I don't like this location. If it were just that the investigator cannot gain resources during the upkeep phase that would be fine, but being stuck here and not being able to play cards to help in order to proceed can be devastating. You could for instance play Milan or something for the +1 int and then have him shuffled back in. Now you have 1 resource to help you out for the rest of the game getting through and if on hard or expert you need that 1 zero in the bag or star. It just ends up feeling too restrictive. And if the enemy spawns on you here unluckily early, well that's just a bad time for the non fighter with no resources. I think this location should have been adjusted slightly. Maybe even; enemies gain aloof here. So they are just watching over you until you enter and then pounce on you and chase you in.

Someone like Jim Culver for instance or Wendy or Skids or Agnes if they run out of resources due to treacheries etc. or an amnesia; might as well resign without even beginning; not good play experience.

I never am particularly sad to see this encounter card show up. It replaces an investigate action or equivalent with a (3) test, provided you have a source of +1 damage. Since you can meld the scenario to your needs by leaving clues in the right places this can be a substantial positive swing.

But the benefits don’t end there. Remember that clues on enemies do not count as clues on a location. This is critical in solo where there are very high shroud locations that are unfeasible to clear. Now you can just spawn a nutty friend there to get the xp for you.

Worst case scenario if no clues are on the board you can spawn him in an out of the way location and just not deal with it.

Obviously it’s not all good. The benefits diminish in multiplayer where you have less control over relative clue sizes, and chances are good he’ll end up sitting on top of the location your Seeker is at or will want to go. But still it’s largely not terrible even when that happens.

Usually you don’t want to see your Madness weaknesses show up but there are exceptions. Case in point: as Wendy, Abandoned and Alone can be a crippling weakness or a complete faff depending on its timing. Sure eating 4 damage can be rough but there are times when your discard is empty and you’d rather see it now than later. Or perhaps you’re at 1-3 resources after playing your key assets and now is a real good time to indulge your Paranoia so that you don’t lose it all later.

The point is: this card looks terrible (and it can be) but think carefully before committing valuable resources to passing it. There are times where it can help just as much, if not more, than it hurts.

I was guilty of underestimating this card when I first saw it. I focused on the part of the card that lets you turn assets with charges into resources, and I was pretty unimpressed. And that aspect of the card is indeed, in my experience, pretty situational. It's not often you want to turn Shrivelling, Rite of Seeking, or Grotesque Statue--easily the best and most important cards in your deck--into a few resources. If you're running a bad, cheap spell like Alchemical Transmutation, then maybe that ability gets more useful... but I often don't.

What's great about this card is that it lets Akachi return emptied spells to her hand. This is so so good. Akachi is incredibly powerful with her high-level spells in play. In concert they give her the ability to dominate pretty much any scenario. She can get three clues or deal three damage in one action with success literally guaranteed, even on Expert (thanks to the Grotesque Statue.) The only problem is that her spells eventually run out. That would leave her totally helpless... except here's where Spirit Seeker comes in. Getting five more Shrivelling charges or four more Grotesque Statue charges (you need to leave one charge on that one before bouncing it) gives her staying power.

So, now that I have some experience with Spirit-Speaker, I would rate it one of the better unique assets. It's not quite on the level of Duke or Zoey's Cross, probably, but it's quite useful, and gives Akachi a much stronger late game if she draws it.

The creators of this card are the same masterminds behind the upcoming Level 1 version of the Springfield M1903 seen below:

Springfield M1903

Guardian
Asset. Hand x3
Item. Weapon. Firearm. Hex.

Cost: 9. XP: 1.
Test Icons:

Uses (3 ammo).

Spend 4 ammo: Fight. You get -1 and deal 0 damage for this attack. Cannot be used to attack enemies.