Choose Your Own Adventure: House of Danger
Choose Your Own Adventure: House of Danger Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Quick Start
You can start the game with these Quick Start instructions. As you move through the game, consult this manual for details.
This game can be played alone or in a group. These instructions apply to both instances.
- Place the Game Board on the table with the Nightmare image side facing up. For two minutes, study this image for clues about places to visit and objects to investigate in the game, as moving toward them will help unravel the mystery of your nightmares. Then, turn the Game Board over.
- Place the Psychic Mover on the "3" spot of the Psychic Scale. Place the Danger Mover on the lowest "3" spot on the Danger Meter.
- Place the two blue Starter Kit cards face up below the Game Board. This is the start of your inventory.
- Take the Story Cards and Clues marked "Chapter One" and set them in separate decks by the Game Board. Place the Book Cover on top of the Story Card deck.
- Pick a player to read the first Story Card (see Story Cards & Clues on Page 3).
- On the back of the Story Card you will usually see two or more Story Choices. Story Cards may also include Optional or Required Challenges (see Challenges on Page 4 and Challenge Boosters on Page 5). After reading the Story Card, decide as a group on any Story Choices you want to make or Challenges you want to take on. If there is no consensus, the current reader decides for the group.
- After you undertake Challenges and make Story Choices, the current reader places the Story Card in a discard pile with the number side facing up. You always need to know the last place you explored (see Goals & Deaths on Page 4).
- The current reader then searches the Story Card deck for the chosen Story Card and gives that card to the player on their left. Do NOT discard any unread Story Cards into the discard pile. Do NOT pass the entire deck to the reader—just the card to be read. Always keep the Book Cover on top of the Story Card deck.
- The new reader reads the new Story Card, and repeats steps 6 onward.
Object of the Game
You are an aspiring detective and psychic investigator. For weeks, you have experienced recurring nightmares that you sense might be important. Your mission is to get to the bottom of these visions.
You will decide how to move through the story as a group. The story is divided into five chapters, each of which is to be played in a single session.
Set Up
The Game Board shows the Psychic Scale, the Danger Meter, and a Challenge Booster slot. Around the board, lay out: the Clues deck and its discard pile, the Psychic Mover and Danger Mover on the board itself, the Story Cards deck (with the Book Cover on top) and its discard pile, the die, and your inventory of items below the board.
- Clues — the Clue deck, placed near the board.
- Clues Discard Pile — where finished Clues go.
- Psychic Mover — tracks your position on the Psychic Scale.
- Danger Mover — tracks your position on the Danger Meter.
- Challenge Booster — the slot on the board where you place an item you're using to boost a Challenge.
- Story Cards — the Story Card deck, topped by the Book Cover.
- Story Cards Discard Pile — where finished Story Cards go, number side up.
- Die — used to resolve Challenges.
- Inventory — the items and Clues you've kept, laid out below the Game Board.
A Story Card carries a Challenge (if any) and, below it, its Story Choices leading to other Story Card numbers. A Clue card shows its number and its effect. The Book Cover always sits on top of the unread Story Card deck.
Story Cards & Clues
Most Story Cards include Story Choices that send you to another Story Card to see the result of your choice. After you finish a Story Card, discard it. Always keep the Book Cover on top of the unread Story Cards.
Sometimes you'll be directed to draw a Clue from the deck, which may continue the story, give you an item that can be used later (see Items on Page 5), or hint at future danger (see Premonitions on Page 7).
Many Clues are discarded when you finish with them, but you keep items and premonitions in your inventory.
Goals & Deaths
The game includes five chapters, each with its own Goal. Keep this Goal in mind as you make Story Choices and take on Challenges.
When you see a "Goal Achieved" notice on a Story Card, you have completed a chapter Goal.
If you die during your adventure, move the Psychic Mover back the number of spaces on the Psychic Meter as directed by the card, and go to the previous Story Card as indicated. Dying isn't the end of the game—it's only a setback!
Danger Meter
The Danger Meter represents your precarious state. As the danger rises, you are less capable of meeting the perils of your adventure.
The numbers on the Danger Meter indicate the current difficulty of any Challenges you face (see Challenges below).
If you are instructed to raise or lower the level on the Danger Meter, move the Danger Mover up or down the indicated number of spaces.
If the Danger Mover reaches the space at the top of the Danger Meter by exact count or more, you must stop and take a penalty. Move the Psychic Mover back two spaces on the Psychic Scale (see Psychic Scale on Page 6). Then reset the Danger Mover to the third "3" space on the Danger Meter, as shown by the arrow. You will begin your next Story Card or Challenge with the Danger Mover on the third "3" space.
The Danger Meter track runs, from bottom to top: 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, and a top "-2" space marked with the Challenge Loss symbol that triggers the penalty above. The Danger Meter will go up and down throughout your adventure.
Challenges
Some cards present Challenges. You must undertake Required Challenges, but you choose whether to take on Optional Challenges.
To perform a Challenge, roll the die. To win the Challenge, you must roll a number equal to or greater than the number marked by the Danger Mover on the Danger Meter. If your roll is less, you lose.
For example, if the Danger Mover is on a "3" space on the Danger Meter, and you roll a 3, 4, 5, or 6, you win the Challenge. If you roll a 1 or a 2, you lose.
Some items can help you win Challenges by boosting your die roll (see Challenge Boosters below).
Warning: if you roll a "1" on any Challenge, you lose automatically—even when using a Challenge Booster.
Below each Challenge are instructions. If you win a Challenge, follow the WIN instructions. If you lose a Challenge, follow the LOSE instructions.
A reminder of the automatic loss rule is on the Game Board, to the left of the Danger Meter.
Items
Some Clues are items to keep and use later. If you draw a Clue that states "Keep this item," place that item face up in your inventory below the Game Board.
Challenge Boosters
Some Clue items are Challenge Boosters, which can add to your die roll during a Challenge. Items that are Challenge Boosters show a Challenge Booster icon and feature an icon showing what type of Challenge they can boost.
The five different Challenge and Challenge Booster types are: Climbing, Fighting, Dexterity, Perception, and Strength.
You may use only one Challenge Booster in a Challenge. Before you roll, place the item you want to use in the Challenge Booster slot on the Game Board.
After you roll for the Challenge, add the number on your Challenge Booster to your die roll to determine the final outcome. After the Challenge, return the Challenge Booster to your inventory.
Warning: if you roll a "1" while using a Challenge Booster, it is discarded from the game. Place the lost Challenge Booster item in the Clue discard pile.
To use an item as a Challenge Booster, place it in the Challenge Booster slot at the bottom of the Game Board before you roll the die. The number shown will be added to your roll.
A Challenge Booster can be used only if the Challenge Booster and the Challenge are the same type.
Psychic Scale
The Psychic Scale represents the level of your extrasensory powers throughout the game. Actions you take during your adventure will raise or lower your Psychic Scale level. Higher levels will yield beneficial rewards!
Premonitions
The Nightmare you studied at the beginning of the game is one example of the psychic impressions you can receive. If your level on the Psychic Scale is high enough, you may be rewarded with Premonitions. Premonitions are images that warn of dangers ahead. Keep Premonitions in your inventory. You can examine them as often as you like.
Finishing a Chapter & Story Returns
When you reach a Story Card indicating that you achieved your Goal, you may move on to the next chapter. Keep any items you've found, and maintain your current positions on the Danger Meter and Psychic Scale. Return the current Story Card Deck and Clues Deck to the game box and take out the card sets for the next chapter.
If you are planning to play the next chapter another time, store your inventory of items separately from other components and make note of your Danger Meter and Psychic Scale positions.
At key places in the story, special Story Returns let you go back in the current chapter to pursue alternate experiences. This might result in new items to add to your inventory, but every choice you make comes with a risk. You might climb up the Danger Meter or fall down the Psychic Scale.
If you choose to go back in the story, two rules apply:
- Cards you have already seen (cards that have been discarded and clues in your inventory) cannot be added to your inventory again and cannot lower the Danger Meter or move you forward on the Psychic Scale.
- You must make it back to the Story Card with your chapter Goal in order to continue to the next chapter.
A Story Return symbol on a card means you have a chance to go back.
Ending the Game
When you finish Chapter Five, you've reached the end of the story and the game. There are several ways to conclude the game. The ending you see depends on the choices you made and items you found.
The Golden Rule
Some cards in the game contain instructions that may contradict this manual. Always follow the text on the card rather than the instructions in this manual.
Credits
Game by Prospero Hall
Instructions: © 2018 Forrest-Pruzan Creative, LLC
Story Cards and Clues: © 2018 Chooseco LLC
Based on the Choose Your Own Adventure® book House of Danger by R.A. Montgomery, © 1982, 2005 Chooseco LLC, Waitsfield, VT.
A full catalog of currently published Choose Your Own Adventure titles can be found at www.cyoa.com.
The CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE name and logo, and book cover design, are trademarks or registered trademarks, and trade dress of Chooseco LLC in the United States and other countries. Z-Man Games is a trademark of Z-Man Games. Made in China. Not intended for persons age 9 or younger.
Used with permission. All rights reserved. Images may differ slightly from actual product.