"Other card abilities or game effects do not resolve with the altered game state in mind; only the indicated ability/action. - FAQ, v.1.7, March 2020"

This information is outdated. The FAQ v 1.8, October 2020 states instead that "Other card abilities or game effects resolved during this duration are also resolved with the altered game state in mind."

I'll quote user @Susumu in another comment: "if you ever want to choose the first option. It would be spending 5 XP, an action and a card just for removing the restriction of X=3" when compared to Tempt Fate, which is a freaking biiiiiig ask. So that second option better be one hell of an effect.

And I mean, in some ways it is. It's probably the most action efficient horror healing card in the game. The closest example is probably Logical Reasoning, which heals up to 6, costs 2 and can only heal from investigators, but costs 1 xp less. I basically never upgrade to level 4 Logical Reasoning though; that much horror healing is pretty much overkill and xp is usually spend better elsewhere.

In conclusion, I don't think Rite of Equilibrium is worth it's xp cost at all, and is probably up there with worst level 5 cards. Tempt Fate is just so much better, even when not taking into account xp. But hey, at least it's not Flute of the Outer Gods.

Now with Favor of the Moon and/or Favor of the Sun, this covenant is incredible. Because you reset to step 3 after every token draw, you don't need to trigger the pact(s) when you initiate the test; you can draw normally, pull a bless, and in response tap favor of the moon to plug in a curse and auto-succeed. If you're using Moon, you even net a free dollar out of it. It's Father Mateo's best friend, who can use the combo to succeed on any test almost on-demand in spite of his mediocre stats.

As a bonus, it applies to everyone at your location, making it equally valuable to any Eye of the Djinn-specced rogues or Spirit of Humanity-wielding survivors. Preston Fairmont and Calvin Wright can throw themselves at impossible tests, drop a Signum Crucis and still succeed.

Finally, the combo further stacks with Tempt Fate. Anyone can take it to thin their deck, add 3 & 3 and someone with Favor of the Moon can immediately seal the curses. 3 blesses in the bag (and a full moon pact) for completely free, better even than Keep Faith.

1) While playing Path to Carcosa, get dealt Kleptomania as your random basic weakness.

2) Deliberately attempt to fail this test in order to tutor Kleptomania

3) Steal your teammate's Lightning Gun to turn your 2 into 7, etc etc

4) Shaking like a palsied man, sign your first writ of execution with your regnal name

(There's surely some other interesting things that can be built around with Teamwork and "You owe me one!" as combo pieces, e.g. with a 'for fun' run by choosing Kleptomania rather than having to get it randomly. Mind, there's far more certain ways to take advantage of Kleptomania, like normal player-card tutors (especially Mr. "Rook", but it's still amusing to think of ways to turn encounter cards on their heads!)

This card carries the ignoble distinction of losing the flavor text that was on the lv 0 version. Yes, the lv 3 Chthonian Stone has more print on it, but it seems like IT WAS LEFT BEHIND FOR A PURPOSE. (The flavor text, that is, not the stone.) And what purpose was that?????? They could have still fit it in at the bottom if they'd wanted to!