Nightmare Cathedral
Nightmare Cathedral Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Nightmare Cathedral is a strategy game for 1-4 players, where victory is gained by controlling the map, managing resources, following objectives, and selecting when to engage in fast and furious conflicts to gain strategic advantage. Over the course of the game, you will perform actions – and follow the actions of other players – to produce units, build fortifications, maneuver around the map, and spend your followers to climb the ritual track.
Throughout the game, a haunting Cathedral will grow in the center of the board, and once it is completed, you will face – and gain the ability to control! – the physical manifestations of nightmares that are released upon the world.
Nightmare Cathedral is a game of both strategy and tactics, where finding clever ways to follow your objectives and combining different strategies is the ultimate route to victory.
Living Rules Pledge: We pledge to support every game well after its initial release. Despite rigorous play testing and multiple rounds of both internal and external proof reading and editing, occasionally the need for rules corrections or minor game play adjustments are discovered only several months or years after the game was manufactured. We promise to produce timely rules updates as necessary, along with expanded FAQ clarifications if needed, available for download from our website in digital PDF format.
Missing or damaged components: Although we take a lot of care to make sure that your game is complete, manufacturing mistakes can still leave you with a missing or damaged component. If that happens, please contact us to receive replacements swiftly, and with our sincere apologies. Customer support: https://boardanddice.com/customer-support/
Components
Your copy of Nightmare Cathedral should contain the following elements:
- 1 double-sided game board (1-2 players on one side, 3-4 players on the other side)
- 2 pieces of the Cathedral / Devoured Units sideboard
- 2 pieces of the Divergent Paths / Devoured Units sideboard
- 1 wooden Time marker
- 1 wooden Turn marker
- 1 Starting marker
- 13 Divergent Paths Reward tiles
- 8 wooden Ritual markers (2 in each of 4 player colors)
- 4 Fortress tokens (1 in each of 4 player colors)
- 24 cardboard Player markers (6 in each of 4 player colors)
- 4 board overlay tiles
Cards
- 16 Conflict cards, Stage 1
- 16 Conflict cards, Stage 2
- 27 Dream cards, Stage 1
- 19 Dream cards, Stage 2
- 4 Basic Combat cards (1 per player)
- 20 Starting Action cards (4 sets of 5 cards per player, each set with an appropriately colored back)
- 52 Development cards, Stage 1
- 44 Development cards, Stage 2
- 8 Nightmare cards
- 4 Reference cards (1 per player)
Miniatures
- 4 Shapers (1 in each of 4 player colors)
- 4 Dreamers (1 in each of 4 player colors)
- 80 Followers (20 in each of 4 player colors)
- 40 Fort levels (10 in each of 4 player colors)
- 30 Shadows
- 8 Nightmares
- 13 Cathedral pieces
The solo components are listed in the Solo Rules.
Setup
Before your first game, carefully punch out all cardboard components. Then, follow the steps below.
When setting up your game, remove any cards that are not used with certain numbers of players. If playing with 2 players, remove all cards marked with "3+" and "4". When playing with 3 players, remove all cards marked with "4". Removed cards are simply returned to the box and will not be used during the game.
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Place the game board in the middle of the table, choosing the side according to the number of players.
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If playing with 3 players, use the 4 overlay tiles to cover the areas marked with a corner symbol. These areas will not be used during the game.
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Place the sideboard next to the main board, Cathedral side up. Set up the Cathedral track by placing the Cathedral miniature pieces on the appropriate spaces of the Cathedral track. For the Standard Game, ignore any player number markings on the Cathedral track, and place the first Cathedral piece in the middle of the board.
The Cathedral is a multi-piece miniature that comes together in a specific way. While it is easy to assemble and disassemble, we have provided more detailed instructions on the Cathedral pieces at the end of these rules.
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Randomly determine the first player, then players clockwise around the table become second player, third player, and fourth player.
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Each player selects a color and receives the following components: 1 Dreamer, 1 Shaper, 10 Fort levels, 20 Followers, 2 Ritual markers, 1 Fortress marker and 6 Player markers.
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Place the Time marker on the starting "I" position of the Time track.
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Select a starting position for the Turn track and mark it with the Starting marker.
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Place 1 Player marker belonging to the starting player on the same position as the current position of the Turn marker. Then, moving clockwise around the table, place 1 Player marker belonging to each of the players per symbol on the Turn track. Continue, until all Turn track positions are taken. Remove any unused Player markers from the game (return them to the game box).
The function of the Player markers is purely referential. As the Turn marker moves around the Turn track, its current position shows whose turn it is at any given moment. In other words, the player with their Player marker on the same symbol as the Turn marker is the active player (more information on the active player: see the Turn Structure section).
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Give each player 5 Starting Action cards which they must display in front of them in a row, 1 Basic Combat card which they take into their hand, and 1 reference card which they place anywhere in their play area.
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Shuffle all Stage 1 Development cards to create a deck.
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Draw cards from this deck until the first Upgrade card is revealed and give this card to the first player. Continue until each player has received an Upgrade card. Once that happens, each player must place their received Upgrade card on top of the corresponding Starting Action card in their display.
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Shuffle again all remaining Stage 1 Development cards to create the Development deck, leaving the space for a corresponding discard pile, and place it next to the main board.
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Deal 3 Development cards to each player. You may look at your hand of Development cards, but should keep them secret from other players.
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Shuffle all Stage 1 Dream cards to create the Dream deck.
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Deal 2 Dream cards to each player. Then, draw 3 Dream cards and place them face up next to their deck, creating an offer.
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Shuffle all Stage 1 Conflict cards and place them in a deck next to the main board.
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Starting with the first player and going clockwise, each player selects 1 area on the board, and conquers it. Next, starting with the last player and going counter-clockwise, each player selects 1 area on the board, and conquers it.
When conquering areas during setup you must take a total of exactly 2 areas: exactly 1 corner area (one of the areas marked with the corner number), and exactly 1 non-corner area. However, you may do this in any order.
When conquering an area, you must:
- place 2 Followers, your Shaper, 1 level of Fort and a Fortress marker in a corner area,
- place 1 Follower in any area adjacent to the Cathedral,
- place 2 Followers in any other area.
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Seed empty areas with Shadows, by placing 1 Shadow in any area that is empty and adjacent to the Cathedral, and 2 Shadows in any other empty area.
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In player order, each player places their Dreamer on any Night space of the Action Matrix. Night spaces may hold any number of Dreamer miniatures.
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Reveal 2 Nightmare cards at random, and place them next to the game board.
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Find the Nightmare miniatures corresponding to the Nightmare cards drawn, and place each of them on its Nightmare card. Return all unused Nightmare cards and miniatures back to the game box.
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Set aside Stage 2 cards (Developments, Conflicts and Dreams), creating separate decks.
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Each player places both of their Ritual markers at the start of the Ritual track.
You are now ready to start the game.
Key Concepts
To make it easier to understand the structure of the game play, there are a few key concepts that need to be explained.
Units
There are two types of units in the game: Followers and Shadows (both represented by miniatures). Followers are player units, and Shadows are neutral units. Whenever a card specifically refers to "your" Followers, it means Followers belonging to the player holding or playing that card. If a card refers to Followers in general, it means Followers belonging to any player or players, but not Shadows. If a card refers to units, it means any type of unit, Followers and Shadows alike.
Fort Levels
The Fort levels are stackable miniatures, allowing players to build Forts that have multiple levels, a minimum of 1 level and a maximum of 3. Whenever a card specifically refers to Fort levels, it means individual Fort level miniatures. If a card refers to a Fort in general, it means a Fort having any number of levels—1, 2, or 3.
Area Control
An area is controlled by the player with at least 1 level of Fort in that area. In the absence of Forts, it is controlled by whoever has more units than any other side (this may mean that an area is controlled by Shadows). An empty area is controlled by Shadows. In case of a tie between multiple sides that have the most units in an area, no side is in control of the area.
Example 1: This area is controlled by the red player, as they have a Fort there. The blue player, the green player and the Shadows are present in the area.
Example 2: This area is controlled by the blue player, as they have more of their units there, than any other side (the green player and the Shadows), and no player has a Fort there. The green player and the Shadows are present in the area.
Example 3: No side controls this area, as both the green player and the blue player have the most units there, and they are tied. All sides (both players and the Shadows) are present in the area.
Area Presence
A player is present in an area if they have at least 1 Fort or 1 Follower there.
Example: This area is controlled by the green player, as they have more units there than any other single side. Both the blue player and the Shadows have presence. The yellow player has no presence, as Shapers do not count as units and do not grant presence on their own. The Nightmare does not influence control or presence in any way.
Shapers and Nightmares
Shapers and Nightmares are not considered units, never control any areas or provide presence, and never interact with units unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Marked Area
The current position of the Turn marker always depicts a symbol. Any area with that specific symbol is considered a Marked Area for the current turn. Each turn, the Marked Area changes.
Example: With the Turn marker on the space above, all of these areas are considered to be Marked Areas.
Fortress
The area containing your Fortress marker follows a few special rules. You can never lose the last Fort level in your Fortress area (and will therefore always control that area). You automatically win all conflicts resolved in your Fortress area.
Turn Structure
Each game turn allows one player—known as the active player—to perform an action of their choice. The other players—known as inactive players—may benefit from the chosen action, either by Conforming to it, or by Dissenting.
The Active Player
When you are the active player, you perform the following steps in order:
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Move your Dreamer to a day space (light-grey spaces on the Action Matrix), that is not adjacent to the Night space (dark-grey space) your Dreamer is currently in.
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Perform the Action of the Day space or ignore the Action and draw 2 Development cards.
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Discard any unwanted Dream cards to the bottom of the Dream deck.
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Draw Dream cards, one by one from the offer or the top of the Dream deck, until you have 2 Dream cards in your hand.
Immediately after drawing a Dream card from the Dream offer, replenish the offer. If you are drawing 2 Dream cards and the first one comes from the offer, replenish the offer before selecting your next card, or drawing from the deck.
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Discard any Development cards in your hand in excess of 8.
Your Basic Combat card counts against your hand limit, and may not be discarded!
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Resolve any end of turn effects (including playing Dream cards and all inactive player reactions).
Inactive players may react here even if the active player chooses to ignore the Action and draw cards (see below). Only after all Inactive players have reacted, the Active player continues with their turn.
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Move your Dreamer to the night space as shown on the Action Matrix.
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Move the Turn marker to the next space.
If the Turn marker has entered the starting space of the Turn track, immediately move the Time marker once down the Time track. If this moves the Time marker onto the space with the skull symbol, the end of the game is triggered (see the Game End & Scoring section).
Reaction
During step 6 of the turn sequence, Inactive Players may react to your chosen Day Action. Beginning with the player to your left, reactions are performed in clockwise order. Each reaction must be resolved in full before another player resolves their reaction.
When it is your turn to react, you may:
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Conform: If your Dreamer is on the Night space adjacent to the current Day Action, you may resolve the Conform effect associated with the current Day Action (e.g. if the current Day Action is Summon, you may use the Conform effect as detailed on your own Summon Action card).
- OR -
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Dissent: Regardless of the location of your Dreamer, you may resolve the Dissent effect associated with the current Day Action (as detailed on your own Action card).
- OR -
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Pass (doing nothing).
Example: The green player has moved their Dreamer to the Summon Action space. The blue player may only dissent. Both the red player and the yellow player may choose to Conform or Dissent. After the green player's Action is completed, their Dreamer is moved to the Night space following the direction arrow.
Once all reactions have been resolved, the Active player moves their Dreamer to the correct Night Space and finishes their turn (this is covered in steps 7 and 8).
Playing Dream Cards
Each Dream card explains exactly when it can be played (including "at any time") and what conditions need to be met in order to play it. After playing and resolving a Dream card, add it to your personal Dream card discard pile. In addition to the condition stated on each Dream card, you must follow this golden rule for playing Dream cards: Dream cards may only be played before an Action or Reaction is complete, never in the "middle" of an Action or Reaction in progress.
Note: Dream cards are only drawn at a specific time during your turn. It is possible you will have fewer than 2 at the start of your turn.
In the Standard Game, after all players have had their first turn, each player will build the Cathedral by adding a new piece to the board. This is explained in detail in the Game Stages section.
Resolving Actions and Reactions
At the start of the game, all players have the same Action cards (with the exception of one randomly upgraded Action). As the game progresses, the Action card effects will differ between the players.
Whenever you resolve a Day Action, follow the instructions on your own Action card.
Likewise, whenever you resolve a Reaction (whether you choose to Conform or Dissent), follow the instructions on your own Action card.
Unless an Action or Reaction effect specifically caps the number of Upgrade cards that may be played, you are allowed to play any number of Upgrade cards. An Upgrade card may be played on top of another Upgrade card. The effects of any covered card permanently change for the rest of the game. However, if you cover a card you were resolving, follow it (the card does not change in the middle of resolving it).
Develop
Starting Develop card: Play up to 2 cards. A maximum of 1 of these may be an Upgrade. Then, draw 1 card. Conform: Play 1 card (not an Upgrade). Dissent: Draw 1 card.
Fortify
Starting Fortify card: Spend 1/3 of your Followers to build 1/2 Fort levels in areas under your control. Conform: Draw 1 card OR play 1 Upgrade. Dissent: Spend 2 of your Followers to build 1 Fort level in an area under your control, or draw 1 card. Unit limit: 3
Clarification: Removed Followers are returned back to player's supply. Followers removed from any area may be used to pay for a Fort level in any controlled area. If a player removes the last Follower (or enough Followers to lose control) from an area, they may still build a Fort level there - until they resolve this Action completely, the area is still considered under their control.
Example: The blue player performs the Fortify Action. She spends 3 Followers to add 2 new Fort levels to areas she controls.
Unit Limit
Normally, a maximum number of units for each side (players, Shadows) in an area is 3. This means an area may contain no more than 3 units from each player and 3 Shadows. However, the Unit Limit for each player is printed on their Fortify card, with some Upgrades raising this number to 4 or 5 in one area. This means that at any time, a player may have 4 or 5 of their Followers in a single area (and still up to 3 in any others they are present in).
Fort Levels
Any player Fort consists of a minimum of 1 level, and a maximum of 3. This number is completely independent of the Unit Limit.
Summon
Starting Summon card: Each of your Forts produces 2. Each marked area produces 1. Conform: One of your Forts produces 2. Dissent: Climb 1 step on the Ritual track.
Clarification: Summoning may never make any player (or the Shadows) exceed a Unit Limit. Any Followers produced may never be taken from an area on the board.
Produce
When a unit is produced, take it from the appropriate supply and place it in the area it is produced in. Whenever an area produces units, it produces them for the controlling side. An area controlled by a player produces that player's units. An area controlled by Shadows (reminder: this includes empty areas), produces Shadows. An area that is not controlled by any side produces no units. It is possible for a single area to produce more than once during the resolution of a single effect.
Perform Ritual
Starting Perform Ritual card: Climb on the Ritual track:
- Climb 1 grey or blue step before you start or after you finished spending Followers and units in Limbo.
- Spend your Followers and units in Limbo to climb grey, blue or red steps.
Conform: Climb 1 grey step on the Ritual track. Dissent: Draw 1 card.
Clarification: When a Ritual marker Climbs on the Ritual track, it moves closer to the end of the track (towards the last red step). When paying to Climb, a player must remove one of their own Followers from an area matching the symbol on the step they are attempting to enter. Each removed Follower is temporarily placed on the Ritual track next to the icon it was used to pay for. These Followers return to their owner's supply only once they conclude the Ritual action. Note that some steps have two or more symbols, these require multiple Followers to be paid to be entered.
Limbo
When Climbing using Followers from the Limbo, a player must spend 3 of them (by returning them to their supply), to climb 1 grey or blue step. If a player has fewer units in the Limbo, they may not use them. Only Followers end up in the Limbo, and they are moved there only when they are eliminated in a conflict.
Grey Spaces
This space on the Ritual Track may be entered with any type of effect. Every time any effect allows for a move on the Ritual track, it will always allow you to Climb on Grey Spaces.
Blue Spaces
These can only be entered when specifically allowed to by an effect. Furthermore, these come with their own effects which may be resolved or ignored. If a player resolves the effect, it should be resolved completely (putting the Climbing on halt), before climbing further. Some effects allow players to command 1 Nightmare. This is explained in the Game Stages section further in the rules.
- Receive 3 Movement Points. You may use any of them following the same rules as during a Maneuver Action.
- Add 1 Fort level to any area that you control.
- You may move your Shaper to an adjacent area, and then you may perform 1 Conversion (as explained in the Maneuver Action section).
- Produce 2 spread among any areas you control.
- Command a Nightmare. This is only available during Stage 2 of the game. A detailed explanation of activating Nightmares can be found in the Nightmare Cathedral section.
Red Spaces
These can only be entered via a primary effect of the Ritual Action (and must be paid in full, although units in Limbo can be used here).
Example: The blue player performs the Ritual Action. Firstly, follower 1 is spent to enter the step. Since the game is still in Stage 1, the player uses 1 of the 3 Movement Points to move Follower 2 to an adjacent area (and forfeits the rest of the Movement Points). Then, the blue player spends Followers 3, 4 and 5 to Climb the next 3 steps. Next, the player spends Followers 6, 7 and 8 from the limbo to Climb another step, and then Follower 9 is spent to enter the next space. Spending Follower 10 and the previously moved Follower 2 allows the blue player to enter the step. The player forfeits its special ability, and then uses their free move to any grey or blue step to enter the final red step for this Action.
Different game effects (like reactions or development cards) may allow you to climb the Ritual track. In such cases, you remove followers only when the description of the effect specifically tells you to.
Maneuver
Starting Maneuver card: Receive 4 MP. Then, perform a conversion in your Shaper's area. Then, resolve 3 conflicts. Conform: Produce a total of 2 in areas under your control. Dissent: Draw 1 card.
Clarification: Conflicts in the game happen only when an effect prompts a player to resolve a conflict. Otherwise, units can coexist in a single area. When a player is prompted to resolve X conflicts, they:
- Select an area on the board containing units and/or Forts belonging to multiple sides.
- Resolve a conflict in that area.
- Move back to point 1.
The above process must be repeated until X conflicts have been resolved, or until there are no more areas with units and/or Forts belonging to different sides, whichever comes first.
MP (Movement Points)
Every Maneuver Action generates a number of Movement Points (abbreviated to MP on cards). You may use 1 MP to, either:
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move 1 of your Followers to an adjacent area (respecting the Unit Limits)
- OR -
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move your Shaper to an adjacent area.
You may spend multiple Movement Points with the same Follower or Shaper. A Follower cannot move out of any area with opponent Followers or Shadows, though it may move into such area. Shapers may enter and leave all areas freely.
Conversions
Whenever a Shaper converts a unit, they supplant an enemy unit (opponent Follower or Shadow) for their own unit. A supplanted unit is returned to its supply - it is not placed in the Limbo. A unit may not be converted to a unit of the same side (player A may convert a Shadow or player B's Follower into a player A Follower, but player A may not convert a player A Follower into a player A Follower). A Conversion is only resolved according to the specific description of the effect that allows for it.
Conflicts
Whenever a player is instructed to resolve a conflict, they must follow the steps below:
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Select 2 opposing sides of a conflict in a single area (even if there are more than 2 sides in an area, every single conflict is resolved between just 2). A "side" can be a player or the Shadows. The selected sides will be considered to be part of a Battle.
Example: Green is the Active Player and must resolve a conflict. They decide to resolve a conflict in this area, between green and blue Followers. Shadows are present in the same area but will not be taking part in the conflict.
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Players play their cards. All cards should be placed face down.
When a player plays cards, they may play up to 1 card for each Follower they have in a conflict and up to 1 card for their Fort (regardless of its level). A player must play at least 1 card in a conflict. Instead of playing a Development card, a player may play a Basic Combat card.
- If a player faces off against the Shadows, they play their cards first.
- If a player faces off against another player, the player who controls the area plays their cards second.
- If a player faces off against another player, and no player has control, the Active player chooses who plays their card first.
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Once both sides have played their cards, reveal them at the same time.
If a player faces off against Shadows, they play all of their cards first - then, a single conflict card is drawn and played for the Shadows (regardless of the number of Shadows in the conflict).
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Count the Combat effects of the cards played – Attack and Defense icons. Each Defense cancels out 1 Attack.
The Attack and Defense icons generated by the Shadows depend on the number of Shadows taking part in the conflict. To determine the symbols generated, simply use the line on the card with the appropriate number of Shadows.
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Each side removes 1 unit for each uncancelled damage they were dealt. A side with no units must deal any remaining damage to their Fort levels (if any) – 1 damage eliminates 1 Fort level. Any excess damage dealt to a side that has no more units and no more Fort levels is ignored.
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The side with any Fort levels wins the conflict.
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Otherwise, the side with more units wins the conflict.
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If an otherwise unbreakable tie occurs, the Active player chooses how the tie is broken.
Example continued: The green player plays 1 card for each of their Followers in the area. Then the blue player plays 1 card for their follower, and 1 card for their Fort (even though the Fort has 2 levels). Both green and blue generate 3 damage and 1 shield. Each shield negates 1 damage, which also means that both green and blue are dealt 2 damage each.
The blue player must now remove a total of 2 Followers but since there is only 1 blue Follower, the blue player also loses 1 Fort level. The green player must remove 2 Followers.
Since at the end of the conflict blue is the only player with a Fort, the blue player is the winner.
- The losing side must move all their units to any adjacent areas that they control, where they have presence, or that are empty (always respecting the Unit Limit). In other words, units may not retreat into an area controlled by anyone else (except if it is empty), unless that unit's side has a presence there already.
- Any losing units that may not be moved away are eliminated.
Example concluded: Having lost the conflict, the green player must now retreat their remaining Follower to an adjacent area that is controlled by green (in this case with a Fort). The blue player has won the battle and retained control of the conflict area.
- If a player faced off against the Shadows, resolve the Victory or Defeat effect of the drawn Conflict card (resolve Victory if the player won, otherwise resolve Defeat) and then place that Conflict card at the bottom of the deck. When resolving the Victory effects, you may always draw a card instead.
- Discard any cards played, except any Basic Combat cards that are now returned to their owners' hands.
Example: On a later turn the blue Player must resolve a conflict against 2 Shadows in this area. The blue player plays 3 cards (even though they are allowed to play a maximum of four), and draws 1 Conflict Card for the Shadows. Blue generates 4 damage and 2 shields, while the 2 Shadows generate only 2 damage.
The 2 Shadows are eliminated with 2 more damage to spare, while no Followers suffer any damage, since blue player's 2 shields reduce the damage dealt by Shadows to 0.
The blue player thus wins the conflict and can immediately resolve the Victory section of the Conflict Card, before discarding it and continuing with the game.
All eliminated Followers are moved to the Limbo. You can take these Followers back to your supply at any time, but it might be beneficial to leave them there, as they can be used during the Perform Ritual action.
Eliminated Fort levels and Shadows are returned to their respective supplies.
Rewards and Consequences
Unlike conflicts against other players, fighting Shadows comes with an extra reward for a victory or an extra consequence of defeat. When dealing with these effects, always try to resolve their effect as completely as possible.
Whenever you resolve the Victory effect, you may instead ignore the effect completely, and draw 1 Development card instead. This may be especially important if this effect is unfavorable for you or impossible to resolve.
While Victory and Defeat effects will often allow you to break the rules, there is one rule that can never be broken: there can never be more than 1 Fort in any area.
The Nightmare Cathedral
Nightmare Cathedral is played in two overarching Stages. The game starts in Stage 1, and with the completion of the Cathedral transits to Stage 2.
Building the Cathedral — Standard Game
The Cathedral is built piece by piece as the game progresses. In the Standard Game, once each player has had their first turn, this will happen at the end of each active player's turn:
After all inactive players have performed their Reactions:
- The active player takes the next closest piece of Cathedral (one that is closest to the beginning of the track), and places it in the Cathedral area in the center of the board.
- Starting with the active player and proceeding clockwise around the table, each player resolves any effects printed on the just uncovered Cathedral track space.
It is highly recommended that you play using the Standard Game rules first to familiarize yourself with the game flow and its intricacies, as the game length is highly dependent on player proficiency in the Variable Length Game.
Building the Cathedral — Variable Length Game
In the Variable Length Game, the Cathedral is not built at the end of every turn. Instead, a new element of the Cathedral is added only when a Dream card featuring the Cathedral icon is played. See the following symbol descriptions for more details.
All Dream cards reward players with Victory Points. These will be scored at the end of the game.
Some Dream cards feature the Cathedral icon. Standard Game: Ignore this symbol. Variable Length Game: Whenever you play a Dream card with this symbol, pause the game, take the next Cathedral piece from the Cathedral sideboard and place it on the main board. If the space the piece has just vacated features one of the below symbols, resolve it immediately.
Cathedral Track Icons
Some of the spaces of the Cathedral track are marked with a symbol. Below follows a list of all symbols and their effects:
"3+" with the Dream-scoring symbol — Standard Game: Ignore this symbol. Variable Length Game: If playing with 2 or 3 players, set up this Cathedral piece before the first turn of the game.
"4" with the Dream-scoring symbol — Standard Game: Ignore this symbol. Variable Length Game: If playing with 2 players, set up this Cathedral piece before the first turn of the game.
Shaper-with-Follower symbol — Standard Game: Each player may Produce 1 in an area they control. Variable Length Game: After you place this Cathedral piece, you may Produce 1 in any area you control.
Shaper-with-arrow symbol — Standard Game: Each player receives 1 Movement Point which they can use only to move their Shaper. Variable Length Game: After you place this Cathedral piece, you receive 1 Movement Point which you can use to move your Shaper.
Ritual step symbol — Standard Game: Each player may climb 1 grey step on the Ritual track. Variable Length Game: After you place this Cathedral piece, you may climb 1 grey step on the Ritual track.
Shadow symbol — Standard Game: Each player must add 1 Shadow to any area, respecting Unit Limits. Variable Length Game: After you place this Cathedral piece, you must add 1 Shadow to any area, respecting Unit Limits.
"Draw 2" symbol: When this space is reached (both in Standard Game and in the Variable Length Game), perform the following steps (just once, not per player):
- Shuffle all Stage 2 Development cards into the deck (without shuffling the discard pile).
- Shuffle all Stage 2 Dream cards into the deck, then shuffle the Dream offer with the deck, and draw 3 cards to create a new Dream offer.
- Remove the Stage 1 Conflict cards from the game and exchange them for a new deck of Stage 2 Conflict cards.
At this stage some card effects will start referencing Nightmares and devouring. These effects are not yet active. Remember that - when resolving a Victory effect of a Conflict card - you may always draw a Development card instead.
Once the final Cathedral piece is placed on the main board, the Cathedral is fully built. To complete the transition to Stage 2:
- Flip over the Cathedral track sideboard to its Devoured Units side.
- Add the Nightmare miniatures to the Cathedral area.
From this moment on, new effects appear in the game.
Once the Cathedral is built, the Nightmare miniatures are placed on the Cathedral space. Once a Nightmare miniature leaves the Cathedral space, it may not enter it again, unless a card effect specifically allows it to return to the Cathedral space.
Command Nightmares
When performing this effect, select 1 of the 2 available Nightmares, and perform its printed command effect. The "command Nightmare" effects may differ wildly: the rules of commanding a given Nightmare are printed on its card.
No player may command each Nightmare more than once in a given turn. No Nightmare may enter the same area more than once in a single activation, and may not enter an area it started its activation in.
Much like a Shaper, a Nightmare is not stopped by any units, may not be attacked and does not count against any Unit Limits. Any other individual Nightmare rules are printed on its card.
Current Area
Nightmare cards often use the term "current area". The current area is the area the Nightmare is in when the effect is resolved.
Devouring Units
A devoured unit is placed on the Devoured Units side board. Once a certain number of unit is Devoured, the end of the game is triggered. To establish the number of Devoured Unit needed to trigger the end of the game, compare the numbers on both Nightmare cards that correspond to the number of players (from left to right: 1-2/3/4 players). Whichever of these is higher is the number needed to end the game.
Note that it is possible for a Nightmare to not feature a Devoured Units number. In such a case, simply use the number from the other Nightmare card.
Devoured units (both Followers and Shadows) are placed on the Devoured Units sideboard. Once a limit determined by the Nightmares in play is reached, the game end will trigger.
A Devoured unit is not considered eliminated - unless specifically brought back by an effect that allows for this - it is lost for the rest of the game, but may still be worth Victory Points to its owner.
Game End & Scoring
The game end is triggered in one of the following ways:
- The Time marker enters the skull space of the Time track.
- A number of units are devoured.
If the end is triggered by the Time marker, the game ends immediately. Otherwise, keep playing until all players have had an equal number of turns, and then end the game.
Final Score
To calculate the final score, count the following:
-
Ritual Track — for each marker on the Ritual track, score a number of Victory Points based on the highest space it has reached.
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Forts — score 1/2 Victory Points for each Fort that has 2/3 levels.
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Devoured Units — score 8/5/3/2 Victory Points for having the most/2nd/3rd/fewest number of Devoured units. In case of a tie, sum the tied positions' Victory Points, dividing them equally between the tied players (rounding down). In games with fewer than 4 players, use the highest numbers (8/5/3 in a 2-player game).
Although you do not count Victory Points for Shadows, they will claim one of the most-to-fewest positions for purposes of determining player Victory Points.
-
Upgrades — score Victory Points as indicated on each Upgrade card, including on any that has been covered up.
-
Dreams — score Victory Points as indicated on each Dream card in your personal discard pile.
Dream cards usually provide the majority of Victory Points, while they also provide guidance in your game and drive the building of the Cathedral in the Variable Length mode of the game. If you are in doubt about what you need to do on your next turn, look at the Dreams in your hand and try to fulfill them. Remember about the option to discard unwanted Dream cards. As a strategy tip, if you forecast that you will not be able to fulfill a Dream card in your next 2-3 turns, discarding it is probably your best choice.
Scoring Example: The blue player is preparing to score their victory points.
The Ritual track is scored first. Blue Ritual markers reached positions which allow the player to receive 7 and 3 victory points, for a total of 10 victory points.
Next blue Forts are scored. A level 1 Fort is worth no victory points. The level 2 Fort is worth 1 victory point, and the level 3 Fort is worth 2 victory points. Forts thus score a total of 3 victory points.
Now the blue player receives victory points for their Followers on the Devoured Units board. Blue has the second highest number of units on the Devoured Units board, but so does green. Both the blue player and the green player score 4 victory points each (5 plus 3 divided by 2).
Next, the blue player scores the Action card display. Each Stage 2 Upgrade card scores 1 victory point, for a total of 2 victory points.
Finally, the blue player counts all points printed on their played Dream cards, adding 15 victory points to the final score.
Blue's grand total is 34 victory points!
Choosing Nightmares
Nightmares play a crucial role in the game, and depending on the two chosen Nightmares your experience with Nightmare Cathedral will be different.
The designers suggest the following combinations to enhance certain aspects of the gameplay:
- Climbing the Ritual track: Nightmares 1 & 5.
- A lot of conflict: Nightmares 3 & 7.
- A more strategic game end, with variable length of the game: Nightmares 4 & 8.
- Fierce competition for Devoured units: Nightmares 3 & 6.
- Game end triggered quickly after Nightmares enter play: Nightmares 2 & 8.
- Focus on card drawing and a lot of cards played: Nightmares 4 & 6.
- Very aggressive game play, a lot of conflict and almost certain end of game via Devoured units: Nightmares 1 & 7.
Divergent Paths
The Divergent Paths module introduces a greater level of control over the effects of building the Cathedral during the game. Instead of simply placing a Cathedral piece with a set effect, you will usually have a choice between different effects when building.
While this module will work for both the Standard Game and the Variable Length Game, it is recommended for players with at least a few games under their belt.
Setup
Follow the regular setup with the following changes:
- Place the Divergent Paths Cathedral side board instead of the regular one, with the Cathedral side up.
- Place the Cathedral pieces on all the spaces of the track.
- Randomly place faceup gray Divergent Paths Reward tiles in the Reward tile slots next to the brown Cathedral piece spaces.
- Set aside the yellow and red Reward tiles - they will be needed later in the game.
- If playing the Standard Game, move the Cathedral piece 1C to the main board and discard its Reward tile.
- If playing the Variable Length Game do not move any Cathedral pieces to the main board.
- Proceed with the rest of the setup, ignoring any instructions telling you to move any Cathedral pieces to the main board.
Module Rules
When playing with the Divergent Paths module, whenever you place a Cathedral piece on the main board, you may select the one from a certain number of available pieces. The Cathedral pieces also come with a pool of Reward tiles that are used the moment their Cathedral piece spaces are vacated.
Available Cathedral Pieces
A Cathedral piece is available to be placed on the main board if either of the following conditions are met:
-
It is taken from a gray Cathedral Piece space.
- OR -
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It is taken from a space of another color that has a Reward tile and all the paths leading directly into this space originate in vacated Cathedral Piece spaces.
The Cathedral Piece from space B may only be placed if space A does not contain a Cathedral Piece.
The Cathedral Piece from space C may only be placed if both spaces A and B do not contain Cathedral Pieces.
When the Cathedral Piece from a space with the Draw-2 symbol is removed, simply follow the procedure described in the Nightmare Cathedral section (Cathedral Track Icons).
Reward Tiles
After moving a Cathedral Piece to the main board, the active player takes the Reward tile from the just vacated space, and resolves its ability. Once the Reward tile is resolved, it is discarded (removed from the game).
- If at this moment there is only one gray Reward tile on the Cathedral sideboard, immediately place faceup yellow Reward tiles in their spaces.
- If at this moment there is only one yellow Reward tile on the Cathedral sideboard, immediately place faceup all red Reward tiles in their spaces.
Each tile comes with a unique ability, as explained below:
- Advance 1 on the Ritual track.
- Produce 2 in an area you control.
- Gain 3 Movement Points.
- Play 1 Upgrade.
- Advance 1 or 1 on the Ritual track.
- Draw 5 Stage 2 Development cards. Keep 2 of them, return the rest to the Stage 2 deck and shuffle it.
- Add 2 Shadows to a single area, then resolve a conflict in that area.
- Draw 4 Stage 2 Dream cards. Keep 1 of them, return the rest to the Stage 2 deck and shuffle it. This Stage 2 Dream card does not count against the limit of 2 Dream cards you are allowed to have.
- Add 1 Fort level to an existing Fort.
- Move your Shaper to any area.
- Perform 1 conversion in an area adjacent to your Shaper.
- At the end of the turn move your Dreamer to any night space.
- Perform the Conform part of any of your Action cards.
Divergent Paths with the Standard Game
When playing the Standard Game, the active player still places a Cathedral piece at the end of the turn, choosing one from any available. However, the Reward tile is still only resolved for the player who discards, and not for all players.
Assembling the Cathedral Model
This section of the rules explains how to assemble the Nightmare Cathedral model, and how to place it on the Cathedral board, as well as on the main board.
Cathedral Components
The Cathedral model consists of 13 pieces:
- 4 bottom level corner pieces (component 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D)
- 2 bottom level wall pieces (component 2A, 2B)
- 1 roof level back piece right (component 3A)
- 1 roof level back piece left (component 3B)
- 2 roof level wall pieces (component 4A, 4B)
- 2 tower pieces (component 6A and 6B)
- 1 front wall piece (component 5A)
Components that share the same number (like the four corner pieces: 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D) are identical. The letter designation is simply there to show that there are multiples of them.
Cathedral Assembly
Depending on the number of players (and only when playing the Variable Length Game), you will perform a certain number of these steps before the game:
- With 4 players, perform step 1.
- With 1-3 players, perform steps 1 and 2.
Every step beyond 2 is performed whenever a piece of the Cathedral is taken off the Cathedral Track and placed in the Cathedral space of the main board.
- Start by placing piece 1A on the Cathedral space.
- Add piece 1B to the Cathedral. When placing 1B, slide it, so it touches 1A, forming the bottom front wall of the Cathedral.
- Add piece 2A.
- Add piece 2B. When adding these pieces, make sure that the textured wall is facing outward.
- Add piece 1C.
- Add piece 1D. When adding these pieces, make sure that the textured walls are facing outwards.
- Add piece 3A on top of piece 1C.
- Add piece 3B on top of piece 1D.
- Add piece 4A on top of piece 2A.
- Add piece 4B on top of piece 2B.
- Add piece 5A. When placing this piece, make sure that the long, textured wall is facing forward.
- Add piece 6A.
- Add piece 6B.
The Nightmare Cathedral is now complete, and ready to spew Nightmares into the world!
Cathedral Track Spaces
The pieces of the Cathedral that do not start on the main board are placed on the Cathedral track in the following order: 5A, 4A, 4B, 2A, 1B.
For the Divergent Paths Module, always place all the pieces of the Cathedral using the following order: 3A, 2A, 1C, 2B, 1D, 3B, 4B, 6A, 6B, 3A, 3B, 1D, 1C, 2B, 4A, 6A, 1A, 5A, 1B, 6B.
About the Artist
Zdzisław Beksiński [pronunciation: s-chi-slav bek-shin-ski] was born in 1929 in southern Poland, in the city of Sanok. He graduated from Architecture at Cracow University of Technology in 1952. Beksiński is widely recognized as a creator of original and evocative arts.
In his early artistic path, Beksiński's art evolved and transformed. Starting from the abstract painting, the artist quickly found his own, unique and recognizable style. In spite of great critical acclaim received for his avant-garde art, Beksiński is ranked as one of the most eminent modern artists thanks to the completely different works which have nothing to do with abstraction.
The paintings, which show deformed, tied figures, with bodies covered with torn, stitched skin and scars, were painted in the mid-60s. The time of turning of the 70s and 80s is represented by the works of his fantastic period where surreal visions, coming from the area between daydream and dream, are transferred from imagination or subconscious onto a hardboard.
The spectator is drawn into the visions of these images which present metaphysical landscapes, fantastic architecture and phantoms of figures emerging here and there. Ugliness and beauty, tragedy and persiflage, biologism and metaphysics harmonize in his paintings. This duality seems to be necessary for the artist to produce ambiguous, disturbing atmosphere.
Beksiński's excellent skills and perfectly flat texture make an impression of almost graphic design of these works. He had been painting in this manner, with some changes, until his last days. In the recent years, he reduced the visions and focused on the form and greater tranquility. The theme is usually limited to a deformed human figure sometimes two figures. Sharp tone of colours is replaced in favor of greater subtlety.
The works painted shortly before his death oscillate more and more towards abstraction. They become more ascetic, synthetic and sparing in their form. Beksiński's art, creating its own character, is situated in a way on the border of different artistic movements. Beksiński was stabbed to death at his Warsaw apartment on February 2005, by a 19-year-old acquaintance, reportedly because he refused to lend the teenager money.
Credits
Game Design: Błażej Kubacki Game Development: Andrei Novac, Małgorzata Mitura, Rainer Åhlfors, Filip Głowacz, Borys Bielaś, Kacper Frydrykiewicz, Michał Cieślikowski. Original artwork: Zdzisław Beksiński Additional illustrations: Franciszek Wolski Graphic Design: Zbigniew Umgelter Infini typeface: Sandrine Nugue / CNAP Rulebook: Błażej Kubacki, Rainer Åhlfors Rulebook editing: Rainer Åhlfors Rulebook DTP: Zbigniew Umgelter
Board&Dice would like to thank the following for their invaluable play testing, advice, and feedback: Aleksander Mućk, Karol Mućk, Maciej Mitura, Łukasz Stadnik, Jan Skornowicz, Gosia "Kitsu" Nowacka, Paweł "Wppxis" Gajda, Yuriy Ivanov, Błażej Huzarski, Dariusz Szypuła, Janusz Smoła, Julia Gauza, Michał "Killjoy" Cieślikowski, Miłosz Murawski, Sebastian Borowczyk, Aleksandra Wiatr, Adam "Samson" Kamiński, George Ozzy, Michał Mazurek, Łukasz Juras, Dominik "Vykk" Pańczyk, Grzegorz Góra, Jakub Kisała, Klaudyna Mikołajczyk, Daniel "Gun3R" Sobolewski, Iwona Jaworowska, Damian "Erefor" Adamczak, Przemysław Kapica, Krzysztof Widera.
BOARD&DICE
CEO: Andrei Novac Operations Manager: Aleksandra Menio Head of Marketing: Filip Głowacz Head of Sales: Ireneusz Huszcza Art Direction: Kuba Polkowski Head of Development: Błażej Kubacki