Taking your Turn

Now that we’ve triggered all the characters’ Passive abilities, it’s time for Ithren to take her first turn! In the first round, neither the players nor the Narrator draw a card from their Arsenal; instead, they have to rely solely on their weapons. Since the battle has just started, there aren’t any Status effects in play yet, and we’ve already taken care of the Passives for the beginning of the match—so the Beginning Phase is done.

The player also doesn’t have any skills or items available at the moment, which means the Preparation Phase is automatically skipped. This brings Ithren straight into the Combat Phase. The player has two options: they can either attack with Ithren’s equipped Foil Whip or choose to skip the attack.

Skipping an attack is always an option and can be a smart move in certain situations—like when the enemy has defensive skills prepped and ready to trigger or when they have a skill card played Face Down. A Face Down skill card can be a real wildcard, and sometimes it’s better to play it safe and avoid attacking that character to prevent triggering a potentially dangerous skill.

So, Ithren is now at a crossroads—will she strike with her Foil Whip, or will she hold back and wait for a better opportunity? The choice is in the player’s hands!

Ithren chooses to go on the offensive, and now it’s time to decide which character will be on the receiving end of her attack! Since the Foil Whip is a Melee weapon, she can’t target the Back Line until the Front Line characters are out of the way. This narrows her options down to two: the Cutthroat on the Front Line or the Brute standing beside him. The player needs to assess which of these two is the bigger threat.

The Cutthroat, with a Base Health of 6 at level 1, isn’t the toughest enemy, but their dual Ragged Daggers make them a bit tricky. They have two attack options:

1. Dagger (Stab) Ability: This allows them to stab with both daggers, dealing 1 damage per dagger for a total of 2 damage. This is a straightforward Melee attack, targeting the Front Line.

2. Dagger (Throw) Ability: This attack lets the Cutthroat throw one of their daggers, dealing 2 damage. This would be classed as a Ranged attack, meaning they can target either the Front Line or the Back Line. However, throwing the dagger means they’ll lose that weapon for the rest of the battle, which weakens their future attacks. Also, the dagger remains stuck in the target, meaning the target could pull it out and use it themselves, but they’d take an additional 2 damage in the process of removing it.

The Brute definitely sounds like a formidable opponent. With a Base Health of 7 per level, he’s sitting at 7 total health, making him a bit tougher than the Cutthroat. But what really makes the Brute dangerous is his Passive ability. If he lands the killing blow on a character, he roars and cheers, bolstering all Cutthroats in the battle by providing them with 4 health per his level. This isn’t a simple heal—it actually increases their health pool, meaning level 1 Cutthroats could jump from 6 health to 10, even if they were already at full health.

The Brute also wields a Two Hander weapon, a Battleaxe, which limits him to just one weapon but gives him a powerful attack option. The Battleaxe (Cleave) ability deals 2 damage but has the advantage of hitting two characters at once, provided they’re on the same Row.

Given this information, the player now has a crucial decision to make:

• Cutthroat: Lower health and weaker, but versatile with the ability to either stab for 2 damage or throw a dagger for a ranged attack that could disrupt the Back Line. Easier to take down quickly.

• Brute: Higher health and a Passive that could turn the tide of battle by boosting the health of all Cutthroats if he lands a killing blow. His Cleave attack could hit two characters at once, making him a serious threat, especially if the player’s characters are lined up.

Taking out the Brute early could prevent his devastating Passive from coming into play and reduce the risk of him landing a powerful Cleave attack. However, focusing on the Cutthroat might reduce the immediate threat to the Back Line and avoid the possibility of a thrown dagger. It’s a tough call, but whichever target the player chooses, it will have a significant impact on how the battle unfolds.

Given that Ithren has recruited Drennen, a Cutthroat, the Brute’s ability to boost the health of all Cutthroats would also apply to Drennen and the additional Cutthroat he brought into the battle! This is a perfect example of how careful reading of abilities can lead to unexpected advantages for the player.

This situation highlights the importance for both players and Narrators to pay close attention to the wording of abilities and not make assumptions. Mechanics like these can create interesting dynamics, especially when a player has managed to turn enemy characters to their side. What initially seems like a purely negative ability can actually be flipped to work in the player’s favor, adding an extra layer of strategy and depth to the game.

In this case, if the Brute does manage to land a killing blow, the health boost would not only strengthen the enemy Cutthroats but also bolster Drennen and his ally, potentially turning the tide of battle. It’s a clever reminder that the world of Dark Days is full of surprises, and sometimes the mechanics can work out in unexpected, and even humorous, ways.

The player has wisely decided to focus all their characters' attacks on the Brute, starting with Ithren. Now, it's time to see if her attack will land. In combat, Attack rolls work similarly to the RP Skill rolls we covered in the Learning the Basics section, but the thresholds are a bit more forgiving, and there’s no risk of a Tragic Failure.

Here’s how the Attack roll works using a D20:

• Roll a 1 to 10 (Failure): The attack misses, but there are no other negative consequences.

• Roll an 11 to 19 (Success): The attack hits, and you deal the damage shown on the weapon card(s).

• Roll a 20 (Heroic Success): The attack not only lands, but it deals double the damage shown on the weapon card(s).

It’s important to note that you only need to roll for attacks made with weapons. Magic and Skill cards don’t require a roll—they automatically hit unless otherwise specified.

So, Ithren’s next step is to roll the D20 to see if her attack with the Foil Whip will connect with the Brute and, potentially, how much damage she’ll deal!

The player rolls a 15—Success! Now it’s time to see how much damage Ithren’s Foil Whip can dish out. According to the card, the Whip Foil (Pierce) attack deals 1 damage per Ithren’s level, which at level 1 means just 1 damage. But here’s where things get interesting: since Ithren is a Fencer, she can follow up with a second attack—Foil Whip (Tear). As it states on the card that this attack can be used at no extra cost, the player doesn’t have to roll again - as the first attack was a Success, the next attack is automatically also a Success. This would work the same way if the player’s first attack was a Heroic Success - the follow up attack would also be a Heroic Success! If the Pierce attack was a Failure, the Tear attack can be rolled again, giving the character a second chance to deal damage.

The Foil Whip (Tear) attack deals 2 damage per Ithren’s level, which adds up to 2 more damage, bringing the total damage to 3. That’s already a solid hit, but there’s more to this attack!

It looks like the Foil Whip (Tear) attack has a chance to inflict the Bleed status on the Brute, which could be a game-changer in this fight. According to the card, I’ll need to roll a D12 for the Brute. If I roll a 6 or lower, the Brute will gain the Bleed status.

Here’s a quick rundown of the Status effects currently in the game, which can have various impacts:

• Bleed/Bleeding: The character loses a specified amount of health at the beginning of their turn (Beginning Phase). This can whittle down their health over time, adding pressure.

• Burn/Burning: Similar to Bleed, the character loses health at the beginning of their turn, representing ongoing damage like being on fire.

• Blind/Blinded: For a set number of turns, the character's attack rolls require an additional 3 points to be considered a Success. So instead of needing to roll 11 to 19 for a Success, they’d need to roll 14 to 19, making it harder to land hits.

• Chanting: Specific to Mages, this status prevents the character from using Skills, Consumables, or Weapons while they’re chanting, due to preparing powerful Magic.

• Dead: The character is permanently removed from the game after the battle—they’re gone for good.

• Floored: The character misses a certain number of turns, effectively taking them out of action temporarily.

• Impaled: The character must roll a D12 at the beginning of their turn. If they roll 10 or above, they break free and can take their turn as normal. If they roll 9 or below, they lose 2 health and their turn ends immediately.

• Incapacitated: The character falls unconscious and can no longer participate in the battle. They can be revived after the battle, but they’ll be too weak to fight or flee.

My Brute takes the 3 damage from Ithren’s attack, bringing his health down from 7 to 4. Unfortunately for the Brute, his D12 roll comes up as a 4, which means he’s now Bleeding. This Bleed status will cause him to lose 1 health at the Beginning Phase of his turn. So, as it stands, the Brute essentially has only 3 health left to play with before the Bleed damage kicks in and drops him to 3 health at the start of his turn.

This means that if Veeno, Drennen, or their temporary Cuttroat ally manage to deal just 3 more damage to the Brute before he gets his turn, the Bleed damage will finish him off as soon as his turn begins, leaving him with no chance to retaliate.

With Ithren’s turn wrapped up and nothing left for her to do, we skip the Closing Phase. Now, it’s Veeno Verde’s turn to act.

Once again, there are no Passive or Status effects to trigger on Veeno’s turn, so we skip the Beginning Phase. Since we’re still in Round 1, there are no skills or items available from the Arsenal, so we skip the Preparation Phase as well—straight into the Combat Phase!

Veeno’s Foil Whip is a Heroic item, easily recognized by its darker background and white text. This indicates it’s more powerful than Ithren’s standard Foil Whip. At first glance, it seems to have the same Pierce and Whip attacks, but when you look closer, you’ll see it actually deals more damage—2 per level for the Pierce attack and 3 per level for the Whip attack. The player decides to strike the Brute again with the Pierce attack, aiming to finish him off before he even gets a chance to act.

The player rolls to attack but only gets a 9—A Failure! Fortunately, since Veeno is a Fencer, he can follow up with the Whip attack at no extra cost. When the first attack is a Failure, the second attack can be rolled for, giving the player another chance at dealing damage. Veeno rolls again, this time scoring a 12—A Success. The Whip attack deals 3 damage, dropping the Brute’s health from 4 to 1. The Brute is now effectively out of the fight, as he’s guaranteed to die from Bleed damage when his turn comes around.

A few things to keep in mind: Just like the player, enemies also have Skill and Consumable cards. Hypothetically, I might have Bandage cards in my Arsenal that could save my Brute by healing him. But since we’re still in Round 1, and we don’t draw skills or items until Round 2, there’s no way to save the Brute in this scenario. As a player, it’s important to think about these possibilities because they can really impact your strategy when deciding who to attack and who to let die from Status effects.

There’s another reason you might want to finish off characters like the Brute quickly: You can’t deal Melee damage to the Back Line until the Front Line characters are down. Rushing through the Front Line’s health as quickly as possible opens up the Back Line for attacks. Waiting around for Status effects to finish off enemies might mean you’re not making the most of your damage potential.

It's Drennen's turn, and it’s time to see if he can prove his worth. Just like before, the Beginning and Preparation Phases are skipped, so we jump straight into the Combat Phase. The player decides to let the Brute Bleed out and instead focuses on the Front Line Cutthroat, going in with both of Drennen’s Ragged Daggers.

The player opts for the Stab attack and rolls the D20. To their surprise, they roll a 20—Heroic Success! This means the attack deals double damage, so Drennen is definitely pulling his weight in this fight.

Normally, the first attack with the Ragged Dagger would deal 1 damage per level, and since Drennen is level 1, that would be 1 damage. But with the Heroic Success, that damage doubles to 2. And since Drennen is attacking with his second Ragged Dagger as well, which also benefits from the Heroic Success, both daggers together deal a total of 4 damage to the Cutthroat, slashing his health down from 6 to 2.

At this rate, it’s starting to look like you might not even get a chance to attack! Drennen has definitely shown that he’s more than just a backup, delivering a significant blow to the Cutthroat and setting the stage for what could be a very short fight for the player’s enemies. Drennen has nothing else he is able to do this turn, so the Closing Phase is skipped.

Looks like my Cutthroat finally gets his turn on the Front Line, and he’s determined to make it count. Targeting Veeno, Ithren’s father, I go in with both Ragged Daggers using the Stab ability. I roll a 15—Success! Each dagger deals 1 damage per level, which should add up to 2 damage total.

But hold on—there’s a snag. Veeno is equipped with the Fencer Garb, a light leather armor that’s given to accomplished Fencers when they join a city’s guard. The Fencer Garb’s Passive ability reduces all damage dealt to the equipped character by 2 per their level. Since Veeno is level 1, this means his armor negates 2 damage.

So, despite my best efforts, the attack is completely nullified by Veeno’s armor. My Cutthroat’s attempt to deal some damage before going down ends up being in vain, as Veeno’s Fencer Garb absorbs all the damage. It looks like my Cutthroat’s days are numbered, and he didn’t even get to leave a scratch on Veeno!

It’s the Brute’s turn, but things aren’t looking good for him. The Beginning Phase kicks in, and because the Brute is Bleeding—a Status effect that triggers at the start of his turn—we have to handle that first before anything else.

According to Ithren’s Foil Whip, the Bleed status deals 1 damage per the afflicted character’s level. Since the Brute is level 1, this means he takes 1 damage. With only 1 health remaining, the Bleed damage is enough to finish him off.

So, the Brute Dies before he even gets a chance to act. I collect his character card, along with any armor, weapons, or other items he was carrying, and remove them from the Battlefield. You can place these cards wherever makes the most sense based on your playing area. The Brute’s exit marks the end of his presence in the battle, leaving my other characters to carry on without him.

My second Cutthroat is up next, positioned on the Back Line, right-hand side. Armed with a Veletian Bow, my attacks are Ranged, so I can target anyone on the Battlefield, including characters on the Side Line. Having a weapon or skill that can hit Side Lined characters is super handy, especially if there’s a character on the Side Line dishing out buffs or support to their allies on the Battlefield. But in this case, going after the Side Lined Cutthroat isn’t going to do much for me, so I decide to take a shot at Ithren instead. I roll a 20—Heroic Success! According to my Veletian Bow card, I deal 2 damage per level, but thanks to that Heroic Success, the damage is doubled. Ithren’s health drops from 10 to 6 in one shot.

Now it’s my third Cutthroat’s turn, positioned on the Back Line, left-hand side. This one’s wielding a Two-Hander, just like my Brute had. The weapon’s attack lets me hit two characters on the same row at once. I roll and get a 17—Success! The Two-Hander card states that I deal 2 damage per level, which gives me a total of 2 damage. This brings Ithren down to 4 health, but when it comes to Veeno, his Fencer Garb once again negates the 2 damage, leaving him unscathed!

Ithren’s health is getting low, but the second Round is just around the corner. Once this Round ends and the new one begins, both sides of the Battlefield will get to draw a card from their Arsenal. Hopefully, the player will draw the Bandages card, giving them a chance to heal Ithren.

For now, the last character takes their turn—the Cutthroat that Drennen summoned, positioned on the left-hand side of the Back Line. She’s also armed with a Veletian Bow and decides to target the Front Line Cutthroat. The player rolls a 14—Success! The attack deals 2 damage, which is enough to kill the Cutthroat.

With the Front Line now cleared, the player can attack the Back Line freely in the next round.