MourneQuest
MourneQuest Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Game Overview
- Objectives
- Game Components
- Game Set-Up
- Hero Characters
- The MourneQuest Board
- Equipment, Abilities and Relic Cards
- The Moon Cycle
- Compass Dice
- How to Play – A Game Round
- A Players Turn
- Charms
- Enemies
- Nightmares Escape
- Encounter Tiles
- Combat
- Heroes Attack
- Enemies Attack
- The Final Battle
- Final Battle – A Game Round
- To Escape, the Shimnavore Must Destroy Only ONE of the Four Sections of the Mourne Wall
- Heroes Actions (Final Battle)
- Game Levels
- Solo Play
- MourneQuest – Example of Play
- Quick Guide
Game Overview
Players take on the role of one of seven characters (Heroes) from the magical Mournes. Their quest is to Cast-out four Nightmares from the control of an evil Shimnavore, before they are released into the Kingdom of Mourne. But the clock is ticking, time seems to move faster and faster. Days flow into nights and back to day with gaining speed…
Can you Cast-out the Nightmares, protect the Mourne Wall and defeat the Shimnavore?
Objectives
In the first part of the game Heroes should work together to try to Cast-out each of the four Nightmares. This is done by collecting and placing a series of Charms onto the Nightmare Discs.
If they fail to Cast-out a Nightmare before its Nightmare Disc has been rotated fully, the Nightmare will emerge onto the board and the Heroes will be forced to face the Nightmare in Combat.
IMPORTANT: While the Heroes are collecting the Charms required, they must also make sure to increase their Abilities by gathering items from the Equipment and Surplus Decks. If not, they may not be strong enough to face the Shimnavore in the 'Final Battle' to win the game.
Game Components
- 1 Rule book
- 1 Playing Board
- 4 Nightmare Discs
- 7 Character Cards & matching Hero miniatures
- 4 Nightmare Cards & matching miniatures
- 1 Shimnavore Card & matching miniature
- 4 Combat Dice (Levels 1 to 4)
- 2 Compass Dice
- 1 Equipment Deck - 28 cards (inc. 4 Hag Cards)
- 1 Relic Deck (18 cards)
- 4 Sets of 16 Charm Counters (Granite, Gold, Blackthorn & Flax)
- 2 Moon Markers
- 1 Encounter Bag
- 5 Magical Pot Markers
- 3 Sets of Encounter Tiles (Level 1 x 13, Level 2 x 17, Level 3 x 17)
- 3 Bogbean Cards
- 12 Bogbean miniatures (4 of each level)
- 6 MourneQuest Talismans
- 24 Wound Markers
- 16 Skill Tokens
- 6 Compass Tokens
- 4 Broken Wall Markers
Note: Some of the above tokens are surplus to requirement and are included as spares.
Game Set-Up
- Lay the cross section of the main playing board in the centre of the table.
- Place the four Nightmare Discs randomly around the board and place the matching miniature for each on the centre of each Disc with its back towards the centre of board.
- Decide which level of game you wish to play (see Game Levels, page 18). Make sure the correct starting position on each Disc is aligned with the relevant Key Stone on the board.
- Select the matching Nightmare Character Cards and set them to one side of the board.
- Place the Moon Marker with the white moon facing up on the Blood moon space at the North moon track.
- Find and remove the 4 Hag Cards from the Equipment Deck. Shuffle the remaining Equipment Cards and set face-down on the North side of the board. Draw the top card and place it face-up beside the Deck. This becomes the Surplus Deck.
- Shuffle the four Hag Cards back into the Equipment Deck and replace the deck face-down beside the Surplus card.
- Shuffle the Relic Deck and set it face-down close to the Equipment Deck.
- Place the Level 1 Encounter Tiles in the Encounter bag. Set the Level 2 and Level 3 Encounter Tiles to one side of the board.
- Set the miniature and cards for all three levels of Bogbeans to one side of the board. Note: Keep the Level 1 Bogbean Character Card on top as it will be required first when playing.
- Two-Player Option: For a 2 player game, remove two Bogbeans from each Level of Encounter Tiles.
- Separate the Blackthorn, Flax, Gold, Granite, Magical Pot counters, Compass Tokens, Broken Wall Markers, Wound Markers and MourneQuest Talismans into separate piles and set within reach of all players.
- Select one Compass Die and the Level 1 (Grey Combat Die). Set the other Compass Die and Combat Dice to one side.
- Set the Shimnavore Card and Miniature to one side of the board.
Players may choose to play one of the following seven Heroes: Jack, Cobs, Iur, Beith, Grace, Tess or Finias. Each has different levels of Courage, Strength and Magic and may perform a unique Skill. (see Hero Skills)
Hero Characters
Each Hero has 3 Combat abilities: Courage, Strength and Magic. The starting value for each of these is shown across the bottom of the Character Card. These values should be increased throughout the game by collecting Equipment Cards. (See Equipment Cards & Abilities, page 8.)
- Backpack / Charm capacity: Each Hero can carry a maximum of 3 Charms.
- Life Points: Each Hero has 3 Life Points, identified on their Character Card by 'Heart' symbols. During the game, Heroes may lose Life Points (see Combat, page 13). When this happens, players place a Wound Marker on top of a Heart symbol. If all three Heart symbols are covered the Hero dies and the game ends…
- Hero Skills: Each Hero has a special Skill that they can use three times during a game. A player may use their Hero's Skill at any time during the game. (It does not have to be their turn.) Each player receives 3 Skill Tokens at the beginning of the game. Each time a Skill is used the player must discard a Skill Token from their supply.
Example Hero Skill (Cobs, "Secret Pathways"): Cobs may move himself, or any other player instantly to a cross roads anywhere on the board.
The MourneQuest Board
The board is made up of the following locations and features.
- Starting Point (x4): Players place their Hero miniature on one of the four Starting Locations. During the game Heroes can move on to any Starting Location to regain lost Life Points.
- Key Stone (Wall Sections) (x4): Each Key Stone is positioned in front of a Nightmare Disc and is where the Heroes must bring the Charms required to Cast-out each fiendish Nightmare.
- Nexus Point (x4): Located at the four corner points of the board, these spaces can be visited to gain Equipment Cards. They are also used as spawning locations and are where Bogbean miniatures are placed when drawn from the Encounter Bag.
- Crossroads (x4): There are four Crossroad spaces located along the Mourne Wall. It is said that Clurichauns have a habit of burying valuable items and Relics in magical pots near Crossroads.
- Dunnywater Tunnel (x2): There are two entrances to the Dunnywater Tunnel shown on the board. If a Hero miniature is moved to one entrance of the tunnel they automatically appear at the other tunnel exit 'at no action cost.' A very useful thing to do when fleeing a Nightmare!
- Trading Post (x2): While on either of the two Trading Posts marked on the board, Heroes can exchange any two identical Charms for one Charm of any other type. This costs 1 Action. Heroes may also exchange three Charms (of any type) for a Relic Card drawn from the top of the Relic Deck. This costs 1 Action.
- Charm Cache (x4): There are 4 Charm Cache locations on the board (one for each type of Charm) where Heroes can gather the magical Charms they need in order to Cast-out the Nightmares.
- Nightmare Discs: The 4 Nightmare Discs sit into the four spaces around the central cross section. This is where the four Nightmares begin their attempt to break free and assist the Shimnavore to escape the Mourne Wall.
IMPORTANT (First Round): On each player's first turn, they must move in the direction of the arrow marked on their Starting Point.
Equipment, Abilities and Relic Cards
Equipment Deck
The Equipment Deck contains items which can help the Heroes on their quest. (Unfortunately, it also contains a few Hag Cards which are likely to cause mischief to the Heroes).
Equipment Cards & Abilities
Equipment cards are used to increase a Hero's Combat Abilities, with each card affecting either Courage, Strength or Magic. These match the Abilities marked on each Hero's Character card.
Collecting Equipment
When a Hero moves on to a Nexus Point they can choose to either:
- Lift the top face-down Equipment Card as a free action, or
- Spend one action to pick up the top face-up card from the Surplus Deck.
Note: Heroes are limited to collecting only one Equipment Card from a Nexus Point on any one turn.
When a player collects a card from the Equipment Deck, they can then equip their Hero with that item by sliding the card below the matching Ability on their Character Card as shown below. Players can equip their Heroes with only one Equipment Card for each Ability.
The value on the bottom of the Equipment Card is then added to the value shown for that Ability on the Character Card. The combined total becomes the new level for that Ability.
Changing Equipment
If a player collects an Equipment Card with a higher value than one they have already equipped for that Ability, they can discard the lowest card, face-up, onto the 'Surplus Deck.' and replace it with the new higher value card.
If a player draws an Equipment Card of a lower value, they may discard it directly onto the Surplus Deck (This card may be useful to another player).
Hag Cards
A Hag. There is something evil about a Hag…
When a player draws a Hag Card from the Equipment Deck, they must immediately read it aloud and follow the instructions on the card. The Hag Card should then be discarded to one side. IMPORTANT: It is not placed in the Surplus Deck and will not return to the game.
Relic Deck & Relic Cards
The Relic Deck contains magical items which may be found buried in 'Magical Pots' near crossroads (see Encounters - Magical Pots, page 11).
Relics may also be purchased at a Trading Post. (See Trading Post, page 6)
The Moon Cycle
The world of magic in the Mournes is, like many aspects of the Earth, influenced by the Moon. The brighter the Moon the more combative power the evil creatures have.
In MourneQuest there are three difficulty levels of the Moon:
- GREEN New Moon - LOW
- GREY Waxing or Waning Moon MEDIUM
- RED Blood Moon - HIGH
There is one BLUE Moon which represents Cob's Birthday. (see page 13)
Each time a Hero takes a turn they end it by moving the Moon Marker one space clockwise.
The Moon Marker will complete two full circuits before the Final Battle begins. When it returns to its starting point at the end of the first cycle, turn the Moon Marker over, so the red Blood Moon is upwards. This begins the second Cycle. (See 'Impending Doom' page 9)
Compass Dice
During the 'first full rotation' of the Moon Cycle each Hero ends their turn by rolling One Compass Die.
Compass Dice Results
- N-North, S -South, E-East or W-West: Rotate the appropriate Nightmare Disc one click clockwise.
- Compass Star: Select one of the 6 Compass Tokens and set it in the centre of the playing board. Once the 6th Compass Token is placed in the centre, all four Nightmare Discs are rotated clockwise by one click. The Compass Tokens are removed from the board and the process repeats.
- Blank: No Nightmare Discs turn.
How to Play – A Game Round
Each round consists of 2 phases: a Hero Phase and an Enemy Phase.
Hero Phase (The Players' Turn)
- The first player takes their Actions, then:
- Moves the Moon Marker one space clockwise on the Moon Cycle, then:
- Rolls the Compass Die/Dice and rotates the Nightmare Disc/s accordingly (see above).
- Play moves clockwise to the next player.
When all players have taken their turn the Hero Phase ends and the Enemy Phase begins.
Enemy Phase
- Enemy Movement: Any Bogbeans or Nightmares already on the playing board (excluding Nightmares still on their Nightmare Discs) must be moved towards the Hero who is nearest to them on the board. Bogbeans move 1 space. Nightmares move 2 spaces. If two Heroes are an equal distance from the Bogbean/Nightmare it will move towards the Hero who is nearest to them in a clockwise direction.
- Nightmare Evil Powers: Any Nightmares in play on the main board will activate the 'Evil Power' on their Nightmare Card.
- Enemy Attack (See Enemies Attack, page 14).
- Draw Encounter Tiles: Once all Enemies have acted, players must draw one Encounter Tile from the Encounter Bag for each unoccupied Nexus Point on the Board, always beginning with the NE Nexus Point. The Tiles are placed face-up beside the board near the Nexus point and the relevant Bogbean or Magic Pot Markers should be added to the board. (See Encounters Tiles page 11)
Movement Tiles drawn from the Encounter Bag should be activated immediately and can mean that Bogbeans/Nightmares may move and Attack more than once in a round.
A Players Turn
Heroes' Actions
Each Player may take up to 3 ACTIONS on their turn.
They may make any combination of the following:
- Move along one of the Mourne pathways. Each space counts as 1 Action. A space may be occupied by a maximum of two miniatures with the following exception: - A Bogbean cannot share a space with a Nightmare. See Nightmare vs Bogbean
- IMPORTANT: If a Hero begins their turn on a space with another Hero, their first action must be to move off that space. They cannot return to the same space on that turn.
- Pick-up a Charm/s from a matching Charm Cache marked on the board.
- Deposit a Charm/s on a Nightmare Disc. (Hero must be on the Key Stone space immediately in front of the Nightmare Disc). See Casting-out Nightmares
- Pick-up a Face-up Equipment Card from the Surplus Deck. (Hero must be on a Nexus Point)
- Pass an Equipment Card to another Hero currently occupying the same space.
- Regain a Life Point. (Hero must be on any of the 4 Start locations)
- Exchange Charms at a Trading Post. (Hero must be on a Trading post.)
- Attack a Bogbean or Nightmare (See Combat, page 13).
EACH OF THE ABOVE COSTS 1 ACTION
Free Actions
In addition Heroes can take some Free Actions on their turn as follows:
- Collect one Equipment Card from the face-down Equipment Deck, then equip it to their character or discard it to the face-up Surplus Deck. (Hero must be on a Nexus Point)
- Collect one Relic Card when they discover a Magical Pot. (Hero must move onto or through a crossroad space occupied by a Magical Pot Marker). Note: An occasional Pot may have been sabotaged. If so, the negative effect of the card is applied immediately.
- Use a Magical Relic Card. Relic Cards may be used at any time, even if it is not that Hero's turn.
Because the above are Free Actions it is possible for a Hero to do more than one of them on a single turn.
REMEMBER. At the end of each Player's turn, they must move the Moon Marker one space clockwise and roll the Compass Die/Dice.
Impending Doom
Once the second Cycle of the Moon has begun, after every Player's turn, they must roll Two Compass Dice and apply the movement to the respective Nightmare Disc/s.
IMPORTANT – If a Nightmare has been 'Cast-out' or has emerged onto the board, the result from the Compass Dice rolls over onto the next occupied Nightmare Disc clockwise.
Example: The Changeling on the North Disc has been Cast-out. If a Hero rolls a North result on the Compass Die, the North Nightmare disc is now empty so will not move. The result will roll-over clockwise onto the East Nightmare Disc which will rotate instead. If the East disc was also empty, then the result will roll on again to the South Nightmare Disc.
Charms
Drawn from the very fabric of the Mountains, there are four types of Charms that can be gathered in the Kingdom of Mourne. These are: Granite, Gold, Blackthorn and Flax.
Collecting Charms
When a Hero moves to a Charm Cache marked with a Charm symbol they can pick up the matching Charm counter from the Charm Pool and place it in their Backpack on their Character Card, providing they have a space available.
In an Easy or Normal level game, players may pick up multiple Charm counters of the same Charm type. (e.g. two Gold Charms) as a single Action.
In a Difficult level game each individual Charm will cost 1 action to pick up. (i.e. picking up two Gold Charms will cost 2 Actions).
Discarding Charms
At any time on their turn, a Hero can choose to discard a Charm from their Backpack. This is a Free action and can be used to create space in a player's Backpack if they need to collect a different type of charm.
Discarded Charms should be returned to the Charm Pool.
Enemies
Bogbeans
Bogbeans are small mythical creatures which, although mostly harmless, have a legendary love of all things shiny! They can be a bit nasty at times and do bite.
There are three types of Bogbeans.
- Snipe (Level 1): They stand about one foot in height and have mottled brown skin with yellow stripes.
- Speedwell (Level 2): Speedwells are not nice. They look a lot like a white mole, but despite having a well-known taste for worms, they are definitely not a mole. Beware ….
- Louse Worts! (Level 3): Worts are tough, three legged creatures that like to sneak up on you, do their devilment and leave you in a very bad way.
Nightmares
The most fearful foes of myth & legend . . . or perhaps they are real.
Nightmares are bigger, faster and more powerful than Bogbeans. Each has its own Evil Power they can use on their turn when they have emerged onto the board.
The Nightmares are the Changeling, Merrow, Dullahan and Banshee.
Casting-out Nightmares
The Evil Shimnavore has called forth the Nightmares, the worst of the worst from the four corners of the mythical realms to aid in its escape. Each Nightmare can be Cast-out from the control of the Shimnavore but the Heroes must gather the correct Charms and bring them to the mythical Key Stones to complete this task.
Nightmares each require a combination of 5 magical Charms to be released from the Shimnavore's control and to be Cast-out from the Kingdom of Mourne.
Heroes must collect the correct selection of Charms shown on each Nightmare Disc, and deposit them onto the appropriate Discs by moving onto the Key Stone space in front of the Nightmare they wish to Cast-out.
The required Charms may be collected and deposited in any order.
In an Easy or Normal level game, players may deposit multiple Charm counters of the same Charm type. (e.g. two Gold Charms) as a single Action.
In a Difficult level game each individual Charm will cost 1 Action to deposit. (i.e. depositing two Gold Charms will cost 2 Actions).
If all the required Charm Counters are deposited onto a Nightmare disc before it has rotated to its final release position, the Nightmare has been Cast-out and is no longer under the power of the Shimnavore.
The miniature is removed from the board, the Charms are returned to the Charm Pool and a MourneQuest Talisman is placed on the centre of the Disc. Players add the next level of Encounter Tiles to the Encounter Bag.
A MourneQuest Talisman can be discarded at any time to buy ONE RE-ROLL OF ANY ONE DIE.
Nightmares Escape
If a Nightmare Disc has been rotated so the final red pointer is facing the Key Stone, this signifies that the Nightmare is under the full control of the Shimnavore. (Nightmare Disc has rotated fully. The Nightmare is free to hunt down the Heroes!)
On the Enemy Phase the Nightmare will escape from the magical prison of its Disc into the Kingdom of Mourne and move onto the Key Stone on the playing board.
On any following rounds, during the Enemy Phase, the Nightmare will use its turns to follow and attack the Heroes.
Nightmares move two spaces each round towards the nearest Hero.
NOTE: If two Heroes are equal distance from the Nightmare, it will move towards the nearest one clockwise.
It will also use its Evil Power once per round. See Enemy Phase.
Nightmare v Bogbean
Even the Bogbeans fear the Nightmares. If a Bogbean is on the board, either alone or is occupying the same location as a Hero, or another Bogbean, and a Nightmare moves onto that location, the Nightmare takes precedence, and the Bogbean will flee from the board! (Remove the Bogbean and the corresponding Encounter Tile from the board area)
Encounter Tiles
There are three sets of Encounter tiles in MourneQuest. The game begins with only the Level 1 tiles in the Encounter bag.
- The Level 2 tiles are added, when either: the Heroes Cast-out or defeat a Nightmare in Combat; all Encounter Tiles in the Encounter bag are exhausted; or a Nightmare escapes onto the playing board.
- The Level 3 tiles are added, when either: the Heroes Cast-out or defeat a second Nightmare in Combat; all Encounter Tiles in the Encounter bag are exhausted; or a second Nightmare escapes onto the playing board.
Each set of Encounter Tiles contains a mixture of the following: Enemy/Bogbean tiles, Magical Pot Tiles, and Movement Tiles.
At the end of each Enemy Phase, one Player should draw an Encounter Tile from the Encounter Bag for every Nexus Point that:
- is not already occupied by a miniature or
- does not have an Encounter Tile already placed beside it
This should always begin with the NE Nexus Point, and continue clockwise, drawing for the NW Nexus Point last. See example overleaf.
If you draw a Bogbean Tile
When a Bogbean Tile is drawn from the Encounter Bag, place the Encounter Tile beside the Nexus Point and place a miniature for the matching Bogbean level onto the Nexus Point.
Note: If the Nexus Point is already occupied by either a Hero Miniature or a Bogbean, no Encounter Tile is drawn this round.
If you draw a Magical Pot Tile
If a Magical Pot Tile is drawn from the Encounter Bag, place the Encounter token beside the board at the Nexus Point for which it was drawn and place a Magical Pot Token onto the Crossroad location directly in line with that Nexus Point.
Note: If the Crossroads is already occupied by either a Hero, a Bogbean or Nightmare, or a Magical Pot Token, then the Encounter Tile is discarded.
If you draw a Movement Tile
If a Movement Tile is drawn from the Encounter Bag, all Bogbeans and Nightmares currently in play on the main board will move accordingly. The tile is discarded once this is complete.
- A Movement Tile marked with a single chevron: all Bogbeans and Nightmares in play move 1 Space.
- A Movement Tile marked with a double chevron: all Bogbeans and Nightmares in play move 2 Spaces.
This movement is in addition to any standard movement they may have taken on this round.
The effects of a Movement Tile will apply to ALL Bogbeans and Nightmares on the board - even Bogbeans that have just been drawn and placed in this round will move.
There can only ever be one Encounter Tile at a Nexus Point
- A Bogbean Encounter Tile is discarded once the Bogbean spawned by that Tile has either been defeated in combat, or has successfully stolen an item from a Hero.
- A Magical Pot Encounter Tile is discarded once the Magical Pot Marker at the Crossroads has been collected by a Hero.
- A Movement Encounter Tile is discarded when all Nightmares and Bogbeans on the board have been moved.
Drawing and Placing Encounter Tiles – Example
One Player checks each Nexus Point in turn, always beginning with the NE Nexus Point and proceeding clockwise.
If a Nexus Point is not occupied by a miniature, or does not have an Encounter Tile already placed beside it, the player draws a Tile from the Encounter Bag for that point.
- NE (Start here): The NE Nexus Point is unoccupied and has no Encounter Tile beside it: the player draws an Encounter Tile. (In this example it's a Level 1 Bogbean). The Encounter Tile is placed beside the Nexus Point and a Level 1 Bogbean Miniature will be placed on the Nexus Point.
- SE: The SE Nexus Point is unoccupied but there is an Encounter Tile already in place beside the point (from the Level 2 Bogbean still in play on the board). No Encounter Tile is drawn for this point.
- SW: The SW Nexus Space is unoccupied, and there is no existing Encounter tile at the location, so an Encounter Tile is drawn for this point. If a Bogbean tile is drawn, it will be placed as normal and a Bogbean Miniature placed on to the Nexus point. (see NE in this illustration) If a Magical Pot tile is drawn: Normally the player would take a Magical Pot Marker from the supply and place it onto the Crossroads space closest to that Nexus Point. Unfortunately, in this case the Crossroads is occupied by a Hero, so the Encounter Tile is discarded, and no Magical Pot Marker is placed on the board.
- NW: The NW Nexus Point is occupied by a Hero miniature. No Encounter Tile is drawn for this point.
Combat
Bogbeans are troublesome pests that can sometimes be dangerous. Nightmares are always dangerous!
Combat in MourneQuest is resolved using a combination of a Hero's Combat Abilities along with the results from one or more Combat Dice.
If the combined total from a die/dice roll and the Hero's chosen Combat Ability (including any bonuses from Equipment cards) is Equal to or Higher than the enemy's current target score in the same Ability - the Hero Wins. (See Overleaf) If the result is Lower, the Hero loses.
Combat Dice – Dice Pool
- The Heroes begin the game with only the Level 1 (Grey Die). This is the only Die they can roll in combat at this time.
- Once a Nightmare is Cast-out (see Casting-out Nightmares), or defeated in combat, the Heroes can add the Level 2 (Green Die) to their dice pool. Heroes can roll both Dice in combat.
- On Casting-out or defeating a second Nightmare, Heroes can add the Level 3 (Orange Die) to their dice pool. Heroes can roll all three dice in Combat.
- On Casting-out or defeating a third Nightmare, Heroes gain the Level 4 (Red Die) and can add that to their pool. Heroes may roll any three dice from the Dice pool in Combat.
IMPORTANT: Heroes can roll a maximum of 3 Combat Dice* during combat.
* Unless they have a Relic Card which allows them to roll more.
Combat Dice Results
- FAIL – No Damage (blank face)
- 1 Damage
- 2 Damage
- 3 Damage
- 4 Damage
- 5 Damage
- 6 Damage
- Double all Dice results
- Dandelion: Automatic Win
The Moon and Combat
Depending on the Phase of the Moon Cycle, (which moon the Moon Marker is on) the enemies the Heroes face will be stronger or weaker in combat.
- On a GREY (Waxing or Waning Moon) the enemies will be at their standard levels.
- On GREEN (New Moon) the enemies are at their weakest.
- On a RED (Blood Moon) the enemies will be stronger than ever!
COBS' BIRTHDAY: On the rare occasion of a BLUE Moon, the enemies will fight at their weakest level (Green) and all dice rolls Heroes make are doubled.
Nightmare Cards
Each Nightmare card shows the Combat Ability levels for each Phase of the Moon.
It also shows the details of the Nightmares 'Evil Power' which is activated once per round if the Nightmare is in play on the board.
Nightmares must be defeated three times in Combat. Heroes must defeat them once in all 3 Combat Abilites - Courage, Strength and Magic.
Each time a Hero defeats them using Courage, Magic or Strength the Player places a Wound Token on the Nightmare Card below the relevant Ability.
Bogbean Cards
Each Bogbean card shows that enemies' Combat Ability levels for each Phase of the Moon, and indicates how many challenges the Heroes must win to defeat the BogBean.
- Level 1 and Level 2 Bogbeans (Snipes and Speedwells) must be defeated in one challenge. Heroes must defeat them once in combat using either Courage, Strength or Magic.
- Level 3 Bogbeans (Louse Worts) must be defeated in two challenges. Heroes must beat them twice using two different Combat Abilities.
The level 3 Bogbean card has 3 spaces marked below the Combat Abilities table. If a Hero defeats them using one ability (eg Strength) they place a Wound Marker on that Combat ability. Heroes must win again using a different Combat Ability to defeat the Bogbean.
Missing the Target
If a Hero rolls a Fail result (Blank) when rolling one Combat die, they have fumbled their attack and they automatically lose the fight.
If they roll two fail results when rolling two or more dice, they have fumbled and again automatically lose the fight.
IMPORTANT: If a Hero is attacking on their Action, and either fumbles or loses the fight, their turn immediately ends.
Remember! The Player must still move the Moon Marker and roll the Compass Die/dice before the next Player takes their turn.
Heroes Attack
The best reason for Heroes to attack Bogbeans or Nightmares on a Hero's turn is because the attacking player gets to choose what Ability to attack with. i.e. The one they have the most chance of succeeding with!
To Attack, a Hero must be on the same location as the enemy that they wish to fight.
Iur begins his turn on an adjacent location. To attack the Speedwell he must first move on to the same location. This costs 2 actions (1 action to Move & 1 action to Attack).
Attacking a Bogbean
Based on the current position of the Moon Marker, another player takes the respective Bogbean Card for the targeted Bogbean and announces their target levels. e.g. "a Snipe on a New Moon is Courage 8, Strength 9 and Magic 7".
The attacking Player announces which Ability they are choosing to attack with, then rolls the Combat Die/dice.
Defeating a Bogbean
If the combined total of the Die/dice added to their total selected Ability is equal to or higher than the Bogbean target score for that ability, the Hero Wins. *
- The Bogbean runs away leaving behind the Item/s shown on their Encounter Tile. (This Snipe will drop 1 Gold Charm if defeated).
- The Hero takes the item/s immediately (if there is space in their Backpack) and removes the Bogbean miniature from the board and sets the Bogbean Encounter Tile in the discard pile.
- Level 3 Bogbean tiles also show a Card Symbol. This indicates that the player may also draw either an Equipment or Relic Card from the face down piles.
- The Hero can then continue their turn with any remaining actions.
* Note: When fighting a Wort (Level 3 Bogbean) a hero must defeat it twice - once each on any two of its three Abilities.
Losing against a Bogbean
If the combined total of the Die/dice added to the Hero's total selected ability is lower than the Bogbean's target score for that ability, the Hero loses.
The Bogbean steals the Charm/s or Items indicated on the Bogbean Encounter Tile from the Hero's supply and runs away. Remove the Bogbean miniature and Tile from the board.
The number of Charms to be lost is shown on the Bogbean's Encounter Tile. (This Louse Wort will steal any 2 Charms from the Hero's Backpack).
- If the Hero is not carrying enough Charms, the player must discard one of their Hero's Equipment or Relic cards instead. (Remove the card to the relevant Discard Pile).
- If the Hero has no Charms and does not have an Equipment or Relic Card, they lose 1 Life Point and must place a Wound Marker on one of the heart symbols on their Character Card.
Attacking a Nightmare
Combat with Nightmares is similar to attacking Bogbeans, but with two important differences:
- Nightmares must be defeated once on each ability (Courage, Strength & Magic) before they are defeated.
- Nightmares do not run away when wounded.
If a Nightmare is beaten on a selected Ability, a Wound Marker is placed on the space below that ability on the Nightmare card. The Hero can then choose to continue attacking, (if they have actions remaining), or use the remainder of their turn to move away from the Nightmare.
The Nightmare can no longer attack using that Ability and will use its next strongest when it next attacks.
(Example: The Banshee can no longer attack using Courage. The Heroes must still beat the Banshee on Strength and Magic before it is defeated and removed from the game.)
Defeating a Nightmare
Once the Nightmare has been beaten on all three Abilities, it is defeated and removed from the board and the respective Nightmare Card is set aside. If available, the next Level of Encounter Tiles should be added to the Encounter Bag.
Heroes will gain the next level of Combat Die for defeating the Nightmare in Combat. (See Combat Dice)
Losing against a Nightmare
A Hero will always lose 1 Life Point if they are defeated in combat by a Nightmare.
Enemies Attack
If a Bogbean or Nightmare moves onto a location occupied by a Hero, they will attack in the Enemy Phase at the end of the round.
They always attack on their strongest ability based on the current phase of the Moon.
Example: A Snipe, attacking on a Blood Moon, will attack on Courage with a score of 13.
The targeted Hero must roll their available Combat Dice, add the result to their total Courage Ability.
- If the total is equal to or higher than the Bogbean's score, they have fended off the attack and the Bogbean runs away empty handed.
- The Bogbean drops the Charm shown on their Encounter Tile and the Hero collects it (if they have space available).
- If the total is less than the target score or the Hero has rolled a Fail/s result, the Bogbean triumphs. (See 'Missing the Target' and 'Losing against a Bogbean').
A Nightmare Attacks
The Hero must defend in the same way as they defend against a Bogbean.
- If the Hero is successful, they have fended off the attack. (Neither the Nightmare nor the Hero are wounded).
- If the Hero is unsuccessful, they lose 1 Life Point and must place a Wound Marker on their Character Card.
The Final Battle
The Shimnavore Appears
Once the Moon Marker has completed its second full cycle (returning to its starting position for the second time) the Shimnavore breaks through into the Kingdom of Mourne.
Place the Shimnavore miniature onto the centre of the board. The Shimnavore will take no further action until the current Hero Phase has ended.
Bogbeans & Nightmares
Nightmares that have not been Cast-out from the Shimnavore's control will emerge onto the board and are placed on the Key Stone in front of their Disc. If a Hero is on the Keystone when this happens they are knocked back and must start their next turn on their original Start Location.
Any Bogbeans in play on the board will continue to hunt and attack the Heroes, moving once per round as before.
THE HEROES MUST DEFEAT ANY NIGHTMARES OR BOGBEANS IN PLAY BEFORE THEY CAN ATTACK THE SHIMNAVORE. This can mean the Shimnavore will start to attack the Wall before the Heroes can do anything to stop it.
The Shimnavore Card
Place the Shimnavore Card on the table beside the playing board.
The Shimnavore's Goal
The Shimnavore has emerged into the Kingdom of Mourne, but it is still held captive by the Magic of the Mourne Wall. Its goal now is to break through the Wall and wreak havoc on the world of mankind.
The Mourne Wall
PROTECT IT OR PERISH! The Mourne Wall is represented by the Four Key Stone locations on the inner circle of the playing board.
Compass Dice – Final Battle Compass Dice Results
- Compass Star: The Shimnavore releases a Mighty Howl. The powerful sonic burst knocks any Heroes standing on a Key Stone/Wall location backwards onto the Nightmare Disc directly behind them. It will cost the Hero 2 Actions to move from the Nightmare Disc back onto the Key Stone Location. The Shimnavore will not attack on this turn.
- N-North, S-South, E-East or W-West: The Shimnavore will turn to face the direction rolled, and will attack the Wall/Hero at that location.
- Blank: The Shimnavore does not attack. Nothing happens.
Final Battle – A Game Round
Once the Shimnavore has been placed on the board – when all players have taken their turn in that round, the Final Battle begins and each round follows the steps below:
- A random player rolls ONE Compass Die and applies the effects of the result. (see Final Battle - Compass Dice Results - page 15)
- SHIMNAVORE ATTACKS Skip this Step if the preceding Compass Die result is either a Blank or a Compass Star.
- PLAYER 1 – Player 1 takes their 3 actions then moves the Moon Marker one space Clockwise.
- Player 1 rolls ONE Compass die and applies the effects of the result.
- SHIMNAVORE ATTACKS Skip this Step if the preceding Compass Die result is either a Blank or a Compass Star.
- PLAYER 2 – Player 2 takes their 3 actions then moves the Moon Marker one space Clockwise.*
- Player 2 rolls ONE Compass die and applies the effects of the result.
- SHIMNAVORE ATTACKS Skip this Step if the preceding Compass Die result is either a Blank or a Compass Star.
The above steps are repeated until each Player has taken their turn.
- NIGHTMARES/BOGBEANS Action/s – includes movement, attacks and Evil Powers.
Round ends – The next round begins with Player 1. Return to step 3.
IMPORTANT: Once the Final Battle begins, Encounter Tokens are NO LONGER drawn at the end of each round.
To Escape, the Shimnavore Must Destroy Only ONE of the Four Sections of the Mourne Wall
To destroy a Wall section the Shimnavore must successfully damage the same section twice.
If this happens the game ends and the Heroes have lost…
The Shimnavore Attacks
When the Shimnavore has been turned to face the direction indicated on the Compass Die (see A Game Round) it will attack the Wall at the Key Stone location directly in front of it.
In the example shown, the player rolled N (North) on the Compass Die, so the Shimnavore is turned to face North and will attack the Wall at the Key Stone located at that point.
If the targeted Wall Section is empty
- One player rolls the Level 1 Combat die.
- If the roll is a FAIL or DANDELION the Shimnavore has failed to destroy that section of the wall. Nothing happens.
- On ANY OTHER RESULT the Shimnavore is successful and damages that section of Wall.
Place a Broken Wall Marker on the damaged Wall Section on the board.
If a Bogbean is on the targeted Wall Section
BOGBEAN RUNS AWAY – Not known for their bravery, the bogbean takes one look at the Shimnavore and runs for its life!
Remove Bogbean miniature and encounter tile from the board and discard its Encounter Tile to the discard pile. This leaves the Wall Section empty so the Shimnavore will attack the Wall on this turn.
Repairing the Wall
Players may repair a damaged wall section and remove a Broken Wall token in two ways:
- there are a number of Relic Cards which will magically repair a damaged Wall section any where on the board; or
- if a player is carrying 3 Granite Charms they can rebuild a damaged Wall section. To rebuild a Wall section using Granite the Hero must move onto the damaged Wall section to make the repair.
If a Nightmare is on the targeted Wall Section
SHIMNAVORE DOES NOT ATTACK. Recognising one of its own, the Shimnavore pauses and will not attack. The Shimnavore's turn ends.
If a Hero is on the targeted Wall Section
SHIMNAVORE ATTACKS HERO
- The Hero must defend. (normal Combat rules apply).
- The Shimnavore will always attack using its strongest Ability depending on the current phase of the Moon.
- If the Hero wins in Combat, they have stopped the Shimnavore from attacking the Wall at that point. Nothing Happens.
- If the Hero fails in Combat they lose 1 Life Point and are knocked-back onto the Nightmare Disc directly behind them. It will cost the Hero 2 Actions to move from the Nightmare Disc back onto the Key Stone Location.
If a targeted Wall Section is already Damaged
SHIMNAVORE WILL ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE. The Shimnavore can sense a weakness in the magical barrier that has held it prisoner for so long.
- SHIMNAVORE ATTACKS THE WALL: One player rolls the Level 1 Combat die.
- If the roll is a FAIL or DANDELION, nothing happens.
- On ANY OTHER RESULT the wall is destroyed and the Shimnavore is set free. THE GAME ENDS – PLAYERS LOSE.
Defeating the Shimnavore & Winning the Game
The Heroes must defend the Wall, ensuring that no Wall Sections are destroyed before they can defeat the Shimnavore. The Shimnavore must be beaten twice on each of its 3 Combat Abilities (Courage, Strength and Magic).
Heroes Actions (Final Battle)
In the Final Battle players will continue to have 3 ACTIONS EACH on their turn.
They may use those actions to Move, Collect Equipment/Relics/Charms, Attack, Repair the Wall or Heal. (See Heroes' Actions page 9).
Broken Wall Sections
Players can move through and stop on Wall Sections that have been damaged by the Shimnavore.
Hero Attacks the Shimnavore
To attack the Shimnavore a Hero must be on one of the four Key Stone spaces. (see page 15)
Normal Combat Rules apply and the attacking Hero can choose which Combat Ability to use for the attack.
- If the attack is successful: The Shimnavore takes 1 Wound. Place a Wound Marker below the targeted Ability on the Shimnavore Character Card.
- A Hero may attack the Shimnavore only once on any turn.
- If the attack fails: The Hero's turn ends immediately, but they do not lose a Life Point. They have just failed to wound the Shimnavore. To finish their turn a Player must move the Moon Marker.
Play continues until the Shimnavore is defeated and the Players Win, or The Shimnavore escapes, or a Hero dies and the players Lose.
So, will you triumph and be the Heroes of the MOURNEQUEST?
Game Levels
Optional rules. There are 3 levels of play available in MourneQuest. All levels use the same basic rules with the following exceptions:
- EASY (LEVEL 1 *)
- Nightmare Discs are set at the Blue Marker (1 *) on each disc.
- Charms: Multiple Charms of the same type can be collected or deposited as one action.
- MEDIUM (LEVEL 2*)
- Nightmare Discs are set at the Light Green Marker (2*) on each Disc.
- Charms: Multiple Charms of the same type can be collected or deposited as one action.
- DIFFICULT (LEVEL 3 *)
- Nightmare Discs are set at the Dark Green Marker (3*) on each Disc.
- Charms: Each individual Charm collected or deposited will each cost one Action to do so.
- Optional: Four Encounter Tiles are drawn from the Encounter Bag and any resulting enemies or Magical pots are placed on the Board before players take their first turn.
Solo Play
To play MourneQuest as a one player solo adventure:
- Set up the game as shown on pages 6 - 7.
- Remove two Bogbeans from each Level of Encounter Tiles.
- Select 2 Hero Characters to play and take the matching Character Cards and Miniatures.
- Place the Hero Miniatures on Start Locations on opposite sides of the Playing Board to begin.
- Look through the Equipment Deck and select 2 Level 5 equipment Cards and give one to each Hero. The player may choose to select either a Courage, Strength or Magic Card for each.
IMPORTANT: During a Solo Game the Player must move the Moon Marker and roll the Compass Die/Dice after each Hero has completed their 3 Actions. (This means that during the Final Battle, the Shimnavore may attack Twice on the same round).
The Enemy Phase happens once each round (after both of the Player's Heroes have taken their actions, moved the Moon marker and have Rolled the Compass Die/Dice).
All other rules of play apply as before.
MourneQuest – Example of Play
Player 1 (Hero – Jack) begins his turn with his Hero (Jack) on a Crossroads location.
- 1st Action: Jack moves to the Flax Charm Cache.
- 2nd Action: He has two spaces available in his Backpack. The Players have chosen to play a Medium Level game, so Jack can pick up 2 Flax charms as one action. (Player 1 places 2 Flax Charm markers onto his Character Card)
- 3rd Action: Jack moves on to NW Nexus Point.
- Free Action: As the Hero has ended on a Nexus Point, Player 1 may draw the top Face-Down card from the Equipment Deck as a Free Action.
Player 1 ends their turn by moving the Moon Marker 1 space clockwise and then rolls 1 Compass Die. He rolls a blank so no Nightmare Discs turn.
Player 2 (Hero – Cobs) begins his turn with his Hero (Cobs) on the Blackthorn Charm Cache.
- 1st Action: Cobs picks up two Blackthorn Charms. (Player 2 places 2 Blackthorn Charm counters onto his Character card)
- 2nd Action: Cobs moves to the Crossroads location.
- 3rd Action: Cobs moves on to the East Key Stone, at the Merrow's Nightmare Disc. Note: As he has used all three actions Player 2 cannot deposit a Charm until the start of his next turn.
Player 2 ends their turn by moving the Moon Marker 1 space clockwise and then rolls 1 Compass Die. He rolls "E" (East). The East Nightmare Disc turns one step clockwise.
Player 3 (Hero – Grace) begins her turn with her Hero (Grace) on a Crossroads. She wants to get to the nearby Nexus Point, however there is a Bogbean (Lvl 2 Speedwell) in her path.
- 1st Action: Grace moves onto the same location as the Speedwell.
- 2nd Action: Grace attacks the Speedwell. (See Combat Rules) In this case she is successful and the Bogbean and its Encounter Tile are discarded.
- Following: If she has space in her Backpack, Player 3 takes the two Flax Charms indicated on the Encounter Tile and adds them to her Character Card.
- 3rd Action: Grace moves on to SE Nexus Point.
- Free Action: Player draws the top Face-Down card from the Equipment deck.
Player 3 ends her turn by moving the Moon Marker 1 space clockwise and then rolls 1 Compass Die. They roll "W" (West) The West Nightmare Discs turns one step clockwise.
Player 4 (Hero – Beith): In the previous round Beith was attacked by a Nightmare (the Dullahan) and lost 1 life point.
- 1st Action: Beith moves onto the Crossroads. There is a Magical Pot Marker on that location. Player 4 discards the Marker and its Encounter Token, and draws a Relic Card from the Relic Deck.
- 2nd Action: Beith Moves onto a Start Location.
- 3rd Action: Beith stays on the Start Location and spends her final action to regain the lost Life Point.
Player 4 ends her turn by moving the Moon Marker 1 space clockwise and then rolls 1 Compass Die. She rolls a Compass Symbol and so adds 1 Compass Marker to the centre of the board.
Quick Guide
Players Aims
- Collect and deliver the correct Charms to Cast-out the Nightmares and prevent them from entering the game.
- Gain Equipment and Relic cards to strengthen their Heroes' Combat and Magical Abilities.
- In the Final Battle, Players must defend the Mourne Wall and defeat the dreaded Shimnavore to save the Kingdom of Mourne.
A Game Round
Hero Phase (The Players' Turn)
- Player 1 takes their Actions.
- Player 1 moves the Moon Marker.
- Player 1 rolls the Compass Die/Dice.
Play moves clockwise to the next player. When all players have taken their turn, the Hero Phase ends and the Enemy Phase begins.
Enemy Phase
- Enemy Movement: Bogbeans move 1 space. Nightmares move 2 spaces.
- Nightmare Evil Powers
- Enemies Attack
- Draw Encounter Tiles
Heroes' Actions
Each Player may take 3 ACTIONS per turn:
- Move
- Pick-up a Charm/s
- Deposit a Charm/s
- Pick-up a Face-up Equipment Card
- Pass an Equipment Card to another Hero on the same space.
- Regain a Life Point.
- Exchange Charms at a Trading Post
- Attack a Bogbean or Nightmare
EACH OF THE ABOVE COSTS 1 ACTION.
Free Actions
- Draw a Face-down Equipment Card
- Pick up a Magical Pot & draw a Relic Card
- Use a Relic Card or Hero Skill
Combat – Heroes Attack
- Move to same location as intended target.
- Check the Moon Marker's position to determine the current Combat levels of the enemy as shown on the relevant Bogbean/Nightmare Card.
- Select and state which Combat ability to attack with.
- Roll Combat Die/Dice.
- Add the resulting score to players current Combat level for that Ability (including any bonuses added from Equipment).
If the combined total is Equal to or Higher than the target score the Hero Wins.
If the result is Lower, the Hero loses. (See page 14)
- Level 1 and Level 2 Bogbeans – defeat on any one Combat Ability to win.
- Level 3 Bogbeans – defeat on any two Combat Abilities to win.
- Nightmares – defeat on all three Combat Ability to win.
COMBAT DICE RESULTS: FAIL / No Damage; 1 Damage; 2 Damage; 3 Damage; 4 Damage; 5 Damage; 6 Damage; Double all Dice results; Dandelion: Automatic Win.
Enemies Attack (Quick Guide)
Enemies always attack on their strongest ability based on the current phase of the Moon. Combat is resolved as above.
- If the player's total is equal to or higher than the Bogbean's score: Player wins. The Bogbean drops the Charm shown on their Encounter Tile runs away empty handed. Hero may collect the Charm.
- If the total is less than the target score: Player loses. The Bogbean steals the item/s shown on their Encounter Tile from the Player before fleeing.
A Nightmare Attacks: The Hero must defend in the same way as they defend against a Bogbean.
- If the Hero is successful, they have fended off the attack. (Neither the Nightmare nor the Hero are wounded).
- If unsuccessful, the Player loses 1 Life Point.
To Win the Game
The Heroes must defend the Wall and defeat the Shimnavore twice on each of its Combat Abilities.
To escape, the Shimnavore must destroy just one of the four sections of the Mourne Wall. If this happens, or a Hero is killed, the game ends and the Heroes have lost.