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EU vs. NA rule comparison

PostPosted: December 2nd, 2014, 7:31 am
by Bob-Bob
I know you guys tend to favor the NA rules and can probably remember each and every rule difference at the drop of a hat, but I decided to pour through both rule books myself and make this handy reference list for the uninitiated. If you feel I missed anything, please let me know and be sure to tell me which page of the rules where I can find the difference.

Note: I'll be listing the differences in the order of EU first, NA second, mostly because the EU version was released first.

Another Note: I haven't combed the rules to the expansions yet, so this only covers the basic Game System rules so far. Don't worry, I'll do the expansions eventually...

Now let's begin!

Backstory
EU: The evil wizard is named "Morcar".
NA: The evil wizard is named "Zargon".

Choosing Roles
EU: This section says that the players each roll a dice and then pick who they want to be in order from highest to lowest.. If nobody has picks the evil wizard, the last player has to be him.
NA: This section simply suggests that the person who bought the game should be the evil wizard.

Starting Equipment
EU: Heroes’ attack dice are assumed to be innate.
NA: Heroes are described as carrying starting weapons, which determines their default attack dice.

Mind Points (Pointed out by Sotiris)
EU: It is stated that if a hero runs out of MP, he dies as if he had run out of BP.
NA: It is simply mentioned that MP will be used in future expansions (and even then, running out of MP in those doesn't kill a hero, it only sends them into shock).

Movement (Pointed out by Malcadon)
EU: The Heroes may not pass the same space in one turn, so they cannot backtrack.
US: Heroes are allowed to pass the same space however many times they want.

Opening Doors (Pointed out by Malcadon)
EU: A Hero must enter a door after opening it.
US: A Hero may open a door, look inside, and then choose not to enter it.

Combat (Pointed out by Big Bene)
EU: Heroes are allowed to attack other heroes in addition to monsters.
NA: Heroes may only attack monsters.

Searching for Treasure (Pointed out by GimmieYerGold)
EU: A hero may search for treasure in both rooms and corridors.
NA: The rules explicitly state that treasure can only be found in rooms, not in corridors.

Searching for Traps
EU: If a hero finds a trap, the evil wizard must place it on the board.
NA: If a hero finds a trap, the evil wizard must tell them where it's located but must not place it.

Inside Pits
EU: You may not search while inside a pit.
NA: You may search the inside of a pit as though it were a room.

Falling Rocks
EU: If you’re hit by a falling rock, the rules simply say to “move to an adjacent square” and mentions that if there’s no place to move, the hero dies.
NA: You’re given the choice to move to the space in front of or behind the rock, but the rules don’t say anything about what to do if there’s no place to move.

Jumping
EU: Only sprung pit traps may be jumped.
NA: If a hero knows there is an unsprung pit, falling rock or spear trap in the way, they may attempt to jump it.

Monsters in Pits
EU: Monsters can be affected by pit traps. They must roll a dice to determine their success, and suffer damage if they fail just like heroes.
NA: Monsters always automatically jump over a pit if they are able to. If a monster enters a pit, it does not suffer damage.

Pits in Corners
EU: The rules do not describe what to do if a pit is located in a corner.
NA: The rules state that if a pit is in a corner, the hero may only jump to the space immediately after it. If there is a monster in the way, the hero has no choice but to fall into the pit.

Trapped Treasure Chests (Pointed out by Sotiris)
EU: If a hero searches for traps in a room with a trapped chest, the trap is automatically removed.
NA: Even if a trapped chest is found, the trap must still be removed with a Tool Kit or by the Dwarf before the chest can be safely opened.

Disarming Traps
EU: A hero with a Tool Kit or a Dwarf may remove any revealed traps simply by standing next to them. A hero with a Tool Kit must roll a white or black shield (3/6 chance) while the Dwarf removes the trap instantly.
NA: Heroes may only remove unrevealed traps and must step onto the trapped space to do so, then roll 1 combat die to determine their success. A hero with a Tool Kit must roll a white or black shield (3/6 chance) while the Dwarf must roll anything but a black shield (5/6 chance).

Sharing Items
EU: There is nothing about sharing items.
NA: It is mentioned that heroes are allowed to share gold with one another. It also also mentioned that one hero may pass a potion to another hero, but only on their own turn.

Potions
EU: Potions are not described in the rules at all.
NA: The rules mention that drinking a potion is a free action much like opening a door, and that you can even drink more than one per turn. Additionally, if at any point a hero is reduced to 0 BP, they may drink a potion or use a healing spell on himself as a last resort.

Dead Heroes
EU: If a hero dies, a monster may steal his belongings on the evil wizard’s next turn if a hero has not already picked them up.
NA: These rules say that if there are no fellow heroes in the room, the monsters steal the dead hero’s belongings automatically.

Becoming a Champion (Pointed out by Malcadon)
EU: After a completing three quests, a hero attains the title of "Champion". In the first edition, this is accompanied by a reward of 500 gold. The second edition does not include this reward.
NA: A hero becomes a Champion after completing all 14 quests. There is no reward for it.

Rules unique to the EU version (Pointed out by Malcadon)
- The first edition proposes that the players practice in Mentor's arena, then move into first quest, called 'The Maze'.
- In the second edition, 'The Maze' has been replaced with a new quest called 'The Trial'. Instead of the arena, the players are told to play an 'Introductory game' that only uses the Monster cards.

Rules unique to the NA version
- The section about order of play recommends the Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf and Wizard take their turns in that exact order.
- There is a section at the end explaining that if a hero dies and the monsters steal a necessary Artifact, then the evil wizard player must include it in the next quest.

Character Sheet differences
EU: Only has boxes for Body and Mind points.
NA: Has boxes for starting Body and and Mind points, along with boxes for Attack and Defense Dice. They’ve also added a handy Body Point tracker.

EU: There’s a ‘Tasks Completed’ box where you write down all the Quests your character has finished so far.
NA: There’s a ‘Quests Completed’ section that’s simply a row of numbers from 1 to 14. You circle the number of each Quest as you complete them.

EU: The entire bottom half of the sheet is taken up by a coat of arms you can decorate yourself.
NA: The rest of the sheet is filled out by sections where you can write down Weapons, Armor, Gold and Potions you have on hand.

Game Piece differences
EU: There are only 5 Artifact cards, and they’re called “Quest Treasure”. There’s no text on the back.
NA: 5 more Artifact cards have been added to make a total of 10. The backs also say “Artifact” on them.

EU: There is a set of 14 Equipment cards illustrating what can be bought at the Armory. They’re labeled WEAPON and ARMOR where appropriate.
NA: The Equipment cards have been replaced with a cardboard Armory sheet showing all of the equipment you can buy. Prices have also been slightly increased. The Bracers, Cloak of Protection, Hand Axe and Spear have been removed. The Dagger and Longsword have been added.

EU: There is a total of 25 Treasure cards that can be drawn: 2 Gem! 6 Gold! 1 Jewels! 1 Treasure Horde! 7 Potions, 3 Traps, 5 Wandering Monsters, and 1 Nothing!
NA: There’s 1 less Treasure card in total. 3 Gold!, Treasure Horde, Holy Water, Potion of Speed and Nothing! have been removed. 1 Gem!, 1 Jewels!, 1 Potion of Healing, 1 Trap! and 1 Wandering Monster have been added. Trap! is now called Hazard!. Treasure values have been decreased.

EU: All monsters only have 1 BP.
NA: Several monsters have been given more than 1 BP, and some have been given higher Attack and Defense values.

EU: Character Boards are large and feature a picture of Mentor along with a totally blank back.
NA: Character Boards are slightly smaller and feature reminder text on the back showing how a hero’s turn progresses.

EU: For the one quest where an enemy uses magic, he gets the Fire spells and the Wizard and Elf cannot use them.
NA: There is a brand new set of 12 cards called Chaos Spells. These are usable by various monsters according to the Quest Book.

EU: All monsters only have 1 BP, so there is no need to mark the damage.
NA: A set of Skull Tiles are included to use as damage markers. This is in case a monster takes damage but not enough to be killed in one turn.

EU: Wall tiles resemble piles of rocks.
NA: Wall tiles look more like bricks than piles of rocks.

Artifact differences
EU: Borin’s Armor says ARMOR.
NA: Borin’s Armor says that it does not slow the wearer down. It also says May not be used by the Wizard.

EU: Orc’s Bane says WEAPON.
NA: Orc’s Bane says May not be used by the Wizard.

EU: Spirit Blade says WEAPON.
NA: Spirit Blade says May not be used by the Wizard.

EU: Talisman of Lore increases MP by 2.
NA: Talisman of Lore only increases MP by 1.

EU: Wand of Recall lets the Elf and the Wizard cast two spells in one turn.
NA: Wand of Recall was changed to Wand of Magic. It specifically mentions the Elf or Wizard and also clarifies that the two spells have to be separate and different. The new Spell Ring artifact allows the Elf and Wizard to cast the same spell twice.

Equipment differences
EU: Battle Axe costs 400 Gold.
NA: Battle Axe costs 450 Gold.

EU: Chain Mail costs 450 Gold and sets Defense to 3.
NA: Chain Mail costs 500 Gold and gives 1 extra Defense. Mentions that you can wear it with a Helmet and a Shield.

EU: Crossbow does not mention how ranged attacks work. That’s in the rule book.
NA: Crossbow mentions that you can attack any monster within line of sight. Also mentions that it has unlimited ammo.

EU: "The Helmet" costs 120 Gold.
NA: Shortened to just "Helmet" and costs 125 Gold.

EU: Plate Armor sets Defense to 4.
NA: Plate Armor gives 2 extra Defense. Mentions that you can wear it with a Helmet and a Shield.

EU: "The Shield" costs 100 Gold.
NA: Shortened to just "Shield" and costs 150 Gold. Mentions that it cannot be used with a Battle Axe or Staff.

EU: Shortsword mentions that it can attack diagonally.
NA: Shortsword can no longer attack diagonally. That ability was given to the Longsword.

EU: Staff sets Attack to 2.
NA: Staff sets Attack to 1. Mentions that you cannot use a Shield with it.

EU: Tool Kit allows you to remove any trap you find. Mentions that if you roll a skull, you fail to remove the trap.
NA: Tool Kit only lets you remove a trap that you’ve found but not yet sprung. Mentions that the rules for die-rolling are in the rule book.

Monster differences
EU: Chaos Warrior [ 6 Moves, 3 Attack, 1 BP ]
NA: Chaos Warrior [ 7 Moves, 4 Attack, 3 BP ]

EU: Fimir [ 1 BP ]
NA: Fimir [ 2 BP ]

EU: Gargoyle [ 4 Defense ]
NA: Gargoyle [ 5 Defense ]

EU: Mummy [ 1 BP ]
NA: Mummy [ 2 BP ]

EU: Zombie [ 4 Moves, 3 Attack ]
NA: Zombie [ 5 Moves, 2 Attack ]

Treasure card differences
EU: Gem! gives 50 Gold.
NA: Gem! gives 35 Gold. There are 2 of these cards.

EU: Gold! can give out 10, 20, 25 (two of these), or 50 Gold. Or it can give 10 times a roll of 1 red die.
NA: Gold! can give out 15 (two of these) or 25 (two of these) Gold.

EU: There's only one Jewels!
NA: There's two Jewels!

EU: Potion of Healing recovers up to 4 BP. There are 2 of these.
NA: Potion of Healing recovers BP equal to a red die roll. There are 3 of these.

EU: There is a potion called Potion of Resilience.
NA: Potion of Resilience was renamed Potion of Defense

EU: Two of the Trap! cards are arrows and one is a pit.
NA: Trap! has been renamed Hazard! and they've added another pit.

EU: There are 5 Wandering Monster cards.
NA: There are 6 Wandering Monster cards.

Spell card differences
EU: Genie can attack any figure on the board.
NA: Genie can only attack a monster in your line of sight.

EU: Tempest can also be cast on other heroes.
NA: Tempest can only be cast on monsters.

EU: Heal Body does not mention max BP.
NA: Heal Body clarifies that you can’t restore more than your max BP.

EU: Pass Through Rock doesn’t say anything about ending your turn inside a wall.
NA: Pass Through Rock mentions that if a hero ends their turn inside solid rock, they’ll essentially die.

EU: Rock Skin does not mention when the spell wears off.
NA: Rock Skin clarifies that a minimum of 1 damage must be dealt to break the spell.

EU: Ball of Flame can be cast on other heroes. Target must roll 2 white dice to defend. 1 damage is blocked for each white shield.
NA: Ball of Flame can only be cast on monsters. Target must roll 2 red dice to defend. 1 damage is blocked for 5 or 6 rolled.

EU: Fire of Wrath can be cast on other heroes and may be cast on any figure on the board. Target must roll 1 white die to defend. A shield blocks the damage.
NA: Fire of Wrath can only be cast on monsters within sight. Target must roll 1 red die to defend. A 5 or 6 blocks the damage.

EU: Sleep can be cast on other heroes. Can be defended by rolling 1 white die per MP. If a shield is rolled, the spell does not work. Can be broken by rolling 6 at the start of the target’s turn.
NA: Sleep can only be cast on monsters. Can be defended or broken by rolling 1 red die per MP. If a 6 is rolled, the spell is broken. Cannot be cast on Mummies, Zombies or Skeletons.

EU: Veil of Mist mentions that the target can move through other heroes for some reason.
NA: Veil of Mist does not mention other heroes.

EU: Water of Healing does not mention max BP.
NA: Water of Healing clarifies that you can’t restore more than your max BP.

That should be everything. Again, please let me know if I missed anything. Hopefully I'll be able to get to doing a Europe vs. Japan rule comparison next. :D

Re: EU vs. NA rule comparison

PostPosted: December 2nd, 2014, 8:18 am
by Goblin-King
TOP post! Very interesting read.
Both versions have their fair amount of BS. I wouldn't call either the "definite" version...

If you decide to add the expansions just edit the first post.

Re: EU vs. NA rule comparison

PostPosted: December 2nd, 2014, 1:03 pm
by knightkrawler
If you need more encouragement than GK, there you go. Have at it!
Good read and really really useful, too.

Re: EU vs. NA rule comparison

PostPosted: December 2nd, 2014, 1:10 pm
by GimmeYerGold
Yeah! I like seeing these differences, Bob-bob--I was raised on the NA version, but sometimes I opt to go for some EU versions in my "hybrid" house rules. I like the unique items, and the "turn-waster" treasure find in EU treasure cards, for instance :)

I thought of another difference I didn't see noted above! Feel free to elaborate if you wish.

Searching for Treasure

EU: A Hero may search a corridor for treasure.
NA: A Hero may not search a corridor for treasure.

Re: EU vs. NA rule comparison

PostPosted: December 2nd, 2014, 5:39 pm
by Bob-Bob
Oh snap, I completely forgot about that one! Seems after checking the EU rules, you are indeed right. I'll add it right away.

Re: EU vs. NA rule comparison

PostPosted: December 3rd, 2014, 3:33 am
by Malcadon
Years ago, I posted quite a bit about the difference between the US and UK rules, on Old Scratch. Mind you, I based my opinion of the UK rules on the earlier rules -- a scant 15-page document with lots of gaps in the rules -- so a number of the rules might have been dropped or changed in later editions. On top of that, some of what I noted on that post might not be totally accurate.

Here are some additional notes:

Although not in the rulebook, the US version of Legacy of the Orc Warlord notes that Heroes who are striped of all their gear can only roll one combat die to attack, with a white shield equaling a hit.

UK: The amount of equipment available to the players are limited to the equipment cards in play.
US: There are no limits on what the Heroes can buy or carry.

UK: Potion cards are returned the the bottom of the Treasure Deck after that are used.
US: Like gold coins, potions are recorded on the character sheet, and the cards removed from play for the remainder of the quest.

UK: Fire of Wrath can target any one monster or player on the board. (You dent need to see them.)
US: Fire of Wrath can only target monsters, and limited to sight. (it is assumed that all spells are line-of-sight.)

Here are some notes on the early UK rules:

The game starts off with some practice rounds where the players fight goblins to learn how to fight, followed by some spell-casting. After that, they play the starting adventure called The Maze, where they compete to be the first captive to escape the (poorly stocked) dungeon. (This is replaced by The Trial in the second edition and US set.)

The player characters (heroes) cannot cross the same square in a single turn, so they cannot backtrack. And doors open as soon as you move through them. (This is a fine rule for preventing the Players/Heroes form forming up around the door to form a meat-grinder for the monsters.)

The "Champion" title used in the UK was not totally useless: Originally, the title also offered a reward of 500 gold coins -- a prize for not getting killed for three games straight. On top of that, if a player keeps the gold in Prince Magnus' Gold, that character becomes an outlaw, and can never become a Champion. (I assume even after the offending character dies, and its replacement survives three straight games.) By second edition, the title became useless, and in the US rules, the Heroes get the title after completing all 14 Quests.

--------------------------------

Good luck with the Japanese translations. My effort with the cards was quit a task! Google can only translate so much, and some degree of intent and context can go [blind idiot], if you know what I mean.

Re: EU vs. NA rule comparison

PostPosted: December 3rd, 2014, 5:33 am
by Bob-Bob
I thought I'd break my response down point by point:

- I actually did go through both editions of the EU rules and aside from some very veeeeeery minor wording differences they're pretty much the same thing. The way the second edition was printed, all the diagrams are in the wrong places. D'oh!
- I was actually considering doing a comparison between the EU and NA Quest Books as well, as they're even more rife with differences than the basic rules!
- I was really unsure if the rules about limited equipment and the potions from the treasure deck counted, as the wording in the EU makes them really vague. The Japanese version definitely went with those rules and made them clear as day, as you'll see in my next thread.
- I completely forgot about Fire of Wrath. Whoops! I'll have to add it.
- I didn't include the bits about Mentor's arena and The Maze because those lacked a proper counterpart in the NA rules. Maybe I should've put them under that little section about EU-exclusive rules...
- I had no idea about the "no backtracking" rule. Could you tell me where in the book it's stated?
- I ended up writing the bit about Champion title before I double-checked the first edition rules. And I completely missed the part in the NA rules about it. D'oh!
- In the sub-forum waaaaaay down at the bottom of the forum index, you'll see that I posted a complete translation of the Japanese rules here, and of the Quest Book here. They were done courtesy of a friend of mine on another community who is fluent in Japanese. He never did get around to the cards, but most of those seem like really direct localizations with only a few rule differences on some of them. And yes, using Google Translate and guesswork is a suicide mission when it comes to trying to decipher a foreign product. It's always best to find somebody who can actually read and speak the language. ;)

Re: EU vs. NA rule comparison

PostPosted: December 3rd, 2014, 6:06 am
by Big Bene
A small but important difference:
EU: Attacking: To attack a monster or character, you must be in one of four squares: to the side, front, or rear. (p. 8 of English rulebook)
NA: Action1 - Attack: As a Hero, you may attack any monster that you are adjactant to. You are adjactant if you are directly on the side, front or rear of another square. (p. 13)
This means, in the European rules, Heroes can attack other heroes, making it a competitive game to a degree, in the North American rules, they simply can't.

Re: EU vs. NA rule comparison

PostPosted: December 3rd, 2014, 6:47 am
by Sotiris
Also in EU:
- "if a player searches for traps in a room that contains a trapped treasure chest, the trap is found and rendered harmless"
- when Mind Points reach 0 the hero is eliminated. In NA version there's no mention, only on expansions.

Nice work Bob-Bob |_P

Re: EU vs. NA rule comparison

PostPosted: December 3rd, 2014, 9:00 am
by Goblin-King
Big Bene wrote:A small but important difference:
EU: Attacking: To attack a monster or character, you must be in one of four squares: to the side, front, or rear. (p. 8 of English rulebook)
NA: Action1 - Attack: As a Hero, you may attack any monster that you are adjactant to. You are adjactant if you are directly on the side, front or rear of another square. (p. 13)
This means, in the European rules, Heroes can attack other heroes, making it a competitive game to a degree, in the North American rules, they simply can't.

And this is why EU HQ is best HQ! |_P