Andor StoryQuest: Dunkle Pfade Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Gameplay
• Strength and Willpower
• Strength Tests
• Combat
  • Before the Combat
  • Sequence of a Combat Round
  • Special Abilities
  • Enemies
  • End of the Combat
• End of the Game
• Introduction
• Stop: Read Later
  • The Throwing Axe
• Endings
  • Ending 1
  • Ending 2
  • Ending 3
  • Ending 4

Components

• 106 Legend cards
• 1 Hero card
• 1 Enemy card
• 2 Strength markers
• 2 Willpower markers
• 4 dice

Setup

Take Legend cards 1 to 56 and place them in a face-down stack in front of you. Legend cards 57 to 106 go back into the box for now; they are needed only for the second part of the game.

Decide whether you want to play the adventure as Fennah or as Fenn, and place your Hero card above the Legend cards with the side for your chosen hero facing up. Place the Strength marker on 1 of the Strength track. Place the Willpower marker on 7 of the Willpower track. Keep the Enemy card together with the red dice and red markers ready within reach.

Note: You can play as Fennah or as Fenn. Both have the same abilities. Some Legend cards speak of the "Tracker" (Fährtensucher); this naturally refers to Fenn as well as to Fennah.

Gameplay

Before your adventure begins on the Legend cards, read the introduction on page 7 of this manual. Then take Legend card number 1 and start the game with it. Read the Legend card carefully. Most Legend cards offer several ways the story can continue; the individual options refer to further Legend cards and are always printed in bold. You must choose one of the options and then draw the indicated follow-up card from the face-down Legend card stack. Sometimes there is only one way forward; in that case you must take it.

Once you have made a choice, place the current card face up and form an open discard pile with all the other cards you have already read. You may look through this discard pile during the game, but you may not visit any of these cards again during your adventure.

Some Legend cards deviate from this rule: they are shaded slightly differently. These Legend cards may be visited more than once.

Strength and Willpower

Your Strength value represents how strong, agile or perceptive your character is. The higher your Strength value, the better your chance of survival in this adventure. On some Legend cards you gain Strength. This is shown by the following symbol:

[Strength icon: +1 Strength]

If you reach a Legend card with this symbol, move your Strength marker one space up.

Willpower points represent your character's life. If they fall to 0, your adventure ends. On some Legend cards you gain or lose Willpower points. This is shown by the following symbols:

[Willpower icons: a green "+1" leaf for gaining Willpower and a red "-1" leaf for losing Willpower]

If you reach a Legend card with one of these symbols, move the Willpower marker accordingly to the right or left. Sometimes the symbol also shows a die. In that case, throw one orange die and adjust your Willpower points by the number rolled.

Strength Tests

Some Legend cards ask you to take a Strength test. This is always announced by the following symbol:

[Strength test icon: a flexed arm]

Strength tests work as follows: Throw one orange die. If the result of the throw is equal to your current Strength or lower, you have passed the Strength test. If the result of the throw exceeds your Strength points, the Strength test fails. In both cases, the Legend card states what happens next.

Example: Fennah is asked to take a Strength test on a Legend card. She currently has 3 Strength points. She throws a die and it shows a 3. She has therefore passed the Strength test.

Combat

When you encounter an enemy, a fight often breaks out. Before you can continue with the story, you must fight the combat.

Combats are announced by the following symbol:

[Combat icon: crossed swords]

A combat is divided into rounds, and it ends only when either your enemy or you are left with 0 Willpower points.

Before the Combat

Take the Enemy card and the red dice and markers. Place the Strength and Willpower markers of the enemy on the corresponding spaces, as indicated on the Legend card.

Sequence of a Combat Round

Depending on your current Willpower points, throw one or both orange dice. How many dice you may throw is shown to the left of your Willpower track. Then add your highest die value to your current Strength points. This gives your combat value.

Next, you throw for your enemy with one or both red dice. Here too, the number of dice the enemy may throw depends on its current Willpower points, which is shown to the left of the enemy's Willpower track. Add the enemy's Strength to its highest die value. This gives the enemy's combat value.

Now compare both combat values. The side with the higher combat value wins the combat. Determine the difference between your combat value and that of the enemy; the loser loses that many Willpower points. If the values are equal, nothing happens in this combat round. Then a new combat round begins.

Example: Fennah is fighting a Gor. She currently has 4 Strength points and 8 Willpower points. She throws both orange dice and gets a 3 and a 6. Together with her Strength points, the 6 as the highest result gives a combat value of 10. The Gor, who has 2 Strength points and 4 Willpower points, then throws. It may throw only one red die. It rolls a 5. Now the Gor's Strength points and its die result are added together, giving 7. Fennah has won this combat round with 10 to 7! The Gor therefore loses 3 Willpower points.

Special Abilities

You have two special abilities: a knife and a horn. You may use each of them exactly once per combat.

The knife: If you use your knife, you may throw one of your already-thrown dice again in this combat round. You must decide whether to re-throw a die immediately after throwing, before you throw for the enemy.

The horn: If you use your horn, you may throw with 2 dice in this combat round, even if you have fewer than 5 Willpower points left and would normally be allowed to throw only one die.

Enemies

All enemies have the following special ability: Equal die values are added together. For example, if an enemy rolls a 3 on both dice, this gives a value of 6. You add this to the enemy's Strength points as usual to determine its combat value.

End of the Combat

The combat continues round after round until either you or your enemy has only 0 Willpower points left. If your enemy falls to 0 Willpower points, you have won the combat. If you fall to 0 Willpower points, you have lost the combat.

In both cases, the Legend card states how the story continues.

End of the Game

The game can end in many different ways. It either ends on certain Legend cards or with the endings described on pages 9 to 11. Read these endings only when you are asked to do so by a Legend card!

Whichever way your adventure ends, there are surely many more possibilities and paths that you have not yet explored.

Now begin your adventure by reading the introduction on the following page.

Good luck!

Introduction

Start your adventure here

It is cold. You shudder.

You curl up and pull your legs toward your body. You are lying on a hard floor that gives off an unpleasant chill.

Why do you feel so weak? Are you dreaming or are you awake? When you try to open your eyes, you feel a strong throbbing in your skull. Your head falls weakly to the side. You feel so weak!

You run your tongue over your dry lips. A burning thirst torments you. And then you notice something else: there are sounds. A dull hammering echoes from the walls.

"I can't stay lying here ... I have to get up" – with these thoughts you fight against your exhaustion.

Once more you force yourself against the dull pain in your head and open your eyes ...

Darkness. Complete blackness.

"Is anyone there?" you call, just loudly enough to drown out the hammering, but you receive no answer. Only the sound tells you that you must be in a room.

You breathe deeply. The air smells musty and dry, but strangely: you also perceive a sweetish breath like musk or cinnamon. No one has aired this place for ages.

"Did I come here of my own accord? Do I have a mission?" You rack your brain, but nothing comes to mind. It must be connected with the headache. Think! You know who you are.

You were at the Rietburg, in the tavern "The Drunken Troll", and crossed the Narne over the market bridge. And suddenly: nothing! All memory is gone.

Your hand touches the sword you carry with you. "Good," you think. Then it brushes a leather pouch at your side. You fumble at its strap and open it. The smell of bread and cheese immediately revives your spirits. You feel around for everything inside the pouch and pull out a half-full waterskin. You also find an oilcloth in which two torches are wrapped, and a flint with tinder.

You uncork the waterskin ... water! You take a good swig and immediately feel much better. Now: click ... click ... click, and the sparks fly ... and let there be light.

Now read Legend card 1.

Stop: Read Later

STOP! Read the following sections only when a Legend card asks you to!

The Throwing Axe

You have received the throwing axe of Grambolosch. Place Legend card 64 next to your Hero card as a reminder. Like your other special abilities, you can use the throwing axe once per combat. If you use the throwing axe in a combat round, your enemy may throw only one die in that round, even if it would otherwise have been allowed to throw 2 dice.

Endings

Your adventure ends here

Translator's note: the German text spells the dragon cultist's name "Nehamal" in Endings 1 and 2 and "Nehal" in Endings 3 and 4. Both spellings are transcribed as printed.

Ending 1

The enemy's feints surprised you. In the end you could no longer counter its swift blows and finally collapsed, drained of strength.

You lie on your back and gaze as if through a veil into the blue sky of Andor, where white clouds drift softly like cotton wool. Nehamal has long since departed amid mocking laughter.

"Kraa ... kraa," you hear the croaking of your raven beside you. It takes flight, flutters above you and then settles beside you again. Its voice sounds like a plaintive lament, but you no longer have the strength to turn your head toward it once more. Slowly it grows cold. You shiver. One last tremor, then you close your eyes.

Try again, from card 1 or from card 56.

Ending 2

"And I had simply agreed to your mission?" you ask him.

"Yes. I had told you that followers of the accursed dragons had found our hidden sanctuary and wanted to force their way in, to desecrate a precious work that was once created by Kreatok."

"Now it all makes sense," you say. "I caught the dragon cultist. His name was Nehamal. He sent creatures to seize the ruby, and it actually worked. It was a hard fight, but you need not worry. He no longer needs it."

With a wink, you hand Grambolosch the ruby, which he accepts with great reverence. "Thank you. I will proclaim your deeds to our people. Whenever you seek refreshment, you will find a place at our table."

"It was an honour to be able to help your people," you say selflessly, and take your leave with the wonderful feeling of having experienced an adventure and also done a good deed.

Andor calls. On to new deeds ...

Ending 3

You go back along the path and then up the hill to the tree, where the dwarf is still waiting for you.

"Ah, you're back. What have you achieved?" asks Grambolosch.

"I have caught a henchman who turned out to be a follower of the dragon Nehal." The dwarf raises his eyebrows.

"The Krark brought him the ruby of Kreatok. But the cultist no longer needs it," you say with a wink. "He will cause you no more trouble."

With these words you hand Grambolosch the ruby, which he accepts with great reverence a second time. "Once again I give you my great thanks. Your deeds will be unforgotten among our people."

"It was an honour to be able to help your people," you say selflessly, and take your leave with the wonderful feeling of having experienced an adventure and also done a good deed.

Andor calls. On to new deeds ...

Ending 4

You go back along the path and then up the hill to the tree, where the dwarf is still waiting for you.

You look up at the sky and are not surprised to see no circling bird there any more. You have the unmistakable feeling that the bird now lies dead by the farmstead.

"Ah, you're back. What have you achieved?" asks Grambolosch.

"I have caught a henchman who turned out to be a follower of the dragon Nehal." The dwarf raises his eyebrows.

"And I have obtained the ruby of Kreatok."

With these words you hand Grambolosch the ruby, which he accepts with great reverence. "Thank you. I will proclaim your deeds to our people. Whenever you seek refreshment, you will find a place at our table."

"It was an honour to be able to help your people," you say selflessly, and take your leave with the wonderful feeling of having experienced an adventure and also done a good deed.

Andor calls. On to new deeds ...