IÄÄ! Cthulhu! Fhtagn!
IÄÄ! Cthulhu! Fhtagn! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1. Components
- 20 Cthulhu invocation dice (six sides each, with 5 different motifs)
- 3 doubler stones (green glass nuggets)
- 1 starting cult stone (orange glass nugget)
- 1 dice bag
- 1 rulebook
A pencil and a sheet of paper are also needed (not included in the game).
2. Setup
For a game with 2 to 3 players, one game set is needed. For a game with 4 to 6 players, two game sets are needed.
Each player receives 6 dice.
Depending on the number of players, additional dice are placed in the center of the table:
- 1 die with 2 players
- 2 dice with 3 players
- 3 dice with 4 players
- 4 dice with 5 to 6 players
One doubler stone per player is placed in the center of the table.
The starting cult stone is set out ready for use.
A secretary is chosen and equipped with the writing materials needed to record power points.
Any remaining game material is not needed and is removed from the game.
3. Determining the Starting Player
Before the first round, all players roll their dice. The player who rolled the most tentacles is the starting cult and receives the starting cult stone.
4. Object of the Game
Each player plays a cult that wants to expand its power by invoking the great Cthulhu. How well this succeeds is represented during play by the dice that the player lays out in front of them.
A complete invocation consists of at least one IÄÄ!, one tentacle and one Elder Sign. The combination of the number of IÄÄ! (that is, how loudly the cultists call) and the number of tentacles (that is, how strongly Cthulhu appears) is decisive for the success of an invocation and therefore for the power points a cult gains. An invocation must be completed with an Elder Sign, otherwise the power of Cthulhu turns against the cult that invokes it, and that cult loses power points.
Note: in the following, a player is generally referred to as a "cult".
5. Gameplay
5.1 The Invocation Phase
Starting with the starting cult, the cults roll their dice in turn, clockwise. A cult whose turn it is rolls all of its dice that are not yet in its layout (in the first round, all six).
After its roll, the cult must, if possible, add one die to its layout. If it cannot, it must give up one of its dice and place it in the center of the table (exception: the All-Fhtagn rule, see below).
Depending on the symbols shown by the dice of its roll, the cult may also have the option to add further dice to its layout.
Then the next cult takes its turn. Rolling continues in turn until all cults have completed their invocation.
5.2 The Dice and Their Meaning
5.2.1 General
The dice symbols have specific meanings. By calling out loud, the cult must show whether and how it wants to use its dice.
5.2.2 IÄÄ!
- IÄÄ! An invocation always begins with an IÄÄ!, which the cult places in its layout in front of it.
- As long as it has no IÄÄ! lying in front of it, the cult may not place any other dice in its layout.
- Whenever a cult places an IÄÄ! in its layout, it must call out "IÄÄ!". At most one IÄÄ! may be added to the layout per roll.
5.2.3 Cthulhu!
- Tentacle. If a cult has at least one IÄÄ! lying in its layout, it may add any number of tentacle dice to it.
- Whenever a cult adds tentacles to its layout, it must call out "Cthulhu".
- Where possible, the tentacle dice must be taken from the roll and added to the layout in one motion.
- How many tentacle dice a cult uses per roll, and which ones, is left to the cult.
5.2.4 Ph'nglui / Fhtagn!
Elder Sign. This is a powerful symbol that can be used in two different ways. It is always placed in the layout to complete the cult's own invocation. To do so, at least one IÄÄ! and one tentacle must already be in the layout.
- If a cult adds an Elder Sign to its layout, it must call out "Fhtagn!". Once an Elder Sign has been added to an invocation, no further die may be added to it. Unused dice of the cult are then placed in the center of the table.
- If a cult does not want to use its Elder Sign to complete its invocation, it may call out "Ph'nglui" to gain one additional die.
Only one Elder Sign per roll may be used by a cult.
5.2.5 All-Fhtagn Rule
If the roll of a cult shows only Elder Signs, it does not have to set a die aside. Instead, it may call out "Ph'nglui fhtagn!" and take two additional dice.
The All-Fhtagn rule also applies if the cult has only a single die to roll.
5.2.6 Last-Die Rule
If a cult has only one die left, it must accept the result of that roll.
It must, if its layout allows, add the die with a call of "IÄÄ!", "Cthulhu" or "Fhtagn". If the roll of the last die shows an Elder Sign, it may also use the All-Fhtagn rules.
5.2.7 Free Dice
Free dice are the dice in the center of the table and all dice of other cults that are not bound in a layout.
If a cult gains one die through "Ph'nglui", or two dice through "Ph'nglui fhtagn" [printed in the source as "Ph'glui Fhtagn"], it always takes them from the free dice.
As long as free dice lie in the center of the table, the cult must take them. Only when no free dice remain in the center of the table may a cult take dice from other cults.
5.3 Observing the Ritual Sequence
The ritual order of the calls after a roll is always:
- IÄÄ!
- Cthulhu
- Fhtagn / Ph'nglui
The order must not be reversed: after a "Cthulhu" no "IÄÄ!" may be called, and after a "Fhtagn" or "Ph'nglui" no "IÄÄ!" or "Cthulhu" may be called.
Elements may be left out of an invocation if they are already present in the layout, as long as the order remains correct.
The following calls are permitted after a roll. The table gives the minimum requirements for each call: what must already be in the layout ("in layout") and what else must be present ("other").
| Possible calls after a roll | Minimum requirement: in layout | Minimum requirement: other |
|---|---|---|
| "IÄÄ!" | – | – |
| "IÄÄ! - Cthulhu!" | – | – |
| "IÄÄ! - Ph'nglui!" | – | 1 free die |
| "IÄÄ! - Fhtagn!" | 1 tentacle die | – |
| "Cthulhu!" | 1 IÄÄ! die | – |
| "Cthulhu! - Ph'nglui!" | 1 IÄÄ! die | 1 free die |
| "Cthulhu! - Fhtagn!" | 1 IÄÄ! die | – |
| "Ph'nglui! - Fhtagn!" | – | 1 die showing an Elder Sign |
Legend printed with the table: Elder Sign die (a die showing an Elder Sign), tentacle die (a die showing tentacles), IÄÄ! die (a die showing IÄÄ!), doubler stone, free die (a die not bound in any layout).
Note: the printed table marks the cells with no requirement with a grey dash-like smudge; they are shown here as "–".
Consequences of a Call ("Folgen" Table)
The rulebook prints a second table, headed "Folgen" (consequences), with the columns "in layout" and "other". The printed table has no row labels, so the rows below are numbered in their printed order; the rulebook does not assign them to the calls above.
| No. | In layout | Other |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | +1 IÄÄ! die | – |
| 2 | +1 IÄÄ! die and +x tentacle dice | – |
| 3 | +1 IÄÄ! die | +1 free die |
| 4 | +1 IÄÄ! die | End of invocation |
| 5 | +x tentacle dice | – |
| 6 | +x tentacle dice | +1 free die |
| 7 | +x tentacle dice | End of invocation |
| 8 | – | +2 free dice |
| 9 |
The printed legend for this table covers the IÄÄ! die, the doubler stone and the free die. The tentacle count is printed as "x" and is transcribed as "x" here.
5.4 Cthulhu Does Not Forgive Errors in a Ritual
Once a cult has called out after its roll, it can no longer change that call afterwards. It must follow the call.
For example, if it has called "Cthulhu", it must add at least one tentacle die to its layout. It may not call "IÄÄ!" anymore during the same turn. It could still add a "Ph'nglui" or a "Fhtagn".
5.5 End of Invocations
5.5.1 End of a Cult's Invocation
A cult's invocation ends as soon as it places an Elder Sign in its layout.
A cult's invocation also ends if it has no more dice to roll.
5.5.2 End of the Invocation Phase
The invocation phase ends when all cults have ended their invocations. The invocations are then scored.
5.6 Scoring
In principle, all invocations are scored.
Invocations completed with a "Fhtagn" (Elder Sign) count positively. Invocations not completed with a "Fhtagn" count negatively.
All tentacles shown on the tentacle dice of a layout are added up and multiplied by the number of IÄÄ! lying in the layout. If a cult owns a doubler stone, the result is doubled again. These are the power points that a player gains or loses.
The secretary records the power points for each cult and checks whether the end conditions have been reached.
If no end condition has been reached, the starting cult passes its starting cult stone to the cult on its left, and the next invocation phase begins with this new starting cult.
6. End of the Game, Determining Winners and Losers
The game ends after at least one cult has reached a set number of power points. The number may be freely chosen by the cults before the game. The following numbers are recommended:
- With 2 to 3 cults: 150 power points (positive or negative)
- With 4 to 6 cults: 100 power points (positive or negative)
If the game ended because at least one cult reached the set number of power points on the positive side, all cults that reached that number have won, and the remaining cults have lost.
If the game ended because at least one cult reached the set number of power points on the negative side, all cults that reached that negative value have lost, and the remaining cults have won.