Curse of the Dark Pharaoh
The Curse of the Dark Pharaoh expansion for Arkham Horror was released in 2006. It was the first expansion for the popular horror board game, although the release only included additional cards and a two-page set of rules. Curse of the Dark Pharaoh reviews were mixed, prompting designer Robert Vaughn to release a revised edition in 2011.
Regardless of which version you play, Arkham Horror player will be able to incorporate it with little trouble. It can be played with anywhere from one to eight players, although a party of four works best. Gamers as young as 12 can get in on the action, but keep in mind that a session of Arkham Horror can last for several hours, and all of the expansions tend to make the game longer.
This page takes an in-depth look at the Curse of the Dark Pharaoh expansion for Arkham Horror. It examines the new components of the game, as well as any additional rules. And since two versions now exist, a breakdown of the Curse of the Dark Pharaoh revised edition is also included.
Curse of the Dark Pharaoh Premise
As
part of an exchange with Cairo University, an exhibit known as “Legacy of
the Pharaohs” is coming to Arkham. While the students and faculty at Arkham
University are thrilled with the research potential, other members of the
community greet the news with derision and boycotts. The misgivings of the
latter prove to be correct, as the already beleaguered city is set upon by
foreign cultists, profane relics, and the potential rise of the dreaded Old
Ones.
H.P. Lovecraft fans will recognize the tie-in between the game’s title and the dread deity Nyarlathotep. One of his many forms is the sinister Black Pharaoh, and his worshippers comprise the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh. If you’ve ever wanted to pit your skills (and sanity) against the being often referred to as the Creeping Chaos, now’s your chance.
Curse of the Dark Pharaoh Game Components
When you buy the Curse of the Dark Pharaoh expansion set for Arkham Horror, you receive the following:
76 Investigator Cards (includes 21 spells, 22 exhibit items, 4 benefits, 4 detriments, 7 allies, and 18 barred from neighborhood cards)
90 Ancient One Cards (includes 45 Arkham location cards, 27 gate cards, and 18 mythos cards)
Here’s a rundown of how each type of card affects gameplay:
Exhibit Items - Like unique items, except that they can only be gained through encounters and have no monetary value.
Gate Cards - Special gate cards with the colors of two encounter symbols. If your luck is bad, there’s a chance your investigator might have to face an Ancient One.
Barred from the Neighborhood - These cards are discarded when the terror level rises, but they can be a real pain up until that point. If one of these cards is in play, the investigator will not be able to enter a location within the designated neighborhood during the movement phase.
Benefits and Detriments - Similar in nature to blessings and curses, these cards create specific conditions that either help or hinder your investigator.
Allies - The allies in the Arkham Horror basic set provided bonuses to your skills, but the allies in this expansion give bonuses to specific kinds of checks. This might be a spell check, or it could apply to evasion, horror, or combat.
New Rules for Curse of the Dark Pharaoh
The main new rule for Curse of the Dark Pharaoh involves the element of surprise. When your investigator is surprised by a monster, they don‘t have the option of evading during the first round. The initial round of combat requires the following steps to be taken:
- Your investigator must make a horror check.
- You must engage the monster in combat. The battle is over if you defeat the creature during the first round.
- If you were wounded, figure up damage. The combat then continues (assuming your investigator is still sane, alive, and on the same space). From this point on, your investigator will have the option to fight or flee each round.
Multiple Styles of Play
In addition to the rules governing surprise, Curse of the Dark Pharaoh allows for two distinctive styles of play. The first is the “visiting exhibit” play style, which assumes that the Legacy of the Pharaohs has just arrived in Arkham and will eventually travel to another unlucky destination. The Doom Track may move more rapidly than in a regular game of Arkham Horror, so this option is suggested for experienced players.
While most rules and victory conditions stay the same, players have to contend with new environments, rumors, encounters, and mythos headlines. One important difference involves the Mythos Phase, where players alternate between drawing from the standard Arkham Horror deck and the Curse of the Dark Pharaoh deck.
The “permanent exhibit” play style assumes that the Legend of the Pharaohs is here to stay, so the new cards are mixed in with the standard cards from Arkham Horror. Victory conditions remain the same, and most rules are unchanged. One exception relates to allies, as two are randomly discarded from the ally deck (instead of one) when the terror level increases.
Curse of the Dark Pharaoh Revised Edition
The
reaction to Curse of the Dark Pharaoh was mixed, so designer Robert
Vaughn collaborated with Tim Uren and released a revised edition in 2011.
The cards from the original Curse of the Dark Pharaoh set are still
present, with the exception of the 18 Barred from Neighborhood cards. The
following new items are also included:
- 18 Exhibit Encounter Cards
- 1 Dark Pharaoh Herald Sheet
- 1 Ancient Whispers Marker
- 9 Patrol Markers
This version still doesn’t come with a game board, although it does add new cards and additional game mechanics. Special exhibit items become more available to investigators thanks to the Ancient Whispers marker, a kind of roving encounter that sweeps through the streets of Arkham.
Players will also have to utilize stealth more often due to the presence of the Patrol Markers. These simulate the citizens of Arkham keeping a wary eye out for trouble, and anyone moving through a street with a patrol marker must make a sneak (+0) check. Failure to do so will result in the investigator being arrested. When the terror level rises, the patrol markers are removed from the board.
Curse of the Dark Pharaoh Reviews
Arkham Horror: Curse of the Black Pharaoh has drawn mixed reviews from players, but it also gained enough of a following to warrant a revised version in 2011. Either version should lead to hours of fighting the forces of the Old Ones, and players will have to stay sharp to keep their lives and sanity intact.