Explosive Ward

This isn't a tool you'd want to use on high- mystics - they have more efficient ways of getting solid hits in. However, this can shine in the hands of characters who want to occasionally help do some damage without committing a bunch of resources, and don't otherwise have the stats to back up a more normal attack.

The fact that it's a level 0 card means it can slot in a lot of characters with little effort, and it can quickly be dropped once you have a better tool for the job. I don't think this works well as a build-around, but it slots well for character who want access to a testless nudge of damage. Spectral Razor is a more flexible tool, but there are definitely characters with low-level mystic access who can make more reliable use of this.

For reference, as of writing, the list of characters who have access to Mystic 0 cards and have total Combat+Willpower of 5 or less (to compare with Spectral Razor include Carolyn Fern, Mystic Carson Sinclair, Mystic Charlie Kane, Daisy Walker, Mystic Mandy Thompson, and Rex Murphy. I don't think this would go in all of their decks, but I think the card is efficient enough to be worth considering in such a place.

Ruduen · 1010
It's also suitable as a stand in for spectral razor in a level 0 Lily Chen deck. I'm in the boat of only buying the investigator expansions so Razor isn't available to me yet, but explosive ward suitably fills the gap! — Frozenecho · 1
Power Word

Q: With thrice spoken, does the second and third enemies need to be in the same location with me? The ability says "also give command to each other enemy with power word" and it does not specify that those other enemies need to be at the same location?

nic7410 · 42
No. With Thrice spoken they do not have to share location. "if enemy is at your location" is part of the cost for triggering the ability. It is not a clause for being affected by it. — tokeeto · 33
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.

Fun in EOTE too, on locations. — MrGoldbee · 1470
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
-correction: after the tes is initiated — latvix · 1
u cant. There is no fast action window after a test — Shalone · 1
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 · 775
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 · 995
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.

RFreitas · 57
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
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 · 3
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
@mannthearena Are you the same guy who played world of tanks? -Turbo — melicant · 1
Do you have to wait until the next round after playing to benefit? Or can you choose a condition when you play it? — Taevus · 775
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.

  1. 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.
  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.
  3. 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.
chrome · 59
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 · 66
and 4 clues anywhere. — MrGoldbee · 1470
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
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 · 5108
It doesn't matter if the customizable is good for your deck if the game plan is to exile it from your hand — fiatluxia · 66
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
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
@Lailah hm, yes, indeed. An interesting interaction with the unchained Signum Crucis seems both legit and funny. — chrome · 59
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 · 739