The Book of Hand Mystics
 

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Character Bio - The Hand is an organization steeped in mysticism. Though best-known for their seemingly endless, unstoppable hordes of ninja, what makes them truly terrifying is their ability to defy death and bend great warriors to their will. They've brainwashed Psylocke into being their puppet and returned Doctor Octopus from the grave to stalk Spider-Man, but they most often bedevil Matt Murdock.
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-Rulings and Clarifications-

• N/A

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Incoming Synergy:

• As Humans, Hand Mystics have these Human Synergies.
• As Ninja, Hand Mystics have these Ninja Synergies.

Outgoing Synergy:

• Hand Mystics may choose a Unique Hero you control that is a Human, Mutant or Mutate for their Hand Brainwashing special power, replacing any of their class-based synergies with these Ninja Synergies. Current Human, Mutant, and Mutate Unique Heroes.

Immunities, Benefits, and Weaknesses:

• As Humans, Hand Mystics interact differently with these special powers.
• The Hand Mystics' Hand Resurrection special power can be used to resurrect and take control of an opponent's Human, Mutant or Mutate Unique Hero. Current Human, Mutant, and Mutate Unique Heroes.

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-Strategy, Tactics and Tips-

• N/A

-Heroscapers Community Contributions-

• Initial playtest: Ronin
• Second playtest: Scapemage
• Third playtest: MrNobody
• Fourth playtest: Lobster
• Art: Comic, Figure, Background
• Art by Arkham
• The Hand created by Frank Miller
• Comic art by John Romita Jr.

Re: The Book of Hand Mystics (Design)
 

NAME = HAND MYSTICS
SECRET IDENTITY =

SPECIES = HUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE SQUAD (3)
CLASS = NINJA
PERSONALITY = DEVOUT

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 1

MOVE = 6
RANGE = 3
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 3

POINTS = 145

HAND BRAINWASHING
At the start of the game, place one black Hand Marker on the card of a Unique Hero you control that is a Human, Mutant or Mutate, and place one Hand Marker on this card. While there is an Order Marker on this card, any Hero you control with a Hand Marker on its card has the class of Ninja and a Ruthless personality instead of what is listed on its Army Card.

HAND RESURRECTION
After an opponent's Unique Hero within 3 clear sight spaces of a Hand Mystic is destroyed, you may place the Hand Marker from this card on that Hero's Army Card if that Hero is a Human, Mutant or Mutate. If you do, take control of that Hero and its Army Card and remove all Wound Markers from its Army Card. At the end of the round, return that figure to play by placing it on any empty space within 3 spaces of a Hand Mystic you control. When all of your Hand Mystics are destroyed, return control of that Hero to the player that controlled it before it was Resurrected.

PHANTOM WALK
Hand Mystics can move through all figures and are never attacked when leaving an engagement.

Re: The Book of Hand Mystics (Design)
 

Comic:


Figure:


Background:

Re: The Book of Hand Mystics (Design)
 

Does the change to Ruthless personality do anything mechanically?

Re: The Book of Hand Mystics (Design)
 

It can take away personality synergies. I'm not totally married to it, but I like it as a little theme touch, if we have the space.

I also have some vague ideas about tackling an Empress Hydra (Susan Richards) design somewhere down the line - she's a recurring Exiles villain that was the head of both Hydra and the Hand, and leaned on the brainwashing trick a lot. I was thinking about having her do something with the Ruthless personality, since Hydra already partially leans on that with the Ruthless Masterminds.

But, obviously, there's nothing concrete there and my vague notions of what you could do with weird alternate universe characters in a few years shouldn't drive this design too much.

Re: The Book of Hand Mystics (Design)
 

Will be interesting to see how it plays out. You'll need 1 somewhere close to the action if order to be within 3 spaces of a fallen hero, but then they could just get killed off before the hero falls and they roll a 15+. When facing armies filled with high point heroes, they'll have fewer chances to resurrect one but the pay off will be bigger when they do, while facing armies filled with low point heroes will give them more chances to resurrect someone, but that pay off will be limited.

Re: The Book of Hand Mystics (Design)
 

I'd say Assassin is more thematic than Ninja for their victims, but I assume that's already been hashed out for factional reasons. I'm fine with Ninja here.

It'll be an interesting dynamic trying to keep them close to the fray and not getting them killed.

Not in love with Brainwashed here for nomenclature. Might be clearer to go with markers, too? It would put a cap on possible resurrections but that's not necessary a bad thing.

Re: The Book of Hand Mystics (Design)
 

I just noticed these guys need an Order Marker on their card for the Brainwashed to be considered Assassins. This calms my fears about Brainwashing obscenely strong figures a lot.

Re: The Book of Hand Mystics (Design)
 

Yeah, I'm in the same boat - would have preferred Assassin, but Ninja seems a little less concerning.

Markers might be a good idea.

Re: The Book of Hand Mystics (Design)
 

Here's a spin at a marker version of the two main powers here.

It could maybe use some language to remove all the Hand Markers when the Mystics are destroyed, but I thought it was harmless to save the language and leave em on - they're not doing anything once the Mystics go down. Might even be a good synergy hook if there's some specific Unique Hero Hand-affiliated magic-user down the line (no idea who that would be, but it feels like an archetype that someone or other probably falls into).

Re: The Book of Hand Mystics (Design)
 

I would prefer not using markers if possible, but it might be the most clear way of working this one. I think we use markers a whole ton and that can get confusing sometimes.

Re: The Book of Hand Mystics (Design)
 

I'm also against using Markers if we don't have to, because I agree having a lot laying around adds to complexity a lot. But when there's multiple figures changing hands and having permanent changes to their card, I think it's a "pick your poison" situation between memory issues and complexity issues.