Hi All,

Got Mansion of Madness on Wednesday. Got all the pieces punched out, monsters put together and started looking over the rulebook. Any tips before my first game? I will most likely end up being the bad guy since I will be the only person to have read the rulebook by our first game.

Thanks,
~Rehlow

Be careful.

You should know the rules?

Hi,

Sorry for the long post (this is my first forum post for anything). I have played several games and have found the following useful. This is less about direct keeper strategy and more about general MoM advice.

1) Setup the game before your friends get there. It will be more relaxed and you can spend time explaining the rules not having them hover around you while you set up.

2) When laying out the game place all the clue cards face up and get a feel for the logical progression of the clues. In general one clue leads to another so there will be a "shortest path" the investigators take. By understanding the possible paths they (investigators) will take, you are better suited to react and spend your threat points wisely. (e.g. if they are going into left field then you have time to build threat and mess with them. Sometimes they make a straight line to the first clue and you are scrambling to slow them down, or you master plan falls apart because they are on the objective too quickly). Know where the shotgun is, and keep them away from it (it shoots through doors and raises hell with monsters)

3) Once you pick the scenario, look through the forums for anything relating to that scenario that effects the balance. This allows you to adjust for possible game-breaking situations ahead of time. (e.g. in scenario three you can get a mythos card that can be interpreted as potentionialy remove a key from the game, ending the investigators ability to win, this may be OK depending on how experienced the players are)

4) I would go with scenario 1 or 2 to start with (I have played 1,2,3 multiple times and SOTW once (SOTW was excellent, I have Silver tablet and that looks good as well))

5) Be carefull killing an investigator before the final battle (when they are allowed to bring in a new investigator). There is nothing like the guy with the tommy-gun coming in fresh at the end of the game to pummel your escaping axe murderer!

6) Prior to the game explain your action cards to the investigators, they will not be supprised when you raise a zombie or force one of them to move a space.

7) For new players, pick a few mythos & trauma cards and read them to the players. That way they will have some idea of the types of things that can happen and will not be upset when you throw the "broken leg" card on them (personal favorite). This is a game where a player does not have utter and complete control over their characters actions.

8) Be aware of the investigators special abilities, they will effect what you can do. (e.g. the private eye character once a game can kill a monster on a single roll (non-combat)). This can put a serious hurting on the keeper and may come as an unexpected (as it did for me) suprise.

9) Make sure you understand the puzzle mechanics. In general 1 point for 90' rotate of peice, 2 points to draw a new piece and the center piece can be rotated (rules say which puzzle center can rotate how much, in general one side rotation)

10) Remember the rule book uses the word 'may' a lot. You do not always need to attack, sometimes just making an investigator a little more insane is worth more.

11) Explain the spell cards to the players, and that they can have adverse effects (they are not allowed to see the bottom of the spell cards)

Being the keeper is a lot of fun. If you own the game chances are you will be the keeper a lot. Don't get too caught up in the win or loose, its a great ride (don't get me wrong, splattered investigators are really entertaining). This game is heavy on story and makes for a great post game discussion for days on end.

Good luck

Thanks John T. That was exactly the kind of advice I was looking for.

Later,
~Rehlow

Whoa, excelent post John. It helped me too.

Thanks!

I just got my copy of Mansions of Madness and was about to ask the same thing, so this was a lot of help.

Now, if only I could paint those miniature faster....

Be afraid.

Be very afraid.

You should warn the investigators that this is not an 'exploration game'. They have to go from a clue to another, they have not to open random door. Some stories are lethal, if they open the wrong door or use an object at the wrong moment...bam, they lose the game! You must read very carefully the clue cards to them.

(Sorry for my bad english, as usual...)

Raffo83 said:

This ensures they miss out most of the items available to them, though.
They need to explore, but exploration is dangerous. That's a dilemma they need to experience - it's part of being an investigator. (Literally!)

I know there's the one story that quickly ends if an investigator stumbles into the wrong room. Perhaps the intro of the story would need to be changed slightly, so players know that this time, every door could be the last one that's opened in this game.

However, the other stories usually hide a shotgun in cupboards or something similar. Players that never look at rooms they don't really-really-really have to enter, miss out on sooo much the game has to offer

Yes, you're right, they have to explore and also they have to know the risk!

Already ordered the game and waiting!!

Thanks a lot John T for your explanation.

can't wait to get the game and read through the rule book

same here. waiting for my copy and 2 expansions