Warhammer Quest: Darkwater Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Core Rules
  • Resolving an Encounter
  • Set Up the Battlefield
  • Play Through the Encounter
  • Hero Turns
  • Core Abilities
  • Character and Enemy Cards
  • Enemy Turns
  • Enemy Actions
  • Moving
  • Distance
  • Visibility
  • Range
  • Attacking
  • Inflicting Damage
  • Vulnerable
  • Healing
  • Looting
  • Status Cards
  • Sidequests
  • End of the Battle Round
  • End of the Encounter
• Game Modes
  • Skirmish
  • Campaign
  • Resolving an Act
  • Pausing a Campaign
  • Resuming a Campaign
  • Losing a Campaign
• The Jade Abbey
• A Haven Despoiled
  • Heroes of the Jade Abbey
  • Scions of the Plaguefather
• Building and Painting
• Index
• Quick Reference
  • Hero Turn (pg 6)
  • Hex Types (pg 11)
  • Enemy Turn (pg 8)

Core Rules

Before you begin playing Warhammer Quest: Darkwater, you will need to choose a game mode: Skirmish or Campaign. Page 16 has an overview of the two modes, but in short, a skirmish is a quick, one-off battle while a campaign links several games into a longer adventure. In each game mode, you will play through encounters, exciting but deadly battles fought on a map using the miniatures in the box.

After following the set-up instructions for your chosen game mode (see page 17 for a skirmish and page 18 for a campaign), you will be ready to resolve an encounter.

Resolving an Encounter

This section shows you how to resolve an encounter. After the battlefield has been set up – which is as simple as finding the right map, gathering miniatures and placing tokens – the game commences! At the end of the encounter, the heroes either succeed or fail, and consequences are determined. Victory grants powerful rewards, while failure is but an invitation to try again.

Component callouts on the encounter diagram: Damage track (pg 13), Enemy action dice (pg 9), Damage token, Initiative token, Initiative track (pg 6), Enemy card (pg 8), Action queue (pg 8), Action token, Tokens (pg 35), Character card (pg 8), Leader token, Equipment card, Core ability cards (pg 7).

Set Up the Battlefield

The game mode you picked will have explained how to generate an encounter card. On the bottom-right corner of the card is the number of the map you should turn to in the map book (labelled the map number).

Step 1 Follow the set-up instructions on the encounter card.

Step 2 Place a treasure token (pg 14) in each hex marked with a treasure icon, unless specified otherwise.

Step 3 Gather enemy cards for the enemies you will be facing. Place those next to the map and place their action token on the top row of each action queue. If the enemy has a damage track, place a damage token on its leftmost space.

Step 4 Place the timer token on the hourglass symbol at the start of the round track (pg 6), unless specified otherwise.

Step 5 Unless specified otherwise, starting with the leader and continuing clockwise, each player places their hero's miniature in a starting hex (marked with a starting-hex icon) and their hero's initiative token in an empty green circle on the initiative track. The order in which the heroes' tokens are placed on the initiative track determines the initiative order (pg 6).

The encounter is now set up and the encounter can begin!

Named Tokens. Some tokens have specific names; these can be found in the index (pg 35). If an encounter requires you to use named tokens that do not appear in the index, use generic tokens for them.

First Quest? If you have just opened up this box, congratulations! A world of adventure awaits. There is a quick start leaflet that comes in the box; follow the instructions for an exciting introduction to the game. If you can't find the leaflet, scan the code in the book for a tutorial on how to start questing in the Jade Abbey.

Play Through the Encounter

An encounter consists of several battle rounds, each of which comprises a number of hero turns and enemy turns (see below). A timer token is used to keep track of the current battle round. Each space on the round track before the last (shown in red) is a battle round. When the timer token advances to the last space on the round track, the encounter ends.

Initiative Order This is the order in which heroes and enemies take turns, starting from the leftmost space on the initiative track and moving right. If a space contains a hero's initiative token, that hero takes a turn. Otherwise, some enemies will take a turn (pg 8). In their turns, heroes use abilities and enemies take actions.

After the last turn on the initiative track, the battle round ends (pg 15). Keep playing new battle rounds until the encounter ends (pg 15).

The Leader. Some rules need a leader to roll dice or make decisions. Many rules also allow the players to place miniatures and tokens or pick hexes or enemies. The intention is for the players to do these things to their advantage, and the leader is the default player to make those choices. The players decide who the leader is, and the leader can change. As a reward for their guidance, the leader often gets the first pick of the loot after battle!

Hero Turns

When a hero takes a turn:

• First, their expended abilities are refreshed (see 'Expend', opposite).
• Then, they can use any abilities available to them in any order.
• They can end their turn at any time. When they do, flip their initiative token face down and proceed to the next turn on the initiative track.

Using Abilities To use an ability, follow the instructions on the card in the order they are written. If any of the instructions cannot be followed, that ability cannot be used. Heroes cannot use abilities outside of their turn, unless the ability says otherwise (e.g. 'Use this after this hero is picked to be the target of an attack').

Energy Some abilities have an energy cost. To use such an ability, you must spend an amount of energy equal to its energy cost (e.g. one energy pip is 1 energy). Energy is gained by expending or otherwise using certain abilities, such as core abilities (see the example card below).

Energy can be spent at any time; however, that does not mean that the abilities that require it can be used at any time. All unspent energy is lost at the end of the turn.

Core Abilities

All heroes can use the core abilities found on the core ability cards. While a hero is undamaged or damaged (pg 13), they can use Move, Attack and Aid. While a hero is vulnerable (pg 14), the cards are flipped over and they can use Struggle, Hinder and Guard.

To use a core ability:

1. Pick ability. Pick a core ability that has not been expended (not turned sideways) for your hero to use.
2. Gain energy. Pick a core ability that has not been expended to gain energy from. This can be the same as the one you picked for your hero to use. Alternatively, you can gain energy from abilities on certain reward cards.
3. Use ability. Follow the instructions for the core ability you picked for your hero to use.
4. Expend ability. Expend the core ability you gained energy from (if you did so) by turning the card sideways. For the rest of the turn, that ability can no longer be used and energy can no longer be gained from it.

For example, Edmark's player picks the Move ability for him to use. They gain energy from the Aid ability, Edmark moves, and then the Aid ability is expended. Next, Edmark wants to move again to get in range of an enemy. His player picks Move again to use, but this time, they gain energy from the Move ability itself. After Edmark moves, the Move ability is expended. Edmark cannot move again this turn, but he is now in range of an enemy. His player picks Attack for him to use and gains energy from the Attack ability itself (the only choice). After Edmark attacks, the Attack ability is expended.

Example core ability card — Move

1. The name of the core ability: Move
2. The energy cost to use the ability: one energy pip
3. Instructions for using the ability: "This hero moves a number of hexes up to their Move characteristic. Sprint: Spend an extra energy pip. This hero moves up to 6 hexes instead."
4. The amount of energy gained from expending the ability: one energy pip

Ability Types

Expend. Abilities with this symbol can only be used once per battle round. Once used, they are expended, and they cannot be used again until they are refreshed. Once expended, turn the card sideways so it is horizontal. When it has been refreshed, turn it back so it is vertical again.

Flip. Abilities with this symbol can only be used once per encounter. Once used, flip the card face down until the end of the encounter.

Discard. Abilities with this symbol can only be used once, so use them wisely! They are usually found on reward cards. Once used, discard the card by placing it face up in a discard pile next to the reward deck that it came from.

Passive. Abilities with this symbol are always active, rather than being used. If a passive ability is on a card that contains multiple abilities, it is still active even if the other abilities are expended or flipped.

But the Card Says… Many rules on cards allow heroes and enemies to act in ways that they normally would not be able to. If a rule on a card contradicts the core rules, the rule on the card takes precedence. If rules on two or more cards come into conflict, a rule that says 'cannot' takes precedence over any others.

Character and Enemy Cards

Character card callouts (example: Inara Sion, the Cleansing Blade):

1. Hero's name and title
2. Hero's icon
3. Move, Defence and Health characteristics
4. Attack profile – Range, Dice and Hit characteristics
5. Unique abilities that the hero can use
6. Hero's miniature
7. Damage track

Enemy card callouts (example: Gelgus Pust, Boss):

1. Enemy's name and boss status
2. Enemy's icon
3. Move, Defence and Health characteristics
4. Group activation number
5. Attack profile – Range, Dice, Hit and Crit characteristics
6. Rules for enemies that always apply
7. Action that the enemy takes when you roll the corresponding symbol
8. Enemy's miniature
9. Damage track
10. Action queue

Enemy Turns

When an enemy takes a turn:

• The leader chooses an enemy type. The group activation number on the enemy card shows how many enemies of that type will activate.
  • The leader first activates the enemy nearest to the hero that last took a turn, then they activate the next nearest enemy to that hero, and so on until the group activation number is reached.
  • Some enemy types have actions that summon new enemies, so the nearest enemy might change as the turn progresses!
• When an enemy activates, the leader looks at the relevant enemy card, finds which row of the action queue has the action token (see right) and then follows the instructions in that row. The enemy then takes the resulting actions.
• The leader repeats these steps with each enemy type until each enemy type has activated once.
• After that, the enemy turn ends. Proceed to the next turn on the initiative track.

Enemy Actions

Enemy actions are defined by a series of symbols or written instructions in the action queue. The symbols correspond to the following instructions:

• Roll the black action dice once.
• Roll the red action dice once.
• The enemy takes the action shown next to this symbol on their enemy card.

If a row contains multiple symbols, follow the instructions for each in the order they are shown in.

Enemy Action Dice After rolling a black action dice or red action dice, look up the result in the table below. The enemy being rolled for must take the actions listed in the order shown. See pages 10-13 for how to move and attack.

Red Action Dice and Reprieves. After rolling the red action dice, sometimes there are no heroes in range of the enemy, so they have no one to attack. In this case, nothing happens (pg 12) and the heroes are granted a reprieve. With Nurgle's warriors among the more equanimous of the followers of Chaos, we can assume that the enemy in question hacks out an insult, lobs a ball of phlegm or, with a sardonic smile, plots their next move – not exactly pleasant but thankfully not lethal either.

Black action dice faces: Advance; Reposition; Reposition, then Quick Attack; Advance, then Onslaught; Advance twice.

Red action dice faces: Onslaught; Quick Attack; Reposition, then Quick Attack; Advance, then Onslaught; Grievous Blow.

Both dice also carry a Special Action face: this enemy takes the action shown next to this symbol on their enemy card.

Enemy Actions

• Advance: Find the nearest hero. This enemy moves towards them (pg 10) and tries to end that move next to that hero. They must move as far as possible. If they are already next to a hero, Quick Attack instead.
• Reposition: Find the furthest hero that this enemy could attack after moving. This enemy moves towards them (pg 10). They must move as far as possible. If there is no such hero, Advance.
• Onslaught: This enemy attacks a visible hero in range (pg 12).
• Quick Attack: This enemy attacks a visible hero in range (pg 12) and all critical hits are reduced to hits for this action.
• Grievous Blow: This enemy attacks a visible hero in range (pg 12) and all hits are increased to critical hits for this action.

Moving

• When a hero moves, they move hex by hex a number of times up to their Move characteristic (see right) or a specified distance.
• When an enemy moves, they move hex by hex a number of times equal to their Move characteristic or a specified distance. If it is not possible for them to move the full distance, they move as far as possible instead.
• If their Move characteristic is D6 or D3, make a move roll by rolling that dice to see how many hexes the hero or enemy can move.
• Neither heroes nor enemies can move through or into blocked hexes (see opposite), unless specified otherwise.
• Heroes and enemies can only end their move in an empty hex (see opposite), unless specified otherwise.
• Heroes cannot move through or into hexes containing enemies, unless specified otherwise (but they can move through other heroes).
• Enemies cannot move through or into hexes containing heroes, unless specified otherwise (but they can move through other enemies).
• If a hero or enemy is placed in a hex, it is not the same as them moving through or into that hex. Heroes and enemies can only be placed in empty hexes, unless specified otherwise.

In this example, it's Edmark's turn, and he wants to move next to the Pestigor to attack it, so he uses the Move ability. His Move characteristic is D6, so his player makes a move roll of D6 and the result is a 3 – not far enough, but a good start. Edmark then uses Move again. This time, the move roll is a 2 – more than enough for Edmark to get in range of the Pestigor.

D6 and D3. D6 is shorthand for the six-sided dice that come in the box. If a rule requires you to roll a D3, roll a D6 and halve the total, rounding up (e.g. a D6 roll of 3 would be halved to 1.5 and rounded up to make a D3 roll of 2).

Reinforcements. Some rules require you to place enemies during an encounter, e.g. 'Place a Mire Kelpie in as many marked hexes as possible'. These rules refer to miniatures that are not already on the battlefield but are added to it as reinforcements.

Re-rolls. Some rules allow you to re-roll a dice, which means you can roll it again. A dice that has been re-rolled cannot be re-rolled again, unless specified otherwise. If you re-roll a dice, you have to use the new result, even if it is worse!

Distance

To determine the distance between two things, count the fewest non-blocked hexes possible.

The Mire Kelpie marked A is within 1 hex of Drolf, 1 hex away from Drolf and next to him. The Mire Kelpie marked B is within 3 hexes of Drolf and 3 hexes away from him. They are not within 2 hexes of Drolf because we cannot count the blocked hex. Drolf is also within any distance of himself.

Unreachable If blocked hexes make determining the distance between an enemy and a hero impossible, they are unreachable to each other.

• All enemies that are unreachable to a given hero are treated as being the same distance away from that hero and vice versa.
• Unreachable heroes are ignored by enemies. If all heroes are unreachable, the enemy being activated does nothing.
• The leader cannot pick an enemy to activate if they are unreachable to all heroes unless all enemies are unreachable to all heroes.

Visibility

• Using the line of sight checker as a guide, if a straight line can be drawn from any point on one hex to any point on another hex without that line touching a blocked hex or leaving the battlefield hex grid, then those hexes and anything in those hexes are visible to each other.
• Heroes and enemies are visible to themselves.
• If an ability or action requires you to pick a visible target, visibility is always determined from the hero using the ability or the enemy taking the action.

In the example above, the Mire Kelpie marked A is visible to Drolf, while the Mire Kelpie marked B is not. Both Mire Kelpies are visible to each other.

Range

When a hero or enemy attacks (pg 12), if the target is within a number of hexes equal to the attacker's Range characteristic, they are in range.

Drolf has a Range characteristic of 3. He could attack the two Mire Kelpies within 3 hexes of him, as they are in range, but not the Mire Kelpie 5 hexes away.

Blocked Hexes. Heroes and enemies cannot move through, move into or be placed in a blocked hex. Blocked hexes also block line of sight.

Lethal Hexes. Each time a hero moves through, moves into or is placed in a lethal hex, inflict 1 damage on them.

Snare Hexes. While moving, before a hero would move out of a snare hex, subtract 1 from the number of hexes that they have left for that move. If a hero in a snare hex can only move 1 hex, they cannot move out of it.

Empty Hexes. Hexes that do not contain any heroes or enemies are empty. An empty hex can have tokens in it.

Edge Hexes. Hexes that are next to 4 or fewer other hexes are edge hexes.

Attacking

Hero Attacks When a hero attacks, their player follows these steps:

• Pick a visible enemy in range of the hero (pg 11) to be the target.
• Make an attack roll by rolling a number of dice equal to the hero's Dice characteristic (see right).
  • For each dice in an attack roll that equals or exceeds the hero's Hit characteristic but is not an unmodified 6 (e.g. if the Hit characteristic is 3+, each 3, 4 and 5), the attack scores a hit.
  • For each dice in an attack roll that is an unmodified 6, the attack scores a critical hit. Each critical hit scores 2 hits instead of 1.
  • All other results are misses. Unmodified rolls of 1 always miss.
• The enemy blocks a number of hits equal to their Defence characteristic.
• For each hit that is not blocked, inflict 1 damage on the enemy (pg 13).

Edmark is ready to slay the Pestigor and uses the Attack ability. Edmark's Dice characteristic is 2, so his player rolls 2 dice for the attack roll, resulting in a 1 and a 6. The 1 is a miss, since an unmodified 1 always misses, but the 6 is a critical hit, which scores 2 hits instead of 1. The Pestigor's Defence characteristic of 1 blocks 1 hit, leaving 1 hit to go through. That hit inflicts 1 damage on the Pestigor, but since it has a Health characteristic of 2, it is not slain. The leader places a damage token next to the miniature to remind the players of its injury.

Enemy Attacks When an enemy attacks, the leader follows these steps:

• Pick a target hero as specified in the action.
• Make an attack roll by rolling a number of dice equal to the enemy's Dice characteristic (see right).
  • For each dice in an attack roll that equals or exceeds the enemy's Hit characteristic but is not a critical hit, the attack scores a hit.
  • For each dice in an attack roll that equals or exceeds the enemy's Crit characteristic, the attack scores a critical hit. Each critical hit scores 2 hits instead of 1.
  • All other results are misses. Unmodified rolls of 1 always miss.
• If the attack scores any hits, the hero's player makes a save roll for each by rolling a D6. If the roll equals or exceeds the hero's Defence characteristic, the hero blocks that hit. Otherwise, inflict 1 damage on the hero (pg 11).

No Targets? If it is impossible to pick a target for a hero or enemy to attack, they cannot attack. If a hero or enemy must attack but cannot, nothing happens.

Unmodified Rolls. An unmodified roll is exactly what you see on the dice, ignoring any bonuses or penalties you might apply to the result.

Modifiers. Some rules and abilities modify rolls or characteristics. Unless specified otherwise, these cannot be modified to less than 1.

For characteristics of D6 or D3 (like Move), apply modifiers after making the roll.

If a roll or characteristic is halved or modified to a value that is not a whole number, round it down to the nearest whole number.

Apply modifiers in this order:

1. Modifiers that set a characteristic to a fixed value. If there are several of these, only the most recent applies. Passive abilities and other rules with no timing are always considered earlier than other modifiers.
2. Modifiers that multiply or divide a roll or characteristic.
3. Modifiers that add to or subtract from a roll or characteristic.

In the next enemy turn, the leader rolls the Onslaught action for the Pestigor, and Edmark is the only possible target. The Pestigor's enemy card shows that 2 dice are rolled for its attack roll, scoring hits on a 4+ and critical hits on a 6+. The leader rolls those dice and gets a 5 and a 6, scoring 3 hits in total. Edmark's player expends the Shield of the Manticore ability on his equipment card to block 1 hit and then makes 2 save rolls for the 2 remaining hits, rolling a 1 and a 5. As his Defence characteristic is 3+, Edmark blocks 1 of the hits, but the other goes through, inflicting 1 damage on him.

Inflicting Damage

Damage tracks and damage tokens are used to keep track of the amount of damage inflicted on a hero or enemy.

• While a hero or enemy's damage token is on the first space on their damage track or they have no damage tokens, they are undamaged.
• For each 1 damage inflicted on a hero or enemy:
  • If they have a damage track, move the damage token 1 space along it towards the skull.
  • If they do not have a damage track, place 1 damage token next to their miniature.
• While a hero or enemy's damage token is on any space on their damage track other than the first or they have any damage tokens, they are damaged.
• While a hero's damage token is on the last space on their damage track (the skull), that hero is vulnerable (pg 14).
• Once an enemy's damage token reaches the last space on their damage track or they have a number of damage tokens equal to their Health characteristic, that enemy is immediately slain. Remove slain enemies (and their damage tokens, if any) from the battlefield. Slain enemies do not take actions, unless specified otherwise.
• When a random amount of damage is inflicted on multiple heroes or enemies, roll a dice for each target. For example, if a rule says 'Inflict D6 damage on each enemy next to this hero', you would roll a separate D6 for each enemy, not one D6 for all enemies.

Vulnerable

A vulnerable hero is badly hurt, and they cannot fight at full strength until they are healed (see below). When a hero becomes vulnerable, flip their core ability cards over. While vulnerable, heroes can only use the Struggle, Hinder and Guard core abilities, unless specified otherwise, and further damage cannot be inflicted on them (see next). Otherwise, the rules apply to them as normal.

Infected Abilities

• For each 1 damage that would be inflicted on a vulnerable hero, their player must pick an uninfected Struggle, Hinder or Guard ability to become infected instead. Place a token on that card to show that it has been infected.
• After an ability has been infected, any further damage from the same source is ignored (e.g. if a hero fails to block multiple hits from the same attack but 3 damage would be inflicted on them, only 1 ability would become infected).
• Infected abilities cost 2 energy to use instead of 1.
• Once all of a hero's core abilities are infected, enemies ignore that hero when moving and attacking.

Healing

Some abilities and rules allow a hero or enemy to heal. To heal a hero or enemy, remove an amount of damage from them equal to the value in brackets next to the word 'Heal'. For example, if an ability says 'Heal (2) this hero', you would remove 2 damage from them, moving the damage token 2 spaces backwards along their damage track. If it is not possible to heal the amount specified (e.g. the ability says 'Heal (2)' but the hero only has 1 damage), heal up to the value in brackets until they are undamaged instead.

If a vulnerable hero is healed, they are no longer vulnerable and their infected abilities (if any) are no longer infected. Flip their core ability cards back over.

Looting

The map being used for an encounter will have hexes containing treasure tokens. If you are playing Skirmish, you can ignore them, unless you have chosen to use the additional rules for gaining quest points (pg 17). Otherwise, heroes can use the Loot ability.

Loot (Cost: 1 energy). Pick a treasure token in the same hex as this hero. This hero loots that treasure.

When a hero loots treasure, remove the treasure token from the battlefield. If you are on a campaign, without looking at what you draw, draw a reward card from the reward deck for the act you are playing and place it face down next to the hero's character card with the treasure token on top. The card will be revealed later (pg 19).

Status Cards

Heroes can be given status cards as a result of an enemy's special action (pg 9), an event card (pg 19) or another rule. These cards are used to inflict negative effects on the heroes, ranging from nasty curses to debilitating injuries. Some statuses are easily removed, while others are much harder to eradicate.

Status cards should be kept in a pile within easy reach of all players. Some abilities allow status cards to be discarded. When a status card is discarded, return it to the pile. Discarded status cards can be given to other heroes.

If a hero would be given a status card that another hero already has and there are no status cards of that type left in the pile, the hero that has the status card gives it to the new hero – lucky them!

Example status card — Splattered: This hero cannot use abilities other than Struggle Free. Struggle Free (Cost: 1 energy): This hero is no longer Splattered. Discard this status card.

Sidequests

An encounter may come with a sidequest. Sidequests are optional challenges that grant reward cards to heroes who are clever, cunning or just plain lucky enough to pull them off. They are also usually only completed by one hero, meaning the players will be competing to see whose hero triumphs first!

If you are on a campaign, when a hero completes a sidequest, draw a reward card from the reward deck for the act you are playing and, keeping it face down, place it next to their character card. The card will be revealed later (pg 19).

End of the Battle Round

At the end of the battle round, the leader follows these steps:

1. Advance the action token on each enemy card one step along the action queue in the direction of the arrow. If a row has more than one arrow, advance the action token a number of steps equal to the number of arrows instead.
2. Flip each hero's initiative token face up.
3. Advance the timer token one space on the round track.

Then, a new battle round begins.

End of the Encounter

Encounters end immediately when any of the following happen:

• The encounter's victory condition is met – the heroes succeed.
• All of the heroes are vulnerable (pg 14) – the heroes fail.
• The timer token is advanced to the last space on the round track – the heroes fail (unless the encounter's victory condition has been met).

Whether you succeeded or failed, the game mode you are playing will determine what happens next. For Skirmish mode (pg 17), either bask in your glory or bow your head in disgrace. For Campaign mode (pg 18), continue your quest and collect your rewards or retreat, recuperate and try again – if you can.

Game Modes

There are two game modes for Warhammer Quest: Darkwater. Which will you choose: Skirmish or Campaign?

Skirmish (30 minutes) If you want to dive into a stand-alone encounter that will typically take 20 to 30 minutes, then a skirmish is for you! Skirmishes are perfect for a single evening's play with a group of friends or family. It is quick to set up and play through, and new players won't have many rules to learn, so everyone can get stuck in straight away! You might even find you enjoy yourselves so much that taking part in a campaign seems very appealing…

Campaign (pausable game mode, 10-14 hours over several sessions) Speaking of campaigns, this is the ideal way to enjoy Warhammer Quest: Darkwater. Each campaign takes only a few minutes to set up, and then you're ready for a grand adventure into the Jade Abbey. You'll battle your way through 3 story-driven acts, unlocking new heroes and rewards as you play. Then, once you have defeated Gelgus Pust, you can claim victory!

The path ahead will be a challenging one, and victory is not certain. Rest assured, however, that campaigns are endlessly replayable; since only a portion of your cards are used each time you play, you'll have different combinations of heroes, encounters, events and rewards on each subsequent playthrough.

These packs contain the cards you need to play through a campaign or a skirmish. You should open the Act I pack before your first game, as you'll need what's inside to start playing. Instructions for how to use these cards in campaigns and skirmishes are listed in the rules for each game mode. If you plan to embark on a campaign, keep the Act II and Act III packs closed for now, as some contain secrets you have yet to unlock…

The smaller packs contain, among others, the reward cards for each act. These are upgrades that make your heroes more powerful and allow them to take on bigger challenges. Reward cards greatly increase your chance of success as you battle through the Jade Abbey, making the journey even more interesting. You should open the Act I pack before your first game.

These packs contain bonus cards that you can add to the game by completing campaign acts. Powerful rewards await those who can protect the Jade Abbey! Make sure to keep these closed until you are told to open them, and when you do, only remove what you have recovered from the Jade Abbey.

Skirmish

To set up and play a skirmish, follow these steps:

1. Each player picks a hero and takes that hero's character card, equipment card and miniature, 3 core ability cards and a damage token, which they place on the topmost space of the hero's damage track.
2. Decide which player will be the leader (pg 6) and give them the leader token.
3. Pick Act I, Act II or Act III (for an easy, medium or hard game respectively).
4. Take that act's encounter cards and randomly pick one.
5. Open the map book on the map specified on the bottom-right corner of that card and place it within easy reach of all players.
6. Depending on the act you picked, give each hero reward cards as follows:
   • Act I: Give each hero 1 reward card drawn from the top of the Act I reward deck.
   • Act II: Give each hero 1 reward card drawn from the top of the Act I reward deck and 1 reward card drawn from top of the Act II reward deck.
   • Act III: Give each hero 1 reward card drawn from the top of each act's reward deck.
7. Follow the rules for resolving an encounter (pg 4-15).

Quest Points Simply winning is enough for most, but if you enjoy playing skirmishes regularly, you might want to challenge yourself by introducing quest points. These are gained as follows:

During the encounter:

• Each time a hero uses the Loot ability (pg 14), gain 10 quest points.
• Each time a hero completes a sidequest (pg 15), gain 10 quest points.

At the end of the encounter:

• Each hero gains a number of quest points equal to the number of spaces remaining on the round track.
• Each hero gains a number of quest points equal to the number on their damage track that the damage token is on.

If the heroes succeed (pg 15), add up the quest points gained and see the table below to find out how well you did. If you think you can beat your score, try again!

Score	Result
0-10	A dismal performance, worthy only of being forgotten. You won, true, but at what cost?
11-20	Embarrassing, but not a total waste of time.
21-30	A fine effort, if a little inefficient.
31-40	Good, overall. Well done.
41-60	Quite excellent. Even the grumpiest duardin would find little to fault.
61+	Outstanding! Practically flawless. This will become the very stuff of folklore and legend.

Campaign

When playing through a campaign, the players will resolve 3 acts that increase in difficulty. Victory is far from assured, for each act comprises a series of deadly encounters and events. Prepare well, for what good it may do…

Victory In order to win the campaign, the heroes must defeat Gelgus Pust by succeeding in the Act III boss encounter.

Set-Up

1. Pick heroes. Starting with the youngest player and proceeding to their left, each player picks a hero until 4 heroes have been picked. If this is your first campaign, you can pick from Edmark Valoran, Bren Tylis, Inara Sion and Drolf Ironhead. If there are fewer than 4 players, some players will control multiple heroes.

   Take each hero's character card, equipment card and miniature as well as 3 core ability cards and place them next to the player who picked them. Place a damage token on the topmost space of each hero's damage track. Then, decide which player will be the leader (pg 6) and give them the leader token.

2. Place the map book. Place the map book within easy reach of all players.

3. Create the act deck. First, gather the encounter cards, boss cards, event cards and rest site cards. These are the act cards. If you are starting a new campaign, use the Act I cards. If you have just resolved an act (pg 19), use the cards for the next act.

   Take the boss cards, shuffle them title side up and draw one at random. Keeping the card title side up, place it next to the map book. Discard the other boss cards. Then, shuffle the remaining act cards, deal out 14 cards title side up and place them on top of the boss card to create the act deck. Discard all unused cards and put all discarded cards away in the act box.

4. Prepare other decks and tokens.

   • Shuffle the reward cards for the act you are playing and place the reward deck next to the map book.
   • Take all the remaining tokens and place them next to the map book within easy reach of all players.
   • Keep the enemy miniatures nearby – you may need them!

The stage is set; now follow the rules for resolving an act.

Reward Maximums. Each hero can have 4 reward cards. When a hero with 4 reward cards gains another, they can: a) immediately discard it; or b) replace a reward card they have with it and immediately discard the unwanted card.

Campaign Unlocks. Completing an act can unlock new heroes, rewards and other exciting upgrades. There are 2 sealed packs that contain bonus cards. Once you have completed an act, open the bonus packs. They will contain information about unlocking cards and adding them to future games. From then on, those cards are permanent additions to the game.

Resolving an Act

To resolve an act, the leader draws the top 2 cards from the act deck and places them title side up in front of them. After reading aloud the story text on each card, the leader then picks 1 of the cards, flips it over and discards the other. Then, depending on the card they picked, follow the relevant instructions.

Rest Site Card/Event Card

• Follow the instructions on that card, then place it in the discard pile.
• Pass the leader token to the player on the right of the current leader. That player is the new leader.
• The leader then picks the next card from the act deck, following the rules for resolving an act above.

Encounter Card

• Open the map book on the map specified on the bottom-right corner of the card.
• Follow the rules for resolving an encounter (pg 4-15).

If the heroes succeed:

• Heal (D3) each hero.
• The leader draws 5 reward cards from the reward deck. If none of the heroes were vulnerable (pg 14) when the encounter ended, they draw 6 reward cards instead. These are the encounter rewards.
  • Starting with the leader and proceeding to their left, each player gives their hero 1 encounter reward.
  • When it is their turn to give their hero an encounter reward, if a player has any face-down reward cards next to their hero's character card as a result of completing a sidequest (pg 15) or looting treasure (pg 14), that player turns those cards face up, adds them to the encounter rewards and picks 1 encounter reward to give to their hero.
  • After each hero has received 1 reward card, the remaining encounter rewards are discarded. A hero cannot be given more than 1 reward card after each encounter.
• Pass the leader token to the player on the right of the current leader. That player is the new leader.
• The leader then places the completed encounter card in the discard pile and picks the next card from the act deck, following the rules for resolving an act above.

If the heroes fail:

• The players must discard 4 of the heroes' reward cards between them.
  • If they do so, Heal (6) each hero and resolve that encounter again.
  • If they cannot do so, the campaign ends and the players lose (pg 20).

Boss Card Follow the rules for 'Encounter Card', except:

• If the heroes succeed and you are playing Act I or Act II, after changing the leader, you can begin the next act. Follow the instructions from step 3 of 'Set-up'. The heroes keep all the cards they have acquired as well as any damage that has been inflicted on them.
• When you complete an act, you might unlock bonus cards for future campaigns (see 'Campaign Unlocks').
• If the heroes succeed and you are playing Act III, the heroes have defeated Gelgus Pust and the players win the campaign!

Pausing a Campaign

You can pause a campaign before the leader draws the next 2 cards from the top of the act deck. To do so, follow these instructions.

• Put each hero's character card in a hero box, along with that hero's equipment card, reward cards and status cards (if any). Add damage tokens with a total value equal to the damage that has been inflicted on the hero to the box. Some damage tokens have a number on them to make this easier. If the hero's equipment has been upgraded, add a focus token to the box.
• Place the deck list card on top of the reward discard pile to form a divider. Place the reward deck on top of those cards and put the whole pile in the reward box.
• Place a divider on top of the discarded act cards. Place the act deck on top of those cards and put the whole pile in the act box.
• Pack away these boxes and the rest of the game's contents. The campaign is now fully paused and can be resumed at any time.

Resuming a Campaign

To resume a paused campaign, follow these instructions.

• Place the map book within easy reach of all players.
• Remove each hero's character card from their hero box, along with their equipment card, reward cards, status cards and tokens (if any). Add up the total value of the damage tokens to determine how much damage has been inflicted on them and place a damage token on the hero's damage track to match this. If there is a focus token, ensure the hero is using upgraded equipment. Repeat this for each other hero.
• Remove the cards from the reward box. Place the reward deck above the divider next to the map book and then make a reward discard pile from the cards beneath the divider.
• Remove the cards from the act box. Place the act deck (which should be on top) next to the map book and then make a discard pile from the cards beneath the divider.
• You are now ready to resume playing by resolving the act (pg 19).

Losing a Campaign

So you've tried your best and failed. Fear not, because this can happen to even veteran adventurers, and in Warhammer Quest: Darkwater, defeat is but a step on the path to victory!

Before starting a new campaign, follow these instructions.

• Place the act cards and reward cards you used back in their relevant decks and shuffle those decks thoroughly.
• Unlocked character cards and equipment cards are placed with the others; they are now available to choose from in your next campaign.
• Unlocked reward cards should already be shuffled into your reward decks, but in case they are not, do this now.
• You are now ready to start a new campaign from Act I.

Quick Guide to Pausing a Campaign. Each hero's cards and tokens (character card, equipment card, damage tokens, focus token, reward cards and status cards) are packed into a hero box. The reward deck and reward discard pile, divided by the deck list card, are packed into a reward box. The act deck and discard pile, divided by a divider card, are packed into the act box for the act you are playing.

The Jade Abbey

Though a ruined echo of its former glory, the Jade Abbey still remains a site of potent magical power. The Abbey consists of three distinct levels, each of which has its own hazards and hidden secrets. The forces of the daemonic warlord Gelgus Pust infest each level in teeming numbers.

Surrounding the Abbey on all sides is a wild tangle of corruption and foulness that its denizens call the Festering Grounds. The malign influence of the Plaguefather is visible everywhere here. Ancient edifices are enveloped by snaking tentacles and swelling pustules. Flies swarm around the branches of trees whose trunks ooze foetid trails of pus. Mire Kelpies wallow in pools of foul-smelling effluent. Barely a handful of untouched havens remain. These are largely clustered around sacred shrines and other structures that still emit some purifying power, but even these are sliding into despair and decay at a fearful rate.

The upper levels of the Jade Abbey were all but destroyed during Pust's first uprising several centuries ago and the subsequent floods that swept both defenders and insurrectionists to their deaths. The Drowned Halls remain a monument to that terrible disaster. This is a labyrinth of sunken passages, mildewed chambers and concealed traps, a lightless place that constantly echoes to the gushing flow of underground canals. Here and there are what look like inverted waterfalls carrying streams of crystal-clear water up to the surface. These are the complex realmstone-powered mechanisms once utilised by the Abbey's residents to extract the waters of the Everspring. Now all too many carry tainted water instead.

Deeper still are those few, precious chambers that Gelgus Pust has not yet managed to defile with Nurgle's gifts. These make up the Sanctum of Life – the heart of the Jade Abbey and the location of the fabled Vault of the Everspring. This is the only section of the Abbey that escaped destruction so many years ago, and in its tranquil splendour, it recalls the glories of a lost age. Yet even here, the creeping mould of Nurgle's presence is advancing. Unless the Prince of Sores is defeated, not even the Everspring itself will remain pure.

'It is too hard to look upon this place. This haven once gleamed like a jewel in Ghyran's crown; now it is reduced to a maze of deathtraps and unchecked corruption. Those who brought about this horror shall be swept away by the righteous flood.' – Inara Sion

Locations of the Jade Abbey include: Saint's Rest, the Cathedral of the Sacred Circle, Corpsebloat Mire, Blemoch's Eye, Gnarlmaw Woods, the Penitent Cells, Drakonmark Tower, the Gush, Gyrion's Stair, the Oozing Halls, the Sorrowfall, the Aquafiltrum, Vinemark Redoubt, the High Lector's Quarters and the Vault of the Everspring.

A Haven Despoiled

Founded in a time of legends, the Jade Abbey was built to safeguard a fount of immortality – the fabled Everspring. Yet it was destined to be torn apart from within, betrayed by a member of its own priesthood and reduced to ruins.

'My name is Inara Sion. Each of you have travelled far to reach this place. Perhaps you do not yet understand why fate has called you here. Listen, then, and I will tell you the history and the tragedy of the Jade Abbey. In the Age of Myth, adherents of two faiths came together to construct a bastion of goodness and justice. Of these intrepid souls, some worshipped the God-King Sigmar, while others venerated the almighty Everqueen. Ghyran was their home. In those times, it was a verdant and ever-blooming realm where forests, marshes and sweeping grasslands abounded and life flourished in all its multi-faceted forms.

These believers were no simple scribes and preachers; they were warrior-mystics charged with a divine duty. I myself was a member of this proud order. We called ourselves the Jade Circle. Our purpose was not only to protect the continent of Aquia and its people but to stand eternal guard over a sacred location, for the Jade Abbey was built atop a wonder unlike any other: the Everspring.'

The greatest secret of the Jade Abbey, the Everspring is a well of crystal-clear water imbued with the essence of Alarielle the Everqueen, fey goddess of nature and renewal. A single drop from its shimmering depths can cure a mortal's wasting sickness or heal a suppurating wound so perfectly as to leave no scar. As miraculous as these properties are, the Everspring is more than a mere magical phenomenon. It is an artery that feeds the pulsing heart of the Realm of Life, a fundamental link to the Everqueen from whose divine spirit it draws its healing power. Bubbling up from the realm's core, its waters release energies of life and vitality into the Everspring Swathe, the continent to which the spring lends its name.

For centuries, the Jade Abbey stood sentinel over this natural wonder, and its clergy sought to spread their influence far and wide. The beastman raiders that plagued Aquia were driven to flight, and this vibrant corner of Ghyran became a site of pilgrimage for both Sigmar's folk and the worshippers of Alarielle, though very few were ever granted access to the building's halls. Fewer still were judged worthy to take regular draughts from the Everspring and thus know true immortality. Only the Abbey's ruling elite and the nobility of Ghyran were so privileged, and this led to a growing sense of resentment.

So it was that even at the height of its power, a canker began to grow at the heart of the Jade Abbey.

The man who would become the infamous daemon prince Gelgus Pust was once a member of the Jade Circle. He was a high-ranking priest, but he had aspirations of one day attaining the loftier position of High Lector. But in a world where those in such roles were functionally immortal, that was a fanciful dream. The incumbent was over three centuries old but remained as fit and healthy as a youth.

Gelgus the Pious – as he liked to call himself back then – knew that he might forever languish in obscurity, his visions of personal greatness never achieved. This thought ate at him. It poisoned his ambition and corroded his morality, turning him into a bitter, grasping man who seethed at the boons granted to those he considered beneath him. He began to move amongst the ranks of the warrior order, portraying himself as someone who wished to bring about a better world – though, in truth, he cared for no one's wellbeing but his own.

Nurgle, Lord of Plagues. Nurgle is the most repulsive of all the Chaos Gods. His domains are those of despair and disease, and he delights in inflicting both upon the realms. Yet to his followers, these are not punishments but boons; indeed, there is a twisted generosity in their rotten hearts, for they wish all living things to join them in wretchedness.

The Plaguefather revels in the perversion of the natural cycle and the 'sowing' of hideous plagues and ailments that curdle the flesh and turn the skin into a bed of festering sores. Is it any wonder that he despises the purity of the Everspring? He would turn it into a font for his own foul emanations if he could, simply to see something beautiful diminished.

'To me!' roared Edmark Valoran as he splashed through the ankle-deep gush, filled with the burning joy of battle but unable to see more than a few feet ahead in the near darkness. 'Rally to the Manticore Knight!'

He almost missed the goat-headed fiend as it lurched out from the gloom, swinging its cleaver in a graceless arc. Just in time, Valoran turned, letting the weapon crash against his shield. He pushed forwards, trapping the creature against the curve of the culvert, and slammed his axe through its neck, grimacing at the black arc of slime that spurted out.

It collapsed atop him – a dead, stinking weight – and he lost his footing in the cold slurry. He felt himself slipping down a suddenly steep decline. Ahead, the flowing water tumbled away into a vast underground chamber. Valoran scrabbled against the algae-slick stone of the tunnel as he slid helplessly towards that plunging drop, heart hammering against his ribcage.

Someone seized his flailing gauntlet firmly, stopping his momentum. The corpse of the Pestigor swept past over the lip of the abyss, almost taking him with it.

'Careful, Valoran,' came Bren Tylis's voice, tight with exertion. 'Manticores might be able to fly, but pig-headed knights had best stick to the ground.'

'I knew Gelgus Pust long before he became Nurgle's creature. Even then he was ambitious, arrogant and obsessed with power; I fear it was all too easy for the Plaguefather to twist his vain desires into outright treachery. Yet I could not have imagined how many others would willingly follow Pust into damnation.

When the traitors rose up in arms against the Abbey's priesthood, the slaughter was terrible. Flyblown hosts swept into the inner cloisters, killing at will. Laughing daemons cavorted amidst the corpses. Stunned by this betrayal, we loyalists fought as long and hard as we could, knowing it was futile. In the end, we could do nothing but call upon the Everqueen to summon rains and icy floodwater that would drown the Jade Abbey and all within her halls. The heathens were swallowed by the rising waters or fled, defeated. Many of my kin sacrificed themselves that day. So very many.'

The forces of rot sacked the Jade Abbey and slaughtered those of its clergy who refused to bow before Nurgle. For centuries, its innermost sanctums remained unbreached, but now Pust's cultists flood into them, seeking the Vault of the Everspring.

Several hundred years after its flooded demise, the Abbey's entrance levels are crumbling and treacherous. Pust's minions roam around its sunken cloisters, looting what treasures remain and spreading their deity's malignant infections.

'Even wielding his god's power, Gelgus Pust had failed to conquer the Jade Abbey. How terrible his fury must have been as he fled from the rising tides, leaving his followers to drown. But, like his master, Pust is a patient creature. Over the course of centuries, he embarked on a campaign of single-minded cruelty, shattering every ley line and place of power for leagues around the Jade Abbey, leaving it isolated in darkness and despair. For this and for other heinous acts, Nurgle remade him as the daemonic Prince of Sores, an immortal champion of the Plague God's cause.

Pust has chosen this moment to return because he senses the magical walls around the Everspring fading. The Everqueen's floods have receded, and who of the ancient clergy cares for the Abbey now? Only I. The arch-traitor can taste glory on the tip of his pustuled tongue. If he can corrupt the Everspring, he will finally be able to call himself the master of this place. Yet that is not the worst of it. If Pust triumphs, his evil will not stay within these walls. The tainted waters of the Everspring will reach far beyond the Abbey. Sea, lake and river will clot like spoiled blood as the sickness spreads. Mayhap it will infect Alarielle herself. Were this to happen, the Plaguefather's dominion over the Realm of Life would surely be complete.

We alone can prevent this. It does not matter what sins pursue us or how many regrets and tragedies scar our souls. The gods do not idly select the vessels of their will. Each one of you was chosen to embark on an odyssey that may decide the fate of Ghyran. So will you stand with me? Will you help me slay the Prince of Sores and put an end to this madness?'

Heroes of the Jade Abbey

Edmark Valoran, the Manticore Knight Edmark Valoran believes himself to be the greatest mortal champion of the armies of Hammerhal Aqsha. For all his arrogance, the so-called Manticore Knight has a fair claim to that title.

And yet Valoran's remarkable list of military achievements has been marred by recent disgrace. During the knight's previous campaign, a chain explosion sent several splinters of raw Aqshian realmstone lancing through him. Instead of laying him low, it caused Valoran to enter an elemental rage that ended with him slaying not only the foe but also several comrades unlucky enough to get in his way. This experience has left Valoran embittered and isolated, willing to risk everything in the pursuit of redemption. He remains afflicted by his emberstone-riddled flesh: his body erupts into flames when he reaches the height of rage, burning anyone nearby who would do him harm.

Bren Tylis, the Renegade Saint Bren Tylis is a hard-bitten mercenary, a roaming sword-for-hire who has fought across Ghyran and far beyond. She is also the heir to a far more glorious legacy. Bren's ancestor was the Saint Yondara Tylis – a hero of legend who fell defending the Jade Abbey. Yondara's bones were recovered and eventually laid to rest in a Sigmarite temple, along with pieces of her wargear. Unable to abandon her legacy, the saint's spirit clung to these relics, awaiting one worthy of wielding them. When Yondara felt the rising evil at the Abbey centuries later, the spirit called to her sole surviving descendant, persuading Bren to take up the cause. Bren was not easily convinced, and the priests of the saint's temple were loath to relinquish the sacred relics to a 'lowly sellsword'. Maybe it was this dismissal as much as any sense of duty that saw Bren steal the artefacts. Guided by the wisdom of her forebear, Tylis is determined to finally achieve something glorious after a career of ignoble bloodshed.

Inara Sion, the Cleansing Blade Rare are those mortals who recall the heyday of the Jade Abbey, when the Everspring ran free and pure and the priests of the Jade Circle were famed as warriors and wise souls. Inara Sion is one such being, the last survivor of the Jade Circle who yearns to wash away the stain of corruption that has pervaded her sacred home. Sion is a water-caster beyond compare, an adherent of the Sigmarite faith and follower of Alarielle who calls upon both deities in her war against foulness. She carries an amphora containing pure liquid taken from the Everspring long ago, which possesses incredible eldritch power. Her sword is not forged of metal; rather, it is a conjuration of living liquid, able to whip and lash her enemies from afar. Though calm and measured, Inara Sion carries in her soul an aching need for vengeance against those responsible for the Jade Abbey's destruction.

Drolf Ironhead, the Grizzled Explorer Drolf Ironhead is a rare breed for a duardin, for he thrives in the tangled labyrinth of the Aquian forest, hacking paths through some of the most formidable terrain in the Everspring Swathe. He hails from a Khazalid clan that once made their home in the Mistral Peaks; allies of the Jade Abbey, they fought in its defence until a plague-flood unleashed by Gelgus Pust inundated their halls and drowned most of them. Drolf was naught but a beardling back then, but he still remembers the oath he swore: to avenge his kin. Decades of survival out in the wilds have given him the tools and know-how to solve almost any problem, and he seeks to solve the unnatural scourge of Gelgus Pust by hewing the Prince of Sores to pieces with his twin axes.

Kelthannor, the Forest Prince Prince Kelthannor is a member of the Golden Hunt, a nomadic clan who worship the Hunter God Kurnoth. Amongst his people, there is a rite of passage for would-be kings: they must track and slay a worthy quarry, such as an enemy of the natural order or a fearsome monster of legend, in order to earn the respect of their kin and the right to rule. The prince has chosen Gelgus Pust as his target. Until he succeeds in his task, Kelthannor can neither return home nor claim his forest crown.

Though he is haughty, impulsive and often dismissive of those without royal blood in their veins, Kelthannor sees the bonds of comradeship as unbreakable and is quick to throw himself into danger on behalf of his companions. Kelthannor's bravery cannot be questioned, and neither can his skill with a bow.

Drasher Vorn, the Rampaging Beast Vorn is chief of the Arak Klor, a tribe of warriors from the savage realm of Ghur who worship an aspect of the Everqueen they call the Maker of Beasts. They possess a strange artefact from a time long before the Age of Myth, known as the Ebon Claw, this shamanistic relic radiates bestial power. By drawing their own blood with the Ebon Claw, the Arak Klor can shift their bodies and take on the forms of mighty predators. But such power does not come without a price. Of late, Vorn's people have begun to suffer terrible mutations as a result of channelling the Ebon Claw's power. Desperate to aid his people, Drasher Vorn has travelled to Aquia in search of the fabled Everspring, hoping to cleanse the rage of the Ebon Claw in its soothing waters.

Jacobus Vyne, the Jade Wizard Jacobus Vyne is a powerful mage of the Collegiate Arcane and a master of nature magic and Ghyranite lore. The dutiful scholar has made his way to the Abbey to stop Pust from bringing about a season of entropy. Attuned to the Realm of Life in a way that few humans are, Jacobus is accompanied by a spite-owl and a vulpine forest spirit he calls Wisper, a connection to the primal essence of Aquia that functions as a guardian and familiar.

Scions of the Plaguefather

Gelgus Pust, the Prince of Sores There is no more vile and grotesque a being in all the realms than Gelgus Pust, the daemonic warlord who calls the Jade Abbey his domain. A colossal fiend with two pairs of translucent leathery wings tucked behind his fleshy back, the self-proclaimed Prince of Sores is Nurgle's creature entirely, a monstrosity who delights in desecrating wondrous things and spreading reeking decay in their place. But Pust was not always so physically hideous and mutated. In a past life, he was Gelgus the Pious, a holy man corrupted by his lust for power and his bitter resentment of his rivals. By committing his soul to the Plague God, Pust was granted the strength to slice a warrior in half with a single swipe of his rusted blade and the fortitude to shrug off a score of well-aimed crossbow bolts with a gurgling laugh. Determined to repay his beloved Grandfather Nurgle through faithful service, Pust plans to oversee the final corruption of the Everspring, drowning Aquia in despair and wretchedness.

'Ha! You are so bold and daring, little flies. You burn with righteousness and duty. How I shall enjoy tearing off your wings and watching you wriggle helplessly in the wallowing mire. But not today. First, I fear my children must have their fun!' – Gelgus Pust

Cankerborn The Cankerborn are a strange and powerful breed of daemon created by inflicting hideous violence upon the land itself. Whenever a site of magical power is so thoroughly despoiled that the spirit of the realm is tormented into madness, the ground will churn and bubble as a leathery-skinned abomination claws its way free. These monsters are akin to the one-eyed Plaguebearers that serve Grandfather Nurgle, except they are nearly twice their height and have rocky, filth-encrusted frames. These hulking daemons make perfect bodyguards, for their hides easily rebuff axe-blows, bullets and even bolts of sorcery. As they move, the land beneath their hooves curdles into a slimy ooze, their mere presence enough to tip the balance in favour of Nurgle's corruption.

Belga the Cystwitch 'Vermin! Foul, skittering vermin! Ants in the walls, scuttling and scraping. Come forth and taste the sweet succour of Grandfather Nurgle! Come forth and slather yourselves in his ripe, rich unguents!' – Belga the Cystwitch

Few of the Abbey's denizens are as repugnant as Belga the Cystwitch. A thoroughly insane zealot of Nurgle, this sluglike entity patrols the grounds in search of intruders. Those she captures are inducted into the Plague God's faith by being forcibly submerged in the cauldron of rancid gore carried by one of Belga's flesh-melded 'sisters'. The Cystwitch was once a high priestess of the Jade Abbey, a prideful woman who betrayed her beliefs and joined Pust's coup in exchange for stewardship over the Everspring. In this, she was to be disappointed. Alarielle's sanctuary remains unbreached, and Belga has been driven to madness by her new form.

Pox-Wretches Pox-Wretches are mortals who have taken their first shambling steps on the path to entropy. These worshippers of Nurgle aspire above all to transform into the Plaguefather's daemonic minions, and thus they wear cyclopean masks that grant them the one-eyed visage of many such creatures. Eschewing the power of sight, they prefer to use their heightened senses of smell and taste to sniff out 'clean' foes unmarked by Nurgle's putrid gifts. These they set upon with rusted axes and farming implements, relying on their greater numbers and nihilistic indifference to death to bring down foes.

Mulgoth the Cleaver Mulgoth the Cleaver is a name dreaded even by the Nurgle worshippers of the Jade Abbey, for this towering mutant has a foul demeanour, a wicked axe and a grotesquely swollen arm that can snap a man's spine with one wrench. Mulgoth has served Pust for decades. In that time, he has overseen the annihilation of countless forest havens and places of purity, for there is nothing that Mulgoth despises more than beauty. Nurgle's faithful are typically either good-humoured brutes or bitter, nihilistic despoilers, and Mulgoth falls on the latter part of that spectrum. Some say that he was once a noble knight who was spurned by his fellows upon contracting the Weeping Pox. This might explain his hatred for self-proclaimed champions of justice, whom he takes particular pleasure in butchering. Yet any 'pure souls' who encounter the Cleaver are likely to suffer, for Mulgoth is a terrifying battering ram of corrupt strength without pity or mercy.

Blight Templars Amongst the mightiest mortal champions of Nurgle, Blight Templars are corpulent mountains of rotting flesh and muscle that can take a dozen sword-blows and keep on fighting. Pust knows well the value of his elite warriors, limited in number though they might be. Each has willingly absorbed diseases and pestilences that would turn a lesser man into a malformed ruin, for by doing so, they prove their devotion to the Plaguefather. Instead of weakening them, these afflictions render them truly fearsome foes. Radiating a noxious stench and with unspeakable liquids dripping from beneath their rusted plate, Blight Templars lumber into battle, chortling gamely while they hack their enemies apart.

Mire Kelpies The diminutive Mire Kelpies swarm over the Jade Abbey's ruins like flies on rotten meat. These cursed spirits are born from lands soured by the corruption of Chaos. Though barely sentient and relatively puny in isolation, they can be a menace when they gather en masse: their bites spread infection, and they can spit clumps of foetid matter with uncanny accuracy, blinding and debilitating unwary foes.

Shaman Foulhoof 'Bring soft-skins to me! I take their hearts, peel their skin and drown them in the festering pits. Nuur-glesh! Nuur-glesh!' – Shaman Foulhoof

Shaman Foulhoof is a devotee of decay and rot, a twisted monster with matted, bile-splattered fur who yearns to see the entire Everspring Swathe drowned in effluent. Ancient and cunning, he has killed all his rivals and assembled a powerful herd of Pestigors called the Flyblown. These hideous creatures deliberately seek to infect themselves with as many diseases as possible, essentially converting themselves into mobile plague vectors. When each outbreak begins to burn out, the Flyblown move on to new lands, but their nomadic trail always takes them back to the Jade Abbey. Shaman Foulhoof is their prophet and master. He corrupts the very spirits of the land through horrid rites of sacrifice. Indeed, it was through Foulhoof's primal rituals that the Cankerborn were created, and the shaman has – unwillingly – passed this knowledge on to Gelgus Pust.

Pestigors 'I am of the opinion that Pestigors are much like symptoms of a festering injury. Just as maggots writhing in a wound indicate that the flesh has rotted, so does the appearance of these fiends signify that the land itself is dying.' – Jacobus Vyne

With matted fur and bellies swollen by disease, the beastmen sworn to Nurgle are repulsive foes to face on the battlefield. Known as Pestigors, these creatures infest the woodlands and tangled wilds of Ghyran. Though their weapons are crude, they possess a wiry strength and the unnatural resilience of those dedicated to the Plaguefather. Pestigors consider the Jade Abbey to be a cursed place erected on lands that rightfully belong to the powers of Chaos, and thus they have sworn to fight for Gelgus Pust as he strives to pollute the Everspring. Their phlegmy, braying dirge-call is the last thing that many adventurers hear before being ambushed and wiped out.

Building and Painting

The heroes and villains of the Jade Abbey are represented in all their grimy splendour by evocative Citadel Miniatures. Using the following tips, you will be able to swiftly build and paint these beautiful models to an impressive standard.

Each Citadel Miniature in Warhammer Quest: Darkwater is full of dynamic character, from the smallest squelching Mire Kelpie to the intimidating hulk that is Gelgus Pust. While Nurgle's repulsive servants drip with grotesque detail, the heroes determined to defy the Prince of Sores are brimming with striking character, each bearing their own ornate weapons, heraldry and armour.

These miniatures are designed to be easy to assemble without the use of glue. Simply snip the components off the sprue using a pair of hobby cutters and push-fit them as indicated in the assembly guide. You could stop at this point and enjoy playing with these coloured plastic models, but many hobbyists enjoy bringing their miniatures to life using the range of paints available at Games Workshop retail outlets or at warhammer.com. The guide below makes painting your miniatures swift and straightforward. Starting with an undercoat, you will then apply Base paints, Shade paints and Layer paints to bring out each miniature's depth and various textures.

Remember that there's no 'right' way to paint your models. Your colour choices are limited only by your imagination, so let your creativity run wild!

Painting steps:

1. First, build your models and prime them with a suitable colour.
2. Next, apply basecoats of all the colours you want to use using Base paints, being careful to keep them neat and tidy.
3. After that, pick appropriate coloured Shade paints to wash over each basecoated area.
4. If you want to take your models to the next level, you can highlight them using Layer paints that are lighter than the basecoat colours.
5. The final stage is to paint the base.

Index

Named Tokens. Boat token, Empty token, Leystone token, Pillar token, Rot-shrine token, Stag token, Supply cart token, Trove token, Focus token, Ley crystal token, Seed token, Key token, Temper token (cool/heated), Waterspout token.

Quick Reference

Hero Turn (pg 6)

When a hero takes their turn, they can use their abilities in any order they like. The most common abilities are core abilities.

An ability can only be used during a hero's turn, unless it specifically says otherwise.

Using Core Abilities

1. Pick ability. Pick a core ability that has not been expended (not turned sideways) for your hero to use.
2. Gain energy. Pick a core ability that has not been expended to gain energy from. This can be the same as the one you picked for your hero to use. Alternatively, you can gain energy from abilities on certain reward cards.
3. Use ability. Follow the instructions for the core ability you picked for your hero to use.
4. Expend ability. Expend the core ability you gained energy from (if you did so) by turning the card sideways. For the rest of the turn, that ability can no longer be used and energy can no longer be gained from it.

Expend: These abilities can be used once per battle round. After using the ability, the card is turned sideways. Expended abilities are refreshed at the start of a hero's turn.

Flip: These abilities can be used once per encounter. After using the ability, the card is flipped over. Flipped cards remain so until the end of the encounter, and their abilities become available to use in the next encounter.

Discard: These abilities can be used once. After using the ability, the card is discarded and put in the reward discard pile. Once they are used, they are gone forever!

Passive: These abilities are always active.

Hex Types (pg 11)

Blocked hex. No one can move through, move into or be placed in a blocked hex. Blocks line of sight.

Lethal hex. Inflict 1 damage on heroes moving through, moving into or placed in a lethal hex.

Snare hex. While moving, before a hero would move out of a snare hex, subtract 1 from the number of hexes that they have left for that move.

Enemy Turn (pg 8)

• Each enemy type activates once (i.e. each kind of enemy, such as Pestigors, Pox-Wretches, etc.). This means having multiple types of enemies on the battlefield is dangerous!
• Starting with the enemy nearest to the last hero that took a turn, activate a number of enemies of that type equal to their group activation number.
• Check their action queue to see what action each enemy will take. Most of the time, you'll be rolling the black or the red action dice.
• Once all enemy types have activated, the enemy turn is over and the next turn begins (usually a hero turn).

Enemy Action Dice: Advance; Reposition; Advance twice; Quick Attack; Onslaught; Grievous Blow; Reposition, then Quick Attack; Advance, then Onslaught; Special Action.

Enemy Actions

• Advance: Find the nearest hero. This enemy moves towards them (pg 10) and tries to end that move next to that hero. They must move as far as possible. If they are already next to a hero, Quick Attack instead.
• Reposition: Find the furthest hero that this enemy could attack after moving. This enemy moves towards them (pg 10). They must move as far as possible. If there is no such hero, Advance.
• Onslaught: This enemy attacks a visible hero in range (pg 12).
• Quick Attack: This enemy attacks a visible hero in range (pg 12) and all critical hits are reduced to hits for this action.
• Grievous Blow: This enemy attacks a visible hero in range (pg 12) and all hits are increased to critical hits for this action.

Enemy Attacks (pg 12) The leader must pick a visible hero in range to be attacked.

Roll a number of dice equal to the enemy's Dice characteristic on their enemy card. To score a hit, the roll must equal or beat the enemy's Hit characteristic. To score a critical hit (2 hits), the unmodified roll must equal or beat the enemy's Crit characteristic (usually a 6).

The target then makes a save roll for each hit. To block a hit, the roll must equal or beat that hero's Defence characteristic.

Each hit that is not blocked inflicts 1 damage on that hero. If a hero's damage token is on the last space of their damage track, they are vulnerable (pg 14) and are down but not out!