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Let's say an explorer is wearing the Mask Omen Card that has an effect causing you to gain two knowledge and lose two sanity when you put it on. It says when you take off the mask, the effect of the mask is reverted. But that is what happens when you manually take off the mask.

Then let's say someone steals the mask from the explorer that is wearing it during the haunt. When the item is stolen, would you agree that you lose the effect of the item?

My mates argued that the card didn't say you lose the effect when it is stolen (it didn't say a thing about being stolen at all). My logic was the effect the mask is caused by wearing the mask. If the mask is stolen it is the same as taking it off, and you lose the effect.

I could be crazy but I think my logic is a slam dunk. As it is two against one I thought I would see if there is consensus one way or the other amongst gamers here.

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    I'm going to point out that this scenario is UNIQUE to the Mask Omen Card, as all other items (and Omen Items) explicitly cover the case of the item being lost. Also, why do I keep finding the House-on-the-Hill questions that aren't covered by the rules OR errata?
    – KitsuneZeta
    Apr 23, 2016 at 8:25
  • I'm finding this game frustrating that way ;). Do you have a solid pointer to where some of these types of queries have been clarified? I haven't yet gone to the game makers site.
    – JHubbard80
    Apr 23, 2016 at 14:47
  • Update - Found it. media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/ah/FAQ_BHotH_102605-2.pdf
    – JHubbard80
    Apr 23, 2016 at 21:14
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    Found another instance of this question, with one response boardgamegeek.com/thread/1181493/mask-omen-card
    – JHubbard80
    Apr 23, 2016 at 21:38

1 Answer 1

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The Mask Card from Betrayal The Holy Symbol

While it's true it doesn't cover the "stolen" scenario in the text on the card unlike other item omen cards like The Holy Symbol. And it's not in the Errata. There are others like me who believe that if it's removed for any reason (theft included) then it's the same as taking it off.

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    I'm of this mindset as well because the alternative opens potential for either abuse or completely unprecedented item behavior: Either the Mask Omen ends up being unique in that it has a memory of who is wearing it (which goes against, among other things, common sense) or the Mask Omen becomes abusable prior to the Haunt being revealed in pumping up Knowledge by a loop of pick up->Attempt to use->drop->End Turn (yes, this can all be done once per turn according to the rules as written).
    – KitsuneZeta
    Apr 25, 2016 at 21:56
  • While that type of abuse is certainly limited because of the -2 Sanity with each "On" it's certainly open to other types of abuse. Such as the merry go round of Masking. Where I wear it, then you wear it, then she wears it. etc. More importantly you bring up a good point. It say nothing about stealing but it also says nothing about dropping even though that's fairly obviously a "Off" condition.
    – Wolfkin
    Apr 26, 2016 at 0:23
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    Note that I said "Prior to the Haunt", which means the -2 Sanity would be reduced (possibly negated) if it would kill the explorer (the rules as written explicitly prevent a protagonist from dying due to stat loss prior to the Haunt, but once the haunt starts, death is possible).
    – KitsuneZeta
    Apr 26, 2016 at 1:15
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    @Wolfkin Except dropping it being an "off" condition means there's no point having to make the sanity roll to take it off. I see 2 ways of solving this. 1) each player can, independently, be wearing the mask or not, with possession making no difference. 2) you can't drop or give away the mask while wearing it, but it can be ripped off of you and removed. I like 2.
    – Samthere
    May 4, 2016 at 9:01
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    that's a great catch @Samthere. I agree with you. Ahh betrayal. you could write a Wheel of Time book on the gaps in the instruction manual and texts.
    – Wolfkin
    May 4, 2016 at 15:08

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