A Dungeon Full Of Terror And Fun: Horrified Meets D&D In Legendary Fashion

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The Horrified board game series by Ravensburger challenges players to battle famous monsters across various expansions that span pop culture and mythology over a six-year period. These monsters have included creatures of the night like Universal monsters, ancient evils such as Cthulhu, and legendary monsters including the Minotaur and Medusa. The newest addition lets players face off against some of the most terrifying beasts from Dungeons & Dragons mythology.

The game titled “Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons” transports players into the Forgotten Realms (much like Baldur’s Gate 3), utilizing characters and locations drawn from the richly detailed world and history of Dungeons & Dragons. Unlike other games in the Horrified series, the version released on August 10 by Ravensburger, which we received early through TopMob, is not merely a rehashed edition with D&D-themed packaging; instead, it offers a unique experience that sets it apart from previous entries.

In Horrified, if you’re a beginner, the game structure is straightforward and highly adaptable: Your objective is to vanquish all the monsters on the board, each one presenting distinct challenges and riddles that must be overcome before combat can ensue. Typically, players get four actions per turn, which they can utilize to move around the game map, gather items, solve puzzles, or escort Non-Player Characters (NPCs) to safety while simultaneously warding off the roaming monsters. Following each player’s turn, the monsters act according to a monster deck, injecting suspense and unpredictability into the gameplay.

Careful planning of moves is crucial to avoid losing the advantage over enemies, as unnecessary steps could tip the scales in their favor. This dynamic interaction maintains an exciting tension throughout gameplay without pushing it into excessive difficulty for your team.

The game’s modularity stems from its diverse monster configurations. In the typical setup, participants engage with two creatures, but you can adjust the challenge level—fight one for a speedier match or tackle them all for an unpredictable, intense experience. Your Horrified: D&D journey commences by deciding which monsters you’ll encounter. Similar to other Horrified games, each monster possesses a distinct difficulty rating. As suggested by Ravensburger, novice players are advised to start with the Beholder and the Displacer Beast; the other two options are the formidable Red Dragon and a Mimic.

In this game, the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) theme is incorporated through the introduction of a specially branded d20 die, which can either aid or hinder your characters during their mission to slay monsters and protect citizens from impending doom. Each player selects a character with distinct skills that contribute to collaborative gameplay, similar to how characters in a D&D party function. The roles available are The Rogue, Wizard, Fighter, Cleric, and Bard. If you’re feeling adventurous, even one person can play D&D, though it supports between 1-5 players.

In our game, we assumed roles as the Bard and Wizard, characters whose skills revolve around teleportation and moving various game pieces (heroes, monsters, NPCs) across the board. A higher roll on a 20-sided die enhances these abilities; for instance, a high roll might allow the Fighter to bypass an enemy’s turn entirely. The Rogue specializes in managing items, with the ability to draw additional items and distribute them among teammates. Meanwhile, the Cleric excels during the monster phase, employing supportive abilities to either weaken or ward off enemy attacks.

In the layout of Horrified: D&D, the game creatively motivates players to utilize the 20-sided die nearly in every turn. As these skills have significant effects, even when the roll isn’t ideal, it maintains dice-rolling as an exciting and integral part of the gaming experience.

Avoiding danger is crucial in Horrified: D&D, luckily, each player begins with a Perk card (located in the purple chest) that grants benefits like additional actions or an automatic successful roll. You can acquire extra Perk cards by rescuing villagers and vanquishing monsters.

Regarding the items, they contribute to strategic complexity and are primarily employed for confronting, warding off, or vanquishing monsters. Each item token possesses a unique name, color, power level, category, and a designated spot on the game board where it’s positioned. During the Monster Phase, additional items are randomly selected from the item bag and set upon the playing field, with their type denoted by shape: red hexagons for weapons, blue circles for magic, and yellow squares for ordinary items.

To put it simply, when players engage the Beholder in combat and satisfy other necessary conditions, they must possess an item with at least 6 points of mundane or yellow strength in their possession to successfully defeat it.

Each monster possesses a distinctive destructive power and a distinct method of defeat. For instance, the Beholder discharges ten potent eye beams; the type you encounter depends on your d20 throw. Your objective is to deactivate the eyestalks prior to engaging its main eye. The Mimic camouflages itself as an inactive object, hence the name, making it necessary for you to locate it before attacking. The Displacer Beast demands several items just to attempt an attack due to its illusions. Lastly, the Red Dragon is the most formidable adversary of the game – vanquishing it involves a two-part battle, with players first needing to discover the Orb of Dragonkind and then luring the Red Dragon back to its lair. This two-part mechanism marks a novelty in the Horrified series. Monstrous challenges call for monstrous battles, don’t they?

Among the aspects I admire in the Horrified series is its captivating art, particularly how the Dungeons & Dragons edition meticulously embodies the essence of D&D through its visual aesthetics. The game manual, much like a classic Player’s Handbook, boasts a font and layout that are strikingly familiar in style. What’s more, the Hero cards assemble an eclectic team, each with distinct races and appearances for their class. Frankly, it’s hard not to be thrilled by the incorporation of the raven-like Kenku as the Bard Hero – it just adds that extra layer of immersion!

Each Citizen and Perk card holds a tale within itself, featuring iconic figures in their design – even incorporating the legendary Drow ranger from Dungeons & Dragons, Drizzt Do’Urden. This card grants an extra pair of actions to the player during their turn.

Just as with other Horrified editions (and Dungeons & Dragons), the game tends to be simpler as more players join in, making it appealing for larger groups. Whether you’re a dedicated D&D fan or seeking a game that offers numerous play options, Horrified: Dungeons and Dragons provides an enjoyable experience in a compact form. Although it may not offer an epic campaign, it certainly presents a dungeon worth investigating.

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2025-07-16 20:12