Arkham Horror: The Card Game – The Blob That Ate Everything: Scenario Pack
Arkham Horror: The Card Game – The Blob That Ate Everything: Scenario Pack Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Expansion Symbol
The cards in this expansion can be identified by this symbol before each card's collector number.
[Expansion symbol: the icon printed before each card's collector number]
Game Modes
The Blob That Ate Everything can be played as either a standalone scenario or as a side-story inserted into any campaign. When played as a standalone scenario, this scenario can be played in one of two ways: with a single group of 1–4 players in Single Group Mode, or with any number of players split into groups of 1–4 players each in Epic Multiplayer Mode.
Pages 4–5 include additional rules and clarifications for both versions of the scenario, while pages 6–9 include special rules pertaining to Single Group Mode and Epic Multiplayer Mode.
Standalone Mode
When played as a standalone scenario, follow the steps for Standalone Mode on page 19 of the Rules Reference. This booklet is the campaign guide for The Blob That Ate Everything. Refer to the section below for additional setup instructions.
When played as a standalone scenario, The Blob That Ate Everything has only two difficulty modes. Construct the chaos bag with the following tokens:
- Standard: +1, 0, 0, 0, –1, –2, –2, –3, –4, –5, skull, skull, cultist, tablet, elder thing, auto-fail, elder sign.
- Hard: 0, 0, 0, –1, –1, –2, –3, –4, –5, –6, skull, skull, cultist, tablet, elder thing, auto-fail, elder sign.
Side-story (Campaign Mode)
A side-story is a scenario that may be played between any two scenarios of an Arkham Horror: The Card Game campaign. Playing a side-story costs each investigator in the campaign a certain amount of experience. Weaknesses, trauma, experience, and rewards granted by playing a side-story stay with the investigators for the remainder of the campaign. Each side-story may only be played once per campaign.
When this scenario is played as a side-story during a campaign, play it as if you are setting up the next scenario in the campaign, with the same chaos bag, weaknesses, trauma, and story assets previously earned.
Playing The Blob That Ate Everything side-story costs each investigator 2 experience.
Additional Rules & Clarifications
Time Limit
When playing in Epic Multiplayer Mode, the players (or your event organizer) may impose a time restriction for the game. The default time limit is 180 minutes. The players (or your event organizer) may impose a different time restriction, often depending on the number of players. When this time limit is passed, any groups that are still playing must immediately advance to agenda 3b, and face the consequences for their inaction.
Devour
During this scenario, Subject 8L-08 can "devour" a variety of things.
- If a card is devoured, it is placed beneath Subject 8L-08. Cards beneath Subject 8L-08 are considered out of play. Each devoured card is returned to its owner's deck at the end of the game. If an investigator is devoured, he or she is killed.
- If a token is devoured, it is placed in the token pool.
- When choosing a location to be devoured, you cannot choose to devour a location if it causes another location to have no valid connections.
- Subject 8L-08 can also devour certain aspects of reality or metaphysical objects. If it does so, you will be instructed of the consequences.
Countermeasures
Countermeasures represent supplies, research, or military equipment which may aid the investigators in their survival. Countermeasures may be spent via certain card abilities in order to trigger powerful effects. However, gaining new countermeasures is rare, so be careful how you spend them!
Story Cards
Story cards are a new cardtype in this scenario. These cards serve as an avenue for additional narrative and typically appear as the reverse side of another scenario card. When you are instructed to resolve a story card, simply read its story text and resolve its game text, if any.
Blob X
Many of the enemies in this scenario are pieces of the anomaly which have broken apart and have their own sentience. Defeating these enemies damages the anomaly. As an enemy with Blob X is defeated, deal X damage to Subject 8L-08.
- Enemies with Blob X are not placed in the victory display when they are defeated unless they also have Victory X.
Subject 8L-08
Subject 8L-08 is an enemy card with a different card template than most other enemies. (See diagram below for details.)
[Card diagram: Subject 8L-08, labelled 1 to 6]
- Card Title
- Health
- Traits and Ability
- Encounter Set Number and Product Set Information
- Encounter Set Symbol
- Cardtype
The card reads: Subject 8L-08, Extraspacial Anomaly, Monster. Ooze. Elite. Its ability text reads: "Subject 8L-08 has a global health pool (see page 6 of the rules for details). If Subject 8L-08 is defeated, proceed to (→R2)." Its encounter set information reads 3/3, collector number 37.
Note: Subject 8L-08 has no fight, evade, damage, or horror values.
Epic Multiplayer Mode
To play The Blob That Ate Everything in Epic Multiplayer Mode, first divide the investigators into separate groups. At least 1 investigator must be assigned to each group, and no more than 4 investigators may be assigned to a single group. While it is possible to play with groups of differently numbered players, it is recommended that players be split between groups as evenly as possible. Then, designate one person to be the "event organizer" (see page 8 for details). During gameplay, observe the following additional rules:
- Each group has its own play area, and plays the game separately from the other groups. Rules, actions, and card effects cannot affect investigators in other groups, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
- Each group can proceed to the next round or agenda independently of one another; there is no need to wait until all groups have reached the same point before proceeding.
- Investigators may freely communicate between groups.
- Subject 8L-08 has a global health pool which is calculated based on the total number of participating investigators among all groups at the start of the event. This health value is 15 health per investigator. This health is shared between all of the groups, and is tracked by the event organizer.
- Act 1 has a global clue threshold which is calculated based on the total number of participating investigators among all groups at the start of the event. This clue threshold is 2 per investigator. This clue threshold is shared between all of the groups, and is tracked by the event organizer.
- Countermeasures are a shared resource which is calculated based on the total number of participating investigators among all groups at the start of the event. The number of countermeasures the investigators begin with is equal to half the number of investigators (rounded up). Countermeasures are shared between all of the groups, and are subtracted from the total number of available countermeasures when spent. The number of available countermeasures is tracked by the event organizer.
- When the first group reaches act 3b, it will instruct them to "draw the set-aside story card chosen by the event organizer, resolving the side with the Part 1 trait." At this point, the event organizer should choose one of the four story cards at random (Rescue the Chemist, Recover the Sample, Drive Off the Mi-Go, or Defuse the Explosives). Each subsequent group, upon advancing to act 3b and resolving that instruction, should draw that same story card. If any of the groups advance to act 3b a second time, repeat this process.
Printed "advacing" in this instruction is corrected to "advancing".
For example: 16 total players would be split between 4 groups of 4. At the start of the event, the event organizer sets Subject 8L-08's health total to 240, the clue threshold for act 1 to 32, and the number of available countermeasures to 8. The event organizer announces these values to the players once they are ready to begin playing, and keeps track of these values as the event progresses. Damage dealt to Subject 8L-08 by any group reduces its health. Clues placed on any group's copy of act 1a contributes to its clue threshold. Countermeasures spent by any group reduces the total number of countermeasures available.
Tips for the Event Organizer
If you are organizing The Blob That Ate Everything in Epic Multiplayer Mode, here are some tips to help your event run as smoothly as possible.
- Use dials, a whiteboard, or paper and pencil to keep track of Subject 8L-08's health, the number of clues the investigators have contributed toward act 1, and the number of available countermeasures.
- Track Subject 8L-08's health by periodically asking each group how much damage has been dealt to their copy of Subject 8L-08. Then, record that damage and remove the damage from that group's copy of Subject 8L-08.
- Periodically inform the investigators how much health Subject 8L-08 has remaining and announce when it reaches certain milestones (like half or one-quarter). When Subject 8L-08 reaches 1 health per investigator, have players announce whenever they deal damage to it, so you know the exact moment when it is defeated. The moment it is defeated, announce that the investigators have won!
- Track the number of clues that have been spent toward act 1's clue threshold by periodically asking each group how many clues are on their copy of act 1a. Then, record that number and remove the clues from that group's copy of act 1a.
- Periodically inform the investigators how many more clues are required for them to advance act 1. When the global clue threshold has been met, announce that players should advance the act at the start of their next round. Then, reset the global clue threshold. Investigators should take control of any excess clues remaining on their copy of act 1a.
- When a group spends or gains countermeasures, they should immediately inform the event organizer, so that the event organizer has an accurate total.
- Periodically inform the investigators how many countermeasures are available. If the investigators run out of countermeasures, announce this to the group.
- If you are playing with 12 or fewer players, it is possible to run the event and also participate. Have one group track Subject 8L-08's health, another group track the number of clues contributed toward act 1's clue threshold, and another group track the number of available countermeasures. Communication is key!
- If you are playing with more than 12 players, it is recommended that one person be the designated event organizer and keep track of all three values. In particularly large events with more than 48 players, it can be helpful to have more than one event organizer, each keeping track of different values.
Encounter Sets
This scenario has four encounter sets. The Epic Multiplayer encounter set is only used when playing Epic Multiplayer Mode. The Single Group encounter set is only used when playing Single Group Mode. The Blob That Ate Everything and Mi-Go Incursion encounter sets are used in both modes. Some of the cards in the Epic Multiplayer and Single Group sets have the same title, so make sure you are playing with the correct encounter sets!
- [Encounter set icon] Epic Multiplayer
- [Encounter set icon] Single Group
- [Encounter set icon] The Blob That Ate Everything
- [Encounter set icon] Mi-Go Incursion
The Blob That Ate Everything
Incident Report: 8L-08 Thursday, 07/05/1928 Blackwater, MA
0312 hours – Impact event just outside of Blackwater. Intercepted police call, agents sent to investigate. Interviewed local farmer, Ron Graham; claims meteor was several feet wide, greenish hue. Crater roughly 100 yards in diameter. Radiation detected in outlying area. Recommend immediate quarantine and further observation by research team. Situation under control.
It wasn't under control.
That was the report the G-men took when they first arrived. For the next few days, the town of Blackwater was on lockdown. The impact was all that was talked about in the papers, but not much was known aside from the enormous crater and the effect it had on the countryside. Nobody was allowed to leave the town, and only those approved by the shadowy government agency were allowed to enter. Those unfortunate few included high-ranking government agents, and a team of researchers from the nearby Miskatonic University, who were summoned to investigate the meteor itself. For the rest of the town's inhabitants, it was a strange occurrence, nothing more… that is, until the meteor hatched.
I saw it with my own eyes. When the anomaly emerged, the first thing it did was devour the team of researchers who had been sent to collect and study samples from the meteor. The next thing it did was devour their lab equipment. Then Ron Graham's tractor. Then his house, in its entirety. It continued to grow and spread, devouring everything in its path. I barely escaped with my life.
When the army arrived, they thought they could kill it with bullets and shells. Everything they threw at the creature was devoured, one round after the next. Then it split into hundreds of smaller pieces of itself, and the army was quickly overwhelmed. While the battle raged on, myself and others back in town saw lights and shapes in the sky above. Something was up there, waiting. Biding time.
The quarantine still holds, and we're stuck in the middle of it. It won't be long before the anomaly has grown large enough to devour everything in Blackwater. And if that happens, who could possibly stop its rampage?
Setup
- Gather all cards from The Blob That Ate Everything encounter set. This set is indicated by this icon: [The Blob That Ate Everything set icon]
- If you are playing in Epic Multiplayer Mode, gather all cards from the Epic Multiplayer encounter set, indicated by this icon: [Epic Multiplayer set icon]. (Remove all cards from the Single Group encounter set from the game.)
- If you are playing in Single Group Mode, gather all cards from the Single Group encounter set, indicated by this icon: [Single Group set icon]. (Remove all cards from the Epic Multiplayer encounter set from the game.)
- Set all cards from the Mi-Go Incursion encounter set aside, out of play. This set is indicated by this icon: [Mi-Go Incursion set icon]
- Search The Blob That Ate Everything encounter set for the following encounter cards and set them aside, out of play: Vulnerable Heart, 1 copy of Grasping Ooze, 1 copy of Cubic Ooze, and both copies of Oozewraith.
- Put the Subject 8L-08 enemy into play next to the agenda deck. It is not at any location.
- Set up the locations according to the guidelines below (see suggested location placement on the next page).
- Shuffle the Quarantine Zone locations together and remove 1 of them from the game.
- Put The Crater into play.
- Take the Research Site, the Temporary HQ, and 2 random Quarantine Zone locations. Shuffle them and place each of them connected to the Crater, in a random order.
- Take the Fungus Mound and 3 random Quarantine Zone locations. Shuffle them and place each of them in 1 of the 4 positions in the outer ring, farthest from the Crater.
- Put the remaining Quarantine Zone locations into play.
- Each investigator begins play at the Temporary HQ.
- If you are playing in Single Group Mode, place 1 resource on the scenario reference card, as a countermeasure (2 resources instead if there are 3 or 4 investigators in the game).
Suggested Location Placement
The diagram on this page shows the suggested location layout. Each location in the diagram is listed below with its printed text.
- Quarantine Zone (Location. Oozified.): Very little of Blackwater has been left untouched by the anomaly.
- Temporary HQ (Location): At first, few were allowed near this military encampment. A large black tent is set up in the center of the open field, with eyes on the rest of Blackwater. Military trucks are parked outside, though the encampment itself is suspiciously lacking soldiers. You hope the situation hasn't spiraled completely out of control, though you suspect otherwise. (Printed "ear" is corrected to "near".)
- The Crater (Location): The impact site is a barren farm in the center of the quarantine zone. A ramshackle homestead lies nearby, mostly consumed by globs of green ooze. Smoke still rises from the center of the crater where the alien meteor sits. A soft green glow emanates from within; a harbinger that something here is not quite right.
- Fungus Mound (Location): Eerie, alien spores float throughout this section of the woods. According to eyewitness accounts, this mound of strange, purple fungi did not appear until just after the impact of the meteor. While you don't necessarily see a connection, you also don't believe in coincidences.
- Research Site (Location): This wooded clearing is where the research team from Miskatonic University first began to study the meteor and its impact. Now only a handful of scientists remain, huddled inside white tents and toiling quietly to find a way to stop the anomaly from spreading any farther.
The positions of the Research Site, Temporary HQ, and Fungus Mound may differ from this diagram.
Reality Acid
Subject 8L-08 opens its maw, and devours…
(If the combination of chaos tokens revealed is not listed, or if the listed aspect cannot be devoured, reveal two new chaos tokens and consult the chart again.)
Chaos token symbols in the chart are written as words: skull, cultist, tablet, elder thing, auto-fail, and elder sign. A "/" between two symbols means "or". Where a row lists two chaos token values, the tokens are revealed in any order.
| Chaos Tokens (in any order) | Aspect of Reality Devoured |
|---|---|
| Elder sign and skull or cultist | …the non-Elite enemy nearest to you. |
| Elder sign and tablet or elder thing | …a treachery at your location. |
| Elder sign and –1 to –8 | …1 horror and 1 damage from your investigator card. |
| Elder sign and +0 or +1 | …your greatest flaw. Search your deck for any 1 weakness card. It is devoured. |
| Elder sign and auto-fail | …the elder sign token just revealed. |
| +1 and skull or cultist | …your caution. Resolve Reality Acid three more times, ignoring this result. |
| +1 and tablet or elder thing | …your ignorance. Discover 1 clue at your location. |
| +1 and –1 to –8 | …friendships. Until the end of the round, investigators cannot commit cards to each others' skill tests. |
| +1 and 0 | …your player reference card. |
| 0 and 0 |
Transcription note: the chaos token symbols were read from the page images. The star-with-eye symbol is read as elder sign and the curled symbol with a "2" is read as auto-fail, matching the order of the chaos bag listing on page 2. Where a printed cell stacks several symbols (for example, the four symbols beside the –3 row), all are listed.
DO NOT READ
Until the end of the scenario.
If no resolution was reached (each investigator was defeated): Go to Resolution 1.
Resolution 1
Nothing is left of Blackwater now. The quarantine is broken. The anomaly cannot be contained. First it will spread throughout the countryside, devouring all in its path. Soon all of Massachusetts will be devoured. Then the entirety of New England. It has burrowed beneath the ground and cannot be stopped even by the oceans. No continent is safe. Every living organism on the planet will be devoured. And then, so too will the Earth.
…but that won't be the end.
Not even the void of space can stop the creature's growth. In time, it will continue to expand and devour until there is nothing left but the cold emptiness of space and the blob that ate everything.
- In your Campaign Log, record that Subject 8L-08 devoured the entire universe.
- The investigators lose the campaign.
Resolution 2
Incident Report: 8L-08, continued Wednesday, 07/11/1928 Blackwater, MA
0742 hours – Contact made with hostile alien subject. Subject arrived via meteor; researchers are unsure whether meteor served as an avenue for space travel or as some kind of weaponized egg. Initiated immediate emergency response procedures. At roughly 0500 hours, subject was eliminated by third party. As per operational protocol, samples have been collected and sent to Roswell for further study. Agents are currently scrubbing remainder of subject's presence from quarantine zone. Strongly recommend immediate expunging of previous conflicting incident report. Citizens of Blackwater have been informed that quarantine was due to contagion of airborne virus. Induced several infections to this end; medical teams en route to confirm. Agents are attempting to meet with unlicensed combatants for debriefing. Due to sensitive nature of incident, recommend release followed by close observation. Story must be kept need-to-know. Nobody else can know what really happened here. Destroy this incident report immediately. Additional instructions to follow.
- In your Campaign Log, record that the anomaly was contained.
- For each of the following assets that are in play (Universal Solvent, Pet Oozeling, Mi-Go Weapon, and Lt. Wilson Stewart), any one investigator may choose to add that asset to his or her deck. It does not count toward that investigator's deck size.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display. Each investigator earns 3 bonus experience as he or she has saved the fabric of existence.