In The Ancient Evil up to 4 players will take on the role of investigators trying to thwart the plans of the evil cults, controlled by a fifth. This fifth evil player or 'Games Master' will be in charge of driving the scenario, creating an atmosphere of mystery and suspense for investigators. The 'Games Master' will find everything they need to keep the investigators on edge; summoning cultists and monsters, as well as introducing plot twists, special events, and more. And the closer the investigators get the more powerful he will become. During each scenario the investigators are free to proceed as they wish but every action they take in their attempts to solve the mystery generates 'menace' which in turn fuels the powers of the 'Game Master'. Both investigators and enemies use a points system to perform different actions. Some actions, such as moving and attacking are limited in how many times they can be performed on a turn. Actions are resolved using a D10 dice, rolled against the relevant skill, to determine success ranging from critical failure to a critical success. Critical results will be unique to the item or action being used/taken. Some enemies can even take and use items and equipment against the investigators. Facing off against the Ancient Evil the investigators are in constant danger of falling to insanity. Exposure to otherworldly creatures, eldritch magic and unnatural events all threaten to drain their precious sanity. Such mental trauma can result in episodes of temporary insanity or phobias which impact on an investigators ability to perform actions. Investigators pushed to the brink may even become completely insane. But this does not eliminate the investigator who, after flipping their character sheets to reveal an insane version, will continue to play. The game comes with a scenario book containing numerous missions that can be played alone or linked as a campaign. But it doesn't end there. With the many tiles, enemies and other components you will have the tools to create your own scenarios. We are also committed to supporting the game and keeping to alive by, amongst other things, providing even more scenarios via our website which will be free to download. —description from the designers