For fans of the immersive board game Gloomhaven, each city event offers a chance to dive deeper into the world, test their party’s morality, and sometimes, face unexpected consequences. Among the many characters players can control, the Sawbones stands out as a complex and intriguing class. When a Gloomhaven city event involves the Sawbones, it typically presents players with tough ethical decisions, opportunities for character development, and moments that highlight the Sawbones’ unique abilities. Whether you’re a first-time player or a seasoned Gloomhaven strategist, understanding how these events unfold can offer better gameplay insight and narrative depth.
Who Is the Sawbones?
The Sawbones is a character class in Gloomhaven that is unlocked through a specific personal quest. Known officially as the Saw, this character is both a healer and a melee fighter. The Sawbones uses a mix of healing tools, support abilities, and direct damage to support the party. Their unique combination of medical knowledge and battlefield presence makes them ideal for events that involve wounds, illnesses, or the moral dilemmas of treating strangers versus focusing on allies.
In city events, the Sawbones often brings a flavor of ethics and care into decision-making. The city of Gloomhaven is gritty and full of moral ambiguity, and the Sawbones with their healing focus brings a more humanitarian angle to choices that might otherwise feel transactional or opportunistic.
Typical Themes in Sawbones City Events
City events involving the Sawbones typically revolve around:
- Medical emergencies or outbreaks in Gloomhaven
- Requests for assistance from citizens who are sick or injured
- Opportunities to assist in healing clinics or street triage
- Moral dilemmas where the Sawbones must choose between helping or walking away
These events give players a moment to reflect on the values of their party. Do they act selflessly, even at a potential cost? Or do they weigh the risks and rewards, opting for self-preservation? With the Sawbones involved, such choices often become more impactful not just narratively, but mechanically within the game.
A Sample Sawbones City Event Scenario
Let’s explore a hypothetical city event involving the Sawbones to understand the dynamics better.
The Event Text
As your party strolls through the market square, a panicked woman approaches, pleading for help. My son, she gasps. He’s feverish, shaking. No one at the clinic will see him without coin. She looks at the Sawbones with desperate eyes. Please, I heard you’re a healer. Will you come?
You face two choices:
- Option A: Follow the woman and treat her son, using some of your own supplies.
- Option B: Explain that you’re on a tight schedule and can’t help right now.
Possible Outcomes
Option A might cost the party some gold or an item card, representing the supplies used. However, you could gain reputation, and the Sawbones might receive a temporary perk or scenario boost. Option B, on the other hand, avoids any immediate cost but could result in a loss of reputation or a future consequence in another city event. The emotional weight of ignoring a sick child lingers, even if the party remains practical about their goals.
Why These Events Matter in Gameplay
City events in Gloomhaven aren’t just filler. They can influence:
- Party reputation: Determines costs in the city, affects later events.
- Personal quest progress: Some character-specific quests are tied to decisions.
- Scenario availability: Choices may open or close new paths.
- Resource management: Events may reward or drain gold, items, or cards.
For the Sawbones, decisions involving healing and compassion are often aligned with their personal quest, which revolves around bringing aid to others. Making morally strong choices can lead to greater progress or story satisfaction, even when the immediate gains are minimal.
Balancing Morality and Efficiency
Players of Gloomhaven often face a balancing act between roleplaying and resource optimization. The Sawbones’ presence tilts the scale toward roleplaying for many groups. Choosing to help someone might not be the most efficient path, but it aligns with the character’s theme and can enhance the story.
That said, the game mechanics reward all kinds of choices, including the ruthless and practical. Ignoring a medical emergency may seem cold, but it keeps your party healthy and well-funded for the next dungeon. Each group will find its balance based on preferred playstyle.
Memorable City Event Outcomes with the Sawbones
Some community-created and official events have included standout Sawbones moments. Here are a few fan-favorite examples:
- The Quarantine Clinic: A locked-down building full of plague victims calls for help. Sending in the Sawbones earns reputation but risks losing item cards due to contamination.
- Street Surgery: A merchant injured in a bar fight is bleeding out. The Sawbones can stabilize him on the spot, but it uses up a healing potion.
- The Orphanage Visit: Children are coughing and sick. Treating them earns blessings for the next scenario but costs party gold for medicine.
These events stick in players’ minds because they’re not just about stats and numbers they’re about how your group defines its identity. The Sawbones brings a human element that enhances immersion and cooperative decision-making.
Tips for Playing the Sawbones During City Events
To make the most out of Sawbones-specific city events, consider these tips:
- Keep spare items: Healing potions or bandages may be used during narrative events.
- Build a good reputation: Many healing-related events reward parties with high standing in the city.
- Track personal quest progress: Events can sometimes be tied to secret goals.
- Embrace roleplay: Let the Sawbones make the call during medical events it enhances immersion.
The more your party leans into the narrative choices that suit their classes, the more enjoyable and memorable the game becomes. The Sawbones isn’t just a healer in battle they’re a moral compass during downtime in Gloomhaven.
Gloomhaven’s city events involving the Sawbones add a rich layer of narrative complexity to the game. They test your party’s values, force difficult choices, and provide moments that players remember long after the game ends. Whether you help a desperate citizen or turn away to preserve your strength, the presence of the Sawbones makes these events feel more personal and impactful. For players who enjoy story-driven strategy and moral decision-making, the Sawbones class brings unforgettable depth to Gloomhaven’s dark, fascinating world.