Shape the Self Anew (Starlight Seeks Its Form)

Frequently Asked Questions

General Play

• If an effect says that you may X to Y (e.g., paying Energy to gain a Power Card, Destroying Presence to skip an Event on a board), are you allowed to get the second half for free if you can't do the first half?
  No, the second half is gated behind paying the cost in the first half. Similarly, "you may Y by X" requires paying the cost in the second half to get the effect in the first half.

  While this tends to be pretty obvious when the cost is paying Energy, it's less clear if the cost is performing some other effect, like discarding a card or removing Presence.

  While you must be able to pay the cost in order to get the bonus, ongoing effects can alter the final result of the cost being paid. For example, you can successfully pay the cost of "Destroy 2 Presence" even if "Flowing and Silent Forms Dart By" will end up saving that Presence from destruction if you do so. On the other hand, you can't attempt to pay the cost with Presence under "Absolute Stasis," since that Presence only exists for Victory/Defeat – it doesn't exist as far as the Event is concerned.
  Tags: Action Modifiers, Absolute Stasis (Fractured Days Split the Sky), Turmoil's Touch (Wandering Voice Keens Delirium), Water Nourishes Life's Growth (Downpour Drenches the World), 11 more...
• Can you Forget one Power Card to pay for multiple Forgetting requirements? (e.g., a self-targeted "Entwined Power" in solo)
  No. Each Major Power gained must be paid for by Forgetting one Power Card, and that card can't be something you're Forgetting for some other benefit (like a different Major Power, or 3 Energy with "Shape the Self Anew").

  In an extreme case, when using the Transforming Aspect for Heart of the Wildfire, you have to Forget four Power Cards when using its "Exaltation of the Transforming Flame" Innate Power in solo play to gain two Major Powers. In order: once to gain a Power Card & Element as "target Spirit," once because you gained a Major Power as "target Spirit," once to gain a Power Card & Element as "you," and once because you gained a Major Power as "you."
  Tags: Forgetting, Entwined Power, Starlight Seeks Its Form, Transforming Aspect (Heart of the Wildfire), 1 more...

Power Cards

• If you gain a Major Power by non-standard means or from a place other than the Major Power deck, do you have to Forget a card? How about the "gifting" of Entwined Power's threshold or "taking" a Major Power?
  "Gifting" is a transfer and does not require Forgetting, and "taking" explicitly doesn't require Forgetting. But for any Gain of a Major Power, you must Forget unless the effect specifically exempts you.

  As usual, you may Forget the Major Power you just gained, if you'd prefer that to losing any of your other Power Cards.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Gaining Power Cards, Forgetting, Taking Power Cards, Transferring Power Cards, 7 more...

Scenarios

• In Destiny Unfolds, if you only have Major Powers in your Destiny, can you gain Minor Powers normally from the deck? (Or vice versa)
  Generally no. Rather than choosing a deck to gain from, you choose a single Power in your Destiny to gain. If your Destiny only has Major Powers, you must gain a Major Power.

  However, if the source of the Power Card forces you to gain a Minor Power (e.g., "Gift of Power") and you have none in your Destiny, gain one normally from the Minor Power Deck (and similarly for an effect that specifically gains Major Powers).
  Tags: Gaining Power Cards, Call on Midnight's Dreams (Bringer of Dreams and Nightmares), Boon of Ancient Memories (Shifting Memory of Ages), Unlock the Gates of Deepest Power, 12 more...