Monster movement

Monster Movement occurs during the third step of the Mythos Phase. Although monsters start out in locations as they emerge from gates, they soon leave those locations to roam the streets of Arkham.

Selection of Monsters to Move

In order to determine monster movement, the first player looks at the lower-right corner of the Mythos card he has drawn for the turn. This area describes which monsters move during the turn as well as the direction they move on the board.

Each Mythos card has two movement areas on it, represented by black and white boxes. Each location and street area on the board likewise features a black or white arrow (sometimes both; see below). Each movement box on a Mythos card also has one or more dimensional symbols printed in it. Each monster marker likewise features such a dimension symbol on its movement side.

All monsters currently on the board (but not in the Outskirts) whose dimension symbols are listed in either movement box on the Mythos card are moved during this phase, unless they are already in the same location or street area as an investigator.

Monster Movement and Investigators

A monster that already shares a location or street area with one or more investigators does not move and remains in place.

Certain monsters move several times (see the description of “Fast” monsters below); when such a monster enters an area that contains one or more investigators, it must immediately stop moving. No encounter with the monster takes place during this phase, but the investigators will be forced to evade or fight the monster during the Movement Phase.

Types of Monster Movement

Monsters which move during this Mythos phase will move in a way that depends on on the color of the monster card's border.

Normal Monster Movement

Monsters with a black border on their marker follow the arrows around the board moving one space per turn, and following the white or black arrows depending on which box of the Mythos card their Dimensional symbol is in.

If the monster marker has a:

• Black Border, it follows an arrow leading out of its current area:
  • If its Dimensional symbol is in the white movement box, it follows the white arrow leading out of its current area.
  • If its Dimensional symbol is in the black movement box, it follows the black arrow leading out of its current area.

Important: The arrows leading out of some locations are black on one side and white on the other. These arrows count as both a black arrow and a white arrow, so monsters whose symbols appear in either the black or the white movement box of the mythos card follow that arrow.

Special Monster Movement

A monster's special movement is determined by the color of its card border. If the monster marker has a:

• Yellow Border, the monster is Stationary: it never moves.
  • Example: Dark Young
• Red Border, the monster is Fast: it moves following the white or black arrows, as explained in the default movement rule, but moves two spaces in each movement turn, rather than one.
  • Example: Shoggoth
• Green Border, the monster has Special Movement: it follows a unique rule explained on the combat side of its marker. Turn such monsters over and follow their instructions for movement.
  • Example: Hound of Tindalos
• Sky Blue Border, the monster is a Flying Monster: it will move directly to an adjacent street area with an investigator, if there is one; if there is none, it will move to the Sky; if it is in the Sky it will swoop down on an investigator. Flying movement is explained in more detail below.
  • Example: Byakhee
• Orange Border, the monster is an Aquatic Monster: it is in an aquatic location, it will move to any other aquatic location containing an investigator; if there is none, it moves like normal (black border) monsters, following the white or black arrows.
  • Example: Deep One
• Purple Border, the monster is a Stalker: a stalker monster moves directly to an adjacent street area or unstable location with an investigator; if there is none, it moves like normal (black border) monsters, following the white or black arrows.
  • Example: Star Vampire

Flying Monsters

Flying monsters show more initiative than most monster types in seeking investigators to attack.

• If a flying monster has no investigator in its current board location, it will move to any adjoining street location with an investigator.
• If there is none it will move to the Sky.
• If it is in the Sky it will "swoop down on" an investigator in a street location - that is, it may move directly from the sky to any street location containing an investigator.

If there are two or more investigators in locations it could move to, it will move to the one with the lowest Sneak score. (No skill check is performed.) If there are two or more investigators with equal Sneak scores in locations it could move to, the first player must decide which location it will move to.

Aquatic Monsters

If an Aquatic Monster is in an aquatic location, it may move directly to any aquatic location which contains an investigator.

If there are two or more investigators in locations it could move to, it will move to the one with the lowest Sneak score. (No skill check is performed.) If there are two or more investigators with equal Sneak scores in locations it could move to, the first player must decide which location it will move to.

If it is not in an aquatic location, or if there are no investigators in aquatic locations, it will move along the white or black arrow according to the normal movement rules for normal (black bordered) monsters.