[!CAUTION] This page should only be read by the GM!
The GM controls “everything else” that a Hunter player shouldn’t. This includes the monsters, reading the quest narratives, and anything else you see fit.
You should generally stick to the intended rules of the board game, but changing things slightly on the fly to make things more fun/interesting/challenging as your players need is good too.
Monster Behaviours
- The GM controls the monster. You should try to control the monster so that it acts believable, but also be fair and fun.
- Monster movement is unchanged.
- The special behaviour card can be picked at random or chosen, but only include one in the behaviour deck.
- Construct a “Tell Deck” which should be a copy of the monster deck.
- I’ll include a print’n’play pdf here eventually…
- The players may see the Tell Deck. On the monster’s turn, pick a behaviour card that matches the body and target symbols for the tell. This is then used as the behaviour card as per normal.
- Discard both the tell and behaviour card at the end of the monster’s turn (or keep the behaviour around to see the attack and player counts)
- The tell and behaviour decks should run out at the same time. When they are, shuffle the tell deck and go again.
Monster Information
You should tell players when they reach status threasholds, break values, etc… but also give clues as to health. They can record values as they seem fit.
I give a clue about health around 50% and 10 points left. This helps players know how they’re going and if a monster is captureable.
Threat Level
Keep the threat levels secret. When starting a hunt, you can assign threats randomly, have players roll for initiative, or use some other system.
The threat level can change on player actions as per the Threat Shift section in the player handbook. If it makes sense to change the threat otherwise, you can do so.
A player will immediately become the highest threat when they:
Do a large amount of damage in a single turn (10%+ of monster HP).
- Play a block card.
- Inflict break.
A player will immediately become the lowest threat when they:
- Take a rest action.
Remember to change the threat levels whenever a time card says so, but you don’t need to rotate threats to the left - shuffle them up or roll initiative again.
I use a piece of paper with player names written on it and some tokens with numbers 5-8.
Turf Wars
Turf can happen once the party reaches HR5.
When the party uses a Monster Lure at the start of a hunt, shuffle Red Turf War time card into the Time Deck. When this is drawn, initiate a Turf War. The card may also be included in the Time Deck anyway. Shuffle the Turf War time card back into the Time Deck, except when it is drawn again, the invading monster flees. If the monster is already defeated, nothing happens. (Or you could initiate another turf war…)
If a Monster Lure is used before combat, it will always work. If used during combat, roll d6. If 4+, the Turf War happens. Roll a D6 again to determine who invades, using the table below.
If a Scented Monster Lure is used, roll a D12 and spawn the specific monster on a 7+ result.
| Quest Target | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Jagras | None | Tobi | Pukei | Anja | Rath | Tobi+ |
| Tobi Kadachi | G. Jagras | None | Anja | G. Jagras+ | Rath | Pukei |
| Anjanath | Pukei | A Rath | None | Tobi | G. Jagras | Rath |
| Rathalos | Diablos | G. Jagras++ | Anja+ | Tobi++ | Pukei+ | None |
| Azure Rathalos | B. Diablos | G. Jagras++ | Anja+ | Tobi++ | Pukei+ | Diablos |
| Barroth | None | Pukei | Jyura | Anja | Diablos | Pukei+ |
| Pukei Pukei | Barroth | None | Anja | Jyura | Diablos | Barroth+ |
| Jyuratodus | Pukei | B. Diabos | None | Anja | Barroth+ | Diablos |
| Diablos | Rath | Barroth++ | Jyura+ | Pukei++ | Anja+ | None |
| Black Diablos | Rath | Barroth++ | Jyura+ | Pukei++ | Anja+ | A. Rath |
A plus (+) denotes a monster at a higher level than the quest target, ie: if you’re fighting Assigned Rathalos and spawn Great Jagras++, it spawns at Tempered level. If you can’t spawn it higher, then spawn the highest possible level.
Use Turf War rules as outlined in Iceborne rulebook. In summary:
- Spawn the invading monster with half health
- Monsters see other monsters with a threat level of 10
- Monsters still use their attack arcs to determine a hit, but will target the lowest armored body part, regardless of the arc.
- Invading monster acts first, then quest monster, then hunters using quest monster player and card values.
Additionally, these changes apply:
- Broken parts are ignore by monster attacks, and they will target the lowest armored, unbroken body part (unless all parts are broken).
- If a monster deals equal to or more than double a parts armor in damage (after calculating all damage, including elemental), apply a break token.
- Eg:
- The targeted part is unbroken and has 2 armor. The monster attacks for 5 damage and triggers an element damage.
- A 1 is drawn as elemental damage.
- Total damage = 5 + 1 - 2 = 4
- 4 >= 2 * 2, so a break is applied.
- Eg:
- If the invading monster is slain or captured, it can be carved using half the normal amount of carve die, rounding down. Bonus die are not included. Break rewards are obtained as per normal.