Vantage Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview and Goal
• Components
  • Initial Setup (before your first game)
• Setup
• Gameplay Overview
  • Universal Rule of Thematic Fun
  • Sharing Information
  • Storybooks
  • Solo Play
• Location Cards
• Sample Turn
• How to Take a Turn
  • 1. Choose one action from the three types of actions (location, card, and depart)
  • 2. Read the cost and action (not the result)
  • 3. Reduce the cost by 1 per matching skill optionally paid by any player
  • 4. Roll dice from the challenge dice pool equal to the remaining cost
  • 5. Place rolled challenge dice one at a time on your grid cards (and impact slots on any players' grid cards)
  • 6. Suffer penalties from rolled-but-unplaced challenge dice, then discard them to the penalty section of the center
  • 7. Read the action result
  • 8. End your turn
• Boost
• Card Grid
  • Reserve
  • Supply
• Card Anatomy
• End of Game
• Before Your First Game
  • Glossary
• Friendly Reminders

Overview and Goal

You begin each game of Vantage on an intergalactic vessel heading towards the same uncharted planet with 1 of 21 missions as your primary goal. Each player selects 1 of 6 unique characters, enters a single-person escape pod, and crashes onto 1 of 126 different locations.

You view your location from a first-person perspective—you can communicate with and support other players, but you are separated by vast distances, so only you can see your current location. You have complete freedom in how you explore, discover, and interact with the planet.

In addition to a mission victory, a destiny victory, or an epic victory (completing both the mission and a destiny), you may define success in Vantage through anything you pursue and achieve.

Vantage is not a campaign game. Each game is a standalone experience; you bring to future sessions only what you've learned about the world.

IMPORTANT — STOP: Until instructed to gain a card or to read from a storybook, do not look at the content of any card or book (other than this rulebook), and do not open the spoiler pack.

Components

• 415 large cards (double-sided; 80x120mm)
• 916 standard cards (57x87mm)
• 1 spoiler pack of cards
• 8 storybooks (Move, Look, Engage, Help, Take, Overpower, Depart, and Secrets)
• 1 Book of Vantages
• 1 game board
• 20 challenge dice
• 12 skill dice
• 60 boost tokens (cubes)
• 60 skill tokens
• 45 coins
• 6 time trackers (1 per player)
• 6 morale trackers (1 per player)
• 6 health trackers (1 per player)
• 6 location card holders (1 per player)

The cards in Vantage are never shuffled, so no sleeves are necessary. Replacement parts can be requested via the form at stonemaiergames.com/replacement-parts.

Initial Setup (before your first game)

Before your first game, punch out all skill tokens and coins, and unwrap all cards other than the spoiler pack. Keep the cards in numerical order with the card numbers facing upwards so you can quickly locate any card. Large cards are stored in 3 flat stacks.

Find cards 1709–1714. The person managing cards will insert these placeholders whenever they take location cards from the box, making them easier to return to their original order.

Setup

1. Place the game box on the table next to a player in charge of finding and returning cards (they gain placeholder cards 1709–1714); this is more efficient than passing the box around the table. Tilt the three big stacks of large cards out of their flat-packed position.
2. Place the board (the "center") in the middle of the table with time, morale, and health trackers nearby. Both sides of the board are functionally the same.
3. Place all skill tokens, coins, boost tokens (cubes), skill dice, and the storybooks in a general supply near the game board (the "center"). The backs of most storybooks have reference guides.
4. Seed the challenge dice pool with 8 challenge dice plus 2 per player (e.g., for three players there are 14 dice), then return the remaining challenge dice to the box.
5. Each player gains a location card holder. Randomly select someone to be the first player.
6. Place the Book of Vantages on the table with the back cover facing up to display location 000. Follow the instructions on location 000 to complete setup, using skill dice for randomization. It is here that each player will independently gain their character and starting stats.

For your first game we recommend the "daring" starting level for time, morale, and health and avoiding difficult crash locations. Other recommendations for your first game are found in the Before Your First Game section.

You can watch a rules video at stonemaiergames.com/games/vantage/rules-faq.

Gameplay Overview

The game consists of players taking turns clockwise around the table. Each player performs 1 action per turn (unless indicated otherwise), using skills contributed by any player to decrease the action cost; rolling challenge dice based on that cost to determine any complications encountered; and placing dice on cards in grids to mitigate those complications. You always succeed when performing an action; the challenge is to avoid losing time, morale, and health.

You will typically begin the game by exploring the area where you arrive—which will be different than the other players—and interacting with various locations in the hopes of adding cards to your 3x3 grid; these cards offer additional challenge dice placement slots and other powers. One or more players may pursue the shared mission (why you traveled to this planet), and along the way you may discover various destinies (options for resolving your fate on or beyond this world). You must discover destiny cards—there is no destiny revealed during setup. Work together to share knowledge, skills, and impact dice slots as you seek to avoid any player's time, morale, or health being reduced to 0.

Universal Rule of Thematic Fun

If you are ever in doubt about a Vantage rule, card, ability, or anything else, choose the most fun answer that makes sense thematically.

We are always happy to help in real time or after your game if you post your question (aided by details about the situation, including exact text, when available) in the Vantage Facebook group, on BoardGameGeek, on the Vantage FAQ page on our website, or on the Stonemaier Games Discord server.

Sharing Information

Since your location represents your vantage (what you can see), only you may look at your current location card.

• You may not look at any of your previous locations or the locations seen by other players. You may describe the card's artwork to other players, read the description aloud to them, and share the location action options.
• If you are directed to look at a page in the Book of Vantages, you may look at only that page, and you may not show it to other players.
• Tokens, dice, cards in each player's grid, reserve, and supply, and cards you are instructed to place on the table are public information.

Storybooks

On most turns in the game, short passages of text in a storybook are referenced: Early in your turn you will read the cost and the action (in bold), then later in your turn you will read the result (unbold text). We recommend that players share the responsibility of reading aloud, with another player reading on your turn so you can focus on the mechanisms of performing an action.

Solo Play

Solo play in Vantage is the same as any other player count (the number of challenge dice scales as normal, with 10 total dice in a solo game). There is no Automa to represent the other characters—you are in full control. No matter the player count, you only ever control 1 character (we highly discourage you from breaking the immersion by playing multiple characters).

Location Cards

Your location card represents your current position on the planet, and it includes what you can see and many of your action options. Keep it in your location card holder.

• Art (background): This is your vantage. You may describe this view to the other players but not show it to them, as they are elsewhere on the planet and can't see through your eyes.
• Location number (upper left): Provide this number to the other players when you interact with this location so they can find the corresponding entry in a storybook.
• Compass (upper right): This symbol shows the 4 different cardinal directions to which you can depart from this location (forward is always north). The compass may include:
  • Adjacent listed locations (e.g., 500, 273, and 271): Departing to any of these locations is a 1-cost move action without a storybook entry.
  • Unlisted adjacent locations: After choosing to depart in the direction of a * location, the cost is revealed in the Depart storybook for this location number (e.g., 272 move south).
  • Blocked locations: If there is no number or *, you cannot depart from this location in that direction.
• Description: Brief text about the location. You may read this to other players.
  • Some locations show the Traveler icon in the bottom left, followed by text in quotation marks. This means that the mysterious Traveler is talking to you at this location.
  • A mandatory-instruction icon indicates an instruction that must be followed immediately upon arrival (typically a climate-related penalty).
  • Elemental icons indicate an interaction with something of that composition.
• Location Actions (almost always the right sidebar): You may read these to other players. These are the different ways you can interact with the location within the categories of move, look, engage, help, take, and overpower (e.g., look-STUDY). Unless an action result indicates otherwise (see "End your turn"), you may only perform 1 location action per location.

Sample Turn

This is a brief overview of a sample turn; each step is explained in detail under How to Take a Turn.

1. Choose one action from the three types of actions: I'm at location 272, and decide to perform a location action. I read my location's description aloud and describe what I see. The area does not look dangerous, so I commit to performing the move-WANDER action (I cannot change my mind after proceeding to the next step).
2. Read the cost and action (not the result): Another player finds entry 272 in the move storybook and reads the cost (3) and the action ("WANDER around the mysterious area"). They do not read the action result.
3. Reduce the cost by 1 per matching skill optionally paid by any player: I do not have a move skill token, but another player does. They discard 1 move skill token to reduce the cost by 1.
4. Roll dice from the challenge dice pool equal to the remaining cost: I roll 2 challenge dice, resulting in 1 time and 1 health I have to deal with (thematically, the action took more time than expected and I hurt myself doing it).
5. Place rolled challenge dice one at a time on grid cards (any slots on your cards and impact slots on other players' cards): My character, the captain, has both challenge dice slots open. I am performing a move action, so I can place any die on the move slot—I choose the time die for this—and gain 1 boost as the immediate output, placing a cube on my character. I only have my character card in my grid and no other player has an open impact slot for health results, so I cannot place the health result.
6. Suffer penalties from rolled-but-unplaced challenge dice: The unplaced die showing health goes to the penalty section of the center and I lose 1 health (adjusting my tracker). The time die remains on the character card.
7. Read the action result: Another player reads the result for entry 272 in the move storybook.
8. End your turn: The action result did not say "continue," so my turn ends here. If the action had said to "continue," I'd be required to perform another action; if it had said, "You may continue," it's my choice to perform another action or not. This only applies to my current turn; I may not continue at this location on a future turn unless another action allows me to do so. The player to my left takes the next turn.

How to Take a Turn

On your turn, perform one action by following a few steps in order (these steps are also shown in a flowchart on the backs of storybooks). You will always succeed when performing an action; the challenge is to avoid losing time, morale, or health. After your turn, play proceeds clockwise to the next player.

1. Choose one action from the three types of actions (location, card, and depart)

You will choose the action for your turn without knowing the cost or results, but you will always succeed.

Location Actions: Each location lists (usually 6) location actions in the categories of move, look, engage, help, take, and overpower.

• Reference the storybook entry for this location (e.g., for the look-STUDY action on location 272, reference entry 272 in the look storybook).
• If you previously performed an action here (even in a turn some time before the last), you cannot perform another. Choose a depart action or card action instead.
• "Always available": Some location action lists may have a note indicating that a specific action is always available. This action is available even if you previously performed it or another location action here.
• If another player previously visited the same location this game, you may not perform a thematically contradictory location action (e.g., if a player previously burned a bridge at your location, you may not cross the bridge). Because Vantage is a highly visual single-session game, players should be able to remember where they've been or what they've done (taking notes is permitted if necessary, though).

Card Actions: Many non-location cards include action options. These include actions on cards in your grid, your supply, and the center.

• Reference the storybook entry for that specific card (e.g., for a help-EQUIP action on card 1435, reference entry 1435 in the help storybook).
• You may not look at the card you are gaining (if any) until you have completed the action.
• Unless stated otherwise, you may perform a card action even if you have already performed an action on that card.

Depart Actions: Move away from your location in 1 of 4 cardinal directions to another location (north always points forward). This is a move action.

• Each number is an adjacent listed location. You may go to any of these locations using a 1-cost move action (WALK or SWIM) that does not use a storybook.
• Each star (*) requires you to reference the Depart storybook. For this location, you would look at the "move south" entry for the cost, action, and result of moving south from this location.
• In the rare case that a direction shows neither a location number nor *, you cannot depart from this location in that direction.

2. Read the cost and action (not the result)

The cost and/or action are printed on some cards, though most require players to reference a storybook. Use the storybook matching the category (e.g., engage) and the entry matching the card on which the action appears (e.g., location 272).

• Some cards include the full cost, action, and result—do not reference the storybook for these actions. In addition to the type of action and the standard cost (the quantity of challenge dice to roll in step 4), some actions on grid cards also have a boost cost (a cube paid from that card).
• If the depart action you chose is to an adjacent listed location, the move cost is 1. Other adjacent locations are marked with *; you must look up their move cost in the Depart storybook after declaring a direction. If you move in a specific orthogonal direction (e.g., move east) and there is a related diagonal direction entry in the Depart storybook (e.g., move southeast), you may choose to move in that related direction instead of your original choice.
• Regions: Some location actions refer to the region (a broader area encompassing multiple locations), which is a letter noted in parentheses in the look storybook entry for your location.
• For actions with cost X, choose a number 1–6 as the cost. This indicates how much effort you will put into the action, and the result of the action will depend on the cost number you choose.

3. Reduce the cost by 1 per matching skill optionally paid by any player

Using skill tokens to reduce the cost will decrease the potential to lose time, morale, and health due to unplaced challenge dice.

• Skills (tokens) represent insights and advice.
• Players may pay skills to benefit each other at any time, not just to reduce action costs.
• Discard paid skill tokens to the general supply. You are limited to the tokens provided.

4. Roll dice from the challenge dice pool equal to the remaining cost

The cost of an action represents its difficulty; roll challenge dice from the pool equal to the numerical cost (e.g., for a cost of 2, roll 2 challenge dice).

• For example, if the cost is 3 and a player pays 1 look skill token, roll 2 challenge dice instead of 3. If the cost was decreased to 0 in the previous step, do not roll any challenge dice.
• If (and only if) there are fewer available dice in the challenge dice pool than the remaining cost, first refresh ALL challenge dice from cards in grids and the penalty section of the center by returning them to the challenge dice pool. For example, if the remaining cost is 2 but there is only 1 die in the challenge dice pool, first refresh all challenge dice, then roll 2 of them from the full pool.
• The total quantity of challenge dice in the game is always 8 dice plus 2 per player (any excess dice are not used—keep them in the box).

5. Place rolled challenge dice one at a time on your grid cards (and impact slots on any players' grid cards)

By placing a die on an open slot, you avoid suffering its penalty. Each slot can hold at most 1 die. Most slots have restrictions on which types of challenge dice can be placed. For example:

• Skill type (e.g., you may only place a challenge die here during a move action).
• Ability (e.g., you may only place a challenge die here during a help-CREATE action). Important: If you have dice slots or powers related to abilities, pay close attention when moving to a new location, especially if someone else is reading the storybook to you.
• Interaction (e.g., you may only place a challenge die on this slot during an action involving something of sinew composition; this includes location actions and card actions showing this icon, plus interactive depart actions, e.g., "Sneak past the creature").

Many slots have a time, morale, or health icon, indicating that only a die showing that specific result may be placed there. For any slot without a specific die face, any result may be placed (even a setback). Some slots provide immediate bonuses when you place a challenge die on them (arrow pointing away from the slot; place the gained boost on the same card). While the bonus is typically a boost, other bonuses are also possible (a skill, a time/morale/health, a specific card, etc). Some slots have costs to place a challenge die (arrow pointing towards the slot; you must pay the boost (1 or 2, as indicated) from the same card).

• To place a challenge die on a terrain-specific dice slot (e.g., underwater), your current location must match that terrain.
• Impact dice slots may be used by any player (with your permission), even if they are at a different location. They represent expertise and personality (e.g., a character with a morale impact slot is someone with a positive attitude and leadership qualities). If another player places a challenge die on your impact dice slot and there is a bonus (e.g., a boost), you gain it.
• If another player is at your location, you may place challenge dice on open slots on their cards (even non-impact slots) with their permission.
• If another player has a location-specific card in their supply and you are on that card's location, you may perform actions on that card.
• Whenever a challenge die is placed on a slot, it remains there until all challenge dice are refreshed (see step 4).

6. Suffer penalties from rolled-but-unplaced challenge dice, then discard them to the penalty section of the center

• The time, morale, and health symbols represent the loss of time, morale, and health respectively. If you can't place these dice on cards, discard them to the penalty section of the center, and lose the time, morale, and/or health shown on those dice by adjusting the appropriate tracker. These losses are applied simultaneously. If any of these stats is ever reduced to 0, read the mission's entry in the take storybook.
• The setback symbol represents a setback. If you don't place dice with this symbol, return them to the challenge dice pool (this delays the potential for a full refresh, when all dice are returned to the pool from cards in grids and the penalty section).
• The blank result symbol represents a blank result (this is good). Discard this die to the penalty section of the center.

7. Read the action result

Most actions result in an immediate benefit described in the storybook (or on the card for some card actions).

• In multi-option lists, make a choice before learning or viewing the outcome (e.g., if you choose to move to location 259, you only look at that card after making the decision).
• If your location changes as a result, the player in charge of managing the cards will use your placeholder card to return your current location card to the box, find and give you the new card, and mark the new card's position. In the rare case that you move onto a location on either side of someone else's location card, simply pass it back and forth.
• If a location's upon-arrival effect—or any other penalty—instructs you to suffer 1 heat, cold, or hypoxia damage, lose your choice of either 1 (of one stat) or both 1 (and 1 of another), as indicated.
• If you would ever gain time/morale/health when that stat is already at the max of 6, instead gain 1 random skill (roll a skill die and gain a skill token matching the result).
• Skills:
  • If the results include a skill payment (e.g., pay 1 move or 1 overpower), any player may discard a skill token so that you can gain the benefit. If no one pays, you do not gain the benefit.
  • If the results include a skill benefit (e.g., gain 1 move or 1 engage), gain a skill token of that kind.
  • If the results instruct you to gain a random skill, roll a skill die to determine the token to gain. Sometimes the benefit is a specific skill (e.g., "Roll 2 skill dice and gain all move results").
• If another player is on your location, during this step you may:
  • depart/move them with you (simultaneously, with permission; they don't pay the cost), and
  • give them coins, items, flora, and vehicles (ignore "when placed" effects on exchanged cards; the exchanged cards retain all challenge dice but lose all boost).
• If an action result or any consequence causes you to lose something that you don't have (e.g., lose money when you have no money, lose a card in reserve when you have no cards in reserve, etc.), ignore those instructions. This rule only applies to results, not costs—if you can't pay a listed cost, you may not gain the benefit.
• If you would ever gain a card you already have in your grid, instead gain 1 boost on the card (if possible).
• If you would ever gain a card another player already has, the two players decide who keeps/gains it. If the card goes to you, any challenge dice on the card are refreshed and any boost are lost, and you gain "when placed" benefits on the card, if any. If the card remains with the other player, you instead gain 1 boost on your character (if possible).

8. End your turn

If a location action's result includes instructions to "continue", you must perform an additional action, ignoring the restriction in step 1 (e.g., if you already performed the engage location action, you may choose another location action, but not the same engage action).

• Some results include instructions to continue with a specific action. If it is an action noted on the location, start with step 2. Otherwise, start with step 1.
• Some non-location actions include instructions to "continue," but these do not ignore the restriction in step 1.
• The instructions sometimes read, "You may continue"; in that case, continuing to perform another action is a choice, not mandatory. This only applies to your current turn; you may not continue at this location on a future turn unless another action allows you to do so.

Boost

At any time on any turn (even in the middle of an action or while another player is performing an action), you may use boost powers on cards in your grid to benefit yourself. Boost represents knowledge learned while you explore the planet and use the things you discover.

• Boost gained/paid on locations goes to/from your character (e.g., if the storybook text of a location action says to "Gain 1 boost," place it on your character).
• Boost gained/paid on all other cards goes on/from that card.
• Each card has limited capacity for boost that cannot be exceeded.
• The effects of boost powers last until the end of the current turn.
• When a boost icon is used instead of the word "boost," the number of icons represent the amount of boost (1 icon is 1 boost, a doubled icon is 2 boost).
• There is no hard limit on total boost tokens in Vantage. In the rare case that all 60 boost tokens are on cards and you need more, any cube is a suitable addition.
• If a challenge dice ability says "place them in the center," it's referring to the penalty section of the center (otherwise it would say to "refresh" the dice, which returns them to the challenge dice pool).
• Some cards request that players place ubiquitous "tokens" to track progress; boost tokens are used for this purpose.

Card Grid

Whenever you gain a vertical card (same size as your character card), place it in any open space in your 3x3 grid: a tableau of up to 9 cards with your character in the middle. You may not reposition cards in your grid. The first time a player completes their grid, place destiny 1705 in the center.

• Other than impact slots/powers, any benefits provided by cards in your grid only apply to cards in your grid (not cards controlled by other players or in your reserve).
• Whenever you replace or lose a card in your grid, refresh any dice on it and return any boost on it to the general supply. Return lost cards to the box. You must always have your character card in your grid. Insert the new card in the same position as the replaced card.
• Adjacency in Vantage always refers to orthogonal adjacency (cards that touch at edges left-to-right or top-to-bottom).

Reserve

You also have a limited capacity to reserve vertical cards outside of your grid in your supply (capacity is the total of all icons on cards in your grid). Whenever you gain a card but your grid is already full, you may either reserve the new card or reserve a card in your grid (other than your character card) to make space. Then, if this exceeds your reserve capacity, lose an excess card from your reserve.

• You may not use slots, abilities, or powers on reserved cards, but they retain boost tokens. When reserved, a card's challenge dice are refreshed.
• Each character has a boost power to transfer a reserved card into their grid (to an open space or swapping with a card); do not gain "when placed" benefits of cards transferred from reserve.

Supply

Some cards you gain are horizontal, not vertical. These cards are either shared with all players (missions and destinies) or are kept in your supply. There is no limit to how many horizontal cards you can have in your supply.

Card Anatomy

• Challenge dice slot (move): one of your challenge dice can be placed here (for a move action); gain 1 boost after placing a die here.
• Challenge dice slot as an impact slot: a challenge die morale result rolled by any player can be placed here.
• Coin value: some cards have a coin value; the game will tell you when this matters.
• Reserve capacity: quantity of vertical cards you can keep beyond your grid (e.g., 1 extra).
• "When placed" benefit: gain when placing this card into your grid for the first time (e.g., 2 boost).
• Card number: used to look up storybook entries for the card.
• Card actions: when you perform one, refer to the storybook entry for this card (e.g., 1435).
• Boost capacity: quantity of boost this card can hold (e.g., 6).
• Boost power: at any time, pay boost from this card to gain a listed benefit (e.g., pay 2 boost to gain either 1 coin or 1 move skill token; pay 1 boost to do a listed action).

End of Game

A game can end in several different ways, and the storybooks will give you the option (or the requirement) to end the game when:

• You complete the mission (completing a mission will give you a choice between ending the game and continuing the game to pursue also completing a destiny).
• You complete a destiny (completing a destiny will end the game, irrespective of whether you have completed your mission).
• Any player's time, morale, or health is reduced to 0. If this happens, read the mission's entry in the take storybook.

You may even end the game when the time you allotted to play Vantage has expired. There is a lot of variation in the duration of Vantage depending both on random factors and player choices (e.g., performing the actions printed on the mission can significantly decrease the duration). Some games may end far quicker than 2 hours, while others might push beyond the 3-hour mark.

In addition to a mission victory, a destiny victory, or an epic victory (both the mission and a destiny are complete), you may define success through anything you pursue and achieve.

When the game ends, return all cards and components to the box (any cards gained from the spoiler pack return to that pack). In other words, everything completely resets so you can have a new adventure the next time you play Vantage.

For storage purposes, lay the 3 stacks of location cards flat inside their compartments with various tokens/dice in the gaps that remain, then place all storybooks on top of them.

Before Your First Game

• For your first game we recommend using the "daring" starting level for time, morale, and health and avoiding difficult crash locations. These settings are found on location 000 and on the escape pod locations. Make bold choices while playing, as the first time a player's time, morale, or health is reduced to 0 doesn't necessarily end the game—you will have an option to continue playing as presented by the mission's entry in the take storybook.
• Your first game is largely about experimentation as you learn about different actions, consequences, and risk tolerances in Vantage. This is more important than the mission; instead, just try to fill your grid by gaining 8 cards from different locations (and from actions on cards in your grid). It's perfectly normal if you don't achieve this goal. Avoid performing the actions printed on the mission card unless it's causing too much confusion and you need a sense of direction.
• Discovery and perception are significant elements of Vantage. You will wonder how to do and find things—that is a normal part of the discovery curve of this game, and the game will not hold your hand. Just try things that intrigue you. Use your eyes and intuition: If an action looks difficult, it probably has a high cost. Some actions will turn out differently or be more difficult than what you expect; this will help the next time a player sees that type of action. You may optionally take notes as you play.
• Communication between players is critically important, and not just for sharing skills and impact dice slots (which represent sharing your advice and expertise). Each player's choices are their own, but any information you have from what you have seen and experienced is yours to share freely. To succeed, you will often need to describe what you see and discuss your options, both for short-term and long-term goals.

Glossary

The glossary, which is found on page 10 of the Book of Secrets, lists many of the types of cards and terms you may discover while playing Vantage. We highly recommend only reading a glossary entry if you have questions, and only after encountering a specific type of card or a specific term. For example, the first time you see a Lesson card, you may look up the word "Lesson" in the glossary.

Friendly Reminders

• You may always talk openly with other players and share the text of any card, but you may never show your location to anyone else (unless a card specifically says to do so), nor may you look at any location you are not currently on.
• When you depart to an adjacent listed location, it is a move action with a cost of 1. Proceed with all steps to complete a 1-cost move action; just like any action, this movement is your entire turn.
• When placing challenge dice, unless specified by a challenge dice slot, you can even place blank and setback results. For example, if you roll 1 challenge die to move to an adjacent listed location and the result is blank, you could place it on a general move slot on a card in your grid (to gain a boost bonus), even though there is no penalty for not placing it.
• Instead of choosing a location action on your turn, you may perform an action on a card in your grid, your supply, or the center. If you do, view the entry for that action using the number at the bottom of the card.
• To use a card's boost power, spend boost from that specific card. If you gain a boost from a location action, place it on your character.
• You can only perform 1 location action per location per game unless an action instructs you otherwise, or if the card specifies that the second action you take is always available (e.g., you cannot perform the take action on a location and then later perform the overpower action there). Other than this restriction, you have complete freedom to choose your actions.
• You cannot read the cost or results of an action before performing it. Likewise, some action results include more choices; you can read the choices while selecting, but not the results.
• The only "persistent" element in Vantage from game to game is information. Everything you learn about the world can benefit you in future games, and we encourage players to use that knowledge to their advantage. Please respect other players' desire to avoid or learn what you already know.
• For a comprehensive list of ways to make Vantage easier or harder, see "Difficulty" on page 11 of the Book of Secrets.