Forward
After my first experience in Descent: Journeys into the Dark Second Edition, I went online to see what tips were available to the overlord. I was surprised to find that there were no guides or tip articles (at least none that i could conveniently find.) Now that I've played a few games and muddled out the rules, I feel that I should put my observations on the forums here. If you have thoughts or comments, I'd be happy to field them, but I'd rather not turn this into a flame war about whether the Overlord is overpowered or underpowered or motor-powered.
Tips for an Overlord
When playing Descent: Journeys into the Dark Second Edition, one person must play the evil overlord. The responsibility of being the opposition in a cooperative game is pretty heavy and it is not for all players. To that end, I have written a bit of a guide to help new or frustrated overlords cope with the ordeal.
First off, play the introductory mission more than once, with the players trying different characters. This will allow all players a sandbox to acclimatize to the rules in an environment you are not penalized for losing. Make sure that you enjoy being the arch-villian. If you find yourself envying the players, switch places and see it from that perspective. If you have more fun as the player, offer the position of overlord to another player, even if you know the rules better than they do.
Which leads me to my second point. The person who owns the game or knows the rules the best is frequently the overlord. Though it may be because they believe they are best suited to the burden, it really has to do with the overlord being the most complex of the characters to play. In reality, the best person for the position of overlord is the person in your gaming group with the best attention to detail. If there is a commander of the players who tactically plots out every turn for all players, they may make a good overlord. Ask them to try it out, even for just one game. They may enjoy the idea of having direct control of all the models on their side.
Something else to bear in mind is that this is not a roleplaying game, and the overlord is NOT the game master. As such, the overlord's job is not to provide an enjoyable gaming experience for the players, it is his job to win. That aside, it IS likely that the overlord is the owner of the game and does have the best command of the rules, and, as a result, it is his/her job to teach his/her opponents. This is EXACTLY what the mission “First Blood” is for. If the players lose, who cares? If the overlord loses, no big deal. Once all players are comfortable with their roles and the rules, then discuss the idea of a campaign, possibly skipping the first quest since everyone has already played it. After all, the results are the same regardless of who wins or loses. You might want to keep track of the gold values of the search cards they find and either average them or take the highest value of the trial runs. It might be a good idea to warn the heroes that the kiddie gloves are coming off for the next game and you are not going to be as helpful. Just avoid taunting or belittling them: they will be taking the next game more seriously too.
I have heard some people say that the power creep for the players is greater than that as the overlord. I will say that the players do not have to use their abilities as strategically as the overlord does, as they generally are used for hacking up monsters better. Something to think about is that, when the players win, they usually do not get much more than the overlord does. When the overlord wins, he gets two cards (or a more powerful one.) The gold the players get can be used to buy and item or two, but the items are highly randomized. They might get inappropriate items or ones they cannot afford. True, the relics are powerful, but equally so for the overlord.
After a few games as the overlords, you'll notice that your monsters are not much of a challenge for the players anymore. The players are working together better and their gear is ripping your monsters to shreds. For heavens sake the players are SUPPOSED to be better than the monsters. That's why you have so many of the things and overlord cards to boot. Used well, they are more than a match for the players. Do not always select the biggest, baddest monster for the open slot. Think about how the monsters synergize or what their job is supposed to be. If the idea is to delay the players (like in “A Fat Goblin” or the one where Ruin the dragon is trying to destroy the bridge) try spiders. They are awesome at delaying the group. Goblins are good for getting by players with their scamper ability, allowing them to damage support characters with low hit points. Ettins can throw players out of a carefully constructed formation, forcing them to spend a move or stamina. Try to focus conditions on those who cannot cope with them (poison on Tomble or disease on Grisbad.) Know the heroes: you know that they are learning all they can about your minions and your cards. Force them to blow feats early by spreading out damage. It isn't as exciting as killing players outright, but later in the quest they might find they have to fight all the damage they've accumulated while racing the clock. This is doubly true if the Divine is in the group: they will need to decide if they want to use surges to heal or do damage, and the Heroic Feat will get used far before they intended to prevent three-quarters of the party from going down early.
Lastly, a word about sportsmanship. Descent is a game more likely to generate bad feelings among a group than most games. This is because of the group dynamics: its an all versus one game. Frequently, if the overlord wins the heroes will feel frustrated and helpless. If the heroes win, the overlord will feel ganged up on. As the host of the game, the overlord is in the best position to cope with this. As the overlord, win graciously and explain to the heroes why you won. When you lose, appreciate the accomplishment of the heroes. Do not belittle them, or accuse them of having got off easy. Doing so will increase their resentment when you win.
Descent: Journeys into the Dark is a complex game and carries along an interesting psychological aspect to it. With some work and experience, the group will be just as happy when they lose as when they win. The point will be the adventure, and to overcome the adversity.