Legion of Shadow (3 page)

Round two

Combat then moves to the next round, continuing until one combatant’s
health
is reduced to zero.

Restoring health and attributes

Once you have defeated an enemy, your hero’s
health
and any other attributes that have been affected by special attacks or abilities are
immediately restored
back to their normal values (unless otherwise stated in the text). In the above example, once Sir Hugo has defeated the serpent, he can return his
health
back to 30 and continue his
adventures.

Using special abilities in combat

As your hero progresses through the story, they will discover many special abilities that they can use in combat. All abilities are explained in the glossary at the back of the
book.

There are four types of special ability in DestinyQuest. These are: speed (sp), combat (co), modifier (mo) and passive (pa) abilities.

Damage score and damage dice

Some special abilities will refer to a damage score and others will refer to rolling damage dice. A damage score is when your hero rolls one die and adds their
brawn
or
magic
to the total (as in the previous combat example). This is the most common means of applying damage to your opponent.

Some abilities allow you to roll damage dice instead. Damage dice are simply dice that are rolled for damage, but you do not add your
brawn
or
magic
score to the total. For
example, the special ability
cleave
allows you to inflict 1 damage die to all your opponents, ignoring
armour.
You would simply roll 1 die and then deduct the result from each of your
opponents’
health.
You do not add your
brawn
or
magic
to this total.

Using potions in combat

The outcome of many a combat can be decided by the clever use of potions. From restoring lost
health
to boosting your
speed
, never underestimate how useful these items can be in
turning the tide of battle. However, you can only use one potion per combat round so choose wisely! Also note that every potion has a number of uses. Once these have been used up, they are gone
forever.

Death is not the end

When your hero dies, their adventure isn’t over. Simply make a note of the entry number where you died and then return to the quest map using the contents page. Your
health
is immediately
restored back to full, however any consumable items that you used in the combat (such as potions and elixirs) remain lost.

You can return to the entry number where you died any time you wish. If you are having difficulty with a particular combat, then try a different quest or purchase some helpful
potions from a local vendor. Then you can return to the entry number where you died and try it again.

NOTE
: In some quests, when your hero is defeated, there are special rules to follow. You will be given an entry number to turn to, where you can read on
to see what happens to your hero.

Taking challenge tests

Occasionally, during your travels, you will be asked to take a challenge by testing one of your attributes (such as
speed
or
brawn
). Each challenge is given a
number. For example:

To take a challenge, simply roll 2 dice and add your hero’s attribute score to the result. If the total is the same as or higher than the given number, then you have
succeeded. For example, if Sir Hugo has a
speed
of 4 and rolls a
and a
, then he would have a total of 9. This means he would have successfully completed the above challenge.

Take your adventures online!

Join the DestinyQuest community at
www.destiny-quest.com
for the latest information on DestinyQuest books, hints and tips, player forums and exclusive downloadable
content (including printable hero sheets, hero vs. hero combat rules and extra bonus quests!).

It’s time to begin

Before you start your adventure, don’t forget to check that your hero sheet has been fully updated. It should display:

Now, turn the page to begin your adventure . . .

Y
ou are thrown from the dream, kicking and flailing. It is some seconds before you can catch your breath, images of black-scaled monsters and sharp
fangs still swimming before your vision.

As your surroundings slowly come into focus, you find yourself lying on your back against the soggy ground, a steady patter of rain beating on the dead leaves and dirt. Above you, a full moon
streams garish light through the treetops, picking out the charred, twisted remains that encircle you.

Bodies.

Corpses.

Frantically, you scramble to your feet, the cold rain making the ground slippery with mud. As you stand, an angry pain causes you to stagger, thumping against the inside of your head. Putting a
hand to the back of your scalp, you feel for a wound or bruise. To your surprise, you find nothing.

All around you, the ground is scorched and smoking, forming a crater with you at its centre. Sprawled around its edge are over a dozen bodies – each one burnt beyond all recognition. You
close your eyes, struggling to remember what happened . . . how you came to be here.

You look down at your tattered clothing, rain soaked and smeared with mud. A splatter of blood covers one sleeve. Tentatively, you pull back the cloth, your eyes widening in surprise when you
see the purple mark branded into the skin. The design is detailed and intricate, showing three diamond-bodied serpents intertwined in a dizzying pattern of spirals. Around them, a number of strange
sigils glow with a soft purplish light.

You hear a groan coming from the trees ahead. Covering the strange mark, you stagger through the mud towards the sound. Instinctively, your hand goes to your belt, looking for a weapon. But
there is none there. You are unarmed. Scanning the mud, you find a rusty-looking dagger next to one of the scorched bodies. You crouch down and pick it up, before heading into the dark trees.

A man is lying with his back against one of the trunks – no a boy, not much older than fifteen. He is clad in plate armour, his thick mud-spattered cloak bunched up around his shoulders.
The shaft of an arrow protrudes from his lower chest, having pierced through the links between the metal plates.

The boy looks up as you approach, his face deathly white and dripping with rainwater. A trickle of blood seeps from the corner of his mouth.

‘What . . . what happened?’ you ask, kneeling beside the wounded knight.

The boy fixes his watery eyes on your own. ‘You don’t remember?’ he rasps hoarsely.

You say nothing, your attention shifting to the black-fletched arrow. ‘Who did this? Who are those . . . people?’ You gesture back towards the clearing, where the scorched bodies lie
in twisted repose.

‘Brigands. Thieves,’ gasps the boy, grimacing with pain. ‘They attacked our camp.’

‘Our camp?’ you ask. You close your eyes, struggling to remember what happened – to find that part of yourself, that corner of your mind where some memory or trace of who you
are might still remain. There is nothing – only a chill darkness, as cold and impenetrable as the night. When you open your eyes, they are misted with angry tears. ‘I don’t
remember . . . I don’t remember anything.’