Controlling the Ancient One: a Four Investigator Variant
Start of Game:
Select one player to control the Ancient One.
Randomly draw four sets of four investigators and select one of those investigators from each set. Alternatively, allow pre-selecting of Investigators. Then randomly select the Ancient One. Alternatively, allow an agreed upon pre-selected Ancient One prior to Investigator selection. Heralds are optional.
Ancient One Rules:
The Ancient One can see anything players can see. I.e. no hiding cards from The Ancient One.
Timing: If there is a timing conflict between an investigator decision and an Ancient One decision, the Ancient One resolves its effect first.
Final Combat: Final Combat takes place as normal, but the Ancient One can use Touch, Rot and Die, and can draw two random monsters at the beginning of each round of combat and force any investigator to fight or evade one of them.
Monster Movement:
During the Mythos phase, the Ancient One can choose to move monsters with their symbols shown along black or white arrows, and can move one monster on the board in any sort of movement it could legally make in addition to its regular mythos movement (i.e. it could move twice in a turn). Non-flying monsters treat Train Stations as if they have arrows pointing towards them and between them.
Cultists and Worshippers of an Ancient One can be moved into locations with clues if they are adjacent to them (the sky is adjacent to all locations). If they move onto a location with clue tokens, remove the clue tokens from the board.
Each Mythos Phase:
The Ancient One draws the top three Mythos cards (without showing them), plays one and puts back the others on the top of the Mythos deck.
Roll a die when you draw the Mythos card.
1: The Mythos card produces no clue tokens
2:You may place the gate at a different unstable location (except for Y’ha-nthlei or Devil Reef) instead.
3:Instead of the normal monster placement, draw five monsters and place one of your choice on the board on any gate (if you are at the monster limit, place one monster on the board in the outskirts first). Place the rest in the Outskirts.
4:A random monster appears! Choose any investigator to target with it—they fight immediately. If it knocks out or devours the investigator or is evaded, return it to the cup.
5:Raise the terror level by one.
6:Yellow bordered monsters can be moved up to three spaces, along lines and through train stations ignoring any normal movement patterns (even into stable locations).
Might of an Elder God: Each of these abilities can be used once per game.
Unseen Influence:
Start of Game: Force one of the four randomly selected investigators in a set of four to be randomly redrawn, or force a pre-selected investigator to be randomly redrawn.
Reinforcements:
Any Phase: Exchange a monster on the board with a monster in the outskirts (this can be done after an investigator moves onto the monsters space, but not once combat or the evade check has begun).
Desperate Defense:
Mythos Phase: Draw three random monsters and place them at any unstable location or locations of your choice, except for Y’ha-nthlei or Devil Reef (you may see the monsters before you place them).
Summon Champion:
Mythos Phase: Search the monster cup for any one monster, place it anywhere in Arkham.
Dark Blessing:
Any Phase: Place a doom token on a monster, investigators in combat with that monster have their rolls treated as if they are cursed even if they are blessed (this doesn’t count against evade checks). This monster can only be removed from the board by entering a Vortex or by a combat check.
Touch:
Any Phase: You may give a random Injury and a random Madness card to any one or two investigators, mark them with a doom token— any investigators marked by this doom token can not be retired.
Rot:
Mythos Phase or Upkeep: Destroy one item of your choice (return it to the box).
Die:
Mythos Phase or Upkeep: An investigator of your choice is devoured.
Death May Die:
Mythos Phase: Take a second Mythos Phase after this one.
