Frosthaven rules changes from Gloomhaven
Updated
Board game: these are migration notes, not a buying guide. Gloomhaven first edition, Gloomhaven second edition and Jaws of the Lion are distinct rule contexts; do not import an old FAQ answer without checking its edition.
Sourced differences
Frosthaven has a seasonal outpost phase and material/herb loot. Retirement rewards building envelopes; bonus perk marks follow that player's retired-character lineage, not the whole party count. Original Gloomhaven also has retirement perks, so they are not a wholly new Frosthaven invention.
For line of sight and adjacency, do not treat a red-hex pattern as permission to target through a wall. FAQ 5.5 requires line of sight to targets even when walls do not otherwise alter the displayed pattern. This page does not claim a complete edition-by-edition line-of-sight comparison.
For crossovers, use FAQ 10's actual game-and-edition subsection. Building 37's import list distinguishes Gloomhaven 2017 item numbers from Gloomhaven 2025 item numbers; matching numbers alone do not establish the same item.
| Topic | Frosthaven clarification | Official FAQ |
|---|---|---|
| Empty hexes | Loot tokens and shadows do not block an empty hex | 5.1; explicitly marked a Gloomhaven change |
| Enhancement count | No character-wide enhancement limit | 4.2 |
| Conditional multi-target enhancement | Still pays the multi-target multiplier | 4.2 |
| Optional AoE targets | May skip targets unless mandatory or a negative effect on allies/self | 5.5 |
| Immune targets | May target an enemy with a condition it cannot receive | 5.4; Gloomhaven 1e change |
| Long rest | Initiative 99, not necessarily after every modified initiative | 5.5; Gloomhaven 1e FAQ change |
Questions
Can I bring Gloomhaven characters?
The errata page hosts crossover sheets. FAQ section 10 is the compatibility chapter. Read those before mixing a party.
Related guides
Sources
- Official Frosthaven FAQ — Sections 4.1–4.2, 5.1, 5.4–5.5 and 10; distinguish GH2017, GH2025 and JotL. Checked 2026-10-18.
- Cephalofair errata — Major errata for the first printing.