Forbidden Alchemy, an expansion for Mansions of Madness

[fatolaf]

Up for Pre-Order soon...

Inside abandoned hospitals, secret laboratories, and forgotten cellars, scientists are conducting depraved experiments that will drag humanity to the brink of the abyss. Only a small group of investigators can discover the truth and put an end to these mad plots before it's too late...

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce the upcoming release of Forbidden Alchemy, an expansion that adds even more mystery and horror to your Mansions of Madness experience! This exciting expansion provides players with new investigators, as well as new Trauma, Mythos, and Combat cards for use in any story. Forbidden Alchemy also includes three new tales of scientific horrors, in which investigators will encounter new rooms, monsters, items, clues, locks, and obstacles. Try to solve the new Alchemy puzzles, if you dare. But be warned, the side effects may prove deadly!

Forbidden Alchemy introduces four new investigators to your horrifying tales. Cameraman Darrell Simmons is no stranger to the peculiar goings-on of Arkham, and the bone saw-wielding Doctor Vincent Lee brings the steady hands of a veteran surgeon to your adventures. Meanwhile, the skilled illusionist Dexter Drake aspires to greater arcane powers, and psychologist Carolyn Fern bases her arts in more rational, scientific endeavors. With its range of characters, abilities, and equipment, Forbidden Alchemy further bolsters Mansions of Madness' already significant replayability.

Ready for new tales of eldritch horror? Forbidden Alchemy features three horrifying stories of scientific discovery gone horribly awry.

In "Return of the Reanimator," the investigators are tasked with entering a vermin-infested manor to seek the whereabouts of Doctor Herbert West, a reportedly insane scientist whose legendary experiments in reanimation led to his untimely demise. Meanwhile, "Yellow Matter" tells the grim tale of research into strange extraterrestrial beings. But who is the experimenter, and who is the subject? Finally, "Lost in Time and Space" takes your Mansions of Madness experience to mind-bending new heights with the introduction of time travel! Travel back to the mid-nineteenth century or ahead to the mid-twenty-first in your search for the truth behind a strange and dangerous device.

With four clever new investigators, two terrifying monster types, nearly 250 new cards, 40 tokens and markers, and six detailed map tiles, Forbidden Alchemy introduces a host of new enhancements to your Mansions of Madness experience.

[maelzch]

So this is why you wanted the older gribblies painted up!

[Angelus Mortifer]

I'm looking forward to having another go at "house of crazy" :)

[fatolaf]

We still have the last mission from the core set to do and the first mini expansion as well, in a few weeks me thinks at the club...

[fatolaf]

One of the new characters in depth...

Get the Picture?

Darrell Simmons is on the hunt for the photograph of his life, and he's hoping to drag the truth behind Arkham's most bizarre events into the public eye once and for all. This detail-oriented photographer is a solid and well-rounded choice for pulling off a range of attribute tests, but his less-than-ideal luck means he'll have to rely on good old fashioned gumption to see him through his horrifying ordeals.

When bringing Darrell to the table, you can choose to arm him with either his trusty camera (which helps him study the weak points of his mysterious foes) or a fistful of flash powder (with which he can simply blind them). Whichever starting item you choose, Darrell's wealth of experience with the darker side of Arkham, along with his naturally keen eye, will help him identify threats before they can get the drop on him.

Taking Flight

But if Darrell uses his keen eye to catch a quick glimpse at a byakhee, what might he see? These winged horrors fly in massive hellish flocks through the depths of time and space... or, when inhabiting the mansions, crypts, and abandoned laboratories of Arkham, they can quickly traverse the map. They're also especially enigmatic; when dealt damage or when dealing damage, players may not look at the bottom of their monster tokens as they can with other monsters.

This is because the byakhee boasts an interesting "special attack" that can actually provide a benefit to an investigator! All byakhees have the potential to offer their target a ride. When their special attack is triggered, the Keeper alone looks at the bottom of the applicable token, then asks the investigator if he wishes to climb aboard. But beware, while byakhees will sometimes whisk you away to a destination of your choice, they're just as likely to take you on a horrific tour of parallel dimensions beyond your wildest nightmares...

Unholy Experiments

Sometimes, however, the most horrific threats aren't otherworldly or extraterrestrial; they're threats of man's own making. The theme of "science gone mad" runs strongly throughout the stories included in Forbidden Alchemy, and this is exemplified perfectly in the first tale, Return of the Reanimator.

You needn't be a fan of H.P. Lovecraft's short story Herbert West – Reanimator to appreciate the masterful twists of this engaging tale. As severed, animated hands crawl around the vermin-infested shambles of the Penrose School, you and your fellow investigators must search for clues to a mystery that won't stay dead...