'The Grave Piper is a sullen crow of a Bard, playing at funerals and wakes, at the periphery of pyres and on battlefields as the vultures circle and the wounded are tended. They play mysterious melodies, soulful, sad, melancholy. They play joyful songs to uplift the mourning and the grief stricken, to bring heart to those who find their mettle tested once too often. They play songs of sleeping to bring relief to the pained, to bring respite to the wounded, and rest to the fatigued. The restorative energy in music is one side of a coin, the other shows its devastating power to move people...
A thin man in a hood and cloak, with his long pipes, 1 for each school of song, the Grave Piper is a brooding figure. Often wrapped in disgusted greys, he views this world rather unlike any other soul. He has seen much of death, and lost much, even the Piper pays the Piper. With his cloak thrown over his shoulder he plays in all weathers. Many think of him like a harbinger. No one really wants to see a Grave Piper, but the music heals the spirit and sends others off to the Other Realm in peace.’
The Grave Piper is different to others, and he is characterised by his ability to select 2 Songs from the same School when starting out. Simply pick a school and select the first Song from it. Diversify, or learn the 2nd Song from the same School. The Schools of Song are Sorrow, Joy, and Sleeping. A Grave Piper must always learn the Schools of Song in precise order. So one cannot learn the third in a school without first learning the first and second and so on. This Hero must learn to walk before he can run…
The Grave Piper comes with a Grave Piper miniature, a Hero card and 12 Skill cards. So let’s get that deep dive into what the Grave Piper brings to your game from this Hero Pack.
When the Grave Piper plays, it does not trigger traps if there is an active trap in the same zone. Music does not require LoS & Ignores Darkness. It does not pass through physical barriers which block LoS.
Song Schools are 1 – 4 in Sorrow, Joy & Sleeping, respectively. The Grave Piper must purchase these in order, but may purchase from multiple schools.
1.Death Dirge:(U) 1 Defence or +1 Damage to all attacks against target this round, Range 0. If your defence has been increased, place a Black dice set to 1 on your dashboard or on this card, to remember.
2.Funeral Dirge:(Combat) Will Test Vs Hand of Dice of the Target. If passed, the target inflicts damage = to the difference between your tests, Range 0-1. So if you win the opposed rolls by 2 that is the damage. Incentive to level up that Will?
3.Requiem:(Class)Test Faith:3. (Class) & (Combat)= Success. +1 to Will Tests this round for any Hero in Twilight Range 0-1.
4.Lament for the Dead:(Interact)Test Faith. Stun target Undead enemy types= to successes Range 0-1, so each success means you place an Undead enemy type prone and on their next activation they stand OR Test Will Vs Hand of Dice. Target Undead will move or attack under your control = to the difference between your tests.
1.Ode to Joy, Prelude:(U)Target may +1 success to a single Test this round. Must be used before their Test is made. Range 0-1.
2.Ode to Joy, Overture:(Class) Target zone, Range 0-1, Test Faith: Targets in zone heal 1 per success. Cool Down:1
3.Canticle of Triumph:(Combat) Test Will. Distribute 1 Combat activation cubeper (Class) result to targets Range 0-1. If allies kill any enemy with these bonus activations, Piper gains 1 Soul this game round. Cool Down:1
4.Melody of Inspiration:(Interact)Test Will:4, Range 0-2, (Combat) & (Class) = Successes. Give any number of your activation cubesto other Heroes in Range.
1.Song of Lethargy:(U)Target Corporeal non-Demon Range 0-1, Test Will. Targets placed prone due toStun = to (Combat) results. Cool Down:1
2.Song of the Shroud:(Combat)Target Enemy with the Undead Keyword. Test Faith, inflict 1 damage per success, Range 0-1. Cool Down:1
3.Song of Hollow’s Reaping:(Interact) Target Enemy with the Undead Keyword. Test Will (Combat)&(Class) = Successes. If Test result exceeds Target’s current Health, banish or lay them to rest. Cool Down:1. Gain the Soul reward.
4.Song of Rest:(Class)Target Keyword Corporeal Range 0-1 with less Health than you. Test Will (Combat)&(Class) vs Hand of Dice. Place Target prone, set a Green dice next to them set to the number of successes above their own that you scored. Each time they get an activation, dial this down. Stand up on activation after the Green dice is removed. Cool Down:1
‘The Shadow Adept has dwelled in the Plane of Shadow and explored the Primordial Darkness outside of the Spheres. If the Veil Warden monitors the boundary between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead, protecting and maintaining it, and the Ember Thief explores the Magma Vaults of Inferno and robs from them, the Shadow Adept takes a brave or mad step into the Abyss, after staring into it too long.
Being by nature concerned mostly with bringing Order to Chaos, the Shadow Adept attempts to control the dark matter of this place. It is said that journeying through this Door of Night into Perpetual Shadow does something to the mind and physique. That these beings have merged with the very essence of Shadow-stuff which permeates their souls.
Shadow Adepts can manipulate shadow, shift between planes or phase in and out of them. They see as well in the dark as they do in the light, reflecting the twin aspect of their being. There is an unknowable mystique to the Shadow Adept. Many of them are perfectly honourable, albeit bizarre and hard to predict. Others sell their services as spies and assassins, or even become thieves and tomb robbers.
Whatever they have seen in the Great Beyond they do not share their secrets.’
The Shadow Adept comes with a Shadow Adept miniature, a Hero card and 12 Skill cards. So let’s get that deep dive into what the Shadow Adept brings to your game from this Hero Pack.
Shadow-Strike:(Interact) Use Vs Corporeal enemy, Range 0. Roll a Hand of Dice. If you roll an (Enemy)deal 1 damage per (Combat) as its own shadow assaults it.
Deeper Shadow Strike: Extend Shadow-Strike to Range 0-1. Also (Class) = Critical Hit.
Shadow-sight: A Shadow Adept ignores effects of Darkness.
Absorb Shadows: (Interact).May only be performed in Darkness. Place a Heat Up dice on this skill, set to 1. Each time Shadow is absorbed dial up, to a max. of 6. When absorbed shadows are used, dial down.
Shadow-self: Use Absorbed Shadow after an enemy attacks you. Roll dice = to the damage taken. (Interact) or (Class) results reduce the damage by 1 as the enemy hits your Shadow Self.
Draw the Shadows: (U)Create Darkness, Range 0. Place a black dice set to no. of (U) spent performing this skillin the zone to mark this. Dial Down at the Start of each Hero Phase.
1.Shadow-step: (U) In Darkness, Test:3 to avoid damage from a trap. Use Absorbed Shadow to ignore 1 point of damage per success. Use Absorbed Shadow instead of (U) to pay extra movement costs like Plague of Rats, or Rubble.
2.Shadow-stride: Must have Shadow-step. Spend 1 Absorbed Darkness to move 1 zone provided the zone you enter is in Darkness. Once per Turn.
3. Shadow-flight:Must have Shadow-step and Shadow-stride. As Shadow-stride but the zone you enter may be Range 0–2. Once Per Turn.
1.Stealth:(Class)Roll a Hand of Dice. (Combat) & (Class) = Successes. Set a Cool Down Dice = to successes as Stealth value. Each time you use an activation cube, dial down. The Hero is Invisible to an Enemy that fails a Test vs Stealth Value & may not be selected as a target. If the test is passed, the Adept loses Stealth. If successful the Enemy fails to activate or picks a new target in multiplayer.
2.Shadow-ghost: (U)A Shadow Adept in Stealth with this skill, who has Absorbed Shadow to spend, may use Absorbed Shadow to increase their Stealth value by 1 per Absorbed Shadow spent.
3.Death from the Shadows: (Combat)May attack an Enemy from Stealth at Range 0, & inflict Critical Hit. If the attack does not kill the enemy remove Stealth. If the attack kills the enemy, the Hero remains in Stealth.