To set up the game, perform the following steps in order.

If you are starting a brand new campaignThe story of Earthborne Rangers unfolds over a campaign across multiple play sessions, with each session representing one day. What you do each day is up to you. You can complete missions to... Read more, go to Getting Started and choose one of the options listed there.

1. Set up player areas

Read the campaignThe story of Earthborne Rangers unfolds over a campaign across multiple play sessions, with each session representing one day. What you do each day is up to you. You can complete missions to... Read more entry marked on the back of the location card. Then perform all setup instructions on the back of the location card. If the card calls for the “next Ranger” to resolve an effect but each Ranger has already resolved one, that effect is ignored.

Place your aspectAspects are four values that represent where your inherent strengths lie. All of them are listed on a single card. During Phase 4: Refresh, add energy tokens to your energy pool until you... Read more card, roleYour role represents what you specialize in and what function you serve in your group of Rangers. Your role gives you a card that starts every game in play and grants you a... Read more card, and common test reference card in your player areaPlayer areas are part of the overall play area. Each player has their own area in front of them that contains all of the cards specific to their Ranger: their role card, aspects,... Read more. Shuffle your Ranger deck and place it in your player areaPlayer areas are part of the overall play area. Each player has their own area in front of them that contains all of the cards specific to their Ranger: their role card, aspects,... Read more. Place a number of energy tokens equal to their corresponding aspectAspects are four values that represent where your inherent strengths lie. All of them are listed on a single card. During Phase 4: Refresh, add energy tokens to your energy pool until you... Read more values onto your aspectAspects are four values that represent where your inherent strengths lie. All of them are listed on a single card. During Phase 4: Refresh, add energy tokens to your energy pool until you... Read more card.

2. Draw starting hand

Draw six cards from your Ranger deck. See mulliganIf you don’t like your starting hand during setup, you can set aside any number of cards from your hand and draw an equivalent number of new cards. Then shuffle the set-aside cards... Read more for mulliganIf you don’t like your starting hand during setup, you can set aside any number of cards from your hand and draw an equivalent number of new cards. Then shuffle the set-aside cards... Read more rules.

3. Elect the lead Ranger

Together, choose a Ranger to be the lead Ranger. The lead Ranger always draws the first path cardCards that make up the path deck. Each round, during Phase 1: Path Cards, each Ranger draws a path card. There are two types of Path cards:
• Beings
• Features
Read more at the start of each roundEach session of Earthborne Rangers represents one day of your campaign and is played in rounds. There is no limit to the number of rounds in a day. Each round is divided into... Read more and makes decisions for the group if a consensus cannot be reached.

4. Shuffle the challenge deck

Shuffle the challenge deck and place it above the surroundingsThe surroundings are part of the play area. They sets the stage for the game. They contains the cards representing the current location, the weather, and any missions the Rangers are trying to... Read more.

5. Set up the starting location

Place your current location in the surroundingsThe surroundings are part of the play area. They sets the stage for the game. They contains the cards representing the current location, the weather, and any missions the Rangers are trying to... Read more. If continuing a campaignThe story of Earthborne Rangers unfolds over a campaign across multiple play sessions, with each session representing one day. What you do each day is up to you. You can complete missions to... Read more, check the “current location” line of your campaign trackerThe last page of the campaign guide is a tracking sheet that can be used to keep track of your campaign progress. You can also find a printable PDF of this sheet at... Read more.

6. Set up the weather card

Find the weatherWeather cards represent the weather or other strange atmospheric conditions that may affect you on your travels. Much like mission cards, weather cards are placed in the surroundings and work like path cards,... Read more card (or cards) noted below the current day on your campaign trackerThe last page of the campaign guide is a tracking sheet that can be used to keep track of your campaign progress. You can also find a printable PDF of this sheet at... Read more, and place it in the surroundingsThe surroundings are part of the play area. They sets the stage for the game. They contains the cards representing the current location, the weather, and any missions the Rangers are trying to... Read more to the left of the location with the side named on the campaign trackerThe last page of the campaign guide is a tracking sheet that can be used to keep track of your campaign progress. You can also find a printable PDF of this sheet at... Read more faceup. Read any campaign guideThe campaign guide is a book containing numerically ordered entries that you read as you play the game. These contain story text that can be read out to the group, as well as... Read more entries listed above the current day.

7. Set up mission cards

Find the corresponding cards for each uncompleted mission on your campaign trackerThe last page of the campaign guide is a tracking sheet that can be used to keep track of your campaign progress. You can also find a printable PDF of this sheet at... Read more and place them in the surroundingsThe surroundings are part of the play area. They sets the stage for the game. They contains the cards representing the current location, the weather, and any missions the Rangers are trying to... Read more to the right of the location.

8. Build and shuffle the path Deck

First add all path cards from the set matching the terrain you were traveling on at the end of the previous day as noted on your campaign trackerThe last page of the campaign guide is a tracking sheet that can be used to keep track of your campaign progress. You can also find a printable PDF of this sheet at... Read more. Then, if you are at a pivotal location, add all path cards from the set matching that location. If you are not at a pivotal location, instead add three random cards from the Valley set. Finally, add any other cards added by missionsMission cards provide you with objectives you must complete in order to advance the story. You will gain new missions when instructed by the campaign guide. When this happens, record its name on... Read more in playAny card or token that is in the surroundings, along the way, within reach, in a player area, or on a component in one of these areas is in play. Cards in discard... Read more. Shuffle those cards together and place them above the surroundingsThe surroundings are part of the play area. They sets the stage for the game. They contains the cards representing the current location, the weather, and any missions the Rangers are trying to... Read more.

Note: See Build the Path Deck for a more detailed explanation of these steps.

9. Resolve arrival setup

10. Finishing Touches

Place any tokens as dictated by the cards in playAny card or token that is in the surroundings, along the way, within reach, in a player area, or on a component in one of these areas is in play. Cards in discard... Read more, and resolve any instructions on weatherWeather cards represent the weather or other strange atmospheric conditions that may affect you on your travels. Much like mission cards, weather cards are placed in the surroundings and work like path cards,... Read more or missionsMission cards provide you with objectives you must complete in order to advance the story. You will gain new missions when instructed by the campaign guide. When this happens, record its name on... Read more labeled “Start of Day.”