So, after playing for the first time (and being too intimidated by the comprehensive FAQ thread to read through 130 posts), I have a few quick questions about the game:

1. What do the icons on the locations mean? They have symbols like the symbol for unique items, clue tokens, common items, etc.

2. What are the icons on the gates for? There are icons that match the icons on monsters - circles, crescent moons, plus signs, etc.

3. In combat, if you fail a Horror Check and you become insane, do you continue the combat to the Fight or Flee phase, or is the combat immediately over?

Thanks!

For the first question, you have another topic "Location cards" which speaks about it. But in few words, they reflect the more probable things you can get in those places.

For the second question, the symbol on the gates are used when you close a gate. All monster which share the same symbol than the closed gate are banished and go back to the monster cup. From the town, the Sky or the Outskirts.

For the third question, as soon as you get Insane, the combat is over and you go to the Asylum, if in town, or Lost in Time and Space (LiTaS) if in another world.

Awesome, thanks. Now that you mention it, I remember reading that on #2, which would have helped quite a bit.

Admje14 said:

To expand a bit on this one, icons that are black on a white background are things you're likely to get when drawing an encounter at this location, icons that are white on a black background are guaranteed if you perform the special encounter printed on the board instead of drawing an encounter card. (Note: I might have the colours reversed as it's been a while since I last played, but I think that's right.)

Yes, Steve_O is right

And more specifically about white on black icons: That doesn't mean you can't heal stamina via an encounter in St. Mary's Hospital, or get a blessing via an encounter in South Church., or get money from an encounter in Bank of Arkham, etc., because you can. But triggering the location's special ability(instead of having an encounter) will always grant you the resource depicted on the white on black icon.

Admje14 said:

For future reference, the Location Icons are covered in the manual on the back cover (page 24) under the heading...um..."Location Icons".