In a similar vein as many of the other threads on cards, I'm wondering if anyone can identify a boon card they have never, ever played.
Obviously, to some extent this will depend on how much you have played. So to keep this fair, lets try to limit this to cards you at least have had opportunity to acquire. So, you may have never played Tome of Knowledge, but if you have also never even encountered Tome of Knowledge, that doesn't really count for the purposes of this thread. And, while I suspect many people don't love Luckstone, probably everyone that acquires it plays it. I'm more curious if there was a card that you never kept around long enough to find yourself in a situation to use it.
And remember, playing a card only counts if you activate the powers on the card.
I'm expecting lots of comments about potions, and that is actually sort of what got me thinking about this. As Drunken Master Sajan, I have played almost every potion. The other thing that triggered this though in my mind was realizing the Cape of Escape's usefulness for Kyra if she defeat Iesha Foxglove. And that for a moment I started to answer that question by saying that at that point in the adventure path, there was no way to move locations during a turn, only at the end, until Cape of Escape sprung to my mind.
So, what cards have you never actually played?
I don't think I've ever played Mending.
And I know I've never played Teleport, though I've only acquired that once and didn't keep it at the end of the scenario.
Hawk, first off, thank you for starting another one of these. I was thinking about what my next topic would be, but I was drawing a blank. So this is pretty fun.
Anyways, I have not play a lot of the lower tier spells, and I have played Lem, Lini, and Ezren, but I do not think that I have played Arcane Armor, Acid Arrow, Levitate, Mirror Image, or Sanctuary. I have acquired some of these, but just instantly get discard them, and get rid of them at the end of the scenario. I don't know what it is, but none of these spells has really ever peaked my interest, so I haven't used them.
Also, in my weapon classes, I do not think that I have used the Short Sword, because the Long Sword is just better, and I have never been tempted to keep a weapon under the Long Sword standard, other than Mace, since it is bludgeoning.
Honestly, I can think of MANY of the highly situational boons that I've never played, such as Eyes of the Eagle, Boots of Elvenkind, etc. Some, such as the boots, I have liked the idea of enough to try keeping them in my hand with the intention of using them, but the opportunity just never comes up before I decide to discard them to pay for something else or just to make room during reset.
I was going to mention both of those, but as I thought about it, I'm pretty sure I did play each of them at least once.
Also, I have definitely used those situational items, because I have somehow found them on a character that desperately needed those stats. When you have a d4 in a skill, and you have then chance to either succeed at a check, or add a large die is totally worth it.
Hawk, first off, thank you for starting another one of these. I was thinking about what my next topic would be, but I was drawing a blank. So this is pretty fun.
Anyways, I have not play a lot of the lower tier spells, and I have played Lem, Lini, and Ezren, but I do not think that I have played Arcane Armor, Acid Arrow, Levitate, Mirror Image, or Sanctuary. I have acquired some of these, but just instantly get discard them, and get rid of them at the end of the scenario. I don't know what it is, but none of these spells has really ever peaked my interest, so I haven't used them.
Also, in my weapon classes, I do not think that I have used the Short Sword, because the Long Sword is just better, and I have never been tempted to keep a weapon under the Long Sword standard, other than Mace, since it is bludgeoning.
I haven't played a Divine character enough to comment on Sanctuary. But Mirror Image was a spell I was low on because of my dislike for Arcane Armor. But then I realized the flexibility of Mirror Image: Anytime a monster deals damage to you. Now Ezren loves to meet the Enchanter with Mirror Image in his hand.
I'm expecting lots of comments about potions, and that is actually sort of what got me thinking about this. As Drunken Master Sajan, I have played almost every potion. The other thing that triggered this though in my mind was realizing the Cape of Escape's usefulness for Kyra if she defeat Iesha Foxglove. And that for a moment I started to answer that question by saying that at that point in the adventure path, there was no way to move locations during a turn, only at the end, until Cape of Escape sprung to my mind.
Giant Badger is an at any time card that moves the user from one location to another. It's better at this than the Cape.
With the exception of Crown of Charisma, I have never played a card that allows you to pass a check using a specific skill when the card has now other powers, such as potions, the Elven Boots, etc. Regardless of who my character is, I find these cards too situational and do not acquire them. If I get them from a chest or something, I discard, bury, or banish them at the first oppurtunity.
I couldn't give you specifics, but MOST armors I've never used, and of those that I have, nearly all of them are basic (and given to Lem or someone like that to use by an ally, where they get used that turn or get discarded) or are used for the reset your hand ability.
I don't think you can get Giant Badger by the time you fight Aisha Foxglove, though, so Cape of Escape is still probably the only use there.
I don't think I've ever used Cloak of Elvenkind or Tome of Knowledge, as Stealth and Knowledge are so rarely used. Boots of Elvenkind at least have 2 different skills on them, so I think I may have used the Acrobatics effect once on my Rogue. Still, I find those types of items tend to just bog down decks, and are used to sneak attack asap.
I've used most armors at some point, just because those all-one rolls do happen, and the banish/bury effect is a good bail-out. If we disregard the banish/bury effect and the recharge on reset ability, though, then the number used falls into the low-single digits (Reflective Shield, Spiny Shield, Magic Half-Plate, and maybe some basics are all I can think if for myself).
Maybe cards you'd like to acquire, but can never find the card could make it's own topic :P
For me it's Medusa Mask. I guess it could be okay if you intentionally want to thin out your deck.
The really situational items like Tome of Knowledge I've actually managed to use in games that I've acquired them.
Potions, on the other hand, I usually don't bother acquiring. Except healing. Healing potions are always welcome.
I've never used Mending. It's way too situational in most cases. Armor is rarely discarded, items usually are reveal/recharge/banish, and only Amiri has a reason to discard weapons (Valeros recharges his). Best case you swap out a short sword for a +1 flaming mace and recharge Mending successfully. Worst case you swap a short sword for a long sword and fail to recharge mending. I'd probably keep it around if it wasn't a swap... but then it would be actually powerful. That would be something like a Make Whole spell... does that exist in PACG?
Most everything else gets used at some point or another. I didn't use the Birdcruncher Crown during the two sessions I had it. I never encountered a Goblin during that time somehow, I guess.
I'm curious why potions don't aid to strength or dexterity checks instead of the more limited perception/stealth checks. Potions can be hard to get with the intelligence checks required. Since they are banished when used, seemed to me the potions would not be unbalanced if they boosted main skill feats. Sajan as a drunk would be more interesting with potions like these.
A lot of NAMED allies I've simply never have used. Mayor. Foxglove. Ameiko. Snake and dog/night watch. To name a few from the base... Mostly I just never encounter them, but
I would agree that there are quite a few named allies that I have not used. Any allies with banish abilities I just automatically consider to be second rate. Even if you wouldn't keep them after a scenario picking them up for a situational effect still doesn't make a lot of sense. I think the only one my group has kept is Foxglove, because we acquired him the scenario before the Haunts, so he was actually useful. We got rid of 3 Haunts with it, and then banished him for a boon. It was nice.
Tome of Knolwedge can be great for Ezren if he has 2 Codices and Brodert Quink. he'll have 3 Knowledge checks to make.
I think the only named ally I've acquired never played at all was Mayor Kendra Devrin. I kept wanting to make sure I used her on the best location deck, and before I could we had won the scenario. A lot of the named allies are very situational, but that is fine since they are unique cards.
Kinda of off-topic but something that never I use/worry about are monster abilities like the tickwood boar. +1 to difficulty is just not scary enough for me to bother rolling a wisdom check for =/
|
Kinda of off-topic but something that never I use/worry about are monster abilities like the tickwood boar. +1 to difficulty is just not scary enough for me to bother rolling a wisdom check for =/
Sometimes that +1 is all the difference between success and failure. It is there for a reason, you should use it.
Kinda of off-topic but something that never I use/worry about are monster abilities like the tickwood boar. +1 to difficulty is just not scary enough for me to bother rolling a wisdom check for =/Sometimes that +1 is all the difference between success and failure. It is there for a reason, you should use it.
I think that he is saying that he never rolls for it. And while you might hit the roll, sometimes it just don't matter enough and you just take the added difficulty.
Boar just like some other cards, do not scale into late game. (Some cards dont have a that are basic, elite or veteran)It's a topic brought up elsewhere. I don't mean to stray the main topic here.
It seems I'm not the first person to say Medusa Mask...
Thinking back to other cards I kept around for a while in the hope that I would use them, I'd have to say my answer is Chime of Unlocking. Seemed great in theory. In practice, I sent it back to the box unused after 4 or 5 scenarios.
I kind of like the Medusa Mask. It's not high on my list of favored cards, but it has some nice uses.
*Villain - avoid closing a location like the Academy or General store before you find all the goodies just because the villain showed up. Alternatively, leave the villain on top of the location deck so you just come back after the other locations are closed and you're good and ready.
*Tough or annoying banes - Did you just find that annoying falling bell without any help? Perhaps you found a satyr as Ezren. Or maybe that's an annoying Enchanter and you think you can close the location in a moment. Whichever one it is, Medusa's got your back.
*Boons for your buddies - did you finally find a Disintegrate that Ezren has been drooling over since he saw it spoiled... while you're playing Kyra? Or perhaps you're looking that lovely staff of minor healing that you want so bad in the face - but your wisdom is abysmal and there's not a blessing in sight? Whatever the reason, the Mask lets you not only avoid the encounter, but also leave exactly where your buddy knows where it is so he can drop by and acquire it.
*Deck thinning - do you cycle through your deck a lot, get healed on occasion, and not have any items you want in your deck yet? Take the mask, blow it on some minor bane when you're about to close a location, and bam! One less item in your deck that can be healed. Burying can be a good thing sometimes.
My Lem wishes that he still had the mask for the Clay Golem, because when I encounter that card, I just pick up my hand and throw it in the discard pile.
Orbis, the Mask only works on monsters; not any type of card.
*Facepalms so hard he starts bleeding*
Oops. I'll admit it's been awhile since I played it myself, lol.
Happens to the best of us. :)Orbis, the Mask only works on monsters; not any type of card.*Facepalms so hard he starts bleeding*
Oops. I'll admit it's been awhile since I played it myself, lol.
What, you guys have facepalmed that hard, too?
XD
Happens to the best of us. :)Orbis, the Mask only works on monsters; not any type of card.*Facepalms so hard he starts bleeding*
Oops. I'll admit it's been awhile since I played it myself, lol.
What, you guys have facepalmed that hard, too?
XD
*looks around meekly*
Playing AD&D years ago as a low-level mage, we were embroiled in a battle in a room with some nasties. I remember declaring that I was going to jump up on a table for a better vantage point, then start clubbing things over the head with my staff. The DM had me roll a dex check (for the leap to the table) and an AC check on my target. I failed both. Miserably. I ended the battle unconscious.
After, my friends and future wife asked why I didn't just cast spells. My response was something along the lines of *facepalm* "Doh! I'm a magic user!!!"
(In my defense, I normally played a roguish swashbuckler type, and the mage thing was new to me.)