Stormsunder: Heirs of Ruin
Stormsunder: Heirs of Ruin Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Game Components
- Game Overview
- Navigating the Campaign Book
- Tests
- The Heroes
- Ability Deck
- Signature Skills
- Loot Deck
- Equipment
- Terrain
- Encounters
- Playing an Encounter
- Movement and Flanking
- Attacking
- Status Effects
- Reviving and Injuries
- Adversaries
- Adversary Deck
- Fight, Kill, Rest and Repeat
- Demo Loadouts
- Keywords
Game Components
Component counts as printed on page 4 of the rulebook.
- 21 x Hero Cards
- 46 x Enemy Cards
- Campaign Book (300 pages)
- 12 x Double-Sided Map Tiles
- 100 x Initiative Cards
- 400 x Tokens and 20 x Custom Dice
- 400 x Equipment Cards
- 100 x Adversary Cards
- 70 x Signature Skill Cards
- 250 x Ability Cards
- 50 x Loot Cards
- 25 x Injury Cards
- 100 x Consumable Cards
Pages 5-7 are a gallery of the miniatures for the heroes, adversaries and creatures and contain no rules text.
Game Overview
Introduction
The demo for Stormsunder: Heirs of Ruin is a solo/cooperative board game for 1-4 players. Players begin their adventure in Tarpitt, the city of vampires. A party of heroes has entered the city as part of their quest to obtain mystical artifacts that could help end the cataclysmic "Storm." Players will take on the role of one or more of these heroes, fighting vampires and other adversaries as they make their way around the city. The players will be forced to make decisions great and small as they navigate the story, ultimately impacting the overall outcome of the demo and gaining insight into the greater plot of Stormsunder.
Stormsunder combines interactive story with skirmish-based combat. Players will be asked to decide where the party travels and who and how they engage the people they meet. Each decision may have immediate or long-term consequences, some beyond the confines of this demo. When talking fails, the players will control their heroes in combat, using a variety of equipment, skills and abilities to achieve victory. Defeat does not always mean the end of the heroes' story, however. Losing a battle can change the course of the plot, unlocking story paths otherwise unavailable. Regardless of the outcome, the heroes will grow with experience, granting them increased statistics and unlocking powerful new abilities to make them stronger for the battles yet to come.
Initial Setup
To begin, collect all of the various cards, miniatures and tokens for each hero in the party. For the demo, that includes Adina, Vanessa, Aleksander, Aleksandra, Capac and Wynter. Everything the heroes need is detailed in the back of this rulebook, beginning with page 36. You will also need the two Fate dice and the Stormsunder Save sheet.
Once you have all of the heroes ready, you may open the campaign book and begin reading "Tarpitt, City of Vampires."
When the party is ready to leave the first haven, House Potra, the players much [sic: "must"] choose four of these heroes to control. If there are less than four players, one or more players will need to control more than one hero. The remaining heroes stay at the haven unless otherwise noted.
Navigating the Campaign Book
Havens
Havens are a safe place for the heroes to rest and prepare for their next adventure. Each haven consists of a list of locations the players may choose to explore. Some of these locations are simple storefronts, like Emilija's Equipment below, while others are self-contained quest chains that will eventually lead the heroes back to the same haven or a completely new one. Many havens also allow players to roll on a random event table, allowing them to (usually) take a step away from the main story and earn some extra loot and experience.
Players must decide what location they want to explore most, as they will never know for sure if the one they chose might close the current haven forever. The story that preceded the haven often has clues or outright tells players where they should go, but it is ultimately up to them if they want to instead wander around and not bother saving the world for a bit.
Locations can have specific hero restrictions, such as Davor's Manor below, requiring the presence or exclusion of a hero or heroes. Some locations also require a specific title, or, more often, may not be explored if the players have earned a certain title, such as all three locations below (see Titles and Continuing Your Journey on page 35).
Upon arriving at a new haven, players should immediately update the "Current Haven" page number on the top right of their Save Sheet. Doing so ensures players can retrace their steps should they ever lose track of where in the campaign book they should be reading. This is especially important for when rolling on a region's random event table, as most of the events tell players to return to their current haven without providing a page number.
Davor's Manor (Aleksander & Vanessa required)
Unavailable if you have the Vanessa's Vengeance title. Advisor to the vampire High Council, Davor is a greedy but pragmatic vampire loyal only to himself. He has access to the High Council's keep and, therefore, the royal vault. Davor's manor is close to House Potra, so travel there can be made without rolling on the Tarpitt Event Table.
(Turn to C3 on Page 74).
The Armory
Unavailable to parties with the Arms for the Poor title. The vampires turned one of the old city garrisons into a full-fledged armory. It's likely to be heavily guarded and robbing it will not only be next to impossible, but also incredibly lucrative. Some actions within the city cannot go unnoticed, however. Assaulting such a place is likely to make the High Council wonder if there is an insurrection building within their city, and act accordingly.
(Turn to A2 on Page 33).
Emilija's Equipment
Unavailable to parties with the Fire Sale title. A modest establishment with a respectable assortment of martial weaponry and armor for sale.
(Turn to E1 on Page 178).
Wordsunder
When reading the story portions of the campaign book, players have two options: the carefully-crafted story or the incredibly lazy Wordsunder boxes. Wordsunder provides a home for players who don't want silly things like plot and character development to get in the way of their ability to hit vampires with hammers. In short, Wordsunder is the very "abridged" version of the story. Players can safely skip to the bottom of almost any block of text to find a Wordsunder box to shorten their time with sentences. After reading a Wordsunder box, the players can interact with the following test box or bolded text to continue their adventure.
Adina puts the kybosh on your whole "kidnap a prisoner to trade for magic stuff" idea. Davor offers an "explore the catacombs" quest as a welcomed alternative.
Tests
Tests represent key moments where the story splits depending on your choices and actions. Each path has a heading identifying which hero or heroes is eligible for the test (except for Votes; see page 11). The bottom of each test box has a green and red bar, each with page numbers or the word "Continue." These tell you where to go depending on whether the hero passes the test or the players' answer to the path's question (Pass/Yes = Green and Fail/No = Red). If the result of the test is "Continue," simply keep reading the text below the test box. Unless otherwise noted, these decisions are final and may not be reversed.
The anatomy of a test box:
- Heading - Who or what is needed to attempt the test. A heading may have a specific hero's name or a specific attribute such as race or faction. Aside from that, there are three types of generic headings, not counting votes:
- Hero - Any party member may be selected to attempt the test.
- Each Hero - All party members must attempt the test and their individual roll results have consequences (such as an Agility test to avoid falling rocks from a cavern collapse).
- Party - Each member in the party is affected and must roll. Usually one hero passing the test is enough (such as a Perception test to spot an ambush).
- Description - What test needs to be performed. Stat tests identify a specific statistic followed by the number required.
- Branching Paths - The branching paths tell players where to go depending on the result of the test.
Stat Tests
Stat tests require one or more heroes to roll against a specific statistic. Determine which hero is attempting the test and roll the two Fate dice. Add the result to the hero's stat identified in the Description of the test box. If that total number is equal to or higher than the number in the Description, the hero passes the test. Though often passing a test is what players should aim for, sometimes failing can unlock new paths or interesting bits of story or loot. Stat tests may only be attempted once unless otherwise noted, but the players can always choose to automatically fail a test, if they so wish.
In this example, Vanessa must roll the two Fate dice and add her Spirit statistic to the result. She rolls a 10, adding it to her 5 Spirit for a total of 15. As the total is equal to or higher than the 15 required (equal, in this case), she passes the test and turns to page 79. If she had rolled less than 10, her total would have been lower than 15, causing her to fail the test. She would continue reading the text below the test box to see the consequences of her failure.
Attendance Tests
The easiest of all tests; if the identified hero is in the party, follow the green "pass" path. This may call out a specific hero, such as "Adina" or an attribute a hero may have such as "Vampire" or "Altekha." If the hero is not in the party, follow the red "fail" path.
Votes
Identified by having the word "Vote" in the heading of the test box, votes are a simple decision to be made by the players, either selecting an option or choosing "yes" or "no" to a question. Players are asked to decide collectively what action they should take. There doesn't need to be a formal raising of hands or secret ballots; general agreement will suffice. Some of the most consequential decisions in Stormsunder are votes, such as letting an enemy live, killing someone you meet or betraying an ally.
Multiple Choice
The campaign book may have multiple test boxes in a row. These will be separated by the words "Or" or "Else". The players must resolve any test boxes above the word "Else." If none of those tests can be performed (usually because a specific hero is not with the party), the tests below the "Else" can be attempted. If multiple tests are separated by the word "Else," players must go down the list, top to bottom, and attempt the top-most test they are eligible to perform. Players may choose which test to follow if multiple are separated by "Or."
In this example, we see three test boxes, the top test separated by "Else" and the bottom two by "Or." As the top box is above "Else," it must be attempted. If Aleksander is in the party, players will turn to page 47 of the campaign book and the other two boxes are ignored. If Aleksander is not present, the top test is ignored instead, and players may choose between the bottom two (as they are separated by "Or"). In this case, if Aleksandra is present, the players can decide to turn to page 48, or if another Vampire is present, they can turn to page 49. If Aleksander, Aleksandra or any other vampires are not present, the players will Continue, as directed by the fail option of the branching paths.
The Heroes
Heroes are the powerful adventurers players will control as they explore the world of Stormsunder. Each hero has their own personality, strengths and weaknesses. When players make decisions, the heroes will comply based on who they are, not how the players may view the decision. Choosing to spare an enemy's life will not necessarily make Aleksander a better person. He may decide to manipulate or coerce the enemy to get something he wants, or another hero may step in to stop him. Making story decisions that align with a hero's personality may keep them happy, while constantly going against them may have drastic consequences.
It's important that players do not consider a particular hero to be "theirs" and get too attached. While it's entirely possible that hero will stay with the party for the entire length of the game, it's also possible that the players will make decisions that make the party's relationship with that particular hero untenable. Some heroes may also go through a metamorphosis or sorts, fundamentally changing their character, perhaps for the better (or worse). Character deaths are often a dramatic and exciting twist of the plot, but in a world of vampires and mummy liches, death is not always the end of a hero's story. The more flexible the players choose to be with their heroes, the more fun they will likely have, especially during repeated playthroughs.
Hero Card Anatomy
The key on page 13 describes the following parts of the hero card:
- Lore - A brief introduction to the hero.
- Level & Class Symbol - The hero's current level and a fancy symbol to represent their class.
- Basic Skills - Innate (and usually passive) abilities the hero always has access to, including out-of-combat (depending on the skill). For heroes, the top skill is unique to them, while the bottom is a default skill of their class.
- Action Points - How many action points (AP) the hero gains at the beginning of their activation during combat. Action points are spent to attack and perform abilities. Unlike Health, there is no maximum number of action points a hero may have (though any unused points are lost at the end of their activation).
- Health - How much damage a hero may sustain before they are downed. A hero may not be healed beyond their maximum Health unless otherwise noted.
- Equipment Slots - How many and which types of equipment a hero may equip. Some slots offer options, as with the Armor/Weapon slot on the bottom left of Aleksander's hero card. If the options are separated by a "+" instead of a "/", then the hero has two slots in one and may equip both. As Aleksander has one such slot on the bottom right of his card, he can equip a total of five equipment cards.
- Name - The name of the hero.
- Speed - The number of fields a hero may move during their activation. Any unused Speed during that movement is lost.
- Attributes - A summary of who the hero is. Some skills and abilities (hero and adversary) reference these attributes and are also used to determine what ability cards the hero has access to as they level. From left to right they are:
The example basic skills on Aleksander's card (page 37) are "Savvy," which reads "Aleksander has +1 BD with Swords and Daggers. If he fails a Charisma test, he may make 1 additional attempt.", and "Guile," which reads "This hero draws 1 card at the beginning of their activation, regardless of how many cards are in their hand."
The Five Roles
- Defender - Often utilizing a variety of skills and abilities to protect themselves and their allies, Defenders are the tanks of Stormsunder. They often have high Health and Vitality, but fewer ways to deal heavy damage.
- Warrior - Frontline or back, Warriors are there to deal consistent damage against the party's foes. Warriors are the most varied of all the roles as there isn't a particular stat they all excel in. They can just as easily have high Strength, Perception or even Spirit depending on the Class.
- Rogue - Rogues are typically high-movement damage dealers who prefer to avoid attacks rather than defend against them. Usually Agility or Perception focused (or both), their skills and abilities allow them to fill a variety of gaps in a party's arsenal.
- Support - Priests, Bards and other backline heroes, the Supports are a collection of vastly different professions all trying to achieve the same goal: keep the party alive. Many are healers with high Spirit, though neither is prerequisite for inclusion.
- Mage - The glass cannons of Stormsunder, mages are usually the weakest physically, but make up for their frailty by being able to inflict an incredible amount of damage. Spirit is usually the only stat they need, sacrificing most others in the name of absolute power.
Ability Deck
Each hero has their own deck of ability cards they draw from during combat to give them additional options during their activation. In the demo, a hero's ability deck must always have exactly 15 cards and their hand size is 5 cards. A hero may draw up to 3 cards at the end their activations, without going over 5 cards. If a hero has more than 5 cards in their hand, they do not discard the excess, but won't draw any new cards until they have fewer than 5 ability cards. (The printed text reads "at the end their activations"; page 24 describes the draw as happening at the beginning of a hero's activation, and both are transcribed as printed.)
To activate an ability, a hero pays the action point cost, resolves its effects and then discards it. Cards with zero cost may also be played outside of a hero's activation, either to defend against incoming attacks or aid an ally. There are five types of ability cards: Standard, Class, Race, Trait and Other.
Anatomy of an Ability Card
- Effect - The result of activating the ability. Each effect has a symbol that identifies what it is and when it can be used:
- Default - The most basic of all effects; essentially the result of using the card. Occasionally these effects will carry an additional cost, such discarding cards from the hero's hand. These effects are always optional if another effect is present, such as is the case with Demonic Blade on the right. Wynter can choose to make the attack without assigning damage or discarding cards to gain dice (or both).
- Catalyst - An ability requiring a specific event to take place before it may be activated (detailed after the symbol).
- Enhance - An ability that adds to a hero's existing attack. Only one enhance card may be used per attack unless otherwise noted in the effect text. Enhance abilities are added to the attack before dice are rolled; if the attack is dodged or otherwise fails, the effect is wasted.
- Defensive - An ability that may be used in response to an attack (sometimes specific types of attacks; consult the text).
- Passive - Non-optional effects that are always present while resolving the ability card (usually for attacks and traits). Passive effects may persist beyond the hero's activation; consult the text.
- No Icon - Exclusive to traits; if there is no icon, the ability has no effect (and will instead contain story text with quotations). On negative traits, this often means the ability card automatically spends the hero's AP.
- Name - The name of the ability card.
- Cost - The number of action points required to activate the ability. Players may discard the card to earn Power equal to its cost. Power is used to activate signature skills (see the next section).
Ability Card Types
- Standard - Standard cards are a set of five universal cards that serve as the backbone of a hero's ability deck. All heroes have access to each of the six Standard cards: Dash, Self-Preservation, Throw Rock, Take a Breather, First Aid and Teamwork. (The printed text says "five" and then lists six cards; both are transcribed as printed.) Depending on a hero's class or race, they may unlock an ability card that replaces a Standard card (such as the Sentry's Recover, which replaces First Aid). Once that occurs, the hero loses access to the original Standard card and may only use the new variant (if a hero gains access to multiple ability cards that replace the same Standard card, the player may choose which replacement card to use).
- Class - Each class has its own set of ability cards, beginning with the four they gain at level 1. At certain levels a class may gain a more powerful version of an ability (at level 3, Priests gain Holy Blast II to replace Holy Blast, for example); if that happens the original ability is removed and only the latest version is available to include in the hero's deck. Some cards have the word "Legion" in their text, meaning that specific card may be added to the hero's deck even if another version is already present.
- Race - Race cards are very similar to class cards but are earned based on a hero's race. Like class cards, there are race cards that replace standard ones or new abilities that are upgraded as the hero grows in experience.
- Faction - Similar to race and class cards, a hero's faction grants them one card that upgrades as the hero grows in experience.
- Trait - Often negative at first, traits evolve as the players navigate the story. Some traits become more debilitating as a hero loses their way, while others may see their effects become positive as the hero becomes a better person or overcomes their own personal failings. Positive traits look like ordinary ability cards, while negative traits are easily identified by the black banner on their ability cost, like Survivor's Guilt and Antagonistic on page 15. Negative traits must always be added to a hero's deck and are played immediately after they are drawn (or on the hero's next activation; consult the text). They are not optional and are discarded after use.
Ability Deck Management
Managing a hero's ability deck and hand are an important part of succeeding in encounters. Since heroes can use their abilities outside of their activation (and discard them for Power or to pay for other abilities), there's a lot to consider. The Teamwork card is a great example. Teamwork costs 2 AP to use, granting an ally 2 power. Because of its AP cost, the hero can simply discard it to gain 2, but if another hero could use a signature skill on their next activation, it may be worth the AP lost.
Signature Skills
Signature skills are a hero's most powerful abilities. A hero accumulates Power from loot cards, by performing actions detailed on ability cards or discarding ability cards to earn Power equal to their cost. When a hero gains power, it must be immediately applied to a signature skill. Any unused Power on a signature skill after use remains for future activations.
A hero may only bring two signature skills into combat, one utility and one ultimate, and like equipment, they are placed next to the hero card. Signature skills require Power instead of action points to activate and are not discarded after use. Some signature skills will direct the player to attack, which will be performed with one of that hero's equipped weapons, which may incur an additional action point cost. If the attack is identified as "Free," the AP cost of the weapon is ignored.
Example (page 16): Wynter's Enchanted Ammo signature skill costs 5 Power to activate. She discards Hit and Run for 1 Power (equal to its 1 action point cost) and Quickshot for another 2 Power (also equal to its AP cost). Wynter now has a total of 3 Power assigned to Enchanted Ammo; 2 more and she will be able to use it to enhance one of her attacks, adding the Bleed and Burn status effects to her target.
Anatomy of a Signature Skill
- Name - The name of the signature skill.
- Power Cost - The amount of power required to activate the signature skill.
- Effect - The effect of activating the signature skill. Signature skills share the same sort of effects as abilities (see Effect on page 14).
- Type and Requirement - What type of signature skill the card is (utility or ultimate) and who is allowed to use it (or, how the hero gained access to it). Most signature skills are either hero-specific or earned by gaining levels in a particular class.
Signature Skills in the Demo Loadouts
The signature skills printed in the demo loadouts (pages 36-41) are listed with each hero in the loadout section below. Examples of the card text include Wynter's Enchanted Ammo (Utility, Wynter, Level 1: "Requires Ranged. Apply Bleed and Burn to the target."), Savagery (Ultimate, Aleksander, Level 3: "After an attack, attack 2 additional times with this hero's primary weapon.") and Smite (Ultimate, Adina, Level 3: "Slay all adjacent Raised Soldiers or apply Stun to all adjacent enemies.").
Loot Deck
The loot deck is a 50-card pile of dreams, full of money, equipment, consumables and sometimes nothing at all. When a hero slays an adversary, they draw loot cards from the deck equal to the Loot statistic on the adversary card. Loot cards are always discarded after the hero receives the reward, even if the card doesn't specifically say so. If a Consumable is drawn, the player draws a card from the Consumable deck (see Consumables on page 20). If a Weapon/Armor/Accessory card is drawn, the player draws from the deck of the appropriate equipment category using the rarity listed in the encounter setup.
The loot deck is always shuffled at the beginning of play and whenever the heroes rest, either in between encounters or by arriving at a haven. However, players can choose to not rest between encounters (see Resting (or Not) on page 35) as a way to keep the loot deck from being shuffled, thereby allowing them a greater opportunity to find the rare equipment loot cards. Players cannot avoid resting at a haven unless they plan to go from one random event to the next (unavailable in the demo).
Anatomy of a Loot Card
- Name - The name of the thing you just found (even if it's no-thing).
- Reward - The thing you got (the Nothing cards say "Discard this Card" simply because the space didn't look that great without text).
- Text - Useless text you will probably stop reading at some point.
I Have to Draw Again?
The best cards in the loot deck require the most work. Finding a consumable or equipment loot card means drawing from yet another deck. There's only one consumable deck, so simply draw from that if you receive a consumable loot card. For equipment, you must draw from the right deck based on equipment type (weapon, armor or accessory) and rarity. Encounters specify what rarities are available during setup (see Setup on page 22) and any prerequisites that are required.
Equipment
Equipment consists of all the unique and powerful items a hero brings into combat. They include weapons and armor, as well as accessories and even companions. In addition to a hero's equipment slot requirements detailed on their hero card, no hero can equip more than one of each armor category (head, chest, waist, back, hands, feet and shield). The only limitations on accessories are backpacks and ammo (one each). There is no hard limit on how many weapons or companions a hero can equip, as long as they have the appropriate slots available.
The top left of a hero card always has at least one weapon equipment slot. Place a primary weapon token on that card as that weapon is the one the hero has in their hands and are ready to attack with. All other weapons are considered "sheathed" and a hero must spend 1 AP to switch weapons (switch the token in combat, rather than the cards). If a hero has an additional weapon equipment slot on the right side of their hero card, they may equip an off-hand weapon as well, which is considered ready to be used in combat. If a hero chooses to have a 2-handed weapon equipped on the top left, all other weapons are considered to be sheathed.
Shields are special armor that are also identified as an off-hand. They must be equipped in an armor equipment slot on the top right side of a hero's card.
Anatomy of an Equipment Card
- Name - Name of the equipment.
- Range - The maximum number of fields away the hero's target can be from the hero and still attack with the weapon. If a weapon's range is 1, it can only be used to attack adjacent targets.
- Cost - The action point cost for attacking with the weapon or activating an effect on the equipment.
- Attack Dice - The number of a particular color dice that are rolled and the results added to the base damage to determine the total damage of the attack. The color of the dice determines what defense it targets: green for physical and blue for magical. The red "Impact" dice are the most powerful, targeting whatever the other dice color does, or player's choice if there are only red dice. In addition, any dice added by skills, abilities or equipment are added to the green or blue dice, unless only red are present. If an ability or skill adds dice to an attack (+1 Dice, for example), that always goes toward the top-most dice on the weapon or attack ability.
- Defense - The amount of defense the equipment provides. Defense removes damage from each attack equal to the amount of defense a hero has.
- Armor - The amount of armor the equipment provides. Armor acts like defense, removing damage from each attack equal to the amount of armor a hero has. However, armor is a diminishable resource; a hero loses 1 armor every time their armor lowers damage from an attack. Attacks that ignore armor/defense (assign damage) do not lower armor. Armor can be increased in combat via abilities and skills; there is no limit like Health.
- Effect - Equipment cards usually have additional effects, similar to ability cards.
- Default - Activated abilities that usually have a cost other than AP, such as Exhaust, which may only be used once per encounter (place an Exhaust token on the equipment to show it has been used). Unlike with abilities, default effects on equipment are always optional.
Base Damage
| Stat | 3 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BD | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
The above chart shows what a hero's base damage is for a weapon based on the value of their statistic for that weapon. The numbers in between use the lower BD (heroes who have 4 or 5 in a statistic would have the same -1 BD as those with 3). Place the diamond-shaped BD tokens on your weapons to keep track of your base damage so you don't have to look at your stats or this chart.
Base Damage Example
Vanessa has the Giantsbane Crossbow and Sinister Chakrams equipped. The crossbow's BD stat is Perception, giving Vanessa 3 base damage (based on her 13 Perception). Vanessa only has 9 Agility, giving her just 1 base damage for the chakrams. As the illustration on her hero card suggests, she's better off with the crossbow.
Companions
Companions are special equipment obtained through quests and purchased from vendors. There are three sizes of companions: small, medium and large. Small creatures, like the Young Phoenix (see the Adina loadout), have an "X" for their Speed. Though they may add cards to their hero's ability deck, small companions do not join their hero in combat.
Medium companions have a number for their Speed, may also add cards, and have a token to represent them on the board. Medium companions can attack and otherwise participate in combat, but usually cannot be attacked themselves. They also do not block line of sight or movement, but can contribute to flanking an enemy. A hero or adversary may enter a field occupied by a medium companion, moving the companion to the field the hero or adversary just occupied.
Large companions are the only companions with Health and are treated like full-fledge heroes for the purpose of movement and targeting. Companions are a powerful addition to any hero's arsenal, but can become a liability on smaller maps. Consider having some spare equipment to replace them for fights where space may become an issue.
Consumables
Consumables are one-use items that provide immediate in-combat effects before being discarded. They can only be used during a hero's activation and cost 1 action point unless otherwise noted. In the demo, a hero can carry up to two Consumable cards at a time and may discard them at any time to make room for new ones.
The consumables shown in the demo loadouts (pages 36-41) include Teleportation Scroll ("Place this hero on any field within 4 range."), Reflex Potion ("Apply Invigorate to self."), Courage in a Bottle ("Gain 2 Armor and heal self for 5."), Potion of Cloaking ("Apply Stealth to Self."), Infernal Grenade ("Attack 9 fields in a 3x3 square. Choose the 9 fields.") and Adrenaline ("This hero may attack a second time this activation for free.").
Community Equipment
The heroes can carry extra equipment cards equal to the number of heroes in the party plus one, capped at eight. In the demo, the party consists of six heroes (Adina, Aleksander, Aleksandra, Capac, Vanessa & Wynter), so they may carry seven unequipped equipment cards. This community "stash" is useful for carrying equipment the heroes may not have the stats to equip yet or for allowing the heroes to be able to switch out equipment for specific encounters.
Rarity
The back of the equipment card lists its rarity, but the color on the front lumps them together: Light Purple identifies Common and Rare equipment while Orange is for Epic and Unique. Unique equipment is earned by completing quests/adventures while the other three can be found randomly via the loot deck after slaying enemies.
Terrain
Terrain are the objects and barriers that populate the map, represented by cardboard tokens. Heroes cannot enter a field occupied by terrain (except holes). There are four basic types of terrain:
- Holes - Not-so-bottomless pits, whoever walks into a hole (or arrives there via knockback) must spend their next activation getting out to an adjacent field.
- Full Cover - Large objects such as pillars and statues. If an attack's line of sight crosses full cover, the attack cannot be made.
- Interactable Terrain - Chests, racks, levers and more. Interactable terrain usually contains something valuable (equipment or a loot card) or causes something to happen (encounter specific). Whether you are smashing urns or pulling a lever, interacting with interactable terrain costs 1 AP, unless otherwise noted in the encounter setup, and the terrain is removed from the map after use.
- Half Cover - Medium-sized terrain such as altars and barricades. If an attack's line of sight crosses half cover, the defender has +1 Defense.
Encounters
When negotiations fail, the heroes may have no choice but to take up arms and fight for their lives. Each encounter has its own custom-built map, adversaries and objectives. Depending on the choices the players have made (or the tests they have passed or failed), the same encounter may have different starting positions for the heroes and/or enemies. The opposite page contains a sample encounter setup like the ones that can be found in the campaign book. It tells players everything they need to know to create the encounter and begin combat.
Anatomy of an Encounter Setup
- Conditions - The unique aspects of this encounter. The conditions always include how the players achieve victory or defeat as well as any special circumstances that could affect the outcome. It also includes the contents of the Adversary deck (see page 33), identifying both the hero, basic and advanced cards to be used (the latter two randomly drawn). In the example encounter, the players must slay all enemies to win and lose if all heroes are downed. The players can choose to try to keep Guard Captain Sever alive until the end, thereby allowing her to escape (and potentially show up later in the story). This particular encounter does not allow the heroes to rest afterward, meaning they will not regain health once the fight is over (see Resting (or Not) on page 35).
- Adversaries - The number, names and level of adversaries the heroes will fight. The numbers in parenthesis at the end coincide with each adversary's place in the activation order. When placing the adversary miniatures, be sure to place the initiative token with the same number next to the adversary, so they can be easily identified. That token stays with the miniature wherever it is moved, even if the adversary is slain and removed from the board. If that adversary somehow returns (by being resurrected by an ally, for example), they return with the same initiative token.
- Terrain - The terrain that needs to be placed on the map. Some interactable terrain (see Terrain on page 21) will also list the rarity of loot it contains. Loot rarity can change depending on how quickly (or slowly) it is obtained; the numbers in parenthesis show which rounds will yield that rarity of loot. In the example, the Armor Rack contains Rare armor if interacted with in rounds 1 and 2, Common armor during rounds 3 and 4 and no loot after.
- Resolution - After the victory or defeat conditions are met, the resolution section tells players which page to turn to.
- Activation Order - Shows what order the adversaries and heroes activate in. There are four slots filled with hero activation tokens, one for each party member in the encounter. The hourglass token is the activated token; it's placed on the hero or adversary who just activated to keep track of the round.
- - Shows the placement of the map tiles as well as all the enemies, heroes and terrain. The numbered box on each board (T1, in this example) shows which map tile to use.
Setup
Place the map tiles as indicated in the encounter setup, then place the adversary miniatures, adversary initiative tokens and terrain. Also place the heroes and any companions on the fields indicated. Line up the activation order using the adversary initiative cards and hero initiative tokens (the players decide which hero activates in each empty slot). Line up the adversary cards together (making sure the face-up side is for the correct level for the encounter) and place the timer token on the "1" space on the round tracker. Also don't forget to place armor, defense and base damage tokens next to your hero's card, totaled up from that hero's equipment and any relevant skills (for armor/defense) and statistics (for base damage).
Deck Shuffling
The first encounter of each game session is a great time to shuffle each of Stormsunder's decks, especially the various equipment decks. Shuffling all of these decks every encounter would be agonizingly boring, so below is a list of what needs to be shuffled and how often. Once all that shuffling is done, you are ready to begin!
- Every Encounter: Adversary Deck (see page 33); Injury Deck (see page 31); Individual Hero Ability Decks.
- First Encounter of Each Game Session: All Three Accessory Decks; All Three Armor Decks; All Three Weapon Decks; Consumable Deck.
- Whenever the Party Rests (see page 35): Loot Deck.
Sample Encounter Setup (Page 23)
1. Encounter
- Victory Objective: Slay all enemies.
- Defeat: All party members are slain.
- If Guard Captain Sever is the last enemy alive, she escapes.
- There is no time to rest.
- Adversary Deck: Heroes (2 of each), Standard (5), Advanced (2).
2. Adversaries
- 4 x Tarpitt Guardsman lvl 1
- 3 x Tarpitt Inquisitor lvl 1
- 1 x Guard Captain Sever lvl 1
3. Terrain
- 1 x Weapon Rack (WR) - Rare Weapon (1,2), Common (3,4)
- 1 x Armor Rack (AR) - Rare Armor (1,2), Common (3,4)
- 4 x Ruined Column (a1, a2, a3, a4)
- 2 x Improvised Barricade (b1, b2)
- 2 x Makatti Urns (u1, u2)
4. Resolution
- All enemies are slain: Turn to A1 on Page 38.
- Guard Captain Sever escapes: Turn to B2 on Page 47.
- All heroes are slain: Turn to A2 on Page 32.
5. Activation Order - The strip on page 23 shows the order in which the adversaries and heroes activate, with each token's number matching the number printed in the adversary list above.
6. Map - The map shows the placement of the enemies, heroes and terrain on the map tile labelled T1 in the encounter, with the fields labelled as printed (a1-a4, b1-b2, u1-u2, WR, AR).
Playing an Encounter
Encounters are broken up into a series of rounds, each consisting of every living (not downed or slain) hero and adversary activating once. The first round begins by activating the first adversary or hero in the activation order and moving on to the next after that activation is complete (any downed heroes or slain adversaries are simply skipped; don't forget to move the activated token so you don't forget where you are in the order). When the last hero or adversary activates, players move the timer token one space forward on the round tracker and a new round begins back at the start of the activation order. Players can also choose to switch up their hero's activation order before the first activation of each new round. Play continues until the victory or defeat conditions of the encounter are met.
Activating Heroes
Heroes begin their activation by drawing up to three cards from their ability deck to return their hand size to a total of five cards. If a hero has more than two cards in their hand before drawing, they will draw whatever number of cards needed to get their hand to five cards. If they have five or greater cards already in their hand, they do not draw at all.
Heroes have a variety of options available to them when they activate. They may:
- Move up to their Speed value in fields.
- Discard one or more ability cards to gain Power for their signature skills.
- Activate one of those signature skills, if they have enough Power to do so.
Each hero also begins their activation with the AP listed on their hero card. They may spend their AP to:
- Attack once with their primary weapon (or an off-hand weapon).
- Utilize a variety of abilities from their hand.
- Interact with interactable terrain for 1 AP.
- Switch out equipped weapons for 1 AP.
- Use a consumable for 1 AP.
- Revive a downed ally for 5 AP.
Fields and Zones
Each square on the map (implied by the little white crosses) is called a field, while the larger dotted lines on some of the map tiles separate large areas of fields called zones. The edge of a map tile is always considered the edge of a zone, so small map tiles without any dotted lines are considered a single zone. Fields are important for movement and establishing range, while zones are important for specific skills and abilities that affect large areas. Any field that touches a hero's current field (even diagonally) is considered adjacent while anything in a hero's zone is considered nearby.
Example 1: Adjacent. The eight highlighted fields are adjacent to Vanessa, but only the green fields are in her zone. The yellow dotted lines show the edges of each zone. The blue fields are still adjacent to Vanessa, but none of them are in her current zone.
Movement and Flanking
A hero may move up to their Speed value in fields once for free at some point during their activation. This movement must be performed all at once; any action (even ones that cost no AP) will interrupt the hero's movement and any unused Speed will be lost. Heroes can move in any direction (including diagonally) but may not enter a field occupied by another miniature or terrain, unless they have flight (see Example 5), nor may they finish their movement on a field occupied by any other miniature or terrain. Heroes or adversaries whose miniatures occupy more than one field still move one set of fields at a time (see Example 3).
Flanked is a condition that requires the correct positioning to pull off. To flank a target, a hero must be adjacent to their target and on the opposite side of an ally who is adjacent to the same target. Any attack made by either ally inflicts +2 BD against the target. Companions who have a token or miniature on the map may contribute to flanking a target, even if they themselves cannot attack.
Example 2: Movement and Flanking. Aleksandra wants to help Aleksander kill that Makatti Spearman. If she was being aggressive (as in, being Aleksandra), she would move diagonal forward twice for 2 Speed to be adjacent to her brother and the spearman and start mauling. However, if she wanted to do more damage, there's a better way. She could move behind the Makatti Spearman by using 4 Speed, putting herself on the exact opposite side of the spearman from Aleksander. Now Aleksandra and Aleksander will both inflict more damage against the Makatti Spearman by flanking him.
Example 3: Large Miniature Movement. Large heroes and adversaries (ones that occupy four or more fields instead of just one) like Ho-Tem Ra or the Makatti Brute have less mobility than smaller miniatures. They cannot move diagonally, but still only move one "row" forward per 1 Speed. In this example, the Greater Unsated has drawn Adina's adversary deck card, so the priest is in for some pain. Vanessa is blocking the monster's ability to charge forward at Adina, so it must spend 2 Speed to move forward twice, 1 more Speed to move to the right and 1 final Speed to move adjacent to Adina.
Example 4: Flanking Large Miniatures. Flanking large heroes and adversaries operates a little differently than with 1-field miniatures. To be considered flanked, the large miniature must have adjacent enemies on at least three sides. Unlike normal flanking, the enemies do not need to be on exact opposite ends of each other. In this example, either Vanessa or Aleksandra can move away from the Greater Unsated because it will still be flanked by enemies (the heroes) on three sides.
Other Types of Movement
Some heroes have skills and abilities that allow them to move in unusual ways. Heroes with flying ignore other miniatures/terrain on the board, as long as they don't finish their movement on an occupied field. Any skill or ability with the keyword place is similar to flying, in that the miniature is moved from their current field to the new field, ignoring everything in between. Some encounters (especially in the Storm) prevent flying movement but do not affect abilities that place miniatures. Another advantage of being placed over flying is that the movement is too quick for prepared adversaries. The hero may make a single attack or action before triggering any nearby prepared adversaries (see Activating Adversaries on page 33).
Example 5: Flying Movement. Vanessa wants to attack the Makatti Commander, Ra-Sworn, but a wall of Makatti Warriors stands in her way. Normally she would have to fight her way through, but she happens to have the incredibly useful Yaedra's Wings accessory, giving her flying movement. She moves right over the Makatti Warrior in front of her, spending a total of 4 Speed to move 4 fields. Note that there is no number for 2 Speed because she cannot stop in a field occupied by another miniature.
Attacking
A hero may make one attack with their equipped weapon per activation. In addition, if they have an off-hand weapon, they may separately attack once with that weapon as well. There is no limitation on the number of ability cards a hero may attack with, aside from their cost, even in combination with a weapon/off-hand weapon attack.
To make an attack, a hero must first establish range and line of sight to the target. Line of sight is established by drawing an imaginary straight line between the hero and their target. Range is simply the distance in fields between the two. Any miniature, ally or enemy, blocks line of sight, as does full cover. Although this section focuses on attacking, the same principles are used for all targeting, including healing spells and other abilities. If any part of an attack's line of sight includes an area off the map (like your dining room table), the attack can't be made.
Example 6: Line of Sight and Range. Wynter has two weapons equipped, a Flintlock Pistol with a range of 2 and the Scimitar of the Thief with a range of 1. Council Enforcer A is adjacent to Wynter (which is also 1 field away), so she may use either weapon against him. Tarpitt Inquisitor B is 2 range away, putting her within the range of the Flintlock Pistol, but Council Enforcer A is blocking Wynter's view of her. Wynter will have to move if she wishes to attack the inquisitor. Tarpitt Inquisitor C is also 2 range away and nothing stands between her and Wynter, so Wynter may take her shot. Wynter also has clear line of sight to Council Enforcer B and Tarpitt Inquisitor A, but they are 3 range away, putting them out of reach of both of Wynter's weapons.
No Range and Zones
Some weapons and many attack abilities do not require line of sight; they will have no range icon on the card and will instead establish what targets are affected in their effect text. The most common examples of these are "adjacent" (any of the 8 fields surrounding the hero; effectively the same as 1 range) and "zone," which uses zones as the measurement for range instead of fields. A number after zone, such as Zone 3, indicates the attack or ability targets a zone that many zones away. Zone 1 targets adjacent zones, while Zone 2 targets adjacent zones and zones 1 zone away (or both; read the effect text).
Example 7: Zone Range. Capac is on a separate map tile from Vanessa, Aleksander and Aleksandra (indicated here by the black dotted line). Since he is a on a separate map tile [sic], he is in a different zone than Vanessa, even though there is no yellow dotted line between them. Capac is 1 zone away from Vanessa just as she is 1 zone away from Aleksander and Aleksandra, who are two zones away from Capac. Since Aleksander and Aleksandra are in the same zone, they are considered nearby to one another. All of the heroes currently have debuffs that Capac can remove using his Battle Cry ability, which removes all negative effects from allies within 1 zone. If Capac doesn't move and uses Battle Cry, he and Vanessa are the only ones who will benefit. If he enters Vanessa's zone, he can remove the debuffs from all heroes as they will all be within 1 zone of him.
Linked & Cone Attacks
Some attacks (and abilities) are labeled as linked. These attacks hit multiple targets, depending on their relation to the attacker and each other. A linked attack hits an initial target, then a target adjacent to the first. This continues until no new target is adjacent to the last target hit. Only the original target must be in line of sight. A linked attack cannot hit the same target twice.
Cone attacks emanate from the attacker in a makeshift triangle, expanding outward with each row and can cover a large area depending on their range. Line of sight is not required for cone attacks unless otherwise specified.
Example 8: Linked Attacks. Aleksander has the Lightning Orb consumable that damages the target and all linked enemies, with 3 range. The range only matters for the initial target, the attack will continue to attack enemies even if they exceed the 3 range. If Aleksander attacks Makatti Spearman 1, the attack will also damage Makatti Spearman 2, then 3 and finish with 4. Note that linked attacks must always move in one direction and never strike the same target twice. Makatti Spearman 2 is within 3 range; if Aleksander chose him as the target, the attack would either also hit Makatti Spearman 1 or 3 and 4, but not all three. Since Makatti Spearman 5 is not adjacent to any other enemies, the only way to attack him, is to select him as the target (thereby wasting the linked effect).
Example 9: Cone Attacks. Capac has used his Slam signature skill, which is an x-range cone attack (the "x" means it doesn't stop until it hits the edge of the map). The cone effect starts with the 3 fields in front of Capac, then the next 5 fields, then the next 7 fields and so on. Ra-Sworn 3 is within the first three fields and is slammed. Makatti Warriors 1 and 5 are on the outside of the effect and are unharmed. Makatti Spearman 4 and Makatti Warrior 2 are not so lucky and are hit as the effect grows.
Resolving an Attack
If the hero has line of sight of their target and they are in range, they may perform the attack. If the player wishes to use an enhance ability card, they must do so now before they roll the dice. Roll the indicated dice on the weapon or ability card and add the results to the hero's base damage for that attack (see the Base Damage chart on page 19). If the total damage is higher than the defender's defense (plus armor, if a hero), the defender has been wounded and receives wound tokens equal to the excess damage. Heroes also discard 1 armor token, if the armor contributed to mitigating the damage, even if the hero didn't end up receiving any wounds. Attacks that do not exceed the hero's defense do not damage armor and thus no armor is removed. If the defender has received wounds equal to or greater than their Health, they are slain (if an adversary or companion) or downed (if a hero). Remove the adversary or companion from the board and place them on their card or lay the hero on their side where they fell. Downed heroes may not activate until they are revived (see page 31).
Attack Dice
Each color of attack dice (Green/Physical, Blue/Magical and Red/Impact) has a different series of sides. Here are all the possibilities and what they represent:
- Sword - One additional damage added to the attack.
- Sword x2 - Two additional damage added to the attack.
- Blank - Nothing happens.
- Special - Any skill or ability that has "Special" is triggered by rolling one or more of these. Specials are a finite resource; if a hero has access to multiple special abilities, the player must choose which one(s) to activate.
- Critical - Three additional damage added to the attack. Some equipment and skills trigger off Criticals, like Specials.
The faces of each die color, as printed on page 29: Green shows Sword, Sword, Special, Sword, Blank and Sword x2. Blue shows Sword, Sword, Special, Sword, Sword and Special. Red shows Sword, Sword, Critical, Sword, Sword and Special.
Example 10: Attacking. Aleksander wants to attack a level 4 Myrmidite Skirmisher with his Runed Gladius, costing 3 AP. The dagger uses Agility for base damage, which Aleksander has 2 (based on his 11 Agility) plus 1 additional BD because of his Savvy basic skill. Aleksander must roll the 3 green dice listed on the Runed Gladius equipment card; he gets 1 blank, 1 Sword and 1 Sword x2. He adds the 3 Swords to his base damage, giving him 6 total damage for the attack. A mighty blow that is mostly mitigated by the Myrmidite Skirmisher's 4 physical defense. It's not a bad attack, but it certainly could have been better if he used his 2 remaining AP before the attack rather than after. Calculation (2 + 1 + 3) – 4 = 2 wounds.
Example 11: Knockback. Knockback is an effect that moves enemies away from the attacker. Capac's Serpent's Tongue Flail has On Special: Knockback 1, the 1 here standing for the number of fields the target is moved away from the attacker (in this case, Capac). Let's assume Capac rolls a Special while attacking Myrmidite Shaman 1. The shaman receives the damage from the attack (if any) and is moved 1 field away from Capac in the direction of the attack. If Capac attacked Myrmidite Shaman 2 (and rolled a Special), the shaman would be unable to move 1 field away because it is blocked by a Myrmidite Skirmisher. Instead, the shaman would be assigned 2 damage in addition to the damage from the attack and remain where he is.
Example 12: Inflicting Damage. Aleksander has the Puncture ability card in his hand. Costing 2 AP, Puncture inflicts the debuff Shatter on an adjacent target. Shatter causes the next attack the target receives to assign damage, meaning it ignores the target's defense and hits the poor soul for the full damage of the attack. If Aleksander had used Puncture first in Example 10, the Myrmidite Skirmisher would have received 6 damage instead of 2. Calculation (2 + 1 + 3) – 0 = 6 wounds.
Status Effects
There are numerous status effects various skills and abilities can inflict. The keyword apply notifies the player that one of these effects is in play and a corresponding token must be placed on the recipient. Some negative status effects can be avoided with a test; the appropriate statistic and value will be noted on whatever is applying the effect (be it adversary card or something else). When a status effect has a number next to it, such as Poison 2, add two tokens to the afflicted instead of one. Skills that cause status effects do not stack; if a hero is hit with Immobilize and then Immobilize 2, Immobilize 2 replaces the ordinary Immobilize and the hero has 2 tokens. Each status effect details how or when they will be removed; if a target has more than one of the same token (like Immobilize 2 above), only one token is removed so the effect (in this case, the hero has zero Speed on their activation) will happen again. Some skills and abilities can remove status effects immediately.
Not all status effects are negative; Regeneration, for example, is a powerful healing-over-time status effect any hero would be lucky to have. Below is a list of the most common status effects; any others are detailed on the card inflicting them.
- Bleed - The target is assigned 1 damage at the beginning of each activation. Any healing on the target will remove Bleed (the target is not healed).
- Blind - The target cannot target allies or enemies on their next activation. A Blind adversary cannot become prepared.
- Burn - The target is assigned 3 damage at the end of their next activation.
- Fatigue - The target has -2 AP on their next activation.
- Fear - Fear is identical to Stun, except it can be removed by receiving damage.
- Immobilize - The target has zero Speed (nor can they gain Speed) on their next activation.
- Infected - The target cannot use signature skills on their next activation.
- Poison - The target has -1 Speed and -1 BD. Any healing on the target will remove Poison.
- Severe Wounds - The target has -5 max Health. Remains until removed.
- Shatter - The next attack the target receives assigns damage.
- Stun - The target skips their next activation.
- Taunt - When a hero or adversary uses Taunt, they place a Taunt token on themselves and on the target (each with the same number). The target may may [sic] not attack any other enemy during their next activation.
Eternal Status Effects
Use a square token whenever a status effect is labeled as eternal. Eternal buffs/debuffs cannot be removed until the end of the encounter, unless the skill or ability specifically states it removes eternal status effects.
Reviving and Injuries
Reviving Heroes
A downed hero can't do much but block movement (they do not block line of sight), but their fellow heroes can bring them back to their feet. An adjacent hero can spend 5 AP to revive a downed ally. There are also a few skills and abilities that may revive. When a hero is revived, they return with Health equal to their Vitality statistic and draw one card from the Injury Deck. Revived heroes may resume combat on their next activation as normal. Heroes with three or more injury cards may not be revived until the end of the encounter.
Injury Deck
The injury deck determines what sort of malady a hero has been afflicted with due to being downed or, in some cases, attacked by an incredibly dangerous foe. When a hero draws a card from the injury deck, they read the text describing the injury and follow its instructions accordingly. Many injuries have tests that can be performed at the end of the encounter to "walk off" their ailment. Only one test may be attempted per encounter end. In addition, one injury may be removed while resting (see Resting (or Not) on page 35) and all injuries are removed when arriving at a haven.
The anatomy of an injury card:
- Name - The name of the injury.
- Injury Effect - What the injury does to the hapless hero.
- Willpower Test - The test the hero can perform to overcome the injury at the end of an encounter.
The example injuries on page 31 are:
- Scathed - "This hero loses 2 Power at the end of each of activation [sic]." Test (stat icon) 20.
- Sprain II - "This hero has -2 hand size." Test (stat icon) 19.
- Light Wound II - "This hero has -1 BD." Test (stat icon) 20.
- Concussion - "Place this card on top of an ultimate card. Ignore that card." Test (stat icon) 17.
Adversaries
As the heroes journey on their quest to end the Storm, there will be many who stand in their way. Each adversary they face will test their skill and mettle on battlefields great and small. The adversaries of Stormsunder each have their own unique skills and abilities, but all share the same structured character card. Each adversary card details everything a player needs to know about them except who they will target next; that information rests in the adversary deck.
The anatomy of an adversary card (example: Tarpitt Guard Captain, page 32):
- Name - The name of the adversary.
- Level - The level of the adversary. The higher the level, the greater the threat the adversary poses. Adversary levels are based on that specific adversary (meaning they are good for understanding how hard that adversary is among adversaries with the same name, but not how it compares to different adversaries of the same level).
- Health - How much damage an adversary may sustain before they are slain. An adversary may not be healed beyond their maximum Health unless otherwise noted.
- Speed - The number of fields an adversary may move during their activation.
- Tactics - The various skills and abilities the adversary has in their arsenal (see Activating Adversaries on page 33).
- Lore - A brief bit of info about the adversary (space permitting).
- Attributes - A summary of who the adversary is. Some skills (hero and adversary) reference these attributes. From left to right they are:
- Archetype - The type of adversary. Some skills/abilities only affect certain archetypes. There are six archetypes: Creature, Soldier, Commander, Elite, Villain and Titan.
- Class - The adversary's class. Classes are less important for adversaries than heroes, but are occasionally referenced in skills and abilities.
- Faction - The region or people the adversary is allied with. Adversaries often have skills and abilities that support members of their race or faction, especially Commanders. Adversaries with Unbound listed for their faction do not have a faction.
Activating Adversaries
When it is time for an adversary to activate, players draw a card from the adversary deck and then follow the tactics on the left side of adversary's card, from top to bottom. Most adversaries will not have every type of tactic, but their entries will be organized like this:
- On Activation - Various effects that occur at the beginning of the adversary's activation. Always move to the next entry after this one.
- Attack - Both Physical (green) and Magical (blue). Many adversaries have more than one attack tactic. If that is the case, the first one (or two, in the case of three attacks) usually requires a specific requirement. If that requirement is not met, skip that attack and move on to the next until the adversary can do what the tactics text states (always the last text before a line).
- Action - Some adversaries have actions they will take if none of their attacks are possible. Just like attacks, the players keep reading until they find an action the adversary can perform.
- Passive - Any passive tactics will be listed next. Some of these affect combat, so be sure to read them when activating an adversary.
- On Defense - These tactics are only used when the adversary is attacked.
- Auras - The last of the possible tactics, auras provide passive effects to all allies (or enemies) in range of the aura. Like regular passives, its important players review auras at the beginning of the encounter so they are not forgotten during any frantic fighting.
If none of the adversary's attacks can be made, follow as much of the last attack text as can be performed (usually at least moving the adversary) and place a prepared token next to their miniature. Prepared adversaries will attack the first hero to enter their line of sight and range, prioritizing the top-most attack skill on their card (the hero must be within 1 zone of the adversary for this to trigger, regardless of how much range the adversary's attack has). The prepared token is removed after the adversary makes their attack, receives damage or activates again.
Allies & Enemies
You may have noticed that the various cards in Stormsunder almost never reference the word "hero" or "adversary," instead favoring "targets," "allies" and "enemies." The reason for this is that there are some encounters where the heroes may be allied with some adversaries while fighting other adversaries. The encounter setup will clearly establish who is fighting who, so when players read the cards, they will know exactly who is considered an ally and an enemy for all combatants (even if its just a massive free-for-all).
Adversary Deck
The adversary deck is a special deck of cards that determines who an adversary will attack during their activation. There are two types of adversary deck cards in the demo: tactical and hero, easily identified as the hero adversary deck cards have the hero's name and portrait on them. Each encounter details the number and category of adversary deck cards that should be used.
The anatomy of an adversary deck card (example: Assault, page 33):
- Name - The name of the tactical adversary deck card.
- Targeted Hero - The hero the adversary will target on their activation.
- Target - Who the adversary will target on their activation. (The example Assault card reads "Nearest enemy.")
- Effect - Any additional damage or boon the adversary has for this activation. (The example Assault card reads "Attack ignores 1 Defense.")
- Category - In the demo, simply whether or not the card is Basic or Advanced. In the full game, cards are added to the pool based on player decisions and actions.
Adversary Movement
Adversaries move exactly as heroes do, using one of the keywords below as a guide. The keywords are unique to adversary cards and describe specific movements:
- Advance - The adversary moves up to their Speed value in fields toward their target, stopping only if they move into a field adjacent to that target. If the target already has an enemy adjacent to them, the adversary will favor a field that will flank the target, if possible.
- Careful Advance - Movement for adversaries with ranged attacks, the adversary moves toward their target, stopping as soon as that target is in range.
- Halt - The adversary stops moving (or does not move at all).
- Escape - The adversary leaves the encounter. As they are not slain, they award no experience or loot.
- Return - The adversary returns to the field they occupied at the beginning of their activation after they perform a specific action (usually an attack). Return is automatic and does not consider the adversary's Speed value.
- Retreat - The adversary moves away from the target, using their full Speed value (regardless of any Speed used earlier).
Example 13: Adversary Activation. Makatti Spearman B draws Challenge from the adversary deck, determining his target is the enemy with the highest health (Capac). The Makatti Spearman's first attack, Impale, is only used if his target is within 3 range. Since Capac is 7 range away, the spearman's next attack is used, Spear Throw, which has Careful Advance. The Makatti Spearman moves 3 fields forward to put him just within range to perform the attack. If the Makatti Spearman had 10 Speed instead of 3, he still would only move 3 fields because of careful advance. The Makatti Spearman is able to attack through Ra-Sworn C because his passive states his attacks are not blocked by allies.
Example 14: Adversary Movement. The Myrmidite Skirmisher's attack, Hit & Run, has Retreat, meaning he will run away from his target after the attack. Moving left or straight up are the same distance as the top left, but the skirmisher moves behind Sever because retreating adversaries always favor running toward allies and away from other enemies. Guard Captain Sever's attack, Spinning Blades, has Return. She advances to Aleksander and Aleksandra, makes her attack, and then returns to the field she occupied at the beginning of her activation. Unlike Retreat, Sever's Speed is irrelevant; she always makes it back to her original field.
Example 15: Prepared Adversaries. Makatti Warrior A draws Capac's hero adversary deck card. Since his Heavy Swing attack has Advance and 1 range, he moves his full Speed forward toward Capac and stops, receiving a prepared token because he cannot attack this activation. If Wynter (E) activates, the warrior will immediately attack her, as she is within his 1 range. Ideally, the heroes would want to activate Adina first, who can use a ranged attack to remove the prepared token and save Wynter from the Heavy Swing. The same is true for Capac; it would be better to have Vanessa attack Ra-Sworn C to remove his Prepared token before Capac moves forward to attack.
Fight, Kill, Rest and Repeat
Experience and Leveling
When an adversary falls, it's time for the hero to collect their rewards. The adversary's card lists both the number of loot cards to draw (see Loot Deck on page 17) and the experience they gained. Experience from slaying enemies goes to the hero who lands the final blow. Add the experience to the hero's total on the Save sheet. In the demo, when a hero has a total of 2000 experience, they level up from 3 to 4 at the end of the current encounter, flipping their hero card over. In addition to all the stat increases on the level 4 side, they also gain access to new ability and signature skill cards (see the bottom of the individual hero loadouts starting on page 36).
End of the Encounter
At the end of the encounter, revive all heroes (heroes revived this way do not receive an additional injury), healing them for their Vitality statistic. In addition, each hero may attempt 1 injury test to see if they can overcome (and therefore discard) an injury. The rewards/results for the encounter can be found by turning to the appropriate page listed in the Resolution section of the encounter setup (based on the victory/defeat condition of the encounter). In victory, the heroes each receive experience, as well as gold and sometimes items, titles or something more. Defeat is often less rewarding, though the heroes will still learn from their mistakes and each gain a moderate amount experience.
Resting (or Not)
When the party rests, heal each hero equal to their Vitality statistic and remove 1 Injury without needing to perform its test. When heroes rest at a haven, they heal to full and remove all injuries. Don't forget to shuffle the Loot deck and then continue on the party's journey. Players may choose to skip resting, if they so desire. The key advantage of this decision is to ensure the loot deck is not shuffled, allowing players to push their luck to find the more valuable cards in the deck. Some encounters may have story implications for not resting, such as giving the heroes more time to rescue an ally or stop a villain from completing their master plan. If such a decision is available, it will be clearly marked in the Resolution section of the previous encounter.
Titles
After encounters or making important (or relevant) decisions, the campaign book may award the party with a title. Circle the title on the back of the Save Sheet so it can be referenced later. Titles are how Stormsunder keeps track of your progress; it's best not to dwell much on them beyond that.
Continuing Your Journey
Continuing the heroes' adventure is as simple as following the direction of the campaign book, making decisions or passing tests and turning to the next page in the story. When you finally reach the end of the demo campaign book, we hope you'll be enticed to play again, taking alternate paths and trying different party setups to see how they affect the overall outcome of the game.
What Is Not in the Demo?
- More components (and an incredibly longer campaign book).
- Special adversary deck cards; added to the pool of cards depending on player decisions (tried to kill Davor but failed? He sends bounty hunters after you that might show up while you are fighting someone else).
- Regional Implications. In Tarpitt, many actions assign "Tarpitt Turmoil" or "Tarpitt Readiness" (or both), depending on the actions. What do they mean? Well... Let's just say there's kind of big event that happens at the end of Heirs of Ruin and everything you do in and around Tarpitt can affect how the whole thing goes down.
- Ways to spend gold (equipment and ability vendors, etc.). Gold is kind of useless in the demo (sorry, reviewers).
- The random event table. What's an RPG without farming?
- Proper hero progression.
- Loads more...
Demo Loadouts
The demo includes a prepared loadout for each of the six heroes: Adina, Aleksander, Aleksandra, Capac Roca, Vanessa and Wynter. Each loadout shows the hero card, the starting equipment, consumables, the starting ability and signature skill cards, and the cards that unlock at level 4. The lore paragraphs at the top of each loadout are flavour text and are omitted. Where card text is hidden under overlapping cards or too small to read in the page image, this is marked in the entry.
Adina Demo Loadout (Page 36)
Hero card: Adina (Support, Priest; Irynnath, Human).
- Godspoken - Adina's auras affect the entire map. Adina has +3 Vitality when checking equipment requirements.
- Tranquility - Refill this hero's hand at the end of their activation if they did not inflict damage.
- Yaedra's Chosen - (trait card; lore text, omitted)
Starting equipment:
- Fist of the Heavens (1-Handed, Scepter, Support*) - Discard 2 and Exhaust to slay 1 adjacent Vampire or Raised Soldier. Do not draw loot or gain experience.
- Robe of the Phoenix (Chest, Phoenix) - On Each [roll icon]: Heal self for 2.
- Young Phoenix (Companion, Creature, Phoenix) - Exhaust to heal an ally for 20.
- Overseer's Collar (Amulet) - Signature Skills cost 1 less Power.
Consumables:
- Teleportation Scroll - Place this hero on any field within 4 range.
- Reflex Potion - Apply Invigorate to self.
Starting signature skills:
- Smite (Ultimate, Adina, Level 3) - Slay all adjacent Raised Soldiers or apply Stun to all adjacent enemies.
- Chain Healing (Utility, Adina, Level 1) - Heal target and all linked allies for 5.
Starting ability cards (as shown):
- Balance - Heal a nearby ally for this hero's current Health. (Partly obscured in the page image.)
- Punch - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Burst Healing - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Blessed Aid (Priest 2) - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Throw Rock (Standard) - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Empower - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Self-Doubt II - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Minor Shielding (Priest 1) - Apply 1 Barrier to self or an ally.
- Rebirth (Phoenix) - Discard 2 to revive a downed ally with full Health.
- Dash (Standard) - Gain 2 Speed this activation.
- Self Preservation (Standard) - Gain 2 AP.
- Yaedra's Light (Irynnath 1) - Apply Stun to a Vampire or Raised enemy.
- Sympathetic (Human 1) - Heal an ally for 4.
- Holy Blast II (Priest 3) - After the attack, this hero may Discard 2 to attack the same target with Holy Blast again.
- Holy Arrows (Priest 1) - Discard 1 to attack all nearby Raised enemies.
Level 4 ability cards (left group on page 36, under the "Level 4 Abilities" label):
- Burst Healing II (Priest 4, Legion) - Heal all allies for this hero's Spirit BD.
- Blood Boil (Priest 4) - (Card text partly obscured.)
- Tormented (Adina) - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
Level 4 signature skills (right group on page 36, under the "Signature Skill" label):
- Premonition (Utility, Adina, Level 2) - After an Adversary card is drawn, select a new ally for it to target.
- Wall of Light (Ultimate, Adina, Level 1) - Place a Wall of Light token nearby. Assign 4 damage and apply Blind to any enemy that enters the Wall of Light.
- Yaedra's Touch (Utility, Adina, Level 2) - (Card text partly obscured in the page image.)
Aleksander Demo Loadout (Page 37)
Hero card: Aleksander (Rogue, Duelist; Tarpitt, Vampire). The lore paragraph at the top of the loadout is omitted.
- Savvy - Aleksander has +1 BD with Swords and Daggers. If he fails a Charisma test, he may make 1 additional attempt.
- Guile - This hero draws 1 card at the beginning of their activation, regardless of how many cards are in their hand.
- Hand of the Council - (lore text on the card, omitted)
Starting equipment:
- Alitar's Vengeance (1-Handed, Dagger, Alitar) - On [roll icon]: Assign damage.
- Ornate Gauntlets (Hands, Heavy) - Exhaust to perform a 2-AP ability for free.
- Alitar's Defense (Chest, Heavy, Alitar) - Discard 1: Retaliate against adjacent attackers.
- Alitar's Embrace (Back, Alitar) - (No effect text is legible on the card.)
Consumables:
- Potion of Cloaking - Apply Stealth to Self.
- Infernal Grenade - Attack 9 fields in a 3x3 square. Choose the 9 fields.
Starting signature skills:
- Savagery (Ultimate, Aleksander, Level 3) - After an attack, attack 2 additional times with this hero's primary weapon.
- Precise Thrust (Utility, Aleksander, Level 2) - Replace all dice for the attack with Red dice.
Starting ability cards (as shown):
- Dodge (Duelist 1) - Discard 2 to ignore an attack.
- Execute (Duelist 1) - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Flourish (Duelist 1) - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Claw (Vampire 1) - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Self Preservation (Standard) - Gain 2 AP.
- Riposte (Duelist 3) - Discard 1 to attack with this hero's primary weapon.
- Throw Dagger - Apply Bleed. (Card class and cost partly obscured.)
- Vampire's Bite (Vampire 1) - Assign 3 damage to an adjacent Human target and heal self for 3.
- Glory of Tarpitt (Tarpitt, Vampire 1) - Discard 1 to enhance the attack of an ally with +2 BD.
- Puncture - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Take a Breather (Standard) - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Opportunistic Strike II - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Inhuman Speed (Vampire 1) - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Antagonistic (Aleksander, trait) - The next hero who activates loses 1 AP. If that hero is Aleksandra, she gains 1 AP.
- First Aid (Standard) - Heal self for 4.
Level 4 ability cards (right group on page 37, under the "Level 4 Abilities" label):
- Ruthless Assault (Duelist 4) - Requires Melee. All [stat icon] may be rerolled and added to the attack. (Partly obscured.)
- Dodge II (Duelist 4, Pirate) - Discard 1 to ignore an attack. (Partly obscured.)
- Vindictive (Aleksander, trait) - The next hero who activates loses 1 AP.
Other signature skills shown on page 37:
- Embolden (Utility, Aleksander, Level 4) - Assign 3 damage to self and heal an adjacent ally for 5. Apply Offense to all allies. (Under the "Signature Skill" label.)
- Slick Footwork (Utility, Aleksander, Level 1) - Swap fields with an ally. (Unlabelled, lower left.)
- Acrobatic Slice (Ultimate, Aleksander, Level 1) - Attack all adjacent enemies. On Attack: Assign damage. (Unlabelled, lower left.)
Aleksandra Demo Loadout (Page 38)
Hero card: Aleksandra (Warrior, Berserker; Tarpitt, Vampire). The lore paragraph at the top of the loadout is omitted.
- The "Off" Twin - If Aleksandra slays an enemy, she may immediately make a free activation. This effect may only trigger once per round.
- Rage - Gain 1 Power whenever this hero is attacked or slays an enemy.
- Hand of the Council - (lore text on the card, omitted)
Starting equipment:
- Sinister Chakrams (2-Handed, Chakram, Sinister) - Frenzy. On Slay: Gain 1 Soul (Max 2). For each Soul, gain 2 BD.
- Sinister Armor (Chest, Light, Sinister) - Remove all Souls. For each Soul removed, heal self for 4 and assign 4 damage to all adjacent enemies.
- Mephisto's Kiss (Amulet, Berserker*) - This hero has +1 max AP and -4 Health.
- Hellfire Lantern (Trinket, Vampire*) - All Vampire allies have [roll icon] On Attack: Life Steal 2.
Consumables:
- Lightning Orb - Damage target and all linked enemies.
- Tranquilizer - Apply Stun to an adjacent target.
Starting signature skills:
- Revenge (Ultimate, Aleksandra, Level 3) - Add this hero's lost Health to the damage of the attack.
- Leap Attack (Utility, Aleksandra, Level 1) - Place this hero adjacent to a nearby target and attack with +2 Dice.
Starting ability cards (as shown):
- Reckless Assault (Berserker 1) - (Card text partly obscured.)
- First Aid (Standard) - Heal self for 4.
- Teamwork (Standard) - (Card text partly obscured; the Teamwork example in the Ability Deck Management section describes it as costing 2 AP and granting an ally 2 Power.)
- Self Preservation (Standard) - Gain 2 AP.
- Throw Rock (Standard) - Apply Stun to a Soldier or Creature within 3 range.
- Vampire's Bite (Vampire 1) - Assign 3 damage to an adjacent Human target and heal self for 3.
- Disembowel (Berserker 3) - (Card text partly obscured.)
- Sacrifice (Berserker 1) - (Card text partly obscured; it reads "...damage to self... Power".)
- Claw (Vampire 1) - This attack is free if activated immediately after attacking an adjacent target.
- Inhuman Speed (Vampire 1) - Gain 3 Speed this activation.
- Unpredictable (Aleksandra) - Aleksandra's next attack assigns 2 damage to an ally within 3 range.
- Glory of Tarpitt (Tarpitt, Vampire 1) - Discard 1 to enhance the attack of an ally with +2 BD.
- Rapid Strikes (Berserker 2, Duelist 5) - Add 2 BD to the attack. Discard 1 to add 4 BD. Discard 2 to add 6 BD.
- Fury II (Berserker 3) - The attack has +1 BD for every 3 Health this hero has lost.
- Adrenaline (Berserker 2) - Discard 2 to refill this hero's hand and add 1 discarded card to their hand.
Level 4 ability cards (left group on page 38, under the "Level 4 Abilities" label):
- Rapid Strikes II (Berserker 4) - Add 3 BD to the attack. Discard 1 to add 5 BD. Discard 2 to add 7 BD.
- Life Leech (Berserker 4) - On Each [roll icon]: Heal self for 4.
Level 4 signature skills (right group on page 38, under the "Signature Skill" label):
- Eviscerate (Utility, Aleksandra, Level 4) - Apply Bleed and Immobilize to all enemies within a range of 2.
- Bloody Howl (Ultimate, Aleksandra, Level 1) - Assign 4 damage to all nearby enemies. On Attack: Life Steal.
- Obscure (Utility, Aleksandra, Level 2) - (Card text partly obscured; it ends "...Apply Blind 2.")
Capac Roca Demo Loadout (Page 39)
Hero card: Capac Roca (Defender, Sentry; Altekha, Human). The lore paragraph at the top of the loadout is omitted.
- Altekhan Might - Capac has +1 Armor with Shields and +1 to all Strength tests.
- Challenge - Spend 2 AP to select an adjacent target. That target must attack this hero on its next activation. (The AP number is partly unclear in the page image.)
- Altekhan Exile - (lore text on the card, omitted)
Starting equipment:
- Serpent's Tongue Flail (1-Handed, Flail) - On [roll icon]: Knockback 1. On two [roll icons]: Apply Stun.
- Sollerets of Unyielding (Feet, Heavy, Unyielding) - Roll 1 Red dice for each [roll icon] rolled in attacks against this hero. On Each [roll icon]: Ignore 1 of the dice rolled by the attacker.
- Golemshead Shield (Off-Hand, Shield, Heavy) - Immune to Stun.
- Bloody Cuirass (Chest, Heavy, Bloody) - This hero has +3 max Health.
- Unchained (Ultimate, Capac, Level 1) - (Card text partly legible; it begins "When Capac is attacked due to Challenge...".)
Consumables:
- Greater Healing Potion - Heal self for 15.
- Purification Scroll - Remove all negative effects from allies.
Starting signature skills:
- Impact (Utility, Capac, Level 2) - Apply Immobilize to all adjacent enemies.
- Slam (Ultimate, Capac, Level 3) - Make an X-range cone attack using a field adjacent to this hero. On Attack: Knockback and +1 Dice.
Starting ability cards (as shown):
- Domination (Altekha 1) - (Card text partly obscured; it begins "Select a Creature within 1 zone...".)
- Resolute - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Battle Cry - (Card text not legible in the page image. The rulebook's Zone Range example on page 27 describes Capac's Battle Cry as removing all negative effects from allies within 1 zone.)
- Charge - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Taunt - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Punch - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Rebuff II (Sentry 3) - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Dash (Standard) - Gain 2 Speed this activation.
- Throw Rock (Standard) - Apply Stun to a Soldier or Creature within 3 range.
- Recover (Sentry 2) - Heal self for 2 and gain 2 Armor.
- Outcast (Capac Roca) - Other heroes may not use cards during this hero's activation.
- Jawbreaker (Sentry 1) - Requires Melee. Apply Stun to target.
- Self Preservation (Standard) - Gain 2 AP.
- Take a Breather (Standard) - Discard 2 to refill this hero's hand.
- Defender (Sentry 1) - When an adjacent ally is attacked, discard 1 to defend against that attack.
Level 4 ability cards (right group on page 39, under the "Level 4 Abilities" label):
- Charge II (Sentry 4) - Requires Shield. Move 2 to 6 fields in a straight line and apply Stun to an adjacent target. (Partly legible.)
- Leap (Sentry 4) - Place this hero adjacent to a target within 3 fields.
Level 4 signature skill (under the "Signature Skill" label):
- Desperate Throw (Utility, Capac, Level 4) - Requires Melee. Make a 3 range attack with On Attack: Knockback and +1 Dice.
Vanessa Demo Loadout (Page 40)
Hero card: Vanessa (Warrior, Survivalist; Nyere, Human). The lore paragraph at the top of the loadout is omitted.
- Wanderer - At the beginning of each round, Vanessa may move 2 fields for free. Vanessa has +2 Charisma while wearing a hat.
- Marked for Death - Discard 1 to apply Marked to a target. This hero gains 1 Power when they damage Marked targets. Only 1 target may be Marked.
- Heir of Ruin - (lore text on the card, omitted)
Starting equipment:
- Giantsbane Crossbow (2-Handed, Crossbow) - Has +3 BD against Elites. On [roll icon]: Apply Blind.
- Feathered Helm of the Lion (Head, Light, Lion) - Discard 2 to add 1 discarded card to this hero's hand.
- Leather Coat of the Lion (Chest, Light, Lion) - (No effect text is legible; the card carries lore text only.)
- Greater Hawk (Companion, Creature, Hawk) - Cannot be targeted.
Consumables:
- Teleportation Scroll - Place this hero on any field within 4 range.
- Adrenaline - This hero may attack a second time this activation for free.
Starting signature skills:
- Tenacity (Utility, Vanessa, Level 2) - All damage against this hero is halved (round up) until their next activation. Calculate after Armor/Defense.
- A Woman Possessed (Ultimate, Vanessa, Level 3) - At the end of Vanessa's activation, she may activate again.
Starting ability cards (as shown):
- Luck of the Nyere (Nyere) - (Card text partly obscured.)
- Dive (Greater Hawk) - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Dash (Standard) - Gain 2 Speed this activation.
- First Aid (Standard) - Heal self for 4.
- Punch - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Determined - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Throw Rock (Standard) - Apply Stun to a Soldier or Creature within 3 range.
- Premeditation - (Card text partly obscured.)
- Stronger Together (Survivalist 2) - Gain 2 AP or an ally gains 2 AP.
- Explosive Shot II (Survivalist 3) - Requires Ranged. Assign 4 damage to all enemies adjacent to the target.
- Heavy Shot (Survivalist 1) - Requires Ranged. Damage the target and an enemy behind the target.
- Precision (Survivalist 3) - Requires Ranged. Assign damage.
- Support Fire (Survivalist 1) - Requires Ranged. Discard 1 to enhance the attack of a nearby ally.
- Volley (Survivalist 1) - Requires Ranged. Attack 4 fields in a 2x2 square within 3 range. Choose the 4 fields.
- Survivor's Guilt (Vanessa, trait) - Negative trait; the card text reads "You know what must be done!"
Level 4 ability cards (left group on page 40, under the "Level 4 Abilities" label):
- Support Fire II (Survivalist 4) - Requires Ranged. Discard 1 to enhance the attack of a nearby ally.
- Survivor (Vanessa) - Gain 3 AP.
Level 4 signature skill (under the "Signature Skill" label):
- Cut Down (Utility, Vanessa, Level 4) - At any time during an enemy's activation, make a free attack.
Other signature skills shown on page 40:
- Improvised Traps (Utility, Vanessa, Level 1) - Place an Improvised Trap token nearby. Assign 6 damage and end the movement of the first enemy to enter that field.
- Last Stand (Ultimate, Vanessa, Level 1) - (Card text partly obscured; it refers to Vanessa taking and receiving damage until her next activation.)
Wynter Demo Loadout (Page 41)
Hero card: Wynter (Rogue, Pirate; Storm Pirate, Demon). The lore paragraph at the top of the loadout is omitted.
- Finders Keepers - Once per Encounter, when Wynter would draw a Loot card, she may draw 2 instead of 1 and keep 1.
- Shiny - Gain 1 Power at the beginning of each activation. Whenever the party gains gold, Discard 1 to gain 3 Power. (Partly legible in the page image.)
- Half-Demon Pirate - (lore text on the card, omitted)
Starting equipment:
- Scimitar of the Thief (1-Handed, Sword, Thief) - On Slay: Gain 2 gold.
- Pistol of the Black Flag (1-Handed, Pistol) - On [roll icon]: 5 damage.
- Armor of the Thief (Chest, Light, Thief) - Apply Stealth to Self.
- Gloves of the Thief (Hands, Light, Thief) - Roll 2D6 when attacking an adjacent enemy. On Each [roll icon]: Gain 1 gold. (Partly legible in the page image.)
- Blunderbuss (Ultimate, Wynter, Level 1) - Attack 4 fields in a 2x2 square. Choose the 4 fields.
- Swift Tactics (Utility, Wynter, Level 2) - Place this hero on any field and attack. After the attack, place this hero on any other field.
Consumables:
- Courage in a Bottle - Gain 2 Armor and heal self for 5.
- Reflex Potion - Apply Invigorate to self.
Starting ability cards (as shown):
- Take a Breather (Standard) - Discard 2 to refill this hero's hand.
- Dodge - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Throw Rock (Standard) - Apply Stun to a Soldier or Creature within 3 range.
- Goldlust (Wynter) - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Teamwork (Standard) - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Ambush (Pirate 3) - (Card text not legible in the page image.)
- Dash (Standard) - Gain 2 Speed this activation.
- Hit and Run (Pirate 1) - (Card text partly obscured.)
- Opportunistic Strike (Duelist 1, Pirate 1) - If an adjacent enemy is attacked, attack the enemy with this ability.
- First Aid (Standard) - Heal self for 4.
- Dirty Fighting II (Pirate 3) - Attack has +2 BD and apply Immobilize to target if target is flanked.
- Demonic Blade (Demon 1) - Attack assigns damage. Discard X to add X Green dice.
- Lucky Strike (Pirate 3) - You may spend 1 gold to reroll any number of dice.
- Quickshot (Pirate 1) - Attack 1 additional target.
- The Code (Pirate 2) - Gain 2 AP and move 2 fields.
Level 4 ability cards (right group on page 41, under the "Level 4 Abilities" label):
- Opportunistic Strike II (Duelist 3, Pirate 4) - If an adjacent enemy is attacked, attack the enemy with this ability.
- Aimed Shot (Pirate 4, Survivalist 4) - Requires Ranged. Attack has +4 Range.
Starting signature skills:
- Enchanted Ammo (Utility, Wynter, Level 1) - Requires Ranged. Apply Bleed and Burn to the target.
- Backstab (Ultimate, Wynter, Level 3) - Requires Melee. If target is flanked, +6 BD to this attack. On Slay: +1 Loot.
Level 4 signature skill (under the "Signature Skill" label):
- No Quarter (Utility, Wynter, Level 4) - Gain 3 AP. All weapons have Frenzy and there is no Enhance limit per attack.
Keywords
- 1D6 - The Fate dice (numbered 1-6). Some abilities or items may ask a player to roll 1D6 or 2D6, as in, roll 1 or 2 of the Fate dice.
- 2D6 - See above.
- Adjacent - In one of the eight surrounding fields.
- Alter - Change a dice result to the listed result.
- Apply - A debuff is added to the target of the attack/ability.
- Assign Damage - Attacks that assign damage ignore the target's armor/defense. The target receives wounds equal to the damage inflicted. On Defense effects can still be relevant, but not if they add armor or defense.
- Catalyst - Requires something to happen before can be used (like an adjacent ally being attacked).
- Discard - Discard a card, often an ability card. Discard X means you pick the number of cards to discard. If a weapon stated "Discard X to add X Blue dice to the attack" the number of cards you discard would be equal to the number of blue dice you want to add to your attack.
- Dismantle - Remove 1 card from the hero's hand (two cards for Dismantle 2, and so on).
- Draw - Take a card from a particular deck. Ability cards often do not identify a deck, meaning they are to be drawn from the hero's ability deck.
- Gain - The target gains something, like more AP or Speed.