Clarifications and Advice On 'using The Characters

Mycroft Holmes

If a player uses the Mycroft action early in the game, he could have an advantage. On the other hand, he could become the preferred target for the other players when using the Dr Watson Card.

Martha Hudson

With the help of Mrs Hudson you can spend your Carriages freely during the game, safe in the knowledge that she allows you to enter 221B Baker Street first, should another player attempt to solve the case at the same time as you.

Wiggins

(only used in games with 4 or more players)

If a player uses the Wiggins card to imitate the action of Irene Adler at the same time as the other player reveals the card, both players can take notes on that turn.

If the same thing happens when copying the action of Mrs Hudson, both players can respond first to the set questions simultaneously (both could share the victory).

If Wiggins and the character he is copying want to act at the same time and the order matters, preference is given to the original character. Wiggins can not copy any Character Card which has the symbol.

Irene Adler

The action of Irene Adler does not affect players who find themselves in 221B, they keep their pencil in order to write their answers.

Toby

Toby is worth 2 Carriage Tokens, but he is not a Carriage and neither can he be accompanied by Carriages. If another player wishes to go to the same Location Card as Toby is located (whether or not your Pawn is there) he must place 3 or more Carriages, in which case Toby returns to his Character Card.

The Toby Token can not be used at any location which is not in the same zone as the Player Token (in cases where there is more than one zone). Toby can be used at 221B Baker street (in this case his value is added to the number of Carriages that the player already possesses).

Example: Valentina visits 'Scotland Yard' on foot (i.e. does not use any Carriage Tokens) and, once the Visiting Phase is over (i.e. all players have placed their pawns) she reveals the Toby Character Card, takes the 'Scotland Yard' Card and places the Toby Token next to her Player Pawn.

Once the Investigation Phase phase is over (i.e. all players have returned their cards to the table), she moves Toby to the 'Port' card.

On her next turn, Valentina visits the 'Port', placing her pawn next to the Toby Token; from this moment the Toby Token is worth the equivalent of 2 Carriages and therefore if another player wishes to outbid Valentina for the 'Port' Card, he would have to bid at least 3 Carriages.

Clarifications and Recommendations

Begin the game by visiting the most obvious locations, such as the crime scene or another that is mentioned in the game presentation, this tends to help as it makes it easier to make sense of subsequent clues and to follow the trail in a more logical order.

When taking notes, it is not advisable to overdo it and waste time on writing every detail. It is often more effective simply to take note of what is deemed important and use the remaining time to think and analyse the clues.

When answering certain questions set in the case such as: 'What is the motive?' It is always advisable to give details which clearly show that you know the answer. This avoids disputes when deciding whether the answers are correct or not.

When an unpublished manuscript by John H. Watson shows up, it awakens great expectations in anyone who enjoys the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his partner.

Although Dr Watson deposited most of his unpublished stories in a safe box in the Cox & Co Bank in London, other stories and excerpts from his memoirs have appeared over the years, some of them in the hands of descendants of the doctor himself or heirs of Martha Hudson, others have appeared in the basement of a house in Baker Street or in the attic of a farm in Sussex.

That is without mentioning all the countless imitations and pastiches written by many authors in honour of the adventures of the greatest detective of all time.

These new adventures presented here are based on fragments and annotations as Dr Watson himself wrote them in his diaries. They are notes of stories that were never completed or reviewed by Arthur Conan Doyle, editor of the stories published in Life by Dr Watson.

These manuscripts made their way into my hands through a shipment sent from California by a certain Professor M, but the story as to why they came to be in my possession is a mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes himself.

My work, in publishing these notes has been minimal: I have only made superficial changes, clarified a few details and filled some gaps, seeing as John Watson knew how to tell stories, even if they were not yet complete. Any error or omission is solely my responsibility, never that of John.

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