Ocean's Eleven with cultists and something Eldritch waiting to be stolen from the casino's vault, “Fortune & Folly” is a rollicking, sophisticated bit of heist fun. As investigators, players are tasked with staking out the casino in part 1 of the scenario, trying to get as many advantages as possible, then executing the heist in part 2. Gambling an integral part of gameplay, players will be spinning the roulette wheel, hedging bets at the baccarat table, and playing poker on their way to stealing the strange Wellspring of Life artifact.
Where the “sophistication” of scenarios like “Murder at the Excelsior Hotel” is faux in that it boils down to the random selection of cards, the complexity of “Fortune & Folly” is baked in. Players must juggle a variety of things attempting to get the 'good ending'. Casino guards and security patrol the floor, raising players' alarm level (a new mechanic that rises and falls, triggering certain things). The gambling elements are handled with playing cards in the corner of each encounter card, adding a layer of sophistication. And each player puts a permanent Role card into their tableaux at the beginning of play which allows them to alter game state in minor but advantageous ways. Put all this on top of standard gameplay (enemies, clues, etc) and the need to accomplish multiple objectives to advance the Acts makes for a rich, thematic experience.
“Fortune and Folly” is one of the best stand-alone scenarios produced to date. It's early for me, but I would put it in the top two, alongside “Guardians of the Abyss”. And for those interested, it is a scenario designed for 1-4 players. It is not epic multi-player, as several of the most recent stand-alones have been. Rather, it seems a shout out to fans who love the game and are looking for something they can really sink their teeth into. This is it. It's not an easy scenario. And given there are a couple paths to victory to explore, some easier, some more difficult, there is replayability. (Side note: Can someone please explain to me how to accomplish the Stakeout goal of 10 clues per investigator when only 8 are available on the locations?)
While only thematic in nature, there are a couple potential issues with “Fortune & Folly”. First is that the cultist theme feels pasted on; it's difficult to inject the Cthulu mythos into every scenario, and here it doesn't feel 100% organic. This is the case for many Arkham Horror scenarios, so players will likely not be too bothered by it. The second is the possibility of using guns in the casino. Firing weapons without closing down the casino seems a little—a little—off kilter. Designers could have found other ways of defeating enemies. They didn't, meaning the scenario is smooth in terms of standard gameplay but a little anti-realistic in practice.
In the end, “Fortune & Folly” may be cutting room floor material from The Scarlet Keys campaign, but it is by no means b-roll. Instead, designers saw potential to develop the material into a more sophisticated, two-part scenario that would give players of the game who have been around a campaign or two more satisfying content to dig into. While not overly complex, the scenario is also not top of the list of introductions to Arkham Horror. (The scenarios in the core box, as well as “Curse of the Rougarou” and The Dunwich Legacy still best occupy that position.) So if your group are looking for a stand-alone to complement their Scarlet Keys campaign (there is verbiage specific to that campaign), or just an engaging challenge with a casino heist theme in the Arkham Horror world, this absolutely delivers.
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