In the world of Gloomhaven, darkness reigns supreme, and malevolence oozes from every shadowy corner. It is a realm steeped in dark fantasy, where ancient curses, forgotten horrors, and unspeakable creatures fester beneath a foreboding canopy of despair.
A city cloaked in perpetual twilight stands as a last bastion against the encroaching abyss, a place known only as Gloomhaven, where mercenaries and misfits gather to carve their destiny in the blood-soaked annals of this cursed land.
Within the decaying city’s walls, adventurers embark on perilous quests to uncover the city’s darkest secrets.
From the bowels of forgotten catacombs to haunted forests teeming with grotesque monstrosities, they confront their inner demons and face abominations beyond comprehension.
Shadows claw at their sanity, and the scent of betrayal hangs thick in the air as they strive to uncover the ultimate truth behind Gloomhaven’s existence—a truth that may shatter their world or plunge it further into the abyss.
In Gloomhaven, the line between heroism and malevolence blurs, and the only certainty is the relentless pursuit of power in a world eternally enshrouded in darkness.
What’s included in Gloomhaven
- Game board: Represents various locations and scenarios.
- Character boards: Each player has a character board that tracks their abilities, health, experience, and items.
- Character minis: Represent the mercenaries you control.
- Monster standees: Represent the enemies you encounter.
- Modifier cards: Used to determine the outcomes of attacks and abilities.
- Ability cards: Contain the unique actions and abilities of each character.
- Scenario book: Guides the narrative and sets up scenarios.
- Event deck: Drives the storyline and adds twists to the game.
- Element infusion tokens: Represent elements that can be manipulated during the game.
How to play Gloomhaven
The primary goal of Gloomhaven”is to complete scenarios, advancing the game’s storyline while dealing with the challenges and adversaries that arise. Players will take on the roles of mercenaries, working together to overcome monsters, solve puzzles, and uncover the secrets of the world.
Setup
- Choose a scenario: Consult the scenario book and choose one to play. Follow the setup instructions provided, which will determine the map layout, monster placement, and other details.
- Choose characters: Players select characters from the available options, including starting characters and unlocked ones.
- Prepare character materials: Each player takes a character board, mini, and corresponding ability cards.
- Create the modifier deck: Each player starts with a standard deck, and you may have additional modifiers based on equipment and character level.
- Set up the scenario: Place map tiles as indicated, spawn monsters, and set up any objective markers.
- Determine initiative: Characters draw initiative cards, which determine the order of play each round.
Rules for Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven is played in a series of rounds, each consisting of the following steps:
- Choose two cards: Each player selects two ability cards from their hand, choosing one for the top action and one for the bottom action. These cards determine what your character can do during the round.
- Initiative: Reveal the initiative cards for all characters and monsters. Characters act in ascending order of initiative.
- Activate: On your turn, perform the top action of one of your chosen cards and the bottom action of the other. Follow the instructions on the cards carefully. This might involve attacking, moving, or using special abilities.
- Monster activation: After all characters have taken their turns, monsters follow an AI script that dictates their actions. Consult their ability cards and monster statistics to determine their actions.
- End of round: Perform end-of-round actions, such as checking for scenario-specific conditions, ticking down elemental infusions, and refreshing lost cards.
- Long rest: A character may choose to long rest, which involves healing and choosing one card to lose for the remainder of the scenario.
Winning and Progression: To win, you must complete the scenario’s objectives, which can vary widely. After winning a scenario, you’ll earn experience, gold, and possibly new items. You’ll also unlock new content, including new scenarios, characters, and items as the campaign progresses.
Mercenaries in gloomhaven
In the world of Gloomhaven, mercenaries are adventurers for hire, individuals with diverse backgrounds, abilities, and motivations who come together to explore the dangerous and mysterious lands surrounding the city of Gloomhaven. Players take on the roles of these mercenaries as they embark on perilous quests, confront menacing monsters, and seek to uncover the secrets of the world.
- Character Selection: Players choose from a roster of unique characters, each with their own backstory, abilities, and playstyle. These characters include various classes such as Spellweavers, Brutes, Tinkers, Scoundrels, and more.
- Personal Goals: Each mercenary has a personal goal that guides their actions throughout the campaign. Achieving these goals can lead to character retirement and unlock new characters for future play.
- Abilities and Skills: Mercenaries have a set of ability cards that represent their skills and actions. Players choose two cards from their hand each round, combining a top action with a bottom action. This card-based system allows for strategic decision-making during gameplay.
- Experience and Leveling Up: Mercenaries earn experience points (XP) for defeating monsters, completing scenarios, and achieving personal goals. As they gain XP, they level up, gaining access to new and more powerful abilities. Players can also spend gold to enhance their character’s abilities.
- Equipment and Items: Mercenaries can acquire items and equipment during their adventures. These items can provide various benefits, such as increased damage, additional movement, or unique special abilities.
- Teamwork: “Gloomhaven” is a cooperative game, and players must work together to overcome challenges. Team synergy and communication are essential for success.
- Character Retirement: As mercenaries achieve their personal goals, they may retire. Retired characters are no longer active in the campaign but may have lasting effects on the world and unlock new content for future gameplay.
- Unlockable Content: The game features a legacy-style system where players can unlock new character classes, scenarios, and other content as they progress through the campaign.
Overall, mercenaries are the heart of the “Gloomhaven” experience, with each player taking on the role of one of these characters, making decisions that shape the unfolding narrative, and participating in epic battles and adventures. The diversity of character classes and the evolving nature of the campaign contribute to the game’s depth and replayability.
For the official rules, see the link below:
All available classes in Gloomhaven
- Brute: A heavily armored melee fighter known for their raw strength and resilience. Brutes excel in close combat, soaking up damage and dealing punishing blows to foes.
- Tinkerer: A master of gadgets and alchemical concoctions, the Tinkerer supports the party with healing, ranged attacks, and crowd control. They are also skilled at creating obstacles and traps.
- Scoundrel: A nimble and stealthy rogue who excels in hit-and-run tactics. Scoundrels are capable of delivering powerful melee attacks and can become invisible to evade enemies.
- Spellweaver: A spellcaster with a wide range of elemental spells at their disposal. Spellweavers can deal massive damage but must carefully manage their limited spell uses.
- Cragheart: A versatile character who manipulates the environment to their advantage. Craghearts can create obstacles, hurl rocks at enemies, and control the battlefield.
- Mindthief: A psionic trickster who can control the minds of their foes and summon psychic allies. Mindthieves are agile and can deal both melee and ranged damage.
- Sunkeeper: A holy warrior dedicated to the light, the Sunkeeper excels in tanking, healing, and supporting the party. They use a combination of defensive and offensive abilities.
- Three Spears: A master of weaponry who can switch between different fighting styles on the fly. Three Spears can adapt to various combat situations.
- Lightning Bolt: A high-risk, high-reward character who harnesses the power of electricity to deal massive damage. They are fragile but can unleash devastating attacks.
- Eclipse: A shadowy assassin who thrives in darkness and can become invisible at will. Eclipse characters specialize in eliminating high-priority targets.
- Two-Mini: A unique character consisting of two distinct entities: a Beastmaster and a summoned creature. They work in tandem to control the battlefield and deal damage.
- Music Note: A support character who uses music and melodies to affect allies and enemies. Music Note characters can provide buffs, debuffs, and crowd control.
- Angry Face: A relentless bounty hunter who specializes in hunting down specific targets. They have powerful single-target attacks and tracking abilities.
- Triangles: A master of the elements who can manipulate and combine various elements to cast powerful spells. Triangles characters are versatile spellcasters.
- Sawbones: A versatile healer and support character who can also deal damage when needed. They specialize in mending wounds and curing ailments.
- Circles: A summoner who conjures creatures to fight alongside them. Circles characters can control the battlefield and overwhelm foes with summoned allies.