Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) – Mists of Bilehall
Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) – Mists of Bilehall Rulebook
Note: the expansion's separate Quest Guide booklet is not included.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 12 Plastic Figures
- 3 Lieutenant Tokens
- 3 Lieutenant Cards
- 3 Relic Cards
- 6 Tainted Cards
- 6 Monster Cards
- 4 Condition Cards
- 8 Shop Item Cards
- 5 Travel Event Cards
- 12 Damage Tokens
- 5 Condition Tokens
- 12 Crumbling Terrain Tokens
- 3 Old Walls Tokens (with 3 Plastic Stands)
- 8 Hero Tokens
- 13 Map Tiles
Expansion Setup
Each Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition expansion is designed to seamlessly integrate into your collection. Before using this expansion for the first time, perform the following.
Add the new Condition, Shop Item, Relic, Monster, and Lieutenant cards to the pool of available cards. Add the tokens, monster figures, and map tiles from this expansion to their respective supplies.
Players should finish any campaigns they have started before incorporating the components from Mists of Bilehall into Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition.
An Epic Story
This expansion introduces a one-act campaign called "Mists of Bilehall." Unlike previous campaigns, this campaign provides a complete narrative experience within a single act.
The Mists of Bilehall expansion can also be combined with The Chains That Rust (an expansion to be released in 2016) to form a larger, two-act campaign. Together these expansions weave the two stories into a single, seamless narrative. Instructions for how to combine the two can be found in The Chains That Rust.
Expansion Rules
The following sections describe the rules associated with each of the new components found in Mists of Bilehall.
Hazard Terrain
Any space defined by a yellow line surrounding it is a hazard space. Hazard spaces follow the same rules as lava spaces as described on page 18 of the Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition rulebook. Any effect or ability that applies to lava spaces applies to hazard spaces, and any effect or ability that applies to hazard spaces applies to lava spaces.
Sludge Terrain
Any space defined by an orange line surrounding it is a sludge space. Like water spaces, a figure moving into a sludge space must spend 1 additional movement point or it cannot enter that space. Additionally, when a figure starts its turn or activation so that each space it occupies is a sludge space, its Speed is 1 and cannot be increased above 1 until the end of that turn or activation.
Elevation
Elevation is represented by a dotted red line along the edge of certain spaces. These lines, also known as elevation lines, block movement but not line of sight. A figure cannot move across an elevation line, but it can trace line of sight over one.
Adjacent spaces separated by an elevation line are still considered to be adjacent. However, when a figure declares a Melee attack targeting a figure on the opposite side of an elevation line, the target figure adds one additional black defense die to its defense pool. If the attacking figure's attack has the Reach or Extend keyword, the target does not add the additional black defense die to its defense pool.
When determining movement for large monsters, elevation lines block movement. However, when ending or interrupting movement for large monsters, the monster figure may be placed on spaces containing elevation lines, as long as those spaces are empty. For example, a large monster may occupy two empty spaces separated by an elevation line. A figure with the "Fly" ability may move through elevation lines.
Note: A figure cannot move diagonally across elevation lines through a shared corner of an elevation line and a wall (the black edge of a map tile).
Old Wall
This expansion includes a new feature called an old wall. An old wall is set up similarly to doors in a quest and is shown as a blue rectangle in the Mists of Bilehall Quest Guide. Old walls cannot be opened and closed like doors. Figures cannot trace line of sight or count spaces through an old wall. Spaces separated by an old wall are not adjacent.
Crumbling Terrain
This expansion introduces a new type of terrain token called crumbling terrain. Crumbling terrain tokens are placed on the map during setup, as indicated on the quest maps in the Mists of Bilehall Quest Guide. When placed near an old wall, the tokens may need to be rotated to fit optimally.
A space that contains crumbling terrain loses all other terrain types except for obstacles. Each time a hero enters a space that contains crumbling terrain, that hero may test Lore or Awareness, his choice. If he fails or chooses to not test, he removes that crumbling terrain token from the map and suffers the effects of the other terrain in that space as normal; if the revealed terrain requires 1 additional movement point to enter, that hero suffers 1 fatigue instead. If a figure is in a space that contains crumbling terrain, other figures cannot enter that space.
New Relic Type
A new Relic card type is included in this expansion: monster relics. Except where noted here, monster relics follow the normal rules for relics. Monster relics are designated by an icon on the lower left of the Relic card.
Monster relics are wielded by monster groups in the same way regular relics are wielded by lieutenants. During setup of each encounter, the overlord chooses which monster relic (if any) each of his monster groups will wield. Each monster group can wield only one monster relic. The overlord places the chosen Relic card next to the monster group's card. The monster relic remains there until the end of the encounter, even if all monsters in that group are defeated. Monster relics cannot be wielded by lieutenants and have no effect if they are not wielded by a monster group.
Tainted Cards
During quests in the "Mists of Bilehall" campaign, the heroes use a new type of card: Tainted cards. Tainted cards represent the corruption that afflicts the heroes as they linger in the Mistlands.
At the start of each quest, the overlord shuffles the Tainted cards together and deals 1 card to each hero, placing it facedown near each hero's Hero sheet. No player should know which card has been dealt to any hero. The overlord places the remaining cards aside. While a hero has a Tainted card in his play area, apply +2 to that hero's Health.
When a hero with a facedown Tainted card is defeated, he flips that card faceup. That hero is then affected by that card until the end of the quest or a game effect flips it facedown again.
Mists of Bilehall Expansion Icon
All cards found in this expansion are marked with the Mists of Bilehall expansion icon to distinguish these components from those found in the base game and other expansions.
Tainted Card Anatomy
The printed anatomy diagram uses an ordinary Tainted card as its example. Its callouts are:
- Title: This area lists the title of the tainted effect.
- Flavor Text: The first paragraph explains how the tainted condition affects the hero.
- Unique Effects: The second paragraph explains the unique rules for this Tainted card.
- Generic Effect: The third paragraph explains the generic rules for Tainted cards.
- Health Icon: This is a reminder that a hero with a Tainted card applies +2 to his Health.
Card text of the example, as printed (title "Ordinary"):
- Flavor text: "What were you thinking? The others belong here, but you're only holding them back. What a joke…"
- Unique effect: "If another hero has used his heroic feat this encounter, you cannot use your heroic feat."
- Generic effect: "You are tainted. While knocked out, you can only recover damage from untainted heroes or heroic feats."
- Health icon: +2
Campaign Rules
Mists of Bilehall introduces a new Act I campaign to Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition entitled "Mists of Bilehall." Act I campaigns follow many of the same rules for the campaign found in the base game. The following rules list any changes to the campaign rules found on pages 19-22 of the Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition rulebook.
Travel
The "Mists of Bilehall" campaign uses a new campaign map. All travel is done by referencing the campaign map on the back page of this rulebook. When playing the "Mists of Bilehall" campaign, heroes begin the travel step at Mistbound Conclave and follow a continuous path to the chosen quest location shown on the campaign map.
Choosing Quests
Players play a total of five quests throughout the "Mists of Bilehall" campaign. The campaign begins with the Introduction quest entitled "Strange Awakening." This quest is treated as an Act I quest. Note: During setup of the Introduction, each player receives 1 XP that they may immediately spend. Remaining quests are chosen using the campaign log on page 9 of this rulebook. Players can photocopy the campaign log or download and print a copy from the Fantasy Flight Games official website (www.fantasyflightgames.com).
Act I
Players are restricted when choosing quests during the "Mists of Bilehall" campaign. The winner of the Introduction chooses either "Sanguine Lord" or "Song of Bone" as the next quest. This is indicated by the arrows connecting those quests to the Introduction. After completing a quest, the winner of that quest chooses between the two available quests listed beneath it on the campaign log. Available quests are connected to the completed quest by an arrow.
After completing three Act I quests, it is time for the Finale. Players resolve one Campaign phase as normal, and then the heroes travel to the "Hallowing Fire" quest to determine the ultimate winner of the campaign.
Finale
The campaign ends in an exciting quest known as the Finale. The Finale is a two-encounter quest in which the players always play the same first encounter, but progress to a different second encounter depending on who won the previous quest.
If the heroes won the "Juliden's Keep" quest or the "Shattered Schemes" quest, the players must play "Encounter 2a" as the second encounter. If the overlord won the "Juliden's Keep" quest or the "Shattered Schemes" quest, the players must play "Encounter 2b" as the second encounter.
Campaign Log
Page 9 of the rulebook is the campaign log. The quest names printed on it are listed below, row by row from the top of the log. The arrows that link the quests are graphic and are not transcribed; the Act I text above describes which quests they connect.
- Strange Awakening (Introduction)
- Sanguine Lord; Song of Bone
- Fear Unshackled; Troubled Waters
- Shattered Schemes; Juliden's Keep
- Hallowing Fire
The log also has tracking boxes for Hero XP, Hero Gold, and Overlord XP.