The combination of the above ruling that EACH token revealed gives a +1 bonus and the ruling that the 5 tokens revealed when Rod of Carnamagos is activated counts as "during a test" is a bonkers combination. Any symbols during that 5 token reveal triggers the +1 bonus WITHOUT applying their (usually negative) modifier since the reveal is only relevant for the Rod's effects. You're getting potentially multiple +1 modifiers "for free" (+2 if you double-wield candles by slotting your Rod into Occult Reliquary) before doing the actual test in Step 3.

You do need a non-Elite target to make this work, but that shouldn't be a problem in most scenarios. Extra points if you manage to Abyssal Rot some hapless monster, rendering it harmless for the remainder of the scenario while allowing you to abuse the Rod on it over and over.

This is a good card, but not as good as some suggest.

A lot of players favorably compare Diabolical Luck to Fey. It's also sometimes referred to as "cursed Lucky!. Both analogies fall a little short.

Note that the value proposition of Fey is that it returns to hand if a Curse is revealed. If you're using Scrying Mirror, Premonition, Favor of the Moon, or other manipulation tactics though, the reactive benefit of this card is moot while the return to hand advantage of Fey is tremendous.

Meanwhile, while the reactive element of this card makes it valuable as a splash card to sort of toss into a deck that uses Curses, in much the way players toss in Lucky! simply for being good stuff without feeling obligated to build around it, it's worth noting that this card isn't nearly as reactive as Lucky!. You know for sure when you play Lucky! that it's going to pass the test for you, whereas this one can wind up being played to no consequence because you chain into more curses, or into the autofail, or into a token that would have let you pass the test anyway.

In short, this card is very good. It is not strictly better than Fey and is not as good as Lucky!. It definitely relegates Skeptic to bicycle spoke status though.

Just adding an email ruling from FFG Game Rules Specialist pertinent to Rod.

Question:

Hello,

A question about multiple tokens in Arkham Horror.

Suppose I have a Rod of Carnamagos and a Seal of the Elder Sign.

If I use Rod before Step 2 of a skill test (and reveal say 5 non-special tokens), and then commit Seal of the Elder Sign in Step 2, from the FAQ entry of how "cards that refer to single tokens being revealed should be considered to refer to each revealed tokens", my read is that the game treats all 5 tokens that I revealed as stars.

Then, since I have Seal of the Elder Sign committed, I don't reveal a token during Step 3 as I'm automatically successful. Do I get the effects of 5 star tokens?

thanks!

Answer:

No, Seal of the Elder Sign does not treat tokens revealed via Rod of Carnamagos as elder signs. You resolve their abilities separate from one another.

If you trigger Rod of Carnamagos during a skill test, you do not resolve the effects of the tokens it reveals, except for its own ability of checking for a curse token and any abilities that state “if you reveal _ during a skill test…” (like Armageddon’s ability).

After you finish resolving Rod’s ability, you continue with the other steps of the skill test, and you would skip revealing tokens during Step 3 with Seal of the Elder Sign, instead resolving the test as if you’d drawn an elder sign token.

The most pertinent part being the essentially explicit implication that tokens revealed outside of Step 3 during a skill test don't apply to skill value, don't resolve funky effects, etc unless it's an effect based on being "revealed".

Happy Rod+Candles-ing!

I think Rita is super fun. Her Survivor mixed with tricks just keep getting better. Her signature has always been incredibly lacklustre except in rather niche applications, and even still, I think Rita's signature just doesn't do anything at 1 player, and at 2 player it can act as a fast action engage to get an enemy off your cluever. But after Edge of the Earth, The Scarlet Keys, there are some really interesting interactions with this signature that make Rita a 3p or 4p powerhouse AoE dealer. Now, this is a heavy caveat, because you still need to have the tools in hand, and without search, and minimal card draw, being setup at the time you need to pull this off is rather unlikely to happen.

This card comboes super well with newer cards that have added automatic evades to their effect. Sweeping Kick now becomes a 3 damage event. Breaking and Entering is now gain a clue and deal a damage. Confound is discover 2 clues and deal a damage. This isn't earth shattering of course, but important to consider instead of simply throwing this card at a skill test. Dirty Fighting now becomes essentially a free 1 damage as that evade gives you a free fight action. This is on top of Rita's innate 1 damage ability, assuming you haven't drawn an eldersign. But what if you could evade all enemies in one action? Survival Instinct (2) is something else. 1 evade actions turns into dealing 1 damage to everything at your location?! Great.

Obviously, this is all so situational. The main benefit of course, is Rita being able to use her agility value to ping damage. It is most effective with swarming enemies, and just higher player counts when there are simply more enemies. In a way, this space is also occupied by the Hemlock Vale card Elaborate Distraction, which simply lets you ping every enemy at your location and adjacent locations. And it leaves me feeling I wish Rita's signature had the option to also engage enemies at adjacent locations, because now this also feels a little underpowered.

Ultimately this card is still well underpowered for a signature, and extremely niche, and will get almost no value in true solo (though a free engage on an aloof enemy is still very nice). This card does not affect Rita's playstyle because you cannot play around the hopes of getting it. But on average, when combined with Rita's actual signature Sweeping Kick, this card reads as a fast, 0 cost engage action and 1 testless damage. Its not amazing, but when combined with Long Shot, Rita now does have some extra ways to deal ping damage.

I wanted clarification on the rules regarding the elusive keyword and effects that would cause an enemy to become exhausted as part of an attack (i.e with Stunning Blow). FFG kindly got back to me to clarify:

Q: How does elusive work if an investigator attack would cause the enemy to become exhausted? For example, if an investigator commits Stunning Blow to their attack. Does the elusive keyword trigger before the automatic evade occurs? Thanks!

A: Yes; an elusive enemy that was ready before attacking will still move after attacking, and it does not exhaust until after it moves. If an effect causes it to exhaust in the middle of an attack triggered by elusive, the enemy still moves, and remains exhausted at the new location.

For instance, if an investigator commits Stunning Blow while attacking an elusive enemy, they’d resolve the attack & effects as normal (including exhausting and disengaging from the enemy), then that enemy would still move to a connecting location and remain exhausted.

Sincerely, Alex Werner, FFG Game Rules Specialist

I know this is more of a question about the elusive keyword than Stunning Blow, but there isn't currently a way to write posts about keywords specifically. Hope this helps anyone else wondering this.