Massive Darkness 2: Hellscape – Hardcore Trial Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Quest Objectives
• Tiles
• Setup Components
• Quest Special Rules

Quest Objectives

Complete the objectives in order:

1. Unlock the Stone Doors: Reveal all Chambers in the starting Tile (2A).
2. Collect the Keystones: Pick up the Keystones.
3. Open the Secret Passage: Place the Keystones in the indicated locations.
4. Escape: Escape through the Secret Passage.

Tiles

Tiles needed (from Hellscape, [A] Tiles): 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A.

The printed key places the tiles as follows: 4A sits above 3A and 2A, with 1A below 2A. The starting Tile is 2A. The Secret Passage Zone is printed off the left edge of 3A, with an arrow pointing to the smallest Chamber of 2A.

Setup Components

Place these components as the quest's layout shows. Counts are as printed on the sheet.

• Hero Starting Zone: 1 (no count printed; shown once on the sheet).
• Corruption Token: x1.
• Color-Side-Up Objective Token: x2 (the Keystones).
• Gray Objective Token: x2.
• Starting Mob Zone: x2.
• Spawn Token: x6.
• Closed Door: x13.
• Fountain Token: x2.
• Loot Token: placed according to the number of Heroes (see below).
• Regular Chest Token: x1.
• Greater Chest Token: x2.
• Pillar Token: x2.
• Forge Token: x1.
• Spike Trap Token: x2.
• Portal Token: up to x2.
• Roaming Monster Portal Token: x1.
• Bridge: x1.

Loot tokens by number of Heroes (the sheet's "Loot tokens are placed according to the number of Heroes" key):

• 1-2 Heroes: 1 Loot Token.
• 3-4 Heroes: 2 Loot Tokens.
• 5-6 Heroes: 3 Loot Tokens.

The sheet also prints two green Portal-style markers on the map, labeled "3+" and "5+". The sheet does not explain these labels in its text or key; they are transcribed here as printed, without further interpretation.

Quest Special Rules

Hard Mode: This Quest brings a harder experience for veteran Lightbringers. Follow these rules for the Hard Mode:

• Do not use any Lifebringer tokens. If one Hero is KO'd, the Quest ends in defeat.
• Mobs always Spawn with an item from a higher tier, if possible.
• When leveling up, do not gain the +1 Max Health or +1 Max Mana benefit. Unless a skill states otherwise, Heroes' Max Health and Mana are their starting values.

Reinforcements of Darkness: Each Corruption token represents a Roaming Monster spawn Zone and is not affected by Door cards. When its Chamber is revealed, in addition to the regular spawn, spawn a Roaming Monster in the Corruption token Zone, then discard the token.

The Stone Doors: The doors marked with a white outline represent the Stone Doors. These doors are locked. As soon as all Chambers in the starting Tile (2A) have been revealed, the Stone Doors get unlocked and may be opened as usual.

The Keystones: The color-side-up Objective tokens represent the Keystones. Any Hero standing in a Zone with a Keystone may spend 1 MP to pick it up.

The Secret Passage: There is a Secret Passage that leads out of this Dungeon, located in the smallest Chamber of the starting Tile (2A), but the Secret Passage is locked. To open it, the Heroes must place the Keystones on the correct locations, indicated by the gray Objective tokens. To do so, any Hero holding a Keystone and standing in a gray Objective token Zone may spend 1 MP to place the Keystone (discard both gray and color-side-up Objective tokens). As soon as both gray Objective tokens have been removed, the Secret Passage is open.

Escape: Once the Secret Passage is open, any Hero standing in the Secret Passage Zone may escape through it by spending 1 MP. Once all Heroes have escaped, the Quest ends in victory.