QR: Quick Reference / Player Aids (v0.13)

19 July 2026 13:51 1

A place for questions/comments 'bout them things (abbreviated “QR” hereafter).

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One of the annotations I have made on the QR that I have found helpful is to add notes on the “Hero Phase” box/card indicating which of the Hero Actions require “Time Passes.” A small Hourglass icon would be sufficient… though that is not strictly what those icons mean at the moment, so maybe that would create an ambiguity

Question: Does time generally pass in a Location-Specific Hero Action, or not, or does it depend on the case (with the Location Encounter Card telling me authoritatively if time passes)?

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Noted. A reference under enemy is attack is not a bad idea at all.

In terms of theme, Unequip is a denizen using some of their equipment. Mechanically, it prevents a powerful attack from being over utilised by an enemy or companion.

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For hero actions only Explore, Rest and Ambush require Time Passes.

Location actions vary greatly. Time Passes usually aligns thematically with a failure or the hero performing a difficult and time consuming task. You will always be told directly when Time Passes.

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Agreed.

Hmm.. this is supposed to provide some sense of card sequencing. Parley (1) you would do before Enter the Fray (2).

Graphic design is not my forte

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Ambush

Q1: Yes.

Time Pools may appear in many places; the threat deck, pursuit, environments and cards in the hero tableau.

Thematically.. you set the Ambush – Time Passes. (all time pools affected)

Mechanically.. independent of all other time pools, you adjust the time pool on pursuit cards only until one or more fall into your trap.

Q2: Yes.

Concealed and revealed denizens are a universal mechanism; help me make it.. make sense.

Conceptually, all denizens start concealed. They might be friend or foe. You don’t know until you meet them. It’s worth noting that it is possible for ANY denizen to become your companion under the right circumstances.

When a denizen is first revealed you always have the opportunity to Parley, unless the encounter specifically says “enter the fray”. Opportunity does not mean ability; often for the less friendly denizens you need a special ability to attempt to Parley.

If Parley fails or was not possible, the denizen is now an enemy. The worlds of the Ziggurat are not all that hospitable.

Hence a revealed denizen who is not in your party is an enemy.

So..

In pursuit you can have concealed denizens; for example, your giant serpent in the tutorial quest. Concealed is the default for denizens spawned into pursuit. And they are always a group of one – ie. a single denizen card with time tokens. They are neutral in disposition.

And you can have revealed denizens in pursuit… these are one or more face-up denizens with their loot in a stack. Typically this is a result of a combat you fled or where the enemies retreated. But can also be a result of events in your quest where a denizen is spawned using reinforce in pursuit; for example, a patrol of cultists.

A spoiler for Thoth’s Bounty quest… you often end up with many different denizens revealed and concealed in pursuit as you try and escape the cultists temple.

The heroine Vixen is very handy if you need to finesse the pursuing denizens on the peril track. She can see what’s there, and manipulate the time pools ahead of an Ambush.

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Hm. Clarification Questions:

• CQ1: Is there ever any way that a Denizen can be in pursuit and Revealed besides the case where the player has previously entered combat with them and fled? (Vixen’s ‘peek’ ability doesn’t count, as it does not Reveal them).
• CQ2: Is the intention that you only ever get 1 chance to Parley with a Denizen, the very first time you encounter them? I cannot encounter, parley, fail, enter combat, flee, encounter again, and parley again? (If so, the Parley rules need clarification on this).

If the answers are “No” and “Yes” then I might re-write the Ambush-Parley rule as follows: Once a Denizen’s time-pool had been reduced to 0 during an ambush: "You may attempt Parley with any Denizens who have been newly revealed in the Ambush; apply the normal Parley rules to them"

But if the answers are “No” and “No”, and you can re-Parley upon re-encountering…then the Ambush-Parley isn’t a special rule at all. The Ambush rules just cover how to manipulate Time. Once any Denizen’s time reduces to 0, the normal rules for encountering an enemy apply, and if those rules allow re-Parleying, that’s that. "Normal rules for Denizen encounters now apply, including the option to Parley with each Denizen encountered in the Ambush."

In any case the phrase “newly revealed Denizen” avoids the problematic suggestion that the player could ever parley with a (currently) concealed Denizen, since you always only (attempt) parley with Denizens after they have been revealed – typically because it is only upon reveal that you can see if they can be parleyed with, and what offer they would accept (with exceptions for special abilities/keywords etc.),

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Yes. You may be asked to Reinforce in Pursuit (see RB p.31).

Yes. Once an enemy always an enemy.

(There are some rare exceptions to this that are quest related, but are clearly quest specific rule changes; for example, being ambushed by dragons in Bestial Gods.)

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