I have heard that the three-player vanilla Descent is stacked in the Overlord’s favor. Two of my friends and I have the base game and I have a couple of questions about evening up the three-player game (we have been playing two heroes each, but that can slow things down a bit).

Would just letting them pick their hero even up the game?

Would letting them pick their hero and starting skills even up the game?

If the answer to 1. is yes, what two heroes would you pick and why?

If the answer to 2. Is yes, what two heroes and skills would you pick and why?

Remember we only have access to Descent: JitD at the present.

Thanks for your replies,

Dave

yoritomoshomey said:

1) Yes a little

2) Don't let them pick their starting skills. I could show you nightmare combinations that would make you weep if you let them do that

3) and 4) I'll have to think about.

Easiest solution is to just have each of the people playing the heroes to run two heroes each and play it as a 5 player game.

*Shutters* Nanok with Taunt

Big Remy said:

I'm curious to hear them. Thanks.

Dave

GT_Entropy said:

Facing that right now in my current RtL campaign. It's not as bad as I thought, but there have been some times when it has been a royal PITA!

yoritomoshomey said:

A couple of examples off the top of my head:

Knight, Unmovable and either battle cry or vampiric blood (vampiric blood is better, but I can only think of varikas the damned as someone who has this). Gives you 4 attacks every turn (3 _a guard), plus movement (in the case of most tanks, only one movement less than an advance), and the ability to regain the fatigue you are spending to do it like every turn.

Rapid Fire, Tiger tatto, Skilled. 4-5 attacks depending on starting fatigue for the character. Add in another character with leadership and it allows for major advancing with four attacks, drink a fatigue pot, and then have the leadership give you a guard:4-5 more attacks...

Quick Casting, Spiritwalker, (insert skill here--prodigy, blessing, inner fire, boggs..?). 3 attacks from pretty much wherever since it's 10 spaces away. If you have a blast or breath weapon this just really gets ridiculous.

Feanor said:

Add in Acrobat, Swift, Tiger Tattoo/Cautious/Burglar/Skilled/Ox Tattoo for a runner extraordinare...

Any Tank with Taunt, Bear Tattoo, and Ambidextrous/Tough... Armour 4 (5 with RoP) from shop items (+ shields), 18-22 Wounds, can't get past, have to target most of the time...

Cleaving, Vampiric Blood and Weapon Mastery/Mighty - with a Reach weapon (most of which have 2~ for 3 damage, hence Weapon Mastery) or on Hawthorne, or a Lunge or two from the Feat deck, this is a whirling chain of death, killing everything within 2 spaces while advancing. The Vampiric Blood pays for the Cleaving as well, so it doesn't cost a thing...

Eliam with Weapon Mastery, Mighty/Tiger Tattoo and Vampiric Blow. Advance to the midst of the monster horde, sweep, and get his fatigue back. Add potency again with a Reach weapon or a Lunge. Repeat at will, due to Vampiric Blow returning the fatigue.