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Nightmare House

Nightmare House Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

  • Part 1: Introduction
    • The Characters
    • Solitaire Play
  • Part 2: Game Parts
    • A. Parts List
    • B. The Rules
    • C. The Mapsheet
    • D. The Playing Pieces
    • E. Sample Markers
  • Part 3: How to Set Up
  • Part 4: How to Play
    • A. Power Phase
    • B. Light Phase
    • C. Movement Phase
    • D. Warding Phase
    • E. Haunt Phase
    • F. Search Phase
    • G. First Panic Phase
    • H. Astral Phase
    • I. Possession Phase
    • J. Second Panic Phase
    • K. Hour Phase
  • Part 5: Lost on the Astral
  • Part 6: Haunting
  • Part 7: Exorcism
  • Part 8: Possession
  • Part 9: Haunt Summary
  • Part 10: Discovery Summary
  • Counter Faces
    • Characters
    • Haunts
    • Tools
    • Rooms

Part 1: Introduction

NIGHTMARE HOUSE is a two to five-player game of ghost hunting and exorcism. One player (the House) takes the role of the evil Entity that has spun its web of power over the Darkholm Manor. The other players (called the Hunters) each represent a ghost hunter who has entered the house one dark night to confront and banish its evil.

The battle against the House takes place on two planes. On the Astral Plane, the Hunters try to reach and exorcise the Entity hidden in the heart of darkness of the House. The Hunters must advance along the 12 Axes of Power, weakening the House and destroying its web of evil by exorcising the Entity's power from individual rooms in the Manor. The House tries to trap the Hunter's Psyches and cast their Astral Bodies adrift on this plane.

On the Material Plane, the physical manifestation of the House, the Hunters search for discoveries to help them on the Astral Plane, as the House materializes Physical and Psychic Haunts against them through its Foci of Evil. The House tries to take possession of the Hunter's physical bodies, destroy them and absorb their souls. The Hunters use various tools and strengths to defend themselves against Haunts.

The Characters

Twelve characters are included in the game. Each is tied to the house in some way and has certain strengths and weaknesses when used in play. It is strongly suggested that Kate, Potter or Lorenzo be used in two-player or solitaire games.

Kate Darkholm, the last of the Darkholms, is a conscious medium. Raised by distant relatives far from Darkholm Manor from the age of 6, her mediumistic and psychic abilities became active on her 12th birthday. Since then, Kate has been obsessed with the Darkholm curse. She is determined to return to the Manor and rid it of its evil, banishing the lingering ghosts of her great-grandfather, grandfather and mother. The House has been waiting for her to rekindle its power.

Ted Holt, now a famous photojournalist with credits in scores of prestigious magazines, is a local boy who grew to manhood in the shadow of the Manor. Holt is haunted by the memory of one black night spent in the house when, on a childish dare, he entered the darkened tower to confront the spirit of Alistair Darkholm. The House can't wait for Teddy to come back and play again.

Dr. Opal Devlin, noted professor of psychology, spends her sabbaticals investigating reports of psychic phenomena. She is drawn to Darkholm Manor because of the evil she feels growing there. It is an evil she thinks she can destroy. The House thinks otherwise.

Lorenzo Lane is quite possibly the most famous stage magician and escape artist in history. Having started in show business as a mentalist, he has made a lucrative hobby of debunking mediums, psychics and haunted houses. Nonetheless, Lorenzo believes in the evil of Darkholm Manor... and the House is waiting to embrace him.

Jim Chase, private investigator. He believes only in what he can hold in his hand and see with his eyes. Business draws him to Darkholm Manor, an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of a writer who was researching the Darkholm curse. Chase looks forward to cracking the case. The House looks forward to cracking Chase.

Father Eamonn Doran, newly-arrived from Ireland, is the parish priest of Lake Berne. Since coming to the village, he has felt a growing wrongness, almost a challenge, emanating from the house, reaching out to grip his parish in icy, twisted fingers of evil. The inexplicable suicide of a parishioner has prompted him to accept the challenge.

Eliot Evans, professor emeritus of anthropology at Old Salem University, has made a lifework out of proving that ghosts and psychic phenomena are mundane realities. Of late, his nights have been filled with dreams of Lilith Darkholm, a woman he has never met and knows only by reputation. Now he has come to meet her.

Jason Rivers-Smythe, Captain in the Howards, has come in search of his beloved twin sister missing 14 years since the night of Lilith Darkholm's death. Sweet Janet Rivers-Smythe had travelled to America to earn a modest dowry as personal secretary to a gentlewoman. She found instead a life of small horrors and black secrets behind a door called Darkholm. Jason thinks that he has come to learn the truth about his sister that will ease his dying mother's mind. The House knows that he has come instead to hear a ghost story.

Hal Roarke, the young, iconoclastic founder of the Functionalist School of Architecture, has made a study of old houses reputed to be haunted. Hal also dabbles in the occult and considers Darkholm Manor to be the ultimate challenge to those who study other planes of existence. He is sure that he will be the first person to master the house and unravel its secrets. The House is eager to touch his soul.

Lemuel Jakes, a lonely aged widower, has been caretaker of the Manor since the family solicitors closed it up 14 years ago. He has never put much stock in the stories about the house but has steadfastly avoided staying on the property after sunset. The death of his only daughter by her own hand has kindled his suspicions and goaded him to action. If anyone can find the heart of its darkness, it will be Lemuel. The only requirement is that he enter the house when its power is strongest... at night.

Dr. Ben Addams, the village doctor, was always amused by the tales the locals told about Darkholm Manor. But Nora Jakes was his patient... and, perhaps, in the heart of the shy, middle-aged physician, much more than that. Addams can't forget that Nora died with the name of Darkholm on her lips. The house welcomes his hate.

John Potter, one of the most famous antique dealers in the United States and Europe, has an uncanny ability to read the history of objects by touching them. This talent has led him to study the occult and he is an acknowledged expert on psychic phenomena. This night, he will try to uncover the secret of Darkholm Manor... if only he can open himself to the emanations of the house without becoming part of it.

Solitaire Play

Playing the game solitaire is a good way to become familiar with the rules. If you choose this option, you should only use one Character of your choice and seek to beat the House with that Character. Follow all rules with these changes: During set up, choose the Character you will play instead of drawing it randomly; place the Discovery Markers on the map without looking at their faces. Place the Entity in the Seventh Circle to start. Whenever the House plays a Power Marker, draw it randomly from the POWER WHEEL.

Part 2: Game Parts

A. Parts List

Each game contains...

  • one 22" x 34" mapsheet
  • one sheet of 200 cardboard playing pieces
  • one 16-page rules booklet
  • three 6-sided dice (not included in magazine)
  • one game box (not included in magazine)
  • one plastic tray (not included in magazine)

B. The Rules

All information needed to play the game is explained in these rules. Read them carefully before beginning play. Don't try to memorize the entire booklet — just read everything! Then set up the game by following the steps in PART 3 and play it through by following the Steps in PART 4. Refer to the other rule sections during play to clarify anything you don't understand. A number of special terms are used in the rules. These include:

  • Astral Plane: The plane of existence inhabited by the Soul. In the game, the portion of the Astral Plane in and around the House is represented by the ASTRAL MAP. A Character can affect the Astral Plane through his Psyche (the structure of his mind). He can also use his Astral Body (the manifestation of his Psyche as energy) to move around the Astral Plane. A Character can build a Lifeline of Power Markers between his Psyche and his Astral Body so as to ease the return of his Astral Body to his Psyche. In some cases, despite this precaution, a Character's Astral Body will become disassociated from his Psyche and he will become Lost on the Astral Plane.

  • Entity: The other-dimensional being whose evil is manifested in Darkholm Manor. The House is actually representing the Entity in the game. In order to dispel the evil that controls the House, the Characters must exorcise (drive out) the Entity. Before they can do this, however, they must first weaken the Entity by driving it from the various Rooms in the House and destroying the various Power Axes that the Entity uses to control the House. This process of weakening the Entity is also called exorcism.

  • Focus of Evil: A pool of other-dimensional energy that the House can gather into a sort of "portal" into its own dimension. The House can then cause Haunts to materialize in this pool of energy. The Hunters can keep the House from using a Focus of Evil for this purpose by Warding (creating a protective atmosphere in) the Space containing the Focus of Evil. A Focus of Evil is represented in the game by a Focus Marker which can be front face up (Intact) or back face up (Dispersed by a Ward). The Graveyard, Cellar, Crypt and Tower are also considered to be Foci of Evil, but they cannot be Warded.

  • Haunt: A manifestation on the Material Plane of the Entity's evil. Haunts can be Physical (having their primary effect on the bodies of their victims) or (having their primary effect on the minds of their victims). All Physical Haunts are (can move around the HOUSE MAP). Psychic Haunts can be or (existing only at a particular point in space). For a Haunt to have an effect on the Characters in the game, the House must it by placing 1 or 2 Power Markers under the Haunt. The Haunt then takes several Hours to (enter the Material Plane). A occurs whenever a Haunt starts a in the same Space with a Character or enters a Space with a Character during the Phase.

C. The Mapsheet

The mapsheet includes two maps:

THE HOUSE MAP, showing the three floors of the Nightmare House. This map consists of a number of separate rooms and areas called Spaces through which the players move the pieces during play. The First Floor includes the attached Verandas, Garden, Toolshed and Graveyard. The Second Floor is reached by a pair of Stairways from the First Floor. The Third Floor is reached by a Stairway from the Second Floor. The Attic is reached by a Stairway from the Third Floor Storeroom. The Tower is reached by a Stairway from the Third Floor Main Hall. The Cellar is reached by a Stairway from the Main Storeroom. Most Spaces have matching Room Markers that are used on the ASTRAL MAP to show where each Space fits in the web of evil that surrounds the House.

THE ASTRAL MAP, showing the web of energy that the Entity has woven through the house. This web consists of a number of Power Points connected by Power Lines. Twelve Axes of Power formed by the Power Lines radiate from the center of the web to form 4 Circles of Energy. At the heart of the web are three Circles of Darkness (the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh), the lair of the Entity. These 7 Circles connected by the 12 Axes form the ASTRAL MAP. The Circles are numbered from 7 (the innermost circle) to 1 (the outermost circle). The Axes are numbered from 1 to 12. There are 4 Power Points in each Axis. The Fourth Circle of 12 Power Points is the Axis Control Circle and each Power Point in that Circle is an Axis Control Point. The other 36 Power Points on the 3 outer Circles are Room Control Points. The status of each Power Point is indicated by which side of the marker occupying that Point is showing. Room Markers and Control Markers each have a Controlled Side indicating that the House controls the Room or Axis represented by the marker and a Dispersed Side indicating that the Room or Axis represented by the marker has been Exorcised and is no longer Controlled by the House.

Also printed on mapsheet are the...

  • Abbreviated Course of Play, showing the Phases that must be performed each Hour.
  • Clock, showing what Hour it is.
  • Note: The numbered hours on the clock do not contain AM or PM designations. The Hours from 6 to 12 are always PM. The numbers from 1 to 5 are always AM.
  • Map Key, showing what the symbols and colors on the Maps mean.
  • Power Wheel, where the players keep the Power Markers they get each Hour.
  • Soul Track, used to keep track of how close each Character's Soul is to Possession by the House.

D. The Playing Pieces

The sheet of die-cut cardboard pieces contains a variety of different markers. Samples of each are shown below:

  • Sample Character (Front Face, Normal): Name Chase; Physical Strength 5; Psychic Strength 4.
  • Sample Character (Back Face, Possessed): Name Chase; Haunt Strength 5.
  • Sample Tool (Front Face): A blank (unidentified) Tool marker, shown with its question-mark face.
  • Sample Tool (Back Face): Name Bible; Physical Strength Modifier 0; Psychic Strength Modifier 2.
  • Sample Haunt (Front Face): The Haunt's face is shown with its eyes marking, unrevealed.
  • Sample Haunt (Back Face): Name Bats; Haunt Strength 5.

The sample markers are explained as follows:

  • NAME: The name of the Character, Haunt or Tool. The named Character Markers represent the Hunters' Physical Bodies on the HOUSE MAP. The front of each Character Marker is the side that is normally showing. The back side is used when the Character's Physical Body is Possessed by the House.
  • PHYSICAL STRENGTH: The amount of physical energy the Character has at his disposal. This number is used to determine how far the Character can move on the HOUSE MAP, how effectively he can combat Physical Haunts and what the Character's own Haunt Strength is when his Physical Body is Possessed by the House.
  • PSYCHIC STRENGTH: The amount of psychic energy the Character has at his disposal. This number is used to determine how far the Character can safely move on the ASTRAL MAP, how effectively he can combat Psychic Haunts and perform Exorcisms, how easily he panics and how many Power Markers he gets each Hour.
  • HAUNT STRENGTH: The power of the Haunt when it engages in a Haunting of one or more Characters. If the Haunt Strength is surrounded by a triangle, the Haunt is a Mobile Physical Haunt. If the Haunt Strength is surrounded by a square, the Haunt is a Mobile Psychic Haunt. If the Haunt Strength is surrounded by a circle, the Haunt is an Immobile Psychic Haunt.
  • PHYSICAL STRENGTH MODIFIER: The number that modifies the die roll of the Character who possesses the Tool whenever that Character is haunted by a Physical Haunt.
  • PSYCHIC STRENGTH MODIFIER: The number that modifies the die roll of the Character who possesses the Tool whenever the Character is haunted by a Psychic Haunt.

E. Sample Markers

The front faces of the Control, Room and Focus Markers are the Intact Sides (showing that the Entity's control of these elements is complete). The back faces of these markers are the Dispersed Sides (showing that the Entity's control of these elements has been dispersed by Warding or Exorcism). The front faces of the Psyche and Soul Markers are the Intact Sides (showing that the Character's psychic defenses are intact). The back faces of these markers are the Vulnerable Sides (showing that the Character's psychic defenses have been overcome). The front face of the Astral Body Marker is its Normal Side (showing that the Astral Body is under the Character's control). The back face is the Lost Side (showing that the Character is Lost on the Astral Plane). The front faces of the Status Markers are used to show that Characters are Panicked. The back faces are used to show that Characters are Unconscious. The front faces of the Lights Markers are used to indicate that Floor Lights are On. The back faces are used to indicate that Floor Lights are Off.

MarkerFront FaceBack Face
Discovery MarkerDiscovery symbol (exclamation mark)"Bloodstains"
The EntityThe Entity symbol(blank)
Control MarkerSolid black squareCracked/dispersed symbol
Room MarkerRoom name (example: Kitchen)Room name (example: Kitchen)
Psyche MarkerAnkh symbol, "4th Hunter""4th Hunter"
Soul MarkerFigure symbol, "4th Hunter""4th Hunter"
Astral Body MarkerFigure symbol, "4th Hunter""4th Hunter"
Power MarkerLightning-stroke symbol

Part 3: How to Set Up

  1. Choose which player will be the House. By gaming convention, the game's owner plays the House and performs Steps 2 through 12 below before the other players arrive to start play.
  2. Cut out the playing pieces and sort them by color and type.
  3. Unfold the mapsheet, bend it back against the creases to make it lie flat, and place it on a flat surface.
  4. The House places the Entity front face up in the Fifth, Sixth or Seventh Circle of the ASTRAL MAP (House's choice). Generally, the farther the Entity is from the center of the web, the more powerful it is on the Physical Plane.
  5. The House places one Control Marker front face up in each Axis Control Point on the ASTRAL MAP to indicate that all Axes are Controlled at the start of the game.
  6. The House places one Room Marker of his choice front face up in each Room Control Point on the ASTRAL MAP to indicate that the named Rooms are part of the Entity's web of evil at the start of the game.
  7. The House places his 2 Focus Markers front face up on the ASTRAL MAP, one each on any Room Marker. Each Focus Marker indicates a Focus of Evil where the House can materialize Haunts during play.
  8. The House places all of the Power Markers in a tea cup or other opaque container. This cup is called the POWER CUP.
  9. The House places one Immobile Haunt Marker of his choice front face up in the Crypt, Graveyard, Cellar, and Tower Spaces on the HOUSE MAP. The House then blindly draws 4 Power Markers from the POWER CUP, looks at them, and places 1 Power Marker front face up under each Immobile Haunt.
  10. The House places the remaining Haunt Markers in a tea cup or other container from which they are drawn during play. This cup is called the HAUNT CUP.
  11. The House secretly looks at the Discovery Markers and places one marker front face up in each Space of his choice on the HOUSE MAP that has a Room Marker on the ASTRAL MAP. All Discovery Markers must be placed on the HOUSE MAP at the start of the game.

He then places the markers he drew front face down in front of him for use in the game.

  1. Each player selects a set of markers for his Character. NIGHTMARE HOUSE contains four sets of markers, one for each of the 4 possible players. Each set includes a Psyche Marker, Soul Marker, Astral Body Marker and Status Marker. The player to the left of the House is always the First Hunter and uses the markers labelled "First Hunter." The player to his left is the Second Hunter and uses the markers labelled "Second Hunter" and so on around the table. When the Hunters are instructed to perform a Step "in turn," the First Hunter (if eligible) always performs the Step first; the Second Hunter second, and so on.

  2. Each Hunter's Soul Marker is placed with the Intact Side showing in the box containing his Character's name on the SOUL TRACK.

  3. If Ted Holt is not in the game, skip this Step and go to Step 18. If Holt is in the game, the Hunter who controls him picks 2 of the 4 Immobile Haunt Markers that were placed on the map in Step 9 and flips them over to reveal their identity. These markers stay flipped over for the rest of the game (or until the Haunts they represent are Exorcised).

  4. The Astral Body Markers, and the 2 Pentagrams are set aside until used in play.

  5. Each Hunter places his Character front face up on the Front Veranda. He places his Psyche Marker with its Intact Side showing under his Character.

  6. Set the Hour Marker at 6 PM on the CLOCK and begin play.

Part 4: How to Play

The game consists of 12 Hours. Each Hour is divided into a number of Phases, that are further divided into Steps. Each Hour, the players must perform all game activities in the order given below, completing each Phase before going on to the next. When all the Phases have been performed, the Hour is over. Advance the Hour Marker one Hour on the CLOCK and go to the next Hour, repeating the sequence below each Hour until the game is over.

A. Power Phase

  1. The House blindly draws from the POWER CUP a number of Power Markers equal to the number of Axes he controls plus the number of Hunters in the game minus the number of Power Markers currently being used to energize Mobile Haunts. After looking at them, he places them front face up in the House section of the POWER WHEEL until they are used during play.
  2. If it is 3 AM or 4 AM, the House blindly draws 2 additional Power Markers from the POWER CUP, looks at them and places them front face up in the House section of the POWER WHEEL until they are used during play.
  3. If it is Midnight, 1 AM or 2 AM, the House blindly draws 1 additional Power Marker from the POWER CUP, looks at it and places it front face up in the House section of the POWER WHEEL until it is used during play.
  4. Each Hunter who is not Lost, in turn, blindly draws from the POWER CUP a number of Power Markers equal to his Character's Psychic Strength, looks at them and places them front face up in his section of the POWER WHEEL until they are used during play. Add 1 to this number if the Hunter's Character occupies the Crypt, Cellar, Graveyard, or Tower Spaces on the HOUSE MAP. Hunters can't show each other which markers they draw. They can't "lend" Power Markers to each other or trade them among themselves.
  5. If it is 6 PM or if Chase, Addams or Doran are not in the game, skip this Step. Otherwise, the Hunter controlling each of these Characters states in turn whether his Character will try to heal one other Character of his choice who occupies the same Space and performs the following procedure. The Hunter rolls a die. If either Addams or Doran is doing the Healing, he subtracts 1 from the die roll. If the modified result is less than the Psychic Strength of the Character performing the Healing, the subject of the attempt is Healed (has his defenses partially restored) and his Soul Marker is moved 1 box further away from the "0" box of the SOUL TRACK. The Character who did the Healing replaces one of the Power Markers from his section of the POWER WHEEL in the POWER CUP. If the modified result is equal to or greater than the Psychic Strength of the Character performing the Healing, then no Healing takes place, but the Character who made the attempt still puts 1 Power Marker in the POWER CUP. A Character whose Soul Marker is on the "0" box of the SOUL TRACK can't be Healed. A Character's Soul Marker can never be moved above the box on the SOUL TRACK in which it started the game. A Character who is Possessed or Unconscious or whose Psyche is Vulnerable can't heal another Character. The same Character can be healed by different Characters during this Step.

B. Light Phase

  1. If all lights are On or if no Character occupies a Space with a Fuse Box, skip this Step and go to Step 2. Otherwise, each Hunter whose Character is Conscious, is not Possessed and occupies a Space with a Fuse Box on a Floor where the Lights are Off rolls two dice. If he rolls a number equal to or greater than the number of Controlled Axes on the ASTRAL MAP, then the Lights on that Floor are turned On. The House flips that Floor's Lights Marker over to the On side to show that the Lights are On. If he rolls less than the number of Controlled Axes on the ASTRAL MAP, the lights stay Off.
  2. If all lights are Off or if it is earlier than 8 PM, skip this Step and go to the next Phase. Otherwise, the House determines whether any Lights are turned Off by rolling two dice for each Floor on which the Lights are On. If he rolls a number less than the number of Controlled Axes on the ASTRAL MAP, then the Lights on that Floor are turned Off. The House flips that Floor's Lights Marker over to its Off Side to show that the Lights are Off. If he rolls a number greater than or equal to the number of Controlled Axes on the ASTRAL MAP, the lights stay On.

C. Movement Phase

  1. Each Hunter whose Character is not Possessed or Unconscious in turn states which Tools (if any) he will drop in the Space he occupies on the HOUSE MAP and places the appropriate Tool Marker(s) in that Space. All Tool Markers in the possession of any Hunters who are Unconscious are then placed on the Space occupied by the Hunter's Physical Body. If there is a Pentagram on the map at this point, the Hunter whose character drew it states whether or not he will destroy the Pentagram. If he chooses to destroy it, both Pentagram Markers are immediately removed from the map and set aside. They can be reused to represent another Pentagram at some future time in the game.
  2. Each Hunter whose Character is not Possessed or Unconscious in turn looks at and/or picks up any Tools of his choice in the Space he occupies. Characters can't have more than 3 Tools in their possession at any one time. Tools in a Hunter's possession are kept off-map unless that Hunter is Unconscious.
  3. Each Hunter whose Character is not Possessed or Unconscious in turn moves his Character between connected Spaces on the HOUSE MAP, spending Movement Points (MP's) to enter each Space as described below. Each Character has a number of MP's equal to his Physical Strength to use each Hour. These MP's can't be saved from Hour to Hour or "loaned" to another Character. Any MP's not used are lost. It costs 1 MP to enter most Spaces. It costs 2 MP's to enter the Crypt, Graveyard, Cellar, or Tower. The entry cost for all Spaces is doubled for all Characters except Lemuel and Roarke if the Space is Dark and the Character does not have a Candle or Flashlight.

NOTE: The Garden, Graveyard, Attic, Cellar, Verandas, Crypt, and Tower are always Dark; other Spaces are Dark if the Lights on the Floor are Off. Characters can only enter Spaces through Doors or (if moving between Floors) the Stairways. Lemuel and any Characters who begin the Phase in the same Space with him can use any Secret Passage to move directly from the Space in which they start the Phase to that Passage's destination Space. The windows of Darkholm Manor are, for the most part, bricked up and cannot be used as entrances or exits. Characters are considered trapped by the Entity in the house and can't leave the house or grounds until the game is over. Characters must stop moving upon entering a Space containing a Haunt. If a Character moves out of a Space containing a Pentagram he previously drew, the Pentagram is destroyed. Remove both Pentagram Markers from the map and set them aside. They can be reused to represent a new Pentagram at some future time.

  1. If Opal, Father Doran, Dr. Evans and Roarke are not in the game or if all these Characters who are in the game moved during this Phase or if there is already a Pentagram on the map, skip this Step and go to Step 1 of the WARDING PHASE. Otherwise, the Hunter controlling each of these Characters states in turn whether his Character will attempt to draw a Pentagram this Hour. As soon as one Hunter states his intention to draw a Pentagram, the rest of this Step is skipped and play goes to Step 5. Only Characters who occupy a Lighted Space (or who have a Candle or Flashlight) that has a Room Marker on the ASTRAL MAP, who are not Unconscious or Possessed and who did not move during Step 3 can draw a Pentagram.

  2. If no Character is drawing a Pentagram, skip this Step and go to Step 1 of the WARDING PHASE. Otherwise, the Hunter who announced in Step 4 that his Character was drawing a Pentagram, takes possession of the two Pentagram Markers. He places one in the Space he occupies on the HOUSE MAP and one on the Room Marker for that Space on the ASTRAL MAP.

D. Warding Phase

  1. Each Hunter whose Character is not Unconscious or Possessed and who occupies a Space whose matching Room Marker on the ASTRAL MAP is stacked with a Focus Marker states in turn whether his Character will try to disperse that Focus of Evil and create a Ward.
  2. Each Hunter trying to create a Ward rolls two dice. If the modified result is less than the strength of the Focus of Evil within the Room, there is no effect. If the modified result is greater than or equal to the strength of the Focus of Evil within the Room, the Ward is created. The strength of the Focus of Evil is equal to the number of Controlled Axes plus the number of the Circle on which the Focus Marker is located. The dice roll is modified by adding 2 if the Character creating the Ward is Kate, Potter or Addams and by adding 3 if the Character creating the Ward is Opal, Roarke or Dr. Evans. If the Warding is successful, the Hunter flips the Focus Marker over to its Dispersed Side. No Haunt can materialize in the Room this Hour.

E. Haunt Phase

  1. The House removes from the CLOCK all Haunt Markers occupying the same box as the Hour Marker. These Haunts now materialize on the HOUSE MAP. Each Haunt is placed front face up on the HOUSE MAP in any Space that has an Intact Focus Marker on its matching Room Marker on the ASTRAL MAP or in the Crypt, Cellar, Graveyard or Tower. Haunts can't appear in the Crypt, Graveyard, Cellar or Tower if the Immobile Haunts in each of these Spaces have been destroyed (Exorcised). Only one Mobile Haunt can occupy a Space at any given time. Note that the House could place a Mobile Haunt in the Crypt, Graveyard, Cellar or Tower while it is occupied by an Immobile Haunt, attacking any Characters in that Space twice. If all Spaces in which a Haunt could materialize are Warded or (in the case of the Crypt, Graveyard, Cellar and Tower) no longer contain an Immobile Haunt, the Haunt does not materialize. Instead, the Haunt Marker is replaced in the HAUNT CUP and any Power Markers used to energize it are replaced in the POWER CUP.
  2. The House moves any or all of his Mobile Haunts on the HOUSE MAP one at a time according to the procedure explained below. Haunts move on the HOUSE MAP by spending MP's to enter each Space on the Map. Each Haunt has 6 MP's per Hour. These MP's can't be saved from Hour to Hour or "loaned" between Haunts. Psychic Haunts can move through Walls, Floors and Ceilings; they don't require Doors and Stairways. For vertical movement purposes, the names of the Spaces above and below each Space are printed on the HOUSE MAP to show which can be entered from that Space by Haunts. Physical Haunts must move through Doors and Stairways like Hunters. Physical and Psychic Haunts can also use any and all Secret Passages. Haunts pay 1 MP to enter all Spaces (including Dark Spaces). A Haunt can't move into a Space containing a Pentagram, Rosary or Host Marker. A Haunt can freely enter an Exorcised Space. When a Haunt enters a Space containing one or more Characters or occupies such a Space at the beginning of this Step, the Haunt Marker is flipped over and the Haunt's identity is revealed. The House then finds the name of the Haunt in the HAUNT SUMMARY and reads the description aloud to the Hunters. The Haunting is then resolved according to the procedure in PART 6. If two Haunts begin the Step in the same Space, the House chooses the order in which their Hauntings are resolved.
  3. The House removes any Haunts of his choice from the HOUSE MAP, replacing the Haunt Marker in the HAUNT CUP and the Power Marker used to energize it in the POWER CUP.

F. Search Phase

  1. Each Hunter whose Character is not Unconscious or Possessed and who occupies a Space with a Discovery Marker whose front face is showing states in turn whether his Character will search the Space he occupies. If the Room is Dark, no Character other than Potter can search unless the Character has a Candle or Flashlight.
  2. Each Hunter who is conducting a Search rolls one die in turn. If the resulting number is less than either his Character's Physical or Psychic Strength (whichever is higher), he flips over the Discovery Marker in the same Space. If the result is equal to or greater than the Character's highest strength, there is no effect. Subtract 2 from the die roll if the Character performing the Search is Potter, Chase, or Kate.
  3. The House checks the DISCOVERY SUMMARY in these rules and reads aloud the description of each Discovery flipped over during Step 2. The instructions in the DISCOVERY SUMMARY are followed immediately. NOTE: In many cases, the Hunters will be instructed to permanently remove a Haunt from play as a result of a Discovery. In instances where such Haunts are in the HAUNT CUP, these instructions are ignored until the Haunt is actually drawn, at which time it is permanently removed from play.
  4. If Kate and Lorenzo are not in the game, skip this Step and go to Step 1 of the FIRST PANIC PHASE. Otherwise, the Hunters controlling Kate and Lorenzo state in turn whether their Characters will conduct a Psychic Search of the House. If neither Hunter is conducting a Psychic Search, skip the rest of this Phase and go to Step 1 of the FIRST PANIC PHASE. If either or are conducting a Psychic Search, go to . Characters who are Unconscious or Possessed can't conduct Psychic Searches.

G. First Panic Phase

  1. Each Panicked Character with an Intact Psyche flips his Psyche Marker so that its Vulnerable Side is showing.
  2. Each Hunter whose Character is Panicked rolls one die. If the modified result is less than the Character's Psychic Strength, he immediately removes the Panic Marker. If the modified result is equal to or greater than the Character's Psychic Strength, the House immediately moves the Panicked Character via Doors and/or Stairways to any Space of the House's choice up to 3 connected Spaces distant. The Character stays Panicked. He modifies the die roll by subtracting 1 from the die roll if the Character has a Bible and 2 if the Character is Jason. He adds 1 if the Space the Character occupies is Dark; 1 if his Soul is Vulnerable, and 1 if the Character being checked is Holt.

H. Astral Phase

  1. If a Hunter's Character is Panicked or if he does not occupy the Cellar, Crypt, Tower, Graveyard or a Space with a Room Marker, he skips this Phase and goes to Step 1 of the POSSESSION PHASE. If a Hunter's Character is Lost, he skips this Step and goes to Step 15. Otherwise, he places the Character's Psyche Marker on the ASTRAL MAP on the Room Marker matching the Space he occupies on the HOUSE MAP. If the Character occupies the Cellar, Graveyard, Tower or Crypt, he places his Psyche Marker on any Axis Control Point on the ASTRAL MAP.
  2. Each Hunter, in turn, states whether his Character will move on the ASTRAL MAP this Phase. If the Hunter does not want to move on the ASTRAL MAP, he skips this Step and goes to Step 8. Otherwise, he goes to Step 3.
  3. If a Hunter's Character is Kate, Father Doran, Dr. Evans, Opal, or Roarke, he skips this Step and goes to Step 4. The other Hunters, in turn, each roll one die. In each case, if the resulting number is less than his Character's Psychic Strength, the Hunter places his Astral Body Marker on top of his Psyche marker on the ASTRAL MAP and places a Status Marker with its Unconscious Side showing on that Character's Marker on the HOUSE MAP. If the number is equal to or greater than his Character's Psychic Strength, the Character immediately becomes Lost as described in PART 5 and must give the House one Power Marker (and move his Soul Marker one box closer to the "0" box on the SOUL TRACK). Upon becoming Lost, his Psyche is flipped over to its Vulnerable side if it is not already there.
  4. Hunters controlling Characters other than Kate, Father Doran, , , or skip this Step and go to . Each Hunter controlling one of these Characters places his Astral Body Marker on his Psyche Marker on the ASTRAL MAP and places a Status Marker with its Unconscious Side showing on that Character's Marker on the HOUSE MAP.

I. Possession Phase

  1. If any Character with a Vulnerable Psyche is in a Space on the HOUSE MAP matching a Room Marker on the ASTRAL MAP that doesn't contain a Pentagram, the Hunter places his Psyche Marker on that matching Room Marker on the ASTRAL MAP if it is not already there. In addition, the Hunter controlling any Character in the Crypt, Graveyard, Cellar, or Tower places that Character's Psyche Marker in any Axis Control Point of his choice.

  2. The House moves either or both of the Focus Markers that he wants along the Power Lines on the ASTRAL MAP. Each Focus Marker can be moved through a connected path of Room Control Points equal in length to the number of Hunters who started the game. A Focus Marker can move even if it is Dispersed. If it ends its movement in a Power Point containing an Exorcised Room Marker or occupied by another Focus Marker, the Focus Marker being moved is immediately and permanently removed from play.

  3. The House states which Psyche Markers occupying the ASTRAL MAP he will attack. He can attack all, some or none of the Psyche Markers on the ASTRAL MAP during this Step. For each attack, the House selects a number of Power Markers of his choice from his section of the POWER WHEEL equal to or less than the number of Hunters who started the game. He places these markers on the Power Point containing the Psyche Marker.

  4. Each Hunter whose Psyche Marker was designated in Step 3 states in turn how many Power Markers he is moving from his section of the POWER WHEEL to the Power Point occupied by his Psyche. There is no limit to the number of Power Markers each Hunter may commit to the defense of his Psyche.

  5. Everyone who moved Power Markers to a Power Point during Steps 3 and 4 flips the markers over to show the numbers on the back.

  6. The House rolls a die for each Psyche he is attacking and adds to each result the numbers on the Power Markers he moved to the Power Point the Psyche occupies. He further modifies this result by adding the number of the Circle occupied by the Psyche in each case.

J. Second Panic Phase

  1. Each Hunter whose Character is Panicked rolls one die. If the modified result is less than the Character's Psychic Strength, he removes the Panic Marker. If the modified result is equal to or greater than the Character's Psychic Strength, he removes 1 Power Marker from his section of the POWER WHEEL, places it in the House section of the POWER WHEEL and moves his Character's Soul Marker one box closer to the "0" box of the SOUL TRACK. He then removes the Panic Marker. Subtract 1 from the die roll if the Character has a Bible, and 2 if the Character is Jason. Add 1 if the Space the Character occupies is Dark; 1 if his Soul is Vulnerable, and 1 if the Character being checked is Holt.
  2. The Psyche Markers of all Characters whose Souls are Intact are flipped over to their Intact side.

K. Hour Phase

  1. If it is 5 AM the game is over and the House is the winner. Otherwise, go to Step 2.
  2. If there are no Hunters left in the game who are not Dead or whose Souls are not Possessed by the House, the game is over and the House is the winner. Otherwise, go to Step 3.

[Transcriber's note: Step 2 is transcribed as printed in the magazine. Read literally, "who are not Dead or whose Souls are not Possessed" does not match the evident intent (the House wins when no Hunter remains free of Death or Possession). It is left unchanged here pending confirmation against the original printing.]

  1. Replace all unused Power Markers in the POWER WHEEL in the POWER CUP.
  2. Flip any Dispersed Focus Markers over to their Intact side.
  3. Advance the Hour Marker 1 Hour on the CLOCK and begin a new Hour.

Part 5: Lost on the Astral

A Character can become Lost on the Astral due to a faulty entry of the Astral Plane, a failed Exorcism, or a failed Recovery of his Astral Body. When a Character becomes Lost, flip over his Astral Body Marker to its Lost side and his Psyche to its Vulnerable Side. Place a Status Marker on his Physical Body on the HOUSE MAP with the Unconscious Side showing, if there is not already such a Marker present. Any Power Markers in his Lifeline are returned to the POWER CUP. He then rolls 3 dice. The first die determines the Circle to which he moves: 1,2 = First Circle; 3,4 = Second Circle; 5,6 = Third Circle. The other two dice determine the number of the Axis to which he moves.

When a Character is Lost, his body is Unconscious on the HOUSE MAP. Place a Status Marker on it with the Unconscious Side showing. He can't move on the HOUSE MAP until he returns to his Body. While he is Lost, the House can possess his Body. It then becomes a Physical Haunt that the House can move and use to attack other Characters on the HOUSE MAP. A Hunter's Character stops being Lost as described in Steps 5 and 15 of the ASTRAL PHASE. When a Character returns to his Body, he immediately takes control of it, even if it is Possessed by the House. Remove the Unconscious Marker. The Character now functions normally.

Part 6: Haunting

Haunts are the manifestations of the Entity's evil. During the HAUNT PHASE, the House creates Haunts. During succeeding Hours, these Haunts materialize in the house where they try to attack and weaken the Characters, making them more susceptible to Possession. When a Haunt begins the HAUNT PHASE or enters a Space containing one or more Hunters, a Haunting takes place. The Haunt Marker and the Power Marker(s) energizing it are flipped over, showing the true nature of the Haunt. Two or more Haunts can't combine their Haunt Strengths. They must attack sequentially in whatever order the House determines.

If the House possesses the Physical Body of a Character who is Lost, he moves and uses that body as if it were a Physical Haunt to attack other Characters. Its Haunt Strength is equal to its Physical Strength. The Possessed Character does not need to be Energized. If a Hunter's Soul is Possessed, the Hunter moves his Physical Body during the HAUNT PHASE only and uses it as a Physical Haunt. It doesn't need to be Energized. Its Haunt Strength is equal to its Physical Strength plus the Physical Strength of any Tool the Hunter possesses. Whenever a Hunter whose Soul is Possessed conducts a Haunting, the Hunter rolls the die and applies the same modifiers listed in Step 1 below exactly as if he were the House. The players determine the outcome of a Haunting by performing the following Steps:

  1. The House rolls one die and adds to it the numbers on the Power Marker(s) used to energize the Haunt and the Haunt Strength found on the Haunt Marker. If it is Midnight, 1 AM, or 2 AM, he adds 1 to this number. If it is 3 AM or 4 AM, he adds 2. If the Haunt is a Psychic Haunt and the Haunting occurs in the Crypt, Graveyard, Cellar, or Tower, he adds 1 to the die roll.
  2. Each Hunter occupying the same room with the Haunt rolls one die and modifies the result by adding the Physical Strength Modifier of any Tool in his possession if the Haunt is Physical and the Psychic Strength Modifier of any Tool in his possession if the Haunt is Psychic. He then adds his Character's Psychic Strength if the Haunt is Psychic and his Physical Strength if the Haunt is Physical. He adds 2 for each Character in the Space with his Character and 3 if it is 5 AM. He subtracts 1 if his Psyche is Vulnerable.
  3. Each Hunter compares the total found in Step 1 with the total he found for his Character in Step 2. If the House total is greater than the Hunter's total, that Hunter must immediately give the House 1 Power Marker from his section of the POWER WHEEL if the Haunt was Psychic and 2 Power Markers if the Haunt was Physical. The Hunter then moves his Soul Marker a number of boxes closer to the "0" box on the SOUL TRACK equal to the number of Power Markers he gave to the House. If a Hunter does not have enough Power Markers in his section of the POWER WHEEL to give the House all of the Power Markers due him, the Hunter's Soul Marker is moved 2 boxes closer to the "0" box on the SOUL TRACK for each Power Marker that is due the House and is not actually turned over to him. If the Hunter's total is equal to or greater than the House's total, the House immediately gives the Hunter 1 Power Marker from his section of the POWER WHEEL. There is no effect if the House does not have enough Power Markers to give the Hunters what they are due, but all available Power Markers must be used to pay the penalty. If some, but not all of the Hunters can be paid the Power Markers due them, the House gives Power Markers to the victorious Hunters in the order in which they move. If a Character's Soul is Vulnerable and he loses a Haunting and doesn't have enough Power Markers to pay the House, he dies, and the House automatically gains immediate permanent possession of the Character's Soul with the consequences described in of the .

Part 7: Exorcism

Exorcism is the way in which the Hunters defeat the House and win the game. Four things can be Exorcised: Rooms, Axes, Immobile Haunts and the Entity itself. The following results can occur during Exorcisms.

  • If a Room Marker was being Exorcised and the Hunter wins, the Room is Exorcised. Flip the Room Marker over to its Exorcised side. The players replace in the POWER CUP any Power Markers used in the Exorcism. If a Focus Marker was on the Room Marker that was Exorcised, the House moves it to the nearest House-controlled Room Marker of his choice that doesn't have a Focus Marker. If there are no House-controlled Room Markers without a Focus Marker left on the map, the Focus Marker is permanently removed from play. If the Exorcised Room contained a Mobile Haunt, the Haunt Marker is replaced in the HAUNT CUP and any Power Markers used to energize it are replaced in the POWER CUP.
  • If an Axis Control Marker was being Exorcised and the Hunter wins, the Axis is Exorcised. Flip the Axis Control Marker and all the Room Markers on that Axis over to their Exorcised Sides to indicate that the House no longer controls that Axis. The players replace in the POWER CUP any Power Markers used in the Exorcism. If a Focus Marker was on a Room Marker on the Axis, the House moves it to the nearest House-controlled Room Marker of his choice that doesn't have a Focus Marker. If there are no House-controlled Room Markers without a Focus Marker left on the map, the Focus Marker is permanently removed from play. All Mobile Haunts whose Room Markers are flipped over as a result of the Exorcism of an Axis Control Marker are destroyed. Replace the Haunt in the HAUNT CUP and replace any Power Markers used to energize it in the POWER CUP. Whenever a Character successfully Exorcises an Axis Control Point which his Psyche occupies, the Space occupied by his Physical Body is also Exorcised. Any Immobile Haunts in that Space are Exorcised immediately and permanently removed from play. Any Power Markers used to energize those Haunts are replaced in the POWER CUP. Thereafter, the Space from which the Immobile Haunt was removed (Cellar, Crypt, Graveyard or Tower) can't be used for Haunts to materialize. Otherwise, there is no change in the status of the Space.
  • If the Entity was being Exorcised and the Hunter wins, the game is immediately over and the Hunter who exorcised the Entity wins. EXCEPTION: If the House loses an Exorcism directed against the Entity and the Entity occupies the Fifth or Sixth Circle, the Entity is not exorcised. Instead, the Entity is moved into the next highest numbered Circle of Darkness and one Controlled Axis of the House's choice is immediately exorcised instead. If all Axes have been exorcised, there is no further effect. The Entity can never be moved except as a result of an Exorcism directed against it and it can only be moved from the Fifth to the Sixth Circle or from the Sixth to the Seventh Circle.
  • If a Hunter loses any Exorcism, his Psyche becomes Vulnerable (flip the Psyche Marker over to the Vulnerable Side if it is not already there) and the Hunter's Soul is moved one box closer to the "0" box on the SOUL TRACK. If the Entity was being Exorcised and the House wins, the Hunter's Soul is immediately Possessed. Remove his Soul from the SOUL TRACK and place it in the Seventh Circle of the ASTRAL MAP. See of the for the other consequences of Possession.

Exorcising the Entity — Example. Father Doran occupies Axis Control Point 4/6 and is attempting to Exorcise the Entity in the Fifth Circle of Darkness. Doran's attempt is successful and the Entity should be Exorcised... but since the Entity is in the Fifth Circle, it is automatically moved into the Sixth Circle instead. The House chooses to lose control of Axis 4.

Part 8: Possession

The House can try to possess the Character's Physical Bodies and their Souls. Vulnerability is a state of being in which a Character is more susceptible to the influences and energies of the Entity Haunting the house. A Character's Psyche is normally Intact, as shown by his Psyche Marker being placed face up on the Map. Panic, certain Discoveries, and the failure of an Exorcism can render a Character temporarily Vulnerable, in which case his Psyche Marker is flipped over to show its Vulnerable side. If the Soul is Vulnerable, the Psyche is also Vulnerable. The Soul becomes Vulnerable when it is moved into the "0" box on the SOUL TRACK. It can then be possessed if the House successfully attacks the Character during the POSSESSION PHASE or kills the Character during the HAUNT PHASE.

The House can possess the Unconscious Body of a Hunter who is Lost. If the House successfully attacks a Character's Psyche, he can declare that he is going to take over the Body of that Character instead of moving his Soul Marker. Flip the Body Marker over to its Possessed Side. The House stays in control of the Character's Body until he uses it in combat as a Physical Haunt and the Character is no longer Lost and his Astral Body returns to reclaim its Physical Body or until the Character's Soul is Possessed. A Character whose body is in a Room with a Pentagram can't be attacked or Possessed, even if he is Lost.

Part 9: Haunt Summary

  • Animated Corpse: The pallid, embalmed corpse of Marcus Fuller, Lilith's last husband, lurches at you from out of a dim corner. The dead man's lips are still tinged blue from the potent poison with which his scheming wife laced his sherry and his presence fills the room with the sweet smell of bitter almonds.
  • Animated Shadow: Your shadow leaps from the floor and takes on a life of its own under the control of the House. As you struggle to combat it, the shadow anticipates your every move, striking and choking you before you can block its attacks.
  • Animated Skeleton: A mouldering skeleton approaches. It is the mortal remains of one of Lilith's many victims, animated by the House and thrown into battle. Though the dry, powdery bones are easily broken, the skeleton continues to pull itself toward you until it is pounded to dust.
  • Arcane Force: You experience the presence of a powerful force that is not of this world. Shortly, you are seized by an unbearable choking sensation accompanied by an intense desire to abase yourself in the presence of one of "His" many faces.
  • Alistair's Death: Alistair Darkholm appears before you. He is a darkly handsome man with pale, aristocratic features. He wears clothing that was fashionable about 20 years ago. As you stand transfixed in horror, he smiles and raises a gleaming razor to his throat. With a single stroke, he traces a fine red wound from ear to ear.
  • Bats: Hundreds of large filthy bats suddenly materialize out of thin air and begin diving on you.
  • Blood: Gouts of bright red blood well up at your feet, filling the air with an awful coppery scent.
  • Cold Spot: A mysterious spot of arctic cold appears in the air and begins to swell, causing the temperature in the vicinity to drop precipitously and coating everything with a pale, glittering rime.

Part 10: Discovery Summary

  • Bloodstains: Blood begins to flow from a nearby wall, spelling out the nature and location of one other Discovery of the House's choice. This Discovery is immediately flipped over and the first Hunter to enter the same Space with that Discovery is immediately affected by it (stopping play to determine the effect). As soon as the Bloodstains are read, this Discovery marker is permanently removed from play.
  • Book of Shadows: You find a dusty tome of spells and rituals written in blood and bound in what appears to be human skin. This is Lilith's Book of Shadows, the repository of all the learning of a ceremonial magician. Each Hunter who makes a successful Search of the Space is considered to have read a part of it and gained valuable knowledge of the House's evil. Those who have gained this knowledge each move 1 Power Marker from the House section of the POWER WHEEL to their own section of the POWER WHEEL. If the House does not have sufficient Power Markers in its section of the POWER WHEEL for each eligible Hunter to take a Power Marker, then the available markers are transferred to the Hunters in the order in which they move and transfers above the number of Power Markers available are ignored. As soon as the Power Markers have been transferred, the Book of Shadows is destroyed (disintegrated by the wrath of the Entity) and is permanently removed from play.
  • Chandelier: You find a Chandelier that rattles and shakes as if animated. A noose hangs from it. It is pulled taut as if it still held a body. This is the Chandelier from which Josiah hung himself and is the focal point of his presence in the House. Anyone who discovers the Chandelier is assumed to smash it, thus freeing Josiah from the metaphysical chains that bind him to the House. Immediately and permanently remove this Discovery and the Haunt, Josiah's Wraith, from play.
  • Cold Wind: An icy wind sweeps through the room, blowing out all of the Candles and causing everyone present to make an immediate Panic Check. Each Hunter rolls one die and adds 1 if the Character's Soul is Vulnerable, 1 if the Space is Dark and 1 if the Character is Holt. For purposes of this Panic Check, the Space is Dark if the Lights on the Floor are Off and no Character in the Space has a Flashlight. All Candles are considered to be temporarily extinguished. Subtract 1 from the die roll if the Character has a Bible and 2 if the Character is Jason. If the modified result is less than the Character's Psychic Strength, nothing happens. If the modified result is equal to or greater than the Character's Psychic Strength, the Character panics, a Panic Marker is placed on him and his Psyche Marker is flipped over to its Vulnerable side. Regardless of the outcome of any Panic Check(s), this Discovery Marker is immediately and permanently removed from play as soon as anyone finds it during a Search.

Counter Faces

The rules' final page is a counter-face reference chart (image only in the magazine). Its values are transcribed below.

Characters

Front face: Physical Strength, then Psychic Strength. Back face (Possessed): Haunt Strength.

CharacterPhysical StrengthPsychic StrengthHaunt Strength (Possessed)
Kate565
Ted Holt646
Dr. Opal Devlin353
Lorenzo Lane666
Jim Chase545
Father Eamonn Doran555
Dr. Eliot Evans

Haunts

Haunt Strength shown on the back of each Haunt marker.

HauntStrengthHauntStrength
Creeping Hand4Floating Weapon4
Animated Shadow5Animated Skeleton4
Hand of Glory4Creeping Mist3
Dust Golem6Poltergeist4
Bats5Spectre3
Rats5Deadly Vision6
Animated Corpse

Tools

Each Tool shows its Physical Strength Modifier, then its Psychic Strength Modifier.

ToolPhysicalPsychic
Bible02
Candle (two markers)00
Flashlight (two markers)00
Pistol30
Talisman (two markers)01 / 2
Rosary03
Host02
Bell00
Dagger2

Rooms

The Room Markers shown on the counter sheet: Kitchen, Laundry, Master Bedroom, Library, Nanny's Room, Garden, Guest Room, Scullery, Portrait Gallery, Chapel, Sitting Room, Dining Room, Conservatory, Tool Shed, Tea Room, Music Room, Attic, Housekeeper's Room, Parlor, Reception Room, Sewing Room, Main Storeroom, Suite Parlor, Suite Living Room, Butler's Room, Cook's Room, Playroom, Nursery, Guest Bedroom A, Guest Bedroom B, Guest Bedroom C, Guest Bedroom D, Guest Bedroom E, Servants' Sitting Room, Upstairs Study, Private Study.

Psychic
Mobile
Mobile
Immobile
energize
materialize
Haunting
HAUNT PHASE
  • Pentagram: A five-pointed star inside a circle of protection which can be used as a place of shelter from evil (especially Haunts).

  • Possession: The means by which the House adds the energy of a Character to its own power. A Character's Unconscious Body may be Possessed and used by the House on a temporary basis. A Character's Soul can become permanently Possessed (absorbed) by the House once the Character's psychic defenses have been stripped away via Hauntings or attempted Possessions of the Character's Body while the Character is on the Astral Plane.

  • Power: A measure of one's ability to manipulate other-dimensional energies. Power Markers are used in the game to represent the power of both the House and the Hunters. They are tools the players use to perform many game functions. Each player has a number of Power Markers available for use in a given Hour. These markers are stored in his individual section of the

  • Power Wheel: As play progresses, the players spend or transfer Power Markers. When Power is transferred from a Character to the House, the Character's Soul is weakened. Used Power Markers are returned to the POWER CUP.

  • Soul: The spiritual essence of each Character is distinct from his Physical Body, Psyche or Astral Body. Possession of the Characters' Souls is the ultimate goal of the House.

  • "2"
    Focus MarkerCircleCracked circle
    Lights MarkerLightbulb (lit)Lightbulb (unlit)
    Pentagram MarkerPentagram in a circle(blank)
    Status MarkerFigure symbol, "4th Hunter"Figure symbol, "4th Hunter"
    Hour MarkerKey-shaped symbol(blank)
  • The House places one Lights Marker in the Main Hall of each of the 3 Floors (First, Second and Third) of the HOUSE MAP, with the On side showing.
  • The House places all of the Characters in a cup or other opaque container. Each Hunter blindly draws a Character from the cup. He plays this Character in the game. The remaining Characters are set aside and are not used in play.
  • The House places the Tool Markers in a tea cup or other opaque container. Beginning with the Hunter to the House's left and going around the table clockwise, each Hunter blindly draws 3 markers and looks at them. He can show them to the other Hunters, but not to the House.
  • If it is 5 AM, skip this Step and go to Step 1 of the SEARCH PHASE. Otherwise, the House blindly draws from the HAUNT CUP 3 Haunt Markers if the Entity is in the Seventh Circle; 4 Markers if the Entity is in the Sixth Circle, and 5 Haunt Markers if the Entity is in the Fifth Circle. These are the Haunts that can be energized this Hour. If the House draws a Haunt Marker that can no longer be used due to the effect of some Discovery, this Haunt Marker is permanently removed from play and a replacement is drawn.
  • The House takes one Power Marker of his choice from his section of the POWER WHEEL for each of the Haunts he drew that he wants to energize. He places the Haunt Marker that he wants to energize front face up on top of this Power Marker (also front face up). This stack is then placed two boxes ahead on the CLOCK if it is a Physical Haunt and 1 box ahead if it is a Psychic Haunt. The House can create as many Haunts as he has Haunt Markers and Power Markers available. Any Haunt Markers drawn in Step 4 that were not energized during Step 5 are immediately replaced in the HAUNT CUP. Physical Haunts can't be energized after 3 AM.
  • The House states whether he will accelerate the appearance of any Physical Haunts that he just placed on the CLOCK. For each such Haunt, he takes one Power Marker of his choice from his section of the POWER WHEEL and places it front face up under the Haunt he wants to accelerate. The entire stack of one Haunt Marker and two Power Markers representing that Haunt is then moved one box closer to the box occupied by the Hour Marker.
  • Each Hunter whose Soul is Possessed by the House moves his Character as if it were a Physical Haunt, conducting Hauntings against other Hunters as described in Step 2, above, and in PART 6. Unlike regular Mobile Haunts, the Character is not removed after a Haunting, and does not have to be energized. His Haunt Strength is equal to his Physical Strength plus the Physical Strength of any Tools in his possession.
  • Kate
    Lorenzo
    Step 5
  • Each Hunter whose Character is conducting a Psychic Search rolls one die in turn. If the result is greater than or equal to his Character's Psychic Strength, nothing happens. If the result is less than his Character's Psychic Strength, the House must reveal to the Hunter the identity of one Discovery of the Hunter's choice whose front face is showing. The Discovery is flipped over for the rest of the game (or until it is removed from play). A Psychic Search reveals the identity of a Discovery, but the effects of the Discovery are not applied to the Characters or the House until a Physical Search of the Discovery's Space is successfully completed. Regardless of the outcome each Hunter whose Character conducted a Psychic Search must immediately remove 1 Power Marker from his section of the POWER WHEEL and replace it in the POWER CUP. If he has no Power Markers, his Character's Soul Marker is moved one box toward the "0" box of the SOUL TRACK.
  • Dr. Evans
    Opal
    Roarke
    Step 5
  • Each Hunter whose Astral Body occupies a Room Control Point on the ASTRAL MAP moves his Astral Body in turn into any number of connected Room Control Points. Power Points are connected when a Power Line exists between them. Whenever, during this Step, a Hunter's Astral Body is moved into a Power Point containing a Character who is Lost, that Character immediately stops being Lost. His Astral Body is removed from the map and he immediately regains full control of his Physical Body, even if it is Possessed by the House. Flip the Character Marker over to its Normal Side if the Character was Possessed and remove the Status Marker from the Character if he was Unconscious. His Psyche remains Vulnerable.
  • Each Hunter whose Astral Body occupies a Power Point on the ASTRAL MAP states in turn whether he will create a Lifeline for his Character.
  • Each Hunter who stated in Step 6 that he was creating a Lifeline, now creates the Lifeline in turn by placing one Power Marker from his section of the POWER WHEEL in each Power Point through which he moved his Astral Body in Step 5. No Power Markers are placed in the Power Points occupied by his Astral Body or his Psyche. Only one Power Marker can be placed (not one per Hunter) in each Power Point during this Step. Characters who are unable to place a Power Marker in a Power Point through which they moved because some other Character's Power Marker already occupies that Power Point or who don't have enough Power Markers to create an unbroken chain from their Astral Bodies to their Psyches can't create a Lifeline. They skip this Step.
  • If a Hunter does not want to perform an Exorcism, he skips this Step and goes to Step 16. Otherwise, each Hunter in turn announces which one Power Point occupied by or next to his Astral Body or Psyche he will Exorcise during Steps 9 through 15. The Entity is always considered to be in a single Power Point next to all Power Points in the Fourth Circle for this purpose. Exorcisms can't be directed at Circles of Darkness, only against the Entity. The Entity haunting the house can only be Exorcised after a number of Axes equal to the number of the Circle the Entity currently occupies have been Exorcised. More Axes than the required minimum can be Exorcised. Characters who occupy Power Points on the Fourth Circle during this Step can try to Exorcise the Entity, the Power Point they occupy, or any adjacent Power Point. Characters who occupy Room Control Points during this Step can only Exorcise their own or another Room Control Point.
  • Each Hunter in turn places any number of Power Markers from his section of the POWER WHEEL on the Power Point that he wants to Exorcise. A Hunter can choose to use no Power Markers for this purpose only if the Hunter's Astral Body is next to the Power Point he is Exorcising and is in a different Power Point than his Psyche. Otherwise, he must use at least one Power Marker. If he has no Power Markers or can't perform an Exorcism within these restrictions, the Hunter skips this Step and goes to Step 16.
  • The House moves any number of his own Power Markers from his section of the POWER WHEEL to each Power Point being Exorcised up to the value of the circle on which the Power Point is found. Thus the closer the Power Point to the center of the ASTRAL MAP, the more power the House can focus upon it.
  • All Hunters and the House now flip over their Power Markers revealing the numbers on their backs.
  • Each Hunter in turn rolls one die and adds to the result the numbers on all of the Power Markers that he moved during Step 9. The die roll is also modified by the addition of 2 if the Character performing the Exorcism is Opal, Dr. Evans or Roarke and by the addition of 3 if the Character performing the Exorcism is Father Doran. In addition, the Hunter can add the number on any Exorcism Discovery Marker in his possession to the dice roll. Once used, the Exorcism Discovery Marker is permanently removed from the game. If the Character's Psyche is Vulnerable, he subtracts 1 from the dice roll. If it is 5 AM, he adds 1. If he possesses the "Bell," "Bible" and "Candle" Tools, he adds 3. Possession of any one or two of these three Tools confers no benefit when performing an Exorcism.
  • The House rolls one die for each Exorcism being performed and modifies the result in each case by adding the numbers on any Power Markers that he moved to the Power Point being Exorcised and the number of the Circle of Light in which the Power Point is located (if appropriate). He also adds 1 if it is Midnight, 1 AM or 2 AM and 2 if it is 3 AM or 4 AM. Finally, if the Exorcism is directed against the Entity, the number of Controlled Axes is added to the die roll.
  • The results found in Steps 12 and 13 are compared in each case and a winner is determined. If the House's total is equal to or greater than the Hunter's total for a particular Exorcism, the House wins. If the House's total is less than the Hunter's total, the Hunter wins. Exorcism results are described in PART 7. All results are applied immediately.
  • Each Hunter who is Lost rolls 3 dice. The result on the first die indicates which Circle the Hunter's Astral Body is moved into: 1,2 = First Circle; 3,4 = Second Circle; 5,6 = Third Circle. The result found on the other two dice is the number of the Axis to which the Hunter's Astral Body is moved. The Hunter's Astral Body is removed from the map and the Hunter stops being Lost when the sum of the 3 dice being rolled is less than his Character's Psyche or when the Character is moved to an Exorcised Power Point or a Power Point with a Pentagram on it as a result of this 3-dice roll. His Psyche Marker remains on the ASTRAL MAP with its Vulnerable Side showing. If the Hunter's Physical Body was Possessed, his Character Marker is flipped over to its normal side and he is no longer Possessed. The Hunter ceases to be Unconscious and the Unconscious Marker is removed from the Hunter's Character.
  • Each Hunter whose Astral Body is on the ASTRAL MAP counts the number of Power Points he entered during Step 5 (including the Power Point that his Astral Body currently occupies) and adds the number of the Circle in which his Astral Body is currently located.
  • Each Hunter who performed Step 16 rolls two dice. He adds the number of Power Markers in his Lifeline (if any) and subtracts 1 if his Character's Psyche is Vulnerable. If the modified result is less than or equal to the number found in Step 16, the Hunter becomes Lost and his Astral Body Marker is flipped over to its Lost Side. If the modified result is greater than the number found in Step 16, there is no effect. The Hunter removes his Astral Body from the map and sets it aside for future use. He removes the Unconscious Marker from his Character Marker on the HOUSE MAP. Regardless of the outcome of the dice roll, the Hunter returns all Power Markers from his Lifeline to the POWER CUP.
  • Each Hunter whose Psyche is being attacked rolls a die and adds to the result the numbers on the Power Markers that he moved onto his Psyche in Step 4. In addition, if the Hunter's Character is Lemuel, Opal or Chase, 3 is added to the result. If the Hunter's Character is Evans, Lorenzo or Doran, 2 is added to the result. If the Hunter's Character is Kate, Roarke or Addams, 1 is subtracted from the result.

  • In each case if the Hunter's total found in Step 7 is greater than or equal to the House's total found in Step 6, the Hunter wins the contest and there is no further effect. In each case in which the House's total is greater than the Hunter's total, the House wins and the Hunter's Soul Marker is moved one box closer to the "0" Box on the SOUL TRACK. If the Hunter's Soul Marker is already in the "0" Box on the SOUL TRACK, the House immediately takes Possession of the Hunter's Soul. Move his Soul Marker into the Seventh Circle of the ASTRAL MAP to indicate this fact and flip the Character Marker over to its Possessed Side. For the rest of the game, the Possessed Hunter moves his Character during Step 7 of the HAUNT PHASE only. His Psyche and Astral Body Markers and any Tools he possesses that have a Psychic Strength modifier greater than "0" are removed from play. For all purposes, the Hunter's Character is treated as a Haunt. If the House wins the game, all Hunters whose Souls are Possessed also win. All Power Markers on the ASTRAL MAP are replaced in the POWER CUP at the end of this Step. If the House wants, he can take Possession of the Hunter's Physical Body instead of moving his Soul Marker along the SOUL TRACK; flip the Hunter's Character Marker over to its Possessed Side to indicate this fact.

  • Each Hunter whose Character is not Lost removes his Psyche Marker from the ASTRAL MAP and replaces it under his Character's piece on the HOUSE MAP.

  • Step 8
    POSSESSION PHASE
  • Each Character who lost a Haunting undergoes a Panic Check. The Hunter controlling the Character rolls one die. He modifies the die roll by subtracting 1 if the Character has a Bible and 2 if the Character is Jason. He adds 1 if the Space the Character occupies is Dark; 1 if his Soul is Vulnerable; 1 if he occupies a Space with other Characters who lost a Haunting during Step 3, and 1 if the Character being checked is Holt. If the modified result is less than the Character's Psychic Strength, there is no effect. If the modified result is equal to or greater than the Character's Psychic Strength, he immediately panics. His Psyche Marker is flipped over to its Vulnerable side and the House immediately moves the Panicked Character via Doors and/or Stairways to any Space up to 3 connected Spaces distant. If the Space occupied by the Character at the end of this move has a Room Marker on the ASTRAL MAP, the House moves that Hunter's Psyche Marker to that Room Marker. Otherwise, the Psyche Marker remains under the Character.
  • The House replaces the Haunt Marker in the HAUNT CUP and replaces any Power Markers used to energize it in the POWER CUP. EXCEPTION: Immobile Haunts and their Power Markers stay on the HOUSE MAP until the Haunts are Exorcised. They can conduct any number of Hauntings during the game, but can conduct only one Haunting per HAUNT PHASE.
  • EXCEPTION:
    Step 8
    POSSESSION PHASE
  • Creeping Hand: A bloody, severed hand appears at your feet and starts creeping toward you, using its fingers to pull itself along. Whenever the hand gets close enough, it flies at your throat and tries to throttle you.
  • Creeping Mist: A cold, oily mist slips across the floor and rolls around your feet, becoming thicker with each passing second until, finally, it obscures everything more than a few feet away.
  • Deadly Vision: You meet an aged, dying version of yourself. It beckons with a skeletal hand and speaks to you in a croaking voice of failure and mortality, promising eternal life as part of the House if you will but slay your mortal body.
  • Dust Golem: The dust in the air coalesces into a ravening monster, vaguely humanoid, and, therefore, all the more horrible. It fixes you with a baleful stare and advances on you with its dusty fingers grasping and snapping.
  • Eerie Lights: Strange, multi-colored, pulsing lights keep appearing and disappearing, dazzling and disorienting you.
  • Energy Field: A pocket of malignant energy materializes around you, making your limbs heavy and causing you to experience shooting pains throughout your body.
  • Familiar: Lilith's sleek, black cat, Dweomer, materializes in your presence and leaps at the face of whoever is nearest to it, clawing and scratching at their eyes.
  • Floating Weapon: A bloodstained dagger appears in the air and begins slashing randomly at you. A woman's mad laughter punctuates each swooping attack.
  • Ghostly Voices: Sinister voices inside your head promise a grim and painful death to all who oppose "Him".
  • Hand of Glory: The preserved, severed hand of a murderer appears before you. To your horror, the fingers begin to glow and melt, finally bursting into eerie green flames.
  • Hell Hole: A vortex of otherdimensional energy opens up at your feet, threatening to suck you into its maw. A sound like all of the souls in Hell crying out at once emanates from the hole.
  • Insect Swarm: Thousands of savage biting flies appear out of nowhere, swarming over you until you are covered with a biting, pulsing mass of insect life.
  • Josiah's Wraith: Josiah Darkholm approaches. His swollen tongue protrudes from a mouth frozen in a ghastly grin and his eyes pop from his mottled, purpled face. A dark bruise circles his broken neck. His twitching fingers clasp a crisp new hemp rope wound into a noose which he graciously offers to you.
  • Lilith's Ghost: Lilith Darkholm approaches. Her pale skin and gleaming white gown pulse with an unearthly glow. Throwing back her long raven tresses, she reveals a bloody stain over her heaving bodice. With a wanton smile of pleasure, she plucks a dagger from the wound in the center of this stain and offers it to you.
  • Occult Voices: Your head pounds with the whisperings of unworldly voices that softly call your name and beg you to join them.
  • Poltergeist: Small objects start flying through the air to the accompaniment of a rhythmic drumming produced by the slamming up and down of heavier objects. Within a few seconds, gale-force winds begin sweeping through the area, carrying off whatever is not securely anchored.
  • Rats: First scores, then hundreds of ferocious black rats crawl and squirm over your feet, tearing loose chunks of flesh and carrying them away in their drooling mouths.
  • Sealed Room: All exits to the area you occupy are securely shut, trapping you inside. Mocking peals of hysterical laughter greet every attempt to leave the area.
  • Secret Fears: Your deepest and most hidden fear takes physical form before your eyes.
  • Spectre: A dim, shadowy form approaches. It seems to waft and waver at the edges as though insubstantial. The figure is the partially-material form of a Spectre, a being that exists simultaneously on two material planes. Doubly damned, it serves the House on whatever plane it occupies.
  • Spider Swarm: Scores of hairy black spiders drop on you from above, savagely tearing at you with venom-smeared jaws. The bloated belly of each spider is marked with a perfect likeness of Lilith Darkholm's twisted face.
  • Emily's Ghost: You contact the ghost of Emily Darkholm, Josiah's frail, gentle first wife. Murdered by Josiah during one of his legendary drunken rages, her spirit remains in the House but is not part of it. Though she has seen much of the House's evil, she can only speak of what she knew before she died. Fortunately, this includes the location of all of the Secret Passages in the House. Once found, this Discovery is immediately and permanently removed from play. Thereafter, all Hunters in the game may freely use all Secret Passages to move from a Space in which they begin a MOVEMENT PHASE to any connected Space. It is no longer necessary for Lemuel to be present for this option to be used.
  • Exorcism: You discover a clue to the nature of the Entity that makes it easier to Exorcise it from the house. The first Character to determine the nature of this Discovery flips over the Discovery Marker, removes it from the map and places it in front of him. He can play the piece later in the game as a means of affecting an Exorcism or he can hold it indefinitely. Anyone who successfully searches a Space after an Exorcism Discovery has been removed from it during a phase chooses any Haunt on the HOUSE MAP or the CLOCK for examination. The Hunter immediately looks at the Haunt Marker (but not any Power Markers that are energizing it) and replaces it on the map. He is assumed to have discovered some clue as to the kind of Haunts that are available to the House and can share this knowledge with the other Hunters or withhold it at his option. (The counter sheet includes six Exorcism Discovery markers, numbered +1, +1, +2, +2, +3 and +4.)
  • Janet's Ghost: You contact the ghost of Janet Rivers-Smythe. Sacrificed by her mistress during the final terrible rites in the family Chapel, Janet is now part of the House, but retains a weak identity of her own. If Jason is not in the game or is Possessed when this Discovery is found, the Discovery is immediately and permanently removed from play and there is no further effect. If Jason is in the game and isn't Possessed, Janet feels his presence and reclaims her identity for long enough to tell the Hunters all she knows of the House's power. All Power Markers in the House section of the POWER WHEEL are immediately flipped over so that the numbers on the back can be seen. They remain flipped over for the rest of this Hour. For this betrayal, the House absorbs Janet completely, erasing all vestiges of her ego. The Discovery is immediately and permanently removed from play.
  • Lilith's Mirror: You look in a gilded mirror and see the spectre of your own death. It is Lilith's Mirror and is the focus of her presence in the House. By smashing it the Hunters free her spirit from the metaphysical chains that bind it to the House. The Discovery is immediately and permanently removed from play and so is the Haunt, Lilith's Ghost.
  • Marcus Fuller's Ghost: You contact the vengeful spirit of Marcus Fuller, Lilith's last husband. Fuller manages to babble the location of one Immobile Haunt before the House destroys him. The Discovery is immediately and permanently removed from play and the House flips over one Immobile Haunt of his choice to reveal its identity. The Haunt remains flipped over for the rest of the game (or until Exorcised). The Power Marker under the Haunt is not flipped over. In addition, the severe energy drain used to destroy Fuller causes the House to lose control of any one Controlled Axis of the House's choice. The Control Marker for that Axis and all Room Markers on that Axis are flipped over to show their Dispersed Sides if those sides are not already showing.
  • Nick's Ghost: The ghost of Nicholas Bray materializes before you. He is a young man, dressed in fashionably rumpled clothing. As you approach him, he smiles sadly and tells you something of his experiences as a ghost hunter before he met his death in Darkholm Manor. He then reveals information about the Foci of the House's evil. With this, you feel, rather than hear, the House give a shriek of anguish as though wounded. One Focus of Evil Marker is permanently removed from the game to simulate the damage Nicholas has done. Nicholas is now at rest and is immediately and permanently removed from the game.
  • Nora's Ghost: The ghost of Nora Jakes materializes before you. Her silvery-blue gown drips water and is festooned with tendrils of water lilies from the millpond in which she drowned herself. Her thin, white fingers clutch a bouquet of wild roses. If Lemuel and Doctor Addams are not in the game, there is no further effect. If either or both of those Characters is in the game, each of the two Characters' Soul Markers is immediately moved 1 box closer to the "0" Box on the SOUL TRACK. There is no further effect on either Character if his Soul Marker is in the "0" Box of the SOUL TRACK.
  • Portrait of Alistair: You discover a portrait of Alistair Darkholm. There is a gaping tear in the painting about where Alistair's throat should be. What appears to be fresh blood seeps copiously from the canvas around this tear. The painting is the focus of Alistair's presence in the House and anyone who discovers it is assumed to have destroyed the painting, thus freeing Alistair's spirit from the metaphysical chains that bind it to the House. The Discovery is immediately and permanently removed from play and so is the Haunt, Alistair's Death.
  • Robes: You find a tattered, bloody robe used by Lilith to clothe her victim during the last of the human sacrifices in which she delighted. The Robes are the focus of that victim's presence in the House. Anyone who discovers them is assumed to destroy them, freeing the victim from the metaphysical chains that bind it to the House. Immediately and permanently remove this Discovery and the Animated Skeleton Haunt from play.
  • Sarah's Ghost: You contact the ghost of Sarah Darkholm, wife of Alistair Darkholm and one of the friendly spirits trapped in, but not dominated by, the House. Always a strong-willed woman, Sarah fought a lifelong battle to break the House's hold on her husband. She continues this fight even in death. This Discovery is immediately and permanently removed from play as soon as its back face is turned up. Thereafter, Sarah's Ghost is presumed to have attached itself to the Hunters and to be advising them for the rest of the game. As a means of representing this fact, as soon as the Sarah's Ghost Marker is removed from play, all other Discovery Markers on the HOUSE MAP and all Haunt Markers on the HOUSE MAP or the CLOCK are flipped over to reveal their identity. The numbers on the Power Markers that are energizing the Haunts are not revealed, however.
  • Scratches: All exits from this Space are marred by minute Scratches, as if someone had been trying to escape. Whenever this Discovery is revealed, both it and the Sealed Room Haunt are immediately and permanently removed from play.
  • Skull: You find a human skull weighted for use as a paperweight. It is the preserved skull of one of Lilith's deceased husbands, and it will immediately begin chatting with the Hunters, all the while bitterly denouncing Lilith and revealing the identity of all of the Discoveries on one Floor (First, Second or Third) of the House's choice. All of the Discoveries on that Floor are immediately flipped over and remain that way for the rest of the game (or until removed from the map). Each Discovery must still be uncovered via a Search before a Hunter can claim or otherwise be affected by it. As soon as the other Discoveries revealed by the Skull are flipped over, the Skull is destroyed (by a blast of energy from the vengeful Entity) and is immediately and permanently removed from play.
  • 4
    5
    4
    Jason Rivers-Smythe636
    Hal Roarke555
    Lemuel Jakes535
    Dr. Ben Addams444
    John Potter464
    5
    Josiah's Wraith
    4
    Sealed Room6Lilith's Ghost4
    Spider Swarm6Cold Spot3
    Insect Swarm5Blood3
    Hell Hole5Eerie Lights3
    Secret Fears6Energy Field4
    Alistair's Death4Occult Voices5
    Arcane Force4Familiar4
    Ghostly Voices3
    0