DANTE: Inferno Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Starting a New Game
  • Quick Combat
• Part I: The Chronicle Phase
  • Preparing the Chronicle Phase
  • Preparing the Exploration Board
  • Preparing the Champions
  • Detailed Instructions
    • Placing Region Cards
    • Advancing the Caravan
    • Inspecting a Region
    • Taking Treasure Cards
    • Taking Plot Cards (Discovery and Path)
    • Suffering Wounds
    • Enduring an Ordeal
      • General Structure of Ordeals
      • First Step - Identifying Linked Attributes
      • Second Step - Attributes Roll
      • Third Step - Champion Effort Roll
      • Fourth Step - Checking the Results
• Part II: The Transition Phase
  • Transitioning Between Phases
• Part III: The Confrontation Phase
  • Confrontation Setup Overview
  • Winning a Confrontation
  • Losing a Confrontation
  • Managing Arcana, Wounds, Sins and Findings Decks
  • Defeated Malefactors
  • Principles of Tactical Combat
    • Zones and Three-Dimensionality
    • Zones (Area, Central Space, Space)
    • Three-Dimensionality
    • Falling Damage
    • Range
      • At "Any Range"
• Keywords and Terms

Introduction

Exploration of the Inferno will be true to the original work, prompting players to make meaningful choices that will lead them to acquire mythological relics, provide them with special objectives in battle, and tell the stories of the characters they are playing.

Such decisions will change the Campaign and challenge the characters to question their convictions, because in order to prevail in the Land of Eternal Suffering, Saints also need to get their hands dirty...

Starting a New Game

First, players choose the game mode they want to experience Dante: Inferno - Quick Combat or Campaign.

In Quick Combat, players skip straight to the Three-Dimensional Tactical Combat Phase, the Confrontation. With each new Chapter, players progress their Champions and receive some random rewards, simulating a passage through the Chronicle Phase that never happened.

Therefore, if your group prefers Quick Combat, there is no need for you to learn about the game mechanics described in Parts I and II of this book (Chronicle Phase and Transition Phase). You can skip to III (Confrontation Phase). So, instead of starting with the Book of Chronicles's Introduction, you skip straight to the "Quick Combat" section.

In the Campaign, players will visit the 9 Circles of the Inferno, in order and in a continuous manner, starting from the Chronicle Phase before reaching the Three-Dimensional Tactical Combat Phase. With each new Chapter, players progress their Champions, experience the story we wrote and engage with the four protagonists. They will learn about "The Divine Comedy" through meaningful choices that can transform the course of the game.

If your group wants to start a Campaign, before playing, it is recommended that you read Part I of this book (Chronicle Phase), moving on to the Book of Chronicles afterwards.

Phases II and III (Transition Phase and Confrontation Phase) are only relevant after you reach the End of the Chronicle Phase and therefore can be left aside for now. This approach makes the experience more dynamic, so the reading of rules takes place between moments of actual play.

Quick Combat

If players prefer, the Caravan may skip the Chronicle Phase when they start any of the Circles. Players will miss out on finding some Treasures, discovering special Confrontation Objectives and experiencing narrative outcomes that depend on certain choices. They will receive special Equipment to balance out the combat experience, though.

Whenever this is the case, refer to the table below and apply the appropriate progression the Champions. If you are advancing directly from the 1st to the 7th Circle, for example, apply the appropriate progressions in order (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on). If you have already completed your Campaign up to the 5th Circle and choose to skip the Chronicle Phase of the 6th Circle, apply only the progressions associated with the 6th Circle to your game state.

So, no matter at what point you are in the Campaign, you can skip to combat in any of the scenarios, as long as you choose one that comes after a Confrontation you have already played.

Circle	Champion Status Card	Maneuvers Upgrades	Sacred Treasures
1st	Level 1	Base Deck	1 x Rank 1 Item
2nd	Level 2	1 x Level 2 Maneuver	1 x Rank 1 Item
3rd	Level 2	1 x Level 2 Maneuver	1 x Rank 1 Item
4th	Level 3	-	-
5th	Level 3	1 x Level 3 Maneuver	1 x Rank 2 Item
6th	Level 3	1 x Level 3 Maneuver	1 x Rank 2 Item

Part I: The Chronicle Phase

During the Chronicle Phase, Champions explore the Inferno through a journey based on the interaction between narrative and decision-making. Drawing a broad overview, it is structured as follows:

• The Caravan (an institution that represents the Party) makes decisions that place Region cards on the board, move to some of them, read narrative passages, perform Ordeals, and so on.
• Every decision may grant rewards, set the Caravan's objectives in the Confrontation Phase, and influence events in later Chapters. Until the Caravan reaches an entry stating that "The Chronicle Phase ends", the game continues in this way.
• When it does, some preparations are made in order to move game components from the Chronicle Phase to the Confrontation Phase and establish a Save Game state.

All in all, this summarizes Dante's Chronicle Phase. Details can be found on the following pages.

Preparing the Chronicle Phase

The preparation for the Chronicle Phase happens in three stages.

The first consists of organizing the board with everything you need to start any Chapter in Dante: The Standard Preparation.

The second is the Caravan preparation. This is when you should load your Save Game if you are playing a Campaign.

The third, guided by the Book of Chronicles, is the Circle preparation. It also provides the instructions to start the game.

Preparing the Exploration Board

Whenever the players are instructed to perform the Chronicle Phase Standard Preparation, this is how the board should be prepared:

1. Exploration Board - Place Dante's main board on the table, with the Exploration side up.
2. Resource Tray - Place your Resource Tray within reach of all players. Make sure the following components are in their respective places:
   • A. Tokens - Reserved space for the tokens.
   • B. Arcana Deck - Shuffle the 20 Arcana cards and pile them face down.
   • C. Wound Deck - Shuffle the 12 Wound cards and pile them with the Cooldown face up.
   • D. Sin Deck - Shuffle the 18 Sin cards and pile them face down.
   • E. Findings Deck - Shuffle the 20 Findings cards and pile them face down.
3. Caravan Pawn - Keep the model that represents the Caravan close.
4. Book of Chronicles - Keep the Book of Chronicles within everyone's reach. It will be the most-used component during this phase.
5. Dice - Take the dice and place them on the table, within everyone's reach.
6. Circle Components - Place the Treasure, Path, Discovery and Region cards in the appropriate spaces on the left of the Board, when you are instructed to do so by the Book of Chronicles.
7. Caravan Claims - Place the Path, Discovery and Arcana cards that were Offered in the appropriate spaces on the right of the Board as you pick up these cards throughout the Chronicle Phase.

Note that the first Chapter, Limbo, will show you these same instructions, in a "Tutorial Preparation". From the second Chapter on, players should refer to this book whenever they are instructed to perform this Standard Preparation.

Preparing the Champions

Now, prepare the Caravan following the instructions below. If you have a Saved Game, the Champion, Maneuver, and Equipment cards you pick up in steps 1, 3, and 5 respectively, will be those from your current status rather than the starting cards (if you have progressed them).

1. Take all the Champion cards, their models, and their Vigor markers.
2. Take a Champion Board for each Champion who will be controlled by a player and place their Champion card in the appropriate slot. If your party is not complete (with 4 players), take one of the remaining boards and use its back side, the Companions Board.
3. Each player takes their Champion's Maneuver cards, shuffles them, and places them in a face-down pile next to their Champion Board. This will be their Maneuver deck.
4. Flip any Champion cards that will not be controlled by a player to their Companion sides, placing them on the Companion Board.
5. Take all Starting Gear cards and assign them to their respective Champions.
6. Each Player Champion occupies the Maneuver Slots on their board with Cooldown face-up Wound cards. Companion Champions, in turn, place three Readiness tokens, Cooldown face-up, above their cards, but not directly on the cards.
7. Each Champion adjusts their starting Vigor to 6.

Now that the Board is ready, players can begin to play the Adventure by reading the "Introduction" entry for the Circle they are in.

NOTE: During the Chronicle Phase, Champions cannot use any of their Signature Skills, Traits, or Equipment Special Properties. For all intents and purposes, it is as if these skills do not exist until the Caravan joins a Confrontation. The Devotee, for example, cannot use her Martyrdom skill to assign to herself a Wound another Champion suffers if the Caravan has failed an Ordeal.

Detailed Instructions

In Dante, most instructions are as intuitive as possible, however, whenever players are in doubt, they can refer to this guide to check the particulars of each of them.

Placing Region Cards

Region cards are used as both a geographic and a visual reference for the players to keep track of their progress.

Whenever an instruction requires the players to place a Region card in a designated position on the Exploration Board, they are placed face up.

Note that this instruction alone is not enough for the players to move the Caravan to that Region or Inspect it, and there are no special actions for the players to take on Region cards just by standing on them.

(Example: the "#001 - Dark Forest" Region card, with a front and a back.)

Advancing the Caravan

The Champions will find themselves constantly traveling through the Exploration Board. To represent the Caravan's position and their progress, the players use the Caravan pawn.

The Caravan pawn is Dante Alighieri, the Florentine Poet. He is the Caravan's guide on this journey and also the Caravan pawn.

Movement is not free. The Caravan pawn only moves if an instruction tells the players to do so, as in: "Advance the Caravan to..."

Note that this only describes the process of moving the pawn to the indicated Region. It does not trigger any other events or the reading of narrative entries. Each of these actions needs to be instructed individually.

(Example: the players were instructed to Advance the Caravan to Region #008 - Limbo Bailey, so they move the pawn to it.)

Inspecting a Region

"Inspect" is the most frequent instruction players will follow during the Chronicle Phase. When players Inspect a Region, they look for the matching numbered entry in the Book of Chronicles and read it.

Each exploration step has two elements: a narrative passage (written in ITALICS) and game instructions (written in BOLD). An entry also has an illustration.

(Example: the Region entry "#001 - Dark Forest".)

The players must carry out the game instructions in the order in which they are written. Therefore, whenever they are directed to proceed to another Resolution, they do so immediately, disregarding any instructions written after this redirection. If an instruction establishes prerequisites, players should consider it only if they are met.

(Example: the Caravan should follow the instruction to Advance to Resolution 009-A only if the requirement, having the Angelic Sword Treasure card, is met.)

Several moments during the exploration present "dilemmas", consisting of a choice made in consensus between the players. Each player votes for one of the options they were offered. The option with the most votes will be chosen by the Caravan. In case of a tie, the players must find a way to reach consensus.

(Example: when they meet the three beasts, the Caravan faces a "dilemma." When this occurs, instructions will be provided following this standard.)

Taking Treasure Cards

The Inferno is not only filled with mystery and suffering. There are also incredible treasures the Caravan can claim along the journey.

When the Caravan takes a Treasure card, players, by consensus, can immediately assign it to a Champion or store it in the Caravan box. If that Champion already has Equipment of the same category, store it there. Players can swap their Equipment again when they go through the Transition Phase.

The Treasure cards are divided into two subgroups:

• Artifacts: Artifacts are material treasures such as Weapons or Relics. (Examples: the "Charon's Rags" and the "Angelic Sword" Artifact cards.)
• Traits: Traits represent transformations in the Champions' attitude or personality, as well as the blessings they received from other Characters. (Example: the "Vow of Redemption" Trait card.)

Treasures are carried from one Chapter to the next, until some instruction directs them to be returned to the box (should the Caravan lose that card somehow).

Taking Plot Cards (Discovery and Path)

Some Resolutions will instruct the players to take a Discovery card, or to place Path cards on top of a Region card on the board. These cards are part of the "Plot cards" group and represent paths, clues, or events that the Caravan has interacted with during the exploration.

The Plot cards are divided into two subgroups:

• Discovery cards: These cards represent knowledge that the Caravan has gained during exploration. The players will take these cards and keep them in the appropriate space on the Exploration Board to the right. (Example: Discovery card number 1, Limbo Map.)
• Path cards: Whenever a "narrative split" is reached, so the players don't get lost in the routes that are available, they will be instructed to place these cards on top of a Region card first. Thus, as they take these routes and they become unavailable, the players place these cards in the appropriate space on the Exploration Board, to the right. (Example: the "008-A - Visit Saladin" Path card.)

Discovery and Path cards are permanent. They are carried from one Circle to the next as long as no other instructions say that you must STORE them.

Suffering Wounds

Along the way, some situations may cost the Champions physically. Especially when Ordeals are involved. Whenever Champions suffer Wounds during the Chronicle Phase, perform, in order, the following procedures:

• Reset their Vigor to 6.
• If it is a Player Champion, they flip one of their Cooldown cards to the Wound side.
• Companion Champions, in turn, should assign a Readiness token, Wound face up, to block one of their Maneuvers.

NOTE: These procedures are the same that Champions carry out when they suffer Wounds during the Confrontation Phase.

Wounds interfere with a Champion's effectiveness in combat and contribute to their defeat in a Confrontation. You can find details regarding them in the "Conditions" section (see Conditions (Sins and Wounds) below).

Enduring an Ordeal

Not all decisions made during the Chronicle Phase have a defined Resolution. Whenever this is the case, the Caravan endures an Ordeal to determine the consequence of a choice.

Essentially, Ordeals are tests made through dice rolls, when players may spend Vigor points in exchange for improving the chances of success and obtaining rewards.

General Structure of Ordeals

Ordeals are resolved in five steps: two consisting of checking and three consisting of dice rolls. Champions roll dice collectively, trying to match or overcome the established difficulty.

Players should know that, whenever they endure an Ordeal, they end up spending resources one way or another. They need to assess the loss they intend to accept in exchange for improving their chances of claiming the rewards.

This is the outline of the resolution of an Ordeal:

1. Identify linked Attributes and Difficulty.
2. Attributes Roll for each Champion.
3. Effort Roll for each Champion. Decide the amounts simultaneously and before the Roll.
4. Results Check.
5. Roll pushing the Hand of Fate.

First Step - Identifying Linked Attributes

Ordeals will be announced by instructions mentioning their linked Attribute and their Difficulty as follows:

"The Caravan endures an Ordeal of Aggressiveness of Difficulty 11."

Once the players have identified the Ordeal, they may proceed to it.

Second Step - Attributes Roll

Each Champion has three Attributes: Aggressiveness (red); Prowess (green); and Willpower (blue). At this moment, each Champion rolls a number of dice equal to the points they have for the Attribute linked to the Ordeal.

(Example: the Mercenary has Aggressiveness 2. Thus, he can roll 2 dice in this Step.)

This first roll will provide a starting point for Champions to decide their next step based on the Hits and Fumbles they get.

(Example: considering the initial cards of the Corebox Champions, the Caravan rolls a total of 4 dice in this Stage: 2 for the Mercenary, 1 for the Devotee, 1 for the Outlaw.)

Third Step - Champion Effort Roll

Based on the Hits and Fumbles they obtained in the Second Step, the Champions, collectively, decide how many dice per Effort each of them intends to roll.

The objective remains the same: to collectively reach or exceed the number established by the Difficulty of the Ordeal. However, at this point, for each die they choose to roll, Champions spend 1 Vigor.

Champions must decide how much Effort they want to make together before rolling the dice. Each Champion can decide to roll as many dice as they want. If a Champion has zero Vigor at this point, they suffer a Wound and reset their Vigor to 6, then they continue to make the Effort if they want.

(Example: the Mercenary decides not to make an Effort. The Artist, on the other hand, decides to spend 3 Vigor to roll 3 dice while the other two Champions, Devotee and Outlaw, spend only 2, rolling 2 each. After rolling the dice for Effort, this is the final result the Caravan obtained. It is time to check the consequences.)

Fourth Step - Checking the Results

When the Attribute and Effort Roll Steps have finally ended, the Caravan then checks the results of the Ordeal.

• If the Caravan collectively obtains a number of Hits equal to or greater than the Difficulty, the Ordeal is a SUCCESS and it is ended.
• If they obtain a number of hits lower than the Difficulty, the Ordeal is a FAILURE, but this result is not yet definitive. Players have one last resort: the Fifth Step - Pushing the Hand of Fate.

(Example: the Caravan is FAILING the Ordeal. So, they will choose to Push the Hand of Fate. They could just accept the outcome, but they decide it is worth trying to overcome it.)

Fifth Step - Pushing the Hand of Fate

If the Caravan has not yet been SUCCESSFUL, there is still one last resort: to push the Hand of Fate and try to change the result of the Ordeal.

To do this, players can Offer 1 Arcana card to reroll all dice (including Hits). Each player must decide whether to push the Hand of Fate together before rolling the dice, and they can only Offer 1 Arcana card per player.

When an Arcana card is Offered, the player takes the top card from the deck and places it in the appropriate space on the right side of the Board. During Confrontation preparation, players will be instructed to add these cards to a Malefactor's deck.

Please note that Pushing the Hand of Fate is not mandatory. Players may accept the Ordeal result as a FAILURE if they do not wish to Offer Arcana cards.

(Example: since the Outlaw got the fewest Hits and the most Fumbles, he decides to Offer 1 Arcana card to reroll all his dice. The other Champions, satisfied with their results, keep them as they are. Having pushed the Hand of Fate, the players were able to reverse FAILURE and SUCCEED! The Malefactor will receive that 1 Arcana card to use against them in the Confrontation, but at least the players will receive the Ordeal rewards as well as the performance bonus!)

Bonus! Performance Awards

In addition, there are also special rewards (and losses) for Champions based on their individual performance in each Ordeal.

When the Ordeal is SUCCESSFUL, the Champion who obtained the greatest number of Hits receives an Attribute token. If two or more Champions score the same number of Hits, the Caravan, as a Team, chooses one of them to receive it.

When the Ordeal FAILS, on the other hand, the Champion who obtained the smallest number of Hits suffers a Wound (reset their Vigor to 6 immediately). Again, if two or more Champions score the same number of Hits, the Caravan, as a Team, chooses one of them to suffer the Wound.

There is no need to memorize this, as the Ordeal itself shows these instructions as part of its resolution.

(Example: following our example, the Artist would receive an Aggressiveness token. A valuable resource during the Confrontation Phase.)

In short, the more Ordeals the Caravan endures, the more worn out the Champions become. However, the rewards they receive are also greater. This exchange tends to be advantageous, as a Treasure remains until the end of the Campaign, but the losses when obtaining it affect only one Confrontation.

Arcana Card

An Arcana card has: 1. Title - the name that identifies an Arcana and its Action. 2. Illustration - thematic illustration representing an Arcana. 3. Numbered Instructions - describe, in the order they must be read and resolved, each effect applied by the action. Arcana are used as Actions. 4. Identification Code - helps to identify this component in your game.

Attribute Tokens

Triumphing over an Ordeal is always rewarding. Attribute Tokens represent special features, which can be used during the Confrontation Phase.

Attribute tokens are not permanent. At the end of the Confrontation, each Champion discards any tokens they acquired in the previous Circle, whether during the Chronicle Phase or Confrontation Phase.

These are the Attribute tokens: Aggressiveness, Prowess, and Willpower. Each Attribute has a special power, according to its theme:

• Aggressiveness: Brute force, relentless martial skill, and sheer intimidation. Aggressiveness is used in the narrative in brutal battles or social pressure situations. Whenever a Champion is Attacking, they can discard one of these tokens to add 6 Hits to their Attack Roll after they make it. Champions can only discard one Aggressiveness token per Attack they make.
• Prowess: Agility, dexterity, quick thinking. Everything involving the field of manual skills and delicate control of the body is represented by Prowess. During the Confrontation phase, as a Reaction, Champions can discard this token to BLOCK 6 damage that is being inflicted on them or that they are suffering (as in FATIGUE, for example).
• Willpower: Determination and stubbornness. Willpower is the attribute that indicates the Caravan's resilience to persevere in the face of the greatest challenges. During the Confrontation Phase, as a Free Action, Player Champions may discard one of these tokens to be able to perform a Maneuver on a Slot that is occupied by another Maneuver card. Companions, in turn, perform a Maneuver they have that is not blocked by a Wound.

Part II: The Transition Phase

The players have finally reached the end of the Chronicle Phase. In essence, the Transition Phase is nothing more than the steps that lead the game style transformation. Make the following preparations:

Transitioning Between Phases

1. Store the Caravan pawn.
2. Store any Treasure, Discovery, and Path cards that were not found by the Caravan.
3. Store all Region cards.

Then, the players organize the Equipment that the Champions will use during the Confrontation, moving those that will not be used back to the Caravan Box. So, follow these next instructions in order:

4. Champions can improve Sacred Treasures they possess by following the instructions in the Sacred Treasures section (see Equipment below).
5. Champions can exchange Treasures among themselves and the Caravan Box as they wish. Then, they prepare those that will be used in the Confrontation.
6. Any Treasures not being held by a Champion are stored in the Caravan Box.
7. Keep the Discovery and Path cards taken by the Caravan where they are. They may be mentioned during the Confrontation.
8. Take the Malefactor's Action tray and place it next to the Board.
9. Champions must be kept as they are. They begin the Confrontation with the Attribute tokens received, Wounds suffered, Vigor points lost, and/or any other resources spent or received during the Chronicle Phase.

Now, the Exploration Board will be completely empty and you can flip it over.

Once the Transition Phase is complete, proceed to the Confrontation section for the Circle that is being explored by the Caravan at the end of its Region card descriptions in the Chronicle Book.

Part III: The Confrontation Phase

The Confrontation is the phase in the game when the Champions fight the Malefactors on the battleground in tactical combat and is structured as follows:

• The game takes place through a succession of rounds; in each both factions take their turns.
• The Caravan's Turn consists of three steps followed by Taking Actions. Thus, it goes as follows:
  1. Clean-up Step
  2. Rebuild Step
  3. Preparation Step
  4. Taking Actions Window - the Champions can take Basic Actions, Free Actions and perform Maneuvers.
• The Malefactors' Turn consists only of playing the top card of any Action and/or Confrontation Event decks, following the order determined by the Confrontation Tray.
• Characters can also React and deliver Counterattacks. These can occur whenever they are triggered, even if it is not that Character's turn.

The round starts with the Caravan's Turn, from the Clean-Up Step on, and ends when the last card on the Malefactor's Action tray has been activated.

Confrontation Setup Overview

1. Confrontation Board - These are the Ground Level Areas. Characters, Buildings, and Furniture will be placed here.
2. Fierceness Track - Tracks each Champion's Fierceness level throughout the Confrontation.
3. Malefactor's Card - Space for the Malefactor's Status card.
4. Confrontation Tray, A to C - Where you place the Malefactors' Action decks, ordered from A to C.
5. Malefactor's Discard Piles, A to C - Reserved space (off the board) for you to place the cards that are discarded from the Malefactors' Action decks.
6. Confrontation Objective Cards - Where you place the Confrontation Objective cards, which offer victory conditions for this Confrontation.
7. Findings Discard Pile - Reserved space (off the board) for you to place the Findings cards that are used during the Confrontation.

Winning a Confrontation

Each Confrontation establishes Confrontation Objectives for that fight. Some Confrontations even have more than one Confrontation Objective, based on the Discovery cards the players have acquired during the Chronicle Phase. The Caravan will be victorious whenever they manage to accomplish one of them, no matter which.

(Example: these are the Confrontation Objectives for the first Confrontation Phase, against Minos. If the players discover Pasiphae's ruse, they succeed in battle by defeating either her or Minos.)

Note that each Confrontation Objective leads to a unique narrative outcome that can have consequences for future Circles.

Losing a Confrontation

The Caravan loses the Confrontation the moment a Champion is defeated, that is, they block their last Maneuver Slot with Condition cards (or block their last maneuver with a Wound, if it is a Companion Champion).

However, in some cases this does not mean that it is the end of the Campaign. Some Confrontations have Fail Forward mechanics, establishing the possibility of being defeated as one of the Confrontation Objectives.

Managing Arcana, Wounds, Sins and Findings Decks

In extreme situations, Confrontations can last to the point where the last card from one of the "game system" decks is drawn. Whenever this is the case, keep in mind that each deck is handled differently.

• Arcana - The Arcana deck is never rebuilt. When a Malefactor attempts to shuffle an Arcana card into their Action deck but there are none left, they simply skip that instruction.
• Wounds - As they are removed from the Champion Boards, Wounds are returned to this deck (as all cards are the same). This way, it will never be truly empty.
• Sins - As they are removed from the Champion Boards or Hands, they are moved to the Sin cards Discard Pile. When a Champion is instructed to draw a Sin card but the deck is empty, shuffle the Discard Pile to rebuild the deck.
• Findings - Findings are limited. The Findings deck is never rebuilt during a Confrontation if the last card in it is drawn.

Defeated Malefactors

Malefactors are defeated when the last card in their Action deck is discarded. If the Confrontation does not end because of this, lay their model down on the board.

Defeated Malefactors do not ACTIVATE during the Malefactors' Turn, but this does not mean they are not in the battle. Effects can interact with them and even add new cards to their empty decks through Arcana or REGENERATE effects. Whenever this happens, raise the Malefactor's model. They are no longer defeated and continue to ACTIVATE during that Confrontation.

Note that sometimes defeating a Malefactor (or one of their specific Action decks) will be enough to complete the Confrontation Objective and end the battle with the Caravan's victory, but this is not always the case.

The victory condition for a Confrontation Objective that states "Defeat All Malefactors" is only achieved when all Malefactors' Action decks are simultaneously empty.

Principles of Tactical Combat

Before we delve in the actions that Characters can take during a Confrontation, we must understand the basics of tactical combat in Dante: Inferno. Movement, Range, Facing... All these terms have definitions that will be referred to whenever you deal with effects related to a Confrontation.

Zones and Three-Dimensionality

The Confrontation Board is composed of 3 types of zones (Areas, Central Spaces, and Spaces) and Levels (Ground Level, 1st Level, 2nd Level, and so on). Zones are the places that models can occupy, while Levels are the three-dimensional "layers" to which these zones are attached.

The Ground Level is always represented by the board itself, while the other Levels only exist on three-dimensional elements.

Zones (Area, Central Space, Space)

The Zones are the board's physical locations.

• Area: An Area is a square section of the board composed of a Central Space and the four Spaces that surround it. Movement and distances in Dante are measured using Areas as a reference.
• Central Space: The circle in the center of an Area is called the Central Space. Although it is represented on the board, most of the time it will be empty, as only Malefactors can occupy them, and only one of these at a time. Small Characters never occupy a Central Space.
• Space: The four spaces surrounding the Central Space are just called Spaces. Spaces are only occupied by Small Characters and Furniture. Each Space can only be occupied by one Small Character or Furniture at a time.

Three-Dimensionality

Three-dimensionality is not just decorative. The Level a character is on can affect some of their Maneuvers, in addition to subjecting them to the dangers of Falling Damage.

Whatever the type, Scenario Damage is added to the effect that inflicts damage on these characters and applied all at once. Therefore, a Malefactor who suffers 6 damage and, upon resolving this same Action, suffers 2 Falling Damage, will not suffer two separate damage (6 and 2), but only one (8). That Malefactor may end up suffering additional Wounds as a result.

Falling Damage

Falling Damage is likely to happen when a character MOVES or is PUSHED from a higher Level to a lower Level.

In the first case, Falling Damage will only happen if there are no Stairs connecting the two Areas through which the character moves. So, when the movement is voluntary, Stairs allow a safe 1-Level change.

Malefactors do not take Falling Damage while MOVING.

(Example: these Stairs are connecting two Areas on different Levels. Characters that MOVE from Level 1 to the ground level using them do not suffer Falling Damage.)

In the second case, Falling Damage will happen even if there are Stairs connecting the two Areas, as being PUSHED down Stairs is just as painful as falling. So, when moving is involuntary, Falling Damage is always applied when there are Level changes.

(Example: the Mercenary is PUSHED 1. As he is on the 1st Level, he falls and suffers Falling Damage.)

A Falling Character suffers 2 damage for each Level they fall. Therefore, if a Champion falls from the 1st Level to the Ground Level, or from the 2nd Level to the 1st, they will suffer 2 damage. If by chance this Champion falls from the 2nd to the Ground Level, then they will suffer 4 damage.

NOTE: Environmental Damage caused by a Malefactor Action does not count as damage being inflicted by that Malefactor, and cannot be BLOCKED by effects that "BLOCK X amount of damage being inflicted on you by Malefactor Actions or Counterattacks".

Range

As mentioned before, Range takes the board Areas into account. So, when you measure the Range between two Objects, or between yourself and a possible target, count how many Areas there are until the effect reaches its target, not counting the Area occupied by the casting Character.

Take note that Range is calculated orthogonally. Diagonal calculation is not allowed.

(Example: Minos is within Range 2 of the Devotee.)

Last but not least: Range does not consider Levels or Line of Sight. That is, whenever you consider the Range between two Objects, imagine them as if they were both on the Ground Level.

(Example: the Outlaw is on the Ground Level. Still, the Range between him and Minos is only 2 Areas, as if both of them were on the Ground Level.)

At "Any Range"

Champions' Maneuvers, Malefactors' Actions and Counterattacks may have effects applied to Champions "at Any Range". Whenever this is the case, an Any Range Champion is a Champion who is anywhere on the Board.

Take note that Champions who are being HELD or ARRESTED are not on the Board and therefore cannot be targeted by "Any Range" effects, even if they are beneficial to them.

Unlimited Range

Some Maneuvers or Equipment grant this to Champions' Attacks. These Attacks can target any Character anywhere, including off the board (for example, one of the Furies may fly away from the fight).

Movement

Moving a Character is the most basic action in Dante.

Movement is calculated by considering the Areas that the character intends to cross. When the character ends their movement, they choose an empty Space in the Area where they stopped. If there are none, the character cannot move into that Area at this moment.

Take note that movement (as well as PUSH) is done orthogonally, just like the calculation for Range. Diagonal movement is not allowed.

Small Characters move from Space to Space while Malefactors move from Central Space to Central Space.

(Example: the Artist moves through two Areas and chooses an empty Space to occupy where she ends her movement. Minos moves across two Areas, occupying the Central Space of the Area he lands on.)

The effect that allows characters to move between areas is MOVE or ADVANCE, found on Maneuvers and the Malefactors' Action cards. This is also one of the Basic Actions that Champions can take.

Moving Between Different Levels

Movement between Levels is not completely free. While you can move down from one Level to another as if you were moving on the Ground Level (although you may take Falling Damage), you cannot move up from one Level to the next this freely.

Characters can only move to an Area that is on a Level above the one they are on if there are Stairs between them, or if they are MOVING with CLIMB.

(Example: the Outlaw wants to climb from the Ground Level to the top of a building, onto the 1st Level. He cannot climb because there are no Stairs and his MOVE does not have CLIMB. Now, he can climb the building by passing through the stairs.)

In short, a character who goes down a Level does not need to use the Stairs (only if they want to avoid Falling Damage), but the opposite is not true. MOVE with CLIMB, however, ignores both the need for Stairs and Falling Damage.

Moving Across Platforms

Champions navigate different surfaces by adhering to the standard movement rules. Moving from the top of a Pillar or Building to the top of another Building or Pillar is permissible, provided they are at the same Level. You can move down a Level, as previously mentioned, but doing so will incur Falling Damage. For all intents and purposes, the top of a Pillar, for example, is just a Space like any other on the board.

(Example: the Outlaw is on top of a Pillar and moves to the top of a Building. As both Spaces are on the same Level, he simply MOVE 1. He can also move directly to an adjacent Area that is not covered by another Pillar or Building. In this case, in addition to MOVE 1, he will also take 2 Falling Damage, since he moved from the First Level to the Ground Level without using Stairs or moving with CLIMB.)

Facing

Malefactors have another feature that differs from Small Characters: they have a Front and Back.

Thus, Malefactors always have a "Facing"; that is, they are facing one of the four Spaces in their Area, consequently turning their Back to the Space opposite it. Be careful never to change the direction a Malefactor is facing when moving them.

(Example: Minos is facing the Mercenary. The Artist, in turn, is behind him.)

NOTE: Sometimes, the Faced Champion may be diagonally across from the Malefactor, so the direction to Face them may not be obvious at first. Whenever this is the case, remember the concept of the arc: the extension of the diagonal lines in that Area. Thus, the Malefactor Faces the arc where that Champion is located.

(Example: if Minos had to Face the Outlaw next, he would need to turn 90 degrees to the left, as the Space occupied by the Outlaw is not in his Front arc.)

Turn Around

Malefactors are always vigilant. If attacked from their Backs, they immediately Turn Around to Face the Attacking Champion right after the attack, before any Collateral Effects (xCOLLATERAL) or Counterattacks are resolved. Note that, apart from this, Malefactors never automatically Face a direction.

(Example: if the Artist attacked Minos from behind, after she resolves her attack, Minos turns to Face her.)

Malefactor Movement

Like any character, Malefactors follow the movement rules.

The details that are not described yet are the clarifications of the instructions "Approaching", "Distancing", and "In a Straight Line", which are very much present in these Characters' cards.

• ADVANCE: Some effects can make a Character jump from one corner of the board to the other in the blink of an eye. When a character ADVANCES, they place their model in the indicated Area. Note that ADVANCE is not the same as MOVE. Therefore, ADVANCE ignores Level restrictions or Falling Damage. Characters only consider that they stepped on the position where they ended their ADVANCE, disregarding each Area they crossed as if they had jumped over them.

• APPROACHING: Whenever a Malefactor Approaches a Champion, they try to move to the Area that Character is in, following a possible route, using the movement necessary to do so or using all of their movement to get as close as possible if their movement is not enough. Possible routes are those that reach the destination, even if they require a longer path, going around obstacles or going up Stairs. If there is no possible route, the Malefactor gets as close as they can.

  (Example: Minos has been instructed to MOVE 2, Approaching the Fiercest Champion who, for this example, will be the Mercenary. Minos could go past the stairs, or he could move down from the top of the building, which is straight down to the Ground Level, taking Falling Damage. As both routes end 1 Area away from the Mercenary, it is up to the Fiercest Champion to choose which route Minos takes. In another case, the Malefactor ends his movement, but is unable to reach the Area the Mercenary is in. Considering now that the positions were opposite, Minos only has one route to follow, as only the route that goes up the Stairs can reach the Mercenary on top of the Building. Minos then follows the only possible route and ends his movement as close to the Mercenary as possible.)

• DISTANCING: Whenever a Malefactor Distances from a Champion, they will try to move to the Farthest Area from the one that Character is in, following a possible route and using the maximum movement possible. If two or more routes they can cross go through the same number of Areas, the Fiercest Champion chooses which of them the Malefactor takes. Possible routes are those that reach the destination, even if they require a longer path, going around obstacles or going up Stairs.

  (Example: Minos is resolving his "Arcing Spin" Counterattack and has been instructed to MOVE 1, Distancing from the Attacking Champion who, for this example, will be the Mercenary. Minos couldn't go up the building since his movement does not have CLIMB. Even though the characters would have to walk around it if he went to the top of the building, distances are measured as if all the Areas were on the Ground Level. In this case, the Fiercest Champion decided that Minos moves to his left.)

Champion Attacks

Like moving, attacking is one of the most basic game mechanics in Dante. Attacks can be Melee, which may only target Malefactors that are in the same Area as the Attacking Champion. We say that Champion is "Engaged in Combat". Attacks can also be Ranged, which can only target Malefactors in another Area; but Ranged Attacks cannot be made if there is a Malefactor in the same area as the Attacking Champion, unless they have Unlimited Range.

(Example: the Artist is in the same Area as Minos and therefore can make Melee Attacks against him, but cannot make Ranged Attacks. The Outlaw can make Ranged Attacks against Minos, but cannot make Melee Attacks against him.)

Most of the time, Maneuvers instruct Champions to make "Attacks". Their Category and Range is determined by the Weapon the Champion wields. If they wield a Melee Weapon, then it will be a Melee Attack and the Range will be 0.

(Example: the Longsword is a Melee Weapon. Attacks made by Champions who wield it have Range 0. The Longbow is a Ranged Weapon and has Range 3. Champions who wield it cannot Attack if Engaged in Combat, but they can target Malefactors within Range 3.)

Attack Rolls

The "Attack Roll" is a test that checks whether the damage the attack causes is capable of inflicting a Wound on the enemy.

To do this, the Attacking Champion gathers the set of dice they will need. It is simple: Start with the weapon's Power, then add any bonuses indicated by the effect being used or other abilities they have.

Having established their dice pool, they then make the Attack Roll by rolling those dice, all at once. From there, it is enough to count the results obtained on the dice: Each "Hit" adds 1 damage to the roll. "Fumble" faces do not represent penalties, but they count for triggering a Counterattack, which we will further explain later on.

(Example: the Mercenary has performed a Melee Attack with a set of 8 dice. Counting the Hits, he got 6 points of damage. Besides that, he also rolled 4 Fumble faces.)

However, damage by itself does not mean Wounds. Malefactors have a trait called STURDINESS, which represents their passive resistance to damage. An attack only inflicts a wound on a Malefactor if it deals damage equal to or greater than their STURDINESS.

(Example: continuing, the Mercenary dealt 6 points of damage to Minos, an amount greater than his STURDINESS of 5. So, the Mercenary managed to inflict a Wound on his enemy.)

When an attack inflicts a Wound on a Malefactor, they must discard the top card from their Action deck. When their last card is discarded, that Malefactor is defeated.

Special Rule - Powerful Attack: Whenever an Attack has a Pool of 21 or more dice, the roll is modified. That Champion will roll the 20 dice (the maximum) and, for each die they are about to roll beyond the twentieth, that Champion adds 2 Hits to their Roll after making it. Example: The Outlaw has a pool of 23 dice. So he will roll 20 of them and add 6 Hits after he does.

Counterattacks

Attacks can also provoke Counterattacks in addition to any Wound they may inflict. In fact, an Attack can cause a Counterattack even if it didn't inflict any Wounds. Although Counterattacks and Wounds are both related to the Attack Roll, they are not tied to each other.

A Counterattack is provoked whenever a number of Fumble faces equal to or greater than the target's THRESHOLD are rolled during an Attack Roll. In that case, right after the line of effect (not the entire card) that triggered the Counterattack is resolved, flip over the top card of the Malefactor's Action deck and perform the Effects on it.

If the Attack inflicts a Wound, then, the card is discarded as usual. Otherwise, if a Counterattack has been provoked but a Wound is not inflicted, return that card to the bottom of that Malefactor's Action deck instead (Action side up).

(Example: the Mercenary got 4 Fumble faces on his Attack Roll. For this reason, before discarding the Action card, Minos will Counterattack.)

Empowered Counterattacks

Whenever an Attack Roll results in more Fumbles than the ones needed to trigger a Counterattack, for each additional Fumble rolled, any damage described as "base damage" in that Counterattack effect is increased by 1.

(Example: applying the above to a Counterattack, Tackle will then deal 5 damage to the targeted Champion.)

Multiple Wounds

Well-placed attacks can inflict more than one Wound on the same Attack Roll. This happens whenever the roll results in a value that is a multiple of your target's STURDINESS. So, an Attack that has caused 8 damage, for example, inflicts 2 Wounds on a Malefactor who has STURDINESS 4. Naturally, if the Attack had caused 12 damage, then 3 Wounds would have been inflicted, and so on.

Also, whenever an Attack inflicts Multiple Wounds, causing Counterattacks, players must not perform the Counterattack described on each of the Action cards that will be discarded. Instead, just perform the one described on the top card of the targeted Malefactor's deck, as you normally would. The remaining cards are moved directly to the Discard Pile.

(Example: consider that the Attack Roll resulted in 2 Wounds and provoked a Counterattack. Perform the Counterattack on the back of the top card, 'Tackle', and then move it to the Discard Pile. The second Wound, in turn, is resolved directly, simply being moved from the deck to the discard pile.)

Arcana and Counterattacks

The Malefactors' Action cards always have Counterattacks, however, game circumstances may cause Arcana cards to be shuffled into their decks which may become the top cards during the Confrontation.

Whenever this is the case, the Arcana cards are shuffled face down, making their Actions secret. However, there is one advantage: Arcana can never be used as Counterattacks.

So, whenever Champions attack an Action deck with an Arcana card on its top, they do not provoke Counterattacks, no matter how many Fumbles they get on the Attack roll, even if they inflict 2 or more Wounds on the Malefactor.

Resolving the Layers of an Attack

Most Attacks will be resolved in a simple manner: Attack Rolling; checking Hits and STURDINESS; resolving Counterattacks and applying Wounds.

However, as Champions acquire new skills and players are exposed to new gameplay mechanics, resolving an Attack can become more complicated, as many effects and actions can be taken in different windows during one.

Whenever this is the case, refer to the instructions mentioned in this section. Please note, however, that this reading is not recommended for beginners. It includes game terms that require prior familiarity, and the general explanation in the previous topic covers most situations in Confrontations.

The following details should be referenced only when there is uncertainty about the order in which these effects should be applied if Champion and Malefactor skills conflict.

Trigger Windows During an Attack

When Champions are instructed to perform an Attack, they follow the steps below in the order they are described. They highlight the actions taken before, during, and after the Attack Roll, detailing when each effect is applied during its resolution.

1. Assembling the Dice Pool - The first step in resolving an Attack is to Assemble the Dice Pool, adding up any bonuses the Attacking Champion may have.

   • A. Weapon Power - The Pool begins to be formed based on the Power of the Weapon being wielded, then takes the appropriate number of dice.
   • B. Action Bonus - Most Maneuvers and Actions that instruct Champions to make Attacks include a dice bonus. If that instruction has some mechanic for exchanging resources for dice bonuses, the Attacking Champion must now choose whether to use it or not.
   • C. Empowerment - If that Champion has EMPOWER tokens, they are discarded to add dice to the Pool at this time. Champions cannot save them for a later Attack.
   • D. Passive Dice Bonuses - Some skills grant passive bonuses to an Attack, as in "Attacks you make receive a +X dice bonus...". Add these dice to the Pool.
   • E. Exchanging Bonuses Before Rolling - Some abilities offer optional bonuses (sometimes not just dice) even before the Attack Roll, as in "Whenever you are Attacking, before the Roll, you...". Whenever this is the case, the Attacking Champion now chooses whether to take these bonuses or not.

   (Example: the Mercenary, Gadisa, has 4 EMPOWER tokens, is wielding his Longsword Weapon, and is performing the Magistral Blow Maneuver. First, he takes 3 dice related to the Power of his Longsword. Then, he adds the 4 dice related to the Maneuver bonus, also choosing to discard 2 Maneuver cards from his Hand to add 3 dice for each card. So, at the end of the first two steps, he has 13 dice. Then, he discards the EMPOWER tokens he has, exchanging them for extra dice. Gadisa now has 17 dice. Since he does not have any passive dice bonuses (like Caedan, the Outlaw, for example), the Mercenary skips to the last step and decides whether to spend 2 Vigor points to add 2 more dice to the Attack. He chooses to do so, thus, in the end, he has 19 dice!)

(Example: the Mercenary, Gadisa, got 7 Hits, 6 Double Hits and 6 Fumbles on his Attack Roll. He skips directly to the Calculating the Attack Results Step, as he has no skills that passively grant Hits, Exchanging Bonuses after the Roll or Collateral Effects. Gadisa attacked Cerberus, who has STURDINESS 7 and THRESHOLD 2, with a powerful 19 points of damage, but provoking a Counterattack with 4 bonus points per empowerment. After performing Cerberus' Counterattack, players move that card to the Discard Pile and then discard one more card from his Action deck, since 2 Wounds have been inflicted in total.)

3. Counterattack Resolution - The third stage consists of resolving the Counterattack before the Wounds are applied, if they are not BLOCKED or REDIRECTED.
   • A. Revealing a Counterattack - The first step for resolving a Counterattack is to flip the top Action card of the attacked Action deck and read its effects. This step consists only of revealing it and reading the instructions.
   • B. Cancellation Window - Some effects allow Champions to CANCEL a Counterattack. Whenever this is the case, they should apply these effects in this window. If they do, the Counterattack is ended. Apply the appropriate Wounds (if there are any) and continue the game.
   • C. Performing a Counterattack - If the Counterattack was not CANCELED, then the Malefactor performs it, before suffering the Wounds that are being inflicted on them.
     • Blocking and Redirecting - Some effects BLOCK Wounds, REDIRECT the damage being dealt, or temporarily increase the Malefactor's STURDINESS. For any of these, simply refer to the "snapshot" taken in Step 2.E. BLOCKS and STURDINESS enhancements can lead to a reduction in the amount of Wounds inflicted, while REDIRECTIONS cause other Action decks (or even Champions) to take the damage instead of the primary target.
     • Last Minute Knockout - If the Malefactor defeats the Caravan during the resolution of the Counterattack, even if the damage caused by the Attack is also sufficient to defeat that Malefactor and fulfill the Confrontation Objective, the Caravan is defeated first.
   • D. Applying Wounds - Finally, the final damage is applied and Wounds are inflicted. Check the current STURDINESS of the targeted (or REDIRECTED) deck and apply damage to it, inflicting the appropriate number of Wounds.

Even though each of these three stages is full of processes, their resolution during the course of a Confrontation is almost imperceptible. Abilities will not conflict for most of the time.

Champions

The Champion Board is a neutral piece. What will give it color and make it unique is the Champion card that is placed in the appropriate space. From this moment on, the Champion Board becomes the Artist's, Devotee's, Mercenary's, or Outlaw's Board. Each of these characters has their own model, Maneuver deck, Starting Weapon, and, of course, Champion card.

(Example: the Devotee has a model, Maneuver cards, Starting Gear card, and a Champion card.)

In addition, Champion cards also have Signature Skills, adding strategic and thematic layers to your game experience. Check the details about these cards below.

Champion Card

1. Archetype - Dante's Champions are named by Archetypes throughout the narrative.
2. Proficiency - Determines what types of Weapons this Champion can equip. Champions who are proficient with Melee Weapons cannot equip Ranged Weapons and vice versa.
3. Attributes - Number of dice the Champion rolls for free at each Ordeal associated with them. Attributes are also used during Attribute Tests imposed by some Malefactor abilities during the Confrontation.
   • A. Aggressiveness
   • B. Prowess
   • C. Willpower
4. Name - A Champion's Name is what makes them thematically unique. You could have two Devotees (if you purchased expansion packs with additional Champions), but you will only have one Anabelle.
5. Signature Skills - These are the Champion's Signature Skills. They can have a passive effect or an effect that triggers from some game situations.
6. Identification Code - Helps identify this component in your game.

The Champions' Signature Abilities are usually passive abilities, meaning they always have an effect or can be used when needed; or triggered abilities, meaning they take effect whenever there is a trigger and the player chooses to take action.

The Artist, for example, has the Signature Ability "Improvisation," which is passive. So, whenever she wants, she can play a Maneuver card on top of another one by paying 3 vigor points for each card on that Maneuver slot.

The Devotee's Signature Skill, "Martyrize", on the other hand, is a reaction. That is, it takes effect the moment another Champion would suffer a Wound, allowing her to suffer that Condition in her ally's place if she desires to do so.

Progressing Maneuver Decks

Throughout their journey, Champions enhance their abilities, adapting to the difficulties experienced in the Inferno. At the end of most Confrontations, they receive a new Maneuver card to improve their decks.

Each Chapter specifies the Level of this card, but one thing is common to all: new cards replace old cards in the Champion's deck, ensuring they always have a total of 7 cards.

(Example: the Mercenary has received a new Maneuver card, Sundering Strike. He chose to remove Hold the Line. His deck still has the same number of cards, 7: 6 Level 1, 1 Level 2.)

The Maneuver cards that your Champion has removed from their deck are kept in the Champion Box, along with the cards they have not yet received or chosen, separated from those being used.

Swapping a Maneuver card is permanent, but if you prefer a more casual approach (especially if you feel like you haven't yet mastered the game's mechanics), you can swap them throughout the chapters. If you do, always remember to maintain deck composition: if Champions only have access to one new Level 2 card, their deck must contain only one Level 2 card.

Progressing Champion Cards

As they recover a lost piece of their memory, Champions improve their characters. This transformation replaces their Champion card, which adds a new ability that corresponds to their choice when faced with a personal dilemma.

When Champions Progress, replace the Champion card they are using with the one indicated in the instructions, taking the new card from their Champion Boxes. From this moment on, that Champion will use their new card for the rest of the Campaign (or until they progress again).

Store the old cards with the other Champion cards (which are no longer used or have not yet been discovered) in the same Boxes.

(Example: the Mercenary progressed to Infatuated Condottiero. From now on, this will be his card until the end of the Campaign, or until he progresses again.)

The Caravan's Turn

The time has come for the Caravan to act. Before they take their actions, each Champion needs to organize their Champion Board. Thus, at the beginning of each Caravan's Turn (including the first one), every Champion performs, in order, the following steps:

Clean-Up Step

This is when the players prepare their Champion Board to play Maneuver cards in the new turn. To do so, they move every Maneuver card on their board to their discard pile. Conditions (Sin or Wound/Cooldown cards) are not moved in this way; They remain until some effect instructs the players to remove them.

(Example: the Devotee has cleared her board. Since she only had Maneuver cards, they were all moved to her discard pile. One of her cards is a Sin card which is not moved to the discard pile during the Clean-Up Step.)

Please note that this process is not voluntary: Players cannot choose to leave a Maneuver card on their board.

Rebuild Step

With their boards thus prepared, the players now draw new Maneuver cards. At this moment, each Champion holding less than four cards must draw cards from their Maneuver deck until they reach this limit.

(Example: the Mercenary has 2 cards in his hand and therefore, in the Rebuild Step, he has to draw 2 cards.)

If there are not enough cards to draw, that player must "rebuild their deck" by shuffling their discard pile, which will become their new Maneuver deck. Note that this action is only taken when a Champion tries to draw a card and fails: If the last card is drawn but there is no need to draw another card, the Maneuver deck is not reshuffled at this point.

Rebuilding a deck, however, is not free.

Whenever a Champion rebuilds their Maneuver deck, before drawing the remaining cards to complete their hand, they must draw 1 Sin card. The Sin card represents the negative influence the Inferno exerts on their bodies and spirits.

(Example: his Maneuver deck only had 1 remaining card but he needs to draw 2 cards, so firstly, the Mercenary draws the last card from the deck. He then reshuffles his Discard Pile to form a new deck. This causes him to draw a Sin card, bringing his Hand to the 4-card limit, so he does not need to draw another card from the new deck anymore.)

Note that a Champion may not need to draw a new card from the deck they have just reshuffled, as by drawing this Sin card they may have reached the required 4 cards in their hand.

Another important note is about a player's Hand size: Champions can have up to 4 cards in their Hand. If they are forced to draw a fifth card, they don't do so unless it's a Sin card. In this case, the Champion discards a Maneuver card in order to keep the Hand size.

Some abilities may extend a Champion's Hand size.

Companion Champions also complete their "Hands" at this point, but the process for them is a little different. Since they do not hold Maneuver cards, what they do instead is retrieve the Readiness tokens that were assigned to their Maneuvers. Readiness tokens with the "Wound" side up, however, cannot be retrieved this way.

Preparation Step

With their boards and hands ready, the Champions need to perform one last step before taking any actions: Preparation. In this step, they recover some of their resources:

• PREPARATION: Each Champion receives PREPARE 1. When Player Champions PREPARE, they remove a Cooldown card from their Board. Companion Champions, in turn, take a Readiness token that is not on their card and place it in the token area. Cooldown face up in both cases.
• INVIGORATE: Each Champion receives INVIGORATE 3.

Taking Actions

When all players are ready, it's time for the Champions to take their actions. Each player will be able to take Basic Actions and perform Maneuvers as they wish, without any specific order of turns. Players can take actions in any order as they see fit to get the best out of their skills and tactical cooperation.

A player can, for example, play a Maneuver card and wait for one of their allies to take a Basic Action or play one of their own Maneuver cards before taking another action. Players can alternate between playing Maneuver cards, taking Basic Actions and Free Actions as they wish during the Caravan's Turn. The Taking Actions Window only ends when all players declare that they do not intend to take any more actions.

So, even if the Artist, the Devotee, and the Outlaw have declared that they no longer intend to take any actions, but they change their minds after the last action taken by the Mercenary is resolved, they can still take more actions.

There are three types of Actions that Champions can take: Basic Actions, Free Actions, and Maneuvers.

Basic Actions

Some Actions can be taken by any Champion without the need for them to play a Maneuver card. Just announce that they want to do it, pay the respective costs and obey the restrictions.

A Champion can take as many Basic Actions as they like during the Take Actions step, as long as no other card effects are currently being resolved, but must pay 1 Vigor point each time they do so.

The Basic Actions are MOVE 1, INTERACT, and DELIVER ITEM and you can find their descriptions below:

• MOVE 1: The Champion receives 1 movement point; that is, they move their model one Area on the board.

  (Example: the Outlaw took three MOVE 1 actions, moving through 3 Areas by paying 3 points of Vigor, 1 at time.)

  NOTE: A Champion can move from one Space to another Space in the same Area by spending 1 movement point. They do not need to leave their current Area and return to it later if they want to change their Space in that Area.

• INTERACT: The Champion INTERACTS with a Furniture piece that is in their Area. Check the effects of this action in the specific description of each type of Furniture.

  (Example: the Outlaw INTERACTS with a Pillar. This action's effect, determined by the Pillar, results in him climbing onto it.)

• DELIVER ITEM: The Champion gives a Findings card they are carrying to another Champion at any range. If a Champion wants to give a Findings card to another Champion who is already holding one, the cards are exchanged between those Champions.

  (Example: the Mercenary chooses to pass the Miry Sinkhole Findings card to the Artist. He, the one taking the Deliver Item Basic Action, pays 1 Vigor point.)

Free Actions

Free Actions are actions that Champions can take at no cost. However, like Basic Actions and Maneuvers, a Champion can only take a Free Action during the Taking Actions step of the Caravan's Turn. A Champion is allowed to take as many Free Actions as they can or want per turn.

Consuming Consumable Items, as well as all actions that specify "As a Free Action..." are Free Actions.

NOTE: Consumable Items that specify that they must be consumed via a Reaction cannot be consumed as a Free Action.

Performing Maneuvers

Maneuvers combine several effects on a single card. They are powerful, signature actions a Champion can take, giving them the thematic overtones that make them unique.

To perform a Maneuver, the player chooses a Maneuver card from their hand, announces it, and plays it on an empty Maneuver Slot on their Champion Board.

There is no numerical limit to how many Maneuvers someone can perform in a turn, but there is a physical limit: Maneuver cards can only be played on empty slots. Thus, if all the Maneuver Slots on a Champion's board are occupied, they will be unable to play another Maneuver.

(Example: the Artist has three empty slots on her Champion Board.)

NOTE: Some effects can cause Champions to recover Maneuver cards from their boards while still in the Taking Actions step, allowing them to perform a fourth Maneuver, for example.

Maneuver Card

1. Title - This is the name of the Maneuver represented on this card.
2. Corresponding Champion - This supporting illustration identifies which Champion deck this Maneuver belongs to.
3. Level - Displays the Level of this card.
4. Fierceness - This value represents how many positions on the Fierceness Track you must move the Champion's marker when performed.
5. Numbered Effects - Any effects that will always be applied when this Maneuver is performed.
6. Identification Code - Helps identify this component in your game.

Resolving Maneuvers

The process for resolving Maneuver effects must be performed as follows:

1. Play the card in an empty slot of your Champion Board, announcing the title of the Maneuver;
2. Adjust the Fierceness Track;
3. Apply all the effects in the order in which they are written.

To adjust your Champion's position on the Fierceness Track, check the Fierceness value of the Maneuver and raise your position one step for each point, then adjust the order of the track.

(Example: the Mercenary is performing "Transversal Swing", which has Fierceness 1. So, as soon as he plays the card, before resolving its effects, advance his marker on the Fierceness Track accordingly. The Mercenary, who was in 2nd position, jumps to 1st, pushing the Outlaw to the position he occupied moments ago.)

Applying Maneuver Effects

Once the player has adjusted their Champion's position on the Fierceness Track, the effects of the Maneuver are applied. To do this, the player reads the instructions and executes them in the order they are written, one at a time.

(Example: taking the Artist's "Flourish" Maneuver, the first effect allows her to MOVE 1 with CLIMB. The second effect, make an Attack, will be applied after this movement is complete.)

Note that each Maneuver effect is written and numbered as a separate instruction. That is, each of these instructions, even if they have more than one effect described in them, must be treated as a unit. Any Counterattacks only take effect after all of the effects in the instruction which has triggered them have been completely resolved, but before any other numbered effect of that Maneuver.

NOTE: When you perform a Maneuver, you do not need to be able to fulfill all of its effects. For example, if you are equipped with a Melee Weapon and are instructed to make an Attack, but there are no Malefactors within reach, you simply ignore that instruction. Any other steps of the Maneuver are still completed as they are. You cannot choose not to do any step voluntarily. You might be able to make it or not.

Choosing Targets for the Effects

Maneuvers tend to describe their effects in full, although many of them use Keywords to simplify the text and keep the consistency. Some terms, such as "You," "Another Champion," or "Another Character," however, are just instructions to understand which targets can be chosen for receiving the described effect.

• You: This effect is applied to the Champion performing the Maneuver.
• Another Champion: This effect can only target a Champion other than the one performing the Maneuver.
• Character: This effect can target any kind of Character. Therefore, this effect can target both Champions and Malefactors.
• And/Or: This describes effects that may be applied to the Champion performing the Maneuver, or if they can also target themselves in addition to other Characters.

Some emerging situations may raise a few questions.

Note that since effects must first resolve completely, some Reactions and Counterattacks may cause a Champion or Malefactor to move between the effect lines of a Maneuver card. This might happen even if they are away from an attack (as might happen if the Malefactor moved away from the Artist just before she performed the attack in the example above).

Special Effects

Special Effects depend on the outcome of other effects or game situations to be applied.

• Collateral Effect: A Collateral Effect is only applied if the Attack it is attached to was able to overcome its target's STURDINESS. Collateral Effects are resolved immediately after the Attack Roll, before any Wounds are inflicted or any Counterattacks the Attack provoked take place. Collateral Effects are applied even if that Wound is BLOCKED later during that Counterattack's resolution.

  (Example: the Artist's "Cutpurse" Maneuver has a Collateral Effect. So, if her attack manages to overcome its target's STURDINESS, she can draw a Findings card.)

• Restriction: Restriction is a special rule that prevents you from playing the Maneuver card unless you meet its requirements.

  (Example: the Outlaw's "Powerful Shot" Maneuver card has a Restriction. So, the Outlaw can only play it if he discards another Maneuver card from his Hand.)

Conditions (Sins and Wounds)

The physical integrity of Champions is represented by the Maneuver slots on their Boards. As they suffer Wounds and/or yield to Sins, these slots are covered with Condition cards.

If all of a Champion's Maneuver slots have been covered by Conditions, that Champion has been defeated. If any of the Champions are defeated, the entire Caravan loses and the Confrontation is a Failure!

(Example: a Champion has 2 Conditions on the board: a Sin and a Wound. If they receive a second Wound (their third Condition), they will be defeated.)

Maneuver slots are also related to the number of Maneuvers a Champion can perform. The more wounded they are, the fewer cards they can play per turn.

Occupying x Blocking

Champions Players will come across these two terms consistently. They do not indicate the same situation, so it is crucial to know the difference between them:

• When a card occupies a Maneuver Slot, it can be removed from there, either during the Clean-up Step or if a Wound or Cooldown card is assigned to it.
• When a card blocks a Maneuver Slot, that card cannot be removed, except by some specific effects: RESTORE for Wounds; EXPIATE for Sin cards.

NOTE: Exceptionally, the Sin cards "Deceive" and "Enrage" allow Maneuver cards to be played on them (although they continue to count towards the Champion's defeat).

Wound

Wounds are physical debilitation. When a Champion's Vigor is reduced to 0 (or less), they suffer a Wound and must perform three processes. Wounds are applied for each effect, not for the amount of damage. So, if a Champion with 2 Vigor points takes exactly 2 damage or takes 8 damage, they still suffer only a single Wound.

• First, that Champion becomes the Least Fierce Champion, moving their marker on the Fierceness Track accordingly. (Example: the Mercenary suffered a Wound and thus became the Least Fierce Champion.)
• Then, they adjust their Vigor back to 6. This is the standard, but some Artifacts or Traits might allow Champions to adjust to greater values. (Example: he adjusted his Vigor back to 6. Any excess damage he took is wasted.)
• Finally, they must take a Wound card and assign it to a slot on that Champion's board that does not contain any Wounds or Sin cards. Discard any Maneuver cards there. Champions can choose to just flip a Cooldown card to its Wound side if they have them on their board. (Example: to avoid wasting Actions, the Mercenary chooses to assign a Wound to a Slot occupied by Maneuver cards. He moves those cards to his Discard Pile.)

NOTE: Some effects inflict a Wound directly, as in "...suffer a Wound." Whenever this is the case, Champions receive a Wound card as if their Vigor points were zeroed all at once. Champions then reset their marker to the last position on the Fierceness Track and adjust their Vigor back to 6 as usual.

NOTE: Suffering a Wound and assigning it are two different procedures. When a Champion assigns a Wound to their Board, as the Devotee does when redirecting a Wound, for example, they do not suffer a Wound, they just assign it. All effects associated with suffering a Wound are applied to the Champion that suffered the Wound, not to her.

Applying Damage to Champions

In Dante, damage is applied to Champions in two ways: damage inflicted and damage suffered. The process is the same for both effects: Champions reduce that amount from their current Vigor points and if it has reached 0, they suffer a Wound (and readjusts their Vigor points to 6 immediately afterwards).

The difference lies in the defense options that Champions have for each of these damages:

• Damage inflicted is usually caused by Actions and Counterattacks and some abilities provide protection against it. Check the text of each ability for the word "inflict" to see if an effect can be used to protect against this damage.
• Damage suffered, on the other hand, represents other types of damage, such as Falling Damage, for example. Very few abilities can react to this type of damage. Likewise, check the text of each of them for the word "suffer" to see if an effect can be used to protect against this damage.

Game Mode - Grim

If you enjoy challenges, you can use the Grim game mode mechanics, which imposes strategic penalties on Champions as they take Wounds.

As a rule, Wound cards are unique and each one has special effects, but Champions do not need to apply them if they do not opt for this mechanic. Simply disregard the text written in the "Grim Game Mode" box, and only use the reminder on the card.

Using these mechanics can add considerable challenges to your Game and is recommended only for experienced players.

(Example: this is Bloody Eye. If players choose the Grim Wound game mode, it causes a PENALTY to the Champion who has it on their board. In Standard game mode, however, it just locks that Maneuver Slot, without applying any special effects.)

Game Mode - Story

For a casual approach, you can use Story Mode mechanics, removing the Maneuver Slot Block as Champions suffer Wounds.

As a rule, when a Champion assigns a Wound to a Maneuver Slot, they can no longer play cards in that Slot until they successfully RESTORE it. If you prefer, disregard this rule, allowing Maneuver cards to be played on Wound (or Sin) cards. Remember that they still count for the Champion's defeat.

The use of these mechanics significantly reduces the difficulty of the Game, and is only recommended for players who are not used to "expert" games or who do not enjoy excessive tension.

(Example: in one case, players have chosen the Standard game mode, meaning that Wounds block Maneuver Slots. In the other, players have chosen the Story Mode, and can thus play Maneuver cards over Sin or Wound cards. No matter what game mode, if a Champion blocks their third Slot with one of these cards, they are defeated.)

Sin

Sin Cards represent spiritual debilitation. Champions draw them when they rebuild their decks or suffer special effects, but they are not assigned to their Boards like Wound cards. Champions hold them in their Hands and choose whether to keep them there for as long as possible, or yield to them, playing them as a Reaction. Whenever the latter is the case, the Sin card then becomes a Condition, blocking a Champion's Maneuver slot.

Champions can play Sin cards as Reactions whenever the prerequisites trigger.

When a Champion Yields to a Sin card, they do not need to play them in a free Maneuver slot. They may play it on any Maneuver Slot that is not occupied by another Condition. Discard any Maneuver cards there.

(Example: a Champion chose to Yield to Abstain. Choosing to play the card over an occupied slot, they discarded the Maneuver card that was there.)

Wound and Sin cards can be removed through RESTORE X, EXPIATE X, or effects that remove Sin cards from players' Hands. Some Maneuvers cast these effects, but they can also be found on Relics and Findings cards. Sin cards that were removed either way are moved to the Sin card Discard Pile.

Companions

Companions are simplified versions of the Champions. These characters are used to complete the Caravan when there are not enough players to control every Champion during a Confrontation, or if players find controlling more than one Champion too complicated for them.

Companion Card

1. Archetype - Dante's Champions are named by Archetypes throughout the narrative.
2. Attributes - Number of dice a Champion rolls for free at each Ordeal associated with them. Attributes are also used during the Attribute Tests imposed by some Malefactor abilities during the Confrontation.
   • A. Aggressiveness
   • B. Prowess
   • C. Willpower
3. Name - A Champion's Name is what makes them thematically unique. You could have two Devotees (if you purchased expansion packs with additional Champions), but you will only have one Anabelle.
4. Token Area - Space reserved for the management of tokens that the Companion holds.
5. Maneuvers - Describes the Maneuvers this Companion can perform and the Fierceness points they generate.
6. Identification Code - Helps identify this component in your game.

Companions are considered Champions for all purposes. Some cards, however, may describe specific interactions for Companion Champions.

Controlling Companions

Companions follow all the steps of the Caravan's Turn as normal: Clean-Up, Rebuild, and Preparation. However, since they do not use Maneuver decks, the game processes are different to them.

Readiness tokens have a Cooldown side (front) and a Wound side (back). These tokens are used to keep track of how many (and which) Maneuvers the Companion has performed during a turn. They cannot perform a Maneuver that already has a Readiness token on it.

Companions don't do anything during the Clean-Up step. They just skip it.

During the Rebuild Step, retrieve all Readiness tokens with the "Cooldown" side up and place them in the token area on that Companion's card. Readiness tokens with the "Wounded" side up remain on the Maneuvers they were assigned to.

The Preparation step is the same (they receive PREPARE 1 and INVIGORATE 3). However, PREPARE is different for Companion Champions: they take a Readiness token, Cooldown face up and that is off the Board, and place it on the available token space on their cards.

NOTE: Since they do not have a Hand of cards, Companion Champions are not affected by effects that force them to discard Maneuver cards or draw Sin cards.

The Take Actions Window is the same for Companions: they can take Basic Actions, take Free Actions, and perform Maneuvers like a Player Champion would, according to the tokens they have available.

To do so, the player controlling the Companion announces the Maneuver or Action, moves one of their Readiness tokens, Cooldown side-up, to its box (or pay vigor if it is a Basic Action), and follows the instructions.

(Example: the player controlling the Artist Companion moves one of their tokens to the "Light-Footed" Maneuver, thus applying its effects.)

Wounding Companions

When Companion Champions suffer Wounds, the "become the Least Fierce Champion" and "reset Vigor back to 6" steps are the same as for Player Champions. Only "assigning a Wound" is different.

If that Champion does not already have 3 Readiness tokens on their card, they take a Readiness token that is not on their card and move it to the token area, Wound side up. Otherwise, they take one of their Readiness tokens, Cooldown side up, and move it back to the token area, flipping it to the Wound side. It cannot be used to perform Maneuvers and cannot be removed from there except by the effects of RESTORE X.

RESTORE X effects work a little differently for them, too. Whenever this is the case, the Companion Champion removes one of these Readiness tokens, Wound side up, from their card.

Companions Handling Equipment

Companions can hold the same amount of equipment as a Player Champion. The only difference is that their board space is reduced. Thus, Companions carry Weapons and Relics at the top of the Companion Board and the Trait and the Consumable Item at the bottom.

Confrontation Resources

The Champions will be targeted by effects that generate resources.

To represent these resources, Champions will be given tokens to hold on their boards as a reminder. Each one of them is described in the "Keywords" section at the end of this book.

INSPIRATION and EMPOWER are resource tokens.

Token Properties

Resource tokens have properties in common, no matter what their effects are: a Champion can hold up to four tokens of that type. Tokens are double-sided to make resource management easier, but you should always think of them as having that many individual tokens in that pile. So, if the Devotee is holding one INSPIRATION 1 token and one INSPIRATION 2 token, she is considered to be holding three INSPIRATION 1 tokens.

Equipment

To venture into the Inferno is a task that requires not only physical and spiritual preparation, but also adequate equipment.

Stacking Equipment

When gathering equipment, players need to keep one thing in mind: which gear they can keep and which they can't. This distinction is based on the category those cards belong to.

Treasures are permanent and can be stored in the Caravan Box, thus being used several times throughout the Campaign.

Findings are Consumable Items acquired during the Confrontation. They are volatile. If they are not spent during the battle, they must be discarded as soon as it ends and cannot be saved for the next Chapters.

(Example: the "Charon's Rags" Treasure card is a Relic that can be kept. The "Mark of Indolence" Findings Card is a Consumable Item and if it is not used during the Confrontation, it must be discarded as soon as the battle ends.)

Equipment Slots

Champions have four slots to carry equipment.

Each slot can only be used to hold one piece of equipment of the appropriate type. Champions cannot use a Consumable Item slot to hold a second Relic item, for example.

Weapons

Weapons are the fundamental equipment in Dante. Without a weapon, a Champion is not able to perform attacks. Be aware of the proficiency for each weapon, as not all Champions will be able to use the same weapons.

• Melee: These Weapons have Range 0, meaning they can only target Malefactors in the Area the Champion is in.
• Ranged Weapons: These weapons have Range 3, meaning they can target Malefactors up to 3 Areas away from the Champion. However, Champions equipped with these Weapons who are in the same Area as a Malefactor are Engaged in Combat and cannot perform Ranged Attacks (even if they want to target other Malefactors).
• Symbol: These Weapons have Unlimited Range, meaning they can target Malefactors in all Areas of the Board (and in some cases, even outside of it). Champions wielding Symbols are not subject to Combat Engagement.

NOTE: Symbols make Ranged Attacks but they are not Ranged Weapons.

(Example: the Angelic Sword can only be equipped by Champions proficient with melee weapons (such as Sophia and Gadisa), Paris's Bow, in turn, by Champions proficient with ranged weapons (such as Caedan), while the Byzantine Sacrament, by Champions proficient with symbols (such as Anabelle).)

Weapon Card

1. Name - Describes the name of the weapon.
2. Category - Shows that this Treasure is a Weapon.
3. Power - Shows how many base dice are rolled when a Champion makes an Attack Roll with this weapon.
4. Range - Shows how many Areas away a target can be hit by an Attack made by this Weapon. Weapons that does not have any Range are Melee (0).
5. Special Properties - Describes any special effects this weapon has.
6. Identification Code - Helps identify this component in your game.

NOTE: Each Champion has an Heirloom Weapon which they will never be without, even if they eventually discard it. Whenever they like, a Champion may recover this card from their box during the Transition Phase. A Champion can only use the Heirlooms that match their Archetype and their Proficiency.

Special Properties

All Weapons have special properties, that is, effects that Champions can perform while wielding them. Some of them are mandatory, that and they do not offer the option to use it or not (as in the case of Ballista).

Most of them, on the other hand, have special skills that can be used when the Champion Attacks with that Weapon. Whenever this is the case, they can only be used once per Attack (like the Longsword), but they can be used more than once per turn.

Finally, some Weapons have special properties that provide special Actions, such as Symbols. Champions can use them whenever they want, as long as it is the Caravan's Turn and they do not exceed the limit of times per turn specified (if it is limited).

(Examples: Ballista, Spanish Smallsword and Parish Candleholder are weapons that have a type of special property, as mentioned above.)

Relic

Relics range from gadgets like Clockwork Wings to armors, helmets, shields or any other treasures that tend to be permanent (unlike Consumable Items). Many of them provide Special Actions that can be taken by whoever wields them.

Relic Card

1. Name - Describes the name of the Relic.
2. Category - Shows that this Treasure is a Relic.
3. Special Properties - Describes any special effects this Relic has.
4. Identification Code - Helps identify this component in your game.

Most Relics set the cost for performing their Special Action as "SPEND" this card. SPEND is the act of flipping the card over, so as to show that the skills have been used in this Confrontation.

Traits

Traits are cards that represent transformations in the Champions' attitude or personality, as well as the blessings they received from other Characters. Therefore, Traits are not necessarily objects, but their functions in the game are the same.

Trait Card

1. Name - Describes the name of the Trait.
2. Category - Shows that this Treasure is a Trait.
3. Special Properties - Describes the special Signature Trait it offers to the Champion.
4. Identification Code - Helps identify this component in your game.

Traits offer additional abilities to Champions. Use these cards to customize your Champion and discover incredible synergies!

Findings

Findings are single-use items that can be easily found and used by the Champions to turn the tide of battle in their favor.

Findings Card

1. Name - Describes the name of the Finding.
2. Category - Shows that the Finding is a Consumable Item.
3. Special Properties - Describes any special effects this Finding has.
4. Identification Code - Helps identify this component in your game.

In order for a Champion to use a Consumable Item and receive its benefits, they simply announce their intention. When such an item is used the Champion must discard it immediately.

NOTE: If a Champion draws a Findings card while they are already holding one, they must choose one of them to keep and discard the other immediately. This does not apply its effects.

Sacred Treasures

In addition to the Treasures Champions acquire during the Chronicle Phase, at the end of the Third and Sixth Circles, they also receive a new type of Artifacts and Traits: Sacred Treasures.

Unlike other Treasures, they can be enhanced. That is, Champions receive them in their early stages and through the expenditure of Treasures and Traits that are not being used, they can progress them to an improved version, maintaining the same line of effects.

Each Sacred Treasure card lists its progression next to its component number.

(Examples: the Sacred Treasures Infernal Thurible (Artifact) and Meticulous (Trait).)

Sacred Treasure Card

1. Name - Describes the name of the Treasure.
2. Category - Shows that this Treasure is a Weapon.
3. Rank - Indicates the enhancement Rank of this Sacred Treasure.
4. Special Properties - Describes any special effects this weapon has.
5. Progression Line - Indicates the name of the Sacred Treasure that replaces this card when it is enhanced.
6. Identification Code - Helps identify this component in your game.

Sacred Treasures are always delivered at the first level, and at each Transition Phase, Champions can improve them by STORING other cards. Champions need to STORE 2 cards to improve a Rank 1 Treasure to Rank 2, and STORE 3 cards to improve a Rank 2 Treasure to Rank 3.

(Example: in the next Circle, the Champions found 2 Treasures, a Relic and a Weapon, but they do not intend to use them in this Campaign. During the Transition Phase, they STORED them back into that box to progress the Sacred Treasure Viking Ax to Barbarian Ax. Later, they found more Treasures they do not intend to use, so they choose to STORE 3 of them to further improve the Barbarian Ax to Warlord's Ax.)

Enhancing a Sacred Treasure is a permanent decision. Undoing this, even for a casual gaming approach, is not so simple. If you want to allow this reversibility in your Campaign, keep record on a separate sheet or electronic device of each card and the Treasures that were STORED to do so.

The Malefactors' Turn

The Malefactors' Turn is pretty straightforward. All that happens is the sequential activation of the Action cards that are on top of each Malefactor's Action deck and Confrontation Event deck.

Take a look at a Malefactor's status card and a Malefactor's Action card's details, as well as the parts which are relevant to Malefactors on the Confrontation Board:

Malefactor's Status Card

1. Name - The name that identifies this Malefactor.
2. Illustration - Portrait that helps to identify this Malefactor.
3. Malefactor's Sturdiness - The STURDINESS of each Action deck involved in this Confrontation.
4. Threshold - How many Fumbles an Attack requires in order to trigger a Counterattack from this Action deck.
5. Characteristic Skills - Describes any Signature Skills, which can be passive or triggered, that the Malefactors in this Confrontation have.
6. Identification Code - Helps identify this component in your game.

Malefactor's Action Card

1. Title - The name that identifies this Action/Counterattack.
2. Category - Shows that this card is an Action/Counterattack.
3. Illustration - Portrait that helps to identify which Malefactor's deck this card belongs to.
4. Numbered Instructions - Describes, in the order they should be read and resolved, each effect that is applied by this Action or Counterattack.
5. Identification Code - Helps identify this component in your game.

Malefactors' Action cards represent both their skills and their health points.

Also, they have two sides: an Action side and a Counterattack side. In the deck, the Action side will be visible, giving the Champions a clue about how the Malefactor will act when activated.

When the Malefactors' Turn begins, play each Malefactor's Action and Confrontation Event cards in the sequence in which they are found in the Confrontation Tray, from "A" to "C". After resolving a card this way, return it to the bottom of that Malefactor's deck (it is not discarded) with the "Action" face up. Some Confrontation Events might state that they are STORED once they are resolved instead.

When all Malefactors have been activated once, the Malefactors' Turn ends.

In order to resolve the Malefactors' cards (Action or Counterattack) both correctly and quickly, it is necessary to learn the rules that guide these characters' "Artificial Intelligence":

1. Malefactors always try to carry out the instructions on their cards to the letter, resolving one numbered effect at a time. Whenever one of them cannot be resolved, just move on to the next one.
2. Many cards have Adaptive Effects (see below). Whenever this is the case, the words "If" and "Otherwise" will be underlined and divided into two text boxes within the same effect. In these cases, just perform the effect that suits your game board state and move on to the next instruction.
3. Whenever an effect establishes that an Action or Counterattack has ended, do not perform any other instructions below it.
4. If a Malefactor steps into an Area that is already occupied by another Malefactor, the latter is SHOVED to an Area that is up to 1 Area Away at the same Board Level or lower, of the Fiercest Champion's choice, creating space for the first one.

Event Card

1. Deck Title - The name that identifies this Event deck.
2. Event Title - The name that identifies this Event.
3. Category - Shows that this card is an Event.
4. Numbered Instructions - Describes, in the order they should be read and resolved, each effect that is applied by this Event.
5. Identification Code - Helps identify this component in your game.

Malefactor Attacks

One important thing about Malefactors' Attacks (again, both Actions and Counterattacks) is that, unlike Champions, they don't need an Attack Roll. Malefactors always hit with their attacks for the amount of damage described on their card.

(Example: if he manages to reach a Champion, Minos's "Home Run" inflicts 4 damage, which reduces that Character's Vigor.)

Adaptive Effects

Malefactors are always looking for ways to use the battlefield or the battle circumstances in their favor. To express this kind of intelligence, many of their Actions and Counterattacks have Adaptive Effects. That is, effects that are played in one way or another, based on the game state.

Adaptive Effects are divided into two parts, each starting their instructions with the words "If..." or "Otherwise...", meaning that the players must check the battlefield to understand which one they must perform. Once the proper effect is applied, just carry out the next instruction as you would with any other effect.

(Example: Minos's "Tackle" Counterattack card has an Adaptive Effect. Its first effect states that, if there is a Champion in this Area, Minos inflicts 3 Damage to the Fiercest among them. If not, each Champion within Range 1 suffers STUN 1 with FATIGUE 2 and this Counterattack ends.)

NOTE: Some Adaptive Effects carry an instruction saying that the Action or Counterattack is ended if one of its two effects is applied. Whenever this is the case, disregard any numbered instructions written thereafter.

Platforms and Furniture

Three-dimensionality is achieved thanks to Platforms and Furniture, which are pieces that raise the Levels of the board. Buildings are solid. They offer the dangers of Collision Damage.

Each case is different, and you can check the specifics of each below:

Buildings (Platform)

Buildings are large blocks of terrain, made of masonry or any material solid enough to provide support for climbing, and rigidity for those hurled against them.

• Champions can't interact with Buildings.
• When there is a collision: When a character is PUSHED into an Area where there is a Building (the Area underneath it, in this case), they are not launched to the top of it. Instead, this character crashes into the wall and suffers 2 Collision Damage, ending the PUSH in the Area in front of the building.
• When destroyed: When a Building is destroyed, remove it from the board. Characters on them are subject to Falling Damage.

Essentially, buildings are elevated pieces of terrain, not Furniture.

Replacing Buildings

Some effects in Dante will cause a Building to be removed or placed elsewhere on the board. Whenever this is the case, the players must take into account the principles of "erosion" and "upheaval."

When a Building is removed, it erodes "into" the terrain. Thus, any Objects that were on top are adjusted to be in the same Space, but a Level lower.

(Example: a building holding an Ark and a Pillar has been removed. So, the players remove it from the board and properly reposition the items that were on top of it on the Ground Level.)

The same principle applies to a building that used to reach the 2nd Level: any elements on top of it will now be on the 1st Level, with a Building piece between them and the Ground Level, as if only one "layer" of the building has been removed.

When the Building is relocated, it emerges from the terrain through the Ground Level. Any Objects that were in that Area (including other buildings) are repositioned on top of this new Building.

(Example: the Outlaw is on top of a building, on the 1st Level, when an instruction requires that another building be repositioned to this Area. It emerges from underneath the building that already exists here, raising its position to the 2nd Level.)

This effect may break the board height limit rules: if a Building emerges under another Building in such a way that it forms the 3rd Level, 4th, or so on, (even if it's because of the top of a Pillar), that Level becomes part of the Confrontation.

The basic rules about tridimensionality remain the same although they need to be adapted, as the Falling Damage from the 3rd Level goes up to 6, for example, and to move up it is necessary that there be a 2nd Level adjacent to this new structure in such a way that the characters can improvise stairs or CLIMB.

NOTE: When a Building is Replaced, it is not THROWN. It just emerges in that location, as if it had grown from the ground. THROW effects specify that Objects in that Area are SHOVED to then Replace a Building or remove it from the board.

Sisyphus's Punishment

When a Champion performs a Sisyphus's Punishment, they choose an orthogonal direction and PUSH a Building they are on top of until it collides with the Edge of the Board or with another Building. SHOVE any Objects and Stairs in the Areas it crosses as it steps into them, inflicting 4 damage to each Character for each Area the Building stepped into until reaching them. Furniture and Stairs SHOVED this way are DESTROYED. Objects on top of the PUSHED Building are carried with it along the way.

(Example: the Mercenary used the Burden of Sisyphus Findings card, performing a Sisyphus's Punishment. Each Pillar was SHOVED out of the way and Minos, hit with 8 damage due to the Building taking two steps to hit him, suffered 1 Wound. The Ark and the Pillar, being Furniture, were DESTROYED. As described in the Furniture section of the Book of Commandments, the Pillar is repositioned (Collapsed) while the Ark is removed from the board.)

Stairs (Platform)

Stairs allow characters to move between Levels on the Confrontation Board. They allow the free transition of up to 1 Level (up or down) as long as the movement is made between the two Areas which the Stairs connect.

• Champions can't interact with Stairs.
• Characters can't collide with Stairs.
• When destroyed: When Stairs are destroyed, remove them from the board.

Essentially, Stairs are pieces that allow the transition between two Areas, up to 1 Level apart. Stairs do not necessarily need to be touching a building. They can connect to an Area with a pillar and serve as a "stepping stone" for a Champion to move to the top of it, as they would if a building were there.

NOTE: Stairs do not occupy the Space they are in. That is, Minions, Champions and Furniture can stand on top of Stairs (they are considered to be on the same Board Level as the Stairs). However, other restrictions apply: only one Object can stand on the Stairs at a time.

Improvised Stairs (Furniture)

The Artist can use the tricks she has learned in her circus routine to help her allies. Improvised Stairs work like conventional Stairs, therefore, the Space where the Artist stands is important to determine which two Areas she can connect.

Even though she may act as Improvised Stairs, the Artist is still a Character, occupies the space where she is in, and can be HELD or THROWN as usual. While she is HELD, the Artist cannot be used as Stairs, as she is not on the board.

Arks (Furniture)

Arks can be found in various places in the Inferno. They are mainly used by demons, who tend to store the manufactured objects they produce in their boredom there.

• When interacting: When a Champion INTERACTS with an Ark, they remove the Ark from the board and draw a Findings card.
• Characters can't collide with Arks.
• When destroyed: When an Ark is Destroyed, remove it from the board.

Arks are containers that hold belongings that are useful to the Champions.

Palisades (Furniture)

The Order is ingenious and even with the few resources the Inferno makes available to mortals, they managed to build wooden palisades to improve their ability to defend territory. To get the most out of a Palisade, Champions need to think of it as a kind of Stairs or TRAP, similar to the ones the Outlaw sets.

• When interacting: When Champions INTERACT with a Palisade, they may reposition the Palisade in a Free Space in the Area they are in or in another Area within Range 1.

• When colliding: There are two ways to collide with a Palisade. The first happens when any Character is PUSHED into an Area with a Palisade in the way. The second, when a Malefactor (and only them), MOVES through a Palisade.

  • Pushed: When any Characters are PUSHED through a Palisade, that is, if there is one adjacent to the Area where they are and the direction of the PUSH throws them into that Area, the Character suffers 1 Wound immediately (targeting the Action deck with the lowest STURDINESS that still has any cards if they are a Malefactor), removes that Palisade from the board and repositions their model in that Area.
  • Moving: When a MOVING Malefactor steps onto an Area with a Palisade positioned in the Space that is directly adjacent to the Area where they were, that Malefactor immediately suffers 1 Wound (targeting the Action deck with the lowest STURDINESS that still has any cards), removes that Palisade from the board, and stops their movement. They continue trying to perform the other steps on their Action or Counterattack card.

  NOTE: Oversized Malefactors suffer the effects of the Palisade simply by stepping into an Area with one, regardless of the direction of the MOVE or PUSH that caused them to step onto that Area.

• When destroyed: When a Palisade is DESTROYED without any Characters having passed through it, just remove it from the board.

In short, Palisades function as obstacles (just like Collapsed Pillars) and also present danger to Characters who are PUSHED against them.

Pillars (Furniture)

These solid structures establish three-dimensional Levels where Characters can move, climb and even protect themselves from attacks. Pillars can be small, reaching up 1 Level, or large, reaching up 2 Levels. They can also be "Standing" (upright), or "Collapsed" (on their side), which will happen if the Pillar is DESTROYED.

NOTE: Collapsed Pillars are just obstacles. They occupy Spaces on the board but they do not have any Special Effects. Champions cannot INTERACT with them.

• When interacting: When a Champion INTERACTS with a Standing Pillar, they perform, at their choice, one of the following three effects:
  • Climb Up: The Champion occupies the Space ON top of the Pillar.
  • Climb Down: The Champion occupies a Space in the Area where the base of the Pillar is. Champions cannot climb down a Pillar if there are no Free Spaces in that Area.
  • Leap: The Champion jumps to the top of another Pillar or Building that is within Range 1, so they are able to change 1 Level for free. Be aware that, although this game mechanic may remind you of MOVE 1, it is not the same thing.

Additionally, when a Champion is on top of a Pillar, they are subject to two special rules:

• High Ground: A Champion is on another Board Level (1st for Small, 2nd for Large) and cannot make Melee Attacks against a Malefactor that is in the Area where the base of the Pillar is. On the other hand, they can make Ranged Attacks against them as if not Engaged in Combat.
• Backflip: When a Malefactor is about to HOLD or inflict damage on a Champion that is on top of a Pillar, as a Reaction, the Champion can suffer 2 damage to LEAP and REDIRECT that effect to the Pillar.
  • If there are no Pillars or Buildings for that Champion to LEAP to, they instead MOVE 1 and take the appropriate Falling Damage.
  • Pillars that take any amount of damage are DESTROYED (reposition them Collapsed). If a Malefactor is about to HOLD a Pillar, they end up HOLDING IT in any case.
  • Any effects applied to "That Champion" also target the Pillar (like PUSH, for example).
  • Champions down to 2 or fewer Vigor points will suffer a Wound when they BACKFLIP (they may still suffer Falling Damage afterwards).

Also: Characters can't collide with Pillars.

• When destroyed: When a Pillar is DESTROYED, any Champions standing on it Fall and must be repositioned in the area the Pillar's base is in. They suffer Falling Damage: 2 damage for each Board Level. Then, the Pillar is repositioned, Collapsed, in the Space where its base was. If it is a Large Pillar, it must be positioned so that it occupies a second Space adjacent to the first. If necessary, SHOVE any Objects to free up space.

NOTE: When a Collapsed Pillar is DESTROYED again, nothing special happens to it, as if the effect was just redundant.

A Character who is on top of a Pillar can move to other Areas that are on the same Level (or change Levels through CLIMB or Stairs), as long as the Space they occupy and the one they intend to occupy are within Range 1 as normal. Champions cannot step on top of Pillars that are already occupied by other Champions, not even just to pass through.

(Example: Minos approaches the Outlaw. However, when performing the second effect of his "Head-to-Head" Action, he is tricked by the Champion. The Rebel, as a Reaction, takes 2 damage to BACKFLIP, occupying the top of another Pillar within Range 1. The Malefactor HOLDS the Pillar the Outlaw was standing on instead of him.)

Keywords and Terms

Many effects in Dante involve the use of terms and Keywords to simplify the rules and make the reading more dynamic. As players explore the game system, it is likely that they will memorize most of the effects that are commonly used. However, whenever they are in doubt about any of them, they can refer to this section to better understand their meaning.

ABOVE: When a Character is on a Level above that of their target, regardless of distance, they are considered 'Above' them. So, if a Champion is on the Second Level while their target is on the Ground Level, they are "Above".

ADVANCE: Some effects can make a Character jump from one corner of the board to the other in the blink of an eye. When a Character ADVANCES, they place their model in the indicated Area. Note that ADVANCE is not the same as MOVE. Therefore, ADVANCE ignores Level restrictions or Falling Damage. Characters only consider that they stepped into the position where they ended their ADVANCE, disregarding each Area they crossed as if they had jumped over them.

AGGRAVATED: Some attacks are truly deadly. AGGRAVATED damage applies the excess damage to a Champion after they adjust their Vigor due to a Wound as part of the same effect. So if an Action inflicts 8 AGGRAVATED damage to a Champion with 4 Vigor, they suffer a Wound, reset their Vigor back to 6, and then inflict the remaining 4 damage right after. This can cause a Champion to suffer 2 or more Wounds from the same damage.

AGGRESSIVENESS TOKEN: Whenever a Champion is Attacking, they can discard one of these tokens to add 6 Hits to their Attack Roll after they make it. Champions can only discard one Aggressiveness token per Attack they make.

AMASS X: AMASSMENT is the process of spawning Minions onto the battlefield. When an instruction AMASSES, the Fiercest Champion places that number of models on the Board's Spawning Areas, however they prefer. Multiple models can be placed in the same area, provided that the physical limits are respected. If all Spaces in the Spawn Areas are occupied, or if all four Minion models are already on the board, skip the corresponding number of Spawns indicated by that instruction.

APPROACH: When a Malefactor is instructed to Approach another Object, they will try to move to the Area where that Object is located, using the minimum movement necessary to do so, or using all of their movement to get as close as possible if their movement is not enough. If two or more routes go through the same number of Areas, the Fiercest Champion chooses which of them the Malefactor takes.

ARREST: Some Actions completely hinder a Character. When a Champion is ARRESTED, place their model occupying the same space as the Object that ARRESTED them, but consider that they are not on the board. They then become the Least Fierce Champion. Furthermore, they are not considered a Target by Malefactors and cannot be targeted by any effect cast by a Champion. While ARRESTED, they cannot perform Maneuvers, Yield to Sins, take Basic Actions, take Free Actions or make use of Equipment and Traits. For all intents and purposes, that Champion does not "exist" until they are RELEASED. Each ARREST effect determines the conditions for this and normally the help of another Champion is necessary. If a Furniture ARRESTING a Champion is DESTROYED, reposition that Champion in a free Space of their choice within Range 1 from that Furniture.

ATTRIBUTE TEST X: Some combat situations will require skills beyond a Champion's martial capabilities. When an Instruction calls for an Attribute Test, each Champion involved in it must roll the indicated number of dice. The Test will be considered a success as long as it results in a number of Fumbles equal to or less than the points that Champion has in the called Attribute. The consequences of success or failure are established by the instructions themselves. INSPIRED tokens can also be used on Attribute Tests (Ordeals are not Attribute Tests).

BACK: All Spaces on the Board that are behind the Malefactor's back are considered their "Back". This includes both the Space directly behind the Central Space of the Area where it is located, as well as all Spaces within the extension of the lines intersecting the Central Space of that Area.

BEWITCH: Some actions may confuse the minds of mortals. When a Champion is BEWITCHED, they MOVE 3, Approaching the Fiercest Champion, other than themselves, at Any Range. They then make a Special Attack by rolling a total of 6 dice against the Fiercest Champion in Range of their weapon (if there are any). Each Hit inflicts 1 damage to that Champion. This damage is not inflicted by a Malefactor. Bonuses from Weapons, Relics, Traits, EMPOWER, Aggressiveness tokens and Signature Skills do not apply.

BLOCK X: Parrying, blocking, and deflecting are effective defenses against attacks. When a character BLOCKS, they prevent the described amount of damage that is being inflicted to the protected Character. BLOCK can also be associated with a Wound. In this case, the effect doesn't BLOCK the damage, if any was caused, but only prevents the consequence of assigning a Wound to the Champion or the Malefactor. BLOCKING does not prevent secondary effects, such as being HELD.

CANCEL: Every now and then, Champions manage to pull a trick out of their sleeves to stop the Malefactors. Whenever an effect CANCELS a Counterattack, you stop that card's resolution before it begins, applying none of its effects. A Malefactor's CANCELED cards are moved to the bottom of the deck or to the Discard Pile according to the result of the Attack that provoked them.

CLIMB: Movement can also be vertical. When a MOVE has CLIMB, it means that, during that movement, the character can go up or down 1 Board Level without using Stairs or suffering Falling Damage. CLIMB does not allow a character to move straight from the Ground Level to Level 2, but reduces the Falling Damage by 2 in case they fall 2 or more Levels at once.

COLLATERAL EFFECT: Collateral Effects are special effects connected to an Attack. They should only be applied if the attack overcomes its target's STURDINESS. Collateral Effects are resolved immediately after the Attack Roll, before any Action cards are flipped and any Counterattacks the Attack possibly provoked take place. Effects that BLOCK Wounds during a Counterattack resolution does not cancel Collateral Effects.

COMBO: Artists are experts at synchronizing movements to compose devastating choreographies. Effects labeled as COMBO are triggered when the Champion performs the action by placing the card on top of another Maneuver card on their board. The effects listed under COMBO are applied as part of the same instruction with which they are associated, following the order described (for example, simultaneously with the Attack Roll).

DESTROY: Some effects reshape the landscape. When Furniture or a Platform is DESTROYED, check what must be done in their detailed descriptions. For example, Pillars are repositioned, Collapsed, while other pieces are usually removed from the board.

DESTROYER X: OVERSIZED Malefactors are bulky and destroy everything in their path. Whenever a Malefactor steps into an Area while performing a MOVE or ADVANCE with DESTROY X, SHOVE any Objects in it out of the way as they step into them, inflicting X damage on each Character and DESTROYING each Furniture piece there. Stairs they step on are DESTROYED after the Objects on them are SHOVED. If a Building is in the Malefactor's path, instead of them making a 180 degree Turn, DESTROY that Building. Characters standing on it do not suffer Falling Damage. Then, the Malefactor steps into that Area as if the Building was never there. 180 degree Turn Arounds are performed normally when a Malefactor reaches the Edge of the Board.

DISABLE: Lucifer's attacks can be so powerful that they leave Champions completely stunned for a period of time. Whenever a Player Champion DISABLES their Signature Skills, they take the SILENCE card and place it on their card, covering those skills. As long as this card remains there, that Champion does not consider they have these skills. Companion Champions are unaffected by this effect.

DISTANCING: When a Malefactor is instructed to Distance from a Champion, that means they will try to move to the farthest Area from where that character is currently located, using the maximum movement possible. If two or more routes go through the same number of Areas, the Fiercest Champion chooses which of them the Malefactor takes.

EMPOWER X: Some Maneuvers temporarily strengthen Champions. Whenever a Champion receives EMPOWER, they take the appropriate number of tokens and keep them on their card. The next time that Champion makes an Attack Roll, they must discard all EMPOWER tokens. In exchange, they receive an equivalent dice bonus for the Attack. These tokens cannot be kept for the next Round. When the next Caravan's Turn begins, during the Clean-Up Step, each Champion discards the tokens they did not use. EMPOWER is a Resource token.

ENRAGE X: Some Actions temporarily strengthen Malefactors. Whenever a Malefactor ENRAGES, take the appropriate number of tokens and keep them near their card. That Malefactor inflicts 1 additional damage on each Action or Counterattack they make per token they have. ENRAGE is a Resource token.

EXPIATE X: Those who have witnessed the Infernal horrors seek Redemption above all else. When Champions receive EXPIATE X, they remove that many Sin cards they have on their Champion Boards. Place a Cooldown card in those Maneuver Slots. They are not free this turn. EXPIATE has no effect on Companion Champions.

FATIGUE: Extra damage Champions take whenever they fail to assign a Cooldown card to their board (or removes a Readiness token from their card if it is a Companion). Many effects that cause STUN also cause FATIGUE X. Champions suffer X damage for each FATIGUE effect they trigger, applying it all at once.

Example: The Mercenary has only one unblocked Maneuver Slot on his board when he suffers STUN 3 with FATIGUE 3. He assigns 1 Cooldown card, but cannot assign 2 others. He then triggers FATIGUE 2, suffering 6 damage.

FLANK: Champions know how to take advantage of tactical positioning. A Champion is FLANKING a Malefactor as long as there is another Champion in the same Area, positioned directly opposite them. FLANK can be combined with other positioning effects, such as BACKSTAB. (The rulebook illustrates the FLANK positions that apply to Malefactors of average size and to Oversized Malefactors.)

FLY AWAY: Some Malefactors are evasive by nature. Whenever they FLY AWAY, remove their model from the Board. They cannot be targeted by any effect cast by the Champions, with the exception of Attacks that have Unlimited Range. Whenever this is the case, consider that it is at a Distance equivalent to twice the Range of the Attacking Champion's Weapon. The Malefactor's own Actions determine when they return to the Board.

FORTIFY: Some Actions improve Malefactors' protection. Whenever a Malefactor FORTIFIES, take the appropriate number of tokens and keep them near their card. That Malefactor's STURDINESS is considered 1 point higher for each of the tokens they have. FORTIFY is a Resource token.

HOLD: Large, strong Malefactors use their bulks to their advantage in battle. When a Champion or piece of Furniture is HELD (both are considered Objects), their model is removed from the board and they are subject to some special rules:

• They cannot MOVE and they will be carried along with the Malefactor to whatever Area they move to;
• They are in a Special Zone off the board, therefore, they are not in the Area where the Malefactor who is HOLDING them is, but they are still Engaged in Combat;
• If any Malefactors are instructed to Distance from or Approach a Champion who is being HELD, they do not move at all.
• If they need to target other Champions within X Range, consider that they are occupying the same Area as the Malefactor who is HOLDING them;
• They are not considered valid targets, including "Any Range" effects. If any instructions mention the Fiercest Champion while they are being HELD, it will refer to the second Fiercest Champion, for example;
• The same applies if Other Champions try to target them with their effects: if it is not specified in the Maneuver, they cannot;
• The Object which is being HELD is only placed back on the board when an instruction states that it is RELEASED or THROWN;
• A Champion who is being HELD may suffer STUN 1 with FATIGUE 6 as a Free Action during the Caravan's Turn to try to Break Free and be RELEASED. They must succeed in an Attribute Test X (Aggressiveness or Prowess) in order to do so, X being equal to the STURDINESS of the Malefactor who is HOLDING them. If that Malefactor has 2 or more Action decks, consider the highest among them.
  • That Champion must roll the indicated number of dice. The Test will be successful as long as it results in a number of Fumbles equal to or smaller than what that Champion has in the called Attribute. INSPIRATION tokens can also be used in Attribute Tests.
• When an Object is RELEASED, reposition it in a Free Space in the Area the Malefactor is in;
• When an Object is THROWN, reposition it in a Free Space in the Area it was THROWN into.

Unless specified otherwise, a Malefactor can HOLD one single Object at a time.

INSPIRE X: Champions accomplish the greatest deeds when they feel the fate of battle is in their favor. When a Champion receives INSPIRE, they take that many INSPIRATION tokens and keep them on their board. Whenever they make an Attack Roll, that Champion may discard this token to flip the die side counting as a Fumble into a Double Hit, after the Roll. INSPIRATION is a Resource token.

INVIGORATE X: Some actions have the ability to restore breath to an exhausted combatant. When a Champion receives INVIGORATE X, they restore that many Vigor points, up to the maximum of 12.

MOVE X: Move is the effect that allows a character to change their location around the board. When someone MOVES X, they receive X movement points and can spend them to move their model up to X Areas around the board (or to reposition your model inside the Area you are in), always moving orthogonally. As a rule, a character who MOVES cannot change Levels during their movement (unless there are Stairs, for example). That Character occupies any empty Space in the Area where they end their movement (or just the Central Space if it is a Large Character).

OBJECT: This is a term used to describe both Characters and Furniture. When an effect interacts with an Object, it means that it can be applied to both Characters and Furniture.

PAY X VIGOR: Some effects allow Champions to exchange Vigor for some benefit, which represents their reward for effort. Paying Vigor means giving up that number of Vigor points. This loss of Vigor is not considered damage suffered or inflicted. Champions can't pay more Vigor points than they currently have.

POLYMORPH: Sorceresses are famous for transforming men into animals. When Champions are Polymorphed, they become a Capybara. So, they perform some game procedures and are subject to special rules.

Transforming into a Capybara. When a Champion is POLYMORPHED, they perform the following procedures:

• First, place the Capybara card on top of their Champion card (below any tokens). Companion Champions use the "Companion" side of the card. Do the same with the Capybara's Sharp Teeth card and the Weapons that Champion is wielding.
• Next, they replace their Champion's model with the Capybara's model on the Confrontation Board.
• Finally, if the Champion is a Player, they set aside all Maneuver cards that are in their deck, Hand, Champion Board or Discard Pile. Then, they take the Capybara's Maneuver deck, shuffle it, and place it near their Champion Board. For each Maneuver card they set aside from their Hand, they draw a new Maneuver card, as Capybaras.

While being a Capybara. Capybaras are still Champions. They can Use Items, receive the benefits of their Traits, play their Maneuver cards and take any other Actions, except for Basic Actions. A Champion has two ways to get rid of this Condition:

• When they suffer a Wound.
• When they receive a RESTORE X effect (instead of removing a Wound).

NOTE: A Champion who has been POLYMORPHED and loses the ability to revert to their original form will be unable to do so if they suffer a Wound or receive a RESTORE X effect under these conditions.

Back to the original form. When they return to their original form, Champions perform the following procedures:

• First, they remove the Capybara's Character and Sharp Teeth cards.
• Then, they replace the Capybara's model with their Champion's model on the Confrontation Board.
• Next, they suffer STUN 3.
• Finally, Player Champions set aside all Capybara Maneuver cards that are in their deck, Hand or Discard Pile. Then, they take their Champion Maneuver cards back, shuffle them to form their deck (they do not draw Sin cards for this).

Okay, this Champion then continues the game! If it is still the Caravan's Turn, they will even be able to take Basic Actions as usual.

PRECISION X: Some attacks are particularly accurate. When an Attack has PRECISION X, it considers its target's THRESHOLD to be that number of points greater. If the Attack still provokes Counterattacks, consider the modified THRESHOLD value of that target to determine the base damage increase from Fumbles in excess. PRECISION instances are stackable.

PREPARE: Adrenaline surges prepare Champions for combat with exceptional speed. When Player Champions receive PREPARE, they remove a Cooldown card from their Board. Companion Champions, in turn, take a Readiness token that is not on their card and place it in the token area (respecting the maximum limit of 3 Readiness tokens per Companion card, no matter which side up).

PROWESS TOKEN: During the Confrontation phase, as a Reaction, Champions can discard this token to BLOCK 6 damage that is being inflicted on them or that they are suffering (as in FATIGUE, for example).

PUSH X: Some Attacks are massive enough to force their victims away. When Small Characters are PUSHED, they are moved backwards and in a Straight Line, that is, towards the Area that is touching the Base of the triangular Space they are in, the number of Areas indicated. They are repositioned in an empty Space in the Area they now occupy, chosen by them.

When a Champion PUSHES a Large Character, the latter is moved in a Straight Line, Distancing from the PUSHING Champion the same number of Areas. They are repositioned in the Central Space in the Area they now occupy.

Characters that are PUSHED into Areas that are filled with Buildings (the Area underneath them) crash into the wall and take 2 Collision Damage. If a character would be PUSHED off the board, they end up being PUSHED to the last possible Area instead. They take 2 Collision Damage. Oversized Malefactors SHOVE any Objects in the area it steps into out of the way as they step into them. Buildings and Stairs they step on are DESTROYED after the Objects on them are SHOVED.

REACTION: Reactions have more than a Restriction, they have a "Trigger". They not only require prerequisites, but there is also an exact time for them to be played, even if it is not the Caravan's Turn. When a Reaction is played, it pauses the effect's resolution. Once the Reaction is resolved, that action continues to be applied (if there are more effects to be resolved). If a Champion chooses not to play a Reaction when it's Triggered, they will need to wait until it is Triggered again.

REAPPEAR: What goes around comes around. When a Malefactor REAPPEARS, unless otherwise specified, they spawn in the Center Space of Area C2, SHOVING other Malefactors there and Facing the Fiercest Champion at Any Range.

RECALL X: To remember the past is to commit oneself to the future. When a Player Champion receives RECALL X, they may return X Maneuver cards from their Champion Board to their hand, so a slot is free and they regain a valuable Maneuver.

REDIRECT X: Some Characters are elusive and find a way to make other victims suffer attacks in their place. When an Attack is REDIRECTED, this means that it causes damage to the Character that became its target. In this case, just apply the damage. Counterattacks continue to be performed by the primary target (if there are any). Note that the new target's STURDINESS may be higher or lower than that of the primary target, meaning that the REDIRECTED Attack may inflict more, less, or no Wounds on them.

REGENERATE X: Some Malefactors are able to restore their wounds. Whenever a Malefactor REGENERATES, shuffle their Discard Pile and return up to that many cards to the bottom of their Action deck, as randomly as possible.

RESTORE X: Some effects can heal a character's wounds. When a Champion RESTORES, they flip X Wound cards to the Cooldown side on their board (or remove X Readiness tokens from their card, Wound side up, if it is a Companion).

RETRIEVE: Achilles will do anything to retrieve his Spear in combat. When Achilles RETRIEVES his Spear, remove its model from the Board and keep it near his card.

SHOVE: Some game situations will cause two elements (Object or Platform) to be in the same place on the board. Whenever this is the case, one of them SHOVES the other. Move that element to an available appropriate space on the same Board Level or below (this may cause Falling Damage), chosen by the Fiercest Champion. It has to be in Range 1 from the position which that item previously occupied and it must be Free. Oversized Malefactors SHOVE any Objects in the area they step into out of the way as they step into them. Buildings and Stairs they step on are DESTROYED after the Objects on them are SHOVED.

Special - "Shove out of the way": Sometimes SHOVE effects include this additional instruction. Whenever an item is "SHOVED out of the way", the Fiercest Champion cannot reposition them in Areas that are in the movement path of the Malefactor or Building that is MOVING in a Straight Line. Objects and Stairs can be SHOVED to the Area that the Malefactor or Building has just left to step into the one in which they are.

SPECIAL ATTACK: Not all Attacks are made with Champions' primary Weapons. SPECIAL ATTACKS have a fixed dice pool and do not receive bonuses from any Skills the Champions possess or any Equipment they are wielding. If players have chosen the Grim game mode, the penalties caused by Wounds also apply to SPECIAL ATTACKS.

SPEND: To represent expenditure of time and energy, some effects determine that the Relics that originated them are SPENT. In this case, when using that special power, you must flip that card. As long as it remains like this, consider that none of its Special Properties are active for the rest of the Confrontation.

STANCE: Some Maneuvers used by Champions are Stances. Whenever a Maneuver has STANCE, apply the described effect as long as that card remains assigned to a Maneuver Slot. When it is moved to the Discard Pile, or a RECALL effect returns it to a Champion's Hand, the STANCE ends. Companion Champions maintain active STANCES as long as there is a Readiness token, Cooldown face-up, assigned to them.

STEP: Some instructions are triggered by an Object stepping into an Area. The term "step" refers to the process of the model of an Object entering a specific Area, whether by ADVANCING to it or MOVING through it, without necessarily ending its movement there. The term step does not apply to areas that a Character ADVANCES over; it only applies when they land.

STICK: Achilles's Spear sticks into the ground when it leaves his hands. Take its model to represent it on the Board. When Achilles THROWS it, it STICKS into the Center Space of the Area his target is in. Champions can target the spear while it is STUCK into the board.

STORE: Unlike discard, Store is the instruction intended for storing a component. When an element is STORED, you must return it to its box. Region, Path, Discovery, Treasure, and Confrontation Event Cards are stored in Circle Boxes. Tokens are stored in the Token Tray.

STRAIGHT LINE: When a Malefactor is instructed to MOVE in a Straight Line, it means they will try to move that many Areas in the direction they are Facing. They do not mind taking Falling Damage for this. If the Malefactor reaches the Edge of the Board or is in front of a building that they cannot climb and they still have movement points left, they spend 1 of those points to turn 180 degrees. If, after that, they still have more movement points, they keep going in a Straight Line until they run out.

STURDINESS: Malefactors have a trait called STURDINESS, which represents their passive resistance to damage. An Attack or effect only inflicts a Wound on a Malefactor if it deals damage equal to or greater than their STURDINESS.

STUN X: Certain Actions temporarily cool the Champions down. When Player Champions are STUNNED, they take a Wound card, Cooldown face up, and place it on one of their unblocked Maneuver Slots. Move any Maneuver cards that might be there to their Discard Pile. Companion Champions, in turn, remove one of their Readiness tokens, Cooldown face up, from their cards (they may choose a token that has been assigned to a Maneuver).

SWAP: Special effects switch the positions of two Objects on the Board. Whenever this is the case, the models involved are removed from the board and placed back, each in the position previously occupied by the other. No character takes Falling Damage this way.

THRESHOLD: This represents the minimum number of Fumbles that an Attack Roll made against a Malefactor needs to provoke a Counterattack. Note that each Fumble obtained beyond a Malefactor's THRESHOLD increases all "base damage" from that Counterattack by 1 point (to each of its targets). Therefore, if Minos has THRESHOLD 2, any Attack Roll made against him that gets 2 or more Fumbles provokes a Counterattack. If 3 or 4 Fumbles were obtained, for example, the base damage is increased by +1 or +2, and so on.

THROW: Some characters use their strength to move other objects against their will. When an Object is THROWN, reposition it in an empty space within the Area where the target of the THROW is located. If necessary, SHOVE any Objects to free up space. Pillars Collapse after being repositioned. Malefactors SHOVE other Malefactors from the Areas to which they were THROWN. THROWN Characters are not subjected to Collision Damage or Falling Damage. Damage inflicted is exclusively from the effect responsible for the THROW.

Special - "Areas the object moved through": THROWS can include this instruction, which refers to the idea of throwing trajectory. Whenever an effect mentions "Area that item moved through", the Fiercest Champion traces an imaginary route as if the THROWN item were a Character Approaching their target. Each Area it steps into counts as an Area it moves through.

TRAP: The Outlaw is an expert at terrain sabotage. When an effect instructs you to set a Trap, place the appropriate token on the Central Space of an Area of your choice within the allowed Range. That Central Space must be Free. The next time a Malefactor steps into that Space, the Trap is triggered. Remove that token from the board and inflict 1 Wound on the Malefactor's Action deck with the lowest STURDINESS (if they have more than one). If an Action or Counterattack is being resolved, interrupt the effect and discard the top card of that Malefactor's Action deck before continuing to resolve that card.

NOTE: If a Malefactor triggers a TRAP while resolving an Action or Counterattack when they only have the card that is being played in their deck, they discard it and are defeated immediately, without the need to finish resolving the other steps of their card.

ULTIMATE: Ultimate Maneuvers require a lot of effort from a Champion and are not repeated in combat. When a Maneuver has ULTIMATE, as soon as its card leaves its owner's board, it is STORED. It can only be used again in the next Confrontation. This effect applies to Maneuvers that are RECALLED. "Copy" effects cannot target an ULTIMATE Maneuver. All Archetype Maneuvers introduced in the Coliseum Expansion are Ultimate Maneuvers.

WILLPOWER TOKEN: During the Confrontation Phase, as a Free Action, a Player Champion may discard one of these tokens to be able to perform a Maneuver in a Slot that is occupied by another Maneuver card. Companions, in turn, perform a Maneuver they have that is not blocked by a Wound without assigning any Readiness token to it.