‘The Berserker has seen some real carnage; and been responsible for much of it. Sure, he can't remember what happened during the battles, but it usually looks like the right people got killed, so what does that matter? Whatever doesn't kill you, doesn't kill you...
His hard life is etched into his skin, he carries himself with fierce pride and steely determination, and he possesses predatory instincts, and a hunter's guile. He may not be book smart, but words can't be trusted. It's deeds that speak of the character of a man. Not what some stargazer scratched into pigskin, tellin' you what to think.
Make of yourself a name. Carve out of the world a legend where you are the hero. Or die tryin'. If the Gods are with you, then your blade will sing as loud as the voices of those who make you more myth than man.
The Berserker is characterised by his ability, the Red Mist. This 'seeing red' can lead to some formidable acts of ferocity and strength in combat and make the Berserker downright scary and blood-curdling at times. You'll be glad he is on your side in a fight, but you might not want to stand too close when the red mist descends...’
Skill cards
Red Mist has a Cool Down of 3, and grants the Hero the ability to add +2 damage to each attack made that game round. At the start of each Hero Phase thereafter, dial down the Cool Down dice. When the dice would be dialled below 1, remove it. The Skill is ready for use again!
Sometimes the game will bait you to use Red Mist when you may not have many Combats, but you need to go for a big hit. Sometimes you’ll have seen that danger coming, stocked up on Combat activation cubes and you can really deal out some punishment to your enemies! Then there are those times when you unexpectedly feel inspired to crack some heads (you roll a lot of combats when the Skill is available)!
The Berserker begins play with Red Mist unlocked. The player then chooses another Skill card from the remaining 11. Each Skill card costs either 5 or 10 Souls to unlock. Those which cost 10 are once per game round Skills. You flip the card when you use it and flip it back up when the next Hero Phase begins.
Many Heroes will pick something heavy hitting like Mighty Blow! This card has a 1 on it. There are other cards that form a chain, the Hero unlocks sequentially. Mighty Blow costs a Triskelion cube to activate. You set a Cool Down dice to 3. Then on your next Combat, the Berserker can add +4 damage if the attack hits.
The available chained skills for this Hero are Red Mist(1), Sea of Red Mist(2) and Blood Rage(3) in one sequence, while there is also Mighty Blow(1), Staggering Blow(2) and Crushing Blow(3) in another! But it is not all combat oriented!
Some players will want to diversify their Skill set early on instead! The Berserker, while rightly being a primal, feral sort, can perform a Crazed Charge permitting the Hero to push enemies around, and even into Spiked Pits if they have been unveiled. The Berserker also has a Skill called Smash that makes it easier for the Hero to break chests, tombs and through locked doors. If the test is still failed the Berserker will take 1 Health damage, but probably won’t notice that kind of thing…
This deeper dive into those Skills also reveals Lift Gates, allowing the Berserker to raise a portcullis with brute force! Primal Roar intimidates enemies with the Living keyword on their Enemy scroll, using an Interact. If successful the enemy will lose their next activation and are placed prone to represent this. Stand them up to expend their next activation!
Protector allows the Berserker to use a Banked cube in the Enemy Phase to become the target of an attack that otherwise would target another Hero! Finally Resist Twilight permits the Berserker to spend Souls earned and unspent in a new way! The Hero can discard a Soul to gain 3 Health, +1 per additional Soul spent. This can be done at any time and in response to a hit that would otherwise send the Berserker into Twilight; but at the end of the game round the Hero loses the Health they gained!
‘ The Fane Priest is an agent of the Druids, and single minded in purpose. He is not a young man, and has studied for 20 years to memorise all the teachings, carrying in his mind an historical archive. This path requires great stoicism. One day this torch-bearer may settle down as a Temple Priest or even ascend to a seat within the conclave at Druil Faen. For now, the Fane Priest hears both the terrible howls of fell creatures, and the cries for help from those who might fall victim, always willing to aid those in need.The face of the Order of the Sacred Grove to denizens of Inis Fael, the Fane Priest moves from site to site, in a pilgrimage to spread wisdom and healing throughout the realm, attendant to those in the Land of the Quick; this mortal plane.
Characterised by his ability, Holy Smite, the Fane Priest can use this purifying strike to cause lethal harm to the evil and wicked, making him a powerful crusader against the sinful and the villainous. He can also be a great healer, and has the potential to lay to rest tormented spirits. Faith can bring belief to even the most beleaguered of souls.’
Skill Cards
Holy Smite costs a Triskelion cube to activate, and enables the Fane Priest to immediately attack an Undead enemy in his zone with +4 damage. It has a Cool Down of 3. At the start of the Hero Phase thereafter, dial down the Cool Down dice. When the dice would be dialled below 1, remove it. The Skill is ready for use again! The eagle-eyed might see that the necessity for Keyword:Undead to be on the Enemy scrolls this is used against, is not present. It will be added for the production copies! It was a clarification that was made within the last month and our prototype files were already with the manufacturer.
This card has a 1 on it. This means it is part of a chain! So Holy Smite 2 is also a Triskelion to activate. It also permits additional damage, this time at +5 and the attack is once again at range 0, or in the same zone in other words. However now it works against enemies with the Keyword: Undead & Demon. So this covers more opposition! It has the same Cool Down of 3.
The final Skill card in this chain is Purge Evil. It costs 10 souls to unlock as it is a once per game card. You flip it face down when it is used. You spend a Triskelion to activate it as with the others in the sequence. This allows a Fane Priest to immediately attack with +6 damage at Range 0. That attack ignores Defence of Enemy types. It also can be used against ANY enemy, regardless of Keyword. So as you can see it gets powerful!
Generally in these chains, if the Skill has the same name, it is replacing the one before it in the chain. If it has a different name, but similar rule, and it has the 2 or the 3 on it, then it is in addition.
Now let us talk about Divine Pulse. This is the most commonly selected secondary skill of the Fane Priest. To use this skill the Hero must spend an Interact or Combat cube. When spending an Interact, the Fane Priest restores Health to all Heroes at Range 0 equal to the successes generated in a Faith Test. If spending a Combat, the Fane Priest deals damage equal to the successes in a Faith Test against any Undead in the same zone, or Range 0. Divine Pulse can be used once per turn. So you flip the card when used and flip it back up at the start of the next Hero Phase.
Expanded Pulse is the next card in this short sequence. It must be used with Divine Pulse (so you’d flip that). The target zone can now be range 0-1. You must have an open path to the affected zone. When using this Skill the Fane Priest must place a Cool Down:2 on the card.
Divine Touch is the next in a short sequence of 2. It costs an Interact to use. The Hero tests Faith. A target at Range 0 restores Health equal to the successes in the test. There is no cool down but it only affects the one Hero.
Divine Touch 2 also costs an Interact to use. This time the Fane Priest can restore +1 Health per success in the Test to a Hero at Range 0 but also may spend any Triskelions generated in the Test to restore an attribute of that Hero by 1. Remember: Health IS an attribute!
That leads us to the singular Skill cards of the Hero. Enervation costs an Interact or a Triskelion to use. The Fane Priest must test Faith with Triskelion results generating successes ( it would normally be Combats, right?). The Hero can then restore a Target Hero at Range 0 of 1 damage to their Might attribute per success.
Providence costs a single activation cube of any type. Remember that Enemy activation cubes are always spent on Enemies before a Hero can do anything at all, these can never be used as a (U) or universal cube.
This Skill means the Fane Priest must pass a Faith Test:3. If the Hero succeeds, they can add +1 success to any Search roll they make this turn.
Resistance requires an Interact or Triskelion to use. You Test Faith with Interacts and Triskelions generating successes. You hand the card to a Hero at Range 0-1 with a Cool Down set to the number of successes. Any damage that Hero sustains for the duration as a result of a failed Will test or from Elemental damage, generally fire, is removed from this dice value first, before any remaining damage effects the Hero!
Supplication costs a Triskelion. The Hero tests Faith with Interacts and Triskelions resulting in success.
They can then restore attribute damage equal to the successes and these can be distributed across the attributes of the Fane Priest. Obviously no attribute can ever exceed the current maximum value of the Hero.
Sermon is the final Skill card to cover here! The player must spend an Interact to perform a Faith test (you guessed it!). Triskelions are successes in this test. The Hero may restore 1 Faith per success to a Hero at Range 0 or add their successes to the Will Test of a Hero in Twilight at Range 0 this turn. This ability is crucial to assisting the survival of your fellow Heroes in co-operative play.
‘Some warn of sinkholes of evil, or places where the Veil was always thin or has worn away. These are named Dreadfanes by most as there are often bizarre and macabre shrines in these locations or standing stones predating the rise of Druidry, and are steeped in mystery. The Veil Warden knows some of the secrets of these stones and recognises the Dreadfanes and sinkholes for what they are: ancient wards in place to hold back demons or to maintain the Veil so there is not a deep rent in the fabric of reality. Such a tear would permit the lost souls in the land of the dead to haunt and manifest among the living, and many such restless spirits are malevolent in nature. The Veil Warden drifts between the mortal plane and the spirit world, walking the boundary and patrolling inside the Veil itself. They have learned many eldritch signs and wards, some of which grant them powers which seem magical, demonic or divine to others. The Veil Warden perceives himself as the last guardian between the innocent unknowing, and the creatures which might prey upon them should they breach the Veil or crossover.
The Veil Warden is characterised by his ability, Sign of Nuada. These signs can be carved in the air with the hand and project concentrated pockets of air into enemies, often shattering bone and causing internal haemorrhaging. A powerful Veil Warden can cause significant damage to those who oppose him. He can even strike at incorporeal spirits. The Veil Warden masters many other wards, and can be a healer, a protector, and a seeker of the truth. While enigmatic, and a keeper of secrets, a Veil Warden is always questing to further his knowledge, and can be a valuable companion.’
Skill Cards
The Veil Warden begins with the Sign of Nuada! Spend a Combat to attack with a Hand of a Dice at Range 1. Deal 1 damage to the target per Combat result.
Hand of Nuada is the upgrade in the chain from Sign of Nuada! Now that Combat means you can attack at Range 0-1 and Combat and Triskelions inflict 1 damage each!
Ghost Hand of Nuada is the final part of this chain sequence. The Veil Warden can spend a Combat or a Triskelion, plus one Soul to attack at Range 0 – 2 with a Hand of Dice. If the target is nearer the damage is greater so the Veil Warden adds +2 damage at Range 0, and +1 damage at Range 1, with no adjustment to damage at Range 2. The real blessing here though is that the attack may ignore the Incorporeal Keyword, so you can hit spectral enemies more easily!
With the Hammer of Cailleach the Hero may spend a Triskelion to roll a Hand of Dice. For each Combat result you may make one ranged attack at Range 0 – 2 to be spent immediately, but remember these attacks consist of dice equal to your Might. These attacks Ignore the Incorporeal and count as bludgeoning. The Skill has a Cool Down of 2. So again, you place a Cool Down dice set to that value and at the start of each Hero Phase, you dial it down. When you remove it the Skill is ready once more to be used!
Taranis’ Wrath requires use of a Combat or Triskelion plus 1 Soul. The Veil Warden rolls a Hand of Dice. For each Combat & Triskelion the Hero can make 1 ranged attack at Range 1-2 to be spent immediately. However on each of these attacks the Veil Warden can ignore 1 Defence of the Enemy per Interact spent!
This is a once per game ability, so you flip the card face down after it is used. Next up is Sign of the Crow, a part chain!
The Veil Warden spends an Interact to grant a Hero in their zone +1 Defence against all attacks until the start of the Veil Warden’s activation in the subsequent Hero Phase. You give that player a Durability dice set to 1 to place on their dashboard as a reminder. There is a Cool Down on this Skill to set to 2. You should know how to handle Cool Downs now!
Morrigan’s Bless is the upgrade to this Skill. It is the same in all ways save that the Defence granted the target Hero is 2 instead of 1 and the Cool Down for this Skill is 3. However Morrigan’s Bless has a different name! Did you catch that? So the Veil Warden retains use of the 1st part of the chain!
The next Skill we’ll look at is Sign of Dagda, where the Hero may spend an Interact to restore 1 Faith, 1 Mettle or 1 Will to a Hero in their zone. As you’d expect the Hero in question cannot exceed their maximum.
The Veil Warden may use Sign of Brighid to spend (U), or a universal activation cube, to restore 1 Health or 1 Will to a Hero in their zone.
Veil Sight means this Hero may spend (U) to test Vs the rating of any Trap or Concealed Door in their zone with Combats & Triskelions equalling successes! If you can’t find Concealed Doors in the rulebook, this is by design! They work the way they need to for the scenario they are in and details are there!
Now we are on to the final chain and the last Skills of the Veil Warden! This Hero may spend an Interact to place a Soul earned in a zone. That Soul represents a Protection Ward. Choose a Keyword from Undead, Demon or Sidhe. Enemy types with that Keyword must Test:3 on a Hand of Dice to enter the zone. If they fail to do this they lose the rest of their activation! The Protection Ward lasts until the Veil Warden begins their activation in the subsequent Hero Phase!
And you have guessed it! You can upgrade this one! Enhanced Ward increases the difficulty of the Test the Enemy type you choose must pass to penetrate the Ward from 3 to 4.
Now remember, a once per game Skill costs 10 Souls to acquire so that applies to Taranis’ Wrath! Ignoring Defence is a powerful ability!
‘The Ember Thief has lived a hard life, and honed his skills over long years. The Ember Guild send thieves into Inferno, along the Cinder Paths to steal from the Magma Vaults themselves. Behind the glowing golden eyes of the Ember Thief resides a keen mind that is quick of wit. The Ember Thief is resourceful and used to having to think on his feet, often while dealing with hazards and dangers others would quail at should such confront them. Nothing phases the Ember Thief for long, because if it did, he'd have gotten dead a long time ago, and joined some of the misbegotten souls he steals from. A slow witted thief is a corpse in the making.
They say you make your own luck, and the Ember Thief believes that. You don't steal from the denizens of Hell without some thought to training and the potential consequences. His body is a tough machine, every muscle taut, and every sinew ready to spring into action. Vicious when cornered, the Ember Thief is an opportunist, always looking for a weakness to exploit: be it in the design of a trap, the tumblers of a lock or the defences of an opponent.
The Ember Thief is characterised both by his Ember Eyed Gaze, and by his ability, Back Stab. This epitomises the sly nature and opportunism of the Thief, striking enemies while they are preoccupied with more obvious threats in battle. Some say the latter ability characterises the Ember Thief for a different reason, but an Ember Thief doesn't remain long with those who impugn his honour, and woebetide anyone who crosses a person who steals from Demons!’
Skill Cards
Back Stab allows an Ember Thief to add +3 to the damage of 1 attack provided there is at least one other Hero in their zone, and the attack is Range 0. This can be done once per turn so you flip the card, and you flip it back up at the start of the next Hero Phase.
In Solo, the Ember Thief can use this skill on their first attack of the round or on an Enemy that was not in LoS at the start of the round.
Back Stab 2! Back stabbier! This upgrade increases the damage of Back Stab to +4 and otherwise is the same as the original skill.
Ember Eyes! This Skill does not have to be taken by an Ember Thief but it is flavourful and useful, so it is often chosen as the second skill at the start of play. When searching for Treasure or Traps, a Hero normally requires 2 successes on a Hand of Dice (6 custom dice where successes in such tests are Combat results). With this Skill unlocked, the Ember Thief rolls a Hand of Dice but Combats & Triskelions are successes.
Dodge is a reaction based Skill. When attacked the Ember Thief may roll 1 dice and if it generates a Triskelion any damage from that attack is negated. This includes conditions because you know, the attack missed!
Pick Lock is a Skill that costs an Interact to use. Every Lock has a Quality Rating detailed in the Scenario, typically it is 3. That number is the number of successes you’ll need to pick it! Normally successes are generated on a Hand of Dice and combats are successes. But the Ember Thief with this unlocked switches it up to Combats and Triskelions. At the moment the card still says Interact 7 Triskelions, but we’ll have that changed (the odds are the same)!
Fire Resistance is perhaps an expected Skill for one such as this! The Ember Thief gains Fire Resistance(1). This number is increased by +1 for every two additional purchased Skills beyond this one. That is to say, purchased with Souls in the game, not starting Skills. The Ember Thief may then ignore X damage equal to that value from any fire based source!
Infernal Flame allows an Ember Thief to spend (U) – a universal cube, to transform an attack into a magical +1 damage attack, counting as Fire damage, or use this Skill to light a Torch, Candle Lantern or Lantern for free. Even if it is being carried by another Hero! This skill is a once per turn skill, so again, you flip it, and at the start of the next Hero Phase, you reset it by flipping it back up.
Disarm Trap! Spend an Interact. When you find a trap or another Hero spends activation cubes to show you where one is, you may test vs the rating of the trap (they have ratings just as Locks do! They are typically 3) to disarm that trap. This is a standard test. That means rolling a hand of dice! Combats equal successes. If the Hero succeeds the trap is removed from play! The Ember Thief must be in possession of the Thieves’ Tool Kit to use this Skill so it is often purchased after that item!
Guile! Disarm Trap 2 has been replaced with this in recent play testing to great satisfaction.
Add 1 success per Triskelion used to your next attack, except against Incorporeal targets or in Darkness.
Evasion allows the Ember Thief to spend an Interact or Combat to roll a Hand of Dice, Triskelions = Successes. For each success, reduce damage from a Trap by 1. If this was a Trap that affects the entire zone and you take 0 damage, you may place your Hero at Range 1 from the zone.
Hidden is a very useful Skill to have! With this Skill the Ember Thief may spend (U) or a universal activation cube. Place Cool Down equal to Combat results from the roll of a Hand of Dice. Each enemy that would target you this game round must Test:3. This is done on a Hand of Dice by whoever activates that Enemy! If the Enemy fails, you go unseen and not targeted. The Enemy goes on to select a target from the remaining Heroes if there are any. Each time an Enemy fails to detect the Ember Thief, dial down the Cool Down. Hidden can be used again only when the Cool Down is gone!
Acrobatics is the last of the Skills for the Ember Thief. The Hero may spend an Interact to move 1 zone in any direction, ignoring movement impediments like rubble, the Plague of Rats, or other effects which increase the cost of movement. A Hero with Acrobatics does not need to spend (U) to exit a pit.