Miskatonic Tales: Journey to Innsmouth Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components List
  • Basic components
  • Scenario I: The Whispering Caves
  • Scenario II: The Lightless Beacon
  • Scenario III: Journey to Innsmouth
• Objective of the Game
• General Components
• Setup
  • Place the following components within reach of all players
  • Each player takes the following
• Core Concepts
  • Storybook
  • Area and Location
  • Player Turn
  • Tests
  • Status
  • The Team
  • Companion
  • Character Deck
  • Keywords
  • Items and Weapons
• Gameplay Overview
  • Round Structure
    • 1. Drawing Cards
      • Status cards effects
    • 2. Event Board
    • 3. Status Tokens -- Start of a Round
    • 4. Investigator Activity
• Tests
  • 1. Preparation and Assistance
    • Each test targets one of 6 attributes
    • Cards may provide the following benefits
    • Assistance may come from
  • 2. Dice Roll
    • Resolving Status Tokens
    • Dice Roll
    • Rerolls
    • Removing STRESS or INJURY card
  • 3. Resolution
  • Team Tests
• Exploration
  • Via Narratives
  • Revealed Locations
  • Running
• Encounters
  • Combat
  • Stratagem
  • Encounter Resolution
• Companions
• End of Round
  • Resolve the effects of Status tokens
  • Then, gather all your cards
• End of Scenario
• Saving System
• Investigators' Abilities
  • Arthur Blackwood
  • Elizabeth Hawthorne
  • Ezra Marsh
  • Margaret Sinclair
  • Laszlo Varga
  • Sarah Elington
  • Philip Harris
  • Irene Dubois

Components List

Basic components

• 120 Attribute cards (20 per attribute)
• 46 Item cards
• 8 Starting Item cards
• 69 Status cards (stress, injury, panic, poison)
• 4 Heroism cards
• 16 Campaign cards
• 16 Saving cards
• 8 Investigator boards
• 8 Investigator standees
• 4 Investigator standee bases
• 8 Companion markers
• 8 VITALITY markers
• 8 SANITY markers
• 24 MAGIC tokens
• 24 ENERGY tokens
• 24 Event board markers (8 skulls, 8 stars, 8 tentacles)
• 1 Event board Time marker
• 32 Item use markers
• 8 Encounter tokens
• 52 Status tokens

Components Golden Rule: If during your adventure the Resource Pool of any component won't allow you to get that specific component, you just continue the game without it. This can most often happen to the components that you really don't want to have more.

Scenario I: The Whispering Caves

• 1 Storybook
• 1 Event board
• 7 Clue cards
• 3 Encounter cards
• 3 Objective cards
• 23 Location cards
• 12 Enemy cards
• 1 Dagon's Servant marker

Scenario II: The Lightless Beacon

• 1 Storybook
• 1 Event board
• 13 Clue cards
• 7 Encounter cards
• 4 Objective cards
• 29 Location cards
• 1 Beacon Island map
• 15 Enemy cards

Scenario III: Journey to Innsmouth

• 1 Storybook
• 1 Event board
• 5 Clue cards
• 5 Encounter cards
• 4 Objective cards
• 26 Location cards
• 1 Innsmouth town map
• 15 Enemy cards
• 8 Prisoner markers
• 1 Group token
• 3 Investigation tokens

A free audio app can be downloaded via the QR code printed in the rulebook.

Objective of the Game

Experience a thrilling adventure where the story takes center stage. In Miskatonic Tales, there are no traditional victory or defeat conditions -- instead, every decision, every discovery, and every sacrifice contributes to the narrative you create together. Some Characters may perish, others may lose their sanity, and still others might uncover horrifying truths about a world far stranger than anyone could imagine. It is these events, these dramatic choices and their inevitable consequences, that make the story truly unforgettable.

The game combines the spirit of classic branching-path adventures with the tension of a narrative board game and the flexibility of a role-playing experience. Throughout the game, players will read passages from the Storybook, explore unsettling locations, play cards from their decks, and roll dice to determine whether their skills are enough to face the horrors ahead.

Your goal is not to win in a conventional sense. The goal of the game is to experience the story and uncover its mysteries, reflected in the exploration rate shown at the end. One playthrough is not enough to discover them all!

General Components

Each scenario has its own dedicated Storybook. Select the appropriate book for your chosen scenario.

We strongly recommend playing Miskatonic Tales as a campaign, starting with "Scenario I: The Whispering Caves," followed by "Scenario II: The Lightless Beacon," and concluding with "Scenario III: Journey to Innsmouth."

On the back of each Event board, you will find a list of all components used in the chosen scenario.

Setup

Retrieve the Location cards assigned to the current scenario (you can identify them by the marking on the back of the card in the lower-left corner: I, II, III). Stack the Location deck near the center of the table. These cards will be revealed and explored during the game. Leave space in the middle of the table for the unfolding locations.

Place the following components within reach of all players

• The Event board: Place the Event board Time marker on the space that matches the selected difficulty level. The standard difficulty always starts on the 1st round.
• Status tokens and Item-use markers.
• Decks of cards (divide and place separately):
  • Items,
  • Clues,
  • Objectives,
  • Status (divide the Status cards into 4 separate stacks: STRESS, INJURY, PANIC, and POISON).
• All 8 dice (6 white and 2 red).

Each player takes the following

• The Investigator board and the standee of their chosen Investigator.
• Skill cards assigned to that Investigator (the full list is shown on the Investigator board). Shuffle these cards and place them face down in a stack to the left side of the Investigator board, in the space marked with the deck icon.
• The Investigator's starting Item card (the one with their name on the back). Place it next to your Investigator board in either hand(s) or in a backpack slot, depending on the icon on the card.
• ENERGY and MAGIC tokens, according to the maximum values shown on the Investigator board.
• VITALITY and SANITY markers, both placed at the maximum value on their respective tracks.

Core Concepts

Since Miskatonic Tales is a fully cooperative game, you are free to share the information about the cards in your hand.

Storybook

The heart of each scenario lies within the Storybook. This is where you'll find narrative events, descriptions of locations, and key decisions that will shape your adventure. As Investigators, you will follow the paths laid out by the story, but the choices you make will determine its course. Each paragraph, each line of text may open new opportunities or unleash unforeseen dangers. The Storybook will guide you through the dark alleys of three distinct scenarios... but it won't always lead you down a safe path.

Area and Location

During the game, you will explore various areas represented by Location cards. Some areas may consist of multiple Location cards. If your Investigator standee stands on different cards belonging to the same area, mechanically, they are in different locations. This affects elements such as Combat or Skill tests, which will be explained later in the rulebook.

Player Turn

Miskatonic Tales does not follow a fixed turn order. Players decide together who acts next. However, only one Investigator may act at a time -- Actions and tests cannot be performed simultaneously. A new Activity can begin only once the previous one is fully resolved.

The number of available Activities in a round depends on how many cards a player has in hand. Each played card represents a symbolic unit of time spent on performing an Activity. If you have no cards left, you cannot take any further card-based Activities that round.

Tests

More significant or complex Activities will require you to perform a Skill test using one of six attributes: AGILITY, APPEARANCE, CONSTITUTION, EDUCATION, POWER, and STRENGTH. Test difficulty is indicated by the color of the icon: EASY, MEDIUM, or HARD. Sometimes, a keyword or an Item icon appears next to the test icon, meaning that possessing the corresponding Item or keyword will make the test easier.

To perform a test, you'll roll white dice (in varying numbers) and at least one red die. The exact composition depends on the cards played and other game mechanics. Details on resolving tests are covered later in this rulebook.

Status

Throughout your journey, interactions with the environment, Activities, or contact with other Characters may affect your Investigator's condition. These effects are referred to as Statuses, and they are tracked using dedicated tokens or cards.

Statuses in the game fall into two categories:

• Positive: ADVANTAGE, FOCUS, FORTIFIED.
• Negative: DISADVANTAGE, BLEEDING, POISON, INJURY, PANIC, STUNNED, SCARED, STRESS, SURPRISED.

Status cards will be placed in your Investigator's deck and Status tokens will be placed on your Investigator's board in the Status Area section on the right.

Every Status token is one-use. Once resolved, return the token back to the general supply. If you have more than one token of the same type, resolve only one token of that type and keep the rest of them on your Investigator's board. Detailed rules for how each Status works will be explained throughout this rulebook.

The Team

Miskatonic Tales tells the story of four Investigators caught in the events of an unexpected adventure. Each scenario is designed with four Investigators in mind. Regardless of the number of players, there will always be four Investigators in play. With four players, each person controls one Investigator. Simple.

If there are fewer than four players, each player selects their Investigator as usual. Then, as a group, choose two additional Investigators and flip their boards to the alternate side -- the Companion side. For example, in a two-player game, the team consists of two player-controlled Investigators and two Companions who provide support.

Companion

A Companion is an Investigator not directly controlled by a player. Companions appear in every game with fewer than four players. They do not use a standee on the board but can perform up to 4 Actions per round and provide access to MAGIC points, which players may use to reroll dice (see the Dice section later in the rulebook).

A Companion is always considered present with any Investigator, regardless of location, allowing you to freely use their Actions, Attributes and MAGIC without spatial limitations.

Character Deck

The cards in your Character deck define your Investigator's level of specialization in each attribute. Unless stated otherwise, each round begins with drawing up to 5 cards. The number of cards in hand determines the number of Activities available to you that round. Cards are used either to perform Actions or to assist with tests. Typically, you will play cards in one of two areas:

• The Play Area, located above the top edge of your Investigator board, is used when performing a test or assisting another Investigator's test. In Play Area you will also place the Status cards.
• The Discard Pile is where you place cards immediately after performing an Action (not a Test). This represents the time and effort required to carry out the Action.

Over the course of the game, your deck will grow -- primarily due to Status cards (STRESS, INJURY, PANIC, and POISON) acquired during the adventure. However, Miskatonic Tales is not a deck-building game, so deck management between rounds may differ from your previous experience with such mechanics. Details on how to handle your deck are provided later in this rulebook.

(Layout diagram: Companion side of the board, Character Deck, Play Area, Discard Pile.)

Keywords

Each of the three scenarios included in this box has a dedicated set of keywords. These serve multiple purposes:

• Track your story progress by marking key events or discoveries made during exploration.
• Reflect your Investigator's personal background and may unlock additional narrative insights (each Investigator has one keyword printed on their Investigator board).
• Offer new narrative choices or influence certain tests' difficulty.
• Determine the level of story exploration at the end of a scenario.

Keywords appear on cards and Investigator boards, but are most often gained through narrative choices, successful tests, or events triggered by the passage of time. If a keyword needs to be recorded, the game will clearly instruct you to do so. Mark the keyword with a pencil on the Keyword sheet.

Items and Weapons

During your adventure, you will encounter various Items and Weapons depicted on cards. Most Items and all Weapons have a specific number of uses, which is indicated on its respective card. When getting a new card, place Item use markers in number equal to its number of uses.

Item cards often feature an Item-use icon on the bottom of the card. Using an Item can support you during tests, heal Investigators, provide keywords, or offer other benefits to your character. To use an Item, your Investigator must have it in their Backpack or Hand. After using an Item, remove 1 Item use marker from its card. Using a keyword depicted on a card does not require removing an Item use marker.

Weapon cards have an icon, indicating whether the Weapon requires one hand or two hands to use. All one-handed Weapon cards are oriented vertically and display this icon at the top. You may wield 2 one-handed weapons simultaneously. All two-handed Weapon cards are oriented horizontally and display this icon at the top. You may only wield 1 two-handed weapon at a time.

If you find additional Weapons during your adventure, you can store them in your Backpack. Exchanging Items or Weapons with other Investigators is only allowed if you are in the same location, and it counts as a free Activity. You may also equip any Weapon from your Backpack for free -- unless you are currently in an Encounter (more on that later).

Gameplay Overview

Miskatonic Tales is a narrative-driven adventure game played in rounds. Each round, players perform Activities by using cards from their hands. A round ends when players run out of cards or voluntarily decide not to play any more cards that turn.

Round Structure

1. Drawing Cards

At the beginning of each round, draw up to 5 cards from your shuffled Character deck. If you draw any Status cards (STRESS, INJURY, PANIC, POISON), immediately follow the instructions printed on them. These cards must be played in your Play Area. After resolving any effects from drawn Status cards, you may choose to stop drawing or continue until you have 5 cards in hand. Repeat this process until your hand contains 5 cards, none of which are Status cards, or until you decide to stop drawing.

Status cards effects

• STRESS: For every 2 STRESS cards in your play area, reduce your SANITY by 1.
• INJURY: For every 2 INJURY cards in your play area, reduce your VITALITY by 1.
• PANIC: Until the end of the round during any test, you cannot provide or receive help from other Investigators (Players or Companions).
• POISON: For each POISON card in your play area, reduce your VITALITY by 1.

If any of these effects cause a reduction in SANITY or VITALITY, remove all cards responsible for the loss and return them to the general supply.

EXAMPLE: Margaret draws 5 cards, and 1 of them is a STRESS card. She places it in her Play Area and decides to draw an additional card. Unfortunately, that card is also a STRESS card, so she loses 1 SANITY, removes both cards, and returns them to the General Supply. She then draws another card, which turns out to be a regular Attribute card.

If an Investigator's VITALITY or SANITY is reduced to zero, their Character is permanently removed from the game and considered dead. Follow the scenario instructions for the death of an Investigator shown on the Event board.

2. Event Board

Once all players have completed the Drawing Cards phase, check the Event board. If the Time marker is on a space associated with a numbered narrative, read that narrative and apply its effects as instructed.

3. Status Tokens -- Start of a Round

During gameplay, Investigators may gain positive or negative Status tokens. These may trigger at the beginning of the round, during the next test, or at the end of the round. At the start of the round, check which Status tokens are activated (marked with a start-of-round icon).

• FORTIFIED: Your hand limit increases to 6 cards this round. Draw 1 additional card. This additional card has to be positive. If a negative card is drawn, it is placed in a discard and you draw another card.
• SURPRISED: Your hand limit decreases to 4 cards this round. Discard 1 chosen card.

4. Investigator Activity

Most available Activities are tied to the current Location of the Investigators and described in the Storybook. The following types of Activities are possible:

Action: A basic effect that does not require a test. To perform an Action, discard the number of cards (with an Action icon on it) indicated by the narrative, to the Discard Pile. After discarding, read the corresponding narrative in the Storybook to resolve the effect.

(Example illustration: here, the Investigator can spend 1 Action, i.e., discard 1 card, to move to the next section in the Storybook.)

Ability: Each Investigator has a unique Ability. Using it costs 2 ENERGY. You may activate your Ability at any time, as long as you have the required amount of ENERGY, though some effects may only trigger during the next test.

You may also use your Ability on another Investigator in the same Location. When doing so, simply apply the full effect of the Ability to the chosen Investigator.

A full list of abilities appears at the end of the Rulebook.

EXAMPLE: Sarah and Ezra are in the same location. Sarah is spending 2 ENERGY to use her Ability on Ezra, allowing him to take 1 card back from his Play Area to his hand.

Rest: Discard 1 card (with an Action icon on it) to recover 1 ENERGY for your Investigator. ENERGY is required to activate your Investigator's special ability.

EXAMPLE: Arthur discards a card to recover 1 ENERGY. He will now be able to use his ability.

Test: These represent more significant narrative choices. A test requires you to reach a set number of Successes using one of the 6 Attributes. The required number is indicated in the narrative.

Tests

Tests are resolved using both cards and dice. To pass a test, the number of Successes achieved must meet or exceed the test's requirement.

Tests are listed at the end of narrative sections, and their difficulty levels are sometimes indicated by the color of their icons:

• EASY: requires 1 to 2 Successes,
• MEDIUM: requires 3 to 4 Successes,
• HARD: requires 5 or more Successes.

Sometimes the difficulty of a test is reduced if an Investigator participating in the test possesses a specific Item or keyword.

EXAMPLE: The test requires 3 or 4 Successes in POWER. Because it has an Item icon, the number of successes may be decreased if an Investigator possesses a specific Item.

Tests are carried out in three stages: Preparation and Assistance, Dice Roll, and Resolution.

1. Preparation and Assistance

When initiating a test, you may play any number of cards from your hand to increase your chances of Success. Playing a card is not the same as discarding it -- playing means actively using the card's attribute instead of spending (discarding) the card to perform an Action. Played cards are placed above your Investigator board in Play Area and remain there until the end of the round, but their effect only applies to the test they were used for.

Each test targets one of 6 attributes

AGILITY, APPEARANCE, CONSTITUTION, EDUCATION, POWER, STRENGTH.

Cards may provide the following benefits

• A guaranteed 1 Success if the card's primary icon (and card title) matches the test's attribute.
• An additional white die if the card displays both the test's attribute's icon and a die icon.

EXAMPLE: By playing the STRENGTH card, the Investigator may guarantee 1 Success in a STRENGTH test or an additional white die for a CONSTITUTION or AGILITY test.

Assistance may come from

• A Companion (a non-player-controlled Investigator, available when playing with fewer than 4 players), or
• Another Player located in the same location as the acting Investigator.

To assist, these allies may play cards or use Companion markers in the same way as the active player. A player can only assist if their Investigator standee is in the same location as the one initiating the test. Companions are considered present in every location, so you may always choose to spend their Companion markers.

IMPORTANT: The amount of assistance (played cards and Companion markers combined) cannot exceed the number of cards played by the acting player.

EXAMPLE: Arthur plays 3 cards to prepare for a STRENGTH test. He can receive up to 3 additional Successes and/or dice from other Investigators and/or Companions. In this example, Ezra (another player) provides 2 cards, and Elizabeth the Companion also assists with 1 Success.

Also, check if you have a FOCUS Status token. If you do, decide if you want to resolve the following effect:

FOCUS: When performing your next test, you may select any attribute to use, regardless of the one specified. The number of required Successes remains unchanged.

Once all cards are played and Companions declared, proceed to the next step: the Dice Roll.

2. Dice Roll

This phase consists of a few simple steps:

• Resolving Status tokens,
• The Dice Roll,
• Rerolls.

First, check if you have a Status token: ADVANTAGE or DISADVANTAGE. If not, proceed to: The Dice Roll.

Resolving Status Tokens

If you have ADVANTAGE or DISADVANTAGE tokens, resolve their effects.

ADVANTAGE: Add 1 red die to your pool. After rolling, you will choose which result from the 2 red dice you prefer. Apply that result and ignore the other.

If you were to receive an ADVANTAGE token while having a DISADVANTAGE token on your Investigator's board, remove the DISADVANTAGE token instead. Same applies to the opposite scenario.

DISADVANTAGE: Add 1 red die to your pool. After rolling, you must select the worse of the 2 red dice results. To determine the worst result, refer to the Event board. If both red dice show narrative symbols, select the one for which your group currently has more matching tokens. If none of the tokens are present on the board or if their number is tied, use this hierarchy to choose: skull (worst), then tentacle, then star (best).

EXAMPLE: During the test, 2 red dice were rolled due to a DISADVANTAGE token, and the results were tentacle and skull. Tentacle has more tokens than the other two, so it would be the worst result, but it was not rolled. In that case, skull and star are tied, so following the hierarchy, the skull was added to the Event board.

Dice Roll

Take 1 red die (or 2 if ADVANTAGE or DISADVANTAGE are resolved). Then take as many white dice as the total number of extra dice icons gathered during the Preparation and Assistance step.

Roll all the dice at once.

• Each Success symbol rolled counts as 1 Success.
• The Exploding Success symbol is an Exploding Success -- if you roll this symbol and have any white dice remaining in your pool, you may immediately roll 1 additional white die. If all white dice were used during the initial roll or other Exploding Success rolls, you cannot benefit from effect of Exploding Success anymore.
• The Shattered Star symbol is a Shattered Star -- it cancels 1 other rolled Success.

IMPORTANT: Shattered Star cancels only Success on other dice, it doesn't cancel Success from the cards.

Rerolls

Though red dice can never be rerolled, some Actions or effects allow rerolling white dice. By spending 2 MAGIC points, you may reroll as many white dice as you want. Be mindful -- MAGIC is a scarce and valuable resource. You can spend your Companions' MAGIC for rerolls as well. Only Investigators that are in the same location as the Investigator that initiated the test, can use MAGIC to reroll the white dice.

IMPORTANT: Red dice can never be rerolled! You can always perform a test unless the Storybook explicitly forbids it, even with no white dice to be added to the dice pool! Because of Exploding Successes, you may succeed in a test even while having fewer dice than the required number of Successes.

Once you've completed your roll and used any rerolls or special effects, proceed to Step 3: Resolution.

EXAMPLE: Elizabeth needed to roll 2 Successes to complete her test and she did, but unfortunately rolled a Shattered Star on top of that, which cancels 1 Success. She does not have any MAGIC left, but one of her Companions, Ezra, still has some! Elizabeth spends 2 MAGIC from Ezra's Companion board and reroll the Shattered Star to a blank side of a die, making a test a Success in the process. As much as they want to, they cannot reroll the red die, so they have to place a TENTACLE token on the Event board.

EXAMPLE: Since the 2nd TENTACLE token has just been placed, go to the mentioned narrative, 172 in this example.

Removing STRESS or INJURY card

If you have a STRESS or INJURY card still left in your play area, you can try to remove them.

To do so you will need to achieve:

• 1 success in a POWER test to remove 1 STRESS card.
• 1 success in a CONSTITUTION test to remove 1 INJURY card.

3. Resolution

Count the total number of Successes (including Success symbols on played cards and Companion assistance).

If you meet or exceed the number of Successes required by the test, follow the SUCCESS outcome described in the narrative.

If you fail to meet the requirement, follow the FAILURE outcome if one is described. If no Failure text is provided, the test simply fails without further consequence.

Finally, check the red die. If it shows any of the Event symbols (skull, tentacle or star), place the appropriate token on the Event board. If this token completes a condition on the current space of the Event track, read the corresponding narrative.

You can of course add additional cards or use Companions aid as in regular test, during those attempts.

Team Tests

The Storybook may ask you to perform a Team test. These tests are easier than the regular ones since they require a certain amount of Successes from all the present team members. Investigators can initiate tests one by one, following all the regular test's rules, including the assistance, and their Successes are carried over to the next test. Once the threshold is reached, the Team test concludes as a Success.

Exploration

One of the core elements of gameplay is exploring new environments. The game world is divided into areas, each composed of one or more locations. A single area may contain multiple Location cards.

There are several ways to move between locations:

• Via narratives,
• through revealing locations,
• running.

Via Narratives

Some narratives within the Storybook may give you the option to reveal a new location connected to your current room. Follow the narrative instructions, which will describe the new location and how to place it on the table.

Revealed Locations

If a location has already been revealed and is adjacent to your current position, you may move your Investigator's standee into it by discarding 1 card showing the Action icon to the Discard Pile.

EXAMPLE: Margaret spends 1 Action by discarding 1 card with an Action icon and moves to the adjacent location.

Running

If the location you wish to reach is more than 3 spaces away from your current one, you may choose to Run. To do so, discard 3 cards with the Action icon and gain 1 DISADVANTAGE Status token.

EXAMPLE: Margaret needs to move to a Location that isn't connected to her current one and is too far for regular movement. She discards 3 cards with Action icons (spending 3 Actions) and gains 1 DISADVANTAGE token to Run to the desired Location.

Encounters

Each Encounter begins with reading the text on the Encounter card. The Storybook will instruct you to engage with a specific Encounter card.

Encounters are key (and dangerous!) moments in the adventure experienced by your Investigators. They provide information about the Enemy card that must be revealed, as well as specific narratives to be read at designated stages of the Encounter. An Encounter can be resolved in two distinct ways: Combat and Stratagems.

Combat

Combat allows you to defeat enemies by dealing Damage. Each space marked with a wound icon represents a Damage point that must be dealt to advance to the next stage of the fight.

For each Damage inflicted, place 1 Encounter token with a Target side on the Enemy card.

You will deal damage using Weapons. Each Weapon card contains several important details.

EXAMPLE: Hatchet is a one-handed Weapon that can be used 4 times and uses CONSTITUTION as an attribute for tests.

Every weapon deals base Damage, but can also inflict additional Damage for each Success achieved in a Skill test related to the weapon's specified attribute. When using a weapon, you must discard the Item use marker from the weapon card and then perform the appropriate Skill test. If you do not have or do not wish to spend further resources on this test, simply roll the indicated number of red dice (1 by default, or 2 if you have the ADVANTAGE or DISADVANTAGE Status token) to determine additional Damage. Each Success in this test adds 1 extra Damage.

EXAMPLE: Hatchet deals 1 damage by default and 1 additional Damage for every Success in the CONSTITUTION test.

If you decide to change weapons during Encounter, you must spend 1 Action and then exchange the weapon in your Hand(s) with one currently in your Backpack.

Stratagem

You can also defeat enemies through cunning and cooperation by employing a Stratagem.

To progress, you must achieve Successes indicated on the Enemy card. For each Success achieved, place 1 Encounter token with a Success side on the Enemy card.

EXAMPLE: Here, instead of aiming to deal 5 Damage, Investigators can go for a Stratagem which requires Successes in Appearance.

Encounter Resolution

Regardless of the chosen path (Combat or Stratagems), at the end of the round, you must proceed to the narrative indicated in the Storybook, even if all the icons of the chosen path are not covered. If you manage to cover all the spots on the Enemy card before the end of the round, immediately proceed to the indicated narrative and follow the instructions.

Note: In the context of Encounters, Status cards inflicted by the enemy affect all Investigators present in the same location.

Companions

To ensure a full experience regardless of the number of players, in solo, two-player, or three-player games, Companion Characters are introduced to complete the team to the required four members.

Each Investigator board is double-sided -- one side represents the player, and the other the Companion. If an Investigator is not chosen by any player, they can still join you as a Companion. If that happens, their board is flipped to the Companion side.

A Companion has 4 Companion markers, which you can use freely during the round. Their abilities are always available, and the Companions are considered present with you regardless of the Investigators' positions on the map. This means you can use the Companions to perform Actions described in the Storybook, such as investigating the surroundings, as well as to assist in tests. To mark the use of a particular Action or Attribute, flip the corresponding marker to the side showing the Investigator's crossed-out portrait. At the start of each round, the Companion recovers all 4 Companion markers.

EXAMPLE: Ezra's Companion side has 1 generic Action icon (as does every Companion) and 3 Attributes that he can use throughout the round to either help Investigators in their tests or initiate Actions (but never perform tests on their own). He also has 3 MAGIC points that can be used to reroll dice or to aid with some specific scenario moments. The keyword SEA is also counted as validated.

The Companion does not receive any Status effects (tokens or cards).

You can use the Companion's MAGIC under the same rules that apply to your own, such as rerolling white dice during tests.

In solo mode, you control one Investigator and three selected Companions, creating a full four-person team. This grants access to up to 12 Actions each round, performed through the Companions.

A Companion cannot be used to move an Investigator or to initiate tests. Their role is to support you in performing Actions and tests, not to directly control Character movement.

If you decide to play in solo mode, add 1 Heroism card to your Investigator's deck.

End of Round

When you have no cards left in your hand and/or declare that you want to end the round despite holding cards, you may proceed to the final stage of the round.

This stage can be carried out following these steps.

Resolve the effects of Status tokens

• BLEEDING: Add 1 INJURY card to the Discard Pile.
• SCARED: Add 1 STRESS card to the Discard Pile.
• STUNNED: Discard 1 ENERGY token.

Then, gather all your cards

• from your Play Area,
• from your Discard Pile,
• remaining in your Character Deck.

Shuffle all these cards together. Place the resulting Investigator deck to the left of your Investigator's board as your new deck.

Note: If, for some reason, you wish to keep a card or cards in your hand, you may do so. Those cards are still part of your hand limit for the next round.

Advance the time marker on the Event board to the next space. If there is a narrative number on the new space, do not read it yet. This step will occur at the start of the next round.

If your game uses Companions, flip all their Companion markers on their boards back to the active side.

EXAMPLE: Round ends. Margaret puts all her cards that were used in the Discard Pile. She does not have any cards left in her hand. Then she places all cards from the Discard Pile together with the rest of the deck and shuffles them all together. She has a STUNNED Status token, so she has to remove 1 of her ENERGY tokens, but also gets rid of the STUNNED token in the process.

You are now ready to begin a new round.

End of Scenario

Every Scenario ends with an Epilogue or death of all the team members. Throughout the game, regardless of the choices you make, you will accumulate various elements that determine your level of exploration in the adventure. These include discovered information, completed Objectives, acquired Items and Clues, uncovered keywords, and, of course, the survival of your team members.

The sum of these elements translates into a percentage that reflects how much of the story you have uncovered. This exploration rate can be improved in subsequent playthroughs.

Once Scenario ends, flip the Keyword sheet and assess your exploration rate following the presented table. Follow the Storybook to learn, what are the consequences of the achieved rate.

The most dedicated players can even exceed 100% exploration by carrying over their achievements from one scenario to the next.

Important: Each Player may choose 1 Item card to carry over into the next campaign scenario. The chosen Item regains all of its starting Item use tokens.

Saving System

If you want to pause the game and continue the scenario later, you can save the game at the end of the round -- before resolving any start of the round effects for the next round. In order to do that, take a Save sheet and do the following:

• Write a name for your session both on the Keyword sheet and the Save sheet. This way, you will be able to easily identify which Keyword sheet belongs to this session.
• Then write the rest of the general game information: Scenario number, round in which you are saving the game, Number of Event board tokens placed on the board, and discovered Location cards. You also have space to write any additional notes that may be needed to set up the game again.
• For every player:
  • Note the name of the Character they are controlling.
  • Describe the state of the Character by noting the current Location card, VITALITY, SANITY, ENERGY, and MAGIC.
  • Write down the number of STRESS, INJURY, PANIC, and POISON cards in your deck.
  • Note all their Item cards in the appropriate field based on the number of available uses left on them.
  • Finally, list all the Clue cards, Status tokens, and any Special cards.
  • Once noted, take all their cards together, including the Character deck, and place a cardboard separator on the bottom of all the cards.
• When all the players have their cards ready, you can put them in the insert. Cardboard separators will tell you which cards belong to which player when setting up the game again.
• For all the Characters that are not controlled by any player, only note their name, ENERGY, and MAGIC.

When setting up the game again, just follow the Save sheet and pass out Character cards. If in doubt, double-check cards with the Save sheet.

Investigators' Abilities

Arthur Blackwood

Gain 1 ADVANTAGE token.

Elizabeth Hawthorne

Draw 1 chosen card from your Discard Pile.

Ezra Marsh

For the next test: all Shattered Stars count as Successes. You need to use that Ability before the Dice roll phase of a test resolution.

Margaret Sinclair

Draw 1 card from your Character Deck. If that drawn card is a Status card, place it in your Discard Pile and draw another card from your Character Deck. Do that until the drawn card is not a Status card.

Laszlo Varga

During a test: cancel the result of 1 white dice.

Sarah Elington

Draw 1 chosen card from your Play Area.

Philip Harris

Reroll any number of white dice.

Irene Dubois

Gain 1 white die for the next test.