Astral Alchemy
A Scenario Preview for Streets of Arkham
"We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far."
– H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu
The forces of darkness have left the mansions behind and now take to the Streets of Arkham! In this new expansion for Mansions of Madness: Second Edition, four new investigators unite to solve three mysteries and confront the monsters that haunt the once tranquil Massachusetts town. Beautifully illustrated map tiles and components bring the world of H.P Lovecraft to life, transporting players through space and time to Arkham Massachusetts at the height of the roaring twenties. With previously unseen corners of the city to explore and new items in their arsenal, players will be better equipped, if not ready, to confront dangers both temporal and spiritual and save the citizens of Arkham.
In the first of three scenarios, beasts from beyond the stars stalk the shadowed halls of Miskatonic University. The academic elite have called upon Arkham’s bravest investigators to push back the astral abominations and restore peace to the school. With a level four difficulty, this 90-120 minute scenario challenges players to quickly solve the spectral mystery before their strength and sanity wear thin. Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to offer you a preview of the Astral Alchemy scenario from the Streets of Arkham Expansion for Mansions of Madness Second Edition!
A Plea for Aide
A message is delivered to your door, written in a neat hand for all its urgency.
Arkham is not safe. There is a threat approaching from the stars and I need your help to prepare. Meet me at the Science Building tonight or else we are all doomed. –Doctor Delphinia Bell
You recognize the name. Doctor Bell is the rising star of Miskatonic University’s Department of Alchemy. However, the fact that she would reach out to you is strange, seeing as you have never actually met the famed scientist. Her note is vague, but you know far too much of Arkham’s dark side to ignore her claims. One thing is certain—the stakes have been raised in the fight for the mortal lives of Arkham.
As you gather supplies, a rumble builds underneath the earth, shaking the street lamps and raising a cloud of dust. This trembling of the ground is unlike any earthquake you have felt before. When the ground settles, you rush out to find your answers at Miskatonic University, and hope you are not already too late.
A Curious Concoction
You arrive on the Miskatonic University campus late at night, when most people are fast asleep. The quiet night blankets the campus, softening the edges of the buildings with starlight, as your hunt for answers begins. If you succeed, Doctor Bell may reward you with access to the alchemy department’s latest creations, but if you fail, the lives of Arkham may be forfeit.
As your team of investigators traverses the grounds, you may find that your mortal bodies are ill prepared to face the dangers at hand. Luckily, the alchemy department of Miskatonic University has been developing new, strange concoctions in the form of elixirs. When facing threats beyond your understanding, these chemical concoctions may be the only thing that stand between you and your certain demise. You may find these brews scattered about the University’s laboratories, or gain one as an effect. They can then be dropped, picked up, or traded like any other item. Or, do you dare to take a drink yourself?
Elixirs give you the unique ability to improve a chosen skill by one, a change marked by placing improvement tokens on your investigator card. No skill can be improved more than once with an elixir, but you may use this unique opportunity to help balance a character’s abilities or make them too powerful to deny in a given area. However, consuming an unknown substance involves a certain amount of risk; there is no telling what side effects these chemical potions may induce, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Elixir cards are double sided and have an unknown effect described on the back. When you drink one of these concoctions, you must immediately flip the elixir card and resolve the effect for good or ill, and the card is no longer considered an item. This is steep price to pay, but with the growing threat to your lives, the risk may well be worth the reward.
A City to Defend
As the citizens of Arkham sleep, blissfully unaware of the danger that threatens their slumber, only you stand between them and the creatures that thirst for their blood. Will you force back the monsters that approach across the blackness of space, or will the stars burn your mind and cost you your life? The ultimate mystery of the galaxy’s secrets awaits you. Explore Miskatonic University, protect Dr. Bell, and help her save Arkham from the darkness that hides behind the stars!
Look for the Streets of Arkham Expansion (MAD25) at local retailer or online in Q4 of 2017!
