Pathologic Tabletop

Mode(s) | Multi-player (2-4 players)

***Pathologic Tabletop*** was originally a reward for $80 and higher tiers of the Pathologic 2 Kickstarter campaign; after its release, it was sold separately. Its gameplay and mechanics were developed by CapsLock Games in conjunction with Ice-Pick Lodge.

## Plot

The plot of the tabletop game is a simplified version of the videogame. An odd town on the Steppe has been stuck by a sudden plague. Luckily, three healers have just arrived there in time to fight the disease: the Bachelor, the Haruspex and the Changeling. The Tabletop board bases its Town design on Pathologic, placing the districts in similar locations.

## Pieces

Items:

* 1 Game Rulebook
* 1 Town Map
* 4 Character sheets (three for the Healers, one for the Plague)
* 4 Quick Reference sheets (three for the Healers, one for the Plague)
* 3 Healer pieces
* 9 Ward pieces
* 12 black and 12 white piece stands
* 9 Obituary cards
* 1 Blockade token
* 3 Pact tokens
* 24 Plague Strains
* 3 Ticker tokens
* 1 Plague's Notebook
* 15 Event cards
* 10 Bachelor Prescription cards
* 10 Haruspex Prescription cards
* 10 Changeling Prescription cards
* 45 Resource counters (15 of each type)

## Gameplay

### General Gameplay

The game is meant for 2–4 players. An average session lasts one hour. Each player takes on the role of one of the three Healers or the Plague, each of which have their own play style. The Healers attempt to preserve their Entwined (Wards) while moving through the Town, while the Plague attempts to kill certain Entwined (Wards) and moves invisibly.

The Bachelor player begins the game by placing either their Healer Card or one of their Ward Card's onto the Town Map in a district of their choice. The Haruspex and Changeling then do the same and the process repeats until all 12 pieces (Healer Cards *and* Ward Cards) are on the Town Map. A Healer or Ward Card cannot be placed in the same district as another one of the cards and as such by the end of this process 12 out of 15 of the districts should contain a Healer or Ward card.

Events are placed around the board that the Healers may either use their Ward, another Healer's Ward, or themselves to complete. A player will collect more evidence when using one of their own Wards to do so. Cards may only complete events if they are not under quarantine - a process that makes the card vulnerable to being taken out by the Plague player. All cards begin in quarantine. The status of a card is denoted by a black piece (quarantined) or a white piece (not quarantined). Whenever a Ward dies, the Healer responsible for them loses one piece of Evidence regardless of which Healer moved the card.

The turn order is Plague, Bachelor, Haruspex and then finally Changeling. In a three player game the Changeling is not played, and in a two player game only the Plague and the Bachelor is played.

For a Healer to win they must collect 8 pieces of evidence. A win for a Healer *only* applies to that Healer. Healers do not work as a team and, depending on the Players involved, may even actively work against each other. For the Plague to win they must kill the three specific Ward Cards they placed in their Obituary at the start of the game.

#### Bachelor Player

The Bachelor excels in control. His deck is focused around preventing and controlling the placement of Wards, and restricting movement through districts. He is represented on the board by the image of a Vial. His initial resource is a Coin.

#### Haruspex Player

The Haruspex excels in resource management. His Prescription deck is focused around actions without resource penalties. He is represented on the board by the image of a Kidney. His initial resource is a Secret.

#### Changeling Player

The Changeling excels in protection. Her deck is focused around preventing the death of Wards and manipulating the Wards of the other Healers. She is represented on the board by the image of a Palm. Her initial resource is a Key.

#### Plague Player

The Plague's goal is to infect and kill the Ward's of the Healers before any of the three Healers can collect enough Evidence against them. The Plague moves secretly through districts by transcribing their movements on a notepad provided in the items. The Plague is able to move through districts one at a time and may even move to the Steppe. To remove Ward Cards the Plague must announce where they are by saying that the district is infected when it is their turn. Once a district becomes infected the Plague player will force any Healer Cards into quarantine and kill any vulnerable Ward Cards. Should the Plague player kill a Ward card they are then able to take an extra movement turn and move to a new district. This can only occur once. The Plague is able to kill quarantined Ward Cards by Blockading districts. This takes at least two turns and the Plague is unable to move for the duration.

The Plague has access to Strain cards which they may place face-down in districts. Strain cards are trap cards that are activated the moment an unwitting Ward or Healer card performs an action nearby.

## Gallery

* Pathologic tabletop game and its contents
* Pathologic tabletop game first edition in Russian from the front
* Pathologic tabletop game first edition in Russian from the back
* Pathologic tabletop game in English from the front
* Pathologic tabletop game in English from the back
* Pathologic Tabletop contents
* Pathologic Tabletop map
* Pathologic Tabletop Game cards
* Bachelor's First Edition player card
* Haruspex's First Edition player card
* Changeling's First Edition player card
* Sand Plague's First Edition player card
* Haruspex's Tabletop card portrait
* Bachelor's Tabletop card portrait
* Changeling's Tabletop card portrait
* Andrey Stamatin's Tabletop card portrait
* Vlad the Younger's Tabletop card
* Capella's Tabletop card portrait
* Taya Tycheek's Tabletop card portrait
* Sticky's Tabletop card
* Notkin's Tabletop card portrait
* Alexander Saburov's Tabletop card portrait
* Stanislav Rubin's Tabletop card portrait
* Bad Grief's Tabletop card
* Aspity's Tabletop card
* The Abattoir in the Pathologic Tabletop Game
* Bachelor's "Donor" card
* Haruspex's "Ticking Away" card
* Healer prescription cards
* "Noah's Ark" event card
* Event cards
* Plague strain card

## Notes

* In the First Edition of the Tabletop Game the Bachelor was represented by his Plaguefinder instead of a Vial.

## References

1. ↑ Ice-Pick Lodge: Pathologic Tabletop
2. ↑ Pathologic Tabletop Rulebook (English)