It is perfectly possible to play games of Frostgrave set underground using only the rules found in the main rulebook. For players who want more variety, complexity, and a greater sense of adventuring in the dark chambers beneath the city, however, this chapter presents several optional rules that help capture this mood. Not all of the rules presented will be needed or desirable in all games, and players should feel free to pick and choose which ones they use, so long as they agree so before the game.
When playing games of Frostgrave set underground there are two main ways to set up the table. Players can either follow the guidelines presented in the main book (Standard Set-Up) or they can use special terrain, mats or card tiles to create a dungeon (Dungeon Set-Up).
Standard Set-Up
A Standard Set-Up assumes that the game is taking place in some vast cavern or chamber that is at least as big as the table itself. This chamber probably once held a number of buildings or structures that have now fallen to ruin. Or perhaps the chamber was once one giant ‘building’ itself, divided by many internal walls that are now broken or crumbling away. In either case, the table should still be packed full of ruins, with very few areas of unbroken line of sight. Players should note the rules for Doors and Doorways and Ceilings, and are otherwise free to select any of the other optional underground rules presented below.
Some players may own special terrain, mats or card tiles that they can use to create a Dungeon Set-Up. This is a series of rooms connected by passageways, all of which are assumed to be fully enclosed by earth and rock. The main difference with a Dungeon Set-Up is the inclusion of dead space – areas of the table that represent solid earth or rock and are only accessible to certain figures (e.g. Immaterial or Burrowing creatures). Dungeon Set-Ups have a few special rules that are discussed in the Ceilings and Secret Passages sections below.
Furthermore, a Dungeon Set-Up affects certain spells as follows:
CRUMBLE
This spell has no effect on an area of dead space.
LEAP
Since all Dungeon Set-Ups are assumed to have ceilings, it is not possible to Leap over or through an area of dead space.
MUD
Dungeon Set-Ups are assumed to take place on hard stone or packed earth floors and thus the Mud spell is less effective. In Dungeon Set-Ups, Mud causes all ground within 1.5” of a target point to become rough ground for the rest of the game.
PLANE WALK
This spell can be used to pass through dead space. However, the spellcaster cannot end his move in dead space – if he did so, he would instantly die. Furthermore, a spellcaster cannot use this spell to walk through dead space to another area of a dungeon unless one of his warband is within line of sight of that area – essentially, the spellcaster has to know there is another area of the dungeon to walk to before setting forth.
In a Dungeon Set-Up, Wall spells are much less stable. All Walls cast in a Dungeon Set-Up vanish on a roll of 15+ instead of 17+. Furthermore, any figure standing next to a magically created wall may spend an action to attack it. The figure should roll a die and add its Fight. If the total is 12 or more, the Wall is immediately destroyed.
Doors and Doorways
When using a Standard Set-Up, players must decide whether the table represents one large chamber, or if it is just one section of an even larger underground space. If the latter, then treat all table edges as for a standard game of Frostgrave. If the table represents just one chamber, however, there will be a limited number of entry and exit points.
In this case, players should mark at least 8 different entry and exit points to the table – ideally two on each table edge. Players can use actual doorways to mark this, but experience has taught that these tend to get in the way while playing and that it is better to just indicate them with a flat marker. Warbands must start with all of their figures within 6” of one of the doorways on their side of the table. Figures can only exit the table through doorways, although they are allowed to exit through a doorway used as an entry point by an opposing warband. Randomly encountered creatures may also use these doorways as their entry points (see Random Encounters, below).
Players may also use doors on any other table, whether above ground or in a Dungeon Set-Up. It takes either one action or 2” in a movement action to open or close a door. Closed doors block all line of sight. Since most of the doors in Frostgrave are old and partially ruined they cannot be locked or held against an enemy – even the weakest soldier can easily kick one down.
…It was a like a world turned upside down. A giant light was shining in the floor, and trees were growing down from the ceiling…
Ceilings
In standard games of Frostgrave, the sky is literally the limit in terms of vertical movement. Games set underground, however, have fixed ceilings. In games using the Standard Set-Up, the ceiling is 1” higher than the highest piece of terrain, to a minimum of 10”. In games using the Dungeon Set-Up, the ceiling is 10” above the floor, unless otherwise stated in a scenario. No figure may exceed these limits during a game.
Instead of alternating treasure placement, the players should nominate one player to place all of the treasure on the board. Taking turns, every other player can either move one piece of treasure, pass, or veto the whole set-up. If a player calls a veto, all of the treasures are removed from the board. The player who called the veto must now place all of the treasures and the process starts again. Once all of the other players have either moved a piece of treasure or passed, the positions of the treasures are fixed and players should randomly determine the board edges from which their warbands enter.
No one ventures too deep into the ruins of Frostgrave without some form of light. Soldiers carry a mixture of torches, lanterns, and magic lights, while spellcasters of any school can conjure up enough light to walk safely. Such light, however, is a poor substitute for the sun, and the darkness is a major danger when exploring underground. Unless otherwise stated, all games set underground have a maximum line of sight of 20”. Some scenarios that are set in particularly deep or dark places may call for a maximum line of sight of 16”. No missile weapon may be fired, nor any spell cast, at a target beyond the line of sight. The one exception to this rule is figures under the effect of the Glow spell – these figures may be targeted by anyone who is within 24” and can otherwise draw line of sight.
Numerous creatures live in the dark places beneath Frostgrave and, unlike humans, they are adapted to the lack of light. To represent this, the rules for random encounters in games set underground are different from those presented in the main rulebook.
The first time every treasure token is picked in a game, roll a die. On a 14+, a random creature appears on the board – roll randomly to determine the creature. After the creature has been identified, each player rolls a die and subtracts their wizard’s level. The player with the highest score places the creature on the board, choosing one of the following placement options:
•Place the creature anywhere on the board that is not in line of sight of any member of any player’s warband.
•Place the creature anywhere on the board that is 12” or more away from any member of any player’s warband.
•Place the creature in the centre of one randomly determined board edge (or directly in front of a randomly determined table edge doorway if they are being used).
If the Random Encounter Table calls for more than one creature, the player may divide them into any number of groups, and may choose any combination of the above options when placing them.
Creatures with the Burrowing ability are capable of moving through the rocky walls and the ground beneath Frostgrave. If these creatures make a random move that would move them into a piece of terrain, they may pass through the terrain as though it were not there, provided they have enough movement to make it to the other side. Otherwise they stop at the terrain. In Dungeon Set-Ups, these creatures can also move through the dead space, so long as their movement is sufficient to reach another area of the board in the same activation. These creatures cannot draw line of sight through terrain and will never use this ability for anything other than random movement.
It is not just the wandering monsters and other wizards that make the Frozen City such a dangerous place – there are also numerous deadly traps. Some of these are ancient security measures set by the wizards of old to snare trespassers and thieves, but most are the result of magic run amok after the great cataclysm. Regardless of how they came to exist, these traps mean that any adventurer into Frostgrave would be wise to watch his step. This is especially true when delving beneath the city, where many ancient wizards kept their most precious artefacts and secret experiments.
…I don’t know what Trigis stepped on, but there was a roar and a flash of light. For a second we thought that was it, but then she looked at her hands and started screaming. It wasn’t until we knocked her out that we realized her hands were on the wrong arms...
Although the rules for using traps in Frostgrave are presented in the section for Underground Exploration, there is absolutely no reason that these rules cannot be used in standard, aboveground, games.
When using traps, any time a player rolls a 1 on his initiative die roll, a trap has been sprung. This player should immediately select the target of the trap, and may select any figure on the board, regardless of who controls it. He may even select creatures that are not under anybody’s control. After the target figure has been selected, the player should roll on the Trap Table (below) to identify the type of trap that has been sprung. Immediately apply the effects of the trap before any other actions are done in the turn.
If more than one player rolls a 1 for initiative, multiple traps have been sprung. Players should first re-roll to determine the order of initiative for the coming turn, and then follow the initiative order to select targets for the traps. After all targets have been selected, traps are rolled for on the Trap Table as normal, again following initiative order. Resolve the effects of each trap immediately before moving onto the next one.
Some traps call for the target figure to roll against a Trap Number. In this case, the target should immediately roll one die and add any modifiers called for in the trap description. A roll equal to or greater than the Trap Number means that the figure has avoided the trap at the last second and suffers no penalties from the trap. Furthermore, some figures are better than others at spotting and avoiding traps and receive a bonus to any roll against a Trap Number – see the Trap Number Bonus Table, below. So, for example, an Apprentice is forced to make a Will roll against a Trap Number of 12. She would roll one die and add 5 (+2 for her Will stat and +3 for being an Apprentice).
The bonuses listed in the Trap Number Bonus Table also apply to the target’s Fight roll if the trap calls for an attack against the target (e.g. a Thief who is the target of a Poison Dart trap will make his Fight roll at +4: +1 for his Fight stat and +3 for the Thief’s bonus against traps). Some traps call for a Move roll – in these instances, roll one die, add the target’s trap number bonus (if any) and then add their Move stat.
Trap Number Bonus Table |
|
Target |
Bonus |
Wizard, Trap Expert |
+5 |
Apprentice, Captain, Thief, Tunnel Fighter |
+3 |
The Trap Table below represents the most common traps found in the Frozen City. Players are encouraged to make up their own traps to either add to the table, or to create an entirely new table. Remember, however: any trap you devise might just get sprung on you!
As an optional rule, some players might want to play with ‘treasure traps’. If so, whenever a players rolls for a Random Encounter due to a treasure being picked up (Frostgrave, p.108), a result of 1 on the die roll means that the treasure was trapped. Roll for a trap immediately with the figure that picked up the treasure as the target.
d20 roll |
Trap |
1 |
Mind Maze |
2 |
Phosphorescent Spray |
3 |
Pit Trap |
4 |
Poison Dart |
5 |
Teleport Pad |
6 |
Explosive Rune |
7 |
Wall of Force |
8 |
Death From Above |
9 |
Whispers |
10 |
Time Slip |
11 |
Caltrops |
12 |
Spring-loaded Axe |
13 |
Nullwave |
14 |
Smoke Bomb |
15 |
Pick Pocket |
16 |
Cement Spray |
17 |
Willsap |
18 |
Siren |
19 |
Disease |
20 |
Personal Demon |
The target must make an immediate Move roll against a Trap Number of 14. If the roll is failed, the target steps on something very sharp and dangerous – caltrops, spikes, glass shards etc., and suffers -2 Move for the rest of the game or until it drinks a healing potion or has the Heal spell cast upon it. Creatures not subject to the Wounded rule (Frostgrave, p.41) are immune to this trap.
CEMENT SPRAY
The target must make an immediate Move roll against a Trap Number of 14. If the roll is failed, the target is sprayed on the hands with a thick goo that immediately hardens. This figure may not pick up treasure for the rest of the game. If this figure was already carrying treasure, it may not drop that treasure for the rest of the game unless it is killed.
DEATH FROM ABOVE
Immediately roll a Level 1 Encounter on the Random Encounter Table. This creature drops from the ceiling right above the target. The target must make a Move roll against a Trap Number of 12. If it fails, place the creature directly in combat with the target. Otherwise, the target may place the creature up to 2” away, so long as the creature is in line of sight and not within 2” of another figure. This trap only ever generates one creature, even if the roll on the Random Encounter Table calls for multiple creatures – if the table calls for multiple creatures of different types, the player who controls the target of the trap may choose from among them.
…A giant glass cylinder, filled with solid ice. I don’t know how, but I swear there were fish moving in there...
DISEASE
The target has been exposed to some nasty disease. The target must make an immediate Fight roll against a Trap Number of 14. Add +3 to this roll if the warband currently contains an Apothecary. If the target fails this roll, it must miss the next game while it recovers from the effects of the disease. Otherwise, it suffers no penalties in the current game.
EXPLOSIVE RUNE
The target has triggered an ancient, Explosive Rune. The target and every figure within 2” of the target immediately suffers a +5 magic shooting attack.
MIND MAZE
A glowing, hypnotic rune of swirling magical energy appears in the air in front of the target. The target must make a Will roll against a Trap Number of 12. Failure means that the target may not activate this turn. Any figure that is in combat with the target also becomes a target of the trap. A figure that moves into combat with the target during the turn must also make a Will roll with a Trap Number of 12 or lose any remaining actions. After one turn, the rune vanishes. Spellcasters of the Sigilist school are immune to this trap and are assumed to pass their Trap Number roll automatically.
NULLWAVE
This trap sends a massive shockwave of null energy tearing across the table. All spells currently in play are immediately cancelled. This will not unsummon creatures, including Familiars, but it will cancel any Control or Bind spells (including the Bind Demon inherent in a Summon Demon Spell). Additionally, all spellcasters on the table must make an immediate Will roll against a Trap Number of 14 or suffer 1 point of damage.
PERSONAL DEMON
They player who selected the target should place a minor demon on the table 2” from the target. This demon is only interested in attacking the target. When determining movement for this demon, only count the original target of the trap as being in line-of-sight. The demon will never make a random move. If a random move is called for, immediately move the demon along a straight line towards the target. This demon will not purposely enter combat with any other figure. This minor demon has a Will stat of +10.
PHOSPHORESCENT SPRAY
The target must make an immediate Move roll against a Trap Number of 16. If the roll is failed, the target is sprayed with a sticky, glowing liquid. For the rest of the game, any figure that targets the figure with a shooting attack receives a +3 to their attack roll. Additionally, any figure can draw line of sight to this figure up to a maximum distance of 24”, even if the maximum line of sight for the game is less than this. Casting Glow on this figure will have no additional effect.
PICK POCKET
The target must make a Fight roll against a Trap Number of 12. If it fails, it is the victim of an unseen thief who snatches away his most valuable possession. If the target is carrying treasure that treasure token is lost. It is removed from the table and never seen again. If the figure is not carrying treasure, it loses one randomly determined item. Note that a soldier’s standard equipment does not count as an item for these purposes. If a figure is carrying neither treasure nor items, then this trap has no effect.
PIT TRAP
The ground beneath the target’s feet collapses into a deep, empty pit. The target must make a Move roll with a Trap Number of 14 or tumble into the pit. The pit is 4” deep and the target suffers failing damage as normal. Place a 2” square pit marker on the table. The target may climb out of the pit in the same way as climbing terrain. If the target is in combat, all figures in combat with it are also considered targets of the trap.
POISON DART
Make an immediate +5 shooting attack against the target. If the attack hits and beats the target’s Armour, it causes no damage, but the target is reduced to one standard action per activation for the rest of the game or until healed by either a Heal spell or a healing potion. The remaining action does not have to be movement. Multiple poison attacks against the same target have no additional effect. Undead and constructs are immune to the effects of this trap.
The target has triggered an ancient alarm that lets out a piercing wail. Immediately move all uncontrolled creatures that are not currently in combat 6” directly towards the target of the trap. If this move takes the creature within 1” of a figure from either warband, move the creature into combat with that figure.
SMOKE BOMB
A smoke bomb explodes under the foot of the target model. Place a 2” diameter, 2” high cloud of smoke on the table, centred on the target. The cloud blocks all line of sight. A figure inside the cloud has its maximum line of sight reduced to 2”. The target must make an immediate Will roll against a Trap Number of 12. If it fails, it cannot activate in the coming turn due to choking (undead and constructs are immune to choking). The smoke cloud remains for the rest of the game, blocking line of sight but causing no further penalties to the target or anyone else entering the cloud.
SPRING-LOADED AXE
A heavy blade springs out of the wall, floor, or ceiling. Roll a +3 attack against the target. If the spring-loaded axe wins the combat, its weight means that it does an additional +2 damage.
TELEPORT PAD
The target is immediately teleported d20+5” in a random direction. If this would place the figure inside a piece of terrain, move him on top of the terrain. Otherwise, the target remains on the same horizontal plane and may fall if it was originally standing above the ground. The teleport pad will not move a figure off the table. If the random move would end with the figure off of the table, place the figure at the edge of the board instead.
…So we found this chamber, nothing in it except a stone lectern with a single book. My old boss, he walks right up to the lectern, grabs the book, and ‘puff’ – he’s dust. Literally. Dust. My new boss, he says, “we’re leaving”. That’s a leader I can follow…
TIME SLIP
The target must make a Will roll against a Trap Number of 12. If it fails, mark the figure’s position on the table with some form of counter and then remove the figure from the board. The figure is temporarily out of the game. At the beginning of each subsequent turn, the figure must make another Will roll against a Trap Number of 8. If the figure succeeds, it returns to the board exactly where it left. If that position is occupied, the figure returns as near to that point as possible with the controlling player deciding the exact position. A figure must continue to make Will rolls against a Trap Number of 8 every turn until it succeeds or the game ends. If the game ends with a figure still in the trap, it returns to its warband unharmed with any treasure it was carrying. Spellcasters of the Chronomancer school may choose to either automatically succeed or fail any Will roll caused by this trap.
The target must make a Will roll against a Trap Number of 14. If it fails, it walks into an invisible barrier that violently tosses it aside. The figure suffers an immediate +0 attack. Additionally, the figure is thrown 5” in a random direction. This movement will be halted by any terrain or another figure which is in the path of the thrown figure.
WHISPERS
The target hears the whispered voice of a loved one. The target must make a Will roll against a Trap Number of 14. If failed, a random opposing player may immediately move the figure up to 6” in any direction. This move may not bring the figure into combat with any other figure, nor within 1” of an enemy figure, nor into any other potentially damage-causing situation (e.g. off a high ledge). The target follows all of the normal rules for movement including penalties for carrying treasure and rough terrain.
WILLSAP
The target is pricked by a tiny needle or stinger and must make an immediate Will roll against a Trap Number of 14. If the target fails, its Will stat is reduced to +0 for the rest of the game. If its Will stat was already +0 or lower, it is reduced by -1 instead.
Visitors to the ancient city of Felstad often commented on its narrow, twisting, labyrinthine streets and passageways, and frequently complained about the lack of a proper map. Wizards, though, like to keep their secrets, and many passages, especially those below ground, were constructed without any kind of city planning or approval, and it is unlikely that anyone could have produced an accurate map even if they had wanted to. Today, the ruins of Frostgrave are even more maze-like than before and are littered with hidden passageways, secret doors, and other magical means of transportation.
When using the Secret Passages optional rules, whenever a player rolls a 20 for initiative, it means that a member of his warband has discovered some kind of secret door or passageway. The player does not have to state which figure has found the secret passage until that figure is activated. When activated, the figure that discovered the secret passage may move through any vertical terrain as though it were not there. So for example, a thug who found a secret passage and decided to move for its first action could move 6”, passing straight through a wall and a large pile of stones. He could then use his second action to move again, moving a further 3” and passing through a large statue. A figure using a secret passage is still hindered by movement penalties for purely horizontal rough ground such as mud or ice. A secret passage cannot be used to move through magically created terrain such as the wall produced by a Wall spell. Figures using secret passages are still subject to forced combat if they move within 1” of an enemy figure. A figure may never end its activation inside a piece of terrain. If the figure cannot move all of the way through a terrain piece during its activation, it may not enter it.
If a Dungeon Set-Up is being used, secret passages work slightly differently. A player may use a secret passage exactly as described above or he may use the secret passage to move through the ‘dead space’ between parts of the dungeon. In this case, a player may move his figure just as though he were on a normal tabletop, passing through walls and the dead space using his movement as normal. A figure may use all of his actions to move through dead space, but must end his activation back within the dungeon.
A secret passage is a one-off event – as soon as the figure using it completes its activation, the secret passage effectively vanishes and does not remain on the board (due to magic, cave-in or the exit being harder to find than the original entrance!). The same (or a very similar) secret passage may be discovered through the same terrain feature(s) the next time a 20 is rolled for initiative, however.
Normally, only one figure may use a secret passage, but if the figure that found the secret passage can initiate group activation (i.e. is a wizard, apprentice or captain), then all figures that activate as part of its group can use the secret passage. All figures that activate as a group and use a secret passage must end their move within 3” of the initiating figure. Otherwise, all other rules for moving through secret passages apply.
…So Jethrid fell down this pit in the floor. We heard him screaming into the darkness. Next thing we know, the screaming is coming from above us. We look up, and there’s Jethrid falling through a hole in the ceiling, straight down into the same pit in the floor. He just kept falling and falling…
