Game Overview
This is a two-player game where each player takes a different role. One is the Witch and the other is the Hunter of the Witch. The Witch's goal is to perform a ritual so Mother Nature reclaims the colony of Roanoke. The Hunter's goal is to find the Witch and bring her to justice.
Both players accomplish their goals by visiting villagers, playing tokens on them to gather power, and hindering the other player. Each role has the same basic core actions, but the game mechanics are a little different between them.
Objective
The Witch can win in two ways.
- Performing the ritual. To do this, she must put her Action Pawn on the villager who represents her true identity and has 3 or more Favor tokens on it.
- The Hunter eliminates 3 innocent villagers.
The Hunter can win in two ways.
- Eliminating the villager who represents the Witch's true identity
- Gathering all 8 villagers cards (i.e., Eliminating all villagers who are not the Witch's true identity.)
Game Turns
Each turn consists of 2 phases--Upkeep and Action.
Upkeep Phase
- Action Pawns are returned to your supply.
- Perform any "Start of Upkeep" effects on cards in play.
- Perform any "during Upkeep" effects on cards in play. Some use the keyword "must", which means they are required or are discarded. Some have the keyword "may", which means they are optional.
- HUNTER ONLY: Pay an amount of Influence for Allies in play. Discard any Ally not paid for.
- Perform any "End of Upkeep" effects on cards in play.
- Discard down to 7 cards.
Action Phase
Perform actions by placing an Action Pawn on the appropriate space. There are two main types.
- Villager: Place an Action Pawn on a villager who does not already have an Action Pawn on it. (A Villager with no Action Pawn on it is considered "ready").
- Trigger Investigation Card: If an Investigation card is present on your side of the board for the Villager, activate it.
- Convert Secrets/Clues (optional)
- Witch: You may convert 3 Secrets to 1 Favor. The Witch can do this only 2 times.
- Hunter: If the Villager has at least 3 Clues on it, you gain 1 Evidence. (Clues remain on the villager. They don't convert like the Witch's favors.)
- Distribute Assets: Place assets (Secret tokens for the Witch, Clue tokens for the Hunter) as indicated by the icon in the upper left of the Villager's text box. The color indicates which Villager group the player can assign assets to. The number of coins show how many can be distributed. More than one may be split between Villagers of the same color.
- Use Villager Skill: These usually are either gain Influence, draw card(s), or play card(s). For the Witch, if the Villager has at least 2 Favor tokens, the skill may be used twice.
- Familiar Action (Witch only). The Witch may use the effect of one Familiar card on her player board. The action may be augmented by Empowering the skill (paying an additional cost), as shown in the card's red section. Only 1 may be used per turn.
- Player Board: Place an Action Pawn on an action spots or ready location. Action spots can be used more than once.
Common Actions
Each player has access to any of the following actions.
- Gain 2 Influence: Add 2 Influence. (Influence is like currency.)
- Draw 1 Card: Draw the top card of your deck.
- Play 1 Card: Play a card by paying its Influence cost. You may not play the card if you cannot pay its cost.
- Ready a Villager: Remove 1 Secret (if you are the Witch) or Clue (if you are the Hunter) from a Villager to remove the other player's Action Pawns from it.
Witch Specific Actions
- Consume Brew: If a Brew has the required number of Secret tokens on it, it may be Consumed as a free action.
- Perform Ritual: Place your Action Pawn on the Villager who is the true Witch. The Villager must have at least 3 Favors on it and be ready (no other Action Pawn on it).
Hunter Specific Actions
- Activate Location: Place a Hunter Action Pawn on any ready Location on your player board and execute its effect. Some Locations require a cost. You cannot perform this action if you cannot pay the cost.
- Lift Enchantment: If at least one Enchantments is in play on the Enchantment board, you may place an Action Pawn on this spot. Pay the cost next to the action symbol on the Enchantment card, then discard the Enchantment. Slide any remaining Enchantments to the left.
- Exonerate Villager: Place a Hunter Action Pawn on this spot. Pay 3 Evidence tokens to draw the top card of the Suspect Deck. Do not show the Witch. You win if you have all all 8 Suspect cards.
- Raid Villager: Place a Hunter Action Pawn on a ready Villager. Pay 3 Clues from Villagers of the same color to remove 1 Favor token OR all Secret tokens from that Villager. You cannot perform this action if, there are less than 3 Clues on Villagers of that color.
- Eliminate Villager: Place a Hunter Action Pawn on this spot. The target Villager must be ready and have at least 3 Clue tokens. Also, every other living Villager must have at least 1 Clue token. When a Villager is Eliminated, the Witch must announce whether it was or was not her secret identity. If it was, the Hunter wins the game. If not, turn the Eliminated Villager face down and return all tokens on it to the supply. Also return all Clues from all Villagers to the supply. If the Hunter Eliminates 3 Villagers who were not the Witch, the Witch wins the game.
Cards
Cards can be played by visiting a Villager with a "Play" action, using the "Play" effect of another card, or using the common "Play a Card" action.
Charms (Witch) and Events (Hunter) have a one-time effect. Discard the card after the effect is applied.
All other types of cards have a lasting effect and are placed somewhere on a board. If no spot is available (because all are occupied), you must remove a card of the same type to make room. You cannot voluntarily remove a card of your origin to make room for another card. The card type is shown in the upper left corner. The cost (in Influence) is the number in the upper right of the card. Brews and Familiars are placed on the Witch's player board. Allies and Locations are placed on the Hunter player board.
Hunter Cards
Location: Played to one of the 3 Location spots on the upper half of the Hunter board. Place an Action Pawn on the card to trigger the Location's effect.
Ally: Played to one of the 3 Ally spots on the lower half of the Hunter board. Allies cost Influence during the Upkeep phase. The Ally must be discarded if the Influence cannot be paid.
Event: Get the ability to play a card through a Villager or an Action spot on your board. Pay the Influence cost, carry out the effect, and then discard the card.
Investigation: Played on a Villager on the village board. If it affects the Witch (bird head/bird foot), place it on the Witch's side of the board. If it affects the Hunter, place it on the Hunter's side. A Villager can only have one Investigation card at a time.
Witch Cards
Brew: Played to one of the 3 Brew spots on the upper half of the Witch board. Brews require Secrets to be added (shown in upper left under the icon) which are gained by visiting Villagers or playing cards. When a Brew has the required number of Secret tokens, it can be played any time as a free action, then discarded.
Familiar: Played to one of the 3 Familiar spots on the lower half of the Witch board. Familiar effects can be activated with the placement of the Familiar Action Pawn. The power of the effects can be increased by paying its Empowered cost (noted on the card).
Enchantment: Played to the Enchantment board next to the Villager board. These are constant effects that help the Witch or hinder the Hunter. Once cast, they can only be removed by a Hunter action and cost payment. Enchantments cost 1 additional Influence for each other Enchantment in play. If there are already 3 Enchantments, one can be discarded to make space. Slide remaining Enchantments to the left.
Charm: Get the ability to play a card through a Villager or an Action spot on your board. Pay the Influence cost, carry out the effect, and then discard the card.