Betrayal at the Neibolt House: The Evil of Pennywise
Betrayal at the Neibolt House: The Evil of Pennywise Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
How to Play Betrayal at the Neibolt House
This expansion is played with the base game of Betrayal at House on the Hill: 3rd Edition. Refer to the Betrayal at House on the Hill 3rd Edition rulebook for setup and gameplay instructions for the full game.
- To play this expansion, shuffle the Pennywise Encounter deck during setup and set it to the side with the Omen, Item, and Event decks. Remove the following cards from the Event Deck: Strange Dust, Say Cheese.
- Add the four room tiles to the base game.
- Read out the story on the COME HOME TO EVIL scenario card. This card sets the stage for the content of this expansion, including the Pennywise Encounters and new It Chapter Two-inspired haunts.
- Before the haunt begins, whenever you discover a room with an Omen symbol on it, draw and resolve a card from the Pennywise Encounter deck instead. If that card tells you to draw an Omen card, draw an Omen card as normal.
- Keep the Pennywise Encounter cards faceup as you draw them. Each one will have you make a haunt roll after resolving it, similar to an Omen card. When making a haunt roll, count only the number of faceup Pennywise Encounter cards instead of Omens to determine how many dice to roll. (For example, if there are three Pennywise Encounter cards drawn this game, you roll 3 dice when you draw the third one, even if there's only one Omen card out on the table.)
- When the haunt is triggered, refer to the COME HOME TO EVIL scenario card to determine which haunt has been activated. Once the haunt has begun, if you discover a room with an Omen symbol on it, draw an Omen card as normal.
Remember: A haunt roll of 5+ triggers the haunt!
NOTE: If you choose to play as one of the younger characters, you're still actually playing as an adult—but you're seeing yourself as you were back then, as a kid, during one long hot summer in Derry. Remembering your past, and how you beat It once before.
Variable Player Count
In the haunts, values for aspects of a haunt might be different for different numbers of players. For example, the traitor may have more pet hellhounds in a five-player game than they would in a three-player game. In this example that shows 1, 5, 7, and 9 as sample values, note the variable player count:
{1/5/7/9}
- 1 = three-player game
- 5 = four-player game
- 7 = five-player game
- 9 = six-player game
Key to the Symbols
The printed key identifies these symbols:
- Event symbol
- Item symbol
- Omen symbol
- Special Action symbol
- Monster Information symbol
- Starting (Landing) Tile symbol
- Important Changes symbol
- Death symbol
IT Chapter Two-Inspired Room Tiles
Darkened Hallway: Tile label: "Draw both events, resolve them one at a time in the order they were drawn."
When you discover the Darkened Hallway, you draw two Event cards, resolving them one at a time in the order they were drawn. If anything prevents you from drawing an Event card (such as using the Idol omen), do not draw either Event card.
Old Well: Tile label: "When you discover this tile, make a Knowledge roll 4+: Draw an extra item. 0–3: Bury an item."
When you discover the Old Well, remember to make the Knowledge roll indicated before you draw your Item. If you don't have any Item cards, you still get to keep the one you find from the Item symbol.
Ancient Den: Tile label: "When you discover this tile, draw an extra card. Choose which to keep and bury the other one."
When you discover the Ancient Den, look at the top two cards of the Omen deck* and choose which to keep. Bury the other one. *If you are playing COME HOME TO EVIL and you discover the Ancient Den before the haunt starts, draw two Pennywise Encounter cards, and choose which card to keep. Bury the other one.
Winding Tunnels: This tile counts as two unconnected tiles. Make a Knowledge roll 4+ to cross to the other side.
- The line on the Winding Tunnels tile divides it into two separate rooms.
- The rooms are adjacent to each other.
- The rooms do not have line of sight to each other, and line of sight does not continue through this tile.
- Monsters and traitors do not have to roll to cross from one side to the other.
- You cannot attack across the line unless you do not need to be on the same tile and do not need line of sight.
Scenarios
The scenarios below are played with the COME HOME TO EVIL scenario card. Each scenario lists its Haunt Trigger and Traitor.
The printed booklet places a spoiler warning here: "DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER", before the scenario pages begin.
Scenario 1: Henry on the Hunt
Scenario Card: COME HOME TO EVIL. Haunt Trigger: "A POP OF RED" or "KNIFE IN THE DARK". Traitor: LOWEST MIGHT.
Introduction
After a bloody rampage through the dimly lit corridors of Juniper Hill psychiatric hospital, a crazed Henry Bowers is free at last. He's followed you to the house, driven there by the rotting corpse of his old pal, Patrick Hockstetter. As the pair enter the building, Bowers removes his trusty childhood switchblade from his pocket and sniffs the musty air. He knows you're inside. He can somehow smell your fear as he creeps up the broad staircase. Then you hear a scream, followed by maniacal laughter that echoes down through the hallway. Bowers has claimed his first victim in the house. Now he wants to hunt you down, too… and cross you off his kill list!
Setup
- Set aside five Searched tokens.
- The player to the left of the traitor will take the first turn after setup.
Objective
The heroes win when the traitor, who is now playing as Henry Bowers, is defeated.
- Hockstetter can help protect Bowers.
Tokens Needed
- Large Monster Token: Zombie Hockstetter
- Hero Tokens: Henry Bowers' Kill List
- Searched Tokens: Rooms that have been searched for weapons
Actions
Once during your turn, you may: Look for a Weapon
While on a tile with an Item symbol that doesn't have a Searched token on it, make a Speed or Knowledge roll. You cannot make this roll if there are no Searched tokens left.
- 3+ Put a Searched token on your tile. Look at the top three cards of the Item deck. Take one of them and bury the rest.
- 0–2 Put a Searched token on your tile.
Once during your turn, you may: Banish Zombie Hockstetter
While on a tile with Hockstetter, make a Sanity roll.
- 5+ Remove Hockstetter from the board. He's not real. It's playing tricks on you!
- 0–4 Take 1 Mental damage.
If You Win
Bowers may have a kill list, but it's you who delivers the fatal blow! The bully from Derry had you pinned to the ground, and his bloodied blade was mere inches from your wide-staring eyes. But now his body has gone limp as he rolls over onto the floor beside you. Exhausted, you slowly drag yourself to your feet, then stare down at Bowers. His face is unnervingly frozen in a rictus grin. Does that mean he's finally at peace? You look around you, still wary. The creepy zombie of Patrick Hockstetter has disappeared into the shadows, and there's no sign of that infernal clown. Maybe the horror is over… or maybe you'll wait another 27 years, and It will start all over again. If that happens, pray that old age has taken you back to the weeds by then!
Scenario 2: Separate Nightmares
Scenario Card: COME HOME TO EVIL. Haunt Trigger: "A STRETCHING HALL" or "BLOOD TENDRILS". Traitor: HAUNT REVEALER.
Introduction
Your head snaps in the direction of an agonized scream that rips down the hallway before it's cut short by devastating silence. Your heart pounds and sweat beads on your upper lip as you realize one of your friends' lives has probably just come to an end. When your eyes refocus, the room around you suddenly transforms into your worst nightmare—a bathroom stall filling with blood, your underground clubhouse rapidly caving in around you, a dank basement flooded with your fatal mistakes. Whatever form your terror takes, you know you need to find a way out of this room, and this house—now!
Setup
- Remove all tiles, except for the Starting (Landing) tiles, from the board if they don't have heroes or monsters on them. Shuffle them back into the tile stack.
- Spread out any connected tiles so that they are no longer connected.
- Set the Starting (Landing) tiles separate from the other tiles. There's still a way out!
- Set the number track to {6/7/8/9}.
- The player to the left of the traitor will take the first turn after setup.
This House Is Moving, Make It Stop…
- All tiles are now on the Ground Floor. The other regions (Basement and Upper Floor) no longer exist. However, tiles or cards that move you to the Basement Landing still do.
- Any connected tiles (such as the Upper Landing and the Ground Floor staircase or the Graveyard and the Underground Cavern) remain connected.
- The Mystic Elevator only moves on a roll of 2 or 4.
Objective
The heroes win when they escape back to the entrance hall.
- Explore the house to find your way back to the entrance hall.
- Overcome nightmare rooms, tiny terrors, and huge horrors to survive until you escape.
When You Explore…
- Always take the top room of the tile stack, regardless of region.
- After you enter the room and before you draw a card or resolve tile effects, the traitor may inform you of additional effects.
- If the tile has an Item or Omen symbol, draw a card as normal.
- If the tile has one or more Event symbols, move the number track down one space for each Event symbol.
Tokens Needed
- Large Monster Token: Huge Horrors
- Small Monster Tokens: Tiny Terrors
Actions
Once during your turn, you may: Find a Way Through
You may try to find your way out. Make a Knowledge or Sanity roll. Subtract the number on the number track from your result.
- 4+ The traitor connects your set of tiles to the triple room tile (Ground Floor Staircase/ Hallway/ Entrance Hall) or a tile that's connected to the triple room tile. Do not adjust the relative position of the tiles you have already placed, only connect them to the rest of the house.
- 0–3 Nothing happens. Why isn't it working?
Once during your turn, you may: Help Another Hero
While on the triple room tile, make a Knowledge or Sanity roll. Subtract the number on the number track from your result.
- 4+ Place your figure on any tile with another hero on it. End your turn. Maybe you can help them find a way through…
- 0–3 Nothing happens. You can't get back in!
Once during your turn, you may: Find a Way Out
While all remaining heroes are in the entrance hall, everyone makes a Sanity roll. Add the highest and lowest results together. (If you are the only remaining hero, your result is the highest and the lowest.)
- 8+ The heroes win!
- 0–3 Nothing happens. The door won't open!
If You Win
You see the entrance hall before you at last, but Pennywise dances into your path. You look around frantically. Something catches your eye—a wooden piece of a fence post leans against the banister, a gift from your old friend Bev. "This kills monsters," she said once as she handed it to you, "if you believe it does." How did the post get here? You decide not to dwell on it—you grab the post and hurl it at Pennywise with all your strength. It lodges deep in his chest. He lets out a shrill cry as the house begins to shudder around you. It's now or never. You burst through the front door and kick up dust as you run down the dirt path onto Neibolt Street. The cursed house collapses behind you. You made it. You're out. It's over.
Scenario 3: All Living Things Must Abide
Scenario Card: COME HOME TO EVIL. Haunt Trigger: "TIME TO SINK!" or "THAT'S A GOOD BOY". Traitor: HAUNT REVEALER.
Introduction
Beginning to feel hopelessness set in, you wonder if there's cause to persevere. Will this thing ever truly die? And what makes you think you're the one who can get rid of It? It regards you ravenously, excitement building in its gaze—ready to strike, to feed. But as It slowly advances, you hear an echo deep inside your mind… a memory from the involuntary vision quest you took in the Derry Public Library (thanks to your friend, Mike). A faint voice reminds you that the creature before you is only flesh and blood, a prisoner to the limitations of its current form. What are It's weaknesses? What are It's fears? You'd better think fast—It's almost upon you.
Setup
- Set the number track to {2/3/4/5}.
- The player to the left of the traitor will take the first turn after setup.
Objective
The heroes win when they kill the monster in all its forms.
- Stun the monster, then banish it by removing it from play and returning it to the box.
- Repeat this until It is dead for good.
- Learn each monster's weakness to make it easier to stun.
Each monster has a weakness, a specific circumstance that will result in it being stunned. You do not need to know the monster's weakness ahead of time to stun it, but the task of stunning it will be easier if you do.
Rooms With Clues About It
- Ritual Room (basement)
- Library (upper/ground)
- Specimen Room (upper/ground)
- Gallery (upper)
- Laboratory (ground)
Tokens Needed
- Large Monster Token: Stan's Head, Demon, Demon Dog, Georgie's Ghost, Zombie, Ghost Shark, Werewolf, Vampire
- Number Track: It's remaining forms
- Searched Tokens: Revealed weaknesses
Actions
Once during your turn, you may: Discover the Monster's Weakness
While in a room with Clues about It that doesn't have a Searched token, make a Knowledge roll. You can only do this if there's a monster on the board.
- 5+ Place a Searched token in the room if there are any left. The traitor reveals the weakness of the form they currently inhabit.
- 0–4 Nothing useful. Keep looking!
Once during your turn, you may: Search for Something to Kill It
While on the triple room tile, make a Knowledge or Sanity roll. Subtract the number on the number track from your result.
- 4+ Place a Searched token in the room. Then look at the top three cards of the Item or Omen deck. Take one of them and bury the rest.
- 0–3 Put a Searched token in the room. Nothing here, keep looking! If there are no more Searched tokens, the traitor takes one from the board and puts it on your tile.
Once during your turn, you may: Banish It's Form
While on a tile with a stunned monster, make a Sanity attack against the monster (they defend with Sanity). You can do this even if you already attacked this turn.
- If you win the attack, remove the monster from the board and move the number track down one space. If the number track reaches 0, the heroes win!
- If you lose the attack, you do not take any damage. End your turn.
If You Win
You confront every monster It manifests as and somehow emerge with your life. It's dead… for now. You silently thank Mike for the elusive wisdom that got you through your moment of helplessness. Upon regrouping with your friends (if anyone else made it out), you realize the scars on your hands from the blood pact you made 27 years ago have vanished. This must mean It's really over. You, your friends, and Derry's next generation of kids… are finally free.
Scenario 4: The Ritual of Chüd
Scenario Card: COME HOME TO EVIL. Haunt Trigger: "SWIRLING VISIONS" or "FLOATING LIGHTS". Traitor: NONE.
Introduction
You are shown the past. Long ago when It arrived. You endure nightmarish visions of how It appeared to the local shamans, and the tribal ritual they performed to try and stop It. To kill It. Ultimately, they failed, consumed by fear and gnashing, razor-sharp teeth. Now you must dig up your past. Memory's the key. Your mind flashes back to three burning orbs. The Deadlights. They touched you all back then. And you recall that time in the Barrens, down in the clubhouse, when Stan handed out shower caps from his tin can to keep spiders out of your hair. That can was Stan's artifact. But each of you has your own artifact, too. Now you must find them, and use them to perform the Ritual of Chüd. That's how you'll beat It's cycle. That's how you'll kill It… for good this time.
Setup
- Take each player's hero token and set them aside. These represent the players' artifacts.
- Place the Pennywise the Clown figure on the haunt revealer's tile.
- Give the Monster Card to the player to the left of the haunt revealer. That player is Pennywise's target (for now). Pennywise will take a turn after them.
- If the Old Well, Ancient Den, Ritual Room, Nursery, and Bloody Room have all been discovered, shuffle one of them into the tile stack. Reorganize the house if needed. Choose the tile that disrupts the house the least.
- The player to the left of the haunt revealer will take the first turn after setup.
Objective
The heroes win when they complete the Ritual of Chüd in a room with the altar in it.
- Explore the house and find artifacts.
- Find a room where you can perform the ritual.
- Use the artifacts to complete the ritual.
Rooms Where You Can Perform the Ritual
- Old Well (basement)
- Ancient Den (basement)
- Ritual Room (basement)
- Nursery (upper/basement)
- Bloody Room (upper/ground)
Cooperative Haunt
This haunt has no traitor. You are all working together to complete the Ritual of Chüd and end Pennywise's grisly cycle of evil.
Tokens Needed
- Hero Tokens: Artifacts
- Altar Token: The Ritual Location
The Monster Card
- Whoever has the Monster Card is the target of Pennywise. Pennywise takes a turn after that player.
- On Pennywise's turn, he moves toward his target, and attacks them if he reaches their tile.
If another hero takes the Monster Card, they are the new target. Pennywise now takes his turn after the new player, even if Pennywise has already taken a turn this round.
- If a hero dies while they have the Monster Card, pass the card to the next remaining player to the left.
Exploring
When you discover a tile with an Event symbol…
- Take the Monster Card. Pennywise takes his turn after you now!
- If you need to make any rolls on the Event card, ignore the highest die of the roll.
When you discover a tile with an Item or Omen symbol…
- You may find your artifact instead. Skip drawing a card and take your hero token.
- If another hero is dead and doesn't have their artifact, you may find their artifact instead. Take their hero token instead of drawing a card.
- Artifacts cannot be traded to another player unless the hero they belong to is dead.
When you discover a room where you can complete the ritual…
- Take the Monster Card. Pennywise takes his turn after you now!
- Place the Altar token on your tile if it hasn't already been placed.
Monster: Pennywise the Clown
Might 5 Speed 4 Sanity 5 Knowledge 4
On your turn, you cannot move onto Pennywise's tile or attack him unless you first succeed on a Sanity roll of 5+. If you fail, you cannot try again until your next turn. If you succeed, you can both enter Pennywise's tile and attack him. You do not need to roll a second time.
Pennywise cannot be stunned, but if you deal damage to him, move him that many spaces.
Pennywise cannot use the Mystic Elevator.
Actions
Once during your turn, you may: Deposit an Artifact
While on the tile with the Altar token, make a Sanity roll. You may not do this if Pennywise is on your tile.
- 4+ Return your artifact to the box. That's one step of the ritual down…
- 0–3 Take the Monster Card and end your turn. Pennywise takes his turn after you now!
If another player is dead, you can return their artifact to the box on their behalf, but only once you've found it or taken it from their body.
Once during your turn, you may: Complete the Ritual
While on the tile with the Altar token, and after all artifacts have been deposited, take the Monster Card and roll to start the ritual.
Each remaining hero takes a die and rolls it.
- If the combined total is less than the number of dice rolled, the player that started takes Mental damage equal to the total number of dice rolled, and the ritual fails this time. It is trying to stop you!
- If the combined total result is equal to or higher than the number of dice rolled, the ritual succeeds and the heroes win!
If You Win
As the artifacts burn in the center of the altar, you all hold hands in a circle and begin to chant. "Turn light into dark. Turn light into dark. Turn light into dark." You look up. Three glowing orbs are swirling down toward you. The Deadlights. Banishing the darkness as they grow larger and more intense. Then a wind whips up around you. You all tense your bodies, eyes tightly shut, hearts pounding, believing that together you can stop It. "TURN LIGHT INTO DARK!" The Deadlights land on the altar and disappear. A comforting pall of darkness envelops you. All is quiet and calm. The ritual must have worked!
If You Lose
You stand in a circle and start to chant as your artifacts burn. "Turn light into dark. Turn light into dark…" The Deadlights appear above you, drawn toward the altar. They grow bigger as they swirl and descend. "TURN LIGHT INTO DARK!" The three orbs land on the altar and vanish. Did the ritual work? Is it over? Suddenly, a red balloon appears on the altar. It swells and stretches out toward you, forcing you all back. Then it pops, and Pennywise laughs. Your silly little ritual didn't work. Guess you didn't believe. Now it's time to float!
Scenario 5: Let's Kill This Clown
Scenario Card: COME HOME TO EVIL. Haunt Trigger: "THE EATER OF WORLDS" or "HOMETOWN HORRORS". Traitor: NONE.
Introduction
Pennywise laughs at you from the shadows. He's been waiting there for a long time. Twenty-seven years. He can smell the stink of your fear. It feeds him, makes him grow larger and more monstrous. He craves you as he creeps out of the darkness as some kind of grotesque… clown… spider?! Then his hand transforms into a gigantic claw, and it springs out to impale you! It misses, but not by much. Now it's time to run… and think. Think how to beat It. You must work together to make Pennywise small, or at least make him believe that he is. Taunt him, perhaps. He's not the Eater of Worlds. He's just a dumb clown. You're not afraid of It anymore, are you?
Setup
- Set the number track to {5/6/7/8}.
- Set the Monster Card off to the side. Pennywise takes a turn after EVERY player.
- Shuffle the Pennywise Encounter cards to form a deck of 10 cards.
- Place the Pennywise the Spider figure on the haunt revealer's tile.
- The player to the left of the haunt revealer takes the red balloon token. That player is Pennywise's target (for now).
- The player to the left of the haunt revealer will take the first turn after setup.
Objective
The heroes win when they kill Pennywise.
- Crush Pennywise to kill him.
- Taunt Pennywise to make him easier to crush.
Tokens Needed
- Red Balloon Token: Pennywise's target
Cooperative Haunt
This haunt has no traitor. You are all working together to end Pennywise's grisly cycle of evil.
Monster: Pennywise the Clown
Might 6 Speed 6 Sanity 6 Knowledge 6
- If you stun Pennywise, put a large monster token facedown on top of the Pennywise Encounter deck.
- Pennywise cannot use the Mystic Elevator.
- If Pennywise attacks a stunned player, he rolls 8 dice.
Pennywise Takes a Turn After Each Player's Turn
- Draw the top card of the Pennywise Encounter deck and read the text at the bottom to determine what Pennywise does. If Pennywise is stunned, don't draw a card. Instead, remove the large monster token from the Pennywise Encounter deck.
- If Pennywise needs to move, roll 3 dice. He can move up to that many spaces, and he always moves toward the hero with the red balloon token.
If Pennywise uses the Deadlights, each player with line of sight to Pennywise is stunned. Place a large monster token facedown in front of you as a reminder that you are stunned.
At the Start of Your Turn…
If you were stunned by the Deadlights, you spend your whole turn recovering. Return your stunned token to the pile. Pennywise still takes a turn after you.
The Red Balloon Token
Whoever has the red balloon token is Pennywise's target. Pennywise will move toward them and attack them when instructed to do so by a Pennywise Encounter card.
If a hero dies while they have the red balloon token, pass the token to the next remaining player to the left.
Actions
Once during your turn, you may: Taunt Pennywise
While in line of sight to Pennywise, make a Knowledge or Sanity roll. Add 1 to your roll if you're on the same tile as the player with the red balloon token.
- 4+ Take the red balloon token. Move the number track down one space, but not below 1.
- 0–3 End your turn.
Once during your turn, you may: Crush Pennywise
While on the same tile as Pennywise, make a Might roll. Add 1 to your roll for each other hero on the tile. You cannot use any items or omens to modify or affect your roll. Subtract the number on the number track from your result.
You can only do this if Pennywise is stunned.
- 5+ The heroes win!
- 0–4 Take the red balloon token. Move the number track up one space.
If You Win
As you taunt It together, Pennywise shakes and shrinks. He tries to drag himself away, no longer the bloodthirsty monster that stalked you before. His spider-like limbs retract into his body, and you begin to hear his beating heart. The beat grows louder, faster. It fears you now. As you reach inside the clown's chest and pull out his glistening life force, Pennywise snarls at you one last time before starting to whimper. "Look at you. You're all grown up," he sighs. Then there's a squelching sound as you crush his heart in your hands. The beating stops. Pennywise lets out a final breath… and withers away.
If You Lose
Guh-guh-good thu-thu-thing yuh-yuh-you ar-aren't a-a-afraid! But your trembling voice gives you away! The Eater of Worlds scuttles toward you, feeding on your fear as It begins to drool. Then a spider-like claw whips out and skewers you through the chest. As your flailing body is lifted into the air, you stare helplessly at the Deadlights through It's gaping, cavernous maw. Your eyes roll back in your head. You're home at last, in the gloomy depths beneath Derry. Now you'll float there like all the others… forever, while Pennywise takes his long rest before stirring again to feast on more flesh.