Dungeon Universalis
Dungeon Universalis Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Game Contents
- Set-up
- Markers
- The Turn
- Character Activation
- Movement and Terrain
- Unusual Movements
- Actions
- 1. Revealing a New Section
- 2. Opening Unexplored Doors
- 3. Opening Locked Doors
- 4. Opening Chests
- 5. Solving Riddles
- 6. Breaking Doors, Chests and Other Objects
- 7. Running
- 8. Great Jumps
- 9. Climbing Out of Pits
- 10. Searching for Secret Doors
- 11. Searching Rooms
- 12. Searching or Interacting with Elements
- 13. Putting Armor On or Off
- 14. Deactivating Traps
- 15. Searching Corpses
- 16. Activating a Source of Light
- 17. Moving Furniture
- 18. Action: Building Footbridges
- 19. Persuading Through Intelligence
- 20. Persuading Through Fear
- 21. Identifying Magic Powers and Potions
- 22. Melee Attacks
- 23. Ranged Attacks
- 24. Casting Spells
- 25. Other Attribute Tests
- Quick Actions
- Critical Failures During Exploration
- Falls
- Combat
- Ranged Attacks
- Melee Combat
- Magic
- Damage and Conditions
- The Dark Player
- How to Play
- Artificial Dark Player
- General Guidelines
- ADP's Set-up
- Turn and Dark Player Cards
- Card Activation
- Placement of Creatures
- Extra Skills
- Placement of Creatures Following the Activation of the Cards "Enemy Spotted!", "Wandering Creature" or "Special Creature" (Rooms)
- Placement of Creatures Following the Activation of the Cards "Enemies", "Wandering Creature" or "Special Creature" (Corridors)
- Placement of Creatures Following the Activation of the Card "Thief"
- Placement of Creatures Following the Activation of the Cards "Ambush" and "Reinforcements"
- The Initiative Roll
- Activating Order
- Character and Creature Behavior
- Specific Behaviours
- The Leader
- Rules for Solo Heroes
- How to Play with ADP
- Equipment, Elements and Companions
- Character Creation
- Background
- Quests
- Campaigns
- Other Game Options
- Advanced Rules
- Mounts
- Movement
- Line of Sight
- Mounting/Dismounting
- Shooting and Casting Spells While Riding
- Attack While Riding
- Spears
- Hitting Mounts and Riders
- Blunders and Falls
- Effects of a Fall
- Runaway Mount
- Riderless Mounts
- Raging Mounts
- Difficult Terrain
- Indoors
- Take the Reins
- Interacting and Searching
- Mounts and Equipment
- Armor
- Acquisition of Objects by the Dark Player
- New Companions
- Changing the Game's Difficulty
- Long Range Weapons
- New Actions
- Mounts
- Design Your Own Quests
- Furniture and Element Overtiles
- Skills
- Quick Rule Reference
- Usual Equipment
- Credits
Game Contents
- Illustrated Rulebook.
- Bestiary: 24 factions and hundreds of creatures.
- Campaign & Quest book: a huge campaign, 40 quests and 28 Epic Events.
- Special quest book for heroes: 10 personalized quests.
- 1,012 cards (570 poker size, 442 mini euro size).
- 146 tokens.
- 41 double-sided tiles of rooms and corridors.
- 125 overtiles with elements and furniture.
- 318 creature and hero standees.
- 11 resin miniatures.
- Campaign map board and ocean (size A2).
- Dark Player Screen.
- 20 plastic coins.
- Chequebook for the creation of heroes.
- 5 organizers for heroes.
- Custom dice for Artificial Intelligence.
- 5 envelopes to save games and heroes.
- 8 six-sided dice.
- 24 bases for standees.
Optional components: Bestiary II; 11 resin miniatures; Custom dice; Bestiary cards & Legendary Encounters; Campaign & Quest Book II; DUN Perfidiae; Dials.
The card decks provided are: 20 Class cards, 25 Race cards, 10 Mercenaries cards, 31 Beast and Creatures cards, 42 Special elements cards, 32 Furniture cards, 85 Dark Player cards, 96 Spell cards, 10 Danger in campaign cards, 110 Travel Event cards, 24 Places and Services cards, 35 Predesigned hero cards, 11 Creature Behavior cards, 1 Achievement card, 9 Blank Hero cards, 15 Narrative cards for Heroes, 80 Magic Objects cards, 25 Relic cards, 13 Quick Reference cards, 1 Leader card, 120 Skill cards, 10 Treasure cards, 50 Common Objects cards, 34 Special Object cards, 18 Armor cards, 10 Shield cards, 65 Melee Weapon cards and 30 Ranged Weapon cards.
Set-up
Setting up a Game
Preparations prior to the game include the following:
- Choose a quest: players must choose between playing an independent game (not part of a campaign) or starting or continuing a quest belonging to a campaign or within a campaign map.
- Designate the Dark Player: either randomly or by mutual agreement between the players. Whoever decides to play this role during a game or campaign does not need to have read the rules (although it is advisable). It will be enough to read the quick reference or to know the most basic mechanics of the game. It is essential for him, though, to check the Quest Sheet before starting a game (tutored by at least one player who has read the rules). Once this Dark Player has acquired some experience, he'll be able to design his own games and campaigns, as described on page 106, generating his own Quest Sheets.
- Markers: the game's different circular markers are placed within reach of all players.
- Treasure cards: the Treasure, Magic Objects and Relics decks of cards are shuffled and placed face down.
- Rest of Decks: sort the following card decks (without shuffling): Furniture, Special Objects, Skills, and Equipment (this one is divided into six different decks: Common Objects, Special Objects, Melee Weapons, Armor, Shields and Ranged Weapons).
- Counters: place the Dark Player and heroes markers (one for the tens and one for the units) next to the Achievement Counter. Place the Achievement card next to it too.
Choosing and Setting up Heroes
NOTE: Take these restrictions regarding races, classes and skills as recommendations for a more balanced game and a greater variety of characters. You're free to skip them occasionally in order to create specific groups, such as an expedition of dwarf explorers or a party of orc warriors without a sorcerer to support them.
Players controlling heroes must:
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Choose the hero they want to control:
- Predesigned Hero: choose a predesigned hero card (look for the cards with the letters HE in their numbering). Some have their own background, shown on the cards with the initials NA next to their numbering. These heroes start with all the skills they are entitled to by race and class, in addition to those specified in their background.
- Custom Hero: you may design your own heroes on a blank card using the rules for character creation (this process is described on page 76).
New players are strongly advised to start with races that initially have fewer skills (human, elf) and also choose classes that are easier to handle (warrior, explorer).
If three or more heroes are to participate, at least one of each type (Fighter, Explorer, Spellcaster) must be chosen, selecting one among the different specific classes. Classes must not be repeated, which requires a certain consensus among the players. In turn, in order to favor the variety of characters, it is recommended not to repeat the race of the heroes and also to include only one Large hero in the entire group.
It is advisable to choose heroes according to their alignment too. DUN includes evil, good and neutral races (see page 76). It is advisable not to mix good and evil races, whereas neutral ones can fit into any group.
After choosing a race and a class, each player will choose a miniature or standee to represent his hero (finding the most approximate one).
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Choose skills: for a predesigned hero, simply take the skill cards for each starting skill. For a custom hero and when any hero learns a new skill, choose their skills based on the limitations of their class. There are 3 main groups of professional skills: 1) Combat, 2) Academic and Leadership, 3) Exploration and Subterfuge. See pages 77 and 78 for classes and their options. No two heroes can have the same professional skill. Racial skills (i.e., those belonging to the Nature group) may be repeated.
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Choose spells: Spellcasters will choose the spells with which they will start the game. If it is not their first quest, they will know the spells they already had in the previous mission and those they have learned. No two heroes can know the same spell.
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Choose equipment: each player will start with the predetermined equipment for his hero or the equipment he acquired during his creation. He will look for the gear he wants to buy in the decks of Melee Weapons, Ranged Weapons, Armor, Shields, Common Objects and Special Objects. He must consider the price, weight, and restrictions of each item of equipment he may choose. Before each independent quest (and in the cases described for the campaigns), heroes will also have the chance to purchase new equipment with the accumulated money they own.
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Choose the Mercenaries and Pets that will accompany the hero in this quest (if he has any). See page 74.
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Each player will take the tokens representing their hero's Mana and Fortune points.
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Unless otherwise indicated, the heroes will be placed outside the scenario. Each of them will begin their activation in the starting square indicated by the Dark Player (after checking the Quest Sheet). Then, the first section of the scenario will be revealed and regarded as already explored.
Example: The symbol on the tile represents the starting squares. The player controlling the elf Taeral decides to activate him. He may place him in one of the two starting squares and begin his activation from there. In the example, Taeral starts advancing 5 spaces.
NOTE: if you have played this hero before and want to continue using it in later games, keep the hero card and all his skills, spells and equipment cards in a zip bag or similar. That way, it will take you just a little time to start playing again. In the game box you will find five envelopes for this purpose.
Value Points (VP) of the Whole Group
Quests and epic events vary in difficulty depending on the level of the group of heroes. For that reason, before beginning a quest the players must calculate the total Value Points (VP) of the whole group of heroes.
This number is the result of adding up the VP of each hero that starts the quest, the Mercenaries and Pets that accompany them, as well as the VP of the Magic Objects, Relics and Special Objects they carry with them at the beginning of the quest:
VP Heroes + VP Mercenaries and Animals + VP Special Objects + VP Magic Objects and Relics
Example: Aki has a VP of 10 and her wolf has a VP of 2. She must then add 1 VP for the Dexterity Potion and 4 VP for the magic sword. Aki starts the quest with 17 Value Points.
Dark Player's Set-up
Depending on whether the Dark Player is handled by a human player or an artificial intelligence, you must follow the set up and functioning rules described in the appropriate chapter.
- Human Dark Player: see page 46 and following.
- Artificial Dark Player: see page 54 and following.
Glossary and Other Considerations
The Scenario
Placing the tiles: the Dark Player will be in charge of setting up the scenario as the heroes explore it, according to the map shown in the Quest Sheet. He will place the sections of rooms or corridors, the special elements, the doors and the furniture.
Board: the scenario consists of cardboard tiles that combine to form the game board. You'll see that they can be combined in multiple ways, so you'll be able to represent many different scenarios (especially when you decide to design your own adventures, as shown on page 106).
Square: each cardboard tile is made up of several square spaces called squares. The Quest Sheet map will show those cases in which one or more squares are occupied by pieces representing furniture, traps, doors, characters, special elements, etc.
Number: the tiles have an alphanumeric code, which will help you to find and sort them easily. The tile number is indicated first. Then, the letter A indicates the front and the letter B indicates the back. The final lowercase letter will indicate the size of the tile, which will be one among the following:
a) tiles with 10x8 squares; b) 10x4 squares; c) 6x6 squares; d) 6x4, 4x4 squares; e) 6x2 squares; f) 4x2, 3x3 squares; g) 6x1 squares; h) 3x2 squares; i) 2x2 squares.
Example: tile 17A/c means that it is the front of tile number 17, with a size of 6x6 squares.
Main Room/Section: it is generally a large room or section, and it is the most important one in the whole scenario. It is usually there where the objective that determines the success of the mission is found. It is also the place where the Quest Leader is located. There is usually at least one treasure chest in this room.
Section: a section represents a corridor or room and is delimited by walls, doors or entrances and the limits of the playing surface. If it has more than 40 squares it will be regarded as large.
Indoor zone or scenario: sections considered to have a roof. They correspond to subways, dungeons, castles, buildings, etc. Depending on their shape they can be corridors or rooms.
Passageways and corridors: are represented by long tiles, generally 6x2 or 6x1 squares.
Rooms: tiles of very different shapes and sizes, generally delimited by walls.
Outdoor zone or scenario: these are outdoor sections. Mountain tiles, forest, desert, etc. Depending on their shape they can be considered as corridors or rooms.
Example: a Main Room can be made up of 5 different sections (A, B, C, D, E), delimited by colored lines. One of them is the Main Room, which is large because two tiles have been put together to make a larger room.
Equipment: the equipment of a character includes all those elements that he carries with him. Both weapons and armor as well as all kinds of objects, including magic ones.
Capital Letters: you'll often notice that certain words are written in capital letters. This is done to represent words that have their corresponding card in the game or whose use has great relevance in the rules, to the point that it deserves to be highlighted. This is the case of words that represent skills (Elite, Sharp Senses) or specific concepts (Huge size, Dark Player) or attributes (Courage, Combat Skill).
Placing and Removing Tiles
As new sections of the scenario are revealed (especially if you are playing on a small table) we recommend that you remove all explored tiles except those occupied by hero characters and creatures or sections directly adjacent to them. In this way, players will be forced to remember the path they left behind (don't let them draw it on paper).
Miniatures
Any references to the term "Miniature" will indicate any cardboard, resin, plastic or metal figure that represents a hero, creature or character.
Bases
You will see that there are bases of 3 different colors. This is because there are creatures of 3 levels (Champion-Red, Elite-Yellow and Grunt-White). It is advisable to place each character in the base of the color that corresponds to their level. The large size bases (which occupy 4 squares) are intended for Large or Huge creatures. Heroes will be able to use bases of any colour they wish (although we recommend using the white ones as they are the most common).
Dice
Rounding: unless otherwise indicated, all rounding during the game will be made downwards (the minimum is always 1).
D6: the term 1D6 refers to rolling a six-sided die. That way, 2D6 will refer to throwing two six-sided dice. On the other hand, an indication such as "4+ on 1D6" means that a result of 4, 5 or 6 must be obtained on a 6-sided die rolled. Sometimes you will see expressions like "1D6+1". This will indicate that you must add or subtract the numerical modifier (in this case, +1) to or from the result of the 1D6 roll.
Repetition of rolls: when a rule allows a roll to be rerolled, all you have to do is pick up the dice that the rule allows you to reroll and roll them again. The new result of those dice will be the definitive one, even if it is worse than the first result you obtained.
D3: since there are no three-sided dice, you must roll 1D6 and divide the result by two, rounding up. Thus, a result of 1-2 on 1D6 equals a result of 1 on a 3-sided die. A 3-4 equals a 2 and a result of 5-6 equals a 3.
The Language
It's worth noting that this is a game with an infinite number of options and a lot of textual content, as well as several different game modes. A role-playing book is not constrained by card spaces or rigid mechanics. This is a hybrid between an RPG and a board game. For this reason, sometimes it is necessary to make concessions to a language which uses certain terms and expressions specifically chosen in order to avoid misunderstandings or misinterpretations.
The term "Hero" is used to refer to player controlled characters. When some mechanics refer to "characters", it means that these will apply to both heroes and the characters and creatures controlled by the Dark Player.
Unusual Situations
Please note that it is much easier to make a game where the traps and enemies are located in specific squares, or where you only have 6 heroes to choose from with just a few skills and weapons for each one. The possibilities offered by DUN, in approaching a role-playing game and a skirmish wargame, are far superior. If you find an unusual situation that is not covered by the rules, we suggest you solve it in the most logical way. If there is no agreement in the group about a certain solution, let each person involved roll 1D6. The solution proposed by the person who got the highest result will be taken.
Game Mechanics
Each game of Dungeon Universalis runs through a series of game turns, alternating between the group of players who handle the heroes and the Dark Player.
Unless otherwise stated in the Quest Sheet, the heroes always begin.
During the heroes' turn, each player activates his character and the creatures, mercenaries or animals that accompany him. The order of activation will be agreed each turn according to the interests of the group. Once a hero has been activated, the same thing will be done with the next one, until all heroes have been activated.
When all the heroes have finished their turn, the Dark Player's turn will begin, and it will activate each of its creatures in the same way. Therefore, each character or creature can only be activated once during each turn.
Maximum Bonuses
This game usually uses modifiers to the rolls. At most, characters can get a +3 bonus on their rolls from the combination of their skills or those of their companions. The maximum will be +5 if magic objects or spells are being used.
End of the Game
A quest ends when:
- All the heroes have been Knocked Out.
- All the heroes leave the scenario without completing the mission.
- All the heroes leave the scenario after completing the mission (in this case, they will either leave normally as described below or immediately if they agree not to perform any additional Exploratory Actions).
As soon as a hero steps on a starting or finishing square and declares that he wishes to leave, he will be considered outside the scenario. It is understood that all heroes have left the scenario when all of them have reached one of those squares.
Once a quest is over, heroes and companions do not recover their Vitality, Fortune or Mana points until they rest in the appropriate places.
Example: Taeral advances 5 spaces until he steps on a starting square and declares that he leaves the scenario.
Victory and Achievements
Specific victory conditions are listed on each Quest Sheet. However, whenever the group of heroes decides to leave the scenario without completing the mission, or all of them have been Knocked Out, they will be regarded as defeated by the Dark Player.
All coins and objects acquired by the group of heroes must be distributed as evenly as possible.
Heroes will get Achievement points as they perform certain Actions or feats of different kinds (described in the Achievement Card), these points will be counted for the entire group in the Achievement Counter.
The Dark Player, on the other hand, will score points according to the Fortune points used by the heroes, in addition to those he wins by knocking out a hero (they will only be counted once, even if he is Knocked Out more than once) and the points generated each turn, precisely to press the players to finish the quest as soon as possible. Remember that in the latter case, and provided at least one hero has entered the Main Room, the Dark Player will not receive any more Achievement points at the beginning of each turn.
Depending on whether or not they have accomplished the mission, and on the Achievement points they received, the heroes will get experience points with which to develop their skills and attributes (see page 79).
Heights and Size
Height of the Elements
Both elements and Creatures can have different heights and sizes that affect lines of sight, movements or combat. Consider the following possible heights:
- (0) Ground
- (1) Tables, chairs, barrels, chests
- (2) Wardrobes, libraries, doors
- (3) Large statues
- (4) Large trees, walls
- (5) Sky
Size of Creatures
Creatures and characters may have 4 possible sizes (size and height are usually the same).
- Small: they occupy 1 square. Represented by "S" size standees. They have the skill "Small Size". E.g.: goblin, halfling.
- Average: they occupy 1 square. Generally represented by "M" size standees. E.g.: human, elf, dwarf. Humanoids. In the case of mounts, they can occupy 2x1 squares if the user wants to use miniatures of this kind.
- Large: they occupy 2x2 squares. Represented by "L" size standees. They have the skill "Large". E.g.: troll, ogre.
- Huge: they occupy at least 2x2 squares. Represented by "XL" size standees. They have the skill "Huge". E.g.: giant.
Some average-sized creatures are represented by "S" size standees, since they are low in height because they are quadrupeds (Example: a dog). Remember that in this game you can use standees and miniatures of different brands. In game terms, the only relevant information is that shown on the creature's profile.
When the term "much larger" is mentioned, it will refer to those cases in which there is a difference of at least 2 points in height or size between two creatures or elements. According to these values, a human, for example, will have an average size (2), with a height of (2), equivalent to a door or a library.
Hero Card/File
Here are the different elements that make up a hero sheet. Remember that the game can be played with heroes with predefined initial profiles or with those created entirely by the players. In this second case, cards (poker size) or hero files (A6 size chequebook) with empty spaces will be used. Players can complete them with illustrations (even drawings made by themselves, if they dare!), names and certain numerical values to be determined.
- Name of the hero.
- Character's Image.
- Race: it determines the skills and racial attributes of a hero, as well as the possibilities of improvement for these attributes, indicating the minimum and maximum attainable.
- Class: determines the type of skills a hero can choose.
- Value Points: all newly created heroes with 0 experience points start with an initial value of 10.
Attributes and stats:
- Movement: represents the hero's ability to move during a turn, expressed in squares.
- Combat Skill: represents the character's combat ability in melee.
- Strength: useful for determining the damage inflicted in melee, or for performing physical feats or carrying equipment.
- Shooting Skill: represents the character's ability to use throwing weapons or projectile weapons.
- Armor: the number on the left represents the character's Natural Armor (the hardness of his skin, his resistance to blows and poisons, etc.). This attribute will be used for endurance tests. The one on the right is total Armor, once the bonus for all defensive equipment has been applied.
- Agility: useful for athletic deeds such as jumping over pits, as well as escaping from enemies' Melee Ranges or having advantage in combat.
- Intelligence: useful for successfully casting spells, detecting the effects of potions, solving riddles or avoiding ambushes.
- Mana: defines the magical power that a character is capable of generating. At the beginning of a quest, each player takes the mana markers that apply to his hero and discards them as he uses them. These points are not replenished until the quest ends and the hero has gone through a period of rest. During the campaigns, they are replenished after resting in Inns or at Home (see pages 92, 94 and 96).
- Courage: necessary to face the fear produced by certain fearsome enemies, events or spells.
- Vitality: reflects the physical endurance of the character, the number of wounds he can endure. If Vitality is reduced to 0, the hero is then Knocked Out (see page 43). As a character receives Wounds, he's got less and less Vitality left. Place the wound markers next to the character to represent the Vitality points he has lost. In general, Vitality is not replenished until after the quest ends and the hero is able to rest. During the campaigns, they are replenished after lodging in Inns or at Home (see pages 92, 94 and 96).
- Dexterity: required for manual Actions such as disarming traps or unlocking locked doors. Creatures with an Intelligence below 2 cannot perform Dexterity tests.
- Perception: essential for discovering secret doors, traps or hidden enemies, as well as for winning the Initiative in combat.
NOTE: Both Dexterity and Perception have initial values of 0, modified by the innate skills of the hero's race or those allowed by his class.
Accumulated experience: this indicates the experience points (XP) that the hero has accumulated during previous adventures and still have not been invested in upgrades or improvements.
Fortune Points: represent the luck that the character has during a quest, either by chance, fate or design of the gods. These points are the main difference between a hero and other types of creatures. Without them, a hero's life is at the mercy of a bad result or a wrong decision. At the beginning of a quest, each player will take the number of Fortune markers that corresponds to his hero and discard them as he uses them. They are replenished in the same way as Mana and Vitality are.
Coins: represent the amount of money the hero has, expressed in coins. The game box includes plastic gold and silver coins to represent the coins found during a quest. Each gold coin is equivalent to 5 coins (the basic coins are represented by the silver ones). At the end of a quest, each hero will write down the number of coins he has on their hero file.
Weight: the value to the left of the bar shows the weight the hero is currently carrying, totalling the weight of each item he owns. The value on the right represents the maximum weight the hero is capable of carrying. This maximum value is calculated by summing the hero's Strength and Vitality and multiplying the total by 2.
Notes: if the hero is a predesigned one, the skills, spells and equipment with which he starts will be indicated here. If the hero has been created by a player, this space will be blank and will be used to include any notes you want to keep.
Spells: the cards with the spells the hero already knows will be placed on this side in those cases in which the character is a spellcaster.
Skills: this is where the hero's skill cards will be placed, those he may have because of his race or because they have been acquired according to his class and evolution.
Body: armor and objects, generally magical, that are not held with the hands or carried in the hero's backpack (helmets, rings, necklaces, boots, etc.) will be placed here.
Hands: here you will place the equipment cards that will be used with your hands. You can use an equipment card for each free hand you own (except in the case of objects which must be used with both hands). For example: a hero can carry a battleaxe using both hands, or a broadsword and a shield, or a torch and a dagger.
Backpack: here you will keep the rest of the equipment cards and objects that you carry, but you're not currently using. By backpack we also mean all belts, pouches, pods, etc. that a hero might carry with him.
Tests and Fortune
Attribute Tests
Most attribute tests require rolling 2D6, adding the value of the attribute to the result. On a result equal to or greater than 10, the test is successfully passed. If a different result is required, it will be indicated appropriately. On the other hand, there may be modifiers to the rolls which may vary depending on the circumstances. A result of double 1 (without modifiers) when performing an attribute test will always be a failure, a critical failure (it will be so in every case, even if you have skills that allow you to reroll results of 1).
A result of double 6 (unmodified) will always be a success (unless both contestants get the same result on an opposed roll).
NOTE: A result of 12 obtained with a double 6 is a double critical (see page 41). But a result of 12 obtained with a roll of dice that is not double 6, but the result of applying a number of modifiers will not be regarded as such. Modifiers may increase or decrease the result of a roll, but the critical hits and critical failures made during the game are applied as such without taking the modifiers into account.
Opposed Rolls
In certain cases, such as melee combat, Initiative rolls, and dispelling attempts, an opposed dice roll must be made. This will mean that each character involved in the engagement will roll 2D6 and add the required attribute. The winner is the player with the highest score, once all modifiers have been applied. If there is a tie and there is no indication about how to break the tie, the roll must be made again.
Fortune
Fortune Points have two different uses, applicable during quests or Travel Events:
- Avoiding a fatal blow: a hero who will be Knocked Out due to an attack or event may immediately use a Fortune point to roll 1D6. If he rolls a result of 5 or more, the effects and damage of the attack or event are ignored. If he does not get the desired result, he can still use a second Fortune point. In that case no roll is required, and the results and damage of the attack or event are automatically ignored. In other words, if two points are spent, the effect is automatically cancelled.
- Modifying a dice roll: the last roll made by the hero can be rerolled once (e.g., a blunder/critical failure), or the last roll of an enemy who has attacked him or against whom he is performing an opposed roll. This can be done just once per roll. All the dice from that roll must be rolled again. The new result will be the final one.
NOTE 1: during a quest, Fortune points cannot be used to modify rolls in any way when searching furniture, determining the effects of special items or objects, or when determining the type of weaponry or magic objects found. NOTE 2: a hero's Fortune points may only be used by himself and for his own benefit. They may not be used by mercenaries or accompanying animals, not even creatures he has summoned himself. NOTE 3: a hero who is already Knocked Out (see page 43) may not use any of his Fortune points.
Temporary Fortune
If due to a Travel Event (see the chapter "Campaigns") or the effect of a special Item or object during a quest, a hero receives one or more Fortune points, these will be temporary and will not be recoverable after being used.
Card Organizers
Although they are not essential, each player can use these organizers to place the cards and markers that his hero is using in an orderly way, as you see in the example.
Example: this hero (represented with a file from the booklet) has 3 mana points, 4 fortune points and has received 2 wounds. He uses chainmail and a magic helm. In one hand, he carries a mace and in the other a torch. On the left side, he keeps his Skill and Spell cards (in this section he could also place the card of a Mercenary or a Pet). In his backpack, he carries one rope and one healing potion.
Game Diagram
Board: located in the middle of the playing area. The different elements that make up the scenario and the characters and creatures used by the players are placed on it.
Hero Cards: the players who control the heroes place here the cards or files that represent them, face up. One of the players, the one with the most complex hero, has decided to use the card organizer. There you can see that he has a trained animal, several spells, skills and a lot of objects. The other player, however, keeps the Class and Race cards, although he will only use them at the moment of creating the hero and when the hero evolves, not during the quests.
The Dark Player: the player representing the Dark Player has his deck divided in two. To the left of the Reserve Points Counter are the Obstacle and Powers cards. To the right is the deck with the Encounter events. In the center, under the Reserve Point counter, he holds the cards from his hand and, face up, the discarded ones.
- Bestiary for the Dark Player's reference.
- Achievement Counter.
- Treasure Deck.
- Furniture Deck.
- Special Elements Deck.
- Cards of Places and Services (only used in between quests).
- Travel events (only used in between quests).
Markers
The most important and common markers are Fortune, Wounds, Mana, Stunned and Wounded. Some of them only serve as reminders to help you remember the types of weapons certain creatures have or to remember the elements which haven't been searched yet.
- Fortune Point: shows the remaining Fortune points of each hero.
- Wounds: shows a character's lost Vitality points.
- Mana: shows the mana a character has and the number of times each spell has been used.
- Dark Player and Danger: used to represent the Dark Player's position on the Achievement chart, as well as the Danger markers on the campaign map.
- Group of Heroes: shows the territory where the group of heroes is located. It also indicates the group's Achievement Points on the Achievement Counter.
- Individual hero: identifies a specific hero in the Achievement chart. They will only be used in the optional competitive mode.
- Turn Counter: useful in certain adventures where there is a turn limit to complete the mission.
- Source of Light: indicates the square where an object that emits light is located.
- Stunned: the character suffers the Stunned condition.
- Wounded: the character has only one Vitality point left.
- Poisoned: the character suffers the effects of poisoning.
- Diseased: the character suffers the Diseased condition.
- Stationary: the character is considered immobile.
- Abandoned Weapon: indicates the place where a weapon has fallen after a blunder.
- Berserker: the character remains in Berserker state.
- Flight: the character is flying.
- Goal: represents a scenario's goal.
- Frightened: the character suffers the effects of fear.
- Reloading: the weapon is being reloaded this turn.
- Searchable Element: used to indicate items or furniture in a section which have not been searched yet.
- Noise: place it on the board to represent that gunpowder weapons have been used or a door has been broken down. It will help you remember that the enemy will have a bonus on the next Initiative roll.
- Broken weapon: the weapon has been rendered useless.
- Leader: represents the character or creature designated as the Quest Leader.
- Heavy Armor: shows that a Dark Player's character wears heavy armor.
- Shield: the Dark Player's character carries a shield.
- Sword: the Dark Player's character uses a sword.
- Axe: the Dark Player's character uses an axe.
- Blunt weapon: the Dark Player's character uses a blunt weapon, such as a mace.
- Broken Shield: shows that the shield is broken and unusable.
- Long Range weapon: the Dark Player's character uses a long range weapon.
- Ranged Weapon: the Dark Player's character uses a ranged weapon.
- Upgraded or higher level character: the Dark Player's character has been upgraded with new skills. It can also mean that the character is of a higher level.
- Starting Square: represents the square where the heroes start the quest.
- Goal: represents the goal square that the heroes must reach to fulfill a mission.
- Exploration Arrow: shows a path that may be followed or explored.
The Turn
Character Activation
During the heroes' turn, each character must complete the following phases during his activation (and in this order):
1. Recovery:
If the character is Stunned, he will roll 1D6. On a result of 4 or more, he is no longer stunned.
Example: the witch Maeliss enters a room with rarefied air that automatically stuns her. If she leaves the room, at the start of her next activation she will make the corresponding roll in her recovery phase to remove the stunned condition. On a result of 4+ on 1D6, she will remove the condition and cease to be stunned.
If the character is Knocked Down, he will be able to rise automatically. However, if he has one or more adjacent enemies, he must pass an Agility test in order to do so. If he suffered the Knocked Down condition in his previous activation, he will automatically pass the Agility test. If he rises, he can act normally this turn, but is Stunned (as described on page 42).
2. Actions and moves: each hero may perform one Action and one move, in any order he wishes. The Actions with the exploratory-action indication are Exploratory Actions. In addition, a character can perform a Quick Action at no cost. You can replace one Action with a second Quick Action.
Measuring Distances
When a certain rule or action refers to a distance in squares (such as knowing the radius of the Safety Zone in order to avoid traps, determining the area of effect of a spell or skill or simply when placing creatures), you must calculate this distance as if it were the movement of a character that is only hindered by impassable elements.
Example: Borgron wants to use a skill to benefit his partner Shara. Both are located in a room that is considered difficult terrain. The skill has a range of 3 squares, but Shara is really at a distance of 5 squares of movement from the dwarf, due to the impassable obstacle (rocks) between them. In this example Shara is at a distance of 4 squares from Borgron.
Movement and Terrain
In this phase, characters can move as many spaces as indicated by their Movement attribute. Once a player finishes moving a character, this player will not be able to rectify the move (as would happen in a chess game, the decision has already been made).
He can move in any direction (horizontally, diagonally). However, diagonal moves cannot be made if their trajectory is partially obstructed by a wall or the corner of an obstacle or stair.
Facing
Characters can change their facing anytime during their activation. In order to perform an offensive action, they must face the opponent they intend to attack, and they will remain facing that way if they end their activation adjacent to the opponent. Bear in mind that a turn or change of facing, by itself, will not be regarded as movement.
Example: Shara has turned to face the skeleton she intends to attack. She performs her attack and then, since she finishes her activation being adjacent to it, she must finish her activation with that facing, although she would have liked to position herself differently so as not to turn her back on the orc. Borgron, on the other hand, has attacked another skeleton and, after hitting, he chooses to push it. Since he is not adjacent to his enemy, he will be able to modify his facing during his current activation.
Adjacent Characters and Heights
Two characters will not be considered adjacent to each other if they are on surfaces with a height difference of more than 1 level (except if the one on the lower surface is Huge. In this case they will be adjacent).
Two characters are not considered adjacent if there is an impassable obstacle between them (example: a wall).
Only for the purpose of performing actions and movements, a character located on a stair will not be considered adjacent to others located outside of the stair, unless these are Huge or are in squares of access to the stair.
Stairs
Characters advancing through squares representing an ascending staircase* must spend one more Movement point for each square they advance in this way.
Remember that the entrance stairs to a dungeon are usually descending. Consider that each ascending square of a staircase is equivalent to climbing 1 level of height with respect to the square before it. It will only be possible to enter a staircase from the accesses to it.
Vertical Ladders
A character may climb or descend a vertical ladder as if making a normal movement (running is not allowed), but the entire length of that ladder will be regarded as difficult terrain if he is using some object that requires at least one of his hands.
Doors
The doors and accesses are elements of separation between sections and do not occupy any squares. In order to be adjacent to a door and interact with it, the miniature must be placed in a square in which one of the sides is delimited by that door (players can use as a reference the lintels and arches in the illustrations of doors and accesses).
Example: the elf Taeral is adjacent to all the doors in the diagram. Borgron, on the other hand, is not adjacent to any of them. Note that when a character is adjacent to a door, it is because he is also adjacent to the wall where the door is located.
Occupied Squares
A character or creature will not be able to move through a square occupied by an enemy or an impassable obstacle. However, they can move through squares occupied by allies not engaged in combat, by spending one extra Movement point for each square occupied by an ally.
No character will be able to finish his movement in an occupied square.
Characters can advance to a square occupied by a furniture element shorter than them, but will have to spend one extra Movement point to get on it.
Example: Taeral spends 2 Movement points to get on top of the shrine, one more point to walk on it and another point to get down to an empty square. He has spent 4 movement points. If he had chosen to go around the furniture element, he would have spent 5 Movement points.
Elevated Position
If a character climbs a flight of stairs or gets on top of a piece of furniture, he will be in a higher position with respect to other characters of his size on a lower surface. You should take this into account for Line of Sight (page 31) purposes and melee hitting modifiers (page 37).
Example: the white dashed lines represent the ends through which a staircase can be accessed. The yellow arrows represent the accesses to the stairs. Shara is at height 1, as she is in the first square of the ascending stairs. Although she is adjacent to the skeletons, the orc and the troll, she can only perform actions (such as attacking) against the skeletons located in the access squares (and she will be considered in an elevated position with respect to them). If the skeletons were not there, the orc and troll could move freely, since they wouldn't be adjacent to Shara, but they could not attack her from those squares. On the other hand, Taeral is at height 3. He is adjacent to the dragon and both can attack each other, because the monster is Huge. If the skeleton adjacent to the wall chooses to climb the stairs, it will need to spend 2 Movement points for each stair square it climbs. Thus, to reach square 3 (located at height 3) it would need to use 6 Movement points. Borgron, located on an upper floor at height 3, is not adjacent to any enemy.
Impassable Obstacles
If most of a square is occupied by a wall, a column or some other impassable element, consider the whole square as impassable.
Red shaded squares are always regarded as impassable. No character may pass through elements of a height equal to or greater than his own height, unless he is able to climb through them and circumvent them.
Difficult Terrain
If a character enters into a square considered difficult terrain, he must spend one extra Movement point for each space he wishes to advance.
Characters placed in difficult terrain get a -1 penalty to their Combat Skill, Shooting Skill, casting and dispelling spells.
Example: the elf Taeral can advance up to 3 spaces, bearing in mind that his Movement attribute is 6.
Example: Taeral has a Movement attribute of 6. He cannot cross either the wardrobe, of the same height as himself (2), or the impassable column (height 4). He'll be able to move in the following ways: 1) Move one space diagonally and then use 2 Movement points to go through the square where his ally is located, then continue and turn to avoid the shrine. 2) He can also move adjacent to the shrine and climb it using one extra Movement point (the shrine has height 1). He will then use his last Movement point to get down from the shrine. 3) He can advance bordering the wall until he gets to the same square in option 1.
Deep Waters
There will be areas where the water will be so deep that it will require swimming instead of simply regarding it as difficult terrain.
In deep water, only adjacent enemies can fight and only using daggers or natural weapons (claws, fangs, horns, tentacles). All non-aquatic creatures will get a -1 penalty to their Combat Skill. Casting spells, dispelling or shooting is not allowed.
Characters in deep water have light cover against attacks made from outside the water. They also ignore the Melee Range of all enemies located outside the water, and vice versa.
Unusual Movements
Swimming
If a character wants to swim forward, he will be able to advance a number of spaces equal to his Agility attribute. He will have an extra penalty of -1 if he wears heavy armor, in addition to the usual penalties. If his Agility is negative at the end of his activation, he will suffer 3 damage dice against his Natural Armor.
In addition, he will have to roll 2D6 at the start of his activation if he declares that he wants to advance by swimming. With a double 1, the character will have noticed that something touched his leg underwater and will not advance at all. On a double 6, he will be able to advance one extra square.
Characters swimming at any time during a turn must move using their Agility during the whole turn, both in and out of the water. Therefore, if a swimming character reaches a shore, he will be able to continue his movement by advancing as many spaces as his remaining Agility after swimming.
Example: Borgron has an Agility attribute of 4, so he could advance by swimming a total of 4 spaces. At the start of his activation, he rolls 2D6 and does not get a result of double 1, so he can advance normally. He advances 2 spaces swimming and then reaches the shore. He may use the 2 remaining Agility points to advance normally.
Movement of Large and Huge Creatures
When a Large or Huge creature moves, select one of the 4 squares at its base and move it as if it were an average-sized creature. However, such a creature must finish its movement in an area where the 4 squares of its base are free of obstacles or other characters. It can also end its movement in such a way that part of its base (never all of it) is located on obstructed spaces (occupying both sides of a threshold, or corridor squares narrower than its own base, or a piece of furniture*), but if it ends its activation this way, it will be regarded as being on difficult terrain.
These creatures will not be able to run if they move through any space smaller than their base at any time during their activation.
Remember that Huge creatures ignore obstacles of height 1 and 2.
Example: the troll is Large, it can move between its skeleton ally and the table and finish its movement in the four squares with yellow shading. In its next turn, it can enter the corridor of a single square width, although at the end of its movement it will be considered to be on difficult terrain. The same thing would happen if it were placed between both sides of a threshold whose width is less than that of its base. The dragon, Huge-sized, will be able to move alongside Taeral, its enemy, and finish its movement in the narrow corridor. However, it will be considered to be on difficult terrain.
Movement with 5 x 2.5 cm. Bases
Although DUN does not include bases of this size, we are aware that many creatures, when represented by miniatures, are offered on bases of 5 x 2.5 cm. That is, they occupy two squares on the game board. This is the case with certain mounts, centaurs, etc. Move them in the usual way, as if they only occupied one square. However, remember that you must always finish your movement in an area of 2 squares free of obstacles or characters, and that they must not be positioned diagonally.
Example: the centaur decides to advance 3 squares, between his ally and the table, and turn right, facing the door. It may be placed as indicated by the yellow shaded squares. In his next turn he decides to move his 7 Movement points forward in a straight line.
Actions
Each hero can perform one Action during their turn.
As a general rule, an Action may not be performed while within an enemy's Melee Range or adjacent to one, except when so indicated in the Action itself.
Remember that the exploratory-action symbol identifies the Actions considered exploratory. Unless otherwise stated, only heroes may perform Exploratory Actions. No Exploratory Actions may be performed during combat turns, except Revealing a New Section and Opening Unexplored Doors (and only when this doesn't require passing a test).
1. Revealing a New Section
If a hero stands on an exploration arrow and declares that he wants to reveal the new section, such section will be revealed. This also includes the elements and creatures found in that section.
Once the section to which an exploration arrow leads is revealed, that arrow (and all adjacent ones with the same orientation) will be removed from the board.
Example: the elf Taeral advances 3 spaces until he steps on the exploration arrow and declares that he wants to reveal the new section. The corridor is revealed. Borgron, on the other hand, starts his activation adjacent to the double door. He uses his action to open it and, after revealing the new section, decides to advance.
If an exploration arrow is on a wall, after removing it you can replace it with a floor overlay, to represent that the wall has that opening.
2. Opening Unexplored Doors
As a general rule, all doors (and similar access elements) of an unexplored scenario will be closed.
If a character is adjacent* to a closed door that has not been previously opened during the game, you may decide to open it. The section to which this door gives access will be revealed. This also includes the elements and creatures found in that section. As soon as it is open, turn the door over to show it open.
If the door cannot be opened because of some obstacle (a trap, a locked door, a riddle, etc.), the action will NOT count as spent.
*This action cannot be performed while being diagonally adjacent to a door.
Example: Borgron, Taeral and Shara can interact with a door in many different ways (disarming a trap located in it, breaking it, solving a riddle that protects it, etc.), but only Taeral, who is not in diagonal contact with it, will be able to perform the action "Open Unexplored Doors".
3. Opening Locked Doors
When a hero declares that he wishes to open a door or access and the Quest Sheet or a Dark Player card indicate that the door is locked, this or another hero adjacent to the door will be able to devote one action to try to open it by passing a Dexterity test (this means that they will try to open it stealthily).
The group will only have one attempt to do so.
- Success: the door will open.
- Failure: the door can only be opened by breaking it down.
4. Opening Chests
A hero adjacent to a chest can devote an action to perform a Dexterity test in order to open it and get the loot.
The group will only have one attempt to do so.
- Success: the chest will be opened. Draw a card from the Treasure Deck to find out what is inside. The objects found can be immediately distributed among the group of heroes.
- Failure: the chest can only be opened by breaking it.
5. Solving Riddles
Normally this Action will be needed whenever the Dark Player activates an Obstacle card which forces the heroes to solve some kind of riddle before opening a chest or a door.
Riddles are solved by successfully passing an Intelligence test.
The group will only have one attempt to do so.
- Success: the chest or door will be opened.
- Failure: the door can only be opened by breaking it. The chest cannot be opened or broken in any way during the current quest.
6. Breaking Doors, Chests and Other Objects
Characters and creatures may use an action to hit a door, chest or some other adjacent object. Doors and chests may only be hit after they have been tried to open without violence.
No opposed roll is required to hit these elements, as they will be hit automatically. Then damage dice are rolled in the usual way.
If one of these elements is hit, place a Noise marker on the board next to it. Keep track of how many turns the heroes have hit it with a die. In their next encounter, their enemies will get a +1 bonus to their Initiative roll (see page 30) for each turn in which the heroes have hit the element (disregarding the number of hits).
The elements usually have the following characteristics:
- Door: Armor 5, Vitality 5. Average size.
- Reinforced door: Armor 6, Vitality 6. Average size.
- Chest: Armor 5, Vitality 5. Average size.
- Other elements: those determined by the Quest Sheet.
Once a door is broken, the existing section to which it gives access will be revealed, as if it had been opened normally (in this case, revealing the new section will not be an exploratory Action). This also includes the elements and creatures found in that section. However, this door cannot be closed again.
Once a chest is broken, a card will be drawn from the Treasure Deck.
Elements such as chest, walls or doors will always be regarded as heavy armored by any weapons* and spells used against them.
Note: combat skills are not useful when hitting these items and may not be applied.
*These elements will not be damaged by ranged weapons (except those with the rule "Noise", as described on page 71).
Example: Shara moves adjacent to the door. She has a Strength attribute of 4 and her Broadsword adds 1 damage die. She therefore rolls 5 dice against the door's Armor 5. For each result equal to or greater than 5, she deals 1 wound to the door (reducing its vitality). She gets the following results: 1, 3, 4, 5, 5 and thus causes 2 wounds. In her next turn she rolls the dice again and gets the following results: 2, 4, 5, 6, 6. She therefore deals 3 new wounds to the door, whose Vitality is reduced to 0 and is considered broken (its tile is turned over). If there are any enemies in the newly revealed section, they will get a +2 modifier to their Initiative roll as a result of the 2 turns Shara needed to break or knock down the door.
7. Running
A character may decide to run to increase the number of spaces he will advance that turn. The player who controls it must declare that he runs before starting the move. He will then roll 2D6 and advance as many squares as his Movement plus the result obtained. However, the distance covered may not exceed twice his Movement attribute. In other words, at most you can move twice as many spaces as you normally move. If a character gets a result of double 1 when trying to run, he will only advance a half of his normal Movement that turn (it will be understood that he has stumbled slightly or felt some muscle or joint pain).
If the character is required to take a Perception test at any time during his movement in the turn he decides to run, he will do it with a -2 penalty (for example, when detecting traps or rolling Initiative against new enemies that appeared in unexplored zones).
8. Great Jumps
In order to avoid a pit or a cliff* (or even descend to a lower floor), a character may perform a great jump, which requires an Agility test and a free square in which the character may finish his jump.
*Up to 3 squares wide.
You can interrupt your movement to make a great jump and then complete the movement once the Action has been successfully resolved. The total distance of spaces that the character can move, counting movement and jump, cannot exceed his Movement attribute.
Modifiers to the Agility test:
-
-1: if you jump over an obstacle more than one square wide.
-
-1: if you jump when adjacent to an enemy.
-
Success: the character will finish the jump on an empty square adjacent to the pit or cliff. If there are no empty squares because they are occupied by allies or enemies, the character will be able to finish the jump in an occupied square, pushing back whoever was occupying the square and finishing his movement.
-
Failure: the character's activation is over. Check the section on Falls on page 28.
Example: Taeral has Movement 6 and an Agility 4. Therefore, he advances one space, jumps to a free square beyond the pit (he passes the test, because he gets a result of 7 on 2D6 that adds to his 4 in Agility having subtracted 1 for jumping an obstacle more than 1 square wide) and then decides to resume his movement advancing a total of 6 spaces.
Example: Taeral performs the same jump, but since there are no empty squares to land on, he pushes one of the two adjacent enemies back and takes its place, ending his movement.
Help from an Ally
If there is an ally (a hero or a mercenary) adjacent to the cliff on the side to which the failed hero intended to jump, and that ally has a Rope, he can immediately perform a Strength Test to help the jumping mate. This can be done even if the helping character has already been activated during the turn.
Modifiers to the Strength test:
-
-1: if the character you want to help is Large.
-
-1: if the character with the rope has an adjacent enemy.
-
Success: the jump is successful.
-
Failure: the activation of the character who tried to jump is over. Check the section on Falls on page 28.
9. Climbing Out of Pits
If a character is at the bottom of a pit after failing a test, he can climb out of it. In this case, he must pass an Agility test.
Modifiers to the Agility test:
-
-1: if there is an enemy adjacent to the pit.
-
Success: the upper end has been reached, ending the activation in a free square adjacent to the pit. If there are no empty squares because they are occupied by allies or enemies, the character will be able to climb to an occupied square, pushing back the one who occupied the square and finishing his movement.
-
Failure: the character will remain at the bottom of the pit and his activation finishes.
Example: Shara has fallen into the pit and tries to climb up back to the surface. She gets a result of 8 in her Agility test. Since she has an Agility attribute of 3, the test has been successfully passed and she is placed in a free square adjacent to the pit.
Help from an Ally
If there is an ally (a hero or a mercenary) adjacent to the pit on the side to which the hero failed to jump, and that ally has a Rope, he can immediately perform a Strength Test to help his mate in the pit. This can be done even if the helping character has already been activated during the turn.
Modifiers to the Strength test:
-
-1: if the character you want to help is Large.
-
-1: if the character with the rope has an adjacent enemy.
-
Success: the character will climb out of the pit successfully.
-
Failure: the character who tried to climb will remain at the bottom of the pit and his activation finishes.
Example: Taeral has fallen into the pit and wants to climb up. During the next turn, Shara moves adjacent to the obstacle and declares that she is devoting her Action to helping Taeral with a Rope. Taeral fails the Agility test, which would mean ending the turn down there again, but Shara passes her Strength test and manages to lift him to the top. Taeral will be placed in the empty square next to Shara. Both heroes can perform the same action to get Taeral out of the pit, but as there is an enemy adjacent to the pit, Taeral will have a -1 penalty to his Agility test. If the enemy was adjacent to Shara, she would have the penalty to her Strength Test.
10. Searching for Secret Doors
This Action cannot be combined with a move in the same turn.
A character will be able to declare that he is searching for secret doors in the section he is in. He does not need to be adjacent to any wall or element. In order to do so, the character must pass a Perception test.
- Success: if there is a hidden secret door in that section (indicated on the Quest Sheet), the Dark Player will place it in its exact location. This secret door shall be treated as a normal door and may be opened in the usual manner (and the Dark Player can apply obstacles to it as with any other door).
- Failure: nothing was found.
Example: in Taeral's turn he chooses to declare that he wants to search for secret doors. He makes a Perception test. He gets a result of 9 and adds his +2 bonus, so he is successful and the Dark Player places a tile with a closed secret door. In his next turn, Taeral advances 3 spaces and decides to open the secret door, revealing the section in front of him.
11. Searching Rooms
If a character is in a room* (not a corridor) that has not previously been examined for this purpose, he can declare that he wants to inspect it to search for treasures. He does not need to be adjacent to any wall or element. This Action cannot be combined with a movement. In order to do so, he must pass a Perception test.
The group will only have one attempt to do so.
- Success: he will find hidden objects worth 1D3+1 coins. If the character gets a result of double 6 in the test (as long as his Perception attribute is currently not negative), instead of calculating the number of coins found, he will draw a card from the Treasure deck, which will represent what was found.
- Failure: nothing was found.
Once the Main room or section has been revealed, no previously explored rooms can be searched.
*Indoor section.
12. Searching or Interacting with Elements
Characters can search or interact with adjacent elements (Furniture, Special Element) to resolve its effects (e.g., search a cupboard, drink from a fountain, or pray before an altar).
The content of the card corresponding to each type of element will be read and its effects resolved. Each element can be searched only once. Even if the heroes return to the scenario for a second time, those elements that were searched during their first visit will be regarded as already searched (and their possible effects will remain the same).
Therefore, the effects caused by the interaction, unless otherwise stated, will be the same for the rest of the heroes and will be maintained in later visits of these to the same scenario.
For example: a character searches a cupboard and finds nothing. No other character will be able to search that cupboard again during the quest. However, later on a character drinks from a fountain and the effects of the fountain are beneficial to him and to all those who drink from it. Therefore, all heroes will be able to drink from this fountain obtaining the same benefits.
Once the Main room or section has been discovered, it will not be possible to search elements previously revealed.
13. Putting Armor On or Off
This Action cannot be combined with a move in the same turn.
A character may put on or take off his armor. It only refers to the armor that covers the body, not to elements such as shields or helmets, which are manipulated in the same way as other objects (see Quick Actions on page 28).
14. Deactivating Traps
This Action can be performed after some of the characters have detected a trap (Obstacle card). If a trap is dormant (in a chest or door or on any other square), a hero adjacent to that element or square may disarm it by passing a Dexterity test, and must get the result required on the trap card.
Modifiers to the Dexterity test:
-
+1: if the Perception test to detect the trap was passed with a double 6.
-
Success: the trap is now disabled. Discard the card. The door or chest is not considered to be open.
-
Failure: the trap will be activated and will have the effects described on its card. The door or chest is not considered to be open.
Note that in the card of the example the result needed to detect the trap is 7, but only a 5 is required to deactivate it, in which case it will be deactivated for the rest of the game.
15. Searching Corpses
After finishing a combat and always before a new section is revealed, one hero will be able to devote his first action to search the corpses of his enemies. This doesn't require being adjacent to them. A character which has taken part in a turn of combat with these enemies must simply declare that he wants to carry out this Action.
Roll 1D6 for each eliminated enemy. 2D6 for each Elite level enemy. If the enemy was Champion level, roll as many D6 as its Strength or Intelligence (choose the higher). You can learn more about levels on page 49.
With each result of 4+, the character will find 1 coin. In addition to this, depending on the number of 6s on the roll, the following will be found:
- 1 six: Random Common Object.
- 2 sixes: Random Special Object.
- 3 sixes: Random Common Object and Special Object.
- 4 or more sixes: Random Magic Object (not a Relic).
If a hero declares he wants to search corpses after defeating the Quest Leader, he will always find the Magic Objects he was carrying, if any.
If a hero is unarmed and has no chance of receiving any weapon from his partners (because they only have one), he may also take the non-magic weapon used by the last enemy he killed, although he will have a -1 penalty to his Combat/Shooting Skills while using it. This enemy must be the same size as the character who wants to use his equipment. These weapons won't have any selling value, so the characters won't be able to collect them for that purpose.
Heroes may also search other heroes who have been Knocked Out to take their belongings.
16. Activating a Source of Light
As a rule, the sections are sufficiently illuminated, but some Dark Player cards can affect visibility.
Characters can use objects that are a source of light (torch, lantern) to avoid the effects of the cards "Darkness" and "Complete Darkness". The source of light can be identified with the appropriate marker.
Unless otherwise stated, characters must hold the light source (usually torches or lanterns) in one hand so that it illuminates the section. If you place it on a square, you must mark its position with the proper marker.
17. Moving Furniture
A character may use an Action to move a Furniture item to an adjacent square (as long as it can be moved and the character is adjacent to it).
If a character has the same height as the furniture he is trying to move, he will be able to do it if he passes a Strength test.
Characters cannot move furniture items higher than them.
If a piece of furniture obstructs an access after it has been moved, it can be moved again or even broken in the same way as a door (Armor 5, Vitality 5).
18. Action: Building Footbridges
Characters can build footbridges over a cliff. Two characters (during the same turn) can declare they'll build a footbridge if they're adjacent to the cliff at opposite ends. One of them must immediately spend 1 pickaxes and 1 rope card (which cannot be reused).
Example: Taeral agrees with Borgron to build a footbridge. They are placed at each end of the pit and declare they want to perform this action. Borgron spends his rope and pickaxes and the walkway is automatically placed. It can be walked on in the usual way. An action can be spent to destroy a footbridge from a square adjacent to one of its ends. The examples show the orc gets adjacent to the footbridge, so he can devote an Action to destroy it.
Footbridges are regarded as difficult terrain. Each time a Large creature crosses a footbridge, it must roll 1D6. On a result of 1, the footbridge will collapse, becoming unusable again, and the creature will fall with it. Huge creatures cannot step on a footbridge or will automatically destroy it under their weight and fall with it.
19. Persuading Through Intelligence
Sometimes the heroes can persuade an NPC (Non-Player Character). If the NPC is placed on the scenario, the hero trying to persuade it must be placed adjacent to it. This will be useful for getting information, avoiding or triggering certain situations, etc.
A card or a narrative situation will allow the hero to perform an opposed roll of Persuasion (Intelligence) against the target character. Both characters will roll 2D6 and add their Intelligence*. The persuasion attempt will only succeed if the result of the persuader exceeds that of the target.
*Unless otherwise stated, the target's attribute is always 3.
There are skills that represent the fact that some characters are specially loquacious or seductive. Such skills will allow them to modify their persuasion rolls.
The following modifiers apply when trying to persuade:
- -1 If the hero is trying to persuade a character of an opposite alignment to his own (good-evil).
- +1 If the hero is trying to persuade a character of his same race.
A hero can only make one Persuasion roll per NPC. If he fails, other heroes may try to do it, but will get a -1 penalty to their roll for each attempt previously made.
If a hero gets a blunder on a Persuasion roll, all subsequent attempts against the same NPC by himself or his allies will fail.
20. Persuading Through Fear
A hero may persuade a Non-Player Character by frightening it. If the NPC is placed on the scenario, the hero trying to persuade it must be placed adjacent to it.
A card or a narrative situation will allow the hero to perform an opposed roll of Persuasion (Strength) against the target character. Both characters will roll 2D6. The hero trying to persuade will add his Strength, while the target character will add his Courage*. The persuasion attempt will only succeed if the result of the persuader exceeds that of the target.
*Unless otherwise stated, the target's attribute is always 3.
Characters with the skill "Fearsome" have a +1 modifier to the roll.
Only one attempt per NPC is allowed for the whole group of heroes.
21. Identifying Magic Powers and Potions
There are certain skills that allow you to identify the powers of magic weapons (Secrets of magic) or potions (Alchemist) found during the quest.
If the heroes find a Magic Object, Relic or Potion, they will generally not know its typology or effects unless one of them has the right skill (and passes an Intelligence test) or they pay for the services of an expert in a settlement (Places and Services cards).
As long as heroes are unaware of the virtues of a Magic Object, it can be used without applying them, as its non-magic equivalent (these objects, however, will allow their user to reroll failed breaking rolls as all magic weapons do. See page 72). In other words, a magic broadsword can be used as an ordinary broadsword, but its user will be able to reroll failed breaking rolls.
When the heroes find an unidentified potion, draw the appropriate card from the Special Objects deck. An unidentified potion cannot be used.
In those cases in which heroes are able to identify the effects of a potion, 1D6 must be rolled for each potion and its typology will be shown, drawing the card with that specific potion from the Special Objects deck: 1 Poison, 2 Dexterity, 3 Heroic, 4 Strength, 5 Mana, 6 Healing.
If there are no cards left in the deck for that type of potion, then the potion is considered to have no effect and will be discarded from the game.
Potion Effects: effects are not cumulative. In other words, you cannot take or use two or more potions of the same or different types to accumulate their benefits. The moment a potion is taken or used, the effects of the previous one are cancelled.
22. Melee Attacks
A character may engage an enemy to fight him and try to hit and damage him. See chapter "Melee Combat" on page 36.
23. Ranged Attacks
A character may decide to attack at a distance with a throwing or projectile weapon. See chapter "Ranged Attacks" on page 34.
24. Casting Spells
A character can cast a spell whose effects can either benefit himself or his allies or harm his enemies. See chapter "Magic" on page 38.
25. Other Attribute Tests
A character can devote an Action to performing a test in order to overcome an obstacle or help a partner. For example, performing a Strength test to move a rock or holding a fence so that his companions can cross under it.
These tests will be required by the activation of a card or by a certain situation indicated on the Quest Sheet.
Quick Actions
Each character can perform one Quick Action during their activation. This type of action may be carried out before, during or at the end of a character's movement. You can replace one Action with a second Quick Action.
As a general rule, a Quick Action may not be performed while within an enemy's Melee Range or while adjacent to an enemy.
The following are among the most frequent Quick Actions:
- Giving an item to an adjacent companion (the same item cannot be used by two characters during the same game turn).
- Leaving or picking up something located in a reachable place (in one of the squares they are moving through or an adjacent one).
- Activating a lever.
- Opening or closing a door that gives access to an area already explored (that is, a door that has been previously opened during the current game).
- Equipping objects: if the player wants to take new objects in his hands, interchanging them with the ones he carries in his backpack.
- Drinking a Potion or using another disposable object.
- Drawing or switching weapons: if the hero decides to use a weapon he was carrying in his backpack (this Quick Action may be performed while within an enemy's Melee Range or adjacent to one).
Critical Failures During Exploration
When a character gets a result of double 1 on any Exploratory Action, the Dark Player Reserve Point budget is increased by 1 point.
Falls
In the event of a fall due to a failed test while performing a great jump or any other event, the character will fall on the square of the pit where he was pushed or on the one closest to the one he intended to jump to. The character will suffer the Stunned condition and 1 damage die against his Natural Armor for each point of height he fell* (if the height is not specified only 1 damage die will be taken). After resolving damage, the character's activation ends.
*For example, pits cause 4 damage dice because they are considered to have a height of 4.
Example: the skeleton warrior wants to jump over the abyss in order to be able to engage Taeral. The creature tests Agility and fails, so it falls into the abyss and is eliminated. If it were a pit and the skeleton didn't die as a result of the fall, it would be placed on the square where it fell.
Example: the skeleton wins the opposed hitting roll against Shara, managing to hit her. It doesn't do much damage, but the hero is pushed one square backwards, falling to a square on the lower floor, which is a fall from height 1. Shara suffers 1 damage die from the fall and is stunned.
If two enemy characters fall into a pit, they will not be able to fight each other. They must try to get out of the pit.
Characters in a pit cannot be melee attacked by their enemies, nor can they attack them in this way. They can only shoot and cast spells at enemies adjacent to the pit, considering them behind heavy cover. Adjacent enemies can shoot and cast spells at them with no obstacles or restrictions.
Combat
Combat Turn
If there is an enemy located 12 squares or less away from a character in a group of heroes, the whole group will be considered to be in a "combat turn", while all other turns will be regarded as "exploration turns".
Note that, if all the enemies are eliminated and in the same turn there are still heroes to be activated, they will be able to perform their activation, but they will no longer be in combat.
Encounters and Initiative
As soon as a hero reveals an unexplored section and enemies are spawned in it, an Initiative opposed roll must be made immediately.
This Initiative roll will be made with the Perception attribute of the character closest to any of the enemies on the other side.
Initiative opposed roll*: 2D6 + Perception of the hero closest to any enemy, AGAINST 2D6 + Perception of the closest enemy. Tie? the winner is the one with the highest Intelligence.
*Remember that in opposed rolls you don't succeed by achieving a total score of 10, but by getting a higher score than your opponent. Note that a double 6 (unmodified) will always be a success (except if both contenders obtain the same result in an opposed roll).
If the heroes win the Initiative roll, a new turn for them will immediately begin (without the Dark Player being able to draw cards or add Achievements).
If the heroes lose the Initiative roll, the turn ends for them and the Dark Player turn begins.
Initiative rolls can also be made due to the appearance or placement of new enemies at other times (when spawned by the activation of a card or by certain event in the quest).
In the event of a tie, the winner is the character with the highest Intelligence. If there still is a tie, a new roll must be made.
If two characters from the side of the heroes or the side of the Dark Player are at the same distance from enemies, the character with the highest Perception will roll for Initiative (if they have the same, choose one randomly).
Example: Borgron opens the door and reveals the new section where the Dark Player spawns 2 orcs. The dwarf wins the Initiative roll against the nearest orc, so the Dark Player loses his turn. Therefore, he will not draw any card from his decks nor activate the orcs. A new turn begins for the heroes, who decide not to move. Borgron misses a shot with his crossbow and Shara takes a heroic potion. She decides to use her action to perform a second quick action and give Borgron a melee weapon. When the Dark Player's turn comes, he decides to activate a Reinforcements card and places the new orcs in the corridor section, as indicated by the card. A new opposed Initiative roll must be made, this time against Shara, the hero closest to the newly spawned orcs. If the orcs fail, they lose their activation and will not activate until their next turn. However, the Dark Player doesn't lose his turn, and the orcs in the room may activate normally.
Placement of Enemies
When the heroes reveal a section with enemies, either because they are located in a predefined place (indicated on the Quest Sheet), because it is so determined by a Special Element card, or because the Dark Player has used one of the Encounter cards from his deck, the Dark Player will place them in squares of his choice within that section. However, he cannot place any enemies 2 or less squares away from the character who revealed the section.
When enemies are spawned in any other situation by the activation of Encounter cards, no enemies may be placed 2 or less squares away from any character in the group of heroes.
Initiative Roll Summary
- Heroes' turn — Hero reveals an unexplored section and enemies are spawned in it ("Wandering creature", "Special creature" or "Enemy spotted!" cards are activated)* — or enemies appear during a combat turn as a new section is revealed:
- Dark Player wins: turn ends for the heroes. Dark Player's turn begins.
- Heroes win: new turn begins for the heroes (without the Dark Player being able to draw cards or add Achievements).
- Heroes' turn — "Ambush!" card activated:
- Dark Player wins: turn ends for the heroes. Dark Player's turn begins.
- Heroes win: new turn begins for the heroes.
- Dark Player's turn — New enemies appear during a combat turn when the "Reinforcements" card is activated or a creature with the skill "Watchman" opens a door:
- Dark Player wins: new creatures will be activated immediately.
- Heroes win: new creatures will not be activated until their next turn.
*"Caught by surprise!" can be applied.
Caught by Surprise!
As soon as an Initiative roll is made (after both sides have met when a new section is revealed), enemies 6 or less squares away from the character or creature that won the Initiative test will be affected by the "Caught by surprise!" rule if both dice rolled by the winning side equal or exceed their Intelligence (unless you get a result of 1 on one of the dice).
Example: If an orc with Intelligence 3 loses the Initiative roll against an elf that got a 3 and a 5 on its roll, the orc will be considered affected by the "Caught by surprise!" rule, because the two individual results of the dice rolled by the elf equal or exceed the orc's Intelligence.
The characters affected by this rule in the losing side can be moved by the winner (choosing their facing too) to an adjacent square free of obstacles or characters.
Characters and creatures will never be affected by this rule if the new section was revealed after breaking down the access door.
If one of the sides gets a critical failure (double 1) on their Initiative roll, all the characters on that side within the 6 square radius mentioned above will be automatically affected by "Caught by surprise!"
This rule cannot be applied to a side which is already in a combat turn.
Example: Returning to the previous example, Borgron wins the Initiative roll (he gets a result of 2 and 3 on the dice) and the skeletons are affected by the "Caught by Surprise!" rule (they have Intelligence 1). The player handling the hero will be able to move each skeleton to an adjacent empty square, with the facing he wishes (the logical thing to do is to place them with their backs to the hero, so that they lose their Line of Sight and the hero wins the modifier for attacking from behind). The orc, on the other hand, with Intelligence 3, is not affected (it loses the initiative, but it is not affected by the "Caught by Surprise!" rule, because one of the results of Borgron's Initiative roll has not equaled or exceeded the orc's Intelligence.
Line of Sight
Line of Sight and Cover
A character must be able to see his enemy at some point during his activation in order to target him.
In order to determine whether a character has Line of Sight (LoS) to another character, draw an imaginary straight line from the center of that character's square to the center of the target's square (if the character occupies more than one square, choose the center of one of them). If there are no elements obstructing such a line, there will be clear LoS. However, the character must be facing the target, there will be no LoS from a character to a target that is behind the character.
No creature will be able to have Line of Sight through elements of the same height or higher than themselves, except in those cases in which the target is higher than the interposing elements or the target is in an elevated position.
If there is LoS, but the target is adjacent to any interposing element*, the target will be considered to have cover. This cover will be applied even if the drawn line touches only the corner of a square occupied by an element (i.e., an obstacle), or crosses a lower height element that does not totally block LoS. In order to have cover, the target must always be adjacent to the obstacle.
Depending on the nature of the elements, they will be regarded as light or heavy cover.
- Light: tables, chairs, fences, other wooden furniture.
- Heavy: walls, columns, statues...
*Of course, a pit or a cliff are not obstacles that affect LoS.
Characters can block LoS, but will never provide any cover.
Example: Taeral, an elf archer of height (2), is surrounded by enemies, almost all of them of the same height. If he chooses the facing in the image, he will have LoS to one skeleton without any obstructions. A second skeleton has light cover because it is adjacent to a bed (height 1). A third skeleton has light cover because the LoS line touches the corner of a square with a bed. A fourth skeleton has heavy cover because the LoS line touches the corner of a square with a column. He will not be able to target some enemies because he has no LoS to them, since they are behind some columns (height 4) or a cupboard with the same height as his enemies (height 2). He has LoS to the troll, since it has height 3, greater than that of the cupboard (2), but the troll will benefit from the light cover provided by the furniture.
NOTE: squares separated by a wall are not considered adjacent and there is no LoS between them.
Flying Characters and LoS
All flying characters and creatures are considered to be higher than the other characters (that are not flying) around them. When flying characters are targeted, consider that they are flying at height 4. Therefore, all characters have Line of Sight to a target that is flying, unless that LoS is blocked by an impassable obstacle.
Example: almost all enemies of the celestial Nariant have Line of Sight to her, since the heroine is flying. The orc adjacent to Shara would not normally have LoS with Herbod, but can see him because he is standing on a shrine. He also sees Nariant, because Nariant, being flying, is higher than Herbod. The only one who does not have Line of Sight to them is a different orc, because the line is obstructed by the tree.
Front and Back of a Character
The front of a character or creature includes those squares that he has before him or to his sides, as described in the following diagrams. The squares behind him will be considered his back.
Example: front is shown as white shading, back as red shading. Shara has a diagonal facing. The red shaded squares constitute the back of the character.
Melee Ranges
Melee Range and Engagement
Each character exercises a zone of Influence on each of its adjacent squares, including diagonals. We call this the character's Melee Range.
A running character cannot move through any squares adjacent to an enemy, even if the enemy cannot engage him.
A character who does not run may enter an enemy's Melee Range.
Any character who enters a square which is part of an enemy's Melee Range must end his movement there. Then, both characters are considered to be engaged.
Characters are considered engaged if they are within the Melee Range of an enemy.
Notwithstanding the above, a character "A" (as long as he does not run) will ignore the Melee Range of an enemy "B" and, therefore, will not be engaged in the following situations:
- B is smaller than A.
- B is adjacent to one of the allies of A, with a size equal to or greater than his own.
- B is adjacent to 2 or more allies of A, with a size immediately inferior to his own.
In other words: characters can only be engaged by other characters of the same or higher size, or by two or more adjacent enemies of immediately lower size. In turn, they can keep two smaller enemies engaged.
Creatures and characters will always ignore the Melee Range of much smaller enemies, regardless of how many they have adjacent (remember that this happens when there is a difference of at least 2 levels in height or size between two characters or creatures).
Example: Borgron must pass an Agility test to disengage from the orc, since there are no allies of Borgron adjacent to it. Shara tries to advance diagonally one single square, within the Melee Range of the two orcs she is adjacent to, so she doesn't need to roll to disengage, but she must make her attack against one of the orcs whose Melee Range she has remained in. Taeral can move freely on the described trajectory, ignoring the orc's Melee Range, given that the orc is adjacent to Shara. However, Taeral will stop his movement the moment he enters the skeleton's Melee Range, which has no other hero adjacent to it. The orc could move from that position without having to roll to disengage, because its enemy, Borgron, is adjacent to the troll (Large). Shara could move in the same way, because the troll is already adjacent to Borgron and Taeral (remember that Large creatures engage two characters of smaller size). Similarly, the troll could move in the same way, because it ignores Taeral and Borgron (who would still have an adjacent enemy), and also ignores Shara, who is immediately smaller than the troll (if Shara were large in size or there was another hero next to the troll, but not adjacent to any orc, then they would force the troll to perform an Agility test to disengage). The orc will also be able to move without rolling to disengage, because Taeral cannot engage it, as he is already adjacent to an enemy. This troll, which is adjacent to two enemies immediately smaller in size, needs to roll to disengage. It only needs to disengage from one hero to ignore the other, given his size.
Moving Within a Melee Range
If a character is engaged with an opponent, he may move to an adjacent square within the opponent's Melee Range without disengaging as long as his attack is targeted at the opponent. This is regarded as Movement.
Disengaging
An engaged character may ignore his opponent's Melee Range and move normally during his activation if he passes an Agility test before performing an Action. If he fails, he will remain engaged and his activation will be over. If he gets a critical failure in the test, he will be automatically hit by the opponent he was trying to disengage from.
If a character wishes to disengage from several enemies he will have to pass one Agility test for each of them.
Example: Borgron wishes to disengage from the two orcs. This will require passing two different Agility tests.
Attacks from Behind
If a character attacks an enemy from behind (starting his activation in a square behind his target) he will get a bonus to hit (see the modifiers in the "Ranged Attacks" and "Melee Combat" chapters). Besides, the defending character will not be able to use his shield.
NOTE: remember that if a character wants to attack an opponent behind him, he must first turn or change facing during his activation (which is not regarded as movement nor as an action), in order to have LoS to him.
Example: Borgron's engaged with the orc. If he wants to disengage, he must pass an Agility test. Another option would be to move Shara adjacent to the orc. In this way, Borgron could move freely, since Shara would be engaged with the orc. The dwarf could also move (no need of passing a test in this case) to an adjacent square, as long as he doesn't leave the orc's melee range and providing he uses his Action to attack the orc. If the orc advances to one of the squares adjacent to Shara, he must stop his advance there since he will have entered her melee range (as long as Shara is not engaged with another opponent). Taeral intends to reach a different orc. He has no problem to do it since Borgron is engaged with the first orc. That means Taeral can move through the orc's Melee Range and avoid the troll's melee range in order to reach his target. Shara cannot disengage from the troll. In fact, if Taeral were to enter the melee range of the Large creature, both heroes would be engaged, because they are smaller than the Large creature. If the troll doesn't turn towards Shara, Shara will be considered to be attacking the troll from behind, as her initial position will start at the creature's back.
Multiple Attacks
If an attacker can perform several attacks, these will be resolved separately. A maximum of 3 attacks can be made by one character or creature, regardless of the combination of weapons or skills he is using.
Momentum: sometimes characters push or are pushed during their own activation. In these cases they may not be able to perform some of their actions because they have exhausted their movement and aren't adjacent to an enemy. When this happens, they are allowed to advance one extra square to perform their remaining action.
Example: an Orc boss has 2 attacks. He moves next to Borgron (equipped with a shield) and attacks him. However, Borgron wins the round and pushes the Orc. The Orc has exhausted his movement and one of his attack actions, but the defender's push does not allow him to perform his second melee attack because he is no longer adjacent to an enemy and has already exhausted his movement during his activation. However, he can advance one extra square to make his second attack against Borgron or any other adjacent enemy.
Ranged Attacks
Guidelines
Ranged attacks are carried out with Ranged Weapons (either projectile or throwing ones), against targets located within the weapon's range (remember that Actions cannot be carried out while within an enemy's Melee Range or while adjacent to it).
Counting the Distance
The target must be within the range of the attacking character's weapon. The distance is calculated by counting the number of squares from the attacker to the target (including the one in which the target is). The squares can be counted diagonally.
Example: the orc is 4 squares away from the elf Taeral.
Magic Arrows and Throwing Weapons
If shot or thrown during a combat turn, they cannot be used again until the end of the combat (except for certain magic weapons that return to their user's hands).
Hitting with Ranged Attacks
In order to achieve a hit with a shot or a throwing a character will have to pass a Shooting Skill test, applying the appropriate modifiers. That is to say, a character will be able to hit with a ranged attack when he gets a result of 10 or more, once his Shooting Skill and the modifiers described in this chapter have been added to the 2D6 result.
Blunders and Failures
A blunder (critical failure) result when attacking at a distance may result in the weapon breaking (see the section "Breaking Roll" on page 41). In addition, the shot or throwing will automatically hit the closest ally among those adjacent to the squares through which the path of the shot passed (in scenarios without squares, as detailed later in these rules, it is understood that the line of fire will be 1 inch wide and may affect all characters whose bases touch that line). In case of doubt, when there are several allies located at the same distance from the trajectory, one random character will be hit.
If the shooting test is failed and there is a result of 1 on one of the dice, a shot or throwing targeting an enemy with an ally adjacent to him will hit the ally instead (if there are several adjacent allies, one of them will be hit at random). However, adjacent allies that are smaller than the target cannot be hit.
A critical failure while attacking means the end of the character's activation.
Example: the elf Taeral shoots his bow at the orc. If he passes the Shooting test he will manage to hit. If he fails and gets a result of 1 on one of the dice, he will hit Borgron instead, who is adjacent to the orc. If the elf had a blunder result, he would hit Shara instead, as she is the closest ally among all those adjacent to the arrow's trajectory.
Modifiers
Cover
Shooting or throwing weapons at targets behind cover have certain penalties (see page 31). Shooting at characters behind light cover has a penalty of -1. In the case of heavy cover, the penalty is -2.
Distance
Shots and throwings against targets from a point-blank range (up to 3 squares from the shooter/thrower) will not be penalized.
When the distance to the target is short, between 4 and 6 squares, the shot or throwing has a penalty of -1.
When the distance is medium (7 to 9 squares) the penalty is -2.
When the distance is long (10 squares to the maximum range of the weapon), the penalty is -3. Most indoor shooting and weapon throwing is done at short range.
When the target is at a distance of more than half the maximum range of the weapon (except for throwing weapons), critical results will not generate extra damage dice.
NOTE: Remember this series: 3/6/9/10+, which will mean point-blank, short, medium and long distance, respectively (with penalties of -, -1, -2, -3). Thus, each distance range increases the distance to the target by 3 squares.
Small Targets
If the target is Small, the shooter gets a -1 to his Shooting Skill.
Large or Huge Targets
If the target is Large or Huge, the shooter gets a +1 to his Shooting Skill.
Stationary Targets
If the target is stationary, the shooter gets a +2 to his Shooting Skill.
Moving and Shooting
Characters shooting a projectile weapon after having moved up to a half of their movement get a -1 penalty to their Shooting Skill. The penalty is -2 if they moved more than half their Movement.
This penalty will not be applied to throwing weapons when only 1 or 2 squares have been moved.
Flying Targets
If the target is a character or creature that is flying that turn, the shooter gets a -1 to his Shooting Skill.
Targets More Agile Than Shooter
Shooter gets a -1 to his Shooting Skill if his target's Agility is higher than his own.
Attacks from Behind
If a character attacks from the back* of the target (or the target is Knocked Down), he will get +1 to his Shooting Skill and the defender will not be able to use his shield.
*All movement prior to the attack must be made behind the target of the attack, so that the attacker never enters the target's LoS.
Example: Taeral moves one space and shoots at the skeleton in front of him. Taeral's enemy is at a medium range, but he has his back turned to him. Taeral rolls 2D6, gets a 7 and adds 5 (his Shooting Skill), making a total of 12. He applies a -2 for being at medium range (7 to 9 squares), a -1 for having moved a square and a +1 for shooting from behind. The final result is a 10. He hits his enemy.
Difficult Terrain
If the shooter is located on difficult terrain, he will get a -1 to his Shooting Skill.
Defensive Shot
A character armed with Ranged Weapons will be able to react using a Defensive Shot against an enemy who moves with the intention of attacking, engaging him, or flying through his Melee Zone, as long as this move is initiated in a square to which he has LoS. An additional penalty of -2 is applied to this kind of shot. Defensive Shots won't be allowed when the target has started his movement from a position 2 or less squares away from the shooter.
A target of a Defensive Shot must halt its movement when he is 3 squares away from the shooter. At this moment, if the shot hits and causes at least 1 wound, the target will stop his advance. Large and Huge targets will only stop their advance if the roll to hit gets a double critical (double 6).
This shot cannot be fired if the weapon is in the "Reloading" position.
A character may not make more than one Defensive Shot per turn.
Example: an orc is trying to attack Taeral. The elf decides to make a Defensive Shot, so he will get -2 to his Shooting Skill. There will be no other penalizers because the shot is made when the enemy is 3 squares away from him.
Melee Combat
Guidelines
Winning a Combat Round and Hitting
Characters can attack adjacent enemies located in the front of their Melee Range (remember they must be facing their target). Attacker and defender must roll 2D6 in an opposed roll and add their respective Combat Skill attributes. The character who gets the highest result (once all relevant modifiers have been applied), wins the combat round*. If it was the defender, the attack simply did not succeed. If it was the attacker, he will hit his target and will roll the damage dice.
Opposed Combat Skill roll*: 2D6 + Attacker's Combat Skill, AGAINST 2D6 + Defender's Combat Skill.
*Remember that in opposed rolls you don't succeed by achieving a total score of 10, but by getting a higher score than your opponent. Note that a double 6 (unmodified) will always be a success (except if both contenders obtain the same result in an opposed roll).
Tie-Breaking
Ties in combat opposed rolls will be won by the character with the highest Agility. This rewards the fastest characters, who will more easily avoid hits or find the weaknesses of the opponent. In case of a new tie in Agility, the winner will be the one who uses a shield. If there is still a tie, the defender always wins.
Critical Failures
If a character gets a blunder result, the weapon used will immediately fall to the ground on the square occupied by his opponent. Then a breaking roll must be made to determine whether the weapon breaks (see the "Breaking Roll" section on page 41). The location of the weapon shall be marked with the appropriate marker.
The character who got the blunder will be momentarily disarmed until he can pick it up or draw another weapon in a later turn.
Picking up a weapon located in an adjacent square or in the same square occupied by the character who wants to take it, is a Quick Action. However, if this weapon is within the Melee Range of an enemy, the character must use an Action to try to pass an Agility test. If successful, the weapon will be recovered.
A critical failure while attacking means the end of the character's activation.
Pushing
If the attacker wins the hitting roll against an opponent of the same size or smaller, he may push him back to an adjacent empty square (including diagonally) after resolving the damage roll. The pushed player will keep his facing. If there are no empty squares since they are occupied by other characters, the defender will remain in place. If he cannot be pushed due to an impassable obstacle or piece of furniture (wall, library, column), he will take 1 extra damage die from the same attack.
A pushed character will fall, if there is a difference in height, into a pit, precipice or obstacle existing in the square where it is pushed, suffering the corresponding effects. The character will only fall into the pit or cliff if there is no other empty square he can be moved to.
Example: Shara succeeds in hitting the orc and decides to push him towards the pit. Borgron succeeds in hitting the troll. As this creature is larger than him, he will not be able to push it. Borgron beats the orc adjacent to the troll and pushes him to an adjacent empty square. If there was a wall adjacent to the orc and he could not be pushed, he would take one extra damage die from Borgron's attack.
Taking an Enemy's Position
When an attacker succeeds in eliminating an enemy, or simply manages to knock him down or push him, he may occupy the square abandoned by the defender (except if the attacker is using a long range weapon), without considering it a move, and then change his facing as he wishes.
NOTE: bearing this in mind, a character who can carry out two or more attacks during the same turn may win a hitting roll, push an opponent and move to the square formerly occupied by his enemy, and then make another attack against an enemy currently within his melee range.
Example: Shara wins the combat round against the orc, whom she pushes back to an adjacent square. If she has not consumed her movement, she will be able to move freely since she is no longer engaged by the orc. If she has already moved before carrying out the attack action, she can still move to the square abandoned by the orc (becoming engaged with him again).
Modifiers
Weapons
Some weapons have penalties when used for attacking, defending, and sometimes in both cases. This represents how difficult it is to use each weapon in a specific situation (see chapter "Equipment" on pages 70, 71). For example: the axe reduces the user's Combat Skill by 1.
Cover
If there is an obstacle in the path of a melee attack (imagine an attack made diagonally with the corner of a wall or gate blocking the path), the attacker will apply a -1 penalty to his roll, regardless of whether it is light or heavy cover.
Example: a skeleton attacks Borgron. It is adjacent to him, but its attack will be penalized since it is hindered by the door jam. Another skeleton attacks Shara with a spear (a long range weapon with a reach of 2 squares), but the knight benefits from the cover provided by the bed (height 1) that stands between them and does not block Line of Sight.
Flying Target/Attacker
A character attacking a flying target will have a -1 penalty to his Combat Skill roll.
A flying character or creature must stop flying if he wishes to attack in melee an enemy on the ground.
Fighting from an Elevated Position
If a combatant is in an elevated position (not flying) with respect to an enemy with the same size, he will get a +1 to his Combat Skill.
Example: Shara gets a +1 to her Combat Skill since she is at the top of the stairs, in an elevated position with respect to her opponent of the same size. Borgron launches an attack against the orc. His LoS to the orc touches the corner of the door, so he will apply a -1 to his Combat Skill.
Attacks from Behind
If a character attacks from the target's back* (or the target is Knocked Down), he will get +1 to his Combat Skill and the defender will not be able to use his shield.
*All movement prior to the attack must be made behind the target of the attack, so that the attacker never enters the target's LoS.
Difficult Terrain
If the character is located on difficult terrain, he will get a -1 to his Combat Skill.
Stationary Targets
Attacks against stationary targets (doors, furniture or characters affected by this condition) will not require a hitting roll and will automatically hit. If the target is a character, he will have his Armor reduced by -1.
Drawing a Weapon
If a character performs a Quick Action in order to draw a weapon while within an enemy's Melee Range, he will get a -1 to his Combat Skill.
Long Range Weapons
As described in the chapter "Equipment", a character using this weapon can attack from 2 squares away (remember the LoS rules on page 31). However, he will get a -1 penalty when attacking adjacent enemies. Characters using this kind of weapon can also push enemies after winning a Combat Skill roll while defending, just as if they were using a shield.
Example: Shara cannot attack one orc because LoS is obstructed by an element of the same height as her: the library. She can attack another orc with a -1 cover penalty and -1 for being adjacent. She can attack a third orc with a -1 cover penalty (the bed is height 1). She can attack a fourth orc with no penalty.
Unarmed
An unarmed character has -1 to his Combat Skill, will roll as many damage dice as his Strength and will increase the target's Armor by +1.
Ranged weapons used in melee: a character armed with a projectile weapon will be considered unarmed if he intends to attack or defend with it in melee combat, unless the weapon indicates otherwise.
Magic
Guidelines
Magic is only available to spellcasters, who can learn different spells according to their class and the Lore of magic they chose. At the same time, each Lore belongs to a great magic realm, depending on the type of gods that are venerated.
- Gods of the Elements: Fire, Earth, Air, Water.
- Gods of Light and Harmony: Light, Blessings, Runic, Music.
- Gods of Darkness: Necromancy, Witchcraft, Underworld, Corruption.
- Gods of Nature: Nature, Tribal, Channeling, Animism.
Mana Pool
Each spellcaster has two mana for each spell learned, placed in the form of markers on the hero file. The mana pool of a spellcaster can never exceed his Intelligence multiplied by 3.
Immediate and Permanent Duration
Spells, depending on their duration, can be of two types: immediate or permanent. Immediate effect spells are resolved in the turn in which they are cast and their effects disappear after that turn. However, the effects of permanent spells last for the determined number of turns.
Casting Spells
A spellcaster can use an Action to cast a spell as long as he has at least one free hand. In order to cast a spell it is necessary to pass an Intelligence test. If successful, the effects of the spell will be resolved, and the spellcaster will remove all mana markers spent with the cast and place a mana marker on the spell card to record the number of times the spell has been cast.
Permanent Effects
If the spell is of permanent effect, it will persist for a number of turns equal to the highest result of the two dice rolled in the Intelligence test. You can count the remaining turns placing such die on the spell's card. After the last turn of the caster's side, the spell's effect will finish.
Example: a spellcaster casts a spell with a result of 6 (4+2) and adds his Intelligence of 5. In total he gets an 11 and the spell, being permanent, will last 4 turns. In other words, at the end of the fourth turn of the spellcaster's side (counting the turn in which the spell was cast), its effects will disappear.
A new spell may be cast while another spell is still active, but in this case, the wizard will have a -1 penalty to casting it.
If the person who cast the permanent spell is Knocked Out, the effects of the spell will disappear immediately.
Two permanent spells cannot be held at the same time. If a spellcaster casts a second permanent effect spell, the effects of the first spell will disappear.
Spellcasters can voluntarily choose to stop the effects of their permanent spells during their activation.
Limits on the Number of Casts
A spellcaster can only cast the same spell up to 3 times* during a quest, unless he takes a Mana Potion. These potions, in addition to recovering mana points, allow the wizard to remove one mana marker placed on the card of a particular spell he has already cast.
*Remember the Sorcery levels, below.
Use of Components and Scrolls
Spellcasters may only use one magic scroll or components for magic per turn.
Types of Spells According to Their Power
There are two types of spells according to the consumption of mana: the basic ones and the superior ones. Basic spells consume 1 mana point for each successful cast, while superior spells require 2 or more mana points and cannot be combined with a move in the same turn.
Line of Sight and Cover
Spells require Line of Sight to their target. Cover will only be taken into account in the case of magic projectiles.
Example: Borgron has several nearby enemies. He has no LoS to one skeleton. He has LoS to the other ones, though, although if he wants to cast a magic projectile, he must consider that one skeleton will benefit from light cover, while another skeleton will benefit from heavy cover.
Dispelling
As soon as a spell is successfully cast, a spellcaster on the opposing side can immediately declare that he will try to dispel it, before its effects are resolved. Such dispelling will require an Intelligence test on the part of the dispelling caster, which must exceed the total result with which the spell was cast (therefore, it will actually be an opposed Intelligence roll). If the dispelling is successful, the spell will have no effect, but will still consume the caster's mana.
Spells cannot be dispelled while within an enemy's Melee Range. Successful dispelling will require 1 mana point. Characters can't try to dispel when they have no mana left.
Only characters 8 squares or less away from the spellcaster who cast the spell or from the spell's target may try to dispel a spell.
Example: the sorcerer from the underworld casts a magic projectile at Shara. He passes the Intelligence test (he has a result of 7 when casting 2D6 and adds his Intelligence of 5, making a total of 12) and the spell is cast successfully. Borgron decides to try to dispel it. He rolls 2D6 and adds his Intelligence. If he exceeds the total result obtained by the sorcerer from the underworld, Borgron will manage to dispel the spell and will remove 1 mana from his mana pool.
Spells with Maximum Power
A double-critical result (double 6) in the Intelligence test to cast a spell will negate any possibility of dispelling it in the turn it was cast.
In addition, each result of 6 while casting spells that require rolling for damage will be regarded as critical and will deal extra damage (see "Damage" on page 41).
Example: the witch Maeliss throws a fireball at a human barbarian. The spell normally causes 5 damage dice, but as she got a critical result on one of the two dice rolled during the Intelligence test, the damage dice will be 6 instead of 5.
Critical Failures
A blunder result (double 1) while attempting to cast a spell will cause the spell not to be cast in any case. However, the mana (and the Components for Magic or Magic Scrolls used) will nonetheless be spent.
In addition, the spellcaster will be automatically Stunned and will roll 5D6. For each result that equals or exceeds his Intelligence, he will lose 1 Vitality (damage is considered to have been received from a spell, so it ignores skills such as "Invulnerable").
A critical failure while casting means the end of the character's activation.
Kinds of Spells
Nature of the spell: the symbols represent each of the six types of spells according to their nature.
Area of Effect: it may have the values 1, 2, 3... If there is no symbol, it means that it only affects the target character or square and therefore has no AoE. The value means that the spell affects those squares located within a radius of the same number of squares counting from the selected target. If the spell only affects allies or enemies, it will be specified in the card.
Range: is the maximum distance expressed in squares at which a target is eligible for this spell. The target can be a square or a character. If it has a range of 1, it means that it can only be cast on adjacent targets. If it has a numeric range, it can be cast on targets at that distance from the caster. If the range indicates self only, the caster can only cast it on himself. If the range indicates self-or-distance, it means that it can be cast on the sorcerer himself or on targets up to the indicated distance. Remember that it is the target who sets the reference for the areas of effect.
Description: the effects of the spell are detailed here. If a spell causes a condition, such condition will last for as long as the spell does (e.g. Stunned). As soon as the spell is over, the condition it was causing will be removed.
Mana Cost: indicates the mana spent by successfully casting this spell. Therefore, it will be helpful to distinguish between basic and superior spells.
Permanent Effect: its effects last for several turns, determined by the roll to cast the spell.
Learning Cost: expressed in coins, is the cost of learning the spell in an appropriate place, usually in a School of Magic.
Lore of Magic: indicates the Lore to which the spell belongs.
Nature of the Spell
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Magic Projectile: spells cast on rivals at a certain distance. Draw a straight line as you do when shooting. Characters not selected as targets, but within the spell's AoE, will suffer 2 less damage dice than the target, unless the spell's description indicates otherwise. Characters who benefit from light cover will take 1 less damage die than the spell indicates. Those who benefit from heavy cover will take 2 less damage dice.
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Control: spells used to control the will of creatures and enemies, stun them, immobilize them or affect their movements and skills. Control spells will only affect Large or Huge creatures and Champion level ones when they were cast with a critical result (this does not affect the summoning of creatures).
Example: a sorcerer casts a Control spell that affects several creatures. A Large creature is located in the spell's area of effect. It will only be affected if the caster of the spell obtains a critical. However, if the spell consisted of summoning an elemental, the elemental will be able to inflict damage on the Large creature in the usual way.
NOTE: characters and creatures controlled by a Control spell will be regarded as allies of the controller until the effects of the spell end or until the controller or any character or creature on the controller's side attacks them.
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Damage: spells that are not magic projectiles, but are used to cause some type of damage to enemies and reduce their Vitality: via impacts, diseases, suffocation…
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Protecting: useful to protect allies or the caster himself from any type of attack, or to block enemy advance. The AoE of protection spells will not vary during the duration of the spell, and the affected squares will remain the same. Any character leaving that area will lose the related effects, including the spell caster.
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Enhancing: used to give bonuses or boost skills and attributes of allies or the wizard himself. Enhancing spells affect characters within the spell's AoE at the time the spell is cast. Then those characters can move freely and keep the spell's bonuses for as long as it lasts.
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Healing: used to heal allies and remove conditions.
Skinchangers
A hero transformed into an animal will be able to perform Exploratory Actions, but will not be able to perform Dexterity tests. He will also be unable to handle objects or cast spells as long as he remains in an animal state.
Large or Huge Creatures
Occasionally, a Large or Huge creature will be designated as the target of a magic projectile that also affects adjacent squares. If these adjacent squares are occupied by the same creature, the creature will not receive extra damage.
Example: if Borgron throws a fireball that causes 5 damage dice to the target's square and 3 dice to adjacent squares, the troll will only take 5 damage dice, even if it occupies adjacent squares.
Sorcery Levels
As long as a hero is an Apprentice, he will only be able to cast each spell he knows twice per game (instead of the usual 3 times), his offensive spells will cause 1 less damage die than usual (this also includes the damage dealt by any Elementals he may summon), and the duration of his permanent effect spells will be reduced by -1.
When a spellcaster becomes an Archmage, he can cast each spell he knows 4 times per game.
Damage and Conditions
Damage
Once a target is hit, either by an accurate shot or by winning a melee combat, or by successfully casting a spell (one which causes damage), a damage roll must be made.
Each weapon includes the damage it can cause in its profile. When it comes to melee and throwing weapons, the strength of the bearer will be determinant.
Example: a broadsword handled by a warrior with Strength 3 will deal 4 damage dice, since this weapon adds +1 damage die.
Damage Dice
Each damage die will cause 1 wound to the target if it equals or exceeds target's Armor.
Results of 1 on a damage die will never cause a wound, regardless the modifiers applied.
Minimum damage: a character will always roll 1 damage die. If he had to roll 0 dice, he would still roll 1 die, but his opponent would have his armor increased by +1.
Example: a creature with the skill "Aura" deals 1 damage die to an enemy that is using a shield. The shield provides cover against this skill (see "Use of Shields"), reducing it by 1 damage die. Therefore, the enemy will still take one damage die, but his armor will be increased by +1 against this damage.
Flaming attacks/fire damage: those from weapons, obstacles or spells that literally include the term "fire" or "flaming" in their name or in the effects they cause. Some creatures are vulnerable to this element.
Wounds and Vitality
The total amount of damage or wounds a character can take is equal to his Vitality.
Therefore, when we say that a character has lost X Vitality we will refer to the number of Wounds he has received. Thus, if a character has lost 3 Vitality, this is because he has received 3 Wounds. If he recovers any Vitality, he will remove the same number of wound markers.
Critical Hits
For each critical hit (each result of 6 on the roll to hit) the number of damage dice will be increased by 1.
Example: a broadsword handled by a warrior with Strength 3 will deal 4 damage dice, because this kind of sword adds +1 damage die. In addition, if the attacker has rolled a result of 6 with one of the dice while trying to hit, he will roll 5 damage dice instead of the usual 4 with this type of weapon. If he rolled a double 6 (double critical), he will roll 6 total damage dice in addition to any extra effects this may cause.
Natural Armor or Toughness
The Armor attribute before applying any modifiers derived from the equipment used represents the Natural Armor or Toughness that a naked body possesses against blows, attacks or any other effect that could harm it. At the same time, there are certain attacks or types of damage that directly affect the character's Natural Armor or Toughness, such as poisons or diseases.
The Armor
Armor makes it more difficult for an attack to cause damage to the wearer.
NOTE: when trying to wound a target with an Armor of 6 using a weapon that increases target's armor by 1, roll damage as usual. If there are any dice with a result of 6, roll them again. If you get a new 6, that die will cause damage.
The maximum armor attribute after modifiers (including those derived from spells) is 6.
Example: Borgron manages to hit with his axe (which subtracted 1 point from his Combat Skill in the roll to hit). Borgron has Strength 4 and the axe adds 1 damage die. He will roll 5 damage dice that must equal or exceed the opponent's armor in order to cause damage. However, the axe reduces target's armor by 1. Thus, if the opponent has Armor 4, Borgron will roll 5 dice that will cause a wound with each result of 3 or higher.
Damage Against Other Attributes
When an attack or damage is made against an attribute other than Armor, it will mean that 1 Vitality point will be lost each time the result of the die equals or exceeds that attribute.
Example: 5 dice against the opponent's Intelligence. It means that if the opponent has Intelligence 3, each of the 5 dice rolled whose result equals or exceeds 3 will cause the opponent to lose 1 Vitality point.
Creatures with an Outstanding Vitality
You can use wound markers and the Achievement Counter to track the Vitality points of very powerful creatures.
Example: players thus indicate that a giant has 47 Vitality points left.
Breaking Roll
Weapons can be broken when the attacker or defender gets a critical failure while using them. In that case, a character must roll 1D6. If the result is equal to or lower than the one indicated on the weapon's card, then the weapon is broken and becomes useless. Pole weapons or weapons with wooden handles such as spears or axes are more likely to break than swords and similar weapons (see page 70 for details).
Conditions
These are the conditions that can affect the characters or creatures at some point:
Condition Table According to the Kind of Hit
If an attacker hits his target (with a melee attack, a ranged attack or a magic projectile), in addition to the damage dice dealt (and the push) he may inflict extra effects on his opponent, depending on the size of the opponent and the number of critical hits obtained. We will call these effects conditions. Check the condition chart below and apply them after resolving damage (providing the target is not Knocked Out). Notice the consequences vary depending on whether you hit normally, hit with a critical or a double critical.
| Attacker's size vs. defender | Normal hit | Critical | Double critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Much larger (+2) | Knocked Down* | Knocked Down | Knocked Down |
| Larger (+1) | No effect | Knocked Down* | Knocked Down |
| The same (=) | No effect | No effect | Knocked Down |
| Smaller (-1) | No effect | No effect | Stunned |
| Much smaller (-2) | No effect | No effect | Stunned |
*If the target of the attack is a Leader, it will have no extra effects.
In summary:
- Creatures that hit much smaller enemies will always knock them down.
- Creatures that hit smaller enemies will knock them down when they get a critical hit (unless the enemy is a Leader, which requires a double critical).
- Creatures that hit enemies of their own size will knock them down when they get a double critical hit.
- Creatures smaller in size than their enemies will stun them when they get a double critical hit.
Example: Shara attacks and wins the opposed hitting roll against the orc obtaining a double critical hit. Therefore, she knocks him down, pushing him to an adjacent square. However, she must first roll for damage. If the knight had obtained a double critical against the troll, she would only have stunned him and would not have been able to push him, being smaller than her target. If the troll attacked and won the opposed hitting roll, he would knock her down with just one critical result. If the creature were a dragon or any other creature of huge size, a mere hit with no criticals would knock her down.
Knocked Down
As soon as a character or creature is Knocked Down, it will be placed lying face up.
Effects: Knocked Down characters get a -1 penalty to all their attributes (except Natural Armor, Mana and Vitality). They don't block LoS and they don't have a Melee Range. They cannot move, perform any actions or push while affected by this condition, but they can defend and dispel. They can also use those active skills that may be used as a reaction to attacks.
Duration: until they stand up in their Recovery phase.
Stunned
Effects: Stunned characters get a -1 penalty to all their attributes (except Natural Armor, Mana and Vitality) and will not be able to run.
Duration: as a rule indefinitely. May be cancelled in each recovery phase at the beginning of the character's activation (as indicated in "Character Activation"). If it was caused by a spell it will last as long as the spell does.
Frightened
Effects: same as Stunned, but the character will be able to run. All Courage tests against Fearsome enemies will be automatically failed.
Duration: unless otherwise indicated, it will last until the beginning of the character's next activation.
Wounded
When a character has received enough wounds that he only needs one more to lose all Vitality, he will be considered Wounded (that is, when he only has 1 Vitality remaining). A Huge creature will be regarded as Wounded when it has less than 5 Vitality points remaining.
Effects: same as Stunned.
Duration: is only removed if the character recovers at least 1 Vitality point to have at least 2 Vitality (or 5 if Huge).
Diseased
Effects: same as Stunned.
Duration: it remains even after the quest is over. As a general rule, only potions, healing spells or healers can remove this condition.
Poisoned
Effects: same as Stunned.
Duration: until the quest is over. As a general rule, only potions or healing spells can remove this condition.
Stationary
Effects: characters under this condition cannot be activated. They are automatically hit by melee attacks and are an easy target for shots. They cannot dispel and have no Melee Range.
Duration: unless otherwise specified, it will last until the beginning of the character's next activation or until hit by an enemy attack.
Cumulative Effects
If a character suffers penalties for different and simultaneous conditions (for example, Wounded and Poisoned), these will be cumulative (i.e., in this case he would have a -2 penalty to all his attributes).
Knocked Out
When a character has at least as many accumulated wounds as his Vitality (i.e., when his Vitality is reduced to 0 or below 0), he is automatically Knocked Out.
Effects: all previous conditions are cancelled. If he is a hero, he will lie face down and do nothing else during the rest of the game. If this is a character or creature controlled by the Dark Player, a mercenary or an animal, it will be removed from the game.
Duration: indefinite. In the case of heroes, at the end of the quest they will roll 1D6 and check the table "Consequences of being Knocked Out" to determine their fate.
Transporting Partners
At the end of a quest, the allies of a Knocked Out character will be able to take the body (and all their belongings with it).
NOTE: during a Travel Event (not Epic Event), allies are always considered to be able to take the body with them.
Characters (even mounts) can carry the body of a Knocked Out ally. In order to do so, they must get adjacent to the fallen ally and use an action to transport him. Characters carrying a Knocked Out ally can move a number of squares equal to their Strength attribute.
Characters cannot carry allies larger than themselves, but two adjacent characters can join their efforts and actions to do so (moving as many squares as the Strength of the strongest one).
In order to perform jumps while carrying a fallen ally, a Strength test will be required, in addition to the Agility one.
Use of Shields
All shield benefits described in this section are lost if the bearer has been attacked from behind.
Characters wearing a shield can choose whether they want to use it or not at all times (when it comes to blocking, pushing, using it as a cover, etc.).
Use in Opposed Rolls
Most shields stun the opponent when the defender gets a double critical.
Shields also break the tie in favor of the defender when both fighters get the same result (after modifiers) and both have the same Agility.
If a defender using a shield wins the opposed combat roll, he may push equal size or smaller adjacent enemies (but will not be able to move to the square they were occupying). If there are no empty adjacent squares, the opponent remains in the same place (see "Pushing" in the "Melee Combat" chapter).
Shielding
As soon as a character is attacked, he may declare that he will try to use his shield to block the attack. That turn, he can reroll all the rolls to try to block hits with his shield, but during his next activation he won't be able to attack or run.
Blocking Against Hits and Shots
A defender with a shield may try to block any melee or ranged attacks against him. To do so, he must roll 1D6 and get a result equal to or greater than his blocking ability. If he succeeds, the hit will not damage him. However, blocking with a shield does not prevent any Knock Down condition that the hit might cause.
An attacker's critical result will reduce a shield's blocking roll. Thus, a shield that blocks normal hits with a result of 5+ will only block a critical hit with a result of 6. If the hit has been achieved by obtaining a double critical, it will be unblockable (regardless of the type of shield).
Example: a skeleton attacks Shara, who uses a shield. The skeleton wins the opposed roll to hit after obtaining results of 4 and 6 on the dice and getting a total result greater than that of the knight. Since the skeleton has obtained a critical hit, Shara will not block with a result of 5+ but with a 6.
Cover
A shield does not completely block magic projectiles or Breath or Aura attacks, but gives the same benefits as light cover (the bearer takes 1 less damage die).
Critical Failures with Shields
A defender who uses a shield and gets a blunder while defending, will lose the shield in the same way as if it were a weapon (therefore, it is the shield that is lost, not the weapon), making the proper breaking roll.
Breaking Roll - Shields
When a defender is designated as the target of a magic projectile and declares he is going to use his shield to protect against it, or succeeds in blocking an impact from a weapon capable of breaking shields, the bearer of the shield must make a breaking roll to determine if his shield breaks or resists the impact. In these cases, he will roll 1D6. If the result is equal to or lower than that indicated on the shield's card, it will be broken and become unusable.
In the event of hits from creatures larger than the defender, the shields are more likely to break, as indicated on the skills "Large" and "Huge".
If a shield is broken after blocking a hit, the bearer automatically takes 1 damage die.
Consequences of Being Knocked Out
If a hero is Knocked Out during a quest or in the resolution of a Travel Event (see Travel Events in the "Campaigns" chapter) the player controlling him will roll 1D6 at the end of the quest or event and check the result in the following chart (no Fortune points may be applied to the rolls in this chart):
If the heroes were able to recover the body of their Knocked Out friend before leaving the scenario (see "Transporting Partners"):
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1 DEATH: the hero is dead. His mates may transport him to a place where there is a Healer (see "Places and Services") and resurrect him for the cost indicated, although the hero will suffer a permanent and incurable injury.
NOTE: in independent quests that are not part of any campaign or located on a map, a fallen hero may be automatically transported to a healer, provided his teammates manage to take him with them when they leave a scenario.
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2-6 INJURED: the hero is alive, but permanently injured (his injuries may be healed by a healer, but not by any potions or spells). The hero will lose 2 random objects.
If the heroes were not able to recover the body of their Knocked Out friend before leaving the scenario:
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1 DEATH: the hero is dead. Nothing can be done to recover him.
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2 REVENGE: the hero dies, tortured by his captors. A hero's relative will find out about it and swear revenge. The player will be able to use a new hero with the same characteristics as the one who died, but starting from an experience of 0. However, he will get the skill "Hatred" towards all the creatures of the faction that killed his relative.
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3 PRISONER*: the hero remains alive and is imprisoned in the scenario where he was Knocked Out. In order to set him free, his mates can pay a ransom of 10 coins or return to the scenario. In the latter case, each time the heroes enter a room, they must roll 1D6. With a result of 6, there will be a new door that accesses the place where the hero is imprisoned (if no 6 is obtained throughout the game, this door will always spawn in the last room explored by the heroes before leaving the scenario). In any case, the prisoner will have lost half of his equipment at random (including Magic Objects and Relics) and his injuries will be permanent and healable. His Vitality and Fortune will be totally recovered, although he will have no Mana. If the imprisoned hero is not rescued, he is regarded to be dead. If all heroes end up imprisoned, all of them will move on to the next result on the chart.
*If this result is obtained after being Knocked Out during a Travel Event (Epic Event) or in a scenario where there are only outdoor tiles, apply the following result.
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4-5 SERIOUS INJURIES: the hero manages to escape after suffering torture and other misfortunes. He is alive, but suffers permanent and incurable injuries. The hero will lose 2 random objects.
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6 ESCAPE: surprisingly, the hero manages to survive and escapes unharmed, even though his partners thought he was dead, and returns to them to resume their adventures. The hero will lose 2 random objects.
NOTE 1: any Knocked Out hero who survives a quest, with or without injuries, will be regarded as Wounded (and therefore left with only 1 Vitality point) until he has recovered.
NOTE 2: a hero's body will always be recovered by the other heroes if they decide not to perform any more Exploratory Actions after completing the mission.
Travel Events
If a hero is Knocked Out due to the resolution of a Travel Event (not Epic Event) his partners will never leave the fallen hero's body.
Injuries
Roll 2D6 for each character who suffers injuries and check the result in the following chart (before resolving the roll, the group of heroes must decide whether or not to resurrect their partner, or whether to pay his ransom or try to set him free. That is to say, the type of injuries will only be known after this decision has been made and the hero has joined them again):
- 2 One-armed: The character may not use any equipment that requires two hands or use a weapon and shield at the same time. In addition, he gets a -1 to his Combat Skill, Dexterity and to casting spells.
- 3 Damaged Joints: The character gets a -1 to Agility.
- 4 Weakened Knee: The character gets a -1 to Movement.
- 5 Weakened Muscles: The character gets a -1 to Strength.
- 6-7 Unspecified Injury: The character gets a -1 to one attribute of his choice.
- 8 Amnesia: The character loses 1 random skill among those acquired by his class.
- 9 Damaged Nerves: The character gets a -1 to his Courage.
- 10 One-Eyed: The character gets a -1 to his Shooting Skill and Perception.
- 11 Damaged Thorax: The character has his Vitality permanently reduced by -1.
- 12 Brain Damage: The character gets a -1 to Intelligence.
If the injury is incurable, the hero will lose 2 Value Points.
The Dark Player
Dark Player's Set-up
After or during the heroes' set up, the Dark Player must:
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Read the Quest Sheet for the game to be played, noting its specifications, since there might be certain limitations on the type of cards, creatures or scoring that can be used.
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Check the faction or the characters and creatures from the Bestiary that can be used during the quest.
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Choose a Quest Leader (in case none is designated in the Quest Sheet) from among the Champion level characters and creatures (see "Creatures and Leaders"). In those quests whose background does not include a specific Quest Leader, the Dark Player is not obliged to reveal which creature it is until he decides to place it before the heroes.
The Dark Player should spend a few minutes reviewing the profile of the Leader and the creatures he intends to use if he is playing with a faction for the first time, as there are different attributes and abilities that will allow him to vary his tactics according to the circumstances or the type of heroes he is facing.
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If the quest uses the Reserve Point Counter, the Dark Player markers will be placed on it, in a number equivalent to the Value Points (VP) of the expedition formed by the heroes. The final result will be the total number of points that the Dark Player will have in his initial reserve, establishing his budget for the game. This budget can be used to invest in characters, creatures, traps and other obstacles and powers he wishes to use.
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He may acquire a Magic Object or Relic for the Leader. In that case he will pay a number of Reserve Points equal to the Value Points of the object. Players will know that the Dark Player has acquired a magic item, but will not know the specific item until it is used.
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Take the Dark Player deck and divide it into two decks, placing the Encounter cards on one side and the Obstacles and Power cards on the other.
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Take the Obstacles and Power cards, shuffle them and randomly draw five cards per hero. With these cards, (he mustn't check their content) he will form a new deck which he will place to his left, face down. He will then draw the first card from this deck of Obstacles and Power.
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Take the Encounter cards. He must then draw a Special Creature card and keep it in his hand. He will shuffle the rest and randomly draw two cards per hero. With these cards (he mustn't check their content) he will form a new deck which he will place to his right face down.
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Therefore, the Dark Player starts the game with two decks and one card from each deck in his hand. Cards that are not in his hand or in these new decks will not be used during the game.
Reserve Point Counter
He will add 2 extra points for each hero if the group (even if just one of them) has entered that same scenario before.
The cost in VP points of the Leader will be subtracted from the Reserve Points, not counting optional upgrades. Those will be chosen and paid for during the game (see "Creatures and Leaders").
Increase the Challenge!
At the moment of starting a quest or epic event, the Dark Player will be able to announce to the rest of the players that he is going to apply one of these improvements of his choice for every 25 V.P. over 100 the group of heroes has:
- All creatures and characters of Elite or Champion level (except Leaders) get a +1 modifier to all their rolls and one extra action*.
- The Leader gets a +1 modifier on all his rolls and one extra action*.
- All traps increase the difficulty to be detected and deactivated by 1. Activating them will cost twice as much as usual.
- All Grunt level creatures and characters get a +1 modifier to all their rolls*.
*If the quest or epic event uses the Reserve Point Counter, the cost of the creature will be twice its V.P. At most, one creature will increase its usual V.P. by 25 points. Damage dice will not get the +1 to the roll.
Card Drawing, Activation and Discards
Card Drawing
At the beginning of his turn, the Dark Player may draw a card from one of his decks, which he will not show to the other players while it remains in his hand.
He cannot draw cards if the heroes are engaged in combat with enemies spawned at the scenario's Main Room/Section. In the same way, he won't be able to draw any cards once the heroes have accomplished their mission.
Activation
The Dark Player will decide, depending on the options allowed by each card, whether or not to activate one or more cards in his hand in order to hinder or damage characters, spawn monsters, traps, etc., spending, if activated, the Reserve Points indicated in the upper left corner of the card. This value represents the activation cost of the card.
The Dark Player may not play or activate a card if he lacks sufficient Reserve Points to pay for its cost.
Once activated, each Dark Player's card is removed from play and placed next to its deck, face up.
Each time the Dark Player wants to activate the contents of a card, this will be regarded as a Dark Player's Action (not to be confused with the moves and Actions that the characters and creatures he handles can perform).
Once a mission is accomplished by the heroes, the Dark Player can only activate the cards in its hand.
Discards and Card Limit
The Dark Player may hold a maximum number of cards in his hand equal to the number of heroes (who are not Knocked Out) multiplied by two (the minimum limit being 4 and the maximum being 10). As soon as he draws a card that exceeds this limit, he must discard one from his hand at his choice. This includes those cases in which he gets new cards by other means or when the limit drops because a hero has just been Knocked Out.
In addition, the Dark Player may discard any cards he wishes at any time in order to increase his Reserve Points (points earned by discarding are shown in the lower right corner of the card).
If one of his decks ever runs out of cards, the Dark Player will not be able to draw any more cards from it.
Whenever a card is discarded, he will show it face up and place it on the pile of cards that were activated, so that its contents can be seen.
NOTE: The Dark Player does not get any Reserve Points for cards that are discarded after they have been used and their effects resolved.
Dark Player's Cards
Dark Player's cards are classified into three large groups (Power, Obstacles, and Encounter), although the first two groups usually form a single deck.
Power Cards
They allow the Dark Player to activate special skills for his creatures such as fleeing in order to reappear somewhere else, using Fortune points, etc. Each card shows the card's name, card type, activation cost, card effects, and the number of reserve points it grants when discarded.
Obstacle Cards
They allow the Dark Player to block the way or cause direct damage to the characters. When obstacles are not traps, they must be placed as soon as the heroes discover a new section, in a position chosen by the Dark Player according to the indications on the card.
If the obstacle is a trap, the card will include the result required in order to detect it by means of a Perception test, as well as the result required for deactivating it (if possible) after detection. If the value is ( - ) it cannot be disarmed. The icons on the card indicate the places where the Dark Player can place each obstacle (as the heroes move through a room or corridor, or when trying to open a door or a chest).
Remember that heroes on an exploration arrow who reveal a new section, are always on a corridor or room square.
NOTE: all traps can be activated both in indoor and outdoor scenarios. Remember that depending on its shape an outdoor section can be treated as a corridor or a room.
The Dark Player may only place traps in these situations:
1st. When a character of the group of heroes tries to perform one of these actions:
- Reveal a new section.
- Open an unexplored door (doors, trapdoors and gates are included in this concept).
- Open a chest.
- Search furniture (only in case of a blunder, if so specified by the furniture card).
2nd. When a character steps on a square with the exact location of a trap, according to the Quest Sheet.
3rd. When a character steps on the first square outside a Safety Zone. Safety Zones work as follows:
Characters create their own Safety Zones when they start their activation and can advance two squares within them. Allied characters also create Safety Zones around them with a radius of 2 squares, no matter whether they have already activated or not.
The following conditions must also be met:
- No trap card may be activated in a section where there are heroes and Dark Player creatures at the same time, unless the trap has a predefined location on the Quest Sheet or is due to a hero performing one of these actions: reveal a new section or open an unexplored door.
- No more than one Obstacle card may be activated in the same door, chest or square.
- An Obstacle cannot be activated in a square adjacent to another Obstacle.
- If a trap affects an exploration arrow, it will also affect the adjacent arrows that lead to the same section (therefore, if it is disarmed, it will also be disarmed in all the adjacent exploration arrows).
Example: Borgron decides to go and open the treasure chest. He places himself in an adjacent square and declares that he wants to open it, which would require a Dexterity test to successfully manipulate the lock. However, the Dark Player activates an Obstacle card (a trap) against the dwarf as soon as he declares that he is going to try to open the chest. Borgron fails the Perception test required to detect the trap and suffers the effects of its triggering, losing several Vitality points because of the damage suffered. The hero's activation is over. Shara decides not to move during her activation, which means that an area of 2 squares around her is free of traps (she's considered to be carefully exploring the ground). Taeral could walk until he steps on an exploration arrow to reveal the next section, but he prefers not to risk it this turn and just moves 5 spaces through the safe zone created by Shara.
Reaction to Traps
As soon as a trap is activated, the hero who has triggered its activation (through an action or movement) must pass a Perception test. The result of the test must equal or exceed the value indicated on the card.
Success: the trap is detected and will remain dormant in the door, chest or square where it was spawned (leave the Dark Player card face up to remember it). The action that the hero intended to perform is not carried out (therefore, he will be able to disarm the trap in that very same turn). If the trap is activated after stepping on a square, the character will take a step back, returning to the previous square from which he came (any character placed on the square with the trap at the time of its activation will do the same). If the trap was activated for any other reason, the character will be able to move to any adjacent empty square. In any case, the character will not be able to move during the rest of his activation.
Any of the heroes in the group can try to disarm the trap (not only the one who discovered it).
If a character gets a result of double 6 when detecting a trap, he and his allies will get a +1 bonus when trying to deactivate it.
Failure: the trap will be triggered and its effects applied. The action the hero intended to perform will not be carried out. The hero's activation will be over.
NOTE: if the placement of a detected trap on a square affects a square occupied by another character (for example, a two-square pit placed after its detection), this character will be able to retreat one square, just like the hero who detected it (without affecting its activation).
Example: Taeral steps on an exploration arrow and declares he wishes to reveal a new section. A pit trap is activated and detected, so the elf goes back to the square he came from and the action of revealing the new section is not carried out. In his next activation he decides to jump over the pit, even though he does not know what is on the other side. He jumps successfully and then the new section is revealed. Enemies can be spawned in this section in the usual way.
Courage or Foolishness?
If a character tries to open (or hit) a chest or door where there is a dormant trap already detected, the trap will be triggered and its effects applied. The same will happen if a square where a dormant trap remains is stepped on.
Maximum Uncertainty
It can happen that a trap is spawned in such a way that it cuts off a section. For example, a pit may appear on some exploration arrows when a hero reveals a new section. This hero can climb or jump to a square on the other side of the pit, even if it hasn't been deployed yet. Once the jump has been successful the new discovered section will be revealed in the usual way, and the hero will be placed on the square he intended to reach.
Recurrent Obstacles
If, due to the requirements of the Quest Sheet, a certain type of obstacle must appear on several occasions (e.g. the use of several pit traps in some corridors, or riddles that protect several doors previously indicated), the Dark Player will keep such a card face down on his side of the table during the set-up phase (even if this leaves the deck without any further such cards). Whenever its activation is required, as indicated on the Quest Sheet, the Dark Player will pay the usual cost and, after activating it, will place it face down again.
This type of card will not count against the limit the Dark Player can hold in his hand.
This card cannot be activated if the Dark Player lacks the number of Reserve Points required to do so.
Encounter Cards
This type of card allows you to spawn characters and creatures in the scenario, after paying for their cost: activation cost*; and the number of Reserve Points it grants when discarded.
Activating an Encounter card requires a number of Reserve Points equal to the sum of the Value Points (VPs) of all the characters or creatures spawned. If the cost is X, the Dark Player will be able to spawn a creature of any VP, without limit, paying for its cost.
*This limit only applies to the VPs of the basic creature profiles. The Dark Player may spend unlimited extra Reserve Points on the skills or optional equipment available for each profile. That is, if you have a "Reinforcements" card and it reads that you can spend up to 6 Reserve Points on creatures, you can spend extra points to give them extra skills or equipment. In the example, the goblin shooter costs only 1 Reserve Point. You can place 6 goblins for 6 points. In addition, you can spend 2 extra points to equip one of them with a Greek Fire and 1 extra point to give another one the skill "Watchman".
The Dark Player must comply with the following general rules:
- Creatures or characters must be placed in squares free of other characters or obstacles.
- If the Dark Player cannot find a valid space on the board for one or more of his spawned characters or creatures, he will not be able to place them.
- Each time an Encounter card is used, only up to a half of the creatures may have ranged weapons (excluding throwing ones) or long range weapons. Example: If 6 characters are placed, there can be a maximum of 3 of them with ranged weapons or long range weapons. The other 3 must carry some other type of weapon.
- No Encounter cards can be activated in the section where the heroes begin their quest.
- No creatures or characters can be spawned within 2 or less squares from any character in the group of heroes.
- No more than half of the initial budget can be spent on a single creature.
- A maximum of 2 Encounter cards can be activated in the same section.
Example: Shara's fighting an orc in a corridor. Adjacent to them is an already explored room. During the Dark Player's turn, he decides to activate a Reinforcements card and spawns 3 orcs (with a VP of 2 each) in that room. He reduces his Reserve Points by 6. Then he places the orcs more than 2 squares away from Shara and rolls Initiative against her. If the just-spawned orcs win, they may be activated immediately this turn. If they lose, they must wait for the Dark Player's next turn to be activated. The orc that was engaged with Shara will activate normally, regardless of the arrival of the new orcs.
Creatures and Leaders
Activating Characters
The Dark Player can activate all the creatures he placed on the board during his turn, in the same way as heroes are activated, but won't be able to perform Exploratory Actions with them.
Creature Levels
The characters or creatures in the Bestiary that can be used by the Dark Player are classified into Grunt, Elite or Champion levels, depending on how powerful they are.
As a general rule, a quest must have more Grunt level characters than characters of any other level.
For example: there may be 2 Champion level creatures, 4 Elite level creatures and 7 or more Grunt level creatures during the quest.
To better distinguish them, and whenever possible, Champion level characters will be placed on red bases, Elite level characters in yellow ones, and Grunt level characters in white ones.
The Quest Leader
Although the Leader must have been chosen during the preparation of the game and the Reserve Points corresponding to his basic profile will have already been paid, the Dark Player will be able to pay, as soon as he decides to place him in the scenario, for any optional upgrades that he deems opportune among those included in its profile (generally new skills or improved equipment). The Leader is normally placed in the scenario's main section, although it is not compulsory if the Quest Sheet does not specify it.
NOTE: if the Dark Player's initial budget is not sufficient to pay for the Leader, such payment will not be made at the beginning of the game. Instead, the Dark Player must discard all the cards he gets during the first turns until he reaches a budget sufficient to pay for the Leader. From this moment on, he will pay a number of points specified in the Leader's basic profile and continue to play his cards in the usual way.
Death of a Leader
If a Leader is Knocked Out, all Grunt level characters 6 or less squares away from it must immediately pass a Courage test or else be removed from the game. This represents they panicked and escaped or simply surrendered.
How to Play
Here we describe six turns both of the heroes and the Dark Player so that you can visualize the mechanics of the standard mode and the different Actions available.
Turn 1
The heroes begin. Each one starts his activation on the starting marker, revealing the first section. In front of them there is a corridor. They see a closed door on the right side of it. At the end of the section there are two exploration arrows, so if a hero steps on one of these squares and declares he wishes to reveal the new section, or if he decides to open the door, a new section will be revealed.
Borgron, the runic master, decides to activate first. He's not too good at exploring, but he's better than Shara, a knight specialized in melee combat who wears heavy armor. Borgron decides to advance four spaces, Javelin in hand, and gets adjacent to the door. He wants to use his Action to open it, but the Dark Player declares that it is locked. In order to do so, he activates a "Locked Door" card in his hand and pays the number of Reserve points shown in the card's upper left corner.
Therefore, Borgron decides to use his Action to unlock the door stealthily. He takes his picklocks from his backpack and exchanges them for the javelin, which requires a Quick Action. He then tries to pass a Dexterity test. He rolls 2D6 and adds the +1 bonus to Dexterity given to him by his picklocks. He gets a total of 10 and manages to open the door stealthily. That means +1 point on the Achievement counter for the heroes. If he hadn't succeeded, they could still have broken through the door, but that has disadvantages since they would attract the attention of possible enemies on the other side.
Borgron reveals the new section and the Dark Player must place the tiles as indicated by the Quest Sheet: an empty room with a cupboard. Shara wishes to advance 5 spaces, but only has a Movement of 4. She is going to run. She rolls the dice and gets a total of 9. As a maximum she could double her Movement capacity, but she doesn't need it. She advances 5 spaces to position herself adjacent to the dwarf and thus be able to cover the possible appearance of enemies from the bottom of the corridor.
Once the heroes' turn is over, the Dark Player's turn begins. He simply draws a card from the Obstacles and Power deck and adds 1 point to his Achievement counter (the Dark Player adds 1 for each turn elapsed, which means the heroes should not delay!).
Turn 2
The heroes' second turn begins. Borgron enters the room, determined to reach the Cupboard to search inside it, but the Dark Player activates another card against him on the third square the hero steps on.
In this case it is a card that contains a trap called "Electric Shock". The Dark Player pays 3 Reserve points to activate it. Borgron needs a result of 9 or higher in a Perception test to be able to detect it.
He gets a result of 7 and has no Perception bonuses. Therefore, the test is failed and the trap is triggered against him. The contents of the trap card are read. Since he wears leather armor (light armor), he takes 5 damage dice. The Dark Player rolls the dice. He must equal or exceed Borgron's Armor, which is 4. The result of the dice is 1, 4, 4, 4, 5. Thus, the dwarf suffers the loss of 4 Vitality points (indicated by 4 Wound counters), which would knock him out (he has a Vitality value of 4). For this reason, the hero decides to use one of his 5 Fortune points to force the Dark Player to reroll. The dice are rolled again and this time the result is this: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. Borgron only loses 2 Vitality points and finishes his activation. Since he has spent 1 Fortune point, the Dark Player adds 1 point to his Achievement Counter.
Had Borgron detected the trap, he would have taken a step back, returning to the square he came from, and could have then used an Action to disarm it by passing a Dexterity test.
Shara decides to go into the room and reach the cupboard. She can't advance diagonally because a wall cuts the way, but she still reaches the piece of furniture. When she is adjacent to it, she devotes her Action to searching it. Following the instructions in the Furniture card called "Cupboard", she rolls 2D6 and gets a result of 11: she finds a random special object. So she randomly draws a card from the "Special Objects" deck and gets a card of "Components for Magic". She decides to keep them in her backpack and the turn of the heroes ends.
Once again, the Dark Player simply draws a card, this time from the Encounter deck, and adds 1 point to his Achievement counter.
Turn 3
Shara decides to go out into the corridor. Borgron, on the other hand, devotes his Action to searching the room by means of a Perception test. He does not reach the total result of 10 and, therefore, does not find anything of value. He leaves the room advancing 4 squares and the turn of the heroes ends.
The Dark Player draws a card again, this time from the Obstacles and Power deck, and adds 1 point to his Achievement counter. In addition, he decides to discard one of the cards in his hand, called "Fortune". This Action adds 2 points to his Reserve, which will be used to activate new cards.
Turn 4
Shara advances only 1 space. The Dark Player may not activate any traps within a radius of 2 squares from the one where the heroes finished their movement. He could do so if Shara tried to open a door or a treasure chest, or if she revealed a new section while standing on an exploration arrow, but the knight was cautious and preferred to wait for her partner.
Borgron equips the axe from his backpack (it is a quick action). He finishes his movement on a square with an exploration arrow and performs the action Revealing a New Section.
At that precise moment, the Dark Player decides to activate an Encounter card labeled "Wandering Creature". The card does not allow him to spawn a large number of monsters, but it only costs him 2 Reserve points.
He studies the faction he's using on the Bestiary and decides to use two orcs, an archer and a warrior, each worth 1 VP. The DP cannot place characters or creatures at a distance of two squares or less from the hero who reveals the section.
Both sides must now make an opposed Initiative roll. Borgron rolls 2D6 and adds his 0 Perception. The orc closest to Borgron does the same thing. If Borgron had obtained a higher or equal result (in case of a tie, the winner is the one with the best Intelligence attribute), the heroes would have won the Initiative and the Dark Player would have lost his turn. But the orc gets a higher result, which means the heroes lose their turn and a new turn begins for the Dark Player, who adds 1 point to his Achievement counter, takes a new card from the Encounter deck and then decides to activate the archer first.
The orc archer tries to shoot. He has no penalties because he didn't need to move and is 3 squares or less away from his target. He rolls 2D6 and adds his Shooting Skill (3). He gets a total of 10, so he hits Borgron. He rolls the 3 damage dice his short bow deals. He rolls 1, 2, and 5. Only one manages to equal or exceed Borgron's Armor, who loses 1 Vitality point.
The Dark Player then activates the orc warrior, who pounces on the dwarf. He moves through the squares with a wall (in this case, the walls do not prevent movement, but only serve to delimit sections). He is forced to stop when he enters his enemy's Melee Range, which normally includes all the squares adjacent to him. The orc rolls 2D6 and adds his Combat Skill (3). Borgron does the same to defend himself, since in melee combat attacker's and defender's rolls are opposed. The dwarf gets the higher result, even though his axe, very good for piercing armor, subtracts 1 from his Combat Skill. Borgron manages to avoid the attack and the Dark Player's turn comes to an end.
Turn 5
Shara advances one space and attacks the orc warrior diagonally. The bastard sword has two different uses in combat. She decides to use the one which causes 2 extra damage dice. She rolls 2D6 and adds her Combat Skill (5). She gets a 3 and a 6 (a critical hit). The total result is 14. The orc gets a total of 10. Therefore, she manages to hit.
Shara has a Strength of 4. Having won, she rolls as many damage dice as her Strength, +2 for the weapon, +1 for getting a critical (since she got a result of 6 on one of the dice when trying to hit). Before rolling the damage dice, the orc declares that he is going to use his shield to block the hit. He rolls 1D6. With a result of 5 or 6, he would have blocked it. Since Shara has obtained a critical, the shield will only block the hit with a result of 6 (a double critical would mean the shield could not block it at all). The orc gets a 3 on the roll and fails. Shara rolls the 7 damage dice. She rolls 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6. The orc (who has Armor 4) loses 5 Vitality points and is eliminated. Shara decides to move to the square which her fallen enemy previously occupied.
Borgron is no longer engaged with the enemy at his side and decides to cast his "Lightning" spell on the archer. He rolls 2D6 and adds his Intelligence. He gets a 6 (a critical hit) and a 1. To this he adds his value of 5 in Intelligence. Total result of 12, so he succeeds. Since he successfully casts the spell, he loses one mana point. The range of "Lightning" is shown on the card itself. In this case, it only affects the target square.
Borgron rolls the damage dice caused by the magic projectile. The orc archer has Armor 4 and no shield. Lightning reduces his Armor by -1. The 7 damage dice (the 6 the spell deals plus the extra die for getting a critical on the roll) have these results: 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6. Therefore, the orc also falls and is eliminated.
The heroes have obtained 2 Achievement points for having eliminated the two orcs and 1 Achievement point for casting a spell. They add 3 achievement points to their counter.
The Dark Player, who has no more creatures in the section, simply draws another card from the Obstacles and Power deck during his turn and gets another Achievement point.
Turn 6
Shara enters the new room by occupying the square of the orc she has just killed (the Dark Player's characters or creatures that are Knocked Out are considered eliminated). Since there are no doors in sight, she declares that she wants to search for secret doors. She rolls 2D6 and applies a -1 to Perception (a disadvantage of wearing heavy armor). However, she rolls an 11 and the final result of 10 gives her a glimpse of a secret door to be placed by the Dark Player (only if indicated on the Quest Sheet map).
Borgron decides to advance to the secret door in order to open it and try to reveal the new section. But before risking new traps, he decides to drink a Healing Potion (Quick Action) and thus restore his Vitality.
Artificial Dark Player
General Guidelines
Introduction
The present game mode is recommended for 1 to 4 players (without a Dark Player), although the rules allow for groups of up to 5 players.
Here, the Dark Player is not handled by a human, but by a simple artificial intelligence, called the Artificial Dark Player or ADP, whose functioning is determined by the deck of Dark Player cards (whose composition varies from the standard mode), the Scenario Die, the Creature Behavior cards and the rules detailed below.
Remember that using this game mode, you can play not only the epic events, quests and campaigns the game includes, but also the adventures you create yourself, just like with the standard mode.
Conductor
Before the beginning of the quest, one of the players will be appointed as the game's Conductor. He will be in charge of reading the Quest Sheet, activating the ADP's cards and characters, as well as deciding which skills are most beneficial for the characters and creatures on the ADP's side, or making decisions in case of doubt. He will have to control the characters observing the general and specific behaviors of each type of creature.
If there are several players in the game who wish to play this role and they cannot agree, a random Conductor will be chosen among them. At the end of each combat, the role of Conductor will be passed on to the next player willing to accept it, in clockwise order.
The Scenario Die
On many occasions the Conductor will have to roll the Scenario Die. On each of its sides there is a symbol representing one of the different card decks. Each result will reflect the type of deck from which a card must be drawn and played according to the circumstances. Then, the card may be activated for its cost or else be discarded, increasing the Reserve points in the counter.
Creature Levels
The characters or creatures in the Bestiary that can be used by the Dark Player are classified into Grunt, Elite or Champion levels, depending on how powerful they are.
To better distinguish them, and whenever possible, Champion level characters will be placed on red bases, Elite level characters in yellow ones, Grunt level characters in white ones.
ADP's Set-up
After the set up of the heroes, the following steps will be followed:
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Read the Quest Sheet. Before the game begins, the Conductor will read out the quest's introduction and its different sections, except those included in a red shaded box and those marked with a special symbol. These will only be read when the appropriate section or element is revealed or when the circumstances described are met.
It is advisable to use the support APP, called Dungeon Universalis (http://worldofarasca.dungeonuniversalis.com/), in order not to read in advance the indications in this red box or have a glimpse of the unexplored sections and elements. Thus, you will enjoy a full exploration experience, since the application will reveal each tile and special rule as you advance along the map and discover new paths.
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Check the faction or the characters and creatures from the Bestiary that can be used during the quest. Prepare the Creature Behavior cards.
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If the quest uses the Reserve Point Counter, the Dark Player markers will be placed on it, in a number equivalent to the Value Points (VP) of the expedition formed by the heroes. The final result will be the total number of points that the ADP will have in its initial reserve, establishing its budget for the game.
Reserve Point Counter: add 2 extra points for each hero in case the group (even if just one of them) has entered that same scenario before.
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Pay the cost of the Leader with the number of Reserve Points specified in the "Set-up" section of the Quest Sheet.
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Take the Dark Player cards and set aside the following Encounter cards: "Reinforcements", "Thief!" and "Ambush!"
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Build the Obstacles deck: draw as many random Obstacle cards as the number of heroes multiplied by 6. One "Thief!" and one "Ambush!" Encounter cards will be added to this deck. Add the second "Ambush!" card if there are more than 2 heroes in the group.
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Build the Power deck: draw as many random Power cards as the number of heroes multiplied by 6 and add one "Reinforcements" card. Add the second "Reinforcements" card if there are more than 2 heroes in the group.
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Build the Encounter deck: draw as many random Encounter cards as the VP of the group of heroes divided by 10 (rounding up).
NOTE: if the group's VP is so high that there are not enough cards, build the deck with the maximum number of cards.
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Those decks you built will be the 3 Dark Player decks. These groups of cards will make up the new decks. The cards from these new decks will be shuffled and placed next to their corresponding symbols on the Reserve point counter. With these cards you will build the decks to be used during the game, while the other cards will not be used and can be removed from the table. In the spare corner, which has no icon, is where the cards already activated and those discarded during the game are placed.
Example: in the quest there are two heroes with 18 and 19 Value Points respectively. In total, the group has 37, which together with the special objects they carry makes 41. When the Obstacles deck is made, the number of heroes is multiplied by 6, which means 12 Obstacle cards. A Thief! card and an Ambush! card are added to these. In total, 14 cards are shuffled and with them the new deck is built. It will be placed next to the Obstacles icon on the Reserve Point counter. The same is done with the Power cards, with 12 cards to which "Reinforcements" is added (for a total of 13 cards). Then, in order to build the Encounter deck, the group's 41 Value Points are divided by 10, resulting in 5 cards (since it is rounded up).
The deck building above will be used in most quests. However, there are adventures in which different ways of building the decks are indicated in the setup section. Remember that in this mode, the "Thief" and "Ambush!" Encounter cards will always be included in the Obstacle Deck. The "Reinforcements" card will always be included in the Power Deck. Therefore, if it is pointed out that there is no Power deck, it will be understood that there will be no "Reinforcements" cards either.
Turn and Dark Player Cards
Artificial Dark Player's Turn
At the start of each of its turns, the ADP will earn 1 Achievement point in the usual manner (except if at least one hero has entered the Main Room), but no cards will be drawn.
The ADP will place and activate all the creatures and obstacles according to the rules you will see below.
Dark Player's Cards
The Dark Player's cards are classified into three large groups:
- Obstacles: they allow the Dark Player to block the way or cause direct damage to the characters.
- Encounter: they allow the Dark Player to spawn characters and creatures in the scenario.
- Power: they allow the Dark Player to activate special skills for his creatures.
The icons at the bottom of the cards with the Obstacles symbol mean that these cards can only be activated if the character that caused the card to be revealed meets these conditions: the character is in a room*; the character is in a corridor*; the character is trying to open an unexplored door; the character is trying to open a chest.
If the obstacle is a trap, the card will include the result required in order to detect it by means of a Perception test, as well as the result required for deactivating it (if possible) after detection. If it has the value (-), it cannot be disarmed. The card name is always shown, along with the effects it produces.
*Remember that heroes on an exploration arrow who reveal a new section, are always on a corridor or room square.
NOTE: all traps can be activated both in indoor and outdoor scenarios. Remember that depending on its shape an outdoor section can be treated as a corridor or a room.
Each time a Dark Player card is revealed, the cost of its activation must be paid, reducing the Reserve Point Counter by the same amount.
In the case of Encounter cards, the cost and number of creatures to be spawned will be that indicated in the Creature Spawn Table, as will be seen below.
Once a card is revealed, it will be discarded from the game. A card that is discarded without being activated, will increase the Reserve points in the Reserve Point Counter.
Card Activation
The ADP activates its cards according to the following situations, after the Scenario Die has been rolled. The ADP will be able to continue activating all kinds of cards even after the heroes have accomplished their mission, until they leave the scenario.
Activation of Obstacle Cards
Roll the Scenario Die each time one of these conditions is met:
1st. When a character of the group of heroes declares he wishes to perform one of these actions:
- Reveal a new section.
- Open an unexplored door (doors, trapdoors and gates are included in this concept).
- Open a chest.
- Searching rooms.
- Search furniture (only in case of a blunder, if so specified by the furniture card).
2nd. When a character steps on the first square outside a Safety Zone. Safety Zones work as follows:
Characters create their own Safety Zones when they start their activation and can advance two squares within them. Allied characters also create Safety Zones around them with a radius of 2 squares, no matter whether they have already activated or not.
If the die result indicates Obstacles, a card from the Obstacles deck will be drawn. If this card can be activated according to the conditions and requirements included in the card, its cost points are subtracted from the Reserve points budget and the card is activated.
Remember that two types of Encounter cards have been included in the deck: "Thief!" and "Ambush!". Both cards will be activated as indicated on the card itself. Therefore, they will represent unexpected encounters that will take place in cases in which the heroes believe they are only facing the possibility of an obstacle or a trap.
NOTE: when a character steps on a square with the exact location of a trap indicated on the Quest Sheet, the Scenario Die will not be rolled. Simply read the contents of the trap card.
The following conditions must also be met:
- The Scenario Die will not be rolled for obstacles in sections where there are heroes and Dark Player creatures at the same time, unless a hero tries to perform one of these actions: revealing a new section or opening an unexplored door.
- No more than one Obstacle can be activated in the same door, chest or square (therefore, the Scenario Die will not be rolled if an obstacle has already been activated in that square).
- An Obstacle cannot be activated in a square adjacent to another Obstacle.
- If a trap affects an exploration arrow, it will also affect the adjacent arrows that lead to the same section (therefore, if it is disarmed, it will also be disarmed in all the adjacent exploration arrows).
Example: Borgron decides to go and open the treasure chest. He places himself in an adjacent square and declares that he wants to open it, which would require a Dexterity test to successfully manipulate the lock. However, the Scenario Die is rolled with a result indicating an Obstacle, so an Obstacle (a trap) card is revealed. Borgron fails the Perception test required to detect the trap and suffers the effects of its triggering, losing several Vitality points because of the damage suffered. The hero's activation is over. Shara decides not to move during her activation, which means that an area of 2 squares around her is free of traps. Taeral might walk until he steps on an exploration arrow and reveal the next section, but he prefers not to risk this turn and moves just 5 spaces through the safe zone created by Shara.
Reaction to Traps
As soon as a trap is activated, the hero who has triggered its activation (through an action or movement) must pass a Perception test. The result of the test must be equal or higher than the value indicated on the card.
Success: the trap is detected and will remain dormant in the door, chest or square where it was spawned (leave the Dark Player card face up to remember it). The action that the hero intended to perform is not carried out (therefore, he will be able to disarm the trap in that very same turn). If the trap is activated after stepping on a square, the character will take a step back, returning to the previous square from which he came (any character placed on the square with the trap at the time of its activation will do the same). If the trap was activated for any other reason, the character will be able to move to any adjacent empty square. In any case, the character will not be able to move during the rest of his activation.
Any of the heroes can try to disarm the trap (not only the one who discovered it).
If a character gets a result of double 6 when detecting a trap, he and his allies will get a +1 bonus when trying to deactivate it.
Failure: the trap will be triggered and its effects applied. The action the hero intended to perform will not be carried out. The hero's activation will be over.
NOTE: if the placement of a detected trap on a square affects a square occupied by another character (for example, a two-square pit placed after its detection), this character will be able to retreat one square, just like the hero who detected it (without affecting its activation).
Courage or Foolishness?
If a character tries to open (or hit) a chest or door where there is a dormant trap already detected, the trap will be triggered and its effects applied. The same will happen if a square where a dormant trap remains is stepped on.
Maximum Uncertainty
It can happen that a trap is spawned in such a way that it cuts off a section. For example, a pit may appear on some exploration arrows when a hero reveals a new section. This hero can climb or jump to a square on the other side of the pit, even if it hasn't been deployed yet. Once the jump has been successful, the new discovered section will be revealed in the usual way, and the hero will be placed on the square he intended to reach.
Example: Taeral steps on an exploration arrow and declares he wishes to reveal a new section. A pit trap is activated and detected, so the elf goes back to the square he came from and the action of revealing the new section is not carried out. In his next activation he decides to jump over the pit, even though he does not know what is on the other side. He jumps successfully and then the new section is revealed. Enemies can be spawned in this section in the usual way.
Activation of Encounter Cards
Each time a section is revealed, the Conductor will roll the Scenario Die (except during the heroes' first turn).
On a result indicating Encounter, a card will be drawn from the Encounter Deck. The contents of the card will be observed and then 1D6 must be rolled. Keeping in mind the result of the roll, the Creature Spawn Table* on the corresponding faction sheet in the Bestiary book must be checked in order to determine the type and number of characters and creatures to be placed.
1st The cost of the activated Encounter card is paid. 2nd The enemies are placed in the section. 3rd Then, the pertinent Initiative roll must be made.
If there was not an Encounter result after revealing a new section, the die must be rerolled when the heroes have entered the section by breaking a door or if no enemies appeared in the last two sections revealed.
In addition to the above:
- In large sections (other than the Main Room), in addition to the result determined by the Encounter Die, an Encounter card will always be activated at the usual cost.
- When the Main Room is revealed, but before the Scenario Die is rolled, a group of creatures equivalent to those on an "Enemy Spotted!" card must be placed in it, at the usual cost for the Dark Player (unless there is not enough budget, in which case these creatures will not be placed).
*Add +1 to the result if the revealed section is large (only if a Wandering Creatures, Enemy Spotted! or Special Creature card is activated), and +1 for every 30 V.P. the group of heroes has. A maximum modifier of +4 can be applied.
Example: when Borgron opens the door, he finds a normal room. The Scenario Die is rolled and the result indicates the presence of enemies. A card is therefore drawn from the Encounter deck. It is the card "Enemy Spotted!". 1D6 is rolled in order to determine the number and kind of creatures that will be placed in the newly discovered section, according to the type of card and the Creature Spawn Table for the faction used in that quest. In this case: Great Orc Clans. The result of the roll is 3. According to this result, the creatures to be placed on the board are the following: 1 orc champion, 1 dire wolf and 1 orc shooter. If the room happened to be the Main Room and there was enough budget for it, creatures equivalent to those on an "Enemy Spotted!" card would have been placed before rolling the Scenario Die.
If there are not enough Reserve Points to activate a card, move to the previous result on the faction's Creature Spawn Table. If the minimum number of creatures indicated in the column cannot be spawned, discard the card as usual.
Example: the Reserve Point counter shows a budget of 4. When a new section is revealed, the players roll the Scenario Die, and the result indicates that a card from the Encounter deck must be activated. It is an "Enemy Spotted!" card. The players roll 1D6 with a result of 3 and then check the Creature Spawn Table. The table says that 1 Mummy and 4 Zombies are spawned in the new section (6 VPs, so 6 points should be subtracted from the Reserve Point counter). But since the ADP does not have 6 Reserve Points left, the players move to the previous result in the table. For a cost of 4 points, 2 Skeletons with spear and 2 Skeletons with short bow are spawned. Therefore, these points will be subtracted from the Reserve Point counter and the new enemies will be placed. If there were only 3 Reserve Points on the counter, the card could not be activated and would be discarded, since the minimum number of creatures could not be reached.
Activation of Power Cards
Roll the Scenario Die at the start of a combat turn, before any of the creatures are activated.
If the result indicates Power, a card must be drawn from the Power deck. If the card specifies what kind of creatures are affected by its effects, the text on the card must prevail. If no specific kind of creature is mentioned or there are several creatures which may benefit from its effects, the creature with the highest VP among all the creatures placed will always prevail. The Quest Leader will prevail over all the other creatures.
Once a Power card is activated, its effects will be resolved if they are immediate. If they are not, its cost will be paid and the card will be placed face up on the table to represent that its effects are sustained (or that it will cause effect once the conditions described on it are met) until the creature that benefits from it is removed from the game.
Fortune Points: if a card provides one of the creatures handled by the ADP with one fortune point, remember that two similar cards add up to 2 fortune points (i.e., if you roll 1D6 after being Knocked Out and you don't get a result of 5+, you can guarantee your success by using a second Fortune point).
Example: an undead champion gets the effects of a Power card which has just been activated called "Fortune", and whose effects are not immediate. This card will remain face up. If another Power card is drawn in successive turns, it will benefit the same character as long as he is the one with the highest VP. If the effect of the newly activated card is not immediate either, it will remain face up. That is, if a second Fortune card is activated, there will be two Fortune cards that can benefit the undead champion.
When the heroes are in a combat turn fighting against enemies placed in the Main Room, an Encounter result is always considered to be obtained each time the Scenario Die is rolled.
Discards
If an ADP card cannot be activated by any means, it will be discarded, adding the corresponding points to the Reserve Point counter.
Occasionally, some revealed cards may remain face up until activated, when the proper condition is met.
Example: Taeral walks in a corridor and the Scenario Die is rolled with a result indicating Obstacles. A card is drawn from the Obstacles deck. However, the card ("Closing Walls") cannot be activated in corridors. Therefore, the card cannot be activated. It is discarded and it increases the discard points on the Reserve Point counter. The ADP has not been able to activate the trap against the elf, but in return he sees his budget increased, which will allow him to generate other obstacles and more creatures later on. If a "Locked Door" card is revealed, then it will remain face-up and will be activated (paying for its cost) when the conditions indicated on the card are met.
Placement of Creatures
The characters and creatures controlled by the ADP will be placed on the board always observing the general directions in this rulebook, as well as the specific instructions on each card (if the conditions on the card are fulfilled with respect to several heroes, a random hero will be chosen among the ones closest to these newly spawned creatures).
Creatures will be placed facing the nearest hero.
After being placed, the usual Initiative roll will be made (see "The Initiative Roll" below).
Unless the players decide otherwise, the creatures to be placed will be those indicated on each faction's Creature Spawn Table. This table includes the number and kind of creatures to be spawned with the activation of each Encounter card, as well as the optional equipment they may carry with them.
Extra Skills
As soon as a Large or Huge creature is spawned, 1D6 must be rolled for each hero in the game to determine the extra skills the creature has. The creature's profile icon includes the extra skills it can get as well as their cost. These extra skills will increase the creature's V.P.
With each result of 1 the creature will get one skill worth 1VP. With each result of 2, it will get one skill worth 2VP. And so on. With each result of 6, it will get one skill worth 6 or more VP. Such skills* must be paid for with Reserve Points. Those with the highest VP will be paid first and in a left to right order, as listed in the creature's profile.
*If the creature already has one or more of the extra skills listed, ignore them for this roll.
Placement of Creatures Following the Activation of the Cards "Enemy Spotted!", "Wandering Creature" or "Special Creature" (Rooms)
The characters and creatures spawned in a new section will be placed in an ascending order according to their level, following a checkerboard pattern (contacting only diagonally with each other). The lowest VP creatures will be placed first. In case of equality, the following order will be observed:
1st Has no ranged attacks. 2nd Has a long range weapon (spear, halberd, etc.). 3rd Has ranged attacks or spells.
Note that the placement of creatures must at all times comply with the general rule that requires creatures to be placed more than two squares away from the hero who revealed the new section.
Example: the first creature must be placed opposite the hero who first reveals the section, 3 squares away from him. The following creatures will be placed according to the indicated pattern, always to the right with respect to the hero. When all possible positions in the row where the first creature is placed have been occupied, creatures will be placed in the next row. In one example, in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd position there are orc warriors with axe. In the 4th position there is an orc warrior with spear. In the 5th and 6th positions there are two orc archers with a short bow. In 7th position there is an Elite-level black orc.
When a square is occupied by a creature or an impassable element or piece of furniture of height 2 or higher, this square will be ignored and the new creature will be placed in the next one according to the established order.
If no more characters can be placed according to the established pattern, they will be placed one by one in the free squares that are still empty, starting again in the first row. If there are no free squares where the characters or creatures can be placed, they won't be placed at all, and their cost will not be paid for.
Note that a creature cannot be placed in a room if there are no more free squares located more than 2 squares away from the hero who has revealed the section. A creature can be placed on a square occupied by a piece of furniture with height 1 (not impassable), and will then be on a higher position than the others, enjoying better Line of Sight.
When a creature with a base larger than one square is placed, it will suffice for part of its base to occupy the corresponding square, although the rest of its base must be more than 2 squares away from the closest enemy when placed.
Large Rooms
Creatures should be placed in the usual pattern, but whenever possible, they should be placed in such a way that they are not adjacent to each other (not even diagonally). They should therefore be placed leaving a free row between them.
Single Creatures
If a single creature is spawned in a room (except if it is the result of the card "Thief"), it will be placed in the center of the room. In case of doubt about the proper square, always choose the one furthest away from the hero who revealed the section.
Placement of Creatures Following the Activation of the Cards "Enemies", "Wandering Creature" or "Special Creature" (Corridors)
The characters and creatures of the new section will be placed in an ascending order according to their level, following a zigzag pattern.
The lowest VP creatures will be placed first, starting at the far end of the section. In case of equality, the following order will be observed:
1st Has no ranged attacks. 2nd Has ranged attacks or spells. 3rd Has a long range weapon (spear, halberd, etc.).
The first creature will be placed on the frontal of the hero or adjacent to the wall closest to the hero who first revealed the section. The others will be placed adjacent following the zigzag pattern shown in the rulebook diagrams. No creatures can be placed on squares occupied by a piece of furniture of height 2, such as a Library. Whenever possible, creatures will be placed in all available squares, following this pattern.
Placement of Creatures Following the Activation of the Card "Thief"
When the "Thief!" card is activated, the creature will be placed in the square designated by the Conductor, according to the indications of the card, preferably placing it closer to the hero with the worst Perception attribute in the group. If the creature cannot be placed in the same section as the heroes, it will be placed in an already explored section adjacent to that where the heroes currently are.
Example: according to the Thief! card, the creature must be placed 3 squares away from a hero, and mustn't be closer to any other. Therefore, in this example it can only be placed in one of the yellow shaded squares.
Placement of Creatures Following the Activation of the Cards "Ambush" and "Reinforcements"
Carefully read the text on the Dark Player cards "Ambush!" and "Reinforcements". The creatures must be placed in an already explored section which is adjacent to one where there is at least one character from the group of heroes. They will be placed in the same way as if a hero had just revealed the section, as if he were adjacent to the door or access that leads to it.
Example: the heroes are engaged in combat as a Reinforcements card is activated. Note that the creatures are placed even when there's no Line of Sight between the two sides. In another example, the ambush takes place when the heroes are on an exploration turn. Creatures may not be placed in the section beyond the exploration arrows, because it has not yet been explored. No creatures can be placed in a section if none would be more than 2 squares away from the hero.
The Initiative Roll
Whenever the ADP has the chance to apply the rule "Caught by Surprise!" after winning an Initiative roll, he will push the heroes one square forward (towards the newly revealed enemies) and place them with their backs to them.
The Dark Player will use the best Perception among his creatures (independently of their location) on the Initiative roll.
Example: a wolf with +1 to Perception is placed in the second row for being VP 2, whereas the orcs, with VP 1, are placed in the first rows. However, the Dark Player benefits from the wolf's skill, which gives +1 to Perception.
Activating Order
During the ADP's turn, the order in which the creatures must be activated is as follows:
1st Spellcasters and battle wizards (including Leaders). 2nd Creatures that have ranged attacks (if they cannot carry out their attack that turn, they will be activated last). 3rd Leaders. 4th Rest of creatures (except Leaders).
In case of equality in the order, creatures with a higher V.P. will activate first. (if they have the same VP, creatures with the higher Agility will activate first).
Character and Creature Behavior
Target Selection
The ADP creatures and characters, according to their Movement attribute or the range of their weapons or attacks, will choose the target of their actions (usually attacks)*, following these criteria:
1st Enemies that have not yet been attacked that same turn (therefore, the attacks are distributed among the group of heroes), except when the behavior card specifies that the equal distribution of attacks is ignored. 2nd Those specified by their behavior card. 3rd One randomly chosen enemy.
*That is, a creature with several attacks will follow the same criteria, distributing its attacks against different enemies if possible.
When the behavior card reads that the creature will attack the enemy which is easiest to hit, different factors must be taken into account here (such as who is the enemy with the lowest Combat Skill or any other attribute that concerns the attack such as the proximity of the target, the conditions he might be suffering, whether he has cover or not, which skills he might have that would make it difficult to hit him, etc.).
Example: an orc chooses to attack Borgron, even though Shara is closer, because the dwarf's Combat Skill is lower than that of the knight. A second orc attacks Shara, since Borgron has already been attacked by another orc. In another situation, an orc can only attack Shara since Borgron is not eligible as a target. The orc must finish his movement as soon as he enters the Knight's Melee Zone. If the orc were an archer, he would target Shara because she is more likely to be hit, as she is closer.
Moving Creatures
If a creature cannot make an attack, it will move towards the nearest enemy (running, if necessary) in order to get close to it, or until it has LoS to one. The creature will need a valid route if it moves in order to attack an enemy. Enemies which require the creature to pass an Agility test in order to get to them (for example, if it had to avoid a moat to get to them) will never be regarded as the nearest ones.
Characters and creatures handled by the ADP will always try to take the most appropriate path towards their targets, trying to avoid blocking the way of other allied creatures or characters whenever possible.
General Behavior
1. Actions and Skills
Maximize their potential: as long as they do not violate the rules of priority and movement, the creatures will always try to avoid making it easy for the heroes' side, positioning themselves to avoid being adjacent to each other in order to minimize the damage dealt by the throwing of objects or the casting of spells with an Area of Effect. They will also block the possible accesses to their Leader, if it has been placed on the board.
If a creature can choose among several attacks or different skills, it will choose to perform the most effective conventional attack or skill at that moment. As a general rule, if the target wears heavy armor, they will choose the weapons that deal most damage and can reduce armor. If the target wears light armor or does not use any at all, the creatures will choose the weapons that allow them to hit their target more easily.
Different attacks: a creature with the possibility of carrying out several types of attacks will prioritize attacks with Spells, then attacks at a distance (even those provided by skills) and finally melee attacks or skills. If a creature cannot use any of its skills, it will be able to make a conventional attack.
Conventional attack: it is an attack made with its Shooting or Combat Skill, depending on whether it has ranged weapons or not.
Skills: the ADP's characters will prioritize the use of their skills in each of their attacks or actions.
Non-offensive Actions: unless otherwise stated by its behavior card, a creature that can perform non-offensive Actions (such as using certain healing skills or supporting allies), will roll 1D6 at the beginning of its activation. With a result of 4+, it will perform this type of Action and will not directly attack heroes.
Skill limit: a character or creature handled by the ADP cannot use a certain active skill more than 3 times during the same quest, nor use the same skill two consecutive times, as long as they have other attack options available.
Open explored doors: if the ADP's creatures must open an already explored door in order to have LoS to some member of the group of heroes, this action will be performed by the character with the lowest VP that has no ranged attacks.
2. Combat
Specific target: if a character or creature controlled by the ADP has, because of a specific rule in the quest, a specific target to eliminate, it will always move (as long as it is not engaged) towards that target, running if necessary, ignoring the criteria for prioritizing its attacks described in the previous section.
Maximum targets: if a creature has the possibility of attacking two enemies during the same activation, it will always use the skill or weapon that allows it, prioritizing it over other conventional attacks.
Pushing: when a creature pushes an opponent, it will try to do so in a straight line whenever possible, unless there is no space available, or except when by pushing diagonally it may inflict extra damage on the opponent.
Disengaging: if a creature or character tries to disengage from an enemy and fails, it will never finish its activation; it will fight in melee combat instead.
Shields: the ADP's creatures will always use their shield during their actions or reactions.
Blunders: if a creature makes a blunder, its activation will end and it will not lose its weapon (or shield) unless it breaks. In this case, it may draw and use another weapon, or fight unarmed if it lacks one.
Weapon changes: ADP's creatures will use the most appropriate weapon at any given moment among the weapons they possess. Characters with a ranged-fighter behavior card that have projectile or throwing weapons, will keep using that behavior until they use up those weapons and as long as they have no adjacent enemies.
Drawing weapons: the ADP's creatures suffer no penalties for drawing weapons or changing objects, whatever they may be.
3. Spellcasters
Spellcasters: creatures with a sorcerer behavior card know all the spells of that magic lore specified by their profile (the restrictions to the type of spells they possess are only applicable to the human Dark Player), but they only have the mana points indicated on their profile. If they can choose among different lores, choose a random one.
Spells: a creature controlled by the ADP may cast a spell against its enemies even if the spell affects its own allies, as long as the spell affects more enemies than allies.
If a spellcaster casts a permanent effect spell while he was upkeeping an active spell, the effects of both spells will be maintained (but two of the same spells cannot be kept).
4. Objects
Disposable objects: if a creature has any disposable objects (scrolls, magic components, potions, etc.) it will use them as soon as it has the opportunity to do so, prioritizing the most expensive objects.
Specific Behaviours
The specific behavior of each type of creature is indicated in the "Creature Behavior" cards. In case of contradiction, a specific behavior will be prioritized over the general one. Each creature's profile includes the icon of the specific behavior card to be used when controlled by the ADP.
There are different types of creature behavior, represented by these symbols: Specific Leader; Aquatic creature; Undead; Animals and vermin; Large or huge creature; Sorcerer; Battle Sorcerer; Berserker; Melee Fighter; Ranged Fighter; Flying.
Increase the Challenge!
In groups of heroes with more than 75 VP, the following rules will be added to increase the difficulty of quests and epic events (each new rule is cumulative with the previous ones):
- Groups with more than 75 VP: Reroll the Scenario Dice (only once) when the result didn't activate an Encounter card.
- Groups with more than 100 VP: If there was not an Encounter result after revealing a new section, the die must be rerolled when the heroes have entered the section by breaking a door or if no enemies appeared in the last section revealed.
- Groups with more than 125 VP: Repeat each roll of the Scenario Dice (only once) when the result didn't activate a Power card.
- Groups with more than 150 VP: All creatures and characters of Elite or Champion level (except Leaders) get a +1 modifier to all their rolls and one extra action*.
- Groups with more than 175 VP: All traps increase the difficulty to be detected and deactivated by 1. Activating them will cost twice as much as usual.
- Groups with more than 200 VP: All Grunt level creatures and characters get a +1 modifier to all their rolls*.
*If the quest or epic event uses the Reserve Point Counter, the cost of the creatures will be twice their VP. At most, one creature will increase its usual V.P. by 25 points. Damage dice will not get the +1 to the roll.
The Leader
Placing the Leader
The Leader will be placed in the square designated on the Quest Sheet. If he has no defined location on the map, he will be placed, whenever possible, in a row behind the rest of his allied creatures. Within this row, he will be placed at the end that is furthest from the hero who visualized the section first (or in the square which provides him with the most advantage against him or protection from him).
Leader Improvement
When the heroes visualize the Main Room, after all creatures have been placed, reduce the Reserve Point counter to 10. All unspent points will be used as follows:
For every 2 Reserve Points* not spent, the Leader will get 1 extra Vitality Point. If the Leader has the "Invulnerable" skill or an Armor value of 6, he will get only 1 extra Vitality point for every 3 Reserve points not spent.
The Leader receives 1 extra Action at the start of his activation for each hero above the second one (with a maximum of 2 extra Actions each turn). Thus, if the group is made up of 4 heroes, the scenario Leader will get 2 extra actions per turn. If a creature has the skill "Double Attack" and gets 1 extra action, it will be able to perform 3 attacks during its activation.
*In those quests in which the Reserve Point Counter is not used, the Leader will get 1 Vitality point for every 10 VP the group of heroes had at the time it was first spotted. If the Leader has the skill "Invulnerable" or an Armor value of 6, he will get only 1 extra Vitality point for every 20 VP of the group of heroes.
Extra Skills
As soon as the Leader is spawned, 1D6 must be rolled for each hero in the game to determine the extra skills it has. The creature's profile icon includes the extra skills it can get as well as their cost. These extra skills will increase the creature's V.P.
With each result of 1, the creature will get one skill worth 1VP. With each result of 2, it will get one skill worth 2VP. And so on. With each result of 6, it will get one skill worth 6 or more VP. Such skills* must be paid for with Reserve Points. Those with the highest VP will be paid first and in a left to right order, as listed in the creature's profile. All skills that are not applicable to that combat must be ignored (example: "Fast Shooting" for a Leader who has no ranged weapons).
*If the creature already has one or more of the extra skills listed, ignore them for this roll.
Example: the Leader of a quest played with 4 heroes is an Undead Champion. Its profile in the Bestiary has a specific behavior card. Its cost in VPs (8) has been paid in Reserve Points at the beginning of the quest. As soon as it is placed on the board, the players roll 4D6 (1 for each hero) to see what new skills it gets. They get a result of 6, 2, 1, 1. Therefore, the Leader gets the skills "Shriek from the Underworld" (+2 VP), "Magic Resistance" (+1 VP) and "Lethal Blow" (+1 VP). In other words, another 4 points must be subtracted from the Reserve Points counter for the 4 VP cost of these extra skills.
There are 16 Reserve Points left on the counter after all the creatures have been placed in the Main room, so the counter is reduced to 10. The Leader, who has the skill "Invulnerable", only gets 2 extra Vitality points. It starts with Vitality 10 instead of the 8 stated on its profile. In addition, it will have two extra actions each turn.
Leader Behavior
Some very specific leaders may have their own behavior card, such as Raazbal. The ADP must follow the indications on the card.
In most other cases, a Leader will use the behavior indicated by its profile, like any other creature, but with some important differences:
If a behavior card establishes a certain target priority, the Leader will not act according to it. Each time it starts an activation and each time it performs new actions after the first one, you must roll 1D3. Then the result will be checked on the card and applied.
The Leader will always try to disengage if necessary to reach its target.
Example: if this creature were not the Leader, it would have the behavior shown on its normal card. Its priority target would be an enemy adjacent to the Leader. In case of equality between several targets, it would attack the closest one. If there were several enemies at the same distance, it would choose the enemy with the lowest Courage. However, being a Leader, its behavior is different. It rolls 1D3 at the beginning of its activation, with a result of 1. This means it will attack the closest enemy. In case of equality between two enemies, it will choose one randomly. After resolving the first attack, it looks for a new target for its second action. It rolls 1D3 and gets a result of 3. It will attack the enemy with the lowest Courage.
ADP creatures never disengage. However, Leaders ignore this rule.
Death of a Leader
If a Leader is Knocked Out, all Grunt level characters 6 or less squares away from him must immediately pass a Courage test or else be removed from the game. This represents they panicked and escaped or simply surrendered.
Rules for Solo Heroes
If you wish to play using only one hero, you must follow the following directions, depending on the game mode you play:
Encounters:
- When the "Ambush!" or "Reinforcements!" cards are activated, always spawn the creatures described in the Wandering Creatures column of that faction's Creature Spawn Table.
- In the Main room, before the Scenario Die is rolled, always spawn creatures equivalent to those of a "Wandering Creature" card, at the usual cost for the Dark Player.
Powers:
- The Scenario Die will be rolled at the beginning of a combat turn in the usual way, even against enemies in the Main room (therefore, the automatic Encounter result is not applied).
Equipment and Companions:
- When creating the character, provide him with 30 coins, instead of the usual 20.
- The hero can carry up to 60 coins (twice the usual amount).
- The hero may have one pet and one mercenary to accompany him (or 2 mercenaries).
- The hero receives 3 extra permanent Fortune points from the start. Only 2 extra for Large or Invulnerable heroes and 4 extra for Small heroes.
- All the companions of the hero are allowed to use the hero's Fortune points. That is, the hero's Fortune points are for group use.
- All the companions of the hero can carry and use the hero's potions and rope.
- If the hero is a spellcaster, he can cast each spell two more times than usual during each quest (i.e. he can cast each spell up to 5 times, 4 times if he is an apprentice). However, the specific limitations of each spell must be observed.
Achievement Points and Exploration:
- At the end of a quest, the hero's Achievement points will be doubled.
- The Safety Zone will have a radius of three squares (instead of the usual two).
How to Play with ADP
Here we describe six turns both of the heroes and the ADP so that you can visualize the mechanics of this mode and the different Actions available. The scenario is identical to the "How to Play" example above (a corridor leading to a locked door, a room with a cupboard, and a room beyond containing orcs), but every Dark Player card draw is replaced by a roll of the Scenario Die, and the Conductor plays the role the human Dark Player would otherwise play.
Turn 1
The heroes begin as before. Borgron advances four spaces, gets adjacent to the door, and uses his Action to open it. The Scenario Die is rolled with an Obstacles result, revealing a card from the Obstacles deck: "Locked Door", which can be activated since the necessary conditions are met. The cost of the card is paid and the corresponding Reserve Points are subtracted from the counter.
Borgron uses his Action to unlock the door stealthily, exchanging his javelin for picklocks (a Quick Action) and passing a Dexterity test with a total of 10 (2D6 plus his +1 bonus). He manages to open the door stealthily, adding +1 point to the Achievement counter.
Borgron reveals the new section and the Conductor places the tiles as indicated by the Quest Sheet (or the game's app): an empty room with a cupboard. The Scenario Die is rolled again but doesn't give an Obstacles result. Shara runs, rolling a total of 9, and advances 5 spaces to position herself adjacent to the dwarf.
Once the heroes' turn is over, the ADP's turn begins, and it simply increases its Achievement Points by 1.
Turn 2
Borgron enters the room, determined to reach the Cupboard, but the Scenario Die is rolled after stepping on the third square, since it is the first square placed outside the Safety Zone (radius 2 squares). An Obstacles result is obtained, revealing a card containing a trap called "Electric Shock". 3 points are subtracted from the Reserve Point counter for activating it. Borgron needs a result of 9 or higher in a Perception test to detect it. He gets a result of 7 and has no Perception bonuses, so the test fails and the trap triggers. Since he wears leather armor (light armor), he takes 5 damage dice; the result is 1, 4, 4, 4, 5, which would knock him out. He spends a Fortune point to force a reroll, getting 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and only loses 2 Vitality points. Since he spent 1 Fortune point, the ADP adds 1 point to its Achievement Counter.
Had Borgron detected the trap, he would have stepped back and could have used an Action to disarm it with a Dexterity test.
Shara goes into the room and reaches the cupboard (she can't advance diagonally because a wall cuts the way, but still reaches the furniture). She searches it, rolling 2D6 for a result of 11: she finds a random special object, drawing a "Components for Magic" card from the Special Objects deck, and keeps it in her backpack.
Once more, the ADP adds 1 point to the Achievement Point counter.
Turn 3
Shara goes out into the corridor. As soon as she steps on the first square outside the Safety Zone, she rolls the Scenario Die to check for obstacles, but it doesn't give that result. Borgron devotes his Action to searching the room with a Perception test; the Scenario Die is rolled first (no Obstacles result), and then the Perception test itself falls short of 10, so he finds nothing. He leaves the room advancing 4 squares and the heroes' turn ends.
Once more, the ADP adds 1 point to the Achievement Point counter.
Turn 4
Shara advances only 1 square. The ADP cannot roll the Scenario Die since she has not left the Safety Zone.
Borgron equips the axe from his backpack (a Quick Action). He finishes his movement on a square with an exploration arrow and performs the action Revealing a New Section. The Scenario Die is rolled with no Obstacles result, so the new section is revealed. The Scenario Die is rolled again with an Encounter result. A card from the Encounter deck is revealed: "Wandering Creature", which is instantly activated. 1D6 is rolled to determine the creatures spawned according to the Creature Spawn Table for that faction: one Orc Archer and one Orc Warrior, each worth 1 VP. The creatures are placed as indicated in the creature placement diagram for rooms — the orc with no ranged attacks first, 3 squares away from the hero who revealed the section.
Both sides make an opposed Initiative roll. The orc gets a higher result, so the heroes lose their turn and the ADP's turn begins, adding 1 point to its Achievement counter.
Before activating its creatures, the ADP rolls the Scenario Die and gets a Power result, drawing the card "Fortune" (cost 2 points, subtracted from the Reserve Point counter). Since the card does not specify a beneficiary, the creature with the highest VP of those placed benefits — since both orcs have the same VP, one is chosen at random, and the orc archer gets the enhancement.
According to activation order, the ADP activates creatures with ranged attacks first: the orc archer, who according to his behavior card chooses Borgron as his target. He has no penalties (he didn't need to move and is 3 squares or less away). He rolls a total of 10 and hits Borgron, rolling his short bow's 3 damage dice (1, 2, 5) — only one equals or exceeds Borgron's Armor, so Borgron loses 1 Vitality point.
The ADP then activates the orc warrior, whose behavior is that of a melee fighter and would normally choose the target easiest to hit — but since Borgron has already been attacked this turn, the orc should choose Shara. However, he can't, since he is engaged with the dwarf and can't reach the knight. He moves through the wall squares (which delimit sections but don't block movement) and stops upon entering Borgron's Melee Range. Both roll 2D6 plus Combat Skill in an opposed roll; Borgron wins despite the -1 from his axe, and avoids the attack. The ADP's turn ends.
Turn 5
Shara advances one space and attacks the orc warrior diagonally with her bastard sword's mode that causes 2 extra damage dice. She rolls a 3 and a 6 (a critical hit), for a total of 14 against the Combat Skill roll; the orc gets 10. She hits.
Shara rolls as many damage dice as her Strength (4), +2 for the weapon, +1 for the critical. The orc declares he will use his shield to block — normally blocking with a 5+, but since Shara scored a critical, the shield only blocks with a 6. The orc rolls a 3 and fails. Shara rolls the 7 damage dice: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6. The orc (Armor 4) loses 5 Vitality points and is eliminated. Shara moves into the square he vacated.
Borgron, no longer engaged, casts "Lightning" on the archer. He rolls 2D6 (a 6 critical and a 1) plus his Intelligence of 5, for a total of 12: success. He loses one mana point. The spell's range only affects the target square. He rolls the damage dice: the spell's 6 dice plus 1 extra for the critical, for 7 dice total. The orc archer (Armor 4, no shield, reduced by -1 from Lightning) rolls 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6 and falls, eliminated.
However, the players remember the orc archer had one Fortune point, so he uses it after being Knocked Out. He rolls 1D6 and gets a 3, failing to avoid being Knocked Out, and is eliminated.
The heroes gain 2 Achievement points for eliminating the two orcs and 1 for casting a spell, for 3 total. The ADP, with no more creatures in the section, simply gets another Achievement point.
Turn 6
Shara enters the new room, occupying the square of the orc she killed (the ADP's Knocked Out characters and creatures are considered eliminated). With no doors in sight, she searches for secret doors, rolling 2D6 with a -1 for her heavy armor. She rolls an 11, for a final result of 10, revealing a secret door to be placed by the Conductor (if indicated on the Quest Sheet map).
Borgron advances toward the secret door to open it, but first drinks a Healing Potion (Quick Action) to restore Vitality. He then moves forward; the Scenario Die is rolled as soon as he leaves the Safety Zone (no result), and he finishes his movement next to the secret door.
Equipment, Elements and Companions
Equipment
There are 6 types of equipment cards: Ranged Weapons, Melee Weapons, Armor, Shields, Common Objects and Special Objects.
Cards show the following information:
- Object's Name.
- Object's Value Points.
- Icon that identifies the type of object: Ranged Weapon, Melee Weapon, Armor, Shield, Common Object, Special Object.
- Properties: describes the effects derived from its use.
- Hands needed to use the object.
- Common and Special Objects are consumed after use, unless a symbol is shown indicating that they can be reused.
- Acquisition cost expressed in coins. The symbol (-) means that it has no cost, either because it is a very rudimentary weapon or because the character has it in a natural way (claws, horns).
- Weight: the number indicates not only its specific weight, but also the difficulty of transporting it, either because of its fragility or its dimensions.
- Damage: indicates the number of damage dice that are rolled when using the weapon, once the user has managed to hit. Example: if you see +2, it means that +2 extra damage dice will be rolled, plus as many dice as the user's Strength. On the other hand, if it indicates =4 it will mean that 4 damage dice are rolled, independently of the user's Strength.
- Armor reduction: target's armor is reduced by 1. Note: some ineffective weapons will increase the target's armor by 1.
- Reload: an Action is required to reload the weapon in order to use it in a later turn. If two weapons that require reloading are used at the same time (e.g., firing two handguns at the same time) the user will need to use two Actions to reload them before they can be fired again.
- Range: shows the maximum range of the weapon, expressed in squares. If "x3" is expressed, it means that the maximum distance will be the result of multiplying the thrower's Strength by 3.
- Breaking roll: shows the chances the weapon has to break after a critical failure. If the result of the roll (1D6) is equal to that number the weapon will be broken and rendered useless.
- Blocking capacity (shields).
- Ability to push after winning a Combat roll as a defender.
- Breaking roll after blocking an impact.
- Penalties to the bearer's attributes.
- Increase of the wearer's armor value.
- Type of armor: light or heavy.
- Noise: the detonation of gunpowder weapons attracts the attention of enemies. For that reason, for each weapon of this kind used by the group of heroes during a combat, the Dark Player will get a +1 Initiative modifier for the next encounter against the heroes. In addition, the gunpowder weapon causes 1 damage die to the shooter who gets a critical failure.
- Uncommon: objects whose commercialization or manufacture is so difficult that they are only present in certain places. They can be acquired in blacksmiths/armories. They can be acquired during the resting periods between independent quests or during the campaigns, but only in Cities or Castles. In order to do so, a hero must roll 2D6 and get a result equal to or higher than the difficulty value indicated on the card of the object. Only one attempt for each object, group of heroes and campaign turn in that settlement.
- Weapons' properties and different uses. Note that the mechanics and modifiers of the weapons try to emulate their actual use. A bastard sword could be used as a two-handed sword or else as a rapier to pierce enemy armor.
- Weapon capable of breaking shields.
- Long-range weapon: characters using this kind of weapon can attack from a distance of 2 squares. However, they get a -1 penalty when attacking adjacent enemies. They can push their enemy after winning a combat round while defending, just as if they were using a shield.
- Unarmed: an unarmed character without any natural weapons (horns, claws, fangs) may use this card.
Other Considerations
Found weapon: apply this rule only when Large or Small heroes are taking part in the quest. After some type of weapon (even a magic one) is found, 1D6 must be rolled. With a result of 1, it will only be useful for Small characters. A result of 2-5 means it may be used by average size characters only. On a result of 6, it will only be suitable for Large-sized humanoid creatures (not applicable to Relics in this case).
Natural Weapons: a character who has any natural weapons must have both hands free in order to use them.
Two weapons: a character may carry one weapon in each hand, but to use both during the same turn he will need the appropriate skill.
Ammunition: a character is considered to have the appropriate ammunition for each type of projectile weapon he uses, and the character's own cost of acquisition or maintenance includes the cost of ammunition.
Poisons on weapons: the following weapons may not be selected to gain the effects of poison: Sling, Net, Fangs, Horns, Claws, Staff, Club, Mace, Hammer, Cavalry lance, Macuahuitl, Iron fist, Gladiator scissors. Essentially, neither natural nor blunt weapons can benefit from its use.
Card Limit
If the heroes search an element and the object they find is not available because there are no more such cards in the deck, then they will not have found that item (they will not be able to replace it with another one). The same thing will happen when they want to acquire objects in blacksmiths, markets, etc. They must stick to the number of cards (subject to any exceptions the Dark Player may wish to apply to meet certain backgrounds or special situations).
Magic Objects and Relics
Magic Objects and Relics are classified in a typology similar to that of ordinary equipment: Ranged Weapons, Melee Weapons, Armor, Shields and Magic Items. This last concept includes all those that do not represent weaponry: rings, boots, wands, cloaks, etc.
Magic object and Relic cards show: an icon identifying the type of object (Ranged Weapon, Melee Weapon, Armor, Shield, or Magic Item); and the Value Points of each object. Notice that the Relics have a value of 5 or higher.
Limit of objects: a character can only be equipped with one magic object or Relic of each type at the same time. Characters can't use 2 Magic Objects of the same type (same object type icon) at the same time. If a character has more magic items he must carry them in his backpack and exchange them whenever he deems appropriate.
Example: a hero can use magic armor, a magic bow and a magic ring.
Relics cannot be used by Large or Huge creatures.
NOTE: a common weapon enhanced by a spell will not be considered a magic weapon. It will be regarded as an enchanted weapon. Therefore, it may be broken in the usual way, since it is not a magic weapon.
Breakage of magic weaponry: in the case of magic weapons and shields the bearer will be able to reroll the breaking roll.
Special Elements
These are unusual objects, creatures, or obstacles that can be found in a section. A mysterious mist, a magic fountain, a deep abyss, a nest of snakes, a witch focused on her potions, a small prison or the lair of a dragon. Carefully read the contents of the card and apply what is described on it. The creatures included in these cards often have no cost for the Dark Player or their cost is reduced (if they have a cost, it will be specified).
Icons
The Special Items and Furniture cards share most of the icons listed below:
- The effect starts as soon as you enter the section.
- You need to interact with the element to know its effects.
- It indicates the height of the element, if relevant.
- The element provides light cover.
- The element provides heavy cover.
- The element is impassable. Therefore, characters won't be able to move through the square it occupies or occupy it themselves.
- The Dark Player must pay half the usual cost of that character or creature to spawn it (see the Bestiary). Otherwise, the section will be empty.
- In this section, the Dark Player will not be able to activate any Encounter cards.
- The element can be moved.
Furniture
These cards represent furniture and elements integrated into the rooms and corridors (usually rooms) of a scenario. They range from wells and kitchens to cupboards, armories or libraries, and can generally be searched. In such a case, the Dark Player will read the contents of the corresponding card.
Furniture may never obstruct the entry and exit squares of a section when placed. They may only be searched once. Even if the heroes return to the scenario a second time, those elements that were searched during their first visit will be regarded as already searched.
Treasure chests are considered Furniture but in no way obstruct movement or LoS. When they are opened, Treasure cards will be used instead of Furniture ones.
Mercenaries and Pets
A hero may have only one pet or mercenary to accompany him, as long as he pays for the cost of their acquisition and maintenance. The cost of maintenance will be paid whenever the heroes choose to rest in an Inn or Home. Cards show the mercenary or pet's Value Points and cost of acquisition/maintenance.
Restrictions and use of pets and mercenaries:
- If the cost of maintaining a pet or a mercenary is not paid, they will leave the group.
- An animal or mercenary may never move more than 12 squares away from its owner or paymaster.
- Animals and mercenaries move like independent heroes.
- There can't be two of the same mercenaries or pets (with the same card) in the group of heroes, and they must be assigned to the hero who hired them.
- There will be a maximum of 2 companions in the group, whether they are mercenaries or pets.
- The maximum number of characters that can form a group, including heroes and companions, is 6.
- An animal or mercenary that is Knocked Out will not be able to recover.
- Animals and mercenaries will keep their wounds and conditions at the end of a quest, just like the heroes. They will recover in the same way as these: at inns, homes and similar places.
- An animal or mercenary whose hero is Knocked Out may be assigned to another hero for the remainder of the quest. They will be removed from the group of heroes if the hero who hired or trained them loses his life.
- Their actions also get Achievement points.
- They can perform Quick Actions, with the appropriate restrictions (for instance: mercenaries and pets can drink a potion a hero has given them).
- Cannot share their belongings with the heroes, nor can they carry any treasure or found objects. They can take disposable objects as long as they use them immediately during their next activation.
Mercenaries
If a mercenary can have several equipment options, the hero who hires him will decide the equipment himself, and this configuration will be kept for all the games the mercenary plays.
Their maintenance cost also includes the replenishment of their own equipment. Heroes will not be able to provide them with other weapons or armor, except in those cases in which the mercenary has lost his weapon or shield during a game.
Animals with Sharp Senses
Heroes can benefit from their pet's "Sharp Senses" when the animal is 3 or less squares away from them and in the same section (remember that, at most, characters can get a +3 bonus on their rolls due to the combination of their skills or those of their companions).
Example: Herbod and his giant rat advance along the corridor. The rat moves first and then Herbod advances to the exploration arrow. The human will benefit from the animal's "Sharp Senses" if a trap or an enemy are spawned, since the rat is two squares away from him and in the same section.
Only Mounts
Animals that can only be used as mounts, as specified in their profile (horse, elk), will not be taken into account for the maximum number of companions, and will not be allowed to accompany the heroes in quests that take place in indoor scenarios.
Character Creation
In Dungeon Universalis, you can create a custom hero according to your tastes or interests, enhancing or diminishing his racial features and specializing him as you wish within any of the classes available. The experience of creating your own hero and seeing him evolve as he acquires experience is often better and funnier than that of choosing a predesigned hero. In order to create your own character, you must first choose a race for him, selecting the appropriate card.
When creating a character, each player has 8 development points he may use to increase the attributes of his hero. At the same time you must check the class you want for your hero, since some classes boost or limit the development of a hero's attribute.
NOTE: there are no maximum or minimum values for Dexterity or Perception. These can only be enhanced by skills. Natural Armor and Fortune, which are permanent, cannot be changed either.
NOTE 2: Most races have values of -/- in their Mana Attribute. If they have a numerical value (+2), this indicates that 1 Development Point may be invested in increasing their initial and maximum number of Mana points by 1 (exceeding the generic limitations for wizards). They may be increased up to +2 if 2 Development Points are invested.
Example: The hero on the card begins with a value of 5 in Movement, 3 in Combat Skill and 3 in Strength. Enhancing his Movement to 6 requires 1 development point. Each time you want to improve your Combat Skill you must invest 2 development points, always depending on the class you chose, which might affect the number of development points required. For example, if the character is a warrior, the first increase in Combat Skill will require 1 less point than usual. This means that using a single development point you can increase this attribute from 3 to 4. Finally, if you want to increase your Strength from 3 to 4 (the maximum according to your race), this will cost you no less than 3 development points. Being an elf, if you wished to be a magician, you could decide to increase your mana by +2. In order to do so you would have to invest two development points in this. This means that instead of having 8 mana points at the beginning of each quest, you would have 10.
Choose a Race
Race cards indicate the hero's alignment: an evil, good, or neutral alignment symbol — neutral heroes can be in a group of any alignment, since good and evil alignments are incompatible.
The card also shows the skill cards with which the hero begins (they can be skills of any type, inherent to that race). It also shows the Fortune points a hero has because of his race — some races are more fortunate or more favored by the gods than others.
The card also determines the racial attributes of a hero, as well as the limits to improve them, indicating the minimums he has according to his race (left column) and the maximums achievable (right column). The yellow points are the development points that have to be spent in order to increase the value of each attribute by +1 point.
Choose a Class
Each player will choose the class card for his hero that best suits his interests. There are three major class groups. The Fighters are the ones who base their strong points on combat of any kind. Explorers include those characters who preferably specialize in exploration or subterfuge tasks. Spellcasters are those who master the use of magic forces to a greater or lesser extent, since they possess a Mana pool from the time of their creation.
The player will check the card, considering the difficulty of learning new skills and the range of these, which will be useful during the hero's subsequent evolution (see "Character Evolution"). He will take the initial skill cards that such class includes, and he will pay attention to the advantages and disadvantages or limitations described, in case any of them could modify the use of development points as explained in the previous section.
Each class card shows: the specific class; an illustration representing the class; and its advantages and disadvantages.
Combinations
Since Dungeon Universalis is intended to be a game system that allows an enormous number of options and is applicable to many different universes, we have tried to represent almost all possible combinations. However, there are a number of classes preferable for each race, keeping in mind the background of the world of Arasca in which our campaigns will be set.
We offer you as an orientative way a list of the most common classes for each race and their possible limitations:
- Amphibians: warrior, scout, ranger, wizard (spells from the lores of Corruption and Underworld cannot be chosen), animist, sorcerer (Tribal magic only).
- Beastmen: barbarian, warrior, scout, rogue, bard, forester, animist, sorcerer (Tribal magic only).
- Birdfolk: warrior, assassin, scout, sorcerer, wizard.
- Catfolk: warrior, assassin, scout, ranger, animist, warrior monk, sorcerer (Tribal magic only).
- Celestials: warrior, paladin, scout, bard, runic master, wizard.
- Centaurs: warrior, scout, ranger, animist.
- Cyclops: all except knight, paladin, sorcerer hunter, necromancer.
- Dark elves: warrior, paladin, gladiator, battle dancer, assassin, scout, rogue, bard, wizard, animist, sorcerer.
- Dwarves: barbarian, warrior, gladiator, assassin, scout, rogue, ranger, bard, runic master.
- Dogfolk: warrior, scout, ranger, animist, sorcerer (Tribal magic only).
- Elves: warrior, paladin, gladiator, battle dancer, scout, ranger, bard, forester, wizard (spells from the lores of Corruption and Underworld cannot be chosen), animist.
- Goblins: warrior, assassin, scout, rogue, animist, sorcerer.
- Halflings: warrior, scout, rogue, ranger, bard, animist.
- Humans: all of them, but if he is a necromancer, sorcerer or underworld sorcerer, or if he learns Corruption or Underworld spells, he will be considered of evil alignment.
- Infernals: warrior, scout.
- Minotaurs: barbarian, warrior.
- Ogres: barbarian, warrior, gladiator, scout, ranger (without spells), animist, sorcerer (Tribal magic only).
- Orcs: barbarian, warrior, assassin, gladiator, scout, ranger (without spells), animist, sorcerer (Tribal magic only).
- Ratfolk: warrior, assassin, scout, rogue, wizard (Fire and Corruption magic only), animist, sorcerer.
- Renegade dwarves: barbarian, warrior, paladin, gladiator, assassin, scout, rogue, ranger, bard, runic master, sorcerer.
- Reptilians: warrior, assassin, scout, ranger, wizard (spells from the lores of Corruption and Underworld cannot be chosen), animist, sorcerer (Tribal magic only).
- Shardminds: warrior, scout, runic master, animist, sorcerer, wizard.
- Treefolk: warrior, scout, ranger, animist.
- Trolls: warrior, scout, sorcerer (Tribal magic only).
- Vampires: warrior, knight, necromancer, sorcerer (witchcraft magic only).
The Most Restrictive Option
In case there is a conflict between the characteristics or restrictions of a Race and a Class when combining them, the most restrictive option will prevail.
Choose Skills
Heroes must draw the skill cards that correspond to the race and class they chose. Remember that there are four types of skills in four different decks: 1) Combat, 2) Scholarly and Leadership, 3) Exploration and Subterfuge, 4) Nature. The first three can be acquired depending on the chosen profession, this way, they'll be sometimes referred to as "professional skills", the others being called "natural".
Some races allow the learning of an extra* professional skill at the moment of the character's creation. In addition, as the heroes acquire experience, they will be able to learn new professional skills. However, there is an important limitation to the maximum number of skills: After being created a hero will only be able to learn twice as many new professional skills as his Intelligence value.
At the bottom of each professional skill card are the symbols of the classes that can learn this particular skill. If the symbol of a class is not included, it means that it is impossible for a character with that class to learn it.
*If a race card reads that the hero starts with a professional skill of his choice, remember that it must comply with the symbols for the classes.
- Combat Skills: they provide certain advantages during combat, both in melee or using ranged weapons. These are the skills preferred by Fighters, although some types of heroes such as Battle Wizards and even Explorers might make a good use of them.
- Scholarly and Leadership: Spellcasters find here their main source of learning. Many of these skills can improve their spell casting, knowledge of magic objects, or be useful when it comes to encouraging allies.
- Exploration and Subterfuge: they are especially useful during exploration turns, when the group need some experienced, skilled hands, a sharp eye or acrobatic skills to get around obstacles. Some of them can also be very useful to get the Initiative at the beginning of a combat.
- Nature: natural abilities bring together options as diverse as invulnerability, resistance to spells, the ability to have poisonous attacks, greater natural toughness or sharpened senses. Certain negative aspects of some races and creatures are also included here, such as vulnerability to certain attacks or disadvantages in dark environments.
Choose Your Equipment
Each newly created character has an initial budget of 20 coins.
Always observing this budget and the limitations of each class each player will decide which is the equipment his character will start with, deducting the cost of each item from his budget. Characters may even acquire a pet (if they have the skill "Taming Animals") or hire the services of a mercenary.
A hero will not be able to share any part of his initial budget with other characters.
Rare Objects
During his creation, a character will be able to acquire any rare objects he wishes, and the usual roll is not required.
Equipment Limitations
Weight Limit: each player must calculate the maximum weight his character can carry with him, summing the character's Strength and Vitality and multiplying the result by 2. This limitation is written on the right side of the bar, while the weight of all equipment transported is noted on the left, including armor.
Limit of objects: only one shield or buckler, two light or heavy armors (excluding helmets, greaves or bracelets) and up to 5 weapons of any kind are allowed.
Limit of coins: each hero may carry up to 30 coins (each coin actually represents an undetermined amount of coins of various sizes and metals).
Items such as precious gems and similar small valuables shall have weight 1 unless otherwise specified.
Mercenaries and animals with the skill "Mount" will be able to carry equipment and coins with the same limitations as a hero. That is to say, the hero will be able to use them to transport part of his belongings.
Weight Excess
The limitations indicated in the previous section can be ignored, but with the following consequences:
If a character carries more weight than his maximum allowed, or otherwise breaks the equipment limitations, he will suffer the Stunned condition.
If a character exceeds two or more of these limitations (e.g., exceeding the limit of coins and the limit of objects at the same time), or more than doubles any limit (e.g., carrying more than 60 coins), he will suffer the Stunned condition and will not be able to move or perform any Actions during his activation.
Experience
Experience Points
As soon as the heroes achieve a mission, they will write down on their hero card or file the experience points they have gained during the quest.
Unless another reward is indicated on the Quest Sheet (which will prevail over all others), standard-size adventures will award the following experience points:
- +1 if the group has accomplished the mission on the first attempt.
- +1 if the group has scored more Achievement points than the Dark Player.
Those heroes who finish the quest Knocked Out will get no experience.
Remember that Achievement points only give experience if the heroes have accomplished the quest.
Experience points are accumulated and each player decides when to invest them to improve his character, as described in the next section. These improvements can be made at any time between quests. That is, whenever characters are not inside a scenario.
Places and Services
Certain locations (Combat Schools, Libraries) allow characters to earn extra experience points. Check the Places and Services cards, described in the "Campaigns" chapter.
Character's Evolution
Heroes can use every 3 accumulated experience points in one of the following upgrades:
- Skill learning.
- Development points.
- Increasing in Fortune.
- Learning spells.
Skill Learning
Heroes can learn one new skill with the usual restrictions.
Professional skills: the player will roll 1D6 and check the result, comparing it to the range of new skills his character can learn, which varies according to his class. In most cases only certain types of professional skills will be available (Combat, Scholarly and Leadership, Exploration and Subterfuge). He will choose a specific skill of his choice, sticking to the typology indicated by the die and observing all other restrictions (remember that, as a general rule, two heroes cannot have the same skill per class*). If the previous skill that the hero learned through this system belongs to the same type that has been rolled, he can ignore the result and choose the type he prefers. He will do the same if it is not possible for him to learn any skill of the type indicated on the die.
*Don't let this stop you from playing with your favorite classes. If you wish to play with two heroes with the same initial professional skill (barbarian-gladiator), feel free to use them by sharing the skill card. But remember that after creation it is preferable that they do not acquire the same professional skills.
Example: the player controlling Borgron, a Runic Master, rolls 1D6 and gets a result of 4. Therefore, he must choose one skill among the Scholarly and Leadership ones, as indicated by the learning range on the card of his class.
Nature skills: some heroes, as indicated on their race card, may also learn Nature skills. Instead of rolling 1D6 to determine the type of professional skill they will learn, they can choose an appropriate Nature skill instead.
Development Points
For every 3 experience points, a hero can get one development point which he can invest in increasing an attribute (without exceeding the racial limits in any case).
Players can accumulate experience points to increase attributes that require several development points. For example: if an elf needs 3 development points to increase his Strength by 1, he must accumulate 9 experience points, which will provide him with the 3 development points required.
As a maximum, each of the attributes can be increased once by means of using accumulated experience. For example, an elf can increase his Vitality, Strength and Agility by 1 using the experience accumulated after many games.
NOTE: remember that Dexterity and Perception cannot be increased with development points, only by acquiring skills.
Increases in Fortune
The hero gets an extra Fortune point permanently. At most, 2 points of Fortune can be increased above the initial ones (heroes who have the "Invulnerable" ability, are of Large size or start with only 2 or 3 initial Fortune points can only increase them by 1 point).
Learning Spells
In order to learn a new spell from the chosen lore (with the usual restrictions), heroes must visit a School of Magic and pay the cost of learning it. They can also learn new spells from a different lore if their class card allows it.
For each spell learned, heroes increase their mana points by 2. A hero's mana limit is Intelligence x 3. However, they can continue to learn spells even if they reach their maximum Mana points. This way, they will become more versatile spellcasters as they will know more spells that will be useful in different situations.
Sorcery Levels
Spellcaster heroes will be considered Apprentices until they reach a VP of 15. When they reach a VP of 30, they will be regarded as Archmages. See the restrictions and advantages of being an Apprentice or Archmage in the chapter "Magic".
Character's Value Points
A hero's initial Value Points will be 10.
As he gains experience points and invests them in improvements, his attributes and skills will increase and with them his value points.
A hero's VP will be equal to the sum of 10 plus the upgrades or evolutions made. Each upgrade will increase a hero's VP by 2, regardless of the experience points invested.
Example: the elf Taeral wants to increase his Strength from 3 to 4, for which he needs no less than 3 development points, according to his race card. To get 3 developmental points, Taeral needs to gain 9 experience points. He has accumulated 8 experience points and records them on his file, but they won't increase his VP until he invests them in increasing his strength. Once he invests the 9 experience points he needs, he will increase his VP by 2. After several quests, he decides to invest 3 more accumulated experience points in learning a new skill, so his VP will increase again by 2.
Background
On the Origin of the World
On the continent of Arasca there are different mythologies and explanations about the creation of the world, according to the different civilizations. However, during the first Great Council held in the city of Shiilan, which stands on the island of the Great Inland Sea, the numerous scholars of the continent gathered there agreed to take as a reference the descriptions of The Collard, the supreme book written by the god Ansurax. Such decision was made with the most absolute political and religious neutrality, without the pressure exerted by kings or any other factual powers.
Thus, according to the writings of Ansurax, which are part of the mythology of the Ancients or kamaerin (the first dwellers of the world), its origin was the result of the death of an immense titan that roamed the universe. The titan, upon expiring, gave existence to the earth with its flesh; its blood was the sea, and its last breath was the air. From its body emerged the various gods who lived in heaven, and these, so as not to die in solitude as their creator, decided to seed heaven and earth with life. The Ancients were the first creation of the gods and received the gift of immortality, the same their makers had, they called themselves angels and lived with them in heaven.
Humans were later created by the god Radan. They received the gift of mortality and remained for a long time in Arasca, in the Earthly Paradise, as they once called it. Until most of them were banished because of their violent and dominant character and, forced to cross the wide sea, they forged their civilizations in other continents, Europe, Africa, Asia, America, Australia, where they have grown at a dizzying rate until today.
The gods worked for peace in Arasca, until power disputes began and their wills split. Then, the demonic inhabitants of hells emerged from the darkness engendered in the seeds of the Great Tree of Evil, born from the restrained hatred of the dominant gods. The god Ansurax, son of the god Dar, Lord of the Sun, longed for the power over the world. He brought destruction to Earthly Paradise with his hordes, claiming that absolute Chaos was the true existential force of all things. The kind-hearted gods, or gods of light, sent armies of heavenly angels to the forges of Hell, while flocks of winged demons tried to break the crystal dome that protected the Palace of the High Heavens. Then the men were called to return and support the Ancients, who no longer abounded in number after so many massacres. Unfortunately, the human race was as combative and tenacious as it was subduable, so some of them allied themselves with evil. Many were the mortals who witnessed the supernatural beings walking among the crowds of humans over the razed earth. Powerful warriors emerged and accepted the cruel challenge of war, allying themselves with both sides and earning the respect and hatred of the worlds with their legendary feats. Although the lesser demons respected them and knelt before some of them, they also cursed human existence. Many of these demons believed that the death and destruction wrought by men was an offense to their superior role in the order of Chaos, and consequently, jealous of the growing importance of humans, they committed countless atrocities against mortals.
During the Intemporary Wars, Ansurax proclaimed himself God of Darkness and Hell, and named three of his best demons as his lieutenants. Among them was Raazbal, the fallen angel, expelled from the Palace of the High Heavens for a moral offence, and deformed by cruelty and eternal hatred. At the twilight of the first millennium of war, all the heavenly forces gathered to face in battle the immense black horde, formed by a multitude of races, that the Great Tree of Evil had conceived. The Battle of Light and Darkness lasted for a hundred days and a hundred nights, and at the end of the last night, when the celestial army began to falter, the archangel Fraudiel entered into the depths of Hell with a group of brave men. There, twisted by pain and hatred, he found the Tree of Evil. Fraudiel cut off its branches and stems, from which dark blood sprouted instead of sap, and then burnt the dreadful vegetable creation. Ansurax and his army fell that same night after the heroic deed of the Archangel. The dark god died at the hands of the Ancients and their loyal men, leaving the crown in the hands of the first. He also left The Collard, which he himself had written with his blood, and which was indestructible except by his own hands. Only the mighty Raazbal managed to survive the slaughter and the kingdom of Chaos went into a long lethargy.
Unable to find the abode of Ansurax's last lieutenant, the gods, fearing the belligerent nature of the human race, decided to hide the Earthly Paradise forever from the rest of the continents, but offered those humans who fought in their favor the chance to forget their origins and progress there, isolated from the rest of the world. Many crossed the wide sea again and returned to where civilizations prospered, while others chose to stay. Those who remained forged multitudes of kingdoms and empires as they explored the vast territories. The demons were banished to the Isle of Fire, although there are several portals that allow them to emerge in other latitudes of the world. Gradually, the whim of the gods gave rise to a multitude of races. Over time, some races split into different evolutionary paths to form the enormous melting pot of cultures and civilizations that exists today.
On the Soul Stones and Evil
The crown of Ansurax contained three gemstones called Soul Stones. Each of them had the power to imprison the soul of a demon who might try to seize the command from the Lord of Darkness; there was one for each existing lieutenant. This is how the gods came to possess three Soul Stones to trap the only living lieutenant of Ansurax, Raazbal, and prevent him from emulating his lord. One of the Soul Stones was given to the Ancients, and the other two to humans. While the Ancients kept it safe, waiting for the right moment to use it, humans lost the two that had been assigned to them, after having wasted one of them trying to catch the spirit of a minor demon by mistake.
Raazbal reappeared establishing his power in the kingdom of Bandmor, at one end of the Mountains of Damnation. At the same time, the Thai-Shiang empire, whose army consisted almost exclusively of slant-eyed riders, was at its peak. An alliance of northwestern kingdoms and empires, organized to halt the advance of the terrible Shiang army, served a group of heroes to cross the steppes and reach Bandmor. Aided by the kamaerin, they managed to lock the great demon into the only Soul Stone that had not been destroyed and cut off the roots of the Tree of Evil.
But Chaos and Evil never fade away, they remain dormant, and silently grow until they can burst again like a volcano when the right time comes...
The Present Moment in the Kingdom of Alania
For hundreds of years, the kingdom of Bandmor served as a defensive wall against other civilizations on the continent. Since its decline less than a century ago, due to the last fall of Raazbal, new commercial land routes were opened that crossed the broad steppes and reached the westernmost kingdoms. Long caravans from the east cross the shrunken Thai-Shiang empire, which has not regained the splendour of the past, but has regained most of its territories east of the great Asdurag River. All traders first flow into Verneck, where fairs and markets are organized. Many wandering travellers, explorers, mercenaries and go-getters meet on this side of the world for adventure or business.
Alania is a kingdom of very recent creation. For centuries, these lands belonged to the empire of Pulse. However, the nobles of the region always felt mistreated with respect to those who belonged to the western peninsula, where the degree of agricultural, architectural and even military development evidenced much higher investments. Alania was a territory in constant danger, since it was a border area with a huge empire like Thai-Shiang. At the same time, it bordered the wealthy kingdom of Bibal to the north and sporadically suffered the onslaught of barbarians and devastators who descended from the frozen wastelands or the islands of the North Sea. It was always a troubled area, where skirmishes prevailed even among the nobles themselves, who invaded castles and neighboring lands, and plotted small conspiracies and sometimes murders. They remained united against the threat of the eastern empire and during the last great war. However, when the Shiang were attacked by the West and Pulse lost countless military forces and much of their wealth due to the war, the nobles of Alania understood that this was the right time to fight for their interests and decided to fight for their independence. The Empire had no choice but to grant it after the first internal wars, unable to send a powerful army to quell the rebellion. Shortly thereafter came the independence of Raíncla, the peninsula on the other side of the White Sea. Since then, the nobles of Alania form a recent convulsed kingdom, with a king elected every five years, and where the balance of power among the noble houses guarantees a fragile peace.
The Geography of Arasca
The continent of Arasca is the favorite place of the gods, and thus it is also the place where the gods impose most of their whims. There are very different climatic zones, from the area of frozen deserts in the North and the land of the Elementals, where the cold becomes so extreme that even the sea freezes to serve as a bridge between some islands, to the great warm deserts of the South, where civilizations such as the Forgotten Pharaohs progress by building their pyramids. The continental climate is predominant, although there are endless jungles in the southeast and milder climates in the southwest, where some of the civilizations that came from the Old World are settled, such as that of Iberia or that of the Sons of Jupiter. There is also a multitude of large peninsulas. Humans populate the western ones. The western peninsula, where the Empire of Pulse prospers, the peninsula of Raíncla, where the kingdom of the same name is located, recently independent of Pulse, and the peninsula of New Iberia where halflings and human share lands. Huge deserts can be found, not only the warmest ones, but also those to the south of the Khumund mountain range or the dangerous deserts of the great worms, located south of the Great Inland Sea, the largest surface of water in the continent. The great steppes are in the central zone and in the northwestern part, between the plentiful Asdurag and the river Asarlung. There are other long rivers such as the Red River, where the Chask tribes make their offerings, the Deep and Yellow rivers that nourish the jungles, or the Whispering river that flows into the Southern Sea. Great forests extend everywhere, such as the Green Forest in the northeast, inhabited by wild elves, the millennial Stone Forest, where the great orcs find the wood to build their totems, the Torath Forest, where the lycanthropes proliferate, the Troll Forest or the Eternal Forest that surrounds the mountains of the kingdom of Kämaer. But the largest one is the Black Forest, that extends in the southern border, inhabited by a multitude of beasts and some Amazonian tribes.
Races and Civilizations
In Arasca a huge number of races coexist. The Ancient or kamaerin, also called celestial, were the first creation of the gods and remain in the Kingdom of Kämaer. Much taller than humans and very stealthy, generally have whitish skin and hair and are incredibly resistant to cold. Its ice city and capital, Menon, was built on the lake that flooded through a spell the previous city of the same name.
The First Elves hold their dominions in the forest bordering the north, in the Origen Island and in the nearby coasts. From these two factions were split, the Renegade Elves and the Wood Elves, who moved away to the eastern end of the continent. The first inhabit the Peninsula of the Astray, and prefer to live in coastal and rocky areas. The Wood Elves or Silvan Elves have prospered in the vast Green Forest, where they build their cities on trees in alliance with the spirits of the forest. Both the elves and the kamaerin share a common past and a unique singularity: they are immortal, and are not changed by the passing of time, which makes them much wiser and more serene than any other races.
Demons are present in various parts of the world, but especially on the Isle of Fire. They are very powerful and feel a deep hatred towards the human race. Like the kamaerin, they do not suffer the effects of time or disease, but weapons can harm them.
Humans are many and their kingdoms cover much of the continent. The Empire of Pulse has lost many territories but is still very powerful on the Western Peninsula. Capable of manufacturing gunpowder weapons, they possess the best blacksmiths in the craft of manufacturing armor. They are really highly advanced both in art and science. However, it is also the main kingdom defending the True Christian Faith that came from the Old Continent. A few decades ago, the current kingdom of Alania, which was formerly made up of several counties within the empire, and the kingdom of Raíncla, which occupies the peninsula of the same name, became independent from Pulse. Next to Pulse are the islands of Trecia, whose inhabitants keep the civil and military customs of their distant Greek relatives, exhibiting countless marble statues and temples with hundreds of columns.
On the other side of the Sharp Mountains of Pulse live the ascadians in their deep forests, fearsome warriors whose leaders ride on bears. Nearby is Lesonia and beyond that the northern barbarians in the Torath Forest and the kingdom of Bibal, rich region due to its silver mines and whose capital is on the island of Lake Itarig. Beyond the river Asdurag there are several barbarian tribes of a certain nomadic character, such as the fierce Kurgan, and some even more primitive such as the Drugni or cavern dwellers, or the Siarons, who live in teepees made with horse and bison skin. The entire lower half of the extension between the Asdurag and the Asarlung is occupied by the Thai-Shiang Empire. The slanted-eyed lived their splendor in times past. They are fierce and pale like the moon. Great riders of horses that dominate the wide expanses of meadows. A century ago they broke the long truce with the Pulse Empire and decided to cross the Asdurag to invade Alania first and then spread throughout the northwestern part of the continent. But Pulse's army and an alliance of kingdoms replicated by crossing the Shiang empire from west to east like a slashing knife and their terrible military power declined considerably. Over the last few decades, they have managed to restore most of their territories and constructions despite the belligerent tribes that border on the north. They are still the best warriors on horseback, able to shoot a bow at gallop with great precision or to travel non-stop on their mounts for days. Their great capital, Thamey, is now one of the key spots on the continent's trade routes.
In the White Sea there are two outstanding kingdoms located in two groups of islands. The Sons of the Kraken rule the Grey Islands with a firm fist. Worshippers of the great creature from the oceans, they have a good fleet of ships and their islands are often the destination of many prisoners from the mainland. There are also the Corsair Kingdoms, which compete in the sea with the Sons of the Kraken and also with the taifas that thrive on the southern coast of the White Sea. Further southwest the civilizations of Iberia can be found, where humans rule pestilent cities in which knights challenge each other in street duels with swords and foils, and the Sons of Jupiter, descendants of the navigators of the Roman Empire. As you travel along the coast of the Southern Sea and through the inland lands on that side of the world, you may find the Kingdom of the White Tree. They worship the one they say is the antagonist of the Tree of Evil, and the kingdom of the Lords of horses, a people as accustomed to riding as the Shiang, though less belligerent. In the eastern part of the continent, humans are just an exception. However, on the Island of the Rising Sun it is worth mentioning the kingdom of Shinto, a place of pilgrimage for the best martial arts warriors. Once on the continent, the town of Umun prospers on the shores of the Great Inland Sea. It began as a colony founded by a western priest converted to explorer, who eventually became king.
Halflings are also worthy of mention, despite being a breed of small people that barely occupy the northwestern region of the Nueva Iberia peninsula and the Balidos Islands, known for the number of sheep in them. They are usually peaceful, calm and kind people who do not like fights, traps or brawls. Usually noisy at parties, they are rarely seen to get into trouble and generally resolve their conflicts with a good dialectical fight before exchanging some hugs, induced by the abundant beer and wine that they themselves brew and export to other places.
Orcs or uroks are a formidable breed, capable of proliferating in wastelands, in rich and leafy valleys and forests, in frozen areas, rugged coastlines, rough mountains and wide meadows. Like humans, they thrive better than any other race in very different climates. There are several sub-races. Some of them, those that inhabit the southern strip of the continent, are little taller than a dwarf, thin and hunched over. Others become as big and strong as gorillas. The Northwest is where they most rarely can be found, although they occupy various dens in the Gray Mountains and on Crab Island, where they hold the kingdom of Krogg. Their largest and most belligerent territories are in the north-eastern regions around the Khumund mountain range.
It is very common to see goblin clans in the vicinity of the orc domains. Small and tricky, these creatures normally live in the mountains, although one of their strongest kingdoms is in the Red Forest.
Dwarves are a race that inhabits both ends of the continent. The origins of the first dwarf houses began in the Khumund mountain range, there they hold their greatest fortresses, those that endure the constant onslaughts of the hordes of orcs and goblins and also the expansion attempts of the kingdom of the Reborn from the western side of the mountains. When the first Khumund mines were exhausted, several dwarf clans predicted the end of the extractions in the area and decided to listen to the reports of explorers, who located new and formidable deposits in the southwestern end of Arasca. They traveled to the Ach mountains, where they settled and formed new cities dug into the rock. But in Khumund new deposits were found too and, with time, the clans started fighting for them, which forced the exile of some houses who travelled south to form the kingdoms of the Renegade Dwarfs. These, inferior in number, embraced dark magic and included half-breed orcs and goblins and hobgoblins in their armies.
Among the Green forest and the regions dominated by the great orcs are the territories of the dogfolk. The features of some clans of this race resemble hyenas, while others seem more related to wolves. In any case, they have an enviable sense of smell and tend to form large communities in the plains and occasionally in the forests and deserts under their domain.
On the Serpent Peninsula and in the forests along the coast that rises to the Green Forest live the catfolk. They live clustered in clans where certain sub-races can be observed, such as tigers, panthers and lions. They are agile and fast, with a good sense of smell and intelligent, although they live in very small groups. Most of the adults in a clan are usually absent from their homes for weeks. They are accustomed to constant travelling as they hunt and explore, often venturing outside their lands. Except for the groups of elders who are in charge of creating and enforcing the laws and also of the schools of magic, it is difficult to see large communities, since the clans are very scattered and only meet from time to time for festivities and to decide upon urgent matters such as war.
Bordering on the dogfolk, the catfolk and the renegade dwarfs are the kingdoms of the brutal ogres. This race is mainly based in the Bone Mountains, so called because on the peaks of the promontories they place large piles of bones belonging to all their fallen enemies, not before they have been fleshed and devoured. However, it is easy to see ogres in other parts of the continent. It is common to see them employed as mercenaries, tavern bouncers, bodyguards, pit fighters or even loggers or cattlemen in human kingdoms.
Trolls hardly mix with humans, but they do mix with orcs and goblins. They benefit from their better hunting skills in exchange for giving them protection. The only place where quite well-organized trolls have been seen is in the kingdom they hold in the Yellow Mountains. There, they do not only deal with war or the protection of their mines. They also have archaic forms of government and even practice magic.
Among the large humanoid breeds worth mentioning, the most difficult to see are those of the Cyclops and Minotaurs, both because they are few in number and because they usually have a solitary character. Cyclops lurk in the Ach Mountains, while minotaurs roam the vast Black Forest, often embedded among the tribes of beastmen and centaurs. These horned breeds are semi-nomadic and hardly stay longer than one season in the same place. They are great hunters and their hoofs and strong limbs allow them to travel long distances.
In the area of the great jungles, in the southeast of the continent, we find the kingdoms of the reptilians and amphibians, who build their pyramids near the eastern shore of the great rivers. They are lands difficult to conquer by armies due to the thick vegetation, and these cold-blooded races have become accustomed to living in prehistoric civilizations almost completely isolated from the rest of the world. It is therefore not easy to find reptilian or amphibian warriors or explorers (not to say sorcerers) outside their borders or used to life in cities. However, there is a sub-race of giant amphibians, the Chask, which inhabit the great red meadows surrounding the Mountains of Doom. Equally primitive, with a great sense of smell and strong as bulls, they are very belligerent nomadic tribes that tend to tame large lizards as mounts.
Those who do live in the jungles in more advanced civilizations are the Misran, apes with an intelligence similar to that of humans. Their kingdom is on the western side of the Yellow River, and their cities are built hanging in the air by means of enormous wooden platforms. They also tend to live quite isolated, although the Amazonian tribes and Umun's men sometimes trade with them.
In the Moon Island, the great surface of land surrounded by the Great Inland Sea, the civilization of the Cyx or shardmind thrives. These beings with brittle bodies, immune to poisons or diseases, practice a multitude of scientific disciplines and agglutinate most of the knowledge in the world, only surpassed by that of the kamaerin. The Cyx sages are in contact with erudite circles from all ends of the continent.
Around the Great Inland Sea fomror and kobolds also thrive. The former are a prehistoric race that inhabits the Whispering Swamps. They have only one eye, big as a goose egg, and live in a matriarchal society where the strongest warrior tribes enslave the weakest in enclosures made of mud. Kobolds are very different. Small, related to reptilians and accustomed to living in caves and tunnels they dig under the mountains.
Similar to the kobolds, but more intelligent and numerous, are the ratmen, who sometimes leave their cities underground to raid the lands of forests and plains around in large hordes. They are so numerous and have such working capacity that they dig very long tunnels. Because of this they have managed to settle in places scattered all over the continent. They practice dark magic and have a special ability for picaresque and subterfuge.
Birdmen or Raaz are few in number and generally live in colonies built on the slopes of the Zigzagging Mountains. There are sub-races that lost the ability to fly, while others have barely developed prehensile fingers that allow them to use tools effectively.
The devastators, on the other hand, are a species of human race dominated by the demonic forces that inhabit the north. They live in the icy, volcanic deserts of the north, where life is almost a miracle and war is necessary even to find food. They take advantage of winter to get out of their black fortresses and cross the sea straits that separate them from the continent. They are not very numerous but their thirst for blood is unparalleled.
In addition to the races of mortals and immortals, it is worth mentioning those civilizations or kingdoms which belong to those returned from the dead. In the southern part of the continent, the Forgotten Pharaohs continue to protect their pyramids in the middle of the desert, just as their mortal ancestors did before the Dry River acquired its present name and caused the Great Famine.
In the north, the kingdom of the Reborn contracts and expands like heartbeats. Both the vampires, incredible creatures whose power rivals that of angels and demons, and the necromancers, have legions of servants they raise and launch against the nearby territories. Even though this happens only every century, when winters are especially long and bitter, the strait that leads to the Bay of Ibram freezes and the dead walk through it avoiding the obstacle of the Mountains of Doom. It is then that human kingdoms discover the existence of the dormant danger of the Reborn.
Quests
Quest Sheet
In Dungeon Universalis, a quest is a game that takes place in a given scenario and is represented on a Quest Sheet, regardless of whether it belongs to a campaign or not. In the book "Quests and Campaigns" we include several independent scenarios, a big campaign with a narrative thread and other smaller campaigns.
In the main campaign "The return of Raazbal", the first two quests are introductory and highly recommended to get started in the game:
- M1 Free the merchants (this small quest which doesn't use Dark Player decks will help you learn the combat mechanics).
- M2 Rorg's Lair (it will help you learn the exploration mechanics).
We also recommend these two independent quests (and any epic event) if you want to practice without starting a campaign:
- M34 The Bandits Den
- M39 Cattle-Thief Trolls
Remember that, unless otherwise specified on the Quest Sheet, the heroes always start. Initiative rolls are normally made only when enemies are encountered after revealing an unexplored section. Therefore, if the heroes start in an already explored section or scenario, they will always start first and then the Dark Player's side will be activated. The starting section of a scenario is always considered as already explored.
Here are the different parts and elements of a Quest Sheet:
1. Sections
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Name of the Quest.
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Narrative background of the quest.
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Quest number. Each color represents a type of quest (it will help you locate it on the campaign map): quest that starts a campaign; quest belonging to a campaign; independent quest; epic event (only played if activated by a Travel Event card).
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Difficulty level: although the difficulty is usually adjusted to the level of the heroes, it can be increased depending on the objective proposed or the special rules of the scenario. You'll see that some small adventures are easy, since they serve as introductory games or small missions. The greater the number of icons, the greater the level of difficulty.
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(Only in Epic Events) it shows the kind of terrain or settlement where the event may take place.
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Estimated time: indicates the duration of the quest, variable according to the number of players.
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Goal: brief description of the mission.
NOTE: if the quest goal is "The heroes must leave the scenario" or "The heroes must get to square X", it is actually only referring to the heroes (not their companions).
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Faction: indicates the faction to which the creatures in the scenario belong. If the creatures do not belong to any faction, the quest sheet will specify which ones can be used. The characters or creatures used by the Dark Player generally belong to a single faction, although creatures and warriors from different factions can be combined, especially in adventures designed by the players themselves.
TIP: in certain situations you may find that there aren't enough standees from creatures of a particular type or race to place them on the board, especially if you decide to play with factions that aren't included in our predesigned quests. You can choose between two options. Either you activate other creatures from the faction with the same cost, or you use standees of different creatures that represent the creature you want.
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Set-up: here are the various arrangements prior to the start of the game. Learn about changes and variations in the construction of card decks, Reserve Points, use of counters, etc.
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Special elements: here the different special elements on the map are shown. It is recommended that the Dark Player prepares the card for each special Element during the setup of the game.
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Furniture: indicates the various items of furniture on the map. It is recommended that the Dark Player prepares the card for each Furniture item during the setup of the game.
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Other elements: very diverse information. Location of elements that are not included among the previous ones, creatures for the Dark Player's use, obstacles, etc. They are indicated on the map by numbered circles and squares.
The Dark Player must pay for the cost of all the creatures located in specific squares in the scenario as soon as they are placed on the board, except in those cases in which the quest sheet specifies that they come at no cost or when the Reserve Points left are not sufficient to pay for them. If the latter happens, you will simply not be able to spawn them. The creatures will have no cost if the Reserve Point counter is not used during the quest.
- Leader: this indicates whether there is a Quest Leader and what equipment or qualities it has.
If the Dark Player does not have enough Reserve Points to pay for a Leader or a creature during the setup of the quest, he will still pay the cost and will start with a negative balance on the Counter, discarding the necessary cards throughout the game until he has points to spend.
Example: a group of heroes has 32 VP and the Leader costs 45 VP. The Reserve Point Counter will start with a balance of -13. The Dark Player will discard the necessary cards throughout the game to have points available and be able to start activating cards from that point on.
- Special rules: different information about the specifics of the quest. Limitation of turns, special behaviors and situations or restrictions on the use of cards or creatures, etc.
- Quest End: information about what happens when a mission is accomplished or failed.
As a rule, heroes will have two attempts to accomplish a mission. After the first unsuccessful attempt, if they are playing a campaign, they will have to decide whether to follow the narrative thread or whether to make a second attempt. After the second attempt they must follow the narrative thread, even if it is fatal for them.
In the case of Epic Events, a second attempt is not allowed.
- Rewards: coins and experience points awarded to heroes based on merits earned during the quest. They are usually obtained only if the mission has been accomplished.
- Tiles: the numbering of the tiles needed to represent the map.
- Map of the quest.
Notes on a red shaded square should NOT be read by players in cooperative playing mode if they are using the support APP, since these notes will appear on the screen as the map is explored.
2. Notes
- Refers to Encounter cards from the Dark Player's deck.
- Obstacle cards.
- Power Cards.
- Refers to the Quest Leader.
- Narrative nexus icon.
- Exclusive rules for the cooperative mode using an Artificial Dark Player.
3. Map
- Main Room or section: indicates its location and the possible special rules affecting it.
- Location of the Quest Leader.
- Starting point for the heroes: shows the first square where the heroes must be activated in the scenario. They can never be occupied by any creatures controlled by the Dark Player. As a general rule no enemies will be placed in the section where the starting squares are located.
- Goal: represents the square that must be reached in order to achieve an objective. They cannot be occupied by the opposing side. This represents the quest's goal.
- Secret Doors: they must not be placed on the map unless heroes pass a Perception test in the section where they are. Once found and placed, they will be regarded as normal doors that may be opened normally.
- Access element: frame with a yellow dotted line. If a door or access is considered open at the beginning of the quest, its frame will be green.
- Special element: frame with a thick, red dotted line.
- Furniture element: frame with a thick, light blue dotted line.
- Elements already included in the tile: although most elements are independent of the tiles in order to favour modularity, sometimes these are included in the design of the tile itself.
- Squares which are impassable and block LoS: they are delimited by a red frame and shaded in red.
- Other elements or overlapping tiles: these are delimited by a frame with a dashed dotted line.
Between Adventures
If independent quests (not located on a given map) are being played, but players wish their heroes to have a certain continuity and evolution (as would happen in a campaign), it is understood that heroes always return to a settlement as soon as the quest ends.
The heroes, during the period between adventures and before the preparations prior to their next mission, will roll 1D6 to determine the type of place where they rest. On a result of 1-2, the group will stay in a Town. On a result of 3, they will rest in a Castle. On a result of 4-6, they will stay in a City. Draw a random card from that type of location and roll 1D6 (this is regarded as a Travel Event roll). Compare the result with the result required on the Travel Events card. If it equals or exceeds it, flip the card over and read its contents. If the required result is not achieved, it means that no event affects the heroes during their stay in that place.
After the possible events have been resolved, each of the heroes must visit an Inn to pay for their recovery, and may visit 3 other Places and Services (at their choice among all available cards of this type) in order to acquire new equipment, learn, train or hire the services of various professionals, as described in each card.
NOTE: remember that heroes must pay the cost of maintaining mercenaries and animals as soon as they come to rest in an inn.
Selling Equipment
Heroes will be able to sell any of their belongings in any location. All items (including magic items) can be sold automatically for a half of their original price (rounding up).
The Travel Events cards each carry a symbol identifying the type of terrain and location, identical to the one that appears in the campaign map's legend. This same symbol represents the Travel Event roll.
Campaigns
The best way to enjoy Dungeon Universalis is to play a campaign. Campaigns are a set of stories linked by a thread that allows players to fully immerse themselves in the role of their heroes, who evolve, acquire equipment, find magic objects and live unforgettable experiences as they travel through territories and cities, explore hidden places, hire mercenaries or healers, until they are faced with their final mission.
In Dungeon Universalis we consider a major campaign to be any campaign that has 10 or more linked quests.
Heroes' Set-up
The heroes' set-up is the same before a campaign game as that before a standard game.
In Dungeon Universalis, we include a map of a part of the continent of Arasca with which you can represent the great campaign "The return of Raazbal", in addition to playing other minor campaigns, a multitude of independent adventures and epic events as well as creating your own adventures in this universe of medieval fantasy.
The group of heroes will start the campaign in a specific location. From there, following the narrative thread, they will travel through different territories until they reach their next destination.
The Group During the Campaign
Throughout a campaign it will often happen that a player has to be absent from one or more games. During their journeys, all the heroes will be considered to be in the group and will be equally affected by the Travel Events.
Each time a quest or Epic Event is started, players will determine whether the heroes of the absentees are going to be used in that game or not. If they are not used, then the hero will simply be considered absent and will not play that specific quest or Epic Event, while the rest of the group will play as usual. The group's Value Points will therefore be those of the heroes participating at that given moment.
The Campaign Map
The campaign map is made up of the following types of territories: Forest, Mountain, Plain, Swamp, Desert, Volcanic, Glacier and Sea (sea areas bordering on land are considered coastal sea areas). At the same time, it will be possible for heroes to use roads and rivers (only navigable ones) in order to travel. There are also 3 types of settlements (Castles, Cities and Towns). Travel events can be resolved in both settlements and territories.
In order to travel by sea or river, it will be necessary to use a ship (see later in this chapter).
In Dungeon Universalis, heroes are free to move around the map, travelling around a region or territory of their choice, taking shortcuts or detours, visiting cities or castles of their choice, perhaps in order to visit a healer or a magic school, or to improve their skills before undertaking the following mission. They may decide to reach their next destination on horseback, or by taking a boat if they want to save time. They can go around a mountain range or travel to an island.
On the campaign map board that the heroes can check, they will find the names of settlements and geographical features. On the other hand, on the campaign map which the Dark Player can check (the one on the first page of this rulebook and also the campaign and quest books), the adventures that can be played in each territory will be numbered on flags, represented with the same numbering and colour as in the book "Campaign and quest book". Remember that the flags will be as follows: quest that starts a campaign; quest belonging to a campaign; independent quest.
To play the quests of a campaign, just start in a "quest that starts a campaign" and follow the narrative thread to continue through the quests that will be unlocked. Several campaigns can be played simultaneously.
To access an independent quest, on the other hand, it must have been previously unlocked in a different way. An adventure of this type will be unlocked if:
- You are offered the chance to play it while visiting a settlement. In certain places such as taverns, oracles and kings' and governors' quarters you will find out about these quests. Quests chosen through these cards will be unlocked.
- You get a result of 1 on a Travel Event roll. The independent quest in that territory will be unlocked (if there are several, only one will be unlocked at random).
All independent quests will be locked again at the end of the current year.
Each hero will be able to complete each independent quest only once per current year. That is to say, he will be able to make two attempts to complete an unlocked quest, but once the quest has been accomplished, he will not be able to play it again until the following year.
Remember that you can replay a quest (especially the independent ones) changing the factions or creatures that dwell in them to your liking. That will completely change the experience.
In short, heroes will be able to delay the start of their main mission and play a quest belonging to a territory they are travelling through. They have complete freedom of movement during their journey!
Imagine, for example, that the heroes enter some barrows infested with living dead. Later, that same group of heroes, or a different one, could play that quest again, in the same scenario, but this time occupied by a tribe of orcs. Dungeon Universalis' balance system guarantees the possibility of playing games using different factions with a similar level of difficulty without any need for further adjustments.
Campaign Turns
During a campaign there will also be turns, although these will be different from those usually played in a scenario or quest.
The heroes marker will be used to mark the territory they are passing through.
One campaign turn represents several days of real time (one week) and, at the beginning of each turn, the heroes will be able to choose one of these two options:
- Travelling.
- Staying in the territory where they are.
Additionally, they will be able to enter or leave a settlement (or stay in it) in the territory where they started the campaign turn or in the one they are moving to.
On the other hand, during a campaign turn the heroes will be able to perform different activities, such as undertaking a quest in the territory they are moving to or staying in, performing actions such as using objects or casting spells, interacting with characters, camping, crossing bridges, etc.
Only one quest may be played during a campaign turn.
Travelling
During a campaign turn, a group of heroes may move in the following ways:
- Move to an adjacent territory.
- Move one extra territory if they travel through a territory with a plain or road, as long as all the heroes of the group are on mounts.
- If using a boat, move to an adjacent sea area or up to two advance icons on a navigable river.
A hero must use two campaign turns to move to an adjacent territory if he is violating any of the equipment limitations (see "Equipment Limitations" in "Character Creation").
Fatigue and Wounds
During a campaign, the injuries suffered by the heroes are maintained, and their Mana, Vitality and Fortune are not replenished unless they visit certain places (inns, healers...) or take certain potions or healing herbs. Remember that the Knocked Out, Wounded and Diseased conditions are not cancelled at the end of the quest.
Therefore, during their travelling, heroes can be weakened and even Knocked Out. A hero will start a quest in a different physical condition depending on the circumstances that affected him during the journey to get there. He may find himself in such poor condition that he decides to return home halfway through the mission, in order to replenish his strength or acquire new equipment.
Actions in a Campaign Turn
Characters can use objects (potions, provisions) or cast spells (healing) during a campaign turn, before the travel event roll is made.
Travel Events
A Travel Events roll must be made each time the heroes enter or remain in a territory or settlement, each time they leave a settlement, or each time they reach a navigable River.
Such a travel Event will correspond to the type of territory they travel through or the settlement they visit*. Draw a random card from that type of territory or settlement and roll 1D6. If the roll equals or exceeds the required result on the card, flip the card and read its contents. If the required result is not achieved, it will mean that no event affects the heroes.
*If they leave a settlement, they are considered to be traveling through the territory where the settlement is located.
Example: the group of heroes decides to travel from Sudfall to Norkfall, since there is an herbalist in this castle. They must make a Travel Events roll in a Plain, since that turn they enter a territory with a Plain, and then they must make a Travel Events roll in a Castle, because in the same turn in which they have moved to an adjacent territory, they will visit that settlement. If they decide to leave Norfall during the next turn, they will make a Plain Travel Event roll in the territory where the castle is located.
Most events are resolved quickly with one or more rolls. However, some of them offer the possibility of playing an Epic Event. In other words, they allow a simple quest to be played instead of applying the event's automatic effect. These quests are represented with a flag in the "Quests and Campaigns" book.
Epic Events are entirely optional, although they enable the players to fully immerse themselves in the campaign and allow them to earn extra experience points for their heroes. It will be the players themselves who decide whether to solve the event quickly or represent it in an epic way.
Fortune in events: Fortune points may not be used to change a Travel Events roll, but may be used to alter or avoid the results of an event.
Example: according to this Travel Events card, heroes are attacked by the undead. They may resolve the effects automatically or else play an Epic Event: Risen out from the Swamp.
Roads
A group of heroes who travels through territories following a road, may choose between making a Travel events roll using the deck of the territory they travel through or the one corresponding to the deck "Road".
Example: the group of heroes decides to travel from the north to Norkfall, but they agree to do so using the Road instead of walking along the Plain. They must make a Travel Events roll because in the territory where Norkfall is located there is a Road icon.
Mounts
Travelling using mounts (see the "Advanced Rules" chapter to learn about handling mounts) can be very useful for long journeys, especially if you have equipment that exceeds the maximum weight your character may carry. When the heroes begin a quest, and unless they decide otherwise, the mount will be considered to have been left outside with the belongings so indicated by the heroes. During Epic Events, however, the hero will start the quest on his mount or adjacent to it, as he chooses.
Boats
A group of heroes will be able to take a rowboat, a merchant ship or a warship on a Pier/Dock (see the Places and Services cards) in order to transit navigable rivers or sea territories. From that moment on, until they decide to leave the boat, they will travel exclusively on the river or sea area.
A group of heroes may disembark in a territory and deep into it. However, if they move to territories other than the one in which they disembarked, they will lose the ship unless they pay 1 coin for each campaign turn they have been away from that territory. They will pay that sum when they return to the territory where they left the ship.
Navigation will be possible as long as the vessel retains at least 1 Structure point, as there will be events that could damage or even sink it.
A boat will be considered sunk the moment it loses all its Structure points.
Navigable Rivers
Navigable rivers run through and split territories.
Unlike in territories, in a navigable river you must travel by moving from icon to icon, being able to move up to 2 icons in the same turn if the advance is made downstream, towards the river's mouth. If you travel upstream (against the current), you can only move to an adjacent icon each turn.
The direction of a river's current is indicated in the river's own course.
For the purposes of Travel Events rolls, each icon will be considered as a different territory.
If the map and the means of transport in which the heroes travel allow it, a boat can move from a navigable river icon to a sea zone.
Example: the group of heroes is on a merchant ship in a sea zone. They decide to enter a river. In a campaign turn, they will only be able to move as far as icon r10, making a single Travel events roll. If they were in r11 and wanted to travel to the sea zone, they would only need one turn to do it, since they would travel downstream. This way, since they would advance a distance of 2 icons, they would make 1 Travel events roll whenever they reached each of these icons.
Bridges
If during a journey a river is reached that divides two territories, it will be possible to enter the territory on the other bank if there is a bridge that joins both banks. In this case, read the contents of the "Bridge" card from the Places and Services deck before crossing to the other side.
Sea Area
A group of heroes will be able to move from one sea area to another while using a boat.
Wrecking
If during a voyage a vessel loses all its Structure points while in a sea zone, it will be considered sunk. As a result of this, animals lacking the skill "Fly" will drown, and all heroes and mercenaries will take 2 damage dice against Natural Armor. All characters will then appear in the territory closest to the sea zone where they transited at the time of the sinking. Each hero will lose 2 random Equipment cards.
If during a journey a boat runs out of Structure points while travelling along a river, it will sink. As a result, animals that lack the skill "Fly" will drown, and heroes and mercenaries (and surviving animals) will have to continue on foot in the territory they were transiting at the time the Event took place (if they sailed between two territories, they will choose a shore). Each hero will lose 2 random Equipment cards.
Example: the boat where the heroes travel is shipwrecked. The group will choose one shore or another to continue on foot, making a Travel Events roll according to the type of territory where they are.
Places and Services
Each hero may visit up to 3 Places and Services during the turn they enter a settlement or for each turn they remain there. They may choose among the available ones in that settlement. Before visiting, the heroes must make the corresponding Travel Events roll as usual.
The Places and Services in a settlement will be represented by the icons adjacent to it. The icons of Places and Services that are dispersed in a territory, but not in settlements, may be visited at any time of a turn in which the heroes are travelling through that territory or stay there.
Each player will choose three places his hero would like to visit, represented by cards, and will carefully read their content, making the pertinent decisions (for example, he will be able to acquire objects or use some of the services offered in each card).
Each of the visits made by a hero will be resolved before the visits of another one start. Fortune points cannot be used to change the results of these cards.
If the card says that its effects apply to the entire group of heroes, then each of them will be considered to have made a visit to that place.
NOTE: remember that heroes must pay the cost of maintaining mercenaries and animals as soon as they rest in an inn.
Example: Shara and her comrades travel to Norkfall Castle. She first rolls Travel Events and checks to see if anything happens. Then, she decides to go to an Inn to rest and replenish her Vitality. Later she decides to visit a Tavern and a Combat School. Even if there were ten different places to be visited within the settlement, during this campaign turn she will only be able to visit three of them. If she wishes to stay in the settlement for one more turn in order to visit other places or services, she will have to make a new Travel Events roll.
Exceptionally some Places and Services will be found outside settlements. Each hero will be able to visit all those in a territory while entering or staying in that territory.
Selling Equipment During a Campaign
Heroes will be able to sell any of their belongings in any kind of settlement. All items (including magic items) can be sold automatically for a half of their original price (rounding up).
The Passing of Years and Winter
When you play in the world of Arasca, you must count the campaign turns as you play. A year will consist of 52 campaign turns, equivalent to weeks.
The first 12 turns will form the winter season. Therefore, the weather cycle will have the sequence 12/40/end of year/12/40.
The heroes will choose the campaign turn (or week) of the year in which they wish to start a campaign.
During the winter turns, all sea areas adjacent to Glacier will be considered a Glacier territory.
In addition to this, during the winter, at the end of each campaign turn in which the heroes travel or remain in a Glacier (including sea areas turned into Glacier) or Mountain territory (unless inside a settlement), each of them will suffer 1 damage die against their natural armor due to the intense cold.
Settlements with a Different Alignment
When a group of heroes of benign alignment (even if only a few of them) enters an evil settlement, or in a territory with an evil-alignment settlement, they will be penalized (as indicated in some Places and Services cards) for being in settlements whose indigenous races have a different alignment. In addition, any purchases of items or hiring of services made in that settlement will require one extra coin (e.g., a pack of provisions will have a price of 2 coins instead of 1). Exactly the same thing will happen with evil-aligned groups visiting non-malignant settlements. Note, therefore, that neutral races have a good advantage here, especially if the whole group is neutral.
In addition to the above, a +1 modifier is applied to each travel Event roll when the territory has a settlement of alignment different from that of the group of heroes.
Camping
A group of heroes who decides to stay in a territory may declare that they camp there to rest. Place a bonfire marker in the territory if you want to represent that they have camped. During the camping turn they will not be able to visit Places and Services or enter any settlements.
All the members of the group will recover 2 Vitality points and 1 Mana for each campaign turn they remain camped.
In addition to the above, a +1 modifier will be applied to each Travel Event roll made while the heroes are camped in a territory.
NOTE: keep in mind that a group of heroes who decide to camp in a territory of different alignment from their own will get a total +2 modifier to their Travel Event rolls (it's not a good idea to linger too long in hostile territories!).
Home
The heroes can choose to buy a house in a settlement of the territory where they stay at any time during the campaign. This house will be considered their home. The cost of resting there will be lower than that at the inns and there they will also be able to keep any objects they wish to keep, but do not want to transport during their journeys. When they choose a house, take the card "Home" from the Places and Services deck. Check its contents whenever the heroes return to this place.
Heroes Separated from Their Group
Ideally, the group of heroes should travel together to better overcome problems and dangers, but nothing prevents several heroes from traveling along different paths. Remember that this could be very dangerous for those who decide to travel alone.
NOTE: Imagine that one of the heroes is imprisoned because of a brawl. After the 3 campaign turns he would have to stay in prison, and supposing his partners didn't wait for him in that territory, he would have to travel alone until he met them again.
Campaigns Are Challenging
As you may have noticed, in the campaign mode the difficulty is accentuated, since the heroes will not be able to acquire what they need or want at all times, but will depend on where they are. On the other hand, they will accumulate the fatigue of previous trips and adventures. For example, it won't be so easy to hire mercenaries, let alone find magic schools to learn new spells.
An Example of Campaign Turns
Turn 1. The group of heroes is located in Norkfall Castle. Their next mission takes place in the Troll Forest, quest number 6. They decide to stay for one campaign turn in the castle, in order to acquire some supplies. They make the Travel Events roll for that settlement and nothing happens. Then, they visit several places and services. They buy potions, train and hire a mercenary.
Turn 2. In the following campaign turn they set out for the north. Since they leave the settlement, they must make a Travel Event roll in the Plain where it is located. They decide to go to a particular territory, because they do not want to cross more forest territories than strictly necessary (they know they are specially dangerous!) nor do they want to take a detour (although they were interested in visiting the market in a nearby town). In that territory they might undertake quest 33, 34 or 39, but eventually they agree to reaching their destination as soon as possible. They make a Travel Events roll for Forest before starting quest 6.
Turn 3. After fulfilling the mission, and seriously wounded, they decide to travel along the plain towards their next destination, since they are interested in recovering their strength and acquiring a boat to travel south (in the village of Nimfall there is a pier).
The Role of the Dark Player During the Campaign
During campaign turns, the heroes' turn alternates with that of the Dark Player, just like during quests. Heroes will always start a campaign turn as soon as a campaign begins or a quest ends.
The Dark Player has two main roles during the intervals between quests. On the one hand, he controls the creatures that the heroes face during Epic Events. On the other hand, he must move danger markers along the map.
At the beginning of a campaign, a territory must is designated as the starting point for the Dark Player. If there is no designated territory, the Dark Player will choose one at will.
Danger Markers
Each time one or more heroes decide to rest by lodging in an inn or equivalent place (thus recovering their fortune points), the Dark Player will roll 1D6 for every 10 VP the group of heroes is worth at that time. For each result of 6, he will place one Danger marker in the territory designated as his starting point at the beginning of the campaign (these new markers will only be placed and will not advance this turn).
Following the heroes' decision to move or remain in a territory, after rolling for Travel Events, the Dark Player must move all of his Danger markers located on the map, always approaching the heroes as he sees fit, even across sea territories. Danger markers do not take into account obstacles such as rivers.
As soon as a danger marker reaches the same territory where the heroes are, a random "Campaign Danger" card must be drawn, resolving the event described on it.
Restrictions on Danger Markers:
- There may be no more than 10 danger markers simultaneously on the map.
- There may not be more than one danger marker on the same territory, unless it is the Dark Player's starting territory.
- The Artificial Dark Player will always move his danger markers approaching the heroes by the shortest route.
Example: the heroes have advanced to a mountain territory during their campaign turn. They roll Mountain Travel Events and nothing happens. However, during the Dark Player's turn, he moves his danger markers toward the group of heroes. One of the markers enters the same territory, therefore a random Danger Event must be resolved. It is an Assassin event and, fortunately, they manage to avoid it by passing the required Initiative die roll. On the next turn, the heroes advance south to another territory. They make a Mountain Travel Event roll. They decide to enter a village to rest in an inn. However, this is a very dangerous thing to do. On the Dark Player's turn, he rolls 11 dice (the hero group's VP is 114). He gets 2 results of 6 and places 2 new Danger markers at his starting point. In turn, he moves all existing markers towards the heroes.
Reward
Each time the Dark Player gets more Achievement Points than the heroes, he will place a new Danger marker on the map.
In adventures that do not use Achievement points, this benefit will be obtained only if the Dark Player wins the game.
A campaign quest cannot be played more than twice. Therefore, the group of heroes will only have two attempts to complete it successfully. If they fail twice and have no other options to continue, they will not be able to finish that campaign. However, the narrative thread usually leads them to other places after a defeat.
Other Game Options
Time-Limited Games
Games may become too slow if the group of players is larger than recommended or if they take too long discussing each decision. If this is the case, the following optional rules can be adopted. These require the use of a timer or an hourglass to measure times:
- Each player controlling a hero has 1 minute to perform his character's movements and Actions (as well as those of the mercenaries or pets with him).
- If they are in a combat turn in a large room or Main Room, which usually involves the presence of quite a few enemies, the Dark Player will have up to 2 minutes per turn to control his characters and creatures.
- One of the players must be in charge of supervising the time. The Dark Player will get 1 extra Achievement point each time a hero exceeds the time granted. Of course, each time the rules have to be consulted, the clock will be stopped.
Collaborative/Competitive Play
In Dungeon Universalis, the group of heroes as a whole earns Achievement points against those received by the Dark Player. However, you can choose to play in such a way that there is some competition between the players controlling a hero. Thus, in addition to the Achievement points earned by the group, a separate marker can be used for each individual hero to indicate the points he has earned. The hero who earns the most Achievement points will get 1 extra Experience point, in addition to the ones he has earned in the usual way. Conversely, if at least 3 heroes are playing, whoever achieves the fewest number of Achievement points will get 1 Experience point less than he would have in the usual way (a negative value will never be applied).
Example: the hero with the red marker has only 2 Achievement points. The blue hero has 6 and the yellow hero has 7. In total, the group has 15 points and the Dark Player has 33.
Gridless Scenarios
Equivalence
Observing the directions in the section "Design Your Own Quests", you will be able to create scenarios whose ground is not delimited by grids. In this case, a square is understood to be one inch long. Thus, if a character moves 6 spaces, in a scenario without squares he will move 6 inches (if you don't have a tape measure in inches, you can equate each square or inch to 2.5 centimeters).
Area of Effect
If a projectile or spell affects a square and those adjacent to it on a gridded game board, in a gridless one it will first affect the target character. Then we will regard adjacent characters as those who are up to one inch away from that target (it is enough that the base is partially within that radius). In other words, the squares an AoE affects will be transformed into an equal number of inches.
Melee Range
A character will be within an enemy's Melee Range when both bases are adjacent or there is a distance of 1/2 inch or less between them.
Front and Back
When playing in this type of scenarios, a character's back will be considered to include its 180º back arc (taking into account the line marked by his shoulders or the one drawn on the base itself). For an attack to be considered "from behind," the attacker's base must be fully located within the target's 180° arc (being partially within it will not be enough).
Line of Sight
In order to decide whether a character has Line of Sight (LoS) to another character, draw an imaginary straight line from the center of that character's base to the center of the target's base. If the line is obstructed but can still touch any point on the target's base, then the target is protected behind cover.
Note: a character or creature cannot benefit from cover if most of its silhouette is visible behind the cover (from the attacker's point of view).
Classic Dark Player
In this game mode, the Dark Player can be involved in the game in a classic way, without having his decks randomly placed face down. That is, playing the role of a classic and omniscient Game Director. He is therefore close to the role-playing gamemaster or, at least, to that of more classic dungeon crawlers.
As described in "Design Your Own Quests", you can design your own Quest Sheet, or select a predefined quest from our book of Quests and Campaigns, and establish beforehand all the obstacles and creatures you will activate during the same, as well as the exact location of all of them, considering that you must place them all by activating cards (with the exception that, in this case, they will not be random ones). The activating cost of each of them must be equally paid, and will always be limited by a budget equivalent to the Value Points of the group of heroes, as is the case in the standard mode.
If at any time you run out of budget and find yourself unable to activate the elements indicated on the Quest Sheet, you won't be able to place them on the board.
Example: the heroes reach a room where the Dark Player wanted to spawn a stone giant, but not having enough Reserve Points to pay for spawning it at that time, he won't be able to use that creature for the rest of the quest.
Non-Random Cards
Considering what has been described so far, in this game mode no random decks will be generated, nor will the maximum limit of cards in the hand of the Dark Player be taken into account. He can hold as many cards as he wants in his hand at any time so that he can control all the elements he wants to activate during the game.
Example: the Dark Player plans to activate a "Pit" card in a room, an "Ambush" card in a corridor, and an "Enemy Spotted!" card and a "Fireball" card in the Main Room as soon as a hero tries to open one of the chests there. In addition, he wants to boost the Leader of the scenario with a Power card called "Regeneration" as soon as the heroes come into visual contact with him. Therefore, he will include these elements on the map and on the Quest Sheet. During the setup of the game he will take the cards "Pit", "Ambush!", "Enemy Spotted!", "Fireball" and "Regeneration" and keep them in his hand, so that he can activate them when the right time comes.
The initial Reserve Point budget will be equivalent to that of the standard mode. The Dark Player must invest this budget in activating the cards of his choice, bearing in mind that he will have to stick to the usual activation costs each time he uses a Power, Obstacle or Encounter card throughout the game. On the other hand, since he won't use his deck randomly, he won't be able to discard any cards to increase his budget either.
Reserve Point Increase
At the beginning of each of his turns, the Dark Player will not draw a card from his deck, but will increase his Reserve Point counter by 1 point, to be used for subsequent activations (remember that he may use any card in this mode, except those expressly banned by the Quest Sheet).
Mode Restrictions
As a general rule, the Dark Player may activate the same Obstacle, Encounter or Power card a maximum of 3 times per game. That is, even if there are more than 3 Power cards called "Fortune" in the Dark Player's deck, he will be able to use a Fortune card a maximum of 3 times.
One creature can only benefit from the effects of a single Power card each turn. If you wish to activate another Power card on it, the permanent effects of the previous one will be removed.
Example: during a combat turn, the Dark Player has activated the "Regeneration" Power card on a character controlled by him, and yet that same turn or during the following turns he intends to activate a "Fortune" card on the same creature. As soon as he activates that second card, the previously activated "Regeneration" Power card will stop having any effect.
Example: this is the map of a small quest for a single hero devised by a Dark Player. This hero has a value of 15VP. Two more VPs are added to these for the accompanying human mercenary and 3 for the potions he carries. Thus, the total value is 20 VP. Therefore, the Dark Player's Reserve point budget will be equivalent: 20 Reserve points. As he intends to place an orc Leader in the Main Room as the Quest Leader, he pays for the Leader's 9 VPs and has 11 Reserve points left to invest in obstacles, powers, or creatures. He decides that he will activate an Encounter card called "Enemy Spotted!" in the same main room where the Leader is located, in order to support him with several orcs for a total value of 6 VP (the limit the card allows), so he will still have 5 points left. He decides to place a pit trap in the corridor prior to the main hall, to hinder the heroes' advance, which costs him 2 more Reserve points. He decides that he will activate a "Wandering Creature" card in the room, where he intends to place a pair of orc warriors, which costs him an additional 2 points, and the remaining point he decides to use by placing a "Riddle" Obstacle card in the passage. When the quest begins, the Dark Player knows that he will get 1 reserve point at the start of each of his turns and also in those cases in which the hero gets a critical failure while performing Exploratory Actions. He decides that he will save those points to invest them, as he deems necessary, in some new obstacles, observing the general rules for their placement, or in acquiring some improvements for the Orc Leader once it has been placed on the board, or maybe to activate a Power card if necessary or even activate a "Reinforcements" card if the odds favour the heroes in the combat in the Main Room.
RPG Mode
Based on what you've learned so far, you'll find it easy to guess how you can play this game in a way similar to that of a role-playing game. Before starting the game, you must have sketched out what the map will look like and at least who the Leader and quest's goal will be. From there, all you have to do is to calculate your Reserve Points budget according to the Value Points of the group of heroes.
When the heroes begin the quest, you'll have all the cards, bestiary and game options at your disposal to make them spend some memorable hours, improvising to a greater or lesser extent depending on your experience as a gamemaster.
In this mode, the narrative weight is the key. However, every time you want to activate some kind of Obstacle, Encounter or Power from the Dark Player's deck, you'll have to pay for it.
In this case, the Dark Player will not get any Reserve Points during his turns, to make up for the fact that he has the maximum flexibility when it comes to presenting the heroes with any difficulties he wishes within his initial budget.
If you want your heroes to be able to learn certain secondary skills (foraging, carving wood, gambling, etc.), you can give them the chance to have that secondary skill by investing 1 experience point. If the hero passes an Intelligence test after spending that experience point, he will have learned or improved that secondary skill. He will write it down on his character file.
Acquiring secondary skills does not increase the hero's VP.
After he has learned it, the hero will be able to successfully perform the Actions allowed by the secondary skill if he passes a skill test. The skill tests consist of rolling 2D6 and adding the bonus that represents the level of knowledge or expertise in that secondary skill. If he gets a total score of 10 or more, the test will be a success.
For every point of experience successfully invested in that secondary skill, he will have a bonus of +1 to when trying to pass a test (with a maximum of +5). Second attempts and the use of Fortune points on these rolls are not allowed.
Example: a dwarf hero decides to learn the secondary skill "Carving wood". He invests 1 experience point in it. He passes the Intelligence test and therefore learns the skill (he will have a +1 bonus from now on). Later on, he invests an additional experience point. He passes the Intelligence test again and improves his secondary skill (he already has a +2 bonus). At a certain moment he wants to carve a small figure as a gift to one of the characters. In order to do so, he needs to pass a skill test. He rolls 2D6 and adds his +2 bonus. If he gets a total result of 10 or more, it means he has successfully carved the wooden figure.
Advanced Rules
Mounts
Characters can ride on animals with the skill "Mount" or "Raging Mount".
The Dark Player may, exceptionally and always under logical criteria based on the narrative background, allow certain creatures to serve as mounts for the heroes or any other characters even if such possibility is not included in its profile.
As long as he is riding, the character will be called a "rider". He may do so during Epic Events and Quests, as long as it is allowed, observing the following rules.
Movement
Riders have a Movement capacity of as many spaces as indicated by the Movement attribute of their mount, it being understood that both of them perform the movement. If the mount gallops (the equivalent of running), it will not be able to perform any more Actions that turn (however, its rider will).
A mount ignores small and average sized enemies' Melee Ranges.
Line of Sight
A rider will have a height equal to that of his mount plus 1. A rider will not be able to turn to look back unless the saddle turns and changes its facing too.
Mounting/Dismounting
Mounting or dismounting an animal is considered a Quick Action and should be done when adjacent to the mount. The mount may move normally in the same turn, but it may not gallop.
Shooting and Casting Spells While Riding
A rider will get a -1 penalty to his Shooting Skill and Intelligence (when attempting to cast spells). He will also suffer the usual penalties for moving, considering the number of spaces his mount has moved.
Attack While Riding
Both mount and rider may make attacks in the same turn.
A rider may never attack another rider's mount unless that mount is Large or Huge.
Riders cannot engage enemies, and they cannot be engaged by enemies either.
Spears
A spear-armed rider whose mount has advanced at least 3 spaces in the same turn in a straight line towards a target will reduce the target's Armor by 1*. In case of critical hit equal or smaller size targets (including riders) are Knocked Down.
If a rider or his mount wins a combat, both will push the opponent.
*Does not apply if the mount is on difficult terrain.
Hitting Mounts and Riders
A character will have to decide if he wants to try to hit a mount or his rider.
Riders get a +1 to their Combat Skill when defending* against enemies of the same or smaller size that are not riders.
If an attempt is made to hit the rider with a ranged or throwing weapon, the shooter or thrower will get a -1 to his Shooting Skill*.
A character who cast a spell on a rider or his mount will regard them individually as adjacent characters.
Attacks which use the skill "Onslaught" cannot target a rider.
*Does not apply if the mount is on difficult terrain.
Blunders and Falls
Every time a rider gets a critical failure when casting a spell, attacking in melee or shooting, he must pass an Agility test or else fall from his mount, becoming Knocked Down.
A rider will automatically fall from his mount if he suffers the Knocked Down condition.
If the mount is Knocked Down or Knocked Out, the rider will have to pass an Agility test. If he passes it, he will be placed in an adjacent square of his choice. If he fails, he will be considered to have fallen.
Effects of a Fall
After falling off a mount, a rider will have to be placed in a free square of his choice adjacent to his mount, and will be affected by the Knocked Down condition. He will also take 3 damage dice against Natural Armor.
If the fall occurs while riding on a flying creature that was currently flying, he will take twice as many damage dice.
Runaway Mount
If the rider has been Knocked Down or is Knocked Out, his mount will have to pass a Courage test. If it is passed, the mount will remain still, with the same facing. If it is failed, it will run away unbridled and will be removed from the game. If it was the mount of a hero, at the end of the quest he will recover it if on a result of 2+ (1D6).
Mounts must pass the same Courage tests as riders when faced with opponents with the skill "Fearsome", with the same consequences.
Riderless Mounts
Mounts whose rider has dismounted and is not holding the reins will remain still.
A still mount will not act until its rider or a different one mounts on it again. If the mount is in this situation and receives an attack, it will have to pass a Courage test. If it fails, the mount will run away and will automatically leave the scenario. If the test is passed, it will remain in place, returning the attack if its enemy is within reach.
Raging Mounts
If a creature with the skill "Raging Mount" is left without a rider, it will act like any other independent animal, being controlled by the player who usually handles it (even if its rider is Knocked Out).
Difficult Terrain
Mounts cannot gallop (run) on this type of terrain.
No mount may climb as long as it has a rider on it.
Indoors
Generally, a character will only be able to ride on a mount or a raging mount while outdoors, never inside a dungeon or a building (unless the quest exceptionally allows it).
Take the Reins
A character will be able to carry the reins of his mount while walking. In that case, both mount and rider will move at the same time. However they will not be able to move beyond the character's own ability to move. In this case, running is not allowed.
Interacting and Searching
A rider will not be able to search or interact with elements unless he dismounts.
Mounts and Equipment
An animal with the skills "Mount" or "Raging Mount" may carry part of its owner's equipment on it, provided that it does not exceed the mount's own limit according to the usual formula: (Strength+Vitality)x2.
A character adjacent to his mount may use a Quick Action to take an object among those the beast is carrying. Leaving an object to be carried by the animal requires the same kind of Quick Action.
Armor
A character may acquire leather armor for his mount, as if it were custom made, at the usual cost.
Acquisition of Objects by the Dark Player
The Dark Player may acquire, as soon as he places his characters and creatures on the board, any items included in the Equipment cards with the aim of equipping them. These items will be paid for with Reserve Points:
- If the object is a common one (1 point).
- If the object is rare (2 points).
- The indicated price will be doubled if the creature is of Elite level.
- The indicated price will be the triple for Leaders or Champion creatures.
- The indicated price will be doubled again if the creature is of Large size.
No more than 3 identical items may be acquired during the quest.
Reserve Points spent according to this rule ignore the Activation cost limit indicated on the Dark Player Encounter cards.
Example: a Dark Player chooses to equip an orc warrior with chainmail (although the orc, according to his profile, is usually equipped with leather armor). He therefore pays 1 Reserve Point for the chainmail. He also decides to buy a healing potion for an orc boss. The potion costs one point, but since the chief is the Leader of the scenario, the potion costs him three times as much (3 Points). Thus, the Dark Player pays a total of 4 Reserve Points for the two objects, this is: he reduces his Reserve Point counter by 4 points.
New Companions
Giants
A hero with the skill "Giant Tamer" will be able to acquire a giant if he visits a sacred place, which can be found in the Places and Services cards.
The giants will be regarded as mercenaries for the game's purposes and will not be able to benefit from the effects of potions or healing spells, although they will fully recover at the end of a quest or an epic event.
A giant can only be used if only one hero takes part in the quest.
If the giant is not Knocked Out during the quest, he will finish it unharmed, fully recovered from his wounds (even if the hero left the scenario, leaving him there).
Changing the Game's Difficulty
Note that you can easily modify the difficulty of the game by raising or lowering the Dark Player's Reserve Points. This may be of interest to you if sides are unbalanced due to the difference in experience they may have. You only need to reduce (if you want to make it easier for the heroes) or increase (if you want to increase the difficulty) the amount of points by 25% or even 50% to notice an important change.
Long Range Weapons
This rule can be applied replacing the properties of those long range weapons wielded by both the heroes and a human Dark Player. It can generate debates in certain situations, due to the extension of the Melee Range. Remember the section "Unusual Situations" earlier in this rulebook.
Certain weapons have a much greater range in melee combat (halberds, spears, greatswords), which means that the frontal Melee Range of the character using them is two squares long and not just one. An enemy must stop his movement in the usual way as soon as he enters the Melee Range of a character using one of these weapons, becoming engaged. If a character who attacks with a normal range weapon wins the combat round against an opponent with a long range weapon, he will advance to a square adjacent to his enemy, roll the damage dice and then push him if he wishes to do so.
Attacks with long range weapons may never be made through squares occupied by other characters or creatures, not even if they are allies. They cannot be made through squares occupied by heavy cover either.
These weapons allow their users to engage their enemies without getting engaged themselves. This frontally expanded Melee Range will be a headache for enemies and a good way of supporting allies. However, characters using these weapons will suffer a -1 penalty to their Combat Skill when fighting an enemy in an adjacent square, losing their extended Melee Range as long as they remain in this position.
Example: a spear-armed orc cannot attack Borgron through the square occupied by his ally, the skeleton. Shara must stop her movement as soon as she enters the melee range of the orc with the spear. Then Shara attacks the orc and wins the opposed hitting roll, so she can advance one more square until she is adjacent to her enemy. Then, she rolls for damage. She can then choose to push the orc in the usual way or not. The latter will be very convenient since her enemy has a clear disadvantage while being adjacent to her.
Heights
Long range weapons lose their properties (being regarded as average weapons in regards to their range) if the opponents are on surfaces with a height difference of more than 1 level.
Other Considerations
The Melee Zone of two squares is lost when you have adjacent enemies.
Enemies cannot be engaged through obstacles (even if the trajectory of the attack only passes through the corner of an obstacle).
The rule "Taking an enemy's position" in the Melee Combat chapter does not apply to characters wielding a long range weapon. Instead, characters who win a combat round with a long range weapon will be able to advance one square forward after pushing their opponent.
New Actions
Jumping from Heights
If a character wants to perform a great jump (see the Action "Great Jumps") in order to fall on a square occupied by an enemy, an Agility test must be passed. If the character fails, he will fall to an empty square adjacent to his target (at the target's choice), with the usual consequences of any such fall. If the jump is successful, the character will fall on that square and push the enemy to an adjacent square, being able to make a single free attack against him, adding 1 damage die for each point of height he fell from.
If the character who managed to jump successfully is smaller than the enemy he's chosen as his target, he will able to choose between one of these two results:
A) He will fall on a free square adjacent to the target character or creature, being able to carry out the free attack in the same way.
B) He will manage to cling to the neck or back of the target character or creature, which will be considered Stunned as long as the character keeps that position on it. At the beginning of each of his next activations, the character who jumped will have to make an agility roll against his larger enemy. If he passes it, he will continue on it with the same effects. If he fails, he will fall on an empty square adjacent to that enemy, becoming Stunned and finishing his activation.
During this attack from above, combat skills which have been learnt cannot be applied.
NOTE: creatures with the rule "Flying" cannot apply this rule.
Example: the elf Taeral jumps on the orc. He passes the Agility test, pushes the orc to an adjacent square and makes a free attack against him. He will deal 4 extra damage dice if he manages to hit, given the difference in height (4) from which he jumps. Shara fails the Agility test after jumping over the skeleton. Therefore, she is knocked down on a square chosen by the Dark Player, suffering 4 damage dice against Natural Armor. Borgron succeeds in jumping over the troll. He chooses to fall on a square adjacent to it and makes his free attack, dealing 4 extra damage dice if he hits.
Climbing Other Surfaces
NOTE: this Action is specially designed for scenarios with different heights, with certain types of tiles (quite useful if the user has designed a scenario with 3D scenery). Characters will be able to climb up elements of height equal to or greater than their own, provided that the element's height is detailed in the corresponding card or in the Quest Sheet.
A character can use an Action to go up or down vertical surfaces of the same or greater height, while completing his Movement. Each square of height he wishes to climb will be regarded as difficult terrain, and he will only be able to climb if his hands are free (they can only be holding a rope). If he manages to climb, the character will finish his movement in a square adjacent to the element he climbed.
Climbing requires passing an Agility test. In case of failure, if the character started his attempt on the ground, there will be no negative consequences, but he will not be able to do anything else that turn and won't advance at all. If at the beginning of a turn he is not on the ground but climbing, not having reached the top yet, and he needs to continue performing this Action, a new Agility test will be required. This time, however, in case of failure, the rules described in the section "Falls" will be applied, considering that he falls from the height he was trying to climb that turn.
If a character tries to climb while within an enemy's Melee Range, he will do it with a -2 penalty.
A character attacked while climbing will be regarded as stationary.
Example: Taeral is in a room and could move up the stairs to easily access the adjacent one. However, he decides to advance 2 spaces and gets adjacent to the wall in order to climb up to the adjacent room's floor. The Quest Sheet specifies that the room is at a height of (3). In his next turn, Taeral performs an Agility test in order to climb the wall, which is considered difficult terrain. Therefore, he spends 6 Movement points (height 3 equals a distance of 3 squares). He is successful, and reaches the square.
Design Your Own Quests
If you have already played all the quests the game includes, we suggest that you create your own Quest Sheets by filling the templates you will find at the end of this chapter, observing the instructions in the "Quests" chapter and the examples of our quests. As you will see, it takes just a few minutes.
You'll have probably realized by now how flexible the system is, mostly due to the fact that it's based on the Dark Player's budget, always proportional to the level of the heroes, but also to the use of elements and creatures that adapt to almost any scenario.
We recommend that you follow these steps when making your own quests:
1st Think of a background and a mission. Having a few details of a background will help players imagine the situation they are in. The mission's description must be clear and concise.
2nd Choose the faction, characters or creatures that will populate the scenario, as well as its Leader, choosing one among the highest level creatures. Dungeon Universalis' Bestiary book covers many hundreds of options to suit almost any background and creatures of your choice.
3rd Design the scenario. Place the sections (rooms, corridors, outdoor tiles*), the special elements, the furniture, the accesses. Write down the particularities and special rules of the quest, such as the location of the Leader and the Main Room, the specific position of certain obstacles and creatures, the availability of magical objects or whether there will be a limited number of turns.
*Consider outdoor tiles as regular or large room/corridor tiles according to their dimensions.
As a general rule, a standard dungeon or scenario (designed for 1 to 3 heroes) will have 6 corridor sections* 6 squares long (regardless of their location and size) and 6 rooms: 4 average-size ones, one large and one Main Room. There must be 3 furniture elements and 3 special elements.
*At most, up to 1/3 of the corridors placed on the map can be regarded as difficult terrain or narrow passages (1 square wide).
For every extra hero above three we recommend you to add 2 average-size rooms (or a large one), 2 corridor sections, 1 furniture element and 1 special element.
For every 50 Value Points the group of heroes has, add 1 corridor section and 1 room.
If there is only one hero, we recommend you to provide him with 10 coins before each quest so that he can improve his equipment or hire some mercenaries to help him compensate for the lack of other heroes.
For every two average-size rooms (or one large one) that you want to add to a dungeon above the established for the number of heroes and their VP, you must add 10 points to the Reserve Point counter, 1 piece of furniture, 1 special object and 5 coins for the group of heroes. You can replace an average-size room with two corridor sections. Remember that you can make as large a scenario as you wish, packed with different levels, labyrinths and huge rooms, but you need to compensate the heroes in order to keep the balance.
Consider placing a double door (2 squares wide) for every 4 normal doors you place on the scenario. Large rooms and the Main Room should always have at least one access through a double door or entrance.
Place one chest in the main room and at least one more elsewhere in the scenario.
If you are devising a quest to be played with an Artificial Dark Player, we advise you to activate one Encounter card in each large (other than the Main) section, in addition to the possible result of the Scenario Die.
Baseline scenario for 1-3 heroes: 6x corridor, 4x average-size room, 2x large room (1 Main Room), 3x Special element, 3x Furniture.
For each extra hero: 2x corridor, 2x average-size room (or x1 large), 1x Special element, 1x Furniture.
For every 50 VP of the group: 1x corridor, 1x average-size room.
4th Choose a reward for achieving the goal and the experience points to be earned. You can choose to play with the Achievement Point counter used in standard games. If you choose not to use it, you should include a specific number of experience points similar to those described in the "Experience Points" section.
5th If your quest has a limit of turns, specify a number of them and make sure the players are well aware of it.
6th Campaigns: if you are going to devise a campaign, you can use the Arasca map included in the game. If you want to set your campaign in a different world, it is strongly recommended that you use the same types of territories and settlements as those listed in these rules. The Travel Event cards and the Places and Services cards are perfectly compatible with many other universes.
Megadungeons
If you plan to play really huge scenarios, we recommend that you divide them into several standard sized adventures (in terms of Reserve Points, decks of cards and also the necessary rest for the heroes to restore their Vitality, Fortune, etc.).
In regards to allowing the heroes to rest, we recommend that you apply one of these two options:
- Recovery place: set a recovery place with the same effect as an inn after the heroes have gone through as many sections as those of a standard quest.
- Resting place: in each large section the heroes will find a resting place in a corner square. Each hero adjacent to that square can use an Action to rest, and will recover 2 Vitality and Mana points and 1 Fortune point.
Adapt Adventures from Other Games
Once you have acquired some experience in devising adventures, you will realize that it is very easy to apply this game system and its cards to the adventures and campaigns of other games, being able to play them again. Just take the elements and creatures included in those adventures and add them to your Dungeon Universalis Quest Sheet, discounting the activation cost of each element from your initial budget.
For example, if in a quest in another game there are ten orcs placed in different locations, a troll and an orc boss, you'll only have to pay the activation cost of each of them as you place them on the board, checking their cost in Value Points in their profiles within the faction of the orcs. If a trap is marked in a particular square, you must pay the cost of activating that trap as soon as a player steps on it (look for the most similar one among all those included in the Dark Player Obstacles deck, you have a great number of options available!).
Before replaying a quest from another game, you must have a look at the creatures and elements included in it. It won't be difficult for you, searching among the factions of our Bestiary or our decks of cards, to find those same elements, objects or creatures, or others very similar or equivalent. This will allow you to calculate the amount of Reserve Points it would cost you to place or activate all those elements using our rules. We will call that amount "Quest's Level".
Once you have calculated this amount, you will be able to invite other players to start playing this quest.
You must calculate your Reserve Points in the usual way, indicating them in the counter, taking into account the Value Points of the whole group of heroes. From this amount you will subtract as many points as those indicated by the "Quest's Level" (if the total result is negative, which is quite unlikely, reflect it in the counter anyway).
You will keep in your hand a card of each type of Furniture, Special Elements, Obstacles, Encounter*, etc. among those you have included in the quest, (just as it happens when you are requested by the specific rules in a Quest Sheet to keep certain cards aside for later use). With the rest of the cards you will form the Dark Player decks in the usual way.
*In most games the creatures are spawned as indicated on the cards: "Wandering Monsters", "Enemy Spotted!" or "Special Creature".
While you're playing, you'll play by the standard rules. You draw a card from one of your decks at the start of each turn and decide whether to discard it, keep it or activate it. Note that as long as your Reserve Point counter has a negative or 0 value, you won't be able to activate any cards among those you draw from the random decks, and you'll need to discard some of them in order to try to have some budget so you can spawn new enemies or obstacles against the heroes, in addition to those that are predetermined in the quest (and paid for before the start, when your Reserve Point budget was calculated).
Example: here we have part of a map of a small quest from a different game, which we want to replay using the rules of Dungeon Universalis in a game with only one hero. The map includes 3 creatures (2 skeletons in one room and 1 large creature, maybe a minotaur, in another one). We also see several doors, a passageway, some boxes and a square with the symbol of a trap. Based on the options that Dungeon Universalis has, we see that the skeletons can be represented by skeleton warriors, whose profile is included in the faction "Creatures of the night", with a cost of only 1 VP each. A total of 2 VPs. The Minotaur profile can be found in several factions, at a cost of 9 VPs. The "Stake" Obstacle card from the Dark Player deck can faithfully represent the symbol on the map. This card costs 2 Reserve points. Therefore, all elements on this map have a total cost of 13 Reserve Points to the Dark Player. That is, the "Quest's Level" will be 13. The Minotaur will be chosen as the Leader of the scenario. We will take the Furniture card "Barrels and Boxes" to represent the boxes in one of the rooms. The hero's VP is 15, so the Dark Player will start playing with 2 Points on his Reserve Point counter. He will build his decks and the game will begin. The hero will begin his activation, as usual, in one of the starting squares.
Adventures with Simple Maps
If you use adventure maps from other games where no special elements or furniture appear, you can include as many of them as our rules allow in order to design your own quests, always taking into account the number of heroes, rooms or corridors in that scenario. You'll discover that in just a few minutes you'll be ready to replay many adventures being able to improve them with lots of interesting elements!
Gridless Boards
There are certain games of this genre that include boards without grids. You can choose between two different options when trying to reuse them for your Dungeon Universalis games: you can either use our "Gridless Scenarios" rules or just play as if such boards were gridded.
For instance, there is a game with room tiles with a surface of about 9x9 centimetres each, 10 x 5 centimetres for corridors, etc. It is easy to imagine this board with squares of 2 to 3 centimetres of side. You can even draw them using an erasable marker.
The rulebook also includes a blank Quest Sheet template (Goal, Leader, Faction, Set-up, Special Rules, Special Elements, Quest End, Furniture, Other Elements, Rewards, Tiles, and a grid for the map) for players to photocopy or reproduce when designing their own quests.
Furniture and Element Overtiles
The rulebook includes a visual reference sheet of all the Furniture and Special Element overtile pieces included in the game, so that players can identify them on the board. They are: Ballista, Water well, Rocks, Tree, Traps, Dining room (two variants), Gelatinous cube, Stairs (three variants), Barrels and boxes, Special statue, Cell, Mold, Symbols, Entry (open and closed), Armory (two variants), Double door (two variants), Latrine, Fountain, Forge, Amphoras, Fire wall, Entry, Door, Chest, Great treasure, Cupboard, Torture machine, Ice wall, Grate, Alembic, Fireplace, Bonfire, Library, Magic portal, Stone wall, Porcullis, Lever, Carriage/cart, Water well, Alchemy table, Mushrooms, Stairs, Footbridge, Trapdoor, Tomb, Throne, Sorcery table, Crystal vein, Kitchen, Open secret door, Mirror, Barrels and boxes, Balista, Spice table, Mysterious mist, Pit, Wall or secret door, Adventurer equipment, Statue, Column, Bed, Shrine, Mount, Training dummy, and Archery target.
Skills
Use of Skills
Skills can be differentiated into two types according to the way they're used: Passive and Active. Passive skills benefit the character at all times, while Active skills do not, and the character must declare that he is going to use them. During their activation or when being attacked, heroes can combine a maximum of 2 Active skills (this rule is ignored by mercenaries, pets and Dark Player creatures). The character must choose these two skills as soon as he declares which action he is going to do, before rolling dice.
An Active skill used as a reaction during the opponent's turn CANNOT be combined with other non-reaction Active skills.
For example: a hero archer cannot use his skills "Lethal Shot", "Accurate Shooting" and "Fast Shooting" in the same shot. He must choose up to two of these three Active skills when he declares that he is going to make the attack, before rolling the dice.
Active skills are represented on each card with a specific symbol.
NOTE: when a skill or class indicates that the character starts each quest with a certain free object, it means that such object will be spent at the end of each quest, even if it wasn't used.
Negative Skills
Although they are very scarce, some skills are actually defects which imply certain penalties for a character (Stupid, Lost in the dark), and will be understood as negative skills, since they are rules or peculiarities that have been included in the skills list.
Minimum Attribute
When a skill requires a minimum attribute to be used, it refers to the minimum once the armor modifiers have been applied. The skill can be learned if you have this minimum attribute, but then can only be used if you meet this minimum attribute.
Skills List
Below we present the complete list of skills as a quick reference, including those of Nature (many of these are not represented in the cards). Texts marked for the Artificial Dark Player will only apply to creatures managed by the artificial intelligence. Texts marked for the Dark Player will only be applicable with a human Dark Player.
NOTE: as you will notice, some aspects of certain skills are less useful for the Dark Player's creatures than for the heroes. This is due to the fact that this game was also conceived as a skirmish game for two or more players.
Combat Skills
- Accurate shooting: character rolls one extra damage die while using ranged and throwing weapons.
- Aiming: this skill is used while shooting. Character may reroll one die in his hitting roll as long as the roll is not a critical failure and provided he hadn't moved in the same turn. Player may only shoot once per turn while using this skill. This skill can be used with Defending Shots if character didn't move in his last activation.
- Dance battler: during his activation character gets one extra attack if he rolls to hit and the result of both dice is equal or higher than his enemy's Agility value. This skill can't be used while equipping heavy armor or with an Agility value lower than 3. Only one extra attack may be made per turn.
- Berserker: character may choose to go Berserker* at the start of his turn. In such a state he will be immune to fear, will not be able to use any kind of shields or heavy armor and will have one extra melee attack per turn with a -1 to his Combat Skill both for defending and attacking. A berserker must always engage and attack the nearest visible enemy. He will lose the Berserker status as soon as the combat is over and there are no more enemies in his LoS. (ADP: goes berserker if at the beginning of his turn he has LoS to an enemy.)
- Blocking: character may choose* to block an attack when equipped with a Greatsword or a Bastard Sword. The weapon can be used as a shield while defending (blocking attacks on a result of 5+). However, when one or more attacks are blocked this way, the character gets a -1 penalty to his Combat Skill during his next attack. The weapon won't break after blocking. (ADP: use this skill against enemy hits that reduce armor.)
- Bodyguard: character* may choose an adjacent allied character who will get a +1 to his Combat Skill while defending. Besides, once per turn, the bodyguard may decide to be the target of a projectile (of any type, including magical) that has hit an adjacent ally. Escorted characters can't accumulate bonuses from different adjacent characters with this skill. (ADP: always tries to end his activation adjacent to an ally (if any in the section), choosing the one with the highest VP. As long as they are adjacent, this ally will have light cover against all types of attacks.)
- Brutal blow: if character is equipped with a two-handed weapon he performs a brutal blow instead of a conventional melee attack. In this case, results of 4+ will be regarded as critical hits. However, character will get a -1 to his Combat Skill in this attack and also while defending during the subsequent enemy's turn.
- Combat master: it requires a Combat Skill equal to or greater than 4. While fighting against two enemies at the same time, the character gets one extra attack with no penalties whatsoever. If equipped with two hand weapons the usual penalty is applied.
- Cruel: after hitting an enemy during a melee attack or casting a Damage spell, character may reroll one result of 1 on his damage roll.
- Deafening roar: character may use an Action (even within an enemy's Melee Range) to perform a deafening roar only once per game. All adjacent enemies must move one space away from him. Character gets the skill "Fearsome" until the end of the combat. If the creature already has the "Fearsome" skill, it will get +1 to its Combat Skill when defending, until the end of the combat.
- Dirty fighter: if character gets a result of doubles (except in case of critical failure) while attacking or defending in melee combat, he will automatically stun an opponent (never a Huge one).
- Elite: it requires a Combat Skill equal to or greater than 4. Character may reroll melee hitting rolls with a result of 1 (except in case of a critical failure).
- Expert archer: character may perform Defending Shots using a Long Bow. He may also reroll a failed* shot once per game (never a critical failure). (Rerolls the first unsuccessful shot, except in case of a blunder.)
- Expert shooter: when character moves up to a half of his movement he suffers no penalty for moving and shooting in the same turn.
- Expert thrower: it requires a Shooting Skill equal to or greater than 4. Character may reroll hitting rolls of 1 while using throwing weapons (except in case of critical failure).
- Fast attacks: once per turn character can attack (only in melee combat) throwing 3D6 instead of the usual 2D6. After throwing the three dice, he must choose the two most favorable results for him and add a penalty of -1 to the roll. A double 1 in any two of the 3 dice rolled is regarded as a critical failure. This skill can only be applied to one attack per character activation.
- Fast shooting: character may shoot twice in a turn as long as he doesn't move (remember that turning is not regarded as Movement). However, his Shooting Skill is reduced by one. This skill can't be used with weapons with the rule Reload (not even if character has the skill Quick Reloading).
- Foresight: character may use this skill when targeted by an enemy attack. If the defender rolls doubles and wins the combat he is considered to have foreseen the attack and managed to hit his attacker instead. Roll for damage as usual. Characters defending against creatures with the skill Invulnerable will only be able to damage them when they get a double critical.
- Giant killer: when character hits a large or huge character or creature he gets one extra damage die. He may also reroll failed Courage rolls while fighting against this kind of enemy.
- Hardened: character is covered with scars. Whenever he loses one or more Vitality points as a result of melee or ranged attacks he must roll 1D6. On a result of 4+, damage is reduced by 1.
- Hardy: character increases its Vitality by 1, Vitality can exceed the race maximum in this case.
- Hatred towards (character/creature): character hates those specific characters. While fighting against them character gets a +1 bonus to his Courage and may reroll melee hitting rolls with a result of 1 (except in case of a critical failure).
- Hatred towards the underworld: character hates characters with the skills "Undead" or "Underworld". While fighting against them character gets a +1 bonus to his Courage and may reroll melee hitting rolls with a result of 1 (except in case of critical failure). Additionally, he may reroll failed rolls when using Holy Water.
- Heart seeker: when character hits a target with a ranged attack he may reroll all results of 1 while rolling for damage.
- Lethal blow: critical hits while rolling Combat Skill reduce the target's Armor by -1. However, such a critical will not provide the usual extra damage die.
- Lethal shot: critical hits while shooting or throwing weapons reduce the target's Armor by -1. However, such a critical will not provide the usual extra damage die.
- Martial arts: if character gets a critical result in melee combat (even unarmed), against an opponent of equal or smaller size, he will choose* between dealing damage and automatically stunning target, or dealing a single damage die and knocking him down (Leaders cannot be Knocked Down in this way). (ADP: always chooses to knock down the opponent.)
- Mighty blow: if character manages to hit during a melee attack, target's Armor is reduced by 1 (for the effects of that attack only). His weapon gets "Shield breaking". However, the character's Combat Skill for this attack is reduced by 1.
- Powerful blow: each damage roll with a result of 6 allows character to roll one extra damage die (these extra dice won't generate any further damage dice). However, character's Combat Skill for this attack is reduced by 1.
- Quick reloading: characters must declare they want to use it at the beginning of their activation. Character may reload a weapon as if it was a Quick Action. However, character gets a -1 to his Shooting Skill that turn.
- Shield onslaught: character gets the skill Onslaught when a shield is equipped.
- Spinning blow: up to 3 enemies within character's Melee Range may be attacked at the same time. However, the character's Combat Skill for this attack is reduced by 1, and enemies can't be Knocked Down.
- Strong: character increases his Strength by 1. Strength can exceed the race maximum in this case.
- Swift drawing: character suffers no penalties for drawing or changing weapons during a fight while within the enemy's Melee Range.
- Sword master: it requires a Combat Skill equal to or greater than 4. While equipped with a Sword, Saber, Scimitar or Katana, character gets one extra melee attack for every critical impact he gets. These extra attacks won't generate new ones.
- Tough: character gets a +1 whenever he rolls to avoid the conditions Stunned, Diseased and Poisoned. He also gets a +1 to his recovery rolls (Recovery Phase). His Natural Armor is increased by 1 against poisons, diseases and extreme environmental conditions.
- Tricky fighter: a minimum Intelligence value of 4 is required. Only for melee attacks. If character rolls doubles and manages to hit, target's armor will be reduced by 1 (for the effects of that attack only). This means the character was skillful enough to find his enemy's weak point.
- Two-weapon fighting: character is able to fight with two one-handed weapons at the same time*. He can attack with each one of them during his activation, to the same or to different targets within his Melee Range, although he will get a -1 to his rolls to hit. Character will use only one of the weapons to defend, at his choice. (ADP: gives priority to fighting with 2 weapons.)
- Unstoppable charge: if character uses a two-handed melee weapon and moves at least three squares forward to attack an opponent (with no obstacles or difficult terrain in his turn), he can make a single attack that turn, knocking down an opponent of equal or smaller size if he succeeds in hitting him. He will get a -1 to his Combat Skill on that roll.
- Used to armors: when this character uses heavy armor, his Movement is reduced by 1 less point than usual.
Scholarly and Leadership Skills
- Alchemist: character may use an Action to find out what the effects of a potion are (an Intelligence test must be passed). Only one attempt per game. Additionally, he may reroll his rolls while searching alchemy or spice tables. Spellcasters start each quest with 1 free Components for magic. (ADP: the creature has one "components for magic" for its first spell casting.)
- Battle wizard: unless his class allows for more options, character may use light armor and a common weapon. His Mana points can't exceed his Intelligence value. If the character's class didn't initially include this skill character will suffer a -1 penalty to casting and dispelling spells. The same penalty applies to those equipping heavy armor (cumulative to the previous one). (ADP: can use armor.)
- Champion of the Gods of Good: if character is of benign or neutral alignment he may learn a spell from the Light Lore (Healing Light, Sheltering Light, Holy Light) or from the Blessings (Scourge of Evil). He may cast each spell only once per game (doesn't require Mana). In order to do so he must pass a Courage roll. Spells cast this way can't be dispelled. He may learn new spells among those above as if they were new skills.
- Champion of the Gods of Evil: if character is of evil alignment he may learn a spell from the Underworld Lore (Favour of the Gods, Regeneration) or from Corruption (Marshy Ground, Inner Fire). He may cast each spell only once per game (doesn't require Mana). In order to do so he must pass a Courage roll. Spells cast this way can't be dispelled. He may learn new spells among those above as if they were new skills.
- Cold-blooded: when trying to pass a Courage test character can roll 3D6 instead of 2 and choose the 2 dice with the highest results. It cannot be used to cast spells.
- Combat instructor: it requires a Combat Skill equal to or greater than 4. Choose an allied* character with a lower Combat Skill right before starting a quest. During the quest he gets a +1 bonus to his Combat Skill thanks to the knowledge and advice he has acquired from the teacher. Such a character can never reach a Combat Skill of 5. (The character will benefit the ally with the highest Strength attribute.)
- Eloquence: character may hire all kinds of mercenaries except ogres (check the Mercenaries card deck) for a half of the usual price (rounding up). Only one mercenary may be hired this way at the same time. Additionally he will get +1 on all Persuasion (Intelligence) rolls.
- Encouraging: once per quest character may devote an Action to encourage his mates. All allied characters six or less spaces away from him may reroll failed attribute tests, attack or defense rolls until the beginning of their next turn. (ADP: the creature will use this skill if there are at least 3 allies within the skill's AoE at the beginning of its activation.)
- Experienced wizard: character may reroll failed Intelligence rolls when casting spells (except in case of critical failure). This skill may only be used once per quest. (ADP: the creature can reroll the first failed attempt to cast a spell.)
- Expert poisoner: character knows how to create poisons. He will start each quest with 1 free Poison Flask. (ADP: the creature will try to approach the ally with the highest VP, or the one with the highest Combat Skill, at the beginning of its first activation. Then it will use a quick action to deliver the poison to him. This ally will automatically benefit from the effects of this poison. If the creature with this skill has a Combat Skill of 4, or there are no allies with a Combat Skill better than his, he will use the poison himself.)
- First aid: it allows the character to spend an Action in recovering up to 2 Vitality points of his own or those of an adjacent friendly character, providing both do not move that turn (a mate healed this way must not perform any Action). It can only be used twice per game. (ADP: the creature will approach the ally with the highest VP in the same section. This ally must have lost at least one Vitality point. It will then use his Action to heal the ally, who will recover up to 2 Vitality points.)
- Giant tamer: characters with Mana may use one Quick Action each turn to handle an Arboreal, Stone or Iron Giant, as long as it is six or less squares away. To activate it character must pass an Intelligence test (can try even adjacent to enemies). If he fails, character will lose 1 Mana point and the giant will be considered stationary.
- Herbalist: character is an expert in herbs and knows how to create potions and ointments. Character starts each quest with a potion of his choice, at no cost (Mana potions and poisons are not included). (ADP: the creature will try to approach the ally with the highest VP, or the one with the highest Combat Skill, at the beginning of its first activation. Then, it will use a quick action to deliver a Dexterity potion to him. This ally will automatically benefit from the effects of this potion.)
- Impassible: character may reroll failed Courage rolls.
- Inspiring: character increases by 1 the Courage of allied characters other than himself who are six or less spaces away from him. If character fails one Courage test himself he won't be able to use this skill for the rest of the quest.
- Inspiring music: characters with this skill can use an Action to play their musical instrument. The effects of this skill will be regarded as those of a Permanent Enhancing Spell (and has a cost of 1 Mana). If an Intelligence test is passed, the effects will last for as many turns as the lower of the two dice rolled. The character and all allies up to 3 squares away from him get +1 to their Combat Skill, Shooting Skill and Courage tests.
- Iron will: character increases his Courage by 1. Courage can exceed the race maximum in this case.
- Mislead: character can use an Action to mislead an enemy. When character is six or less spaces away from a single enemy character or creature in the same section both of them must roll 2D6 and add their Intelligence attributes. If the enemy creature loses the roll it will also lose its next turn. An enemy can only be misled once. Mislead can't be used against Leaders. (ADP: the creature uses this skill as soon as the necessary conditions are met.)
- Polyglot: character gets a +1 bonus while inspecting libraries and sorcery tables and also when solving riddles. Character also gets a +1 to dispelling and casting spells with Magic Scrolls (added to the bonus provided in the scroll itself).
- Powerful mind: it requires an Intelligence value equal to or greater than 4. Character may learn faster from other spellcasters. The price of learning a spell will be reduced by 5 coins and will take only 2 experience points. He also gets a +2 to solving riddles. (ADP: the creature gets +2 to dispelling attempts against Control spells.)
- Reckless wizard: character gets a +1 to casting spells. However, rolls with a result of double 1, 2 or 3 will be regarded as critical failures.
- Recovering Mana: once per game character may use an Action to recover Mana. He must roll 4D6. For every result of 1 he will lose 1 Vitality point. For each result of 2+ character recovers 1 Mana. Character can remove up to 1 mana token from two cards of spells already cast. (ADP: the creature will perform this Action if it has no Mana points at the beginning of its activation.)
- Secrets of magic: character can use an Action in order to detect the effects of any Magical Objects and Relics found during the game. To do so, he must pass an Intelligence test. Only one attempt per object is allowed. Additionally, he and other characters inspecting sections less than six spaces away from him will find treasures with a result of double 5 or double 6. (ADP: +1 to dispelling.)
- Taming animals: characters with this skill can acquire an animal for half the usual price when they visit a "Kennel and breeding ground". Additionally, they get +1 on Persuasion (Intelligence) rolls against animals with Intelligence 2 or lower. (ADP: starts with an adjacent pet, at no cost.)
- Torturer: use this skill when searching corpses. If there is a 6 in the roll, in addition to the usual coin the character will manage to extract relevant information from a dying enemy: the heroes can reroll the next Initiative roll. The character also gets +1 to all Persuasion (Strength) rolls. (ADP: takes one less damage die from Melee attacks from enemies with Courage 4 or lower.)
Exploration and Subterfuge Skills
- Acrobat: requires an Agility equal to or greater than 4. +1 to Agility rolls (even opposing ones).
- Ambush: character gets +1 to his Initiative rolls. If his group wins the Initiative, characters with ambush may reroll their first failed attack roll.
- Cat reflexes: requires an Agility equal to or greater than 4. Character may reroll results of 1 (except in case of critical failure) when defending against melee attacks.
- Cautious trapper: when trying to disarm a trap character may wear a special protecting breastplate that increases his Armor by 1 (maximum Armor is always 6).
- Climber: character may reroll any failed rolls when climbing or jumping.
- Eagle eye: character gets a +1 to Perception rolls detecting traps, inspecting halls, or searching for secret doors. When shooting at an enemy he may also ignore light cover.
- Expert rider: character suffers no penalties for casting spells or shooting while riding. He may also reroll his mount's failed Courage tests and his own failed Agility tests when trying to avoid falling off his mount.
- Expert trapper: character gets a +1 to his Perception and Dexterity when detecting and disarming traps.
- Fast: requires an Agility and Movement equal to or greater than 4. If character does not wear heavy armor, he always moves twice his Movement when running (except in case of critical failure). He also gets a +1 to Agility when trying to get out of an enemy's Melee Range or avoiding traps.
- Flying jump: requires an Agility equal to or greater than 4. If an Agility test is passed while being adjacent to an enemy of equal or lesser size, the character will jump over the square where his enemy is located and be placed in another one adjacent to it, ignoring enemy Melee Ranges during the jump. It can be done at any time during the move, but only once per turn.
- Great explorer: character may reroll up to three rolls in the same quest when exploring halls or searching for secret doors. (ADP: +1 to Perception.)
- Hunter: character gets a +1 to Perception.
- Locksmith: character gets a +2 to Dexterity when trying to open locks stealthily.
- Lucky: once per quest, as soon as a treasure card is revealed, character may take one more random card from the deck. He can keep the one he deems better.
- Lynx: character may reroll results of 1 (except in case of critical failure) when rolling for Initiative.
- Scout: character ignores all penalties for difficult terrain as long as he doesn't run or wear heavy armor.
- Skilled hands: character gets a +1 to Dexterity.
- Skulk: character may skulk behind some piece of furniture which provides light cover as if it provided heavy cover. Besides, enemies who lost their Initiative roll against the character suffer a -1 penalty to Intelligence when the rule "caught by surprise!" is applied. Large or huge characters can't use this skill.
- Slippery: requires an Agility equal to or greater than 4. Character moves so fast it is difficult to target him. Enemies shooting or throwing weapons at him get a -1 penalty to their hitting rolls. This skill can't be used while wearing heavy armor.
- Stealth: character may ignore an enemy's Melee Range once per combat turn. This skill can't be used by large characters or while equipping heavy armor.
- Survival: character lodges for free in Inns located in Towns and Castles. He also starts each quest with 1 free Pack of Provisions.
- Thief: character has a great ability to discover the most hidden possessions. He may reroll results of 1 or 2 when searching corpses. (ADP: at the beginning of its first activation, it will perform a Perception test against the nearest hero in its LoS. If it wins, the hero must discard one random equipment card from his backpack (with a weight of 1), to be kept by the character with this skill. If the creature has a ranged-fighter behavior, it will be removed from the board immediately at the start of its next activation.)
- Tracker: Action: it must be used during an exploration turn. Twice per game character may force the Dark Player to reveal all the Encounter cards in his hand. If there is an artificial Dark Player, the character will be able to take the deck of Encounter cards and see the first three cards face down, returning them to the deck in the same order. (ADP: the creature grants a +1 to the Initiative rolls of all allies.)
- Trapper: character may activate a trap as soon as an enemy moves to or is activated in a square which is three or less spaces away from him. In that case, the enemy character must get a result of 8+ on a Perception test. Otherwise it stops, suffers 4 damage dice and loses its turn. This skill may be used twice per quest. Can only be used once against each enemy. This skill can't be used against Leaders.
- Up and back to fight!: as soon as he is Knocked Down, and even within an enemy's Melee Range, character may spring to his feet. In order to do so, he must pass an Agility roll. A character who avoids being Knocked Down this way is Stunned though. If the roll is failed, he can reroll the Agility test roll to remove the Knocked Down condition in his next turn.
Nature Skills
- Aquatic animal: moves and acts with no penalties in difficult terrain (water) or deep water. While in water they move with their Movement attribute. (ADP: the Dark Player can keep these creatures out of sight of their enemies until he decides to make them appear on the surface of the water. At the start of the DP's turn, the aquatic animal will appear in any of the corner squares of a section covered by water. Then the creature will roll Initiative against the nearest enemy. If its location is not indicated, the creature will appear in one random corner of the section.)
- Aura: a character which enters into or starts his activation in a square adjacent to a creature with this skill suffers 1 damage die.
- Breath (x): may use an Action to perform this attack even while adjacent to enemies. The creature's breath affects up to (x) frontal squares in a straight line. All targets in affected squares must pass an Agility test in order to avoid the attack and move to an adjacent square. If they can't do so, or the roll is failed they suffer (x) damage dice (against Natural Armor). The value of (x) is specified in the creature's profile. If target has light cover it causes 1 less damage die; 2 less damage dice in the case of heavy cover.
- Brutal: +1 damage die against targets located on its front (never adjacent) at the beginning of its activation. Creature must have moved forward at least one space.
- Clumsy hands: -1 to his Dexterity.
- Corrosive vomit: the creature can use this attack against an enemy in a frontal, adjacent square. Target must pass an Agility test. If the roll is failed, the target takes 5 damage dice with a -1 to Armor.
- Coward: if wounded at the beginning of its activation and if its side is outnumbered within that section, it will have to pass a Courage test or else be removed from the game.
- Double Attack: one extra offensive action during its activation.
- Ethereal: can only be wounded by spells, magic weapons or spell-enhanced weapons. Ignores enemy Melee Ranges and can move through other characters as long as it doesn't finish its movement in a space already occupied. It also ignores difficult terrain and automatically passes all Agility tests.
- Familiar: when linked to a spellcaster and adjacent to him provides a +1 bonus to Intelligence while casting spells. When a spellcaster is damaged by a critical failure while casting a spell his familiar suffers an equal damage.
- Fearsome: immune to the effects of Fearsome from enemies of the same or smaller size. A Courage test will be required in the following circumstances: 1- before attacking an enemy with this skill; 2- before being attacked by an enemy with this skill. Success: can act normally and becomes immune to the effects of Fearsome from enemies of that Level or lower (Leader*>Champion>Elite>Troop) until the end of the combat. Failure: gets the condition "Frightened". Activation ends if the fearsome enemy is Large or Huge, or if the Courage test was failed with a blunder. *(Heroes and their companions will be equivalent to Leaders with respect to this rule.)
- Flying (x): this skill cannot be used while wearing heavy armor or being Wounded. Flying creatures automatically pass Agility tests while jumping or climbing. Additionally, in outdoor sections, at the beginning of their activation creatures with this skill must decide whether to fly or not and will remain so until their next turn. Creatures that are flying can move as indicated in their profile (x), ignore obstacles (being able to land on them) and non-impassable terrain, ignore enemy Melee Ranges, cannot run, get a -1 to their Shooting Skill. (ADP: newly spawned creatures are always regarded as currently flying (if allowed by the scenario). Creatures with a flying behavior card will be able to fly in indoor sections, but with only half of their movement capacity.)
- Grab and eat: may use an Action to perform this attack against an adjacent average or small enemy. Both attacker and target must roll Agility +2D6. If the creature wins it manages to grab its victim and swallow it. Target is instantly Knocked Out (his mates will only be able to recover his corpse if they defeat the creature).
- Grab and suffocate (x): may use an Action to perform this attack. It affects as many enemies as indicated by (x) (they must be the same or smaller size than the creature and be adjacent to it). All of them take 1 damage die against their Agility. Those of them who lose one Vitality point will also lose their next activation.
- Grab and throw: may use an Action to perform this attack against an adjacent average or small enemy. Both attacker and target must roll Agility +2D6. If the creature wins it manages to grab its victim and throw it a number of spaces away equal to its Strength value (in a random direction). Target suffers an equal number of damage dice and is Knocked Down. If target impacts an impassable obstacle while thrown it stops there and damage is rolled with a -1 to Armor. Characters hit by a thrown character are pushed to an adjacent space and are then Knocked Down. The thrown character will be placed in the space where that other character was before, being Knocked Down too.
- Hypnotic: may use an Action to perform this attack against an enemy that is adjacent to it and in its LoS. Both target and attacker will roll Intelligence. If the attacker wins, the target will remain Stationary during this and its next turn. This Action cannot be performed if the creature moved during the same turn.
- Huge: cannot perform Dexterity tests. -1 to Perception. Smaller size enemies hit by this creature always get a -1 to Armor. Attacks from this creature always break ordinary Shields blocking them. Magic Shields take the usual Shield Breaking roll, though. Ignores all obstacles, pits and deep cracks with a width inferior to that of its own base, and obstacles with a height of 1 or 2. It ignores difficult terrain (except when it is caused by having part of its base on a square which is not empty). If it is Fearsome, it reduces by 1 the Courage of all smaller enemies in the same section.
- Invulnerable: creatures with this skill don't take any damage from attacks made with Combat Skill/Shooting Skill except in case of a critical hit* (magic weapons also require a critical hit). Spells or attacks made by spell-enhanced weapons will damage them normally. If damage is caused by a trap, a travel event, or some kind of automatic hit (such as the damage caused by the skill "Breath"), results of 6 in damage rolls will be regarded as critical hits (therefore Invulnerability won't prevent damage in this case). *(This includes critical hits from allied shooting that resulted in blunder and hit him by mistake.)
- Large: -1 to Perception and Dexterity. Smaller size enemies hit by this creature always get a -1 to Armor. Can break Shields used by smaller targets, even when disarmed. If using a weapon with the ability to break Shields, those are automatically broken (except in the case of magic Shields, which require the usual breaking roll). The cost and weight of acquiring and using weapons and armor for them (as well as their weight) is double than usual.
- Leech Mana: Action. The creature must choose an enemy it has LoS to, among those with Mana points (choosing the one with the lowest Intelligence), located 6 squares or less away. It must then roll 3D6. For each result that equals or exceeds the target's Intelligence, it will steal 1 Mana point which will be added to its own Mana pool.
- Leech Vitality: recovers 1 Vitality point for every 2 damage inflicted. Only applies to melee attacks. (ADP: will only use this skill if it has lost at least half of its initial Vitality.)
- Lethal gaze: every time an enemy enters into, or starts his activation within an area of 6 squares in the front of a creature with this skill (and as long as he has LoS to it at some point), he must pass an Intelligence test (+1 if he is using some kind of shield, +1 if there is any cover between them). If the test is failed, he will take 10 damage dice against Intelligence. Characters attempting to shoot at a creature with this skill will get a -2 penalty. Characters or creatures with the skill "Undead" are not affected by this skill.
- Lost in the dark: -1 to all Attributes (except Armor, Vitality and Mana) while in a section under the effects "Darkness" or "Complete Darkness". -1 to shooting at enemies in a dark section, even if shooters are in a well illuminated area themselves.
- Lycanthropy: may use a Quick Action to transform into a Werewolf (use the "Werewolf" card profile from the "Animals and Creatures" deck). Only twice per quest. It carries all its equipment with no penalties but won't be able to use it. At the end of each activation starting from the second turn as a werewolf, roll 1D6. With a result of 1, it will return to his original human form, with its current Vitality points, but never exceeding those it originally had.
- Magic resistance: when targeted by a successful spell (not including magic projectiles) the creature must roll 1D6. On a result of 4+, the spell has no effect on it. If targeted by some magic projectile, it will take one less damage dice than usual.
- Mimetism: this skill is only applied to one specific kind of terrain, which must be chosen beforehand. While in that kind of terrain, enemies get a -1 to their Shooting Skill and Initiative rolls when they target the owner of this skill.
- Mount: can be ridden by creatures of the same size or smaller. If the mount has no rider, it will only attack adjacent enemies who attacked it in melee combat in the previous turn. If it suffers 3 attacks of any kind while riderless, it will be removed from the scenario.
- Multiple attacks: the creature will have two extra offensive actions during its activation.
- Onslaught: may use an Action to carry out this attack as long as it is not adjacent to an enemy at the beginning of its activation. If it moves and contacts an enemy in its front, it will roll Agility against such enemy. In case of multiple enemies, choose the one with the lowest Agility. If the attacker wins, the target will be Knocked Down and take as many damage dice as the attacker's Strength (increase the target's Armor by +1). This skill cannot be used if the attacker moved through difficult terrain at any time during its activation.
- Paralyzing poison: if it causes the loss of at least 1 Vitality point, roll 1D6. If the result equals or exceeds the enemy's natural Armor, it will lose its next activation.
- Pathfinder: ignores difficult terrain. This skill only applies to one specific kind of terrain specified in the creature's profile.
- Plague bearer: targets who have lost at least 1 Vitality point as a result of an attack from this creature must roll 1D6. If the roll is equal to or greater than its Natural Armor, target gets the condition Diseased.
- Poisonous: if it causes the loss of at least 1 Vitality point, roll 1D6. If the result equals or exceeds the enemy's natural Armor, it will get the condition "Poisoned" and will lose 1 extra Vitality point.
- Projectile immunity: immune to all non-magical, non spell-enhanced projectiles and throwing weapons.
- Raging mount: can be ridden by creatures of the same size or smaller. If it has no rider, it will act as an independent character or creature.
- Regeneration: at the beginning of its activation the creature must roll 1D6 for every Vitality point lost during the previous turn. For each result of 5+ one Vitality point is recovered. This skill can't be used by Knocked Out characters.
- Rock throwing: Large or Huge creatures may use an Action to perform this attack (cannot be combined with a move). It will be considered a ranged attack with -1 against targets up to a distance equal to its Strength. If it hits, it deals a number of damage dice equal to its Strength (-1 to Armor). Knocks Down smaller targets.
- Sharp senses: +1 to Perception.
- Shriek from the underworld: requires the use of an Action. All enemies up to six spaces away from this creature (even if they have no LoS to it) are instantly Stunned and suffer 1 damage die against their Courage.
- Small: those trying to shoot at this creature suffer a -1 penalty. Creatures with this skill deal one less damage die when using projectile weapons (not so with throwing weapons). They also get a +1 to their Perception.
- Spell-enhanced attacks: all its weapons are considered enhanced by spells, so it ignores the skill "Invulnerable".
- Staggering: can't run, swim or perform great jumps.
- Sting: attack Action against an adjacent enemy. A creature which uses its sting to attack gets a -1 to its Combat Skill, but rolls a number of damage dice equal to its own Strength. Additionally, target's armor is reduced by one.
- Stupid: -1 to Perception and Dexterity. In addition, at the start of its activation, and provided it hasn't got LoS to any enemies, he must roll 1D6. On a result of 1, it will do nothing during that turn.
- Sweep: may use an Action to perform this attack against up to two adjacent smaller enemies, located on its front. Both attacker and targets will roll 2D6+ Agility. If the attacker wins, it will deal as much damage as its Strength (but will not reduce the opponent's Armor). Target will also be Knocked Down and pushed back one square. This attack cannot be combined with a move.
- Tail swipe: may use an Action to perform this attack against one or two adjacent enemies of smaller size, located in its back. Both attacker and targets will roll 2D6+ Agility. If the attacker wins, it will deal as much damage as its Strength (but will not reduce the opponent's Armor). Target will also be Knocked Down and pushed back one square. This attack cannot be combined with a move.
- Tentacles: may attack from 2 squares away (even using actions that require being adjacent to enemies). Up to 3 squares away instead if the creature is Huge.
- Trampling: may use an Action to perform this attack against all adjacent enemies which are much smaller. All of them take 1 damage die against their Agility. Those of them who lose one Vitality point as a result of this attack will be Knocked Down. If the result of the damage die is a 6, they will be instantly Knocked Out.
- Undead: ignores the conditions Poisoned, Diseased, Wounded and Stunned and extra damage from poison. Ignores Complete Darkness. Ignores the effects of all offensive Control spells.
- Underworld: takes 1 less damage die than usual from fire or flaming attacks. It is also immune to the conditions Poisoned and Diseased and ignores extra damage from poison. Ignores Complete Darkness. It also ignores spells "Demonic seduction" and "Placate tempers".
- Vermin: hundreds of small creatures (bats, insects, snakes, rats…) on a large base. Immune to poisons and diseases. They can't be Stunned or Knocked Down. They block LoS as if they were average size.
- Vulnerable: creature's Armor and Combat Skill will be reduced by -1 against attacks made with the element it is vulnerable to. Example: Vulnerable to fire indicates that the creature suffers these effects against all fire attacks.
- Watchman: +2 to all Initiative rolls (except if the creature was spawned by means of a Reinforcements or Ambush cards). May also use Exploration Actions such as opening doors even during a combat turn (this will reveal the content of those sections and may even generate the activation of new Encounter cards, but not Obstacles). (ADP: a watchman will always give priority to opening one of the unexplored doors of the section it is in, with the same effects as if it had been opened by a hero in terms of the possible appearance of creatures (these will always lose the Initiative roll).)
Quick Rule Reference
This chapter condenses the rules explained throughout the book into a fast lookup format for use during play.
Attributes and Tests
The twelve attributes are: Movement, Combat Skill, Strength, Shooting Skill, Armor, Dexterity, Fortune, Agility, Intelligence, Mana, Courage, Vitality, Perception.
- Attribute test = 2D6 + Attribute ≥ 10 (or else a specific result).
- Opposed roll: two characters roll 2D6 and add their attribute to the result. A result of double 6 (unmodified) will always be a success (unless both contestants get the same result on an opposed roll).
- Fortune Points: character must roll 1D6. On a result of 5+ he ignores a "Knocked Out" result, avoiding both the condition and the damage suffered. If the roll is failed, character may spend one extra Fortune point to automatically get the same result. Character may choose to reroll his last roll instead, or that of an opponent.
Heights and Size
Height: (0) Ground; (1) Tables, barrels; (2) Cupboards, doors; (3) Large statues; (4) Big trees, walls; (5) Sky.
Creature Size: (1) Small (1 square); (2) Average (1 square); (3) Large (2x2 squares); (4) Huge (2x2 squares minimum).
Heroes' Set-up
- Choose the heroes (predesigned or created by the players themselves). If 3 or more heroes are taking part in the game, there must be one of each type (Fighter, Explorer, Spellcaster). There must not be 2 heroes of the same class. It is recommended that there are not 2 heroes of the same race. Evil and Good alignment heroes should not be mixed in the same group.
- Take the skill cards. Remember that some of them are professional ones (Combat, Academic and leadership, Exploration and subterfuge) but there are also those of Nature. No two heroes can have the same professional skill.
- Choose the spells for those characters able to use them.
- Take the equipment cards for each hero: Melee Weapons, Ranged Weapons, Armor, Shields, Common Objects and Special Objects. If you buy some piece of equipment, keep in mind that large characters pay twice the usual price and the item's weight is doubled.
- Take the cards corresponding to those mercenaries or pets accompanying the heroes (if any).
- Place the heroes outside the scenario. Each of them will begin their activation in a starting square indicated by the Dark Player, and the first section of the scenario will be revealed (regarded as already explored).
Calculate the VP for the whole group: VP Heroes + VP Mercenaries and Animals + VP Special Objects + VP Magic Objects and Relics.
Experience Points
Unless another reward is indicated on the Quest Sheet (which will prevail over all others), standard-size adventures will award the following experience points: +1 if the group has accomplished the mission on the first attempt; +1 if the group has scored more Achievement points than the Dark Player. Those heroes who finish the quest Knocked Out will get no experience. Remember that Achievement points only give experience if the heroes have accomplished the quest.
The Turn
Phases of each activated character:
1. Recovery: if a character is Stunned, roll 1D6. On a result of 4+ the condition is removed. If character is Knocked Down, he will be able to stand up automatically. However, if he has one or more adjacent enemies, he must pass a test to do so (if he suffered the Knocked Down condition in his previous activation, he will automatically pass the test). After standing up he will still be affected by the condition "Stunned".
2. Performing Actions and moves: one Action and one move, in an order of your choice. In addition, you can perform a Quick Action at no cost. You can replace one Action with a second Quick Action.
Movement and Terrain: each character can move as many spaces as his Movement (even diagonally, but not around an obstacle in one of the corners). Facing: characters can change their facing anytime during their activation. In order to perform an offensive action, they must face the opponent they intend to attack, and they will remain facing that way if they end their activation adjacent to the opponent. Occupied Squares: a character or creature will not be able to move through a square occupied by an enemy or an impassable obstacle. They can move through squares occupied by allies though (as long as they are not engaged in combat), by spending one extra Movement point for each square occupied by an ally. No character will be able to finish his movement in an occupied square. Difficult Terrain: if a character enters into a square considered difficult terrain, he must spend one extra Movement point for each space he wishes to advance. Characters placed in difficult terrain get a -1 penalty to their Combat/Shooting Skill, and casting and dispelling spells. Deep Waters: in deep water, only adjacent enemies can fight and only using daggers or natural weapons. All non-aquatic creatures will get a -1 penalty to their Combat Skill. Casting spells, dispelling or shooting is not allowed. Characters in deep water have light cover against attacks made from outside the water. They also ignore the Melee Range of all enemies located outside the water, and vice versa. Swimming: if a character wants to swim forward, he will be able to advance a number of spaces equal to his Agility. He will have an extra penalty of -1 if he wears heavy armor. If his Agility is negative at the end of his activation, he will suffer 3 damage dice against his Natural Armor. He will have to roll 2D6 at the start of his activation if he declares that he wants to advance by swimming. With a double 1, the character will not advance at all. On a double 6, he will be able to advance one extra square. Movement of large and huge creatures: select one of the 4 squares at its base and move it as if it were an average-sized creature. Such a creature must finish its movement in an area where the 4 squares of its base are free of obstacles or other characters. It can also end its movement so that part of its base (never all of it) is located on obstructed spaces, but if it ends its activation this way, it will be regarded as being on difficult terrain.
Actions
An Action may not be performed while within an enemy's Melee Range or adjacent to one, except when so indicated in the Action itself. Exploratory Actions (only Heroes) may not be performed during combat turns, except Revealing a New Section and Opening Unexplored Doors.
- Revealing a New Section: if a hero stands on an exploration arrow.
- Opening Unexplored Doors: if cannot be opened, the action will not count as spent. Cannot be performed while being diagonally adjacent to a door.
- Opening Locked Door: Dexterity test to open it. Only one attempt per group. Failure: the door can only be opened by breaking it down.
- Opening Chests: Dexterity test. If it is opened, draw one Treasure card. Failure: the chest can only be opened by breaking it down.
- Solving Riddles: Intelligence test. Only one attempt per group. Failure: the door can only be opened by breaking it down. The chest cannot be opened or broken.
- Breaking Doors, Chests and Other Objects: may only be hit after they have been tried to open without violence. Hit automatically. Heavy armor. Noise: in their next encounter, their enemies will get a +1 bonus to their Initiative roll for each turn in which the heroes have hit the element. Door and chest: Armor 5, Vitality 5, average size. Reinforced door: Armor 6, Vitality 6, average size.
- Running: must declare before moving. Roll 2D6 and add your Movement. The distance traveled mustn't exceed double your Movement. With a result of double 1 character only advances half of his Movement. -2 to Perception tests while running.
- Great jump: Agility test or fall. Modifiers: -1 if you jump over an obstacle more than one square wide; -1 if you jump when adjacent to an enemy. Help from an ally (with a rope): adjacent to the cliff, Strength test.
- Climbing out of pits: Agility test or remain at the bottom of the pit. Modifiers: -1 if there is an enemy adjacent to the pit. Help from an ally (with a rope): adjacent to the pit, Strength test. Modifiers: -1 if the character you want to help is Large; -1 if the character with the rope has an adjacent enemy.
- Searching for Secret Doors: Perception test. Cannot be combined with movement. Discovered doors will be regarded as ordinary ones.
- Searching rooms: Perception test. Only one attempt for the whole group. Success: 1D3+1 coins. Double 6, draw a Treasure card. Once the Main room or section has been revealed, no previously explored rooms can be searched.
- Searching or interacting with elements: once the Main room or section has been discovered, it will not be possible to search elements previously revealed.
- Putting armor on or off: cannot be combined with movement.
- Deactivating traps: Dexterity test. Result required on the trap card. Modifiers: +1 if test to detect the trap was passed with a double 6. Success: trap disabled. The door or chest is not considered to be open. Failure: effects described on its card.
- Searching corpses: after finishing a combat and always before a new section is revealed. Roll 1D6 for each eliminated enemy, 2D6 for each Elite enemy. If the enemy was Champion, roll as many D6 as its Strength or Intelligence (choose the higher). With each result of 4+, 1 coin. Depending on the number of 6s on the roll: two 6s: Random Common Object; three 6s: Random Special Object; four 6s: Random Common Object and Special Object; five 6s: Random Magic Object (not a Relic).
- Activating a source of light.
- Moving furniture: move a piece of furniture to an adjacent square. If the element is of equal height to the character trying to move it, it will be successfully moved if a Strength test is passed.
- Building footbridges: two characters adjacent to the cliff. Spend 1 pickaxes and 1 rope card.
- Persuading through Intelligence: opposed roll of Intelligence against the target character. The persuasion attempt will only succeed if the result of the persuader exceeds that of the target. Modifiers: -1 if the hero is trying to persuade a character of an opposite alignment to his own; +1 if the hero is trying to persuade a character of his same race.
- Persuading through fear: opposed roll of Strength against Courage. The persuasion attempt will only succeed if the result of the persuader exceeds that of the target. Modifiers: skill "Fearsome" gives +1 to the roll.
- Identifying magic powers and potions: heroes will generally not know its typology or effects unless one of them has the right skill (Intelligence test) or they pay for the services of an expert in a settlement. Roll 1D6: 1) Poison, 2) Dexterity, 3) Heroic, 4) Strength, 5) Mana, 6) Healing.
- Melee Attacks.
- Ranged Attacks.
- Casting Spells.
Critical failures during exploration: result of double 1 in any Exploratory Action gives the Dark Player 1 Reserve Point.
Quick Actions: each character can perform one Quick Action during their activation. This type of action may be carried out before, during or at the end of a character's movement. You can replace one Action with a second Quick Action. As a general rule, a Quick Action may not be performed while within an enemy's Melee Range or while adjacent to an enemy (except drawing weapons): giving an item to an adjacent companion; opening or closing a door that gives access to an area already explored; equipping objects; drinking a potion; drawing a weapon.
Falls: Stunned condition and 1 damage die against his Natural Armor for each point of height he fell (pits cause 4 damage dice).
Reaction to traps: as soon as a trap is activated, the hero who has triggered its activation (through an action or movement) must pass a Perception test. The result of the test must be equal or exceed the value indicated on the card. Success: the trap is detected and will remain dormant in the door, chest or square where it was spawned. The action that the hero intended to perform is not carried out (therefore, he will be able to disarm the trap in that very same turn). If the trap is activated after stepping on a square, the character will take a step back, returning to the previous square from which he came. If the trap was activated for any other reason, the character will be able to move to any adjacent empty square. In any case, the character will not be able to move during the rest of his activation. Any of the heroes in the group can try to disarm the trap (not only the one who discovered it). Failure: the trap will be triggered and its effects applied. The action the hero intended to perform will not be carried out. The hero's activation will be over.
Line of Sight (LoS) and Cover
A character must be able to see his enemy at some point during his activation in order to be able to target him. If there is an unobstructed straight line from the center of the attacker's square to the center of the target's square, there will be clear LoS.
No creature will be able to have LoS through elements of the same height or higher, unless the target is higher than the interposing elements.
If LoS is present but with obstacles, target will be regarded to have cover. This cover will be applied if the drawn line touches only the corner of a square occupied by an element, without crossing it. Also when it crosses a lower height element that does not block the LoS and provided the target is adjacent to that element.
Characters can block LoS but will never provide any cover. Depending on the nature of the elements, they will be regarded as light cover (tables, fences) or heavy cover (walls, columns, statues).
Combat
Combat turn: if there is an enemy located 12 squares or less away from a character in a group of heroes.
Initiative opposed roll: 2D6 + Perception. Tie? highest Intelligence wins. If the heroes win the Initiative roll, a new turn for them will immediately begin. If the heroes lose the Initiative roll, the turn ends for them and the Dark Player turn begins.
Caught by surprise!: enemies 6 or less squares away from the character or creature that won the Initiative test will be affected by this rule if both dice rolled by the winning side equal or exceed their Intelligence (unless you get a result of 1 on one of the dice).
Front and back of a character: the front of a character or creature will be those squares that he has before him or to his sides, taking into account his facing. The squares behind him will be considered his back.
Melee Range: each character exercises a zone of Influence on each of its adjacent squares, including diagonals. A running character cannot move through any squares adjacent to an enemy, even if the enemy cannot engage him. A character who does not run may enter an enemy's Melee Range. Any character who enters a square which is part of an enemy's Melee Range must end his movement there. Then both characters are considered to be engaged. Characters are considered engaged if they are within the Melee Range of an enemy. Characters can only be engaged by other characters of the same or higher size, or by two or more adjacent enemies of immediately lower size. In turn, they can keep two smaller enemies engaged. Creatures and characters will always ignore the Melee Range of much smaller enemies.
Moving within a Melee Range: if a character is engaged with an opponent, he may move to an adjacent square within the opponent's Melee Range without disengaging as long as his attack is targeted at the opponent. This is regarded as Movement.
Disengaging: an engaged character may ignore his opponent's Melee Range and move normally during his activation if he passes an Agility test before performing an Action. If he fails, he will remain engaged and his activation will be over. If he gets a critical failure in the test, he will be automatically hit by the opponent he was trying to disengage from.
Attacks from the back: are those in which a character attacks from one of the squares conforming the back of the target (starting their movement from a square located on the back of the target or already positioned on it).
Several Attacks: a hero will be able to make a maximum of 3 attacks.
Ranged Attacks
Shooting Skill test to hit. Blunder (double 1): character ends its activation and hits the closest ally among those adjacent to the squares crossed by the trajectory of the shot. Then he must make a weapon breaking roll. If the shot fails with a single result of 1 and the attack was directed at a target adjacent to an ally, the shot will hit the ally (unless the ally is smaller than the target).
Modifiers: light/heavy cover: -1/-2; small target: -1; large/huge target: +1; stationary target: +2; moving and shooting: -1 (-2 if character moved more than half of his Movement — this penalty will not be applied to throwing weapons when only 1 or 2 squares have been moved); flying target: -1; target's Agility greater than shooter's: -1; attack from the back: +1; shooter located on difficult terrain: -1; defensive shot: -2 (a character with Ranged Weapons against an enemy who moves with the intention of attacking, engaging him, or flying through his Melee Zone, as long as this move is initiated in a square to which he has LoS — defensive shots won't be allowed when the target has started his movement from a position 2 or less squares away from the shooter).
Distance to target: 1-3 (point-blank): no penalty; 4-6 (short): -1; 7-9 (average): -2; 10+ (long): -3. When target is at a distance of more than half the maximum range of the weapon, critical results will not generate extra damage dice (this rule is not applied to throwing weapons).
Melee
Opposed roll to hit. In case of a tie, the character with the highest Agility wins. In case of a new tie, the one using a shield wins. If the tie persists, the defender always wins.
Blunder: end of the character's activation. A weapon breaking roll is required (shield breaking roll when defending). Picking up a weapon: Quick Action (a normal Action and an Agility test if character is within an enemy's Melee Range). Pushing: If the attacker wins the opposed roll, he can push back an equal or smaller size opponent to an adjacent empty square. If there are no empty squares (impassable obstacle or piece of furniture), the opponent takes 1 extra damage die from the attack. Taking a position: if an enemy is eliminated, Knocked Down or pushed, his square can be occupied by the attacker without regarding it as movement.
Modifiers: rival has cover: -1 to attack; flying target: -1 to attack; elevated position: +1 for those who have the advantage; attack from the back: +1 to the attack (defender cannot use shield); difficult terrain: -1; stationary target: no roll needed, automatic hit, -1 target's Armor; drawing a weapon in the enemy's Melee Range: -1; unarmed character: damage dice = Strength, -1 Combat Skill, +1 target's Armor.
Use of Shields: if an impact is received, user must roll 1D6. If the result is equal to or greater than the shield's blocking capability (usually 5+), the impact is blocked. The roll has a -1 if the hit was a critical. A double critical hit overrides any possible blocking. Shield is regarded as light cover against magic projectiles and Breath attacks. It allows user to push equal or smaller-size attackers if the opposed roll is won, even while defending. Shield breaking: if used as a cover against a magic projectile or against a weapon that can break shields, a break roll must be made. If the shield is broken after blocking a hit, the user takes 1 damage die. Shielding: character may reroll shield-blocking rolls, but during his next activation he won't be able to attack or run.
Magic
Spell casting: Intelligence test (one free hand required). If it fails, mana is not spent. One spell may be cast a maximum of 3 times during the quest. Permanent spell: lasts for as many turns as the highest result of the two dice rolled in the Intelligence test. There cannot be 2 permanent spells active at the same time. Superior spell: requires 2 mana points and does not allow moving. Dispelling: when a spell is cast successfully, it can be dispelled with an Intelligence test. Its result must exceed the result with which the spell was cast. Successful dispelling consumes mana. Maximum power: double-critical result while casting a spell. Spell cannot be dispelled by any means. Blunder: 5 damage dice against caster's Intelligence. Caster is Stunned.
Modifiers: cover — magic projectiles deal -1 damage die if target has light cover or uses a shield (-2 if he has heavy cover). Control spells will only affect Large or Huge creatures and Champion level ones when they were cast with a critical result (this does not affect the summoning of creatures). A new spell may be cast while another spell is active with a -1 penalty.
Damage and Conditions
Results of 1 when rolling damage never cause any wounds. Critical hits: for every 6, attack deals 1 extra damage die. Armor: may reach a maximum of 6. Damage against other attributes: 1 Vitality point will be lost each time the result of the die equals or exceeds that attribute.
Conditions may vary according to the number of critical results obtained and the size of the opponents:
| Attacker's size vs. defender | Normal | Critical | Double critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Much larger | Knocked Down* | Knocked Down | Knocked Down |
| Larger | No effect | Knocked Down* | Knocked Down |
| The same | No effect | No effect | Knocked Down |
| Smaller | No effect | No effect | Stunned |
| Much smaller | No effect | No effect | Stunned |
*If the target of the attack is a Leader, it will have no extra effects.
- Knocked Down: -1 penalty to all their attributes (except Armor, Vitality and Mana). Don't block LoS and don't have a Melee Range. They cannot move, perform any actions or push while affected by this condition, but they can defend and dispel normally.
- Stunned: -1 penalty to all their attributes (except Armor, Vitality and Mana) and will not be able to run.
- Frightened: same as Stunned, but the character will be able to run. Duration: until the beginning of the character's next activation.
- Wounded (1 Vitality left): same as Stunned. Duration: if the character recovers at least 1 Vitality point and this attribute is again above 1. A Huge creature will be regarded as Wounded when it has less than 5 Vitality points left.
- Diseased: same as Stunned. Remains even after the quest is over.
- Poisoned: same as Stunned. Until the quest is over.
- Stationary: cannot be activated. Until the beginning of the character's next activation or until hit by an enemy attack.
If a character suffers penalties for different and simultaneous conditions, these will be cumulative.
Card Icons
- Trap.
- Chest.
- Door.
- Corridor.
- Room.
- The content is read out as soon as the section is revealed.
- It requires interacting with the element to cause an effect.
- The cost of the enemies is half the usual in V.P.
- Encounter cards cannot be activated in this section.
- Dark Player.
- Artificial Dark Player.
- Activate card.
- Benefit for discarding.
- Element's height.
- Light Cover.
- Heavy Cover.
- Impassable element.
- It can be displaced.
- Spell's range.
- Spellcaster can only cast it on himself.
- It can be cast on any target, including the wizard.
- Damage offensive spell.
- Control offensive spell.
- Magic projectile offensive spell.
- Healing defensive spell.
- Enhancing defensive spell.
- Protecting defensive spell.
- Learning cost.
- Permanent spell.
- Spell's AoE.
Usual Equipment
The rulebook includes a quick-reference table of the most commonly used equipment cards in the Bestiary, giving each item's Damage modifier, penalty icons (to the target's Armor, to the user's Combat/Shooting Skill, etc., as explained in the "Equipment" chapter), breaking roll, weight/range and whether it requires two hands, plus a Notes column with any special rules. Objects shaded in the original table are those most commonly equipped by creatures in the Bestiary.
Melee Weapons
- Axe: Damage +1. Reduces target's Armor by 1. -1 to user's Combat Skill. Weight 1-2.
- Bastard Sword: Damage +2. Weight 1. Two-handed. Before rolling, choose to reduce target's Armor by 1; in that case user's Combat Skill and Shooting Skill are reduced by 1.
- Battleaxe: Damage +2. Reduces target's Armor by 1. -1 to user's Combat Skill. Weight 1-2. Two-handed. Weapon capable of breaking shields.
- Broadsword: Damage +1. Weight 1.
- Claws: Natural Weapon. Weight 1. If unarmed rule applies, user is unarmed.
- Dagger: -1 to user's Combat Skill. Breaking roll 4. Weight 1. -1 target's Armor if attacked from behind or Knocked Down. No penalty for drawing.
- Elven Sword: Damage +2. Weight 1. -1 Combat Skill against Large/Huge targets. Two-handed use gives +1 Combat Skill. No penalty for drawing.
- Fangs: Natural Weapon. Weight 1. If unarmed rule applies, user is unarmed.
- Fausal Sword: Damage +3. Weight 1. Two-handed. Weapon capable of breaking shields. -2 Combat Skill against Large/Huge targets.
- Flail: Damage +1. Reduces target's Armor by 1. -1 to user's Combat Skill. Weight 1-3. Two-handed. Weapon capable of breaking shields. Critical failure on a result of double 1 or 2. In case of critical hit, ignores shields.
- Great Flail: Damage +2. Reduces target's Armor by 1. -1 to user's Combat Skill. Weight 1-3. Two-handed. Weapon capable of breaking shields. Critical failure on a result of double 1 or 2. In case of critical hit, ignores shields.
- Halberd: Reduces target's Armor by 1. Weight 1-3. Two-handed. Long-range weapon. Weapon capable of breaking shields.
- Horns: Natural Weapon. Weight 1-2. Onslaught: not regarded as unarmed. If unarmed rule applies, user is unarmed.
- Improvised Weapon: Weight 1-6.
- Katana: Damage +3. Weight 1. Two-handed. -2 Combat Skill against Large/Huge targets. No penalty for drawing.
- Katar: Weight 1. With two same weapons, user won't get any penalties to his Combat Skill.
- Kusarigama: -1 to user's Combat Skill. Weight 1-3. Two-handed. Long-range weapon. Critical hit: equal or smaller size targets are Stunned. They also drop their weapons.
- Mace: Reduces target's Armor by 1. -1 to user's Combat Skill. Weight 1-2. Equal or smaller size targets are Stunned in case of critical hit.
- Rapier: Weight 1-2. -1 target's Armor in case of critical hit.
- Saber: Damage +2. Weight 1. Two-handed. -3 Combat Skill against Large/Huge targets. +1 damage die if used while riding.
- Scimitar: Damage +2. Weight 1. Two-handed. -2 Combat Skill against Large/Huge targets.
- Scythe: Damage +2. -1 to user's Combat Skill. Weight 1-3. Two-handed. Long-range weapon. Critical failure on a result of double 1 or 2.
- Short Sword: Reduces target's Armor by 1. Weight 1. -1 Combat Skill while defending.
- Spear: Weight 1-2. Long-range weapon. Two-handed use gives +1 Combat Skill.
- Staff: Damage bonus to target's Armor +1(?). Weight 1-2. Two-handed use gives +1 Combat Skill.
- Throwing Axe: Reduces target's Armor by 1. -1 to user's Combat Skill. Breaking roll 4. Weight 1-2.
- Tool: -1 to user's Combat Skill. Weight 1-3.
- Trident: Breaking roll 3. Weight 1-3. Long-range weapon. -2 against Shooting Skill. Two-handed use gives +2 Combat Skill. Critical failure on a result of double 1, 2 or 3.
- Unarmed: Reduces target's Armor by 1. -1 to user's Combat Skill. Weight 1-3. If unarmed rule applies, user is Stunned.
- Warhammer: Damage +1. Reduces target's Armor by 1. -1 to user's Combat Skill. Weight 1-2. Two-handed. Weapon capable of breaking shields. Equal or smaller size targets are Stunned in case of critical hit.
- Whip: Reduces target's Armor by 1. -1 to user's Combat Skill. Weight 1. Long-range weapon. Critical hit: equal or smaller size targets are Stunned. They also drop their weapons.
Ranged Weapons
- Arquebus: Damage 5 (fixed). -1 Shooting Skill. Reload required. Range 18. Weight 1-4. Two-handed. Noise. Ignores Armor.
- Blowgun: Reload required. Range 6. Weight 1. As soon as a target is hit it will be Stunned and will take 2 extra damage dice against Natural Armor. Critical hits cause no extra damage.
- Composite Bow: Damage 3 (fixed). Range 20. Weight 1-3. Two-handed.
- Crossbow: Damage 4 (fixed). -1 Shooting Skill. Reload required. Range 24. Weight 1-3. Two-handed. No penalty to Shooting Skill when target is 13 or more squares away.
- Elven Bow: Damage 4 (fixed). Range 24. Weight 1. Two-handed.
- Handgun: Damage 3 (fixed). -1 Shooting Skill. Reload required. Range 10. Weight 1-4. Noise. Ignores Armor. Can be shot at an adjacent target, and while Knocked Down.
- Heavy Javelin: Throwing weapon. -1 Shooting Skill. Range = Strength x2. Weight 1-2. Melee weapon with -1 Combat Skill, Two-handed and target's Armor reduced by user's Damage bonus (not -1 Shooting Skill).
- Javelin: Throwing weapon. Range = Strength x3. Weight 1-2. Melee weapon with -1 Combat Skill, Two-handed and target's Armor reduced by the same amount.
- Longbow: Damage 4 (fixed). Range 24. Weight 1-2. Two-handed. Can't perform Defensive Shots.
- Net: Throwing weapon. Damage 0. -1 Shooting Skill. Range 3. Weight 1. Critical hit: equal or smaller size targets are Stunned. They also drop their weapons.
- Repeating Crossbow: Damage 3 (fixed). -1 Shooting Skill. Reload required. Range 20. Weight 1-4. Two-handed. 2 shots per turn.
- Short Bow: Damage 3 (fixed). Range 18. Weight 1-2. Two-handed.
- Shuriken: Throwing weapon. Damage 2 (fixed). Range 6. Weight 1. 2 shuriken can be thrown with -1 to hit.
- Sling: Damage 3 (fixed). -1 Shooting Skill. Range 20. Weight 1.
- Sling with Lead Projectiles: Damage 3 (fixed). -1 Shooting Skill. Range 20. Weight 1. -1 if user didn't move.
Shields
- Buckler: Blocks on 6+. Weight 1. Double critical defending, attacker Stunned. Only against melee attacks.
- Great Shield: Blocks on 4+. -1 to several attributes. Weight 1-2. Two-handed. Double critical defending, attacker Stunned. Light cover against Breath and Aura.
- Improvised Shield: Blocks on 6+. -1 penalty. Weight 1-6. Two-handed. Light cover against Breath and Aura.
- Shield: Blocks on 5+. -1 penalty. Weight 1-2. Two-handed. Double critical defending, attacker Stunned. Light cover against Breath and Aura.
Armors
- Breastplate: Armor +2. -1 to several attributes (heavy armor penalties). Heavy armor.
- Chainmail: Armor +2. -1 to several attributes. Heavy armor.
- Elven Armor: Armor +1. -1 to one attribute. Light armor. User takes 1 less damage die against melee and ranged weapons.
- Full Armor: Armor +3. -1/-2 to several attributes. Heavy armor.
- Leather Armor: Armor +1. -1 to one attribute. Light armor.
- Lorica Segmentata: Armor +2. -1 to several attributes. Heavy armor. User takes 1 less damage die against katanas, sabers, falx and scimitars.
- Superior Armor: Armor +2. -1 to several attributes. Heavy armor. User takes 1 less damage die against melee and ranged weapons.
- Yoroi: Armor +2. -1/-2 to several attributes. Heavy armor. User takes 1 less damage die against melee weapons.
NOTE: heavy armors typically carry a -1 penalty across several attributes (such as Movement, Agility, Dexterity, Shooting Skill and spellcasting), as printed on their individual cards; light armors carry only a single, smaller penalty.
Objects
- Components for Magic: VP 1. Two-handed to use. +2 to casting spells. Can only be used once per spell.
- Magic Scroll: VP 1. Two-handed to use. Only for spellcasters with Mana. +2 to casting or dispelling spells.
Credits
Dungeon Universalis (DUN) is a game by Óscar Bribián, published by Ludic Dragon Games.
The rulebook opens with this dedication:
To my wife, Silvia, for redoubling her efforts to make this dream come true. To my children, future explorers. To my parents, for inoculating me with the sweet poison of games.
"Mas de qué sirven nuestras vidas, si no enriquecen otras vidas" — José Hierro
© Dungeon Universalis (revised edition, 2021).