Chronicles of Avel
Chronicles of Avel Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Don't forget! "Chronicles of Avel" is a cooperative game where the players don't play against each other but together they try to win against the game. Better equipment for other players shouldn't be a reason for jealousy, but make you happy! Help each other, give advice, create plans, and support each other during battles. The fate of the kingdom depends on your team's spirit!
Components
If you forget what any of the components do during the game, you'll quickly remember by looking at these pages!
- 15 board tiles, including 4 starting tiles – represent the places surrounding Avel Castle.
- Moon track – shows the number of rounds left until the Black Moon rises.
- Astrolabe marker – is used to record movement on the moon track.
- 3 wall markers – delay the monsters from entering the castle.
- Avel coat of arms – marks the first player.
- 27 coin tokens – the coins contain moon magic. They are used to buy the most valuable objects and services.
- 3 moon seal tokens – are used to cover the lairs from where small and big monsters enter play.
- 3 trap tokens – may hurt the Beast on its way to the castle.
- 4 character boards – consisting of a top and bottom.
- Booklet with character drawings – includes cards of your characters! You can color them as you wish.
- 8 heroic dice (2 green, 2 blue, 2 orange, 2 yellow) – are rolled to attack the monsters.
- 4 character pawns – are used to mark your position on the board.
- The Beast toughness dial (requires assembly before the first game) – is used to mark the current toughness level of the Beast.
- 3 crater tokens – are used to mark the spot where the Beast will start in the second part of the game.
- 25 equipment tokens – the equipment you find during your adventures goes on your character picture or in your backpack. Weapon, shield, and helmet tokens have 2 sides – basic and upgraded. Elixirs don't have 2 sides, they cannot be upgraded.
- 31 monster tokens (24 small tokens: 8 in each of the 3 colors, 6 big tokens: 2 in each of the 3 colors, 1 Beast figure) – monsters are the servants of the darkness who want to destroy Avel!
- Almanac – contains the history and bestiary of Avel.
- Double-sided constellation map – will help you name your characters.
- Player aid – contains a summary of all of the most important rules.
- 5 monster dice (2 black, 3 purple) – are rolled when a monster attacks.
- 20 toughness markers – are used to mark your heroes' health.
- 10 damage markers – are placed on the monster tokens.
- 4 action tokens – are used in the solo game to mark used actions.
- 12 used equipment markers – are used to mark used equipment.
- Equipment bag – is used to draw new equipment you gain.
Setup
These pages describe how to setup the game before playing. Solo play has slightly different rules, which will be explained at the end of the rulebook.
The player aid sheet includes different board tile setup configurations. Those variants will make the game harder and provide new challenges! However, at the beginning it's better to play a few games using the setup presented on this page.
1. Place the moon track on the table. Now place the astrolabe marker on a spot marked with the symbol corresponding to the number of players (1-2 or 3-4).
2. Find the starting tiles. Place them face up as presented on the adjacent picture.
3. Find all tiles not marked with the player count symbol. Depending on the number of players, add tiles with proper symbol:
- (2+) Add this tile in a game with 2 or more players
- (3+) Add this tile in a 3- and 4-player game
- (4) Add this tile in a 4-player game.
Return the unused tiles back to the box. They will not be used in the game. Shuffle the chosen tiles and place them face down, to form the land that the players will discover (see the adjacent picture).
4. Together decide on the difficulty of the game and place the corresponding crater token on the designated spot. You may look at it during the game. (The three crater tokens are: Easy, Moderate, Difficult.) Place the remaining tokens back in the box.
5. Shuffle the small monster tokens and place them face down next to the board.
6. Take 3 tokens from the top of the small monster pile. Place them face up on the tiles with a lair symbol.
7. Shuffle the big monster tokens and place them face down next to the board.
8. Place the coins, trap tokens, wall markers, moon seal tokens, damage markers, and all of the dice in a spot within easy reach of all players.
9. Put the equipment tokens in the bag and mix well.
10. Put the Beast figure and its toughness dial to the side, you will need it after the rise of the Black Moon.
Player preparation
1. Prepare the following for each player: hero picture, player board, and character pawn in the color corresponding to the one chosen by the player, 5 toughness markers, 3 used equipment markers.
2. Take the bottom part of the player board and place the hero or heroine picture on top. You can decorate it in any way you want, create a coat of arms and name your character.
3. Place the top of the player board on top of your character so that your character can be seen through the holes as pictured.
4. Place the toughness tokens in the heart slots on the left.
5. Draw an equipment token from the bag and place it in the proper spot on the hero's picture. If it's an elixir, place it in the backpack. If the equipment token is a weapon, helmet, or a shield, place it basic side up (this equipment has not been upgraded yet).
6. Take 1 coin and place it in your backpack.
7. Place the 3 used equipment markers next to the player board.
8. Place the hero pawn on the castle tile.
9. Give the Avel coat of arms to the oldest player — that person is now the starting player. Before their turn (except for the first round) the player who is holding the Avel coat of arms moves the astrolabe marker one space forward (one space to the right) on the moon track.
If you don't have an idea for the name of your hero or heroine that will soon save Avel, rely on the constellation map. Place the chosen side of the map face up into the top lid of the game box and roll the black and green dice on top of the map. Read the name of your character according to the rolled symbols on the spots where the dice stopped.
Currently, your character is at their full health, so all of the toughness markers should be in their corresponding spots. During the game, whenever your hero loses points of life, you remove the toughness markers from your character board and place them next to the board. When you regain life, place the toughness markers back on the character board. If you lose your last point of life, you are stunned (see page 14).
Equipment
Each hero and heroine begins the adventure with 1 random equipment. How do you get more?
Well, the monsters like to steal and plunder. That is why, after you defeat some monsters, you might find something useful. After a successful battle, if indicated on the defeated monster token, draw an equipment token from the bag. Then place the loot basic side up in your backpack or on your character. The creatures of darkness don't take care of valuable things, so the retrieved weapons or armor is always in bad shape. However, there is still moon magic hidden inside that can be awoken and the equipment can be upgraded. Therefore, the golden rule of battling monsters is:
The threat is gone, your blow did land; into the bag, goes your hand!
Drawing equipment
In order to draw equipment, place your hand in the bag and... search, try to determine the shapes with your fingers, feel the edges of your dream item. However, you have only 5 seconds to draw a token so you have to act quick. Other players can count out loud or say a rhyme:
Let the monsters live in fear, of the magic I draw near!
Pancifer Darbulous the Third explains in his book "Monstrosity Described: The Knowledge of Monsters", that monsters, being magical creatures, crave the magic of the moons which is usually sealed in objects. When a person throws away something with even a hint of magic, a monster can sense it and abandons everything — even cooking a toadstool soup or playing a game of Floop — and runs to grab and hide the object. Or eats it. No one really knows exactly, because this particular page has a soup stain.
Placing the equipment token on the player board
After drawing an equipment token, decide if you want to put it in your backpack or immediately equip to your character. A weapon goes in the right hand, a shield in the left hand, a helmet on the head. Any other equipment goes in the backpack. The backpack has limited space and you have to think hard how to arrange the tokens to fit as many as possible. The tokens cannot be stacked. If any of the tokens would stick out of the backpack, you must discard the chosen tokens until the remaining tokens fit into the outline of the backpack.
Important! Each coin takes a separate spot in the backpack.
The discarded equipment is placed back in the bag and mixed, and the coins are returned to the supply. You may move the equipment in the backpack during the game, and exchange the equipped equipment with the one from the backpack.
Important! You cannot change your equipment during a battle.
Two sides of the tokens
Weapon, shield, and helmet tokens are double-sided. Each equipment token acquired during the game is placed with the basic side up. Certain situations during the game allow you to upgrade your equipment. You then flip the token to the upgraded side (indicated by the blue background).
Important! The elixirs cannot be upgraded, they have only a basic side.
Gameplay
Player turn
The game consists of rounds that are marked on the moon track with the astrolabe token. The number of rounds depends on the number of players.
Each round, the starting player is the player who holds the Avel coat of arms. This player is the first to take their turn. Then, all of the other players take their turns in clockwise order. When the last player finishes their turn, the round ends.
Complicated? Only at first glance! Gilead asked me to explain it more and you don't want to disobey her! During your adventure, you first must travel the land and discover its secrets, fight monsters, and find more and more powerful treasures. Don't forget to plan! Maybe you should set up some traps, build some walls? Decisions, decisions... thankfully it's up to you because I'm not the best at figuring things out.
Then, when a shard of the Black Moon hits Avel (when the astrolabe marker reaches the last spot on the moon track) and the crater is formed, the Beast emerges and begins its march toward the castle, and all of the monsters will march with it. You must neutralize the monsters before any of them enters the castle and destroys the Healing Jewel!
Two actions
On your turn you may perform 2 out of the following actions:
- movement,
- battle,
- tile action,
- rest.
You may perform the same action twice. Moreover, you may exchange your equipment with other players that share a tile with you (this is not an action, see p. 16 "Exchanging with other players").
Movement
Move your character pawn to a chosen adjacent tile. If the tile is face down, turn it face up and then move your piece — Avel is a mysterious place, you never know what is waiting for you! If there is a lair symbol on the revealed tile, draw a monster token from the corresponding stack (small or big monsters) and place it on the tile. In the rare case when the monster stack runs out, shuffle all the defeated monsters and create a new stack.
If you are on a tile with a monster, you don't have to perform an attack. You may choose to pass and move to the next tile. I remember that one time when I barely survived an encounter with a vampire and I stumbled into a dragon's lair! All that treasure was so tempting, yet I decided to quietly sneak past it, heal and only then return to the dragon... who was not there anymore. Someone else scared it off and took all of the treasure! But at least I was safe and sound.
Example
Warner the Chatty uses the movement action to move to an adjacent tile. He moves his character pawn to that tile and ends the movement action. This was his first action. He still has one more action to take this turn.
Warner decides to perform the movement action again. He chooses a face down tile, reveals it and places his character pawn on that tile.
The tile has a monster lair. Warner places a big monster token from the stack on the tile. The second action is finished, Warner ends his turn.
Shortcuts
If there is a shortcut symbol on a tile, you may use your movement action to move your character pawn to another tile with the same symbol as if the tiles were adjacent.
Legend has it that there are hidden moon paths, teleporting stones, and secret shortcuts that make traveling around Avel faster. Now that the magic of the moons activated them again, do not hesitate to use those paths!
Battle
A battle consists of up to 3 clashes. During each clash, the warriors roll their dice and compare the results. Before you decide to battle, check the monster token and asses your chances of success.
When exploring Avel, you will often encounter monsters. If you enter a tile with a monster you may (but don't have to) fight it. If you decide to attack, check the monster token and evaluate its toughness and your health and asses your chances of success. The times are hard and the creatures of darkness roam the forests. Sometimes, there is more than one monster per tile. When this happens, you decide which monster to attack. Don't worry, they won't try to team up. Monsters usually hate each other, as they crave glory only for themselves.
Prepare for battle
If you decide to battle, take dice in the amount and colors determined by the monster token and give them to a player on your left. That player will roll for the monster.
Monsters are divided into 3 types: small monsters, big monsters, and the Beast (it comes into play later in the game).
Prepare the heroic dice. Regardless of the equipment that your hero or heroine has, their strength and cleverness provide two green dice. Some of the equipment tokens allow you to roll extra dice, some allow you to reroll them (see next page). When the dice are ready, roll them.
The small monster token shows: monster color, reward, monster toughness, monster dice. The big monster token also shows the attribute of the monster (see p. 11). The assembled Beast figure shows the dice of the Beast.
Note that the heroic dice and the monster dice have different colors. They also differ in quantity and the symbols they have.
Heroic dice
- Green – basic die. You take 2 of these dice before each battle.
- Blue – defense die, the defense symbol is the most common on this die.
- Yellow – magic die, only this die has the spell symbol.
- Orange – attack die, the attack symbol is the most common on this die.
Monster dice
- Purple – weaker monster die.
- Black – stronger monster die.
So you take 2 green dice, additional dice depending on the equipment of your hero, and a possible bonus from an elixir (decide before a battle if it's worth it to drink an elixir!). Check if the special ability of the monster doesn't make you remove any dice from your set, and then roll! And hope that the Lady of the Silver Globe is fond of you! At the same time, a player to your left rolls the monster dice.
One time use effects of the equipment
During a single clash of a battle you may use the effects of equipment tokens that your character has equipped. The effects of helmets, shields, and weapons described below can only be used once during a battle but you can use multiple equipment during a single clash. When you use them, place a used equipment marker on the used equipment token. You'll remove it at the end of the battle.
- (green / black / purple reroll symbol) During a battle you may reroll 1 die of the corresponding color.
- (monster color + reroll colors) During a battle with a monster of the given color, you may reroll up to 2 dice of the indicated colors.
- (monster color + sword) During a battle with a monster of the given color, you may add an attack to your roll result.
- (monster color + shield) During a battle with a monster of the given color, you may add a defense to your roll result.
Permanent effects of the equipment
The effects of helmets, shields, and weapons shown below are active during the entire battle. Therefore, you receive an additional die in the color corresponding to your hero's equipment token. These effects stack — however, you may never roll more dice than are available in the game. (The three shown tokens grant a plus in orange, blue, and yellow respectively.)
Elixirs
Elixirs are one time use items. When you drink an elixir, place its token back in the bag. Drinking an elixir is not an action. You may use an elixir before a battle to add a die of the corresponding color to each clash of the battle. (Elixirs come in blue, yellow, and orange.)
This is a healing potion! Make sure to carefully choose the moment when to use its power. Drink it either before or after performing an action (not during a battle), to fully heal.
Attributes of big monsters
Each big monster is able to block the hero's equipment or decrease their dice supply during a battle in accordance to the symbol on the token of the monster.
- (minus green) Roll 1 fewer green die.
- (minus orange/blue/yellow) Roll 1 fewer orange, blue and yellow die (e.g. if you get 2 orange dice, you only roll 1).
- (minus weapon) You cannot use weapon effects (both permanent and one time use).
- (minus shield) You cannot use shield effects (both permanent and one time use).
- (minus helmet) You cannot use helmet effects (both permanent and one time use).
- (minus elixir) You cannot use elixirs.
Comparing dice roll results
After rolling the dice, compare your results. Symbols on heroic and monster dice influence and may cancel each other.
Heroic dice symbols:
- Attack – monster receives 1 wound.
- Defense – ignore 1 monster attack effect of the monster dice this clash.
- Spell – you chose if you want this symbol to be an attack or a defense.
- Blank – no effect.
Monster dice symbols:
- Attack – hero receives 1 wound.
- Defense – ignore 1 attack effect of the hero dice this clash.
- Blank – no effect.
Check the examples on page 13 to better understand the detailed rules of a battle.
Receiving wounds
For each attack that has not been ignored, the monster and character take damage. Mark monster wounds by placing damage markers on its token. Mark your hero or heroine's wounds by removing a certain amount of toughness markers from their character board.
If neither the character nor monster were defeated during a clash, decide if you want to retreat from the battle or if you want to clash again (unless you finished all 3 clashes).
If, after resolving the dice roll, the amount of damage markers equals or exceeds the toughness of the monster, the monster is defeated. You receive a reward as shown on the monster token (see Reward section), place the monster token in the defeated monster pile (next to the monster pile).
If the battle is finished and the monster has not been defeated, the assigned damage markers are not removed from the monster token. This will make it easier to defeat it in the next battle!
If, after resolving a clash, a hero is forced to remove their last toughness marker from the character board, that hero is stunned (see p. 14 "Getting stunned").
Rewards
- Coins – you receive the amount of coins shown on the monster token.
- Equipment – you draw an equipment token from the bag.
- Equipment upgrade – choose 1 of your weapons, helmets, or shields and flip it to the upgraded side.
After drawing an equipment or receiving coins you must fit them in your backpack or on the picture of your character. If you cannot fit something you may exchange it for an already owned item, otherwise it goes away (place the extra equipment back in the bag and coins back in the supply). Only after placing your equipment can you continue to play the game.
Battle examples
Example
Simon Whitebeard attempts to battle a monster that is on the same tile. He is just beginning his adventure so he only has 2 green dice. The monster rolls a purple and a black die.
First clash. Simon lands a blow but the monster was prepared for this. The hero's attack is blocked by the monster with the defense symbol. The blank dice have no effect. Simon decides to keep battling.
Second clash. The situation on the battlefield is slightly different now. Simon lands a blow that wounds the monster. He places a damage marker on the monster token. The monster attempts two attacks, Simon blocks one of the attacks with his shield, however the second hit lands. Simon removes 1 of his toughness tokens from the character board.
Third clash. The monster is desperate to end this and rolls two more powerful attacks. This time Simon is not able to block any of them. He receives two wounds. However, Simon rolled an attack symbol, which allows him to wound the monster. The toughness of this monster is 2, and this is the second damage marker that the monster receives. The monster is defeated! Simon receives a reward: 4 gold coins. Can he fit them in his backpack?
Example
Agatha the Brave decides to battle a big monster. The monster has an attribute that prevents Agatha from using the effect of her shield. Thankfully, Agatha has a magical helmet which allows her to roll an extra yellow die each clash.
First clash. On her first roll, Agatha rolls two attacks, 1 is blocked by the monster with a defense symbol. Additionally, she rolled a spell symbol on the yellow die — she chooses if she wants the symbol to be an attack or a defense. This time, Agatha decides on the attack symbol. The monster receives 2 wounds. Agatha decides to continue the battle.
Second clash. After her roll, Agatha once again must decide what symbol to assign to a yellow die with a spell symbol. She once again wants to perform an attack that the monster is not able to block — she places another damage marker on the monster token. Simultaneously, the monster rolls two attacks, one of those attacks is blocked by the defense symbol. Agatha receives 1 damage. Afraid for her life, the brave heroine decides to abandon the battle. There is no third clash and the 3 damage markers remain on the monster token.
Getting stunned
If, after resolving an attack, you take the last toughness marker off of your character board, your character is stunned.
Move your character pawn to the castle tile.
Then, you regain all of your health due to the magic of the Healing Jewel: place all of your toughness markers back on your character board.
You lose all of your coins and 1 chosen equipment token (from your backpack or those equipped). Coins are returned to the supply and the equipment token to the bag.
If the monster is defeated in the same clash as you lose your last toughness marker, you receive your reward and then become stunned.
Your turn immediately ends (even if it was your first action).
Tile action
If your character pawn is on one of the board tiles shown below, you may perform a tile action.
Monsters do not like civilization. Light and the power of the Healing Jewel protect those areas of Avel from the creatures of the Black Moon. Tiles without monster lairs are inhabited by merchants and craftsmen. In order to help identify them, each tile with a tile action has been marked with a green ribbon and a unique symbol. A curious hero should visit each of those places.
Stone circles
In the stone circles, Theodore the Druid forges moon seals that allow you to block monster lairs. No monsters can spawn on a lair with a moon seal when the maker on the moon track summons monsters. In order to seal a lair, pay 3 coins and choose a lair of a small or big monster. Only an empty lair can be sealed. Place the moon seal on that lair. Remember that you have only 3 moon seals available during the game.
Important! Before the round when the Beast appears, Theodore leaves the stone circles and you won't be able to forge new moon seals (see p. 16 "End of Round").
Marketplace
The magical stalls can sell you equipment for the low cost of 3 coins: draw a new equipment token from the bag and return 3 coins to the supply. They will also buy your old equipment for 2 coins each: return the chosen equipment to the bag and receive 2 coins from the supply. You can perform up to 2 transactions in 1 action.
Reminder! Each equipment token that you receive during the game is placed on your character board with the basic side up (with the red background).
Quarry
The dwarven masons of master Hruginir are here to help: pay 3 coins to build 1 wall fragment in front of the castle (place a wall marker on any spot of the castle tile). Remember that you have only 3 wall markers available during the game.
Important! After the round when the Beast appears, the masons retreat into the safety of the castle and you won't be able to build any new wall fragments (see p. 16 "End of Round").
Elven camp
Wandering forest elves are the best hunters in Avel. Pay 3/5/7 coins respectively for a trap for the Beast, then choose a face up tile where you wish to set it up. You can only build 1 trap of each type. There can only be 1 trap per tile.
Important! In the same round the Beast appears, the elves leave the land and you won't be able to place any new traps (see p. 16 "End of Round").
When placing a trap, consider which path the Beast is going to take! It always follows the shortest possible path.
Wishing lake
Drop a coin into the lake and the water spirits might bring you something interesting! Return 1 coin to the supply then roll 2 green dice and check your result:
- 2 attacks – take 4 coins from the supply,
- 1 attack and 1 defense – draw an equipment token,
- 2 defenses – upgrade 1 of your equipment tokens.
If you didn't get any of the above results from your roll, you are allowed to reroll your dice once. You must reroll both dice.
We spirits of forests, fields, and waters, love moon coins! They are so shiny... But to be honest, we mostly just like gifts. Receiving and giving them!
Wilderness and abandoned village
A true hero is never afraid of work! They will gladly help local villagers. And they truly appreciate and reward your help.
This tile action allows you to take 2 coins from the supply. You are allowed to perform this action only if there are no monsters on this tile.
Alchemist workshop
Master Vial and his team of co-alchemists know how to awaken the moon magic in items. You may pay 3 coins in order to flip one of your equipment tokens to the upgraded side.
Castle
The Healing Jewel is hidden in the heart of the castle. The Jewel's magic stops the darkness from consuming Avel. If the monsters destroy the Jewel, the land will be met with an ill fate. There are no tile actions on this tile, however this tile is crucial to the game in the following ways:
- When a character loses all of their toughness points, they are stunned and must return to the castle tile. Here they recover all of their toughness points.
- The wall markers are built on this tile (see "Quarry" above). As long as there is at least 1 wall marker, the monsters cannot enter the castle (see p.19 "Walls").
- If at least one monster enters the castle tile, the players lose the game.
Rest
After a tough battle and incredible adventures, heroes should rest and regenerate. So they set up a camp where they eat, drink, and bandage their wounds.
When resting, place up to 2 toughness markers back on your player board (you can never have more than 5).
Caution! Victory hungry heroes often forget that they have been wounded and then enter a battle not at their full health. This is an easy way to become stunned.
Exchanging with other players
If two character pawns share a tile and there is no monster token on that tile, the players may freely share or exchange their equipment and coins. When the exchange is done, everything must fit on the hero picture or the backpack.
The exchange can take place before or after performing an action. The exchange is not an action. Therefore, if a hero gets some equipment, they first must place and fit it on the character picture and/or backpack and only then can they make an exchange.
Remember! You need to work together. A sharp sword in your backpack will do nothing — it's better to give that sword to another hero who can wield it and will make a use of it!
End of round
When all of the players finish their turns, the player with the Avel coat of arms moves the astrolabe marker to the next space on the moon track. Then they check the symbol on that space.
- If the symbol is a lair symbol, a monster appears on each face-up tile with a lair symbol that does not have any monsters or a moon seal. Take a token from the corresponding stack and place it face up on the lair symbol. Begin the next round.
- If the symbol is a heart symbol, each hero heals 1 toughness marker if they have previously lost any. Begin the next round.
- If the symbol is the Black Moon symbol, the Black Moon rises and the Beast appears from the crater (see p. 17 "Black Moon Rises").
Note! The last spaces of the Moon track contain symbols for the moon seal, trap and wall. If the astrolabe marker passes any of those symbols, you are no longer allowed to use that game element. Therefore, first you lose the ability to seal the lairs, then to set up traps, and the round after the Beast appears, you may no longer build walls. Place the unused elements corresponding to the given symbol back in the box.
Black Moon rises
When the astrolabe marker reaches the last space of the moon track, a shard of the Black Moon hits Avel, a terrible monster rises from the crater — the Beast — and begins its march towards the castle. All of the small and big monsters, encouraged by the Beast, also attack the castle walls.
When the astrolabe marker reaches the last space on the Moon track, do the following:
- Reveal all of the face-down tiles. If any of the tiles have a lair symbol, place the corresponding monster(s) on that tile.
- Reveal the crater token. Take monster tokens of the type and quantity shown on the token — next to the number of players. Then roll a black die for each monster and place that monster on a tile with the symbol corresponding to the die roll. Note that those monsters appear on the tiles without lair symbols — the magic of the Healing Jewel is getting weaker!
- Place the Beast figure on the tile with the crater token.
- After placing all of the monsters, remove the crater token from the game.
The three crater tokens are the easy mode token, the medium mode token and the hard mode token. Each token shows the number of players, the type of monsters, the tile symbols and the dice roll result.
Gameplay after the Beast appears
A battle for life and death begins — not only for the heroes, but for all creatures who took refuge in the castle. If even one monster breaches the walls, all is lost!
The game continues as before — each player performs their 2 actions on their turn. However, at the end of the round, the player with the Avel coat of arms now moves all of the monsters 1 tile closer to the castle, instead of moving the astrolabe marker on the moon track.
Small monsters move first, then big monsters, then at the end the Beast.
All of the monsters always follow the shortest path to the castle. If more than one path is available, players decide on the monsters' movement.
Example
The big monster has 2 movement options — it can move to tile no 1 or no 2. Players decide to move the monster to tile no 2. The Beast then also moves to tile no 2.
Battling the Beast
Set the Beast toughness dial to the value determined by the number of players:
| Number of players | Beast toughness |
|---|---|
| 1 or 2 | 14 |
| 3 | 17 |
| 4 | 20 |
Fighting the Beast follows exactly the same rules as fighting all other monsters (there are still 3 clashes for each battle action). When fighting the Beast, you may use equipment that is effective against monsters of any color, as the Beast belongs to all of the three groups (it is three-colored). The Beast always rolls all of the monster dice (2 black and 3 purple).
Damage dealt to the Beast is marked on the toughness dial, each time there are any unblocked attacks the dial is lowered.
The Beast is defeated when its toughness points drop to 0.
Remember! If there is more than 1 monster on 1 tile, you decide which monster to battle.
Don't worry! The Beast toughness dial includes numbers from 0 to 99, however, in the game the Beast has up to 20 toughness points. The other values have been added so you can use the dial in other games or in your own creations.
The Beast is an extension of Kurodar's will — the god of the Black Moon. It is a creature born from darkness, with iron hide, and blood of magical fire. Only the best of heroes and heroines will be able to defeat the Beast.
Traps
Traps target only the Beast. When the Beast enters a tile with a trap, roll the amount and color of dice corresponding to the trap token on the tile. The Beast receives the amount of damage equal to the number of rolled attack symbols and additional damage if there are any attack symbols on the token.
The trap token shows the price of the trap, the needed dice, and the additional damage.
Example
The Beast enters a tile with a trap. One of the players takes and rolls the dice as shown on the trap token. Then they add the rolled attack symbols and additional damage shown on the trap token. The Beast loses 4 toughness points, therefore the number of toughness points on its toughness dial is lowered by 4.
Walls
A monster attacks the castle, but first it needs to crush the walls. After an attempt to break through, a piece of the wall is shattered. The monster retreats... for now.
If a monster would move to the castle tile with wall markers, that monster instead destroys 1 wall marker. If the Beast would move to the castle tile with wall markers, it instead destroys all of the wall markers. Remove all of the destroyed wall markers and place them back in the box.
The monster or the Beast that destroys the wall marker doesn't move to the castle tile this round. However, it will attempt to enter the castle again next round.
Example
There are 2 monsters on tiles adjacent to the castle tile. The first monster to move destroys 1 of the built walls but doesn't enter the castle. It remains on its tile. The situation repeats with the second monster. However, if there was a third monster in front of the castle, it would enter the castle and players would lose the game.
Victory and defeat
Victory
The heroes win the game if they defeat all the monsters — including the Beast — without a single one entering the castle tile.
The Healing Jewel is safe! You defeated all of the monsters, you even managed to slay the terrible Beast! Long live the heroes and heroines of Avel! Long live our saviors!
Defeat
The heroes lose the game if any of the monsters or the Beast enter the castle tile.
Oh Dark Master Kurodar, come! The cursed jewel has been shattered by your faithful servants. Avel belongs to you! Now and forever!
Dear Heroes!
If your games too often end with a victory, you may increase the toughness of the Beast and therefore adjust the game difficulty to your expectations and capabilities of your team.
However, if your adventures too often end with your defeat, you may decrease the toughness of the Beast so the game is still challenging but you have a better chance of winning. See the player aid sheet or download the app, where you will find other board setups with various difficulty levels.
Solo play
The solo variant game follows the same rules as standard game. However, during your turn you have 4 actions (during setup take 4 action tokens and place them next to the character board). After finishing an action, flip an action token to the inactive side — this will help you keep track of your action count. At the end of the round flip all of your action tokens back to the active side.
In this variant, the Beast has 14 toughness points (the same as in a 2-player game).
A message from the designer
The first prototype of Avel has been met with great enthusiasm from Rebel Studio. I'm happy that I had their support during the whole process of creating the game.
I want to especially thank Andrzej Olejarczyk for the hundreds of hours spent with the game. Having a tester like you is a real treasure.
I also want to thank Bartek Kordowski and Janek Sielicki for creating the world of Avel. There wouldn't be the Black Moon, astrolabe or Healing Jewel without you. You created the true magic.
Experience even more adventure with our free app! Listen to the sounds of battle, celebrate your victories, and suffer your defeats in a new dimension. Track the Beast's toughness thanks to the life counter and take up new challenges with the map generator. The app is available on Google Play and the App Store. (rebel.pl/go/avel-app)
Development
- Game designer: Przemek Wojtkowiak
- Illustrations: Bartłomiej Kordowski
- Graphic design: Bartłomiej Kordowski
- Game development: Andrzej Olejarczyk
- Rulebook: Janek Sielicki
- Project coordination: Sławek Gacal
- Reviewing and editing: Rebel team, Tabletop Polish
- Composition: Artur Mikucki
Rebel Sp. z o.o., ul. Budowlanych 64c, 80-298 Gdańsk, Polska — www.wydawnictworebel.pl, [email protected], [email protected], www.rebelstudio.eu