‘Just occupying a Node is not sufficient to meet the winning condition. Your Great Old One needs some way to permanently access the unique essence of a location in preparation for the Grand Conjunction when the stars are aligned and it will finally be free. A sacrifice is demanded for the connection to be permanent.’
Great Old Ones must control a pattern of Nodes that match their Constellation Card to win the game. In order to achieve this pattern, as part of the game turn, a Great Old One may choose to complete a Conjunction Ritual.
Great Old Ones must meet the following conditions In order to complete the Ritual:
- They must control their Spawning Node – this is the seat of power of a Great Old One’s power and it is essential to ‘remain master of one’s domain’
- They must control the Node where they wish to perform the ritual
- They must roll 18 on 3d6 – this target result may be modified down
- A Cultist must be sacrificed in the Node (counts as -1 per Cultist to the die roll).
Additional modifiers that assist in reducing the target include:
- Sacrificing Arcana Cards – the number in Blue indicates the modifier value, and the card is permanently removed from play (including Elemental Special Cards)
- Each Node occupied other than the Spawning Node counts as a -1 modifier
- Each Servitor sacrificed in the Node counts as a -3 modifier
- Some Arcana Cards and Node Counters may also affect the roll.
Great Old Ones may normally only perform a Conjunction Ritual in the assigned phase, although they may perform multiple rituals in several locations if they wish.
Arcana Cards may not be played to disrupt the ritual – the location is protected until the result is announced. If the ritual is successful, the Great Old One collects a Cultist Token from the corresponding Great Old One and places it on the correct spot on the pentagonal track on their Great Old One card. Once all spots are covered, they have achieved the Grand Conjunction and have won the game.
Rituals may be attempted in any location although only those locations indicated on the Great Old Ones Constellation Card count towards the win.
Example:
James completes his Combat Phase and announces that he will attempt a Conjunction Ritual in a Node he controls in the Earth ring.
James is playing Great Cthulhu and controls his Spawning Node of R’lyeh (-1), and the Fire Node, Valusia (-1). He sacrifices the required Cultist (-1), as well as a Servitor (-3), and an Arcana Card (value -2). He must now roll a combined total of 10 or more on 3d6 (i.e. 18 minus total modifiers of 8).
He is successful, takes an Earth Cultist token permanently from the Shub-Niggurath player, and is one step closer to his Grand Conjunction and the win.