The stagecoach is your lifeline and mobile base, serving as the vessel for your heroes and their precious cargo. Maintaining its Integrity and Armor is crucial; navigating through road hazards and obstructions will deplete these values, leading to "Roadside Struggles" where heroes face stress, damage, or death. While you can install upgrades at the Inn, you can also acquire rare parts and equipment from road encounters such as The Hoard, Academic’s Studies, or specific curios found during exploration.
Stagecoach Upgrades and Mechanics:
- Wheels (Integrity): Determines resistance to terrain damage. Losing all Integrity triggers a breakdown battle where heroes take significant HP damage and Stress.
- Armor: Provides a buffer against direct combat damage from roadblocks. Depleting Armor results in an ambush where heroes start with vulnerability tokens.
- Cargo: Essential for inventory management. Adding chests or racks increases slots for combat items, trinkets, and Baubles.
- The Flame: This central mechanic dictates the difficulty of your run. A high Flame Level (75-100) grants heroes positive buffs like increased RES and Crit chance. As the light fades (below 40), enemies receive significant buffs to Speed, Damage, and Advantage, while heroes suffer higher Stress and reduced visibility.
- Road Hazards: Beyond simple damage, hazards like "Mire" can slow movement and increase Stress, while "Rough Terrain" deals varying Integrity damage. Roadblocks and debris must be cleared manually or crashed through at the cost of Armor.