Sleeping Gods: Primeval Peril
Sleeping Gods: Primeval Peril Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- Atlas (1)
- Action Board (1)
- Character Boards (5)
- Pocket Watch Standee (1)
- Active Player Token (1)
- Boat Standee (1)
- Combat Die (1)
- Fate Die (1)
- Starting Combat Cards (12)
- Event Cards (36)
- Numbered Cards (69)
- Coin Tokens (8)
- Meat Tokens (6)
- Torch Tokens (6)
- Rope Tokens (6)
- Map Tokens (6)
- Fruit Tokens (6)
- Reroll Tokens (6)
- Status Tokens (5 venom, 5 madness, 5 weakened, and 5 frightened)
- Bonus Time Token (1)
- Wooden Damage Tokens (42)
- Wooden Power Tokens (20)
- Wooden Stamina Tokens (15)
Not Pictured: This Rulebook/Storybook, Plastic Stands (4), Journey Log Pad
Note: Use the plastic stands for the Pocket Watch and Boat. There are 2 extra stands included.
Setup
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Place the atlas in the center of the table and turn to pg. 2. Place the boat token where it says "start."
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Place the action board to the right of the atlas. Place the pocket watch on "Turn Start." Place the bonus time token nearby.
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Place the Captain Vine character board in a place accessible by all players (level 1 side face up). Distribute the remaining 4 character boards among the players as evenly as possible (level 1 sides face up). Each player places their character board(s) in front of them. Place a damage token on each character's health track, on the highest space. Place 3 stamina tokens on each character board.
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Shuffle the event deck and place it face down next to the action board.
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Retrieve the starting combat cards. These cards say "Combat" on the card backs and have no number in the top left corner. Shuffle this deck and place it face down on the action board.
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Place a damage token on the highest number of the boat health track on the action board.
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Place the deck of numbered cards near the atlas, face down. IMPORTANT: Do not change the order of cards in this deck and do not look through the cards unless instructed.
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Organize the resource tokens and place them nearby. Take 1 of each resource (meat, fruit, torch, rope, map, and coin) and distribute them among the characters. Each resource takes up 1 inventory slot (the squares on the character boards).
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Place the damage and power tokens near the atlas. Place the combat die, the fate die, reroll tokens, and status tokens nearby.
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Retrieve a new journey log sheet for your campaign. Decide if you will be playing easy, normal, or hard mode and check the appropriate box. (See "Difficulty.") Record the date and all players' names.
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Decide who will be the first player and give them the active player token. After reading through the game rules, turn to pg. 23 of this book and read the introduction story aloud (or to yourself if playing solo).
Basic Game Concepts
This page explains some basics that will make it easier to understand the rest of this rulebook.
Your Character(s)
You always control at least 1 character. When it is your turn, you ALSO control Captain Vine. Captain Vine is the POV character in the storybook and the main protagonist. Depending on the player count, you may control more than 1 character. When it is your turn, you are the "active player."
Health, Damage, and Stamina
Your character's health is the amount of physical and mental damage they can sustain. When your character loses or gains health, move the damage token on the track accordingly. When the game says you take damage, this means you lose health. Sometimes this is also written as "-X health." Outside of combat, unless specified, the active player decides how to split damage between the characters.
Your boat, the Harpy, also has a health track. When you take "boat damage," reduce the Harpy's health. If you reach 0 on this track, cross off a moon symbol on the journey log and return the boat to 1 health.
Each character can have a maximum of 3 stamina, which they can spend to participate in challenges and activate abilities. When a character spends stamina, remove a stamina token from their character board.
Status Tokens
There are 4 types of status tokens in the game: frightened, madness, venom, and weakened. When a character gains a status, place the token on their board. Each character can have multiple status tokens, but may not have more than one copy of each status. Unless specified, the active player chooses which character takes each status token.
Challenge
A challenge is a test of skill that you must overcome. Each challenge is associated with one of the 5 skills: craft, cunning, savvy, perception, and strength. In a challenge, you spend stamina from characters to gain their skills, roll the fate die, and use abilities to try to reach a specified challenge number.
Supply
The supply refers to the resources or components your characters do not possess. When you are told to "pay," "discard," "lose," or "remove" something, it means to return it to the supply.
All components are limited, which means that if you run out, you cannot gain or use more, with two exceptions: damage tokens and power tokens. If you run out of these, use something else to keep track.
Turn Structure
Turn Overview
Starting with the first player, players take turns in clockwise order. Follow these steps on your turn:
1. Event. Draw an event card and read the effect. Events may present a choice, challenge, consequence, or other effect. (For challenge instructions, see "Challenges.") Resolve the event card before continuing your turn.
2. Actions. Perform actions. The available actions are listed on the bottom of the action board. You may perform the same action multiple times in one turn. Each action (except rest) requires you to move the pocket watch on the time track.
3. End of Turn. When the pocket watch reaches the last space on the time track, after completing your final action, your turn ends. (Alternatively, you may choose to end your turn early if on the second-to-last space, in which case the next player may use the unused time. See "Ending Your Turn Early.") Pass the active player token to the player on the left. That player now starts their turn.
These steps are described in greater detail on the next few pages.
Example event card effects: "Give 1 character madness and 1 character venom (or give both to 1 character). Then gain 1 fruit." / "Jon gains venom (unless he already has it, in which case no one gains venom). Then gain 1 rope." / "You must complete a challenge. If you fail, take 2 boat damage. Even if you fail, you gain 1 rope."
Step 1: Event
Draw the top card of the event deck and read it aloud. Apply the effect or complete the challenge. If the deck is exhausted, reshuffle the discard pile.
You cannot ignore an event card. You must complete it immediately.
The active player decides how to distribute any negative or positive effects from the event among the characters unless the card specifies otherwise.
When you complete an event, discard the card.
If there is a challenge on the card, you must complete it. Even if you fail the challenge, you still gain the reward unless the card specifies otherwise.
Step 2: Actions
If you're the active player, you now choose actions. You may choose the same action more than once per turn. Each action (except rest) costs 1 or 2 time. A normal turn consists of 5 time.
When you spend time, move the pocket watch down the time track. The pocket watch starts on the "turn start" section of the track, then moves down for each time spent.
If a player passed early on the previous turn, that means you have one extra time to use on your turn. (Use the bonus time token as a reminder that you have one extra time to use.) Before using the bonus time token, you must have already completed step 1 of your turn as normal.
You may choose from 4 possible actions on your turn. These are described on the next few pages.
Time Track: Start here. Move the pocket watch to the right on the track when you spend time. You may end your turn when on this space if you choose. If you do, give the next player the bonus time token and move to step 3. After completing your final action, if the pocket watch is on this space, move to step 3 to end your turn.
Action: Travel
Move the boat standee on the atlas. Each page of the atlas is divided into river spaces, separated by dotted lines. Each line you cross on the river costs 1 time. You may only move between adjacent river spaces.
When you enter a river space with a rocks obstacle, you must roll the fate die to see if you take boat damage. You take the specified damage if you roll the numbers specified on the die symbol. You may use reroll tokens to reroll the fate die.
Edge of the Map: If you reach the edge of the map and want to keep going in the same direction, you may do so as long as there is a "to" followed by a page number. Follow these steps:
First, remove the boat from the map. Turn to the page in the atlas specified on the edge you are crossing and place the boat on the adjacent space on the new page.
You always enter the map on the opposite side of where you left. For example, if you cross the northern edge of the atlas, you enter on the southern edge on the new page, etc.
Action: Explore
If the boat is on a space with an icon in a square or number in a circle, you may explore it, which costs 2 time.
If it's a square location, consult the instructions under the matching icon on the parchment banner on the edge of the page. When you've completed the instructions (which usually involves completing a challenge), the action is over.
If it's a numbered location, open the storybook to the number listed on the location on the atlas. Read the first section of text in the story. (Read aloud unless you are playing solo.) At the end of each story section, the following may occur:
- Make a choice. This may include a challenge or combat (detailed under "Challenges" and "Combat," respectively). After completing the challenge or combat (if any), turn to the listed story number. Gain any listed rewards.
- If you fail a challenge, you suffer negative effects. These are listed in italics. Sometimes, if you fail a challenge, you must turn to an alternate story number. (This is listed in the failure description.) If there is no alternate story number listed, continue to the story listed in the parentheses below the failure description.
- The end of each explore action is indicated by the phrase, "Return to the map." This means this explore action is over, and the active player continues their turn as normal.
Do not read ahead or turn to any further story section until you have made your choice/completed your challenge.
Sometimes the storybook instructs you to cross off a location on your campaign map on the journey log sheet. If so, you cannot explore that location again in the same campaign.
Story Example
38.9
You wake in the cold dirt. Dew drips from your clothes and your hands ache, bound with crude rope. You take in your surroundings: a wooden hut with an open doorway.
A. Cut the rope bindings on some nearby rocks. CUNNING 5 Fail: -3 health (Turn to 38.11)
B. Wriggle free of the rope bindings. STRENGTH 6 Fail: -3 health (Turn to 38.12)
Quest Cards and Keywords
When the storybook says "Gain card x," retrieve the matching card from the numbered card pile and place it face up nearby. Keep all other unclaimed cards in the pile in order.
When the storybook says "Lose card x," or "Complete quest x," return the specified card to the pile, in order.
Some story sections list keywords that you must have in order to read them or to make specific choices. All keywords you have are listed on quest cards you own.
If a story paragraph starts with, "If keyword X, turn to X," then you must follow these instructions if you have the keyword. If there are multiple keyword instructions at the start of a story, resolve them in order.
If a choice says "Requires keyword X," it means that you must have a specific keyword to choose it. Even if you have the specified keyword, you are not forced to select that choice. You may make another choice.
Action: Rest
The rest action costs no time. Instead, you must cross off one of the moon symbols on your journey log, starting with the leftmost symbol.
You may rest anywhere and at any time, as long as you're not in the middle of another action (such as an explore action).
When you rest, each character regains their stamina tokens (to a max of 3). Each character also restores 2 health (limited to their max). You may remove 1 status effect from 1 character. Finally, you may restore additional health by returning sets of 1 meat and 1 fruit to the supply. Each set you return allows you to restore an additional 5 health (split between any characters).
If you cross off the sixth moon symbol on your campaign sheet, set aside the top 3 cards of the event deck to make a new deck. (Put the remaining events in the game box.) You have 3 turns to reach a game ending. After the end of the third turn, if you have not yet reached an ending, you lose the game.
Reminder that you must cross off a rest symbol on your journey log when you take the rest action.
Action: Repair
This action allows you to repair the boat. It costs 2 time.
Perform a CRAFT challenge. If the result is 1-5, restore 1 boat health. If 6-7, restore 2 boat health. If 8+, restore 3 boat health.
Step 3: End of Turn
After you complete an action, if the pocket watch is on the last space on the time track, your turn ends.
Return the pocket watch to the "turn start" space on the track. Pass the active player token to the player on the left. That player now starts their turn and they control Captain Vine.
Ending Your Turn Early: You may choose to end your turn early if the pocket watch is on the second-to-last space on the time track. If you do, give the bonus time token to the player to your left. On their turn, that player may spend the bonus time token as 1 extra time when taking actions, after resolving their event card.
Challenges
A challenge is a test of skill that you must overcome. Each challenge is associated with one of the 5 skills: strength, cunning, savvy, perception, or craft.
A basic challenge looks like this:
STRENGTH 5 Fail: -3 health
In this example, you must achieve a total of 5 strength or higher. If you fail, you take the failure consequence.
To overcome a challenge, follow these steps:
- Decide which of your characters will participate (from characters that you control). Other players may choose to have their character(s) participate. Each participating character must spend 1 stamina. If a character cannot spend stamina, they cannot participate.
IMPORTANT: You can choose to have no characters participate and simply move on to step 2. Sometimes this is a useful strategy if you can afford the failure consequences and don't want to use up all your stamina.
Determine the sum of the appropriate skill on participating characters (which is their basic skill plus any relevant equipped cards they have) and move to step 2.
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Roll the fate die and add the result to your total.
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You may now activate character abilities and abilities on adventure cards to alter the outcome of the fate die. Any player may also discard resources from their character(s) to give +1 skill of the type specified on the resource.
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Check the final skill number against the challenge number. If the final skill number is equal to or greater than the required challenge number, you succeed. Otherwise, you fail and must take consequences.
SUCCESS
If you obtain a high enough skill number, ignore any listed failure consequences. Read the next line and follow the instructions.
FAILURE
If you fail, you take the consequences. If this includes damage, assign the damage first to the characters that participated (if able), splitting it according to your preference. Most of the time, even if you fail, you gain the rewards and move forward with the story.
Characters, Health, and Stamina
Characters spend stamina to participate in challenges and activate their abilities. Each character can have a maximum of 3 stamina at one time.
Character Levels
Each character has a level 1 and a level 2 side. Each starts the game with the level 1 side face up. Each time you gain 5 bloodflowers, choose 1 character to turn to the level 2 side and mark this on the journey log. When you turn to the level 2 side, place the health marker on the same space and keep your current status and stamina tokens.
Inventory Slots
Each character has a limit to the number of resources they can carry. Outside of explore actions, you can swap resources between characters and the action board. During explore actions (but not during combat), you can swap resources between characters. If you have more resources than slots, you must discard resources until you have enough slots.
Health Track
Health is the amount of physical and mental damage a character can take and still function normally. Keep track of your character's health by using a damage token on this track. When you restore health, move up the track. When you lose health (also called "taking damage"), move down the track. You can never have more than your max health.
This symbol represents the amount of damage dealt by a character or enemy card in an attack.
Reaching 0 Health
When a character reaches 0 health, it means they are in a weak and vulnerable state. They're still able to walk and talk, but they cannot assist in skill challenges, participate in combat, or activate any of their abilities until they have at least 1 health.
If all characters have 0 health, you are defeated. (See "Defeat.")
A character with 0 health cannot take more damage. Outside of combat, if you assign damage to a character and they reach 0 health, you must assign the remaining damage to other characters. In combat, however, if an enemy deals damage to a character and the character reaches 0 health, any remaining damage is ignored (see "Attack and Counterattack").
Skills, Status, and Character Abilities
Skills
There are 5 types of character skills in the game.
Strength: Used when anything requires physical effort or endurance.
Perception: Used to search, use hand-eye coordination, detect, or use senses. Also used to hide and sneak.
Savvy: Used when anything requires knowledge, either from study or experience.
Craft: Used when something must be built, repaired, taken apart, maintained, or refined.
Cunning: Used when you must convince, lead, speak, deceive, devise, or plot.
Status Tokens
There are 4 types of status tokens in the game. When a character gains a status, place the matching token on their board. Each character can have multiple status tokens, but may not have more than one of each type. Characters gain status tokens in stories, events, and combat. Characters can remove status tokens through character and adventure card abilities or when resting.
Venom: This character takes 1 damage at the start of each player's turn. If a character reaches 0 health, ignore the token until the character has at least 1 health.
Frightened: You cannot play combat cards on this character.
Weakened: -2 to each of this character's skills.
Madness: This character cannot use any of their character board abilities. All of the abilities on their equipped cards have no effect (but the skill symbols still apply).
Character Abilities
Each character has 1 or 2 abilities on their character board. You may activate any abilities on a character you control at any time by spending stamina from the character.
Captain Vine Level 2: Spend 1 stamina to ignore a rocks obstacle when traveling.
Dr. Milk Spend 2 stamina to remove venom or weakened from any character.
Jon Spend 1 stamina to remove 1 power from any enemy. (This is not an attack and doesn't trigger a counterattack.) Level 2: Spend 1 stamina to block 1 damage when an enemy counterattacks.
Lois Spend 1 stamina to reroll the combat die (during any player's attack). Level 2: Spend 1 stamina to block 1 damage when an enemy counterattacks.
Meiling Spend 2 stamina to remove frightened or madness from any character.
Adventure Cards
Adventure cards represent the equipment and knowledge you find on your journey. Adventure cards have a large skill symbol at the bottom of each card. When you gain an adventure card, equip it to one of your characters by sliding it beneath their character board so that only the bottom skill symbol and ability are showing.
Each adventure card is one of these types: hand, 2 hands, body, recipe, advancement, or misc. Each character can only have 1 of each type of card equipped, except for "hand," in which case they can have up to 2 (unless the card specifies "2 hands"). Between actions, players can swap equipped adventure cards between any characters (the players decide together), except for advancements. Once an advancement has been placed on a character, you may not move it to another character.
If you cannot equip an adventure card to any character, place it to the side of the action board. It has no effect unless it is equipped.
General Equipped Card Rules
Adventure cards can only be used once they are equipped to a character.
Card effects (not skills) can be applied to any character at any time unless the card specifies "this character" or "self," in which case the effects can only be applied to or used by the character that has the equipped card. The player that controls the character always decides when to use their equipped abilities.
Cost to Activate: Abilities that require stamina, resources, or taking damage to activate have a white arrow between the cost (left side) and the effect (right side). Stamina and damage costs must always be paid by the character that the card is equipped to.
Abilities that do not have a white arrow do not cost anything to activate once equipped. Follow their instructions any time their effects apply.
If an ability says the word "you" it means the player that controls the character.
Damage and "remove power" symbols add to any attack card unless indicated by the words "self" or "this character," in which case they can only add to an attack by a character that the card is equipped to.
If an ability has a moon symbol, the effects activate when you perform a rest action.
Combat Card Deck and Quest Cards
Combat Cards & Customizing Your Deck
Combat cards are only used in combat. You start with a deck of 12 cards, but will find many more as you play the game. At any time outside of combat, you may look through combat cards you own and customize (choose which of your combat cards are included in) your active combat deck. Your active combat deck is the deck of cards you use in combat. It must be at least 12 cards, but it can be larger if you choose. Keep any unused combat cards you own near the action board. Keep the active deck on the action board. Players decide together which cards are in the deck, although the active player has final say. You may customize this deck right before starting combat, before the first attack round.
Quest Cards
When you get a quest card, read the description and place it face up next to the action board. Some quest cards have keywords, which affect the stories you read when exploring.
Market Cards
When performing a market explore action, you may look at each market card before deciding which to purchase. Place any unpurchased cards back in the numbered card deck in order.
Resources and Reroll Tokens
Resources
You can spend resources that are on character boards at any time to activate their abilities. There are symbols on the front side of each resource token to remind you of their abilities. You can only spend resources on the action board (in storage) between actions.
Coin: spend this to gain +1 in a cunning skill challenge.
Rope: spend this to gain +1 in a craft skill challenge. In combat, spend this to remove 1 power from an enemy. (This is not an attack and does not trigger a counterattack.)
Torch: spend this to gain +1 in a perception skill challenge. In combat, spend this to deal 1 damage to an enemy. (This is not an attack and does not trigger a counterattack.)
Meat: spend this to gain +1 in a strength skill challenge. OR spend this to gain 1 stamina.
Fruit: spend this to remove venom from a character. OR spend this to restore 1 character health.
Map: spend this to gain +1 in a savvy skill challenge.
Reroll Tokens
You may spend these at any time to reroll the fate die or the combat die. These are a common resource that can be used on any player's turn to affect any character. Store these on the ship board. Any player can use them, and they do not take up inventory spaces.
Combat
Combat Setup
When a story includes the word COMBAT, followed by a number, you must start combat and defeat enemies before you can continue your story. Follow these steps to set up combat:
The combat for any location is always on the opposite page of the open atlas.
Each enemy starts with power tokens equal to the "add power" symbols on the enemy grid. Place these tokens on the picture area of the enemy.
Shuffle the active combat deck. The deck must be at least 12 cards, and you cannot customize the deck (add unused combat cards you own to the deck) during combat. You can, however, customize the deck right before starting combat. See "Combat Cards & Customizing Your Deck" for details about customizing your combat deck.
Each player draws 1 combat card PLUS 1 for each character they control. Do not count Captain Vine. If playing with 2 players, this would mean that each player draws 3 cards. If playing solo, you would draw 5 cards.
Boss Setup: Although combats 10 and 12 both only have 1 illustration of the enemy, treat each of the 3 enemy sections as a separate enemy. Keep power tokens for each section above the section name.
Combat Rounds
Start the first combat round and continue with combat rounds until either all enemy cards are defeated or all characters have 0 health. A combat round consists of the following:
Attack and Counterattack: In any order, each player plays exactly 1 combat card on each character they control (not counting Captain Vine), for a total of 4 cards. The player that controls Captain Vine may choose to play a card on him rather than another character they control. Each combat card is followed by a counterattack from a targeted enemy. Attacking is explained in further detail under "Attack and Counterattack."
End of Round (Enemy Phase): After 4 combat cards have been played, all enemies that have not yet been defeated activate their end of round abilities (see "End of Round (Enemy Phase)").
Check for Victory/Start New Round: If any enemies remain, each player draws 1 combat card for each card they played in the previous round. Then start a new round of combat. If all enemies are defeated, remove all damage and power tokens from the enemies and complete your story in the storybook.
Combat - Enemies
Enemy Grid: Each enemy has a 3x3 grid below their image. An enemy's hearts and abilities are in this grid.
Enemy Basic Counterattack Damage: This enemy deals 2 damage plus 1 per power token on the enemy immediately after a character attacks.
Enemy Health: Each heart must be covered to defeat an enemy. This heart requires 2 damage to cover. You must use 2 damage at once. You cannot use multiple attacks to cover 1 heart.
Enemy Power Growth (Add Power): Each round, this icon (when uncovered) gives this enemy 1 additional power token. Keep power tokens on the picture section of the enemy.
End of Round Ability (Enemy Phase): At the end of each combat round, uncovered abilities with the hourglass symbol activate.
Combat - Combat Cards
Each combat card indicates it is a combat card, and shows a name and an adventure card number (or "S" if starting).
Example: When you play this on a character, choose 1 enemy card as a target before you roll. The enemy takes 0 damage plus your result on a roll of the combat die plus your character's total craft skill symbols (basic skills and from equipped adventure cards). This is a remove power symbol, which lets you remove 1 power token from the target enemy. This gives you 2 block, which allows you to ignore 2 damage from an enemy counterattack.
Attack and Counterattack
Play a combat card on a character you control (that isn't at 0 health and hasn't yet attacked this combat round). The character will now use the card's abilities to attack an enemy.
Choose an enemy to be the target of the attack.
Activate each of the combat card's effects in any order. Combat card effects are explained below.
Deal Damage: Place damage tokens on an enemy equal to the basic damage number. Sometimes you also roll the combat die and add (or subtract) the result. Other effects can also add damage, such as when a skill is listed. For example, if craft is listed, the character performing the attack adds their craft skill total to the damage.
Example: The above attack deals 0 + the result of a combat die roll + the character's craft skill. Be sure to add skill symbols from their equipped cards.
After you calculate your total damage, place damage tokens on the enemy grid. Distribute the damage over adjacent squares. (Think of it as one slash or hit.) Each square takes 1 damage to cover, except hearts with a value of 2 or more. For example, a 3-value heart would require 3 damage to cover, though you still only place 1 damage token on the square. Damage cannot be placed diagonally, and you cannot place damage on squares that already have a damage token. However, you may change directions when placing damage. (For example, a T shape or any other shape is allowed, as long as all squares are adjacent.)
Placing a damage token on a square disables all enemy abilities there, such as power growth or end of round abilities.
Splash Damage: When placing damage on an enemy grid, you may place some of it on adjacent enemy grid as long as it follows the damage-adjacency rule. (This is why enemy grids are lined up exactly.) At least half of the damage (rounded up) must be dealt to the enemy grid that you originally targeted. Only the first enemy counterattacks, not any enemies that you place splash damage on. Thematically, it represents using the chaos of battle against your enemies. Enemy block does not apply when the enemy takes splash damage.
Remove Power: Remove the specified number of power tokens from the target enemy before they counterattack.
Block: Ignore the specified number of damage from the enemy's counterattack.
Enemy Counterattack: After you attack, the enemy counterattacks immediately (even if you covered its last heart). It deals damage equal to its basic attack damage plus the number of wooden power tokens it has. (Do not count enemy power growth symbols on the bottom of the card.) Mark this damage on the character who attacked. Apply any block from the attack card you used, ignoring 1 damage per block. You may also use block from adventure cards and character abilities at this time. If the character runs out of health during a counterattack, any remaining damage is ignored.
If every square containing a heart symbol is covered, the enemy is defeated. The enemy's abilities no longer take effect and you cannot place any more damage on the enemy. To help you remember that an enemy is defeated, place a damage token on the enemy image.
End of Round (Enemy Phase)
If any enemies remain after 4 combat cards have been played (or fewer, if one or more characters are at 0 health), they now activate their end of round abilities (indicated by the hourglass symbol). Players can choose to move to the end of round phase even if they haven't played 4 combat cards.
First, discard all played combat cards on characters.
Each remaining enemy then gains power and activates their end of round abilities, from left to right. When gaining power, add power tokens to the picture area of the enemy equal to uncovered power growth symbols on the card.
The active player decides which characters are affected by enemy abilities.
Check for Victory/Start a New Round: If any enemies remain, each player draws 1 combat card for each card they played in the previous round. (Reshuffle the combat deck if you run out of cards.) Then start a new round of combat. If all enemies are defeated, discard all remaining combat cards. Remove damage and power tokens from the enemies. Then complete your story in the storybook.
End of Round Ability: This symbol indicates an ability that activates during the enemy phase of combat.
Enemy Abilities
Add Power to Allies: In the enemy phase, add the specified power to each other enemy.
Block X: This enemy blocks the specified damage each time a character deals damage to it, until this ability is disabled. Enemy block does not apply when the enemy takes splash damage.
Can't Remove Power: Until this is covered, you cannot remove power from this enemy.
Deal X Damage to One: In the enemy phase, deal the specified damage to one character. (The active player chooses.)
First Strike: This ability is active until disabled. Any time a character attacks this enemy, the enemy counterattacks first.
Frighten: In the enemy phase, 1 character gains 1 frightened status token. (The active player chooses.)
Heal Self (or Ally) X: In the enemy phase, this enemy removes the specified number of damage tokens from itself (or an ally). The active player chooses which damage tokens are removed. Each damage token is treated as 1. (It doesn't matter how many hearts the token covers.) For example, a "Heal Self 1" could remove a damage token from a 3-value heart.
Madness: In the enemy phase, 1 character gains 1 madness status token. (The active player chooses.)
Venom: In the enemy phase, 1 character gains 1 venom status token. (The active player chooses.)
Weaken: In the enemy phase, 1 character gains 1 weakened status token. (The active player chooses.)
Combat Example
Players 1 and 2 start combat against 3 Zokmere Crocs. They place 2 power tokens on each croc. Then they each draw 3 combat cards.
Player 1 plays the whip on Lois, targeting the first croc. She deals 1 damage, covering the bottom right square. Then she removes 1 power. The croc counterattacks, dealing 2 damage plus 1 because there is 1 power token remaining on the enemy. Lois has 2 block from the whip, so she only takes 1 damage.
Player 2 then plays the wrench on Jon, targeting the first croc. She rolls the combat die and gets a 2, so she deals 0+2+1 (because Jon has 1 CRAFT skill), for a total of 3. She places 1 damage on the middle right square and 1 on the top right square. Then she removes the last power token from the croc. The croc counterattacks and deals 2 damage because it has no power tokens, so Jon takes 2 damage.
Player 1 and player 2 each play 1 more combat card, defeating the first Zokmere Croc. Now that 4 combat cards have been played, it's the end of the combat round. The 4 played combat cards are placed in a discard pile. The two remaining enemies activate their end-of-round abilities and gain power tokens.
The middle croc gains 2 power and gives weakened to a character. Player 1, the active player, gives the weakened token to Jon. Then the last croc gains 2 power and deals 2 damage to the boat.
Players 1 and 2 each draw 2 combat cards and begin the next combat round.
Defeat and Difficulty
Defeat
Your main goal in Sleeping Gods: Primeval Peril is to find a kidnapped passenger and survive the dangers of the jungle river. You are defeated when all 5 characters reach 0 health or you run out of time. You run out of time if, after crossing off all the moon symbols on your journey log, you do not reach a game ending within 3 turns.
Difficulty
When you start a game, mark your selected difficulty on the journey log. There are 3 difficulty levels: easy, normal, and hard. The differences are described below.
Easy: Enemies start with 1 fewer power token in combat. Also, you have +1 to all die rolls.
Normal: This is the standard and recommended way to play the game, especially if you've already played the original Sleeping Gods.
Hard: When playing hard mode, all challenges have +1 to their challenge number. Each enemy also starts with 1 extra power token.
If you're finding the game too easy or too difficult while playing, you can change your difficulty level at any time. Just be sure to mark the change on the journey log. The point of Sleeping Gods: Primeval Peril is to have a fantastic adventure. It's designed with story and experience in mind, so if you're not having a good time because of the game's difficulty, do not hesitate to adjust it.
Final Score and Credits
Final Score
When you finish a game, calculate your final score based on the following:
- 2 points per adventure card you have. (Don't include starting combat cards.)
- 1 point per 4 remaining resources.
- 10 points if you reached an ending in the campaign.
- -10 points if you're defeated.
- +10 points if playing normal mode OR +20 points if playing hard mode.
Subsequent Games
Each time you finish a game, your goal is to beat your highest score.
Also, each time you start a new game after the first, you unlock a new card. Start each game with all unlocked cards.
- Game 2: Card 6
- Game 3: Card 23
- Game 4: Card 54
- Game 5: Card 8
3-4 Player Variant
Sleeping Gods: Primeval Peril is designed for 1-2 players. If you want to play with 3-4 players, there won't be as much for each player to do, but there aren't any major rule changes. When setting up a 3-player game, 2 players each control 1 character, and the third player controls 2 characters. The active player controls Captain Vine as normal. In a 4-player game, each player controls 1 character, and Captain Vine is controlled by the active player.
Credits
Game Design: Ryan Laukat
Illustration and Graphic Design: Ryan Laukat
Writing: Ryan Laukat and Malorie Laukat
Proofreading: Malorie Laukat, Brenna Asplund, Diana Parkin
Copyright 2023 Red Raven Games
Importers
Esdevium Games Ltd – trading as Asmodee UK 6 Waterbrook Road Alton Hampshire GU34 2UD
Authorised Représentative: Asmodee Group 18, rue Jacqueline Auriol Quartier Villaroy BP 40119 78041 Guyancourt Cedex – France
Author's Note
This is a redesigned version of a print-and-play game that was available to the original backers of the Sleeping Gods crowdfunding campaign. This printed version is expanded and features some of the systems that were developed for Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies, such as combat, resting (camping), and the time track.
Icons and Index
The following icons appear throughout the rulebook, cards, and character boards: Attack Damage, Block, Health, Power, Remove Power, Remove Frightened, Remove Madness, Remove Venom, Remove Weakened, End of Round Ability, Reroll Combat Die, Stamina, Meat, Torch, Rope, Map, Coin, Fruit, Craft Skill, Cunning Skill, Savvy Skill, Strength Skill, Perception Skill, and Level 2 Sides.