Metamorphosis is all about change. Some cards in this set have changed rather little from their Second Edition forms, such as the Tamarian and Cardassian personnel. But some have changed quite a lot, even finding themselves transformed to a totally different card type!
Such changes have happened with conversions before. For The Sisko and The Genesis Effect changed from being Events in Second Edition, to a slightly different Event-like card type which didn't exist in Second Edition. A larger change came with Mr. Tricorder, which changed from a Dilemma you would encounter during a mission attempt, into an Equipment you could bring with you into one! Later came Empress, which was an actual personnel card in Second Edition, but in First Edition is a verb, an Event that you play to help your other Contender cards reach their goals.
Now in Metamorphosis we have more conversions along those lines. Two of them come from the original Second Edition release, and have been prized in First Edition decks for their special abilities. (At least, in earlier days, before new 1E-template cards were being made, and well before property logos became gameplay-relevant.)
One of these early Second Edition cards was Bareil Antos, Esteemed Vedek. He had high INTEGRITY, six skills, and free reporting in First Edition, all of which were reasons to use the card. He also had a very helpful special ability to boost the INTEGRITY of all other personnel present. Another was Jo'Bril, Patient Schemer. He had double SCIENCE and double Treachery ... which are more helpful in the world of 2E dilemmas than 1E ... and a special ability that let him cheat death.
In each case, the early plans were for these cards to be converted in a more straightforward fashion. But reactions to these early cards were that as nouns, they were redundant. We don't need another printing of Bareil, or another printing of Jo'Bril. We just want those special abilities.
And so those special abilities are the cards we get in Metamorphosis. It's as if the designers offloaded the special ability to a card that gets downloaded (like with the converted Winn Adami and several others) ... and then just didn't make the redundant personnel card that downloads it.
No longer attached to Bareil Antos, the card Esteemed Vedek is an Event which boosts the INTEGRITY of Bajoran personnel, now in a cumulative fashion. It also downloads a Vedek personnel when played, so you could get regular Bareil Antos ... or Vedek Dax, or Teero, and more! And Jo'Bril is no longer the only Patient Schemer -- any other assassin or thief can also escape to hand instead of dying to dilemmas with this Event. Plus, it's seedable and , and also themed with the Crime icon.
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