Fight for the Dawn

“I walk the unseen paths, those that were never meant for the feet of men.”
   –Master Thorn

For years, ogres and trolls have fought each other, but recently, an alliance has formed in the dark places of Terrinoth. Together, these monsters plan to ravage and ruin the peaceful lands of the realm, unless they can be stopped before their tenuous alliance solidifies. Will you lead a few noble heroes in a desperate quest to shatter this monstrous alliance, or will you command the hordes of ogres and trolls as the overlord? You decide with the Visions of Dawn Hero and Monster Collection.

Like other Hero and Monster Collections for Descent: Journeys in the Dark, this expansion offers ten sculpted plastic figures of heroes and monsters from the first edition of Descent alongside two brand-new quests. Here, you’ll find four valiant heroes ready to take up arms for Terrinoth: Ispher, Master Thorn, Nara the Fang, and Sir Valadir. The overlord also receives reinforcements in the form of two ogres, two trolls, and two manticores. 

In our announcement article, we looked at Ispher, a reptilian healer, and the terrifying strength of the ogres. Today, we’ll explore the magical transportation of Master Thorn and the brute power of an enraged troll!

Transported by Magic

It is a supreme honor for any acolyte from the Order of Kellos to be chosen to serve in the esteemed Vynelvale cathedral. While he studied there, Master Thorn’s faith and magical prowess bloomed under the lessons of his superiors. But when he claimed to receive visions and guidance from Kellos himself, the priests labeled Thorn a liar and cast him out of their order. Master Thorn now walks the path his god reveals, whether it leads through this plane or another. Most recently, this path has led him to stand against the ogres and trolls that would plunder Terrinoth.

As a member of your hero party, Master Thorn can use his own peculiar brand of transportational magic to move unexpectedly around the overlord’s monsters. For instance, Master Thorn’s hero ability grants all of his attacks a new surge ability. By spending a surge, you may choose an empty space within two spaces of Master Thorn and place his figure in that space after your attack. By moving whenever he attacks, Master Thorn can stay ahead of the monsters or escape from any danger that may dog his heels.

Master Thorn’s heroic feat even allows him to convert damage into additional movement. When Master Thorn would suffer one or more damage, he may reduce the damage he suffers by up to five, and gain an equal number of movement points. In effect, Master Thorn’s heroic feat doesn’t just allow you to prevent crippling damage, it allows you to move a safe distance away from the source of the damage. By avoiding damage and keeping Master Thorn mobile, he can harry the overlord’s monsters while other heroes focus on completing the quest’s objectives. 

Brutish Strength

Master Thorn’s quests will inevitably lead him into direct combat with the raw power of ogres and trolls. Although trolls and ogres are close cousins of nature, the trolls firmly believe that the ogres’ reliance on “civilized” weapons and armor is a sign of weakness. Trolls prefer nothing more than the raw power of an uncut stone hammer, which can crush steel armor and flesh alike. In fact, the more enemies each swing flattens, the better the troll likes it.

In battle, trolls use their unbridled might to destroy as many foes as possible. Though they are slow by nature, trolls are some of the strongest monsters in Terrinoth, and every swing has the chance to cause deadly damage. All trolls benefit from the Reach ability, which allows them to strike up to two spaces away. Master trolls can take full advantage of their longer reach with the Sweep ability. As an action, a master troll can use Sweep to make an attack that affects every figure within two spaces! This far-reaching attack may hit monsters as well, but if you’ve arranged your figures strategically, you can flatten your opponents with minimal damage to your own monsters.

Whether you use a master troll’s Sweep, or just a normal attack, all trolls can benefit from a cunning Backswing. This ability can be used immediately after performing an attack to force any number of figures affected by the attack to test Awareness. If no figures pass, each chosen figure suffers two damage and is stunned. Naturally, you’ll need to choose the targets of your Backswing carefully to maximize its effectiveness, but however you use this ability, it offers a way to deal even more damage and slow the heroes down. 

A Deadly Conflict

The heroes of Terrinoth are doughty warriors, but can even they overcome the strength of the ogres and trolls? You decide the fate of Terrinoth in the Visions of Dawn Hero and Monster Collection!

Pre-order your copy of Visions of Dawn at your local retailer today.