How to Play Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) – Shadow of Nerekhall

1. Game Objective

Shadow of Nerekhall is an expansion for Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition that introduces a new narrative campaign. Players take on the role of heroes investigating rumors of corruption in the city of Nerekhall, while one player takes on the role of the Overlord, controlling the dark forces that seek dominion over Terrinoth. The main objective is to complete a series of interconnected Quests. Victory is determined by success or failure in fulfilling the specific objectives of each mission and, at the end of the campaign, by the outcome of the Finale mission.

2. Setup

To set up the game with this expansion, follow these steps:

• Component Integration: Shuffle the new Shop Item, Class, Condition, Overlord, and Monster cards with those from the base game.
• Specific Cards: The Lieutenant, Relic, and Corrupt Citizen cards must be separated and used only when the "Shadow of Nerekhall" campaign is played.
• City Event Cards: Shuffle the new City Event cards with those from other expansions (do not mix them with Travel Event cards).
• General Components: Add the new green power dice, Hero Sheets, miniatures, tokens, and Map Tiles to your respective supplies.
• Campaign Choice: All players must agree to play the "Shadow of Nerekhall" campaign before starting.
• Overlord Setup: At the beginning of the campaign, the Overlord places the three Influence Tokens in their play area.

3. Game Flow

The game progresses through a campaign consisting of nine Quests. The flow follows the turn and round structure of the base game, with the following particularities:

• Travel Step: The heroes follow a continuous path on the campaign map. Instead of Travel Event cards, City Event cards are used when stopping at travel icons.
• Campaign Structure: The campaign is divided into Act I, Interlude, and Act II, culminating in the Finale.
• Quest Choice: After completing a mission, the winner chooses the next one, following the arrows indicated in the Campaign Log.
• Interlude and Finale: These are special missions that mark the transition between acts. The choice of mission depends on who won the majority of the previous missions (heroes or Overlord).

4. Actions and How to Play

In addition to the standard actions of the base game, this expansion introduces specific mechanics:

• Elevation: Red dotted lines block movement, but not line of sight. Melee attacks against targets on the other side of the line receive an additional black defense die, unless the attacker possesses the Reach ability.
• Portcullis: These function as doors. Figures cannot pass through them, but they can attack and trace line of sight through them. They can be opened or closed with a door action.
• Hazard Spaces: Spaces delimited by yellow lines follow the same rules as lava spaces.
• Classes and Tokens:
  • Bard: Uses Song Tokens (melody/harmony) on their class cards to activate effects.
  • Conjurer: Uses Image Tokens, which function as hero figures with the conjurer's attributes and 1 gray defense die.
  • Shadow Walker: Can summon the Shadow Soul familiar.
• Influence: The Overlord secretly chooses an influence effect for the mission, revealing the corresponding Influence Token when instructed.
• Corrupt Citizens: The Overlord can play Corrupt Citizen cards when a Master Changeling is on the map, granting extra abilities to the miniature.

5. End of Game and Scoring

The game ends after the completion of the Finale mission. The campaign victory is decided by the result of this final mission. Consult the manual for details on this section.

6. Tips for Winning

• Song Token Management: As a bard, position your Song Tokens strategically on the correct class cards before performing actions, as the effects are only active if the token is on the corresponding card.
• Use of Image Tokens: The conjurer should use their Image Tokens to block paths or absorb attacks, but remember that damage taken by the token also causes damage and fatigue to the hero.
• Pay Attention to Elevation: When playing as a hero, use the Elevation rule to your advantage to force the Overlord to spend extra defense dice or to protect yourself from enemy melee attacks that do not possess the Reach ability.