3 The Basics

3.1 Core Mechanics

Checks

The central mechanic in the game is referred to as a Check and is used to determine the result of a Model’s Actions.

Checks are made with a pool of d10s equal to the Model’s Rating in the relevant Skill plus its linked Attribute (e.g., Melee Checks use a dice pool composed of a number of d10s equal to the Model’s Melee Rating plus their Prowess Rating). If a Model does not have a relevant Skill Rating for the Check, then it makes the Check using only the associated Attribute Rating. To this pool, you always add the Difficulty Die (1d10 of a different color).

All of the dice are rolled together, any die that rolls equal to or higher than the value of the Difficulty Die is considered a Success. A single Success is often all that is required for a Model to accomplish their Action. If a Model fails a Check, they do nothing else but can still execute their free Move Action if it’s available.

Targets & Difficulty Thresholds

To simulate the difficulty involved in some Checks, like hitting a moving Target with a Shooting Attack, the game employs Difficulty Thresholds (DT).

Difficulty Thresholds are a minimum value that the dice rolled must equal or exceed to be considered a Success beyond the value rolled on the Difficulty Die. The DT might be a fixed value (e.g., DT 5) or it might refer to the value for one of the Target’s Ratings (e.g., DT Target DEF).

During a Check, the Difficulty Die might come up as greater than the DT for any Check. If so, it overrides the DT to determine the value the dice must equal.

For example, if a Model attempts a Shooting Attack against a Target, the Target’s attempt to protect itself using its Defence is treated as a DT (e.g., DEF of 6, sets DT to 6). Dice rolled must be equal to or greater than 6 at minimum to be considered Successes.

Criticals & Abilities

Any die rolled that results in a 10 (presented as “0” on some dice) is considered a Critical. Criticals can be used to activate Abilities, such as those present on some Gear. A Critical used in this manner still counts as a Success.

Each Critical can only be used once to activate an Ability and each Ability can only be activated once per Turn. However, if a roll has multiple Criticals these can be used to activate multiple Abilities.

The effects of an Ability always occur before the rest of the Action is resolved but only if the Check is a success, otherwise Criticals cannot take effect.

Advantage & Disadvantage

Maneuvers and situational factors in the game can result in Advantage or Disadvantage for the Model. If a model has Advantage, roll two Difficulty Dice for the relevant Skill Check and discard the highest result, then determine Successes. If a Model has Disadvantage, roll two Difficulty Dice and discard the lowest result.

Advantage and Disadvantage cancel each other out at one to one, so if a Model has two instances of Advantage and one of Disadvantage, they end up with a single instance of Advantage.

A Model cannot “stack” Advantages or Disadvantages. Whether a Model has one or three of either doesn’t change that only two Difficulty Dice can ever be rolled.

Other Rolls

Sometimes the game requires that you roll a d5. To do so, roll a d10 and treat a 1-2 as 1, 3-4 as 2, and so on. One example of this use is the Scatter Roll.

To make a Scatter Roll, roll a d5 to determine a random distance and direction. Treat the “point” on the die that is off the surface of the Play Area as indicating the direction of the scatter and the numerical value as the distance. Then, on the Play Area, measure the distance from the Model or token being scattered in the direction determined by the die to find the new position for that Model or token.

Additionally, you might also be asked to roll a d100 to determine a random result on some tables, such as for Scars. To do so, simply roll 2d10s and treat one of the dice as the tens and the other as the ones to obtain a result between 1 and 100.

3.2 Actions, Ticks, & Clocks

The Cost of Action

Cazadores are driven by boundless bravery and unshakeable resolve, while the Adversary and its Minions possess unnatural strength and fearsome power. Neither are limited by their stamina or endurance during the Hunt. Instead, all Actions take precious time, represented as Ticks.

Moments of furious struggle are demarcated by Ticks on the Round Clock. A tracker with 10 Ticks that advances throughout the game. Each Model possesses a Personal Clock which tracks the next Tick on which they can act.

During a Model’s Turn, when it attempts an Action, the Model must first pay the Action’s Ticks, advancing their Personal Clock by that amount. Once it has carried out its Actions, the Model will not be able to take another Turn until the Round Clock matches their Personal Clock again.

For example, a Model with a Personal Clock at Tick 1 makes a Melee Attack. First, it advances its Personal Clock by the Attack Action’s Ticks (3), bringing its clock to Tick 4. Then, regardless of the outcome of the Attack, it cannot take another Turn until the Round Clock is at Tick 4.

Ticks, Clocks, and the Flow of Time

The Round Clock only advances once all eligible Models take a Turn during a Tick. Once it reaches Tick 10 and would advance, instead the Round ends. At this point all Conditions and other effects that take effect at the end of the Round are resolved and the Round Clock is reset to Tick 1.

Unlike the Round Clock, Personal Clocks do not reset, instead they “loop”. If a Model’s Personal Clock is at Tick 9 and it takes an Action of 3 Ticks, then it’s Personal Clock is first advanced to 10, then to 1, and finally settles at Tick 2.

Players can use the Personal Clocks at the bottom of the Model sheets with paper clips to track Ticks for each Model. Alternatively, write names on blank counters and slide them back and forth on the Round Clock to track Ticks for all Models in one place.

3.3 Terrain Types

Before the game starts, the players should agree on what Type to assign to each piece of Terrain on the board. Each piece of Terrain might have multiple Types:

  • Open Terrain: Flat areas of ground or pieces of Terrain with no effect.
  • Difficult Terrain: Rough and stoney ground, shallow water, slick ice. Models move at half speed (e.g., 1” is treated as 2”).
  • Dangerous Terrain: Craggy rocks, vine-covered jungles, all count as Dangerous Terrain. All Dangerous Terrain is treated as Difficult Terrain. In addition, the first time a Model enters Dangerous Terrain it must pass an Athletics Check or take the Knocked Down Condition.
  • Impassable Terrain: High walls, chasms, or lava pits are included. A Model can never enter Impassable Terrain (though they might leap it!)
  • Obscuring Terrain: Fog, thick bush, etc., that provides Cover but does not block LOS.
  • Blocking Terrain: Opaque or solid materials that block LOS.

Adversaries are immune to the effects of Difficult and Dangerous Terrain.

Borders & Exits

Prior to the game, the players should decide which parts of the Play Area’s edges (Borders) are considered Exits. Exits allow Cazadores and Companions to flee from the fight and be removed from the Play Area alive. The rest of the Borders are considered Impassable Terrain that cannot be overcome.

Players should consider the location of the Hunt when determining which parts of Borders are Exits. For example, on an open field it’s entirely possible that all Borders are Exits, whereas in a cave, there is likely only one way out.

Cover

If any potential line for determining LOS passes through Obscuring Terrain, the defender benefits from Cover. Cover grants Disadvantage to the Model making a Melee or Shooting Attack.

Areas

Areas refer to circular templates that are placed on the Play Area. Each Area always has a number associated with it that indicates the diameter of the template (e.g., Area 3, indicates a 3” template).

3.4 Cazadores & Companions

The players’ Models are either Cazadores, the fearless and exceptional hunters who lead the Pack against insurmountable odds, or Companions, specialists, helpers, familiars, and reticent civilians who aid them on their travails.

Attributes

Attributes are a Model’s raw capabilities and aptitudes. They represent strengths and weaknesses that are relevant during the Hunt.

  • Speed (SPD): The Model’s quickness during the Hunt, indicating how far they can move in inches in one Action.
  • Prowess (PROW): The Model’s physical strength, agility, and fitness, affecting their Athletics and Melee Skills.
  • Sharpness (SHRP): The keenness of a Model’s senses and dexterity, affecting their Shooting and Stealth Skills.
  • Wits (WIT): The Model’s awareness, understanding, and intuition, affecting their Hunt and Lore Skills.
  • Resolve (RES): Stamina, bravery, and other intangibles that keep a Model in the fight, affecting their Fortitude and Leadership Skills.

Skills

Skills represent a Model’s expertise derived from training or experience in a specific area of the Hunt. Skills are always a combination of aptitude and expertise so each is paired with an Attribute (e.g., Melee [PROW]).

  • Prowess (PROW) Skills:
    • Athletics: Honed physical endurance and coordination.
    • Melee: Skill in close combat.
  • Sharpness (SHRP) Skills:
    • Shooting : Skill in ranged combat.
    • Stealth: Expertise at hiding and ambushing.
  • Wits (WIT) Skills:
    • Hunt: Expertise in tracking and other aspects of the Hunt.
    • Lore: Knowledge of Foes, Rituals, and other dark secrets.
  • Resolve (RES) Skills:
    • Fortitude: Grit and steadfastness.
    • Leadership: Inspirational qualities and knowledge of tactics.
A Particular Set of Skills
When making Checks, Cazadores roll d10s equal to the sum of the paired Skill and Attribute Ratings but Companions and Foes rely only on their Attributes.

Wounds

A Model’s capacity to endure agony and stay in the fight are measured in terms of their Wounds (WNDs). Should a Model’s Wounds be reduced to 0, that model is dead or irrevocably lost to the horrors of the Hunt.

Defences & Armour

Models also have Defence (DEF) Ratings that indicate how well they are able to avoid or protect themselves from damage. In practice, these Ratings serve as the DT other Models must overcome when Attacking them. For the players’ Models, these Ratings are calculated as follows:

  • Melee Defence (MDEF): The sum of PROW and Armour.
  • Shooting Defence (SDEF): The sum of SHRP and Armour.

Most Models are also equipped with some degree of protection that is referred to as Armour. In general, the greater the protection provided by the Armour, the greater a hindrance it is to a Model, giving a penalty to their SPD Rating.

3.5 Foes

The Foes opposing the Cazadores are defined with less detail but with all the Attributes required to be worthy opponents. They are either Minions or Adversaies. Foes’ Actions are determined using Foe Type, Decision Trees, and the Adversary Deck.

Attributes

All Foes are defined by a condensed list of Attributes:

  • Speed (SPD): Quickness and how far it can move in one Action in inches.
  • Attack (ATK): Ferocity in close (Melee) and ranged (Shooting) combat.
  • Range (RNG): Reach in close combat, often modified if the Model has access to Shooting Attacks.
  • Terror (TER): Unnatural power, used to terrify and clear Conditions.
  • Defence (DEF): Physical agility and strength, defining its capacity to defend itself against Attacks, traps, etc.
  • Wounds (WND): Physical health.

Foe Types

Minions are the minor Foes that aid the Adversary in attempting to crush the Cazadores. They follow a simple set of Decision Trees to execute Actions during their Turns that varies according to their Foe Type:

  • Aggressive (♠): Models that seek to engage the Cazadores, heedless of the danger and odds. Usually focused on close combat.
  • Defensive (♦): Models that avoid close combat maintaining range or seeking strength in numbers. Usually focused on ranged combat.
  • Sentry (♣): Models that do not focus on engaging the Cazadores in combat and instead patrol Objectives or positions near the Adversary.

Foe Move and Recover Actions

Like other Models, Foes also receive a free Move Action, therefore, the first Move Action is often free. However, Foes can take the Recover Action instead of the free Move Action, and will always do so to clear Conditions before resolving Decision Trees. Foes will also always move as far as possible as whenever they execute a Move Action.

Determining Aggro

Whenever there are multiple possible Targets for a Foe’s actions, the players determine Aggro, according to Foe Type, in order to select a final Target. Ties for Aggro are broken randomly by rolling a d10.

  • Aggressive (♠) : Hostile Model within 10”, LOS, and most WNDs remaining.
  • Defensive (♦): Hostile Model within 10”, LOS, and least WNDs remaining.
  • Sentry (♣): Closest Hostile Model within 10” and LOS.

Decision Trees

A Minion’s Turn involves answering “Yes or No” questions, in order, according to their Decision Tree and executing the first “Yes” response.

Table 3.1: Foe Decision Trees
Foe Type Question Order
Aggressive (♠) 1) Close Combat; 2) Aggress; 3) Reposition; 4) Hold Ground
Defensive (♦) 1) Retreat; 2) Reposition; 3) Aggress; 4) Hold Ground
Sentry (♣) 1) Close Combat; 2) Ranged Combat; 3) Reposition; 4) Hold Ground

Decision Tree Questions

Aggress: Is the Foe within 10” of a Hostile Model?
  Yes: Foe takes Move Action toward Target, then Close Combat, else Ranged Combat, else take a second Move Action toward Target.

Close Combat: Is the Foe within LOS and Melee Attack range of a Hostile Model?
  Yes: The Foe takes a Melee Attack Action against the Target. End Turn.

Hold Ground: The Foe holds their position and takes the Pass Action.

Ranged Combat: Is the Foe within LOS and Shooting Attack range of a Hostile Model?
  Yes: The Foe takes a Shooting Attack Action against the Target. End Turn.

Reposition: Is the Foe more than 5” away from Friendly Models or Objectives?
  Yes: The Foe takes a Move Action toward whichever is closest in this order: 1) furthest Objective, 2) largest group of Minions, 3) the Adversary; then Close Combat, else Ranged Combat, else Hold Ground.

Retreat: Is the Foe within a Hostile Model’s LOS and Melee Attack range?
  Yes: The Foe takes a Move Action away from the Target and any other Hostile Models, then Ranged Combat, else Hold Ground.

Resolving “Else” in Decision Trees

Some decisions require a Foe check other questions, as indicated by “else”. This means that the Foe executes the next question in the order that is a “Yes”. For example, after the first move in Aggress, the Foe checks Close Combat, then Ranged Combat, with a second Move as the last choice to no other Yes responses.

Adversaries and The Adversary Deck

Adversaries are the major Foes of any Hunt and, in turn, they are much more unpredictable and dangerous. To the simulate the greater danger posed by these Foes, each Adversary uses the Adversary Deck, a standard 52-card deck of playing cards split and shuffled to form two separate piles, Hit Locations (the numbered 2-10 cards) and Actions (the Ace and face cards).

Each Adversary has a detailed entry for their Adversary Deck that describes specific Hit Locations and Actions tailored to fit their nature and particular qualities, these can be found in The Adversary book but you can find one in the Quickstart chapter.

Hit Locations

All Adversaries have their total number of Wounds (WNDs) spread out across various Hit Locations. Whenever the players’ Models successfully attack the Adversary, they flip a number of Hit Location cards equal to WNDs dealt, and the WNDs are removed from that specific Hit Location.

When a specific Hit Location’s Wounds have been exhausted (i.e., are reduced to 0), there is usually an ongoing effect that comes into play. These effects are described in the Adversary’s entry. In addition, all future WNDs dealt to that Hit Location are treated as WNDs to the next highest Hit Location.

An Adversary’s Upper Limbs take 3 WNDs with 1 left. The last WND is removed and the remaining 2 WNDs are dealt to its next highest Hit Location, in this case, the Torso.

Adversary Actions

During the Adversary’s Turn, the players flip over and reveal one card from the Adversary’s deck of Actions. The specific card revealed is interpreted in terms of its suit and value to determine the Adversary’s Actions for its Turn.

The suit determines which Foe Type the Adversary will use this Turn:

  • Spades (♠): Aggressive Foe Type
  • Diamonds (♦) : Defensive Foe Type
  • Clubs (♣): Sentry Foe Type
  • Hearts (♥): Special Foe Type

The Special Foe Type is only applicable to Adversaries and refers to a mixed set of Foe Types that the Adversary will follow as detailed in their entry. For example, a Jack of Hearts might refer to the Defensive Decision Tree whereas the Queen of Hearts might refer to the Aggressive Decision Tree.

The value on the card determines the specific Action that the Adversary will take. Usually this is a form of Attack and includes additional specialized modifiers tailored to the Adversary.

An example Adversary Action
Ace (Sweeping Smash): +2 ATK +1 RNG. All Hostile Models within RNG suffer a Melee Attack. Models hit are pushed 2” away.

Exhausting the Adversary Deck

When the Hit Location or Action decks for the Adversary are exhausted, the players should simply take the discard piles, and without shuffling, turn them over to create new Hit Location and Action piles.

This allows the players to predict the Adversary’s Actions to some degree.