The Faculty
by Marius Hartland
Twenty cards is not a lot, if one looks at the design stage of an Asylum Pack. It means that each faction only gets two or three cards. But a well-rounded set needs a broad appeal to players of different skill levels, styles and ways of playing the game. Factions need their themes expanded on, but new abilities also need to be introduced to keep the game fresh and moving onward. This means that cards are likely to have several layers to them, to fill niches on different levels.
Ancient Horrors
Let's take another look at the Ancient Horrors Asylum Pack. It was named "Monster Hunters" during development and brings just that: Monsters and the people who have to deal with them (or face a fate worse then death). The humans will have a rough time dealing with five new Ancient Ones that just woke from their eon-long slumber. A small glimmer of hope is offered by the learned professors of Miskatonic University. However, not everyone working for the university is an intrepid investigator with their nose in ancient tomes. The Cryptozoologists need their coffee and lunch sometimes, and when on an expedition to the dark corners of our little planet, one needs to be physically fit if one hopes to have the chance to outrun the horrors that will be unleashed there.
Therefore, the University employs some people who have a little more "hands-on" approach to everyday problems. And this being Arkhams' proud university, where there are more Eldritch specimens and tomes than anyone can swing a Fetch Stick at, "everyday problems" pretty much means surviving and not losing ones faculties.
;)
Why so serious?
The first member of the faculty I am examining today is Norm Grzbowski, Football Coach, and gym teacher from Hell. On his own he is a decent brawler, being able to soak up a wound and with the double combat he sports, dealing out some pain isn't beyond his abilities, which is an uncommon trait for characters affiliated with Miskatonic University. At the very least, Norm will be among the few left standing after Nodens tries to burn down the campus. At best, he charges into battle with his double combat to clear the way for the college professors to score multiple success tokens.
His strategic insights really shine when he's doing what he does best: Playing his favorite game. In the end, it doesn't matter to him if his team consists of students, Shoggoths, Mi-Go or (gasp!) Ancient Ones — as long as he has a complete team, he will win the game in no time at all.
So, when do you get to use his ability? Well, probably never. Setting up a team of him and at least ten other characters is very hard. Norm's ability is more thematic than serious — it's there to provoke and to challenge. Sure, Miskatonic has lot to gain from an efficient 2 combat/toughness beater, but using his ability can't be done. Well, almost. The ability is there to create the opportunity to win the game in a stylish way. There are players who aren't content with just winning; They want to win with flair, drama and style. Winning even one story card with Norm is an achievement unto itself.
Norm Grzbowski earns you your bragging rights. Because any serious player can tell you: It can't be done. Ever.
So, put him in your Miskatonic deck, let him jump on the grenade for the more scholarly types, and hope for that one time you'll have a happy accident and win a story before it even starts. Or try to break him with cards like Birthing A Thousand Young.
If you took up Servitor duties, this card is excellent to demonstrate new players the flow of the game. Either they learn that it can indeed not be done and become better players, or your acolytes will have a way around the frustration that new players sometimes have: They're too afraid to commit characters that the game gets bogged down in a stalemate. Then teach them how to beat it, break the card and turn their knowledge on their heads showing that in the Call of Cthulhu LCG, nothing is certain.
;)
Monsters need lunchbreaks too
The other card I'm looking at today is Cafeteria Lady. She offers the University a dash of exhaustion power. The tempo gain of a 2 cost card with repeatable exhaustion power is enormous. Miskatonic University must have a high turnover rate of cafeteria personnel, as she will have an enormous bullseye painted over her unappetizing, yet strangely alluring pot of Shoggoth Stew (or whatever meat-surprise is being offered on campus today). With an ability like that, she is sure to become a staple of any deck that dibs into the Miskatonic card pool. The capability of locking down your opponents' best character from turn one on really helps to survive long enough to stabilize against an early onslaught, and locking down cards like Yig or Ghoul Khanum will seldom be bad for you, unless you're on the receiving end of this efficient card.
Attachments can make your opponents' characters resistant to her cuisine, but very few of those are used anyway. And if players see this as a reason to remove the dust from these attachments, well, that means you have only have to worry about an even lower character ratio.
The Faculty provides some utility behind the great names of the paranormal investigators that made Miskatonic University such a famous institution. The Unsung Heroes that make the fight against Unspeakable Villains possible. Well, at least until the stars come right, and everyone dies a horrible painful death in the wake of the Earth's original rulers.
But that is a story for another day.
