Dream Diary

This looks fantastic for Minh Thi Phan with Analytical Mind.

Not only is Minh more likely to interpret the dreams successfully over the course of a scenario (with the need to over-commit for The King in Yellow), Minh can effectively give a +2-5 (possibly +6/7 with Grisly Totem (3)) boost to any skill test for any investigator each round, with greater flexibility over turn order as well as the option to save it for the next round.
With Dream-Enhancing Serum, Minh should easily be able to reach and hold 8+ cards in her hand each round.
Unfortunately, it will take up one of her hand slots which is generally reserved for Ancient Stone (4) and The King in Yellow, albeit the latter being involuntary.
I can also see this doing well in a Daisy Walker deck.

Any other suggestions on who else it would be good with?

unremb · 247
Mandy seems like a pretty solid pick as well since she just searches double. Daisy and Minh are my top picks, but it is funny that they both have hand slot weaknesses. — StyxTBeuford · 13043
The other version that triggers off a shroud 4 location would work brilliantly with the command centre version of Minh. She can set up shop on a high shroud location and then fire off a +5 boost anywhere on the map. — Sassenach · 180
@Sassenach you're right! — unremb · 247
@StyxTBeuford for Mandy's ability to double search, do you mean to fill her hand quickly to 8+ cards? cos you can't use it for bonded cards. — unremb · 247
Yes I mean it in regards to filling her hand fast. — StyxTBeuford · 13043
@StyxTBeuford makes sense. Mandy also has limited use for her Arcane slots so can probably squeeze in the Dream-enhancing serum. — unremb · 247
How many Essence of Dreams can you have? If you get one on a turn, and don't use it, does it last in your hand until the next turn, joined by yet another copy? — Phelpsb83 · 215
You're limited to one copy. Just make sure you use it every turn and then it pops right back at the start of the next. — Sassenach · 180
What if I have two copies of Dream Diary in play? — Phelpsb83 · 215
You still just get the one copy. If they’re different upgrades they’ll apply their bonuses to the same single Essence. — StyxTBeuford · 13043
Hand slot limitations? Sounds like a job for Arcane Enlightenment (from the upcoming Harvey Walters Deck), also gives you +1 hand size limit. I feel like that might end up being a good card with all of the tome stuff that's been teased recently. — Zinjanthropus · 229
I'm planning on using this as part of my Lucid Dreaming Mandy Rouge deck. Dream Enhancing Serum + Lucid Dreaming + Mandy's On-Card Special + having three different sets of Myriad cards (segment of Onyx, Three Aces, and Easy Mark) = Staying above 8 cards. I’m looking forward to trying it out! — PanicMoon · 2
That FAQ entry really needs to be put in these card entry pages because it's quite surprising you can't have at least one bonded card per copy. — Timlagor · 6
Amanda Sharpe can use this every other turn under her. It also helps keeping her hand big, as you then keep the second draw while using the 4 wild Essence. — Kidaf · 6
If I control two copys of dreams of a child does essence of dreams has ?? ?? ?? icons? — Unterberg84 · 1
Recall the Future

This is really good in Jim, particularly in TFA and Carcosa due to the nature of their Chaos bags. Both bags have a tendency to just be Skulls + 1 other symbol based on your route.

Let's look at Echoes of the Past on Hard. For Jim, assuming he has Recall the Future in play and names the Cultist/Tablet/Elder Thing (whichever there is two of in the bag, which is how the bag will be unless you Doomed out at the party), the bag is:

7/17: 0 or greater 2/17: -1 4/17: -2 2/17: -3 1/17: -4 1/17: -5 And as always, 1/17: auto fail

Assuming for another investigator that the Skull is passed when at -2 you're looking at a change from 64.7% success to ~76.5%. That is quite the gain, and Jim pulls significantly further ahead once the Skulls breach -3, which isn't unheard of in this scenario after the mythos phase.

The thing is this card effectively gives you that same ~12% boost to your success rate until you actually need it. It's just like Lucky! in that sense.

Lucky! is more powerful per use of course, but you don't get it back every single turn. Playing more aggressively against the odds and knowing you have a way to get there anyways allows you to conserve your resources and gain tempo.

Just be careful to name a token that will actually make you pass a given test. Recall is not optional. If you call your shot, you get your +2 so make it something that actually counts. Especially vs Mythos tests you might not care about, try to name something you only have a 1/17 or so pulling.

Still, I encourage you all to try this in your Mystics and off-class Mystics. Lucky! is a genuine consideration in any deck that can take it, so don't sleep on Recall if your deck building restrictions don't allow taking it.

Swekyde · 65
What do you mean by "Recall is not optional"? It is a reaction. Activating the reaction ability of a card is optional. However, once you recall any kind of symbol, it will be triggerd indeed. You can not call for the Elder Thing and then decide "never mind, I don' want this" - whyever you should do this. — Darth Sithius · 1
Swift Reflexes

2 resources and 1 card for 1 action, but 2 cards and 1 card worth 3 actions, so 3 actions for 1 action? Not an impressive card among all those rogue cards providing action. But when export to other factions with Versatile, this ability become priceless. Seekers draw cards so easily, that you can almost consider cards as free. So 2 resources for 1 actions now? If there is any card can get resources as efficient as 1 action (you don't have to count in any cards spent!) for 3 resources, then the combination will become 1 free resource! And then you just use the free resource for more actions! Here is a deck for example.

Tzolkin1065 · 155
I disagree with the basic premise of your argument. Rogues can generate crazy amount of resources such that the resources that you equated to two actions aren't worth nearly the same as two actions. And it also ignores the value of being able to take an action at the highest leverage time. I still haven't used this card in a deck though. It is decent enough to consider but it doesn't end up making the final cut. — The Lynx · 993
I have found one place I do like this card, and that's in Finn Edwards with Crystallizer of Dreams. Taking an extra investigate action and following that up later on with a +2 free evade is solid. But for the most part this card is just too much in my opinion to be worth taking most of the time. You really need some other synergies to make it worth the include imo. — StyxTBeuford · 13043
@TWWaterfalls So this card didn't see much play at least. I was just trying to sell the idea to include this in seekers and create a super easy and stable infinite-loop. — Tzolkin1065 · 155
"2 cards and 1 card worth 3 actions". No way. Actions are clearly more valuable than cards, which are usually worth more than resources. I'd put it much closer to 3:2:1 than 1:1:1. — Blackhaven · 9
Yaotl

I think a good use of this card could be with Agnes Baker or on another level with Patrice Hathaway. Combined with Scrying or Scrying(3), you can see 3 cards of your deck, and decide to discard the one you want, especially Treachery Cards. Moreover, correct me if I'm wrong, but Patrice Hathaway can choose the order of the cards in her discarded hand, making Yaotl sensibly more powerful.

That she can. There are two big issues with this. First, Yaotl doesn't count wild icons, which unfortunately are Patrice's bread and butter. Secondly, Patrice is already pretty happy with some very specific allies. Madame Labranche is insanely good for her combined with her Violin to help her pay for anything she happens to draw (or to sink into Fire Axe tests). Peter Sylvestre 2 buffs her Willpower, which is her most tested skill. Miss Doyle allows her to change her base stats to 5 and has a lot more control in a Patrice deck where you can quickly discard one cat to draw another one from your discard pile. Soon we'll also have Summoned Hound which is potentially an extra action every round for Patrice, which is massive as her current issue right now is not her inability to test well (wild icons, Cornered, Recall the Future, etc already have her covered there) but actions. — StyxTBeuford · 13043