Cryptic Explorers
Cryptic Explorers Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Manuals: 1 Rulebook, 1 Realmbook.
Accessories: 4 Combat dice (black), 6 Counter dice (white).
Stands: 9 Monster stands (white), 6 Cryptonaut stands (black), 1 Master Monster stand (transparent).
The "Realms of Death" game boards: The Tomb of Ivory Sands, The Cave of the Crystal Sultan, The Hall of Eternal Fire, The Bog of the Lizard Witch. Sub-Realms: The Mirror Waste, The Sunken Citadel.
Realm tokens and cards: Souls (x20), Artifacts/Relics (x5), Destroyed Walls (x6), Doors (x6), Arcane Doors (x4), Sarcophagi (x5), Monoliths (x5), Thyralith Crystals (x2), Codex Lethe (x1), Corpses (x8, 8 styles), Witch Totems (x4), Sultan's Bones (x3), Bat Daemon Statues (x2), Hoarfrost Statues (x3), Obelysk (x1), Pods of Ancient Young (x3), Trap cards (x6).
Counters: +1/-1 (x10), Health (x10), Power (x10), Vitae (x16), Stamina (x16), Status (x6), Retired (x6), Between Realms (x6), Prepare (x6).
The Cryptonauts: Expert sheets (x8), Mercenary sheets (x8), Scientist sheets (x8), Spellcaster sheets (x8), Artifact cards (x20), Relic cards (x12), Standees (x32), Player Aids (x4), Knowledge of Death cards (x35).
The Goddesses & Monsters:
- Gashnoradon: Gashnoradon Monster sheet (x1), Gashnoradon standee (x1).
- Sk'Zaak: Goddess sheet (x1), Goddess cards (x20), Special cards (x5), Monster sheets (x3), Crypt Hounds standees (x4), Tomb Guardians standees (x2), Spectrophagi standee (x1).
- Mycothis: Goddess sheet (x1), Goddess cards (x20), Special cards (x6), Monster sheets (x4), Foetal Spores standees (x3), Disciples of Decay standees (x4), Elder Putrifiers standees (x2), Green Lord standee (x1).
- Gor'Kuk: Goddess sheet (x1), Goddess cards (x20), Special cards (x3), Monster sheets (x3), Goatwolf Slayers standees (x4), Conqueror Leeches standees (x2), Flaying Troll standee (x1), Blood Chalice sheet (x1), Blood Skull token (x4), Blood counters (x4).
Game Setup
First Game Setup - Highly Recommended for First Time Play!
CRYPTIC EXPLORERS can be daunting for new players, as with many options and choices comes complexity - we recommend starting with the First Game Setup (see the Appendices). This setup is provided to eliminate some of the initial decision making that is easier for more experienced players, making it ideal for brand new players.
Before Your First Game...
- Shuffle the Artifact deck.
- Separate and shuffle each Goddess's deck and the Trap deck. Set aside Goddess cards labeled "Do not shuffle into deck" on the back.
- Set aside the Goddesses' Monsters, decks, and sheets, as well as all counters, standees, and/or miniatures.
Cryptic Explorers Game Setup Happens in the Following Order...
- Choose which players will be Cryptonauts, and which player will be the Goddess
- Setup and read the rules for a Realm of Death game board
- Choose 6 Cryptonauts
- Choose the Goddess
- Place Cryptonaut squads
- Begin the game
I. The Realms of Death
The Realms of Death are the environments in which Cryptonauts must find occult knowledge and survive the Goddess's machinations.
There are four different Realms of Death in CRYPTIC EXPLORERS. Each Realm's rules can be found within the Realmbook.
- The Tomb of Ivory Sands is a desert realm filled with tight corridors and dangerous traps.
- The Cave of the Crystal Sultan is an icy realm inhabited by a frozen demon.
- The Hall of Eternal Fire is a temple realm within which burns a massive, hypnotic fire.
- The Bog of the Lizard Witch is a swampy domain ruled by a scaled witch-beast called Gashnoradon.
As the Cryptonauts, you will want to take a quick look at the Monsters, Abilities, and perhaps even the cards of the Goddess (before she shuffles and draws her starting hand). This will help you understand what she is capable of during the match.
Setting Up a Realm of Death
- Choose a Realm at random, or decide as a group.
- Place the Realm board itself so that all players can easily reach and see it.
- Place all tokens on their designated locations on the Realm board.
- Elect someone to read aloud the entry for this Realm from the Realmbook.
II. Choose the Cryptonauts
In CRYPTIC EXPLORERS, each Cryptonaut player controls their own Squad* of Cryptonauts. Each Cryptonaut has a unique sheet and corresponding standee.
*The size of each Squad depends on the number of players in a match:
- 2 players: Two Squads of 3 Cryptonauts controlled by a single player.
- 3 players: Two Squads of 3 Cryptonauts.
- 4 players: Three Squads of 2 Cryptonauts.
Each Cryptonaut player then collects the Cryptonaut standees that correspond to their chosen Cryptonauts, and puts them each in a plastic stand.
III. Choose the Goddess
The Goddess is a powerful ruler of the Realms of Death that opposes, and tries to kill, the Cryptonauts. Each Goddess comes with her own Abilities, Monsters, and Goddess cards unique to that Goddess.
- Sk'Zaak is the Goddess of bone, funerals, funerary ornaments, and places of burial.
- Gor'Kuk is the Goddess of blood, murder, revenge, and warfare.
- Mycothis is the Goddess of rot, the cycles of life and decay, disease, and plants.
The Goddess player chooses the Goddess she would like to play as and collects all Monster sheets, Monster standees, Power counters, Health counters, Goddess cards, and unique components for that Goddess. See the Components section for all content unique to each Goddess.
For example, if you are playing as Sk'Zaak, you begin the game with 4 Goddess cards (your Hand Limit) and gain 1 Power on your first turn. Every Turn thereafter you will draw 2 Goddess cards and gain 1 Power.
IV. Place Cryptonaut Squads on Realm
The Cryptonaut players now choose an available starting area, designated by the entrance spaces grouped on the board.
Place each Cryptonaut standee on the Realm of Death's entrance spaces until each Cryptonaut player has no Cryptonauts left to place. All Cryptonauts must be placed in the selected entrance space area, and cannot be split between the two entrance space areas.
The first Round then begins...
(Example: 8 entrance spaces / one entrance space area on the Cave of the Crystal Sultan game board.)
Rounds
A Round of play is divided into four distinct phases:
- Upkeep
- Cryptonauts Turn
- Goddess Turn
- Cleanup
When Cleanup has ended, a new Round begins, beginning with the Upkeep.
I. Upkeep
During the first Round, skip the Upkeep phase.
At the start of the Upkeep, all effects and abilities starting with "Upkeep" will be triggered. If there are multiple effects, the Goddess decides the order of resolution. Skip the Upkeep if there are no effects in play that specifically mention it.
II. Cryptonauts Turn
Each Cryptonaut Turn consists of the following events, in this order:
- A Cryptonaut player chooses to perform 2 or more Actions with one of her Cryptonauts, until he is ready to Retire that Cryptonaut for this Round.
- Place a Retired counter on that Cryptonaut's sheet to indicate he is finished for the Turn.
- Repeat the above with all Cryptonauts controlled by all players until all have been Retired.
If a Cryptonaut has begun performing Actions, no other Cryptonaut may perform Actions or Free Actions until that Cryptonaut is Retired; a Retired Cryptonaut cannot perform further Actions or Free Actions.
III. Goddess Turn
The Goddess Turn consists of the following events, in this order:
- Gain Power counters equal to the Goddess's Power Gain attribute.
- Skip this step on the first Turn - Draw a number of Goddess cards equal to the Goddess's Draw Size attribute.
- Discard down to the Goddess's Hand Limit attribute, gaining Power for each discarded card.
- Play Goddess cards for their Effects or Masteries, discard more Goddess cards for Power, and Summon and perform Actions with Monsters.
It is sometimes a good idea to save some Power for later, or the Goddess may not have any reserved for when the Cryptonauts make a more decisive move.
IV. Cleanup
After the Goddess has decided to end her Turn, Cleanup occurs.
- Remove all Retired counters from all Cryptonauts and Monsters.
- Effects or Abilities may include Modifiers or rules that end on the Cleanup phase.
- Effects and Abilities that end in the Cleanup phase end simultaneously.
Turns: The Cryptonauts
Squads
Cryptonaut players control one or more groups of Cryptonauts called Squads. Squads are assembled at the beginning of the game and Cryptonauts cannot change Squads once the game has begun. Some Cryptonauts have Abilities that give bonuses to their Squad.
A Cryptonaut sheet shows: Max Vitae, Max Stamina, Aim / Cast, Move, Attack / Range, the Starting Ability, Soul Charge Abilities, a Soul Devour Ability, and Hint Icons.
Turn Order
Any Cryptonaut may go first each Round. The Cryptonauts should consider their strategy and have the appropriate Cryptonauts go first.
The Cryptonauts:
- Each perform 2 or more Actions
- Collect Artifact tokens and Soul tokens
- Complete the Realm of Death's Objective
- Gather 3 or more Knowledge of Death cards and Teleport with them to win
Attributes
Cryptonauts have the following attributes at differing values:
- Vitae is the life force of a Cryptonaut, representing the capacity for Damage before becoming Between Realms, and in danger of being killed.
- Stamina can be spent to perform more than two Actions in a single Turn or reroll failed Skill checks. Cryptonauts use their current Stamina to roll Stamina checks to prevent certain Hazards and Goddess abilities.
- Move determines how many spaces a Cryptonaut Moves with a Move Action.
- Aim checks must be rolled to hit targets with Attacks.
- Cast is a Spellcaster Cryptonaut's likelihood to successfully Cast Spells.
Classes
- Mercenaries use powerful Attacks and excel at combat and survival.
- Scientists have useful Abilities that benefit your entire Squad.
- Spellcasters have potent sorceries that can be used for combat or utility.
- Experts have useful Abilities and gadgets, mixing science and firepower.
Inventory
Each Cryptonaut can carry any number of Artifacts, Soul tokens and Knowledge of Death cards.
Actions
Each Cryptonaut has 2 Actions to use during his Turn.
- Move
- Attack
- Cast
- Prepare
- Use an Ability
- Loot/Trade
- Rest
- Teleport
Free Actions
Cryptonauts can perform Free Actions, which do not cost an Action. Most Free Actions can only be performed Once Per Round.
See the Cryptonaut Tactics and Combat sections for more details on Cryptonaut Actions.
Abilities
Each Cryptonaut has four Abilities.
- The first Ability in his list begins unlocked. The other three Abilities need Soul tokens to be unlocked, a process known as Soul Charging.
- Some Abilities consume a Soul token to be used, called Soul Devouring.
Once Per Round
Some Actions, Free Actions, Attacks, Spells, etc. can only be used Once Per Round, indicated by an hourglass icon by its name.
Soul Tokens
Soul tokens represent the untamed souls and energies of the Dead. They are collected by Cryptonauts, and are of tremendous value to their arsenal of Abilities. Cryptonauts pick up Soul tokens from the Realm of Death. Cryptonauts need them to Soul Charge, Soul Devour, and Soul Restore.
Artifacts
Artifact cards are powerful cards found in the Realms of Death.
- Cryptonauts pick up Artifact tokens to draw and gain an Artifact card.
- Each time an Artifact card is gained from the Artifact deck, the Cryptonaut that gained it draws a Knowledge of Death card.
- Some Artifact cards can be Soul Charged to unlock a new Ability, while others have an Ability that is performed via Soul Devouring.
Turns: The Goddesses & Monsters
The Goddesses
The Goddesses each represent a primal aspect of Death itself. A single player plays the goddess who seeks to slay all Cryptonauts that dare intrude on the Realms of Death.
Goddess Setup
- Shuffle and set aside the chosen Goddess's unique deck of cards.
- Set aside her Monster Sheets, Monster standees, Monster Mastery cards, and cards labeled "Do not shuffle into deck." These should be visible to all players.
- The Goddess draws a number of Goddess cards equal to her Hand Limit Attribute.
Goddess Turn Structure
The Goddess player's Turn begins with some Opening Steps, and then she may utilize a number of different options for play.
Opening Steps happen in the following order:
- Gain an amount of Power equal to the Goddess' Power Gain Attribute.
- Skip this step during the first Round - Draw a number of Goddess cards equal to her Draw Size Attribute.
- If the Goddess has more Goddess cards in her hand than her Hand Limit Attribute, she immediately discards down to her Hand Limit, gaining 1 Power per card discarded.
After completing these Opening Steps, the Goddess player may do any of the following things, in any order, until she volunteers to end her Turn:
- Play Goddess cards (Effects or Masteries) at the Cost of Power.
- Empower a Monolith for 3 Power.
- Summon Monsters for the Cost on their Monster Sheet.
- Perform up to 2 Actions with each Monster.
Each Goddess has a very distinct play style, and can employ many different strategies to win. Always keep in mind which Cryptonauts you're against and which options they'll have available.
Monsters & Master Monsters
Monsters are the Goddess's minions that travel throughout each Realm of Death trying to kill or otherwise impede the Cryptonauts. The Goddess can Summon and perform Actions with these Monsters during her Turn.
The Goddess may also summon Master Monsters, which Cost more Power to Summon but are more powerful.
- Each Goddess has 2 Master Monster cards, but can only have one Master Monster in the Realm at any time.
- Use the transparent stand for a Master Monster standees to make it easily identifiable.
Monsters have the following Attributes:
- Cost is the amount of Power the Goddess player must spend in order to Summon this Monster.
- Health is how much Damage a Monster can be dealt before being killed. Monsters are killed when they are reduced to 0 Health (or less). When a Monster is killed, remove it from the Realm and return it to the Goddess' area.
- Move is the number of spaces a Monster can Move with a single Move Action. Monsters Move identically to Cryptonauts. Monsters can only Open Mundane Doors and can Close both Mundane and Arcane Doors.
- Aim is the number the Goddess player must roll equal to, or less than, in order to hit with a Monster's Attack Action. Monsters Attack identically to Cryptonauts.
- Abilities are special rules unique to that Monster. Monsters commonly have many Modifiers listed here such as Armor. See the Modifiers section for details.
- Size is how many spaces a Monster occupies. Size is determined by the spaces occupied by a Monster's standee. Normal Monsters occupy a single space and large Monsters occupy 2x2 spaces.
- Attack is a Monster's ability to Damage enemy Cryptonauts, and also Doors. Attacks have a Range (sometimes Melee) and deal Damage.
A Monster sheet shows: Cost, Starting Health, Move, Aim, Attack / Range / Damage, and Ability.
Tactics: The Realms of Death
The Realms of Death are the boards on which CRYPTIC EXPLORERS is played. They are the domains of the Goddesses, containing both great knowledge and horrors unimaginable.
See the Realmbook for detailed information about each Realm.
There are also optional, smaller Sub-Realms (see Sub-Realms).
Hazards
Hazards are special rules for each Realm of Death that represent a threat to the Cryptonauts. Information on each Realm's hazards can be found in the Realmbook.
Objectives
Each of the Realms has unique objectives of which at least one must be completed. These objectives are described in detail in the Realmbook.
Every Realm of Death has two Objectives, each with a different requirement for completion, but both grant a Knowledge of Death card.
Terrain Types
The terrain of the Realms of Death affects both Cryptonauts and Monsters.
- Ground is the default Terrain, and has no special attributes. Ground is gray.
- Special Terrain is unique to the Realm in which it is found. See that Realm's entry in the Realmbook.
- Pits are impassable, but do not obstruct Sight, and are not considered occupied. Pits are black.
- Walls are occupied spaces, impassable, block Sight, and cannot be Attacked. Walls are white.
- Structures are indestructible (unless stated otherwise, as with Doors and Monoliths), block Sight, are impassable, and occupy their spaces. Structures are white and some can only be found in specific Realms.
Some effects can destroy walls. Destroyed Wall tokens are provided to put on those spaces. Once a wall is destroyed, its space counts as Ground terrain and is no longer occupied by the Wall.
Objects in the Realms
Souls
Soul tokens represent the untamed souls and energies of the Dead.
- Cryptonauts pick up Soul tokens from the Realm of Death automatically when they Move through a space containing them.
- Cryptonauts need Souls to Soul Charge, Soul Devour, and Soul Restore.
Artifacts
Artifact tokens are the magical spoils of the Realms of Death. Cryptonauts that Move through a space containing an Artifact token take that token and draw an Artifact card and 1 Knowledge of Death card.
Corpses
When a Cryptonaut dies, he leaves behind a Corpse token.
- If a Cryptonaut spends an Action while standing on or adjacent to a Corpse token, he may Loot any Knowledge of Death cards, Artifact cards, and Soul tokens from the Corpse (including Soul tokens that have already been used to Soul Charge).
- A Corpse token cannot be Looted by a Cryptonaut if a Monster or another Cryptonaut is standing on the Corpse token.
Monoliths
Scattered across the Realm of Death are monuments to the Goddess's power, her Monoliths. Monoliths are a considerable threat to Cryptonauts.
- Monoliths are Structures with 3 Health and can be destroyed.
- The Goddess can Empower a Monolith, making it stronger and giving Her more Power. See the Goddess section on Monoliths.
- Like all Structures with Health, Monoliths are automatically hit by Attacks, and do not require an Aim check. Cryptonauts cannot miss when Attacking a Structure.
Mundane Doors and Arcane Doors
There are two different kinds of Doors, both of which are Structures that can be destroyed, Opened and Closed. Both types of Door obstruct Sight and obstruct movement while Closed.
- Mundane Doors can be Opened and Closed by Cryptonauts and Monsters and have 2 Health.
- Arcane Doors can only be opened by Scientist and Spellcaster Cryptonauts. Arcane Doors can be Closed by any Cryptonaut or Monster and have 4 Health.
Opening and closing Doors:
- A Cryptonaut or Monster may Open or Close an adjacent Door, during a Move Action, for 1 Move. Flip over a Door token to indicate it is Opened.
- Doors cannot be Closed if the space they are on is occupied by a Cryptonaut, Monster, Structure, or Corpse token.
- When a Door is Opened, its space becomes unoccupied.
- Doors cannot be Opened and/or Closed during forced Moves (i.e. Knockback Movements).
Destroying Doors:
- Both Cryptonauts and Monsters can Attack Doors, but only if they are Closed.
- Doors (and other Structures with Health) do not require an Aim check and are automatically hit by Attacks.
- After Destroying a Structure, remove it from the Realm.
Each token has a solid or broken border. If it is solid, that object obstructs Sight and occupies its space. If the border is broken, Cryptonauts and Monsters have unobstructed Sight through, and can Move over the space in which it is located; it is not considered occupied.
Tactics: Cryptonaut Tactics
Vitae and Between Realms
Vitae is the life force of a Cryptonaut. When a Cryptonaut is dealt Damage, she loses that much Vitae.
- A Cryptonaut cannot be reduced less than 0 Vitae.
- If a Cryptonaut is reduced to 0 Vitae, place a Between Realms counter on her.
- If a Cryptonaut is Between Realms she is Slow, performing one fewer Action per Round.
- If a Cryptonaut with a Between Realms is dealt further Damage or would lose further Vitae, she is killed. Remove her from the Realm.
- Place a Corpse token on her previously occupied space.
- If a Cryptonaut is restored to above 0 Vitae, remove her Between Realms counter. She is no longer Slow.
Example: The Magus Cryptonaut is hit by a Monster for 3 Damage, and only has 2 Vitae. He does not die, but instead his Vitae is set to 0, and he is now Between Realms. If that Cryptonaut is dealt any further Damage he will die forever, leaving a Corpse token behind.
Stamina
Cryptonauts may exert themselves to perform more Actions or try to force a successful Skill check by sacrificing Stamina.
- 1 Stamina may be spent to reroll any failed Skill check. This may be repeated any number of times by paying 1 Stamina before each reroll.
- 2 Stamina may be spent to perform an additional Action beyond the 2 allowed per Round. Can be spent multiple times for 4+ Actions, but must have the Stamina available to spend.
- Stamina is also rolled as a Skill check to resist physical and magical harm.
Example: The Hierophant Cryptonaut, with 3 Stamina remaining, performs two Move Actions, but also wants to use his Heavenly Light Spell to heal the wounded Infantry. He sacrifices 2 Stamina to restore 2 Vitae to the Infantry with his Spell. He now has 1 Stamina remaining, and may want to restore his Stamina by Resting.
Exhaustion
If a Cryptonaut reaches 0 Stamina at any time, she becomes Exhausted.
- If a Cryptonaut is Exhausted, she is immediately Retired, loses 1 Vitae, and sets her Stamina to 1.
- If a Cryptonaut spends her last point of Stamina to perform an additional Action or reroll, or loses it during an Action, she is Exhausted afterwards.
Example: The Infantry Cryptonaut, with 2 remaining Stamina, has already performed two Actions during her Turn, but wants to perform a Move Action to escape a nearby Monster. She sacrifices her last 2 points of Stamina, performs the Move Action, and is Exhausted afterwards. She sets her Stamina to 1 and loses 1 Vitae. She immediately ends her current Turn.
The Standard Actions
The standard Actions a Cryptonaut can perform are the following:
Resting
A Cryptonaut may, instead of taking any Actions on the Cryptonaut Turn, Retire to Rest. If a Cryptonaut Rests, she restores her Stamina to maximum, and restores 2 Vitae.
- Cryptonauts cannot perform any Actions, not even Free Actions, before or after Resting.
- If a Cryptonaut has already performed any Actions or Free Actions, she cannot Rest that Round.
Cryptonauts can Rest while Between Realms, and will no longer be Between Realms afterwards, since they'd have restored 2 Vitae.
Move
A Cryptonaut can move a number of spaces equal to their Move attribute (including diagonally). In addition, these points can be used to Open and Close adjacent Doors.
Aim
A Cryptonaut must perform an Aim check - rolling equal to or under her Aim attribute - to hit with an Attack Action.
Cast
A Spellcaster Cryptonaut must perform a Cast check - rolling equal to or under her Cast attribute - to successfully perform a Cast Action, and Cast a Spell.
Example: The Magus Cryptonaut has a Cast attribute of 5. He must roll equal to or less than 5 in order to successfully Cast a Spell.
Moving
A Cryptonaut can Move a number of spaces equal to her Move attribute, and use her Move to Open and Close adjacent Doors. See the Movement and Attacks section (Combat).
Attacking
A Cryptonaut may declare and perform one of her Attacks, requiring a target within the Attack's Range, and Sight to that target. See the Movement and Attacks section (Combat).
Spellcasting
A Spellcaster Cryptonaut may Cast an available Spell by passing a Cast check. Cryptonauts may only Cast Spells on a target if they have Sight to that target. Many Spells also have Range and Damage, and they always specify what can be targeted by them.
Death and Corpses
If a Cryptonaut is killed, remove them from the Realm of Death, and place a Corpse token in the space that Cryptonaut occupied.
- A Cryptonaut on top of or adjacent to a Corpse token may perform a Loot Action on that corpse as long as no Monster or Cryptonaut is also occupying the space with the Corpse token.
- Dead Cryptonauts confer no bonuses. They are not part of the game and do not affect other Cryptonauts, the Goddess, or her Monsters.
- Any Knowledge of Death cards left on Corpses do not contribute to Victory, but cannot be lost or destroyed permanently.
Free Actions
Cryptonauts can perform Free Actions when they can perform Actions, but without spending any Actions.
- Free Actions can be performed any number of times in a Round, unless they are marked as Once Per Round.
- Free Actions cannot be performed during another Action / Free Action.
- Soul Charge and Soul Restore are Free Actions.
Actions
Cryptonauts can each perform two Actions per Turn, but this can be modified by different effects. See the Modifiers section for more information.
- Hasted: +1 Action per Round.
- Sacrificing 2 Stamina: +1 Action for that Turn.
- Slowed: -1 Action per Round.
Preparing
During their turn, a Cryptonaut may choose to use an Action to Prepare. After choosing to Prepare, a Cryptonaut may not take any more Action or Free Action, effectively ending their turn.
- Place a Prepare counter by that Cryptonaut. Prepared Cryptonauts may respond to Action taken by enemies.
- See the Combat section for more information on Prepared Cryptonauts.
Trading
A Cryptonaut may perform a Trade Action with an adjacent Cryptonaut.
- Cryptonauts can Trade Artifacts, Knowledge of Death, and Soul tokens that have not been used.
- Cryptonauts can Trade as many items as they want in a single Trade Action, even giving all of one Cryptonaut's possessions to another.
Looting
A Cryptonaut occupying the same space as a Corpse token can spend an Action to trade items with the Cryptonaut who left that corpse. Cryptonauts Loot Action functions identically to Trading with that Cryptonaut, but you may take Soul tokens that were used to Soul Charge from the deceased Cryptonaut, except if the Soul token is used to charge an Artifact.
Knowledge of Death
The Cryptonauts ultimately seek to gather 3 Knowledge of Death cards and Teleport with them to the safety of Earth and the living. Knowledge of Death cards represent the total occult knowledge of mortality gathered on this expedition into the Realms of Death. Knowledge of Death cards also contain short lore fragments to immerse players further into the Realms.
- Knowledge of Death cards are gained by gathering Artifacts and by completing Objectives unique to each Realm of Death.
- After drawing a Knowledge of Death card, read its lore outloud to all players.
- Picking up an Artifact gives 1 Knowledge of Death card.
- Knowledge of Death cards can be Traded between Cryptonauts and Looted from Corpses.
If at any time the Teleported Cryptonauts collectively possess 3 or more Knowledge of Death cards, the Cryptonauts win the game! See Realms of Death.
Teleportation and Winning the Game
If at least one of the Realm of Death's Objectives is completed, Cryptonauts may perform the Teleport Action in order to leave the Realm and win the game.
A Cryptonaut may only use the Teleport Action if they are adjacent to another Cryptonaut.
- That Cryptonaut and any adjacent Cryptonauts may then be removed from the Realm of Death. Set their Cryptonaut standee aside.
- A Cryptonaut may not Teleport alone.
- See the Victory section for details on what happens next.
Every Realm of Death has two Objectives, each with a different reward and requirement for being completed, but all grant Knowledge of Death cards.
Artifact Tokens & Cards
Artifact tokens are the magical spoils of the Realms of Death. They are a good means of collecting Knowledge of Death to win the game (alongside completing an Objective).
- Cryptonauts that Move through a space containing an Artifact token take that token and draw an Artifact card and 1 Knowledge of Death card.
- Some Artifacts offer new Attacks, Spells, or general Actions.
- All Artifacts offer another Soul Charge or Soul Devour option.
- Artifacts may be Soul Charged or Soul Devoured according to the same rules for Cryptonaut Abilities.
- Artifacts may be Traded or Looted from Corpses.
- If an Artifact card is Soul Charged, it remains Soul Charged when Traded or Looted.
Soul Charges
Abilities and Artifact cards can be Soul Charged, giving the Cryptonaut extra Actions, effects, Attacks, or Spells. To Soul Charge an Ability, the Cryptonaut with that Ability must place a Soul token from her Inventory in the Soul Charge slot corresponding to that Ability.
- A Cryptonaut can Soul Charge during her Turn as a Free Action.
- An Ability or Artifact that is Soul Charged takes effect immediately.
- Once an Ability or Artifact is Soul Charged, it stays Soul Charged unless the Soul token is somehow removed, like in Soul Restoring.
Example: The Android Cryptonaut decides to perform an Attack against Sk'Zaak's Tomb Guardian. She spends one Action to Move adjacent to it, then uses a Free Action to Soul Charge her Surgical Array, an Attack which has Piercing and will ignore Armor. She then uses her second Action to Attack with Surgical Array, and must roll her Aim (4) or less to succeed.
Soul Devour
Some Cryptonaut Abilities and Artifacts cannot be Soul Charged and instead use Soul tokens to get a powerful one-time effect, typically this is an Action, Attack, or Spell. This is called Soul Devouring.
- During a Cryptonaut's Turn, she may discard a Soul token from her Inventory (but not one that has been used to Soul Charge) to Soul Devour.
- Soul Devour Attacks automatically hit and require no Aim check, and Soul Devour Spells are automatically Cast and require no Cast check.
Example: The Infantry Cryptonaut has one Action remaining, but her foes are many. She discards a Soul token from her Inventory to use her Spirit Bazooka Attack. Since it is a Soul Devour Ability, she does not roll an Attack check when targeting Sk'Zaak's Tomb Guardian. She deals 4 Piercing Damage to it, destroying it, and also deals 2 Damage to each nearby Crypt Hound.
Soul Restore
During a Cryptonaut's Turn, as a Free Action, she may discard a Soul Charged Soul token, or a Soul token in her Inventory, to immediately restore 2 Vitae.
If a Soul token is used to Soul Restore when it's already been used to Soul Charge on that Cryptonaut, she loses the Ability it was removed from until it gets Soul Charged again.
Example: The Magus Cryptonaut has 0 Vitae (Between Realms), but is adjacent to one of Sk'Zaak's Tomb Guardians and wishes to safely retreat. Since he will not need his Soul Charged Aether Step, he discards the Soul token on that Ability and restores 2 Vitae as a Free Action.
Tactics: Goddess & Monster Tactics
Abilities, Attributes & Power
Goddess players have the following attributes and Abilities:
- Hand Limit is the maximum number of Goddess cards a Goddess player can have in her hand before she must immediately discard down to her Hand Limit, gaining 1 Power for each Goddess card discarded.
- Draw Size is the number of Goddess cards a Goddess player draws at the start of each Goddess Turn.
- Power Gain is the amount of Power a Goddess player gains at the start of each Goddess Turn.
- Goddess Abilities are special rules unique to each Goddess.
Goddess Power
The Goddess's Power represents her ability to manipulate the game. She'll acquire it regularly as Power counters, and can spend it on Monster Summoning and to play her cards.
Discarding for Power
The Goddess player may discard any number of Goddess cards during her Turn and gain 1 Power for each card discarded in this manner. She may do this any number of times.
Example: The Goddess Sk'Zaak has 1 Power and wants to Summon a powerful Monster, the Spectrophagi, which costs 3 Power. She discards 2 Goddess cards from her hand for 2 additional Power and spends all her Power to Summon the Monster.
Goddess Cards
The Goddess cards are the magical spells of death, each specific to each Goddess and drawn steadily from her deck. Goddess cards can either be played for an Effect or a Mastery, or discarded for Power.
Goddess Decks
Goddess decks each contain 20 Goddess cards, and when exhausted, the Goddess deck is immediately reshuffled to form a fresh Goddess deck.
Special Goddess Cards
Some cards are marked "Do not shuffle into deck." As such, leave them aside. They are used in conjunction with other cards and abilities.
Reading and Playing Goddess Cards
A Goddess card is composed of three major elements: Effect, Mastery, and Power Costs for each.
- The Cost of a Goddess card is how much Power the Goddess player must spend in order to play the Goddess card's Effect or Mastery.
- When playing a Goddess card, the Goddess must choose the Effect or Mastery - she cannot choose both.
- Goddess cards may be played any time during the Goddess Turn unless the number of cards in the Goddess player's hand exceeds the Hand Limit, in which case, she must discard immediately.
Playing for Effect and Mastery
Effects and Masteries are both played in the same manner. The Goddess will pay the Cost and announce what they are doing.
What happens next is where there's a difference:
To play a Goddess card for its Effect, first pay the required Cost in Power, then announce the card and its Effect to the other players, enact the card's Effect, and place the card in her discard pile.
Example: The Goddess player, playing as Sk'Zaak, decides to play Seal the Crypt. She spends 2 Power and resolves the Effect, sending the card to the discard pile after Summoning the 2 Tomb Guardians.
To play a Goddess card for its Mastery the Goddess player pays the Mastery Cost and gains whatever bonus or rule is listed on the Mastery portion of the Goddess card, leaving the Goddess card out in front of her for the remainder of the game.
The Goddess player may play multiple copies of a Mastery.
Example: Sk'Zaak again plays Seal the Crypt, but instead discards 1 Power and plays it in front of her Goddess sheet as a Mastery. Instead of being discarded, this card will remain in play with a constant Mastery effect, permanently preventing Cryptonauts from opening Doors.
Hand Limit
If the Goddess player ever has more Goddess cards in her hand than her Hand Limit, she must discard down to her Hand Limit, taking no further action until she does, but gains 1 Power for each Goddess card discarded. Before the game starts, the Goddess player draws a number of Goddess cards equal to her Hand Limit.
Example: On the start of her turn the Goddess draws 2 Goddess cards per Sk'Zaak's Draw Size attribute. She now has 6 cards in her hand, but her Hand Limit is 4. She must discard any one Goddess card from her hand before proceeding, but will gain 1 Power for each card discarded.
Monoliths
Monoliths are altars to the Goddesses that can be Empowered to gain additional Power each Goddess Turn, and can be used in conjunction with some Goddess cards, Abilities, and Monsters. They are otherwise treated as Structures with 3 Health that can be destroyed.
The Goddess player may Empower any Monolith during her Turn.
- To Empower a Monolith, pay 3 Power and flip the Monolith token over (the eye should be open if Empowered).
- When a Monolith is Empowered, it restores all Health and gains Armor 1 (see Modifiers).
- Monoliths that are already Empowered cannot be Empowered again.
- Having one or more Empowered Monoliths provides +1 Power Gain to the Goddess, giving 1 additional Power at the start of each Goddess Turn; the effect is not cumulative.
Summoning Monsters
The Goddess player can Summon Monsters to her aid. Summoning Monsters requires having enough Power and a valid space on the Realm of Death to place them.
After the Goddess player spends Power equal to the Monster's Cost, she can place the Monster according these rules:
- Summoned Monsters cannot be placed within 5 spaces of any Cryptonaut unless that space is hidden from all Cryptonauts' Sight.
- Summoned Monsters must be placed in an unoccupied, passable space.
- They may be Summoned above Pits if they have the Floating Modifier.
- Summoned Monsters have Summoning Fatigue for the first Round in which they are Summoned, and can only perform one Action that Round - see Modifiers.
Example: The Conqueror Leech to the north is out of Sight of the Cryptonaut, and can be Summoned on those spaces. The Goatwolf Slayer to the right is within Sight of the Cryptonaut and cannot be Summoned on that Space.
Monster Limit
There can only be 5 Monsters in the Realm of Death at any given time. If this limit has been reached, no additional Monsters may be Summoned until there are less than 5 in the Realm.
In addition, there is a limit to the number of monsters based on their Cost. This is the same as the number of Standees for each Monster included in the game.
- 1 Cost - 4 Monsters
- 2 Cost - 2 Monsters
- 3 Cost - 1 Monster
Example: Sk'Zaak plays the Seal the Crypt Goddess card's Effect and Summons two Tomb Guardians, and has 3 Crypt Hounds in the Realm, for a total of 5 Monsters. She cannot Summon further Monsters until one (or more) are killed or otherwise removed.
Monster Actions
The Goddess may perform up to 2 Actions with each Monster each Goddess Turn.
- When a Goddess performs an Action with a Monster, she must finish performing all Actions with that Monster and Retire it before proceeding with the Goddess' turn or another Monster.
- Monsters can Move, Attack, and/or use an Ability, using the same rules as Cryptonauts (see Combat).
Move
A Monster can Move a number of spaces equal to its Move attribute, and use its Move to Open and Close adjacent Doors. Monsters cannot Open Arcane Doors.
Attack
A Monster may declare and perform one of its Attacks, requiring a target within the Attack's Range, and Sight to that target.
See the Movement and Attacks section (Combat).
Monster Abilities
Each Monster's Ability is unique, the details of which are listed on that Monster's sheet. Master Monsters may have additional Abilities. Some Abilities are Actions.
Large Monsters
Large Monsters are any Monsters that occupy more than one space, and have a larger standee (for example, a Conqueror Leech). Each Goddess has at least one Large Monster that occupies 2 x 2 spaces on the board.
- Large Monster standees are placed in a single stand and placed in the center of the 2 x 2 area of spaces they occupy, where the edges for those spaces converge into a cross +.
- Large Monsters can Move through areas which are too small for them provided they end their Movement on unoccupied spaces.
- Large Monsters can Move through - and end their Movement on - Pit spaces, provided 2 or more of their occupied spaces are passable.
- When evaluating Sight and Range rules, Large Monsters (and Structures) have, and give, Sight from the centerpoints of each of the spaces they occupy.
Master Monsters
Each Goddess has access to two Master Monster cards. Any Monster may be Summoned - at a higher Cost - as an upgraded Master Monster, granting them greater Attributes and additional Abilities.
- Summoning a Master Monster is identical to Summoning a normal Monster, but the Goddess player must spend the additional Cost from a Master Monster card.
- Place that Monster's standee in the special transparent stand, and place that Master Monster card on top of the Monster's sheet to signify that it's in use.
- A Monster cannot be converted to a Master Monster once it has been Summoned.
- A Goddess may only have one Master Monster on a Realm of Death at any given time.
- Master Monsters still count towards the Monster Limit.
(A Master Monster card shows the Additional Cost, Bonuses, and Ability.)
Tactics: Combat
The Cryptonauts and the Goddesses' Monsters have some Actions and game elements in common, such as how Cryptonauts and Monsters Move and Attack in the Realms.
Sight
Sight determines whether a Cryptonaut or Monster can perform an Attack, use some Abilities, Cast a Spell, or do anything requiring seeing a target.
- An entity has Sight of a target if an unobstructed straight line can be drawn from the center of their occupied space to the center of the target's space.
- Sight is obstructed by Cryptonauts, Monsters, Walls, Closed Doors, Monoliths, and Structures. Spaces with any of these in them are considered occupied.
Example: The Cryptonaut has Sight to the two Goatwolf Slayers, but not to the Conqueror Leech.
Move Actions
A Cryptonaut or Monster may Move up to the number of spaces up to their Move Attribute, and use their Move to Open and Close adjacent Doors.
- They cannot Move through occupied spaces.
- They may Move diagonally at no additional Move cost.
- Once a Move Action has begun, it must be completed before taking other Actions.
- During a Move, a Cryptonaut or Monster may Open or Close an adjacent Door for 1 Move.
- Only Scientist and Spellcaster Cryptonauts may open Arcane Doors.
- Some Artifacts and Abilities may allow a Cryptonaut to Move over impassable spaces, such as Pits, but they must finish Moving on a normal ground space.
- Cryptonauts must pass a Break-Away check when they Move away from being adjacent to a Monster (see Break-Away Checks).
- If a Monster tries to Move within 5 spaces and Sight of a Prepared Cryptonaut, that Cryptonaut may interrupt to immediately perform an Action or Free Action.
- If a Monster or Cryptonaut is Floating they may Move over Pits. Floating Monsters can end their Movement on Pits while Cryptonauts cannot.
Example: The Infantry Cryptonaut has a Move Attribute of 4 and performs a Move Action. He Moves 2 spaces, Opens a nearby Door (costing 1 Move point), and Moves one more space, for a total of 4 spaces Moved.
Example: The Xenobiologist Cryptonaut is adjacent to one of Sk'Zaak's Crypt Hounds and Moves away to escape. She currently has 3 Stamina, and must roll a 3 or lower to pass a Break-Away check.
Skill Checks
Cryptonauts must roll Skill checks in order to successfully perform most Actions, and when reacting to some Goddess cards, Monsters and Hazards. Monsters have to roll Skill checks when attempting to use an Attack Action.
- A Skill check is when a Cryptonaut or Monster attempts roll equal to or under an Attribute, failing if they do not.
- Skill checks are sometimes referred to by their attribute, such as in "Aim check" or "Stamina check".
- Stamina checks are always done against the current amount of Stamina, not the Cryptonaut's maximum Stamina displayed on their Cryptonaut Sheet.
- Any roll of a 1 is always a success, and any roll of a 6 is always a failure, despite the Monster or Cryptonaut's Attributes.
Attack Actions
A Cryptonaut may declare and perform one of her Attacks, requiring a target within the Attack's Range, and Sight to that target.
- To hit with an Attack, the Cryptonaut or Monster must roll and pass an Aim check (roll equal to or less than the Aim Attribute).
- Range is the Attribute that determines the maximum distance of spaces the Attack may target. Melee Attacks can only target adjacent targets.
- Damage determines how much Damage successful Attack Actions using this Attack will deal.
- Attacks against Doors, Monoliths, and other Structures automatically hit and do not require an Aim check.
- Cryptonauts may not Attack Cryptonauts and Monsters may not Attack Monsters.
Example: The Veteran Cryptonaut has an Aim of 5 and attempts to Attack a Monster using her Pistol. Sk'Zaak's Crypt Hound Monster is within the Attack's Range of 3. She rolls a 2 which is equal to or less than her Aim attribute, and she hits the Monster with the Attack, dealing a total of 2 Damage.
Break-Away Checks
If a Cryptonaut is adjacent to any Monster and Moves so that she would leave adjacency with that Monster, the Cryptonaut must first roll a special Stamina check - a Break-Away check.
- A Break-Away check is required each time this happens, for each Monster with whom she is leaving adjacency, even if it is more than one in a single step.
- For each Stamina check that fails, the Cryptonaut loses 1 Stamina. Roll each Stamina check, and calculate any Stamina losses, individually for each Monster in adjacency.
- The Cryptonaut then performs her Move regardless of making or failing the Stamina checks.
- A Cryptonaut does not perform a Break-Away check for the same Monster more than once per Move.
Example: The Cryptonaut may Move 1 space north, but to Move further north will break adjacency with the 2 Goatwolf Slayers. He then must roll two Break-Away checks, losing 1 Stamina for each failed roll.
Prepare Actions
All Cryptonauts have the option to perform a Prepare Action, spending time to set up a defensive posture.
- Prepare Actions must be the final Action taken in a Cryptonaut's Turn. Immediately Retire that Cryptonaut after Preparing.
- If a Cryptonaut Prepares, place a Prepare counter by her standee. This is removed during the Cleanup phase, or when that Cryptonaut's Prepare is triggered.
Triggering a Prepared Cryptonaut
Cryptonauts who are Prepared have the opportunity to take Actions during the Goddess Turn, responding to nearby Monsters.
- If a Monster spends Move (for each "step") or perform Actions within 5 spaces and Sight of a Prepared Cryptonaut, that Cryptonaut may interrupt the Goddess's Turn to perform an Action or Free Action. That Action or Free Action resolves before the Monster's step or Action resolves.
- A Cryptonaut may opt not to trigger his Preparation, and wait for another opportunity to trigger his Prepared Action.
- After the Cryptonaut performs the Prepared Action, remove the Prepare counter, and the Goddess may continue with the Monster. If the Action taken by the Monster is no longer legal, it may perform a new Action.
Example: The Demolitionist ends his Turn by Preparing. During the Goddess's Turn, Sk'Zaak takes the first step in her Tomb Guardian's Move, right through the Demolitionist's Sight, and only 3 spaces away. The Cryptonaut player interrupts the Goddess player, halting the Movement at that instant to use the Demolitionist's Aura Grenades Action. The Tomb Guardian survives with 2 Health, and then continues to take the other two points of Move from the Move Action that was interrupted.
Vitae / Health Loss vs Damage
Some Goddess cards or Cryptonaut Abilities distinctively mention a Cryptonaut losing Vitae or a Monster losing Health. This loss cannot be prevented by Armor and is lethal in both cases.
Victory
The Cryptonaut and Goddess roles are played very differently, and have very different goals. This is important to bear in mind - especially for the Cryptonauts - as the Goddess's victory condition is much more direct.
Cryptonauts Victory
Cryptonauts win the game by having collected 3 Knowledge of Death cards from the Realms of Death, completed at least one Realm Objective, and Teleported out of the Realm with that Knowledge in their inventories. Knowledge of Death cards left behind on the Realm of Death do not count towards victory.
Goddess Victory
The Goddess player wins the game if any of these conditions are met:
- All the Cryptonauts are dead.
- There are no Cryptonauts left in the Realm because some or all have Teleported, but they do not have 3 or more Knowledge of Death cards.
- There is only one Cryptonaut left on the Realm that cannot Teleport alone, and the Teleported Cryptonauts do not have 3 or more Knowledge of Death cards.
Optional Rules
Competitive Draft
This mode is for advanced CRYPTIC EXPLORERS players that want the most competitive experience possible.
For hyper-competitive play, we do not recommend using Sub-Realms, Otherworldly Encounters, or Relics, as these additions are more thematic less tightly balanced. However, that decision is ultimately left to the players' tastes.
Competitive drafting has a different draft and ban system for organized play, allowing for tailored metagame decisions within game setup...
Game Setup
- All players as a group decide to use Sub-Realms, Otherworldly Encounters, and/or Relics.
- The Goddess player chooses a Goddess to play.
- Starting with the Goddess player, each side bans a single Realm of Death from the pool. This can be a normal or Sub-Realm.
- Randomly select a Realm of Death from the remaining options for play and set it up. Do the same for Sub-Realm(s) if desired. If using Relics, set them up now per their rules in the Relics section.
- The Goddess player bans 3 Cryptonauts from being played.
- The Cryptonauts player(s) choose 3 Cryptonauts.
- The Goddess player bans 3 available Cryptonauts from being played.
- The Cryptonauts player(s) choose 3 available Cryptonauts.
- The Cryptonauts player(s) structure their 6 Cryptonauts into Squads based on player count.
- Setup and begin the game.
Otherworldly Encounters
This is a thematic and lore-heavy addition to CRYPTIC EXPLORERS, adding lore and some in-game effects to Knowledge of Death cards, turning them into Encounters. There are also exciting and thematic Campaigns to play!
Read the separate Otherworldly Encounters Manual for more information.
Relics
Relics are special Artifacts of abnormally high power, and unique to the Realm on which they are found. They are listed as additional contents to each Realm and Sub-Realm in the Realmbook.
Using Relic Cards
At the start of any game, determine as a group if you are using Relics.
- If so, the Goddess chooses and flips one Artifact token on the Realm to its Relic side. She also shuffles and sets aside the Relic cards associated with that Realm (see Realmbook).
- If playing with a Realm and one or more Sub-Realms, the Goddess may flip an Artifact to a Relic token on a single Sub-Realm as well (1 or 2 total Relics).
- After the Goddess has been chosen, she Summons any number of Monsters (including Master Monsters) with a Cost of 3 or less within 5 spaces of the Relic token.
- Set aside the Relic cards associated with any Realm and/or Sub-Realm in play.
Relic Rules
- Relics count as Artifacts for all cards, effects, etc.
- If a Relic token is Moved on/over, that Cryptonaut draws a random Relic card, and gains a Knowledge of Death card (just as with Artifacts).
- While a Cryptonaut is carrying a Relic card (Teleported or not), an Objective is considered completed. This is not the case if the Relic is on a Corpse.
Sub-Realms
Sub-Realms are special, miniature Realms with their own Hazards, Objectives, and tokens. These Sub-Realms (The Mirror Waste and The Sunken Citadel) can be used for smaller 1v1 Quickplay Games (see below) or as additional areas alongside a normal, larger Realm.
- Every Sub-Realm has only one Entrance Area and one Objective.
- The Realm Monster Limit is 4.
For specific rules for each Sub-Realm, see the Realmbook.
Using Sub-Realms with a Realm
At the start of the game, after all other setup, but before Cryptonauts are placed on the Realm:
- The Goddess player places a Thyralith Crystal token on the main/larger Realm for each Sub-Realm being used (see below).
- Cryptonauts choose where to setup on the Realm (cannot setup on a Sub-Realm).
- Cryptonauts and Monsters can use 1 point of a Move to Move between a Thyralith Crystal token's space and any Entrance space on the Sub-Realm as if they were adjacent.
- Cryptonauts that enter a Sub-Realm cannot use the Entrance spaces to leave that Sub-Realm until the Objective of that Sub-Realm is completed.
- Games with one or more added Sub-Realms require 1 additional Knowledge of Death cards to be carried by Teleported Cryptonauts per Sub-Realm added, and all the Sub-Realm Objectives and at least one Realm Objective completed, for the Cryptonauts to win.
- The Goddess cannot Summon Monsters, Empower Monoliths, nor affect anything in the Sub-Realm whatsoever until at least one Cryptonaut has entered it via the Thyralith Crystals.
- Each Realm has its own individual Realm Monster Limit: 4 for Sub-Realms, 5 for Realms. The Individual Monster Limit Modifier and Master Monster Limits apply to both the Sub-Realm and Realm simultaneously.
Thyralith Crystals
- All spaces under Thyralith Crystal tokens are considered Ground terrain, are passable, and those spaces lose any special properties / Hazards. This includes being placed on top of Pit spaces.
- Each Thyralith Crystal used must be placed adjacent to another Ground space to ensure that Cryptonauts can Move to/from it, cannot be placed in any occupied or Objective-related spaces, or otherwise be placed in any space that would break the game experience.
1v1 Quickplay
1v1 Quickplay is meant as a way for new players to learn CRYPTIC EXPLORERS with a smaller set of variables to track, or for more experienced players to have a faster 1v1 experience.
All rules are as the core CRYPTIC EXPLORERS rules, except for the following changes:
- Games are played only on Sub-Realms.
- The Cryptonaut player has one Squad of 4 Cryptonauts.
- The Cryptonauts require only 2 Knowledge of Death cards carried by Teleported Cryptonauts to win the game.
Appendices: Modifiers Glossary
AMBUSH - Monsters with Ambush ignore Summoning Fatigue when Summoned.
ARMOR - When a Cryptonaut, Monster, or Structure with Armor is dealt Damage from any source, they suffer 1 less point of Damage for each point of Armor they have. Multiple sources of Armor are stacked up to a maximum of 3. The Piercing Modifier ignores all Armor.
ATTUNE - Monsters with Attune deal 1 less Damage with Attacks and Abilities during the Round in which it is Summoned.
DEMIGODDESS
- Demigoddess Monsters cannot be targeted by Abilities that would remove them from the Realm of Death or Destroy them without reducing their Health to 0.
- Cryptonaut Abilities cannot remove Demigoddess Monsters' Abilities, but Cryptonauts can add Modifiers and affect her Attributes.
- Demigoddess Monsters cannot be affected by Goddess cards nor Goddess Abilities and don't contribute to checks for the Number of Monsters on the Realm, nor count towards the Monster Limit.
ETHEREAL - A Cryptonaut or Monster with Ethereal can only be Damaged by an Attack, Spell, or Ability from an adjacent source. The source is the originator of the Damage.
FEARSOME - Cryptonauts that attempt to target a Monster with Fearsome with an Attack, Spell or Ability must first pass a Stamina check. If they fail, their Attack, Spell or Ability fails as well.
FLOATING - Monsters and Cryptonauts with Floating may Move over Pit spaces, and Monsters may end their Movement on Pit spaces, but Cryptonauts cannot.
GRAPPLE - Cryptonauts adjacent to a Monster with Grapple automatically fail Break-Away checks when Moving out of adjacency with that Monster.
HASTE - A Cryptonaut or Monster with Haste may perform one additional Action each Round. If a Monster has Haste, this includes the Round in which it is Summoned. A unit both Hasted and Slowed performs a normal amount of Actions.
KNOCKBACK - A Monster or Cryptonaut Damaged by any source with Knockback is Moved by that source's controller a number of spaces equal to the Damage dealt. Must be Moved in a straight line, in any of the eight directions, the full number of spaces possible. If the target would be Moved into an occupied or impassable space, she stops. Monsters with Floating can be Moved on to Pit spaces.
REACH - An Attack with Reach is considered Melee but has a Range of 2 spaces (but is not considered a Ranged Attack), and ignores Cryptonauts, Monsters, and Monoliths when determining Sight to a target.
SPECIAL MONSTER LIMIT - A Monster labeled with a Monster Limit has a custom Monster Limit particular to that Monster. These Monsters do not count towards the normal Monster Limit of 5 Monsters in the Realm.
SLOW - A Cryptonaut or Monster with Slow performs one fewer Action each Round. Summoning Fatigue causes a Monster with Slow to have no Actions in the Round it is Summoned. A unit both Hasted and Slowed performs a normal amount of Actions.
SMITING - Attacks, Spells, and Abilities with Smiting ignore Sight rules when targeting (but not Range). They can even target through Walls.
SUMMONING FATIGUE - Monsters always have Summoning Fatigue during the Round in which they are Summoned, and have one less Action that Round.
PIERCING - An Attack, Spell, Ability or Monster with Piercing ignores any target's Armor.
UNYIELDING - Monsters and Cryptonauts with Unyielding are immune to Knockback.
Appendices: First Game Setup
This pre-built setup is provided as a tutorial or introduction to the wider CRYPTIC EXPLORERS game. It is still best to read this Rulebook in full before playing. Alternatively, try the 1v1 Quickplay Mode, located under Sub-Realms.
- Realm of Death - The Tomb of Ivory Sands
- Cryptonaut Squads - See Below
- Goddess - Sk'Zaak
Each Squad is listed with 3 Cryptonauts, but the Cryptonaut listed with an asterisk ('') can be removed to form a 2 Cryptonaut Squad for a 4 player match.
Squad I - "Breachers": Use this Squad to kill Monsters and create openings in the Realm for other Cryptonauts to travel through, collecting Artifact and Soul tokens.
- Veteran
- Demolitionist
- Xenobiologist *
Squad II - "Specialists": Use this Squad to kill Monsters, support all Cryptonauts with healing, and Cast Spells.
- Infantry
- Android
- Magus *
Squad III - "Defenders": Use this Squad to defend close groups of Cryptonauts from incoming Monsters.
- Spectrologist
- Guardian
- Spellsword *