Frequently Asked Questions

These sections answer frequent questions about Arkham Horror.

Sources include:

• Innsmouth Horror
• Official responses from Kevin Wilson

Fantasy Flight Games has issued one official FAQ clarifying various gameplay issues: FAQ v1.2 2007

However, this FAQ only covers the base game and the Dunwich Horror and Dark Pharoah expansions. Many if not all of these changes are incorporated into the current printings of Arkham Horror and Dunwhich Horror.

The Arkham Horror forum at Fantasy Flight Games also maintains a thread with archives of Official Answers from Kevin Wilson to a number of gameplay questions.

NOTE: This page is likely to be superceded by the Comprehensive FAQ Project - whenever that is finished.

The Outskirts and the Monster Limit

How do the monster limit and the Outskirts work?

The monster limit is equal to the number of players plus three. If adding a monster to the gameboard would bring the number of monsters on the board (excluding the Outskirts) above the monster limit, the new monster is placed on the Outskirts area instead.

The maximum number of monsters on the Outskirts is equal to eight minus the number of players. When the number of monsters on the Outskirts area exceeds this maximum, the terror level increases by one and all of the monsters on the Outskirts are returned to the monster cup. [IH p.12]

Locations

If a card causes a location to temporarily close, what happens to monsters or investigators at that location?

They are immediately moved to the street area adjacent to that location, as if the location had closed permanently. [IH p.12]

Can an investigator use a location’s special ability even if he can’t meet its requirements?

No. In order to choose to execute a location’s special ability (instead of having an encounter in that location), an investigator must be able to meet its printed requirements. For example, a character without sufficient trophies can’t avoid an encounter at the Police Station by choosing to execute that location’s special ability and then failing to do so for lack of meeting its requirements. [IH p.12]

Do toughness modifiers affect the values of monster trophies?

Yes, apply all relevant toughness modifiers when determining the worth of monster trophies. [IH p.12]

Why wouldn’t investigators camp out at the Curiositie Shoppe and buy the four elder signs?

An investigator shopping at the Curiositie Shoppe or General Store must purchase one of the three items drawn if he has enough money to do so. This requirement tends to deplete investigators’ funds before they can “browse” the entire Unique Item deck for all of its elder signs. [IH p.12]

Arkham Encounters

If a Location card tells an investigator that he may move to another location and have an encounter there, what happens if there is a monster and/or gate at that location?

Assuming that the investigator chooses to move and have an encounter, he must then first successfully evade or fight any monsters at the destination location. If he is successful in doing so (or if there was no monster), he then carries out what amounts to a normal Arkham Encounters Phase at the new location, following either the “Gate” or “No Gate” instructions on pages 8–9 of the rulebook. [IH p.12]

When a Location card says “a gate and a monster appear,” which appearance is resolved first?

The gate appears first, and any investigators at the location are drawn through it immediately, as normal. Then the monster appears. Monsters that appear as a result of such encounters stay on the board, count against the monster limit, might go to the Outskirts, etc., as normal. [IH p.12]

When a Location card says “a gate and a monster appear,” is a doom token added to the doom track?

Yes. [IH p.12]

Is card text that instructs an investigator to “stay here next turn” any different from the investigator being delayed?

“Stay here next turn” is equivalent in all ways to being delayed. (So, for example, Mark Harrigan is immune to both.) [IH p.12]

If an encounter instructs that an investigator must “stay here for two turns and gain two Clue tokens,” must the player forfeit the Clue tokens if some effect – such as the appearance of a gate – forces the investigator to leave that location before the two turns are up?

No; the two effects (“stay here” and “gain Clue tokens”) are not interdependent. If, for example, a gate opens before the investigator has spent two turns in the location, the investigator is sucked through the gate and delayed in an Other World. The new condition – being delayed in an Other World – can supersede the “stay here” instruction without affecting the “gain Clue tokens” instruction. [IH p.12]

A CotDP-encounter at Ye Olde Magick Shoppe grants the "Private Investigator" Benefit and Bars the investigator from Uptown. But the "Private Investigator" card is discarded "if you are Barred from any location". What happens? Furthermore, what if an already Cursed investigator gains the "Anointed" benefit (which is discarded "if you are Cursed")?

You keep the Private Investigator benefit and take the barred from Uptown card. The next time you are barred from a neighborhood, you lose the Private Investigator benefit. As for anointed, you only lose it the next time you're cursed. [KW]

The rules say that an investigator must fight or evade if they end their movement in an area with monsters. They also say an investigator may pick up clues in an area where they end their movement. In an area with both clues and monsters, may they pick up the clues before fighting the monsters, or must they defeat or evade all monsters before getting the clues?

Monsters first, then clues. [KW]

An encounter in the Science Building has the investigator face a Mi-Go "from the monster cup". What if there are no Mi-Gos left in the monster cup, but all are on the board / returned to the box?

In that case, nothing happens. [KW]

An encounter in the Curiositie Shoppe allows the investigator to buy any non-Weapon Common Item at half price. Rounded up or down?

Generally, half price rounds up. Just because an item is $1 doesn't mean you'll get it for free. [KW]

Spells in Combat

During combat, how long does a failed attempt to cast a spell use up an investigator’s hand(s)?

A failed attempt to cast a spell uses the specified number of hands for an entire round of combat (i.e., for one iteration of combat steps 2 and 3.). In subsequent rounds of combat, the investigator may switch to a new weapon or try to cast a different spell. [IH p.12]

Are there any restrictions on when “Any Phase” spells (like Enchant Weapon, Shrivelling, Wither, Dread Curse of Azathoth, and Red Sign of Shudde M’ell) can be cast in the combat sequence?

“Any Phase” spells can be cast at any point in the combat sequence. For example, an investigator could legally use a Red Sign to cancel a monster’s Nightmarish special ability before being forced to make a beginning-of-combat Horror Check, or an investigator could determine his success in casting a spell that gives a combat bonus before deciding whether to fight or flee. [IH p.13]

Can Flesh Ward protect an investigator from all damage caused by a given monster during a whole combat?

No. (In combat, the “one source” of damage Flesh Ward allows an investigator to ignore is the Stamina loss from a single failed Combat check, not all damage caused by a particular monster for the duration of the combat.) [IH p.13]

Does Red Sign of Shudde M'ell allow one to ignore "abilities" other than the boldfaced ones - for example, the special damage on a Nightgaunt or Elder Thing, or the instructions on the Masks that have them? If so, and the investigator chooses to negate a special damage ability and the monster does not do Stamina damage (e.g. Nightgaunt), what happens if the investigator cannot roll enough dice to defeat the monster, but the monster is unable to damage the investigator?

No. Only bolded special abilities. [KW]

Gates and Other Worlds

Under what circumstances does an investigator leaving an Other World place an explored marker under his figure?

An investigator receives an explored marker any time he moves directly from either area of an Other World space to an Arkham location where there is an open gate that corresponds to the Other World he came from. This circumstance includes when he moves normally from the second area of an Other World, when he has an Other World encounter in the first area of an Other World and it instructs him to return to Arkham, and when he casts a Find Gate spell. An investigator does not receive an explored marker when he is lost in space and time while in an Other World, because even though he will eventually return to Arkham, he won’t have travelled directly from the Other World to an Arkham location with a corresponding gate. [IH p.13]

Why is an investigator delayed when a gate opens up in his location, but not delayed when he enters a gate normally in the Arkham Encounters Phase?

If the investigator were not delayed by a gate opening in his location, he would be able to pass through an Other World and only have one encounter there. [IH p.13]

If an investigator is delayed in an Other World and has an encounter that returns him to Arkham, is he still delayed when he returns?

Yes. Returning to Arkham doesn’t affect whether he’s delayed. [IH p.13]

When a gate with a particular dimensional symbol is closed or sealed, are monsters with that same symbol removed from the Outskirts, too?

Yes. All monsters showing the same dimensional symbol as a gate being closed or sealed are returned to the monster cup, even those in the Outskirts. [IH p.13]

What happens to a monster that emerges from a gate that appears at a closed location? Or if a location closes while there is a monster and a gate at the location? That is, can a monster be “trapped” inside a closed location?

An open gate replaces the location where it opens, so while the gate is open, there is no closed location where a monster could be “trapped.” If a gate opens at a closed location, place the gate on top of and obscuring the closed marker. Similarly, if a location that has been replaced by a gate closes, place the closed marker beneath the gate marker. If a gate that is replacing a closed location is itself closed, the normal effects of a closing location are resolved at that time (i.e., all monsters and investigators there are moved to the adjacent street area). [IH p.13]

An Abyss encounter says "the caverns split" and has one make a Luck roll, and if one gets 0-1 successes one must "Move to the Black Cave". If there is a Gate atop the Black Cave (not necessarily to the Abyss), would one get an explored marker and be allowed to close it next turn? Or does one not get an explored marker since the card does not say "return to Arkham"?

No. You got spat out of an unexpected exit and were not returned to Arkham. [KW]

Fighting Cthulhu in R'lyeh as a result of a Dual-Color Other World encounter. Does the investigator suffer from the Dreams of Madness slumber effect to max Sanity and Stamina (assuming that Cthulhu is not the Ancient One of the game)?

No, Cthulhu is not stirring in his slumber. Only the Ancient One chosen for the game ever uses its 'stirring in slumber' ability. [KW]

If an investigator manages to defeat Cthulhu in the encounter above, are his max Sanity and Stamina permanently reduced by Cthulhu's attacks, or do they "heal" after the battle?

It is permanent. Harsh, but you knew the job was dangerous when you took it. Rl'yeh is by far the most dangerous other world. [KW]

A blue Other World encounter for "Other" reads:

"The stench of fecundity and blood surrounds you. A monster appears! If you do not evade it or defeat it on the first round of combat, it replicates, and you must evade or defeat a second one!"

A second what? Another random monster from the cup? Or a second monster of exactly the same kind?

If it "replicates", draw a second monster from the cup and face it after dealing with the first monster. It's not an actual identical duplicate. [KW]

A yellow Other World encounter for "Other" has God of the Bloody Tongue surprise the investigator. Does this happen even if Nyarlathotep is not the AO of the game (and GotBT is in the box, not in the monster cup)? Furthermore, what happens if Nyarlathotep is the AO and GotBT is already on board?

Yes, even if Nyarlathotep isn't in the game. If the God is on the board already, have the investigator face it, then return it to its previous position on the board, even if it would somehow normally be claimed as a trophy in spite of its Endless trait. [KW]

Investigator Cards

Does a player who discards a card to pay a cost (such as to get rid of the Rumor “The Stars Are Right”) also receive any benefits specified on the discarded card itself (such as the Ally, “Duke,” which can be discarded to restore an investigator’s Sanity to its maximum)?

No. A card discarded to pay a cost gives no benefits other than paying that cost. [IH p.13]

Are Spells considered items? For example, when an encounter requires items to be discarded, can Spells be discarded?

Spells are considered items for all purposes. This doesn’t always make perfect thematic sense, but it does keep things simple. [IH p.13]

The Skill cards named after skills (e.g., “Sneak”) all have a bonus in boldface type, and an instruction in regular type. For example “Sneak” has “+1 Sneak” in bold letters and the instruction “When you spend a Clue token to add to any Sneak check, add one extra bonus die.” in regular type. Are these two different effects, or does the latter simply explain the former?

These cards have two different and separate effects. For example, “Sneak” gives a permanent +1 Sneak bonus, as well as the separate ability to add one extra die to Sneak checks when a Clue token is spent. [IH p.13]

When an investigator uses the Patrol Wagon, must he find a route to his destination that is free of monsters, or is he simply relocated there?

Such an investigator is simply relocated, ignoring monsters along whatever figurative “route” is taken. Investigators who begin or end their movement on spaces where there are monsters must evade them as usual, however. [IH p.13]

Must an investigator use the Bullwhip or Cross in combat to gain their special abilities?

No, in the case of these two cards, an investigator need not use them in combat to make use of their secondary abilities. [IH p.13]

Investigators in Other Worlds receive no movement points. But if an investigator in an Other World has an item that gives him movement points, such as a Motorcycle or the Ruby of R’lyeh, can he use a different item that requires him to spend movement points, such as the Necronomicon?

No. Investigators can’t receive movement points from any source, nor use any items requiring the expenditure of movement points, while in an Other World. [IH p.13]

How long do Combat bonuses from investigator cards last?

It depends on the type of weapon or spell granting the bonus. All weapons or spells fall into one of the four categories below, and have durations as follows:

• Standard weapons, whose rules text takes the form “+X to Combat checks,” have bonuses that last as long as the investigator devotes the required number of hands to their use. They can be used for multiple rounds of combat and in multiple battles each turn. Examples include .38 Resolver, Shotgun, and Axe.
• One-shot weapons, whose rules text takes the form “+X to Combat checks (discard after use),” have bonuses that only last for one Combat check, after which the item is discarded. Examples include Dynamite and Molotov Cocktail.
• Burst weapons, whose rules text takes the form “Exhaust before making a Combat check to gain +X to that check,” have bonuses that last for one Combat check and are then exhausted and cannot be used again until refreshed.
• Spells, whose rules text takes the form of “Cast and exhaust to gain +X to Combat checks until the end of this combat,” last until the end of the combat in which they are cast (i.e., for multiple combat rounds until the combat is over), as long as the investigator continues to devote the required number of hands to keep the spell going. If the investigator stops devoting the required number of hands, the bonus expires. Since the spell is exhausted at the time of casting, it can only be used to fight one monster each turn. In the final battle against the Ancient One, however, such spells must be re-cast for each attack (and can be, since they refresh at the beginning of each round of the final battle). Examples include Wither and Shrivelling. [IH p.14]

When can Elder Signs be used?

Those items are used when you are closing or sealing a gate, and you can only do that during the Arkham Encounter phase. The phase label on the items is just imprecise, that's all. [KW]

If one goes insane or unconscious or is devoured as a result of casting a spell or using an item, is it generally the case that the effect of the spell or item still occurs (in the same way an Elder Sign's effect takes place even if one of the above happens as a result of using it)?

Yes. It will often not matter, however, as in the case where you're getting a combat bonus or something. [KW]

Can an investigator trade in trophies to become the Deputy if another investigator is already the Deputy (the existing Deputy would stop being Deputy)? If so, do they acquire the Patrol Wagon and/or Deputy's Revolver if they are still in the other investigator's possession?

No. [KW]

Can the Deputy's Revolver or Patrol Wagon be given to another investigator who is not the Deputy?

Yes. [KW]

If an investigator was to gain a second Blessing / Curse / Retainer when he already has one, does he roll a die to keep or lose it next turn? In other words, has he just acquired a new card, or does he simply keep the old and roll normally in the next Upkeep Phase?

Treat the card as if it were newly acquired, so do not roll during the next upkeep to see if you lose it. [KW]

Benefit cards. Three of them read "You may allow any other investigator..." whereas "Psychic" Benefit card reads "You may allow any one investigator..." implying that it is the only Benefit card that can actually affect their owner - is this intentional? Can the owner of the "Psychic" card allow himself to loan a Skill card to another investigator? And can he receive a loaned Skill card from another investigator?

Yes, yes, and yes. [KW]

"Visions" Benefit card reads: "Upkeep: You may allow any other investigator to discard a Spell in order to gain Clue tokens equal to 1 plus the Spell's Sanity cost." Who exactly gains the Clue tokens, the investigator with the "Visions" card or the one who discarded the Spell?

The investigator who discarded the spell. [KW]

"Premonition" Spell card reads: "Any Phase: Cast and exhaust to move one skill slider up to 2 stops." Can this Spell be cast "in the middle" of an encounter, after reading the encounter card but before making any rolls?

Yes, it can be considered to read "Any Phase: Before making a skill check, cast and exhaust to move one skill slider up to 2 stops." [KW]

Investigator Abilities

Does Harvey Walters’s Strong Mind ability (“Harvey reduces all Sanity losses he suffers by 1, to a minimum of 0.”) apply when he casts spells?

No, because the ability reduces losses, not costs. The same distinction applies to Michael McGlen’s “Strong Body” ability. [IH p.14]

What happens when investigators whose special abilities let them draw extra cards when having certain types of encounters (Darrell Simmons for Arkham encounters and Gloria Goldberg for Other World encounters) draw cards that further instruct them to draw two cards and choose one of them to encounter?

In such cases, those investigators draw an additional extra card, which means they draw three cards and choose one of them to encounter. [IH p.14]

Mythos Cards

Is the Deputy subject to the “Curfew Enforced” mythos card? In other words, if the Deputy remains on the streets at the end of his turn, can he be sent to jail?

No. The Deputy is not subject to the penalty for being on the streets when “Curfew Enforced” is active. [IH p.14]

Do cards like the “Campus Security Increased” mythos card and the Flute of the Outer Gods Unique Item affect monsters spawned by “The Terrible Experiment” mythos card?

No. Those monsters “are not considered to be on the board.” [IH p.14]

What do activity markers do?

Activity markers simply serve to remind players that some activity is occurring on the marked area. They most often mark the place where a Rumor is active, but may be used to denote other activities arising from mythos cards, as well. [IH p.14]

Do the "All Quiet in Arkham!" and "Ill Wind Grips Arkham" Mythos cards affect investigators in Other Worlds?

Both of these will affect investigators in Other Worlds. [KW]

"Temperance Fever Sweeps City" Mythos Card reads: "Any investigator with Whiskey must pass a Sneak(-1) check or get arrested..." Does this (and other similar cards) affect investigators in Other Worlds?

In this case no. If you list the others I'll tell you specifically, but generally environments shouldn't affect other worlds. [KW]

Monster Abilities

A nightgaunt’s special ability reads, in part, “When you fail a Combat check against a nightgaunt, you are drawn through the nearest open gate.” What happens to an investigator who encounters a nightgaunt in an Other World?

The nearest gate is the gate back to Arkham, so the investigator is immediately returned to Arkham (and takes an explored marker). Thematically speaking, as servants of Nodens, nightgaunts sometimes help investigators. [IH p.14]

Can Physical/Magical Resistance and Physical/Magical Immunity prevent the secondary effects of weapons and spells?

No. These monster abilities only reduce or eliminate bonuses to Combat checks. They have no effect on weapons’ and spells’ other capabilities. [IH p.14]

Does a Cthonian’s ability to inflict Stamina loss instead of moving affect investigators in Other Worlds?

No. Chthonians create earthquakes that only affect Arkham, and the investigators located there. This circumstance is one of the few times investigators are safer in Other Worlds. [IH p.14]

Can weapons be used against the Dark Pharoah ("Use Lore in combat instead of Fight") monster token as normal?

Yes, because you are still making a Combat check. You are merely using Lore to make it instead of Fight. Presumably you're coming up with clever ways to use the items. [KW]

Can Hounds of Tindalos move between towns?

Hounds of Tindalos should move between Arkham and Dunwich, yes. If there's no one in Dunwich and a Hound there moves, it should jump to the investigator in a location nearest the Train Station. (And as with Flying monsters, if that makes it exceed the monster limit, it instead goes to the Outskirts). [KW]

If an investigator fails a combat check against a Nightgaunt while in Arkham and no gates are open, what happens? What about while in an Other World and no gates are open? (Note that this can occur if all gates have been closed but the investigators do not collectively have enough gate trophies to win.)

The combat immediately ends with no effect. [KW]

Ancient One Powers

Ithaqua’s “Icy Winds” power says, in part, “[A]ll Weather cards are discarded without their special effects taking place.” What happens in a game with Ithaqua if a non-Weather Environment is already in play and a mythos card with a Weather Environment effect is drawn?

In that situation, carry out the first three steps of the Mythos Phase as the new mythos card dictates (open gate and spawn monster, place clue token, move monsters), but skip the activate special abilities step, and then discard the card. Do not replace or discard the original mythos card. [IH p.14]

Yog-Sothoth’s “The Key and the Gate” power says, in part, “[T]he difficulty to close or seal a gate increases by one.” Does this mean that six Clue tokens are required to seal gates in a game with Yog-Sothoth?

No, it means that two successes are required on Lore or Fight checks to close gates. [IH p.14]

What happens to the Archaeologist Monterey Jack if he's playing against Cthulhu with the Dark Pharaoh as the Herald? Does he go insane due to his two Unique Items and start the game at the Asylum (with half of his equipment lost) or what?

Off to the asylum, yes. Sometimes it's tough being Monterey Jack. [KW]

Battling the Ancient One

During the final battle, is the investigators’ ability to refresh more limited than in a regular game turn’s Upkeep Phase?

The “Investigators Refresh” step of each final battle round includes all of the steps of a regular Upkeep Phase (as well as the passing of the first player marker and the opportunity for the investigators to trade items). [IH p.14]

During the final battle, are investigator successes against the`Ancient One ever eliminated, or do they continue to accumulate`over the course of the final battle?

Successes that investigators score against the Ancient One never disappear. Confusion arises because two separate “success counts” are tracked in the final battle: (a) the total number of successes the investigators have scored, and (b) the number that have been scored toward the removal of the next doom token.

Each time an investigator scores a success in the “Investigators Attack” step of the final battle, both (a) and (b) increase. But when the value of (b) is equal to the number of investigators, a doom token is removed, and (b) is reset to zero. However, this does not affect the value of (a), and does not change the overall number of successes the investigators must accumulate over the course of the final battle to win the game.

The critical point is this: The removal of doom tokens is simply a method of helping the players track the accumulation of successes over the course of many rounds of the final battle. [IH p.15]

At the start of a final battle against Ithaqua, does a player`choose an item and then roll a die to see if it is discarded`(and repeat this for each of his items), or does he roll a die to`determine success or failure and then determine which item`is discarded or not (doing this a number of times equal to the number of items he has)?

The former procedure is correct. [IH p.15]

"Warding Statue" Unique Item reads: "...can also be used to cancel an Ancient One's entire attack for 1 turn." What happens with those AOs who have a decreasing modifier for the Skill check, does the cancelled attack count when counting the turns in the final battle? For example, if the Investigators are fighting against Hastur and one of them uses the Warding Statue on the first turn, what is the Luck check modifier on Hastur's attack on the second turn, +1 or +0?

The modifier decreases even if the attack was canceled. [KW]

Miscellaneous

Exactly where, when, and what can investigators trade with each other?

Two investigators may trade with each other whenever they are in the same location, except during combat. They may trade before, during, or after movement, which means that trading does not end a move.

Investigators may trade Common Items, Unique Items, Spells, and money. They may not trade Clue tokens, Allies, monster trophies, or gate trophies. [IH p.15]

If a card instructs, “lose your next turn,” does the player skip all of the next turn’s phases, including the Upkeep Phase?

Yes. Note that “lose your next turn” is different from “stay here next turn”; the latter means simply that the investigator is delayed. [IH p.15]

When can a character perform actions during a phase? For example, if an investigator with the Ally Duke (“Discard to immediately restore your Sanity to its maximum.”) draws an encounter and has to roll a die and lose that much Sanity, when can he discard Duke to restore Sanity?

An action can be performed at any time during the listed phase, as long as its conditions are met. However,

once an encounter is drawn, it must be resolved before any actions can be performed.

In the example with Duke, the player could use his ability either before drawing the encounter card or after the drawn card’s effects are resolved, but not between drawing the card and resolving it. So, if the player does not use Duke before drawing the card, and the drawn card inflicts Sanity loss that reduces the investigator to 0 Sanity, the investigator goes insane before he can use Duke. Flesh Ward is an exception to this rule because it prevents a Stamina loss and is intended to be used in response to such events. [IH p.15]

When re-rolling a skill check, does a player also re-roll any additional dice that were gained from spending Clue tokens?

Yes. All the dice rolled to the point of the re-roll are rolled again, so dice gained from spending Clue tokens are re-rolled as long as the Clue tokens were spent before the re-roll is performed. [IH p.15]