Pretty long post of questions, thanks to anyone who takes the time to read and provide input!!

1) Can an investigator use the special ability of an Arkham location multiple times in the same encounter phase?

• For example: My investigator has 3 gate trophies and is at the Science Building and wants as many clue tokens as possible. During the Arkham Encounter Phase can he receive 6 clue tokens all at once for spending all three gate trophies, or would he need to accumulate the 6 clue tokens over the course of three, separate encounter phases? The literal wording of the location special ability suggests to me that it would be the latter.

2) Can an investigator use clue tokens to roll an additional die for non-skill related rolls?

• For example: rolls to discard items when facing Ithaqua in combat, or rolling one die after exhausting the Alien Device. My thought is the answer is 'no', but again I want any opinions.

3) Can use of the special ability of a location in Kingsport Harbor fulfill the requirement to remove a rift token that corresponds with the same location? The text for special abilities states "...instead of having an encounter" which leads me to believe that it doesn't satisfy the condition to have an encounter to remove a rift token; which is also related to my first question.

4) When trading items amongst investigators during the movement phase, could you allow investigators to trade 'while en route,' or do you require that investigators start or end their movement in the same location as the investigator they are trading with?

5) Similar to the question above, but in referrence to the Implant Suggestion spell: can you cast this 'while en route' and avoid making a sneak check or having an encounter with a monster?

• Example: My investigator has 2 movement points and starts his movement in a location adjacent to a monster that is in a location he wishes to move through, and then end his movement in a different adjacent space to the monster. Could he move into the monster's space (hasn't ended his movement), cast Implant Suggestion (assume it is a success), move the monster away, then continue to the next location without making a sneak check at all? Could an investigator who shared the same location as a monster at the start of his movement cast the spell, move the monster, avoid making a sneak check, then move away? I'm pretty sure the intent of this spell would allow the latter example, but not as sure about the first.

6) If you start the game with 4 investigators, play with both big expansions, making the effective number of investigators 3, then you enter combat against the Ancient One (it awakens, you call it, whatever), would you still consider the number of successes needed to remove a doom token 3? I don't see why not, but it doesn't sit right with me.

7) Similar topic to above. I play that if an investigator is devoured, he is not replaced with a new investigator (also that investigators can't retire from too many madness/injury cards). Because this is a house rule, I'd like opinions on this one: if you start the game with 4 investigators, one is devoured during the game, then the remaining three enter combat with the Ancient One, would you consider the number of investigators used to determine successes to remove doom tokens 3 or 4?

1. No, you can only use a Location Special Ability once per turn per Investigator.

2. No, unless a card or special ability says otherwise.

3. No, because you are not having an Encounter.

4. Yes, you can trade when you are at the same Location, Arkham or Other World.

5. Yes, and if you Fail you can still attempt an Evade Check.

6. The Final Battle does NOT apply the one less Investigator modifier.

7. You still have to get Successes equal to the Original Number of Investigators, so 4 Successes per Doom Token. You are hurting yourself by not replacing Devoured Investigators outside of the Final Battle.

Orpheus101 said:

I'd be interested to know why do you play that way? Are you playing solo?

Rarely are investigators devoured, though I was once devoured three times in the same game. Believe me it wasn't deliberate.

If you are playing solo, killing off investigators makes sense. However, if you are playing with other people that's really harsh. What do they think of that?

As to the final battle, fairness would indicate that your final battle would be with the reduced number of investigators.

I've seen fewer investigators retired than devoured, though I have run into a few people who realize that taking madness and injury cards is really helpful in a number of ways. It saves a turn of paying for sanity/stamina and save items/clue tokens with really very little penalty in most cases. One abuser would often end up with four of those cards. He didn't retire either.

The major abuse with retirement and devourment, IMO, is the passing off of items just before death or retirement. But maybe that's not your issue.

The reason you get other caracters, is so the other players don't hang around and just watch and say how much this game sux cause of this. Just cause he drew a bad card.

mageith said:

Sorry, I did fail to mention that I am a solo player and that's one of the rules I like to use. In a group, it would certainly be a boring way to play if you're the one who gets his investigator devoured!

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Thanks for input thus far!