Ashes Special 8: Fabio Promo

Expansion for Black Rose Wars

Table of Contents

The promo content is listed on page 3 of the magazine as follows:

Black Rose Wars

1 Architect Miniature
1 Avatar Duel Card
30 Command Cards
1 Avatar Card

Nova Aetas Renaissance

2 Hero Sheets
2 Skill Sheets
9 Equipment Cards
1 Blender Automaton Card
1 Scraper Automaton Card
7 Relic Cards
3 Barricade Tokens
1 Blender Token
2 Scraper Tokens
1 Activation Token
4 Battle Focus Tokens

Requiem

1 Companion Token
4 Simplified Action Tokens
9 Equipment Cards

Three Uses of Fabio

Fabio the Architect is a single promo with three uses, and the matching rules are given in the sections below:

Nova Aetas Renaissance: Fabio is a Hero. See "Nova Aetas Renaissance: Fabio as a Hero".
Black Rose Wars (all products of the line): the Architect is an Avatar of the Black Rose. See "Black Rose Wars: The Architect Avatar".
Requiem: Downfall of Magic: Fabio Langehosen is a Recurring Companion. See "Requiem: Fabio Langehosen".

Nova Aetas Renaissance: Fabio as a Hero

Classes

Fabio is a Hero who carries all the equipment to play as an Architect in his Basic class or as an Antiquary or Engineer in his Advanced class. He has Equipment Cards, Automaton Cards, Relic Cards, Barricade Tokens, and Automaton Tokens.

The Architect is a class that uses its ranged attacks while taking cover behind barricades it can erect on the battlefield. He can also help allies by allowing them to set aside a die for use in their next Test, thanks to the Battle Focus Tokens.

The Engineer is a class that uses automatons (constructs that Fabio uses in battle) to provide support in melee, not just from a distance with his flintlock. The skills he has can make the Automatons very tough and powerful. We recommend that the Automatons act intelligently and avoid frontal attacks, waiting for someone to get the attention of the enemies before intervening.

The Antiquary is one of the most atypical classes in NAR; its skills are almost entirely passive, relying solely on Relic cards. Relics are special items that the Antiquary can equip and use once before discarding. But don't be afraid to leave empty-handed, the Antiquary will always be able to find new and powerful artifacts to use.

Architect Skills

The Architect skill sheet lists the following skills. Each skill shows its name, its cost (a number followed by a cost icon, printed as [cost icon] in this transcription), and its effect. Italic lines under a skill name are printed on the sheet with a small magnifier glyph; the sheet does not explain that glyph, so the line is kept as printed.

Precision Shot (cost 2 [cost icon])

+2 Time (Upgrade): if this Attack is performed with a Flintlock, it gains: [Physical Attack icon] +1 and you roll 1 additional [die icon].

Quick Reload (cost 2 [cost icon])

3 Time: discard a Reload Token from one of your Weapons; if you do, gain a Shielded Token.

Barricade (cost 3 [cost icon])

Lock Picking.
2 Time: you may place 1 Barricade (see Barricades rules of the Architect). Up to 3 uses per Mission.

Focus (cost 1 [cost icon])

Education.
2 Time: gain a Battle Focus Token.

Secret Passage (cost 1 [cost icon])

Diplomacy.
Passive. Exiting Location Cards does not cost you Time. While you are in a Location Card you have 1 [icon] in each Test you perform.

Climb (cost 1 [cost icon])

Passive. You may go up and down 1 Height Level without spending Time and without suffering Wounds.

Concentration (the Architect's passive skill, shown on the Hero's portrait panel)

Passive. [Physical Attack icon] +1: each time you perform an Attack with the Sniper Skill.
3 [Physical Attack icon]: All heroes on the Battlefield gain a Battle Focus Token.

Gap note: the second Skill Sheet (the Engineer and Antiquary advanced skills) is not legible in the magazine photograph. Its skill names and effects are not transcribed here, and players should use the printed sheet.

Nova Aetas Renaissance: Rules for Fabio's Components

Relics

Using the effect of the Relics Backpack, you can draw a Card from the Relics Deck.

After you draw a Relic, it must be equipped in an Encumbrance slot of your Encumbrance. When you use this effect, but all the Encumbrance slots of the Encumbrance are already occupied, you have to make a choice: discard the Relic card you just drew or replace it with one that is already equipped (you cannot free up the slot by using a Relic at this time). You may use the effect of only one Relic per Activation (except where otherwise specified such as the Ancient Knowledge skill), paying the cost indicated on the card. The Relic card used must be discarded, placing it uncovered next to the Relics Deck to form a discard pile. You cannot use the effect of a Relic unless it is equipped. If an effect, such as the Replicator's effect, does not specify how to put the Relic card back into the corresponding pile, the card must be randomly shuffled back into the Relics pile.

Barricades

Barricades can be placed on any of the four sides of the square occupied by Fabio. Barricades are considered obstacles that do not obstruct the Line of Sight but block movement between the two squares that share a side of it.

If the LoS of an attack, either physical or psychic, crosses the Barricade, apply the following effects:

Attack against Enemies: re-roll a die that obtained a success of your choice.
Attack against Heroes: re-roll a die that obtained a failure of your choice.

The effect of the Barricades has no effect if it affects two models in contact with it. Moreover, the barricade counting as an obstacle can be ignored by models with the Sniper skill.

Battle Focus

The Hero who receives this Token may choose to use it to exclude one of the dice from any of their Attack or Defense Tests. The die so excluded must be placed on the Token without changing its result.

A Hero may add the die placed on the Battle Focus Token to the result of a Test, during any Attack or Defense Test. If they do, they discard the Battle Focus Token.

Automaton Immunities and Weaknesses

Automatons are immune to all Status (negative and positive) except for the Burned and Shielded Status.

Burned: an Automaton with this Token suffers 2 Wounds at the end of its activation, then discards the Burned Token.
Shielded: an Automaton can be targeted by all skills and effects that would make a Hero gain a Shielded Token.

Automatons

The Automaton cards are the Blender Automaton and the Scraper Automaton. Automatons are machines created by the Engineer to help him in battle.

Automatons use their own [icon] to generate Time, but they use Fabio's Activation Token. The Hero can choose whether to activate them before or after his activation (the activation of a Miniature must be completed before moving on to the next one). Automatons have a [icon] value as Fabio's +1.

Automatons gain one Damage Token each time an effect would inflict them Wounds.

When the number of Damage Tokens is equal to the Automaton's health value, the Automaton is destroyed and removed from the Battlefield. Damage Tokens can only be discarded by specific Skills or Equipment effects.

Gap note: the icon used for the Automatons' own generation and the icon in their value line are printed as graphics on the Scraper card, with no name in the text. The icons are kept in brackets as printed.

Blender Automaton (card)

Health 5. The card's other stat values are printed as icons. The attack shown on the card:

Time 3, range icon 3, target icon 3, Physical Attack icon +0.
Status: Stun.
Text: "This attack affects every Model in its [area icon]. Enemies are hit with a Success threshold of 5+, regardless of their [defense icon]. Heroes suffer 2 [burst icon] from this attack and must perform a defense Test with a Success threshold of 6+."

Gap note: the magazine shows the stat icons on the Blender card without their names. Their values are given in the order printed. The Scraper Automaton card's stat values are not legible in the magazine image, and only its rules text is transcribed above.

Caesar's Eagle (Relic card)

Name: Caesar's Eagle. Type: Relic.
Text: "3 Time: all Heroes can immediately perform 2 Dashes. Then discard this card."

Gap note: of the seven Relic cards, only Caesar's Eagle has legible text in the magazine. The other Relic cards (including Alexandra's Visor and the Fabio - Antiquary reverse) are partly covered in the magazine photograph and are not transcribed here. Players should use the printed Relic cards.

Equipment Cards

The nine Equipment cards (including the Tool Box, Measurement Tools and Flintlock) are shown in the magazine photograph, but most of their rules text is not legible.

Gap note: the Equipment card rules text is not legible in the magazine photograph and is not transcribed here. Players should use the printed Equipment cards.

Destiny - Fabio (Story Cards)

The six Destiny - Fabio story cards are numbered FA-1 to FA-6. Each card has flavour text followed by one or more effects, which are transcribed below in full.

FA-1

The only heir of a wealthy Roman family, owner of numerous properties in the Eternal City, you decided to take a different path from the one you were destined for. Fascinated by all things ancient, but also forward-looking, you decided to devote yourself to the study of architecture. During your studies, you came up with the idea of combining your knowledge with the advancement of the art of war... An activity that could bring you much fortune in these turbulent times. When you heard that a small mercenary company was looking for new recruits, you seized the opportunity to put your ideas into practice.

Gain 1 [Experience icon].
Reveal 2 Fabio - Architect.

FA-2

Although the life of a soldier is very demanding, you manage to continue the study of your two great passions: Ancient relics of the past and the study of new warfare technologies. However, you realize that between one adventure and another, you will not be able to continue your studies in both fields. You must make a decision and choose where to focus your energies and concentrate the best weapon you have, your mind, on one field of study. Will you dedicate yourself to researching and studying the ancient relics that fascinate you so much, or will you design new and deadly weapons to unleash against your group's enemies?

Choose which Advanced Class to undertake: Engineer or Antiquary.
Switch to the chosen Advanced Class, then:
- If you chose the Engineer Advanced Class, Reveal 3 Fabio - Engineer.
- If you chose the Antiquary Advanced Class, Reveal 5 Fabio - Antiquary.

FA-3

The mechanical construct you invented and built is proving to be a useful asset to your group. When you see it charging through the ranks of the enemies, dealing blows left and right, it fills you with pride. You have christened it "Blender Automaton" because of its characteristics. It knows how to absorb and react to the attacks it receives. In short, the fruit of your ingenuity is truly spectacular. But in science, you can never stop. You must always go forward, experiment and create. You are convinced that your creation can still be improved, but you would need a comparison with someone who has gone down the same path as you. But where can you find a genius like yourself?

Reveal 4 Fabio - Engineer.

FA-4

During the last battle, the Automaton suffered extensive damage, too much according to your calculations. While you and your companions camp out to recover from the exertions of the last battle, you are so focused on your projects to improve the Automaton that you don't notice the approach of a small group of men escorting a carriage bearing the insignia of the Duchy of Milan. The men approach peacefully and inform you that the man they are accompanying wishes to speak with the inventor of the "war machine" you used in battle. Your companions ask who the man in the carriage is, and the attendants utter a name: Leonardo Da Vinci! When you hear the name, you jump, wake up from your inventor trance, and hurry to meet the men from Milan. Da Vinci gets out of the carriage and when he sees you, he smiles enthusiastically. You are introduced and still cannot believe the incredible good fortune that has befallen you. If there is one man who can help you with your projects, it's certainly Leonardo Da Vinci. He says he is fascinated by your creations and asks if he can exchange ideas with you before he leaves for Milan, where the Duke has commissioned him to do some work. You couldn't ask for anything better! While the escort from Milan and your companions take care of setting up camp, you and Leonardo spend the night discussing war technology, and the insights he gives you are priceless. His ideas are revolutionary, and as you talk, you do nothing but take notes and draw plans, trying to glean as much as you can from the living fountain of knowledge that is Leonardo. When you say goodbye in the morning, you have sheets upon sheets of blueprints on which to base your future creations and the modifications you have in mind for your Automaton!

Gain Advanced Equipment: Modification Projects.

FA-5

Your father was also a great collector of antiquities, and when you were a child, he showed you a secret chamber in one of his mansions where he kept all the relics of the past that he managed to obtain. Now the time had come to study these objects and learn their secrets. You picked them up and put them in a backpack to take with you on your adventures. You discovered that some mystical energy harnesses the relics, perhaps generated by the very beliefs and legends that surround them. By using them in battle, you have discovered that this energy can be harnessed to produce the miraculous effects that people attribute to them. The only problem is that this energy is extremely volatile and takes time to "recharge". Therefore, it's very difficult to use a relic in battle more than once. It would be very helpful for you and your companions to find a way to use these powers more often and more reliably. A complicated challenge, but perhaps you already have an idea?

Reveal 6 Fabio - Antiquary.

FA-6

Among the objects you took from your father's supply, one in particular seemed to have no specific purpose. It's a cubic object of truly bizarre workmanship that seems to contain some sort of mechanism. You haven't been able to trace its origin, as it doesn't look like anything you've seen before (and by now you have quite the education on the subject), and even the material it's made of seems unfamiliar to you. What you're pretty sure of is that it's damaged. Could this be the reason why it doesn't manifest any power? You have tried some experiments with the object, and the only thing you have found is that when other relics are near it, they recharge their power faster than normal. This phenomenon doesn't happen all the time, but if you could control it and speed it up, you could solve your biggest problem: making Relics usable multiple times within a few minutes. You throw yourself headlong into this new project, spending every spare moment on the Cube, using your technical knowledge to repair it with the means at your disposal. After hours of tinkering with the Cube, you triumphantly present the fruit of your labor to your companions! You have christened it the "Replicator" and it will allow you to use a Relic more than once, with 100% certainty of its effect! You can tell by the look on their faces that they probably didn't understand a word you said, but if you just say, "It'll be easier to win our battles!" the excitement they show will reward you for all your efforts! Now all that remains is a field test!

Gain Advanced Equipment: Replicator.

Requiem: Fabio Langehosen

Fabio Langehosen is a Companion obtainable as a reward following a game event or as loot from a specific enemy. Fabio has 3 Action Tokens available for him to perform the "walk" action and 1 Action Token that he can use for the "fight" action or to perform his special action. In fact, Fabio allows a Hero in his own area (hexagon) to recharge the spent uses of an Equipment, effectively repairing the item which will thus be able to be used longer. To add Fabio in your future adventures, simply read the following text box with the rules dedicated to Recurring Companions:

Recurring Companion

A Recurring Companion is not tied to a specific Character nor to the plot of a Campaign, but is created whenever their reward/loot token is drawn from the Random Rewards.

A Recurrent Companion can be used in any Quest in Requiem: Downfall of Magic, adding their Token to those in the Random Rewards; always keep in mind that there cannot be more than four Recurrent Companion Tokens among the Random Reward Tokens used in a Quest. When a player draws the Token of a Recurrent Companion, they get the Token (or the Model, if available) and the corresponding Companion Card. That player becomes their owner and creates the Companion, which is activated from that moment on, on the tile where their Character is located. When a Recurrent Companion is active, they follow all the Companion rules described in the core game rulebook. When a Recurrent Companion is defeated or lost, their Token is shuffled back among the Random Rewards Tokens and their Card returns to the common pool.

Fabio Langehosen (Companion Card)

Name: Fabio Langehosen. Type: Companion. Card code: RQM-ASHES8.
Stats: 4 Health, 3 [movement icon], 1 [attack icon].
Text: "In the tile this Companion is on, you may exhaust 1 of his [attack icon]. If you do, place 2 [box icon] onto an [owned icon] you own."

Gap note: the stat and ability icons on the Companion card are printed as graphics with no name in the text. They are shown in square brackets.

Black Rose Wars: The Architect Avatar

Duel Avatar

The Avatar is the personification of the Black Rose's will in a physical body. They wander around the Lodge enacting the plots woven by the Rose and acting as her hand, bestowing power on those they deem worthy, and punishing those who oppose the will of their mistress. Over time, many entities have played the role of Avatar for the Black Rose: mechanical knights born from the powers of alchemy, divine entities or those reputed to come from the most distant lands. Even spirits of the most ancient legends in the world were servants of the Black Rose, and, when she deems it necessary, she can call them back to her service. In the era of the rebirth, while the Lodge of the Black Rose calls forth the mages to return to their ancient glory, someone unexpected has been chosen as the Avatar...

The Avatar is an Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) that can be used in any game of Black Rose Wars: Duel replacing a human player for a single player game, or adding it to a two players game as a third player, making the Black Rose a more challenging rival.

The Avatar rule set can also be used to play the game in solo mode. The Avatar behaves exactly like a Mage, following most of the regular rules. They have a place at the table and follow the play order as if they were a virtual player.

The Architect

The Architect is the Avatar provided in this issue of Ashes. This expert builder has arrived in the ruins of the Lodge and is possessed by the Black Rose herself to become her puppet and rebuild the destroyed halls of the Lodge.

The Architect is represented in the Lodge by the Architect Models included with the magazine.

The Architect has two Skills described on his Avatar Card. Read the Skills carefully before the start of the game, each one must be applied whenever is possible.

Dominion: If the Architect has to activate when he is in a Cell, he does not activate and places himself in the Black Rose Room.
Completion: Each time the Architect must place any amount of [Instability cube icon] but cannot place any, he gains 1 [token icon].

Gap note: the token icon printed after "gains 1" on the Avatar Card has no name in the magazine text; it is kept in brackets as printed.

Avatar Setup

The Avatar is considered an additional player. You can therefore add the Avatar to any game, including a single player versus the Avatar.

The Avatar is a Mage, just like those controlled by the players. They participate in the game exactly like an additional Mage, but are also considered an extension of the Black Rose, and all the [Black Rose icon] symbols in the game also refer to them. The Avatar uses the Black Rose's Power Token to indicate their Power Points.

To use the Avatar in a game of Black Rose Wars: Duel, apply the following rules and changes:

Once the normal Game Setup has been carried out, take all the Avatar components: Model, Avatar Duel Card, Avatar Card, and Avatar Command Cards (divided into decks for the First, Second and Third Moon Phases). The Avatar uses the Black Rose's Damage/Instability Cubes (black Cubes).
Place the Avatar Model in the Black Rose Room.
Place the Avatar Duel Card near the game board, and place near it the Avatar Card as shown in the image.
Place the First Moon Avatar Command Card Deck under the [Memories icon] Grimoire/Hand slot of the Avatar Duel Card as shown in the image; the Second and Third Moon Avatar Command Card Decks will not be used in the game, place them aside.
The game is now ready to begin.

Avatar Cell

The Avatar does not have a Cell connected to the Lodge as the other Mages. They start the game in the Black Rose Room, and their Avatar Card is used as their Cell when they are defeated, so, when the Avatar is defeated place their Model on their Avatar Card.

When the Avatar begins their Activation in their Cell, they follow the Dominion Skill (indicated in their Avatar Card) to return in the Lodge.

Avatar Difficulty

During step 4 of the Avatar Setup, it is possible to use a Command Card Deck different from the First Moon one to make the Avatar more challenging.

Using the Command Card Deck of the Second Moon will make the Avatar moderately challenging, while using the Command Card Deck of the Third Moon will make the Avatar extremely challenging.

Avatar Card Anatomy

A. Name and Skills.
B. Health value: the maximum number of Damage Cubes the Avatar can have in the Health Tracker of the Avatar Duel Card before being defeated.
C. Strength value: the amount of Damage the Avatar deals when performing a Physical Attack ([Physical Attack icon]).
D. Speed value: the number of "Move 1." Effects the Avatar can use with a single Physical Action which allows them to move. Each single Move, separated by periods (.), is a different Effect, and the Avatar can use all or part of them, but they cannot use different Effects between them. Unused Move Effects are lost.
E. Lore text.
F. Dominion Skill.

The Architect's Avatar Card shows Health 8, Strength 0, and Speed 1.

Avatar A.I. Rules

To act in the game, the Avatar follows the rules of their A.I. summarised below.

Choice of the Crown: Crown Holder chooses on behalf of the A.I. among the possible choices and/or the possible tied situations.

Avatar and Crown Token: Under no circumstances can the Avatar gain control of the Crown Token. Ignore all Effects that would allow that.

The Avatar must assign Damage to multiple Models: They first assign Damage to the Mage with the most [Wounds icon] inflicted by the [Physical Attack icon], then they assign Damage to the Mage with the most [Wounds icon]. Then, if they have other Damage Cubes to assign, they assign those to other Mages. If they have even more, they assign them to Evocations. In all other cases, the Choice of the Crown applies.

The Avatar must convert Damage/Instability: They convert Damage/Instability starting from the rightmost Cube on the Mage Sheet/Room.

Avatar and Event Card: The Avatar ignores all Effects of Event Cards that relate to or target Mages.

Avatars and Quest Cards: The Avatar do not resolve Quests.

Avatar and Black Rose Damage: The Avatar never takes Damage from the [Black Rose icon] Black Rose.

Avatar Game Turn

The Avatar behaves as detailed below during the various Phases of the Game Turn. The Avatar is considered to be controlled by a fictional player sitting on the left of the player that plays last in the first game Turn.

Black Rose Phase, Study Phase and Evocation Phase: These Phases are resolved normally and the Avatar does nothing unless otherwise indicated on their components or specific rules.

Action Phase: The Avatar performs their Activation like any other Mage. When the Avatar activates, the Mage to their right reveals the top Card of the Avatar Command Card Deck and puts it under the [Memories icon] Memories slot of the Avatar Duel Card. They then resolve the Effects of the card one at a time, from top to bottom. A Command Card can have one or two Effects, usually a [Physical Action icon] Physical Action and a [Spell icon] Spell. [Physical Action icon] Effects are resolved like normal Physical Actions but applying the Effect as described. [Spell icon] Effects are resolved like normal Spell Effects. When all the Effects are resolved, the Avatar's Activation ends.

During a single Activation, the Avatar reveals and resolves a single Command Card, then ends their Activation. They activate again after all the other Mages (following play order) and resolve another single Command Card until they have resolved a total of 3 Command Cards. The Avatar activates even if all other Mages have no Actions left to perform.

+ [Spell icon] Additional Card: Some Command Card Effects contain the + [Spell icon] symbol, which indicates that once the Effect is resolved, another Command Card must be revealed and resolved during the same Avatar Activation. This Command Card does not count towards the limit of 3 Command Cards the Avatar can resolve within a single Action Phase (place the additional Command Cards horizontally in the Memories to tell them apart from the Command Cards that count towards the 3 cards limit).

Clean-up Phase: During Step 1 of the Clean-up Phase, all Command Cards revealed during the current Turn are shuffled and placed under the Command Card Deck.

Avatar Command Card Anatomy

A. Name.
B. Physical Action: the Effects of a Physical Action performed by the Avatar.
C. Spell: the Effect of a Spell the Avatar has cast.

The magazine shows two sample Command Cards, "Tombstone Art" and "Build", and the Attack Plans card:

Tombstone Art (Physical Action): "Places himself in the nearest [area icon] with the least [icon] placed." (Spell): "Places 1 [icon]. Converts 1 [icon] to each [icon]."
Build (Spell): "Converts 1 [icon]. Places 1 [icon]." with the + [Spell icon] symbol.
Attack Plans (Physical Action): "Places himself in the nearest [area icon] with the least [icon] placed." (Spell): "Places 1 [icon]. Inflicts 1 [Wounds icon] to each [Mage icon]."

Read a Command Card: Even if not specified, the subject of each Effect on a Command Card is always the Avatar Name. The cases highlighted above must be read as:

[Physical Action icon]: "The Architect Places himself in the nearest [area icon] with the least [icon] placed."
[Spell icon]: "The Architect Places 1 [icon]. The Architect inflicts 1 [Wounds icon] to each [Mage icon]."

Gap note: the magazine shows only sample Command Cards. The thirty Architect Command Cards (ten for each Moon) are not printed legibly in the magazine, so their individual texts are not transcribed here. Players should use the printed Command Cards.