*
Shaolin Showdown FAQ*

Last Modified: Aug 24, 2001

Welcome to the Shaolin Showdown FAQ! We've broken our FAQ into several
smaller documents, since we've found that folks have distinct interests
and don't necessarily need everything in one place. This FAQ addresses
questions that we think people people might ask about the cards of
Shaolin Showdown. Some of them might be unlikely, but better safe than
sorry. (And yes, technically, this can't be a FAQ, since people haven't
had a chance to ask the questions frequently yet.)

If you find an error in this document, have a suggestion for an
addition, or just want to say hi, you can contact us by mail at:

Z-Man Games, Inc.
PO Box 98
Eastchester, NY 10709

Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you'd like a reply.
You can also reach us by email at rules@shadowfist.com
<mailto:rules@shadowfist.com>.

Compiled by Julian Lighton. Copyright 2001, Z-Man Games, Inc. All rights
reserved. This document may be reproduced and distributed provided that
no fee is charged for such reproduction and distribution, and that it is
transmitted in its entirety, including this disclaimer. For all other
uses, please contact Z-Man Games, Inc. for terms.

*The Rules Cards:*

Shaolin Showdown contains two rules cards, each appearing half as often
as a common. (So, in two boxes, you'll recieve a bit under three of each.)

Like the booster pack wrappers, you can use these in the Power for
Promos exchange program, and they are worth three points each. Despite
that number in a diamond, they aren't Power-generating Sites, and, even
if you were to get them into play, (which, as far as our best mad rules
scientists can tell, isn't possible) they would give you no Power.

Here is the text of the rules cards:

*Card 1:*

*Shaolin Showdown Rules Card*

*Clarifications:*

*Not cumulative:* Similarly to States, (see Year of the Dragon Rulebook,
p. 85) an Event (or other effect) that is not cumulative gives no
additional benefit to a card that is currently affected by another copy
of that Event.

If the effect does not have a duration, (for instance, if it lets you
draw cards) then no extra benefit is gained if more than one copy
resolves in a single scene.

*New Restrictions:*

*No Max:* You may have more than 5 copies of this card in a deck.

*New Rules:*

*Faceoff:* A Faceoff represents one Character seeking out another to
fight in one-on-one combat for personal reasons, without anybody else
getting involved.

An effect that creates a Faceoff may not be played during an attack.
When a Faceoff effect resolves, the game cuts away from the main action,
and the two Characters enter combat. Once the combat has ended, and
anything resulting from it has resolved, the game cuts back to the main
action, which resumes where it left off.

If one of the Characters is in play at the end of combat, and the other
was smoked by combat damage, then the controller of the survivor is the
winner, and a beneficial effect will usually be triggered.

For answers to some possible questions on Faceoffs, see the other rules
card.

*Card 2:*

*Answers to Your Faceoff Questions*

For the basic information on Faceoffs, see the other rules card.

Unlike combat during attacks, there is only one scene before the
Characters actually enter combat. In addition to normal effects, effects
that can only be played prior to combat, such as redirecting combat
damage, can be played at this time.

If, before combat damage is inflicted, either Character leaves play or
changes controllers, the Faceoff ends immediately.

A Faceoff is not an attack, and neither Character is attacking or
intercepting. (So Ambush, Tactics, and other abilities that require you
to be attacking or intercepting won't work.)

The combat takes place at the location of the opponent's Character. Your
character moves to that location at the beginning of the Faceoff, and
returns to its prior location at the end. This is not considered to be
"changing location" for the purposes of other game effects. (Your
Character will also move to follow the other if it changes location
during the Faceoff.)

Any unresolved effects remaining in the Faceoff's original scene resolve
normally after the Faceoff is completed. During the Faceoff, they cannot
be canceled or otherwise directly interfered with. (So, Confucian
Stability and Brain Fire could not be used on them, but you could still
smoke a Vivisector's victim to prevent the power being gained.)

*Frequently Asked Questions:*


*Faceoffs:*

If either Character leaves play or changes controllers before the
Faceoff Event resolves, the Faceoff ends as soon as the Event resolves,
and the scene continues to resolve normally.

The change of your Character's location happens before the one scene for
pre-combat effects, so a Napalm Sunrise played in that scene would
damage both Characters involved.

*18 Bronze Men*

Even if you lose control of the Site, you retain control of 18 Bronze
Men, so your Characters still get the bonus.

*Ancient Monument*

If it is face-down, you do not have to inflict the damage on it. (You
could if you wanted to, though.)

*Bear vs. Fox*

You don't have to play the Event right after the Faceoff combat; you may
wait until later in the turn to use it.

*Chinese Doctor*

An error was made in production; new Chinese Doctors still provide a
[Dra] resource.

*Coil of the Snake*

You must both discard and draw; you can't do just one.

You discard before drawing.

*Commander Corliss*

Cards that return him to play may do so during your turn, and will not
cause you to miss your Power generation.

No cards will generate Power for you, not even Pocket Demon and its like.

You may still skip your theoretical Power generation to discard extra cards.

*Contingency Plans*

You may play both this and a City Park.

If you have no Feng Shui Sites in play when this resolves, you do gain a
Power.

*Doctor Shen*

He must survive to the end of combat to trigger his ability.

Only damage he inflicted in that combat is counted, and damage that is
prevented or redirected isn't.

You may divide the healing up among multiple characters.

He inflicts his full damage, even if that is considerably more than what
is required to smoke his opponent.

*Dragon Boat Festival*

You unturn before you draw, so you will be the first player with an
increased hand size.

*Dragon Dojo*

A Character with more than one of the appropriate designators still only
gets you one card.

"Not cumulative" means that, if you have two Dragon Dojos at a location,
you still only get one card when playing an appropriate Character there.
(But if one of them is canceled in response, you will get the card from
the other.)

*Feng Kan*

*/Feng/* is not a legal designator, (Because it's part of a card type.)
but we don't foresee any trouble in finding matches for this card.

*Forgotten Shrine*

It doesn't matter whether the Site is turned to generate an effect,
because it's a just-revealed Proving Ground, or because you played
Monkeywrenching.

If you use this in response to a Site being turned, or if the target
Site is turned in response to it, the target doesn't take damage this
time. In both cases, this is because the Site is already turned by the
time Forgotten Shrine resolves.

*Four Sorrows Island*

If the target is already intercepting, it ceases doing so.

*Geoscan Report*

You may use this card on an already-revealed Site.

*Heaven's Peak*

Turning to heal is an effect.

Turning a Character as part of the cost of a different card's effect,
such as Die!!! or the new Biomass Reprocessing Center, will trigger
Heaven's Peak.

*Hermes and Malachi*

Even if both are in play, you may still get one card or one damage. Two
is not possible, though.

*Iala Mane and Koko Chanel*

If you burn for Power during another player's turn, their turn does not end.

If you want to attack in somebody else's turn, remember that they have
the priority to do things. If you want to attack at the same time that
they want to do something, they get to do it first. Since you can't
declare an attack during another player's attack, or declare an attack
in response to anything, you have to wait for whatever they started to
finish. As long as you announced your desire to declare an attack at the
time, you will get a chance to attack when they're done, before they can
do anything else.

You don't have to declare what you wanted to attack, or with who, and
you can decide not to attack when you actually you get your chance.

If whatever they did ended their turn, either because they declared the
end of their turn when you wanted to attack, or because they attacked
and burned for Power, you're out of luck.

*Infernal Plot*

You do not have to choose the cards to put into the victim's hand until
Infernal Plot resolves, since you don't know how many will be discarded
until then.

*Katie Kincaid*

Once you know whether or not she's getting Ambush, she's in combat, and
it's too late to play most effects.

You flip only once, no matter how many */Gun/* States are on her.

*King on the Water*

If the target has already been declared as an interceptor, it ceases
intercepting.

*Kinoshita*

This will not cancel an effect generated by turning a Character, and the
target may still turn in response.

*Larcenous Fog*

You may play this on your own Sites. Why you would want to is left as an
exercise for the student.

*Larcenous Mist*

This will not cancel an effect that has been generated, or that is
generated in response.

*Market Square*

You may use this ability even if the Site is face-down at the time.

*Master Killer*

If you play this card when non-Uniques have already been declared as
interceptors, they cease intercepting.

You choose which Character to play Master Killer on if there is a choice.

You may not choose a Character that was smoked by the former subject in
the combat in which the former subject was smoked. If none of the
Characters are alive, Master Killer remains in your smoked pile.

The subject need not have been smoked by combat damage. If a White
Disciple kills the Master Killer, he becomes the Master Killer.

If the new subject is smoked in response to Master Killer being played
onto them, it will not return to play on a different Character.

*Mo' Monkeys, Mo' Problems*

A Character with more than one of the appropriate designators still only
gets you one card.

*Natraj Thalnasser*

He can turn to heal.

No matter how much damage a Natraj (or any Character) takes, his
Fighting is never reduced below zero, so no amount of damage can smoke
him mid-turn.

He can be smoked by effects that don't damage him, such as Nerve Gas.

The fact that he will be smoked at the end of the turn is not an effect
that smokes him, (it's an effect that's keeping him alive shutting off)
so Charmed Life cannot keep him alive.

*Old Uncle*

"Not cumulative" means that, if you turn more than one Old Uncle to
attack, you still only get two cards. (But if one of them is canceled in
response, you will get the cards from the other.)

*Opium Den*

If the Character attacks, this will not cause the turn and maintain to
cease, it just turns off the penalty for a time.

*Path of the Lurking Rat*

Characters that can't attack back-row Sites may not turn to attack with
the subject or join the attack.

*Path of the Raging Bear*

This is cumulative with Sam Mallory.

*Peasant Leader*

If either Character's Fighting changes, you still kepp control; it only
matters if it was legal when the effect was generated.

*Peking Opera Troupe*

Cards in burned-for-victory piles are not considered to be controlled.

*Plains of Ash*

If you regain control, you don't get the extra Body back.

*Point Blockage*

It only matters that the subject not have Superleap when you play Point
Blockage; if Superleap is gained later, it has no effect on this card.

The target need not be damaged by Point Blockage to become turned.

Koko Chanel will still be able to unturn during other players'
Establishing Shots.

*Portal Rat*

Only combat damage will kill the Edge; other sources cannot damage the Edge.

If an Edge is being targetted by the Abysmal Prince's ability, Portal
Rat cannot attack it, because the Prince's ability says so.

Other Characters cannot usefully copy this ability, as it still prevents
cards with a title other than "Portal Rat" from attacking the Edge.

*Primeval Forest*

Generates one Power normally while unrevealed, even in your back row.

*Primus*

Yes, it is possible to play him, but you'll really have to work for it.

[Pur] is a faction resource.

*Rachel McShane*

Turning a card as part of the cost of a different card's effect, such as
Die!!!, is considered to be turning a card to generate an effect.

*Rend Chi*

The amount of damage actually inflicted is determined at resolution; if
somebody heals your Character in response, no damage will be inflicted.

It's not possible to be at the location of an opponent's Character
except during an attack or a Faceoff.

This Event targets only your Character, not the opponent's Character.
(So, it could not heal The Eastern King, but could damage him, and Brain
Fire cannot change who is being damaged, only who is healed.)

*Shaolin Surprise*

If you can't play the State on the card in question, you can't move it
there, either. (This only applies to restictions on where the State
could be played, not when it could be played.)

If the old subject leaves play and then is returned to play, the State
will not return to it.

*Shui Yu*

[Mag], [Tech], and [Chi] are not faction resources.

Sharing a faction resource with another Character means requiring or
providing a faction resource that the other Character also requires or
provides.

*/Shui/* is not a legal designator, (Because it's part of a card type.)
but we don't foresee any trouble in finding matches for this card.

*Six Bottles Hwang*

This is not considered to be forcing an opponent to discard anything;
it's a cost that they choose to pay. (So Resistance Squad will not trigger.)

If they can't discard three cards, they can't intercept.

*Sliding Paper Walls*

You must use Sliding Paper Walls at the time the attack is declared, not
later.

An adjacent location is either of the columns to the left or right of
the one containing Sliding Paper Walls.

Sliding Paper Walls may be used even if it's not in the same row as the
Site being attacked.

It may not be used if the target of the attack is in its own column.

The damage inflicted on the Site behind it is not combat damage, and
will not allow that Site to be seized or burned.

If more than one Sliding Paper Walls is used at a time, each will, when
it resolves, exchange position wilth the Site that was originally being
attacked, wherever it has moved to. The Sliding Paper Walls that end up
in the position of the Site that was attacked (this will always be the
first one to resolve) becomes the target of the attack.

*Sword Dance*

You don't have to move all the Weapons to the same Character.

The Fighting bonuses are granted after the States are moved, not before.

*Sword of the Master*

This is not a Weapon.

Characters with an X Fighting do not have their Fighting reduced to
zero. The definition of X is not a bonus to their Fighting; it is their
Fighting.

Even Characters whose damage cannot be reduced, such as CHAR, will be
affected by this. You're not directly reducing the damage they inflict,
but getting rid of something that increases it.

It doesn't matter what source provided the bonuses, whether it's the
other Character itself, a State on it, a permanent Fighting bonus, an
Edge, etc.

Any additional abilities provided by the same source as the damage or
Fighting bonus are not canceled. So, Arcanowave Reinforcer still makes
the Character an */Abomination/*, Disintegrator Ray still toasts things,
and so on.

Only the damage and Fighting bonuses on the specific Character in combat
with the subject are canceled. An Arcanowave Reinforcer would continue
to give other Characters +1 damage.

No matter what their source, the damage and Fighting bonuses return at
the end of combat. (Unless their duration ended before then, of course.)

*Temple of the Monkey King*

If the Character uses its ability in response to you turning Temple of
the Monkey King, then the ability will resolve before the Temple's
cancellation does.

*Temple of the Shaolin Dragon*

Players who don't control a */Netherworld/* Site cannot join attacks
against it, either.

If it's in your back row, it still can't be attacked by players who
don't control a */Netherworld/* Site.

If, while attacking it, a player loses all */Netherworld/* Sites, their
Characters cease attacking.

*The Dragon Unyielding*

You may play this card even if your Character was also smoked.

*The Eastern King*

The promo Eastern King has these abilities, too.

*The Inner Fire*

If you control more than one copy of The Inner Fire, your */Fire/*
Characters will provide one [Chi] for each copy.

Your */Fire/* Characters are [Chi] cards while this is in play.

*/Fire/* Characters in your smoked pile will not provide [Chi].

*Three Sectional Staff*

Keep flipping as long as you keep getting Heads.

*Tiger Hook Swords*

You draw a card even if the subject is also smoked.

If the subject smokes more than one Character simultaneously. draw a
card for each.

If more than one Tiger Hook Swords is on a Character, each will let you
draw a card.

*Tiger vs. Crane*

You may not inflict more than one damage on any card.

You do not have to inflict all three points of damage.

*Two Dragons Inn*

This affects you as well.

It only matters if they control Characters at the end of the turn, not
whether they controlled any during their turn.

*Walk of a Thousand Steps*

Compute X before taking Toughness and the like into account, but after
any partial redirections. (So, if Old Man Wu is the subject of Walk of a
Thousand Steps, and six damage is being inflicted on him, he can
redirect one point of damage, (leaving five) and ignore half of what is
left. (Half of five, rounded up is three, so he would take two damage.
If he had Toughness: 2, he would take none.)

*Wei Fong-Yi*

If you stole a State that can generate an effect, such as a Pump-Action
Shotgun, it will be too late to use the effect that combat.

*Year of the Snake*

As long as any of your attackers are attacking a Site, you may play this
card. Characters who are attacking other Characters will change target, too.

You don't have to change the target to a card controlled by the player
who controls the old target.

If you change the target of an attack to a card at a different location,
the attackers will move to the location of the new target, but all
currently declared interceptors will cease intercepting, even if they
are capable of moving to the new location. (However, players do not
declare their interceptors until the previous player is finished
intercepting, so you can only evade one player's interception this way.)

Changing the target of the attack to a different player's card does not
change the order in which players declare interception.

If other players join your attack, their attackers will not change target.

*Zheng Yi Quan*

A typographical error was made in the subtitle. It is to be played as if
it said */Kung/*.