Chaosium Digest Volume 19, Number 6 Date: Sunday, May 11, 1997 Number: 4 of 4 Contents: The Adventure Files, Part Four (Cedric Chin) MYTHOS -------------------- From: Cedric Chin Subject: The Adventure Files, Part Four System: Mythos ** THE ADVENTURE FILES ** ** PART FOUR ** ** SAVE THE WORLD! TO YOUR FIRST BIG STORY ** Save the World! (+18/+3) Limited Edition Summary: Go for it! Summoning a GOO isn't the easiest requirement to fulfill, but it sure is sexy. Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Boston (LC); and South Pacific; and a Corrupt Colutist from the Past in Arkham, or Innsmouth, or Providence (all LC). Attibutes: Tomes, Artifacts, Gates Requirements: * MYTHOS EXPERIENCE: The Interesting Shop or another 5-point Adventure. * CORRUPT ALLY: Any Corrupt Ally, including any Ally with a Corrupting Weapon. * THE DOCKS: The Docks, Artifact, Boston, Location. * TRAMP STEAMER: Tramp Steamer, Travel by Sea, Event. * TWO TOMES: Two Diamond-Icon Tomes for the Fly spell, and an Eye-Icon Tomes for the Elder Sign requirement. * ORNE FORMULA: Orne Formula, Requires an Ally in play, Artifact. * DAY: New Moon, to take advantage of the GOO (Nyarlathotep) requirement. * ISLAND: Any Island with a Gate. * PHOBIA: Any Phobias. * WEAPON: Any Weapon, possibly one which makes an Ally Corrupt for the Corrupt Ally requirement. * CULTIST FROM THE PAST: Any Cultist from the Past, Corrupt Cultist (Arkham, Providence, Innsmouth). * ELDER SIGN: Elder Sign, Eye Icon, Spell. * GOO: Nyarlathotep, to take advantage of the New Moon requirement. Additional Cards: * Aldeberan Moves in the Sky: Star, Event. This Event removes Drought, which prevents Tramp Steamer from being played. * Lamp of Alhazrad: Artifact. This Artifact allows play of a Cultist from the Past. * Shining Trapezohedron: Artifact, Unique. This Artifact allows easier play of Nyarlathotep. Comments: The Interesting Shop is useful because you will be able to play all the Tomes and Artifacts necessary for Save the World without attracting much attention. Remember to use the Tramp Steamer to arrive at your Sanitariums! Compatible Adventures: * The Interesting Shop (+5/+1): Good fit. It should be obvious how the Interesting Shop can be used with Save the World. The Interesting Shop itself is a MYTHOS ADVENTURE, and Save the World's Shining Trapezohedron and Lamp of Alhazrad qualify for the Interesting Shop's THING THAT COSTS SANITY. Use the Interesting Shop to remove all the Tomes and Artifacts from your deck, play it, then quickly play Save the World. * Questionable Judgement (+5/+1): Okay fit. Use a Boston / Providence deck. Questionable Judgement is a MYTHOS ADVENTURE. Toss in Libraries from Boston and Providence, Dr. Allen and Gomes, and a Monster or two to satisfy the requirements of Questionable Judgement. *** Searching for Laban Shrewsbury (+8/+3) MSGS Summary: Darn Reasonable. High overlap with Arkham Horror. Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Arkham (LC). Required Cards (MSGS): * A LETTER FROM A FRIEND: A Letter from a Friend, Skull-Icon, Tome. * LABAN SHREWSBURY: Laban Shrewsbury, Steadfast Adventurer, Arkham. * ARKHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT: Arkham Police Department, Business, Artifact, Arkham. * LUTHER HARDEN: Luther Harden, Steadfast Police Detective, Arkham. * HUNTING HORROR: Hunting Horror, Greater Servitor, Monster. * WEAPON: Any Weapon. * EVENING: Evening, Night, Event. (The Dreamlands Evening is a Day Event.) * OLD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH: Old Congregational Church, Kingsport. Comments: The above cards were written with Arkham Horror and MSGS cards in mind. Compatible Adventures: See Arkham Horror. *** The Secret of Power and Glory is Yours! (+6/+2) Limited Edition, +6 / +2 SAN Summary: Yeah, whatever. Lots of gates make this Adventure take awhile to play. Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Innsmouth (LC); or Boston (LC); or some dual subregion decks. In Dreamlands, some dual subregion decks. Attributes: Gate, Tome Required Cards: * FIVE DIFFERENT GATE LOCATIONS: Any such Locations. * TOME WITH THE EYE ICON: Any such Tome. * ALLY COSTING SANITY: Innsmouth has Barnabus Marsh, Jeremiah Brewster, and Robert Marsh. Boston has Carl Stanford and Simon Orne. Some dual subregion decks can include enough such allies to follow the "Two of a Card" guideline. Comments: This Adventure could be played in Dreamlands or Europe, but there aren't enough Sanity-costing Allies, compared to Lovecraft Country, to fulfill the "Two of a Card" requirement. Number of Sanity-costing Allies could be augmented by using the Kitab Al-Azif to summong Sanity-costing Monsters as Allies. Wish List: More Sanity-costing Allies in Europe, Dreamlands, and the other Lovecraft Country subregions! *** Secrets of the Silver Twilight (+8/+2) Summary: Darn Reasonable. With only one Location, which has the Gate, Tome, and Artifact attribute, this Adventure is easy to play. Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Boston (LC). Attributes: Tome Requirements: * TOME IN A LANGUAGE YOU DO NOT SPEAK: Any English Tome. * TWO SPELLS: Any two Spells. * THREE ALLIES: John Scott or Carl Stanford, Corrupt Cultists, Boston; plus any two Allies. * SILVER TWILIGHT LODGE: Silver Twilight Lodge, Artifact, Tome, Gate, Boston. * JOHN SCOTT OR CARL STANFORD: John Scott or Carl Stanford, Corrupt Cultists, Boston. * GREATER MONSTER: Any Greater Monster. Additional Cards: * Non-English Investigator: To play the Tome in a language you do not speak. * Aldeberan Moves in the Sky: Star, Event. To remove any Events forcing you to leave the Silver Twilight Lodge. * Chant of Thoth: To cycle through your deck to find the Silver Twilight Lodge. Comments: Stay at the Silver Twilight Lodge and play all your Tomes, Artifacts, and Allies you need for your next Adventure. *** Seeking Everlasting Life I (+5/+1) Limited Edition Summary: Broken! It's way too easy to play this card. Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, any subregion. Or, in the Dreamlands, any subregion. Attributes: Tome. Required Cards: * TWO STEADFAST ALLIES: Any such Ally. * A CORRUPT ALLY: Any such Ally. * TOME WITH THE SKULL ICON: Any such Tome. * RESURRECTION SPELL: Resurrection Spell, Skull-Icon. Comments. This Adventure is way too easy. Many low-Sanity-cost Tomes have the Skull Icon. No Locations or Monsters are needed for this Adventure. This Adventure can be played immediately after a previously played Adventure. Did I mention how easy it is to play this card? Wish List: Ban this Adventure! Or replace "Corrupt Ally" with "Corrupt Cultist", add a Location, or otherwise make it more difficult to play. *** Seeking Everlasting Life II Limited Edition, +6 / +3 SAN. Summary: Are you kidding?!? Summoning a GOO, resurrecting a Cultist from the Past and needing to complete a previous Adventure should be worth more than +6 points! Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Arkham (LC); or Innsmouth (LC); or Providence (LC). Attribures: Artifact, Tome. Required Cards: * SEEKING EVERLASTING LIFE I: Seeking Everlasting Life I, Adventure. * RESURRECTION SPELL: Resurrection Spell, Skull-Icon Spell. This Spell is also used in Seeking Everlasting Life I. * GRECIAN LEKYTHOS: Grecian Lekythos, Artifact. * RESURRECT A CULTIST FROM THE PAST: Resurrection Spell, Grecian Lekythos, and Cultist from the Past, Corrupt Cultist, Unique, (Arkham, Innsmouth, Providence). * NEW MOON: New Moon, Day, Event. * GOO OR OUTER GOD: Nyarlathotep, Outside/Gate Location/New Moon, Monster. This GOO takes advantage of the NEW MOON requirement. Additional Cards: * Seal of Isis: Artifact. This Artifact helps protect burial of the Grecian Lekythos (necessary to resurrect the Cultist from the Past) and the Shining Trapezohedron. * Shining Trapezohedron: Artifact. This Artifact helps play Nyarlathotep. Comment: Because Cultists from the Past are Unique, and there is only one in a city (Brown Jenkin doesn't count because Keziah must be in play), this deck will need two cities to follow the "Two of a Kind" rule. This rule, plus the two "timing" requirements (resurrecting a Cultist, playing a GOO), and the requirement of playing a previous Adventure, make this Adventure not very attractive at +6 points. *** The Sorcerer's Apprentice (+9/+2) Dreamlands Dimensions and Regions: In the Dreamlands, The West; and the Underworld. Summary: Go for it! Its multiple Regions make play difficult, but this Adventure cries out for Travel by Nightgaunt. Attributes: Tome or Gates (see Comments) Requirements: * TOME AND SPELL: Eye-Icon Tome, with Angles of Tagh Clatur spell. * THE ENCHANTED WOOD: The Enchanted Wood, Oukrandos Wilds. * ELEPHANT CARAVAN: Travel by Land, Event. * NIGHTGAUNTS: Nightgaunts, Monster. Allows Travel by Air. * PEAKS OF THOTH: Peaks of Thoth, Underworld. * TOWN: Ilarnek, Mnar. * TEMPLE OF LOVELINESS: Temple of Loveliness, Country, Ourkandos Wilds, Unique. * DAY: Any Day, Event. Additional Cards: * Aldeberan: To remove Storms, and thus allow Travel By cards to be played. * Car: Allows immediate play of Country Locations. * Discover Secret Cache: To find the Tome quickly. * Ship of Clouds: Allows immediate play of a Location in a different Region. Comment: Use the Angles of Tagh Clatur spell to Summon Nightgaunts, and use them to Travel By Air to the various Regions and Countries. *** Stand Against the Order (+9/+4) Limited Edition Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Innsmouth (LC). Summary: Darn Reasonable. You will need additional Locations to get the Dynamite out in play, however. Attributes: Artifact Requirements: * TWO STEADFAST ALLIES: Allies from Any City. * TWO OF THREE (BARNABUS MARSH, JEREMIAH BREWSTER, ROBERT MARSH): Allies, Innsmouth. * INNSMOUTH LOOK: Innsmouth Look, Event. * MARSH MANSION: Marsh Mansion, Innsmouth. * MARSH REFINERY: Marsh Refinery, Innsmouth. * ESOTERIC ORDER OF DAGON: Esoteric Order of Dagon, Innsmouth. * DYNAMITE: Weapon, Discarded when used. Additional Cards: * Discover Secret Cache. * Innsmouth Locations with Artifact Attribute. Comments: This Adventure requires quite a few Locations, and Dynamite is a tricky weapon. Dynamite is discarded, not buried when used, so you cannot block Monsters until after the Adventure is played. Succumb to Temptation and Betrayal cause an Ally to attack your Investigator and/or Allies, and a seven-point Ally attacking your Investigator and/or Allies is not very pretty. *** The Strange Case of Charles Fort (+11/+4) Limited Edition Summary: Darn Reasonable. Many Required Cards have offensive capabilities. MSGS's N'kai Location and Dreamlands makes this Adventure easier to play. (It's easier to cross dimensions than travel to among Regions in the Waking World.) Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, any two Regions and/or N'kai (MSGS). In the Dreamlands, and Dreamlands and a Waking World region and/or N'kai (MSGS). Highly recommended for a Waking World / Dreamlands deck. Attributes: None! Required Cards: * PROFESSOR OR INVENTOR: William Channing Webb, Any Waking World City. * ALDEBARAN MOVES IN THE SKY: Aldebaran Moves in the Sky, Star, Event. * FULL MOON: Full Moon, Night, Event. * ECLIPSE: Eclipse, Day, Event. * EARTHQUAKE: Earthquake, Event. * STORM: Any Storm, Event. * DROUGHT: Drought, Event. * TWO LOCATIONS IN DIFFERENT REGIONS: N'kai (Unique) and Underground Locations Waking World. Any Dreamlands Location and a Waking World Location. Comment: Most of the cards in the Adventure are Events, and may be played at any Location. Furthermore, these Events are helpful to yourself, and hinder your opponents. N'kai is a very easy Location to travel to, but is Unique. Crossing dimensions in Mythos is easier than travelling Region to Region in the same dimension, because the Silver Key Artifact and Gate of Oneirology Spell may be reused. *** Summon Great Cthulhu (+13/+5) Limited Edition Summary: Go for it! This card is actually 13 points, not 7. Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Boston (LC); and R'lyeh (Exotic). Attributes: Gate, Artifact. Requirements: * SECRET SOCIETY ADVENTURE: Silver Twilight Lodge, Tome, Artifact, Boston. * THREE PIECES OF R'LYEH DISK: Each such card, Artifacts, Unique. * TRAVEL: Tramp Steamer, Travel by Sea, Event. This card is used to play R'lyeh or to travel to a Sanitarium without Walking. * R'LYEH: Exotic Location, Gate, Island. * WAXING MOON: Waxing Moon, Night Event. This card is necessary to play Cthulhu. * CTHULHU: GOO, Waxing Moon, Island Gate (R'lyeh), Monster. * Play while CTHULHU is in play: Chime of Tzech Chaptl, Artifact, Rare. This card prevent Spells from burying Cthulhu. Additional Cards: * Aldeberan Moves in the Sky: Star, Event. This card removes any Droughts, which prevent play of the Tramp Steamer. * Shining Trapezohedron: Artifact. This card is used to play Cthulhu. Comments: The Silver Twilight Lodge allows you to play all the Artifacts and Tomes from your hand. Unfortunately, with games ending at 20 points, so as soon as you play this Adventure, the game ends. Compatible Adventures: * Secrets of the Silver Twilight Lodge: Okay fit. There's no overlap per se, but at the Silver Twilight Lodge, you can play all the Artifacts you need to Summon Great Cthulhu. *** The Sun Worshipper (+10/+3) Limited Edition Summary: Broken. The Middle East Region is easier to play than Lovecraft Country subregions, and this Adventure is easy to score. Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Cairo (Middle East); and Luxor (Middle East). Requirements: * TWO TRAVEL BY CAMEL: Travel by Camel. * THREE MIDDLE EAST LOCATIONS: Cairo. * TWO ALLIES WHO SPEAK ARABIC: Cairo . * DROUGHT: Drought, Event. * DIRECT SUNLIGHT: Direct Sunlight, Day, Event. * GREAT TEMPLE AT KARNAK: Middle East Location. * FIRE VAMPIRE: Monster. Additional Cards: None! Comments: Free points. All of these cards are easy to play, and often useful cards. The Sun-Worshippers / Brotherhood / Seeking Everlasting Life I is an easy-to-score tournament deck. Since experienced players are familiar with this easy Adventure, and know that Walking to the Great Temple at Karnak (Country) is a vulnerable play, subject to anti-Location cards, make sure you arrive there by Camel, and/or play Yithian Mental Contact against anti-Location cards. Wish List: Make the Middle East (Cairo) less easy to play. Compatible Adventures: * Brotherhood of the Black Pharoah (+9/+3): Good fit. High overlap of cards. * The Curious Parcel (+6/+2): Good fit. The Middle East has plenty of Scholars to qualify for the Curious Parcel. * Seeking Everlasting Life I (+5/+1): Good fit The Middle East only has one Corrupt Ally, Faraz Najir, and he's Unique. To compensate, add a Corrupting Weapon (eg. Mist Projector, Tommy Gun), or play Monsters as Corrupt Allies via the Kitab Al-Azif. *** The Temple (+7/+2) Limited Edition Summary: Close to being Darn reasonable. Useful in a Dreamlands deck with the White Ship. Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, any subregion with the water attribute. Or, in the Dreamlands, any subregion with the water attribute. And, the Lost Temple of Atlantic in the Waking World (Exotic). Attributes: Tome, Artifact Required Cards: * TRAVEL UNDERWATER (U-BOAT): U-boat, Travel by Underwater. * TWO WATER LOCATIONS: Any Water Locations. * LOST TEMPLE OF ATLANTIS: Lost Temple of Atlantis, Exotic Location, Unique. Only approachable by Underwater (assumed leavable only by Underwater); Lose 5 SAN if you cannot breathe Underwater. * DISK OF HYADES: Disk of Hyades, Artifact. * TOME: Any Tome; see Additional Cards. Additional Cards: * Captain of the White Ship and the White Ship: Allows travel to and travel from Atlantis without Travel by Underwater. Required for use with Dreamlands. * Create Gate: Eye-Icon Spell, allows return from Atlantis without using Travel by Underwater. * Diving Suit: Artifact, allows breathing Underwater. OR * Kiss of Dagon: Wave-Icon Spell, allows breathing Underwater. Comments: Atlantis is Unique, slowing down play of the Adventure. The Temple fits in with some Dreamlands decks. *** The Theron Marks Society (+6/+2) Limited Edition Summary: Yeah, whatever. Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Lovecraft Country; or Europe. Attributes: Tome, Artifact, Gate. Required Cards: * MONSTER: Any Monster; possibly a "Travel by Air" Monster. * PHOBIA: Any Phobia, Event. * TOME WITH SPELL: Any Tome and Spell; possibly a Tome with the Angles of Tagh Clatur, an Eye-Icon Spell that Summons Lesser Servitors, including the "Travel by Air" Monsters. * COUNTRY HOUSE: Any Country House. * TWO STEADFAST ALLIES: Any two Steadfast Allies. * WEAPON: Any Weapon, Artifact; possibly Battleaxe, Dreamlands Rare, which makes Allies Steadfast. Additional Cards: * Cars: Travel by Land, Event. Cars allow immediate play of Country Locations. Comment: Although this Adventure requires only one Location, there are no Country Houses that have an Artifact, Tome, and Gate attribute, which would be ideal for this Adventure. Wish List: Add a Country House to Dreamlands. *** Two Cities and a Tale (+5/+1) MSGS Summary: Yeah, whatever. This Adventure requires both New York and Kingsport. New York has neat Allies, but New York and Kingsport can't hold a deck on their own very well. Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Kingsport (LC); and New York (LC). Required Cards: * KINGSPORT LOCATION: Any Kingsport Location. * TRAIN: Train, Travel by Land, Event. * NEW YORK LOCATION: Any New York Location. * MRS. SONIA LOVECRAFT: Mrs. Sonia Lovecraft, New York. * AUTHOR: HP Lovecraft, New York; Frank Belknap Long), New York. * MONSTER: Any Monster. Additional Cards: None, aside from Harry Houdini and other New York Allies. *** The Unspeakable Oath (+6/+2) Limited Edition Summary: Darn Reasonable. Innsmouth, here we come! Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Innsmouth (LC). Attributes: Artifacts, Tome. Required Cards: * MARSH ALLY: Any Marsh Ally, Innsmouth. * TOME: Any Tome. * THREE WEAPONS: Any three Weapons, ideally War Horses, Dreamlands, Rare=2E * CATASTROPHIC FAILURE: Catastrophic Failure, Requires Opponent's Ally with Weapon, Event. * CHILDREN HAVE NIGHTMARES: Children Have Nightmares, Event. Additional Cards: None. Comment: Equipping your Allies with three Weapons is a little difficult, since each Ally can have only one Weapon. The exception is the War Horse, which allows an Ally to hold another Weapon. The Resurrection Spell (Skull-Icon Spell) and Keeness of Two Alike (Diamond-Icon Spell) are handy to keep and get those Allies into play. The Catastrophic Failure is a little difficult to play, since you have to wait until an opponent equips one of his Allies. *** Your First Big Story (+6/+2) Limited Edition Summary: Yeah, whatever. This Adventure requires three different subregions, which makes a slow Adventure to play. Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World: Arkham (LC); and/or Innsmouth (LC); and/or other subregions. Attributes: Gate, Tome or Artifact Required Cards: * THREE GATE LOCATIONS IN THREE DIFFERENT CITIES OR TOWNS: Any such Locations. * AN ALLY THAT COSTS SANITY: Any such Ally. Innsmouth and Boston have the most such Allies (Jeremiah Brewster, Barabus Marsh, and Robert Marsh and Carl Stanford and Simon Orne, respectively). * TOME or ARTIFACT: Any such Tome or Artifact. * PRESS LOCATION: Arkham Advertiser, Arkham; or Innsmouth Courier, Innsmouth. * DAY: Any Day Event. Additional Cards: * Cars: Travel by Land, Event. To travel among cities. * Train: Travel by Land, Event. To encounter Allies in another subregion. Comments: Too many subregions slow play. Wish List: Add Artifacts that allow travel across Regions as easy as travel across Dimensions. -------------------- The Chaosium Digest is an unofficial electronic 'zine about Chaosium's Games. In no way should it be considered representative of the views or beliefs of Chaosium Inc. To submit an article, subscribe or unsubscribe, mail to: appel@erzo.org. The old digests are archived on ftp.csua.berkeley.edu in the directory /pub/chaosium, and may be retrieved via FTP. Whew.