Inferno 1348
Inferno 1348 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Modules
- The Great Pestilence weaves itself through every mechanic of the base game. It increases pace and interaction while forcing tougher decisions.
- Merchants of Ravenna takes you beyond Florence to a new board, where you can acquire asymmetric abilities and explore a market of powerful combos that can double the effects of many actions.
- Builders introduces the Alabaster floors, unlocking new combos and altering the importance of existing locations.
- Centaurs and Edicts add replayability, making your games more varied.
- The Encounter and the new Guardians (Lucifer and Charon) bring fresh gameplay dynamics.
- If you enjoy solo play, three new Challenges will put your wits to the test.
Module Compatibility
IMPORTANT: Builders must always be included whenever you play any module of this expansion.
There are two main modules:
- The rat identifies The Great Pestilence. Any rules specific to this module appear in brown, next to the rat icon.
- The key identifies Merchants of Ravenna. Its specific rules appear in blue, next to the key icon.
Components associated with these modules (B-side 1348 Locations, new Fraud cards, Pacts, Alliances and Edict cards) also display the matching icon. Remove these components from the game if you are not playing with their respective module(s).
Tips
Play your first game using Builders, Centaurs, and Edicts. This will help you become familiar with the new Alabaster Tower floors and with the symbols on the new Fraud cards.
After that, add either The Great Pestilence OR Merchants of Ravenna, but not both at once. We strongly recommend not combining them until you've completed at least one full game with each module separately.
Components
Builders
- 4 Free-access 1348 Locations (double-sided)
- 4 Special 1348 Locations (double-sided)
- 4 Wild Shields
- 16 Alabaster floors
- 16 Fraud cards
Merchants of Ravenna
- Ravenna board (double-sided)
- 16 Pacts (8 type I and 8 type II)
- 8 Alliances and 10 specific components: 1 Passage, 1 Podestà, 1 Cutpurse, 1 Book, 5 Cinnamon Barrels, 1 Protection tile
Centaurs
- 1 Phlegethon panel (double-sided)
Edicts
- 12 Edict cards
The Great Pestilence
- 4 Scaffolds
- 30 Rats
- 6 Rat Holes
- 6 Misfortune tiles
- 1 Bag
- 8 Colonies
The Encounter
- Virgil and Virgil's Path
- Sloth tile
New Guardians: Charon and Lucifer
- 2 Guardian standees, 2 plastic stands and 10 Guardian-specific tiles
- Charon: 1 River Jetty
- Lucifer: 9 Frozen Souls
Challenges (Solo)
- 8 Challenge cards
- 8 Fire tiles
- 8 Incident tiles
- 4 Player Aids
Builders
Acquire the finest alabaster, hire the most virtuous artisans, and adorn your tower with frescoes worthy of a palace. The most beautiful Towers will inspire both admiration and envy alike. They will also attract distinguished visitors who will grant you greater rewards.
Builders may be added on its own to the base game.
You must include the Builders rules and components whenever you use any other module of Inferno: 1348, in any combination.
Changes to Setup
- Replace the base game locations with the Builders locations, which are marked with "1348." Randomly place each one, with its "A side" face-up, on an outline matching its shape.
- Add the Builders Fraud cards to the deck before dealing. All 16 cards are marked with the "1348" symbol. Four of these cards also show the key from The Merchants of Ravenna, and four others show the rat from The Great Pestilence. Remove from the game any cards that belong to an unused module.
- Place the Wild Shields near the board, forming a supply.
Additional Setup
- Sort the Alabaster floors by Level, 1-4. Randomly select one floor per player, per level, and arrange these into a face-down market next to the central board. Return any unused floor to the box. Place them next to the central board, face-down and grouped by Level, forming a market where their icons remain clearly visible.
- Example: In a 3-player game, form the market with 3 tiles of each Level.
1348 Locations
Replace the base-game locations with the Builders locations. These locations are always used on their "A side", except when using the Great Pestilence module, where they may be flipped.
Location effects can be found on pages 10-11. Most locations work almost the same as before, but the BANQUET now offers a second option: in addition to letting you build a Tower floor for free, it also allows you to build an Alabaster floor by paying 1 Florin.
Alabaster Floors
Alabaster floors do not belong to any player. At the start of the game, form a market with all of them next to the board. To make their icons easier to read, place the tiles showing their reverse side.
When you take a BANQUET action, you may choose any available Alabaster floor of the matching level available in the market. If you don't want to pay the Florin, you may instead build a standard base-game floor as usual.
Each floor shows a reward on its left side. Whenever you place an element on its left window, you may choose to gain the indicated reward immediately.
If your Family Card grants a Tower floor among its starting resources, you may spend one of your starting Florins to turn it into an Alabaster floor.
These new floors increase the importance of the COURTYARD. When you send a family member there and reorganize 2 elements in your Tower, you may trigger 2 rewards simultaneously.
Alabaster Floor Rewards
If present, costs in red (Florins or Drachmas) must be paid to obtain the reward.
- Gain the indicated Florins or Drachmas.
- Gain the indicated Infamy points.
- Advance 1 Phlegethon cube.
- Move 1 of your family members from the Tower to your home. (It cannot be the one used to trigger the reward.)
- Draw 1 Fraud card from the market, then place a card from your hand on the bottom of the deck.
- Move one of your Skulls 1 space forward and another of yours 1 space back. (You may place a new one or remove one from space 1.)
- Gain ½ Diploma.
- Take a Wild Shield. You may later spend that Shield after any future Hell phase to play your Florence phase in any quartiere.
- Place 1 Safe Passage on the Wall of Dis.
New Fraud Cards
Check your player aid to learn the meaning of the new icons.
Centaurs
This module includes a double-sided Phlegethon panel that covers the River Phlegethon and modifies its scoring.
Each side of this board adds an additional scoring column.
- Side A provides a more competitive experience, as Sin Track scoring can drop down to 0 Infamy points.
- Side B, on the other hand, allows you to gain up to 6 Infamy points per level.
This modifier can be combined with any module, although it is especially recommended when playing with The Great Pestilence.
Additional Setup
At the start of the game, decide which side of the panel to use. Place the panel over the River Phlegethon on the central board.
Edicts
This module adds variability to final scoring.
When using Edicts, do not score "Reputation in Florence." Edict objectives replace those in step 6 of Final Scoring.
As usual, if multiple players are tied for an objective, all tied players gain the corresponding Infamy points.
Scoring Objectives
The Edict objectives are:
- Highest Tower
- Most Florins
- Most family members at home
- Most Guests including the Podestà (the Podestà is marked with the Merchants of Ravenna key)
- Most Barrels on the supply panel
- Most Pacts (Merchants of Ravenna key), spent or unspent
- Most Rats on the Scaffold (The Great Pestilence rat)
The Infamy points awarded for each place are printed on the Edict cards themselves.
Additional Setup
Shuffle the Edict cards into a deck. Draw 1 Edict from the deck and keep it face-up and visible for the entire game.
If the card shows a key (Merchants of Ravenna) or a rat (The Great Pestilence), and you are not playing with that module, discard it and draw another one.
The Encounter
Additional Setup
- Place the Sloth tile on the step that shows the Blue Diploma (the circle of Sloth).
- Place Virgil's Path on top of the final step of Dante's path, as shown in the image.
- Place Virgil next to the board.
Rules
Play the game as usual, until Dante reaches the step that holds the Sloth tile. Once the corresponding Diploma has been awarded, remove that tile from the board and place Virgil on the final space of the path, marked "V".
From that moment on, each time a player makes an accusation, they may choose to either:
- Move Dante one step downward, as usual, OR
- Move Virgil one step upward. In this case, they receive the reward of the step reached (as if Dante had arrived there).
The game ends when Dante reaches the step where Virgil is located, or vice versa. If this encounter occurs on a step on the right side of the path, no reward is gained, since the Diploma for that circle has already been awarded. If the encounter happens on the left side, the reward is gained normally, even if it was already obtained earlier when the other character reached that space.
After the encounter, the end of the game is triggered exactly as if Dante had reached the final stop in a standard game. This includes granting 2 Infamy points to the player who performed the last movement of either character.
The Great Pestilence
The Pestilence is no accident. In the deepest cracks dwell creatures that cannot endure the gaze of the living. When they cross Dante's path, the rats flee in terror toward the city's light. They do not know it, but they carry with them an ancient curse. When they reach Florence, in 1348, the city begins to rot from within.
Overview
Whenever Dante steps onto a Colony during his journey, he will disturb a swarm of Rats. They will flee toward Florence, infesting a location whose actions will become more powerful.
Visiting an Infested location allows you to send more Souls to the Graveyard and advance along the Sin Tracks more quickly. However, when returning from an infested location to your Tower, an infernal Rat will follow you and climb up the Scaffold attached to its wall.
Rats grant Infamy points at the end of the game but each time a rat reaches a new floor of your Tower, its residents may fall ill, supplies may rot, or you may even be forced to demolish a floor to stop the spread of disease.
Additional Setup
- Form the Rat supply near the main board.
- Shuffle and stack all Rat Holes nearby.
- Take one Scaffold and place it to the left of your player board.
- Take one Misfortune tile at random and place it next to the Scaffold. Exclude the Protection tile in this step.
- Create a pile of Colony tiles rat-side up. Place one of them next to each of the first 6 Diplomas on Dante's path (from purple to red). Return the 2 unused Colonies to the box without looking at them.
Dante's Descent and Location Infection
When Dante advances to a step containing a Colony, award the circle's Diploma and then follow these steps:
- Flip a location to its Infested side, marked with the "B":
- For the first Colony, you may choose any location as the source of the infection.
- For subsequent Colonies, the infection spreads. You must choose a location adjacent (horizontally or vertically, never diagonally) to one that is already Infested.
- Example: When Dante encounters the third Colony, the BANQUET and COURTYARD are already Infested. The green checks show which locations may become infected next.
- Any family members at that location remain there, on the location's "B" side.
- If the flipped location is the PALACE or the MARKET, the infection devastates its residents and goods. The player who advanced Dante collects all Guests or Barrels from that location and places them into the Bag. Then, without looking, that player draws half of them (rounded down) and places them on the B side of that location. Discard any components remaining in the bag, keeping them near the board.
- Take the top Rat Hole from its pile and place it in the bottom-left corner of the newly flipped location.
- Flip the Colony tile. On the Rat Hole, place the number of Rats shown on the back of the Colony tile. Then, discard the Colony tile. Each family with at least one member present at the location takes one Rat from those just placed and puts it on their Scaffold (see placement rules below).
- Example: This colony indicates "number of players, plus one." In a 3-player game, this Colony would bring 4 Rats.
Rat Holes
If a Rat Hole runs out of Rats, flip it over and place it on the bottom-right corner of the location. (The location itself remains Infested, B side, for the rest of the game.)
The Rat Hole tile diagrams are numbered as follows:
- Rat Hole with Rats:
- This new temporary action requires you to take a Rat and place it on your Scaffold.
- The Rats on the tile are stacked on the rat icon of the Rat Hole tile.
- Show the modifications to the Accusation process in the Infested building (see Accusing in an Infested Location below).
- Rat Hole without Rats: 4. Show the modifications to the Accusation process in the Infested building (see Accusing in an Infested Location below).
Sending a Family Member to an Infested Location
During your Florence phase, if you place a family member in an Infested location:
- As your first step, if there is at least one Rat in the Rat Hole, take one and place it on your Scaffold. Then, resolve any triggered Misfortune effects (described below). If the Rat Hole becomes empty, flip it and place it on the bottom-right corner of the location.
- If no Rats remain at the location, play your Florence phase normally.
Continue your Florence phase, performing any remaining actions as usual, in any order you choose. The actions of each location on its B side (Infested) are explained on pages 10-11.
To obtain more Rats, in addition to sending family members to locations where Rats are present, you may perform actions at certain Infested locations that allow you to capture Rats from other locations. You may also gain them through Fraud cards or the effects of one of the Pacts.
Placing Rats on the Scaffold
Place your first Rat on the lowest space of the Scaffold. Future Rats will climb upward in a zigzag pattern. (In 4-player games, do not place a Rat on the first space.)
- If you place a Rat next to a Misfortune symbol, immediately lose the corresponding element:
- Choose one Guest from your Tower and place it off the board, along with any removed due to the Palace's infection. The Podestà is excluded from this effect.
- Choose one Barrel from your Tower (not from the Supply Panel) and place it off the board.
- Choose one family member from your Tower (not from your home or Florence) and remove it from the game. The Cutpurse is excluded from this effect.
- Remove the highest-built floor of your Tower and return it to your play area (or to the Market if it's an Alabaster floor). Any elements on that floor are resolved according to the rules above. If the Podestà, the Cutpurse, or the Book are on that floor, they are also removed from the game.
- If you have no such element in your Tower (Guest, Barrel, family member, or floor), ignore the effect.
- If your Scaffold is full, gain 2 Infamy points and return the Rat to the supply instead.
Accusing in an Infested Location
The Accusation process may change if the Rat Hole of that location specifies it.
- If the Rat Hole is on the left: place 2 Souls of that location's color in the Graveyard instead of 1. Advance 2 spaces on that Sin Track instead of 1, but receive only 1 Bonus.
- If the Rat Hole is on the right: apply, if present, the effects printed on that side: send 2 Souls to the Graveyard or advance 2 spaces on the Sin Track.
Example: Monica places a Rat on her Scaffold on the space that indicates she must remove a Guest from her Tower. Since she has at least one, she must do so, choosing either the yellow or the light blue one.
Scaffold Scoring at Game End
At the end of the game, after scoring Reputation in Florence, gain Infamy points equal to the value shown on the right side of your Scaffold next to the highest Rat.
Example: Your Scaffold grants you 6 Infamy points.
Expansion-Specific Fraud Cards
Some Fraud Cards require paying 1 Rat to activate their effect: this will always be the Rat highest on your Scaffold. If you decide to pay, return that Rat to the supply. If you later gain a new Rat, place it on your Scaffold as normal, and if this reactivates a Misfortune effect, you must again lose the corresponding element.
You may pay with a Rat even if you cannot or choose not to receive the Fraud card's rewards.
Remember: When paying a Rat as an endgame requirement, this happens before the Scaffold awards its Infamy points.
Merchants of Ravenna
Florence is in turmoil. Power crumbles, and the Families seek favor beyond their walls. To the east lies Ravenna, where powerful houses wait to seal an alliance that may secure your fate. Yet words alone will not suffice: you must send forth an emissary who, along the road, will form local pacts and strengthen your alliance step-by-step. Only by carrying your influence as far as Ravenna will the bond be made whole. Once the alliance is sealed, all Romagna shall learn to tremble at the name of your House.
Overview
The module introduces the Ravenna Board, which consists of a Map on the left (showing connections between Florence and Ravenna), and the Alliance Market on the right.
Once during the game, each player may send one of their family members to the starting space on the Map (marked "Firenze"). Once placed, the family member must remain on the Map until the end of the game. When doing so, the player gains Florins and chooses one Alliance card from those available. Alliance cards grant special abilities and determine how your family member will move along the roads of the Map. Each Alliance is different.
Along the way, family members may obtain Pact tiles that provide benefits and Infamy points at the end of the game. Those who reach Ravenna will receive additional Infamy points according to their order of arrival.
Additional Setup
- If you are not playing with The Great Pestilence, remove all Alliance cards and Pacts bearing the rat symbol (The Great Pestilence).
- Place the Ravenna Board on the correct side for your player count.
- Shuffle the Alliance deck. Draw cards equal to one more than the number of players. Place these cards face-up in the marked spaces on the Ravenna board. Return the rest to the box.
- Some Alliances are linked to specific elements. Place those components next to the Ravenna board.
- Shuffle the Pacts by type (I and II). Place one Pact at random, face-up, on each town on the Map matching that type. Return remaining Pacts to the box.
- 4 players only: Place 2 Pacts of the correct type (I or II) stacked on each town showing this symbol.
Beginning the Journey to Ravenna
After playing your Hell phase, you may send a family member to the Map, regardless of the shield symbol where you placed the Soul. To do so:
- Take one family member from your home and place it on the "Firenze" starting space.
- Gain Florins equal to the total number of family members already on the Map, including your own.
- Choose one Alliance from those available on the market, and place it in your play area. Alliance abilities can be found on page 16.
- If your chosen Alliance triggers an instant effect (for example, gaining a component), resolve it immediately.
Your turn ends, as this counts as your Florence Phase.
Moving Family Members on the Map
Your Alliance indicates when you must advance your family member on the Map (see page 16 for details on how each one works). If you fulfill the condition during your turn, you must advance one step on the Map after completing your Florence phase. An Alliance provides only one advance per turn, even if fulfilled more than once.
Advances gained through other means (such as Fraud cards) are resolved immediately, and are additional to those granted by your Alliance card.
Movement Rules
- You may move forward or backward between two towns connected by a road. Once you leave the "Firenze" starting space, you cannot return to it.
- When you reach a town:
- If there is a Pact at the town, place it in your play area with the reward side face-up. (Ignore the town symbol that becomes visible beneath your family member.)
- If there is no Pact, gain the reward or pay the cost printed on that town. If there is a Boot symbol, you must advance again.
- If the road or the destination town shows a cost in Florins, you must pay that amount to move there. You cannot use any Florins gained from the reward of that same town to cover this cost.
- Your movement ends when your family member reaches a town with a Pact, a town without a Boot symbol, or Ravenna.
- 4 players only: If your family member reaches a town with 2 stacked Pacts, take only the top Pact; leave the other Pact where it is. The next time you get to advance, move to a new town and leave the remaining Pact for a player who arrives later.
Example 1: After gaining an advance, Monica may move her family member to one of the following towns:
- Town 1: To reach it, she must pay 2 Florins: 1 shown on the road and 1 printed on the town where Paco is located. Then she takes the Pact from the destination and places it in her play area.
- Town 2: To reach it, she must pay the 2 Florins shown on the road and take the Pact from the destination town.
- Town 3: Reaching it has no cost. The town grants a reward of 2 Florins, which she gains immediately. Since it has no Boot symbol, her movement ends there, next to Araceli.
Example 2: Araceli's family member may move to:
- Town 1: To reach it, she must advance 4 spaces, passing through 3 towns, including those where Monica and Paco are located (each showing a Boot symbol). She must also pay 2 Florins: 1 shown on a road and 1 on the town where Paco stands. She then takes the Pact from the destination town.
- Town 2: She can reach it in two ways but chooses the route with no cost, moving upward. She takes the Pact from the destination town.
- Town 3: She moves 1 space to the right, pays 1 Florin, and takes the Pact.
Town Rewards
- Move along an adjacent road to a new town.
- Gain 2 Florins and end your movement here.
- Pay 1 Florin and move along an adjacent road to a new town.
- Gain 2 Infamy points and end your movement here.
Reaching Ravenna
When your family member reaches Ravenna, their journey ends.
Gain Infamy points according to your order of arrival, as shown in the table on the right side of the Map.
Example: Araceli arrives first and gains 4 Infamy points. Monica arrives second and gains 2 Infamy points.
If you later gain another advance on the Map, do not move your family member. Instead, gain 2 Infamy points.
Playing a Pact
Pacts allow you to repeat an action or gain again the benefit shown on the tile. Pacts can be used immediately after resolving an effect of the same type (except the Forgery Pact). After using a Pact, flip it to show that it has been played. Keep it in your play area.
- You cannot play a Pact on the same turn it was gained.
- You may play several Pacts in the same turn.
Scoring Pacts
At the end of the game, after scoring step 6, each family gains Infamy points for each Pact in their play area, whether they are face-up or face-down. Players receive:
- 2 Infamy points per Pact if their family member reached Ravenna.
- 1 Infamy point per Pact otherwise.
Example: Araceli and Monica have reached Ravenna. Each gains 2 Infamy points for every Pact in their play area. Paco did not complete his journey, so each of his Pacts is worth only 1 Infamy point.
Convening a Family Council
If you need to convene a family council, you must pay an additional penalty. After losing 2 Infamy points as usual, choose and flip one of your unplayed Pacts as if it had already been played. If you have no unplayed Pacts, remove one played Pact from your play area. If you have not claimed any Pact yet, this has no effect.
New 1348 Locations
These new locations replace the original ones. Use their A-side whenever you play with at least one module from this expansion.
As usual, location actions are optional, and you may resolve them in any order.
New building effects are described below. For clarity, any differences between sides have been underlined.
Remember: When a location action allows you to place an element in your Tower (by taking a Guest from the PALACE, a Barrel from the MARKET, or by reorganizing 2 or 3 elements after going to the COURTYARD), the Alabaster floor rewards may be triggered.
Free-Access Locations
HAYSTACK
A side: Place an Urchin from your reserve next to the family member you just brought in.
B side:
- If you go there with an Urchin, place the new Urchin in the Haystack as usual.
- If you go there with a Noble, place the Urchin directly in your home.
BANQUET
A side: Choose one of the following actions:
- Take the next floor from your reserve (in ascending order) and add it to your Tower.
- Pay 1 Florin, take an Alabaster floor from the market, and add it to your Tower.
B side: Select an Alabaster floor from the market. Add it to your Tower at no cost.
BANK
A side: Gain 2 Florins, plus one for each Guest hosted in your Tower.
B side: Gain 3 Florins, plus 1 Drachma for each Guest in your Tower.
COURTYARD
A side: Perform up to 2 optional actions:
- Transfer 1 or 2 of your family members from your Tower to your home.
- Reorganize: Temporarily remove up to 2 elements from your Tower (including any from Ravenna), then place them again in empty spaces. If you wish, you may return them to their original spaces.
B side: Perform up to 2 optional actions:
- Transfer 1 or 2 of your family members from your Tower to your home.
- Reorganize: Temporarily remove up to 3 elements from your Tower (including any from Ravenna), then place them again in empty spaces. If you wish, you may return them to their original spaces.
Example: Monica sends a family member to the Courtyard (its A-side). Image 1 shows the initial state of her Tower. As her first action, she performs a Reorganize action affecting 2 elements of her Tower. She chooses a family member and a Barrel, which she temporarily removes (Image 2). She then places both elements again (Image 3). By doing so, she triggers 2 floor rewards: first she gains 1 Florin, and then she converts that same Florin into 2 Drachmas. Finally, she performs the building's other action: moving the 2 family members currently in her Tower back to her home (Image 4).
Special Locations
BONFIRE
A side: Perform up to 3 optional actions:
- Exchange up to 3 of your Florins into Drachmas.
- Choose between (for free):
- Advance 1 Phlegethon cube 1 space to the right.
- Place 1 Safe Passage on the Wall of Dis.
- Choose between (at cost):
- Play 1 Guardian (cost: 1 Drachma).
- Play 1 River Styx action (cost: 2 Drachmas).
B side: Perform up to 3 optional actions:
- Exchange up to 3 of your Florins into Drachmas.
- Choose between (cost: 1 Drachma):
- Advance 2 Phlegethon cubes each 1 space to the right or 1 cube 2 spaces to the right.
- Place 1 or 2 Safe Passages on the Wall of Dis.
- Choose between (at cost):
- Play 1 Guardian (cost: 1 Drachma).
- Play 1 River Styx action (cost: 2 Drachmas).
WALL
A side: Perform up to 3 actions:
- Exchange up to 2 of your Florins into Drachmas.
- Choose between:
- Play 1 Guardian (cost: 1 Drachma).
- Move a Barrel from the Tower to your supply panel. Gain its reward.
- Play 1 Fraud Card (cost: 2 Drachmas).
B side: Perform up to 3 actions:
- Exchange up to 2 of your Florins into Drachmas.
- Choose between:
- Play 1 Guardian (cost: 1 Drachma).
- Move a Barrel from the Tower to your supply panel. Gain its reward.
- Play 1 Fraud Card (cost: 1 Drachma).
MARKET
A side: Take one Barrel and place it in an empty space in your Tower.
B side: Choose one:
- Take one Barrel and place it in an empty space in your Tower.
- Move 1 Rat from any Rat Hole to your Scaffold.
PALACE
A side: Take a Guest from this location and place them on an empty space in your Tower.
B side: Choose one:
- Take a Guest from this location and place them on an empty space in your Tower.
- Move 1 Rat from any Rat Hole to your Scaffold.
Additional effects of a MARKET or PALACE infection
- Before flipping the location, take all components on that tile (Barrels or Guests), count them, and place them into the Bag.
- Randomly draw half of them from the bag (rounded down) and place them on the location flipped to its B-side.
- Finally, place the components remaining in the Bag near the board (some Fraud cards allow you to recover them and bring them to your Tower).
Example: Place the 11 Barrels from the Market into the bag. Then randomly draw 5 and place them back on the location. Place the remaining 6 near to the board.
When Pestilence visits a building, it casts it into silence. Its inhabitants fall into a lethargy between life and death. Yet the disease does not fully claim them: they remain trapped where nothing truly lives or fully dies. With the proper infernal influence, they may be called back.
Solo: Challenges
Follow the rule variations and setup changes to the base game listed below when playing these Challenges.
Setup Changes
If any card or element includes this symbol (a figure marked with a red cross), take another one.
The following setup changes are listed with their printed circle numbers (6, 9, 14, 15):
- 6: Place 3 Shortcuts on each stop on the left side of the stairs.
- 9: Randomly choose a single Guardian from the black deck and place it face-up near the board.
- 14: Add a 4th Noble to your home.
- 15: No Sin Track advances are granted.
Rule Changes
- If your Infamy token falls below the starting position (into negative points), the game ends and you lose.
- Each location can only hold 1 family member at a time.
- No points are awarded for achieving Reputation in Florence.
- HAYSTACK: When you send a Noble to this Location (an Urchin would have no effect), remove it from the game and exchange it for an Urchin from your reserve.
- If the HAYSTACK is showing its A side, place the Urchin in this Location.
- If it is showing its B side, choose whether to place the Urchin there or send it directly to your home.
- MINOS: each time you score a Soul in a circle with your Tail on it, you receive 2 additional Infamy points.
Choose Your Difficulty
Before starting the game, select a difficulty level: Easy, Medium or Hard.
Module Compatibility
The compatibility table is printed with its columns numbered 1, 2 and 3, as the printed table has them. Transcriber's note: these three columns are read as the three new Challenges, which are headed Challenge 4, 5 and 6 below, in that order. This mapping is inferred from the page layout and the module references in each Challenge; the source does not label the columns with those numbers.
| Module | Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Builders | Mandatory | Mandatory | Mandatory |
| Edicts | Incompatible | Incompatible | Incompatible |
| Centaurs | Mandatory | Mandatory | Mandatory |
| The Encounter | Incompatible | Incompatible | Incompatible |
| The Great Pestilence | Incompatible | Compatible | Mandatory |
| Merchants of Ravenna | Mandatory | Compatible | Incompatible |
Key: Mandatory (check), Compatible (brown dot), Incompatible (cross).
Challenge 4 – Infernal Tributes
Our commercial expansion into Ravenna has drawn great interest from Hell. So much so, that it now demands constant proof of its progress.
Setup changes
- Draw 1 Challenge card showing the Merchants of Ravenna key icon from the deck and place it face-up.
- Place the Phlegethon panel with its B side face-up (1–6 points).
Special rules
Each time Dante reaches a step with a Diploma, you must:
- Choose between removing one of your Pacts from the game (whether played or unplayed) OR losing the Infamy points indicated for the circle Dante is currently in. (Note: Removed Pacts do not score at the end of the game.)
- Choose between moving one of your Skulls back 1 space on a Sin Track of your choice OR losing the Infamy points indicated for the circle Dante is currently in.
The Infamy points indicated for each circle, in order along Dante's path, are: purple 4, green 4, brown 5, blue 6, yellow 7, red 8, gray 9, light blue 10.
Example: Dante reaches the step with the brown Diploma. Araceli has one unplayed Pact, but wishes to keep it and chooses to lose 5 Infamy points. She must then choose between moving one of her Skulls back 1 space or losing an additional 5 Infamy points.
Endgame victory conditions
At the end of the game, you must:
- Have reached Ravenna.
- Meet the requirements shown on the Challenge card: find the column that corresponds to your difficulty level. It shows the amount of each element you must possess or exceed, including the Infamy points at the bottom. (Note: The Podestà counts as a Guest.)
| Requirement | Easy | Medium | Hard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tower floors | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Barrels in your supply panel | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Florins | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Guests in your Tower | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Infamy points | 60 | 100 | 150 |
Example: At Hard difficulty, this Challenge requires having at least 4 Tower floors, 4 Barrels in your supply panel, 3 Florins, and 3 Guests in your Tower. In addition, you must have earned at least 150 Infamy points.
Challenge 5 – The Burning of Florence
The entire city has been judged, and its punishment is fire. The flames of Hell cannot be extinguished with water or effort: they demand sacrifice.
Setup changes
- Before shuffling and placing the Colonies on Dante's Path, remove 2 that show only the player-count symbol.
- Randomly place 7 Incident tiles face down on Dante's first 7 Diploma stops (from purple to gray). Remove the unused tile from the game, unseen.
- Shuffle and stack the 8 Fire tiles, then place them face down near the board.
- Place the Phlegethon panel with its B side face up (1–6 points).
Special rules
Modifications to Dante's Descent. Each time Dante advances 1 space and, after resolving the Colony tile as usual:
- Count Locations with Fire tiles (Burning locations). Depending on the difficulty level, lose the following Infamy points for each one: Easy 1, Medium 2, Hard 3.
- Flip the Incident tile to reveal a Location. Place the top Fire tile from the stack on it, face up.
Visiting a Burning Location. Access costs for Special Locations with Fire tiles still apply. The only action available at a Burning Location is Extinguish Fire. You may not send a family member there unless it is to perform this action. The mandatory initial action of taking 1 Rat and placing it on your Scaffold still applies. After that, you must extinguish the Fire.
Extinguishing a fire. There are two ways to extinguish a fire:
- Follow the instructions on the Fire tile:
- If an Urchin icon is shown, you must have sent an Urchin to perform the action.
- Pay the resources indicated on the tile corresponding to the difficulty level.
- Pay Infamy points. In this case, the action may be performed with a Noble, even if the Fire tile shows an Urchin icon. The Infamy points to be paid also depend on the difficulty level: Easy 4, Medium 6, Hard 10.
The resources that a Fire tile may require are shown as icons with a cost: Florins; Barrels in your Tower; ½ Diplomas; Guests in your Tower (could be the Podestà); Backward movements on Sin Tracks; Played Fraud cards; Backward movement of Phlegethon cubes on levels where you have a Diploma (you may distribute them as you wish). The amount for each tile is printed on the tile.
Example: At Medium difficulty, Araceli sends an Urchin to the burning Palace. After paying the 1 Florin access cost, she may choose between returning 3 of her played Fraud cards or paying 10 Infamy points. If she had sent a Noble, her only option would be to pay 10 Infamy points.
- After extinguishing the fire, remove the Fire tile and leave your family member at that Location. As Challenges forbid sending a second family member there, you cannot perform the standard action until, in a later turn, you make an Accusation and send a family member back to that Location.
- Any costs paid (Barrels, Guests and played Fraud cards) are returned to their original Locations or markets.
- You may accuse a Sinner at that Location with the family member who extinguished the Fire, in a later turn.
New sudden death condition
If, at any point during the game, there are 4 Burning Locations, the game ends immediately and the player loses.
Endgame victory conditions
- There must be no active fires remaining in Florence.
- Score these Infamy points for the chosen difficulty level: Easy 60, Medium 75, Hard 90.
- If The Great Pestilence is in play, increase the Infamy point target accordingly: Easy +12, Medium +18, Hard +25.
- If Merchants of Ravenna is in play, increase the Infamy point target accordingly: Easy +6, Medium +10, Hard +15.
Example: At Medium difficulty, with Merchants of Ravenna in play, this Challenge requires at least 85 Infamy points (75 from the base Challenge plus 10 from the Merchants of Ravenna module).
Challenge 6 – To the Last Rat
The Pestilence has claimed Florence. Your family stands alone, unbroken by panic, against its spreading grip.
Setup changes
- Take the Incident tiles. Remove 2 of them at random and place the remaining ones, face down, on Dante's first 6 Diploma stops.
- Remove from the game the 2 Colonies shown in the image for the chosen difficulty level. Then shuffle the rest and place them face down, at random, on the Incident tiles from the previous step.
- Transcriber's note: the pair of Colonies to remove for each difficulty is shown only as icons in the printed image on page 14, and is not reproduced here.
- Draw 1 Challenge card showing the Great Pestilence rat icon from the deck and place it face-up.
- Place the Phlegethon panel with its A side face up (0–5 points).
Special rules
Modifications to Dante's Descent.
- The first Colony infects the Location shown on the Incident tile.
- From that point on, each time Dante encounters a Colony, resolve the following steps:
- Propagation: Each Location with at least 1 Rat produces the following effects on all orthogonally adjacent Locations:
- If they are not infected, flip them to their B side and place a Rat Hole on them.
- If they contain no Rats, place 1 Rat on its Rat Hole.
- If a Location without Rats is adjacent to multiple Locations that do contain Rats, place a total of 1 Rat on it.
- Infection: Infect the Location shown on the Incident tile (if it is not already infected). Place a Rat Hole beneath it (if there is not already one). Add as many Rats as indicated by the Colony, in addition to any already present.
- Rat payment: Count the Souls in Hell that have not yet reached their matching circle. For each of them, choose between removing 1 Rat from your Scaffold (if any) OR losing the Infamy points indicated for the chosen difficulty level: Easy 1, Medium 3, Hard 6.
- Propagation: Each Location with at least 1 Rat produces the following effects on all orthogonally adjacent Locations:
Other modifications.
- Do not flip or remove the Rat Hole from an infected Location when it is emptied of Rats (it may receive more in the future). The changes to the Accusation process featured in the Rat Hole remain active until the end of the game.
- If a Location is flipped to its B side, it remains flipped for the rest of the game.
New sudden death condition
If, at any point during the game, there is at least 1 Rat in all 8 Locations, the game ends immediately and the player loses.
Endgame victory conditions
- There must be no Rats remaining in the city.
- Meet the requirements shown on the Challenge card: find the column that corresponds to your difficulty level. It shows the amount of each element you must possess or exceed, including the Infamy points at the bottom.
| Requirement | Easy | Medium | Hard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tower floors | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Florins | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Family members in your Home | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Barrels in the supply panel | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Infamy points | 65 | 90 | 115 |
Example: At Medium difficulty, this Challenge requires having at least 4 Tower floors, 3 Florins, 2 family members in your Home, and 1 Barrel on the supply panel. In addition, you must have earned at least 90 Infamy points.
Pacts
Each Pact tile shows its type:
- Locations: After sending a family member to a location and resolving its action, you may flip the Pact of the matching color and perform one of its actions (those separated by "+" or "/"). Do not send a second family member to benefit from this effect. You may choose an action different from the one you just resolved.
- Example: After playing the BONFIRE and flipping the yellow Pact, Monica may: exchange Florins for Drachmas, move a Phlegethon cube one space forward, place a Safe Passage, play a Guardian, or activate the River Styx. (She may also move a Rat from the Rat Hole to her Scaffold if any remain.)
- Advance: When you advance on a Sin Track (due to an accusation, card, etc.), you may flip this tile and advance one additional space on that same Track.
- Forgery: Flip this card and copy a Pact not yet played from an opponent's play area. The copied Pact is not affected.
- Half Diploma: You may flip this tile after gaining a Half Diploma to gain one more.
- Accuse: After completing your Florence phase by sending a family member to a location, you may flip this tile to accuse a Sinner at that family member's location.
- Hell phase: Spend this tile after completing your Hell phase to perform that phase again. Your second Hell phase determines the quartiere in which you must play your Florence phase.
- Rat (The Great Pestilence): Whenever you gain a Rat by any means (for example, by visiting an Infected location), you may flip this tile and take one additional Rat from that location or from a different one. Place it on your Scaffold.
- Scoring: When you gain instant Infamy points (for example, by moving a Barrel to the supply panel or placing a Soul in its circle), you may flip this tile and score those points again (up to 5 points).
Guardians
Each Guardian has a setup, a "How to play" and an effect.
Red Guardian: Charon
The ferryman of the river Acheron does not listen to the pleas of the damned. Souls cross the river only when he allows it, following the order carefully set. Before his boat, rushing is pointless, and waiting is unavoidable.
- Setup: Place Charon's standee in the far-left shield of the CREAM circle. Place the River Jetty near the Graveyard on the central board.
- How to play: Place 1 Soul on the River Jetty. If there are Souls already queued, place it at the end of the queue.
- If you take the Soul from the supply, gain no additional benefit.
- If you take it from the Graveyard, gain 1 Drachma.
- Then move Charon's standee to any empty shield of the circle matching the color of the Soul placed on the River Jetty. If there are no empty shields in that circle, choose a Soul of a different color to place on the River Jetty.
- Effect: Whenever a player must take a Soul from the Graveyard to Hell, they must take the Soul in the first position of the River Jetty queue.
- E.g.: Araceli wants to ensure that a purple Soul enters Hell soon. As there are none in the Graveyard, she takes one from the supply and places it in the second position of the River Jetty, where a yellow Soul is already waiting. She then places Charon's standee on an empty shield of the purple circle. As it occupies the second position, the purple Soul will be the second to enter Hell, after the yellow one.
Black Guardian: Lucifer
Cast down from Heaven, Lucifer was not destroyed. His punishment was harsher: to remain still, forever watching the order he once sought to defy. If you offer him his favored feast, the Frozen Soul of a Traitor, he will use the last remnants of his power to help you bend the laws of Hell.
- Setup: Place Lucifer's standee in the ICE BLUE shield of the lower level of Hell. Place the Frozen Souls near the play area.
- How to play: DO NOT move its standee. Instead, take a Frozen Soul and place it in your play area. You can use it in the Florence phase of a later turn, when you accuse a Sinner. You can accumulate more than one Frozen Soul.
- Effect: When you accuse a sinner, after advancing on the corresponding Sin Track, return a Frozen Soul to the supply and gain the bonus of another Sin Track instead of the one you would normally gain. Then move Lucifer's standee to an empty shield of the circle associated with the chosen bonus. If there are no empty shields in that circle, you must choose a different bonus.
- E.g.: Monica accuses a Sinner at the BANK. After collecting her family members and sending 1 brown Soul to the Graveyard, she advances her Skull on the brown Sin Track. Then, instead of gaining the 3 Drachmas she would normally receive, she returns 1 Frozen Soul to the supply and chooses to play 1 Fraud card. Finally, she places Lucifer's standee in the only empty shield of the gray circle.
Alliances
Cinnamon Barrels
The most precious spice of the East will open every merchant's door to you.
- Setup: Take the 5 Cinnamon Barrels and place them on this card.
- Ability: Cinnamon Barrels are wild Barrels. Each may be spent to gain one benefit of a single Fraud card and must then be immediately returned to the box. They may be used to fulfill instant or endgame requirements, but only if you don't have the Barrel required. You may still obtain regular Barrels at the MARKET. Cinnamon Barrels cannot be sent to the supply panel, or spent to fulfill requirements that demand paying a Rat (rat symbol).
- Advance on the Map when... you spend a Cinnamon Barrel to gain the instant effect of a Fraud card. Cinnamon Barrels that are unused or spent to fulfill Fraud card endgame requirements don't allow you to advance on the Map.
Pact with Charon
By striking a pact with the ferryman, the river becomes more forgiving to those who know how to bargain.
- Setup: If you have taken any loans, place your Boat on the starting space of the loan track.
- Ability: Each Loan provides you with 4 Drachmas instead of 2. When you reach the fourth space of the Loan Track, lose 3 Infamy points instead of 5. From the fifth loan onward, you lose 5 Infamy points as usual. You do not lose Infamy points for Repayment of Charon's loans during final scoring.
- Advance on the Map when... you take a loan. As usual, you may only do so when, while attempting to pay a cost in Drachmas, you do not have enough.
Cutpurse
He is small and almost invisible. When the crowd is not paying attention, purse strings are cut and coin bags fall silent.
- Setup: Take the Cutpurse and place it in your home.
- Ability: When you send the Cutpurse to a location, steal 1 Florin from each family with presence on that tile that has at least one. For all other purposes, the Cutpurse is considered an additional Urchin of your family. You may not pay the PALACE access cost with a Florin stolen there during that same turn.
- Advance on the Map when... you send the Cutpurse to a Location and steal at least 1 Florin.
Podestà
His word is law. Where he resides, justice yields.
- Setup: Take the Podestà and place it in an empty space of your Tower.
- Ability: You may accuse in any special location using this Guest instead of the one matching that location's color. As usual, you must place the accuser on the same floor where the Podestà is hosted.
- Advance on the Map when... you accuse a sinner using this Guest.
Forbidden Book
A scholar entrusts you with this unique codex. Those who comprehend it see their fortune doubled.
- Setup: Place the Book in a space of your Tower.
- Ability: When you place the Book on an Alabaster Floor, gain its benefit even in right-hand space. While reorganizing your Tower, you may place the Book on the right and another item on the left of a Floor to gain its benefit twice (pay its cost twice, if any).
- Advance on the Map when... you place the Book on the right side of a Floor and gain its benefit, provided that no 2 of your family members share a location when you do so (including the HAYSTACK). Do not advance when you first place the Book in your Tower.
Hidden Passage
The entrance to an ancient corridor beneath Florence's foundations is revealed.
- Setup: Take the Passage and place it next to the banner of one of Florence's four quartieri.
- Ability: You may always perform your Florence phase in the quartiere where the Passage is placed, either to send a family member or to accuse a Sinner in one of its 2 locations. At the beginning of your turn, you may spend 2 Drachmas to move your Passage to a different quartiere.
- Advance on the Map when... you use the Passage to send a family member to Florence and end your turn with your home empty. You are considered to be using the Passage only if the shields of your Hell and Florence phases do not match.
Master Key
With it, no door demands tribute.
- Ability: You no longer need to meet the access requirements of special locations (neither sending Urchins nor paying Florins).
- Advance on the Map when... you save the access cost of a location (by bringing a Noble when an Urchin is required, or not paying the required Florin), and end your turn with your Home empty.
Apothecary
He teaches you a remedy of salt and vinegar strong enough to halt the spread.
- Setup: Remove the Misfortune from your Scaffold and replace it with the Protection tile.
- Ability: From now on, you do not suffer any adverse effects when Rats climb your Scaffold.
- Advance on the Map when... you place a Rat on a floor showing the Boot symbol. If you later lose that Rat and place another one on the same floor, you gain a new advance.