Except in turn 1, at the beginning of her turn, a Great Old One draws cards from the Arcana Deck to make her hand up to five (5). Under certain conditions (Sympathetic Magic, Node Counters), this hand-size may be exceeded.
There are many different types of Arcana cards, and many different effects. These may range from the appearance of bonus Cultists, to the uncovering of useful spells and artefacts, or triggering dangerous Events.
Each card details the following:
- Name: e.g. ‘Under Investigation’
- Description: A thematic explanation of the effect e.g. ‘Your followers have been indiscrete and attracted the unwelcome attention of prying eyes.’
- Explanation: What the card does e.g. ‘Player misses a turn, discards 2 Servitors, 3 Cultists and 3 Arcana.’ Unless stated otherwise, the card will normally be played against other Players at a time of the card-player’s choosing. Detailed explanations are covered in the Appendices.
- Numbers denoting the:
- Cost in Cultists for another Great Old One to negate the card’s effects (Red) providing it has been played on another Great Old One.
- Value to exchange for additional Cultists during the Spawning Phase (Yellow).
- Value when used as a modifier in the Conjunction Ritual Phase (Blue).