FFG: New Arkham Horror Novella ‘Blood of Baalshador’ Announced
Arkham Horror is getting a new Novella from Fantasy Flight Games. The Spotlight is on Dexter Drake in Blood of Baalshandor!
That’s right folks, a new Novella is coming from FFG and if history repeats itself, these are going to go FAST. This new story features the Investigator/Stage Magician Dexter Drake and the stage is set for some real magic.
Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce The Blood of Baalshandor, a new novella set in the Arkham Horror Files universe containing four exclusive cards for Arkham Horror: The Card Game—now available for pre-order at your local retailer or online through our website with free shipping within the continental United States!
Author Richard Lee Byers returns for his second foray into the Arkham Horror Files universe after his first novella, Ire of the Void, that followed the misadventures of astronomer Norman Withers. Now, The Blood of Baalshandor takes you back to the halls of Miskatonic University where the clever Dexter Drake is attempting to gain access to the Necronomicon, an arcane tome safely locked away in Orne Library. When Dr. Armitage is unimpressed by the magician’s ‘credentials’, it would seem that hope of unlocking any eldritch secrets is lost, until an invitation to a secret auction promises perhaps not the Necronomicon, but many books like it, along with all the occult knowledge they hold.
More Than A Novella
Personally, I’ve been collecting every Novella FFG has been putting out from the Arkham Horror Files Universe. They are pretty easy reads but more than that, they help to explore the world of the Arkham Horror Files from the point of view of these Investigators. I enjoy getting to see these characters in action as they deal with their own unique adventures in Arkham (or the surrounding areas). It helps to fill in the blanks and gives them more personality. If you’re a fan of the Arkham Horror Files, these are worth the read!
On top of being quick and entertaining, the Novellas also come with cards you can use in Arkham Horror: The Card Game. I also happen to be a avid player of that system and while these investigators do (eventually) get released, it’s your first crack to get your hands on these investigator cards. And this set brings Dexter Drake to life in the card game.
Dexter Drake’s ability adds some much needed action economy to the Mystic Play style. With the ability to chuck assets to reduce the cost by 1 and play another asset from your hand, you’re getting a really nice benefit. And all that happens as a fast action, too. It really is all about that “sleight of hand” check.
Included in this set is also his signature asset card – in this case it’s Molly Maxwell, aka The Exotic Morgana. As Dexter’s ally/assistant she provides another trick for this deck to use. As a fast action you can exhaust Molly and deal her 1 horror. Then you get to name any trait. You reveal cards from your deck one at a time until you get that revealed trait! If you’re still unsure of that can do, you can use her to dig for things like a Spell, Charm, Ritual, Relic, or Tome – or any other Trait you might want for that matter. That opens up a LOT of possibilities and means you’re going to get the card you need when you need it. Just be aware of Dexter’s signature weakness…
Of all the weaknesses you could get, this one isn’t *that* bad. When this Treachery card is revealed, you have to put it in play and it prevents you from playing any other assets. On the plus side, it “only” costs two actions to discard it. On one had, that’s 2/3rds of your typical turn. On the other hand, you might not die immediately from it.
Also note that these cards also have the “Replacement” keyword. That means these cards are used instead of whatever Dexter Drake’s future unique signature asset/weakness cards are – or if you’re feeling up for it, you can run BOTH sets in your deck, too. What that really means is that whenever Dexter Drake gets a proper release, he’s probably going to get a new pair of cards. So if you want to get these particular cards, you’ve got to get the Novella. I’ve already pre-ordered my copy.
The Blood of Baalshandor $14.95
Discover the power of true magic in The Blood of Baalshandor! This Arkham Horror novella by Richard Lee Byers invites readers to return to Arkham alongside Dexter Drake as he searches for arcane tomes that can shed some light on the secrets he first glimpsed in a torn page from the Necronomion during the Great War. Lured to an auction of occult items, “Drake the Great” and his assistant Molly Maxwell find themselves targeted by the depraved servants of an otherworldly force of disease and corruption. It will take more than a little misdirection to get the magician out of this scrape.
In addition to a hardcover copy of the novella, The Blood of Baalshandor includes four exclusive cards to add Dexter Drake as an investigator in Arkham Horror: The Card Game. These cards allow readers to build a deck for Dexter Drake, complete with a signature asset and weakness, and mark his first appearance in the game.
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How does it work? Magic!
