[ANSTHRLD] Device check

[tmcd at panix.com]

On Thu, 20 Oct 2005, Reis ap Tuder <reis at plumes.org> wrote:
> X.2 allows simple armory to be clear with one difference only under
> this circumstance: "Simple armory does not conflict with other simple
> armory if the type of every primary charge is substantially changed."
> Field change isn't enough.

I mentioned that if you aren't 100% sure how to blazon something, you
should describe it in plain English.  Chan^H^H^H^HReis here suggests a
related principle: if you aren't 100% sure of a rule (especially if
you're suggesting a return), it's good to check the exact text of the
rule.

More advanced discussion of field difference, if you care:

There is a rule that describes what differences you get from changes
to a field: it's Rules for Submission X.4.a (RfS,
<http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/rfs.html>).

    X.4.a.  Field Difference - Significantly changing the tinctures,
      direction of partition lines, style of partition lines, or
      number of pieces in a partition of the field is one clear
      difference.

I'm snipping out the explanatory paragraphs, which also sometimes give
extra limitations or expansions.  So I'm just hinting at the rules: if
you want to learn these rules, much less apply them, you need to read
the whole thing.

In general, you can get at most 1 CD for all the changes to a field,
regardless of how many changes there are.  "Argent, a gort-burnisher
sable" versus "Gyronny vair and lozengy gules and Or, a gort-burnisher
sable" gets one CD.

However, there's RfS X.4.a.ii, which starts "If neither of two pieces
of armory being compared has charges, or if each has the same
uncharged peripheral ordinary, they may derive greater difference from
changes to the field."  But since it is quite rare in the SCA to have
armory with no charges or with only an uncharged peripheral ordinary,
I won't go into the details here, and I suggest that the new herald
not bother reading the field-primary rules.  Just remember that such a
rule exists, and only go read it if you hit a field-primary case.

Danet de Lincoln
-- 
"Me, I love the USA; I never miss an episode." -- Paul "Fruitbat" Sleigh
Tim McDaniel; Reply-To: tmcd at panix.com