"Free" conflicts

[Vaxalon]

What is free about a free conflict?

Does it not require a turn (or a story token) to put into play?

I don't see that anywhere in the rules.

[Andrew Morris]

If I understand correctly, you can add Free Conflicts/Events right before Claiming and before regular Actions. I don't believe it requires a Story Token to put into play, unless, of course, you're adding more than one. So, you could add a Free Conflict, Claim it, use an Ability on it, then Resolve it -- all in one Page. Unless I've completely misinterpreted it.

[Vaxalon]

Or, if you DIDN'T want it to resolve right away, wait until after claiming to play it?

[Andrew Morris]

I don't think so. Again, not entirely sure (and it's late) but I believe they have to be played before Claiming.

[Vaxalon]

I guess I'll have to wait for the word from the man who knows...

[Jack Aidley]

You have to have taken a side on a conflict to claim it (either by rolling that side up, or the other side down), so you can't play and then claim a conflict - free or not.

[Jack Aidley]

Oh, and to answer the original question: IIRC:

* if you're playing a super, or an exemplar, you can place the free conflict between them into play on your action without using up that action. So you can place it and then act on it.

* if you're playing an event; your free conflict appears in play when you do. I don't think there is a choice about this?

[Jonas Ferry]

You have to have taken a side on a conflict to claim it (either by rolling that side up, or the other side down), so you can't play and then claim a conflict - free or not.

But it does say on p22 under "Pages" that:

"If they have no character Allied (particularly for a new Conflict where sides are not yet defined) they may put the marker on any side. Placing that marker is known as Claiming the side."

So you should be able to play and then claim.

[TonyLB]

You can play a Free Conflict the same way you can play a Conflict by paying a Story Token (only, of course, without paying the Story Token).  You can do this at any time during the Claiming phase.  This includes:

[*]At the beginning of that phase, before anyone claims.[*]At the beginning of your turn to Claim, after everyone before you has claimed, but before your opportunity to do so.[*]At the end of the Claiming phase, after everyone has gotten their free claims.[/list:u]You can immediately claim:  p. 22 "If they have no character Allied (particularly for a new Conflict where sides are not yet defined) they may put a marker on any side."

[Jack Aidley]

Oh, ok. Missed that rule.

[Vaxalon]

So you can't play free conflicts after the claiming phase, that is, when ordinary conflicts are played?

[TonyLB]

Give me a second to check the rules.

Okay, as written, you can only introduce Free Conflicts during the Claiming phase.  So, yeah, you can't do it in the middle of an Action phase.

Now let me think what that does strategically... okay, yeah, that means that Free Conflicts are slightly less useful for prolonging scenes.  Any time you introduce them (even if it's at the end of the claiming phase) someone can claim a side immediately (though, at the end of the claiming phase, it will cost them a Story Token to do so).

Was that smart design?  Hrm... yeah, I think on balance that's probably the right way to go.  The rest of the system makes it easier to do long scenes than short ones, so it's probably right to have this rule pulling (a little) in the other direction.  Subtle distinction though, in terms of game-play.

Does that help?

[Vaxalon]

Yes, it helps; it's just that I don't see in the rules as written where that's said.

It doesn't say, anywhere that I can find, that free conflicts are played during the claiming phase.

[TonyLB]

Isn't it on the bottom of page 22, in the section about Claiming?