Private Card Error

Penalty: Warning

Definitions and Philosophy: This error class considers all gameplay errors which can’t be corrected with public information given a component of private information for a player. Often, this is a result of a player drawing or adding an extra card to their hand or memory or adding a card that was supposed to be revealed but wasn’t to their hand or memory. This error differs from the Seeing Extra Cards infraction by whether or not the additional card is added to a private set of cards.

A corrected Game State might not be achievable since it can be impossible to discern or verify (from a public point of view) which was the additional card. If card order is maintained and added to a public zone (and seen by all players), the infraction can be treated as a Game Rule Violation rather than as a Private Card Error. This is also true if a card is identifiable from the others, such as being the only card in a hand or memory.

Corrective Procedures: If the error were to contain a sequencing error regarding a set of cards in which additional cards are placed, first the player reveals that set of cards (with the extra card) and an opponent chooses the cards that can't be verified and returned to their proper zone (and shuffled, if necessary). The proper sequencing is applied to the proper set of cards before the additional cards entered that set.

If the error involves a card or cards that were supposed to be revealed, the player will show the set of cards that has the card(s) meant to be revealed. An opponent chooses that many unknown/unverifiable cards and returned to their proper zone (and shuffled, if necessary). The action of selection and revealing is attempted again with the unknown cards returned.

If the error involves a set of cards containing more cards than it is supposed to contain or than can be accounted for, that set of cards in excess is shown and an opponent chooses a number of cards equal to the number of cards in excess that are unverifiable to reduce the set to its proper size. The chosen cards are shuffled back into the random portion of the deck from which they came. If continuous effect modifies game rules such that the top card of the main deck is public and excess cards are drawn from the main deck, excess cards can simply be returned in the correct order and position they were previously in.

Upgrading: If a private or hidden card is set aside or played with consideration of particular properties or attributes of a card and is later discovered to not correlate with the actual properties or attributes of the face card, the penalty to be applied is a Game Loss. E.g. A player banishes a card face-down under Quicksilver Grail’s effect and the card is revealed to be a champion card when the game ends. However, if that player discovers such an error on their own, no other unknown cards have been added to the concerned private set of cards, and can correct the error, the card can be revealed and switched with a correct card without penalty applied. In the previous example, that player would have to show that no unknown cards had been added to their material deck and they would be able to exchange the champion card for a non-champion card.

Examples:

• A player has more cards in hand or memory than can be accounted for.

• The first turn player in a two-player game draws a card during their Draw Phase.

• A player is instructed to draw 2 cards and instead draws 3 cards.

• A player sees 4 cards after being instructed to Glimpse 3.

• A player puts the top card of their deck into their hand after resolving Fairy Whispers but forgets to reveal the card.