A4 Quest
A4 Quest Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Setup of the Game
Print the game adventure sheet (we recommend to start with the first adventure "Into the Abyss"). Print any chosen hero sheet (we recommend to start with the Knight).
ATTENTION: The A4 Quest can be played immediately after printing the adventure, but if you want, you can cut the sheet into smaller tiles (location tiles and scenario). At the end of this manual you will learn how to prepare the game after it is cut (see Additional Gameplay Modes: Random Adventure). A general description of the game will refer to the uncut version.
Prepare 5 dice D6. Put one of the dice (the adventure die) next to you. It will be used for determining effects of the quest as well as the type and strength of the enemies. The other 4 dice are the hero dice and will create a pool that is available during the game.
Prepare 6 markers and one pawn/character marker (which may also be a meeple or a coin).
Mark on your character sheet, with the previously prepared markers, the start attack value, defence, health points (HP), experience (XP), crystals and food.
Place the marker/meeple representing the hero next to the first tile on the adventure sheet.
ATTENTION: If you do not have markers with which you can mark progress through the game, write on your sheet in the appropriate boxes with a pencil.
You're almost ready to begin your epic adventure full of rolling dice and moving markers! Now you only need to choose one piece of additional equipment visible on your character sheet.
Marking on the Hero Sheet
On the hero sheet you will be marking your equipment and characteristic with the markers of your choice. Every time you gain something, move the marker one space to the right, but if you lose something, move the marker one space to the left.
Sheet Description
Each adventure sheet has a similar layout. The upper part are the adventure tiles, the bottom are the statistics.
Adventure tiles have marked spaces on which you will be moving your hero. Your hero always moves from the left to the right and when you get to the last space, you move to the next, lower level.
On the space you can find:
- an enemy icon
- an action icon - on each space you can find a few different ones
- a movement icon
- the tile number
In addition, the starting tile is marked with the starting icon, and the last with the boss icon or the end of the adventure icon.
Course of the Game
At the beginning of the game roll 4 hero dice that will compose your dice pool. If the result is not satisfactory, select up to 2 dice and roll them again. You have to accept the result of the reroll (you do it only once at the beginning of the game). These 4 hero dice will create a pool of options you need to perform actions or fight enemies.
When you use a die, it is exhausted and should be put aside in a place where you will be keeping inactive (used) dice. Dice can be recovered through rest (see Performing Actions or Rest).
During one turn, a player can perform the following actions (in the order presented below):
Movement
You must move your hero marker one space forward (movement is mandatory!). If you move within one tile, the movement is free. However, if you move between tiles, you must exhaust one hero die with the result equal to or greater than the value of the movement icon. If you do not have a die or only have a die with a value less than required, you lose 1 health point (HP) and re-roll 1 exhausted or active hero die. If you still do not get the desired result, the action must be repeated.
ATTENTION: If at any time during the game you can not exhaust or use the indicated die, you automatically lose 1 health point and you need to re-roll 1 previously exhausted die.
Fighting an Enemy
If you go to a space with an enemy icon, take the adventure die and roll it to check if the enemy appears on the space on which you are standing. Add the modifier visible next to the enemy icon to the result obtained on the die (if there is none it means you don't add any modifier) and compare the sum with the enemies' table on the adventure sheet (if the result will be higher than the highest value in the table - it is considered as an opponent of the highest value in the table). If it turned out that the result is low enough that the enemy did not show up, you can perform actions available in this space. Otherwise, read from the table what kind of enemy appeared.
At this point, you have to choose one of the available hero dice that you will use during combat. Then, if your opponent has a special action it should be resolved. Then roll an adventure die again. A roll should be added to the attack and defence value of the enemy from the enemies' table. That becomes the final value of the attack and defence of the enemy.
ATTENTION: In order not to get lost at the beginning when considering rolls, preferably put the die with the result, that you add to the previously drawn enemy, next to the row of that enemy in the table. Then you will see right away what its final attack and defence value are.
Example 1: Your hero entered the space with an enemy icon without a modifier. You roll the adventure die and the result is 2. The sum of the modifier and the die roll is 2 (modifier 0 + die 2). After checking the table, it appears that there is no enemy in this space. You can at this point perform the actions of that space.
Example 2a: Your hero entered the space with an enemy icon with a modifier of +5. You roll the adventure die and the result is 6. The sum of the modifier and the die roll is 11 (modifier 5 + die 6). The highest score in the table is 9, therefore that enemy appears. The next step is to consider the special action of that enemy (if he has one) - in this case, lose 1 HP. At this point, you have to choose one of your available hero dice, which you use for this fight. Then you roll the adventure die again to see the final attack and defence value of the enemy. The result of the roll is 3. The enemy that has appeared has 6 attack and 6 defence, when you add the dice roll it is 9 attack and 9 defence.
Resolution of Combat
After completing the above steps you need to resolve the combat. First, the enemy will attack. You should compare his attack value (table + die) with your defence value. To calculate your defence value, you must check the current defence on your character sheet and add to it the value of the chosen earlier hero die. If the value of an enemy's attack is higher than the value of your defence, you lose that many points of health, the difference between the enemy's attack and your defence.
If you manage to survive, you can attack. To calculate your attack value, you must check the current attack on your character sheet and add to it the value of the chosen hero die. If your attack value is equal to or higher than the strength of the opponent's defence, he is defeated and you get rewarded with XP points marked next to this enemy in the table. Otherwise, your opponent manages to escape and you do not get any rewards.
Example 2b: To attack the enemy you selected the hero die with a value of 4. The enemy you are battling (let's use the enemy from the previous example) has 9 attack and 9 defence. Your statistics marked on the hero sheet are 4 attack and 3 defence. First, your opponent attacks and you compare his attack power (9) with your defence value 7 (3 from the sheet + 4 from chosen hero die = 7). The difference is 2 in favour of the attacker (9 - 7 = 2), so you lose 2 health points. Then you go to attack. Your attack value is 8 (4 from the sheet + 4 from chosen hero die = 8). Because it is less than the strength of the opponent's defence, he managed to escape and you don't get the reward of 2 XP points for him. You lost a total of 3 health points (1 from the special ability of the opponent - described in Example 2a, and 2 during the actual fighting).
After finishing the fight you can go to the next step, which is performing the actions on the space you are on.
Performing Actions or Rest
The player must do one of two actions:
- Perform any action from the space - select one of the available actions and follow its description (a detailed list of actions is described in Available Actions).
- Rest - lose 1 food and re-roll all exhausted hero dice (inactive), and any number of available hero dice.
Example 3: You have one hero die with a score of 5 and 3 exhausted dice. You decide to take a rest, so you lose 1 food marker (you move the marker from 2 to 1). Because the die with a value of 5 is quite a good result, you decide to leave it. You only re-roll 3 exhausted dice. After this action, you have all 4 dice active again.
If you perform one of these two actions (action from space or rest) you can go back to point 1; movement.
Available Actions
Performing each action (not counting the rest, which is an additional action, and is not marked on the space) involves the use of 1 hero die.
HUNT - use 1 hero die and perform the described action on the adventure sheet at an appropriate value in the hunt table.
Example 4: You have 2 active hero dice with values of 2 and 5. You have chosen to perform the hunting action with a die with a value of 5, it earns you 2 food (indicated by the value of 5 on the adventure sheet). You put aside the used die with rest of the exhausted dice.
QUEST - use 1 hero die. Then roll the adventure die and see the results in the table on the adventure sheet. The result on the hero die you chose to perform the quest action does not matter because only the result on the adventure die is used.
SEARCH - use 1 hero die and perform the described action on the adventure sheet at the appropriate value in the search table. The search icon can have an additional modifier. If it appears, simply modify your score with its value.
ATTENTION: If the values in the table overlap, always make only one action! So if you use dice with a value of 3 choose whether to regain 1 HP or increase your defence by 1.
Icon Description
- gain 1 food
- gain 1 health point
- gain 1 experience point
- gain 1 crystal
- gain 1 defense point
- gain 1 attack point
- X - fight an enemy with X modifier
- re-roll 1 active hero die
- recover used hero die. Re-roll and move it to your hero dice pool
- recover used hero die. Set it on any result and move it to your zone with the active hero dice
- use the skills shown in brackets during one action
ATTENTION: It is not a mistake to use dice with results that do not bring you any benefit.
Experience
Every time you get the fourth point of experience, your character will advance to the next level! You must move your experience marker back to the space with 0 value and choose which bonus, described on the hero sheet, to gain.
Crystals
During your adventure, you will collect magic crystals. Thanks to them you will be able to use the special abilities of heroes, which you will find on the hero sheet. The ability requires the use of 1 crystal and can be performed at any time, but keep in mind that you can only do this once per turn! You can not have more crystals than spaces on the hero sheet.
Boss Fight
(For the first adventure "Into the Abyss")
At the moment your hero enters the space marked with the boss icon, the final battle begins. Place the adventure die on the first spot with a value of 6 HP, it will represent health points of the boss. Then allocate one hero die to the first combat wave. If you do not have an active hero die left, you need to re-roll a used one and lose 1 HP. The whole fight looks identical to the Fighting an Enemy rules, except that all damage over the Boss's defense value decreases his HP (turn the adventure die to the appropriate value to mark it). If it has not been defeated in the first combat wave (still has HP), move the adventure die from the first spot to the second. You can proceed to the second combat wave which looks identical to the first one. Note, however, that the boss stats change and are marked on the sheet next to the adventure die. If at the end of this phase the Boss is also not defeated, the adventure die again moves to the third spot and the last, third combat wave occurs. If you do not succeed in defeating him this time, you are eaten by him and your mission is unsuccessful!
End Game
The game ends when you move the hero marker from the last space on the adventure sheet immediately following the defeat of the boss (or fulfilling the tasks described in the scenario).
Additional Gameplay Modes
Random Adventure
Each adventure sheet can be cut into tiles along the lines. They can be arranged according to the numbering or shuffled to create a random stack. You must start the pile with the starting tile and on the bottom place the tile with the boss or the end of the game.
On the left side will always be the active tile, on which you will be moving. On the right, place the stack consisting of the rest of the tiles face up, in this way you will always see what awaits you in the next tile.
Difficult Mode
If you want a higher level of difficulty you can achieve this by creating a pool of hero dice with 3 instead of 4. Just as in the basic mode put one adventure die on the side.