Not necessarily. If you have a Goal card in your hand, it can be exposed just like any other Plot card.
Does a Goal count as exposed when you play it for a win? No. Nothing can touch the Goal card during a victory attempt. If the attempt to win is thwarted, the Goal will then become exposed.
Can you hold more than one Goal Card if they have the same goal? No, you can't hold two or more Goal cards (unless some card specifically lets you) regardless of what's on them.
There seems to be conflicting rules... Can you return a Goal Card to your deck if draw more than you legal limit? Yes you can!
Illuminati Cards
When played, Illuminati cards are considered to be Groups. When in your hand (hidden or exposed) or in your deck, Illuminati cards are considered to be Plots. They can be discarded as Plots, but once in the discard pile, they are considered to be Groups for scavenging purposes.
Thus for the most part they are treated like Plot cards, yet they can be salvaged with Recycling Centers, burned with The Thule Group, etc. They cannot be copied with the Copy Shops; while it is true that an exposed (but not played!) Illuminati Group is treated just like an exposed Plot, it cannot be played like a Plot -- and Copy Shops requires you to play the Plot you copy.
(It is often said that Illuminati Groups are Plot cards, but not Plots, in the same way that Resources are Group cards, but not Groups. Conceptually, this is an excellent explanation. Unfortunately, it can be a little misleading, since other cards use the wording "Plot" and "Plot card" interchangeably. The explanation above is hopefully less confusing.)
Instant Attacks
Do you get the +5 rival Illuminati bonus on Instant Attacks? No. The only things that affect Instant Attacks are the target's proximity to the Illuminati and cards that specifically mention Instant Attacks, Assassinations, or Disasters.
Paralyze+-
Can the Paralyze be removed at any time or just during the player's turn? At any time... most certainly during victory attempts!
Can Resources linked to paralyzed Groups be relinked?  Yes.
If I paralyze the Bobbies, does that mean that I no longer have to control an extra Group to win, because the Bobbies don't count "towards" my Goals? Sorry, no.
Power Boosting Cards
If I have a (for example) Nobel Peace Prize in play, what happens if I take over a Group that also has a Nobel Peace Prize? You must discard one of the Nobel Peace Prizes.
Undestroyable Groups
Can you attack to destroy an undestroyable Group? Can you make an attack against a Group that you may not destroy (For instance, Shangri-La attacking a non-Violent Group) if the attack is doomed to failure or is it a Disaster that can only devastate? No, you may never make an Attack to Destroy against an undestroyable Group or a Group you cannot destroy, even if the attack has no chance to actually destroy the target.
If a Group "cannot be destroyed", or if Group A says that Group B cannot be destroyed or attacked, does that include Instants? Yes -- an absolute prohibition on attacks includes Instants.
What if Group A says that attacks to Group B suffer a penalty -- does that include Instants? No. Attack bonuses and penalties don't affect Instant Attacks unless the card specifically says so.
Can you aid an Attack to Destroy even if you cannot destroy the target yourself (e.g. can the Gnomes of Zurich aid an attack to destroy Switzerland?) Yes.
Can you use a triggered effect that could destroy a Group even if you cannot destroy it directly (e.g. if a non-Violent Group attacks Shangri-La and triggers the Ark of the Covenant, is it destroyed)? Yes (and the destruction counts for your Goals).
What about the use of Upheaval? This is not an Attack to Destroy, so (for example) the Gnomes could play Upheaval! and discard Switzerland.
United States Cards (as in "part of the US")
What cards count as "part of the US" for Bill Clinton's bonus? "Any card that is named after a particular place in the US would qualify for a Clinton bonus if it becomes Government, whether it is actually designated a Place or not. Other cards would not qualify. Thus, for instance, Hollywood and Silicon Valley would qualify. So do Wall Street and Madison Avenue.
Yes, this begs the definitional question of whether other places would be 'part of the government' if they gained the Government alignment. We acknowledge that certain non-place Groups are arguably "part of the US," but only in the sense that they are primarily 'American.' Rather than argue over, and list, every Corporate Group in the game, we offer this ruling, which can be applied not only to existing cards but also to homemade, foreign and yet-to-be-created cards." --Steve Jackson
See also the discussion of Bill Clinton in the VFAQ.
Zaps+-
Does a Zap only affect the things that your Illuminati Group itself can do? No! A Zap has the stated effect on your entire Power Structure until it is removed. In particular, a "can't take over foo Groups" Zap means that such Groups can't be taken over at all while the Zap is in effect.
Can I play a Zap in the middle of an attack to make that attack illegal? If so, what happens? The attack is made illegal and is canceled.

Specific Cards

 
Adepts of Hermes
In a One Big Deck or SubGenius game that has an uncontrolled area instead of a Group hand, the Adepts' special ability is considered to be "Once per turn, you may reroll a failed Attack to Control a Group from the uncontrolled area.  The second roll counts."
Alien Abduction+-
ERRATA! The second half of this card now reads:
"Alternatively, at any time except during an attack, spend a Space or UFOs action to play this card on a Personality in your hand (or in play but uncontrolled) to take control of them automatically."
What is "in play but uncontrolled" (when does this condition occur)? This occurs in One Big Deck/SubGenius rules games, where people do not have Group hands, and instead all uncontrolled Groups that you can try to control are face up in a common uncontrolled Group area.
Alternate Goals
ERRATA! The card now reads:
"You may possess an extra Goal card, and win with any Goal in your hand! You still may not combine multiple Goal cards in any way.
"Keep this card in your hand. Alternatively, you may play this card as a Plot which stays in front of you for the rest of the game."
Is this card played to let you hold an extra Goal for the rest of the game, or held in your hand (taking up a Plot card slot in addition to the two Goal cards)? Either way. You may either hold it in your hand (where counts against your hand limit) or play it (once played, it doesn't count against your hand limit). The card has been erratified to make this clear.
A.M.A.
The reworded A.M.A. still seems a bit unclear... Sorry about that. It should also say, "May aid or oppose any attack made by, or against, any Science Group."
And Stay Dead!
If I destroy a Group that can have multiple copies in play and then play And STAY Dead, does that prevent anyone from playing additional copies of the Group? No -- the And STAY Dead would be a change to that copy of the Group, and would not affect other copies.
If I eliminate an Illuminati by removing its last Group, can I play And STAY Dead! on the Illuminati to prevent someone from Unmasking as that Illuminati later? No -- Illuminati are Groups that can have multiple copies in play, so the previous answer applies.
If an Illuminati Group is discarded via the Thule Group or whatever, can I play And Stay Dead! and prevent anyone from playing that Illuminati as an agents card later? No -- And STAY Dead does not affect the playing of "agents".
Can you play And STAY Dead! on a duplicate of a Group in play? No.  While this Plot will work on either discarded or destroyed Groups, the Group in the situation described isn't dead, so it can't stay that way.
Angel's Feather
Note that Devastation is a successful attack. Even though it doesn't destroy the target, Angel's Feather forces a re-roll if its protected Place is Devastated, possibly resulting in complete destruction. Ah, the vagaries of life!
Annual Convention
Can I use a +10 card when a Magic or Weird Science Group interferes with this attack? Yes -- see +10 Plot Cards.
Antitrust Legislation+-
ERRATA! The card now reads:
"When this card is played, each player may move his Groups before it goes into effect, at the cost of discarding one Plot card for each move or three Plot cards for a complete reorganization. These discards may come from hand or deck.
"While this NWO is in effect, Corporate Groups that control or are controlled by other Corporate Groups lose their Action tokens and cannot get new ones or use their special abilities.
"This card replaces any Yellow NWO card in play."
Apathy+-
If Apathy is played in the middle of an attack, making the use of aiding actions illegal, what happens to them? They are lost. But you might be able to find them hanging around the mall, not doing much of anything.
Ark of the Covenant
If Ark of the Covenant is linked to your last Group and that Group is destroyed, is the attacker still destroyed? Yes. You're out of the game, of course, unless you are Cthulhu wiping out your own Group to make your destruction goal.
World War III is in play, and the AotC has the name of a Nation (e.g. France) under it. If France attacks another Nation (e.g. Germany) and fails, then WWIII causes France to be destroyed. What happens to Germany? The WWIII text says that France's destruction is credited to Germany's owner, but not to Germany specifically. Treat it as if their Illuminati did the deed -- the owner of Germany must pick one of his Groups to be destroyed.
The Ark of the Covenant states: "The destroyed enemy group counts for your Goals" -- does this mean that the AotC isn't triggered if you destroy the Group yourself? No, in this case "enemy" is considered to be misleading color text. It still works if the attacking Group is yours.
Are We Having Fun Yet?
What can this cancel? Any one Group action using an Action token or one use of a special ability (see definition in the VFAQ).
Note that "one use" means that if you were (for example) attacking Vatican City with five Peaceful Groups, you would need five AWHFY cards to cancel Vatican City's immunity -- one for each Group that would normally be blocked.
When would you play AWHFY when someone tries, for example, to bring back General Disorder using his special ability? You use AWHFY when the special ability is declared or used -- in this case, when he tries to put General Disorder back in his power structure. However, AWHFY only cancels one use -- General Disorder would return at the beginning of his owner's next turn!
Can I use it against OPEC's variable Power? No. Thats an instruction, not a special ability.
Can this cancel such special abilities as Moonbase's immunity to certain Disasters or other "natural" special abilities? This doesn't make any sense, given the card represents boredom with the conspiracy. It doesn't make sense. There are other cards that don't always make sense if you apply real-world common sense to a specific combination. But, these are clearly special abilities, so yes, Are We Having Fun Yet? can cancel them. The Secret Masters are stranger than we thought.
Arise!
What if I get a new puppet after I play Arise! but before my turn ends? You stay in the game, but you don't win.  A close reading of Arise! indicates that not being eliminated is an unconditional result of playing Arise!, but winning depends on not having any puppets at the end of the turn.
If I play Arise!, does my Illuminati count as destroyed for Goals (Fratricide or Servants of Cthulhu)?  Yes.  This can result in a shared victory.
Australia+-
Australia gets +10 against any Attack to Destroy. Since this does not mention Instants (like China does,) this does not help against Disasters, correct? Correct.
Australian Rules+-
When do you get to draw your Plot card? You draw after the dice are rolled. (Note that if you have less than a 2 to succeed on the attack roll, you don't roll, and don't get a Plot card.)
Backlash
Can Backlash be used to discard Plots that cause two changes, such as Dictatorship and Messiah? No, the card specifically says "one change".
Can I use Backlash to get rid of a Dictatoship if the Group was already Violent (so the only thing Dictatorship actually changed was the +2 Power)?  No. Cards with two effects (e.g. Dictatorship, False Overman) are considered to have two effects even if one of them doesn't actually change anything.
Can Backlash cancel half of a Plot card? For example taking away the +2 Power, but not the Violent alignment change that comes with Dictatorship? No. Backlash says, "remove the link and discard the plot card".
Can Backlash cancel the effects of a Plot card that affects multiple Groups (like Good Polls?) No, Backlash affects Plot cards which are linked to specific Groups.
Back to the Salt Mines+-
Can you play Stealing the Plans or Hat Trick when someone is trying to use BttSM? In other words, when does it count as discarded? While in use, it never counts as discarded. It is only discarded if the player who used it does not prevail in the attack.
This gives +10 to any non-Instant attack to a Place; does this include non-Instant Disasters? Yes.
Bavarian Illuminati
If Bavaria uses its special ability to make an attack Privileged, and the attack is made illegal or otherwise canceled, can Bavaria make another Privileged attack that turn?  Yes, the canceled attack is treated as if it never happened, so Bavaria's special ability is not used up.
Beach Party
If a Place linked to Beach Party is Devastated, can another Beach Party be played to undo the Devastation? Yes.
After the second Beach Party, does the Place get the +5 bonus from both cards, for a total +10 bonus? No -- you can't use the same Plot card twice to defend against the same attack.
Bermuda Triangle
Can it reorganize before declaring victory? Yes. You can reorganize before declaring victory, but you can't go back and reorganize to overcome an attempt to thwart your victory declaration.
The Big Prawn+-
Is the alignment change caused by Big Prawn permanent even after the Prawn goes away? Yep, it's permanent.
If Global Warming had made the Pentagon Coastal and I played Big Prawn on it and then Global Warming went away, what happens to the Big Prawn? The link has become permanently illegal, which normally would mean that you could relink the Big Prawn, but the Big Prawn's text overrules that. The Big Prawn remains linked to the Pentagon, but it has no effect unless the Pentagon becomes Coastal again.
If the Big Prawn is linked to a Place that is discarded by Upheaval, what happens to it? It remains in play, cannot be linked elsewhere, and will be linked to that Place if it returns to play (see "The Cards Remember" in the WDH).
The Big Sellout
The Big Sellout says "No group may get more than one action token each turn from this card." Does "this card" mean this card, or any and all Big Sellouts this turn? Any and all Big Sellouts this turn.
Bill Clinton
Why aren't the arrows lined up so Hillary can control Bill (or vice versa) with her card just to the right of his, so the card art "works" together? Because every other Group has its incoming control arrow on either the top or the bottom. If you wish to have a house rule that says Hillary can control Bill from any side, the blessings of Eris upon you.
See United States Cards (in the General Categories section) for a discussion of Clinton's bonus to control Government Groups that are "part of the US".
Bjorne
What sex is Bjorne? Male. The card refers to him as a "he". Yes, the Bimbo at Eleven can get him. The mind reels...
If Bjorne's defensive Power is boosted with a +10 Plot and he is destroyed anyway, does the player who destroyed him count the +10 for the number of Plots he draws? No. The player who destroys Bjorne draws extra Plots equal to Bjorne's permanent Power.
Black Helicopters+-
Does a temporary change that makes the linked Group neither Secret nor Government cause Black Helicopters to be discarded? Yes.
Blinded by Science+-
ERRATA! The card now reads:
"Control at least 6 Science Groups having a total Power of 30 or more."
BobbiesSG
ERRATA! Change the final sentence to read:
"They cannot be moved or removed from play except by attacking them or removing their master from play."
This covers situations where their master is removed from play for reasons other than destruction (e.g. can't fit after a move or capture, Upheaval, etc).
If I paralyze the Bobbies, does that mean that I no longer have to control an extra Group to win, because the Bobbies don't count "towards" my Goals? Sorry, no. "Towards Goals" means directly towards Goals, not indirectly as in the Bobbies raising the Goal of the game for you.
What exactly happens to the Bobbies when their master is removed from play? It either returns to the owners hand or is discarded, following the same rules as any other puppet Group.
Can you discard the Bobbies if somebody plays Upheaval?  No. If you control only your Illuminati and the Bobbies, Upheaval does not affect you, because you cannot discard the Bobbies except as listed on the card.
Can the Bobbies be moved to a different control arrow of the same master if their master is moved or captured?  No; you can only move them as described in the card text.
What if an arm of a Power Structure containing the Bobbies is moved or captured, and the Bobbies can't fit?  Remove both the Bobbies and their master (and any of their master's other puppets) from play. Follow the normal rules: if the Groups were moved, they go to their owner's hand; if they were captured, they are discarded.  This keeps everything consistent with the restrictions on taking the Bobbies out of play.
Does Discordia's immunity prevent you from giving them the (Straight) Bobbies?  Yes; moving to a different Power Structure after a successful attack is a special ability.
Does Discordia's immunity allow them to destroy the (Straight) Bobbies and put them in their kill pile?  No; moving or discarding the Bobbies (instead of putting them in the kill pile) doesn't do anything to Discordia, so their immunity does not kick in.
Can the Goal increase be suppressed using Are We Having Fun Yet? No.  Applying the "generally beneficial" test shows that this is an instruction, not a special ability.
Book of Kells
Does this give an extra Action token, or some kind of action without a token? It gives an extra Action token. This was clarified in the Unlimited Edition text.
Can you decline to take the extra action so that you are free to make an Attack to Destroy? Yes.
Does the restriction only apply to direct attacks, or is the Group also prohibited from aiding an Attack to Destroy? It only applies to making an Attack to Destroy; the Group may still aid.
Bribery
Can I play a Bribery when someone has just played a Murphy's Law card? Yes! See "Changing a Die Roll" in the Rules FAQ.
Bronze Head
In a One Big Deck or SubGenius game that has an uncontrolled area instead of a Groups hand, the Bronze Head's special ability is considered to be "Once per turn, you may reroll a failed Attack to Control a Group from the uncontrolled area. The second roll counts."
Does Bronze Head work on "agent" cards? Nope. Although the card says "if you play a Group card" this is sloppy wording and doesn't apply to Groups played as agents. Sorry about that. What it means is that you may return a Group card to your hand if you fail to take it over, rather than discard it. (just like the Adepts of Hermes).
Center for Weird Studies
When I discard any Plot Card, does this mean from my hand? Yes. When a discard is called for, it is from your hand unless "deck" is specified.
Church of Violentology+-
Do you get one card for participating in the attack, or one card for each Group participating? One for each Group.
CIA
When the CIA makes an attack to destroy a Personality, it can make the attempt an Assassination. The attack becomes an Instant, and if the attack succeeds, the target is dead. Can other Groups aid this attack? Not unless they have some way of boosting an Assassination.
Can "any attempt to destroy" bonuses improve this attack? Only if they mention Instant Attacks or Assassinations.
Do alignment modifiers apply to this Assassination? Yes.
Can +10 Plot cards and other Plots be played to increase the CIA's Power for the attack? Yes -- see +10 Plot Cards.
Can the Nuclear Power Companies cancel this Assassination? Yes -- it's an action.
Clipper Chip
See the VFAQ discussion of how the Clipper Chip interacts with alignment changes and Goals.
Can one player have multiple Clipper Chips in play? No. This has been made explicit in the Unlimited Edition wording.
Clone Arrangers
Should this card be read as "+4 on any attempt to control"? Yes, and that's what the Unlimited Edition says.
Does the original Personality still count as "destroyed" if you restore it? No; the Unlimited Edition wording also clarifies this point.
Combined Disasters
If a Place is ordinarily immune to a Disaster, can a Combined Disaster be used to let that Disaster hit that Place? For instance, could Oregon Crud be the second Disaster in a Combined Disaster against Moonbase? No. A Disaster must be eligible to strike a Place before it can be added to a Combined Disaster against that Place.
What happens if someone cancels Combined Disasters? Discard Combined Disasters. The primary Disaster is played normally. The secondary Disaster becomes illegal, so it is returned to the hand of the owner and is exposed.
Comet Hail-"Bob"SG
ERRATA! Add to the end of the text: "No player may use this card more than once in a game."
Commitment
Can this be played on a Group that is being attacked to control from hand? Yes. It says so on the card!
Computer Security
Can this card be played to counter Reach Out... if there is a Computer Group in the target Power Structure? No, because Reach Out... does not target individual Groups.
Corrective PhrenologistsSG
If the Corrective Phrenologists aid a Drug Companies attack to remove an alignment from a Violent Group, do the CP get their Action token back? What if the Drug Companies were removing the Violent alignment? Yes in both cases. (In the latter case, the Group was Violent during the attack.)
Count Dracula
Can the Count attack Vampires, even though they're Secret? Yes! His card mentions them by name, and therefore overrides their Secrecy protection.
Does the Dracula card confuse the game meanings of "kill" and "destroy"? Not really -- it's a special effect. Dracula cannot be destroyed by any means, including "killing" by Assassination, unless magic is used. But if he's destroyed by any means, he's considered killed and permanently dead. (The rationale was that if the ancient Dracula were to be stripped of his power, which is what "destroyed" implies, he would die.) This is different from ordinary vampire Personalities created by the Vampires Group.
What happens to the Count's Resources if he is brought back to his owner's hand? Does his ability still work? The link is inactive and does not protect the Resource.
Cover of Darkness
What condition does the Resource return in? The Resource returns to the same status it was, except that you have it. If it was taken out of play, you get it in play. If it was discarded from somebody's hand, it goes in your hand. If it was discarded from somebody's Group deck, it goes on top of your Group deck.
What about a Unique Resource discarded after somebody plays Forgery? Cover of Darkness cannot be used in that case, because it would produce an illegal result (the discarded copy of the Unique Resource cannot be returned to play, because after Forgery is successfully played there will be a new copy of that Unique Resource in play).
Crop Circles
Can this card let you look through someone else's deck? No. [THWACK!]
Can you use this card in any way to trade Plot draws for Group draws (or vice versa), or look through one deck and then draw from the other? No.
Crystal Skull
Can the Crystal Skull be combined with Mossad? Yes. You can use Mossad's ability to look at the bottom card in your Plot deck. Then, if you don't want that card, you can use the Crystal Skull to look at the top three cards in your Plot deck and pick one of them.
Can the Crystal Skull be combined with the Shroud of Turin? Not really. If you use the Shroud to look at your top Plot card, you have the choice of accepting that card or taking the bottom card from your Plot deck, and don't get a chance to use the Crystal Skull for that draw. If you have both Resources, you might as well use the Skull for Plots and the Shroud for Groups.
Currency Speculation
Does this card work like a +10 Plot, or does it have to be played in advance? Either way. It can be used like a +10 Plot and spent when the Group's Power or Resistance is used, or you can play it on a Group (even one without an Action token) and wait until its next action or defense occurs. In the latter case, the card will remain on the table until the bonus is used.
Dagobert (German Card)
Can I use Dagobert on each player's turn, or only on my own? As with other cards that specify once per turn, it's only once per your turn, however, since it doesn't say "on your turn" you can use it on another player's turn, but may do so only once per your turn (which only comes into play if he would happen to have more than one general-use action token on him).
Suppose I have a stolen token on Dagobert -- what happens when my turn rolls around, and I get Action tokens?  Do I get to keep the tokens on Dagobert, or do they disappear when I action up, or am I stuck with only that token (since I can't replenish above my initial token-draw)? You can always just remove a token from a card -- it isn't considered a "use".  So, when your token placement phase comes around, you just remove the defense-only token and place his normal, general-purpose token on instead.
Can I use Dagobert's stolen token to draw a Plot? No. It's for defense only.
Day Care Centers+-
What alignments do the Day Care Centers have when they're first attacked to control from my hand or the uncontrolled area? The Day Care Centers have no alignments until they have a master.
Deasil Engine
Is this spelled right? Look it up.
Death Mask
Can this Resource make an attack fail (like W.I.T.C.H.)? Yes. Or make it succeed, if it failed. That's the whole point.
If a Group with the Death Mask enters an attack after the dice are rolled, do the special abilities of that Group affect the attack?  Yes, the Death Mask allows the Group to interfere after the roll and get the same results as if it had interfered before the roll.
What if the dice are not rolled (attack was canceled or had a final strength less than 2)?  The Death Mask cannot be used.
If I put the Death Mask on the Thule Group, can I discard Groups after an attack roll to retroactively affect it? No. The Thule Group's discard ability is not "entering the attack," so it can't be brought in via the Death Mask.
Discordian Society
Can Discordia use the special powers of Straight and Government Groups that it owns? Sure it can. Fnord. It just cannot be attacked by such Groups.
So, can Discordia use one of its own Straight or Government Groups to attack another of its own Groups, or those of a rival Discordian player? Immunity does not protect against your own Groups or Resources. A Discordian player can use his Straight and Government Groups freely against his own Groups, but not against those of a rival Discordian.
If Discordia plays the "Hail Eris!" Goal, how do its Goals change? They don't. This Goal card just lets someone else use the Discordian goal. The card is worthless to Discordia. Fnord.
Can other players use Straight or Government Groups to interfere with Discordia's attacks? Yes. This includes the Discordian's attempts to control a Group from his hand -- the Group isn't part of his Power Structure yet, and isn't covered by his immunity.
Dittoheads+-
Can Dittoheads be moved (by Phone Phreaks, for example) so their new master is not a Personality? Their master must be a Personality. If there are no legal spaces open, they cannot be moved.
What alignments do Dittoheads have when they are destroyed (especially if their former master changes alignment like Bill Clinton)? Once Dittoheads are destroyed, they have no master -- a Group only has a master while in a Power Structure. Therefore, they keep the alignments they had at destruction.
Am I correct in assuming that the Dittoheads have no aligment when they are being attacked to control from your hand? Yes.
DokstokSG
If I trade away the Dokstok special token and play I Lied!, can I keep the token myself? Not exactly. You still have the Dokstok special token to offer somebody else. However, you ultimately have to give it to another player or discard it.
Drug Companies+-
Can Schizm be used with a Drug Companies attack to remove an alignment?  No, the effect of the Drug Companies special attack and a Schizm are mutually exclusive, so they cannot be combined.
If the Corrective Phrenologists aid a Drug Companies attack to remove an alignment from a Violent Group, do the CP get their Action token back? What if the Drug Companies were removing the Violent alignment? Yes in both cases. (In the latter case, the Group was Violent during the attack.)
What happens if the alignment the Drug Companies are attempting to remove is removed during the attack?  The attack becomes illegal, and is canceled.
Can the Drug Companies remove an alignment from another Group in your Power Structure? (It's rolled like an Attack to Control, and you can't attack to control another Group in your own Power Structure.) Yes. The Drug Companies' ability is a special attack which is not actually an Attack to Control (it's just resolved using similar mechanics), so it's not limited by restrictions specific to an Attack to Control.
Do the Drug Companies need to have a free control arrow to use their alignment-removing attack? No -- see previous answer.
Can the Drug Companies remove an alignment from itself? No. No Group may attack itself or aid an attack of any kind (to control, to destroy, or to use a special ability) on itself, and the Drug Companies' text does not directly overrule this rule.
Druids
Can they attack/aid/interfere with Secret groups, if the attacker or target is Magic? They can aid or oppose attacks by or against Secret Magic Groups even though they are not themselves Secret. However, this doesn't enable them to attack Secret Groups directly.
Can their Power be used without an action? No! Their special ability just lets them use their regular Power (which is greater than their Global Power) for or against a Magic Group.
Early Warning
Is this card discarded after a single Disaster? Yes.
Eliza
The card says the Group it is linked to gets an extra action. Does this mean "an extra action token"? Yes, and the card has been rephrased to make that explicit.
Can more than one copy of Eliza be linked to the same Group? No; that's also been spelled out in the new text.
If a player uses an action granted by Eliza to play Murphy's Law, does Eliza crash? No. Eliza only crashes if the 11 or 12 was the result of an action her side was attempting -- i.e. Eliza aids an attack, the roll is a 12, she crashes; Eliza aids a defense, the attacker rolls a 12, she doesn't crash.
May Eliza grant an action on the turn that she comes into play? If she comes into play before the token-placement phase, yes. If not, no.
Can Eliza accumulate actions? Nope.
Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow
If Soulburner comes into play by way of the Evil Geniuses and is linked to them, does Soulburner's ability come into play when Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow are taken over or destroyed? Yes -- Soulburner is triggered at the moment of the attack, when EGfaBT is still owned by the target player.
Evil Geniuses say that Resources linked to them cannot be unlinked. Does this provide any protection from Forgery or Resource destruction? No. It merely means that the link can't be moved.
Can Evil Geniuses be used to take over Eliza? They can, but there isn't much point. The Evil Geniuses cannot benefit from Eliza, and you then cannot link Eliza elsewhere.
Fast Food Chains
Can you use the Fast Food Chains to conceal someone else's exposed Plots? Sure -- it doesn't specify "your Plots".
Feminists
If they use their special ability and get a card that is an agent for a card in play that has been turned Liberal, but doesn't have that alignment printed on the card, do they get it? Yes. An agents card has the same alignments and attributes as the Group in play.
What if there is more than one copy of that Group in play for some reason? The Feminists' owner gets the Group card if any of the copies in play are Liberal.
Fickle Finger of Fate+-
If you have two FFoFs targeting you, what is your bonus to attack? It's a flat +10 -- you can't use two copies of the same Plot card for one attack. (Fair enough: you only lost your automatic takeover once, so you only benefit from the +10 bonus once.)
Does this bonus affect every card in the Power Structure or just the Illuminati? It gives +10 to the Power (not Global Power) of the Illuminati for one direct attack each turn.
Fidel Castro
Does the Plot Card under Fidel count against your total? Yes.
What happens to a Plot Card Fidel has hidden if he is destroyed? It returns to your hand.
If someone plays Go Fish and names the card under Fidel, do I have to show it? Fidel Castro does not say that his Plot is not part of your hand, but merely that it cannot be exposed (therefore implying that it is, in fact, part of your hand). The card is still subject to Plots that look at cards in your hand, such as Go Fish.
Flesh-Eating Bacteria+-
ERRATA! The final paragraph now reads:
"If the attack succeeds, the target is Devastated. If the die roll succeeds by more than 8, the target is destroyed, and the fiend who played this card may spend a Science action to return it to his hand."
Flying Saucer
Do you have to play a Resource as your automatic takeover in order to use the special ability of taking over an "extra Resource"? No. Your first takeover can be anything you want.
Can you make your first free takeover of a Resource on the same turn you get the Flying Saucer? Yes.
When can use the auto-takeover ability? Only on the Main Phase (phase 5) of your turn. So this means that you couldn't use it with Power Grab, which ends your turn immediately after the normal auto-takeover.
Forgery
Does Forgery allow an extra takeover (in addition to your automatic takeover) or do you have to play it when you are normally allowed to get a new Resource? The latter. Forgery does not give an extra takeover; it is used in conjunction with an existing opportunity to play a Resource.
France
If France uses a +10 Plot card with its free defense, does that +10 bonus last until the end of the turn? Yes.
If France defends itself using its free defense ability, does it get the self-defense Power bonus? No, that only applies when a Group spends an Action token to defend itself.
Fred Birch Society
This card "counts as two Conservative groups for any Illuminated goal". What exactly does this mean? For any Goal that requires one to count Groups that are Conservative, either to control or to be destroyed, Fred Birch counts double.
If they become Liberal, how does this affect their special ability? They would count as one Liberal Group and two Conservative Groups for Goals where those alignments matter.
Gay Activists
What happens when Gay Activists' ability is used against Bill Clinton's flip-flop Liberalness? Gay Activists spend their action to reverse Bill's Liberalness. Bill's alignment now matters, so roll the die. If Bill is not Liberal, the action was illegal and the token is lost. If Bill is Liberal, the action is legal -- for the rest of the turn, he is flip-flop Conservative instead of flip-flop Liberal (roll the die anytime it matters, as usual).
Can they reverse their own alignments? Yes.
General Disorder+-
If the Men in Black are used in an attack to destroy General Disorder, which special ability takes precedence? The General doesn't say that he can't be permanently destroyed; therefore, the MIB can permanently destroy him.
George Bush
Is he Conservative before he is taken over? No. He is Conservative when the owning Illuminati want him to be. Therefore, he can only be Conservative while in a Power Structure. When unowned -- or if he is destroyed or killed -- he has no Conservative convictions.
Germany
If Germany uses multiple tokens in a single attack, and the "action" is canceled (for example, by the Nuclear Power Companies), does the entire attack get canceled? Indeed it does. In this case, the entire attack is an "action."
Do you have to use all your tokens at once? Or can you use them one at a time as opposition piles up? You can use them one at a time.
Does this mean that each token can get the benefits from a +10 Plot card (for example, Martial Law)? Nope, you only get one +10 bonus per card for a given attack or defense.
Giant Kudzu
Can a place attacked by Giant Kudzu use its Action token to defend itself, since Giant Kudzu is not an Instant Attack? Any Disaster costs its target an Action token immediately. If the target still has an Action token left, it can use it to defend itself (with the usual self-defense bonus), because the Giant Kudzu is not an Instant Attack.
Can you use the rival Illuminati bonus with Giant Kudzu? Yes, since it is not an Instant Attack.
How about other bonuses to destroy that don't mention Disasters? Can I use these with non-Instant Disasters? Yes.
Go Fish!+-
ERRATA! The card now reads:
"Ask any rival for a specific Plot. He must show you all his discard two undrawn Plots for each one -- but if he has none of the Plot you named, all your Plots are exposed."
"Note: Once anyone has given a Plot card to a rival (voluntarily or otherwise) or looked at a rival's hidden Plots or Plot deck, Go Fish may not be played against that rival until after the end of his next turn."
If I ask for someone's Hoax card and they want to Hoax my Go Fish! can they do it?  Yes. As with any Plot, you must allow an opportunity to cancel Go Fish! before it takes effect.  To avoid tipping your hand, you should pause -- if you like, you can ask your rivals to either cancel Go Fish! or let it go through -- before naming the Plot you want.
Can I ask for exposed Plot cards? Go Fish! only affects hidden Plots. However, you can name an exposed Plot -- if the target has any copies of that card still hidden in his hand, you get them and he has to discard; if not, your Plots get exposed.
Good Polls
How does this card interact with +10 Plot cards, spending an action from the attacked Group for defense, and multiplying cards like Cyborg Soldiers? These answers are extensively detailed in the VFAQ.
Does this card triple the Power of eligible Groups if they aid the defense of a Group in another Power Structure? No. This card only aids "defense," which is defending a Group in your own Power Structure. It has no effect on "interference", which is aiding or opposing an attack against a Group in a rival's Power Structure.
What about non-token "free action" defenses, such as Italy and France? It's a defense, so Good Polls counts.
Good Sex For Mutants Dating LeagueSG
If I take over over the Good Sex for Mutants Dating League before a Discordia player takes his first turn, then does GSfMDL affect him on his first turn? No. Special abilities of your Groups don't affect a rival during his first turn.
Gun Control
It seems that all the ULE Gun Control cards have a small white mark on one of the "L"s on the back. Would this, according to the tournament rules, make them illegal to play? For the sake of all our sanities, they are legal in tournaments.
Hat Trick
Does this work on any Plot card? No, only on those that are discarded after play. Since Hat Trick says to discard the other card, it would be self-defeating to use it on a card that was supposed to stay on the table.
So exactly when is a Plot discarded for purposes of Hat Trick? A Plot is discarded after its effect is resolved. Plots that resolve immediately are discarded immediately after use. Plots that modify an attack remain on the table until the attack is resolved. Plots that last until the end of the turn are discarded after the turn ends. Linked Plots and New World Order cards remain on the table until something removes them.
If a Plot is canceled, it is discarded immediately. If a Plot is made illegal, it is not discarded (instead, it returns to the owner's hand, exposed).
If this card is played immediately, does it prevent the preceding Plot card from being canceled or neutralized? No. It gives you the right to pick up that Plot card and put it back in your hand, but it doesn't protect the effect of the card in any way.
Hidden Influence
What is a Group's Global Power when linked to Hidden Influence? It is equal to its permanent regular Power. If you use a +10 Plot (or other temporary booster) to increase its Power, this does not count toward Global Power.
Hipos (German Card)
Can the Hipos remove action tokens from the Illuminati as well? Yes. Illuminati are Groups.
Hoax
If your Plot deck is empty can you put a Plot card from your hand back into the Plot deck to satisfy the discard cost for Hoax? Yes.
See also Canceler Cards.
I Lied
What happens if the second person in a deal plays the I Lied card on top of the first person's I Lied card? The last played card rules in this case. Now if the first player has another I Lied card...
So you can play more than one copy on the same deal? Yes -- a deal isn't an action or an attack, so the usual rule against duplicate Plot cards doesn't apply.
Can I Lied be used to cancel a trade forced by the Arms Dealers' special ability?  No, because I Lied says "after you agree," which means it applies only to voluntary deals.
Illuminati University+-
If the master of IOU is the Illuminati itself, is the whole Power Structure immune to Straight and Government Groups? Nope, just the Illuminati itself (which can't be attacked directly anyway) and IOU's puppets.
Immortality Serum
Can this be played on a Personality that is being attacked to control from hand? Yes.
Interesting Times+-
If you have to use the Percentage of Goal scoring system and Interesting Times is in play (using the "only Basic Goal counts" option), do you calculate your percentage only using the Basic Goal? Yes.
International Cocaine Smugglers
Do you really mean the decision has to be unanimous? Absolutely.
Internet Worm
Internet Worm says to that no one may look at the discarded cards, but WDH 1.1 says that "All discarded cards go face up". Which way is it?All discarded cards go face up unless a card says specifically you may not look at the discard or to discard face down. You can still scavenge for the face-down discards, but you are taking a gamble as to what you get.
Israel
If Israel participates in an attack, is the Privilege negated for everyone? Absolutely.
Janor DeviceSG
If you lead with the Janor Device (under SubGenius rules it's legal to lead with a Resource) and roll 12 to see who goes first, do you have to give it away?  Yes -- it's not a particularly appealing lead...
KKK
Suppose that a Violent group has its Power doubled -- for instance, by the Cyborg Soldiers. Then it and the KKK participate in an attack. Does the KKK double its Power again, or is this a case of "no multiple doubling"? This is a clear case of multiple doubling. You only double the Power once.
Lawyers
Do the Lawyers give their bonus if the attacker is not Government or Corporate, but the target is? No, the attacker or an aiding Group has to be Government or Corporate.
Libertarians
If Libertarians are controlling a Group that allows them to use their special ability and that Group has doubled Power, can they get their own Power doubler and get twice the Power they just received? The Libertarians only "inherit" the non-doubled Power. Other modifiers to the Group they control (Power changes, additions and subtractions) still apply.
Lyndon LaRouche+-
Do Lyndon's alignments really not count at "any time" or only when you roll a 1-3 at the beginning of a particular turn? His alignments never count for any Goal, ever.
If Lyndon is linked to the Perpetual Motion Machine, how many tokens does he get per turn? One from the PMM and roll to see if gets his normal one.
When should you roll for Lyndon? At the beginning of your token placement phase. If he has a token from last turn and loses the roll, he loses it. Better use it while you can!
The Magic Goes Away+-
Can you use TMGA before someone's first turn? Yes -- cards that affect all players (including the one who played the card) may be played during the first round.
March on Washington
Can you use this Plot to substitute for Illuminati actions or the action of a specific named Group? Nope, no way. For example, you could use it to power Dictatorship (which demands a token from a Nation or its master, but doesn't name a specific Group that must supply the action), but not to power Hidden Influence (which requires an Illuminati action) or Angst (which requires actions from specific Groups identified by name).
Can MoW power a Scandal, which requires an Alignment and an Attribute? Nope, March on Washington says "alignment or attribute". Any weenies who want to argue truth tables can go over to rec.games.logic.
Can I use March on Washington to provide part of the Power needed for a Plot card? (e.g. Rewriting History requires 8 points of Media Power -- could I use a Media action with 2 Power and a March On Washington to power this card?) Yes.
Media Sensation
How do you determine the sex of a Media Sensation card? The card has to represent a real person in the news. There is usually a consensus about the sex of real people in the news.
Can a Media Sensation card be declared as a person who has a "real" card? No, never; not even if there is no card for that person currently in play. For instance, Bill Clinton can never be a Media Sensation, because there is a real Bill Clinton card.
Men In Black
If the Men in Black contribute their power to an Assassination (such as Car Bomb), does it get the +4 bonus?  Is the target permanently destroyed?  The +4 bonus doesn't apply because it doesn't mention Instant attacks. However, the target is permanently destroyed -- this is something applied after the fact, independent of how the destruction was accomplished.
Military-Industrial Complex
With MIC in play, Corporate Groups count as Government except for Goals. If I have a low-Power Corporate Group and the Clipper Chip, can it get the Power boost and then count double for the Gnomes of Zurich Goal because of the extra Power? Yes.
Militia+-
The Militia card says that its printed Power can increase for successful attacks, but that its regular Power goes down for failed attacks. Is this right? No, both references to Power on the card should refer to printed Power.
Miracle Diet Plan
Does this card work like a +10 Plot, or does it have to be played in advance? Either way. It can be used like a +10 Plot and spent when the Group's action is used, or you can play it on a Group (even one without an Action token) and wait until its next action occurs. In the latter case, the card will remain on the table until the action is used.
Miraculous ManifestationSG
How does this work in regular INWO?  Each player, including the one who played Miraculous Manifestation, draws a Group card from his own deck, shows it to the player who played MM, and puts it in his own hand.
Can Miraculous Manifestation be played before everyone finishes their first turn?  No, because filling up the uncontrolled area early and depriving rivals of a free Group draw (SubGenius rules) or seeing one of their Group cards (standard INWO) is doing something to them before they finish their first turn.
Mossad
Can the Crystal Skull be combined with Mossad? Yes -- see Crystal Skull.
Murphy's Law
Can you play a Murphy's Law after someone's Bribery? Yes! See "Changing a Die Roll" in the Rules FAQ.
Near Miss+-
Does this card really apply any time a Place is Devastated or destroyed? Yes it does! Any time a Place is devastated or destroyed, Near Miss can help. This includes, but is not limited to: Attacks to Destroy, a failure in World War III, Sucked Dry and Cast Aside, backfire from certain special abilities (e.g. Ark of the Covenant, The Big Prawn, Center For Disease Control, Church of Violentology, Necronomicon). Also note that you can combine the effects of General Disaster and Near Miss.
Can I play Near Miss with the discarded Group for You Are What You Eat? You can't play both. Their results are mutually exclusive.
Necronomicon
Can you link the Necronomicon to a Group that cannot be destroyed? Yes, and since a special ability not to be affected to something always takes precedence over cards that do that thing (unless the target Group is specifically named, which it's not in this case) an indestructible Group could get the benefit of the Necronomicon without the risk.
Nephews of God
Isn't the wording ambiguous if you happen to be entitled to draw more than one Plot per turn? Arguably yes. The Unlimited Edition card was clarified to read, "Each turn, roll 2 dice before you draw any cards. If you roll a 6 or less, you may draw one extra card from either of your decks."
Nevermore+-
Can you Nevermore! a card before other players have finished their first turn? Yes -- cards that affect all players (including the one who played the card) may be played during the first round.
New York
Does New York represent the state (for the Libertarians special ability)? It's the state.
Ninjas
Can you attack Ninjas in your own power structure to try and get a "free" Action token? Yes, but this is a risky maneuver because your opponents could help you destroy them!
Nuclear Power Companies
Can they remove an action token from a Group before it's spent? No. They must wait for the action to be taken, and then cancel it.
Can you cancel the action used to make a Privileged attack? No -- you'd have to directly negate the ability that made the attack Privileged.
Can they cancel a March on Washington "action"? No.
If Player A has a Blivit (which makes them immune to the NPC) and attacks the NPC, can the NPC use their special ability to cancel the attack? No, they may not!
Nutrition Nazis+-
If Nutrition Nazis are being used as a Plot card, can you also bring them out as a Group? Not unless the "Plot" is removed first.
Can you play NN as a Plot on a Group you are attacking to control from your hand? No -- you may not establish a Link to a card that is not yet in play!
Can NN, played as a Plot Card, be canceled? Yes. When used as a Plot Card, Nutrition Nazis is treated exactly like a Plot Card.
Oil Spill+-
ERRATA! The card now reads:
"Disaster! This is an Instant Attack to Destroy any Coastal Place. It does not require an action. Its Power is 14 against a Huge Place, 18 against any other. If the attack succeeds, the target is Devastated. If the die roll succeeds by more than 6, the target is destroyed.
"You may place an extra Action token on every Green Group in play immediately after this attack succeeds.  No player may do this more than once per game.
"Alternatively, this card may be played to add +10 to any attack against OPEC or the Multinational Oil Companies."
Orbital Mind Control Lasers
Do alignment changes made by the Orbital Mind Control Lasers count for (or against) victory? You bet they do -- but only until the effect expires. So a Group that is made Liberal by the OMCL and then destroyed will only count as a "destroyed Liberal group" if the person who is claiming victory can do so on that turn. (It won't be remembered as Liberal later on when the winners write the history books.)
So I can use OMCL after someone has announced victory dependent on alignments to foil that victory attempt? Yes.
What if you turn a Group Peaceful, for example, and this allows Shangri-La to win? That's legal too... if a player can pull off victory on that turn.
Can the OMCL add an alignment opposite to one a Group has? No. They can reverse an alignment, but nothing can let a Group hold two opposing alignments at the same time.
See also Destroyed Resources.
OPEC
What if OPEC gets attacked before its first turn? What is its Power? Roll to determine its Power when you first bring it into play.
Is OPEC's Power considered "temporary," since it expires at the end of the turn? OPEC's Power, as rolled on the dice, is considered Permanent for purposes of Goals -- it is always "whatever was rolled on the dice".
Can you use Murphy's Law or Bribery to change the die roll here? You certainly can.
If OPEC gains a token when it's not its master's turn, how much is that token worth? Every token on OPEC has the Power that was last rolled for it. So OPEC does have a "memory" of what the rolled Power was until the owner's next turn (and this counts as its printed Power).
Orbit One
Should Orbit One really be affected by Earthquakes? No, that's an error on the Limited card. It is immune to Earthquakes, but vulnerable to Nuclear Disasters.
Partition+-
If I partition "Germany" into "England" and "Australia", does Margaret Thatcher get +10 to control this "England"?  No, the names you give Partitioned places do not affect special abilities or game play in any way.
Peace in Our Time
Does this give Peaceful Groups +3 Power against direct Attacks to Destroy only, or can they oppose Attacks to Destroy with the increased Power? The extra Power only counts for the Peaceful Group targeted by the attack.
Perpetual Motion Machine
Can the PPM be linked to your Illuminati? Yes!
Note -- please check the Glossary for the definition of "each turn" on PPM. You get an extra Action token during each of your turns.
Phone Phreaks
Can I move the Group to any control arrow? The Phone Phreaks don't specify that the control arrow has to be open or unblocked... could I move a Group to a control arrow that's blocked, forcing an overlap and causing the moved Group to be discarded? Can I move a Group to a control arrow that's already occupied?  No. The rules for moving Groups say you can move a Group to an open control arrow, and the Phone Phreaks do not specifically override this.
If a Group with puppets is moved and some of the puppets overlap other Groups, does the owner get a chance to move them to new outgoing arrows on the same master?  Yes.
What if some of the puppets still can't fit?  The same thing that happens if a Group won't fit after any other move -- it goes back to its owner's hand.
Plague of Demons
Can I use a +10 Plot to increase the Power of the Group summoning the demons? Yes -- see +10 Plot Cards.
Power Grab
Power Grab ends your turn; does this mean that you can't declare victory on your turn after using a Power Grab? Yes it does. You go directly to the next player's turn, skipping the normal End of Turn phase in which victory could be declared.
Can you Sabotage or Botched Contact the automatic takeover from a Power Grab? Yes.
Rain of Prairie SquidSG
Can Rain of Prairie Squid be played before everyone finishes their first turn?  Yes, except that you can't use it to deprive a rival of an automatic takeover on his first turn (see below).
Does the player who plays RoPS before taking his automatic takeover get his choice of the newly drawn Groups as an automatic takeover under SubGenius rules?  Yes, because he drew them that turn.
What if you play RoPS between another player's Group draw and his automatic takeover phase under SubGenius rules?  He has no available automatic takeover (and you become a target...).
Recycling Centers+-
To whose hand does the salvaged card go? The owner of the Recycling Centers gets it.
Can you use the Recycling Centers when someone fails to take over a Group from his hand and discards it? Yes!
Can you use Recycling Centers to salvage Group cards that are sent to the Destroyed pile? No. Recycling Centers specifically says that it affects discarded cards, not destroyed ones.

Regi$tered Trademark+-
What about those German INWO cards? Yep, you have to use their full name. We don't require that you pronounce them correctly, though! (Zuvieldienstleistende is a really good one...)
Can I "extend" the name a little? For example, "the thrice damned and unpronounceable Zuvieldienstleistende is being attacked by the Servants of Cthulhu"? Go for it, have fun, just make sure you include all of the original text and you can tack on embellishments galore. Just don't insert extra words within the registered name.
What about Partitioned Places and Media Sensations? You have to use their full new name. So you get things like "North Russia" or "Media Sensation The Artist Formerly Known As Prince" as the proper Regi$tered Trademark. The new name is considered to be "the name printed on the card".
What if someone gives a Partitioned Place or, Media Sensation an utterly excessive name, such as the entire dictionary? In a tournament, this kind of behavior would be considered "disruptive" and the referee has the power to stop it. At home, you can threaten the perpetrator with dire punishments (this is a good time to use the photos from the New Year's party). But, according to the rules, this is perfectly legal.
Is W.I.T.C.H. pronounced "witch" or "double-yoo eye tee see aitch" or even "double-yoo dot eye dot tee dot see dot aitch dot"? For R$T the pronunciation is whatever your opponents will accept. For those who want a more specific ruling, any pronunciation that gets all the syllables/letters is acceptable. You might get some strange looks when you pronounce ACLU as "akloo", though!
If R$T is on a Government Group, would the Discordians be immune to the effects of the R$T? Nope. The effect comes from the R$T, not the Group it is on. So pay up (smiling is optional).
Reverse Whammy+-
Can you Reverse Whammy a Reverse Whammy? Yes.
SchizmSG
Can Schizm be used with a Drug Companies attack to remove an alignment?  No, the effect of the Drug Companies special attack and a Schizm are mutually exclusive, so they cannot be combined.
When a rival attacks one of your Groups, does this count as "an attack against a Group controlled by a rival (from the attackers point of view)"? No -- "rival" in this context means "a player other than the one playing this card".
Secrets Man Was Not Meant To Know
See Canceler Cards.
Seize the Time
Can you play this card before each person has finished their first turn? No, because interrupting a rival's turn is doing something to him. The card text has been changed to make this explicit.
Is the "taxing" with the IRS considered drawing a Plot card and not allowed by Seize the Time? This is the use of a special ability and is allowable under Seize the Time. (Your opponent draws the Plot card and then gives it to you. You do not actually draw the Plot card.)
If I have a Perpetual Motion Machine on my Illuminati, do I get that Illuminati Action token?  No.
How about using Center for Weird Studies to get an Illuminati action?  CfWS says that it reloads a Group that has already used its Action token. If the Illuminati never had an Action token to use that turn, it would never qualify to use CfWS.
Under SubGenius rules, can I get an automatic takeover because I'm not getting an Illuminati action?  No, because you aren't drawing any cards on your Seize the Time! turn (which means you have no available automatic takeover). Not taking an Illuminati Action token doesn't count as a cost if you aren't entitled to one anyway.
If I'm holding too many Plots at the beginning of someone else's turn, can I play Seize the Time to avoid having to discard them?  Yes. Playing Seize the Time is the first step to getting rid of the extra Plots -- but then it's your turn, so you no longer have an excess to get rid of. Remember that you can't play any Plots during a Seize the Time turn, so you'll still have to deal with any remaining excess at the end of your new turn.
Can you play Seize the Time during the "Beginning of Turn" portion of someone's turn, or only before he had drawn any cards? Only before he has drawn any cards. After a player knocks, the next player should pause a moment to make sure nobody is declaring victory or playing Seize the Time.
Senate Investigating Committee
The SIC says you may draw cards and place tokens, but nothing else. Can you buy Plot Cards with your tokens at this time? Yes.
Servants of Cthulhu
What if two Cthulhu players both destroy their last Group, making 8 destroyed for each, on the same turn?  Neither can win, so they both lose.
Does Cthulhu's +4 to destroy apply to Instant Attacks that aren't Disasters or Assassinations? No, because Cthulhu's special ability doesn't specifically mention that it affects Instants. If you want to play that it does as a house rule, then of course feel free.
Shangri-La
Do they get their +5 defensive bonus against Instant Attacks? Yes. The Unlimited Edition makes this explicit.
Can Shangri-la aid an attack to destroy a non-Violent Group? Yes -- see Undestroyable Groups.
ShordurpersavSG
Can I use Shordurpersav to avoid bad effects of a roll (such as losing the Janor Device on an 11 or 12)?  Yes -- Shordurpersav says to ignore the roll, so that's what you do.
Shroud of Turin
Can the Crystal Skull be combined with the Shroud of Turin? Not really -- see Crystal Skull.
Smite Them All!SG
Do you still have to take two Group cards from your hand in regular INWO?  Yes, if you play Smite Them All you must put two Group cards from your hand on the bottom of your Group deck; the other players each put one Group card from their hands at the bottom of their Group decks.  This is necessary to short-circuit abusive group-denial decks.
Society of Assassins+-
The Assassins' Fanatic groups have Global Power equal to their regular Power. Does this mean that the use of a +10 Plot card would also boost their Global Power? Nope. The Assassins' special ability gives Global Power equal to the Fanatic Group's permanent regular Power.
Their Special Goal can be read two ways: a) Providing you control the most powerful (or tied for most powerful) Secret Group, all your Secret Groups count double, or b) Each Secret Group you control that is more powerful than (or tied with) any other player's Secret Group counts double. Which is correct? Option (b) is correct. For instance, if the SoA controls the N.S.A. (Power 5), the Vampires (Power 2), and the Rosicrucians (Power 1) and the most powerful Secret Group controlled by a rival is the Men in Black (Power 2), the N.S.A. and Vampires would count double but the Rosicrucians would not.
What if a Fanatic Group attacked by one SoA player attacks a Fanatic Group controlled by another SoA player, and one of them wants to make the two Fanatic alignments the same and the other doesn't? Either player may choose to make the alignments the same. Once this is done, they are the same -- the SoA does not have the ability to make two Fanatics opposite again once they have become the same. The alignments are only opposite if neither player chooses to make them the same.
Spear of Longinus
Can this card be used more than once in the same attack? No. [THWACK!]
If you also have Stonehenge, can you automatically stop Disasters or Attacks to Destroy against you, by aiding them with the Spear, making them Magic, and therefore unable to hurt you? Nice try, but no. The Spear is your own, and your immunity can't be triggered by your own things.
Stonehenge
Should this card really say "...immune to all Magic groups, Magic Plots and Magic Resources"? Yes (fixed in Unlimited Edition).
If I have Stonehenge and the Spear of Longinus, is that a killer combo? No. Immunity does not protect against your own Groups or Resources.
Stonehenge provides immunity to "Magic Plots" -- what exactly does that mean?  This refers to Doug Henning's secret plan to control the world. No, actually this refers to a Plot that lists an action from a Magic Group as a requirement.  If the Plot lists an action from a Magic Group as one of several alternatives, the immunity applies if a Magic Group action is used.  The immunity does not apply to a Plot that does not mention Magic, even if it happens to be powered by an action from a Magic Group.
Sucked Dry and Cast Aside!
What happens when you play this card on a Group that cannot be destroyed? You cannot play Sucked Dry and Cast Aside in this case... check out the meta-rules.
If I play a +10 Plot on a Power 2 Group, and then play SD&CA, is the Group's Power now 48? No! The rules on order of operations in INWO is explicit: First you take into account effects that set the Power to a different number, then you multiply or divide, and then you add or subtract. Multiple multiplying effects cannot be used -- pick the single highest one. So the final Power in this case would be (4 x 2) + 10 = 18.
If I use this as Cthulhu, can I draw a Plot card? Yes -- SD&CA says the Group is "destroyed".
Can Sucked Dry And Cast Aside be played after a Group has already spent its token in defense?  Will the Power of that token be (retroactively) quadrupled?  Yes; SD&CA does not have be played at the same time as your action (contrast to the +10 Plots, for example).
Sudden European Vacation+-
What type of cards does this work against? Would it work on a +10 Plot used in an attack on the Personality, or a Bribery used to affect the attack roll against the Personality? Sudden European Vacation only works against Plots that are played against the Personality directly (such as Assassinations). It doesn't affect Plots that are used as part of a normal attack.
Does it work against a Jake Day used to turn a Personality Weird against the owner's will? Yes -- it was targeted on the Personality, so it qualifies.
Sufficiently Advanced Technology+-
Could you use this card on a rival's Group to make it Science or Magic? No, it says to use it on a Group you control.
Can you Backlash this card? Nope, Backlash does not list attributes as one of the changes it can reverse.
Suicide Squad
Can I use a Plot or special ability that modifies an Attack to Destroy to modify the Suicide Squad roll?  No -- the Suicide Squad's ability is not an Attack to Destroy. You can use Plots or special abilities that modify die rolls directly, of course.
Survivalists
The Survivalists say their master gets Relief on the next turn after any Devastation. Can you move the Surivivalists to a place that has already been Devastated and get Relief for it automatically on the next turn?  Yes. The way the card is written, the special ability kicks in the turn after Devastation, not at the time of Devastation -- so the benefit goes to whichever Group is the master of the Survivalists the turn after that master is Devastated.
Switzerland
See Undestroyable Groups.
Texas
What does "involving Texas" mean, on the Texas card? The intent is that Texas must use its own Action token, its own special ability (self-referentially!) or be defending itself. A Resource linked to Texas and aiding or affecting Texas would also "involve" Texas. If there were a Personality that gave a benefit to Texas by being linked to it, something involving that Personality would "involve" Texas too.
What if someone uses Go Fish and names the Plot hidden under Texas? Texas does not say that its Plot is not part of your hand; it merely says that it doesn't count against your limit, implying that it is, in fact, part of your hand. The card cannot be exposed, but is still subject to Plots that look at cards in your hand, such as Go Fish.
The Thule Group+-
Do you have to decide before you spend the action how many cards you wish to discard? Yes, indeed! This does create a certain degree of uncertainty about how many cards to sacrifice, but them's the breaks.
Can I discard Illuminati as Groups? Yes.
If Militia is in play and has an altered printed Power, do you use the new Power? Yes. If a copy of Militia is in play and has a modfied printed Power, that is the Power used by The Thule Group.
What about Elvis? No. Nowhere on Elvis's card does it say the printed Power is changed.
What about Groups that get Power bonuses from other Groups (e.g. Pyramid Marketing Schemes)?  Again, these bonuses don't mention printed Power, so they don't apply for Thule Group sacrifices.
What about OPEC? (And other Groups that might have an "*" where Power is.) Whatever instructions are in place for the * count as the printed Power. OPEC's "printed Power" is whatever was rolled for it (if OPEC is not in play, roll when it is discarded).
Note that OPECs bonus for Texas or Multinational Oil Companies doesn't mention printed Power, so it does not count.
If I put the Death Mask on the Thule Group, can I discard Groups after an attack roll to retroactively affect it? No. The Thule Group's discard ability is not "entering the attack," so it can't be brought in via the Death Mask.
Time Warp
Can Time Warp be used after a roll for OPEC's Power or Bill Clinton's Alignment rolls? No. The roll has to be clearly "successful". If there is a debate about whether a roll is a success, then it's not a clear success.
Trading Card Games
Where did this card come from, anyway? It was the freebie in issue #4 of Duelist Magazine. Except that the press run of the magazine exceeded the number of cards we printed, so not every copy included the card. Hope you got one.
What is its frequency? Very common; there are more of these than any other Limited card. And it's in the Factory Set. But we do not plan to issue an Unlimited version.
Once Trading Card Games is traded in and discarded, can it be returned to play? Sure -- if you have a duplicate or use the Recycling Centers to salvage it. (This is a reversal of the previous ruling to bring it in line with what the card actually says.)
What happens if I give outgoing arrows to TCG and then replace it with another Group? If the new card has enough control arrows, it gets TCG's puppets if they can fit and they are legal.
What about cards linked to TCG when I replace it? Any linked cards that are legal (or only temporarily illegal) for the new card become linked to the new card. Any permanently illegal linked cards are un-linked (and, in the case of a permanently illegal linked Plot, discarded).
Triliberal Commission
See Fred Birch Society -- the answers are the same, with "Conservative" and "Liberal" reversed.
Truck Bomb+-
Do alignment modifiers apply to a Truck Bomb attack? Yes. Alignment bonuses and penalties are considered to be bonuses of the attacking Group.
Can I use Truck Bomb to make an Instant Attack when it isn't the Main Phase of my turn?  No (unless some other card, such as Opportunity Knocks, gives you an out-of-turn attack). Truck Bomb says "Play this card when you attack to destroy any Organization..." -- it makes an existing attack Instant, but does not create a new opportunity to attack.
TV Preachers
If Fanatic is the same as Fanatic (because of the Society of Assassins or Visualize Whirled Peas), what bonus would the TV Preachers get for direct control of a Straight Fanatic Group? The TV Preachers get a +6 bonus to control a Straight Fanatic Group instead of the normal Straight-vs-Straight bonus and the normal Fanatic-vs-Fanatic penalty. So, the +6 bonus for the TV Preachers special ability is applied, the usual +4 Straight-vs-Straight bonus is ignored (it's replaced by the +6 bonus), and the +4 Fanatic-vs-Fanatic bonus is applied (it's not the usual -4 penalty, so it's not replaced by the +6 bonus). The TV Preachers get a +10 net bonus.
See Alignment Penalties for a general explanation of how this works.
Unmasked!
Can I play Payoff if someone unmasks as my Illuminati? Sure, why not? In that case, the Unmasked! becomes illegal (and therefore returns to the owner's hand, exposed).
Can you cancel the Illuminati card played with Unmasked? No; the Illuminati card is being placed in the owner's Power Structure as a Group.
If Unmasked! is canceled, what happens to the Illuminati card played with it? It returns to the owner's hand.
Upheaval!
Groups discarded by Upheaval! do not count as destroyed for victory conditions; do they count as destroyed for other purposes? They do not count as destroyed for any purpose and are merely discarded. Upheaval is an attack against the player, not against any particular Group.
Do I get to draw Plots for Cthulhu or Hitler's Brain for the Groups discarded because of Upheaval? No, see previous answer.
Can you play Upheaval before each player's first turn is finished? No, because making a rival lose a Group is doing something to them. The card and rules text have been changed to make this explicit.
If an Upheaval removes the last puppet of an Illuminati, destroying it, does that Illuminati count as a kill for purposes of Cthulhu or Fratricide? Yes, in both cases, because the Illuminati is destroyed if its last puppet is "removed" (by whatever means) after the owner's third complete turn.
Are undestroyable Groups affected by Upheaval? Yes. The Group is not destroyed -- it is discarded.
Can I play a duplicate of a Group discarded because of Upheaval? Yes, you can the Group wasnt destroyed, and another copy can be brought into play normally.
Vampires
A vampire Personality can't be killed (assassinated) without Magic. Can they be destroyed without Magic? Yes. A regular Attack to Destroy will still work. It just can't be killed or Assassinated without Magic. (Note also that no Magic is required to destroy the Vampires Group itself... but, since it's an Organization rather than a Personality, it can't be "killed".)
Do Personalities become vampires if taken over by the Vampires as an automatic takeover? No, the card specifies that it has to be an Attack to Control. Placing a Personality under the Vampires' control by automatic takeover or by moving the Group card doesn't create a vampire Personality.
Vatican
Does the Vatican only have immunity against attacks by Peaceful Groups or full immunity as defined in the rulebook? It's full immunity -- and since it covers your entire Power Structure it also prevents the special abilities of Peaceful Groups from touching your Resources, hand, decks, and discards.
Video Games
Do Video Games give themselves a +1 to Power? No, they don't. This is clarified in the Unlimited Edition.
Wall Street
Does the "it" in Wall Street's ability description refer to Wall Street itself? Yes. Wall Street can treat any Corporate group as Government, or vice versa, when Wall Street makes or aids an attack.
Does Wall Street's special ability transfer to other Groups in any way? No.
Warehouse 23
Do you have to use your automatic takeovers to put Resources in Warehouse 23? After the first free Artifact or Gadget, Warehouse 23 gives you no more freebies... you must get any further Resources normally.
If you lose W23, can you remove the contents first? No!
What if you have a Unique Resource in W23, and someone else plays a copy? If you immediately expose your Resource by removing it from the Warehouse, it's yours. If not, then the other person has that Resource and your copy is worthless.
If a Resource that normally has Action tokens is played from W23, does it have tokens when it appears? Yes. It enters play with its full normal complement of Action tokens.
If someone takes W23 from you with a Forgery, what happens to the stuff in it? The original warehouse is burned down (discarded) as an obvious forgery, along with its contents. Too bad!
W.I.T.C.H.
If W.I.T.C.H. happens to have two tokens, can they use them both to modify a roll? Yes, indeed!
If Stonehenge is in an opponent's Power Structure can W.I.T.C.H. still affect the die rolls? W.I.T.C.H. cannot affect the die rolls made by a rival with Stonehenge in their Power Structure because hes immune to W.I.T.C.H.'s ability. Nor can you use it to affect your own die roll against that player because that's also affecting him.
If the die roll is an automatic failure (an 11 or 12) can W.I.T.C.H. change the roll to make it a success, or does the automatic failure roll supersede W.I.T.C.H.? W.I.T.C.H. may still change the roll.
Withering Curse
Is this attack Magic? Certainly it is, apprentice.
The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!SG
Can The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die be used with an Attack to Destroy? Yes.  In games with an uncontrolled area in which to destroy Groups, TWETaYMD will cause an automatic destruction.
Does TWETaYMD allow you to destroy a Group in your hand in standard INWO?  No, TWETaYMD is played when making an attack, and you cannot attack to destroy a Group in hand.
X-Ray Specs+-
The text of this card says that is gives the "special ability" to examine the top three undrawn cards of any deck in play. Does that mean that its use can be cancelled by a card that can prevent special abilities from working? Yes.
YetisSG
The Yetis can be attached on any side of a Group card, even if there is no outgoing arrow on that side. Is this a special ability? Yes. It's generally beneficial to the owner of the Yetis.
What if this ability is canceled by Are We Having Fun Yet? The Yetis' ability is a momentary special ability -- it really only comes into play when you're attaching the Yetis to its master. If the ability is canceled then, then the person placing the Yetis would have to put them on an actual outgoing control arrow. However, if the Yetis are already attached to a blank side of it's master, then there's nothing to cancel.
What if their special ability is negated by NWO: World Hunger? Again, they could stay where they already are indefinitely, but if they are moved it would have to be to an actual outgoing control arrow.
Wait a moment -- isn't the ability to stick to a blank side of its master a special ability too? It may be splitting hairs, but nowhere in the rules does it say that a controlled Group can only stay on a control arrow -- it says only that it needs a control arrow to be put in place in a Power Structure.
You'll Pay To Know What You Really Think!SG
In regular INWO, you draw the replacement Group card from your Group deck, right?  Right.
What if you draw a Group that duplicates one already in play?  Then it's a Group that can't be controlled by its intended master -- discard it and draw a Plot instead.
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