# Descent: The Road to Legend

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2008
- **BGG Rating**: 8.0
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 2-5 (Best with: 5)
- **Duration**: 120-240 min
- **Weight**: 3.68 / 5
- **Designers**: Kevin Wilson, Robert A. Kouba
- **Artists**: Frank Walls, Jesper Ejsing, John Goodenough
- **Publishers**: Fantasy Flight Games, Edge Entertainment, Heidelberger Spieleverlag, Nexus Editrice
- **Categories**: Adventure, Expansion for Base-game, Exploration, Fantasy, Fighting, Miniatures
- **Mechanics**: Dice Rolling, Modular Board, Role Playing, Team-Based Game, Variable Player Powers

## Verdict
If you already love Descent and crave an epic campaign with more depth, this expansion is the way to go! Get ready for a saga that will hook you.Engaging campaign modeEvolving narrativeTerrinoth explorationReplayability guaranteedHigh language dependencyRequires base gameLong playtimeHIGHLY RECOMMENDED

## Description
Hey everyone, check this out! Descent: The Road to Legend isn't just another expansion; it's a game-changer for anyone who loves the Descent experience. You know those wicked Overlords constantly plotting to take over the world? Well, here they're more active than ever, spreading chaos. But don't worry, we've got the heroes, ready to embark on this dark journey and prevent total disaster. The big twist here is the introduction of a brand-new campaign mode, featuring an overland map of Terrinoth for us to explore thoroughly. This means each session will pull you deeper into the story, with your heroes evolving and the consequences of your choices carrying more weight. Get ready to roll plenty of dice, use unique powers, and work as a team to overcome the challenges the Overlord throws your way. It's pure adventure, with that RPG feel and a board that changes every time, ensuring no two campaigns are ever the same. Oh, and heads up: the game requires a good amount of reading and language comprehension, so it's best to have a fluent English speaker or a translation handy to fully immerse yourselves in this epic saga.

## How to Play
Objective of the Game
In Descent: The Road to Legend, players take on the roles of heroes venturing across the land of Terrinoth to thwart the plans of the Overlord. The game is a campaign where heroes must complete quests, explore Dungeons, and manage their resources to grow stronger. The Overlord aims to complete their Plot and raze cities to achieve victory. The campaign concludes with the Final Battle at the Overlord’s Keep, where the ultimate winner is decided based on the success of these final confrontations.

Preparation (Setup)

    Card Removal: Remove specific skills (Bardic Lore, Brawny, Ranger, Sharr the Brightwing, Telekinesis, Bear Tattoo) and Overlord cards (Poltergeist, Rolling Stone). Remove all Invulnerability Potions and associated Treasure Cache cards. Remove healing potions from the Copper, Silver, and Gold Treasure decks. Remove cards with well or stone altar icons if not using the corresponding expansions.
    Hero Setup: Each player draws 3 Hero sheets and chooses 1. There must be 4 heroes in the campaign. Place the Hero party marker on Tamalir. One player acts as the treasurer, starting with 1,200 coins. Each hero takes their starting Skill cards (based on their sheet plus one from a deck of choice) and purchases starting equipment from the city store.
    Overlord Setup: The Overlord chooses an Avatar sheet and places the Overlord’s Keep token on the map. They take the Sir Alric Farrow lieutenant card, 15 XP worth of Avatar Upgrades, and choose a Plot. The Plot’s zero-cost card is placed faceup.


Game Flow
The game progresses in Game Weeks consisting of the following steps:

    Time Passes: Check if the campaign level advances based on combined Conquest points. The Overlord gains 1 Conquest token, plus 1 for each razed city.
    Resolve Sieges: Remove Siege tokens from cities without a Lieutenant. If a city’s Siege tokens equal its Defense rating, roll a black power die; on a skull, the city is razed. If Tamalir is razed, the Overlord wins.
    Overlord Actions: The Overlord may issue Orders (Move or Besiege) to Lieutenants and purchase 1 Upgrade.
    Party Actions: The party collectively chooses to Move (travel along a trail, check for encounters, potentially enter a Dungeon or city) or Train (if in a city).


Actions and How to Play
Hero Actions
During an encounter, a hero may perform one of the following actions:

    Run: Move up to 2x Speed in MPs; cannot attack.
    Battle: Move 0 MPs; perform up to 2 attacks.
    Advance: Move up to Speed in MPs; perform 1 attack.
    Ready: Move up to Speed in MPs OR perform 1 attack; plus, may place 1 Hero Order.

Heroes may also spend Fatigue to add a black power die to an attack or upgrade a die level before rolling.

Overlord Actions
During encounters, the Overlord gains Threat based on the number of heroes and successful attacks. Threat is used to activate abilities on Incident cards or Lieutenant cards, move monsters, or upgrade attack dice.

Training and Upgrades
Heroes can Train at buildings in cities or Secret Master Areas to improve Traits (adding or upgrading power dice) or learn new Skills by spending coins and XP. The Overlord spends XP to purchase Avatar Upgrades, Treachery Upgrades, or Monster Upgrades.

End of Game and Scoring
The campaign ends after the Final Battle. When the Final Battle begins, both sides' Conquest totals are reset to 0. The Overlord’s Keep is explored as a Dungeon. During the battle with the Avatar, heroes and the Overlord gain wound bonuses based on Conquest tokens earned since entering the Keep. Once the Avatar is defeated or the heroes are eliminated, the Plot card is read to conclude the campaign. Consult the manual for specific Conquest values for killing leaders and Lieutenants.

Tips for Winning

    Manage Fatigue Wisely: Heroes can spend Fatigue to boost attacks or upgrade dice, but ensure you have enough to survive or use Rest orders when necessary.
    Prioritize Objectives: Whether it is activating Glyphs of Transport for Conquest points or preventing the Overlord from razing cities, focus on the campaign goals rather than just combat.
    Coordinate Equipment: Use the Party Treasurer to buy equipment that complements the party's Skill choices, and remember that Potions can be divided among the group as needed.

## FAQ
### Do I need the base Descent game to play this expansion?
Yes, The Road to Legend is an expansion and requires the base game Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) to play.

### What is the average playtime for a campaign?
A complete campaign can take many hours, usually spread across multiple play sessions, as the game is quite extensive.

### How many players can participate?
The game is for 2 to 5 players, with one player taking on the role of the Overlord and the others controlling the heroes.

### Is the complexity high?
Considering the campaign rules and the number of components, the complexity is moderate to high, especially for players new to the series.

### Do I need to know English to play?
Yes, the expansion has a considerable language dependency, with a lot of text on cards and in the campaign book. A good understanding of English is essential, or the use of translations.

### What new elements does this expansion add?
It introduces a campaign mode with an overland map of Terrinoth, allowing heroes to progress through multiple quests with developing story and characters.

## Price Comparison
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