Hi everyone, I've just had the first go with "The Hobbit" (we were playing 2-player game) and a number of questions arrived:

1. When you draw adventure cards, do you have to spend 2 provisions trying to solve EVERY adventure? (our "breads" went off really quickly, so we had to pass a lot which made Smaug move fast);

2. There's an ability card which has 2 strength symbols on it (2 axes) - do you add them to your dice rolls or do you move your strength marker twice?

Thank you.

I also just played the game.  I'll answer your questions, then I have some of my own.

1) You don't "spend" bread/provisions to accept the challenge, you only need to have two in your possession in order to *qualify* to take it on.  Once your bread/provisions go below 2, you have to pass.  I hope I'm reading this correctly.

2)  The Dwarven Knives card adds two axes to a single challenge total, then it is spent.

My questions:

1) If a dragon tile calls for losing provisions, but you don't have anything, what happens, if anything?

2) What happens if you run out of jewels?  We still had two adventure 4 cards left in the deck.

3) I took it for granted that when the dwarf cards run out you reshuffle the deck.  But what about making the characters play out the rest of their "hands" before reshuffling?

4) If there are only 4 stages of the journey in cards, why are there 5 stages of the journey on the board?  In other words, what cards would one use to get past Lake Town?  Why do the spaces past Laketown have strength, cunning, and initiative on them?

Redchin Thunder said:

#1: Can't really see how that could happen. I mean, maybe, if you spend provisions to fill the lack of provision results from the dice and still come up short one or more of the needed icons, but then, why spend provisions if you know you're not going to pass anyway? One situation I can see happening is that you have 2-3 provisions and draw the discard 4 provisions tile, in which case I think you discard all you can and ignore the excess.

#2: Common occurance, at least on the easier levels. Just keep a tally some other way, dice, etc.

#3: Well, after each Travelling card, players need to refresh their hands back to 5, so they will be drawing more cards before their hands are out and if they can't draw, then you reshuffle the discard to allow them to draw.

#4: Stack Event 4 has enough travel cards to see Bilbo reach Lonely Mountain from Wood-Elves Adventure #3. Laketown is part of that last stage, it's just different in shape to show where/when the players lose if they use that variant that nobody wins if Smaug reaches Laketown (which I for one always use).

sounds like a great game , i'm tempted .