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The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era
Chip Theory Games · 2025
1–4120–240 min14+ yrs4.1/5 complexity8.9 BGG#185 BGG8,4 KCo-op
⚡ short answer
How do you play The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era?
The primary objective when using the Shadow skill line is to leverage Stealth status dice for tactical advantages. Shadow Cloak allows you to gain Stealth and ignore enemy defense. Path of Darkness enables strategic repositioning on the map by expending Stealth. Shadow Barrier provides a way to gain Stealth by taking additional damage, which can be beneficial in certain situations. Dark Veil focuses on generating Stealth or recovering other Shadow skill dice, making it a resource management tool.
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the rules in 60 seconds▶ auto · 1/6
🧩
01
Setup
The Shadow skill line is from the Thief constellation and is associated with stamina, allowing dice to be rolled in any battle form.
The rules, step by step
Setup
The Shadow skill line is part of the Thief constellation, indicated by a small icon at the bottom of the reference sheet. It is primarily associated with stamina, meaning you can roll Shadow skill dice in any battle form, unlike some other skill lines that require specific battle forms. This flexibility allows Shadow skills to be integrated into various character builds, including spellcaster builds, for action economy benefits.
Objective
The primary objective when using the Shadow skill line is to leverage Stealth status dice for tactical advantages. Shadow Cloak allows you to gain Stealth and ignore enemy defense. Path of Darkness enables strategic repositioning on the map by expending Stealth. Shadow Barrier provides a way to gain Stealth by taking additional damage, which can be beneficial in certain situations. Dark Veil focuses on generating Stealth or recovering other Shadow skill dice, making it a resource management tool.
On your turn
During your turn, you can roll Shadow skill dice, which require stamina, in any battle form. For example, if you have two stamina, you can roll two Shadow dice. If you roll other skill dice that require different stats (like magicka for Destruction dice), your stamina remains available for Shadow dice in the same engagement. When resolving Shadow Cloak, you gain a Stealth status die and place it in your active slot. You can then exhaust this die to ignore enemy defense. Path of Darkness allows you to remove a Stealth die from your cooldown track to teleport to the die's hex, dealing true damage to any unit occupying it. Shadow Barrier lets you take one additional damage after an adventurer takes damage to gain a Stealth status die. Dark Veil allows you to reduce its counter to gain Stealth or recover another Shadow skill die.
Scoring
Shadow skills do not directly contribute to scoring points in 'The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era.' Instead, they provide significant tactical advantages that indirectly help achieve quest objectives and survive encounters. By ignoring enemy defense, repositioning units, managing fatigue, and disrupting enemy skills, Shadow abilities enhance your party's overall effectiveness and survivability, which are crucial for successfully completing quests and advancing in the game.
Game end
The game ends when the quest is completed or all adventurers are defeated. The Shadow skill line contributes to the game's conclusion by providing tools for strategic combat and movement. Abilities like ignoring defense and repositioning can help defeat tough enemies or escape dangerous situations, while fatigue removal and damage mitigation contribute to the party's endurance. Effectively utilizing Shadow skills can be key to surviving challenging encounters and reaching the quest's successful conclusion.
Tips
Shadow Cloak is a reliable source of Stealth, offering a 50/50 chance to either ignore 1-2 defense or gain 1 Light Fatigue and Stealth. Remember you can choose the order of resolving dice to maximize its effect. Refreshing Shadows is a utility die with no misses, allowing you to gain bonus HP or remove Light Fatigue based on units with Stealth. Path of Darkness is a status die that allows teleportation to any unoccupied hex in a straight line by expending Stealth, dealing true damage if the hex is occupied. Shadow Barrier is an active die that lets an adventurer take 1 additional damage to gain a Stealth status die, useful for preventing more severe damage or triggering other Stealth-dependent abilities. Aspect of Terror on Level 3 is incredibly strong, allowing you to apply a Fear status die to an adjacent enemy or any enemy on your tile by removing a Stealth die, effectively ignoring enemy skills. Dark Veil on Level 4 can be used as a resource generator for Stealth or to recover other Shadow skill dice, but be mindful of its 'start of your turn' timing to avoid wasting its effect.
🔬 game anatomy
Complexity4.1 / 5
BGG rating8.9 / 10
Vibe
Co-op
Language dependence
Extensive text — heavy translation needed
Play time
120–240 min
Players
1–4
Recommended age
14+ yrs
BGG rank
#185
✨ from Trișache · verified
Frequently asked questions
Q1What is the goal of the game?
The primary objective when using the Shadow skill line is to leverage Stealth status dice for tactical advantages. Shadow Cloak allows you to gain Stealth and ignore enemy defense. Path of Darkness enables strategic repositioning on the map by expending Stealth. Shadow Barrier provides a way to gain Stealth by taking additional damage, which can be beneficial in certain situations. Dark Veil focuses on generating Stealth or recovering other Shadow skill dice, making it a resource management tool.
Q2How do you set up the game?
The Shadow skill line is part of the Thief constellation, indicated by a small icon at the bottom of the reference sheet. It is primarily associated with stamina, meaning you can roll Shadow skill dice in any battle form, unlike some other skill lines that require specific battle forms. This flexibility allows Shadow skills to be integrated into various character builds, including spellcaster builds, for action economy benefits.
Q3How does a turn work?
During your turn, you can roll Shadow skill dice, which require stamina, in any battle form. For example, if you have two stamina, you can roll two Shadow dice. If you roll other skill dice that require different stats (like magicka for Destruction dice), your stamina remains available for Shadow dice in the same engagement. When resolving Shadow Cloak, you gain a Stealth status die and place it in your active slot. You can then exhaust this die to ignore enemy defense. Path of Darkness allows you to remove a Stealth die from your cooldown track to teleport to the die's hex, dealing true damage to any unit occupying it. Shadow Barrier lets you take one additional damage after an adventurer takes damage to gain a Stealth status die. Dark Veil allows you to reduce its counter to gain Stealth or recover another Shadow skill die.
Q4How is scoring calculated?
Shadow skills do not directly contribute to scoring points in 'The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era.' Instead, they provide significant tactical advantages that indirectly help achieve quest objectives and survive encounters. By ignoring enemy defense, repositioning units, managing fatigue, and disrupting enemy skills, Shadow abilities enhance your party's overall effectiveness and survivability, which are crucial for successfully completing quests and advancing in the game.
Q5When and how does the game end?
The game ends when the quest is completed or all adventurers are defeated. The Shadow skill line contributes to the game's conclusion by providing tools for strategic combat and movement. Abilities like ignoring defense and repositioning can help defeat tough enemies or escape dangerous situations, while fatigue removal and damage mitigation contribute to the party's endurance. Effectively utilizing Shadow skills can be key to surviving challenging encounters and reaching the quest's successful conclusion.
Q6What tips are there for beginners?
Shadow Cloak is a reliable source of Stealth, offering a 50/50 chance to either ignore 1-2 defense or gain 1 Light Fatigue and Stealth. Remember you can choose the order of resolving dice to maximize its effect. Refreshing Shadows is a utility die with no misses, allowing you to gain bonus HP or remove Light Fatigue based on units with Stealth. Path of Darkness is a status die that allows teleportation to any unoccupied hex in a straight line by expending Stealth, dealing true damage if the hex is occupied. Shadow Barrier is an active die that lets an adventurer take 1 additional damage to gain a Stealth status die, useful for preventing more severe damage or triggering other Stealth-dependent abilities. Aspect of Terror on Level 3 is incredibly strong, allowing you to apply a Fear status die to an adjacent enemy or any enemy on your tile by removing a Stealth die, effectively ignoring enemy skills. Dark Veil on Level 4 can be used as a resource generator for Stealth or to recover other Shadow skill dice, but be mindful of its 'start of your turn' timing to avoid wasting its effect.
Q7How much does The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era cost?
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Q8Where can I buy The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era cheapest?
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Q9How do you play The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era?
The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era is a adventure game, for 1–4 players, taking ~120–240 minutes, featuring cooperative game. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q10How many players does The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era support?
The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era is played by 1–4 players.
Mechanics & categories