Return of the Heroes
Return of the Heroes Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Dramatis Personae / The Players
- Objective of the Game
- What to Do First
- Movement
- Fields and Hidden Locations
- Counters
- Actions
- Combat and Combat Trials
- Hit Points
- Tasks
- Encounters
- Rewards and Experience
- Improvement of Skills
- Drawing Counters
- Events
- Heroic Deeds
- The Final Battle Against the Nameless
- Alternative Rules: The Standard Game
- Alternative Rules: The Unknown Land
Dramatis Personae / The Players
Ten gallant heroes whose role you can play for this Phantastic Adventure:
- Leandra Stormblade, Fighter
- Agin Stormblade, Fighter
- Gro Frosthammer, Dwarf
- Myra Frosthammer, Dwarf
- Glingal, Elf
- Elanor, Elf
- Frieda Soulsoother, Cleric
- Corinus Soulsoother, Cleric
- Antrax Spellsinger, Mage
- Sybil Spellsinger, Mage
Objective of the Game
Every player starts as a talented but inexperienced character. This changes over the course of the game, during which the story of a new hero will be told. Through encounters, combats and tasks, the characters gradually mature into champions. With the fulfillment of each heroic deed, they near completion of their rites of passage and thus the restoration of their families' honor. During their exciting travels through the fantasy world, however, it soon becomes clear that the misfortune that befell their families was caused by more than just bad luck. The source was a being, called the Nameless, who is determined to subjugate the fantasy world.
The ultimate battle, and thus the hero's return, is the duel with the Nameless. If the Nameless is overcome, a new legend is born. This legend changes with every game, and with every game, a new and unique story is played out.
"Hey, my name is Agin Stormblade and I am one of the 10 gallant heroes whose role you can play for this Phantastic Adventure.
We heroes want to help you get the hang of the game quickly and easily. But, to be honest, it's not all that difficult. Okay, I will start. In order for you to begin quickly, we have included a supplementary sheet (see Introductory Game Setup) describing the setup for your initial game, so simply follow the instructions.
What to Do First
Place all the open counters mentioned on the introductory game sheet in the bag, the remaining counters are not required for the introduction game. You will draw a counter from the bag whenever you pick up a counter from a region or fulfill a task or heroic deed.
Now, each player chooses one of four heroes – fighter, mage, elf or dwarf – and selects the gender of their character by choosing one side of the character sheet. The next step is to prepare your character for play by filling the sheet with the specified number of red hit points (from the line upwards) and gold pieces. During the game, your artifacts are placed on the yellow-bordered squares on your sheet and tasks that you accept are put on the blue-bordered squares.
Make sure that the four heroes start on their specified regions.
Every character has a given heroic deed to fulfill. Read through your assignment and check out where the first part of it will occur.
Character Sheet
- Hit Points (HP) – place red glass stones on the red hearts from the top to the line, there is space under the line for HP by armor.
- Hero's Name and Special Skill – if possessed, place special skill token where indicated.
- Magic combat-skill, Ranged combat-skill, Close combat-skill – place the corresponding die/token in the indicated spot.
- Gold pieces – place the shown number (example: 2) of yellow wooden disks.
- Place for precious stone, Place for tasks, Place for artifacts – marked squares on the sheet.
- Movement allowance – can be increased by artifacts.
Now all that is left to do is place your character on the indicated location and put your manor house next to it. Should you play with less than four players, simply disregard those characters (and their deeds), whom nobody wants to play.
The oldest player begins.
Each turn has two phases:
- Movement.
- Action.
Any action ends movement.
At the beginning of the game, you can try to accomplish the first part of your heroic deed as soon as possible. However, it is wiser to fulfill a few tasks first, to acquire experience and top up your supply of gold pieces. If you get the chance to enter the market, don't let it pass – you can buy useful artifacts or get some gold there.
Once you acquired enough experience that you can roll three dice in your specialty, you can embark more confidently upon the first part of your heroic deed.
Once the first part of any heroic deed is fulfilled, put the Nameless counter in the bag. When this counter is drawn, his Guards and especially his Servants appear. This makes movement in the regions more difficult. From that point on you should always be able to reach a place where you can regain lost hit points, otherwise you are running the risk of losing your hero to a quick death!
The second part of your heroic deed is more a matter of time. The faster you complete it, the more time you have to look for an instructor and take additional training. The training requires gold pieces, however.
The last step before winning the game is to travel to the tower of the Nameless and fight against him. First you have to battle a guard and then the Nameless himself. Once there you can't go back. It's him or you!
That's it for me – my job here is finished. Myra the Dwarf will now take over and clarify how the game is played. Have fun, and believe me when I say the fighter is a good choice!'"
Movement
"Thanks, Agin, I'm not so sure about your comment about the fighter. Us dwarves are rich and tough, and although we're perhaps a bit slow, a cart can easily take care of this problem.
Oh, yeah, cart. That reminds me of my topic, movement.
Okay. On each of your character sheets is the image of a footprint with a number in it. That is the number of fields you can move in a turn, or your movement allowance. Dwarves like me can only move two fields per turn, but as a result, we get to see more of the countryside.
Number in footprint = number of fields you can move in a turn.
Your hero's movement points can be altered with a horse, cart or boots. These cannot be combined. For example you can't ride a horse and a cart at the same time."
Cart, Horse, and Boots
- Cart: −4 movement points, +2
- Horse: +1
- Boots: +1
Fields and Hidden Locations
The fields have different colors: tan, red, green, yellow and blue. Any number of characters can be on a given spot at any time. The tan fields are normal ones and cost one movement point to enter.
This is not the case with the red, green and yellow fields, as they represent hidden locations. To enter these, you first must find the path. How? By rolling equal to or less than the number displayed in the field with two dice. If your roll was successful, you have found the path and can enter as if it were a normal tan field. If not, you were unable to find the path and have to continue searching. Place your character halfway on the path to the chosen colored field. You may try again on your next turn. If you make it, see above. If you did not find it your next turn, you may place your character on the colored field anyway – you found the hidden path, but your movement is over for this turn.
There is no roll required to move onto a blue field. Moving from one blue field to another blue field over the two routes (in region L) costs the exorbitant price of one gold piece. This only changes if the boat is in play. Crossing the lake from the field where the boat lies (F4) is free.
Hidden Locations
- Hidden forest path
- Hidden swamp path
- Normal hidden path — roll must be less than or equal to number in field
Lake Crossing
1 pay 1 gold or take the boat. If the boat is in play, the crossing from L4 is free.
Counters
"Hello, Myra. I have followed your movement instructions and landed on a covered counter. What do I do now?"
"Hi Glingal. At every random encounter chit, you have to stop and turn it over. The ones with a red border are dangerous, as these are creatures that you must do battle with, thus ending your movement.
It could also be a counter with a blue border, which are tasks, or a green border, which are encounters. After looking at these, you can continue to move, leaving them open or turned up. If you decide to accept the task or exploit the encounter, however, your movement is ended."
"So I can identify what the counter is based on the color of the bordering?"
"Correct. You can also determine whether or not you actually can see the counter."
"If I can see it? That sounds confusing."
"Maybe, but it's very simple. Certain counters are part of a task or heroic deed. Artifacts on the map with a blue/yellow border are part of a task, and these are only visible to the player whose task it is to find this artifact. The other players simply must ignore it."
"So I need to have the task 'find this object' in order to be able to see it."
"Correct, and only then can you pick it up and take it with you."
"And the counters with half their bordering in purple are part of a heroic deed and are thus only visible to the one with the matching heroic deed, right?"
"You have understood everything, so my job is done. Just remember even those who move slowly still reach their destination."
Counter Overview
Random encounter chits: Backside, Fight, Encounter, Task.
Counters concerning heroic deeds and tasks are only visible to the player with the matching heroic deed or task.
Actions
"Haha! Thanks, Myra. It's obvious that with those legs, you don't think much of speed, but I have an entirely different opinion.
I want to tell you something about what you can do each turn after moving, meaning the possible actions.
The first thing that happens after movement is always combat. Other actions, such as exploiting an encounter, fulfilling a task, picking up an artifact or completing part of a heroic deed, can take place in any order you like."
Phases and Actions
Every turn has two phases:
- Phase 1: Movement
- Phase 2: Actions
- Combat (only once per turn)
- Exploit encounter and/or fulfill task and/or pick up object and/or complete heroic deed.
Actions always end movement.
Combat and Combat Trials
"Hey, Glingal, how does combat work?"
"Hello Corinus. It's very easy. On the counters, you'll see blue, green and red spots."
"Let me guess. Do those stand for magic combat, ranged combat and close combat?"
"Correct. These three combat skills and the character's combat ratings are displayed on your character sheet."
"Okay. I throw two dice and then what?"
"The total must be the same or less than the rating on your character sheet."
"So if I have a 7 rating in range combat and roll a 7 or less…"
"…then you have defeated your opponent."
"You only roll the dice once?"
"Well spotted! We call this a trial of your combat skills. If the trial is successful, then you have won. If not, you've lost and lose a hit point."
"Where is the hit point removed from?"
"That's up to you, as long as you still have one hit point left above the line on the character sheet."
"Oh, and if I've lost my last hit point?"
"Then you are dead."
"Well, I hadn't planned on dying any time soon. Another question: Not all the colors are displayed on some adversaries. What does that mean?"
"Trials are only allowed in skills displayed on the adversary's counter."
"So if my opponent has no green spot, I cannot do battle with it using range combat?"
"That's the way it is!"
"What does the number in the colored spots stand for?"
"This modifies your combat rating in the respective skill."
"The giant has, for example, a –2 in the red spot."
"If you want to fight the giant in close combat, your rating is reduced by 2."
"So if I have a rating of 6 in close combat, I have to succeed in a trial at 6 – 2 = 4 in order to win."
"Very straightforward, isn't it? This means that the giant is an awfully tough customer in close combat!"
"What happens if the opponent has two or more hearts?"
"Adversaries with two hearts require two trials in one turn. If one of these fails, the battle and one hit point are lost. The opponent is defeated only if both trials are successful."
"Simple enough. And what is with certain encounters or events where trials are likewise required. Do I also lose a hit point if I fail?"
"No. Hit points can only be lost if a trial is unsuccessful during battle. These counters are identified with one or more hearts."
"If I lose a battle, do I have to fight again in the next turn?"
"No. You can either take up combat again or move along in any direction."
"And if I win?"
"Then you receive the reward specified on the opponent's counter, draw a new marker from the cloth bag and throw the defeated creature into the bag."
"So it can reappear if drawn again from the bag?"
"Yes. The player who draws the creature can place it on any tan field on the map, except in the region where this player is currently standing."
Combat Trials
Example counters:
- Wolves — Magic combat = rating unmodified (4); Range combat = rating unmodified (7); Close combat = rating reduced by 1 (2); no magic value = no magic combat possible.
- Troll — creature with 2 hit points = 2 successful trials necessary.
Hit Points
"How do I get lost hit points back?"
"You can restore hit points at various locations. Go to your manor house and sit out one turn, then all your starting hit points are restored. In the Temple (N5) and White Village (I5), you acquire one hit point per turn sat out."
"But that's not very much."
"At the market, you can buy a Healing Potion, which gives you a hit point back three times."
"Sounds tasty. And otherwise?"
"At the Fountain of Life (O5), roll one die and restore that number of hit points. The Fountain of Life, however, must first be drawn from the bag."
"Can I gain hit points below the line (i.e. more than my starting value)?"
"No, only down to the line."
"How can I receive hit points below the line?"
"By procuring armor (artifacts). Hit points can only be extended beyond the line with these objects."
"And should I give up hit points located below the line?"
"Then the relevant piece of armor is destroyed and you are forced to sacrifice it."
"What if the armor is worth two hit points?"
"It is destroyed only when the second hit point is lost."
"Can destroyed hit points from armor be restored?"
"No, there is no blacksmith."
"Can I wear two pieces of armor?"
"No, armor can only be combined with a shield, not with another piece of armor."
"What happens if my only remaining hit points are from armor?"
"Then you are dead, and the intact piece of armor is placed on the field where you died."
"And what happens when I die?"
"You lose all experience cubes, tasks and all but one artifact and begin again at your manor house with your starting values."
"Has my successor inherited an object from me?"
"Correct, and proceeds to head out and avenge your death."
"Which artifacts may I bequeath my successor?"
"Any one artifact with a yellow or partly yellow border."
"Including parts of the heroic deed or the precious stone?"
"Yes, that is possible?"
"What happens to my other artifacts and tasks?"
"The magic items remain on the field where you died, but the artifacts bought on the market decay and are placed back on the stack of the market counters."
"And the tasks?"
"They remain on the field."
"So that anyone who comes along can pick them up?"
"Correct."
Hit Point Bar
Your natural hit points above the line can be restored. It is only possible to have hit points below this line using armor.
Restoring Hit Points
- Your own Manor House: Skip 1 turn = all hit points restored.
- Fountain of Life: Hit points restored = die roll.
- Healing Potion: 3 uses, 1 hit point per use.
- Temple N5 and White Village I5: 1 hit point restored per skipped turn.
Tasks
"Hello my friends, I would like to ask about those counters with the blue bordering."
"Hi Frieda, you mean the tasks. That is very easy. On the counters for simple tasks, there is always a person or creature that you meet, an artifact that you find or a place for you to visit. The triangle points to the location where you are to bring someone or something. When you reach your destination, you receive the reward specified on the counter, (which is usually) a colored Experience Point and a gold piece. These are the simple tasks.
There are other tasks requiring you to first find the person, creature or artifact, as they are not yet on the map but in the bag and have yet to be drawn."
"So I can collect experience and gold if I accept the task and complete it?"
"Correct, the tasks help you improve yourself."
"What happens once I accept a task?"
"You take the counter and place it on one of your four blue-bordered trays on your character sheet."
"Which means I can only have four tasks at the same time?"
"Correct."
"Do I have to complete a task right away?"
"No, if and when you fulfill a task is up to you."
"And always remember to replace a counter you take from the map with a new counter from the bag?"
"Thanks for reminding me, Corinus, because that is very important."
Tasks (example)
- Objective: F5 Escort this merchant to Zenda. This merchant would like you to escort him to Zenda. Reward: 1 experience point (green).
- Is Don Hobiro home (counter already drawn)? Then he can give you training in range combat! F7 Find Don Hobiro, he trains you in range combat: +2 for a roll of 1–4, +1 for a roll of 5–10.
- Buy a magic staff. L4 Bring to the Boat. Is the market open? Then buy a magic staff, bring it to the boat, and receive a stately reward.
- This clue helps you to find the book of curses. E6 Find the Book of Curses. Did you find it here? Then bring it to the temple. N5 Bring it to the temple, and receive the magic cross.
Encounters
"Now, what about these counters with the green border. What do they do for me?"
"You mean the encounters. Counters with green border result in an encounter. Let Glingal rest for a moment and I'll take over and explain them to you. These encounters should help you to fulfill your more challenging tasks.
Among the encounters, for example, there are three instructors – one for each combat skill – who can help you increase your combat ratings. There are also two markets, one small and one large, where you can buy artifacts that can also influence your ratings. There is a teleporter and other useful stuff. A more precise list of the encounters can be found in the glossary under Encounters."
"Do these counters disappear after they've been used once?"
"No, they remain where they are and can be used once per player's turn."
"Thanks, that was very helpful of you. I think I'll take a look at the glossary next. Take care!"
"Good bye, Frieda."
The Instructors
- Don Hobiro (F7) — Range combat
- Mirabar (O3) — Magic combat
- Gasconier (J3) — Close combat
Rewards and Experience
"What are you two doing here?"
"Hi Sybil. We're explaining the rules of the game to the new heroes."
"You've really managed to get through quite a bit so far. What interests me are the rewards."
"Yes, Glingal, what is with the rewards?"
"As a reward for some actions, you receive one or two little wooden cubes (experience cubes = ECs) in one of three different colors."
"They each represent the different combat skills, right?"
"Correct. Sometimes multicolored cubes are pictured, which means you can choose one of the colors displayed. However, you can never select two of the same color following one action, except at certain events.
You place these wooden cubes on the corresponding color on your character sheet."
"But what are they good for?"
"These cubes represent the experience you have collected."
"What does this experience do for me?"
"With every level that you reach, you can use an additional die during trials."
"There is something about three dice when I have collected two ECs of a certain color."
"But isn't it much harder to succeed in a trial with three dice?"
"Would that mean experience is a disadvantage?"
"Not if you can choose the two with the highest score."
"That's right, then my chances improve."
"And if that isn't an incentive to collect experience, then I don't know what is."
"Well. I should be on my way. Goodbye Sybil, goodbye Corinus!"
"Goodbye!"
Experience Cubes (ECs)
- Magic combat experience cube
- Range combat experience cube
- Close combat experience cube
You can choose between the colors with multicolored ECs.
Effects of Experience
Always choose 2 dice from the number rolled.
- Magic combat with 3 dice at 6 ECs (2x, 3x, 4x, 5x markers)
- Range combat with 4 dice at 3 ECs
- Close combat with 2 dice at 5 ECs
"When a player moves onto one of the two market counters, then it's time to barter. The player at the market draws three counters if he is at the small market or six counters if at the large one, from the face down pile of market counters."
"If I'm the player at the market, can I buy something myself?"
"Yes, but you can also take the artifacts drawn, which represents the current range of products available at the market, and offer them to your fellow players."
"Do they pay the price in gold pieces printed on the artifacts to me?"
"No, they pay the price to the bank, but you receive a commission of one gold piece for every artifact sold to another player, regardless of what the price is."
"What happens to artifacts that aren't sold?"
"They are mixed back into the pile of face down market counters."
"Sybil, I have a magic staff here. It has a blue spot on it with a +1 written inside."
"This staff increases your magic combat rating by 1."
"I also see a gold piece with a –1. Does that mean that the magic staff costs one piece of gold?"
"You got it."
Improvement of Skills
"Now I have a question for you, Sybil."
"What are you waiting for? Out with it."
"Can I change the base value of my combat skills?"
"You mean for magic combat, range combat and close combat?"
"Exactly."
"You can alter these in two ways. One is by using artifacts that you can purchase, find or earn, and the other is by calling on an instructor who is master of a combat skill and trains you."
"Artifacts?"
"Yes. You can buy them at the market."
"How do I go shopping at the market?"
"I saw that there are also tasks for which I receive artifacts as a reward."
"These artifacts also increase the rating of your combat skills, and if they have a star (*), then they are actually magic artifacts."
"Can I use more than one artifact at once?"
"The number of artifacts you are allowed to have is limited by the number of yellow-bordered trays on your character sheet, which means a maximum of four. Only one artifact can be used per combat skill to improve your rating."
"A bow for range combat, a sword for close combat and a magic staff for magic, for example?"
"Sure, no problem."
"And what is with the instructors?"
"There is an instructor for each combat skill."
"So I visit them, and then?"
"You pay one gold piece."
"Nothing is free."
"And then you conduct a trial with the relevant combat skill. But what is very important here is that the trial must fail."
"Does that mean it's quite difficult to learn something new if you already have a high combat rating?"
"Of course. It's easier to learn something new when you aren't that knowledgeable yet, isn't it?"
"Can I make use of my experience during these trials?"
"You can. Your extra dice can be used during any trial."
"How high can my combat rating rise?"
"Up to a maximum of 11, either by an instructor or by artifacts. The new rating is marked on the character sheet with a counter."
"Sybil, I'm going to look for a magic instructor. My magic combat rating is simply too low, and besides, I still have a gold piece. I'm going to invest it into my future."
Magic Objects
- Cross ✦ — +1
- Bow ✦ — +2
- Sword ✦ — +2
- Yew staff ✦ — +2
- Amulet ✦ — Can move through all special fields without rolling the dice. A special task must be fulfilled in order to receive these.
Magic objects can prove extremely useful in combat against the Nameless in some cases.
How to Learn
Training costs 1 gold piece per turn. A failed trial increases the corresponding rating by 1.
Example: Mirabar, Magic instructor (O3) — +1 for failed trial.
Drawing Counters
"Hello Sybil. I've always wondered about this mysterious cloth bag. Can you tell me more about it?"
"How are you, Elanor? You've come to the right place. I'll see if I can help you."
"Sybil, when are the counters taken out of the bag and how are they positioned?"
"They are always drawn when a counter is taken off the map."
"Such as when I accept a task."
"Then you draw a new counter from the bag."
"Or when I defeat a creature in combat."
"You draw a new counter and then return the creature to the bag."
"And when I've fulfilled a task?"
"You draw a counter from the bag, as well."
"And the task?"
"Is removed from the game."
"About the newly drawn counters. Which side is placed face-up?"
"If it was once a random encounter chit, it has the PA logo on one side. These are placed with the logo facing upwards. All other counters are placed with the location coordinates facing up."
"Where are the counters placed?"
"On their coordinates. Newly drawn random encounter chits are put anywhere the drawing player chooses on a normal tan colored field, but not in the region where the player currently is."
"How do I tell the coordinates from other information?"
"The coordinates are always found in a fawn circle, without any other symbols."
"That is, without a triangle?"
"The triangle points to the location where you are to bring someone or something."
"What happens when the cloth bag is empty?"
"What happens if the bag is empty?"
"Once the Nameless counter has been drawn, no more counters are placed back in the bag. The counters remaining in the bag can be drawn for play until it is empty."
Events
"Now I have drawn a counter with orange bordering."
"Those are events."
"What are events?"
"An event is a competition. It can take the form of a joust, archery competition or duel of the mages and all players take part in the event."
"Then during the 'Duel of the Mages' it would be the magic combat rating."
"Exactly. Now one player after the other attempts a trial."
"And if unsuccessful, a player is eliminated, but doesn't lose any hit points?"
"Right. And all those who succeed in the first trial attempt a second one, but this time with the combat rating reduced by one. If successful, players receive the specified prize of ECs. That can be several players."
"Is the event counter then removed from play? Is a new counter drawn?"
"The event counter is out of the game, but no new counter is drawn."
The Events
Event types: Range Combat, Magic combat, Close combat.
Example: Archery Competition — Prize for two successful trials, all players take part in the event.
Heroic Deeds
"Okay, I understand that but how do heroic deeds work?"
"Let's say your task is to seize the silver hammer from the lizard people. This hammer has been stolen from the gnomes. Return the hammer to the gnomes, and they bestow an axe on you to show their appreciation. This axe is to be placed above the entrance to your manor house."
"The lizard people are already on the map. Can another player defeat them?"
"No, a part of a heroic deed can only be seen by the player who has this task."
"Does this mean other players have to move away from counters that concern somebody else's heroic deed?"
"Yes."
"I'll go to the lizards and vanquish them."
"Then turn over the counter and find the sought after silver hammer. You also receive a colored EP and a gold piece as a reward."
"I then bring the hammer to the gnomes."
"If the gnomes have already been drawn. At the beginning of the game, they are still in the bag, so you have to wait until they are on the map."
"Can we assume for now that the counter has been drawn?"
"Okay. You bring them the hammer. The counter with the hammer is discarded and the gnomes counter is turned over, revealing the axe."
"I place the axe on the card with the heroic deed."
"And you draw a new counter from the bag."
"When I bring this axe home, I receive a precious stone?"
"Yes, and you draw another counter from the bag. Now you are a hero and have restored your family's honor."
"Have I then won the game?"
"No!"
"No? Why not?"
"Because our world is threatened by a dark creature."
Example Heroic Deed: Axe of the Gnomes
Vanquish the Lizard People (K6), then take the Silver Hammer (turn over Lizard People counter) and receive one experience point and one gold piece. Bring the silver hammer to its lawful owner, the Gnomes (C8) (place Hammer counter here). To express their gratitude, they present you with a magnificent axe (turn over Gnomes counter). Bring this Axe to our house and hang it over our entryway, so that all can behold and marvel at the strength and potency of our family. Receive a precious stone as a reward.
The Final Battle Against the Nameless
"Hello Gro, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, I'm supposed to tell you everything about the Nameless."
"Is that this dark creature?"
"Precisely Eleanor. But I have to go, so I'll let Gro explain this to you."
"Goodbye Sybil, and thanks."
"You're welcome, and have fun!"
"So, Gro, when does this Nameless show up?"
"At the beginning of the game, the Nameless counter is not yet in the bag. It is added to the cloth bag only after a player has fulfilled the first part of his or her heroic deed."
"And what happens if the counter is drawn?"
"It is put on its location, H3."
"It that all?"
"No. At the same time, the four Guards are placed on the four fields surrounding the tower (H3). Then the players tally the number of unfulfilled tasks on their character sheets. The total is the number of Servants that are drawn unseen and immediately placed on their coordinates."
"Wow, that could be quite a few."
"The more enemies you fight, the more experience you have."
"Perhaps too many enemies. What happens to the remaining Servants, are they put into the bag?"
"Yes, they are put into the bag."
"If a Servant is defeated, is a new counter drawn and the servant put into to the bag?"
"Yes, you draw a new counter, but no, defeated Servants are not returned to the bag, they are removed from play."
"What happens if the unthinkable takes place and a Servant wins a battle?"
"The Servant marker is turned over again and its ratings hidden."
"I should keep its ratings in mind."
"It could be advantageous."
"Can I vanquish the Nameless right away?"
"No. First you need a precious stone, as it is the key to the four secret entries to the tower of evil."
"But first I have to overwhelm one of the guards?"
"Correct. If you beat him, then you can continue on to the Nameless and do battle with him in your next turn. If you do not defeat one of the guards, then you have to compete against one again or withdraw. In order to challenge the Nameless, you must first overcome a guard."
"Are the Guards then removed from the game?"
"No. They are reincarnated by the Nameless after every battle."
"So the gates remain defended?"
"Right!"
"As a rule, does the Nameless have more than one hit point?"
"Of course, he is a genuine challenge to a hero. With the Nameless, you conduct one trial after the other until only you or he has hit points left.
If you win the trial, the Nameless loses one hit point. If he wins the trial, you lose a hit point."
"The battle goes on after one trial, right? My turn doesn't end there and another player starts his turn?
"No, you continue to fight against him until only one of you has any hit points left and survives the battle."
"Which means I can't stop and withdraw?"
"What, you want to take a rest during the final battle? Hey Evil One, please hold, I'll be back in a minute . . ."
"OK, that was a stupid question. So its all or nothing?"
"That's correct."
"Once the Nameless has no hit points left, do I win?"
"Yes, you have won the game. And with you, a real hero has returned."
"Sounds good! But what happens if the Nameless wins?"
"Then regrettably you have failed."
"Which means I am dead?"
"Yes, you are dead and start again in your manor house. However, at least you get one artifact you inherit from your predecessor."
"To still win is going to be difficult, right?"
"He who faces the Nameless takes a grave risk. Therefore you need to carefully consider when to face him, to prevent another player fighting him before you."
"Can another player come and do battle with the Nameless after I fought and lost against him?"
"Yes, but the Nameless always retains his initial values as specified on his card. Hit points he lost or gained during a previous battle are not permanent."
"Good, although I didn't really need to know that, since the Nameless doesn't stand a chance against me."
"We can only hope."
"Time to play the game."
The Emergence of the Nameless
As soon as one player has fulfilled a part of his or her heroic deed, the Nameless comes into the bag. If drawn, his guards and servants also appear.
The four guards are placed (values hidden) on their posts (dark blue fields surrounding the tower H3).
The number of tasks on all character sheets = the number of servants that appear on the map (values also hidden). The rest come into the bag.
Alternative Rules: The Standard Game
The regions 'Nameless' (H) and 'Temple' (N) are separated and rest shuffled. Subsequently, every player draws one region from the pack. This is their home region.
Afterwards, the remaining regions, including the two that were separated, are shuffled again and set up face down. The home regions are placed on the corners of the map.
"What happens when there are only two or three players?"
In a three-player game, a face down region is simply used for one corner. When there are two players, two opposite corners are chosen for the home regions.
"And now I suppose we expose the face down regions?"
Exactly.
"And distribute two random encounter chits on each region!"
They are placed on any tan fields. Otherwise almost everything is as in the introductory game. Your manor house is placed in your home region and your character on the field next to it. However, the magic artifacts and the first part of the heroic deeds are put into the bag instead of on the map. The mice counter, which is not used in the introductory game since there we had a predetermined Nameless, also goes in the bag.
"Do we now play with all six of the Nameless?"
Yes. It is not evident at the beginning of the game who we have to fight at the end. One of the six Nameless cards is drawn face down from the deck, and the rest are removed from the game (also face down).
"How can I find out who the Nameless is without having to fight it first?"
If you encounter the mice, you can ask them (using a trial) who the Nameless is. If your trial succeeds, you can look at the Nameless card without showing your fellow players. Then return it to its place face down.
"What about the heroic deeds?"
Good question. The heroic deeds are shuffled, and every player is dealt two of the cards.
"Do I have to complete two heroic deeds?"
No, only one. But now you have the choice between the two heroic deeds and can decide during the game which one you choose to fulfill.
"Can we choose the cleric as our hero?"
Naturally. You can pick one of the five heroes. If the players cannot agree, then roll the dice. Highest number chooses first.
Otherwise, everything is as it is in the introductory game.
Option 1: The Nameless counter is placed in the bag right from the start, and not when a player has fulfilled the first part of their heroic deed.
Option 2: The heroic deeds are not distributed at the beginning of the game, but rather have to be picked up in the royal court. King Foebus does not have to be present. The deck of heroic deeds can be looked through and a card chosen. Only one card can be taken per turn. Players can have no more than two heroic deeds.
Alternative Rules: The Unknown Land
The regions remain face down and have to be explored. If a character moves into an unexplored region, it is turned over and the character is placed on the first field in the direction entered. Two random encounter chits are drawn and put on two opposite ends of the region.
If I enter the region from the north, the chits are placed on the fields on the east and west ends of the region. If I'm coming from the west, they are put on the north and south ends.
Counters with coordinates that have already been drawn are placed on the explored regions. If counters are drawn with coordinates for regions that have not been explored, they are placed next to the map and put on their positions only when their region is explored.
The 'Nameless' counter is only active when its region is explored and the counter can be placed on its coordinates.
The 'Magic Broomstick' counter: If the region where the magic broomstick returns on a roll of 1 has not been explored, no die is rolled.