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Defenders of Hogwarts – FAQs

1. Movement & Board Navigation

1.1 General Movement Mechanics

Question: How are standard movement points spent when moving pawns across the board?

Answer: When you play a card with a movement value, your pawn moves across the Main Board. Each movement point lets you move your pawn to an adjacent space sharing a border line or space divider. Keep in mind that moving through castle walls isn't allowed, though you can use the red dividers as valid castle entrances and exits!"

Question: How do single movement value cards differ from multi-move cards?

Answer: Single-value cards let you move 1 un-stunned pawn up to the exact number shown in the card’s top diamond. Multi-move cards (like a 3 + 3 value) give you a choice between two options: Move two separate un-stunned pawns up to 3 spaces each, in whichever order you prefer. Move a single un-stunned pawn up to the combined total of 6 spaces.

Question: Can movement values on multi-move cards be split in any other way?

Answer: Nope! You can't split multi-move values in any other combination. For instance, a 2 + 2 card can never be split to move one pawn 1 space and another 3 spaces.

Question: Is backtracking allowed within the same turn?

Answer: Backtracking isn't allowed during the same turn. Your pawns can't pass back through spaces they've already visited that turn, and they can't end their move on the space where they started.

Question: How are off-board Dark Arts Pawns deployed onto the board?

Answer: When the Dark Arts Player wants to bring an off-board Dark Arts Pawn onto the Main Board, they spend 1 movement point to place it on an open Dark Arts Deployment Space (marked with a Dark Mask icon ). Just remember, you can't deploy a Dark Arts Pawn to a space that already has a Dark Arts Pawn on it (even if it's stunned).

1.2 Navigating Board Obstacles

Question: What types of obstacles exist on the board?

Answer: You'll encounter four types of obstacles blocking paths across the board: Locked Doors, Protective Spells, Physical Objects and Water.

Question: How do obstacles affect House Player Pawns compared to Dark Arts Pawns?

Answer: House Player Pawns can't cross any obstacle unless they play a card that explicitly allows it for that move. On the other hand, Dark Arts Pawns can travel freely through all four obstacle types without needing any special cards!

1.3 Fast Travel: Fly Off Points & Secret Passageways

Question: How do Fly Off Points work for board navigation?

Answer: Fly Off Points offer a great way to zip around the castle grounds! Whenever you play a card permitting flight, any of your pawns can leap directly from one Fly Off Point to another Fly Off Point without spending any movement points.

Question: Who can use Secret Passageways, and what are the rules governing them?

Answer: Secret Passageways (the colour-coded Red, Green, or Blue links between non-adjacent spaces) are reserved strictly for House Players. A House Player can only enter a Secret Passageway when a card effect allows it, and moving from one end to the other costs exactly 1 movement point.

1.4 Protected Area Spaces

Question: What protection do Protected Area Spaces provide?

Answer: Protected Area Spaces are marked with a blue shield icon, and Dark Arts Pawns can never enter, cross, or stop on any of these four safe spots. This means any House Player Pawn resting on a Protected Area Space is completely safe from being bumped by the Dark Arts Player!

2. Pawn Interactions: Stunning vs Bumping

2.1 The Stunning Mechanic

Question: How does a pawn become stunned?

Answer: A pawn gets stunned in one of two situations:

  • When a House Player Pawn finishes its movement on a space occupied by a Dark Arts Pawn.
  • When triggered directly by a card or event card effect.

Question: How is stunning immediately resolved on the board?

Answer: Place both the House Player Pawn and Dark Arts Pawn on their sides to show they're stunned. Then, the active House Player MUST shift the Dark Arts Pawn to any adjacent space of their choice.

Question: Can a stunned pawn move or act? How is stunning reversed?

Answer: A stunned pawn can't move at all – not even through card values or special effects. To shake off a stun, the active player must take a Replenish Main Action, which stands all their stunned pawns back upright (Reversing a Stun).

2.2 The Bumping Mechanic

Question: What triggers a bump against a House Player Pawn?

Answer: Bumping happens only on the Dark Arts Player turn whenever a Dark Arts Pawn finishes its move on a space occupied by one or more House Player Pawns.

Question: What is the step-by-step procedure for resolving a bump?

1. Target Selection: If several House Player Pawns are on the space, the Dark Arts Player picks which one to bump.

2. Pawn Repositioning: Send the bumped House Player Pawn back to the Great Hall, and return the attacking Dark Arts Pawn off-board to the pool.

3. House Marker Transfer: The Dark Arts Player claims the bumped player's House Marker (unless they already have it). If this completes the set of all House Markers, move the Dark Arts Marker ahead 1 space on the Dark Arts Path and hand all House Markers back to their respective House Players.

4. Card Draw Benefit: The Dark Arts Player draws the top 2 cards from the Dark Arts Acquire Deck, places 1 face-down on top of their Draw Deck, and slides the other to the bottom of the Dark Arts Acquire Deck. Note: You only get this draw benefit once per turn, no matter how many bumps you pull off during that turn!

2.3 Quick Comparison: Stunning vs Bumping

Stunning

  • Primary Trigger: Occurs when a House Player Pawn stops on a space sharing an active Dark Arts Pawn.
  • Active Initiator: Carried out specifically during the active House Player turn.
  • Pawn Destinations & States: Turn both figures sideways to show they are stunned; the House Player then shifts the opposing Dark Arts Pawn to any adjacent spot.
  • Secondary Consequences: Affected pawns cannot travel by any card effects or values until stood upright during a Replenish step.

Bumping

  • Primary Trigger: Occurs when a Dark Arts Pawn finishes its movement on a space containing one or more House Player Pawns.
  • Active Initiator: Executed strictly on the Dark Arts Player turn.
  • Pawn Destinations & States: Send the target House Player Pawn directly to the Great Hall, and place the attacking Dark Arts Pawn off-board into the reserve pool.
  • Secondary Consequences: The Dark Arts Player claims the bumped target's House Marker and draws 2 cards from the Dark Arts Acquire Deck (placing 1 face-down on their Draw Deck and 1 at the bottom of the acquire deck).

2.4 Multiple Bumps in a Single Turn

Question: If the Dark Arts Player bumps two House Player Pawns in a single turn, do they get to draw 4 cards from the Dark Arts Acquire Deck?

Answer: No. The bonus of drawing 2 cards from the Dark Arts Acquire Deck (keeping one and returning the other) is resolved only once per turn, regardless of how many individual bumps occur during that turn.

(Bonus detail: If bumping multiple pawns allows the Dark Arts Player to collect all 4 House Markers, they immediately advance the Dark Arts Marker 1 space on the Dark Arts Path and must return all 4 House Markers back to the House Players.)vDescription for this block. Use this space for describing your block. Any text will do. Description for this block. You can use this space for describing your block.

3. Collecting Defence Shields & Required Items

3.1 Requirements for Collecting a Defence Shield

Question: What components are required to collect a Defence Shield?

Answer: To grab a Defence Shield, a House Player needs to land on a Defence Shield Space (passing through isn't enough!) while holding three required items:

  • 1 x Library Book Card
  • 1 x Parchment Scroll
  • 1 x Dark Detector OR 1 x D.A. Coin (matching whichever icon is shown on that Defence Shield Space). As soon as you land there, turn in these three items to take your Defence Shield!

3.2 Acquiring Items: Library Book Cards & Parchment Scrolls

Question: How are Library Book Cards acquired and managed?

Answer: You can pick up Library Book Cards only by visiting the Library space on the Main Board.

  • Keep in mind that a House Player can only hold 1 Library Book Card at a time.
  • If you don't have one when landing on the Library, pick 1 of the 2 face-up cards on the Side Board and set it on your House Player Board.
  • You MUST resolve the effect of the new Library Book Card (along with any follow-up effects) as soon as you get it.
  • Then, fill the open slot on the Side Board face-up from the Library Book Deck.

Question: How do House Players acquire a Parchment Scroll?

Answer: Getting a Parchment Scroll is a handy Free Action! If a House Player has pawns in 2 of the 3 spots shown on their active House Player Location Cards, they can reveal those 2 cards, put them at the bottom of the House Player Location Deck, and grab 1 Parchment Scroll.

  • When claiming your first scroll, draw 2 new House Player Location Cards to keep your hand at 3.
  • When claiming your second scroll, discard your last House Player Location Card—you won't draw any more location cards for the rest of the game.

Question: What happens to my House Player Location Cards when I claim my second Parchment Scroll?

Answer: When claiming your second Parchment Scroll, you must discard your remaining House Player Location Card to the bottom of the deck. You are permanently locked out from drawing or receiving any more Location Cards for the remainder of the game.

3.3 The Dark Detector & Hogwarts Loyalty Track

Question: How is the Dark Detector obtained on the Hogwarts Loyalty Track?

Answer: You can move up the Hogwarts Loyalty Track by landing on spaces with a Dark Detector icon, playing specific cards, or discarding 2 cards during a Learn action for an Advanced Acquire Row card. You win the Dark Detector token when your pawn reaches space 5 or higher, provided you're further along the track than anyone else.

Question: What happens when a player overtakes or lands on the final space occupied by the Dark Detector holder?

Answer: If you reach the last space of the Hogwarts Loyalty Track where the current Dark Detector holder is resting, they must hand the Dark Detector over to you. That player then steps back 1 space on the track and draws 1 card from their Draw Deck.

Question: What happens to the Dark Detector when it is relinquished for a Defence Shield?

Answer: When you trade in the Dark Detector for a Defence Shield, move your pawn back 3 spaces on the Hogwarts Loyalty Track. Return the Dark Detector to its spot on the Side Board—unless another House Player is already at space 5 or higher, in which case it passes directly to them!

3.4 Dumbledore’s Army (D.A.) Coins & Room of Requirement

Question: When is the Room of Requirement revealed on the board?

Answer: The Room of Requirement Board Piece makes its entrance on the Main Board as soon as any House Player Pawn hits or passes space 5 on the Hogwarts Loyalty Track.

Question: How is a D.A. Coin collected?

Answer: Once the Room of Requirement is open, any House Player who steps into or ends a move on the Room of Requirement space gets 1 D.A. Coin from the supply. Just remember, you can only hold 1 D.A. Coin at a time.

Question: What causes the Room of Requirement to close, and what happens to pawns inside?

Answer: The Room of Requirement vanishes from the board whenever all House Player Pawns drop below space 5 on the Hogwarts Loyalty Track. If your pawn is inside when it closes, it gets stuck there until someone reaches space 5+ to reveal the room again!

4. Player Actions, Hand Management & Replenishing

4.1 Main Actions Overview

Question: What Main Actions are available during a player's turn?

Answer: You get to pick exactly 1 Main Action on your turn:

  • Explore: Play a card from your hand to resolve its movement or effect in whatever order you like. Everyone can do this!
  • Learn: Grab new cards to power up your deck. This is strictly for House Players (as long as you have at least 1 pawn outside a Protected Area).
  • Replenish: Reset your hand and stand up stunned pawns. Available to all players, though details vary by faction.

Question: What options exist when taking the Learn Action?

Answer: When a House Player chooses to Learn, they have three options:

  1. Discard 1 card from hand to claim 1 face-up card from the standard Acquire Row.
  2. Discard 1 card from hand to draw the top face-down card from the Acquire Deck.
  3. Discard 2 cards from hand to take 1 face-up card from the Advanced Acquire Row AND move ahead 1 space on the Hogwarts Loyalty Track. Note: Always place new cards face-down on top of your Draw Deck.
  4. Question: How are the Acquire Row and Advanced Acquire Row replenished when cards are taken?
    Answer: Whenever cards are taken from either row, slide remaining face-up cards to the right, then draw from the House Player Acquire Deck to refill the empty spaces on the left.

4.2 Discard Rules & Hand Replenishment

Question: How does the Replenish Action differ between House Players and the Dark Arts Player?

Answer: The Replenish rules depend on which side you're playing:

  1. House Players:
  2. You can discard any number of cards from your hand before drawing back up to 5 cards total.
  3. Stand up all your stunned pawns.
  4. You MUST advance the Dark Arts Marker 1 space on the Dark Arts Path.
  5. Dark Arts Player:
  6. Stand up all your stunned pawns.
  7. Draw until you have 5 cards in hand (you CANNOT discard cards from hand).
  8. Do NOT advance the Dark Arts Marker on the Dark Arts Path.

4.3 Free Actions & Hogwarts Tokens

Question: What Free Actions can House Players perform?

Answer: Along with their 1 Main Action, House Players can perform two Free Actions during their turn in any order:

  • Gain a Parchment Scroll: Discard matching location cards when your pawns are in place.
  • Use a Hogwarts Token: Play an additional matching card.

Question: How are Hogwarts Tokens acquired, and when can they be used?

Answer: There are 7 distinct Hogwarts Tokens matching the 7 card types (Creatures & Beings, Charms, D.A.D.A., Potions, Transfiguration & Spell Casting, Herbology, Items & Artefacts).

  • A House Player claims a token by landing on its dedicated Main Board space (you can hold up to 1 token at a time).
  • You can't use a Hogwarts Token on the turn you acquire it—save it for a future turn!
  • On a later turn, before or after your Main Action, return the token to its space to play an extra card from hand with a matching icon for an extra Explore action.

5. Game End & Victory Conditions

5.1 House Player Victory

Question: How do House Players win the game?

Answer: Any House Player immediately secures victory the moment they collect their second Defence Shield!

5.2 Dark Arts Player Victory

Question: What conditions must the Dark Arts Player fulfil to win the game?

Answer: The Dark Arts Player wins by meeting two combined goals:

  1. Progress Tokens: Collect all 3 Dark Arts Progress Tokens (Giant from the White Zone, Acromantula from the Orange Zone, and Dementor from the Red Zone) along the Dark Arts Path via Event Cards.
  2. Location Occupation: Draw the Dark Arts Player Location Card and land the required number of Dark Arts Pawns on that location space at the same time.

Question: How does the Dark Arts Path position dictate the required number of pawns at the Dark Arts Location?

Answer: When taking the final progress token in the Red Zone, check the active Red Event Space to see how many pawns you need:

  • First Red Event Space: Requires 3 Dark Arts Pawns on the location at once.
  • Next Red Event Space: Requires 2 Dark Arts Pawns on the location at once.
  • Final Space of Dark Arts Path: Requires only 1 Dark Arts Pawn on the location to win.

5.3 Endgame Lock & Draw Conditions

Question: What is the Endgame Lock and when is it triggered?

Answer: The Endgame Lock triggers immediately when the Dark Arts Marker reaches the final space on the Dark Arts Path. Here's what happens:

  • All players immediately draw up to 5 cards into their hand.
  • The  Replenish Action is permanently disabled  for the rest of the game.
  • Play continues using only the final 5 cards in hand (plus any valid card draw/bonus space mechanics).

Question: Under what circumstances does the game end in a Draw?

Answer: The game ends in a Draw if everyone plays through their final 5-card hand without any House Player getting 2 Defence Shields and without the Dark Arts Player placing the required pawns on the Dark Arts Player Location.

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