Need for Knowledge

This card is included in the "Return to: The House Always Wins" scenario. And it proofed to be very useful to us on a recent playthrough. Sure, there are certain tricks to retrieve the last VP from locations in some factions, like "I'm outta here!" or Dr. William T. Maleson, but we neither had nor needed them, thanks to a fail by 2 on this test.

Susumu · 381
Agent of the King

A very easy Victory 1. 2 Evade means it doesn't often pin you, and its rules text is mostly negligible as most people don't plan on getting hit by an enemy, and then immediately spending clues. I'm happy to see this enemy and sad when it's not drawn in a scenario.

KasaiAisu · 41
Custom Ammunition

Every Tom, Dick*, and Quarry agrees: if you've got a Custom Gun, she deserves only the finest Custom Ammunition!

Leviticus Hollowpoints(tm) use patented scriptures to deliver stern religious disapproval to the monsters* you encounter while walking the beat!

So next time your patrol takes you to Dim Carcosa*, give Rebecca what she deserves. Give her Leviticus Hollowpoints(tm).

~"Monsters got you in a jammo?"~ ~"Time to get some Custom Ammo!"~


LEGAL DISCLAIMERS:

  • Due to the strenuous firearms experience required for safe operation, these are not actually approved for use by private investigators- only police, feds, military, mercenaries, various clergy, psychiatrists, boxers, cooks, and actors.
  • Stern religious disapproval only felt by literal monsters, not figurative ones like cannibals, or people who eat lobster. They'll still feel the normal kind of disapproval caused by getting shot, though.
  • Not responsible for withheld wages/bullets if you kill a bystander but somebody proves it was your fault. We're wizards, not lawyers.
  • Does not come in arrow caliber; mankind does not yet possess the technology to write things on arrowheads.
  • Untested on yellow kings. Results not guaranteed in the event that somebody hastur fight one.
HanoverFist · 744
Lot of mustard on the hotdog with this review. — MrGoldbee · 1484
I figure, have fun with it, ya know? — HanoverFist · 744
Favorite arkhamdb review I've read period. — Mordenlordgrandison · 462
Plan of Action

I don't think this card is quite so limiting as all that.

For Minh, this card is essentially a +3 during Mythos phase, or Unexpected Courage + card draw on her second action. For any user of Tooth of Eztli, this card basically ensures you pass any will or agility treacheries (and get the card draw), and otherwise functions as the seeker version of Quick Thinking - by which I mean rogues get ? plus an action, where seekers get ? plus a card.

It does seem that its best function is either going to be before your first action (during Mythos) or as your second action (for the card draw), although many with access to 0 seeker will find times for the third action use as well.

I see a lot of arguments against skill cards by comparing them to Unexpected Courage. I have never understood that, as there's no reason you can't have both.

Time4Tiddy · 247
As far as I have heard this is not a wild+will/agility in the mythos phase given you aren't in a "turn" at that point, but otherwise yea, one wild draw a card is still really nice. Anyone who hasn't tried harvey with a ton of draw a card skills like this give it a shot, its great. — Zerogrim · 295
the problem with the wild+draw is that it's only during the second Action of your turn whereas the qt extra Action works whenever you commit it. So it's less controllable. I think it's possibly a good amanda card however (although it shows Trish). — PowLee · 15
This thing is only a wild in Mythos because it is no one’s turn. — StyxTBeuford · 13043
And why would that be? Where on the card does it say that it meeds tp be anybodies — Skeith · 2444
Turn. It reads before the first action of your turn, which the mythos phase arguebly is. So is every other test a preceeding investigator takes. The same is true for taking the iniative, that retains all its icons during mythos because everything happens before the first action of the turn. Otherwise both cards would surely read "only commit during your turn" or "durinf the investogation phase". — Skeith · 2444
It reads, "first action of THIS turn", implying that you must be in a Turn, which only occur in the investigation phase. Since this card chose not to say "this round" or "this phase" (which, btw, is what Take the Initiative says), it seems likely that you only get the bonuses during a turn. — Hylianpuffball · 29
I'm open to better understanding on this one - what are examples of skill tests taken during your turn but before your first action? — Time4Tiddy · 247
@Time4Tiddy For one, it could be treacheries in your play area that make you do tests at the start of your turn. Or it could be fast abilities/events that start tests, such as the Cryptographic Cipher. — TheNameWasTaken · 3
One example would be Garrote Wire, which initiates a fight without taking an action. That can be done during your turn before your first action. — StyxTBeuford · 13043
Hmm ok granted it doesn't say phase. I would still like official ruling on thst one seems needlessly complicated. — Skeith · 2444
No official ruling is needed. The word turn makes it explicitly clear that this does not have extra icons outside of your turn. — StyxTBeuford · 13043
Okay, while I still believe the wording on this card is NOT clear, review of MJN clarification on Quick Learner leads me to RAI only empowered during an investigator's turn. Putting will and agility on the front end of this card seems to be designed for treacheries. — Time4Tiddy · 247
Will is good for spellcasting and some treacheries' action triggered abilities. Agility is good for evading (something you want to do at the start of your turn) or indeed some treacheries' action-triggered abilities. Or free-triggered abilities, lately... — Yenreb · 15
@Time4Tiddy I mean, ruling aside, this card literally uses the word turn. Turn is defined in the rules and is completely explicit and transparent. No clarification is needed- it’s just a wild outside of someone’s turn. — StyxTBeuford · 13043
Well, it sounds like they have clarified that this was intended (or perhaps has been retconned) to work during mythos, and my review is back in business. :) — Time4Tiddy · 247
Graveyard Ghouls

The first Enemy signature Weakness. Looking at the two elements, the effect and the discard condition, we get:

The effect: A relatively mild Enemy, the ghouls are likely to take Yorick 2 actions to dispatch, perhaps one if Vicious Blow or Brute Force are employed. If bad luck brings them out early, before Yorick has a chance to set up, they can be more troublesome, but no more so than a bad encounter deck draw. Their special ability is really only a problem if you are unlucky enough to draw them while engaged with one or more additional enemies

The discard condition: You kill them, which is something that Yorick is pretty good at doing. As usual, and investigator can deal with them, although Yorick rarely needs the help.

All in all, this is a below average signature weakness, generally offering only the mildest threat to the scenario.

This is actually a benefit because you can target the ghouls with bury them deep, so even on levels without non-elite enemies you can still get that juicy VP. — Zerogrim · 295
Assuming you draw BTD and don't have a better target, sure. — LivefromBenefitSt · 1076
Dont knock that element of it actually. It’s incredibly convenient in less fight scenarios where you maybe didn’t draw your sig early enough to use it. It’s situational, but it’s helpful to know that you can consistently get the victory from your sig since your deck comes prepackaged with an enemy. — StyxTBeuford · 13043
The Museum-Snek mission is one of my least liked missions in the game. So... yeah. — HanoverFist · 744
Perfect example- this becomes your only valid target. — StyxTBeuford · 13043