Carcosa
Carcosa Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Component List
- 84 Carcosa tiles
- 4 Hastur tiles
- Cult board
- 36 Cultists
- 4 Prophets
- 8 Criminals
- 1 Stranger
- 24 Ritual Stone tokens
- 4 Chapter House cards
- 4 Forbidden Lore cards (multilingual)
- 1 Rulebook
- 5 Art illustrations
- 8 Support tokens
Components and Setup
Map Tiles
The box includes 88 tiles. Each of the elements shown below represents a different Section of a tile.
- Domes and towers: these are the Districts of Carcosa.
- Filaments of crackling energy: these are the Energy Flows.
- Circles of stones and symbols: these are the Ritual Sites.
- Murky, freezing waters: this is Lake Hali.
- Vortices of unimaginable power: these are the Confluxes. The vortices can give power to Energy Flows.
There are 84 tiles on which the Energy Flows, the Districts of Carcosa and the Ritual Sites are pictured; these sections are often surrounded by the waters of Lake Hali. Every tile has a "stable" side and an "unstable" side.
Tiles are initially put into play with the unstable side face up but, before long, the powers of the dark stars will let you stabilise them (by turning them over to their stable side).
There are 4 tiles that have an arcane symbol drawn on their "unstable side". On their other side Hastur, the heart of Carcosa, is pictured. Place these tiles at the centre of the play area with the map sections face up, following the rules for tile placement (as specified on p. 6).
For example, it is possible to place the tiles in this way (diagram omitted). Other combinations are also possible... nobody knows the real shape of lost Carcosa.
Cult Board
This board is formed of two distinct areas. The Occult Power Track runs along the edges of the board and is used to keep track of the growing power of the cults in play.
One side of the board (marked with the Roman numeral "L") has a Track made of a smaller number of spaces. For 4-player games (or if you are playing a short game) use this side of the Cult Board.
The other side of the board, marked with the Roman numeral "LXX", has more spaces, which means the Cults will have to work harder to summon the King. This side can be used for 2 or 3-player challenges, or if "The Summoning of the King" is the victory condition that most frequently ends your games.
The centre of the board, also called the Yellow Sign, represents the place where the Cultists have set up the ritual chamber! The six areas marked with a Roman numeral are intended to hold different stacks of tiles: shuffle all the tiles except those showing Hastur, divide them as equally as possible and place them on the numbered areas with the unstable side face up. The number of stacks to form varies according to the number of players:
| Stacks | Players |
|---|---|
| 4 | 2 |
| 5 | 3 |
| 6 | 4 |
In three-player games the stacks will not all be formed of the same number of tiles.
Chapter House Cards
These cards represent the place where your Cultists are sent to recover their sanity. At the start of the game each player receives one. Each Chapter House is divided into two distinct areas: the "Asylum" and the "Recovery Room".
Forbidden Lore Cards
At the start of the game each player receives one of these cards, which is used as a reminder of the rules of the game.
Cultists
The box includes 10 Cultists in each of the four colours corresponding to the Cults that will face one another. The wooden pawns that represent them are placed next to each player's Chapter House to form their "reserve".
Afterwards the players must place their own Cultists in the following areas:
- One Standing Cultist at the centre of the Yellow Sign. This will be the Prophet.
- One Standing Cultist next to the Occult Power Track. This will be the Oracle.
- Three Prone Cultists at the centre of the Yellow Sign. These are potential Cultists that can be recruited!
- One Prone Cultist on the Asylum of their own Chapter House. This Cultist has gone mad but will heal with the passing of time!
- One Standing Cultist on the Recovery Room of their own Chapter House. This Cultist has recently regained his mental faculties but cannot yet be trusted!
The three Cultists that do not find a place in any area form your "reserve".
Rules for Quick Games
If you wish to play a Quick Game, place only 2 Cultists on the Yellow Sign and leave 4 in the reserve.
Ritual Stones
These stones can be charged by the occult powers absorbed from the Energy Flows. Each player has six Ritual Stones, numbered from II to VII, which must be placed with their Roman numeral face down.
Object of the Game
The players must place the tiles that represent Carcosa and use their own Cultists to conquer its power.
In this wonderful place there are Domes and Towers, Ritual Sites and Energy Flows that will be revealed tile after tile. The players must deploy their Cultists so as to conquer the Occult Power necessary to restore the ancient glory of Carcosa.
The Cult that conquers the most power earns the right to wear the Pallid Mask of the Chosen and may even manage to summon His Majesty the King.
The game ends as soon as one of the following conditions occurs:
- Two of the stacks on the Yellow Sign run out - "The Rise of the Cult".
- A Cult manages to summon the King in Yellow - "The Summoning of the King".
The details of these victory conditions are specified in the End of the Game section.
Course of the Game
Players proceed clockwise. Determine the player who takes the first turn in a way that pleases the King in Yellow (for example, the last person to have dreamed of stars or sacrifices). Before passing to the next player, each player carries out the following actions:
Use a Ritual Stone
At any moment during their turn a player who has at least one charged Ritual Stone may turn it over to unleash its effects. Once this is done, if possible, the player must move their Prophet to the reserve until it is next their turn to Select a Tile. The effects of the Ritual Stones are specified on p. 13.
1. Recover Sanity
All Cultists on the Recovery Room of the Chapter House are moved to the reserve. Then, all Cultists on the Asylum are moved to the Recovery Room.
2. Select a Tile
The active player must take a tile from one of the stacks on which no Prophet is present and then place their own Prophet on the chosen stack.
3. Place or Replace a Tile
The player may look at both sides of the chosen tile without showing them to the opponents (once drawn, the tile must be played!). The chosen tile is put into play with the unstable side face up and must be placed next to at least one other tile in such a way that the Energy Flows, Districts and Lake match the portion of the map revealed so far (this applies to both the stable and the unstable sides of the tiles!).
(Diagrams: an Energy Flow that cannot be connected to the new tile is not allowed; an Energy Flow that can connect to the new tile is fine.)
OR
Alternatively it is possible to replace an Unstable tile that is not occupied by any Cultist. The new tile must preserve all the "connections" in place with the portion of the map already revealed. Once replaced, the tile must be put at the bottom of the stack made up of the fewest tiles among all those on the Yellow Sign (in the event of a tie the player may freely choose the destination stack).
4. Deploy a Cultist
You may take a single Cultist from your own reserve and deploy it on the tile just put into play. The Cultist is placed on any unoccupied section of the tile. A section is considered occupied also if it connects to already occupied sections belonging to other tiles (see the examples on the following page).
Except for any effects of Ritual Stones, each player may deploy only one Cultist per turn.
Once deployed, the Cultist prevents the unstable tile from being replaced and contributes to the conquest of power by its Cult (see the following page).
5. Resolve the Tile Effects
Tiles put into play may produce effects ranging from the acquisition of power to the sacrifice of Cultists! See the Gaining Power section for further details.
Gaining Power
Energy Flows
Deploying a Cultist
After putting a tile into play you may deploy a Cultist from your reserve onto the Energy Flow pictured on it, provided the Flow is not already controlled by other Cultists (of any player).
Examples:
- The Orange Cult has just put the tile on the right into play and may deploy a Cultist on the Energy Flow.
- The Orange Cult has just put the tile on the right into play but cannot deploy a Cultist on the Energy Flow because it is controlled by the Blue Cult. The Orange Cultist may be deployed on the District or sacrificed in the waters of Lake Hali.
Completing an Energy Flow
If the ends of an Energy Flow terminate in a Conflux, a Ritual Site, a District, or join up to form a "closed circuit", then the tiles crossed by the Flow will stabilise and the Cult that controls it can obtain benefits.
Determining Control
The Cult with the most Cultists on the Energy Flow can enjoy its benefits. In the event of a tie the King will be pleased and will see to it that all the contenders obtain the same benefits.
Gaining Benefits
If the tiles crossed by a Completed Energy Flow are not on their stable side, turn them over immediately. This may stabilise part of a District or cause a Ritual Site to bring about terrible (or wonderful) events! See the Ritual Sites section and resolve the relevant effects Immediately.
If the Energy Flow ends in a Powered Conflux, the one who controls it (or those who contest it) may advance their Oracle one space on the Occult Power Track for every tile crossed by the Flow.
In addition, all those who control the Energy Flow may charge a single Ritual Stone having a Roman numeral value equal to or less than the total length of the Energy Flow just completed.
Finally, all Cultists on the Energy Flow will fall victim to madness: remove them from play and place them on the Asylum of their Chapter House.
Advanced Rule
After playing a few games you can use the following rule: it is possible to charge more Ritual Stones provided the sum of their Roman numerals does not exceed the total length of the completed Energy Flow.
For example, if a Flow 6 tiles long is stabilised, you may charge a single Stone VI, or a Stone II and a Stone IV.
Examples
The Blue Cult puts into play the bottom-left tile forming a closed circuit. Then:
- The 5 unstable tiles are turned to their stable side.
- The Blue Cult may charge a Ritual Stone. Since the Energy Flow is 6 tiles long it is possible to select a power from Wear the Mask to Call the Legion.
- The Blue Cultist goes mad and must be placed on the Asylum of its Chapter House.
The Purple Cult puts into play the bottom-left tile so that the Flow connects a Ritual Site and a District. Then:
- The 3 unstable tiles are turned to their stable side.
- The Blue Cultist must resolve the effects of the Ritual Site (as specified below), gaining power and possibly being devoured and causing the sacrifice of the Orange Cultist.
- The Purple Cult may charge a Ritual Stone, selecting a power among Wear the Mask, We Are Legion or Glimpse the Unknown.
- The Purple Cultist goes mad and must be placed on the Asylum of its Chapter House.
Ritual Sites
Deploying a Cultist
After placing the tile you may deploy one of your Cultists on the Ritual Site so that he may beg the King in Yellow to bestow his gifts.
Completing the Ritual
The Ritual concludes automatically as soon as the tile that hosts the Site becomes stable. For this purpose it does not matter who made that tile stable.
Ritual Sites stabilise as soon as they are surrounded by other tiles (stable or unstable). In addition, Ritual Sites may also stabilise if they are crossed by Energy Flows or if a District adjacent to them is stabilised.
Determining Control
Ritual Sites may be occupied by a single Cultist and therefore only one Cult, regardless of who contributed to its completion, may enjoy the relevant benefits. Rival Cults can still obtain power through atrocious sacrifices!
Gaining Power
Turn the Ritual Site to its stable side. Depending on what is shown on the other side of the tile, two events may occur:
The King is Pleased! The player who controls the Cultist must advance their Oracle on the Occult Power Track by a number of spaces equal to 1 plus the number of tiles surrounding the Ritual Site. Finally the Cultist on the Ritual Site goes mad and must be sent to the Asylum of its Chapter House.
The Devourer has been summoned near a Ritual Site. Bow before the Devourer! The player who controls the Cultist must advance their Oracle on the Occult Power Track by a number of spaces equal to 1 plus the number of tiles surrounding the Ritual Site. Then the Cultist and all the Sacrificial Victims on the waters of Lake Hali are devoured (see the Sacrifices paragraph).
Place the devoured Cultists Prone at the centre of the Yellow Sign. Then the Oracle of their Cult may advance four spaces on the Occult Power Track for each devoured Cultist.
Example:
The Blue Cult puts into play the tile indicated by the red arrow, stabilising the Ritual Site. The Blue Cult's Oracle may advance immediately 9 spaces. If the Devourer is summoned, the Cultist who performed the ritual and the one in the bottom right corner will be devoured and the Blue Oracle may advance a further 8 spaces. The Orange Sacrificial Victim will also be devoured, allowing its Oracle to advance 4 spaces.
The Blue Cultist in the lower left corner will not be devoured because an Energy Flow separates him from the Ritual Site.
Districts
Deploying a Cultist
After placing the tile you may deploy one of your Cultists on the District provided that one of the sections of the tile does not connect to another District already controlled by other Cultists (belonging to any player), just as in the case of Energy Flows.
Completing a District
The District stabilises automatically as soon as it is completely surrounded by walls with no empty spaces remaining within it.
Determining Control
The Cult with the most Cultists within its walls may obtain power from the District. In the event of a tie the King will be pleased and will allow all the contenders, starting from the active player and proceeding clockwise, to obtain power.
Using the Power
The player who obtains power from a District may advance their Oracle on the Occult Power Track by 2 spaces for each tile that makes up the District.
Then turn all the tiles that form the District so that their stable side is face up.
If at least one of the tiles of the District contains a Theatre, then all the players who have Cultists deployed on the District may take, for each Theatre revealed, a single Cultist from among all those placed Prone at the centre of the Yellow Sign and add it to their reserve.
Finally, all the Cultists on the District go mad and must be sent to the Asylum of their Chapter House.
Sacrifices
Deploying a Cultist
After putting a tile into play you may deploy one of your Cultists to be sacrificed in the dark waters of Lake Hali.
Place the Cultist Prone on a water section. Nobody can control Lake Hali, so several Cults may deploy their Sacrificial Victims on a water section, but only one Cultist may be deployed on the tile just put into play!
Example:
The Blue Cult puts the bottom-left tile into play. Then it is possible to deploy a Cultist on the Energy Flow, but not on the District (since this is already controlled by the Blue Cultist). The Energy Flow is enclosed between two distinct zones of water on which a Cultist ready to be sacrificed can be deployed. The Blue Cult chooses the side to the right of the Flow and places a Prone Cultist on the water zone, awaiting the Devourer's coming to claim his sacrifice!
A Terrible Fate
Sacrificial Victims may be devoured during the performance of a ritual (as specified in the Ritual Sites section) or simply allow their Cult to obtain power at the end of the game (as specified below). Think carefully before making sacrifices, especially during the early stages of the game!
Charged Ritual Stones
During their turn, if a player has at least one Ritual Stone imbued with power they may turn it over to activate its effects. Only one Ritual Stone of each type may be used at a time. The Stones produce the following effects:
- Wear the Mask (2+): The player may take all Cultists on the Asylum or the Recovery Room of their Chapter House and add them to their reserve.
- We Are Legion (3+): The player may deploy an additional Cultist from their reserve onto an uncontrolled section of any tile.
- Glimpse the Unknown (4+): The player may examine all the tiles of the stack on which their Prophet is located and put them back in the order they prefer.
- A Betrayed Mask (5+): The player may move any number of Prophets to another stack or return them to the reserve of their Cult.
- Call the Legion (6+): The player may take any Prone Cultist and put it back Standing in their own reserve.
- Shape the Unknown (7+): The player may look at the tiles of the stack on which their Prophet is located, choose one and then put the others back in the order they prefer. The chosen tile is placed next to the player's Chapter House and may be played as an extra tile during this turn or in one of the following ones.
After using a Ritual Stone the player must put the Prophet back in their reserve until it is next their turn to select a new tile.
End of the Game
The Rise of the Cult
As the twin suns sink into the waters of the lake the dark shadows begin to envelop the land. Absorb the energies from the minds of the weak observers and take control of Lost Carcosa!
When two of the stacks on the Yellow Sign have run out and all their tiles are in play, each player must follow these steps to collect the accumulated energies by advancing their Oracle on the Occult Power Track:
- Every controlled (or contested) Energy Flow is worth 1 space for each tile crossed.
- Every incomplete Ritual Site controlled is worth 1 space for each adjacent tile.
- Every incomplete District controlled (or contested) is worth 1 space for each tile (not 2!).
- Every Sacrificial Victim not devoured is worth 1 space (not 4!).
- Every charged Ritual Stone is worth 1 space (regardless of its type).
An Oracle may begin a second "lap" during this phase: Cults that did not manage to end the game through The Summoning of the King may in fact resume accumulating power by advancing their Oracle on the Occult Power Track (in this case any power not used from the start of the King's summoning ritual is wasted).
After all the Oracles have advanced, the Cult that has obtained the most power takes control of Carcosa and may wear the Pallid Mask!
The Summoning of the King
He will bless this world! Now that you have the power, praise Him! The hour of HIS coming has arrived!
When an Oracle reaches the end of the Track it can no longer gain or lose power and automatically begins the summoning ritual.
From that moment on, whenever a Cultist belonging to its Cult goes mad, its pawn must be placed Standing on the Yellow Sign instead of being sent to the Asylum.
If a Cult comes to have three Standing Cultists on the Yellow Sign before two stacks run out, then the ritual is completed and the King in Yellow manifests to rule over His new kingdom! In these cases the Cult that Summoned the King automatically wins the game.
Arcane Knowledge
What do the colours and the black stars shown on some tiles represent? A pale yellow colour and a four-pointed star indicate a low probability of a magnificent or terrible event occurring once the tile is turned over. An intense yellow colour and an eight-pointed star indicate instead a good probability of an event occurring.
What are the other symbols shown on the unstable side of the tiles for? The squares on the unstable side of the tiles are used only for solo games; in multiplayer games you can ignore them. They are (very!) approximate scoring indicators.
Is it possible to pass your turn or not to play any tile? No.
What must be done if it is not possible to put any new tile into play? This is a rather remote possibility: sometimes you may find yourself forced to place a tile in a non-optimal position, but this is perfectly acceptable. Should such a situation occur, and only if the other players agree, you may put the tile back at the bottom of the lowest stack and then draw the next available tile.
How many Cultists can be deployed on a newly placed tile? Either a single Cultist, or none.
A newly placed tile stabilises immediately; is it possible to deploy a Cultist on it? Yes, the order of resolution for a tile is as follows: first the tile is put into play, then a Cultist may be deployed, and finally it is checked whether the new tile stabilises.
Is it possible to deploy a Cultist on an unoccupied tile placed previously? No. Unless a Ritual Stone is used, Cultists can be deployed only on unoccupied, newly placed tiles.
A Theatre was revealed after its tile was stabilised by an Energy Flow. Do its effects activate immediately? No. The effects of the Theatre activate only once its entire District is completed. The presence of the Theatre is, however, an excellent reason to fight for its conquest!
Does the Ritual Stone We Are Legion allow deploying two Cultists on a single tile? Yes, but only provided the Cultists are on two different sections of the same tile.
When the extra tile is put into play thanks to the Ritual Stone Shape the Unknown, is it possible to deploy a Cultist on it? Since deploying a Cultist is the fourth of the steps to be carried out during a player's turn, this can be done only if no Cultist has yet been deployed or the effects of a tile have not yet been resolved. As always, any use of Ritual Stones is an exception...
Is it possible to activate Ritual Stones even if they will not produce any effect? Yes. In these cases, regardless of their effects, the Prophet must always be put back in the reserve.
A player has accumulated enough power to begin the Summoning of the King ritual. What happens to the Cultists who go mad during this turn? Following the order of resolution of actions, first power is generated, then the Oracle is moved, and finally the Cultists go mad. In this case the mad Cultists must immediately be placed Standing on the Yellow Sign. It could even happen, although this is a rather remote possibility, that a player manages to reach the end of the Occult Power Track and complete the Summoning of the King ritual in the same turn.
What happens to Cultists devoured during the Summoning of the King ritual? Devoured Cultists cannot contribute to the ritual and the power they accumulated is lost.
Who added the annotations found between the pages of this rulebook? The author? The King? The Stranger? There are no annotations in the pages of this rulebook...
The box contains 8 coloured tokens; what are they for? You can use these tokens to mark the last tile placed in play, or as reminders to indicate an area or some tiles that are important to you (or you can make rival Cults believe that this is really so!).
The box contains some parts of the Devourers; what are they for? They are extra components! Join the two interlocking parts to form the model of the Devourer. It can be placed on a tile to represent the abominable creature ready to claim its Sacrificial Victims!
What is the elephant pawn for? Nothing; it is a gift from the King in Yellow!
Carcosa: The Criminals
"Someone jostled me and passed by without even turning round. The deadly malice of his actions must surely have equalled the anger in his eyes." - Robert W. Chambers, The King in Yellow
Some servants have been called to serve the Ragged King but their minds are too weak to carry out the majestic tasks assigned to them. They are capable of performing only minor assignments and often nothing else can be asked of them!
Carcosa: The Criminals is a mini-expansion for Carcosa.
Setup
Each player must take the grey pawn of one Criminal and add it to their reserve. The remaining Criminals are placed Prone at the centre of the Yellow Sign.
Course of the Game
Effects and Criminals
Any effect relating to Cultists may also affect Criminals. Effects that concern all Cultists are valid also for all Criminals.
Theatres and Criminals
When a District containing a Theatre is completed, any player who is allowed to recruit a Cultist may instead decide to recruit a single Criminal from the Yellow Sign. If several Cults have Cultists deployed on the District, the active player is the first who may recruit a Criminal, then it is the turn of the player to their left, and so on.
Deploying Criminals
Criminals may be deployed normally in place of Cultists, or by using the Ritual Stone We Are Legion. All the normal rules for deploying Cultists apply.
Actions of Criminals
Criminals that control a section of a tile prevent it from being replaced just as if they were Cultists. Once put into play, Criminals are no longer controlled by any Cult and therefore do not allow any player to obtain power if they are placed on completed Energy Flows, Districts or Ritual Sites.
If one or more Criminals are devoured, the player who completed the ritual may advance their Oracle 4 spaces on the Power Track for each Criminal devoured, regardless of the Cult that had deployed it.
Carcosa: The Stranger
"You, sir, should take off your mask." "Do you mean it?" "Yes, the time has come. We have already taken off ours and only you are left." "I wear no mask." "Really? Yes, no mask!" - Robert W. Chambers, The King in Yellow
The Stranger has arrived. He may be the Herald of the King or one of his Reincarnations. He may bring with him gifts for His Majesty or be himself the King, terrible and magnificent at once, finally come among us! His motives are unknown but what is certain is the chaos he is able to sow wherever he goes.
Carcosa: The Stranger is a mini-expansion for Carcosa.
Setup
Place the yellow pawn of the Stranger on the Yellow Sign. Do not hesitate before him.
Course of the Game
He Has Arrived
If the Stranger is on the Yellow Sign and the players place tiles in such a way that a "hole" remains completely surrounded along its four sides by adjacent tiles, then place the Stranger in the empty space.
He Wanders
At the start of each player's turn the Stranger moves one tile North, South, West or East (not diagonally) toward the Cultist closest to him. If two or more Cultists are equidistant from the Stranger, or if there are no Cultists in play, the active player may choose. Once in play the Stranger may move only on tiles already placed in play.
If the Stranger reaches an unstable tile it stabilises immediately without causing any effect. For example, if a Ritual Site is stabilised, no Cultist will be devoured or allow its Oracle to gain power. If the tile is already occupied by a Cultist the Stranger whispers some words to him and must subsequently be put back on the Yellow Sign.
He Speaks
When the Stranger speaks to them, all the Cultists on the tile he occupies go mad and must immediately be moved to the Asylum of their Chapter House.
The players who control Cultists driven mad in this way learn a Terrible Secret, thanks to which, starting from the active player, it is possible to examine and choose two tiles from among all those belonging to the tallest stack (in the event of a tie the stack to examine may be chosen). One of the chosen tiles must be removed from the game while the other may be placed next to the player's Chapter House to be played as an extra tile during this turn or in one of the following ones.
Clarifications on Ritual Stones
(This section appears in the Italian rulebook as printed; it quotes the wording of two turn steps.)
1. Recover Sanity "Move the cultists one step toward the supply." - By "supply" is meant toward the recovery of their mental faculties, so that they can return to serving their Cult as soon as possible.
4. Place a Cultist "On the free feature of the tile just placed." - By "feature" is meant any section of a tile: for example, tiles on which the waters of Lake Hali, a portion of an Energy Flow and a section of a District are pictured will be formed of three distinct features or sections.
Solo Game: The Investigators
"The chorus of a pack of howling wolves greeted the dawn. I saw them emit their wild litany seated on top of irregular grottoes and mounds that occupied more than half of the desert horizon that stretched before my eyes. It was then that I understood: I was looking at the ancient and famous ruins of lost Carcosa." - Ambrose G. Bierce, An Inhabitant of Carcosa
Some mortals dare to oppose the will of the Ragged King. They must on no account succeed in their undertaking!
Carcosa: The Investigators is a mini-expansion that allows Carcosa to be played solo.
Introduction
In Carcosa: The Investigators, a solo player will try to seize the secrets of Carcosa while three different enemy factions try to hinder his Cult.
The victory conditions are the same as in the base game: the player wins if two of the stacks on the Yellow Sign run out or if he manages to summon the King. The task of the Investigators is to prevent this from happening.
Before continuing to read the rules of this expansion it is advisable to have acquired some familiarity with the normal course of the game.
Setup
Place the four Hastur tiles at the centre of the play area and place the Cult Board with the "L" side face up.
Form six stacks of tiles: four are placed on the Cult Board just as in the two-player game. The two remaining stacks are put back in the box.
Then:
- Choose a colour for your Cult and prepare your Cultists as if you were about to play a multiplayer game. For this example we will use the Orange Cult. At the start of the game the minor Ritual Stones (II, III and IV) are already imbued with power and must therefore be turned immediately to their charged side.
- Choose a colour to represent the Scholar. You need only the Prophet (henceforth called "the Scholar") and one Cultist ("the Assistant"). For this example we will use Blue. Place the Scholar next to the Cult Board and the Assistant on the At the End space of the Occult Power Track. (Original Italian: "Alla Fine"; this space is not otherwise described in the text.)
- Choose a colour to represent the Occultists. You need 5 Cultists. For this example we will use Purple. Place an Occultist on each space marked with the | symbol on the Occult Power Track.
- Choose a colour to represent the Detectives. You need 4 Cultists. For this example we will use Brown. Place a Detective on each space marked with the X symbol on the Occult Power Track.
Once all the steps are completed the play area is set up as shown in the diagram (omitted).
Difficulty Levels
The solo rules are modular: you can use any combination of the modifiers listed below according to the desired level of complexity:
Increased Muscle
The mini-expansion The Criminals slightly increases the tactical complexity of the game but at the same time allows you to face the Detectives and Occultists more easily. The rules for using the Criminals remain the same as in the base game.
Foolish Naive Ones
If winning solo games proves too complex, or simply if you wish to dominate Carcosa more easily, you may remove the Occultists and use only two rival "factions". In this way the Investigation phase also becomes easier to manage.
A Distant King
Use the "LXX" side of the Cult Board and apply the following adjustments to the rules:
- Place two additional Detectives and two additional Occultists on the spaces of the Occult Power Track marked with the symbols X and | respectively. (Original text lists "| and X" in that order, "rispettivamente"; transcribed as Detectives = X, Occultists = |, consistent with Setup.)
- Instead of forming six stacks and discarding two, form five and discard only one. In this way four stacks will still remain on the Yellow Sign.
Unprepared for His Coming
At the start of the game you receive no minor Ritual Stones (II, III and IV): it will thus be more difficult to gain dominion over Carcosa!
Turn Order
The turn order remains the same as in multiplayer games, but step 4 (Deploy a Cultist) now offers further options. Step 6 (Investigations) is also introduced, during which the rival factions play their "turn":
- Recover Sanity
- Select a Tile
- Place or Replace a Tile
- Deploy a Cultist
- Resolve the Tile Effects
- Investigations a. Deployed Detectives b. Scholar and Assistant
The Occultists are not included in this list since the members of their faction, once deployed, cannot perform any action.
Deploying Cultists in Solo Games
The following modifications apply to the rules for deploying Cultists:
Deploying on Tile Sections
Deployment works the same as in multiplayer games. Cultists can never be deployed on sections already occupied by Occultists.
Deploying on Hastur Tiles
Cultists may be deployed on sections (complete or incomplete) of the Hastur tiles provided they are not already occupied by other Cultists or Occultists.
Deploying on the Occult Power Track
Cultists may be deployed Prone on any unoccupied space of the Occult Power Track marked with the symbols |, x, alpha or omega to set traps for the Assistant (as specified below).
As always, only one Cultist may be deployed per turn (except those deployed thanks to Ritual Stones).
Ritual Stones in Solo Games
In solo games the following modifications apply to the rules for Ritual Stones:
We Are Legion
The Cultist may be deployed on an uncontrolled section of any tile OR on any space marked with symbols on the Occult Power Track.
A Betrayed Mask
You may move the Scholar to a different stack OR move the Assistant back to the last space of the Occult Power Track, among all those marked with an X, that he has passed.
End of the Game
Each opposing faction will try to ruin your plans in different ways. The game ends if:
- Scholar: The Assistant completes an entire lap around the Cult Board.
- Occultists: Four Occultists occupy the Districts of Hastur.
- Detectives: Your Cult is reduced to fewer than three Cultists.
Further details on these events are given below. If one of the situations just described occurs, calculate your final score using the rules for "The Rise of the Cult", as specified in the base rulebook.
Apart from these exceptions the victory conditions used in multiplayer games remain valid. The final score is determined as follows:
- The Rise of the Cult: Count the spaces travelled by the Oracle and add 10 points.
- The Summoning of the King: The score is 75, or 100 if the "A Distant King" modifier was used.
Detectives
Adventurers, hunters and people used to living by their wits: these fools have no idea where they are poking their noses! While your power continues to grow they do nothing but slow your Cultists with impertinent questions and violent actions.
Deployment
When the Oracle reaches a Detective, move the latter onto one of the Hastur tiles on which no Detective is already present; if all the Hastur tiles are already occupied by Detectives then simply remove it from the game.
Actions
On their turn the Detectives must resolve one after the other, in the order chosen by the player, one of the following actions listed in order of priority:
Attack: A Detective on the same tile as a Cultist starts a deadly fight that eliminates both pawns. Remove the Detective from the game and place the Cultist Prone on the Yellow Sign.
Move: The Detective approaches the Cultist closest to him.
In light of the order of priority just described, a Detective can eliminate a Cultist only on the turn following the one in which he reached the tile it occupies.
End of the Game
If your Cult is reduced to fewer than 3 Cultists (not counting Criminals) it will disband completely! The remaining Cultists and Criminals will hide in the hope of refounding it one day from its ashes. Calculate your final score using the rules for "The Rise of the Cult".
Detective Movement
The Detectives chase your Cultists through the streets of Carcosa! Their movements are determined by the following rules:
Detectives must always have a target Cultist. During their turn they move one tile North, South, West or East (never diagonally) toward their designated victim.
If a Detective has not yet identified his victim he must stay still while he decides the route to follow from the next turn.
If the Devourer manifests and an investigator is on a section adjacent to the waters of Lake Hali and connected to the Ritual Site that triggered the event, he is devoured and removed from the game. If the ritual was completed by one of your Cultists, you may advance your Oracle four spaces on the Occult Power Track.
If a Detective is on a section belonging to a District just completed and a Theatre is revealed on any tile of that same District, the Detective goes temporarily mad. Place him on any space marked with a symbol on the Occult Power Track. If all spaces of this type are occupied, simply remove the Detective from the game.
Scholar (and Assistant)
Made suspicious by the vague reasons given for your repeated visits to the Special Collection of the Adorna Library, the Scholar has begun to conduct research in the alleys of Carcosa. If he manages to conclude it he will be able to show the evidence gathered to the authorities and your plan will be exposed!
(Diagram captions: Lake Hali; Ritual Site with District & Energy Flow.)
Actions
The Scholar must follow the priority table, shown on the next page, to choose a stack. The top tile of the chosen stack is removed from the game. Then the Scholar is placed on top of the chosen stack and, just like a Prophet, prevents tiles from being drawn from the stack he occupies.
| Research Value | Type | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Ritual Site with District and Flow | 1 |
| 4 | Ritual Site with Flow | 2 |
| 4 | District "open" on all 4 sides | 3 |
| 3 | Ritual Site | 4 |
| 3 | Energy Flow with District | 5 |
| 2 | Energy Flow with Conflux | 6 |
| 2 | District | 7 |
| 1 | Energy Flow | 8 |
| 1 |
In the event of a tie it is possible to decide which tile will be chosen by the Scholar.
The icons shown on the tiles indicate their Priority and Research Value. The more square symbols the tile has, the higher its priority. The number of completely black squares represents the Research Value of the tile.
After the Scholar has made his choice his Assistant will perform one of the following actions:
Get Up: If the Assistant is Prone he simply gets up.
Note Down the Results of the Research: If the Assistant is Standing then he moves counter-clockwise toward the start of the Occult Power Track by a number of spaces equal to the Research Value of the tile chosen by the Scholar.
If the Assistant is Prone then the Research Value of the tile chosen by the Scholar is irrelevant: in this case the Assistant simply gets up.
If the Assistant reaches a space of the Occult Power Track on which one of your Cultists is present he must stop immediately. The words spoken by the Cultist lead both to madness: the Assistant must be placed Prone immediately while the Cultist is moved to the Asylum of your Chapter House.
End of the Game
If the Assistant manages to reach the start of the Occult Power Track while remaining Standing then you are immediately exposed! Your Cult vanishes and must hide in the shadows waiting for the dark stars to favour you again. Calculate your final score using the rules for "The Rise of the Cult".
Occultists
Mysterious is the power hidden behind these agents of chaos but one thing is certain: the Will of the King does not burn in their hearts. These shady individuals do not wish to see the glory of Carcosa realised and are driven by terrifying and mysterious intentions. They must be stopped at all costs!
Deployment
Occultists may be deployed in two ways:
- After resolving the effects of a Ritual Site, move the Occultist closest to the Assistant onto one of the Hastur Districts not already occupied by other Occultists. If there are no Occultists on the Occult Power Track, move an Occultist from among those already in play that is not already on one of the Hastur Districts.
- When an Occultist on the Occult Power Track is reached by the Assistant or the Oracle, place it on one of the incomplete and uncontrolled sections of Carcosa (excluding Lake Hali) that extend along the greatest number of tiles. If there are no sections meeting these requirements the Occultist cannot be moved.
Actions
If the Occultist is on the same section or tile as a Cultist then both go mad: the Occultist must immediately be placed on one of the unoccupied spaces of the Occult Power Track marked with symbols, while the Cultist is moved to the Asylum of your Chapter House.
When a section occupied by an Occultist is completed, immediately place the latter on an unoccupied space of the Occult Power Track marked with symbols.
End of the Game
If all the Hastur Districts are occupied by Standing Occultists then they will manage to complete the ritual that will banish Carcosa from this world! Your glorious plans fail and the morale of your Cultists collapses irreparably. You will have to refound the Cult and wait for the stars to be favourable again before attempting the feat once more. Calculate your final score using the rules for "The Rise of the Cult".