Dreamwars Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Objective of the Game
• Game Overview
• Game Components and Preparation
• Component Overview
  • Game Board
  • Crescent Moon Marker
  • Watch Marker
  • Dice
  • Hero Sheets and Markers
  • Hero Status Tokens
  • Equipment Cards
  • Great Nemesis Sheets
  • Adventure Cards
  • Event Cards
  • Nemesis Markers
• Game Set-up
  • Game Setup Diagram
• The Game Turn
  • Phase 1: Events
    • Alternative Events Phase
  • Nemesis Limit
  • Phase 2: Heroes
  • Phase 3: Nemesis
  • End of Turn
• Ending the Game
• Core Rules
  • Characteristics
  • Test your Characteristics
  • Characteristic 0
  • Test your Dodge
  • Test your Fate
• Modifiers
• Natural Rolls
• Re-rolls
• Movement and Health
• Losing a turn
• Combat
  • Heroes Phase
  • Nemesis Phase
  • Hero's Status
  • At Death's Door and Death
  • Death
  • Alteration Statuses
• Great Nemesis Sheet Breakdown
• Game Board Breakdown
  • Types of spaces
  • Types of locations
  • Active Portals
  • The Frame
• Hero Sheet Breakdown
• Events Cards Breakdown
• Nemesis Marker Breakdown
  • Combat Side
  • Special Rules Side
• Equipment Cards Breakdown
  • Item Types and Special Rules
• Adventure Cards Breakdown
  • 1. Encounter and Treasure Cards Breakdown
  • 2. Allies and Mercenaries Breakdown
• Special Abilities
• Miscellany
• Phase Summary
• Test your Characteristic
• Special Characteristic Tests
• Location Icons
• Transcriber's Notes

Objective of the Game

In Dreamwars a powerful Great Nemesis steps up, determined to fulfil its nefarious purpose with the help of its army of monsters and servants.

The players must work together as a team of Heroes who gather to stop the enemy plan from happening, or the whole world will suffer the consequences of their failure.

Game Overview

In Dreamwars the Heroes explore the wilderness mysteries as well as the city's secrets, encountering common folk, noblemen, creatures, monsters and allies, each of them carrying a story and a task. Throughout their journey, the Heroes must gain the information and equipment needed to stop the enemy plan once and for all.

The Heroes are strong enough to take on the weakest creatures, but in order to defeat the most powerful ones they will need each other. The actions the Heroes will perform during the course of their adventures will also change the way they can approach certain situations and the way they can interact with each other, as they gain new abilities and skills.

The world of Ylen is a lively and mysterious place, where those who know where to look can find everything they need to survive its many dangers, even though the climate can be as treacherous as the creatures that prowl the damp forests outside the city walls.

Either the Heroes succeed or fail certain tasks, their mission changes accordingly, leading towards a conclusion that reflects what happened during the game.

Defeating or being defeated by the Great Nemesis are not the only two options.

Game Components and Preparation

Enclosed in your Dreamwars box, you will find the following game components:

• 1 Rule Book (this book)
• 1 Ordeals Book
• 1 Game Board
• 1 Crescent Moon Marker
• 1 Watch Marker
• 4 Dice
• 8 Hero Sheets
• 8 Hero Markers
• 34 Blood Tokens
• 10 Unknown Tokens (9 Empty and 1 Dreamstone tokens)
• 28 Prestige Title Tokens
• 8 Death Tokens / Supply Tokens
• 3 Coach Tokens
• 1 Train Token
• 4 Cannon Markers / Siege Tower Markers
• 60 Adventure Cards
  • 30 Outland Mysteries Cards
  • 30 City Intrigues Cards
• 120 Equipment Cards
  • 30 Common Items Cards
  • 32 Tech Items Cards
  • 30 Cantici Cards
  • 30 Dream Shards Cards
• 9 Great Nemesis Sheets
• 30 Ekathon Event Cards
• 34 Ekathon Monster Markers
• 1 Ekathon Behemoth Nemesis Markers

Important: Before you play your first game of Dreamwars, carefully punch out the cardboard pieces so that they do not tear. Be sure to keep all components out of the reach of small children and animals.

Component Overview

The following is an introductory summary of the various components included in the Dreamwars box. This summary should help you identify the components and understand how to use them as you read through the rules.

Game Board

The game board, often referred to as "the Map", depicts the part of the region where your adventures will take place. See "Game Board Breakdown" on page XX for a complete discussion of the game board.

Crescent Moon Marker

This marker is given to the player who acts first in the turn. The marker is passed to the left at the start of each new turn. At the beginning of the game the players can decide who will have the Crescent Moon Marker first or, in alternative, they may choose it randomly.

Watch Marker

This marker's function is to keep count of the gaming turns when it is required. At the beginning of the first turn place the Watch marker on the slot marked "1" on the gaming board's frame. The marker must be moved forward one slot at the beginning of each following turn. See "Game Board Breakdown" on page XX for a complete discussion of the game board.

Dice

Players roll the dice to make characteristics tests, fight battles, and determine several other outcomes.

Hero Sheets and Markers

Each player receives one Hero sheet that describes the characteristics, abilities and starting equipment of the Hero he controls. Each player also receives one Hero marker used to indicate his Hero's current position on the board. See "Hero Sheet Breakdown" on page XX for a full description of Hero sheets.

Hero Status Tokens

These tokens are used to keep track of a Hero's current Life Points (LPs) and of the progress on any of his Prestige Abilities.

• Life Points tokens represent a Hero's current level of physical health.
• Prestige Title tokens are used to represent a Hero's current progress on unlocking one of his Prestige Abilities.

Equipment Cards

The small cards included in Dreamwars are called Equipment Cards. They represent useful items the Heroes may acquire during the course of the game. There are four types of Equipment Cards:

• Common Items are ordinary but useful items that can be purchased or found by any Hero.
• Tech Items are unusual, sometimes bizarre, and quite powerful items that can greatly assist any Hero who is able to use them.
• Cantici are arcane songs any Hero who is a Cantore can intone, thanks to his Arcane knowledge.
• Dream Shards (also called Dreamstone Shards) are fragments of a Dreamstone infused with special properties any Hero can use. They are also used as a form of currency in the game.

Great Nemesis Sheets

At the beginning of every game of Dreamwars, the players randomly determine which Great Nemesis threatens to compromise the fabric of reality. Each Great Nemesis sheet lists the effects the creature has on the game and on the other Nemesis in play. It also specifies which Ordeal the Heroes must face when fighting the Great Nemesis. The Great Nemesis also determines which faction of Nemesis and Events will be used in the game. See "Great Nemesis Sheet Breakdown" on page XX for full details.

Adventure Cards

The first type of larger cards included with Dreamwars are called Adventure cards. They represent allies, mercenaries, treasures or dangerous encounters the Hero may incur into while exploring the region during the course of the game. There are two types of Adventure cards:

• Outland Mysteries cards represent a plethora of encounters a Hero can make while visiting key places in the region where nature rules untamed, the so-called "Outland" outside Halfen's and Folkenburg's city walls.
• City Intrigues cards represent the many encounters and mysteries a Hero may run into while visiting civilized locations, usually inside Halfen's and Folkenburg's city walls.

Event Cards

The other type of larger cards included with Dreamwars are called Events Cards. These cards represent the way the world of Ylen reacts to the tainting touch of the Great Nemesis and their minions. Although there are three types of Event Card decks, only one per game is used, depending on the Great Nemesis that has been chosen.

• Ekathon Event cards represent the kind of climate phenomena and unholy rituals that take place when the Great Nemesis belongs to the Ekathon faction.
• Nightwitch Event cards represent the kind of climate phenomena and mind-baffling illusions that can be experienced when the Great Nemesis belongs to the Nightwitch faction.
• Jormung Event cards represent the kind of climate phenomena and monstrous slave varieties that storm the land when the Great Nemesis belongs to the Jormung faction.

Nemesis Markers

Nemesis markers represent the monsters roaming the region. Each Nemesis marker has two sides: a combat side and a special rules side. Leave the Nemesis's combat side face up while it wanders around the board.

When a Nemesis is summoned, or when a Hero fights against it, check the special rules side to see if the creature possesses particular skills or properties. Players may look at either side of any Nemesis marker at any time. See "Nemesis Marker Breakdown" on page XX for a full description.

Game Set-up

Follow the steps below to prepare for a game of Dreamwars.

1. Prepare Playing Area. Unfold the board and place it in the centre of the playing area. Make sure there is enough space around the edges of the board to place the Hero sheets and the card decks. Place the various tokens and the dice near the board, as shown in the set-up diagram on page XX.
2. Choose the First Player. Choose or, in alternative, select one player at random to be the first player. Give the Crescent Moon marker to that player.
3. Set the Watch. Whenever the scenarios requires it, put the Watch marker on the left of slot 1, on the Map's frame.
4. Pick A Hero. The first player shuffles the 8 Hero sheets. Then, without looking, one by one the players randomly choose their Hero Sheet and place it face up in front of them. Alternately, the players may agree to choose their Heroes, starting with the first player and continuing with the player on his left until every player has selected a Hero.
5. Determine the Great Nemesis. The first player shuffles the nine Great Nemesis sheets. Then, without looking, he selects one at random and places it face up near the board. This is the Great Nemesis whose nefarious plan the Heroes must stop for this game. If the Great Nemesis has any special rule that affects the setting of the game, it is resolved now. Alternatively, the players may choose which Great Nemesis they want to face. This can be the best choice if there are time constraints or other considerations involved. (Ekathon-themed games are usually easier, while Jormung-themed ones make for a particularly challenging game.)
6. Deploy the Events Deck. Select one of the three Event Cards decks, depending on the faction the chosen Great Nemesis belongs to, then place it near the board as shown in the set-up diagram.
7. Deploy the Equipment Decks. Separate the Equipment cards into their respective decks, i.e. the Common Items deck, the Tech Items deck, the Cantici deck and the Dream Shards deck, and place them near the board as shown in the set-up diagram.

Exception: Do not place the Nemesis Leaders, nor the Nemesis Behemoths in the Horde unless the scenario says so. Nemesis Leaders are identified by the word "Leader" printed on the special rules side of their markers, while Nemesis Behemoths can be easily identified by their colossal size!

13. Set-up the Ordeal. At the bottom of each Great Nemesis sheet it is noted what particular challenge the Heroes will have to face. These challenges are called Ordeals. Depending on the Great Nemesis which has been chosen for the game, read the relative entry on the Ordeals Book and set the board up with any additional marker, Nemesis and preparation required by the scenario. Each scenario in the Ordeal also explains where the Hero markers may be deployed at the beginning of the game.

After the Hero markers are set, the first turn begins, starting with the first player.

Game Setup Diagram

The set-up diagram on page 6 of the Rule Book summarises the steps above:

• Place the chosen Great Nemesis Sheet on a side of the board.
• Select the Nemesis Horde.
• Place the Events deck.
• Great Nemesis, Nemesis Horde and Events deck must belong to the same Faction.
• Place the Adventure decks.
• Place the Equipment decks.
• Each player takes his Hero sheet and marker, then gains a number of Blood tokens equal to his Life Points. In addition, each player receives his Hero's Initial Belongings.
• Place any special token required in the Chapter's Set-up on a side of the board.
• Keep an adequate supply of Prestige Title and Blood tokens beside the board.
• Give the Crescent Moon marker to the player you've chosen to go first. It is passed to the left at the beginning of every turn.

Note: the set-up diagram says "Blood tokens equal to his Life Points", while step 11 above says "Life Point tokens"; both are transcribed as printed.

The Game Turn

A turn of Dreamwars is divided into three phases.

The phases of each turn are:

• Phase 1: Events
• Phase 2: Heroes
• Phase 3: Nemesis

Phase 1: Events

At the beginning of each turn, the first player must move the Watch marker (if present) 1 slot to the right.

Then he must draw a card from the Events deck, and deploy it face-up beside the board. See Events Cards Breakdown on page XX for full details and information.

1. Immediately apply any effect noted on the Event card.
2. Depending on the number of players, the first player must summon the appropriate number of Nemesis creatures and deploy them on the Portal locations listed on the Event card.
   • In a game with up to 3 players, 1 Nemesis is summoned on each of those locations.
   • In a game with 4 to 6 players, 2 Nemesis are summoned on each of those locations.
   • In a game with 7 to 8 players, 3 Nemesis are summoned on each of those locations.
3. Check if the Stars are Right.
   • The Stellar Symbols on the Event cards represent the movement of the stars and the moons in the sky of Ylen. Remember to check the symbols on the three Event cards currently in play, as particular combinations can have special in-game effects, depending on which Great Nemesis has been chosen for the game. See Great Nemesis Sheet Breakdown on pg.XX for full details and information.

Each Event card remains in play for three turns.

As a consequence, at the beginning of the third turn and until the end of the scenario, there will always be three Event cards in play at the same time.

At the beginning of the fourth turn, the first Event card is discarded and a new one comes into play. This means there will never be more than three Event cards in play at the same time. As long as they stay in play, all the effects noted on the Events cards must be applied.

Exception: In some Event cards it is stated that "the effect lasts 1 turn". This means the effect noted on that particular Event card must be applied only in the turn it is drawn, but the card itself will remain in play for three turns, as explained above, and it must still be taken in consideration whenever checking if The Stars are Right.

Alternative Events Phase

Should you find the Events mechanic a little bit too complicated, especially in your first Dreamwars games, we recommend using the following simplified version of the rules:

Phase 1: Events (alternative)

At the beginning of each turn, the first player must move the Watch marker (if present) 1 slot to the right.

Then he must draw a card from the Events deck, and deploy it face-up beside the board. See Events Cards Breakdown on page XX for full details and information.

1. Immediately apply any effect noted on the Event card.
2. Depending on the number of players, the first player must summon the appropriate number of Nemesis creatures and deploy them on the Portal locations listed on the Events card.
   • In a game with up to 3 players, 1 Nemesis is summoned on each of those locations.
   • In a game with 4 to 6 players, 2 Nemesis are summoned on each of those locations.
   • In a game with 7 to 8 players, 3 Nemesis are summoned on each of those locations.

Each Event card remains in play only one turn.

Entirely ignore any line that specify the durations of the Event's effects, such as "the effect lasts 1 turn".

Entirely ignore any Stellar Symbol the Events cards may have.

Typo note: the printed text reads "n a game with 4 to 6 players" and "n a game with 7 to 8 players" in the standard Events phase; "n" is corrected to "In" above. The alternative phase is transcribed as printed.

Nemesis Limit

There is a limit to the number of Nemesis creatures that can stay on the Map at the same time. The "Nemesis limit" is specified in the description of each scenario on the Ordeals Book, even though Events cards, Items or abilities may alter this limit.

Check the description of the scenario you are playing to learn what the limit number of Nemesis in play is for the current game.

When the Nemesis limit is reached, no more Nemesis can be summoned on the Map.

Should this limit number be modified during the game, any exceeding Nemesis may remain in play but no other Nemesis are summoned until their number drops appropriately.

However, there are consequences to a massive presence of Nemesis creatures roaming the region, as they will likely become more aggressive and dangerous.

Read the Great Nemesis Sheet currently in play to see what happens when the Nemesis limit is reached.

These effects are applied until the number of Nemesis in play decreases again below the indicated limit and, at least, until the end of the turn in which the number of Nemesis on the Map has reached the limit.

See "Great Nemesis Sheet Breakdown" on page XX for full detail and information.

Phase 2: Heroes

During the Heroes phase, each Hero can perform 2 Actions and 1 Movement.

The first player goes first, then the player on his left does the same and so on.

Once all the players have completed their Movement and their Actions, the next phase begins.

Actions: a Hero can perform 2 Actions per turn and he can decide to use them as he prefers. A Hero can spend each Action to perform a single Melee or Ranged Attack, to intone a Cantico, to Meditate, or to activate the special properties that a specific location may have.

Actions and Movement are independent, therefore you can decide to move your Hero and then perform your Actions, or to perform the Actions first and then move.

You can also choose to perform your first Action, move and then perform the second Action.

You are free to play your Hero the way you like.

You can even decide not to perform an Action, in case you don't want to. In that case the Action is lost and you can't do anything else until your next turn.

Movement: Each Hero has a specific Movement characteristic indicated by a number noted on the appropriate space in the Hero sheet. The number represents the maximum number of spaces the Hero can move each turn. See "Hero Sheet Breakdown" on page XX for a full description of Hero sheets.

The Movement can be performed before, after or even in between Actions, but once started it must be completed.

A Hero can leave the space occupied by a Nemesis only after having successfully Tested his Dodge. It is not required to spend an Action to Dodge a Nemesis. If the Hero fails the Dodge Test he may not move during the current turn. One Dodge Test is required for each Nemesis which is occupying the same space as the Hero.

At the end of this Phase, any Hero who is occupying a location must draw and resolve a card from the appropriate Adventure deck. It is not required to spend an Action to draw an Adventure card. See the Adventure rules on page XX for full details.

Designer's note: A Hero can normally move once per turn, however some special abilities, Allies, Items, Shards or Cantici, may allow some exceptional kind of extra movement.

A Hero can use only one extra or one special movement per turn, not both.

Each card will specify whether its effect is a special movement or not. Ordinary modifiers to the Movement value are not considered special movements.

Whenever an Ally, ability, Item or Shard allows an extra movement, it means the Hero can move one more time, after having moved as normal, at his basic Movement value.

Phase 3: Nemesis

Each Nemesis on the board can move according to its Movement characteristic. See "Nemesis Marker Breakdown" on page XX for a full description.

Unless stated otherwise in the scenario rules, a Nemesis will always consider the Heroes its Primary Target. Therefore a Nemesis will move as fast as possible towards the nearest Hero in play.

It will always choose the most efficient route, fully exploiting any special ability it may have.

If a Nemesis moves on a space occupied by a Hero, then it means the creature engaged the Hero in combat and attacked him. See the "Combat" section on page XX for a full description on how to deal with attacks and damage.

Designer's note: quite often in a scenario the Primary Target for some, or every Nemesis in play won't be the Heroes, but a specific object, marker or location. In those cases, which are always specified in each scenario's Rules, the indicated Nemesis will move as fast and as efficiently as possible towards their target.

However, should a Nemesis cross a space or location already occupied by a Hero during its movement, it will stop moving and will engage that Hero in combat. The Nemesis won't leave that space until it is killed, the Hero is at Death's Door, or one of the two combatants moves to another space (typically because of a Cantico, a special ability or as a consequence of the Hero successfully Testing his Dodge).

There may be rare cases where there is no available Primary Target for the Nemesis in play, as all the Heroes in play are using an ability, Cantico or Shard that make them ineligible as Primary Targets. In those cases the Nemesis in play will simply not move until a new Primary Target is available.

However keep in mind they are still active, therefore they will use their Ranged Attacks or any other ability as normal.

Exception: Behemoth, Leader, Flying, agile and Aquatic Nemesis may leave a space or location they share with a Hero and proceed towards their Primary Target undisturbed. See the Special abilities list and description on page XX for full details and information.

End of Turn

At the end of each Nemesis phase, the Crescent Moon marker is passed to the player on the left and a new turn begins. Draw a new Events card, summon new Nemesis and play as described above until the scenario's conclusion.

Ending the Game

Each Ordeal is an adventure composed of several scenarios that have their own set of rules and victory conditions.

Depending on the outcome of the scenarios you play, the Ordeals Book will tell you what happens next, guiding you through your adventure step by step.

Each scenario described in the Ordeals Book notes precisely what the victory conditions are and what happens in both cases of success and failure.

Depending on how much time you have you can both decide to play a single scenario or a full Ordeal.

Each scenario is designed specifically to be playable as a stand-alone adventure, even though it is part of a bigger enterprise.

See the Ordeals Book for a full description of the scenarios.

Core Rules

After reading the rules up to this point, you should be familiar with the overall structure of the game, including what you can expect to find in the course of your adventures in Dreamwars. The remaining sections of this rulebook offer everything you need to know in order to meet your Ordeal's objectives: how to Test the characteristics of your Hero, how to fight the Nemesis creatures, how to intone a Cantico, how to interact with your Equipment, and more.

Characteristics

These are the basic abilities Heroes use to accomplish things in the game. Every Hero has six characteristics, listed below. Each characteristic has a value, depending on how good the Hero is at performing certain tasks. The higher the value, the better the Hero is in that particular aspect.

• Melee: Used for physical feats of strength and to fight in hand-to-hand combat.
• Skill: Used for feats of agility, precision and stealth. It is required to use low-tech throwing weapons. Also, it can be particularly useful during the Adventures.
• Tech: Used to determine the technical expertise and the ability to use technological weapons and machinery.
• Arcane: Used for tests of dream-related knowledge and ability. Also it is necessary to intone a Cantico.

Test your Characteristics

Heroes are often required to Test their characteristics in order to use an item, or to accomplish something in the game. When the game calls for a Test, it is presented in a consistent format that provides the following information:

• The characteristic you must use to perform the Test
• The modifier (bonus or penalty) to the check, if any

Modifiers and Natural Rolls are discussed in more detail below.

Example 1: Test your Skill. In this example, Skill is the characteristic the Hero must put on the test.

Example 2: Test you Arcane (-2). In this example Arcane is the characteristic the Hero must Test. The modifier is -2, a huge penalty on the Hero's Skill value. (Both "Test you" and "Skill value" are as printed in the source; the example's wording reads as a typo for "Test your" and "Arcane value".)

When Testing a characteristic, a player always rolls 1 dice, unless it is specified otherwise in the description of the Test.

If the player rolls a dice value which is equal or lower than the number noted on the Hero's Sheet, then the Hero succeeds in the Test.

Example 1: In the course of the game, Ilarier Sint, the Wind Weaver, draws a City Intrigue card which requires her to Test her Arcane to see if she can decipher some strange symbols. As you can see from her Hero sheet, Ilarier has Arcane 4. Ilarier is very good with her Arcane knowledge! Therefore, in this example, she must roll a dice and score a value of 4 or less. If she succeeds the Test is passed, otherwise it is failed.

Example 2: During the game, M.A.X, the Automaton Sentinel, draws an Outland Mystery card which requires him to Test his Skill to try and see if he manages to spot something shiny on the bottom of a lake. As you can see from his Hero sheet, M.A.X has Skill 1. M.A.X is a very reliable and heavy piece of machinery, but not very aware, apparently. Therefore, in this example, he needs to roll a 1 in order to succeed!

Characteristic 0

Each civilization in Dreamwars has its own culture and customs. Some use technology as integral part of their lifestyle, some others never make use of it.

To represent this, on the Hero Sheet of some of the playable Heroes, it is quite common to find a characteristic value of 0 (zero).

In Dreamwars a "natural roll of 1" is always a success, however if a characteristic value drops to 0, the Hero will automatically fail any Test related to that specific characteristic.

Also, since Arcane and Tech characteristics give access to a wide variety of items and opportunities all Heroes may encounter during their adventures, it is important to specify the following cases:

• Arcane 0: a Hero with Arcane 0 may not carry, nor attempt to intone any Cantico and will always fail any Arcane-related Test he is called to make.
• Tech 0: a Hero with Tech 0 may never use a Tech Item. He still may carry some, as part of his Equipment Items, but may not attempt to use them. He will also automatically fail any Tech-related Test he is called to make.

Test your Dodge

If a Hero wants avoid a fight, he must try and outmatch his opponent in agility and prowess. Whenever a Hero wishes to leave a space occupied by a Nemesis, he must Test his Dodge.

Dodge is a special characteristic whose value is equal to the Hero's basic Movement, as noted on each Hero Sheet.

No Movement modifier can be applied when Testing a Hero's Dodge, unless specifically stated.

If the Hero fails a Dodge Test, he may not move any further in that turn.

One Dodge Test is required for each Nemesis which is occupying the same space as the Hero.

Test your Fate

Sometimes an encounter or a particular piece of Equipment may require the Hero to Test his Fate.

Fate is a special characteristic unlisted on the Hero Sheets, because it represents events outside the Hero's control, such as his destiny, chance or pure, simple luck.

Because of its unpredictable nature, when the game requires a Hero to Test his Fate, it is presented in a consistent format that provides the threshold number you must consider to pass the Test.

Example: Test your Fate 2. This is a quite difficult test, since it requires you to score a 2 or less in order to succeed.

When Testing his Hero's Fate, a player always rolls 1 dice, unless it is specified otherwise in the description of the Test.

Modifiers

Whenever a Modifier is applied, the indicated number is added to or subtracted from the appropriate Hero's characteristic value.

Example: Eogart the Wildkin wants to try and kill an Ekathon Shield in one turn, therefore he decides to use both his actions to attack the Nemesis creature with two mighty Melee Attacks. Eogart is a fierce fighter and has Melee 4!

However, all Ekathon Shields have the "Heavy Armour" special rule, which applies a -1 Modifier to any Melee Attack directed against them (see the Ekathon Shield marker).

Eogart rolls 2 dice and scores a 4 and a 2. Normally they would be both successes, but because of the Shield's Heavy Armour, Eogart's Melee value is considered 1 point lower: a 3. Therefore only one of his Melee attacks finds its target (the roll of 2).

Modifiers can be combined and stacked.

Natural Rolls

A "natural roll" is the result of a dice roll before any modifier is applied.

When checking for a "natural roll" only the dice's result matters. Don't take into account any potential modifier you may have (or want) to apply.

A good example is the Critical Malfunction special rule, that triggers on a "natural roll of 6" and is applied to all Tech Items. See page XX for full information about the Critical Malfunction special rule.

Important: in Dreamwars a natural roll of 6 is always a failure and a natural roll of 1 is always a success.

Re-rolls

Certain abilities, holy items or in-game instances may allow a Hero to re-roll one or more of his Tests.

Keep in mind that a re-roll isn't always a good thing: some instances will force the Heroes to re-roll their successful Tests, while others will allow them to re-roll their failures.

Each Test can be re-rolled only once per turn and the second result must be accepted and applied, even if it is worse then the first one.

In case there are two instances or abilities in play at the same time, one that allows the Heroes to re-roll their failed Tests and the other that forces them to re-roll their successes, the two instances are considered counterbalancing each other. Apply none of the two.

Movement and Health

In gaming terms, these are not considered Characteristics per se, even though they are part of the Hero's basic abilities. In fact they are listed on the opposite side of the Hero's portrait on the Hero Sheet.

Movement: It determines the Hero's movement. Also it is used to Test the Hero's Dodge.

Life Points (LPs): They represent the Hero's vitality and stamina. Usually it is not used for tests.

Losing a turn

Sometimes an encounter, Adventure or Event may force a Hero to lose 1 turn.

Losing a turn represents an event or instance that requires the Hero to spend a long time in a specific place, temporarily putting aside his main goal.

In gaming terms, losing a turn means the Hero can't play his Hero Phase at all for that turn: he can't move, attack, meditate, intone any Cantico, trade, nor resolve any Adventure card.

However a Hero can always Test his Defence as normal if attacked by a Nemesis.

Combat

Ylen is a dangerous world, inhospitable outside the few civilized places, and fighting is something everyone who wants to embark in a travel through the wild regions must be fairly good at.

The different civilizations developed several combat styles, some of them sophisticated, mystical, graceful, others not so much…

Combat can take place in both the Heroes Phase, and in the Nemesis Phase of each turn.

Heroes Phase

During the Heroes Phase, a Hero can spend one, or both his actions to attack a Nemesis. There are three options:

• Melee Attacks: A Hero can perform a Melee Attack against any Nemesis which is occupying his same space on the game board. To do so, the Hero must Test his Melee.
• Ranged Attacks: each Ranged Weapon card indicates the Range of that particular weapon. The Range number shows how many spaces of range that particular weapon has.

Never take into account the space you are occupying, when measuring the distance you can reach with your Ranged Attack. A Hero can't perform a Ranged Attack against a Nemesis occupying his own space.

• In order to hit his target with a Common Ranged Weapon, the Hero must successfully Test his Skill.
• In order to hit his target with a Tech Ranged Weapon, The Hero must successfully Test his Tech.

Each Weapon card notes every detail you need to know about that particular item, including which category each weapon belongs to. See Equipment card Breakdown on page XX for full information and details about how to read any Equipment card.

Intone a Cantico: A Cantico (pl: Cantici) is the strongest expression of a person's desire, which allows the Cantore to modify reality at will. However it is an ephemeral, evanescent discipline.

Every time a Cantore wants to intone a Cantico he must Test his Arcane. If the result is a success, apply all the effects described in the Cantico card.

When a Cantico is successfully intoned, flip the card horizontally beside the Cantore's Hero Sheet as a reminder that its effect is currently in play. Each Cantico card provides every information about the duration of each effect.

However, whether the Test is a success or not, the Cantico card is discarded after it has been used. Obviously, if the Cantico was intoned successfully the card is discarded only after its effect ends.

Inflicting Life Points to a Nemesis: If an Attack roll is successful, then the Hero inflicts the appropriate number of Life Points to the target Nemesis (normally 1 LP).

Whenever a Nemesis suffers a number of Life Points equal to the number of Life Points it currently has, it is considered killed. Immediately remove it from play and put it back inside the Nemesis Horde.

If a Nemesis suffers a number of LPs inferior to the number of LPs it currently has, simply put the appropriate number of Blood tokens on the Nemesis marker to show it has been wounded and how many times.

Important: There are restrictions to both the number of Items and Cantici a Hero can carry and the number of Weapons he can use each turn. See the Hero Sheet Breakdown on page XX and the Equipment section on page XX for more details.

Nemesis Phase

During the Nemesis Phase the Nemesis creatures on the board can, and probably will, move and attack the Heroes they encounter.

Test your Defence: If, as a consequence of its movement, a Nemesis reaches a space occupied by one of the Heroes, then it means the creature has tracked down the Hero and is about to attack him.

The Hero must Test his Defence for each attacking Nemesis who is occupying his space at the end of the Nemesis Phase.

Consider Defence as a special characteristic which is noted on each Nemesis marker, as it represents the fighting prowess and the dangerousness of the various creatures that you may encounter.

Each Nemesis marker provides the threshold number you must consider in order to pass the Test.

Whenever a Hero is called to Test his Defence against an attacking Nemesis which is occupying his same space, consider the Nemesis as performing a Melee Attack.

If two or more Heroes are occupying the same space and a Nemesis moves into their space, all those Heroes must Test their Defence against that Nemesis.

Usually a Nemesis can't leave a space occupied by a Hero, however, if its Primary Target is elsewhere on the Map, some of the Nemesis special abilities may allow them to ignore the Heroes and carry on with their movement. See the list of special abilities on page XX for full details and information.

Example: Lady Melanie West has been reached by a lethal Ekathon Knight! At the end of the Nemesis Phase she must Test her Defence 3 (see the Ekathon Knight marker) or lose 1 LP.

If the Hero fails the Defence Test, he loses the appropriate number of Life Points (usually 1 LP).

Ranged Attacks: if a Nemesis can perform a Ranged Attack, the Nemesis will always end its movement as soon as it is in range of its Ranged Attack. Measure the attack range as usual and resolve the appropriate Defence Test with the nearest Hero within range, excluding any Hero occupying the same space as the attacking Nemesis. Roll-off your Fate to break possible ties.

If the Hero fails the Test, he loses the appropriate number of Life Points (usually 1 LP).

If two or more Heroes stand at the same distance from an attacking Nemesis, they must Roll off their Fate to see who will be the target for each incoming attack: both players roll a dice and the one who scores the highest value is the target of the attack.

In case of a draw, continue rolling off until there is a single target for the Attack.

If two or more Heroes are occupying the same space within the range of a Nemesis Ranged Attack, both Heroes must Test their Defence against that Nemesis.

Exception: even when their objective is elsewhere, no Nemesis will completely ignore a Hero in sight: if a Nemesis that can perform a Ranged Attack ends its movement within range of any Hero, the Hero will be the target of the Nemesis Ranged Attack even if he is not the Nemesis' Primary Target.

In case an Event, ability, or piece of Equipment grants a Modifier to any Defence Test, apply it to the Defence threshold number indicated on the Nemesis marker.

Example: Eilor Sandar, the Evarin Blood Songster, is attacked by a fearsome Voidian. The Voidian marker indicates the Hero must Test his Defence 2! However Eilor has a Bladebreaker Shield in his Equipment, which grants a +1 Modifier to any Defence Test. Therefore the Hero, applying the modifier, can Test his Defence 3 (instead of 2) against the Voidian's attack!

Sometimes you will encounter Events, Adventures or even Allies who will require you to Test your Defence. In those cases the Test is presented in a consistent format that provides the threshold number you must consider in order to pass the Test.

Apply any Modifier to the threshold number indicated, as described above.

Hero's Status

Each Hero has a certain number of Life Points (LPs) which represent his stamina and his vitality.

Use the Blood tokens to keep note of how many times a Hero (or a Nemesis) has been wounded.

This way it will be easier to remember how much health you (and your enemies) have left.

But what happens when the LPs are reduced to 0?

At Death's Door and Death

When a Hero's LPs are reduced to 0, he is considered At Death's Door.

A Hero At Death's Door can never move more than 1 space per turn and can't perform any Action, nor resolve any Adventure card. However it is still possible for a Hero At Death's Door to use any Dream Shard he may possess, to be healed as normal if he is occupying any Healing location and to exchange Items with any other Hero occupying his same space.

Any other Hero who is occupying the same space as a character At Death's Door may heal him using any healing Item, Shard, Cantico or ability he may possess.

A Hero at Death's Door is never the Primary Target for the Nemesis in play.

After a certain number of turns, however, a Hero who is At Death's Door dies and is removed from play, together with all of his Equipment.

The number of turns the At Death's Door status lasts is equal to the Hero's maximum number of LPs.

Death

After the time at Death's Door has passed, as described above, the Hero dies permanently. His Equipment is discarded, his Hero marker is removed from play and his Hero Sheet goes back into the game box.

Normally this is the end for that character. One of the many threats in the Dreamwars made another victim.

However, a player who is willing to continue to play may still pick a new Hero, chosen from those who aren't yet on the Map, draw his Initial Belongings and start again, placing the new Hero on one of the scenario's Set-up positions, as a new character.

Alteration Statuses

Particular scenarios may include rules that describe special alteration statuses which can affect the Heroes in play, such as poison, disease, or madness. Each scenario is provided with all the rules players may need in order to represent those effects in the game (see each scenario's Rules in the Ordeals Book for more details and information).

Great Nemesis Sheet Breakdown

The Great Nemesis sheet is divided into the following sections (the sheet in the Rule Book shows the Great Nemesis Cynther, "Whisperer of Death"):

1. Name: This section shows the Great Nemesis name and Title.
2. Faction: This icon indicates the faction the Great Nemesis belongs to. This determines both the Events deck and the Nemesis Horde you will be using in this game.
3. Special abilities: This section lists all the special rules you have to apply to the game or to the Nemesis Horde while this Great Nemesis is in play, including what happens when the number of Nemesis in play reaches the limit indicated by the scenario.
4. The Stars are Right: This section lists the Stellar Symbol combinations which have an effect on the game when this particular Great Nemesis is in play. See Event cards Breakdown on pg. XX for full description and details.
5. Ordeal: This section shows the name of the Ordeal the Heroes must face in order to stop the Great Nemesis from fulfilling his plan. See the Ordeals Book for full description and details about each Ordeal.

Game Board Breakdown

The game board, often referred to as the Map, is divided into spaces and locations. Other than towards the movement of Heroes and Nemesis markers, locations should never be considered spaces.

Types of spaces

• City spaces: all the spaces in the Map that represent a part of a city or village. Wall spaces are special city spaces which represent a section of the city walls protecting Folkenburg and Halfen from the perils that roam the region.
• Water spaces: all the spaces in the Map that represent a part of a River, a lake, or the sea. Rivers are divided in spaces themselves, because certain Nemesis creatures (or a Hero with the right equipment) can use them as if they were Roads.
• Forest spaces: all the spaces in the Map that represent a part of a wood or forest.
• Bridge spaces: all the spaces in the Map that represent a bridge. They count as being both Road and Water spaces.
• Road spaces: all the spaces in the Map that represent a part of a road.

Types of locations

• Common Trading locations: Marketplace, Terminal Market, Black Market.
• Tech Trading locations: Factory, Tinker's Junkyard, Burgomaster's Tower.
• Healing locations: Altar of the Goddess, Sanctuary of Bliss, Enchanted Forest.
• Arcane locations: Synod of the Voices, Library, Whispering Wood.
• Outland Mysteries locations: Usually all locations outside the city Walls.
• City Intrigues locations: Usually all locations inside the city Walls.

Portal locations:

1. Ekathon: Fluvial Port, Galleon, Underground Lake, Murky Bog, Circle of the Four Winds, Swamp.
2. NightWitch: Blackwood, Unholy Idol, Petrified Oak, Arcane Portal, Talon Peak, Stone of Sacrifice.
3. Jormung: Cursed Crevasse, Gothari Fragment, Sulfur Mine, Hidden Pit, Watchtower in Ruins, Howling Cave.

Note: the Types of locations list in the source is shown with icons; each icon is transcribed as the location type it labels. The Portal list is transcribed as printed, including the spelling "NightWitch".

Active Portals

Whenever an effect, special rule or Event card mentions an "active Portal" it is referring to one of the six Portal locations on the Map where the Nemesis can be summoned on.

• Ekathon Portal locations are considered active as long as the Great Nemesis in play belongs to the Ekathon faction.
• Nightwitch Portal locations are considered active as long as the Great Nemesis in play belongs to the Nightwitch faction.
• Jormung Portal locations are considered active as long as the Great Nemesis in play belongs to the Jormung faction.

The Frame

The Map's frame is an ideal space to place tokens, cards and markers in play without risking to overcrowd the board.

It also provides the Watch marker's slots you may use to keep track of the passage of the gaming turns.

Hero Sheet Breakdown

The sample Hero sheet in the Rule Book shows M.A.X, "The Sentinel" (Automaton Fighter Mechanic).

1. Name and Title: Your character's name and title.
2. Traits: Your character's features, such as his race and class.
3. Melee: This value shows how strong a brawler the character is.
4. Skill: This value shows how aware, cunning and precise the character is.
5. Tech: This value shows how smart and expert the character is with modern technology.
6. Arcane: This value shows how knowledgeable and intelligent the character is in the Arcane subjects.
7. Movement: This value shows the maximum number of spaces the character can move each turn. It also represents the character's agility.
8. Life Points (LPs): This value represents your character's vitality and endurance.
9. Prestige abilities: these are three special abilities that only your character can unlock and use during the game. The left-hand section (marked with the Closed Lock icon) shows the requirements you need to meet in order to unlock each effect (marked with the Open Lock icon), listed on the right-hand side of the section.
10. Initial belongings: this section indicates the number and type of Equipment cards your character can draw at the beginning of the game.
11. Max. load: This indicates the maximum number of Items the character can carry.

Events Cards Breakdown

1. Faction: This icon indicates the faction the Events deck belongs to. It must be the same faction as the Great Nemesis.
2. Name: The Event's name.
3. Effect: this section describes what happens as long as the Event is in play.
4. Portal locations: This list indicates the active Portal locations were the Nemesis are summoned when the Event card is drawn.
5. Stellar Symbol: This image represent which type of celestial body or phenomenon (Star, Moon, Sun or Eclipse) dominates the sky as long as the Event card is in play.

Note: the Rule Book illustrates this section with a sample Event card titled "Wooden Hand Disease" (Portal locations Murky Bog and Swamp, one Stellar Symbol). Its printed card text is too small to read reliably in the source, so it is not transcribed here; the effects of each Event card are printed on the cards themselves.

Nemesis Marker Breakdown

Combat Side

The sample Nemesis marker in the Rule Book is the Hireling of the Lodge.

1. Name: The Nemesis name.
2. Defence Test: the threshold value for any Defence Test required by all the Nemesis attacks.
3. Life Points: the Nemesis health.
4. Movement: the maximum number of spaces the Nemesis can move each turn.

Special Rules Side

1. Background: a short narrative piece about the Nemesis.
2. Traits and abilities: any special trait or ability that the Nemesis has.
3. Faction: this icon indicates the faction the Nemesis belongs to.

Equipment Cards Breakdown

Equipment cards represent the weapons and tools each Hero is currently carrying and are always presented in the following consistent format:

1. Name: the name of the item
2. Type: the nature of the item, whether it is a Weapon, an Armour, ecc.
3. Look: a graphical representation of the item
4. Traits: any special classification the item may have (Add-on, Ranged, Encumbering, etc.)
5. Special abilities: all the special rules, modifiers or abilities that the item grants to the Hero, whenever it is in use.
6. Deck: the colour of the frame indicates the deck the item belongs to (Common, Tech, Shard or Cantico)

The Rule Book's sample card is the Shock Gun (Weapon, Ranged, Range 2), whose ability reads: "With a single Attack you hit 2 different Nemesis occupying adjacent spaces or sharing the same space within range. In case there are more than 2 eligible Nemesis, you choose the targets."

Item Types and Special Rules

Add-on Items: this special type of items represent those special objects, such as a scope or a bag, that can be attached to other items the Hero is carrying in order to change or enhance the Item's properties. Typically, but not always, these tools are power-ups for Weapons. If a Hero has an Add-on Item in his Equipment, he can attach it to another appropriate Item simply using one of his Actions and "mounting" one card on the other. Unmounting the Add-on doesn't require the Hero to spend one of his Actions. You can attach only one Add-on per Item.

Common Add-ons can be attached only to Common Items, while Tech Add-ons can be attached only to Tech Items. Some Add-ons, however, may allow an exception or may be exclusive to certain Item types (such as Armours, Shields, etc.), in which case it will be clearly specified in the card's description.

Whenever the Item the Add-on was attached to is discarded, the Add-on is immediately unmounted and remains in the Hero's Equipment. Add-on Items don't take up any Equipment slot.

Armour Items: this type of items represent every kind of special suit a Hero may use in order to better survive the dangers of Ylen. At the beginning of the Heroes Phase, a Hero may choose an Armour he is carrying and declare he will use it for the duration of the current turn. A Hero can use only one Armour Item per turn. Yes, carrying multiple Armour Items is useless, as their modifiers won't stack!

Critical Malfunction: this rule represents the typical unreliability of the experimental equipment.

Each time a Hero uses a Tech Item, he must Test his Tech. If the test is failed with a result of a "natural 6" the Tech Item must be discarded after the use.

Tech Weapons suffer from this special rule if their Attack Roll is failed with the result of a "natural 6".

However some Items are even more unstable and unreliable. See the Prototype special rule below for full information.

Encumbering: Any Item with this special ability counts as 2 Items towards the Max. Load the Hero can carry (see Hero Sheet Breakdown for full detail and information).

Prototype: some Items push the limits of what is possible to the extreme, even for the most reckless standards.

Every Prototype Item suffers a Critical Malfunction on a "natural roll of 4, 5 or 6".

Shield Items: this special type of items represent all those protective devices a Hero can use to shield himself from incoming damage. At the beginning of the Heroes Phase, a Hero may choose a Shield he is carrying and declare he will use it for the duration of the current turn. A Hero can use only one Shield Item per turn, however Shield Items can be used in combination with Armour Items, therefore it is possible to sum up and apply every modifier or ability they may have.

Vehicle: this special type of items represent the several bizarre means of transportation a Hero may find or purchase during the course of the game. A Hero can use only one Vehicle Item per turn, in which case the Hero's Movement value is replaced by the one's Vehicle.

A Vehicle's Movement cannot be modified by any means and it is impossible for a Hero using a Vehicle to benefit from any effect which grants an extra Movement in the same turn he uses a Vehicle. He is still allowed to have one Special Movement per turn, though.

While using a vehicle, a Hero can Test his Dodge using the Vehicle's Movement value. However, these Tests are subjected to the Critical Malfunction special rule.

Weapons: for each Action a Hero spends to perform an Attack, be it Melee or Ranged, he can use only one Weapon Item chosen among those he has in his Equipment.

Choose which one you wish to use for each Attack, unless it is differently specified on the weapon's description. Remember that all Tech Weapons suffer from the Critical Malfunction special rule (see above).

Adventure Cards Breakdown

Adventure cards represent the kind of encounters, treasures or threats your Hero can come across while travelling the wild regions or the mysterious cities.

All Adventure Cards, whether they are Outland Mysteries or City Intrigues cards, belong to one of these four types:

1. Encounter
2. Treasure
3. Ally
4. Mercenary

1. Encounter and Treasure Cards Breakdown

Several Adventure cards represent an unexpected encounter or a hidden treasure your Hero may find during the course of his adventure. This paragraph shows how to read such cards.

1. Name: the name, or theme, of the Encounter / Treasure.

2. Adventure details: this section tells the circumstances in which your Hero stumbles upon the Encounter, or finds the Treasure described in the card, and what he can do in order to interact with it. Gems represent different alternative approaches you can choose from, while Swords indicate the possible outcomes of your actions.

3. Icon: this symbol indicates the nature of the Adventure card. The hooded stranger represents an Encounter, while the casket represents a Treasure.

2. Allies and Mercenaries Breakdown

Some Adventure cards represent a character, whether it may be a travelling hero or a mercenary captain, your Hero may meet during the course of his adventure. This paragraph shows how to read such cards.

1. Name and Title: the Ally/Mercenary's name and title.
2. Portrait / Company Banner: a portrait of the Ally, or a reproduction of the Mercenary company symbol.
3. Traits: the Ally/Mercenary's features, such as his race and class.
4. Adventure details: this section tells the circumstances in which your Hero and the character meet and what your Hero has to do in order to take that characters as an Ally, or to hire that particular Mercenary. Gems represent different alternative approaches you can choose from, while Swords indicate the possible outcomes of your actions.
5. Special abilities: The special abilities you are granted as long as the character is an Ally to your Hero, or he is on his payroll as a Mercenary.
6. Icon: this symbol indicates the nature of the Adventure card. The horn represents an Ally, while the sword crossing the gun represents a Mercenary.

Special Abilities

Most Nemesis creatures have powerful skills that make them even more dangerous to the civilized world. However, even a Heroes may acquire some of these abilities during his journey, be it thanks to some special piece of equipment he may find or to a fortunate combination of events he may benefit from.

Common special abilities are described in detail below:

• Agile: a Nemesis with this special ability can cross, or leave a space occupied by a Hero without having to engage the Hero in combat, but only in case the Hero is not its Primary Target.
• Aquatic: a Nemesis with this special ability can move on and across any River space on the Map without penalty and it will always prefer moving through Water spaces whenever it can. It can also move on a space occupied by a Hero without having to engage the Hero in combat, in case the Hero is not its Primary Target, as long as they both occupy any River or Water space on the Map.
• Behemoth: this gargantuan monstrosities are towering horrors capable of destroying entire cities. They are therefore Immune to those Cantici and special abilities which can move a Nemesis marker anywhere on the Map. In addition to that, a Behemoth can cross, or leave a space occupied by a Hero without having to engage the Hero in combat, in case the Hero is not its Primary Target. A Nemesis Behemoth is also immune to all of those effects which automatically remove a Nemesis from play. Do not include any Behemoth Nemesis marker in the Nemesis Horde unless it is explicitly indicated in the Rules of the scenario you are playing.
• Brutal: a Nemesis with this special ability inflicts 2 Life Points of damage with each successful Melee Attack.
• Crystal Body: a Nemesis with this special ability forces any Hero to pass a Dodge Test every time the Hero occupies, or crosses the Nemesis space or any other adjacent space. If the Test is failed, the Hero suffers 1 Life Point of damage.
• Fast: a Nemesis with this special ability can move at the double of the normal Movement value. The bonus is already included in the Movement value of each Fast Nemesis marker.
• Flying: a Nemesis with this special ability can move 4 space each turn, ignoring any River space in its path. It can also move on a space occupied by a Hero without having to engage the Hero in combat, in case the Hero is not its Primary Target.

Miscellany

Adventures: each time a Hero ends his movement on a location, at the end of the Heroes phase he must draw a card from the appropriate Adventure deck. The icon on the location's scroll shows if the place requires the Hero to draw an Outland Mysteries or a City Intrigues card. Resolving any of these cards doesn't require the Hero to spend any of his Actions.

Several Adventures require the Heroes to Test a characteristic, or to perform some kind of Attack. However, while characteristics Tests can't benefit from the modifiers granted by the Hero's Weapons, Attacks do. Keep it in mind!

Whenever a Hero ends his movement on a Trading location he can choose to draw a card from the Adventure deck and resolve it or, if he wishes, to Trade instead. It is not possible to do both things in the same turn.

Designer's note: unless stated otherwise, Heroes can't use Dream Shards nor any kind of ability after they have resolved an Adventure card. The Heroes Phase ends right after the Adventure card is resolved.

Allies: some Adventure cards will see a Hero meet a character who will offer his help. These figures are called Allies. Whenever a card says you can take it as an Ally, it means you can take the card and include it in your Equipment.

Each Ally has a set of special abilities that can be used by the Hero who possesses its card during the course of the game. Some abilities may be used for the whole game, while others can be used only a few times. Each ability will state precisely how it works and how many times it can be used. Feel free to use the Blood tokens to keep track of how many times the Ally's special abilities have been used.

In case your Ally has a special ability which can be used only a number of times, once it has been used up, you must discard the Ally immediately. Allies do not take any Equipment space.

Drawing a Card: Whenever a Hero or a player is required to draw one or more cards from a deck, he must pick the required number of cards from the top of that deck.

Whenever a Hero or a player is required to discard one or more cards, the cards must be placed face-up beside the deck they belong to, hence forming a "discard pile" for that particular deck.

After few turns, all the decks will have their discard piles, so keep it in mind when deploying the game.

Dreamstone Shards or Dream Shards: Shards are special items containing a fragment of a desire or a dream, whose power can effect the world and change the course of Fate.

Normally a Hero can use a Dream Shard any time during his Heroes Phase, but some Dream Shards may require to be used in a particular phase of the gaming turn. On each Dream Shard card it is clearly specified when a Hero can use that Shard.

Unlike the other Items, there is no limit to the number of Shards a Hero can carry. Also, there is no limit to the number of Shards a Hero can play in a single turn. A Hero is not required to spend one of his Actions in order to use a Shard. The Shards are always discarded after the use.

Equipment: each Hero starts the game drawing a certain number of Equipment cards at random (see Hero sheet breakdown on page XX for a full information). Each Hero Sheet also notes the maximum number of Items that Hero can carry (the Max. Load).

If, at any time during the course of the game, a Hero ends up having more items than he can carry, the player must immediately discard some of them in order to respect the limit. He may choose which ones he will discard.

However Common and Tech Items, whether not differently specified, take the same space in the Hero's Equipment.

Therefore you can discard a Tech Item to make room for a Common Item, and vice-versa.

Giving or Exchanging Items: Two Heroes occupying the same space or location may give one another any number of Items, Allies and Dream Shards they wish. Maximum load restrictions, as noted on each Hero Sheet, are applied as usual.

Under normal circumstances Heroes can never exchange or give their Cantici to others, however some special abilities, Items, Events, or Cantici may allow an exception.

Giving or Exchanging any number of Items or Shards with another Hero costs 1 action, which must be spent by one of the Heroes involved in the exchange during his Heroes Phase.

Meditation: A Hero who is a Cantore may spend one of his actions to draw 1 Cantico from the appropriate deck. If, by doing so, he ends up having more Cantici than he is allowed to (see the Max. Cantici section in the Hero Sheet), he must immediately discard some of them in order to respect the limit. He may choose which ones he will discard.

A Cantore may only Meditate once per turn.

Mercenaries: some Adventure cards will see a Hero meet some characters who will offer their help for a price. These are a special type of cards called Mercenaries. Hiring a Mercenary always involves a price the Hero must pay in order to take the Mercenary with him.

Once hired, the Mercenary card works exactly like an Ally (see the Allies entry above for full details). Like Allies, Mercenaries don't take any Equipment space.

Nemesis Unable to Move nor Attack: some Cantici, Dream Shards, Items or special abilities may force a Nemesis to stand still, unable to do anything. In those cases there is no need to pass a Dodge Test in order to cross a space occupied by a blocked Nemesis, nor the Nemesis can use any kind of special ability it may possess.

Prestige abilities: each Hero has a set of 3 unique abilities that are exclusive to him.

Each ability can be unlocked by satisfying the requirements listed in the left-hand column of the Hero Sheet's Prestige Abilities section. The requirements are marked by the Closed Lock icon.

The effects of each Prestige Ability are listed in the right-hand column of the Hero Sheet's Prestige Abilities section. The effects are marked with the Open Lock icon.

Once available, a Prestige ability can be used any time during any Heroes Phase. Using a Prestige ability doesn't require the Hero to spend any of his Actions. However, each Prestige ability can be used only once per turn.

Some of the Prestige abilities need to be "reloaded" after the use (Rechargeable), while others remain available once unlocked (Static). Each ability's description will specify how to use it and which category it falls under.

Feel free to use the Prestige Title tokens to keep track of your progresses in unlocking your Hero's abilities.

Rivers and Water: In order to move on a River space, a Hero must Test his Fate 3.

If the Test is failed the Hero can't find a good spot to cross the river and stops on the space he is currently occupying. Any unused Movement is lost. If the Test is passed, the Hero may continue his movement straight forward, on and across the River space. A Hero can't move along the Rivers space, or go from River space to River space, unless he benefits from a particular effect that grants him the Aquatic special ability.

Bridge spaces, however, grant the Safe Ford special rule (see below) to anyone crossing them. Even the Nemesis!

Roll off your Fate: whenever it is required to Roll off, or to Roll off his Fate it means the Hero (or Heroes) involved must roll a dice. Rolling the lowest value means winning the Roll off.

Safe Ford: Any card or special ability that grants this special rule allows the Hero who possesses it to pass automatically the Fate Test required to cross a River space. Bridge spaces grant this special rule to everyone, Nemesis creatures included!

Trading: There are four types of Trading locations: Common, Tech, Arcane and Healing.

• Whenever a Hero is occupying a Trading location, he may choose to trade instead of drawing an Adventure card at the end of his Heroes Phase.

Any Hero who wants to trade must discard one of his Dreamstone Shards, then he can draw 3 cards from the Common Items or the Tech Items deck, depending on the kind of trading that particular location allows, and keep 1.

Should he end up having more Items than he can carry, the Hero will have to choose immediately which ones he will keep and discard those in excess.

The limit of Equipment cards each Hero can carry is indicated in the "Max. Load" section on each Hero sheet (see the Hero Sheet Breakdown section on page XX for full details and information).

• Whenever a Hero is occupying a Healing location, he may decide to regain immediately 1 Life Point lost previously during the game, instead of drawing an Adventure card at the end of his Heroes Phase.

A Hero may also discard one of his Dreamstone Shards in order to regain immediately all his lost LPs.

Remember that it is never possible for a Hero to exceed the number of Life Points noted on his Hero Sheet.

• Whenever a Cantore is occupying an Arcane location, he may decide to spend one of his Actions to Meditate as normal, but with a more powerful effect: he can draw 3 Cantici from the appropriate deck and keep 1.

In alternative, a Cantore occupying an Arcane location can spend both of his Actions to Meditate, in which case he can draw 3 Cantici and keep 2.

A Cantore who Meditates during the Heroes Phase may still draw an Adventure card at the end of his Heroes Phase.

The limit of Cantici each Cantore can carry is indicated in the "Max. Cantici" section on each Hero sheet (see the Hero Sheet Breakdown section on page XX for full details and information).

Weapons Able to Hit Multiple Targets: Some of the most deadly weapons in the game allow to hit more than one Nemesis with a single Attack.

A Hero may spend one of his Actions to perform an Attack with one of these Weapons and, if the Test is successful, he will inflict the appropriate number of LPs to more than one Nemesis creatures at once, depending on the Weapon's description.

In case one or more of the targeted Nemesis apply a modifier to the Hero's Attack Roll, check if the rolled value of the Attack is enough to wound each eligible Nemesis.

Example: Duncard Yaeger uses his Halberd against a Soulless Servant and a Soulless Colossus that are occupying the same space. The Halberd's card says that a single successful attack from this Weapon can wound two Nemesis on the same space.

Duncard spends one of his actions to attack and Tests his Melee. He rolls a 2, which is enough to hit the Servant, but not the Colossus (that imposes a -1 Melee modifier to Duncan's attack, thanks to his Heavy Armour special ability). The Servant loses 1 LP, while the Colossus remains unharmed.

Phase Summary

The phases of the turn are as follows:

• Phase I: Events
• Phase II: Heroes
• Phase III: Nemesis

I) During Events, the first player draws a card from the appropriate Events deck (depending on the faction the chosen Great Nemesis belongs to). Any effect described on the Event card must applied immediately. The effects the Event cards last for 3 turn, unless stated otherwise on the card itself.

Then the first player must draw 2 Nemesis markers from the Nemesis Horde and place them on the Map, one on each of the locations listed on the Events card. If the game has 4 to 6 players, the first player must draw and place 2 Nemesis markers on each of the locations listed on the Events card. If the game has 7 or 8 players, 3 Nemesis markers will be drawn and placed on each of the locations listed on the Events card.

Note: the first sentence of the summary above ("draw 2 Nemesis markers ... one on each of the locations") does not match the Events phase rules in the body of the Rule Book, which give 1 Nemesis per location for up to 3 players. The summary is transcribed as printed; the body text (Phase 1: Events, above) is the governing statement.

Then the first player must check the symbols on the three Event cards currently in play, as particular combinations can have several in-game effects, depending on which Great Nemesis has been chosen for the game.

II) During Heroes, players, starting with the first player, can move their Heroes and perform 2 actions per turn.

Combat is resolved during each Hero's turn.

In order to leave a space occupied by a Nemesis a Hero must successfully Test his Dodge.

Adventures are resolved at the end of this phase.

III) During Nemesis, all the Nemesis markers are moved according to the Primary Target rule (usually towards the Heroes, but several scenarios will describe different behaviours).

If a Nemesis moves on a space occupied by a Hero, or if it is within range with one its Ranged attacks, at the end of the Phase the target Heroes must take the appropriate Defence Tests or lose the appropriate amount of Life Points.

Test your Characteristic

Heroes are often called upon to perform characteristic Tests in order to avoid being harmed or to gain special advantages.

These Tests specify the characteristic which must be tested, while also indicating the threshold number players must consider for such Tests.

Modifiers to the Tests, which may provide a bonus or a penalty to the threshold number, may be given by the Events in play, by the Test itself, by some Equipment cards, or special abilities of both the Heroes and the Nemesis.

Modifiers are always applied to the Hero's appropriate characteristic value, listed on the Hero sheet.

If a characteristic value drops to 0, the Hero will always fail any Test related to that particular characteristic.

Remember: to succeed in a Test, players must roll a result which is equal or lower than the given threshold number.

Special Characteristic Tests

Dodge value is equal to the Hero's Movement value, as noted on each Hero Sheet.

Consider Fate and Defence Tests as special characteristic Tests.

Fate and Defence Tests always list the threshold number players must consider for each Test. Any modifier must be applied to the given threshold number.

Location Icons

Each location on the Map has several icons associated with it. These icons tell the players where they must draw their Adventure cards from, weather it is the Outland Mysteries deck or City Intrigues deck. The icons also indicate what kind of Trading the Heroes can make while occupying that specific location and which are the active Portal locations for each of the Nemesis factions available in the game.

The following is a key to the icons you will find beside the different locations on the board:

• Common Items Trading
• Tech Items Trading
• Arcane
• Healing
• Outland Mysteries
• City Intrigues
• Ekathon Portal
• Nightwitch Portal
• Jormung Portal

Transcriber's Notes

These notes record every place this transcription departs from the printed pre-release PDF, or where the source is internally inconsistent. The text otherwise follows the Rule Book as printed.

• Typos corrected for legibility: "n a game with 4 to 6 players" and "n a game with 7 to 8 players" (Events phase) read "In a game"; "Equipmetn decks" (set-up diagram) reads "Equipment decks"; "Itemsor Shards" (Giving or Exchanging Items) reads "Items or Shards".
• Typos kept as printed: "Test you Arcane", "Skill value" in the Arcane example (see the note in Test your Characteristics); "worse then the first one"; "Dreamstone Shards ... can effect the world"; "ecc."; "a Heroes may acquire"; "Any effect described on the Event card must applied immediately"; "whether not differently specified" (Terrestrial and Miscellany); "Hero's Movement value is replaced by the one's Vehicle"; "Defence" and "Dodge" are used as printed.
• Source inconsistencies, transcribed as printed: the Equipment total says "120 Equipment Cards" but the sub-counts listed beneath it (30 Common Items, 32 Tech Items, 30 Cantici, 30 Dream Shards) add to 122; the set-up diagram says "Blood tokens equal to his Life Points" while step 11 says "Life Point tokens"; the Phase Summary's Events step says "draw 2 Nemesis markers" for every game, while the Events phase body text gives 1 per location for up to 3 players.
• Not transcribed: the printed Index, the "Hall of Heroes" credits, and the copyright boilerplate (credits and index are not rules content). The blank final page is omitted.
• Cross-references "page XX" and "pg. XX" are unfilled in this pre-release file and are kept as printed; the referenced Ordeals Book is not included.
• Icons in the Location Icons key and the Types of locations list are rendered as the location type they label.