Character cannot use special abilities

[Tbiesty]

What is the actual meaning of "character cannot use special abilities"?

Examples:  Crashing Cavalry, Perspective (erratum), Grima, Servant of Another Master

Does that mean...

1)  That character's owner may not use special abilities on that character card.

-or-

2)  That character's owner may not use special abilities on that character card, or on any cards that character bears.

[Elessar's Socks]

I'd have treated it as "Skirmish special abilities in those characters' game text cannot be used" in keeping with the unofficial rulebook discussion (making it option 1 here). Did something come up?

[Tbiesty]

That discussion only considered either "just the character" or "all cards in play", I was wondering if there was another option that wasn't considered.

For example:

Merry bearing Merry's Sword.
If a card such as Grima, Servant of Another Master spots Merry and says that he cannot use special abilities, should that prevent him from using Merry's Sword.  Since he bears it, perhaps he is considered to be using it.

Just wondered if anyone ever considered this option.

[Elessar's Socks]

Since its meaning isn't defined in the rulebook, my inclination would be to keep things simple (picking one of the two extremes). Sliding down the slope halfway seems a bit arbitrary to me.

[Tbiesty]

Yep, sounds good.  Option 1 it is.

[jdizzy001]

I would say option 2 including conditions like forth the three hunters

[bibfortuna25]

I would say option 2 including conditions like forth the three hunters

That would be incorrect. It only stops special abilities printed on the characters themselves.

[jdizzy001]

if i'm wrong (and its fine if I am) does the term special ability refer specifically to powers printed on a character's card? Because the wording of crashing cavalry sounds like it refers to anything with a text that reads "skirmish:..."

[bibfortuna25]

Yes, it stops any Skirmish: special abilities printed on the characters involved.

[jdizzy001]

but leaves cards like forth the three hunters still usable during the skirmish phase

[bibfortuna25]

You got it!

[MarcinS]

Here is a relevant paragraph from Comprehensive Rules, in case you still have doubts:
"The source of an effect is the card on which that effect is printed. Even though a card like an event may require a minion to exert to pay its cost, the source of that effect is the event card and not the minion."
The fact that exertions or anything else are needed from a character, does not change the source of the effect, hence you should be able to use attached cards or anything outside of the very card that cannot be used.