Cthulhu Wars: Azathoth Expansion
Cthulhu Wars: Azathoth Expansion Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Basics
This expansion contains no playable faction. Instead, you will find neutral units and spellbooks in it that are available to all players. The players can use Azathoth, his Monsters and spellbooks in the game. For example, one player could acquire the one neutral spellbook and another player a different one. The components can be used as desired. For example, two players could each command a different group of Neutral Monsters.
Azathoth Himself
Azathoth is an Independent Great Old One and is subject to the same rules as all Independent Great Old Ones, as described on page 84.
Neutral Monsters
The 4 Neutral Monsters in this expansion are subject to the same rules as Neutral Monsters.
Neutral Spellbooks
These spellbooks represent a unique new game element. To acquire one, you simply take it for yourself instead of a normal spellbook of your faction, when you fulfil a spellbook requirement.
Example: The Black Goat awakens Shub-Niggurath for the first time in this game and thereby fulfils a spellbook requirement. Instead of taking one of her own spellbooks, she decides to take the Mao Ceremony for herself.
Once you have taken a neutral spellbook, it is no longer available to any other player. You keep it until the end of the game (exception: Consequences). For each neutral spellbook you take, you have NO access to one of your normal spellbooks in this game. Choose carefully!
A neutral spellbook counts as one of your 6 spellbooks on the Faction card with regard to Unlimited Combat, victory, and all other rules and abilities that refer to the spellbooks on your Faction card (such as Nyarlathotep's combat value or the ability of the Moon Beasts).
Remember that Azathoth's spellbook Nuclear Chaos is NOT a neutral spellbook. It can only be placed by a player who controls Azathoth, on his Loyalty card. It is never placed on a Faction card.
Frequently Asked Questions
The German printed FAQ is reproduced below as a translation. The printed FAQ contains the question on the Mao Ceremony's timing twice; both printings are reproduced as they appear.
Q: How does Dimensionless work in unusual situations, for example when Cthulhu's Units have submerged, or when a Gate is occupied by a Cultist of the Sleeper under the effect of Cursed Sleep?
A: The spellbook's description states that you may only redistribute Units between your Zones. You therefore may neither swap a Cultist under the influence of Cursed Sleep for one on the card, nor choose submerged Units of Great Cthulhu as the target of the ability. (When Cthulhu is submerged, he uses unpredictable Geometry, so that even dimensionless beings cannot reach him.)
Q: Do Units of my faction have to take part in a Battle in order to be able to use Wither?
A: Yes.
Q: When Wither is used against a Monster of the Black Goat, and she owns the spellbook The Thousand Young, how much Power does she receive?
A: The spellbook reduces the Summoning cost for the Black Goat, and Wither then grants her this reduced cost. For example, in this case the Black Goat would receive 0 Power when a Ghoul is withered.
Q: How much Power does the Windwalker receive when a Gnoph-Keh is withered?
A: Use the cost that would be required to summon it at that moment, not the cost to summon it again. For example, if at that point the Windwalker has all four Gnoph-Keh in play, he receives 0 Power.
Q: Why is the Mao Ceremony worded "... after applying the rule for minimum Power, but before determining the starting player."?
A: Because the Mao Ceremony is always resolved last, even after the rule for half Power has been applied. It is the only ability in the game that is resolved at exactly this point. In order: first all players calculate their new Power, then the rule for minimum Power is applied, and finally the Mao Ceremony is resolved. (High Priests can still be sacrificed for 2 Power at any time.)
Q: Why is the Mao Ceremony worded "... after applying the rule for minimum Power, but before determining the starting player."? (printed a second time in the source)
A: Because the Mao Ceremony is always resolved last, even after the rule for half Power has been applied. It is the only ability in the game that is resolved at exactly this point. In order: first all players calculate their new Power, then the rule for minimum Power is applied, and finally the Mao Ceremony is resolved. (High Priests can still be sacrificed for 2 Power at any time.)
Q: What does the addition in Consequences mean: "... and replace it with another available spellbook."?
A: It means that you may replace the spellbook with one of your own available Faction spellbooks or with an available neutral spellbook, but NOT with the spellbooks of other Independent Great Old Ones. The ability therefore only works with spellbooks that you place on your Faction card.
Q: If I play the Guardian of the Way and use Consequences to swap the spellbook Rising Dragon or Descending Dragon after I have turned it over, is it turned face up again? Could I then take it again with Consequences and use it a second time?
A: You could take it back, but that changes nothing about the fact that it has already been used (i.e. turned over). The rule that you turn it over to show that it may not be used again remains in force. There is nothing to be done about this. The same applies to the spellbook Thousand Forms of Crawling Chaos, which is not turned face up again in the next Power phase.
Q: When I use Consequences to remove a neutral spellbook from my Faction card, does it return to the general supply (where anyone can take it) or does it stay in my spellbook supply?
A: It returns to the general supply of neutral spellbooks. Every neutral spellbook that is not on a Faction card may be selected at any time by any player who fulfils a spellbook requirement.
Q: How much Power does the owner of a Ghast receive when it is withered?
A: 2 Power, because that is what a single Ghast costs.
Q: What happens when Consequences is used on a spellbook with a Moon Beast?
A: The Moon Beast is removed at no cost and follows the normal rules for returning to the card.
Q: I control Azathoth. Can I modify the roll for Nuclear Chaos to 0 or 7?
A: Yes!
Q: Can Azathoth absorb more than one Death result in a Battle?
A: No.
Q: How much Power can Nyarlathotep gain when he inflicts Death or Pain on Azathoth in Battle (by means of Messenger)?
A: None! Awakening Azathoth costs 0 Power. Although you lose 1d6+2 Power when you awaken him, you do not pay it. Nyarlathotep can therefore only retrieve two Elder Signs from the Battle against Azathoth.
Q: What happens when Azathoth is surrounded by enemies he has just fought, and he receives a Pain result?
A: Treat it like a Death result and roll one die.
Q: What happens when Azathoth is chosen as the target of the Death result of the Dread Curse of Azathoth (since no combat abilities come into play)?
A: Azathoth's special ability is continuous. You therefore reduce his combat value by 1. (Of course Yog-Sothoth cannot actually use Azathoth's own curse against him, you fool! But since Azathoth is the Blind Idiot God, he may well decide to inflict a little pain on himself.)
Components
The card texts below are read from the component photograph on printed page 1. Where the cards overlap in that photograph, the hidden parts are marked [hidden in source]. The three face-down Neutral Spellbooks show only their backs in the photograph, so their texts are not reproduced.
Azathoth Loyalty Card
Azathoth
Awaken Azathoth (Cost 0):
-
You must have 8+ Power, and your Great Old One must be located at one of your controlled Gates.
-
Roll 1d6 and add +2. You lose Power accordingly (3-8).
-
All opposing players take a die and turn it face down. Then they reveal the results. Each player receives as much Power as the die shows, and the player with the lowest value loses 2 Doom. Add the results and place the Azathoth Glyph on this space of the Doom Track. Place Azathoth at your controlled Gate.
Combat Value: Azathoth's combat value equals the position of his Glyph on the Doom Track.
Demon Sultan (Continuous): Whenever Azathoth is assigned a Death result in Battle, roll 1 die. Move the Azathoth Marker on the Doom Track towards 0 by a corresponding number of spaces. As soon as he reaches 0, Azathoth is killed.
Plaque on the card: All players have at least one Great Old One in play.
Neutral Monster Loyalty Cards
Dimensional Shambler (3)
Pay 2 Doom to take this Loyalty card, and place 1 Dimensional Shambler on your Faction card. Cost: 2. Combat Value: 2.
Shift Between Worlds: [the ability text is almost entirely hidden under the overlapping Elder Being card in the source photograph; only the words "Zwischen den Welten wandeln" and fragments of the rest are legible, so it is not transcribed]
Elder Being (3)
Pay 2 Doom to take this Loyalty card, and place 1 Elder Being at one of your controlled [the word is hidden in the source photograph]. Cost: 2. Combat Value: [hidden in source].
Mind Control (Continuous): [only the first words are legible in the source: "Wenn sich ein Älteres Wesen in der gleichen Zone wie ein gegnerischer Großer Alter befindet, ..." and the fragment "...ser seine Spezialfähigkeit nicht..."; the rest is hidden under the overlapping card and is not transcribed].
Star Vampire (3)
Pay 2 Doom to take this Loyalty card, and place 1 Star Vampire at one of your controlled Gates. Cost: 2. Combat Value: 1.
Combat Phase (Star Vampire's ability): The first legible words read "Wirf die Kampfwürfel getrennt von den anderen Würfeln des Sternenvampirs" (roll the Star Vampire's combat dice separately from the other dice). The rest of the ability is only partly legible under the overlapping Servitor card and is not transcribed.
Servitor of the Outer Gods (3)
Pay 2 Doom, but instead of taking this Loyalty card for yourself, give it to ANOTHER player who keeps it for the rest of the game. Do not place any Servitor of the Outer Gods. Cost: 2. Combat Value: -1.
Glorification (Continuous): As long as you have a Servitor of the Outer Gods in your reserve, you may not summon any other Monster. (You may place Monsters with abilities or other means on the card that enable this, but not summon Monsters with the Action.)
Neutral Spellbooks (visible faces)
Consequences (Action: Cost 1)
Remove a spellbook (this may also be this spellbook) from your Faction card and replace it with another available spellbook.
The Stars Are Right (Doom Phase)
When you exchange Elder Signs for Doom points during the Doom Phase, you simultaneously receive as much Power as corresponds to their value.
The Mao Ceremony (Power Phase)
At the end of the Power Phase (after applying the rule for minimum Power, but before determining the starting player), you may eliminate 1 or more of your own Cultists and receive 1 Power for each.
Notes on Omitted Printed Material
The printed Azathoth epilogue (a quotation-led fiction piece), the chapter-opening art pages and the closing quotation page contain no rules and are not reproduced. The credits, copyright and publisher/distributor block on the last printed page are not reproduced.