Gareth Roberts
United Kingdom
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If this work is appreciated at all and not found annoying I'm going to break down changes that the Miskatonic Horror makes to sections of Arkham Horror.
My tentative Episode 1 is Cult membership.
The quote I have often read describing the cult is that 'it is all risk and no reward!' Is this true after we add the Miskatonic encounters?
Here are some facts and opinions on the issue (stats are in spoilers opinions are outside so don't look below the spoiler if you don't wanna know my opinion and don't look in the spoiler if you don't wanna see the maddening percentages of the old ones!)
Spoiler (mouseover to reveal):
Encounter Types
Skill check for clues if 3+ successes draw a corruption x6 12.5%
Spread cult memership +they take a corruption OR draw 2 corruption/if all investigators are members you are blessed x4 8.3%
You MAY take something and draw a corruption x17 35.4%
Do something, lose something, gain something x6 12.5%
Restore san to full+corruption, all hex monsters move white x2 4.1%
Each investigator draws a corruption OR monster surgex1 2.08%
Draw a corruption x2 4.1%
Something bad happens x9 18.75%
Corruption
Green
Beneficial x8 Speak to your friend, Endless Greed, Call the Beast, Nightmarish Visions 50%
Balanced x2 Primal Surge 12.55%
Detrimental x6 *Jealous Guardian*, Creeping Doom, Downward Spiral 37.5% (second 2 aren't even that bad)
Red
Beneficial x0
Balanced x4 Strength of Flesh, Fate and Fortune 25%
Detrimental x12 Weakness of Mind, Mental Paralysis, *Vessel of the Mythos,* The Skin Crawls, Uncontrollable Rage, Ruination 75%
My first point is that with the exception of Jealous Guardian all the green corruptions are good to indifferent, the other 'bad' greens involve burning or picking up corruption cards and that's only when the + or / dimensional symbol is drawn. While you still have green corruptions to draw things are not so bad at all. Heck corruptions like endless greed and call the beast are downright handy.
Regarding ecounters, there is, in my opinion, a 56.2 percent chance of drawing a useful to passive encounter (heck its more fun than hanging out in the black cave!)
The lose something and gain something encounters frequently give you clues or items as a reward for health loss which is again better than your average black cave encounter! Particularly usefull with Injury and Madness in Play so even if you do get knocked out, you get to keep your 2 free clues.
There is a 1 in 5 chance of something truely bad happening which again if you compare to the decks you would otherwise be drawing from, I would say is an improvement.
The real bad side of the cult: If you ever get to the red corruptions you are quite frankly in trouble. These are all terrible effects and should be gotten rid of as soon as possible. On the other hand the mutant girl on the front has good taste in nightwear!
Remembering:
that corruptions are the common cause of more corruptions,
how rarely corruption effects occur, (gotta draw the right corruption and get the right mythos card,)
how easy it is to jump a gate and ditch corruptions if it looks like you are getting to the reds,
that the natural process of gate closure will shake off corruptions anyway,
and that you don't go to the 3 cult locations (the other source of corruption) THAT much after getting their initial clues anyway.)
Your journey through the corruption deck should be quite slow, and you have a very real ability to STOP YOURSELF getting more corruption cards if things look grim. I don't think you will hit the reds unless you are very unlucky or trying to.
I would say the risk of the black goat cult is minimal, while the rewards are great encounters in otherwise horrible locations and a green deck full of useful side powers to hold for a time.
Why not join?
PART 2
How likely is it that you will actually encounter the cult? Below in the Spolier I have listed all interactions with the cult and corruption cards.
Spoiler (mouseover to reveal): Skills:
Initiate
Draw a cult membership, pick up 2 cult encounters and choose
Relationships:
I'll Vouch for my friend
If one gains a membership so does the other
Dunwich Locations
Wizard Hill x1 Join the cult
Bishop's brook Bridge x1 All corruptions activate
Dunwich Village x1 Cultists gain 2 clues
Harvey Jones's Shack x1 Discard Corruption/Blessed
Kingsport Locations
Neil's Curiosity Shop x1 cultists gain 3 clues
Congregation Hospital x1 Join the Cult
7th House on the Left x1 Cultists gain 3 clues
607 water street x1 gain up to 3 stamina for each gained take a corruption
Stange High House on the Hill x1 If you have a corruptiom card you are lost in time and space
Innsmouth Locations
Esoteric Order of Dagon x1 Fight-1 or draw a corruption
Esoteric Order of Dagon x1 Cultists draw 3 clues
Gilman House Hotel x1 Draw 2 innsmouth look cards- 1 per corruption you draw (max of 2)
First National Grocery x1 If you have a corruption gain a stamina but lose a sanity
Marsh Refinery x1 You are Blessed+ draw 1 corruption
Y'ha-thlei Join the cult (this is probably one of my favourite encounters regarding the theme text)
Other Worlds
The Underworld x1 gain 2 corruptions and 1 max stamina
Another Time x1 will-1 check to join the cult
Lost Carcosa x1 will-1 check or draw a corruption
Unknown Kadath x1 will+1 or draw 2 corruption cards
Arkham Encounter
Woods x1 will -1 check or draw 1 corruption
Woods x2 Join the Cult
Black Cave x1 Join the Cult
Black Cave x1 will -1 or draw 1 corruption
Silver twilight Lodge Inner Sanctumx 1 Lode lodge or cult membership
Unvisited Isle x1 Join the Cult
Historical Society x1 If cult member draw 3 clues lose 1 sanity
The answer in my opinion, if you always have the cult cards to hand and play Arkham relatively regularly it will come up, do not expect it to come up however unless you are playing with the Black Goat Herald in which case you will be drawing corruption left right and centre!
I think having the skill card that makes you a member will go along way to ensuring that you see cult membership at some point during your playing.
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Bob T
United States
Mantua (near Woodbury)
New Jersey
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When I first got Black Goat I removed half the Corruption cards cause I thought they were duplicates, and played it that way for many moons with 8 green and 8 red... It's actually a pretty good variant cause you always get into the Red Deck and risk awakening the Ancient One...
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Mike Heil
United States
Missouri
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What about actually getting a membership in the first place after adding MH? How much did MH help in that regard?
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Gareth Roberts
United Kingdom
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LordZon wrote: What about actually getting a membership in the first place after adding MH? How much did MH help in that regard?
Added the answer to the first post!
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Posted Thu Sep 8, 2011 11:31 pm
