I Am the Fourth Wall

I Am the Fourth Wall Rulebook

Table of Contents

Part 1: Investigator Tome
Part 3: The Wall's Grimoire (Conflict Mode)
Part 2: Presence Manuscript (Alliance Mode)

Part 1: Investigator Tome

Components

130 cards: Investigator Cards (12), Marble Cards (54), Investigator Reference Cards (6), Wall Cards (6), Horror Cards (36), The Wall Reference Card (1), Turn Tracker Cards (2), Presence Cards (9), Street Cards (5). 15 tokens: Doom Tokens (6), Enhancement Tokens (8), Target Token (1), The Scourge Token (1).

Depending on the type of game that you are playing you may not use all the pieces shown here.

Two Ways to Play

In games of I Am The Fourth Wall you have two different ways to play.

Conflict Mode - All vs. One

In Conflict Mode one player assumes the role of The Wall - an ancient and powerful being whose aspirations and motivations are far beyond human comprehension - while the other players are the Investigators, scrambling to keep their world from plunging into madness.

Investigator Tome: This includes all the rules for playing as an Investigator.
Grimoire of The Wall: This includes all the rules for playing as The Wall.

For Conflict Mode games you will need the Investigator Tome (this rulebook), and also The Wall's Grimoire. You will not need the Presence Manuscript.

Alliance Mode - Full Co-Op

In Alliance Mode all players are Investigators trying to stave the influx of horrid creatures while closing supernatural gates to prevent The Wall - controlled by an AI deck - from tearing through into our dimension.

Investigator Tome: This includes all the rules for playing as an Investigator.
Presence Manuscript: This includes all the rules for generating the AI of The Wall.

For Alliance Mode games you will need the Investigator Tome (this rulebook), and also the Presence Manuscript. You will not need The Wall's Grimoire.

Narrative

The bleak, yet interesting narrative piece that explores the madness of the Lovecraftian Mythos cannon yet still appeals to those who think that Cthulhu is the most powerful being in existence. Spoilers. Sorry.

Investigator Cards

The Investigators were recently ordinary citizens of jiving 1950s suburbia. In their own way, they have discovered something amiss, something fundamentally wrong and twisted about the world around them. Curiosity caused them to track down other like-minded individuals and band together. Seeking further truths, they have delved deeper, their minds warping, seeing formless shapes in the night that might otherwise be deemed paranoia. As they teeter on the brink of madness, they find themselves gifted with inhuman abilities, insight to the looking glass beyond. It would almost be a blessing if it wasn't for the nauseating feeling that something was staring back. Unblinking.

An Investigator card shows: Name, Sanity, Unique Action, Unique Action Cost, Exploit the Rift Action.

Marble Cards

Marbles are items that are anything from guns to hats to vials of suspicious liquids. Investigators cling to these petty objects as a grounding to the material world and their sanity.

Familiarity is key to holding out against the horrors of one's mutating perception of the world. However, these mundane items also prove to be useful in ingenious situations, as investigators attempt to stave off the onslaught of unspeakable happenings on the streets outside.

But parting with these items poses a grave risk. The fewer Marbles an Investigator has, the closer they are to drinking tea with the March Hare.

A Marble card shows: Name, Symbols, Instructions.

Example Marbles:

Elder Sign - A rare and powerful card that can be used to close a Gate by itself or used to remove a Horror without the danger of retaliation. Use it wisely.
Molotov Cocktail - A very destructive item that heavily damage monsters on the streets - but also other Investigators.
Holy Symbol - A quick use item that prevents an Investigator from losing a marble of value or potentially going insane.
Adrenaline - A quick use item to improve the effectiveness of powerful abilities or allow Investigators to act out of sequence.

Setup

Sort the Decks

Separate and shuffle the Marble and Investigator decks. Take out the Investigator Reference cards.

If this is your first time playing, we recommend removing The Street Magician card from the Investigator deck.

Determine the Roles

Refer to The Wall's Grimoire for a Conflict game or the Presence Manuscript for an Alliance game.

Games with one or two Investigator players

It is recommended that there be at least three Investigators in a game. In a game with only one Investigator player they are advised to play as three different Investigators. In a game with two Investigator players each should play as two Investigators. If this is the case, the game will play in exactly the same way except that a player will act as if they are multiple different players, so make sure you keep the turns and the Marbles for each Investigator separate.

Investigators get Ready

Deal two Investigator cards to each Investigator player. Each Investigator player chooses to keep one of their cards face up in front of them and returns the other to the Investigator deck. This choice may be openly discussed as the players select the best team to tackle the situation.

All Investigators are dealt a number of Marbles equal to their Sanity. This is the maximum number of cards they can hold. Sanity (Hand Limit) - see page 16 [see Additional Rules below].

All Investigators are on the same team, so they may freely look and discuss each other's hands (just keep in mind that The Wall is probably eavesdropping).

Building The Wall

Refer to Grimoire of The Wall for a Conflict game or the Presence Manuscript for an Alliance game.

(Each Investigator has: Marbles (hand of cards), Investigator Card, Investigator Reference Card.)

Winning the Game

The Investigators win the game if all the Gates are closed.

The Wall wins if either:

there are five Open Gates after 'An Eye Opens' on the Turn Tracker
or the Turn Tracker reaches 'The Ancient One Awakens'

Gameplay

Overview

You are Investigators. Ordinary people who have stumbled into the knowledge of the veiled secrets of our world. Although the full extent of what is happening is beyond your comprehension, you understand one thing. You must close the ominous gates that have begun to open on the streets.

Your arsenal is a hand of 'Marbles' - a collection of seemingly mundane items that represents the sanity of your character. They can also be used to close gates, defeat eldritch anomalies and otherwise aid yourself and your allies. But the streets have become a dangerous place since the gates started to appear and many of the horrors you encounter will force you to lose your marbles. If you lose all your marbles, you are driven insane.

When an Investigator is driven insane, that player will take on the role of a new Investigator to aid in the struggle against The Wall. It is sometimes necessary to watch your comrades succumb to the throes of madness.

Turn Order

The Wall's turn happens before each Investigator's turn. Investigators take turns in a clockwise order starting with the Investigator to the left of The Wall. For example the turns would be as follows: The Wall, Investigator 1, The Wall, Investigator 2, The Wall, Investigator 3, etc.

The Turn Tracker

When the Investigator to the right of The Wall finishes their turn (ie all Investigators have had a turn), progress the Turn Tracker one rank by pushing the Wall card up (decreasing the number on the Turn Tracker by one). There are several different events on the Turn Tracker which prompt certain phases of the game.

Slumber

Something stirs. It is no where in sight, but may be glimpsed, writhing in obscurity, in the corners of your mind. The gates are a sign. Something sinister this way comes.

The 'Slumber' is when you first notice the gates, although whatever is behind them has not yet awoken to its full strength. During this phase of the game many of The Wall's more powerful abilities lay dormant.

An Eye Opens

The ground shakes. Or is it the sky? The ocean begins to lash out with an almost sentient fury. Something has awoken, its demented image melds into the details of everything that was once familiar. It must be stopped.

When 'An Eye Opens' on the Turn Tracker, the Wall card is turned face up, revealing the identity of the card to the Investigators. The Wall may now use the Unique Action and Aura Ability stated on the card.

The Crescendo

Voices, of an alien tongue. A chant growing louder. And louder. Although the dialect is beyond comprehension, you understand their meaning: the end is imminent.

At the start of 'The Crescendo' all Horrors become no longer Drained and The Wall may no longer take a Brood turn. At the start of each of their turns, The Wall will generate one additional Doom Token. Investigators may spend one additional Action Point during each of their turns.

The Ancient One Awakens

The screams - an echo of the flooding madness. They seem to come from all around. You listen and as you empathise their anguish you realise their origin is you.

When 'The Ancient One Awakens' on the Turn Tracker, the game ends and The Wall wins. It is assumed that all the Investigators meet a mind-bendingly gruesome end in the ensuing chaos.

Ending the Game

The game ends when one of three conditions are met:

All the Gates are Closed - Investigator Victory. The Investigators seal off the Ancient One from our world and the Horrors that roam the streets vanish away like midnight smoke (for now).
Five Open Gates after 'An Eye Opens' - The Wall Victory. Horrors flood the streets and the Ancient One breaks through the Gates, plunging the world into madness.
'The Ancient One Awakens' - The Wall Victory. The Ancient One wakes from its slumber and tears its way through the veil between dimensions. Reality splutters and flails, as the earth is consumed and replaced by demented alien landscapes.

Investigator Turn

Remember: The Wall will take a turn before each Investigator Turn. See other book for more details on The Wall Turn.

Take Actions

During your turn you may spend two Action Points (or three Action Points during The Crescendo) on any Actions or combination of Actions listed below:

Close a Gate (2 Action Points)

Closing a Gate is no easy feat. It requires both time and the sacrifice of material possessions to get the job done. But it must be done. The Gates must be closed.

Select any number of Marbles from your hand that collectively contain at least one of each Symbol (Clue, Force and Science) and discard them. Any additional Symbols are not used and you may not use any of the Instructions on the card. Then discard an Open Gate. It is now closed (but not necessarily forever - The Wall may yet open it again).

If the last Gate is closed, then The Wall has been sealed off from the world (for now) and the Investigators win.

Exploit the Rift (1 Action Point)

Since your discovery of the Gates, you have felt a surge of energy. Something supernatural. You find yourself able to tap into this rift of power to do things that would normally be seen as impossible. But with such power there is always a price.

Your Exploit the Rift Action is described on your Investigator card. Immediately after using your Exploit the Rift Action add a Doom Token to The Wall's Action Pool.

Exploit the Rift Actions will be a variation on the Actions described here or in the Common Terms and Phrases (page 14).

Unique Action (cost stated on the card)

This is what you do best. Everyone has a shtick and this is yours.

The Unique Action and its Cost are described on your Investigator card. A Unique Action may only be used once per turn.

Many Unique Actions will be a variation on the Actions described here or in the Common Terms and Phrases (page 14).

Search (1 Action Point)

Rummaging blindly you grab whatever you can.

Draw a card from the Marble deck and put it into your hand.

Intervene (1 Action Point)

You confront the eldritch anomalies with whatever you have on hand.

Choose a Marble from your hand and place it next to a Horror On the Streets. The Marble is now Attached to the Horror. You may Attach a Marble to a Horror that already has a Marble Attached to it.

Defeating a Horror - see page 17 [see Defeating a Horror below].

If there are any Intervene Instructions on the Marble they are resolved as soon as it is Attached to the Horror (before the Horror is Defeated).

Utilise (1 Action Point)

Some items can be used in ingenious ways.

Choose a Marble card from your hand that has a Utilise Instruction and reveal it. Follow the Utilise Instruction on the card, then discard it.

Give or Trade (1 Action Point)

If you don't need it, give it to someone who does.

You may give a Marble to another Investigator or you may trade a Marble for another Marble from another Investigator. You may not take a Marble from another Investigator.

Regroup (2 Action Points)

At times it's necessary to take a moment to get your head back in the game.

Rotate your Investigator card sideways to show you have 'Regrouped'. You remain Regrouped until the start of your next turn (remember to rotate your card back at the start of your next turn).

You may then draw two Marbles or draw Marbles until you reach your Sanity (Hand Limit) - page 16. If this takes an Investigator above their Sanity they must immediately discard any excess Marbles. You may now freely Give and Trade with any other Investigator/s that have also Regrouped.

Remember: When the Investigator to the right of The Wall finishes their turn, move the Turn Tracker up one rank.

Additional Rules

'Target' versus 'Elected' Investigators

A Target Investigator is an Investigator that is chosen by The Wall. An Elected Investigator is an Investigator that is collectively nominated by the Investigators.

Investigator Sanity (Hand Limit)

Investigators can hold a maximum number of cards equal to their Sanity. If at the end of any Action (The Wall or Investigator), you have more cards than you can hold, you must immediately discard cards until you are within your Hand Limit.

Going Insane

At the end of any Action (The Wall or Investigator), if an Investigator has no cards in hand then they are driven Insane. Investigators can even drive themselves Insane by playing their last Marble - although this is ill-advised.

If you have gone Insane turn your Investigator card face down to represent your insanity. While you are Insane you cannot be the Target or Elected Investigator and will otherwise not interact with the game until your next turn.

If you are driven Insane during your turn, then your turn immediately ends.

When an Investigator goes Insane, The Wall must Open a Gate (see below).

If you are Insane at the start of your turn you must take a new Investigator card at random from the Investigator deck and draw Marbles equal to their Sanity. Shuffle the Insane Investigator card into the Investigator deck. You may then take your turn as normal.

Opening a Gate

There are multiple ways for The Wall to Open a Gate. This is usually done by driving Investigators Insane or by Sacrificing Cultists.

To Open a Gate, take an unused Wall card and place it face down, lining up the pentagram formation on the back of the cards.

If there are already five Open Gates and you have not yet reached An Eye Opens on the Turn Tracker, then The Wall may instead place a Doom Token in the Action Pool to use on their next turn.

If the fifth Gate opens after An Eye Opens (or there are already five Open Gates when An Eye Opens), then The Wall has achieved victory. The game ends and the world is plunged into perpetual madness.

Out of Cards

If the Horror or Marble deck ever runs out, shuffle their respective discard piles and make a new deck.

Defeating a Horror

Each Clue, Force and Science Symbol on a Marble Attached to a Horror negates a Symbol of that type from the Defeat Cost of the Horror.

If a Horror has all of its Symbols negated, then it has been Defeated. Any additional Symbols do nothing.

When a Horror is defeated, follow its Deathrattle Instructions (if any), then discard the Horror and all Marbles Attached to it.

Card Instructions

Instructions refer to any block of text on a card that describes how it is used within the game. This can be anything from an Investigator Unique Action to the Deathrattle of a Horror.

Unless otherwise noted, whoever played the card decides how any options on the card are resolved. You must always complete a set of Instructions, you may not choose to complete only part of the Instruction.

If an Investigator cannot complete an Instruction, The Wall may place a Doom Token in the Action Pool to use on their next turn. If The Wall cannot complete an Instruction then an Elected Investigator may Regroup.

Pro Tip - Interpreting lots of Instructions: Make sure you resolve each sentence of an instruction before moving on to the next. This means that each sentence can affect a different Investigator or a different card. For instance, the Trigger Action on the Restless Spirit Horror card can Target a different Investigator with each sentence. You may still choose to have it Target the same Investigator twice.

Common Terms

Some of the definitions here will say 'see other book'. When this is the case, refer to The Wall's Grimoire if you are playing a Conflict game or the Presence Manuscript if you are playing an Alliance game, as these terms will differ depending on the type of game being played.

Attach(ed) - the Marble is placed on top of a Horror On the Streets usually after the Marble has been used to Intervene. Attached Marbles negate Symbols from the Horror's Defeat Cost.
Anchor to the Streets - do not discard this card after it is Utilised. Instead, place the card face up On the Streets. Its Instructions remain active until it is removed from the Streets (usually by The Wall taking the Destroy a Marble Action).
Blitz - reveal the specified number of cards from the top of the Marble deck (this number can be increase by any Investigator discarding an Adrenaline card from their hand). Any of these cards that share one or more Symbols with those shown on the Blitz must immediately be used to Intervene as if they had all been played from your hand. You may choose the order in which they are played. All other cards are discarded. (Example: Blitz (5).)
Drain - See other book
Delve - See other book
Defeat(ed) - a Horror is Defeated when all of its Symbols have been negated. When a Horror is Defeated use its Deathrattle Ability then discard it.
Elected - the Investigators collectively choose who or what will be affected.
Find - Search the discard pile, then the deck for a card with the described name. If the deck was searched, shuffle it. If the card cannot be found then the Action spent trying to find the card is lost.
Give - pass a Marble from your hand to another Investigator. You may Give a Marble to yourself unless otherwise stated.
Intervene - Attach a Marble from your hand to a Horror On the Streets.

Game Summary (Investigator)

Setup. Separate and shuffle the decks. Investigators get Ready - Investigators players choose a card from two random Investigator cards. Each Investigator is dealt Marbles equal to their Sanity. Building the Wall - See either The Wall's Grimoire or the Presence Manuscript. Create three Open Gates with the unused Wall cards.

Game Play. The Wall takes a turn before each Investigator. The Investigator to the left of The Wall will go first. Every time all players have completed their turn, move the Turn Tracker up one rank.

The Wall Turn. See either The Wall's Grimoire or the Presence Manuscript.

Investigator Turn. Make Actions worth up to two Action Points (or three Action Points during The Crescendo).

1 Search - draw a Marble
1 Intervene - play a Marble on a Horror to negate its Symbols
1 Utilise - use a Utilise instruction on a Marble
1 Unique Action* - details printed on the Investigator card
? Exploit the Rift - details printed on the Investigator card
1 Give or Trade - give a Marble or trade one Marble for another Marble.
2 Regroup - draw Marbles up to your Sanity Limit or draw two Marbles. Trade with other Regrouped Investigators.
2 Close a Gate - discard Marbles with collectively one of each Symbol and Close a Gate.

* you may only use your Unique Action once per turn.

Ending the Game. All the Gates are Closed - Investigator Victory. Five Gates are Open after 'An Eye Opens' - The Wall Victory. 'The Ancient One Awakens' - The Wall Victory.

Part 3: The Wall's Grimoire (Conflict Mode)

"In my slumber I grow restless. No longer shall I be the spectator."

Wall Cards

The Wall is an ancient being of indescribable horror. It is omnipresent, watching all in a dreamlike state from just behind the veil of the material plane. But now it grows restless, its intentions for us and our world beyond our comprehension.

A Wall card shows: Name, Unique Action, Unique Action Cost, Aura Ability.

Horror Cards

Horror is the term used to describe the madness that is flooding the streets. The occult. The fiends. The strange happenings that leave the mind battered and bruised like a well tenderised fish. They rattle and clamour, silently screaming. They deafen the eyes and blind the soul as the everpresence lingers. Watching. Feasting on the writhing lunacy - all the while blind-siding meddlesome Investigators from their main goal.

A Horror card shows: Name, Manifest Cost, Defeat Cost, Trigger Cost, Trigger Action, Deathrattle.

Example Horrors:

Gatekeeper - blah blah blah (placeholder text as printed in the beta).
Cultist - numerous and ignorant. Most believe that they will be rewarded with supernatural knowledge and strength.
Ghoul - while feasting, they release an odour that draws more of their kind and drives them into a hungered frenzy.
Cult Leader - humans who recruit the ignorant and compel them to perform sinister rituals. They become more resilient the more Gates that are opened.

Setup

Sort the Decks and Tokens

Separate and shuffle the Horror and Wall decks. Take out The Wall Reference card, The Scourge card and the two Turn Tracker cards. Also take out the Doom Tokens and the Enhancement Tokens.

Determine the Roles

The player who has been seated at the table the longest is The Wall (or may nominate a player to be The Wall), all other players will be the Investigators. Give each player a Reference card (The Wall has their own Reference card).

Building The Wall

There are two, double sided Turn Tracker cards. Find the relevant card and side for the number of Investigators you are playing against and place it on the table relevant side up. You will not need the other Turn Tracker card this game.

Deal yourself a Wall card face down. This card represents you and your abilities. Place it on the Turn Tracker with only the Slumber rank visible. You may look at the face of the Wall card, but must not reveal it to the Investigators. (That would ruin the surprise...)

Arrange three of the unused Wall cards face down to create the Pentagram formation (it will be incomplete at this stage). These three cards represent Open Gates. Any other Wall cards are placed to the side. You may need them later in the game.

Note: you will only use the rules on the Wall card that represents you. All other Wall cards will only be used to represent Gates.

The Wall then draws five Horrors to be their starting hand. These are kept secret from the Investigators. There is no limit to the number of cards The Wall can hold at a time during the game.

Changing the Difficulty

While it is recommended that players have three Open Gates for their first few games, you may feel the need to escalate the difficulty for the Investigators. You can easily do this by increasing the number of Open Gates at the start of the game. Four Open Gates will create quite a challenge for the Investigators, while five will really push them to their limits.

(Play area for The Wall: Enhancement Tokens, The Scourge Token, The Scourge card, Doom Tokens, Open Gates, Horrors (hand of cards), Action Pool, Wall card and Turn Tracker, The Wall Reference card.)

Winning the Game

The Investigators win the game if all the Gates are closed.

The Wall wins if either:

there are five Open Gates after 'An Eye Opens' on the Turn Tracker
or the Turn Tracker reaches 'The Ancient One Awakens'

Gameplay

Overview

You are the Wall. An eldritch monstrosity of immeasurable age and incomprehensible goal. All that occurs is your doing. All that suffer do so because of you. Investigators... mortal fools that have seen too much, will try to stop you. Open gates to your realm, flood the streets with horrors and bring about your ultimate ambition.

Your arsenal is the horrors lured from the shadowed corners of reality. Your dreams influencing them to unleash themselves upon the unsuspecting mortals and their idyllic world. You will use doom, a measure of your omnipotence, to release these monsters, use their special abilities and employ your own immeasurable powers. You will act between each investigators turn, awaiting an eye opening, at which time your power shall magnify and true terror shall be felt.

Your ultimate goal is to open 5 gates, or keep as many open as you can until you are powerful enough to tear through. Driving investigators insane and sacrificing foolish followers. It is time to slumber no longer.

Turn Order

The Wall takes a turn before each Investigator's turn. Investigators take turns in a clockwise order starting with the Investigator to the left of The Wall. For example the turns would be as follows: The Wall, Investigator 1, The Wall, Investigator 2, The Wall, Investigator 3, etc.

The Turn Tracker

When the player to the right of The Wall finishes their turn (ie all Investigators have had a turn), progress the Turn Tracker one rank by pushing the Wall card up (decreasing the number on the Turn Tracker by one). There are several different events on the Turn Tracker which prompt certain stages of the game.

Slumber

I stir - feeling restless. But there is an atrophy of the mind. I cannot yet wake.

During this phase of the game many of The Wall's more powerful abilities lay dormant as you gather your strength.

An Eye Opens

I feel my strength returning. I can see through more than just these dreamscapes. My dominion over the mundane has returned.

The Crescendo

I pull my strength from the gates that bridges the dimensions. It beckons me.

The Ancient One Awakens

No longer shall I be the spectator.

When 'The Ancient One Awakens' on the Turn Tracker, the game ends and The Wall wins. It is assumed that all the Investigators meet a mind-bendingly gruesome end in the ensuing chaos.

Ending the Game

The game ends when one of three conditions are met:

All the Gates are Closed - Investigator Victory. The Investigators seal off the Ancient One from our world and the Horrors that roam the streets vanish away like midnight smoke (for now).
Five Open Gates after 'An Eye Opens' - The Wall Victory. Horrors flood the streets and the Ancient One breaks through the Gates, plunging the world into madness.
'The Ancient One Awakens' - The Wall Victory. The Ancient One wakes from its slumber and tears its way through the veil between dimensions. Reality splutters and flails, as the earth is consumed and replaced by demented alien landscapes.

The Wall Turn

On each of your turns you may choose to take either a Wrath or a Brood turn. You may never Brood on two consecutive turns, on your first turn, or during The Crescendo.

The Aura Ability

After 'An Eye Opens' on the Turn Tracker and the Wall card has been revealed, the Aura Ability on your Wall card is always active and may even take effect during an Investigator's turn. Some Aura Abilities can make certain Horrors On the Streets more difficult to Defeat. You can use the Enhancement Tokens to help keep track of this.

Wrath

Aggression and violence. Summon the monstrosities from your hand, use their powers and use your own nightmarish gifts. Drive investigators insane by emptying their hands and use their madness to open gates. Slumber no longer.

Doom

Add one Doom Token to your Action Pool (next to your Wall card). If this is your first turn of the game or any turn during The Crescendo, add an additional Doom Token.

Take Actions

You may spend Doom Tokens from your Action Pool to complete any Actions or combination of Actions described below:

Delve (1 Doom) - Reach into the minds of deranged humans and rogue atrocities in preparation for command. Draw a card from the Horror deck and put it into your hand. There is no limit to the number of cards you may have in your hand.

Manifest a Horror (cost stated on the card) - Release nightmares upon the mortals idyllic world. Place a Horror from your hand onto the table in front of you. The Horror is now considered to be On the Streets. Each Horror has their Manifest Cost listed in the top left corner of the card.

Destroy a Marble (1 Doom) - Do away with an investigators silly play thing. Discard a Marble that is Anchored to the Streets or Attached to a Horror.

Unique Action (cost stated on the card) - Employ your own nightmarish gifts to further your goal. You may only use this Action after An Eye Opens on the Turn Tracker (as this is when the identity of The Wall is revealed). The Unique Action and its Cost are described on the card. A Unique Action may only be used once per turn.

Trigger a Horror (cost stated on the card) - Use the gifts of your horrors to aid your conquest. Choose a Horror On the Streets that is not currently Drained and use it's Trigger Action. The Trigger Cost of this Action is listed on the card. After a Horror is Triggered it becomes Drained. Turn the card sideways to represent this. Horrors remain Drained until The Wall takes a Brood turn.

End of the Turn

Any remaining Doom Tokens in your Action Pool is lost.

Brood

Contemplate and prepare. Reinvigorate the horrific monstrosities under your dominion. Enhance one of these creatures, unleashing a scourge, an apex threat to deter meddling investigators from closing the gates between the dimensions.

Doom

Add a Doom Token to your Action Pool.

Undrain Horrors

All Horrors On the Streets are no longer Drained. Turn them the right way up.

Unleash the Scourge

Place The Scourge Token on a Horror On the Streets. This becomes The Scourge. Investigators may not Close Gates while The Scourge is On the Streets.

If The Scourge is Defeated or otherwise no longer On the Streets, then The Scourge card is set aside and the Investigators may again Close Gates.

End of the Turn

When you take a Brood turn, you may keep any unspent Doom Tokens in your Action Pool.

Additional Rules

'Target' versus 'Elected' Investigators

A Target Investigator is an Investigator that is chosen by The Wall. An Elected Investigator is an Investigator that is collectively nominated by the Investigators.

Going Insane

If an Investigator goes Insane turn the Investigator card face down to represent its insanity. While an Investigator is Insane they cannot be the Target or Elected Investigator and will otherwise not interact with the game until their next turn.

If an Investigator is driven Insane during their turn, then their turn immediately ends.

When an Investigator goes Insane, you must Open a Gate (see below).

Opening a Gate

There are multiple ways to Open a Gate. This is usually done by driving Investigators Insane or by Sacrificing Cultists.

To Open a Gate, take a an unused Wall card and place it face down, lining up the pentagram formation on the back of the cards with any existing Open Gates.

If there are already five Open Gates and you have not yet reached An Eye Opens on the Turn Tracker, then you may instead place a Doom Token in the Action Pool to use on your next turn.

If the fifth Gate opens after An Eye Opens (or there are already five Open Gates when An Eye Opens), then you have achieved victory. The game ends and the world is plunged into perpetual madness.

Out of Cards

If the Horror or Marble deck ever runs out, shuffle their respective discard piles and make a new deck.

Defeating a Horror

Each Clue, Force and Science Symbol on a Marble Attached to a Horror negates a Symbol of that type from the Defeat Cost of the Horror. If a Horror has all of its Symbols negated, then it has been Defeated. Any additional Symbols do nothing.

When a Horror is defeated, follow its Deathrattle Instructions (if any), then discard the Horror and all Marbles Attached to it.

If the Horror was The Scourge, then set aside The Scourge card (it does not automatically get attached to something else).

Card Instructions

Instructions refer to any block of text on a card that describes how it is used within the game. This can be anything from an Investigator Unique Action to the Deathrattle of a Horror.

Unless otherwise noted, whoever played the card decides how any options on the card are resolved although they must always be resolved in the order listed on the card. You must always complete a set of Instructions, you may not choose to complete only part of the Instruction.

Common Terms (Conflict Mode)

Drain - turn the Horror on its side. Its Trigger Action cannot be used while it is Drained. A Horror that has Drain on its Manifest Cost is Drained as soon as it is placed On the Streets.
Defeat(ed) - a Horror is Defeated when all of its Symbols have been negated. When a Horror is Defeated use its Deathrattle Ability then discard it.
Elected - the Investigators collectively choose who or what will be affected.
Find - Search the discard pile, then the deck for a card with the described name. If the deck was searched, shuffle it. If the card cannot be found then the Action spent trying to find the card is lost.
Lose a Marble - the Investigator chooses a Marble to discard from their hand. This can be ignored by a Holy Symbol.
Lose a Random Marble - randomly take a Marble from the Investigator's hand and discard it. This can be ignored by a Holy Symbol.
Lose a Marble Chosen by The Wall - look at the Investigator's hand and chooses which Marble to discard. This can be ignored by a Holy Symbol.
Manifest - place a Horror from your hand On the Streets.
On the Streets - The area of the playing surface where Horrors and Anchor to the Streets cards are played. All cards in this area are considered to be On the Streets.
Return a Horror to the Wall - choose a Horror On the Streets and discard all Marbles Attached to it. The Horror is put back into The Wall's hand.

Game Summary (The Wall, Conflict Mode)

Setup. Separate and shuffle the Horror and Wall decks. Building the Wall - Deal a random Wall card to The Wall player. Place the Wall card face down on the relevant Turn Tracker. Create three Open Gates with the unused Wall cards. The Wall draws five Horrors.

Game Play. The Wall takes a turn before each Investigator. The Investigator to the left of The Wall will go first. When the Investigator to the right of The Wall has completed their turn, move the Turn Tracker up one rank.

The Wall Turn. The Wall may Wrath or Brood. They may never Brood twice in a row, on their first turn or during 'The Crescendo'.

Wrath:

Doom - Add a Doom Token to the Action Pool. Add an extra Doom Token during your first turn and any of your turns during The Crescendo.
Take Actions - Spend Doom Tokens to complete Actions:
- 1 Delve - draw a Horror
- ? Manifest a Horror - play a Horror On the Streets
- ? Trigger a Horror - use a Horror's Trigger Action
- 1 Destroy a Marble - discard a Marble On the Streets
- ? Unique Action* - details printed on the Wall card

Brood:

Doom - Add 1 Doom token to the Action Pool.
Undrain Horrors - All Horrors On the Streets are no longer Drained.
Unleash the Scourge - a Horror On the Streets becomes The Scourge.

* you may only use your Unique Action once per turn.

Investigator Turn. Investigator makes Actions worth up to two Action Points (or three Action Points during The Crescendo). When an Investigator Exploits the Rift, place an additional Doom Token in your Action Pool.

Ending the Game. All the Gates are Closed - Investigator Victory. Five Gates are Open after 'An Eye Opens' - The Wall Victory. 'The Ancient One Awakens' - The Wall Victory.

Part 2: Presence Manuscript (Alliance Mode)

Setup

Sort the Decks

Separate and shuffle the Horror, Presence and Wall decks. Take out the Turn Tracker cards, the Street cards and the Investigator Reference cards. Also take out the Doom Tokens, the Enhancement Tokens and the Target Token.

Determine the Roles

All players are Investigators. The Wall will have its actions generated by the Presence deck. Give each player an Investigator Reference card.

Setting up the Streets

Place the Street cards face up in the centre of the table in numerical order.

Building The Wall

Deal a Wall card face down. This will be the Ancient One you will be playing against. Place it face down on the Turn Tracker with only the Slumber rank visible. Its identity remains hidden until you are told to reveal it during the game.

Note: you will only use the rules on the Wall card that represents the Ancient One. All other Wall cards will only be used to represent Gates.

Changing the Difficulty

(Play area: Enhancement Tokens, Presence deck, Doom Tokens, Target Token, Action Pool, Turn Tracker and Wall card, Open Gates, Street Cards.)

Gameplay

Overview

All Investigators will share in generating the turn for The Wall. At the start of each of your turns you will draw cards from the Presence deck to determine what happens. The number of cards you draw can also potentially increase depending on what the player before you does during their turn.

Turn Order

Determine a Lead Investigator (the Investigator who will go first). This is usually the Investigator that is seated to the left of where The Wall has been set up.

The Wall's turn is generated by each Investigator at the start of their turns. Investigators take turns in a clockwise order starting with the Lead Investigator. For example the turns would be as follows: The Wall, Investigator 1, The Wall, Investigator 2, The Wall, Investigator 3, etc.

The Target Token

Throughout the game, players may be the Target of Horror and The Wall's Actions and Abilities. This is determined by whoever has the Target Token. To start the game, the Investigator to the right of the Lead Investigator is given the Target Token.

As soon as an Investigator has been the Target in an Instruction, pass the Target Token to the Investigator to the right (anti-clockwise) who will become the next Target of The Wall. This means that if there are two Target Investigators within the same card, each part of the Instructions will affect a different Investigator.

The Turn Tracker

When the player to the right of the Lead Investigator finishes their turn (ie all Investigators have had a turn), progress the Turn Tracker one rank by pushing the Wall card up (decreasing the number on the Turn Tracker by one). There are several different events on the Turn Tracker which prompt certain stages of the game. (See Part 1 for Slumber, An Eye Opens, The Crescendo and The Ancient One Awakens.)

Common Terms and Phrases (Alliance Mode)

Delve - reveal the top card of the Horror deck and immediately use its Trigger Action. Afterwards, discard the card. If the Horror's Trigger Action cannot be used, then it is instead placed on the lowest number Street (instead of discarding).
Drain - turn the Horror 180 degrees. Its Trigger Action cannot be used while it is Drained. A Horror that has Drain on its Manifest Cost is Drained as soon as it is placed On the Streets.
Lose a Marble - the Investigator chooses a Marble to discard from their hand. This can be ignored by a Holy Symbol.
Lose a Random Marble - randomly take a Marble from the Investigator's hand and discard it. This can be ignored by a Holy Symbol.
Lose a Marble Chosen by The Wall - randomly take a Marble from the Investigator's hand and discard it. This can be ignored by a Holy Symbol.
Manifest - draw the top card of the Horror deck and place it on the lowest number Street that does not already have a Horror on it. If there are no available Streets, then treat this as a Delve Action (use the cards Trigger Action).
On the Streets - cards that are on Street cards are considered On the Streets as are cards that are Anchored to the Streets.
Return a Horror to the Wall - choose a Horror On the Streets and discard all cards Attached to it. Then shuffle the Horror back into the deck.
Sacrifice - discard a Horror that is On the Streets (this will usually be specified). This does not allow the Horror's Deathrattle Ability to be used.
Target - the Investigator who has the Target Token. After they have been the Target, pass the Target Token to the player to their right (anti-clockwise). (page 8)

The Wall Turn (Alliance Mode)

Doom

Add two Doom Tokens to the Action Pool (place this next to the Wall card). If this is the first turn of the game or any turn during The Crescendo, add an additional Doom Token.

Take Actions

Shuffle ALL cards in the Presence deck. Spend all Doom tokens. For each Doom token spent, draw and resolve a Presence card. Further details on Presence card Actions are listed below and will overrule the Actions listed on pages 10 and 11 [of the Grimoire].

Note: Make sure you completely resolve a Presence card before drawing the next card.

All Action Costs and Trigger Costs for Horrors are ignored and are instead generated by the following rules.

(Presence card faces: Delve - shows a Horror card's Manifest Cost, Name, Defeat Cost, Trigger Cost, Trigger Action, Deathrattle; Wrath - shows a Wall card's Name, Unique Action, Unique Action Cost, Aura Ability.)

Action: Delve - Reveal the top card of the Horror deck and immediately use its Trigger Action. Afterwards, discard the card. Sometimes a Horror is unable to complete its Trigger Action (for example if there are not enough Cultists On the Streets to Sacrifice). When this is the case, the Horror is instead placed On the Streets if able (on the lowest possible number). If there is no room on the streets, discard it instead.

Action: Wrath - Use the Unique Action on the Wall card. If The Wall is still in its Slumber (ie, the Turn Tracker has not yet reached An Eye Opens), then this card will do nothing. If there are multiple Unique Actions, then always choose the top Action.

Action: Destroy a Marble - Discard a Marble Attached to a Horror or Anchored to the Streets. Always discard the Marble with the most Symbols first. If there is a tie, the Investigator whose turn it is chooses which Marble to discard.

Action: Trouble on the Streets - Each of these cards have a name and number printed on the card which indicate which Street it will affect.

If there is not a Horror on the Street, place the top card of the Horror deck onto this Street.

If there is already a Horror on the Street then do not place a new Horror. Instead resolve the existing Horror's Trigger Action.

Note: in Alliance games Horrors do not become Drained after using their Trigger Action. There are still ways for Horrors to become Drained, in which case it will specifically say to do so.

If a Horror is Drained, it instead becomes no longer Drained. Turn it the right way up.

Sometimes a Horror is unable to complete its Trigger Action. When this is the case, nothing happens.

Horrors on Streets

Horrors are placed on the marked area of the Street. There can only ever be one Horror on any one Street and Horrors will never move between Streets. Each Street grants an Aura Ability which comes into effect when there is a Horror on that Street.

When a Horror is Drained, rotate it 180 degrees. When it is no longer Drained, rotate it back.

If ever there are multiple choices for which Streets or Horrors on Streets to affect, always affect the lowest number Street first.

Game Summary (Alliance Mode)

Set Up. Separate and shuffle the Horror, Wall and Presence decks. Building the Wall - Deal a random Wall card face down on the relevant Turn Tracker. Create three Open Gates with the unused Wall cards.

Game Play. The Wall's turn is generated before each Investigator's turn. The Lead Investigator (usually to the left of The Wall) will go first. When the Investigator to the right of The Wall has completed their turn, move the Turn Tracker up one rank.

The Wall Turn. Doom - Add two Doom Tokens to the Action Pool. Add an extra Doom Token during the first turn and any turns during The Crescendo. Generate The Wall's turn by shuffling all cards in the Presence deck and resolving a card for each Doom Token in the Action Pool. Finish resolving each card before drawing the next.

Delve - draw a Horror and resolve its Trigger Action
Wrath - resolve the Unique Ability of the Wall card (only after An Eye Opens)
Destroy a Marble - discard a Marble with the highest number of Symbols
Trouble on the Streets - Manifest or Trigger a Horror on the specified Street

Ending the Game. All the Gates are Closed - Investigator Victory. Five Gates are Open after 'An Eye Opens' - The Wall Victory. 'The Ancient One Awakens' - The Wall Victory.