Incarnation

Have you ever dreamed of seeing your Characters evolve? To see them progress as they survive battles?
By playing INCARNATION you’ll give new “life” to your hero and another dimension to your confrontations. You’ll see them progress,
become more powerful to perhaps one day become true legends… and forever mark the history of Aarklash.
INCARNATION allows your Characters to gain experience. This unique knowledge is represented by experience cards which are added to a
model’s reference cards.
To acquire this knowledge, your warriors must show courage and tenacity by performing feats worthy of their rank or by surviving many
battles.

The Birth of a Hero

In order to get the most out of INCARNATION, you must choose a Hero. The Hero must be a Character.
You can create new Heroes by granting the “Incarnation” skill described at the end of this booklet to a non-Character model.

Be careful! An Incarnate which normally has an effect on other Characters cannot benefit themselves from their effect.
Example: A Bard of Alahan Incarnate will not be able to benefit itself from the ability to have a reroll each turn.
Experience Points
As your Hero takes part in confrontations, their knowledge increases. By accruing experience points, they attract the attention of the gods of
Aarklash. Maybe even their esteem. Who knows?

As they evolve and draw on their potential, the amusement they brought the gods is slowly replaced by worry... As they hate seeing one of
their creations slip free of their control.
Only a Hero may have experience points. In the Adventure mode, detailed further in this booklet, the Hero has the possibility of spending
them for the benefit of their Allies of their Mentor (see further).

If the Hero is still alive at the end of a confrontation in which they took part, tally the number of experience points they gain using the table at
the end of this booklet. These losses and gains are cumulative, but cannot go below 0.

These experience points will also be used during Resurrections. Each time a Hero returns to life, their experience point total gets reduced to
possibly return to 0, in which case they will not be able to come back to life.

Quite often, these experience points may be used to allow you to modify a die roll. They must be spent before rolling the die or dice.
Any spent experience point is lost for good.
Experience Cards
These cards represent knowledge or a technique a Hero may acquire in one of two ways:

- On the battlefield, by wagering experience cards and fulfilling the conditions listed on the card during the Confrontation;

- By Learning, by investing the experience points previously gained.

You’ll find all the information required for them to enter play on the card itself:

The Conditions list the characteristics or skills a warrior must possess to have access to a specific knowledge.
The Feat describes a heroic action. If performed by one of your Characters, immediately give the experience card to that character. They will
then be able to use it in a subsequent confrontation.
The Effect describes the advantages granted by an experience card when it is played.
The Army Points / A.P. represent the value of the card when it is acquired by a warrior. The Purchase Cost in experience points is equal to
that number.
The Recovery allows to know if the warrior still masters this technique after a Resurrection
• Wagering Experience Cards
At the end of the Approach you can put, face-down in front of you, up to three experience cards. They are linked to no specific warriors, by
represent the feats your warriors will attempt to perform during the confrontation.
Check to see that some of your warriors fulfill the Conditions listed on the Experience cards, otherwise they might not have access to them.

It’s possible to wager the same card multiple times, by having many copies of it. In the Adventure mode, the number of cards which can be
wagered is determined by which Act is being played.

Only a Character can acquire and benefit from experience cards, if the following three conditions are true:

- the experience card is among those wagered after the Approach;

- the Character fulfills the conditions listed on the experience card;
- the experience card is revealed right after the Character has accomplished the Feat.

If one of the Characters accomplishes a Feat, but that you don’t wish to link this card to them, don’t reveal it.
You don’t even have to let your opponent know you’ve accomplished a Feat.

• Purchasing Experience Cards

Between two confrontations, a Hero has the possibility of acquiring new knowledge through learning and training.
By spending their experience points, they can purchase an experience card. Its purchase cost is then equal to the value (in A.P.) indicated
on the card. As soon as the experience points are spent, the Hero benefits from the advantages and limitations of this card. Any experience
point spent is lost. It’s not possible to “resell” a previously acquired card.

A Hero can only acquire an experience card once, unless otherwise noted on the card itself.
However, they can purchase using experience points a card they’ve previously acquired on the battlefield. We then consider that the
wagered version of the card is lost and replaced by the one paid with using experience points.

• Using Experience Cards

During subsequent confrontations, your warriors will have the option of using the techniques they’ve learned. This knowledge has a price,
and they will have to pay the cost of the card (in A.P.) before each confrontation.

This cost varies depending on how the Hero has acquired this card:

- If they acquired it on the battlefield, its cost (in A.P.) must be paid as normal;
- If they acquired it through learning, it costs half of its value (in A.P.).
The Resurrection
It can happen that on the road to glory the Hero could unfortunately be scythed down by death. However, some mysteriously come back to
life and continue the struggle, unaware of what just happened to them. This resurrection isn’t without risks, mainly for the Characters’
memories, as they could sometimes forget moments of their lives.

At the end of a confrontation in which your Hero has been KILLED OUTRIGHT, you have a chance of bringing them back to life. If your Hero
has left the field, they do not need a Resurrection.
A Resurrection is performed over many steps.

Heroes are brought back to life by the gods of Aarklash.

Alas, it sometimes happens that they get bored with their toys!
Roll 2d6. In case of a result strictly less than the number of Resurrections already made by the Hero, they get abandoned by the gods. They
are now resting in peace, far from the gods and their cruel games. A double “1” on this roll is an automatic failure.

If your Hero successfully passes this test, it’s now possible to pay for their return to life using their experience points.
During a confrontation outside of Adventure mode, roll 1d6. The result is the cost of the Resurrection in experience points.
During Adventure mode, the number following the “Victory” entry on the Act card being played is the number of experience points to be
spent.

Whether in Incarnation or Adventure mode, the number of experience points required for a Resurrection is multiplied by 1.5 if the model who
KILLED OUTRIGHT the Hero is a Character.
If the Hero doesn’t have enough points to pay for their Resurrection, then it will automatically fail.

You will then make a Recovery test for each Experience Card owned by the Character.
Roll a D6 for each. If the result is equal to or greater than the number indicated in the Recovery line of the Experience Card, the Character
keeps it.

In case of failure, it is lost. This card will once again be able to be wagered or bought. You have the option of modifying this roll by spending
experience points. Each point spent give a +1 to the die roll. A natural “1” remains an automatic failure.
In Adventure mode, the resurrection of an Ally or of the Mentor is resolved differently. In order to bring them back to life, roll 1d6.
The result must be equal or higher than the number indicated for the Victory entry on the card of the Act played. To help return a Mentor or
an Ally to life, the Hero can spend one or more experience points. Each point spent grants a +1 bonus to the Resurrection roll. A natural “1”
remains an automatic failure.

The Mentor and Allies will then have to make a Recovery test for each of the experience cards they have in order not to lose them. The Hero
will not be able to spend experience points to grant a bonus of any kind on that roll.
The Ceasefire
Between two confrontations, your Hero has the possibility to heal their wounds, but also to lean new techniques or acquire various items. The
experience point expense must be made right after the end of the Confrontation in which the Hero was present.

Healing is automatic, but other purchases your Hero may make will cost them experience points.

They will thus be able to:

- acquire an experience card. A Hero may only purchase one per ceasefire;
- purchase items or services. A Hero may only purchase three items and a service per ceasefire. You’ll discover many lists of services and
items in our future supplements.

• Ceasefire in adventure mode

In Adventure mode, the ceasefire is a time for rest and learning for your Adventurer. This is the moment in which the Opponent will have their
Adventurer play through an Act and in which you’ll take the role of the Shadow player. The explanation of these terms can be found in the
section on the Adventure mode.

The Adventurer can spend a number of experience points equal to double the value (in A.P.) of an experience card in order to have an Ally
or their Mentor benefit from it. They can only acquire a single experience card each per ceasefire.
Adventure Mode
While INCARNATION offers you a chance to have Hero evolve, you have the opportunity of making them live through great quests and
discover forgotten secrets in Adventure mode. Throughout a long trek, the hero progresses towards their Shadow, the enemy they will have
to face in order to gain the Elixir, the ultimate goal of their saga.

A Hero who dives into such a quest is called Adventurer. They have the same qualities as any other Hero. All rules previously introduced in
this booklet remain applicable, unless otherwise noted on a card.

For clarity, the player who wants to play through one of the Acts of their Adventurer will be called the Adventurer player, and their opponent
the Shadow player.

• Before going on an adventure

The first step of Adventure mode is one of the most important of the game. You must create your Adventurer, their Mentor and your
opponent’s Shadow, the unrelenting enemy dogging the Hero’s step.

The Adventurer must be a Character. They can be an already existing Character or any model to whom you have given the “Incarnation”
skill described at the end of this booklet. A Mercenary or Stateless must be affiliated to a faction before the beginning of the Adventure.
The Adventurer’s Mentor is both their master and guide in the Adventure. They must belong to the same faction and be of equal or greater
rank than that of the Adventurer.
An Adventurer can choose to not have a Mentor, in which case they get no Supernatural Gift, but the number of experience points they gain
during the first Act I played will be doubled.

The Shadow is the terrible opponent that the gods have chosen to oppose the Adventurer. It represents the Adventurer’s greatest fear and
their greatest challenge all at once. As they progress through their quest, the Adventurer inexorably gets closer to the final showdown.

The Supernatural Gift is the first help given by the Mentor. The Adventurer will only ever receive a single Supernatural Gift in their life. Even
though they may start a new Adventure, they will get no new Gift.

The Elixir is the object of the Adventurer’s quest. It represents the final reward after a long pursuit and a vexing trek. The Elixir can be a
magical item or a skill owned by the Shadow.

Allies are Characters who accompany the Adventurer. They are living their own tale, independently from the Adventurer’s quest, but their
destiny cross paths for the length of an Adventure. Their number varies depending on the Act played, but may be modified by experience
cards or the truce. They must be of the same faction as the Adventurer, or of an allied faction.

Followers are warriors who will accompany the Adventurer or their Allies throughout the Adventure. A Follower cannot be a Character and
must be of the same faction as the Character they accompany.

Before diving into the Adventure, you and your opponent must create your Adventurers and their respective Shadows.
First, you each select an Adventurer, then a Mentor if you choose to have one.

Then choose a Supernatural Gift for your Adventurer, if they are accompanied by a Mentor. This can be a magic item card, and experience
card, or a spell the Power of which is higher than 1. The Supernatural Gift only costs half of its value (in A.P.) to be used during a
confrontation.
As the Supernatural Gift is offered by the Mentor, they’re the one who has to fulfill the conditions linked to its use. Only items with a specific
card, with a cost (in A.P.) can be passed on by the Mentor as a Supernatural Gift.
Don’t forget that a Character with no Power cannot cast a spell, just like a Water initiate can’t cast a fireball!

Now choose the Shadow who will be the bane of your opponent’s Adventurer. The overall cost of the Shadow must not go over twice the
Adventurer’s cost. The Shadow is allowed to have two experience cards and one artifact, which are not added to its point cost. Make sure
that it fulfills the Conditions on each of these cards. The Shadow can only be deployed during Act III.

Choose the Elixir which will be linked to your Adventurer. If this Elixir is an item card, it will be given to the Adventurer’s Shadow. It will keep
it and benefit from it freely for as long as the Adventurer has not defeated it. Make sure that the Adventurer fulfills all of the conditions to own
this card. The Shadow does not need to fulfill these conditions to use the Elixir.

If this Elixir is a skill, it must be chosen from among those known by the Shadow. Only the skills present in the CONFRONTATION booklet
may be chosen. The “Colossal”, “Warhorse”, “Enormous”, “Gigantic”, “Extra Limb”, and “Undead” cannot be chosen as Elixirs.

Finally, you’ll have a chance to pick spells and magic items for your Adventurer and their Mentor. Don’t forget that the maximal number of
items and spells which a Character can own is determined by their rank. Refer to the INCANTATION booklet for more information.

The Supernatural Gift as well as artifacts that your Adventurer may gain are not subject to restrictions due to the Adventurer’s rank.
They aren’t tallied as part of that total, either.
The Scenario Cards
INCARNATION uses a series of cards called scenario. These represent the various Acts which will mark the Adventurer’s quest. Through
these, you will learn more about the implication of the world of Aarklash in your Adventurer’s life. Scenarios are presented in three different
forms, each of which symbolize an episode of the Adventure.

The following elements are common to the three types of cards.

The Act is used only in Adventure mode, and represents the progress of the Adventurer in their quest. No matter the issue of the battle, an
Act will always be able to grant the Adventurer experience, in the form of wagered cards or experience points. The only condition is for them
to still be alive...

The Story introduces the area in which the adventure takes place, along with the situation and events. It is sometimes linked to a specific
Character, who will then have to be present during the confrontation.

The Objective represents the mission you’ve been given. The Act’s finality. The Adventurer will only be able to move on to a new Act by
fulfilling this requirement.

Once the game over, apply the effects of Victory if you’ve completed your objective. The number which follows the “Victory” entry
corresponds to the number of experience points required for the Adventurer to benefit from a possible Resurrection.

If the objective isn’t completed, apply the effects of the Defeat at the end of the confrontation.

The Duration give the number of turns you have to fulfill your Objective.
In order to make things compatible with the Adventure cards of INCARNATION’s first version, add 3 to the number of turns printed on the
card to determine the Act’s length. The confrontation immediately ends at the end of the final round of the duration.

The Deployment gives the zone in which the Adventurer player will deploy their troops during the approach. The various types of
Deployment are listed below.

The Army Points/A.P. value represents the maximal value of each player’s army. As always, feel free to adapt the amount of A.P. to fit your
usual game style!
Deployment
We advise you to play on a surface that’s 100cm long by 60cm wide. How you set up the terrain is left up to your convenience.
There are six types of deployment in Incarnation:

Battle: Deploy your warriors in your half of the board.

Battue: Deploy your troops over the entire board, but your warriors must be distant from each other by their normal Movement distance.
Overrun: Deploy your troops in your half of the board, as well as within 10 cm from each lateral side of the board.
Defence: Your warriors form a straight line in your half of the board, without being spaced more than 5 cm from one another. If you have
minis left, form a new line at most 10cm behind the first one.
Retrenchment: Your troops must be deployed in your half of the board at more than 20cm from the middle, and 10cm from the edges.
Siege: Your warriors may be deployed on all of the board, other than an imaginary opposing Retrenchment.

The Adventurer player deploys according to the deployment method indicated for the scenario.

The Shadow player deploys in Battle, unless otherwise specified.

Game Overview
Only one of the two players can deploy their Adventurer in order to have them play though an Act in Adventure mode. To increase fun while
playing, we suggest you alternate the roles of Adventurer player and Shadow player with your opponents.

The Shadow player can, if they so wish, deploy their Adventurer during their opponent’s Act. They will then be able to wager an experience
card and earn experience points as per the normal method. If this Adventurer were to die, the cost of their Resurrection is determined by the
Act played.

First, the Adventurer player reveals the Act which will be played. Then, each player determines their army list following the A.P. amount
allotted by the scenario, following the rules described in CONFRONTATION.

Any player controlling an Adventurer present on the battlefield can lay experience cards down on the table. These will have to be face-down.
They are considered to be wagered and may be won during the game.

If the Act’s victory conditions are fulfilled, the Adventurer and their troops retreat to bind their wounds and savor their success.
It’s during this period of time that the Adventurer has the possibility of spending their experience points, and that the Shadow player takes
their turn to be the Adventurer player.

If the Act’s victory conditions aren’t fulfilled, but that the Adventurer is still alive, apply only the Defeat effects indicated on the Act card
played.
If the Act’s victory conditions aren’t fulfilled and that the Adventurer is dead, you can attempt to bring them back to life.
To do so, refer to the Resurrection chapter.

Finally, the Shadow player chooses an advantage from the list below.
These apply to the next game in which their Adventurer will be present.
- Their Adventurer gains +1 in Courage / Fear until the end of the confrontation. This bonus cannot be spread through Leadership.
- Their Adventurer gains +1 in Discipline until the end of the confrontation. This advantage cannot be chosen by an Undead Adventurer.
- Their Adventurer may wager an extra experience card.
- Their Adventurer will gain 10% more experience points.
- If their Adventurer is a Magician or a Warrior-Mage, they may perform a Mana Recovery test during the approach of the next Act played.
- Their Adventurer has a +1 on their next Resurrection test. This bonus can be taken multiple times and only resets after a Resurrection.
Example: A player who has taken on the role of the Shadow player 8 times, and who has each time chosen this advantage will perform their
next Resurrection test with 2D6 + 8. After their Resurrection, their bonus drops back down to 0.
Act I
The first scenario of an Adventurer is always an Act I.
The Adventurer takes on a new quest, or has just started their travels. If the Adventurer is alive and victorious at the end of Act I, you can
continue their quest in Act II.

Allies and Mentors

In Act I, the Adventurer may be accompanied by their Mentor if you so wish, but they may not have other Allies at this point of the Adventure.

Followers
Only the Adventurer can be accompanied by Followers, within the A.P. limit allotted for this Act.

Experience
You can wager only a single Experience Card during the Adventure’s first Act. However, no limits apply to gaining experience points.

Outcome
Fatality: If your Adventurer dies in Act I, their Resurrection will cost them a minimum of 3 experience points. This number is subject to the
usual modifiers.
If they don’t have enough, the Adventurer will be unable to be resurrected. They hadn’t yet caught the attention of the gods, and thus don’t
benefit from their mercy!

Possible outcomes: If your Adventurer survives but has not fulfilled their objective, apply the “defeat” effects. Unless otherwise noted, they
are condemned to replay an Act I until they come out victorious. If your Adventurer survives and that they’ve accomplished their objective,
apply the “victory” effects. For their next confrontation, they’ll have to choose an Act II scenario.
The Adventurer has is now committed body and soul to the Adventure.
Only death or success could put an end to it.
Act II
The second part of the Adventure is made up of a variable number of Act II’s. These are trials that the Adventurer will have to overcome.
You can chain as many Act II scenarios as you want. The reward for victory will always be worthy of the scenario’s difficulty, as long as your
Adventurer remains alive...
This Act will allows the Adventurer to accumulate the experience required to triumph over their Shadow.

Allies
You can have as many Allies as you wish in an Act II.

Followers
The Adventurer, their Mentor, and their Allies can have their own Followers.

Experience
You can wager up to three experience cards in an Act II.

Outcome
Fatality: If your Adventurer is dead by the end of the Confrontation, their Resurrection will cost them a number of experience points equal to
the number following the Victory entry on the card of the Act played. This cost may be modified depending on the circumstances of the
Adventurer’s death.
If the Adventurer cannot pay that cost, they do not come back to life. They will never cross path with their Shadow.

Possible Outcomes: A given Act II cannot be replayed immediately after being played, whether the successful or not. It can, however, be
played at an ulterior time.

For their Adventurer to move on to Act III, the player must state that demand before deployment in an Act II and win it. This announcement
must be made after the Approach.

Some Adventures follow a logical timeline, don’t burn steps!

Act III
The third Act is the most perilous of the Adventure.
All of the Adventurer’s experience they’ve accumulated in Act I and then Act II will be required to triumph over their Shadow, threatening and
invincible.
The Supernatural Gift begins to fade. It’s quite probable that it will disappear at the end of this battle...

Allies and Mentor

Only their closest friends can follow the Adventurer in this ultimate trial: their Mentor, who will cost them only half of their total value, and
another Ally at their usual A.P. cost.

Followers
The Adventurer, their Mentor, and their Ally can have their own followers.

The Shadow
Your opponent must add the Shadow to their own troops. It costs them no A.P. Your Adventurer will now know the face of the terrible
opponent that the gods have put in their path.

Experience
You can wager up to three experience cards, plus one per Character other than the Adventurer in your army.

The Fight Against the Shadow

Act III can only be successfully completed if the Adventurer kills their Shadow themselves. If the Shadow is killed by anyone else but them,
the Act is automatically a failure. The Adventurer still gains the experience points and cards acquired during the confrontation. Apply the
effects of defeat.

Outcome
Fatality: If the Adventurer fails against their Shadow and dies, but is able to pay for their Resurrection cost, they return to Act II.

If during the recovery test the Adventurer loses an experience card, the Shadow automatically gains it and will be able to use it. If multiple
cards are lost, randomly determine which card is gained by the Shadow.

Possible Outcomes: If Act III is successful, the Supernatural Gift is lost. The Adventurer then gains the Elixir they’ve so long sought, and
can now begin a new quest... or retire.
If the Adventurer as well as their Shadow are still alive at the end of Act III, the Hero returns to Act II. Revenge is a dish best served cold,
though! Their Shadow will be ready for a rematch the next time they cross paths.
The Adventurer does not lose their Supernatural Gift, and their Shadow gains an extra experience card, chosen by the Shadow player.

After Act III

What happens after the final showdown? Does the Adventurer retire to live a quiet life among those close to them?
After having lived such adventures, can they give up on a life of danger and glory?
While some may be able to do so, most would rather get back on the road and go on new quests. Their travels continue, for the greatest
pleasure of the gods, who then choose a new Shadow for them.
Once the third Act is finished, you can decide to keep your Adventure and start a new Adventure. Your opponent will then have to create a
new Shadow, taking into account the evolution of your Adventurer. Any Elixir they possess only cost half of their A.P. value. The Shadow’s
cost must not exceed twice the Adventurer’s total cost. It’s quite possible for a given Adventurer to triumph over many Adventures,
accumulating power and experience. As their potential increase, so does their Shadows’.
Experience point chart

Loses caused to the enemy by the Hero itself 10% of Killed AP, rounded up

For each Exceptional Wound dealt by the Hero to an opponent 1 point

If the Hero ends the CONFRONTATION without being wounded 2 points

Per Hero killed by your Hero 2 points

Losses caused by the enemy among the Hero’s ranks 5% of killed A.P., rounded up

For each Exceptional Wound suffered by the Hero -1 point

If the Adventurer’s Mentor is Killed * -3 points

Per Ally of the Adventurer Killed * -1 point

Reminder: The cost of artifacts, spells, miracles, and experience cards is to be tallied in the sum of their owners’ AP if their possessor is
eliminated.
* Only applies in Adventure mode.