Here the seas are teeming with sharks and krakens, sirens sing invitingly on the atolls, and countless treasures lurk in the wilds of the islands. There is no power here except the pirate council, and all that is needed for happiness and success is a fair wind, a devoted crew and good ale in the tavern on the shore.

In the adventure card game Pathfinder. Skull and Shackles" the traditional fantasy world appears in an unusual pirate setting. Create your own character, equip him with a cutlass and powerful spells, choose a fast ship and set off on an adventure to overcome storms and defeat sea monsters together with other players. With each new adventure, your character will grow in skill and gain new skills. Only by becoming salted sea wolves will you be able to withstand the invincible Hurricane King in the decisive battle for the Shackles!

• Contains 5 dice with different numbers of sides: d4, d6, d8, d10 and d12;
• 7 character classes: bard, oracle, daredevil, marksman, sorcerer, rogue and warrior;
• Classic fantasy races: elves, dwarves, goblins, halflings and others;
• A variety of ships: from light junks and barks to a terrible ghost ship!

Completely stand-alone game, compatible with other Pathfinder sets

Pathfinder. Card game: Skull and Shackles. Adventure deck “Mutiny on Wormwood”

The pirate ship Wormwood is home to notorious thugs and their leader Barnabas Harrigan. Now you are just a newcomer in this motley crew, but courage, as we know, sinks galleons. Earn the respect of the sailors and start a mutiny to overthrow the ruthless captain.

Here is the first expansion deck for the adventure card game Pathfinder: Skull and Shackles. New locations, monsters and finds await you, as well as 5 scenarios that make up the full-fledged adventure “Mutiny on Wormwood”. Your path to legend begins here and now!

Equipment

Pathfinder. Card Game: Skull and Shackles

• 7 character cards
• 7 role cards
• 7 location maps
• 1 adventure road map
• 1 fleet card
• 377 Plunder or Die adventure cards
• 5 cubes
• Rules of the game
• Box size 298x298x71
• Card size 63x89

Contents of the expansion "Mutiny on Wormwood" (included in the base game)

• 110 cards of the adventure “Mutiny on Wormwood”:
• 1 adventure
• 5 scenarios
• 5 locations
• 1 ship
• 6 villains
• 20 minions
• 13 monsters
• 10 obstacles
• 7 weapons
• 10 spells
• 4 armor
• 12 items
• 9 companions
• 2 trophies
• 5 blessings
• Box size 155x93x25
• Card size 63x89

The pirate archipelago of Shackles is a real paradise for those who are bored with the usual dungeons and cellars of ancient mainland ruins. Everyone can try something new here! Goblins and orcs try on the free life of a pirate, a dwarf can become a frigate captain, and a mighty warrior can change his sword and crossbow to a rapier and musket! The usual bestiary remains far on land, sharks and krakens prowl the seas, sirens call sailors from the atolls with a sweet song, and countless treasures lurk in the island jungles. Power here belongs to the pirate council, and all that is needed for happiness and success is a devoted team of faithful comrades, the wind in the sails and a mug of good ale in a coastal tavern.

"Pathfinder. Card game: Skull and Shackles"

This is a completely independent game, compatible, however, with any other bases and additions in the series! In the adventure card game "Pathfinder. Skull and Shackles", the familiar world of fantasy is dressed in an unusual pirate setting. Embark on a co-op adventure for 1-4 players and conquer the archipelago! Create your own character with a unique class, look for allies using cards, choose equipment and magic, arm him with a cutlass and powerful spells, board a fast ship and set off on an adventure through the most dangerous places! Five exciting scenarios will guide you through the game! Together with other players, defeat sea monsters and break through storms and storms. You will encounter new traps and monsters, crazy spells and bloodthirsty opponents. Each new adventure develops your character and gives him the opportunity to acquire new talents and skills. Only by becoming salted sea wolves will you be able to withstand the invincible Hurricane King in the decisive battle for the Shackles!

In "Pathfinder. Card Game: Skull and Shackles" you will find:

• 7 character classes: Bard, Oracle, Daredevil, Gunner, Sorcerer, Rogue and Warrior
• Classic fantasy races: elves, dwarves, goblins, halflings and others
• A variety of ships: from light junks and barks to a terrible ghost ship!
• Expansion deck "Pathfinder. Card game: Skull and Shackles. Adventure deck "Mutiny on Wormwood"

Mutiny on "Wormwood"

This base also includes the Mutiny on Wormwood expansion deck. The pirate ship Wormwood is home to a crew of brutal corsairs and their leader Barnabas Harrigan. Now you are just a newcomer to this motley crew, but courage, as we know, sinks galleons. In a word. and by deeds win the respect of the sailors to overthrow Harrigan!

Here is the first expansion deck for the adventure card game Pathfinder: Skull and Shackles. New locations, monsters and discoveries await you, as well as 5 scenarios that make up the full-fledged adventure “Mutiny on Wormwood”. Your path to legend begins here and now!

About the original

Seven brave characters: Warrior, Rogue, Wizard, Sorcerer, Bard, Ranger, Priest - set off on an incredible adventure. Are you ready to take on the role of one of them and pass the prepared tests with valor? On the way to a given goal, the heroes will encounter dangerous traps, terrifying monsters, henchmen of the main villain, but they will also meet allies and assistants who will help them achieve victory, find the necessary items and uniforms, powerful treasures and artifacts.

Pathfinder: Return of the Runelords is a cooperative adventure game where players team up to complete set scenarios. To win, players need to wisely distribute their forces, improve their equipment, develop their abilities and learn new spells. Each class has its own set of basic characteristics that can be improved as you progress through the story. If this is not your first time playing the game, you can try to go through adventures or test your strength in a whole company.

Game process

Before the game starts, players choose their characters. Each character has its own characteristics and its own deck of cards. You can use a basic deck or try to create your own. The player's turn takes place in several phases:

• The top card of the Blessing deck is revealed and its effect applies this turn.
• You can pass one card from your hand to a player who is in the same location
• You can move to another location at your discretion
• Once per turn, you can explore the selected location by revealing the top card of the location and playing it
• If the location deck your hero is on is depleted, you can try to close the location
• Discard extra cards or draw missing cards from your hand
• Pass the turn to the next player

Who has won?

To win the game, players must complete the conditions of a given scenario before the deck of blessing cards is completely revealed. After fulfilling the conditions, players are declared winners. If they were unable to complete the given tasks or died, then the game ends in the defeat of everyone involved.

Game Features

Pathfinder Card Game: Skull and Shackles is a unique card board adventure game. It is built on the classic Dungeons & Dragons role-playing system, but has some advantageous differences:

• The game offers the opportunity to play with one to four players
• You don't have to choose a master, and every player has the opportunity to take part in an incredible adventure
• The game only contains cards, which means that the game does not take up much space, and it does not take long to lay it out
• Many different scenarios, several adventures and one full-fledged campaign - select the mode to suit the desired difficulty and game time
• Play the roles of different characters with your own set of qualities, equipment and capabilities
• A huge variety of spells, weapons, armor, as well as rare treasures will make your hero an invincible warrior
• Many different location cards, blessings, monsters and obstacles make the gameplay varied from game to game
• Ability to add new decks and expansions to the game
• The base game box already includes the "Mutiny on Wormwood" expansion, which will offer you an additional 5 scenarios, as well as new maps

The word "Pathfinder" among board gamers is most often associated with a fantasy role-playing game. In essence, this is an improved copy of another role-playing game - Dungeons&Dragons . Several years ago the publishing house Paizo , which produces the role-playing Pathfinder , decided to make a desktop analogue of it. The first set released was called Pathfinder. Card game: Return of the Rune Lords. Basic set (that’s what the game is called in the Russified version from Hobby World ). That set had a fantasy theme, and I haven't seen it yet. Second base caught my attention - Skull and Shackles . It is dedicated to the pirate theme, and that is what I will tell you about today.

What is it and what is it eaten with?

Card Pathfinder is a big card-based co-op adventure. You can even play it alone. This game is an attempt to transfer the role-playing game to another, tabletop form. The main difference between the games is the lack of a narrator (aka DM or GM) to guide the players through their adventures. Now all adventures are created using cards that automatically create obstacles for players.

In the base box you will find one training adventure and one more adventure that is the starting point for a big, big adventure. The game includes a lot of cards (510 pieces) and 5 dice (d4, d6, d8, d10 and d12).

Unfortunately, the localization does not have an organizer (I am reviewing the localization from Hobby World ). Instead of compartments for cards, the box contains thin ziploc bags, into which cards fit with great difficulty, so I decided to tighten the decks of cards with rubber bands.

How to throw dice correctly

I will begin my brief overview of the rules with an explanation of how this game generally works. Card Pathfinder divided into independent sets, of which there are already 4 pieces (only the first 2 sets have been released in Russian so far). The sets do not fit together in any way; they are completely different sets of adventures. Each set is divided into 6 parts. The first part is a basic large box, which contains one independent adventure and the first set of adventures, which begins the global passage of the set. Adventure Packs 2-6 sold separately. Thus, each set consists of 6 adventures. In turn, each adventure includes 6 scenarios that are completed in strict sequence. If you buy all the sets for the set, you will have as many as 36 scenarios. This doesn't even include the 6 independent scenarios included in the base box. Each set also came with a separate set of additional characters.

So, you bought the base set, and you have 2 adventures, one of which is independent, and the second is part of one big adventure. If you are playing for the first time and want to get acquainted with what the new base offers, then it is better to start playing with a solo adventure. If you have already known everything for a long time, then you can calmly open the box of the first set and start from there.

The essence of the game is quite simple. Each player chooses a hero card and then assembles a deck of 15 cards. Based on the scenario, location cards are selected. Each location has a deck that consists of 9 cards. This deck can contain both items useful to players and monsters with villains that need to be fought. The players' task is to find the main boss in one of the decks, defeat him and prevent him from escaping to another location. Before the battle, players who are in other locations can try to temporarily block the villain’s path to their location. Also, the location closes if there are no cards left in it. If the villain is not defeated, he remains in the same location. If you defeat him and there are open locations in the game, then the villain will escape to another open location. If there are no open locations and the villain is defeated, then the players win. Absolutely all scenarios will follow the same principle.

And now about all this in a little more detail.

The rules in the game are quite large, so you will have to read a lot. I re-read the rules several times, and some points even 10 times, because not everything was immediately clear. Unfortunately, I can’t call the rulebook ideal.

Like a role-playing game, a card game also has characters that players play as. Only in a card game, players don’t have to think about how to allocate skill points - everything is already thought out for us. The player just needs to take his hero’s card, on which everything is written out - what the hero can do, what skills he has, how he can upgrade in the future and what cards make up his deck. The same hero card specifically states how many weapons the hero has, how many spells, blessings, armor, etc. Players themselves collect the appropriate cards, however, in the very first scenario, you can only take entry-level cards (this parameter is indicated on the cards).

Preparing for the game takes a lot of time. After preparing the heroes, you need to select location cards (indicated in the selected scenario). Each location card indicates which cards are selected for its deck. There will be either cards that you can take into your hand or that you will need to fight with. 30 blessing cards are randomly selected for the game, which serve as a counter. When this blessing deck runs out, the game ends (players are defeated).

Ships became an innovation of the “pirate” set. They give players bonuses, but if they take more than one damage, the player loses cards from their hand equal to the amount of damage.

Having collected hero cards into your hand (each hero has a different hand size) and choosing a starting location, you can start the game.

In this game, players take turns. Each turn consists of several phases, some of which can be skipped.

Phase 1 — discarding the top card of the blessing deck. The counter is ticking!

Phase 2 - you can transfer one card from your hand to another player who is in the same location as you.

Phase 3 - you can move your hero to another location. And if you travel by ship, you can take other heroes from the same location with you.

Phase 4 - time to explore the location (in fact, this is the most important phase). Open the top card and interact with it. If you come across a find (weapon, armor, companion, spell, etc.), you can try to take it into your hand or banish it. If you encounter a challenge (obstacle, monster, villain), then you will have to fight with the card.

All interactions with open location cards occur using dice (this is called a check in the game). On the cards in the upper right corner are the skill options to check for victory. For example, combat 3, wisdom 5, intelligence 6. There can be one or several skill parameters (then any one can be selected). The hero card indicates which dice are rolled for specific checks. Sometimes a hero's skill stats have modifiers. For example, 1d6+2. This means that you need to roll 1 d6 die and add 2 to the result. If your hero does not have the skill indicated on the card, then you will have to roll 1d4. Before throwing, you can use cards from your hand. However, there is one nuance - you can only play one card of each type. Cards from your hand allow you to roll extra dice, reduce damage taken, and much more. In addition to all this, the revealed location card may have different requirements that are triggered before, during or after the check.

If the total result after rolling the dice is equal to or greater than the difficulty of the check, then the check is considered passed. In this case, the player can take the find into his hand and banish the monster or villain from the deck (unless the monster/villain card says otherwise). Otherwise, the check is considered failed, and the find goes into the box, and the villain/monster is put back into the deck.

In addition, after defeat, the player can receive damage from a monster or villain. The player subtracts his result from the difficulty of the check and discards as many cards from his hand as the difference is.

Phase 5 — closing the location. If there are no cards left in the location deck, or the defeated villain card indicates the possibility of closing the location, then the player can begin this very closure. Closing conditions are written on the location card, and they are different for each location (for example, pass a check, discard a card from your hand, etc.). As you remember, the villain cannot escape into a closed location.

Phase 6 - hand update. If a player does not have enough cards in his hand (each hero has his own limit), then cards can be obtained. But if there are not enough cards in the player’s deck to complete the set, then he is eliminated from the game. Cards are also discarded if you have more cards than required. After which the move is transferred to another player.

If the players managed to defeat the boss in the one remaining unlocked location before the blessing deck ran out, then they successfully complete the scenario. If the blessing deck is over, and the villain is running around somewhere, then the players are defeated. In this case, the scenario must be repeated. You can play with the same characters, or you can choose others.

If a scenario is successfully completed, players can upgrade their decks before taking on a new scenario. To begin with, they receive the trophies indicated on the back of the location. Trophies can also be obtained using a ship (the ship has one trophy at the start, and others are obtained after defeating enemy ships). Regardless of the outcome of the scenario, players create new decks for themselves. To do this, they mix into one deck all their cards, which were before the start of the game and after its end, and select from the resulting deck those types of cards and in the quantity that are indicated on the hero card. The remaining cards will be returned to the box. This way your new deck will be a little stronger and more varied than the previous one.

Some location cards provide upgrades as a reward. They can be marked with checkmarks on the hero card. I somehow don’t really like drawing on maps, so I printed out these sheets, which can be downloaded from the HW website.

Gradually, scenario by scenario, adventure by adventure, we come to victory.

Impression

Right at the very beginning I will say that - a very specific game. This is not a board game that I would recommend to everyone, because it is not a masterpiece of game design (though Anthony from Pittsburgh would definitely say that it is a must-have). This game is not for everyone, so carefully read my pros, cons and specific points, and then figure out whether you need this game or not. I understand perfectly well why you can love this game and why you may not understand the rave reviews about it.

Let's start with the positives, gradually reducing the heat coming from the game.

pros

First of all, I liked the idea of ​​a long playthrough. First, you buy a large box, then, if you like the game, you slowly buy the remaining adventures. I myself didn’t notice how I got hooked on the game. I played what was in the base, and then began to look closely at the extras and the deck of additional characters. I'm very interested to know what happens next. What new locations, items, spells, monsters, villains will there be? If all this was sold together with the base box, it would cost much more. And this would not be very profitable, given that the game may not work. In this case, you can play the base and then decide whether you need to finish the adventure or whether you should stop and sell the base because you have no desire to play further. I liked this solution. Roughly speaking, the base is a demo game with good tools.

Each game is played for a relatively short time. This is mainly due to the counter that marks the approaching end of the game. You have strictly 30 rounds for everything and not one more round. On his turn, a player usually does the following things: removing one blessing card, moving, exploring, drawing/discarding a hand. All other phases are played out only periodically. Most of all you have to tinker with the research - determine the skill, select the right cards, roll the cubes, decide on the result. In principle, you can play a game in just over an hour. With fairly monotonous gameplay, this time for one game seems ideal.

In addition to the importance of the blessing deck, the player's deck is equally valuable. Firstly, it is very correctly written in the rules that you need to build your deck wisely. If you throw a kit for warriors into the sorcerer’s deck, then you will definitely not pass the scenario. Secondly, the player’s deck also directly affects defeat. Some players don't like the fact that if their deck runs out they are out of the game. Like, it’s somehow implausible - there’s nothing to update your hand with and you’ve already lost. I like it because you start to think more about what to play right away and what is better left for later. You begin to monitor the composition of the location deck in order to go where it will be easier for you to survive and collect useful items. I have not yet lost even once due to the lack of cards in my deck. But, probably, for the same reason I don’t manage to win often. I keep leaving useful maps for later, but they can be spent on conducting 2 studies on your turn instead of one (no more, 2 is the maximum). So the game is not stupid at all. You need to watch your cards carefully. It’s better to discard some things, pass some things on to another player, or play some things right away.

Unfortunately, I didn't play the very first arc - Return of the Rune Lords so I can't say worse Skull and Shackles or better. Judging by the reviews on BGG, the difficulty has increased in the second arc, because... The first arch was quite easy. In all other respects, the games are approximately the same. So it was not in vain that I immediately paid attention to the second arch, because... I suspected that it would eliminate the roughness of the first arch.

Probably the most interesting thing about this game, what keeps me going to the very end, is the upgrade of my decks at the end of the game. The starting deck consists of entry-level cards. These cards are rather weak and not very interesting. In card Pathfinder It’s an interesting idea that players find different useful cards in the location decks as the game progresses. They get there randomly, so there can be both entry-level and advanced cards there. The latter are certainly more powerful than the starting cards. And at the end of the scenario, you can leave them in your deck. However, the limit on cards remains the same, so weak cards will have to be thrown away. In this regard, the game reminds me of computer grinders and action/rpg type Diablo . There, too, everything is tied to finding gear and leveling up. It happens that you’ve been sitting for 3 hours and you think, now I’ll level up and that’s it, I’ll go to sleep. Before you level up, you find a wildly cool sword that you can’t equip yet. You get a level, try on a sword and are delighted with how wildly it knocks everyone down. You think, okay, I’ll play a little more and then I’ll definitely go to sleep. And now the intermediate boss is somewhere nearby. You take it out, choose a cool shield, and see that you can soon get another level. And you play further =) Here you go Skull and shackles same topic. It doesn’t matter what the plot is, the main thing is to grab a cool armored vehicle in the end that won’t take any damage. Therefore, after completing one adventure, you want to take on another to find new cool clothes and meet more powerful monsters. Things like this really bother me.

The board game we're reviewing is full of all sorts of epic moments. They mostly involve unrealistic dice rolls. For example, when the players have one last chance to win, and they throw out a result that smashes the villain into rubbish, so that he cannot even escape anywhere, and this is a victory. Or, for example, there is the last location left, the hero has an epic body kit, and he rolls ones and twos on the dice. Such moments remain in the memory forever.

As you already know, Pathfinder. Card game is a tabletop adaptation of the role-playing game. And, in principle, it really looks like a role-playing game. Only very stripped down. Heroes have skills and stats, dice are rolled during checks, equipment and stats are upgraded. But there are no stories, epic quests or roleplaying. So for me, this card game is an attempt to remove the game master from the RPG and replace everything with cards. In my opinion, Paizo happened.

Board gamers always have special requirements for cooperative games. For example, they should be moderately complex and not too easy, and it’s best that you can adjust the difficulty yourself. Also, everyone is always interested in how the leader’s problem is solved in the cooperative. I can't say that in Skull and shackles There is a lot of interaction between players. Still, there is more soul-searching in this game. But there are still elements of cooperation with other players, and they are very important. For example, you can give cards to other players who are in the same location as you. You can transport several players on one ship to another location. You can enhance the abilities of other players by discarding certain cards. So co-op works more often than not in this game. It is especially important to help each other with objects. With the leader's problem, the rules are written clearly - each player makes decisions independently and no one has the right to change your decision. Therefore, the player keeps all cards face down. But if you trust each other and you don’t dislike the fact that someone will insist on their decisions, then you can play openly. But you play your turn yourself and no one has the right to interfere with you. In my opinion, the co-op in the game is quite good.

The characters in the game turned out to be completely different. The passage of the game with one set of characters and with another will be different. Some are designed for taking out monsters, some for support, some for treatment. If you put together an unbalanced team, it will be extremely difficult to win. For example, I played as an oracle, and I rarely had good damage spells in my hands. I mainly worked on helping other players and researching. It was a little hard for me to fight the monsters. And if I were alone in the game, I definitely wouldn’t have completed anything. Having completed the adventure with one team, you can try to go through it again with a different team of heroes. That's why you can find an additional hero deck in stores, which will have even more options for choosing adventurers. If the game drags on, then you will also want to buy new characters.

Specific points (for some a plus, for others a minus)

Subject. I've never particularly liked books, movies, or games about pirates. I am not drawn to the seas and oceans. Skull and shackles It seems like it’s also a game about pirates, but there’s a lot of fantasy in it. The magic has not gone away; among the monsters you can see sharks, huge rats, flocks of crabs, mermaids, etc. Therefore, this game is not far from fantasy, which makes me happy. But in general, the game still has a lot to do with the sea and pirates, which may not appeal to those who don’t like this topic.

Random. For some this will be a big minus, because... It is impossible to win with your mind in this game. Judge for yourself - this is a CARD game with DICE. Those. This is random squared. The cards come out randomly, and on the cubes they can throw out something that will make you want to cry. Each time you will only know the composition of the decks of each location, but exactly what cards are there is a big, big secret. There can be both simpler monsters and fat monsters that are very difficult to bear. Clothes can also be either entry-level or advanced. Well, I don’t even have anything to tell you about the cubes. You can collect as many cubes as possible and roll ones and twos on them. But you can create a miracle with just one cube. For example, on d8, roll 8, which is the minimum for checking. If you like to calculate everything and don't like randomness, then this is definitely not your game. I'm lucky that I like to roll dice, so the randomness didn't upset me.

Art. Overall, the game seems to be designed well. In many of the illustrations in the rules, I stopped for a few minutes to look at all the details in the drawing. Many characters have a huge number of knives, trinkets, frills in their clothes, boots of this and that. In general, in addition to the attractive breast size, female characters in art have something else to look at. The objects and different characters on the cards are drawn very well. But I do have one complaint about the cards - many of them have white backgrounds. I don't understand this, to be honest. I was also indignant about this. Visually, it doesn’t look very nice when a good picture is placed on a plain white background. Either there was not enough money to pay the artists, or they decided to save on paint. After watching the next sets, I found out that the situation was the same there. The obstacle cards are best designed - they have a large picture without white inserts.

Often the choice of action is obvious. It is unlikely that you will rack your brains over which solution out of a dozen possible ones will be the most optimal. When exploring, you interact with an open card, which always leads to a check. When you choose cards to test, you naturally take the best weapon (for example, obviously 1d12+1d10 is better than 1d12+1d6). Yes, sometimes you have to take a risk to avoid sending cards from your hand to the discard pile to modify rolls, hoping you roll the right number on the current dice. To be greedy and save the card or to use every opportunity to definitely defeat the card - that is the question. But basically all the solutions are pretty obvious.

Due to the long setup, constant selection of cubes and obvious solutions, I thought that the electronic version might be a higher priority. I know that in Steam there is definitely some kind of adventure (perhaps this is the very first base). You don’t need to prepare anything for a long time, the computer will roll the cubes for you, and it will also play the cards for you. But in this case, the game will turn out to be completely primitive, because all you have to do is press a couple of buttons and immediately get the result. In the live version of the game, all the fussing with the cards makes it more difficult or something. Those. This is such a moment that somehow this way and that way =)

At some points Skull and shackles similar to Innovation . Remember those strange concepts - archive, set aside, etc.? So in Skull there are terms like recharge, bury, expel. It's confusing at first. After recharging, the card can then be picked up again. After discarding, theoretically, the card can also be returned back if you play another card that allows you to do this. But if a card is banished, then it definitely cannot be returned to the game. I got confused with this for several games and played incorrectly.

The innovation of the set are ships. They seemed to me specific in their properties. On the one hand, it’s great that they give players special abilities, ships can also be changed during the game, and after completing the scenario, the ships leave trophy cards for the players. But if a ship receives one damage, then its ability changes, and any new damage hurts the players’ hands. Sometimes it's a little disappointing to lose cards from your hand just because of one floating trough that can't do anything meaningful.

Minuses

At first I was very surprised by the size of the rules. The rule book has 32 pages, the font is a bit small, but it is true that there are a lot of pictures. The rules were not easy to read. The author of the game (Mike Selinker) tried to tell as much as possible about all the principles of the gameplay of the game. On the one hand, this is good, since the rules are carefully explained so that players do not have questions. On the other hand, after a few pages you begin to forget what you read before. There is no training mode in the game. It would be more convenient for me to play a small demo game first, and then read the full rules and take on the main adventure. Therefore, after reading all the rules and laying out the first scenario, I regularly encountered problems and tried to study the rules again. At some points I was wildly infuriated by the description of game situations.

What caused the most anger was the inspections. The card says "fight". My hero has no fighting skill. There is only strength. Is strength a fight or not? But there is also close combat. I looked at all the characters and found that no one had a fight. The rules say, "If you don't have the required skill, you roll 1d4." On the other hand, I have cards in my hand that say: “On your combat check...”. Does this mean that “combat” and “combat check” are the same thing? I'm used to the fact that “combat” and “combat” in CCGs are different terms. Therefore, this inconsistency blew my mind. I re-read individual points 10 times. I was looking for the answer in weapon cards and monster cards. In the end, I decided that combat checks are directly affected by weapon cards. Because no one has any fighting skills. After all, the weapon cards say that if you enter into battle, you can use your dexterity/wisdom/strength, etc. to take such and such cubes. Probably, it was possible to find a faster answer to my question on BGG. But I decided that I could do everything myself, and paid with time to find the answer.

I also had big problems understanding with ships. The funny thing is that on the BGG forum I found a whole note from the authors of the game about how to play the ship correctly and what its essence is. The rulebook describes ships VERY clumsily. As it turned out, for many moments you have to climb to the BGG. And this is bad, considering that the rules are already 32 pages long. I give it a bad rating.

I already wrote about the connection Skulls and shackles with role play. On the Internet you can find disputes between board gamers - does the game have an atmosphere and narrative? Some say that the game is purely mechanical and there is no story in it. Others respond to this that the players come up with the story themselves, it is enough to have a rich imagination. In this case, I am on the side of the former. In an RPG, the entire story and atmosphere is created by the gamemaster. He tells you the plot, leads players from one quest to another. In a role-playing game, players can act unconventionally - they can enter into dialogue with NPCs, they can interact with surrounding objects and areas. That's why a role-playing game is like a book. In card Pathfinder there is no book. At least I don't feel it. I don't know what you can come up with based on the location maps and the weird monsters that come out of it. The role-playing game will first tell you that something rustled in the bushes, the players will determine who will go on reconnaissance. And only then an armed goblin will appear in the plot. In a card game, a goblin will appear just like that. Or a shark. Or rats. Or crabs. Or a mermaid. They will just appear, without any story. If someone likes to come up with stories for this matter, then you’re welcome, I’m happy for you, but I don’t know how to do that. Card for me Pathfinder is a random set of cards without a plot. But this is not a bug, but a feature.

Preparing for a game takes a lot of time. The reason for this may be the lack of an organizer. The Western edition has a special tray with slots for cards. The HW version has ziplocs. First I tried to put everything into bags. Some types of cards took up more than one package, because they did not fit into one. When I was preparing the game for the second time, it turned out that the ziplock bags were small, it was difficult to remove cards from them, and all this was completely inconvenient. In the end, I tied the decks with rubber bands, which I found more convenient. Each preparation for the game involves a long selection of cards. Select locations, prepare decks for each of them, build hero decks, add villains to location decks, count out 30 blessing cards, shuffle everything, etc. and so on. At the end of the game, everything again has to be sorted by type. Sometimes it seems to me that preparing for a game takes more time than the game itself.

All scenarios follow the same principle - find the boss, kill him, having previously closed all locations. Locations may change, but the essence of the game remains the same. So far I have not found interesting scenarios where I would need to find an item, find a specific companion, visit locations in turn, etc. They say that sometimes something like this appears, but I haven’t gotten around to such tasks yet.

The game includes 510 cards. It seems like a lot. But you will soon realize that the cards are essentially the same. Most often, the scenarios differ in the villains, and all sorts of monsters and body kits are chosen randomly. Sooner or later, you will start to come across repeated cards in locations that you have already studied for a long time. Those. went through one scenario, beating rats and crabs, went through another scenario, and there they again came across the same rats and crabs. Cards from add-ons bring a little variety.

Very often you have to roll one die several times. Unfortunately, there is only one dice in the game, so always take a pen and paper with you. In general, the minimum number of dice in games happens quite often. You can, of course, buy additional cubes, or buy a ready-made additional set, as FFG does, but in this case I think the publisher is being greedy.

Results

As you can see, I got a lot of pros and cons. A game Pathfinder. Card Game: Skull and Shackles Obviously not everyone will like it. But she hooked me. After the first game, I wanted to play again to collect more cool clothes, to go through a new scenario and meet new villains there, to improve my skills and cope with opponents without any problems. I wrote about this at the beginning of the review - either the game immediately captivates you, or this is not your game at all. There can be no other option. Plus, I love throwing dice. I like to lose while being one step away from winning. I like to analyze my failures and change my deck for the next game. I'm that mad munchkin who wants to clear out every corner of a location to find something epic there. I'm already excited to see what's in the new adventure decks.

I don't rule out the possibility that after a few adventures I'll get tired of the game. Or maybe I won’t get tired and will reach the very end. So I don't consider card Pathfinder a masterpiece, but so far I like the game, and I’m ready to twist the heads of the sharks in order to lustfully open the ancient chest that the sharks are guarding.

The game is not for everyone, but if it gets you hooked, it will be impossible to stop.

Oh, those taverns! What can you not sign up for after a pint or two of sweet ale... Today salty notes appeared in his taste, and for good reason. After all, we are in the port, and the sea is very close! And our glorious heroes, apparently, do not have to travel by land at all. And it seems that no less interesting adventures await us at sea than on land.

Another basic set “Pathfinder. Card Game" changes the course of the adventure ship to the distant Shackles archipelago, consisting of islands with many pirate coves and remote places where you can come across an ambush or a legendary sea monster. There are a total of 510 cards available to players, including the Plunder or Die adventure and the first set, Mutiny on Wormwood, which unlocks Skull and Shackles.

The changes also affected other game elements. The consequences of summoning cards from the box have expanded and can even lead to the appearance of new locations on the field. Defeating minions no longer guarantees that you will be able to close the corresponding location.

Movements on a ship between locations occur provided that the ship is not moored and the active character decides to sail rather than walk on foot. The ship not only makes it possible to take other heroes with you from the same location, but also protects you while traveling, taking damage in collisions with enemies. Heroes, in turn, can reduce damage with cards with the appropriate ability - otherwise the ship will be destroyed, and the adventurers will lose the opportunity to capture loot and gradually lose what they received earlier.

Verdict

Final score: 8 points out of 10! Taxi

20.09.2016 , In the section

Great news, friends. Today, September 20, 2016, a fundraising campaign starts on the site CrowdRepublic for the game we love Pathfinder. The next basic set of the world-famous setting develops a new branch of adventures, with new heroes, locations, monsters and a whole bunch of loot. And the name for it all. We need to make a reservation right away. This is not an add-on, it is a whole box with a full game, but for it there are already additional kits with separate adventures. One of which may end up in the base box if the company raises enough funds. The remaining additions will be released later, in order.

Again, this is excellent news. Let's explain why:

First of all, the game Pathfinder - This is a solid, thoughtful fantasy world. With all its beauties and horrors. It’s easy to plunge into and, believe me, won’t let you go right away. As evidenced by its worldwide popularity among board game lovers.

Secondly, the tabletop world Pathfinder has unique game mechanics role playing game. On the basis of which they are built ALL. From character creation to active actions on the battlefield. The player can study his protagonist down to the smallest detail and change the parameters he needs to suit himself. IN chance encounters, finds and even combat, can make the most of his abilities and the things he has.

Third, Constant random events add that element of surprise that is so valuable in adventure games. Do not underestimate the properties of certain finds. Don't rush to climb into the embrasure. Pathfinder knows how to surprise.

Fourth, an imaginary world Pathfinder is constantly updated with new events and does not stand still, thanks to the publishing house Paizo Publishing. And if this is not enough for you, the game does not put barriers to creativity. Make up the story yourself, play in your fantasies (if you want, of course).

Fifth, role play Pathfinder- it's like a great book, you will return to it again and again. In a great company of good friends. And the release of a new series cannot but please us.

What awaits us in the new series of adventures?

All hands on deck!

This is a very different adventure that will take place in high seas when a group of pirates becomes embroiled in plots and robbery. Shackles - a notorious archipelago of islands dominated by pirate warlords. But, as the new thugs are just making a name for themselves, the competing flag of enemy navies, legendary sea monsters, and the infamous Hurricane King strives to see a new player on their territory. Who will survive when their rapiers cross?

Start a campaign to manage " Shackles" With Pathfinder. Card Game: Skull and Shackles. This is a full-fledged co-op for 1 - 4 heroes, with traps, monsters, spells and despicable villains, the award-winning Skull RPG Pathfinder and Shackles Adventure Paths. Choose your character's class; collect allies, equipment and magic into your deck; Explore deadly locations as multiple scenarios await you in an exciting fantasy adventure. Heroes become more powerful after each scenario, adding a unique skill and awesome spells to their decks. Gaining an incredible advantage, they will have to take on the big threats in a full assembly Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Adventure Path.

Pathfinder. Card Game: Skull and Shackles includes:

1. More than 500 cards, featuring a richly customizable assortment of equipment and spells, dozens of new allies, monsters and villains from the Skull and Shackles Adventure Path.
2. 7 character classes to choose from, including 4 brand new: marksman, witcher, miracle worker and swordsman.
3. Adventure Road The Wormwood Mutiny , Start Skull and Shackles.
4. Full set 5 polyhedral dice for checks.

What does it offer us? Hobby World?

The recommended retail price of the game is the same as that of “Return of the Rune Lords” - 2,490 rubles. By supporting the release of the game on CrowdRepublic, you can get “Skull and Shackles” for a price starting from 1,850 rubles. If we manage to collect the main goal of the project - 400 000 rubles, then delivery of the Russian version of the Pathfinder card game “Skull and Shackles” will begin in January 2017. Project participants will receive exclusive promotional cards that will not go on retail sale.

If we manage to collect 800 000 rubles, all participants will receive an additional deck Raiders of the Fever Sea of 110 cards for free (recommended retail price of the add-on is 590 rubles).

What remains to be said. You need to take it and pre-order it. For everyone who wants to support the game Pathfinder. Card Game: Skull and Shackles Please follow the link below to the project itself. There's even more information and goodies there.

To know roughly what to expect. Information to familiarize yourself with Pathfinder. Card game: