Eldritch Horror: The Dreamlands Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Expansion Overview
  • Expansion Icon
• Components
  • Round Overview Cards
• Using This Expansion
• Prelude Cards
• Adventures
• Dreamlands Side Board
  • Side Board Setup
• Side Board Rules
  • Moving to the Side Board
  • Dream Portals
  • Dream-Quest Spaces
  • Location Encounters
  • Research Encounters
  • Dream-Quest Encounters
  • Local Paths
• Additional Rules
  • Combat Encounters
  • Focus Action
  • Gates
  • Mysteries
  • Skill Values
  • Unique Assets
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Optional Rules
  • Adjusting Game Difficulty
    • Staged Difficulty
    • Insane Difficulty
  • Control Your Fate

Expansion Overview

In The Dreamlands expansion, investigators must investigate the strange visions bestowed upon them in their nightmares and work against the forces which seek to merge the land of dream with reality. This expansion includes two new Ancient Ones and new investigators, Monsters, and encounters to be used with Eldritch Horror. It also introduces entirely new mechanics including Unique Assets and Focus tokens.

Expansion Icon

Cards in this expansion are marked with The Dreamlands expansion icon to distinguish these cards from the cards in other Eldritch Horror products.

Components

The Dreamlands expansion contains these components:

• 8 Investigator Sheets with Matching Tokens and Plastic Stands
• 2 Ancient One Sheets
• 1 Dreamlands Side Board
• 8 Adventure Cards
• 4 Artifact Cards
• 16 Asset Cards
• 12 Spell Cards
• 25 Unique Asset Cards
• 19 Condition Cards
• 4 Round Overview Cards
• 24 Mythos Cards
• 6 Prelude Cards
• 12 Mystery Cards (2 unique backs)
• Encounter Cards:
  • 4 Americas
  • 4 Europe
  • 4 Asia/Australia
  • 4 General
  • 16 Dreamlands
  • 6 Other World
  • 48 Research (2 unique backs)
  • 24 Special (3 unique backs)
  • 20 Dream-Quest (4 unique backs)
• 6 Monster Tokens and 5 Epic Monster Tokens
• 1 Adventure Token
• 3 Dream Portal Tokens
• 1 Dream-Quest Token
• 3 Gate Tokens

Round Overview Cards

The Round Overview cards summarize the actions and encounters available to investigators:

Actions: Each action can be performed once per round.

• Travel: Move 1 space and spend travel tickets to move additional spaces.
• Prepare for Travel: Gain 1 travel ticket.
• Acquire Assets: Test Observation and gain Assets of equal or lesser value from reserve.
• Rest: Recover 1 Health and 1 Sanity.
• Focus: Gain 1 Focus.
• Trade: Trade possessions with another investigator on your space.
• Component Actions: Perform the action or local action of a component. Each component action counts separately.

Encounters: Resolve a Combat Encounter against each Monster on the space. Then, if there are no Monsters on the space, choose one:

• Location Encounter: Resolve an encounter based on the space's type or art.
• Token Encounter: Resolve an encounter that corresponds to a token on the space.

Using This Expansion

When playing with The Dreamlands expansion, add all expansion components to their respective decks or pools of Eldritch Horror components except for the components described below.

• Before setup, players draw one random Prelude card. These cards alter game setup and make each game feel unique.
• The Dreamlands side board, Dreamlands Encounter cards, Dream-Quest Encounter cards, Dream Portal tokens, the Dream-Quest token, and the seven Clues and three Gates that correspond to spaces on the Dreamlands side board are used by the Hypnos Ancient One and the Otherworldly Dreams Prelude card included in this expansion. Otherwise, these components are returned to the game box. See pages 4 and 5 for rules regarding these components.
• The Adventure cards included in this expansion are used by the Otherworldly Dreams Prelude card. Otherwise, they are returned to the game box. See page 4 for rules regarding Adventures.
• Add all Focus tokens and the Adventure token to the general token pool. See pages 4 and 6 for rules regarding these components.
• Shuffle all Unique Assets to create the Unique Asset deck. Place this deck faceup near the Asset deck.

Some components in this expansion require other newly introduced components. For this reason, all expansion content should be included when playing with this expansion.

Prelude Cards

When playing with this expansion, players draw one random Prelude card before setting up the game. These cards alter game setup and make each game feel unique.

The card's effect is resolved immediately after drawing the card unless it specifies different timing, such as "after resolving setup."

The Otherworldly Dreams Prelude card instructs players to set up the Dreamlands side board. The rules for setting up and using this side board are described below.

Adventures

Adventure cards represent various stories that investigators can take part in for additional rewards, such as gaining Talent Conditions or advancing the active Mystery.

The Otherworldly Dreams Adventures are used only if the Otherworldly Dreams Prelude card is drawn at the beginning of the game. Set aside all Adventure cards to be used as instructed by the Prelude. The Otherworldly Dreams Adventures are split into four stages, shown as a trait (I, II, III, IV) on the cards' fronts which will be called out during the game.

After resolving setup, the Otherworldly Dreams Prelude instructs investigators to draw the Adventure for the first stage of the story, A Chance Encounter. When an Adventure is drawn, the active investigator places it faceup in play and resolves that card's "when this card enters play" effect.

Each Adventure has an effect that allows investigators to complete the Adventure. When an Adventure is completed, the active investigator resolves that card's "when this Adventure is completed" effect, which includes drawing another Adventure representing the next chapter of the story. Then the active investigator discards the Adventure, any tokens on it, and any tokens placed by its effects. Each Adventure will instruct investigators to draw an Adventure for the next stage of the story until reaching the fourth and final stage.

Dreamlands Side Board

The Dreamlands side board featured in this expansion creates bridges between the waking world and the land of dreams and allows the investigators to visit fantastical cities and other mysterious locations.

This side board is used only if Hypnos is the Ancient One or when using the Otherworldly Dreams Prelude card.

While the side board is in play, "game board" refers to both the main board included in Eldritch Horror and the side board. "Side board" refers to the side board but not the main board.

Side Board Setup

Follow the steps below to set up the Dreamlands side board.

1. Place Side Board: Unfold the side board and place it near the main board within reach of all players.
2. Add Clues and Gates: Add the seven Clues and three Gates that correspond to spaces on the side board to the Clue pool and Gate stack, respectively, and randomize the Clue pool and Gate stack.
3. Set Aside Monsters: Set aside the following Monsters from the Monster cup: 1 Ghoul Monster, 1 Moon-beast Monster, 1 Nightgaunt Monster, and 1 Zoog Monster. If one of these components would be returned to the Monster cup, it is set aside instead.
4. Separate and Place Decks: Separate all Dreamlands Encounters and Dream-Quest Encounters into decks and shuffle both decks. Place these decks near the side board. Then place the Dream-Quest token on the space that corresponds to the top card of the Dream-Quest Encounter deck.
5. Spawn Dream Portals: Reveal Gates from the top of the Gate stack until three Gates are revealed that each correspond to a space that is not on the Dreamlands side board. Place the three Dream Portal tokens on those spaces. Leave each revealed Gate in the Gate stack and do not randomize the Gate stack after spawning a Dream Portal.

Side Board Rules

The following rules relate to the Dreamlands side board.

Moving to the Side Board

When an investigator that is not on the Dreamlands side board performs the Rest action, he may spend 1 Clue or test Will–1. If he passes or spends the Clue, he moves to The Enchanted Wood.

In addition, Dream Portals allow investigators to travel between the Dreamlands side board and the main board. See "Dream Portals" below.

Dream Portals

Dream Portals represent locations where the Dreamlands bleed into the waking world. Each space containing a Dream Portal is connected by a Local path to the space that corresponds to that token. See "Local Paths" below.

Some effects cause Dream Portals to spawn. To spawn a Dream Portal, reveal Gates from the top of the Gate stack until a Gate is revealed that corresponds to a space that is not on the Dreamlands side board and does not contain a Dream Portal. Place the Dream Portal on that space. A revealed Gate remains revealed in the Gate stack; do not randomize the Gate stack after spawning a Dream Portal.

If a Gate would spawn on a space containing a Dream Portal, spawn that Gate on the space that corresponds to that Dream Portal instead.

Dream-Quest Spaces

The Enchanted Wood, The Moon, The Underworld, and Unknown Kadath are Dream-Quest spaces and can be identified by their circular art inside a rectangular frame. As an encounter, an investigator on a Dream-Quest space can resolve a Dream-Quest Encounter as described below.

Location Encounters

Investigators on the Dreamlands side board have access to thematic encounters related to those locations. Each City space on the side board has a brief description below its name that explains the most common effect that appears on encounter cards for that space.

• During the Encounter Phase, an investigator on Celephaïs, Dylath-Leen, or Ulthar may encounter that space by drawing a Dreamlands Encounter and resolving the effect that corresponds to his space.

Research Encounters

When an investigator encounters a Clue on the Dreamlands side board, he draws a Research Encounter for the chosen Ancient One and resolves the effect that corresponds to his space's type as normal.

Dream-Quest Encounters

The Dream-Quest Encounter cards in this expansion allow investigators to embark on a journey through exotic locations in the Dreamlands and reap a myriad of rewards to aid them during their quest.

• Dream-Quest Encounters are complex encounters that may require an investigator to resolve multiple tests.
• Each Dream-Quest Encounter's back indicates the space it corresponds to.
• The Dream-Quest token is placed on the space corresponding to the top card of the Dream-Quest Encounter deck. This space is referred to as the "active Dream-Quest space." If the top card of the Dream-Quest Encounter deck changes for any reason, move the Dream-Quest token to the appropriate space.
• During the Encounter Phase, an investigator on the space containing the Dream-Quest token may encounter it by drawing and resolving the top card of the Dream-Quest Encounter deck.

Local Paths

Each space containing a Dream Portal is connected by a Local path to the space that corresponds to that token. Spaces connected by Local paths are so close to each other that moving between them does not require an action.

• During the Action Phase, an investigator may move along any number of interconnected Local paths.
  • Each investigator may perform this movement only once per round.
  • This movement does not require an action but cannot be performed by a Delayed investigator.

Additional Rules

This section lists additional rules regarding Combat Encounters and Mysteries.

Combat Encounters

During the Encounter Phase, an investigator must encounter each non-Epic Monster on his space before encountering each Epic Monster on his space.

Focus Action

This expansion includes the Focus action, a new action first introduced in the Mountains of Madness expansion, that can be performed by any investigator. As an action, an investigator on any space gains one Focus token.

• An investigator may spend one Focus token to reroll one die when resolving a test. There is no limit to the number of Focus tokens he can spend to reroll dice.
• An investigator cannot have more than two Focus tokens.

Gates

Some effects in this expansion cause Gates in the Gate stack to be revealed. Revealed Gates remain where they are in the Gate stack unless the effect that causes the Gates to be revealed states otherwise.

If an effect would cause a number of Gates to be revealed that exceeds the number of Gates in the Gate stack, the active investigator randomizes the Gates in the discard pile and places them at the bottom of the Gate stack before resolving that effect.

After a Gate in the Gate stack has been revealed, it remains revealed until it is removed from the Gate stack or the Gate stack is randomized.

Mysteries

This expansion includes a new mechanic first introduced in the Mountains of Madness expansion: "advance the active Mystery." Due to the complexity of Mysteries, this can result in a number of different effects. When investigators are instructed to advance the active Mystery, the active investigator resolves one of the following effects that applies:

• If the active Mystery requires one or more tokens to be placed on the card, place one token of that type on the card.
  • Clues, Gates, and Monsters placed on the active Mystery in this way are drawn from the Clue pool, Gate stack, and Monster cup, respectively.
• If the active Mystery requires an Epic Monster to be defeated, place two Health on the card. The Epic Monster's toughness is reduced by one for each Health on the active Mystery.
• If the active Mystery requires an investigator to spend one or more Clues, place one Clue from the Clue pool on the card. Any investigator may spend Clues placed on the active Mystery when resolving an effect of that card.

Skill Values

Some effects in this expansion reference an investigator's skills as a value. A skill's value is equal to its printed value as modified by Improvement tokens and Impairment tokens.

• A skill's value is not affected by bonuses from possessions or other effects, since those effects are applied only when resolving a test.

For example, Kate Winthrop has a printed Observation of 4 and a single "+1 Observation" Improvement token. As such, her Observation value is 5 (4 from its printed value plus 1 from her Improvement token). The bonus to Observation that Kate would gain from the Private Investigator Asset does not affect the skill's value.

Unique Assets

Some encounters in this expansion reward investigators with various Unique Assets. Like Spells or Conditions, Unique Assets are double-sided cards. An investigator cannot look at the back of a Unique Asset unless an effect allows him to.

• Unique Assets are possessions and may be traded using the Trade action. There is no limit to the number of Unique Assets an investigator can have.
• "Asset" refers to both Assets and Unique Assets. "Non-Unique Asset" refers to Assets but not Unique Assets.
• When a Unique Asset is discarded, also discard all tokens on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can Amanda Sharpe's action ability improve the same skill multiple times?

A. Yes. If Amanda's action ability is used to discard multiple Talent Conditions, she may improve the same skill more than once. However, she cannot improve a skill to more than two above its printed value.

Q. What happens if Kate Winthrop is on a space containing a Dream Portal and a Gate would spawn on that space?

A. Both the Dream Portal effect and Kate Winthrop's passive ability will attempt to replace the Gate spawn. The active investigator decides which effect takes priority. As such, he could have Kate's passive ability cause the Gate to be discarded instead of spawning.

Q. What counts as "encountering a Gate" when using Luke Robinson's passive ability?

A. Luke can resolve his passive ability to ignore Monsters on his space when choosing an encounter. However, he must choose to encounter a Gate.

The most common way to encounter a Gate is to draw and resolve an Other World Encounter card. However, resolving any encounter that requires Luke to occupy a space containing a Gate is encountering a Gate. For example, the Caught in the Web Mystery grants a different option for encountering a Gate.

Q. What is Luke Robinson's starting space if there are multiple Gates on the game board or if there are no Gates on the game board?

A. Luke's Investigator token is not placed during step 3 of setup as usual. After resolving setup, Luke chooses a space that contains a Gate and places his Investigator token on that space. If there are no Gates on the game board, he places his Investigator token on a space of his choice instead.

Q. What happens to Gates in the Gate stack after they are revealed?

A. Revealed Gates remain where they are in the Gate stack unless the effect that causes the Gates to be revealed states otherwise. The Gate stack is not randomized nor are the Gates discarded or otherwise moved in the Gate stack. After a Gate in the Gate stack has been revealed, it remains revealed until it is removed from the Gate stack or the Gate stack is randomized.

Optional Rules

Some players may wish to adjust the game's difficulty. This section lists optional rules for adjusting the game's difficulty and setup instructions of Prelude cards.

Adjusting Game Difficulty

If all players agree at the start of the game, they can use the optional rules listed below to alter the difficulty of the game.

Staged Difficulty

Players can make the game's difficulty increase in stages by building stage I of the Mythos deck using only easy Mythos cards, building stage II of the Mythos deck using only normal Mythos cards, and building stage III of the Mythos deck using only hard Mythos cards.

To increase the difficulty of this optional rule, players can use normal blue Mythos cards when building stage I of the Mythos deck and hard blue Mythos cards when building stage II of the Mythos deck. Players may also start with an easy blue Mythos card in play following the "Starting Rumor" rule in the Eldritch Horror Reference Guide.

Insane Difficulty

If players wish to have a more challenging game experience than Hard game difficulty from the base game, they can make the game significantly more difficult by building the Mythos deck using only hard Mythos cards.

Note—This optional rule may require additional expansions depending on the chosen Ancient One.

Control Your Fate

Instead of drawing a random Prelude card before setup, players as a group may choose one Prelude card, following the card's effects as normal. Alternatively, players may choose to not use a Prelude card.