Between Light & Shadow: Chapter I – Dawn
Between Light & Shadow: Chapter I – Dawn Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1. Rules and learning game
Please note: The game boards are made of environmentally friendly hard foam. Markings are more difficult to wipe off than you might be used to. However, you can always clean the game boards completely with a slightly damp sponge or wet wipe. You can find an example video on how to clean the boards and more videos at: boardgame-racoon.de/blsvideo
Below you will find the learning rules. In these you will play a tutorial scenario and learn the rules step by step. You will always be told the background, which game material you will need and the new rules. In addition, there are some examples and always a task that you have to complete. Once you have completed this task, you can continue reading. Always apply all the rules you have learned so far.
If you need new game material, this will always be written in red.
Then take the described game material out of the box and put it in front of you. From now on you will need this material.
New rules
New rules will always be found in such a box. The new rules always refer to the new material and your task. So the new rules are in effect from now on.
Examples are always framed like this and written in italic. Here you will always find the new rules in use. Check here if you are not sure about a rule.
Tasks are also always written in red, followed by this symbol (a red ornamental divider).
Then put this rulebook aside and play with the rules you have learned so far until you have completed the task.
You can interrupt these learning rules - as well as the normal game - at any time and continue playing later. To do so, simply mark the position of your character on the map at the end of a turn. Everything else is recorded on the game sheets and you can simply put the game away. If you want to continue playing, just place your character on the marked spot and start a new round. (If you are playing a scenario - whether in the campaign or individually - also place the corresponding two scenario cards in their positions.)
Now take the 6 dice and the pencil. Take the sheet with the headline "Map Chapter 1" and put it in front of you. Take the character Mara, put it in the standee holder and place it in Barrenfield.
Two weeks had passed since you had joined the guilds. Master Thomax, the guild master himself, had come to your village to call the bravest men and women to arms to join the fight against possessed creatures that have haunted the region recently. You had taken this chance to finally leave your little village in the mountains to see the world and to go on adventures that went beyond sowing the fields. You volunteers were about to be assigned your first task and Thomax had gathered you in the courtyard for this purpose. Now only you and the Farun twins, two sturdy lads from the Storm Mountains in the north-east, were waiting for your assignment. "And now about you. It is important that we know where these raging creatures are hiding. We have heard disturbing rumours from the north. A corpse has been found near the Bloodcave that has allegedly been drained of all its blood. Whether this is the work of one of these possessed beasts or simply local gossip, we do not know. That's why I want you to go to the Bloodcave and watch out for signs of raging animals. Be careful and, if such a creature really is roaming around there, return immediately and report back to me. We still need you and we need you with your blood."
That same day, you three set off from the north gate along the great road. Your two companions were still mocking the wide plain, how easy it was to make progress here compared to the mountains back in their homeland. But their mood soon changed when you had to leave the road and make your way through a forest. This journey didn't seem to be quite as easy as they had expected...
Gameplay
The game is played in turns. Each turn consists of five phases. You can find an overview of the turn sequence on the turn order card.
Use only phase two and three at first:
- Movement roll
- Movement
When one phase is finished, the next one starts immediately. When you have finished all phases, start a new turn.
"But the mountains are in this direction!" "Yes, but the path leads this way!" The twins were once again arguing. You were only making very slow progress and a new discussion arose at every junction. Rolling your eyes, you look around, but you're also not sure which of the possible paths you should take.
Movement roll
In this phase take all six dice and roll them. Afterwards, put them all in the "Available dice" box on your map sheet.
You start your turn with the movement roll. After you have rolled all six dice, you place them all in the "Available Dice" box. This ends this phase and the movement phase begins.
"No, no, no, we would walk in the wrong direction, if we chose to go that way. Mara, tell him I'm right." "How is she supposed to know which way to go?" You've had enough of these two and their discussions. Without further ado, you decide to take the narrow forest path to your left and simply walk ahead. You can still hear them arguing behind you, but the chatter is quickly replaced by the sound of heavy footsteps, as they hurry after you. At last you are on your way to the Bloodcave now.
Movement (1)
In this phase you can use one die after the other from the "Available Dice" box. You can only use a die for "Move" at first. To do so, place it on an empty die box of the same color under "Move". Then you can move your character exactly one step in one of the two directions indicated next to the die box.
However, you may never enter red colored spaces with a dotted border.
If you enter a silver or golden framed space, this phase ends immediately.
You can also end this phase voluntarily at any time and remain on your current space, if you do not want to move any further. End this phase also, if you used all your dice.
For example, if you want to go to the Bloodcave, the first thing you do is use a white 1 for movement. You place the die on the appropriate die box and can now move either one space up or one space to the upper right. You decide to go up. Note that you can no longer use the second white 1 for moving, since its die box is already occupied. Therefore, you now use the black 1. You can't go up again, because there is a red colored space, which you are not allowed to enter, so you decide to go up-right. You could move further now, but you decide to end this phase voluntarily. As this was the last phase (with the rules you know at the moment), a new turn starts.
Move to the Bloodcave.
You had at last reached the area of the Bloodcave, but had discovered no evidence of the presence of one of these raging creatures. And so you were persuaded by your two companions to explore the cave yourself. That way you could give Master Thomax a full report. As you cautiously approach the dark cave entrance, one of the twins suddenly flinches. "What was that?" he whispers uneasily to you. And now you hear it too. A sound as if thousands of leather straps tore through the air. And suddenly they pour of the mouth of the cave:
Hundreds of giant bats, their huge wings armed with unnaturally large claws. The twins next to you shriek in panic and you too can only think of one thing: Get out of here! You hastily turn round and start running. In the corner of your eye, you can just see one of the twins stumble and lie bleeding on the ground, but driven by fear, you continue to run away without slowing down.
Now you are standing in the forest alone, breathing heavily. You have managed to escape from the swarm, but you have also lost your companions. But how are you supposed to help them alone? You have but one choice: Return to Barrenfield as quickly as possible to report about these creatures and get help. You've travelled this path before and you're sure you'll find it easier this time.
Movement (2)
In the Movement phase, you can now use dice for "Orientation", too. To do this, place a die on an empty die box under Orientation. Then you can change the value of an available die of the same color by the value of the placed die. Turn the changed die to its new value. You can add or subtract the value. The new value, however, must be possible. You can also use a changed die again for orientation.
In the movement roll phase, you rolled these dice. Since you can't use both 4s to move, you decide to use the white 1 for orientation. You place the white 1 on an empty box under orientation. Now you have to change the value of one the white 4s by one. So you could create a 3 or a 5. Since you want to move up, you choose a 5 and turn one white 4 to a 5. Now you can continue your movement phase normally.
Place the white dice with values 1, 2 and 5 and the black dice with values 1, 4 and 4 in the "Available dice" box. You play phase three movement directly and have to reach Barrenfield in this turn.
Completely exhausted from your journey back, you had stumbled back to the guild headquarters, where you had asked for Master Thomax. After you had told him everything that had happened, the old guild master, who seemed worried, had ordered you to get some rest first, he would take care of everything. The next morning, however, he sent for you again. "Ah, I see you're back on your feet. Well, good. I must say, I'm impressed. You've shown prudence and dedication, just what we need. Unfortunately, your companions have not displayed as much foresight. But don't worry, we'll search for them."
With a sweeping gesture, he pointed out of the window, where you could see a group of armed men in black and white tabards about to leave. "The situation is more serious than we anticipated. If the frenzy among the animals is already so obvious, it's only a matter of time before these possessed creatures pose a real threat. Therefore, you will now take this letter to the druids of Woodstead to ask for their advice and bring the coven's answer back to me immediately. Your journey will be longer and more arduous then the last one, but I will send you off alone this time. I'm sure you'll make it on your own, as you've already proven. Manage your energy well, avoid danger, but bring me the druids' answer as quickly as possible!"
Start of a turn and Energy
From now on, at the start of each turn, cross out one boot symbol on your energy bar on your map sheet. Cross it out from left to right.
The first three boxes are transparent. They are used only in some scenarios. In this learning game, they will be used, so start with crossing out the first transparent boot.
Whenever you lose one boot in the game, cross it out on this bar.
If you cross out a boot with an arrow, perform the action at the end of the arrow:
- Boot with a food-crossed-out arrow: you must eat. Lose a food (see Supplies).
- Boot with an event arrow (book symbol): an event occurs (see Events).
If you have crossed out all the boots and have to cross out this box (the skull symbol), you have taken too long and the forces of shadow are too strong. You have lost the game immediately.
With these words of warning, Thomax gave you a sealed letter. Along with a note giving you permission to take supplies and a small sum of money from the guild warehouse as travelling funds. "Set off today. We don't have much time."
Take the supply sheet and place it next to the map sheet.
Supplies
On your supply sheet, you will find your status and supplies in the lower left corner. There are the following four resources:
- Health (heart) and healing potions (green vial)
- Determination (green fist)
- Food (bread/meat)
- Coins
A circle with a solid outer line means that you own one of these resources.
At the beginning of this learning game, you have six health points, no healing potion, and no determination. You have seven food and three coins.
At first, the old, toothless equipment keeper in the warehouse was sceptical, when you handed him the note from Master Thomax. He had made you sign for everything and counted every coin. In the end, however, you had received your backpack for the journey and stowed your personal belongings in it.
Gaining and losing supplies
Whenever you receive a resource, trace the outer line of a dotted circle in the row of the resource. You then own the resource.
If there is no more dotted circle, you cannot get the resource.
With this symbol (a crossed-out X) you lose a resource. Then cross out a circle with a solid outer line.
On the left you see the situation before a turn starts. At the beginning of the turn, you first cross out an energy, i.e. a boot symbol on your map sheet. This triggers the lose food action. Now you must cross out one food on your supply sheet.
Health and healing potions
You cannot gain health. But you can get healing potions. Whenever you lose health, you can lose a healing potion instead. However, this does not apply the other way around. So you cannot lose health instead of a healing potion.
If you lose your last health, you lose the game immediately.
Order of supplies
If you have to cross out a resource, but you don't have it (you don't have a circle with a drawn outer line for this resource), you lose the higher one:
- If you have no coins, you can pay with food.
- If you have no food, you hunger and lose determination.
- If you have no more determination, you lose health.
- If you have no more health/healing potions, you lose the game immediately.
"Aren't you the one, who brought the news from the Bloodcave? Gosh!" The old quartermaster gave you a toothless smile. "And now to Woodstead, eh? Ha, you should have seen me, when I was still out there. I knew all the tricks and even some shortcuts, but you needed guts to make your way through the undergrowth." As you adjust your backpack, a stream of good advice rolls over you. But there are a few useful hints, too. "And watch out, some of the paths out there are so exhausting and weird, I'm telling you, you'd think they were cursed by the Shadow itself."
End of movement
The turn sequence is now extended by a fourth phase:
- Start of turn (cross out energy)
- Movement roll
- Movement
- End of movement
In this phase, check all the dice that are in the "Used Dice" box. These are all the dice you used for "Move" and "Orientation".
If there are more black dice than white ones, you have walked too much in the shadows. You lose one energy (cross out one boot).
If all six dice are placed in this box, you have made good progress: you gain one determination.
Movement (3)
In the movement phase, you can now activate "Make your way" at any time. Lose a determination or cross out an energy to turn a die in the "Available Dice" box to any value.
During your movement phase, you decide to activate "Make your way" because you couldn't use the available black 5. You cross out a determination and turn the 5 to a 6. After using the turned die to "move", you enter a framed square, which immediately ends your movement phase. In phase four "End of Movement", you now check your used dice: you didn't use all the dice, so you don't get any determination back. However, you used more black dice than white, so you must cross out one energy on your energy bar on your map sheet.
Take the "turn order" card and place it in front of you.
Movement (4)
You can find all the rules for movement on the turn order card and on your map sheet. The three possible actions in the movement phase (Move, Orientation and Make Your Way) can be found in the white boxes next to your available and used dice. There you will also find what to do before and after the movement.
Also note that you can voluntarily end the movement at any time and that the movement ends immediately when you enter a framed space.
Move to Woodstead. You may not enter a golden framed space or a space with a skull.
Additional task: If at any point during this or your next tasks you have crossed out the third boot with an event, i.e. an arrow pointing to a book, read the section "Special rules for events" immediately.
Special rules for events
Start reading here when you have crossed out the first book on your energy bar.
Events (1)
When you cross out a boot with an arrow pointing to a book, an event is triggered. Then activate an event immediately, unless you are currently in a fight. Then activate the event immediately after the fight.
You can find the events on the top left corner of your supply sheet.
An event always has an event number (golden number in the red circle). If this number is referred to in the course of the game, check this event. If this number is crossed out or erased, this event no longer exists. Above the number you will find the event text.
Here you can see how the events are structured. For example, this is the event "Greedy eyes" with its event text, which tells you what happens and what you can do in this event. Below this you will find the number of the event. In this case, the event has the number 1. Underneath the 1 you can also see the two decision options and the numbers for the event roll. If event 1 is referred to somewhere, this event is being referred to in this scenario.
Activating an event
You can decide before each game if you want to play with fixed or random events.
For fixed events: do not trigger an event on the book symbol with dice. Whenever an event is triggered, activate the leftmost event whose number is not crossed out.
For random events: roll a die and compare the result with the event roll line just below the event numbers. Keep rolling the die until you have rolled an event whose number has not yet been crossed out and activate this event.
Use fixed events in this learning game. The first event is the special event shown below.
If you chose to play with fixed events before the game, you would now activate event 2. If you rolled a 4 on random events, you would activate event 3.
Use fixed events in this learning game. Activate the special event as the first event shown below in this rulebook.
Events (2)
When you activate an event, read the text of the activated event, follow the instructions and cross out the event number. The event has taken place and cannot be activated again.
Generally, these rules apply to all events: italic text describes the event; regular text contains instructions. Just execute the instructions of an event accurately. However, two special cases may occur: an "If..." or a "Choose".
With "Choose" you can decide between 2 things, thumbs up or thumbs down. Then follow the instructions behind your choice and cross out your decision on the decision line to mark the choice you made.
With "If..." there is a condition that must be met. Here you will often find references to other events (number in the red circle) or tasks (letter in the blue circle). Check the condition. If you fulfil it, execute the instruction. Otherwise, execute the instruction that comes after "Else".
Finally, do not forget to cross out the number of the activated event.
When you activate this event, read what happens first. Then you can decide: With thumbs up you give two coins to the faun. Cross out two coins from your supply and mark thumbs up under the event. With thumbs down nothing happens. Cross out the thumbs down under the event. Finally, you have to cross out the event number and then continue the game normally.
Event condition
If there is an "if" at the beginning of an event, check the condition behind it. If you fulfil it, do not activate the current event, but activate the one indicated with an arrow. If you don't meet the condition, activate the current event normally.
If you activate event 3 here, you first check whether event 1 is not crossed out. Since this is the case, you simply continue reading. The next "if" asks whether thumbs up was selected for event 1. Since this is not the case (because thumbs down was chosen) you go to "else": so you lose 2 energy. Finally, you have to cross out event number 3 and then continue your adventure.
Events (3)
You can also find a detailed description and explanation of each event for each scenario in the corresponding scenario description in the campaign book.
Now activate the special event 0 below. Then return to your current task.
First check the event condition. If you are or have been in Woodstead, you immediately activate event 00. Otherwise, event 0 takes place normally: You can choose whether you go directly to Woodstead or nothing happens.
For event 00, check the condition. If no dangerous location is crossed out on the map, you can immediately move one space up or to the top right. If a dangerous location has already been crossed out, you can immediately move one space to the right. In any case, continue playing normally after the event.
End of section "events".
You had already seen it from afar, the great tree of Woodstead. That striking landmark of the town that reached far above the rooftops. You had heard a lot about this wonder, a tree in the centre of the city that provided the inhabitants with an endless supply of food. This was the homestead of the powerful coven of druids and you had no problem handing over the letter from Master Thomax. However, you would have to wait for the answer, the taciturn druid, to whom you had handed over the letter, had told you. They hadn't even offered you anything to eat, let alone a place to rest. These worshippers of nature were obviously not very friendly towards humans. Well, this way you could at least explore the town at your leisure.
Encounter phase (1)
The fifth and last phase in a turn is the encounter phase. In this phase, you check your location on the map:
- If you are not in a framed space, nothing happens and this phase ends immediately.
- If you are in a golden framed space, an animal encounter occurs. Execute a fight and end the phase afterwards (see fight).
- If you are in a silver framed space, you can possibly perform city encounters.
Take the encounter sheet and place it next to the map sheet.
City encounters (1)
If you are in a silver-framed space with a name during the encounter phase, look at your encounter sheet in the upper right corner at "city encounters". If you cannot find the name of the city you are located at the moment, here, there is no encounter for this city in this scenario. The encounter phase ends immediately and a new turn begins.
However, if the city you are standing in is listed there, you can immediately perform as many actions listed under the city as you want to.
There are two types of city encounters: tasks, marked by a golden letter in a blue circle (you will learn about these later), and trade actions, identified by the "infinity" trade symbol and the word "Trade".
If you moved to the "Stormhurst" space in phase three of your turn, your movement ends immediately because it is a framed space. After checking your used dice in phase four, an encounter may be triggered phase five. You are standing on a silver framed square and "Stormhurst" is listed among the possible city encounters. So you can now perform the "Trade" action and task B "The beggars" in any order.
Everywhere in the city you see booths and shops selling the fruit of the great tree. You're astonished at the variety of meals that can be made from it. The fruit is offered to you in every imaginable form. Be it roasted, boiled, deep-fried, on a stick, caramelised, crisped, dried and you don't even know most of the ways it can be served. You're even sure you've seen someone smiling brightly and stuffing a pipe with the dried fruit. At some point, you can no longer hold back your curiosity and the growling of your stomach, so you approach one of the booths where the fruit is offered in various sizes and degrees of ripeness.
City encounters (2) - Trade
For the city action "Trade" you will always see two resources with a double-headed arrow between them. You can lose one of the resources and get one of the other resources in return. You can do this as many times as you want. If one of the resources is a scroll or a potion (see equipment), you may choose any one of these categories.
Buy one food in Woodstead.
Dangerous locations
At last you received the letter with the druids' reply. Now you should return to Barrenfield. However, after you had heard so many adventurous stories about the forests around Woodstead here, you decided to explore them more closely on your way back. You didn't leave your village behind to miss out on this experience.
If you enter a space with a skull that is not crossed out yet in your movement phase, you are in a dangerous location. Interrupt (not end!) your movement immediately.
In dangerous locations you always lose energy or something from your supply. You can always see what you lose in the circle under the skull.
How much of the resource you lose depends on how skilfully you entered the space. Check your "Used dice" box (i.e. all the dice you used for moving and orientation in this movement phase):
- You always lose 1 + the difference in the number of black and white dice used. So at least one (if you used the same amount of black and white dice), at most four resources (if you used three dice of one colour and none of the other).
However, for travelling through such a dangerous area, you will immediately receive two experience points (see Experience Points (1)).
Finally, cross out the dangerous location on the map. You now know the danger there and you can enter it normally. Then continue your phase three movement normally.
You can find a reminder for dangerous locations at the bottom right of your map sheet.
Here you can see a dangerous location. You lose energy in this space as an example. This means you can easily get lost in this area and have to cross out at least one boot.
This is, for example, the situation in your movement phase. If you now use the 6 to move to the right, you enter a dangerous location. You immediately have to interrupt your movement and check how many white and how many black dice you have used. Since you used two white dice and one black die, you lose two resources (you lose one plus one by the difference of one). In this location you lose health. So you have to cross out two health/healing potions. In return, you mark two experience points and cross out the space you are currently standing on. Now you can continue your movement.
Return to Barrenfield with exactly two experience points. You may not enter any golden framed spaces.
Experience Points (1)
Each time you activate this icon (a gold diamond) you will receive one experience point. You can use experience points to unlock additional abilities later. You can find your experience on your supply sheet in the upper right corner. Cross out one diamond there for each experience point you receive. Start at the top row and cross out from left to right.
After you finally arrived in Barrenfield and handed over the letter to Master Thomax, he only thanked you briefly and then turned his attention to his duties. The situation seemed to be really serious. So you were even more relieved, when the heavily armed men returned shortly afterwards, bringing the Farun twins with them. Both were badly injured and one was still bleeding from a nasty wound on his right arm. But they were alive. And you too felt a deep exhaustion from your journeys and finally went to the dormitory to get a good night's sleep and rest at last.
Take the character sheet and place it in front of you.
You wake up in the middle of the night, torn from your sleep. At first you're not sure what woke you up, but then you realise. There it is again, the sound of leather tearing the air. You jump up nervously, quickly throw on your cloak and hurry towards the courtyard. Now you can hear it very clearly. It's the sound of that swarm of terrifying bats from the Bloodcave.
And as you reach the courtyard, you are certain. The silhouettes of the creatures are clearly visible in the moonlight as they approach the guild headquarters. The courtyard is already in chaos. People are running, shouting at each other and someone is raising the alarm. "They must have followed the trail of blood from those two dolts all the way here." you hear one of the armed men dressed in black and white say as the swarm descends bloodthirstily into the courtyard and all hell breaks loose.
Encounter phase - Fight
If you encounter a creature in phase five, you must fight it. This phase lasts until you have defeated or driven away the creature.
Each creature has a so called shadow might, which represents the creature's resistance. To defeat a creature, you must match or exceed that shadow might with your own might.
You can end a fight voluntarily at any time, e.g. because you can no longer reach the shadow might. In this case, you take damage from the creature, but you have driven it away.
Take any black die and place it on any upper die area in the might box at the top left of your character's sheet with the value of 1 facing up. Now take any white die and place it with a value of 4 facing up on any die area in the focus box on your character sheet.
Fight (1)
Your own might, which must match or exceed your opponent's shadow might, is represented by black dice, which are placed on your character sheet in the might box. These begin each fight with a value of 1.
You increase your might by placing white dice from your focus box into one of three ability rhombs - Strength, Agility, and Mind - and then moving them through the flow chart along solid lines from one rhombus to another.
In doing so, you sometimes cross red circles, which trigger a reaction from your opponent, or green circles, which complete an action.
As soon as you move your die to a rhomb, the action in the rhomb is triggered.
Fight (2)
During a fight you always have four possible actions:
- End the fight. You have driven the creature away and the fight ends immediately. The consequences of the fight follow immediately (see Fight - Consequences).
- Use equipment. Cross out a piece of equipment and execute its effect immediately (see Equipment).
- Focus. Place a white die from your focus box on one of the double-framed ability rhombs without changing its value.
- Move a die. Move a white die from one rhombus along the arrows on a solid line to the next empty rhombus and trigger its action.
You are in the middle of the fight. All around you, women and men are beating fluttering abominations, which in turn sink their claws and teeth into their victims. Suddenly, in the midst of the chaos, the old quartermaster stands before you, breathing heavily with exertion. "Come on girl, I know you can do it. Just follow my lead." And with these words, he lunges at the nearest bat and delivers a blow with a strength that you would not have believed him to be capable of.
Fight (3) - Focus
If there is at least one white die in the focus box on your character sheet, you may place it on one of the three ability rhombs.
An ability rhombus always has a double frame and the name of the ability written inside it - Strength, Agility and Mind.
Beware, that the ability rhombus must be empty and you do not change the value of the die.
In a fight, you decide to focus as an action. So you take the white 4 and place it without changing its value on the "Strength" ability, for example.
Fight (4) - Move a die (1)
Move a white die from a rhombus along the solid (not dashed) lines and arrows until you reach the next rhombus and then activate it.
To do this, you must first pay the cost of leaving the rhombus. These are always noted in the box at the exit of the rhombus in which your die is currently located. It can happen that this box is empty, in which case you don't have to pay anything. In some cases you lose one of your resources.
- If the box is white with a black number in it, you must reduce the value of the white die you are moving by the number in the box.
- If the box is black with a white number in it, you must reduce the value of any black die in your might box by that number.
If you move the white 4 to the left, you would have to reduce its value to 3. If you move it to the right, its value would remain the same, but you would lose one energy.
Fight (5) - Dice values
Whenever in a fight the value of a white die or a black die drops below 1, remove the die from the fight immediately. This may prevent you from reaching the opponent's full shadow might with your might.
Whenever the value of a white die or a black die rises above 6, the value only rises to 6.
Fight (6) - Move a die (2)
If you have left the rhombus while moving the die, move the die further along the line. If you reach a red circle, the creature reacts.
There are three possible reactions: fierce attack, counterattack and defense. Check your current opponent to see how the creature reacts. Look at the symbol that your white die just crossed and apply the reaction immediately.
Again, you may lose resources or have dice reduced. If you need to reduce a white die, reduce the die that is currently moving. If you need to reduce a black die, reduce any black die.
If you reach a green circle, you can refocus: place the white die that entered the green circle back into any free dice area in your focus box with a value of 2.
If you move the white die to the left, you trigger the fierce attack of your opponent. The vampire bats, for example, will suck your blood. So you lose one health immediately and continue moving the die after that.
Fight (7) - Move a die (3)
When your white die reaches a new rhombus, the following can happen: if it is a small empty rhombus or a small rhombus with a question mark, the die movement ends immediately. Leave the white die unchanged in this rhombus. You can now perform one of the four combat actions again, e.g. move this die or another one. These rhombs only represent an intermediate step. Empty rhombs always have only one exit, rhombs with question marks always have several exits.
However, if you reach a large rhombus with symbols, first execute the symbols in the rhombus. Then place the die on the rhombus. Your die movement is finished too and you can carry out further combat actions.
After you have focused and placed the white 4 from your focus on "Strength", you move it to the right. By doing this, you first lose one energy to leave the rhombus. Then you move the die along the line and enter a rhombus with a question mark. The movement of the die is completed.
The outlines of two more bats suddenly appear behind the old man, who is engaged in a fight with one of these blood-sucking creatures. You realise that they will attack him from behind at any moment, if you do nothing. You take another deep breath and remember the old man's movements. Then you gather all your courage and with a scream attack the two monsters.
Fight (8) - Symbols (1)
If you move a white die into a rhombus with symbols, you have to execute them. The symbols are always a combination of two or three instructions. The combination of these instructions determines the action of the symbol.
You will find these instructions at the top left of your character sheet. You can find an explanation of all the symbols on page 29 (see "Fight symbols"). [Transcriber note: the printed text says "page 29", but the "Fight symbols" overview is printed on page 28 and the keyword index also gives page 28.] In this learning game you will initially only be able to reach three symbols, which are explained in more detail here:
- Symbol "black die +1". Instructions: any black die and increase the value of the die by 1. Action: increase the value of any black die by 1.
- Symbol "roll with white die". Instructions: roll the indicated die and the white die in that space. Action: roll the white die in this space (and put it back in this rhombus with the new value).
- Symbol "black die + white die". Instructions: any black die and increase the value of the die and the white die in that space. Action: increase the value of any black die by the value that the white die in this rhombus currently has.
Defeat this part of the swarm of vampire bats depicted below by increasing your own might die to 3 at least, so you reach or exceed the shadow might of the swarm. Use only Strength and think carefully about which of the two paths in Strength you want to move your die.
(Enemy card: "Swarm", shadow might 3+; consequence symbol: suck blood, with the cross-out symbol.)
Another bat you have killed falls to the ground in front of you. But the old quartermaster is also lying there, injured and at the end of his strength, while fighting continues all around you. "Keep going!" he gasps and points in the direction of one of the armed men who is currently fighting four creatures at once. His fighting style is completely different from the old man's. His movements are smooth and you instinctively try to imitate them as you charge into the fray.
Keep the black die in the might box with its current value, as well as the white die in the flow chart also with its current value. Take another black die and place it with a value of 1 on any empty die area in your might box. And also take another white die and place it with a value of 4 on any free die area in the focus box on your character sheet.
Fight (9)
The shadow might of the creature that you have to reach or exceed with your might in order to defeat it usually consists of three values. Your own might consists of three dice. To reach or exceed the shadow might, it doesn't matter in which position or in which order your might dice are placed.
They can be in the top or bottom row and they can be in any order as long as exactly one die corresponds to each required shadow might value.
If you fulfil the shadow might at any time during the fight, the fight ends immediately and you can continue with the consequences of the fight (see consequences).
Your enemy in this example needs a 6, at least a 5 and at least a 4. Your might dice of 6, 5 and 5 are enough to exceed the shadow might - no matter how they are placed. You would have defeated this enemy immediately.
Fight (10) - Unleash
Some symbols in rhombs require you to unleash a might die. If you need to do this, move the die to the bottom line under the line in your might box.
Some symbols state that you may only change unleashed or not unleashed dice. In this case, you may only change black dice below or above the line.
For reaching the shadow might it has no impact whether a black die is unleashed or not.
Fight (11) - Symbols (2)
In the next step of this learning game you will encounter two new symbols. These are explained in more detail here:
- Symbol "roll with down arrow" (unleash). Roll any black die. Then put it back in its spot in the might box and move it to unleashed if necessary.
- Symbol "black die +1, unleashed". Increase the value of any unleashed black die by 1. The die to be changed must therefore be placed below the line and remains there.
Defeat this part of the swarm as well by matching your black dice to the swarm's shadow might shown below. Remember, that the order and position of your might dice doesn't matter, as long as you reach the enemy's values. Use only agility to do this. You can voluntarily end this task at any time and continue with the next one.
(Enemy card: "Swarm", shadow might 4+ and 3+; consequences: "Suck blood", "Pointed claws" (-1), "Swarm".)
Nothing but pointed, blood-smeared teeth, sharp claws and fluttering wings around you. But the swarm is slowly thinning out in numbers. The threat is still there, but you and your companions find renewed courage. And so you charge into the fight once more with all your might.
Keep the black dice in the might box with their current values, as well as the white dice in the flow chart. Take the last black die and place it with a value of 1 on any free die space in your might box. Also take the last white die and place it with a value of 4 on any free die space in the focus box on your character sheet.
Fight (12) - Move a die (4)
If you want to move a white die, make sure that its path is clear. If there is already another white die in the rhombus where you want to move it, you cannot move the white die there. You have to clear the rhombus first by moving the blocking die.
Defeat or drive away the swarm completely. You are now free to decide how you want to achieve this. Note that you can move any white die. If you reach or exceed the shadow might with your might, the vampire bats are defeated. If you end the fight voluntarily, e.g. because you can no longer reach the values, they are driven away.
Slowly, the sounds of fighting fade and are replaced by the moans of the wounded. You have managed to repel the raging swarm, but the price was high. While you sit exhausted among the carcasses of slain bats, you see Master Thomax walking across the courtyard, organising the treatment of the wounded and encouraging everyone. When he reaches you, he nods to you. "I knew you had potential, but you've really surpassed yourself today. Get your wounds looked after, we need someone like you."
Fight (13) - Consequences
After every fight, regardless if you have defeated or driven away the creature, consequences happen. Consequences always follow this order (see also encounter sheet): suffer damage, get experience and get loot.
When you have finished the consequences, the fight is over, the encounter phase ends and a new turn starts.
Damage
For each of your opponent's three shadow might values that you have not reached, you take damage. Look at the black die symbol on the opponent's stats. For each unmet might die, you lose the resources indicated there.
If you have reached all of your opponent's shadow might, i.e. defeated him, you suffer no damage.
If you had not reached two shadow might values with your might dice here, you would lose four health and two food.
Check if you suffer damage because you only drove the swarm away.
While your arm is being treated and bandaged, you calm down more and more and exhaustion slowly overwhelms you. You slowly begin to realise what you have achieved today. An unfamiliar and warm feeling of pride fills you. Sure, there was some luck involved, but today you have learnt so many new things and proved what you are capable of doing.
Experience
You receive experience points after every fight, regardless if you have defeated or driven away the opponent. Check how many experience symbols are displayed on the current opponent's stats. You get that much experience (see Experience Points (1)).
If you had defeated this enemy, you would receive three experience points and could mark them on your supply sheet.
Experience points (2)
Whenever you mark experience points and cross out one of these red diamonds, you have gained enough experience to unlock a new ability. You may then immediately trace a dotted line on your character sheet. You will find dotted lines in your flow chart as well as in your focus box.
If you trace a dotted line on your flow chart, you may use it in a fight from now on and move your dice along it.
If you trace one of the dotted lines in the focus box, one of the white focus dice does not start with the value 4, but with the value 5.
Gain the 2 experience for the swarm and unlock an ability. For your first game, we recommend either unlocking one of the 5s in the focus box or an upgrade of a known ability. On the next page you will find an explanation of all the combat symbols, in case you would rather unlock a new path.
Fight symbols
Here are all symbols in rhombs on your character sheet explained:
- Black die +1 (indicated value 1 or 2): increase the value of any black die by the indicated value (1 or 2).
- Roll symbol: roll the white die in this rhombus and put it back with the new value.
- White die +1: increase the value of the white die in this rhombus by 1.
- Black die + white die: increase the value of any black die by the value that the white die in this rhombus currently has.
- Roll black die and unleash: roll any black die. Then put it back in its spot in the might box and move it to unleashed if necessary.
- Unleashed black die +1: increase the value of any unleashed black die by 1.
- Non-unleashed black die +1: increase the value of any non-unleashed black die by 1.
- White die +1 (any white die): increase the value of any white die by 1.
- Unleash: unleash any black die without changing its value.
- All unleashed black dice +1: increase the value of all unleashed black dice by 1.
During your treatment you saw the dead bodies being cleared away around you. You shudder as you see how the humans are also being stripped of what is still usable. One of the healers approaches you and gives you a vial. "Take this. Fresh bat blood. Not very appetising for sure, but in small doses it can heal even the worst wounds."
Loot (1)
You also receive loot after every fight, regardless of whether you have defeated or driven away the opponent. You will find a number of bags and sometimes also healing potions in the upper right corner of your opponent stats. You immediately receive as many healing potions as indicated there. In addition, you get as many items as there are bags shown. However, you receive one item less for each unmet shadow might value of the opponent.
You get one healing potion and two items from this enemy. If you had driven him away and failed to reach a shadow might value, you would get one healing potion and one piece of loot.
Loot (2)
To determine your loot, take the dice indicated under the pouches and healing potions and roll them. If you roll a number twice in one colour, roll them again until you have rolled each number in each colour only once.
Now place these dice in the corresponding dice boxes in your loot table on your encounter sheet.
Now you may choose as much equipment (see Equipment) and resources from the resulting intersections as you get loot. However, you may only choose each intersection once.
After you have received the healing potion, you now roll three white and one black dice and place them on your loot table. This results in three intersections: the orange vial, the coin and the food. You can now choose two of these three things, because there are two bags.
Equipment
There are three types of equipment: potions, scrolls and wands. Depending on the scenario, you can get each type of equipment as loot, trade it in a city (see city encounter (2)) or as a reward for tasks or events.
If you receive equipment, you mark it in the same way as your resources, but in your equipment box in the top right corner of your character sheet.
The following also applies here: if you have already marked all the dotted boxes of an equipment, you cannot get any more of this type (e.g. you can get a maximum of three potions of one type in the course of a game).
Use equipment
You can use your equipment at any time during a fight. Cross out the corresponding equipment, if you have it, and apply its effect immediately. Some equipment can be activated during other combat actions. Then cross it out also and use its effect.
You can find an overview of the effects of all equipment on the next page.
At the beginning of the game you do not have any equipment, so you cannot use any. If, for example, you would receive this potion as loot in a fight, you mark it with a solid line. In your next fight you can cross it out and so increase a white die by 1.
Get the loot for the swarm.
Equipment - Effects
If you see the potion symbol or the scroll symbol anywhere, you may choose any one of them.
Potions
- Potion (purple, green circle) +2: increase the value of a white die that you have just moved into a green circle and returned to the focus box by 2.
- Potion (beetle, white die) +1: increase the value of any white die by 1.
- Potion (blue flask, unleashed black die) +1: increase the value of any unleashed black die by 1.
- Potion (orange flask, non-unleashed black die) +2: increase the value of any non-unleashed black die by 2.
Scrolls
- Scroll "skip: boot": you do not have to pay the energy costs for leaving a rhombus when moving a die.
- Scroll "to focus": place any white die on a free die area in your focus box without changing its value.
- Scroll "swap 2": swap any two white dice anywhere in your flow chart without changing their values.
- Scroll "reroll": if you have just rolled a white or black die, roll it again. Your second roll counts.
Wands
- Wand "skip: reaction": if you have just moved a die over an opponent's reaction, ignore it.
- Wand (black die) +5: increase the value of any black die by 5.
- Wand (green circle) +1: this wand is not listed under equipment, but in the focus box. If you receive it, mark its box, it is permanent and does not need to be crossed out. From now on: increase the value of a white die you just moved into a green circle and put back into the focus box by 1.
You have completed your first fight and know all the game components. Now arrange the four sheets in the best order for you and start a new turn.
Encounter phase (2)
If, in the encounter phase, you are in a space with a golden frame, a fight takes place with the creature shown in the space. Then place your three black dice with the value 1 on the dice areas in the might box and the three white dice with a value of 4 (or single dice with a value of 5, if you have unlocked the corresponding ability) in the focus box.
Your opponent's shadow might values, reactions and consequences can be found on your encounter sheet. The fight lasts until you have either defeated the creature or driven it away. Then you carry out the consequences.
After a fight, you now also cross out the fought creature on the map and on your encounter sheet. There are no more creatures in this space and you can enter it normally. After you crossed out the creature, the encounter phase ends.
Four days have now passed since the attack by the raging bats and Master Thomax has finally sent for you. You find him in a room full of books. Letters and parchments are scattered everywhere and the guild master looks very worried. "Mara, come in. Sorry about the mess, there's a lot to do." He looks at you appraisingly before continuing: "You've now seen for yourself what the frenzy of the animals can do. And I'm afraid it's already too late to do anything about the cause of this evil. Reports of attacks by wild beasts are reaching me from everywhere. The people are afraid and they are relying on us. You have proven that you have extraordinary talents and so I have decided that you too should go on the hunt for these beasts. Many guild members will be sent out and you are one of them. We must hunt down as many of these raging creatures as possible before they cause any more victims."
Scenario goal
In each game you play a specific scenario. In this learning game you play the main scenario. In each scenario there is a goal that you have to achieve.
In the campaign it is not necessary to reach the goal to win or to continue playing (but it is usually good to do so, otherwise there are consequences). The campaign is more about experiencing the story.
If you play a single scenario or the free game, you have to reach the goal in order to win.
You can always find the goal of the current scenario on your supply sheet in the events section in the line "Goal".
Scenario goal - Main scenario
In this scenario, your goal is to defeat or drive away creatures possessed by the Shadow before this possession spreads further, and return to Barrenfield to report back.
To do this, you must have fought creatures with a combined strength of 11 experience points. As a special rule in this scenario, after each fight cross out as many of the circle symbols on your goal as the creature has given you experience.
The two transparent experience symbols are required for the campaign. If you play this scenario as a free game, you do not need them. However, they are also used in this learning game (see below).
For your fight against the swarm of vampire bats, cross out the two transparent experience symbols in the goal row on your supply sheet.
Just as you are about to leave the guild headquarters in order to take up your task, Master Thomax stands before you once again. "I know that I have assigned you to a tough task. But we need you. Be careful, don't fight the toughest beasts immediately and learn first. Here, take this letter. Only open it when you have been successful in your first hunt and feel ready for further challenges." With these words, he hands you a sealed envelope, nods to you once more and then turns away unexpectedly.
Fight another creature. Play your turn normally, move to the creature's location and then fight it according to the normal rules. Then, according to the special rules in this scenario, also cross out the experience in the scenario goal.
Today you have defeated your first raging creature. It was a tough fight and you can still feel it in every part of your body as you sit by a small campfire and proudly think about it. You did this all by yourself. If the inhabitants of your old village could see you now, they wouldn't believe it. With the feeling that you can achieve anything, you open the letter from Master Thomax. In it, he writes of worrying and alarming reports about how strong some of the raging animals have supposedly become. He sees only one way to defeat the most ferocious of the creatures: Wands. With these powerful artefacts, even these beasts could be defeated. However, obtaining them will not be easy. He knows that the hermit in the Raven Tower watches over a wand. In Woodstead there is an old, sick druidess who can even make such wands herself. And in Stormhurst, another one was stolen years ago. Since then, stories have been circulating that it has been seen in the possession of shady characters. Even if it won't be easy, perhaps you should try to get one of these wands.
City encounters (3) - Tasks
As you already know, a city encounter can occur on a silver-framed space in the encounter phase. Check whether the city you are currently in is listed on your encounter sheet. If this is the case, you can carry out all the city encounters listed there.
Besides the trade actions, you can also fulfil tasks in cities. You can always recognise tasks by a golden letter in a blue circle.
You can only fulfil tasks that are indicated in the city you are currently in and whose letter is not crossed out in the line under the city encounters. This line with letters in boxes is called the task bar.
If you are in Stormhurst during the encounter phase, you can exchange any money for scrolls and fulfil task B "The beggars". If you are in Woodstead, you can exchange money and food, but you cannot fulfil task D "The cure" because its letter is already crossed out in the task bar.
Fulfil tasks
If a task in the task bar is not crossed out, you fulfil it by simply following its instructions. Then cross out its letter in the task bar. This task is considered completed and cannot be fulfilled again.
The instructions can simply consist of a combination of resources that you receive or lose, or they can be linked to a condition. Conditions are always placed before a colon. They can be of different kinds, e.g. you have to lose certain resources, other tasks have to be fulfilled or things have to be deleted somewhere else. If you fulfil the condition, you will receive the reward behind the colon and have completed that task (so cross it out in the task bar).
A detailed description of each task for each scenario can also be found in the corresponding scenario description in the campaign book.
Task F, for example, has no condition. If you fulfil it, you have a drink or two in the tavern, you get one determination, but lose two coins.
Task G has a condition: task F must be crossed out. So you must have fulfilled task F before. If this is the case, you may cross out one of the special scenario goal symbols, receive a magic wand and have fulfilled this task.
In task D, the condition is that you lose two healing potions (not life points!). If you cross out two healing potions, you will receive two wands and have fulfilled the task.
Fight another creature OR fulfil a task, from which you get a wand.
Score and achievements
Another challenge that you have overcome once you have faced it. It was tough, but once again you did it all on your own. Proud and satisfied you think of all that you have already achieved and what may still lie ahead.
If you play the main scenario (i.e. the scenario that you are currently playing) as a free game or as the end of the campaign, you can, if you wish, calculate your score at the end of the game to see how well you have performed. You enter your score on your supply sheet in the achievements box. Use the line at the bottom. Your total score is made up of:
- Remaining health plus healing potions and determination: each resource of this gives you one point. Enter the sum in the first field.
- Creature experience: look at your encounter sheet to see which creatures you have defeated. Each defeated creature earns you points worth its experience. Enter the sum in the second field.
Achievements are special accomplishments that you can achieve and that earn you extra points. You can see the six possible achievements above the score line. Check each one to see if you fulfil the requirements to achieve it and, if you wish, mark the boxes to assist you. Each achievement earns you as many points as indicated in brackets in its title. Add up the total sum of all the achievements and enter the result in the last box of the score line.
Now you can add up your scores by adding the three values together. Any score above 20 is good and above 25 you are a true heroine.
For the left achievement, for example, you must have three coins left at the end of the game. For the one on the right, you must have defeated the spider, the scorpion and the wasp. Both score three points each. (Achievement shown on the left: "A fistful of silver (3)" - "You must have at least 3 coins left at the end of the game." Achievement shown on the right: "Venomous vermin (3)" - "You must have vanquished all these creatures: spider, scorpion, wasp.")
You look out over the countryside from the hill you are standing on. You have already defeated some of the raging animals and made this area a little safer. You have already experienced and learned a lot. You don't have a lot in common any more with the ordinary peasant girl who sneaked out of her village to see the world and experience adventure. And yet you know that there is still a long way to go before peace and security finally are restored again.
You now know all the rules you need to play the free game. If you are unsure about a rule, look at your game sheets and the turn overview card. Everything is summarised there. Or look up the rule in question using the keyword index at the end of this rulebook.
If you want, you can now continue to play this game according to the normal rules and see if Mara succeeds in banishing enough possessed creatures and how well she performs. You can also end this game here and start a free game or start with the first scenario of the campaign.
2. The free game
You can play Between Light & Shadow as a campaign with the different scenarios or as a free game. In the free game you play the main scenario printed on the sheets and try to win it and, if you want, score as many points as possible.
Material: Take all four game sheets and remove all markings on them. Take the character Mara, as well as all six dice and the pen. The rest of the material is not needed.
Start: Place your character in Hillwick. You start with the preprinted resources. The three transparent energy symbols of the energy bar on your map sheet are not used, cross them out. The two transparent special symbols of the scenario goal on your supply sheet are not used, cross them out.
Special rules: None. Decide whether you want to play with random or fixed events.
Mara's tale in the free game
Desperate as they were, the guilds recruited anyone who wanted to join them, regardless of whether the person was suitable or not. So thinned were their ranks after the great shadow plague not long ago, so busy were they still rebuilding Stormhurst after the devastating eruption of the volcano, so dire was the situation. Thus they had also come to your small village in the mountains, beating their drums on the market square and giving their speeches that it was time to join them and that every man and woman was needed to stop the sinister creatures that had been appearing all over the land lately. You too had seen such an animal from afar: lurking, with completely black eyes and a desire for blood in every step. The recruiters had not had much success. No wonder, not only was the prospect of facing such creatures anything but tempting, but also every hand was needed in the village. Life in the mountains was not easy anyway, and since a few months ago the fruits of the fields had been corrupted, it had become even harder. But that was precisely what had kept you going for the last few days. Ever since you saw this shadowy creature in the distance, you wondered if all the work, all the effort was really worth it when something like this roamed the lands, when no one put a stop to such horrors, when more and more sinister evils appeared. It was not easy to make the final decision, but finally you felt it was right: you would leave the village, you would do your part in fighting these creatures, and then you would report back to the guilds. And so you sneaked away, at dawn, at a time between light and shadow...
3. The campaign
In the campaign you experience the events that led to Mara's adventure from different perspectives. You play different scenarios one after the other. Each of these scenarios will change the world and with it the game sheets. At the end of the campaign, you play Mara's story again, but now in the changed world and with the campaign's outcome.
Scenarios
Scenarios are represented by cards in Between Light & Shadow. These cards are placed on certain areas of your game sheets and replace the printed information during the scenario. A scenario usually consists of multiple cards.
On the front of these scenario cards you will find the new game information: new city encounters, new events, new opponents or new combat rules. There you will also always find the current scenario goal that you have to fulfil.
On the back you will find a symbol with an "S" followed by a number (e.g. "S1"). This is the scenario number. All cards with the same number and symbol belong to one scenario.
On the back of the card you can also find the story behind the scenario, as well as the starting values, special rules and the goal of the scenario.
In addition, the consequences of your decisions are listed here for each scenario (see Consequences). You can always find them behind this symbol (the consequence symbol).
These are the two cards for scenario S2, as you can identify by the same symbol at the top left corner. On the left card you see the starting values at the top, followed by the goal of this scenario. Below that are the special rules.
On the second card of this scenario, you first learn the story of the scenario. At the bottom of the card you will see the five possible consequences, each marked with a consequence symbol.
3.1 Campaign sequence
Before starting a new campaign, make sure that all markings on all game sheets are removed.
During a campaign, always go through the following steps:
- Scenario preparation
- Playing the scenario
- Consequences and clean-up
Once you have completed these steps, start again from the beginning until you have finished the campaign.
Remember that you can interrupt the game at any time and continue playing later, both between scenarios and while you are playing.
If you interrupt after a scenario, write the scenario number of the scenario you just played on any sheet and then put the game away.
If you interrupt while playing, mark your character's position on the map and write down the scenario assignment before putting the game away.
This way you can easily resume the game where you left off by erasing the marks you just made.
Scenario preparation
First you determine which scenario you will play next. Generally, you always play the scenario with the next number: so first S1, then S2, then S3 and finally S4, which has no cards but uses the normal game sheets.
Then take all the cards with the scenario number that corresponds to the scenario you will play next. Scenarios S3-A and S3-B are special scenarios. If you are playing S3, do not take them yet.
In general, you can use the back of the card or the detailed description of the scenario in the campaign book.
Now take the character of the scenario and place it on the location indicated at "Start". Match your resources to the starting resources indicated.
If the scenario uses "normal" energy, cross out the three transparent boot symbols at the beginning of your energy bar.
Each scenario has additional starting instructions. Execute these now. Here you also apply any benefit or disadvantage from the previous scenario.
Now read the scenario goal and the special rules.
Finally, place the scenario cards on your game sheets: city encounters on your encounter sheet, goal and events on your supply sheet. Place each card in such a way that it will cover the information printed on the sheets, but that the event numbers and task bar are still visible (see example).
If you start a new campaign, for example, after you have removed all the markings from the game sheets, you begin by playing the first scenario, i.e. S1. Now take out the two scenario cards with the scenario number S1. Since you are playing the druid in this scenario, you also take his character standee and place it to Woodstead as indicated under "Start".
At the beginning you have six health points, six food and one coin at your disposal. You must mark this on your supply sheet now. In addition, the scenario uses normal energy, so you also cross out the first three transparent symbols of the energy bar on your map sheet as you can see here.
The additional starting instruction lets you place the white dice on one of the cards. After reading the scenario goal and the special rules, place the card with the new city encounters on your encounter sheet in the city encounters area. Place the three white dice with the values 4, 4 and 5 on the card according to the starting instructions.
Finally, place the card with the scenario goal and the events on your supply sheet in the events area. Make sure that the event numbers and task bar are still visible and that you can cross something out there. The first scenario of the campaign can now begin.
Playing the scenario
After the scenario preparations, you play the scenario according to the normal rules and the scenario-specific special rules. Special rules always replace the normal rules.
If you are not sure about a special rule, look up the special rule in the scenario description in the campaign book. They are explained there in detail.
Also note the special scenario goal. It is not necessary in the campaign to reach the goal in order to win. The campaign continues in any case. However, there will be consequences if you do not reach the goal.
This special rule specifies, for example, that no combat takes place in golden-framed creature fields. This rule has priority over the normal rules. So if you enter such a field while playing this scenario, no creature encounter and no fight takes place.
Consequences
When you have finished a scenario, either because you have reached the goal or because you have lost the game, consequences always follow immediately.
Check all the rows or boxes with the consequence symbol on the scenario cards or in the scenario description. There you will find instructions or conditions. Carry out instructions immediately.
You can recognise conditions by the "if" at the beginning of the row. Then check the condition on your game sheets. If you fulfil it, execute the instruction directly after the colon.
You will often find the consequence symbol on the city encounters, events and opponents on the scenario cards. This serves as an aid. Every task and every event that has consequences at the end of the scenario is marked with the consequence symbol.
If you want a more strategic game, you can look at the possible consequences already during the game. If you prefer to play the story, you can skip this and allow yourself to be surprised by the consequences at the end of a scenario.
This consequence, for example, is a condition. You would now check on your encounter sheet if task E is crossed out in the task bar. If this is the case, you have fulfilled the task, so no consequence happens. If, however, it is not crossed out, you would carry out the instruction, which is to delete task H in the task bar (see below).
Delete and cross out
In the consequences you will often find the instruction to delete something. It is important to distinguish between deleting and crossing out.
So far you have only crossed things out. Crossed out things are no longer available for the rest of the scenario. Deleted things, on the other hand, are no longer available for the rest of the campaign.
To delete something, fill in the corresponding box, circle or field completely with your pen. This is now considered to be deleted. Deleted events cannot be activated, deleted tasks cannot be completed and deleted resources and equipment cannot be obtained.
To stay with the above example of consequences: in this case you have completed task G, it is crossed out. Task E, however, is not crossed out. The consequence (see above) now tells you to delete task H. So you completely fill in task box H. For the rest of the campaign you will not be able to do any task with this letter. Notice in this example the different markings for delete and cross out. In this example you can also see that task E already has the consequence symbol, which indicates that this task has a consequence at the end of the scenario.
Benefits and disadvantages
In some scenarios you get a benefit or a disadvantage as a consequence. This always applies to the next scenario. What exactly the benefit or disadvantage does is always stated in the starting instructions for the following scenario. If you interrupt your game after a scenario, note that you receive a benefit or disadvantage.
Here, for example, you get a benefit in the third scenario when you have reached the scenario goal. Keep this in mind when preparing S3.
Clean-up
Once you have marked all the consequences of a scenario and followed the instructions, you still have to clean up the game sheets so that they are ready for the next scenario. Remove the character and all scenario cards from all sheets. Since another character will continue the story in the next scenario, you must remove all markings from the game sheets. The only exceptions are the deleted boxes and circles.
So everything you crossed out, as well as the resources you received and abilities you unlocked, will now be cleared from all play sheets, but none of the deletions will be.
After you have deleted task H in our example, you first remove the card from the encounter sheet when cleaning up the game. Then you remove the crossing out of task G. This is still available to the next characters. Task H, however, has been deleted. Its box remains marked for the rest of the campaign. In the course of the campaign, no other character can complete a task with the letter H. Task G, however, can still be fulfilled later by another character.
These are all the rules you need to play the campaign. If you wish, start directly with the scenario preparations for scenario S1 in the campaign book or use the scenario cards.
4. Hints
Components: If you have missed the note about the game material, please refer to the notes about the game sheets on page one of these rules. However, if any of your game components are damaged or missing, please send us an email to [email protected]. We will try to provide you with a replacement as soon as possible.
Rules: Between Light & Shadow is a complex game. But there is no "wrong" way to play. An incorrect interpretation of the rules has no significant effect on your playing experience. If you forget to cross something out or make a die work differently than we planned, it's not a problem. Just experience the story and have fun shaping the world through your own decisions and plans.
Videos: On boardgame-racoon.de/blsvideo we collect videos about Between Light & Shadow. There you will not only find an example of how to clean the game sheets, but also explanations of the rules. (Transcriber note: the printed text reads "zlsvideo" on this page; the URL is given as "blsvideo" on page 1 and is corrected here.)
Tips: Here are a few words of advice that proved valuable when playtesting the game:
- Use the campaign book for backstory and descriptions of tasks, events and consequences for a more immersive game.
- Keep your goal in mind in every scenario. Think about what you need to achieve and think about how you can achieve it.
- After the movement roll, place your dice in the most energy-efficient way possible. Energy and food are two important resources.
- Dangerous locations are a way to gain experience points without fighting. Do not underestimate them and seek out these fields to gain new abilities.
- Think carefully about what equipment you buy, what you want to receive in tasks and what you choose as loot. Equipment is a good way to get through even the most difficult fights.
- The game experience is different depending on whether you play with fixed or random events. Choose the variant that is more fun for you.
- In the campaign, pay attention to the consequences for the progress of the story. Negative consequences will happen, but it's up to you which ones.
- Enjoy the game. Play the game the way you enjoy it. It doesn't matter whether you think about every move for hours or decide on the fly. And if you don't follow a rule exactly, just keep playing. It's your game.
5. Keywords
Here you will find the most important rules as keywords for reference.
If you are looking for a special rule: they are explained in more detail in the scenario description in the campaign book.
If you are looking for an explanation of a task or an event, you will also find it in the scenario description of the corresponding scenario in the campaign book.
An overview of the symbols in the fight flow chart can be found on page 28. An overview of the symbols and effects of equipment can be found on page 31.
- Achievements: 36
- Benefit: 44
- Campaign: 39-44 (sequence 40)
- City encounter: 14 (tasks 34)
- Creature encounter: 32
- Crossing out: 8, 9, 43
- Dangerous locations: 16
- Delete: 43
- Disadvantage: 44
- Encounter phase: 14 (fight 18; city 14, 34)
- End of movement: 9
- Energy: 7
- Equipment: 30 (effects 31; use 30)
- Event: 11-13 (activate 11; condition 13)
- Experience: 16, 27
- Fight: 18-29 (actions 19; consequences 26-29; damage 27; symbols 28)
- Free game: 38
- Healing potions: 9
- Loot: 29
- Movement: 4-10
- Movement roll: 4
- Scenarios: 39 (clean up 44; consequences 42; play 42; preparation 40)
- Scenario goal: 33
- Score: 36
- Supplies: 8-9 (get and lose 8; order 9)
- Tasks: 34
- Trade: 15
- Turn order: 3, 9, 14