Hollow Pact Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
  • Map Components
  • Oracle Mode Components
  • Gameplay Components
  • Player Components
• Game Modes
• The Pacts
  • Choosing the Pact
• Game Setup
  • Map Setup
  • Player Setup
  • Setup Steps 3 to 7
  • Gameplay Setup
  • Golden Rules
• First Time Playing?
• Playing the Game
  • Game Objective
  • Traversing the Map
  • Spending Stamina and Spirits
  • Your Turn
    • Before Taking Any Actions
    • Performing Actions
    • Bidding Spirits to Rituals
    • Upgrades
    • Curses
  • Passing
    • After Passing
  • End of Round
• Game Mechanics
  • Movement
  • Obstacles & Locations
  • Cards in Detail
    • Order of Effects
    • Offers
    • Ongoing Effects
  • Scavenging: Gaining Remnants
  • Curses
    • Dispelling Curses
    • Dark Pacts
  • Ambitions
  • Escape Routes
• Player Boards in Detail
• Sane & Insane
  • Stress Tokens
• Death
  • Resolving Death
• Schematics
  • Setup
  • Gates
  • Effect Tokens
  • End of Round
  • Example: Cursed Levers
• Scoundrels for Hire
• Hideous Beasts
• Oracle Beast
  • Oracle Setup
  • Playing with the Oracle: Turn Structure
    • Step 1: Determine the Damage and Stress Targets
    • Step 2: Perform Rituals
    • Step 3: Perform Ploys
    • Oracle Golden Rules
    • Step 4: Bid Spirits
    • Passing (Oracle)
  • Oracle Mechanics
    • Beast Hand
    • Playing Curses
    • Reaction Curses
• Game Mode Variants
  • Playing with an Extra Scoundrel
  • One Player as Two Scoundrels
• Solo Mode
• Achievements
• FAQ
• Quick Info

Components

Map Components

• 10 Schematics: 5 Village Schematics, 5 Inner City Schematics
• 21 Districts: 9 Village Tiles, 9 Inner City Tiles, 3 Escape Tiles

Oracle Mode Components

• 29 Ploy Cards
• 12 Dark Rituals Cards
• 1 Oracle Player Aid (double-sided)
• 2 Ploy Tokens
• Target Tokens (1 Damage and 1 Stress)

Gameplay Components

• 1 Pact (double-sided)
• 4 Rituals (double-sided)
• 35 Deed Cards
• 32 Remnant Cards (8 of each Terrain Type)
• 20 Curse Cards
• 20 Ambition Cards (10 Sane and 10 Insane)
• 9 Escape Route Cards
• 18 Broken Bridge Tokens
• 30 Effect Tokens (double-sided)
• First Player Token
• 6 Cog Tokens (3 for each Area)
• 10 Wound Tokens (double-sided)
• Guiding Light Token
• 3 Cargo Tokens (double-sided)
• 4 Terrain Tokens (with a bag)
• 30 Stress Tokens (with a bag): 2 with value 0, 12 with value 1, 12 with value 2, 4 with value 3

Player Components

• 8 Player Boards (double-sided): 5 Scoundrels, 3 Beasts
• 12 Character Tokens: 2 Vermu, 1 Sigrid, 2 Eliora, 3 Urgull, 3 Bolgin, 1 Lovar
• 4 Player Aids: 3 Scoundrels, 1 Beast
• 8 Character Aids (double-sided): 5 Scoundrels, 3 Beast
• 4 Miniature bases (1 for each player)
• 6 Gates
• 1 Cart
• 16 Ability Tokens
• 4 Upgrade Tokens
• 17 Stamina Tokens
• 8 Temporary Stamina Tokens (double-sided)
• 27 Scoundrel Spirits (9 for each Scoundrel)
• 16 Beast Spirits (plus 4 with value 3)
• Miniatures: 5 Scoundrels (Askel, Eliora, Olga, Sigrid, Vermu), 3 Beasts (Bolgin, Lovar, Urgull), 3 Cage miniatures, 2 Decoy miniatures, and a Real Cargo miniature. Depending on the version, the game may contain additional miniatures.

Game Modes

Hollow Pact is a 1-4 Player game where one individual may take on the role of the Beast, while the others will fill the shoes of the Scoundrels. Alternatively, the Beast can be controlled by the fully automated Oracle.

The chart below will guide you to the requirements for each game mode, along with its estimated time and complexity. For more information about the Oracle controlled Beast, refer to page 42.

Players	Game Mode	Pact	Complexity	Estimated Playtime
4 Players	Beast vs. 3 Scoundrels*	Semi Co-op / True Co-op	Normal	180 minutes
3 Players	Oracle vs. 3 Scoundrels*	Semi Co-op / True Co-op	Moderate	120 minutes
3 Players	Beast vs. 2 Scoundrels	Semi Co-op / True Co-op	Normal	120 minutes
2 Players	Oracle vs. 2 Scoundrels	Semi Co-op / True Co-op	Moderate	90 minutes
2 Players	Beast vs. 2 Scoundrels**	True Co-op

* Additional rules for the extra Scoundrel, see page 51. ** 1 Player controlling 2 Scoundrels, see page 51.

The Pacts

A Pact is an agreement between Scoundrels and their mysterious employer...

Pacts are the beating heart of Hollow Pact. They define what type of game you will be playing, along with its win conditions and any other special rulings that are applicable.

Choosing the Pact

Before setting up the rest of the board, choose a Pact that meets you and your groups needs and place it at the top of the table.

The Pact sheets pictured on the page (Leave No One Behind, a True Co-op Pact, and Knives in the Dark, a Semi Co-op Pact) summarise the outcomes for each side. Where the printed illustration partly covers the text, only the legible text is reproduced here.

Knives in the Dark (Semi Co-op)

Scoundrel Outcomes

• Legendary Escape: Escaped with the Real Cargo and completed 1 Ambition.
• I Am Alive: Be the First to Escape with a Decoy and completed 1 Ambition.
• That Was Close: Be the Second to Escape with a Decoy and completed 1 Ambition.
• All Is Lost: Died or the Beast reclaimed the Real Cargo before you Escaped.

Beast Outcomes

• Legendary Kill: Reclaimed the Real Cargo.
• Bitter Revenge: Only 1 Scoundrel Escaped, but with the Real Cargo.
• Bitter Survival: 2 Scoundrels Escaped, and with the Real Cargo.
• Defeat: All Scoundrels Escaped.

Curse – Dark Pacts: If a Scoundrel Cursed with a Dark Pact completes it, that Scoundrel and the Beast emerge victorious together. Scoundrels cannot Escape if they are Cursed with a Dark Pact. They must Dispel it or complete the Dark Pact.

Ambitions: Remove the True Co-op from the Ambition Decks.

Leave No One Behind (True Co-op)

Scoundrel Outcomes

• Legendary Escape: All Scoundrels Escaped and each completed 1 Ambition.
• We Got It Out: All Scoundrels Escaped.
• All Is Lost: 1 Scoundrel died.

True Co-op: Remove all Dark Pacts from the Curse Deck.

Ambitions: Remove the Semi-co-op Ambitions from the Ambition Decks.

Game Setup

Map Setup

1. Shuffle all Escape Route tiles, then lay all 3 face down side by side.
2. Do the same for the Inner City and Village tiles, adding each to their respective areas.
3. Shuffle all District Schematics and add one face down next to their respective areas: Inner City and Village.
4. Add a Gate token on top of every Inner City and Village district tile.

Player Setup

1. Each Player receives a Player Board, Miniature and Character Aid, based on their chosen character. Some characters also come with special Character Tokens. Additionally each Player receives a Player Aid and places it next to their Player Board — there are separate Player Aids for the Beast and the Scoundrels. Each Player Aid contains a Stamina Bar, Ability Slots, and useful information for gameplay. Scoundrels always start on their Sane side of their board, and it is recommended that Scoundrels sit together around the table. Players receive special tokens if indicated on their Player Board.
2. Players get Stamina Tokens to place at the top in their Stamina Bar, and a set of uniquely coloured Spirit Tokens — this is their Spirit Supply, placed next to their Player Board. The Beast always receives the red coloured Spirits, and then takes 1 extra Spirit to place on its Player Board. The other Spirit colours can be assigned to any Player. Add the silicon base to each miniature based on their Spirit colour. Each player places their Ability Tokens next to them.

Each player receives the following amount of tokens:

Token	Scoundrels	Beast
Stamina Tokens	×3	×4 (+1 if 3 Scoundrels)
Spirit Tokens	×9	×13 (+3 if 3 Scoundrels), and 1 to their Player Board
Ability Tokens (All Players)	×4	×4

Setup Steps 3 to 7

3. Gather the Cargo minis: one representing the Real Cargo and the rest, the Decoys. Place each Cargo inside the Cages and shuffle them so no one knows which is which. Each Scoundrel receives one Cargo. No Player should know which cage holds the Real Cargo at the beginning of the game. Cargo Tokens may be used as an alternative for the minis.
4. Shuffle the Ambitions into the Sane and Insane Ambition Decks, based on the Pact that is being played, Semi Co-op or True Co-op. Each Scoundrel receives 2 Ambitions, one that can be fulfilled while Sane and the other, when Insane. Most Pacts require you to complete one Ambition in order to escape. When an Ambition has been fulfilled, reveal the card immediately and claim its reward. Then, discard the other Ambition. Each Scoundrel also receives an Escape Route card at random, indicating which path they need to take in order to escape. Some Escape Routes have special conditions on them.
5. Shuffle the Deed Deck and each Player draws 6 Deeds. These are generally played by using Stamina. Information in your hand may not be revealed to other Players. However, you can still hint or even bluff about their contents.

When setting up for different modes:

1. For matches with 3 Scoundrels, the Beast draws 8 Deeds.

2. For 1 Player as 2 Scoundrels, the Scoundrels share a hand of 8 Deeds and draw 2 Sane and 2 Insane Ambitions.

3. For Oracle Mode, the Beast does not draw Deeds.

4. Set aside the remaining Deeds face down in a manner easily accessible to all Players. This is the Deed Deck. Draw 3 Deeds and place them face up next to it. This is the Discard Pile. When the Deed Deck is exhausted, shuffle back all but the top 3 cards from the Discard Pile. The Discard Pile should always have at least 3 Deeds.

5. The Scoundrel to the left of the Beast takes the First Player token and will go first. Turns will follow in clockwise order.

Gameplay Setup

1. Blindly shuffle the Ritual tiles and lay them side by side in a place easily accessible to all Players. Then, following their turn order, each Player adds 1 Spirit from their Spirit Supply to a Ritual.
2. Place all Stress Tokens and Terrain Tokens inside their respective bags.
3. Separate the Remnants by their respective terrain types and shuffle them. Place them next to each other in a place easily accessible to all Scoundrels. These are the Remnant Decks.
4. Shuffle all the Curses and place them face down next to the Beast. This is the Curse Deck.
5. Reveal the Village Schematic and follow the setup instructions.

Golden Rules

1. All information is hidden, unless stated otherwise. However, Players may speak about all information openly.
2. All discard piles are face up and you may only look at them when prompted too. Otherwise all discarded cards are considered closed information.
3. Game effects written on components take precedence over the rules written in this book.

First Time Playing?

Hollow Pact is in part a horror themed game, where there is a clear divide in power dynamics between the Beast and the Scoundrels. The Beast is meant to be a formidable foe, instilling fear, dread and respect. Therefore, it has a slightly higher win rate by design. Over time this gap will narrow, as Players become more familiar and skilled in the role of Scoundrels.

For Scoundrels, regardless of what Pact they are playing, the best chance at winning will require some cooperation with fellow Scoundrels. But remember, it is always anyone's game in Hollow Pact, whether you are playing Beast or Scoundrel. Even when you feel ahead or behind, the game allows for shifts in tempo and, if played correctly, bring you right back into the fight.

If this is your first time playing, we recommend the following set up, regardless of what game mode you chose. This will allow you to grasp the mechanics and flow of play as easily as possible.

• For character selection, we recommend using Urgull as the Beast: her Abilities and Upgrades are the most straight forward.
• For Scoundrels, we suggest Olga and Askel. In a game with 3 Scoundrels, we also recommend Vermu.
• We suggest using A Map in Pieces (Village) and Cursed Levers (Inner City) as your first game Schematics line up. These demonstrate a very clear objective for the Scoundrels and require them to do less steps to complete that objective.

Playing the Game

Game Objective

As a Scoundrel: Your mission is to transport the Real Cargo across the map and deliver it to an Escape Route. To survive, you must collaborate with your fellow Scoundrels — though alliances may be temporary.

As the Beast: Your goal is to hunt down the Scoundrels and reclaim the Real Cargo.

Traversing the Map

The map is divided into Areas separated by Gates. Scoundrels must unlock these Gates by solving puzzles described in the Schematics. Many puzzles require cooperation, even when Scoundrels are working against one another. You might find other environmental hazards depending on the Schematic.

The Beast can smash and remove Gates by moving through them, but doing so also opens paths for the Scoundrels.

Spending Stamina and Spirits

In Hollow Pact, most gameplay centres on Players taking Actions — from Movement and Attacks, to more specialized manoeuvres. Actions can be performed by using Abilities, playing Cards, or through Schematics that grant additional options. Each Action typically consumes Stamina or Spirits.

• Stamina: A base value, refreshed each Round. Actions cost may range from 0 to 3 stamina.
• Spirits: A scarce resource that must be earned during play, mainly by Pleading cards. While some abilities might require Spirits, its main use is for performing Rituals.

Your Turn

Hollow Pact is played in Rounds, with each Round consisting of Player Turns. The Player who has the First Player Token starts the Round.

Before Taking Any Actions

Each turn, Players may check if they have the most amount of Spirits on Rituals. They may perform any Rituals that they are currently winning, in any order. If the amount is tied, they may not perform it. Scoundrels perform the top effect of the Ritual while the Beast performs the bottom effect.

Players may also choose to not perform a Ritual, conserving the Spirits and using them for a future turn.

Performing Actions

During each Turn, Players may perform up to 2 Actions or Pass. They may be a Player Ability, a Card or a Schematic Action. Players may even choose the same type of Action twice: for example, playing 2 Cards.

Player Abilities

Each Player has unique abilities that cost Stamina or Spirits. The cost of an ability is shown beside it. To play an ability, Players pay the amount of Stamina or Spirits and add the Ability Token to the tracker.

The Ability Slots are a tracker to help Players recall which abilities have been used during each Round. They follow the same order as the Player Board, top to bottom, and are colour-coded.

Example: Urgull uses the ability Silk Spin, discarding 1 Spirit from their Player Board to their Supply. Then, they add the Ability Token to its respective slot: they cannot use that Ability for the rest of the Round.

Playing Cards

Players can also perform Actions by playing cards, such as Deeds. Additionally, Scoundrels can play Remnants and the Beast can play Curses. Their cost is indicated on the top left part of the card.

Example: Olga plays the card Rush, spending 1 Stamina and sliding a token to the bottom of her Stamina Bar.

Even when a Card or Ability has no Stamina cost, they still count as an Action.

Some actions may give Players Temporary Stamina, those are discarded after use. If not used, they turn into Spirits after passing.

Out of Cards?

While you can acquire Deeds, Remnants, and Curses through many game effects, remember that your Player Board features a dedicated ability for gaining Deeds whenever you run low.

Reactions

Reaction cards can be played at any moment in response to another Player's action, even after passing in a Round. Some Reaction may have additional costs to be played.

They always include the phrase "Play when..." specifying its condition. If the condition is met, you may immediately play it by paying its cost and resolve the effect. Then discard the card.

Instants

Instants are Bonus actions. They do not cost any Stamina or Spirits and do not count as an Action during a turn. Players may take as many Instants as they would like during their turn. However, they may not be played in the middle of other actions.

Schematics Actions

Some Schematics may contain extra actions that are available. To perform them, Players need to pay the indicated cost. Some Schematic Actions are only for Scoundrels, Beast, or both.

Other Locations on Districts contain actions. See page 25 to learn about them.

Bidding Spirits to Rituals

At any moment while taking Actions, Players may add Spirits from their board to a Ritual. They may add as many Spirits on as many Rituals they want.

Placing Spirits on Rituals does not count as an Action.

Upgrades

At any moment while taking Actions, the Beast may Upgrade by spending the required Spirits from their Player Board. Then, they place an Upgrade Token on the matching slot.

The Beast may purchase as many Upgrades as they want during their turn. The Upgrades are immediately available after unlocking.

Upgrading does not count as an Action.

Curses

Curses are cards unique to the Beast. To play a Curse, choose a Scoundrel to curse and place the card next to their Player Board. This Scoundrel is now cursed and must resolve the effects until they can be dispelled. Read more about Curses on page 27.

A Scoundrel can have only 2 Curses at once next to their Player Board. However, Reaction Curses can still be played.

Passing

Players either take Actions or Pass. The only exception is in their final turn in a Round.

A Player usually Passes when they have no Stamina or Cards left to play.

a) The first Player to Pass must declare it before taking any actions and they immediately gain the First Player Token. b) During their first turn in a Round, Players with the First Player Token may not Pass. c) While they cannot take actions, they may still perform Rituals and Instants. d) After a Player passes, all others then take a final turn, performing rituals and actions as normal, before moving on to Passing.

After Passing

Players should follow these steps in this order:

1. The first Player to pass in a Round gains the First Player Token.
2. Turn Unused and Temporary Stamina into Spirits.
3. Resolve any card that has an effect after passing. Discard the card afterwards.
4. Pleading: Players may Plead a Card from their hand — Deeds, Remnants or Curses. They discard the Card and gain the number of Spirits shown on the top left of the card: from their Supply to their Player Board.

If the Player was not the first to Pass, they may place Spirits from their Board onto Rituals.

5. Check for effects from Tokens and Curses.
6. If a Scoundrel passes on a Shelter, they may discard a Stress Token from their board.
7. If a Scoundrel is Insane and the amount of Stress on their board exceeds their Stress Threshold, they die. For more details, see pages 33-34.
8. Discard down to the hand limit: Default hand limit is 6 cards: Deeds, Remnants and Curses included. When playing with 3 Scoundrels, the Beast hand size is increased to 8 cards: Deeds and Curses included. For One Player as Two Scoundrels mode, the Scoundrels share a hand size of 8 Deeds, not including Remnants.
9. Replenish the Stamina bar and remove any Ability Tokens from their slots.

End of Round

After all Players have passed, do the following in this order:

1. Check for cards with Until end of Round effects in the game. See page 26 for more info.
2. Check for End of Round effects on Schematics. See page 35 for more info.
3. Spirit Decay: Whenever Players are tied for Spirits on a Ritual, each tied Player returns 1 Spirit from that Ritual to their board.
4. Scoundrel have an opportunity to do the Scoundrel's Gambit.

Scoundrel's Gambit

At the End of Round, all Scoundrels with Hidden Cargo may participate in the Scoundrel's Gambit.

Scoundrels place a hand on their Cage and one Player counts aloud: "1... 2... 3!" On 3, each Scoundrel must choose to either:

a) Lift their Cage, revealing their Cargo b) Keep their Cage closed, choosing not to reveal.

After choices are revealed, Scoundrels who revealed their Cargo get the following results:

• Remove 1 Stress. Gain 1 Spirit.
• Gain 1 Stress.

Ending the Game

Outcomes may range in degree or type: some Pacts allow for Legendary Victories, Lesser Victories, or Total Defeat — depending on how the Player performs.

Some Pacts will include Curses with the Dark Pact, bringing additional outcomes.

Winning as the Beast

For the Beast, victory means killing Scoundrels and reclaiming the Cargo. This can be done in multiple ways:

1. Giving Wounds equal to or greater than the Scoundrel's total Health.
2. Giving Stress equal to or greater than an Insane Scoundrel's Sanity Threshold.

For more information about Sane, Insane mechanics and Death, see pages 33-34.

If you have 8 or more Stress when you do your Sanity Check, you die.

Winning as the Scoundrel

For the Scoundrel, victory means reaching their assigned Escape Route — preferably with the Real Cargo.

1. When a Scoundrel reaches a location that matches their Escape Route card, they may choose to Escape, but only if they are below their Sanity Threshold.
2. Depending on the Pact, Scoundrels need to complete 1 Ambition in order to Escape.

Game Mechanics

Movement

Move: Players move from one location to the next by playing a card or using abilities that has the keyword Move. Movement is always up to: meaning that if a card says Move 4, a Player might choose to only Move 2.

Nearby: All adjacent Locations connected by paths, including the Location itself, are considered nearby.

Locations connected by Broken Bridges are not considered nearby anymore.

Sneak: When sneaking, Players move as normal, but don't gain Stress or discards Cards when moving through Mist or — in case of the Scoundrels — into an Undiscovered District. They may also cross any Bridge without breaking it.

Jump: When jumping, Players may move over Broken Bridges. They may also move through Mist without any cost and Bridges without breaking it. If a Scoundrel jumps to an Undiscovered District, they still gain 1 Stress.

Shove: When Shoving, Players may move any Player on their location to a nearby location. If a Scoundrel is shoved, they gain 1 Stress.

If a Player is shoved through a Bridge, the Bridge breaks afterwards. Players may not be shoved through Broken Bridges.

If a Scoundrel is shoved through Mist or to an Undiscovered District, they gain 1 additional Stress. If the Beast is shoved through Mist, they must discard a Card. If they don't have cards left, they may still be shoved.

Olga shoves Askel to a nearby location. Askel gains 1 Stress.

Discovering Districts: Districts that are face down are Undiscovered Districts. When a Player moves into an Undiscovered District, reveal it.

If a Scoundrel moves to an Undiscovered District, they gain 1 Stress. This includes Escape Routes. The Beast can smash and remove Gates by moving through them, but doing so also opens paths for the Scoundrels.

Askel moves along a path towards an Undiscovered District, revealing it and gaining 1 Stress.

Obstacles & Locations

Mist: A Scoundrel gains Stress when moving through Mist, unless they use Sneak or Jump.

The Beast must discard 1 Card to move through Mist, unless they Sneak or Jump. A Beast unable to pay this cost can't move through Mist.

Bridges: Once a Player moves across a Bridge, it becomes Broken. Place a Broken Bridge Token on top of the Bridge. A path with a Broken Bridge cannot be crossed by any Player and is not considered nearby anymore.

Players may Sneak or Jump across a Bridge to avoid breaking it.

Watchtower: A Watchtower allows a Player on that location to spend 1 Stamina to secretly look at the face down Escape Route connected to your District, then pick up or steal the Guiding Light.

Activating the Watchtower counts as an Action.

Guiding Light: Grants immunity from Effect Tokens. Can be picked up from the Watchtower, even when another Player already has it. Additionally, Players may Steal or Give to a nearby Player as an Instant.

Landmarks: Spend 1 Stamina to gain 3 Spirits.

Activating Landmarks counts as an Action.

The terrain types are: Flood, Rubble, Shelter, Overgrown.

Cards in Detail

Hollow Pact uses three decks: Scoundrels and the Beast share the Deeds, Remnants are only for the Scoundrels, while only the Beast uses Curses.

• Cost: The amount of Stamina required to play the card.
• Spirit Value: Indicates how many Spirit Tokens Players gain when Pleading the card.
• These Spirits are not the cost for playing a card.

While playing their turns, Players may have as many cards as possible. However, when finishing their Round they can only have 6 cards, discarding the exceeding amount.

Cards such as Escape Routes, Ambitions or Character Aids don't count towards the hand size.

Whenever the Deed Deck is exhausted, shuffle back all but the top 3 cards from the Discard Pile.

When playing Deeds, Scoundrels play the top part of the action while the Beast plays the bottom part.

Example: the Deed Surge has two parts. The top part reads "Gain 2 Deeds." The bottom part reads "Choose one: Gain 2 Deeds or Gain 1 Stamina."

Order of Effects

Unless the card says then or and, the Player may perform them in any order or forgo one or several of the effects. Otherwise, they must do all steps described in the card in the specific order.

• then: The effects before "then" must be performed. The effects after "then" can be skipped.
• and: Both effects must be performed.

Example: Emerge, In any order: Move 2, Shove.

Offers

Sometimes the Beast will be presented with the effect Offer. In that case, they choose a Scoundrel and present the Offer. Then, the chosen Scoundrel may select which effect they prefer. If for any reason one of the options cannot be fulfilled, then the Scoundrel must select the other effect.

Example: Unrest, Choose one: Gain the top card of the Deed discard pile or discard 1 Stress from a Scoundrel. Offer: The Beast moves 2 or the Beast gains 2 Curses.

Ongoing Effects

When a card says After you Pass or Until end of Round, Players don't discard it after using. Instead they keep the card until Passing or until everyone has Passed. Next, they may choose to resolve the effect. Then, the card gets discarded.

Example: Secret Whispers, Move 1, Check Cargo. After you Pass: If you don't Plead, Move 1. Choose a Scoundrel to Reveal their Cargo. Gain 1 Spirit, Move 1.

Scavenging: Gaining Remnants

If a Scoundrel plays a card or ability that allows them to Scavenge, they take a Remnant card from the top deck matching the terrain type they're currently on.

Example: Olga uses her ability Salvaging to Scavenge 2 Remnants. Since she is standing on a Rubble location, she gains 2 cards from that deck.

Curses

When cursing a Player, the Beast places the Curse face up next to the Scoundrel Player Board. The Scoundrel must abide by the Curse's effect until it's Dispelled.

For Reactions, the Curse is discarded into the Curse discard pile immediately after use.

A Scoundrel can have a maximum of only 2 Curses next to their Player Board.

Dispelling Curses

A Scoundrel can use Dispel to remove a Curse by performing the required steps. Once a Curse is dispelled, discard it into the Curse discard pile.

Dispelling a Curse is always an Instant.

Dark Pacts

A Dark Pact is a rare Curse that creates an additional win condition for the cursed Scoundrel and the Beast. A Scoundrel with a Dark Pact cannot use an Escape Route.

Example card: We're All Mad Here (Curse an Insane Scoundrel). After you Pass, give one of your Stress to another Scoundrel. If another Scoundrel dies by Stress, Reveal your Cargo. If it's the Real Cargo, you and the Beast win.

Dispel: Another Scoundrel discards 5 Spirits and gains 1 Stress or you are the last Scoundrel alive.

The symbol in lower left corner of Curse cards are meant for the Oracle Mode only. See page 45 for more information.

Ambitions

Ambitions are side objectives that Scoundrels may fulfill in order to gain certain rewards.

Depending on the Pact, Ambitions may or may not be mandatory for escaping.

At the start of the game each Scoundrel receives a Sane and an Insane Ambition, to be fulfilled depending on their status.

If all other Scoundrels are dead, the remaining Scoundrel may spend 3 Spirits to fulfil an Ambition.

Example cards: Too Close for Comfort (Insane): Rest in the Beast's location. Reward: Steal 2 Deeds from the Beast. Unbroken Momentum (Sane): Play 2 Remnants from different terrain types in the same turn. Reward: Gain 2 [reward icon, not legible in the printed page].

Some Ambitions are unique to Semi Co-op or True Co-op Pacts. Before the game begins, make sure your Ambition deck includes only those that match your chosen Pact type. For example, if you are playing a True Co-op Pact, remove all Semi Co-op Ambitions (and vice versa).

Escape Routes

Escape Routes are discovered just like other Districts. When a Scoundrel moves to an Escape Route, they gain 1 Stress.

When a Scoundrel is in an Escape Route matching their Escape Route card, they may choose to escape.

Some Escape Routes are removed after being used. When a Scoundrel escapes using those cards, the remaining Scoundrels must flee either this Round or the next before it's gone for good.

Example card: After you escape: Remove this Escape Route after 2 Rounds.

Escaping

If a Scoundrel is above their Sanity Threshold, or have a Dark Pact Curse, they cannot escape. For more on the Sanity Threshold, see page 33, for more on Dark Pact Curses, see page 27.

When a Scoundrel escapes, they are removed from the game and their Cargo is revealed. Discard their Deeds and Remnants in the proper piles and place their Spirits from Rituals back in their supply.

The Cargo

The Cargo consists of one Real Cargo and several Decoys. At the start of the game, all Cargos are placed under their Cages, and no Player may know which Cargo is which.

Checking Cargo

When a Scoundrel Checks Cargo, they secretly look under their Cage and see whether they possess the Real Cargo or a Decoy. They may share or withhold this information at their discretion or even bluff. They may not physically reveal their Cargo to others.

Revealing Cargo

If a Cargo is revealed, its Cage is lifted and all Players may see its contents. Once revealed, a Cargo remains in the open unless an action allows it to be hidden again. Effects such as Rituals, Remnants, or Exchanging Cargo may conceal a revealed Cargo, placing its Cage back over it.

Whether a Cargo is hidden or revealed may influence other game rules or effects.

Exchange Cargo

When a Scoundrel performs "Exchange Cargo", they may swap Cargo with another Scoundrel at their current location (unless stated otherwise). Follow these steps when exchanging Cargo:

1. All other Players close their eyes.
2. The acting Scoundrel may swap the contents of their Cargo with any other Scoundrels within range. They must hide any Cargo that's revealed but may not look at any Hidden Cargo.
3. During the exchange, the Scoundrel may bluff and not swap the Cages if they want.

A Scoundrel may exchange Cargo with multiple Scoundrels simultaneously, provided all are within range.

Rituals

Rituals are places of concentrated power where Players channel Spirits to unleash powerful effects. Bidding Spirits to a Ritual or performing a Ritual both count as Instants. All Rituals are double-sided and chosen randomly during setup.

Bidding Spirits

At any moment during their turn, Players may add Spirits from their board to a Ritual. They may spend as many Spirits on as many Rituals as they want.

Note that Scoundrels are not bidding in the same pool, but competing with each other. So in the example, Wrath and Void cannot be performed, since no Player is leading the Spirit count.

The Ritual cards pictured are: Warp, Vigor, Void and Wrath. On each card, the top effect is performed by Scoundrels and the bottom effect by the Beast.

• Warp: Top (Scoundrels): In any order: Move 1, Gain 1 of the top 2 Deeds of the Discard pile. Bottom (Beast): In any order: Gain 1 Curse, Reveal all Scoundrels Cargo.
• Vigor: Top (Scoundrels): In any order: Check any Cargo, Discard 1 Stress. Bottom (Beast): Jump 1 and gain 1 Deed.
• Void: Top (Scoundrels): In any order: Move 1, Gain 2 Deeds. Bottom (Beast): Gain 1 Stamina and a Scoundrel gains 1 Stress.
• Wrath: Top (Scoundrels): Scavenge from any Terrain type. Bottom (Beast): A nearby Scoundrel gains 1 Wound.

Performing Rituals

At the beginning of their turn, Players check if they have the most Spirits on a Ritual. They may then perform any Rituals they are currently winning, and in any order.

• Performing Rituals is not considered an Action.
• Unless stated otherwise, Players cannot do Actions or Instants during this step.

In the example above, the Rituals Warp and Vigor may be performed by the Players leading the Spirit amount. All the other Rituals are tied.

After Performing

After performing a Ritual, the Player returns all of their Spirits to their Spirit Supply. Each other Player that bid on that Ritual gains 1 Spirit back on their Player Board and the remaining go back to their Spirit Supply.

In this example, the Beast performed the Ritual, so all their Spirits go back to the Supply. The Scoundrels each gain 1 Spirit back to their board, with the remaining going to their Supply.

Spirit Decay

At the end of a Round, whenever Players are tied for Spirits on a Ritual, each tied Player returns 1 Spirit from that Ritual to their board.

Player Boards in Detail

• Scoundrel Tokens: Some Scoundrels have special tokens. Players should keep them next to their board.
• Health: When Scoundrels receive an amount of Wounds equal to their Health, they die immediately.
• Sanity: Indicates how much Stress a Scoundrel needs to become Insane. Conversely, while Insane, how much Stress they need to reach to revert to Sane.
• Sanity Threshold: If an Insane Scoundrel reaches their threshold, they'll die after they pass. They are also not allowed to escaped if they are over their Sanity Threshold.
• Preferred Terrain: Every Beast has a preferred terrain that can affect their abilities and other conditions.
• Upgrades: The Beast may upgrade at any moment during their turn as an Instant.
• Beast Tokens: A token that the Beast may give to a Scoundrel or placed on the map by using an ability. A Scoundrel can only have 1 Beast Token at a time.

Certain effects will only take place if the Scoundrel has the Real Cargo or the Decoy.

Sane & Insane

Scoundrels have two states of mind during the game. They begin in a Sane state, and as they accumulate Stress they lose their sanity and become Insane, flipping their board.

Stress Tokens

Stress Tokens have values from 0 to 3 and are located inside the bag. Whenever a Scoundrel gains Stress, they pull a random token and set it face-up beside their Player Board.

If the total value represented from all tokens meets or exceeds the Sanity number on their Player Board, they flip it to the Insane side and continue playing. Scoundrels still keep all their Stress tokens.

When insane, a Scoundrel dies when they pass and the total value on all Stress Tokens meets or exceeds the number indicated in their Sanity Threshold.

During play Scoundrels have opportunities to discard Stress Tokens. Once the total value on all Stress Tokens meets or falls below the Sanity number they immediately flip their Player Board to the Sane side.

Whenever a Stress is discarded, it goes back into the Stress Token Bag.

Distinction between 2 Stress Tokens and a Stress Token with a value of 2

• When an effect instructs Players to gain 2 Stress Tokens, they take two tokens at random from the Stress bag. The values on the tokens do not matter for the purpose of the effect.
• When an effect instructs a Player to discard a Stress Token with a value of 2, they must choose a Stress Token showing the number 2. If they do not have such token, they cannot resolve this effect.

If a Player uses an ability and then changes their state, they still cannot use that ability for the Round.

Death

Scoundrels can die in three ways:

1. They die immediately if their Wound Tokens equal or exceed their Health.
2. When playing on the Insane side of their Player Board, Scoundrels die when they pass and the value of all their Stress Tokens equals or exceeds their Sanity Threshold.
3. They die when their Escape Route is no longer available. They are trapped forever with the Beast, in the Everchanging City...

Resolving Death

When a Scoundrel dies, remove them from the game. Discard their Deeds and Remnants in the proper piles and place Spirits from their Player Board or Rituals back in their supply. If they are holding any Cogs, they dropped on their location.

If there is only 1 Scoundrel left alive, pickup the 3 Cog Tokens from the Inner City and randomly draw one. The matching Gate from the Inner City and Village is now open.

After the Scoundrel death, their Cargo is revealed. If it is a Decoy, remove it from the game. If it is the Real Cargo, the following happens:

1. The Scoundrel died alone. If no one shares the dead Scoundrel's location, the Real Cargo remains in that location. Any Player who moves onto that location may pick up the Cargo as an Instant and remove their Decoy.
2. The Scoundrel died alongside another Scoundrel. If a Scoundrel is in the same location as the dead one, that Scoundrel automatically picks up the Real Cargo and removes their Decoy from the game — even if the Beast is also there. If multiple Scoundrels are present, the one whose turn comes next receives the Cargo. Play then continues.
3. The Scoundrel died alongside the Beast only. If the dead Scoundrel only shares their location with the Beast, the Beast picks up the Real Cargo, and the game ends immediately.

Schematics

Schematics detail how the Gates in each area function. Each Schematic operates on its own unique set of rules, ensuring that no two playthroughs feel the same. Scoundrels will often need to work together to open a Gate, even when playing in Semi-Co-op mode.

Setup

When a Scoundrel enters the Inner City for the first time, flip the Schematic and follow the setup instructions.

Spread: To spread an Effect Token, place all Terrain Tokens in the bag, draw one and place the Effect Tokens on each matching Terrain in that Area. If you did not place any Effect Token, repeat the process. Then return the token to the bag.

Cog Tokens: Cogs are tokens numbered from 1 to 3. They serve different functions depending on the Schematic. There are 2 sets of Cogs, one set for the Village and one set for the Inner City.

Cogs can be given or stolen as an Instant. If a Scoundrel dies and drops a Cog, it can be picked up as an Instant. The Beast does not interact with the Cogs in any way.

Gates

For Scoundrels, their immediate objective is to open Gates and advance towards the Escape Routes. Each Schematic has a unique way of opening Gates.

If a Scoundrel dies and there is only one Scoundrel left, one random Inner City and Village Gate will open. See page 34 for more information.

As an Instant, Scoundrels may open a Gate from the District above it, if they are nearby to the Gate.

The Beast can move through Gates, but doing so will destroy the Gate and remove it. Allowing Scoundrels to pass through.

Effect Tokens

Can be either Fire or Abyss: they'll have different effects depending on the Schematic. There can be only 1 Effect Token per Location.

End of Round

End of Round effects will always trigger after all Players have passed.

Example: Cursed Levers

The example Schematic shown on the page is "Cursed Levers" (Inner City).

• Setup: 1. Spread a Cog. 2. Randomly place a Cog face-down on each undiscovered District. These Cogs are called Cursed Levers.
• Gates (Pull the Levers!): Pick up a Cog and the Beast gains 1 Curse. Then, spread a Cog. If all alive Scoundrels are on a Cog together, pick it up, then the Beast gains 3 Deeds. Then, spread a Cog.
• Opening the Gate: When both Cogs have been picked up, turn them face-up and open both matching Gates.
• End of Round (Engulfing Fire): Spread a Cog.
• Fire: When a Scoundrel passes on a [icon, Fire], they gain 1 Wound. If a Scoundrel passes on a [icon] that has a [icon], they do not discard any Stress. When the Beast passes on a [icon, Fire], it loses 1 Stamina for next round.

Icons on the printed example card are small and only partly legible at print resolution; the bracketed icon placeholders above mark where the card shows a symbol. Flavour text on the card is omitted.

Scoundrels for Hire

The printed character backgrounds for Askel (Courier), Olga (Gravedigger), Vermu (Vigilant Shaper), Eliora (Dream Apostate) and Sigrid (Pathfinder) are flavour fiction and are not reproduced here. Character abilities are printed on each Character Aid and Player Board.

Hideous Beasts

The printed backgrounds for the Beasts Lovar (Sacred Luminosity), Urgull (Beast of the Pale) and Bolgin (Bringer of the Black Marsh) are flavour fiction and are not reproduced here. Beast abilities are printed on each Character Aid and Player Board.

Oracle Beast

In Hollow Pact's Oracle Mode, you are racing against a merciless and fully automated Beast. Each turn, the Beast draws from its Ploy Deck — moving towards the Damage Target, launching unpredictable attacks, or pushing the Stress Target further into madness. Finally, the Beast reveals a card from its Dark Rituals Deck, spending Spirits on Upgrades and powerful Rituals. Are you ready to prove your Scoundrels' craftiness and outwit the relentless Beast?

Oracle Setup

Choose a Pact and follow normal setup for a game. Then, follow those steps:

1. Shuffle and place all the Ploy cards facedown next to the Beast.
2. Shuffle and place all the Dark Ritual cards facedown next to the Beast.
3. Place the Beast Oracle Player Aid next to the Beast.
4. The Scoundrel with the First Player token receives the Damage Target token. The Scoundrel with the lowest Sanity value in their Player Board receives the Stress Target token. In case of a draw, it goes to the Scoundrel next in turn order after the Damage Target.

If playing a Pact that lets the Beast start with Curses, they are instead given to their respective targets. More information about Curses on page 47.

5. When placing the initial Spirit on Rituals, draw a Dark Ritual card, regardless of the chosen difficulty, and place it on the first stated Ritual. In this step, Spirits come from the Supply and not the Player Board, so the Beast doesn't keep 3 Spirits.

Example: the Dark Omen card reads "Keep 3 Spirits, then spend any remaining on:" Vigor, Void, Wrath, Upgrade.

Playing with the Oracle: Turn Structure

Playing Hollow Pact with Oracle follows the same structure as the base game, with additions described in this section. All Steps presented here are in the Oracle Player Aid as reference.

Step 1: Determine the Damage and Stress Targets

The targets are determined by the following criteria, in order of importance. In case of a draw, move to the next criteria:

Damage Target

1. Scoundrel that is 1 Wound away from dying.
2. Scoundrel nearby the Beast.
3. Real Cargo holder, if it is revealed.
4. Scoundrel with a Hidden Cargo next in turn order to a Scoundrel with a revealed Decoy.
5. Scoundrel closest to the Beast.
6. Scoundrel with the First Player token holder.
7. Scoundrel after the First Player, in the turn order.

Stress Target

1. Scoundrel with the most total Stress.
2. Scoundrel with the lowest Sanity threshold.
3. Scoundrel next in turn order to the Damage Target.

When the Beast deals Stress, it is always to the Stress Target. Other actions such as Move or Attack prioritizes the Damage Target. A Scoundrel can be the Damage and Stress target at the same time. The Beast still can attack Scoundrels that aren't the Damage Target, if they are in the same location.

Step 2: Perform Rituals

The Beast performs all possible Rituals with the exceptions:

1. If the Beast is in the same location as the Damage Target, ignore any Ritual that results in the Beast moving.
2. Rituals involving Attack are only performed when there is a valid target.
3. If there are multiple Rituals that can be performed, perform them in an order that is most advantageous for the Beast.

Step 3: Perform Ploys

The Beast draws a Ploy card and performs up to two actions, from top to bottom. Then discard the Ploy.

Those symbols are the Abilities from the Beast Player Board. To perform them, the Beast still needs to pay their cost.

1. If an Action from a Ploy cannot be fully performed, move to the next one. Reasons for skipping an Action may include: a) Not affording the cost of an Action or Ability. b) In case of Movement, if the Beast is already in the same location as the Damage Target or they can't traverse an obstacle. c) In case of Attack, if there's no valid target.
2. If an Action includes the keyword "and," both effects must be performed. If not, skip the Action.
3. If an Action includes the keyword "then," the second part might be skipped if it is not applicable. The first part is still needed to perform the Action.

Example (Onslaught): In this example, the Beast performs the Action, gaining 3 Curses, but may not move if they are already in the Damage Target location.

If an action has an Offer, present only those effects that can be performed. In this example, if the Scoundrel has no Deeds, then the Beast just gains 1 Temporary Stamina.

Example (Entrap, partly legible at print resolution): Offer: Immediately Plead 1 random Deed and the Beast gains those Spirits, or the Beast gains 1 Stamina.

Oracle Golden Rules

1. If many Scoundrels can be targeted, always prioritize the Damage Target, then the next Scoundrel in turn order.
2. If an action can be performed in more than one way, always choose the outcome most advantageous to the Beast.

Step 4: Bid Spirits

The Beast draws a Dark Ritual card and bids Spirits on the listed Rituals from top to bottom. Then discard the Dark Ritual.

Place as many Spirits as you can on the specified Ritual. In this example, if the Beast had 4 Spirits, it would place 1 on Void, 2 on Wrath and the remaining Spirit on Warp.

Upgrades

When upgrading, choose the first available Upgrade from top to bottom on the Beast's board. If the Beast does not have enough Spirits, move to the next one. If no upgrade is possible, bid the remaining Spirits following the priority list of the Dark Ritual.

The Oracle may upgrade any time, even after passing.

When the deck of Ploys or Dark Rituals are exhausted, shuffle them back and continue play.

Passing (Oracle)

If a Player passed or the Beast didn't perform any actions on Ploys, the Beast passes.

After the Beast passes:

1. Convert unused Stamina to Spirits.
2. Check ongoing effects, such as "After you Pass."
3. Plead the top card of the Deed deck.
4. If the Beast was the First Player to Pass this Round, it gets the First Player Token. If it wasn't, it draws a Dark Ritual card and places Spirits accordingly.

Oracle Mechanics

Beast Hand

The Beast acts like a human Player in many ways, but never has a hand of cards. Instead of using Deeds, the Beast performs its Actions by drawing Ploys. When Deeds are required in the game, these rules should be followed:

1. When an action requires discarding a Deed, such as traversing through Mist, the Beast spends 1 Stamina.
2. Whenever the Beast gains a Deed, it gains 1 Temporary Stamina instead.
3. If Scoundrels Steal a Deed from the Beast, the Beast loses one Stamina, and the Scoundrels gain a Deed. If the Beast doesn't have any Stamina remaining, no Deeds can be stolen from the Beast.
4. When Pleading, the Beast draws the top card from the Deed Deck and pleads it immediately.

Playing Curses

Whenever the Beast gains a Curse, it plays it immediately without paying its Stamina or Spirit's cost.

Curses have a symbol on the lower left corner indicating who is the target: the Stress or Damage Target.

If a Curse must be played on a target that already has two active Curses, give it to the next Scoundrel in turn order. If all Scoundrels have two active Curses, plead it immediately.

Example (Forceful Watch): Curse a Scoundrel. You cannot Move or Sneak through Mist. Dispel: Discard 3 Spirits or Discard 1 Spirit to give this Curse to another Scoundrel.

Example (Forsaken): Curse a Scoundrel. If you Plead, gain 1 Stress. Dispel: Give 2 Spirits to the Beast.

Reaction Curses

Reaction Curses aren't played on a specific Player but instead are left face-up for all Scoundrels to trigger it. There's no limit on how many Reactions cards can be played. Once the Reaction condition triggers, discard it immediately. Reactions can't be Dispelled.

Example (Pestilence): Play when a Scoundrel discards Stress. That Scoundrel does not discard Stress, they gain 1 Stress instead.

Beast Movement

The Beast always tries to move towards these locations following this priority:

1. Real Cargo dropped on a location.
2. If the Damage Target is in the same area, towards the Damage Target.
3. If the Damage Target is in a different Area, towards the closest: Unopened Gate or Damage Target.

If the Beast is already on the same location as the Damage Target, and there's no dropped Cargo, they don't move and skip the action.

Example: Urgull is 4 Steps away from the Damage Target in a different area, and only 3 Steps away from an Unopened Gate. In this case the Beast will move towards the Gate, revealing the new District.

The Beast always moves through the shortest path and, in case of a tie, following this order:

1. Path that requires the least amount of Deeds to be discarded, either by Mist or other game mechanics.
2. Path that goes through the most unbroken Bridges.
3. Path that goes through the most Cogs.
4. The First Player Token holder chooses.
5. The next Scoundrel in turn order chooses.

When traversing or being shoved through the Mist, instead of discarding a card, the Beast spends 1 Stamina. If they don't have Stamina left, they can still be shoved.

Example: Lovar moves towards Vermu. Both paths to reach him require 2 Steps and 1 Stamina (moving through Mist). Since the right path contains a cog, it moves using this route.

Difficulty Modifiers

The following are the different Oracle setups for more challenging games:

• Standard Difficulty: Default rules as explained.
• Hard Difficulty: The Beast has 1 Stamina extra.
• Insane Difficulty: All the previous rules plus the following:
  1. The Beast starts with 1 Stamina extra, bringing to a total of 6.
  2. The Beast starts with 3 more extra Spirits in their supply, bringing to a total of 16 (+3 if playing against 3 Scoundrels).
  3. When placing Spirits on a Ritual, instead of Drawing a Dark Ritual card follow this priority list: a) If the Damage Target has 2 Wounds, tie the Rituals where the Damage Target has Spirits. b) If the Stress Target is Insane, tie the Rituals where the Stress Target has Spirits. c) Easiest to tie Rituals. d) Tie Rituals with the most Spirits. e) Tie Rituals from left to right. f) If all Rituals are tied, draw a Dark Ritual card and place Spirits accordingly.

Nightmare Difficulty

All the previous rules plus the following:

1. The Beast starts with 1 Stamina extra, bringing to a total of 7.
2. At the end of their turn, if the Beast didn't pass, they gain 1 Spirit.
3. The Beast starts with all Spirits in their supply, bringing to a total of 28.

Game Mode Variants

Playing with an Extra Scoundrel

In a 4-Player game or a game with 3 Scoundrels against the Oracle, follow these rules:

1. The Beast starts with 1 extra Stamina.
2. The Beast starts with 3 extra Spirits in their supply, for a total of 16 Spirits.
3. The Beast gains 1 Spirit extra whenever they Plead after Passing.
4. The Beast hand size is increased to 8 cards.

One Player as Two Scoundrels

When having a 2 Player game with Scoundrels vs. Beast or a Solo Match, one Player will control both Scoundrels.

Setup

Select a True Co-op Pact and follow these rules:

1. Draw 8 Deeds: This is your shared hand limit size. Both Scoundrels share the same hand for Deeds. They only discard the excess amount of cards when both Scoundrels have passed.
2. Choose a Scoundrel to start with the First Player Token: The other Scoundrel goes after and the Beast goes last.
3. Draw 2 Insane and 2 Sane Ambitions: These Ambitions are shared between the Scoundrels. When completing an Ambition of one type, discard the other. (for example completing 1 Sane discards any 1 Insane).
4. Draw 1 Escape Route: Both Scoundrels must Escape through the same route.

Playing the Game

Follow the base rules with these adjustments:

1. When a Scoundrel would gain Remnants, put them next to their Player Board. They are not shared with the other Scoundrel. However, they can still be Given or Stolen and don't count towards the hand size limit of 8 cards.
2. When a Scoundrel gains Deeds, place them in your shared hand.

Difficulty Modifiers

For a more challenging experience when controlling 2 Scoundrels, follow the rules below. The modifiers stack. For instance, when playing on Insane difficulty, use both the Hard and Insane modifiers:

• Standard Difficulty: Default rules as explained.
• Hard Difficulty: Hand size limit of 6 Deeds.
• Insane Difficulty: Remnants also count towards the hand size limit.
• Nightmare Difficulty: Scoundrels don't place Spirits on Rituals during setup.

Solo Mode

In Hollow Pact's Solo Mode, you take on the role of two cunning Scoundrels sharing a single hand of Deeds. Sheer muscle alone won't win the day; sharp tactics and careful strategy are fundamental to a successful escape. Will you split your efforts to complete the Schematics, commit fully to your Ambitions, and protect one another from the Beast's evil Ploys?

Setup: Use both the Oracle and the One Player as Two Scoundrels setup and rule set.

Difficulty Modifiers: Solo Mode can also be played in Hard, Insane and Nightmare difficulties. To increase the challenge, combine the respective modifiers for the Oracle and the One Player as Two Scoundrels modes. For example, when playing on Hard difficulty, apply both the Hard Oracle modifier and the Hard One Player as Two Scoundrels modifier.

• Modifier from Oracle mode, Hard Difficulty: The Beast has 1 Stamina extra.
• Modifier from One Player as Two Scoundrels mode, Hard Difficulty: Hand size limit of 6 Deeds.

Achievements

If you want an extra challenge on any difficulty, there are the following achievements you can accomplish:

• No Rest for the Wicked: Win the game without Resting.
• The Chosen One: Win the game without performing any Rituals.
• I Know the Way: Discover all Districts with the same Scoundrel.
• 'Tis But a Scratch: Win the game while being 1 Wound and 1 Stress away from dying.
• No Pockets: Escape without gaining [the remainder of this line is not legible on the printed page].
• There Are Ways...: Win the game while having a Stress value higher than your death threshold.
• Two Birds: Kill two Scoundrels in the same Round.
• Beast Unleashed: Kill all Scoundrels by only giving Wounds.
• Bully: Shove the same Player.
• Fully Prepared: Have 10 Deeds in your hand before you pass.
• 3.3.3.: Have 3 Stress tokens each with value 3.
• Free Real State: Steal a total of 5 Remnants from other Scoundrels in the same game.
• Unlimited Power: Perform all Rituals on the same turn.

FAQ

When playing with Sigrid and the Oracle, does the Beast target her companion, Seeker? Yes, it will target Sigrid or Seeker, whoever is closest to the Beast. In case of a tie, it targets Seeker.

Can the remnant Strange Cloak protect Seeker? No, Strange Cloak is only meant to protect Scoundrels.

Can Sigrid launch Seeker into an Undiscovered District? No, Seeker can only be placed in known locations.

A card offers me an opportunity to reveal the Cargo in order to get a benefit. But my Cargo is already revealed, do I get the benefit? No, in this case the Scoundrel does not get the benefit. The same applies for the Scoundrel's Gambit.

Can I place Vermu's Barrier on a Broken Bridge? No, Broken Bridges are not considered nearby anymore.

Can I use Exchange Cargo to pick up the Real Cargo if it has been dropped? Yes, you may use an Exchange action, such as Swap or Parasitic Hook to pick up the Real Cargo from a distance.

Cards such as Fracture triggers when a Scoundrel moves. Does that include Jumping or Sneaking? No, Jump and Sneak do not trigger Curses such as Mistbound, Fracture, or Ambush.

What happens when all the Remnants or Curses are used? Differently from Deeds, after being discarded, Remnants and Curses do not come back in the game.

If I'm the last Scoundrel alive, am I able to perform an Exchange action to hide my Cargo if its revealed? No, you may no longer perform the Exchange Cargo action to hide your Cargo for future benefits.

Quick Info

• And: If an action includes "and," both effects must be performed.
• Attack: To Attack, the Beast must be on the same location as their target, unless stated otherwise. The target gains 1 Wound.
• Bridge: If any Player moves across a Bridge, it becomes a Broken Bridge. A path with a Broken Bridge cannot be crossed by any Player unless they Jump.
• Cargo: Refers to either the Real Cargo or the Decoy.
• Dispel: To remove a Curse, a Scoundrel must Dispel it by performing the required action. After dispelling it, it is discarded into the Curse discard pile.
• Effect Token: Either a Fire or Abyss. These will have different effects and alter the map based on the current Schematic.
• Exchange: When a Scoundrel Exchanges Cargo, the other Players close their eyes. Then, the Scoundrel covers any revealed Cargo and swaps them, without looking at their content.
• Jump: You may Jump over a Bridge without breaking it or Jump over a Broken Bridge. You may also Jump through a Mist without penalties.
• Location: Any Terrain.
• Mist: If a Scoundrel moves through Mist, they suffer a Stress. The Beast must discard a Card to move through the Mist.
• Move: You may move from one location to another that is nearby. Movement is always up to.

End of the Round

1. Check for End of Round effects on Cards and Schematics.
2. Check for Spirit Decay.
3. Perform the Scoundrel's Gambit.

Terrain Types: Flood, Shelter, Rubble, Overgrown.

• Shelter: When you Pass on a Shelter, remove 1 Stress.

Reaction: Reactions can be played any moment in response to another Player's action, even after passing during a Round. Some have a cost that must be paid first. Does not count as an Action.

Instant: Instants may be played any number of times during your turn. They do not cost Stamina or Spirits and are not considered Actions. However, an Instant cannot be played while another Action is currently being resolved.

Watchtower: Discard 1 Stamina to secretly look at one face down Escape Route, and gain or steal the Guiding Light. Counts as an Action.

Guiding Light: Provides protection from Effect Tokens. Players may Steal or Give to a nearby Player as an Instant.

Landmark: Discard 1 Stamina to Gain 3 Spirits. Counts as an Action.