Massive Darkness 2: Enemy Box – Demon Dragon
Massive Darkness 2: Enemy Box – Demon Dragon Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
- 8 Enemy Miniatures: Cultist Minion x6, Cultist Leader x1
- Demon Dragon x1
- Nightmare Dashboard x1
- Double-Sided Boss Dashboard x1
- Draconic Skill Card x36
- Mob Item Card x6
- Draconic Track x1
- Cultists Mob Card x6
- Double-Sided Game Tile x1
- Rune Stone Token x4
- Draconic Mark Token x30
- Hero Marker Token x6
- Dragon Stone Token x14
Mixing Demon Dragon and Other Boxes
Massive Darkness 2: Demon Dragon comes with 6 additional Mob Item cards. To include them in your games, simply shuffle the Mob Item cards into their corresponding decks.
It also comes with new components that accompany the Draconic track rules, which can be included in any Campaign or One-shot Quest (see the Quests and Campaign section).
Note: The Cultists are a special Mob that can only be used alongside the Draconic track rules (see Dragon's Nightmare and Cultists Mob below).
Additional Concepts
Draconic Track Rules
Massive Darkness 2: Demon Dragon introduces a new component that replaces the Darkness track. The Draconic track rules can be added to any game and are always added to the 5 Quests from this expansion. The Draconic track is similar to the regular Darkness track, but includes additional concepts that represent the Demon Dragon's influence on the Lightbringers.
Draconic Track Effects
During the Darkness Phase, after resolving the regular effect from the top of the track, resolve the icons below the current space:
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Gain Draconic Skill: In any order, each Hero chooses 1 of the 3 available Draconic skills to gain. Then, draw one new Draconic skill card to become available (there are always 3 available skills for each Hero to choose from).
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Gain Draconic Marks: Each Hero gains that many Draconic Mark tokens.
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Draconic Manipulation: Each non-KO'd Hero rolls to check if they are affected by their Draconic skills, resolving the following steps:
- Discard all their Draconic Mark tokens.
- For each discarded Draconic Mark token, the Hero rolls 1 Dragon die.
- For each claw rolled, the Hero applies the negative effect from each of their skills once. The Hero decides in which order to resolve their skills, but each skill must be resolved once before resolving the next claw.
KO'd Heroes simply discard all their Draconic Mark tokens with no effect.
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Dragon's Nightmare: Heroes must face the Demon Dragon itself and must try to escape its Lair (see Dragon's Nightmare below).
Additional Setup
- When setting up the game, replace the regular Darkness Track with the Draconic track.
- Shuffle the Draconic skill cards to form a facedown deck, draw 3 cards, and place them faceup in a line next to the Draconic track. These are the available Draconic skills.
- Place the Tile [D]1B, the Nightmare Dashboard, and all tokens from this box near in a general supply alongside Grundarkjell's miniature.
- After shuffling all Mob decks, but before spawning any Mob, place the corresponding Cultist Mob card of each tier on top of each Mob deck.
Draconic Skills
This expansion comes with a deck of 36 cards that represent the Draconic skills, from which 26 are used in regular games and 10 are added only when playing in Campaign Mode (see Campaign Draconic Skills). These 10 Draconic skills that are used in Campaign only are marked with an icon in their corner.
When playing Demon Dragon Quests or when using the Draconic track rules in any game, some effects give the Heroes Draconic skills. They are similar to regular skills that provide the Hero a special ability, but they also have a drawback: They make the Heroes vulnerable to Grundarkjell.
Draconic skill card layout: the card shows a Name, a Skill Ability (the effect of the skill; Heroes may benefit from it as any other skill), and a Negative Effect (the effect that happens during a Draconic Manipulation for each claw rolled).
Cultists Mob
The Cultists are the loyal servants of Grundarkjell and are trying to summon the Dragon at all cost. This Mob is only used when using the Draconic track rules and they appear regularly during these Quests. When setting up the game, before the starting spawns, place the Cultists Mob cards on the top of their respective decks.
The Cultists Mob deals Draconic Marks to the Heroes and return to the top of the deck when killed. If a Cultists card is drawn while a lower-level Cultists Mob is already in the Dungeon, resolve the regular rules for replacing and activating the Mob (Hellscape rulebook, page 17).
Important: If a Cultists card is on the top of the Mob deck and any effect would shuffle it, set the Cultists aside, shuffle the deck, and place the Cultists back on top after that.
Magma Zones
Tile [D]1B included in this box has 5 Magma Zones, which are Light Zones and may have special effects described in the Quests.
Dragon's Nightmare
The Dragon's Nightmare is a special encounter added to the game when playing with the Draconic track rules, that always takes place after round 5, before players roll for Draconic Manipulation. In this encounter, all non-KO'd Heroes are taken to the Dragon's Lair and must try to retrieve as much Loot as they can before the Dragon destroys the Lair, killing everyone in it. The Quest is resumed after the Heroes escape the Dragon's Lair (unless they fail to do so and lose the Quest). KO'd Heroes stay in the Dungeon and do not participate in the encounter.
Starting the Dragon's Nightmare
First, take the Nightmare dashboard, the [D]1B Tile, the Demon Dragon miniature, the Rune Stone tokens, the Dragon Stone tokens, and Hero Marker tokens. Place the corresponding Hero Marker token in each Hero's Zone as a reminder of their position in the Dungeon. Then, remove the Hero miniatures from the Dungeon.
The back of the Nightmare dashboard lists the setup for this encounter. Shuffle all the Dragon Stone tokens. Place 1 Rune Stone token in each corner Zone of the Tile, 2 facedown Dragon Stone tokens in each Magma Zone except the central Zone, and 1 facedown Dragon Stone token per Hero in the central Zone. Any leftover Dragon Stone tokens that are not used should be kept facedown, far from the playing area.
Each Hero starts the encounter standing on 1 of the Dragon Stone tokens in the central Zone. Heroes can't stand in Magma Zones unless they are standing on a Dragon Stone token. Only 1 Hero can stand on each Dragon Stone token at a time. Heroes may stand on the corner Zones.
Place the Demon Dragon standing next to one of the Tile's edges, next to a Magma Zone. It never enters the Tile.
Special Hero Phase and Dragon Phase
This encounter is played over a series of rounds, with a special Hero Phase and a Dragon Phase.
1 - Special Hero Phase: Each Hero activates, taking up to 2 of the actions below in any combination:
- Move 1 Zone: The Hero moves to an adjacent Zone, which can be either a Zone with an empty Dragon Stone token or a corner Zone.
- Pick Up an empty Dragon Stone token up to 1 Zone away: The Hero may pick up an empty Dragon Stone token in their Zone or an adjacent Zone. They flip it to see the back side and place it next to their Hero dashboard.
- Trade Dragon Stone tokens in your Zone: All Heroes in the same Zone as the Hero may trade their Dragon Stone tokens.
- Drop a facedown Dragon Stone token up to 1 Zone away: The Hero may place facedown 1 of the Dragon Stone tokens they are carrying in their Zone or an adjacent Magma Zone.
- Escape using a Rune Stone token: Each corner Zone has a Rune Stone token associated with them. If the Hero is holding a Dragon Stone token with the same Rune icon as the Rune Stone token from the Zone they are currently standing in, they may escape safely from the Lair and wait for the other Heroes to finish the encounter.
2 - Dragon Phase: The Dragon rolls 2 dice and resolves the ability corresponding to the result:
- 0 claws: Earthquake. Place 1 Draconic Mark on each Hero in a corner Zone. The Dragon is placed on the next edge of the Tile counter clockwise. Then, destroy a Dragon Stone token in a Zone with the most Dragon Stone tokens. Remove it from the Tile, keeping it facedown.
- 1 claw: Fire Breath. Place 1 Draconic Mark and 1 Fire symbol on each Hero in the 3 Magma Zones in a straight line from the Dragon. The Dragon is placed on the next edge of the Tile clockwise. Then, destroy a Dragon Stone token in a Zone with the most Dragon Stone tokens. Remove it from the Tile, keeping it facedown.
- 2 claws: Dragon Leap. Place 1 Draconic Mark on all Heroes still on the Tile. The Dragon is placed on the opposite edge of the Tile. Then, destroy a Dragon Stone token on a Zone with the most Dragon Stone tokens. Remove it from the Tile, keeping it facedown.
Note: Anytime a Dragon Stone token must be destroyed, if all Dragon Stone tokens in that Zone are occupied by Heroes, a Dragon Stone token with a Hero must be destroyed. That Hero is KO'd and all Dragon Stone tokens they are holding are removed from the game. Remove the miniature from the Tile and wait for the other Heroes to finish the encounter.
Finishing the Encounter
Once all Heroes have either escaped or are KO'd, the encounter ends. Return the Heroes to their Zones, which are marked by their Hero Marker tokens. Heroes that were KO'd return to the Dungeon in that state (they lose all their Health and must use a Lifebringer token to return next round). Heroes that escaped return to the Dungeon as usual and gain rewards according to the Dragon Stone tokens they were able to pick up.
Important: Don't forget to resolve a Draconic Manipulation after acquiring the rewards and returning to the Dungeon.
If, at any moment, there are no Dragon Stone tokens on the Tile (either because the Heroes are carrying them or they were destroyed), the Quest ends in defeat.
Possible Loot
- The Hero gains 1 of the available Draconic skills, then draws a new one as usual.
- The Hero draws 2 Treasure tokens from the bag. Draw Treasure cards from the corresponding decks and return the tokens to the Treasure bag.
- The Hero draws 3 Treasure tokens from the bag. Draw Treasure cards from the corresponding decks and return the tokens to the Treasure bag.
Quests and Campaign
One-Shot Quests: All 5 Quests can be played as single Quests using the regular Hellscape rules along with the Draconic track rules. When playing the Final Quest, use the One-shot side of the Boss Dashboard.
Campaign: When playing in Campaign Mode, players must use the Setup and Campaign Mode rules as described in Massive Darkness 2: Heavenfall. Each Quest lists any specific changes, special rules, and campaign progression instructions.
- Campaign Treasure Bag: Setup the Treasure bag with 10 Common Treasure tokens and 3 Rare Treasure token. Each Quest will add and remove tokens.
- Campaign Phase: Play each Quest in order from A to E, facing the Demon Dragon as the final Quest using its Boss Dashboard on the Campaign Mode side.
- Campaign Achievement: The first time you lose the same Quest twice in a row, gain 1 Lifebringer token. Start each subsequent Quest with an extra Lifebringer token, until the end of the Campaign. This Achievement may be accomplished at any moment, even out of the Town Phase.
Campaign Draconic Skills
When playing in Campaign Mode, Heroes do not keep Draconic skills from one Quest to the next. At the end of each Quest all Draconic skills are shuffled back into the deck.
Throughout a Campaign, as the Dungeon Level increases, new Draconic skills get shuffled into the deck, according to the new Dungeon Level. This happens as soon as the Dungeon Level is reached, even if during a Quest.
- Level 1: Add 1 Dragon Speed skill (before the first Quest)
- Level 2: Add 1 Dragon Speed skill
- Level 3: Add 1 Beast Hunter skill
- Level 4: Add 1 Beast Hunter skill
- Level 5: Add 1 Pawn Crush skill
- Level 6: Add 1 Pawn Crush skill
- Level 7: Add 1 Protective Influence skill
- Level 8: Add 1 Protective Influence skill
- Level 9: Add 1 Burning Blood skill
- Level 10: Add 1 Burning Blood skill
Draconic Skills Clarification
Mind Control: To resolve a Mind Control effect, the Hero attacks another Hero in the same zone. When assembling their attack dice pool, do not add the Shadow die. This roll is not affected by any skill or ability, nor generates Mana.