7.0 Numbers
7.1 The only numbers used in Terrus are integers.
7.2 Terrus only has positive numbers and zero. Negative numbers cannot be chosen for particular effects. However, it is possible for a game value like a beast’s ATK to be less than zero. If a calculation or comparison needs to use a negative value, it does so. If a calculation that would determine the result of an effect yields a negative number, use zero instead unless that effect sets a ruler’s vitae total to a specific value, doubles a ruler’s vitae total, set’s a beast or structure’s statistic to a specific value, or otherwise modifies a beast or structure’s statistic.
- Example: If a 1/2/2 beast has ATK -3 until dawn, it’s a -2/2/2 beast until dawn. It cannot assign wounds according to its ATK. Its total statistic is 2. You’d have to give it ATK +3 to raise its ATK to 1 so that it will assign wounds.
7.2a When calculating statistics for a duel. Any statistic that resolves to a negative number is considered zero for the calculation.
- Example: If a 1/2/2 beast has ATK -3 until dawn and enters a duel, then it is a -2/2/2 beast before any fight bonuses are applied. If the ATK stat is given a bonus of 1 (-2 + 1 = -1), then the resolution of that statistic is raised to zero versus the opposing beast. Alternatively, if the ATK stat is given a bonus of 4, then the resolution of that statistic is two versus the opposing beast (-2 + 4 = 2).
7.2b If an effect instructs a ruler to choose “any number,” that ruler may choose any positive number or zero, unless something (such as wounds) is being divided or distributed among “any number” of rulers and/or objects. In that case, a non-zero number of players and/or objects must be chosen if possible.
7.3 If anything needs to use a number that can’t be determined, either as a result or in a calculation, it uses zero instead.
7.4 Many actions or abilities use the letter X inside a fealty, statistic or resource symbol as a placeholder for a number that needs to be determined. Some of these effects have abilities that define the value of X; the rest let their ruler’s pay a number of resources to determine the value of X.
7.4a If an action or ability has an alternative cost, additional cost, and/or activation cost with an X in it, and the value of X isn’t defined by the text of that action or ability, the ruler of that action or ability chooses and
announces the value of X as part of playing the action or activating the ability. (See rule Abilities 19.0, Actions 20.0.)
7.4b If a ruler is bartering, building, forging or recruiting a card that has an {X} in its cost while the value of X isn’t defined by the text of that card, and an effect lets that ruler play that card without paying its cost, then the only legal choice for X is zero. This doesn’t apply to effects that only reduce a cost, even if they reduce it to zero.
7.4c If a card in a ruler’s hand, discard, or in the ravine has an X in its fealty, statistic or resource cost, it is treated as zero, even if the value of X is defined somewhere within its text.
7.4d All instances of X on a card have the same value at any given time.