Hello folks, I just acquired Arkham Horror. We are playing our 1st game tonight and I have a couple of questions:

1) How are Activity Markers used in the game and what cards require their use?

2) Using an Elder Signs is ONE of the only way to lower the Doom Level (because you are removing a Doom Token from the Ancient One)

Is there any other way to lower the Doom Level?

Thanks for any insights ;-)

Cheers!

Sylvain

The elder sign Item will remove a doom token. Not placing an elder sign by spending clue tokens to seal the gate.

There are other ways to remove doom tokens. Its VERY rare items. Elder signs are the most common way to do it and as you can see they are not very common.

Activity markers are placed ushally from rumors or headlines. If a rumor says you need to go to north street location to stop it then you would place the 1 activity marker there to show that something is going down in the north streets.

There is a enounter at the Church that lets you remove doom tokens...base game if I'm not mistaken!

MrsGamura said:

IIRC it's a roll a die, on a success remove doom token. No skill check, so no Mandy, Clues, etc.

I am not sure how to make this a spoiler read. So skip this if you don't want to know. This should be most ways to get a Doom Token removed from the game.

From the Base game, one encounter at the Southside Church :

• You join in the morning mass. Spend 1 Clue token to ask for heavenly aid. If you do so, roll a die. On a success, your prayers are answered. Remove 1 doom token from the Ancient One's doom track.

From KH, 3 encounters. A card that is in the deck twice at The Rope and Anchor :

• A pale, ordinary man stares out the window at the peak of the Kingsport Head as if longing for something. Pass a Fight (-2) check or discard Lucky Cigarette Case to spark his interest in you and his surroundings. If so, he introduces himself as Thomas Olney . Take his Ally card, or if it's not available, remove 1 doom token from the Ancient One's doom track.

And one from the Strange High House:

• After a visit with William Bain, he performs a ritual prayer. Shortly thereafter, there is a knock at the door and he opens it to reveal grey, hoary Nodens. You explain recent events to him, and he frowns, fearsomely. Remove 2 doom tokens from the Ancient One's doom track, but lose 3 Sanity.

Here aare the others in various cards, all from the expansions:

• And of course, if you find William Bain as an Ally, you get to remove one.
• If you have the Cult Encounter, The Chosen One , you may remove 1 if you allow yourself to be devoured.
• A Blessings of Noden allows you to remove 1.
• If you are playing Marie Lambeau from DH, she allows you to remove 1.
• One of Shub-Niggurath's epic cards allows for doom tokens to be removed if you defeat Dark Youngs in the Final battle.
• Eltdown Shards is a Tome in KH that allows one to be removed. The mission Sacrifice to Make from DH is another.
• Parchment of the Elder Sign from CotDP is similar to the Elder Sign.
• Call Ancient One is a spell from BGotW that lets you potentially remove multiple doom tokens.
  

Lance845, MrsGamura, Dam and ColtsFan76 - Thanks a lot for your answers and clarifications.

This was a LONG night! We started our game at 8PM and we finished at 2PM. We were going back and forth to the rules but I think we are good now.

We were able to seal 6 gates with Elder Signs. One of the investigator was lucky and got the Sword of Glory. Take this you Cultists!!

Now it's Sunday and it's time to enjoy the Giants-Eagle game ;-)

Cheers!

Sylvain

Dam said:

Yes, I got that one yesterday! I sent Carolyn there because she was cursed, and the encounter told me I could spend a clue to pray for "divine intervention" or something. I thought everyone would lose their Curses or something. That would be great because Rex had his curse still too.

Tiffany said, no don't spend! I said, yes, we need to lose our curses! So turn out that it's just a die roll if you spend, and doesn't even affect curses. I should have listened

As a side note, that game was won because Darrell Simmons accidentally ran into Cthulhu in the other world and triumphed on his very last turn before he was devoured. It was an epic way to win the game.