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[GAME OVERVIEW] In /Betrayal at House on the Hill/, each player chooses an [explorer] to investigate a creepy old house. As you explore the house, you discover new rooms. Each time you enter a new room, you might find something...or something might find /you/. Explorers change over the course of the game (for better or worse), depending on how they deal with the house's surprises. The house is different each time you build it. At some random point during the game, one explorer triggers a scenario called a haunt. When the haunt is revealed, one explorer becomes a [traitor] bent on defeating his or her former companions. The rest of the explorers become [heroes] struggling to survive. From then on, the game is a fight between the traitor and the heroes--often to the death. This game has fifty haunts, and each one tells a different story. All are yours to explore as you live or die in the House on the Hill. [GAME COMPONENTS] 1 rulebook 2 haunt books (/Traitor's Tome/ and /Secrets of Survival/) 44 room tiles 1 Entrance Hall/Foyer/Grand Staircase tile 6 plastic explorer figures 6 two-sided character cards 30 plastic chips 8 dice 1 Turn/Damage track 13 omen cards 22 item cards 45 event cards 149 tokens, including: 12 large circular monster tokens 91 small circular monster tokens /(red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, magenta)/ 14 square event and room tokens 14 pentagonal item tokens 18 triangular Trait Roll tokens [OBJECT OF THE GAME] Explore the house and make your explorer stronger until the haunt begins. After that, your goal is to complete your side's victory condition first, either as a traitor or a hero. [SETUP] - [Set aside the /Traitor's Tome/ and /Secrets of Survival/ haunt books.] You'll use them after the haunt is revealed. - [Each player chooses a character card.] There's a different explorer on each side of a character card. Pick one. {A picture shows one of the character cards - for Zoe Ingstrom. Each character card has Physical Traits (Speed, Might), Mental Traits (Sanity, Knowledge), Vital Statistics (Age, Weight, Height), Birthday, Hobbies, Portrait, and Name.} - [Attach 4 plastic clips to your explorer card.] Each one should point to one of the explorer's starting values for his or her Might, Speed, Knowledge, and Sanity. The starting value is colored green. - [Shuffle] the omen cards and put them face down in a stack where everyone can reach them. Do the same with the item cards and the event cards. - Find the [Basement Landing, Entrance Hall/Foyer/Grand Staircase,] and [Upper Landing] room tiles. Place them from left to right reasonably far apart. - [Mix all the rest of the room tiles together] and put them face down in a stack. (Don't worry about which floor is shown on the back of the tiles.) - [Each player puts his or her explorer's plastic figure in the Entrance Hall.] (Each explorer's figure matches the color behind an explorer's picture on his or her character card.) - [Put the dice in a pile] within easy reach. You'll need them throughout the game. - [See who goes first.] The explorer who has the next birthday goes first. (Look on your explorer's character card to see his or her birthday.) Players take turns clockwise following the first explorer. After setup, the table should look something like this. {A picture is shown of three character cards with clips spread out across a table with the Entrance Hall, Upper Landing, Basement Landing, dice, card stacks, and room tile stack between them. The plastic figures for the three characters - Father Rhinehardt, Vivian Lopez, and Missy Dubourde on the Entrance Hall.} [HOW TO PLAY] Starting with the first player and going to the left, each player takes a turn exploring the house. /[A Note on Terminology:] For simplicity's sake, these rules use "you" to refer to the character taking the action or affected by the card or tile, whether an explorer (which includes heroes and the traitor) or a monster. Rules that affect a particular kind of character (such as an explorer) use that term./ [TRAITS] Each explorer has four [traits], shown as lines of numbers on the character card: [Might, Speed, Knowledge], and [Sanity]. Speed and Might are [physical] traits, while Sanity and Knowledge are [mental] traits. Many cards, tiles, and other game effects adjust your traits up and down. When an effect increases or decreases a trait, you slide the plastic clip as many spaces as the effect says. For example, Zoe Ingstrom's starting Might is 3. If an effect increases her Might by 2, you would slide the clip 2 spaces toward the maximum value, raising her Might to 4. Each trait has a [maximum value], the highest number in a line, which can't be exceeded even if an effect would increase it. {A picture shows Zoe Ingstrom's character card, demonstrating the previous paragraph.} Each trait also has a [skull] symbol beow its lowest number in the line. Once the haunt begins, if any of your traits drops to the skull symbol, your explorer dies. Before the haunt starts, no one can die--that is, no trait can go below its lowest number in the line (it stays at the lowest number instead). Zoe's starting Sanity is 5. If an effect reduces her Sanity by 2, you would slide the clip 2 spaces toward the skull symbol, dropping her Sanity to 3. (If her Sanity drops by more than 2, Zoe will die unless the haunt has not yet begun.) {Another picture of Zoe Ingstrom's card demonstrates the previous paragraph.} [Damage:] Many cards, tiles, and other game effects can deal damage to your explorer. When you take [physical damage], you can divide it between Might and Speed as you choose. You slide the clips for those traits a total number of spaces equal to the amount of damage you took. Attacks against Sanity or Knowledge deal [mental damage]. This works just like physical damage, but you divide the damage as you choose between Sanity and Knowledge instead of Might and Speed. [ON YOUR TURN...] ...you can do as many of the following actions as you want, in any order: - [Move.] - [Discover] a new room. - [Use] item and omen cards. - [Attempt a die roll.] - [Make an attack] (once during your turn after the haunt starts). Before the haunt starts, you must make a [haunt roll] at the end of your turn if you draw an omen card (see "Making a Haunt Roll," page 15). The game has a few new twists after the haunt starts (as described in "The Haunt, page 15). [Move] On your turn, you can move up to a number of spaces equal to your character's current [Speed]. You can perform actions (such as using an item or attacking) in the middle of your movement. However, whenever a game effect makes you draw a card for any reason, you must stop moving for the rest of your turn. [Example of Moving] {A picture shows the Entrance Hall, Foyer, Grand Staircase, Dining Room, and Kitchen. The Kitchen is attached to the Foyer and the Dining Room, which is then attached to the Grand Staircase. However, the doors do not align, which is not addressed.} In this example, if your explorer has a Speed of 3, you can move from the [Entrance Hall] to the [Foyer], then from the [Foyer] to the [Kitchen], and then from the Kitchen to the [Dining Room]. If you're feeling more adventurous, you could go through one of the empty doorways in the [Entrance Hall] or [Foyer] and discover a new room. If the new room you find doesn't require you to draw a card, you can keep going...but if it does, you have to stop. [Discover a New Room] {A picture shows the back of a room tile, with all three floors lit up. The three floors are labeled "possible floors."} When your explorer enters a doorway, and there isn't a room on the other side, look at the top tile on the room stack. If it has the name of the floor you are on ([ground], [basement], or [upper]), turn it over and connect it to the doorway you just entered. Then move into that room. You have discovered it. Add each new tile as logically as you can, creating adjacent rooms by connecting [doors] whenever possible. If it's impossible to match up all doors, you instead create a [false feature], such as a blocked door or boarded-up window (not uncommon in a haunted house). [Special Rooms] Some room tiles have rules printed on them that summarize their effects. Most of those rooms have additional rules or further explanations described in this section. These tiles have an asterisk (*) printed beside the room's name. [Chasm], [Catacombs], [Vault and Tower] These are all [barrier rooms]. A barrier room has two parts and can stop you from moving to the other side of the room. Crossing a barrier requires a [trait roll] printed on the tile (one of Might, Speed, Sanity, or Knowledge). You can attempt this roll once during your turn. Crossing the barrier doesn't count as moving a space. If you fail the roll, your movement ends. On your next turn, you may attempt another roll to cross, or you can go back the way you came. Explorers can't fight or interact in any way with an explorer in the same room but on the opposite side of the barrier. Monsters always ignore barriers, but if a monster ends its movement in a barrier room, the traitor must decide which side of the barrier it's on. If a tile or card causes you to land in a barrier room, you decide which side of the room to end up in. If the arrival requires placing a square token in the new room (such as with the Collapsed Room or the Secret Passage), then that token is permanently on the side of the room you chose. [Entrance Hall, Foyer, and Grand Staircase] The Entrance Hall, Foyer, and Grand Staircase are all on the same tile, but they count as three separate rooms. Moving from one room to an adjacent room on the tile counts as 1 space of movement. The Grand Staircase and the Upper Landing are two separate rooms. [Coal Chute] When you enter this tile, you move immediately to the Basement Landing. Entering the Coal chute and sliding to the Basement Landing counts as moving 1 space. A turn can't end with a character on the Coal Chute tile. [Collapsed Room] Only the explorer who first discovers the Collapsed Room needs to make the Speed roll printed on the tile. Thereafter, any explorer entering the room can either ignore the room's ability or use it intentionally to get to the basement. Falling to the basement doesn't count as moving a space, but the explorer still takes the damage. Only the first explorer to fall to the basement from the Collapsed Room draws and places a basement tile. Put the square Below Collapsed Room token on the room where he or she landed. Place the new basement tile adjacent to any basement room already in play. If there are none, place it adjacent to the Basement Landing. If all the basement tiles have already been placed, choose one to land in. If the first character to enter the Collapsed Room is a monster, instead of drawing a new tile, choose an existing basement room and put the monster's token there. [Junk Room] If this room lowers your Speed as you exit it, and your new Speed would mean you don't have enough movement left to leave, you still make it out. You stop moving on the tile adjacent to the Junk Room instead. [Mystic Elevator] This tile moves as soon as you enter it. Roll 2 dice and put it adjacent to a connecting door on the appropriate floor. (If there isn't one, leave the tile where it is.) If you roll the floor the Mystic Elevator is on, you can move the tile to a different connecting door on that floor. You can use the elevator only once a turn. Monsters and the traitor can both use the Mystic Elevator to go wehrever they wish without rolling. However, the tile still moves only once during each entire traitor/monster set of turns, the first time either a traitor or monster enters it. In other words, if the traitor uses the Mystic Elevator during his or her turn, then it will not work if a monster enters it on its next turn. A hero must roll for the destination floor each turn he or she enters the Mystic Elevator, or at the end of each entire turn that hero spends on that tile without moving. If one or more explorers are already in the Mystic Elevator and another explorer enters it and rolls a 0, all the explorers in the elevator take the damage. If an effect of another tile or card leads to the Mystic Elevator (such as the Collapsed Room or Secret Passage), the token placed by that effect stays on the Mystic elevator tile even if it moves. [Vault] If a tile or card (such as the Collapsed Room) causes you to land in this room, you arrive outside the locked vault door. Once the vault has been opened, put the square Vault Empty token on it. The traitor doesn't open the vault door automatically: He or she must attempt a roll to open it. {A picture shows the Master Bedroom and Larder, labelling the doors, windows, symbols, names, and rules text on both, where applicable.} [Discover a New Room] /continued/ You can't move through false doors. False windows don't count as windows for the purposes of any card effect or haunt, unless a haunt says otherwise. If the top tile can't go on the floor you're currently on, set it aside face down in a discard pile. Keep setting tiles aside until you find one that works on your floor. (Some tiles work on more than one floor.) You can move through a door if it connects to another door in an adjacent room. Doors are always open. The one exception is the [front door]. It's always locked. You can't leave the house or use the front door unless a haunt says otherwise. ("Outside" rooms such as the Patio are still part of the house.) Staircases connect floors. The [Grand Staircase] always connects to the [Upper Landing]. The [Stairs from Basement] always leads to and from the [Foyer] through a secret door. (You can't use the Stairs from Basement until you discover that room in the basement.) [Can I Seal Off a Floor by Placing a Tile?] /You can't place a tile in such a way that it seals off a floor (that is, leaves no way to connect other rooms to that floor). If the only possible placement of a tile would seal off a floor, discard that tile and draw new ones until you draw one that leaves a free doorway. If all the remaining tiles for a floor would seal off the floor, then the person whose turn it is rearranges the floor until there are more free doorways./ /The Mystic Elevator's movement might seal off a floor, even if it later moves away from that floor. If a roll for the Mystic Elevator would cause it to seal off a floor, then the tile does not move./ Some room tiles have symbols, representing an omen, item, or event card (see "Drawing Event, Item, and Omen Cards" on the next page. Room tiles also might have rules text printed on them{MISSING PARENTHESIS}, which applies each time an explorer enters (or, in some cases, exits) the room. If a room has both rules text and a symbol, draw the card for the symbol first. Then follow the instructions on the tile. Some rooms affect movement. Many rooms have additional rules, which are clarified in "Special Rooms" on pages 7-8. [What Happens if We Get to the End of the Stack of Room Tiles?] If you go through the whole stack of room tiles, shuffle the tiles you set aside in a discard pile and start a new stack with them, then continue with the new stack. If you've run out of room tiles for one of the floors of the house (ground, basement, or upper), you can't discover any more rooms on that floor--you've found them all. [Drawing Event, Item, and Omen Cards] Some rooms have [symbols] printed on them that match symbols on the cards. The first time you discover a room with a symbol, you must end your move in that room and draw the appropriate card. Only the first player to discover the room draws the card (and ends his or her movement there). If the room has an [event] symbol (a spiral), draw an event card. Read it out loud. Follow its instructions, which might require you to attempt a die roll. Then discard the card unless it says otherwise or has an ongoing effect. If the room has an [item] symbol (a bull's head), draw an item card. Read it out loud. Place it face up in front of you; you now have the item in your possession. (You're carrying or wearing it.) You can use the item once immediately and once on each of your turns, unless the card says otherwise. If the room has an [omen] symbol (a raven), draw an omen card. Read it out loud. Place it up in front of you; you now have the omen in your possession. You might have to do something immediately. At the end of your turn, if the haunt has not yet begun, you must make a [haunt roll]. (See "Making a Haunt Roll," page 15.) If you discover a new room because of a tile's or card's effect, and that new room has a symbol on it, you draw the appropriate card for that new room. If a room is added to the board through some other means (such as a haunt's instructions), the first player who enters that room does not draw a card. Even though your movement ends when you draw a card, you can still take other actions on that turn (such as using an item). [Use Item and Omen Cards] All explorers can [use] items. Some monsters can too, if the haunt's rules allow it. You can use an item once at any point during your turn. [Most omen cards are treated like items:] You keep the card in front of you and use it just like an item. There's no limit to the number of items you can carry. [Once] during your turn, an explorer (or monster that can carry items) can do [each] of the following: - [Trade an item] to another explorer in the same room (assuming you both agree). - [Drop any number of items.] (If you do, put a pentagonal Item Pile token in that room.) Another explorer (or you, for that matter) can later pick up some or all of the items in the pile. - [Pick up one or more items] from a pile of items. Remove the Item Pile token if all of the items are picked up. Some items can't be traded (or stolen), but they can be dropped or picked up. The item card's text will state whether you can take a certain action with that item. The Bite, Dog, Girl, and Madman aren't items, so they can't be dropped, stolen, or traded. (Their cards say this.) [For each item,] an explorer (or monster that can carry items) can perform only [one] of the following actions with that item during a turn. - [Use] the item. - [Trade] the item to another explorer. - [Drop] the item. - [Steal] the item (see "Special Attacks" on page 13). - [Pick up] the item. Using an item means making any attack or die roll with it or taking any other action in which the item is involved in any way. For example, an explorer couldn'y attack with the Spear and then trade it to another explorer on the same turn. If an item would adjust one of your traits above the maximum number for the trait printed on your character card, make a note of how much that item puts that trait "over the top." If you lose that item, you lose from that "over the top" number, not from the printed maximum. For example, if an item adds 2 to your Might, but you gain only 1 Might before hitting the maximum, you'd lose only 1 from your maximum Might if you lost that item. [Item Tokens] /Many haunts put one or more/ [item tokens] /in the house, which have special rules for their use. Unless the haunt says otherwise, item tokens can be traded, dropped, or stolen just like item and omen cards./ [Weapons:] The Axe, Blood Dagger, Revolver, Spear, and Sacrificial Dagger are weapons. Weapons can be used only while making an attack, not while defending (see "Make an Attack," page 13). You can use only one weapon per attack, but you can carry more than one. Using a weapon during an attack is optional. [Companions:] The Dog, Girl, and Madman omen cards are companions that follow the explorer who has [custody] of them. Companion omens don't have physical or mental traits. [What Happens if the Rules in the Book and the Rules on a Card Conflict?] If this happens, use the rules on the card. [Attempt a Die Roll] Many times during the game, you'll need to roll one or more [dice]. Each die has faces with 0, 1, or 2 dots, as shown here. There's no limit to how many times in a turn you can roll dice. For example, you might need to make a die roll for a card you drew by moving onto a room tile that also requires a die roll. You can't, however, attempt the same roll more than once per turn. (For example, you can't keep rolling on the same turn to try to open the Vault.) If a card, tile, or other game effect instructs you to roll a specific number of dice, do so an add the number of dots on each die to get the [result] of the die roll. Then do what the effect says for that result. [Damage Rolls:] If an effect says to "take 1 die of physical damage," roll a die. You take damage to Might and/or Speed equal to the number of dots rolled. For effects that cause more than 1 die of damage, simply add the dots on all the dice you roll. Taking mental damage works the same way, except that you distribute the damage between Knowledge and Sanity as you choose. [Trait Rolls:] Sometimes a card, room tile, or haunt tells you to attempt a roll based on one of your explorer's traits (Might, Speed, Knowledge, or Sanity). When that happens, roll dice equal to the number your explorer /currently/ has in that trait. For example, if your explorer must attempt a Sanity roll, and she currently has a Sanity of 4, roll 4 dice and add the dots together to get the result. Whether you succeed or fail, the card or tile's text will tell you the results of your attempt. An attack roll isn't a trait roll, even though it involves Might or some other trait (see "Make an Attack," below). [Task Rolls:] Some haunts require you to make a roll to succeed at a particular task (such an exorcism). You can attempt only one such roll per turn. That's true even if different types of rolls could satisfy that task (such as either a Knowledge roll or a Sanity roll to succeed at the exorcism). [Make an Attack] [You can't attack anyone until after the haunt starts.] Once during your turn, you can attack an [opponent] in the same room. (An opponent is an explorer or monster that wants to stop your movement or interfere with you.) When you make an attack, roll a number of dice equal to your Might. Your opponent does the same. Whoever rolls a higher result defeats his or her opponent and inflicts [physical damage] against the other explorer or monster. The amount of damage equals the difference between the two rolls. (For example, if you roll a 6 and your opponent gets a 5, you would inflict 1 point of physical damage.) If there's a tie, no one gets hurt. Sometimes an effect lets you make an attack with a trait other than Might. You do this the same way as a Might attack, except you and your opponent use the other trait. For example, if you make a Speed attack, you and your opponent roll dice based on Speed. Speed attacks also deal physical damage. When an effect lets you attack with Sanity or Knowledge, then you inflict [mental damage]. You can't use a trait to attack an opponent who doesn't have that trait. For instance, if a monster doesn't have Sanity, you can't make a Sanity attack against it. Sometimes when you defeat your opponent, you do something other than inflicting damage. For instance, you might be able to steal an item (see "Special Attacks," below). Monsters are only [stunned] when you defeat them, not killed, unless a haunt specifies otherwise (see "How Monsters Work," page 18). You can attack a stunned monster if there's another benefit from doing so (such as stealing an item from it or killing it with an special item). Stunned monsters still roll dice to defend, but if the attacking hero loses, he or she takes no damage. You can both make a [haunt-specific action] (as described in the haunt's rules) and attack on your turn. [Special Attacks] [Distance Attacks:] The Revolver's ability is an example of a distance attack. It allows you to attack someone in another room within your [line of sight]--a path that leads through an uninterrupted straight line of doors. You take no damage if the subject of your distance attack defeats you. Some monsters can also make distance attacks. [Stealing Items:] If you attack someone and inflict 2 or more points of physical damage, you can [steal] a tradable item or omen instead of inflicting the damage. (The item's or omen's card says if it can't be traded.) You can't steal an item or omen by making a distance attack. Some haunts have special rules for stealing items. [Example of Combat] Let's say your explorer, Jenny LeClerc, just attacked a Werewolf. She has a Might of 4, so you roll 4 dice for her attack. You get a 5 on your attack roll. The traitor rolls an 8 for the Werewolf! Jenny has to take 3 points of physical damage. You choose to lower her Might 2 spaces (to 3), and her Speed 1 space (it stays at 4) by sliding the plastic clips to the new numbers. Jenny's still alive, but she's hurt! {A picture demonstrates the above, showing Jenny's base stats and her Might and Speed being lowered by 2 and 1, respectively.} [THE HAUNT] Once the haunt begins, the game changes dramatically. Now it's a desperate struggle to win before your opponent does! [Making a Haunt Roll] Before the haunt starts, you must roll 6 dice at the end of your turn each time you draw an omen card. This is called a [haunt roll]. If you roll less than the total number of omen cards all players have drawn this game, the haunt starts. The player who starts the haunt with this roll is called the [haunt revealer]. For example, if you draw an omen card on your turn, and it's the fifth omen card drawn during the game, you need a result of 4 or less on your haunt roll to start the haunt. After the haunt starts, if you discover a room with an omen symbol, you still draw and keep an omen card, but you don't make a haunt roll. [Revealing the Haunt] When a player makes a haunt roll and starts the haunt, that player (the haunt revealer) looks at the [haunt chart] on the first two pages of the /Traitor's Tome/ booklet. The chart shows which haunt has been revealed--and who is the traitor. {A picture shows the top part of the haunt chart, going down to the Charred Room and right to the Girl. There's a circle at Catacombs/Girl, with the number 1 inside.} {Caption:} In this example, the haunt revealer had the Girl omen card, and her explorer was in the Catacombs. You will be playing Haunt #1: "The Mummy Walks." The chart lists omen cards across the top and rooms along the left side. Look at the name of the omen card that was drawn before the haunt roll and the room that the haunt revealer's explorer was in when the omen was drawn. Find the corresponding haunt number. This is the haunt you're going to play. The haunt's entry below the chart states which player becomes the [traitor]. Give the /Traitor's Tome/ to that player. The haunt revealer is not necessarily the traitor. [Special Cases:] If two or more people could be the traitor, and one of them is the haunt revealer, then that person is the traitor. If neither one is the haunt revealer, then the player closest to the haunt revealer's left is the traitor. [Optional Rule: Selecting the Haunt] This optional rule lets you avoid repeating haunts you've already played. If you consult the chart and get a haunt that you've revealed already and you don't want to do again, look for the next room with an omen symbol closest to the haunt revealer. Match that room to the original omen on the chart to find a new haunt number. Continue going from room to room in this way until you find a haunt that you haven't revealed yet. If you get through all the placed rooms without success, look at the next omen card you have and do the same thing. [Haunt Setup] Do the following at the start of the haunt. - The traitor takes the /Traitor's Tome/ and leaves the room. He or shee reads /only/ the haunt that is starting now. That player also needs to know the rules described in "The Traitor's New Powers" (page 17) and "How Monsters Work" (page 18). If the player doesn't know those rules, he or she should take the rulebook when leaving the room and read those sections (or have another player explain them). - The rest of the players become [heroes]. They look up the haunt with the same number in /Secrets of Survival/ and read it together. (The heroes should also briefly discuss their plan for survival.) - When everyone is ready (including the traitor), the traitor returns to the room. The heroes and the traitor do anything the haunt tells them to do in the "Right Now" section. (For example, sometimes you'll have to put tokens in the house or draw cards.) [Heroes and Secrets] /Don't tell the traitor what your goals are, unless you're sure he or she already knows them or you're doing something required by the haunt. Sometimes you have an advantage over the traitor because that player doesn't know what you're trying to do. You can still play these haunts again and again after you know how they work, but until then, the heroes shouldn't disclose the/ Secrets of Survival /for their haunt./ [Playing the Haunt] The first turn always starts with the player to the traitor's left and goes clockwise (next to the left away from the traitor). Each of the heroes takes a [hero turn]. After each hero has taken a turn, the traitor takes his or her [traitor turn]. After the traitor's turn, any monsters controlled by the traitor get a [monster turn]. (This means that the traitor gets two turns: one for his or her actions and one for the monsters.) Then the first hero to the left of the traitor takes a turn, and so on. [The heroes and traitor are all still explorers.] They can do the same things they did before the haunt was revealed, except they don't make further haunt rolls (even if one of them draws an omen card). The traitor has to tell the heroes what he or she is doing each turn, but not why; the same condition applies to the heroes. [After the haunt begins, explorers can die.] If any of your explorer's four traits moves down to the skull symbol, then that explorer dies. Sometimes during a haunt, a hero's "death" turns that explorer into a traitor instead. Certain haunts require something to be done a number of times equal to the number of explorers. That number includes any explorers who died. /[What Happens if a Haunt's Rules and the Regular Rules Conflict?]/ /If this happens, use the rules in the haunt. All of these rules are in effect unless a haunt says otherwise./ Sometimes the traitor is transformed or otherwise disposed of at the start of the haunt, but the traitor still gets a turn after all the heroes do. Even if the traitor dies, as long as the monsters can complete the haunt's goals, the monsters still get their turn (under the traitor's control). During a haunt, if someone in the house makes a Knowledge roll to learn something and succeeds, all the other heroes learn that information as well. [Moving Past Opponents] /For/ [each] /opponent in a room with it after the haunt starts, an explorer or monster must use 1 extra space of movement to leave that room. (Heroes slow down the traitor and monsters, and vice versa.)/ /No matter how many penalties you have on a turn, you can always move at least 1 space. This is also true if a monster rolls a 0 for movement (see "How Monsters Work," page 18)./ /Stunned monsters don't slow an explorer's movement in this way./ [The Traitor's New Powers] When your explorer becomes a traitor, if you are being impeded by a previously drawn event card (such as the Debris or Webs), you are freed from that effect. In addition, you can use the following abilities (unless a haunt says otherwise). - [You can use any beneficial text on a room tile while ignoring any harmful text.] You can pass through the Revolving Wall without rolling. You can choose where the Mystic Elevator goes when you use it. You still slide to the Basement Landing when you move onto the Coal Chute. - [You can choose not to be affected by an event card or the Bite omen card.] If you choose to be affected by a card, you do so after reading it but before making any rolls or doing any other action stated on the card. You then have to accept the result of any rolls or penalties. - [After you finish your turn, you move and attack with all of the monsters, if any.] Even if the traitor dies, you still control the monsters. (In some haunts, the monsters are still able to complete a haunt's goals after the traitor is dead.) [Haunts with a Hidden Traitor] A few of the haunts feature a [hidden traitor], whose identity is secret from all the other players. When a haunt calls for a hidden traitor, count out the small monster tokens of one color, numbered from 1 up to the number of players. Shuffle the tokens and deal out one to each player, face down (with the "S" showing). Whoever gets the token numbered 1 is the traitor. Play continues clockwise from the person to the left of the haunt revealer. /Haunts with hidden traitors do not appear in the [Traitor's Tome.] Instead, the goal and abilities of the traitor are described under the haunt in [Secrets of Survival,] which everyone reads./ Unless the haunt says otherwise, the hidden traitor can reveal him- or herself to the others at anytime by turning the token numbered 1 face up. (For example, the traitor might do this in response to a trap or a hazard in the house, to prevent the effect or damage using normal traitor rules.) Whenever an explorer dies, that player turns over his or her token to reveal his or her identity. No other player (except the traitor) can reveal a face-down token at any time. You might say that you aren't a traitor, but the other players have only your word for it. Unless the haunt says otherwise, any explorer can attack any other explorer at any time, under real or feigned suspicion of being the traitor. (Of course, the traitor benefits from sowing suspicion and mistrust among his or her fellow explorers.) Unless the haunt says otherwise, everyone must converse only where everyone at the table can hear them; they can't leave and have side conversations elsewhere. [How Monsters Work] Monsters behave a little differently than explorers do. All of the following rules are in effect unless a haunt says otherwise. Each monster moves and takes all its actions before the next one goes. - [Monsters move differently.] At the start of a monster's turn, roll a number of dice equal to its Speed. The result is the number of spaces that monster can move that turn. For groups of the same type of monster (Bats or Zombies, for instance), just roll once for the whole group. Each monster of that type can move that many spaces that turn. - [Most monsters can't be killed.] If a monster would take damage, it is [stunned] and misses its next turn. When a monster is stunned, flip its token over to the side with the "S." At the end of the monster's next turn, flip it back. Stunned monsters can't slow an explorer's movement. Even if a haunt says to do something other than stun monsters when they take damage, they can still be stunned by effects that specifically stun monsters. - Like explorers, [a monster can attack only once during its turn.] Monsters often use traits other than Might to attack. They can't make any of the special attacks listed on page 13 (unless a haunt says otherwise). - Like the traitor, [monsters can ignore any harmful text on a room tile.] A monster still slides to the Basement Landing when it moves onto the Coal Chute. It can pass through the Revolving Wall without rolling. Monsters can freely move up or down from the Coal Chute and Collapsed Room, and they can climb up to the Gallery. However, monsters cannot benefit from text on a room tile that increases a trait (such as the Larder or Gymnasium). - [Monsters can use the special movement options described on cards] (such as the Secret Stairs and Secret Passage). - [Monsters can't explore new rooms.] - [Monsters can't carry items] (unless the haunt says otherwise). If a monster that is allowed to carry items is stunned, it drops all items; place an Item Pile token in the room. The monster can't pick up the items until it has a turn in which it is no longer stunned. - If a monster gets stuck in the basement with no way to reach the heroes, on the traitor's turn that player may search the room tiles for the Stairs From Basement tile and place it next to any open basement doorway. (Shuffle the room stack afterward.) This rule doesn't apply if the haunt allows monsters to explore new rooms. [What Happens to My Stuff if I Die?] /If you have a/ [companion] /(the Dog, the Girl, or the Madman), the companion's card and token (if any) stays in the room where your explorer died. Set aside that omen card. If another explorer enters the room, he or she gains custody of that companion (and takes that omen card). Any other items you have drop to the floor. Put an/ [Item Pile] /token there and set aside their cards. Other explorers can go to the room to pick up your items (and take those cards). [Winning the Game] [The first side (the traitor or the heroes) that completes its goals for the haunt wins the game.] A haunt's goal is described under "You Win When..." and doesn't necessarily require killing the traitor or heroes. At least one hero must survive for the heroes to win. However, some haunts' goals allow the traitor to win the game even after he or she dies. For instance, the monsters that player controls might be able to win without the traitor's help. When one side completes its goals for the haunt, someone from the winning side reads the "If You Win..." section from that side's haunt book out loud. [GLOSSARY] This section defines certain game terms contained in this rulebook, the haunt booklets, and the various cards and tiles. A special game term is in [bold] the first time it appears. [adjacent:] Rooms are adjacent if they share a side. Diagonal is never adjacent. [attack:] Explorers (and monsters) can't attack until the haunt starts. Once during your turn after the haunt starts, you can make an attack roll against an opponent. /attack roll:/ You and your opponent both roll dice equal to your Might. Whoever gets the higher result inflicts physical damage against the loser equal to the difference (on a tie, no one gets hurt). See "Make an Attack," page 13. /distance attack:/ Some weapons or special items in a haunt allow you to attack an opponent in another room within your [line of sight] (see that entry, page 22). You take no damage if your attack roll is less than the opponent's. [card:] There are three different types of cards: event, item, and omen. Explorers draw cards as they discover new rooms. Whenever you draw a card, read its text out loud and follow any instructions. /event card:/ An event card has a spiral symbol. After following its instructions, discard the card unless it says otherwise or has an ongoing effect. /item card:/ An item card has a bull's head symbol. Place it face up in front of you; you now have the item in your possession. See "Use Item and Omen Cards," page 11. /omen card:/ An omen card has a raven symbol. Place it face up in front of you; you now have the omen in your possession. You might have to do something immediately. At the end of your turn, if the haunt has not yet started, you must make a haunt roll. Most omens are like items. [character:] Explorers, monsters, and haunt-specific opponents (such as Dracula) are all characters. [character card:] There are six character cards in the game, each with two different explorers (one on each side of the card). A character card shows the character's name, portrait, traits, and other information. [companion:] The Dog, Girl, and Madman omen cards are companions that follow the explorer who has custody of them. Companion omens don't have physical or mental traits. [damage:] Losing an attack, as well as many card, tile, and haunt effects, can cause an explorer to take damage. Damage can be physical or mental. For each point of damage you take, you decrease the appropriate traits or combination of traits by that many spaces on your character card. /physical damage:/ Might and Speed are physical traits. You divide physical damage as you choose between those two traits. /mental damage:/ Knowledge and Sanity are mental traits. You divide mental damage as you choose between those two traits. [discover:] When an explorer moves through a door that has no room connected to it, draw a new room tile from the stack and put it beside that door. The explorer then moves into the room and discovers it. See "Discover a New Room," page 6. [die roll:] Many cards, rooms, and haunt rules require a player to attempt a die roll of X+ for his or her explorer, where "X" is a variable number. (For example, you might have to make a Knowledge roll of 4+.) There's no limit to how many times in a turn you can roll dice, but you can't attempt the same roll more than once per turn. Each die has 0, 1, or 2 dots on it. Roll the stated number of dice and add up all the dots; if the result is equal to or greater than the stated number, the roll succeeds. See "Attempt a Die Roll," page 11. /trait roll:/ These die rolls are based on one of the explorer's (or monster's) traits: Might, Speed, Sanity, or Knowledge. Roll as many dice as the character's current total in that trait (not the starting value if that trait has changed). /task roll:/ Some haunts require you to make a roll to succeed at a particular task (such an exorcism). You can attempt only one such roll per turn. [door:] Doors connect rooms. You can move through a door if it connects to another door in an adjacent room. Doors inside the house are always open. /front door:/ Unlike other doors, the front door (in the Entrance Hall) is always locked. You can't leave the house or use the front door unless a haunt says otherwise. [explorer:] Each player controls a character called an explorer. Explorers include the traitor and the heroes after the haunt begins. [false feature:] Sometimes it's not possible to match two doors or windows in adjacent rooms. When that happens, you instead create a false feature. You can't move through false doors. False windows don't count as windows. [figure:] Each character card has a matching plastic figure, corresponding to the color behind the portrait, to represent that explorer in the game. [haunt:] An explorer triggers the haunt scenario on a successful haunt roll. A haunt describes how to win the game and includes new rules, including monsters. During the haunt, explorers can die. See "The Haunt," page 15. /hero:/ After the haunt begins, all the explorers other than the traitor become heroes struggling to survive the perils of the house and the plans of the traitor. /traitor:/ After the haunt begins, one explorer becomes a traitor who turns on his or her former companions. A few of the haunts feature a [hidden traitor] whose identity is secret from all the other players (see "Haunts with a Hidden Traitor," page 17). [haunt roll:] Before the haunt begins, you must make a haunt roll at the end of your turn whenever you discover a room with an omen symbol. Roll dice equal to the number of omen cards in play. If the result is lower than that number, the haunt begins. /haunt revealer:/ The player whose omen roll triggered the haunt is called the haunt revealer. The haunt revealer looks up the haunt on the Haunt Chart to see who the traitor is. [haunt-specific action:] Many haunts require explorers to take special actions, such as an exorcism roll or destroying an object. You can take a haunt-specific action and attack on your turn. [item:] Explorers can carry and use item cards and many omen cards. Items can also be picked up, dropped, traded, or stolen. See "Use Item and Omen Cards" on page 11. /item token:/ Many haunts put one or more pentagonal item tokens in the house, which have special rules for their use. Unless the haunt says otherwise, item tokens can be traded, dropped, picked up, or stolen just like item and omen cards. /weapon:/ The Axe, Blood Dagger, Revolver, and Sacrificial Dagger item cards, and the Spear omen card, are weapons. You can use a weapon only while making an attack, not while defending. (See "Make an Attack," page 13.) You can use only one weapon per attack, but you can carry more than one. Using a weapon during an attack is optional. [line of sight:] If you can draw a path to an opponent that leads through an uninterrupted straight line of doors, you have line of sight to that opponent. [move:] Each turn, explorers and monsters can move through the house. A character can move as many spaces (rooms) as his or her current Speed. Monsters roll a number of dice equal to their Speed and can move as many spaces as the result. You can take actions (such as using an item or attacking) in the middle of your movement. [opponent:] An opponent is an explorer or monster that wants to stop your movement or interfere with you during a haunt. Monsters and the traitor are opponents of the heroes, and vice versa. For each opponent in a room with it after the haunt starts, an explorer or monster must use 1 extra space of movement to leave that room. [room:] The House on the Hill consists of a number of rooms that you discover and move through. Each room counts as 1 space of movement. Passages (such as the Dusty Hallway) and outside areas (such as the Patio) still count as rooms. Each room tile has the name of one or more floors printed on its back: ground, basement, or upper. You can place the tile in any legal location on any of the possible floors it lists. Some room tiles include rules text that is triggered whenever an explorer enters, leaves, or takes a special action in those rooms. Many room tiles also have symbols that match card symbols. Only the first explorer to discover the room is affected by the symbol. /barrier room:/ A barrier room has two parts and can stop you from moving to the other side of the room. The Chasm is an example. [stack:] Game cards and room tiles are shuffled together and placed face down in stacks that players draw from. [steal:] If you attack an opponent and inflict 2 or more points of physical damage, you can steal a tradable item or omen from that opponent instead of inflicting the damage. See "Special Attacks" on page 13.) [stunned:] Unless a haunt says otherwise, monsters usually aren't killed when defeated. If a monster would take any damage, it is instead stunned and misses its next turn. Stunned monsters can't slow an opponent's movement. [symbol:] All cards have a symbol printed on them. A raven silhouette represents an omen, a bull's head represents an item, and a spiral represents an event. Some room tiles have symbols printed on them that match card symbols. The first explorer to enter such a room must stop moving there and draw the corresponding card. [token:] Tokens are cardboard pieces that represent special items or features. /monster tokens/ come in seven colors; they are numbered for easy tracking. Special monsters are large circular tokens with the monster's name printed on them. /itme tokens/ are pentagonal and also are numbered. /trait roll tokens/ are triangular. They keep track of special task rolls during haunts. /event/room tokens/ are square. They mark special features produced by cards or room tiles, such as the Hidden Stairs or Mystic Slide. [trait:] Each explorer has four traits, shown as lines of numbers on the character card: Might, Speed, Knowledge, and Sanity. Each trait has a starting value, which is highlighted, and a maximum value, the highest possible number for that character. See "Traits," page 4. /physical traits:/ Speed and Might are physical traits. /mental traits:/ Sanity and Knowledge are mental traits. [turn:] Before the haunt starts, each player takes a turn in order, starting with the player shose explorer has the next birthday and going to the left from there, During a turn, you can move, discover rooms, use items, and attempt die rolls. After the haunt starts, you can also make an attack once per turn. After the haunt starts, the first turn starts with the player to the traitor's left and goes to the left from there. Each of the heroes takes a hero turn. After each hero has taken a turn, the traitor takes his or her traitor turn. After the traitor's turn, any monsters controlled by the traitor get a monster turn. [use:] All explorers can use items (and many omens), as well as some monsters. Using an item means making any attack or die roll with it or taking any other action in which the item is involved in any way. You can use an item once at any point during your turn. [window:] Some rooms have windows on one or more sides, in addition to doors. You can't normally move through a window, but some haunts have special rules for them. Rooms with windows are the Bedroom, Grand Staircase, Master Bedroom, Chapel, and Dining Room. [What If There Isn't a Rule for That?] Many hours went into playtesting this game, but it's still possible you'll run into situations where the game rules or haunt books don't clearly answer a question about game play. Don't let that slow you down. In such cases, come to an agreement as a group for what makes the most sense and go with it. (If that doesn't work, flip a coin to decide.) Then continue your experience in the house.