Frosthaven has a wide range of character classes, and each one comes with its own mechanics, special abilities, and tricky interactions. Some cards are easy to understand at first, but questions can come up when you combine persistent effects, summons, elemental infusions, forced movement, or special attack rules.
In this Frosthaven character guide, we’ll go through the official FAQ clarifications for the classes covered in the supplied document. if you’re playing Drifter, Blinkblade, Banner Spear, Deathwalker, Boneshaper, Geminate, or one of the unlockable classes, you’ll find explanations for the rules that can otherwise slow down your game.
Frosthaven 1.0 Character Guide – All Classes Guide, Tier List
I’ve organized the guide by character so you can jump directly to the class you’re using. It covers persistent abilities, card timing, summons, Masteries, conditions, damage, and individual card interactions. Some sections contain class and campaign spoilers, so skip the relevant sections if you want to discover those mechanics yourself.
8.1 Drifter Character Guide
The Drifter relies on persistent abilities and use-slot tracks to maintain bonuses throughout a scenario. The most important thing to understand is when those slots are used up and when an effect or card is lost.
When Do You Gain XP From Persistent Abilities?
You gain experience when moving your token forward along a persistent ability’s track. Moving backward does not award experience, even if you pass an XP marker.
If you later move forward over that marker again, you can gain the experience again.
Can You Keep Crushing Weight Active on Its Last Charge?
No. If Crushing Weight (1) is on its final use slot, using the top of Sustained Momentum does not allow you to keep it active.
Once you use the final slot, the card is lost immediately after the ability finishes. This applies to similar persistent abilities as well: you cannot use another effect to preserve a card after its final use slot has been consumed.
How Does Precision Aim Work With Multitarget Attacks?
Precision Aim (1) adds range, but what happens when its use slots run out depends on the attack.
If you use a red-hex area-of-effect ability such as the bottom of Destructive Fury, the range is determined by the first attack and remains in effect for the entire ability.
For other attacks, the range bonus disappears immediately when you run out of charges.
What Does Continuous Health Increase?
Continuous Health (1) increases any Heal abilities you perform, whether you heal yourself or another character.
This includes healing from:
- Long Rests.
- Regenerate.
- Items such as the Amulet of Health.
The Heal abilities associated with Regenerate and Long Rests are optional, so you can choose not to use them.
How Long Do Unbreakable and Chunk of Flesh Shields Last?
Each use slot of these persistent abilities provides Shield for one attack that deals damage.
The shield is not a permanent bonus for the rest of the round. Each slot is tied to an individual damaging attack.
Can You Choose Not to Use a Persistent Ability?
No, not when its trigger conditions are met. Use-slot persistent abilities and items are mandatory when their conditions apply.
Can Scavenger Help With a Loot-Based Personal Quest?
No. A quest such as A Study of Plants specifically requires progress through loot tokens. The Drifter’s Scavenger perk does not satisfy that requirement.
8.2 Blinkblade Character Guide
The Blinkblade’s Fast and Slow timing mechanics can change how its actions work. Remember that added abilities are generally mandatory, while additional effects and optional costs follow their own rules.
How Do Range Modifications Affect Melee Attacks?
When an ability adds range to a melee attack, the attack’s range becomes 1 plus the added range, and it becomes a ranged attack.
For example, using the top of Kinetic Transfer while Slow turns the attack into a ranged attack with Range 2.
As indicated on the Blinkblade’s character board, this range modification is mandatory. You cannot choose to ignore it.
What Does “Mandatory” Mean for Fast and Slow Abilities?
The Blinkblade’s Fast and Slow effects can add abilities or effects to a card. These additions are mandatory when their conditions are met, but that does not mean every possible effect on the card must be used.
Here is how the distinction works:
- Added abilities: You must perform an added ability if you are able to perform it.
- Added effects: You must apply the added effect to the relevant ability, but you can still choose not to use optional parts of that ability.
- Costs: If an effect requires you to pay a cost, such as spending a time token or poisoning yourself, you can decline to pay the cost and skip that trigger.
Must You Move or Attack When Fast?
Yes, if the added ability can be performed.
For example, if you use the top of Twin Strike (1) while Fast, you must perform its added Move if you are able to move. Similarly, the bottom of Precision Timing (4) requires you to perform its added Attack if you can attack a targetable enemy.
With an added Move, you must move at least one hex if movement is possible. Frosthaven does not allow a Move 0. If you have at least Move 2, you can generally move out of a hex and return to it.
With an added Attack, you must attack if an eligible enemy is within range. However, you are not required to move into range, attack the maximum number of targets, or apply additional optional effects.
If you cannot perform the added ability because you are Immobilized, Disarmed, surrounded, or unable to target an enemy, the mandatory ability is skipped.
This rule applies to abilities added by Fast or Slow. An ability that is merely modified by the timing effect, rather than added, can still be skipped as normal.
Do Fast and Slow Affect Default Actions?
No. The default Move 2 and Attack 2 actions are not modified by Fast or Slow effects on the relevant card half.
You are still considered Fast or Slow for other purposes.
Hit and Run — What Counts as an Attack Action?
To use the bottom of Hit and Run (1) correctly, you must perform at least one Attack ability during the action for it to count as an attack action.
For example, if you use the top of Twin Strike but never actually make an attack, you cannot then claim the Move 3 from Hit and Run on the basis that you performed an attack action.
Attacks granted by items do not count as actions or parts of actions for this rule.
Overdrive — When Does Shield 1 Apply?
When you declare that you are Slow, the Shield 1 from Overdrive (1) becomes active immediately and lasts for the entire round.
Blurry Jab — Can You Skip Wound While Fast?
Yes. When Fast turns Blurry Jab (1) into an Attack 4 with Wound, the added Fast effect is mandatory, but applying Wound remains optional.
You must perform the Attack 4 if able, but you can choose not to apply the Wound effect.
Fractured Timeline — Do a Summoning Ally’s Summons Become Your Allies?
No. Controlling a monster does not give you control over the summons that monster creates. Those summons remain enemies to you and to the monster you are controlling.
Reverse the Flow — Can You Enhance a Move Before Turning It Into an Attack?
No. You must decide to use the Move ability as an Attack ability before performing it. You cannot enhance a Move ability that you never actually performed as a Move.
However, once you have turned it into an Attack, you can use items that enhance attacks.
8.3 Banner Spear Character Guide
The Banner Spear focuses on positioning allies and coordinating formation attacks. Communication, summoned banners, and the exact shape of an attack are particularly important for this class.
How Much Can You Communicate About Formations?
You can discuss positioning and plans with your party, but you cannot communicate specific numbers or specific card names. This also includes disguised numerical references, such as saying “voting age” to communicate a particular number.
Otherwise, you can openly coordinate with your teammates. You can explain where you need an ally to stand, ask where someone expects to finish their movement, discuss possible hexes, explain which conditions you intend to apply, and identify the monsters you want to attack.
It is fine if your teammates use this information to guess your card or initiative. Team coordination is part of playing Banner Spear effectively.
Can Banners Move When Granted Move Abilities?
Yes, and moving your banners can be important to keeping them useful.
When you grant a summoned ally an ability, you decide how that ability is executed, including where the ally moves.
However, a banner has no innate movement statistic. A granted Move 2 works, but a Move +2 bonus does not work because there is no existing movement value to increase.
Do Banners Give You Their Bonuses?
Yes. Banners are summons, and you are their ally, so their applicable bonuses can benefit you.
They also count as allies for formation attacks, just like other summons.
Can You Rotate or Mirror Formation Attack Patterns?
Yes. You can rotate or mirror a formation attack pattern within the normal limits for area-of-effect patterns.
For example, with Combined Effort, your ally can be on your left or right, as long as the resulting pattern follows the permitted rules.
Does a Formation Attack Require Line of Sight to the Blue Hex Ally?
Yes. You need Line of Sight to the ally represented by the blue hex.
The ally can be on the other side of a wall, provided you still have Line of Sight to them.
Can You Use Single-Target Items With Combined Effort?
No. Even if a formation attack such as Combined Effort (1) shows only one red hex, it is still an area-of-effect pattern.
It is not considered a single-target attack for item-use purposes. Therefore, you cannot use items such as Crude Spear or Item 136 to modify it as though it were a single-target attack.
How Does the Formation Attack Mastery Work?
You must attack at least three enemies in each of three different formation attack actions.
The enemies do not have to be different each time, but the three attacks must come from separate formation attack actions.
This Mastery is generally not achievable before Level 3, although some items may make it possible earlier.
Set for the Charge — Does Forced Movement Count?
Yes. The top of Set for the Charge (1) works with forced movement as well as normal movement.
At All Costs — How Is Self-Damage Counted?
Each instance of 1 damage caused by the top of At All Costs (1) is treated as a separate source of damage.
If multiple allies receive increased HP, you do not combine all the resulting self-damage into one source.
Must You Perform a Formation Attack to Use Its Follow-Up Ability?
Yes. If an ability following a formation attack refers to the attack’s hexes, you must perform the formation attack first.
For example, if no enemies are attacked with the formation in Let Them Come (3), its subsequent Heal does not occur.
Boldening Blow — How Many Enemies Can You Target?
The “target one enemy” restriction on the top of Boldening Blow (4) applies to both the Attack and the Disarm.
You attack and Disarm one target within the red hexes.
8.4 Deathwalker Character Guide
The Deathwalker uses shadows to create attack origins and move around the battlefield. Understanding adjacency, Line of Sight, and the difference between the character and a shadow token is essential.
How Does Shadow Adjacency Work?
Under the second-printing rules, placed shadows are considered adjacent to their own hexes for all purposes, not only targeting.
When placing a new shadow, however, you still follow the normal adjacency rules.
If scenario rules force character summons onto a newly revealed tile, the Deathwalker must move their shadows in the same way on their initiative.
What Does “As If I Occupied a Hex With a Shadow” Mean?
When you perform an attack as if you occupied a shadow’s hex, treat the Deathwalker as being in that hex for the attack’s effects.
This affects several things:
- Line of Sight is checked from the shadow.
- Any pull or push is measured from the shadow.
- Relevant auras, such as a Banner of Strength, are checked against the shadow’s position.
- The attack’s other positioning requirements are determined from the shadow’s hex.
Retaliate is the exception.
Can Retaliate Damage Reach You Through a Shadow?
No. You suffer Retaliate damage only if the Deathwalker herself is within the target’s Retaliate range. Retaliate cannot travel through the shadow token.
Where Is Line of Sight Checked for Shadow Attacks?
Line of Sight is drawn from the shadow token when you perform an “as if you occupied” attack. Neither the Deathwalker nor the enemy must have Line of Sight to the other independently of that shadow-based attack.
Are Shadow Attacks Melee or Ranged?
If the attack does not specify a range, it is considered melee. If it lists a range, it is ranged.
For example, Deepening Despair (2, top) is a ranged attack because it includes a range value. Without “as if you occupied” wording, the character’s figure needs Line of Sight to the target.
Can Shadows Open Doors or Enter Unrevealed Rooms?
No. Closed doors count as walls until they are opened, and only characters can open doors unless a specific scenario rule says otherwise.
Shadow tokens cannot open doors, enter unrevealed rooms, or be placed on hexes containing closed doors.
Do Shadows Removed Because of the Limit Count for Masteries?
Yes. Shadows you are required to remove because you have exceeded the limit still count for the relevant Masteries.
How Do Multiple Heal Ally Modifier Draws Work?
Multiple Heal Ally modifier draws combine into one Heal ability. You can combine the healing on one ally or divide it among multiple allies.
If you heal one ally with multiple draws, the total is treated as one combined Heal rather than several separate Heal 1 abilities.
The range is unlimited, but Heal is a targeted ability, so Line of Sight is required. Remember that the Deathwalker is not her own ally.
Call of the Abyss — Can You Mark Multiple Enemies?
No. You cannot use this card to keep character tokens on multiple enemies at once.
If you mark a different enemy with a later attack, remove the token from the previously marked enemy before placing it on the new target.
Can Call of the Abyss Mark an Objective?
You could place a mark on an objective, but it will not create a shadow when the objective is destroyed. Objectives are destroyed, not killed.
What If You Are Stunned When the Marked Enemy Dies?
You can still place the shadow. The placement is a result of the persistent ability, rather than a new ability that you need to initiate.
Wave of Anguish — Can All Attacks Target One Enemy?
Yes, provided all your shadows are adjacent to that enemy.
You perform a separate Attack 3 ability for each shadow on the board.
Fluid Night — Can You Attack Without a Shadow?
No. The top of Fluid Night (1) requires you to attack from a shadow’s hex. Using the shadow is not optional, and neither is removing it when the ability requires it.
Fluid Night — Can You Teleport to Your Own Hex?
Yes. If you are standing on a shadow, you can teleport to your own hex. This works like swapping figures through teleportation, even though you effectively swap places with yourself.
Strength of the Abyss — Can You Remove a Shadow Used by Another Action?
No. You cannot remove a shadow with Strength of the Abyss if that shadow is being used by the action you are modifying.
This includes shadows used for bonuses, as the origin of an attack, or as a cost. If the shadow is relevant to the action in any way, you cannot remove it through this effect.
Shadow Step — Can You Open a Door During the Move?
Yes, provided you have a shadow in a valid destination hex where you can end your movement.
If opening a door causes something to happen that makes it impossible to finish in a shadow’s hex, your movement ends immediately.
You also cannot deliberately choose a path that you know will prevent you from ending in a shadow, such as entering an Immobilize trap that makes the destination impossible. You must choose a path in good faith that can end at a shadow based on what you know about the scenario.
8.5 Boneshaper Character Guide
The Boneshaper revolves around summons, including abilities that sacrifice or destroy them. The main rules questions concern what counts as a kill, how summons interact with doors and loot, and when persistent effects deal damage.
How Does the “15 Kills” Mastery Work?
You must kill your own summons using abilities or attack modifiers that specifically kill them, such as Exploding Corpse.
Unsummoning a summon or moving it into a trap does not count. You must complete the required kills within a single scenario.
Can You Exhaust and Still Complete the “Keep a Summon Alive” Mastery?
No. The summon must survive the entire scenario. Exhausting before the scenario ends does not satisfy the requirement.
Can a Summon Open a Door?
No. Unless a specific scenario rule overrides the normal rules, only characters can open doors.
Who Is Healed by the Boneshaper’s Heal 1 Modifier?
The Heal 1 modifier heals the Boneshaper, regardless of whether the Boneshaper or one of their summons draws the modifier.
Line of Sight is still required from the summon when it draws the card, because Heal is a targeted ability.
Is the “Kill Your Summon to Add +4” Modifier Mandatory?
No. Non-numeric, non-mandatory effects on an attack modifier card are optional.
You can choose not to kill the summon and use the +1 modifier instead.
Does Summon Looting Count as Your Looting?
Yes. Looting performed by your summons counts as your looting for Battle Goals and item effects that refer to you looting.
How Does the Dead on Arrival Perk Work?
With the two-check Dead on Arrival perk, you gain experience and suffer any damage required by the summon action as normal.
The summon acts immediately before your turn, starting on Round 1 of the scenario.
If you use the perk to summon the Wraith with Angry Spirits, Dark will be infused and Strong at the start of Round 1.
Exploding Corpse — Can Retaliate Kill the Summon Before the Attack Finishes?
No. Exploding Corpse is an attack by the Boneshaper against enemies adjacent to the designated summon. The summon is not the figure making the attack.
An enemy’s Retaliate only applies if the Boneshaper herself is within that monster’s Retaliate range.
Putrid Cloud — When Does Persistent Damage Happen?
Damage from Putrid Cloud (3) is resolved immediately after each attack.
This means an enemy can die from the persistent damage before completing all of its attacks in a multitarget attack ability.
Endless Numbers — Can a Skeleton End Its Move Early in the Bone Horde?
No. The “may end” wording lets a skeleton finish its normal movement in the Bone Horde’s hex. It does not give permission to stop movement early when the skeleton would otherwise continue moving.
8.6 Geminate Character Guide
The Geminate uses two forms, but the rules treat the character as having one hand of cards with restrictions based on the current form. You still bring seven cards for each form into every scenario.
How Do Card Loss and Resting Work With Two Forms?
Although it can be helpful to think of the forms as having separate hands, the Geminate really has one hand with restrictions on which cards can be played in each form.
This matters when losing cards to negate damage and when resolving rests. Remember that the requirement to bring seven cards for each form still applies.
Do You Change Form Just by Playing a Swap Card?
No. The Swap icon does not change your form by itself. You must perform at least one ability on the card’s action for the form change to happen.
How Do Precise Ranges Work With Area-of-Effect Attacks?
A target must satisfy both conditions: it must be inside the red-hex area-of-effect pattern and within the precise range bands listed for the attack.
The rules on the Geminate’s character board explain this interaction.
Can Items or Abilities Modify Precise Range Bands?
No. If an ability lists precise ranges, such as only Range 3 or 4, normal effects that increase or decrease range do not change those restrictions.
Do Persistent Loss Cards Count for the Lost-Card Mastery?
Yes. Playing a persistent loss card counts as losing a card for the purposes of this Mastery, even if the card remains active in play.
How Does a x2 Brittle Modifier Work With Disadvantage?
The rules treat non-numeric parts of modifier cards as positive but undefined. This includes negative conditions such as Brittle.
As a result, a normal x2 modifier is considered worse than a x2 Brittle modifier when resolving a disadvantaged draw.
Hornet Stingers — Can You Skip the Attack but Still Poison Allies and Change Form?
No. Any ability that refers to an attack requires that attack to have been performed.
If you do not make the attack, you cannot poison allies or change form through those linked effects.
Feeding Frenzy — Can You Avoid Damaging Allies?
The damage effect is not mandatory, so you can skip the entire ability.
However, you cannot perform only part of its sentence. If you choose to perform the effect, it applies to both allies and enemies.
Smoldering Hatred — When Do You Gain Curse and Muddle?
The Curse and Muddle are costs. They happen before you make any attacks.
Locust Host — Is There a Round Bonus?
No. The round bonus symbol shown on Locust Host (2, top) is an error. There is no round bonus for this action.
Can You Apply Muddle to Yourself if You Are Already Muddled?
Yes, unless the card’s wording specifically prohibits it.
Applying a condition you already have is permitted. For conditions that last until the end of your next turn, such as Muddle, applying the condition again resets its duration.
How Does Changeling’s Boon Work?
Changeling’s Boon has one-time abilities and a persistent effect.
When you play it, you Bless yourself once and change form at the end of your turn. After the card enters your Active area, its persistent bonus lets you convert an element into Fire or Light at the end of your turns.
The card’s wording indicates which parts happen once and which remain active.
Can You Consume an Element Infused During the Same Turn?
No. The persistent effects of Changeling’s Boon and Harvest the Essence can only consume an element that was already present at the start of your turn.
Elements infused during the current turn do not become Strong until the end-of-turn wrap-up step.
What Happens if You Gain Another Action at the End of Your Turn?
If an item or effect gives you another action at the end of your turn, you play cards from the form you are currently in.
Form changes happen during the end-of-turn wrap-up step, so a change scheduled for that step has not happened yet.
8.7 Astral (Moon and Star) Character Guide
The Astral class uses Infusions to create persistent bonuses and trigger additional abilities. Understanding when an Infusion is played, what remains active, and how its triggers interact is the key to using this class properly.
How Do Infusions Work?
When you play an Infusion, you consume the required elements and gain the persistent bonus listed on the top of the card. Some Infusions also have an “on infusion” trigger, such as an ability that activates whenever you play an Infusion.
The trigger happens immediately when the card is played, and it also activates whenever you play another Infusion while the relevant card remains active.
For example, playing Boon of the Tempest by consuming Wind and another element gives you +1 Move and Jump on all your Move abilities for the rest of the scenario. You also perform its Attack 3 trigger immediately.
If you later play Caress of the Night by consuming Dark and another element, you can Strengthen yourself from Caress’s trigger and perform Attack 3 from Tempest’s trigger. That attack also gains Wound and Muddle from Caress’s persistent bonus. When multiple trigger abilities have an ambiguous order, you may choose the order that works best.
Can You Activate an Infusion Again by Paying Its Element Cost?
No. The required elements are consumed when you first play the Infusion. Paying an element cost on a card that is already active does not let you reuse its activation ability.
Can You Push or Immobilize Between an Infusion Attack and Move?
If Propulsive Tailwind (6) and Boon of the Tempest (1) are both active, the Move from the Infusion’s persistent effect must happen before the separate Push/Immobilize ability. You cannot resolve the Push/Immobilize between the attack trigger and the Move.
Who Controls a Summon’s Extra Movement From Propulsive Tailwind?
The summon still uses normal monster AI to determine its movement. The Astral player does not manually control the extra movement just because the summon benefits from the Infusion.
Does the Animated Claymore Receive Infusion Triggers?
No. The Animated Claymore from Imbue with Life (X) is affected by your active Infusions, but it does not receive their Infusion triggers. The FAQ compares this with the Spiritbound Falchion from Untether the Shackles (8).
Coalescing Darkness — When Is Curse Applied?
The Curse from Coalescing Darkness (4, top) is applied after Retaliate resolves, because Retaliate is part of attack resolution.
If the enemy dies from Retaliate, it is no longer present to receive the Curse. If the enemy pushes you away with its attack, it still receives the Curse because it was adjacent when it attacked you.
Astral and Shackles — Animated Claymore and Blood Ritual
If the Astral’s Animated Claymore is summoned through Imbue with Life (top), its mandatory persistent effect means that you gain Disarm whenever you do not have it.
If a Shackles ally tries to repeatedly use Blood Ritual to remove Disarm from you, the game cannot continue indefinitely in a loop. The Shackles player must stop the repeated effect, after which you regain Disarm.
8.8 Meteor Character Guide
The Meteor specializes in hazardous terrain and controlling the battlefield. Its rules often depend on whether a figure enters a hex, how forced movement is resolved, and whether an effect is caused by the character or by the terrain itself.
Does Placing Hazardous Terrain Under an Enemy Cause Damage?
Not automatically. Hazardous terrain normally causes damage when a non-flying, non-jumping figure enters the hex.
If you place hazardous terrain directly beneath an enemy, it does not take damage unless the card specifically says otherwise.
Does Hazardous Terrain Created by an Item Count Toward Your Limit?
Yes. Hazardous terrain you create through an item still uses your class-specific overlay tiles and counts toward your limit, regardless of how it was created.
Cooling — How Does It Work With Move 1 Abilities?
A Move 0 is not considered a Move ability. If Cooling (1, bottom) reduces a Move 1 to Move 0, no Move ability is ultimately performed, but attempting the Move 1 still consumes one use slot on Cooling’s persistent effect.
Igneous Path — What Is a Direct Path?
Each hex along the path must be both farther away from you and closer to the destination hex.
Think of the path like a Push: each hex moved through must take the figure farther away from the starting point.
Quenched Rage — What If an Obstacle Cannot Be Placed Legally?
If the action would place an obstacle in an illegal hex, the hazardous terrain is removed but no obstacle is created.
Quenched Rage — What Is the Push Range?
The push has Range 1.
Quenched Rage — What Does “Through” Hazardous Terrain Mean?
A figure must both enter and exit a hazardous terrain hex because of your push action to count as being pushed through it.
If the push starts or ends on hazardous terrain, the added effects from this card do not trigger for that hex.
How Does Quenched Rage’s Double Damage Interact With Brittle and Ward?
The card creates an exception to the usual timing of hazardous terrain damage for figures pushed through a hazardous terrain hex.
If the figure is Brittle, the first hazardous terrain damage is doubled twice. If the figure has Ward, the damage is normal, or it can be treated as doubled and then halved.
Why Does Quenched Rage’s Persistent Effect Have Four Slots?
The first three use slots provide the -1 Attack effect for the next three attacks. The fourth slot is reserved for the double-damage effect and is not affected by the -1 Attack modifier.
Under Pressure — What Counts as a Hex With a Wall?
The relevant wording should simply be read as “walls.” This includes full wall hexes, line borders, and partial hexes along the edges of room tiles.
Hardened Spike — Is Its Persistent Effect Mandatory?
Yes. The use-slot track on Hardened Spike (3, top) is missing a mandatory symbol by mistake. It follows the same rules as the Meteor’s other mandatory persistent effects.
Living Magma — Who Makes the Attack?
The character makes the attack, not the hazardous terrain. It is not treated as an attack made “as if” the character occupied the hazardous terrain hex.
The character needs Line of Sight to the targets, and these attacks are considered melee attacks.
Swelter — How Do Its Attacks Work?
The attacks from Swelter (7, top) are ranged attacks made by the Meteor, not by the removed hazardous terrain.
The Range 5 value will rarely be the limiting factor because the hazardous terrain must already be within Range 4. The Meteor needs Line of Sight to every target. If the Meteor is adjacent to an enemy, the attack has disadvantage against that enemy.
Calamity — Does Dormant Peace Prevent Damage From Controlled Movement?
No. Even with the Dormant Peace perk, enemies still take damage when controlled movement takes them into your hazardous terrain.
When Do You Place Hazardous Terrain From an Attack Modifier?
Forced movement and other effects both occur after attack resolution, so the timing of the two effects is ambiguous. The player can choose which resolves first.
You can also place hazardous terrain from an attack modifier even if the target dies from the attack’s damage, because the modifier is part of the attack ability.
What Happens to Hazardous Terrain When You Exhaust?
Your hazardous terrain overlays remain on the map after you exhaust.
However, the Dormant Peace perk’s protection for allies is an active effect. Once you exhaust, allies are no longer protected by that perk.
While Dormant Peace is active, your allied summons no longer treat your hazardous terrain as negative hexes and will not avoid them. However, an allied summon still cannot be summoned directly into a hazardous terrain hex, because the hex is not empty.
8.9 Shards Character Guide
The Shards class has several interactions involving blessings, numeric values, default actions, and damage calculations.
Can Shape the Path Bless the Same Character Multiple Times?
Yes. You can use Shape the Path (3) to Bless the same character more than once.
What Counts as a Numeral for Empowering Note?
A numeral means a written number, not a number spelled out as a word.
For example, “1” counts as a numeral, but “one” does not.
Can Empowering Note Modify Default Actions?
Yes. The default Move and Attack are abilities, so Empowering Note (5, top) can modify them.
Unsustainable Wave — Does Damage Include Overkill?
No. The damage used for the top of Unsustainable Wave (6) is based on how much damage the enemy actually suffered, not the total damage dealt.
Damage suffered is capped by the monster’s remaining HP, so excess damage beyond the monster’s remaining health does not count.
Unsustainable Wave (8) — Wording Correction
The card should refer to the WAVE Action, not the WAVE ability.
8.10 Trap Character Guide
The Trap class manipulates traps, terrain, and forced movement. Pay close attention to when traps are created, replaced, triggered, or affected by movement.
What Happens if a Monster Loses Flying Over an Obstacle?
The monster is moved to the nearest hex. It does not take damage simply because it loses Flying while above an obstacle. This differs from the older first-edition Gloomhaven rule.
What Happens if a Monster Loses Flying Over a Trap?
The trap triggers.
How Do You Track a Trap’s Effects?
Place damage tokens and tokens representing any additional effects directly on the trap, following the rulebook’s instructions.
For healing traps, use damage tokens on top of one of your positive traps to represent the healing value.
Can Careful Footing Let You End Movement on a Trap?
Yes. With the Careful Footing perk, you can choose not to trigger a trap that you move through or end your turn on.
Does Replacing a Trap Count as Creating One?
Yes. The rulebook defines replacing an overlay as destroying the existing overlay and then creating a new one. Therefore, replacing a trap counts as creating a trap.
Can You Chain Jumps Between Traps With Spring Loaded?
No. A Jump movement must formally end before you can trigger a trap. Once that movement ends, you are no longer Jumping, so additional movement from Spring Loaded cannot create a chain of jumps.
You can choose not to gain Jump and instead gain +2 movement when a trap triggers in this situation. This allows you to chain the +2 movement from one trap to another, but not multiple jumps.
Unavoidable Outcome — Does It Trigger on Push or Pull?
Yes. Unavoidable Outcome (2, bottom) can trigger on a push or pull. You can also discard it quickly if a monster would otherwise trigger a positive trap.
Dangerous Ground — Must You Trigger Every Trap?
No. With Dangerous Ground (4, bottom), you can choose which traps to trigger, one at a time.
However, you can only trigger traps that have a figure within range for the trap to be applied to.
Can Proficient Hunter Add Damage or Healing to a Trap With No Existing Value?
Yes. Proficient Hunter (5) can add Damage 2 or Heal 2 to a trap even if the trap did not previously have a damage or healing value.
The same applies to attack modifier cards that add damage or healing.
Persistent Pitfalls — Can You Use It During a Push?
Yes. The word “immediately” means that Persistent Pitfalls (6, bottom) can be used during a push rather than waiting for the entire push to finish.
When Is a Trap Placed by an Attack Modifier Created?
The timing of forced movement and other effects is ambiguous because both occur after attack resolution. The player may choose the order in which they resolve.
You can still place a trap from an attack modifier if the target dies from the attack’s damage. The modifier is part of the attack ability and can still refer to the enemy’s position.
8.11 Shackles Character Guide
Shackles manipulates negative conditions and damage, often transferring effects between figures. The difference between damage dealt, damage suffered, and damage a figure would suffer is particularly important.
What Is the Difference Between Damage Dealt and Damage Suffered?
Damage dealt is the amount of damage an effect attempts to inflict. It is not capped by the target’s remaining HP.
Damage suffered is the actual damage taken after Shield, Ward, Brittle, and other reductions or negation. It is capped by the figure’s remaining HP.
For example, if a monster has only 2 HP left and an attack deals 5 damage, it suffers only 2 damage.
What Does “Would Suffer Damage” Mean?
Damage a figure would suffer is calculated after applying effects such as Shield, Ward, Brittle, and damage negation, but before damage is actually applied to the figure.
Unlike damage suffered, this value is not capped by the figure’s remaining HP.
Can You Transfer a Condition to a Figure Immune to It?
Yes. An ability such as Shared Affliction can remove the condition from you and attempt to apply it to a target that is immune to that condition.
The condition is still removed from you, but the immune target does not gain it.
Can Blood Ritual Activate Effects That Require Self-Inflicted Conditions?
Yes. Using the bottom loss of Blood Ritual can activate abilities that require you to inflict conditions on yourself, including certain Geminate abilities.
Can You Remove Your Conditions if Another Ability Prevents You From Doing So?
No. If an ability such as the bottom of Delayed Malady prevents you from removing your own conditions, you cannot use an ability such as Shared Affliction to remove a condition from yourself and give it to another target.
Line of Transference — What Happens With Multiple Targets?
If you turn the top of Line of Transference (1) into a multitarget attack, the condition you remove is applied to all targets.
Line of Transference — When Is Muddle Removed?
If you are Muddled, the condition is removed before the attack.
However, if you are Disarmed or Stunned, you cannot initiate the attack ability in the first place.
Delayed Malady — When Do End-of-Turn Conditions Expire?
If you dismiss Delayed Malady (1, bottom), conditions that expire at the end of the turn, such as Disarm and Muddle, expire during the next end-of-turn wrap-up step.
If you dismiss it before your turn or during your turn, those conditions expire at the end of your turn as they normally would.
Does Delayed Malady Prevent Incoming Curses?
No. Delayed Malady does not prevent incoming Curses. If you are targeted by a Curse ability, you still add the Curse card to your deck.
Blood Ritual — Who Caused the Condition?
The condition is still considered to have been caused by the monster that performed the ability. This can matter when resolving certain item effects.
Burned at Both Ends and Chained by Spite — How Does Damage Work With Brittle or Ward?
The enemy takes the same amount of damage that you actually suffered.
For example, if you are Brittle and choose to suffer 4 damage through Burned at Both Ends, you suffer 8 and your target also suffers 8.
If you are Warded and choose to suffer 4 damage, you and the target each actually suffer 2.
Reprisal — Missing Round Bonus
The top of Reprisal (3) is missing a Round Bonus symbol.
Wracked With Pain — Can You Skip Wound?
Yes. With the top of Wracked With Pain (8), you can choose to apply Stun without applying Wound, and you may also apply Brittle if permitted by the ability.
The End of Everything — Do You Keep Your Conditions During the Attacks?
Yes. The top of The End of Everything (9) resolves before you exhaust, so you still have your conditions when making these attacks.
8.12 Snowflake Character Guide
Snowflake focuses on movement, terrain, and supporting allies. Its healing modifier cards and Masteries have some important clarifications.
Is There a Limit to the Hazardous Terrain Snowflake Can Create?
No. You can use any suitable overlay tiles; there is no specific limit on how much hazardous terrain Snowflake can generate.
How Do Multiple Heal Ally Modifier Draws Combine?
Multiple Heal Ally modifier draws combine into one Heal ability. You can apply the combined healing to one ally or divide it among several allies.
Healing received by one ally is combined into one Heal rather than treated as several separate Heal 1 abilities.
The range is unlimited, but Line of Sight is required because Heal is a targeted ability.
What Counts as Moving an Ally or Enemy for the First Mastery?
The movement must cause an ally or enemy to move at least one hex when they otherwise could not have moved. Both forced movement and granted movement count.
Simply providing a bonus to a Move ability does not count toward this Mastery.
Can You Complete the Second Mastery if No Ally Takes Damage?
Yes. If the Mastery requires the first ally to suffer damage each round to have one of your conditions, you succeed if none of your allies take damage during the scenario.
This works similarly to a Battle Goal involving rests: if you do not rest at all, you can still satisfy a goal requiring that you never rest.
Does Push 0 or Pull 0 Trigger Chilling Impact?
No. Push 0 and Pull 0 are not considered forced movement, so they do not trigger Chilling Impact (1).
Biting Frost — Who Consumes Ice and Gains XP?
When a Grant ability consumes an element, the character granting the ability performs the consumption. In this case, Snowflake consumes Ice and gains the experience.
The target of the Grant ability performs the granted effects and any added abilities.
Storm Wall — Which Hexes Take Wind Damage?
The Wind consumption effect on Storm Wall (7) only damages hexes directly outside the area-of-effect pattern. It does not include the red hexes within the attack pattern.
Because it is a separate ability, you can force enemies outside the pattern to move before the damage effect resolves.
8.13 Fist Character Guide
The Fist class uses icy terrain and movement-related perks. These rules clarify when terrain is placed and what counts as a valid target or movement effect.
When Is Icy Terrain Placed by an Attack Modifier?
Forced movement and other effects occur after attack resolution, so their order is ambiguous. The player may choose which of these effects resolves first.
If the attack modifier allows you to place icy terrain, you can still place it if the attack kills the target. The modifier is part of the attack ability rather than a separate ability that happens afterward.
Can You Place Icy Terrain Under an Enemy?
No. If an ability says to place icy terrain adjacent to a target, the target’s own hex is not considered adjacent to that target for this purpose.
Some class abilities provide specific exceptions, but the general rule does not allow you to place the terrain underneath the enemy.
Sure Footing — Do You Get +1 Move When Jumping Over Icy Terrain?
No. The Sure Footing perk replaces the normal effect of icy terrain for you. When you are jumping, icy terrain has no effect on you to replace, so you do not gain the movement bonus.
Frost Eruption — Can You Create Terrain Without Attacking?
No. The top of Frost Eruption (1) cannot be used solely to create icy terrain and gain the Ice infusion without performing an attack against an enemy.
Abilities that refer to an attack pattern require that the attack ability to have been performed.
One With the Mountain — When Do You Regain Regenerate?
You regain Regenerate immediately if you lose it while One With the Mountain (1, top) is active.
You always have Regenerate while the card remains in play, and the effect restores it whenever it is lost.
8.14 Kelp (Seaweed) Character Guide
Kelp has abilities that depend on killing enemies, collecting trophies, and performing sequences of movement and attacks.
Do On-Kill Effects Work on Objectives?
No. Objectives are destroyed rather than killed. Therefore, abilities that trigger when you kill an enemy do not trigger when you destroy an objective.
Ink Cloud — Who Becomes Invisible?
The bottom of Ink Cloud (1) is a positive effect that targets everyone within range. It affects you and your allies in range, but it does not make enemies invisible.
Can Skull Collection Poison Multiple Enemies?
Yes. You can use the persistent effect of Skull Collection (1) to poison multiple enemies in the same turn, provided you have enough trophies.
Grim Trophies — How Does Its Action Work?
Although Grim Trophies (4, bottom) is one action, each Move and Attack within it is a separate ability.
The action effectively queues up a series of Move and Attack abilities. You cannot add additional Move or Attack abilities to that sequence if you gain more trophies after the action has already been played.
8.15 Coral (Anemone) Character Guide
Coral’s Tide mechanics and movement effects have some specific rules. In particular, active Tides behave differently from Tide cards still in your hand or lost pile.
Do You Discard Active Tides Every Time You Rest?
Yes. Despite the poetic wording on the character board, you discard active Tides whenever you rest, even if you still have cards in your hand.
Tide cards in your hand and lost pile remain where they are.
Does a Tide Card That Infuses an Element Generate It Every Turn?
No. An Infusion occurs when the card is played. It does not automatically generate the element again on every subsequent turn.
Rising Flood — Can You Use the Move Without Water?
Yes. You can use the bottom of Rising Flood (1) as a Move 3 without designating a water tile. The action allows you to do both parts, rather than requiring one part as a prerequisite for the other.
Smashing Torrent — Does Its Tide Effect Work With a Granted Move?
Yes. If an ally grants you a Move ability, the Tide effect from Smashing Torrent (2) still triggers. It happens on a different turn, but you are still the one performing a Move ability.
Shuck — How Does Its Experience and Movement Work?
The elemental consumption on Shuck (3, bottom) grants a total of 1 XP, but its effect applies to every Move ability you make.
Although the card represents one action, each Move and Attack is an individual ability. The action queues these abilities for you to perform in sequence.
8.16 Prism (Diamond) Character Guide
Prism, also called Diamond, uses a HIVE of summons and modes. Its rules involve transferring between summons, interpreting modifier cards, and determining which figure benefits from a class-specific effect.
Do You Gain XP From Your Initial Mode?
Yes. You gain the experience from the card you play for your initial Mode.
Can You Transfer to a Summon Flying Over an Obstacle?
No, unless HIVE is also Flying. Transfer uses the Teleport keyword, which requires a valid destination hex that you can occupy.
Is Prism’s First Perk a Misprint?
No. The first perk removes both a -2 and a +1 modifier from your deck, thinning it as intended.
What Happens When a Summon Draws a Class-Specific Modifier?
When a modifier card refers to a specific class mechanic, it benefits the owner of that modifier card.
For example, if one of your summons draws a “+0, grant one of your summons Move 2” modifier, the HIVE can grant Move 2 to one of its summons.
Similarly, if a summon draws a “+1, after this attack ability, transfer” modifier, the HIVE can transfer after that attack ability resolves.
Does a Second Summon Get a Turn After a Transfer?
Yes. Suppose you have an active summon in Active Slot 1 and your current Mode in Active Slot 2. If the first summon draws the Transfer modifier and you transfer to it after its attack, the summon from Active Slot 2 moves to your previous location.
The second summon still gets its turn.
Can Remote Override Declare an Initiative Outside 01–99?
No. Your declared initiative must be within the normal 01–99 range.
You may then use items to increase or decrease the initiative value from what you declared.
Launch Pod — Must the Target Survive for You to Summon?
No. You can still summon through Launch Pod (1) even if the target dies. The FAQ acknowledges that the current card wording does not support this interaction particularly well, but the ruling allows it for thematic reasons.
Coiled Limbs — What If the Leaper Cannot Reach Its Focus?
If the Leaper cannot reach its focus, it does not simply attack another enemy it happens to end its movement beside.
Unless an ability card provides a specific rule to the contrary, monsters do not attack enemies other than their focus.
How Is the Furthest Enemy Determined?
First, determine which enemy requires the longest movement distance to reach a valid attack hex. If there is a tie, compare the distance to the enemy’s valid attack range. Initiative is used as the usual final tiebreaker.
The monster then moves toward its focus as it normally would with Jump movement.
Aimed Assault — Are Your Attacks Ranged?
Yes. Aimed Assault (1, top) turns all your single-target melee attacks into single-target ranged attacks with a total range of 3.
This allows them to benefit from relevant modes, such as Rapid Fire (3, top), when used with Code Geminate (5, top).
Long Range Missile — What Happens to Conditions and Forced Movement?
When damage is transferred through Long Range Missile (2), the character takes the additional conditions and effects associated with the attack instead of the summon.
For example, if the summon is damaged by an Attack 3 with Poison, the character becomes Poisoned. If the attack pushes the summon, the character is pushed instead.
Long Range Missile — What If the Summon Transfers After an Attack?
If the bottom of Long Range Missile is prepared and a Living Bones draws an “attack one enemy” card, transferring after an attack can cause its remaining attacks to fail if its focus is no longer in melee range.
If a Shrike Fiend damages all enemies within a certain distance, targets are resolved sequentially rather than all at once. When the summon would take damage, you take that damage minus 1. You then take the damage again if you are a valid target, and the previous Mode summon also takes damage if it is within the affected area.
Mortar Shells — Does the Pattern Work With Melee Attacks?
No. The red-hex pattern on Mortar Shells (7) applies only to ranged attacks. It works if you grant the summon a ranged attack, but not if you grant a melee attack.
Swarming Bulwark — How Does the Shield Spider Choose a Ward Target?
The Shield Spider chooses itself if it does not already have Ward. If it already has Ward, it chooses the closest ally that does not have Ward.
The HIVE player resolves any ties.
8.17 Drill Character Guide
Drill uses Pressure changes to manage its abilities. These changes are linked to actions, and understanding their timing is important when planning a turn.
How Do Pressure Changes Work?
Pressure changes are not standalone abilities. If you perform any part of the action or ability they are attached to, the relevant pressure change is mandatory.
However, Pressure changes are not costs. You can still perform an ability that your current Pressure allows, even if you cannot complete the associated Pressure change afterward.
For example, at Low Pressure, you can still use an action that would normally make you lose Pressure.
Does Losing All Cards Include Cards You Are About to Play?
Yes. For the three-check perk, “losing all your cards” includes cards that you were about to play.
When Do Pressure Changes Happen?
Pressure changes listed on the character board occur when each action fully resolves. An action means one card half, not both halves of the card.
When Do Pressure Changes From Modifier Cards Resolve?
Pressure changes caused by your modifier deck are optional, like other modifier-deck effects.
They resolve at the end of the action that caused the modifier draw. If another character grants you an attack, the change resolves at the end of their action. If an item causes the draw, the change resolves after the current action finishes.
Can Curious Gear Destroy a Trap Without an Enemy?
No. The top of Curious Gear (1) must be applied to an enemy. You cannot use it simply to destroy a trap when no enemy is available.
Beam Axe — When Do Pressure Effects Trigger?
The Over Pressure effect does not need an adjacent enemy because its damage is not targeted. If you are Over Pressure when you perform the bottom of Beam Axe (1), you gain the experience and lose Pressure as indicated.
The Low Pressure Heal is targeted. Its Pressure change and experience only trigger if at least one ally is in range to be healed after the Move ability.
Steel Piston — When Do Pressure Changes Resolve?
When you use the attack bonus on the top of Steel Piston (1), the associated Pressure change resolves at the end of the action, alongside other Pressure changes.
The exact order is ambiguous, so it can resolve before or after the other Pressure changes.
For the bottom of Steel Piston (1), if there is no valid target for the attack, the attack cannot be performed and the associated Pressure changes and self-damage do not occur.
If a valid target is available and you are not prevented from attacking, you must perform the attack, followed by the applicable self-damage and Pressure changes.
Recursion — What If a Pressure Change Is Already Doubled?
A double Pressure symbol represents two separate single Pressure changes.
Therefore, Recursion (X) can add another Pressure change even when the original change is already doubled. In the example given by the FAQ, this results in three Pressure changes instead of two.
Bronze Plating — Which Effects Are Persistent?
On the top of Bronze Plating (2), both Shield and the inability to move are persistent effects.
The Pressure check, experience, Regenerate, and Pressure change happen once when the card is played. They do not remain active for the rest of the scenario.
Unstable Core — Can You Discard the Card Before Taking Damage?
Yes. Nothing prevents you from discarding Unstable Core (9, bottom) before taking the damage specified by its effect. The FAQ also notes that this interaction can work well with Radiation.
Source note: This guide paraphrases the character-related section of the supplied Frosthaven FAQ. It covers the character clarifications included in the provided text, from Drifter through Drill. It is intended as a reference alongside the game rules and official FAQ, not as a replacement for them.
