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See also: Disaster
Devastation Token

Devastation occurs in a game of Eldritch Horror whenever a city is ruined because of a Disaster.

When a City City becomes devastated, a Devastation token is put upon it. Any Clues, Expedition Encounters, Mystic Ruins Encounter or defeated Investigators are discarded from the map or their decks. A Clue Clue that would be placed on the space is not placed if spawned, it is discarded instead. A Clue cannot be moved to a devastated space. The space no longer counts as a City space for purposes like Darrell Simmons Darrell Simmons's ability.

The player will no longer draw a Location Encounter when having an encounter there and may not draw a General Encounter. Instead, they will draw a Devastation Encounter. The investigator may still draw an Other World Encounter if a Gate is on the space.

If all 9 cities become devastated, the game immediately ends in failure.

If Shudde M'ell Shudde M'ell is the Ancient One, Rome Rome will begin the game devastated.

Devastation Encounter[]

Devastation Encounter

Back of a Devastation Encounter card

A Devastation Encounter is a type of Encounter only used when a Disaster has come in play.

If an Investigator is on a space marked with a Devastation token, they have the option of resolving a Devastation Encounter. Like an Expedition Encounter or Mystic Ruins Encounter, they typically are resolved in multiple parts. Almost all of the time, the player may choose which of the two effects to resolve.

Devastation Encounters frequently use Influence and Observation checks, and have a wide variety of benefits and drawbacks.

ID # Set Initial Text Pass Effect Fail Effect
1 08
Cities in Ruin
A friend of yours says he knows where an important treasure was hidden before the tragedy. Resolve the pass effect to send your friend to retrieve the object; or resolve the fail effect to look for it yourself. You impress on your friend how important this treasure would be to your cause (Influence-1). If you pass, your friend returns successfully; gain 1 Artifact. If you fail, your friend absconds with the treasure and is never seen again; discard 1 Ally Asset. You search the area (Observation-1). If you pass, you find that the treasure was destroyed, but its fragment can still be used to ward off evil; retreat Doom Doom by 1. If you fail, you search the desolate wasteland fruitlessly; lose Sanity 1 Sanity and gain 1 Madness Condition.
2 08
Cities in Ruin
A cult has established itself in the ruins of the city and is terrorizing those survivors who remain. Resolve the pass effect to convince the survivors to defend themselves; or resolve the fail effect to infiltrate the cult. You gather the survivors and make an impassioned speech (Influence-1). If you pass, their resistance is a worldwide inspiration; retreat Doom Doom by 1. If you fail, they all eventually succumb to the cult; lose Sanity 3 Sanity. The cult will not accept you unless you establish your arcane knowledge (Lore-1). If you pass, you sabotage the cultists and steal one of their prize possessions; gain 1 Artifact. If you fail, they attack you; lose Health 2 Health.
3 08
Cities in Ruin
You know that survivors are in desperate need of resources, but conspicuous signs of wealth make you a target for thieves. Resolve the pass effect to bring extra food and supplies with you; or resolve the fail effect to bring only basic equipment. The survivors are overjoyed to see you. You try to enlist their help (Influence). If you pass, one survivor in particular comes to your aid; gain 1 random Ally Asset from the deck. If you fail, you despair when it seems that their fears cannot be overcome; lose Sanity 2 Sanity. You are caught off-guard by the awful conditions of the city and worry that you are woefully unprepared (Will). If you pass, you become adept at hiding from the bandits that dwell within the city limits; improve Observation. If you fail, you begin to grow unhinged; lose Sanity 1 Sanity.
4 08
Cities in Ruin
Part of the building you are exploring collapses, trapping you inside. Resolve the pass effect to search the basement for a tunnel that connects to another building; or resolve the fail effect to try to dig your way out. You search the shadowy basement halls (Observation). If you pass, you find both an exit and important documents that you were left behind; gain Clue 1 Clue. If you fail, you spend endless hours feeling your ways around in the dark; gain 1 Madness Condition. You do your best to dig through the rubble (Strength). If you pass, your efforts attract the attention of a survivor who offers to help you; gain 1 random Ally Asset from the deck. If you fail, working alone is a tremendous strain on your body; gain 1 Injury Condition.
5 08
Cities in Ruin
Rescue effort have stopped due to wild animal attacks. Resolve the pass effect to try convincing authorities to renew their attempts to reach survivors; or resolve the fail effect to enter the ruined city alone. You beg for help rescuing survivors (Influence). If you pass, a talented stranger agrees to assist you; gain 1 random Ally Asset from the deck. If you fail, those who lend their help only attract more animal attacks, despite their best intentions; lose Health 1 Health and gain 1 Injury Condition. You try to sneak through the rubble (Observation). If you pass, the people you have saved thank you with what little they have to offer; gain 1 random Item Asset from the deck. If you fail, the beasts catch your scent; gain 1 Injury Condition.
6 08
Cities in Ruin
You know that someone is stalking you through the debris, but you aren't sure of the person's intentions. Resolve the pass effect to try to catch the one who has been following you; or resolve the fail effect to call out the person. You try to turn the tables on your pursuer (Observation). If you pass, the person flees, leaving behind a useful object; gain 1 random Item Asset from the deck. If you fail, you are overwhelmed; lose Health 1 Health and gain 1 Injury Condition. You offer a bribe to your pursuer (Influence). If you pass, the stranger steps out of the shadows to join you; gain 1 random Ally Asset from the deck. If you fail, your voice draws the attention of a truly nightmarish creature; gain 1 Madness Condition.
7 08
Cities in Ruin
Several survivors have fallen under a trance and are walking slowly towards dark fissures in the ground. You deduce that they are being summoned by the telepathic call of a cthonian. Resolve the pass effect to try to stop them; or resolve the fail effect to follow them. The cthonian's thoughts invade your mind (Will). If you pass, the creature's arcane presence only serves to make you more powerful; improve Strength. If you fail, you eventually awaken and find that one of your friends is missing; discard 1 Ally Asset. You track the survivors through the endless tunnels (Observation). If you pass, you find them before they are consumed and they reward you for your efforts; gain 1 random Item Asset from the deck. If you fail, you stumble through the tunnels in the dark; lose Health 1 Health.
8 08
Cities in Ruin
You try to lead a group of survivors to safety, but additional tremors have turned the road you used to enter the city into an impassable wall of rubble. Resolve the pass effect to coordinate an attempt to clear a path; or resolve the fail effect to stay where you are. You try to organize the survivors' efforts to clear the rubble (Influence). If you pass, you all reach safety and they gratefully reward you; gain 1 random Item Asset from the deck. If you fail, you end up doing most of the work yourself; lose Health 1 Health. As you learn about the survivors, you learn they have much to teach you if you are willing to invest the time and effort to learn. You may become Delayed to gain 1 Talent Condition.
9 08
Cities in Ruin
You and your companion desperately need to find a source of fresh water. Resolve the pass effect to start digging a well; or resolve the fail effect to search for a way to restore the city's water supply. You need to dig much deeper than you anticipated to reach a fresh source of water (Strength). If you fail, your efforts take too long and one of your companion succumbs to dehydration; discard 1 Ally Asset. You scrutinize the city's water distribution system, looking for intact pipes (Observation). If you fail, your only hope for survival is to use some of your equipment to patch those places where the pipes have been broken; discard 1 Item possession.
10 08
Cities in Ruin
Unscrupulous profiteers are stealing from homes that were left unprotected when the city was abandoned. Resolve the pass effect to patrol the ruined city yourself; or resolve the fail effect to convince one of your companions to do so. You keep a vigilant watch over the city to put an end to the thefts (Observation). If you fail, one of the profiteers manages to sneak past you and steals something of yours; discard 1 Item possession. You insist that one of your associates protect these homes from thieves (Influence). If you fail, your companion does not agree that such work is important and reacts poorly to being ordered to do it; discard 1 Ally Asset.
11 08
Cities in Ruin
An enormous fire rages throughout what little remains of the city. You run yourself ragged running back and forth, gathering as much sand and water as you can in an effort to extinguish the raging inferno before it consumes all (Strength-1). Once the fire has died down you search the charred remains of the city (Observation). If you pass, you find a peculiar arcane object that managed to survive; gain 1 Artifact. If you fail, the lingering smoke overwhelms you; lose Health 3 Health. As the fire grows, you hear people shouting from a burning building. You try to summon the courage to save them (Will). If you pass, they offer you a reward; gain 1 random Item Asset from the deck. If you fail, their screams haunt you; lose Sanity 2 Sanity.
12 08
Cities in Ruin
The survivors have vanished, leaving behind strange symbols. Setting up a search party would take weeks. You may become Delayed to resolve the pass effect. If you do not become Delayed, you study the symbols; resolve the fail effect. You attempt to cover the expenses necessary to organize a search party (Influence). If you pass, your effort was worthwhile and you rescue thousands of people; retreat Doom Doom by 1. If you fail, you achieve nothing but exhausting yourself; lose Health 2 Health. You scrutinize the arcane symbols that the survivors left behind (Lore). If you pass, you grasp the message they gave their lives to convey; gain Clue 1 Clue. If you fail, the mystery haunts your conscience; lose Sanity 2 Sanity.
13 08
Cities in Ruin
The military has been sent in to protect survivors. After encountering the voracious creatures that prowl through the night, however, the soldiers are anxious to leave. You try to convince them to stay and fight (Influence). You lead the soldiers against the vicious beasts that prowl the city (Strength). If you pass, you rescue a survivor who gratefully joins you; gain 1 random Ally Asset from the deck. If you fail, you lose something important as you retreat; discard 1 Item possession. You promise not to abandon the survivors even after the soldiers leave. Each night you hear the terrifying sounds of the beasts (Will). If you pass, you use your time to hone your abilities; gain 1 Talent Condition. If you fail, you flee from your duty; lose Sanity 1 Sanity.
14 08
Cities in Ruin
Disease runs rampant through those still trapped within the city's ruins. Soon you begin suffering from the same fever and skin lesions as others who have already lost their life to the affliction. You struggle to fight off the disease (Strength) You search for a qualified doctor to use your blood to create a cure (Observation). If you pass, those who recover offer you a reward; gain 1 random Item Asset from the deck. If you fail, the inexperienced doctor draws too much of your blood; lose Health 2 Health. You offer a reward to anyone who will care for you (Influence). If you pass, a stranger is sympathetic to your plight; gain 1 random Ally Asset from the deck. If you fail, no one helps you and you slip into a debilitating delirium; lose Sanity 1 Sanity and gain 1 Madness Condition.
15 08
Cities in Ruin
Hiding in the ruins of a store, you hear the sniffing and growling of some enormous creature just outside. As the sounds grow louder, you are certain it has caught your scent. The beast howls, signaling to others, and you struggle to resist blind panic (Will). You remain calm and well-hidden but some of your companions insist that running away is the only way to survive. You try to convince them to stay hidden (Influence). If you fail, one of them makes a break for it and is immediately pounced upon; discard 1 Ally Asset. You run as fast as you can through the night, blindly stumbling over the uneven terrain as you make your escape (Observation). If you fail, you trip and your possessions go skittering across the ground; discard 1 Item possession.
16 08
Cities in Ruin
Some entropic power seems to pervade the remains of this city, causing everything to fall apart or breakdown. You have to keep a careful watch on your equipment to keep all of it in working order (Observation). You discover one of your belonging requires repair. Using limited tools and your own incomplete knowledge, you attempt to restore the object to working order (Lore). If you fail, the thing is beyond repair; discard 1 Item possession. Your equipment breaks and one of your friends is injured as a result. Some of your belongings will require days to repair and your companion will need time to heal. Discard 1 Ally Asset and 1 Item possession unless you become Delayed.
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