So... I was thinking perhaps of implementing a new playing format for The Shadow Rune Campaign, adding some quests into the main storyline, while also teaching the OL how to use a Plot Deck. The idea I have is a bit epic and may be a bit long. Here is my initial idea:

First off, along with the Shadow Rune, we know that Lair of the Wyrm is a bit dated as well, allowing the heroes to collect experience as well as giving out additional shopping phases. The fact that Rhynn and Arhynn also seem to be relatively close to each other ( though not positive), makes me believe that implementing the Lair of the Wyrm expansion into the Shadow Rune main campaign itself might be beneficial and add to it as well. But how to balance out all the shop and experience phases? Explanations below.

The products you would need to implement this campaign:

The Shadow Rune

Lair of the Wyrm

1+ H&M Expansion.

The first thing we will do, is throw out the whole Rumor Card system altogether. The reason for this is because this new campaign structure will already have a lot more quests anyway. I don't want it to be too drawn out and the way I would like to do it may be far fetched to begin with. That being said, the OL should only retrieve Rumor Cards from the Lair of the Wyrm Expansion. We will also use a rumor Card from one of the H&M Expansions, chosen by shuffling all rumor quest cards and drawing it at the start of the campaign.

The OL can use any plot deck for this. He can spend his Threat points at anytime during the phases they are normally used, but can only spend experience to get them during a Shop/Spend Experience Phase.

So anyway, here is the crux of the whole format. Instead of doing the quests as just one Act1 Quest, they are instead put into Quest Arcs. There are three quests per Quest Arc, the winner of the quest arc being the player that won the most quests in the Arc ( 2 out 3). The Shop/Spend Experiences Phase only occurs between the quest Arcs. Experience is not given to the heroes and OL after each quest, however 1 experience is given to all of them after each quest Arc. Additional Quest Rewards however, such as 25 Gold earned per hero, earning relics and gaining additional exp points are earned for each quest that offers them.

And so, a normal Campaign Phase would be observed between each quest arc.

However the Phase between quests would be such:

-Reward Phase: Gain any additional rewards, OL gains any threat tokens.

-Rest Phase: All Players recover Fatigue and Heart, discard Conditions. Any flipped ( used) Search Cards are returned to the Search Deck. Overlord shuffles his OL Deck and constructs a new one for the next quest.

-Travel Phase: like any normal travel Phase. For the LotW quests, refer to the icons on either the travel map or the Quest Cards.

Here is the actual total Campaign Format:

Intro - First Blood

Act1 Quest Arcs:- Mercenaries- A Fat Goblin, Death on the Wing, *H&M Quest*

- The Farrows- Castle Daerion, The Cardinal's Plight, The Masquerade Ball

- Lair of the Wyrm- Gold Digger, Rude Awakening, What's Yours is Mine.

*note- Since Gold Digger and What's Yours is Mine gives out the same additional reward, instead the winner of What's your is Mine gets to take one of the Relics even if the other side has it.

Interlude- The Shadow Vault or The Overlord Revealed. If the heroes won the most quest Arcs, then Shadow Vault is Chosen. If the OL won the most Arcs, then The Overlord Revealed is chosen.

Act 2:

As per the original format, these quests were determined by who won the ACt1 quest pertaining to it. So the same format would be followed here pertaining what quests are in a given arc. For instance if the heroes won "A Fat Goblin" then the Act2 Quest Arc would be "the Monster's Hoard". If the OL won "Fat Goblin" it would be "Frozen Spire". For Valyndra's Lair, the quest is determined by the Winner of the Lair of the Wyrm Arc.

Act 2 Quest Arcs: - Monsters - The Monster's Hoard/The Frozen Spire, The Wyrm Turns/ The Wyrm Rises, *H&M Advanced Quest Arc*

- The Farrows Return- The Dawnblade/The Desecrated Tomb, Enduring the Elements/The Ritual of Shadows, Blood of Heroes/The Twin Idols

- Valyndra's Lair - At the Forge/Armed to the Teeth

Finale: The Finale quest is determined by who won the most Act2 Quest Arcs. If the heroes won more, then it's Gwyvorn Unleashed. If the OL won more, then it's The Man who would be King. Additionally, for both quests, Baron Zacharath will have a one time action he can perform to summon Valyndra to an adjacent square next to him, but only if the OL won the Valyndra's Lair Quest Arc. Additionally, for "Gwyvorn Unleashed"- Gwyvorn will have an extra action he can perform. Take any 3 ActII Monster cards/groups that have the Fire Trait aside. As an action, once per turn, he may summon one monster from any of those groups respecting group limits. A narrative for the first time that happens, " Gwyvorn's fiery breath scorches the ground before him and then starts to take physical shape. The fire lashes out at you with fiery anger." ( That may hopefully make this fight a little bit more exciting.)

On the topic of Search cards and tokens: Instead of keeping used (flipped) Search cards between quests, the heroes will be required to return the to the Search deck. The heroes can keep any unused Search items. This is to hopefully keep the campaign as balanced as possible. The Search deck should include all Search cards collected ( even the nothing card). If the deck has been drawn out during a quest, then any search token thereafter collected will be worth 25 Gold.

I am going to test play this all and see what happens. It still follows the traditional format, pretty much squeezing 3 quests into 1 basically. So I'm hoping it works out. My question is what do you all think? Do you think it could work and perhaps breathe life into an old campaign?

Ok, let me see if I get what you are saying. You suggest to mix quest into blocks and the players will have to play 1 quest from each block, until playing ONLY 9 quest (due to not adding rumors) are played OR you mean having 18 quest at all? This lasts will be something it may be difficult to implement, due to the play time required.

As we saw from Road to Legend post, mostly of the game groups aren't able to finish one normal campaign, and this is 15 quest long (rumors included). So, the size of this structure may frustate some groups, because they may feel they are not growing.

Now, in the other hand, I really like the idea of creating another campaign structure. Additionally, I like the theme about Zacharecth summoning Vylandra. Perhaps you can create a campaign featuring the theme of Valyndra asking for Zacharecth's help in order to bring her husband from the death

Or, leaving each quest as normal, but changing little aspects of it in order to merge it with LotW. Like instead of Gryvorn, Valyndra. Or Ritual of Shadows, Ritual of the Fire Imps. Death from the wing using Hybrid Sentinels for Belthir's personal scort.

Edited May 9, 2016 by Volkren

I find it very interesting, as a whole. Unluckily, in my play gruop this wouldn't fit, as we can only reunite to play Descent once in a long while (like once a month, or every two months). I see it as a very well constructed thought, though. The balance with the exp and the gold seems very reasonable. And for what I see, the OL can still collect a threat token for every first kill on every quest, so he will be collecting them more. My most concerning point with the Plot Decks was that the threat seemed to be collected on a very stingy way, and I was always being very picky with its use. As a player who enjoys most the game just doing things and not being conservative or perfeccionist, I like this a lot.

I hope others can also try it, and tell experiences. And I hope some day me and my friends can do it too.