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This board game allows 2 to 5 players to enter Sunnydale, CA, and play the roles of Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Oz as they battle the forces of evil. The game has scenarios that follow the first four seasons of the TV series, allowing you to decide which evil villians you wish to face off against. The game is a little complex, but after playing a few games, the rules because second nature and the game play is quite fun.
While it is a board game, it has elemets of good role-playing games as well. Each player has hit points that determine how strong or weak a player is. There are dice to roll when good and evil clash. There are cards to collect and manage that provide magical artifacts, weapons, research, and help, Most interestingly, a character does not necessarily die if defeated, but in some cases, can be turned into vampires and be played by the "evil" player. Another interesting card is Angel's card. He can be summoned by either good or evil (as Angellus) in the game, and there are magic cards that allow for him to be turned to either side.
Movements around the dice board, which is a map of buildings in Sunnydale, are controlled by two six-sided dice. Moreover, these dice also determine if the sun is shining or at night, the cycle of the moon. During the day, all vampire characters have to be indoors, and any stuck outside when the sun rises lose hit points equal to the spaces needed to find shelter. But the phases of the moon at night plays another great twist for the player who is in charge of Oz, the were-wolf. When the moon is full, he changes into lupine form, loses any objects he's carrying, but gets his health restored, additional hit points, extra fight dice for battles, and doubles his movement. Plus he can never be turned into a vampire. This makes him more powerful than even Buffy at the right moments.
All said, this is a great game, but it is very rare now. This board game hit store shelves in 2001 and is currently out of stock in most places. It is a shame because it is a great game, and if it were to be re-released with scenarios from all seven seasons, it could be even better. Some websites have created descriptions of new scenarios to play with this game. One website that has collected many together is Buffy board game resources. If you want to find the game, visit your local game store, or check out eBay online.
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