Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition)
2012
Embark on thrilling quests, battle monstrous foes, and halt the overlord's plot in Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition). A vibrant, dice-based fantasy adventure!
120
minutes
1 - 5
player(s)
14+
Medium Heavy
About the game
Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) is a thrilling board game that transports you to the mystical world of Terrinoth, a land filled with danger, adventure, and priceless treasures. Players assume the roles of brave heroes or the nefarious overlord, locking wits and will in a battle of epic proportions.
Theme and Setting
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Setup and rules summary
Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go
Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) is a thrilling adventure board game that offers immersive storytelling, strategic gameplay, and high-quality miniatures. Follow this step-by-step guide to set up your game.
Step 1: Determine Player Roles
Firstly, players need to decide who will take on the role of the Overlord, and who will be the heroic adventurers. The Overlord’s role is to control the monsters and other forces of evil. The remaining players will become heroes, each selecting a hero character card and matching miniature.
Step 2: Choose a Quest
Next, players should choose a quest from the Quest Guide. The chosen quest will provide specific setup instructions including map layout, initial monster placements, and special rules. The Overlord reads the quest’s introduction to all players.
Step 3: Assemble the Map
After selecting a quest, players will assemble the map using the tiles as shown in the Quest Guide. Place doors, stairs, and other tokens as indicated.
Step 4: Prepare Hero Components
Each hero player will then take the corresponding hero sheet, miniature, and starting equipment cards listed on the back of their hero sheet. They also receive a number of stamina tokens equal to their hero’s stamina value, and damage tokens equal to their hero’s health.
Step 5: Prepare Overlord Components
The Overlord player takes the Overlord deck, shuffles it, and draws a number of cards equal to the number of heroes. They also receive the monster figures and cards as indicated in the Quest Guide.
Step 6: Set Up Shop Items
Separate the shop items into Act I and Act II decks. Shuffle each deck separately and place them face down near the map.
Step 7: Prepare Objective Tokens
Objective tokens, such as keys or treasures, are placed on the map as indicated in the Quest Guide.
Step 8: Determine Initiative
Finally, players determine who will go first by rolling a die. The player with the highest roll takes the first turn, with play proceeding clockwise.
Now you’re all set! Remember to refer to the rulebook during gameplay for any rules or scenarios that come up. Enjoy your journey into the dark in Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition).
Game flow Round and round we go
Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) is a thrilling board game for 2-5 players that takes you on a fantastic adventure where you embark on a quest in a dungeon. The game is played in a series of rounds, each of which consists of two phases: the Hero Turn and the Overlord Turn.
In the Hero Turn, the players controlling the heroes have the opportunity to perform actions and move around the game board. Each hero gets to perform two actions. The possible actions are:
- Move: The hero can move a number of spaces up to his speed (the number of spaces a hero can move per action).
- Attack: The hero can attack a monster within his range and line of sight.
- Rest: The hero recovers fatigue equal to his stamina.
- Search: The hero can check a search token in his space or an adjacent space.
- Stand Up: If the hero is knocked down, he can use an action to stand up again.
- Special: Some heroes have special actions they can perform, as described on their hero sheets.
Heroes can perform their actions in any order, and it’s even allowed for one hero to perform an action, then a second hero to perform both actions, and then the first hero to perform his second action.
Once all the heroes have completed their actions, the Overlord Turn begins. The player controlling the Overlord also gets to perform actions, primarily involving the monsters on the board. The possible actions for the Overlord are:
- Move: A monster can move a number of spaces up to its speed.
- Attack: A monster can attack a hero within its range and line of sight.
- Special: Some monsters have special actions they can perform, as described on their monster cards.
The Overlord also has the ability to play Overlord cards during his turn, which have a variety of effects, usually to the detriment of the heroes. However, each Overlord card has a threat cost, and the Overlord must spend threat tokens equal to the cost to play the card.
After the Overlord has finished his turn, a new round begins, starting again with the Hero Turn. The game continues in this way until the heroes complete their objective, or the Overlord completes his objective, as described in the scenario’s rules.
Players'turn One turn to rule them all
Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) is a game of heroic adventure set in a fantasy world. Each player’s turn consists of various actions that they can take to advance towards their goal. Here is a thorough breakdown of what happens during a player’s turn:
A player can perform two actions on their turn. These actions can be the same or different, and can be performed in any order. The available actions include:
- Move: Spend one action to move a number of spaces up to your hero’s Speed.
- Attack: Spend one action to attack a monster within range of your equipped weapon. An attack can result in damage to the monster, forcing it to lose health.
- Rest: Spend one action to recover all of your hero’s Fatigue.
- Search: Spend one action to search an adjacent search token, potentially revealing valuable items or triggering traps.
- Stand Up: If your hero is knocked out, spend both actions to stand up and recover some health and fatigue.
- Special: Some heroes and items have special actions that can be performed, as described on their respective cards.
Strategic choices during a player’s turn can greatly affect the gameplay. For example:
- Choosing to attack a monster can potentially eliminate it from the board, reducing the threat to the heroes. However, if the attack is unsuccessful, the hero may be left in a vulnerable position.
- Resting can allow a hero to recover from fatigue, but it also means giving up the opportunity to perform other actions such as attacking or moving.
- Searching can yield valuable items that can help the heroes in their quest. However, it can also trigger traps that can harm the heroes.
- Standing up is crucial when a hero is knocked out, as a knocked-out hero cannot perform any actions until they stand up. However, this uses up both of the hero’s actions for the turn, leaving them unable to perform any other actions until their next turn.
Each action and decision made during a player’s turn can influence the outcome of the game, making every turn a strategic challenge.
End of the game All good games must come to an end
Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) is a thrilling board game that keeps players on their toes until the very end. The game concludes when either the heroes complete their objectives as stated in the quest guide, or the overlord player fulfills his/her objectives as stated in the same quest guide.
It is important to note that each quest in the game has its own specific victory conditions which must be satisfied for either side to claim victory. This means there isn’t a single universal end-game condition for all the quests. Therefore, players must always refer to the quest guide to know what they are working towards.
The victory conditions for the heroes usually involve achieving a certain task such as rescuing a hostage, retrieving an artifact, or defeating a specific enemy. The overlord player, on the other hand, wins if they manage to prevent the heroes from achieving their objectives or fulfill their own objectives first.
Before the final scoring, all players must ensure they have completed all their actions for the turn. This includes playing any cards or using any character abilities that can be used.
Once the game ends, the winning side is determined based on the quest’s victory conditions. If the heroes fulfilled their objectives, they win. If the overlord player fulfilled their objectives, they win. It’s also possible for the game to end in a draw, depending on the specific rules of the quest.
In terms of scoring, Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) doesn’t use a traditional point system. Instead, the game rewards the victor with campaign benefits, such as experience points and gold, which can be used in later quests. The amount of rewards given depends on the specific quest and the level of success achieved.
It’s also important to note that losing a quest doesn’t mean the end of the campaign for the heroes. They will still earn some rewards that can be used to improve their characters and prepare for future quests.
Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?
Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) is a board game where players embark on epic quests and adventures in a fantasy realm. The scoring system in Descent is based on the completion of objectives, defeating monsters, and collecting treasure. Here is a detailed breakdown:
Objective Completion:
- Each scenario has its own unique objectives. Completing these objectives often awards points to the players. The specific points awarded for each objective are mentioned in the quest guide.
- Objectives can include reaching a specific location, defeating a particular monster, or protecting an NPC.
Defeating Monsters:
- Every time a player defeats a monster, they gain a number of points equal to the monster’s total health.
- For instance, if a player defeats a monster with a total health of 5, they receive 5 points.
Collecting Treasure:
- Throughout the game, players have the opportunity to collect treasures. Each treasure collected awards the player points.
- The points awarded vary based on the value of the treasure. The specific points awarded for each treasure are mentioned in the quest guide.
End of Quest Scoring:
- At the end of each quest, the points are tallied up. The player with the most points is declared the winner.
- In the case of a tie, the player who has the most treasure is the winner.
- If there is still a tie, the player who completed the most objectives wins.
- If a tie still persists, the player who defeated the most monsters wins.
- Finally, if there is still a tie, the player who went first at the start of the game is the winner.
Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?
‘Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition)’ is a highly tactical board game that requires both strategy and understanding of its unique rules. Here are some special rules, exceptions and clarifications that might come in handy during gameplay:
1. Overlord Cards:
- Overlord cards can only be played during the Overlord’s turn, unless the card specifies otherwise. For example, the Overlord may not interrupt a hero’s turn to play a card, unless the card specifically allows it.
- Multiple Overlord cards can be played during the same turn, but the same card cannot be played more than once during a single turn.
2. Line of Sight:
- Line of sight is determined by drawing an imaginary line from any corner of the active figure’s space to any corner of the target space. If this line doesn’t cross any walls or blocked spaces, the active figure has line of sight to the target space.
- Large monsters can trace line of sight from any part of their space, but when attacking, they must target a space to which they have line of sight from their front spaces (the two spaces opposite the direction in which the figure is pointing).
3. Moving Through Other Figures:
- Heroes can move through other heroes, and monsters can move through other monsters. However, heroes cannot move through monsters, and monsters cannot move through heroes, unless they have a special ability that allows them to do so.
- Large monsters can move through spaces containing figures smaller than them, but cannot end their movement in such a space.
4. Healing:
- During a hero’s turn, he can use a rest action to recover all of his fatigue. However, this does not heal any damage.
- When a hero is knocked out, he can be revived by another hero on the same or an adjacent space using a revive action. The knocked-out hero recovers all fatigue and stands up with a number of health equal to the reviving hero’s knowledge.
5. Terrain:
- Water spaces cost additional movement points to enter, but not to exit.
- Lava spaces cause damage to any figure that enters them, unless that figure has a special ability that prevents this damage.
- Obstacle spaces block movement but do not block line of sight.
Note: These are just a few examples of the special rules and exceptions in ‘Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition)’. Always refer to the game’s rulebook to ensure you’re playing correctly.
Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!
Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) is an intricate game of strategy and chance. Below you will find advice on advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize your gameplay, regardless of your level of experience.
Advanced Strategies
- Use your heroes wisely: Ensure that each hero you control contributes effectively to the team. Understand the specialties and abilities of each character to maximize their impact in the game.
- Plan your upgrades: Instead of choosing random upgrades, plan ahead and aim for specific ones that will suit your heroes and strategies.
- Know when to retreat: Assess the situation wisely. Sometimes, retreating can be a strategic move to prevent your heroes from dying and losing valuable items or points.
Beginner Tips
- Learn the rules thoroughly: Understanding the rules completely can save you from making common mistakes and help you strategize effectively.
- Communicate with your team: In this cooperative game, communication is key. Make sure to coordinate your actions with your team to achieve your goals.
- Practice makes perfect: The more you play, the more you understand the game and its mechanics, leading to better strategies and victories.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring the objective: Remember that the main goal of the game is to complete the quest, not to kill all the monsters. Keep your focus on the objective.
- Overextending your heroes: Avoid spreading your heroes too thin. It’s better to keep your heroes together to support each other.
- Underestimating the Overlord: The Overlord is a powerful opponent. Make sure to plan your moves considering the Overlord’s potential actions.
Ways to Optimize Gameplay
- Keep track of your resources and use them wisely. Don’t waste valuable items or abilities unnecessarily.
- Study the quests beforehand. Knowing what to expect can greatly enhance your strategies.
- Learn from your mistakes. Analyze your lost games to understand what went wrong and how you can improve on it in the future.