I'll have one more try and then stay shut up unless anyone requires something to be explained more fully.
First let me remind everyone that what I've been trying to do is come up with an explanation that gives all the required results, i.e. I have been trying to find a model, preferably as simple as possible, that would require only rulings about mechanisms to change rather than rulings about results. I think the following reduces such changes to a minimum.
Treat Lantern and Way of the Chameleon as shape-shifting the instructions on the relevant cards.
Playing a card:
1. Announce it.
2. Move it to the "in play" area.
3. "When you play a card, first..." abilities trigger here.
4. Either use a Way or follow the instructions on the card (in order, top to bottom, stop at a dividing line). Whatever instructions actually get followed count as what the card does.
5. "When you play a card" abilities trigger here.
Enchantress and HighWayman trigger when one attempts to FTI.
Moat protects against what a card does.
Harbor Village cares about what a card did.Now, in tedious detail, here is how the results of the above compare to the results Donald X has specified.
- Normally you FTI.
Matches (of course).
- if you have Reckless, you FTI twice.
Matches (of course).
- If you have Enchantress, you cantrip instead. There's no FTI.
The result matches, i.e. one cantrips, but the explanation of why it arises differs. I don't think this has any impact on any existing cards, but were a future card to say something like "After the next Action you play this turn, if it gave you +card, …" there might be an issue, depending on what Donald X specified the result in that case to be. My proposed explanation of the mechanism would cause it to trigger.
- If Highwayman hits it, you do nothing instead. There's no FTI.
Again the result matches but with a different explanation of why. I don't think the different explanation could cause any problem for future cards.
- If you use Way of the Sheep, you get +$2 instead of the FTI. +$2 becomes what the card did.
Matches.
- If you use Chameleon, you FTI flipping cards/$. And this is what the card did.
Matches.
- Normally you FTI. Harbor Village sees this.
Matches.
- if you have Reckless, you FTI twice. Harbor Village sees both.
Matches.
- If you have Enchantress, you cantrip instead. Harbor Village is blind.
The result matches, but the explanation of it differs. Harbor Village saw the card doing a cantrip, but it was irrelevant.
- If Highwayman hits it, you do nothing instead. Harbor Village is blind.
The result matches, but the explanation of it differs. Harbor Village saw the card doing nothing.
- If you use Way of the Sheep, you get +$2 instead of the FTI. Harbor Village magically sees this +$2.
The result matches, but the explanation of it differs. No magic is needed. Harbor Village saw the card doing +$2.
- If you use Chameleon, you FTI flipping cards/$. Harbor Village sees the result.
Matches.
- Reckless + Enchantress
-- You just get one cantrip.
Matches. When FTI was attempted, Enchantress triggered, so FTI did not occur, so Reckless can't FTI a second time (cf "If you skip following the instructions of the card then you don't follow them an extra time" in the rule book).
- Reckless + Highwayman
-- You just get one nothing.
Matches as per Reckless + Enchanted.
- Reckless + Way of the Sheep
-- You only get +$2.
Matches. No FTI was even attempted, so Reckless can't FTI a second time.
- Reckless + Way of the Chameleon
-- This could go either way, but I have ruled that it works, you get the flipped effect twice. (a reversal)
Matches. I'd also tend to saying that it would match even if one didn't consider Way of the Chameleon to have shape-shifted the card, but some people might disagree.
- Enchantress + Highwayman
-- Your choice!
Matches. Enchantress and Highwayman trigger at the same time, so you choose which order they apply in.
- Enchantress + Way of the Sheep
-- Your choice!
Matches, but for a different reason compared to the existing ruling about how Ways and the attacks interact. If the Way was chosen, no FTI was attempted, so Enchantress never got the opportunity to trigger (but this was nonetheless still the first Action played).
- Enchantress + Way of the Chameleon
-- Used to be your choice; tentatively switching to, Enchantress wins.
Matches. Enchantress triggers when Way of the Chameleon tries to FTI.
- Highwayman + Way of the Sheep
-- Your choice!
Matches as per Enchantress + Way of the Sheep (but this was nonetheless still the first Treasure played).
- Highwayman + Way of the Chameleon
-- Your choice!
I had failed to spot that this is one instance where my model gives the wrong result (I think Jeebus and Gendolkari might find the same oversight in their discussion). When Way of the Chameleon tries to FTI, Highwayman would trigger and have the card do nothing.
- Way of the Sheep + Way of the Chameleon
-- Not recommended! But supported. Your choice!
Matches.
- Lantern / Chameleon'd Border Guard: Lantern applies.
Matches so long as one considers the applied shape-shifting to be cumulative, i.e. Chameleon shape-shifts the instructions that are now 'on' the card after Lantern has had its way (or possibly in the opposite order). Matches even more clearly if one doesn't consider Chameleon to be shape-shifting the card.
- Lantern / Reckless Border Guard: Lantern applies both times.
Matches.
- Elder / Chameleon'd Minion: Elder applies.
Matches.
- Elder / Reckless Minion: Elder applies.
Matches.