Hero's Journey Home Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• One- and two-player games
• Components
  • The decks
• Setup
• Playing
• Winning
• Adventurers
  • The Hero
  • Losing the Hero
  • Maximum hit points
  • Gaining and losing adventurers
• Special Abilities, Spellcasting, and Quest Items
  • Special Abilities
  • Spellcasting
  • Quest Items
• Monsters
• Combat
  • vs Monster
  • vs Another player
  • Avoiding combat
  • The combat round
  • Completing the round
  • The battle ends
• Journey card types
  • Monsters (red)
  • Locations (tan/blue)
  • Items (yellow)
  • Crossing paths (red)
  • Ambush (gray)
• Variations
  • Legs of the Journey
  • The Final Battle
• Appendix A: Adventurer skills
• Appendix B: Monsters
• Appendix C: Quest Items
• Appendix D: Spell clarifications

One- and two-player games

Hero's Journey Home is ideally played by one or two players. If you wish to play with more than two players, you will need to either supply your own extra bonus dice or use some of the included mini dice for that purpose.

Components

• 90 Game cards: 15 Adventurer, 10 Quest, 10 Quest Item, 10 Spell, and 45 Journey
• 20 Papergold cards: 15 x 100, 5 x 500
• 2 x 20-sided dice (d20)
• 2 x 6-sided dice (d6)
• 20 x mini d6

The decks

• Adventurer cards are green on the back with an image of a Hero in profile. On their face they have the adventurer's name, card value, and special ability/abilities.
• Quest cards are black on the back with an image of the Skeleton King. On their face they have the Quest monster's name, card value, and associated Quest Item.
• Quest Item cards are orange on the back with an alchemical icon of the Philosopher's Stone. On their face they have a description of the item's use/abilities.
• Spell cards are purple on the back with an image of a spellbook. On their face they have the name and description of the spell pictured.
• Journey cards are blue on the back with an image of the home which you seek. They are of various color on the face and feature other text/indicators as well.

Setup

Separate each card type into its own pile. Determine an order of play among the players. Each player should, in order, follow steps 1-3 below before completing the setup.

1. Choose a Quest card. Take the card for the Quest you would like to have completed, along with the indicated Quest Item card.
2. Choose your own adventurers. Select adventurers such that their combined card value is less than or equal to the number on the Quest card. Pick one of these adventurers to be your Hero. If any of your adventurers are spellcasters, choose the indicated number of spells from the spell deck and place them with that adventurer. Next, assign the Quest Item you received in step 1 to one of your adventurers.
3. Receive HP and Papergold. Each adventurer begins with 3 hit points (HP). Use the mini d6 to represent each adventurer's hit points. Each player receives 200 PG per adventurer in their party.
4. Arrange the Journey deck. Split the Journey deck in half. Place the Home card in one half. Shuffle both halves separately and then stack the decks such that the half containing the Home card is on the bottom.
5. Lay out remaining decks. Place the remaining Adventurer and Spell decks face down within reach.

Playing

Each player, in order, draws the top card from the Journey deck and resolves the indicated action. After the event is resolved, the card is placed face-up on a discard pile and play moves to the next player.

Discard monster cards onto their own pile, separate from the other Journey cards.

Winning

A player only wins by drawing the Home card. When the card is drawn, play ends immediately and the active player is declared the winner.

If all of the player's adventurers die in a solitaire game, the player loses and the game ends.

If all of a player's adventurers die in a multiplayer game, that player is immediately out of the game but the remaining players continue on until one of them draws the Home card. Players who are "out" take on the combat actions of enemies (see the "Combat" section).

If every player's adventurers die, the game is over and all players have lost.

Adventurers

The Hero

The Hero is a leader; s/he has led the adventurers on a great quest and, having completed it, is leading the journey home. Their presence is inspiring; to represent this, players use a Bonus Die (1d6) to record successful battles. The bonus begins at zero. For each battle won, the player increases their die's value by 1. The die value may be used to augment certain combat rolls. The maximum bonus is +6. See the Combat section for more details.

Losing the Hero

If the Hero is killed, the adventurers' spirit is broken and the bonus die value is reset to zero and no longer increases. Protect your Hero to protect your edge in battle. If a Hero is raised from the dead the bonus die value may continue to increase as normal.

Maximum hit points

Adventurers have a maximum HP of 6. They may only gain HP or be healed up to this amount and no more, unless specifically indicated as the result of a card action.

Gaining and losing adventurers

There will be opportunities to add adventurers to your party via particular Journey cards. Follow card instructions as indicated to do so.

When an adventurer's HP reaches zero, they have died. When this happens, their card should be kept in the player's possession but turned upside down (inverted) to indicate death. Any items carried by the adventurer may be reassigned to other adventurers at the time of death. The dead adventurer may not perform any actions and all intrinsic abilities are lost until such time the adventurer (maybe) lives again.

Special Abilities, Spellcasting, and Quest Items

Special Abilities

All adventurers have at least one special ability, either intrinsic or extrinsic. On the adventurer's card the ability type is indicated by the letters INT or EXT. Some are combat-focused, while others affect gameplay in general.

Some adventurers have multiple abilities. For example, the Seer has an intrinsic ability to allow the player to choose between two Journey cards as well as the extrinsic ability to cast a spell.

Intrinsic abilities are automatic, they simply happen as indicated on the card. For example, the Automaton has the intrinsic ability to save from enemy attacks. This ability doesn't have to be announced or used in place of attacking, it just happens. The ability is purely reactive and does not count as an action.

Extrinsic abilities, on the other hand, do have to be announced and, in combat, will consume the adventurer's action for a round. This includes not only spellcasting but, for example, the Champion's dueling ability. The use of extrinsic abilities is entirely optional; in combat, any adventurer may simply conduct a melee attack for their action during a round.

In combat, the following rules apply:

• If an adventurer has one intrinsic and one extrinsic ability, the intrinsic ability is always active and the extrinsic ability may still be used as the combat action.
• If an adventurer has multiple extrinsic abilities, they may only use one of the abilities per combat round (need not be the same one every round).

Outside of combat, any extrinsic ability (including spellcasting) may be used at any time during a player's turn.

Spellcasting

Some adventurers have the ability to cast spells. Spellcasting is an extrinsic ability which can be used instead of a melee attack action during a combat round. Outside of combat, spells may be cast at any time during a player's turn.

Spells are quite powerful and require something of the spellcaster in order to be effective. As such, casting a spell costs one or more Magic Points (MP). A Magic Point can be any one of the following:

• 1 HP of the spellcaster,
• 200 PG, or
• 1 bonus die value.

Magic Points may be combined from multiple sources for a single use. For example, a Wizard playing the "Enchant" spell may spend 1 HP (1 MP) and 400 PG (2 MP) in order to spend 3 MP to enchant a piece of armor by +3. A Wizard may spend no more than 6 MP on any one spell.

All spells are single-use only. After a spell has been cast, the spell card should be discarded. Unless otherwise noted, a spell costs 1 MP to cast. A spellcaster may cast a spell with their last hit point, killing them, if they so desire.

Quest Items

Some Quest Items, like Special Abilities, grant actions which are considered either intrinsic or extrinsic. These actions should be used in exactly the same manner for Quest Items as for Special Abilities.

If the Quest Item action is designated intrinsic (INT), it is automatic and should be completed when and how as indicated on the card. For an extrinsic (EXT) action, the player may exercise the option of using the Quest Item ability as the item holder's action, in combat, following the instructions on the card.

Monsters

Monsters are the horrible, deadly creatures you meet on your journey home. They appear on the Journey cards and, when you draw one, you must decide whether to fight or, if you have the funds, pay them tribute to leave you be. Their cards have two values: the top value represents their base card value, like adventurers; the bottom represents their HP. When drawn, use spare mini dice to represent the HP value.

Combat

vs Monster

This combat is initiated when a player draws a monster (red) card from the Journey pile.

vs Another player

In multiplayer games, when a Crossing Paths card is drawn, the active player chooses a player opponent to face in battle.

Avoiding combat

vs Monster: A player may avoid combat with a monster by paying 100 x base card value in tribute. For example, if a player decided to pay tribute to a Goblin (2) rather than fight, the tribute would be 200pg; to avoid combat with Behemoth (20) would cost 2000pg. After tribute is paid, the card action is considered complete and play moves on. The bonus die value is not increased and no reward is paid.

vs Another player: Combat may be ended at any time (before, during, or after a round) by common agreement. HP may not be traded but papergold, items, and adventurers (though not Heroes) may.

The combat round

A combat round consists of a series of events in which all adventurers and monsters have an opportunity to act.

1. Determine attacker. The combatant with the lowest card value attacks first. In the event an adventurer and monster have the same card value, the monster attacks first.

2. Determine defender:

   • a. Player attacking monster: The defender is always the monster.
   • b. Player attacking player: Attacker should choose a defender from among the opposing adventurers.
   • c. Monster attacking player: Player must choose a defender from among their adventurers. In multiplayer games, a player who is out should take over this choice as well as the monster rolls.

   Note: If the attacker decides to use an extrinsic ability (special ability, spell, quest item), simply perform the action listed on the card and skip to the section "Completing the round".

3. Determine roll needed to hit. Add the defender's card value and armor value(s). Subtract from this the total of the attacker's card and weapon values. Add 10 to the result to find the final to-hit value. See Appendix E on the back cover for a table of generated to-hit values.

   Example 1: Player A's Bandit (7), wielding a sword (2), is attacking a Ghost (4). In this case, the target roll is 5 or greater: 4 - (7+2) = -5; -5 + 10 = 5.

   Example 2: Player A's Paladin (11), wielding a mace (3), is attacking Player B's Bard (2), who is wearing gauntlets (1). Player A's target roll is negative 1 or greater: (2+1) - (11+3) = 3-14 = -11; -11 + 10 = -1.

   Note: The necessary roll may be above 20 or below 1, but a roll of natural 20 is always counted as a hit and a roll of natural 1 is always counted as a miss.

4. Roll to hit. For attackers with 1 HP, roll one die (1d20). For attackers with 2 HP or greater, roll two dice (2d20). For each individual die roll equal to or greater than the to-hit value, a hit is scored.

Completing the round

After the first combatant has acted, start again at Step 1 with the next lowest card value and repeat until all combatants have had a turn.

After all combatants have acted, the current round is over and a new round begins, starting again with the lowest card value.

The battle ends

Victorious players should update their bonus die value +1 at the end of each battle.

Against monsters, the player receives a papergold reward in the amount of 100 x the enemy's starting HP. Thus, defeating a Goblin (1 HP) results in a 100 PG reward; defeating Behemoth (12 HP) results in a 1200 PG reward.

Against another player, if a player eliminates an opponent's entire party, the winning player gains all of the defeated player's items and papergold.

Non-victorious players lose the game.

Journey card types

Monsters (red)

When a monster card is drawn, it should be resolved according to the "Combat" section above.

Locations (tan/blue)

Locations are the places through which you travel on your journey home. Read each card's description and follow the instructions. Tan cards are land-based, blue cards are watery.

Items (yellow)

If an item card is drawn it may be purchased at the stated price and added beneath any adventurer to show ownership. Only one weapon and one of any armor type (helmet, shield, etc.) may be wielded or worn per adventurer. For example, a Champion may be assigned a sword, a helmet, and a shield but may not carry a sword and a spear or wear two helmets.

The description on the card indicates its value in either attacking or defending. When attacking, add the weapon value to the attacker's card value; when defending, add the combined armor value(s). Armor cannot be wielded and weapons cannot be used as body armor.

Items may be transferred between adventurers before a Journey card is drawn or after the Journey card has been resolved. In combat, an exception is made for an adventurer who has died. The dead adventurer's items may be picked up and equipped between combat rounds.

If a player has more items than adventurers available, the spare items may be held in hand and assigned when new adventurers are added.

Crossing paths (red)

In multiplayer games, the Crossing Path cards should be resolved as described in the Combat section. When the card is drawn in solitaire play, turn up the next Adventurer card from the supply deck and assign the adventurer 4HP. Resolve combat as normal. If you defeat the Adventurer, collect the 400 PG reward and place the card on the bottom of the Adventurer deck.

Ambush (gray)

This card gives the player a free attack before the first combat round begins. One adventurer may conduct a single attack as described in the "Combat" section. After the adventurer has attacked, combat resolves normally.

The player should hold onto the card until they decide to use it. Its use should be announced before combat begins. If two players attempt to Ambush one another, the cards are cancelled out, discarded, and combat takes place as normal.

Variations

The standard rules should provide enough danger and excitement to carry you through innumerable games but, should you need a change, below are a couple of variations you are open to try. And by all means come up with your own as well.

Legs of the Journey

Remove all Monster cards from the Journey deck in the setup phase of the game. Split the Journey deck into two or more "legs" into which you shuffle certain monsters. Stack these individual decks to create the final, single Journey deck.

For example, you could move the high-powered monsters (Leviathan, Behemoth, Giant) to the final leg of the journey in order to avoid meeting them when your party is still weak early in the game.

The Final Battle

In a multiplayer game, remove the Home card entirely and play through the entire deck. When the final card has been played, all players conduct combat against one another to determine the winner.

Play under normal combat rules, with the lowest card attacking first on up through the highest until all have attacked. Continue playing combat rounds until there is only one player left standing.

Appendix A: Adventurer skills

Fool (Intrinsic): Subtract 3 from all monster attack rolls against all adventurers. The Fool's distracting antics cause enemies to mistime their attacks. The -3 should be taken after the monster roll has occurred. If the roll becomes a 1 it should not be treated as an automatic miss since the 1 did not occur naturally.

Bard (Extrinsic): Roll 1d20. On 18, 19 or 20 monster is lulled to sleep and skips next attack. Instead of attacking, the Bard may roll 1d20. If 18, 19, or 20 is rolled, the monster misses its next attack in the combat round or, if it has already attacked, in the next round. Against multiple enemies, the Bard may only target one.

Wizard (Extrinsic): Spellcasting. Knows 3 spells. In combat, casting one spell counts as the Wizard's action for a round. Outside of combat, multiple spells (for all spellcasters) may be cast during a player's turn provided they pay the required MP costs.

Seer (Extrinsic): Spellcasting. Knows one spell. (Intrinsic): Draw two cards per turn; play one. The player holding the Seer should always draw two Journey cards on their turn, playing one (or holding for later use in the case of the Ambush card) and returning the unused card to the top of the deck.

Healer (Extrinsic): Heal one adventurer 1 HP per MP spent. (Extrinsic): Spellcaster. Knows one spell. In combat, healing counts as the Healer's action for a round. Outside of combat, healing may be cast on multiple adventurers during a player's turn provided they pay the required MP costs.

Cleric (Extrinsic): Inflict 2 HP damage on enemy once per battle. (Extrinsic): Spellcaster. Knows one spell. The Cleric may call upon their deity once per battle to deliver a blow worth 2 HP to the enemy. The hit is automatic and no roll takes place.

Sailor (Intrinsic): Party gains additional 1 HP each when a watery (blue) Journey card is drawn. The Sailor's vast knowledge of the sea makes crossing bodies of water and journeying nearby them much easier, more comfortable and, most importantly, less dangerous than it would otherwise be.

Bandit (Intrinsic): When any land (tan) Journey card is drawn, party receives 100 PG. The Bandit has the uncanny ability to find lost money when walking alone.

Cavalier (Intrinsic): May take HP damage for any attack against another adventurer. Instead of deducting HP from a targeted adventurer, you can let the Cavalier take the bullet (or claw). The decision can be made after the monster roll has occurred and the damage may be split between the Cavalier and the other adventurer as the player sees fit.

Automaton (Intrinsic): For every hit sustained by an enemy attack, roll 1d20. On 19 or 20, no HP lost. The thick metal hide of the Automaton has a 10% chance of completely deflecting or absorbing an enemy attack. It's not great, but it's better than nothing, and sometimes that's all you've got.

Paladin (Intrinsic): Increase bonus die by 1 when Paladin joins the party. If killed, decrease by 1. The bonus die cannot be raised past 6, no matter when the Paladin joins the party. If the bonus die is at 6, it will always fall to 5 when the Paladin dies. If the player's Hero has died, resetting the die to zero and rendering it useless, the Paladin's presence maintains a bonus die value of 1 until either the Paladin dies or the value is consumed via spellcasting.

Maiden (Extrinsic): May sacrifice self to end battle. Invert card to indicate death. No reward paid. On the Maiden's combat turn the player may end the battle immediately by sacrificing the life of the Maiden. This ends the player's turn. In player vs player combat, the effect is exactly the same.

Assassin (Extrinsic): Choose 2 numbers from 1-20. Roll 1d20. If a chosen number is rolled, enemy killed. Instead of attacking normally the Assassin may choose to make an attempt to kill the monster in one fell swoop. If successful, the battle ends immediately and the reward is paid in full. Against multiple enemies, the Assassin may only target one.

Time Traveler (Extrinsic): May re-roll any one attack die once per combat round. This should be pretty self-explanatory. He's a time traveler.

Champion (Extrinsic): Duel. Roll for attack using only 1d20. Success = Enemy dies. Failure = Champion dies. Instead of attacking, the Champion may challenge an enemy to single combat to the death. The duel roll is made as if it were a normal attack, taking into account all bonuses, with a single d20. If the attack succeeds, the monster is killed and the battle ends immediately. If the attack fails, the Champion has lost the duel and died. Against multiple enemies, the Champion may only target one.

Appendix B: Monsters

• Goblin: If Bandit in party, will join you instead of attacking. Goblin joins with full HP (2). No reward paid, turn ends.
• Ghoul: CRIT: Ghoul steals a body. Discard one deceased adventurer. Battle ends. No reward. A Ghoul is really only after you for your dead bodies. They aren't hard to kill but can make things tough for you if they happen to steal a corpse you really wanted to hang onto.
• Ghost: CRIT: Paralyzes one adventurer with fear for one turn; may not act. A paralyzed adventurer misses their next combat action, either on the current turn or the next.
• Caveman: Always attacks adventurer with highest natural card value. Cavemen will try to eliminate whoever they view as the biggest threat so will attack the highest value adventurer regardless of any other option.
• High Priest: Raises one dead adventurer (2 HP) to fight alongside him. The reanimated adventurer attacks the player's party as if it were a monster, in its normal place in the combat order. If the High Priest is killed first, the battle ends and the newly-raised adventurer returns to the player's party.
• Harpy: Difficult to hit. All spellcaster melee attack rolls -2. Subtract 2 from all spellcaster melee attack rolls; if the new value is 1, it is not considered an automatic miss as a natural roll of 1 would be.
• Sirens: In parties greater than two, one adventurer enchanted by Sirens and misses entire battle. The enchanted adventurer can neither attack nor be attacked for the duration of the battle.
• Ogre: Any adventurer killed is immediately eaten; discard adventurer (not items) upon death. The ravenous Ogre eats everything it kills and your adventurers are no different. There is no way to reanimate an adventurer killed by an Ogre.

Appendix C: Quest Items

• Ball of String: Replay any previously played Journey card. Discard after use. This card may only be played during a player's turn and only if no combat is currently taking place, though it may be played before or after combat has been resolved.
• Neptune Helmet: +5 Defense. May not be enchanted. INT: Half damage from Leviathan. This imposing helmet instills fear in even Leviathan itself, causing it to hold back in attack and do only 1 HP damage per hit to the wearer.
• Kestrel Sword: +5 Attack. May not be enchanted. INT: Attack twice. This unnaturally swift sword cuts the air with the sound of a swooping falcon. It is a proud sword and cannot be enchanted past its current +5.
• Cloak of the Seven Seas: +10 Defense. May not be enchanted. INT: Reduces MP cost to 100 PG. A spellcaster wearing this cloak may generate MP at half PG cost. The spellcaster may not generate more than 6 MP for any one spell, but to do so will only cost 100 rather than 200 PG per MP.
• Sampo!: INT: +1 HP per adventurer (up to maximum) after every battle. Adventurers come running for the rich taste of Sampo!
• Ouanga: EXT: Roll 2d20. If doubles rolled, enemy joins as Adventurer. Ouangas are fickle yet powerful charms. When properly activated they can control creatures' minds and make them do your bidding.
• Flaming Pitchfork: +7 Attack. May not be enchanted. INT: All damage x 2. The Devil's own fiery tool sears the flesh as it enters the body, causing double damage and a wicked scar.
• Firebird: Add to your party of Adventurers. Begins with 4HP. Once freed from Baba Yaga's dreadful service the grateful Firebird joins the player's party and fights alongside them as if one of their own. It may not cast spells, wear armor or use any weapons, but its swift wings and fearsome talons are all the equipment it needs.

Appendix D: Spell clarifications

• Energize: If cast during a battle between two players, this includes the opponent.
• Fortify: Treat as if the adventurers are all wearing a +2 piece of armor.
• Teleport: If cast on Monster card, no reward paid. Monster is not considered defeated.
• Polymorph: Replace Adventurer card with Monster card. All items and spells transfer as normal. Adventurer rolls with new base value; new max HP is monster's stated HP value. Drop current HP to new max if higher.
• Hypnotize: Monster joins with current HP and is treated as a full member of the adventuring party. No reward paid when spell ends; the monster is not considered defeated. Discard with other Journey cards.
• Enchant: For example, a Sword (2) enchanted to +3 would have a new value of 5.