I just had a great game with the expansion. It was a 4 player session, so everyone got a decent look at the new features. We had some questions pop as we played that I'd like to hear everyone's thought about:

1. If my hero completes his Trials of Zorek quest by reaching a specific location, flips the exploration there, and gets flooded away, does he still collect the rewards and train for the quest? The card states that the hero just needs to be in the tile "during the Quest phase" to get the benefits. However, when the flooded location occurs, the revealing hero is moved two spaces away. Which resolves first?

2. What happens when you run out of desolation and cryomancy tokens? Deserts of Yllan would seem to make this possible.

3. If someone builds a stronghold on a lost city, and the city is raised, the stronghold is vaporized, right?

Thanks for listening.

KevinBakon said:

I would say this quest is not completed in that case. Although it says "during the Quest Phase", I think you still have to follow the standard Quest rules, and be there during the quest segment, after movement and resolving the token. It seems it would be similar to "The Bazaar" and "Forward Scouting" quests, even if it doesn't use the same exact phrase - IE, you have to be in those areas when you normally resolve Quests, even though this quest is handled a little differently from the onset.

I'll clarify this with Corey though and put it in my document.

(For what it's worth, the question would also apply to being dueled by an enemy hero or being killed by a Raiding Party, too).

KevinBakon said:

I would think these tokens are meant to be unlimited, but I'll also put this in my questions for Corey.

KevinBakon said:

Are you referring to the Lost City that can appear in Tile #12? If so, the situation cannot happen; on page 5, it says you cannot build Strongholds on tile 12.

Ah yes, that's pretty clear. Must have missed it. Thanks for the reply, Sigma.

If it's not too much trouble, could you post the exact text of the Quest? I don't have my copy yet.

"When you draw this card, you must immediately reveal it and perform an influence bid.

The highest bidder places one influence token on one of your heroes and another influence in any area containing a city. When the hero is in the chosen area during the Quest Phase he trains each of his attributes and then receives a reward."

I received this as one of my starting 2 quests the first time we played the expansion. I won the bid and named a city one turn away. Sadly, my dreams were washed away in a flooded exploration token. I'm a little confused by this card. Obviously, your opponents could bid to really screw you on your city placement quest, but couldn't you just swap out this quest for a new one (via gather support order card) if they give you a far city? We were playing it as if this was untradeable because it's face up, but maybe that is too harsh considering that a player would need to control a city and spend an order card getting new quests.

On a related note, does anyone play without exploration tokens? They are a blast and I highly recommend them. They make the hero phase a lot more fun. The flooding token is devastating.

KevinBakon said:

I'd assume that you can get rid of it normally with a Rally Support action or with Silhouette's ability. The fact that your opponents know what your quest is is enough of a disadvantage.

As it happens, I usually play without Exploration tokens, because when I first played, we played without them, and I usually don't use them if it's someone's first game.

I agree. You could swap it out only in the same way you could swap out any other quest; IE, with Silhouette, or by exceeding your Quest hand limit via Rally Support orders (although I've never seen anyone use that part of Rally Support, but this could be a reason to do so).

Making couple more Desolation/Cryomancy tokens seem not to be a problem to FFG so i assume that the number of tokens is forethought.

See Component Limitations on page 31 of the main rules.

Trials of Zorek quest is really a splinter in the... you know what, yet you can always change it with rally support order and some cities. Remember that it can also happen to your friends to draw it in the early game phase. It is highly fair, becouse it can occure to everyone.

What is a chance for you to draw it again at the start of a game?

Regards,