Dungeon Saga: The Eye of the Abyss
Dungeon Saga: The Eye of the Abyss Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Heroes, Boss and Items
The Eye of the Abyss adventures use the new Hero models, cards and equipment that accompany this book. You will need copies of both the Dwarf King's Quest core game and the Infernal Crypts expansion to play all the adventures in this campaign.
The new Heroes are Eckter the Placoderm Defender, Artakl the Ghekkotah Clutch Warden, Magnilde the Varangur Demon Hunter and Jarvis the Human Necromancer. In addition, a new Boss is introduced, an Abyssal Temptress whose cards are also provided.
Eckter, Placoderm Defender
Ability: Tough. At the end of each Round roll a single dice. On the roll of a 6 Eckter heals one wound.
Ability: Water. This ability has 3 effects.
- Firstly, Eckter has great affinity with this element and when defending against a Hydromancy spell he may re-roll up to 3 dice that fail to beat his own Armour. He also cannot drown.
- Secondly, he is particularly vulnerable to firebased attacks. Any Pyromancy spells, or Fight attacks from a model with Fire, modify Eckter's Armour by -1 while resolving that attack.
- Thirdly, he can focus a surge of water to form a natural 2 dice magical attack. This attack counts as a Hydromancy Magical Attack that requires an action to use. It requires Line of Sight and is Short Ranged.
Feat: Trident's Dive. Eckter leaps up into the air, driving his spear down into his foe. Eckter can be moved to any unoccupied square within Short Range and in line of sight that is adjacent to an enemy model. This movement does not generate any Free Strikes. He can then make a Fight attack against the enemy.
Starting stats (Movement / Combat Dice / Armour): 6 / 4 / 4.
Artakl, Ghekkotah Clutch Warden
Ability: Nimble. If Artakl suffers one or more Hits in a Fight, roll 1 dice before working out any damage. On a roll of a 6 she is not hurt. Instead she makes an immediate Break Away move. Assume all possible free strikes miss. If there is nowhere for her to Break Away to then the model is damaged as normal.
Ability: Heat Resistant. Artakl has spent years living around intense heat. She can move over lava without taking damage. She takes damage as normal if she ends her movement on lava.
Feat: Chameleon Camouflage. Artakl's cloak can change its appearance, camouflaging her. She can make a movement ignoring all enemy arcs and Free Strikes and Break Free freely. Until the end of her next Turn, she gains the Stealth ability.
Starting stats (Movement / Combat Dice / Armour): 9 / 2 / 2. Shooting Dice 3 at Long Range.
Magnilde, Varangur Demon Hunter
Ability: Stalwart (1). Magnilde stands like a rock in combat. Each time she is the defender she may re-roll 1 dice that fails to beat her own Armour.
Ability: Hunter's Quarry. The Varangur tribes are renowned for their proficiency in hunting demons. Magnilde gains either the Frenzy (1) or Hammer Time ability when fighting Abyssal minions and Abyssal bosses. She must decide which ability is activated before making the attack.
Feat: Tribal Call. This call is used to warn the Varangur's allies of nearby danger. After this Feat has been used, the next movement action made by all friendly models within Long Range may ignore Free Strikes and move through enemy arcs freely.
Starting stats (Movement / Combat Dice / Armour): 6 / 5 / 2. Shooting Dice 2 at Short Range.
Jarvis, Ophidian Necromancer
Ability: Regenerate. This ability has two effects. Firstly, when Jarvis suffers any damage he rolls a single dice. On a roll of 5 or 6 it reduces the number of wounds suffered by 1, down to a minimum of zero. Secondly, at the end of each Round roll a single dice. On the roll of a 5 or 6 Jarvis heals one wound.
Ability: Spellcaster (Necromancy, Petty Magic). Jarvis can use magic to cast spells.
Feat: Soul Swap. The Ophidians have mastered the use of necromancy to better their society, allowing their greatest minds to be placed in stronger bodies when needed. Until the end of his next Turn, Jarvis can swap the Movement, Combat and Armour of any two models within Long Range. No Line of Sight is required. Can only be used on minion and Hero models.
Starting stats (Movement / Combat Dice / Armour): 7 / 2 / 1.
Mau'ti-bu-su, Abyssal Succubus Temptress (Boss)
Ability: Torturer. When Mau'ti-bu-su strikes her enemies, she leaves them in searing agony. Any model that suffers a wound from a Combat Attack suffers -1 Combat or Shooting dice (to a minimum of 2) in their next Turn. The Overlord may choose which dice to reduce.
Ability: Nimble. If Mau'ti-bu-su suffers one or more Hits in a Fight, roll 1 dice before working out any damage. On a roll of a 6 she is not hurt. Instead she makes an immediate Break Away move. Assume all possible Free Strikes miss. If there is nowhere for the model to Break Away to then the model is damaged as normal.
Ability: Hypnotic Gaze. Mau'ti-bu-su can hypnotise enemies with her gaze. This counts as casting a Petty Magic spell with Long range that requires line of sight. The target is is fixated by Mau'ti-bu-su – place a Hypnotic Gaze counter next to the target. They cannot do anything until Mau'ti-bu-su moves, Fights or casts another spell. The spell is also broken if either Mau'ti-bu-su or target is attacked. A friendly model adjacent to the hypnotised model can use their action to "wake" them and remove the counter.
Ability: Fire. This ability has 3 effects. Firstly, Mau'ti-bu-su has great affinity with this element and when defending against a Pyromancy spell she may re-roll up to 3 dice that fail to beat her own Armour. She only takes damage from Lava when ending her turn on it. Secondly, Mau'ti-bu-su is particularly vulnerable to water based attacks. Any Hydromancy spells, or Fight attacks from a model with Water, modify her Armour by -1 while resolving that attack. Thirdly, Heroes and Bosses with this rule can focus a storm of fire to form a natural 2 dice magical attack. This attack counts as a Pyromancy Magical Attack that requires an action to use. It requires Line of Sight and is Short Ranged.
Feat: Beguile. Mau'ti-bu-su can beguile her enemies by taking on numerous alluring forms. She may make a movement, ignoring all enemy arcs and Free Strikes. At the start of each Hero's turn roll a D6, they cannot attack or cast spells against her until they can roll a 4-6 or she attacks them first.
Starting stats (Movement / Combat Dice / Armour): 8 / 4 / 4.
Unique Items
Later in their quest, the Heroes will gain new items. These can only be used by the Hero equipped with it, as stated in the adventure, and cannot be passed to another Hero.
- Darts of the Yellow Tree Frog (Unique Item). Any model that suffers a wound from an attack with this ranged weapon may only move at half their Movement value (rounding up) in the Overlord's next Turn. These blowpipe darts have been dipped in a paralyzing poison from a certain amphibian found in the Ghekkotah jungle homelands.
- Tears of Neritica (One Use – Unique Item). Until the end of their Turn, the drinker does not suffer the penalties for Fire-based attacks due to their elemental Water ability and cannot be hurt by Lava. A vial of cooling water from the sacred pools of Neritica.
- Succubus Head (Unique Item). The Hero gains the Hypnotic Gaze ability. The ability has no effect against a Succubus. When the dead eyes from the succubus' head meets another's gaze, it suddenly awakens to put the onlooker into a hypnotic trance.
- Flask of Fading Souls (One Use – Unique Item). If the Hero loses their final wound and a friendly model is within Short Range, the flask can be used to apply the wound to the friendly model instead and immediately heal the Hero's final wound. The last remains of the Ophidian souls that are held in the flask will search out the immediate area for a life force to give its owner strength in their time of need.
- Lash of a Thousand Agonies (Unique Item; the Boss's listed item in Adventure 6). During a Fight Action, the Hero can make Fight attacks against an enemy model at a range of up to 2 squares following normal LoS rules. All other Fight and Free Strike rules apply as normal. A brutal spiked chain whip that was forged in the Fourth Circle of the Abyss for the most cruel and sadistic succubi.
The Heroes' starting items in each adventure are given in that adventure's Heroes box.
Inaccessible Squares
On certain maps there will be parts of a tile that are inaccessible. These are pillars that are displayed on the tiles art. Treat these areas as walls. These squares are marked on the appropriate tiles as blank, blacked-out spaces.
Collector's Items
Any items found within adventures 1-3 can be kept in the following adventures until they are used, in which case they are discarded and not regained in subsequent adventures. In between adventures, Heroes can pass any items they find between one another before the start of the next. During an adventure, they can trade items as normal. This will be the only way the Heroes will be able to acquire potions, so they will need to use them wisely. Any Energy Crystals that Jarvis creates via Crystallise disappear after an adventure. He only starts with the stated amount in each adventure.
If the Heroes fail an adventure and have to retry it, they will repeat the adventure with any items they had in their previous attempt.
Map Key (The Eye of the Abyss)
- Hero starting position; Minion starting position; Boss starting position. Arrows denote facing.
- Heroes: Artakl, Ghekkotah Clutch Warden; Eckter, Placoderm Defender; Magnilde, Human Demon Hunter; Jarvis, Human Necromancer.
- Others: LS = Living Statue; E = Elmyra, Elf Maiden; WE = Wounded Elf.
- Bosses: Mau'ti-bu-su.
- Minions: Skeleton Warriors; Skeleton Archer; Zombies; Armoured Zombie; Ghost; Dwarf Revenant; Zombie Troll; Efreet; Tortured Soul; Hellhound; Abyssal Guard; Succubus; Lower Abyssal Flamebearer; Lower Abyssal Warriors; Moloch.
- Counters: Pile of Bones; Cave-in Markers.
- Furniture: Table; Weapons Rack; Lectern; Bookcase.
- Doors: Single Door, Mundane Lock; Single Door, Magical Ward; Double Door, Mundane Lock; Double Door, Magical Ward. Place a ward/lock counter with the corresponding numbers from the map next to each door.
- Chests: Mundane Lock; Magical Ward. Place a ward/lock counter with the corresponding numbers from the map next to each chest.
The Eye of the Abyss: Adventures
The Eye of the Abyss is a six-adventure campaign. The adventures are played in order, with the Heroes' items carried between them under the Collector's Items rule above.
Adventure 1: The Remains of Gilberto's Museum
Heroes. In addition to your Hero Cards, take the following:
- Jarvis, Human Necromancer: 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals and 1 Power 2 Energy Crystal. Available spells: Speak with the Spirits, Shriek, Unspeakable Fear, Break Ward, Crystallise.
Overlord. Command Cards: 12. This adventure will use the Standard and Necromancer Overlord cards, shuffled and dealt as normal. Commands per Turn: 2. Raise Dead Limits: Skeleton Warriors (max 4), Skeleton Archers (max 2), Dwarf Revenant (max 1).
Victory.
- Heroes: Open the door marked X.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes or stop them from winning before the time runs out.
Special Rule – Reinforced Door. The door to the vaults (Door X) is heavily reinforced. If battered down with brute force, the Heroes will have to break two bar locks. Each has 4 Combat Dice and 4 Armour. If they wish to simply unlock the door, they must find the key to unlock it. The key is in the possession of the former guard (now the Armoured Zombie with the Key.) The model who kills the minion automatically gains the key and can pass it to any other Hero as they would a paraphernalia item. A model with the key who is adjacent to Door X can spend an action to unlock one of its two locks.
Special Rule – Chests. Chests A and C each contain a Healing Potion and Chest B contains a Haste Potion.
Tactical Thoughts. The Heroes must make the decision to either find the key or test their luck with the door. If luck is on their side, they should be able to open the final door and pick up a chest or two along the way. But doing this is taking a gamble, as the door is heavily reinforced, and with a few bad rolls, won't be opened so easily. Get as many Heroes battering it down as possible. Even a troublesome chest can hinder the Heroes' progress and if so, they may be worth abandoning in order to get the final door open. If time runs out while trying to open the door with brute strength, consider searching for the key next time.
Adventure 2: The Living Gallery
Heroes. In addition to your Hero Cards, take the following:
- Jarvis, Human Necromancer: 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals and 1 Power 2 Energy Crystal. Available spells: Speak with the Spirits, Shriek, Unspeakable Fear, Break Ward, Crystallise.
Overlord. Command Cards: 12. This adventure will use the Standard and Necromancer Overlord cards, shuffled and dealt as normal. Commands per Turn: 2. Raise Dead Limits: Skeleton Warriors (max 4), Skeleton Archers (max 2).
Victory.
- Heroes: Open the door marked X.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes or stop them from winning before the time runs out.
Special Rule – Living Statues. Throughout his years of collecting rare magical artefacts and bizarre creatures, Gilberto had managed to acquire the rarely seen Living Statues. These great bronze effigies were said to serve as guards for wizards of old and were long thought dormant. Over the years since the accident that brought Gilberto's ruin however, the statues have somehow reactivated and now live once more. Kings of War Basilean Men-at-Arms or Paladins models make for ideal Living Statues, but any alternative Dungeon Saga model will also be fine.
| Model | Movement | Combat | Armour | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living Statue | 4 | 3 | 4 | Stalwart (1), Wounds (3), Inanimate |
Ability: Inanimate. The Living Statues start the game inanimate. They cannot be attacked or have a spell cast upon them until they are animated by the Overlord with a Command. While inanimate, these statues have no arcs and do not gain Free Strikes against Heroes moving past them and also block line of sight. Animating an inanimate statue does not generate Free Strikes if they are in the Front Arc of a Hero and they can be used in the turn they are animated (with another Command). Once they have been animated, they are considered to be alive and can be targeted by the Heroes as normal.
Special Rule – Chests. Chests A and C each contain a Healing Potion and Chests B and D each contain a Battle Potion.
Tactical Thoughts. Living Statues aren't likely to dish out much damage, but they can delay you with their incredible toughness. Try your best not to be ambushed by them, and keep out of their reach if possible. Be selective with the doors you want to open and don't aim to open every chest. You'll find yourself flat out of time if you think you can open them all.
Adventure 3: The Collector's Vault
Heroes. In addition to your Hero Cards, take the following:
- Jarvis, Human Necromancer: 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals and 1 Power 2 Energy Crystal. Available spells: Speak with the Spirits, Shriek, Unspeakable Fear, Break Ward, Crystallise.
Overlord. Command Cards: 12. This adventure will use the Standard and Necromancer Overlord cards, shuffled and dealt as normal. Commands per Turn: 2. Raise Dead Limits: Skeleton Warriors (max 4), Skeleton Archers (max 2), Dwarf Revenant (max 1).
Victory.
- Heroes: Find the Eye of the Abyss.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes or stop them from winning before the time runs out.
Special Rule – Finding the Eye of the Abyss. The Eye of the Abyss is hidden in one of the pieces of furniture. When a Hero is adjacent to a piece of furniture and not in an enemy's front arc, they can use an action to search for the Eye. The Hero rolls a single die: the first time a piece of furniture is inspected, they will need to roll a 6 to find it; the second time a piece is inspected, the Hero will need to roll a 5 or 6. The roll result needed lowers by 1 with every piece of furniture inspected, until the sixth piece is inspected, in which case they automatically find the Eye. Once the Eye has been found, the adventure ends immediately and the Heroes win.
Special Rule – Chests. Chest A contains a Firewalking Potion, Chest B contains an Essence of Fire Potion, Chest C contains a Healing Potion and Chest D contains a Haste Potion.
Tactical Thoughts. If you find yourself struggling for time in this adventure, do your best to memorise what is in each of the side rooms and aim to get into the rooms with multiple pieces of furniture first to maximise your odds of finding the Eye of the Abyss. If you have time, try to get some chests open as the contents of the chests will prove incredibly useful in the coming adventures.
Adventure 4: A Cry for Help
Heroes. In addition to your Hero Cards, take the following:
- Artakl, Ghekkotah Clutch Warden: Darts of the Yellow Tree Frog.
- Jarvis, Human Necromancer: Flask of Fading Souls, 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals and 1 Power 2 Energy Crystal. Available spells: Speak with the Spirits, Shriek, Unspeakable Fear, Break Ward, Crystallise.
- Eckter, Placoderm Defender: Tears of Neritica.
- Magnilde, Varangur Demon Hunter: Succubus Head.
Overlord. Command Cards: 12. This adventure will use the Standard and Lord of the Abyss Overlord cards, shuffled and dealt as normal. Commands per Turn: 2.
Victory.
- Heroes: Kill all the minions and rescue the Elf Maiden.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes or stop them from winning before the time runs out.
Special Rule – Damsel in Distress. To make sure the Elf Maiden is safe, the Heroes must kill every minion in the adventure and cut her free from her shackles. This is done in the same way as breaking a door, the strength of the shackles are indicated on the map. The Elf Maiden cannot act or move, and blocks Line of Sight and has no arcs. The shackles have Combat Dice 3 and Armour 3. The Kings of War Elf Mage is an ideal model to represent the Elf Maiden as is the Elshara miniature from the Dungeon Saga set.
Tactical Thoughts. Heroes should prepare themselves for a dramatic change in the types of minions faced and the available actions an Overlord can take due to the inclusion of Abyss specific Command cards. Each Hero also has a new item which will be useful to surviving in this new environment. Make use of them and any other items you have collected, especially if the Overlord starts to surround the Elf Maiden in lava tiles.
Adventure 5: A Safe Place
Heroes. In addition to your Hero Cards, take the following:
- Artakl, Ghekkotah Clutch Warden: Darts of the Yellow Tree Frog.
- Jarvis, Human Necromancer: Flask of Fading Souls, 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals and 1 Power 2 Energy Crystal. Available spells: Speak with the Spirits, Shriek, Unspeakable Fear, Break Ward, Crystallise.
- Eckter, Placoderm Defender: Tears of Neritica.
- Magnilde, Varangur Demon Hunter: Succubus Head.
Overlord. Command Cards: 11. This adventure will use the Standard and Lord of the Abyss Overlord cards, shuffled and dealt as normal. Commands per Turn: 2.
Victory.
- Heroes: Escort Elmyra to the Square marked Y and then smash through the loose rocks blocking the exit marked X.
- Overlord: Cripple Elmyra before she gets to square Y, cripple all Heroes or stop them from winning before the time runs out.
Special Rule – To Safety. The Heroes must escort Elmyra to a safe spot, the square marked Y. She cannot make any actions except move. Once she lands on Square Y, she is safe and no longer acts, nor can she be attacked. If she is attacked, she can roll her Combat Dice to defend as normal. Once she is on square Y, she cannot be targeted by the Overlord and is considered safe. She takes wounds like a Hero and can use and be given items as well as affected by allies Feats as if she was a Hero.
| Model | Movement | Combat | Armour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elmyra, Elf Maiden | 6 | 2 | 1 |
Special Rule – Wounded Elf. There is a wounded elf near the exit of the chamber. He cannot move or act, nor can he be targeted by attacks or spells nor has any arcs. He blocks Line of Sight and cannot be moved through. You can use the Madriga model to represent the elf or use the Kings of War Wounded Elf miniature.
Special Rule – Passage Cave In. The passage leading out of this area of the Abyss has caved in, blocking the exit with loose rocks. The Cave-In marker is treated the same as a mundane door and must be destroyed in order to complete the adventure. The rocks have Combat Dice 4 and Armour 4.
Tactical Thoughts. Keep Elmyra at a safe distance from harm's way. You can never be sure if the Overlord has any Interrupt cards, which they can use to quickly surround the elf with. Even the weakest minions are likely to wound her. Once you have made room for her to get to Square Y, keep any nearby minions held in combat, even if it means throwing your weaker Heroes into battle to tie them up. While this is happening, you might want to split the party and send at least one Hero to start breaking down the loose rocks to make an exit out.
Adventure 6: The Fires of the Fourth Circle
Heroes. In addition to your Hero Cards, take the following:
- Artakl, Ghekkotah Clutch Warden: Darts of the Yellow Tree Frog.
- Jarvis, Human Necromancer: Flask of Fading Souls, 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals and 1 Power 2 Energy Crystal. Available spells: Speak with the Spirits, Shriek, Unspeakable Fear, Break Ward, Crystallise.
- Eckter, Placoderm Defender: Tears of Neritica.
- Magnilde, Varangur Demon Hunter: Succubus Head.
Overlord. Command Cards: 11. This adventure will use the Standard and Lord of the Abyss Overlord cards, shuffled and dealt as normal. Commands per Turn: 2. Raise Dead Limits: Burning Skeletons (max 2).
Boss Character. Mau'ti-bu-su, Abyssal Succubus Temptress: Lash of a Thousand Agonies.
Victory.
- Heroes: Kill Mau'ti-bu-su.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes or stop them from winning before the time runs out.
Tactical Thoughts. The amount of potions you have left will sway the difficulty of this adventure. Keep pressing forwards and keep your more lightly armoured Heroes on the move. Don't let them get cornered. The Moloch can be difficult to remove. It is wise to either take it out as a group or use Magnilde's and Artakl's unique items to slow it down until you are out of its grasp. Be careful of cunning Overlords who spend additional commands building a defence for Mau'ti-bu-su. Well placed lava tokens and Burning Skeletons can leave you relying on ranged attacks or risk standing on the lava to engage her in close combat.
| Model | Movement | Combat | Armour | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burning Skeletons | 4 | 2 | 2 | Fire, Halo of Flames, Skeletal |
The abilities Fire and Halo of Flames are listed on the Burning Skeleton profile but are not defined in this book.
Special Rule – Burning Skeletons. Mau'ti-bu-su keeps the souls of those she has corrupted trapped in her chamber to torment as she pleases. She can manifest these tormented servants as Burning Skeletons. The Overlord can spend a Command to raise a Burning Skeleton from a Pile of Bones token. All normal Raise Dead rules apply. You can use normal Skeleton models to represent them.
Ability – Skeletal. This ability describes the basic rule for wounding skeletal models as they are nothing but bones. This is exactly the same process used for skeletons in the core game. A skeletal model ignores the first hit it takes in every attack. The second hit will reduce it to a pile of bones - replace it with a counter. Only with a third hit in a single attack will a skeletal model be killed and removed from play.
The Haunting in the Library
This is a new 4-part quest for our original Heroes, Danor, Madriga, Orlaf and Rordin. You will need the contents of the Dwarf King's Quest core game to play through this ghost-busting adventure!
Inaccessible Squares. On certain maps there will be parts of a tile that are inaccessible. These are pillars that are displayed on the tiles art and they count as walls in game. These squares are marked on the appropriate tiles as blank, blacked-out spaces.
Map Key (The Haunting in the Library)
- Hero starting position; Minion starting position; Boss starting position. Arrows denote facing.
- Heroes: Orlaf, Human Barbarian; Rordin, Dwarf Fighter; Danor, Human Wizard; Madriga, Elf Ranger.
- Bosses: Bosgred Coalfall; Damia.
- Minions: Skeleton Warriors; Skeleton Archer; Zombies; Armoured Zombie; Ghost; Dwarf Revenant.
- Counters: Pile of Bones.
- Furniture: Throne; Table; Tomb; Barrel; Weapons Rack; Lectern; Bookcase.
- Doors: Single Door, Mundane Lock; Single Door, Magical Ward; Double Door, Mundane Lock; Double Door, Magical Ward. Place a ward/lock counter with the corresponding numbers from the map next to each door.
- Chests: Mundane Lock; Magical Ward. Place a ward/lock counter with the corresponding numbers from the map next to each chest.
Adventure 1: You Learn Something New Every Day
Heroes. In addition to your Hero Cards, take the following:
- Orlaf, Human Barbarian: Frenzy (1).
- Rordin, Dwarf Fighter: Tough.
- Madriga, Elf Ranger: Sure Shot (1), Spidersilk Armour.
- Danor, Human Wizard: 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals. Available Spells: Flamebolt, Break Ward, Burn, Feet of Stone, Crystallise, Corrode.
Overlord. Command Cards: 12. This adventure will use the Standard and Necromancer Overlord cards, shuffled and dealt as normal. Commands per Turn: 2. Raise Dead Limits: Skeleton Warriors (max 4), Skeleton Archers (max 2).
Victory.
- Heroes: Find 4 pages of The Avarnacht Codex.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes or stop them from winning before the time runs out.
Special Rule – Finding the Pages. The pages of The Avarnacht Codex have been torn from the tome and scattered about the library. The Heroes can search any piece of furniture by moving adjacent to it and using an action when they are not in an enemy's front arc. The 4 pages are found in the pieces of furniture marked X.
Tactical Thoughts. On the Heroes' first run through of this adventure they'll find time running out as they try to search for the pages, unless they get incredibly lucky. Memorise which pieces of furniture contain the pages. Head directly to the room with multiple pages in and work backwards to save time and avoid the ghosts.
Adventure 2: The Missing Page
Heroes. In addition to your Hero Cards, take the following:
- Orlaf, Human Barbarian: Frenzy (1).
- Rordin, Dwarf Fighter: Tough.
- Madriga, Elf Ranger: Sure Shot (1), Spidersilk Armour.
- Danor, Human Wizard: 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals. Available Spells: Flamebolt, Break Ward, Burn, Feet of Stone, Crystallise, Corrode.
Overlord. Command Cards: 12. This adventure will use the Standard and Necromancer Overlord cards, shuffled and dealt as normal. Commands per Turn: 2. Raise Dead Limits: Skeleton Warriors (max 4), Skeleton Archers (max 2).
Victory.
- Heroes: Kill Bosgred Coalfall.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes or stop them from winning before the time runs out.
Tactical Thoughts. Getting to Bosgred is no easy task. Be mindful of your weaker team members if the Overlord starts to summon several minions behind them, especially if the door to Bosgred proves difficult to open. The map is tight, so be careful where you place Madriga to get the most out of her ranged abilities without being mobbed.
Special Rule – Dwarven Adventurer. Bosgred was an adventurer who had loaned out The Avarnacht Codex to learn how to combat poltergeists. Sadly he met his untimely end in the library, but he still had a useful item on his person for his adventures. At the end of the adventure, shuffle all the Potion Item Cards. The Hero who lands the killing blow to Bosgred can pick the top card from this new deck and start with it in the following adventure. Use the Grund Character Sheet and model for Bosgred.
Adventure 3: A Sacrifice Must be Made
Heroes. In addition to your Hero Cards, take the following:
- Orlaf, Human Barbarian: Frenzy (1).
- Rordin, Dwarf Fighter: Tough.
- Madriga, Elf Ranger: Sure Shot (1), Spidersilk Armour.
- Danor, Human Wizard: 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals. Available Spells: Flamebolt, Break Ward, Burn, Feet of Stone, Crystallise, Corrode.
Overlord. Command Cards: 10. This adventure will use the Standard and Necromancer Overlord cards, shuffled and dealt as normal. Commands per Turn: 2. Raise Dead Limits: Skeleton Warriors (max 4), Skeleton Archers (max 2), Dwarf Revenant (max 1).
Victory.
- Heroes: Kill all zombies with each Hero killing at least one.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes or stop them from winning before the time runs out.
Special Rule – Sacrifice to the Spirits. The Heroes must kill all the zombies, including Armoured Zombies, in this adventure with each Hero killing at least one. If all the zombies are killed with any Hero not having had killed at least one, the game ends and the Heroes lose.
Tactical Thoughts. Madriga and Rordin will find it toughest to get their zombie kills later in the game if the narrow corridors get blocked. So try to get their kills in early and get Rordin in a defensive position while Orlaf and Danor take care of the rest. Keep Madriga on patrol for any minions sneaking up from behind.
Adventure 4: Get Her!
Heroes. In addition to your Hero Cards, take the following:
- Orlaf, Human Barbarian: Frenzy (1).
- Rordin, Dwarf Fighter: Tough.
- Madriga, Elf Ranger: Sure Shot (1), Spidersilk Armour.
- Danor, Human Wizard: 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals. Available Spells: Flamebolt, Break Ward, Burn, Feet of Stone, Crystallise, Corrode.
Overlord. Command Cards: 8. This adventure will use the Standard and Necromancer Overlord cards, shuffled and dealt as normal. Commands per Turn: 3. Raise Dead Limits: Skeleton Warriors (max 4), Skeleton Archers (max 2).
Victory.
- Heroes: Kill Damia.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes or stop them from winning before the time runs out.
Tactical Thoughts. Damia is tough to hold down. She is likely to manoeuvre around and let flying furniture do the talking for her. If you struggle to corner her, utilise Danor's Feet of Stone spell. It won't stop her from flinging furniture at you, but it will stop her from moving about.
Boss: Damia – Poltergeist. Abilities: Walk Through Walls.
| Model | Movement | Combat | Armour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damia | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Feat: Possession. Damia can control the body of an enemy model in Long Range. As her turn, the possessed model can make a Movement and either a Combat or Shooting attack against any other model. The Possessed model reverts back after they have made their actions, and act as normal in their following turn. Use the Elshara model to represent Damia.
Special Rule – Flying Furniture. Damia is a type of ghost known as a Poltergeist that grants her the ability to move heavy objects at will. As an action, Damia may move any piece of furniture that is within Long Range (no LoS required) in a straight line (either diagonal or orthogonal). Roll a single die to determine how many squares it will move. Any model that occupies a square in the furniture's way as it moves is hit and suffers a 5 dice Fight attack. The furniture item must be moved the full distance unless any part of it becomes obstructed by another model, furniture piece or wall in its path. If this happens, its movement ends, and it is then removed from the board, smashed to oblivion.
Rats in the Cellar
You will need the Dwarf Kings' Quest core game and Heroes to play this adventure.
When a tavern's cellar is overrun by a swarm of vermin, the Heroes must go down and exterminate them all. It's not glamorous work, but it pays the bills.
Heroes. Danor, Madriga, Orlaf and Rordin are used in this adventure. In addition to your Hero Cards, take the following:
- Danor, Human Wizard: 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals. Available Spells: Flamebolt, Burn, Feet of Stone, Crystallise.
Overlord. Command Cards: 11. This adventure will use the Standard Overlord cards, shuffled and dealt as normal. Commands per Turn: 2.
Victory.
- Heroes: Kill 6 Giant Rats, 6 Giant Spiders, 4 Bat Swarms and the Rat King.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes or stop them from winning before the time runs out.
Tactical Thoughts. The key to success in this adventure is to manage the flow of critters. You need them to come out quickly, but not so much that they overwhelm the party. Dealing with the Rat King before or after taking care of the critter waves will allow you to best concentrate on the rest of the task.
Map Key (Rats in the Cellar).
- Hero starting position; Minion starting position; Boss starting position. Arrows denote facing.
- Bosses: RK = Rat King.
- Minions: Rat; Bat; Spider.
- Heroes: Orlaf, Human Barbarian; Rordin, Dwarf Fighter; Danor, Human Wizard; Madriga, Elf Ranger.
- Furniture: Table; Barrel; Bookcase.
- Doors: Single Door, Mundane Lock; Double Door, Mundane Lock. Place a ward/lock counter with the corresponding numbers from the map next to each door.
Rat King
Under the myriad of streets across Mantica live legions of rats. These rodents often live in groups, hundreds if not thousands strong, in small tunnels and pipes. In these enclosed spaces, the rats will on occasion become tangled and matted together, sticking to one another with blood and filth to form the monstrous mass that is known as a Rat King.
Abilities: Frenzy (1), Regenerate, Relentless.
| Model | Movement | Combat | Armour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat King | 6 | 3 | 2 |
Feat: Untangle. The remaining rats forming the Rat King all break free from one another. Remove the Rat King model and replace it with 3 Giant Rats in the closest squares from where the Rat King was. Placing the Giant Rats does not give any Free Strikes. If this Feat is used, the Rat King is not considered dead until all the Giant Rats spawned from the Feat have also been killed.
Special Rule – Nooks and Crannies. The critters in the tavern basement have burrowed their way into all the small holes in the floors and walls. As such, the critters will enter the board in waves. The Overlord must bring on new critters at the start of their turn, placed in all of the unoccupied squares marked X. These critters can be activated the turn they are placed, and do not generate Free Strikes when initially placed on the board. The Heroes must kill 6 Giant Rats (not including any spawned from the Rat King Feat), 6 Giant Spiders, 4 Bat Swarms and the Rat King itself. The amount of each critter that the Heroes need to kill are the maximum numbers that the Overlord has access to during the game (not including those spawned from the Rat Kings Feat). If you do not have any Critter models, use any available minions from the core set to represent them. The Critter profiles are found below:
| Model | Movement | Combat | Armour | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Rat | 5 | 2 | 1 | Stealth |
| Giant Spider | 5 | 3 | 1 | Wounds (2) |
| Bat Swarm | 6 | 2 | 1 | Swoop, Wounds (3) |
The Dirge of Duke Randulfus
You will need the Dwarf Kings' Quest core game and Heroes to play this adventure.
The Heroes must trudge their way through treacherous wetland and lay the essence of a great Duke to rest before the wild land claims their lives.
Heroes. Danor, Madriga, Orlaf and Rordin are used in this adventure. In addition to your Hero Cards, take the following:
- Orlaf, Human Barbarian: Frenzy (1).
- Rordin, Dwarf Fighter: Tough.
- Madriga, Elf Ranger: Sure Shot (1).
- Danor, Human Wizard: 2 Power 2 Energy Crystals. Available spells: Flamebolt, Burn, Feet of Stone, Crystallise, Corrode.
Overlord. Command Cards: 9. This adventure will use the Standard Overlord cards along with the Necromancer ones from the boxed game, shuffled and dealt as normal. Commands per Turn: 2. Raise Dead Limits: Skeleton Warrior (Max 4), Skeleton Archers (Max 2), Dwarf Revenant (Max 1).
Victory.
- Heroes: Kill Duke Randulfus.
- Overlord: Cripple a hero.
Tactical Thoughts. Be as fast as you can to head towards Duke Randalfus. If the Overlord raises a Dwarf Revenant early, try to keep clear of it rather than try to destroy it so that it is left on the far side of the board. Keep Danor out of sight of Skeletal Archers and utilise his Corrode spell to help the fighters take out the Wight.
Duke Randulfus – Wight
Abilities: Large, Smash!
| Model | Movement | Combat | Armour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Randulfus | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Feat: Face of Fear. The Wight makes a Fight attack. If a Wound is caused, the Overlord may immediately move the wounded enemy model directly away from Randulfus in a straight line (either diagonal or orthogonal) up to their maximum movement value. This movement is only stopped if the enemy model is obstructed by an occupied square or wall. If the wounded models path of movement passes through any enemy front arcs, they will Break Away to continue movement and offer Free strikes as normal. All other normal movement rules apply. Use a Kings of War Wight model to represent Duke Randulfus. If you don't have one available, you can use a Zombie Troll to represent him.
Ability – Smash. When a model with this ability uses a Fight attack, count the target's Armour as 2 less than it would otherwise be.
Special Rule – Flooded. Due to surrounding unmaintained wetlands, areas of the board are flooded. On tiles marked Flooded (blue), each square on the flooded tile costs 2 points of Movement instead of 1. This affects all models, not just enemy ones. Place any available token next to the flooded tiles to indicate which ones are effected. Minions with the Walk Through Walls ability are unaffected by flooded tiles.
Special Rule – Miasma. The land has been tainted with unnatural vegetation that gives off a noxious vapour. The game does not end when the Overlord has no more cards to draw, instead each Hero takes a 3 Combat Dice attack at the end of the Heroes turn every turn that there are no more Overlord Cards to draw.
Dirty Work
You will need the Dwarf Kings' Quest core game and the new Hero models, cards and equipment that accompany this book to play this adventure.
The Heroes have been hired to find what is clogging a town's sewer system. It's dirty work but someone's got to do it.
Heroes. Eckter, Jarvis, Magnilde and Artakl are used in this adventure. In addition to your Hero Cards, take the following:
- Jarvis, Human Necromancer: 2 Power 1 Energy Crystals and 1 Power 2 Energy Crystal. Available Spells: Shriek, Unspeakable Fear, Corrode, Break Ward, Crystallise.
- Eckter, Placoderm Defender: Battle Potion.
- Magnilde, Varangur Demon Hunter: Frenzy (1).
- Artakl, Ghekkotah Clutch Warden: Healing Potion.
Overlord. Command Cards: 15. This adventure will use the Standard Overlord cards along with the Necromancer ones from the boxed game, shuffled and dealt as normal. Commands per Turn: 2. Raise Dead Limits: Skeleton Warrior (Max 4), Skeleton Archers (Max 2), Dwarf Revenant (Max 1).
Victory.
- Heroes: Kill the Bloated Zombie Troll and have all Heroes escape through Door X.
- Overlord: Cripple one of the Heroes or stop them from winning before the time runs out.
Tactical Thoughts. The party can easily get bogged down with the tough minions in the narrow corridors and rapidly run out of time. Artakl can be used to open doors throughout the sewers while the others battle their way to a portcullis. But be mindful of flooding the dungeon with minions. If you're feeling brave, you can even send her off alone to open the other portcullis to save time. If you are struggling to defeat the Bloated Zombie Troll, consider keeping Jarvis' Feat until you are ready to fight it.
Map Key (Dirty Work).
- Hero starting position; Minion starting position; Boss starting position. Arrows denote facing.
- Heroes: Artakl, Ghekkotah Clutch Warden; Eckter, Placoderm Defender; Magnilde, Human Demon Hunter; Jarvis, Human Necromancer.
- Minions: Drowned Dead; Armoured Zombie; Zombie; Zombie Troll.
- Counters: Pile of Bones.
- Chests: Mundane Lock; Magical Ward. Place a ward/lock counter with the corresponding numbers from the map next to each chest.
- Doors: Single Door, Mundane Lock; Single Door, Magical Ward; Double Door, Mundane Lock; Double Door, Magical Ward. Place a ward/lock counter with the corresponding numbers from the map next to each door.
- Portcullis.
Special Rule – The Door Pulley. The Door X is attached to a pulley system that is connected to the two portcullises. They must be opened like a regular door as normal. Once this has been done, Door X will open. Each Hero must get into an adjacent square from Door X and spend an action. Doing this removes them from the game as they escape the sewer. Any Hero can leave whenever they wish, but the Bloated Zombie Troll must be defeated before the last Hero leaves.
Special Rule – Drowned Dead. Bodies that have been "zombified" while under water, return as Drowned Dead. These zombies can spit the foul liquid that is inside them at their enemies. Drowned Dead use the same profile as a standard Zombie, but also gain a 2 Dice Short Range attack.
Special Rule – Bloated Zombie Troll. The body of a troll has been dumped in the sewer. It has absorbed so much sewage that it will eventually start to burst out of its dead flesh and soak anyone unlucky enough to be close by. The Bloated Zombie Troll has the same profile as a standard Zombie Troll and is still considered a minion, but also gains a 2 Dice Short Range attack, and the following Feat which can be used in the normal manner.
Feat: Leaking. The Bloated Zombie Troll can make a 3 Dice Magical attack against every enemy model within Short Range. Any enemies that suffer a wound from the attack must roll a D6. On a roll of 1, they miss their next turn.
Special Rule – Chests. Chest A contains a Battle Potion, Chest B contains a Haste Potion and Chest C contains a Healing Potion.
The Dungeon Guide
Welcome to the Dungeon Guide. In these pages you will find some clarifications to rules in the game and also some answers to some of the more frequently asked questions from players.
Errata for the Core Rulebook
Page 8: Feats. Replace "Instead of taking a normal Turn, a Hero may instead decide to use the Heroic Feat(s) detailed on their Hero Card" with "Instead of taking a normal Turn, a Hero may instead decide to use one of the Heroic Feats detailed on their Hero Card".
Page 9: Raising the Dead. Add additional text after second paragraph: "Similarly anytime a model just appears on the board, it is considered to having made its Action and cannot do anything else in that turn unless the rule bringing the model on explicitly says otherwise. Examples of this for the Dwarf King's Quest are Zombies generated by the Bleed Spell or Ghosts from the Faithful in Death Spell."
Page 16: Line of Sight. Replace section with: "A model can only Shoot things it can see in front of it. To determine if a model is considered in front, take the line separating the Shooter's Front Arc from Rear Arc and extend it to the edges of the board. Any squares occupied by the target model on the Front Arc side of the dividing line are considered in front of the Shooter. For a model to then see another model, all that is needed is an unobstructed single straight line which connects one point inside the shooter's square with one point inside a target's square. The line must not touch or be blocked by the edge of any square containing another model or Wall (blank or black space not taken up by tiles). If no unblocked line of sight can be found, or the target is behind the shooter, then they cannot shoot that target."
Diagram A (not reproduced): Madriga only has line of sight to the Skeleton Warrior to her right. Line of Sight to the Zombie is blocked by the bookcase, and she cannot see the Skeleton Warrior behind her. If the bookcase was replaced with a low table that granted cover, line of sight would not be considered to be blocked, but a cover modifier would apply to the dice roll when shooting the Zombie.
Page 17: Shooting Modifier Table. Change "-1 for the defender if the shooter is completely within its rear arc" to "-1 for the defender if the shooter is completely behind the defender".
Page 19: Magic. Add text after "As his Action within a Turn, instead of Fighting or Shooting, a Spellcaster can cast either 1 Major or up to 2 different Minor Spells.": "A Spellcaster can never cast the same Spell more than once in a Turn unless the rule allowing the casting specifically says the same spell can be cast multiple times."
Page 20: Magical Attacks. Replace first line with: "Offensive Spells and a few Abilities/Feats/Magic Items use a form of attack called a Magical Attack. Game rules that specifically influence Spells do not affect Magical Attacks from these other sources unless they specifically say Magical Attacks."
Page 21: Bookcases. Change "Bookcases also block Shooting and Magical Attacks that require line of sight" to "Bookcases and closed Doors also block Shooting and Magical Attacks that require line of sight".
Page 22: Arcs. Change "The Large model will only get the bonus for attacking from behind if it is fully within its enemy's rear arc" to "The Large model will only get the bonus to Fights if it has at least one square in the defender's Rear Arc and no squares in the defender's Front Arc. For Shooting attacks, the Large model must have no squares in front of the defender (on the Front Arc side of the front/rear dividing line)."
Character Cards: Elshara. Ethereal: Add the following additional text: "The model does not need to stop moving when entering an enemy's Front Arc and does not need to Break Away to move out of an enemy's Front Arc."
Spell Cards: Transfix. Replace first sentence with: "The target cannot do anything until the caster Moves, Fights, Shoots, Casts a Spell, uses a Feat or does something that counts as an Action."
Frequently Asked Questions
Dungeon Saga has been a hugely popular game and is loved by thousands of players from round the world. Some situations and questions crop up frequently and the wise words you will find below will assist you in your quests.
Movement
Q: "A model may change its facing freely during movement. You may not change facing at any other time". Can a move be just used to change a model's facing?
A: Yes a model may use the Move part of its Activation to change its facing in its current square. However, when using a Feat, a model is often not allowed to move unless the Feat specifically allows movement.
Q: How do outnumbering modifiers work with Free Strikes?
A: When making a Free Strike against a model being raised from a pile of bones, the raised model is placed on the board and then attacked and it will contribute to any outnumbering consideration. For Break Away moves, any Free Strike is taken before the model is moved so all starting positions count for any outnumbering modifier.
Arcs
Q: Can a model fight any enemy that is around a corner or in a square to which the attacker's diagonal movement would be blocked due to the other two shared adjacent squares being occupied?
A: Yes. See diagram B below for an example.
Diagram B (not reproduced): Madriga has both the Armoured Zombie and the Skeleton Archer in her Front Arc and so may attack either, regardless of the fact that she could not move into the Skeleton Archer's square even if the Skeleton Archer was not there.
Shooting
Q: When shooting, if the rear of the target model can't be seen (up against the wall or an obstacle) and the attacker can only see the side but is behind the line, then it still counts as a rear shot?
A: Yes. If the shooting model is in the rear arc of the target the defender suffers the -1 dice modifier.
Q: Can a model shoot at an adjacent target?
A: A model in an adjacent enemy model's Front Arc is not allowed to shoot at all. If a model is in an enemy's Rear Arc it is allowed to shoot but not at any adjacent enemy models (i.e. it can only shoot targets that are further away).
Magic
Q: If a spell-caster is injured does this modify the dice rolled for his spells?
A: Magical Attacks are never modified by any standard modifiers (injury, outnumbering, rear arcs, or furniture). However, some game effects or magical items may affect the roll, such as Energy Crystals.
Q: Crystallise: are the numbers of cards for crystals intended to limit the number of each type of crystal? If so, if you roll a result for crystals you've already maxed out, can you take a lesser result?
A: If the extra crystal cards are not available, then the spell fails to generate those crystals. When using custom Heroes from the Adventurer's Companion expansion, crystals are more important, so the additional crystal cards from that expansion can be used.
Q: Do energy crystals allow a minor spell to be recharged and cast twice in the same turn?
A: No, the rule specifically states different spells without any reference to the spell's recharge state. The Errata on page 42 also clarifies this.
Q: Can a wizard use a crystal when casting crystallize?
A: No. The extra dice available for using a crystal with a spell only apply to a single Magical Attack dice test generated by the spell.
Q: The crystals say that they can be used to "to cast a spell of any level higher than the caster's own." I cannot find the rule about this in the rulebook?
A: The rules for spell levels and item levels are not used in the Dwarf King's Quest game when playing with the predesigned Heroes. They do not have specifically assigned levels and are considered high enough to use any spells they know or items they find during the Adventures normally. If you use the Adventurer's Companion expansion to take them on custom adventures or an uncharted dungeon, use the table from page 12 of the Adventurer's Companion to find their approximate level based on what Adventure the profiles used are from.
Q: Shield Spell: If Danor casts "Shield" and is attacked while wounded does he roll -1 die?
A: Yes, wounded penalties are applied when Shield is cast.
Items & Paraphernalia
Q: When using a healing potion during an Overlord's turn in response to taking a wound, does the healing potion remove 1 wound and still prevent the incoming wound for a total of 2?
A: It only heals OR prevents 1 wound, not 2. For example, if used in the Overlords turn, it may be used to prevent a single wound from being suffered which could mean the Hero is crippled.
Q: "A Hero that moves adjacent to another Hero during his Turn can give, receive or swap eligible items with that Hero". Can trading be done without moving anywhere (or immediately when moving away from an adjacent Hero)?
A: Yes, so as long as one Hero is in the movement phase of their activation (beginning, middle, or end) when they are adjacent to another Hero, then they are permitted to trade, even if they don't actually move.
Q: Can Heroes change the item they are using in the middle of the adventure (e.g. one sword for another)?
A: This is unlikely to happen during the designed adventures within Dwarf King's Quest but as a general rule they cannot. If a Hero finds a new magic item (or already has a second) of a type that is limited to 1 active (weapon, armour, shield) then they cannot switch to the new item. Simply place the card under their current item to represent the item being quickly shoved into their belt or pack. Whilst a Hero might choose to discard a non-magical sword so as to take up a new magical one they have found, they would certainly take care to properly stow it. Such time for re-equipping is not available when fighting for your life in the dungeons of Mantica!
Q: Can Heroes trade any other items that are not considered Paraphernalia?
A: No. However, as an Optional Rule, if the Overlord and Heroes agree, a Hero could trade a newly found non-Paraphernalia item by first declaring when it is found that they will not use it. They can then trade it with another Hero as normal, assuming the receiving Hero does not already have an item of that class. Finally, the receiving Hero can gain no benefit from the item until they spend an Action equipping it. This is a normal action which can be done after moving. Once equipped, the item cannot be traded again.
Q: Do the items the Heroes collect in Adventure 3 of the Core game, count as paraphernalia for purposes of trading?
A: Yes, the Heroes can trade the items as per the rules for trading paraphernalia. Just move the piece to the new player's card so it is clear who has the pieces during the Adventure.
Locks & Wards
Q: Can a mundane lock be affected by non-attack spells? The rules state mundane locks may not be smashed by Magical Attacks, and Magical Attacks are defined as requiring an attack and defence roll, so may non-attack spells such as corrode be used to weaken a mundane lock's defences?
A: Doors count as models for the purposes of abilities or Feats. They can be targeted by non-attack spells, abilities, Feats, and items. However, since mundane locks only have Combat Dice and Armour Values, only things that modify those two Stats will have any effect.
Large Creatures
Q: Does being Large influence Line of Sight either to or from a Large creature?
A: No, there is no difference between normal models and large models for line of sight determinations outside the fact that large creatures have 4 squares to which line of sight can be drawn from and to (or block).
Feats
Focus Feat. When using this Feat, is it possible to cast the same spell multiple times, can you cast minor instead of major spells, and what is the recharge status of spells cast that were not recharged?
A: Minor spells cannot be substituted in place of Major spells and different spells must be cast. This initially means that Danor cannot take full advantage of the Feat. If the Feat is being used to cast a spell that is still recharging, first turn it to a recharged state then cast it and turn it the normal 180 degrees to begin recharging it.
None Shall Pass Feat. If a model ends up next to Rordin after he uses his Feat, would they normally be able to be activated again in that Round? For example, a model moving using an Interrupt or appearing on the board during an Interrupt. Also, does this feat block all wounds or only wounds caused in a fight?
A: No, once the model is next to Rordin and the Feat is played, it is not eligible to be activated again during the Round for any reason regardless of being in position before or after the Feat was used. The Feat prevents all wounds regardless of source (fight, shoot, magic, item, ability, trap etc.).
Whirlwind Feat. The Feat says that the attacks are made with 4 dice and that the "attacks are not modified by anything". What exactly does this mean?
A: It means that the attacks are always made with 4 dice regardless of any modifiers, equipment, spells or other rules. Special rules can still influence things like the Armor of any targets or rerolls but 4 dice are always rolled for the attacks.
Dungeons
Q: How much of a Dungeon should the Overlord build or reveal?
A: Unless you are told otherwise an Overlord should never build and reveal what lies behind a door or secret passage until the Heroes have successfully opened it.
Q: If I cannot find the exact tile shown to build the Dungeon displayed in an Adventure, what should I do?
A: The artwork on the tile is generally unimportant. It is the size and shape that matters so use a different tile that has the matching dimensions.
Q: When does the Overlord win for running out of Overlord Cards?
A: One of the major ways for the Overlord to win quests is to "time-out" the Heroes. Whether this is an option is listed in the victory conditions of an Adventure. This time-out is reached when the Overlord player attempts to draw a card at the end of the Round and cannot because the draw deck is empty.
Q: How much should the Overlord tell the Heroes in advance?
A: Generally, the Overlord should inform the Heroes of any Timed Goal information (for example, completing the adventure before cards run out or in a set number of turns) and this should be provided beforehand as the Heroes will often have to choose one or the other to attempt to complete. Otherwise, each adventure will detail if and when specific information may need to be revealed.
Overlord – Necromancer Command Cards
Q: Danse Macabre: Do minions have to move from one square to another in order to make the free attack, or can all the minions that are already adjacent to an enemy make an attack as well?
A: Only minions already adjacent to a Hero but not in a Hero's Front Arc may attack without moving first. Minions already in a Hero's Front Arc may not move or attack.
Overlord – Raise Dead
Q: There appears to be 3 ways to Raise Dead (Raise Dead Overlord Power, Raise Dead Overlord Command Card, and Raise Dead Spell Card). How are these different?
A: All three methods follow some basic rules. They are all limited by the specific adventure's Raise Dead limit without any difference in how the model is raised. Raised model's from all sources count as having taken an Action and can generate Free Strikes if Raised in an opponent's Front Arc.
- The Overlord Raise Dead Power allows the Overlord to use 1 Command to Raise any 1 Pile of Bones on the board to a Skeletal type Minion.
- The Raise Dead Overlord Command Cards provide additional opportunities for the Overlord to raise Skeletal minions using the same rules as those outlined for the Raise Dead Power.
- The Raise Dead Spell card is used by models that are spell-casters as part of a Spell-casting Action. It has specific limits on what minions are available and at what ranges.
Q: What do the Raise Dead Limits in the Quest Book mean? Are these the maximum times I can raise this type of model?
A: No. The number represents the maximum number of that model type that the Overlord is allowed to have on the board at one time. So if the Overlord is only allowed to raise 2 Skeleton Archers and there are already 2 in play, no more can be raised until one of the models in play is removed.
Occasionally you might find when building a new section of the dungeon that you can't place a particular model since you have already reached the Raise Dead limit for that model type. In this case, place a pile of bones instead.
Overlord – Interrupts
Q: If the Overlord uses an Interrupt card between two Heroes' turns to activate a Boss/minions, can they still activate those same Boss/minions again during the normal Overlord Turn? That makes a lot of spells per turn for Mortibris...
A: Yes, a model that has moved and acted by the use of an Interrupt Card can move and act again in the Overlord's Turn. They can even move and act multiple times through the use of multiple Interrupt. This rule also applies to skeletal minions raised from piles of bones during an interrupt.
Q: The Overlord plays an Interrupt 2 Card, can both of these activations be used on the same model?
A: No. Interrupt Cards function as Turns and the same model cannot be activated twice in a single Turn.
Overlord – Minion Abilities
Q: Can a Pile of Bones be destroyed?
A: Piles of Bones cannot be destroyed by any means known by the Heroes.
Q: Walk Through Walls Ability: What does a "straight line" mean in this context?
A: The model must move continuously in one direction along the square grid, either straight forwards/backwards or left/right. No diagonal or mixed movement is permitted. The model enters the wall when the side of its square base touches the wall and must keep moving ONLY in that same direction until the model exits the wall. There is a diagram on page 64 of the Adventurer's Companion book.
Q: If a Boss with the Regeneration Ability takes 2 hits from an attack would a successful roll still negate the wound?
A: Yes, the ability is rolled on the wound after the 2 hits have been converted to 1 wound due to the Hero/Boss wounding rule. So the successful roll prevents the wound.
Overlord – Bosses
Q: Do Bosses get Free Activations or does the Overlord have to activate them using their commands for the Turn?
A: Bosses are activated the same way as minions using commands, either those allowed by the adventure being played, or commands from Overlord Cards.
Q: Can Bosses be injured?
A: Yes, if their character card includes any red hearts, then they can be injured in the same way as Heroes.
Q: Regarding Banshee's Wail: On a 6 a model takes a hit. Does this mean a wound for Heroes?
A: Yes, It is not a conventional attack such that you roll defence dice. That specific Hero would take a wound as a die is rolled for each target in range to determine the spell's effect on them.
Q: The Ethereal ability states that the model has no arcs. What about the arcs of the other models, is it free to ignore them? In particular, can it cast spells which can't be cast when the model is in the front arc of the enemy?
A: Ethereal has been changed slightly in the Errata section such that the model ignores opponent's Front Arcs for movement purposes (no Break Away and no forced Movement stop) but has left the Front Arcs rule active for other things. To help the Heroes out in this challenging mission, Ethereal models can be prevented from casting certain spells if you can keep them in a Hero's Front Arc. Also, since the Ethereal model is on the board it can be influenced by non-attack abilities, Feats, and magic.
Q: How does the Runed Staff of Silibar work?
A: The Staff allows the model to cast an additional minor spell in addition to their normal allocation of spells. This is only when taking the normal Spell Casting action not when using a Feat. So a basic caster could cast 1 Major and 1 Minor spell or 3 Minor spells, while a more advanced caster like one with the Magister ability could cast 4 Minor spells. Remember that the spells must all be different.