Vantage Rules

What’s this about?

This site is an official rules reference for Vantage by Stonemaier Games.

It’s great for finding a specific rule quickly. It’s also an excellent supplement to the rulebook included in the box, when watching a how-to-play video, or while teaching the game.

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Actions

Turn step 1: Choose one action from the three types of actions

You choose without knowing the cost or outcome, but you always succeed. The challenge is avoiding loss of time (), morale (), or health ().

Each location lists (usually 6) location actions in the categories of move , look , engage , help , take , and overpower .

• Reference the storybook entry for this location (e.g., for the look-STUDY action on location 272, reference entry 272 in the look storybook).

• If you previously performed a location action here (even in a turn some time before the last), you cannot perform another. Choose a depart action or card action instead.

  • 

    “Always available”: Some location action lists may have a note indicating that a specific action is always available. This action is available even if you previously performed it or another location action here.

• If another player previously visited the same location this game, you may not perform a thematically contradictory location action (e.g., if a player previously burned a bridge at your location, you may not cross the bridge). Because Vantage is a highly visual single-session game, players should be able to remember where they’ve been or what they’ve done (taking notes is permitted if necessary, though).

Many non-location cards include action options. These include actions on cards in your grid, your supply, and the center.

• 

  Reference the storybook entry for that specific card (e.g., for a help-EQUIP action on card 1435, reference entry 1435 in the help storybook).

• You may not look at the card you are gaining (if any) until you have completed the action.

• Unless stated otherwise, you may perform a card action even if you have already performed an action on that card.

Move away from your location in 1 of 4 cardinal directions to another location (north always points forward). This is a move action.

• Each number (500, 273, and 271 for this location) is an adjacent listed location. You may go to any of these locations using a 1-cost move action (WALK or SWIM) that does not use a storybook.

• Each star (*) requires you to reference the Depart storybook. For this location, you would look at the “move south” entry for location 272 in the Depart storybook for the cost, action, and result of moving south from this location.

• In the rare case that a direction shows neither a location number nor *, you cannot depart from this location in that direction.

Book of Secrets & Glossary

Only reference entries in the Book of Secrets when instructed by a card or action result. It contains solutions to puzzles and resolutions to goals.

Book of Vantages

Only reference the Book of Vantages when instructed by a card or action result; if you do, you may describe what you see to other players, but may not show them directly.

Boost

At any time on any turn (even in the middle of an action or while another player is performing an action), you may use boost powers on cards in your grid to benefit yourself. Boost represents knowledge learned while you explore the planet and use the things you discover.

1. Boost gained/paid on locations goes to/from your character (e.g., if the storybook text of a location action says to “Gain 1 boost,” place it on your character).

2. Boost gained/paid on all other cards goes on/from that card.

• Each card has limited capacity for boost that cannot be exceeded.

• The effects of boost powers last until the end of the current turn.

• When an icon is used instead of the word “boost,” the number of icons represent the amount of boost. is 1 boost, is 2 boost.

• There is no hard limit on total boost tokens in Vantage. In the rare case that all 60 boost tokens are on cards and you need more, any cube is a suitable addition.

• If a challenge dice ability says “place them in the center,” it’s referring to the penalty section of the center (otherwise it would say to “refresh” the dice, which returns them to the challenge dice pool).

• Some cards request that players place ubiquitous “tokens” to track progress; boost tokens are used for this purpose.

• Your boost powers benefit you. If a boost power has an impact icon, it can benefit any player.

Cards

• Location cards

1. Challenge dice slot (move) one of your challenge dice can be placed here (for a move action); gain 1 boost after placing a die here
2. Some cards have a coin value () the game will tell you when this matters
3. Reserve capacity quantity of vertical cards you can keep beyond your grid (1 extra)
4. “When Placed” benefit gain when placing this card into your grid for the first time (2 boost); if this benefit looks at other cards, only consider cards in your grid
5. Card number
6. Challenge dice slot as an impact slot , a challenge die morale result rolled by any player can be placed here
7. Card actions when you perform one, refer to the storybook entry for this card (1435)
8. Boost capacity quantity of boost this card can hold (6)
9. Boost power at any time, pay 2 boost from this card to gain either 1 coin or 1 move skill token
10. Boost power at any time, pay 1 boost from this card to do this

The Center (gameboard)

• Any player may choose to perform actions on cards in the center.

• If a challenge dice ability says “place them in the center,” it’s referring to the penalty section of the center (otherwise it would say to “refresh” the dice, which returns them to the challenge dice pool).

Challenge Dice

Turn step 4: Roll dice from the challenge dice pool equal to the remaining cost

The cost of an action represents its difficulty; roll challenge dice from the pool equal to the numerical cost (e.g., for a cost of 2, roll 2 challenge dice).

• 

  For example, if the cost is and a player pays 1 look skill token, roll 2 challenge dice instead of 3. If the cost was decreased to 0 by spending skill tokens, do not roll any challenge dice.

• If (and only if) there are fewer available dice in the challenge dice pool than the remaining cost, first refresh ALL challenge dice from cards in grids and the penalty section of the center by returning them to the challenge dice pool. For example, if the remaining cost is 2 but there is only 1 die in the challenge dice pool, first refresh all challenge dice, then roll 2 of them from the full pool.

• The total quantity of challenge dice in the game is always 8 dice plus 2 per player (any excess dice are not used—keep them in the box).

Coins

You will discover a variety of ways to earn and spend coins (noted as on cards and $1 in storybook text). Many cards also have coin values; action results will indicate when you can sell items for their value. Unless you are at the same location as another player, you may not transfer coins between players.

Components

• Component Inventory

• Storybooks
• Book of Vantages
• Book of Secrets
• The Center
• Location cards
• Standard cards
• Challenge dice
• Skill dice
• (Boost) Tokens
• Skill tokens
• Coins
• Time, Morale, and Health trackers
• Location card holders
• Spoiler pack

Component Inventory

• Components

• 415 large cards (double-sided; 80x120mm)
• 916 standard cards (57x87mm)
• 1 spoiler pack of cards
• 8 storybooks (including Book of Secrets)
• 1 Book of Vantages
• 1 game board (the Center)
• 20 challenge dice
• 12 skill dice
• 60 boost tokens (cubes)
• 60 skill tokens
• 45 coins
• 6 time trackers (1 per player)
• 6 morale trackers (1 per player)
• 6 health trackers (1 per player)
• 6 location card holders (1 per player)

Cost and Action

Turn step 2: Read the cost and action (not the result)

The cost and/or action are printed on some cards, though most require players to reference a storybook. In most cases you will use a storybook entry to see the cost and full action. Use the storybook matching the category (e.g., engage) and the entry matching the card on which the action appears (e.g., location 272).

• 

  Some cards include the full cost, action, and result—do not reference the storybook for these actions. In addition to the type of action and the standard cost (the quantity of challenge dice to roll), some actions on grid cards also have a boost cost (; a cube paid from that card). In the example to the right, this is a 4-cost help action that requires you to also pay 1 boost.

• If the depart action you chose is to an adjacent listed location, the move cost is 1. Other adjacent locations are marked with *; you must look up their move cost in the Depart storybook after declaring a direction.

  • Intercardinal directions: If you move in a specific cardinal direction (e.g., move east) and there is a related intercardinal direction entry in the Depart storybook (e.g., move southeast), you may choose to move in that related direction instead of your original choice.

  • Regions: Some location actions refer to the region (a broader area encompassing multiple locations), which is a letter noted in parentheses in the look storybook entry for your location.

• For actions with cost , choose a number 1–6 as the cost. This indicates how much effort you will put into the action, and the result of the action will depend on the cost number you choose.

Continue

Turn step 8: End your turn.

If a location action’s result includes instructions to “continue”, you must perform an additional action, ignoring the restriction in step 1 (e.g., if you already performed the engage location action, you may choose another location action, but not the same engage action).

• Some results include instructions to continue with a specific action. If it is an action noted on the location, start with step 2. Otherwise, start with step 1.

• Some non-location actions include instructions to “continue,” but these do not ignore the restriction in step 1.

• The instructions sometimes read, “You may continue”; in that case, continuing to perform another action is a choice, not mandatory. This only applies to your current turn; you may not continue at this location on a future turn unless another action allows you to do so.

Damage

If you suffer 1 heat, cold, or hypoxia damage, lose either 1 health , or both 1 time and 1 morale .

End of Game

A game can end in several different ways, and the storybooks will give you the option (or the requirement) to end the game when:

• 

  You complete the mission (completing a mission will give you a choice between ending the game and continuing to pursue a destiny).

• 

  You complete a destiny (and then choose to read its storybook entry, which will end the game). You may collect multiple destiny cards.

• Any player’s time, morale, or health is reduced to 0. If this happens, read the mission’s entry in the take storybook.

You may even end the game when the time you allotted to play Vantage has expired. There is a lot of variation in the duration of Vantage depending both on random factors and player choices (e.g., performing the actions printed on the mission can significantly decrease the duration). Some games may end far quicker than 2 hours, while others might push beyond the 3-hour mark.

In addition to a mission victory, a destiny victory, or an epic victory (both the mission and a destiny are complete), you may define success through anything you pursue and achieve.

When the game ends, return all cards and components to the box (any cards gained from the spoiler pack return to that pack). In other words, everything completely resets so you can have a new adventure the next time you play Vantage. For storage purposes, lay the 3 stacks of location cards flat inside their compartments with various tokens/dice in the gaps that remain, then place all storybooks on top of them.

Errata & Clarifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Before Your First Game

• Setup

For your first game we recommend using the “daring” starting level for time, morale, and health and avoiding difficult crash locations. These settings are found on location 000 and on the escape pod locations. Make bold choices while playing, as the first time a player’s time, morale, or health is reduced to 0 doesn’t necessarily end the game—you will have an option to continue playing as presented by the mission’s entry in the take storybook.

Your first game is largely about experimentation as you learn about different actions, consequences, and risk tolerances in Vantage. This is more important than the mission; instead, just try to fill your grid by gaining 8 cards from different locations (and from actions on cards in your grid). It’s perfectly normal if you don’t achieve this goal. If you'd like some direction or want to speed up the game, you can perform the actions printed on the mission card.

Discovery and perception are significant elements of Vantage. You will wonder how to do and find things—that is a normal part of the discovery curve of this game, and the game will not hold your hand. Just try things that intrigue you. Use your eyes and intuition: If an action looks difficult, it probably has a high cost. Some actions will turn out differently or be more difficult than what you expect; this will help the next time a player sees that type of action. When in doubt about a rule, apply the Universal Rule of Thematic Fun in the moment (then ask about it later).

Communication between players is critically important, and not just for sharing skills and impact dice slots (which represent sharing your advice and expertise). Each player’s choices are their own, but any information you have from what you have seen and experienced is yours to share freely. To succeed, you will often need to describe what you see and discuss your options, both for short term and long-term goals.

Gameplay Overview

The game consists of players taking turns clockwise around the table. Each player performs 1 action per turn (unless indicated otherwise), using skills contributed by any player to decrease the action cost; rolling challenge dice based on that cost to determine any complications encountered; and placing dice on cards in grids to mitigate those complications. You always succeed when performing an action; the challenge is to avoid losing time, morale, and health.

You will typically begin the game by exploring the area where you arrive—which will be different than the other players—and interacting with various locations in the hopes of adding cards to your 3x3 grid; these cards offer additional challenge dice placement slots and other powers. One or more players may pursue the shared mission (why you traveled to this planet), and along the way you may discover various destinies (options for resolving your fate on or beyond this world). You must discover destiny cards—there is no destiny revealed during setup. Work together to share knowledge, skills, and impact dice slots as you seek to avoid any player’s time, morale, or health being reduced to 0.

Solo Play

Solo play in Vantage is the same as any other player count (the number of challenge dice scales as normal, with 10 total dice in a solo game). There is no Automa to represent the other characters—you are in full control. No matter the player count, you only ever control 1 character (we highly discourage you from breaking the immersion by playing multiple characters).

Card Grid

Whenever you gain a vertical card (same size as your character card), place it in any open space in your 3x3 grid: a tableau of up to 9 cards with your character in the middle. You may not reposition cards in your grid. The first time a player completes their grid, place destiny 1705 in the center.

• Other than impact slots/powers, any benefits provided by cards in your grid only apply to cards in your grid (not cards controlled by other players or in your reserve).

• Whenever you are instructed to replace or lose a card in your grid, refresh any dice on it and return any boost on it to the general supply. Return lost cards to the box. You must always have your character card in your grid. Insert the new card in the same position as the replaced card.

• Adjacency in Vantage always refers to orthogonal adjacency (cards that touch at edges left-to-right or top-to-bottom).

Reserve

You also have a limited capacity to reserve vertical cards outside of your grid in your supply (capacity is the total of all icons on cards in your grid). Whenever you gain a card but your grid is already full, you may either reserve the new card or reserve a card in your grid (other than your character card) to make space. Then, if this exceeds your reserve capacity, lose an excess card from your reserve.

• You may not use slots, abilities, or powers on reserved cards, but they retain boost tokens. When reserved, a card’s challenge dice are refreshed.

• Each character has a boost power to transfer a reserved card into their grid (to an open space or swapping with a card); do not gain “when placed” benefits of cards transferred from reserve.

Supply

Some cards you gain are horizontal, not vertical. These cards are either shared with all players (missions and destinies) or are kept in your supply. There is no limit to how many horizontal cards you can have in your supply. You may not place challenge dice on horizontal cards in your supply.

Icons

Move

Look

Engage

Help

Take

Overpower

Time

Morale

Health

Setback

Blank

Boost

Coin

Impact

Mandatory

Traveler

Cost X

Reserve

Circuit

Energy

Fire

Gold

Leaf

Metal

Sand

Sinew

Stone

Water

Wind

Wood

Location Cards

• Cards

Your location card represents your current position on the planet, and it includes what you can see and many of your action options. Keep it in your location card holder.

Specific numbers in the descriptions below are examples referring to the sample location below.

1. Art (background): This is your vantage. You may describe this view to the other players but not show it to them, as they are elsewhere on the planet and can’t see through your eyes.

2. Location number (upper left): Provide this number to the other players when you interact with this location so they can find the corresponding entry (272) in a storybook.

3. Compass (upper right): This symbol shows the 4 different cardinal directions to which you can depart from this location (forward is always north). The compass may include:

   • Adjacent listed locations (e.g., 500, 273, and 271): Departing to any of these locations is a 1-cost move action without a storybook entry.

   • Unlisted adjacent locations: After choosing to depart in the direction of a * location, the cost is revealed in the Depart storybook for this location number (e.g., 272 move south).

   • Blocked locations: If there is no number or *, you cannot depart from this location in that direction.

4. Description: Brief text about the location. You may read this to other players.

   • Some locations show the icon in the bottom left, followed by text in quotation marks. This means that the mysterious Traveler is talking to you at this location.

   • A icon indicates a mandatory instruction that must be followed immediately upon arrival (typically a climate-related penalty).

   • Elemental icons (e.g., ) indicate an interaction with something of that composition.

5. Location Actions (almost always the right sidebar): You may read these to other players. These are the different ways you can interact with the location within the categories of move , look , engage , help , take , and overpower (e.g., look-STUDY). Unless an action result indicates otherwise, you may only perform 1 location action per location.

Location card holders

Since your location represents your vantage (what you can see), only you may look at your current location card. Place it in a location card holder to keep it upright and easily visible—angled so other players can’t see it.

Penalties

Turn step 6: Suffer penalties from rolled-but-unplaced challenge dice

Resolve dice that couldn’t be placed in card slots, then discard them to the penalty section of the center.

• // These symbols represent the loss of time, morale, and health respectively. If you can’t place these dice on cards, discard them to the penalty section of the center, and lose the time, morale, and/or health shown on those dice by adjusting the appropriate tracker. These losses are applied simultaneously. If any of these stats is ever reduced to 0, read the mission’s entry in the take storybook.

• This symbol represents a setback. If you don’t place dice with this symbol, return them to the challenge dice pool (this delays the potential for a full refresh, when all dice are returned to the pool from cards in grids and the penalty section).

• This symbol represents a blank result (this is good). Discard this die to the penalty section of the center.

Friendly Reminders

• You may always talk openly with other players and share the text of any card, but you may never show your location to anyone else (unless a card specifically says to do so), nor may you look at any location you are not currently on.

• When you depart to an adjacent listed location, it is a move action with a cost of 1. Proceed with all steps to complete a 1-cost move action; just like any action, this movement is your entire turn.

• When placing challenge dice, unless specified by a challenge dice slot, you can even place blank and setback results. For example, if you roll 1 challenge die to move to an adjacent listed location and the result is blank, you could place it on a general move slot on a card in your grid (to gain a boost bonus), even though there is no penalty for not placing it.

• Instead of choosing a location action on your turn, you may perform an action on a card in your grid, your supply, or the center. If you do, view the entry for that action using the number at the bottom of the card.

• To use a card’s boost power, spend boost from that specific card. If you gain a boost from a location action, place it on your character.

• You can only perform 1 location action per location per game unless an action instructs you otherwise, or if the card specifies that the second action you take is always available (e.g., you cannot perform the take action on a location and then later perform the overpower action there). Other than this restriction, you have complete freedom to choose your actions.

• You cannot read the cost or results of an action before performing it. Likewise, some action results include more choices; you can read the choices while selecting, but not the results.

• The only “persistent” element in Vantage from game to game is information. Everything you learn about the world can benefit you in future games, and we encourage players to use that knowledge to their advantage. Please respect other players’ desire to avoid or learn what you already know.

• For a comprehensive list of ways to make Vantage easier or harder, see “Difficulty” on page 11 of the Book of Secrets.

Resources

• Watch it Played rules video.

• How to Teach Vantage video from the designer, Jamey Stegmaier.

• Join the discussion about Vantage via the Facebook Group or on Board Game Geek.

• The Vantage section on the Stonemaier Games website has an overview of the game, news updates, and links to even more resources.

Action Results

Turn step 7: Read the action result

Most actions result in an immediate benefit described in the storybook (or on the card for some card actions).

• In multi-option lists, make a choice before learning or viewing the outcome (e.g., if you choose to move to location 259, you only look at that card after making the decision).

• If your location changes as a result, the player in charge of managing the cards will use your placeholder card to return your current location card to the box, find and give you the new card, and mark the new card’s position. In the rare case that you move onto a location on either side of someone else’s location card, simply pass it back and forth.

• If a location’s (upon arrival) effect—or any other penalty—instructs you to suffer 1 heat, cold, or hypoxia damage, lose your choice of either 1 or both 1 and 1 .

• If you would ever gain // when that stat is already at the max of 6, instead gain 1 random skill (roll a skill die and gain a skill token matching the result).

• Skills

  • If the results include a skill payment (e.g., pay 1 move or 1 overpower), any player may discard a skill token so that you can gain the benefit. If no one pays, you do not gain the benefit.

  • If the results include a skill benefit (e.g., gain 1 move or 1 engage), gain a skill token of that kind.

  • If the results instruct you to gain a random skill, roll a skill die to determine the token to gain. Sometimes the benefit is a specific skill (e.g., “Roll 2 skill dice and gain all move results”).

• If another player is on your location, during this step you may:

  • depart/move them with you (simultaneously, with permission; they don’t pay the cost), and

  • give them coins, items, flora, and vehicles (ignore “when placed” effects on exchanged cards; the exchanged cards retain all challenge dice but lose all boost).

• If an action result or any consequence causes you to lose something that you don’t have (e.g., lose when you have no money, lose a card in reserve when you have no cards in reserve, etc.), ignore those instructions. This rule only applies to results, not costs—if you can’t pay a listed cost, you may not gain the benefit.

If you would ever gain a card you already have in your grid, instead gain 1 boost on the card (if possible).

If you would ever gain a card another player already has, the two players decide who keeps/gains it. If the card goes to you, any challenge dice on the card are refreshed and any boost are lost, and you gain “when placed” benefits on the card, if any. If the card remains with the other player, you instead gain 1 boost on your character (if possible).

Sample Turn

• Turns

This is a brief overview of a sample turn, and each of the steps described here are explained in detail elsewhere.

1. Choose one action from the three types of actions: I’m at location 272, and decide to perform a location action. I read my location’s description aloud and describe what I see. The area does not look dangerous, so I commit to performing the move-WANDER action (I cannot change my mind after proceeding to the next step).

2. Read the cost and action (not the result): Another player finds entry 272 in the move storybook and reads the cost (3) and the action (“WANDER around the mysterious area”). They do not read the action result.

3. Reduce the cost by 1 per matching skill optionally paid by any player: I do not have a move skill token, but another player does. They discard 1 move skill token to reduce the cost by 1.

4. Roll dice from the challenge dice pool equal to the remaining cost: I roll 2 challenge dice, resulting in 1 time and 1 health I have to deal with (thematically, the action took more time than expected and I hurt myself doing it).

5. Place rolled challenge dice one at a time on grid cards (any slots on your cards and impact slots on other players’ cards): My character, the captain, has both challenge dice slots open. I am performing a move action, so I can place any die on the move slot—I choose the time die for this—and gain 1 boost as the immediate output, placing a cube on my character. I only have my character card in my grid and no other player has an open impact slot for health results, so I cannot place the health result.

6. Suffer penalties from rolled-but-unplaced challenge dice: The unplaced die showing health goes to the penalty section of the center and I lose 1 health (adjusting my tracker). The time die remains on the character card.

7. Read the action result: Another player reads the result for entry 272 in the move storybook.

8. End your turn: The action result did not say “continue,” so my turn ends here. If the action had said to “continue,” I’d be required to perform another action; if it had said, “You may continue,” it’s my choice to perform another action or not. This only applies to my current turn; I may not continue at this location on a future turn unless another action allows me to do so. The player to my left takes the next turn.

Setup

• Before your first game

1. Place the game box on the table next to a player in charge of finding and returning cards (they gain placeholder cards 1709–1714); this is more efficient than passing the box around the table. Tilt the three big stacks of large cards out of their flat-packed position.

2. Place the board (the “center”) in the middle of the table with time, morale, and health trackers nearby. Both sides of the board are functionally the same.

3. Place all skill tokens, coins, boost tokens (cubes), skill dice, and the storybooks in a general supply near the game board (the “center”). The backs of most storybooks have reference guides.

4. Seed the challenge dice pool with 8 challenge dice plus 2 per player (e.g., for three players there are 14 dice), then return the remaining challenge dice to the box.

5. Each player gains a location card holder. Randomly select someone to be the first player.

6. Place the Book of Vantages on the table with the back cover facing up to display location 000. Follow the instructions on location 000 to complete setup, using skill dice for randomization. It is here that each player will independently gain their character and starting stats.

Sharing Information

Since your location represents your vantage (what you can see), only you may look at your current location card.

• You may not look at any of your previous locations or the locations seen by other players. You may describe the card’s artwork to other players, read the description aloud to them, and share the location action options.

• If you are directed to look at a page in the Book of Vantages, you may look at only that page, and you may not show it to other players.

• Tokens, dice, cards in each player’s grid, reserve, and supply, and cards you are instructed to place on the table are public information.

Skill Tokens

• Skills
• Tokens

Skill tokens are benefits players gain at the beginning of the game and in various ways throughout the game (including when your time /morale /health would increase above 6). They represent bits of knowledge for the various action categories (move/depart, look, engage, help, take, and overpower).

Whenever you have the opportunity to pay a skill, any player can pay it. Skills are often paid to decrease the cost of an action—whether you are performing the action or another player—but some action results also offer the option to pay skills to gain additional benefits, and some “upon arrival” penalties ask you to pay certain skills.

Whenever you gain a “random skill”, roll a skill die and gain a skill token matching the result.

Skills

• Skill Tokens

Turn step 3: Reduce action cost by 1 per matching skill optionally paid by any player

Using skill tokens to reduce the cost will decrease the potential to lose time, morale, and health due to unplaced challenge dice.

• Skills (tokens) represent insights and advice.

• Players may pay skills to benefit each other at any time, not just to reduce action costs.

• Discard paid skill tokens to the general supply. You are limited to the tokens provided.

Card Slots

Turn step 5: Place rolled challenge dice one at a time on your grid cards (and impact slots on any players’ grid cards)

By placing a die on an open slot, you avoid suffering its penalty.

• Each slot can hold at most 1 die. Most slots have restrictions on which types of challenge dice can be placed. Click on the examples below to see more details.

  Skill type (e.g., you may only place a challenge die here during a move () action).

  Ability (e.g., you may only place a challenge die here during a help-CREATE action). Important: If you have dice slots or powers related to abilities, pay close attention when moving to a new location, especially if someone else is reading the storybook to you.

  Interaction (e.g., you may only place a challenge die on this slot during an action involving a sinew () creature. This includes location actions and card actions showing this icon, plus interactive depart actions (e.g., “Sneak past the creature”).

  Many slots have a , , , or , indicating that only a die showing that specific result may be placed there. For any slot without a specific die face, any result may be placed (even ).

  Impact dice slots may be used by any player (with your permission), even if they are at a different location. They represent expertise and personality (e.g., a character with a morale impact slot is someone with a positive attitude and leadership qualities). If another player places a challenge die on your impact dice slot and there is a bonus (e.g., a boost), you gain it.

  To place a challenge die on a terrain-specific dice slot (e.g., underwater, identified visually from the art), your current location must match that terrain.

  Some slots have costs to place a challenge die (arrow pointing towards the slot; you must pay the boost (1 or 2, as indicated) from the same card).

  Some slots provide immediate bonuses when you place a challenge die on them (arrow pointing away from the slot; place the gained boost on the same card). While the bonus is typically a boost, other bonuses are also possible (a skill, //, a specific card, etc).

• If another player is at your location, you may place challenge dice on open slots on their cards (even non-impact slots) with their permission.

• If another player has a location-specific card in their supply and you are on that card’s location, you may perform actions on that card.

• Whenever a challenge die is placed on a slot, it remains there until all challenge dice are refreshed.

Spoilers

Like the glossary in the Book of Secrets, this resource includes entries for many terms you may discover while playing Vantage. We highly recommend only reading a “spoiler” entry if you have questions, and only after encountering a specific type of card or a specific term. For example, the first time you see a Lesson card, you may look up “Lessons”.

Spoiler entries can be found in the Index & Search. You can also choose to include them on the main screen in settings.

Spoiler pack of cards

Will you earn the contents of this mysterious pack of cards as you explore the planet? Follow your boldest gaming instincts to find out!

Storybook Lookup

• Storybooks

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• ⌫
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Storybooks

• Storybook Lookup

On most turns in the game, short passages of text in a storybook are referenced: Early in your turn you will read the cost and the action (in bold), then later in your turn you will read the result (unbold text). We recommend that players share the responsibility of reading aloud, with another player reading on your turn so you can focus on the mechanisms of performing an action.

There are 9 books: 1 storybook for each of the skills, 1 for depart actions, the Book of Secrets, and the Book of Vantages. The reason for separate storybooks (instead of one giant book) is to help players avoid spoiling other actions on the same location, as each action has different costs and results. Separate storybooks also discourage players from making a choice and then changing it after seeing the other options (which is against the rules and the spirit of the game—you will need to use your eyes and the shared knowledge of all players to intuit the nature and difficulty of an action before performing it).

Tokens

Vantage includes boost tokens (cubes) and skill tokens (cardboard). Cubes are sometimes used as counters other than boost (e.g., on goal cards) or as defined on certain puzzles.

Trackers

Use these to track your character’s time , morale , and health on the center gameboard.

• If any player’s , , is reduced to 0, read the mission’s entry in the take storybook.

• If you would increase , , or above 6, instead gain 1 random skill.

Turns

• Sample Turn

1. Choose one action.
   You will always succeed when performing an action; the challenge is to avoid losing time , morale (), and health ().
   • Location action. Each location lists several options (often 6 total). If you previously performed a location action here, you cannot perform another.
   • Card action. Many non-location cards include action options. These include actions on cards in your grid, your supply, or the center.
   • Depart action. Move away from your location in 1 of 4 cardinal directions to another location. If the depart action you chose is to go to an adjacent listed location (i.e., the number is on the compass), there is no description and the cost is 1.
2. Read the cost and action (not the result). A player finds the entry for the card number in the skill-specific storybook, then reads only the cost and the bolded text. For any action with cost X, choose a number from 1–6.
3. Reduce the cost by 1 per matching skill optionally paid by any player. Skills represent insights and advice. Example: If the cost of a look action is 2 but you or another player pay a skill token, the cost is reduced to 1.
4. Roll dice from the challenge pool equal to the remaining cost. If there are not enough available dice, first refresh all challenge dice from the center and cards in grids.
5. Place rolled dice on slots in your card grid (& slots in any grid). Most slots have a category to indicate whether a challenge die can be placed there, depending on the skill type, ability, composition, dice face, etc. Impact () slots and powers can benefit any player.
6. Suffer penalties from rolled-but-unplaced challenge dice. Lose time (), morale (), and health () and/or place these dice and blank dice in the penalty section of the center. Refresh setbacks to the challenge dice pool.
7. Read the action result. The storybook will describe the consequences and benefits of the action (for a depart action to an adjacent listed location, just find that location card). In multi-option lists, make a choice before learning or viewing the benefit.
8. Did the result say to “continue”?
   • YES. You must perform another action (any type). Ignore the location action restriction. If the result says, “You may continue,” it is your choice.
   • NO. End your turn.

Universal Rule of Thematic Fun

If you are ever in doubt about a Vantage rule, card, ability, or anything else, choose the most fun answer that makes sense thematically.

We are always happy to help in real time or after your game if you post your question (aided by details about the situation, including exact text, when available) in the Vantage Facebook group, on BoardGameGeek, on the Vantage FAQ page on our website, or on the Stonemaier Games Discord server.