Card Reviews · ArkhamDB

Orphic Theory

So... this thing does some pretty funny things.

It's hard to go into much detail without some spoilers, but among other things your whole party can probably ignore a particularly annoying encounter mechanic in Dunwich as long as the fastest-cycling deck has ONE copy of this card. And when searching for dream cities in the dreamlands there's another trap you can just waltz through. When this card works, it tends to be the key to your Locked Door.

It's very likely you're going to blank the discard condition for the card, so it is a stall unless you can push the game state to the point where something is either less relevant or irrelevant. That happens a lot though. And its cheap as dirt if you don't need the slot.

10/21/22

MrButtermancer · 55

Fun in EOTE too, on locations. — MrGoldbee · 1459 10/22/22

Question: Can I trigger this fast trigger after a test during revelation of a card in order to just discard it? Seems broken, that’s why I love the idea. — latvix · 1 2/20/23

-correction: after the tes is initiated — latvix · 1 2/20/23

u cant. There is no fast action window after a test — Shalone · 1 3/13/23

I've been using one copy of this card on Rex in a Return to the Forgotten Age campaign on Hard and it has pulled it's weight every single scenario. There are treacheries that can really shut down an entire round or lock down a player and this card gets you out of *four* of those situations. Even works to support team mates. This card really impressed me and it's on my list of "always consider" right after core upgrades. — Taevus · 755 4/6/23

I don't think you can use Orphic Theory to avoid revelation treacheries by using the player window within skill tests. The reason why is that the revelation is resolved before the card enters play. So if the treachery card is not in play, it cannot be a valid target for the "choose" option on Orphic Theory. — snacc · 982 8/25/23

Empirical Hypothesis

So, this cards calls running out of cards a "pessmistic outlook", and getting beaten or horrified "trial and error". That's quite a gamemaster's point of view on pedagogy. For 200 characters, I'll add it does seem promising getting it with "alternative hypothesis" for whoever gets two Quick Learner.

10/21/22

RFreitas · 45

Could you use its ability and spend evidence from any source? It doesn't specify that the evidence has to be from Empirical Analysis. — mannthearena · 1 10/26/22

guns don't specify you have to spend ammo from themselves either... I think you can only spend evidence/ammo/charges/whatever from the card that uses them only explicitly stated otherwise — aurchen · 1 10/26/22

I think its the Uses(type) that usually indicates that you have to use ammo/charges/secrets from the card, but this and several of the other evidence cards don't have the uses text. — HurricaneRelic · 3 11/11/22

@mannthearena Are you the same guy who played world of tanks? -Turbo — melicant · 1 12/5/22

Do you have to wait until the next round after playing to benefit? Or can you choose a condition when you play it? — Taevus · 755 12/22/22

Burn After Reading

I am thinking about an interesting interaction between this card and all the new customizable cards. Please, follow my logic and tell me If I'm right.

Each copy of customizable cards is considered to have the level which is equal to the half of marked checkboxes rounded up. So three marked checkboxes make every copy of that customizable card be level 2.
You need to exile a level 2 card or higher to triger the 2nd part of the Burn After Reading effect (removing Doom). Therefore any customizable card with 3+ marked checkboxes is a valid target.
Marking any checkbox on the customizable card upgrade sheet allows you to add that card to your deck (without paying any additional cost. It will be considered as purchasing a card). So if you mark at least one checkbox between the scenarios, you are allowed to add that exiled copy of the card back to your hand. Not as if it was something game changing, but may make some difference for the Déjà Vu archetype.

10/21/22

chrome · 57

Assuming 2 copies of a Customizable and 2 of Burn after Reading this is 8xp to remove 2 doom over a game. Eeeh... Not particularly game winning in my book — fiatluxia · 65 10/21/22

and 4 clues anywhere. — MrGoldbee · 1459 10/21/22

Assuming that Burn After Reading and the customizable are a good fit for your deck and worth including on their own, this is pure gravy. Not game winning, no, but a very nice bit of bonus value that could be the tipping point for including both cards instead of either. — Sorden · 1 10/21/22

You could max that out with 2x Deja vu and fotune or fate to remove 3 doom for only 1 xp for custom card (after initial xp cost). Though in my experience doom is rarely the limiting factor, rather damage/ horror from treacherys — Django · 5078 10/21/22

It doesn't matter if the customizable is good for your deck if the game plan is to exile it from your hand — fiatluxia · 65 10/22/22

The new taboos also mean you can burn Signum Crucis and get 2 clues, 1 doom for a grand total of 1 XP, which feels notable. — Lailah · 1 11/6/22

Also it does matter whether the customizable is good for your deck. Once you're getting to 8 XP for this combo you might as well just buy Deja Vu x2 and feel good torching whatever you find. — Lailah · 1 11/6/22

@Lailah hm, yes, indeed. An interesting interaction with the unchained Signum Crucis seems both legit and funny. — chrome · 57 11/8/22

Thank you for this trick! I'm finding Pocket Multi-Tool works very nicely for this trick; it has numerous cheap upgrades, you want both in your deck for consistency, but you can only hold 1, so once it's installed, the second copy is wholly Burnable. — HanoverFist · 721 3/7/24

Crystal Pendulum

I like this a lot in an Ancient Covenant / Favor of the Sun deck, especially Father Mateo because he can get Bless fully online at the start of a campaign with his 5 Bonus XP plus 3 from In the Thick of It: Ancient Covenant, 2X Favor of the Sun, 2X Priest of Two Faiths, 2X Radiant Smite.

I miss the Sanity Soak that Holy Rosary provides...
...BUT in AC Bless with Favor of the Sun I know exactly how much my test will succeed by any time I choose to use my Favor rather than drawing a token, or can just hope that a token will come out even if I don't (and Nkosi Mabati makes those odds better).
You can still upgrade to Holy Rosary (2) if you feel you aren't getting enough tokens into the bag (but my deck is also running Book of Psalms to heal the 2 Mental Trauma I took for In the Thick of It and add ).

10/21/22

DrMChristopher · 480

The Raven Quill

Assume I attach The Raven Quill to e.g. Archaic Glyphs.

When I identify Archaic Glyphs by placing the third secret onto it, I have to discard it. The Raven Quill is attached and gets discarded with it. What happens with the reaction effect on The Raven Quill at the end of the game?

It says "When you resign or the game ends: Either mark a checkbox on The Raven Quill's upgrade sheet, or reduce the experience cost to upgrade the attached asset before the next scenario by 1.".

For this effect to work, The Raven Quill needs to be in play, am I right?

Same goes with other "unidentified" and "untranslated" assets like:

If it wouldn't be the case that The Raven Quill needs to be in play to have it's effect working once played, you should be able to trigger it twice.

Play named asset
Attach The Raven Quill
Identify / Translate the asset -> Discard Asset + The Raven Quill
Play 2nd Copy of named asset
Attach 2nd copy of The Raven Quill

That should be enough to trigger both instances.

Some might even argue if you could repeat that multiple times with Scavenging and discard recycling e.g. with Minh Thi Phan.

It's strange ... If discarding The Raven Quill and disabling the reaction effect seems kinda dumb. The other way seems dumb too ... Help me.

10/21/22

GrueneLupenAufheben · 134

Since you can only upgrade an unidentified card max twice per campaign (once per copy, unless there a multi-level card I'm not thinking of) seems like this isn't the greatest use of Raven Quill either way. But it definitely doesn't trigger if it's not in okay at the end of the scenario. — Pseudo Nymh · 54 10/21/22

*if it's not in PLAY at the end — Pseudo Nymh · 54 10/21/22

Just to be sure, there are two copies of Raven Quill in the expabsion pack, right? It being unique doesn't mean it is exeptional? I only have one copy in my investigator expansion :( — founchopf · 2 10/29/22

Can you upgrade this card parking boxes with his hability in a investigator Who only have acces to lvl 0 cards? — Ponso · 2 1/3/24