Why does this set have so much bad scry e. g. Palm Reading.

Further: How many creatures that scry or almost scry on ETB does this set get? This, Seeker of Mystery, Emori Seer...

There was going to be a minor bottom of the library matters theme in all colors originally but we scrapped most of those ideas, which is why there are slightly more cards with scry, I think. Plus its evergreen and doesnt provide card advantage so it can be easy to just stick onto a card without pushing it too much.

The 'bad' scrying cards are worded that way because it can affect other players. Pretty sure this is from an ex-cycle we had. I think this and Palm Reading are the only cards like this in the set, which I dont think is a large amount.

This is actually not intended to be scry, and it wasn't from an ex-cycle. It's based on Portent, minus the card draw and shuffling part. Which is technically less powerful than scry, applied to yourself at least. Against an opponent it's a bit more interesting.

There are only two commons, and a more recent uncommon, that have this type of effect.

I would like this to be more like Augur of Bolas. It really clashes with Palm Reading because they do the same thing. That shouldn't be the case if this isnt some sort of theme in the set, especially not so obviously. One should change.

If we go down the Augur of Bolas route then this could look at the top 5 cards and add an instant or sorcery with cmc 4 or greater. Digs deeper but only gets more expensive spells.

I can maybe see a watered down 3 CMC Augur of Bolas that adds a CMC 4 or greater instant/sorcery. I don't know though, if this is going to be replaced maybe it should be something different entirely, some kind of blue control.

I just feel like we're lacking support for the archetype and an augur of bolas effect would help support that. I would like this to be changed into some kind of support for that archetype anyway.

I can see something for the instant/sorcery thing.

I changed it to something like what you suggested. To be honest though, it seems both wordy and kind of just a watered down Augur of Bolas. Not sure how fond I am of restricting yourself to high-cost instants and sorceries.

Another approach might be something like "Instants and sorceries you cast and cycling abilities of instants and sorceries you control cost less". Sort of like Goblin Electromancer with cycling factored in. And instead of searching for big instants/sorceries, it makes them easier to cast.

Don't really want to put stuff like that outside cyclings main colors at common. Maybe at uncommon something like that could be done.

This is the text an uncommon now - also a wordy uncommon. I'm going to put the uncommon @Brainpolice suggested into the file though if it isn't yet.

I felt like this suggestion did basically amount to trying to force a slightly watered down Augur of Bolas into a common slot.

Yeah, I don't like Portent effects, but reverting to it here would actually be an improvement over this cluttered mess.

We btw already have an Archivist effect on a DFC which fits more organically with the rest of the set.

Maybe just Prowess + Portent on this? Augur for some actual uncommon?