Fantasy Flight Games

Protect the Secrets

Published 26 May 2016 | Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Protect the Secrets

Stewards of the Secret Is Now Available for Descent: Journeys in the Dark

The secrets of Terrinoth’s past have returned to haunt its future, and the order of Stewards is all that stands between dark powers and the long-lost research of a mad sorcerer. Now, the Stewards have called upon some of the realm’s greatest heroes for aid. You decide the outcome when you pick up your copy of Stewards of the Secret, now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

Like previous Hero and Monster Collections for Descent: Journeys in the Dark, Stewards of the Secret welcomes monsters and heroes from the first edition of Descent into the second edition with completely updated artwork and figure sculpts. Here, you’ll find fourteen sculpted plastic figures—four heroes and ten monsters—as well as two brand-new quests that offer new chances for adventure.

Stewards of the Secret contains four heroes, four ferrox, three nagas, and three blood apes.

Lifelong Companions

One of the heroes that you’ll encounter in Stewards of the Secret is actually a team: Okaluk and Rakash. Inseparable companions from a young age, Okaluk and Rakash are committed to exploring their world. They crave the experience of new lands, and the risks and dangers of travel only add to the thrill of their journey. No obstacle has ever overcome their flawless teamwork, and though battle is not their first calling, Okaluk and Rakash will not suffer an enemy to part them.

If you’re considering Okaluk and Rakash as members of your hero party, perhaps the first thing you’ll notice is their extremely low speed—they can only move two spaces with a move action. Don’t be concerned, however, because Okaluk and Rakash’s hero ability more than makes up for this: at the start of every turn, they immediately gain four free movement points. These movement points give you an unbelievable amount of freedom with your actions. Suddenly, you might not need to spend an action moving; you can spend your actions accomplishing other tasks and still get where you need to go.

Extra mobility can help you move across the map, but because Okaluk and Rakash belong to the Healer archetype, the overlord player may choose to target them first to prevent them from healing the other players. Fortunately, Okaluk and Rakash boast a powerful heroic feat. You can trigger this feat even when they are knocked out, and it allows you to roll two red power dice. Then, you and each other knocked out hero within three spaces recovers damage equal to the result of your roll! If the entire hero party is facing a difficult foe, Okaluk and Rakash’s healing prowess may prove essential to keeping your heroes in the fight.

Everything Is at Stake

As the order of Stewards comes under attack, it’s not just an isolated region that faces destruction. All of Terrinoth would suffer if the forces of evil reclaim the studies of the mad sorcerer Devis. Call your monsters to your side or take up your sword as a hero—you can pick up your own copy of Stewards of the Secret at your local retailer today!

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The copyrightable portions of Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition, its expansions and miniatures are © 2005-2012 Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. Descent: Journeys in the Dark, its expansion titles and Fantasy Flight Supply are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.

Hungry for Battle

Published 20 May 2016 | Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Hungry for Battle

Preview a Hero and a Monster Group from Stewards of the Secret

“Some fools cower behind metal, thinking the purpose of battle is survival.”
–Nanok of the Blade

For decades, the order of Stewards has protected the evil knowledge uncovered by a dark sorcerer, keeping these arcane secrets hidden from those who would use them for their own ill purposes. Now, the Stewards face a threat unlike anything they have yet encountered—and only the bravest heroes of Terrinoth can help protect them with the Stewards of the Secret Hero and Monster Collection for Descent: Journeys in the Dark!

Like previous Hero and Monster Collections, Stewards of the Secret reintroduces heroes and monsters from the first edition of Descent with revitalized artwork and figure sculpts. Today, we’ll take a closer look at a hero and a monster group from this expansion: Nanok of the Blade and the blood apes.

Stewards of the Secret contains four heroes, three blood apes, three nagas, and four ferrox.

The Purest Form of Battle

There are countless mighty warriors in Terrinoth, but in the eyes of Nanok of the Blade, far too many are cowards who hide in metal shells, thinking the skills of a smith can compensate for their own lack of power. Nanok of the Blade scorns these fools—his faith lies not in armor, but in his keen axes and the strength of his arms. In truth, he loves nothing more than the feel of an axe lodging deep in an enemy’s body, and woe betide the fool who dares to meet Nanok face-to-face in battle.

In your Descent campaigns, Nanok of the Blade offers a play experience unlike any other. Although he belongs to the Warrior archetype, he cannot equip Light Armor or Heavy Armor! Although Nanok eschews armor of any type, his unique fighting style has given him unique skills, which allows him to roll a black defense die rather than the traditional grey defense die used by most heroes.

Nanok of the Blade’s fighting style also gives him the ability to push monsters around the map. As his hero ability, Nanok can choose an adjacent non-large monster and move that monster one space in exchange for suffering a damage. One space may seem insignificant, but many times, that one space is all you need to push a monster out of the way and let your fellow heroes rush past as they race to complete their objective.

You may also use Nanok’s heroic feat to gang up on a monster and take it down quickly. By using this heroic feat after another hero attacks a monster, Nanok can immediately make his own Melee attack against that monster. Then, the first hero can perform another attack against the same monster! By offering you two free attacks against a powerful monster, you can take down even a deadly creature much faster that you otherwise could.

Primal Rage

Nanok of the Blade has fought countless enemies in his adventures, but few are more dangerous than blood apes. Vicious and possessive, these brutal primates rarely gather in groups of more than two or three. As soon as young blood apes can hunt for themselves, they are cast out and must find their own territory. In their search, they often push into civilized areas, slaughtering everyone in their path and using the blood of their victims to mark their new domain.

As monsters in the service of the overlord player, few monsters offer the damage output of the blood apes. These monsters hit incredibly hard and can spend a surge to deal even more damage. And if that weren’t enough, all blood apes have access to the Ravage ability, meaning that they can choose to spend both of their actions attacking and bringing down a hero. The sheer amount of attacks and damage that the heroes must face when they battle blood apes is enough to crush the spirit of lesser warriors.

Master blood apes are, if anything, even more dangerous. While they share the Ravage ability, they have more deadly attack dice and higher health to absorb even more damage before they fall. Master blood apes also have access to the Leap Attack ability, which reads, “This monster moves up to its Speed. During this movement, it may move through spaces containing enemy figures. Then, perform an attack that affects each figure this monster moved through during this action.” In a single action, a master blood ape can cut a swath through a hero party, potentially dealing lethal damage to an entire group of heroes at once!

Protect the Secrets

The Stewards have gained powerful allies in the heroes of Terrinoth, but against the power of the overlord player and monsters like the blood apes, victory is never certain. Decide the fate of the order of Stewards when you pre-order Stewards of the Secret at your local retailer today!

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Wild Fury

Published 9 May 2016 | Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Wild Fury

Preview a Hero and a Monster Group from Stewards of the Secret

Centuries ago, a dark sorcerer created a race of terrifying abominations that would serve him in his quest to rule Terrinoth. A band of noble heroes destroyed the sorcerer and his creations, but the evil knowledge that he had found could not be so easily contained. Now, evil is rising once more, and dark forces seek to reclaim the sorcerer’s knowledge and use it to create a new breed of monsters to plague the land. Take up your blade and fight to protect Terrinoth with the Stewards of the Secret Hero and Monster Collection for Descent: Journeys in the Dark!

Within Stewards of the Secret, you’ll find fourteen sculpted plastic figures that bring heroes and monsters from the first edition of Descent into the game’s second edition. Today, we’ll preview a hero and a monster group from this Hero and Monster Collection to explore how you might use them in your own quests.

Stewards of the Secret contains four heroes, three nagas, three blood apes, and four ferrox.

A Master Hunter

Tatianna is a renowned huntress from a secluded tribe of female warriors living in the far reaches of Terrinoth. As civilization encroached on their long-held hunting grounds, Tatianna found her people unprepared to combat the modern world. To ensure the survival of her sisters, she left her home in search of gold, weapons, and powerful magic. With the fate of her people on her shoulders, Tatianna believes she can find some crucial knowledge or weapon in the legacy of the Stewards.

During your Descent campaigns, Tatianna is the consummate ranged fighter, striking from afar and evading any attacks that target her. Tatianna’s hero ability gives her a natural boost as she fights from afar: all of her attacks benefit from additional range, which allows her to stay further away while making sure her attacks still strike home. Tatianna is also adept at dodging the Ranged attacks of her enemies. As the second part of her hero ability, each Ranged attack that targets Tatianna requires an additional range in order to hit!

As she skirmishes with monsters, Tatianna carefully plans her own attacks, waiting for the perfect opportunity to deliver a devastating strike. When you’ve chosen your moment, you can use Tatianna’s heroic feat to press your advantage and destroy your foes. By triggering Tatianna’s heroic feat after you roll dice in an attack, you can choose one of your opponent’s defense dice and change the result to any other result, leaving the monster defenseless before your arrows.

Sorcerous Reptiles

Monsters and the spawn of evil are drawn from across Terrinoth to the rumor of a sorcerer’s dark knowledge, but few are more attracted than creatures born of magic, like the nagas. These monsters are a nightmarish clash of magic and reptilian guile. Covered in glistening, hardened scales, a naga will seek any chance to coil around its prey and drag the victim away from all hope of rescue. Once in a secluded place, the naga’s venomous fangs can easily tear through soft flesh, and its sorcerous powers keep away any distractions.

During a quest, a group of nagas can be a highly dangerous tool in the hands of the overlord player. Like Tatianna, these monsters can make attacks from long range, but they become even more dangerous when they close in on their prey. All nagas benefit from the Sorcery ability, which allows them to convert damage into range and vice versa. Like other figures with Sorcery, if a naga is only a few spaces from its target, it can easily turn excess range into extra damage—quickly cutting through even the most powerful defenses. If that weren’t enough, nagas have the ability to inflict the Poisoned condition on their foes, dealing damage over the course of multiple rounds.

Master nagas are, if anything, even more dangerous than their minion counterparts. All master nagas have the ability to spend an action to trigger Constrict, which forces an adjacent hero to test his might. If the hero fails, he is Immobilized, the naga can move one space, and then you can place the hero in any empty space adjacent to the naga! When used effectively, Constrict can separate the heroes and pull them apart, dragging one hero into danger and away from his companions. As the overlord player, the nagas might be the ideal allies in your quest to claim forbidden knowledge!

Sorcery from the Past

The bravest heroes of Terrinoth have gathered to stand against the evil forces intent on reawakening the past. Whether you play as the overlord or prefer the heroes, you’ll find plenty to enjoy in the Stewards of the Secret Hero and Monster Collection! Pre-order your copy at your local retailer today.

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Stewards of the Secret

Published 12 October 2015 | Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Stewards of the Secret

Announcing a New Hero and Monster Collection for Descent

“Some say they’ve seen the whole of Terrinoth. They are blind.”
–Seer Kel

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Stewards of the Secret, a new Hero and Monster Collection for Descent: Journeys in the Dark!

In the days of Terrinoth’s troubled past, the mad sorcerer Devis sought to create a race of utterly loyal and terrible minions that would serve him without question. His experiments created terrifying monsters that ravaged the realm until a band of heroes destroyed them and their dark master. With a forbidden rite, the heroes bound Devis’s evil knowledge within their own minds, becoming the order of the Stewards. For years, Terrinoth was spared the depredations of these monsters, but now an ancient evil rises to oppose the heroes and unveil the secret they have long protected.

Stewards of the Secret is a new Hero and Monster Collection for Descent: Journeys in the Dark, inviting you and your friends to take a part in the story of the Stewards. This expansion includes fourteen sculpted plastic figures—four heroes, three blood apes, three nagas, and four ferrox. Like other Hero and Monster Collections, these heroes and monsters hail from the first edition of Descent, now introduced to the game’s second edition with updated artwork and figure sculpts. With two brand-new quests to supplement your existing games of Descent, Stewards of the Secret challenges every hero and overlord player with new tactics and opportunities.

Stewards of the Secret includes fourteen sculpted plastic figures: four heroes, three blood apes, three nagas, and four ferrox.

I See All

Powerful and strange, the young sorceress known as Kel is a mystery to those around her. Many arrogant fools have sealed their fate by believing that her blindness is equivalent to weakness. Aside from the vibrant and powerful displays of magic she wields, Kel often displays an uncanny ability to look beyond present events. Whether she answers a question that has not yet been asked or predicts the actions of her enemies, Kel is a disturbingly helpful ally.

During your quests, Seer Kel can use her flashy displays of magic and surprising foresight to the benefit of your hero party. First, Seer Kel has an extraordinarily powerful hero ability: figures and obstacles never block her line of sight! Because mages like Kel have access to rune magic, they often bear some of the most powerful Ranged weapons in the game. The effectiveness of these weapons is only tempered by the fact that figures often close to melee combat, leaving little room between figures for your attacks. With Seer Kel, you can always find the spaces between bodies to ensure your attacks strike home.

Even as you use your unnatural sight to look past those who would stand in your way, you may gaze into the future and see what plans the overlord player has in store for the heroes. As your heroic feat with Seer Kel, you can look at the top five cards of the Overlord deck, giving you unparalleled insight into the traps and punishment that will shortly arrive! What’s more, you can choose one of these cards and place it on the bottom of the Overlord deck before you shuffle the remaining cards and replace them on top of the deck. In this way, you can mitigate the most dangerous possible threat before it ever becomes reality. Ultimately, you’ll need magical tricks like this to achieve victory in Stewards of the Secret, especially as the overlord player calls upon horrific monsters spawned by ancient sorcery.

Prey Upon the Weak

The ferrox entered the world for the first time after the experimentations of the insane sorcerer, Devis. The exact nature and abilities of the ferrox have changed over the long years since his fall, and while they contain only a shade of their former power, the beasts have adapted. Now, the ferrox can sap the power of their enemies and use it to repair their own bodies. Sustained by their victim’s strength, a ferrox is a worthy match for any hero.

When you call upon the ferrox as the overlord player, you’ll quickly see the attributes that made them such useful servants for Devis. A ferrox can hit dangerously hard in melee combat, and it can spend its surges to pierce even the thickest plate armor and spread disease to hinder the heroes turn after turn.

The master ferrox boasts an even more dangerous ability. By spending an action, a master ferrox can use Extract to choose an adjacent hero. That hero must test its might—if he fails, he suffers two fatigue, and the ferrox recovers two damage! Not only does Extract give your ferrox unexpected staying power, dealing fatigue can restrict the heroes’ movement and their use of Class cards. If you wish to recover the dangerous secrets of the mad mage Devis, you can do no better than to call upon the ferrox for your own dark army.

Secrets Revealed

Dark forces seek to recover the secrets of an evil sorcerer. Only a few noble heroes can help the order of the Stewards protect their knowledge. Take up arms with Seer Kel and her fellow heroes or reveal forbidden knowledge to call the ferrox to your side in Stewards of the Secret, a new Descent Hero and Monster Collection!

Look for Stewards of the Secret at your local retailer in the first quarter of 2016.

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