Dangerous CombinationsA Preview for Labyrinth of Ruin, the Upcoming Descent Expansion
In February, we announced the upcoming release of Labyrinth of Ruin, a campaign expansion for Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition. Set in a previously unexplored region of Terrinoth, Labyrinth of Ruin takes players on a riveting journey to the broken remains of a forgotten city. Throughout the many quests included in this expansion, heroes will enlist the aid of unique allies in their mission to stop the evil overlord.
In our last preview of Labyrinth of Ruin, we looked at its included campaign and the many challenges the heroes will face throughout its nineteen quests. We also explored the game’s new Ally mechanic, and saw how the choices the players make during Labyrinth of Ruin’s plot affect these allies and their loyalties.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at two of the new heroes and classes coming in Labyrinth of Ruin. We’ll meet Ulma Grimstone, a dwarven Healer well suited for the new Apothecary class. We’ll also meet Pathfinder Durik, an orc Warrior whose life in the wilderness makes him an ideal choice for the new Beastmaster class.
Shield Your Eyes!
“The only thing more exciting than mixing up a new concoction is actually testing it.”
–Ulma Grimstone
As a dwarf with decades of experience in alchemical experimentation, Ulma Grimstone is hard-pressed to remember the last time she had much in terms of eyebrows. Lately, however, she’s spent much of her time out in the field, searching for strange, new components, and her skills continue to improve each and every day. Best yet, as she understands it, her earliest test subjects are finally starting to regrow their fingernails and teeth.
Ulma’s knack for concocting helpful potions on the fly is abstractly represented by her hero ability, which lets her or any hero adjacent to her, when searching, draw Search cards until they find a potion! What’s more, she’s learned how to squeeze every last drop of power out of the salves and elixirs that she carries; her Heroic Feat allows her and her nearby friends to reuse old potions.
If she chooses the Apothecary as her Class, Ulma will add a range of options to her alchemical arsenal. The Apothecary’s Smoking Vials are an effective (and poisonous) ranged weapon, but it’s through the use of the versatile Elixir Tokens that the Class truly shines. For example, Herbal Lore, Protective Tonic, and Potent Remedies are all Skill cards that boost the defensive and healing properties of the Apothecary’s Elixir. Or, for the more offensively minded Apothecary, Concoction and Inky Substance help her and her allies strike hard and true against the minions of the overlord.
Cutting a Path
“The ways I know are dangerous, and I tread them carefully. I advise you do the same...”
–Pathfinder Durik
From the earliest times in his life, Durik has been far more comfortable in the wilderness than in any town or village. To him, nothing can beat soft grass underfoot and a cool breeze under a starry night sky. As such, he’s proven himself time and again as a valuable tracker and guide, easily able to find shelter and sustenance in the least hospitable places, to discover a safe travel path in the darkest night, and to defend himself and his charges against the deadly perils of the wild.
Although his Archetype is Warrior, Pathfinder Durik has certain qualities associated with Scouts. He’s comfortable in the wilderness, his Hero Ability gives him access to areas that might otherwise be blocked, and his Heroic Feat is a backstab of sorts. Durik is, in fact, the quintessential barbarian, capable of living off the land for months or years at a time.
The Beastmaster Class, therefore, might be perfect for Durik’s natural talents. Primarily defined by the Wolf familiar, the Beastmaster Class offers a number of options for how to use that lupine companion.
For example, Survivalist, Bestial Rage, and Savagery each convey benefits to the Beastmaster or his fellow Heroes if they’re standing near the Wolf (or if the Wolf is near monsters), making the Wolf a sort of moving buffer. On the other hand, Stalker, Predator, and Changing Skins increase the mobility and lethality of the Wolf itself!
Will you choose the alchemical know-how of Ulma Grimstone and the Apothecary Class, or the primal power of Pathfinder Durik and the Beastmaster Class? Find out when Labyrinth of Ruin arrives later this quarter, and in the meantime, check back for more previews!
...
Source:
Dangerous Combinations
