Does an environment (say Strange Plague) affect investigators in Outer Worlds?

It doesn't have an "in Arkham" on it so seems to say yes rules-wise, just seems odd flavour-wise.

Rob

So far as I know, if they don't say "In Arkham" then they affect the OWs too. Though, IIRC, "Temperence Fever Sweeps City" is the exception.

Thanks for the quick response. That's what I was doing (no Find Gate spell used in Outer Words when the mystic environment says no spells) but wanted to make sure.

Finished first game where I consider I knew rules enough to play it right (still got eaten by Yig, sneaky fiend wakes up just when 2 investigators had gotten cursed same turn in different encounters).. I think this was the "cross-over game" for rules-right so starting next will submit outcomes to the data base.

Rob

Actually, reviewing the KW official thread:

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp?efpag=0&efid=5&efcid=1&efidt=895

It says generally environments shouldn't affect investigators in outer worlds.

Why do we keep bringing up "Temperance Fever" while we're talking about Environments? "Temperance Fever" is a HEADLINE.

Urban and Weather Environments are Earth-based, and shouldn't affect the Other Worlds. Mystic Environments sometimes seem to be a bit more "fluid" about it: long ago, there was a rather significant debate on how much a "Solar Eclipse" visible on Earth would affect other dimensions. But several Mystic Environments affect monsters, so if one of them "appeared" during an Other World Encounter...reading Kevin's statement, I don't know anymore.

Here's a list of those Environments that could possibly affect an Investigator in an Other World. All of them are "Mystic" unless otherwise specified.

Arkham Horror: The Chill of the Grave, Dreams of the Sunken City, Planetary Alignment, Solar Eclipse, Strange Plague, Alien Technology (Urban), The Festival (Urban)

Dunwich Horror: Songs from the Woods (Urban), Whippoorwills of Dunwich

King in Yellow: Spawn of Yog-Sothoth, Strength of the Earth, Strange Murders (Urban)

Kingsport Horror: Time After Time

Innsmouth Horror: Dark Conjunction, Oppressive Atmosphere, Weakened Forces

Black Goat: Horns of the Black Goat, Full Moon (Weather)

Most of these affect monsters without specifying "in Arkham", so if one were drawn in an Other World, it would gain the benefit from the card. On the other hand, taking the Festival as an example, an Urban Environment that boosts Cultists...is this a festival that reaches across Time and Space? That seems ridiculous. Or what about the Full Moon, a Weather Environment that boosts Dark Young? We're talking about the effects of a single orbiting asteroid on another dimension.

Then there's Dreams of the Sunken City and Strange Plague, the Mystic Environments that prevent San/Stam recovery except by Asylum/Hospital or Carolyn/Vincent. Surely we are not allowed to wander off-world to find a soft spot to rest and gain Sanity, right? On the other hand, can the Songs from the Woods or the Whippoorwills of Dunwich be heard outside of a few-mile-radius? What is the effect of a Planetary Alignment or a Solar Eclipse on any celestial body besides the planet involved?

Many players choose to ignore theme when oddities like this occur. Forget the wind, the stars, the particular ground you walk upon...this is just numbers and keyword phrases. Are you "in Arkham" or not? Is that a "Cultist" or not? Theme is transitory; math is not.

However, at the moment, the above cards have a certain interpretive leeway, and if you want to question and judge them based on theme, I say go for it. When I play alone, I tend to go with the math; when I play with other, more-freewheeling players, we'll usually vote on it.

I bring up Temperance Fever because I was talking about all "effects" and whether they affect only Arkham, or only the OW, or both. I was proposing the idea that if the card does not specify which, then it affects both.

In this case T.F. is the exception to the rule because it does not say "Arkham" on its effect but it only affects town and not the OWs.

In your Festival example, perhaps the Festival is in response to some other grand effect that is bolstering Cultists and Byakhee. It is an esoteric ritual, so of course we mortals (players) can't be expected to know exactly what The Festival is all about. I just read The Festival recently for the first time, and I have no fricking clue what was going on. All I know is that the Necronomicon makes an appearance, and that Kingsport is described beautifully in it.

In fact, following from the logic that this Festival is local, it should only effect Kingsport. But again I propose that we don't know exactly the motivation behind the Festival.

Other mythos cards might be similar in that they're reactionary and not necessarily the cause of certain effects.

Tibs said:

Aha! So it's not that there's a Solar Eclipse, it's WHY there's a Solar Eclipse. It's not that the Whippoorwills are singing, it's WHY they are. So all these somewhat vague Environments are merely SYMPTOMS, not the CAUSE.

That's actually quite clever.

Well, as an astronomy major, I'd be quick to argue that this concept does not extend to Solar Eclipses. But yeah, that's the general idea.

Tibs said:

Shhh, Arkham astronomy is magic ;')

Actually, Lovecraft might take your side since he was interested in astronomy as an amateur. On the other hand, I can't evaluate this, since I can't tell the difference between realistic and fictional astronomy most of the time (so I just assume it's fictional unless I have a strong reason— a trusted source— to believe otherwise) and I can't tell how he treats it in his stories. Oh well. I can tell the difference between astronomy and astrology though. Astrology is how NASA decides what times would be fortuitous for the launching of rockets ;'D