Fate of the Elder Gods
Fate of the Elder Gods Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 8 Lodge player mats
- 8 Reference Cards (4 Turn and 4 Fate Location)
- 1 Altar game board
- 65 Spell cards
- 20 Curse cards
- 20 Arcane Artifact cards
- 15 Gate cards
- 10 Fate Dice
- 8 Elder God cards
- 40 Elder Sign tokens
- 8 Winter Squall tokens
- 4 Summon Track tokens
- 25 Investigator miniatures
- 4 sets of Cultist miniatures (20 in each player color)
- 2 Fate Piece miniatures
Game Set-Up
The following steps are used to set up a 3- or 4-player game. See 2-Player Games and Solo Play in the Additional Rules Section of this rulebook for rules changes and set-up for lower player counts.
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Altar Board - Place the Altar game board in the center of the playing area.
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Elder Gods - Shuffle the Elder God cards and deal two to each player. Each player chooses 1 Elder God and returns the other card to the box.
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Lodge - Each player takes the Lodge player mat for the Elder God card they chose and places it in front of them, along with a Player Aid card that details each Location.
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Summon Track - Each player chooses a color and takes the Summon Track Token matching that color and places it on the space of their Summon Track.
Cultists - Each player takes all Cultists in their chosen color and places their Cultists as instructed below:
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7 Cultists in their Lodge.
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7 Cultists in the Abyss.
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1 Cultist on each Location of the Altar.
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Spell Cards - Shuffle the Spell cards. Deal each player 3 cards as their starting hand. Then, starting at the Other Worlds and proceeding clockwise, place one random Spell from the Spell deck face down at each Location (in the Astral Column). Finally, place the Spell deck face-down outside of the board next to the Library Location.
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Arcane Artifacts - Shuffle the Artifact cards and turn 2 cards face up outside the board near the Museum Location. Then place the Artifact deck behind these cards.
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Gate Cards - Take the Gate cards and place them outside the board near the Ceremony Location of the Altar.
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Curse Cards - Shuffle the Curse cards and place them face-down near the board.
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Investigators - Place 1 Investigator on each Location of the Altar. Then take the remaining Investigators and place them near the board to form a supply.
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Fate Piece - Place 1 Fate Piece on the Other Worlds Location of the Altar, placing it above the Astral Symbol there. Return the remaining Fate Piece to the game box. This extra piece will only be used in the 2-player and solo mode (see 2-Player Games and Solo Play for more information).
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Elder Signs - Place the Elder Sign tokens near the board to form a supply.
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Fate Dice - Place the Fate Dice near the board.
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First Player - Establish the First Player by shuffling the Elder God cards the players chose and drawing one. That player will take the first turn of the game. All Elder God cards can now be returned to the box.
Key Components
Cult Lodges
Each Cult's Lodge is dedicated to their Elder God and contains the following information:
A) Spell Reserve. It is here that the player may Ready Spells to be used later. The Spell Reserve can hold a maximum of 3 Readied Spells.
B) Name of the Elder God.
C) Elder God's Dark Gift. Each Elder God provides a unique Dark Gift to their Cult that is activated when the Fate Piece is moved to the Ceremony Location. Each gift is very powerful and when used strategically can be the difference between victory and defeat.
D) Area to house the Cultists for the Lodge.
E) Summon Track. The Summon Track is used to track each Cult's progress toward Summoning their God, and their failure to prevent the Investigators from sealing their Elder God from this world with powerful Elder Signs.
Spell Cards
Astral Symbol Backs - When face-down, the back of each Spell Card reveals an Astral Symbol. Spell cards have one of five different card backs depicting an Astral Symbol. Astral Symbols in your hand are open information.
Spells & Casting - When face-up a Spell Card lists:
A) Cost to Ready in Astral Symbols
B) Astral Symbol on back of card
C) Spell Name
D) Ability that is performed when Cast
There are two steps to using a Spell in Fate of the Elder Gods. First, the Spell must be Readied by paying its cost in Astral Symbols shown at the top of the card and placing it face-down above your Lodge, in your Spell Reserve. Spells are then Cast any time for no additional cost, by flipping the Spell card face-up and immediately activating the listed ability. After a Spell has been cast it is then discarded. See Ready Spell in Playing the Game for more information and an example.
How to Claim Victory
Fate of the Elder Gods has 2 different end conditions, each with different Victory requirements.
1) Summon An Elder God
As players take actions during the course of the game, whether casting dark Spells, sacrificing their Cultists to the Abyss, or braving strange Curses, they inch ever closer to the ultimate goal: Unleashing their chosen Elder God into our realm of existence. The Summon Track on each player's Lodge represents the status of the Cult in summoning their Elder God. The Summon Token starts on the starting space and advances clockwise toward the 9.
When a player moves their Summon token onto the 9 of their Summon track, the Cult has summoned their Elder God. Unless triggering a Curse that prevents victory, the game ends immediately and that player wins.
2) Elder Sign Seal
Elder Sign tokens represent the magic seals created by intrepid Investigators that are desperately attempting to seal away eldritch horrors and prevent the Elder Gods from entering the world.
When gained, Elder Sign tokens are added backward on the Summon Track, starting at the 9 and working around to the starting space (a total of 10 tokens). When an Elder Sign is placed on the starting space, filling the Track completely, the game ends immediately and that player loses. Then all other players check their Summon Tracks for Elder Signs. The player with the fewest Elder Signs on their Track is the winner. If players are tied for the least Elder Signs, the tied player with the most Summon Points becomes the winner. If still tied, they share a tainted victory.
Curse of the Elder Sign - During the game, when a Cult's Summon token moves onto the same space of an Elder Sign on their Summon Track for the first time, that Cult becomes Cursed. Any additional movement onto Elder Sign tokens will not result in additional Curses. The Curse of the Elder Sign only occurs the first time the Summon token moves onto an Elder Sign. For more on Curses, see Curses.
Playing the Game
The game is played in turns, and each turn is divided into 4 Phases:
- I. PREPARE: Resolve pre-movement Spells.
- II. MOVE: Play an Astral Symbol & Move the Fate Piece to a new Location.
- III. ACTIVATE: Activate the Location's abilities.
- IV. CONCLUDE: Ready a Spell & Draw card(s).
Each player completes all the steps of their turn before the next player in clockwise order starts their turn.
I. Prepare
At the start of your turn, the Prepare Step allows you to resolve any Spell abilities that may occur before movement.
Refresh any exhausted Artifacts in your possession by returning them to an upright position.
II. Move
The MOVE Phase of your turn is comprised of three parts:
- Move the Fate Piece to a new Location
- Check to see if Investigators move to your Lodge
- Place your Cultist and an Investigator onto the new Location
The three parts detailed below must be performed in the order listed.
1. Move the Fate Piece
The back of each Spell card displays an Astral Symbol that matches one of the Locations on the Altar. To move the Fate Piece, place 1 Spell card from your hand face-down outside the Location that the Fate Piece currently resides and move the Fate Piece to the new Location matching the Astral symbol on the card. Alternatively, you may instead play any 2 matching Astral Symbols as a Wild to move the Fate Piece to any other Location on the Altar. The Fate Piece must always be moved to a new Location.
If there are card(s) already outside the Location, place your new card(s) face down above the previous cards to form an Astral Column.
EXAMPLE: The Fate Piece is located on The Ceremony. John plays a card face-down at The Ceremony, adding it to the top of the existing Astral Column. John then moves the Fate Piece to The Gathering, which matches the symbol played.
WILD MOVEMENT EXAMPLE: The Fate Piece is located on The Ceremony. John plays two matching cards face-down above The Ceremony. He could move the Fate Piece to the Library, The Gathering, Streets of Arkham, or The Museum, but chooses to use this special opportunity to move the Fate Piece to the Other Worlds since it can only be reached using a Wild movement or a Gate Card.
Playing a Gate Card: Gate cards are a special type of Spell card with a Gate symbol, gained at the Ceremony Location. When you play a Gate card outside the Location where the Fate Piece currently resides, move the Fate Piece to any other Location as if you had played 2 matching Astral Symbols. Players can not hold more than 1 Gate Card. A Gate card does not count as a Spell card for hand size.
2. Investigators Move to Lodge
If the Location where the Fate Piece now resides holds 3 or more Investigators, move all Investigators from the Location onto your Lodge. If there are two or fewer Investigators, ignore this action.
Investigators on your Lodge do not attack until a Raid is initiated (see Investigators Raid).
3. Cultist and Investigator Placement
Place 1 of your Cultists from your Lodge and 1 Investigator from the general supply onto the Fate Piece's new Location. Your activity arouses the suspicions of humanity.
- No Cultists in the Lodge: If you do not have any Cultists to place from your Lodge, take 2 of your Cultists from the Abyss. Place 1 Cultist onto your Lodge and 1 Cultist onto the Location. As a penalty, gain 1 Elder Sign.
- No Investigators in Supply: If there are no remaining Investigators in the supply to place onto a Location, then all players are immediately Raided by the Investigators on their Lodge (see Investigators Raid). After the Raid, place 1 Investigator from the supply onto the Location as normal.
III. Activate
The Activate Phase of your turn is divided into two parts: A Basic Action provided by the Location that must be performed, and an optional Control Action. The two parts detailed below must be performed in the order listed.
1. Perform the Basic Action provided by the current Location.
2. Perform the Control Action if you have Control or Temporary Control (see below). You must perform the Basic action, but you may choose to perform or forgo the Control action of the current Location.
- Control: A Cult has Control if they have 3 or more Cultists at the Location and the most Cultists at the Location. You must meet both requirements to have Control. If two Cults are tied, no Cult has Control. If your Cult has Control, you may perform the Control action for that Location.
- Temporary Control: If your Cult does not have Control you may roll 1 Fate Die. On a success result your Cult gains Temporary Control and you may take the Control Action this turn.
For more on specific Basic and Control Actions for each Location, see Altar Locations.
IV. Conclude
The Conclude Phase of your turn is comprised of three parts: Ready a Spell if you have the matching Astral Symbols to pay the cost, Draw a Spell Card (or draw up to your hand minimum of 3 cards), and Investigators Raid if you have 5 or more on your Lodge. The three parts detailed below must be performed in the order listed.
1. Ready Spell (Optional)
After resolving movement and completing your Location's Action(s), you may ready 1 - and only 1 - Spell if you have the appropriate Astral Symbols (see below). Readied Spells can then be Cast, from your Spell Reserve, at any time by flipping them face-up to perform their ability.
To Ready a Spell, choose a Spell card from your hand with a cost that matches the Astral Symbols in the current Location's Astral Column (including the Location's symbol) and/or your Ready Spell slots. Show all other players the Ready Cost at the top of the card, being sure to conceal the name and ability of the Spell to confirm that the cost has been paid correctly. Then, place the Spell face-down in an available Spell Reserve slot above your Lodge and discard all cards in the Astral Column at the Location, regardless of whether the symbols were used to Ready your Spell or not.
Important: You can have a total of 3 Ready Spells. If you decide to Ready a Spell and do not have a slot for it, you may either Cast it immediately or discard a Readied Spell card with no effect and replace it with the new Readied Spell.
To Cast a Spell, reveal a Readied Spell at any time, perform its ability, and then discard the Spell. Spell cards may be Cast on the same turn they are Readied. When a Spell is Cast it interrupts the flow of play and the ability is immediately resolved.
Readied Spell Astral Symbols - Astral Symbols on the back of Ready Spells above your Lodge can be used to pay the cost of future Spells as if they were part of the current Astral Column. Symbols used in this way are never discarded. Astral Symbols in your hand can not be used to Ready Spells.
Wild Icons: Gate cards in the Astral Column and the symbol for the Other Worlds Location are wild for Readying Spells, becoming any 1 Astral Symbol for the Spell. Two symbols of the same type can not be used as a Wild to pay the cost for Spells.
Timing: Some Spell cards may note specific times when they can be played or actions that will trigger their use. Rules and text written on these cards overrule any text in the rulebook. Cast these Spells when appropriate.
EXAMPLE: John has completed his movement and basic Action at The Ceremony this turn and decides to Ready the Spell "Corruption" from his hand. He consults the Astral Column and sees that The Ceremony Location provides a symbol but the remaining symbols do not help him. Luckily, John has a Ready Spell from a previous turn with a matching symbol. Using both symbols, John quickly reveals the casting cost to the other players (being sure to conceal the Spell name and ability). He then places it face-down in his third Ready Spell slot. Since John readied a Spell card this turn, he discards the entire Astral Column.
2. Draw Spell Card(s)
Draw 1 Spell card. If you have less than 3 cards, continue drawing until you have 3. You will always end your turn with a minimum of 3 Spell cards. However, there is no hand limit, so you can have more. A Gate card does not count as a Spell card for hand size.
If there are no Spell cards remaining to draw, shuffle all discarded Spell cards together to form a new draw pile.
3. Investigators Raid
If you have 5 or more Investigators in your Lodge, the Investigators will Raid.
Conducting a Raid: When Investigators Raid, take 1 die for each Investigator on your Lodge and roll the dice at the same time. Based on each die result, the Raid results in the following in this order:
- Gain 1 Elder Sign. 1 Investigator remains on your Lodge. With the Elder Sign complete, the tenacious Investigator feels emboldened to continue their righteous task.
- Gain 1 Elder Sign. Destroy 1 Investigator on your Lodge. With the Elder Sign complete, they slink into the shadows, your Cultists not far behind.
- Destroy 1 Investigator on your Lodge. Your Cultists quickly and effortlessly reduced the threat they are facing.
At the end of the Conclude Phase, the next player in clockwise order then begins their turn.
Altar Locations
Each Location on the Altar has a different Basic and Control Action as described below. For quick reference, Location Actions are described on the included Player Aid cards.
Other Worlds
The Other Worlds are a multitude of places the Cultists can travel in our universe and beyond. From the far reaches of space to the planet Yuggoth, to the depths of the sea where the corpse-city of R'lyeh entombs great Cthulhu, or to the many fabulous Dreamlands, the Cultists will travel to call to their Elder God to awaken from slumber.
The Other Worlds is a Location where your loyal Cultists will sacrifice themselves in their attempts to summon your Elder god into their mortal world. This Location is the key way to increase your Summon Track and move closer to victory.
Basic Action: Roll 1 Fate Die for each of your Cultists at the Location. For each success rolled, advance your Summon Track token forward 1 space on your Summon Track and Sacrifice 1 of your Cultists in the Other Worlds (place it in the Abyss). Any Cultists that are not Sacrificed remain on The Other Worlds.
Control Action: For each success you roll, return a Cultist from the Abyss to your Lodge.
EXAMPLE: Jo has four Cultists on the Other Worlds Location. All other players have fewer Cultists, so she has Control of the Location. She grabs 4 dice and chucks them getting 2 successes. Jo moves up two spaces on her Summon Track, and moves 2 Cultists from the Other Worlds to the Abyss. All other results are ignored. Since she has Control and rolled a matching result, she takes 1 Cultist from the Abyss and places it in her Lodge.
Museum
The Museum is a place where powerful arcane artifacts may be obtained. From the displays at the Boston Museum, to the immense private collection of Miskatonic University, this Location enables the Cults to acquire unusual and magically-empowered artifacts.
Basic Action: Choose 1 of the 2 face-up Artifacts, or take the top card of the Artifact Deck, and place it face-up into your play area. All remaining face-up Artifact cards are discarded and moved to the bottom of the Artifact deck and 2 new Artifacts are revealed.
Artifacts - Artifacts are special cards that are kept face-up nearby your Cult's Lodge. Each unique Artifact lists a special ability that may be used when applicable. Some Artifacts have abilities that require the Artifact to be Exhausted or Destroyed. To Exhaust an Artifact, perform its ability and turn it sideways. Once an Artifact is Exhausted it cannot be Exhausted or Destroyed until after the Prepare phase of your next turn. To Destroy an Artifact, perform its Destroy ability and then remove the Artifact from the game.
Artifact Limit: Your Cult can hold a maximum of 3 Artifacts. If you acquire a 4th artifact, you must immediately discard 1.
Control Action: Before taking the Basic Action, you may discard the two face-up Artifacts and draw two new Artifacts from the Artifact Deck. Then, you may Sacrifice up to 3 Cultists at the Museum to the Abyss. For each Cultist sacrificed in this way, Destroy 1 Elder Sign in any player's Lodge.
The Ceremony
The Ceremony represents the various places Cults perform their bizarre acts in communion with their Elder God. From the tainted beach, to the blasted glade wood, to the fetid inner sanctum of the Cult's Lodge, the faithful call upon their slumbering Elder Gods seeking the gifts and blessings it offers to further their misguided cause.
Basic Action: Add one Gate Card to your hand. Then, activate the Dark Gift of your Elder God described on your Lodge. The Action of The Ceremony is different for each Cult as they activate the Dark Gift of their individual Elder God.
Gate Cards: Gate Cards are special Spell cards that allow you to move the Fate Piece to any Location on the Altar, including the Other Worlds Location. The Gate card does not count as a Spell card for hand size.
Gate Card Limit: Players may never hold more than 1 Gate card at a time. Gate cards are not gained if the player already holds a Gate card.
Control Action: Sacrifice 2 of your Cultists at the Ceremony and advance your Summon Track token 1 space.
Streets of Arkham
Intrepid Investigators explore The Streets of Arkham to unravel the horrors and mysteries of the mythos. This Location enables the Cults to mislead and manipulate the Investigators into pursuing other Cults, keeping the focus off their Cult's own dark works.
Basic Action: Move a total of 2 Investigators from your Lodge and/or supply into any other Lodge(s). This means you may place 2 Investigators in the same Lodge, or place 1 in 2 different player's Lodges. Then, after placing the Investigators in the Lodge(s), a Raid is initiated immediately for all other players that have 1 or more Investigators in their Lodge (see Investigators Raid). The active player on the Streets of Arkham will not be raided at this time, even if the active player has Investigators in their Lodge.
Control Action: Sacrifice 1 of your Cultists at Streets of Arkham to the Abyss to place 1 Investigator on each other player's Lodge. This Control Action is performed after the Raid above, and the new Investigators placed do not immediately Raid.
The Gathering
The Gathering represents the various meetings the Cult performs, including recruiting and initiating new members into the secrets of their Lodge.
Basic Action: Retrieve 3 of your Cultists from the Abyss and place them in your Lodge. Then you may move 1 of your Cultists from the Gathering Location to any other Location on the Altar.
Control Action: Move any number of your Cultists from The Gathering to any other Location(s) on the Altar. This means that you may move all the Cultists from The Gathering to a single Location, or may split them up by placing them on multiple Locations.
Library
The Library represents the numerous resources the Cults have for studying arcane Spells and learning the Things That Man Was Not Meant To Know. It includes places like the Private Library of Miskatonic University, upstairs books of the Arkham Historical Society, and even the well-guarded Study of the cult's Lodge Leader. Using this knowledge, the Cult draws upon the ancient, unfathomable powers of the void to gain powerful Spells and the insidious means to cast them.
Basic Action: Draw 3 Spell cards. Additionally, you may Ready a total of 2 Spells during the Conclude phase of your turn if the Astral Symbols are available. The second Readied spell may use the same pool of Astral Symbols as the first spell. Astral Symbols are not exhausted when used and are not discarded until after both spells have been Readied.
Control Action: Ready 1 Spell for free (no Astral Symbols are required, nor discarded).
Curses
Curses are cards that present unknown misfortunes that may befall a Cult as they tamper with great beings and powers beyond their realm of understanding. When you gain a Curse, the Cult to your right draws a Curse card in secret and only they know when your actions will trigger something truly horrible.
Players can become Cursed in a number of different ways; from Spells, Arcane Artifacts, Elder God Dark Gifts, and encountering an Elder Sign on their Summon Track for the first time. When you gain a Curse, the player to your right draws 1 Curse card and secretly reads the text. Each Curse card details a special condition that causes the Curse to become revealed and a penalty that you must then immediately resolve. After the player to your right reads the Curse in secret, the Curse is placed face-down in front of them. It is now the player to your right's duty to watch your actions, and if you ever "trigger" the Curse, they must reveal the Curse card immediately.
When a Curse is revealed, the game is briefly interrupted to resolve the Curse. The player to your right reads the card aloud and the penalties listed resolved immediately. Once the penalty is resolved, the Curse card is placed on the bottom of the Curse deck.
A Cult may gain multiple Curses. A Curse card always stays in play until resolved. If a Curse can be fulfilled when the Curse is drawn, it is immediately revealed and the penalty is resolved. Revealing a Curse is not optional for the player holding your Curse card. When the conditions of the Curse are met, the Curse penalty is immediately resolved and no abilities may be used to prevent it.
EXAMPLE: Jo gains the Arcane Artifact, The Necronomicon, which causes Jo to gain a Curse. Isabella, the player to the right of Jo, draws 1 Curse card and reads it silently to herself. She laughs and places the card face-down. The Curse states: "When the Cursed player has more than 3 Cultists at a Location... ...Add all Investigators to your Lodge, from the Location with the most Investigators". Isabella scans the Altar and identifies that Jo does not currently have more than 3 Cultists on any Location, so the Curse does not immediately trigger. Several turns later Jo adds 1 Cultist to the Other Worlds Location bringing her total to 4 Cultists on that Location. Isabella smirks and reveals the Curse card as Jo watches in terror. Isabella reads the card out loud, then Jo takes 3 Investigators from The Library (the Location with the most Investigators) and reluctantly places them in her Lodge. Isabella returns the resolved Curse card to the game box.
2-Player Games
After set-up, each player chooses a different Fate Piece and places both of them at the Other Worlds.
Fate of the Elder Gods plays the same as 3-4 players with 1 notable exception: Each player will control their own Fate Piece. You cannot move your Fate Piece to a Location occupied by the opposing player's Fate Piece. You cannot move your opponent's Fate Piece unless a Spell or ability allows you to move a Fate Piece, in which case you can choose which of the 2 Fate Pieces to manipulate.
Solo Play
It seems our glorious consortium has aroused the suspicions of local scholars and journalists. Those delusional fools flock to the Streets of Arkham to unravel the horrors and mysteries of the mythos. They attempt to stall our rituals with feeble Curses and pitiful Elder Signs. No matter. Our work is too important and time is short. He alone will rise and cleanse this world. And we will watch them tremble at the madness of the void.
Solo Set-Up
Set-up is the same as the 2-player game, with one exception. Choose and place your Fate Piece at the Other Worlds. You will become the start player. Place the remaining Fate Piece at the Streets of Arkham Location. This Fate Piece will be controlled by the Arkham Investigators. All other set-up remains the same.
Investigator Turn
After you complete a turn, the Investigators will move to a new Location. For the Investigator's turn, place the top card of the Spell deck in the Astral Column of the current Location of the Investigators' Fate Piece and move that Fate Piece to the Location matching the Astral symbol. Place 1 Investigator at this new Location. If the Astral Symbol matches the Location in which the Investigators' Fate Piece already occupies, it will instead move to the Other Worlds.
If the Investigators' Fate Piece ever moves into your Fate Piece's Location, you will immediately draw 1 Curse card, and place this face-down in front of you. The Investigators' Fate Piece is then moved to The Other Worlds. If you occupy the Other Worlds when the Investigators' Fate Piece enters it, the Investigators' Fate Piece is instead moved to The Streets of Arkham.
The Streets of Arkham
The Investigators never perform Location actions. However, if the Investigator's Fate Piece ever moves to The Streets of Arkham a RAID occurs immediately.
In addition, when you perform the Streets of Arkham Location action on your turn, return 2 Investigators from your Lodge back to the supply. Having Control of the Streets of Arkham allows you to sacrifice 1 of your Cultists (from Streets of Arkham) to remove 1 additional Investigator from your Lodge.
Controlling a Location
Having control of a Location means having at least 3 Cultists at a Location and MORE than the Arkham Investigators.
When you have Control of any Location, instead of performing that Location's Control Action you may instead gain 3 Elder Signs to destroy 1 face-down Curse. You may only do this once per turn.
Losing Conditions
If you gain 10 Elder Signs, your Elder God has been sealed away by the Arkham Investigators and you lose.
If you gain 5 Curse cards, your Cult has succumbed to the relentless pursuit of the Arkham Investigators and you lose.
Win Condition
If you reach 9 on your Summon Track, you win, and humanity is doomed.
Credits
Design: Richard Launius, Darrell Louder, Chris Kirkman
Art: Nolan Nasser, Jorge Ramos, Lucas Durham
Sculpts: Chad Hoverter
Graphic Design: Darrell Louder, Chris Kirkman
Editing: T.C. Petty III, Lillian Hagmann, Lesley Louder
Key Playtesters: T.C. Petty III, Matthew O'Malley, Lesley Louder, Bryan Fischer, Eric Booth, Jon Bowker, Jessica Wade, Peter C. Hayward, Dan Halstad, Greg Miller, Christin Miller, Joe Stanziano, Sarah Stanziano, Mike Mullins