Eldritch Horror FAQ
284 questions players ask · Updated Nov 7, 2026 · Full rulebook
Setup
- Can Eldritch Horror be played solo with only one investigator?
- Can once-per-round abilities be used during setup, such as Quick Study from a Prelude?
- Does a Monster placed during setup resolve its spawn effect?
- If Setup spawns a monster on an investigator's space (such as The Ghast), is it encountered during Setup?
- Is a Monster Surge resolved during setup?
- Does the setup step 'draw one Mystery card' mean a Mythos card?
- Where does the Omen token start?
- Must the Prelude match the Ancient One or sideboard I use?
- Can I mix all my expansion components into one game?
- If a replacement investigator's starting equipment is already owned by another player, what do they receive?
- Should I include a sideboard the Ancient One doesn't call for?
- Do you set aside an Ancient One's special encounter cards during setup even if you do not need them?
General Rules
- When halving a number, do I round up or down?
- Who decides when investigators are tied, for example for the most Clues?
- Does "investigators on your space" or "any investigator" include me?
- Can an investigator voluntarily discard a possession?
- Are item cards discarded after you use them?
- Can I hold more than one copy of the same Unique Asset or Task?
- When an effect says to gain an Asset, can I take a Unique Asset?
- Do Artifacts count as Assets for effects that check for Assets?
- Can an investigator have two copies of the same Spell card, for example two Blessing of Isis?
- Is there a limit to how many assets an investigator can hold?
- How do I gain a card with a given trait, like a Tome or Ritual Spell?
- Which card do I take when gaining a random double-sided card, like a Spell?
- Where do discarded double-sided Unique Assets go?
- In what order do the effects on a card resolve?
- If I can't perform the first part of an either/or option (no Ally to sacrifice), can I still choose it?
- When one effect triggers another, is the triggered effect resolved right away or after the triggering effect finishes?
- Can a triggered effect be resolved more than once for a single trigger?
- When two effects trigger at the same time, who decides their order?
- Which space counts as nearest when a card says to move to the nearest space?
- Does the map wrap around from the west edge to the east edge of the board?
- When can a Spell or Condition be turned over?
- In what order do phases and investigator turns happen?
- What counts as a round for once-per-round abilities?
- Can the Silver Key reduce a clue cost to zero?
- Can Clues sitting on a Task Unique Asset be spent on a group Clue cost from a Mythos card?
Phase 1: Action Phase
- Can I perform the same action twice in one round?
- Which actions can I take when a monster is on my space?
- Can I Acquire Assets or Prepare for Travel in a Wilderness or Sea space?
- With several successes on Acquire Assets, can I buy several cheaper assets instead of one?
- If Acquire Assets gains nothing, may I discard a reserve card, and do I get the next card?
- When is an empty Reserve slot refilled?
- Can I take a Bank Loan after seeing my Acquire Assets roll?
- When can I spend travel tickets during a Travel action?
- Can I take another action between the move and the ticket moves of a Travel action?
- Where can I gain a travel ticket?
- How many Travel Tickets can an investigator hold?
- Does a Travel action cost a ticket to move one space?
- What are the yellow paths on the board, and can tickets be used on them?
- Can I move through or off a space that contains Monsters?
- What happens if I become Delayed during the Action Phase?
- Can I trade Clues, Spells and travel tickets?
- Can I use a component action and a general action of the same kind in one round, such as Rex's Acquire Assets ability and the normal Acquire Assets action?
- Can Rest be one of my two actions?
- Can I use a card with an Action more than once per round?
- Can Charlie Kane's granted action repeat an action the receiving investigator already took?
- Can I cast two different spells or use two component actions in one turn?
- Do all investigators take actions before anyone has an encounter?
- Can you take a Focus action when you already hold two Focus tokens?
Phase 2: Encounter Phase
- What happens in my Encounter Phase if monsters are on my space?
- Can I have another encounter after defeating all Monsters on my space?
- After clearing all monsters on my space, can I take more than one additional encounter?
- Can I take a general city encounter instead of my city's own encounter, and in numbered cities?
- Can I use Clairvoyance to encounter a Clue while monsters are on my own space?
- If I fail the Clairvoyance test, do I still get an encounter?
- Can I use a Clue gained from Clairvoyance to pay for Arcane Understanding?
- Does being Delayed stop me from having an encounter or suffering Mythos effects?
- If an encounter or card moves me onto a Monster's space during the Encounter phase, do I fight it?
- Can a Research encounter give no Clue, and does a failed one remove the Clue token?
- What is an Expedition encounter, and when can you draw one?
- Must I fight non-Epic Monsters before Epic Monsters on my space?
- What happens to encounter cards after use, and when is a deck reshuffled?
- Does Mists of Releh work against an ambush, or with no monster present?
- If two defeated investigator tokens share your space, can you resolve both encounters?
- In what order are encounters resolved?
- If an Other World encounter gives you Clues in the middle of the encounter, can you spend them right away?
Phase 3: Mythos Phase
- In what order are reckoning effects resolved?
- Which Mythos cards trigger Reckoning effects?
- Does something that enters play during Reckoning trigger its own Reckoning in that step?
- Do set-aside Monsters resolve Reckoning?
- When does the Doom token move?
- Does moving the Omen (Dead Stars) advance Doom like advancing the Omen does?
- If Doom advances by more than one from a single cause, does an 'each time Doom advances' effect trigger once per space?
- Does retreating Doom onto a space with an Eldritch token trigger a Disaster?
- How does an Eldritch token on Azathoth's green Omen space affect Doom?
- On a Monster Surge, which gates spawn monsters?
- What happens on a Monster Surge if no gate matches the current Omen?
- If the Ancient One awakens during the Mythos phase, do I finish the Mythos card first?
- Once the Ancient One is awake, what happens when Doom would advance?
- In what order do the effects of a Mythos card resolve?
- In what order are investigators affected by a Mythos effect that says each investigator does something?
- When do I pass the Lead Investigator token?
- How can I tell if a Mythos card is easy, hard or standard?
- Does a monster moved onto my space during the Mythos phase attack me?
- Can I cast a spell during the Mythos phase to prevent Health or Sanity loss?
- Can a Delayed investigator be chosen to become Delayed by a Mythos effect?
Tests and Skills
- Can I add more than one +X bonus to the same test?
- Is the minimum of one die applied before or after bonus and penalty dice?
- Does one success pass a test no matter what else happens, such as Sanity lost in the Horror check?
- Do extra-die and reroll effects stack with other bonuses?
- Can I reroll successes, and how many rerolls can I use in one test?
- Can the Silver Key reduce a Clue cost to zero, for example for a free reroll?
- Can an effect that adds dice be used after I have rolled?
- Can a skill be improved more than twice in total?
- If Physical Resistance voids my highest +X bonus, can I use a lower one?
- Can I roll fewer dice than my pool or skip a bonus?
- What does the Focus action do?
- Does a '+X Lore when resolving Spell effects' bonus apply to the Lore test made when casting a Spell?
- Does a Spell still flip if its Lore test fails?
- Does a +1 skill bonus from a Spell or Possession count as an Improvement?
Combat Encounters
- How do the Will and Strength tests work in a combat encounter?
- If several Monsters are on my space, can I fight one and skip the rest?
- Is fighting several Monsters one Combat Encounter or separate ones?
- Can I keep fighting a monster until it is defeated in one Encounter Phase?
- If I fight a surviving monster again next round, do I repeat the Will test?
- Does a Strength test with only one success still hurt the monster?
- In combat, do you take damage equal to your successes or the Monster's damage minus your successes?
- Does a monster's damage value go down as I damage it?
- Can I spend Clues to reroll dice in combat?
- Does an ambush count as a Combat Encounter?
- Do I get defeat rewards and "when defeated" effects when I defeat a Monster in an ambush?
- After defeating all monsters on my space, can I take another encounter there?
- What happens when a monster is reduced to zero toughness by an effect?
- Can the Flute of the Outer Gods defeat an Epic Monster?
- How can an Epic Monster leave the board?
- Can Mists of Releh skip some of the monsters on my space and fight the rest?
- How does Storm of Spirits interact with modifiers and abilities?
- Can I fight a Monster outside the Encounter phase?
- If my Sanity hits zero from the Will test, do I still make the Strength test?
- Can an Epic Monster be defeated by advancing its mystery without the required artifact?
- Does a single-use combat bonus like Holy Water apply to every monster on the space?
- Can a spell and a weapon be used in the same combat?
- If a monster is defeated in the same combat round that you take damage from it, do you still lose the Health?
- Is there an evade test to leave a monster's space?
Gates, Monsters, and Clues
- How many Monsters appear when a Gate spawns?
- How does a Monster Surge work, including when no open Gate matches the Omen?
- What happens when the Gate stack runs out?
- How do I close a Gate, and what happens if I fail?
- Does closing a Gate remove the Monsters on its space?
- Does a Gate on my space stop me from taking a Rest action?
- Can more than one Gate be in the same space?
- Where do defeated or discarded Monsters go, and are they the same thing?
- Can Epic Monsters be discarded or moved, and how are they defeated?
- What happens if an effect spawns an Epic Monster that is already on the board?
- Where do set-aside Monsters (Cultists, Goat Spawn and so on) come from and return to?
- What happens if a Monster must spawn but the cup is empty?
- Is there a limit to the Monsters on one space, or a rule that I lose at 10 Monsters?
- Can I look at the stats on the back of a Monster token?
- Do Monsters move, and what if a reckoning tells one to move toward something it is already on?
- Does a Mi-Go still move to the nearest Clue at Reckoning if an investigator is on its space?
- When does a Monster spawn effect trigger, and does placing a Monster trigger it?
- How do Cultist Monsters work, and do their spawn and reckoning icons always apply?
- When do Clue tokens come onto the board, and what are they used for?
- If a Clue is on my space, do I pick it up automatically?
- Does the Clue token stay on the board after a Research Encounter that does not gain it?
- When an effect says "gain a Clue", which token do I take?
- Can one space hold two Clue tokens?
- Where do spent or discarded Clue tokens go, and what if the pool runs out?
- Can you look at the back of a Clue token you gain?
- How do I pick a random space?
- Does The Camera trigger when a Clue cost is reduced to zero (Silver Key, Granny Orne)?
- Does Know Thy Enemy trigger for each Clue gained in a Research Encounter?
- Does Norman Withers need to be at a Gate to discard a Monster with his ability?
- If Kate Winthrop cancels a Gate spawn, does the Render of the Veils Epic Monster still spawn on that space?
- When does Akachi's move after closing a Gate happen?
- Does Patrice's once-per-round Clue reward resolve before or after the Star Vampire's spawn effect when a Gate spawns?
Health, Sanity, and Conditions
- What happens when an investigator is defeated or devoured?
- What happens to a defeated investigator's possessions?
- When does a replacement investigator arrive, and is he affected by that Mythos card?
- Does a defeated investigator count as an investigator for card effects and player counts?
- If I reach 0 Health or Sanity, can I still use a once-per-round ability first?
- What happens if I must gain a Condition or Spell I already have?
- What if I must gain a Condition (such as Debt) but none are left?
- How do I draw from, search, and discard to the double-sided Spell and Condition decks?
- What does "gain a Madness (or other trait) Condition" mean?
- What does "Lose X unless you ..." mean when I decline or cannot pay?
- Can I spend my last Health or Sanity to pay for an effect?
- Does an effect that lowers Sanity spent reduce Sanity lost to Mythos cards or combat?
- How do effects that prevent Health or Sanity loss work (Grotesque Statue, Crystal of the Elder Things)?
- Can Resilient prevent the health loss from the Worked to the Brink Mythos card?
- What does Delayed do, and can a Delayed investigator still encounter or be moved?
- When does Mark Harrigan's passive ability stop him becoming Delayed?
- What does Detained do, and can a Detained investigator be moved or take actions?
- How do I get rid of a Debt, and how is its card resolved?
- How does Rest work with several Conditions?
- Does Rest always recover Health and Sanity, and can other tests happen during it?
- What happens when I gain Blessed and am already Blessed?
- Does a Cursed condition's penalty apply to every test while you have it?
- Can a Dark Pact holder pick himself, or a Lost in Time and Space investigator, to be devoured?
- Is a Lost in Time and Space investigator affected by Reckonings and Mythos effects?
- Does Fractured Spine discard all possessions but one?
- Can an ability for an investigator on my space affect me?
- Can Wendy Adams look at a random Condition before deciding to refuse it?
Mysteries, Rumors, and Winning
- What are the options when a card says to advance the active Mystery?
- Does advancing the active Mystery solve it automatically?
- Is the Final Mystery an active Mystery for effects like Syzygy or "advance the active Mystery"?
- If I meet the third Mystery's requirement during the Mythos phase, is it solved then or at the end?
- After solving a Mystery, is the next one revealed right away?
- Does the game end as soon as three Mysteries are solved?
- When an Ancient One awakens, does the Final Mystery count as an extra mystery to solve?
- Which investigator count do mystery cards use?
- When a mystery needs half the number of players in Eldritch tokens, how is half rounded with three players?
- If a Mystery needs a Clue gained from a Research encounter, do Clues gained from an artifact or ally count?
- Does a Research encounter that gives a Clue let you place both Clues on the current Mystery?
- When a Mystery says to spend a Clue to place a Clue on it, can I place the token I just spent?
- What happens to a completed Mystery card that is shuffled back into the Mystery deck?
- Does advancing the active Mystery damage an Epic Monster?
- How does the Hunting the Thousand Mystery count Monsters, and what does each cost?
- Do multiple Rumors stay in play at once, or does a new Rumor replace an older one?
- Does solving a Rumor count as solving a Mystery?
- Must you pass the test before spending Clues to solve a Rumor?
- When a Rumor is solved, what is removed from the board?
- When a Rumor Mythos card is drawn, is it solved or its Reckoning resolved at once?
- How are Eldritch tokens removed from a Rumor card that holds them?
- What happens if I must draw a Mythos card and the deck is empty?
- What are Eldritch tokens used for?
- Do you lose the game if the Expedition deck runs out while Secret of the Past is not in play?
Winning and Losing
- How many Mysteries must be solved before the Final Mystery?
- How can you lose Eldritch Horror?
- If the Mythos deck runs out before the mystery is solved, do you lose?
- What events can advance the Doom track besides the Omen?
- If an effect advances Doom past 0, what happens to the extra advances?
- Are defeated investigators replaced when Doom hits zero and the Ancient One awakens?
- If every investigator is defeated before the Mythos phase, do we lose at once?
- Do you have to close all gates or defeat all monsters to win Eldritch Horror?
Eldritch Horror: Cities in RuinExpansion
- Is a devastated space still a City?
- What can still happen on a devastated city?
- Can I resolve a location encounter on a devastated space?
- If an investigator is defeated in a city that is then devastated, does the investigator die before the devastation?
- Can a Devastation token ever be removed?
- Is Shudde M'ell's Final Mystery a fourth Mystery from the start?
Eldritch Horror: Forsaken LoreExpansion
- Where does Yig's reckoning Cultist spawn?
- Does gaining a Lost in Time and Space condition discard a Detained condition?
- Must I defeat the ordinary Monsters on a space before fighting an Epic Monster there?
- Where does a new cultist monster go when it is added by Forsaken Lore?
- What counts as an Expedition space?
- Is an investigator with a Lost in Time and Space Condition affected by Mythos cards?
- Does Forsaken Lore come with the Focus rule and Focus tokens?
Eldritch Horror: Masks of NyarlathotepExpansion
- Does Astute Researcher's clue bonus trigger when you discard one of the two Tasks gained from it?
- Can Masks of Nyarlathotep be combined with Under the Pyramids?
- If I begin a campaign game holding a Reward or Consequence, do its "when you gain" effects trigger?
- Can a defeated or devoured investigator be used in a later campaign game?
- In Masks of Nyarlathotep, does "advance the active Mystery" affect only the current Adventure card?
- When using a Masks Prelude card in a campaign, do you use every part of both Prelude cards?
- On a Mystery such as Dread Countenance, does 'you' mean one investigator must pay the whole cost, or can the group share it?
Eldritch Horror: Mountains of MadnessExpansion
- What does it mean to advance the active Mystery?
- Does drawing a new Mystery count as advancing the active Mystery?
- If an ambushing Gnoph-Keh survives the combat, does it keep its damage?
- Can I own and use two copies of the same Unique Asset, like two Dog Sleds?
- Do tome and asset lore bonuses stack on a Storm of Spirits lore test?
- Can I Acquire Assets or Prepare for Travel in Antarctica?
- Is moving between Antarctica and Miskatonic Outpost an action?
- Can Finn Edwards use an item that has to be discarded when used, like Dynamite?
- How do Physical and Magical Resistance work?
- Does the Eibon Dark Pact shuffle the Mythos deck?
Eldritch Horror: Signs of CarcosaExpansion
- Which deck do Special Encounter cards come from, and when are they drawn?
- Does a Devastation Encounter count as a location encounter for The Yellow Sign?
- Can an investigator who already has a Dark Pact choose option 3 of the No Time to Be Alone Mythos card?
- If a Blight is gained during Hastur's reckoning, does its reckoning resolve immediately?
- How is the sanity loss from Hastur's reckoning split among investigators?
- Do I need other expansions to play Signs of Carcosa?
Eldritch Horror: Strange RemnantsExpansion
- After Syzygy awakens, can you still solve the active Mystery, and does solving it still help?
- If a Relic discards itself when flipped, can I still place an Eldritch token on the Relics of the Ancient World Mystery?
- With Mystic Ruins cards in use, do I still draw Expedition encounters?
- On the Mystic Ruins space, must the monsters be defeated before you draw Sealing the Portal?
- If a Task asks me to spend more Health or Sanity than I have, what happens?
- When Syzygy turns over, what happens to an investigator who is defeated or devoured?
Eldritch Horror: The DreamlandsExpansion
- Can Composed reroll the dice more than once in the same test?
- How are Dream Portals placed when the Dreamlands gates are set up?
- Where does a gate spawn on a space with a Dream Portal?
- Can an investigator recover both Health and Sanity on a single Rest action under Hypnos?
- Does Gloria Goldberg's or Darrell Simmons' extra die apply to every test during a matching encounter?
- Does Atlach-Nacha require the Dreamlands sideboard?
- Does Bury Them Deep work when any investigator defeats or discards a non-Epic Monster?
- For the Hubris of Man Mystery, is the solve immediate after the encounter or at the end of the Mythos Phase?
Eldritch Horror: Under the PyramidsExpansion
- How do Local Paths work with the Travel action, and can they be used more than once per turn?
- How does the revised Haunter of the Dark mystery work for investigators in Arkham?
- Does Spawn of Uncleanliness require Eldritch tokens equal to the number of investigators, or half?
- Where do Abhoth's set-aside Cultists go when defeated, and what about extra Cultists beyond the printed number?
- Are sideboard spaces adjacent to Istanbul or The Pyramids for a Lloigor reckoning?
- Is a Relic the same thing as an Artifact?
- What is a Ritual Spell and how do I gain one?
- Do I run two Expeditions with the extra Expedition token?