A doubt: at the start of the game, when I pick the 2 common objects, should I:

1 Pick two cards and keep one, then pick another two cards and keep one (another time)

2 Pick 3 cards and keep 2

I always played 1, because I think at each preparation action as a separate event... but today the doubt arose...

CptWasp said:

You're supposed to do the second one.  Whenever he draws one or more common items, he draws one more than normal and discards one more than normal.  Setup is similar to shopping in that the random draws are done as a batch.  So, when setting up, you draw 3 (instead of 2) and discard 1 (instead of 0). 

The same goes for Dexter Drake, Monterey Jack, and Amanda Sharpe for their respective abilities. 

Arborshate said:

Thank you for your answer; but there is some official FAQ about that?

Someone doing else?

I don´t remember any FAQ about this one as it is pretty straighforward: as was said already, you draw one more card then listed (3 common items in the case of starting equipment) and the 2 you like the most.

There doesn't need to be an official FAQ ruling on that one because the wording is as concise as it could be. "Whenever you draw one or more"; so whether you draw a single card or whether you draw seven cards, you only get one extra from which you can then choose and discard the appropriate number of cards.

There doesn't need to be an FAQ on it, but it was apparently a frequently asked question, so they added it to the FAQ.  Well, it isn't the exact same question but the mechanic is similar and should make you sleep well at night.  From the Dunwich Horror rulebook:

Ok, in Italian the text isn't so clear; I thinked the ability was referred at choices, like at the shop, and not at the preparation phase.

Thank you for the clarification.

ColtsFan76 said:

Hmm.

But isn't that different from the OP's question?

The question answered by the FAQ specifically addresses the situation of 'draw X, keep 1'.

Not only is that different from 'draw X, keep X', it's also not defined anywhere (I think) if starting equipment is obtained from a single draw or from several draws.

I.e.: is it 'draw 2, keep 2' or is it 'draw 1, keep 1' twice?

The Arkham rulebook says "draws the indicated number of cards" which to me denotes it is one action.

So if the investigator card lists you draw "2 Common Items", you draw 3 and throw one back. It doesn't say "1 Common Item, 1 Common Item", which would then be two seperate events.

CptWasp said:

Are you referring to a specific Investigator?

When you say "at the start of the game", do you mean during set-up, or you mean after you walked to one of the shops in the first phases of the first turn?

Most Investigator's abilities related to drawing additionnal cards mentions a specific "phase" (or "Any Phase").  In that case, their ability won't kick in during set-up when they receive their starting equipment, if that's what you were asking.

All the investigators with such abilities are "Any Phase" powers.

Also, the rulebook specifically states that investigators with such powers do use this power with their random item draws during set-up.

thorgrim said:

  we can not even agree on Jenkins’s simple ability...so please no one bring up Charlie Kain 

If it said draw one common item then draw another common item you would draw two and then two

but sense it say's draw two you would draw two plus one for a total of three!

Did not read thogrim's response first before posting but it's the same!