Scouts

In past campaigns, the gruesome machinations of the world worked in the survivors' favor. Even if the hunting survivors were lost, their gear was inexorably returned to the settlement, carried by strange creatures that herald the survivors' demise.

The **scout** is an optional component that can be added to any campaign. Playing with scouts expands the simulation of survivors leaving the settlement without the security of their gear automatically returning.

If a scout is not present when the hunting survivors perish, all of the survivors' gear and resources are lost.

If a scout accompanied the hunting survivors when they perished, the scout must perform their grim duty and attempt to drag the settlement's valuables home.

### Adding Scouts

To add scouts to a campaign, add **Extinguished Guidepost** to lantern year 1 of the timeline on your settlement record sheet. Replace the **Pictograph** innovation with **Pictograph** (Scout). Do not add **Lamplighter** to the settlement event deck until explicitly instructed.

#### Current Campaign

The scout introduces significant changes to your settlement and gameplay. It is not recommended as a mid-campaign addition.

#### People of the Dream Keeper Uses Scouts

The scout's introductory story event is already printed on the settlement record sheet timeline.

## Scout Components

In the somber wake of the prologue, the survivors know that monsters are relentless. Gathered at the extinguished guidepost, they make a promise. If they seek foes in the darkness, they must triumph or not return at all. Otherwise, monsters will follow the survivors back to decimate the settlement.

### Death Pact

The **Death Pact** innovation represents this promise. When the survivors are defeated or lost on the hunt, perform **Logistics of Death**, which describes what happens to the scout and the settlement's belongings.

### Pictograph

The settlement can special innovate **Pictograph** (Scout) after they gain the **Death Pact** innovation. Using a symbology of their own making, the scout deepens the settlement's understanding of their most powerful foes.

### Scout Hunt Events

When the settlement gains their first scout, their hunts change. The scout hunt event card replaces a basic hunt event card. When the card is revealed during the hunt, the survivors confront new hunt events found in the Scout Hunt Event table.

### Outskirts

A darkened lantern halberd juts from the ground at the settlement's edge. In its gloomy shadow, the scout makes their preparations at the outskirts of the settlement. The **Outskirts** settlement location is gained during **Extinguished Guidepost**.

At the **Outskirts**, the settlement can craft *scout* gear that can be carried only in the scout's gear grid. The settlement can also endeavor to collect **Hollow Stone** strange resources.

### Scout Gear Grid

The scout carries a dread stinking roll so repulsive, the teeming darkness avoids it. When the scout finds themselves alone, they may use it to travel in questionable safety.

The scout uses a corresponding gear grid with only four free spaces; the remaining space is occupied by the burdensome Dreaded Pack.

#### Scout Keyword & Gear

The scout's gear grid is the only gear grid that may hold gear with the *scout* keyword. The scout gear grid may include any gear that is not **Cursed**, because the Dreaded Pack cannot abide a Cursed presence. If the scout gains **Cursed** gear during the hunt or the showdown, they may never again **depart** as a scout.

## Hunting with a Scout

When survivors **depart**, they may nominate a survivor to wear the Dreaded Pack. This survivor is the scout for that lantern year. The scout departs alongside up to four hunting survivors and gains all departing survivor bonuses.

This often means that five survivors depart, rather than four. If the scout survives to return to the settlement, they contribute endeavors as normal, even if they are the only one alive.

### Hunt Phase

The scout is part of the hunting party. They participate in and reveal hunt events just like other survivors. When an event affects all survivors, it affects the scout as well. The hunt event revealer takes charge of the scout.

## Showdowns with a Scout

The scout is a survivor and participates in showdowns and encounters just like everyone else. They gain Arrival bonuses, gain Movement and Activation each act, and participate in the Aftermath.

The scout is placed last during Showdown/Encounter Setup. If there are no spaces remaining as indicated by Showdown Setup, place the scout in the closest unoccupied space to another survivor.

Each round, the monster controller takes charge of the scout. The scout is not any player's survivor and does not gain insanity bonuses when targeted by the monster controller.

#### Hiding During the Showdown

The Stone Face Cloak is scout gear that allows the scout to hide during the showdown. The scout's model is replaced by the **Hidden Face** terrain tile, which represents its camouflaged form. Its model waits on the corresponding terrain card.

While off the showdown board, scouts cannot be targeted by the monster or suffer effects that the monster performs on all survivors. The terrain card shows how to return to the board.

If another game rule prevents the scout from placing the **Hidden Face** terrain tile, they cannot hide.

### The Scout's Dreaded Choice

If all other survivors perish, the scout has a choice: continue to fight, or end the showdown in Defeat and trigger **Logistics of Death**.

## Logistics of Death

If the hunting survivors perish during the hunt or are defeated in the showdown, the settlement's death pact triggers **Logistics of Death**.

Before resolving **Logistics of Death**, resolve any hunt event outcomes and showdown defeat conditions.

**Logistics of Death** describes the morbid procedure the scout endures to return the settlement's belongings. There are different procedures if the survivors perished chasing a quarry than if facing a nemesis.

**The Recovery Team** describes the outcomes of defeat after a nemesis showdown at the settlement's edge. By keenly observing the carnage, the scout may mitigate the devastation left by a rampaging nemesis.

**The Long Journey Home** describes what happens when the survivors perish on the hunt or in a showdown with a quarry monster, depending on whether the scout survives.

If the scout dies along with the hunting survivors, the settlement's prospects are dire. Everything is **Lost to the Darkness**.

If the scout dies during the hunt or showdown but the showdown ends in Victory, the Dreaded Pack and the scout's gear are carried home by the remaining victorious survivors.

### The Dreaded Pack Is Lost

If the scout and their gear are **Lost to the Darkness** during **Logistics of Death**, the settlement is in peril. Without the Dreaded Pack, the settlement cannot nominate a scout, recover the hunting party's belongings, or gain any other scouts benefits. A rare confluence of fortune may add another Dreaded Pack to the settlement, but it is unlikely.

## Scout Discoveries

Scouts bear witness to the hunting survivors' triumphs. In the wake of difficult victories, the scout explores the battlefield with fresh eyes.

After the settlement innovates **Pictograph**, they may gain Scout Discoveries. The first time the survivors defeat a lvl 3+ quarry monster with a surviving scout, the scout gains that monster's Scout Discovery.

Resolve the victory conditions of the Aftermath, then the scout resolves the Scout Discovery.

If no Scout Discovery card exists for the defeated monster do not gain one.

#### Monster Tablet

Each Scout Discovery enables the scout to create a corresponding monster tablet gear. Scouts commit their in-depth insights in scout shorthand onto wearisome slabs. Then, the scout uses them to coach the hunting survivors.

Each tablet describes a useful maneuver that works only against that tablet's respective monster. The scout must be alive and carrying the tablet corresponding to the quarry at hand to use its effects.