So, I tried searching for the answers here (and on the FAQ), but I couldn't find them... So I figured just titling this post as such might help future searchers instead of having them read many other threads with less specific titles on a wing and a prayer.

Anyway...

So with the Flesh Moulders, the master monster has the "--> Heal" ability.

Quick to the point-- can this master monster simply spend his turn using this ability twice?

I notice in the rules that the heroes can do "-->" actions more than once, and also it says the actions performed by the monsters are "similar to the hero actions" (with the exception that only one action can be an attack action). This is not an attack action... so can it be used twice?

And, as a digression, does this mean that Baron Zachareth can only attack once, despite him having his normal attack, and the separate "--> Shadow Bolt" ability? If so, bummer. He and Gryvorn (who attacks with a lesser strength than a normal Shadow Dragon) aren't as tough as I had to play them in Gryvorn Unleashed. ;;-)

Attack= attack actions + any ability that includes "perform an attack." So yes, Zacareth can only attack once- shadow bolt counts as his attack if that's what he chooses to do.

The flesh moulder's "heal" does not say "once per round" or "once per turn" or "exhaust," so he can do it twice, using both of his actions.

...In that case, it is 100% impossible for the heroes to win the Masquerade Ball encounter when the OL brings the Shadow Dragon and the Flesh Moulders, unless there's some seriously unbalanced rolls. :-)

[... or so it was against my 11-year old daughter ...]

I don't remember those monsters being allowed in that quest, I seem to recall that they aren't allowed to be chosen, but in case I'm wrong about that, it depends on equipment group composition, and other factors. For example, the runemaster typically has an easier time dealing with shadow dragons than most, because of it's high damage ranged attacks with its starting ability, and the piercing on its starting weapon.

Shadow Dragons are allowed in E2, which has the Dark trait listed, but not in E1. Flesh Moulders are a fixed group is E1 and still allowed as an open group in E2.

I'm not sure about 100% impossible, but I can see how those two would make life difficult in E2.

OP: It sounds like you've only got two players. Are you playing with 4 heroes anyway, or with 2?

(You should always play with 4 heroes, or at least 3, regardless of player count. The scaling issues in this game are notorious.)

Might be stating the obvious but Shadow Dragons are vulnerable to ranged attacks.

We play with three heroes.

It's really tough to get through the Shadow Dragon when he's lined up blocking all corridor traffic with the healing flesh moulder behind him tossing 2x heals to the front. At a minimum, all they need to do is stall so that Eliza escapes through all the doors. The spiders help that too. Each time it hasn't even been close, even with the reward from the first encounter, etc.

It might be slightly less impossible if the quest isn't the first one done after the Introduction (and before shopping), but the OL won that one ;-)

And, as far as the make-up goes, we're currently running a campaign with Jain, Avric, and the Widow Tahra.