Aventura Z: Vol 1 Lovecraft Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Quick Guide
  • Players' Turn
  • Tests and Combats
  • Adversaries' Turn
  • Wounds
• 1. Objective of the Game
• 2. Components
• The Map
• The Journal
• 3. Investigator's Turn
• 4. Tests and Successes
• 5. Investigators
• 6. Wounds
• 7. Defeated Investigator
• 8. Zones
• 9. Move
• 10. Investigate a Zone
• 11. Activate a Card
• 12. Line of Sight
• 13. Combat
  • Combat Example
• 14. Object Deck
• 15. The Turn Clock
• 16. Adventure Token
• 17. Healing Wounds
• 18. Travelling Between Maps
• 19. Golden Rule
• 20. Starting the Adventure
  • Scenarios

Quick Guide

Players' Turn

1. Take 2 actions:
   • Move from 0 to 3 Zones.
   • Investigate a Zone.
   • Activate a card.
   • Exchange one or several Object cards with another Investigator in the same Zone, except Wounds.
2. Advance the Clock one turn.

Tests and Combats

• Roll as many dice as the value of your characteristic indicates.
• Each double result (X2), triple (x3) or run of three numbers ([...]), for example 1,2,3..., counts as a Success.
• Critical Success: four or more identical numbers count as five Successes, except in combat.
• The quantity of icons indicates the number of Successes you need.
• Results are cumulative. The same die can be used to complete different Successes.

Adversaries' Turn

• After the players' turn, roll the number of dice indicated on the adversary card.
• If there are several results, doubles must be resolved first, then triples, and lastly runs.
• Attacks can affect both players, and in that case they make the Tests individually.
• The adversary is defeated if it suffers the number of wounds indicated on its card.

Wounds

• When an investigator suffers a wound, he draws a card from the wound deck.
• Your strength indicates the maximum number of physical wounds you can accumulate.
• Your willpower indicates the maximum number of mental wounds you can accumulate.
• If you exceed this limit the investigator is defeated. All the investigators must return to a map with the Safeguard icon that has already been played.

1. Objective of the Game

Aventura Z is an adventure for one or two players in which they take on the role of an investigator in the 1920s, inside the world imagined by the literary work of H. P. Lovecraft.

In a similar way to what happens in a gamebook or in a role-playing game, the players do not win or are defeated; rather they must finish the campaign until this Guidebook tells them that they have completed the adventure.

There are several possible endings, and you can even play the campaign again, but taking, in that case, different decisions from those of the first time. Some more perfectionist players will want to investigate down to the last of the maps, and they may find a True Ending.

2. Components

• 1 Gamebook
• 1 Rulebook
• 8 Dice
• 71 Cards
• 4 Investigator tokens + 4 stands
• 13 Adversary tokens
• 6 Aventura Z or Padlock tokens
• 1 Money token
• 1 Time token
• 12 Adversary Wound tokens

The Map

The Maps are divided into Zones, and each Zone is bounded by white lines, doors and highlighted windows.

The Journal

When an Investigator is on a Zone marked with a letter, X, he can investigate what is around him. To do this he must read only the letter that corresponds to that Zone in the Journal.

It is not compulsory to investigate every zone he passes through, except if the location is in red, E. It is not compulsory to investigate in alphabetical order. The Investigators will always start in Zone A of a new map, unless the game states otherwise.

The paragraph shown in quotation marks is an atmospheric description of what you find in the Zone. The paragraphs that follow are the options your Investigator can choose. If you have several options, these will be shown in brackets (A2), so you can read paragraph A2 without spending an action.

Normally, they will require the Investigator to pass a Test of his characteristics so that new paragraphs are unlocked.

If you want to choose another option, or the same one because you failed the Test, you will consume an additional Investigate action.

3. Investigator's Turn

Each investigator has 2 actions per turn. Decide which investigator acts first each turn.

With the actions you can:

• Move from 0 to 3 Zones.
• Investigate a Zone.
• Activate a card (section 11) that says "Action...".
• Exchange one or several Object cards with another Investigator in the same Zone, except Wounds.

When the investigators have spent their two actions, advance the Clock one turn.

When you enter a new Map, place a marker on Clock 1 and the Investigators on zone A.

4. Tests and Successes

The mechanic of Aventura Z is based on Successes. When you are asked to make a Test, roll as many dice as the number of your characteristic indicates, plus modifiers from objects or wounds.

Each double result (abbreviated X2), triple (abbreviated x3) or run of three numbers (abbreviated (...)) counts as a Success.

A run is three numbers with consecutive values. All Successes are cumulative. One die serves to make other Successes; for example a Triple contains a Double, so that would be two Successes.

For example, if you roll six dice and obtain 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, you will have obtained four Successes: a double (1,1), a triple (3,3,3), one run (1,2,3) and another run (1,2,3).

For Tests to be passed, they may require one or several Successes, according to the number of icons shown: one, two or three.

If you pass the Test, you can access the reward that the game offers you. This reward is normally being able to continue reading a specific paragraph, without spending an Action, or drawing an Object from the Object Deck.

Critical Success: on passing a Test, four or more identical numbers count as five Successes. If you are in Combat, they count as four Successes — two Doubles and two Triples — for both the Investigators and the Adversaries.

5. Investigators

The Investigator card has four characteristics:

• Strength
• Skill
• Willpower
• Investigation

6. Wounds

When an Investigator fails a Test in combat, or the game so indicates, he will suffer a Physical Wound or a Mental Wound.

In that case, he must draw the first card of the Wound Deck, which will be face down at the start of the game.

Section 20 of this rulebook tells you how to form the Wound Deck.

If you receive a Physical Wound, place the red part on the left, under your Investigator card.

If it is a Mental Wound, place the grey part on the right, under your Investigator card.

As soon as you suffer a Wound, the Investigator applies its text.

You can accumulate as many Physical Wound cards as your printed Strength characteristic indicates, and as many Mental Wounds as your printed Willpower characteristic indicates. If you suffer more Wounds than these values, your Investigator will have been defeated.

7. Defeated Investigator

When an Investigator is defeated, all players must return all their Wounds to the Wound Deck and shuffle it, placing all the Investigators on a map, already played, identified with the red Safeguard symbol next to the title that is chosen.

The players keep all their cards and the Maps already unlocked.

8. Zones

The maps are divided into Zones, and these are connected to one another so that the Investigator and Adversary tokens can move over them along white lines, doors and highlighted windows, in any direction, as long as they are adjacent.

9. Move

In this example, Rose moves 2 Zones, from Zone A to Zone E, using one Action.

She cannot move through black lines (walls), unless they have a highlighted Door.

10. Investigate a Zone

You can investigate a Zone that has a letter, reading its corresponding paragraph in the Journal.

The investigation may require you to pass a Test, may give you information, or may start a Combat. When there are several options, symbolised by a letter and a number in brackets, choose one of them and make the Tests. If you want to choose another option because you have already exhausted the text of one of them, you must investigate the Zone again, consuming an additional action.

Rolling the dice to make a Test does not consume an Action, but if you fail it, by not getting the Successes you are asked for, you can investigate again, consuming another Action.

It is compulsory to investigate the red-coloured zones you pass through, with at least one Action.

The most common zone is the letter A, in which you begin playing when you travel to a new Map. This zone may have special rules for that Map, and it is only compulsory for one of the two Investigators to spend his first Action investigating it. Afterwards he can carry on investigating, move to another zone, activate a card or exchange cards normally.

11. Activate a Card

Some cards have a text that grants abilities to your Investigator; others are clues or documents that you can consult as your adventure progresses.

There are some cards that can be activated by consuming an Action, such as weapons. These cards consume an Action and usually require you to pass a Test.

The effects vary depending on the card.

12. Line of Sight

Line of sight, abbreviated (L.D.V.), is used against the Adversaries, if your objects allow you to attack several zones away.

To check L.D.V., trace an imaginary line from the centre of your Zone to the target Zone. If it is interrupted by a black wall without highlighted doors or windows, you will not have L.D.V.

In the example, the white arrows do have L.D.V., but the red arrows do not.

13. Combat

The journal will tell you when there is a Combat. To set it up, select one or several Adversary tokens and place them on the Zone or Zones of the Map indicated in the Journal. Each Adversary has its corresponding token, with the name and the adversary icon on one side and its illustration on the other.

When there is a Combat, the Game Phase is divided into the Investigators' Turn (move 0-3 zones, investigate, exchange cards or use cards, such as weapons) and the Adversaries' Turn. The Combat ends when all the Adversary counters are defeated.

The Investigators can play normally, although they MAY NOT travel to other Maps while the combat lasts. And if the Time counter reaches the end, you will be defeated!

In addition, the Journal will tell you which Object card to draw. This will be the Adversaries' Artificial Intelligence card. When the player(s) have spent their Actions and finished their Turn, the Adversaries' Turn begins.

Roll the number of dice indicated on the card as "Dice to roll" for each Adversary token (in the following example it will be 4 dice for each Rats marker on the Map) and resolve their effects before rolling for the next Adversary token.

In a similar way to how a Test is made, the Successes indicate what the behaviour of each of the Adversaries is. As a general rule, Double results will make them move one or two zones. The Rats in the example move 1 zone for each Double result: "Moves 1". They always move towards the nearest Investigator. Choose towards whom in the event of a tie. If they are already in an Investigator's zone, they will not move.

If the Adversary has obtained several Successes, doubles must be resolved first, then triples, and lastly runs. The Adversaries attack by forcing the Investigators to make Tests of their characteristics, or else they will suffer Wounds. These attacks can be in the same zone or in Line of Sight.

Attacks "in your zone" affect all the Investigators in the same zone as the Adversary token, and each player must pass the Test of the Adversary token that made the attack against them.

Combat Example

The rats appear and roll their 4 dice, obtaining two Doubles.

• You resolve their first Double: they move 1 zone but there are no Investigators to attack.
• You resolve the second Double: they move 1 zone and attack Rose.

In this example the Rats, which have appeared two zones away from an Investigator (Rose), roll 4 dice (Dice to roll) and obtain 2, 2, 3 and 3. Each section describes how far the Adversary tokens move and how they attack the Investigators. The card shows the result, the description, the zones it will move and the attack.

The Rats have obtained two Successes (two Doubles), so they resolve their first Success before resolving the next one: Bites (attacks have descriptive titles of their behaviour). They move 1 zone towards Rose, but as their attack is in the same zone and there is no Investigator in it, the rest of the section, which would be the attack, is ignored.

Then they resolve their second Success, another Double, again Bites; they move 1 zone towards the nearest Investigator. This time they are indeed in the same zone, so Rose must pass a Strength Test or she will suffer a Physical Wound.

Attacks in Line of Sight (L.D.V.) work the same way, but they affect both Investigators if they are in L.D.V. with the Adversary token for which the dice are being rolled. In the previous example, Rose would be in L.D.V. but Henry would not be, being behind a black wall without highlighted doors.

Both same-zone attacks and L.D.V. attacks affect the two Investigators. You must roll the dice for each Adversary token on the Map before moving on to the next token.

Critical attack: if four or more dice with the same number are obtained, by either the investigators or the adversaries, it counts as two Doubles and two Triples.

In the upper right part, next to the portrait, is indicated how many Wounds the Adversary can suffer before being defeated. If you are two Investigators, add 2 to the Adversary's number of Wounds (for example, if you are two players, each Rats token will withstand 5 Wounds instead of 3 before being defeated).

The Adversary counter is defeated if it has as many Wounds as, or more than, its number of Wounds, and its token is removed from the Map. If there are no Adversary tokens corresponding to its card left, return its Artificial Intelligence card to the Object Deck.

The way to cause Wounds to an Adversary is on the Investigators' Turn, spending their Actions on "Activate a Card" (normally these will be weapons) that affect the Adversaries. Keep count with the Wound markers next to the Adversaries' card.

Some Adversaries have special rules marked on the lower part of the card.

When the Investigators' Turn and the Adversaries' Turn have finished, the Phase ends: advance the Turn Clock one turn. If there are Adversaries left in play, you will still be in Combat. When all the Adversaries are defeated, the special Combat rule of not being able to travel to other Maps disappears with them.

14. Object Deck

The Adversaries, weapons, objects, challenges, secrets, puzzles and secret stories are all included in this Deck, so you must handle it with care.

Form the Object Deck in consecutive order from lowest to highest. When you handle it, do so carefully to avoid looking at its contents, and consult only the number in the upper right part or on the front of the card. Ally cards count as Objects (they are exchangeable) and do not usually require Actions to produce their effects. These are usually modifiers and only affect the Investigator who has them equipped.

This symbol indicates that you must return this card to the Deck to carry out its effects. This does not cost an Action and you can do it whenever you want.

15. The Turn Clock

Time always runs against the Investigators, and sometimes you have to choose between investigating the zones that most catch your attention and leaving others undiscovered. Aventura Z symbolises this with the Turn Clock.

Each turn gives 2 Actions to each Investigator, with which he can move, investigate zones or use objects. Keep count with the turn marker.

When you begin a Map, place the Investigators in zone A and place the Turn marker on Clock 1.

When the players' turn ends, advance the token to the next turn to gain two new Actions, as shown in the following example. If there are no Turn Clocks left, because you have played up to the last number of the Clock and you should move to the next turn but there is none, or there are still Adversaries on the Map, you must compulsorily go to another Map that you have unlocked or you will be defeated. In this example Turn 10 is played, but as there is no Turn 11 and a new Map has not been unlocked, or there are still Adversaries, you are defeated at the beginning of the fictitious turn 11. If a Wound card makes the Time Marker advance onto a red event marker (such as Fainting or Loss of Blood), you must read and resolve the event in the fourth column of the Journal.

When you pass the turn to a Clock with the number in red, an event has happened! On that turn, before playing your actions, read its section in the fourth column of the journal, avoiding reading the others as far as possible.

16. Adventure Token

The Aventura Z or Padlock token on a Zone stops you moving into that zone and, in addition, blocks L.D.V. But if you begin your turn on it because the Journal so indicates, you will be able to move out, although you will not be able to enter again.

17. Healing Wounds

When you travel from one Map to another, you have time to go to the doctor, apply first aid, consult a psychologist or clear your mind by writing in your journal.

Roll three dice for each Wound, Physical or Mental, that you have. If you obtain a Double, discard it to the Wound Deck formed by cards 1 to 11 with the red back. A Wound card discarded for any reason is returned to the Wound Deck and it is shuffled.

18. Travelling Between Maps

When the game tells you that you have "Unlocked" a new Map, note it on a sheet of paper or on the next page of this booklet. Don't forget it!

If there is no Adversary on the Map, at any moment you can travel to the new Map. Place the Investigator tokens in zone A of the new Map and the turn counter on Clock 1.

You may not travel to a Map that you have already investigated, unless you are defeated.

If you have no Maps to go to, you have failed in your investigation, having reached a dead end.

Apply the rules for Defeated Investigator, but return to any Map you wish that you have already investigated, marked with the Safeguard symbol.

The players discard all their Wound cards and shuffle them into the Wound Deck, but keep all the Object cards they have and the Maps they have unlocked.

19. Golden Rule

Do not cheat with the dice! Respect the results. Some Tests are difficult on purpose so that you cannot pass them and your adventure develops along different paths.

Do not regret your decisions! Even if they lead you to a horrible death, they will still be completely valid and part of your Investigator's adventure. Maybe next time?

20. Starting the Adventure

Read the introduction and select your Investigator conscientiously, because you will not be able to change him until you finish it.

Form the Wound Deck by drawing Object cards 1 to 11, shuffle them and place them in a face-down pile, without looking at them.

In the box below you can note in pencil the scenarios you unlock so as not to forget them.

Scenarios

Use the Scenarios box on the last page of the rulebook to record, in pencil, each scenario (Map) unlocked during the campaign.