Legacy of Eastbrook Hills Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Dear Friends!
• About the Game
• Components in Envelope 1
• Rules of the Game
  • The Time Track
    • Starting Position
    • Advancing the Time Token
    • Fatigue
    • Ending a Scenario
  • Decks of Cards
    • Various Decks
    • The Main Deck
    • Additional Decks
  • Game Cards
    • Time Spent
    • Free Card Flip
    • Time Spent + Free Card Flip
    • Text Block
    • Instruction to Perform an Action
    • Possible Actions
  • Player Characters
  • Keywords
  • Area Map
  • Characters and Topics for Talking
• Special Actions
  • Tokens
  • TALK Token
  • OBSERVATION and SEARCH Tokens
  • Bonus Tokens
    • "25th Hour" Token
    • Universal Token
• Game Modes
  • Standard Mode
  • Hard Mode
  • Easy Mode
• Frequently Asked Questions and Common Mistakes

Dear Friends!

Thank you for purchasing our game. Before you open the box with the first chapter of the adventure, let us give you a few tips on how to make the game more interesting and engaging.

• Choose a quiet place to play where nothing will distract you. That way you will better feel the atmosphere the game creates for you. If you are pressed for time, it is better to put the box aside and come back to it in a more suitable situation. The detective element is revealed in all its glory when you have the opportunity to explore the world unhurriedly and unravel the mysteries around you.
• You will need quite a lot of table space for the game, so clear it in advance. Set aside the cards that do not offer any new actions so that they do not clutter the play area.
• Players take turns and make decisions in clockwise order. On their turn, each player has the right to play one of the available regular or special actions, if they have the corresponding token. The other players may give advice, but the final decision remains with the active player.
• Finally, arm yourself with a pencil to write down key information. This will help you not get confused about names and clues.

About the Game

"Legacy of Eastbrook Hills" is a dark detective series consisting of five related scenarios, called episodes. The game is fully cooperative; the players jointly control a group of characters whose makeup does not depend on the number of players. Control is about choosing the actions that the group will perform. Players choose an action, take the corresponding card, read it, and receive new hints and opportunities. Most actions advance the game time, and when it reaches a certain mark, the finale comes.

You can start the game without studying the rules first. This option is suitable if you have a lot of experience with similar games or have already played our game "Mortum: Medieval Detective". If so, simply take all the components out of envelope 1, open the box with scenario 1 "Eastbrook Hills" and read the top card of the deck, carefully and consecutively carrying out the requirements stated on it. All the game rules will be explained to you as you go.

The story in the game is told from the point of view of an unseen participant in the events who accompanies the characters, and at times from the point of view of the characters themselves.

Approximate length of the scenarios:

1. Eastbrook Hills: 1.5-2.5 hours
2. Redgrove: 3-4 hours
3. Aftermath: 3-4 hours
4. Dark Night: 3.5-4.5 hours
5. Lights of the Big City: 3.5-4.5 hours

Components in Envelope 1

• Rulebook x1
• Envelope for storing components x1
• Time track x1
• OBSERVATION tokens x12
• SEARCH tokens x12
• TALK tokens x11
• TIME token x1
• BONUS tokens (Universal) x2
• BONUS tokens (25th hour) x2

Rules of the Game

Each game scenario has a set of special rules, which are described separately. Here we introduce the rules common to the whole game.

The Time Track

Starting Position

The days and hours allotted to the scenarios are limited and are tracked by moving a token along the time track. The starting cards of each scenario tell you at which hour to place the TIME token.

Advancing the Time Token

The TIME token advances along the track in several cases.

1. Icon in the top left corner. If the top left corner of a played card shows "N hours", move the token N hours forward.
2. Direct instruction to move the token. Some cards may directly state which division of the track the TIME token must be set to.
3. Restoring TALK tokens. This is a separate option that lets you skip 1 hour of game time and restore two TALK tokens.
4. Decision of the players. Players are allowed to skip hours by simply moving the token. But this action is not rational, so try to avoid it. It is better to use skipped hours to restore TALK tokens.

Fatigue

By continuing to act after sunset, the characters accumulate fatigue. It is shown on the time track (at 9 p.m. you have one unit of fatigue, at 10 p.m. two, and so on). Some scenarios set a time limit after which players are obliged to send the characters to rest.

Fatigue is borrowing time from the next day, not some kind of penalty. During the night rest phase you will have to get rid of each unit of fatigue, and the more of it you have accumulated, the later the next morning will begin for you. But do not be afraid to use the night time: in some scenarios it opens up additional opportunities unavailable during the day.

Ending a Scenario

A scenario ends when the TIME token reaches a certain mark, but it is rarely known in advance. In most cases you will learn how much time is left for the investigation only in the course of the game, when you draw a card with certain information.

Decks of Cards

Various Decks

During the initial setup of each scenario, the game will ask you to separate several additional decks from the main deck. In different scenarios these additional decks may differ, but in all of them the main deck will always remain, and you will take cards from it more often than from any other.

You will not have to think about which deck to take a given card from. If one of the special decks is meant, the game will always state its name. If only a number is given, take the card from the main deck.

The Main Deck

Cards of the main deck are always double-sided (they have no back), so try to draw them in such a way as not to peek at others. The back side of these cards differs by the addition of the letter "B" to the number (in the original, the Cyrillic letter "Б"). Sometimes the game may direct you straight to side B. In that case, do not read the text on the main side.

Additional Decks

Cards in these decks are single-sided; they always have a back with a special deck symbol (for example the symbol of Talk, Observation or Search) and a number. You will take cards from these decks in two cases.

1. When you use the corresponding special action on your own initiative.
2. When the game directly tells you to take a card from a specific deck.

Game Cards

Any game action, whether it is a decision to visit some location, do something, or talk to someone, is always accompanied by playing a certain card. Cards can look different, but all have a similar structure and use the same design elements.

Time Spent

This symbol means that you need to advance the TIME token. The symbol takes effect ONLY ONCE! If you flipped the card and then returned to the side with this symbol, you do not need to move the TIME token again.

Free Card Flip

The flip symbol in the top left corner of the card says that you may freely flip it, spending nothing to do so.

Time Spent + Free Card Flip

Sometimes these two symbols appear side by side, but they are still independent signs. They should be read like this: having taken this card, you must advance the TIME token 1 hour, after which you may freely flip the card and look at its reverse.

Text Block

This is narrative text that reveals part of the plot. Sometimes it contains instructions to perform some actions, but in that case the text is highlighted in color.

Instruction to Perform an Action

Example: "Take card #1 from the Main deck".

The text in such a block must be carried out. Cards often have either several such blocks, or several instructions within one of them. In any case, actions are performed strictly in order from top to bottom. Be attentive and do not skip such instructions, otherwise this may break the game logic and make it impossible to finish the scenario correctly.

VERY IMPORTANT! Chains of cards: sometimes such instructions will make you take another card, at times even more than one. The cards taken may have similar requirements. In this way, one card can trigger the taking of a whole chain of cards. Chains are played without interruption. This is important to consider in cases where they lead to moving the TIME token and triggering other events. Remember that you must first fully read and carry out all the instructions of the current chain, and only then take a card for another event.

Possible Actions

This block lists the actions that players may perform if they see fit. Each action has a number; this is the number of the card the players will take.

MISSING NUMBER: if a card with that number is absent from the deck (for example, it was taken earlier or the game required it to be removed), the action is considered impossible.

SEVERAL POSSIBLE ACTIONS: if a card offers several possible actions, then after performing one of them the card is NOT discarded. Players may (if they wish and have enough game time) perform all the actions, not just one.

CONDITIONS: to perform some actions, the condition written before it must be met. This may be spending a certain token or something else. An action can be performed only if all its conditions are met.

Player Characters

They include an illustration of the protagonist, as well as a set of tokens that the players receive at the moment the game tells them to take them (usually at the start of a scenario). A reminder on the rules for using and refreshing these tokens is given on the back of the character cards.

SPECIAL RULES IN LATER SCENARIOS: during the game, other rules may be introduced for special action tokens that contradict those written here or on the backs of the character cards. In such cases, always follow the new rules introduced for the specific scenario.

Keywords

Having received a card with a keyword, keep it together with your player character cards. Such cards are not discarded but carry over from scenario to scenario until the very end of the game. If you are in doubt whether a card is a keyword card, simply consider it one and keep it until the end of the game to avoid confusion.

Area Map

This is an illustration with a plan of the area, as well as individual locations on it. Almost always such locations have a unique number. It is needed for using special actions at locations (such as Search or Observation) and indicates the number of the card in the corresponding deck that the players must take.

A LOCATION WITHOUT A NUMBER means that special actions cannot be performed there.

EXAMPLE: the players use an OBSERVATION token to play this action at location 2 "Water Tower". When the action is completed, they must take and read card number 2 from the Observation deck.

Characters and Topics for Talking

Besides the illustration and narrative text, these cards have a special block on the right side (for character cards) or on the left side (for topic cards). Players may talk to any available characters about any known topics. For more on this action, see the chapter Special Actions.

Special Actions

Tokens

Most of the tokens you have signify the possibility of one action or another. The decision to use them is yours to make. After the introductory part of the first scenario, you will no longer meet reminders that you can spend tokens to search, observe or talk.

The phrase "spend a token" means removing it from the group's supplies. The token may be returned to the box, or it may be placed on the location where the action was carried out, for clarity.

TALK Token

Allows talking to characters about certain topics. For this action, besides the TALK token, the players must have available at least one card with a character ready to talk (such cards have a block with lines and numbers) and one card with a topic of possible conversation.

Players may spend an available token and combine the card of the desired character with the card of the topic of interest. Two numbers connected by a continuous line indicate the number of the card from the Talk deck that the players must take.

IMPORTANT!

• TALK tokens are restored every morning after rest.
• Players may at any moment move the TIME token 1 hour forward and restore 2 TALK tokens for it. This can be repeated an unlimited number of times.
• You may talk on the same topic with different characters, as well as with one character on different topics.

OBSERVATION and SEARCH Tokens

These actions imply covert observation of a location or a thorough search of it. In the first scenario the action takes 3 hours, and to carry it out you must perform the following steps.

• Place the token you have on the chosen location.
• Take one more token from the box and place it on the time track division three hours later than the current time.
• When the current time reaches this token, return it to the box and take from the corresponding deck the card with the number of the location where the action was carried out.

IMPORTANT! If you go to rest without waiting for the time to reach the token placed on the track, the action is still completed and you take the corresponding card before all tokens are restored.

• Before reading this card, fully finish reading the chain that triggered the advance of the TIME token.
• The token lying on the location stays there until the end of the game, so it is easier for you to keep track of where and which special actions you have already performed.

IMPORTANT!

• In the first scenario only one character can split off from the group, so observation and search cannot be performed at the same time.
• OBSERVATION and SEARCH tokens return every morning, so do not hesitate to use them.
• Sometimes the game tells you to take a token from the box and place it on some location. This means that this action can no longer be performed at that location, and by placing this token you must not take a card from the corresponding deck.

Bonus Tokens

Sometimes players will receive bonus tokens of various types. These bonus tokens do not belong to characters and do not return at rest if they have been spent. Also, these tokens are issued for one scenario only and are lost if they were not spent before its end.

"25th Hour" Token

Players may use this token to reduce fatigue by 1 when counting fatigue.

Universal Token

May be used as any other token, except the CONNECTIONS token (you will learn about this token later).

Game Modes

Standard Mode

The standard mode does not imply any additional changes on the part of the players. Simply follow the rules introduced during the game and use all the opportunities provided to you. But if the standard mode seems too difficult or too easy, you may use one of the alternative variants.

Hard Mode

The use of "25th hour" and "Universal" tokens is forbidden. Ignore all instructions to receive these tokens.

Easy Mode

At the start of each scenario, take two additional "25th hour" tokens and two additional "Universal" tokens from the box. You will be able to play more cards, receiving more information and clues.

Now you are ready to begin the game. Take all the components out of envelope 1, open the box with the first scenario "Eastbrook Hills" and read the top card of the deck, carefully and consecutively carrying out the requirements stated on it.

Frequently Asked Questions and Common Mistakes

QUESTION: A card tells us to do something at 10 p.m., but after playing an action we must move the token straight to 11 p.m. What should we do?

Answer: Move the token to 11 p.m., finish carrying out the chain of actions that triggered the advance of TIME, and then carry out the instruction that the game prescribed for 10 p.m.

QUESTION: Do we need to spend game time on moving between locations?

Explanation: No. There is no movement around the map in the game. The areas where the action takes place are not that large, so move the TIME token only when the played cards require it.

QUESTION: Can observation and search be used at the same time, by placing two tokens on the time track at once?

Explanation: No. If an action requires placing a token on the time track, it means that one character splits off from the group. And only 1 character can be split off from the group. So, until the observation is finished, you cannot send another character to carry out a search.

MISTAKE: When replaying a scenario, players keep the keyword cards received during the first playthrough.

Explanation: Keywords determine those decisions and events that happened to your characters in the current playthrough. If on a replay your story developed differently and you did NOT receive a card that you received earlier, you should not take it. Otherwise you will run into inconsistent in-game events.

MISTAKE: Some cards offer several possible actions at once. Players perform one, after which they discard this card, closing off the chance to perform the others.

Explanation: If a card offers several possible actions, players may in time perform even all of these actions, if they wish.

MISTAKE: The game demanded to flip the card to side B, and the players, having done so, consider the main side no longer available.

Explanation: Players always have access to the information and cards they have already read. Thus, the main side of the card remains available to them if they read it earlier. IMPORTANT: in rare cases players may get access straight to side B. Then the main side remains unavailable.

MISTAKE: Players choose and act as a specific character, assuming that it is this character who performs the actions on the cards.

Explanation: Players play together for the whole group of player characters. If one of the possible actions is performed, it is assumed that the whole group goes to carry it out (except a character who has split off to carry out observation or search).

MISTAKE: Players send the group to sleep at an arbitrary moment, even if they do not have the corresponding possible action.

Explanation: The group can be sent to rest only by playing a possible action and in no other way. If a rest action is not among those available, it means that a night's rest is unavailable at that moment.