Orders of Monsters
Table of contents
Not all Monsters are equal – some are bigger, tougher, and more dangerous than others. Others are smaller, but come in large groups, using sheer numbers to make up for their individual weakness.
Heavies, Minibosses, and Bosses all have more health than the typical monster, and can act more often in combat – but in return, they drop additional Materials when their bodies are scavenged.
| Monster Type | Health Multiplier | Magic & Stamina Multiplier | Extra Materials Dropped on Kill | Turns per Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | x1 | x1 | +2 | 1 Turn / Round |
| Swarm | Special | x1 | Special | 1 Turn / Round |
| Heavy | x2 | x1.5 | +3 | 1 Turn / Round |
| Miniboss | x4 | x2 | +5, or +4 and 1 Fairy* | 2 Turns / Round† |
| Boss | x10 | x5 | +10, w/ Fairies = party size* | 4 Turns / Round† |
*It is suggested that evil Minibosses and Bosses provide Fairies when slain. However, you can replace Fairies with just granting another unit of Material if desired.
†A Boss only gets, at most, as many Turns as there are Heroes in the fight. Minibosses only get their extra Turn if there are more than 2 Heroes in the fight. These turns should take place on different initiatives, rather than all at once.
Swarms
Unlike other enemies, Swarms are a horde of faceless foes, acting as a single mass. When you use a Swarm in a fight, fill contiguous squares with the Swarm as you like.
- A Swarm may occupy the same space as other creatures (but not other Swarms).
- Non-Swarm creatures can move through Swarms as Difficult Terrain.
- If a Swarm uses a Melee attack, it strikes all foes within it, and adjacent to it.
- A Swarm has neither Hearts nor Defense.
- A Swarm does not take damage like other foes. Instead, when a square of a Swarm is struck, it is defeated. (Critical Hits defeat an adjacent square as well.)
- Swarms may be hit multiple times by an “X Targets in Y squares” attack, if each hit strikes a separate square.
- Swarms drop 1 Material per four squares beaten. Swarms do not drop equipment.
Treat the whole Swarm as a single monster, taking a single turn. Swarms can’t split apart, but they can surge around obstacles like a crashing tide.
Heavies, Minibosses, and Bosses
“Heavies” are tougher (and often larger) than Normal Monsters. They are not unique creatures, though: there may be many identical Heavies in an area, or across multiple areas. They often work with lesser monsters, serving as point-man for roving bands, or as lieutenants for those rare foes that are even tougher than they are.
Other foes are even more durable, and worthy of renown. Minibosses and Bosses tend to be unique creatures, head and shoulders above the riff-raff of monsterdom. Minibosses will sometimes work in pairs or trios, while Bosses generally work alone.
In addition to having greater health and more actions per round, Boss and Miniboss monsters tend to ‘bend the rules’ a little bit more than most foes. They are more likely to have uniquely-designed attacks, and to require new strategies to defeat.
Boss and Miniboss monsters almost always have a unique Weak Point, as well.