Quest Format

 

PLEASE READ: Quest Format is an additional game format built on the Arena Format (base) rules. If you have not become comfortable with the game's base rules, it is highly recommended that you wait until after playing the Arena format game and rule set to review the Quest Format rules below.

Introduction

 

Quest format is designed for players to work together against a common enemy to achieve a specific goal/objective to declare victory. In this format, a single player is declared the Boss Player and becomes a powerful nemesis to the remaining players by gaining special abilities and boosts to truly challenge your Heroes! Quest format does have key changes to the game structure and rules compared to the Arena format of the game:

  • A standard Quest format game is for 4-8 players. (Unless the custom format rules specify otherwise.)
  • Before the game begins, one player must be elected as the Boss Player. The remaining players are on a team against the Boss player, referred to as a “Player Party.”
    • When electing a Boss Player, you will also declare a Boss Difficulty. Boss Difficulty is intended to create a more challenging experience for Players who choose to build custom decks or are more experienced with the game and want a more immersive level of gameplay.
      • Some Quests require or only allow for a specific Boss Difficulty tier. Please review the Quest scenario details to determine which Difficulty is expected.
    • Before the game's first turn is taken, the Boss Player chooses one or more abilities depending on the difficulty selected and which are available to them. In addition, Boss Players are granted permanent bonuses to their stats based on the Boss Difficulty selected.

Boss Difficulty Levels

Champion is representative of a powerful foe. This could be a fierce Sharkmen first mate or leader of a group of bandits. This is the lowest difficulty of Boss tier.

Legendary is represented by the logic of a well-known opponent. Their infamy precedes them, and their abilities are known far and wide. The abilities of Champions pale by comparison to Legends.

Epic-tier opponents are mythical beings, deities, story characters, or beings of immense power or fortitude. The Epic tier is the highest tier of opponent, and with these fearsome foes comes an array of abilities to grind player parties into dust.

Treat each Boss ability as a special game effect that cannot be countered or ignored. Boss abilities can be stacked per tier, but are unique per tier. For example, you could select Artifact of Power as one of your secondary abilities in an Epic Boss difficulty game and select Artifact of Power as one of your third-tier abilities as well.  What this effectively means is that you can select the same ability, but only once per ability tier - you could not select Artifact of Power for both of your third-tier abilities.

 

The following table goes over each tier and the abilities that can be selected at each difficulty tier. Abilities selected and the bonuses to stats are only applied to the Boss player’s Hero character during gameplay. At each difficulty tier, the Boss player’s Hero character gains access to one ability from each of up to three different categories to help them combat Player Parties of multiple characters. The Boss's abilities are designed to be dynamic but also fair, where the Boss player is outnumbered by the opponents they face.

  • Of the Alignment-specific abilities, the Boss Player’s Hero character must meet the requirements of the ability, but otherwise does not limit deck construction or require that all the other cards in the Boss player’s deck are the same alignment. If an ability states it is for “Chaotic Characters only,” this means that your Boss Hero must be a Chaotic-alignment Hero character, but otherwise doesn’t affect the other cards in your deck.

Boss Abilities (Quest Format)
 

  • Artifact of Power - At the beginning of the game, before the first turn is taken, the Boss Player reveals an item card from their deck and places it into play as the item normally would be played. This ability can be stacked multiple times.
     

  • Devastator - When the Boss Player's Hero character deals 5 or more damage with an attack,  they may discard an item attached to the character dealt damage.
     
  • Dire Encounter - Boss Hero characters deal +1 attack damage. Spells the Boss Player plays deal +1 damage if they only choose only one opposing character.
     
  • Leadership - Characters the Boss Player controls, other than their Hero character, get +1 ATK and +1 AC. This ability can be stacked multiple times.
     
  • Perfected Form - The Boss Player's Hero character cannot have its attributes lowered below its printed value, plus their Boss Difficulty stat boost assigned at the beginning of the game.
     
  • Wrath – Whenever the Boss Player's Hero character attacks, they may choose up to X characters, where X is the number of non-boss players. Compare Character stats as you normally would to resolve an attack. The Boss Player's Hero character's attack damage dealt must be split between all the characters attacked this way. Each character successfully attacked must be dealt at least 1 of the Boss Hero character’s total damage. If X is 4 or greater, increase the Boss Hero character’s damage by +1 when attacking this way.

Eternal Form

Chaotic Characters Only.

At the beginning of the Boss Player's turn, reveal the top card of the Boss Player’s discard pile to all players. If the revealed card is a Chaotic card, deal 1 damage to an opposing character. If the EXP value of the revealed card is 7 or higher, heal 1 damage from the Boss Player's Hero character. Place the revealed card at the bottom of its owner’s deck.
 

Gateway to the Void

Dark Characters Only.

At the end of your turn, banish the bottom card of each opponent’s discard pile. Deal 1 damage to each opposing Hero character that banished a non-dark card this way. Heal 1 damage from your Hero character for each character card banished this way.
 

Illumination

Light Characters only.

Characters you control have Blessed. At the beginning of your turn, Purge a card from each opponent’s discard pile. Deal 1 damage to each opposing Hero character if a card is banished this way.
 

Enrage

Neutral Characters only.

Whenever an opposing Hero character deals one or more damage to the Boss Player's Hero character, place a Rage token on the Boss Player's Hero character. Boss Player's Hero characters are granted +1 ATK and +1 AC for each Rage token on them, to a max of X, where X is the number of players. At the end of the Boss player’s turn, they may remove X Rage tokens from the Boss Hero character to deal 1 damage to each opposing character for each Rage token removed this way.

Eternity

Chaotic Characters Only.

Each time the Boss Player uses Reshape, Recoil, or plays a Chaotic card, heal 1 damage from the Boss Player's Hero character. At the end of the Boss Player's turn, if they have played 3 or more Chaotic cards this turn, they shuffle a card from their discard pile into their deck.
 

Death

Dark Characters Only.

When a character the Boss Player controls deals damage with Toxic ability for the first team each turn, or pays HP with the Anima ability, the Boss Player chooses a character an opponent controls to get -1 ATK and -1 AC until end of turn. At the end of the Boss Player’s turn, if they have played 3 or more Dark cards this turn, each character that player controls get -1 ATK and -1 AC until the beginning of the Boss Player’s next turn.
 

Radiance

Light Characters Only.

Character cards the Boss Player owns have Purge and Blessed. Each time you Purge or play a card with Blessed, heal 1 damage from the Boss Player's Hero character. At the end of the Boss player’s turn, If they have played 3 or more Light cards this turn, they may deal X damage to an opposing character, where X is the number of times they used the Purge ability this turn.
 

Omniscience

Neutral Characters Only.

At the beginning of the Boss Player’s turn, each player reveals the top card of their deck. The Boss Player chooses a Neutral card revealed this way and plays that card. This doesn’t count towards the Boss Player’s allotted actions for the turn. If the revealed card selected to be played has an EXP value of 7 or greater, deal 1 damage to that card owner’s Hero character. If the Boss Hero character is selected this way, they may ignore this damage. At the end of the Boss player’s turn, if they have played 3 or more Neutral cards during your turn, heal 1 damage from each Neutral character the Boss player controls.

Quest Format Scenarios

The intention of the Quest format is not only to give the Boss player extra power, but also to give players a quest to accomplish either as the Boss Player or as the adventuring Party. Each scenario is designed to be a “one-shot” type of quest that is an advanced version of the Arena format. Additional Quest Format scenarios will be developed over time and added to this section or made available through the website's resources.

 

Click on the expanding sections below for a description of each Quest scenario.

Scenario: An epic battle ensues for the fate of the Havokk. The Heroes are Avatars of their Alignments and are granted powerful abilities. They battle for eternal glory and dominion over the realm.

 

Custom Rules:

  • This quest only has 1 Boss Difficulty Tier: Epic

  • This quest is for 2-8 players.
     

  • Each player is granted their Alignment-specific Second-tier Boss ability instead of a Boss Player being declared.
     
  • When a player defeats another player, that player gains the defeated player’s Boss ability. If a duplicate ability would be created this way, the player who defeated the other player is granted their own Alignment-specific Third-tier Boss ability instead.
     
  • When a player has already attained their Third-tier Boss ability and they defeat another opposing character of the same Alignment, they permanently get +2 to all stats for the remainder of the game, for each opponent defeated after the Third-tier ability was obtained.
     
  • Whenever a player defeats another player, their Hero gets +1 ATK and +1 AC for the remainder of the game.
     
  • Players achieve victory when they have defeated all opposing Hero characters.

Scenario: An object of immense Power has been revealed, the fight is against time and multiple opponents to claim this ancient relic. Claim the power of the relic to win the game!

 

Custom Rules:

  • This quest is available on all Boss difficulty tiers. However, only the Boss Player Stat Boost is applied at the beginning of the game, not boss abilities.
    • The Boss Player status may change depending on which player controls a special game element called the Relic.
  • This quest is for 2-8 players.
     
  • At the beginning of the game, the play group determines an Item card from outside the game to be selected as the Relic. Or, if the play group prefers, they may also create an Item token card with the following rules text:
    • Chronicles of Niedrich
      Epic Item – Treasure
      [Destiny]This card cannot be banished by your opponents.
      [Faithful]This card is considered the same Alignment as your Hero character in addition to its own. (When it’s in play and not.).
      Ongoing: At the beginning of your turn, choose a Boss ability from among the Boss Abilities available to your Hero character’s alignment. Your Hero character gains that Boss ability until the beginning of your next turn.
      Ongoing: Whenever a player’s Hero character deals 5 or more damage to the player in control of Chronicles of Niedrich, they gain control of Chronicles of Niedrich. While you control Chronicles of Niedrich, you are considered the Boss Player. This Item cannot be copied, duplicated, or discarded or banished.
       

  • At the beginning of each turn that a player is in control of the item you designate as the Relic, they gain a Fate token.
    • Cards, effects, and abilities that increase, decrease, or change the number of tokens you control or create do not apply to or affect Fate tokens placed into play this way.
       
  • Victory is achieved when you defeat all the opposing Hero characters, or If a player has 10 or more Fate tokens at the beginning of their turn, they win the game.
    • A player can win on the turn they acquire their 10th Fate token (Because they decide the order their "At the beginning of your turn..." effects occur).

Scenario: The Boss Player's Hero character has amassed ultimate power. Your only choice is to try and slay this Boss before his plans come to fruition. Hurry, Heroes - your time is limited!

 

Custom Rules:

  • This quest only has 1 Boss Difficulty Tier: Epic
  • This quest is for 2-8 players.
     
  • This custom format has a numbered turn limit of 25. Turns are measured by the beginning of the Boss Player’s turn.
    • When the turn limit reaches 25, resolve the game according to the total damage dealt to the Boss Player's Hero character.
    • Begin the turn count at 1 at the beginning of the Boss Player’s turn. The Boss Player always goes first in this format.
       
  • The goal of this quest is to deal enough damage to the Boss Hero character to meet the Damage Threshold. If the Non-Boss Players deal damage equal to or greater than the threshold, they win the game. If they don’t before the turn limit expires, the Boss Player wins.
    • Players may declare victory against the Boss Player at the beginning of the next turn if they have met the damage threshold, and the game turn limit has not been exceeded.
       
  • Boss Damage Threshold is the Boss character’s HP + Bonus Stats x the number of players. Include the Boss Player's Hero character’s Epic Difficulty Tier Stat Boost column when determining the Boss character’s base HP.
    • (For example, in a 4-player game, and a Boss character’s Base HP is 25, this would be equivalent to 25 + 43 x 4 = 272. The Boss Damage Threshold would be equal to 272. The Non-Boss players must deal at least 272 damage collectively to the Boss Hero character in under 25 rounds to win the game.)
       
  • Only the total amount of damage dealt to the Boss Hero character, the Damage Threshold, and the turn limit are considered in this format as victory conditions. Other win conditions have no effect during this quest.

Scenario: Destiny has called: You have answered. The Boss has defeated your comrades, and you must face them alone to determine the fate of the future. Now is the time you have trained for – the future depends on you!

 

Custom Rules:

  • This quest is available on all Boss difficulty tiers. Standard Boss abilities per tier apply to the Boss Hero character.
  • This quest is for 2 players.
     
  • One player is elected as the Boss Player.
     
  • There are special rules for card use and deck construction included in this quest:
    Each player’s decks may not include Character cards other than their Hero character cards.
    • Each player may not use cards or abilities that create token characters or that would bring another character into play somehow. If another character is created through some variety of game effect, it is banished immediately.
       
  • When determining the player that starts this custom game format, Epic difficulty Boss Players always go first.
     
  • Victory may only be achieved by defeating your Opponent.

Scenario: The Boss has acquired an endless army of followers. Stop the Boss character before you are overwhelmed by their seemingly endless forces!

 

Custom Rules:

  • This quest is available on all Boss difficulty tiers. Standard Boss abilities per tier apply to the Boss Player's Hero character.

  • This quest is for 2-8 players.
     
  • One player is elected the Boss player. At the beginning of the Boss Player’s turn, that player may play a card from outside of the game with the [Legion] ability.
    • Playing a card this way does not use one of the Boss Player's allotted actions for their turn.
    • If the Boss Player does not have a character card to play this way, they may create a token character with the following stats:
      • Horde of the Endless
        13 ATK, 13 AC, 3 damage, 5 HP
        [Legion]
        A deck may contain any number of this card.
        [Faithful]This card is considered the same Alignment as your Hero character in addition to its own. (When it’s in play and not.).
        Ongoing: Each time an opposing character is defeated by Horde of the Endless, create a token of Horde of the Endless.
        Ongoing: Horde of the Endless gets +1 ATK and +1 AC for each character you control named Horde of the Endless. If you control 10 or more Horde of the Endless characters, increase each of their damage dealt by +1. You may not use this ability more than X times during your turn, where X is the number of players.”

        • Example: If there are four players, and you control 10 Horde of the Endless, their second ongoing ability could be used four (4) times for a total of +4 ATK, +4 AC, and +4 DMG to each Horde of the Endless character you control.
        • Each character is still considered to have this ability for effect purposes (it just has no effect if there are more than four instances of the ability simultaneously active per this example).
           
  • Damage dealt to characters with the Legion ability controlled by the Boss Player is reduced by 1 for each difficulty tier of the Boss, to a max of 3.
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  • Victory is declared when the Boss Hero character is defeated​​​​​​​