Unboxing… Forbidden Creed

Greetings Adventurers!

Hot on the heels of Oblivion’s Maw comes Forbidden Creed. The second narrative expansion for Maladum: Dungeons of Enveron. Just like its predecessor, this new expansion features a brand-new campaign to play through, new cards, new miniatures and new rules, this time for Forbidden Magic and Companions.

What’s in the box?

Are these guys with us?

Forbidden Creed comes with thirteen new miniatures consisting of five Adventurers, six Companions, one new Adversary (or possibly ally) and one Wandering Beast.

Four of these new Adventurers (Chiau, Corazon, Kaan and Phedra) represent The Cabal. During the Forbidden Creed campaign these characters are powerful Adversaries and are actively working against you, attempting to harness the power of the Ascendant – the disembodied spirit of a once powerful Maladaar.

They cannot be chosen as party members during the campaign, however, they can all be recruited as Adventurers afterwards and each comes with a Character board and Class board, introducing three brand-new classes that use Forbidden Magic – The Deceiver, Eremite and Warlock.

Chiau, Corazon and Phedra each rival Moranna for sheer might of magic, each boasting a Magic statistic of seven. Meanwhile Kaan laughs at Grogmar with an almighty Unarmed Attack of three!

The fifth Adventurer is Numinor. He can be recruited as normal, and his high Health statistic makes him a great frontline fighter. With a relatively high Magic statistic he would make a great Paladin or someone that can reliably channel magic weapons in a straight up fight where other characters might struggle to do so.

Masters of the Forbidden

Some Maladaar never train within the sanctioned guilds. These Unsanctioned spellcasters discover their powers on their own, often through traumatic awakenings that leave them physically and mentally scarred. Lacking formal training, they cannot cast even the simplest of conventional spells. Yet this lack of structure gives them access to raw magical potential far beyond that of their guild-trained counterparts.

The Deceiver, Eremite, and Warlock are all Unsanctioned Maladaar. They alone can cast Forbidden Magic. These unchecked sinister powers allow them to take control of Otherworldly characters, create dimensional portals, or even summon their own Revenants to fight on their behalf.

When casting a Spell, Unsanctioned Maladaar do so using the new Forbidden Magic die. Unlike standard spellcasting, Forbidden Magic comes with the constant risk of Corruption. This new die can Corrupt the caster or siphon power from others.

Each time a character becomes Corrupted, they must swap one of their green Health pegs for a black one. If every remaining Health peg turns black, the character loses control, instantly becoming an NPC who views all others as enemies attacking indiscriminately.

Though corruption is dangerous, it also offers temptation. Corrupted Maladaar can channel their dark affliction to enhance their spells, turning even their downfall into a weapon. But lose control, and you may find your greatest asset has become your deadliest enemy.

This descent into madness isn’t just temporary. Each time a character loses control, a piece of their identity is lost. Each time an Adventurer loses control you must mark the left most Health space on their character board. They then start all future Quests with as many black Corruption pegs as Health spaces crossed out. Beginning a downward spiral into madness.

Repeating this too often leads to an Adventurer crossing out all of their current Health spaces. Should that happen, they fall irredeemably to the corruption, vanishing into the wilderness.

This mechanic isn’t limited to spellcasting either; various encounters or environments may lead your characters down a darker path if you are not careful.

A Helping Hand… or Paw

This expansion also introduces Companions. The six Companion miniatures represent servants or pets that you can hire on your journey through Enveron.

You can hire Companions in the Market Phase the same way you hire new Adventurers. The new Deceiver or Warlock classes can even summon some.

Companions function the same way as Adventurers however those with the Creature icon will still be restricted in what actions they can take. They even gain experience like Adventurers and can acquire Companion upgrades like additional Health or Armour.

Each Companion board is double sided. One side features the named character version included in the expansion while the other side provides generic statistics if you want to use other miniatures as Companions.

Additional help for your party comes in the form of Apprentices. Unskilled characters without a Class board that wish to become Adventurers. If they can survive long enough and prove themselves, they gain a Class board and become a full-fledged Adventurer. Although fragile and inexperienced they offer a useful and cheap option to add members to the party if needed.

A CURSE ON BOTH YOUR HOUSES

Forbidden Creed brings a new status effect to games of Maladum. Cursed.

A character can become cursed through Event Cards, Quest specific interactions, Spells or from enemies wielding one of the new weapons included in the expansion.

A Cursed character must re-roll one successful die in every single roll they make while the curse persists. A Cursed counter can only be removed by becoming Blessed or by rolling a Critical or ‘6’ result while Cursed.

It may seem like a small inconvenience, but it can quickly turn a mighty victory into a crushing defeat if not taken care of quickly.

THE ASCENDANT

The Ascendant is the disembodied spirit of what was once a powerful Maladaar. Having transcended the mortal world, it has become one with the elements. While revered as a demi-god, it uses its power to maintain balance in the world, being neither a force for good nor evil, except when summoned and bound to another’s will.

The Ascendant can be summoned by collecting talismans. Once summoned it becomes tethered to its master.

During the Forbidden Creed campaign, the Cabal have already acquired all of these talismans and you must race against time to track them down and prevent them summoning and controlling the Ascendant.

Tethering is a new mechanic that determines who the Ascendant answers to and it can fluctuate and change during any given Quest with Adversary Commanders attempting to become the tether and wrest control of this powerful being, forcing it to complete their machinations.

The Ascendant does not have its own dashboard and pegs, instead using those of its master. Meaning if it takes damage, its master does instead. While it is certainly a powerful force to shackle to your will, it is both a boon and a liability.

NEW CARDS AND NEW LOOT

A new campaign brings with it a new Campaign Log. There are also reference cards for the Ascendant and the Cabal. Owners of the Of Ale and Adventure expansion will find two new hidden locations to discover as well as two more side quests that can introduce the talismans needed to summon the Ascendant and the Cabal to other campaigns or standalone Quests.

New environment event cards that represent the trials and pitfalls of the mountaintop are also included to provide more variety to your dungeon delving. New equipment includes totems that can give Adventurers the ability to cast different Forbidden Spells, two new Relics to craft, and a variety of items that bestow or prevent the Cursed ability.

THERE UPON A MOUNTAINTOP

Finally, the Forbidden Creed expansion also includes six sheets of snowy themed, multi-level terrain to represent the Meera mountains. This terrain adds height and thematic flavour to your dungeon layouts. New dungeon furniture such as the Sepulchre and hanging Braziers further enhance the atmosphere.

Forbidden Creed is a potent addition to Maladum, offering narrative depth, high-stakes magic, and thrilling new mechanics that will test the limits of your party. Whether you’re summoning Companions, risking corruption, or dodging curses, Forbidden Creed rewrites the rules of engagement.

---