Arkham Horror: The Card Game – Machinations Through Time: Scenario Pack Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Expansion Symbol
• Game Modes
• Standalone Mode
• Side-story (Campaign Mode)
• Additional Rules & Clarifications
  • Eras
  • Time Paradox
  • Story Cards
  • Announce
  • Abducted and Rescued
  • Alert
  • Patrol
  • Global Values
• Epic Multiplayer Mode
  • Time Limit
• Setup for Single Group Mode
• Setup for Epic Multiplayer Mode
  • Setup for Past Group
  • Setup for Present Group
  • Setup for Future Group
• Location Placement
  • Location Placement for the Past (page 16)
  • Location Placement for the Present (page 17)
  • Location Placement for the Future (page 18)
• Resolutions
  • No Resolution Reached
  • Resolution 1
  • Resolution 2
  • Resolution 3
  • Resolution 4
• Optional Variants
  • Single Group Mode Variant
  • Epic Multiplayer Mode Variant
• Announcements

Expansion Symbol

The cards in this expansion are identified by this symbol before each card's collector number.

[Expansion symbol icon, not reproduced]

Game Modes

Machinations Through Time can be played as either a standalone scenario or as a side-story inserted into any campaign. When played standalone, it can be played in one of two ways: with a single group of 1–4 players in Single Group Mode, or with 3–12 players split into three groups of 1–4 players each in Epic Multiplayer Mode.

Pages 3–5 include additional rules and clarifications for both versions of the scenario, while page 6 includes special rules pertaining to Epic Multiplayer Mode.

If you are playing in Single Group Mode, proceed to Setup for Single Group Mode on page 11. If you are playing in Epic Multiplayer Mode, proceed to Setup for Epic Multiplayer Mode on page 12.

Standalone Mode

When played as a standalone scenario, follow the steps for Standalone Mode in the Rules Reference. This booklet is the campaign guide for Machinations Through Time. This scenario has four difficulty modes. Each group may play on its own difficulty mode. Construct the chaos bag with the following tokens:

• Easy: +1, +1, +1, 0, 0, 0, 0, -1, -1, -1, -2, -2, skull, cultist, tablet, elder thing, elder sign, auto-fail.
• Standard: +1, 0, 0, -1, -1, -1, -2, -2, -3, -4, skull, skull, cultist, tablet, elder thing, elder thing, elder sign, auto-fail.
• Hard: 0, 0, -1, -1, -1, -2, -3, -4, -6, skull, skull, cultist, tablet, elder thing, elder thing, elder sign, auto-fail.
• Expert: 0, -1, -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, -8, skull, skull, cultist, tablet, elder thing, elder thing, elder sign, auto-fail.

Note: the chaos token symbols above are transcribed as words, in the order printed on the sheet. Each symbol is identified by its appearance on the page; the printed text does not name them.

Side-story (Campaign Mode)

A side-story is a scenario that may be played between any two scenarios of an Arkham Horror: The Card Game campaign. Playing a side-story costs each investigator in the campaign a certain amount of experience. Weaknesses, trauma, experience, and rewards granted by playing a side-story stay with the investigators for the remainder of the campaign. Each side-story may only be played once per campaign.

When this scenario is played as a side-story during a campaign, play it as if you are setting up the next scenario in the campaign, with the same chaos bag, weaknesses, trauma, and story assets previously earned.

Playing the Machinations Through Time side-story costs each investigator 2 experience.

Additional Rules & Clarifications

Eras

Machinations Through Time has three separate eras: past, present, and future. In Single Group Mode, you play all three eras simultaneously and may travel through all eras. In Epic Multiplayer Mode, each group is confined to a separate era.

• A Past asset cannot enter a non-Past location.
• A Present asset cannot enter a non-Present location.
• A Future non-Item asset cannot enter a non-Future location.

Time Paradox

During Machinations Through Time, you may be confronted with seemingly impossible tasks. Some tasks require the help of investigators in another era to complete. Communication is key.

Story Cards

Story cards are a cardtype in this scenario. These cards serve as an avenue for additional narrative and game text. During setup, resolve the Setup text on each story card in play. Abilities on story cards in play can be triggered by any investigator.

Announce

When a card instructs you to "announce" a key phrase, if you are playing in Epic Multiplayer Mode, clearly communicate that phrase to the other two groups. Some abilities require an announcement to have been made before they can be triggered. See page 24 for a list of all announcements.

Abducted and Rescued

When a Scientist asset is abducted (via card or game text), remove all counters from it and set it aside, out of play. It remains out of play until it is rescued (via card or game text).

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.

Patrol

Some enemies have the patrol keyword. During the enemy phase (in framework step 3.2), 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).

• If there are multiple locations that qualify as the designated location, the lead investigator may choose which location the enemy moves toward.
• If an enemy with patrol would be compelled to move to a location that is blocked by a card ability, the enemy does not move.

Global Values

Global values are calculated based on the total number of participating players among all groups at the start of the game. For example: 12 total players are split between three groups of four. The story card A Bitter Rivalry reads, "If you succeed, spend X clues, as a group, where X is the global number of players." In this example, X is 12.

The Tyr'thrha enemy has a global health pool of 6 [per-investigator health icon, not reproduced]. In this example, its global health pool is 72. In Epic Multiplayer Mode, this global health pool is shared among all groups.

Epic Multiplayer Mode

To play Machinations Through Time in Epic Multiplayer Mode, first divide the investigators into three separate groups— Past Group, Present Group, and Future Group. At least one investigator must be assigned to each group, and no more than four investigators may be assigned to a single group. While it is possible to play with groups of differently numbered players, split players between groups as evenly as possible. Each group requires one copy of this product in order to play. During gameplay, observe the following additional rules:

• Each group has its own play area, and plays the game separately from the other groups. Rules, actions, and card effects cannot affect investigators in other groups, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
• Each group can proceed to the next round or agenda independently of one another; there is no need to wait until all groups have reached the same point before proceeding.
• Investigators may freely communicate between groups.

Time Limit

When playing in Epic Multiplayer Mode, the players (or your event organizer) may impose a time restriction for the game. The default time limit is 180 minutes. The players (or your event organizer) may impose a different time restriction, often depending on the number of players. When this time limit has passed, any groups that are still playing must immediately advance to agenda 2b.

Setup for Single Group Mode

• Gather all cards from the Machinations Through Time and Single Group Mode encounter sets. These sets are indicated by these icons: [two encounter set icons, not reproduced].
• Set the Corrigan Industries location aside, out of play. Put the Tindalos location into play, using the side with the Single Group Mode encounter set icon. Put the remaining fourteen locations into play (see the location placements on pages 16–18, ignoring the placement for Tindalos).
  • Each investigator begins play at Tindalos.
• Put the A Noble Legacy (Past), A Noble Legacy (Present), and A Noble Legacy (Future) story cards into play, one at a time, and resolve the Setup text on each of them. (Hint–When playing, first focus on completing A Noble Legacy (Past), then focus on A Noble Legacy (Present), and, lastly, A Noble Legacy (Future).)
• Choose one of the three Machination story cards at random, put it into play, and resolve its Setup text. Remove the other two Machination story cards from the game.
• Choose one of the three Plot story cards at random, put it into play, and resolve its Setup text. Remove the other two Plot story cards from the game.
• Add 1 doom to agenda 1a. Then, if you are not playing on Standard difficulty, check the difficulty level:
  • If it is Easy difficulty, remove 1 doom from agenda 1a.
  • If it is Hard difficulty, add 1 doom to agenda 1a.
  • If it is Expert difficulty, add 2 doom to agenda 1a.
• Shuffle the remaining 33 encounter cards to form the encounter deck.
• You are now ready to begin.

Setup for Epic Multiplayer Mode

• Gather all cards from the Machinations Through Time and Epic Multiplayer Mode encounter sets. These sets are indicated by these icons: [two encounter set icons, not reproduced].
• Depending on which group you are in (Past Group, Present Group, or Future Group), follow the setup instructions for that group, on pages 12–16.

Setup for Past Group

• Put the Tindalos location into play, using the side with the Epic Multiplayer Mode encounter set icon. Put the five Past locations into play (see location placement on page 16). Remove the remaining locations from the game.
  • Each investigator begins play at Tindalos.
• Put the A Noble Legacy (Past) story card into play and resolve its Setup text. Remove the other two A Noble Legacy story cards from the game.
• Remove all Present and Future story assets from the game.
• Choose one of the three Machination story cards at random, announce its title, put it into play, and resolve its Setup text. Remove the other two Machination story cards from the game.
• Choose one of the three Plot story cards at random, announce its title, put it into play, and resolve its Setup text. Remove the other two Plot story cards from the game.
• Add 1 doom to agenda 1a. Then, if you are not playing on Standard difficulty, check the difficulty level:
  • If it is Easy difficulty, remove 1 doom from agenda 1a.
  • If it is Hard difficulty, add 1 doom to agenda 1a.
  • If it is Expert difficulty, add 2 doom to agenda 1a.
• Shuffle the remaining 33 encounter cards to form the encounter deck.
• You are now ready to begin.

Setup for Present Group

• Put the Tindalos location into play, using the side with the Epic Multiplayer Mode encounter set icon. Put the five Present locations into play (see location placement on page 17). Remove the remaining locations from the game.
  • Each investigator begins play at Tindalos.
• Put the A Noble Legacy (Present) story card into play and resolve its Setup text. Remove the other two A Noble Legacy story cards from the game.
• Remove all Past and Future story assets from the game.
• Put the announced Machination story card into play and resolve its Setup text. Remove the other two Machination story cards from the game.
• Put the announced Plot story card into play and resolve its Setup text. Remove the other two Plot story cards from the game.
• Add 1 doom to agenda 1a. Then, if you are not playing on Standard difficulty, check the difficulty level:
  • If it is Easy difficulty, remove 1 doom from agenda 1a.
  • If it is Hard difficulty, add 1 doom to agenda 1a.
  • If it is Expert difficulty, add 2 doom to agenda 1a.
• Shuffle the remaining 33 encounter cards to form the encounter deck.
• You are now ready to begin.

Setup for Future Group

• Put the Tindalos location into play, using the side with the Epic Multiplayer Mode encounter set icon. Set the Corrigan Industries location aside, out of play. Put the four Future locations into play (see location placement on page 18). Remove the remaining locations from the game.
  • Each investigator begins play at Tindalos.
• Put the A Noble Legacy (Future) story card into play and resolve its Setup text. Remove the other two A Noble Legacy story cards from the game.
• Remove all Past and Present story assets from the game.
• Put the announced Machination story card into play and resolve its Setup text. Remove the other two Machination story cards from the game.
• Put the announced Plot story card into play and resolve its Setup text. Remove the other two Plot story cards from the game.
• Add 1 doom to agenda 1a. Then, if you are not playing on Standard difficulty, check the difficulty level:
  • If it is Easy difficulty, remove 1 doom from agenda 1a.
  • If it is Hard difficulty, add 1 doom to agenda 1a.
  • If it is Expert difficulty, add 2 doom to agenda 1a.
• Shuffle the remaining 33 encounter cards to form the encounter deck.
• You are now ready to begin.

Location Placement

The location placement pages show each era's locations. The printed flavour text on each location card is not transcribed here; the location names, traits, and printed rules text are. The shroud and clue values printed on each card are on the cards themselves.

Location Placement for the Past (page 16)

• Arkham Gazette – Arkham. Portal. Past.
• River Docks – Arkham. Portal. Past.
• Tindalos – Past. Present. Future.
  • Tindalos is connected to each Portal location, and vice versa.
  • [swoosh ability icon, not named in the printed text]: Place 1 of your clues on Tindalos, or take control of 1 clue on a Tindalos location in any era.
  • [arrow action icon, not named in the printed text]: Test Intellect (3) or Agility (3). If you succeed, rescue an abducted Scientist asset and put it into play at Tindalos, exhausted.
• O'Malley's Watch Shop – Arkham. Portal. Past.
• Miskatonic University – Arkham. Portal. Past.
• Childhood Home – Arkham. Past.

Transcriber note: the two ability icons on Tindalos, and the skill icons in its Test ability (identified here by their appearance as the Intellect and Agility icons), are not named in the printed text. The placement diagram on page 16 shows the five Past locations and Tindalos in the arrangement printed there; the arrangement is not described in text.

Location Placement for the Present (page 17)

• Arkham Advertiser – Arkham. Portal. Present.
• River Docks – Arkham. Portal. Present.
• Tindalos – Past. Present. Future. (uses the same text as the Past Tindalos card above)
• Tick-Tock Club – Arkham. Portal. Present.
• Miskatonic University – Arkham. Portal. Present.
• Ye Olde Magick Shoppe – Arkham. Present.

Transcriber note: the page 17 placement diagram is positional; the locations are arranged around Tindalos as printed.

Location Placement for the Future (page 18)

• Arkham Advertiser – Arkham. Portal. Future.
• River Docks – Arkham. Portal. Future.
• Tindalos – Past. Present. Future. (uses the same text as the Past Tindalos card above)
• Tick-Tock Club – Arkham. Portal. Future.
• Miskatonic University – Arkham. Portal. Future.

The Corrigan Industries location is set aside, out of play, in Single Group Mode and in the Future Group's setup. Its card is not placed on these pages.

Resolutions

DO NOT READ until the end of the scenario.

No Resolution Reached

If no resolution was reached (each investigator was defeated): Countless Hounds burst through the portals and angles of space, cornering you. Bewildered and terrified, you stare down your demise...

• Each remaining investigator in all eras is defeated and suffers 1 mental trauma.
• If the Edwin Bennet asset is in play in any era, proceed to Resolution 2.
• If the Edwin Bennet enemy is in play in any era, proceed to Resolution 3.
• Otherwise, proceed to Resolution 4.

Resolution 1

The discoveries of Thomas Corrigan and Mary Zielinski are highly influential to the advancement of the Sciences. With their help, you're able to seal all portals leading to Tindalos from Arkham, and Edwin Bennet and his machinations are no longer a threat to the world. You purchase a copy of the newspaper depicting the two scientists, and realization strikes you: there is still one thing left to do. You fire up the machine and place the newspaper on the platform. You have to close the loop, or all of this will have been in vain...

• For each of the following assets that are in play (Nikola Tesla, Ezra Graves, and Dimensional Beam Machine), any one investigator may choose to add that asset to their deck. It does not count toward that investigator's deck size.
• Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display.

Resolution 2

Against all odds, you manage to escape the clutches of the beasts, but with them pursuing you, it is impossible for you to repair the broken timeline. Hope is not forsaken. Although leery, you place your trust in Edwin Bennet to repair all that was broken. He has the ability, but does he have the integrity?

• For each of the following assets that are in play (Nikola Tesla, Ezra Graves, and Dimensional Beam Machine), any one investigator may choose to add that asset to their deck. It does not count toward that investigator's deck size.
• Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display.

Resolution 3

Paralyzed with fear and nauseated by the stench of the baying beasts, you faint. When you next open your eyes, you find yourself in a sickly gloom under a green moon, buried to your neck in fetid soil as permanent residents of Tindalos. Humanity has suffered a profound loss. Thomas Corrigan and Mary Zielinski are also imprisoned on Tindalos, and their lifelong works disappear along with them. Worse still, the conniving Edwin Bennet and his machinations ripple through time, unimpeded. You're repulsed by the thought of what the psychopath is scheming next.

• Each surviving investigator is driven insane.

Resolution 4

Against all odds, you manage to escape the clutches of the beasts, but with them pursuing you, it is impossible for you to repair the broken timeline. Humanity has suffered a profound loss. Thomas Corrigan and Mary Zielinski are imprisoned on Tindalos, and their lifelong works disappear along with them. The only saving grace is Edwin Bennet is nowhere to be found. His machinations have ceased and the world is for the better. But deep down, one thought lingers: the possibility of his return.

• For each of the following assets that are in play (Nikola Tesla, Ezra Graves, and Dimensional Beam Machine), any one investigator may choose to add that asset to their deck. It does not count toward that investigator's deck size.
• Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display.

Optional Variants

For a more challenging and thematic experience, try playing with any number of the following variants:

• When a Past version of the Thomas Corrigan or Mary Zielinski asset is abducted, announce that their Present version (in the present era) is also abducted. When a Present version of the Thomas Corrigan or Mary Zielinski asset is abducted, announce that their Future version (in the future era) is also abducted.
• During setup, instead of choosing one Plot story card, choose two Plot story cards at random, put them into play, one at a time, and resolve the Setup text on each of them (instead of removing enemies from the game, set them aside). Remove the other Plot story card from the game. For an extra challenging experience, put all three Plot story cards into play!

Single Group Mode Variant

• When two or more Scientist assets with the same title are in play at Tindalos, they all faint from seeing one another. Deal 5 horror to each of those assets.

Epic Multiplayer Mode Variant

• Instead of playing independently of one another, at the end of each round, each group must pause the game and wait until all three groups have reached the end of the round before proceeding to the next round.

Announcements

The following is a list of announcements that can be made as the investigators play the Machinations Through Time scenario. As the investigators complete each of these announcements, check the box next to them.

• ☐ "Thomas and Mary have met."
• ☐ "Thomas and Mary have been inspired by Nikola Tesla."
• ☐ "Funding for an observatory has begun."
• ☐ "The observatory is built."
• ☐ "Teleportation research has begun."
• ☐ "Corrigan Industries has been founded."
• ☐ "Thomas and Mary have made a historic discovery."
• ☐ "Thomas and Mary have won a Nobel Prize."
• ☐ "A tree seed has been planted."
• ☐ "Thomas and Mary have married."
• ☐ "The debt has been paid."