What house rules do you employ to make the game more thematic?

Eh... None really. Although I tend to rule in the favor of the game for difficulty increase questions. When I want more concentrated theme, I make up a herald that incorporates whatever it is I want. I don't like "house rules." If it's a Herald, it's not a "house rule" though ;') I know, I know, big difference.

I'm probably going to add in the Epic Battle remove green card variant, and possibly the clue tokens for final battle per round are equal to seals. I'm thinking about also ignoring the decrease player number. I usually play three player solitaire, and I think a "2" or "1" player game is too easy. Arkham is too still.

Hrm... not really thematic though (except for the Heralds, I guess).

Have you considered requiring the players to read their cards aloud? This doesn't add to the game thematically so much as make sure all the flavor that is already there doesn't get glossed over in the rush to roll dice and move to the next phase.

Kkat

Encounter cards are always drawn, even when location abilities are used. Some encounters replace the location ability.

avec said:

We just started making it optional a few games ago. Of course now the players are beginning to realize not all locations are created equal.

@ Kkat: We've always read the encounters outloud. In fact, it wasn't long ago it was pointed out to me this is actually a house rule. Until then I guess I didn't realize there would be rule otherwise. I can't imagine how boring it would be if everyone read their own encounters, especially silently. Faster though, but worth it?

Avi_dreader said:

Great Concept! I print out all my rule adjustments, formerly known as house rules. So now I don't use house rules either! Thanks a bunch! You have given me a new found freedom!

When drawing an Arkham Encounter, my group seldom bothers to shuffle the pile every time. When an encounter card is resolved, it just gets shoved on the bottom of the pile. I guess this is technically a "thematic house rule", since we only do it in order to reduce the chance of getting the same encounter twice.

Doing it this way means that it is theoretically possible to "farm" a location, because you know that as long as you stay there for long enough, you're certain to get all the encounters eventually. However, in practise no-one in their right mind would ever do this because

a) it's bad sportsmanship, and the other players would pelt the offending player with dice, peanuts, and nearby fruit,

b) there are so many Arkham encounters that you'd never get through all of them in the course of the game, and

c) if someone else had an encounter at a different location in the same neighbourhood, it could screw up the farming anyway.

Sometimes we read out the "theme" portion of encounters and force each other to decide what to do without knowing the exact risk/reward; however this is a very good way of making players squander clue tokens, and as such it is not a recipe for success.

Slightly more frivolous is our attitude towards certain monsters. The "High Priest" monster's full title (in the Mythos) is the High Priest Not To Be Described; consequently, it is forbidden in my player group to mention that particular monster's name, or tell any other player what it does, since both those things could be considered "description." If someone does describe the High Priest, the usual response is the stern instruction "Sssssh! He's NOT TO BE DESCRIBED."

Plenty!

(1) First off, I keep my AOs in one face-down pile. When I choose the AO for the game, I roll a d6 and count down from the top of the stack, and pull that AO. This way I won't see the same AO in at least 19 games. I do the same thing with Heralds and Guardians, but for Guardians I take the top one on a 1-3, middle on a 4-5, and bottom on a 6.

(2) I remove Young Zoog from the allies and shuffle the remaining 33. I deal 11 to Ma's and put the other 22 in a stack. Each time an ally is supposed to be returned to the box, I remove one from the Ma's deck and two from the other deck. When an investigator gains an ally from an encounter or for starting equipment, he take it from the 22 stack. If he is ever allowed to take an ally of his choice (Recruit ability, or in some rare encounters), he takes from the Ma's deck. The idea is that 2/3 of allies are available via encounters, rather than a measly 1/3.

(3) When using Abhoth and Tulzscha together, all Cultists remain in the cup. The tiny reduction in monster strength for Abhoth is overridden by Tulzscha's abilities actually taking place.

(4) When using Rhan-Tegoth with Tulzscha, all Cultists drawn remain on the board. However, Rhan-Tegoth's ability takes effect as normal, and his "cultist count" is represented with a brood token.

(5) While using the Bast guardian, it costs $1 to receive a Bast token, and if The Story Continues is drawn, Bast checks the 1st player for the requirements first, then continuing clockwise until she find an investigator who qualifies. It's bull that only the 1st player can acquire such an expensive and rare title.

(6) Encounters are read up until either a choice has to be made or until the end of a sentence that had a skill check in it. Sometimes the sentence will describe the outcomes, or one of them. The reasoning is that sometimes, you know what the consequences of your actions are.

(7) If an investigator goes unconscious and does not take an injury card, he must discard half his non-spell items, half his money, half his total trophies (both monster and gate) and his retainer. The idea is that if you're unconscious, someone might rob you. Why would you lose clues? The explanation for the trophies is that there's no way to lose them ordinarily, and they represent both literal trophies and experiences. It's the literal I employ in this case.

(8) If an investigator goes insane and does not take a madness, he must discard half his total spells and allies, half his clues, half his total trophies (both monster and gate) and his retainer. This idea is that if you go insane, your memories and knowledge get compromised, not necessarily your things. Why would you lose items? Trophies count as experiences in this case, rather than literal objects.

(9) Wendy cannot become the deputy. This effectively changes her "Minor" drawback to be identical to Skids's "Criminal Record."

(10) Rifts that open appear in Kingsport, in the location shown by the 4th rift progress token. Why would they only open on other boards and never in Kingsport? Regardless of where rifts are, they will add doom tokens at the same rate, and any investigators who wish to stop the rifts will have to deal with all the monsters being spewed out into Kingsport. A perfect compromise.

(11) During final battle, you can't spend more clues in one round than there are elder sign tokens on the board.

(12) We actually do something special with the Epic Battle deck:

• Shuffle the red cards, making sure the End of Everything card is on the bottom.
• The green card that activates a Sinister Plot is placed on the top.
• Randomly place 1 green card on top of that for each elder sign token on the board. Then put two more green cards on top. So with 5 seals on the board, all 8 green cards would be used. With 0 seals, there would be 3.
• Instead of drawing the top card, we roll a die and count down from the top. Therefore, as the battle draws on, the chances of getting a red card increase.
• If the roll meets or exceeded the number of cards remaining in the deck, you get the card on the bottom: The End of Everything.

None of these chances are to core gameplay, all are to theme. Some make the game easier, some make it harder. All make it much, much more fun!

----------------

Here are a couple rules I employ in the interest of gameplay, rather than theme:

(1) Patrice's ability to lend clues only works on adding to skill checks, but nothing else (not towards sealing, not towards Small Dust, etc). This forces her to have to personally lay down a seal once in a while.

(2) Daisy only has 1 focus, and may only use her spell-reduction ability once per round. I knew that ability was too good at first glance, but when I did the math I noticed they had given her a bonus focus point!

(3) For each monster that emerges from a gate (just opening or monster surge), I roll a die. If the result is less than the number of expansions I'm using, I add one more monster. This counters gate dilution in Dunwich and Innsmouth when expansions are added by making them produce more monsters.

(4) After resolving a mythos card that has an expansion symbol other than King in Yellow, I roll two dice. If their sum is exactly 3, I flip over the top Act card, which must be resolved immediately. This counters the Next Act dilution, making the Act cards come up almost as often. With just King in Yellow, each Next Act card has a 1 in 15.5 chance of appearing. With a million expansions, the chances of a new Act card would never drop as low as 1 in 18.

mageith said:

You may call me Moses Lincoln.

All players must read encounters in sinister voice.

If you want "thematic" to mean "having fun instead of sticking to all rules", then we throw in our difficulty rule. No expansions, heralds, or guardians are used with ancient ones we have yet to defeat by gates/sealing. Epic battle cards are not used for ancient ones we have yet to defeat in final combat (the idea that Tsath isn't a challenge without epic battle cards is silly).

Shotgun (applies also to the Magical Shotgun Spell/Special from KiY). 'Nuff said !

(1) First off, I keep my AOs in one face-down pile. When I choose the AO for the game, I roll a d6 and count down from the top of the stack, and pull that AO. This way I won't see the same AO in at least 19 games. I do the same thing with Heralds and Guardians, but for Guardians I take the top one on a 1-3, middle on a 4-5, and bottom on a 6.

Do you play a guardian every game? Probably not. If not, how do you decide this is a game for one? Same with heralds.

(2) I remove Young Zoog from the allies and shuffle the remaining 33. I deal 11 to Ma's and put the other 22 in a stack. Each time an ally is supposed to be returned to the box, I remove one from the Ma's deck and two from the other deck. When an investigator gains an ally from an encounter or for starting equipment, he take it from the 22 stack. If he is ever allowed to take an ally of his choice (Recruit ability, or in some rare encounters), he takes from the Ma's deck. The idea is that 2/3 of allies are available via encounters, rather than a measly 1/3.

Zoog gone permanently? Kind of complicated, but I like it.

(5) While using the Bast guardian, it costs $1 to receive a Bast token, and if The Story Continues is drawn, Bast checks the 1st player for the requirements first, then continuing clockwise until she find an investigator who qualifies. It's bull that only the 1st player can acquire such an expensive and rare title.

I like the rules. Has it helped? We still charge $2 and follow the rest of your rules but give Bast cards if a Mystical card is drawn. Still it's only happened once in maybe 15 games with the Bast guardian.

(6) Encounters are read up until either a choice has to be made or until the end of a sentence that had a skill check in it. Sometimes the sentence will describe the outcomes, or one of them. The reasoning is that sometimes, you know what the consequences of your actions are.

Tried that but the cultists rebelled.

(7) If an investigator goes unconscious and does not take an injury card, he must discard half his non-spell items, half his money, half his total trophies (both monster and gate) and his retainer. The idea is that if you're unconscious, someone might rob you. Why would you lose clues? The explanation for the trophies is that there's no way to lose them ordinarily, and they represent both literal trophies and experiences. It's the literal I employ in this case. (8) If an investigator goes insane and does not take a madness, he must discard half his total spells and allies, half his clues, half his total trophies (both monster and gate) and his retainer. This idea is that if you go insane, your memories and knowledge get compromised, not necessarily your things. Why would you lose items? Trophies count as experiences in this case, rather than literal objects.

Sounds very thematic. However I suggested something less drastic and the cultists rebelled. I wish FFG had made the madness/injury cards more than just an option.

(10) Rifts that open appear in Kingsport, in the location shown by the 4th rift progress token. Why would they only open on other boards and never in Kingsport? Regardless of where rifts are, they will add doom tokens at the same rate, and any investigators who wish to stop the rifts will have to deal with all the monsters being spewed out into Kingsport. A perfect compromise.

We actually place gates in Kingsport based on the 4th rift progress marker. We also use the alternative progress markers that places one on each location, even the Kingsport head. When a gate does appear up there, it usually kills us, so it may be too rough.

(12) We actually do something special with the Epic Battle deck:

• Shuffle the red cards, making sure the End of Everything card is on the bottom.
• The green card that activates a Sinister Plot is placed on the top.
• Randomly place 1 green card on top of that for each elder sign token on the board. Then put two more green cards on top. So with 5 seals on the board, all 8 green cards would be used. With 0 seals, there would be 3.
• Instead of drawing the top card, we roll a die and count down from the top. Therefore, as the battle draws on, the chances of getting a red card increase.
• If the roll meets or exceeded the number of cards remaining in the deck, you get the card on the bottom: The End of Everything.

None of these chances are to core gameplay, all are to theme. Some make the game easier, some make it harder. All make it much, much more fun!

My cultists rebel at anything more than basic final battle. Final battle is similar to a draw. If an investigator is ever devoured for any reason he goes to the devoured stack, not to return until all other investigators have been devoured or all Old Ones sealed away. However if we defeat the Old One in final combat, he goes to back of the Survivors stack and can come up again (as can the Old One).

Here are a couple rules I employ in the interest of gameplay, rather than theme: (1) Patrice's ability to lend clues only works on adding to skill checks, but nothing else (not towards sealing, not towards Small Dust, etc). This forces her to have to personally lay down a seal once in a while.

She needs to have something to do. She's very boring otherwise.

(2) Daisy only has 1 focus, and may only use her spell-reduction ability once per round. I knew that ability was too good at first glance, but when I did the math I noticed they had given her a bonus focus point!

She can only use your spell reduction and tome reduction once each per round for us. I didn't change focus. I also give her a random Unique tome rather than the best tome in the deck.

(3) For each monster that emerges from a gate (just opening or monster surge), I roll a die. If the result is less than the number of expansions I'm using, I add one more monster. This counters gate dilution in Dunwich and Innsmouth when expansions are added by making them produce more monsters.

Aren't you an all inner? That means you have 83% more monsters. How is that affecting your terror levels?

Doing it this way means that it is theoretically possible to "farm" a location, because you know that as long as you stay there for long enough, you're certain to get all the encounters eventually. However, in practise no-one in their right mind would ever do this because

b) there are so many Arkham encounters that you'd never get through all of them in the course of the game

We often go to the train station or newspaper hoping for a free ride or retainer, of which there are several. I often remind the players that they can shuffle the encounter deck if another player recently got one of those and that encounter is now on the bottom. They always decline. Not sure why.

Slightly more frivolous is our attitude towards certain monsters. The "High Priest" monster's full title (in the Mythos) is the High Priest Not To Be Described; consequently, it is forbidden in my player group to mention that particular monster's name, or tell any other player what it does, since both those things could be considered "description." If someone does describe the High Priest, the usual response is the stern instruction "Sssssh! He's NOT TO BE DESCRIBED."

That's funny. Too bad there's only one of him.

mageith said:

I think he keeps Zoog set aside in case you do get the encounter (OW, right?) and get the Ally. Or at least IIRC someone does that.

mageith said:

Gimme De Vermiis Mysteriis first, then we'll talk other Tomes.

All players must read encounters in sinister voice.

That definitely should be required!

If you want "thematic" to mean "having fun instead of sticking to all rules", then we throw in our difficulty rule. No expansions, heralds, or guardians are used with ancient ones we have yet to defeat by gates/sealing. Epic battle cards are not used for ancient ones we have yet to defeat in final combat (the idea that Tsath isn't a challenge without epic battle cards is silly).

Mostly this makes a lot of sense except for "no guardians". I'd probably allow a guardian after the Old One beat us. I wish I'd thought of your idea when I started playing.

So, as you point out, this is not exactly thematic. For, thematically, we only have once chance to defeat the awakening Old One or the world is destroyed. However since there are 24 Old Ones and 48 investigators and hundreds of alternate earthly universes I'd still probably recognize this and a great house rule for an organized group starting out. Even so, it would take a long time to defeat the all the Old Ones and save all the universes. How often does your group get to play

Dam said:

You think so? I did win a game once with it but "first" I'd rather have a tome that allows me to cherry pick a spell just for me, though it seems is always a non spell user who gets the "Liver of Iron" and it takes half a game to get it into the right hands--mine.

• Do you play a guardian every game? Probably not. If not, how do you decide this is a game for one? Same with heralds.

I do a Herald and Guardian every game (except newbie training games).

• Zoog gone permanently? Kind of complicated, but I like it.

As Dam said, you can obtain Zoog if you get the proper OW encounter. However, it's indeed rare. I've never seen it and I've had Kingport for... for forever.

• I like the [bast] rules. Has it helped? We still charge $2 and follow the rest of your rules but give Bast cards if a Mystical card is drawn. Still it's only happened once in maybe 15 games with the Bast guardian.

Yes, it helps a lot. $2 is a lot of money to pay on stray cats, especially for a slim chance to become Beloved. I think Mystic cards would be a bit too common, but at least it will have the same chance no matter which expansions you use. Perhaps if a Mystic card is replaced with another Mystic? (Clearly, with Atlach-Nacha this would be impossible).

• Tried [reading only part of encounters] but the cultists rebelled.

I had resistance against it when I played with veteran players. Seriously? This is supposed to be an adventure. It makes the game loads more fun!

• I suggested something less drastic and the cultists rebelled. I wish FFG had made the madness/injury cards more than just an option.

You mean mandatory? I make them mandatory with newbies, for simplicity's sake.

• We actually place gates in Kingsport based on the 4th rift progress marker. We also use the alternative progress markers that places one on each location, even the Kingsport head. When a gate does appear up there, it usually kills us, so it may be too rough.

Prevention is very easy. But I usually don't send anyone over until one track has 3 tokens, so sometimes I get burned. But rifts in Kingsport is definitely the way to go.

• My cultists rebel at anything more than basic final battle. Final battle is similar to a draw. If an investigator is ever devoured for any reason he goes to the devoured stack, not to return until all other investigators have been devoured or all Old Ones sealed away. However if we defeat the Old One in final combat, he goes to back of the Survivors stack and can come up again (as can the Old One).

All right. I'm getting more and more thankful that I don't play with your cultists. Epic Battle is the BEST Arkham invention ever!

• [Patrice] needs to have something to do. She's very boring otherwise.

Yes, but that's what her rules as written support. Just chill out and let everyone else seal. Lose your 5th clue? No worries! Patrice's got your back. NOT ANYMORE, SIR!

• [Daisy] can only use your spell reduction and tome reduction once each per round for us. I didn't change focus. I also give her a random Unique tome rather than the best tome in the deck.

Even still, I don't think that modified ability is subdued to the point where she's earned a bonus focus point.

• Aren't you an all inner? That means you have 83% more monsters. How is that affecting your terror levels?

83% more monsters that emerge from expansion board gates. But the frequency of expansion board gates is close to half what they would be with just their included expansion. That puts the overall amount of expansion board monsters at nearly equal to using just one expansion.

Yes, it helps a lot. $2 is a lot of money to pay on stray cats, especially for a slim chance to become Beloved. I think Mystic cards would be a bit too common, but at least it will have the same chance no matter which expansions you use. Perhaps if a Mystic card is replaced with another Mystic? (Clearly, with Atlach-Nacha this would be impossible).

Well someone does have to have a Bast token, which they usually don't.

Prevention is very easy. But I usually don't send anyone over until one track has 3 tokens, so sometimes I get burned. But rifts in Kingsport is definitely the way to go.

Prevention is easy but costly in terms of time if someone wants to spend a few turns up in Kingsport, but what usually happens is the Mythos card is drawn that opens a rift.

[Daisy] can only use your spell reduction and tome reduction once each per round for us. I didn't change focus. I also give her a random Unique tome rather than the best tome in the deck. Even still, I don't think that modified ability is subdued to the point where she's earned a bonus focus point.

She's still above average, but not way above average as before. After the last game with her, I'm thinking of reducing her further to just allowing one saved sanity per turn, either for reading a tome or casting a spell. I'll look into the focus reduction, too.

83% more monsters that emerge from expansion board gates.

I missed that it only applies to expansion boards. Thanks.