Hey guys so my question is can you use derby hall to bring a student or faculty character from the discard to your hand? it only says return one to your hand it doesn't specify in play or graveyard. 

I've always played it that you can return a character from your discard pile to your hand, though I can't site a specific resource (at this time) to back up my assertion.

Generally speaking I try to read the cards as literally as possible.  Since Derby Hall doesn't include any restrictions (such as "in play" or "in your discard pile") then I don't see why you shouldn't be able to do either.

 Dont see any reason to touch discard pile. See FAQ quote:

Additionally, cards that are in play (or event cards that are played) do not interact with cards that are out of play unless they specifically refer to an out of play state they will interact with. For example: The Thing Behind You (Summons of the Deep F110) has the ability: “Action: Pay 2 and return a [Hastur] character to your hand to put The Thing Behind You into play from your hand.” This ability could not bring a character from a player’s discard pile to his hand, because the card does not specifically state that the player can take cards from their discard pile.

Wow, for once I agree with Zephyr!

Derby Hall would have to spell it out if it was intended to interact with out-of-play cards. I.e. it also doesn't work with characters you resourced.

What Derby Hall is good for is to reuse character abilties triggered on entering play.

Agreed.  While I'd prefer if the card text stated explicitly "in play" or something, it technically doesn't have to as Zephyr pointed out since there is a blanket rule for this situation.

It's also good for yanking your guy out of a story before he gets killed.

And there's the good reason I couldn't site a resource for my take on this card.  Thanks for giving bricks16 the right answer everyone!

 yeah that was perfect thanks guys.

this might also link to a question i suppose i should have answered. i've been thinking that the ritual of exclusion could also be activated when a character is returned to the players hand from discard ( as the 'hand' out of play area is specified on the card and is the activation point ). i know that it's meant to reflect on the ST's bouncing ability, but i've been building it into a deck that includes discard pile character fishing. anyone know if this is allowable before i put too much effort into it ?? or does a character only become a 'character' when it is in play, and cease to be such when it is simply in the hand ?? hmmm. existential.

just to pluck a non related card out of the memory banks, such a card as this specifies character and also specifies return, which should ?? meet the criteria of the ritual.

yes ?? or no ??

It should work as far as I know.

This will work, since 'Ritual of Exclusion' does not directly interact with the discard pile; it only cares about a character being returned to your hand, no matter how. 'Shadowed Woods' is the card that interacts directly with the discard pile, but since the text specifically mentions it, it's fine.

 A response effect that entions a target area cares pretty much only about that target area. When it mentions no target area it means specifically in play.

A case could be argued it does not say where the card comes from so that means it must be from in play, but I'm not sure that it matters since the effect is only asking if a card was returned to a players hand… though a case could also be made that a card "returns" only if it was there at some point to begin with. *Sigh* My instinct is to say it doesn't matter, but I've been traveling for almost 12 hours and I'm no longer sure. Send it to Damon.