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A CONCISE RULEBOOK.
I know I will be called insane for what I am about to do. But you must believe me when I tell you that the original
rulebook is alive, infected with an ancient evil that makes my PC moan in protest when I open the PDF. Once the
diabolical size of its graphics became manifest, they reduced the fan in my PC to smoking cinders.
Night after night, I have scoured the original rules and FAQ's, fighting to keep the horrors at bay and learning
what I can. I believe I have discovered a way to prevent our doom by scribing a clearer text with almost no
pictures. Ancient cultures crafted a strange system to drive off this nightmare. They called it Plain English.
OVERVIEW
Elder Sign is a co-operative game in which 1-8 Players assume the roles of Investigators, working together
to collect enough Elder Signs to prevent an Ancient One from awakening. The Ancient One's are powerful
creatures asleep until the stars align when they will awaken to devour the human race.
The Investigators face adventures in and around the Miskatonic University Museum, where the Ancient
One’s imminent return is causing a number of bizarre events. If the Ancient One does awaken, the
investigators will have one last chance to defeat it in a nearly hopeless final battle to the death.
COMPONENT LIST
This Rulebook, plus: -- Mythos Cards (32)
-- Doomsday Clock, Plastic Connector, and Hand -- Incantation Cards (12)
-- Museum Entrance Card -- Unique Item Cards (12)
-- 6 Green Dice, 1 Red Dice, 1 Yellow Die 106 Cardboard Tokens:
80 large Cards: -- Clue Tokens (15)
-- Adventure Cards (48) -- Doom Tokens (12)
-- Ancient One Cards (8) -- Elder Sign Tokens (17)
-- Investigator Cards (16) -- Sanity Tokens (30)
-- Other World Cards (8) -- Stamina Tokens (30)
76 small Cards: 38 Cardboard Markers:
-- Ally Cards (8) -- Investigator Markers (16)
-- Common Item Cards (12) -- Monster Markers (22)
COMPONENT DESCRIPTIONS
Doomsday Clock, Plastic Connector, and
Hand - Used to track the passage of time. The Ally Cards - Represent people willing to Assist
clock hand is attached to the clock using the the Investigators in their quest for Elder Signs.
plastic connector. Press together tightly.
Museum Entrance Card - Lists the actions
Mythos Cards - Represents special rules for that
available to Investigators occupying the Museum
day's strange events in the museum.
Entrance.
Adventure Cards - Represents important rooms Elder Sign Tokens - Used to keep track of how
and events in the Museum that the Investigators close the Investigators are to sealing away the
must explore in order to collect Elder Signs. Ancient One.
If the text of a Card or a Monster Marker conflicts with the rules in this book, the Card or Marker text takes precedence.
2. Choose the Ancient One - Randomly choose one Ancient One Card and place it face-up on the table. Read the text on the
Card as it explains important information about the Ancient One, such as the number of Elder Signs required to seal it away.
3. Deal the Cards - Shuffle the Adventure Cards and deal six of them face-up in two rows of three. If a Card shows a Locked Die
Icon, place the right one onto the space provided.
4. Shuffle the Cards - Shuffle the Ally, Common Item, Incantation, Other World, and Unique Item Cards. Place all decks face-
down on the table, including the deck of unused Adventure Cards.
5. Arrange the Tokens - Separate the Clue, Doom, Elder Sign, Sanity, and Stamina Tokens into different piles. As this is a co-
operative game, let one or more Players be responsible for handing-out tokens.
6. Distribute Investigator Cards - Each Player randomly draws one Investigator Card. Players may only select an Investigator
Card if all the Players agree to do the same. As a co-operative game, the Players first task is to settle any squabbles.
7. Arrange the Player Areas - Each Player takes the matching Investigator Marker, the correct number of Sanity and Stamina
Tokens, and any Item Cards and Clue Tokens, as shown on the Investigator Card.
8. Determine the First Player - Randomly draw a single Investigator Marker from a cup. The matching Player begins the game as
First Player, continuing clockwise around the table. The Players each place their Investigator Markers on the Museum Entrance.
9. Fill the Monster Cup - Place all the Monster Markers in a cup. Players must be able to randomly draw Monsters from this
container without being able to see what they are. Only add the Mask Monsters if Nyarlathotep is the game's Ancient One.
10. Draw the first Mythos Card - The First Player shuffles the Mythos Deck and draws one Mythos Card, placing it face-up on the
table beside the Mythos Deck. The Mythos Card is in immediate effect and the game begins.
PLAYER TURNS
Elder Sign is a co-operative game, so it is vital that Players learn to share ideas and pool their resources together. Players take
turns exploring Miskatonic University Museum. Each Player Turn consists of three phases in the following order:
1. Movement Phase - The active Player moves their Investigator Marker to the Museum Entrance, Adventure Card, or Other World
Card of their choice. Alternatively, the Player can leave their Investigator in place.
2. Investigation Phase - The active Player may attempt to solve all the Tasks on the Adventure or Other World Card they occupy
or perform one of the actions listed on the Museum Entrance Card.
3. Doomsday Clock Phase - The Player advances the Doomsday Clock hand forward by three hours. After advancing the
Doomsday Clock, the Player’s turn is over and the next Player begins his turn.
INVESTIGATORS
Players are strongly advised to read and understand the contents of their Investigators Card. Each Investigator has a special ability
that can allow the Player to add dice to rolls, alter die results, or offer other benefits during the game. Some Investigator abilities
can be used “once per roll”, meaning the Player can use this ability only once each time a new dice is rolled during an investigation.
Some investigator abilities can be used “once per day”, meaning that it cannot be used again until after Midnight strikes.
INVESTIGATOR CARDS
1. Name
2. Maximum Sanity
3. Maximum Stamina
4. Special Ability
5. Starting Items
A number of investigation die results equal to or A split die result. Either of the die results shown may
greater than the number indicated on the symbol. meet this requirement.
Failing Tasks - A dice throw is considered a Failed Task if there are not enough matching results to solve any of the listed Tasks.
The Player must discard any one of the remaining dice before re-rolling the dice in another attempt to solve a Task. Discarded dice
are no longer available for the rest of the Investigation Phase. If a Failed Task means the Player must discard their last die without
completing the last Task, then the Player has failed the Card and must suffer its Penalties.
Terror Effects - If the Player failed a Task, and at least one of the dice showed a Terror result, then any Terror Effect listed on the
Adventure/Other World Card and the current Mythos Card takes effect. Terror Effects take place before discarding a die or
suffering Penalties, due to failing the Task.
CLUE TOKENS
A Player may spend Clue Tokens to re-roll dice and solve a Task that would otherwise have been failed. After the dice have been
rolled and found to have failed the Task, the Player may spend one of their Clue Tokens to re-roll one, some, or all of the dice. The
dice may be re-rolled as many times as there are available Clue Tokens being spent.
FOCUSING DICE
After a Failed Roll, the Player may Focus any one die once each Player Turn. To Focus a die, the Player first discards any one die
as normal, due to the Failed Roll. The Player then selects one of the remaining dice and places it on their Investigation Marker
without changing the die-result.
Focused die are no longer available for rolling but are still available to solve a Task during a later dice-roll during the current
investigation. When needed, the die is simply removed from the Investigation Marker and placed with the other required dice on the
solved Task. Unused Focused dice are returned to normal play at the end of the current Player's Investigation Phase.
REQUESTING ASSISTANCE
The current Player may request Assistance from another Player after a Failed Roll, provided both their Investigator Markers occupy
the same Card. To receive Assistance, the current Player first discards one die due to the Failed Roll. The Player then requests
Assistance from the other Player. If that Player agrees, the current Player selects any one of the rolled dice and places it on the
Assisting Player's Investigator Marker.
The current Player may use the die held by the Assisting Player just like any other Focused die. However, if the current Player fails
the Card, the Assisting Player loses either one Sanity or Stamina Token. After each Failed Roll, a Player may either Focus a die or
request Assistance, not both. Players may only request Assistance once per dice roll. Investigators can only provide Assistance
once per Player Turn. Unused dice are returned to normal play.
LOCKED DICE
Some Cards and Monster Markers feature a Locked die icon (see pictures, right). When an icon enters
play, place the corresponding colour die on the icon, even if the die is currently on an Incantation Card
or Investigator Marker. Locked dice cannot be used until they have been freed from their Locks.
Freeing Locked Dice - If a die is Locked by an Adventure or Other World Card, a Player must solve that Card to free the die. If a
die is Locked by a Monster Marker, a Player must defeat the Monster to free the die. If a die is Locked by a Mythos Card, the die is
Locked until a new Mythos Card is drawn at Midnight.
Multiple Locks - It is possible for a die to be Locked by more than one Card or Marker. After a die is freed from the first Card or
Marker, it is then placed on the second Lock icon. Only after the last Lock is solved may the die be used in play once more.
Character Abilities - Several Investigators have abilities that allow them to use additional dice during investigations. These
abilities do not allow them to roll Locked dice and do not free dice from their Locks, apart from Sister Mary.
REWARDS & PENALTIES
The Player has successfully solved an Adventure or Other World Card if all the Tasks on that Card are solved. The successful
Player returns all Investigator Markers on that Card to the Museum Entrance. All assigned and discarded dice are now available
once more for use by the next Player.
The successful Player moves the solved Card to their Play Area as a Trophy, replacing a solved Adventure Card with a new Card.
Other World Cards are never replaced. The Player may then collect the Rewards listed at the bottom of the solved Card. If a Player
failed to solve all the Tasks of a Card, then they suffer all the Penalties shown on the lower-left corner of the Card.
Draw one Card from the Common Item deck. Draw one Card from the Incantation deck.
A Doom Icon on the Doom Track A Monster Icon on the Doom Track
After placing a Doom Token on the final space of the Doom Track, the Ancient One awakens and the Investigators must confront it
in battle. If a Player places the final Doom Token and collects the final Elder Sign at the same time, the Ancient One is sealed away
and the Investigators win.
BEING DEVOURED
If at any time an Investigator loses their last Sanity or Stamina token, then they are considered devoured. The owning Player adds
one Doom Token to the Doom Track and returns the devoured Investigator Card and Marker to the game box, along with the
Investigator's Item Cards, Trophies and Clue Tokens.
The Player then selects a new Investigator and takes its corresponding starting items. The new Investigator starts with their full
number of Sanity and Stamina Tokens. The Player may only begin playing with their new Investigator from their next turn onwards,
not before. If there are no more Investigators to choose from, then the Player is eliminated from the game.
Whenever an Investigator is devoured, the owning Player proceeds immediately to the Doomsday Clock Phase before choosing a
new Investigator. The owning Player is eliminated from the game if the Ancient One awakens as a result of their Investigator being
devoured. The Doomsday Clock still advances during battle with the Ancient One as though that Player’s turn had occurred.
WAKING AN ANCIENT ONE
The Ancient One immediately awakens as soon as a Doom Token is placed on the last icon of the Doom Track. The current
Mythos Card is immediately discarded and not replaced, meaning its lingering effect ends and any dice Locked by it are freed. All
other dice that were Locked when the Ancient One awoke are permanently removed from the game. All Adventure Cards, Other
World Cards, and Monster Markers are also removed from the game.
If the Ancient One awoke during a Player’s turn, then the Player immediately moves to the Doomsday Clock Phase of their turn.
The Investigator receives all of their Rewards or Penalties before the Ancient One awakens. If the Ancient One awakes before the
Doom Track is full, then one Doom Token is placed on every remaining empty space.
All Players move their Investigator Markers next to the Ancient One Card. They may not move their Investigator Markers from there
for the rest of the game unless their Investigator is devoured by the Ancient One.
BATTLING AN ANCIENT ONE
The Players continue to take their turns as normal, after the Ancient One awakes. Each Player Turn now has only two phases:
1. Attack Phase - Each Player rolls their dice in order to match the Ancient One’s Battle Task as many times as possible. If one of
the Player’s dice rolls matches the Ancient One’s Battle Task, then the Investigator has successfully attacked the Ancient One. The
Player places the matching dice on the Battle Task and removes one Doom Token from the Doom Track. The Player continues to
roll the remaining dice, attempting to match the Ancient One’s Battle Task as many more times as possible.
Discard one die and re-roll the remaining dice, each time the Player did not match the Ancient One’s Battle Task. The Player
moves to the Doomsday Clock Phase when the last die is discarded or used. Players cannot Focus dice or request Assistance
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while battling an Ancient One, but they may use their Item Cards, Incantations, and Clue Tokens, as normal. If a successful attack
removes the last Doom Token from the Ancient One’s Doom Track, then it is defeated and the Investigators win the game.
2. Doomsday Clock Phase - Each Player advances the Doomsday Clock as normal at the end of their Attack Phase. The Ancient
One attacks each time Midnight strikes, as described on the Ancient One's Card, even if it only awoke at Midnight. Add one Doom
Token to the Doom Track if a Player’s Investigator is devoured during the battle. That Player may not rejoin the game as a new
Investigator and may only advance the Doomsday Clock each time it is their Player Turn.