Arkham Horror: The Card Game – The Drowned City: Campaign Expansion
Arkham Horror: The Card Game – The Drowned City: Campaign Expansion Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Additional Rules and Clarifications
- Campaign Setup
- New Keywords
- Prologue
- Scenario: One Last Job
- Interlude I: An Offer You Can't Refuse
- Interlude 2
- Interlude II: Expedition to R'lyeh
- Scenario: The Western Wall
- Scenario: The Drowned Quarter
- Scenario: The Apiary
- Scenario: The Grand Vault
- Scenario: Court of the Ancients
- Scenario: Obsidian Canyons
- Scenario: Sepulchre of the Sleeper
- Interlude III: The Awakening
- Interlude IV: Return to Arkham
- Return to Arkham 1
- Return to Arkham 2
- Task: Walk in Faith (Interlude IV)
- Task: Good Money (Interlude IV)
- Task: Dreams of Destruction (Interlude IV)
- Task: No Place Like Home (Interlude IV)
- Task: Do No Harm (Interlude IV)
- Task: Toe the Line (Interlude IV)
- Task: Prove Your Worth (Interlude IV)
- Task: Plumb the Depths (Interlude IV)
- Finale: The Doom of Arkham
- Scenario: The Doom of Arkham Part II
- Epilogue
- Achievement List
- Campaign Log
Additional Rules and Clarifications
Flood Tokens
Throughout this campaign, scenario card effects can flood locations. Each location can be at one of three different flood levels: it is either unflooded, partially flooded, or fully flooded. A location's flood level can be tracked using the double-sided flood tokens included in this campaign box. A location's flood level has no inherent game effect. However, some card effects may change or become stronger while you are at a flooded location, particularly if that location is fully flooded.
- A location with no flood token is unflooded.
- If a location becomes partially flooded, place a flood token on it with the partially flooded side faceup to designate this.
- If a location becomes fully flooded, place a flood token on it with the fully flooded side faceup (or if it is already partially flooded, flip its flood token over) to designate this.
- If a location's flood level is "increased," it changes from unflooded to partially flooded, or from partially flooded to fully flooded. A fully flooded location cannot have its flood level increased.
- If a location's flood level is "decreased," it changes from fully flooded to partially flooded, or from partially flooded to unflooded. If a location becomes unflooded, remove its flood token. An unflooded location cannot have its flood level decreased.
- For the purposes of card effects, both partially flooded locations and fully flooded locations are considered to be "flooded."
Artifacts
Investigators may acquire certain Artifact story assets (also referred to as simply "artifacts") through the course of The Drowned City campaign. Artifacts function like any other asset, except for the following:
- Artifacts are never added to investigator decks. After resolution of a scenario, return any artifacts in play to the box.
- When setting up a scenario, investigators may be instructed to begin play with an earned Artifact story asset. Only artifacts that have been checked off in the "Artifacts Earned" section of the Campaign Log may be chosen during this process.
- Artifacts have a unique card back, have no cost, cannot leave play, and cannot be chosen to be discarded via scenario effects.
- Some artifacts contain alien glyphs (see Alien Glyphs below). Any text below these glyphs is considered to be blank unless investigators have translated each alien glyph on the artifact.
- If any investigator in control of an artifact is defeated, give control of it to the nearest surviving investigator instead of removing it from the game.
Alien Glyphs
Throughout the campaign, investigators may be directed to translate a glyph on the second page of the Campaign Log. In order to do so, write the translated text in the space directly beneath that glyph, as directed by the game.
- A glyph's meaning has no inherent game effect.
- Some artifacts contain alien glyphs (see Artifacts above). Any text below these glyphs is considered to be blank unless investigators have translated each alien glyph on the artifact.
- Most scenarios in The Drowned City campaign will instruct players to set Glyph cards aside, out of play. Most Glyph cards are double-sided story cards with another encounter card type on their front. For the best experience, do not read their story card sides unless prompted by the game!
- For the sake of your sanity, do not stare at any alien glyph for longer than 5 minutes at a time.
Alert
Some enemies in this campaign have the alert keyword. Each time an investigator fails a skill test while attempting to evade an enemy with the alert keyword, after applying all results for that skill test, that enemy performs an attack against the evading investigator. An enemy does not exhaust after performing an alert attack. This attack occurs whether the enemy is engaged with the evading investigator or not.
Seal
As an additional cost for a card with the seal keyword to enter play, its controller must search the chaos bag for the specified chaos token and place it on top of the card, thereby sealing the token. If there is a choice of which token to seal, the card's controller chooses. If the specified token is not in the chaos bag, the card cannot enter play.
A sealed chaos token is not considered to be in the chaos bag, and therefore cannot be revealed from the chaos bag as part of a skill test or ability.
When a chaos token is "released," it is returned to the chaos bag and is no longer considered sealed. If a card with one or more chaos tokens sealed on it leaves play for any reason, any chaos tokens sealed on it are immediately released.
Some cards (with or without the seal keyword) may also have abilities that seal one or more chaos tokens as part of their effect. This is done following the same process as above: searching the chaos bag for the specified token, removing it from the chaos bag, and placing it on the card. If the specified token is not in the chaos bag, the effect fails.
Campaign Setup
To set up The Drowned City campaign, perform the following steps in order.
- Choose investigator(s).
- Each player assembles their investigator deck.
- Choose difficulty level.
- Assemble the campaign chaos bag.
- Easy (I want to drift): +1, +1, 0, 0, 0, –1, –1, –1, –2, –2, [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon].
- Standard (I want to dream): +1, 0, 0, –1, –1, –1, –2, –2, –3, –4, [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon].
- Hard (I want to dive): 0, 0, 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –3, –3, –4, –5, [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon].
- Expert (I want R'lyeh): 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –3, –3, –4, –4, –5, –6, –8, [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon].
The six [icon] entries on each line are the printed icon tokens for that difficulty, in the order shown on page 3 of the guide. They are rendered as placeholders because the printed icon glyphs do not survive text extraction; consult page 3 of the printed guide for the exact symbols.
You are now ready to begin at Prologue (page 4).
New Keywords
Patrol
Some enemies in this campaign have the patrol keyword. During the enemy phase (in framework step 3.2), each ready, unengaged enemy with the patrol keyword moves to a connecting location along the shortest path toward the designated target (as described in parentheses next to the word "patrol").
- If there are multiple targets that qualify as the designated target, the lead investigator may choose which target the enemy moves toward.
- If an enemy with patrol would be compelled to move to a location via a path that is blocked by a card ability, the enemy does not move.
Relentless
Some enemies in this campaign have the relentless keyword. During the enemy phase (after framework step 3.3), each enemy with the relentless keyword that has attacked this phase (even if that attack was canceled) readies and attacks the investigator(s) it is engaged with a second time.
Prologue
Scenario Setup
- Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: One Last Job, Dreams, Chilling Cold, Locked Doors, The Midnight Masks, Rats, and Striking Fear. These sets are indicated by their encounter set icons.
- When gathering The Midnight Masks encounter set, only gather the location cards. Do not gather the acts, agendas, or treacheries from this set.
- Remove the following locations from the game: St. Mary's Hospital, Southside, Graveyard, Your House, and one of the two copies of Downtown, at random.
- Put each remaining location into play according to the location placement diagram on page 5.
- Each investigator begins play at Tillinghast Esoterica.
Proceed to One Last Job.
Scenario: One Last Job
Setup
- Construct the act deck using one of the two copies of act 1a—"Questioning the Gangs," chosen at random. Remove the other copy from the game. Set each copy of act 2 and act 3 aside, out of play.
- Set each of the following enemies aside, out of play: Sadie Sheldon, Naomi O'Bannion, and both copies of Gang Enforcer.
- Shuffle the remaining encounter cards to build the encounter deck.
- You are now ready to begin.
Proceed to Setup.
Location Placement for "One Last Job"
- Tillinghast Esoterica (Assorted Curiosities) is connected to the location to the right of it, and vice versa.
- Northside is a commercial district that contains many offices and factories, as well as the rain station.
- Downtown is filled with government buildings, including City Hall. The First Bank of Arkham, Independence Square, and Arkham Asylum can also be found in this area. It is the busiest district in the city.
- Easttown is situated on the northern banks of the Miskatonic River, contains lower-class housing, the Arkham Police Station, and popular eateries like Velma's Diner.
- Miskatonic University is one of the most prestigious colleges in the Northeast. The university library is famous for its collection of occult books maintained by the esteemed Dr. Henry Armitage.
- Rivertown is a district lined with docks, warehouses, and small shops along the banks of the Miskatonic River.
Resolution
Do not read the following until the end of the scenario.
- Resolution 1: You return to Tillinghast Esoterica with both the shipment and Ruby Standish.
- In your Campaign Log, record Ruby lost the bet.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- If the investigators discovered an alien language, you discover this glyph (F). In your Campaign Log, record "Depths" under f on the glyph record. This glyph has been translated.
- Proceed to Interlude I: An Offer You Can't Refuse (page 6).
- Resolution 2: If no resolution was reached (each investigator resigned or was defeated), you return to Tillinghast Esoterica with Ruby and Andy already gathered around Randall's desk.
- In your Campaign Log, record Ruby won the bet.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- If the investigators discovered an alien language, you discover this glyph (F). In your Campaign Log, record "Depths" under f on the glyph record. This glyph has been translated.
- Proceed to Interlude I: An Offer You Can't Refuse (page 6).
Interlude I: An Offer You Can't Refuse
- If your investigator has the Agency, Detective, or Criminal trait, the story text for Randall's account of the artifact's acquisition is flavour only and gives no rules effect.
- In player order, each investigator must choose a different Task from the following options on pages 7, 8, and 9 and read its text. (See Tasks below.)
- Once each investigator has chosen a Task and read its corresponding entry, proceed to Interlude 2 (page 9).
Tasks in the Drowned City Campaign
Each investigator must select a different "Task" to complete over the course of The Drowned City campaign. Tasks represent the investigators' obligations and their reasons for becoming involved with Tillinghast and his shady dealings.
- Each investigator must choose a different Task.
- Each Task is recommended for a specific kind of investigator. However, an investigator may choose any Task, even if it is not recommended. (It is up to you to justify how your investigator got into this mess in the first place!)
- Each Task corresponds to a double-sided Task card, which can be found in the Tasks encounter set.
- Investigators should attempt to complete objectives on their Task card once per scenario over the course of a campaign. Each investigator will also be prompted to resolve story text during setup and/or resolution of a scenario. (Be aware that some outcomes may impact setup.)
- When instructed to mark or erase 1 or more progress in your Campaign Log, check or uncheck that many boxes under your Task.
- Completing Task objectives will earn experience and/or rewards later in the campaign. The more times an investigator completes their Task, the better. For a more positive outcome, do not ignore your Task!
Task: Walk in Faith
Recommended for Guardian, Mystic, Believer, Blessed, Chosen, Hunter, or Sorcerer investigators.
- In your Campaign Log, record "Walk in Faith" as your investigator's Task.
- Search the Tasks encounter set for the Walk in Faith permanent story asset and add it to your deck for the remainder of the campaign.
Task: Toe the Line
Recommended for Guardian, Agency, Detective, Hunter, Police, or Veteran investigators.
- In your Campaign Log, record "Toe the Line" as your investigator's Task.
- Search the Tasks encounter set for the Toe the Line permanent story asset and add it to your deck for the remainder of the campaign.
Task: No Place Like Home
Recommended for Survivor, Drifter, Hunter, or Wayfarer investigators.
- In your Campaign Log, record "No Place Like Home" as your investigator's Task.
- Search the Tasks encounter set for the No Place Like Home permanent story asset and add it to your deck for the remainder of the campaign.
Task: Good Money
Recommended for Rogue, Civic, Criminal, Entrepreneur, or Socialite investigators.
- In your Campaign Log, record "Good Money" as your investigator's Task.
- Search the Tasks encounter set for the Good Money permanent story asset and add it to your deck for the remainder of the campaign.
Task: Prove Your Worth
Recommended for Agency, Performer, Silver Twilight, or Socialite investigators.
- In your Campaign Log, record "Prove Your Worth" as your investigator's Task.
- Search the Tasks encounter set for the Prove Your Worth permanent story asset and add it to your deck for the remainder of the campaign.
Task: Do No Harm
Recommended for Assistant, Civic, Medic, Veteran, or Warden investigators.
- In your Campaign Log, record "Do No Harm" as your investigator's Task.
- Search the Tasks encounter set for the Do No Harm permanent story asset and add it to your deck for the remainder of the campaign.
Task: Dreams of Destruction
Recommended for Mystic, Artist, Clairvoyant, Cultist, Cursed, Dreamer, Performer, or Sorcerer investigators.
- In your Campaign Log, record "Dreams of Destruction" as your investigator's Task.
- Search the Tasks encounter set for the Dreams of Destruction permanent story asset and add it to your deck for the remainder of the campaign.
Task: Plumb the Depths
Recommended for Seeker, Agency, Clairvoyant, Detective, Miskatonic, Scholar, or Reporter investigators.
- In your Campaign Log, record "Plumb the Depths" as your investigator's Task.
- Search the Tasks encounter set for the Plumb the Depths permanent story asset and add it to your deck for the remainder of the campaign.
Interlude 2
(Page 9. Story text condensed; see the printed guide.) The investigators must decide (choose one):
- Refuse. Proceed to Interlude 3.
- Take his offer. Skip to Interlude 4.
Interlude 3. (Story text condensed.)
- The investigators lose the campaign.
Interlude 4. (Story text condensed.)
- Proceed to Interlude II: Expedition to R'lyeh (page 10).
Interlude II: Expedition to R'lyeh
(Page 10. The opening arrival narrative is condensed; see the printed guide.)
In the morning, the investigators discuss which route to take. Tillinghast has provided enough diving equipment, climbing gear, and rations to explore inland for at least two weeks before you would need to return to the beach. Depending on which character you want to follow, you will either explore the ancient city from west to east, or east to west. You must decide, as a group:
- Follow Andy along the shoreline to the Western Wall. Proceed to Western Expedition.
- Accompany Ruby through the Obsidian Canyons toward a massive inland structure. Skip to Eastern Expedition.
Western Expedition
(Page 11. Story text condensed.)
- In your Campaign Log, record the expedition headed west.
- Choose an investigator to add the Andy Van Nortwick story asset to their deck. It does not count toward their deck size. This card can be found in the Expedition encounter set (indicated by the Expedition encounter set icon).
- Remove 1 [chaos token icon] token from the chaos bag. Add 1 [chaos token icon] token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
- Proceed to The Western Wall (page 12).
Eastern Expedition
(Page 11. Story text condensed.)
- In your Campaign Log, record the expedition headed east.
- Choose an investigator to add the Ruby Standish story asset to their deck. It does not count toward their deck size. This card can be found in the Expedition encounter set (indicated by the Expedition encounter set icon).
- Proceed to Obsidian Canyons (page 32).
Scenario: The Western Wall
(Page 12.)
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed west, proceed to The Western Wall 1.
- If the expedition headed east, skip to The Western Wall 2.
The Western Wall 1
(Story text condensed.) It becomes increasingly clear as you proceed westward that the beach you are walking along is the top of an ancient ring wall. With some planning, you could descend safely to the ocean floor by moving from pocket to pocket of trapped air in the old ruins.
- If an investigator has the Do No Harm Task, they resolve their respective story to the right.
- Proceed to Setup (v.I) – Western Expedition (page 13).
Task: Do No Harm (The Western Wall 1)
Read only if you have the "Do No Harm" Task.
(Story text condensed.) As you prepare to traverse the wall, you spot a wounded man lying prone on the black sand, still alive, with yellow pus oozing from round sucker marks on his neck, arms, and chest. You must decide (choose one):
- "Bring him along. We can still save him." After setting up this scenario, place 1 doom on the agenda. In your Campaign Log, record the expedition helped the pilgrim.
- "Leave him behind." When you reveal the starting location in the next scenario, do not place clues on that location. In your Campaign Log, record the expedition left the pilgrim behind.
The Western Wall 2
(Story text condensed.) The unsteady foundations of the ancient city shudder as R'lyeh continues to rise. Collapsing layers of crumbling masonry and exposed hallways form a treacherous path up to the surface. In order to safely ascend, you will need to climb the sheer face of the ancient wall by moving from pocket to pocket of trapped air. Knowing the dangers of pressure sickness, you can't simply float to the top.
- If an investigator has the Do No Harm Task, they resolve their respective story to the right.
- Proceed to Setup (v.II) – Eastern Expedition (page 14).
The "Task: Do No Harm" story on page 12 applies to either route above (see The Western Wall 1).
Setup (v.I) — Western Expedition
- Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: The Western Wall, Cosmic Legacy, Deep Ones, Flood, R'lyeh, Star Spawn, The Inescapable, Undersea Creatures, and Agents of Cthulhu. These sets are indicated by their encounter set icons.
- Gather each location in The Western Wall encounter set.
- Put Western Wall into play on Level 1 as shown.
- Set Obsidian Foundations, Drowned Shanty, Sunken Stairway, Shattered Ruins Z, and Undersea Vault D aside, out of play.
- Gather each other Walkway location and remove two from the game at random.
- Shuffle the five remaining Walkway locations with the set-aside Drowned Shanty, Sunken Stairway, and Shattered Ruins Z. Put six of them into play on levels 2–4 below Western Wall, unrevealed side faceup.
- Shuffle the two remaining Walkway locations with the set-aside Obsidian Foundations so you do not know which is which and put them into play on level 5, unrevealed side faceup.
- Each investigator begins play at Western Wall.
- Set the Inescapable enemy, the Hunting Parasite weakness, and the double-sided Seafloor Frieze treachery aside, out of play.
- Search the Star Spawn encounter set for the Coral Star Spawn enemy and set it aside, out of play. Remove each other card in the Star Spawn encounter set from the game.
- Build the act deck using act 1a—"Descend into the Abyss." Remove the other act from the game.
- In player order, each player may choose 1 Item asset from the Expedition encounter set to begin in play under their control.
- Add the flood tokens to the token pool.
- Increase the flood level of levels 4 and 5 so that they are fully flooded.
- Shuffle the remaining encounter cards to build the encounter deck.
- You are now ready to begin.
Standalone Mode: If you are playing in Standalone Mode and do not wish to refer to any other setup or resolutions, you may use the information below when setting up and playing this scenario:
- The investigators may choose which version of the scenario to play.
- Assemble the chaos bag using the following tokens: +1, 0, 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –3, –4, [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon], [icon].
- The investigators have not earned any artifacts.
Location Adjacency in The Western Wall
During this scenario, locations are arranged in a set pattern of 5 levels.
- The position of each location has its own level from 1–5, beginning at Western Wall at level 1 and descending to the bottommost locations at level 5.
- Any card effects that refer to a location's level refer to its numbered row, as shown in the location placement diagram.
- During this scenario, each location is connected to each location in the row above it and the row below it. Locations in the same row are not connected to one another.
Location Cards in The Western Wall
- Western Wall (Level 1, R'lyeh.): [icon]: Draw 3 cards. (Limit once per game.)
- Treacherous Path (Walkway, R'lyeh.): You cannot enter Treacherous Path if there are clues on your location. The path is both perilous and breathtaking in equal measure. A brilliant green glow emanates from below, illuminating schools of fish and deep sea creatures. (Walkway locations appear on levels 2–5 as shown in the placement diagram.)
Setup (v.II) — Eastern Expedition
- Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: The Western Wall, Cosmic Legacy, Deep Ones, Flood, R'lyeh, Star Spawn, The Inescapable, Undersea Creatures, and Agents of Cthulhu. These sets are indicated by their encounter set icons.
- Gather each location in The Western Wall encounter set.
- Put Obsidian Foundations into play on Level 1 as shown.
- Set Western Wall, Drowned Shanty, Sunken Stairway, Shattered Ruins Z, and Undersea Vault D aside, out of play.
- Gather each other Walkway location and remove two from the game at random.
- Shuffle the five remaining Walkway locations with the set-aside Drowned Shanty, Sunken Stairway, and Shattered Ruins Z. Put six of them into play on levels 2–4 above Obsidian Foundations, unrevealed side faceup.
- Shuffle the two remaining Walkway locations with the set-aside Western Wall so you do not know which is which and put them into play on level 5, unrevealed side faceup.
- Each investigator begins play at Obsidian Foundations.
- Build the act deck using act 1a—"Ascend the Wall." Remove the other act from the game.
- Check your Campaign Log. If the creature was defeated, remove The Inescapable encounter set from the game.
- Set the Hunting Parasite weakness and the double-sided Seafloor Frieze treachery aside, out of play.
- Search the Star Spawn encounter set for the Coral Star Spawn enemy and set it aside, out of play. Remove each other card in the Star Spawn encounter set from the game.
- In player order, each player may choose 1 earned Artifact asset or 1 Item asset from the Expedition encounter set to begin in play under their control. This set is indicated by its encounter set icon.
- Add the flood tokens to the token pool.
- Increase the flood level of each location on levels 1–4.
- Increase the flood level of levels 1 and 2 so that they are fully flooded.
Standalone Mode: If you are playing in Standalone Mode and do not wish to refer to any other setup or resolutions, you may use the information below when setting up and playing this scenario:
- The investigators may choose which version of the scenario to play.
- Assemble the chaos bag using the following tokens: +1, 0, 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –3, –4, [icon tokens as printed].
- The creature was defeated is not recorded.
- The investigators have not earned any artifacts.
Location Adjacency in The Western Wall (v.II)
During this scenario, locations are arranged in a set pattern of 5 levels.
- The position of each location has its own level from 1–5, beginning at Obsidian Foundations at level 1 and ascending to the topmost locations at level 5.
- Any card effects that refer to a location's level refer to its numbered row, as shown in the location placement diagram.
- During this scenario, each location is connected to each location in the row above it and the row below it. Locations in the same row are not connected to one another.
Location Cards in The Western Wall (v.II)
- Obsidian Foundations (Level 1, R'lyeh.): [icon]: Test (3). If you succeed, draw the set-aside Seafloor Frieze treachery.
- Treacherous Path (Walkway, R'lyeh.): You cannot enter Treacherous Path if there are clues on your location. The path is both perilous and breathtaking in equal measure. A brilliant green glow emanates from below, illuminating schools of fish and deep sea creatures.
Resolution (The Western Wall)
Do not read the following until the end of the scenario.
If no resolution was reached (each investigator was defeated):
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed west, skip to Resolution 3.
- If the expedition headed east, proceed to Sepulchre of the Sleeper (page 38).
- In your Campaign Log, cross out "The Western Wall" on the R'lyeh map.
- If an investigator has the Do No Harm Task, they resolve their respective story on this page.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
Resolution 1 (the expedition reached the ocean floor, headed west):
- In your Campaign Log, cross out "The Western Wall" on the R'lyeh map.
- If an investigator has the Do No Harm Task, they resolve their respective story on this page.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Skip to Resolution 3.
Resolution 2 (the expedition ascended the wall, headed east):
- In your Campaign Log, cross out "The Western Wall" on the R'lyeh map.
- If an investigator has the Do No Harm Task, they resolve their respective story on this page.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Proceed to Sepulchre of the Sleeper (page 38).
Resolution 3:
- The investigators must decide (choose one):
- To uncover the secrets of the seafloor dome, proceed to The Drowned Quarter (page 16).
- To continue into R'lyeh's underground, proceed to The Apiary (page 19).
Task: Do No Harm (Resolution)
Read only if you have the "Do No Harm" Task. Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition helped the pilgrim, proceed to Task 1.
- Otherwise, skip to Task 2.
Task 1: The pilgrim's condition swiftly deteriorates, and he turns into a vile parasite-ridden puppet.
- Find the set-aside Hunting Parasite weakness and permanently add it to your deck. This card does not count toward your investigator's deck size.
- You tried your best to help the victim. Mark 2 progress under "Do No Harm" in your Campaign Log.
Task 2: Even after clearing the wall, you can't stop thinking about the man you abandoned.
- You abandoned someone in need. Suffer 1 mental trauma.
- Erase 1 progress under "Do No Harm" in your Campaign Log.
Scenario: The Drowned Quarter
(Page 16.)
The Drowned Quarter 1
(Story text condensed.) The round plaza on the seafloor is covered by flooded trenches and crumbling ruins beneath an undersea energy field. If the energy field were to disappear for any reason, the expedition would surely be swept away.
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed west, proceed to The Drowned Quarter 2.
- If the expedition headed east, skip to The Drowned Quarter 3.
The Drowned Quarter 2
(Story text condensed.) Inside the dome you find a spinning orrery, with an incandescent orb locked at its core. Andy operates the ancient controls. There may be a way to remove the orb without drowning.
- If an investigator has the No Place Like Home Task, they resolve their respective story on the following page.
- Proceed to Setup.
The Drowned Quarter 3
(Story text condensed.) You follow the expedition past pits of deep water and sunken ruins to the source of the glow. Inside the energy field you find the same orrery and orb, and Ruby operates the ancient controls. There may be a way to take the orb without drowning.
- If an investigator has the No Place Like Home Task, they resolve their respective story on the following page.
- Proceed to Setup.
Setup (The Drowned Quarter)
- Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: The Drowned Quarter, Alien Machinery, Cosmic Legacy, Deep Ones, Elder Mist, Flood, R'lyeh, and Undersea Creatures. These sets are indicated by their encounter set icons.
- Put the Barrier Core into play, (Inactive) side faceup.
- Gather each Sea Floor location and remove one copy of Coral Reef and one copy of Drowned Acropolis from the game at random.
- Shuffle the eight remaining Sea Floor locations together and put them into play in a 3x3 grid around the Barrier Core as shown in the location placement diagram.
- Each investigator begins play at the Barrier Core.
- Set the Barrier Node story asset and the double-sided Undersea Parasite and Obsidian Relic cards aside, out of play.
- In player order, each player may choose 1 earned Artifact asset or 1 Item asset from the Expedition encounter set to begin in play under their control. This set is indicated by its encounter set icon.
- Add the flood tokens to the token pool and check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed east, the rising city has shaken the ancient dome. Increase the flood level of 1 Sea Floor location.
- Shuffle the remaining encounter cards to build the encounter deck.
- You are now ready to begin.
Location Adjacency in The Drowned Quarter
During this scenario, locations are arranged in a set grid pattern. Each location is connected to each location adjacent to it.
- Adjacent locations share a side (left, right, above, or below). Locations that share only a corner are not considered adjacent.
Location Cards in The Drowned Quarter
- Sea Floor (Seafloor.): Forced – When you enter Sea Floor: Increase the flood level of this location and an adjacent eligible location. The undersea plaza is filled with all manner of statues, alien laboratories, and places of learning.
- Barrier Core (Seafloor. Central.): Forced – If 6 or more Seafloor locations are revealed and not flooded: Flip Barrier Core. [icon]: Decrease the flood level of Barrier Core and choose an adjacent eligible location: Increase the flood level of the chosen location. Then, place 3 clues on it. (Group limit once per round.)
Standalone Mode: If you are playing in Standalone Mode and do not wish to refer to any other setup or resolutions, you may use the information below when setting up and playing this scenario:
- Assemble the chaos bag using the following tokens: +1, 0, 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –3, –4, [icon tokens as printed].
- Choose whether the expedition headed west or the expedition headed east.
- If the expedition headed west, add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag.
- If the expedition headed east, add three [icon] tokens to the chaos bag.
- The investigators have not earned any artifacts.
Task: No Place Like Home (The Drowned Quarter)
Read only if you have the "No Place Like Home" Task. You must decide (choose one):
- "Mr. Tillinghast has treated me well. I trust him." Heal 1 mental or 1 physical trauma from your investigator. Erase 1 progress under No Place Like Home in your Campaign Log.
- "I'm on my own. There's no one I can trust." Mark 2 progress under No Place Like Home in your Campaign Log and suffer 1 mental trauma. Each investigator begins the next scenario with 2 fewer cards in their starting hand.
Resolution (The Drowned Quarter)
Do not read the following until the end of the scenario.
If no resolution was reached (each investigator resigned or was defeated):
- Your failure has distracted you from your goals. Each investigator must erase 1 progress under their Task, if able.
- Skip to Resolution 3.
Resolution 1:
- In the "Artifacts Earned" section of your Campaign Log, check the box next to "Barrier Node."
- Skip to Resolution 3.
Resolution 2:
- In your Campaign Log, record the power was diverted.
- Each investigator earns 2 bonus experience from studying the Drowned Quarter at length.
- Proceed to Resolution 3.
Resolution 3:
- In your Campaign Log, cross out "The Drowned Quarter" on the R'lyeh map.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed west, proceed to The Apiary (page 19).
- If the expedition headed east, proceed to The Western Wall (page 12).
Scenario: The Apiary
(Page 19.)
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed west, proceed to The Apiary 1.
- If the expedition headed east, skip to The Apiary 2.
The Apiary 1
(Story text condensed.) The dank tunnels beneath R'lyeh branch and thread endlessly like the capillaries of some giant beast. Shining nodules are stationed at intervals in the walls, pulsing with soft light.
- If you are playing as Ursula Downs, your story text is resolved as printed on page 19 of the guide (flavour only).
- Add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
- If any investigator has the Walk in Faith Task, they resolve their respective story on this page.
- Proceed to Setup (v.I) – Western Expedition (page 20).
The Apiary 2
(Story text condensed.) The tunnels beyond the heart of the city slope ever-downward through a series of complexes: ancient alien factories frozen in time. Clawed metal appendages hang over mile-long tracks while gargantuan statues stare down from high alcoves. Beyond the factories, the tunnels open into a vast cavern whose walls and ceiling are honeycombed with small round holes, and whose foul, fleshy tunnel leads to a far worse stench.
- Add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
- If any investigator has the Walk in Faith Task, they resolve their respective story on this page.
- Proceed to Setup (v.II) – Eastern Expedition (page 20).
Task: Walk in Faith (The Apiary)
Read only if you have the "Walk in Faith" Task. You must decide (choose one):
- "I have such doubts." Erase 1 progress under "Walk in Faith" in your Campaign Log. The first time each investigator would draw from the encounter deck in the next scenario, they may draw 1 card from their deck instead.
- "I am firm in my resolve." Mark 2 progress under "Walk in Faith" in your Campaign Log and suffer 1 mental trauma. The first time each investigator draws an encounter card in the next scenario, that encounter card gains surge.
Setup (The Apiary)
Setup (v.I) – Western Expedition
- Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: The Apiary, Cosmic Legacy, Elder Mist, The Inescapable, Pilgrims, Dark Cult, and Striking Fear. These sets are indicated by their encounter set icons.
- Put Apiary Entrance into play, (Beckoning Light) side faceup.
- Each investigator begins play at Apiary Entrance.
- Build the act deck using act 1a—"Unsettling Signs" and act 2a—"Lost Pilgrims." Remove the other act from the game.
- Remove the Mother enemy from the game.
- Set each of the following aside, out of play: each Apiary location, the Grotesque Amalgam and the double-sided Squamous Parasite enemies, the Maria Rivera, Ancient Relic, and Grisly "Mask" story assets, the Pilgrims and The Inescapable encounter sets, and each copy of the Parasitic Transformation weakness.
- In player order, each player may choose 1 earned Artifact asset or 1 Item asset from the Expedition encounter set to begin in play under their control. This set is indicated by its encounter set icon.
- Shuffle each remaining encounter card to build the encounter deck along with the following set-aside Apiary locations: Growing Fields and both copies of Fleshy Paths.
- After doing so, shuffle the set-aside Luminous Tunnels location into the bottom 10 cards of the encounter deck.
- You are now ready to begin.
Setup (v.II) – Eastern Expedition
- Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: The Apiary, Cosmic Legacy, Elder Mist, The Inescapable, Star Spawn, Stowaways, and Striking Fear. These sets are indicated by their encounter set icons.
- When gathering the Star Spawn encounter set, only gather the Infected Star Spawn enemy. Remove each other card in that set from the game.
- Put Apiary Entrance into play, (Beckoning Light) side faceup.
- Each investigator begins play at Apiary Entrance.
- Build the act deck using act 1a—"Unsettling Signs" and act 2a—"The Hive Mind." Remove the other act from the game.
- Remove the Maria Rivera story asset from the game.
- Set each of the following aside, out of play: each Apiary location, the Grotesque Amalgam, Mother, and double-sided Squamous Parasite enemies, the Grisly "Mask" and Ancient Relic story assets, and each copy of the Parasitic Transformation weakness.
- In player order, each player may choose 1 earned Artifact asset or 1 Item asset from the Expedition encounter set to begin in play under their control. This set is indicated by its encounter set icon.
- Check your Campaign Log. If the creature was defeated, remove The Inescapable encounter set from the game.
- Shuffle each remaining encounter card to build the encounter deck along with the following set-aside Apiary locations: Growing Fields and both copies of Fleshy Paths.
- After doing so, shuffle the set-aside Grasping Corridor location into the bottom 10 cards of the encounter deck.
- You are now ready to begin.
Standalone Mode: If you are playing in Standalone Mode and do not wish to refer to any other setup or resolutions, you may use the information below when setting up and playing this scenario:
- Assemble the chaos bag using the following tokens: +1, 0, 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –3, –4, [icon tokens as printed].
- Choose whether the expedition headed west or the expedition headed east.
- If the expedition headed west, add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag.
- If the expedition headed east, add two [icon] tokens to the chaos bag.
- The creature was defeated is not recorded.
- The investigators have not earned any artifacts.
Scenario Interlude: Lost Pilgrims
(Page 21. Story text condensed.) The pilgrims, led by Maria Rivera, have been pursued through the tunnels by something awful. The investigators must decide whether to lead them to safety.
- Flip Apiary Entrance to its (Dangerous Exit) side.
- Search the encounter deck, discard pile, and all in- and out-of-play areas for each non-weakness Cultist enemy. Shuffle them together and place them in a facedown stack beneath Lost Campsite.
- Choose an investigator to take control of the set-aside Maria Rivera story asset. (Remember that Maria is also a Cultist who can be saved!)
- Spawn the set-aside The Inescapable enemy, exhausted, at the location farthest from all investigators. Shuffle the rest of The Inescapable encounter set into the encounter deck, along with the encounter discard pile.
- Place clues on each revealed location without victory X up to its clue value.
- Continue playing.
Scenario Interlude: The Hive Mind
(Page 22. Story text condensed.) The investigators experience an alien consciousness as Mother, the alien parasite, takes hold of the expedition. "We have to kill it," Ruby growls.
- Rearrange the Apiary Entrance, Grasping Corridor, Starving Corridor, and Acidic Coelom in a circle as shown in the location placement diagram. Place each other location with victory X and no clues on it in the victory display, discarding all tokens and cards at those locations.
- Search the encounter deck, encounter discard pile, and play area for each remaining location and remove them from the game.
- Find the set-aside Central Chamber location and place it in the central gap, with the bottom edge facing Acidic Coelom as shown in the location placement diagram.
- Spawn the set-aside Mother enemy at Central Chamber.
- If The Inescapable encounter set is set aside, spawn The Inescapable enemy at the location farthest from all investigators. Shuffle the rest of The Inescapable encounter set into the encounter deck, along with the encounter discard pile.
- Place clues on each revealed location without victory X up to its clue value.
- Continue playing.
Location Placement for Act 2a – The Hive Mind
The diagram places the following locations in a ring, with Central Chamber in the central gap:
- Grasping Corridor (2) (Apiary. Nest.): Revelation – Put Grasping Corridor into play. Shuffle the encounter discard pile into the encounter deck. Find the set-aside Starving Corridor and Corrupted Vault p and shuffle them into the bottom 10 cards of the encounter deck. Take 1 horror: Place clues on the location farthest from Apiary Entrance up to its clue value.
- Starving Corridor (3) (Apiary. Nest.): Revelation – Put Starving Corridor into play. Shuffle the encounter deck into the encounter discard pile. Find the set-aside Acidic Coelom and Churning Chasm and shuffle them into the bottom 10 cards of the encounter deck.
- Acidic Coelom (4) (Apiary. Nest. Sanctum.): Revelation – Put Acidic Coelom into play. As an additional cost to move from Acidic Coelom to Apiary Entrance, you must take 1 damage. The acidic vapors digest anything inside the chamber, including flesh and metal. Victory 1.
- Central Chamber (Apiary. Nest. Central.): Central Chamber is connected to the location below it (bordering its bottom edge) and vice versa. Spend 1 clues, as a group: Shuffle each location in the encounter discard pile into the bottom 10 cards of the encounter deck. [icon]: Choose the farthest location from Apiary Entrance. Place clues on the chosen location up to its clue value. (Limit once per round.) [icon]: Resign. You make your exit.
Rotating Locations
During this scenario, the Central Chamber location enters play in the center of a ring of four locations.
- The location "beneath" Central Chamber is the location directly bordering the bottom edge of the Central Chamber card.
- Although other locations are connected via their location connection icons, Central Chamber is only connected to the location beneath it, and vice versa.
- If instructed to rotate Central Chamber once clockwise or counter-clockwise, rotate it in the indicated direction so that Central Chamber is facing the location clockwise or counter-clockwise to the location currently beneath it.
- The Central Chamber may rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise during the scenario.
Resolution (The Apiary)
Do not read the following until the end of the scenario.
Before resolving any other resolution, if at least 1 investigator was defeated: the defeated investigators read Investigator Defeat first.
Investigator Defeat: (Story text condensed.)
- Each defeated investigator is killed. If there are no surviving investigators to continue the campaign, the investigators lose the campaign.
- If the Andy Van Nortwick or Ruby Standish story asset was in the deck of any investigator who was killed, choose a surviving investigator to add them to their deck for the remainder of the campaign. This card does not count toward that investigator's deck size.
- If another resolution was reached, the remaining investigators proceed to that resolution.
If no resolution was reached (each investigator resigned or was defeated):
- Each investigator must search The Apiary encounter set for a copy of Parasitic Transformation and add it to their deck. This card does not count toward their deck size.
- Update your Campaign Log.
- Cross out "The Apiary" on the R'lyeh map.
- If the Grisly "Mask" was under the control of an investigator when the scenario ended, check the box next to Grisly "Mask" under "Artifacts Earned."
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed west, proceed to The Grand Vault (page 24).
- If the expedition headed east, skip to Resolution 4.
Resolution 1:
- Update your Campaign Log.
- Record the pilgrims were saved.
- Cross out "The Apiary" on the R'lyeh map.
- If the Grisly "Mask" was under the control of an investigator when the scenario ended, check the box next to Grisly "Mask" under "Artifacts Earned."
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Each investigator earns 2 bonus experience for saving the pilgrims from near-certain death!
- Proceed to The Grand Vault (page 24).
Resolution 2:
- Each investigator must search The Apiary encounter set for a copy of Parasitic Transformation and add it to their deck. This card does not count toward their deck size.
- Update your Campaign Log.
- Record the pilgrims were devoured.
- Cross out "The Apiary" on the R'lyeh map.
- If the Grisly "Mask" was under the control of an investigator when the scenario ended, check the box next to Grisly "Mask" under "Artifacts Earned."
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Proceed to The Grand Vault (page 24).
Resolution 3:
- Update your Campaign Log.
- Record the investigators exterminated the alien parasites.
- Cross out "The Apiary" on the R'lyeh map.
- If the Grisly "Mask" was under the control of an investigator when the scenario ended, check the box next to Grisly "Mask" under "Artifacts Earned."
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Proceed to Resolution 4.
Resolution 4:
(Story text condensed.) A large round door opens onto a dry path winding along the seafloor toward a softly glowing dome. A shimmering, gossamer energy field holds back the weight of the ocean, and a chunk of obsidian falls through the dome without shattering it.
- The investigators must decide (choose one):
- "We came this far. We're not leaving any stone unturned." To explore the seafloor dome, proceed to The Drowned Quarter (page 16).
- "Are you crazy? We need to get out of here!" To scale the wall and return to camp, proceed to The Western Wall (page 12).
Scenario: The Grand Vault
(Page 24.)
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed west, proceed to The Grand Vault 1.
- If the expedition headed east, skip to The Grand Vault 2.
The Grand Vault 1
(Story text condensed.) You hear the echoing churn of great machinery long before you see it. You stand on a precipice overlooking a large cavernous expanse of interconnected chambers.
- Skip to The Grand Vault 3.
The Grand Vault 2
(Story text condensed.) You reach the bottom of the spiraling staircase to stand on a precipice overlooking the same vast expanse.
- Proceed to The Grand Vault 3.
The Grand Vault 3
(Story text condensed.) This is the pulsing core of R'lyeh. Colossal sluices channel floodwater from the city above, filling and draining vaults like the chambers of a heart. This seems to be some source of power, and the reason for the city's steady rise.
- Add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
- If any investigator has the Toe the Line Task, they resolve their respective story on the next page.
- Proceed to Setup.
Task: Toe the Line (The Grand Vault)
Read only if you have the "Toe the Line" Task. (Story text condensed.) The expedition makes camp before descending into the vault below. You must decide (choose one):
- Take your old job back, at any cost. Erase 1 progress under "Toe the Line" in your Campaign Log. During the next scenario, you get +1 to each of your skills during the first agenda.
- Take the high road. It ain't worth it. Mark 2 progress under "Toe the Line" in your Campaign Log and suffer 1 mental trauma. During the next scenario, you get –1 to each of your skills during the first agenda.
Setup (The Grand Vault)
- Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: The Grand Vault, Alien Machinery, Flood, The Inescapable, R'lyeh, and Star Spawn. These sets are indicated by their encounter set icons.
- Put the Great Stair, Moving Platform, Sealed Chamber, and Core of the Vault locations into play, as indicated in the location placement diagram on page 36.
- Remove one copy of Otherworldly Mechanisms from the game at random (Otherworldly Mechanisms are on the revealed side of some Vault Chamber locations).
- Shuffle each remaining copy of Vault Chamber together and put them into play according to the location placement diagram.
- Each investigator begins at the Great Stair.
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the power was diverted, place 1 resource on the bottom left Vault Chamber. This location has been "activated."
- Otherwise, place one resource on the bottom left, bottom right, and top right Vault Chamber locations. These locations have been "activated."
- Shuffle each enemy from the Star Spawn encounter set and remove 2 at random from the game. Set the rest aside, out of play.
- Set the following cards aside, out of play: each copy of the double-sided Ancient Vault treachery, each copy of the Vault Attendant enemy, the Tidal Tablet story asset, and The Inescapable encounter set.
- In player order, each player may choose 1 earned Artifact asset or 1 Item asset from the Expedition encounter set to begin in play under their control. This set is indicated by its encounter set icon.
- Add the flood tokens to the token pool.
- Increase the flood level of the three Vault Chamber locations in the bottom row.
- Shuffle the remaining encounter cards to build the encounter deck.
- You are now ready to begin.
Standalone Mode: If you are playing in Standalone Mode and do not wish to refer to any other setup or resolutions, you may use the information below when setting up and playing this scenario:
- Assemble the chaos bag using the following tokens: +1, 0, 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –3, –4, [icon tokens as printed].
- Choose whether the expedition headed west or the expedition headed east.
- If the expedition headed west, add two [icon] tokens to the chaos bag.
- If the expedition headed east, add two [icon] tokens to the chaos bag.
- The power was diverted.
- The investigators have not earned any artifacts.
The Moving Platform and Location Connections
During this scenario the investigators will need to use the Moving Platform to navigate the Grand Vault.
- Locations are not connected to one another except via the Moving Platform or their connection icons.
- The Moving Platform is connected to each location adjacent to it, and vice versa.
- Adjacent locations share a side (left, right, above, or below).
- Locations that share only a corner are not considered adjacent.
- When instructed to swap the Moving Platform with an adjacent Vault location, simultaneously move each of those locations (along with all cards and tokens at them) to the space the other one was occupying.
Activating and Deactivating Locations
During this scenario, locations can be "activated" or "deactivated" through setup instructions or scenario effects. An activated location has no inherent game effect; however, certain scenario effects will reference whether a location is activated or not.
- When instructed to "activate" a location, place a resource token on that location. That location has been activated.
- You cannot activate a location that is currently activated.
- When instructed to "deactivate" a location, remove the resource token on that location. That location has been deactivated.
- You cannot deactivate a location that is not currently activated.
Location Cards in The Grand Vault
- Great Stair (R'lyeh.): The stone stairwell appears to be the main way to access much of the eastern side of the city.
- Moving Platform (R'lyeh.): Moving Platform cannot be flooded. Moving Platform is connected to each adjacent location, and vice versa.
- Core of the Vault (R'lyeh.): Core of the Vault cannot be flooded. Forced – At the end of the round, if each Vault location has been activated: Reveal Core of the Vault.
Scenario Interlude: The Vault Core
(Page 26. Story text condensed.) The core of the vault houses an elaborate control station. With the surrounding chambers activated, the station hums with a sickly green energy. A small red node blinks underneath a pair of massive gates in the base of a towering spire. You must decide (choose one):
- Push the button. In your Campaign Log, record the inner sanctum was unsealed. Continue playing.
- Leave it alone. Each investigator earns 1 bonus experience. Continue playing.
Resolution (The Grand Vault)
Do not read the following until the end of the scenario.
If no resolution was reached (each investigator resigned during act 1 or was defeated):
(Story text condensed.) You are rescued from the churning water and reunited with Ruby and Andy.
- Update your Campaign Log.
- Cross out "The Grand Vault" on the R'lyeh map.
- If the Tidal Tablet was under the control of an investigator when the scenario ended, check the box next to "Tidal Tablet" under "Artifacts Earned."
- If any investigator has the Good Money Task, have them resolve their respective story on this page.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed west, proceed to Court of the Ancients (page 28).
- If the expedition headed east, proceed to The Apiary (page 19).
Resolution 1: (Story text condensed.)
- Update your Campaign Log.
- Cross out "The Grand Vault" on the R'lyeh map.
- If the Tidal Tablet was under the control of an investigator when the scenario ended, check the box next to "Tidal Tablet" under "Artifacts Earned."
- If any investigator has the Good Money Task, have them resolve their respective story on this page.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Proceed to Court of the Ancients (page 28).
Resolution 2: (Story text condensed.)
- Update your Campaign Log.
- Cross out "The Grand Vault" on the R'lyeh map.
- If the Tidal Tablet was under the control of an investigator when the scenario ended, check the box next to "Tidal Tablet" under "Artifacts Earned."
- If any investigator has the Good Money Task, have them resolve their respective story on this page.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Proceed to The Apiary (page 19).
Task: Good Money (The Grand Vault)
Read only if you have the "Good Money" Task. (Story text condensed.) Carl Sanford, head of the Silver Twilight Lodge, offers you a better deal than Tillinghast would give. You must decide (choose one):
- Play it safe. Erase 1 progress under "Good Money" in your Campaign Log. During the next scenario, you begin the game with 3 additional resources.
- Play both sides for all they're worth. Mark 2 progress under "Good Money" in your Campaign Log. During the next scenario, you cannot gain resources during the upkeep phase.
Scenario: Court of the Ancients
(Page 28.)
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed west, proceed to Court of the Ancients 1.
- If the expedition headed east, skip to Court of the Ancients 2.
Court of the Ancients 1
(Story text condensed.) Time seems to slip away as you follow the dark tunnels out of the heart of the city. An intricately carved door set in the ceiling opens onto a vast, airy structure resembling the nave of an ancient alien cathedral. You wonder if the great archive might hold anything valuable.
- Add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
- If any investigator has the Plumb the Depths Task, they resolve their respective story to the right.
- Proceed to Setup.
Court of the Ancients 2
(Story text condensed.) You land on the top floor of the towering nave. Twisting stairs and catwalks circle the sprawling structure, revealing more levels below. Ruby is bent over a prone human body lying in a pool of fresh blood. "If we're going to find anything of value, we'd better act quickly."
- Add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
- If any investigator has the Plumb the Depths Task, they resolve their respective story to the right.
- Proceed to Setup.
Task: Plumb the Depths (Court of the Ancients)
Read only if you have the "Plumb the Depths" Task. (Story text condensed.) The intricate murals on the walls depict an ancient migration across the stars. You must decide (choose one):
- Look away. Erase 1 progress under "Plumb the Depths" in your Campaign Log. Each investigator begins the next scenario with 1 clue (from the token pool).
- Seek the truth. Mark 2 progress under "Plumb the Depths" in your Campaign Log and suffer 1 mental trauma. Each investigator begins the next scenario with 1 fewer card in their opening hand.
Setup (Court of the Ancients)
- Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: Court of the Ancients, Domination, Dreams, Elder Mist, The Inescapable, R'lyeh, and Star Spawn. These sets are indicated by their encounter set icons.
- Put the Twisting Catwalks, West Antechamber, East Antechamber, and Ancient Altar locations into play according to the location placement diagram on page 27.
- Shuffle each copy of Crumbling Archives and remove one of them from the game at random. Put each remaining copy of Crumbling Archives into play as shown in the location placement diagram.
- Check your Campaign Log. If the expedition headed west:
- Put the Great Lift location into play on level 1, (Inactive) side faceup. (See The Great Lift and Sliding Locations below.)
- Gather all cards from the Stowaways encounter set. This set is indicated by its encounter set icon.
- Build the act and agenda deck using agenda 1a—"Ruined Archives," agenda 2a—"Unstable Foundations," act 1a—"Steps of Giants," and act 2a—"Escape the Tower (v. I)." Remove each other act and agenda from the game.
- Search the Star Spawn encounter set for the Star Spawn Observer enemy and set it aside, out of play. Remove two other cards in the Star Spawn encounter set from the game at random.
- Each investigator begins play at East Antechamber.
- Check your Campaign Log. If the expedition headed east:
- Put the Great Lift location into play on level 4, (Inactive) side faceup. (See The Great Lift and Sliding Locations below.)
- Gather all cards from the Pilgrims encounter set. This set is indicated by its encounter set icon.
- Build the act and agenda deck using agenda 1a—"Flooded Archives," agenda 2a—"Unstable Foundations," act 1a—"Steps of Giants," and act 2a—"Escape the Tower (v. II)." Remove each other act and agenda from the game.
- Add the flood tokens to the token pool.
- Increase the flood level of each location on levels 1 and 2.
The Great Lift and Sliding Locations
During this scenario, the investigators will need to use the Great Lift to explore other levels of the tower.
- Locations are not connected to one another except via the Great Lift, their connection icons, or certain card effects.
- The Great Lift is only connected to the locations to the left and right of it, and vice versa.
- When instructed to slide the Great Lift up or down, move the Great Lift to the level above or below its current level.
- The Great Lift cannot move above level 4 or below level 1.
- When the Great Lift moves, each card and token at that location moves with it.
Standalone Mode: If you are playing in Standalone Mode and do not wish to refer to any other setup or resolutions, you may use the information below when setting up and playing this scenario:
- Assemble the chaos bag using the following tokens: +1, 0, 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –3, –4, [icon tokens as printed].
- Choose whether the expedition headed west or the expedition headed east.
- If the expedition headed west, add three [icon] tokens to the chaos bag.
- If the expedition headed east, add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag.
- The creature was defeated is not recorded.
- The investigators have not earned any artifacts.
Location Cards in Court of the Ancients
- Great Lift (R'lyeh. Lift.): Great Lift cannot move and is connected to the locations to the right and left of it, and vice versa. Forced – When the last clue is discovered from this location: Flip Great Lift (keeping all tokens and attachments). (Two sides: Heading East and Heading West.)
- Crumbling Archives (R'lyeh.): The pathways wind and twist, making it impossible to navigate the crumbling structure. It would appear that the lift platform in the tower's center is the only way up or down.
- Twisting Catwalks (Western Rise, R'lyeh.), West Antechamber (R'lyeh.), and East Antechamber (R'lyeh.): Placed according to the location placement diagram on page 30.
Resolution (Court of the Ancients)
Do not read the following until the end of the scenario.
If no resolution was reached (each investigator resigned or was defeated):
- Update your Campaign Log.
- Cross out "Court of the Ancients" on the R'lyeh map.
- If the Shard of Y'ch'lecht was under the control of an investigator when the scenario ended, check the box next to "Shard of Y'ch'lecht" under "Artifacts Earned."
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed west, proceed to Obsidian Canyons (page 32).
- If the expedition headed east, proceed to The Grand Vault (page 24).
Resolution 1:
- Update your Campaign Log.
- Cross out "Court of the Ancients" on the R'lyeh map.
- If the Shard of Y'ch'lecht was under the control of an investigator when the scenario ended, check the box next to "Shard of Y'ch'lecht" under "Artifacts Earned."
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Proceed to Obsidian Canyons (page 32).
Resolution 2:
- Update your Campaign Log.
- Cross out "Court of the Ancients" on the R'lyeh map.
- If the Shard of Y'ch'lecht was under the control of an investigator when the scenario ended, check the box next to "Shard of Y'ch'lecht" under "Artifacts Earned."
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Proceed to The Grand Vault (page 24).
Scenario: Obsidian Canyons
(Page 32.)
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed west, proceed to Obsidian Canyons 1.
- If the expedition headed east, proceed to Obsidian Canyons 2.
Obsidian Canyons 1
(Story text condensed.) The wide expanse between you and the Obsidian Gates is filled with mind-bending spires and poisonous green mist.
- Skip to Obsidian Canyons 3.
Obsidian Canyons 2
(Story text condensed.) The streets of R'lyeh are flooded with stagnant water. After spending hours making little progress from where you made landfall, you find a climbable path up to the summit.
- Proceed to Obsidian Canyons 3.
Obsidian Canyons 3
(Story text condensed.) The alien city sprawls for miles. Chunks of broken spires are suspended in the air above collapsed towers, and colorful reefs hang from the undersides of ancient bridges. A gale-force wind nearly sweeps you off your feet, and when you look back at the horizon, the skyline has changed entirely.
- If any investigator has the Dreams of Destruction or Prove Your Worth Tasks, they resolve their respective story on this page.
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed west, proceed to Setup (v.I) – Western Expedition (page 33).
- If the expedition headed east, proceed to Setup (v.II) – Eastern Expedition (page 33).
Task: Dreams of Destruction (Obsidian Canyons)
Read only if you have the "Dreams of Destruction" Task. (Story text condensed.) A cacophony of whispers fills your thoughts. You must decide (choose one):
- Drown out the whispers. Erase 1 progress under "Dreams of Destruction" in your Campaign Log and suffer 1 mental trauma. You (and only you) gain 2 bonus experience.
- Let it in. Mark 2 progress under "Dreams of Destruction" in your Campaign Log. At the beginning of each investigator's first turn in the Obsidian Canyons scenario, they must draw the top card of the encounter deck.
Task: Prove Your Worth (Obsidian Canyons)
Read only if you have the "Prove Your Worth" Task. (Story text condensed.) Nobody else on this expedition appreciates your talents. You must decide (choose one):
- "These ropes are all wrong. I can do much better." Without consulting them, choose an investigator to help (not yourself, if able). Remember "[your investigator's name] helped with the ropes" (as well as the chosen investigator's name). Each investigator begins the next scenario with 2 fewer starting resources.
- "I trust their handiwork." Each investigator begins the next scenario with 1 additional starting resource.
Setup (Obsidian Canyons)
Setup (v.I) – Western Expedition
- Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: Obsidian Canyons, Cosmic Legacy, Elder Mist, The Inescapable, R'lyeh, Star Spawn, Ancient Evils, Chilling Cold, Nightgaunts, and Striking Fear. These sets are indicated by their encounter set icons.
- Set all 14 cards in the Ancient Evils, Chilling Cold, and Striking Fear encounter sets aside, out of play, as "open sky" (see Open Sky on page 34).
- Gather each location in the Obsidian Canyons encounter set.
- Remove Ancient Dome from the game.
- Set R'lyeh Streets, Central Spire, Floating Spire, Aerial Waterfall, Glyph Orrery a, and Western Wall aside, out of play.
- Shuffle each remaining Summit location into a separate deck, unrevealed side faceup. This is the Summit deck. (See The Summit Deck and Sliding Locations on page 34.)
- Put R'lyeh Streets into play along with four of the set-aside open sky cards according to the location placement diagram for act 1 on page 35.
- Fill each empty space in the diagram with the bottom card of the Summit deck above and to the right of R'lyeh Streets until there are 3 rows and 4 columns.
- Shuffle the set-aside Central Spire into the top three cards of the Summit deck.
- Each investigator begins play at R'lyeh Streets.
- Find the double-sided Eastern Winds/Western Winds story card and put it into play, Eastern Winds side faceup.
- Build the act and agenda decks using agenda 1a—"Encroaching Storms," act 1a—"Scouring the Spires," act 2a—"Deadly Skies," and act 3a—"Return to the Shoreline." Remove each other act and agenda from the game.
- Place 1 resource on the scenario reference card under Storm Intensity.
- Shuffle each enemy from the Star Spawn encounter set and remove two at random from the game.
- Set the double-sided Sky Relic story asset, Eroded Frieze treachery, and the Obsidian Claw story asset aside, out of play.
Setup (v.II) – Eastern Expedition
- Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: Obsidian Canyons, Cosmic Legacy, Elder Mist, The Inescapable, R'lyeh, Star Spawn, Chilling Cold, Nightgaunts, and Striking Fear. These sets are indicated by their encounter set icons.
- Set all 11 cards in the Chilling Cold and Striking Fear encounter sets aside, out of play, as "open sky" (see Open Sky on page 34).
- Gather each location in the Obsidian Canyons encounter set.
- Remove Western Wall and Floating Spire from the game.
- Set R'lyeh Streets, Central Spire, Aerial Waterfall, Glyph Orrery a, and Ancient Dome aside, out of play.
- Shuffle each remaining Summit location into a separate deck, unrevealed side faceup. This is the Summit deck. (See The Summit Deck and Sliding Locations on page 34.)
- Put R'lyeh Streets into play along with four of the set-aside open sky cards according to the location placement diagram for act 1 on page 35.
- Fill each empty space in the diagram with the bottom card of the Summit deck above and to the right of R'lyeh Streets until there are 3 rows and 4 columns.
- Shuffle the set-aside Central Spire into the top three cards of the Summit deck.
- Each investigator begins play at R'lyeh Streets.
- Find the double-sided Eastern Winds/Western Winds story card and put it into play, Western Winds side faceup.
- Build the act and agenda decks using agenda 1a—"Otherworldly Storms," act 1a—"Searching the Spires," and act 2a—"To The Ancient Dome!" Remove each other act and agenda from the game.
- Place 1 resource on the scenario reference card under Storm Intensity.
- Shuffle each enemy from the Star Spawn encounter set and remove three at random from the game.
- Set the double-sided Sky Relic story asset, Eroded Frieze treachery, and the Obsidian Claw story asset aside, out of play, along with The Inescapable encounter set.
Open Sky
Throughout this scenario, you will be instructed to place "open sky" cards by taking the encounter cards gathered during setup and placing them in the indicated positions, facedown.
- Open sky counts as a location for the purposes of card effects, location adjacency, and for determining distance between locations.
- Investigators cannot move into open sky unless otherwise indicated by scenario effects.
- Open sky cannot be investigated and clues cannot be dropped on it. If a clue would be dropped or placed on open sky for any reason, the investigators must choose the nearest revealed location and place that clue on it instead.
- Locations can enter play in a position occupied by an open sky card. Should this happen, the open sky card occupying that position leaves play.
- If open sky leaves play for any reason, place it on the top of the Summit deck. Do not place it in the encounter discard pile. All enemies, tokens, and attachments at that open sky are discarded.
The Summit Deck and Sliding Locations
During this scenario, locations and open sky will enter and leave play via the Summit deck. This deck is composed of Summit location cards as well as single-sided open sky cards.
- Cards are always drawn from the bottom of the Summit deck.
- Encounter cards from the Summit deck are always placed facedown (unrevealed side faceup if they are locations).
- If a gap between locations and/or open sky is created for any reason and not immediately filled via scenario card instructions, fill that gap with the bottom card of the Summit deck, facedown if it is an encounter card or unrevealed side faceup if it is a location.
- Investigators may be instructed to slide rows to the left or right. To do so, slide each card in that row (locations and open sky) once in the indicated direction. Each card and token at those locations/open sky move as well. Any cards that move outside of the established columns are placed on top of the Summit deck.
- Some locations cannot be moved. If instructed to slide cards in a row and there is a location in that row that cannot be moved, leave that location in its place and "skip" it, moving the card that would enter its space into the nearest gap created.
Storm Intensity
Throughout this scenario, the number of resources under "Storm Intensity" on the scenario reference card indicates the strength of the otherworldly gales of R'lyeh. The higher the Storm Intensity, the more hazardous the weather. Storm Intensity has no inherent game effect on its own; however, some scenario effects may change or become stronger depending on the current level of Storm Intensity.
Location Adjacency in this Scenario
During this scenario, locations are arranged in a set grid pattern. Each location is connected to each location adjacent to it.
- Adjacent locations share a side (left, right, above, or below).
- Locations that share only a corner are not considered adjacent.
Standalone Mode: If you are playing in Standalone Mode and do not wish to refer to any other setup or resolutions, you may use the information below when setting up and playing this scenario:
- Assemble the chaos bag using the following tokens: +1, 0, 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –3, –4, [icon tokens as printed].
- Choose whether the expedition headed west or the expedition headed east.
- If the expedition headed west, add three [icon] tokens to the chaos bag.
- If the expedition headed east, add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag.
- The creature was defeated is not recorded.
- The investigators have not earned any artifacts.
Location Placement for Act 1 (Obsidian Canyons)
The 3 rows by 4 columns (Columns I–IV) are laid out as follows. A "?" is a location placed from the bottom of the Summit deck; "open sky" is one of the set-aside open sky cards.
| Row | Column I | Column II | Column III | Column IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ? | open sky | ? | ? |
| 2 | open sky | ? | open sky | ? |
| 3 | R'lyeh Streets | open sky | ? | ? |
- R'lyeh Streets (R'lyeh. Central.): "Fetid seawater pools in the ancient streets, stinking of dead fish and rotten detritus. There is a funereal air in the sleeping city: a feeling of deep loss and dread."
- Each "?" location is placed from the bottom of the Summit deck.
Location Cards in Obsidian Canyons
- Central Spire (R'lyeh. Central.): Central Spire cannot be moved or leave play. Spend 1–3 resources: Place that many clues (from the token pool) on any revealed location. (Limit once per round.)
- Floating Spire (R'lyeh. Central.): Floating Spire cannot be moved or leave play. Spend 1–3 resources: Place that many clues (from the token pool) on any revealed location. (Limit once per round.)
Location Placement for Act 2 (Obsidian Canyons)
The 3 rows by 5 columns (Columns I–V) are laid out as follows. A "?" is a location placed from the bottom of the Summit deck, which may be either a Summit location or open sky. "Open sky" is a set-aside open sky card.
| Row | Column I | Column II | Column III | Column IV | Column V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ? | open sky | ? | ? | open sky |
| 2 | Central Spire | ? | open sky | ? | ? |
| 3 | open sky | ? | ? | ? | open sky |
Location Placement for Act 3 (Obsidian Canyons)
The 4 rows by 5 columns (Columns I–V) are laid out as follows, using the same conventions as Act 2.
| Row | Column I | Column II | Column III | Column IV | Column V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floating Spire | open sky | ? | open sky | ? |
| 2 | open sky | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| 3 | ? | open sky | ? | ? | ? |
| 4 | ? | ? | open sky | ? | ? |
Resolution (Obsidian Canyons)
Do not read the following until the end of the scenario.
If no resolution was reached (each investigator was defeated):
(Story text condensed.) You awaken to see your companions gathered around you, with no memory of passing out.
- In your Campaign Log, cross out "Obsidian Canyons" on the R'lyeh map.
- Each investigator must search the collection for a random Madness or Omen basic weakness and add it to their deck for the remainder of the campaign.
- If any investigator has the Prove Your Worth Task, they resolve their respective story on this page.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If the expedition headed west, proceed to The Sepulchre of the Sleeper (page 38).
- If the expedition headed east, proceed to Court of the Ancients (page 28).
Resolution 1: (Story text condensed.) The expedition makes its way back to the beach where you made landfall.
- Update your Campaign Log.
- If the Obsidian Claw was under the control of an investigator when the scenario ended, check the box next to "Obsidian Claw" in the "Artifacts Earned" section of your Campaign Log.
- In your Campaign Log, cross out Obsidian Canyons on the R'lyeh map.
- If any investigator has the Prove Your Worth Task, they resolve their respective story on this page.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Proceed to The Sepulchre of the Sleeper (page 38).
Resolution 2: (Story text condensed.) You join Ruby at the crest of the ancient court and look down at the vast chamber below, where a towering lift stands in the center of a cathedral-like nave.
- Update your Campaign Log.
- If the Obsidian Claw was under the control of an investigator when the scenario ended, check the box next to "Obsidian Claw" in the "Artifacts Earned" section of your Campaign Log.
- In your Campaign Log, cross out Obsidian Canyons on the R'lyeh map.
- If any investigator has the Prove Your Worth Task, they resolve their respective story on this page.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- Proceed to Court of the Ancients (page 28).
Task: Prove Your Worth (Resolution)
Read only if you have the "Prove Your Worth" Task. Check your Campaign Log.
- If "[your investigator's name] helped with the ropes," proceed to Task 1.
- Otherwise, skip to Task 2.
Task 1: (Story text condensed.) The rest of the expedition was so impressed by your work with the ropes that they chanted your name while you were climbing. Several of the ropes snapped during the climb.
- The investigator you chose to help earlier suffers 1 physical trauma and gains 2 bonus experience.
- Mark 2 progress under "Prove Your Worth" in your Campaign Log.
Task 2: (Story text condensed.) Another member of the expedition steps in to assist yet again.
- Erase 1 progress under "Prove Your Worth" and suffer 1 mental trauma.
- Each other investigator (except you) gains 1 bonus experience.
Scenario: Sepulchre of the Sleeper
(Page 38.)
Sepulchre of the Sleeper 1
(Story text condensed.) The expedition's reunion on the beach is decidedly dour. Once the Cassandra is loaded, you join Andy and Ruby on the shore.
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If at least 1 artifact is checked under "Artifacts Earned," and at least 10 glyphs are translated in the glyph record, proceed to Sepulchre of the Sleeper 2.
- Otherwise, proceed to Interlude III: The Awakening (page 40).
Sepulchre of the Sleeper 2
(Story text condensed.) Andy is hunched over the obsidian slate, making notes in a leatherbound notebook. He has translated a bloody slip of paper found on the body of one of the pilgrims:
"That is not dead which can eternal lie / and with strange aeons even death may die."
- Check your Campaign Log.
- If all 5 artifacts are checked under "Artifacts Earned," all 26 glyphs are translated in the glyph record, and the inner sanctum was unsealed, proceed to Sepulchre of the Sleeper 3.
- Otherwise, add a 0 [icon] token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign. Proceed to Interlude III: The Awakening (page 40).
Sepulchre of the Sleeper 3
(Story text condensed.) With your own account, Ruby and Andy help you piece together a narrative across the various friezes and artifacts found in the ancient city. Andy points to the central spire, where the obsidian gates in the base are swung wide open. "Someone went inside, but they never returned." Ruby stands up. "I say we lock this thing up before we sail off into the sunset. Who's with me?"
The investigators must decide (choose one):
- "We should know better than to disturb whatever is inside." Each investigator marks 1 progress under their Task in your Campaign Log. In your Campaign Log, record the investigators did not confront the nightmare. Proceed to Interlude III: The Awakening (page 40).
- "We should lay it to rest… permanently." Proceed to Setup (page 39).
Setup (Sepulchre of the Sleeper)
- Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: Sepulchre of the Sleeper, Domination, Dreams, R'lyeh, Star Spawn, Ancient Evils, and Striking Fear. These sets are indicated by their encounter set icons.
- Put Dreamer's Rest and each copy of Sigil-Carved Alcove into play.
- Each investigator begins play at Dreamer's Rest.
- In player order, each player may choose 1 Item asset from the Expedition encounter set to begin in play under their control. This set is indicated by its encounter set icon.
- Gather all earned Artifact assets and put each of them into play under an investigator's control, divided as evenly as possible.
- Build a special agenda deck using Beneath the City as the first agenda and Cthulhu Awakened as the second agenda. These replace the act and agenda decks.
- Shuffle the remaining encounter cards to build the encounter deck.
- You are now ready to begin.
Disturbance
Throughout this scenario, the number of resources under "Disturbance" on the scenario reference card indicate Cthulhu's awareness of the investigators. The higher the Disturbance, the closer the Sleeper is to awakening. Disturbance has no inherent game effect on its own; however, some encounter card effects may change or become stronger depending on the current level of Disturbance.
Standalone Mode: If you are playing in Standalone Mode and do not wish to refer to any other setup or resolutions, you may use the information below when setting up and playing this scenario:
- Assemble the chaos bag using the following tokens: +1, 0, 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –3, –4, [icon tokens as printed].
- Choose whether the expedition headed west or the expedition headed east.
- If the expedition headed west, add two [icon] tokens to the chaos bag.
- If the expedition headed east, add two [icon] tokens to the chaos bag.
- The investigators have earned all five Artifact story assets (Barrier Node, Grisly "Mask," Obsidian Claw, Shard of Y'ch'lecht, and Tidal Tablet) and all 26 glyphs have been translated.
Resolution (Sepulchre of the Sleeper)
Do not read the following until the end of the scenario.
Before resolving any other resolution, if at least 1 investigator was defeated: the defeated investigators read Investigator Defeat first.
Investigator Defeat: (Story text condensed.) Broken in both mind and body, you collapse before the great form of Cthulhu.
- Each investigator who was defeated is driven insane. If there are no surviving investigators, the investigators lose the campaign.
- If another resolution was reached, the remaining investigators proceed to that resolution.
Resolution 1: (Story text condensed.) The gargantuan form of Cthulhu falls backwards into the central pool, and his form sinks below the black water. All is quiet and still.
- In your Campaign Log, record the investigators halted Cthulhu's awakening.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display. Each investigator earns 10 bonus experience, as they prevented an ancient evil from rising to terrorize all of the earth once again.
- Each investigator suffers 2 mental trauma.
- The investigators win the campaign!
- Proceed to Epilogue (page 52).
Interlude III: The Awakening
The Awakening 1
(Page 40. Story text condensed.) A violent tremor knocks you prone. A heavy shadow appears within the sepulchral darkness of the gates, and the ancient monstrosity drags himself on his belly through the gate. Kneeling under his presence, you speak in a voice not quite your own: "CTHULHU FHTAGN!"
Check your Campaign Log.
- If at least 1 artifact is checked under "Artifacts Earned," proceed to The Awakening 2.
- Otherwise, skip to The Awakening 3.
The Awakening 2
(Story text condensed.) "Look away!" shouts Ruby. Great Cthulhu delves into your mind and memories, and you feel his rage: you have taken part of his domain. You must perish.
- Remove all [icon] tokens from the chaos bag. Then, add 2 [icon] tokens, 2 [icon] tokens, and 2 [icon] tokens to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
- Skip to The Awakening 4.
The Awakening 3
(Story text condensed.) "Look away!" shouts Ruby. Great Cthulhu turns his gaze northward; you see the image of the small green idol on Randall's desk in Arkham. Looking up, you see Great Cthulhu staring back at you, his fifth dreaming eye open. You feel his rage at the one who stole part of his domain. They must perish.
- Remove all [icon] tokens from the chaos bag. Then, add 1 [icon] token, 1 [icon] token, and 2 [icon] tokens to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
- Proceed to The Awakening 4.
The Awakening 4
(Story text condensed.) Struggling against the ancient one's terrible will, you rise and help the others to their feet. Once aboard the Cassandra, the ship threads a narrow strait through a gauntlet of risen spires and deadly shoals to reach the open ocean. The colossal abomination slips greasily into the black water and out of view.
- Proceed to Interlude IV: Return to Arkham (page 41).
Interlude IV: Return to Arkham
Check your Campaign Log.
- If at least 1 artifact is checked under "Artifacts Earned," proceed to Return to Arkham 1.
- Otherwise, skip to Return to Arkham 2.
Return to Arkham 1
(Story text condensed.) Upon returning to Arkham, you and the others bring the expedition's findings back to an elated Tillinghast. "You've done all I asked and more. Consider your debts annulled. And, of course, I'm more than happy to honor our original agreement."
- Check the Tasks section of your Campaign Log.
- For each progress marked under your Task, you (and only you) gain 1 bonus experience.
- Each investigator resolves their respective Task on pages 41–43. Once each investigator has read their Task's corresponding entry, proceed to The Doom of Arkham (page 44).
Return to Arkham 2
(Story text condensed.) Upon returning to Arkham, the antiquarian is furious when he sees you returned empty-handed, until Andy lays the obsidian slab he found in R'lyeh on his desk. "I suppose this is…adequate. Consider your debts annulled. And, despite the fact that you have brought almost nothing of value, I am obliged to honor our original agreement."
- Check the Tasks section of your Campaign Log.
- For each progress marked under your Task, you (and only you) gain 1 bonus experience.
- Each investigator resolves their respective Task on pages 41–43. Once each investigator has read their Task's corresponding entry, proceed to The Doom of Arkham (page 44).
Task: Walk in Faith (Interlude IV)
Read only if you have the "Walk in Faith" Task. If there are 5 or more progress marked under your Task:
(Story text condensed.) Upon returning, you are hailed as a prophet amongst your fellow believers.
- In your Campaign Log, record (investigator name) is strong in their faith. This task is complete (it enters play with its Completed side faceup).
Otherwise:
(Story text condensed.) Upon returning, you feel that something has changed in your place of worship, now covered in profane symbols. You cannot help but feel that you were led astray.
- Permanently remove the "Walk in Faith" Task from your deck and suffer 1 mental trauma. For the remainder of the campaign, you must treat the [icon] token as if it were an [icon] token, instead.
Task: Good Money (Interlude IV)
Read only if you have the "Good Money" Task. If there are 5 or more progress marked under your Task:
(Story text condensed.) Smirking, you walk away from your rendezvous with Sanford with a briefcase stuffed with bills.
- In your Campaign Log, record (investigator name) made bank. This task is complete (it enters play with its Completed side faceup).
Otherwise: (Story text condensed.) You turn a corner to find yourself surrounded by thugs.
- Permanently remove the "Good Money" Task from your deck and suffer 1 physical trauma. Search the collection for an Injury or Criminal basic weakness and add it to your deck. This card does not count toward your investigator's deck size.
Task: Dreams of Destruction (Interlude IV)
Read only if you have the "Dreams of Destruction" Task. If there are 5 or more progress marked under your Task:
(Story text condensed.) Randall's reward for your efforts is a tattered stack of occult books. The coming calamity may be unavoidable, but that doesn't mean you can't fight it.
- In your Campaign Log, record (investigator name) understands the future. This task is complete (it enters play with its Completed side faceup). Add a +1 token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
Otherwise: (Story text condensed.) The whispers that plagued you in R'lyeh have finally stopped.
- Permanently remove the "Dreams of Destruction" Task from your deck and suffer 1 mental trauma. Remove the [icon] token from the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
Task: No Place Like Home (Interlude IV)
Read only if you have the "No Place Like Home" Task. If there are 5 or more progress marked under your Task:
(Story text condensed.) You storm out of Tillinghast Esoterica, having been offered a "just a few more months" settlement of your room and board. It was never about the money. There's nothing Tillinghast can do to take your home from you now.
- In your Campaign Log, record (investigator name) found their true home. This task is complete (it enters play with its Completed side faceup).
Otherwise: (Story text condensed.) You walk through Southside, reflecting on Randall's last words to you. Someday soon, you'll have a home of your own.
- Permanently remove the "No Place Like Home" Task from your deck and suffer 1 physical or 1 mental trauma. Add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
Task: Do No Harm (Interlude IV)
Read only if you have the "Do No Harm" Task. If there are 5 or more progress marked under your Task:
(Story text condensed.) Walking through Independence Square, you find a figure slumped on the ground. She's still breathing. You can help her.
- In your Campaign Log, record (investigator name) swore an oath to protect others. This task is complete (it enters play with its Completed side faceup).
Otherwise: (Story text condensed.) You wake up suddenly in the middle of your first night back in Arkham, unable to stop thinking about the dying man's last words: "Mother."
- Permanently remove the "Do No Harm" Task from your deck and suffer 1 mental trauma. Add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
Task: Toe the Line (Interlude IV)
Read only if you have the "Toe the Line" Task. If there are 5 or more progress marked under your Task:
(Story text condensed.) Your new employer offers you the job of overseeing the construction and eventual management of a new factory, backed by Tillinghast's connections.
- In your Campaign Log, record (investigator name) found new work. This task is complete (it enters play with its Completed side faceup).
Otherwise: (Story text condensed.) When you asked for your old job back, Tillinghast was more than happy to oblige.
- Permanently remove the "Toe the Line" Task from your deck and suffer 1 physical trauma. Draw tokens from the chaos bag at random until you have 2 non-symbol tokens. Replace each of these tokens with a chaos token of a value 2 lower for the remainder of the campaign. (If you are unable to replace a token, repeat this process until a total of 2 chaos tokens have been replaced.)
Task: Prove Your Worth (Interlude IV)
Read only if you have the "Prove Your Worth" Task. If there are 5 or more progress marked under your Task:
(Story text condensed.) It is several nights after your return to Arkham, and you are looking down on an adoring crowd. Soon, you'll see to it that anyone who ever doubted you gets what they deserve.
- In your Campaign Log, record (investigator name) pulled their weight. This task is complete (it enters play with its Completed side faceup).
Otherwise: (Story text condensed.) On the night of your return, you find yourself ignominiously shut out of your old crowd.
- Permanently remove the "Prove Your Worth" Task from your deck and suffer 1 mental trauma. Remove cards of level 1–5 from your deck worth a total of 10 or more experience (remember to purchase new cards to maintain a legal deck size). You cannot purchase those cards again.
Task: Plumb the Depths (Interlude IV)
Read only if you have the "Plumb the Depths" Task. If there are 5 or more progress marked under your Task:
(Story text condensed.) Barely a week after returning, you receive a request from Miskatonic University to formally present your findings.
- In your Campaign Log, record (investigator name) learned the secret truth. This task is complete (it enters play with its Completed side faceup).
Otherwise: (Story text condensed.) The ancient writings you translated were dismissed out of hand. You would be lucky to teach children, let alone lecture in the grand halls of a university.
- Permanently remove the "Plumb the Depths" Task from your deck and suffer 1 mental trauma. Add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
Finale: The Doom of Arkham
(Page 44. Story text condensed.) The month after your return to Arkham passes like a dream. The Arkham Advertiser reports the spread of an unusual "sleeping sickness" in the city's population, and the city of Arkham is sinking into a deep slumber.
- Proceed to The Doom of Arkham Part I.
The Doom of Arkham Part I
(Story text condensed.) You awaken to a furious knocking at your door. Andy and Ruby are there with a sharply dressed inspector, John Raymond Legrasse, who has been investigating a spate of dreaming cults. Together with Inspector Legrasse, Ruby, and Andy, you resolve to recover the artifacts and confront Tillinghast, wherever he might be.
- Proceed to Setup.
Scenario Setup – The Doom of Arkham Part I
- Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: The Doom of Arkham Part I, Deep Ones, Domination, Dreams, Star Spawn, Agents of Cthulhu, and The Midnight Masks. These sets are indicated by their encounter set icons.
- When gathering The Midnight Masks encounter set, only gather the location and treachery cards. Do not gather the acts or agendas from this set.
- Find each location in The Midnight Masks encounter set and put it into play as follows:
- Put one of the two Downtown locations and one of the two Southside locations into play at random and remove the other versions of those locations from the game.
- Put Northside, Easttown, Rivertown, St. Mary's Hospital, and Miskatonic University into play according to the location placement diagram on page 45.
- Each investigator begins play at Rivertown.
- Shuffle the single-sided Tillinghast Esoterica location with each treachery from The Midnight Masks encounter set and place one of them under each location except for Rivertown.
- Shuffle each enemy from the Star Spawn encounter set and remove two at random from the game. (Remove three instead if playing on easy mode.)
- Gather all earned artifacts along with the Horror in Clay story asset and set them aside, out of play.
- Choose an investigator to add the John Raymond Legrasse story asset to their deck. This card does not count toward their deck size.
- Put the John Raymond Legrasse story asset into play under that investigator's control. He does not take up an ally slot during Part I or Part II of this scenario.
- Place doom on the agenda equal to the number of investigators.
- Add the flood tokens to the token pool.
- Shuffle the remaining encounter cards to build the encounter deck.
Standalone Mode: If you are playing in Standalone Mode and do not wish to refer to any other setup or resolutions, you may use the information below when setting up and playing this scenario:
- Assemble the chaos bag using the following tokens: +1, 0, 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –3, –3, –5, [icon tokens as printed].
- During setup, choose a number between 1 and 5 and gather that many Artifact story assets from among each scenario encounter set in this campaign except for the Horror in Clay Artifact asset. These artifacts are listed under "Artifacts Earned."
Part I and Part II in The Doom of Arkham
This scenario is split into two parts. Players may choose to play these parts one at a time (with a break between each part), or they may play both parts together as a longer session. Each part is its own game with its own setup and resolution.
Investigators may upgrade their decks between Part I and Part II.
Resolution (The Doom of Arkham Part I)
Do not read the following until the end of Part I.
If each investigator resigned or was defeated: (Story text condensed.) A trio of terrified locals bolts down the street past you, followed by a lumbering spawn of Cthulhu.
- Each investigator searches the collection for a random basic Injury or Madness weakness and adds it to their deck. This card does not count toward that investigator's deck size.
- Proceed to Resolution 1.
Resolution 1: (Story text condensed.) A disquieting roar shakes the very foundations of Arkham as Cthulhu slouches out of the Miskatonic River and tramples an entire borough of Rivertown underfoot.
- Update your Campaign Log. Under "Artifacts Earned":
- Cross out the name of each Artifact asset that was not under any investigator's control when the scenario ended.
- If the Horror in Clay was under the control of an investigator when the scenario ended, record "Horror in Clay" under "Artifacts Earned."
- In your Campaign Log, record "Flooded Neighborhoods:" along with a list of each flooded location.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- The investigators must decide (choose one):
- "We're ready to fight." Proceed to Resolution 2 if you wish to continue playing immediately.
- "We need more time." Skip to Resolution 3 if you wish to take a break and proceed the next time you play.
Resolution 2: (Story text condensed.) Only you can stand against this grave threat. Arkham needs you now.
- Clean up the game as normal.
- Proceed immediately to The Doom of Arkham Part II.
Resolution 3: (Story text condensed.) You urge your companions to take the time to prepare and collect yourself for your final stand.
- Clean up the game as normal.
- When you are ready to play again, begin at The Doom of Arkham Part II.
Scenario: The Doom of Arkham Part II
The Doom of Arkham 1
(Story text condensed.) You and the others watch helplessly as Cthulhu levels the rest of Rivertown. "Randall's behind this. I think he wanted us to wake that thing up!" says Ruby. They look to you for direction.
The investigators must decide (choose one):
- "We need to take a last stand and drive him out with sheer firepower." Proceed to The Doom of Arkham 2.
- "There must be another way." Skip to The Doom of Arkham 3. (You may only choose this option if there are 5 or more Artifacts checked/listed and not crossed off under "Artifacts Earned" in your Campaign Log.)
The Doom of Arkham 2
(Story text condensed.) Together, you form a plan to fend off the ancient menace. If you stand together, you may be able to draw Cthulhu's ire away from Arkham itself.
- In your Campaign Log, record the investigators stood together.
- Search the Expedition and The Doom of Arkham encounter sets, each investigator's deck, and all in- and out-of-play areas for the following story assets: John Raymond Legrasse, Ruby Standish, and Andy Van Nortwick. Put each of these assets into play under the control of any investigator(s). Each of these assets does not take up an ally slot during this scenario.
- Add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
- Proceed to Setup.
The Doom of Arkham 3
(Story text condensed.) Andy outlines a "ritual of returning" he discovered in the ancient courts of R'lyeh. By using pieces of the ancient city of R'lyeh, you may be able to seal the ancient one away. "I'll need you all to draw his attention, keep his eyes on you, while I prepare."
- In your Campaign Log, record your allies have a plan.
- Search the Expedition and The Doom of Arkham encounter sets, each investigator's deck, and all in- and out-of-play areas for the following story assets: John Raymond Legrasse, Ruby Standish, and Andy Van Nortwick. Set them aside, out of play.
- Add 1 [icon] token to the chaos bag for the remainder of the campaign.
- Proceed to Setup.
Setup (The Doom of Arkham Part II)
- Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: The Doom of Arkham Part II, Domination, Elder Mist, Flood, Star Spawn, Agents of Cthulhu, and The Midnight Masks. These sets are indicated by their encounter set icons.
- When gathering The Midnight Masks encounter set, only gather the location cards. Do not gather any other cards from this set.
- Put each location into play according to the location placement diagram on page 49.
- Gather each location from The Midnight Masks set along with the Eastern Rooftops and Western Rooftops. Put one of the two Downtown locations and one of the two Southside locations into play at random and remove the other versions of those locations from the game. Put Northside, Easttown, St. Mary's Hospital, and Miskatonic University into play.
- Put Rivertown (Ruined) from The Doom of Arkham Part II encounter set into play. Remove the other version of Rivertown from the game.
- Set each other location aside, out of play.
- Place the single-sided Cthulhu (Ancient Evil) enemy at Rivertown.
- Each investigator begins play at Rivertown.
- Assemble the Cthulhu Board according to the diagram on page 49 (see The Cthulhu Board below).
- Find the double-sided punchboard included in this box and place it above the act and agenda decks, Cthulhu side faceup.
- Place each copy of the three Cthulhu enemies (Hoary Wings, Fierce Visage, and Wicked Claw) on the Cthulhu Board, non-Enraged side faceup, so that they form a full picture of Cthulhu.
- Shuffle the 18 Cthulhu Cards to assemble the Cthulhu deck (see The Cthulhu Deck below). Place this deck next to the Cthulhu Board.
- Check your Campaign Log to build the act and agenda deck.
- If the investigators stood together, build the agenda deck using agenda 1a—"The Doom of Arkham" and the act deck using act 1a—"Fight Back!" Remove each other act and agenda from the game.
The Cthulhu Board
Cthulhu is represented on the map as a single enemy, but is made up of multiple enemy cards on the Cthulhu Board. Investigators that are engaged with Cthulhu (Ancient Evil) are also engaged with each card on the Cthulhu Board, as a single enemy. When interacting with Cthulhu (via fighting, evading, etc.), choose one of the double-sided enemy cards on the Cthulhu Board to interact with.
Cthulhu attacks each investigator at his location during the enemy phase using the combined damage and horror values of each Cthulhu enemy on the Cthulhu Board. This attack is performed in addition to any other attacks and/or effects prompted by the Cthulhu Deck (see below). If a card on the Cthulhu Board would attack via a keyword or other effect while fighting or evading, only that card attacks.
Card effects that deal damage to multiple enemies at a location may deal damage to each individual enemy card on the Cthulhu Board.
Cthulhu Board Enemies
- Hoary Wings (202a): Cthulhu. Elite. Alert. Prey – Highest [icon]. X is Cthulhu's Rage. Cannot be damaged, defeated, or exhausted. After you successfully fight or evade this enemy: Flip it to its Enraged side. Victory 2.
- Fierce Visage (203a): Cthulhu. Elite. Alert. Retaliate. Prey – Highest [icon]. X is Cthulhu's Rage. Cannot be damaged, defeated, or exhausted. After you successfully fight or evade this enemy: Flip it to its Enraged side. Victory 5.
- Wicked Claw (204a): Cthulhu. Elite. Retaliate. Prey – Highest [icon]. X is Cthulhu's Rage. Cannot be damaged, defeated, or exhausted. After you successfully fight or evade this enemy: Flip it to its Enraged side. Victory 2.
The Cthulhu Deck
During the setup of this scenario, a second deck with a different card back is constructed: the Cthulhu deck. This deck is a separate deck made up of only "action" cards. The Cthulhu deck is not an encounter deck and action cards are not treacheries.
- After moving and attacking as normal during the enemy phase, Cthulhu performs additional actions via action cards from the Cthulhu deck.
- At the end of the enemy phase, the agenda's forced effect prompts investigators to draw the top card of the Cthulhu deck. When drawing cards from the Cthulhu deck, resolve each effect, one at a time, from top to bottom.
- After resolving an action card, it is discarded to the Cthulhu discard pile.
- If the Cthulhu deck is empty, immediately shuffle the Cthulhu discard pile back into the Cthulhu deck.
Cthulhu's Rage
Throughout this scenario, the number of resources under "Cthulhu's Rage" on the scenario reference card indicate Cthulhu's anger toward the investigators. The higher Cthulhu's Rage, the more dangerous and deadly the awakened sleeper becomes. Cthulhu's Rage has no inherent game effect on its own; however, some encounter card effects may change or become stronger depending on the current level of Cthulhu's Rage.
Location Cards in The Doom of Arkham Part II
- Western Rooftops (Arkham.): As an additional cost to enter Western Rooftops, you must spend 1 clue, as a group. Western Rooftops cannot be flooded. Northside, Miskatonic University, and St. Mary's Hospital are connected to Western Rooftops, and vice versa.
- Eastern Rooftops (Arkham.): As an additional cost to enter Eastern Rooftops, you must spend 1 clue, as a group. Eastern Rooftops cannot be flooded. Easttown, Rivertown, and Southside are connected to Eastern Rooftops, and vice versa.
- Rivertown (Ruined) (Arkham. Central. Ruined.): The docks along the river have been completely swept away. Only flooded warehouses and abandoned shops remain.
Resolution (The Doom of Arkham Part II)
Do not read the following until the end of the scenario.
If no resolution was reached (each investigator resigned or was defeated): (Story text condensed.) Cthulhu looks down on you with indifference. Doom has come to Arkham.
- In your Campaign Log, record Cthulhu annihilated the city of Arkham.
- The investigators, along with everyone else in Arkham, are killed.
- The investigators lose the campaign.
- Proceed to Epilogue (page 52).
Resolution 1: (Story text condensed.) After hours of struggle, you stand before mighty Cthulhu. Inspector Legrasse shouts to his fellow officers, goading them not to let up. The sheer firepower chews through the ancient one's armored flesh, and at long last, the tide seems to have turned in your favor. Cowed by the relentless assault, the ancient one turns back to the Miskatonic and lurches into the water.
- In your Campaign Log, record Cthulhu was driven away.
- Each investigator suffers 3 physical trauma and 3 mental trauma from their battle with Cthulhu.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display.
- The investigators win the campaign! But how long will it be before Cthulhu's eventual return?
- Proceed to Epilogue (page 52).
Resolution 2: (Story text condensed.) Just as Cthulhu prepares to strike, the sigils on his body grow blindingly bright, and his limbs suddenly stiffen. Andy recites the ritual as you and Ruby join him, and the ancient one falls prone, bound as if by invisible cords. With a final roar, Cthulhu disappears into the aether.
- In your Campaign Log, record Cthulhu was banished.
- Each investigator suffers 1 physical trauma and 1 mental trauma from their battle with Cthulhu.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display. Each investigator may remove 1 random basic weakness from their deck (ignoring deckbuilding requirements) for saving Arkham from an ancient evil.
- The investigators win the campaign!
- Proceed to Epilogue (page 52).
Resolution 3: (Story text condensed.) The ritual banishes Cthulhu as in Resolution 2, but the city of Arkham is a portrait of ruin. Rivertown is entirely underwater, and Independence Square and the town hall are little more than rubble.
- In your Campaign Log, record Cthulhu was banished, but Arkham was destroyed.
- Each investigator suffers 2 physical trauma and 2 mental trauma from their battle with Cthulhu.
- Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display. Each investigator earns 5 bonus experience for dispelling an ancient evil.
- The investigators win the campaign, although Arkham is completely in ruins.
- Proceed to Epilogue (page 52).
Epilogue
Check your Campaign Log.
- If Cthulhu annihilated the city of Arkham, proceed to Epilogue 1.
- If Cthulhu was driven away or Cthulhu was banished, but Arkham was destroyed, skip to Epilogue 2.
- If Cthulhu was banished, skip to Epilogue 3.
- If the investigators halted Cthulhu's awakening, skip to Epilogue 4.
The epilogue letters and journal entries (Epilogue 1 through 4) are narrative flavour text and are omitted from this transcription; see the printed guide, page 52.
Achievement List
The following is a list of achievements investigators may strive toward as they play The Drowned City campaign. As the investigators complete each of these achievements, check the box next to them. Try to complete all of them for the ultimate challenge!
- One First Last Job: Complete The Drowned City campaign once on any difficulty.
- Season Two: Play through the campaign on hard or expert mode using 4 investigators from 4 different previous campaigns.
- Cliff Diver: Complete the campaign without ever bringing a diving suit along.
- This is a Coup: Defeat both Naomi O'Bannion and Sadie Sheldon in One Last Job using only the act 3a parley ability.
- Thorough Search: End The Western Wall with every location revealed.
- Tidal Flip Minigame: Complete The Drowned Quarter with each location revealed and not flooded.
- No Acolyte Left Behind: Rescue 5 cultists in The Apiary.
- Kill the Adds: Defeat Mother in The Apiary using only her Forced effect.
- In The Deep End: Escape The Grand Vault with the Tidal Tablet after every location has been fully flooded.
- Sorry, Didn't See You There: Beat Court of the Ancients without moving the Great Lift after the Colossal Tyrant spawns.
- End your turn in open sky at least 5 times during a single game of Obsidian Canyons.
The Design Notes section (designer commentary and credits) is not reproduced in this transcription.
Campaign Log
The printed Campaign Log is a player record sheet. The rules above refer to the following fields:
- Investigators: each player's investigator, unspent experience, trauma (physical and mental), earned story assets and weaknesses, and Task and Task progress.
- Artifacts Earned: Barrier Node, Obsidian Claw, Shard of Y'ch'lecht, Tidal Tablet, Grisly "Mask," and Horror in Clay. Only artifacts checked off here may be chosen when setting up a scenario.
- Glyph record: the alien glyphs of the campaign (26 in total). A glyph is translated by writing its translated text under it, as directed by the game.
- R'lyeh map: scenario names are crossed out here as each scenario is completed.
- Flooded Neighborhoods: a list of each flooded location, recorded at the end of The Doom of Arkham Part I.
- Campaign Notes: free-form notes, as directed by the game.
The Campaign Log's printed R'lyeh map and form layout (page 55) are not reproduced in this transcription.