Dayana Esperence

Dayana Esperence

I think the new Dream-Eaters cycle gives Dayana Esperence so much more variety to experiment with. She can help investigating (Read the Signs), become an awesome battlemage (Spectral Razor), help fragile mystics move around (Ethereal Form) or even become sort of an arcane initiate replacement (Lucid Dreaming or Word of Command). Some of these options may be a little expensive, but should be no problem for Diana Stanley, Agnes Baker or even a resourceful Jim Culver. What a fantastic expansion to an already fabulous ally.

galge · 16
in the preview the links worked. Read the Signs / Spectral Razor / Etheral Form / Lucid Dreaming / Word of Command should be the linked cards. — galge · 16
ah nevermind these two comments. — galge · 16
I played her with Luke Robinson on 3 player through forgotten age and she's really strong with above events, especially with his ability. Very helpful to kill adjacent cultists or evade engaged enemies. Astounding revelation adds secrets to her with Arcane initiate, Lucid Dreaming and Word of command. — Django · 5215
As you've mentioned, I think the primary restraining factor of Dayana Esperence using all of those spells is the cost involved. Since the event must be played, it means you have to ante up the resource cost to play it every time, on top of the four cost of Dayana herself. Then, it becomes a matter of whether it's worth running Spectral Razor over Shriveling, Ethereal Form over Mists, or Read the Signs over Rite of Seeking. I think in these cases, it becomes a matter of consistency versus flexibility. — Ruduen · 1051
I’ve had great success using Dayana with Blood Rite (from the Occult Lexicon). It’s a cheap and flexible utility knife of a spell that I can always find a use for and never have enough copies. — Death by Chocolate · 1510

Dream-Gate

Dream-Gate

When you're using Luke Robinson you can play Event for the connecting location. So any event with Investigate is usable for this case.

For Example:

  • Combo with Fieldwork to use Read the Signs to guarantee success with 9 skill (+2 skill, 4 Will, 3 Intellect) to deal target Shroud.
  • Combo with Fieldwork to use Seeking Answers to guarantee success with 5 skill (+2, 3 Intellect) to 1 Shroud here, Dream-Gate: Pointless Reality Note: I get the correct image for anyone who uncomfortable with mistake like me.

Update: Fix misunderstood of Fieldwork

Note

AquaDrehz · 205
Don't really see the advantage of Fieldwork combined with Dream-Gate. There are no clues on Dream-Gate - how does Fieldwork benefit from it? - Also you don't move to the location when using Lukes ability to play an event at a connecting location so it also does not help there. — tdctaz · 49
Sorry, you also need to be Luke Robinson to use his ability to play Read the Signs at the connecting location too. — AquaDrehz · 205
Like tdctaz says, Luke's ability and Dream-Gate don't combo with Fieldwork in any meaningful way. — TheNameWasTaken · 3
I think he means the following. If you use gatebox, you "move" into the dreamwold, triggering fieldwork. Then you can play any clue event with a test and his ability at a connecting location to benefit from fieldwork's bonus. Or investigate the empty dreamgate and take an adjacent clue with Seeking Answers. — Django · 5215
@Django, but moving into the dreamworld doesn't trigger fieldwork, because fieldwork only triggers if the location you move to 'has at least 1 clue on it' which Dream-Gate doesn't (at least not without help from Vantage Point, but that's a bit much). — Death by Chocolate · 1510
You are right Death by Chocolate that's my miostake. — AquaDrehz · 205
Technically Luke could move to a location with a clue, trigger Fieldwork and then move to Dream-Gate and then investigate. In this situation he would have +2 from Fieldwork. Most of the time this won´t be worth the extra action, though. — Nadneseny · 1

Umôrdhoth

Umôrdhoth

The FAQ provide a good explanation of why this last scenario is usually not much loved. Basically almost anything that you could try to shorten the massive amount of beating that the investigators stand to receive (3 damages and 3 horrors per each per round...) is disabled: no Lita, no Machete, no Cross... (Edit: the Machete works, it was an error on my part. Of course it has been duly taboo-ed but against this enemy one is fully allowed to disregard the taboo list, in my opinion!)

So, not only you have a huge, huge enemy, which was expected: but all of your "smart ideas" are frustrated.

It may hammer the point home... But is not a lot of fun.

Lord Phrank · 76
Looks like a solid target for pendant of the queen though — NarkasisBroon · 13
Pretty sure Machete works just fine, per the FAQ. — Kergma · 11
I also find it annoying that Zoey's Cross doesn't work on massive monsters--I think this ruling is both unnecessary and athematic (Zoey should be at her best fighting huge monstrosities!). I also think it would have been nice if Lita said "Monster or Ancient One enemies." But Machete does work fine--though I would certainly recommend using something a bit more powerful if your plan is to hack through this massive health pool. — CaiusDrewart · 3232
thank you for noticing my error, I was thinking about the various mechanics and got confused. Will fix it. — Lord Phrank · 76

Against All Odds

Against All Odds

I tried with Preston Fairmont already. It always be the dead card. It's hard to use effectively. Because you need 2 Drawing Thin and a Double or Nothing to guarantee success.

  • Example: Test Will 5: +4 Difficulty, *2 from Double or Nothing = Test Will 18 Then you take 1+18 Token from this card and Pay 2 resources to auto success from Preston Fairmont ability.

  • If you have no Double or Nothing you got only Test Will 9. That's just around half of Chaos bag. That's mean it's only 50% to success.

  • Compared to Eucatastrophe which can be triggered when you draw a -1 or more negative token. So you do not lost this card as Against All Odds. This cost you only 1 EXP for each copy Preston Fairmont was not allow to use level 3 survivor card.

  • Summary: There's no advantage for this card except you need specific Chaos token. Or for fun, pouring all Chaos token on the table. But that's the best bet he can do

Updated 02-02-2020

AquaDrehz · 205
I don't understand your point. You don't need to make the test more difficult to use this, you just need a find a test with a difficulty of 2 or greater. It doesn't guarantee success, it just makes it easier. — Sassenach · 189
I think he means using Double or Nothing + Drawing Thin to make a test so difficult that you reveal every token in the bag and then spent the two resources as Preston to automatically succeed with his Elder Sign. Which honestly sounds pretty good, as it's an autosuccess on a Double or Nothing test. That could be 4 damage on Fire Axe or 2 clues, plus any number of extra effects pitched in by the group. Preston also can't take Eucatastrophe, so this would be his closest option. I never thought of combining it with Drawing Thin, but that's a cool idea. — StyxTBeuford · 13087
Ah yes, I see what you mean. In this case though you'd have sent 4 resources for 1 auto-succeed, so it had better be worth it. In most case it probably won't be. — Sassenach · 189
Although... since you need to trigger 2x Drawing Thin to make this work then its effectively a free auto succeed, so maybe it is worth it. Could also work with Wendy, but it would be harder to trigger. — Sassenach · 189
Yeah DT pays for it, also the idea was to be Preston anyway — StyxTBeuford · 13087
Thanks, folk. I forgot that Preston can get it. This card is suck. But it's the best best he can get. — AquaDrehz · 205

Dream-Gate

Dream-Gate

Just want to point out the picture of Dream-Gate (Wondrous Journey) is wrong. This page shows Dream-Game (Pointless reality) twice. There's a sweet combo with Hawk-Eye Folding Camera and Vantage Point. You use your Gate Box, then Dream-Gate enters play. You play Vantage Point to move a clue to Dream-Gate and its shroud becomes 0. You investigate to remove the 'last clue' from your location and put a resource on Hawk-Eye Camera.

Ezhaeu · 51
yeah, I spent a couple minutes trying to understanding why people recommended those combos with a freakin shroud of 6-1=5, then realised it's not the correct picture — jd9000 · 77