The Great Old Ones left behind certain artifacts and sigils of great power to aid them in their quest for freedom. These potentially dangerous devices now form part of a deck that is drawn every time Players begin their turn.
Each Arcana Card has a Name, a Thematic Description of its effect, a detailed Explanation of how it works in play and three Numbers – red, yellow or blue indicating respectively: the value of Cultists spent to negate the card’s effect, the number of additional Cultists that may be acquired during the Spawning Phase, or the die modifier when used in the Conjunction Ritual.
Some cards must be played immediately (Events), other are held in hand and revealed when it suits the Great Old One (Elemental Special), or played before combat dice rolls Some effects are beneficial, others are not. Most cards may only be played against other players; however some may benefit the person who plays them. In all cases, read the card carefully – detailed explanations of how each card operates is provided in the list below.
Each Great Old One has one ‘Elemental Special’ card that augments their powers; all others who come into possession of it suffer some dire effect. If the Elemental Special card matches the appropriate Great Old One, that Player may choose when they wish to unleash its power, everyone else must play it immediately, as though it were an Event.
- (#): Quantity in the deck
- (Negate:Spawn:Ritual values)
- (Cr): Card Redistribution
- (C): Combat
- (E): Elemental Special
- (Ev): Event
- (M): Monster
- (Mv): Movement
- (P): Protection
- (R): Recruitment
- (S): Sacrifice
Astral Projection (1) (Mv) (2:2:0) – Move up to 3 Cultists from any
location to any unrevealed Node. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“You project your forces across the boundless reaches of time and space using the power of Astral Projection.”
Audience with Azathoth (1) (C, Ev) (0:0:0) – Cast 1d6 Cultists and Servitors of one other Player’s Node of your choice into the Void.
This card cannot be played in Turn 1.
“You cast your foes into the presence of the boundless daemon sultan Azathoth. They are immediately consumed by madness and suffer a hideous death.”
Automatic Weapons (1) (C) (1:2:1) – Increases Cultist dice value to d6/d8 for Combat Phase. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“They’re still comin’ – guess we’re gonna need bigger guns.”
Bait Humans (3) (C) (1:2:1) – All Cultists in a Node roll on the Gate Mishaps Table. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“Humans are such easy prey – exploit their weaknesses and lure your foes into the Void.”
Barrier of Naach-Tich (1) (P) (0:2:2) – Protects Node from All attacks for one turn – i.e. once around the table until the start of the Great Old One’s next turn – costs 1 Servitor to cast. Place the card on top of the appropriate Node. May not be played on another Player.
“Sacrifice a Servitor to create a barrier against all attacks.”
Bind Servitors (3) (Mv) (2:2:0) – Another player’s Servitor Race are unable to move or attack until the beginning of the Player’s next turn – i.e. once around the table.
“You cast a glamour upon one Servitor race that lasts an eon.”
Boon of the Gods (3) (R) (2:0:2) – Turn over a Spawning Card and apply the effects in an Alchemical Ring of your choice.
“Your faith is rewarded – your deity bids you – go forth and multiply.”
Cast out Devil (1) (C) (1:2:1) – Dispel the Servitors of one other Great Old One in a Node of your choice. Costs 2 Cultists per Servitor you remove.
“You undertake to dispel the Servitors of a rival Great Old One.”
Chime of Tezchaptl (1) (C) (1:2:1) – Redirects announced attack against another Player of your choice, including self. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“You ring the chime and the mystic bell absorbs the potency of one Great Old One.”
Cthonian Gate (3) (Ev, M) (0:0:0) – 1d4 Cultists appear at Player’s Node of choice, including self. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“You stumble into an enormous slime-encrusted cavern – where will it lead?”
Cultes de Ghoules (1) (C) (1:2:1) – Cultists lost in first Combat segment stay for second. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“They stab and stab but still their cold hands reach forwards for the hearts of your foes.”
Dance of Shub-Niggurath (1) (E) (0:0:0) – A Dark Young attacks the Nodes of every Great Old One except Shub-Niggurath OR (Es) (0:0:4) – 1d8 Dark Young appear and spread across Shub-Niggurath’s Nodes.
“IA! IA! The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young attacks.”
Deflect Harm (3) (P) (0:2:2) – Redirect losses against another Player. Affected Great Old Ones may take losses from any of their occupied Nodes.
“You magically channel an attack and redirect it against those more ‘deserving’.”
Dhole (3) (C, M) (1:1:2) – Release a Dhole that you may use in place of any Servitor during combat. Attack value 1d10. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“You raise a gigantic worm to crush your puny foes.”
Dimensional Shambler (3) (C, M) (1:1:2) – Make an immediate attack on any Node of your choice. Attack value 3d8.
“Shuffling in From Beyond; its murderous malignity a palpable force – it strikes and fades away.”
Dust of Sulieman (1) (C) (1:2:1) – In Combat roll 1d6 per enemy Servitor; on a 1-4 remove it from play.
“Daemons beware – the dust that burns the air.”
Ectoplasmic Storm (1) (Ev) (0:0:0) – All Monster cards are discarded from all Players’ hands.
“All malevolent entities are immediately dispersed.”
Elder Sign (3) (P) (0:2:2) – Cancels effect of any card except Elder Sign.
“Makes Elder magic temporarily unusable to a Great Old One or its minions.”
Erich Zann (1) (P, S) (0:2:2) – Roll 1d6, on a 4 – 6 cancels effect of any card except Elder Sign. Both cards are removed from play.
“An Outer God pursued the man with inhuman music. Poor Zann died of fear – but kept on playing.”
Exorcism (1) (P) (0:2:2) – Enemy Servitors prevented from entering Combat Phase. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“Malignant spirits are cast out into the great Void.”
Fist of Yog-Sothoth (1) (E) (0:0:0) – Player must abandon Node of their choice for a friendly adjacent or unoccupied one OR (Es) (0:0:4) – Player cannot be attacked for a turn, gets second Spawning and Movement phases.
“Congeries of iridescent globes reach forth across space and time to smite, wither and corrode.”
From Beyond (2) (Mv) (2:2:0) – Reallocate Cultists between all your occupied Nodes.
“Slip your forces quietly through the space between realities.”
Fog of Confusion (2) (Ev) (0:0:0) – All Players give 2 cards to person to the Great Old One to their right.
“The release of intense magical energies causes reality to slip sideways.”
Glass from Leng (1) (Cr) (1:2:1) – Look at another Great Old One’s hand and swap 1d6 cards.
“Space and time part to reveal all – reach out and take what you desire.”
Grasp of Cthulhu (1) (E) (0:0:0) – Player may not move or attack from or into a Water Node this turn OR (Es) (0:0:4) – Great Cthulhu rises in a Water Node of its choice with 5 Cultists and 3 Servitors.
“Great Cthulhu rises to claim ancient R’lyeh and sweeps all before him.”
Herbert West (1) (C) (1:2:1) – Roll 1d8 to replace Cultists after both Combat segments. They appear back in the Node of Origin. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“The good Doctor’s twisted medical experiments reanimate the Dead.”
Hounds of Tindalos (3) (C) (1:2:1) – Re-roll Attack, second roll stands. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“They inhabit the angles of time and space and their thirst will only be quenched by blood.”
Keziah Mason (1) (P, S) (0:2:2) – Roll 1d6, on a 4 – 6 cancels effect of any card except Elder Sign. Both cards are removed from play.
“An ancient witch of Arkham, Keziah resurfaced when Walter Gilman rented out her room in the Witch-House.”
King in Yellow (1) (C) (1:2:1) – Increases Cultist dice value to d6/d8 during Combat. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“The scolloped tatters of the King in Yellow must hide Yhtill forever.”
Limbo Gate (3) (C) (1:2:1) – Removes Cultists in transit between Nodes, after Movement announced. Costs 2 Cultists to cast.
“You close and bar the gate against the forces that would break through.”
Love Potion (3) (R) (2:0:2) – Double the number of Cultists of one Node. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“Your deity bids you: go forth and multiply.”
Mass Insanity (1) (Ev) (0:0:0) – 1d4 Insane Cultists appear on every occupied Node and attack.
“As the Grand Conjunction nears, humanity’s grasp on sanity loosens.”
Mesmerism (2) (Mv) (2:2:0) – A Great Old One’s Cultists may not move until start of its next turn.
“The minds of your masses are weak and pliable.”
Mirror of Destiny (1) (P) (0:2:2) – Defending force is bolstered to the same level as the attacking force for Combat Phase. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“Mirror mirror on the wall; this is how your forces fall.”
Misdirection (3) (R) (2:0:2) – Exchange the number of tokens in another Great Old One’s Node for yours.
“Look – Azathoth.”
Necromonicon (1) (C, M) (1:1:2) – Up to 3d10 Monsters added to Combat. Cost of 1 Cultist per Monster. May be played on another Player.
“Go ahead – read it; what’s the worst that could happen?”
Nodens (1) (P, S) (0:2:2) – Roll 1d6, on a 4 – 6 cancels effect of any card except Elder Sign. Both cards are removed from play.
“Lord of the Great Abyss, he takes the form of a human, grey-bearded riding a chariot drawn by unearthly monsters.”
Parthenogenesis (3) (R) (2:0:2) – Double the number of Servitors of one Node. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“Spawning, splitting, pulsing, swarming, glistening in the dark.”
Pipes of Madness (1) (Ev) (0:0:0) – Roll a d6 for each Cultist on a Node. Remove it on a roll of 1.
“The accursed pipes of Azathoth ring through the void driving those who hear their whine insane.”
Possession by Elder Things (3) (C) (1:2:1) – Redirects attack to adjacent Node.
“No longer in control of your own destiny, an attack is twisted to other ends.”
Prism Gate (3) (Mv) (2:2:0) – Roll 1d10 & travel to an undiscovered Node: 1,2 – Fire; 3,4 – Earth; 5,6 – Water; 7,8 – Air; 9,10 – Ether. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“Wander the ley lines of the eternal aether in search of pastures new.”
Pyramid Scheme (3) (R) (2:0:2) – Add a Cultist to every Node you occupy. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“You undertake a recruitment drive and go door-knocking for likely candidates.”
Randolph Carter (1) (P, S) (0:2:2) – Roll 1d6, on a 4 – 6 cancels effect of any card except Elder Sign. Both cards are removed from play.
“Carter’s work ‘The Attic Window’ revolved around a creature so horrific it earned the title: The Unnameable.”
Rats in the Walls (2) (C) (1:2:1) – Cast to change another Player’s Servitors back into Cultists. Costs 2 Cultists per Servitor.
“The scrabbling you hear at night – is it the sound of those lost to the Void?”
Ritual of the Eons (3) (C) (1:2:1) – Opponent Great Old One misses a turn.
“Wait an Eon for your Great Old One to reawaken from its slumber.”
Seal of Isis (1) (P) (0:2:2) – Wards against all cards except Elemental Specials.
“The Seal of Isis protects – for a little while…”
Shining Trapezohedron (1) (C) (1:2:1) – Prevents enemy Servitors from taking part in Combat phase.
“A peculiar stone and metal box holds a secret.”
Shuggoth (3) (M) (1:1:2) – Release a Shuggoth that you may use in place of any Servitor during combat.Attack value 1d10.
“Summon forth a many-mouthed menace to do your bidding.”
Song of Hastur (1) (E) (0:0:0) – Player may not attack this turn OR (Es) (0:0:4) – Dictates who one other Great Old One must attack this Combat Phase.
“A spell to charm those who would range against Unspeakable Hastur to fight at the Great Old One’s bidding.”
Spawn of Cthulhu (3) (M) (1:1:2) – Release a monster to use during Combat. Attack value 1d10. May be played on another Player.
“The jaws that bite, the claws that catch, the tentacles, the tentacles!”
Star Vampire (3) (M) (1:1:2) – Release a Star Vampire that you may use in place of any Servitor during combat. Attack value 1d10. May be played on another Player.
“Garlic, crosses, stakes and holy water will do little to sway this invisible menace.”
Translocation (2) (M) (2:2:0) – Swap the occupants of two Nodes of your choice including your own.
“Reality slips sideways as the multiverse twists to your will.”
Under Investigation (3) (C) (4:0:0) – Another Great Old One misses a turn, discards 2 Servitors, 3 Cultists and 3 Arcana. May not be played in Turn 1.
“Your followers have been indiscreet and attracted the unwelcome attention of prying eyes.”
Unwilling Ally (1) (P) (0:2:2) – Choose a Player and ‘borrow’ up to 3 of their Servitors during the Combat phase. Those which survive are returned to their Node of Origin at the end of the phase.
“Friends in need are friends in deed.”
Voice of Nyarlathotep (1) (E) (0:0:0) – Roll 1d6 and lose that many Servitors OR (Es) (0:0:4) Nyarlathotep’s Cultists attack value increased to d8/d10 for next turn.
“The Crawling Chaos whispers madness and insanity.”
Ward of Flesh (1) (E) (0:0:0) – Great Old One hands are discarded and new ones dealt.
“A sacrifice of blood washes all magicks before it.”
Wave of Oblivion (1) (C) (4:0:0) – Clears a Node of all tokens. May not be played in Turn 1.
“Visit your wrath upon a nest of your enemy’s servants and sweep it clean of every trace.”
Wind of the Wendigo (2) (M) (2:2:0) – Move Cultists any distance through any occupied Nodes to encounter an unoccupied one. May be played on own tokens or those of another Player.
“Ride the slipstream of the Wendigo.”