HI, I love to play this game, Arkham. Recently I bought two expansions, Dunwich and Innsmouth. Playing with them is more exciting.

But I have a few questions. First one is about an investigator, Finn Edwards the bootlegger. Finn has a specialty "Holdout".

According to the text of "Holdout" on the charactor sheet, "Finn never has to discard items or lose money, even when he is knocked unconscious or driven insane. He must still pay costs as usual.", I need not choose a madness or a damage card when getting knocked out because Finn never discards items. Am I correct? If I am correct, Finn is the best charactor. He is the best in movement with his wonderful speed and sneak skill point. Also he has Slippery skill..... I don't understand what the meaning of the sentence "He must still pay costs as usual." Does it mean that Finn should cost the price of items he buys? In addition, Finn begins with a Bank Loan, which makes an investigator pay 1 dollar or an item in each time the result of rolling dice is 1 in Upkeep Phase. But I wonder he needs to do so. Because Finn never has to lose his possessions. What is the certain meaning of phrase "as usual" in the passage "He must still pay costs as usual."? In what situation does he have to pay costs? I've not played Arkham as Finn because I am not sure of his ability. I want to play "Finn". Please, answer my question.

The second Question is about the Ancient One, 'Zhar'. Its attack is caused by the Zhar token. If nobody has the Zhar token, give it to the first player. Then, the first player loses one hand. I wonder if there is a way to get the Zhar token before the battle with Zhar. If not, why do they indicate "If nobody has the Zhar token" even there is no way to get it before the final battle? If yes, how can the Zhar token be given to an investigator during the game? And the moster sheet describes "If an investigator already has the Zhar token, he is devoured." Dose it mean the Zhar token kills the first player just in two turns? So, at the first turn, give the Zhar token to the first player and then at the second turn, get him out of the game? If I am correct, why did they describe so confused? Anyway, I really hope to be taken any answer. I've never fought against Zhar yet.

The last question is... when I get to the Devil Reef, how can I come back to the land? Silas Marsh can move in the aquatic location using his specialty, then, how about others? Can it be possible for other investigators to move in the aquatic location? or just follow the encounter or get into the gate? Please give me the answers~

If you know the answers about my questions, please leave a reply on this forum but I love to check your answer on my e-mail address.

Here is mine. [email protected] Help me, please.

Finn can opt not to take an injury or madness card. But then he still loses clue tokens and his stat remains at 1 instead of being restored to full. He also loses a retainer if he has one.

Certainly his high speed and sneak is beneficial, but he's not much of a fighter. I'll happily declare that Finn is an average investigator.

As far as paying costs... it means exactly what you might think. Whenever he buys something, he still has to spend money. He has to discard Food and Whiskey in order to use them, because that is part of their costs. It is important that "spend" and "lose/discard" are distinct terms in this game.

When it comes time for Finn to spend money to keep his loan, he can choose instead to default his loan, but he will keep all of the items he would otherwise discard.

There is no way to get the Zhar token before final combat. The idea is that for Zhar's first attack, he begins absorbing an investigator, leaving only one of his hands free to attack. The next time he attacks, that investigator is devoured completely. In his next attack after that, since no investigator has the Zhar token, he will begin to devour the next investigator in line and give the Zhar token to that investigator. Rinse, repeat.

There are a few ways to get back to the main land from Devil's Reef:

1. Have another investigator go to Falcon Point and pay the $2 to charter a boat to bring you back
2. Go insane or unconscious, which will send you to the Asylum or Hospital back in Arkham
3. Get lucky with encounters and one will send you back
4. Enter a gate in Devil Reef or Y'ha-Nthlei and either return to a corresponding gate in Arkham or get Lost in Time and Space and come back later

It's not supposed to be easy

Okay, as far as you probably know, each time an investigator is driven insane or knocked uncouncious, he must discard half of his items and Clue tokens(rounded down).

1)Finn however doesn't have to discard items when that happens. In fact he never has to discard items, if forced. The drawing of the Madness/Injury card not only allows an investigator to bypass the item/clue tokens loss, but lets him heal his Stamina/Sanity to maximum. So Finn may still be interested in drawing a Madness/Injury, since otherwise he won't heal his Stamina/Sanity to maximum during the turn he was knocked out, and he will still lose half of his Clue tokens.

Finn's starting money already takes into account his starting Bank Loan(that is, he doesn't start with 18$,) but only with the printed 8$ and a Bank Loan which he must pay off like any other investigator(that's why it says he must still pay costs as usual)

The Slippery ability allows Finn to move like a regular moon monster during the Mythos phase ignoring all monsters in his current location(if the moon symbol comes up on the Mythos card.) Passing his personal story will allow him to move like a circle monster as well(you must choose either of the two symbols to move. You can't move as both).

2) Zhar's attack was worded this way to simply determine who gets the Zhar token first. YOu can't get the token before final battle begins. And yes, that means the investigator who gets attacked by Zhar will only survive two turns.

3) Investigators found in Devil's Reef or Y'hanthelei(or any other aquatic location) can be rescued by their teammates, if one of them goes to Falcon Point and charters a boat for that investigator. Otherwise, they may be rescued by a lucky encounter.

Thank you for your sincere reply.

Now, I have only one question about Finn.

As far as I understand your reply,

Finn still has to pay back for his Bank Loan,

but not to lose his items when he has no money to do.

Then, the Bank Loan is a just money eater?

Finn never has to pay the money to maintain his Bank Loan. If he doesn't, he defaults on the loan but doesn't suffer the default penalty of having to lose all his items. Of course, he will not be able to take out another Bank Loan in that game.

Just to clarify Tibs' reply: if Finn rolls a 1-3 during his upkeep roll for the Bank Loan, he doesn't have to pay 1$ if he doesn't want to.In fact, no investigator has to.But if he doesn't pay, he will lose his Bank Loan card, and won't be able to take another during the game. Finn however is immune to losing all items upon defaulting on his Bank Loan.

Yea, basically his Bank Loan is a money eater.It's actually somewhat of a detriment for him, since he doesn't even get the 10$ extra at setup.Supposedly, he spent some of that loan money before the game started.

I appreciate your reply very much, but I stil have a question.

You answered, "Finn could choose whether he pay 1$ or discard his Bank Loan when the result of rolled dice is 1~3".

Why does he have to discard his Bank Loan?

As I know, Bank Loan suffers the investigator forever.

That means the Bank Loan cannot be removed from the investigator until he refunds 10$ for it.

If Finn can discard his Bank Loan, isn't it good for him?

And I've never seen such the message "If Finn discards his Bank Loan, he won't get it back in the rest of the game."

So I don't understand why the Finn's Bank Loan could be discarded by his own will as well as he won't get Bank Loan again if he does so.

Can you explain it one more time, please?

Check the wording on the Bank Loan card. It says:

Upkeep: Roll a die. On a 1-3, pay 1$ or discard all of your items along with this card. You cannot get another Bank Loan this game.

Any Phase: Pay 10$ to pay off your Bank Loan and discard this card. YOu may choose tot take out a new Bank Loan later during this game.

If Finn doesn't want to pay the 1$, he will have to discard the Bank Loan.(this is true with all investigators) But he is immune to the main penalty of this card: discarding all items.

Normally, investigators do not lose the loan money upon refusing to pay the upkeep cost of 1$. They will , however, lose all of their items then (think of it as selling all your items to pay off the loan) and won't be able to get another Bank Loan during the same game.

Only if an investigator pays off the loan, can he get another Bank Loan during the same game.

Note also that whenever Finn uses discardable Tomes, he must discard them if he gained the tome's benefit, (the same as all investigators). Because he discards them by choice. That is, getting the tome's benefit is conditioned by you passing the skill check on the tome and then discarding it.

The same is true with all discardable items such as Holy Water,Whiskey, Food a and discardable spells as well. Because getting those items' benefit is conditioned by the item being discarded.

Finn however, is immune to all sorts of forced discarding of items. Such as encounters that force you to lose items upon failing a certain skill check.

Thank you for your reply, now I understand completely.

If there happens another mysteries to me, I will ask you for my questions again.

Thank you very much.