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Manifest the Power of Chaos

A Preview of Apotheosis and Possessed Heretics in The Tome of Decay

One ultimate ambition consumes every Heretic serving the Chaos gods: to rise to Daemonhood. In The Tome of Decay supplement for Black Crusade, you’ll find two ways to acheive this lofty goal. You must choose whether to take the long, slow path to Apotheosis and become a Daemon Prince, or to quickly gain power at the cost of your life by becoming a Possessed Heretic. Today, contributing writer Tim Cox explores both options and the unmatched Daemonic power you access through them.

Tim Cox on Possessed Heretics and Apotheosis

In The Tome of Decay, I worked on something that players have looked forward to since the release of Black Crusade: rules for playing Daemonic characters. In fact, The Tome of Decay offers a Heretic two new ways to embrace Daemonic existence and become closer to the gods. He might fulfil the ultimate goal of any Heretic by obtaining Apotheosis – elevation to the form of a mighty Daemon Prince – or he can succumb the quick route to power by inviting a Daemon to possess his body.

It was very important to me that the rules for Possessed Heretics and Apotheosis offer Daemon Princes and Possessed Heretics very different play experiences. Becoming a Daemon Prince is a huge accomplishment, and begins the Heretic’s eternity as an immortal Daemon. Possession offers a quicker path to power, but ultimately dooms the Heretic to destruction.

Possessed by the Warp

Any Heretic can become a Possessed Heretic through the Ritual of Possession. By doing so, the Heretic gains the strength, resilience, and Warp-born powers of a Daemon, but the Heretic must pay a steep cost. A Possessed Heretic retains most of his mind and personality, but must wage a constant battle for control of his body against the Daemon inside him. If the Heretic acts in opposition to the nature of the Daemon, he risks losing control of his body to the Warp entity within.

Rather than merely mutating with increased Corruption, a Possessed Heretic displays a host of potent abilities, called Daemonic Manifestations. These Daemonic Manifestations reflect the nature of the Daemon, and as the Heretic gains Corruption, the Daemon exerts more influence over the Heretic’s form, granting Manifestations such as a Chaos Aura to deflect attacks or deadly Rending Talons.

Of course, the Warp is fickle, and when you gain a new Daemonic Manifestation, you randomly generates the result. If you’re willing to take additional Corruption, however, you can bargain with the Daemon and modify the result. In fact, you can modify the result as much as you want, but you gain Corruption equal to the difference! This is just one of several ways that possession increases the rate at which a Heretic gains Corruption.

For a Possessed Heretic, gaining Corruption is both positive and negative. More Corruption means more powerful Daemonic abilities and Manifestations, but it also brings the Heretic closer to destruction. The further he advances along the Possession Track, the more opportunities a character has to take Corruption in exchange for additional benefits. Instead of achieving Apotheosis or transformation into a Chaos Spawn upon reaching 100 Corruption Points, the Daemon takes full control of the Heretic, consuming his soul. But for those truly devoted to the Dark Gods, this is a joyous fate!

A Prince of Chaos

Nearly all Chaos champions aspire to Apotheosis, but only the tiniest fraction ever achieve the mantle of Daemon Prince. Whereas possession allows an existing Daemon to inhabit a mortal body, a Heretic who achieves Apotheosis receives the ultimate blessing of his god, becoming a Daemon in his own right and leaving mortality behind. The basic requirements for becoming a Daemon Prince were explained in the Black Crusade Core Rulebook, and now players have rules and guidance for what happens next, allowing them to play as Daemon Princes for the first time.

Unsurprisingly, Daemon Prince characters are incredibly powerful, a fact reflected by a number of new Traits and special rules. In addition, a Daemon Prince gains one or more special rules corresponding to the Heretic’s patron god. For instance, a Daemon Prince of Nurgle can choose Aura of Pestilence, inflicting a penalty to all Toughness Tests for mortals in his vicinity.

Although Daemon Princes continue to accrue Infamy, they no longer gain or lose Corruption. As entities of the Warp, they are corruption incarnate! Instead, Daemon Princes gather a new resource, Favour, which represents the esteem of the Prince’s patron god. Daemon Princes can spend Favour to obtain Daemonic Gifts, powerful abilities granted directly by their patron Chaos God. For mortal beings, the gifts of the gods are subject to the whims of Dark Powers, but Daemon Princes control how the Warp manifests through them, and can select any Daemonic Gift they can afford.

A Daemon Prince gains Favour by completing acts worthy of his prowess and advancing his patron god’s agenda, whether by defeating the Daemonic armies of a rival god or corrupting the forces of humanity’s protectors. The expectations placed on Daemon Princes are high, however, and a Daemon Prince who fails in the eyes of his patron loses Favour.

Playing with a Daemon Prince at the table represents exciting new opportunities and challenges for both the GM and players. Although few opponents can stand against a Daemon Prince in combat, he must seek out worthy challenges or risk disappointing his patron god and suffering punishment. Daemon Princes are expected to wage wars against mortal and Daemonic foes, and even launch Black Crusades in the name of Chaos. Of course, Daemon Princes also face certain limitations in the physical universe, both due to their nature as Daemons and their size when manifest in reality.  The inclusion of a Daemon Prince radically changes the nature of a Black Crusade campaign, but opens countless possibilities in the Screaming Vortex and beyond.

Thanks, Tim!

Whether you rise to godhood through Apotheosis or undergo the Ritual of Possession, you’ll find ways to acheive greater infamy than ever with The Tome of Decay. Declare your service to the gods of Chaos, and preorder The Tome of Decay at your local retailer today!

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Source: Manifest the Power of Chaos

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Manifest the Power of Chaos

A Preview of Apotheosis and Possessed Heretics in The Tome of Decay

One ultimate ambition consumes every Heretic serving the Chaos gods: to rise to Daemonhood. In The Tome of Decay supplement for Black Crusade, you’ll find two ways to acheive this lofty goal. You must choose whether to take the long, slow path to Apotheosis and become a Daemon Prince, or to quickly gain power at the cost of your life by becoming a Possessed Heretic. Today, contributing writer Tim Cox explores both options and the unmatched Daemonic power you access through them.

Tim Cox on Possessed Heretics and Apotheosis

In The Tome of Decay, I worked on something that players have looked forward to since the release of Black Crusade: rules for playing Daemonic characters. In fact, The Tome of Decay offers a Heretic two new ways to embrace Daemonic existence and become closer to the gods. He might fulfil the ultimate goal of any Heretic by obtaining Apotheosis – elevation to the form of a mighty Daemon Prince – or he can succumb the quick route to power by inviting a Daemon to possess his body.

It was very important to me that the rules for Possessed Heretics and Apotheosis offer Daemon Princes and Possessed Heretics very different play experiences. Becoming a Daemon Prince is a huge accomplishment, and begins the Heretic’s eternity as an immortal Daemon. Possession offers a quicker path to power, but ultimately dooms the Heretic to destruction.

Possessed by the Warp

Any Heretic can become a Possessed Heretic through the Ritual of Possession. By doing so, the Heretic gains the strength, resilience, and Warp-born powers of a Daemon, but the Heretic must pay a steep cost. A Possessed Heretic retains most of his mind and personality, but must wage a constant battle for control of his body against the Daemon inside him. If the Heretic acts in opposition to the nature of the Daemon, he risks losing control of his body to the Warp entity within.

Rather than merely mutating with increased Corruption, a Possessed Heretic displays a host of potent abilities, called Daemonic Manifestations. These Daemonic Manifestations reflect the nature of the Daemon, and as the Heretic gains Corruption, the Daemon exerts more influence over the Heretic’s form, granting Manifestations such as a Chaos Aura to deflect attacks or deadly Rending Talons.

Of course, the Warp is fickle, and when you gain a new Daemonic Manifestation, you randomly generates the result. If you’re willing to take additional Corruption, however, you can bargain with the Daemon and modify the result. In fact, you can modify the result as much as you want, but you gain Corruption equal to the difference! This is just one of several ways that possession increases the rate at which a Heretic gains Corruption.

For a Possessed Heretic, gaining Corruption is both positive and negative. More Corruption means more powerful Daemonic abilities and Manifestations, but it also brings the Heretic closer to destruction. The further he advances along the Possession Track, the more opportunities a character has to take Corruption in exchange for additional benefits. Instead of achieving Apotheosis or transformation into a Chaos Spawn upon reaching 100 Corruption Points, the Daemon takes full control of the Heretic, consuming his soul. But for those truly devoted to the Dark Gods, this is a joyous fate!

A Prince of Chaos

Nearly all Chaos champions aspire to Apotheosis, but only the tiniest fraction ever achieve the mantle of Daemon Prince. Whereas possession allows an existing Daemon to inhabit a mortal body, a Heretic who achieves Apotheosis receives the ultimate blessing of his god, becoming a Daemon in his own right and leaving mortality behind. The basic requirements for becoming a Daemon Prince were explained in the Black Crusade Core Rulebook, and now players have rules and guidance for what happens next, allowing them to play as Daemon Princes for the first time.

Unsurprisingly, Daemon Prince characters are incredibly powerful, a fact reflected by a number of new Traits and special rules. In addition, a Daemon Prince gains one or more special rules corresponding to the Heretic’s patron god. For instance, a Daemon Prince of Nurgle can choose Aura of Pestilence, inflicting a penalty to all Toughness Tests for mortals in his vicinity.

Although Daemon Princes continue to accrue Infamy, they no longer gain or lose Corruption. As entities of the Warp, they are corruption incarnate! Instead, Daemon Princes gather a new resource, Favour, which represents the esteem of the Prince’s patron god. Daemon Princes can spend Favour to obtain Daemonic Gifts, powerful abilities granted directly by their patron Chaos God. For mortal beings, the gifts of the gods are subject to the whims of Dark Powers, but Daemon Princes control how the Warp manifests through them, and can select any Daemonic Gift they can afford.

A Daemon Prince gains Favour by completing acts worthy of his prowess and advancing his patron god’s agenda, whether by defeating the Daemonic armies of a rival god or corrupting the forces of humanity’s protectors. The expectations placed on Daemon Princes are high, however, and a Daemon Prince who fails in the eyes of his patron loses Favour.

Playing with a Daemon Prince at the table represents exciting new opportunities and challenges for both the GM and players. Although few opponents can stand against a Daemon Prince in combat, he must seek out worthy challenges or risk disappointing his patron god and suffering punishment. Daemon Princes are expected to wage wars against mortal and Daemonic foes, and even launch Black Crusades in the name of Chaos. Of course, Daemon Princes also face certain limitations in the physical universe, both due to their nature as Daemons and their size when manifest in reality.  The inclusion of a Daemon Prince radically changes the nature of a Black Crusade campaign, but opens countless possibilities in the Screaming Vortex and beyond.

Thanks, Tim!

Whether you rise to godhood through Apotheosis or undergo the Ritual of Possession, you’ll find ways to acheive greater infamy than ever with The Tome of Decay. Declare your service to the gods of Chaos, and preorder The Tome of Decay at your local retailer today!

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Source: Manifest the Power of Chaos

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Enter the Age of Rebellion

The Core Rulebook, Game Master's Kit, and Roleplaying Dice Are Now Available

Join the Rebel Alliance!

The Star Wars®: Age of Rebellion™ Core Rulebook, Star Wars®: Age of Rebellion™ Game Master’s Kit, and Star Wars® Roleplaying Dice are now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore.

Pick up your copies today, and play your part in the war for galactic freedom!

What Is the Age of Rebellion?

In the Age of Rebellion roleplaying game, you’re part character, part storyteller, and part improvisational actor. You simultaneously create and play through fantastic Star Wars stories filled with action, suspense, drama, and combat.

As part of the Rebel Alliance, the characters you and your friends invent are working to overthrow the repressive, authoritarian Galactic Empire and its evil Emperor. Your missions will likely result in confrontations with more than a few stormtroopers, bounty hunters, and Imperial villains. You might wage guerrilla warfare across the galaxy. You might infiltrate an Imperial base to secure crucial intelligence. You might assist in the design of a new Rebellion starfighter. Whatever you do, the fate of the galaxy rests in your hands.

To play Age of Rebellion, you need your imagination, your friends, and the Core Rulebook. This beautiful, 464-page hardbound volume provides everything that both players and Game Masters need to begin dramatic Star Wars adventures set in the midst of the Galactic Civil War:

   
• Concise rules for character generation and advancement.

   
• Clear descriptions of the game’s skills and talents.

   
• Convenient charts of weapons, gear, devices, starships, and vehicles.

   
• Rules for conflict, combat, and Force-Sensitive Emergents in an Age of Rebellion campaign.

   
• Extensive background information on the Star Wars universe, including a history of the Rebel Alliance and its tactics, as well as pertinent information on the powerful Empire.

   
• A wealth of advice for GMs on creating and running an Age of Rebellion campaign.

   
• A complete, introductory adventure to launch players into action!

The Age of Rebellion Game Master’s Kit

With its GM screen, three-act adventure, and optional rules for fighting in squads and squadrons, the Age of Rebellion Game Master’s Kit is an excellent accessory for GMs looking to expand and improve their Age of Rebellion campaigns.

Featuring Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and a stormtrooper on a bold and iconic piece of Star Wars artwork, the GM screen included in the Game Master’s Kit helps to establish the tone of your gaming session even as it shields your adventure’s surprises from Rebel eyes. Moreover, on the GM’s side of the screen, you’ll find many of the game’s rules summarized for quick reference, including an interpretation of the game’s custom dice results, quick descriptions of different item qualities, and critical hit tables for both characters and vehicles.

In its adventure, Dead in the Water, the Game Master’s Kit gives player characters the chance to negotiate on the Alliance’s behalf for a cargo of droids. Of course, nothing is as easy as it seems, and players will have plenty of chances to use their wits and their blasters.

Additionally, the Game Master’s Kit introduces optional rules for running military squads and squadrons in your Age of Rebellion adventures. These rules allow players to organize minion groups under the leadership of player characters or powerful NPCs. These minion groups can then fly or fight in various formations, each of which grants different bonuses.

Star Wars Roleplaying Dice

Star Wars® Roleplaying Dice help translate the dramatic twists and turns of the Star Wars movies to your games of Age of Rebellion. Better yet, because FFG’s three Star Wars roleplaying systems are fully cross-compatible, you can also use the same dice in your games of Star Wars®: Edge of the Empire™ and the upcoming Star Wars®: Force and Destiny™.

Star Wars Roleplaying Dice come fourteen to a pack and allow players and GMs to quickly determine the success or failure of actions in the game, while advancing the story’s narrative with advantages and threats.

One galaxy. Three games. One set of dice.

Resist the Evil Empire!

The galaxy needs heroes. Now you can become one. The Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook, Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Game Master’s Kit, and Star Wars Roleplaying Dice are now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

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Source: Enter the Age of Rebellion

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Made Ta Fight and Win

Preview the Ork Faction from Warhammer 40,000: Conquest

“We’re da best. Think different do ya? Come and have a go then, ya runty little wimp!”

   –Gasgrakh, Goff Nob

In the strategically critical Traxis sector, the powers of the galaxy do battle, crafting plans, leading armies, and claiming glory and victory. Warhammer 40,000: Conquest invites you to take control of these factions and clash at countless planets, destroying all opposition in the name of conquest.

Past previews of Warhammer 40,000: Conquest took a closer look at the mechanics of gameplay, ranging from the deployment of armies, to the command struggle for resources and card draw, to battles that rage across the sector. We also examined an in-depth example of a battle at one planet. Most recently, we’ve begun our exploration of factions within the game, beginning with the warriors of the Space Marines, and moving on to the armed forces of the Imperium, the Astra Militarum.

Today, however, our preview moves away from the civilized reaches of the Imperium of Man, outward into the grim darkness of space. Amid the stars, there are few forces more wild and brutal than those of a fully fledged Ork Waaagh! Read on to preview the brute ferocity of the Orks and get ready to smash some ‘umies!

Waaagh! WAAAGH!!

The Warboss commanding the Ork forces in the Warhammer 40,000: Conquest Core Set is Nazdreg (Core Set, 3), a fearsome warrior of almost colossal intelligence (for an Ork). Any Ork knows that if you get hit, you just hit back harder, and Nazdreg helps you do just that with his special ability. When Nazdreg leads your armies into battle at a planet, every other unit receives the Brutal keyword, meaning that a unit gains +1 ATK for each damage on it. With this keyword enabling your armies, your opponent won’t be able to hit you without fearing your quick reprisal.

The cards of Nazdreg’s signature squad help you incite your Orks even more, beginning with four copies of Nazdreg’s Flash Gitz (Core Set, 54). This army unit allows you to take a potent Combat Action, dealing this unit a damage to ready it. Damaging a unit to ready opens up plenty of opportunities for striking in quick succession, but when you add the fact that Nazdreg’s Flash Gitz may gain Brutal from your warlord, you have a deadly army that only becomes more dangerous as you use its ability.

The next card in Nazdreg’s signature squad is a support entitled Kraktoof Hall (Core Set, 55). During the combat phase, you may exhaust this support to move one damage from a unit you control to another unit at the same planet. Combined with the Brutal keyword granted by Nazdreg, this support allows you to get the maximum benefit out of every point of damage. Whether you shift damage among your own units to take full advantage of Brutal, or move damage to your opponent to pick off the weak, Kraktoof Hall’s advantages are readily apparent.

Next in the signature squad are two copies of the Bigga Is Betta (Core Set, 56) event card. This event is free to play and reads “Interrupt: When you deploy an Ork unit, reduce its cost by 2. Deal 1 damage to that unit after it enters play.” In general, the downside of the Brutal keyword is that you must wait unit your unit has been attacked for Brutal to take effect. With Bigga Is Betta, though, you can get your Orks into play for cheaper and ensure that if Nazdreg is at their planet, they’ll already be getting a bonus from Brutal.

Cybork Body (Core Set, 57) is the final card in the signature squad, and it is an attachment for one of your army units. By granting one of your armies a Cybork Body, you double that unit’s hit points! Not only does this attachment ensure the longevity of one of your powerful armies, it also enables you to take even more damage on that unit, getting more and more attack power out of Brutal.

Dakka Dakka Dakka!

Your options for inciting your Orks to greater heights of carnage are not limited to Nazdreg’s signature squad. The Weirdboy Maniak’s (Core Set, 60) uncontrollable Psyker powers grant you new options for gaining the upper hand. Whenever a Weirdboy Maniak enters play, you may deal one damage to each other unit at the planet. Not only will this damage weaken the opposition for your incoming onslaught, it can give your units added striking power or even other abilities.

One army unit that gains drastic benefits from being damaged is the Bad Dok (Core Set, 65). While undamaged, this unit possesses a fairly typical one command icon, but while damaged, the Bad Dok gains three more command icons, making him the Ork army unit with the most command icons! The Bad Dok is an excellent choice for winning the command struggle, assuming you can find a way to damage him first.

If you need to generate more damage to carry a battle in your favor, you could do worse than to use the Battle Cry (Core Set, 70) event. This event can only be played during a battle, and it grants every Ork unit you control +2 ATK until the end of the battle! With that much extra damage coming at your opponent, even his shield cards won’t be able to completely prevent your attacks.

A final method for spreading damage across the battlefield is the Ork Kannon (Core Set, 74). This support card can be triggered during the combat phase to target a planet and force both players to deal one indirect damage among the units they control at that planet. Indirect damage is assigned by each player to units they control, and by using the Ork Kannon, you can whittle away at your opponent’s forces while enraging your Greenskins even further.

Smash Da ‘Umies!

Lead your Orks into the glories of combat in Warhammer 40,000: Conquest, and overwhelm the planets of the Traxis sector beneath a green tide of rage. Check back next time for our preview of the Chaos faction and preorder Warhammer 40,000: Conquest at your local retailer today!

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Source: Made Ta Fight and Win

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Dark Pursuits

Preview the Adventure from the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook

In the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, the safety of the Imperium is threatened from every side. The spawn of the Warp seek constantly to bring the Imperium to chaos and ruin, and the hearts of men are a fertile ground for sowing corruption. Outside the bounds of the Imperium, xenos species lurk, waiting for a moment of weakness in which to pounce.

Dark Heresy Second Edition casts you and your friends into the roles of Acolytes, tasked with standing firm against these threats, and the Core Rulebook brings the horrors of serving the Inquisition to life in its adventure, Dark Pursuits. You and your fellow Acolytes must investigate the Faceless Trade, a massive network of criminal cartels and smuggling operations dedicated to transporting and selling heretical objects. Your task is to investigate the origin and the destination of these forbidden artefacts and exterminate the heretics who dare to trifle with these powers.

Today, contributing writer Tim Cox shares his experiences from creating the Dark Pursuits adventure for your exploits in the Askellon sector.

Tim Cox on Developing the Dark Pursuits Adventure

As the introductory adventure included in the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook, Dark Pursuits allows your group to start a campaign quickly, while simultaneously introducing Game Masters and players to the central theme of Dark Heresy. In this adventure, an ongoing investigation thrusts the Acolytes into action uncovering the secrets of a multi-headed conspiracy and a singular powerful foe. New players will quickly learn that traitors are everywhere, and that Acolytes can only rely on themselves to overcome the threats at hand. The Acolytes’ actions illuminate the heresies they face and reveal greater threats waiting in the shadows.

In this adventure, the Acolytes’ Inquisitor tasks them with investigating the source of foul xenos artefacts discovered in the Apex of Hive Desoleum, and any possible connection between the artefacts and a series of mysterious deaths. Most importantly, the Acolytes must uncover how these heretical items enter the hive city and stop those responsible. The investigation brings players into conflict with a vast smuggling cartel that deals in the most dangerous proscribed items, as well as a dangerous outcast eager to purchase the most heretical objects. Simply coming into contact with these artefacts could endanger an Acolyte’s soul, and before the adventure ends, the Acolytes must confront an ancient and corrupting evil that could damn all of Desoleum.

The Acolytes must maintain their focus on the most compelling heresies they find, carefully choosing their battles as they witness the crime and depravity that runs rampant amongst the citizens of the decaying hive. Focusing on petty crimes or even lesser heresies costs the Acolytes valuable time that they cannot afford. The mark of a great Acolyte or Inquisitor is the understanding and will to choose his battles. Visiting justice on the sadistic Babyfaces hive gang might seem noble, but by doing so, the Acolytes might allow a deadly arch-heretek to finish his dark dealings.

Enter the Hive

The Dark Pursuits adventure takes place within Hive Desoleum, a decaying hive planet and a home to hundreds of billions. The Acolytes’ investigation takes them from the heights of the Apex to the lawless borderland between Desoleum City and the underhive, before finally arriving at Gyre Voidport, a massive complex adjoining the hive proper. The towering voidport reflects the structure of the hive itself, with millennia of construction layered upon the original foundation, and dark things lurking in ancient loading tunnels and forgotten maintenance shafts. Here, the Acolytes gain additional insights into smuggling activity of the Faceless Trade, and must race to halt the delivery of an impossibly dangerous cargo. Corruption is everywhere in Hive Desoleum, from the manses of Apex nobility to the dangerous border territory of Three Stakes’ Rest.

One of my favourite things about writing for Dark Heresy is exploring the locations and individuals that make up the everyday workings of the Imperium’s worlds. In this case, I was focused on Hive Desoleum and its residents, and throughout the adventure, I tried to capture the sights, sounds, and smells of one of the sector’s major hive worlds. I spent a lot of time poring over classic Warhammer 40,000 artwork, in particular the art of John Blanche, to get the right feel for the city and its inhabitants.

As an example of this, Gyre Voidport plays a large part in the Dark Pursuits adventure, which meant thinking about how a major hive world’s primary voidport might work, and what Acolytes might experience when they visit. In the case of Port Gyre, the port is physically separated from the rest of the hive. This voidport features security checkpoints and the gargantuan bureaucracy of the Officio Auctoriate Porteus to oversee business, but the ancient tunnels honeycombing the structure and corruption amongst the Auctoriate allow a brisk trade in smuggled goods. It is the darkest and most dangerous of this smuggling that brings the Acolytes to the port.

Continue Your Adventures

Dark Pursuits introduces players and GMs to the Askellon sector, the setting for Dark Heresy Second Edition, and some of the new dangers that threaten humanity’s survival. Although Acolytes only confront a small sliver of these dangers during the adventure, the experience alerts them to wider heresies. By the end of the adventure, Acolytes have several potential avenues for follow-up investigations, any of which might form the starting point for their next adventure.

Hive Desoleum also serves as the focus for the NPCs and Adversaries chapter of the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook, giving GMs an extensive variety of additional NPCs and groups to insert into the Dark Pursuits adventure if desired. Hive Desoleum also receives a detailed write-up in the chapter focused on the Askellon Sector, as well as some unique vehicles and items described in the Armoury chapter. Altogether, this wealth of information on Desoleum allows GMs to bring the hive city to life, immersing players in the world of Dark Heresy and opening the gates for dozens of continuing adventures following the events of Dark Pursuits.

I hope that both new and experienced Dark Heresy players will enjoy this adventure as a starting point for their adventures in the Askellon Sector. I look forward to hearing how different groups tackle the investigation and the many challenges awaiting their Acolytes!

Thanks, Tim!

Untold adventures lie before you in Hive Desoleum. Will you exterminate the Faceless Trade and the ancient evils within Desoleum, or will your Dark Pursuits lead you to your destruction? Preorder your copy of the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook today, and watch for more designer diaries in coming weeks!

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Source: Dark Pursuits

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Right on Target

Dungeon Fighter Is Back in Stock

 

Take aim at mythical monsters in Dungeon Fighter!

In this collaborative board game, up to six players take on the role of unproven heroes, fighting their way through a perilous dungeon. You’ll need bravery and dexterity to make it out alive.

The Dungeon Is Dark and Full of Monsters

In every one of the dungeon’s gloomy chambers lurks a sinister and quirky monster, such as the Educated Orc, who threatens to clobber you with both his club and his intellect, or the Vocal Vampire, who would bite you if she could stop singing. You must attack and defeat every monster you encounter in order to move forward. The closer you get to daylight, the more ferocious the monsters become.

As in many other games, you attack a monster by throwing dice. But Dungeon Fighter is dexterity-based: an attack’s success is determined by how a single die is thrown and where it lands. Each ring on the target-shaped game board gives you a different number of hit points, with holes in the target adding to the challenge. In the beginning of the game, you might need a few tries to land a die on the target. Your persistence will be rewarded: soon you’ll be rejoicing as you score a hit with almost every throw. At that point you’ll be eager to try scoring a hit with your eyes closed, or bouncing the die onto the board off of the back of a playing card. After all, the harder the battle, the sweeter the triumph.

Even seemingly harmless monsters like the Cute Bear and the Annoying Drunkard may take more than one throw of the die to overcome. Then, once you’ve defeated a monster, you will have to choose which path to follow next. Do you pass through the room where players have to turn their backs to the table when they throw the die, or the room where the die must be spun instead of thrown? No matter which way you turn, unknown dangers await.

Second Room to the Right and Straight on till Shopping

Fortunately, there is a handy equipment shop located in each level of the dungeon. As you defeat monsters, you will acquire gold from them that you can use in these shops to buy weapons, shields, and potions. The king may have locked the heroes up in a dark subterranean dungeon, but not without providing them the chance to buy equipment for defending themselves and restoring their health.

Potions, such as the Eau de Napalm, can only be used once, so heroes should strategically save them for a critical moment. Shields and armor can be used repeatedly to protect their wearer from taking damage in battle. Weapons increase the amount of damage done in an attack, but they also require complicated dice throws. A sword is only as good its bearer, and the swords in Dungeon Fighter can only be used by bearers who are able to land the die on the target while jumping into the air or kneeling beneath the table.

You Shall Not Pass – Without Laughing!

While moving through the dungeon’s third level, you may find yourself grinning at the fact that the Minotaur is disoriented and consulting a map. The Exterminator that you purchased in the shop looks suspiciously like a fly-swatter, and for some reason the shop sells mostly worn-out Second-Hand Shields. As you’re figuring out how to throw dice from underneath your leg, you may pause to wonder why Sir Moo is inhaling milk, or how exactly Lady Mary became so good at winning monsters’ hearts. Dungeon Fighter’s humorous touches will make you smile as the game challenges your dexterity, your bravery, and your luck.

Whether navigating the dungeon solo, or with a group of your most valiant friends, you will be entertained by Dungeon Fighter.  Look for it at your local games retailer today, or order your copy through our online store!

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Source: Right on Target

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Guardians of Deephall

Announcing an Upcoming Hero and Monster Collection for Descent Second Edition

The stronghold of Deephall was once home to a thriving, peaceful community, but now, the mountain city lies under constant threat of invasion. A horde of undead, led by dark priests, attacks Deephall constantly. These unending attacks deplete the city’s guards and erode the peoples’ resolve. Four heroes are all that stands between Deephall and the city’s extinction.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the Guardians of Deephall Hero and Monster Collection for Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition!

The mountain village of Deephall lies in desperate danger. In Guardians of Deephall, you’ll find four heroes and three monster groups to decide the future of Deephall. These figures were previously only available in the first edition of Descent, but are now brought in line with second edition aesthetics through reimagined figure sculpts and artwork.

Four heroes leap to the defense of Deephall in this Hero and Monster Collection lending their skill with arms and their magical prowess to the city’s defense. You’ll find the orc warrior Mordrog battling in the front lines alongside Lord Hawthorne. At the same time, Sahla, a gifted Healer, focuses his power by channeling the strength of other heroes, even as the deadly assassin known as Silhouette uses her stealth and cunning to cut her enemies down.

The evil forces of the overlord array themselves against these heroes. Dark priests spearhead the attack on Deephall, using their knowledge of the arcane to deadly effect. The key to Deephall’s trials, however, lies in the icy caves of the mountains, guarded by ferocious wendigos and crypt dragons.

Contains four heroes, four dark priests, three wendigos, and two crypt dragons.

The battle for Deephall’s fate plays out in two entirely new quests. In Guardians of Deephall, the heroes must defend the walls of Deephall against a seemingly endless assault of undead and dark priests. Then, in The Curse of Iona, the hero party must venture into the icy lair of a dragon sorceress to reclaim a pendant that may be Deephall’s salvation.



Gifts of a Healer

Four heroes rush to defend the city of Deephall, and one of these heroes is Sahla, a Healer greatly experienced in complementing his hero party. As the youngest of seven brothers, Sahla spent much of his childhood imitating his elder siblings. When he was only fourteen, he set out on a pilgrimage of self-discovery to the Blessed Valley, and while drinking from a stream, he saw his own reflection fade from the water. From that moment, he knew that healing other’s afflictions and drawing upon their strengths led to his fullest power.

In your games of Descent, Sahla can prove a great helper. This Healer’s hero ability gives you the potential to turn detrimental conditions into potent weapons against the overlord. At the start of Sahla’s turn, you may test his Willpower. If you pass, you may discard a condition from any figure within three spaces of Sahla, then choose a figure within three spaces to gain that condition. Since a host of monsters possess the ability to poison, stun, immobilize, or inflict another condition, Sahla’s hero ability forces the overlord to either disregard these abilities, or see them turned against his own monsters.

Sahla’s heroic feat offers you another way to outwit the overlord by ensuring that the right hero is always in position. By triggering Sahla’s heroic feat at the start of your turn, you may choose a hero in your line of sight, and use one of his Class cards as if it were your own. By using this heroic feat at the ideal time, Sahla can channel another hero’s power, thwarting the overlord’s plans and keeping your heroes working towards the quest’s objective.

Servants of Dark Gods

Within the Guardians of Deephall Hero and Monster Collection, you’ll find three unique monster groups devoted to the downfall of Deephall. As dark priests lead hordes of undead against the walls of the city, crypt dragons and the terrifying wendigos guard the dark secret to Deephall’s peril.

No mortal knows whether the dark priests are undead themselves, or are so twisted by prayers and rituals to dark gods that they are no longer recognizable as living. It is only known that disease, curses, and hordes of undead follow a dark priest wherever his evil journeys may take him. Now, dark priests command a horde of undead that strives daily to breach the walls of Deephall.

The cadre of dark priests attacking the mountain city can prove a deadly obstacle to any hero party, as they heal your monsters and undermine the heroes’ options. Dark priests excel at fighting at range, and can spend a surge to deal more damage, in addition to utilizing the Dark Prayer ability. By entreating their gods, a dark priest can force a hero within five spaces to test his Willpower. If the hero fails, he must take a fatigue, draining him of the ability to trigger Class cards or gain extra movement.

Master dark priests are privy to even deeper secrets of their cult, giving them the ability to spend an action using the Heal ability. Heal allows a master dark priest to restore health to a nearby monster equal to the result of a red die roll, keeping your monsters alive and attacking the heroes. As an added bonus, master dark priests bear the Horrifying ability, meaning that each hero adjacent to a master dark priest suffers from lowered Willpower, making him even more susceptible to the influence of a Dark Prayer. If these monstrous clerics have their way, all of Deephall will be sacrificed to the evil gods they serve.

The Fate of the City

The city of Deephall has long resisted the monsters that beseige it, but its defenders are running out of time. You can decide its fate when you leap to its defense with Sahla and a hero party, or ensure its destruction with dark priests and a host of monsters. Look for the Guardians of Deephall Hero and Monster Collection in the fourth quarter of 2014!

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Source: Guardians of Deephall

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Into the Heart

Preview the Adventure Included in The Tome of Decay

From your first steps upon the Path to Glory, you and your fellow Heretics have worked to attain your highest ambition: to become a Daemon Prince in the service of the Ruinous Powers of Chaos. In The Tome of Blood, The Tome of Fate, and The Tome of Excess supplements for Black Crusade, your journey led deeper into the insanity and darkness of the Screaming Vortex. Now, your final test awaits. In The Tome of Decay, you venture into the heart of the vortex to be judged by Grandfather Nurgle.

Today, Andy Hoare, the author of the Tome adventures, recounts the story of the Heretics’ journey into the Screaming Vortex and reveals some of what awaits you in The Heart of the Vortex adventure.

Andy Hoare on the Heretics’ Journey

The Tome of Decay features The Heart of the Vortex, the fourth and final adventure in a series stretching across the four Tomes. Each of these supplements adds details to one of the Ruinous Powers, and offers an adventure that tests the Heretics' ability to please a Chaos God. If you haven't yet taken the plunge and begun your own Black Crusade campaign, here's an overview of the challenges you might face and the rewards you might earn along the arduous Path to Glory.

Be warned, however: for every mortal that sets out upon this route, only one in a generation achieves the desired end, earning apotheosis to the ranks of Daemon Princes. Heretics might be driven beyond madness by the raw insanity of the Warp, while others attain the brink of ascension, only to be overwhelmed by the limitless gifts of Chaos. These unfortunates are transformed into beasts of thrashing tentacles, razor-edged teeth, and hideous Daemon-flesh, doomed to spend the remains of their lives as mindless Spawn of Chaos. If you’re determined to continue, read on to see the horrors and tests of worthiness that await you in the Warp!

There Was Blood

The Tome of Blood is the supplement dedicated to the Chaos God of blood, battle, and rage. Within this adventure, a group of Heretics sets out upon the Path to Glory, seeking a means to leave their indelible mark on the interminable wars and rivalries within the bounds of the Screaming Vortex. An incomparable opportunity to prove themselves arrives in the form of the Axe of Khak-Aksha, which they may uncover on the war-torn world of Messia.

The Heretics’ only hope of claiming the Axe of Khak-Aksha lies in brutally conquering or uniting the disparate Drill-Clans of Messia, before facing a millions-strong migration of bloodthirsty mutants. Success in these brutal battles affords the budding Heretics the chance to claim a powerful weapon, as well as distinguishing themselves in battle against some of the mightiest warlords of the region.

Vagaries of Fate

After obtaining the bloody blessings of Khorne, the Heretics' journey takes them still deeper into the Screaming Vortex, to the unnatural world of Q'Sal. Here, they have the chance to attract the patronage of Tzeentch, Master of Fate and Lord of Lies, by exploring the schemes and plots of this duplicitous Ruinous Power. During this adventure within The Tome of Fate, the Heretics become deeply embroiled in these cunning intrigues.

Upon this unnatural planet, the Heretics must cooperate to seize dominance in the labyrinthine rivalries between the sorcerers of Q'Sal. Whether they ally themselves with the sorcerers or attempt to defeat them at their own deadly games, the Heretics have a chance to gain the dark blessings of Tzeentch. Successfully drawing the attention of Tzeentch allows the Heretics to progress further along the Path to Glory and deeper into the dread Screaming Vortex.

The Six Sins

In The Tome of Excess, the Heretics' next port of call is the Ragged Helix, an anarchic body of Screaming Vortex asteroids. A myriad petty pirate lords haut these asteroids, dedicating their conquests to Slaanesh, the Chaos God of Excess and Transgression. Slaanesh and its decadent servants carry countless sinful obsessions, and in this adventure the Heretics must show that they can master each of the Sins of Slaanesh.

The challenge of surmounting the Sins might appear simple, but in truth, few can sample even one of the Sins without being consumed. The souls of the devoured are held forfeit and their journey along the Path to Glory is brought to an ignominious end. If the Heretics can master the Sins, however, they gain the respect and allegiance of the Pirates of the Ragged Helix, alongside the eternal blessing of Slaanesh, the Dark Prince of Chaos.

Death and Rebirth

In the adventure within The Tome of Decay, the Heretics have already risen to high status among the warlords of the Screaming Vortex, proving themselves worthy of a final judgement by Nurgle. The Heretics have mastered war, intrigue, and excess, yet on the foetid, deathly world of Mire they must face their greatest challenge yet.

On the planet Mire, at the heart of Screaming Vortex, the Heretics are granted the chance to be weighed in the balance by Nurgle. If judged worthy, Nurgle grants rebirth to the Heretics, inviting them to rise to become the mightiest lords of the Screaming Vortex. Heretics blessed in this way have the opportunity to lead a Black Crusade into the hated Imperium, or to ascend to the ultimate state of Daemonhood. But at the end of things, within the heart of the Screaming Vortex, the Ruinous Powers can be more harsh, uncaring, and fickle than ever as they judge the Heretics’ Warp-blasted souls. The Heretics must master death itself, and for many, their final steps on the Path to Glory will be the last they ever take.

Thanks, Andy!

The end of the Heretics’ journey approaches. Demonstrate yourself worthy of the Chaos Gods’ blessing, or else plummet to excruciating death or mindless servitude as a Chaos Spawn. The judgment of Nurgle awaits: begin the adventure in The Tome of Decay and take the first steps to apotheosis.

Preorder your copy of The Tome of Decay at your local retailer today!

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Source: Into the Heart

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A Space Ark of Aliens

The Developers of Cosmic Dominion Preview Its Alien Races

Recently, we announced the upcoming release of Cosmic Dominion, the fifth expansion for Cosmic Encounter. Designed for the fans and by the fans, in conjunction with Peter Olotka, one of the game’s original designers, this expansion is a must-have for anyone looking to explore all that the galaxy has to offer.

Chief among the elements that Cosmic Dominion adds to your games of Cosmic Encounter are its alien races. Cosmic Dominion introduces no fewer than thirty alien races, which include a mixture of new aliens and classics redesigned to function within the game’s current edition. No other expansion has introduced as many alien races all at once, and that means you’ll find more wacky new powers and flares in Cosmic Dominion than ever before.

Today, the expansion’s fan designers help you navigate through these new alien races and the options they introduce.

The Fan Designers on Cosmic Dominion’s New Aliens

Jefferson Krogh:

“I'm biased, but my favorite fan-made alien in Cosmic Dominion is Tourist! It combines much of what I love about Cosmic Encounter: whimsy, unpredictability, and sneakiness.”

Jack Reda:

“One of the new aliens I'm most excited about is Reactor, which gambles on playing the game in a slightly different way – one that rewards other players with their super flares. The radioactive Reactor counts on players being greedy for an advantage, opening up a path for Reactor to win the game in an alternate way.”

Bill Martinson:

“I especially like Engineer because it brings the core game’s Technology variant back into focus in a fresh way; it’s fun to play an alien that can have its own twenty-card side-deck. There actually were two different Engineers submitted, and we realized that the gameplay from one made a nice marriage with the alien history of the other.

“I'd also have to give a shout out to Joker. This little harlequin probably experienced more life-changing events during development than just about any other alien in the set. It actually ended up as a marriage between two completely different designs that came together nicely, while spawning off some cute little baby joker tokens, one of which ties into a brand-new card type in the new reward deck.”

The Fan Designers on Cosmic Dominion’s Revised Classics

Jefferson Krogh:

“For the classic aliens, it must be said that the three of us were guided by a poll Peter Olotka ran a couple of years ago. The poll asked fans which of the classic aliens they would most like to see republished. Since Cosmic Dominion is a fan expansion, we let the fans guide us on those selections.

“The classic alien I was most excited to revive was Mesmer. I love Mesmer because I love artifacts – though they were called edicts back in the day – and Mesmer lets me play with all of them! The only thing we needed to change was the super flare. Originally, that let you play any wild flare as if it were any other wild flare you could name. With over 160 different wild flares now in the game, that just seemed unwieldy, so we decided to focus the Mesmer super flare back on artifacts.”

Jack Reda:

“I was also very glad to see Mesmer finally added to the lineup. It’s an amazing alien to play, and one that I feel was long overdue. Mesmer’s inclusion was notably a nice excuse to introduce a brand new artifact to the game and bring back a few more of the classic edicts that had yet to be made into artifacts.

“Another classic alien that underwent a bit of revising was Laser. While clearly powerful and unique, the original Laser was guilty of robbing its opponents of a lot of decision making. The new version of Laser takes the power to Blind in a new direction, randomly selecting a number cards that its opponent can no longer play for the rest of the encounter.”

Bill Martinson:

“Like my partners in crime (and many other fans, no doubt), I am overjoyed to see Mesmer make its way into the FFG universe. It’s one of the most-loved classic aliens and really deserves to be part of the best edition of the game that’s ever been published. Jefferson mentioned the minimal tweaking it received, which reflects our desire to be as faithful as possible to the original designs of these favorites, while promoting more great gameplay in the modern Cosmic Encounter universe.

“Another classic favorite on my happy-radar is Aristocrat. It's a simple, obvious pleasure to play. Cherry-pick your starting hand and then get fresh flares all the time; who could resist that? We tweaked it a little to keep your analysis-paralysis buddy from taking too long to pick his starting hand in the Game Setup phase, and we also revised the Super flare to make it a one-shot with a potentially big payoff that takes the power’s ongoing game effect to a higher level.”

Conquer the Cosmos

You’ll find an astounding array of wacky new powers and flares among the thirty alien races of Cosmic Dominion. Each of them allows you to break the game’s rules in an all-new way, and as a group they further ensure that you’ll never play the same game twice. Plus, if you’re cunning and ruthless enough, these fan-favorite aliens will give you a wealth of new tools to surprise your rivals and colonize their planets.

Take your next step toward cosmic supremacy. Head to your local retailer today to pre-order your copy of Cosmic Dominion!

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Source: A Space Ark of Aliens

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The Howl of Blackmane

Announcing the First War Pack in the Warlord Cycle for Warhammer 40,000: Conquest

“So long as there remains one who still rages in the name of justice and truth, the galaxy shall yet know hope.”
    –Ragnar Blackmane

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce The Howl of Blackmane, the first War Pack in the Warlord cycle for Warhammer 40,000: Conquest!

The Howl of Blackmane introduces sixty new cards to expand your battles in the grim and gritty future of Warhammer 40,000: Conquest. You’ll find a battle-ready new Space Marine warlord with his eight-card signature squad offering new ideas for conquering the Traxis sector. Additionally, you’ll find three copies each of seventeen different cards that invite you to join the ranks of the Inquisition, experiment with heretical technology, or embark upon a sector-spanning Waaagh!

As the first pack of the Warlord cycle, The Howl of Blackmane brings your warlords to the forefront of your battles in the Traxis sector. New warlords are introduced in every War Pack, leading bloodthirsty armies, and bringing new strategies for achieving victory.  You’ll find more than new warlords, however. Other cards introduced in The Howl of Blackmane and throughout the cycle put the focus directly on your warlord, whether by granting benefits to your other forces, orchestrating army movements, or exhausting to trigger powerful tactics.

Throughout the War Packs of the Warlord cycle, every faction receives a new warlord, ranging from an Imperial Inquisitor to an Eldar Phoenix Lord, and each of these new champions encourages the exploration of a new style of play.

For more on The Howl of Blackmane and the main themes of the Warlord cycle, we turn to developer Brad Andres.

Developer Brad Andres on the Warlord Cycle

Throughout the Warlord cycle, we explored the impact of warlords upon the game. These powerful warriors and leaders are the lifeblood of Conquest, and the design of a new warlord meant defining how the warlord would play the game.

Throughout the cycle, we needed to answer questions ranging from, “How will this warlord try to win?” to “What makes this warlord unique compared to others in the same faction?” Each warlord and its signature squad brings a new deck type to the table, ripe for expansion with the addition of other cards in the cycle.

The first of these new warlords is the Wolf Lord, Ragnar Blackmane (The Howl of Blackmane, 1). Ragnar is designed to hunt down your opponent’s warlord by engaging it in battle as much as possible. The strategy of hunting is a perfect thematic fit for the Space Wolves; these Space Marines were engineered to murder empires and tear apart anyone that stands in the way of the Imperium. Ragnar’s signature unit, the Blackmane Sentinel (The Howl of Blackmane, 2), continues the theme of hunting down your rivals. A Blackmane Sentinel is a fearsome unit that can move from anywhere on the board to corner a warlord wherever Ragnar tracks it. Even if you can’t guess the location of your opponent’s warlord on the first try, Blackmane’s Hunt (The Howl of Blackmane, 5) allows you to follow your rival’s warlord to an adjacent planet, completing your hunt and meeting it in battle.

Confronting your opponent head-on brings you face-to-face with danger, but the Weapon Frostfang (The Howl of Blackmane, 3) can drastically increase one unit’s attack power and hit points, helping you win a showdown with a rival warlord. And when your opponent tries to flee from your ravening wolves, a Morkai Rune Priest punishes your opponent for thinking he might escape unscathed.

Ragnar is only the first of many familiar warlords to be found in this cycle. You can look forward to seeing Inquisitors, Ethereals, and Greater Daemons in battle. Each new warlord brings a new deck type and play experience for players to explore.

The Warlord cycle doesn’t just introduce new warlords. It features a host of supporting cards that make the strategic use of your warlord more critical than ever. Cards like Muster the Guard (The Howl of Blackmane, 7) require you to exhaust your warlord as part of the ability cost, offering a huge benefit in return. Other cards, such as the Bork’an Recruits,become stronger while in the presence of a warlord, making the decision of where to commit a warlord even more consequential.

The Howl of Blackmane and the other War Packs in the Warlord cycle introduce a host of new warlords and abilities to Warhammer 40,000: Conquest, bombarding the Traxis sector with powerful new abilities, strategies, and combinations. These cards were designed to make your war for galactic dominance more intense than ever, and I hope you have as much playing it as I did designing it!

What Is a War Pack?

Warhammer 40,000: Conquest is a Living Card Game®, meaning that rather than collectible randomized booster packs, it receives monthly expansions known as War Packs. Each War Pack contains sixty cards, offering a full playset of each unit, attachment, event, and support card within.

Each War Pack expands the Warhammer 40,000 universe within Conquest, offering new deck-building options with a fixed distribution model, allowing players to focus on building decks and playing games, rather than chasing rare cards. The Howl of Blackmane is the first War Pack for Warhammer 40,000: Conquest.

Hunt Among the Stars

Begin your wild hunt across the galaxy with Ragnar Blackmane and the other cards from The Howl of Blackmane War Pack. Whether you employ Blackmane’s aggressive tactics, revel in the torture of the Dark Eldar, or harness the powerful technology of the Tau empire, you’ll find new units, attachments, supports, and events to use throughout your battles in the Traxis sector.

Look for The Howl of Blackmane to arrive at your local retailer in the fourth quarter of 2014!

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Source: The Howl of Blackmane

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Brave the Elements!

Announcing Two Expansions for Dungeon Fighter

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce that the first two expansions for Dungeon Fighter, Fire at Will and The Big Wave, will soon be available at your local retailer.

In Dungeon Fighter, up to six players take on the role of self-proclaimed heroes, fighting their way out of a dungeon full of monsters. In this dexterity-based game, how you throw the dice and where they land on the game board determines your success in combat. Only by defeating all the monsters in the dungeon can you escape and prove yourself to truly be a hero.

Now it’s time to see how your heroic abilities withstand the elements. Let the flame-breathing monsters and fire elemental magic of Fire at Will heat you up, or dip your toes into water elemental magic and battle creatures from the ocean’s depths in The Big Wave.

 

Waterfalls, Firewalls and Explosions

You’ll learn to either ride the waves or dodge the flames in the new dexterity challenges of these expansions. Each introduces new dice throws that involve props: When doing battle with the Blue Dragon of The Big Wave, for instance, you must roll a die down the length of the waterfall prop before bouncing the die off the table and onto the game board. The Firewall monster of Fire at Will forces you to bounce your die over the firewall prop, dealing a point of damage if the die touches the firewall.

New game board templates scorch – or soak – the landscape of the game board. Some cards and rooms in each expansion ask you to flip a template onto the target board. A die landing on that template counts as a normal hit against a monster, but the template may increase the amount of damage dealt in that attack, or allow you to regain some of your health– or cause you to suffer damage even in a successful attack. For instance, when a die lands on the explosion template in Fire at Will, all heroes suffer two points of damage.

 

You’ve Got Magic To Do

Shields, weapons, and potions are helpful in battle, but there’s nothing quite as powerful as elemental magic. Now, heroes accumulate experience points as they progress through the dungeon. With those points, you can purchase magical spells to use in combat. In Fire at Will, heroes can acquire fire elemental spells, such as the Ritual of Flames and the Dragon’s Belch, which allow you to use the new props and templates to deal extra damage. In The Big Wave, water elemental spells, such as the Fresh Waterfall and Cry Me a River, often help heroes to heal more quickly or gain additional experience points.

You choose to cast a spell at the beginning of an encounter and spend experience points each time you cast it. Equipment, can only be used by one hero at a time, but spells can benefit the entire party of heroes. Moreover, spells are never discarded. Once you learn elemental magic, it will stay with you forever.

 

 

Catch Fire and Get Soaked

In each expansion, a new dungeon sheet transforms the dungeon into a different location filled with new perils. Fire at Will finds the heroes deep within in a cavern beneath the fire mountains. There dwells a horde of scorching (and scorched) monsters, including the Bullrog – a flame-throwing, fire-breathing minotaur who is not one bit interested in letting the heroes escape. Thankfully a new heroine, Melissa, The Fire Sorceress, joins the party. Her expertise in fire magic will prove useful to any group of heroes battling their way through the flames.

Fancy a refreshing day at the beach? The Big Wave sends the heroes on an adventure through a clammy seaside cave near a noxious swamp. The fearless pirate Jack Parrot (and his little bird, too!) will stand alongside you as you combat various monsters from the vasty deep. Awaiting you near the dungeon’s exit is the ocean’s most dreaded creature of all, The Great Cthulhu, who seeks to wrap you in his tentacles and drag you beneath the surface.

Whether you want to leap into the fire or go deep-sea diving, you’ll enjoy the new elements that Fire at Will and The Big Wave bring to Dungeon Fighter. You can play one expansion at a time, or combine them for an explosive flood of adventure!

Stay turned for more details about Fire at Will and The Big Wave. You can also check out Dungeon Fighter's description page for more information. 

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Source: Brave the Elements!

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The Source

Announcing the Sixth and Final Data Pack in the Lunar Cycle

“Autorun initiated.” The files were opening. There was a flurry of code running across his screen. Ones and zeroes, old binary machine code. It was beautiful.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of The Source, the sixth and final Data Pack in the Lunar Cycle for Android: Netrunner!

In The Source, cyber-explorer Nasir Meidan departs Heinlein for Earth and the relative safety of his apartment. There, he stares at the drive in his hand before booting up his console. Was he able to complete his download? Does this drive truly contain the net’s legendary source protocols? What will he find? After a series of thrilling encounters with Corporate security measures and security officers, all he has to do is pull up the files…

For five Data Packs, the Lunar Cycle has depicted the different ways that the lunar environment impacts the cat-and-mouse struggles between Corps and Runners, and as it returns those struggles to Earth, The Source takes a final look at the moon’s grail ice, locations, and Corporate divisions.

At the end of your lunar expedition, the sixty new cards in The Source (three copies each of twenty different cards) reveal surprising new takes on life, evolution, and death in the virtual world and the cyberstruggles of Android: Netrunner. You’ll find assets that reward Corps for birthing new servers and others that can self-destruct. You’ll find self-propagating viruses waiting to explode into the network, and you’ll find programs that reward you for jacking out of your runs.

Arriving at Utopia

Throughout the Lunar Cycle, we’ve seen several shards and fragments that have splintered off from the net’s legendary source protocols. In The Source, Corps gain access to another fragment, quite possibly the most perfect and harmonious of them all, the Utopia Fragment (The Source, 110).

This unique agenda is limited to one per deck and offers three points for five advancement, a fairly mundane ratio of points to advancement. However, once scored, the agenda is anything but mundane; it’s more like a bit of code has come to life and started working for you. It’s not unlike magic.

Once scored, Utopia Fragment forces the Runner to pay an additional two credits for each advancement token on an agenda in order to steal it. By itself, Utopia Fragment can make it prohibitively expensive for the Runner to steal advanced agendas and may promote the use of even more high-advancement, high-reward agendas. Of course, it can also be used to an even more devastating effect in combination with multiple layers of taxing ice and agendas, like NAPD Contract (Double Time, 119), that already can’t be scored unless the Runner’s willing to fork over the credits.

Waiting to Be Born

Could it be possible that data drive in Nasir Meidan’s hands is the key to unlocking some horrible secret? What if it were a virus waiting to be pulled out of isolation and injected into the net? What if it were a virus like Incubator (The Source, 113) or Ixodidae (The Source, 114)?

Anarchs have long been the game’s greatest proponents of virus programs, and that’s certainly not something about to change with The Source. The two viruses that Anarchs gain in this Data Pack empower virus-based strategies by working well with other viruses.

For three credits, Incubator lurks in the background, spawning virus tokens every turn until you choose to spend a click and trash it to boost another of your virus programs. Incubator can effectively double the rate at which your Parasite (Core Set, 12) chews through a layer of ice, or it can accelerate the evolution of your Darwin (Future Proof, 102). Moreover, since Incubator allows you to stockpile and then transfer your virus tokens without taking any specific actions, it offers you a way to activate Chakana (Creation and Control, 43) or Deep Thought (Future Proof, 108), without running on R&D.

Still, running is at the heart of the Runner’s game. It’s just a matter of where you’ll want to run and which benefits you’ll hope to derive from running. To that end, Ixodidae partners perfectly with Lamprey (Upstalk, 14). When you have both in play, your successful runs on HQ will both drain credits from the Corp and drip them into your account. In fact, they’re so potent together that it’s almost a given the Corp will spend a turn purging virus counters in order to get rid of them, but baiting the Corp into spending clicks in that manner is just another way of draining its resources.

Complete Your Journey

What will you take from the moon at the end of the Lunar Cycle? You’ll be able to open your copy of The Source and unpack its secrets when it arrives at retailers everywhere late in the third quarter of 2014!

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Source: The Source

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The Howl of Blackmane

Announcing the First War Pack in the Warlord Cycle for Warhammer 40,000: Conquest

“So long as there remains one who still rages in the name of justice and truth, the galaxy shall yet know hope.”
    –Ragnar Blackmane

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce The Howl of Blackmane, the first War Pack in the Warlord cycle for Warhammer 40,000: Conquest!

The Howl of Blackmane introduces sixty new cards to expand your battles in the grim and gritty future of Warhammer 40,000: Conquest. You’ll find a battle-ready new Space Marine warlord with his eight-card signature squad offering new ideas for conquering the Traxis sector. Additionally, you’ll find three copies each of seventeen different cards that invite you to join the ranks of the Inquisition, experiment with heretical technology, or embark upon a sector-spanning Waaagh!

As the first pack of the Warlord cycle, The Howl of Blackmane brings your warlords to the forefront of your battles in the Traxis sector. New warlords are introduced in every War Pack, leading bloodthirsty armies, and bringing new strategies for achieving victory.  You’ll find more than new warlords, however. Other cards introduced in The Howl of Blackmane and throughout the cycle put the focus directly on your warlord, whether by granting benefits to your other forces, orchestrating army movements, or exhausting to trigger powerful tactics.

Throughout the War Packs of the Warlord cycle, every faction receives a new warlord, ranging from an Imperial Inquisitor to an Eldar Phoenix Lord, and each of these new champions encourages the exploration of a new style of play.

For more on The Howl of Blackmane and the main themes of the Warlord cycle, we turn to developer Brad Andres.

Developer Brad Andres on the Warlord Cycle

Throughout the Warlord cycle, we explored the impact of warlords upon the game. These powerful warriors and leaders are the lifeblood of Conquest, and the design of a new warlord meant defining how the warlord would play the game.

Throughout the cycle, we needed to answer questions ranging from, “How will this warlord try to win?” to “What makes this warlord unique compared to others in the same faction?” Each warlord and its signature squad brings a new deck type to the table, ripe for expansion with the addition of other cards in the cycle.

The first of these new warlords is the Wolf Lord, Ragnar Blackmane (The Howl of Blackmane, 1). Ragnar is designed to hunt down your opponent’s warlord by engaging it in battle as much as possible. The strategy of hunting is a perfect thematic fit for the Space Wolves; these Space Marines were engineered to murder empires and tear apart anyone that stands in the way of the Imperium. Ragnar’s signature unit, the Blackmane Sentinel (The Howl of Blackmane, 2), continues the theme of hunting down your rivals. A Blackmane Sentinel is a fearsome unit that can move from anywhere on the board to corner a warlord wherever Ragnar tracks it. Even if you can’t guess the location of your opponent’s warlord on the first try, Blackmane’s Hunt (The Howl of Blackmane, 5) allows you to follow your rival’s warlord to an adjacent planet, completing your hunt and meeting it in battle.

Confronting your opponent head-on brings you face-to-face with danger, but the Weapon Frostfang (The Howl of Blackmane, 3) can drastically increase one unit’s attack power and hit points, helping you win a showdown with a rival warlord. And when your opponent tries to flee from your ravening wolves, a Morkai Rune Priest punishes your opponent for thinking he might escape unscathed.

Ragnar is only the first of many familiar warlords to be found in this cycle. You can look forward to seeing Inquisitors, Ethereals, and Greater Daemons in battle. Each new warlord brings a new deck type and play experience for players to explore.

The Warlord cycle doesn’t just introduce new warlords. It features a host of supporting cards that make the strategic use of your warlord more critical than ever. Cards like Muster the Guard (The Howl of Blackmane, 7) require you to exhaust your warlord as part of the ability cost, offering a huge benefit in return. Other cards, such as the Bork’an Recruits,become stronger while in the presence of a warlord, making the decision of where to commit a warlord even more consequential.

The Howl of Blackmane and the other War Packs in the Warlord cycle introduce a host of new warlords and abilities to Warhammer 40,000: Conquest, bombarding the Traxis sector with powerful new abilities, strategies, and combinations. These cards were designed to make your war for galactic dominance more intense than ever, and I hope you have as much fun playing it as I did designing it!

What Is a War Pack?

Warhammer 40,000: Conquest is a Living Card Game®, meaning that rather than collectible randomized booster packs, it receives monthly expansions known as War Packs. Each War Pack contains sixty cards, offering a full playset of each unit, attachment, event, and support card within.

Each War Pack expands the Warhammer 40,000 universe within Conquest, offering new deck-building options with a fixed distribution model, allowing players to focus on building decks and playing games, rather than chasing rare cards. The Howl of Blackmane is the first War Pack for Warhammer 40,000: Conquest.

Hunt Among the Stars

Begin your wild hunt across the galaxy with Ragnar Blackmane and the other cards from The Howl of Blackmane War Pack. Whether you employ Blackmane’s aggressive tactics, revel in the torture of the Dark Eldar, or harness the powerful technology of the Tau empire, you’ll find new units, attachments, supports, and events to use throughout your battles in the Traxis sector.

Look for The Howl of Blackmane to arrive at your local retailer in the fourth quarter of 2014!

...

Source: The Howl of Blackmane

[RSSFeeder]

A New Safety Protocol

Protect Your Cards With Six Upcoming Android: Netrunner Art Sleeves

   
       
           
           
       
   

“I appreciate your concern, Miss Tameko, but there is no potential breach within the server you have identified. That is your snare. You will find that all your data is quite well-protected.”                  –Akitaro Watanabe             Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of six limited edition Android: Netrunner Art Sleeves.             Offering a high-tech combination of functionality and style, Fantasy Flight Supply Android: Netrunner Art Sleeves combine beautiful game-related art with top-quality card protection. Take your pick of designs in the meat world or the virtual world; our six new sleeve designs immerse you more fully than ever in the high-stakes cyberstruggles of Android: Netrunner, even as their clear, 100 micron-thick, non-PVC, acid-free polypropylene plastic offers your cards durable protection that comes free of any damaging chemicals that could corrode your cards.

All Android: Netrunner Art Sleeves fit snugly around your LCG, CCG, or other standard-sized cards (card size: 2 1/2” x 3 1/2”), and they facilitate easy shuffling and handling. Each pack contains 50 sleeves to protect the cards from your favorite Corp deck, your favorite Runner deck, or your favorite deck for any of our other LCGs®!

The Future Is Now

“The reason the NAPD keeps going after Noise is because he thinks running is all about style.”

    –Gabriel Santiago

The setting of Android: Netrunner is a gritty, futuristic world filled with artificial intelligence, gestural interfaces, and virt displays. The rich benefit from custom genetics and cyberimplants while the poor toil alongside bioroids and clones in the shadows of monolithic towers controlled by a handful of megarich corporations. They host their secrets on the omnipresent network and guard their most valuable data with a dizzying of array of barriers, code gates, sentries, and traps that define the landscape of the game’s virtual world.

Both the virtual and meat worlds of Android: Netrunner come to life with the six designs for our limited Android: Netrunner Art Sleeves.

   
       
           
           
           
       
       
           
           
           
       
   

Pop-up	Deep Red	Snare!
Wotan	Inside Job	Posted Bounty

Click any of the above images to enlarge

“Goodnight, New Angeles. From all of us at NBN Nightly to all of you at home, sleep well. We’re watching over you.”

    –NBN Nightly

Whether you plan to use Android: Netrunner Art Sleeves to protect your Corp and Runner decks for Android: Netrunner, run deep against the servers of another LCG, or safeguard an entirely different collection of cards, these stunning, top-quality sleeves allow you to do so in style, all while immersing you in the cyberpunk future of New Angeles, NeoTokyo, and the all-reaching network….

...

Source: A New Safety Protocol

[RSSFeeder]

A New Safety Protocol

Protect Your Cards With Six Upcoming Android: Netrunner Art Sleeves

                                                      

“I appreciate your concern, Miss Tameko, but there is no potential breach within the server you have identified. That is your snare. You will find that all your data is quite well-protected.”                   –Akitaro Watanabe               Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of six limited edition Android: Netrunner Art Sleeves.               Offering a high-tech combination of functionality and style, Fantasy Flight Supply Android: Netrunner Art Sleeves combine beautiful game-related art with top-quality card protection. Take your pick of designs in the meat world or the virtual world; our six new sleeve designs immerse you more fully than ever in the high-stakes cyberstruggles of Android: Netrunner, even as their clear, 100 micron-thick, non-PVC, acid-free polypropylene plastic offers your cards durable protection that comes free of any damaging chemicals that could corrode your cards.

All Android: Netrunner Art Sleeves fit snugly around your LCG, CCG, or other standard-sized cards (card size: 2 1/2” x 3 1/2”), and they facilitate easy shuffling and handling. Each pack contains 50 sleeves to protect the cards from your favorite Corp deck, your favorite Runner deck, or your favorite deck for any of our other LCGs®!

The Future Is Now

“The reason the NAPD keeps going after Noise is because he thinks running is all about style.”
     –Gabriel Santiago

The setting of Android: Netrunner is a gritty, futuristic world filled with artificial intelligence, gestural interfaces, and virt displays. The rich benefit from custom genetics and cyberimplants while the poor toil alongside bioroids and clones in the shadows of monolithic towers controlled by a handful of megarich corporations. They host their secrets on the omnipresent network and guard their most valuable data with a dizzying of array of barriers, code gates, sentries, and traps that define the landscape of the game’s virtual world.

Both the virtual and meat worlds of Android: Netrunner come to life with the six designs for our limited Android: Netrunner Art Sleeves.

                                                                                                                            

Pop-up	Deep Red	Snare!
Wotan	Inside Job	Posted Bounty

Click any of the above images to enlarge

“Goodnight, New Angeles. From all of us at NBN Nightly to all of you at home, sleep well. We’re watching over you.”
     –NBN Nightly

Whether you plan to use Android: Netrunner Art Sleeves to protect your Corp and Runner decks for Android: Netrunner, run deep against the servers of another LCG, or safeguard an entirely different collection of cards, these stunning, top-quality sleeves allow you to do so in style, all while immersing you in the cyberpunk future of New Angeles, NeoTokyo, and the all-reaching network….

...

Source: A New Safety Protocol