Woo!
PS Shax gives you 2 extra dice. But you didn't need the extra one.
Yeah! Who is weakest now Peryton?! Who is weakest now?!
End my turn.
Hand: Greatsword, Longsword, Crowbar, Chain Mail
Oh yeah. Well he is extra dead now!
By the Grace of Shax (Demon Lord of Murder), you prevail!
Heggal's Blessing
Discard this card to add 2 dice to any non-combat Constitution check.
Discard this card to explore your location.
After you play this card, if it matches the top card of the blessings discard pile, recharge this card instead of discarding it.
If you continue with Defender's Heart, here are the next two cards.
Monster 1
Human Cavalier Veteran
CtD Combat 13
The difficulty of the check to defeat is increased by the scenario’s adventure deck number.
Before you act, if you have the Divine skill, the Mad Knight deals 1d4+1 Combat damage to you.
If defeated, draw a random blessing that has the Corrupted trait from the box.
Monster 1
Outsider Demon
CtD Combat 14
The Wrecker Demon is immune to the Electricity and Poison traits.
If undefeated, bury a non-Basic item or banish an item.
These deformed hunchbacks delight in destroying beauty, yet they hate their own hideous reflections.
Btw, if you know you plan to switch locations (ex: Merisiel now that she has a weapon, Heggal to avoid the Blasphemous Priest, etc), go ahead and say any time (before your turn, even). I'm trying to preload enough to be convenient without preloading too much to harm the mood. It's an interesting balance.
Valeros' discard is this: BotG, BotG, Abadar, Shax, Quartermaster. This is actually a very juicy discard pile blessings wise, so a suggestion would be to go to the Defender's Heart and Cure Valeros with one of the Allies.
The alternative is to try and explore Defender's Heart even with the Priest (1/10 at the moment).
I'm considering going to Defender's Heart if Heggal moves away. I currently get d12 + 2d6 when alone and I'd like to cycle away some of my less useful things and fighting is the best way to do that. I also have lots of Armor and can be a bit more risky. But on the other hand, nobody has blessings and a potential henchman means that I'd be in danger of not being able to close the location (only having d8 on the die)
Remember, Hand Crossbow requires proficiency to add the extra d8 (not to mention another weapon).
In case you go to Befouled Altar and explore, or to prep for Valeros' turn.
Half-Elf
CtA Arcane Divine Charisma Diplomacy 8
Recharge this card to add 1d6 to your Arcane or Divine check.
Discard this card to explore your location.
Human Cleric Cultist Veteran
CtD Combat 10
The difficulty of checks to defeat the Cultist of Baphomet is increased by the scenario’s adventure deck number.
Before you act, if this is your first exploration of the turn, the Cultist of Baphomet deals 1 Combat damage to you.
If undefeated, shuffle the top card of the blessings deck into your location deck.
If defeated, you may immediately attempt to close the location this henchman came from.
Also, the next two Blessings:
Corrupted
Discard this card to add 1 die to your check.
Discard this card to explore your location.
If the top card of the blessings discard pile has the Corrupted trait, discard this card to add 2 dice plus the scenario’s adventure deck number to your check.
Corrupted
Discard this card to add 1 die to any check.
Discard this card to add 2 dice to any check attempted during the first exploration of a turn.
If the top card of the blessings discard pile has the Corrupted trait, discard this card to explore your location.
I think that discard pile is too good to ignore.
Moving to Befouled Altar, revealing standard bearer to heal Valeros.
I'm not going to use my last ally to explore, so I pass the turn.
New hand: Fireblade, Sage's Journal, Sage, Lookout, Sosiel Vaenic
That Hand Crossbow that was just lying on that rack! I wonder who left all these weapons there... I've heard rumors that the Defender's Heart will require some "cleansing", so to speak. The Crossbow isn't good for stabbing, but it'll have to do.
Move to the Defender's Heart and explore.
Mad Knight. Good thing Heggal moved away (that's nasty for him!). CtD is 14 (13 + AD1). Using the Hand Crossbow + recharging the Footpad's Boots.
There's no other help to be had, so I will roll:
Merisiel sneaks up on the frothing knight with silent footsteps courtesy of the Footpad's Boots and let loose. The bolt hits true, and the knight collapses into a heap.
Mad Knight gives a corrupted blessing, so I will wait for Keith to draw a blessing for me before deciding what to do next, but since noone has blessings at the moment it may be prudent for me to hold onto this and let you guys use it, especially if it's Shax or Abraxas. If it's Deskari though (lower chance since we've seen 2-3 of them), it may be worth using it to explore since it can't be used to help others.
Public CO'ing a discard of Helm of the Valkyrie if Shax/Abraxas comes up and someone uses the blessing I have in my hand. If I pull Shax/Abraxas, don't explore. Otherwise wait and I will decide.
EDIT: Actually, hold onto the Blessing if it's Baphomet as well, again I think we might need it. Only explore if it's Deskari.
Thanks for the heal!
Mad Knight. Good thing Heggal moved away (that's nasty for him!).
Oh good grief! I get the feeling that I was not supposed to go to Defender's Heart...
Thanks for the heal!
Anytime! When the mojo is against you, sometimes you have to resign yourself and make sure everyone else can do what they need to.
Random blessing is Shax
Blessing B
Divine Shax Corrupted
CtA Combat 9 or Divine 5
Discard this card to add 1 die to any check.
Discard this card to add 2 dice to any combat Strength or Dexterity check.
Discard this card to explore your location.
After you play this card, if the top card of the blessings discard pile has the Corrupted trait, discard a card.
Yeah, I was groaning a little bit at the Mad Knight cause that'd be an awful followup to the Blasphemous Priest. Thankfully, things worked out.
I believe Merisiel's turn is done, and it's onto Valeros. The blessing (Baphomet) and top 2 cards of Befouled Altar are just a few posts back.
Alrighty. Attempting Diplomacy 8 for the Apprentice.
Acquired. I'm a card over, but I'm not sure I want to explore with my new ally and (a) risk the Demonling and (b) not have an ally in my hand. I'm thinking I'll end my turn and just discard the Crowbar.
Sorry, in a hurry to get out of the house, here is my hand update:
My hand: Hand Crossbow, Leather Armor, Helm of the Valkyrie, Sage's Journal, Blessing of Shax
Discard: BotG, Thieves' Tools
Bottom: Footpad's Boots
That feels like such a waste, but I'm still having trouble getting out of the 6-player mindset, so you're probably making the right call.
Yeah. We are only 3, and with the fact that the ally might not really let me explore and the fact that the summoned demonling could mean a failed defeat of a monster at this location costing us a blessing, I don't want the double risk. So I'm ending my turn with the Crowbar going in the discard pile.
I guess that makes it my turn. I still have my fireblade, so as long as I don't hit another Huecuva or something immune to fire, I should be able to handle a combat, so I'll stay here to explore...
Henchman!
okay, it's my first exploration, so I take 1 damage. I also know I'll have to face another cultist to close, so I should probably hang onto the sage's journal.
I discard lookout to damage. Play fireblade, revealing sage's journal to add 1d4, revealing sage to add 1d4
You're still with Valeros so you get an extra d6 due to his power.
Well, that handily defeats the first of the two cultist's. How about the next one?
Wait, I forgot to add Valeros's bonus. Oh, well, I still won easily. With Valeros's help on the check to close, I'm looking at a pretty good check, so I'm going to go for it.
discard Sosiel Vaenic to damage before combat. Reveal sage's journal for 1d4; reveal sage for 1d4; Valeros reveals Apprentice to add 1d6; melee is 1d8+2, here we go:
...
It's just not my game is it?
Discard Sage's journal to damage, end turn and reset hand:
Cure, Cure, Wooden Armor, Holy Water, Sage
At the start of Meri's turn, I cast a cure on myself. Anyone else want one?
Edit: also, blessing needs to get shuffled into this location.
I didn't flip a Blessing for Heggal - it was Sarenrae. Looks like I shuffle the next blessing (Shelyn) into the deck, and discard the next one (Befouled Altar location), which was an Ascension.
Merisiel's Blessing is also Ascension.
Monster 1
Outsider Demon
CtD Combat 14
The Wrecker Demon is immune to the Electricity and Poison traits.
If undefeated, bury a non-Basic item or banish an item.
These deformed hunchbacks delight in destroying beauty, yet they hate their own hideous reflections.
Ally 1
Human Oracle
CtA Charisma Diplomacy 11
At the end of your move step, reveal this card and choose a category: bane or boon. Then examine the top card of your location deck. If that card matches your choice, encounter it.
Discard this card to explore your location.
Explore the top.
Wrecker Demon. CtD Combat 14. I like my item, so Blessing of Shax is going to get used. I should probably cycle stuff, so Helm is going to the bottom. Seems like a bit of overkill, but I want my own blessings drawn.
:( another 14 CtD
Another super high roll, lol
End turn.
trying to do a new thing for rolling for hand update without rerolls, will have a "pool" that decreases by 1. Will go down from the top left to bottom right, skipping any that have been accounted for in hand/bottom/top/discard/previous.
Hand: Hand Crossbow, Leather Armor, Sage's Journal, (NEW) Dagger, Caltrops
Bottom: (bottom up) Helm of the Valkyrie, Footpad's Boots
Discard: BotG, Thieves' Tools, Blessing of Shax
Can I borrow your dice? :-P
Given that I just rolled a 3 on a d10 and a 4 on a d9, do your really want them? :P
Fluff:
Merisiel continued down the Defender's Heart, looking for clues about the missing villagers, when she notices a Wrecker Demon minding its own business.
"That last Crossbow hit I got was pretty lucky, so maybe I should bolster this one." From the shadows, she took careful aim with another bolt and fired. The bolt struck true and the Wrecked Demon died instantly.
Merisiel felt a wave of pleasure wash over her; she had heard about the Demon Lord Shax, lord of murderers, around these parts. While stabbing things was fun, she prefers only to stab things that deserved it. She should be careful.
Hey, they weren't 1's!
Also, I'm gonna try some fluff, too:
Fun as drunken brawls were, Heggal was growing tired of the discourteous portions of the Defender's Heart clientele. He knew Valeros was checking on some cult's altar, and was probably getting himself in trouble.
Heggal called on one of his buddies to grab a scroll of cure, and in the mean time checked the area for some cultist to punch.
There's usually only one cultist at these type of places, right?
hawkmoon, what's currently in your discard pile right now? You got a heal, but you didn't tell us which cards got shuffled in.
Status after three rounds
19 blessings remain
0M/1Ba/0W/1S/0Ar/0I/0Al/2Bl (NO HENCHMAN)
AT THIS LOCATION
If you fail a check to defeat a monster, discard a card from the blessings deck.
WHEN CLOSING
Summon and defeat the henchman Cultist of Baphomet.
WHEN PERMANENTLY CLOSED
On closing, bury a blessing from your discard pile.
Baphomet’s minions and other malefic cultists weaken the resolve of their enemies by defiling sacred shrines. Their acts of depravity and exploitation corrupt temples that once offered sanctuary. Enemies of evil have learned that any resources crusaders redeem are still vulnerable to demonic corruption. Within the Worldwound, the sacred has become profane, the blessed has become blasphemous, and those who seek divinity have become the damned.
AT THIS LOCATION
When you attempt a check to defeat a bane, you may recharge any number of allies; for each ally recharged, add 1d4.
WHEN CLOSING
Summon and acquire a random ally.
WHEN PERMANENTLY CLOSED
For the rest of the scenario, add 1 to your checks to acquire allies by characters at any location.
Mercenaries and crusaders frequent the largest inn Kenabres has ever seen. The owner, Kimroth, is a mercenary who lost his arm fighting demonic hordes. Now he trades tales with other survivors.
AT THIS LOCATION
When you attempt to acquire a boon, add 1 plus the scenario’s adventure deck number to checks to acquire it.
WHEN CLOSING
Choose a type of boon other than loot; summon and acquire a random boon of that type.
WHEN PERMANENTLY CLOSED
At the end of your turn, you may give a card to any character.
Merchants often prosper in times of turmoil, as long as they survive. When adversity is at its worst, heroes and cowards alike desperately purchase any goods that will increase their slim chances of survival.
AT THIS LOCATION
When you acquire a weapon, you may draw a card.
WHEN CLOSING
Summon and acquire a random weapon.
WHEN PERMANENTLY CLOSED
No effect.
Faith and knowledge are powerful weapons, but sometimes, all you really want when you’re standing against a horde of demons is a sharpened blade of cold, hard steel. When armies prepare for the latest crusade, they seize any weapons they can find. There’s no shortage of implements of destruction in this armory, but heroes who scavenge here might walk away with exotic weapons they’ve never seen before.
AT THIS LOCATION
When you encounter a boon of a type other than loot here, draw a random boon of that type from the box; encounter 1 and banish the other.
WHEN CLOSING
Summon and acquire a random ally.
WHEN PERMANENTLY CLOSED
No effect.
Mendev’s most elaborate estates have fallen on hard times. Wealthy land owners can no longer count on their safety or security. Instead, travelers come and go across their lands. Vast manor houses are now waystations for pilgrims and wanderers, though some of them are decidedly unfriendly. If you’re particularly diplomatic, you might acquire a few boon companions while passing through a neglected estate. If you aren’t, of course, you might suddenly attract some new enemies.
Round 2 Recap:
Valeros gathered the blessings of Shax and Abadar to his efforts to cleanse the altar, then eviscerated a Peryton.
Heggal left the drunken brawl to assist Valeros with a powerful heal.
Merisiel dispatched a Mad Divine-hunting Knight who had been sneaking up on Heggal.
Round 3 Recap:
Valeros's capable diplomacy made an Apprentice defect and join the rightful cause.
Heggal smote one cultist, but could not finish a second. The cult's chanting around the Altar grows; the forces of good are running out of time to stop the cult's foul plot!
Merisiel discovers a Worm Demon hidden amongst the good mercenaries and crusaders. Quick firing of the hand crossbow put one between the, well, not eyes. Or, wait, how... but... does... okay, no more thinking about Worm Demon physiology.
Valeros Blessing
Discard this card to add 2 dice to any non-combat Strength check.
Discard this card to explore your location.
After you play this card, if it matches the top card of the blessings discard pile, recharge this card instead of discarding it.
If you want to stick around and finish Befouled Altar - cards for both Valeros and Heggal to potentially deal with:
Barrier 1
Trap Poison Elite
Display this barrier faceup next to your location. The first time each turn that a character explores this location, each character at that location rolls 1d4.
1. You are dealt 1d4+1 Poison damage
2. You are dealt 1d4+1 Fire damage.
3. Bury the top card of your deck.
4. Discard a card and banish this barrier.
Blessing B
Divine Shelyn
CtA Wisdom 4 or Divine 5
Discard this card to add 1 die to any check.
Discard this card to add 2 dice to any non-combat Wisdom check.
Discard this card to explore your location.
After you play this card, if it matches the top card of the blessings discard pile, recharge this card instead of discarding it.
Spell B
Magic Arcane Divine Mental Veteran
CtA Intelligence Arcane Wisdom Divine 6
Discard this card to add 1 plus the scenario’s adventure deck number to any check to acquire or any check to close a location.
After playing this card, if you do not have either the Arcane or Divine skill, banish it; otherwise, you may succeed at an Arcane or Divine 8 check to recharge this card instead of discarding it.
Divine Deskari Corrupted Veteran
CtA Survival 7 or Divine 5
Discard this card to add 1 die to your check.
Discard this card to explore your location.
If the top card of the blessings discard pile has the Corrupted trait, discard this card to add 2 dice plus the scenario’s adventure deck number to your check.
If you want to go somewhere else, let me know. I'll probably be away for a couple hours, so just in case loading up the next two blessings:
Discard this card to add 1 die to any check.
Discard this card to add 2 dice to any non-combat Strength check.
Discard this card to explore your location.
After you play this card, if it matches the top card of the blessings discard pile, recharge this card instead of discarding it.
Discard this card to add 1 die to any check.
Recharge this card to ignore the Abyssal or Corrupted trait on a card until the end of your turn.
Discard this card to explore your location.
After you play this card, if it matches the top card of the blessings discard pile, recharge this card instead of discarding it.
Where's the first card in the Befouled Altar?
I encountered a Wrecker Demon, not a Worm Demon.
Options:
-It's probably better to leave the Altar now that there's no Henchman in the deck. If the Villain escapes, the deck is smaller.
-Heggal should go find a weapon given his combat troubles; the Armory, the Marketplace, or the Manor House is a good place to do it. Manor House is good because you get to draw 2, thus making sure you can get one that's suited for you.
-I'm probably not the best suited to the Defender's Heart because of the close requirement (which my CHA is good, we already failed a close). I can move to one of the empty locations and continue to grab stuff (most likely Marketplace because of the 2 allies).
-I'm aggressively cycling because I need to pull up my blessings for more explores. We're finished a third of the deck but didn't close a single location.
Sorry, my discard pile is currently Crowbar, Quartermaster, BotG, B.Abadar.
I have a Longsword and a Greatsword in hand. They penalize for lack of proficiency, but I can give one to Heggal.
Should I move then? Perhaps to the Manor House or the Armory to do some looting before we hunt down the forces of evil? If Heggal and I team up at one of those locations I can help with the combat checks for Heggal while we are together.
Heggal, let me know if you want a weapon before I move. And also whether you want to team up at the Armor or Manor House. If we are together and I get a non-proficient Melee weapon, I can give it to you on my turn.
Hand Greatsword, Longsword, Chain Mail, Apprentice
Discard Crowbar, Quartermaster, BotG, B.Abadar
Deck 10
Ok. I will move to the armory and explore. If Heggal wants one of my weapons before anything that matters happens, then I give it to him.
*blink* It was totally a Wrecker Demon, not a Worm Demon. Ah well, too late to edit it now.
Top card of Befouled Altar is listed a couple back. But in the meantime, Valeros explores the Armory!
Helm
Armor B
Heavy Armor Basic
CtA Con/Fort 3
Recharge this card to reduce Combat damage dealt to you by 1; you may play another armor on this check. If proficient with heavy armors, you may reveal this card instead of recharging it.
Hmmm... I could use a nice helm.
Nice... In the discard pile it goes as I end my turn.
Blessing for Heggal's turn is a Blessing of Torag. Where to, my fine cleric friend?
Sorry, I had a busy evening, but I'm back now! I think I'm heading to the Manor. I think Meri has the right idea about being able to check multiple cards.
Excellent. Top card and its alternate are...
Potion of Restoration
Item 1
Liquid Alchemical Elite
CtA Intelligence Craft 7
You may not play this card during an encounter.
Display this card to choose a character at your location to draw 2 cards from his deck. At the end of the turn, banish this card.
Potion of Beast Skin
Item B
Liquid Alchemical Basic
CtA Intelligence Craft 4
Display this card and choose a character at your location. While displayed, reduce Combat damage dealt to that character by 2. At the end of the turn, banish this card.
I'm not a fan of beast skin, so I'll do a hail mary to try to grab potion of restoration:
revealing sage:
wow, that worked! sweet!
I'll immediately use it to draw 2...
Drawing Sage's Journal and Fireblade.
I'm not discarding my ally to explore, so I'll pass the turn, discarding Holy Water.
Hand: Fireblade, Cure, Sage's Journal, Wooden Armor, Sage
Discard: Cure, Holy Water
Your luck had to turn some day :)
Ugh, my hand is still combat oriented, so staying in the place with the most monsters makes sense, but I'm still a little nervous about the close.
Okay, I'll explore the second card of the Heart anyway.
Fortune Teller. Impossible to get :( so I will banish it, then discard the Caltrops to attempt a better thing in my hand.
Hand: Hand Crossbow, Leather Armor, Sage's Journal, Dagger, (NEW) Whip
Bottom: (bottom up) Helm of the Valkyrie, Footpad's Boots
Discard: BotG, Thieves' Tools, Blessing of Shax, Caltrops
Deck: 7
Exploring at the armory. I might explore again with my ally since we are hitting the halfway point and not getting things closed quite quickly enough for my liking.
Impatient with the difficulty in finding the cult operating in Kenabres, Valeros searches every shelf and stack in this armory. Hiding behind one of the armored dummies is a dread conjurer cult leader!
Tancred Desimire
Villain
Monster Human Conjurer
CtD Combat 15 or Arcane 12
Before any character attempts to temporarily close a location, that character summons and encounters a random monster from the box; that monster may not be evaded.
Before you act, if there are other cards in your location deck, succeed at an Intelligence or Knowledge 7 check or Tancred Desimire is evaded.
“Those who summon things from beyond the pale better be able to put them back.” —Tancred Desimire
Alrighty! I had a feeling he was hiding on one of these shelves! I'll wait for the others to temporarily close. (Don't forget your monster first!) I have nothing to help them with that.
How do you feel about your chance for him to not evade? (perhaps worth talking about before they decide about temporarily closing)
Though I suppose it's an opportunity for a free ally either way. I'll draw some random allies and monsters in preparation :)
Ah. Yeah. Well, I've got a d6 for the Intelligence 7 check, so I'll need some help with that. The temp closing things area all good, so we should at least try them. Whether we spend resources on them or not is the question.
So, should we just resign ourselves to him being evaded and you guys get some temp closing boons if you want to also fight a monster? I'm fine with that.