Post by Fadril Adren on Nov 14, 2015 21:38:24 GMT -5
A land of endless adventure opens before you. There are monsters to slay in the dark places of the world and dangerous quests that have never yet been attempted. You have the unparalleled chance to forge your story into a legend that will be told with fear and awe for hundreds of years. Choose your path and carve your name into the annals of Terrinoth—Runebound is now available!
Every game of Runebound gives you and up to three friends the opportunity to become heroes in the realm of Terrinoth. A terrible threat has arisen and threatens your entire world with destruction. The hero who destroys this nemesis claims unending glory and wins the game, but if no hero manages to successfully defeat the nemesis, all players lose the game together. Along the way, you’ll find countless adventures in the Free Cities and the barren wilds of Terrinoth, alongside the opportunity to customize your hero in whatever ways you want. No matter which hero you play or which enemies you face, Runebound is an invitation to adventure like none other.
Take Up Your Sword
Before you head to your local retailer to pick up your own copy of Runebound, you can learn more about the game from the series of in-depth previews we posted prior to the game’s release.
Our first preview provided a broad overview of the adventures you may experience in a game of Runebound, and the different actions you can perform. Adventures in Runebound are divided by category into decks that encompass combat, exploration, and social adventures. Each deck offers a variety of possible encounters, including enemies to fight, quests to undertake, and events that allow you to choose how your hero will act and respond to new situations.
The second and third previews of Runebound turned their attention from the adventures to the heroes themselves. First, we explored the different stats that make each hero unique, including their special abilities, attributes, and starting combat tokens. We also looked at the ways you can customize your hero to forge him into a powerful force with the help of new skills and assets. Skills give your hero new inherent abilities: you may become better at exploring and completing quests, or you may focus on skills that give you an edge in combat. Assets provide another tool for hero customization—weapons, clothing, equipment, trade goods, and more. In one game, you may equip Elder Mok with a powerful sword to cleave through enemy armor, and in the next, you may give him the assets to become a powerful spellcaster, wielding magic against your foes with concussive force.
Unique terrain dice are used to move from hex to hex in a game of Runebound.
The fourth Runebound preview delved deep into the innovative mechanics behind combat in the game. In every combat, you and your enemy cast unique combat tokens, then alternate spending actions to outmaneuver your opponent and deal the maximum amount of damage. In addition to an explanation of each symbol involved in combat, we provided a detailed example of combat between Lord Hawthorne and a terrifying Dreadbringer that illustrates the unique back-and-forth motion of battle in Runebound.
The fifth and sixth previews turned our attention to the two distinct scenarios included in Runebound, each of which offers vast replayability with additional adventure cards to encounter and decks of story cards that provide a narrative and drive the action forwards. In The Ascendance of Margath scenario, the heroes face off against Dragonlord Margath, a powerful dragon who has risen to claim Terrinoth’s throne once more. The other scenario, The Corpse King, pits you against Vorakesh, a deadly necromancer who commands legions of undead forces. Only by ridding the lands of zombies and gathering your companions can you weaken Vorakesh enough to destroy him in single combat.
Finally, Lukas Litzsinger, designer of the third edition of Runebound, shared a designer diary that presented some of his thoughts and struggles as he modified the core systems of Runebound for a new edition. He also offers some insight into the reasons behind changing the adventure system to an organization centered on archetype, rather than difficulty.
Where Will You Go?
The realm of Terrinoth lies open before you. You can walk the bustling streets of Tamalir or battle beastmen in the darkest forests. Choose your own path and take your steps towards becoming a legend in Runebound!
- FADRIL