Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) – Zarihell Lieutenant Pack Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Lieutenant Pack Rules
  • Introduction
  • Plot Cards
  • Gaining Threat Tokens
  • Purchasing and Triggering Plot Cards
    • Plot Card Anatomy
  • Threat and Fortune
  • Spending Threat Tokens
  • Spending Fortune Tokens
  • Agents
    • Agent Card Anatomy
  • Monster Sizes and Traits
• Zarihell Lieutenant Pack Cards
  • Eternal Agony Plot Cards
    • Spite
    • If Looks Could Kill
    • Long Suffering
    • Make No Excuse
    • Pins and Needles
    • Branded
    • Idle Hands
    • Time on the Rack
    • Sadist
    • Summon Zarihell
  • Zarihell Agent Cards

Lieutenant Pack Rules

Introduction

Lieutenant packs expand Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition by providing unique plastic figures that can be used to replace lieutenant tokens in quests. In addition, these packs introduce a new layer of strategy and progression for overlord players with the introduction of Plot and Agent cards.

Plot Cards

After hero players choose their classes at the start of a campaign, the overlord may choose one Plot deck. He will use his chosen deck for the duration of the campaign. After the overlord chooses his Plot deck, he takes the basic card (the Plot card with no purchase cost) and places it faceup in his play area. Then, he takes all remaining Plot cards that have the same deck name and places them facedown in his play area. He may look at his facedown Plot cards at any time.

Plot cards are upgrades the overlord player may purchase throughout the course of a campaign. They provide the overlord with special abilities that are available to him when the card is faceup in his play area. Plot cards are different from Overlord cards; the overlord does not add them to his Overlord deck, and he purchases them in a different way.

Important: The overlord player can only use Plot and Agent cards when playing a campaign.

Gaining Threat Tokens

Each time a hero is defeated during an encounter, instead of drawing one Overlord card, the overlord may choose to gain one threat token. The overlord can only gain threat tokens in this way once per hero per quest. If he chooses to gain a threat token, the overlord takes one hero token belonging to the hero and places it near his Plot deck as a reminder that he has gained a threat token for defeating that hero. In addition, there are a number of other ways in which the overlord may gain threat tokens:

• At the end of each quest, the overlord receives one threat token. If the overlord wins the quest, he receives one additional threat token.
• During the Spend Experience Points step of any Campaign phase, the overlord may spend any number of his experience points to gain three threat tokens for each experience point he spends.
• Each time the overlord plays a Rumor card featuring a quest, he gains one threat token. Rumor cards and applicable rules are included in some Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition expansions.

Each time the overlord gains one threat token, he takes one token from the threat and fortune supply and places it in his play area with the threat side faceup. Each threat token the overlord gains during a campaign remains in his play area until he spends it. Between quests, the overlord player records the amount of unspent threat tokens in the Campaign log. He may spend this threat at a future point during the campaign.

Purchasing and Triggering Plot Cards

Each Plot card has a purchase cost that indicates the number of threat tokens the overlord must spend to purchase the card. During the Spend Experience Points step of each Campaign phase, the overlord player may purchase any of his facedown Plot cards by spending threat tokens equal to the Plot card's purchase cost (see "Plot Card Anatomy"). He places purchased Plot cards faceup in his play area and can use them in all future quests during the campaign.

The overlord can trigger abilities on a faceup Plot card as specified on the card. Each time he triggers a Plot card ability that requires him to "exhaust this card" or "use this card", he must spend a number of threat tokens equal to the Plot card's trigger cost (see "Plot Card Anatomy").

Plot Card Anatomy

1. Name: This area displays the name of the Plot card.
2. Purchase Cost: This area displays the number of threat tokens it costs to purchase the card. The overlord begins play with his basic Plot card. These basic cards have no purchase cost.
3. Ability: This area describes all rules for the Plot card, including when the card can be triggered.
4. Deck Name: This area displays the Plot deck to which the card belongs.
5. Trigger Cost: This area displays the number of threat tokens it costs to trigger this card's effect.

Threat and Fortune

Threat and fortune are represented by different sides of the same token. The red side of the token represents threat, and the white side represents fortune. During setup, place these tokens in a supply within easy reach of all players.

The overlord player may spend threat tokens he has gained (see "Gaining Threat Tokens") to purchase or trigger abilities described on Plot cards. A hero may spend fortune tokens to receive certain benefits (see "Spending Fortune Tokens").

Spending Threat Tokens

When the overlord spends threat tokens, they are either returned to the supply or placed on Hero sheets as follows:

• Purchasing Plot cards: During the Spend Experience Points step of the Campaign phase, each threat token spent to purchase Plot cards is returned to the supply.
• Triggering Plot cards: Each time the overlord spends a threat token to trigger a Plot card, he must flip the token to its fortune side and place it on the Hero sheet which currently possesses the lowest number of fortune tokens.

If there is a tie, the heroes choose which hero among the tied heroes gains the token. If the overlord spends more than one threat token, he follows this process once for each token spent.

Spending Fortune Tokens

Heroes may spend fortune tokens to trigger any of the following abilities:

• 1 fortune token: During his turn, a hero may recover 1 [black drop icon].
• 1 fortune token: After dice are rolled, a hero may reroll 1 of his dice.
• 2 fortune tokens: After performing his two normal actions, a hero may immediately perform one additional action. Limit once per round per hero.
• 2 fortune tokens: During the Shopping step of the Campaign phase, heroes may collectively spend their fortune tokens to draw 1 additional Shop Item card.

When a hero spends a fortune token, he returns it to the threat and fortune supply. Heroes cannot trade their fortune tokens to other heroes. After the Shopping step of each Campaign phase, heroes return all fortune tokens on their Hero sheets to the threat and fortune supply.

Transcription note: The leaflet's text layer contains a glyph that does not extract as text. Rendered from the printed page, it is a single solid black drop icon with no name printed beside it, so it is shown above as "[black drop icon]". Check the printed leaflet if the exact icon name is needed.

Agents

Some Plot cards allow the overlord to use a lieutenant figure as an agent in an open monster group. The Agent card corresponding to the current act lists the agent's characteristics, abilities, and attack dice. An agent is treated as a master monster within its open monster group with the following exceptions:

• Regardless of quest rules, an agent cannot be placed as a reinforcement.
• When an agent is defeated, the overlord must return the Plot card that summoned the agent back to his Plot deck. The card may be purchased again.
• As described on the Plot card, the overlord cannot use an agent in any quest that features the lieutenant version of that agent. Additionally, the overlord cannot use some agents in specific campaigns. For example, the overlord cannot use Baron Zachareth as an agent while playing "The Shadow Rune" campaign because it features Baron Zachareth as an important lieutenant in that campaign.

Plot cards that allow the overlord to summon an agent often require him to replace master and minion monsters of an open group after setup of an encounter. If the overlord cannot meet the replacement requirements, he replaces the entire open group.

When an agent is placed in a monster group, that agent and the monsters in that group are treated as if they are part of the same monster group. While the agent is on the map, the overlord cannot use the monster figures it replaced as reinforcements, regardless of quest rules.

The overlord cannot summon an agent during an Interlude or a Finale. Unlike lieutenants, an agent cannot wield a relic.

Agent Card Anatomy

Agent card front and back.

1. Name: This area displays the name of the agent.
2. Abilities: This area lists all the abilities for the agent.
3. Characteristics: This area lists the characteristics (Speed, Health, and Defense) of the agent. The agent's characteristics differ depending on the number of heroes playing (represented by the gray silhouettes).
4. Attack Type Icon: This icon shows the type of attack (Melee or Ranged) the agent has.
5. Dice: This area lists the dice used by the agent when performing an attack.
6. Ability Rules: This area explains the full details of the agent's abilities.
7. Deck Name: This area displays the Plot deck to which the Agent card belongs.

Monster Sizes and Traits

Many Plot cards have effects that interact with monsters that have specific monster traits or sizes. Monster size is defined by the number of spaces the monster's base occupies:

• Small monsters occupy one space (e.g., goblin archers and zombies).
• Medium monsters occupy two spaces (e.g., barghests).
• Huge monsters occupy four spaces (e.g., ettins and merriods).
• Massive monsters occupy six spaces (e.g., shadow dragons).

Note: medium, huge, and massive monsters are still large monsters for the purposes of movement and quest rules.

Zarihell Lieutenant Pack Cards

The pack contains one plastic Zarihell figure, a rules sheet, two Agent cards, ten Plot cards, and 16 threat and fortune tokens, according to the community wiki's component list. Zarihell is used as an agent by purchasing the Summon Zarihell Plot card.

Transcription note (community source): The card text below comes from the Descent-Community Wiki, not from an official card scan. Costs use the leaflet's terms: the purchase cost is the red number at the top right of the card face, and the trigger cost is the red number at the bottom right (see Plot Card Anatomy above). The wiki calls these "Play cost" and "Threat cost". Icons are rendered as words: the heart icon as damage, the wedge icon as surge, the black drop icon as fatigue, and the shield icon as shield. These names are the wiki's mapping, not names printed on the cards.

Correction: The wiki sheet lists Pins and Needles with a play cost of 0 and a threat cost of 2. The Tesera player photo of that card (item 1015295) shows a purchase cost of 2 at the top right and a trigger cost of 0 at the bottom right. The costs below follow the photo.

Eternal Agony Plot Cards

The Eternal Agony deck's cards are numbered 1/12 to 10/12 in the card footer, as printed on the wiki. The number is transcribed as given.

Spite

Eternal Agony 1/12 · Purchase cost: none (basic card) · Trigger cost: not given in the source

Exhaust this card when a hero performs an attack, before rolling dice. After the attack resolves, that hero must suffer an amount of fatigue equal to the surge results.

If that hero did not spend all surge results during that attack, refresh this card after that attack resolves.

Note: The wiki also lists a play cost of 1 threat for this card. It is not carried over here because the leaflet says the basic card has no purchase cost. The trigger cost is not given in the source.

If Looks Could Kill

Eternal Agony 2/12 · Purchase cost: 2 · Trigger cost: 1

Exhaust this card when a master monster performs an attack, after spending surge. If the shield results are equal to or greater than the damage results, the target is poisoned or diseased, your choice.

Long Suffering

Eternal Agony 3/12 · Purchase cost: 1 · Trigger cost: 1

Each time the Zarihell agent is affected by an attack, before damage is dealt, place 1 damage token on this card.

Use this card when the Zarihell agent is defeated. Each hero suffers an amount of damage equal to the number of damage tokens on this card minus his Knowledge value. Then, gain 1 threat token for each hero defeated by this damage.

Make No Excuse

Eternal Agony 4/12 · Purchase cost: 1 · Trigger cost: 1

Exhaust this card when a monster rolls an X. That monster is immediately defeated.

While this card is exhausted, you may change each X result to another result of your choice.

Pins and Needles

Eternal Agony 5/12 · Purchase cost: 2 · Trigger cost: 0

Exhaust this card when a hero suffers exactly 1 damage. That hero suffers an additional 2 damage and 1 fatigue.

Note: Checked against the Tesera player photo (item 1015295). Card text matches; the costs are corrected as noted above.

Branded

Eternal Agony 6/12 · Purchase cost: 1 · Trigger cost: 2

Use this card when a hero is defeated. Place 1 threat token from the supply on his Hero sheet.

Each hero applies -1 to his Willpower and Might for each threat token on his Hero sheet (to a minimum of 1).

Each time a hero performs a rest action, he may suffer 2 fatigue to discard 1 threat token from his Hero sheet. Limit once per rest action.

Idle Hands

Eternal Agony 7/12 · Purchase cost: 1 · Trigger cost: 3

Exhaust this card when a monster that did not perform an attack during its activation ends its activation. That monster suffers 2 damage, and 1 other monster in its group immediately performs an attack.

Time on the Rack

Eternal Agony 8/12 · Purchase cost: 1 · Trigger cost: 3

Use this card when a hero ends his turn while knocked out. Choose 1 hero and place 1 of that hero's hero tokens on this card.

Each hero applies -1 to his Stamina (to a minimum of 0) for each of his hero tokens on this card.

Discard all hero tokens from this card at the end of each quest.

Sadist

Eternal Agony 9/12 · Purchase cost: 2 · Trigger cost: 3

Exhaust this card at the start of your turn.

While this card is exhausted, each of your Plot cards costs 1 less threat to trigger.

Summon Zarihell

Eternal Agony 10/12 · Purchase cost: 2 · Trigger cost: 3

Exhaust this card after setup of an encounter and choose 1 open monster group. Replace 1 master and 2 minion monsters in that group with the Zarihell agent.

If the Zarihell agent is defeated, return this card to your Plot deck.

You cannot use this card in any quest that uses the Zarihell lieutenant.

Zarihell Agent Cards

The Zarihell agent has two Agent cards, one for each act. Zarihell's base attack type is ranged and her base size is 1x1 for both acts. The dice, abilities and stats differ by act, and the stats also depend on the number of heroes.

Gap: The wiki gives only the names of the Soul Mastery and Tormentress abilities. Their rules text is not in the source and is not reproduced here. The Act I and Act II attack dice and special abilities come from the wiki's lieutenant stat block and are the least certain part of this section.

Zarihell Agent, Act I

• Abilities: Soul Mastery; Tormentress; surge: +2 damage.
• Dice: blue and red.
• Attack type: ranged.

Heroes	Speed	Health	Defense
2	5	9	grey
3	5	12	grey
4	5	15	black

Zarihell Agent, Act II

• Abilities: Soul Mastery; Tormentress; action: Exploit Fear; surge: +2 damage.
• Dice: blue, red and yellow.
• Attack type: ranged.

Heroes	Speed	Health	Defense
2	5	11	black
3	5	14	grey and grey
4	5	17	grey and grey

Note on characteristics: The wiki also lists Might 2, Knowledge 4, Willpower 3 and Awareness 3 for both acts. The leaflet says the agent's characteristics are Speed, Health and Defense, so these four values are most likely the lieutenant's own characteristics, not the agent card's. They are shown here as the wiki prints them and are not used as agent stats.

Zarihell Agent Abilities

These abilities apply to both acts.

Agony: Each time a hero performs an attack within 3 spaces of Zarihell, that hero cannot spend more than 1 surge.

Captive Soul: Each time Zarihell performs an attack that would defeat a hero, before that hero is knocked out, the overlord may perform an attack with that hero as if it were a monster. Then, that hero is defeated.

Exploit Agony: Each time a hero resolves an attack within 3 spaces of Zarihell, that hero suffers 1 fatigue for each surge he did not spend.