2

MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

ARISE YE TARNISHED, AND PREPARE

TO STEP UPON THE PATH TO
BECOMING ELDEN LORDS

E
LDEN RING: The Board Game is a cooperative
campaign game for 1-4 players set across the once
glorious regions of the Lands Between. This glory now
faded since, a wealth of mysteries and forgotten locations
nonetheless await those bold and intrepid of soul.

Each player explores this land as one of the Tarnished figures recently
returned to the Lands Between. As a group, they must confront and
defeat the adversaries that wait, growing in experience and strength
along the way, discovering or crafting resources that will help them
prevail.

Yet beware, for this kingdom is home not only to secrets but also
terrifying danger. A host of foes await to expel any soul brave or
foolish enough to intrude upon their territory, each possessed of
either martial discipline or deadly cunning, and several both.

Arise ye Tarnished, and prepare to step upon the path to become

Elden Lords.

Designer’s Note: For ease of reference, we’ve combined the rulesets of both the Machinations of the Witch and Dominion
of Rot rulebooks into a single document. Any rules that apply to only one of these are included within a uniquely outlined
section, as shown below. Several sections that players may be familiar with from the ELDEN RING: The Board Game
– Realm of the Grafted King rulebook, such as component assembly and box storage, are not present in this rulebook.
They will be added to the final version of the individual rulebooks later, and will be unique for each box.

The rules detailed in this document are in development and are subject to change.

Rules that only apply to Machinations of the Rules that only apply to Dominion of Rot
Witch are outlined like this. are outlined like this.

©Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. / ©FromSoftware, Inc.

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THE TARNISHED

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 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

THE TARNISHED

At the start of the campaign, each player chooses a Tarnished, then takes a dashboard, tri-dial, and
the starting cards for their chosen Tarnished.

Players can begin this campaign with any of the Tarnished they have available, not just the ones
included in the same box as this campaign.

Dashboards

Dashboards help players to organise their Tarnished’s equipment, decks, and tokens
during scenarios. Each Tarnished dashboard is the same. Unless otherwise stated, a card slot that
isn’t used for a deck or discard pile can only have a single card in it.

2 3
1 4

14 6
5 7
9 8

11 12
10 13

1. Combat Deck slot 9. Effigy of the Martyr token slots

2. Combat Deck discard slot 10. Armour Card slot
3. Attribute Deck slot 11. Weapon Card slot 1
4. Attribute Deck discard slot 12. Weapon Card slot 2
5. Trait Card slot 13. Talisman Card slot
6. Profile Card slot 14. Buff Card slot
7. Class Feature Card slot
8. Flask Token slots

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MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

TRI-DIALS
Each Tarnished tracks their health points (HP), focus points (FP), and hand size using a tri-dial.

HP dial

4 4

FP dial Hand Size

HP Hand Size

This dial represents how many health points the Tarnished This dial represents a Tarnished’s stamina and indicates how many
currently has. Each time the Tarnished suffers 1 or more damage, combat cards their player can have in their hand. A player can’t have
reduce the value shown on the dial by the amount of damage taken. more cards in their hand than the value of their Tarnished’s dial,
If the dial shows 0, the Tarnished has been defeated. unless specifically stated otherwise.

If a Tarnished heals 1 or more HP, increase the value on their dial

by the amount of damage healed. A Tarnished can’t increase the Maximum Values
value of their dial above their maximum HP value.

At the start of the campaign, each player sets their tri-dial to the
FP values found on their Tarnished’s profile card. These values are
the Tarnished’s maximum values. As the campaign continues,
Tarnished can increase this value with various traits and their
This dial represents how many focus points the Tarnished class feature.
currently has. FP is used to cast sorceries and incantations, and
perform some special attacks. Each time the Tarnished performs When a value on a tri-dial is adjusted, it can’t go above its highest
an action that requires FP, reduce the value shown on the dial numerical value or below 0 for any reason.
by the amount of FP used. If the dial’s value is lower than the
required FP, the Tarnished can’t perform that action.

If a Tarnished restores 1 or more FP, increase the value on their dial

by the amount of FP restored. A Tarnished can’t increase the value
of their dial above their maximum FP value.

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 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

TARNISHED CARDS
Each Tarnished begins the campaign with their own unique set of cards.

Profile Card Initiative Cards

A Tarnished’s profile card lists the cards and information their Each Tarnished has two initiative cards, used to determine the
player will need when starting a campaign. order in which their turns take place during combat.

4 5 6

1. The name of the Tarnished’s class.

2. The weapons the Tarnished begins the campaign with.
3. The armour the Tarnished begins the campaign with.
4. The Tarnished’s maximum HP at the start of the campaign. During encounters where multiple Tarnished are present, each
5. The Tarnished’s maximum FP at the start of the campaign. Tarnished will only use one initiative card, giving them each one turn
6. The Tarnished’s maximum hand size at the start of the per round. If a Tarnished faces combat alone, their second initiative
campaign. card is used to give them an additional turn.

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MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Class Feature and Region Quest Cards

Class Feature Region Quests

Each Tarnished has four class feature cards, ranging from level 1 In order to level up their class feature, Tarnished must complete
to level 4 These cards provide passive bonuses and special rules. region quests, which feature unique challenges for the Tarnished
to achieve or overcome. Tarnished will gain a region quest during
the campaign.

2
3 1 2

1 3

1. The name of the feature. 1. The region the quest belongs to, and its specific questline.
2. The Tarnished class the feature belongs to. 2. The quest stage.
3. The feature’s level. 3. The quest’s rules text.
4. The feature’s rules text.
Each region quest is part of a questline of six cards, beginning
A Tarnished can only have one class feature active at a time. Each at stage 1 and ending at stage 6.
time a class feature levels up, replace their current card with the
card for the next level. When a Tarnished completes a region quest, resolve any completion
text and then remove it from the game. Then, collect the next region
quest card in the questline and place it next to their dashboard.

Blessings
During the Dominion of Rot campaign, Tarnished can be
rewarded with blessings when they complete region quests.
Blessings are represented by special versions of combat or
attribute cards, they are both unique and powerful.
When a Tarnished gains a blessing, they store it in their
section of the box. Only that Tarnished can equip their
blessings. To equip a blessing, the Tarnished must spend
the number of runes detailed on the card, then add it to
the corresponding deck.
Combat card blessings are added to a Tarnished’s combat
deck in addition to any cards from the weapon they have
equipped. Attribute card blessings do count towards the 10
cards they must have in their attribute deck.

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 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Weapon Cards

Weapon cards represent the weapons the Tarnished is holding in Combat Cards
their hands. The fronts of these cards typically show the weapon’s
name and image, but can also detail any special rules the weapon Each weapon card has a unique list of combat cards that are
has. The backs detail all other information about the weapon included with that weapon, and indicates the number of combat
players will need. cards that are added to the combat deck from this weapon when
it is equipped. The cards from each equipped weapon are used
to form a Tarnished’s combat deck.
Note that ‘weapons’ in this context also includes shields.
When a weapon is first introduced to the campaign, the number
of cards it adds to the Tarnished’s combat deck will match the
number of available combat cards on the card. As the weapon is
1 upgraded, the number of cards in the list will often exceed this
number, requiring the Tarnished’s player to create a customised
2 deck, leaving some of the cards out of the Tarnished’s combat deck.
The cards that are available are always taken from the list of cards
shown with the weapon’s current level, and each preceding level.

For ease of organisation, it’s recommended players keep any of

an equipped weapon’s excess combat cards on their dashboard,
5 3 under the corresponding weapon card.

Rune Equip Cost

A weapon’s rune equip cost indicates how many runes a Tarnished

must spend to equip it.

4 Each level of a weapon shows a different rune equip cost. A

Tarnished only needs to spend runes equal to the current level of
the weapon, not the preceding levels.

1. The weapon’s name. Any time a player removes a card with a rune equip cost from
2. The weapon’s attribute. their Tarnished’s dashboard, after amending their combat deck
3. The combat cards that are available to the Tarnished when accordingly, they refund the card’s rune equip cost.
the weapon is equipped, at each upgrade level of the weapon.
4. The number of combat cards that are added to the combat The cards the Tarnished begin the campaign with have a rune
deck from this weapon. equip cost of 0.
5. The weapon’s rune equip cost, for each upgrade level.

Some weapon cards also have special rules, shown on the reverse Upgrading Weapons
side of the card.
Most weapons can be upgraded from +4 to +5 and +6. If an
equipped weapon has been upgraded to +5 or +6, retrieve a
Equipping Weapon Cards corresponding upgrade card and place it beneath the weapon card.

When a weapon card is added to a Tarnished’s dashboard, that

card is considered equipped. A weapon’s special rules can only Weapon levels begin at +4 to reflect the more advanced regions
be used if the weapon is equipped, and have no effect otherwise. of the Lands Between represented.

A player can replace one of their Tarnished’s weapon cards with

another weapon card any time their Tarnished is not taking part in
a combat encounter. When a weapon is removed, the player must
remove all of its associated combat cards from their Tarnished’s
combat deck.

Tarnished must always have two weapons equipped, unless

stated otherwise.

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MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Combat Cards and Decks

Combat cards are used during combat encounters to perform attacks, defend
against incoming damage, and produce other effects.

There are four types of combat card - attack, defence, action, and buff action.
These cards are detailed in greater depth in the combat encounter section.

Backhand Slash (attack) Dodge (defence) Refraction (action) Golden Vow (buff action)

Combat Decks

Combat decks are created from a combination of the available When an effect instructs a player to draw cards, it is referring
cards listed on the weapon(s) the Tarnished has equipped. The to the Tarnished’s combat deck, unless it specifies a different
number of cards in a Tarnished’s combat deck must always deck. Likewise, when an effect instructs a player to discard a
be equal to the number of cards added by their equipped card, it is referring to a combat card in their Tarnished’s hand,
weapon(s). unless specified otherwise.

Once created, a Tarnished’s combat deck is shuffled and placed

face down in the combat deck slot on their dashboard. During
scenarios, place any discarded combat cards in the discard slot.
If there are no cards left to draw in a Tarnished’s combat deck,
refresh the deck by shuffling the discarded cards and placing
them face down in the combat deck slot.

A player can replace one of their Tarnished’s combat cards with

another of the weapon’s cards any time their Tarnished is not
taking part in a combat encounter.

For ease of use, the name and upgrade level of the weapon the
card belongs to is listed on each combat card.

As noted in the previous section, if a Tarnished unequips a

weapon card, their player must remove all of its associated
combat cards from their Tarnished’s combat deck. When
another weapon is placed in that slot, the player adds cards to
their combat deck from the newly equipped weapon.

There are certain effects that can add additional cards to combat
decks. These cards are removed by their own effects, or if
specifically referenced by another effect. Otherwise, they must
be kept in the Tarnished’s combat deck, even if they change the
weapons they have equipped.

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 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Attribute Cards and Decks

Attribute cards represent a Tarnished’s stats and are used during There are certain effects that can add additional cards to
combat encounters and when resolving hardship cards to attribute decks. These cards can be removed by their own effects,
determine the effectiveness of their actions. or if specifically referenced by another effect. They do not count
towards the 10 cards the deck must consist of.
2
1. The card’s symbols.
2. The card’s rune equip cost. For example, the Scarlet Rot status effect can add rotten
attribute cards to a Tarnished’s attribute deck. This can cause
the deck to have more than 10 cards in it. They are only
1 removed by effects that specifically say so, not when a player
modifies their attribute deck in the Roundtable Hold.

Memory Cards

Memory cards represent various sorceries, incantations and

Ashes of War. They can be added to combat decks.

There are five types of attribute symbols. Note that cards may
have multiple types of symbols on them.
1
2

Strength Dexterity Intelligence Faith Common

When allocating symbols, any attribute symbol can count as the

common symbol.

A card’s rune equip cost indicates how many runes a Tarnished

must spend to add it to their deck. If the card is subsequently
removed, the card’s rune equip cost is refunded.

3
Attribute Decks
Each Tarnished begins the campaign with a deck made up of
their starting attribute cards. Over the course of the campaign,
this deck will evolve as players add new cards and remove
existing ones, customising their Tarnished’s performance. 1. The memory’s name.
2. The type of memory card – Sorcery or Incantation.
A Tarnished’s attribute deck must always consist of ten of a 3. The memory’s rune attach cost.
Tarnished’s cards.

A player can replace one of their Tarnished’s attribute cards with Like weapons, some memory cards require the player to spend
another of their available cards any time their Tarnished is not runes.
taking part in a combat encounter.
Memory cards are added to combat decks in addition to the
Once created, a Tarnished’s attribute deck is shuffled and placed cards added by each of the Tarnished’s equipped weapons.
face down in the attribute deck slot on their dashboard. During
scenarios, place any discarded attribute cards in the discard slot. A player can add or remove memory cards from their Tarnish’s
If there are no cards left to draw in a Tarnished’s attribute deck, combat deck any time they are not taking part in a combat
refresh the deck by shuffling the discarded cards and placing encounter.
them face down in the attribute deck slot.

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MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Armour Cards Talisman Cards

Armour cards represent the defensive gear the Tarnished is Talisman cards are a special type of item that a Tarnished can
wearing, providing them with bonuses via their special rules. equip, providing them with unique effects and bonuses via their
special rules.

2 1 2 1

3
3

1. The armour’s name. 1. The talisman’s name.

2. The armour’s rune equip cost. 2. The talisman’s rune equip cost.
3. The armour’s special rule(s). 3. The talisman’s special rule(s).

Like weapons, when an armour card is added to a Tarnished’s Like weapons and armour, when a talisman card is added to
dashboard, that card is considered equipped. An armour card’s a Tarnished’s dashboard, that card is considered equipped. A
special rules can only be used if the armour is equipped. Like talisman card’s special rules can only be used if the talisman
weapons, some armour cards require the player to spend runes is equipped. Like weapons and armour, some talisman cards
in order to equip the card. require the player to spend runes in order to equip the card.

A player can replace their Tarnished’s armour cards with another A player can replace their Tarnished’s talisman card with another
armour card any time their Tarnished is not taking part in a talisman card any time their Tarnished is not taking part in a
combat encounter. combat encounter.

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 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Trait Card

Trait cards provide passive improvements to the maximum HP,

FP, and/or hand size of a Tarnished.

1. The trait’s rune equip cost.

2. The tri-dial improvement(s) granted by the trait.

Like weapons, armour, and talismans, when a trait card is added

to a Tarnished’s dashboard, that card is considered equipped.
A trait card’s improvements can only be applied if the trait is
equipped. Trait cards require the player to spend runes in order
to equip the card.

A player can replace their Tarnished’s trait card with another

trait card any time their Tarnished is not taking part in a combat
encounter. When doing so, remember to amend the Tarnished’s
tri-dials accordingly, including their maximum values, and
compensating for any damage they have suffered and FP spent.

Buff Card Slot

Buff cards can be played on Tarnished during combat encounters.

The rules for buff cards are detailed in the combat section.

Tarnished’s Inventory

The space surrounding a Tarnished’s dashboard is used for any cards

they have in their inventory – materials, items, etc.

Material cards in a Tarnished’s inventory may be exchanged with

other Tarnished at any time. Other types of card can only be
exchanged in-between scenarios.

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MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

TARNISHED TOKENS STAKE OF

MARIKA CARDS
The following are types of Tarnished-specific tokens that either
belong to individual Tarnished, or interact with a Tarnished’s
dashboard or card on their dashboard. Although Stake of Marika cards are not part of the Tarnished’s
dashboards, they are an important part of their gameplay.
Flask
Stake of Marika cards are discarded when a Tarnished is defeated.
Each section will detail how this is resolved.
Flask tokens are placed on Tarnished dashboards and can be used
during scenarios to restore either HP or FP. Stake of Marika cards, once gained, are placed in the Roundtable
Hold. The total number of Stake of Marika cards that can be
There are two types of flask token, each of which has different placed in the Roundtable Hold varies, depending on the number
special rules and is represented by a unique token. of Tarnished taking part in the campaign.

Each flask token has an active face and an exhausted face. A

flask can only be used if its active face is face-up. The rules for
each scenario type will detail when a player can use one of their 1-2 Tarnished: 4 Stakes of Marika
Tarnished’s flasks.
3 Tarnished: 6 Stakes of Marika
When a player uses a flask, they flip the token to its exhausted side 4 Tarnished: 8 Stakes of Marika
and then resolve the corresponding effect below.

Flask of Crimson Tears

Heal the Tarnished’s HP to its maximum value. For ease of reference, each Stake of Marika card shows a player
count. At the start of the campaign, remove cards with a higher
Flask of Cerulean Tears value than the number of players from the game. These cards
Restore the Tarnished’s FP to its maximum value. may be returned if new players join the campaign.

Effigy of the Martyr

Effigy of the Martyr tokens can be added to a

Tarnished’s dashboard during exploration scenarios.
A Tarnished can have a maximum of 2 Effigy of the
Martyr tokens on their dashboard at any one time.
The remainder of their rules are detailed in the
exploration scenario section.

Objective

Objective tokens are used for a variety of special

rules and effects.

They have no inherent special rules of their own, and

are most commonly used as timer tokens on quest
and event cards, or as markers on the playing area
during exploration scenarios.

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 REALM OF THE GRAFTED KING

THE CAMPAIGN

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MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

THE CAMPAIGN
ELDEN RING: The Board Game is a deep campaign experience. It will take several sessions to play through, across multiple scenarios.

Setting up the Campaign Tiles and the Active Tile Stack

The following steps prepare several components and detail key During exploration scenarios, the players place hex-shaped tiles
concepts in readiness for the campaign. Once they are complete, on the tabletop, drawn from a stack at random. This stack is
getting started with any scenario will be fast and straightforward. created at the start of the first exploration scenario, and is called
the active tile stack.

Tarnished The active tile stack evolves over the course of the campaign,
reflecting changes in different regions. Each exploration scenario
At the start of the campaign, each player retrieves the starting brief details any tiles that should be added or removed at the
cards for their Tarnished. start and end of the scenario.

Separate each Tarnished’s combat cards and attribute cards into Between scenarios, players should take care to keep the active
decks, and shuffle each deck. tile stack separate from the other tiles. Tiles which are not part
of the active tile stack should be stored in the separate section
Set each Tarnished’s tri-dials to the maximum values found on provided in the box.
their Tarnished’s profile card.

The Machinations of the Witch tiles are divided into two main
Setting Up Tarnished Dashboards groups, denoted by the lettering on the tiles’ numbers – “L”
for lake tiles and “A” for academy tiles. Lake tiles are used
At the start of the campaign, and each scenario, each player takes during the first two chapters of the campaign. Academy tiles
their Tarnished’s dashboard checks that their Tarnished’s tri-dials are used during the third.
are set to their maximum values, and then places their cards and
decks in the corresponding slots.

Each player places a Flask of Crimson Tears token and a Flask of

Cerulean Tears token on their Tarnished’s dashboard, using the
flask slots.

01
Card Decks
Any tile that does not feature one of these letters are special
Retrieve the time and spirit candle decks, and each material deck. tiles, and are referred to by specific effects. Special tiles are
Shuffle each deck, and then return it to the box. never added to an actiave tile stack after a scenario in which
they feature is completed.
Retrieve the event and hardship decks. Check to ensure that each
deck only consists of the chapter 1 cards. After doing so, shuffle
both decks and then return them to the box.
There are two versions of each Dominion of Rot tile, cleansed
and infected, denoted by the lettering on the tile’s numbers
Some event cards have a slightly different back than others, – “C” for cleansed tiles and “I” for infected. There will only
featuring the symbol. These cards are shuffled with ever be a single version of each tile in the active stack at any
one time.
the others.

Throughout the campaign, additional cards will be added to

these decks, for a variety of reasons, from a variety of places.

The Dominion of Rot campaign features a deck of rotten

attribute cards. When setting up the campaign, ensure that
the deck only consists of chapter 1 cards. This deck should be C05 I05
shuffled after the beginning of, and could feature in, any type
of scenario. When setting up each scenario in this campaign, The cleansed and infected versions of the same tile.
the rotten attribute deck should be placed so that is within When a new tile is added to the active stack, the scenario will
reach of each player. specify which version.

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 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

THE ROUNDTABLE HOLD, VAULT, ARMOURY

AND CARDS REMOVED FROM THE GAME
Each box features sections for a Roundtable Hold, vault, armoury and cards that have
been removed from the game.

The Roundtable Hold

Academy Aid
The Roundtable Hold contains all the cards the Tarnished have
available to purchase or equip, but are not currently on their The Machinations of the Witch box includes a section to store
dashboard. the academy aid deck. This deck represents various combat
benefits that can be accessed within Raya Lucaria Academy –
At the beginning of the campaign, the Roundtable Hold contains NPC allies, magical traps and defences.
attribute and trait cards. As it progresses, the Tarnished will be
rewarded with a variety of additional cards, including weapons, At the beginning of the campaign, this deck includes only
armour and talismans. These rewards will typically begin the two non-numbered academy aid cards. Throughout the
the campaign in either the vault or armoury, and move to the campaign, players will likely be instructed to add additional
Roundtable Hold as they are earned. cards to this deck from the vault. This can be the result of
various effects – making certain decisions during NPC
questlines, interacting with certain events or hardships, etc.
The Vault
The academy aid deck is used primarily during this campaign’s
The vault contains a series of numbered cards. Throughout the chapter 3 scenarios. Each card can be used once during the
campaign, these cards can be referenced by a variety of effects and same scenario. Their effects can vary greatly. Read each card
moved from the vault to another section or deck – the Roundtable carefully. Academy aid cards that are added to the marching
Hold, event deck, hardship deck, etc. order are always removed from it at the end of the round.

Only return cards to the vault if specifically instructed to do so.

The Armoury Festival Allies Deck

The armoury functions similarly to the vault, but only contains The Dominion of Rot box includes a section to store the
weapons, memories and Ash of War cards (along with their festival allies deck. This deck represents the NPCs that are
corresponding combat cards). willing to aid the Tarnished during the Festival of Radahn,
the final scenario of the campaign.

Removed from the Game At the beginning of the campaign, this deck includes only
the two non-numbered festival allies cards. Throughout the
There are several effects that can remove cards from the game. When campaign, players can add additional cards to this deck,
a card is removed from the game, place it in this section. Once a card typically by completing various NPC questlines.
has been removed from the game, it cannot be returned, unless an
effect specifically states otherwise. The Festival of Radahn scenario brief details how these cards
affect its gameplay.
At the beginning of the campaign, there are no cards in this section.

17
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 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

PLAYING THE CAMPAIGN

The campaign is divided into three chapters, with each chapter progressively adding new
scenarios that feature more powerful enemies, larger landscapes, and more difficult challenges.

Scenarios

Map Cards
Each scenario offers a different experience, with unique enemy
encounters, areas to explore, treasures to find, and characters to
discover along the way. Map cards represent the areas of Limgrave that the Tarnished have
discovered on their travels. Players can only play a scenario if they
There are five different types of scenario. have the map card for that scenario.

xploration Scenarios - The Tarnished slowly populate

E Players typically gain new map cards by completing scenarios.
an overworld map with location tiles as they explore their
surroundings and attempt to complete specific objectives.

 auntlet Scenarios - The Tarnished face multiple waves of

G
enemies in deadly combat.
1
 ungeon Scenarios - The Tarnished venture into a forsaken
D
dungeon, defeating the enemies found therein, before
challenging a final boss.
2
 oss Scenarios - The Tarnished must overcome a deadly boss
B
enemy in combat. 3
 arrative Scenarios – The players narratively explore their
N
location, making decisions that will dictate how they overcome 4
challenges and locations.

Most scenarios are not played in a linear order, and players will
be able to choose which scenarios to attempt based on what 5
map cards they’ve gained during the campaign.

1. This is the name of the map card and its scenario.

2. This indicates the chapter the scenario belongs to.
3. This is the type of scenario.
4. If the card has additional information about the scenario,
it will be here.
5. This is the card’s runelock value.

Some map cards are runelocked, and the players can’t play
them until their Tarnished have gained a number of runes from
completing other scenarios.

The total number of runes gained by the Tarnished can be

tracked with the runes cards, which should be stored in the
Roundtable Hold after they have been gained.

Runes are ALWAYS tracked together no matter how many

Tarnished are currently taking part. So, if the Tarnished have
50 runes available, each individual Tarnished can spend 50
runes, and any map cards with a runelock value of 50 or less
can be attempted, but not any with a higher value.

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MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Getting Started Playing a Scenario

To play a scenario, turn to the corresponding page in the scenario

Although the campaign is non-linear, the first three scenarios book, indicated on the map card. Each scenario has a dedicated
are designed to be played in numerical order as tutorials for the brief, which will detail how to set it up. The rules for how to play
players to learn how to play the game. each scenario type are detailed on the following pages of this book.

The first scenario of the campaign is always the first one in the At the end of a scenario, regardless of the type of scenario and
corresponding campaign’s scenario book. whether it was successfully completed or failed, players turn to
the Roundtable Hold section of this book.

Setting Up Tarnished Dashboards If the players fail a scenario, all is not lost. The campaign will
continue regardless…
At the start of each scenario, each player takes their Tarnished’s
dashboard, checks that their Tarnished’s tri-dials are set to their
maximum values, and then places their cards and decks in the Miscellaneous Cards
corresponding slots.
Miscellaneous cards begin the campaign in the vault. They can
Each player places a Flask of Crimson Tears token and a Flask be moved to the Roundtable Hold by specific effects throughout
of Cerulean Tears token on their Tarnished’s dashboard, using the campaign. They have no effect other than to be referenced by
the flask slots. certain special rules.

For example, if players opt to follow Ranni’s advice, they may

be asked to add a card representing that to the Roundtable
hold. Later in the campaign, when the consequences of that
decision become relevant, a rule might ask players to check if
the “Ranni’s Advice” card is in the Roundtable Hold.

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 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

EXPLORATION SCENARIOS
The Lands Between are a large and sprawling place, which will take days to cross, let alone explore. In these scenarios
the Tarnished do exactly that, discovering new locations, gathering resources, overcoming hardships, meeting non-
player characters, and fulfilling their objectives.

Each exploration scenario has a brief with up to four separate sections.

Setup Special Rules

This section details any changes that need to be made to the If the scenario has any special rules, they are listed here. Typically,
active tile stack, to ensure that players encounter the correct these detail either an ongoing state for the scenario, or how to
locations as they explore, and which Guidance of Grace cards resolve a specific location or event.
are required for the scenario. It may also include changes to
other card decks, if required. Note that some scenarios don’t feature special rules, and won’t
feature this section.

Enemies and Allies Completing the Scenario

When the Tarnished explore, they’ll discover some locations This section will detail how the scenario is completed, and specific
that require scenario-specific information. This includes which instructions to follow afterwards.
enemies patrol the region, what the merchants are currently
selling, which specific dungeon is in the area and which non-
player characters can be encountered. When a Dominion of Rot exploration scenario is completed
or failed, the players will likely have to switch a number of
Note that some scenarios don’t feature specific locations, tiles for their opposite versions – cleansed or infected. This is
and won’t have every entry above. always done when the scenario is finished, before the active
tile stack is returned to the box. More details on this can be
found later in this section.

21
MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Setting Up

Follow the steps below when setting up an exploration scenario.

4 2

Beast Flora Ruins

Material Decks Event Deck Hardship Deck Spirit Candle Deck

5
1

Active Tile Stack

Guidance of Grace Cards

Starting Tiles and the Active Stack

There are several starting tiles, which can be identified by an “S”

marking. Unless otherwise stated, shuffle these tiles, and draw one
at random. Place that tile in the middle of the playing area, and
3 return the remaining starting tiles to the box.

Place each player’s Tarnished model on the tile.

Amend the active tile stack as detailed in the brief, then place it
within easy reach of each player, and where it will not interfere
Time deck with tile placement during the scenario. 5

Card Decks
There are three lake starting tiles and three academy starting
tiles. Like the regular tiles, the lake tiles are used during the
Retrieve the Guidance of Grace cards listed in the setup section of first two chapters. The academy tiles are used during the third.
the brief, and place them to the side of the playing area, showing
the side with the symbol 1 .

Place the event, hardship, and spirit candle decks face down to
the side of the playing area, with enough space for a discard pile Like the regular Dominion of Rot tiles, the three starting tiles
for each. 2 each have a cleansed and infected version. At the beginning
of the campaign the three cleansed versions are the active
Shuffle the time deck, and place it face down near to the event and versions. However, like the regular tiles, they can be infected.
spirit candle decks, with space for a discard pile. 3 Players should keep track of which version of these tiles are
active (via the box insert) when randomly determining which
Finally, shuffle each of the material decks, and place them face tile to use when beginning an exploration scenario.
down to the side of the playing area. 4

22
 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Playing the Scenario

Gameplay during exploration scenarios is divided into player turns. Turn End
At the start of the scenario, the players choose who will take the
first turn, and then proceed clockwise around the table. After all of their Tarnished’s actions have been resolved, the player
draws a card from the time deck. This may lead to the player
During their turn, a player’s Tarnished can perform up to three resolving a number of effects.
actions. Tarnished can repeat the same action any number of times,
provided they do not exceed three actions in total. A player can
skip any number of their Tarnished’s actions should they wish. After resolving any of these effects, the player’s turn ends. Any
effects from cards that occur at the end of a turn are then resolved,
The actions a Tarnished can perform are as follows. and play then passes clockwise to the next player.

Explore Interact Play continues this way until the players either complete or fail
the scenario.
Move Flask
If a player has to draw a time card, but there are none left in the
deck, the scenario is immediately failed.

Explore Some Machinations of the Witch time cards feature one of two
unique symbols – crayfish or Wandering Mausoleum.
The player draws a tile from the active tile stack and places it face This is always accompanied by a hex indicating a direction.
up adjacent to the tile their Tarnished is currently on. When one of these is drawn, resolve the corresponding
location/tile effect, as detailed later in this section, in the
Tiles can be placed in an orientation of the player’s choice but direction indicated on the card. If a corresponding tile is not
must be along an edge that doesn’t have a barrier along it, and is on the playing area, ignore this.
not occupied by another tile.

If all of the edges on a Tarnished’s current tile have connected

tiles and/or barriers, a Tarnished can’t perform an explore action. Some Dominion of Rot time cards feature one of two unique
symbols – Torch or Rotten Miranda Sprout . When
one of these cards are drawn, immediately resolve the effect
Move of the corresponding location, as detailed later in this section.

The player places their Tarnished on a tile adjacent to their

Tarnished’s current tile. If the Tarnished is placed on a tile
containing a hardship location, they must immediately resolve
that hardship. A Tarnished can’t move across an edge that
includes a barrier.

Interact

The player chooses a location on the tile their Tarnished is

currently on and resolves the rules for that location. The rules
for each location are found later in this section. Unless stated
otherwise, a Tarnished can only interact with a location that
does not have an exhausted token on it.

Flask

The player flips an active flask token on their Tarnished’s

dashboard to the exhausted side, and resolves the flask’s effect.

23
MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Exploration Rules

Tiles

During exploration scenarios, the playing area is made up of a Barriers are represented by a wall or cliff-face with a shadow on
series of hex-shaped tiles, beginning with the starting tile at the their outer edge, and are always situated along one or more of a
onset of the scenario. tile’s edges.

When a Tarnished is placed on a tile, their exact location on the A Tarnished can’t move across an edge that includes a barrier.
tile isn’t important, provided it’s obvious which tile they are on. When a Tarnished explores, they can’t place a tile along an edge
A tile can have any number of Tarnished on it. of their tile that includes a barrier.

When a new tile is added to the playing area, it can be placed in

any orientation, but must be along a vacant edge 1 of another 2
tile (typically the tile the Tarnished is currently on).

Each tile contains a number of locations 2 that Tarnished can

interact with while on the tile. A tile may also contain one or more
barriers 3 . Tile artwork is purely cosmetic.
3
Locations are represented by a symbol inside a circle. There are
several different borders that can surround a location symbol.
These borders denote which rules apply to the location:

Exhaust
1
 xhaust: When a Tarnished interacts with this location,
E
place an exhausted token covering the location.
Tarnished cannot interact with a location with an
exhausted token.

Permanent

Permanent: When a Tarnished interacts with a

permanent location, simply resolve the location’s
effects. Do not place an exhausted token.

I05
Hazardous

Hazardous: Tarnished cannot interact with Note that a Tarnished can place a tile that touches one or more
hazardous locations. Each type of hazardous location edges that includes barriers, provided those barriers are not on
has unique gameplay detailed in its entry. their current tile

Locked

 ocked: When a tile showing a locked location is placed in the

L
playing area, immediately place a lock token covering it. Each
individual scenario brief details how to unlock these locations
and remove the token. After a location has been unlocked, it is
treated as permanent for the remainder of the scenario.

24
 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Event Cards
NPC Quests

When an event card is drawn, the player that drew the card Most NPC quests are retrieved directly from the vault,
immediately resolves the text on the card, and then discards it. others are drawn from the event deck. When a Tarnished draws
If the text can’t be resolved (because the conditions on the card or retrieves an NPC quest card, it is placed near the guidance of
can’t be met, for example), the card is discarded without effect. grace cards. Their rules text affects every Tarnished taking part in
the scenario, and the conditions on the cards can be completed
Instead of being discarded, some event cards are placed next to by any Tarnished.
either a Tarnished’s dashboard or somewhere specified on the card,
and have an ongoing effect that lasts for a period of time. These If an event quest hasn’t been completed when the scenario ends,
cards are considered to be in play until they are discarded. any tokens on the card are discarded. The card is then placed in
the Roundtable Hold, so they can retrieve and undertake it again
If the text requires the players to make a choice, they are free to during the next exploration scenario.
discuss it amongst themselves, but the player that drew the card
always makes the final decision.
Region Quests
Although all event cards share the same back, some event cards
have a small symbol, which will be required for specific rules Quests from region quest cards are personal. Their text only affects
interactions during the campaign. These cards are otherwise the Tarnished that the quest belongs to, and the conditions on the
treated as normal. card can only be completed by that Tarnished.

Do not shuffle the event deck, unless specifically instructed to. If a region quest hasn’t been completed when the scenario ends,
any tokens on the card are discarded. The card remains next the
Tarnished’s dashboard, ready to be undertaken during the next
Quest Cards scenario.

Multiple Conditions
There are four types of cards that provide quests – Guidance of
Grace, NPC, spirit candle, and region quest. If a Tarnished simultaneously fulfils the conditions for multiple
quest cards, they can only apply the token or rules from one card
(i.e., if a Tarnished has two quest cards that both require them
Guidance of Grace Quests to place an objective token when they interact with a material
location, they can only add a token to one of the quest cards when
Guidance of Grace quests are universal. Their rules text affects doing so).
every Tarnished taking part in the scenario, and the conditions
on the cards can be completed by any Tarnished.

There is no limit to the number of Guidance of Grace cards that

can be in play at any time.

When a Guidance of Grace quest is completed, the card is

discarded.

If a Guidance of Grace quest hasn’t been completed when the

scenario ends, the card and any tokens on it are discarded.

Spirit Candle Quests

When a Tarnished draws a spirit candle quest card, it is placed

next to their dashboard. A Tarnished can only have one spirit
candle quest at any time. Spirit candle quests can be discarded at
any time, without completing them. Unless otherwise stated, the
card’s rules text only affects that Tarnished, and the conditions on
the card can only be completed by that Tarnished.

When a spirit candle quest is completed, resolve any completion

text and then discard the card.

If a spirit candle quest hasn’t been completed when the scenario

ends, the card and any tokens on it are discarded.

25
MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Hardships

When a Tarnished is placed on a tile with an active hardship location, their player must immediately interact
with it – drawing a hardship card and resolving the test detailed on it.

Note that resolving a hardship doesn’t cost an action.

Some Dominion of Rot hardship cards show two sections.

1 The Tarnished must resolve the section of the card that
2 corresponds with the version of tile the hardship location is
on – cleansed or infected.

To resolve a hardship, follow these steps:

1. If the hardship card shows an FP value 1 , the Tarnished

must spend this amount of FP.
2. If the hardship card shows a test, it must be taken now:
a. The Tarnished’s player draws two attribute cards. If
they were not able to spend the FP in step 1, only draw The upper half of the card corresponds with cleansed tiles,
one card. the lower half with infected.
b. Any Tarnished can spend any number of Effigy of the
Martyr tokens from their dashboards. Then, they each
draw a number of attribute cards equal to the tokens
they spent.
c. Each symbol on the attribute cards drawn can be Suffering Damage and Defeat
allocated to one of the attribute profiles shown on
the hardship test 3 . Any attribute symbol can be
allocated to the common profile. Otherwise, a Tarnished can suffer damage during exploration scenarios in the
symbol must be allocated to a matching profile. same way as other scenarios, and can be defeated as normal if
d.  For each symbol allocated to a profile, add the their HP reaches 0.
corresponding value to the challenge total.
e.  Add the value of any of the Tarnished’s weapon If a Tarnished is defeated on the playing area, discard a Stake of
upgrades to the challenge total. (Weapons upgraded Marika card. The Tarnished’s player then chooses a Site of Grace
to +5 add 1, and +6 add 2). location, and places their Tarnished on that location’s tile. The
f. If the challenge total equals or exceeds the challenge player’s Tarnished then rests, as described later in this section.
level 2 of the test, it is passed. Otherwise, it is failed.
g. Resolve the pass/fail entry 4 , corresponding to the If a Tarnished is defeated and there isn’t a Site of Grace location
result. on the playing area, or the players don’t have a Stake of Marika
3. Discard the hardship card. card to discard, they fail the scenario.

Hardship tests may also need to be resolved for various other

effects. These will detail the challenge level and profiles of their
test individually.

26
 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Burning and Scarlet Scarlet Rot Tokens

Rot tokens

Burning and Scarlet Rot tokens can be placed on

tiles by a variety of effects. A Scarlet Rot token can be
placed on a cleansed tile that
At the end of each exploration scenario, replace each does not already have one on it.
cleansed tile with a Scarlet Rot token with its infected
version, and each infected tile with a burning token with its C02

cleansed version.

Afterwards, set the Rot dial to the value equal to the number
of infected tiles in the active stack and active starting tiles A Scarlet Rot token cannot be
combined. Most scenario briefs will reference this value and placed on a cleansed tile that
will modify one or more effects, depending on how high already has one on it.
or low it is.
C02

Burning Tokens

A burning token cannot be A Scarlet Rot token cannot be

placed on a cleansed tile that placed on an infected tile that
does not have a Scarlet Rot does not have a burning token.
token.
I06

C04

When a Scarlet Rot token

When a burning token would would be placed on an
be placed on a cleansed tile with infected tile with a burning
a Scarlet Rot token, remove the token, remove the burning
Scarlet Rot token from the tile token from the tile instead.
instead. I06

C04

A burning token can be placed Secrets

on an infected tile that does not
already have one on it. During Machinations of the Witch exploration scenarios,
Tarnished can discover many secrets that can aid their
journey, in a variety of ways.
I04

In ELDEN RING: The Board Game, secrets are represented

abstractly, and are kept track of by the secret dial. Secrets are a
shared resource. When any Tarnished gains a secret, increase
A burning token cannot be the value on the secret dial by 1. When any Tarnished spends
placed on an infected tile that a secret, decrease the value by 1.
already has one on it.
Secrets can be spent in a large variety of specific ways, as
detailed on various cards and scenario briefs.
I05

Tarnished cannot have more secrets than the maximum value

of the secret dial.

Note: Secrets will be particularly valuable during chapter 3 –

Raya Lucaria Academy.

Tie-Breaker
If an effect could equally resolve in more than one way, players always decide which way to resolve it.

27
MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Exploration Locations

The following locations can be found during exploration scenarios. Unless stated otherwise, a Tarnished can never interact
with a location with an exhausted/locked token, or hazardous border.

Materials Site of Grace

 hen a Tarnished interacts with a Site of Grace

W
location, they are considered to have rested. When
a Tarnished rests, they can replenish their tri-dials
to their maximum values, and flip each of their
Beast Flora Ruins flask tokens to their active side. At the end of that
turn, their player draws one additional time card.
Draw a card from the corresponding material deck and place it
in the Tarnished’s inventory. There are three different types of
material location, each of which provides a different resource – Hardship
Beast, Flora, and Ruins.
 nlike other locations, hardship locations must
U
immediately be interacted with when a Tarnished
Effigy of the Martyr is placed on the same tile as it. This doesn’t cost
an action.
 e Tarnished’s player places an Effigy of the
Th
Martyr token on their dashboard. When a hardship location is resolved, the Tarnished’s player draws
and resolves a card from the hardship deck.
Effigy of the Martyr tokens can be discarded to
draw additional attribute cards during hardship
tests, as described in the hardship section. Spiritspring

 e player moves their Tarnished up to two tiles,

Th
ignoring barriers.

Stake of Marika

The Tarnished’s player places a Stake of Marika card

in the Roundtable Hold.
Spiritspring locations can never be used to bypass
If a Tarnished interacts with a Stake of Marika the barriers surrounding special tiles.
location when they already have their maximum
number of cards in the Roundtable Hold, there
is no effect.
Merchant

 e Tarnished’s player references the merchant text

Th
in the Enemies and Allies section of the scenario
brief, which will instruct them to turn to a specific
merchant entry. These entries will detail one or
more purchase options that a Tarnished can make
when they interact with a merchant.

To make a merchant purchase, the Tarnished must discard the

total number of each type of material card shown with the option
from their inventory. They then resolve any effects detailed with
the purchase option, such as retrieving vault/armoury cards
or interacting with a quest. Each of the options can only be
purchased once.

28
 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Non-Player Character (NPC)

Preserving Boluses
 PC locations can be interacted with to resolve
N
specific effects, detailed on various components – The Tarnished’s player searches their
typically NPC or Guidance of Grace quest cards. attribute deck and removes the rotten
They otherwise have no effect. attribute card that is closest to the top of
it, returning the card to the bottom of the
rotten attribute deck. They then shuffle
Spirit Candle their attribute deck. (More details on rotten
attribute cards can be found in the status
 e Tarnished’s player draws a card from the spirit
Th effect section)
candle deck and places it next to their Tarnished’s
dashboard. Torch
The Tarnished’s player places a torch token
Key on their dashboard.

 ey locations always have scenario specific rules

K A Tarnished can spend an action to discard
which can be found on either the scenario brief a torch token from their dashboard and
or the scenario’s Guidance of Grace cards. place a burning token on the same tile
as their model. As detailed earlier in this
section.
Dungeon
Rotten Miranda Sprout
Each scenario featuring a dungeon location details
a dungeon hardship in the brief. When a Tarnished Unlike other locations, rotten miranda
interacts with the dungeon location, they attempt sprout locations must immediately be
that hardship. The rewards for passing a dungeon resolved when its tile is placed on the
hardship can only be retrieved once. playing area. The Tarnished that placed the
tile suffers the Scarlet Rot status effect.

Church Then, if the tile is cleansed, place a Scarlet

rot token on it. If the tile is infected, place
 hen the church location is first revealed, the
W a Scarlet Rot token on each adjacent tile
Tarnished’s player, keeping each card face down, instead.
searches the event deck backs until a card with
the NPC symbol is found, and places that card
on top of the deck.

When a Tarnished interacts with the church location, there are

no specific effects, but several specific rules and effects can require
Tarnished to interact with it.

29
MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Waygate Wandering Mausoleum

When a player draws a time card that shows The entire Wandering Mausoleum special tile is treated as one
a crayfish symbol, they must resolve the location, with several unique rules.
crayfish jet effect for each crayfish symbol on
the playing area. The direction of the effect The Wandering Mausoleum is introduced to the campaign
corresponds with the direction shown on the during the Liurnia Highway scenario. In that scenario, and
card. subsequent scenarios, the first time any player draws a time
card that shows the Wandering Mausoleum tile, place the
Crayfish Jet: Each Tarnished on the same tile as a crayfish special Wandering Mausoleum tile on top of the starting tile,
location, and on each tile laying directly in the direction then move it the direction shown on the time card. Then,
shown on the time card, must draw an attribute card. They collect the Wandering Mausoleum hardship card and place it
then suffer 5 damage, reduced by 1 for each attribute symbol beside the time deck.
on the card they drew and for each barrier that lays directly
between their model and the tile with the crayfish. The Wandering Mausoleum tile cannot be put into play if the
starting tile is the only tile in play.
If a Tarnished would be affected by more than one crayfish jet,
they must resolve the above effect for each one, in an order of While the tile is on the playing area, each time a time card
their voice. showing the Wandering Mausoleum tile is drawn, the tile
moves in the direction shown on the card. This move is not
Waygate restricted by barriers.

The first time in a scenario a Tarnished The tile can move on top of other tiles. If the Wandering
interacts with a waygate, their player collects Mausoleum tile would be placed on a tile with a Tarnished,
the special tile with the corresponding waygate first place that Tarnished on an adjacent tile, ignoring barriers.
symbol and places it anywhere in the playing Locations and Barriers on the tile beneath the Wandering
area, ignoring any barrier restriction for Mausoleum tile are ignored.
placing a tile. They then place their Tarnished’s
model on that tile. If the Wandering Mausoleum tile would move in a direction
that would create a gap between it and the rest of the tiles in
Subsequent times, place the Tarnished model the playing area, draw a tile from the active stack and place it
on the tile with the corresponding waygate where the gap would be. If there are no tiles remaining in the
icon. active stack, discard it instead.

Tarnished cannot be placed on the Wandering Mausoleum tile.

Lost Secret
A Tarnished on a tile adjacent to the Wandering Mausoleum
tile, not separated by a barrier, can spend an action to interact
The Tarnished gains a secret. with the Wandering Mausoleum and attempt the hardship
shown on the Wandering Mausoleum hardship card.

If the hardship is passed, the Tarnished’s player must place

an objective token covering one of the profiles on the card. It
Academy Locations must be a profile used during that test, if possible, but cannot
be the common profile. Profiles covered by an objective token
There are multiple unique locations that feature on the cannot be used for the remainder of the scenario. Afterwards,
Academy tiles. Their effects can vary, depending on a variety move the Wandering Mausoleum tile once, directly away from
of effects – spending secrets, narrative choices the Tarnished the Tarnished.
have made, NPC questlines that have or haven’t been
completed etc. Each scenario brief will detail the rules for When each of the four non-common profiles are covered
these locations. by an objective token, the Wandering Mausoleum has been
downed. The Tarnished gains two secrets and the Wandering
Mausoleum tile is removed from the playing area. It cannot be
returned to the playing area for the remainder of the scenario.

Barriers on the tile covered by the Wandering Mausoleum tile do

not prevent Tarnished on adjacent tile from interacting with it.

30
 REALM OF THE GRAFTED KING

COMBAT

31
MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

COMBAT ENCOUNTERS
Combat is a necessary reality of the Lands Between, where a multitude of foes roam in search of worthy adversaries to cross swords
with, endlessly patrol in service to their liege, or simply guard their territory with feral violence.

Combat encounters can take place as part of several different scenarios, which are detailed at the end of this section. Regardless of
how the players begin a combat encounter however, the rules for resolving them are the same, and are listed over the following pages.

Each combat encounter has a brief in either the scenario book or the encounter books, which details which cards to retrieve, which
enemies to set up, any additional special rules that affect the encounter, and any rewards for completing it.

Each brief includes up to four separate sections, detailed below.

Setting Up

Follow the steps below, in order, when setting up a combat

encounter.

Place Models 3
Place the enemies shown on the brief in the corresponding squares
of the battlefield grid 1 . Each player then places their Tarnished
in a square of their choice in the Tarnished area 2 . More details
on the battlefield grid can be found in the next section.

The number of enemies that are placed often varies, depending on

how many Tarnished are taking part. Always place the enemies
shown with the corresponding number of Tarnished, and each
preceding number. Rot Intensity

3 4 5 6 7 8

Note: For example, if there are three Tarnished, place the -2

enemies listed with the 1, 2 and 3 Tarnished entries.

A
Note: If there are more than one enemy of the same type, 1 Armour 1

players should attach the base rings provided when the models
are first placed on the grid.

Draw Cards
Each player draws up to their hand size from their Tarnished’s E D F C
attack deck. After doing so, they can shuffle their entire hand Rot

back into their combat deck and redraw, but must keep their
second hand.

Deal the Marching Order Critical Hit 1

Collect the Tarnished initiative cards. If there is more than one

Tarnished in a combat encounter, each Tarnished uses a single
initiative card. If there is only one Tarnished, that Tarnished
Cleanse

instead uses both of their initiative cards during each round of

the encounter.
Purify

Then, collect the enemy cards for each enemy on the battlefield
grid, taking note of the enemy identifier letters to ensure that the
correct cards are being used for each enemy.

Finally, shuffle the Tarnished initiative and enemy cards together, 2

and deal the marching order 3 , ready to begin the first round.

32
 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Combat Rules

The Battlefield Grid

Combat encounters take place on a battlefield grid. This grid not

only represents the space around the combatants but also their
Rot Intensity

3 4 5 6 7 8
attack stance. Battlefield grids are created by pushing all four -2

encounter books together.

A grid consists of a Tarnished area 1 and an enemy area 2 , Armour 1

separated by the battleline 3 .

Each side of the grid is divided into horizontal rows and vertical
lanes, dividing each into individual squares. Rows in the Tarnished 2
area and some rows in the enemy area have row effects 4 adjacent
to them, which provide special effects to models in that row.
Rot

On the battlefield grid, horizontal movement is spatial,

representing the physical area to either side of the model. Vertical 3
movement represents the model changing its battle stance, rather Critical Hit 1
4
than representing the area ahead or behind the model.

All movement is measured in squares. A square can only contain

a single model. 1 Cleanse

Models can move orthogonally in any direction, but must

remain in their respective areas at all times. Models can’t cross Purify

the battleline.

Vertical movement is still referred to as ‘forwards’ when a

model is moving towards the battleline, and ‘backwards’ when
it is moving away, for ease of reference.

33
MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

The Tarnished Area Critical Hit – When a Tarnished performs an attack against an
Although the number of lanes can vary between encounters, the enemy in this row, they draw an additional attribute card, then
Tarnished area almost always consists of three rows, allowing choose which card to resolve, discarding the other.
Tarnished flexibility to adopt a more aggressive stance when they Armoured - When a Tarnished performs an attack against an
are closer to the battleline, and a more defensive stance when they enemy in this row, reduce the amount of damage they inflict by
are farther from it. the number shown.
Most rows have an adjacent effect that provides a different effect. Powerful Attack - When an enemy in this row attacks, increase
The most common are listed below, although some encounters the damage by the number shown.
have unique row effects that are detailed in their brief.
If an attack would hit multiple models, resolve the effects of the
Critical Hit – When a Tarnished in this row performs an attack, row symbol once and apply it to all models.
they draw an additional attribute card, then choose which card
to resolve, discarding the other.
Reposition – After the marching order has been dealt at the start Disrupt
of a round, a player with a Tarnished in this row can move one of When a Tarnished damages an enemy in this row, their player
their initiative cards one space left or right on the marching order, may move one of the enemy’s behaviour cards one slot on the
ignoring Tarnished cards (i.e., if a player’s Tarnished is moving to marching order.
the left, and there is another Tarnished’s card adjacent, the player
would move their card over the other Tarnished and the enemy Rearrange
next to them, for a total of two moved spaces). After dealing the marching order, if an enemy in this row has a
spell card on it, swap their behaviour cards with each other the
If multiple Tarnished are in this row, players move their cards in
least number of times such that the spell will be cast, if possible.
initiative order.
Stand Fast – When a Tarnished in this row defends against an
enemy attack, they draw an additional number of attribute cards,
then choose which card to resolve, discarding the others. Rot
When an enemy in this row attacks, add scarlet rot to
the attack effects. If the attack already inflicted scarlet rot,
Magic Resistance increase the buildup by 1.
When a spell casts, reduce the damage suffered by Tarnished
in this row by the number indicated on the effect. Spells are a Rounds and the Marching Order
mechanic unique to bosses in Machinations of the Witch, see
the boss section for more information. Combat encounters are divided into rounds, during which each
model takes a turn.
At the start of each round, shuffle the Tarnished initiative cards
and enemy cards together, then deal them in a row above or below
Cleanse the grid. This is called the marching order and will determine the
order in which models take their turns during the round.
At the start of each round, Tarnished in this row can discard
one status effect token. Initiative in the marching order is read from left to right. The card
with the highest initiative is the card furthest to the left, and the
Purify one with the lowest initiative is furthest to the right.
When a Tarnished in this row draws a Rotten Attribute At the start of each round, the model with the highest initiative
card, they can return that card to the bottom of the Rotten takes the first turn.
Attribute deck after resolving it. Rotten Attribute cards are
unique to Dominion of Rot, see the status effects section for Once a model has finished its turn, its card is exhausted and
more information. rotated 90 degrees. Play then continues to the card with the highest
initiative that is not exhausted. This process is repeated until each
card in the marching order has been exhausted.
The Enemy Area Note that a Tarnished with multiple initiative cards in the
Unlike the Tarnished Area, row effects adjacent to the enemy marching order will take a turn each time one of their cards has
area can relate to both enemies in that row, and/or Tarnished the highest initiative.
that attack them. In the instance of the latter, row effects in the Several effects can move cards on the marching order. When they
enemy area are cumulative with the symbols in the Tarnished do, the card stays exhausted/un-exhausted, unless specifically
area (even if they are the same symbol) and can be resolved in stated otherwise.
any order.
Tie-Breakers : Sometimes two models will be equidistant when
The most common effects are listed below, although some determining the closest target, or an attack will have multiple
encounters have unique row effects that are detailed in their brief. eligible targets. In these instances, always use the model with
the highest initiative as the tiebreaker.

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 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Playing the Encounter

Tarnished Turn
Move

A Tarnished can perform up to three actions during their turn. The player moves their Tarnished into a square adjacent
Tarnished can repeat the same action any number of times, to their Tarnished’s current square. Alternatively, if
provided they do not exceed three actions in total. If a rule states another Tarnished is in an adjacent square, the two
that an action is a free action, it does not count towards the total Tarnished can switch squares instead.
number of actions the Tarnished can perform during their turn.
Unless otherwise stated, all movement between squares
A player can skip any number of their Tarnished’s actions should is orthogonal.
they wish.
Draw
The actions a Tarnished can perform are as follows:
The player draws combat cards up to their hand size.

Move Discard Play

Draw Use Consumable The player plays a combat card from their hand.

Play Flask Discard

The player discards a combat card from their hand, and

then either their Tarnished can perform a light attack,
or restores 1 FP.

Use Item

The player resolves the text on an item card in their

Tarnished’s inventory and then flips it to the exhausted side.

Flask

The player flips an active flask token on their Tarnished’s

dashboard to the exhausted side, and resolves the
corresponding effect.

Place Effects

Some effects place Tarnished instead of moving them.

Tarnished cannot be placed in an occupied square as a
result of this.

Turn End

After all of the Tarnished’s actions have been resolved,

their turn ends and their initiative card is exhausted. Play
then continues to the card with the highest initiative
that is not exhausted.

Note: After a Tarnished has performed their three actions,

they cannot perform any further free actions that turn, unless
otherwise stated.

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MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Playing Combat Cards

The following rules are for when Tarnished use combat cards
during an encounter. There are four types of combat cards – attack, Block Values
defence, action, and buff action.
Combat cards can be discarded to reduce the damage of enemy
Attack Cards attacks by their block value. More details on this can be found in
the resolving enemy attacks section.

Attack cards are used to perform attacks against enemies.

Attack Areas
2 1 3 Attack cards each feature an attack area, indicating the range of
the attack, relative to the Tarnished’s position. If no enemies are
in the attack area, the attack can’t be performed.

If an attack area shows , the attack hits the first enemy in the
4 5 lane.

If an attack area shows , the attack hits each enemy in the lane.

If the squares shown in the attack area are , the Tarnished’s

6 player must choose one of the eligible enemies to be hit.

7
Tarnished’s attack areas will almost always
be one of the following.

1. The name of the attack.

2. The attack’s FP cost, if it has one. This attack hits the first enemy in the
3. The card’s block value. Tarnished’s lane.
4. The attack’s attack area.
5. The attack’s special rules, if it has them.
6. The card’s attack profile(s).
7. The name and upgrade level of the weapon the card belongs to.
This attack hits each enemy in the
Attack cards are used during Tarnished turns by performing the Tarnished’s lane.
play action.

FP Cost The attack hits the first enemy in

the Tarnished’s lane, and both
If a card has an FP cost, the player must reduce the value of their adjacent lanes.
Tarnished’s FP tri-dial by that amount when the card is played.
If the dial’s value is lower than the required FP, the card can’t
be played.
This attack hits each enemy in
There are three different symbols for FP, indicating whether the the Tarnished’s lane, and both
card is a sorcery, incantation, or ability. The differences between adjacent lanes.
these symbols is largely cosmetic, and is only relevant when a
specific rule refers to a sorcery or incantation specifically.
The player chooses one of the
three lanes shown, and the attack
hits the first enemy in that lane.

Sorcery Incantation Ability

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 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Attack Profiles

When an attack card is resolved, the player draws a card from Some of the more powerful attack profiles might require multiple
their Tarnished’s attribute deck and allocates each of the attribute attribute symbols to be allocated to them to take effect.
symbols on it to one of the attack profiles on the attack card to
gain its effects.

Each symbol can only be allocated once, unless otherwise stated,

but each profile can have multiple symbols allocated to gain its
effects multiple times.

If a profile’s effects are separated by a vertical divider, after allocating

a symbol the player chooses which of the effect(s) to resolve.

Common attack effects are as follows.

Damage - The enemy suffers the amount of damage

shown.

Move - The Tarnished can move a number of squares

up to the value shown.

Push - The enemy can be moved into an orthogonally

adjacent vacant square. An enemy can only be pushed
once per attack, regardless of the number of push effects.

Status Effect – The enemy suffers the The top profile of the Catch Flame +1 attack requires two faith
corresponding status effect. symbols. If the player can’t allocate two symbols to the profile, it
has no effect.
Special - Resolve the attack’s special effect as detailed
on the card.

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MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Defence Cards Action Cards

Defence cards are used to avoid receiving damage from attacks Action cards confer a variety of special effects.
by enemies.

2 1 3 2 1 3

4 4

1. The name of the card. 1. The name of the card.

2. The card’s FP cost, if it has one. 2. The card’s FP cost, if it has one.
3. The card’s block value. 3. The card’s block value.
4. The card’s special rules, if it has them. 4. The card’s special rules, if it has them.
5. The card’s defence profile(s).
Action cards are used during Tarnished turns by performing the
Defence cards are used during enemy turns, when the Tarnished play action.
is attacked.
The special rules on the card will detail how to resolve it.
When a defence card is resolved, the player draws a card from their
Tarnished’s attribute deck and allocates the attribute symbols to
one or more of the defence profiles on the card to gain its effects.
This is detailed in the resolving enemy attacks section, and largely
mirrors the steps for resolving Tarnished’s attacks.

If a profile’s effects are separated by a vertical divider, after

allocating a symbol the player chooses which of the effect(s) to
resolve.

Common defence effects are as follows.

Defend - Reduce the damage value of the attack by the

value shown.

Move - The Tarnished can move a number of squares

up to the value shown.

Push - The enemy can be moved into an orthogonally

adjacent vacant square. An enemy can only be pushed
once per attack, regardless of the number of push effects.

Special - Resolve the defence’s special effect as detailed

on the card.

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Buff Action Cards Resolving Tarnished Attacks

Buff actions confer persistent effects on the Tarnished they are When a Tarnished performs an attack, their player resolves the
played on. following steps in the order shown:

1. The player selects and plays an attack card from their hand.
2 1 3 If necessary, the player reduces their Tarnished’s FP tri-dial
by the cost shown on the card. If the dial’s value is lower
than the required FP, the player can’t play the card.
2. The player determines which enemies are hit by the attack.
3. The player draws a card from their attribute deck.
4 a. I f a rule allows the player to draw additional cards, they
do so now, choosing which card(s) to use, and discarding
the others.

4. Allocate the attribute symbols on the attribute card to the

attack profiles on the attack card. Each attribute symbol
can only be allocated once, and must match the profile to
which it is allocated, with the exception that any symbol
can be allocated as a common symbol.
5. Determine the effects of the attack profiles that had an
attribute symbol allocated to them.

a. Each profile can be used multiple times, if multiple

symbols are allocated to it.
1. The name of the card. b. If the effects of a profile are separated by a vertical divider,
2. The card’s FP cost, if it has one. choose either the effects on the left or the right to apply.
3. The card’s block value. c. Effects are cumulative (i.e., when calculating damage, add
4. The card’s special rules, if it has them. all damage together to form a total).

Buff action cards are used during Tarnished turns by performing 6. Reduce the total amount of damage by the enemy’s armour
the play action. value, and then apply the remaining damage to the enemy,
placing tokens equal to the amount of damage next to the
When a buff action card is played, the player selects a Tarnished enemy model.
and places the card in the buff slot of the Tarnished’s dashboard. 7. Resolve any other effects (such as pushes or status effects)
Unless stated otherwise, that Tarnished then gains the effects to the enemy, in an order of the player’s choice.
detailed on the card. 8. If multiple enemies have been hit by the attack, repeat steps
6 and 7 for each enemy individually.
Unless otherwise stated, buff cards are discarded from Tarnished’s 9. If the attack applies an effect to Tarnished models, resolve
dashboards at the end of the round. them now, in an order of the player’s choice.

A Tarnished can only have a single buff card at any time. If a new After resolving the attack, discard all attack and attribute cards
card is placed in their buff slot, the current card is discarded. used in the attack.

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Discarding Cards to Perform Light Attacks

Frostbite - When any model suffers the frostbite
When a player performs the discard action, they can choose to status effect, place a frostbite token next to their
perform a light attack with their Tarnished. model. A model can only have one frostbite token
at a time.
When a Tarnished performs a light attack, their player draws an
attribute card and inflicts 1 damage per symbol on the card to the Tarnished with a frostbite token cannot move. They may
first enemy in their lane, reducing the total damage by the enemy’s spend an action to discard a frostbite token.
armour value and applying any additional effects as normal.
Enemies with a frostbite token ignore their next movement
Timing and Simultaneous Effects action, then discard the token.

If more than one effect would apply during the same time step, Note: If an enemy has more than one type of status effect
they are resolved in an order of the player’s choice. token, players can resolve their effects in an order of their
choice, if there is a clash.
For Example: If one effect added 2 damage to an attack, and
another effect doubled the damage it dealt, the Tarnished’s player
could choose to add the 2 damage THEN double it.

Scarlet Rot - Scarlet Rot only affects Tarnished.

Status Effects When a Tarnished suffers Scarlet Rot, they gain a
number of Scarlet Rot tokens equal to the buildup
number shown in the corner of the symbol, one at
Status effects represent unique ailments that have a different effect a time. Each time a Tarnished gains a Scarlet Rot
to normal damage. When a model suffers a status effect, refer to token, resolve the corresponding effect:
that effect’s entry below.
If they do not already have a Scarlet Rot token – Place a
Stagger - When any model suffers the stagger status Scarlet Rot token next to their model.
effect, place a stagger token next to their model.
If they already have a Scarlet Rot token – Place a second
Reduce the number of actions a Tarnished can perform during Scarlet Rot token next to their model, then immediately
their turn by one for each stagger token they have. At the end of remove both tokens, draw a card from the rotten attribute
their turn, discard the tokens. deck and place it on top of their attribute discard pile. This
is the rot buildup effect, and is referred to by several rules
Normal enemies skip one action, in the order they would be throughout the campaign.
resolved in as shown on their behaviour card, for each stagger
token they have. Then discard the tokens.

Unlike normal enemies, bosses have their own unique rules for
resolving stagger, which will be detailed on the corresponding
boss scenario brief.

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 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Items
Rotten Attribute Cards

Item cards represent various single-use items. They may freely

be traded between Tarnished’s inventories in-between scenarios.

When a player draws a rotten attribute card from their 1. Item Name
attribute deck, for any reason, their Tarnished immediately 2. Item Rules Text
suffers damage equal to the number of attribute symbols on
the card. It is then resolved as if it were a regular attribute card. Item cards begin each scenario showing the side that details an
action. The Tarnished with the card in their inventory can perform
Rotten attribute cards are only removed from an attribute that action. After it has been fully resolved, the card is flipped
deck when an effect specifically allows it. They do not and cannot be used against from the remainder of the scenario.
count towards the total number of cards in the deck.
A Tarnished can have a maximum number of item cards in their
Note: Tarnished still suffer the damage from rotten inventory at any one time, depending on the number of Tarnished
attribute cards if they subsequently discard the card, like taking part in the scenario.
from the critical hit row effect.
1 Tarnished: 4 2 Tarnished: 3 3-4 Tarnished: 2

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Spirit Ashes

Spirit ashes are ghostly companions that can be summoned to When a Tarnished summons a spirit ashes, the Tarnished’s player
fight alongside Tarnished in combat encounters. retrieves the corresponding spirit ashes token(s) and places them
in vacant squares of their choice in the Tarnished area. The spirit
Each spirit ashes has a profile card, a behaviour card, and one or ashes behaviour card is then added to the end of the marching
more tokens to represent them on the battlefield grid. The profile order. In subsequent rounds, the spirit ashes card is then shuffled
card is treated as an item card. with the other cards and dealt as normal.

There can never be more than one type of spirit ashes token on
1 the battlefield grid at one time, for any reason.

Controlling Spirit Ashes

Spirit ashes are controlled by the player that summoned them.

When it is their turn, spirit ashes perform actions on their

behaviour lines. If a behaviour line is separated by a vertical line,
2 choose either the actions on the left or right of it to perform. If
a spirit ashes consists of multiple tokens, resolve the behaviour
card for each one individually, during the same turn, in an order
chosen by the controlling player.

Enemy armour value reduces the damage of spirit ashes attacks

in the same way as during Tarnished attacks.

1. The name of the spirit ashes. If multiple creatures are summoned, Enemies and Spirit Ashes
the number of creatures will be included in the name.
2. The card’s FP summoning cost. Treat spirit ashes tokens as Tarnished when resolving enemy
behaviour. When attacked by an enemy, spirit ashes suffer damage
and status effects in the same way as enemies, reducing the damage
1 suffered by their armour value.

Track damage to spirit ashes using damage tokens, on each spirit

ashes token individually. If a spirit ashes has suffered damage equal
to or greater than its HP at any time, it is immediately defeated.
When a spirit ash is defeated, remove its token from the battlefield
grid. When the last spirit ashes token is removed, discard its card
from the marching order.

In the event that an enemy attack only affects the first Tarnished
in a lane, and it would deal more damage to a spirit ashes than it
2 has remaining HP, treat the excess damage as a new attack that
hits the next model in the same lane as the spirit ashes. This can
occur multiple times during the same attack.

1. The name of the spirit ashes.

2. The card’s behaviour lines.

A Tarnished can choose a spirit ashes profile card in their inventory

and perform the action detailed on it to summon it, reducing their
Tarnished’s FP tri-dial by the summoning cost and flipping the
card. If the dial’s value is lower than the required FP, the player
can’t summon the card.

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Enemy Turns

Behaviour Cards
Enemy HP and Defeating Enemies
Each enemy type has a unique card, listing the following
information: If an enemy has suffered damage equal to or greater than its HP at
any time, it is immediately defeated. When an enemy is defeated,
remove its model from the battlefield grid and discard its card
4 1 3 from the marching order.

Enemy Armour

Some enemies have an armour value that reduces the damage they
suffer during Tarnished attacks.
5
This is only applied when resolving the damage effect of
Tarnished attacks, and not at any other time.

5 Enemy Behaviour

The enemy behaviour section is broken down into behaviour lines,

which represent the actions the enemy performs during its turn.

5 Each behaviour line will show one or more action symbols, or a

special rule detailed in text. Action symbols on a behaviour line
are resolved from left to right. If an enemy can’t perform an action
2 symbol for any reason, do not resolve any of its effects.

Some action symbols on a behaviour line are separated by a vertical

divider, which indicates two sets of symbols. The enemy will always
perform the set of action symbols on the left of the divide unless
Note that although enemies of the same type share models, they can’t resolve any of the symbols, in which instance they will
their cards can have different stats and behaviour lines. perform the set of action symbols on the right of the divide instead.

1. The type of enemy. Behaviour lines are resolved from top to bottom. Once an enemy
2. The card’s identifier letter, if there are multiple enemy has resolved a behaviour line, it resolves the next line down, and
miniatures of the same type. so on, until it has resolved each behaviour line. Then its turn ends.
3. The enemy’s HP value.
4. The enemy’s armour value. If an enemy performs an action symbol with the stop symbol
5. The enemy’s behaviour line(s). , after the action has been fully resolved, the enemy’s turn
immediately ends without resolving any further action symbols.

Enemy Identifier Letters

With the exception of some unique enemies, all enemy cards

have an identifier letter, used to help distinguish them during
encounters, and to provide enemy scaling throughout the game.

When setting up combat encounters, players should be careful

to use the enemy cards corresponding to the identifier letters
shown in the brief.

The base rings included are used to differentiate between different

models of the same type, which each correspond to a different
identifier letter.

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Behaviour Types

There are three types of enemy behaviours, each with their own action symbols. They are special, movement, and attack.

Special Attack

Unlike other behaviour types, special behaviour is always shown Enemy attacks are always shown as two symbols adjacent to
as rules text rather than symbols. When resolving the text, resolve each other.
as much as is possible. If the entirety of the text can’t be resolved,
the enemy doesn’t perform the behaviour. 1 2
Movement

The following are enemy movement symbols. 2

The enemy moves one square towards the battleline.

The first symbol 1 indicates the attack area, relative to the

The enemy moves one square away from the battleline. enemy’s position.

If an attack area shows , the attack hits the first Tarnished in

the lane.
The enemy moves left one square.
If an attack area shows , the attack hits each Tarnished in
the lane.

The enemy moves right one square. If no Tarnished are in the attack area, the enemy doesn’t attack.

The second symbol 2 indicates the damage the attack inflicts.

 e enemy moves horizontally towards the closest
Th
3 Tarnished, up to the number of squares shown in
the symbol. Determine the closest Tarnished by
Some attacks also show a status effect symbol to the right of the
damage symbol, and/or a movement symbol beneath the damage
counting the number of lanes between the enemy symbol. These are additional effects that are resolved when the
and the Tarnished, ties are broken by the initiative enemy attacks, even if the damage of the attack was reduced to 0.
order. If the enemy is already in the same lane as a
Tarnished, it can’t perform this action.
Common enemy attack areas include the following.
If multiple arrows are shown as part of the symbol, the enemy
moves an equal number of squares to the number of arrows. If This attack hits the first Tarnished in the
an enemy’s movement would cause it to leave the battlefield grid, enemy’s lane.
it stops moving.

Use base size to determine which models’ movement is obstructed

by other models – if the base size of the enemy moving is larger This attack hits each Tarnished in the enemy’s
than the base of the enemy that occupies the square it will move lane.
into, the models swap places. If it is the same size or smaller, the
enemy stops moving.

Dealing the marching order above the battlefield grid, will This attack hits the first Tarnished in the
mean the arrow symbols are pointing the direction the enemy enemy’s lane, and both adjacent lanes.
will move and make the cards much easier to read.

This attack hits each Tarnished in the enemy’s

lane, and both adjacent lanes.

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Resolving Enemy Attacks Tarnished Defeat and Failing the Scenario

When an enemy attacks, resolve the following steps in the order If a Tarnished ‘s HP reaches 0 during a combat encounter, they
shown: are defeated. If a Tarnished was defeated during their own turn,
their turn immediately ends.
1. Determine which Tarnished will be hit by the attack. If
multiple Tarnished will be hit, each player resolves the If a Tarnished is defeated, discard a Stake of Marika card. Their
following steps individually, resolving the attack against player then resets the Tarnished’s HP to its maximum value. They
their Tarnished in initiative order. then draw up to their Tarnished’s hand size. Play then resumes
2. The Tarnished’s player chooses whether to defend against as normal.
the attack or not. If the player chooses not to defend, skip
to step 9. If a Tarnished is defeated and the players don’t have a Stake of
3. The player can discard any number of combat cards Marika card to discard, the players fail the scenario.
from their hand. Reduce the attack’s damage value by
the combined block value of the discarded cards. No
other effects on these cards are resolved when they are
discarded.
4. The player can play a defence card from their hand. If
necessary, the player reduces their Tarnished’s FP tri-dial
by the cost shown on the card. If the dial’s value is lower
than the required FP, the player can’t play the card. If the
player doesn’t play a card, skip to step 9.
5. The player draws a card from their attribute deck.
a. If a rule allows the player to draw additional cards,
they do so now, choosing which card(s) to use, and
discarding the others.
6. Allocate the attribute symbols on the attribute card to the
profiles on the card. Each attribute symbol can only be
allocated once, and must match the profile to which it is
allocated, with the exception of symbols allocated to the
common profile.
7. Determine the effects of the defence profiles that had an
attribute symbol allocated to them.
a. Each profile can be used multiple times, if multiple
symbols are allocated to it.
b. If the effects of a profile are separated by a vertical
divider, choose either the effects on the left or the
right to apply.
c. Effects are cumulative (i.e., when calculating how
much damage is reduced, add all defence effects
together to form a total).
8. Reduce the attack’s damage value by the total defend value.
If the attack’s damage value has been reduced to 0, skip to
step 10.
9. Apply the attack’s remaining damage value to the
Tarnished.
10. The Tarnished suffers any status effect(s) shown next to the
damage symbol on the enemy card.
11. Once the attack has been resolved against each Tarnished
that was hit by the attack, resolve the attack’s effects that
affect enemy models (such as movement action symbols) in
an order of the Tarnished’s player’s choice.

After resolving the attack, discard all combat and attribute cards
used to defend.

If the damage of an enemy attack is reduced to 0, through any

combination of effects, the attack is considered to have been
fully defended.

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MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Large Bases
Secrets and Scorceries

Some enemies have large bases, which occupy four squares instead Many Machinations of the Witch scenarios feature a secrets
of one. This is shown in the setup images in scenario briefs. and sorceries section in their brief. These sections list one
or more unique actions that Tarnished can perform only
during that scenario, and only by first spending the number
of secrets shown beside it.

Note: Remember, once a secret has been spent, it is

gone forever.

Rot Intensity Track

Dominion of Rot scenarios regularly feature one or more
rot intensity tracks. Each scenario brief will detail how this
track interacts with both the individual scenario, and larger
campaign. Players should pay close attention to these, as they
can have a significant impact on gameplay.
Models with large bases are considered to be in each of the rows
their base occupies, for the purposes of Tarnished attacks and Unless specifically stated, tokens on rot intensity tracks can
when applying rules from row symbols. never move down.

The attack areas for models with large bases are shown in the same If the token on the track would progress when it is already at
way as those of other enemies, but feature a larger enemy symbol the top, resolve the effect at the end of the track against each
to represent the squares their base occupies. Tarnished instead.

Models with large bases can only be pushed by combining two

push effects from the same action to move the enemy one square.

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SCENARIO SPECIFIC COMBAT RULES

The following rules are specific to the different types of scenarios that feature combat encounters.

Gauntlet Scenarios Boss Scenarios

Gauntlet scenarios feature combat encounters where the Tarnished In boss scenarios the Tarnished must face and defeat one or more
must face one or more waves of enemies, appearing at the start powerful boss enemies instead of more commonplace adversaries.
of each round.
Bosses are enemies, but also have several special rules which are
Gauntlet scenarios are successfully completed when all enemies detailed in the next section.
have been defeated, and no others will be added in subsequent
rounds. Boss scenarios are successfully completed when all boss models
have been defeated.
Adding Additional Enemies
Note that some enemies can appear as both a boss and regular
enemy, in different scenarios.
Gauntlet combat encounter briefs will indicate placement for
enemy models during set-up as normal. They will also have rules
entries for placing additional enemies. Surrounded Battlefield Grid
Each entry will detail the enemies that are added and which
square to place them in, and when to do so. When an enemy is Some battlefield grids feature an enemy area on either side of the
added to the encounter, shuffle its card(s) with the other enemy Tarnished area. These are surrounded battlefield grids. They follow
and Tarnished initiative cards before the marching order is dealt. the same rules as regular battlefield grids, with these exceptions:

If an enemy can’t be placed on the grid for any reason, they are A Tarnished’s attack can only ever affect enemies in a single
not set up and are treated as having been defeated. Then, each enemy area.
Tarnished must discard a card from their hand. If a player doesn’t
have a card in their hand to discard, their Tarnished suffers 2  nemy cards for these grids are designed so that when they
E
damage instead. are oriented correctly, their action symbols are in relation
to the battleline they are facing.

Dungeon Scenarios  n these grids, forward movement must be from the middle
O
row to one of the rows that are adjacent to a battleline.
Backwards movement must be from one of the rows that
Dungeon scenarios feature a variant of gauntlet combat encounters, are adjacent to a battleline into the middle row.
where the Tarnished must face multiple waves of enemies that
culminate in the appearance of a boss.

Like gauntlet scenarios, dungeon scenarios are successfully

completed when all enemies have been defeated, and no others
will be added in subsequent rounds.

Adding the Enemies and the Boss

Follow the rules detailed in the gauntlet scenario section for

adding enemies.

If a boss enemy can’t be placed on the grid because other enemies

are in the squares it would occupy, make way for the boss by
placing those enemies in the closest vacant squares to their current
position. If there are multiple enemies and/or multiple vacant
squares, place enemies in an order and squares of the players’
choice.

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BOSSES
Bosses are particularly powerful enemies the Tarnished will have to face throughout the campaign. They’re significantly more resilient
than regular enemies, and are capable of making extremely dangerous attacks.

Bosses are enemies, but also have several special rules, detailed in this section.

Bosses appear in combat encounters as part of dungeon and boss scenarios. Each encounter has a brief in the scenario book, detailing
the boss, including its health points, armour, special rules, and the number of behaviour cards it adds to the marching order.

Boss Set Up

Boss Behaviour Deck Minimum Stakes of Marika

Unlike normal enemies, bosses add multiple cards to the marching Scenario briefs featuring a boss each have an entry that indicates
order each round, and take multiple turns. These cards are drawn the minimum number of Stake of Marika cards required, modified
from a behaviour deck, unique to the boss. for the number of Tarnished taking part in the encounter.

In some cases, the same enemy model can have several different If there are fewer than this number of Stake of Marika cards in
behaviour decks. These are differentiated by an identifier letter. the Roundtable Hold, the players gain Stake of Marika cards until
Each scenario brief will detail which deck(s) to use during that they have the minimum number required.
encounter.
It’s helpful to remove any Stake of Marika cards from the
At the start of the encounter, shuffle the boss’s behaviour cards Roundtable Hold and place them somewhere visible to each
to form the boss behaviour deck, and place it face down next to player as reminders during the encounter.
where the marching order will be dealt, with enough space for
a discard pile.

Boss Special Rules

The following special rules are applied to all bosses.

Boss Health Bosses and the Stagger Status Effect

Unlike other enemies, a boss’s starting HP is determined by the Each boss has unique stagger status effect rules, detailed on the
number of Tarnished taking part in the encounter, as shown in scenario brief.
the scenario brief.
Unlike normal enemies, bosses must gain a number of stagger
Boss health is tracked via a boss dial, and counted down from its tokens before the status effect is resolved. This number is detailed
starting HP. If there is more than one boss in the encounter, use on the scenario brief and is dependent upon the number of
a separate boss dial for each. Tarnished taking part in the encounter.

When a boss gains a stagger token, place it to the side of the

battlefield grid. When the boss has gained a number of stagger
tokens equal to or higher than this number, discard the stagger
tokens and resolve the effect.

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Boss Behaviour Cards

Spell Behaviour Cards
Unlike normal enemies, bosses add multiple cards to the marching
order each round, and take multiple turns. Most bosses in Machinations of the Witch have two
behaviour decks – regular behaviour cards and spells. These
The scenario brief will detail how many cards are added each will be detailed in the brief for each boss. Each deck is
round. When gathering the cards for the marching order at the treated as a separate behaviour deck, with the corresponding
start of each round, draw this number of cards from the boss’s briefs detailing how many cards from each deck to add to the
behaviour deck and shuffle them together with any enemy and marching order each round.
the Tarnished initiative cards.

At the end of each round, discard the boss behaviour cards

currently in the marching order.
1
When drawing cards, if there aren’t enough cards in the deck,
shuffle the discarded behaviour cards and place them face down
to refresh the deck, then draw the remaining cards.
2

1. Spell casting symbol.

2. Spell casting sequence.
3. Cast section of the card.
4. Regular section of the card.

The regular behaviour cards of these bosses will also show a

spell casting symbol 1 , although they are not spells.

Spell cards resolve like regular behaviour card, with these

Boss behaviour cards are resolved in the same way as enemy cards, additional rules:
using behaviour lines to determine actions. The only exception
to this is boss movement. At the beginning of the turn, determine which section of the
card to resolve. If the uninterrupted spell casting sequence
If a boss can’t move as shown on its card because other enemies 2 shown on the spell card is present on the spell casting
are in the squares it would occupy, make way for the boss by symbols 1 on the marching order, resolve the cast section
placing those enemies in the closest vacant squares to their of the card 3 . Otherwise, resolve the regular section 4 .
current position. If there are multiple enemies and/or multiple
vacant squares, place enemies in an order and squares of the For the purposes of determining spellcasting sequence, ignore
players’ choice. all cards on the marching order that do not show a spellcasting
symbol.

We highly recommend that players use every tool they

have available to prevent spells from casting. They can be
incredibly dangerous.

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MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

NARRATIVE SCENARIOS
ELDEN RING: The Board Game is as much a story as it is a game, and in the tradition of
tabletop roleplaying games, players will soon find themselves exploring their surroundings
and overcoming challenges not only with tiles and combat, but in narrative text as well.

Each narrative scenario has a short brief detailing any special rules for the scenario, and
then an introduction section, followed by a series of numbered entries. Narrative text is
detailed in italic font, and rules text is included normally.

Setting Up

Set-up for narrative scenarios is more straightforward than other

scenarios. Players should set up their Tarnished dashboards as
normal, and check if there are any special rules they need to
follow. If there are fewer than four Tarnished taking part, players
should also set up their support attribute deck, as described
below.

They then choose one of their number to be the narrator, who

will read the text out loud to the other players during the scenario.

Playing the Scenario

The narrator reads the introduction, and the scenario begins.

Narrative in these scenarios is not read in a linear fashion. At

the end of each entry, the players will instead be directed to read a
specific entry, instead of reading in numerical order.

Players SHOULD NOT read any entry in the narrative section

unless instructed to do so.

As they progress, the players will frequently need to make choices

about how to progress. When an entry provides multiple options,
the players should discuss which they want to follow amongst
themselves. If a consensus can’t be reached, the narrator has the
final decision.

Attribute cards that are discarded during narrative scenarios cannot

be shuffled back into their attribute deck until the end of the
scenario.

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Narrative Hardships Support Attribute Deck

Narrative scenarios feature an advanced type of hardship. If there are fewer than four Tarnished taking part in a narrative
scenario, players can construct a support attribute deck when
setting up.

The attribute deck can contain a maximum number cards equal

Cards: 3 3 to 10 times the number of Tarnished fewer than four. It can be
made up of any of the attribute cards from an equal number of
Tarnished’s starting attribute deck, and supplemented by attribute
1 10 6 cards from the Roundtable Hold with a combined rune total of
half the runes available to each Tarnished.

Any player can draw cards from this deck as if it were a Tarnished’s
4 3 2 1 attribute deck, for the purposes of resolving effects during narrative
2 scenarios.
Limit: 1 Limit: 2
For example, let’s say there were two Tarnished – the Vagabond
Pass (10): Read entry 4 and Prophet – taking part in a narrative scenario, each with 100
Pass (6): Each Tarnished that did not draw runes. They could construct a support attribute deck of up to 20
an attribute card suffers 3 damage. Each that cards from the Astrologer and Samurai’s starting attribute decks
did suffers 2. Read entry 4.
and 50 runes worth of attribute cards from the Roundtable Hold.
Fail: Each Tarnished suffers 5 damage.
Read entry 5. Suffering Damage and Defeat

Tarnished can suffer damage during narrative scenarios as normal.

If a Tarnished is defeated, the scenario is failed.
1. Challenge level(s)
2. Attribute Profiles Tarnished can use their flasks at the end of any entry.
3. Attribute card limit
Note: Unlike other scenario types, Tarnished cannot use Stake
Narrative hardships often detail more than one challenge level of Marika cards to avoid being defeated in narrative scenarios.
1 . There will be differing effects for passing the different levels,
as detailed in the rules text. Regardless of the outcome of the
hardship, only one of the outcomes is ever resolved.

Attribute profiles on narrative hardships 2 often limit the

number of times they can be used when resolving the test. Once
they have been used the number of times detailed, any subsequent
matching attribute symbols must be allocated to a different profile.

Narrative hardships are always resolved cooperatively. First, players

decide how many cards from each Tarnished attribute deck to
draw. The total number of cards cannot exceed the attribute card
limit 3 . Only the weapon upgrades of the Tarnished that drew
the most cards are added to the challenge total.

Note: For instance, for a hardship that benefits greatly from

strength and faith attribute symbols, a group of players might
choose to draw two cards from the Vagabond’s attribute deck,
and one from the Prophet’s.

Players can gain effigy of the martyr tokens during narrative

scenarios. When they do, they must be given to a Tarnished.
Tarnished can spend these tokens to add additional cards to
narrative hardships in the same way as regular hardships. This
can cause the total number of attribute cards to exceed the limit.

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THE ROUNDTABLE
HOLD

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THE ROUNDTABLE HOLD

At the end of each scenario, the Tarnished always return to the Roundtable Hold. When doing so, they should
follow the steps in one of the following tables, depending on whether they completed or failed the scenario.

Scenario Completed Failing a Scenario

When the players successfully complete a scenario, follow the When the players fail a scenario, follow the instructions below, in
instructions below, in the order shown. the order shown. If the players intend to immediately attempt the
scenario again, place components to the side of the playing area
instead of returning them to the box when instructed.
1. Reset each Tarnished’s tri-dials to their maximum HP, FP, and
hand size. 1. Reset each Tarnished’s tri-dials to their maximum HP, FP,
and hand size.
2. Each player shuffles their Tarnished’s discarded combat and
attribute cards back into their respective decks. Then, they 2. Each player shuffles their Tarnished’s discarded combat and
discard each material card in their inventories. attribute cards back into their respective decks. Then, they
discard each material card in their inventories.
3. Flip each item card that was used during that scenario.
3. Flip each item card that was used during that scenario.
4. Flip all flask tokens to their active side. Return all other tokens to
the box, including any Effigy of the Martyr tokens on Tarnished 4. Flip all flask tokens to their active side. Return all other
dashboards. tokens to the box, including any Effigy of the Martyr tokens
on Tarnished dashboards.
5. Place each Tarnished model on their dashboard. Return any
other models to the box. 5. Place each Tarnished model on their dashboard. Return any
other models to the box.
6. If the scenario was an exploration scenario, make any amends to
the active tile stack required then return it to the box. 6. Place the discarded event card in the bottom of the event
deck, then return it to the box.
7. Remove the map card for the completed scenario from the game.
7. If the scenario was an exploration scenario, make any amends
8. Place the discarded event card in the bottom of the event deck, to the active tile stack required then return it to the box.
then return it to the box.
8. Shuffle any other discarded cards back into their respective
9. Shuffle any other discarded cards back into their respective decks, decks, and return the decks to the box. Then, return any
and return the decks to the box. Then, return any remaining remaining cards to the corresponding section of the box.
cards to the corresponding section of the box.
The players are then free to spend their runes, and modify their
10. The Tarnished gain the rewards listed in the scenario’s Completing Tarnished’s decks and equipped cards, as detailed in the section
the Scenario section, or listed in the final entry of the narrative below.
scenario they were playing.
Once they have done so, they either attempt the same scenario
The players are then free to spend their runes, and modify their again, choose a different scenario to play, or end the session and
Tarnished’s decks and equipped cards, as detailed in the section return their Tarnished’s cards, dashboard, and model to the box
below. for next time.

Once they have done so, they either choose the next scenario Failing Exploration Scenarios
to play, or end the session and return their Tarnished’s cards,
dashboard, and model to the box for next time.
If an exploration scenario has been failed, when it is attempted
again the Tarnished cannot gain Stake of Marika cards or secrets,
for any reason.

Note: This does not prevent Tarnished from interacting with

locations or cards. They are just prevented from gaining Stake
of Marika cards or secrets as a result.

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MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

Spending Runes and Modifying Decks

The Roundtable Hold contains all the cards the Tarnished have Note that the cards in each Tarnished’s initial attribute deck
available to purchase or equip, but are not currently on their show an image of the corresponding Tarnished in place of a rune
dashboard. cost. Only that Tarnished can add those cards to their deck, but
they do not cost them any runes.
At the beginning of the campaign, the Roundtable Hold contains
attribute and trait cards. As it progresses, the Tarnished will be
rewarded with a variety of additional cards, including weapons, Upgrading the Tarnished’s Starting Weapons
armour, items and talismans. Once these cards have been retrieved
from the vault or armoury, they are placed in the Roundtable
Hold. Tarnished may spend the runes they gain throughout Each weapon card the Tarnished starts the campaign with can be
the campaign to improve their Tarnished with the cards in the upgraded twice. When a Tarnished upgrades one of their starting
Roundtable Hold. weapons, search the armoury for the next sequential upgrade for
that weapon and add it to the Tarnished’s dashboard.
The ways in which runes can be spent are listed below.

• Purchasing new attribute cards. Switching Class or Adding New

• Paying the rune equip cost to equip a weapon, armour, Tarnished to the Campaign
talisman, or trait card.
• Paying the increased rune equip cost to equip a high level
version of an already equipped weapon card. If a player wishes to change class, or a new player is added to the
• Paying the rune attach cost to attach a memory card to a campaign, the new Tarnished simply gains an equal number of
weapon. runes to the other Tarnished taking part in the campaign.

Rune cards are used to track the total number of runes available to If a player can’t attend a session for some reason, ensure that at
each Tarnished. If an individual Tarnished has any unspent runes, the start of the next session their Tarnished gains a number of
they can also add these cards to their inventory to keep track. runes equal to those earned by the other players in their absence.

All Tarnished earn runes at the same rate, and will have an equal The total number of runes gained by the Tarnished can be tracked
number available to spend at all times. Although a Tarnished with the runes cards, which should be moved to the Roundtable
spends runes, they effectively retain the total value of their runes Hold as they are gained by the Tarnished.
once earned, across the various cards on their dashboard.

If a Tarnished unequips or detaches a card with a rune cost, place

it in the Roundtable Hold, then the full rune cost is refunded
to the Tarnished. Likewise, a Tarnished can refund the cost of
an ability or trait card by returning it to the Roundtable Hold.
This enables the players total flexibility in how they build their
Tarnished throughout the campaign.

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 REALM OF THE GRAFTED KING

55
 ALTERNATE
GAME MODES

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 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

ALTERNATE GAME MODES

ELDEN RING: The Board Game has been designed to be enjoyed as a multiplayer campaign
game, but is also suitable for solo and standalone play. The additional rules for playing in
these modes are included in this section.

Solo Mode Narrative Progression Between

Different Campaigns
When playing in solo mode, the player can either choose to control
multiple Tarnished, or play with a single Tarnished as suits them.
The last pages of each campaign’s scenario book detail how to
If playing with a single Tarnished, the quest rules amend to allow progress the narrative components of each campaign, from a
the Tarnished to undertake multiple quests from the same deck previous campaign to the current one, including the Limgrave
at the same time. In addition, the Tarnished can fulfil multiple campaigns. If players are progressing from a campaign in a different
quest conditions with a single action, rather than being restricted box, they should read this page and follow the instructions on
to a single card. A single Tarnished can have up to 4 Effigy of the it. This will typically involve replacing certain vault cards with
Martyr tokens on their dashboard at once. alternate versions, or adding new cards to the Roundtable Hold.

Unless otherwise stated, buff cards are discarded from Tarnished’s A great variety of factors can influence the alterations made
dash boards at the end of their first turn each round, as well as at at this time – which NPC quests were completed, which cards
the end of the round. were removed from the game or are in the Roundtable Hold,
how many Stakes of Marika the Tarnished finished the previous
The specific stats of certain scenarios occasionally will appear to campaign with etc.
be more dangerous for a solo Tarnished than for multiple. This
is due to the specific rules for that scenario being easier to take
on for a single Tarnished.

Standalone Mode

Each scenario can be played individually, should the players wish.

To do so, collect all the map cards from the vault, select one and
turn to the corresponding page in the scenario book.

Each individual rulebook will feature a table detailing the specific

information players will need when setting up and attempting
each scenario this way.

When selecting equipment, Tarnished have access to their starting

weapons, everything in the armoury, the attribute and trait cards
in the Roundtable Hold, and the additional armour and talisman
cards included in the vault.

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MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

NOTES

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 MACHINATIONS OF THE WITCH & DOMINION OF ROT

NOTES

59