The Of Ale and Adventure expansion introduces a whole host of new elements to Maladum. These additions not only change dynamics within a dungeon itself but also introduce engaging activities and potential events during a party’s rest phrase.
Both new and seasoned adventurers alike gain access to new equipment, side quests, additional adventurers, who also have the capacity to turn up as NPCs in game, and a whole new crafting system.
This is a transformative addition to the game Maladum: Dungeons of Enveron. Want to know everything that comes in the box?
If you missed it, we also a brief version of this blog post as a Youtube video below.
New Terrain and Map Elements
This expansion isn’t just about what you bring to the table, it’s also about what’s on the table. Of Ale and Adventure introduces a variety of new terrain pieces that deepen the gameplay and storytelling opportunities in Maladum.
- Treasure Chests: These ornate, gold-filled chests offer substantial rewards when dragged back to the staging area, but doing so requires clever teamwork and resource management.
- Trapdoors: Hidden access points that connect rooms, adding a new layer of exploration and danger.
- Tapestries: Perfect for stealthy characters, these can be used as hiding spots or even stripped for crafting materials like Textiles.
- Braziers: These light sources can be lit or extinguished, impacting visibility and gameplay dynamics.
- Altars and Plinths: Often tied to specific quests, these Searchable terrain pieces create focal points for puzzles and loot discovery.
These additions don’t just add flair to the map, they create meaningful decisions for the party to make on whether or not to interact with them.
8 new Characters
This expansion brings with it a host of new faces that can be played as adventurers within a party or, as with the characters in the core set, they may also turn up in the dungeon as NPCs that may either help, hinder or require the party’s help.
12 Class Boards
Within this expansion you get 12 double sided class boards, including the new classes of Druid, Paladin, Magus, Swindler, Strategist, Maestro, Curator, Blacksmith, Contender and Rambler.
The additional class boards such as Sellsword and Guardian mean that you can double up on existing classes in own party, or if you’re looking to run multiple parties into a dungeon you’re not limited based on what the other player has already picked. If you’re planning on doing this you may also need an extra set of Adventurer Dashboards too.
The new classes add a menagerie of new Townsfolk Skills that continue to add more flavour and versatility to the party should you choose to include them.
- Herbalism improves your ability to make use of gathered herbs and fungi, allowing you to craft potions and poisons.
- Loremaster enhances specific skills of your party members while increasing the chances of uncovering Hidden Locations or finding Rare items.
- Blacksmith enables you to repair damaged equipment and makes crafting new items more straightforward.
- Tactical Gift supports your team by boosting their mobility or enhancing their effectiveness in coordinated combat situations.
These skills make each class feel distinct and impactful, offering a new layer of depth to party composition and strategy.
15 Event Cards
These events include encounters with empowered Denizens, hidden Side Quests, and unexpected treasures, as well as moments of dismay such as plunging the dungeon into darkness or unleashing powerful magical disturbances. Adventurers may face unique dilemmas, like negotiating with traders, crafting traps in the heat of battle, or dealing with foes bent on plunder or capture.
Each card adds new layers of strategy, forces you and your party to adapt and make critical decisions that shape the outcome of their quest. Event Cards blend seamlessly with the core set, just shuffle them into the deck and add them to any existing campaign.
16 Side Quest cards
A classic element of fantasy storytelling that adds a huge dollop of drama to any adventure. You’ll be battling through the dungeon, trying to defeat an evil sorcerer or rescue a captured noble, but all the way you’ll be wondering if you have time to retrieve that obscure object the strange hermit told you about…
Side quests incentivise you to push your luck and explore areas of the dungeon you wouldn’t normally explore. They are often high risk but high reward, and they certainly give you a good story to tell afterwards!
Your party must make critical decisions about how (or even whether) to complete all the tasks available to them. Just beware that failing to complete a Side Quest will often have consequences such as a loss of Renown for your party!
8 Hidden Location Cards
Who knows what could be lurking just around the corner?
Secret passageways, concealed entrances and mysterious chambers hidden in the walls, could come into play with this new deck of numbered cards and a set of matching tokens.
The tokens work just like traps, albeit with a more positive effect! They go into the token pouch and drawing them during a Search action represents finding a concealed entrance.
When you find one, you draw the card with the matching number to see what you’ve discovered.
These cards add more of the emergent narrative that our games are famous for to all of your quests in an easily accessible way.
Whether your party take time to enter them and find the treasures or horrors within, well that’s up to you.
Introduction of Crafting
Crafting in Maladum introduces the opportunity for lower-level parties to gain access to much more powerful equipment earlier in a campaign. Everything you need, including crafting components, comes within the 279 additional tokens that are included in this expansion.
Some of the new resources include: Steel, Textiles, Keltic Steel, Graam Ore, and even rarities like Powdered Drakon Bone and Serpent Venom. Each offers unique crafting opportunities and some can be used in their raw form for immediate effects, meaning every adventurer can tailor their equipment to suit their strategy.
To learn more about crafting you can watch our video here. Or we will be releasing another blog post soon which we will link here and share on our socials once this is ready. If you really can’t wait, have a read of our part two update on Of Ale and Adventure.
Relics: Legendary Items to Pursue
For adventurers seeking the rarest of rewards, the expansion introduces Relics, unique legendary items that can only be rebuilt through crafting. These powerful tools require special, rare resources like Extract of Maladite and narrative quests to obtain.
Examples of relics include: weapons that amplify magical abilities, armour that grants immunity to status effects, and artefacts that alter the rules of combat.
Relics provide long-term goals for adventurers who want to explore every nook and cranny of the game, adding even more reason to head back into the dungeons.
Whether you’re diving into Maladum for the first time or are already a seasoned adventurer, the Of Ale and Adventure expansion takes the game to new heights.
With its rich blend of characters, classes, crafting, and dynamic new mechanics, it offers endless opportunities to shape your story, challenge your strategies, and immerse yourself in the ever-evolving Kingdom of Enveron. Be sure to explore the expansion for yourself, and don’t forget to share your adventures with us on social media we’d love to hear about your party’s triumphs and trials!
Share by either tagging us @battlesystems or using #maladum
Start the conversation