Saturday 18 December 2021

Dream Eaters Deck Prep - Mandy Thompson


Mandy contemplating the task ahead.

The group is trying 'the Dream Eaters' next. A campaign only one of us has undertaken before so it will be nice and fresh but also decks wont be honed correctly to deal with the campaign. We will do both sections of the campaign switching investigators for each branch.

Initially we will start with the Investigators outside the dream (so the B stream). The group for this consists of a Guardian (Daniela Reyes), Survivor (Stella Clark),Mystic (Luke Robinson) which means I have to run a Seeker again so have plumbed for Many Thompson. It's an interesting mix up for what the team is doing. Mandy obviously wants to study what happens to the dreamers, Stella has just volunteered to help as has Daniela who is strong enough to provide physical assistance. Luke though should presumably have gone into the Dreamer as he is 'The Dreamer'. Perhaps has is nervous? Anyway I shall cover the dreamers in the next post mainly as this is just concerned with my Mandy deck.

I have gone for a Survivor sub class and a 40 strong deck as follows

Survivor Cards

3* Fortuitous Discovery
2 * Winging It
2 * Lucky
2 * Resourceful
1 * Look What I found

Survivor has a really nice line in mitigating skill test failure. Look what I found (with 5 book Mandy) is perhaps not as continually useful but will counter unlucky fails which will occur. Only 1 though. Resourceful allows the re-use of any of the above cards, Lucky is too well known as its strengths. 'Winging It' helps make investigations easy plus is continually recycleable so will appear more and more as the scenarios lengthen. Finally Fortuitous Discovery is similar to Winging it. Presumably you have to discard the first to get +1 book and +1 clue (on success) then +2 and +2 clues on the second. This can also recycle via Resourceful.

Seeker Cards

2 * Dr Elli Horowitz - Less for safety than to fire another search (with Mandy early this switches to a 'search the top 12 cards) looking for either the Tooth of Eztli (or perhaps a Astounding Revelation). It also allows Mandy to have two Teeth in play (one on her one on Dr Elli) allowing +2 brain and +2 speed pushing her to 5 brain and 5 evade..

2 * Tooth of Eztli - combines well with Dr Elli and makes Mandy strong in multiple stats

1 * Occult Lexicon - Puts 'Blood Rite' in play which allows resource gain or damage through three copies..

2* Hawk Eye folding camera - Mandy is a clue machine so it should be easy to improve this and with three clues gained at different locations this will give her another +1 sanity +1 books and +1 brain. It is also not unique so two could be in play..

2 * Mr Rook - Has a search Mandy can improve. He is also damage protection

2 * Fingerprint Kit - Expensive but increases books and multiplies clue return

2 * Inquiring Mind - Lots of ? tokens

2 * Deduction - Multiple clues from successfully investigating

2 * Shortcut - free fast play movement

2 * No Stone Unturned - Allows any investigator to search and that investigator can use Mandy to increase the search size or cards returned. Basically allows Mandy to help other members of the team who are in that oh so common, 'I cant fight as I haven't drawn any of my weapons/spells etc yet'.

2 * Curiosity Mandy carries lots of cards so this will often fire some of the larger pumps. Bar auto fails Mandy should find very few investigations difficult.

2 * Eureka -  More card search which can help other investigators who (if at the same location) can also use Mandy - much like another No Stone Unturned.

2 * I've got a plan - No Investigator can silo themselves in a group so everyone should have something they can use in a emergency to protect themselves or help in unexpected areas

1 * Mind over matter - Like 'I've got a plan' but probably more for the emergency evade potential.

1 * Research Librarian - Mainly there to solely search for the Occult Lexicon.

1 * Emergency Cache - An expensive deck needs resources

2 * Crack the Case - As with the previous except it can potentially give more than the Cache and is a fast play. This is why there is two of this and one of the Cache..

Default Cards

For Basic Weakness I drew the amusingly appropriate (for this campaign) Narcolepsy which also marries well with Mandy's late night researches. 

Since Mandy is running a deck of 40 she gets two Occult Evidence added. When found in a search this gives a clue from the location (if any) but even if no clues or not found in a search its still a 1 ? card so not useless.

Her default treachery is 'Shocking Discovery' which is a potentially looping Weakness in that if drawn normally it gets shuffled back in and you get an encounter draw instead (yuk). In preference it needs to be found be searching where it cancels the search, draws the encounter card but then gets discarded. Nicely thematic for someone researching dangerous Mystic topics..


Generally 'Mind Over Matter' and probably 'Research Librarian' would be the first to change for better cards. Others would need replacing with cards that do the same but better. I am quite happy with the deck with its main weakness being its cost as its expensive and every Seekers favourite companion Dr Milan Christopher is not there (Elli is just too helpful). The clue gathering potential is enormous and once tooled up there is very little that she couldn't handle in Brains/Books/Speed. Strength for fighting it very poor but when isn't a Seeker weak in that?

Now it is an Arkham campaign so she will no doubt find herself stuck in un-investigateable locations or up against huge enemies without any succour but oh the potential. I'm looking forward to playing her.




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