Yōkai Quest Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Yōkai Quest Rounds
  • Game Contents: What's in the Box!
  • Preparing the Game: Everything in Its Right Place!
  • Playing Yōkai Quest: Scenes, Turns and Phases!
    • The Hero Phase: It's Time for Legendary Feats!
    • The Yōkai Phase: Here They Come!
    • Other Events: What a Surprise!
• Basic Concepts
  • Miniatures: You Look Great!
  • Game Boards: Squares Everywhere!
  • Movement: Take Positions and Anticipate the Enemy!
  • Entering the Board: Can I Join the Party?
  • Target: Choose a Victim!
  • Health: It's Just a Scratch!
  • Energy: Behold My Power!
  • Reload: You Need to Chill!
  • Die Rolls: Time to Crush!
  • Treasures: May I Keep That?
  • Game Cards
• Heroes
  • The Hero Control Panel: Staying Organized!
  • The Heroes: Always in the Spotlight!
    • Ryo
    • Takako
    • Bushi Skills
    • Ami
    • Katsu
    • Sennin Skills
    • Sai
    • Haruma
    • Shinobi Skills
• Actions
  • Run
  • Basic Attack
  • Use an Ability or Item
  • Quick Reactions: You Better Have Good Reflexes!
• Items
  • Items: Did You Find Something Good?
  • Items List
• Actions and Use of Items Results
  • Blows: That Hurts!
  • Empowerment: I Have the Power!
  • Altered States: You Make Me Sick!
• Icons on the Items and Abilities
• Yōkai
  • Yōkai Types: Who Are They?
  • Yōkai Attributes: Put Your Cards on the Table!
  • Playing with Yōkai: Heroes Be Frightened!
    • Activation Order
    • Behavior Pattern
    • Yōkai Altered States
  • Yōkai Roster
    • Hone Bushi
    • Yurei
    • Chochin Obake
    • Akatsume Ninja
    • Furu Utsubo
• Stories
  • The Scenario: Tell Me That Story Again...
  • Defeated Heroes: I'll Be Back!
  • Reattempts: Please, Continue!
• Gameplay Summary
• Adventure Book
  • Shake Them Skeleton Bones!
    • Scene 1 — The Matsuri Arrives
    • Scene 2 — Nonstop Rhythm
    • Scene 3 — Master of the Shamisen
  • The True Culprits
    • Scene 1 — Into the Woods
    • Scene 2 — Evil's House
    • Scene 3 — Metamorphosis
  • Rain of Flames
    • Scene 1 — Light, Fire and Destruction
  • Lair of Anger

Yōkai Quest Rounds

This first chapter describes how a game of Yōkai Quest is set up — from opening the box to preparing for the start of play. Let's begin!

Game Contents: What's in the Box!

The basic box of Yōkai Quest includes:

• 1 x Rulebook.
• 170 x Playing cards.
• 5 x Red dice.
• 5 x Blue dice.
• 8 x Game boards.
• 2 x Boards of game elements.
• 6 x Hero control panels.
• 1 x Hero: Katsu (Sennin).
• 1 x Hero: Ryo (Bushi).
• 1 x Hero: Haruma (Shinobi).
• 1 x Hero: Ami (Sennin).
• 1 x Hero: Sai (Shinobi).
• 1 x Hero: Takako (Bushi).
• 1 x Tengu boss.
• 1 x Akatsume boss.
• 1 x Akatsume Dark Champ.
• 1 x Undead Dark Champ.
• 2 x Yoroi.
• 2 x Giant obake.
• 8 x Akatsume ninja.
• 8 x Furu Usubo.
• 8 x Hone Bushi.
• 6 x Obake.
• 6 x Yurei.
• 6 x Shikigami Inu.

Rulebook: The Rulebook teaches you how to play Yōkai Quest — explaining the game mechanics such as game system, heroes, yōkai, adventures, etc.

Cards: These contain information about how the game works and progresses, including hero abilities, energy gains, various treasures, and much more!

Combat Dice: These are used to solve confrontations: a combination of these dice is used to attack and to defend. The dice display two symbols: a sharp katana and a hard helmet.

Game elements: Such as tokens and markers that help track life, energy, heroes entrances, and other game mechanics. Also there are included some 3D elements that can be mounted.

Game boards: They represent different scenarios to help with the scenes of Yōkai Quest.

Hero control panels: These boards are used to keep track of your hero state and abilities.

Miniatures: Models of the heroes and yōkai.

Preparing the Game: Everything in Its Right Place!

To begin a game of Yōkai Quest you must choose a scene from the Adventures book and prepare your heroes.

Each scene describes, step by step, how to place all the elements to play it. It also alternates between narrative passages that tell the story and scenes that are played out in the game.

• Arrange the required game boards, as described in the scene.
• Prepare appearance, treasure and energy card decks according to the scene specifications.
• Place the hero entrance, the appearance points and yōkai wind coins as directed in the scene.
• Locate any additional elements as described in the scene you will play.
• Before playing, we suggest you read aloud the introduction story to all players.

When everything is ready, place your heroes at the entrance point. Then prepare the heroes as follows:

• Find the hero control panel for each one of the heroes.
• Choose four abilities among those suitable for the hero and place them in the appropriate spaces on the control panel.
• Put the health tokens for the hero on the control panel.

As soon as the heroes are ready, the adventure begins!

Playing Yōkai Quest: Scenes, Turns and Phases!

Each scene in Yōkai Quest is played in turns, and each turn is divided into two phases: the Hero Phase and the Yōkai Phase. Here, we present an overview of what happens in each of these phases. But don't worry if you don't understand everything after reading this: the rules are fully explained in subsequent sections of the manual.

The Hero Phase: It's Time for Legendary Feats!

First, all the heroes replenish energy. Each player takes a card of the Energy deck and adds the quantity of energy tokens revealed to their hero's reserve. If the energy card has a temporary empowerment, the card is placed beside the hero control panel as a reminder, instead of it being discarded.

Then the players decide the order in which the heroes activate. When activated, a hero has a basic movement of three squares and may perform up to two actions. These may be used for different tasks such as running, conducting a basic attack, or using special skills or items. The active hero must complete its actions before the next hero activates: players may not save actions or basic movement for later.

Finally, once a hero moves and completes its two actions, the player removes an altered state token of each type affecting the hero, as well as a reload token from each of the hero's skills with this kind of tokens.

(Diagram captions: Energy gain. / Basic movement plus two actions. / Altered state and reload token are removed.)

The Yōkai Phase: Here They Come!

The Yōkai phase starts by turning the yōkai winds coin(s). Red/Blue coin is turned every time, while the Green/Yellow coin is only turned if so indicated in the scenario you're playing. When the color of an appearance point matches that shown on the yōkai wind coin(s), a player draws a card from the appearance deck and places the indicated yōkai on that appearance point based on the number of heroes present on the board. Besides that, the scenario can determine the apparition of certain yōkai, either on specific turns or once certain conditions are met. Remember to pay attention to the scenario description as you play! If you find there are no more miniatures to represent more appearances of yōkai, discard the new apparitions.

After all the yōkai appear in their phase, they activate in decreasing order of initiative: when several yōkai have the same initiative, the players must decide which goes first; a good rule is to choose first the yōkai closest to the heroes. Players manage the yōkai following a behavior pattern typical for each one of them. You can find more information about it inside the chapter dedicated to the yōkai.

To end the turn, once all yōkai have activated, any temporary effects active are removed, such as heroes or yōkai empowerments or effects coming from the scenario.

(Diagram captions: Turn the coins. / Place the corresponding yōkai. / Activate them in decreasing order of initiative.)

Other Events: What a Surprise!

There are also some other events that can take place at any time during the game. These include:

• A hero or yōkai is defeated: If a hero's health tokens reserve is empty or a yōkai's health points reach zero, their miniature is removed from the game board.
• A treasure is discovered: When this happens, each hero takes a card from the Treasure Deck. Treasures appear after a Yōkai is defeated: heroes may discover powerful objects that will help them in the adventure.
• Quick reaction: A hero can activate an ability or item outside of its activation during the hero phase, as long as it does not require an action and meets the other requirements to do so.

Basic Concepts

In this chapter we will look at the general mechanics used during a game of Yōkai Quest and learn how to resolve situations.

Miniatures: You Look Great!

The miniatures on the board represent both the heroes and the yōkai. Let's meet them!

Heroes: Heroes are the main actors of the story. They are directly handled by the players. Each hero has a series of attributes that define its characteristics, how it moves on the board, and how many successful attacks it can resist. In addition, heroes have access to a set of powerful abilities; these are special techniques that can be performed in combat. Some of these are derived from a hero's skills, while others are unique to each hero.

Yōkai: The yōkai are the enemy. Players manage the yōkai, but their actions are determined using a behavior chart. This chart simulates the yōkai decisions to act in one way or another, depending on the situation. The behavior chart can be used by a yōkai only once per turn, during the Yōkai phase. The behavior charts, as well as the skills of each yōkai, are detailed in subsequent chapters.

Game Boards: Squares Everywhere!

Yōkai Quest fights are played on game boards divided into squares. Figures are placed in the squares: most of them occupy only one square, but some yōkai can occupy four squares, or even nine.

When a miniature moves or attacks, squares must be counted to determine how far the action can reach. The count is always made from one square to the next via the side of the square: never diagonally. Moreover, the count begins in the square the miniature occupies; should the miniature occupy more than one square, the count begins from any of the squares it occupies, and the movement will be carried out without changing the miniature's orientation in the squares.

In general, miniatures may not move through any square with a red border. Movement through these red squares is typically blocked by a scenery element drawn on the board. However, some heroes and yōkai may be able to cross through these elements, due to a special ability.

Squares with special effects have a mark on them. When a miniature enters one of these squares, the effect is applied as described by the scene in the Adventures book.

Movement: Take Positions and Anticipate the Enemy!

Movement means a miniature has changed its position on the board — for heroes, this can happen by using the basic (three squares) movement that all heroes have, by running, or by using a special ability. Each hero has a "run" attribute that indicates how many squares it can advance by running, while movements based on special abilities are detailed in the description of each hero. Yōkai movement is described in the action they take, according to their behavior chart.

To go from one box to another has the cost of one movement point. Movement can continue until all movement points are spent, but a move can be finished earlier. In this case, any unused movement points are lost for the turn. Heroes can pass through squares occupied by other heroes; similarly, yōkai can pass through squares occupied by other yōkai, but neither can end a move in an occupied square.

(Example: Sai can move to any of the green colored squares with her basic movement of 3. As demonstrated, she can move over Takako and go through the green border squares (movement here costs double), but she cannot move through any of the yōkai.)

Entering the Board: Can I Join the Party?

Heroes start the scene at entrance points, while yōkai start at appearance points. While waiting, they can perform no action except those that allow them to enter the game. This action must be performed as follows: heroes are only allowed to make a basic movement (up to three squares) when entering the scene. The box next to the entrance point is considered the first square for movement.

Yōkai partially ignore their behavior pattern, and only can use an ability that allows them to enter the game. Should a yōkai not be able to enter the board, because the squares it would need are blocked or occupied by other miniatures, the appearance point is temporarily moved to the left (when viewed from the entrance point), to the first position that permits the yōkai to enter the board.

Target: Choose a Victim!

Attacks, certain items and skills employed by the heroes, and some yōkai actions require a target. The choice of target will vary according to the attack, ability or item — as described in the relevant section. However, in no case does the presence of heroes, yōkai or terrain elements block line of sight.

Health: It's Just a Scratch!

Every combatant has health points that represent its condition. Most yōkai have only a single health point, while heroes and more powerful yōkai may have several health points in their reserve.

The maximum number of health points is marked on each hero's control panel or provided in the description of the relevant yōkai. Heroes and yōkai begin the game with full health points and lose them as they are successfully attacked. When a combatant's health points reach zero, the hero or yōkai has been defeated and their miniature is removed from the board.

Place the health tokens on the hero control panel to represent the current health points of the hero.

Energy: Behold My Power!

Energy is a resource that heroes use. Each time a player takes an energy card during the preparation phase, the number of energy tokens indicated on the card is added to the hero's reserve. Energy reserves max out at seven: once this number is reached, no additional tokens are added. Once the tokens have been added to the hero's reserve, the energy card is discarded.

Heroes consume their energy reserve to activate their available abilities, as described on their ability cards. Additionally, if one of these cards has an added effect it must be placed as a reminder beside the hero control panel, and discarded once the turn ends.

Put used energy cards in a discard pile. When all cards in the energy deck have been used, shuffle the discard pile to create a new energy deck.

Place the corresponding energy tokens on the hero control panel, after drawing from the energy deck.

Reload: You Need to Chill!

Reload occurs when an ability needs some time before the hero can activate it again. After an ability is used and the effects resolved, the player must place on top of the ability card the number of reload tokens indicated; while the ability has one of these counters on it, it cannot be activated. These counters are periodically removed: each time a hero has used his two actions, a reload counter for each of his abilities is removed.

Die Rolls: Time to Crush!

When an attack requires rolling the dice — regardless of whether it's a basic attack, the use of a special ability, or the use of an item — the following steps are taken:

• The attacker throws the appropriate combination of attack dice. "Katana" results are kept.
• The defender throws the appropriate combination of defense dice. "Helmet" results are kept.
• Each Helmet result cancels out one Katana result. If there are any remaining Katana results, each represents one blow received by the defender.

Unless stated otherwise, the number of un-cancelled blows equals the number of health points the defender loses from their reserve. However, some attacks may have different results, as detailed elsewhere.

Attacks and defends use a combination of red and blue dice; keep the appropriate results in each case.

Treasures: May I Keep That?

Each time a yōkai is defeated, or when certain abilities or items are used, a treasure token is added to the treasure reserve. When this reserve reaches 5 tokens, each hero receives a card from the treasure deck. The reserve is then emptied and the cycle repeats.

Place a treasure token on the treasure board for each defeated yōkai.

Game Cards

In Yōkai Quest several types of cards are used to represent the different mechanics of the game. The types of cards are: ability cards, treasure cards, energy cards, and appearance cards. We will see the generalities of the playing cards, and in the sections dedicated to each of the types we will see them in depth.

Ability and treasure cards: These cards represent the skills a hero has and the items that can be used to help in battle. These cards have a name and an illustration to identify them, and in the case of abilities the hero portrait it belongs to. The most important parts of these cards are the activation cost and the visual track of their effects; and in the case of the treasure cards, also the type of item.

Energy and appearance cards: These cards represent the energy gain of the heroes and the random appearance of yōkai via appearance points each turn. Energy cards have one to three energy spheres to represent the number of energy tokens gained and can feature additional temporal empowerments for the heroes. Appearance cards have an identifier and indicate the number of yōkai to place in function of the number of heroes present on the board.

Heroes

In this chapter, you will learn everything you need to know about heroes — from the characteristics of each, to how you unleash their full battle potential.

The Hero Control Panel: Staying Organized!

The hero control panel also provides information on each hero's attributes, as well as places to track health points and energy reserves, the chosen skills and equipped items.

The hero's attributes are:

• Health: This number represents the hero's maximum number of health points. This is also the number of health tokens a hero starts with at the beginning of a scene.
• Run: This is the maximum number of squares the hero may move when running.
• Range: This is the effective distance of the hero's basic attack, in number of squares.
• Power: This is the combination of dice the hero throws when making a basic attack.
• Defense: This is the combination of dice the hero throws when defending against an attack.

The hero control panel has the following spaces:

• Abilities: four spaces for the hero's chosen abilities, marked with a fist.
• Equipment: two spaces, one for each of the equipped enchantment and trinket, marked with a staff and a ring respectively.
• Health: five spaces for the health tokens, as seen in a previous section.
• Energy: four spaces for the energy tokens, as seen in a previous section.

Only one card or token per space is allowed. However, some tokens may be placed on top of some cards to track certain mechanics.

The Heroes: Always in the Spotlight!

Heroes fight evil without rest, wherever it may be found! Each hero has unique attributes and abilities that make it a good guardian. In Yōkai Quest, the heroes belong to one of three classes: Bushi, Shinobi and Sennin. Each of these classes is defined by certain characteristics and abilities:

• Bushi are hard warriors on the front line of battle. They have a good health reserve and are dangerous at short distances.
• Shinobi are specialists in fighting at a distance. They are highly mobile and employ many tricks to confuse yōkai.
• Sennin manage mighty and ancient powers. They use it to punish their foes and help their allies.

Every hero has two cards featuring 4 unique abilities. Also, each hero has access to three cards featuring the 6 shared abilities from their class.

On the following pages we will see each one of the main protagonists in detail!

Ryo

Born in a farmer's village, Ryo learned to fight defending his village from forest yōkai. Impressed by his skill, a feudal lord granted him the rank of Samurai and the title of "Rising blade". Motivated by his passionate spirit, Ryo has traveled throughout the land, lending his help where necessary in the fight against the forces of darkness.

• Ichigekishin: Ryo races forward in a straight line, going through and attacking all the yōkai.
• Hononoken: Ryo launches a surprise quick thrust at a close enemy.
• Koukan: Ryo exchanges the position with an ally and gains defense. Useful ability to save allies from hard hits.
• Suchu-Ryouku: Ryo concentrates deeply, gaining energy and reducing the reload of his abilities.

Takako

The princess of a great feudal lord, Takako grew up being trained as a priestess, surrounded by the opulence of the noble classes but also suffocated by the rigid protocols of court life. However, it was only a matter of time before this changed: Her inner warrior emerged to protect her people in desperate times of need.

• Kami no Odori-Te: Takako sweeps a frontal area with her powerful naginata.
• Masayoshinaru Chikara no Senshi: Using the position of the 4 winds, Takako attacks in 4 opposite directions.
• Fuhai no Ken: Takako concentrates on defense, becoming hard to hit.
• Kami no Namida: Channeling the powers of the real gem, Takako is able to heal one's own wounds or those of an ally.

Bushi Skills

These skills are shared between Ryo and Takako because of their bushi condition.

• Kiri Susumu: Sweeping blow covering a nearby arc. Good for dealing with various weak yōkai because of the guaranteed katana.
• Inseki: Powerful crush near the hero, affecting all yōkai in its area of effect. Can be used repeatedly for devastating effects.
• Senpuu: Whirlwind attack which covers a wide area, hitting all the yōkai. High cost but effective to clear many weak yōkai.
• Moui: Using his internal rage, the bushi makes a powerful short-range attack. Can be used sparingly, but effective against armored enemies.
• Okora Seru: The hero stands up with all his power, drawing the attention of all yōkai on the board. This makes the rest of the heroes invisible to yōkai behaviour, effectively protecting them.
• Otakebi: The inspiring presence of the bushi encourages the heroes, who gain a powerful attack bonus and recover health.

Ami

At the dawn of time, Hatsushana sacrificed himself to stop Dayriuu no Mizu, who wished to devour the world. Millennia later, monks have identified in Ami the reincarnated avatar of the goddess: however, her return predicts the return of evil to the world as well, so Ami strives to learn to control her divine powers in time.

• Kami no Ibuki: Ami releases the divine breath of the goddess, healing and increasing self-defense or that of an ally.
• Fubuki no Majo: The divine wind paralyzes all yōkai on the board.
• Bakuryuha: Ami throws a magic bomb in a straight line, which hits the enemies in its path and bursts at the end of the route.
• Kaminari: Ami unleashes divine wrath on an enemy, which causes serious damage.

Katsu

Rescued as a baby from the smoky ruins of his village, Katsu was entrusted to warrior monks to become a member of their order. Now a powerful abbot, Katsu has sworn not to rest in his fight against the evil that threatens the world.

• Kakutou-Ou: Katsu moves in a straight line, traversing and striking the yōkai in his path with his monk combat technique.
• Haien: Katsu performs a powerful sweeping attack using his ki.
• Seinaru Mori: Katsu channels vital energy on himself or on an ally, healing him and restoring energy.
• Seinaru Chikara no Senshi: Katsu channels vital energy, reinforcing defenses and reducing reload time.

Sennin Skills

These skills are shared between Ami and Katsu because of their sennin condition.

• Chiyute: Sennin blows healing energy to a hero, recovering their health. Good for dealing with small hits from the yōkai.
• Kaifuku Mahou: The sennin calls forth divine aid, healing a hero to great extent. Good to recover a damaged hero, but at expense of a high reload time.
• Seki: Summons an impenetrable barrier of pure energy. This barrier can block paths, making the yōkai take convenient paths for the heroes. Use the associated cardboard to represent the barrier.
• Kigai no Joumon: The sennin opens a gate of good energies, protecting himself from attacks and invoking fortune. High reload, but the sennin becomes very well protected.
• Soukatsui: Energy bomb from the heavens that harms all yōkai on the board. High reload and energy cost, but can wipe the entire board from weaker yōkai.
• Byakurai: The sennin invokes a ring of elemental energy around him that causes great damage. High damage against the affected enemies, but the sennin must be well placed.

Sai

In a dream, Sai's grandfather saw how his granddaughter was destined to be a heroine. Believing it was a prophecy, he undertook a trip to find the definitive weapon to help Sai in that task, discovering in a far land the secret he sought. Trained from childhood Sai is an expert using these weapons, and fights with keenness and dedication in her eagerness to cleanse the world of darkness.

• Pawaashotto: Sai uses powerful ammunition to shoot, damaging all enemies in a straight line.
• Faia Doragon: The dragon's ammunition throws flames, affecting all enemies in a frontal cone.
• Barettotaimu: Sai enters a state of maximum concentration, increasing the range and power of her basic attack.
• Paasekyuutaa Roketto: Sai throws six explosive rockets, divided amongst the enemies of her choice.

Haruma

Haruma used to spend his days hunting in the forest to provide sustenance for his family. Returning from a prolonged hunt one day, Haruma found the charred remains of his village: his family had disappeared. Since then, this tireless hunter has travelled the world looking for clues about the whereabouts of his kin, as well as those responsible for the disaster. Along the way, he has helped those who are in similar circumstances.

• Ten Kakeru Yumizukai: Haruma invokes the vision of the eagle, causing all the heroes to increase the range of their basic attacks.
• Kaze no Kizu: Using his short sword, Haruma hits the enemies in a nearby area.
• Kiryokukyushu Kougeki: Haruma sprays poisoned oil from his pumpkin, damaging all enemies.
• Kariudo no Kuro Yumi: Haruma fires a black arrow with all his might, damaging enemies in a wide area.

Shinobi Skills

These skills are shared between Sai and Haruma because of their shinobi condition.

• Kansei: The shinobi places an explosive trap in a square on the map. Highly damaging, but must be used preemptively. Use the trap token to represent the trap on the board.
• Makibishi: Throws caltrops on a yōkai, temporarily paralyzing him. Useful to disable a problematic yōkai, but it does not affect champions or bosses.
• Bakugeki: Attack that throws minibombs over the chosen targets. The shinobi splits the damaging dice amongst the targets.
• Kunai Odo: The shinobi throws three kunais at close range, each in one direction. High energy cost, but this attack can cause severe damage.
• Kakushi: The shinobi becomes invisible to the yōkai for a short period of time. Effective to protect the shinobi when in danger.
• Kakekko: The shinobi tightens the pace, gaining a movement bonus. Useful when a single run is not enough to find the optimal placement.

Actions

Putting your training to use!

It's time to learn about what a hero may do when activated during the Hero phase of a turn. Each hero has a basic movement of up to three squares and may take up to two actions; those may be performed in any order, but each hero's activation must be completed before a new hero is activated. Heroes can use their actions to perform a run, a basic attack, use an ability or use an item.

The player can perform with their activated hero the basic movement and the two actions in any order, and also renounce using any of those. This must always happen before the next hero can be activated.

Run

The hero can spend one action to make a movement equal to their "run" attribute. This is performed following the regular movement mechanics, and additionally to the basic movement of three tiles.

Basic Attack

This is the hero's standard attack, using their power and range attributes. For a basic attack, the hero must have a valid target. To determine a valid target, the player counts the squares from the attacking miniature to the target miniature. This must be less than or equal to the range attribute for the attack. After selecting a valid target, the attack is resolved by rolling the dice as previously explained, using the combination indicated in the "power" attribute (for the attacker) and the "defense" attribute (for the defender), and immediately resolving any blows received by the defender.

Use an Ability or Item

Many hero abilities require spending an action to be used; it also happens with some items. To use an ability or an item, first you must satisfy its activation cost; that is the resources that must be spent. Once used, these resources are exhausted, regardless of the outcome. The resources may be actions, energy, health, reload and consumable:

• Consumable: Only required by some items. A hero can use this resource once a turn.
• Energy: The hero must spend the indicated number of energy tokens from their energy reserve.
• Action: One or two of the actions available to the hero during the Hero phase.
• Reload: This is the number of reload tokens that must be placed on the ability after it is activated.

Abilities or items that inflict damage include a dice combination on the card that represents the attack roll. If the ability can damage more than one target, the attacker must throw dice for each of the affected foes.

Quick Reactions: You Better Have Good Reflexes!

A quick reaction is the use of an ability or item that does not have the requirement of an action in their activation cost. These kinds of abilities or items can be used anytime, provided other activation costs are met.

When any of these abilities or items are activated, their effect is resolved immediately; if the quick reaction takes place during the resolution of another action, that action is suspended, the quick reaction is resolved, and then the suspended action resumes.

Items

Items: Did You Find Something Good?

Each time the treasure reserve reaches 5 tokens, each hero takes a card from the Treasure deck and the treasure reserve is emptied. The hero now has the treasure item listed on the card.

Each hero may possess no more than four treasure cards in hand. If, after taking a treasure card, the hero holds more than four cards, one must be immediately discarded. Players may move equipment items from their hand to the corresponding spaces on the Hero control panel anytime or vice versa, and also swap an equipped item for another in hand, but only once per turn. When a charm or enchantment is placed in the correct space, effects that do not require activation are applied at once. A player may refuse (at any time) any item that's received, by discarding the treasure card. All discarded treasure cards are kept together and when the treasure deck is exhausted, they are shuffled to form a new treasure deck.

There are two kinds of treasure:

Consumables: These items are stored in the hand of the player, and are discarded when their effects are activated.

Equipment: These may be charms or enchantments and are placed in the relevant spaces on the Hero control panel. Some may require the use of resources for their activation: the consumable use granted each turn, action, energy, etc., while others may not need activation, hence them being active all the time the item is equipped.

Items List

Charms

• Ryokka no Yubiwa: Increases the hero's reach while equipped. This item can be very useful to heroes with short reach but high power.
• Tsuru Kanzashi: Channels energy to increase an ally's defense. Can be used repeatedly to increase defense even further.
• Hono Hoseki no Yubiwa: Increases the movement of the hero while equipped. As it does not need activation, this item works with every run action.
• Hitai-ate: Increases the hero's defense attribute by channeling energy. Can be used repeatedly to increase defense at the expense of more energy.
• Omamori: Calls fortune by activating it, increasing the chances of finding treasures. This item effectively trades energy for treasure tokens.
• Midori Ningyo: Invokes the presence of the Great Lord, increasing the defense of all heroes. Good item to be used when damage to all heroes is expected.
• Tetsui no Kago no Ishi: The powers of emptiness increase the defense of the hero or of an ally. Flexible defensive item, but can only be used once a turn.
• Tsuru Origami: The shape of the crane infuses energy on the hero or on an ally at the expense of the consumable resource of the turn.
• Kitsune Origami: The shape of the fox restores health to the hero or an ally. Good heal for emergency saving the hero or an ally.

Enchantments

• Ryoufou: A spirit of sea foam increases the attack power of an allied hero. Can empower greatly an ally, but at the cost of energy.
• Senpuu: The wind elemental grants an attack bonus to the hero, at the cost of the consumable resource.
• Doro Doro: Grants an allied hero the power of the earth, empowering his attacks. Costly but a very effective empowerment for an ally.
• Hibana: The elemental of lightning strengthens the attack of the hero. Good bonus for a cheap activation cost.
• Uro: The healing powers of the aquatic elemental heal the hero or an ally. Good and effective heal to add to the hero's arsenal.
• Bura Bura: These naughty dancing spirits increase the movement of the hero or an ally. Good bonus to take positions easier and save actions.
• Hakubo: This forest spirit increases the reach attribute of the hero. Can be used repeatedly as long as there is enough energy.
• Akatsuki: The spirit of the dawn increases the attack of all the heroes. Strong empowerment, as it guarantees a katana result to all the heroes on their attacks.

Consumables

• Tenpura, Gyoza, Nigiri, Onigiri, Maki sushi: These treats instantly heal the hero. Good for staying longer on the first line of the battle.
• Mochi: Sweet that regains health and energy. Combination of resources on a single item.
• Dango: Sweet recovering health and energy. Recovers slightly more health than energy.
• Chiyu Hōseki: Breaking the stone of life restores the health of the hero or that of an ally. Flexible healing.
• Soba: Spicy noodles restore health and increase the movement of the hero. A nice combination, to be used wisely.
• Ikikaeru Rōsoku: The sacred candle brings back a defeated hero. The hero returns with half the maximum health points at the hero entrance point.
• Magatama: These carved magical stones restore the hero's energy by breaking. Good item to be used when high energy bursts are needed.
• Hinote: The flare of the fire gourd causes damage to an area. Good when an emergency attack is needed.
• Mahi Fuuin: The sacred seal paralyzes all yōkai, even the strongest ones.
• Ame no Makimono: The sacred words on this scroll hurt all yōkai. It can wipe the entire board, so use it for maximum effect.
• Toki-Sei Shuryoudan: Explosive bomb that causes damage in an area. Good for dealing that last needed damage to enemies.

Actions and Use of Items Results

Here we will see the general results of abilities and items: from damaging the enemies, to empowering attributes or healing. Besides these, any unusual results and how they work are detailed in the description of the ability or item, or in the scene being played.

Blows: That Hurts!

As already mentioned in the dice section, blows received during an attack are translated into loss of health points, unless said otherwise. Health tokens are immediately removed from the defender after the resolution of the die rolls, one token for each successful blow received.

Empowerment: I Have the Power!

Certain abilities, items, and some energy cards may temporarily enhance a hero's capabilities. This begins when an ability or item is activated, and lasts until the turn finishes. Empowerments may increase the number of dice to be thrown, either when attacking with a basic attack or ability or when defending, the number of squares a hero can travel when running, the range of the basic attack, and so on.

To make it clear that the hero is in an empowered state, the card source of this effect must be placed in front of the Hero control panel. This makes it easy to remember what empowerments are active, and when. At the end of each turn, all these cards are retired: abilities and equipment return to their appropriate holding spaces, while consumable items go on the pile of discarded treasure cards.

Altered States: You Make Me Sick!

Some yōkai attacks or events during a scene may affect the state of the heroes. When this happens, an appropriate token is placed on the control panel, regardless of any other effects. Every time a hero terminates their activation, a token of each one of these types is removed. The altered states are:

• Crush: Removes one "Helmet" result on any defense die roll.
• Daze: Removes one "Katana" result on any attack die roll.
• Tangle: Reduces movement attribute to half (round up).
• Blindness: Reduces range attribute to half (round up).

Icons on the Items and Abilities

As we have seen, objects and skills have their own iconography that is shown as a visual reference. In this way, remembering how it works is as quick as taking a look! Identification and activation costs are placed on the middle of the cards, while the rest of the icons are placed inside the visual track box.

The icons used and their meaning are listed below. The legend sheet in the printed manual shows each one as a pictogram; the pictograms are not reproduced here, so each entry gives the meaning printed beside it.

Identification and activation costs

• Charm
• Enchantment
• Consumable
• Uses the consumable for its activation
• Uses energy for its activation
• Uses a hero action for its activation
• Places a reload token after its activation

Hero attributes

• Affects the health tokens
• Affects the treasure tokens
• Affects the range attribute
• Affects the energy tokens
• Affects the attack dice rolls
• Affects the run attribute
• Affects the reload tokens placed on the abilities
• Affects the defense dice rolls
• Indicates squares moved: direction, properties and number

Targets

• Self
• Ally
• Ally or self
• All the heroes
• Enemy
• All the enemies
• Enemies over orange squares
• Splits attack dice amongst enemies chosen

Results

• Adds value
• Value added
• Ally or self
• All the heroes
• Subtracts value
• Red die to the corresponding dice roll
• Blue die to the corresponding dice roll
• Places a barrier on the game board
• Places a trap on the game board
• Hero is ignored when applying yōkai behavior pattern
• Hero is prioritized when applying yōkai behavior pattern
• Puts a paralysis token on the affected yōkai
• Defeated hero goes back to the hero entrance with half the maximum health tokens
• Attack dice roll against the target with the indicated dice

Yōkai

In this chapter you will learn all about the troublesome enemies who oppose the heroes... the yōkai!

Yōkai Types: Who Are They?

In Yōkai Quest the enemies are yōkai. The term yōkai may be translated as "monster" or "ghost". In the game, yōkai represent a wide range of wicked creatures and characters.

The most basic yōkai are Hone Bushi, Obake or Yurei, for example. These appear frequently in the game and are easily defeated; they behave in limited ways that the heroes can easily anticipate, but their strength is in their number. The top yōkai are the chiefs: they are unique foes, with attributes and behaviors that vary from scene to scene. Chiefs appear usually at the end of a scene, representing the final enemy.

Yōkai Attributes: Put Your Cards on the Table!

Yōkai have attributes defined in the game mechanics. They are:

• Name and portrait: used to recognize the different yōkai.
• Initiative: The order in which yōkai activate in the Yōkai phase. Higher numbers go first.
• Health: The number of wounds a yōkai can receive before it is defeated. Only the chiefs and epic chiefs have Health points — as with heroes, these powerful yōkai have a health reserve. Players would be wise to keep track of the blows inflicted on these yōkai, either through using the black heart tokens or with pencil and paper. Every time a yōkai receives a blow, it loses one Health point.
• Defense: The combination of dice the yōkai throws to defend against an attack.

Playing with Yōkai: Heroes Be Frightened!

Now that we know what yōkai are and what their attributes mean, let's get to the most important part: how to play them.

Activation Order

After the appearance of yōkai at the beginning of the Yōkai phase, players must look at the yōkai initiative, checking both those already on the board and those still waiting in the appearance points.

The yōkai always activate from highest to lowest initiative. If there is more than one different yōkai with the same initiative value, the players decide which yōkai will act first; the order to activate yōkai within a group is also decided by the players. A good general rule for the activation is to follow the general behavior of the yōkai; e.g. if the yōkai tends to move towards the heroes, it is best to activate the closest ones first.

After the group with the highest initiative value has acted, the group with the next highest acts, and so on until all yōkai have acted.

Behavior Pattern

Yōkai will follow a behavior pattern that determines how they will act. The patterns are represented by flowcharts, which are easy to follow and add a "beat'em up" sensation to the game by capturing the wild nature of the yōkai.

The flowcharts include the following elements:

• Green circles: These represent the beginning and end of a pattern. The beginning will always be at the upper left of the flowchart, with arrows pointing away from it. The end will always have arrows pointing into it.
• Black arrows: These show how to move from one step to the next through the flowchart.
• Blue diamonds: These are decision points. They will always include text with either a question or a random process, such as "Hero at range 1?" or "Roll two blue dice". Diamonds will have possible outcomes listed next to each black arrow that leaves the decision point: follow the arrow with the correct answer.
• Red rectangle: This represents an action by the yōkai. The text will identify the ability, the details of which can be found in the description of each type of yōkai.

Using the flowcharts is easy! You simply begin in the green starting oval and follow the black arrows. When you reach a blue diamond, resolve the question or roll the dice, and follow the arrow with the correct answer. When you reach a red rectangle, the yōkai performs the action indicated. Keep following these steps until you reach the final green oval, at which point the yōkai activation is finished.

The exception is when a yōkai enters the board: it will first use a skill that allows a movement, temporarily ignoring its behavior pattern. For example, Hone Bushi will use the ability "I will catch you sooner or later!", while Yoroi will use the ability "Military parade!". It's easier than it seems.

Note on this transcription: the arrow wiring of each yōkai flowchart (which outcome leads to which action) is drawn graphically and is not present in the text layer of the PDF. The decision questions and the action texts are transcribed below as printed; the flowcharts themselves should be checked against the printed page.

Yōkai Altered States

Yōkai, like heroes, may be affected by altered states:

• Paralysis: Certain hero abilities cause paralysis to the yōkai. When this happens, a paralysis token is placed close to the miniature of the affected yōkai, preventing their activation during the next Yōkai phase.
• Empowerment: Some dark champions can boost the capabilities of their allies. When this occurs, a champion token is placed next to the miniature of the affected yōkai. The description for each scene will explain how these tokens are applied and their effects.

At the end of the Yōkai phase in each turn, all paralysis and empowerment tokens are removed from the board.

Yōkai Roster

Stat lines are printed as icons in the manual. Where a defense dice combination is an icon, it is shown here as "[defense dice icon]" and must be read from the printed page.

Hone Bushi

"Did you hear that? Wait — I have no ears!"

Akatsume Clan onmyoji cast horrific black magic spells to create these piles of bones. These warriors are created to serve their dark masters and their presence usually attracts other types of yōkai associated with the great beyond.

Even though they are terrifying to look upon, Hone Bushi are clumsy and slow fighting (their lack of muscles and brains have taken a toll on them). Therefore, they do not represent a dire threat. But take care! A great number of them can corner even the most accomplished hero at the same time as they use their skeletal bodies to protect other, more dangerous yōkai.

Initiative: 2 · Health: 1 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Abilities printed for this yōkai:

• I will catch you sooner or later!: The Hone Bushi moves up to four squares towards the nearest hero.
• Smash them with all your power!: The Hone Bushi attacks with [attack dice icon] against a hero at range 1.

Yurei

"I'm simply irresistible!"

Wandering through eternity looking for true love, these pretty girls draw the glances of everybody... but it is better you do not take off the mask covering their faces. If there is someone able to look on their revealed faces without blinking, the Yurei will not attack... but then they will wish to marry him, whether he wants to or not!

Yurei generally appear in places where powerful magic has been practiced, since this makes it easier for them to manifest and look for love. Members of the Akatsume Clan have learned to manipulate the Yurei to serve their evil purposes: they simply tell them that handsome heroes are about to arrive...

Initiative: 6 · Health: 1 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Abilities printed for this yōkai:

• Tell me I am pretty!: The Yurei makes an attack with [attack dice icon] against the nearest hero within a range of 6 squares. The attacked hero also receives a "blindness" token.
• Where are the handsome heroes!: The Yurei moves up to 3 squares in a straight line towards the hero with most health tokens.

Chochin Obake

"Hahahahaha! Sorry — the moths are tickling me!"

As a house ages, the objects inside become infused with the sensations and feelings that surround them over the years — until at last, this life force emerges and the objects themselves come to life. The Chochin Obake is an example of this phenomenon: a lantern that was mainly used for festivals, this object has become animated with a joker spirit. They like to appear during any festivity or ruckus, and cause greater chaos. These lanterns know nothing about their origin, or why they do what they do. And they don't really care. They just know that people are scared of them, and that throwing their inner flames at others is very amusing. Their sense of fun has no limits. They think that setting fire to houses, destroying fields, and lighting the way on abandoned trails is hilarious. And if people burn in the houses, or if the harvest is ruined, or if travelers on the trail fall off a cliff? Well, that's just collateral damage!

Initiative: 5 · Health: 1 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Abilities printed for this yōkai:

• Be careful... I burn!: The Chochin Obake moves up to 4 squares towards the nearest hero. At the end of movement, it rolls an attack with [attack dice icon] against every hero within range 2. The attacked heroes also receive a "daze" token.

Akatsume Ninja

"Even though I took an arrow to the knee — I am still a ninja!"

Henchmen of the honorable Akatsume Clan, these ninjas are the hardworking warriors every community needs. Fighters, builders, merchants... these ninjas can do everything for the greater glory of the clan. The clan is big and powerful and they are proud to belong to it.

Granted, they sometimes make unforgivable mistakes, mainly when they face impossible tasks or complicated situations: they fail to stop the rain when the chief is walking, fail to move a mountain so the chief may enjoy the view, or fail to tell the chief that his suit does not fit him well. However, no matter how hard the work, nor how hard the punishment from the chiefs, the Akatsume Ninja is always willing to fulfill his duty so that at the end of the day he can return home to his wife and children.

Initiative: 7 · Health: 1 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Abilities printed for this yōkai:

• Stealthy movement!: The Ninja Akatsume moves up to 5 squares towards the nearest hero, following the shortest path. (The Ninja is able to pass through blocked terrain, but may not end its movement in such terrain.)
• Akatsume sword skill!: The Ninja Akatsume makes an attack with [attack dice icon] against a hero at range 1.
• Taste the Red Claw!: The Ninja Akatsume makes an attack with [attack dice icon] against the nearest hero at a range of up to 3 squares.

Furu Utsubo

"I'm hungryyyyy!"

Living in a bowl that has been empty for 100 years, the Furu Utsubo are always hungry. As a result, these yōkai relentlessly search for poor, unwary people to fill up their bellies, draining their victims of life. Their problem is, the Furu Utsubo are gluttons and do not know when to stop. A Furu Utsubo with access to a fountain of lifeblood will not stop eating until literally bursting! When this happens, nothing remains but a bowl on the ground — abandoned, but incredibly satisfied.

Initiative: 3 · Health: 1 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Abilities printed for this yōkai:

• I see food!: The Furu Utsubo moves up to 5 squares following the shortest path towards the hero with highest energy reserve.
• Dinner time!: The Furu Utsubo makes an attack rolling [attack dice icon] against the hero with the most energy reserve within a range of 2.

Shikigami Inu

"Do not hunt the wolves!"

From time to time, in wild wolf packs, the fiery spirits of the pack's strongest members live on beyond their mortal flesh. Leaders of the pack, these yōkai manifest to seek vengeance on humans for their outrages against nature.

The Shikigami Inu is the master of the hunt: it chases the prey, detects the weakest member, and hounds it until death. Moreover, the howl! It's a noise that makes the hair stand up on the base of the neck, one that makes you want to imitate it... but not without stopping to wonder how a ghostly wolf is able to create such a sound without a physical throat to produce it...

Initiative: 4 · Health: 1 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Abilities printed for this yōkai:

• I smell the prey!: The Shikigami Inu moves up to 6 squares towards the hero with the fewest health tokens.
• Bite!: The Shikigami Inu makes an attack with [attack dice icon] against a hero at range 1. The attacked hero also receives a "crush" token.

Obake Dono

"Some just want to see the world burn... and me too!"

Great yearly festivals are held to celebrate life, love and family: at these, huge lanterns are lit to consume and burn any evil thoughts that might destroy the reasons for the celebration. This is very true. Unfortunately, the evil accumulates quickly: if it is very powerful and the lantern is unable to burn it off quickly enough, the lantern is transformed into a fearsome yōkai. Obake Dono is the result: a burning lantern motivated by selfishness and hate, which in its furious charge seeks to burn everything in its path. Let this serve as a warning: be good, or Obake Dono will awake and seek revenge!

Initiative: 1 · Health: 1 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Abilities printed for this yōkai:

• Flames for everybody!: Obake Dono moves 3 squares towards the most distant hero. On finishing its movement, Obake Dono makes an attack against every hero within range 3, rolling [attack dice icon]. Heroes successfully attacked also receive a "daze" token.

Yoroi

"Some days I just feel empty inside..."

Heavy and imposing, these suits of armor need the combined efforts of several onmyoji of the Akatsume Clan to animate. Sometimes magic is not required, as the willpower of the warrior who wore the armor has infused the leather and metal, allowing it to continue to move on its own (imagine the size of such a warrior: inviting him to dinner would have cost a fortune!). Yoroi are attracted by challenge, so they will always seek out the strongest hero to engage in combat, to test their warrior abilities. Moreover, they have the advantage of being an empty suit of armor: they do not feel the heat or the cold, and they never feel alone (because families of mice live inside).

Initiative: 1 · Health: 1 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Abilities printed for this yōkai:

• Hard blow!: The Yoroi makes an attack against the hero at range 1 with the largest number of health tokens, rolling [attack dice icon].
• Military parade!: The Yoroi moves up to 4 squares towards the hero with the greatest number of health tokens. On finishing the movement, the Yoroi makes an attack with [attack dice icon] on all heroes within range 2.

Chiefs

"From my point of view, I'm the hero here."

The Dark Champions are formidable warriors that have risen in the ranks of their evil organizations due to their fabulous skills: infiltration, hand to hand combat, sorcery... and playing the shamisen. Whatever their nature and skills, any hero should be prepared whenever one of these dark versions of the heroes appears, because they have the bad habit of making things very difficult!

Akatsume Boss is the chief of all Akatsume ninja. "Power... is the only thing that matters!" The most usual question is, "How is it possible that this yōkai has come to lead the ninja?" The only sensible reply is, "How could it not, with such a violent appearance and all the skills that it possesses?" A fearsome enemy, this boss has mastered the ancient ninja art of lycanthropy, being able to become a mass of muscles, fangs and claws. Beware of him!

Tengu "I was born in the making of the world... what can children like you do against me?" Tengu is a formidable foe, who appears to task the heroes with complicated challenges. With the appearance of a mountain monk, wearing its unique big-nosed mask, Tengu is always an omen of difficult times ahead.

These ancient beings are masters of deception, capable of anything to fulfil their goals; but never underestimate their combat capabilities: the only honor they know is the one found in the heat of the battle, and they take this very seriously.

Initiative: ? · Health: ? · Defense: ?

Stories

The stories are at the heart of the Yōkai Quest game: they present the action within a narrative arc that provides the plot of the adventure in a classic structure of introduction, complication, and outcome.

The Scenario: Tell Me That Story Again...

The stories in the Adventure Book are composed of two main parts: narration and scene; these usually alternate as the story progresses. Narration takes place between the scenes to help tell the story, explaining where the heroes are, the problems they will face, and why they are fighting. Scenes are the playable part of the story: they describe how to set up to play, like the board(s) used, appearance points, and so on.

To progress from one scene to the next, it's necessary to achieve the victory conditions established for the scene. When the conditions are fulfilled, the appearance points stop working, and no more cards are drawn from the Appearance deck during the Yōkai phase. When there are no more yōkai left to fight, the scene ends and the next one is prepared.

Any additional victory conditions are also explained in the scene. If one or more of the victory conditions cannot be achieved any longer, the scene ends and the reattempt mechanic comes into play. When the heroes finish the final scene in the story, the scenario has been completed successfully.

Additionally, scenes may feature special achievements that can be accomplished. If heroes fulfil these achievements during the scene, at the end of it they will receive the specified reward. The Adventures Book provides all the necessary information about each story and the scenes that comprise it — including how to set up the game boards, composition of the decks, the victory conditions, etc.

Defeated Heroes: I'll Be Back!

When a hero loses all Health tokens, the hero is defeated: the miniature is removed from the board. When this happens, the player controlling the defeated hero discards all energy tokens, all altered state and reload tokens. The player must also discard one of the objects placed on any of the spaces of the Hero control panel, along with all the items in their hand.

A hero in this situation then waits until an ally uses a consumable that allows the hero to come back to the board, or until the scene finishes — either in a successful way or in need of a reattempt. If the scene ends in victory, the defeated hero receives one Health token and is lined up for the next scene (this adds to the specified scene transition unless otherwise indicated). If all the heroes in the scene are defeated, the Reattempt mechanic is engaged.

Reattempts: Please, Continue!

When this occurs, the scene is reset and must be played again from the beginning. The steps to be followed to reattempt a scene are:

• Energy, Appearance and Treasure decks are restored and shuffled.
• The treasure reserve is emptied.
• Victory conditions are reset, so any achievements obtained are discarded.
• All elements are restored to the starting points on the board.

The reattempt can only be tried once per scene. If the heroes fail twice, they lose the scenario. The Adventures book includes more information about specific mechanics that come into play if a scene is lost during an adventure.

Gameplay Summary

Hero phase:

• All the heroes gain energy! Each hero draws a card from the energy deck and adds the number of energy tokens to its corresponding reserve.
• Heroes play! In order decided by players, the heroes are activated one by one, being able to perform on activation two actions and a basic movement of three squares in any order.
• After finishing their activation, heroes remove one reload token of each ability with those tokens and an altered state of each type affecting them.

Yōkai phase:

• The yōkai appear! The present yōkai winds coins are flipped. For each matching color on the appearance points, draw a card from the appearance deck and place the indicated number of yōkai on said points. Also watch out for the appearance of certain yōkai stated in the description of the stage.
• Play the yōkai! They are handled by the players following their behavior pattern in decreasing order of initiative.
• To finish, remove all empowerments from heroes, all the altered states on the yōkai and any effects of the scenario that may be present.

Adventure Book

The adventure book is a set of scenarios. Each scenario is a series of scenes. The scene text below follows the printed scene layout: the board letters and appearance points come first, then the scene's special rules, victory conditions, achievements and rewards. Board layouts, the positions of the boards, miniatures and symbols on the map are drawn graphically in the printed manual and are not reproduced here.

Shake Them Skeleton Bones!

3 scenes — The Matsuri arrives, Nonstop rhythm, Master of the shamisen

Scene 1 — The Matsuri Arrives

The heroes wake up in the middle of the night because of a sudden uproar. The Hone Bushi have arrived! They are dancing out of control around the village, while they celebrate their Matsuri festival. In their madness they cause fights, destroy crops and intimidate the natives. The village needs help, put them to rest... again!

• Boards: 2A.
• Appearance points: Purple, red and blue.
• Appearance cards: A1 to A8.
• Scenery special rules:
  • During turns 2, 5 and 7 appear Hone Bushi by the purple point in number half the heroes represented.
  • Transition into scene 2 immediately, keeping the board and miniatures on it.
• Victory conditions: Defeat 12 Hone Bushi before turn 9.
• Special achievement: Defeat 12 Hone Bushi before turn 5. (Reward: add an additional treasure token to the treasure reserve.)
• Thank you, heroes! Take your breath for a moment. (Reward: all heroes recover 1 health token.)

Scene 2 — Nonstop Rhythm

That was only the beginning of the party. The Hone Bushi are inside the village and the houses, causing destruction and disasters... even the Furu Utsubo are joined to the feast and do not stop to play practical jokes. A far music is heard, playing along all the fuss happening.

• Boards: 2A (previous scene) – 1A.
• Appearance points: 2 reds, purple and blue.
• Appearance cards: A1 to A8, D1 to D4.
• Scenery special rules:
  • During turns 3, 6 and 8 appear by the purple entrance as many Furu Utsubo as heroes playing.
• Victory conditions: Defeat 15 yōkai before turn 9.
• Special achievement: Heroes do not use any energy tokens. (Reward: all heroes draw a Treasure card.)
• Good job, heroes! Look! The Furu Utsubo were carrying some goods, take anything you can use. And... the music is getting wilder? I feel very tired... (Reward: all heroes draw a treasure card.)

Scene 3 — Master of the Shamisen

The music is coming from the temple, and is clearly the source of all the commotion. The shamisen is played by a dark champion, and is channeling and absorbing all the energies of the villagers. This needs to be stopped by the heroes, or everyone will be turned to undead!

• Boards: 5A.
• Appearance points: 2 blues, and 1 purple.
• Appearance cards: A1 to A8 and D1 to D4.
• Scenery special rules:
  • The Undead Dark Champion is present on the board from the beginning.
  • Every turn a Yurei appears through the purple appearance point.
• Victory conditions: The undead champion loses all his life points.
• Special achievement: Defeat 8 Yurei. (Reward: one of the heroes can search the treasure deck for an enchantment and equip it.)
• Defeat conditions: The heroes do not defeat the chief before turn 15.
• Defeat penalty: Start over the game from scene 1.

Chief configuration — Undead Dark Champion: Health: 15 · Initiative: 6 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Printed abilities:

• This is a new piece! (printed flowchart text)

• Facemelter solo!: Each hero chooses either to lose a health token or an energy token.

• You are not ready for my art! (printed flowchart text)

• Thank you very much heroes, you saved us!! It was really a fortune call that you were with us... now take a well deserved rest! (All heroes recover two health tokens and search the treasure deck for an item of their choice to keep.)

The True Culprits

3 scenes — Into the woods / Evil's house / Metamorphosis

Scene 1 — Into the Woods

After finishing the yōkai matsuri in the town, the villagers say that some strange figures have been spotted running and jumping on the roofs; even some houses and the blacksmith have been robbed. Now these burglars are trying to escape, so they need to be chased and stopped!

• Boards: 2A – 8A.
• Appearance points: Purple, red and green.
• Appearance cards: C1 to C4 and E1 to E8.
• Scenery special rules:
  • The Akatsume dark champion and two Akatsume ninja are present on the board from the beginning.
  • Movement through the green border squares costs double.
  • The yōkai winds coins must be set to alternate appearances between red and green. Green/yellow coin is turned every turn.
• Victory conditions: Defeat the Akatsume dark champion.
• Defeat penalty: All heroes discard their items in hand.

Chief configuration — Akatsume Dark Champion: Health: 12 · Initiative: 7 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Printed abilities:

• This is tactical retreat!: The Akatsume Dark Champion moves two squares towards the purple appearance point.

• Stop right there!: The Akatsume dark champion throws [attack dice icon] kunais to the closest hero, rolling [attack dice icon]. The attacked hero also receives a "tangle" token.

• Other printed flowchart texts: "You won't catch me!", "See you later!".

• Heroes, good job chasing them! I recognize these pesky foes... it is the Akatsume clan! What business are they having here? (Reward: all heroes recover one health token.)

Scene 2 — Evil's House

A hidden trail in the woods starts where the heroes stopped the dark champion; it leads to a fortified town, an Akatsume hideout. No one knows when they built that, but better expel them from here for the sake of the villagers!

• Boards: 1A – 3A.
• Appearance points: Blue, yellow and green.
• Appearance cards: C1 to C8 and E1 to E8.
• Scenery special rules:
  • Every time a yōkai is defeated, turn the green/yellow yōkai winds coin.
  • On turns 4 and 8 a Yoroi appears on the purple appearance point.
• Victory conditions: Defeat two Yoroi.
• Special achievement: Defeat both Yoroi on the same turn. (Reward: all heroes recover one health token.)
• Oh, oh... I was hoping that was everything, but I think it is not. Heroes beware! Their leader is coming! (Reward: all the heroes draw a treasure card.)

Scene 3 — Metamorphosis

A huge figure emerges on a temple at the end of the street: "You dare to interfere in our plan? The Akatsume clan will take over the world! Now watch the might you are facing..."

• Boards: 4A – 6A.
• Appearance points: Purple, yellow, green, red and blue.
• Appearance cards: A1 to A4, B1 to B4, C1 to C8.
• Scenery special rules:
  • The Akatsume Boss is present on the board from the beginning.
  • The yellow/green yōkai winds coin is turned every turn.
  • Every turn a Shikigami Inu appears through the purple appearance point.
• Victory conditions: Defeat the Akatsume Boss.
• Special achievement: Defeat the Akatsume Boss and 8 Shikigami Inu before turn 9. (Reward: all heroes recover 2 health tokens and draw a treasure card.)
• Defeat penalty: All heroes discard their equipped items.

Chief configuration — Akatsume Boss: Health: 20 · Initiative: 2 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Printed abilities:

• Wolf claws!: The Akatsume Boss swipes his claws, attacking all the heroes up to two squares with [attack dice icon].
• The hunt begins!: The Akatsume Boss moves three squares towards the hero with most health tokens.
• Steel bite!: The Akatsume Boss attacks the hero with fewer health tokens at range 1, rolling [attack dice icon].
• Other printed flowchart texts: "Howl at the moon!", "Let's head back to the town to feast and celebrate!" (Reward: heroes recover all health points.)

Rain of Flames

1 scene — Light, fire and destruction

Scene 1 — Light, Fire and Destruction

During the grateful dinner held for saving the small village, the townsfolk talk about a very tall and big nose being who has been spotted in the forest a few times lately. One farmer claims it to be a symbol of doom, a punishment for anyone to enter the darker areas of the forest. Suddenly, many houses are set on fire and the flames extend through all the village. A loud voice sounds over the town... "INTERLOPERS! YOU DARE TO COME TO MY FOREST AND MESS WITH MY PLANS... YOU NEED TO PAY!"

• Boards: 2A – 8A – 5A – 6A.
• Appearance points: Yellow, green, red and blue.
• Appearance cards: A1 to A4, B1 to B4, D1 to D8.
• Scenery special rules:
  • Two Obake Dono are present on the board from the beginning.
  • The yellow/green yōkai winds coin is turned every time an Obake Dono is defeated.
  • Every turn an Obake appears through the purple appearance point.
  • At the beginning of every Yōkai phase, if there is no Obake Dono or only one on the board, place one on the corresponding green/yellow appearance point as stated by its yōkai winds coin; this is done besides the usual appearance from the appearance deck.
  • Flames rain through the air! Each hero receives an attack with [attack dice icon] at the end of every Yōkai phase.
  • Movement through the green border squares costs double.
• Victory conditions: Defeat 6 Obake Dono.
• Special achievement: Defeat one Obake Dono while it is on top of the bridge. (Reward: all heroes start the next scenario with full energy reserve.)
• Heroes! Whoever may be causing this seems to be very capable of carrying out his threats... The only solution seems to be to head back to the forest, even if it is clearly a trap! (Reward: every hero recovers 3 health tokens.)

Lair of Anger

2 scenes — The evil alliance / Moths against the lanterns

Scene 1 — The Evil Alliance

After the attack against the town, the heroes head to the darkest area of the forest. There is where the voice seems to come, and where the villagers say the evil resides. The loud voice sounds over again: "COME HERE OR I WILL DESTROY THE ENTIRE TOWN!". While the surroundings become darker and darker, the heroes keep advancing... finally, a cavern appears before them... "YES, ENTER MY LAIR, AND PAY FOR YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS!"

• Boards: 6B – 8B.
• Appearance points: Yellow, green, purple, red and blue.
• Appearance cards: A4 to A8, D1 to D8.
• Scenery special rules:
  • Two Yoroi and two Yurei are present on the board from the beginning.
  • The yellow/green yōkai winds coin is turned every time a Yurei is defeated.
  • Extreme heat! Movement through the green border squares costs one health token per square moved. Yōkai are not affected by this.
  • Every turn a Obake appears through the yellow appearance point.
  • Every turn a Yurei appears through the purple appearance point.
• Victory conditions:
  • All the heroes reach the purple appearance point.
  • The Yoroi and the two Yurei are defeated.
• He was allied with the Akatsume clan! And look at those vessels, I bet they are not for a good purpose. (Reward: all the heroes draw a treasure card.)

Scene 2 — Moths Against the Lanterns

A huge figure appears at the back of the cavern, the Tengu is here! "You came here to serve me, as everyone before you! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE!" A purple gas starts to come out of the vessels. It does not look good, the trap is set... the heroes need to escape the cavern before it is too late!

• Boards: 6B – 8B – 7B.
• Appearance points: Yellow, purple, red and blue.
• Appearance cards: A1 to A8, B1 to B4.
• Scenery special rules:
  • Two Obake Dono are present on the board from the beginning.
  • The yellow/green yōkai winds coin is turned every time an Obake is defeated.
  • Every turn an Obake appears through the yellow appearance point.
  • Every turn a Yurei appears through the purple appearance point.
  • Extreme heat! Movement through the green border squares costs one health token per square moved. Yōkai are not affected by this.
  • Purple gas! Every hero removes a health token or an energy token at the end of each Yōkai phase.
• Victory conditions: All the heroes reach the purple appearance point.
• Wow, that was close! I bet that's how the undead dark champion was serving them... that purple thing is dangerous! (Reward: all the heroes recover all the health tokens and search the treasure deck for a consumable of their choice to keep.)

Frozen Tracks

2 scenes — The girl of the bridge / A snow-covered village

Scene 1 — The Girl of the Bridge

After the escape from the cavern, the heroes decide to go back to the Akatsume clan hideout and try to identify where the wrongdoer Tengu has gone, and what business he and the Akatsume clan have together. A strong wind starts to blow, and snow clouds begin to gather like a prophecy of disaster.

Suddenly, heroes hear a remote shouting! A girl is lying down on the bridge, motionless. As the heroes approach to try to help her, she reveals her true being... a Yurei! And there are yōkai everywhere, it is an ambush! There is no alternative but to fight.

• Boards: 8A.
• Appearance points: Yellow, green, purple, red and blue.
• Appearance cards: A1 to A4, C1 to C4 and E1 to E8.
• Scenery special rules:
  • The yellow/green yōkai winds coin is turned every time a Yurei is defeated.
  • A Yurei is present on the board since the beginning.
  • Every turn two Yurei appear through the purple appearance point.
  • Movement through the green border squares costs double.
• Victory conditions: Turn 10 begins.
• Special achievement: Defeat 10 Akatsume ninja before turn 8. (Reward: all heroes draw a treasure card.)
• Special achievement: The Yurei present on the board since the beginning is the last yōkai defeated. (Reward: all heroes draw a treasure card.)
• That was a close one! It looks like they were waiting for us... take care! (Reward: all heroes recover two health tokens.)

Scene 2 — A Snow-Covered Village

After resisting the yōkai ambush, you arrive at the remains of the Akatsume hideout; here the snow is more abundant and is still falling in an unnatural way. Nearby, a shining object is standing in the middle of a street guarded by two snow statues. As you come near it, you see it clearly: the object is a crystal sphere, with a representation of the land inside it! And... those statues are not statues!

• Boards: 4B – 1B.
• Appearance points: Purple, red and blue.
• Appearance cards: A4 to A8, C1 to C8, D1 to D8.
• Scenery special rules:
  • Two Yoroi are present on the board from the beginning.
  • Every turn a Yurei and a Shikigami Inu appear through the purple appearance point.
  • On turn 5 an Undead Dark Champion and two Hone Bushi appear on the Hero entrance point.
  • Crystal Sphere! Represented by a piece of terrain or a token placed correctly on the board. Has 20 health points and rolls [defense dice icon] on defense.
  • Wind and snow! All the range and run attributes of the heroes are reduced by one for the duration of the scene.
• Victory conditions:
  • The heroes destroy the Crystal Sphere.
  • The heroes defeat the Undead Dark Champion.
• Special achievement: Defeat the Undead Dark Champion before turn 8. (Reward: one player can search the Treasure deck and take a card.)

Chief configuration — Undead Dark Champion: Health: 8 · Initiative: 2 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Printed abilities:

• We are on tour!: The Undead Dark Champion moves 3 squares towards the hero with the most energy tokens and places an Empowerment token on every Hone Bushi on the board. Empowered Hone Bushi double their movement capability and throw an additional red die when attacking.
• Sound barrier!: The Undead Dark Champion attacks with [attack dice icon] at the closest hero with the most energy tokens. For every successful blow, the hero loses an energy token on top of the health token lost normally.
• Printed flowchart texts: "Lead role!", "It is payday!".
• Good idea destroying the ball! I hope that puts an end to the wind and snow. (Reward: all the heroes recover all the health tokens.)

Final Destination

3 scenes — The temple outskirts / The dark ritual / Final showdown

Scene 1 — The Temple Outskirts

While the Akatsume clan was gathering energy from the villagers, the Tengu was using that energy to change the weather and turn people into yōkai; this can be a disaster if not stopped in time. The representation of the land inside the sphere shows other spheres scattered, but the heroes notice a central point connecting all of them: a temple on the top of the nearby mountains. The heroes quickly head for it. As they approach the temple, the sky is turning purple. This does not look good!

• Boards: 6A – 2A.
• Appearance points: Blue, purple.
• Appearance cards: C1 to C8, D1 to D8 and E1 to E8.
• Scenery special rules:
  • The Akatsume Dark Champion and two Yoroi are present since the beginning of the scene.
  • Every turn a Shikigami Inu and a Yurei appear through the purple appearance point.
• Victory conditions: Defeat the Akatsume Dark Champion.
• Special achievement: Defeat the Akatsume Dark Champion before turn 12. (Reward: all heroes draw a treasure card.)

Chief configuration — Undead Dark Champion (as printed in this scene): Health: 15 · Initiative: 9 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Note: this scene's victory condition and special rules name the Akatsume Dark Champion, but the chief configuration block printed on the page is headed "Undead Dark Champion". Both are transcribed as printed; the printed page should be checked for which chief is intended.

Printed abilities:

• Make them pay!: The Undead dark champion moves away 1 square from the closest hero and places an Empowerment token on every yōkai at 5 squares or less from him. Empowered yōkai add a katana result when attacking.
• Akatsume red claws of destruction!: The Akatsume Dark Champion attacks with [attack dice icon] to every hero within 2 squares.
• Printed flowchart texts: "You shall not pass!", "Glory to the clan!".
• He was determined to stop you there! Hurry, there is something very bad going on! (Reward: all heroes recover 2 health tokens.)

Scene 2 — The Dark Ritual

Finally, the site of the ritual is before the heroes. A sinister figure is at the center of the room, conducting some sort of ritual; it is the maker of every suffering, darkness and evil: the wrongdoer Tengu. "You have arrived far, but it is too late: my ritual will be completed soon, and this land will belong to the yōkai. However, should you still be so stubborn to think you can stop me, I will show you how wrong you are". There should be a way to stop this madness!

• Boards: 5A.
• Appearance points: Blue, red, yellow, green.
• Appearance cards: A4 to A8, B4 to B8 and E1 to E8.
• Scenery special rules:
  • The Tengu is present since the beginning of the scene.
  • Pillar of Energy! Represented by a piece of terrain or a token placed correctly on the board. Has 8 health points and rolls [defense dice icon] on defense.
  • Transition into scene 2 immediately, keeping the board and miniatures on it. (Printed as "scene 2" on this scene's page; this is the third scene of the scenario and the printed reference is transcribed as-is.)
  • The yellow/green yōkai winds coin is turned every turn.
• Victory conditions:
  • Destroy the Pillars of Energy before turn 15.
  • Defeat the Tengu (Reward: the next scene is completed immediately, ending successfully the mission "Final destination").
• Special achievement: No hero loses health tokens from the "I'm losing control!" ability from the Tengu. (Reward: all heroes search the treasure deck for a card of their choice to keep.)

Chief configuration — Tengu: Health: 30 · Initiative: 8 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Printed abilities:

• Burn in flames!: The Tengu launches flames over the hero with most health tokens and their allies up to two squares away, attacking with [attack dice icon].
• Minions! Stop them!: A Yoroi and an Obake Dono appear on the blue and red appearance points respectively.
• Energy drain!: The Tengu attacks the hero with most energy tokens, rolling [attack dice icon]. Blows from this ability only remove energy tokens from the hero.
• Fire blast!: The Tengu launches an explosive flame at the closest hero, attacking with [attack dice icon].
• I'm losing control!: The ritual launches lightning to different areas of the board, attacking the heroes present with [attack dice icon]. Areas cover up to three squares from each Pillar of Energy, and the decision of which one is affected is made by rolling [attack dice icon] and checking the result: Area 1, Area 2, Area 3 and Area 4 (each result is shown by an icon on the printed page). Uncancelled blows from this ability remove energy tokens. If the hero has no energy tokens to remove, then loses health tokens.
• Printed flowchart texts: "Face the true POWER!", "Four!", "Three!", "Two!", "One!", "How many Pillars left?", "You will pay for this outrage!", "Now he is vulnerable! Attack him now! (Reward: all heroes recover 1 health token.)"

Scene 3 — Final Showdown

The ritual has been stopped! The Tengu is still in the middle of the room, infuriated: "So you managed to stop the ritual... NOW YOU HAVE MY FULL ATTENTION!!"

• Boards: 5A (previous scene).
• Appearance points: Blue, red, yellow, green, purple.
• Appearance cards: A4 to A8, B4 to B8 and E1 to E8.
• Scenery special rules:
  • The yellow/green yōkai winds coin is turned every turn.
  • Every turn a Shikigami Inu and a Yurei appear through the purple appearance point.
• Victory conditions: Defeat the Tengu.

Chief configuration — Tengu: Health: 30 · Initiative: 8 · Defense: [defense dice icon]

Printed abilities:

• Pillar of flames!: The Tengu causes a massive explosion that covers all squares at range 4 and 5, causing an attack with [attack dice icon]. Heroes affected by this also receive a "blindness" token.

• Fan of the winds!: The Tengu swings the Fan of the winds, pushing all the heroes at range 2 and 3 all the way back to the border squares of the board. This movement is done following the line formed by the affected hero and the Tengu, in the most straight way possible.

• Sword of flames!: The Tengu attacks the hero with most energy tokens at range 1, rolling [attack dice icon]. The hero affected by this also receives a "crush" token.

• March of the true lord!: The Tengu moves up to 3 squares towards the hero with the most health tokens. At the end of the movement, the Tengu recovers 4 health points.

• Printed flowchart texts: "I will end this NOW!", "Only a little more...!".

• You have done it! You are truly great heroes for being able to defeat that magnificent foe. But... where is the Tengu? He has just vanished? I really hope he never comes back again... This is the end of this journey!! Thank you very much for saving the land from the evil claws of the Akatsume clan and the Tengu! See you in the next adventure!