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 Finally updated this post 7/18/2020! Welcome to Gloomhaven! This "world in a box" style dungeon-crawler experience has been the #1 rated game on BGG for like 2.5 years now. It has spawned a small expansion (Forgotten Circles), an introductory version (Jaws of the Lion), and a full sequel (Frosthaven). What is Gloomhaven? From BoardGameGeek (which you will want to check out for discussion, files, etc): quote:Gloomhaven is a game of Euro-inspired tactical combat in a persistent world of shifting motives. Players will take on the role of a wandering adventurer with their own special set of skills and their own reasons for traveling to this dark corner of the world. Players must work together out of necessity to clear out menacing dungeons and forgotten ruins. In the process, they will enhance their abilities with experience and loot, discover new locations to explore and plunder, and expand an ever-branching story fueled by the decisions they make. It's essentially one of the most well-received Kickstarter games in the past few years, and somehow lived up to and even exceeded the hype. You and your friends grab one of the starting character classes, run through dungeons, do cool stuff with your cards, fight monsters, and hopefully win. At some point your character will reach their secret goal and decide they've had enough of this adventuring game and retire, at which point you get to open up a new character class box, which are initially only known to you by their box symbol. So there are elements of a living world within the Gloomhaven box - your decisions and such will impact the map and inform future events. So how does this game play, exactly? Here's a video for a random dungeon (so no campaign spoilers) playthrough. Apparently there are some rules mess-ups that they call out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC5B3Z6ieVg Here's a more dry rules overview that's pretty thorough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSWMvXT6jCw How does the game handle inconsistent participants and people dropping in and out of the campaign? Mister Sinewave posted:Not only are the quests scaled gracefully to the number of players and their levels (it handles someone retiring a character at level 9 and starting a new one at baby level as a matter of course after all) but dropping party members in and out is otherwise fine. Scenarios can be replayed, but any loot chests or scenario rewards are gotten only once and not again. How can I make this game faster/easier to play? A REALLY loving COOL thing I found on BGG is an interactive scenario PDF that has hidden sections you can reveal as you get to the necessary part. This can help you avoid spoilers as you are setting up the campaign and whatnot. https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/146896/interactive-scenario-pdfs-hidden-sections-pcmacios. Also an app on Android and iOS so get that. Replace a whole mess of bookkeeping bits and pieces (monster ability card decks, monster stat sheets and sleeves, the monster attack modifier deck, monster damage tokens, condition tokens, the element infusion board, element discs, round tracker, character HP/XP dials) with this Android, PC, Mac, or web-based (NO iOS, but again can be run on the web perfectly) app called Gloomhaven Helper Get some aftermarket organizers, made by Broken Token, Daedalus, and Meeple Realty. Based on my research the Broken Token one was the most highly regarded. People also successfully use Plano cases, card binders, and file folders for a homebrew solution. SPOILER CHAT! So there are a lot of things within Gloomhaven that people don't want spoiled. The community is very good about avoiding spoilers, even avoiding using the names of sealed classes. Refer to sealed classes by their symbol or perhaps their order number. Don't talk about the smaller sealed envelopes. Reference items by the number on the back of the card. Refer to scenarios by their number. So basically be liberal with your spoiler tags, or perhaps be more crafty and use item numbers, class symbols, etc, and don't spoil stuff for people. All the starting classes for Gloomhaven, Forgotten Circles, Jaws of the Lion, and Frosthaven are considered fair play when it comes to spoilers. Anything not part of the starting content for any of these games should be considered spoiler material and tagged as such. Essentially read this "new to Gloomhaven" post on reddit, it's pretty good: https://www.reddit.com/r/Gloomhaven/comments/62g5s8/new_to_gloomhaven_read_first/ GOOD RESOURCES: Easy to miss rules:https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1727703/easy-miss-rules Official FAQ: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1897763/official-faq-game-revs-1-and-2 Reddit FAQ: https://www.reddit.com/r/Gloomhaven/wiki/game/official_faq First game setup guide: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/143354/first-game-setup-guide An useful rules summary to potentially streamline or summarize the rulebook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bze24YskmJNeT1VnNUJHdWpwWDQ/edit Remove play guide: https://www.reddit.com/r/Gloomhaven/comments/fvzj84/remote_play_guide/ EXPANSIONS AND SEQUELS: As I mentioned earlier, there was a small expansion released in 2019 called Forgotten Circles, which: quote:features twenty new scenarios that take place after the events of the original Gloomhaven campaign and involve one new character class — the Aesther Diviner — and her attempts to prevent an approaching calamity. The accompanying scenario book breaks these scenarios up across multiple pages to create more dynamic and surprising encounters. Apparently if you own the original printing of Forgotten Circles, there were a number of significant changes made that are outlined here: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2450666/second-printing-changes In the summer of 2020, a new standalone game in the Gloomhaven universe was released, called Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion. quote:Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a standalone game that takes place before the events of Gloomhaven. The game includes four new characters — Valrath Red Guard (tank, crowd control), Inox Hatchet (ranged damage), Human Voidwarden (support, mind-control), and Quatryl Demolitionist (melee damage, obstacle manipulation) — that can also be used in the original Gloomhaven game. This was very well received and has been somewhat challenging to get at first (surprise!). Finally, we come to Frosthaven, a full sequel that was an enormous Kickstarter success, of course. quote:Frosthaven is a standalone adventure from the designer and publisher of Gloomhaven that features sixteen new characters, three new races, more than twenty new enemies, more than one hundred new items, and a new, 100-scenario campaign. This will be coming out hopefully in 2021, but who knows when you will actually see your copy!! Enjoy this crazy-rear end huge world of content! ShaneB fucked around with this message at 04:36 on Jul 19, 2020 |
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Nov 10, 2017 18:52
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I think that PDF was also turned into an app.
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Nov 10, 2017 18:55
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Well reposting my question then. Disclaimer: I have yet to play. I know people have discussed the 'legacy' elements before, but I never really considered not going ALL IN to them until now. I'm wondering if anyone has used the removable stickers and how smoothly the process fits in to the game? I imagine using them so that you can play the game again in 5 years would be better than using them so you can play two campaigns at once. Putting stickers on a character sheet only to then have to take them off for when your other friends come over later in the week sounds terrible. But playing an entire campaign and then busting the game out when your good friend moves nearby in two years after his residency and being able to start fresh from zero sounds great. I'd think this tracker https://ninjalooter.de/gloomhaven/scenarios would be better for the two groups at once thing. Could also replace using the stickers, but maybe that's too digital.
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Nov 10, 2017 18:57
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KingKapalone posted:Well reposting my question then. Disclaimer: I have yet to play. It hardly seems worth it to me to get reusable stickers: the campaign is so long that I will likely never replay it and Isaac is planning on an expansion.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:01
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We played the first scenario last night and it was fun, but surprisingly difficult! On the first go, we had two people run straight into the enemies and immediately get murderized (missing the rule about losing cards to prevent damage, but it wouldn't have made a difference because it was a disaster.) We immediately reset and had a pretty rough struggle but managed to squeak out a win at the end. The only negative was one guy went down about 2/3rds of the way through and didn't have enough cards in his hand to save him, so the last hour was kind of a bummer for him. We all learned a lot and identified a bunch of misplays, and I'm hoping to get it to the table again soon. The storage is rough, though. I'm storing map tiles in a big file folder I haul around, but getting individual pieces out is much more of a pain than I thought (even though I separated them by general type) and I put all the monster cards and standees in individually labeled envelopes, but the standees keep slipping out and scattering all over the box. Anyone have suggestions?
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Nov 10, 2017 19:07
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Two (three?) quick questions: - The Kickstarter is just for the standard game, right? If I buy the game, I'm not gonna miss a ton of Kickstarter-exclusive minis and extra content that won't be available normally? And do I assume correctly that if it's the only funding for reprints it might be very hard/expensive to get? - What's this talk of sealed/spoilery content? Is it like the envelopes in Legacy games saying "Open if XYZ happens"?
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Nov 10, 2017 19:13
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I don't have this yet, and probably don't have a stable enough group to justify it, but I was curious if there was a brief write-up of the game's world anywhere. The dark fantasy thing they've got going is really well done, and I'm curious.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:15
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I am just sitting here...sobbing...because I don't have my KS shipment notification yet. For actual content: Board gamers are really weird with the 'destroying/changing stuff' of legacy elements. Are any of you guys actually planning on using removable stickers and what not for this? It seems bonkers to me.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:16
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Aerox posted:We played the first scenario last night and it was fun, but surprisingly difficult! Go to your local hardware store, and get one or two of those big tacklebox-ish containers that get used for screws and stuff. We use one for terrain tiles, and another for standees, coins, and status tokens. This by itself will go a long way to making things more manageable. For the item deck, I advise getting one of those 4-cards-a-page card binders; it fits in the box nicely and is a lot easier to flip through while shopping. Also, the first room is weirdly brutal, because you're not used to how things go, and they throw quite a few bandits at you. You'll get a feel for it quickly, and it won't be as disastrous going forward.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:18
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I own the Broken Token insert, and assembled it, for a game I do not yet own. But it's pretty conclusively the best aftermarket one that isn't just a stack of Plano cases.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:21
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Pierzak posted:Two (three?) quick questions: There is zero Kickstarter exclusive content. The box you buy in stores has the exact same stuff as the box backers get. As for availability, it shouldn't be hard to find (they printed a shitload of copies for retail), but it will be expensive as MSRP is $140. Yes, this is a legacy game. There are sealed boxes and envelopes you open as you progress. Also, a bunch of stuff isn't technically sealed (like the item cards or the scenario book), but many people are trying to go in as blind as possible and not look too far ahead.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:22
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Pierzak posted:Two (three?) quick questions: There is *very* little that is kickstarter exclusive. I think it was literally just the layouts for a handful of solo adventures, which are probably going to be included in the expansion when that comes out, or available separately. And while the KS was for a reprint, it was also to print enough to get retail copies out there. Talk to your LGS about getting it ordered. It is, yes. You're unlocking adventures as you complete adventures, most of the classes in the game are initially unavailable until a character completes their personal quest and retires, there's various storylines and quest paths, there's stuff that you'll only find by having the right person with you when a particular town/road event comes up, and there's some stuff that unlocks under given conditions like high/low party reputation, or donating a bunch to the church, or so on and so forth.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:24
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Ojetor posted:Yes, this is a legacy game. There are sealed boxes and envelopes you open as you progress. Also, a bunch of stuff isn't technically sealed (like the item cards or the scenario book), but many people are trying to go in as blind as possible and not look too far ahead.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:24
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ShaneB posted:I own the Broken Token insert, and assembled it, for a game I do not yet own. But it's pretty conclusively the best aftermarket one that isn't just a stack of Plano cases. I'm probably going to wait until I get it to decide if I want the insert. I gotta see how much I hate myself setting it up first haha.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:24
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I asked in the other thread, but I'll ask here. Anyone have a good video that goes over a couple rounds of combat? Something fairly quick and concise that I can show people playing with me so they can get the general flow of combat.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:25
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ChiTownEddie posted:I am just sitting here...sobbing...because I don't have my KS shipment notification yet. We enthusiastically ripped Pandemic pieces to shreads, but I think that's a more throwaway experience because there is a lot more legacy stuff and the secrets being revealed are what make it great. With GH though I could definitely see myself playing it again in a few years with different people since it sounds like the gameplay and just pure content are what make it great.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:29
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Doorknob Slobber posted:I asked in the other thread, but I'll ask here. Anyone have a good video that goes over a couple rounds of combat? Something fairly quick and concise that I can show people playing with me so they can get the general flow of combat. Paul Grogan did two commissioned rules videos. This one covers the battle mechanics: https://youtu.be/pSWMvXT6jCw The other one goes over the campaign rules. It may not be exactly what you want but he is very clear and succinct. Also, pretty much everyone finds the first couple of scenarios challenging. This is mainly because the gameplay is unfamiliar but they are not a forgiving entry point to the game. The most important thing to remember is not to burn your cards too quickly.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:35
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These things are Kickstarter exclusive-ish:
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Nov 10, 2017 19:37
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ShaneB posted:I own the Broken Token insert, and assembled it, for a game I do not yet own. But it's pretty conclusively the best aftermarket one that isn't just a stack of Plano cases. I got the Daedelus inserts just because they looked really nice and I appreciated that they were labeled for easy reference. I feel like having any sort of organizer will be a godsend for this. Really eager to get my copy and start psychically throwing rats at people. Re: legacy I'm actually excited at the prospect of leaving a permanent mark on the game as my group moves through and accomplishes things. Buck Wildman fucked around with this message at 19:46 on Nov 10, 2017 |
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Nov 10, 2017 19:44
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How does the broken token insert handle the monsters? I just tossed everything into a ziplock bag. There is so many I can't think of a good way to organize them that would make it easier to find specifically what I'm looking for.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:47
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Doorknob Slobber posted:How does the broken token insert handle the monsters? I just tossed everything into a ziplock bag. There is so many I can't think of a good way to organize them that would make it easier to find specifically what I'm looking for. The BT one has small, labeled, tuck boxes for each individual monster in a large custom tray. It's probably the biggest draw to that one I think.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:48
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Pierzak posted:So basically Dungeon Crawler: Legacy, as in you're actually supposed destroy/write on components? Most people call Gloomhaven a Legacy game, but I don't really agree. There's no destruction of components and no fundamental or permanent alterations of the gameplay. You progressively unlock more of everything: more classes to play, more items to buy, more scenarios to play, etc. You never really destroy or lose anything. I'd classify it more as a really, really developed campaign system much deeper than anything ever seen before in a board game. There are stickers you're supposed to paste onto the map as you unlock locations and achievements. However unlike say, Risk or Pandemic Legacy, the stickers don't really alter the game at all, they just serve as a cool reminder of what locations you've unlocked and what stuff you've accomplished. If the board had been printed with every location already on it and they gave you a checklist to keep track of locations and achievements, the game would be the exact same. Though I will say, it's really cool and satisfying to see the mostly blank map fill up with stuff as you progress, so I'm glad the stickers exist. The only actual permanent change that happens in the game is enhancement stickers. These are upgrades you can buy for ability cards and take the form of a sticker on the card, which will apply to that card forever. Even after the character that bought the enhancement retires, any future characters of that class would get that bonus as it's now a part of the ability card. That is the only real legacy element in this game, in my opinion. But it's one you can easily sidestep if you wish. Sleeve the card and sticker the sleeve, for example, or even forego the sticker entirely and drop a little note inside the sleeve.
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Nov 10, 2017 19:53
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Doorknob Slobber posted:I asked in the other thread, but I'll ask here. Anyone have a good video that goes over a couple rounds of combat? Something fairly quick and concise that I can show people playing with me so they can get the general flow of combat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC5B3Z6ieVg is a long video, but you can just watch a turn or two to get the idea. There are a fair few rule mistakes, but they're all called out nicely.
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Nov 10, 2017 20:15
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BrainBot posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC5B3Z6ieVg is a long video, but you can just watch a turn or two to get the idea. There are a fair few rule mistakes, but they're all called out nicely. I'll throw stuff like this in the OP
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Nov 10, 2017 20:26
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hey don't use the monster cards etc that come with the game if you can help it, they add a shitload of set-up time and the constant reshuffling is bad. Instead, use this webapp: https://johreh.github.io/gloomycompanion/ - a gloomhaven vet
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Nov 10, 2017 20:44
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Impermanent posted:hey don't use the monster cards etc that come with the game if you can help it, they add a shitload of set-up time and the constant reshuffling is bad. Instead, use this webapp: https://johreh.github.io/gloomycompanion/ On Google Play there is an App for this as well as one for the spoiler-free scenario book mentioned in the OP. Both look like they've been recently updated for 2E. E: looks like there's also one for a campaign tracker for people worried about legacy screwing up a replay. Buck Wildman fucked around with this message at 20:53 on Nov 10, 2017 |
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Nov 10, 2017 20:49
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I forget if I asked this elsewhere, but is this game worth getting if you only play solo? I know characters have secret missions and aren't supposed to plan their turns together, and I don't want to pay $150 for a game that only sort of works.
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Nov 10, 2017 20:53
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Ragnar34 posted:I forget if I asked this elsewhere, but is this game worth getting if you only play solo? I know characters have secret missions and aren't supposed to plan their turns together, and I don't want to pay $150 for a game that only sort of works. The game has tailored difficulty for solo play and there is a special add on book full of solo scenarios you can play once Gloomhaven reaches prestige 3. If you like playing alone, it seems like the game has you covered, but not going through this with some buddies seems like kind of a wasted opportunity to me personally.
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Nov 10, 2017 21:11
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My buddies aren't really interested in dungeoncrawling games except maybe occasionally, and I don't feel like starting a new playgroup with strangers (not enough time for second weekly game night), so it'd be just me for 95% of the missions. It's solo or nothing.
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Nov 10, 2017 21:18
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I already bought Daedalus inserts for Kemet and the Arkham Horror lcg, I can't possibly justify almost another $100 for one... I'm gonna try the Y. A. S. S. outlined here which uses Planos and a file folder. At least it's cheap and if I hate it I can further justify Yet Another Game Insert. https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1726878/yss-yet-another-storage-solution/page/1
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Nov 10, 2017 22:17
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Ragnar34 posted:My buddies aren't really interested in dungeoncrawling games except maybe occasionally, and I don't feel like starting a new playgroup with strangers (not enough time for second weekly game night), so it'd be just me for 95% of the missions. It's solo or nothing. It's a very good solo game. I'm running a solo campaign besides playing with a multiplayer group and I'd have bought this game even without anyone to play with. It comes close to unseating Mage Knight for my top solo game, tbh.
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Nov 10, 2017 23:19
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Yeah, it's just a personal preference on my part. If you like solo I think you'll be fine.
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Nov 10, 2017 23:50
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You could also play two characters, the imperfect knowledge around initiative isn't that relevant.
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Nov 11, 2017 00:07
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Nephzinho posted:You could also play two characters, the imperfect knowledge around initiative isn't that relevant. Since my regular gaming group will be playing a 3-character party, I'm thinking my separate solo campaign will consist of 2 of the other starting classes. Of course, that's assuming my main group doesn't want to keep switching classes. As a wargamer, I'm used to hidden information not really being hidden.
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Nov 11, 2017 00:20
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Can anyone think of a way to make the health/exp dials less 'loose'? Even a slight jostle seems to change what the number was on, which is normally ok because you can remember, but for the times you forget it would be nice if they were a little tighter.
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Nov 11, 2017 00:59
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Doorknob Slobber posted:Can anyone think of a way to make the health/exp dials less 'loose'? Even a slight jostle seems to change what the number was on, which is normally ok because you can remember, but for the times you forget it would be nice if they were a little tighter. SOP for that kind of thing is to get some construction paper and wedge it in there.
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Nov 11, 2017 03:33
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Road event 23 is amazing. I was disappointed my wife didn't think so. I should probably divorce her.
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Nov 11, 2017 16:56
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Don't divorce your wife over a road event 
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Nov 11, 2017 17:45
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You can always just open the next sealed wife box once you retire her
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Nov 11, 2017 17:47
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Played the first game on my copy: Brute, Cragheart and Scoundrel did short work of the Black Barrow. I really enjoyed it so far, and I can see what the hype is in regards to unlocking the map/changing the world as well as the dungeon crawling elements.
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Nov 11, 2017 20:53
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