FFG: Fantasy Flight Games News

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Craft Your Totems

Preview the Totem School of Magic in Bestial Forces

Callista had fought unearthly creatures before she took her place in the magical labyrinth. Who vanquished the minotaur of Alexandria, if not her? Who defied the wraiths beneath Olympus, if not her? But this creature was something different. She could feel the totems’ power throbbing through the labyrinth, prodding at her with inhuman malevolence. And the guardian of the totems was closing in. She turned her head, only to see the ghostly snake, the guardian, emerging from the stone wall, its fangs dripping spectral venom.

Unleash the creatures into your wizard duels with Bestial Forces expansion! Soon, you’ll be able to summon minotaurs, genies, boggarts, and more, bringing new levels of wild magic to your games of Wiz-War.

There’s plenty of new magic to tantalize new wizards in Bestial Forces. Our first preview illustrated the Mythology school of magic, including plenty of creatures and relics from ancient myths. The second preview focused on the school of magic devoted to just one creature: the mighty dragon! Today, however, we’ll explore the sector-spanning prowess of totems with the Totem school of magic.

In addition, the rules (pdf, 2.1 MB) for Bestial Forces are now online. Download the rules and prepare to learn the secrets of the creatures!

Wood, Stone, Spirit

You’ll find six unique Totem creations within this school of magic, and although their exact effects can vary, all Totems share a few things in common. These creations can only be placed in an empty square adjacent to the casting wizard, and they last as long as you choose to maintain the spell. Although the range for creating one of these Totems is limited, its effects extend to everything in its sector. This potency comes at the cost of fragility: these Totems requires only one damage or one crack to destroy.

One of the Totems you’ll find in this school of magic is the far-sighted Spirit of the Owl. While you cast a spell in the same sector as your Spirit of the Owl totem, you have line of sight to all objects, wizards, and creatures in your current sector, allowing you to target anything that dares enter your domain. Another potent protection for your own sector could be the Sprit of the Serpent Totem. Whenever another wizard enters or starts his turn in the same sector as your Spirit of the Serpent, his speed is reduced by one and he takes one point of magical damage. Yet another Totem grants your temporary spells infinite energy! While you stay in the same sector as your Spirit of the Raven, you may choose not to remove energy from any number of your temporary spells during your Time Passes phase, allowing you to maintain them as long as you wish.

Strength in Numbers

As more totems are created, the power of other cards in this school of magic increases. This school of magic introduces a new energy card with Spiritual Infusion. The energy value of Spiritual Infusion is equal to one plus the number of Totem cards in play. As more Totems enter play, the energy level of Spiritual Infusion can quickly skyrocket, even reaching as high as fourteen energy – enough power to kill a wizard in one hit with some spells.

You’ll gain another powerful ally with the addition of the Totem Spirit. This creature is also a Totem, and its ethereal nature allows it to move through both walls and doors. In addition, the Totem Spirit may attack any adjacent wizard or creature, inflicting magical damage equal to the total number of Totems in play, including the Totem Spirit itself. In a labyrinth packed with Totems, the Totem Spirit’s attacks could prove deadly.

Finally, you’ll sometimes need more than the inherent abilities of your Totems to defend your treasures. By casting Wrath of the Ancestors when a wizard picks up a treasure in your home sector, you force that wizard to take magical damage equal to two plus the number of your maintained Totem spells, punishing anyone foolish enough to trifle with your treasures.

Call Upon the Spirits

Tap the power of the totems and the other schools of magic included in Bestial Forces. Bestial Forces will soon be available at your local retailer! Prepare to unleash a host of creatures into your wizard duels by downloading the rules from the Wiz-War support page.

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Source: Craft Your Totems

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The End of the World

Announcing a New Roleplaying Game Line of Horror and Survival

“Shoot it in the head – that works in the movies!”
    –A survivor who’s about to be very disappointed

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of The End of the World, a new roleplaying game line of horror and survival in humanity’s last days!

Four books make up The End of the World roleplaying game line. Each of these four books offers a different apocalyptic genre and experience. The first book, Zombie Apocalypse, challenges you to face hordes of undead that rise and stalk the earth, hungry for the flesh of the living. The line continues with Wrath of the Gods, pitting players against a pantheon of supernatural foes intent of destroying humanity. Ranging from the Mayan apocalypse to Cthulhu, the gods return to exact terrible vengeance in this book. The third installment in the line is Alien Invasion, giving you the opportunity to battle unknown life forms from beyond our galaxy. You may face a species of conquering warriors, or aliens too small to see with the naked eye. Finally, Revolt of the Machines invites you to match wits against artificial intelligence. When our technology develops consciousness, even normal people will need to battle technology in every form. Each of these books offers a complete self-contained experience, although they share the same rules system. No matter which apocalypse you want to explore, you’ll find unending horror and adventure in this roleplaying game.

Better Me than You

In the majority of roleplaying games, you take on the persona of a fictional character – ranging from a elven thief to a half-orc war-mage to a human soldier, and beyond. The End of the World line changes all of this by inviting you to play as yourself amidst the tumult of the world’s ending! You’ll use your own physical, mental, and social attributes to create yourself as an in-game character, allowing you to come as close as you (safely) can to experiencing the apocalypse first-hand. In addition to your chosen attributes, you can represent yourself more accurately by imagining positive and negative features. For example, you may have the Long-distance Runner positive feature, but you may also cope with the Extremely Nearsighted negative feature. Another character may have the Natural Leader positive feature, but this could be tempered by the Wants Revenge negative feature.

Since you’re playing yourself in every game of The End of the World, your starting gear is also limited to what you can find close at hand when you sit down to play the game. You could start with a cell phone, but how long will it stay charged? Who knows how long the cash in your wallet will be accepted as viable currency in light of the world’s ending? You might want a good shotgun to defend yourself, but that could mean venturing out of your friend’s apartment. Kitchen knives might be your only available weapons for defending yourself against hordes of ravenous zombies or conquering aliens.

The Beginning of the End

The world can end in countless ways, and in each of The End of the World books, there are five different scenarios for you to experience. Because these scenarios function like different campaign settings within the same theme, you can enjoy all of these scenarios time and time again. Although each book’s scenarios share the titular theme, there’s plenty of room for variation within the genre. In Zombie Apocalypse, for example, every scenario varies in the origin of the zombies, the government’s response, the timeline of the apocalypse, the ways you can kill the zombies, and countless other details, both large and small. The apocalypse may start with an outbreak of disease, or a sudden earthquake that releases a once-dormant parasite.

Of course, even the panic and terror of the apocalypse can’t last forever. Eventually, you’ll have to cope with the aftermath. Each scenario features a post-apocalypse, illustrating how some semblance of order returns in the shattered aftermath of the apocalypse. No matter how humanity has adapted in order to survive, life in the post-apocalypse is completely different from life before. The post-apocalypse is just as dangerous as the apocalypse itself, presenting entirely different challenges and threats to whatever remains of you and your haggard band of survivors. Aliens may enslave the nations, or Norse gods may return to earth to enact the cataclysmic battles of Ragnarök.

Because of the flexible apocalypse/post-apocalypse scenario structure, your adventures at the end of the world can vary widely in length. Whether you play a single session that ends in gruesome death for every player, or begin a campaign that stretches from apocalypse to post-apocalypse and beyond, every scenario takes you straight to the terror and adventure of the apocalypse.

For more on the The End of the World experience, we turn to the game’s developer, Tim Flanders.

Developer Tim Flanders on The End of the World

For the last several months, I’ve had the pleasure of working on something a little different – a roleplaying game called The End of the World, which begins with Zombie Apocalypse. Each book in The End of the World covers five thematically linked scenarios that bring the world as we know it to a dramatic end. The four parts of The End of the World are each dedicated to a beloved apocalypse genre that has inspired countless movies, books, comics, and stories. You can experience these apocalypses with any tone, whether you choose to play a light and humorous version of the end times, or embrace the horror that surrounds the end of life as we know it.

Obviously, the first book, Zombie Apocalypse, covers the much-loved brain-eating undead. One of the great things about starting with this particular form of the apocalypse is the amazing depth of narrative and sheer quantity of media on the subject. The amount of material available for inspiration is nearly endless, and I think the scenarios we’ve included in this book sum up the most exciting elements of the genre. Game Masters will be able to dive headlong into their favourite themes and tropes from zombie horror. In this book, we’ve got everything from shambling, brain-hungry undead to tireless, sprinting rage zombies. There are infections, radiation, parasites, and even voodoo magic!

Of course, the other major theme that runs through the entire game line is that the players get to explore and experience these world-ending events as themselves. This is, hands down, the most exciting part of this game for me. The idea of playing through an apocalyptic (and eventually post-apocalyptic) scenario with my friends, in my home town, definitely adds a pretty unique thrill to the game.

I think people are going to be very excited about this new game line we’re working on, and I can’t wait to hear what kinds of stories your group comes up with as you make your way through The End of the World!

The End Is Nigh

Thanks, Tim!

The day of the dead rising is quickly approaching. It’s up to you to ensure that you survive the apocalypse. For more information on the other books in The End of the World line, visit the description page.

Prepare for hordes of zombies to end the world with the release of Zombie Apocalypse in the fourth quarter of 2014, and look for the rest of the books in The End of the World game line to be released at a later date!

...

Source: The End of the World

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The End of the World

Announcing a New Roleplaying Game Line of Horror and Survival

“Shoot it in the head – that works in the movies!”
    –A survivor who’s about to be very disappointed

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of The End of the World, a new roleplaying game line of horror and survival in humanity’s last days!

Four books make up The End of the World roleplaying game line. Each of these four books offers a different apocalyptic genre and experience. The first book, Zombie Apocalypse, challenges you to face hordes of undead that rise and stalk the earth, hungry for the flesh of the living. The line continues with Wrath of the Gods, pitting players against a pantheon of supernatural foes intent of destroying humanity. Ranging from the Mayan apocalypse to Cthulhu, the gods return to exact terrible vengeance in this book. The third installment in the line is Alien Invasion, giving you the opportunity to battle unknown life forms from beyond our galaxy. You may face a species of conquering warriors, or aliens too small to see with the naked eye. Finally, Revolt of the Machines invites you to match wits against artificial intelligence. When our technology develops consciousness, even normal people will need to battle technology in every form. Each of these books offers a complete self-contained experience, although they share the same rules system. No matter which apocalypse you want to explore, you’ll find unending horror and adventure in this roleplaying game.

Better Me than You

In the majority of roleplaying games, you take on the persona of a fictional character – ranging from a elven thief to a half-orc war-mage to a human soldier, and beyond. The End of the World line changes all of this by inviting you to play as yourself amidst the tumult of the world’s ending! You’ll use your own physical, mental, and social attributes to create yourself as an in-game character, allowing you to come as close as you (safely) can to experiencing the apocalypse first-hand. In addition to your chosen attributes, you can represent yourself more accurately by imagining positive and negative features. For example, you may have the Long-distance Runner positive feature, but you may also cope with the Extremely Nearsighted negative feature. Another character may have the Natural Leader positive feature, but this could be tempered by the Wants Revenge negative feature.

Since you’re playing yourself in every game of The End of the World, your starting gear is also limited to what you can find close at hand when you sit down to play the game. You could start with a cell phone, but how long will it stay charged? Who knows how long the cash in your wallet will be accepted as viable currency in light of the world’s ending? You might want a good shotgun to defend yourself, but that could mean venturing out of your friend’s apartment. Kitchen knives might be your only available weapons for defending yourself against hordes of ravenous zombies or conquering aliens.

The Beginning of the End

The world can end in countless ways, and in each of The End of the World books, there are five different scenarios for you to experience. Because these scenarios function like different campaign settings within the same theme, you can enjoy all of these scenarios time and time again. Although each book’s scenarios share the titular theme, there’s plenty of room for variation within the genre. In Zombie Apocalypse, for example, every scenario varies in the origin of the zombies, the government’s response, the timeline of the apocalypse, the ways you can kill the zombies, and countless other details, both large and small. The apocalypse may start with an outbreak of disease, or a sudden earthquake that releases a once-dormant parasite.

Of course, even the panic and terror of the apocalypse can’t last forever. Eventually, you’ll have to cope with the aftermath. Each scenario features a post-apocalypse, illustrating how some semblance of order returns in the shattered aftermath of the apocalypse. No matter how humanity has adapted in order to survive, life in the post-apocalypse is completely different from life before. The post-apocalypse is just as dangerous as the apocalypse itself, presenting entirely different challenges and threats to whatever remains of you and your haggard band of survivors. Aliens may enslave the nations, or Norse gods may return to earth to enact the cataclysmic battles of Ragnarök.

Because of the flexible apocalypse/post-apocalypse scenario structure, your adventures at the end of the world can vary widely in length. Whether you play a single session that ends in gruesome death for every player, or begin a campaign that stretches from apocalypse to post-apocalypse and beyond, every scenario takes you straight to the terror and adventure of the apocalypse.

The End of the World roleplaying game was originally invented by Álvaro Loman and Jose M. Rey. Additional development and design for the American edition was done by our very own Andrew Fischer and Tim Flanders, and for more information on The End of the World experience, we turn to Tim Flanders.

Tim Flanders on The End of the World

For the last several months, I’ve had the pleasure of working on something a little different – a roleplaying game called The End of the World, which begins with Zombie Apocalypse. Each book in The End of the World covers five thematically linked scenarios that bring the world as we know it to a dramatic end. The four parts of The End of the World are each dedicated to a beloved apocalypse genre that has inspired countless movies, books, comics, and stories. You can experience these apocalypses with any tone, whether you choose to play a light and humorous version of the end times, or embrace the horror that surrounds the end of life as we know it.

Obviously, the first book, Zombie Apocalypse, covers the much-loved brain-eating undead. One of the great things about starting with this particular form of the apocalypse is the amazing depth of narrative and sheer quantity of media on the subject. The amount of material available for inspiration is nearly endless, and I think the scenarios we’ve included in this book sum up the most exciting elements of the genre. Game Masters will be able to dive headlong into their favourite themes and tropes from zombie horror. In this book, we’ve got everything from shambling, brain-hungry undead to tireless, sprinting rage zombies. There are infections, radiation, parasites, and even voodoo magic!

Of course, the other major theme that runs through the entire game line is that the players get to explore and experience these world-ending events as themselves. This is, hands down, the most exciting part of this game for me. The idea of playing through an apocalyptic (and eventually post-apocalyptic) scenario with my friends, in my home town, definitely adds a pretty unique thrill to the game.

I think people are going to be very excited about this new game line we’re working on, and I can’t wait to hear what kinds of stories your group comes up with as you make your way through The End of the World!

The End Is Nigh

Thanks, Tim!

The day of the dead rising is quickly approaching. It’s up to you to ensure that you survive the apocalypse. For more information on the other books in The End of the World line, visit the description page.

Prepare for hordes of zombies to end the world with the release of Zombie Apocalypse in the fourth quarter of 2014, and look for the rest of the books in The End of the World game line to be released at a later date!

...

Source: The End of the World

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Become a Daimyo

Age of War Is Now Available

“The Way of strategy is the Way of nature. When you appreciate the power of nature, knowing the rhythm of any situation, you will be able to hit the enemy naturally and strike naturally.”

   –Miyamoto Musashi

Gather your loyal armies and rise to become the supreme ruler of Japan in Age of War, a fast-paced dice game of feudal conflicts for two to six players, now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

Besiege the Castles of Japan

Created by world-renowned game designer Reiner Knizia, Age of War invites you to become a daimyo in a period of warring states. To establish your dominion over Japan, you must wage war against rival daimyos, conquering castles and uniting the region’s clans under your banner. At the end of the game, whichever player has garnered the most support from the Japanese clans becomes the next ruler of Japan!

On every turn in Age of War, you must muster your loyal soldiers and march against a castle. At the beginning of the game, the fourteen castles stand independent, but as the game progresses, daimyos quickly seize these castles and the support of the clans.

Each castle has a number of lines on it, called battle lines. To successfully conquer the castle, you must use your soldiers to fill each of these battle lines.

Your attack on a castle begins when you roll seven custom dice to see what soldiers answer your call to war. You may gather infantry, archers, cavalry, and daimyos loyal to your cause. Using the results on your dice, you must fill one of the besieged castle’s battle lines. If you successfully complete a battle line, you place the dice you used on the castle and reroll your remaining dice to press the attack forward.

If you fail to complete a battle line on a roll, however, your attack is brutally thrown back. You must remove a die from your dice pool to represent your casualties, and reroll the remaining dice to regroup and continue your assault on the castle.

Completing all of a castle’s battle lines allows you to conquer the castle and add it to your play area. The castle’s point value also counts towards your total number of points. But just because you’ve conquered a castle doesn’t mean it’s safe. Every player can attack his opponents’ castles as well as unclaimed castles. Besieging one of your opponent’s castles works the same way as besieging an unclaimed castles, but you must also complete the red battle line in the upper left corner of the castle card.

The Power of the Clans

Castles may provide physical strongholds, but Japan’s true solidarity comes from its clans. If you wish to become the supreme daimyo, you’ll need to unite the clans under your rule. The clans vary widely in size and prestige – the Shimazu clan has only one castle, while the mighty Oda clan holds four castles. Completely uniting a clan is the only way to keep your castles safe from the depredations of other daimyos. When you conquer the last castle belonging to a clan, you may turn that clan’s castle cards facedown, meaning that no other player can attempt to besiege them.

The clans provide more benefits than just security for the daimyo they serve, however. A united clan is worth more points than a clan spread and separated. For example, the Mori clan has two castles: Takahashi and Gassantoda. Apart, these castles are each worth two points. But if you conquer both of these castles, the Mori clan is worth five points! Conquering entire clans is crucial, because when the last unconquered castle is captured, the game ends and the player with the most points claims victory.

Rise to Victory

To become the ruler of all Japan, you’ll need a keen tactical mind and an unbreakable will. Muster your loyal armies, prepare for battle by downloading the rules from the Age of War support page, and pick up your copy of Age of War at your retailer today!

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Source: Become a Daimyo

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Forgotten Gods

Announcing the First Supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition

Valatine Lewin was good. Few knew of her, but those who did ensured she always had work. She had been Faceless many times before, smuggling Eldar trinkets, silver devices of unknown origin, and even fresh Ork teef from battles along the Stygies Cluster. The Faceless Trade never ended; the voracious appetite for the outré and forbidden meant that there would always be people like her to whet it.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Forgotten Gods, the first book-length adventure for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

Even a moment of heresy left unchecked can damn millions of lives in the terrifying future of Dark Heresy Second Edition. You must strive to forestall this grisly fate by serving as an Acolyte of an Inquisitor, the last bastion between Mankind and the eternal corruption of Chaos. In this book-length adventure,  your talents and skills are put to their greatest test, as you investigate proscribed artefacts of deadly power and battle a cult whose heresies reach far into the Askellon sector’s past.

Uncover the Faceless Trade

Mankind was not always such a powerful force in the galaxy. Long before the first humans achieved consciousness, ancient gods ruled the stars and spaces between them. In Forgotten Gods, your fears are about to be realised. A cult has hired the smugglers of the Faceless Trade to bring them forbidden artefacts, and they plot to use the power of these artefacts to reawaken a god from the time before Man. As a devoted servant of the Emperor, you cannot allow this heresy to occur.

Your adventure begins as you track down the smugglers of the Faceless Trade on the hive planet of Desoleum. You must investigate the scene of a vicious altercation, before following the trail of the smugglers and the artefacts. From the packed slums of the hive city, your journey takes you across the galaxy, from trekking through the Desoleum’s wastelands, to dining with a Rogue Trader aboard his ship, to walking the foreboding and bone-strewn cemetery world of Thaur. Your investigations may span the Askellon sector, but your purpose remains the same: destroy the heresies surrounding the Faceless Trade, and prevent the reawakening of unimaginable evil.

For more on the adventure and the other features you’ll find within Forgotten Gods, we turn to developer Tim Huckelbery.

Developer Tim Huckelbery on Forgotten Gods

Forgotten Gods is our first book-length adventure for Dark Heresy Second Edition, and we're happy to show off more of the Askellon Sector in it! In this adventure, Acolytes travel the wastelands surrounding Hive Desoleum, voyage aboard a Rogue Trader vessel, and explore the foreboding shrine world of Thaur.

This adventure continues the storyline begun in the Dark Heresy Core Rulebook, where the Dark Pursuits adventure started your investigations into the dangerous xenos artefacts that pollute Hive Desoleum. These artefacts are undoubtedly linked to countless horrible deaths, and several different groups battle to control them for profit, worship, or worse. Your investigations into the smuggling of these proscribed items continued in the events of Desolation of the Dead, the adventure included in the Dark Heresy Game Master's Kit.

Within the Forgotten Gods adventure, the Acolytes seek to end the smuggling of the so-called Faceless Trade in heretical relics before a deadly cult uses the alien items to reawaken long-dead gods that ruled the Askellon sector before Mankind was sentient. Along the way, you may run into several familiar faces from your earlier adventures – some of whom are not at all pleased to see you again. Players who’ve already enjoyed the Dark Pursuits or Desolation of the Dead adventures before playing Forgotten Gods can develop their existing relationships, but Forgotten Gods can be played without having already experienced the two previous adventures. Overall, this trilogy of adventures makes for a grand mix of fast-paced chases, explosive shootouts, and dangerous explorations that puts your Acolyte’s mettle to its greatest test yet. 

Exploring the Universe

Each of the locations explored within the book has plenty of background information included, so a Game Master can extend the adventure to explore even more of the setting, or bring the Acolytes back for new investigations after the events of Forgotten Gods have concluded. Every location, whether a Rogue Trader ship or the shrine world of Thaur, includes adventure seeds for side investigations and opportunities to seek out and combat the countless threats and unknown evils that lurk just out of sight. There are always more heresies to be found!

Forgotten Gods also offers new options for Acolyte creation. Each of the three major locations explored in this book includes rules for using that location as an Acolyte's home world, so new players can craft characters hailing from these vastly different parts of the Imperium. Alternatively – Emperor forbid – a player can use this information to create a new Acolyte should his existing character not survive their climatic adventures in Forgotten Gods! 

To Thaur and Beyond

Thanks, Tim!

A new adventure awaits within the pages of Forgotten Gods. You and your fellow Acolytes must journey across the Askellon sector, exploring new locales and facing terrifying odds. If you hope to vanquish future heresies, you must face the darkness that lurks in the past.



Look for Forgotten Gods at your local retailer in the fourth quarter of 2014!

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Source: Forgotten Gods

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CosmicCon Is Almost Here!

Come Celebrate Cosmic Encounter the Weekend of September 19-21

CosmicCon, a celebration for Cosmic Encounter fans, is only two weeks away!

Presented by Future Pastimes and taking place at the Fantasy Flight Games Center in Roseville, MN, CosmicCon lets fans connect with game designers, play Cosmic Encounter and all its expansions, and share their own Home Brew designs.

Stellar Connections

Throughout the weekend, the game’s original designers, Bill Eberle and Peter Olotka, will be present playing Cosmic Encounter, discussing game design, and interacting with fans. You can also chat with Bill Martinson, Jack Reda and Jefferson Krogh, fan designers of the recently released Cosmic Dominion expansion, and Fantasy Flight alumni designers Kevin Wilson and Jay Little.

Via Skype, you’ll be able to interact with Hugo award-winning author (and Cosmic Encounter fan) David Brin, as well as Richard Garfield, a longtime player of Cosmic Encounter and designer of Magic: The Gathering. Fan designers of the alien races in Cosmic Dominion will also be skyping in, and Tom  Vasel of The Dice Tower will be on hand interviewing gamers throughout the convention.

Games and Competitions

Of course, there will be lots of chances to play Cosmic Encounter, from a newbie table where you can learn the game to a day-long tournament where you can demonstrate your supremacy. All the expansions and numerous variants will also have their own tables. You can compete against designers, change aliens every round, or simply try out an expansion you’ve never played before.

The competition goes beyond the game table. As a registered attendee you can enter the alien design contest judged by Cosmic Dominion designers Bill Martinson, Jack Reda, and Jefferson Krogh. Or, you can show off your own Home Brew creations in the Gaming Center glass display cases, and compete to win a prize for the best Home Brew!

Design. Connect. Play. Display. Win!

You can buy tickets and find more information, including a complete schedule and design contest rules, here on the CosmicCon website.

Make your travel plans, pack your Home Brews, and come out to Roseville for a weekend full of interstellar fun!

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Source: CosmicCon Is Almost Here!

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Fantasy Flight Games is Now Hiring

We Are Currently Accepting Applications for Three Positions

Fantasy Flight Games, leading hobby-market publisher of board games, card games, roleplaying games, and other tabletop games, is now hiring for three positions:

     
• Hobby Market Sales Associate (pdf, 119 KB)
     
• Game Center Line Cook (pdf, 135 KB)
     
• Temporary Warehouse Associate (pdf, 119 KB)

Details for each position can be found in the pdf documents linked above. To apply for any of these positions, follow the instructions listed below. Please do not call or visit.

     
• Hobby Market Sales Associate: Submit a cover letter with salary requirements and resume to HumanResources@fantasyflightgames.com; under the subject line “Hobby Market Sales Associate” no later than end of business day Friday, September 12, 2014.
     
• Game Center Line Cook: Submit your application (pdf, 106 KB) to HumanResources@fantasyflightgames.com; under the subject line “Game Center Line Cook” no later than end of business day Friday, September 12, 2014.
     
• Temporary Warehouse Associate: Submit your application (pdf, 106 KB) to HumanResources@fantasyflightgames.com; under the subject line “Temporary Warehouse Associate” no later than end of business day Friday, September 19, 2014.

Our offices are located in Roseville, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Candidates not already living within commuting distance must be willing to relocate. Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse work force and a work environment free from discrimination.

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Source: Fantasy Flight Games is Now Hiring

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A Meeting with Destiny

Preview Paths and Destinies in Talisman: The Woodland

At last you reach the heart of the Woodland, an eerie and unsettling expanse of dry earth, decaying stumps, and scorched trees. Far beyond, you glimpse a forest filled with sunlight – the forest you left when you entered this strange and haunted realm. You run towards those fields, only to find your path suddenly blocked by a crowned faerie clothed in black robes and spiderwebs, terrifying and beautiful. “Foolish mortal,” she hisses. “Did you think you could escape without meeting your destiny?”

Journey through a treacherous and enchanted forest in The Woodland, an expansion for Talisman Revised 4th Edition. In the realm of the Fae, you will encounter capricious faeries, powerful relics, talking animals, and shifting trees. You may be randomly transported across the region by mists, turned into a toad, or blessed by the faeries’ queen.

In today’s preview, we will explore the Path Cards and Destiny Cards introduced in this expansion. The routes through the Woodland are winding and changeable, but whoever follows a path to its end gains a destiny to guide the rest of their journey.

The Chosen Path

Upon entering the Woodland, you must choose a Path from one of three laid out before you. Paths give your character abilities and limitations that last as long as you remain in the Woodland. They also determine what happens when you reach the Meeting with Destiny space at the Woodland’s center.

A Path can provide both advantages and disadvantages. The Warrior’s Path offers extra strength during battle, but requires you to fight the nightmarish Queen Mab in psychic combat in order to gain a Destiny. The Secret Path allows you to evade creatures with a Strength or Craft higher than five, but an unknown Enemy awaits you at the Meeting with Destiny space. The risky Path of Folly forces you to subtract one from every die result, which may benefit you or cause you serious harm. Either way, it promises you a Destiny if you manage to survive your tumultuous journey.

The Woodland is an unpredictable place and may force you to suddenly change your Path. If you encounter a Faerie Trod, you must discard your Path and choose another. At the Crossroads, a roll of the dice determines whether you switch Paths or continue on your current one. No matter which Path you choose to take, no matter what happens to you along it, they all lead towards a meeting with destiny.

Fate and Destiny

If you follow your Path to its end and overcome whatever challenge awaits you in the heart of the Woodland, you earn a Destiny that will shape your journey through Talisman. Destiny is a powerful force that transcends even death. If a character is killed, any Destinies that character possessed are passed on to the next character which that player takes up. And while you can choose your path, you cannot choose your destiny.

Your destiny is inextricable from your fate, and all destinies increase your fate value by one. As our second preview mentioned, The Woodland introduces a difference between light and dark fate: spend light fate to reroll a die that you rolled, dark fate to force another player to reroll a die. Destinies are also light and dark. Light destinies allow you to easily replenish light fate and focus on strengthening your character. Dark ones keep you supplied with dark fate and encourage you to hinder and harm others.

If your destiny is The Enlightened, a light destiny, you can replenish one light fate whenever a character casts a Spell. In turn, you can spend a light fate in order to draw a spell, so that your fate is inextricably linked to the mystic arts. The Wealthy turns your light fate into gold, and gives you light fate whenever another characters gains gold. With The Immortal, the lives of your character and others are tied to your dark fate: when others heal or gain a life, you are rewarded with a dark fate that you may then spend to prevent your own loss of life. The Dreaded allows you to replenish dark fate whenever you win in combat, and use it to take other characters’ lives.

The ability to transform fate into gold, Spells, lives, or even Strength and Craft constitutes a remarkable advantage. A destiny could mean the difference between victory and defeat in combat, between receiving a talisman and missing your chance, or between acquiring the Crown of Command and languishing in the outer region of the realm.

Take the Path To Destiny

Your journey through the Woodland may be perilous and meandering, but if you can survive the faeries’ whims, you will gain the unique and wondrous Destiny that awaits you at the wood’s end. Are you prepared to follow your Path into the innermost depths of the Woodland towards Destiny?

Learn more on the Talisman minisite, and look for Talisman: The Woodland at your local retailer soon!

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Source: A Meeting with Destiny

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Gifts to Aid You on Your Journeys

A Preview of The Road Darkens by Lead Developer Caleb Grace

“The Sword of Elendil was forged anew by Elvish smiths, and on its blade was traced a device of seven stars set between the crescent Moon and the rayed Sun, and about them was written many runes; for Aragorn son of Arathorn was going to war upon the marches of Mordor.”

    –J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

In our earlier previews of The Road Darkens Saga Expansion for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, lead developer Caleb Grace revealed the identity of its new hero and provided an overview of its three action-packed scenarios. However, as a Saga Expansion, The Road Darkens offers you an experience that goes well beyond its 165 cards and three scenarios; it allows you to continue along your road to Mordor and Mount Doom!

As with each The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansion, The Road Darkens immerses you in selected events drawn straight from the novels. You can play through any scenario individually, or you can link them together in Campaign Mode. In Campaign Mode, these scenarios allow you to appreciate the perils and hardships faced by Frodo and his companions even more fully. Each scenario becomes part of a much larger, fantastic narrative arc, and the decisions you make in one scenario carry throughout all the rest.

If you slip the One Ring onto your finger at any point, the decision may come back to haunt you all the rest of your days…

Today, Caleb turns our attention to several of the new cards that heighten the connections between The Road Darkens and the other The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansions.

Lead Developer Caleb Grace on the Boons in The Road Darkens

One of the things that made The Lord of the Rings: The Road Darkens particularly exciting for the design team was that it was our first opportunity to expand on the Campaign Mode that we introduced in The Black Riders Saga Expansion.

The idea of Campaign Mode is that it links all the different The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansion scenarios into one epic adventure in which your every decision matters. To make this happen, Campaign Mode introduced three new card types to the game: boons, burdens, and campaign cards. Boons represent those things that provide the heroes with advantages along their travels, be they items, allies, or skills. Burdens can represent any type of persistent evil that harries the heroes on their way. And campaign cards are double-sided cards that serve to place each scenario within the larger campaign. They often include additional Setup instructions on the front side for use when playing a scenario in Campaign Mode, as well as Resolution effects on the reverse side that describe the outcome of the adventure.

As you might expect, The Road Darkens introduces more of each of these types of cards, adding new advantages and perils to your campaign. It features eight new boons, seven burdens, and three new campaign cards (one for each scenario), and I am happy to share that the boons in this Saga box are all truly iconic! Between the Fellowship’s separate stays in Rivendell and Lothlórien, they received some very memorable boons. After all, it’s not every day that the sword that cut the One Ring from Sauron’s hand is reforged and renamed. When Elrond presented Anduril to Aragorn before the Company set out from Rivendell, you knew the blade was going to be something truly powerful. Now, you will also have your opportunity to wield Anduril (The Road Darkens, 14)!

When we were adapting what could possibly be the most legendary sword in fantasy fiction, we wanted to make sure it was nothing short of awesome. So we came up with an ability worthy of Elendil’s legacy:

“Attached hero gets +1 Willpower, +1 Attack, and +1 Defense.

Response: After an attack in which the attached hero defended resolves, exhaust Anduril to target the enemy that just attacked. Declare attached hero as an attacker against that enemy (and resolve the attack).”

As a The Lord of the Rings fanboy, I love so many things about this card, but the aspect that I might love best is the way that it just naturally combos with the Core Set Aragorn (Core Set, 1). Aragorn can take full advantage of its various attribute boosts by questing for three Willpower during the Quest phase, using his ability to ready himself, and defending an enemy attack with three Defense Strength during the Combat phase. Then, after resolving the enemy attack, he can trigger Anduril’s Response to counter-attack with four Attack Strength. Better yet, when Aragorn wields Anduril, the fact that he has the Sentinel keyword doesn’t just mean that he can defend against enemies engaged with your teammate, it also allows him to use Anduril’s Response to attack those enemies!

Anduril’s ability was partly inspired by the Response effect we had developed earlier for Sting (The Hobbit: Over Hill and Under Hill, 20). Although not of the same lineage as Anduril, Sting is nonetheless a legendary blade in its own right, and the Treasure card we created is one of which we’re particularly proud. In fact, the design team liked that ability so much that we brought it back for the new Sting boon (The Road Darkens, 11)!

It made sense to the design team to keep its original ability since the blade was handed down from Bilbo to Frodo. It also helps to create a sense of continuity in The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game. Even more, it’s such a cool effect:

“Attached hero gets +1 Willpower, +1 Attack, and +1 Defense.

Response: After attached hero exhausts to defend an attack, discard the top card of the encounter deck. Deal damage to the attacking enemy equal to the discarded card’s threat strength.”

The original idea for the card came from the transforming effect it had on Bilbo Baggins. The first time Bilbo had to use the elven dagger to defend himself, he discovered a fierce courage that he never knew he had. Interestingly, the blade seemed to have the same effect on his nephew, Frodo, who found himself leaping at a cave troll in Moria and stabbing it in the foot just in time to chase it away! (By the way, we happen to believe that Magali Villeneuve did a magnificent job of capturing this moment on the art for the card!)

The boon version of Sting is meant to capture the fierce and unexpected effect the blade has on Hobbits. It’s possible to declare the attached Hobbit as a defender against an enemy with three Hit Points and discard a card with three Threat Strength from the top of the encounter deck in order to destroy it before its attack even resolves! It’s also possible that the Response will deal no damage. However, in that case, the additional point of Defense Strength can still help prevent the attached Hobbit from taking too much damage.

One of my favorite things to do with Sting is actually to attach it to Sam Gamgee (The Black Riders, 2). His ability to ready after engaging an enemy with higher engagement cost than your threat means that he can quest for four Willpower and later be used to defend or attack. I particularly like this combo since it was Sam who wielded Sting in Shelob’s Lair and the Tower of Cirith Ungol.

Two other Treasure cards make a comeback in The Road Darkens: Mithril Shirt (The Road Darkens, 12) and Glamdring (The Road Darkens, 13)!

These iconic artifacts have retained their original effects as well, though they may have an even greater impact in your adventures in The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansion since you’ll be able to use them for fifteen more scenarios!

One of the coolest things about each of these four boons is that you earn them before you even set out from Rivendell in the first scenario, The Ring Goes South. But that’s okay because your heroes are going to need them to deal with some of the trouble they will face on their way!

Time to Leave The Last Homely House

The time has nearly come to set forth from The Last Homely House. The Road Darkens is due to arrive at retailers late next week. However, as you wait, keep your eyes open for our final preview, in which Caleb reveals some of the new burdens that may haunt you along your journeys!

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Source: Gifts to Aid You on Your Journeys

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Find a Rebellion Day Event Near You

Participate in a Global Event for STAR WARS (R): Age of Rebellion (TM)

This September 13th is Rebellion Day, and it’s your chance to participate in the exciting Star Wars®: Age of Rebellion™ adventure, Rescue at Glare Peak!

Rescue at Glare Peak is a special introductory Age of Rebellion adventure designed specifically for the event, and it challenges you and your friends to complete a daring rescue mission while the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.

The Rebel Alliance needs all the heroes it can get. Will you be one of them? Find a Rebellion Day event near you!

What Is Rebellion Day?

Taking place worldwide on September 13th, FFG’s Rebellion Day is a special event designed to build upon the burgeoning excitement and community for the Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Roleplaying Game.

The highlight of Rebellion Day is Rescue at Glare Peak. Designed for two to five players, Rescue at Glare Peak allows you and your friends to assume the roles of heroic Rebel agents who must work together to rescue a pair of Rebel pilots who have crash-landed on the planet Trivar II.

Four different pre-generated characters introduce several of the many careers, specializations, skills, and talents of Age of Rebellion. Your group will be able to take on the roles of an Ithorian Engineer, a Bothan Spy, a Human Commander, and a Duros Soldier. These are talented characters, but you’ll still need to make good use of all their tricks, talents, and technology in order to succeed at your mission!

What Is Star Wars: Age of Rebellion?

Age of Rebellion is the second of three epic, fully cross-compatible Star Wars roleplaying systems by Fantasy Flight Games. It thrusts players directly into the ongoing Galactic Civil War between the evil Empire and the rag-tag Rebel Alliance. Woefully outnumbered and outgunned by the Empire and its vast military might, player characters may undertake any of a wide variety of missions. They may perform reconnaissance, engage in guerrilla warfare, or recruit citizens from across the galaxy.

At the core of FFG’s Star Wars roleplaying mechanics are its custom dice. Designed to enhance a heavily narrative roleplaying system, these dice combine symbols for success and failure with symbols for “threat” and “advantage.” As a result, players may succeed at their actions but still earn “threat,” or fail but still “advantages.” These results encourage stunning plot twists, and every roll of the dice encourages additional storytelling.

Take Your Stand for Galactic Freedom

Whether you’re a new recruit or a grizzled veteran of the Galactic Civil War, Rebellion Day is your chance to take your stand for galactic freedom!

Join other Age of Rebellion players and celebrate Star Wars roleplaying by banding together to tackle the challenges of Rescue at Glare Peak. This adventure is full of fantastic Star Wars action, high stakes, and dramatic twists, and it’s running on Saturday, September 13th.

Consult our list of participating retailers today, and make your plans to attend!

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Source: Find a Rebellion Day Event Near You

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New Dice Bags Coming Soon

Four Dice Bags Designed For Our Warhammer: 40,000 Themed Products

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of four different Warhammer: 40,000 themed Dice Bags for Fantasy Flight Supply!

Made specifically to help keep track of all of your Fantasy Flight Games Warhammer: 40,000 product accessories, including dice, tokens, and cards for:

   
• Warhammer 40,000: Conquest
  
     

   
• Relic
  
     

   
• Dark Heresy Second Edition
  
     

   
• Only War
  
     

   
• Black Crusade
  
     

   
• Deathwatch
  
     

   
• Rogue Trader

Escape the Warp

The seductive influence of Chaos can strike when you least expect it, so it’s vitally important to keep your essentials close at hand.

Fantasy Flight Supply is committed to providing you the best materials to protect, customize, and enhance your games and gameplay experience. Each Dice Bag provides players with convenient and durable means to transport your necessary battle components. Of course, you must pick sides. With these Dice Bags you can choose from an Ork, an Inquisitor, the Imperial Aquila, or the Chaos Star.

Crafted with a blend of polyester and nylon, each bag features a polypropylene draw string, and measures 6.25” by 9” (15.9 cm by 22.9 cm).

Safeguard Your Resources

Warhammer: 40,000 Dice Bags offer you the tools you need to protect your game components and keep your attention on the roleplaying, board game, or card game at hand. Look for Warhammer 40,000 themed Dice Bags at your local retailer in the fourth quarter of 2014!

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Source: New Dice Bags Coming Soon

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STAR WARS (R): Force and Destiny (TM) Beta Update #1

News From the Developers of the Force and Destiny Beta

Hello Force and Destiny™ beta testers,

We’re excited to present the first week of beta updates (pdf, 237 KB) for Force and Destiny! Since a good number of people are still procuring copies of the beta at this point, this first round of early updates focuses on some minor rules changes and simple corrections.

We’ve clarified the wording of Improved Parry and Reflect, and we reintroduced lightsabers’ immunity to the Sunder quality. However, we have also introduced an option for those of you who want to be able to destroy an opponent’s lightsaber.

As more of you are able to get into playtesting in earnest, we’d like to direct the coming week’s playtesting to two aspects of the game: new species and the Morality mechanic. The six new species in Force and Destiny are intended to mesh well with the core experiences of the game, but also be used by anyone playing Edge of the Empire™ or Age of Rebellion™. Meanwhile, our intention for Morality is to provide an interesting and evocative way to track a character’s tendencies towards good or evil. Over the coming week, we want you to let us know what you think of these elements.

Thanks for all your hard work!

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Source: STAR WARS (R): Force and Destiny (TM) Beta Update #1

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Evasive Maneuvers

Announcing the Third Force Pack in the Rogue Squadron Cycle

“Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to one.”

   –C-3PO, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Evasive Maneuvers, the third Force Pack in the Rogue Squadron cycle for Star Wars™: The Card Game!

You’ll find plenty in Evasive Maneuvers that continues the main themes of the Rogue Squadron cycle. Whether you prefer to scramble your Fighters or command massive Capital Ships, you’ll find cards to support your affiliation in the ten new objective sets (two copies each of five unique sets) included in this Force Pack. Not everything is focused on tense dogfights and interstellar space battles, however. In Evasive Maneuvers, you can also hide from the Empire with an ancient Jedi, interrogate prisoners with the Sith, or hire a deadly assassin in a dusty cantina on Tatooine.

The Eater of Luck

In Star Wars: The Card Game, winning edge battles is almost always in your best interest. Not only does it grant you the opportunity to strike first, it also activates all of your units’ edge-enabled combat icons. This all changes with the Scum and Villainy objective set from Evasive Maneuvers, which rewards you for approaching edge battles in a much more unusual manner. By  planning your attacks strategically, you’ll be able to lose the edge battle and still gain some dramatic benefits.

This objective set begins with The Eater of Luck (Evasive Maneuvers, 763). This objective has a powerful Reaction that triggers whenever you lose an edge battle as the attacker, allowing you to capture the top card of each opponent’s deck at this objective. If you lose an edge battle to capture cards with The Eater of Luck, you’ll be able to activate plenty of other abilities later, such as Slave I (Edge of Darkness, 390) or Relentless Pursuit (Knowledge and Defense, 566).

Losing the edge might be a dramatic setback for some units, but never for the deadly Assassin and Mercenary, Dannik Jerriko (Evasive Maneuvers, 764). Dannik Jerriko’s own combat icons are edge-enabled, but that hardly matters, because this Anzati also bears the text, “While this unit is attacking, resolve edge-enabled icons on friendly units as if you had the edge.” Not only do you resolve Dannik Jerriko’s combat icons as if you have the edge, but if he’s attacking, then every friendly attacking unit benefits from his ability. With the help of Dannik Jerriko, even units like Greedo (Edge of Darkness, 370) can become reliable combatants.

Of course, Dannik Jerriko needs some backup of his own, which he receives with two copies of the Advosze Mercenary (Evasive Maneuvers, 765). This unit is also a Mercenary and while it’s attacking, it gains an edge-enabled unit damage for each other attacking unit. If you attack with a large force led by Dannik Jerriko, Advosze Mercenaries can quickly become a force to be reckoned with.

This objective set concludes with some quick ways for you to manipulate edge battles and recover from losing any edge battles that you do lose. It includes a copy of the Supporting Fire (Evasive Maneuvers, 433) fate card, allowing you or an ally to place a non-fate card from hand into your edge stack, manipulating your total edge icons after you’ve seen your opponent’s cards.

This objective set also includes a Gamble: Calculated Wager (Evasive Maneuvers, 766). By playing this free event after you lose an edge battle, you may return one card in an edge stack to its owner’s hand, allowing you to reclaim a crucial card from a lost cause. For example, you could use a fate card such as Seeds of Decay (Knowledge and Defense, 514) to focus your opponent’s key attacker, while still losing the edge battle. Playing Calculated Wager restores your Seeds of Decay to your hand, allowing you to use it again in a future battle.

Outwit Your Opponent

You’ll uncover a host of cards in Evasive Maneuvers that give you ways to trick your opponent. Whether you intentionally lose edge battles with Dannik Jerriko, hide in the shadows with Vima-Da-Boda, or lead from the front in the Capital Ship Independence, you’ll find the cards you need in this Force Pack.

Look for Evasive Maneuvers at your local retailer in the first quarter of 2015!

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Source: Evasive Maneuvers

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A Time for Wolves

Announcing the Fourth Chapter Pack in the Wardens Cycle

“My lords, with your leave, I propose to travel to the Vale and there woo and win Lady Lysa Arryn. Once I am her consort, I shall deliver you the Vale of Arryn without a drop of blood being spilled.”

    –Littlefinger

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of A Time for Wolves, the fourth Chapter Pack in the Wardens cycle for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game!

While the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros were rocked by war, the lords and ladies of the Vale remained aloof and apart, separated from the tumult by steep mountains and treacherous mountain passes. Now, as the cards in A Time for Wolves explore the power struggles of the war’s aftermath, they find the lords and ladies of King’s Landing hatching new schemes and seeking new political alliances. A new king sits the Iron Throne, but the crown is vulnerable. Thus, in A Time for Wolves, we find some of the realm’s most ambitious lords and ladies casting their gaze toward the Eyrie and House Arryn, eager to reinforce their strength with that of the Vale.

A Time for Wolves introduces sixty new cards (three copies each of twenty different cards) that ensure House Arryn and the Vale will soon make a massive impact upon A Game of Thrones: The Card Game. You’ll find no fewer than five cards with the House Arryn trait, including such notable characters as Petyr Baelish (A Time for Wolves, 77), Alayne Stone (A Time for Wolves, 71), and Lysa Arryn (A Time for Wolves, 76). Furthermore, as part of the Wardens cycle, A Time for Wolves adds more strength to decks that feature characters who cost four or more, more trait-based synergies, more interactions with the game’s Castle plots, and more “limited response” abilities for you to trigger.

New Strength for the Creature Trait

One of the cards in A Time for Wolves that adds to the focus that the Wardens cycle places upon trait-based synergies is the Chapter Pack’s namesake plot, A Time for Wolves (A Time for Wolves, 80).

Designed by 2012 North American Overall Champion Dan Seefeldt, A Time for Wolves offers a respectable three gold, three initiative, and one claim. But its highlight is that it introduces a powerful, new search effect that can add strength and utility to a wide variety of decks:

   
• Creatures are at the hearts of the vast majority of all Winter and Summer decks, and they can use A Time for Wolves to search for White Raven (The Winds of Winter, 24) or Black Raven (A Song of Summer, 2). Of course, these decks most often run another search plot, A Time for Ravens (A Change of Seasons, 59), but adding A Time for Wolves to such a deck gives it an extra edge in a seasons battle. At the very least, it can allow you to fetch a Carrion Bird (A Song of Summer, 16), which remains one of the game’s most efficient and effective characters.

   
• In A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, Dragons all share the Creature subtype, meaning that A Time for Wolves has a plenty to offer House Targaryen. Whether you search for the Shadows-crested hatchlings from the Queen of Dragons deluxe expansion, the one-cost hatchlings from the Defenders of the North and Brotherhood Without Borders cycles, or the new three-cost versions from A Hidden Agenda, this plot can help you quickly assemble a full strike force of Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion.

   
• The plot may also lead to some unexpected twists in deck designs, spurring the introduction of various Creatures, such as Warhorses, into archetypes that wouldn’t previously had made use of them. For example, Lannister decks based around the extra  Intrigue challenges granted by The Power Behind the Throne (Lions of the Rock, 48) might add A Time for Wolves and one or two copies of Andal Charger (A Poisoned Spear, 104) so that Cersei Lannister (Lions of the Rock, 6), or another character capable of winning Intrigue challenges while attacking by itself, could carve the cards of your choice out of your opponent’s hand.

However, as you might expect, A Time for Wolves provides the greatest boost to House Stark. Excepting the neutral version of Ghost (Core Set, 137), every Direwolf in the game has given its unwavering support to Stark, and in decks that run one or more Direwolf cards, A Time for Wolves is more than a search effect; it’s also a free card play.

   
• Notably, in a deck with Direwolves, A Time for Wolves is a free card play in the Plot phase. If you suspect that your opponent is about to play Valar Morghulis (Core Set, 201), you can reveal A Time for Wolves to pull Nymeria (Core Set, 2) out of your deck and attach it to your most important House Stark character.

   
• In fact, since A Time for Wolves lets you play any Direwolf, not just characters, you can accelerate your Direwolf attachment decks by fetching Shaggydog (Lords of Winter, 3) or Grey Wind (Lords of Winter, 2) and bringing it immediately into play.

   
• Finally, there is the House Stark version of Ghost (The Wildling Horde, 61), which multiplies the impact of one of the Starks’ strongest characters, Meera Reed (Tourney for the Hand, 2). When she comes out of Shadows, Meera Reed can blank the text box of any non-plot card until the end of the phase, or if it is Winter, she can blank the text boxes of two different cards. This ability is just as powerful as it sounds, and it can single-handedly render your opponent’s biggest threats impotent. However, Meera’s ability to blank cards only triggers when she comes out of Shadows, and even though she can return to Shadows as a Response whenever a Stark character leaves play, a cunning opponent isn’t going to direct any Military challenges at you or otherwise help you remove Stark characters from the table until Meera is headed for the dead pile. This is where Ghost comes into play or, rather, uses its ability to leave play. Once you have both Meera and Ghost on the table, you gain the ability to blank your opponent’s cards turn after turn, bringing Meera out of Shadows, returning Ghost to your hand, returning Meera to Shadows, and playing Ghost again in your next Marshaling phase.

Because of all of the different tricks and tactics that it can promote, A Time for Wolves adds new strength to the Wardens cycle and its focus on trait-based decks, and it is likely to soon earn its place among the game’s most versatile Champion cards.

Anything Is Possible

In A Time for Wolves, the heads of House Arryn begin to extend their reach beyond the Vale, making their first moves in the ongoing game of thrones and their bid for the Iron Throne. Still, the question remains: Whose side will they take? As neutral characters, the members of House Arryn can add their strength to any House. Will they side with the Direwolves of House Stark or the Dragons of House Targaryen? Will Lysa Arryn lend her support to Renly and his Rainbow Guard, or will she help House Martell and its Sand Snakes claim vengeance against House Lannister? Twelve unique characters and locations lend new direction to a wide range of strategies, and anything is possible.

A Time for Wolves is scheduled to arrive at retailers late in the fourth quarter of 2014.

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Source: A Time for Wolves

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Feel the Conflict

The Force and Destiny Beta Rulebook Is Now Available

“Anger… fear… aggression. The dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.”

    –Yoda

Use the Force, but use it wisely.

In the Star Wars®: Force and Destiny™ Roleplaying Game, you become one of the galaxy’s few remaining Force users – one of the few individuals capable of reaching out and touching the power that shares the fate of the galaxy. You will be hunted by the Empire and mistrusted by wary individuals who think of Jedi as the forgotten followers of a hokey religion. You will be forced to draw upon the Force to defend yourself and the lives of innocents. And you will be tempted by the dark side.

Will you be able to withstand the dark side and its lures? Will you fulfill your destiny and help to reestablish the Jedi Order? The time has come to master your feelings. The Star Wars®: Force and Destiny™ Beta rulebook is now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

Pick up your copy today, and then contribute your feedback to help make Force and Destiny the best possible roleplaying experience for Force users in the Star Wars galaxy.

Force and Destiny at Gen Con Indy 2014

The Force and Destiny Beta already made its debut at Gen Con Indy 2014. Attendees were able to both pick up early copies of the Beta rulebook and sit down with the game’s developers for demos and full-length game sessions. The developers were encouraged by the enthusiastic initial response and have offered to share some of what they saw as the weekend’s highlights:

Andrew Fischer

“The reaction to Force and Destiny on the Exhibit Hall floor was fantastic. I was running demos that ran twenty to thirty minutes, and it was exciting to see people jump in and start using the Force and dueling with lightsabers after just a few minutes.

Players learn how to use their characters’ talents and Force powers during a demo.

“One of the most exciting things for me to see was all the imaginative ways that people used their characters’ different powers to their advantage. One had the Misdirect power which allowed her to trick her opponents’ senses, causing them to see (or not see) certain things. Some players used this ability to hide themselves from view, while others created multiple illusionary copies of themselves, and still others caused Stormtroopers to see each other as enemies.”

Dan Clark

“I ran the Lost Legacies adventure for Force and Destiny four times over the course of the wekened. Three of those sessions ended with the explosive decompression of a derelict Jedi starship. Apparently, adding lightsabers to a derelict ship is a recipe for disaster. (Or maybe it’s just that Player Characters plus lightsabers plus anything is a recipe for sessions full of explosions.)

Players enjoy themselves during a session at Gen Con.

“What impressed me the most was the way the players really engaged with the Morality system. Many of them voluntarily took Conflict when they played into their emotional weaknesses and made in-character decisions based on their emotional traits. It was great to see perfect strangers engage so fully with their pre-generated characters.”

Max Brooke

“One of the best things about running Force and Destiny sessions at Gen Con was that it gave me the chance to watch players interact with Morality and Conflict. In Force and Destiny, these mechanics represent the temptations of the dark side of the Force and your struggles to resist the lure of easy power. It was interesting to see how these drove the decisions people made for their characters.

“Some players worked hard to avoid the accumulation of Conflict, and they took the high road at all times, even letting their characters fail to manifest their powers when they rolled dark side results on the Force die. Others were more willing to make compromises to get results, and a few players actively chose to have their characters pursue power and Conflict almost every chance they got!

Morality lies at the heart of the Force and Destiny roleplaying experience.

“Given how important the internal struggle between good and evil is within Star Wars, it was awesome to see different characters playing this iconic battle out in their own individual ways.”

You Must Learn Control

Master your emotions, or give into the temptations of the dark side. Either way, the power of the Force lies within reach.

The Star Wars: Force and Destiny Beta rulebook is now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore. The Beta is your chance to get into the action along with the first wave of players and to help us ensure that the final Force and Destiny system will be the best possible roleplaying expression of the Force and the legacy of the Jedi. Join the Beta today, and help rebuild the Jedi Order!

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Source: Feel the Conflict