Xylarthoth brings with it a fearsome and unique mechanic: The Spawns. These modular enemies move in swarms, beginning as small groups and growing into massive, relentless hives. As Xylarthoth advances, these spawns grow stronger, more dangerous, and more numerous, and each step forward places investigators deeper into peril.

Stage 1: The Swarm Awakens

At the start of the game, the Spawns of Xylarthoth are summoned. Lesser Spawns appear first, and if they grow large enough, they become Greater and then Abysmal. With each wave, they advance toward the investigators. As the Ritual advances, Xylarthoth adds new spawns to the battlefield, expanding the threat and increasing the pressure on the investigators.

Stage 2: The Swarm Consumes

As the Spawns continue to grow, the situation becomes dire. If you are unable to summon a Lesser Spawn, each investigator loses sanity as their minds begin to buckle under the pressure. As Xylarthoth advances, it moves directly into the investigator’s space and summons an even greater swarm—an Abysmal Spawn to overwhelm them.

Stage 3: The Swarm Intensifies

With every turn, the swarms continue to grow, and the danger becomes immediate. Every investigator must face their inner demons, as the Spawns multiply, and sanity is lost at an accelerated rate. Each turn, a new Lesser Spawn appears in the investigators’ space, adding to the growing threat.

Final Stage: The Madness Overflows

In the final stage, Xylarthoth’s true power is realized. Every space occupied by a Spawn pushes the investigators further into insanity. The spawns move with ruthless precision, converging on the investigators and making every turn a fight for survival. Upon reaching this stage, the spawns fully heal and grow stronger, preparing for the final onslaught. The pressure becomes unbearable, and the risk of losing sanity—and the game—grows with each passing moment.

The Spawn of Xylarthoth

These figures are a unique feature of Xylarthoth's gameplay. Each spawn has a modular base that can combine into larger spawns, up to three figures per spawn. These creatures deal both physical and sanity damage, making them particularly dangerous as they chip away at both the body and mind of every investigator.

Lesser Spawn (1 figure).
Greater Spawn (2 figures).
Abysmal Spawn (3 figures).

As they grow in size, they become stronger, both dealing more damage and getting resistant to it. Whenever an Investigator is wounded by them, they also get the same damage dealt to their sanity.

Xylarthoth’s Influence

As Xylarthoth’s Spawns move, they bring more than just physical danger—they bring the slow and inexorable erosion of the mind. Every wound inflicted by the Spawns damages not just the body, but the sanity of the investigators, threatening to push them to the brink of madness. The deeper the investigators are drawn into the swarm, the more intense the threat becomes, forcing them to face the fearsome and unrelenting power of Xylarthoth.