Conan: Worms of the Earth

Expansion for Conan

Conan: Worms of the Earth Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components

This expansion requires components from the Conan 2015 core box and the Barbarian Pledge stretch goal box.

This Worms of the Earth rulebook includes scenarios and rules specific to this expansion.

Rulebook x1
Hero Sheets x4 (Bran Mak Morn, Atla, Othna, Grom)
Miniatures x10
Overlord Tiles x5 (Bran Mak Morn, Atla, Drusus, Worms of the Earth, Bran's Servants)
Life Point Tokens x3

Solo/Cooperative Mode

A Different Approach

This rule set allows you to play through a single solo/coop scenario or a campaign of linked scenarios with no need for an Overlord player. Players control Bran Mak Morn and his allies and progress in terms of equipment and abilities. This rule set does not replace the original game or diminish its spirit and style; it is a separate mode, with its own flavor and motivations. These rules were originally printed in the Conan Monolith Sourcebook (published by Modiphius) and have been slightly revamped for this book.

Solo/Cooperative Play Rules

The following rules assume players have a thorough knowledge of how to play Monolith's Conan Board Game. Those rules are not reprinted here, but are referenced herein, so prior experience playing the game is required.

Solo/cooperative rules allow players to play through specially designed scenarios that eliminate the role of the Overlord. Instead, the players follow a system of automated commands to control the Overlord's tiles and miniatures. The players do not need to think or strategize for the Overlord tiles and miniatures; the rules and the scenario will do the strategizing for the Overlord. If a situation ever arises that is not covered by the rules or scenario, the players may choose whichever option is in their own best interest.

For the Heroes, the Rules Don't Change

The first thing to understand is that the rules for Heroes are the same as in the original Adventure Mode rules. They move, attack, manipulate, and cast spells as they always have. Their initial setup remains unchanged and is dictated by each scenario. The only difference is strategic. It requires a slightly different approach when battling the pre-determined commands of this non-player Overlord than it does against a human opponent.

The Overlord

Overlord Setup

In addition to controlling one or more of the Heroes, the player(s) of solo/co-op mode must also serve as hands for the Overlord. This task could be assigned to a single player or be a shared responsibility for those at the table.

Fortunately, the process is simple. Each scenario will show you which game boards to use, where to place the miniatures during setup, and which Overlord tiles to place in the River on the Book of Skelos. Once these components are in place, locate the required double-sided tokens from the board game box.

It is important that you have one for each corresponding tile in the River. In most cases, you will require numbers 1 through 6, but this depends on the scenario. Remember to use the tokens that have the same grayish star-like design on the backside to ensure you will not know which Overlord tile is next to activate (see below).

Once you have these tokens, place them numbered side down in the Reserve zone of the Book of Skelos where the Overlord normally places their gems to create the Activation token pool. (In this game mode, the Overlord does not use gems.) Note, however, that some scenarios have their own rules for Overlord activations; this is just the default method.

Determining Overlord Activations

The Overlord has a series of automatic commands, and it is up to the players to follow the scenario instructions, move the Overlord's miniatures, and roll the dice for attacks against their own Heroes. Before we outline these commands, we must know in what order, by what process, and how often the Overlord activates their tiles.

Each turn, the Overlord activates a number of tiles equal to the number of Heroes on the board. If at any time one of the Heroes is killed, the Overlord loses one activation (see Number of Overlord Activations below).

To activate a tile:

One of the players randomly picks up an Activation token and flips it over to reveal the number.
Temporarily place this numbered token in the top left slot of the Book of Skelos Benefits token slots (normally reserved for the Movement Benefit token). This number will correspond to one of the numbers on the River.
Whichever tile corresponds to this number will immediately activate (See Overlord Commands/Activating the Overlord Tiles below). The tile remains in its position and is not placed at the end of the River.

Once this activation is finished, take any additional activations the Overlord gets (again, this is dictated by the number of Heroes currently on the board or by the scenario's special rules). Place the second Activation token in the Guard action slot, and the third Activation token in the Reroll action slot. If you're playing with four Heroes, place the fourth Activation token directly into the Fatigue zone, as that is the maximum number of activations the Overlord will ever get per turn.

Once you are done activating tiles, remove all spent tokens from the three Benefit token slots and place them number side facing up in the Fatigue zone on the Book of Skelos.

Refreshing the Activation Token Pool

If the Overlord has activations available but all of their tokens are in the Fatigue zone, it is time to refresh the Activation token pool.

To do this, flip the tokens in the Fatigue zone and the Benefit token slots so the number sides are down, shuffle them, and place them in the Reserve zone. In this way, it is possible for a particular tile to activate twice during a single Overlord's turn. This will increase in frequency as tiles are flipped (see "Dead" Tiles and Corresponding Activation Tokens on the next page).

Alternatively, you may use a small bowl or pouch to store the tokens in, so they are drawn blindly.

Overlord Defense

The Overlord does not roll for defense. To damage an Overlord unit, Heroes must simply overcome the unit's Armor Value (unless the scenario specifies otherwise).

Number of Overlord Activations

If one of the Heroes dies, the Overlord immediately loses one activation. For example, at the beginning of a turn, with three Heroes on the board, the Overlord receives three activations. If a Hero is killed during the Overlord's second activation, that Hero is immediately removed from the board and the Overlord will not receive their third activation. On the next Overlord's turn, the Overlord only receives two activations (assuming there are still two Heroes on the board and one didn't blow themselves up with an Explosive Orb or fall victim to a Counterattack).

Here the Overlord is taking their third activation for the turn. Tiles 4 (Event 1) and 5 (Event 2) have already activated and number 2 has just been drawn randomly from the Activation token pool, meaning the Worms of the Earth activate. These Activation tokens are drawn one at a time and the tile with the corresponding number is activated. They are placed left to right in the slots normally reserved for Overlord Benefits tokens. This is to remind you which activation you're on and how many you've taken. Once the Overlord has activated a number of times equal to the number of Heroes on the board, move the spent Activation tokens to the Fatigue zone of the Book of Skelos.

If you're playing with 4 Heroes, the 4th token simply goes straight to the Fatigue zone as it is the final possible activation. Once all Activation tokens in the Activation Pool have been spent, Refresh the Activation Pool (see page 5).

[Editor's note: the figure accompanying this section (the River and Book of Skelos diagram) is artwork and is not reproduced here.]

"Dead" Tiles and Corresponding Activation Tokens

There will be times when a particular tile will be killed and won't return (via Reinforcements, for example). When you draw an Activation token associated with a tile that has no miniatures left on the board and will not return, flip the tile, remove the Activation token from the Book of Skelos, and draw a replacement Activation token. The flipped (and bloodied) tile stays in the River as a visual indicator that it won't be bothering you anymore and its token is removed from rotation.

However, when you draw an Activation token associated with a tile that has no miniatures left on the board but can be reinforced, that Overlord activation is wasted.

If, at any time during a scenario, a unit that can be reinforced loses the ability to be reinforced, follow the rules to remove the Activation token as described in this section.

[Editor's note: the Activation Token Cycle diagram on this page is artwork and is not reproduced here.]

Overlord's Turn Quick Reference

Determine the number of Overlord activations (activations = number of Heroes on the board).
Anytime the Reserve zone is empty, return all Activation tokens to the Reserve zone (numbered side facing down). Then, draw an Activation token (as long as the Overlord has more activations available).
Activate the tile on the River that corresponds to the number on the Activation token you have just drawn.
If the Overlord still has available activations, activate again by drawing another random token from the Activation token pool.

Overlord Commands/Activating the Overlord Tiles

As a general rule, an Activating Overlord unit will attempt to attack the most vulnerable target, known hence forth as the Target Hero (see Determining the Target Hero below). The unit(s) associated with the activating tile will attempt to attack the Target Hero by moving into the Hero's area for a Melee Attack, firing a ranged weapon, or moving and firing a ranged weapon. If some of the units in the activating tile can attack the Hero, they will, even if others cannot. Those that cannot will attempt to attack an Alternate Target Hero, if possible (see Determining an Alternate Target Hero) or will simply move as close to the Target Hero as possible. These rules will be detailed below. Once you have read them you are encouraged to consult the Determining Target Hero and Alternate Target Hero Quick Reference Table on page 8.

Determining the Target Hero

If possible, all units associated with the activating tile will attack the Target Hero by using a Ranged Attack or Melee Attack action (or any special action such as a spell detailed in the scenario). The Target Hero is the Hero with the fewest energy gems in their Reserve zone. That means, as long as the activating Overlord unit can attack the Target Hero by moving into their area for a Melee Attack, firing a ranged weapon, or by a combination of moving and firing a ranged weapon, they will attack that Hero. If there are two or more Heroes with the same number of energy gems in their Reserve zone and they can be reached by the activating Overlord unit for an attack, whichever of these Heroes has the most gems in their Wounds zone will become the target. If both of these values are equal, the players may choose which Hero will be attacked.

Note that most scenarios have special rules indicating which Hero a particular Overlord tile will attack. In some cases it will mean attacking the Hero with the most gems in their Reserve zone (see The Strongest Hero). In these cases, the scenario rules always override these rules.

Path of Least Resistance

An Activating Overlord unit will always follow the path of least resistance, and a route that would not risk damage to the unit, to make its attack. Sometimes this means not moving at all (if they share the area with the Target Hero), and sometimes this means moving a number of areas up to their movement value in order to make an attack (either a Melee Attack or Ranged Attack action). Hindering conditions and paths that could cause damage should be taken into account when determining the path of least resistance.

Cunning Attackers

In this game mode, when an Overlord tile associated with multiple units activates, each of these units will move, resolve their attacks, and then the next unit associated with the tile will activate. This is different than the regular rules where Overlord units must move before attacking or lose all unspent movement points. Players choose the order in which these units activate.

Hindering and Ranged Attacks

Once line of sight is determined against the Target Hero, but before making a Ranged Attack that would be affected by hindering, the activating Overlord unit will first attempt to move to avoid the penalty. In most cases, particular skills make this movement easy (Evasive) or entirely unnecessary (Elite Shooter). If the activating Overlord unit using the Ranged Attack is unable to avoid or ignore the penalties caused by hindering, or they would lose line of sight by moving, they will still attack the Target Hero and receive the penalty.

Avoiding Hindering with Ranged Attacks: Let's say Kerim Shah occupies the same area as two Heroes, but neither of these two is the Target Hero. If Kerim Shah had line of sight to the Target Hero, and he is several areas away, Kerim Shah will try to avoid any hindering penalties before making the Ranged Attack. Because Kerim Shah does not have either the Elite Shooter or Concentration skill, he would need to move to another area (not occupied by Heroes) where he still has line of sight, to avoid the hindering penalty. If Kerim Shah had the Evasive skill, he would not suffer a penalty for leaving this area, but since he does not, he will need to rely on his base movement value of 2. Because the two Heroes would effectively reduce Kerim Shah's movement by two, he would be unable to leave the area. Though there is no way Kerim Shah can avoid the hindering penalty, he will still attack the Target Hero.

Hindering and Melee Attacks

If, while on its way to make a Melee Attack against a Target Hero, an activating Overlord unit would encounter hindering conditions, it will only make the move if it can actually reach the Target Hero's area in the same move. Otherwise, it will select an Alternate Target Hero (see Determining an Alternate Target Hero) that it can reach for an attack as part of this activation. If it can't reach an Alternate Target Hero for an attack, it will simply move as close to the Target Hero as possible. Since units resolve their activations sequentially, hindering conditions should be reevaluated after each unit's activation.

Tiles with Units in Different Areas

It should be noted that not all units associated with a single tile will necessarily occupy the same area when they activate. With that in mind, it may mean that some of the units will move to attack the Target Hero, while others will make their way closer to the Target Hero, or, if it's within their capabilities, will select an Alternate Target Hero instead (again, see Determining an Alternate Hero).

An activating Overlord unit will always first try to attack the Target Hero. Even if the activating Overlord unit is in the same area as another Hero, it will still break away to attack the Target Hero, if it can reach them during the same activation.

The Strongest Hero

In many scenarios, there is a rule stating that a particular tile or tiles will attack the "strongest" Hero. In this case, follow these guidelines to determine the Target Hero:

First, check which Hero has the most energy gems in their Reserve zone. That Hero becomes the Target Hero.
If two Heroes have the same amount of gems in their Reserve zone, the Target Hero will be the Hero who has suffered fewer damage.
If both of these amounts are equal, the players choose which of these Heroes is the Target Hero.

Rerolls

Activating Overlord units that possess the reroll symbol on their attack dice will always reroll a blank result, but will never reroll any other results. They will use all of the reroll options they have, but again, only to reroll any blank results. The Support skill works in addition to and by the same rules as any of these reroll symbols, though players should note that Support works differently for Heroes in this game mode. See Support on page 9.

Determining an Alternate Target Hero

The following conditions will prevent an activating Overlord unit from attacking the Target Hero (again, that's the Hero with the fewest energy gems in their Reserve zone), causing them to determine an Alternate Target Hero.

The activating unit cannot reach the Target Hero for a Melee Attack (due to other Heroes hindering this miniature's movement or simply because it does not have a high enough movement value to reach the Target Hero).
The activating unit cannot get a clear line of sight to attack the Target Hero with a Ranged Attack (even after moving up to their movement value).
The Target Hero has a power or effect that prevents that Hero from being targeted by an attack.
An Event or special rule may dictate that a particular tile will attack a particular Hero. In some cases, it will be the Hero who has the most energy gems in their Reserve zone that will be targeted (see Strongest Hero on page 9). These instances will be detailed in the scenario.

If any of these circumstances prevent the activating Overlord unit from attacking the Target Hero, they will attack an Alternate Target Hero. In this case, the Hero they attack will be the Hero who has the second fewest gems in their Reserve zone and who can be reached for a Melee or Ranged Attack (as per the same conditions above). If ever two or more Heroes have the same (fewest in number) energy gems in their Reserve zone, then the activating Overlord unit will attack whichever Hero has more gems in their Wound zone. If all these values are equal, the players may choose which Hero is the target of the attack.

If an activating Overlord unit is unable to attack any of the Heroes on the board, they will target the nearest Ally (if applicable). Otherwise, they will move as close as possible to the Target Hero.

Determining Target Hero / Alternate Target Hero Quick Reference

An Activating Overlord Unit must determine a Target Hero:

Check which Hero has the fewest energy gems in their Reserve zone. That Hero becomes the Target Hero.
If two Heroes have the same amount of gems in their Reserve, the Target Hero will be the Hero who has suffered more damage.
If both of these amounts are equal, the players choose which of these Heroes is the Target Hero.

Determining an Alternate Hero:

If an activating Overlord unit would be unable to attack the Target Hero for any reason (even after moving), players will determine an Alternate Target Hero.
The Alternate Target Hero is the Hero that has the second fewest gems in its Reserve zone and can be reached for an attack.
If two or more Heroes (that can be reached for an attack) have the same amount of gems in their reserve, the Alternate Target Hero will be the Hero who has suffered more damage.
If these amounts are equal, the players choose which of these Heroes is the Target Hero.
If an activating Overlord unit is unable to attack any of the Heroes on the board, they will target the nearest Ally (players choose which Ally).

On the ultra-rare occasion that players are unable to determine which Hero should be attacked by an Overlord unit, players choose any Hero within reach (for Melee or Ranged Attack action) as the target of the attack.

Solo/Co-op Scenarios

We believe these scenarios are best played as a campaign, where equipment, spells, and story all contribute to the sense of progression. However, these scenarios can also be played independently of the campaign in Non-Campaign Mode. The Options section of each scenario provides the equipment and spells you should use in Non-campaign Mode.

Skills

Sacrifice, Bodyguard, Spell Caster, Fascination: Overlord units only use these skills if the scenario outlines how they are to be used. Indeed, some scenarios provide rules for how an Overlord unit must cast a spell.

Wall Wrecker, Swimming, Intangible, Flying: Overlord units only use these skills when it allows them to reach the Target Hero more easily. If using this Skill allows them to avoid any movement or attack restrictions imposed by non-Target Heroes, or gets them to the Target Hero's area (or an area from which they can attack the Target Hero), they will use this skill. Otherwise, they will simply move to the Target Hero's area for a Melee Attack or to the closest area from where they can make a Ranged Attack.

Climb, Leap: Overlord units only use these skills if the scenario gives rules for doing so.

Poison: Unless a scenario defines Poison's effects, use these rules: When a unit with Poison attacks a Hero, instead of suffering damage, the Hero must place a number of Poison tokens equal to the amount of damage either on the Melee Attack space or the Move space of their Hero sheet. Each Poison token on an action space reduces by 1 the exertion limit of that action. When both exertion limits are reduced to zero, that Hero immediately dies. If additional Poison tokens are needed, you can use any other token to represent them.

Web: Overlord units will use this skill whenever possible, unless the unit is affected by hindering.

Support: For Overlord units, this skill works the same as the reroll rules for solo/co-op play and works in addition to any reroll symbols on the tile's attack value(s). For the Heroes, it works as in the Adventure Mode rules.

Counterattack: For Overlord units, this Skill works the same as the traditional rules. For Heroes who possess this skill, they may only use it once per Overlord's turn.

Blocking: For Overlord units, this skill works as in the Adventure Mode rules. For balancing purposes, a Hero who possesses this skill may not use it in this game mode.

Protected: For Overlord units, this skill works as in the Adventure Mode rules. For balancing purposes, a Hero who possesses this skill may not use it in this game mode.

Jinx: For Overlord units, this skill works as in the Adventure Mode rules. Heroes who possess this skill may use it normally, but it may create a significant advantage. Use it at the players' discretion.

Leadership: Heroes who possess this skill may use it normally. Note: Overlord units do not target allies unless they cannot reach a Hero for a Melee or Ranged Attack.

Campaign Rules

The scenarios provided in this chapter are meant to be played as part of a campaign where the players will accumulate Equipment and Spells.

Equipment and Cache

Each scenario provides the opportunity for the Heroes to attain better equipment. Equipment is cumulative. Once acquired, Heroes have access to it for the remainder of the campaign. There are a few limitations and exceptions, however.

Starting a Scenario: Before playing a scenario, each Hero chooses equipment from their Cache to use (see below). Players are encouraged to read ahead about the scenario so they may choose their equipment accordingly. Equipment is not tied to any one Hero and players may trade amongst themselves in-between scenarios or during scenarios, if they want to drop or pass items as per the Adventure Mode rules.

Cache: The Cache is a pool of all the equipment gathered over the course of the campaign. If you drop or throw an item and don't recover it during a scenario, and you lose that scenario, you lose the piece of equipment. If you win the scenario, add it, and all equipment acquired during the scenario, to your Cache. Some scenarios have stipulations on adding items to your Cache if you lose the scenario. If players wish to play a scenario in Non-Campaign Mode, their Cache is listed in the Options section of the scenario.

Starting Equipment: Starting equipment is assigned to each Hero at the beginning of the campaign. They have access to this equipment during the first scenario and every scenario beyond that point. Starting equipment is never lost, not even if it is dropped or thrown. This equipment is stored in your Cache and may be shared among other Heroes as players see fit.

Spells

If a Hero has a Halo spell active (Set's Halo or Mitra's Halo) and casts another Halo spell, the new spell replaces the active one.

Scenarios

Each scenario's setup diagram (game boards, miniature placement, and the River of Overlord tiles) is printed as artwork in the rulebook and is not reproduced here; follow the diagram on the scenario's page for placement.

Scenario 1 - The Black Stone

The King of the Heather had been warned: invoking the Worms of the Earth would bring only darkness and ruin. But to protect his people–to spit back in the eye of Rome–what else was Bran Mak Morn to do? Having lost his grip on the Black Stone, he no longer held dominion over the burrowing, subterranean fiends. Now a rumor suggests the Worms have a new master–a vile sorcerer who commands the dead as well as these horrors of a lost epoch. Bran knows he must again appeal to these creatures to keep Roman legions out of his lands, and to do so, requires the Black Stone. With the repulsive witch Atla at his side, as well as two trusted warriors, he must return to Dagon's Mere, secure the stone, and send this necromancer screaming to the depths of Hell!

Objective

If a Hero with the Black Stone exits the board, the Heroes win. If all the Heroes are killed, the scenario ends in defeat.

Setup

The game starts with the Heroes' turn.

3 Players

Atla (Dagger, spells: Telekinesis, Set's Halo)
Othna (Kris, Throwing Knives)
Bran Mak Morn (Dagger, Pirate Saber, Leather Armor)

4 Players

Grom (Conan's Sword)

After setup, each Hero moves 4 gems from their Reserve zone to their Fatigue zone.

Asset Deck

Chests require a complex Manipulation with a difficulty of 1 to open. The Asset deck contains: Leather Armor, Sword, Explosive Orb, Javelin.

Events

Event 1 — Perform the following actions in order:

Place up to 4 Skeletons in the area with the 3 token.
If the Outer Dark Demon is on the board, activate it. The Outer Dark Demon will target the Hero carrying the Black Stone. If that Hero cannot be reached, or if no Hero is carrying the Black Stone, the Outer Dark Demon follows standard activation rules.

Event 2 — Perform the following actions in order:

Place up to 4 Worms of the Earth in the same area with the Hero who has the most gems in their Reserve zone. In case of a tie, players decide.
If the Outer Dark Demon is on the board, activate it (as described above in Event 1).

Special Rules

Game Board Rules: Standard game board rules apply, except for the areas highlighted in red on the setup diagram. These areas are inaccessible but do not block line of sight. Units with the Flying skill may not pass over these areas.

Doors: Doors require a complex Manipulation with a difficulty of 1 to open. Overlord units cannot pass through closed doors, and waste their activation if doors block all exits from their area.

Skuthus the Slippery: When Skuthus activates, roll the attack die (no rerolls allowed). If the result is:

1 success - Place him in the area with the 1 token.
2 successes - Place him in the area with the 2 token.
3 successes - Place him in the area with the 3 token.
Blank - He doesn't move.

Then activate Skuthus. He casts Bori's Rage rather than using his attack die.

Bori's Rage (spell card): Attack a character in your line of sight; roll the attack die. If the attack power is greater than the defense power, the defender suffers damage equal to the difference.

The Black Stone: When Skuthus is killed, place the Black Stone token in his area. A Hero may pick up the Black Stone with a simple Manipulation. It has an Encumbrance value of 0. Place the Outer Dark Demon in the reinforcement area. A Hero with the Black Stone may exit the game board from the reinforcement area by spending movement points as though crossing a border.

Outer Dark Demon: The Outer Dark Demon is not activated by Activation tokens, but rather by Events (described above).

Options

Four Player Mode

After setup, each Hero moves 5 gems from their Reserve zone to their Fatigue zone.
The Outer Dark Demon has 12 life points.
Skuthus has 12 life points.
Grom starts the game in the same area as the other Heroes.
Reminder: The Overlord activates four times per turn.

Hard Mode

Doors require a complex Manipulation with a difficulty of 2 to open. In addition, Skuthus and the Outer Dark Demon have 12 life points for a three Hero game (15 for a four Hero game). Activate the Skuthus the Slippery rules whenever Skuthus takes damage, as well as whenever he activates.

Hero Victory and Defeat

Hero Victory: If the Heroes win, they receive the Battle Axe and Zingaran Breastplate, the spells Bel's Caress, Bori's Rage, and Withering, as well as all Asset cards they picked up during the scenario.

Hero Defeat: The Heroes do not keep any Asset cards they picked up and proceed to the next scenario.

Scenario 2 - The Grim Altar

Few are the men who have crossed swords with Bran Mak Morn and lived to tell of it. Fewer still are those who put fear in his heart. But Commander Drusus, with his unbreakable hide and uncanny talents, remains a unique foe–one Bran must best if he is to keep the dogs of war from his borders. Old Gonar, Bran's trusted seer, has divined the source of the commander's sorcery. At first, he assumed it an enchantment of Drusus' famed armor - a relic pilfered from the tome of a Spartan king. Now, with the moon at its zenith, the old sorcerer's blood magic grows potent, revealing to him a much older source of power: the Grim Altar. Bound to this relic, Commander Drusus remains invincible. If Bran hopes to stop the encroaching Roman forces, he must smash the altar, rendering his foe vulnerable to sword strokes. Fortunately, Bran has uncanny forces of his own: the dreaded Worms of the Earth.

Objective

If the Heroes kill Drusus, the Heroes win. If all the Heroes are killed, the scenario ends in defeat.

Setup

The game starts with the Heroes' turn.

Shuffle the following Treasure tokens and place them face-down as indicated on the setup diagram:

Treasure token marked 1 (Life Potion) - x2
Treasure token marked 2 (Grim Altar) - x1

After setup, each Hero moves 4 gems from their Reserve zone to their Fatigue zone.

Asset Deck

Chests require a complex Manipulation with a difficulty of 1 to open. The Asset deck contains: Bossonian Bow, Explosive Orb, Turanian Sword.

Events

Event 1 — Reinforce up to 2 Bossonian Guards (red) and up to 2 Bossonian Archers in the area with the 1 token.

Event 2 — Reinforce up to 2 Bossonian Guards (colorless) and up to 2 Bossonian Archers in the area with the 2 token.

Special Rules

Game Board Rules: Standard game board rules apply.

Doors: Doors require a complex Manipulation with a difficulty of 1 to open.

Drusus: Drusus targets the Strongest Hero. Drusus is invulnerable to all damage until the Grim Altar is destroyed.

Bossonian Guards: Bossonian Guards in the same area as Drusus will use the Sacrifice skill when he is attacked.

The Grim Altar: A Hero may perform a simple Manipulation in an area with a treasure token to flip it. If the token shows 1, place a Life Potion in the area. If the token shows 2, place a Skull Pile in the area to represent the Grim Altar. To destroy the Grim Altar, a Hero or Ally must attack and roll at least 3 successes in a single attack (the Grim Altar has an Armor value of 2 and 1 life point). If destroyed, remove it from the board. Drusus is now vulnerable to damage.

Bran's Servants: During setup, place the Bran's Servants tile next to Bran Mak Morn's Hero sheet. Bran's Servants are only targeted for attacks if no Hero can be reached. During the Heroes' turn, Bran Mak Morn may move gems from his Reserve zone to the Bran's Servants' tile. For each gem spent, he may do the following:

Place a Boulder token in Bran's area or any area adjacent to Bran (line of sight not required).
Place a Bran's Servant in an area that contains a Boulder token. There may be up to 8 Bran's Servants on the board at a time.
Activate one of Bran's Servants (as you would an Ally) to move and/or attack.
If a Bran's Servant is in an area with a treasure token, flip that token (as described in the Grim Altar Special Rule).

Options

Non-Campaign Mode

Cache: Dagger x2, Kris, Throwing Knives, Pirate Saber, Leather Armor, Zingaran Breastplate, Battle Axe.
Spells: Telekinesis, Set's Halo, Bel's Caress, Withering, Bori's Rage.

Four Player Mode

After setup, each Hero moves 5 gems from their Reserve zone to their Fatigue zone.
Chest tokens that show a '1' do not provide a Life Potion.
Grom starts the game in the same area as the rest of the Heroes. Add Conan's Sword to the Cache.
Reminder: The Overlord activates four times per turn.

Hard Mode

There may be up to 10 Bossonian Guards (colorless) on the board at a time. The Grim Altar has an Armor value of 4 and 1 life point.

Hero Victory and Defeat

Hero Victory: If the Heroes win, they receive the Chain Mail and Crossbow, the spells Mitra's Halo, Gift of Life, Teleportation, and Lightning Storm, as well as all Asset cards they picked up during the scenario.

Hero Defeat: The Heroes do not keep any Asset cards they picked up and proceed to the next scenario.

Scenario 3 - Back to the Earth

No man - not even Bran Mak Morn - can bridle the Worms of the Earth for long. Soon after a narrow victory, the pale creatures slipped back into their subterranean lair and no appeals nor offerings would draw them out. Bran's Pictish brethren - having watched their leader command these fiends to terrible purpose - began doubting their leader's mental faculties. Some of them even turned coat, becoming servants of Rome. But these fools could not know what other horrors lurked in the bowels of the earth.

On the borders of Caledonia an ancient ruin looms. A small force of Roman soldiers seized the site as a base of operations from where they could plan attacks against Pictish villages. Unbeknownst to them, just below the soil, a sleeping god stirs. Perhaps it was the Worms of the Earth that roused the creature, or Roman sorcery run amok. In either case, Bran Mak Morn sees an opportunity to take vengeance on his traitorous brethren, strike a blow to Rome, and save his lands from a creature beyond the ken of human experience.

Objective

If the Heroes kill Thaug before the end of turn 10, the Heroes win. If the Heroes don't kill Thaug before the end of turn 10, the scenario ends in defeat.

Setup

The game starts with the Heroes' turn.

After setup, each Hero moves 4 gems from their Reserve zone to their Fatigue zone.

Asset Deck

Chests require a complex Manipulation with a difficulty of 1 to open. The Asset deck contains: Halberd, Stygian Scepter, Scale Mail, Pictish Fetish.

Events

Event 1 — Reinforce up to 3 Bossonian Guards and up to 3 Bossonian Archers in the reinforcement area.

Event 2 — Move the Strongest Hero to the closest area with a Tentacle.

Special Rules

Game Board Rules: Standard game board rules apply, except Rock Slide areas are treated like regular areas; they do not cost extra movement points to enter. Overlord units will not leap from walls.

Tentacles: In this scenario, the Tentacles effectively serve as tokens which denote areas from where Thaug can seize Heroes. They don't have attributes and cannot be killed or removed from the board.

Bran's Servants: Though they still bear the name, these creatures no longer serve Bran Mak Morn. In fact, whenever they activate, they always attempt to target Bran. If they cannot reach him for an attack, follow the rules for determining an Alternate Target Hero.

Heads for a Hungry God: Thaug is only vulnerable once its belly is full. Thus, the Heroes must feed it severed heads from the foes they kill. Whenever a Pict Hunter or a Bran's Servant is killed, lay their miniature down in their area. A Hero in an area with a laid-down miniature may harvest their head by performing a complex Manipulation with a difficulty of 1. If successful, remove the laid-down miniature from the board and place a red gem next to the Hero's sheet to denote they are now carrying a head. The head has an Encumbrance value of 1 and may be dropped, passed, or thrown like an object. To feed the head to Thaug, a Hero needs to throw or drop the head in Thaug's area. A Hero may only carry one head at a time.

Thaug: Whenever Thaug's tile is activated, first move any Heroes currently in an area with a Tentacle to Thaug's area. If a Hero is carrying a head at this time, that head is sacrificed to Thaug, contributing to the Heroes' tally. Thaug then attacks, following standard rules for determining a Target Hero. Thaug is only vulnerable to damage after it has been fed 5 heads.

Pictish Fetish: When a Hero carrying the Pictish Fetish attacks Thaug, Thaug's Armor value is reduced to 4 and may not use its Horror skill against this attack.

Options

Non-Campaign Mode

Cache: Dagger x2, Kris, Throwing Knives, Pirate Saber, Leather Armor, Zingaran Breastplate, Battle Axe, Chain Mail, Crossbow.
Spells: Telekinesis, Set's Halo, Bel's Caress, Withering, Bori's Rage, Mitra's Halo, Gift of Life, Teleportation, Lightning Storm.

Four Player Mode

After setup, each Hero moves 5 gems from their Reserve zone to their Fatigue zone.
Thaug has 15 life points.
Grom starts the game in the same area as the rest of the Heroes. Add Conan's Sword to the Cache.
Reminder: The Overlord activates four times per turn.

Hard Mode

The Heroes must kill Thaug before the end of turn 8.

Hero Victory and Defeat

Hero Victory: With a final shriek, the creature sinks back into the earth, leaving a putrid black pool of ichor in its wake. Off in the shadows, glowing eyes dim, then fade entirely. The Worms have returned to their subterranean lair and now Bran Mak Morn may again turn his efforts toward crushing the encroaching Roman forces. But will Bran's people still accept his leadership? And will the King of the Heather ever truly shake the vile influence of these hellish fiends?

Hero Defeat: Failing to send the colossal demon back to the earth, Bran and his companions flee to the endless fields of heather. Surely the beast now dines on heaps of dead Romans, but the notion affords Bran scant mirth. He knows the Worms will find him in the days to come. He also knows his allies are losing faith in his leadership. Only the gods know what comes next, but for the defeated king the bloated, granite clouds hanging above the western horizon spell doom.