Dawnshade: The Watchers Prophecy Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Objective
• Background
• Box Contents
• Components
• Glossary
• Set-up
  • Game Mode
  • Difficulty Level & Threat Tracker
  • Level Tracker, XP Tracker & Training Points
  • Väki Pool
  • Quest Deck
  • Watchers Blessings
  • Watchers Alignment
  • Currency
• Characters
  • Character Mat
• Phases of a Turn
• Quest Tiles
• Watchers Temple
• Events
  • Stat Challenges
  • Treasure/Trap Challenges
  • Cogbot Challenges
  • Loot Shoot
• Battles
• Let The Battle Begin!
  • Conditions
  • Victory & Defeat
  • Reset & Return Väki
  • Major Threats
• End of Game / Campaign
• Alternate Game Modes
  • Campaign Mode (Full Chapter Mode)
  • Power Level Mode
  • Solo Mode
• Transcription Notes

Introduction

The prophecy will be fulfilled. How, is up to you.

It is recommended you learn to play Dawnshade by watching the Dawnshade Tutorial Videos on the Dawnshade YouTube channel and use the Dawnshade Rulebook as a reference. Visit the Highborne Games YouTube channel for a list of tutorial videos categorized by subject and numbered sequentially for easy reference.

Objective

The objective of Dawnshade is to defeat the major threats causing imbalance in the world. These major threats are represented by the Major Threat Quest Tile found at the bottom of your Quest Deck. You and your Kinship will start your adventure at the Starting Village, draw Quest Tiles from a randomized Quest Deck and place them on the Quest Map to advance your adventure. Each time you play Dawnshade, a new adventure awaits. Your Kinship will be exploring the world, completing events to earn rewards, visiting outposts to help you on your way, encountering Watchers Temples to gain favor or suffer wrath from The Watchers, and facing battles that will test your mettle. The choices you make and how well you navigate the Quest Map, complete challenges and develop your characters will determine how prepared you are to face the major threats you encounter!

Background

Dawnshade is a world with unique history, landscapes, creatures, language and lore. The Logbook is presented in a "choose your own adventure" style narrative with many branching paths. This Logbook will be your guide through the many encounters you discover. It is meant to provide a glimpse into the world of Dawnshade each time you play. The more you play, the more you will learn of the world and all its mysteries.

Box Contents

• Save Game Pad
• Chip Shuffling Bag
• Rulebook
• Logbook
• Token Sheets
• Character Mats
• Game Mats

Components

The components are shown as a labelled illustration in the rulebook. The labels are listed here in the order they appear.

• Target & Glory Cards
• Character Skill Dice
• Item Cards
• Battle Dice
• Väki Discs
• Game Cubes
• Skill Cards
• Might Foe Chips
• Unity Foe Chips
• Neutral Foe Chips
• Character & Character Cogbot Chips
• Cogbot Chips
• Initiative Stack & Misc. Chips
• Stat Dials
• Hitpoint Chips
• Shield Chips
• Quest Tiles
• Cataclysm Tiles
• Tawny, Glint and Aurelian (currency)
• Misc. Foe & Misc. Tokens
• Artifact Tokens (store Artifact Tokens separately until they are unlocked after completing campaigns)

Glossary

Here are some basic terms to help you on your journey:

• Väki: Elemental magic used to power cogwork mechanisms in Dawnshade.
• The Watchers: Deities of the 6 primary elements of Dawnshade: Surea (Watcher of Sun), Xolot (Watcher of Fire), Jarus (Watcher of Mountain), Brecea (Watcher of Air), Danu (Watcher of Water) and Arborea (Watcher of Nature). Not much is known about The Watchers other than they are considered to be the source of all väki. The inhabitants of Dawnshade show their devotion to The Watchers in order to harness and channel the power of väki.
• Tawny: Basic currency in Dawnshade. 5 Tawny = 1 Glint. 10 Tawny = 1 Aurelian.
• Cogcycle: Basic unit of time. Sunscycle: Unit of time measured by the dawning and setting of Dawnshade's two suns. Moonscycle: Unit of time measured by the alignment of Dawnshade's three moons.
• Cogbots: Väki-powered cogwork machines used for a multitude of purposes in Dawnshade including labor, travel, fighting and sports.
• Furlong: Measure of distance roughly equated to how long an average creature can walk in a hundred cogcycles.
• The Unity & The Might: Two factions at war with one another for the hearts, minds and bodies of the creatures of Dawnshade. The Unity's credo is "Law. Obedience. Deliverance." The Might's credo is "Strength Above All."
• The Watchers Prophecy: A widely-known, but cryptic passage from the Tome of Xolot, Watcher of Fire, that prophesies the return of The Watchers.
• The Kinship: A group of Petarukin (yourself included) called by the High Eldress of your village to escort and protect Kymber Boh on a quest to restore balance to Dawnshade.

Note: the Introduction calls the protected Petarukin "Kymber Roh", while the Glossary prints "Kymber Boh". Both are transcribed as printed.

Set-up

Place starting game components on the table in the following configuration. Modify if needed to accommodate table shape and size.

The setup diagram numbers each component to match the list below.

1. Väki Mat: Where players track your Kinship's Level, XP, Threat, and Training Points. Players also track their Watcher Alignment and draw from the pool of väki to power character abilities.
2. Väki Chips: Represent the elemental power given by The Watchers to power your abilities and influence alignment. Differently colored chips represent each element. Yellow=Sun, Orange=Fire, Red=Mountain, Purple=Air, Blue=Water, Green=Nature.
3. Watcher Alignment Cubes: Represent your alignment with The Watchers. You begin the game "Balanced" with each alignment cube in the leftmost or "0" position of the alignment track. Cubes match the color of the Watcher. Grey=Unaligned/Balanced/Aligned, Yellow=Sun, Orange=Fire, Red=Mountain, Purple=Air, Blue=Water, Green=Nature.
4. Training Point Cubes: Cubes placed in the Training Point section of the Väki Mat to track how many training points you have. 1 training point is granted for every level gained. Each Training Point Cube represents 1 training point per player which may be spent in the Guild Hall Outpost to increase Character Stats or unlock Skill Dice.
5. Level Tracker: Tracks the level of The Kinship. Each time a level is gained, one Training Point Cube is earned and placed on the Väki Mat to be used when visiting the Guild Hall Outpost.
6. Threat Tracker: Tracks the amount of threat The Kinship has generated during your quest. Each game starts with the Threat Tracker set at 0. Each hex moved on the Quest Mat increases threat by 1. Once threat reaches the threshold set at the start of the game based on the difficulty level you have chosen, the Major Threat at the bottom of the Quest Deck is immediately triggered and placed on the location of The Kinship Marker on the Quest Mat.
7. XP Tracker: Tracks the amount of Experience (XP) The Kinship has gained. For every 10 Xp earned, 1 Level is gained.
8. Quest Mat: Represents the map of your quest. You start at the Starting Village, reveal Quest Tiles from the Quest Deck, and place them on the Quest Mat. You may only move where pathways connect. Each hex you move increases Threat by 1.

Game Mode

The normal mode of play in Dawnshade is Trilogy Mode. In this mode, you will play through a campaign consisting of 3 chapters. Each chapter is a separate game session. Your progress will continue from one chapter to the next. There are other alternate game modes found at the conclusion of this rulebook to add variety and new challenges to the game (see Alternate Game Modes).

Difficulty Level & Threat Tracker

The difficulty level of Dawnshade can be adjusted to suit the level of challenge you desire. Difficulty is determined by the Max Threat you can reach on the Threat Tracker before the Major Threat is revealed. Start the game at 0 threat. Threat is increased by 1 for every space moved on the Quest Mat. Once threat reaches the Max Threat you've chosen, the Major Threat Quest Tile at the bottom of your Quest Deck is revealed and placed on The Kinship's location on the Quest Mat. This immediately initiates the final battle, ready or not!

Difficulty	Max Threat
Easy	19
Normal	16
Hard	13

Level Tracker, XP Tracker & Training Points

At the start of the game, place the Level and XP Trackers on the Väki mat and set them to 0. The Kinship gains Levels and XP collectively. When you gain XP (experience) after completing quests, increase the XP Tracker by the number of XP you received. Once your XP Tracker reaches 10, you have "leveled up". This is represented by increasing the Level Tracker by 1. The Kinship receives 1 Training Point for each level gained. This is represented by placing a grey Training Point Cube in the Training Point Pool on the Väki Mat. Training Points may be used to level up your character when visiting the Guild Hall Outpost. Each player can individually spend the amount of Training Points in the pool. For example, if The Kinship has 3 Training Points on the Väki Mat, each character may spend 3 Training Points at the Guild Hall. The Kinship must use their Training Points at the same time. Remove Training Points from Väki Mat after using them to "level up".

Väki Pool

Väki is the elemental essence that powers the world of Dawnshade. It is used to power character abilities. The väki elements are Sun (yellow), Fire (orange), Mountain (red), Air (purple), Water (blue) and Nature (green). They are represented by väki chips. Väki is separated into Tier I and Tier II väki. Tier I väki consists of Sun, Mountain and Water and is used to power Tier I abilities. Tier II väki consists of Fire, Air and Nature and is used to power Tier II and Ultimate abilities.

At the start of the game, place two Tier I Väki Chips per player and one Tier II Väki Chip per player on their corresponding element on the Väki Mat. This is your available pool of väki. Tier I Väki is acquired by rolling "hits" on the Väki dice during battle. To acquire Tier II väki, a player must combine the two Tier I väki adjacent to it. For example, combine 1 Sun and 1 Mountain väki by returning them to the väki pool to acquire one Fire väki and place it on your Character Mat. If at any time, there are no more chips of a certain element in the väki pool, that pool is considered empty and players must wait until it is refilled by other players returning väki to the Väki Mat.

The combinations are shown on the Väki Mat as follows:

• 1 Water + 1 Sun = 1 Nature
• 1 Mountain + 1 Water = 1 Air
• 1 Sun + 1 Mountain = 1 Fire

Quest Deck

You will create a unique Quest Deck every time you play Dawnshade. Your quest deck consists of 10 Quest Tiles that include: 1 Starting Village, 1 Watchers Temple, 1 Battle, 1 Major Threat, 2 Outpost, 2 Event and 2 Journey Tiles. Randomly select each of these Quest Tiles. Randomly place the Starting Village on one of the hexes on the Quest Mat, then place the Kinship Marker on the Starting Village. This represents where your quest begins. Next, set the Major Threat aside and shuffle the remaining Quest Tiles. Place them on top of the Major Threat Quest Tile so the Major Threat is at the bottom of the Quest Deck. Place the Quest Deck near the Quest Mat.

Watchers Blessings

Watchers are elemental deities who work in mysterious ways to maintain balance in Dawnshade. Watchers Blessings represent helpful perks granted to you by The Watchers to aid you in your quest. After you have placed your Starting Village, place eight Watchers Blessing tokens face down on the Quest Mat. Their locations depend on where you placed the Starting Village. Refer to the Quick Reference Guide in The Logbook for placement locations.

When, during your adventure, the Active Player places a Quest Tile onto a new space on the Quest Mat with a Watchers Blessing on it, they receive that Watchers Blessing. Watchers Blessings are considered "instant" effects which means they can be used at any time on behalf of any character regardless of who is the Active Player. Discard Watchers Blessings after they are used. Any unused Watchers Blessings are discarded at the end of each game session during a campaign.

Watchers Blessings include:

• Damage: +1 Damage during an attack on a Foe.
• Shield: +1 Shield. May not exceed max shields.
• Väki: +1 Tier I väki.
• Transfuse: May transfer any amount of HP Chips from one Battle Stack to another.
• Miss: Add 1 "Miss" card to the Target Deck.
• Wild: One dice may be changed to any face.

Watchers Alignment

Watchers Alignment represents how closely aligned with a certain Watcher The Kinship is during your adventure. It is tracked on the Väki Mat using colored cubes that match each Watcher element. Your Alignment will determine what gifts you receive from The Watchers and what Cataclysms you will trigger when you encounter a Watchers Temple Quest Tile.

You begin the game "Balanced" with each alignment cube in the leftmost or "0" position of the alignment track. At any time during your turn, you may spend one väki to increase your alignment with The Watcher of the väki element you're spending by 1 and move the alignment cube 1 space to the right on the alignment track. For example, you could spend 1 Nature väki to increase your alignment with Arborea by 1.

Whichever Watcher is furthest along the alignment track is The Watcher you are aligned with. If all Watchers alignment is the same, you are considered Balanced. If there is a tie between 2 or more Watchers for being furthest along the alignment track, you are considered Unaligned. Place the grey alignment cube at the top of the Väki Mat in the Unaligned, Balanced, or Aligned slot to track your overall alignment status.

Watchers Blessings can be used at any time to aid any player.

Whenever you trigger a shift in alignment from one Watcher to another, the player who initiated the shift may grant one member of The Kinship the positive condition associated with that Watcher as indicated on the Väki Mat. For example, if you trigger an alignment shift to Arborea, one member of The Kinship would receive the Agile positive condition. If you trigger a shift to Balanced, each member of The Kinship receives +1 väki (Tier I). If you trigger a shift to Unaligned, nothing happens.

Currency

The basic currency in Dawnshade is called Tawny and is represented by the copper colored coin labeled Tawny. Tawny can be exchanged for the following denominations: 5 Tawny = 1 Glint (silver), 10 Tawny = 1 Aurelian (gold).

Note: Tawny cannot be shared among characters.

Characters

Players may choose from 4 different playable Characters in the base game of Dawnshade. Each character can be customized to suit your play style and strategy. You are encouraged to experiment with different characters and builds to find your favorites.

Character Mat

Select a character by choosing the corresponding Character Mat and place it on the table where you have easy access to it.

Stat Dials: Place your 6 Stat Dials into the Character Mat with the pointer set at the circled starting number. You can spend Training Points to unlock your Skill Dice or raise your stats. For each Training Point you spend when visiting a Guild Hall, you may either unlock 1 Skill Die by placing it onto the corresponding slot on your Character Mat, or raise any stat other than Agility by 1. This is done by rotating the corresponding Stat Dial clockwise. Each stat represents a different character attribute. These are:

• AGI = Agility: The total number of dice you may roll on your turn. This stat does not behave like the others. You cannot increase it by spending Training Points. It increases automatically by one point every three levels. The background of the AGI Stat Dial and every 3rd level on the Level Tracker is green as a reminder.
• ATK = Attack: The total number of Attack Dice you may roll on your turn.
• ITEMS = Items: The total number of Item Cards you may have.
• HP = Hitpoints: The number of starting HP you have in your Battle Stack.
• DEF = Defense: The total number of Defense Dice you may roll on your turn.
• DEV = Devotion: The total number of Väki Dice you may roll on your turn.

Skill Dice & Skill Cards: Place your character's 3 Skill Dice and 7 Skill Cards next to your Character Mat. Skill Dice need to be unlocked by spending 1 Training Point per dice. When you unlock a Skill Die, place it on your Character Mat. Skill Dice are required to perform the skills listed on the Character Skill Cards. Each Skill Die requires a specific väki combination to power it as listed on the Character Skill Cards. Any Skill Dice rolled count toward a player's Agility (total dice roll).

Once you have collected enough väki to power a skill, you can activate it by spending the required väki from your Character Mat back to the Väki Pool. You may then add the corresponding Skill Dice to your dice roll. Unlocked Skill Dice can be combined for more powerful attacks. They are separated into 3 tiers.

• Tier I: Powerful abilities using Tier I väki and one Skill Die.
• Tier II: Really powerful abilities using Tier I and Tier II väki and two Skill Dice.
• Ultimate: Really really powerful ability using Tier I and Tier II väki and all three Skill Dice.

Special Ability: Your character's Special Ability is listed at the top of your Character Mat and activates when you roll a Special Symbol on your Attack Dice. This ability is considered either "activated" or "not activated" on your turn, meaning multiple symbols do not trigger the ability more than once per turn. For example, if Ash rolled 2 Special Symbols on his turn, he would only activate his Special Ability once.

Combo Meter: The Combo Meter represents your character charging up the power to unleash powerful conditions on Allies and Foes alike. At the start of battle, the combo meter on both the flame and thorn side are set to 0. For each dice rolled during battle with a ring of fire or thorns on its face, move the corresponding cube one slot toward the center of the Combo Meter. Once it reaches the center or "3" slot, the corresponding condition is considered charged—the positive condition on the flame side and the negative condition on the thorn side.

Once a condition is charged, it may be activated at any time during that character's turn. Positive and negative conditions may be activated at the same time if both are charged. Combos may also be activated together with another Ally if they have the opposite condition charged. For example, if Ash has his flame side or positive condition charged and Flash has her thorn side or negative condition charged as well, they can work together on Ash's turn and activate both conditions. No more than 1 positive and 1 negative condition can be activated per turn. Once activated, reset the Combo Meter used back to 0 (Flame, Thorn, or both).

Character Mat callouts (numbered on the illustration): 1 Character Mat, 2 Stat Dials, 3 AGI, 4 ATK, 5 ITEMS, 6 HP, 7 DEF, 8 DEV, 9 Skill Dice, 10 Skill Cards, 11 Special Ability, 12 Combo Meter, 13 Väki Cost, 14 Skill Description, 15 Ability Name.

Phases of a Turn

Each turn is made up of the following five phases.

1. Move Active Player: Move the Active Player Marker clockwise. This determines which player will take their turn next.
2. Move Kinship: To progress along your adventure, The Kinship may move to a new Quest Tile drawn from the top of the Quest Deck, move to the Starting Village, or move to any previously revealed Outpost. The Kinship may not stay where they are and may not move to a previously revealed Journey, Watchers Temple, Event, or Battle Quest Tile. When moving to a new Quest Tile, at least one pathway extending to the edge of the Quest Tile must connect to the pathway of the adjoining Quest Tile you're placing it next to. You may rotate the Quest Tile in any direction you choose in order to create the most favorable pathway connections. You can place Quest Tiles anywhere on the Quest Mat as long as there is a connecting pathway. If a pathway does not connect or if it goes to the edge of the Quest Mat, it is considered a dead-end and cannot be moved through. If at any time you cannot place a new Quest Tile because there is nowhere to connect pathways, you must instead move to a previously revealed Outpost or the Starting Village until your Threat Tracker reaches its Max Threat and the Major Threat Quest Tile is revealed. If at any time you are unable to move to a legal quest tile before Max Threat is reached, reveal the Major Threat Quest Tile immediately!
3. Increase Threat: Increase the Threat Tracker by one for every space The Kinship moved from its previous location. Once the Threat Tracker reaches the Max Threat set at the beginning of the game based on the chosen difficulty level, gameplay immediately stops and the Major Threat Quest Tile is revealed from the bottom of the Quest Deck and placed on the Quest Mat at The Kinship's location. The Major Threat quest is then immediately initiated.
4. Complete Quest: Each Quest Tile represents a different encounter in your overall journey. When you end your movement on a Quest Tile, you will complete the action associated with that Quest Tile. Once you have completed the action, this portion of your quest is considered complete.
5. Earn Rewards: Each quest grants certain rewards. Once you complete a Quest Tile, refer to The Logbook for the rewards you have earned. Rewards for Starting Villages, Outposts, Journeys and Watchers Temples are found in the Quick Reference Guide at the beginning of The Logbook. Rewards for Events, Battles and Major Threats are found in their respective locations in The Logbook.

Illustration captions: Correct Event 18 Quest Tile Placement; Incorrect Event 18 Quest Tile Placement.

Quest Tiles

Quest Tiles represent encounters during your adventure. You begin the game by placing the Starting Village on any space on the Quest Mat. This is where your adventure begins. During the "Move Kinship" turn phase, Quest Tiles may be drawn to reveal new encounters and expand the map on the Quest Mat. Each type of Quest Tile initiates a different type of encounter. XP and Tawny rewards for all Quest Tiles can be found in The Logbook.

Starting Village: The Starting Village Quest Tile represents where your quest begins. Each game begins with The Kinship at the Starting Village. After you've set up the game and before taking your first turn, read the chapter I Starting Village narrative in The Logbook for the 1st game in the campaign. For the 2nd game in the campaign, you may choose one of the chapter II-V narratives. For the 3rd and final game in the campaign, read the Chapter VI narrative.

Starting Villages also act as any Outpost. After leaving the Starting Village, you may return at any time during the game. Each time you return, you may visit one Outpost of your choice and complete the activity associated with that Outpost. The Kinship receives 2 XP each time they move to the Starting Village during the "Earn Rewards" phase of the turn.

Journey: Journey Quest Tiles represent The Kinship traveling along your path for a length of time. When a Journey Quest Tile is revealed, the Active Player places it on the Quest Mat and moves to it, increasing threat by one for each space moved. No encounters are activated on a Journey Tile. The Kinship simply gains 4 XP during the "Earn Rewards" phase of the turn. The Active Player then takes another full turn, except they skip Phase 1 of a turn and keep the Active Player Marker rather than passing it to the next player.

Outpost: Outpost Quest Tiles represent an Outpost you encounter during your quest. Here you can stop and do certain activities related to the Outpost you encountered. There are five different types of Outposts. These are The Guild Hall, Tavern, Mercantile, Foundry and Boomshot Gallery. Once you've completed the activity associated with the Outpost, The Kinship earns 2 XP during the "Earn Rewards" phase of the turn.

Guild Hall: When visiting a Guild Hall, each player may spend their Training Points to either increase your character's stat by 1 or unlock 1 of your character's Skill Dice for each Training Point spent. Remember, each Training Point Cube on the Väki Mat represents one Training Point PER PLAYER, meaning if there are 3 Training Points on the Väki Mat, each player may spend 3 Training Points at the Guild Hall. Remove a Training Point cube on the Väki Mat for each Training Point spent. Increase the Stat Dial value of increased Stats and Dock any unlocked Skill Dice on your Character Mat.

Tavern: When visiting a Tavern, The Kinship may gamble your hard-earned Tawny in a game of Double Doubler's Dice or Watchers Runes.

Double Doubler's (D&D) Dice

• Objective: Roll "balance" on the Dawnshade Dice two times in a row.
• How to play: Each player starting with the Active Player may spend the "ante" to play by placing your Tawny on the Kinship Marker. The amount of the ante depends on whether you are playing the 1st, 2nd or 3rd game in the Campaign (see Outpost Upgrades). Next, roll the Dawnshade Dice. If you Succeed (roll "balance" = 1 "Dawn" and 1 "Shade" side), your ante is doubled and becomes your winnings. You now have the option to stop and collect some or all of your winnings or let some or all of your winnings ride to try to double your Tawny again. If you decide to continue with some or all of your winnings, roll the Dawnshade Dice again. If you Succeed again, you double your Tawny again. If at any time you Fail your Dawnshade Dice roll (roll 2 "Dawn" or 2 "Shade" sides), you lose your ante and any winnings you haven't previously collected.

Watchers Runes

• Objective: Collect as many Tawny as you can before you "bust".
• How to play: Each player may spend the "ante" to play by placing your Tawny on the Kinship Marker. The amount of the ante is 2 Tawny. Begin by shuffling the Target Cards of 4 characters into a Watchers Runes deck. There are five cards per character so a basic deck includes 20 cards in total. Each character has three cards with Tawny pictured on them and two cards with Runes pictured on them. Play begins with the Active Player revealing the top card of the Watchers Runes deck. If the revealed card has a Tawny pictured on it, this represents each player receiving one Tawny. All participating players may decide to "let it ride" and continue playing or stop playing and collect their winnings. After each player has declared whether or not they would like to continue, the Active Player reveals the next card in the Watchers Runes deck. Play continues until either all players have decided to stop and collect their winnings or two Runes from the same character have been revealed. Once two Runes from the same character are revealed, the game is over and anyone who is still participating has "busted" which means they lose their ante and do not collect any winnings.

Mercantile: When visiting a Mercantile, The Kinship may shop for the latest and greatest of Dawnshade's wares to aid you in your quest. First, draw Item Cards from the top of the Item Deck. Cards are separated into Tier I, Tier II and Tier III Items. The item tier you will have access to depends on whether you are playing the 1st, 2nd or 3rd game in the Campaign (See Outpost Upgrades). Draw the items you have access to in the following quantities: 6 Tier I Items, 3 Tier II Items and 2 Tier III Items. Place them face up on the Battle Mat. Starting with the Active Player then moving clockwise, each player may purchase and/or sell 1 Item, then the next player may take a turn. This continues until everyone has purchased and/or sold as many items as they wish. Items in a player's hand may be sold for the "sell" value as listed on the Item Card to make room in their inventory. Sold items are placed face up on the Battle Mat with the other Item Cards and may be purchased by other players for the "buy" value. Players may not transfer or trade items with one another. You may only hold as many Items as your Item stat will allow.

Items come in three types:

• Instant: play at any time and discard after use.
• Consumable: play anytime during your turn and discard after use.
• Permanent: stays with your character throughout the campaign until you drop or sell it.

Illustration callouts (Item Card): 1 Item Name, 2 Description, 3 Buy Price, 4 Sell Price, 5 Type.

Foundry: When visiting a Foundry, starting with the Active Player then moving clockwise, each member of The Kinship may take a turn doing any of the following activities: Transmuting Tawny, purchasing Cogbot Fighters or purchasing a Cogbehemoth.

• Transmuting: You may Transmute Tawny into väki at the cost of 3 Tawny = 1 väki (Tier I). This is done by discarding three Tawny and drawing one Tier I väki from the available Väki Pool on the Väki Mat.

• Cogbot Fighters: At the Foundry, you may also purchase a Cogbot Fighter at a cost of 1 Aurelian (10 Tawny). Cogbot Fighters are placed in your Battle Stack between your 1st and 2nd HP chip under your Character Chip in your Battle Stack. It represents a "fighter" that gives its owner certain perks listed on the back of the Cogbot Fighter chip. It also acts as a shield to you in battle by absorbing all damage when it is destroyed, meaning if the HP chips under the Cogbot Fighter are eliminated, the Cogbot Fighter is KO'd and removed from battle, but excess damage will be absorbed leaving your character with one HP regardless of how much damage was taken. Cogbot Fighters stay with you throughout the campaign until they are KO'd.

• Cogbehemoths: At the Foundry, you may also purchase a Cogbehemoth at a cost of 3 Aurelian (30 Tawny). These machines allow the entire Kinship to jump into and pilot a giant väki powered battle Cogbot. When purchased, the player who made the purchase will collect a Cogbehemoth chip for each player. They can choose to activate it at any time on their turn. When activated, the player who has the Cogbehemoth chips may distribute them to The Kinship in any order they choose. Each player may only pilot one part of the Cogbehemoth (Head, Left Arm, Right Arm, Left Leg, Right Leg). Players will immediately place +3 Shield chips under the Cogbehemoth chip and place this chip stack between the 1st and 2nd HP chip under their Character chip in their Battle Stack (or between the 1st and 2nd HP chip under their Cogbot Fighter if one is equipped). In addition to extra shields, Characters piloting a Cogbehemoth will also gain Max Agility as is listed on the back of the Cogbehemoth chip. Your Cogbehemoth and your character may both have a max shield of 3, meaning both your character and your Cogbehemoth may have up to 3 shields for a max total of 6. When the Shield chips underneath a Cogbehemoth are eliminated, the Cogbehemoth is KO'd and removed from battle. Each Cogbehemoth is equipped with a mechanism that triggers immediately when it is destroyed. These effects are listed on the back of the Cogbehemoth chips. Like Cogbot Fighters, Cogbehemoths also absorb all damage when destroyed, meaning if the Shield chips under the Cogbehemoth are eliminated, excess damage will be absorbed leaving your character with a Cogbot Fighter (if equipped) and one HP regardless of how much damage was taken. Cogbehemoths only last the duration of one battle. Once the battle concludes, discard the Cogbehemoth chips and their associated Shield chips.

Boomshot Gallery: When visiting a Boomshot Gallery, The Kinship may test their skills by launching their Cogbots into targets! Begin by turning over the Battle Mat to reveal the Boomshot Gallery. All who wish to play then place 1 Tawny per shot they would like to take on the Kinship Marker. The number of shots available to you depends on whether you are playing the 1st, 2nd or 3rd game in the Campaign (See Outpost Upgrades). Starting with the Active Player then moving clockwise, each player will take 1 shot at a time. This is done by flipping a character's Cogbot chips with their thumb onto the Boomshot Gallery from anywhere off the Mat. Once all shots are taken and the Cogbot chips have come to rest, rewards are collected for targets the Cogbots "hit" (lands on or within 1 chip thickness). The pips on the Cogbot chips do not affect gameplay at the Boomshot Gallery. If a Cogbot chip hits two or more targets, you receive the reward of the target your Cogbot chip landed closest to the center of. If two or more players have landed on the same target, the player whose Cogbot chip is closest to the center of the target wins the reward.

Outpost Upgrades: Outposts receive upgrades based on whether you are playing the 1st, 2nd or 3rd game in the Campaign.

• Guild Hall: 1st Game = Level I: Library, may perform Tier I Character Skills. 2nd Game = Level II: Obstacle Course, may perform Tier I & Tier II Character Skills. 3rd Game = Level III: Weapons Gallery, may perform Tier I, Tier II & Ultimate Character Skills.
• Tavern: 1st Game = Level I: Tawny Slots, D&D Dice 1 Tawny Ante, Watchers Runes 2 Tawny Ante. 2nd Game = Level II: VIP Room, D&D Dice 2 Tawny Ante, Watchers Runes 2 Tawny Ante +1 2 Tawny Target Card in deck. 3rd Game = Level III: High Rollers Table, D&D Dice 3 Tawny Ante, Watchers Runes 2 Tawny Ante +2 2 Tawny Target Cards in deck.
• Mercantile: 1st Game = Level I: Clearance Aisle, draw 6 Tier I Item Cards each visit. 2nd Game = Level II: Designer Department, draw 6 Tier I & 3 Tier II Item Cards each visit. 3rd Game = Level III: Big Ticket Section, draw 6 Tier I, 3 Tier II & 2 Tier III Item Cards each visit.
• Foundry: 1st Game = Level I: Smelter, may Transmute 3 Tawny to 1 väki (Tier I). 2nd Game = Level II: Cogwork Assembly, may Transmute 3 Tawny to 1 väki (Tier I) & purchase Cogbot Fighters for 1 Aurelian (1/player). 3rd Game = Level III: Väki Workshop, may Transmute 3 Tawny to 1 väki (Tier I), purchase Cogbot Fighters for 1 Aurelian (1/player) & purchase Cogbehemoth for 3 Aurelian (1/Kinship).
• Boomshot Gallery: 1st Game = Level I: Bolt Action Launchers, 1 Shot Max (1 Tawny per shot). 2nd Game = Level II: Semi-Auto Launchers, 2 Shot Max (1 Tawny per shot). 3rd Game = Level III: Full-Auto Launchers, 3 Shot Max (1 Tawny per shot).

Watchers Temple

The Watchers Temple is a place where the Kinship can seek refuge and be protected from cataclysmic devastations taking their toll on the land around you. However, depending on your Watcher Alignment, you can receive benefits or suffer hardships at the hands of The Watchers. Their ways are both mysterious and unpredictable. When you enter a Watchers Temple Tile, you will initiate both Divine Guidance and Cataclysm.

Divine Guidance: Divine Guidance represents The Kinship offering devotion to The Watchers at the shrines in the Watchers Temple and receiving your just rewards. To initiate Divine Guidance, if your Watchers Alignment is Aligned, place 6 Tawny and all available condition tokens matching your Watchers Alignment into the Dawnshade Bag and mix them. For example, if you are aligned with Danu, Watcher of Water, on the Väki Mat, you would place 6 Tawny and all Accurate/Stunned condition tokens that are not already being used into the Dawnshade Bag. If your Watchers Alignment is Balanced or Unaligned, place 1 of each condition token matching each Watcher into the Dawnshade Bag. Each player starting with the Active Player then draws 1 token from the bag. If it is a Tawny, add it to your Tawny stack. If it is a condition, place it on top of your battle stack. If your Watcher Alignment is Aligned or Balanced, use the positive side of the condition tokens. If you are Unaligned, use the negative side. You will enter your next battle with these conditions.

Cataclysm: Cataclysm tiles represent devastating, world altering events happening in the world around you. They have a chance to reset your Watchers Alignment or reduce your Character Stats. They also block spaces on the Quest Mat for the remainder of the campaign. To initiate Cataclysm, reveal 1 Cataclysm Tile matching your Watchers Alignment and place it face up on an empty space adjacent to the Watchers Temple. For example, if you are aligned with Danu, Watcher of Water, on the Väki Mat, reveal 1 Danu Cataclysm Tile. If you are Unaligned, reveal 2 random Cataclysm Tiles instead of 1 and place each of them on a space adjacent to the Watchers Temple. If there are no empty spaces adjacent to the Watchers Temple, you may place Cataclysm Tiles over an existing Quest Tile. If your Watchers Alignment is Balanced, you do not reveal any Cataclysm Tiles. Once you've placed the Cataclysm Tiles, resolve the effects listed on the tile.

After visiting the Watchers Temple, The Kinship earns 8 XP during the "Earn Rewards" phase of the turn.

Events

Event: Event Quest Tiles represent different events you encounter on your quest. When you move to an Event Quest Tile, read the corresponding narrative in The Logbook. Many times, the events will have branching paths. Each path may have a positive or negative outcome depending on your performance in one of the many challenges you will face during an event. There are three basic types of Events. These are Stat Challenges, Cogbot Challenges and Treasure/Trap Challenges. After completing an Event, The Kinship will receive 6 XP during the "Earn Rewards" phase of the turn.

Stat Challenges

Stat Challenges represent The Kinship testing their skills based on the collective stats of their characters to see if they will Succeed or Fail a quest path.

• Objective: Roll enough "hits" on dice into modifier zones to equal or exceed the specified threshold.
• How To Play: Begin by referring to The Logbook to determine the type of Stat Challenge you are facing. There are three types of Stat Challenges. They are Attack (ATK), Defense (DEF) and Devotion (DEV). To Succeed a Stat Challenge, The Kinship must roll a certain number of "hits" collectively based on the following criteria:
  • ATK Challenge: Roll # of "hits" on Attack dice greater than or equal to Kinship's collective ATK stat X 2.
  • DEF Challenge: Roll # of "hits" on Defense dice greater than or equal to Kinship's collective DEF stat.
  • DEV Challenge: Roll # of "hits" on Väki dice greater than or equal to Kinship's collective DEV stat X 2.

Starting with the Active Player and moving clockwise, each player will roll as many of the specified dice as their stats will allow. For example, if a character's ATK stat is 1, the player may roll 1 Attack Die. Dice are rolled one at a time from the bottom of the Battle Mat toward the top anywhere between the two white goal markers at the bottom of the Battle Mat. Your hand may not cross into the Battle Mat at any time. If a dice rolls off the Battle Mat, it may be re-rolled.

The Battle Mat has "modifier zones" marked by numbers at the edges of the Battle Mat and horizontal bars across the Battle Mat where dice will land. These zones will add or subtract "hits" rolled on the dice.

Illustration caption fragment: "Stat challenges: 1st player has ATK stat of 3 which means she rolls 3 ATK dice."

The modifier zones are the only time these numbers and zones are used. If a dice completes its roll with any part of the dice crossing into a modifier zone higher on the mat, that modifier is applied to the die roll. For example, if a player's Attack dice shows one "hit" and any part of the die crosses into the +2 modifier zone, that player counts the dice as 3 "hits". On their turn, a player may use a dice roll to bump a previously rolled dice into a more favorable position. If a dice bumps another dice off the Battle Mat, the dice knocked off is considered out of bounds and cannot be rerolled. Once you have completed your roll, add up your "hits", clear your dice from the Battle Mat and allow the next player to take their rolls. Once every player has completed their rolls, add up your collective "hits". If they are equal to or exceed the threshold specified in the challenge you have achieved a "Success!" If they are less than the threshold, you have suffered a "Fail." Refer to The Logbook for the consequences of your outcome.

Treasure/Trap Challenges

Treasure/Trap Challenges represent the Active Player using their skills to attempt unlocking treasure or disarming traps with the aid of their trusty Cogbots!

• Objective: Roll your Cogbots through the goal without knocking over any HP stacks.
• How To Play: Begin by referring to The Logbook to determine the Level of Treasure/Trap you are facing. Then place stacks of three HP chips on the Battle Mat in the configuration based on the Treasure/Trap Level. These represent mechanisms you must get through in order to unlock a treasure or disarm a trap. The Active Player will then roll their three Cogbot Chips one at a time from the bottom of the Battle Mat toward the top. You may roll anywhere between the two white goal markers at the bottom of the Battle Mat. This is done by placing the Cogbot chip on its thin edge at the bottom edge of the Battle Mat between your index and middle finger and using the index finger of your other hand to roll the chip toward the top.

If any of the three Cogbot chips make it through the HP chip stacks and across the top of the Battle Mat between the two white goal markers without knocking over any HP chips, you have achieved a "Success"! If you knock over any HP chips so they touch the Battle Mat, or if you were unable to get your Cogbot chip between the two white markers at the top of Battle Mat, you have suffered a "Fail." If a Cogbot chip stops its movement on the Battle Mat, leave the chip where it landed and continue rolling your other chips. The pips on your Cogbot chips have no effect in Treasure/Trap challenges. Refer to The Logbook for the consequences of your outcome.

Illustration captions: Treasure/Trap Level 1; Treasure/Trap Level 2; Treasure/Trap Level 3; Treasure/Trap Level 4 ("...yes, it's possible.").

Illustration caption: "1st player rolls 1 'miss' in the +1 modifier zone on her first dice, 1 'hit' in the +2 modifier zone on her 2nd dice and 2 'hits' in the -1 modifier zone on her 3rd dice for a total of 5 'hits'."

Cogbot Challenges

Cogbot Challenges are Dawnshade's favorite pastime. There are three types of Cogbot Challenges. They are Cogfighting, Cogbashing and Cogrushing.

Cogfighting: When participating in a Cogfighting match, The Kinship will pit your Cogbots against one another to see who will be the last Cogbot standing!

• Objective: Flick your Cogbots into the arena, stay spinning the longest and have the most "hits" when the game ends.
• How To Play: Each player positions one of their character's Cogbots at the edge of the Battle Mat setting it on its thin edge and holding it in place with their index finger. After counting down, "3, 2, 1, Fight!" players simultaneously flick their Cogbot to get it spinning on the Battle Mat. The last player whose Cogbot is spinning on the mat wins the round and places their winning Cogbot on their Character Mat for scoring at the end of the match. The number of pips displayed on the top of the Cogbot chip represents the number of "hits" it was able to make during the fight. If a Cogbot comes to rest off the Battle Mat, it is considered out of bounds and will not score any "hits".

Players continue playing rounds until one player has won three rounds. This ends the fight immediately. The player who has made the most "hits" (pips) on the faces of the winning Cogbots wins the match and receives a "Succeed" outcome. All other players receive a "Fail" outcome.

Cogbashing: When participating in a Cogbashing match, The Kinship will slide their Cogbots into the arena and try to position them closest to the target for points!

• Objective: Flick your Cogbots closest to the target and have the most "hits" when the match ends.
• How To Play: Starting with the Active Player and rotating clockwise, each player places one of their Cogbot chips laying flat at the edge of the Battle Mat on the "Initiative Discard" side between the two white goal markers. Then, using your finger, flick your Cogbot across the Battle Mat and try to stop closest to the center of the "Initiative" ring. If a Cogbot comes to rest off the Battle Mat, it is considered out of bounds and does not count in end of match scoring.

Each player takes turns flicking one of their Cogbots until everyone has flicked all three of their Cogbots. This triggers the end of the match. The three Cogbots closest to the target add up the "hits" (pips) on the top of their Cogbot chips. The player with the most "hits" wins the match and receives a "Succeed" outcome. All other players receive a "Fail" outcome.

Illustration captions: Place your Cogbot chip on its thin edge between your fingers and get ready to roll! Spin your Cogbot Chip from any edge of the Battle Mat. Flick your Cogbot Chip from the "Initiative Discard" side of the Battle Mat.

Example: The three closest Cogbot chips to the target are Ash's chip with 2 "hits", Flash's chip with 2 "hits" and Flash's chip with 1 "hit". When added, Flash's 3 "hit" total beats Ash's 2 "hit" total. Flash wins!

Cogrushing: When participating in a Cogrushing match, the Active Player will defend against rushing Cogbots sent from the other members of The Kinship!

• Objective: Active Player: Eliminate all advancing Cogbots before they reach you. Non Active Players: Get Cogbots to the Active Player before they are eliminated.
• How To Play: Begin by placing 15 HP chips at the bottom center of the Battle Mat. This represents the turret where the Active Player will be launching their Cogbots to try and eliminate the oncoming Cogbots before they reach you. Then create the Battle Stack of the oncoming Cogbots by placing 6 Cogbot Drudges at the top center of the Battle Mat in the following configuration from top to bottom:
  • 1st Cogbot = 1 HP
  • 2nd Cogbot = 1 HP
  • 3rd Cogbot = 1 HP
  • 4th Cogbot = 2 HP
  • 5th Cogbot = 2 HP
  • 6th Cogbot = 3 HP

Place Your Bets! Non Active Players may bet between 0-2 Tawny against the Active Player. If the Active Player succeeds, all bets are lost. If the Active Player fails, all bets are doubled.

Let The Rush Begin! Non Active Players can either deploy the top Cogbot in the Battle Stack and place it on the VI or VII position on the Battle Mat or advance 1 Cogbot already deployed 1 position closer to the Active Player's turret.

Next, the Active Player will try to eliminate the oncoming Cogbot by launching one of their Cogbot chips placed at the top of the turret. This is done by placing the Cogbot so it rests halfway on and halfway off the top of the turret and flicking underneath the exposed portion with your finger and launching it onto the Battle Mat toward the oncoming Cogbots. If the launched Cogbot comes to rest on or within 1 chip thickness (thin edge) away from an oncoming Cogbot, it "hits" the Cogbot. The number of pips shown on the flicked Cogbot represents the number of "hits" or damage it inflicts. If a launched Cogbot "hits" more than one oncoming Cogbot, the Active Player may assign "hits" between Cogbots any way they choose. When the HP of an oncoming Cogbot is reduced to 0, the Cogbot is eliminated and removed from the Battle Mat.

Illustration captions: Cogbot Drudge Battle Stack; Active Player's Turret.

Example: Ash's flicked Cogbot lands close enough to hit 2 oncoming Drudges, however, it only has 2 "hits" shown on its chip. Ash may assign 2 damage to the Drudge with 2 HP and eliminate it or assign 1 damage to both Drudges.

Next, a Non Active and Active Player will continue to take turns one after the other until either the Active Player destroys all the advancing Cogbots or a Non Active Player advances one Cogbot onto the Turret. If the Active Player eliminates all of the Cogbots before they reach the turret, the Active Player receives a "Succeed" outcome and the Non Active Players receive a "Fail" outcome. If the Active Player does not eliminate all of the Cogbots before they reach the turret, the Active Player receives a "Fail" outcome and the Non Active Players receive a "Succeed" outcome.

Loot Shoot

Loot Shoot Challenges represent members of The Kinship competing for Item drops.

• Objective: Flip your Character chip closest to the Item to win it.
• How To Play: Draw an item from the Tier I Item Deck and place it face up at the center of the Battle Mat. Each player simultaneously flips their Character chip from anywhere off the Battle Mat onto the Battle Mat using their thumb. The player whose chip lands closest to the center of the ring around the Item on the Item Card wins the Item. Remember, you may only hold as many Items as your Item stat will allow. If you haven't leveled up your Item stat high enough to carry another item, you must either leave the Item behind or drop an Item you're carrying to make room for it. Dropped Items may not be picked up by other players.

Illustration caption: "Flash's flipped chip lands closest to the center of the ring around the Lesser Nimble Potion. Flash wins!"

Battles

Battles: Battle Quest Tiles represent a battle between The Kinship and The Unity or Might forces causing imbalance in the world of Dawnshade. Battles take place on the Battle Mat and are based on your level. When you move to a Battle Quest Tile, check your level and read the corresponding narrative in The Logbook.

• Battle Objective: The Objective of battles is to KO (Knock Out) your Foes before the end of the last round. There are times when alternate objectives are given in The Logbook.

• Battle Set-up: The Logbook will set up the battle scenario and give you details about what Foes you will be facing. The order the Foes are listed in the Logbook is the order they are placed on the Battle Mat. For example, if the Logbook states you will be facing 1 Razorback Scout and 1 Razorback Magus in that order, you will place the Scout on Foe position I and the Magus on Foe position II on the Battle Mat. There is no movement during battle. Once battle stacks are placed in their positions, they will remain in their positions for the duration of the battle.

• Foe Battle Stacks: The Foes you will be facing are based on the number of players. Each battle will require players to build the Battle Stacks for each Foe in the battle. This is done by collecting the corresponding Foe chips and referencing the back of the chip for key information about that Foe. This includes:

• HP = Hitpoints: How many HP chips you will place directly underneath the Foe chip.

• SLD = Shields: How many Shield chips you will place directly underneath the Foe's HP chips.

• ATK = Attack: How many Attack Dice the Foe will roll on their turn.

• DEF = Defense: How many Defense Dice the Foe will roll on their turn.

• *Special: A Foe's Special Ability which triggers when a Special Symbol is rolled on their Attack Dice during their turn. Refer to The Logbook for descriptions of each Foe's Special Ability.

Use the information on the back of the Foe's chip to build their Battle Stack, then place the Battle Stacks on the grey Foe rings, labeled I-VII on the Battle Mat in the order they are listed in The Logbook.

Foe chips have been organized in the following categories based on color to help you quickly find them:

• The Might = Black
• The Unity = White
• Neutral = Grey
• Illusionist/Mist = Blue
• Netherwalker = Orange

Illustration callouts (Foe chip): 1 HP, 2 SLD, 3 ATK, 4 DEF, 5 Special, 6 Ultimate.

Ally Battle Stacks: Next, starting with the Active Player and rotating clockwise, place your character's Battle Stack anywhere on the green Ally rings on the Battle Mat. A character's Battle Stack is created by placing the number of HP chips below your character chip equal to your HP stat on your Character Mat, then adding any Shield chips below your HP chips equal to the number of Armor Items you own (1 Shield per Armor Item). A character's Battle Stack may also include Cogbot Fighters, Cogbehemoths (see Foundry) and/or any Conditions received during your quest.

Initiative Stack: Next, create the battle's Initiative Stack. This is a stack of chips representing the turn order for each round in battle. This is done by placing 1 grey Foe Initiative chip for each Foe in the battle according to their position on the Battle Mat (labeled I-VII) in the Dawnshade Bag. For example, if an Alouatta Howler is occupying position I on the Battle Mat, place the grey "I" chip into the Dawnshade Bag. Then place one green Ally Initiative chip per player in the Dawnshade Bag in a 3-4 player game. In a 2 player game, place the number of Ally Initiative chips in the Dawnshade Bag as there are number of players +1. Sometimes The Logbook will give Special Battle Instructions. These instructions will always supersede instructions from The Rulebook when they contradict. Once all the Foe and Ally Initiative chips have been placed in the Dawnshade Bag, shuffle the chips and randomly draw the number of chips equal to the number of players in the game. Place these chips in the order they are drawn on the Initiative ring on the Battle Mat. This represents the turn order for the round. If an Ally Initiative chip is at the top of the Initiative Stack, the Active Player will go next. If a Foe Initiative chip is at the top of the Initiative Stack, the Foe on the corresponding position on the Battle Mat will go next. If that Foe has been KO'd, the next Foe in numerical order will go next.

Once an Ally or Foe has completed their turn, their Initiative chip is transferred to the Initiative Discard ring on the Battle Mat. Once all the chips in the Initiative Stack have been transferred to the Initiative Discard ring, the round is over and a new round of Initiative chips are drawn from the Dawnshade Bag. If at any time there are no more Initiative chips in the Dawnshade Bag to draw from, place all the chips in the Initiative Discard ring back into the Dawnshade Bag and continue drawing.

Target Deck: Next, shuffle the Target Deck and place it near the Battle Mat. The Target Deck consists of 5 target cards per character and will be used to determine the target of a Foe's attack during battle.

Round Marker: The last step of the battle set-up is to place a Round Marker (grey cube) at the top of the Battle Mat in position 5. This represents how many rounds you have left in the battle. Battles consist of 5 rounds unless otherwise stated in The Logbook. When you finish a round, advance the round marker to the next position to show how many rounds remain until the end of battle.

Battle Dice: You will be using various Battle Dice during your Battles. These are:

• Character Skill Dice: Each pip on the die represents a different effect depending on the ability. Refer to your Character Ability Cards for the väki cost needed to perform an ability, which dice are rolled and the effects each die has.
• Explode Dice: Each pip on the die represents a "hit". For each "hit", remove 1 Shield or 1 HP from the bottom of the Target's Battle Stack. If an attack results in an Ally or Foe having 0 HP or Shields, the Ally or Foe is KO'd. If a Special Symbol is rolled on the Explode Dice, the die is re-rolled and the result is added to the previous roll(s).
• Foe Dice: The Foe Die is a stronger attack die. Each pip on the die represents a "hit". For each "hit", remove 1 Shield or 1 HP from the bottom of the Target's Battle Stack. If an attack results in a Foe having 0 HP or Shields, the Foe is KO'd. If a Special Symbol is rolled on the Foe Die, apply the effects of the Foe's Special Ability.
• Attack Dice: Each pip on the die represents a "hit". For each "hit", remove 1 Shield or 1 HP from the bottom of the Target's Battle Stack. If an attack results in an Ally or Foe having 0 HP or Shields, the Ally or Foe is KO'd. If a Special Symbol is rolled on the Attack Dice, apply the effects of the Ally or Foe's Special Ability. If an Ally's Overdrive Meter is full when a Special Symbol is rolled, apply the effects of your Overdrive Ability instead of your Special Ability.
• Defense Dice: Each pip on the die represents a "hit". For each "hit", add 1 Shield chip to the bottom of your Battle Stack. Once you have 3 shields at the bottom of your Battle Stack, you have reached your maximum shields and may not add additional shields. If a Special Symbol is rolled on the Defense Dice, a Formation Change is triggered. When a Formation Change is triggered, swap the next chip in the Initiative Stack with one drawn from the Dawnshade Bag to determine who will take the next turn in the battle. If a character rolls a Formation Change when they are the last chip in the Initiative Stack, the Formation Change has no effect.
• Väki Dice: Each pip on the die represents a "hit". For each "hit", collect 1 Tier I väki from the Väki Mat and add it to your Character Mat. If there are 2 "hits" on 1 Väki Die, they must be applied to 1 type of väki. For example, you could collect two Sun väki or two Mountain väki, but not 1 of each.

A Note About Special Abilities: Special Abilities of the same type do not stack, meaning a Special Ability cannot be triggered multiple times on the same turn. For example, if Wysp rolled two Special Symbols on two Attack Dice, she would only perform her Special Ability, Mending Touch, once.

Let The Battle Begin!

Ally's Turn: The Allies are members of the Kinship located in the green positions on the Battle Mat. If an Ally Initiative chip is at the top of the Initiative Stack, it is the Active Player's turn. On your turn in battle, follow these steps:

1. Step One—Roll Dice. Roll as many dice as your AGI (Agility) will allow. The type of dice you may choose to roll are dependent on your character's stats (see Character Mats).
2. Step Two—Determine Target. Following your dice roll, you may choose any target on the Battle Mat to apply your dice roll toward unless otherwise stated in The Logbook (some targets may only be attacked once all other Foes are KO'd). You may only choose one target.
3. Step Three—Resolve Dice. An Ally's dice are resolved in this order:
   • Skill Dice: refer to Character Ability Card for effects
   • Explode Dice/Special Symbols
   • Attack Dice/Special Symbols
   • Shield Dice/Special Symbols
   • Väki Dice
   • Flame and Thorn ring totals added to Combo Meter
4. Step Four—Pass Active Player. Give the Active Player marker to the next player in clockwise order.

Foe's Turn: If a Foe Initiative Chip is at the top of the Initiative Stack, it is the turn of the Foe in the position on the Battle Mat matching the number on the Initiative Chip. If that Foe is KO'd, it is the turn of the next Foe in sequential order. For example, if the top Initiative Chip is Foe Initiative chip VII and the Foe in that position is KO'd, the Foe who occupies position I on the Battle Mat will take the turn instead. On a Foe's turn, follow these steps:

1. Step One—Roll Dice. Any player may roll the dice listed on the back of the Foe Character Chip. For example, if a Foe has ATK: 1, DEF: 1 listed on the back of their chip, roll one Attack Die and one Defense Die.
2. Step Two—Determine Target. If the Foe rolls at least one pip that would deal damage, reveal the top card of the Target Deck to determine the target of the attack. If the Target Card says "Miss", the Foe misses the attack and none of the damage is applied.
3. Step Three—Resolve Dice. A Foe's dice are resolved in this order:
   • Explode Dice/Special Symbols
   • Attack Dice/Foe Dice/Special Symbols
   • Shield Dice/Special Symbols

Example: Ash has rolled two "hits" on his Attack Dice which causes 2 damage to his target. One of his Attack Dice rolled a Special Symbol which activates his Special Ability. He rolled a "miss" (no pips) on his Defense Dice which means he does not generate a Shield. He rolled a Special Symbol on his Defense Dice which triggers a Formation Change in the Initiative Stack. He also rolled 2 "hits" on his Väki Dice which allows him to draw 2 of the same type of Tier I väki from the Väki Mat to generate the power he needs to use his Skill Dice.

Following a Foe's attack, reveal the top card of the Target Deck to determine the target of the attack.

Conditions

Conditions represent status effects that change the way Allies and Foes behave in battle. There is a positive and negative Condition associated with each Watcher element. They are:

• Sun
  • Positive = FOCUSED (Guaranteed Special): The Ally or Foe's Special Ability is triggered even if the Special Symbol on the Attack Dice is not rolled.
  • Negative = BLIND (No Specials and Target = Flip Chip): The Ally or Foe's Special Ability is not triggered even if the Special Symbol on the Attack Dice is rolled. When an Ally is BLIND, rather than choosing a target following a dice roll, the player flips their Character chip from anywhere off the Battle Mat onto the Battle Mat using their thumb. Whichever Foe Battle Stack it lands closest to becomes the target. When a Foe is BLIND, rather than using the Target Deck to determine a target, the Active Player flips the Foe chip from anywhere off the Battle Mat onto the Battle Mat with their thumb. Whichever Ally Battle Stack it lands closest to becomes the target. If a chip does not land on the Battle Mat, players may flip the chip again.
• Fire
  • Positive = PRECISE (Penetrates Shields): Ally or Foe's attacks ignore shield chips on target's Battle Stack and are applied directly to HP chips.
  • Negative = IMPRECISE (Half Damage Output): Ally or Foe's attack damage is reduced by half rounded-up.
• Mountain
  • Positive = MENDED (+1 HP): Ally or Foe restores one HP chip to Battle Stack when condition is resolved at end of next turn (may not exceed HP stat).
  • Negative = SUBDUED (Cannot Roll Attack Dice): Ally or Foe may not roll any Attack dice.
• Air
  • Positive = AIRBORNE (Chance To Evade, Roll DS Dice): When Ally or Foe is attacked, roll Dawnshade Dice. If the outcome is "Succeed", they do not take any damage. If the outcome is "Fail", they receive normal damage.

When an Ally or Foe receives a Condition, place the corresponding Condition Token on top of that character's Battle Stack. There is a Positive Condition on one side of the token and a Negative Condition on the other side. Conditions resolve at the end of the character's turn, meaning the Condition remains in effect from the time it is placed on the Battle Stack until the time it is removed at end of the character's next turn. Characters can have multiple different Conditions at the same time. Multiples of the same Conditions, however, do not stack, meaning they cannot be placed on a character's Battle Stack at the same time. For example, if Ash received SLOWED, but he already had the SLOWED Condition on his Battle Stack, the second SLOWED would not be placed on his Battle Stack and he would not suffer SLOWED twice.

If a Condition triggers an action, that action takes place when the Condition is resolved and removed at the end of the character's next turn. For example, the MENDED Condition restores +1 HP at the end of the character's next turn when the condition is resolved and removed from the Battle Stack.

Victory & Defeat

Once the battle concludes, either by Foes or Allies getting KO'd or making it to the end of the last round, you have completed the Quest Tile. There are various Victory and Defeat conditions in Battles. They are:

Victory:

• Foe KO: Allies KO all Foes by the end of the battle and The Kinship gains 14 XP during the "Earn Rewards" phase of your turn.
• Foe Retreat: Allies have more collective HP & Shield chips on their Battle Stacks than the Foes at the end of battle and The Kinship gains 10 XP during the "Earn Rewards" phase of your turn. If Battle Stacks are equal, the Foes win the tie and the outcome is considered an Ally Retreat.

Defeat:

• Ally Retreat: Foes have more collective HP & Shield chips on their Battle Stacks than Allies and The Kinship gains 7 XP during the "Earn Rewards" phase of your turn. If Battle Stacks are equal, the Foes win the tie and the outcome is considered an Ally Retreat.
• Ally KO: The Foes KO all Allies by the end of battle and The Kinship gains 4 XP during the "Earn Rewards" phase of your turn.

Once you have determined the outcome of the battle, read the corresponding "Victory" or "Defeat" narrative in The Logbook. Rewards will vary depending on which Victory or Defeat condition you meet. These rewards are also displayed in The Logbook at the conclusion of each Battle scenario. Collect rewards during the "Earn Rewards" phase of your turn.

Reset & Return Väki

After the battle has concluded and you've earned your rewards, remove Allies and Foes from the Battle Mat. Reset Ally character's Battle Stacks by restoring them to their starting HP and Shields based on their Stats and Items. Reset your Combo Meter. Remove any conditions that have not yet resolved. Any remaining chips and/or tokens on the Battle Mat are returned to their storage areas. Any remaining väki left on Character Mats are returned to the Väki Pool in any order and will increase Watchers Alignment by 1 for each väki returned to the pool. Players may work together to combine or split Tier I and Tier II väki for the most favorable alignment. Whenever alignment shifts as you are returning väki, you receive the benefits associated with shifting alignment (see Watchers Alignment).

Major Threats

The Objective of Dawnshade is to defeat the Major Threat at the end of the game. The Major Threat Quest Tile is placed at the bottom of the Quest Deck and represents one of the major threats threatening the fragile balance of Dawnshade. A Major Threat can be encountered naturally by reaching the last tile in the Quest Deck. It can also be triggered earlier by reaching the maximum Threat you set at the beginning of the game based on the difficulty level you chose (Easy=19, Normal=16, Hard=13). Once the Threat Meter reaches its max threshold, all gameplay immediately stops and the Major Threat Quest Tile is retrieved from the bottom of the Quest Deck and placed on the Quest Mat in the space occupied by The Kinship Marker. The Major Threat encounter begins immediately. They operate just like battles, only bigger and badder. Refer to the Major Threat corresponding with your level in The Logbook to read the set-up for battle instructions.

End of Game / Campaign

Once The Kinship has completed the Major Threat, the Chapter is concluded and the game session is over. Read the Major Threat Victory or Defeat narrative and earn the rewards listed in The Logbook. Discard any unused Watchers Blessings. Set aside the two Event Quest Tiles you completed during the game so they will not be used in another Quest Deck during your campaign. You may record your progress by taking a picture of the Väki Mat and your Character Mats or writing down your Level, XP, Watchers Alignment, Stats and Items. This will allow you to continue onto the next chapter at your leisure.

If you have completed the Major Threat of Chapter VI (your 3rd game session), you have concluded the campaign. Read the Major Threat Victory or Defeat narrative, but ignore the rewards listed in The Logbook and read the Victory or Defeat Chapter VI conclusion based on your Watcher Alignment. The first time you experience a Victory conclusion of the Campaign while Balanced or Aligned with a certain Watcher, you will unlock a special Artifact you may now include in your Watchers Blessings for future game sessions.

Be warned: If you retrieve these Artifacts before you have earned them, The Watchers will curse you with a curse so terrible, so horrible, so indescribable, it cannot even be written!

Alternate Game Modes

The normal way to play Dawnshade is in Trilogy Mode which is comprised of a 3 game campaign. Once you've played enough games to have a good understanding of how it plays, you may want to try playing the game in one of the Alternate Game Modes. These modes provide flexibility to the game depending on how many players you have and how much time you have to play. They also offer even more variety so you're always experiencing something new and exciting.

Campaign Mode (Full Chapter Mode)

In this mode, all gameplay is the same, except you will extend the game from a 3 game campaign to a 6 game campaign. You will be gaining XP and Tawny rewards for Quests roughly half as fast in order to experience more battles and events during a single campaign. The campaign will start at the Ch. 1 Starting Village just like a normal game, but instead of choosing between the Ch. II-V starting village narratives in the 2nd game, you will read each chapter sequentially in the 2nd-5th game, meaning on the 2nd game you will read Ch. 2, on the 3rd game Ch. 3, etc. until you reach the Ch. VI starting village narrative in the 6th game.

Outpost Upgrades are gained every 2 chapters rather than every chapter, meaning the 1st and 2nd game use the 1st level upgrades, the 3rd and 4th game have the 2nd level upgrades unlocked, and the 5th and 6th game have the 3rd level upgrades unlocked. You will also reset Watchers Alignment halfway through the campaign (at the beginning the 4th game). This mode is great for players who want to experience a more full narrative with more events and battles as they level up their characters. Rather than receive the rewards listed in The Logbook during the "Earn Rewards" phase, follow this rewards table instead:

Quest Tile	XP	Tawny
Starting Village, Chapter I	1	5
Starting Village, Chapter II-VI	1	0
Outposts	1	0
Journeys	2	0
Watchers Temple	5	0
Events: Succeed	3	2
Events: Fail	3	1
Battles / Major Threats: Foe KO	6	5 (+1 Item Loot Shoot)
Battles / Major Threats: Foe Retreat

Power Level Mode

In Power Level Mode, all gameplay is the same, except you will condense the game from a 3 game campaign to a 1 game campaign. You will be gaining XP and Tawny for Quests at a much faster rate. All Outpost Upgrade levels are unlocked at the beginning of the game. This mode is great for players who only have time for one game and/or want to level up their characters much faster. The game will start at the Ch. 1 Starting Village. Rather than receive the rewards listed in The Logbook, follow this rewards table instead:

Quest Tile	XP	Tawny
Starting Village	6	10
Outposts	6	0
Journeys	12	0
Watchers Temple	24	0
Events: Succeed	18	10
Events: Fail	18	5
Battle: Foe KO	72	15 (+1 Item Loot Shoot)
Battle: Foe Retreat	56	12
Battle: Ally Retreat

Solo Mode

In Solo Mode, players may choose to play a single character or multiple characters throughout the entire campaign in the normal Trilogy mode or any Alternate Game Mode. Solo Mode plays much like the other Modes but there are some slight variations. They are:

Remove the following from the game during set-up (when playing 1 character):

• Item Cards: Mimic, Winged Sandals, Väki Channeler
• Watchers Blessings: Transfuse, Miss

Use the following Watchers Blessing configurations during set-up (when playing 1 or multiple characters):

Starting Village	Watchers Blessings
Hex 1	Hex 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 19
Hex 2	Hex 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 18
Hex 3	Hex 4, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16
Hex 4	Hex 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17
Hex 5	Hex 3, 8, 12, 15, 18, 19
Hex 6	Hex 2, 9, 13, 14, 16, 18
Hex 7	Hex 1, 4, 13, 15, 16, 17
Hex 8	Hex 1, 7, 11, 12, 16, 17
Hex 9	Hex 1, 2, 7, 8, 11, 13, 18, 19
Hex 10	Hex 3, 4, 7, 13, 16, 17
Hex 11	Hex 1, 4, 7, 8, 13, 17
Hex 12

Make the following variations to Events (when playing 1 or multiple characters):

• Cogfighting: Place one Cogbot Drudge with 1 HP in its Battle Stack on each of the III-VII Foe positions on the Battle Mat for a total of 5 Cogbot Drudges. Spin your 3 Cogbot chips one-at-a-time from the edge of the Battle Mat between the two white goal markers at the bottom of the Battle Mat. If it lands while touching (on or at least one chip thickness away) a Cogbot Drudge, you may use one of your "hits" (pips on the top of your Cogbot chips) to eliminate it from the Battle Mat. If your Cogbot chip is touching multiple Cogbot Drudges at the same time, you may distribute your "hits" among the targets any way you choose. Once you have completed spinning all of your Cogbot chips, if you have eliminated three or more Cogbot Drudges, you Succeed. If you have not eliminated three or more Cogbot Drudges, you Fail.
• Cogbashing: Place one Cogbot Drudge on each of the three Ally and Foe positions nearest to the Initiative Discard ring on the Battle Mat (Foe positions II, V, and the closest unmarked Ally position). Flick your Cogbot chips one-at-a-time from the edge of the Battle Mat between the two white goal markers on the Initiative side of the Battle Mat. Once all the Cogbot chips have been flicked, count the number of "hits" (pips on the top of your Cogbot chips) of those Cogbot chips that are touching (on or at least one chip thickness away from) the Initiative Discard ring. If you have a total of two or more "hits", you Succeed. If you have less than two "hits", you Fail.
• Cogrushing: All gameplay is the same except instead of other members of The Kinship advancing Cogbot Drudges toward the Cogbot launching turret, you will advance the Cogbot Drudges.
• Loot Shoot: Flip your character chip toward the Item Card at the center of the Battle Mat. If it lands anywhere inside or one chip thickness away from the ring around the Item, you Succeed and may collect the Item. If not, you must leave it behind. Remember, you may only hold as many Items as your Item Stat will allow. If you haven't leveled up your Item Stat high enough to carry another item, you must either leave the Item behind or drop an Item you're carrying to make room for it.

Make the following variations to Battles (when playing 1 character):

Start the battle with the Round Tracker set to 4 unless Special Battle Instructions in the Logbook say otherwise. When setting up the Initiative Stack, place all five Ally Initiative chips into the Dawnshade Bag. If you are fighting a single Foe, place Foe Initiative chips I-V into the Dawnshade Bag. If you are fighting more than one Foe, place all Foe Initiative chips (I-VII) into the Dawnshade Bag. Each round, draw two Initiative chips from the Dawnshade Bag and place them on the Initiative ring on the Battle Mat. This represents the turn order for the round. If at any time the Dawnshade Bag becomes empty, refill it with the chips in the Initiative Discard stack.

Transcription Notes

• The printed contents page (Rulebook page 2 of part 2) is a navigation index and is not reproduced. The Table of Contents block above holds the flavour introduction, following house convention.
• The credits and designer/illustrator/writer attributions, the acknowledgments to backers, the contact and copyright notices, and the closing back-cover page are omitted. The tutorial-video note on the rulebook's second page is kept in the Introduction.
• The Tome of Xolot quote on the page before the back cover is decorative and is omitted.
• The text layer of the source PDF drops the Special Symbol icons. Where the source reads "If a [icon] is rolled", this transcription writes "Special Symbol". The Explode Dice entry in the Battle Dice list says the die is re-rolled when a Special Symbol is rolled. The Explode Dice entry in the Set-up list (item 16) says the player "may continue rolling". Both are transcribed as printed.
• The Outpost Upgrades table is printed as a grid in the source and has been reflowed into a list by outpost and game number, with every value kept.
• The Glossary calls the protected Petarukin "Kymber Boh" while the Introduction calls her "Kymber Roh". Both are transcribed as printed.
• Obvious typographical slips in the source (for example "purchaed", "Skill Dice" for a single die, doubled spaces) are corrected; the rules wording and values are unchanged.