The sun has once again risen upon this hideous contest, and the time has come for your scientist and their assistants to begin collecting materials required for their horrid experiments. During the city phase, players will place their meeples on locations throughout Paris. Whether gathering materials or gaining attributes, each location provides a different service. Depending on what event card was drawn during the event phase, some of these spaces will or will not be available to visit.

Retrieving Materials

One cannot build a creature without the correct materials. Bone, muscles, organs and blood must come from somewhere, and luckily Paris does not lack in the dearly departed. Options abound and all cadaver cards offer a choice to the contestants - gain materials or instead increase an attribute of reputation, expertise, or humanity, depending on the card. There are several locations that allow players to collect cadaver cards.

Cemetery

Placing a meeple at the cemetery allows you to draw three cadaver cards, keeping however many of these three you wish to resolve. These bodies can have an additional cost, usually a loss of humanity, you are digging up bodies after all, but allow you to gain materials or expertise. Materials harvested here are in Stages III or IV of decay or are naught but bone. These are not the freshest body parts by far, but when the need is great one takes what one can get.

Public Square

If an execution happened during the event phase, you may place a meeple here to purchase the freshly executed body. It costs one franc to harvest the recently deceased’s Stage I materials. Surely a bargain for such quality!

Morgue

Visiting the morgue allows you to buy cadavers for one franc. Draw two cards and choose to resolve both or just one card for Stage II and III materials. Most of these cadaver cards will cost you one humanity. Stealing a body before grieving family members have a chance to say goodbye is reprehensible, but so is stymying the march of scientific progress!

HOSPITAL

If your expertise level is seven or more, you may place a meeple at the hospital, allowing you to resolve a cadaver card. If your reputation is fifteen or more, you are allowed to pay a franc for an extra cadaver that will offer up Stage I and II materials.

In addition to harvesting bodies, the hospital offers work to your scientist which pays a salary based on your expertise level. The smarter they are, the more you get paid. Or they may volunteer to gain one humanity and two reputation.

ANY MEANS NECESSARY

If your scientist can’t find a location to harvest a human cadaver, they may turn to other less desirable options.

Slaughterhouse

What is the difference between man and beast? Natural philosophy suggests there is shocking little, and in this contest it merely means a small loss of victory points. At the slaughterhouse you choose between collecting four Stage II animal materials or three Stage 1. From farm to operating table!

The Docks

Hire scoundrels to do your bidding. You don’t know how they are able to procure body parts, but then you don’t care to know either. They are reliable and that is all that matters. You gain Stage I or III materials from these vagabonds, but scoundrels do have their costs…

Dark Alley

The freshest materials can be gained from an unspeakable act as ancient as time itself. It will cost three humanity for your scientist to haunt the dark alley and will earn them a police token on their character card. Muder can be so very messy. Once your scientist has two police tokens placed on their card, they may not assign their meeple to the alley again. However, you may bribe the gendarmes three francs at any time to have all suspicion removed from yourself.

Raising Attributes

Besides gathering materials for their experiments, your scientist and associates have other options available to them. They can expand their knowledge and reputations, or perhaps even save their souls.

Academy

A charitable donor is a popular one. Scientists can donate up to three francs to gain reputation at the academy. They can also lecture to students to gain money and reputation, or they may research the latest scientific findings. This research will give scientists a positive effect once they complete the stated task. Scientists can also take part in advanced research to receive an expertise level.

Market

The market offers a safe space to sell your ill-gotten goods. Sell off those stacks of bone or your supply of preserved anatomy to a willing buyer. Don't worry, the universities need material as much as you do, and they won't ask questions. You can also buy Leyden jars or ice blocks to use in your lab during the laboratory phase.

Saint Roch

Atone for your sins. Take one humanity card for this will aid in your endeavors. If your scientists is placed here, you also gain one humanity. Surely the Almighty will forgive such an industrious person of science!

Bump and Bribe

If a meeple is already placed on a location you wish to visit, simply bump them off the space and right onto the bumped track. The bumped player must be compensated by the bumper for the listed amount, unless a player has bumped his own meeple.

Tired of placing your meeples last? You may choose to place a meeple on the first player space which guarantees your place for next round. The meeple placed at this location cannot be bumped.

Laboratory Placement

Sometimes the best way to win a race is to stay at home. Players have four placement options on their laboratory boards during the city phase. A scientist may practice their craft and gain one expertise, or they may repair up to three damage markers from body parts. 

Assistants and scientists may give blood for three Stage I materials. They may also charge Leyden jars - three jars if they are a scientist or one for an assistant.

Have you trembled with excitement at previewing the many locations of Abomination? Our preview next week will go more into the decadent laboratory phase and detail how to build and bring your creation to life!

Don't forget to pre-order your copy today!