Healing Words

Asset. Arcane

Spell.

Cost: 2.

Mystic

Uses (3 charges).

Spend 1 charge: Heal 1 damage from an investigator at your location.

You don't necessarily trust the occult words, but you have no other choice.
Clark Huggins
A Thousand Shapes of Horror #163.
Healing Words

FAQs

No faqs yet for this card.

Reviews

It's a good principle of card design that when the effect of one card is objectively, statistically better than that of another, then it should come with a higher cost -- whether in money, actions, or xp. Given that principle, could someone explain to me, please, why this wretchedly inefficient card costs the same as First Aid? They both come with three charges/supplies; they both heal for an action; they both cost two resources; and they both have a single will icon. The only differences are that First Aid can heal sanity as well, and Healing Words takes up a valuable arcane spot -- both of which make the Words worse. This upsets me...

When you put this card up against other healing options, it only looks shabbier. Painkillers get you the same amount of healing for half the cost and 1/4 the actions! (sure, it'll cost you 3 sanity as well...) Thermos, which, for the record, I hate for it's ruinous 4-resource cost, at least has the versatility of First Aid, and is a decent deck addition if you're loaded up with trauma. Or what about humble Emergency Aid? Heal two damage for two resources and an action. Would anyone rather pay three MORE actions for one additional point of healing? That's the deal Healing Words offers you....

Full disclosure: My animosity against this card is personal at the moment. I'm in the middle of a Dunwich run with a beat-up Daisy Walker, and she's in desperate need of additional healing. Out here in nowheresville, she can't get a steady supply of her pills, and the Medical Texts she totes around look like they're from the 17th century... All I have access to by way of deck upgrades is this lousy spell -- or a Thermos of clam chowder... Broods of Yog-Sothoth, here I come...

Mordenlordgrandison · 447
While questionable, I suspect the justification comes from two sources. First, this is from a different class, guardians have supporting as a side theme whereas mystics do not so it makes sense that the guardian version is more efficient. More importantly, there are several abilities/cards that combo with spells. For example, Arcane Initiate, Uncage the Soul, Marie Lambeau among others all have the ability to make this more efficient. — madhatter152 · 8
This card feels like Vincent Lee seeding in my opinion. — StyxTBeuford · 12985
Who is Vincent Lee? I googled and found a Vincent Li who committed a bizarre act of cannibalism on a Greyhound bus. So, definitely on theme for Arkham, but probably not what you were referring to ;). — Mordenlordgrandison · 447
https://eldritchhorrorgame.fandom.com/wiki/Vincent_Lee He's a doctor! — StyxTBeuford · 12985
It seems a bit like Matt is trying to add some spells for off-class mystics to use. Empower Self is another one that way more useful for those who don't have competition for the slot from much more generally useful assets. — Sassenach · 179
The card is not great, but I also don't think it is *too* bad. If Healing Words level 2 comes out (see: Clarify of Mind level 2), then you can upgrade for free with 2 Arcane Researches. The card also works OK with Akachi's ability/signature cards. — iceysnowman · 164
Unfortunately the upgraded Clarity of Mind is Level 3... If Healing Words mirrors it, off-class mystics won't be able to take it, and even with two Arcane Researches, it won't be free. — Mordenlordgrandison · 447
Ah that's right, forgot it was a level 3 and not a level 2. Still, 1 XP for a strong healing upgrade is not bad, especially in certain campaigns that tax your health more than others. Of course, this is hypothetical at the moment since Healing Words (3) hasn't come out yet :). — iceysnowman · 164
There is a design philosophy that not every card needs to be playable/have the same power level. Which kind of doesn't make sense in a limited card game. This looks like a "new player trap", which fills you with the satisfaction of knowing in how many ways this is bad. First aid is bad, this is worse then first aid, if you want to survive longer get more disposable allies. — Mataza · 19
Seems to be a good card for Marie, since she is likely to be taking extra damage from her weakness, and she can trigger this for free if there is doom on her cards. — Time4Tiddy · 245
I agree with you 99 percent. There's one argument that may be valid. Purple can resupply this card with charges far easier than a blue character can resupply first aid with supply. — AussieKSU · 1062
Enraptured, Recharge, book of shadows. Mmmm, maybe I'm wrong. You can use upgraded emergency cache and venturer. I guess an argument might be made that purple shouldn't be as good at healing damage as blue? — AussieKSU · 1062
Talisman of Protection is a good alternative - it keeps you alive and is so much less clunky. It costs 4 fewer actions for usually 2 sanity. Also it works on damage. — MrWeasely · 42