He promises poison, and then a cureMy fingers contort as I open his doorThere’s no turning back from the power I holdBut the Reckoning will collect his payment in full-A rhyme whispered in madness

New powers are stirring in the town of Arkham; powers that seduce and feed off the unwary. Dark promises echo in the minds of those who are lonely or desperate to stave off insanity and bodily harm. But this promised power comes at a deadly price. You just have to ask yourself...what do you have to lose?

The Lurker at the Threshold is waiting, anxious to bring about the demise of overzealous investigators. As this latest expansion for Arkham Horror prepares to descend on your tabletop this summer, it’s time for another preview of what lies ahead. Last time we explored the benefits of having friends join the fight with Relationship cards. Today, we’ll take a look at the lure of Dark Pacts.

New Heralds mean new problems, and this is no exception with The Lurker at the Threshold. We’ll take a closer look at this new Herald and its powers next time, but today we’ll focus on the Dark Pacts he offers to investigators in dire need of power.

Dark Pacts come in three different flavors: Blood Pact, Soul Pact, and Bound Ally. Each appears to be purely beneficial to investigators, but they also have powerful detriments that build up over time. At the start of any turn, an investigator may take a Dark Pact card from the Herald and immediately gain its benefits.

An investigator may only have one of each type of Dark Pact at a time, meaning they can never claim two Blood Pacts. But they are able to have one of each, which will make them exceptionally powerful, as well as much more in debt to the Lurker. But more on that later...

Dark Pacts can also provide investigators with Power tokens, another new addition to game. Power tokens aren’t useful on their own, but certain Dark Pact cards will give investigators the ability to spend Power as if they were Clue tokens, as well as substitutes for Stamina or Sanity loss. But be careful of hoarding power, as it might draw unwanted attention from watchful eyes.

In addition, Dark Pacts also act as great boons for spell-casters. Any time an investigator attempts to cast a spell, they may reduce the sanity cost of the spell to 0 and automatically succeed by taking a Dark Pact card. However, in doing so, they face immediate repercussions. After they claim their Dark Pact, they immediately draw and resolve a Reckoning card. These cards represent the debt owed to the Lurker for borrowed power.

Next time we pay the Lurker his due by exploring the Reckoning cards and the powerful abilities of this new Herald!

He promises poison, and then a cureMy fingers contort as I open his doorThere’s no turning back from the power I holdBut the Reckoning will collect his payment in full-A rhyme whispered in madness

New powers are stirring in the town of Arkham; powers that seduce and feed off the unwary. Dark promises echo in the minds of those who are lonely or desperate to stave off insanity and bodily harm. But this promised power comes at a deadly price. You just have to ask yourself...what do you have to lose?

The Lurker at the Threshold is waiting, anxious to bring about the demise of overzealous investigators. As this latest expansion for Arkham Horror prepares to descend on your tabletop this summer, it’s time for another preview of what lies ahead. Last time we explored the benefits of having friends join the fight with Relationship cards. Today, we’ll take a look at the lure of Dark Pacts.

New Heralds mean new problems, and this is no exception with The Lurker at the Threshold. We’ll take a closer look at this new Herald and its powers next time, but today we’ll focus on the Dark Pacts he offers to investigators in dire need of power.

Dark Pacts come in three different flavors: Blood Pact, Soul Pact, and Bound Ally. Each appears to be purely beneficial to investigators, but they also have powerful detriments that build up over time. At the start of any turn, an investigator may take a Dark Pact card from the Herald and immediately gain its benefits.

An investigator may only have one of each type of Dark Pact at a time, meaning they can never claim two Blood Pacts. But they are able to have one of each, which will make them exceptionally powerful, as well as much more in debt to the Lurker. But more on that later...

Dark Pacts can also provide investigators with Power tokens, another new addition to game. Power tokens aren’t useful on their own, but certain Dark Pact cards will give investigators the ability to spend Power as if they were Clue tokens, as well as substitutes for Stamina or Sanity loss. But be careful of hoarding power, as it might draw unwanted attention from watchful eyes.

In addition, Dark Pacts also act as great boons for spell-casters. Any time an investigator attempts to cast a spell, they may reduce the sanity cost of the spell to 0 and automatically succeed by taking a Dark Pact card. However, in doing so, they face immediate repercussions. After they claim their Dark Pact, they immediately draw and resolve a Reckoning card. These cards represent the debt owed to the Lurker for borrowed power.

Next time we pay the Lurker his due by exploring the Reckoning cards and the powerful abilities of this new Herald!