Primal: The Awakening – Nightmare Expansion 2
Primal: The Awakening – Nightmare Expansion 2 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- VYRAXEN: 6x Nightmare Stance card, 9x Nightmare Behavior card
- TORAMAT: 6x Nightmare Stance card, 9x Nightmare Behavior card
- KOROWON: 6x Nightmare Stance card, 9x Nightmare Behavior card
- FELAXIR: 6x Nightmare Stance card, 9x Nightmare Behavior card
- OZEW: 6x Nightmare Stance card, 9x Nightmare Behavior card
- HUROM: 6x Nightmare Stance card, 9x Nightmare Behavior card
- PAZIS: 6x Nightmare Stance card, 9x Nightmare Behavior card
- HYDAR: 6x Nightmare Stance card, 9x Nightmare Behavior card
- SIRKAAJ: 6x Nightmare Stance card, 9x Nightmare Behavior card
- ZEKALITH: 6x Nightmare Stance card, 9x Nightmare Behavior card
- ZEKATH: 6x Nightmare Stance card, 9x Nightmare Behavior card
- TARASKA: 6x Nightmare Stance card, 9x Nightmare Behavior card
- THE AWAKENED: 9x Nightmare Behavior card
Nightmare (Variant Rule)
Nightmare is an optional variant rule that is designed to increase the level of difficulty beyond the challenges of the base game. Through this expansion, the Nightmare is available for the following monsters:
The Awakened, Vyraxen, Toramat, Korowon, Felaxir, Ozew, Hurom, Pazis, Hydar, Sirkaaj, Zekalith, Zekath, Taraska.
Whenever you play a scenario associated with one of these monsters, in either Campaign or Expedition mode, you can choose to use the Nightmare variant for that specific monster. If you do, follow these special rules to set up the monster for that scenario:
- Instead of using the regular stance cards for that monster, use the Nightmare variant stance cards included in this expansion.
- Note: The Nightmare variant of a stance card features the aggression level icon in red. Make sure you use the stance cards that correspond to the correct monster aggression level (the red aggression icons shown beside the Aggression Icons table: Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3).
- Take the monster's Nightmare behavior cards (identifiable by the red aggression icon) and select the 3 with the correct aggression icon for the monster level (use the table on the right to identify the aggression icon for each of the monster levels). Add as many of those cards as you wish to the behavior deck. The more cards you add, the greater the difficulty.
Editor's note: the aggression icons (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3) are red pictographs in the source, shown in the Aggression Icons table on this page. They are not reproduced as text here; use the table in the printed rulebook to match each level to its icon.
Nightmare Variant: Setup Example
In this example, Alice is setting up a scenario against a level 2 Vyraxen and wants to use the Nightmare variant.
- Alice takes the Vyraxen's Nightmare stance cards for aggression level 2, which replace the standard monster stance cards for this scenario (stances I, II and III).
- Alice takes the 3 Nightmare behavior cards that correspond to that monster, with the aggression icon. She may add as many of those cards as she wishes to Vyraxen's standard level 2 behavior deck, but she decides to only add one this time, so she chooses one of the cards and adds it to the behavior deck.
The Awakened: Nightmare Variant
The following rules apply when playing the Awakened with the Nightmare variant:
- During setup, add between 1 and 6 Nightmare behavior cards with the Reaction symbol to the monster's behavior deck. You may freely choose how many cards to include in order to customize the difficulty of the encounter. The more Nightmare cards you add, the harder the fight will become.
- Also during setup, set aside the 3 Nightmare behavior cards with the new Reaction icon (the heart-shaped symbol shown on the page). During the game, when the monster enters Stance III, shuffle those cards into the behavior deck.
The Awakened comes with two different nightmare behavior cards: 3 cards with the "!" reaction and 6 cards with the new Reaction icon reaction.
New Reaction Icon Trigger: When the monster suffers a wound.
Editor's note: The printed caption above gives 3 cards with the "!" Reaction symbol and 6 cards with the new Reaction icon. The card artwork on the same page shows 6 cards with the "!" Reaction symbol and 3 cards with the new Reaction icon, and that is the split the setup steps above use (step 1 adds "!" cards, step 2 sets aside 3 new-icon cards). The text is transcribed as printed; the split follows the setup steps.
Hunter's Trial and Nightmare
For the ultimate challenge, you can combine the Nightmare and Hunter's Trial variants in Campaign mode (refer to page 63 of the Core Game Rulebook). If you are using the Hunter's Trial rules and wish to incorporate the Nightmare variant into the campaign scenarios, add in the following rule:
Each time you successfully complete a scenario using the Nightmare variant, earn 3+X valor points. X is the number of nightmare behavior cards included in the monster's behavior deck.
Since you can potentially achieve higher scores by earning these points, the Hunter's Trial rankings are revised as follows:
- Nightmare: 200 points
- Primal Beast: 170 points
- Indomitable: 150 points
- Dragon Slayer: 130 points
- Beast Master: 110 points
- Commander: 90 points
- Prime Hunter: 80 points
- Expert: 65 points
- Rookie: <50 points
Note: The top score can be achieved only if you combine both Nightmare Expansion and Nightmare Expansion 2.