This document is intended to introduce the Red Rains PvE system to players already familiar with the PvE mechanics in the Ashes Ascendancy Starter Set. We will be releasing this later as a more attractive pdf file, but we wanted to make this available to new players who are just now digging into Ashes' 10-year treasure trove of content! The two systems share a foundation, so only the differences will be catalogued here. For all matters not specifically noted, follow the PvE rules as written in the Comprehensive Rulebook.
pp. 6–7
Most Dragonborn components have a functional equivalent in Red Rains. When rules text names a Dragonborn component, substitute the corresponding Chimera component as indicated here (e.g. substitute the Chimera card for the Dragonborn card).
Dragonborn Card Becomes Chimera Card
Each Chimera comes with six double-faced cards, differentiated by difficulty (standard/heroic), player count (1/2), and level (1–3). Chimera do not have abilities, and have an additional ultimate value. The Chimera's customized first-round setup is printed on its card.
Aspect Cards
Aspect cards are largely unchanged between Red Rains and Ascendancy. In place of the shield icon, some Red Rains aspects have a written ability named Defender. The deck each aspect originally comes from is also listed in their type line (e.g. Fury Aspect; Mighty Aspect).
Removed: Threat Tokens
Threat tokens are not used in Red Rains.
New: Red Rains Tokens
Red Rains tokens are placed on the Chimera card instead of status tokens. When the Chimera acquires a certain number of Red Rains tokens, it will activate its Ultimate ready spell.
Behavior Cards
Each Chimera has a set of three behavior cards, numbered I–III. The full turn instructions written on the Dragonborn behavior cards are absent, and can be found on p. 20 of the Comprehensive Rulebook instead.
Ready Spell Cards Become Ultimate Cards
A Chimera's ready spell cards have the name "Ultimate", and are numbered I–III. The Ultimate ready spells do not activate automatically, and contain complete instructions for their resolution.
Dragon Dice Become Rage Dice
Rage dice have 3 basic sides, 3 power sides, and no class sides. When raising or lowering rage dice, toggle them between basic and power.
New: 12-sided Die
Red Rains uses a standard 12-sided die for various Chimera functions.
Stamina Card
The Red Rains system was originally designed with a fatigued card in place of a stamina card. However, the rules pertaining to stamina and exhaustion for the PvE enemy were revised in Ascendancy to improve the player experience. Instead of the original Red Rains fatigue and stamina rules, we recommend following the rules found on the stamina card and on p. 22 of the Comprehensive Rulebook. However, for players interested in the original rules, they have been included in this document as an appendix.
Dragon Board Becomes Chimera Board
While the visual zone indicators are different between the dragon and Chimera boards, their functionality as playmats is unchanged.
p. 9
Follow the directions on p. 9 of the Comprehensive Rulebook, with the following adjustments to the steps listed:
1. Each Chimera has two labeled decks of aspect cards (e.g. Fury Aspect, Shadow Aspect). When collecting aspect cards during setup, choose one of the two decks to face.
3–4. Place the level 1 Chimera card matching your player count and chosen difficulty on the Chimera board. If playing a campaign, instead of adding threat tokens, increase the Chimera's level by 1 for each completed game of the campaign. The corresponding threat increases are already printed on the Chimera cards.
5. Place the stack of behavior cards onto the Chimera board, in order, with Behavior Phase I on top.
7. Instead of alternating between blood values, follow the printed starting setup on your chosen Chimera card.
p. 10
Skip the dragon phase in Red Rains. The Chimera's equivalent effects will instead occur in the recovery phase.
p. 11
Add the following steps to the recovery phase:
4. Gain Red Rains: Place 1 Red Rains token on the Chimera for each face up aspect, resolving the Ultimate card if applicable (it may resolve more than one time in a row).
5. Replenish Aspects: Add face down aspect cards to each of the Chimera's battlefields until each battlefield has a number of aspects (face up or face down) equal to the Chimera's threat value.
2p: Add these aspects one at a time, alternating between battlefields, starting with either battlefield.
6. Replenish Status Tokens: For each face up aspect with a status ability (see pg. 14), refill it with status tokens up to the number of circles over the ability text.
p. 16
The Chimera does not have shield aspects. Instead, it has Defender aspects, identified by the Defender ability. Defender aspects function identically to shield aspects, with one exception: because Defender is an exhaustible ability, exhausted Defenders are no longer considered Defenders. Similarly, a Defender that loses its abilities is also no longer considered a Defender.
To determine whether the Chimera itself will guard, roll the 12-sided die instead of a dragon die. On a result of 9+, the Chimera guards. Unlike in Ascendancy, there is no penalty if the Chimera does not guard.
p. 20
Follow the directions on p. 20 of the Comprehensive Rulebook, with the following adjustments to the step listed:
2. The Chimera choses whether to roll, attack, or pass following the same logic as the Dragonborn. However, when the Chimera rolls, it rolls the 12-sided die in addition to one basic rage die. The 12-sided die determines what action(s) it will take from the behavior card; the rage die is only used to generate power dice.
Rage Dice
When the Chimera's active pool contains no basic dice, place a Red Rains token instead of a status token. Note that doing so may trigger the Chimera's Ultimate ready spell. If it does, resolve the Ultimate immediately before any other pending game effects.
Attack
When a center icon aspect attacks, it attacks alone and other center icon aspects do not automatically join it. As a point of balance, Red Rains center icon aspects are often slightly stronger individually.
p. 21
The Chimera's Ultimate ready spell will activate only when the Chimera has a number of Red Rains tokens equal to or greater than the ultimate value listed on its card. At that time, immediately resolve the text on the Ultimate card.
Resolving the Ultimate will always cause the Chimera to consume Red Rains tokens, discard cards on its battlefield that it does not own, progress to the next numbered phase (if possible), and enact a penalty against the players. This penalty varies depending on the Chimera and phase, but is comparable to a Dragonborn's progress effect, albeit more dangerous.
The Ultimate ready spell effect text is inexhaustible. Exhaustion tokens on the Ultimate card instead increase the Chimera's ultimate value by 1 each.
p. 22
Stamina and Fatigue
The rules pertaining to stamina and exhaustion for the PvE enemy were revised in Ascendancy to improve the player experience. Instead of the original Red Rains hand/draw rules, we recommend following the rules found on the stamina card and on p. 22 of the Comprehensive Rulebook. However, for players interested in the original Chimera fatigue rules, they have been included in this document as an appendix.
Exhaustion
Exhaustion tokens on the Chimera or on its Ultimate ready spell do not directly prevent it from activating effects. Instead, each exhaustion token increases the Chimera's ultimate value by 1, which increases the number of Red Rains tokens required for the Ultimate ready spell to activate.
Exhaustion tokens on the Chimera and Ultimate are removed during the recovery phase, 1 at a time following standard exhaustion token rules. Each time an exhaustion token is removed in this way, also remove a Red Rains token from the Chimera, if possible.
Hand and Drawing Cards
The rules pertaining to the PvE enemy's hand of cards were streamlined in Ascendancy to improve the player experience. Instead of the original Red Rains hand/draw rules, follow the rules found on p. 23 of the Comprehensive Rulebook.
p.27
Instead of threat tokens, use the Chimera's distinct level cards to track campaign progress, starting at level 1 and increasing by 1 for each completed game, with a campaign victory after defeating level 3. The equivalent threat increases are already printed on the Chimera cards.
We also recommend using all three of the optional modifications.
Instead of the stamina card, place the fatigued card beneath the Chimera's draw pile during setup as a rules reminder, on the 1p/2p side depending on the number of players. When the fatigued card is revealed, resolve its text.
After a number of deck cycles equal to the number of players, the fatigued card will instruct you to lower all rage dice to their basic sides, and to set the fatigued card aside near the Chimera as a reference card. The Chimera is fatigued, and the following rules are now active:
* Effects cannot cause the Chimera to draw cards.
* Each time a card is discarded off the top of the Chimera's draw pile, place 1 wound token on the Chimera.
* When the Chimera's draw pile becomes empty, shuffle the Chimera's discard pile to create a new draw pile.
* For all other effects, treat the Chimera's draw pile as empty.
Please note that the rules above are slightly different than those printed on the fatigued card.
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