Gloomhaven Common Mistakes

Setup

• You can only hold one small item equal to half your level, rounded up. So only 1 potion
allowed at level 1.
• Use the modifier decks labeled 1, 2 3, 4 (for characters) and M (for monsters), NOT the
modifier decks included in the character tuck boxes.
• Scenario difficulty level = halve the players' average level (adjust as desired).
• Don’t forget reputation level modifies the cost of items in Gloomhaven.
• When leveling up you can add a single new card whose level is equal to or below your
current level.
• You do not pull a road event for a scenario linked to Gloomhaven.

Combat

• Monster turn: elites first, then basics, each in numerical order.

• If there is a TIE in initiative between a player and a monster, the player goes FIRST.
• Monsters ONLY do the abilities listed in their drawn ability card.
• Do not forget monsters with Fly ability!
• Focus is not determined by the shortest path to the figure - focus is determined by the
shortest path to an unblocked hex from which the current Attack can be made
(proximity, which is straight line distance, and initiative are tiebreakers only). If a
Monster cannot find an unblocked path to a hex from which it could make its current
attack it does not gain Focus and so does not Move. (It doesn't have to be able to get to
that hex this turn and Allies do not block the path).
• When a monster dies, a money token is placed on the hex where it died if it was not
summoned or spawned.
• Coins vary according to scenario level. Only gold coins on the ground get the "2 plus"
scenario level bonus. Gold found in treasure chests are not doubled.
• CONDITIONS are applied regardless of whether the corresponding attack does damage.
• Abilities on Character (and monster) action cards are done (or ignored) in the order
printed. So if it lists MOVE followed by ATTACK, you can move and then attack or attack
and NOT move, but you can't attack and then move and nor can monsters.
• You can negate all damage from a single ATTACK (but not conditions applied by the
attack such as poison, etc.) by LOSING one card from your hand or two cards from your
discard pile.
• Abilities on monster ability cards don't activate until triggered by their initiative. So if
they have e.g. SHIELD or RETALIATE and your character acts earlier in the round than
them, their abilities are not active.
• Shields ONLY prevent from ATTACK X, not from take DAMAGE X.
• Any ranged attack targeting an adjacent enemy gains DISADVANTAGE against that
target.
• Bless and Curse cards are single use and removed from the modifier deck after they
appear.
• LOS is measured from any corner of attacker hex to any corner of defender hex, blocked
only if that line touches a wall.
• Nothing blocks LOS except walls.
• For AoE attacks, you must have range to one hex, but must have LOS to each enemy to
affect them. Also, you only need to have range to one hex of the entire AoE shape,
which may be empty. You don't need to have range to all hexes with an enemy, just line
of sight.
• You can move through allies, not through monsters, except with jump/fly.
• When opening doors, draw monster cards corresponding to any new monsters
appearing.
• When you pull a null or x2 card from any modifier deck, the deck gets reshuffled AT THE
END OF THE ROUND, not immediately.
• For each monster whose revealed ability card shows a shuffle symbol, shuffle that
monster's action cards (deck and discard) also at the end of the round, not immediately.
• You cannot play a card just for the experience - you must do at least one part of the
action on the card.
• Summoned figures NEVER take a turn in the round they are summoned. A summoned
figure acts exactly BEFORE the player who summoned it, and its turn is SEPARATE from
the player's turn. Also, it cannot move independently but must follow monster focus
rules.
• Summoned enemies don't act on turn summoned. Summoned enemies and spawned
enemies have different placement rules. (reminder: neither drops gold)
• For Push/Pull, when pushing, the thing being pushed has to move away from the pusher
and when pulling it has to get closer to the puller, i.e. sideways movement with no
increase or decrease in distance is not a push/pull action. For both, you must push or
pull "as far as possible".
• Don’t forget cards can be used as Attack 2 or Move 2.
• Move Elemental Infusion down one level at end of round.
• It is NOT possible to create an element (either Fire, Ice, Air, Earth, Light, or Dark) and
consume it on the SAME TURN, but it may be consumed by anyone with a later turn in
the initiative order of the SAME round or NEXT rounds.
• You do NOT gain XP per monster killed.
• Don’t forget bonus XP after successfully completing a scenario = 4+(2Lvl).
• Even when the scenario objective is complete, the scenario doesn't end until the
CURRENT ROUND is complete.