Is Reversal of Fortune to powerful?

[EarthStone]

As I've just posted in this thread, I've had a player dominate the last two games I've run just by using Reversal of Fortune. Is it just a fluke of those games? Or is it something that other folks have noticed as well?

Given that monsters often tend to get clumped together, once someone finds a Reversal of Fortune card, all they have to do is finagle it so that their effective combat level ends on a high number ("I'm not going to use my +3 sword, I'm putting it in my backpack, taking my 31 down to a 28. And then I'm going to move into the room with all the monsters.") and it's nearly impossible to stop them. There are many things that affect the monsters, but few things that affect the Munchkin and most of those have to be played from an adjacent room.

What are other players experiences with this card?

[Spaceknight]

well, assuming you don't subscribe to the whole imbalance of power inherent to people who acquire various munchkinly add-ons and are after a "fair" game...

I think it would be fair to have the scroll replace one draw from the starting treasure deck. Everyone still starts with 3 treasures, but one of yours can be guaranteed to be pretty powerful.

The MQ Gold Piece replaces a normal starting Gold, I don't see much of a problem in doing the same with the scroll.

[EarthStone]

Ah... ROF is already mixed into the deck. He just got lucky and pulled it as part of his treasures. It's not a PROMO card that he starts with on his own like the MQ Gold Piece.

<Edit - Just read Andrew's reply in the other thread saying that it is played like a PROMO card. Off checking rules now...>

[Solelron]

I haven't had much of a chance to work with it, but I don't find it overpowered.

as a matter of fact, I kind of find some of its results funny.

baby now can both make it more powerful AND make it lose treasures.

Ancient can make it weaker and grant more treasure.

[Spaceknight]

Originally Posted by Solelron

I haven't had much of a chance to work with it, but I don't find it overpowered.

as a matter of fact, I kind of find some of its results funny.

baby now can both make it more powerful AND make it lose treasures.

Ancient can make it weaker and grant more treasure.

given the shuffling confusion we already had, pardon my asking the obvious... you're playing to affect *one* Meter, as written. Right?

I ask because the examples you give are a little situational. (eg, Baby only makes it more powerful if it's already ending in 0-4, if it's ending in 5-9 it's making Baby far more potent reduction in power.)
By contrast, as stated originally, there's little to adjust a Munchkin's numbers. It's far more reliable when used aggressively, on your own Meter at a time you're prepared for, so that's how it's usually used.

Now if the card hit EVERYTHING involved in the combat - current player, monsters and even allies - THEN it becomes more humorous, unpredictable and funny. That would be a different way to balance it than costing 1 treasure draw. (though, IMHO, I prefer the draw balance because it rewrites a rule, not rewriting text in play. It's easier to explain to people who don't have the Meter.)

[Solelron]

You read 1 KOM backwards.

Yes it is situational, but it still implies a way of using them..ALL cards are situational.

[Spaceknight]

Originally Posted by Solelron

You read 1 KOM backwards.

Yes it is situational, but it still implies a way of using them..ALL cards are situational.

my statement was that the examples were far MORE situational than the problems the original post cites.

[Solelron]

true, but it still helps define if its broken or not.

broken would imply that it was always overpowered or always underpowered.

[PK]

I don't really see it as overly powerful, especially for a one-shot item.

Player A: Okay, so I'm effectively 19 against the monster's 32. I'm playing Reversal of Fortune! Now I'm 91!

Player B: In that case, I'm throwing in a potion to add +2. Now you're 21, which is actually 12.

Granted, if no one has a card with an appropriate bonus or penalty, they can't do much about this, but that's the case with just about any combat.

[Blu]

I won't use mine if I'm the only one that has it here at home. But, I have two KOM's (I bought the 2nd one to have a permanent one for Monsters), so if I want to use my ROFS I will let someone else use the extra card.

Still though, I personally don't think it's uber duper overpowering.