How to play
Star Witch: Road to Dawnstar is a browser survival journey. Escort the wagon, feed five named travelers, and reach the gates before the road claims you.
Goal
- Complete 40 travel moves on the map (Plains, three regional legs, then the final stretch to Dawnstar).
- Keep the wagon intact and at least one party member alive when the journey ends.
- Calendar days can run longer than map moves: resting, repairs, and some events add days without advancing map progress.
Setup
- Name five travelers (or roll random names).
- Each gets a random trait (see table below). After your first victory, Pathfinder and Starseer can also appear.
- Pick difficulty for starting gold: Easy 500 · Normal 300 · Hard 150 · Nightmare 50.
- Spend gold at the prep market on rations, potions, repair kits, and weapons. Each item uses wagon slots (base 6; Mule adds one).
Wagon & supplies
- Wagon HP: 100 maximum. At 0 HP the run ends.
- Food charges: Each successful Travel or Hunt spends one charge if you have any. Without food, starvation harms the party.
- Rations: Buying a pack uses one slot and adds 5 food charges.
- Potions: Restore 1 HP to one living member (Medic restores +1 extra from potions and checkpoint rest).
- Repair kits: At camp, using a kit spends one calendar day and one food charge (if any), and restores 25 wagon HP (not above maximum).
- Weapons: Improve odds when combat events resolve.
On the road
- Travel — Spend food (or starve), advance the calendar, draw a random event for the region. Resolve combat, choices, and hazards in the journal card.
- Hunt — Same food cost as travel, then a shooting minigame. Quarry points convert to food charges; extra yield can be limited by wagon space. Hunter traits improve results.
- Checkpoints — Safe camps between regions: optional rest, and shops at ×1.25 base prices.
- Route forks — Choose the next leg (e.g. forest vs. river). Regions differ in danger and event mix.
- Road merchants — Occasional sellers at about ×1.7 base prices.
Defeat & victory
- You lose if the wagon is destroyed or everyone in the party dies.
- You win when map progress is complete, the wagon still stands, and at least one traveler survives.
- Final score weighs speed (fewer calendar days is better), survivors, and difficulty.
Traits
| Trait | Effect (summary) |
|---|---|
| Hunter | Better hunt minigame rewards and extra food when the hunt pays. |
| Tough | More resilience when hunger and hardship bite. |
| Medic | Potions and checkpoint rest heal more. |
| Scout | Reads the road—fewer harsh travel surprises. |
| Lucky | Small chance to soften the worst outcomes. |
| Mule | Extra wagon slot for supplies. |
| Faithful | Better odds on faith, curses, and altar-style choices. |
| Coldblooded | Lighter cold and freeze-related harm. |
| Pathfinder | Veteran — kinder travel and forks after a win. |
| Starseer | Veteran — strange omens hit a little softer. |