<p><strong>There is no official ruling, so you will have to house rule it</strong></p>
<p>There seems to be some concern with <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/723537/ffg-policy-on-rules-and-faqs" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Fantasy Flight Games slow FAQ</a> releases and lack of designer feedback on rules clarifications. One do the designers, <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/4819/richard-launius" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Richard Launius</a>, has answered <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/article/7537192#7537192" rel="nofollow noreferrer">some questions</a> sent directly to him, but they aren't considered official rules clarifications.</p>
<p>This particular question has been asked on the <a href="http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/58273-more-questions-after-2nd-playthrough/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">FFG forums</a> (Q3), but without an official answer. The question is <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/article/7839730#7839730" rel="nofollow noreferrer">also on BGG</a>, but again lacks an official response.</p>
<p>Neither <a href="http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/Elder%20Sign/support/SL05_ES_Revised_Rulebook.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the revised rules</a> nor the <a href="http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/Elder%20Sign/support/SL05-faq-web.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">FAQ</a> address the timing of the application of the Ancient One's (AO) abilities and Item effects. So, you have two choices:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Apply the AO effect first</strong>: This would mean that a <strong>Healing Stone</strong> would restore your stamina to the maximum (5 in your example). It also means that if you are 1 stamina you would be devoured. Which means that while nothing in the rules prevent you from using the Healing Stone at <strong>1 Stamina</strong>, you probably wouldn't for strategic reasons.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Being Devoured</strong> - If at any time an investigator loses sanity or stamina that causes him to drop to zero or less, he is devoured.</p>
<p>When an investigator is devoured, that player adds one doom token to the doom track and returns his investigator card and marker to the game box. [...]</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><strong>Apply the AO effect after the Item</strong> - This would mean that <strong>Healing Stone</strong> would restore your Stamina to the maximum minus one (4 in your example). It also means you have nothing to fear when using Healing Stone at 1 Stamina.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-25T19:50:46.867Z
2013-12-25T19:50:46.867Z
2020-06-17T09:01:24.697Z
user1873
<p>The Ancient One Ithaqua's "Icy Winds" ability reads as follows:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Each time an investigator uses either a unique item or a spell, he loses 1 stamina.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The unique item "Healing Stone" reads as follows:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Before rolling, discard to fully restore your stamina and sanity.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>If my investigator has max 5 stamina and I use the Healing Stone, will my resulting stamina be 4 or 5? Additionally, can I use the Healing Stone if my investigator only has one stamina remaining?</p>

<elder-sign>
How does Ithaqua's "Icy Winds" ability work with Healing Stone?
bengoesboom
# How does Ithaqua's "Icy Winds" ability work with Healing Stone?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-12-25)

The Ancient One Ithaqua's "Icy Winds" ability reads as follows:

> Each time an investigator uses either a unique item or a spell, he loses 1 stamina.

The unique item "Healing Stone" reads as follows:

> Before rolling, discard to fully restore your stamina and sanity.

If my investigator has max 5 stamina and I use the Healing Stone, will my resulting stamina be 4 or 5? Additionally, can I use the Healing Stone if my investigator only has one stamina remaining?

**Tags:** elder-sign


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-12-25. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

**There is no official ruling, so you will have to house rule it**

There seems to be some concern with [Fantasy Flight Games slow FAQ](http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/723537/ffg-policy-on-rules-and-faqs) releases and lack of designer feedback on rules clarifications. One do the designers, [Richard Launius](http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/4819/richard-launius), has answered [some questions](http://boardgamegeek.com/article/7537192#7537192) sent directly to him, but they aren't considered official rules clarifications.

This particular question has been asked on the [FFG forums](http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/58273-more-questions-after-2nd-playthrough/) (Q3), but without an official answer. The question is [also on BGG](http://boardgamegeek.com/article/7839730#7839730), but again lacks an official response.

Neither [the revised rules](http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/Elder%20Sign/support/SL05_ES_Revised_Rulebook.pdf) nor the [FAQ](http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/Elder%20Sign/support/SL05-faq-web.pdf) address the timing of the application of the Ancient One's (AO) abilities and Item effects. So, you have two choices:

* **Apply the AO effect first**: This would mean that a **Healing Stone** would restore your stamina to the maximum (5 in your example). It also means that if you are 1 stamina you would be devoured. Which means that while nothing in the rules prevent you from using the Healing Stone at **1 Stamina**, you probably wouldn't for strategic reasons.

> **Being Devoured** - If at any time an investigator loses sanity or stamina that causes him to drop to zero or less, he is devoured.
>
> When an investigator is devoured, that player adds one doom token to the doom track and returns his investigator card and marker to the game box. [...]

* **Apply the AO effect after the Item** - This would mean that **Healing Stone** would restore your Stamina to the maximum minus one (4 in your example). It also means you have nothing to fear when using Healing Stone at 1 Stamina.


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