A question about the taste of lacre.

How many levels of &quotPutting the pieces together: the taste of lacre&quot is possible using only the the regular options available during the Christmas season? Is it worth it to pay the urchins fee for more snow or use the tears of the Bazaar to boost the level?

I am looking to raise the level high enough this year to upgrade one of my lodgings, so I wanted to know if I would be able to reach the required level using only the standard options, or if I should start saving up to buy snow from the urchins or use my limited supply of &quotTears of the Bazaar&quot.

It depends on what you consider standard options and what you want to get. The best way to raise Taste is by looking at a bucket with a Semiotic Monacle (needing SotC 10 for 100% success), dunking souls twice, then looking at it again which should get you to 8 Taste total. Most of the Sackses and some access codes give extra Taste and investigating with a fate option gives a bunch at the end. The most expensive thing in the Wicket costs 9 Taste (and three notability) so for that the best way is to raise Taste to 8 like above then let some event give you the last point. If you only want one thing or a couple very cheap things you should be fine, but I’d recommend saving up to buy extra snow in case you need it. Using Tears is almost definitely not worth it unless you’re really desperate. Note that buckets have a few other options letting you do other things like get a Dark-Carapaced Crustacean.

See here for more detailed information.
edited by Optimatum on 9/26/2015

The lodgings require 7, 8 and 9 Taste.

Each bucket of snow can reliably provide 3 level of Taste if you have a Semiotic Monocle.

For each day - (Fate options give more, but you need to spend some to finish the Fate storyline)

Day 1: One bucket of Lacre gives 1 Taste + a Broken Giant. This is the only action that gives Taste.
Day 2: One bucket of Lacre gives 1 Taste + a Broken Giant. First Sporing / Consonant Violin give 1 Taste + 1 CP Master. Romantic Misery / Good Name is unreliable.
Day 3: Lacre today only waste the bucket and gives nothing. Magnificent Diamond gives +1 Master. No Taste available today.
Day 4: None.
Day 5: Celestial Bohemians can get +1 Taste + a Sudden Insight. This is the only action that gives Taste.
Day 6: No non-fate branch that gives Taste are available.
Day 7: No non-fate branch that gives Taste are available.
Day 8: Wines and Cold Meats give +1 Taste.
Day 9: Hearts and Light gives +1 Pail of Snow.
Day 10: No non-fate branch that gives Taste are available.
Day 11: Notaries and Doctors get +1 Taste and Primeval Hint when going on the Carriage. This is the only action that gives Taste.
Day 12: Taking Advantage gives +1 Taste, but it is nicer to help.

Assuming you are not Notary or Doctors, you can get a total of 5 Taste (uncapped) plus one Pail of Snow from Mr Sacks visit.
edited by Estelle Knoht on 9/26/2015
edited by Estelle Knoht on 9/26/2015

In regards to using the monocle, the wiki says it can not raise it past level 6. Does that mean I should focus on reach level 6 with the buckets first and then use the Day- options? (provided I am lucky enough to use them in order)

(The above assumes that FB don’t make any changes this year - they’ve been really busy, but they might tweak a few things if they feel so inclined)

I would definitely recommend learning what you can of Lacre with the buckets before getting into the 12 days cards.

Nope, your best option is to follow the technique described by Optimatum. The buckets can’t raise your taste if it is 6 or above. If your taste is 5, they’ll still give +3 taste, bringing you to 8.

Nope, your best option is to follow the technique described by Optimatum. The buckets can’t raise your taste if it is 6 or above. If your taste is 5, they’ll still give +3 taste, bringing you to 8.[/quote]

Whoops, just noticed I wrote 2 level instead of 3. That changes a lot.

So in theory, I should be able to raise my level to 9 using the buckets and options available during the 12 days without having to buy extra snow or use fate options?

You also gain buckets before the twelve days from the SNOWBOUND storylet - so you can get 3 more buckets for free. That’s where the Taste juggling comes in.
edited by Estelle Knoht on 9/26/2015

What do you mean by “dunking souls twice” ?

Also, don’t forget the Notability requirement when upgrading lodgings - you need 3, 4 and 5 respectively for Bethlehem / Embassy / Bazaar. If you have low BDR those might be bigger obstacles than Tastes.

[quote=Lemexis]What do you mean by &quotdunking souls twice&quot ?[/quote]I believe he is referring to the option to dip a soul in a bucket of snow.

BDR is likely not a problem for me, respectable least of all.

How many buckets can we get through not fate/urchin options?

During the season you can get one bucket from the Snowbound storylet, which reappears after every Time the Healer. I don’t recall if the Fate option there gives a bucket as well though.

Oh, and last year they added another option to the Wicket which was three Taste for a Soothe-and-Cooper Long-Box. I’d recommend getting one if you haven’t already used one for the Sunless Sea starting benefit.

So if you want to get a 5 card lodgings from the Christmas, you need to receive 4 buckets of snow.

You look at the first one with the Semiotic Monocle and SotC at 10 preferrably.
You dip a soul into the two next ones.
You use the monocle on the last one.

And then you can upgrade to 5 card lodgings provided you have Notability 5. That’s it ?

And how do you get buckets ? Like 1 per day or something ?
How do you ensure that you get at least the 4 buckets you need ?

How far into the month does sackmass start?

It should start 3 weeks before Christmas day.

[quote=Lemexis]So if you want to get a 5 card lodgings from the Christmas, you need to receive 4 buckets of snow.

You look at the first one with the Semiotic Monocle and SotC at 10 preferrably.
You dip a soul into the two next ones.
You use the monocle on the last one.

And then you can upgrade to 5 card lodgings provided you have Notability 5. That’s it ?

And how do you get buckets ? Like 1 per day or something ?
How do you ensure that you get at least the 4 buckets you need ?[/quote]
You get one bucket per Snowbound storylet, aka once a week, and can get more from some Sackses or from the Urchins card in exchange for Storm-Threnodies and Night Whispers. The Bazaar lodgings need Taste 9 while the bucket method give you Taste 8 after using the monocle the second time, so the last level needs a Sacks or sniffing Tears of the Bazaar. Also only the Bazaar lodgings need Notability 5; the Royal Beth needs 3 and the Embassy needs 4. I’d also recommend having at least one level of Taste when the season ends for the occasional options that require it - non-seasonal methods like Tears of the Bazaar don’t work without any levels. (And make sure not to buy too many buckets of lacre since they melt right before the Feast of the Rose.)

Thanks for the info.
I have the impression that you get the Sackes regularly, so that shouldn’t be an issue, right ?
I never managed to get Tears of the Bazaar (even though I go to the Nadir every week since a month or two), so that’ll have to do.

Anything else I should stock up for Christmas ?

You get each card once. Each day will introduce a new card, and while I think they start out with Standard/Frequent probability they’ll move onto Ubiquitous before too long. You shouldn’t have any trouble drawing them all before Penstock’s Wicket opens up, or at least you’ll do so quickly enough.