Arkham Horror: The Card Game

What’s this about?

This is an unofficial rules reference for Arkham Horror: The Card Game by Fantasy Flight Games and inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos stories by H.P. Lovecraft and others.

It’s a cheat sheet on steroids

This site is great for finding a specific rule quickly. It is intended to supplement the rulebook, not replace it.

The best ways to learn the game are to use the Learn to Play guide included in the box, watch a how-to-play video, or have someone teach you. This site is also a great teacher’s aid for any of those methods.

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Credits

Fantasy Flight Games created Arkham Horror: The Card Game: © 2016-2020 Fantasy Flight Games. Arkham Horror, Fantasy Flight Games, the FFG logo, Living Card Game, LCG, and the LCG logo are ® Fantasy Flight Games.

Jans Carton designed and created this fan website: © 2020 Jans Carton

Anthony Ross created the page background: Abstract background via Wikimedia Commons.

Changelog

Round Sequence

Each round of the game is divided into four phases: Mythos phase, Investigation phase, Enemy phase, and Upkeep phase.

Numbered items within each phase are known as framework events. Framework events are mandatory occurrences dictated by the structure of the game.

Players may use free triggered abilities () during the indicated player windows.

  1. Mythos phase (skip during first round of game)
    1. Round begins. Mythos phase begins.
    2. Place 1 doom on the current agenda.
    3. Each investigator draws 1 encounter card.

      Player Window

    4. Mythos phase ends.

    Proceed to Investigation Phase.

  2. Investigation phase
    1. Investigation phase begins.

      Player Window

    2. Next investigator’s turn begins.

      Player Window

      1. Active investigator may take an action, if able. If an action was taken, return to previous player window. If no action was taken, proceed to 2.2.2.
      2. Investigator’s turn ends. If an investigator has not yet taken a turn this phase, return to 2.2. If each investigator has taken a turn this phase, proceed to 2.3.
    3. Investigation phase ends.

    Proceed to Enemy Phase.

  3. Enemy phase
    1. Enemy phase begins.
    2. Hunter enemies move.

      Player Window

    3. Next investigator resolves engaged enemy attacks. If an investigator has not yet resolved enemy attacks this phase, return to previous player window. After final investigator resolves engaged enemy attacks, proceed to next player window.

      Player Window

    4. Enemy phase ends.

    Proceed to Upkeep Phase.

  4. Upkeep phase
    1. Upkeep phase begins.

      Player Window

    2. Reset actions.
    3. Ready each exhausted card.
    4. Each investigator draws 1 card and gains 1 resource.
    5. Each investigator checks hand size.
    6. Upkeep phase ends. Round ends.

    Proceed to Mythos Phase of next game round.

Actions

During the investigation phase, each investigator may take up to three actions in any order, and may take the same action multiple times.

Initiation Sequence

When a player wishes to initiate a triggered ability or play a card, that player first declares his or her intent. There are two preliminary confirmations that must be made before the process of initiating an ability or playing a card may begin. These are:

Once each of the above confirmations has been made, follow these steps, in order:

  1. Apply any modifiers to the cost(s).

  2. Pay the cost(s). If this step is reached and the cost(s) cannot be paid, abort this process without paying any costs.

  3. The card commences being played, or the effects of the ability attempt to initiate.

  4. The effects of the ability (if not canceled in step 3) complete their initiation, and resolve. The card is regarded as played (and placed in play, or in its owner’s discard pile if it’s an event), and the ability is considered resolved simultaneously with the completion of this step.

    • If the ability being initiated is on an in-play card, the sequence does not stop from completing if that card leaves play during the sequence.

Skill Test Timing

Each time an investigator makes a skill test, follow these steps.

Players may use free triggered abilities () during the indicated player windows.

  1. Determine skill of test. Skill test of that type begins.

    Player Window

  2. Commit cards from hand to skill test.

    Player Window

  3. Reveal chaos token.
  4. Resolve chaos symbol effect(s).
  5. Determine investigator’s modified skill value.
  6. Determine success/failure of skill test.
  7. Apply skill test results.
  8. Skill test ends.

ST.1 Determine skill type of test. Skill test of that type begins.

This step formalizes the beginning of a skill test. There are four types of skill tests: willpower tests, intellect tests, combat tests, and agility tests. The card ability or game rule determines which type of test is necessary, and thereby a test of that type begins.

ST.2 Commit cards from hand to skill test.

The investigator performing the skill test may commit any number of cards with an appropriate skill icon from his or her hand to this test.

Each other investigator at the same location as the investigator performing the skill test may commit one card with an appropriate skill icon to this test.

An appropriate skill icon is either one that matches the skill being tested, or a wild icon (). The investigator performing this test gets +1 to his or her skill value during this test for each appropriate skill icon that is committed to this test.

Cards that lack an appropriate skill icon may not be committed to a skill test. Do not pay a card’s resource cost when committing it.

ST.3 Reveal chaos token.

The investigator performing the skill test reveals one chaos token at random from the chaos bag.

ST.4 Apply chaos symbol effect(s).

Apply any effects initiated by the symbol on the revealed chaos token. Each of the following symbols indicates that an ability on the scenario reference card must initiate: , , , or .

The symbol indicates that the ability on the investigator card belonging to the player performing the test must initiate.

If none of the above symbols are revealed, or if the icon has no corresponding ability, this step completes with no effect.

ST.5 Determine investigator’s modified skill value.

Start with the base skill (of the skill that matches the type of test that is resolving) of the investigator performing this test, and apply all active modifiers, including the appropriate icons that have been committed to this test, effects of the chaos token(s) revealed, and all active card abilities that are modifying the investigator’s skill value.

ST.6 Determine success/failure of skill test.

Compare the investigator’s modified skill value to the difficulty of the skill test.

If the investigator’s skill value equals or exceeds the difficulty for this test (as indicated by the card or game mechanic invoking the test), the investigator succeeds at the test.

If the investigator’s skill value is less than the difficulty for this test, the investigator fails at the test.

ST.7 Apply skill test results.

The card ability or game rule that initiated a skill test usually indicates the consequences of success and/or failure for that test. (Additionally, some other card abilities may contribute additional consequences, or modify existing consequences, at this time.) Resolve the appropriate consequences (based on the success or failure established during step ST.6) at this time.

If there are multiple results to be applied during this step, the investigator performing the test applies those results in the order of his or her choice.

ST.8 Skill test ends.

This step formalizes the end of this skill test. Discard all cards that were committed to this skill test, and return all revealed chaos tokens to the chaos bag.

Icons

Keywords

A keyword is an attribute that conveys specific rules to its card.

Alert: An alert enemy attacks an investigator that fails to evade it.

Aloof: An aloof enemy does not engage investigators of its own accord. (An investigator may use an action or a card ability to engage it.) An investigator cannot attack an aloof enemy unless he or she is engaged with it.

Bonded: Cards with the bonded keyword are linked to another player card.

Exceptional: An exceptional card costs twice its printed experience cost to purchase and an investigator deck can only include 1 copy.

Fast: A player may play a fast card without spending an action.

Haunted: Each time an investigator fails a skill test while investigating a haunted location, that investigator must resolve all “Haunted –” abilities on that location.

Hidden: An card with the hidden keyword has a revelation ability that secretly adds that card to your hand.

Hunter: Each hunter enemy moves one location toward the nearest investigator at the beginning of the enemy phase.

Massive: A massive enemy is engaged with each investigator at its location.

Myriad: You may purchase up to three copies of a card with the myriad keyword for the experience cost of a single card.

Patrol: An enemy with the patrol keyword moves toward the designated location (as described in parentheses next to the word patrol).

Peril: When an investigator draws a card with the peril keyword, that investigator cannot confer with or receive assistance from other players while resolving the card’s revelation ability and/or spawning it.

Permanent: A card with the permanent keyword does not count towards your deck size.

Retaliate: If an investigator fails a skill test while attacking an enemy that has the retaliate keyword, the enemy (if it is ready) performs its attack (damage and horror) against the investigator.

Seal: When a card with the seal keyword to enter play, its controller must search the chaos bag for the specified chaos token and place it on top of the card.

Surge: After an investigator draws and resolves an encounter card that has the surge keyword, that investigator must draw and resolve an additional card.

Swarming (X): An enemy with the swarming X keyword is actually a pack of enemies operating in unison.

Uses (X): The uses keyword creates and defines a particular token type to be placed on a card when that card enters play. The value following the keyword indicates a number of resource tokens to be placed on the card to represent the specified token type. These tokens are used in conjunction with the rest of the card’s ability.

Spawning an Enemy

  1. If an enemy is being spawned without an investigator drawing it, the effect spawning the enemy will typically indicate where that enemy should spawn. After spawning the enemy at that location, it will automatically engage investigators at its location, unless it is aloof.

  2. If an investigator draws an enemy, check to see if the enemy has a “Spawn –” instruction.

    • If the enemy has a “Spawn –” instruction, the enemy spawns at the indicated location. After spawning the enemy at that location, it will automatically engage investigators at its location, unless it is aloof.

    • If the enemy does not have a “Spawn –” instruction, the investigator drawing the enemy spawns it engaged with him/her, unless it is aloof.

Prey –” instructions have no direct impact on which location an enemy will spawn at. The only time “Prey –” instructions will impact this process is when an enemy spawns unengaged at a location with multiple investigators, and you determine which investigator it should automatically engage.

Setting Up The Game

To setup a game, perform the following steps in order:

  1. Choose investigators. Each player chooses a different investigator, and places that investigator’s card in his or her play area.

  2. Take trauma damage/horror. In campaign play, each player places damage equal to his or her physical trauma, and horror equal to his or her mental trauma, on his or her investigator card.

  3. Choose one of those investigators to be the lead investigator for this game.

  4. Assemble and shuffle the investigator decks.

  5. Assemble token pool. Place the damage, horror, clue/doom, and resource tokens within easy reach of all players.

  6. Assemble the chaos bag. Place the chaos tokens indicated by the campaign setup instructions into the bag, and return the other chaos tokens to the game box.

    • In campaign mode, use the chaos bag as it was composed upon completion of the previous scenario.

  7. Collect starting resources. Each investigator gains 5 resources from the token pool.

  8. Draw opening hands. Each player draws 5 cards. Each player, in player order, may mulligan once at this time.

    • Each weakness card drawn during this step is ignored, set aside (without resolving it), and replaced by drawing another card from the deck. Upon completion of this step, shuffle each of these weakness cards back into its owner’s deck.

  9. Read the scenario introduction in the campaign guide.

  10. Perform the scenario setup instructions indicated by the campaign guide. This includes gathering the encounter sets listed in the setup instructions in the campaign guide, placing locations, placing investigator mini cards at the location each investigator begins play at, setting aside any listed cards, and shuffling remaining encounter cards together to form the encounter deck.

  11. Set agenda deck. Assemble the agenda deck in sequential order, with the art side faceup, so that “agenda 1a” is on top. Read the story text on agenda 1a.

  12. Set act deck. Assemble the act deck in sequential order, with the art side faceup, so that “act 1a” is on top. Read the story text on act 1a.

  13. Place the scenario reference card next to the agenda deck.

There are no action windows during setup. Players may only trigger player card abilities or play cards from hand during setup if the card or ability’s specific triggering condition is met.

Cards

Each cardtype is either a player or scenario card.

Ability

An ability is the specialized game text that indicates how a card affects the game.

The various types of card abilities are: constant abilities, forced abilities, revelation abilities, triggered abilities, keywords, and enemy instructions (spawn and prey). Each type is described in detail below.

See also: Costs, Effects, Qualifiers, Self-Referential Text.

Constant Abilities

Constant abilities are simply stated on a card with no special formatting. Constant abilities are always interacting with the game state as long as the card is in play. (Some constant abilities continuously seek a specific condition, denoted by words such as “during” or “while.” The effects of such abilities are active any time the specified condition is met.) Constant abilities have no point of initiation.

Forced Abilities

A forced ability is identified by a bold “Forced –” command. Forced abilities initiate and interact with the game state automatically at a specified timing point. Such a timing point is usually indicated by words such as: “when,” “after,” “if,” or “at.”

See Simultaneous Resolution.

Revelation Abilities

A revelation ability, indicated by a bold “Revelation –” command on an encounter card or weakness, initiates as that card is drawn by an investigator (see Revelation).

Triggered Abilities

A triggered ability is any ability prefaced by either a icon, a icon, or an icon. If the ability has one or more prerequisites (costs and/or conditions), these are listed in text immediately following the icon. A player must always meet the prerequisites of a triggered ability in order to trigger that ability. There are three types of triggered abilities:

Free triggered abilities ()—A triggered ability may be triggered as a player ability during any player window.

Reaction triggered abilities ()—A triggered ability with a specified triggering condition may be triggered any time that triggering condition is met. For example: “ After you defeat an enemy:”

Action triggered abilities ()—An triggered ability may be triggered during a player’s turn in the investigation phase through the use of the activate action, and only if the player uses one action for each specified in the ability’s cost.

All triggered abilities are governed by the following rules:

See Triggered Abilities.

Keywords

A keyword is a card ability which conveys specific rules to its card.

Spawn Instructions and Prey Instructions

Spawn instructions inform where an enemy spawns as it enters play.

Prey instructions inform which investigator an enemy pursues and/or engages if it has a choice.

Action Designators

Some abilities have bold action designators (such as Fight, Evade, Investigate, or Move). Activating such an ability performs the designated action as described in the rules, but modified in the manner described by the ability.

Act Deck and Agenda Deck

The act deck represents the progress the investigators can make in a scenario. The agenda deck represents the progress and objectives of the dark forces arrayed against the investigators in a scenario. Generally, advancing the act deck is good for the investigators, and advancing the agenda deck is bad for the investigators.

To advance the act deck or the agenda deck, follow these steps, in order:

  1. Remove all tokens from the card to be advanced. If the agenda deck is advancing, remove all doom from each card in play.

  2. Flip the advancing card over and follow the instructions on the reverse (“b”) side.

    • If the reverse side of the act or agenda is an encounter card, follow the rules for drawing that encounter cardtype. Otherwise, simply follow the instructions on the card.

  3. Sometimes, the advancing act/agenda specifies which card becomes the next act/agenda. If it does not, the next card in the deck becomes the current act/agenda. As a new card becomes the current act/agenda, the advancing card is simultaneously removed from the game.

    • Some instructions in the act and agenda decks (as well as on other encounter cardtypes) contain resolution points, in the format of: “(→R#).” If a resolution point is reached, the scenario ends. Read the designated resolution in the campaign guide.

Act & Agenda Card Anatomy

Act & Agenda Card Anatomy
  1. Act/Agenda Sequence: Used to order the act/agenda deck.
  2. Encounter Set Symbol: Indicates which encounter set the card belongs to.
  3. Title: The name of this card.
  4. Flavor Text: Additional text that provides thematic context.
  5. Ability: This card’s specialized means of interacting with the game.
  6. Doom Threshold: The amount of doom in play required to advance this agenda.
  7. Clue Threshold: The number of clues that must be spent to advance this act.
  8. Encounter Set Number: Indicates the number of cards within an encounter set, and this card’s place within that set.
  9. Product Set Information: Indicates this card’s product of origin.
  10. Resolution Point: Indicates the scenario ending in the campaign guide.

Action

During his or her turn, an investigator is permitted to take up to three actions. When performing an action, all costs of the action are first paid. Then, the consequences of the action resolve.

For a complete list of the available actions, see section “2.2.1 Investigator takes an action, if able” in the investigation phase.

Activate Action

“Activate” is an action an investigator may take during his or her turn in the investigation phase.

When this action is taken, the investigator initiates an ability that specifies one or more icons as part of its ability cost. The number of icons in the ability’s cost determines how many actions the investigator is required to use for this activate action. When performing an activate action, all of that action’s costs are simultaneously paid. Then, the consequences of that action resolve.

An investigator is permitted to activate abilities from the following sources:

Active Player

The active player is the player taking his or her turn during the investigation phase.

Alert

Each time an investigator fails a skill test while attempting to evade an enemy with the “alert” keyword, after applying all results for that skill test, that enemy performs an attack against the evading investigator. An enemy does not exhaust after performing an alert attack. This attack occurs whether the enemy is engaged with the evading investigator or not.

Aloof

Aloof is a keyword ability. An enemy with the aloof keyword does not automatically engage investigators at its location.

Asset Cards

Asset cards represent items, allies, talents, spells, and other reserves that may assist or be used by an investigator during a scenario.

Asset Card Anatomy

Asset Card Anatomy
  1. Title: The name of this card.
  2. Subtitle: A secondary identifier for a card.
  3. Class Symbol: The class to which a card belongs. Neutral cards have no class symbol.
  4. Cost: The resource cost to play a card.
  5. Level: The amount of experience required to purchase this card for a deck.
  6. Cardtype: Indicates how a card behaves or may be used in the game.
  7. Skill Test Icons: Modify skill value while committed to a skill test.
  8. Traits: Flavorful attributes that may be referenced by card abilities.
  9. Ability: This card’s specialized means of interacting with the game.
  10. Flavor Text: Additional text that provides thematic context.
  11. Slot Symbol: Indicates which slot(s) this asset fills.
  12. Health: This card’s health value, which measures its physical durability.
  13. Sanity: This card’s sanity value, which measures its mental durability.
  14. Product Set Information: Indicates this card’s product of origin.

Attach To

If a card uses the phrase “attach to” it must be attached to (placed beneath and slightly overlapped by) the specified game element as it enters play. Once attached, such a card is referred to as an attachment.

Attacker, Attacked

An “attacker” is an entity (usually an enemy or investigator) that is resolving its attack against another entity. The entity being attacked is referred to as the “attacked enemy” or the “attacked investigator.”

Attack of Opportunity

Each time an investigator is engaged with one or more ready enemies and takes an action other than to fight, to evade, or to activate a parley or resign ability, each of those enemies makes an attack of opportunity against the investigator, in the order of the investigator’s choosing. Each attack deals that enemy’s damage and horror to the investigator.

Automatic Failure/Success

Some card or token abilities may cause a skill test to automatically fail or to automatically succeed. If a skill test automatically fails or automatically succeeds, it does so during step “ST.6” of the Skill Test Timing process.

Base Value

Base value is the value of an element before any modifiers are applied. Unless otherwise specified, the base value of an element derived from a card is the value printed on that card.

Bearer

The bearer of a weakness is the investigator who started the game with the weakness in his or her deck or play area.

Blank

If a card’s printed text box is considered “blank” by an ability, that text box is treated as if it did not have any of its printed content. Text and/or icons gained from another source are not blanked.

Bless and Curse Tokens

Bless token

Bless token

Curse token

Curse token

These are two new kinds of chaos tokens: bless () tokens and curse () tokens. By default, the chaos bag does not contain any or tokens. However, certain card effects can add these tokens or remove them from the chaos bag.

Bonded

Cards with the bonded keyword are linked to another player card. They have no level and therefore are not available as options when building your deck. Instead, the card to which they are bonded (which is listed in parentheses next to this keyword) will summon the bonded card into the game.

If your deck contains a card which summons one or more bonded cards, those bonded cards should be set aside at the start of each game.

If a weakness with the bonded keyword is added to an investigator’s deck, hand, threat area, or play area, it does not remain a part of that investigator’s deck for the rest of the campaign (unlike other weaknesses). It starts each game set aside with that investigator’s other bonded cards.

For example: Soothing Melody has the following keyword: “Bonded (Hallowed Mirror).” This means it is bonded to the card Hallowed Mirror. Soothing Melody has no level and is therefore not available as an option to include when building your deck. However, Hallowed Mirror summons 3 copies of Soothing Melody. Therefore, a player with Hallowed Mirror in his or her deck should set aside 3 copies of Soothing Melody at the start of each game. These cards are not part of that investigator’s deck, and do not count toward his or her deck size.

Campaign Play

A campaign is a series of interrelated scenarios in which each player plays the same investigator from one scenario to the next. As a campaign progresses, the investigator gains experience and trauma, and this is reflected by changes in his or her deck. Each decision made in a campaign may have repercussions in a later scenario.

When starting a campaign, follow the instructions for that campaign’s setup in the campaign guide. After playing through a scenario during a campaign, record the specified results of that scenario in the campaign log.

Experience

After recording the results of a scenario, the investigators are ready to reflect on their experiences and purchase new cards for their decks. To do this, follow these steps, in order:

  1. Count experience. Each investigator earns experience equal to the total victory value of all cards in the victory display plus or minus any bonuses or penalties indicated by the campaign guide for that resolution. This total is added to any unspent experience an investigator has recorded from previous scenarios in this campaign.

  2. Purchase new cards. New cards may be purchased and added to a player’s deck by spending experience equal to the card’s level (denoted by a number of pips in the upper left hand corner of the card). While purchasing new cards, observe the following rules:

    • An investigator’s deckbuilding guidelines (found on the back of the investigator card) must be observed while that investigator is purchasing new cards. Only cards the investigator has access to may be purchased. The deck-size requirement must also be maintained, so that for each (nonpermanent) card purchased and added to a deck, a different card is removed from the deck. Weakness cards and cards that must be included in an investigator’s deck may not be removed while that investigator is purchasing new cards.

    • Each card costs experience equal to the card’s level, to a minimum of 1 (purchasing a level zero card still costs 1 experience). The number of pips beneath a card’s cost indicates the card’s level.

    • When purchasing a higher level version of a card with the same title, the investigator may choose to “upgrade” that card by paying only the difference in experience (to a minimum of 1) between the two cards and removing the lower level version of the card from his or her deck.

    • New cards are purchased (or upgraded) individually. If an investigator wishes to purchase more than 1 copy of a new card, each copy must be paid for separately, and one card must be removed from that investigator’s deck for each copy purchased.

    • The above processes, and any specific instructions provided by the campaign guide, are the only methods by which a player may modify his or her deck during a campaign.

  3. Record unspent experience. Each investigator records any unspent experience on the campaign log. This experience may be spent at a later time during this campaign.

Trauma

Trauma reflects permanent damage that has been done to an investigator’s health and/or psyche.

If an investigator is defeated in a scenario that investigator is eliminated from the scenario but not necessarily from the campaign.

If an investigator is defeated by taking damage equal to his or her health, he or she suffers 1 physical trauma (recorded in the campaign log). For each physical trauma an investigator has, that investigator begins each subsequent scenario in the campaign with 1 damage. If an investigator has physical trauma equal to his or her printed health, the investigator is killed.

If an investigator is defeated by taking horror equal to his or her sanity, he or she suffers 1 mental trauma (recorded in the campaign log). For each mental trauma an investigator has, that investigator begins each subsequent scenario in the campaign with 1 horror. If an investigator has mental trauma equal to his or her printed sanity, the investigator is driven insane.

If an investigator is defeated by simultaneously taking damage equal to his or her health and horror equal to his or her sanity, he or she chooses which type of trauma to suffer.

If an investigator is killed or driven insane, that player must choose a new investigator to use in the next scenario, and creates a new deck for that investigator. Investigators that are killed or driven insane cannot be used for the remainder of the campaign.

If a player attempts to choose a new investigator and there are no investigators remaining in the pool, the players have lost and the campaign ends.

Defeat by Card Ability

An investigator may be defeated by a card ability. A defeated investigator is eliminated from the game. Should this occur, follow the instructions of the card ability to determine if there are any long-term repercussions of the defeat.

Advancing to Next Scenario

After completing a scenario, resolving its resolution, updating the campaign log, and purchasing any new cards, advance to the next scenario (sequentially) in the campaign, unless the scenario resolution explicitly directs the investigators to a different scenario.

Joining or Leaving a Campaign

Once a campaign has begun, players can freely drop in and out of the campaign in between scenarios.

If a player leaves the campaign, do not delete that player’s information from the campaign log, as he or she may re-join at any time between scenarios.

If a new player joins the campaign, he or she must choose an investigator not previously used during this campaign. That player begins as if it were his or her first scenario in the campaign, with no experience and no trauma.

Cancel

Some card abilities can “cancel” other card or game effects. Cancel abilities interrupt the initiation of an effect, and prevent the effect from initiating.

Cardtypes

The game’s cardtypes are presented with detailed card anatomies for scenario cards and player cards.

See also: Asset Cards, Enemy Cards, Event Cards, Location Cards, Skill Cards, Treachery Cards.

Chaos Tokens

Chaos tokens are revealed from the chaos bag during skill tests, to modify or influence the results of the skill test.

—If any of these tokens are revealed for a skill test, resolve the effect for that symbol as indicated on the scenario reference card for the current scenario.

—This is the auto-fail token. If this token is revealed for a skill test, it indicates the investigator automatically fails the test.

—This is the elder sign token. If this token is revealed for a skill test, resolve the effect on the investigator card belonging to the player performing the skill test.

See also: Bless and Curse Tokens

If a revealed chaos token (or the effect referenced by a chaos token) has a numerical modifier, that modifier is applied to the investigator’s skill value for this test.

See “ST.3 Reveal chaos token” under Skill Test Timing.

Clues

Clues represent the progress the investigators can make towards solving a mystery, unraveling a conspiracy, and/or advancing in a scenario.

See also: Act Deck and Agenda Deck, Tokens, Running out of.

Collection

If an ability refers to a player’s collection (for example, “search the collection”), the collection of cards from which that player’s deck was assembled is used.

Example: Sean and Etienne are each using a deck built from Sean’s collection. If Etienne is instructed to “search the collection,” he searches Sean’s collection.

Copy

A copy of a card is defined by title. A second copy of a card is any other card that shares the same title, regardless of cardtype, text, artwork, or any other differing characteristics between the cards.

See also: Player Cards, Scenario Cards.

Costs

There are two types of costs in the game: resource costs and ability costs.

A card’s resource cost is the numerical value that must be paid (in resources) to play the card from hand. To pay a resource cost, an investigator takes the specified number of resources from his or her resource pool and places them in the token pool.

Some triggered card abilities are presented in a “cost: effect” construct. In such a construct, the aspect preceding the colon indicates the ability costs that must be paid and any triggering conditions that must be met to trigger the ability. The aspect following the colon is the effect.

Dealing Damage/Horror

There are two types of afflictions that may beset an investigator in the game: damage and horror. Damage afflicts an investigator’s health, and horror afflicts an investigator’s sanity.

When an investigator or enemy is dealt damage and/or horror, follow these steps, in order:

  1. Assign Damage/Horror: Determine the amount of damage and/or horror being dealt. Place damage and/or horror tokens equal to the amount of damage and horror being dealt next to the cards that will be taking the damage/horror.

    • When an investigator is dealt damage or horror, that investigator may assign it to eligible asset cards he or she controls. To be eligible, an asset card must have health in order to be assigned damage, and it must have sanity in order to be assigned horror.

    • An asset cannot be assigned damage beyond the amount of damage it would take to defeat the card, and cannot be assigned horror beyond the amount of horror it would take to defeat the card.

    • All damage/horror that cannot be assigned to an asset must be assigned to the investigator.

  2. Apply Damage/Horror: Any assigned damage/horror that has not been prevented is now placed on each card to which it has been assigned, simultaneously. If no damage/horror is applied in this step, no damage/horror has been successfully dealt.

    • Abilities that prevent, reduce, or reassign damage and/or horror that is being dealt are resolved between steps 1 and 2.

    • After applying damage/horror, if an investigator has damage equal to or higher than his or her health or horror equal to or higher than his or her sanity, he or she is defeated. When an investigator is defeated, he or she is eliminated from the scenario.

    • After applying damage/horror, if an enemy has damage equal to or higher than its health, it is defeated and placed in the encounter discard pile (or in its owner’s discard pile if it is a weakness).

    • After applying damage/horror, if an asset has damage equal to or higher than its health or horror equal to or higher than its sanity, it is defeated and placed in its owner’s discard pile.

  3. Direct Damage, Direct Horror

    If an ability causes a card to take direct damage or direct horror, that damage or horror must be assigned directly to the specified card, and cannot be assigned or re-assigned elsewhere.

Deck

There are 4 main types of decks that appear in any game: the Investigator Deck, the Encounter Deck, the Act Deck, and the Agenda Deck.

Deckbuilding

When building a custom investigator deck, the following guidelines must be observed:

Classes

Most player cards, including investigators, belong to one of 5 classes. Each class has its own distinct flavor and identity, as described below.

Guardians () feel compelled to defend humanity, and thus go out of their way to combat the forces of the Mythos. They have a strong sense of duty and selflessness that drives them to protect others, and to hunt monsters down.

Mystics () are drawn to and influenced by the arcane forces of the Mythos. Many have spell-casting abilities, able to manipulate the forces of the universe through magical talent.

Rogues () are self-serving and out for themselves. Wily and opportunistic, they are always eager for a way to exploit their current situation.

Seekers () are primarily concerned with learning more about the world and about the Mythos. They wish to research forgotten lore, map out uncharted areas, and study strange creatures.

Survivors () are everyday people in the wrong place at the wrong time, simply trying to survive. Ill-prepared and ill-equipped, Survivors are the underdogs, who rise to the occasion when their lives are threatened.

Some cards are not affiliated with any class; these cards are neutral. Generally, investigators only have access to cards from their class. Some investigators have access to cards from other classes. Refer to the “Deckbuilding Options” on the back of an investigator card to view which cards an investigator has access to.

Defeat

Taking damage and/or horror may cause an investigator, enemy, or asset to be defeated.

Delayed Effects

Some abilities create delayed effects. Such abilities specify a future timing point, or indicate a future condition that may arise, and dictate an effect that will happen at that time.

Difficulty

Difficulty may refer to skill tests or overall difficulty of the game.

Skill Test Difficulty

The difficulty of a skill test is the target number an investigator is trying to equal or exceed with his or her modified skill value to pass that test.

See Skill Test Timing for the full rules on skill tests.

Game Difficulty Level

There are four levels of difficulty in Arkham Horror: The Card Game: Easy, Standard, Hard, and Expert. At the beginning of a campaign or standalone scenario, the players choose which difficulty level to use. The campaign setup section of that campaign or scenario’s Campaign Guide indicates which chaos tokens should be placed into the chaos bag when playing on each difficulty level.

Discard Piles

Any time a card is discarded, it is placed faceup on top of its owner’s discard pile. Encounter cards are owned by the encounter deck.

Doom

Doom represents the progress the forces of the Mythos make towards completing foul rituals, summoning cosmic entities, and/or advancing a scenario’s agenda.

See also: Tokens, Running out of.

Draw a Card

Cards are typically drawn from either an investigator’s deck or from the encounter deck.

Draw Action

“Draw” is an action an investigator may take during his or her turn in the investigation phase. When an investigator takes this action, that investigator draws one card from his or her deck.

Drawing Cards

When a player is instructed to draw one or more cards, those cards are drawn from the top of his or her investigator deck and added to his or her hand.

When a player is instructed to draw one or more encounter cards, those cards are drawn from the top of the encounter deck, and resolved following the rules for drawing encounter cards under framework event 1.4 Each investigator draws 1 encounter card.

Effects

A card effect is any effect that arises from the resolution of ability text printed on, or gained by, a card. A framework effect is any effect that arises from the resolution of a framework event.

See also: Delayed Effects, Lasting Effects, Simultaneous Resolution.

Elimination

A player is eliminated from a scenario any time his or her investigator is defeated, or if he or she resigns. The only manner in which eliminated investigators interact with the game when establishing per investigator values. Any time a player is eliminated:

  1. For the purpose of resolving weakness cards, the game has ended for the eliminated investigator. Trigger any “when the game ends” abilities on each weakness the eliminated investigator owns that is in play. Then, remove those weaknesses from the game.

  2. The cards he or she controls in play and all of the cards in his or her out-of-play areas (such as hand, deck, discard pile) are removed from the game.

    • Any card that player owns but does not control that is in play remains in play, but if that card leaves play it is removed from the game.

  3. All clue tokens that player possesses are placed at the location the investigator was at when he or she was eliminated, and all of that player’s resource tokens are returned to the token pool.

  4. All enemies engaged with that player are placed at the location the investigator was at when he or she was eliminated, unengaged but otherwise maintaining their current game state.

  5. All other cards in the eliminated investigator’s threat area are placed in the appropriate discard pile.

  6. If the lead investigator is eliminated, the remaining players (if any) choose a new lead investigator.

  7. If there are no remaining players, the scenario ends. Refer to “no resolution was reached” entry for that scenario in the campaign guide.

Encounter Deck

The encounter deck contains the encounter cards (enemy, treachery, and story asset cards) the investigators may encounter during a scenario.

Encounter Set

An encounter set is a collection of encounter cards, denoted by a common encounter set symbol near each card’s cardtype.

Enemy Cards

Enemies represent villains, cultists, ne’er-do-wells, terrible monsters, and unfathomable entities from alternate dimensions or the cosmos beyond.

When an enemy card is drawn by an investigator, that investigator must spawn it following any spawn direction the card bears. If the encountered enemy has no spawn direction, the enemy spawns engaged with the investigator encountering the card and is placed in that investigator’s threat area.

See section “1.4 Each investigator draws 1 encounter card” of the Mythos phase.

Enemy Card Anatomy

Enemy Card Anatomy
  1. Title: The name of this card.
  2. Enemy Fight Value: Determines the difficulty of a skill test to attack this enemy.
  3. Enemy Health Value: This enemy’s health value, which measures its physical durability.
  4. Enemy Evade Value: Determines the difficulty of a skill test to evade this enemy.
  5. Traits: Flavorful attributes that may be referenced by card abilities.
  6. Ability: This card’s specialized means of interacting with the game.
  7. Flavor Text: Additional text that provides thematic context.
  8. Victory Points: The amount of victory points the card is worth when overcome by investigators.
  9. Encounter Set Symbol: Indicates which encounter set the card belongs to.
  10. Damage: The amount of damage this enemy deals with its attack.
  11. Horror: The amount of horror this enemy deals with its attack.
  12. Cardtype: Indicates how a card behaves or may be used in the game.
  13. Encounter Set Number: Indicates the number of cards within an encounter set, and this card’s place within that set.
  14. Product Set Information: Indicates this card’s product of origin.

Enemy Phase

The Enemy phase is the third phase in the round sequence and is divided into four framework events:

3.1 Enemy phase begins.

This step formalizes the beginning of the enemy phase.

3.2 Hunter enemies move.

Resolve the hunter keyword for each ready, unengaged enemy that has the hunter keyword.

3.3 Next investigator resolves engaged enemy attacks.

Resolve engaged enemy attacks in player order, with each player resolving all of his or her engaged enemies before advancing to the next player.

Each ready, engaged enemy makes an attack against the investigator to which it is engaged. When an enemy attacks, deal its attack (both its damage and its horror, simultaneously) to the engaged investigator. Upon completion of dealing the attack (and all abilities triggered by the attack), exhaust the enemy. If an investigator is engaged with multiple enemies, resolve their attacks in the order of the attacked investigator’s choosing.

After an investigator has resolved the attacks of the enemies he or she is engaged with, return to the previous player window. After the final investigator resolves enemy attacks, proceed to the next player window.

3.4 Enemy phase ends.

This step formalizes the end of the enemy phase.

After this step is complete, play proceeds to the beginning of the Upkeep phase.

Engaging Enemies

While an enemy card is in play, it is either engaged with an investigator (and placed in that investigator’s threat area), or it is unengaged and at a location (and placed at that location).

Engage Action

“Engage” is an action an investigator may take during his or her turn in the investigation phase.

To engage an enemy at the same location (for example, this could be done to engage an exhausted enemy, an aloof enemy, or an enemy engaged with another investigator), an investigator places the chosen enemy in his or her threat area. The investigator and the enemy are now engaged.

Enemy Engagement

Each enemy in an investigator’s threat area is considered to be at the same location as that investigator, and should the investigator move, the enemy remains engaged and moves to the new location simultaneously with the investigator.

Any time a ready unengaged enemy is at the same location as an investigator, it engages that investigator, and is placed in that investigator’s threat area. If there are multiple investigators at the same location as a ready unengaged enemy, follow the enemy’s prey instructions to determine which investigator is engaged. There is no limit on the number of enemies that can be engaged with a single investigator.

For example, a ready unengaged enemy immediately engages if:

An exhausted unengaged enemy does not engage, but if an exhausted enemy at the same location as an investigator becomes ready, it engages as soon as it is readied.

Enters Play

The phrase “enters play” refers to any time a card makes a transition from an out-of-play area into a play area.

Evade, Evade Action

“Evade” is an action an investigator may take during his or her turn in the investigation phase.

To evade an enemy engaged with an investigator, that investigator makes an agility test against the enemy’s evade value.

If the test is successful, the investigator successfully evades the enemy (see below). This occurs during step “ST.7” of the Skill Test Timing process.

If the test fails, the investigator does not evade the enemy, and it remains engaged with him or her.

Event Cards

Event cards represent tactical actions, maneuvers, spells, tricks, and other instantaneous effects at a player’s disposal.

Event Card Anatomy

Event Card Anatomy
  1. Cost: The resource cost to play a card.
  2. Level: The amount of experience required to purchase this card for a deck.
  3. Cardtype: Indicates how a card behaves or may be used in the game.
  4. Skill Test Icons: Modify skill value while committed to a skill test.
  5. Class Symbol: The class to which a card belongs. Neutral cards have no class symbol.
  6. Title: The name of this card.
  7. Traits: Flavorful attributes that may be referenced by card abilities.
  8. Ability: This card’s specialized means of interacting with the game.
  9. Flavor Text: Additional text that provides thematic context.
  10. Product Set Information: Indicates this card’s product of origin.

Exceptional

Exceptional is a deckbuilding keyword ability.

Exhaust, Exhausted

Occasionally, a card ability or game step will cause a card to exhaust to indicate it has been used to perform a function. When a card exhausts, it is rotated 90 degrees. A card in this state is said to be exhausted.

Exile

Some player cards must be exiled when they are used. When a card is exiled, it is removed from the game and returned to your collection. During campaign play, a card that has been exiled must be purchased again with experience points (between scenarios) if you wish to re‑include it in your deck. If exiling 1 or more cards would reduce your deck below your investigator’s deck size, when purchasing cards between scenarios, you must purchase cards so that a legal deck size is maintained (when purchasing cards in this manner, you may purchase level 0 cards for 0 experience cost until a legal deck size is reached).

Explore

Some abilities are identified with an Explore action designator. Such abilities are generally used to find new locations to put into play, and are initiated using the Activate action.

Explore abilities instruct you to draw the top card of the “exploration deck,” which is a separate deck that is constructed during the setup of some scenarios. This deck consists of several single-sided locations and treachery cards.

Example: Agenda 1a—“Expedition into the Wild” has the following ability: “: Explore. Draw the top card of the exploration deck. If it is a connecting location, put it into play and move to it.” Ursula Downs is at the Expedition Camp and wishes to find a new location to travel to. She spends her first action to explore, drawing the top card of the exploration deck. The card she draws is Circuitous Trail. Because Circuitous Trail is a location that is not connected to the Expedition Camp, it is placed next to the exploration deck, and Ursula draws the next card in the exploration deck. This time, she draws the Low on Supplies treachery card, which she resolves as normal and places in the encounter discard pile. Her exploration is unsuccessful, and she must shuffle the Circuitous Trail that she drew previously back into the exploration deck. Ursula decides to explore one more time, spending a second action. This time, she draws Path of Thorns, which is connected to the Expedition Camp. Her exploration is successful. Path of Thorns is put into play with clues on it equal to its clue value, and Ursula immediately moves from the Expedition Camp to the Path of Thorns.

Fast

Fast is a keyword ability. A fast card does not cost an action to be played and is not played using the “Play” action.

Fight Action

“Fight” is an action an investigator may take during his or her turn in the investigation phase.

To fight an enemy at his or her location, an investigator resolves an attack against that enemy by making a combat test against the enemy’s fight value.

If the test is successful, the attack succeeds and damage is dealt to the attacked enemy. The default damage dealt by an attack is 1. Some weapons, spells, or other special attacks may modify this damage. This occurs during step “ST.7” of the Skill Test Timing process.

If the test fails, no damage is dealt to the attacked enemy. However, if an investigator fails this test against an enemy that is engaged with another single investigator, the damage of the attack is dealt to the investigator engaged with that enemy.

Flavor Text

Flavor text is additional text that provides thematic context to a card and/or its abilities. Flavor text does not interact with the game in any manner.

Frost Tokens

This expansion introduces a new type of chaos token: the frost () token. At the start of the Edge of the Earth campaign, the chaos bag contains only a few relatively harmless tokens, if any. As the expedition continues, depending on the decisions the investigators make and the events that unfold, more tokens may be added to (or removed from) the chaos bag, altering the difficulty of every test the investigators perform. The more frost tokens added to the chaos bag, the more crippling their effects become.

Gains

The word “gains” is used in multiple contexts.

Game

A ‘game’ consists of a single scenario, not an entire campaign. In a campaign, the beginning of a new scenario marks the start of a new game.

Follow these rules when resolving conflicting or ambiguious text.

The Golden Rules & The Grim Rule

The Golden Rules

If the text of this Rules Reference directly contradicts the text of the Learn to Play book, the text of the Rules Reference takes precedence.

If the text of a card directly contradicts the text of either the Rules Reference or the Learn to Play book, the text of the card takes precedence.

The Grim Rule

If players are unable to find the answer to a rules or timing conflict in this Rules Reference, resolve the conflict in the manner that the players perceive as the worst possible at that moment with regards to winning the scenario, and continue with the game.

Grammar

Several common grammatical words take on special meaning in regards to game rules.

A, An

When used to describe a condition, the words “a” or “an” are satisfied if one or more of the conditional elements are present. For example, an investigator with 3 resources will satisfy the condition of “Each investigator with a resource.”

After

The word “after” refers to the moment immediately after the specified timing point or triggering condition has fully resolved.

(For example, an ability that reads “After you draw an enemy card” initiates immediately after resolving all of the steps for drawing an enemy—resolving its revelation ability, spawning it, etc.)

See also: Ability, Simultaneous Resolution.

Cannot

The word “cannot” is absolute, and cannot be countermanded by other abilities.

Instead

The word “instead” is indicative of a replacement effect. A replacement effect is an effect that replaces the resolution of a triggering condition with an alternate means of resolution.

May

The word “may” indicates that a specified player has the option to do that which follows. If no player is specified, the option is granted to the controller of the card with the ability in question.

Must

If an investigator is instructed that he or she “must” choose among multiple options, the investigator is compelled to choose an option that has the potential to change the game state.

Then

If the effect of an ability includes the word “then,” the text preceding the word “then” must be successfully resolved in full before the remainder of the effect described after the word “then” can be resolved.

When

The word “when” refers to the moment immediately after the specified timing point or triggering condition initiates, but before its impact upon the game state resolves. The resolution of a “when” ability interrupts the resolution of its timing point or triggering condition. (For example, an ability that reads “When you draw an enemy card” initiates immediately after you draw the enemy card, but before resolving its revelation ability, spawning it, etc.)

See also: Priority of Simultaneous Resolution.

You/Your

Haunted

Haunted is an ability that appears on some locations. Each time an investigator fails a skill test while investigating a location, after applying all results for that skill test, that investigator must resolve all “Haunted –” abilities on that location.

A location is “haunted” for the purposes of other card effects if it has at least one “Haunted –” ability (printed or otherwise).

Heal

“Heal” is an instruction to remove the indicated amount of damage or the indicated amount of horror from a card.

Health & Sanity

Health represents a card’s physical fortitude. Damage tracks the physical harm that has been done to a card during a scenario.

Sanity represents a card’s mental and emotional fortitude. Horror tracks the harm that has been done to a card’s psyche by exposure to the Mythos.

Health and Damage

Sanity and Horror

Hidden

An encounter card or weakness with the hidden keyword has a revelation ability that secretly adds that card to your hand. This should be done without revealing that card or its text to the other investigators.

For the best experience, players are encouraged to stay “in character” and not share information about hidden cards in their hand.

Hunter

Hunter is a keyword ability. During the enemy phase (in framework event 3.2), each ready, unengaged enemy with the hunter keyword moves to a connecting location, along the shortest path towards the nearest investigator. Enemies at a location with one or more investigators do not move.

Immune

If a card is immune to a specified set of effects (for example, “immune to treachery card effects,” or “immune to player card effects”), it cannot be affected by or chosen to be affected by effects belonging to that set. Only the card itself is protected, and peripheral entities associated with an immune card (such as attached assets, tokens placed on, or abilities originating from an immune card) are not themselves immune.

In Play and Out of Play

The cards that a player controls in his or her play area are considered in play.

The current act, the current agenda, each location in the play area, and each encounter card in a investigator’s threat area or at a location, are all considered in play.

Out of play refers to the cards in a player’s hand, in any deck, in any discard pile, in the victory display, and those that have been set aside and/or removed from the game.

In Player Order

If the players are instructed to perform a sequence “in player order,” the lead investigator performs his or her part of the sequence first, followed by the other players in clockwise order. The phrase “the next player” is used in this context to refer to the next player (clockwise) to act in player order.

Investigate Action

“Investigate” is an action an investigator may take during his or her turn in the investigation phase.

Each time an investigator takes this action, he or she makes an intellect test against the shroud value of that location.

If the test is successful, the investigator has succeeded in investigating the location, he or she discovers one clue at the location. This occurs during step “ST.7” of the Skill Test Timing process.

Any time an investigator discovers a clue from a location, that player takes the clue from the location and places it on his or her investigator card, under his or her control.

If the test is failed, the investigator has failed in investigating the location. No clues are discovered during step “ST.7” of the skill test.

Investigation Phase

The Investigation phase is the second phase in the round sequence and is divided into five framework events:

2.1 Investigation phase begins.

This step formalizes the beginning of the investigation phase.

2.2 Next investigator’s turn begins.

The investigators may take their turns in any order. The investigators choose among themselves who (among the investigators) will take this turn, and making this choice begins that investigator’s turn. The investigator taking his or her turn is known as the “active investigator.”

Once an investigator begins a turn, that investigator must complete the turn before another investigator may take his or her turn. Each investigator takes one turn each round.

2.2.1 Investigator takes an action, if able.

During his or her turn, an investigator is permitted to take three actions. An action can be used to do one of the following:

The three actions an investigator performs during his or her turn may be any of the above, in any order, and may even be the same action three times in a row.

Important: When an investigator is engaged with one or more enemies and takes an action other than to fight, to evade, or to activate a parley or resign ability, each of those enemies makes an attack of opportunity against the investigator, in the order of the investigator’s choosing.

After an investigator takes an action, return to the previous player window. An investigator may end his or her turn early if there are no other actions he or she wishes to perform. If the investigator does not or cannot take an action, proceed to 2.2.2.

2.2.2 Investigator’s turn ends.

Flip the active investigator’s mini card to its colorless side to show that the investigator’s turn has ended. If there is an investigator who has not yet taken a turn this round, return to 2.2. If each investigator has taken a turn this round, proceed to 2.3.

2.3 Investigation phase ends.

This step formalizes the end of the investigation phase.

After this step is complete, play proceeds to the beginning of the Enemy phase.

Investigator Cards

Investigator Mini Card

Investigators stand against the horrors threatening to tear this world apart.

A player’s Investigator card occupies the center of his or her play area. An investigator mini card indicates an investigator’s current location and when an investigator’s turn has ended.

Investigator Card Anatomy

Investigator Card Anatomy
  1. Class Symbol: The class to which a card belongs.
  2. Title: The name of this card.
  3. Subtitle: A secondary identifier for a card.
  4. Skills: This investigator’s value for his or her skills, in order: Willpower (), Intellect (), Combat (), Agility ().
  5. Traits: Flavorful attributes that may be referenced by card abilities.
  6. Ability: This card’s specialized means of interacting with the game.
  7. Elder Sign Ability: This investigator’s ability for the Elder Sign token.
  8. Flavor Text: Additional text that provides thematic context.
  9. Health: This card’s health value, which measures its physical durability.
  10. Sanity: This card’s sanity value, which measures its mental durability.
  11. Product Set Information: Indicates this card’s product of origin.
  12. Deckbuilding Information: Options and requirements for building an investigator’s deck.

Investigator Deck

A player’s “investigator deck” is the deck that contains that player’s asset, event, skill, and weakness cards. A reference to “your deck” refers to the investigator deck under your control.

Keyword

A keyword is a card ability which conveys specific rules to its card. Each keyword has its own rules which can be found in the keyword’s own section of the glossary.

Killed/Insane Investigators

During campaign play, investigators who are killed or driven insane must be recorded in your campaign log and cannot be used for the remainder of the campaign.

Lasting Effects

Some card abilities create conditions that affect the game state for a specified duration (for example, “until the end of the phase” or “ for this skill test”). Such effects are known as lasting effects.

Lead Investigator

The lead investigator is sometimes required to make important scenario decisions. At the beginning of a scenario, the investigators choose a lead investigator. If they cannot agree on a choice, a lead investigator is chosen at random.

Leaves Play

The phrase “leaves play” refers to any time a card makes a transition from an in-play state to an out-of-play state.

If a card leaves play, the following consequences occur simultaneously with the card leaving play:

Limits and Maximums

Limit X per [period]” is a limit that appears on cards that remain in play through the resolution of an ability’s effect. Each instance of an ability with such a limit may be initiated X times during the designated period. If a card leaves play and re-enters play during the same period, the card is considered to be bringing a new instance of the ability to the game.

Limit X per [card/game element]” is a limit that appears on attachment cards, and restricts the number of copies of that card (by title) that can be attached to each designated card or game element.

Max X per [period]” imposes a maximum across all copies of a card (by title) for all players. Generally, this phrase imposes a maximum number of times that copies of that card can be played during the designated time period. If a maximum includes the word “committed” (For example, “Max 1 committed per skill test”), it imposes a maximum number of copies of that card that can be committed to skill tests during the designated period. If a maximum appears as part of an ability, it imposes a maximum number of times that ability can be initiated from all copies (by title) of cards bearing that ability (including itself), during the designated period.

If the effects of a card or ability with a limit or maximum are canceled, it is still counted against the limit/maximum, because the ability has been initiated.

Location Cards

Location cards represent the places the investigators may explore during a scenario.

Empty Location

An empty location is a location with no enemies or investigators at it.

Location Card Anatomy

Location Card Anatomy
  1. Title: The name of this card.
  2. Encounter Set Symbol: Indicates which encounter set the card belongs to.
  3. Cardtype: Indicates how a card behaves or may be used in the game.
  4. Traits: Flavorful attributes that may be referenced by card abilities.
  5. Flavor Text: Additional text that provides thematic context.
  6. Connection Symbols: Indicate the movement connections between locations.
  7. Clue Value: The number of clues placed on this location when it is first revealed.
  8. Shroud: Determines the difficulty of a skill test to investigate this location.
  9. Victory Points: The amount of victory points the card is worth when overcome by investigators.
  10. Ability: This card’s specialized means of interacting with the game.
  11. Encounter Set Number: Indicates the number of cards within an encounter set, and this card’s place within that set.
  12. Product Set Information: Indicates this card’s product of origin.

Massive

Massive is a keyword ability. A ready enemy with the massive keyword is considered to be engaged with each investigator at the same location as it.

Modifiers

Some abilities cause values or quantities of characteristics to be modified. The game state constantly checks and (if necessary) updates the count of any variable value or quantity that is being modified.

Any time a new modifier is applied (or removed), the entire quantity is recalculated from the start, considering the unmodified base value and all active modifiers.

Move

Any time an entity (an investigator or enemy) moves, transfer that enemy card or investigator’s mini card from its current location to a different location.

Move Action

“Move” is an action an investigator may take during his or her turn in the investigation phase.

When an investigator takes this action, move that investigator (using his or her mini card) to any other location that is marked as a connecting location on his or her current location.

Moving

An investigator may travel from Rivertown to Miskatonic University.

An investigator may travel from Rivertown to Miskatonic University.

Mulligan

After a player draws a starting hand during setup, that player has a single opportunity to declare a mulligan on any number of the drawn cards he or she does not wish to keep in his or her starting hand. These cards are set aside, and an equivalent number of cards are drawn and added to the player’s starting hand. The set-aside cards are then shuffled back into the player’s deck.

Myriad

An investigator may include up to three copies of a player card with the myriad keyword in their deck (by title), instead of the normal limit of two copies. Additionally, when you purchase a myriad card for your deck, you may purchase up to two additional copies of that card (at the same level) at no experience cost.

Mythos phase

During the first round of the game, skip the mythos phase.

The Mythos phase is the first phase in the round sequence and is divided into five framework events:

1.1 Mythos phase begins.

This step formalizes the beginning of the mythos phase. As this is the first framework event of the round, it also formalizes the beginning of a new game round.

The beginning of a phase is an important game milestone that may be referenced in card text, either as a point at which an ability may or must resolve, or as a point at which a delayed effect resolves or a lasting effect expires.

1.2 Place 1 doom on the current agenda.

Take 1 doom from the token pool, and place it on the current agenda card.

1.3 Check doom threshold.

Compare the total number of doom in play (on the current agenda and on each other card in play) with the doom threshold of the current agenda. If the value of doom in play equals or exceeds the doom threshold of the current agenda, the agenda deck advances.

When the agenda deck advances, remove all doom from play, returning them to the token pool. Turn the current agenda over, read the story text, and follow any advancement instructions. Unless otherwise directed by the advancement instructions, the front side of the next sequential agenda card becomes the new current agenda, and the advancing agenda is simultaneously removed from the game.

Note: Unless a card otherwise specifies that it can advance the agenda, this is the only time at which the agenda can advance.

1.4 Each investigator draws 1 encounter card.

In player order, each investigator draws the top card of the encounter deck, resolves any revelation abilities on the card, and follows the instructions below based on the card’s type.

Each time an investigator draws an encounter card, perform the following steps, in order:

  1. Draw the card from the encounter deck.

  2. Check for the peril keyword on the drawn card. (If the card has the peril keyword, the investigator who drew the card cannot confer with the other players. Those other players cannot play cards, trigger abilities, or commit cards to that investigator’s skill test(s) while the peril encounter is resolving.)

  3. Resolve the revelation ability on the drawn card.

  4. If the card is an enemy, spawn it following any spawn instruction the card bears. (A spawn instruction is any text bearing a “spawn” precursor.) If the encountered enemy has no spawn instruction, the enemy spawns engaged with the investigator encountering the card and is placed in that investigator’s threat area.

    If the card is a treachery, place the card in the encounter discard pile unless otherwise instructed by the ability.

  5. If the drawn card has the surge keyword, the investigator must draw another card. Restart this process at step 1.

1.5 Mythos phase ends.

This step formalizes the end of the mythos phase.

The end of a phase is an important game milestone that may be referenced in card text, either as a point at which an ability may or must resolve, or as a point at which a delayed effect resolves or a lasting effect expires.

After this step is complete, play proceeds to the beginning of the Investigation phase.

Nearest

Some card abilities reference the “nearest” entity. Nearest refers to the entity of the specified kind at a location that can be reached in the fewest number of connections, even if one or more of those connections are blocked by another card ability. The path to the nearest entity is the “shortest” path to that entity.

Ownership and Control

A card’s owner is the player whose deck (or game area) held the card at the start of the game.

A player controls the cards located in his or her out-of-play game areas (such as the hand, deck, discard pile).

The scenario controls the cards in its out-of-play game areas (such as the encounter, act, and agenda decks, and the encounter discard pile).

Parley

Some abilities are identified with a Parley action designator. Such abilities are initiated using the Activate action.

Partner

Partner is a keyword ability that appears on the nine story assets in the Expedition Team encounter set. Each of these assets represents a powerful ally whom investigators can bring along during scenarios in this campaign to improve their chances of success. However, bringing an asset with the partner keyword endangers that asset, with the risk of losing them permanently.

Patrol

Some enemies have the patrol keyword. During the enemy phase, each ready, unengaged enemy with the patrol keyword moves to a connecting location along the shortest path toward the designated location (as described in parentheses next to the word patrol).

Per Investigator ()

When the symbol appears after a value, that value is multiplied by the number of investigators who started the scenario.

Peril

Peril is a keyword ability.

While resolving the drawing of an encounter card with the peril keyword, an investigator cannot confer with the other players. Those players cannot play cards, trigger abilities, or commit cards to that investigator’s skill test(s) while the peril encounter is resolving.

Permanent

Permanent is a deckbuilding keyword ability.

Play (a card)

To play a card, an investigator must pay the card’s resource cost and meet any applicable play restrictions and conditions. Most cards can only be played by taking a play action.

Play Action

“Play” is an action an investigator may take during his or her turn in the investigation phase.

When an investigator takes this action, that investigator selects an asset or event card in his or her hand, pays its resource cost, and plays it.

Playing cards

A card with the fast keyword is not played during a play action. Such a card may be played any time its specified triggering condition is met or, if it has no triggering condition, during an appropriate player window.

Any time an event card is played, its effects are resolved and it is then placed in its owner’s discard pile.

Any time an asset is played, it is placed in the investigator’s play area and remains in play until an ability or game effect causes it to leave play. Most assets take up one or more slots while in play.

Play Restrictions, Permissions, and Instructions

Many cards and abilities contain specific instructions pertaining to when or how they may or may not be used, or to specific conditions that must be true in order to use them. In order to use such an ability or to play such a card, its play restrictions must be observed.

A permission allows a player to play a card or use an ability outside the timing specifications provided by the game rules.

A play instruction describes the timing point at which, and/or time period during which, an event card may be played.

Player Windows

Player windows are points within skill test timing and during the round sequence when players may use free triggered abilities ().

Prey

Given the opportunity, some enemies will pursue a defined investigator. These enemies are identified with the bold word “prey” in their text box, followed by instructions on whom they should engage.

Printed

The word “printed” refers to the text, characteristic, icon, or value that is physically printed on the card.

Put into Play

Some card abilities cause a card to be “put into play.” Such abilities place the card directly into play from an out-of-play state.

Qualifiers

If card text includes a qualifier followed by multiple terms, the qualifier applies to each term in the list. (For example, in the phrase “each unique ally and item,” the word “unique” is a qualifier that applies both to “ally” and to “item.”)

Ready

A card that is in an upright state so that its controller can read its text from left to right is considered ready.

Removed from Game

A card that has been removed from the game is placed away from the game area and has no further interaction with the game in any manner for the duration of its removal.

If there is no specified duration, a card that has been removed from the game is considered removed until the end of the game.

Resign

Some abilities are identified with a Resign action designator. Such abilities are initiated using the Activate action.

Resources

Resources represent the various means of acquiring new cards at an investigator’s disposal – supplies, money, tools, knowledge, spell components, etc.

Resource Action

“Resource” is an action an investigator may take during his or her turn in the investigation phase.

When an investigator takes this action, that investigator gains one resource (see below) by taking it from the token pool and adding it to his or her resource pool.

Gaining and Using Resources

Retaliate

Retaliate is a keyword ability.

Each time an investigator fails a skill test while attacking a ready enemy with the retaliate keyword, after applying all results for that skill test, that enemy performs an attack against the attacking investigator. An enemy does not exhaust after performing a retaliate attack.

Revelation

A revelation ability may appear on encounter cards or on weakness cards.

Seal

As an additional cost for a card with the seal keyword to enter play, its controller must search the chaos bag for the specified chaos token and place it on top of the card, thereby sealing it. If there is a choice of which token to seal, the card’s controller chooses. If the specified token is not in the chaos bag, the card cannot enter play.

A sealed chaos token is not considered to be in the chaos bag, and therefore cannot be revealed from the chaos bag as part of a skill test or ability.

When a chaos token is “released,” it is returned to the chaos bag and is no longer considered sealed. If a card with one or more chaos tokens sealed on it leaves play for any reason, any chaos tokens sealed on it are immediately released.

Some cards (with or without the seal keyword) may also have abilities that seal one or more chaos tokens as part of their effect. This is done following the same process as above: searching the chaos bag for the specified token, removing it from the chaos bag, and placing it on the card. If the specified token is not in the chaos bag, the effect fails.

Set Aside

Some scenarios instruct the players to set aside specific cards. Set-aside cards have no interaction with the game until they are referenced by instructions within the scenario or by a card ability.

Search

When a player is instructed to search for a card, that player is permitted to look at all of the cards in the searched area without revealing those cards to the other players.

Self-Referential Text

When a card’s ability text refers to its own title, it is referring to itself only, and not to other copies (by title) of the card.

Self-referential abilities using the word “this” (e.g. “this card”) refer only to the card on which the ability is located, and not to copies of that card.

Priority of Simultaneous Resolution

If an effect affects multiple players simultaneously, but the players must individually make choices to resolve the effect, these choices are made in player order. Once all necessary choices have been made, the effect resolves simultaneously upon all affected entities.

Skill Cards

Skill cards represent innate or learned attributes or character traits that improve an investigator’s skill tests.

Skill cards are not played from a player’s hand. In order to resolve their abilities, skill cards must be committed to a skill test. If a skill card is committed to a skill test, its ability may be used during the resolution of that skill test, as specified on the card.

Skill Card Anatomy

Skill Card Anatomy
  1. Title: The name of this card.
  2. Class Symbol: The class to which a card belongs. Neutral cards have no class symbol.
  3. Level: The amount of experience required to purchase this card for a deck.
  4. Cardtype: Indicates how a card behaves or may be used in the game.
  5. Skill Test Icons: Modify skill value while committed to a skill test.
  6. Traits: Flavorful attributes that may be referenced by card abilities.
  7. Ability: This card’s specialized means of interacting with the game.
  8. Product Set Information: Indicates this card’s product of origin.

Skill Tests

A number of situations in the game require an investigator to make a skill test, using one of his or her four skills: willpower (), intellect (), combat (), or agility (). A skill test pits the investigator’s value in a specified skill against a difficulty value that is determined by the ability or game step that initiated the test. The investigator is attempting to match or exceed this difficulty value in order to succeed at the test.

A skill test is often referred to as a test of the specified skill. (For example: “agility test,” “combat test,” “willpower test,” or “intellect test.”)

See Skill Test Timing.

Slots

Each investigator has a number of specific slots that can be filled at any given moment. Each asset in an investigator’s play area or threat area with a slot symbol is held in a slot of that type. Slots limit the number of asset cards the investigator is permitted to have in play simultaneously.

The slots normally available to an investigator are:

If an asset has no slot symbols on it, it does not take up any of the above slots. There is no limit to the number of slot-less assets an investigator can have in play. The following symbols (on an asset) indicate which slot(s) that asset fills:

If playing or gaining control of an asset would put an investigator above his or her slot limit for that type of asset, the investigator must choose and discard other assets under his or her control simultaneously with the new asset entering the slot.

Spawn

Some enemies, when drawn from the encounter deck, spawn in a particular location, indicated by a bold “spawn” instruction in the text box.

Standalone Mode

When playing a standalone game (i.e., playing a single scenario as a one-off adventure, removed from its campaign), the following rules apply:

Story Cards

Story cards serve as an avenue for additional narrative and typically appear as the reverse side of another scenario card. When you are instructed to resolve a story card, simply read its story text and resolve its game text.

Supplies (campaign)

At certain points throughout a campaign, investigators may be given the opportunity to choose supplies to bring on their expeditions. These supplies are recorded in the Campaign Log, under each investigator’s “Supplies” section.

Supplies are purchased with supply points, which are granted to investigators whenever they are given the opportunity to purchase supplies. Leftover supply points are not recorded, and are lost.

An investigator’s supplies will determine the possible options available during gameplay and throughout the story of a campaign. Each supply has no effect on its own. Some card effects, story options, and resolutions may change or become available depending on the supplies carried by the investigator(s).

Surge

Surge is a keyword ability.

After drawing and resolving an encounter with the surge keyword, an investigator must draw another card from the encounter deck.

Swarming X

An enemy with the swarming X keyword is actually a pack of enemies operating in unison. After you put an enemy with the swarming X keyword into play, place the top X cards of your deck facedown underneath the enemy as swarm cards, without looking at them. The enemy they are underneath is called the “host enemy.” Some scenario card effects may also instruct a player to add swarm cards to an enemy. This is done using the same process.

Taking Damage/Horror

“Take X damage” is shorthand for “deal X damage to your investigator.” “Take X horror” is shorthand for “deal X horror to your investigator.”

See Dealing Damage/Horror.

Target

The term “choose” indicates that one or more targets must be chosen in order for an ability to resolve. The player resolving the ability must choose a game element (usually a card) that meets the targeting requirements of the ability.

Threat Area

An investigator’s threat area is a play area in which encounter cards currently engaged with and/or affecting an investigator are placed.

Tokens, Running out of

There is no limit to the number of tokens (of any type) which can be in the game area at a given time. If players run out of the provided tokens, other tokens, counters, or coins may be used to track the current game state.

Traits

Most cards have one or more traits listed at the top of the text box and printed in bold italics.

Treachery Cards

Treachery cards represent curses, afflictions, madnesses, obstacles, disasters, or other unexpected occurrences an investigator may encounter throughout the course of a scenario.

When a treachery card is drawn by an investigator, that investigator must resolve its effects. Then, place the card in its discard pile unless otherwise instructed by the ability.

See “1.4 Each investigator draws 1 encounter card” in the Mythos phase.

Treachery Card Anatomy

Treachery Card Anatomy
  1. Encounter Set Symbol: Indicates which encounter set the card belongs to.
  2. Cardtype: Indicates how a card behaves or may be used in the game.
  3. Title: The name of this card.
  4. Traits: Flavorful attributes that may be referenced by card abilities.
  5. Ability: This card’s specialized means of interacting with the game.
  6. Flavor Text: Additional text that provides thematic context.
  7. Encounter Set Number: Indicates the number of cards within an encounter set, and this card’s place within that set.
  8. Product Set Information: Indicates this card’s product of origin.

Triggered Abilities

A triggered ability is an ability that is optionally triggered by a player. A triggered ability can be identified by one of the following icons.

See also: Initiation Sequence.

Triggering Condition

A triggering condition indicates the timing point at which an ability may be triggered. Most triggering conditions use the word “when” or “after” to establish their relation to the specified timing point.

Unique ()

A card with the symbol before its card title is a unique card. There can be no more than one instance of each unique card, by title, in play at any given time.

IV. Upkeep phase

The Upkeep phase is the fourth and final phase in the round sequence and is divided into six framework events:

4.1 Upkeep phase begins.

This step formalizes the beginning of the upkeep phase.

4.2 Reset actions.

Flip each investigator’s mini card back to its colored side. This indicates that the investigator’s actions have been reset for his or her next turn.

4.3 Ready exhausted cards.

Simultaneously ready each exhausted card.

4.4 Each investigator draws 1 card and gains 1 resource.

In player order, each investigator draws 1 card. Once those cards have been drawn, each investigator gains 1 resource.

4.5 Each investigator checks hand size.

In player order, each investigator with more than 8 cards in hand chooses and discards cards from his or her hand until he or she has 8 cards remaining in hand.

4.6 Upkeep phase ends.

This step formalizes the end of the upkeep phase.

As the upkeep phase is the final phase in the round, this step also formalizes the end of the round. Any active “until the end of the round” lasting effects expire at this time.

After this step is complete, play proceeds to the beginning of the Mythos phase of the next game round.

Uses (X “type”)

Uses is a keyword ability.

When a card bearing this keyword enters play, place a number of resource tokens equal to the value (X), from the token pool, on the card. The word following the value establishes and identifies the type of uses this card bears. The resource tokens placed on the card are considered uses of the established type, and are not considered resource tokens.

Vengeance X

Some encounter cards are worth vengeance points. The text Vengeance X indicates that a card is worth X vengeance points.

Like Victory X, when an encounter card with Vengeance X is overcome by the investigators, it is stored in the victory display until the end of the scenario. However, unlike victory points, vengeance represents the awareness and animosity of the Mythos, and it is generally a good idea to avoid accruing vengeance points whenever possible.

Vengeance points in the victory display have no impact upon the game unless specifically referenced by another encounter card.

Victory Display, Victory Points

Some encounter cards are worth victory points. The text Victory X indicates that a card is worth X victory points.

An encounter card worth victory points that is overcome by the investigators is stored in the victory display until the end of the scenario. The victory display is an out-of-play game area shared by all players. Upon completion of the scenario, the cards in the victory display provide experience, which can be used to upgrade an investigator’s deck (see Campaign Play).

Victory Points

Each of these cards is worth 1 victory point.

Weakness

Weakness is a card sub-type. These cards represent character flaws, curses, madnesses, injuries, tasks, enemies, or story elements that are part of an investigator’s backstory, or that are acquired over the course of a campaign. Weakness cards are resolved differently depending upon their cardtype.

Basic Weaknesses

Basic Weakness

Basic weakness symbol

Winning and Losing

Each scenario has a number of different possible endings.

The act deck represents the progress of the investigators through a scenario. Some instructions in the act deck (as well as on other encounter cardtypes) contain resolution points, in the format of: “(→R#).” The players’ primary objective is to advance through the act deck until a (hopefully favorable) resolution point is reached. Should the act deck invoke a resolution, the players have completed the scenario (they may even have “won!”). Instructions for resolving the designated resolution are found in the “do not read until end of game” section of the campaign manual.

The agenda deck represents the objectives and progress of the malicious forces pitted against the investigators in the scenario. Some instructions in the agenda deck (as well as on other encounter cardtypes) also contain resolution points, in the format of: “(→R#).” Should the agenda deck invoke a (usually darker) resolution, the players have lost the scenario. Instructions for resolving the designated resolution are found in the “do not read until end of game” section of the campaign guide.

Should the scenario end with no resolution being reached (for example, if all investigators have been eliminated or have resigned), instructions for resolving the scenario can be found in the “do not read until end of game” section of the campaign guide.

The letter “X”

The value of the letter X is defined by a card ability or a granted player choice. If X is not defined, its value is equal to 0.

Player Errata

These are corrections to player cards and investigator deck weaknesses. See also: Scenario Errata.

.35 Winchester ( 195)
This card’s ability should read: “ Spend 1 ammo: Fight…”
Amanda Sharpe ( 2)
This card’s symbol should be “Forced –” instead.
“Ashcan” Pete ( 5)
This card’s Deckbuilding Options should read: “…up to five other level 0 cards from any other classes (, , , and/or ).”
Bait and Switch (level 3) ( 282)
This card’s trait should be Trick instead of Tactic.
Barricade (level 3) ( 4)
This card’s constant ability should read: “Each time a non-Elite enemy would spawn at attached location, spawn it at a connecting location instead, if able.”
Carolyn Fern (Novella Promo 10)
This card’s Deckbuilding Options should read: “Guardian cards () level 0-3, Neutral cards level 0-5, cards that ‘heal horror’ level 0-5, up to 15 other Seeker and/or Mystic cards level 0-1 ( and/or ).”
Crystallizer of Dreams ( 24)
The additional cost on this card should read: “As an additional cost to play this card…”
Daisy’s Tote Bag (8)
This card has no level (instead of being level 0).
Drawing the Sign ( 41)
This card’s second ability should read: “Your maximum hand size is reduced by 5.”
Dr. William T. Maleson ( 302)
This card’s ability should read: “When you draw an encounter card from the encounter deck…”
Eldritch Inspiration ( 33)
This card’s play requirement should read: “Play when you would resolve an effect on a card that triggers “when,” “if,” or “after” a , , , , or symbol is revealed.”
Father Mateo ( 4)
This card’s ability should read: “When an investigator reveals an chaos token…”
Guided by the Unseen ( 223)
This card’s ability should read “…(Limit once per test.)”
Guiding Spirit ( 236)
This card’s Forced ability should read: “When Guiding Spirit is defeated by horror: Exile it.”
Heirloom of Hyperborea (12)
This card has no level (instead of being level 0).
Henry Armitage ( 40)
This card’s ability should read: “After you draw a non-weakness card, discard that card…”
Jenny Barnes ( 3) / (Novella Promo 1)
This card’s Deckbuilding Options should read: “…up to five other level 0 cards from any other classes (, , , and/or ).”
Jim Culver ( 4)
This card’s Deckbuilding Options should read: “…up to five other level 0 cards from any other classes (, , , and/or ).”
Laboratory Assistant ( 20)
This card’s first ability should read: “Your maximum hand size is increased by 2.”
Lucky Dice ( 230)
This card’s ability should read: “When you reveal a non- chaos token, spend 2 resources: Ignore that chaos token and reveal another one to resolve. If that token has a symbol, remove Lucky Dice from the game (cannot be ignored/canceled).”
Norman Withers ( 9)
This card’s Deckbuilding Options should read: “…up to other 5 Mystic cards () level 0.”
On the Lam (10)
This card has no level (instead of being level 0).
Peter Clover ( 79)
The “Human” trait on each of these cards should read “Humanoid” instead.
Randall Cho ( 2)
This card’s symbol should be a symbol, instead.
Rex Murphy ( 2)
This card’s Deckbuilding Options should read: “…up to five other level 0 cards from any other classes (, , , and/or ).”
Roland’s .38 Special (6)
This card has no level (instead of being level 0).
Searching for Izzie ( 11)
This card’s Forced ability should read: “When the game ends, if Searching for Izzie is in play: Jenny Barnes suffers 1 mental trauma.”
Seeking Answers (level 2) ( 27)
This card’s ability should read: “…If you succeed, instead of discovering a clue at your location, discover 2 total clues from among your location and connecting locations.”
Shortcut (level 2) ( 232)
This card’s ability should read: “…Any investigator at this location may trigger this ability.”
Smite the Wicked ( 7)
This card’s Forced ability should read: “When the game ends, if attached enemy is in play: Zoey Samaras suffers 1 mental trauma.”
The Black Expanse ( 253)
This card’s Forced ability should read: “After an enemy with 1 or more clues on it is defeated: Take control of each of those clues.”
The Gold Pocket Watch ( 305)
Each of this card’s symbols should be symbols, instead.
The Hungering Blade ( 18)
The additional cost on this card should read: “As an additional cost to play this card…”
The Skeleton Key ( 270)
This card’s ability should read: “If The Skeleton Key is in your play area, attach it to your location…”
Time Warp ( 311)
The second part of this card’s ability should read: “Undo that action (return the game state to exactly the way it was before that action was performed, except for the playing of Time Warp and its costs).”
Wendy’s Amulet ( 14)

This card has no level (instead of being level 0).

This card’s Forced ability should read: “Forced – After you play an event or discard an event from play:…”

Yaotl ( 35)
This card’s ability should read: “Discard the top card of your deck. (Limit once per phase.)”
Yaztaroth ( 18)
This card’s constant ability should read: “You cannot play assets or put assets into play.”
Zoey Samaras ( 1)
This card’s Deckbuilding Options should read: “…up to five other level 0 cards from any other classes (, , , and/or ).”

Scenario Errata

These are corrections to errors in scenario cards and rules. See also: Player Errata.

The Circle Undone

Scenario I: The Witching Hour
Setup Scenario rules

The third bullet point should read:

“Put 5 Witch-Haunted Woods locations into play as follows:

In player order, each investigator puts 1 random Witch-Haunted Woods location into play in front of him or her, until there are exactly 5 Witch-Haunted Woods locations in play (see “Lost and Separated,” below). For example: In a 1-player game, there should be 5 Witch-Haunted Woods in front of that investigator. In a 2-player game, there should be 3 Witch-Haunted Woods in front of the lead investigator and 2 Witch-Haunted Woods in front of the other investigator. In a 3-player game, there should be 2 Witch-Haunted Woods in front of the lead investigator, 2 Witch-Haunted Woods in front of the next investigator, and 1 Witch-Haunted Woods in front of the final investigator. In a 4-player game, there should be 2 Witch-Haunted Woods in front of the lead investigator, and 1 Witch-Haunted Woods in front of each other investigator.”

Scenario IV: The Wages of Sin
Act 1a—In Pursuit of the Dead ( 164) Act card
This card’s ability should read: “Locations cannot be flipped to their Spectral side.”
Agenda 2a—Death’s Approach ( 163) Agenda Card
This card’s ability should read: “Locations cannot be flipped to their non‑Spectral side.”
Resolutions section Scenario rules

The first line should read:

“If no resolution was reached and at least one investigator resigned: Proceed to Resolution 1.”

Unfinished Business (Bring me to him…) ( 178b) Story Card
Unfinished Business (Burn…let it burn…) ( 178b) Story Card
Unfinished Business (They stole it from me…) ( 178b) Story Card
Unfinished Business (My bones…) ( 178b) Story Card
This card’s first ability should read: “Keep this card in your threat area (this side faceup). If you are eliminated, flip it over.”
Scenario VIII: Before the Black Throne
Act 1b—Palace of the Old Ones ( 329) Act card
This card’s second line of game text should read: “Shuffle each empty space into its owner’s deck and each location in play other than Hideous Palace into the Cosmos.”
Act 2b—Nucleus of the Universe ( 330) Act card
This card’s second line of game text should read: “Shuffle each empty space into its owner’s deck and each location in play other than Court of the Great Old Ones into the Cosmos.”

The Dunwich Legacy

Campaign Encounter Cards
Mobster ( 98) Enemy card
The “Human” trait on each of these cards should read “Humanoid” instead.
O’Bannion’s Thug ( 97) Enemy card
The “Human” trait on each of these cards should read “Humanoid” instead.
Scenario I–B: The House Always Wins
Clover Club Pit Boss (78) Enemy card
This enemy’s traits should be “Humanoid. Criminal. Elite.
Scenario IV: Blood on the Altar
Resolutions section Scenario rules
In the “If no resolution was reached” resolution, between the third and fourth bullet points, add the following bullet point: “If Dr. Henry Armitage is not listed under ‘Sacrificed to Yog-Sothoth’ in your Campaign Log, record that Dr. Henry Armitage survived The Dunwich Legacy.”
Burned Ruins (revealed) ( 205) Location card
This card’s first ability should read: “Forced – After you fail a skill test while investigating the Burned Ruins: Flip 1 clue token on the Burned Ruins to its doom side.”
Scenario VI: Where Doom Awaits
Act 1b—A Sacrifice Made ( 277) Act Card

The two instructions on this card should be reversed, as follows:

“Remove all clues from each location in play. The arcane presence masking the path further up the hill has faded. Reveal Ascending Path.”

The Forgotten Age

Scenario IV: The Boundary Beyond
“Silent Journey” intro sidebar Scenario rules

The effect of this sidebar should read:

“Each investigator begins this scenario with 2 fewer cards in his or her opening hand.”

Scenario VII: The Depths of Yoth
Intro 8 Scenario rules

After the game text in this intro, add the following text:

“In your Campaign Log, cross off the investigators found the missing relic and record the relic is missing.”

Interlude V: The Darkness, “Growing Concern” sidebar Scenario rules

The effect of this sidebar should read:

“Depending on your difficulty mode, add the following chaos token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign: Easy: −3, Standard: −4, Hard: −5, Expert: −7”

The Path to Carcosa

Campaign Encounter Set Cards
Corrosion ( 102) Treachery card
This card’s Revelation ability should read: “Discard Item assets from your play area and/or from your hand…”
Scenario III: Echoes of the Past
Resolutions section Scenario rules
The final bullet point in Resolution 2 should read: “Then, add 2 tokens to the chaos bag.”
Agenda 1a—The Truth is Hidden ( 121) Agenda card
Agenda 2a—Ransacking the Manor ( 122) Agenda card
Agenda 3a—Secrets Better Left Hidden ( 123) Agenda card
The first ability on each of these agendas should read: “Skip the ‘Place 1 doom on the current agenda’ step of the Mythos phase.”
Historical Society (Historical Museum) ( 130 & 132) Location card
This location’s ability should read: “While investigating this location, your cannot be increased.”
Scenario IV: The Unspeakable Oath
Interlude II: Lost Soul Scenario rules

The first part of this interlude should read:

“If an investigator resigned with the asset version of Daniel Chesterfield under his or her control, proceed to Daniel Survived.

If the enemy version of Daniel Chesterfield was in play when the scenario ended, proceed to Daniel Was Possessed.

If neither of the above are true, proceed to Daniel Did Not Survive.”

Patient Confinement ( 178-181) Location cards
Each of these locations should not have the “Arkham Asylum” trait.
Scenario VI: The Pallid Mask
Candlelit Tunnels ( 252) Location card
This location’s ability should read: “…If you succeed, look at the revealed side of any Catacombs location in play.”
Catacombs Docent ( 258) Enemy card
This enemy’s ability should read: “…If you succeed, look at the revealed side of any Catacombs location in play.”
Scenario VIII: Dim Carcosa
Madness Dies ( 319) Agenda card
This act’s second ability should read: “Hastur cannot be defeated unless an investigator ‘knows the secret.’”
Realm of Madness ( 338) Treachery card
This card’s Revelation ability should read: “Discard cards from your play area and/or from your hand…”

The Innsmouth Conspiracy

Into the Maelstrom
Act 1a—Back into the Depths ( 315) Act card
This card’s Objective ability should read: “…you may choose to advance” instead of “…advance.”

Return To…

Return to the Forgotten Age
Threads of Fate Scenario rules

Add the following bullet point to the resolution of this scenario:

  • If the Harbinger of Valusia entered play during this scenario:

    • If it is in the victory display, cross out “the Harbinger is still alive” in your Campaign Log.

    • If it is still in play or is set aside, next to “the Harbinger is still alive” in your Campaign Log, record in parentheses how much damage is on the Harbinger of Valusia, replacing the number that was previously in parentheses.

Side Stories

Murder at the Excelsior Hotel
Otherworldly Meddler ( 29) Enemy card
This card’s first ability should read: “Forced – When Otherworldly Meddler would take damage from an attack: Remove 1 doom from Otherworldly Meddler. Then, reduce the damage dealt by 1.”
The Blob That Ate Everything
Resolutions section Scenario guide
Resolution 3 should read “Resolution 2.”

Frequently Asked Questions

This section provides answers to a number of common questions that are asked about the game. The entries are presented in a question and answer format, with the newest questions at the end of the list.

Can I investigate a location with no clues on it? If I do, what happens?

Yes. You can investigate a location even if there are no clues on it. However, you won’t be able to discover any clues there, because there are no clues on the location to discover. Investigating a location with no clues might still be useful to trigger card abilities such as Burglary ( 45) or Scavenging ( 73).

Are clues on Cover Up ( 7) considered to be “at my location” for the purposes of Roland’s ability?

No. Generally speaking, cards (such as investigators, assets under your control, enemies in your threat area, etc) are “at” a location. Clues are only “at” a location if they are physically on that location (“Clues,” Rules Reference, page 7).

Is there any difference between “at a location” and “in a location?”

No. Both terms have the same meaning and are used interchangeably.

If I play an event with a Fight ability, like Backstab ( 51), does it provoke attacks of opportunity?

No. Abilities with a bold action designator (like Fight, Evade or Investigate) count as an action of that type. In this case, since Backstab counts as a Fight action, no attacks of opportunity are made, because Fight actions do not provoke attacks of opportunity. The same goes for Fight abilities on assets, like .45 Automatic ( 16).

If I use an ability or play an event with a bold action type (like Fight, Evade, or Investigate), do I need to spend one action to use the ability and another action to initiate the action listed? Or just one action?

Paying the cost of the ability is enough to initiate the action designated. There is no need to spend an additional action.

Can I trigger the abilities on two copies of .45 Automatic ( 16) for +2 and +2 damage?

No. Each ability is a separate action that must be resolved in full before you have the opportunity to take another action.

Can I trigger the ability on cards like Physical Training ( 17) more than once per skill test?

Yes. Unless the ability has a printed limitation on it, you may use it as often as you like, provided you are able to pay the ability’s cost each time.

If there are clues or cards at an unrevealed location, and then that location is revealed, what happens to those clues/cards?

Any clues or cards at an unrevealed location remain where they are when the location is revealed. This includes clues physically placed on the location, enemies or assets at that location, and cards attached to that location. Clues that are placed on the newly revealed location from its clue value are simply added to the clues that were already on that location when it was revealed.

If a card effect says to heal damage or horror but does not indicate from where, can I use it to heal assets or investigators other than myself?

No. “Heal X damage/horror” is shorthand for “Heal X damage/horror from your investigator.” If a card simply reads “Heal X horror” or “Heal X damage,” you can only use it to heal horror or damage from your investigator. Cards that allow you to heal other investigators or assets will specify that.

Who gets the effects/benefits of a skill card committed to another investigator’s skill test? If I commit Overpower ( 91) to another investigator’s skill test, do I get to draw 1 card, or does the investigator performing the skill test get to draw 1 card?

Generally speaking, the player who committed the skill card gets the effects of any ability on that skill card. In your example, you would draw the 1 card, not the investigator performing the skill test. However, if a skill card changes or adds to the results of the skill test itself, the investigator performing the test receives the benefit of that ability. For example, if you committed Deduction ( 39) to another investigator’s skill test, that investigator would be discovering the additional clue, not you, because you are altering the effects of his or her skill test.

When I use the ability on Stray Cat ( 76), can I choose any enemy at my location, even if they are engaged with other investigators?

Yes. When you perform a standard evade action, you may only attempt to evade enemies engaged with you. However, card effects (such as Stray Cat or Cunning Distraction ( 78) may alter or supplant this limitation.

When I attack using Shrivelling ( 60) and reveal a , , , , or symbol, when do I take 1 horror?

You would take 1 horror immediately as you reveal the symbol, during “ST.3 Reveal chaos token” (“Skill Test Timing,” Rules Reference, page 26). If you had any reactions to taking that horror (such as Agnes Baker’s ability), you would trigger it then, before resolving the rest of the attack.

If I automatically fail a test (from revealing a symbol, for example), I treat my skill value as if it were 0. If the difficulty of the test is 0, does that mean I succeed?

No. No matter what, if you automatically fail a test, you have failed the test, regardless of how your skill value and the difficulty compare.

How does “searching the collection” for a random basic weakness work? Do I use the same pool of weaknesses I used during deck construction? Or do I search through all of my weaknesses?

Anytime players are instructed to search for a random basic weakness—be it during deck construction, during a scenario’s setup or resolution, or during a scenario itself—players should use the same pool of weaknesses, which is constructed using all of the basic weaknesses from only 1 copy of each product they own. If each investigator has their own collection of cards, they should each use their own pool of weaknesses constructed in the same manner, so as to avoid players’ cards getting mixed together accidentally.

For example: Damon and Kelsy have each constructed decks using Damon’s collection, which consists of 2 copies of the Core Set. During deck construction, they each included 1 random basic weakness from a pool of weaknesses consisting of only the 10 weaknesses in a single copy of the Core Set. This leaves a pool of 8 weaknesses remaining. If they are later instructed to each search the collection for a random basic weakness, these weaknesses would be taken from that remaining pool of 8 weaknesses.

I have committed Double or Nothing ( 26) and Perception ( 90) to a skill test during an investigation, and I also have Dr. Milan Christopher ( 33) in play. If I succeed, which effects are resolved twice?

The effects of a successful skill test are applied during step 7, and Double or Nothing causes each of these affects to be resolved twice. Dr. Milan Christopher’s ability is a reaction to succeeding at a skill test, and therefore is triggered and resolved during step 6, after success is determined. During step 7, the game result of the investigation (discovering 1 clue), and the “if this test is successful” result of Perception are both resolved twice due to Double or Nothing’s effect.

Can Terror from Beyond ( 101) cause weaknesses to be discarded from an investigator’s hand?

Terror from Beyond can cause weaknesses to be discarded, even if you are the one making the choice. Terror from Beyond instructs an investigator to choose a card type, and then all investigators are obligated to discard all cards of the chosen card type. In this case, you aren’t optionally choosing to discard 1 or more cards; you are selecting a category of cards to be discarded, and the discard is mandatory.

Can I play Ward of Protection (level 5) ( 307) to cancel and discard an enemy on the reverse side of an act or agenda? And if so, where does it go?

You cannot. When you flip to the b-side of an act or agenda and it is an encounter cardtype (typically a treachery, enemy or location), you should follow the rules for drawing that encounter card solely for the purposes of figuring out how that card enters play and for resolving any appropriate revelation effects. You should not be able to trigger effects based on having “drawn” that card, as it was not actually drawn, and it is not clear who is doing the drawing in such an event.

If I use Duke ( 14) to move into a location that causes my turn to “immediately end” in the middle of resolving Duke’s ability, does the ability continue resolving?

Yes. If during the resolution of an ability, your turn ends (“immediately” or otherwise), you will still resolve the remainder of that ability. The rest of that ability is not canceled. Note, however, that any “until the end of your turn” effects would still expire at this time, since your turn has ended, but you’ll still continue to play out the remainder of Duke’s ability.

What consistitutes a “skill test on a Spell card” for the purposes of cards like Spirit Athame ( 35) and Grounded ( 113)?

A “skill test on a card” is any ability that directly prompts a skill test, either through the template “test skill (X),” or by initiating an action that is, in itself, a skill test (for example, any card with Fight, Evade, or Investigate action designators).

Can a location with no valid path to my location be the “nearest” or “farthest” location from my location?

Yes, but only if there are no other eligible locations with a vaild path to your location. If there are other locations with a valid path to your location, the nearest or farthest of those must qualify as the “nearest” or “farthest” to your location.

If an enemy is in a location with no valid path to your location, can it still be the “nearest” enemy purposes of cards like Mysterious Chanting ( 171) or Dance of the Yellow King ( 97)?

Even if it has no valid path to an investigator, an enemy can still qualify as the “nearest” enemy if there are no other enemies in play that are nearer. That said, an effect that require an enemy to track a path to an investigator (such as Dance of the Yellow King) would not cause an enemy to move if there is no valid path.

How does Time Warp ( 311) interact with cards being returned to decks?

To the extent that cards can be returned to the same state they were in before, they should be. For example, if you used Scrying ( 61) to reorder the top 3 cards of the encounter deck, and then an investigator played Time Warp, you should go back and reorder those 3 cards to their original order. Likewise, if you drew 1 card and then played Time Warp, the card you drew should be returned to the top of your deck. If you are unable to return the game state to exactly the way it was before the action was performed, the effect fails.

However, if a deck was searched and/or shuffled, there’s no way of knowing the exact order of the cards as they were beforehand, so keeping the deck shuffled is fine. You still don’t know the order of the cards in the deck, so the game state is effectively the same. For example, let’s say you used No Stone Unturned ( 26) to search your deck for a card, draw it, and shuffle your deck. In this case, if an investigator played Time Warp, it is fine to simply shuffle the card you searched for back into your deck. As far as the game state is concerned, your deck is in the same state it was before No Stone Unturned was played.

What happens if a skill test both automatically succeeds and automatically fails simultaneously?

If a skill test both automatically succeeds and automatically fails, the automatic failure takes precedence, and the test automatically fails.

If I purchase a permanent card for my deck, like Charon’s Obol ( 308), can I later remove it from my deck?

Not unless an effect explicitly allows you to do so. Generally cards are only removed from your deck if you purchase a new card and must swap out an existing card in order to reach your investigator’s deck size. However, since Permanent cards do not count towards your deck size, they cannot be swapped out in this way. There is no rule which allows you to remove cards from your deck at will.

If I use the ability on Archaic Glyphs (Prophecy Foretold) ( 193) to “automatically evade an engaged enemy,” does that mean an enemy engaged with me, or an enemy engaged with any investigator?

By default, an “engaged enemy” is an enemy currently engaged with you. If a card allows you to interact with any enemy engaged with an investigator, it will specify that.

If I am playing as Carolyn Fern ( 1) and succeed on the skill test for Liquid Courage ( 24), can I trigger Carolyn’s ability twice, or only once?

Only once. The word “additional” in the second healing effect denotes that the two points of healing should be lumped together into one healing effect, not treated as two separate instances of 1 healing each.

Can I use two cards that replace 1 revealed chaos token with multiple tokens, like Olive McBride ( 197) and Grotesque Statue ( 71), on the same skill test?

Yes, you can. When you use multiple effects that replace “revealing a chaos token” with something, else, you must first declare your intention so you are reacting to what you draw from the bag, because each of these effects are meant to be triggered before you draw tokens from the bag.

If you declare you’re going to trigger Olive’s ability first, you should then declare which of the 3 tokens you’re about to reveal from Olive’s ability will be turned into 2 tokens from the statue (For example, “I’m going to reveal 3 tokens using Olive, and for the first token, I’m going to reveal 2 instead of 1 using my statue). Then you’ll ignore one of the 2 statue tokens, and be left with 3 total tokens, which you’ll then ignore 1 of. (All of these tokens are considered to be revealed simultaneously, so you are not allowed to reveal the first 2 tokens with Olive, and then decide whether or not to use the statue).

If you instead trigger the statue’s ability first, you would do the same thing, declaring your intent. (For example, “I’m going to reveal 2 tokens using my statue, but for the second token, I’m going to use Olive’s ability to reveal 3 instead of 1”.) Then you would choose between resolving the first token or the 3 Olive tokens. (Here this may seem a little strange, because Grotesque Statue says “Choose 1 of those tokens to resolve, and ignore the other,” which implies that you only get to resolve 1 token and ignore 1 token, but for the purposes of resolving these types of effects, the 3 tokens revealed from Olive’s ability should be treated as 1 revealed token.) If you decide to resolve the 3 Olive tokens you would then choose 2 to resolve and resolve the other, as usual.

When I swap Dark Pact ( 38) out of my deck for The Price of Failure ( 39), does Dark Pact return to the pool of available basic weaknesses?

Dark Pact is returned to your collection, but should not be returned to the pool of available weaknesses when it is swapped out — this ensures that you can always swap between Dark Pact and The Price of Failure without it being unavailable later. Same goes for Doomed ( 40) if it is swapped out.

Does the ability on Ursula Down ( 2) allow me to take an investigate action on an asset or event card?

Yes. Ursula’s reaction allows you to take any investigate action, including those performed via the activate action or via the play action.

Does the investigate action taken via the ability on Ursula Down ( 2) provoke attacks of opportunity?

Yes. If an ability allows you to “take an action,” it is as though you are gaining an action and immediately spending it to perform that action. This is different from reaction or free triggered abilities that simply perform the effects of an action directly, such as the reaction on Survival Knife ( 17).

Can I use “Let me handle this!” ( 22) or “You handle this one!” ( 28) on a weakness?

No. Both of these cards are played after you or another investigator draw a non-peril encounter card, but before resolving that card’s effects. Weaknesses with an encounter cardtype (such as enemies or treacheries) are considered to be encounter cards while they are being resolved and once they have entered play, but are not considered to be encounter cards yet at the time that these cards are played. Therefore, at the time these cards would be played, they are still player cards and are not legal targets.

Do enemies exhaust after making attacks of opportunity, retaliate attacks, or other attacks (via card effects)?

No. Enemies only exhaust after attacking if they perform an attack during step 3.3 of the enemy phase. Unless otherwise noted, all other enemy attacks do not cause that enemy to exhaust.

If an ability refers to “your cards,” is it referring to cards you control, or cards you own? For example, does the ability on Carolyn Fern ( 1) only work if a card I control heals horror, or does it work if a card I own but do not control heals horror?

In general, “your cards” are the cards you currently control. If you own a card but do not control it, it is not “yours” for the purposes of abilities.

Can I use the ability on Track Shoes ( 36) after moving to a location with no enemies?

Yes. The “before enemies engage you” part of the ability is just referring to the timing point at which enemies would engage you; it is not specifying that there must be an enemy there in order to trigger the ability.

Does Patrice Hathaway’s ( 5) card draw during the upkeep phase occur all at once, or one at a time? What happens if I draw a weakness, like Amnesia ( 96)?

Anytime you draw one or more cards, the card draw occurs simultaneously unless the effect uses the phrase “one at a time.” Then, once all of the cards have been drawn, you must resolve all Revelation abilities on those cards (in an order of your choosing).

Can Patrice Hathaway’s ( 5) ability cause her to discard hidden encounter cards from her hand?

No. Hidden cards cannot be discarded from hand by any means except for those described on the card.

If a card has 0 cost or no cost, is its cost even or odd?

Zero is an even number, so cards with 0 cost have an even cost.

Skill cards and cards with a “–” cost do not have a cost at all, so their cost is neither even nor odd.

Can tokens (like Tony Morgan’s bounties) be placed on swarm cards?

Yes. Each swarm card counts as a separate copy of its host card and can have its own tokens on it.

For Mandy Thompson’s ( 2) reaction, what does it mean to “resolve 1 additional target of the search?”

Search effects typically instruct you to resolve an effect using the card(s) targeted by the search. For example, if you used an effect to “search the top 3 cards of your deck for a card and draw it,” drawing the searched-for card would be resolving the target of the search. If you used Mandy’s reaction here, you could either search the top 6 cards of your deck for a card and draw it, or search the top 3 cards of your deck for 2 cards and draw them both. (You must decide which before initiating the search.)

Can I play a card with a cost of “–”?

No. Cards with a cost of “–” have no cost that can be paid, and therefore cannot be played. For example, if Pendant of the Queen ( 22) is discarded from play and then shuffled back into your deck and drawn, you would be unable to play it from hand. (Cards that put it directly into play bypassing its cost would be able to put it into play, however.)

Cards with a cost of “–” that are played as a copy of a different card, such as Eidetic Memory ( 306), use the resource cost of the copied card, and therefore bypass this restriction.

Do and tokens have a modifier or value if they are revealed outside of a skill test?

No. and tokens revealed outside of a skill test have no modifier or value.

If adding a certain number of or tokens to the chaos bag is part of an ability’s effect, and there are not enough or tokens remaining to fulfill that effect, what happens?

You perform as much of the ability as you can, adding or tokens until there are none left to add.

If adding a certain number of or tokens to the chaos bag is part of a card/ability’s cost, and there are not enough or tokens remaining to fulfill that cost, what happens?

If the cost cannot be paid, the card/ability therefore cannot be played/triggered.

What happens if the card beneath Amanda Sharpe would enter a different play area while it is committed to a skill test?

It still enters that play area—it only remains beneath Amanda if it would otherwise be discarded (such as at the end of the skill test).

If a card such as Cheap Shot ( 23) is returned to my hand, what areas am I allowed to retrieve it from? If it is shuffled into my deck, can I still return it to my hand?

In general, unless otherwise specified, players can “return” such a card from any play area, so long as it is in an area that allows the card to be found and identified. For example, if Cheap Shot is in the discard pile or attached to another card (such as a Crystallizer of Dreams ( 24) and you are able to find it, you may return it to your hand from that area. However, if it is in a place where its position is impossible to determine (such as shuffled into your deck) or facedown in a place where you are not allowed to look at its other side (for example, as a swarm card), you would be unable to return it to your hand, and therefore that aspect of the effect would fail.

Additionally, if Cheap Shot is removed from the game, unless specifically stated otherwise, no game effects can interact with it in any way until the end of the game.

During a campaign, do and tokens remain in the chaos bag from scenario to scenario?

No, and tokens do not carry over from scenario to scenario.

If I use Grisly Totem ( 119) after committing the card beneath Amanda Sharpe ( 2), how long does its bonus icon stay for?

The bonus icon granted by Grisly Totem does not specify a duration, so this effect should remain until the committed card leaves play. The real question is: when does the committed card enter or leave play?

Generally speaking, cards placed beneath other cards (such as the card beneath Amanda Sharpe) are out of play. Cards committed to tests never really “enter play,” but while they are committed to a test, their icons are added to the investigator’s relevant skill and their text is active. So, while the card beneath Amanda is committed to a test, its icons and text should be alterable by game effects (as if you had committed it from your hand), just like any other in-play card. But as soon as that test ends, it returns to its out-of-play state, and any lasting effects would drop.

TL;DR: The bonus icon granted by Grisly Totem would only apply for the test during which Grisly Totem is used, after which the card returns to its out-of-play state, and the bonus icon would drop.

If a swarming enemy engages Zoey Samaras, can she trigger her ability once for each enemy in total, or only once for the entire swarm?

Although swarming enemies move and engage together as a single entity, each swarm card is its own separate enemy. If a swarming enemy engages Zoey, each of its swarm cards are also enemies that have engaged Zoey. Therefore, she may trigger her ability once for each of them.

Can I look at facedown cards beneath or attached to other cards I control? If I use the ability on Ancestral Knowledge ( 2) to draw one of the cards attached to it, am I allowed to know what each card is, or is it random?

Unless an effect states otherwise, investigators are allowed to look at the other sides of facedown cards beneath or attached to cards they control, such as Ancestral Knowledge, Backpack ( 37), and Diana Stanley ( 4). If you are given the ability to draw, play, or interact with one of those cards, you may look at them to know which one you wish to draw or play.

This is not true for facedown cards that are attached to encounter cards or placed facedown via a scenario effect, such as swarm cards, empty space, or tomes beneath locations in the challenge scenario Read or Die. In these instances, players cannot look at the other side of those cards unless instructed otherwise.

Blood on the Altar

The following questions contain light spoilers for “Blood on the Altar.”

Is the “pile of potential sacrifices”in play or out of play? Are they under any player’s control? What about cards that have been placed underneath the agenda deck?

The “pile of potential sacrifices” (and cards underneath the agenda deck) should be considered to be in play for the purposes of game rules, but these cards are under no player’s control. (Since the cards are facedown, you should try to remember which unique allies were kidnapped and added to the pile of potential sacrifices without having to look at it.) Additionally, the cards in the pile of potential sacrifices and underneath the agenda deck cannot be affected by player card effects or investigator actions.

Thus, if a unique asset is Kidnapped! ( 220), an investigator cannot play another copy of that asset. Additionally, if a player resigns or is defeated, any cards he or she owns that are in the pile of potential sacrifices or facedown underneath the agenda deck will remain as such.

What happens if Duke is listed under “Sacrficed to Yog-Sothoth?” Is “Ashcan” Pete still playable without Duke?

If a required card (such as Duke) is permanently removed from your deck, it also removes the requirement of including that card. If for whatever reason Duke cannot be included in “Ashcan” Pete’s deck, that requirement is considered to be removed, and Pete may continue without Duke.

Of course, since this is a significant handicap, you may also choose to optionally retire Pete and continue using a new investigator at 0 experience.

The Unspeakable Oath

The following questions contain light spoilers for “The Unspeakable Oath.”

Is the setup instruction regarding which version of Act 2—“The Really Bad Ones” the investigators should use correct? Am I supposed to be able to trigger the parley ability on Daniel Chesterfield (…Or At Least, What’s Left of Him)?

Yes, it is correct, and no, there is no way to trigger it (in this reality).

The Forgotten Age

The following questions contain light spoilers for scenarios in The Forgotten Age campaign.

What happens if I perform an explore action and I cycle through the entire exploration deck without finding either a treachery card or a location specified by the explore ability?

In such a case, the exploration simply ends. It is neither successful nor unsuccessful. All locations drawn during the exploration should be shuffled back into the exploration deck, and the investigator’s action ends.

If I am instructed to replay a scenario, do any effects from a previous resolution or interlude that refer to “the next scenario” apply? What about effects from the introduction that refer to “this scenario?”

Yes to both. If the previous resolution or interlude affects “the next scenario,” or if the scenario introduction affects “this scenario,” it should be construed to mean any playthrough of that scenario, including multiple playthroughs if the players are forced to replay it.

If a resolution or interlude contains effects that refer to “the next scenario,” will these apply to a side-story?

No; these effects refer only to the next scenario in the natural order of the campaign (for example, Scenario II: “The Doom of Eztli” after playing Scenario I: “The Untamed Wilds”). Additionally, for the purposes of these effects, Scenarios V–A and V–B are two separate scenarios.

Does Charon’s Obol ( 308) trigger its effects if a resolution instructs me to replay a scenario? What about in between Scenarios V–A and V–B?

Charon’s Obol’s effects occur “When earning experience during the resolution of a scenario…” Therefore, Charon’s Obol will not trigger when you are instructed to replay a scenario, because such resolutions state that “No experience points are earned from your previous game.”

However, in between Scenarios V–A and V–B, experience is earned, so Charon’s Obol will indeed trigger, even though players are not allowed to spend those experience points until after they have played Scenario V–B.

The Wages of Sin

The following questions contain light spoilers for “The Wages of Sin.”

When a location flips from its non-Spectral side to its Spectral side (or vice versa), what happens to tokens, attachments, or other cards at that location?

When such a location flips from one side to its other side, the location does not leave play. Therefore, all tokens that were on that location remain on its new side, all attachments remain attached, and all enemies, investigators and assets that were at that location remain as well.

Do Unfinished Business cards in an investigator’s threat area count as Heretics in play for the purposes of this scenario’s resolution? (i.e. how many heretics were unleashed unto Arkham?)

No. Only Heretics with the Heretic side faceup count. (However, note that Unfinished Business cards in an investigator’s threat area will not count their victory points, either, as normal.)

Before the Black Throne

The following questions contain light spoilers for “Before the Black Throne.”

When a location is connected via the Cosmos deck or when the placement of a location moves during this scenario, can it be placed in a spot where there is no empty space?

Yes. Empty space serves as a method to judge the distance from one location to another, and as a place for certain enemies to spawn or move through; it is not required that there be an empty space in the spot where the location is placed or moves to.

Terms

These are important terms that serve a precise function in the game. The terms are presented in alphabetical order.

Rulings and Clarifications

These are additions and clarifications to the core game rules. Each entry is presented with a unique number so it can be easily identified when making rulings, answering questions, or otherwise referring to the entry.

They should be used in conjunction with the Rules Reference to establish the rules of play. If the text in these rulings directly contradicts the text of the Rules Reference, the text of these rulings takes precedence.

The List of Taboos

The List of Taboos is a list of Arkham Horror: The Card Game cards with optional deckbuilding restrictions or text changes. This list is designed to craft a healthy balance between investigator power and scenario difficulty, and to enforce shifts in deckbuilding environments over time.

Adhering to The List of Taboos is completely optional. Investigators are not forced to adhere to the restrictions on this list, but if an investigator chooses to do so, they must do so in full (an investigator cannot pick and choose which restrictions to use).

Chained / Unchained

Cards from this list have their experience cost increased or decreased by the amount listed below. Each card’s level remains the same—only the experience spent to purchase the card is altered. This experience adjustment should also be taken into account when upgrading to or from a card that is on this list.

Mutated

Cards from this list have additional or altered text, as described below.

Forbidden

Cards from this list cannot be included in your deck.

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Action Trigger Free Trigger Reaction Trigger Per Investigator Unique Guardian (class) Seeker (class) Mystic (class) Rogue (class) Survivor (class) Willpower (skill) Intellect (skill) Combat (skill) Agility (skill) Wild (skill) Elder Sign (chaos token) Auto-fail (chaos token) Elder Thing (chaos token) Cultist (chaos token) Skull (chaos token) Tablet (chaos token) Bless (chaos token) Curse (chaos token) Frost (chaos token) Return to Night of the Zealot The Dunwich Legacy The Path to Carcosa The Forgotten Age The Dream-Eaters The Circle Undone The Innsmouth Conspiracy Murder at the Excelsior Hotel Nathaniel Cho Winifred Habbamock Harvey Walters Novella