Knights of the Daystorm - Design Thread - 100% complete

[Fedex worker]

I think you should add the total terrain requirements to each dungeon. Also, the maximum amout of Knights you can have is 450 points and six spaces right and how do you recruit figures?

EDIT: where are the riddles for Runa's room?

[Velenne]

Originally Posted by Fedex worker

I think you should add the total terrain requirements to each dungeon. Also, the maximum amout of Knights you can have is 450 points and six spaces right and how do you recruit figures?

EDIT: where are the riddles for Runa's room?

All good points.

1 - Each dungeon will require 1-3 of several sets. I tried to limit myself to 1 MS and 2-3 expansions total but then I went crazy. You're basically going to need at least 1 of every set to date to do it as written. If you don't have this, no big deal, just substitute in terrain you do have.

2 - You start by being able to recruit up to 6 'Knights' (Unique Heroes) from Earth. After each dungeon, you're able to recruit more to fill any recent openings (and you will have openings, I assure you ) After testing, I've come realize I need to account for double-spaced figures and so I'm going to change the wording to "you may recruit up to 450 points and 6 starting spaces worth of Unique Heroes from Earth".

3- Right. Sorry. I need to get those. For now, try the intarwebs.

[killercactus]

How have your heroes been doing against the enemies in each room during testing? I started testing a 4-room dungeon yesterday, and 550 points of heroes (Carr, Awa, Drake RotV, Crixus and Guilty) couldn't take down one squad of Protectors (first room), one squad of Imperium (second room) and one squad of Sentinels (3rd room). They made it to the 3rd room with only a 3-wound Crixus on their best run. I had to take the Imperium out because they were too strong, and replaced them with Dzu-teh. Then the heroes got through all 3 rooms, but only had Crixus with one life and Guilty with one life, who were brutally slaughtered by the boss.

I guess I couldn't believe how easy each room has to be in order to give the heroes a chance through it, and I had 550 points instead of 450. How have yours done?

[Velenne]

The great irony is that squads are king in HEROscape, remember, so particularly strong, mobile squads can be lethal to your heroes. No matter how good they are they're only attcking once (maybe twice) per turn.

SO that being said I try to help the heroes out a bit when making rooms with strong squads, and I don't use more than 2 until they get Advanced.

[Ormus]

Velenne, I'm following this w/ intent...

I noticed in the Fire pdf you mention the riddles...

Have you thought of those sample ones yet?...just curious.

Great setups

[Velenne]

After some playtesting, I've made some changes to the Earth Dungeon.

Version Notes
Beta

• Clarified rules for Room 1
• Slightly modified Room 2 so the Trolls can gain height advantage on a Knight claiming the Vorpal Sword.
• Rebuilt Room 3 so the Deepwyrm Drow cannot attack the Knights on the first turn.
• Modified Room 4 so Othkurik can't keep the whole central perch against a single Knight of Height 4 or less.
• Changed the trap table in Room 4 so the "nicer" traps are higher, and the meaner traps are lower. This is more consistent with existing rules.
• Rearranged footprint of entire dungeon to be a bit more manageable.

[Fedex worker]

Well, with your changing of the trap's die rolls, you forgot to change the instructions to Subtract 2 from your die roll if advanced.

Edit: Just noticed that each room in each dungeon only contain six starting spaces. This could be a potential problem, because if you go to the Air Dungeon first, lose one hero, and then recruit Major Q10, your army would take up seven starting spaces.

[Velenne]

Good catch, Fedex. Thank you! I'll note that change for the next version.

I'm changing the drafting rules to allow for up to 6 spaces worth of figures, instead of 6 figures. There's also at least one room (in the water dungeon) where double-spaced figures can't start, so I need to change that too. The rules change will be in the next update of the player's guide which I hope will be soon.

[Velenne]

Once I play the Fire Dungeon a few more times and can make some changes to the file, I'll reupload it again. But for now, here are Runa's Riddles:

Spoiler Alert!

Runa’s Riddles

Soft as a petal that falls from a tree, the more I dry, the wetter I'll be.

Spoiler Alert!

A sponge or a towel.

I run all day and never walk. I tell you something, but I do not talk.

Spoiler Alert!

A clock.

Greater than the gods, more evil than Utgar, the rich need it, the poor have it, and if you eat it you'll die?

Spoiler Alert!

Nothing

Cannot be seen, cannot be felt, cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills, and empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after. Ends life, kills laughter

Spoiler Alert!

Silence

Four men sat down to play. They played all night till break of day. They played for gold and not for fun. With separate scores for everyone. When they had come to square accounts. They all had made quite fair amounts. Can you the paradox explain. If no one lost, how all could gain?

Spoiler Alert!

They’re musicians.

Alive without breath, as cold as death, never thirsty, ever drinking, all in mail and never clinking.

Spoiler Alert!

Fish

All things it devours: birds, beasts, trees, flowers. Gnaws iron, bites steel, grinds hard stones to meal. Slays king, ruins town, beats high mountains down.

Spoiler Alert!

Time

Voiceless it cries, wingless flutters, toothless bites, mouthless mutters.

Spoiler Alert!

Wind

In marble walls as white as milk, lined with skin as soft as silk, within a fountain crystal clear, a golden apple doth appear. No gates there are to this stronghold, yet thieves break in to steal the gold.

Spoiler Alert!

Egg

The person who built it doesn't want it, the person who bought it doesn't use it. The person who used it never saw it. What is it?

Spoiler Alert!

Casket

They call me a man, but I will never have a wife. I was given a body but not a life. They made me a mouth but didn't give me breath. Water gives me life but sun brings me death.

Spoiler Alert!

Snowman

My life is often a volume of grief, your help is needed to turn a new leaf. Stiff is my spine and my body is pale, but I'm always ready to tell a tale.

Spoiler Alert!

Book

You heard me before, Yet you hear me again. Then I die, 'Til you call me again.

Spoiler Alert!

Echo

What is dry going in, wet going out and satisfies two people?

Spoiler Alert!

A tea bag.

There is an ancient invention still used in some parts of Earth today that allows men to see through walls.

Spoiler Alert!

A window.

Ullar has it but he does not use it. A man’s father has it but his mother uses it. Your lady friend's husband has it and she uses it.

Spoiler Alert!

A Last name.

I can be cracked, I can be made. I can be told, I can be played.

Spoiler Alert!

A Joke

The more you take, the more you leave behind.

Spoiler Alert!

Footprints

You cannot keep it until you have given it.

Spoiler Alert!

Your word.

[Velenne]

Hope to get games in on the Fire Dungeon this weekend. I created Ancient Artifact glyph cards for each of the four Keys, much like the one used in the HSers exclusive scenario. They look AMAZING if I do say so myself (and I hope you'll agree when you see them) but I'm afraid you'll have to wait until the final campaign book. I'm sure I'll need to tweak the Key's powers at some point and I wouldn't want you to waste all that printer ink.

Side note:

So I played the Earth dungeon this week and for the sake of playtesting took along a party that had finished the Water dungeon and thus had access to heroes from Feylund. I brought Migol and Syvarris (with a Ring of Protection +2) along with Kaemon Awa (with the Amulet of Health), Valguard (with the Water Key), and Isamu.

That third room was rough. I gained a whole new appreciation for how quickly a focused team of Deepwyrm Drow can bring down a hero!! (Suffice to say the room was tweaked later.) I did manage use both of the Water Key's abilities in this dungeon, as well as transfer items strategically between characters. At one point, Isamu had the Ring and the Amulet, giving him 3 life and 3 defense! Along with Vanish 9, that's one scary ninja!

[killercactus]

Yeah - those squads with hero-killing abilities can really wreak some havoc.

I'm using a squad of Protectors in one of my dungeons - brutal. And I had to completely scrap the Einar Imperium - just too strong.

[Velenne]

You're right, kc. When I get to the Fire Dungeon, I have a feeling I'm going to need to redo that room with the Minions.

Speaking of playing, my family and I are in the process of moving (this is a great thing!) so I don't know how much Scape I'm going to get in for the next few weeks. The opening play was to requisition my gaming area for storing packed boxes and my Heroscape "Tower" (the monolith of drawers which hold my terrain and armies) was relocated to a closet.

That means I'll be depending on all of YOU reading this thread to try some games out and let me know what you think!