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DESCENT VERSION 2.

5 OPTIONAL RULES
(ADAPTATION TO STAR WARS: IMPERIAL ASSAULT STANDARDS)

The full four-hero variant

These rules adapt Descent 2nd Edition rules to closer match the changes made to the
core rules in Star Wars: Imperial Assault (SW:IA). These rules are optional and can be
selectively used.

CONTENTS

Turn order (alternating activations, non cooperative campaigns) ................................................................................1

Status phase (refresh, reinforcements, overlord cards) ................................................................................................2

Playing non-cooperative campaign with fewer than 4 hero players .............................................................................2

Overlord Reinforcements (type and order) ...................................................................................................................3

Movement (pass through figures and stamina moves) .................................................................................................3

Line of sight (two corner determination) ......................................................................................................................3

TURN ORDER (ALTERNATING ACTIVATIONS, NON COOPERATIVE CAMPAIGNS)

The following alternative turn order rule is for non-cooperative campaigns only. For
cooperative campaigns, play follows the standard format of a hero phase (where all
heroes complete their two activations) and an overlord phase (where the overlord
moves all monster groups).

In non-cooperative campaigns, at the start of the turn the hero players activate one hero
(their choice). When that hero completes his two actions, exhaust his Activation Card
and then the overlord player activates one monster group and then exhausts the
appropriate monster card once its two activations are finished. The hero players then
activate their next hero and this sequence continues until all the heroes and monsters
have been activated (the overlord player will activate all remaining monsters in
sequence after all hero players have no more activations).

The turn order occurs in the following manner:

1. First hero activation


2. Start of turn reinforcements then first overlord monster group activation and play
of "start of turn" type overlord cards

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3. Second hero's activation
4. Second overlord monster group activation
5. Third hero's activation
6. Third overlord monster group activation
7. Fourth hero's activation
8. All remaining overlord monster group
9. Status Phase (play of "end of turn" type overlord cards, place end of turn
reinforcements, refresh all cards, draw new overlord card)

If there is a smaller number of monster groups, simply proceed to the next hero
activation and, once finished, go to the status phase.

STATUS PHASE (REFRESH, REINFORCEMENTS, OVERLORD CARDS)

The Status phase occurs after each hero Activation Card and each
monster/lieutenant/agent card has been exhausted.

At the start of the Status Phase, the overlord plays any cards marked as "end of turn".

After that, all "end of turn" type reinforcements are then placed, all exhausted cards are
refreshed, and the overlord player removes all cards from the table that have a 1 turn
duration and draws new overlord card(s).

All the “end of turn” reinforcements are placed during the Status Phase.

PLAYING NON-COOPERATIVE CAMPAIGN WITH FEWER THAN 4 HERO PLAYERS

At the start of a non-cooperative campaign, always use 4 hero characters and divide
those figures up amongst the available hero players (one or two players may have more
than one hero). The number of monsters, stats and attributes, search tokens, rewards
(and anything else that varies based on number of hero players) used is at the four hero
quantity.

If you have already started a campaign with two or less hero characters, add additional
hero characters until you have 4 total. When you do this, choose one of the original
heroes (it does not matter which one) and add up all of that character's purchased skill
card upgrade XP costs, then add any unspent XP that hero currently has. This total is
the XP total that each new character added to the campaign will have, and that XP may
be spent immediately on skill cards for the newly added heroes. Also add 200 gold per
new character added if it is Act II, or 100 gold per new character if it is still Act I, then
conduct a special shopping phase to spend that money on any additional shop cards for
the group (you are advised to spend that money on equipment for the new characters
though). If you are in Act II, then the special shopping phase should consist of revealing
all Act I shop cards (like you normally do when transitioning from Act I to Act II), and a

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standard reveal of the normal amount of Act II shop cards. This allows the new
characters to purchase things that they may have bought in Act I, or just purchase a
more expensive Act II item. It is also acceptable to buy an item for an original character,
and then give the original characters items to the new character(s).

Ensuring that there are four total hero characters in the campaign helps to maximize
balance and excitement, and also helps to create a more diverse group of heroes.

OVERLORD REINFORCEMENTS (TYPE AND ORDER)

When placing reinforcements, the overlord must place minion (white) monsters instead
of master (red) monsters if both are available. Also, the overlord can spend up to one
Threat Token to deploy two additional white monsters, or one additional red monster
within the normal restrictions of the encounter. This means that if only red monsters are
available as reinforcements, then the overlord can deploy one red monster as normal,
and can deploy a second red monster at the cost of a Threat Token.

If the encounter states that reinforcements arrive at the start of the turn then they are
placed at the start of the overlord player's first activation (before anything is activated).

If the encounter states that reinforcements arrive at the end of the turn then they are
placed in the Status Phase.

MOVEMENT (PASS THROUGH FIGURES AND STAMINA MOVES)

A hero can spend no more than two stamina per Move activation in order to move
further than the hero's speed value allows.

Figures can move through friendly figures at no additional movement cost, and can
move through an enemy occupied space at a cost of one additional movement point.
Heroes that have special abilities that allow them to move through enemy figures at no
cost are unchanged by this rule.

Note that special abilities that allow you to move through enemy figures (such as
Scamper) simply mean that you can move through enemy figures at no additional cost
in movement points.

Figures can never end their movement in a space containing another figure.

LINE OF SIGHT (TWO CORNER DETERMINATION)

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To determine line of sight, the player draws two imaginary, nonintersecting lines from
one corner of the attacking figure’s space to two adjacent corners of the target’s space.
If either of these lines overlap, pass through a wall, a third figure, or blocking terrain,
then the figure does not have line of sight to the target.

 Line of sight can be traced from or to any corner on the map. Each line can be
traced along the corners and edges of spaces containing figures, doors, walls,
and blocked spaces.

 Walls only block line of sight along an entire edge of a space. If a wall does not
cover an entire edge, then line of sight may be traced to, from, and through that
edge.

 Line of sight cannot be traced through a corner where any combination of walls
and blocking terrain intersect. It can be traced through the combination of one
figure and a diagonally positioned wall, blocking terrain, or other figure.

 Figures have line of sight to adjacent figures (unless blocked by a wall).

 It is possible for a figure to have line of sight to another figure that does not have
line of sight back to itself. This most often happens when a figure is behind a wall
or figure. Thematically, this represents a figure leaning out of cover to make an
attack and then ducking back behind cover.

 A figure does not block line of sight to itself. The target figure also does not block
line of sight.

 Adjacent figures always have line of sight to each other (unless blocked by a
wall).

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