Mansions of Madness - Beyond the Threshold

Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition

Beyond the Threshold is the first full expansion for Mansions of Madness Second Edition, containing both brand-new components and two intriguing scenarios. In early 2017, two investigators, new to Mansions of Madness, will be available to join your crew, bringing with them new map tiles, cards, and tokens. While a few of the included tokens expand your core library with additional fire and darkness, the majority of the new components feature variations on existing cards—such as insanity, conditions, or items—or even entirely new game mechanics. With the expansion, both unexplained moving tiles and mysterious key tokens offer new ways to experience the horror of Mansions of Madness, and experience horror, you will. 

In our last preview for Beyond the Threshold, we took a closer look at one of its two unique scenarios—Vengeful Impulses. The scenario takes place at Thomas Carvey's extravagant residence, full of rare artifacts and objects. Carvey is hoping you can identify one of his other guests as a would-be murderer under the pretense of joining the group for an intimate dinner party. By conversing with the many party guests, you will gain insights on the motives of each one. A great disturbance, the disappearance of Carvey's possessions, unearthly encounters, and a mysterious, unlocked door will all play into your search for answers.

Today, we'll move forward, digging into the expansion's second scenario, Gates of Silverwood Manor. Longer and more challenging than Vengeful Impulses, this scenario takes two to three hours to complete and its level-four difficulty demands deep immersion and careful attention from any investigators who dare to play. Most notably, Gates of Silverwood Manor takes advantage of Beyond the Threshold's unique new mechanics, featuring two ever-changing map variants and a number of curious items bearing key tokens—indicating there is something unnatural about the object... something you can't quite put your finger on. 

Enter If You Dare

The Gates of Silverwood Manor scenario begins with a phone call from Officer Tetsuo Mori, the policeman assigned to a number of disappearances occurring in the town. The missing people come from all walks of life, yet have one small thing in common: Each of the victims had stayed in the manor house shortly before they went missing. Officer Mori is suspicious about the place and has asked you to join him in investigating it.

Your arrival to the gated property is relatively uneventful, and the view from the outside doesn't give you any particular misgivings, so you proceed up the winding drive in search of your contact. The front door of the home stands ajar, and Officer Mori is nowhere in sight, so you figure the best course of action is to begin the investigation of the house on your own, hoping you will find him inside or that he will catch up to you soon. 

Disappearing Act

Your initial exploration of Silverwood Manor will feel much the same as your past investigations. You will begin in a room, filled with items to explore and doorways to peek through. As you continue your search for both Officer Mori and clues regarding the many disappearances, you will begin to lose track of where you've been and where each room can be located. The door that previously obscured a hallway may now conceal a mystery, the hallway having moved to an entirely different location in the house. 

When a tile moves, not only will a location you'd once visited be shrouded in darkness yet again, but the room that occupied the space before may have moved not just behind another door, but rooms away—rooms you'll have to explore if you want to get to the moved tile, or rather, to get away from it. When a room moves to another space on the board, it will carry with it all figures, tokens, and cards, meaning you may also be transported within the mansion, forced to explore new areas to find your way back to your fellow investigators. 

The Key to the Case

In addition to the moving tiles, Beyond the Threshold also marks the arrival of key tokens to your plays of Mansions. Gates of SIlverwood Manor utilizes these as well, starting with an Old Journal, possessing some kind of supernatural traits or abilities. By changing the nature of the items onto which they are placed, the Key tokens can also impact the person holding them. An item with a Key token atop it gains the Key and Evidence traits, so any of the mythos events you've encountered before that would impact an investigator holding Keys or Evidence will now have a new target. As Silverwood Manor contains a number of new items, many of which may be affected by a Key token, any such Mythos event may be exceedingly harmful to your team. 

Come On In

A slew of new investigators, characters, items, spells, and conditions await you in Beyond the Threshold. Whether you choose to accept Thomas Carvey's invitation to a malign dinner party or Officer Mori's desperate call for help, you're in for a night of suspense and surprise. Not everything you think you know is true, and not everyone you thought you knew is innocent.