The Witcher: Path of Destiny – Legendary Monsters Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Component List
• Introduction
  • Overview
• Game Setup
• Monster Cards
• Gameplay
  • Start of the Chapter
  • Trail Cards Gameplay
  • Drafting Cards
  • Monster Attacks
  • Damage, Wounds and Monster Die
  • Runestone Cards
  • Playing Cards
  • Placing the Destiny Token
  • End of the Chapter
    • Deal Damage
    • Check the Trail Card Condition
• Solo Mode
• Companions
  • Setup
  • Drafting Cards
• The Witcher: Old World
  • The Witcher: Old World Compatibility

Component List

• 4 Legendary Monsters miniatures
• 8 Monster cards (2 double-sided cards per Monster)
• 1 double-sided Monster Life Points counter
• 1 Power token
• 8 Monster Movement cards
• 27 Trail cards (9 per each Chapter)
• 8 Runestone cards
• 40 Health Point tokens
• 11 Root/Suffering tokens
• 1 Monster die
• Bonus: 4 Legendary Monster cards for The Witcher: Old World
• Bonus: 5 Eskel and 5 Lambert Companion cards

Introduction

The Legendary Monsters is a cooperative expansion for The Witcher: Path of Destiny. Players fight together against one enemy – a Legendary Monster, which will roam the board and launch powerful special attacks. Even if one player is eliminated, the game is lost, so close cooperation is the key to success.

Along the way, players will complete challenges on Trail cards that will allow them to gain the benefits necessary to stand a chance against the threat.

Overview

Instead of participating in a Tale and deciding which path to take, Players fight a Legendary Monster. Throughout the game, there is only one Active Symbol – Fight, corresponding to both the Left and Right Path. All other Symbols are Non-Active.

Each Monster has its own set of rules, a passive ability, and special attacks. After each Player drafts their cards, the Monster will either move to a spot on the playmat, or draw cards to unleash an attack.

Each Player will try to complete a challenge on a Trail card to gain 3 Experience Points. Failing to do so will result in rolling the Monster die. The Trail card also shows which of the Non-Dominating Symbols will give Experience Points to the Player at the end of the Chapter.

Moreover, Players will use one-time Runestone cards to their advantage and optionally, they may ask Lambert or Eskel to help them out.

Players may freely discuss their strategy, decide together which cards they will draft and play, and when they activate Abilities. They may not share cards, or any other components with each other.

When playing the Legendary Monsters expansion, do not use any other modules, such as A Voice of Reason envelopes and other expansions.

Players do not gain Victory Points. If a Player would gain any Victory Point, they deal that amount of damage to the Monster. The goal of the game is to reduce the Legendary Monster's Life Points to 0 before the end of the game, without any Player being eliminated from the game by losing their last Health Point.

Game Setup

Follow the regular rules of the game.

1. Place the playmat on the table.
2. Choose a Monster. Choose any Legendary Monster to fight against.
   • 2a. Place the chosen Monster cards in the designated place on the Playmat, with a side corresponding to the number of Players up.
   • 2b. Place Destiny tokens nearby.
3. Place the cards. Remove the following cards from the Main deck: 2, 7, 9, 50, and place the rest on the designated spot on the playmat. Fill the Pool of available spots with pairs of cards:
   • For 1, 2, and 3-player game – there are 4 spots available.
   • For 4 and 5-player game – there are 5 spots available.
4. Extra Experience token. Place the Extra Experience token next to the bottom-most filled spot. Optionally you may use Lambert or Eskel Companion rules (4a).
5. Symbol tokens. Place Symbol tokens on the table.
6. Choose characters. Choose Characters (Dandelion may not be chosen) and follow their regular setup, but do not use Side Quests and do not place any Victory Point markers.
   • 6a. Place the Characters on the Initiative track following the Initiative order.
   • 6b. Each Player receives Health Point tokens according to the number of Players:
     • 1 player – 5 Health Points
     • 2, 3 or 4 players – 7 Health Points each
     • 5 players – 8 Health Points each

The starting Initiative order is: Triss, Yennefer, Ciri, Letho, Dijkstra, Regis, Vesemir, Geralt, Yarpen.

Monster Cards

Each Monster card shows:

• The number of Players in the game (the side of the card placed face-up matches the Player count).
• The Monster's name.
• The Monster's Abilities (passive ability, shown at the top of the card).
• The Attack pool: the number of cards in the Attack pool needed to perform each Attack.
• The Attack effect, shown next to each Attack.
• The Monster's art.
• Only for Katakan – the Power level track.
• The Monster's name on the reverse.

Note: both Left and Right Path Symbols are Fight Symbols.

Gameplay

Start of the Chapter

Before the first Turn in each Chapter, Players will get Trail cards. These cards describe the effort and risk necessary to gain a tactical advantage over the Monster.

Draw and reveal Trail cards from the current Chapter's deck in a number equal to the number of Players, and add one card face-down.

Each Trail card shows which of the 3 Non-Active Symbols will award Experience Points at the end of the Chapter. Moreover, at the end of the Chapter, if the Player meets the condition on it, by having the right cards in their Timeline, they gain 3 Experience Points. If not, the Player will roll the Monster die.

Trail card conditions:

• Cards with Fight Symbol.
• Cards with the 1-3 multiply effect.
• Cards in the specified color.
• Cards in one, chosen color.
• Cards without Symbols.
• Multicolor cards.
• Cards with 2 Symbols.
• Color of cards.
• There are fewer cards in the specified color than in any other colors.

The Trail card condition specifies the number of required cards. Conditions with "..." mean "at least" the specified number.

When checking Trail cards conditions, ignore Lost Symbol tokens on cards (read them as printed).

Trail Cards Gameplay

Players discuss their plans and each Player takes 1 of the Trail cards prepared for this Chapter. One of the Players may trust in their destiny, and draw and reveal the face-down Trail card instead of taking the revealed card. Discard the last card.

Example: a 4-player game.

Drafting Cards

After each one Player drafts their cards, the Monster activates.

Draw and reveal the top card of the Monster Movement deck:

• Move – place the card and the Monster miniature next to the shown spot, and resolve the Monster Ability. If the spot wasn't occupied by any Player, the Monster drafts the pair of cards next to the spot and adds them to the Attack pool. If the spot was occupied by a Player, the Monster does not draft any cards, but resolves its Ability, described on its card.
• Focus – place the card next to the Main deck and do not move the Monster. It draws 1 card from the Main deck and adds it to the Attack pool.

These effects may trigger the Monster's attack. If multiple attacks are triggered at the same time, resolve them from top to bottom.

Reshuffle the Monster Movement deck after the last card is drawn and resolved.

Monster Attacks

Each Monster has 4 unique attacks, one for cards in each color.

If there is ever the same number of cards in one color in the Monster Attack pool, as shown on the Monster card, the Legendary Monster attacks!

Discard the shown number of cards of one color from the Monster board, discarding multicolored ones last. Apply the effect of the attack.

Damage, Wounds and Monster Die

Whenever a Player suffers a Wound, they flip one of their Health Point tokens to the wounded side. When any Player loses their last Health Point token, the game is immediately lost.

When a Player rolls a Monster die, they apply the result:

• Skull (3 faces) – suffer a Wound.
• Fight Symbol with minus – lose a Fight Symbol.
• Discard icon – discard any card from your Timeline.
• Minus icon – lose any 2 Symbols.

If a Player cannot apply the result in full, they instead suffer a Wound.

Runestone Cards

During the game, Players may use Runestone cards to their advantage. Players may freely discuss if or when to use each one. If most of the Players agree, resolve the chosen card and discard it to the box.

• At any moment, 2 Players choose 1 card in their hand and exchange them.
• At any moment, 1 Player loses up to 5 Symbols of one type and gains the same number of Fight Symbols.
• At any moment, rearrange the Characters' order on the Initiative track.
• Immediately after drawing a Monster Movement card, ignore it (do not resolve any of its effects). Do not draw another card instead it.

Playing Cards

There are no changes in the playing cards step.

Placing the Destiny Token

Put the next Destiny token on the Legendary Monster card to mark the end of the Turn. When the 3rd Destiny token is placed on the card, end the current Chapter.

End of the Chapter

Instead of determining the Dominating Symbols, Players now check if they met their Trail cards conditions, and deal damage to the Legendary Monster.

Deal Damage

Each Player counts the number of Fight Symbols they have. Deduct the total on the Legendary Monster Life counter. If its value reaches or goes below 0, the Monster is defeated and the Players win the game.

Clean up Timelines following the regular rules: each Player chooses and keeps 1 card in their Timeline after the 1st Chapter, or 2 cards after the 2nd Chapter.

At the end of the 3rd Chapter, Players have a last chance to defeat the Monster. Each Player checks the Golden Experience marker position on their board with respect to the Victory Point marks. Instead of gaining the shown amount of Victory Points (as they would in the base game), the Player deals the corresponding value as damage to the Monster, deducting it on the Legendary Monster Life counter.

If the Monster is not defeated at this point, Players lose the game.

Check the Trail Card Condition

Each Player compares the condition of their Trail card with cards in their Timeline.

• If they meet it, they gain 3 Experience Points.
• If a Player doesn't meet the condition, they roll the Monster die, and apply its result.

Whether the Player met their Trail card condition or not, they gain Experience Points equal to the number of Non-Active Symbols shown on the Trail card in their Timelines and token pools.

Discard all Trail cards for the current Chapter to the box.

Example: A Player met the condition on their Trail card – they have at least 3 blue cards in their Timeline. They gain 3 Experience Points and do not roll the Monster die. The Player gains 1 Experience Point for each Exploration Symbol they have.

Solo Mode

Unlike in the base game, the Legendary Monsters Solo Mode does not include Automa. One Player may face the Monster alone, following the regular rules.

When playing as Yarpen, his 1st and 3rd Ability trigger as they would against opponents with no Symbols – but you still need to have at least 1 Symbol.

Companions

Setup

Pick Lambert or Eskel and shuffle their set of cards face down. Place it next to the playmat.

Drafting Cards

At the start of the 1st Turn of a new Chapter, draw a Companion card and place it face-up next to the bottom-most available spot on the playmat, covering any Companion card already there. A total of 3 Companion cards will be used in each game (1 for each Chapter).

When choosing a spot next to the Companion card, before drafting cards you may use their ability instead of gaining an Extra Experience Point.

The Witcher: Old World

The Witcher: Old World Compatibility

The Legendary Monsters represent the ancient evil that terrorized people through centuries. Even in the time of the Old World…

In the box, you'll find 4 cards to bring the Legendary Monsters to the Old World. They will follow the regular rules of Legendary Monsters. To use them as the ultimate nemeses, you'll need the base game of The Witcher: Old World, and the Legendary Hunt expansion.