The Hills Rise Wild Board Game
The Hills Rise Wild board game is described by the publisher as an “inbred, corpse fed, blood red bonanza.” And since the quote comes from Pagan Publishing--the same folks who made the award-winning Call of Cthulhu supplement Delta Green--their word carries a lot of weight with gamers fascinated by the creations of H.P. Lovecraft.
The Hills Rise Wild is a miniatures game that allows players to control one of four deranged clans devoted to worship of the evil Old Ones. It’s set in the Dunwich area, just after the death of Old Wizard Whateley. The crazy old man had an authentic copy of the famed Necronomicon, but it’s sealed up inside his mansion. In order to get the book and win the game, the clans will have to fan out across Dunwich, battle one another, and conduct a desperate search in every shack they come across.
The Hills Rise Wild Factions
Crazed hillbilly clans fighting to the death is an integral part of
The Hills Rise Wild board game. The set comes with four such groups, and
this section is devoted to The Hills Rise Wild factions available
for play. In addition to the identities of each clan, we’ve also
included individual members and their notable abilities.
The Marsh Clan - From the corrupt coastal town of Innsmouth, the blood of this deranged faction contains a mixture of both human and Deep One DNA. Members of the clan include:
Captain Obed Marsh - The leader of the clan, he may treat any brutal damage rolled against him as a miss. He also grants a +1 bonus to melee and ranged attacks to any clan members within 6 inches on the board.
Junior - A hulking madman with a shotgun, Junior has the ability to toss any character 10 inches following a successful attack. He may also move though partial obstacles at no penalty.
Sargasso - This crazed seaman is able to launch a seaweed attack, and his spear can hit opponents at a greater range than most melee weapons.
Sea Hag - Armed with magic spells, this member of the Marsh clan is able to teleport to her faction’s summoning circle and restore all her life points. She also gains a bonus to summoning when she possesses the dreaded Necronomicon.
Slippy Finn - Armed with a knife, Slippy Finn may double his movement rate.
Spew - His corrosive vomit attack is especially gross and effective. It has a range of 3 and a +1 modifier, as well as doing brutal damage.
The Whateley Clan - These diabolical hillbillies live on the outskirts of Dunwich, and they’re fond of allowing monstrous beings to grow inside their farmhouse.
Wilbur Whateley - The twisted head of the family (now that Old Man Whateley is dead), Wilbur can unleash tentacles during the combat phase, as well as call upon the strength of Yog-Sothoth. This latter ability will either kill him or restore all his life points.
Clem - Each combat round, Clem gets to make a knife attack on anyone within range. He also has the ability to go berserk, making two knife attacks on each target.
Cletus - Since he’s got six fingers on his hand, Cletus can try to reload his scattergun each movement phase. He gets to roll for each spent ammo point, and a roll of 11 or better results in a successful reload of that point.
George - Skilled at moving through bushes and trees without a penalty, George can also use a whistle to immediately summon the hound to his side.
The Hound - Any enemy of the Whateley family who gets within 8 inches of the hound must make a successful roll or be stunned. When near doors and windows, this mean-spirited pooch also has a talent for sniffing out Mystery Cards.
Lavinia - She starts the game with three fewer life points than other characters, but she can increase her health by using a wasting spell on her enemies. She can also cause the Necronomicon to manifest sharp teeth, delivering a brutal wound to anyone holding it.
DeGhoule Clan - Ghouls are undead creatures who live in cemeteries and feast on the dead. This clan is one of the more demented examples of such supernatural abominations.
Angel DeGhoule - The leader of the DeGhoule clan, Angel may regain one life by devouring a dead character. She may also burrow into the ground and emerge anywhere she wants, as long as it’s outdoors.
Fortune - He may peek at any two mystery cards on the board during the movement phase.
Fury - His shovel can hit targets up to two inches away, and he can also claw his way into the ground and emerge in the same spot at the start of the following turn.
Grave - After an opponent rolls the dice, Grave may choose to add or subtract 1, 2 or 3 points from their total.
Judgment - Armed with a pick, this creature may inflict brutal damage on anyone who he just wounded with a successful melee attack. He’s also skilled at finishing off wounded characters, getting a +2 melee bonus against those who are below their maximum hit points.
Spitgut - All damage rolls against him are at -1, and he’s also able to absorb damage done to any DeGhoule family member within 10 inches.
Cult of Ezekiel - There’s something terrifying about religious fanatics, but this clan makes the average loon seem downright reasonable.
Father Darke - Armed with a psychic attack and a dagger, this sinister cultist may ignore line of sight and obstacles while employing his mental assault. He may also spend a life point to stun a character before their movement phase.
The Chosen - If he makes two successful melee attacks in a turn, then he also deals brutal damage to the target for free.
Brother Jube - If he doesn’t attack during a turn, he may add 2 inches to his movement. If he’s killed, the person who committed the deed will suffer brutal damage if within 8 inches.
Brother Rsorr - He has an opportunity to take half damage from attacks, and his black wand is a formidable weapon.
Brother S’zill - After rolling a natural 20 on an attack, he can choose to automatically kill an opponent.
Brother Xsix - He may summon and control spheres to extend his line of sight. He may also move through obstacles, which includes other characters.
The Hills Rise Wild Rules
The rules for The Hill Rise Wild are surprisingly simple to learn. To start, each player selects their clan or draws one at random. Next, players take turns placing tiles to set up the game board. Mystery cards are then placed in the shacks, clan members are situated on the board, and the game is ready to play.
When play begins, characters will send their clan members out into the area around Dunwich to search for the copy of the Necronomicon that once belonged to Old Wizard Whateley. Since the other players--between two and four people can play--are trying to do the same, this will inevitably lead to gruesome combat between the clans. In the middle of the carnage, you’ll also need to search the shacks and find the Great Whateley Seal. This will allow you access to Whateley Mansion, which houses the infamous spell book that everyone seeks.
Once a player has obtained the Necronomicon, they must carry it back to their home base and start trying to summon their favorite Old One. If they can accomplish this, the eldritch horror will appear and allow them to win the game. Meanwhile, the other clans will be trying to storm the building and forcibly take the Necronomicon from its latest owner.
The Hills Rise Wild Expansions
There are no The Hills Rise Wild expansions available. The game has been out for years, and the chance that expansions will be released dwindles with each passing year. Then again, Pagan Publishing is a smaller outfit, so it is possible that they simply haven’t had the time or resources to do it. If you’re a fan of The Hills Rise Wild miniature game, your only options are to wait patiently and pray to the Old Ones or scour the Internet for fan-created expansions. True devotees of expansions might want to try games like Arkham Horror or Mansions of Madness, as they both have a number of supplements.
The Hills Rise Wild Rules Variants
If you’re looking for The Hills Rise Wild rules variants, the best place to visit is the official website for Pagan Publishing. They include a number of rule variants for The Hills Rise Wild that have been submitted by players. Here are a few examples:
Ice! - The city of Dunwich is covered in ice following a dramatic temperature shift. If a character moves more than 2 inches outside, they must roll to see if they slip on the ice and take damage.
The Pits! - Dunwich is now littered with giant pits thanks to Dhole activity. Tiles are placed as normal, although mansion and home tiles may not be boxed in by non-shack tiles. After tiles have been placed, flip over all non-shack tiles to simulate bottomless pits. If a character winds up in one of these, they are eliminated from the game.
Beer! Beer! Beer! - The hillbillies now have the opportunity to drink beer. Roll 1D6 and add that many markers on the board to simulate cans of beer. Any character who drinks a can of beer can restore one life point, although it costs 2 inches of movement to drink and crush the can.
The Hills Rise Wild Review
Since I’m a fan of crazed hillbillies, miniature combat, and H.P. Lovecraft, it’s natural that I would be drawn to The Hills Rise Wild. The average game takes about an hour, so it offers plenty of entertainment value without eating up an entire evening. The Pagan Publishing website also offers support in the form of rule variants and blank clan sheets for creating your own groups, although the lack of expansions is a disappointment. If you’ve played more complex games based on the Cthulhu mythos (such as Elder Sign and Arkham Horror), give your brain a break by trying this fast-moving, tongue-in-cheek game.