Dungeon Saga: The Black Fortress
Dungeon Saga: The Black Fortress Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Black Fortress Campaign
This campaign features the original four Heroes from the Core game: the Human Barbarian Orlaf, the Dwarf Fighter Rordin, Elf Ranger Madriga, and the Human Wizard Danor.
The Overlord Command Deck is assembled as described in the Warlord of Galahir expansion, or the Core game, depending on the scenario.
The Adventurer's Companion
For those of you that play Dungeon Saga with the Adventurer's Companion rules, you can use your own Heroes by using the levels given in the table below.
| Adventure | Level Totals |
|---|---|
| 1 | 12 |
| 2 | 14 |
| 3 | 16 |
| 4 | 18 |
| 5 | 20 |
| 6 | 22 |
Hero Placement
Throughout this adventure, the starting positions of the Heroes have been marked on the maps only as "Hero". Which Hero occupies each position is up to the players controlling them to decide. This adds another element of tactical choice for the players, and keeps the Overlord on his toes. In some scenarios this positioning is crucial, and other times it hardly matters. The Hero players should discuss this initial positioning as part of their overall plan and, if they fail the first time, perhaps try something different the second time around.
Adventure 1: Not What You Expected
Heroes
In addition to your Hero cards, take the following:
- Danor, Human Wizard: 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals. Available spells: Flamebolt, Break Ward, Burn, Feet of Stone, Crystallise.
Overlord
Use the Core game deck.
- Overlord Command Cards: 9
- Commands per Turn: 3
Victory
- Heroes: Open one of the final doors marked X.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes, or stop the Heroes winning before the time runs out.
Special Rule – Can't Keep a Good Critter Down
The Overlord can bring slain spiders, rats, and bats back onto the board during the adventure. During its turn, a spider, rat, or bat can enter the board at the square marked Z, as long as it is unoccupied. It counts Z as its first square of movement, and can continue with its turn as normal from there.
The number of models that starts the adventure on the board is the limit at any one time. However, dead models can be recycled as many times as you like. Keep dead spiders, rats, and bats to one side so you know what you can bring back. You can bring back more than one in a turn as long as Z is unoccupied when each new model wishes to enter the board through it.
Tactical Thoughts
The tide of beasties is endless, and while they are not much more than a nuisance individually, they can gang up, and eventually they will get lucky and do some damage. That's all the more galling as they don't care about their own losses. Standing on Z is definitely an option, though that will make your tactics a bit obvious, so the Overlord can lay traps accordingly.
The Overlord should use the creatures to block corridors and slow down the Heroes. Even if they cannot be crippled, the Heroes can be stalled, and that's enough.
Adventure 2: Be Careful What You Wish For
Heroes
In addition to your Hero cards, take the following:
- Orlaf, Human Barbarian: Frenzy.
- Rordin, Dwarf Fighter: 2 Battle Potions.
- Madriga, Elf Ranger: Sure Shot (1).
- Danor, Human Wizard: 2 Power 2 Energy Crystals. Available spells: Flamebolt, Break Ward, Burn, Feet of Stone, Crystallise, Corrode.
Overlord
Use the Warlord of Galahir deck.
- Overlord Command Cards: 13
- Commands per Turn: 2
Victory
- Heroes: Survive until the time runs out with all four Heroes finishing up in the same room they started in.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes before the time runs out.
Special Rule – Ambush
This scenario starts at the beginning of the Overlord turn. Before he takes his turn, he first places his ambushers. He has 2 Morax, 2 Greatax and 2 Orc Skulks, each of which must be placed on one of the squares marked with an X.
At the end of every Overlord turn, including the first, place up to 2 Goblins on the board. Each must be placed in an unoccupied square marked with an X. You may have up to 6 Goblins in play at any one time. If an Orc is killed then it may be placed back on the board at the end of a turn instead of a Goblin.
Special Rule – Chest
The chest contains 2 Battle Potions.
Tactical Thoughts
The Overlord could simply attack, battering the Heroes into submission, and that's a valid tactic. An alternative, for a subtler Orc leader, would be to wait till the Heroes ventured out of their room, and then block off their return. Perhaps the Skulks can be used as an annoying bait to tempt the Heroes into moving.
The Heroes need to balance the benefits of getting to the potions in the chest and taking the fight to the enemy with not being able to get back in time. Surrendering the initiative to the Orcs may not sit well with Heroes like Rordin and Orlaf, but it may be the best policy.
Adventure 3: Down Among The Dead Men
Heroes
In addition to your Hero cards, take the following:
- Orlaf, Human Barbarian: Frenzy.
- Rordin, Dwarf Fighter: Tough.
- Madriga, Elf Ranger: Sure Shot (1).
- Danor, Human Wizard: 3 Power 1 Energy Crystals and 1 Power 2 Energy Crystal. Available spells: Flamebolt, Break Ward, Burn, Feet of Stone, Brisk Work, Crystallise, Corrode.
Overlord
Use the Core game deck.
- Overlord Command Cards: 8
- Commands per Turn: 1 for turns 1-3; 2 for turns 4-6; 3 thereafter.
- Raise Dead Limits: Skeleton Warriors (max 3), Skeleton Archers (max 2), or Dwarf Revenant (max 1).
Victory
- Heroes: Open the door before the time runs out.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes, or stop the Heroes winning before the time runs out.
Special Rule – Hard to Kill
The Undead in this tomb were created by a curse, and are slightly different from most. Follow the normal rules with one addition.
When any Undead model is removed, do not place a pile of bones in that square. Instead, regardless of the type of Undead that has been removed, place a pile of bones in any empty square within 3, as the cursed spirit reforms. This pile of bones may be used to resurrect a Skeleton as normal. This process will repeat if this Skeleton is killed. There is no way for the Heroes to permanently destroy these cursed Undead.
Tactical Thoughts
Just walk down the corridor and open the doors – it's simple. Well, not really. The longer the adventure goes on, the more animated the cursed dead become. For the Heroes this means that speed is of the essence, and a breakthrough early on is vital. For the Overlord it means that his early moves should be to slow and block the Heroes rather than to kill them. Once he has more actions to play with he can concentrate on ganging up and hurting the Heroes.
Adventure 4: The Dead Don't Die
Heroes
In addition to your Hero cards, take the following:
- Orlaf, Human Barbarian: Frenzy, Tough.
- Rordin, Dwarf Fighter: Tough, 1 Battle Potion.
- Madriga, Elf Ranger: Nimble, Sure Shot (1).
- Danor, Human Wizard: Magister, 3 Power 1 Energy Crystals and 1 Power 2 Energy Crystal. Available spells: Flamebolt, Break Ward, Burn, Feet of Stone, Brisk Work, Crystallise, Corrode.
Overlord
Use the Core game deck.
- Overlord Command Cards: 7
- Commands per Turn: 2
- Raise Dead Limits: Skeleton Warriors (max 4), Skeleton Archers (max 1), or Dwarf Revenant (max 1).
Victory
- Heroes: Spend an action in the square marked X to trigger the trapdoor before the time runs out.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes, or stop the Heroes winning before the time runs out.
Special Rule – Hard to Kill
See adventure 3.
Special Rule – Chests
Each chest contains a Haste Potion.
Tactical Thoughts
The Overlord is again slowing the Heroes with a few models, but this time his available actions do not build up. The force of the dead has peaked, and they have settled back into a rhythm. The challenge here is blocking all the options. If the Heroes are willing to weave in and out of the tunnels they can often find a way past your models.
If the Heroes can get the Haste Potions then they will be well placed to make a break past the sparse defenders. Even if they can't they may be able to do it as there are many routes through this maze, and few enemies to stop them. Unfortunately, they don't have a lot of time.
Adventure 5: Who's Ambushing Who Now?
Heroes
In addition to your Hero cards, take the following:
- Orlaf, Human Barbarian: Frenzy, Tough, 2 Battle Potions.
- Rordin, Dwarf Fighter: Tough, 1 Battle Potion.
- Madriga, Elf Ranger: Nimble, Sure Shot (1), 2 x Healing Potions.
- Danor, Human Wizard: Magister, 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals, 2 Power 2 Energy Crystals, and 1 power 3 Energy Crystal. Available spells: Flamebolt, Break Ward, Burn, Feet of Stone, Brisk Work, Shield, Crystallise, Corrode.
Overlord
Use the Warlord of Galahir deck.
- Overlord Command Cards: 12
- Commands per Turn: 2
- Raise Dead Limits: Skeleton Warriors (max 4), Skeleton Archers (max 1), or Dwarf Revenant (max 1).
Victory
- Heroes: Move adjacent to the princess, or open the door before the time runs out.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes, or stop the Heroes winning before the time runs out.
Special Rule – Door
The door starts the adventure open. Only the princess may enter the door square. If she moves onto the door square then she is removed from the board. After she has left the board, the door locks behind her.
Special Rule – Chests
The chest contains a Healing Potion.
Special Rule – Entranced
The princess has been given a herbal brew which has left her entranced. She follows the commands of the Orcs as if sleepwalking.
While entranced, the princess counts as an Overlord model. Nobody may attack her, and she may not attack anyone else. All she can do is move at a rate of 1 square per turn when commanded.
If a Hero moves adjacent to the princess at any point then the trance is broken.
Use any spare model to represent the princess.
Tactical Thoughts
The Heroes are very unlikely to get to the princess before she leaves the board, but they might get very close. How close they get depends largely on how much risk the Overlord is willing to take.
Most of the time the Overlord will be best served by trying to get the princess off the board as quickly as possible because a lucky move by the Heroes could win the game as long as all they need to do is move next to her. On the other hand, that would eat half his actions for the first half of the adventure, and that's a big chunk of his ability to fight back. Still, he does have a Troll…
Adventure 6: Find The Lady
Heroes
In addition to your Hero cards, take the following:
- Danor, Human Wizard: 3 Power 1 Energy Crystals, 2 Power 2 Energy Crystals, and 1 power 3 Energy Crystal. Available spells: Flamebolt, Break Ward, Burn, Feet of Stone, Brisk Work, Shield, Crystallise, Corrode.
Overlord
Use the Warlord of Galahir deck.
- Overlord Command Cards: 12
- Commands per Turn: 2
Victory
- Heroes: Rescue the princess before the time runs out and she is sacrificed by opening the door to her cell.
- Overlord: Stop the Heroes winning before the time runs out.
Note: the Heroes' victory condition is reproduced exactly as printed in the source. Its wording ("...and she is sacrificed by opening the door to her cell") reads as a printing issue; the intended condition is not confirmed by this pack.
Special Rule – Chests
The chest contains a Battle Potion.
Special Rule – If We Can't Have Her…
Before the adventure begins, the Overlord must write down secretly which of the cells (A-D) the princess is being held in. When the Heroes open the door to that cell she is placed on the square with the appropriate letter.
Use any spare model to represent the princess.
Tactical Thoughts
The Heroes are on a timer, and though there aren't many foes, the time taken to get past even insignificant ones all adds up. Speed is the key, so splitting up may be required.
Of course, where the Overlord has chosen to hide the princess makes a big difference. Has he done the obvious and placed her far away from the Heroes, or is he bluffing, hoping the Heroes will fight their way past only to find the room empty? Can the Heroes afford the time to be methodical and open every door, or will they have to guess where she is and focus on that?
Note that crippling one of the Heroes won't stop this adventure.