Hellboy: The Board Game
Hellboy: The Board Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Box Contents
- Basic Principles
- Playing the Game
- Additional Rules
- The Confrontation
- Cases
- Quick Reference
Box Contents
The following pages list the various components you'll find in the core set.
Miniatures
In Hellboy: The Board Game the heroes, villains and monsters are represented by plastic miniatures. There are three types: B.P.R.D. Field Agents (referred to in the rules as Agents), Minions and Bosses. The term Enemy is used to refer to a Minion or Boss, and the term character is used to refer to an Agent, Minion or Boss (in other words, any miniature).
If a rule says "this affects all Enemies in the room", it means that all Minions and Bosses in the room are affected. If it says "this affects all characters in the room", it means that all Agents, Minions and Bosses in the room are affected.
B.P.R.D. Field Agents: Hellboy, Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, Johann Kraus.
Enemy Bosses: Rasputin, The Monster of Sadu Hem, Giant Frog, Tentacles.
Enemy Minions: Rampaging Frog Monster x3, Venomous Frog Monster x3, Armed Frog Monster x3, Transforming Monster x3, Frog Swarms.
Components
- Room Tile (1 area) x1
- Room Tile (2 areas) x6
- Room Tile (4 areas) x5
- Doors x12
- Scenery x9
- Point of Interest counters x3
- Clue counters x10
- Trigger markers (Red) x6
- Reaction markers (Black) x6
- Impending Doom marker x1
- Information Gathered marker x1
- Target Priority markers x4
- Starting Area counter x1
- HQ Board / Confrontation Board
- Agent boards x4
- Starting cards x8
- Requisition cards x20
- Backup Agent cards x4
- Backup Agent counters x4
- Damage markers x27
- Base Clips x4
- Effect Die x1
- Marker Cubes x12
- Insight markers x8
- Inferno counters x9
- Test Dice x12
- Action Cubes x12
- Enemy Damage markers x18
- Destruction counters x6
- Deck of Doom cards x27
- Enemy cards x4
- Encounter cards x42
- Case File decks x6
- Boss cards x4
- Boss Behaviour cards x16
Basic Principles
Overview
A game of Hellboy: The Board Game is generally broken into two parts:
- An investigation, during which the Agents search through the location, encounter Minions and examine clues.
- A final Confrontation where they'll come face-to-face with the Boss at the centre of the case.
During the investigation, the Impending Doom marker on the HQ board acts as a timer, gradually advancing along the track each round until it reaches a certain space and triggers the Confrontation. The Confrontation can also be triggered if the Agents track the Boss down before they can put their plan into action… or if the Agents are all knocked out at the same time. More on that later.
Before the Confrontation begins, the Agents should do their best to advance the marker along the Information Gathered track on the HQ board. They generally do this by examining clue counters, which they will find by exploring new rooms. The more they can advance the track, the more advantages they're likely to have during the Confrontation.
The HQ Board
The HQ board contains the Impending Doom track and marker, the Information Gathered track and marker, the Case File deck and its discard space, the target priority queue, the Encounter deck and its discard space, the Deck of Doom and its discard space, the Minion slots (A to D) and the In Play Area.
Cards
During a game, the HQ board holds three decks of cards: the Case File deck, the Deck of Doom and the Encounter deck. A fourth deck, the Requisition deck, is not generally used once the case starts, but should be kept near the HQ board in case it is needed. Each of these decks works differently, as described on the next page.
Cards in Play
When a card is in play, its rules are active. Cards in play are generally placed above the HQ board as a reminder of their effects. It's a good habit to check this area often for any cards that will affect the events currently taking place. These cards will display instructions for how they affect the game, and when they should be discarded.
The Case File Deck
This is the engine that powers the game's story, introducing twists and surprises and reacting to the players' actions. The game box contains six sealed Case File decks. During setup (page 28) players will choose one deck and place it on the HQ board without shuffling it, looking through it or otherwise disturbing the order of the cards. All of the cards in the deck are double-sided, and the card face visible on top of the deck is always considered to be in play, in the same way as the cards above the HQ board.
If the players are instructed to flip the top card of the Case File deck it is turned over so that its reverse is visible, without reading or resolving the card underneath. It is left on top of the deck. The new visible face of the card should immediately be read and resolved.
If the players are instructed to discard the top card of the Case File deck it is moved to the Case File discard space, to the left of the HQ board. This reveals a new top card, which should immediately be read and resolved.
The Deck of Doom
The Deck of Doom introduce random elements to each case, adding environmental effects, spawning Minions or advancing the Impending Doom track. This deck is constructed during setup according to instructions found in the Case File deck, meaning it is different each time you play.
When players are instructed to draw a Deck of Doom card, the top card is revealed and read aloud. It might have an immediate effect or it might be put into play. When a Deck of Doom card is discarded, it is placed in the Deck of Doom discard space, to the right of the HQ board.
The Encounter Deck
As each room is placed onto the table during the game, a card from the Encounter deck is laid face-down inside. When the Agents explore that room its Encounter card is revealed, showing what should be set up – Minions, scenery, clues and sometimes other surprises.
When an Encounter card is revealed it is resolved as described on page 18; then, if it has a special rule, it is put into play next to its room. Otherwise, it is discarded and placed in the Encounter discard space to the right of the HQ board.
The Requisition Deck
Agents look through this deck during setup (page 28) to choose additional equipment for the mission. Any unused cards remain in the deck, which is placed near the HQ board.
Unlike the other decks, players draw from the bottom of the requisition deck. This is because the cards are double-sided, so it is always possible to see what is on the top of the deck. When requisition cards are discarded, they are shuffled back into the deck.
Trigger and Reaction Markers
Sometimes, when a card is placed in play, its rules will call for a trigger and reaction marker to be used. A trigger marker is placed on a certain space of the Information Gathered or Impending Doom track, and the matching reaction marker is placed on the card that is in play.
If the Information Gathered or Impending Doom marker reaches the trigger marker, this will trigger an effect on the card with the matching reaction marker. The trigger and reaction markers are then discarded.
If the trigger marker would be placed on a space that has already been reached, the effect is resolved immediately and neither marker is placed.
Trigger markers (by themselves) can also be placed to remind players of the effects of cards that are in-play. For example, if a Case File card says that it should be flipped the next time a Point of Interest is placed, the players can put a trigger marker with the Point of Interest counters as a reminder. This is optional, but helpful!
Target Priority
The target priority queue on the HQ board is used whenever the game needs to decide between two Agents – for example, when an Enemy attacks and has more than one eligible target.
At the start of each Case, a target priority marker is placed on the queue for each Agent present, as described in the setup section on page 28. The starting order of the queue depends on the Threat Level of the Agents (page 9).
Whenever the rules call for target priority to be used to select an Agent, the Agent at the front of the queue (the bottom space containing the target icon) is selected as long as they are eligible. If not, the next in line is selected, and so on. When an Agent is selected using target priority, their marker is moved to the back of the queue, with the other markers moving forward accordingly.
The Lead Agent
The Agent at the front of the target priority queue is referred to as the lead Agent – and this term also refers to their player. Whenever the game rules are open to ambiguity (for example, there might be multiple options when moving enemies in the Enemy phase) the lead Agent will be given the power to choose how they are interpreted.
Minion Slots
Below the HQ board there are four Minion slots, labelled A to D. Enemy cards will be placed beneath each of these slots during a case, as instructed by the Case File deck. Each Minion type which has a card in a Minion slot is active, meaning it could arrive on the board at any time.
When the rules instruct the players to spawn a Minion, this means to set up a Minion on the board. The instruction will usually be something like "Spawn Minion C", which means "set up a Minion of the type whose card is in slot C". If there is no Enemy card in that slot, move one slot to the left until an Enemy card is reached.
If all four slots have an Enemy card and the players are instructed to add another, place it to the right of the card in slot D. There is no limit to the number of Minion types that can be active at once, but only the first four will generally be spawned by Encounter cards.
Trackers
Several trackers are featured in the game; for example Liz Sherman's Living Flame starting card and Johann Kraus' Ectoplasmic Stability starting card. A tracker is made up of several spaces, one of which is marked with an X. It is also accompanied by an arrow.
At the start of each Case, a marker cube should be put on the space marked with an X. It is also returned here if you are instructed to reset the tracker. If a rule causes the tracker to advance, the marker cube should be moved one space in the direction of the arrow. If a rule causes the tracker to be reduced, the marker cube should be moved one space in the opposite direction.
Each tracker will have its own rules detailed on the card. Some will have different game effects depending on the position of the marker cube; others will have an effect if the marker cube is advanced or reduced beyond the limits of the tracker.
Note that the Impending Doom and Information Gathered tracks on the HQ board are also advanced (and, less frequently, reduced) in the same way as a tracker, even though they don't have an advancement arrow and aren't marked with a starting space.
Agent Boards
Each Agent has a corresponding Agent board, which shows the following information:
Skill Level Icons (1-4). The four icons at the top-left of the Agent board represent the Agent's four skills: FIGHT (1), SHOOT (2), EXAMINE (3) and DEFENCE (4). Each skill is rated either average, proficient or superhuman. This corresponds to the colour of test dice that are rolled when that skill is tested (see page 11).
Special Rules (5). Each Agent bends or breaks the game rules in a number of ways, giving them abilities that make them stand out from their fellow Agents. These are listed here. These rules are always in effect.
Unique Actions (6). While all of the Agents can perform the same basic and free actions, they each have access to a list of unique actions that only they can perform. These are listed here. Note the number of cube icons next to the name, which shows how many action cubes it costs to make the action. See page 16 for more details.
Health Track (7). Markers are placed here to track any damage the Agent has suffered (page 10). The more spaces on an Agent's health track, the more it will take to put them out of the fight.
Threat Level (8). An Agent's Threat Level is used when setting up the target priority queue (see page 8).
Starting Cards (9). Each Agent has a pair of starting cards, representing signature equipment or additional special rules. These cards are listed here (each card will also show the Agent's icon).
Action Cubes
Each player has a set of three action cubes which they can spend each round. Unspent action cubes are kept on a player's Agent board, removed as they are spent, and then returned in the End phase (at the end of each round).
The most common way to spend action cubes is to make actions during the Agent phase, which is explained on page 16. However, they can also be spent to boost your own Agent or assist another, as detailed on page 11.
Damage
Damage can be inflicted by both Agents and Enemies, but each character type suffers it differently.
Damage Markers
Agents use damage markers to track damage they have suffered. Damage markers have two sides – a black wound side, which is the same on each marker, and a red injury side, which varies.
At the start of the game, all the damage markers should be placed in a pile with their black wound side showing. This is the damage pool.
Whenever a damage marker is taken from the pool, it should be taken at random, without looking at the injury side. Whenever a damage marker is returned to the pool, it should be mixed back in.
Agent Damage
For each damage suffered by an Agent, take a damage marker from the damage pool and place it in the first empty space on the health track. This is a wound, and represents minor damage – cuts and bruises, but little more.
If all spaces on the health track are filled with wounds, the first (furthest to the left) wound on the track is flipped to its injury side, as shown. This has now become a more serious injury, and will impair the Agent's abilities until it is healed.
Injury Effects
Each injury bears either a skill icon or an action cube icon.
When an Agent tests one of their skills (page 11), downgrade one die for each injury on their health track that has a matching skill icon. In the example above, this Agent would downgrade one die when testing DEFENCE.
When an Agent refreshes action cubes in the End phase (page 20), they receive one fewer cube for each injury on their health track that has an action cube icon.
Knocked Out
Once all the spaces on an Agent's health track contain an injury, the next damage they suffer will cause them to be knocked out. Remove their miniature from the board and remove their marker from the target priority queue (shuffling any others forward as necessary).
Knocked out Agents are temporarily out of play, but will be able to return when the group next takes time (page 19).
Healing
Some rules allow an Agent to heal damage. This allows them to flip the last (rightmost) injury on their health track so that it becomes a wound. If they do not have any injuries, remove the last wound on their health track instead.
For example, Hellboy has three injuries, downgrading his DEFENCE and EXAMINE tests, and reducing his action cubes.
He heals one damage, flipping the rightmost injury and removing the EXAMINE penalty.
Then, in the rest phase, he heals three damage, flipping both remaining injuries and then removing the rightmost wound.
Enemy Damage
Enemies suffer damage in a much simpler way than Agents. For each damage that an Enemy suffers, put a damage marker next to their model on the board, or on the model's base. These damage markers will be moved with the Enemy. If an Enemy heals damage, remove that many damage markers from next to them.
As soon as the number of damage markers next to an Enemy equals or exceeds their Health, they are defeated and removed from the board.
Making Tests
Often, a player will be told to test one of their Agent's skills (for example, 'Test SHOOT'). To make a test:
- Take the set of three test dice that match your Agent's skill level, and the blue effect die.
- Apply any upgrades or downgrades (see below).
- Roll the dice, apply the effect die (see right) and total the number of pips to get the test score.
- Resolve the outcome of the test based on the test score.
Upgrades and Downgrades
Several game effects will apply upgrades or downgrades to a test. For each upgrade, one die in the test is improved; for each downgrade, one die in the test is worsened. For example, orange upgrades to red and downgrades to yellow.
Upgrades and downgrades cancel out, so if a test has two upgrades and one downgrade, only one upgrade is applied.
Black dice can only be obtained by upgrading a red die. If a yellow die is downgraded, it is discarded and not rolled at all. If a test that starts with yellow dice has three or more downgrades, only the effect die is rolled.
There are a number of different rules and game effects that can grant upgrades or impose downgrades, but regardless of how many are applied a single die can never be upgraded or downgraded more than once per roll.
The Effect Die
The result on the effect die affects the roll before the test score is calculated:
- Catastrophe – Discard the highest-scoring test die.
- Plus One – Add one to the test score.
- Plus Two – Add two to the test score.
- Re-roll – Re-roll any number of test dice. You must decide which ones to re-roll before re-rolling any dice, and the new results replace the old ones even if they are worse.
- X2 Double – Double the highest-scoring test die.
- B.P.R.D. – This effect is a wild card – it lets you pick any other result from this list and apply it. Some rules instead allow you to spend a B.P.R.D. icon when making a roll – if you do, you cannot also use it as a wild card.
Boosting and Assisting
Whenever an Agent makes a test, they can spend action cubes to boost their chances of success. Each action cube spent grants one upgrade, as explained to the left.
In addition, when an Agent makes a test, other Agents in the same area can each spend one action cube in the same way to assist them. Again, each action cube spent grants one upgrade.
The Game Board
Hellboy: The Board Game uses a modular game board made up of different-sized board tiles.
Each separate board tile is called a room. Rooms are usually divided into two or more areas – these appear on the tile as large squares which can fit several miniatures. The edge of a room tile is its wall – characters generally can't move, see or attack through a wall.
Each area can hold up to six characters (including backup agents, which are described on page 23). If an area is full, characters cannot enter it. Any scenery (page 25) in an area will reduce the number of characters it can hold.
A character can only be in one area at a time. The exact position of their miniature within the area does not matter.
Doors
Adjacent rooms can be connected by doors, as seen in the example below. Doors must always be placed between two neighbouring areas, as centrally as possible.
A door creates a break in the wall of each room it joins. As long as the room on the other side has been explored (page 18), characters can move, see and attack through a door, ignoring the wall beneath the door counter entirely. The section of wall beneath a door is ignored – the door creates a break in the wall that characters can move, see and attack through.
Adjacent Areas
Any two areas that are touching are considered to be adjacent – this includes areas that touch diagonally, but does not include areas that are separated by a wall. Two areas that touch across a door are adjacent, but as the door does not stretch the full length of the area this does not apply diagonally.
In the example, all of the areas marked B are adjacent to the area marked A because they are touching. The area marked C is also adjacent to A because they are touching through a door. The area marked D is not adjacent to A because there is a wall between them, even though they are touching diagonally.
Unexplored Rooms
Rooms generally start with a face-down Encounter card in them to show that they are unexplored. This means that the Agents don't know what they will find in the room. Unexplored rooms are off-limits, so characters can't move into them, see into them, attack into them or interact with them in any way unless the rules explicitly allow them to do so.
Doors leading into unexplored areas are only used to make Explore actions (page 18).
Visibility
Some rules require a target area to be visible to a character. Trace an imaginary straight line between the centre of the target area and the centre of the character's area. If this line does not cross a wall, the area is visible.
If the imaginary line passes through any areas (other than the character's area and the target area) which contain models, the area is visible and also obscured.
In the example to the right, Liz Sherman wants to make a Shoot action, which lets her target a visible Enemy. Frog monsters A and C are clearly visible as there's nothing in the way (remember that doors effectively remove a section of wall). Frog Monster D is visible but obscured, as Hellboy and Frog Monster C are in the intervening area.
Frog Monsters B and E are not visible, as the line traced between the centre of Liz's area and the centre of each of their areas would cross a wall.
Note that the actual position of characters within the area does not matter. A line can be drawn directly from Liz to Frog Monster E, but this does not count – visibility is always drawn from the centre of one area to the centre of another.
Playing the Game
The Round Cycle
A game is split into a cycle of rounds, each made up of five phases. These always happen in a fixed order. As soon as one round ends, the next begins. The five phases are:
- Enemy Phase
- Agent Phase
- Rest Phase
- Doom Phase
- End Phase
1. Enemy Phase
In this phase, each Enemy on the board is activated once, and will usually do some combination of moving and attacking.
Minions are activated in groups according to their type. Each Minion type will have an Enemy card under the HQ board, in one of the Minion slots. All of the Minions from the card in slot A are activated first, then slot B, and so on. The lead Agent (page 8) decides the specific order in which the individual Minions of each type are activated.
If a Boss is on the board, it is activated before all the Minions have been activated. This is detailed on page 27.
Activating Minions
If a Minion is in the same area as an Agent when it is activated, it makes a melee attack. Otherwise, its behaviour depends upon its tag. The rules for each type of behaviour are on page 15.
Enemy Tags. Each Enemy card shows several tags beneath the Minion's type (as shown to the right). These tags will state whether the Enemy is a Boss or a Minion, and might feature other words that describe the Enemy. Tags have no function by themselves but may be referred to by other rules.
The Brawler, Ranged and Cowardly tags in particular will determine the Minion's behaviour when it activates.
Minion Behaviour
Brawler. A Minion with the Brawler tag moves towards the nearest area containing an Agent. Its exact path is chosen by the lead Agent, and if two or more areas containing Agents are equally near, target priority is used to pick one. If it moves into an area containing an Agent it stops and then makes a melee attack.
Ranged. A Minion with the Ranged tag makes a ranged attack against a visible Agent within the Enemy's Range. For example, if an Enemy has a Range of 2, it could target an Agent up to two areas away.
If there are no visible Agents in range, the Minion moves towards the nearest area containing an Agent. Its exact path is chosen by the lead Agent, and if two or more areas containing Agents are equally near, target priority is used to pick one. If it moves so that an Agent becomes both visible and in range, it stops and then makes a ranged attack.
Cowardly. A Minion with the Cowardly tag moves so that it is as far as possible from any areas containing Agents. Its exact path is chosen by the lead Agent, but it will not move into an area containing an Agent, and if it is already as far as it can be from any Agents it will not move. The Minion cannot enter any unexplored areas.
Move
Enemies move a number of areas up to their Move value.
For example, an Enemy with a Move value of 2 could move up to two areas. To move an Enemy one area, pick it up and put it in an area adjacent (page 12) to the one it is currently in.
Remember that characters cannot move through walls, cannot move diagonally through doors and cannot move into an area that is already full (page 12).
Melee Attacks
When an Enemy makes a melee attack they target a single Agent in their area (using target priority if necessary). The target Agent tests DEFENCE (page 11), with the following modifiers:
- Downgrade one die for each Enemy (other than the attacker) in the target Agent's area.
The Agent suffers damage (page 10) equal to the attacking Enemy's Melee Attack value minus the test score. If at least one damage is inflicted, the Agent has been hit. This has no effect by itself, but may be required to trigger other rules.
For example, a Frog Monster is making a Melee Attack against Hellboy. Hellboy's test score is 3 and the Frog Monster's Melee Attack value is 5, so Hellboy suffers 2 damage and is hit.
Ranged Attacks
When an Enemy makes a ranged attack they target a single Agent within their Range (using target priority if necessary). The target Agent tests DEFENCE (page 11), with the following modifiers:
- Upgrade one die for each other character in the target Agent's area.
- Upgrade one die for each character in an area that is in the path of the shot and causing it to be obscured (page 13).
The Agent suffers damage (page 10) equal to the attacking Enemy's Ranged Attack value minus the test score. If at least one damage is inflicted, the Agent has been hit. This has no effect by itself, but may be required to trigger other rules.
For example, a Venomous Frog Monster is making a Ranged Attack against Abe Sapien. Abe's test score is 2 and the Venomous Frog Monster's Ranged Attack value is 5, so Abe suffers 3 damage and is hit.
Enemies Attacking Enemies
Sometimes an Enemy will attack another Enemy – when Johann Kraus uses his Possess unique action, for example. When this happens no roll is made. Instead, the target Enemy suffers damage equal to the attacking Enemy's Attack value (Melee if the Enemies are in the same area, Ranged otherwise) minus the target's Resilience. This is similar to when Agents attack Enemies - see page 16.
Activating Bosses
Bosses do not activate in the same way as Minions – they do not have pre-set behaviour based on their tags. Instead, when a Boss is activated, the top card is drawn from its Behaviour deck, which is then resolved and discarded. The Behaviour deck is covered in more detail in the Confrontation section on page 27.
2. Agent Phase
In this phase, the players can spend their action cubes to make actions with their Agents.
There is no fixed order to this – the players are free to discuss their options and act in an order of their choice. For example, Hellboy could make a Move action, then Liz Sherman could make two Shoot actions, then Johann Kraus could make an Examine action, then Hellboy could make a Fight action. Alternatively, Hellboy could start the phase by making three consecutive Fight actions.
The phase ends when all action cubes have been spent. If a player does not want to spend all of their cubes, any unspent cubes are discarded.
There are six basic actions. These cost one action cube each and can be made by any Agent. They are:
- Move
- Fight
- Shoot
- Examine
- Clear
- Interact
Each Agent also has a number of unique actions, which only they can make. Each Agent board lists its actions next to the image that must be spent to make it. The number of cubes to the right of the action name shows that while Hellboy's Taunt action costs one action cube, Big Right Hook and Hurl Furniture each cost two.
There are also free actions (page 18) that an Agent can make during the Agent phase without spending any action cubes.
Basic Action: Move
The Agent moves up to two areas. To move an Agent one area, pick it up and put it in an area adjacent (page 12) to the one it is currently in.
Remember that characters cannot move through walls, cannot move diagonally through doors and cannot move into an area that is already full (page 12).
Evading Enemies
Each time an Agent leaves an area containing any Enemies, they must choose whether to evade each Enemy.
- For each Enemy evaded, the Agent suffers one damage (page 10).
- Each Enemy not evaded is picked up and moved with the Agent into the adjacent area.
An Agent in an area with multiple Enemies may choose to evade some and not others. Decide for each in turn.
If the area an Agent is moving into does not have enough space for some or all Enemies to move with the Agent, the Agent must evade all enemies that do not fit into the new area before moving.
Another Agent in the area that is being left can spend an action cube to distract one Enemy, letting the moving Agent ignore it entirely.
Basic Action: Fight
Pick an Enemy in the Agent's area to be the target. If the Agent has any melee weapons (page 22) they can pick one to use before rolling.
Then the Agent tests FIGHT (page 11), with the following modifiers:
- Downgrade one die for each Enemy (other than the target) in the attacking Agent's area.
The target Enemy suffers damage (page 10) equal to the test score minus its Resilience. If this inflicts at least one damage, the target has been hit. This has no effect by itself, but may be required to trigger other rules.
For example, Hellboy is making a Fight action against a Frog Monster. Hellboy's test score is 6 and the Frog Monster's Resilience is 2, so the Frog Monster suffers 4 damage.
Basic Action: Shoot
This action is only available if there are no Enemies in the Agent's area, and the Agent has a ranged weapon (page 22). If they have more than one ranged weapon, they must pick one before rolling.
Pick an Enemy in a visible area (page 13) to be the target. Then the Agent tests SHOOT (page 11), with the following modifiers:
- Downgrade one die for each other character in the target's area.
- Downgrade one die for each character in an area that is in the path of the shot and causing it to be obscured (page 13).
The target suffers damage (page 10) equal to the test score minus its Resilience. If this inflicts at least one damage, the Enemy has been hit. This has no effect by itself, but may be required to trigger other rules.
For example, Abe Sapien is making a Shoot action against a Frog Monster. Abe's test score is 7 and the Frog Monster's Resilience is 2, so the Frog Monster suffers 5 damage.
Basic Action: Examine
This action is only available if there is a clue counter in the Agent's area.
The Agent tests EXAMINE, using the rules for tests on page 11. Take the following modifiers into account:
- Downgrade one die for each Enemy in the same room as the Agent.
- Downgrade one additional die for each Enemy in the same area as the Agent.
On a score of 0-2, there is no effect. On a score of 3-5 the clue counter is discarded and the Information Gathered track advances. On a score of 6 or more, the counter is discarded and the track advances twice.
For example, Johann Kraus is examining a clue while there are two Frog Monsters in the room – one in his area, and one in another area. He downgrades three dice (one for each Enemy in the room, and an extra one for the Enemy in his area) and scores 5. The clue is discarded and the Information Gathered track is advanced once.
Basic Action: Clear
This action is only available if there are no Enemies in the Agent's area.
Remove one frog swarm (page 24) or inferno (page 24) from the Agent's area.
Basic Action: Interact
This action is only available if there are no Enemies in the Agent's area.
The Agent interacts with a point of interest or piece of special scenery in their area.
When an Agent interacts with a point of interest, one of the cards that is currently in play (either above the HQ board or on top of the Case File deck) will provide instructions for what to do. If it does not, the point of interest cannot be interacted with.
The rules for special scenery can be found in the Scenery section on page 25.
Free Actions
Free actions can be made during the Agent phase like basic actions, but do not cost any action cubes. Other rules and cards may grant additional free actions not listed here.
Free Action: Trade
This action is only available if there are no Enemies in the Agent's area.
Pick a starting card or requisition card with a hand icon carried by the Agent and give it to another Agent in the same area. If the card has been flipped, it stays flipped.
The Agent who takes the equipment puts it next to their Agent board then turns it sideways to show that it cannot be used in this phase. In the End phase the card is turned back and can be used as normal from then on.
Free Action: Explore
This action is only available if the Agent is in an area with a door that leads to an unexplored room.
Flip over the encounter card in the unexplored room. The card shows the contents of each area in the new room.
In a four-area room, set up the contents of the first line in the area closest to the Agent making the Explore action. Set up the contents of the second line in the next area clockwise around the room, and so on.
In a two-area room, set up the contents of the first and second lines in the area closest to the Agent, and the contents of the third and fourth lines in the other area.
If the encounter card has any rules text (beneath the boxes) the card is placed next to the room. Otherwise it is discarded.
Each area will usually have some combination of Minions, clue counters and scenery. When setting up scenery, if the card calls for "scenery", set up a piece of generic scenery (page 25) with a size equal to the number in brackets – the exact piece does not matter. Special scenery (page 25) is only set up if it is referred to by its specific name.
For example, Hellboy explores a room and reveals the Encounter card shown to the right (1: Clue, 2: Minion B, 3: Scenery 1, 4: Frog Swarm, with the rule Ambush! The Minion in this room is immediately activated as though it were the Enemy phase.). Once the room is set up, the Ambush! rule shown on the card will be resolved immediately.
3. Rest Phase
In the Rest phase, the Agents have the option to gather their wits and recuperate – at a cost.
Important: If there are any Enemies on the board, the Agents do not have time to rest and this phase is skipped.
Otherwise, at the start of the phase the players decide whether or not they will take time. The majority of players must agree to this; if there is a split, the lead Agent has the casting vote. If the players choose not to take time, the rest of the phase is skipped.
If any Agents are knocked out (page 10) and there are no Enemies on the board, the Agents must take time. Any knocked out Agents are returned to the board and their target priority markers are returned to the target priority queue. Their damage markers remain on their boards.
Taking Time
If the players take time, carry out the following steps:
a) Rest Actions b) Agents Prepare c) Advance Impending Doom
a) Rest Actions. When the Agents take time they can each make one of the following rest actions:
- Investigate – Discard a clue counter in any explored area, and advance the Information Gathered track twice.
- Recuperate – Roll two red dice and heal damage equal to the score (page 10).
- Secure – Pick a single explored room on the board and remove all frog swarms and infernos from it.
b) Agents Prepare. Once any rest actions have been completed the Agents prepare to get moving.
At this point, Agents can freely trade any requisition cards that have the hand icon amongst themselves. Starting cards are returned to their Agent if they have been previously traded away.
Then, each Agent can move to any explored area on the board, as long as they do not move through any unexplored areas.
Finally, the target priority queue is reset. The marker belonging to the Agent with the highest Threat Level (page 9) is placed at the front of the queue, with the others behind it in order of descending Threat Level.
c) Advance Impending Doom. Taking time is costly… Advance the Impending Doom track once.
4. Doom Phase
In this phase, the top card of the Deck of Doom is drawn and resolved.
For example, if the Interesting Remains card was drawn, the Impending Doom track would be advanced, then the card would be put into play until its rules text had been resolved (i.e. until a Minion is defeated).
5. End Phase
The End phase has four steps, which must be completed in order:
a) Refresh Action Cubes b) Resolve Infernos c) Resolve Frog Swarms d) Other Effects
a) Refresh Action Cubes. Each player returns their three action cubes to their Agent board. If an Agent has any injuries (page 10) with an action cube icon, they refresh one fewer action cube for each. Regardless of these or any other modifiers, Agents always refresh at least one action cube.
b) Resolve Infernos. In each area with an inferno (page 24), remove one clue, one frog swarm and any scenery in the area.
Then roll a red die for each inferno. On a score of 0, it is removed. On a score of 1, 2 or 3, each character in that area takes that much fire damage. Additionally, on a score of 3, place another inferno in each adjacent explored area that does not already contain one. These new infernos are not resolved this phase.
c) Resolve Frog Swarms. Each frog swarm (page 24) that is in the same area as an Agent moves into an adjacent explored area, chosen by the lead Agent. This area cannot contain any Agents – if this is not possible, the frog swarm does not move.
Then, for every two frog swarms on the board (rounding down), advance the Impending Doom track once.
d) Other Effects. If any other game effects state that they take place in the End phase, they happen now. For example, equipment cards that have been traded between Agents are now rotated so that they are available to use.
If there are multiple other effects, the Lead Agent chooses the order in which they are resolved.
Additional Rules
Requisition and Starting Cards
At the start of each case, each Agent receives two starting cards, as shown on their Agent board. These are usually equipment (such as Abe Sapien's Harpoon or Hellboy's Pistol) but they can also represent limited-use abilities (Hellboy's Deep Pockets) or a special ability that uses a tracker (Liz Sherman's Living Flame).
In addition, players will have the option to purchase requisition cards before each case. These are almost identical to starting cards, but can be taken by any Agent.
Some requisition or starting cards are double-sided and some are single-sided, but in either case the cards should always begin the game with their fronts visible. The front of the card is the side that says "starting card" or "requisition card" at the top.
Weapons
The Agents have access to several weapons – usually requisition cards (such as the Ancient Blade) or starting cards (Hellboy's Pistol). When an Agent makes a Fight action they can make use of a melee weapon, and when an Agent makes a Shoot action they must make use of a ranged weapon. Some unique actions (such as Liz Sherman's Flame Blast) count as a weapon in their own right. Unless specifically stated otherwise, a single action cannot use more than one weapon.
Attack Effects
Some attacks have special effects. Whether these attacks are made by Agents or Enemies, the effects are applied in addition to any damage.
Hurl
Some rules (like Hellboy's Big Right Hook unique action) cause the target to be hurled. This moves the target into an adjacent explored area, chosen by the Agent who attacked (or the lead Agent, if the attack was made by an Enemy).
Each other character in the area they are hurled into suffers damage equal to the roll of an orange die.
If there is a piece of scenery in the area that the character is hurled into, it is destroyed and the character suffers damage equal to the scenery piece's size (page 25).
Stun
Some rules (like the Stun Grenade requisition card) cause targets to be stunned.
A stunned character is laid down on its side, still in the same area.
- When an Agent attacks a stunned Enemy, they gain one upgrade.
- When a stunned Agent defends against an attack, they suffer one downgrade.
When a stunned Enemy is activated in the Enemy phase, they stand up and do nothing else.
A stunned Agent cannot make any actions. They can stand up by spending two action cubes in the Agent phase. Stunned backup agents must use their action cube to stand up, and can do nothing else in that round. Stunned backup agents must use their action cube to stand up, and can do nothing else in that round.
Fire
Some rules – like Liz Sherman's Flame Blast unique action – cause fire damage.
Some character have special weaknesses or resistances to fire damage; Liz, for example, never suffers fire damage. This will be detailed on their cards.
Regardless of whether the target has a weakness or resistance, an inferno (page 24) is always placed in the target area after an attack which causes fire damage has been resolved. If the attack targets multiple areas, each one gets an inferno. When making a ranged fire attack, Agents can target visible unoccupied areas - they inflict no damage, but an inferno is still placed.
Backup Agents
As well as requisition cards, Agents will be able to purchase backup agent cards ahead of a case, representing other B.P.R.D. field agents assigned to support the team.
Backup agent cards are double-sided. The front shows the rules for when the backup agent is giving remote support (assumed to be working nearby on another arm of the investigation) and the rear shows the rules for direct support (when they are on location with the other Agents).
Backup agent cards are tied to an Agent, just like requisition cards, and are placed next to their Agent board in the same way. This is the Agent they are supporting. When setting up the game, players can decide whether their backup agents will start the game giving remote or direct support, and flip the card so the appropriate face is showing.
Remote Support
When the Agents take time, any backup agents providing remote support check in. This represents them getting in touch to share what they've learned during their side investigation. Their card will detail what kind of test can be made.
If a Catastrophe is rolled on the effect die when making a test for a backup agent giving remote support, they fail to check in. The test counts as having a score of 0 and the backup agent card is discarded.
Calling for Backup
After making this test, a player can call in a backup agent. Flip their card, and put their backup agent counter in the same area as the Agent they are supporting.
Direct Support
A backup agent giving direct support is represented on the board by a backup agent counter. This is treated as a character in all respects – it takes up the space of one character in an area (page 12) and can obscure (page 13) a Shoot action or Enemy ranged attack.
Backup agents giving direct support receive one action cube when they are first set up, and in each End phase (use a marker cube to represent this). They can only make Move, Fight, Shoot, Examine or Clear actions (they are always considered to have a ranged weapon). Any tests they make are on yellow dice unless there is a skill level icon on their card showing a different test die, in which case that type of die is used for tests of that type. Once per round, as a free action, a backup agent can move to the same area as the Agent they are supporting.
Backup agents can use their action cube to give an assist (and can receive assists from other Agents). They cannot carry requisition or starting cards. They can be targeted by Enemy attacks, but are never chosen when using target priority. If a backup agent is in the same area as the Agent they are supporting, any damage taken by that Agent can instead by applied to the backup agent (the controlling player decides). Backup agents suffer damage in the same way as Enemies, using damage markers which can be placed on their card. When the damage reaches their health they are defeated. They are removed from the board and their card discarded.
When the Agents take time, a player can send away any of their backup agents that are giving direct support. Flip their card to the remote support side, and remove their counter from the board. Their remote support rule cannot be used in this phase.
When a backup agent is sent away, they heal all damage they have suffered. If a backup agent is not sent away when the Agents take time, they heal damage equal to the roll of a red die.
Other Counters and Components
Infernos
Infernos mark areas that are on fire. An area can never have more than one inferno.
When an Agent leaves an area containing an inferno, they suffer two fire damage (Enemies do not suffer this damage).
While in the same area as an inferno, an Agent suffers an additional downgrade on any tests they make.
Infernos might also spread, cause damage or be removed in the End phase (page 20). Agents can use the Clear action to remove infernos.
Frog Swarms
Swarms of frogs will often infest areas of the board, as an ominous sign and a reminder of the ever-present threat of the Ogdru-Jahad.
Important: When an Agent makes a test, they receive a downgrade for each frog swarm in their area.
Agents can use Clear actions to remove frog swarms, and they should – if frog swarms are allowed to build up, this will lead to the advancement of the Impending Doom track in the End phase (page 20).
Insight Markers
How insight markers are used varies from case to case, but they are generally collected by the Agents through examining clues and exploring the board.
Important: If an Agent makes an action that moves the Information Gathered marker to a position containing an insight marker, they should take it and put it next to their Agent board.
These have no immediate game effect unless the Case File deck states otherwise – but they will usually give the Agents an advantage in the Confrontation.
Destruction Counters
Destruction counters are used to represent areas that have become cluttered with wreckage and will be brought into play by Case File cards or Enemies. If a destruction counter is placed in an area, any frog swarms, clue counters and scenery in the area are removed from play. An area cannot contain more than one destruction counter, and they cannot be cleared.
An Agent moving into an area with a destruction counter must either spend an action cube or suffer one damage (this does not count if they are hurled into the area). An Enemy moving into an area with a destruction counter immediately ends their move.
Running Out of Components
Due to the randomly determined nature of a case, players might occasionally be instructed to set up something on the board which is not available, as all copies are already in play. This section explains how to deal with any such shortages.
Infernos, Frog Swarms and Destruction Counters. Instead of placing a new piece, the lead Agent moves one from elsewhere on the board.
Clue Counters and Scenery. If a clue counter or scenery piece is not available, it is not set up.
Minions. Set up a Minion of the next type instead. For example, if a Minion B needs to be set up and none are available, set up a Minion C instead. If there is no card in the next slot, loop back to slot A. If all active Minion types have all their miniatures on the board, no more can be set up.
Scenery
Some areas of the board contain scenery, represented by a card counter. This also shows the scenery piece's size. Each scenery piece is either generic or special (denoted with a yellow glow and a yellow number for its size).
The size of a scenery piece shows the amount of space it takes up in an area, reducing the number of characters that can also be in the area. For example, an area containing a size 2 scenery piece could only hold 4 other characters.
Characters use scenery to avoid taking damage from ranged attacks. If an Agent is in the same area as a piece of scenery when targeted by a ranged attack, any damage they would suffer is first applied to the scenery instead.
Similarly, if an Agent targets an Enemy with a Shoot action while the Enemy is in the same area as a piece of scenery, any damage is first applied to the scenery. Track the amount of damage a scenery piece has taken by placing damage markers on it; once a piece of scenery has a number of damage markers equal to its size, it is destroyed and removed from play. If an attack still has damage remaining, this is suffered by the target.
Special Scenery
There are five types of special scenery, each with its own rules as shown below. Agents can use these rules by making an Interact action (page 17) in the same area as the scenery.
Forbidden Tome – When an Agent Interacts with this scenery, roll the effect die. On a Plus One or Plus Two, advance the Information Gathered track by that amount. On a Catastrophe, advance the Impending Doom track. Other results have no effect.
Orrery – When an Agent Interacts with this scenery, roll the effect die. On a Plus One or Plus Two, look at that many cards from the top of the Deck of Doom, without changing their order. On a Catastrophe, the Agent is stunned. Other results have no effect.
Writing Desk – When this scenery is set up, place two marker cubes on it. When an Agent Interacts with this scenery, remove one cube and advance the Information Gathered track by 1. If the scenery is destroyed, any remaining cubes on it are removed. Once both cubes are removed, the scenery can no longer be Interacted with.
Bookcase – When this scenery is set up, place two clue counters on it. Agents can Examine these clue counters as normal - no Interact action is required. If the scenery is destroyed, any remaining clue counters on it are removed.
Cabinet – When this scenery is set up, place two marker cubes on it. When an Agent Interacts with this scenery, remove a marker cube and then heal two damage (in total) from that Agent and/or another Agent in the same area. Once the marker cubes are removed, the scenery can no longer be Interacted with.
The Confrontation
At the end of each case is the Confrontation, a showdown between the Agents and one of the Bosses. The Case File deck will make it very clear when the Confrontation begins.
Setting Up the Confrontation
At the start of the Confrontation, players will be instructed to set up the Confrontation board. To do this, follow these steps:
- Clear and Flip the HQ board
- Set Target Priority
- Prepare the Boss
- Other Instructions
1. Clear and Flip the HQ Board
Carry out the following steps:
a) Move the Case File deck (not including any discarded cards) to the in-play area. b) Put the Impending Doom marker and target priority markers to one side. c) The Enemy cards and any other cards in the in-play area remain in position. d) Clear everything else (including any discarded cards) off the HQ board – it is removed from play and no longer used. e) Flip the HQ board over to reveal the Confrontation board. It should be aligned so that all Enemy cards are still in their slots beneath it, and all in-play cards are still in place above it.
2. Set Target Priority
The Confrontation board has a target priority queue just like the HQ board, and target priority is reset for the Confrontation. The target priority marker belonging to the Agent with the highest Threat Level is placed at the front of the queue, with the others behind it in descending Threat Level order.
3. Prepare the Boss
Find the appropriate Boss' Enemy card (as instructed by the Case File deck) and put it face-up in the Boss card space of the Confrontation board. Then construct the Behaviour deck by shuffling together the Behaviour cards with the icons shown on the Boss card, and put it on the Behaviour deck space on the Confrontation board.
Tracking the Boss' Health. Bosses have a lot more health than Minions. To save cluttering up the board, place the Impending Doom marker on the Confrontation track (the numbered track on the Confrontation board) to track the Boss' remaining health instead of using damage markers. Its starting Health will be shown on its Enemy card.
4. Other Instructions
Now follow any other instructions on the Case File card.
Fighting the Confrontation
Once the Confrontation begins, it plays out like the rest of the game with the following changes:
No Rest or Doom phases. The Rest and Doom phases are skipped during the Confrontation.
Boss Behaviour. The Boss is activated before any other Minion types that are on the board. Instead of following the normal rules for activating a Minion, draw the top card of the Behaviour deck and resolve it, then discard it. If the Behaviour deck runs out, reshuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.
Last-Ditch Recovery. As there is no Rest phase, knocked out Agents don't automatically come back! Instead, when an Agent is knocked out, their player puts one of their action cubes in the area they were in. At the start of each Agent phase, each knocked out Agent's player rolls three orange dice. If any of the dice are blank, the Agent remains knocked out. Otherwise, if there are no blank faces, return the Agent to the area where their action cube was and remove the cube from the board. Put their Target Priority marker at the back of the queue. The Agent immediately refreshes their action cubes as though it were the End phase (returning three to their Agent board, minus one for each "action cube" Injury they have) and can act as normal this phase.
Ending the Confrontation
Unless the Confrontation card says otherwise, the Confrontation – and the game – ends in one of two ways.
If all Enemies on the board are defeated the Agents have completed the case. They can return to HQ for some well-earned R&R. Well done!
If all of the Agents are knocked out at the same time, the mission is a failure. A backup team will need to be called in to haul the Agents out before things get really bad. Better luck next time...
Cases
Each game of Hellboy: The Board Game is called a case, and follows a field team of B.P.R.D. agents on a mission to tackle a serious supernatural threat. Each one has its own Case File deck – there are six in the box, with more available in expansions for the game.
Case file decks are individually sealed within the game box. For the best experience, it is recommended that each case remains sealed until the players tackle it for the first time – after all, the Agents don't know what they're going to face, so why should you?
Replayability
It would be easy to assume that, because each Case File uses a sealed deck, that you can only play each one once.
Not at all! In fact, you'll definitely want to replay the cases. There are enough random elements in each to keep them new and interesting, and they aren't easy – you'll find yourself wanting to go back and improve on your performance.
Also, the modular nature of the game means that it's quite easy to swap out Encounters, Minions or even the Boss in a particular case. Once you've mixed and matched all of the core game cards, the B.P.R.D. Archives expansion explores this much further. You'll find plenty of ways to keep changing things up, and never play the same game twice!
Playing Solo
Want to play Hellboy: The Board Game by yourself? Great news: solo play is fully supported! If you're the only player, take control of two Agents instead of one. It's as simple as that.
Game Setup
These steps must be followed, in order, when setting up a game.
- Select a Case
- Spend Budget
- Initial Setup
1. Select a Case
The players look through the available Case Files and decide which one to play. The top card in each Case File shows a short passage of briefing text, which gives some background to the case and some clues as to what the Agents might encounter. It also shows a challenge rating and a rough duration.
Once a case has been chosen, one of the players should read the briefing text of the chosen Case File aloud, so everyone knows what they're gearing up for.
Then each player chooses an Agent from those available (the game contains Hellboy, Liz Sherman, Abe Sapien and Johann Kraus, with others available separately) and takes their miniature and Agent board. Each player also takes a set of three action cubes, a target priority marker and a base clip of the same colour, attaching it to their Agent miniature's base.
2. Spend Budget
At this point, the Agents receive a certain number of requisition credits, depending on how many Agents are on the case.
- If there are two Agents, they receive a total of 8 credits.
- If there are three Agents, they receive a total of 7 credits.
- If there are four Agents, they receive a total of 6 credits.
Use marker cubes to keep track of how many credits the team has to spend. Share the credits out as evenly as possible between the players, putting any remainder in the middle of the playing area.
Players can spend their credits on requisition cards and backup agent cards, each of which has a credit cost (see below). Any credits that are not spent on cards are lost – there is no benefit to saving them.
Players are encouraged to discuss their loadout with their teammates. They are free to share their credits, and spend any credits in the middle of the playing area, however they wish.
For example, in a three player game, each player gets two credits with one left in the middle of the playing area. Player one decides that she really wants a Blasting Charge, which costs three credits. She put this to her teammates, and after a short discussion it's agreed that it might be a good idea (having read the briefing, they think they might be up against something big and nasty in the Confrontation), so she spends her two credits plus the spare one to take the card. Player two is new to the game and wants to keep things simple, so he spends one credit on a set of Field Dressings and gives the other to Player three, who adds it to his own and recruits Kate Corrigan.
Disagreements?
During setup there are several situations where the players might not agree on something. Which Case File to pick, who gets to play which Agent, how the budget should be spent…
Remember that Hellboy: The Board Game is a fully cooperative game. It's recommended that players do their best to act as a group, resolving disputes in a friendly, charitable manner. If this isn't possible, players can roll off using three orange dice, with the highest score taking precedence. Just remember that you've got a much better chance of success if you work together…
3. Initial Setup
Each player puts their Agent board in front of them and places their three action cubes on top. Their starting cards plus any requisition and backup agent cards they purchased are placed next to the board.
The HQ board is set up to one side of the playing area. Put the Impending Doom marker on the first space of the Impending Doom track, and the Information Gathered marker on the first space of the Information Gathered track. Put any unused requisition cards and the Enemy cards near the HQ board.
The target priority marker belonging to the Agent with the highest Threat Level is placed at the front of the target priority queue, with the others behind it in descending Threat Level order. If two Agents have the same Threat Level, they can choose which of them is placed further forward.
Prepare the Case File Deck. Put the Case File deck on the Case File space of the HQ board, with the first card (showing the briefing) visible on the top of the deck. DO NOT shuffle the deck or look at any of the cards.
Flip over the top card of the Case File deck, leaving it on top of the deck. This will show three things:
- Deck of Doom setup
- Encounter deck setup
- Initial Board Layout
Prepare the Deck of Doom. All Deck of Doom cards have an icon in one corner. Go through the deck and select all cards that have an icon shown in the Deck of Doom Setup section of the top card of the Case File deck. Icons showing an Agent are also selected if that Agent is taking part in the case.
The selected cards are shuffled to create the Deck of Doom for the game. Place it face-down on the Deck of Doom space of the HQ board. All remaining Deck of Doom cards will not be used in this game and can be put back in the box.
Prepare the Encounter Deck. Like all the Deck of Doom cards, Encounter cards have an icon in one corner.
The Encounter deck setup section of the Case File card shows how the Encounter deck is constructed depending on the number of Agents in play.
First, the deck is built by taking the cards shown. For example, using the Case File card shown opposite in a three-player game, the players would take one card with a T icon and two cards with a R icon. These cards should be taken at random, without looking at them, then shuffled together face-down.
Some Case Files will have additional instructions – you might be instructed to split and stack the deck a certain way, for example, shuffling additional cards into certain sections.
Once the Encounter deck is complete it is placed on the Encounter deck space of the HQ board.
Set up the Board. Set up rooms and doors in the centre of the playing area, so that they match the board layout shown on the Case File deck. One area will be marked as the starting area – put the starting area counter here, along with each player's Agent miniature.
Deal a face-down card from the Encounter deck into each room that has been set up, except the one containing the starting area.
Complete Setup. Put any remaining components (Minion miniatures, dice, damage markers, etc.) near the playing area, in reach of the players. Then discard the top card of the Case File deck and resolve the new top card. This will begin the first round of the game.
Resetting the Game
After completing the case, the Deck of Doom and Encounter deck should be reunited with the cards that were not used in the game. The Case File should be put back into the correct order, according to the number in the bottom-right of each card. Ensure that all of the card fronts are facing the same way.
Quick Reference
Round Summary
- Enemy Phase (p. 14)
- Agent Phase (p. 16)
- Rest Phase (p. 19)
- Doom Phase (p. 20)
- End Phase (p. 20)
Basic Actions (p. 16)
- Move: Move up to 2 areas (including diagonally). For each Enemy in an area you leave, either take 1 damage or move them with you.
- Fight: Target an Enemy in your area, then test FIGHT. Downgrade 1 die for each other Enemy in your area. Target suffers damage equal to score minus Resilience.
- Shoot (not with Enemies in your area): Target a visible Enemy in another area, then test SHOOT. Downgrade 1 die for each other character in the target area or in the path of the shot. Target suffers damage equal to score minus Resilience.
- Examine (only with a clue in your area): Test EXAMINE. Downgrade 1 die for each Enemy in your room and 1 die for each Enemy in your area (cumulative). On 3-5, discard clue and advance Information Gathered. On 6+, discard clue and advance Information Gathered twice.
- Interact (not with Enemies in your area): Interact with a Point of Interest or special scenery piece in your area.
- Clear (not with Enemies in your area): Remove a frog swarm or inferno from your area.
Free Actions (p. 18)
- Trade (not possible when Enemies in your area): Give a starting card or requisition card with the hand icon to another Agent in your area.
- Explore (only when in an area with a door to an unexplored room): Explore an adjacent room (see rules).
Rest Phase – Taking Time (p. 19)
Only if no Enemies on the board.
- Each Agent picks one rest action:
- Investigate: discard a clue counter on the board, advance Information Gathered twice.
- Recuperate: Roll two red dice and heal damage equal to the score.
- Secure: Remove all frog swarms and infernos from any one room.
- Agents can trade items freely (starting cards must return to their owners) and move to any explored area.
- Reset Target Priority.
- Advance Impending Doom.
End Phase (p. 20)
a) Refresh action cubes b) Resolve infernos c) Resolve Frog Swarms d) Other Effects
Infernos and Frog Swarms (p. 24)
Downgrade 1 die to all tests for each inferno or frog swarm in the area. An Agent leaving an area with an inferno suffers 2 fire damage.
Minion Behaviour (p. 14)
Minions in the same area as an Agent make a melee attack. Otherwise:
- Brawler Minions move towards nearest area containing an Agent, then make a melee attack.
- Ranged Minions make a ranged attack if there is a visible target in range. If not they move towards the nearest Agent, stopping if a visible Agent comes into range – if so they make a ranged attack.
- Cowardly Minions move as far as possible from any areas containing Agents.
Test Dice Levels (p. 11)
WORST → BEST: Yellow → Orange → Red → Black
Effect Die (p. 11)
- Catastrophe – Discard highest-scoring die.
- Plus One – Add one to the test score.
- Plus Two – Add two to the test score.
- Re-roll – Re-roll any number of test dice.
- X2 Double – Double highest-scoring die.
- B.P.R.D. – Wild card – use as any other effect die result (or spend for a special effect).