Betrayal: The Yuletide Tale – Evil Reigns in the Wynter's Pale
Betrayal: The Yuletide Tale – Evil Reigns in the Wynter's Pale Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
The expansion's tokens are:
- 1 large monster token
- 1–20 small monster tokens
- Rune tokens (name gifts)
- Food tokens (offerings)
- Blessing token
- Fire tokens (burning Yule logs)
- Searched token
- Stat tokens (Might, Speed, Knowledge)
- 18 numbered tokens
The index page lists the five scenarios and the Krampus Night scenario. Setup and gameplay instructions for the full version of the game are in the rulebook of Betrayal at House on the Hill (3rd Edition).
How to Play the Expansion
To play this expansion, one player must play as Antisanta or Elf. Start the game by placing that character card face up. Whenever a scenario mentions "the Stranger", it means Antisanta or Elf, whichever of the two is in play at that moment.
- Use the scenario card from this expansion to activate the scenarios created specifically for Evil Reigns in the Wynter's Pale. When choosing your scenario, be sure to find it in the Evil Reigns in the Wynter's Pale books from this expansion, not in the scenario books of the base game.
- Shuffle the cards from this expansion together with the item and event cards of the base game. Add the room tiles to the base game's tiles. Setup and gameplay instructions for the full version of the game are in the 3rd Edition rulebook of Betrayal at House on the Hill.
When deciding who goes first, note that the Stranger's character card does not show a birthday, so the Stranger is never chosen as the player who takes the first turn.
Number of Players
The game can have from 3 to 6 players, and some aspects of the game depend on this. For example, the traitor may have more Hellhounds in a five-player game than in a three-player game. Where the traitor's Hellhound count is given, it is shown as {1/5/7/9}:
- 1 = three-player game
- 5 = four-player game
- 7 = five-player game
- 9 = six-player game
Other values written as a slash-separated list in brackets, such as [3/4/5/6] or (4/5/6/7), are read in the same order: the first value is for three players, the second for four, the third for five and the fourth for six. (Transcriber's note: the source gives this order explicitly only for the Hellhound count. The same order is applied to the other bracketed values, which the source does not state.)
Symbols
The scenario cards use the following symbols:
- Event
- Item
- Omen
- Special Action
- Monster Information
- Starting Tile
- Important Changes
- Death
Survivors' Book
House of Evil Toys
Scenario card: Holiday House Trigger: Armor Traitor: None
Read this first!
A small suit of toy armor seems completely harmless, until it strikes your hand and runs away.
"You've grown up and abandoned all your toys," it shouts in its thin voice, "so now you'll have to play hide-and-seek with us if you want to get out of here alive!"
Setup
- Place the Monster Reference card to the left of the scenario initiator.
- Collect all item and omen cards from the players. Leave the Armor and (4/5/6/7) cards of your choice face up. If there are fewer cards, draw item cards to make up the shortfall.
- Hide the remaining item and omen cards.
- Place one set of numbered tokens on the set-aside items and omens, and the other set, with matching numbers, in the house. These tokens represent evil toys. Each evil toy must be on a separate tile with an item or omen symbol. If tokens remain, place them in the Entrance Hall.
- The monsters take the first turn after setup.
Goal
Explorers win if they stun the evil toys and deliver them all to Antisanta or Elf for banishment. Explorers lose if Antisanta or Elf dies.
Required tokens
- Small monster tokens — small toys
- 2 sets of numbered tokens — evil toys
Once during your turn, you may: Banish Mischief
When you are holding an item or omen with a numbered token, make a Knowledge roll:
- 3+: Remove the numbered token from the item or omen card. This card now works as a normal item or omen. If it was the last numbered token, you win.
- 0–2: Take 1 physical damage die and place the numbered token in the farthest room, without stunning it. The toy has started moving again!
If you win
The last toy twitches, but the strange force that animated it does not leave it. You swear that when you get home you will find all your old toys and plush animals and treat them well, just in case.
Monsters: Evil Toys
Evil toys have different stats depending on the type of item or omen they are attached to:
- Weapon: Might 5; Speed 2; Sanity 2; Knowledge 2.
- Non-weapon item: Might 3; Speed 4; Sanity 2; Knowledge 2.
- Non-weapon omen: Might 2; Speed 3; Sanity 4*; Knowledge 4.
- *This monster attacks using Sanity.
A stunned numbered token linked to a monster can be carried and passed on like an item. You cannot pick up an item or omen that you have just stunned, and the card linked to it cannot be used.
When a toy becomes active again on the monsters' turn, each explorer in the same room takes 2 physical damage dice. If the toy is being carried, return the numbered token to the tile where the explorer is.
At the start of the monsters' turn, if an explorer is in the same room as the toy, the toy attacks that hero (if there are several, choose one). If there are no explorers in the room, the toy moves toward the nearest open door, where it may open a new tile. Unlike ordinary monsters, it can explore new rooms. If it does, place a small toy on that tile (if available). Ignore all other effects of that tile, including the symbols on the card. If there are no tiles left to explore, the explorers lose.
Monsters: Small Toys
Small toys have Might 3; Speed 3; Sanity 1; Knowledge 1.
Small toys are destroyed instead of stunned. Their Might increases by 1 for each other toy (small toy or evil toy) on the same tile. Small toys move toward Antisanta or Elf, stopping to attack any explorer they meet.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Scenario card: Holiday House Trigger: Mask or Holy Symbol Traitor: Antisanta / Elf
Read this first!
Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! The bells ring through the house as soon as the sun goes down. The Stranger you met in the house listens to every stroke with delight, while shadows creep in from all sides. He whispers: "I hope you didn't make any plans for tomorrow. Because as soon as these bells fall silent, this night will last forever."
Setup
- Find these room tiles: Root Cellar, Time-Lost Tree, Chapel, Soundproofed Room, Observatory, Organ Room, Tower. (If they have not been revealed yet, find them in the tile stack and place them in valid locations so that they are not adjacent, if possible. Then shuffle the remaining tiles.)
- Place the Might stat token in the Chapel and the Tower.
- Place the Speed stat token in the Root Cellar and the Time-Lost Tree.
- Place the Knowledge stat token in the Observatory and the Organ Room.
- Place the blessing token in the Soundproofed Room.
- The player to the left of the traitor takes the first turn after setup.
Goal
Heroes win when they find [3/4/5/6] bells and place them in the Soundproofed Room.
Required tokens
- Tracker and pointer
- 2 Speed tokens — small bells
- 2 Might tokens — heavy bells
- 2 Knowledge tokens — choir bells
- 1 blessing token
Once during your turn, you may: Grab the Ringing Bell
While you are on a tile with a Knowledge, Might or Speed token, make a roll of the corresponding stat:
- 3+: Place this token on your character card. The token can be passed, taken, etc., like an item.
- 0–2: Take 1 mental damage die. The ringing is too loud!
Once during your turn, you may: Stop the Music
If you have a Knowledge, Might or Speed token on your character card and you are in the Soundproofed Room, place it on the tile. Then, if [3/4/5/6] tokens have accumulated there, you win!
If you win
The bells all at once stop their dissonant ringing and begin to play a more harmonious and hopeful melody. The darkness retreats, and outside the first rays of dawn light up the house. The Stranger is nowhere to be seen, and you begin to hum the tune, happy that the darkness has retreated for another year.
Proclamation
In keeping with the tradition of Yule, let it be known that this official law takes effect for all time.
The term of our dear Santa Claus shall be determined by the length of one circuit of the blue planet known as Neptune around Helios. Upon completion of that orbit, the serving Santa Claus, using the powers granted by the Universal Power of Yule, shall appoint a successor. The appointment shall be made by means of a magic tincture whose properties will cause the chosen one to be transformed at once into the new Santa Claus. At that moment, all special abilities shall be transferred, including the gift of looking into the depths of people's souls.
The Vengeful Little Tree Is Cold in Winter
Scenario card: Holiday House Trigger: Idol or Ring Traitor: Explorer to the left of Antisanta / Elf
Read this first!
What did you find? Some kind of decorative ornament, a strange thing to find in this place. Maybe it fell off this fir tree? Oh, and there's mistletoe overhead, how romantic. Hey, and these Yule logs by the fireplace, don't they seem to be moving? And how many plants can there possibly be in one abandoned house?
Setup
- Set aside [4/5/6/7] rune tokens and return the rest to the box.
- The player to the left of the traitor takes the first turn after setup.
Goal
Heroes win when they gather enough decorations, by destroying omens and items and then using them to decorate the tree.
Required tokens
- Small monster tokens — mistletoe vine
- Fire tokens — burning Yule logs
- Rune tokens — decorations
Once during your turn, you may: Rummage Around
If you are on the same tile as a small monster token, make a Speed roll:
- 3+: Take an item or omen card of your choice. "I think I found something under this bush."
- 0–2: Take 1 physical damage.
Once during your turn, you may: Create a Decoration
If you have an item or omen that is not a weapon or a dog, you may try to make it into a decoration. Make a Knowledge roll:
- 3+: Bury the item or omen card at the bottom of its deck. Place a rune token on your character card. This token can be passed, taken, etc., as if it were an item. "This will look lovely on the tree."
- 0–2: Nothing happens.
Once during your turn, you may: Decorate the Tree
If you have a rune token and you are in the same room as the traitor, make a Speed roll:
- 3+: Move the rune token from your character card to the traitor's card. If [3/4/5/6] rune tokens have accumulated on the traitor's card, you win.
- 0–2: Take 1 physical damage die.
If you win
The last decoration is placed, and each one lights up and begins to twinkle in a soothing rhythm. The other plants in the house stop moving. The decorations look rather nice, but perhaps it is time to leave?
He Knows When You Are Sleeping
Scenario card: Holiday House Trigger: Book or Skull Traitor: Antisanta / Elf
(Transcriber's note: the traitor's book prints "Holiday House" as the trigger for this scenario, and the Survivors' book prints "Book or Skull". The Survivors' book is followed here, since the trigger is an item or omen and the Traitor's book's entry is an apparent printing error. Please check against the original.)
Read this first!
There is something written here... The heading says "Naughty List", and... strangely, it has all our names in it?
Setup
- If they are not already in play, find the Kitchen and Larder tiles in the room stack, place them in valid locations, and shuffle the remaining tiles.
- Take 5 food tokens and distribute them between the Kitchen and Larder tiles as you wish.
- Set aside the rune tokens.
- The player to the left of the traitor takes the first turn after setup.
Goal
Heroes win when the traitor is defeated.
Required tokens
- Food tokens — offerings
- Small monster tokens — coal creatures
- Rune tokens — name gifts
Once during your turn, you may: Looks Tasty
If you are on the same tile as a food token, you may pick it up and place it on your character card. This token can be passed, taken, etc., like an item. "This glass of milk gave me an idea..."
Once during your turn, you may: Make an Offering
Place a food token from your card onto your tile, if there is not already a food token on that tile.
If the traitor moves onto a tile with a food token, the traitor makes a Sanity roll:
- 4+: The traitor takes 1 mental damage die. The next attack against the traitor adds 1 extra die. Return the food token to the supply.
- 0–3: The traitor takes 2 mental damage dice. The next attack against the traitor adds 2 extra dice. Return the food token to the supply.
Once during your turn, you may: Good Gift
Pass an item card to another explorer on your tile. Remove all small monster tokens from the tile you are on. Place a rune token on this item: it can no longer be passed to or taken by another hero. "No re-gifting!"
Once during your turn, you may: Get More Food
If you are on the Kitchen or Larder tile where there are no food tokens but there are food tokens in the supply, make a Knowledge roll:
- 3+: Add a food token to your tile. You cannot pick it up this turn.
- 0–2: Nothing happens. "Do you want me to bake cookies at a time like this?!"
If you win
"What is going on?!" shouts the traitor, disappearing up the chimney he came from. You will never see this time of year the same way again. But now you will certainly not forget to leave out milk and cookies for the night.
Krampus Night
Scenario card: Holiday House Trigger: Dagger or Dog Traitor: Explorer to the left of Antisanta / Elf
Read this first!
A strange gleam appears in your friend's eyes as an omen begins to blacken and spark, as if it were made of coal. Soon the omen turns into a viscous black liquid that envelops your friend, turning them into a creature of stone and flame. "Krampus has found me," whispers the Stranger, "and he is here to take everything."
Setup
- Bury all omens.
- Take two sets of numbered tokens from the box, numbered 1 to (4/5/6/7).
- Lay out (4/5/6/7) item cards face up from the top of the deck. Shuffle one set of numbered tokens and place them face down on these items without looking. If there are not enough items, the explorers must hide items of their choice so that the deck contains the required number.
- Using the second set of numbered tokens, give each explorer one token at random, face up. Return the unused tokens to the box.
- Set aside 5 searched tokens.
- The player to the left of the traitor takes the first turn after setup.
Goal
Heroes win when each of them receives the perfect gift (the designated item).
Required tokens
- Searched tokens
- Two sets of numbered tokens
- Krampus demon token
As soon as a hero receives an item from another hero: if that item has a numbered token that matches a hero's token, flip both numbered tokens face down. These items can no longer be stolen by the traitor.
If you lose an item with a token (for example, by hiding it for use), flip your numbered token face up and move this token to a new item, drawn from the deck or set aside.
If all numbered tokens are face down, the explorers win.
Once during your turn, you may: Find a Gift
While you are on a tile with an item symbol, or in the Armory, and the tile has no searched token, make a Knowledge roll:
- 3+: Place a searched token on the tile, if available. Take an item of your choice, either from the set-aside items or from the top of the deck. If you took an item with a numbered token, flip that token face up. "Of course, THIS gift will be perfect!"
- 0–2: Nothing happens. "No, there's only junk here."
If you die
If you have a numbered token that is face up, pass it to a surviving hero. All numbered tokens must still be face down for the explorers to win.
If you win
"You gave me exactly what I wanted!" These words sound like a magic spell. The creature Krampus begins to writhe and twist until it turns to ash, which is immediately drawn up the chimney. The house falls silent for a few seconds, until you ask: "What else did you give me?"
Traitor's Book
House of Evil Toys
Scenario card: Holiday House Trigger: Armor Traitor: None
Important! This scenario has no traitor. For its description, see the Survivors' book (Secrets of Survival).
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Scenario card: Holiday House Trigger: Mask or Holy Symbol Traitor: Antisanta / Elf
Read this first!
As night falls the bells ring out again, as they have from age to age. But your presence in the house has finally made them change their tune. If you can keep them sounding long enough, darkness will swallow everything, and your rule will not be limited to a single night. You will reign forever... unless you let these fools who happened to be here stop the terrible melody.
Setup
- Your explorer remains in the game. You are the traitor.
- Restore all your stats to their starting values. Increase all your stats by (+1/+1/+2/+2).
- Set the pointer on the tracker to (6/5/4/3).
Goal
You win if all explorers die or the tracker reaches 0.
Required tokens
- Tracker and pointer
- 2 Speed tokens — small bells
- 2 Might tokens — heavy bells
- 2 Knowledge tokens — choir bells
- 1 blessing token
At the start of your turn, and each time an explorer is defeated: move the pointer on the tracker one value down, closer to 0. If the pointer reaches 0, you win.
Once during your turn, you may: Warp the Darkness
Choose an explorer. Roll 2 dice and move that explorer that many tiles in a direction you choose. If the explorer holds a Knowledge, Might or Speed token, the explorer takes 1 mental damage die.
Once during your turn, you may: Enjoy the Night
If you end your turn on a tile with a dropped Knowledge, Might or Speed token, increase one of your stats by 1.
If you are killed
Move the pointer on the tracker one value further from 0. Restore all your stats.
If you win
After your eternal battle against the day and the wretched people who depended on it, you have finally distorted their melody. Now the night and your power are eternal.
The Vengeful Little Tree Is Cold in Winter
Scenario card: Holiday House Trigger: Idol or Ring Traitor: Explorer to the left of Antisanta / Elf
Read this first!
The scent of pine becomes unbearable. Your skin turns to needles. Your legs become a sturdy stump. You are a tree. Your family is all the plants here. But your family is suffering. They have been mutilated, burned and decorated with humiliating ornaments. This must come to an end. When you have grown large enough, you will avenge all the fallen plants.
Setup
- Your explorer remains in the game. You are the traitor (Treant).
- Place the monster card to your left. Monsters take their turn after you.
- Restore all your stats.
- Set aside (2/3/4/5) small monster tokens. These are your mistletoe vine. The remaining tokens are your supply for the game.
- Set aside (2/3/4/5) fire tokens. These are your burning Yule logs. The remaining tokens are your supply for the game.
- Place the mistletoe vine and fire tokens you just set aside in any of the following rooms, distributing them as you wish: Conservatory, Ground Floor Staircase, Hallway, Tower, Gallery, Observatory or Graveyard. You may not place more than one token in a room, unless there are fewer rooms than tokens.
Goal
You win if you connect at least (5/6/7/8) room tiles to each other with the mistletoe vine, or if all explorers die.
Required tokens
- Small monster tokens — mistletoe vine
- Fire tokens — burning Yule logs
- Rune tokens — decorations
When an explorer dies, place a small monster token in their location.
When you die, remove a small monster token from the tile and place the traitor on that tile. Restore all your stats. If there are no small monster tokens available to destroy, you lose and the explorers win.
Once during your turn, you may: Dance Around the Tree
Place a small monster token in your location. If you have connected (5/6/7/8) rooms into a single chain, you win.
Monster: Mistletoe Vine
Might 3; Speed 3*; Sanity 1; Knowledge 1.
*The mistletoe vine cannot move. Its Speed is used only for other effects. The mistletoe vine is destroyed, not stunned.
Once during your turn, you may: Deadly Kiss
Attack an explorer on your tile using Speed. If your result is higher than the explorer's, instead of dealing damage, add a small monster token (if available) to your tile or to an adjacent tile.
Monster: Burning Yule Log
Might 3; Speed 3; Sanity 1; Knowledge 1.
Each time a Yule log attacks, if no dice in the attack roll show a blank face, place a new fire token (if available) on its tile, in addition to any other effects. The new token cannot act this turn. Burning Yule logs are destroyed, not stunned.
If you win
You have stopped the killers of plants. But out beyond the house there is still so much of your plant family being cut down, burned and defiled with decorations. It is time to make them all pay.
He Knows When You Are Sleeping
Scenario card: Holiday House Trigger: Holiday House (as printed in the Traitor's book; see the note in the Survivors' section, which gives Book or Skull) Traitor: Antisanta / Elf
Read this first!
You have seen enough. These children are naughty and must be punished. It has been your role since people first came out of their caves in the seasons of light and dark. They will understand the punishment from your gaze, and you will cleanse this place of the naughty. There is nowhere for them to hide, for you see everything.
Setup
- Your explorer remains in the game. You are the traitor.
- If you do not have it yet, take the omen card that triggered this scenario.
- Restore all your stats to their starting values. Increase all your stats by (+1/+1/+2/+2).
- If you have fewer than [2/3/4/5] item cards, draw cards from the deck until you have the required number.
- Place the monster card to your left. Monsters take their turn after you.
- For each explorer, place a small monster token on the same tile as that explorer.
Goal
You win when all heroes are dead.
Required tokens
- Food tokens — offerings
- Small monster tokens — coal creatures
- Rune tokens — name gifts
At the start of your turn: If a food token is within your line of sight, you must move toward it this turn and cannot leave that tile until the token disappears.
Once during your turn, you may: Terrifying Glare
Attack an explorer within your line of sight, using Knowledge. After the attack, you may bury one item from your inventory to place a coal creature monster token on the same tile as the explorer, in addition to any damage from the attack. If no small monster tokens remain, you may move one existing token to that tile. "Better not scream, and better not cry..."
Monster: Coal Creature
Might 4; Speed 2; Sanity 2; Knowledge 2.
When you attack, after applying damage (if any), roll one die. The target of your attack must bury one item if the die shows 1, or two items if it shows 2. If the target does not have enough items to bury, it takes 1 general damage for each missing item.
If you win
Your mind encompasses the whole world. Punishing the naughty here was only the beginning. There are billions of names on your list, and you have plenty of work ahead.
Krampus Night
Scenario card: Holiday House Trigger: Dagger or Dog Traitor: Explorer to the left of Antisanta / Elf
Read this first!
Gift, gift, gift! You can't bear it any longer. Everything here must belong to you. When your thoughts and body are seized by a creature known as Krampus, you understand that you will not stop until you have taken everything.
Setup
- Your explorer has died. You now control Krampus, the demon of selfishness and greed. Place the demon (Krampus) token on the tile where you died. Remove your explorer from the game. Bury all items and omens your explorer had before their death.
- Once all omens have been buried, take (1/2/3/4) cards from the omen deck face down, without looking at them.
- Place the monster card to your left. The monster will act instead of your turn.
Goal
You win if you consume (4/5/6/7) items, or if all heroes die.
Required tokens
- Searched tokens
- Two sets of numbered tokens
- Krampus demon token
Monster: Krampus
Might 5; Speed 4; Sanity 4; Knowledge 4.
When you defeat an explorer in combat, you may take one of their items in addition to dealing damage. You may only take items that do not match their numbered tokens. In addition, each time an explorer dies, you take their items, regardless of how or why they died.
If you take an item, place it face down next to your monster card. If you have [4/5/6/7] item cards in your hand, you win. If you take in this way an item card with a numbered token, draw a new item card, place it face up next to the others, and place the numbered token on the new card. Then randomly redistribute the numbered tokens on all cards face down.
Once during your turn, you may: "Mine! Mine! MINE!"
If you are on a tile with an omen symbol, take the top card of this deck face down, without looking at it. On any of your future rolls, before learning the result, you may bury any number of item or omen cards to add the same number of dice to the roll.
(Transcriber's note: in this text "bury" means placing a card at the bottom of its deck, as in the Create a Decoration action of the Survivors' book.)
If you win
"Why are these pitiful creatures so focused on giving gifts to one another? They have learned the hard way that greed is the only good. Having stopped the spirit of generosity, you are free to go after everything that rightfully belongs to you."