Elemental Teachings (Shifting Memory of Ages)

Frequently Asked Questions

Aspects

• When Dark Fire gains a Moon/Fire for only a single action (e.g., when playing Elemental Invocation), can it treat that Element as the other?
  Yes. That is an Element available to you, even if it's only available for a limited purpose.

  This also applies in the rare case that the Dark Fire Aspect is gifted "Elemental Teachings" and spends a prepared Element marker to have an Element for a single action. But it doesn't let the Dark Fire Aspect use Moon markers as Fire markers or vice versa, whether to spend with "Elemental Teachings" or spend for the effect via the Intensify Aspect. (The Dark Fire Aspect has flexibility in the first case only because even though it spends a Moon Marker as a Moon Marker, the resulting Moon Element can instead count as a Fire Element.)
  Tags: Elements, Element markers, Elemental Invocation, Dark Fire Aspect (Shadows Flicker Like Flames), 2 more...

Scenarios

• In the Second Wave scenario, where exactly can a power from the first wave be used? What if the power is targeted from a Sacred Site? What about (one of many weird exception cases)?
  The power can target any land or Spirit it normally could – no current Spirit needs to have a Sacred Site (or Presence in a land of the correct terrain, etc.) The power is being "played" by the Spirit from the prior game – if it cares about the originating land, or where the Spirit has Presence / Sacred Sites, it can assume that for purposes of targeting and resolution the Spirit has up to 2 Presence in each land. The Power can't affect the playing Spirit (which is not in the game). Technically, Energy/other costs can't be paid, but it's more fun if you say that costs up to 8 Energy / 4 Time, can be paid. (Or rough equivalent, so "Elemental Teachings" can grant 3 of any element(s), "Draw Towards a Consuming Void" could redo its effects once, etc).

  Along similar lines, it would be thematically appropriate to apply most sorts of Special Rules for the Spirit "using" the Power, but creating a precise formal specification for exactly what should/shouldn't be considered would get very finicky. Use your judgment.
  (Discussion elsewhere) (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Targeting, Player-convenience choices, Second Wave, Elemental Teachings (Shifting Memory of Ages), 12 more...

Spirits and Innate Powers

• What's the point of using "Elemental Teachings" (Shifting Memory of Ages) on yourself? Don't you have those Elements available anyway?
  If you spend Element Markers via "Elemental Teachings," you get those Elements for the entire turn, not just for a single Action via "Insights Into the World's Nature." But yes, the Power Card is generally more useful targeting other Spirits.
  Tags: Elements, Element markers, Prepare, Shifting Memory of Ages, 2 more...
• If another Spirit gets hold of "Elemental Teachings" (from Shifting Memory of Ages), can they Prepare element markers?
  Yes. While Shifting Memory's panel defines what "Prepare" means, other Spirits can do so if they are able to use a Power that instructs them to. They can spend those element markers on "Elemental Teachings" or for whatever Shifting Memory's special rules say those markers are for (normally getting extra Elements for a single action via "Insights Into the World's Nature").

  While a strict reading of the text of "Insights Into the World's Nature" would have the other Spirit store its prepared markers on Shifting Memory's panel, don't do that. It just wasn't worth convoluting the wording of that paragraph to cover the extreme edge-case. As of the release of Nature Incarnate, "Prepare" is a general game keyword, so the exact text of the first paragraph of "Insights Into the World's Nature" is just a reminder of how things normally work for Shifting Memory of Ages.

  If an Aspect replaces "Insights Into the World's Nature," the function of Element markers also changes for other Spirits. For example, if Shifting Memory is using the Intensify Aspect, Element markers can be spent by other Spirits to increase the effects of one of their Spirit Actions, but can't be spent to gain Elements for a single action.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Elements, Transferring Power Cards, Element markers, Prepare, 5 more...
• Can Shifting Memory of Ages spend element markers to give other Spirits elements?
  Only by using their Unique Power "Elemental Teachings." The normal "gain an Element for 1 action" benefit is for Shifting Memory only.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Elements, Element markers, Prepare, Shifting Memory of Ages, 2 more...