Overview

Elder Sign is a cooperative dice game set in the Lovecraftian mythos. Players are investigators exploring a museum to prevent an Ancient One from awakening. On each turn, investigators move to Adventure cards and roll dice to complete tasks, earning rewards including the coveted Elder Signs. Players must collect enough Elder Signs to seal away the Ancient One before its Doom track fills up. If the Ancient One awakens, investigators face a nearly hopeless final battle.

Components

• 1 Clock with cardboard clock hand and plastic connector
• 6 green dice, 1 yellow die, 1 red die
• 1 Entrance reference sheet
• 80 oversized cards: 16 Investigator, 8 Ancient One, 48 Adventure, 8 Other World Adventure
• 76 small cards: 12 Common Item, 12 Unique Item, 12 Spell, 8 Ally, 32 Mythos
• 144 tokens/markers: 16 Investigator markers, 30 Sanity tokens, 30 Stamina tokens, 15 Clue tokens, 22 Monster markers, 5 Mask Monster markers, 12 Doom tokens, 17 Elder Sign tokens

Setup

1. Place Clock centrally, set hand to XII (midnight). Place Entrance reference sheet beside it.
2. Choose an Ancient One card (random or by agreement).
3. Place Monster markers in an opaque container (monster cup). Add Mask Monsters only if Nyarlathotep is the Ancient One.
4. Shuffle Adventure deck; deal 6 face up in two rows of three below the Clock. Shuffle Other World deck separately nearby.
5. Shuffle and place Common Item, Unique Item, Spell, and Ally decks. Place Clue tokens nearby.
6. Each player selects or receives a random Investigator card, takes matching marker, starting Sanity, Stamina, and items.
7. Place all Investigator markers on the Entrance.
8. Choose first player. First player shuffles Mythos deck, draws and resolves 1 Mythos card.

Turn Structure

Each turn consists of:

1. Move

Place your Investigator marker on any face-up Adventure card or the Entrance reference sheet.

2. Resolve Adventure or Wait at Entrance

If on an Adventure card: Roll 6 green dice to complete tasks. If at the Entrance: Choose one activity: Receive First Aid, Search Lost & Found, or Buy a Souvenir.

3. Advance the Clock

Move the clock hand forward 3 hours (to III, VI, IX, or XII). At midnight: resolve all “At Midnight” effects, then draw and resolve a Mythos card.

Actions

Resolving Adventures

• Roll 6 green dice (fewer if dice are locked). May add yellow die (Common Item) or red die (Unique Item).
• Compare results to task requirements on the Adventure card.
• Complete a task: Place matching dice on task symbols. Only one task per roll.
• After completing a task: Re-roll remaining dice to attempt the next task.
• Fail to complete a task: If any terror results, resolve Terror effects. Then either:
  • Set aside 1 die, optionally focus 1 die (save for later) or assist another player on same card, re-roll remaining dice.
  • Or fail the Adventure entirely.
• All tasks complete: Receive rewards, collect card as a trophy.
• Fail Adventure: Suffer penalties.

Dice Results

| Die | Sides | |—–|——-| | Green | 1 Investigation, 2 Investigation, 3 Investigation, Peril, Terror, Lore | | Yellow | Same as green but 4 Investigation replaces Terror | | Red | Same as yellow but Wildcard replaces 1 Investigation |

Wildcard counts as any single result (1 Investigation, Lore, Peril, or Terror).

Entrance Activities

• First Aid: Regain 1 Sanity + 1 Stamina free; OR pay 2 trophies to fully restore Sanity or Stamina; OR pay 4 trophies to fully restore both.
• Search Lost & Found: Roll 1 green die, consult chart for result.
• Buy a Souvenir: Spend trophies to purchase items (costs listed on Entrance sheet).

Spending Trophies

Resolved Adventure cards and defeated Monster markers serve as trophies (value printed on each). May overspend if exact change unavailable.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Investigators Win

Collect Elder Sign tokens equal to or exceeding the Ancient One’s Elder Sign Limit (shown on its card).

Investigators Lose

The Ancient One awakens when its Doom track fills completely. Players then attempt a final battle:

• Instead of Mythos cards at midnight, the Ancient One attacks.
• Players must complete the combat task on the Ancient One card to remove 1 Doom token per success.
• Remove all Doom tokens to win. If all investigators are devoured, players lose.

Investigator Defeat

If Sanity or Stamina reaches 0, the investigator is devoured: discard all items, trophies, Clues. A new investigator enters at the Entrance with starting equipment. Any Elder Signs collected are retained (they belong to the group).

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Clue tokens: Spend to re-roll any number of dice during an attempt.
• Monster markers: Appear via Mythos/Adventure effects. Must be defeated (complete their task) before completing Adventure tasks. Defeated monsters become trophies.
• Locked dice: Certain cards/monsters lock a die color, preventing its use. Place the physical die on the locking card.
• Arrow adventures: Tasks must be completed top to bottom in order.
• Other World Adventures: Enter play only via gate rewards. Not replaced when resolved.
• Midnight effects: Resolve all “At Midnight” effects in play, then draw new Mythos.
• Mythos cards: Have an immediate effect (usually Doom or monsters) and a lingering effect (modifies ongoing play).
• Cannot complete a task if it would reduce Sanity or Stamina to 0 or below.

Player Reference

Turn: Move > Resolve Adventure or Entrance > Advance Clock (+3 hours)

Win: Collect enough Elder Signs (per Ancient One card)

Lose: Doom track fills; Ancient One awakens

Dice rolled: 6 green (base), +yellow (Common Item), +red (Unique Item)

Clock advances: 3 hours per turn; Mythos drawn at midnight

Clue token: Re-roll any number of dice once