Mansion of Madness Expansion Frenzy

Mansion of Madness is a game just crying out for expansions. Its by all means a complete game, but theres just so mutch great stuff you just want to add to the game.

I just couldnt stop myself from making me a personal wichlist. What I would love to see is a big box expasion:

Investigators:
Well, lets start with the remaining investigators from Arkham Horror. I would really love to see booth a doctor and a psychiatrist added to the game.

Mansized Creatures:
Thug / ganster (Would like a Mansion scenario where you not sure about the supernatural presence from the beginning. They could use investigators ranged combat cards, perhaps even with the possibility to arm themselves with Exploration card weapons. Gunfights!)
Deep One (Really a must! We want an Innsmouth manor!)
Dagon Cultist (Innsmouth manor, fat toadish cultists, can turn into Deep Ones during the scenario)
Ghost (mini in clear plastic, ability to walk through walls)
Byakhee

Large Creatures:
With an expasion you would like a miniature matching the original Shaggoth, and theres really a great number of fun miniatures to chose from... more tetacles for the people!
Perhaps a Star Vampire, Nightgaunt or Elder Thing. A “mini” I would definitely love to see is a Dark Young.

NPC miniatures:
I would rather like some NPC miniatures in the game. People to protect and rescue... or persons in the mansions that you not sure if they are evil or not. A lot of investigator minis can surely be used in this way, but there alway better with dedicated miniatures.
For example small boy/girl, prisoners, police officers, butler, rich lady etc.

Outdoor tiles:

I like the outdoor pats of the map in the original game, it just feels more like a mansion then you got a green garden border around the main building. It would feel even better if you could have a fence or wall round the garden defining the extents of the property. Its also a nice contrast to the claustofobic fights inside the manor. With enough playable grounds you could have scenarios protecting yourself in a mansion from the evil coming from the outside. Corridor sized garden tiles could fill out the holes in maps to make a nice square map.

Parked Car on turnaround with a small entry stair (something I actually miss from the original game. You havent escaped the mansion when you’ve left the foajer doors... your managed to escape when you reached your car and got the car going... with zombies tugging at the door... and then you realize that the maniac actually managed to steal your car keyes.)

Green house
Well (always a scary place, thx Ringu, might also be a way into the basement?)
Gazebo (With an arrow stuck in it, Gazebo of dread!)
Rose garden (where else to bury your loved ones)
Hedge Labyrinth (Here’s Johnny!)
Garage (another mean to escape the mansion)
Stone Altar (overgrown ancient altar)
Wooden Border (natural border to the dark woods)
Lake Shore (another natural border)
Boathouse

Rooms:

The playing board is beautifully done, but I sort of miss the means to make a Mansion of several floors. You do have bacement and attic tiles, but they appear all to be mached into the ground floor. I would prefer to be able to make several floors, and for that you could simply add some stairs up and stairs down. The basement and attic tile work just fine placed beside the main floor. Then you could also make a litle more complex house designs. Make a color coded stair token to show whitch stairs team up. Its also a horror classic that you hear sounds from the lower level when you're upstairs, and lets not forget the panic when the only known way up here actually catches fire)

Different levels opens up for:
Staircase
Elevator (puzzle to operate?)
Balcony (a way of escaping from the upper levels down to the garden)
Roof tiles (another escaperoute... or reach the window of a closed room)
Collapsed room (jump down och dex test to pass)

Basement Well (Ringu or Silence of the Lambs)
Ballrom (Big open spaces)
Wine Cellar (hidden doors?)
Artists Studio (scary paintings or disturbing statues)
Pentagram Chamber
Conservatory
Rotating Room (puzzle to make it turn 90 deg. Where will we get then?)
Larder
Science Lad (I sort of miss the lightning-conductors)
Alien Workshop (Mi-goo brain cylinders and dead people in green glass tubes)
Vault
Prisoner Cell and torture chamber
Padded Cell (where you keep your insane family members)

Another room-idea would be turn able rooms, i.e. a normal bedroom on one side and a messed up bloodied bedroom on the other. (Room start at normal, when your investigators is getting insane they start to see what have happend long ago... or the room get bloodied when the NPC is getting killed during the scenario)

We got some nice rooms to chose from, with some simple additions you could turn the manson into something totally else.
Reception (with some additional bedroms to turn the mansion into a haunted hotell)
Shop (add bedrooms and storage to make a small butique)
Office (add corridors and bathroom to create a laywer office or the investigators own workspace)

Items:
Lucky Cigarette Case
Pallid Mask
Alien Statue
Bell
Porseline Doll
Candle
Monkey Hand
Rabbit Foot
Rope

Other thoughts:

I would surely like a series of scenarios linked together to form a smal campaign to Mansion of Madness. The the choices made in scenario one have an impact on later scenarios. Try to keep your investigator alive betveen different scenarios! This could also include several smaller scenes adding adding clues to the real Mansion and a major evil.

Hmm... what did I miss?

Gnutten said:

Die Vincent Lee, die! Him, Amanda and Dexter are three out of my four most-hated investigators.

I have a feeling the next status effect token we'll see (like fire and darkness) will be "flooded". Requires 2 movement steps to move between spaces in a flooded room. Exploring in a flooded room requires a Willpower test, if failed take 1 damage.

Bleached Lizard said:

Funny you say that as the Innsmouth themed Custom Scenario I am working on features "flooding" as events. I thought of the two movement steps as well, and I like the exploring the room taking a Willpower test (not a fan of extra damage) only Stun would make things really difficult and not fun for players in rooms like the Foyer. I agree that is definitely coming soon when they do their own Innsmouth Expansion.

I'd love all the above-mentioned goodness. My own thoughts were to how much they could add to the game with a small expansion - a couple more sheets of tiles and a few new scenarios. No more plastic or cards even needed.

Another great small expansion would be just a deck of cards... more combat cards, items, locks, etc and 3 new cards for each existing investigator - one for each set of stats and an item.

A series of small expansions would be a great way to do this:

Instead of a big box they could make sequential small expansions with 2 storyline additions each

For example

Storyline 6 & 7 (In order to use the elements (like map tiles) from one small expansion in the stories of the next, players would have to buy the expansions in a predetermined order. Numbering them would make this easy; the box for storyline 8 & 9 could say "basic game and storyline 6 & 7 expansion required to play")

Story specific additions

- two new stories with all needed clue, event, keeper action cards etc.

- one or two new monsters (medium sized, to fit a small box)

- a few small double sided map tiles

- new puzzles

- Rules for the storylines and a up to date FAQ

Universal additions

- a few new investigators with cards and miniatures

- new Combat cards, Mythos cards, Trauma Cards etc

- new spells

- reprints of all Erratas up to that point

This way people can set their own pace and keep the cost relatively low.

Mad Murdoc said:

I dunno about making expansions require other expansions to play. It could get pretty annoying if your local store is sold out of the previous expansion. (see Dunwich Horror)

Gnutten, I love your tile ideas! Especially the Hedge Maze tiles. I'd expect to see each expansion set to a theme, with hopefully at least one new kind of humanoid, beast, and eldritch monster each (with new combat cards etc, obviously) Keeping that in mind, here's the kind of things I'd want/expect to see:

Innsmouth Set: includes aquatic location tiles (boathouse, dock, etc) good place to implement those Flooded tokens you mentioned. Scenarios could include encounters at The Order of Dagon, Marsh Refinery, or elsewhere in Innsmouth.

Humanoids: Deep One Hybrids, Priest of Dagon. Beasts: Deep Ones. Eldritch: maybe Proto-Shoggoths?? (we already got regular Shoggys)

Shub-Niggurath Set: feature more outdoorsy locations (woods, hedge maze, etc) Scenarios would have Investigators trying to stop the rise of the Goat with a Thousand Young.

Humanoids: Dark Druids? Beasts: Goat Spawn: Eldritch: Dark Young

Miskatonic University Set: includes University locations (library, lecture hall, etc) Scenarios could include keeping Wilbur Whatley from the Necronomicon, Dealing with awakened Elder Things, or Working with a certain Herbert West, Re-Animator!

Huminoids: Mad Scientist? Beasts: Yithians maybe? Eldritch: Elder Things

Dark Pharaoh Set: includes Egyptian Museum-type locations (special exhibits, personal collection, Mummy's tomb etc) Maybe introduce some sort of curse mechanic? Scenarios could feature Nylaryhotep trying to reclaim some of his Cursed Artifacts.

Humanoids: Mummy. Beasts/Eldritch: Some sort of Mask Monsters?

What do you think?

Me wants something along the lines of the Descent Expansions.

• A campaign.
• More Stories (at least +5. I don't want to buy an Expansion for 2 lousy Stories.)

Additionally:

• New Keeper Action Cards, to flavor the new Stories with
• 0-3 new Monster types, however 1+ might be more realistic
• new Monster TOKENS. I'd love to have more variants of those I already have. "Maniac with knife or axe?" gets pretty boring soon.
• Perhaps 2-4 new investigators (not Story specific, just generic and on the same level as the original 8)
• Perhaps new items (Some sugar for the investigators would be nice)
• Perhaps one new "important" room per Story. Not a huge load of tiles, I don't need those and carrying them around becomes WORK otherwise.
• At most one type of "special effect". I don't like the thought of a whole Story being about "this room is flooded now. Well, now this room is flooded too. Guess what I'll do next turn!", just to be followed by "And now all my Monsters, rooms and Mythos Cards drain energy"... Something that could be used in the original Stories would be neat.

On expansions requiring other expansions: Hell no O_o

Yeah... at this point I can't imagine them putting out an expansion that I WOULDN'T buy for MoM... but having the expansions require other expansions doesn't seem like a good idea for down the road - adding newer players in a couple years.

I was also thinking they could do a lot with Print on Demand if they wanted to.

Keeper and investigator cards aren't really ever shuffled or anything so nice print outs would work fine.

Even new map tiles could be printed. 'Terrain' tiles like that are a popular thing for RPGs and Miniatures games just usually they are hexed or squared instead of being divided into areas. (Thinking about it - some of those could make for some excellent home made scenarios!)

A really simple thing I would enjoy is actually Exploration Cards with just the text “1A”, “1B” etc. It would make it neater for those who wants to make own scenarios. I have NEVER used any blank cards from any game, but for his one it just might be rather fun to construct your own scenarios.

I have also a rather fond memory from the old Advanced Hero quest where you assembled a talisman in four cardboard puzzle pieces... How about an artifact key in several parts you must assemble in different scenarios.

More status effects sound fine and the “Flooded” works just fine with the Innsmouth theme =). How about “Cursed”, “Mist” and “Cold”? And why not simply “Terror” or “Insanity”... always enjoyed fear as described a a physical thing.

New monster Tokens is actually a rather simple way of keeping the players off balance. If there was a campaign box the Keeper could upgrade different creatures and replacing Monster Token with better ones.

Theme expansions sounds rather probable... Innsmouth, Miskatonic University, Dunwich etc.

Gaaaaah! Wants some!
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!

Maybe instead of "Finding Nothing of Interest" card, finding something misc. thats horrible (like maybe a bloody knife, a half burned tome, etc). My current group already takes it upon themselves to come up with something random when they get one of those useless cards "Hey Walter found your dentures in the kitchen..." or "A half eaten cat, with <enter local players cat's name> on the tags". The comments from the table in response to the improv is priceless and almost makes us look forward to the next one we find until, "aww...its a actual clue".

Try it sometime, if you group is light hearted it will be an awesome inclusion that not only adds RP and fun moments but is free. Cheers!

Jayhotep said:

The way the setup for this game works, anything non-sequential will mostly be a combination of ONLY the base set and THAT expansion, not (as in AH an addition to the total game set)

Since seeding is 100% fixed. You will never be able to incorporate any items, map tiles, keeper actions, minions, locks, obstacles, spells, status effects, feature markers or puzzles in any other way than through a new storyline.

Thus only new investigators (with trait and starting items) Mythos, Trauma and combat cards can be in any truly non-sequential expansion.

Elbi said:

You do realize that most of the expansion would be left to gather dust once you are finished with these 5 stories? if you'd make the expansions sequential, these elements could be used again and again.

I'd hate to have all these nice monsters etc. (see my previous post for a list) in a box and know that they will never be used any more because future expansions cannot be dependant on that material.

I would like it if when new expansions are released if some of the Stories only required that expansion and the base game while the other stories could use pieces from the other released expansions (Possible with an alternate pieces sidebar for people who don't have all the expansions).

Mad Murdoc said:

And I'd have to buy the last 5 expansions (where I might know that expansion 3 sucks, because the Stories are boring and broken beyond repair, since I read the forums) to play everything there ever was? No thanks.

- Seeding is EASILY fixed: There are already random items that are distributed. Replace these pseudo-random with REAL random (i.e. "1 ranged weapon, 1 melee weapon, 1 tome") and that fixes a lot.

- Super Special Stuff That Can Only Be Used In This Story And This Story Only: I hate that stuff anyway. Things like "The Rope: A new version of the ladder" doesn't belong to a board game, imho. That said, if it makes a certain Story awesome beyond redemption, I'm okay with a CARD wasted on this stuff. Think among the lines of the Cultist Robe, it fits to a limited amount of Stories, but greatly increases those ones!

- Even this special stuff is easily fixed: There ARE already questions for the Keeper. What's wrong with things like this:

"How do Cultists enter the cave?

• They use a secret entry in the library.
• There's a trap door in the basement.
• It can only be reached by a rope spanned across a river. (You need the "Made Up" expansion for this scenario)"

This could also be used to replace map tiles. Just make them appear at a later point in the game. Investigators learn that they need to go "there" by finding Clue X, map gets expanded.
The same with Monsters, even. "What is the great demon the Cultists want to summon?" - this affects Keeper Action Cards, Monster spawns, etc.

That'd be an easy way to tell people that they might be interested in buying an expansion (and that it would upgrade their already existing ones!), while not DEMANDING those investments. Hint hint, that's advertisement people might like. And I'm not even demanding money for this advice!

- "5 Stories will gather dust as soon as -", yeah, that's a problem MoM will always have to deal with.

Yeah, the more I think about it, I think the best solution is to have each expansion be MOSTLY stand-alone, but with the ABILITY to include items etc. from other sets.

I think one thing people are overlooking is DYO scenariois. Once you have played a few games and been a keeper a few times I think you can see the potential to really go bonkers and have fun.

There are items included in the seeding that are not necessary in the scenarios that exist - they are helpful, but not required, so they could be anything you want them to be. You could do a complete random of all the cards you have left or that have been put out in expansions. Why is there only ever a fire extinguisher when there is a fire? Isn't the idea to have one and not have a fire?!?

Same is true of Monsters. Instead of placing Maniacs in scenario 1... why not place Deep Ones? (If they are more or less powerful you can tinker with the cost to summon them) or swap in the Keeper Action card from the Innsmouth set that summons them for Scenario 1 at the old innsmouth manor.

All those are simple ideas to vary existing scenarios to use extra parts, but I honestly think once people get going they will be doing total DYO. Something MoM has that I feel AH never had is an RPG-element you get from the combat cards and small scale of it all.

Once you have more epic descriptions for rooms written (as the sample was done on the forums here for scenario 1) where you play without putting out any cards at all... why set up the whole board? Did you have a map of the Mansion? I don't think that was mentioned... set up the first tile and after all the descriptions let people start exploring!

Some people won't want to play that way (although even as a straight boardgame it is much better without putting the cards out), but I think for a little extra time the extra atmosphere will be loved by any RPG'ers.

A few things you guys seem to be missing... Because of the way the components are used, a lot of material could be stuffed in to one expansion. Dunwich and Innsmouth could be packed together with a map tile or two for the Witch House. The only hindrance is the need for minis, which isn't much... Deep Ones. Cultists and Witches are covered, especially with the named monsters rules.

But more importantly, don't forget to consider the usefulness of FFGs print on demand process. The expansions could be independent with additional scenarios available as small packages with mixed interdependence. These scenarios would just be labeled with what expansions they depend on, which gives an added incentive for purchasing more expansions, "OMG! They released a scenario for The Haunter of the Dark! (somebody's fav HPL story) We just need a couple rooms from the Dunwich Expansion to play it!" Maybe, they could make the mixed-dependence scenarios available at a discount for the release of new expansions to boost sales. Also, the Print on Demand could have an amazing effect on the community-created content for the game, perhaps resulting in a list of publicly recognised (by FFG) scenarios written by fans that they feel are good enough to list as available through FFG... maybe just a fan-submission system of some sort. Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself, but the potential is all there.

And, as for what I'd like to see in expansions...

1. Deep Ones and Ghouls

2. Clues that aren't so straight-forward in scenarios that don't play out quite so linearly.

3. Dreamlands Stuff, in one big scary expansion. Esp. zoogs.

4. A truly terrifying set of scenarios involving Nyarlathotep, not necessarily in any particular order or organization, just lots of Nyarlothotep in lots of forms, not necessarily requiring minis (One-Use named minis just seem like they could be a waste of plastic, and for masks would be too much of a give-away), maybe some sort of NPC markers, as some have suggested, or maybe the events involving him would just be described in lots of clues with a mini for when he's revealed (still unfortunately a one-use mini, probably well worth it though).

5. More monsters, always more monsters

In that order...

Ooh, and Nightgaunts could lead to a really scary storyline, desperately trying not to get pulled out of the house and off to god-knows-not-where...