Scenario Kit 1 – The Benefactor: Dungeons & Dragons Onslaught

Onslaught – The Benefactor – Preparation:

Clear that dining table again as it is time for another six battles of Onslaught – The Benefactor! The expansion works with the Onslaught core box set but with a few addons to conditions and loot pile treasures as well as six new monsters to deal with, so you will need a little more space than last time too.

Onslaught – The Benefactor, holds to the core rules with some minor changes in condition possibilities and chest content but follows the of operational rules of Onslaught, and you may need to brush up on the rule book and scenarios up front, particularly if it’s been a while, so that the games mechanics are understood. This is well covered in the Onslaught rulebook and scenarios booklet, and the scenario book has a step by step walk through as an example if you are still a little rusty on the details.

Onslaught – The Benefactor at Play:

The game is designed as a head-to-head two player game as with the original core set, where scenarios are set with objectives, where victory points are awarded for meeting key objectives including dispatching the enemy player, some monsters or completing the task set in the scenario. The winner is the player with the most victory points after the allotted number of rounds or completing the main objective. The order of play is decided by randomly selecting initiative cards where each player gets to have the first action alternatively, whether that be a strike, hide or run back to the Distant Lands Inn. Combat is conducted in a traditional D&D dice throwing, although with an interesting twist to accept standard ability capability and cover elements such as elevation and limited line of sight. Hit points and damage points are scaled down for this game compared to the role playing with a Dungeon Master model as with the Onslaught core box set. Be careful though! You might take out the enemy players, just for the monsters to finish you off, so no shame in dropping the enemy in hot water with the monsters, while you grab the loot and there is some good stuff hiding in those chests and now chests that hold more goodies too.

Cards, Miniature, Scenario’s, and Tokens

The Benefactor expansion relies on the Onslaught box core set box to provide a variety of enemy / hero, levelling up, monster, operation & treasure cards. The Benefactor – brings a mixture of monster cards, three large monster champion cards one with a dial, three smaller monster cards and a combat dial card that can be used with monster cards without a dial to count hit points, movement & armour class. The set also contains sixteen treasure cards for the loot kitty. These are mostly, nicely designed with the key elements included with consistent text and symbols used for the game. You may need some means to keep them contained to minimise wear and prevent accidental damage. No miniatures are supplied with this scenario kit, but suitable units are recommended to represent the monsters within the scenarios when not supplied from the Onslaught core box set. Two replacement dial centre parts front and back were also included in the kit.

Onslaught – The Benefactor includes several leaflets detailing six scenarios but relying on the Onslaught core scenarios to provide a walk through to aid explaining environments, combat, monsters, movement & treasure etc. With the scenario’s encompassing all the elements supplied with the Benefactor Set and the Onslaught core set, with the scenarios becoming more challenging as you progress through them. Treasure comprises mostly of items offering enhanced abilities or magic protection, swapping, and dropping of treasure is allowed, so you can enhance your character as you desire, as items become available through the scenarios. Sixty-seven tokens depicting treasure, hazards and other elements of the expansion are also included.

‘WHO DARES WAKE ME FROM MY SLUMBER’ growled the black dragon.

It was at this point it dawned on the wise white wizard that he should have mentioned that the shiny sword was covered in monster attractant or cursed or something and the young Paladin may have now needed that cloak of concealment he swapped for the shiny sword. Guess a new bodyguard will be needed.

Life after Onslaught – The Benefactor.

Expansions for Onslaught. There are already several expansions available with further additional units due to be released early 2025. These include: –

Player Character or Faction Expansion sets:

Several of these are available including, Many Arrows, Red Wizards, Sellswords, Harpers and Zhentarim etc. These being interchangeable for the core set factions and include pre-painted miniatures, level up & character cards & tokens.

Maps & Monsters Expansion:

Nightmare of the Frogmire coven – Includes eight scenarios, including one solo adventure and one, three to four player scenario. A double-sided map with additional terrain elements and eight monster miniatures including their respective monster cards.

Accessories:

Chest – Useful to hold the dice, level up and smaller monster cards & tokens.

Minis – These are suggested from existing range of products either, pre-painted of unpainted for the most part for the scenario kits, which do not include miniatures but normally come with a discount code but is geared up for the US region.

Coming Soon:

Tendrils of the Lichen Lich (Starter Kit) – Includes six scenarios, four double sided maps, eight pre-painted miniatures & includes two new factions.

Grasp of the Mind Flayer (Scenario Kit) – Includes six scenarios, new monster & item cards, and tokens – no miniatures.

The Great Giant Games (Scenario Kit) – Includes six scenarios, new monster & champion cards & tokens (for use with Tendrils of the Lichen Lich set).

Faction Expansion Sets – Sellswords two, – includes four pre-painted miniatures, character dial cards, level up cards & tokens.