Overview

Frosthaven is a cooperative tactical campaign game for 1-4 players, the sequel to Gloomhaven. Players control mercenary characters defending the remote outpost of Frosthaven from various threats. The game alternates between Scenario Phases (tactical hex-based combat) and Outpost Phases (town management between scenarios). Over a branching campaign of 100+ scenarios, players explore the wilderness, fight monsters, unlock new character classes, construct buildings, craft items, and progress through an evolving narrative. The core card-driven combat system from Gloomhaven is retained with significant additions including elements, loot decks, building construction, and seasonal events.

Components

• Map board, scenario book, section book, campaign sheet
• 6 starting character classes (Banner Spear, Deathwalker, Boneshaper, Geminate, Drifter, Blinkblade) with miniatures, ability cards, attack modifier decks, character sheets, item cards, perk sheets
• Additional locked character class boxes (unlocked during campaign)
• Monster standees with stat cards and ability card decks
• Map tiles (double-sided), overlay tiles (traps, obstacles, difficult terrain, hazardous terrain, icy terrain, doors, corridors, pressure plates, loot tokens, treasure tiles)
• Element board with 6 element tokens (fire, ice, air, earth, light, dark)
• Loot deck cards, battle goal cards, personal quest cards
• Road event cards, outpost event cards
• Town guard deck
• Building deck (for constructing Frosthaven buildings)
• Resource tokens (lumber, metal, hide, herbs, gold)
• Damage tokens, condition tokens, character tokens
• Attack modifier cards (base decks + bless/curse + character-specific modifier cards)
• Hit point dials, initiative order tokens

Setup

Scenario Setup

1. Each player selects 2 ability cards secretly (for their hand of ability cards based on level).
2. Identify scenario in scenario book. Set up map tiles, overlay tiles, monsters, and tokens as indicated.
3. Draw road event (if applicable) and resolve.
4. Place character figures on starting hexes.
5. Set monster stat cards to scenario level in stat sleeves. Shuffle monster ability decks and monster attack modifier deck.
6. Shuffle loot deck if scenario uses one.
7. Draw 2 battle goals, keep 1.
8. Determine scenario level: average character level / 2, rounded up. Adjustable +/- 1-2.

Character Setup

• Place character mat, set HP dial to max for level, take ability cards for current hand size, take attack modifier deck, equip items.

Turn Structure

Gameplay within a scenario proceeds in rounds:

1. Card Selection

Each player simultaneously selects 2 ability cards from hand. One becomes the initiative card (its initiative value determines turn order). Players can discuss strategy generally but cannot share specific numbers or card names. Alternatively, a player may declare a long rest instead of selecting cards.

2. Ordering of Initiative

Reveal all initiative cards. Flip one monster ability card per monster type. Order all figures (characters and monster sets) from lowest to highest initiative. Ties: characters before monsters; between characters, compare second card.

3. Character and Monster Turns

In initiative order, each figure takes its turn:

Character Turns:

• Perform the top action of one card and the bottom action of the other (in either order).
• Any ability or action can be skipped.
• May use items during the turn according to item timing.
• Used cards go to discard pile (or lost pile if the action has the lost icon).
• At end of turn, loot any tokens on your hex.

Monster Turns:

• All monsters of one type act on the same initiative. Elites first (by standee number), then normals.
• Each monster determines a focus (closest character it can reach and attack) and executes its ability card.
• Monsters use their own attack modifier deck (shared among all monsters).

4. End of Round

• Remove end-of-round conditions and effects.
• Advance element tokens one step toward inert on the element board.
• Short rest is available (optional): shuffle discard pile, randomly lose 1 card permanently, return rest to hand. May take 1 damage to lose a different card instead.

Actions

Move

“Move X”: Move up to X hexes. Cannot move through enemies, obstacles, or walls. Can move through allies. Cannot end on occupied hex.

• Jump: Ignore all figures and overlay tiles during movement (except destination).
• Flying: Like jump, but lasts for the entire turn.
• Teleport: Move to any empty hex within range, ignoring all path constraints.

Attack

“Attack X”: Base damage of X, modified by attack modifier card.

• Melee: Adjacent targets only (no Range listed).
• Ranged (Range X): Target within X hexes. Disadvantage if targeting adjacent enemy.
• Target X: Attack up to X different enemies.
• Attack Modification Order: Base value -> bonuses/penalties -> attack modifier card -> x2/null -> pierce/shield.

Attack Modifier Cards

Flip one per attack from your deck. Types: +X, -X, x2 (critical), null (miss), rolling modifiers (add and flip another).

Advantage and Disadvantage

• Advantage: Flip 2 modifier cards, use better. (Rolling modifiers: flip until 2 non-rolling.)
• Disadvantage: Flip 2, use worse.
• Cancel each other; cannot stack.

Conditions

Positive: Strengthen (Advantage on attacks), Bless (add x2 to deck), Regenerate (heal 1 at start of turn), Ward (halve damage suffered, rounded down).

Negative: Poison (add +1 to damage suffered, negate healing), Wound (suffer 1 damage at start of turn), Immobilize (cannot move), Disarm (cannot attack), Stun (cannot take any abilities), Muddle (Disadvantage on attacks), Curse (add null to deck), Impair (cannot gain positive conditions), Brittle (double next damage source), Bane (suffer 10 damage at end of next turn if not removed).

Elements

Six elements: Fire, Ice, Air, Earth, Light, Dark. Abilities may generate elements (placed on “Strong” on element board). On subsequent turns, abilities may consume available elements for enhanced effects. At end of round, strong elements become waning, waning become inert.

Shield and Retaliate

• Shield X: Reduce incoming attack damage by X (after modifier).
• Retaliate X: After being attacked, deal X damage back to attacker (Range Y if ranged retaliate).

Summons

Some abilities create ally figures. Summons act at the end of the summoner’s turn, focusing on the nearest enemy. If the summoner is exhausted, summons are removed.

Heal, Loot, Recover, Suffer Damage

• Heal X: Restore X HP (cannot exceed max; no effect if Poisoned unless poison is also removed).
• Loot X: Pick up loot tokens within range X.
• Recover: Return spent/consumed items or lost ability cards.
• Suffer Damage: Take unmodified damage (bypasses shields).

Lost Actions

Cards with the lost icon go to the lost pile after use and cannot be recovered (except by specific Recover abilities). Powerful but permanently reduces your available cards.

Character Damage and Exhaustion

When a character would suffer damage, reduce HP. At 0 HP, the character is exhausted (removed from scenario). Also exhausted if they have fewer than 2 cards available at the start of a round (hand + discard).

Damage Negation: Lose 1 card from hand OR 2 cards from discard to negate all damage from one source.

Resting

• Short Rest: End of round. Shuffle discard, randomly lose 1 card to lost pile, return rest to hand.
• Long Rest: Declared instead of selecting cards. Initiative 99. On turn: Heal 2, recover spent items, choose 1 discard to lose, return rest to hand.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Scenario Victory

Achieve the scenario’s goal (varies: kill all enemies, reach objectives, survive rounds, escort, etc.). Upon completion:

• Gain scenario rewards (gold, experience, items, resources, loot cards).
• Record on campaign sheet. Unlock new scenarios.

Scenario Loss

All characters exhausted or objective failed. The scenario may be replayed. Characters retain gold and experience earned during the attempt.

Campaign Progression

• Complete scenarios to unlock new ones.
• Return to Frosthaven for Outpost Phase between scenarios.
• Characters level up, retire, and new classes unlock.
• Build and upgrade buildings in Frosthaven.
• The campaign can continue indefinitely through random scenarios even after the main story concludes.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Outpost Phase (between scenarios)

1. Passage of Time: Advance the campaign calendar. Seasons change (Summer/Winter), affecting events and available scenarios.
2. Outpost Event: Draw and resolve an outpost event card. May be an attack event (resolve defense check using town guard deck and building bonuses).
3. Building Operations: Each constructed building provides benefits during this step.
4. Downtime: In any order, characters may: level up, retire, create new characters, craft items, brew potions, sell/buy items.
5. Construction: Spend resources (lumber, metal, hide) to build or upgrade buildings from the building deck.

Resources

Five resource types: lumber, metal, hide, herbs, gold. Resources are collected from loot, scenarios, and events. Lumber, metal, and hide are used for construction; herbs for brewing potions; gold for purchasing items.

Town Guard Deck

Represents Frosthaven’s defenses. Built up through construction and events. Used during attack events to determine if Frosthaven successfully defends against threats.

Buildings

Constructed from the building deck using resources. Each building provides specific benefits (crafting, item shops, potion brewing, defense bonuses, etc.). Buildings can be damaged or wrecked by attack events.

Character Retirement

Characters have personal quests. When completed, the character retires, potentially unlocking new character classes and buildings. The player then creates a new character.

Loot Deck

Scenario-specific deck of loot cards. When looting, draw from the loot deck (may contain gold, resources, random items, or special rewards).

6 Starting Classes

| Class | Complexity | Role | |——-|———–|——| | Banner Spear | Low | Leader/protector, positioning-dependent attacks | | Drifter | Low | Versatile jack-of-all-trades, high stamina | | Deathwalker | Medium | Spirit manipulator, uses death as fuel | | Boneshaper | Medium | Undead summoner, self-sacrifice for allies | | Geminate | High | Dual-form insect swarm (melee/ranged switching) | | Blinkblade | High | Fast melee striker, teleportation |

Game Variants

• Casual Mode: Reduced difficulty, keep experience/gold on loss.
• Solo Mode: Control 2 characters.
• Reduced Randomness: Use alternate attack modifier rules.
• Open Information: Allow sharing specific card information.
• Permanent Death: Characters that are exhausted in a scenario die permanently.

Player Reference

Scenario Round:

1. Card Selection (2 cards or long rest)
2. Initiative Order (low to high)
3. Turns (top of one card + bottom of other)
4. End of Round (conditions, elements wane, short rest available)

Campaign Flow: Scenario Phase -> Outpost Phase -> Scenario Phase -> …

Outpost Phase:

1. Passage of Time
2. Outpost Event
3. Building Operations
4. Downtime (level up, retire, craft, buy/sell)
5. Construction

Key Numbers: | Item | Value | |——|——-| | Starting gold | 30 | | Starting level | 1 | | Long rest initiative | 99 | | Long rest heal | 2 HP | | Power to win | Complete scenario goal | | Seasons | Summer and Winter (alternating) | | Starting character classes | 6 | | Campaign scenarios | 100+ |

Damage Negation:

• Lose 1 card from hand, OR
• Lose 2 cards from discard pile
• Negates ALL damage from one source

Element Cycle: Generate (Strong) -> Waning -> Inert