Dragon Dice Revised Rules
Original Design: Lester Smith
Revised Rules Design: David Eckelberry, Dori Hein, & Bill Olmesdahl
Rules Booklet Editing: Bill Slavicsek
Project Coordinator: Dori Hein
Cover Art: Jeff Easley
Dice Art: Stephen A. Daniele, Paul Jaquays, Renee Ciske, Rob Lazzaretti
Production: Paul Hanchette
Typography: Angelika Lokotz & Julie Mazurek
Special Thanks to: Matt Norton, Vinny Salzillo, & Jim Ward
and to the many players whose comments led to this revision.
Dragon Dice and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution
rights in the book trade for English-language products of TSR, Inc.
Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd.
Distributed in the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.
(c) 1996 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. This material is protected under the
copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other
unauthorized use of the material or artwork printed herein is prohibited
without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.
Made in U.S.A. Dice made in China.
Permission to copy and distribute the information contained in this
document is granted as long as this header is included.
THE OBJECT OF THE GAME *********************************************************
In the Dragon Dice game, you use dice to represent armies of different fantasy
races and monsters which battle to control essential pieces of terrain. Any
number of players can share in this struggle. The first player to capture two
terrains immediately wins the game.
LEARNING THE GAME **************************************************************
The best way to learn Dragon Dice is to play it. Rather than trying to learn the
rules by just reading them, get out your dice and follow the instructions step
by step. There are plenty of examples to help keep you on the right path. In no
time at all, you'll be commanding armies like a pro.
BASIC TERMS ********************************************************************
There are a few terms you'll want to become familiar with before getting
started. They'll help you understand the rules your first time through.
UNIT: Each six-sided and ten-sided die rep-resents a single soldier in your army
and is called a unit. The ten-sided ones are also called monsters. (Monsters are
only available in Dragon Dice Kicker Packs.)
ARMY: All of your units at a single terrain (see below). At the start of the
game, you begin with three armies.
DRAGON: The single-color twelve-sided dice aren't units and can't be part of an
army. Dragons come in two forms: drakes, which have wings, and wyrms, which are
wingless. You'll learn more about dragons on page 34.
TERRAIN: The eight-sided dice represent terrain-the land that armies battle to
capture. The faces on each terrain die are numbered from 1 to 8, and each face
features an action icon (such as melee, missile, or magic; see Actions on page
15). These action icons determine, abstractly, the distance between armies at
the terrain and the type of action they can engage in. When you maneuver a
terrain to its eighth face, you capture that terrain (see The Eighth Face on
page 26).
Example: If a terrain die shows an arrow icon face up, only missile attacks
can be used at that terrain.
FRONTIER TERRAIN: The terrain die placed in the center of the table at the start
of the game. This die is selected by the starting player and may be any terrain
die brought to the game.
HOME TERRAIN: The terrain die placed in front of you at the start of the game.
This die is selected by you, and your home army starts here.
ELEMENTS: The colors of the dice represent the magical elements that each race
and terrain is made of. Gold signifies earth; blue indicates air; red typifies
fire; and green represents water. Black, the fifth element, connotes death.
Each terrain consists of two elements. Coastland is blue and green (air and
water). Flatland is blue and gold (air and earth). Highland is gold and red
(earth and fire). Swampland is gold and green (earth and water).
Each race of units-both the six-sided units and their ten-sided allies (monster
units)-also contains two elements. Coral elves are blue and green (air and
water). Dwarves are gold and red (earth and fire). Goblins are gold and black
(earth and death). Lava elves are red and black (fire and death). Other races
(introduced in Dragon Dice Kicker Packs) are composed of different elements or
colors. Unlike the races, dragons are pure elemental spirits made up of a
single element and, therefore, a single color.
HEALTH: Most dice in this game can receive a specific amount of damage points
before being "killed" and removed from play. This number of points is defined as
a unit's health. The smallest six-sided units (called commons) have 1 health
(one point of damage kills a common unit). The medium six-sided units (called
uncommons) have 2 health. The largest six-sided units (called rares) have 3
health. Monsters (the ten-sided units) have 4 health. Dragons (the twelve-sided
dice) have 5 health. Terrains cannot be killed and so have no health points.
ICON: The symbols on the faces of each die are called icons. There are two types
of icons: Action and ID. See pages 44-47 for illustrations of each race's icons.
Action icons tell what actions a die can perform in the game. For example, if a
die has an icon of a bow on one face, that die can shoot missiles at enemy
units. See page 15 for more information on actions.
ID icons serve to "name" the dice. For example, an icon of a dwarf wearing a
feathered cap on a common die identifies it as a "crossbowman." The most
important thing to remember about ID icons is that they always count as
whatever action icon is needed. If you're rolling for saves, ID icons count as
save results; if you're rolling for maneuvers, they count as maneuver results;
and so forth. Furthermore, each unit's ID icon counts as a number of points of
effect equal to its health.
Example: You army engages an enemy army in melee combat. You roll your entire
army, and three of your units come up as ID icons. These units-two uncommons
and one common provide 5 points of melee damage (two 2-health units and one
1-health unit: 2+2+1=5.) Remember that ID icons count as whatever result you
are rolling for.
RESERVES: At times, units need to pull back and regroup. They must retreat to
your reserves area, kept to your right (see Reserves on page 21).
DEAD: Units that take damage equal to or exceeding their health are removed from
their armies and placed in your dead unit area, to your left. Magic can bring
these units back into the battle, as explained in Magic on page 17.
BURIED: Dead units may be buried. Buried units are removed from play entirely
and take no further part in this game.
PLAYING THE GAME ***************************************************************
Each game of Dragon Dice is called a battle. In a battle, two or more players
pit their armies against each other to capture two terrains and win the game.
The following steps for set-up take place before the game begins.
DECIDE BATTLE SIZE -------------------------------------------------------------
Players agree on the size of the battle. To do this, you agree on a number of
health points for each player's total forces, then bring units totaling that
many health points to the battle. Good force sizes are 23 health points (the
value of the dice in the basic set), 24 (the size of a standard Dragon Dice
tournament), or 35 health points.
You must bring one dragon (of any color) to the battle, regardless of how small
a battle you are playing. In addition, for every 25 health points in your forces
you need to bring another dragon. (So, in a 35-point game, you'd need to bring
two dragons.) For each dragon you fail to bring to the battle, your starting
forces are reduced by 3 health points.
Note: Dragons don't count as part of your unit total. So, in a 24-point battle,
you bring one dragon and 24 health-worth of units. Dragons are set to your left,
in what will be your dead unit area.
ASSEMBLE ARMIES ----------------------------------------------------------------
Divide your units into three armies. Designate one as your home army, one as
your campaign army, and the third as your horde that plagues an opponent's home
terrain. You must put at least one unit in each army.
Write your name on the three banner cards provided in the basic set, and use
them to mark your armies.
You should build and designate your armies in secret, so the other players won't
be able to make decisions based on your strategy. Use a screen to hide your dice
during the assembly phase.
There's just one rule you need to obey as you assemble your armies at the
beginning of the game. No more than half the total number of health points
(rounded down) of your forces can be placed in a single army. After initial army
placement, this restriction is no longer in effect. Later on in the game you may
want to pull units into reserve and then regroup them into one or two larger
armies.
Example: You're playing a 24-point battle. The largest number of health
points that you can assign to any one of your three armies at the start of
the game is 12. This can be twelve 1health common units, six 2-health
uncommon units, four 3-health rare units, three 4-health monster units, or
any combination that total 12 health points or less.
If This Is Your First Time Playing: One easy way to assemble your armies is to
split them into their different races (colors). Place one race (the one you have
the most units of) in your home army, another race in your campaign army, and
the remaining units in your horde army.
Example: You open the box and see that you have the following units: seven
lava elf units (red and black), four dwarf units (red and gold), three
coral elf units (blue and green), and one goblin unit (gold and black).
Place the seven lava elf units in your home army, the four dwarf units in
your campaign army, and the remaining coral elf and goblin units in your
horde army.
SET THE BATTLEFIELD ------------------------------------------------------------
Choose one of your terrain dice to be your home terrain. (Your home army defends
your home terrain, so you might want to pick a terrain die that matches at least
one color of the units in the home army.) Choose a second terrain die (the only
other one you own if you're playing right out of the box) and set it forward as
a proposed frontier terrain.
There are four different terrain types-coastland, flatland, highland, and
swampland-each with a different mix of colors and action icons. The eighth face
of each terrain die features a special location icon, which comes into play once
an army controls that die (see The Eighth Face on page 26).
DETERMINE ORDER OF PLAY --------------------------------------------------------
Reveal your forces at the same time as the other players. Then roll your horde
army and add up all the maneuver and ID icon results. (The army isn't at any
terrain yet, so no special abilities apply.) To roll an army, pick up all the
units in that army and toss them.
Your army's maneuver icons, along with the rest of each race's action icons, are
listed on pages 44-47. You'll want to consult this section often until you learn
to recognize the following types of maneuver icons:
Boat Claw Dwarf Boot Elf Boot
Goblin Foot Hoof Paw
The player who rolls the most points of maneuver results becomes the first
player, the one with the second highest total becomes the second player, and so
on. In a tie, tied players reroll until there is a winner.
Players should sit around the table in clockwise order from the first player.
The first player also gets to choose which of the proposed terrain dice becomes
the frontier. He can choose any of the prospective terrain dice, even one he
hadn't proposed. The other terrain dice aren't used in this battle, so put them
away.
PLACE ARMIES -------------------------------------------------------------------
Two rules must be followed when you place your armies at the start of the game:
1) No player can place more than one of his armies at a particular terrain die,
and 2) no more than three armies belonging to different players can occupy a
terrain die.
With these rules in mind, each player places his home army at his home terrain.
Then, going in order, each player places his horde at the home terrain of
another player and his campaign army at any other terrain on the table. If
you're playing a three-person game, your set-up should look something like the
illustration at right.
Note: It's possible in a game with four or more players that the player at the
end of the turn order may have no legal spot to place one of his armies. If this
happens, that player must start with that army in reserve. For more information
on Reserves, see page 21.
DETERMINE STARTING DISTANCES ---------------------------------------------------
Each player rolls his home terrain die to determine initial battle distances,
and the first player rolls the frontier die. Reroll any results of 8.
The resulting numbers signify how far away each army is from capturing the
eighth face on each terrain die. Low numbers (1 or 2) usually mean that your
army is so far away from the enemy that the only effective weapon is magic;
medium numbers (4 or 5) usually indicate that your army is in missile range; and
a high number (6 or 7) generally means that your army is right on top of its
goal and close enough to engage in melee combat with another army at the same
terrain.
TURN SEQUENCE ******************************************************************
Each turn, you may act with two of your armies, then make a reserve move. A turn
consists of a first march, a second march, and a reserve phase.
FIRST MARCH --------------------------------------------------------------------
On your turn, choose one of your armies to act with (the chosen army is your
current acting army). The army may be at a terrain or in your reserves (see
below). This is your First March, and you can maneuver and make actions, as
follows.
MANEUVER
If the acting army is at a terrain die, you can try to turn the terrain die
up or down one step (from face 5 up to face 6 or down to face 4, for
example). This symbolizes the army trying to outflank another army at the
same terrain to either get closer (into missile or melee range) or fall back
(into magic or missile range). After you have maneuvered the die or if you
decide not to maneuver, go to Actions below.
To maneuver, you announce, "I'm maneuvering." Don't reveal whether you intend
to turn the die up or down. Players with armies at the same terrain can-if
they want-oppose the acting army's maneuver by announcing, "I'm
counter-maneuvering."
If no players oppose the acting army's maneuver, you automatically turn the
terrain die up or down one step, without rolling your army.
If the acting army's maneuver is opposed, that army and all
counter-maneuvering armies are rolled. Compare the acting army's roll to each
counter-maneuvering army's roll. If the number of maneuver icons rolled by
the acting army equals or exceeds that of the highest counter-maneuvering
army, the acting army's maneuver succeeds, and you may adjust the terrain die
up or down one step. (Remember, ID icons count as points of whatever result
you're rolling for.) However, if one or more of the counter-maneuvering
armies rolls more maneuver icons than the acting army, the maneuver fails and
the terrain remains unchanged.
Note: If all armies roll no maneuver icons or generate zero maneuver points
because of spells or special effects, the acting army still succeeds and may
turn the terrain die.
ACTIONS
If the acting army is at a terrain die, its action is dictated by the face
showing on that terrain. Actions include melee, missile, or magic. If your
acting army is in reserve, however, it may only cast magic (see page 17). If
the acting army controls the eighth face of a terrain die, it may perform any
of the three types of actions (see The Eighth Face on page 26). The three
types of actions are described as follows.
MELEE
If the melee icon (a sword) is showing on the terrain die, then only melee
combat can occur. Melee icons for the four races are all edged weapons, as
follows.
Coral Elf Dwarf Goblin Lava Elf
Sword Axe Axe Poniard
The acting army may engage an opposing army at the same terrain in melee
combat. This takes one of two forms, skirmish or charge, as you decide.
SKIRMISH: You select an army to attack at the terrain and roll your own
army, looking for melee or ID icons. Each point of melee counts as one
point of damage to the target army (see Damage on page 23). If damage is
inflicted, the target army rolls for saves.
If any units remain in the target army, it gets to attack back. The
target army rolls, looking for melee or ID icons. Each point of melee
counts as a point of damage on the acting army. The acting army then
rolls for saves (see Damage, page 23).
After this exchange, the action ends for that army. Go on to the next
part of your turnSecond March or Reserves.
CHARGE: Instead of skirmishing, you may declare a charge. Choose a target
army at the same terrain and roll your army. Each point of melee and each
point of maneuver rolled count as a point of damage to the target (as do
ID icons).
After you count up the damage, the target army rolls. Any save results
reduce the damage inflicted by an amount equal to the save results, and
any melee results are counted as damage against the acting army. However,
the acting army doesn't roll saves in return. Only saves provided by
magic count against these hits.
After the charge has been resolved, the action ends for that army.
Proceed to the next part of your turn-Second March or Reserves.
MISSILE
If the missile icon (an arrow) shows on the terrain die, the acting army
may make a missile attack on an opposing army. Missile attacks can target
enemy armies at the same terrain, or can reach from any home terrain to
the frontier, or from the frontier to any home terrain. The missile icons
for the four races are as follows:
Coral Elf Dwarf Goblin Lava Elf
Bow Crossbow Sling Pistol
After selecting a target, roll your army and count the number of missile
and ID icons that appear. Each point of missile counts as one point of
damage to the target army. If any damage is inflicted, the target army
rolls for saves.
Unlike during melee combat, the target army can't attack back, even if it
occupies the same terrain.
After the acting army's missile attack has been made, the action ends. Go
on to the next part of your turn-Second March or Reserves.
MAGIC
If the magic icon (a starburst) shows on the terrain die or the acting
army is in reserve, the acting army may attempt to cast spells. Roll your
army and separate out those units that show magic or ID icons. Magic icons
are as follows:
Coral Elf Dwarf Goblin Lava Elf
Wand Medallion Amulet Totem
The next step is to count the number of magic points you have rolled. When
tallying, however, remember that each unit may only cast magic according
to its elemental colors. Coral elves cast blue and green magic; lava elves
cast red and black magic; dwarves cast red and gold magic; and goblins
cast black and gold magic. One point of magic on a goblin, for example,
means you have one point of black or one point of gold magic-not one point
of each. Thus, if you're playing a multiracial army, you're likely to get
a lot of magic points in several different colors.
Points of a particular color can be combined from unit to unit as the
player chooses, and multiple points of a particular unit can be divided
between that unit's colors. Read the following example to see how this
makes sense.
Example: One point of magic from a goblin (gold and black) and two
points from a dwarf (gold and red) can be combined to obtain any of the
following types of magic: 3 points of gold; 2 points of gold and 1
point of red; 2 points of gold and 1 point of black; 2 points of red
and 1 point of gold; 2 points of red and 1 point of black; or 1 point
of gold, 1 point of red, and 1 point of black.
Now you tally your points of magic and refer to the spell lists located on
pages 39-43. Each spell is preceded by a magic point cost; this is the
number of magic points of that color required to cast that spell. You can
purchase as many spells as you can afford with the magic points you
rolled, though you aren't required to spend all your points. (Any extra
points not used disappear; they can't be saved for a future turn.) You can
even purchase some spells multiple times for an enhanced effect.
Example: You purchase the Breath of Life spell three times, at a cost
of 9 points of blue magic. You could use the combined effects to
resurrect three 1-health units, or one 3-health units, or one 1-health
units and one 2-health unit.
You must announce which spells you are casting and at what targets before
you resolve the effects of any spells. Magic can target any army in the
game-including armies in reserves except where otherwise noted. However,
you can't cast magic that inflicts damage on one of your own armies.
If all your units are killed-if you have no units left at terrains or in
reserve-any spells you cast are immediately negated. Likewise, if you move
away one or more units from an army that had a spell cast on that army or
that terrain, the spell no longer affects those units. (An example would
be Wall of Ice cast on an army or Ash Storm cast on a terrain; units
pulled into reserve or sent to another terrain would no longer be
affected.) A spell targeting an individual unit, however, follows the
unit. (Burning Hands is one such example.)
There are three other points to remember when playing Dragon Dice. Those points
are as follows.
TERRAIN ADVANTAGE
Elemental colors play an importantpart in Dragon Dice. You'll recall that ID
icons always count as whatever you're rolling for. In magic, any units that
roll an ID icon and match at least one of the colors in a terrain die can
double the resulting magic points that correspond to that color. Only the
magic points generated through ID icons are doubled, not normal magic icons.
Units in reserve can never double magic because they are not at a terrain.
Example: If in flatland (gold and blue), the goblin and dwarf in the
example above can double their gold points if they roll ID icons. If in
highland (gold and red), the dwarf can double both its red and gold magic
points if it rolls an ID icon. Needless to say, rolling ID icons for magic
is a way to rack up lots of magic points.
DEATH MAGIC
No terrain has the black element (color), but during a magic action black
magic can be doubled when ID icons are rolled by "burying" dead units of
health equal to the points of ID icons rolled (see Damage on page 23 for
information on dead units). Any one player (including the acting player) who
has dead units can be targeted for the loss; however, the targeted player
chooses which of his dead units are buried. Only points generated through ID
icons can be used for burying and doubling. All magic points gained by
burying dead must be spent. Units in reserve can't double death magic.
Example: In coastland (blue and green), two uncommon (2-health) goblin
units roll ID icons. Their owner can choose to have 4 points of gold, 4
points of black, or some combination thereof. Instead, he can turn the 4
points of black into 8 points. He targets another player, who buries 4
health points of his dead units. The acting player must now spend the 8
points of black magic on spell listed on page 43.
RESERVE MAGIC
An army in reserve may cast spells, but it can never double its magic points.
Spells can only be cast on friendly units and armies (those belonging to that
player). Terrain dice and other players units and armies can't be targeted by
a reserve army's magic. Spells that inflict damage on friendly units or
armies cannot be cast.
After the magic results have been chosen and resolved, the action ends.
Proceed to the next part of your turn-Second March or Reserves.
SECOND MARCH -------------------------------------------------------------------
You may choose a second army to act with, just as in First March detailed above.
A different army than the one used in the First March must be used in the Second
March. You must have at least two armies in play to take a Second March. (A
player with only one army can only take one march.) Marches are always optional,
as are actions.
After your Second March is complete, proceed to the final part of your
turn-Reserves.
RESERVES -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Your reserve army is kept to your right. After finishing both of your marches,
you can move units into and out of your reserves. A reserve army can only be
attacked by magic. You may opt to use a march on your reserve army; that is,
instead of acting with one of your other armies this turn, you can act with the
reserve army. As explained above, this army can only cast friendly magic; it
cannot attack. After this action, you can still reinforce or retreat, as
follows.
REINFORCE
If you have any units in reserve, you can move any or all of them to any home
terrain or the frontier. You can split the reserve units up, sending some to
one terrain and some to another. If you already have an army at the terrain,
the reserve units join that army. If you don't have an army at the terrain,
the reserve units form a new army. In really large Dragon Dice games (50
points or more), you may end up dividing your units into more than three
armies. Just use extra banner cards with your name noted at the top.
RETREAT
After reinforcing, you can move any or all of your units from the terrain
dice they occupy and place them in reserve.
Example: It's the reserves part of your turn. You have three units in
reserve. First, you decide to move two units to reinforce your home army,
and move the third unit to reinforce your campaign army. Second, your
horde army has taken a beating, so you retreat all the units in your horde
to your reserve.
Because movement from terrain to reserve and from reserve to terrain occurs
by units and not armies, modifiers to an army's rolls-such as spells
including Stoneskin or Wind Walk-don't travel between locations. This is true
even if all the units in an entire army move.
DAMAGE *************************************************************************
When armies meet in battle, melee or missile or magic may result in units taking
damage. If a unit takes damage equal to or greater than its health, the unit is
"killed" and is considered "dead." Killed units are removed from their armies
and placed in the owning player's dead unit area (to the player's left). They
can be restored by certain magical spells and special events or targeted by
players using black magic and buried (removed from the game).
Damage is usually targeted at an entire army. If an attack on an army inflicts
damage, the army rolls for saves. Save icons for the four races are as follows.
Coral Elf Dwarf Goblin Lava Elf
Buckler Towershield Warshield Ward
Each point of saves rolled negates one point of damage. Each point of damage
that isn't negated by a save inflicts one health-worth of damage on the army's
units. The owner chooses which units are killed (though some special effects or
spells may dictate otherwise).
If possible, enough units must be discarded to cover the health loss, but never
in excess of that loss.
Example: If 2 points of damage are inflicted on an army consisting of two
1-health units, one 2-health unit, and one 3-health unit, the owner could
discard both 1-health units or the single 2-health unit, but not the 3-health
unit. You must discard the full amount of damage whenever possible; you can't
arbitarily assign the 2 points of damage to the 3-health unit. If the army
consisted of four 3-health units, on the other hand, no damage could be
applied and so no units would be killed.
Some actions (such as the doubling of black magic) can cause dead units to be
buried. Buried dice are removed from the game. Put them in your dice bag or
wherever you store your dice. They can't be returned to play until a new game
begins.
OPTION: ROUTING ****************************************************************
Routing is an optional rule suggested for the advanced player only. Be sure to
play the game several times before opting to add this extra level of complexity.
An army attacked by an enemy army at the same terrain may be forced to run away,
or be routed. When rolling to save (or when making a charge), if an army rolls
more ID icons (number of actual icons, not the icons' total point value) than
save icons, it is routed and runs away. Saves provided by spells don't prevent
an army from routing. However, saves provided by a special action icon or a
racial ability do count as normal saves for determining routs (see Special
Abilities on page 32).
The opposing army can pursue if it wants. To do this, that player turns the
terrain die one number lower. The army then acts again using the newly revealed
action icon.
Example: Two armies engage in melee combat at a terrain that's on its fifth
face (the number 5 and a melee icon are showing). During a save roll, one
army rolls more ID icons than save icons, causing it to rout. The opposing
army decides to pursue, so that player turns the terrain die down one to its
fourth face (the number 4 and a missile icon are showing). The opposing army
can now act again using a missile act.
This new action doesn't have to be directed at the routing army. For instance,
if the new face indicates a missile or magic action, that army can target an
army at another terrain. If the new action (regardless of what is indicated) is
directed at the routing army or at another army at the same terrain, however,
there's a chance for another rout. If another rout results, the opponent has the
choice to pursue again, and so on, until no more routs occur or the terrain die
is turned to the first face (the number 1 is showing). No routs can occur when
the terrain die is on its first face.
An army that is routed because of a melee skirmish attack can't make the usual
counter-attack against its opponent.
In a charge attack, all damage is resolved before any routs take effect. A
charging army can be routed if it rolls more ID icons than save icons, even
though the saves don't reduce damage. It's possible during a charge for both the
attacker and the defender to be routed. If this happens, damage is resolved, the
terrain die is automatically turned down one step, and the action ends there.
The acting player then proceeds to the next part of his turn-Second March or
Reserves.
THE EIGHTH FACE ****************************************************************
If a terrain is maneuvered to its eighth face (the number 8 is showing), the
acting army immediately "captures" that terrain. If a terrain that has been
maneuvered to its eighth face is ever abandoned by the capturing army, or if all
units in the capturing army are ever killed, the terrain immediately turns back
to the seventh face (the number 7 is showing), and all eighth face advantages
cease.
An army that has captured a terrain receives several special advantages for as
long as it retains control of that terrain die:
1) When rolling for saves, all save results are doubled;
2) When rolling for maneuvers, all maneuver results are doubled;
3) The army can use melee, missile, or magic as it sees fit, but enemy armies at
the terrain are restricted to only melee attacks; and
4) The controlling army may make use of the special eighth face icon-city,
standing stones, temple, or tower-as defined below.
Eighth face advantages are cumulative with any special racial abilities (see
Special Abilities on page 32).
Example 1: A dwarf unit rolls three maneuver icons while in an army
controlling the eighth face of a highland die. These maneuver results are
quadrupled (doubled once for the eighth face advantage and then doubled again
for the dwarf's racial ability, which allows his to double maneuvers in
highland), resulting in 12 points of maneuvers.
Example 2: While rolling for saves, a coral elf unit rolls three maneuver
icons. The unit is part of an army in control of an eighth face of a
coastland die. Six saves are generated by this roll. The maneuvers are
doubled because of the eighth face advantage, and then count as saves because
of the coral elf's racial ability (which allows him to count maneuvers as
saves in coastland).
An army loses control of a terrain if that terrain is ever moved from its eighth
face, or if the army leaves the terrain, or if the army is destroyed.
SPECIAL ICONS ------------------------------------------------------------------
The special icons that appear on the eighth face of terrain dice are as follows.
CITY: If your army controls a terrain with this icon, at the beginning of your
turn you can recruit a 1-health unit or promote a unit in the controlling army.
To recruit a 1-health unit, take a common unit from your dead unit area and
place it in the controlling army. (If you have no common units in your dead unit
area, you can't recruit.)
To promote a unit, trade it with a unit in your dead unit area. The trade must
be with a unit of the same race that's worth 1 health point more than the
"live" unit. For example, a common dwarf can be promoted to an uncommon dwarf.
Rares (3-health units) can be promoted to monsters (4-health units).
STANDING STONES: If your army controls a terrain with this icon, it can cast
magic of the terrain's color-even if it contains units that can't normally cast
that color of magic. However, if the unit doesn't match a color in the terrain
die, it can't double its magic results when it rolls ID icons.
TEMPLE: If your army controls a terrain with this icon, the army is immune to
death (black) magic cast by opposing armies. Also, at the beginning of your
turn, you may force another player to bury one of his dead units. The targeted
player chooses which of his units to bury.
Note: Since summoning a dragon to a terrain doesn't target a specific army, a
black dragon may still be summoned to a terrain with a temple icon.
TOWER: If your army controls a terrain with this icon, it can shoot farther than
normal. Missile fire from this army can reach any terrain in play. It cannot
target reserves.
SPECIAL RULES ******************************************************************
The following rules apply to special circumstances that may come up during the
course of a battle.
SPECIAL ACTION ICONS -----------------------------------------------------------
Rare (3-health) units and monster (4-health) units have a number of special
action icons. These special action icons take effect before normal action icons.
However, special action icons can't affect the results of dice that have already
rolled.
Example: An army attacking during a melee rolls cantrip special action icons.
Before the defending army rolls for saves against the melee hits, the
attacking player uses the cantrips to cast a Lightning Strike spell. The
attacker targets the spell on one of the defender's units. If the unit
doesn't roll a save and is killed by the spell, it's removed from play before
it rolls saves with the rest of the defending army against the original melee
attack.
Note: If the defending army rolls a cantrip, it can't nullify an attacking
unit's results-they've already been rolled. On the other hand, it can buy spells
such as Stoneskin to protect itself.
Effects of special action icons are explained on the following pages, but first
some general notes:
1) Spells that multiply, divide, add, or subtract the number of results obtained
on a roll have no effect on special action icons. Minuses can't be applied to
them, and they can't be halved or doubled.
2) Count each special action icon as 1 point of effect. So, if a die face has
four cantrip icons, it counts as 4 points of effect.
3) Special action icons are subject to modification by a race's special
abilities and the advantages of a terrain's eighth face.
Example: A dwarf mammoth rider usually inflicts 6 points of damage during a
charge when his trample special action icon comes up (since it counts as 3
points of melee and 3 points of maneuver). In highland terrain, the same
charge would inflict 9 points of damage (3 points of melee damage, and 6
points of maneuver because maneuvers are doubled for dwarves in highland
terrain). In highland terrain while in an army that control the eighth face,
the same charge by the dwarf mammoth rider inflicts 15 points of damage (3
points of melee damage, and 12 points of maneuver, as the maneuvers are
quadrupled).
Effects of rare units' special action icons are explained below. (Effects of
monster special action icons are explained in the Kicker Packs, which contain
monster units.)
BULLSEYE: During a missile action, the bullseye targets one unit of the acting
player's choice. Each bullseye icon inflicts 1 point of damage. Only the target
unit rolls for saves. If the resulting damage equals or exceeds the target's
health, the unit is immediately killed-it's removed before rolling for saves
against any other missile damage. No matter how many bullseye icons are on a
single die face, they must all be directed at a single target unit.
During a dragon attack, the bullseye counts as normal missile damage (1 point
per icon).
CANTRIP: During a magic action, the cantrip counts as normal magic. Its points
are combined with any other magic icons to purchase spells.
When rolling for maneuvers, the cantrip is negated and can't be used for
anything.
During any other action (including rolling for saves or during a dragon
attack), the cantrip can be used to purchase immediate spells.
COUNTER: During a skirmish attack, or a skirmish counter-attack, or during a
charge attack, the counter acts as a normal melee icon.
During a roll for saves, the counter counts as a normal save.
During a roll for saves in melee-including a defender's roll during a charge-it
counts as both a save and an immediate hit upon the attacking army, which may
not roll saves against it.
During a dragon attack, the counter functions as both a save and a normal
hit against a dragon.
FLY: This icon provides either maneuvers or saves (not both), as needed. For
example, during a maneuver, three fly icons provide 3 points of maneuver.
REND: During a melee attack, the rend counts as normal melee hits. The rending
unit may be rolled again immediately, applying the new results as well. If
another rend comes up, the unit rolls again. This cycle of roll and apply
continues until the unit fails to roll a rend.
During maneuver, rends count as maneuvers but are not rolled again.
During a dragon attack, rends count as normal melee hits and are rolled again
as above.
SMITE: During a skirmish melee attack, no saves (including spells already in
play such as Stoneskin) can stop these hits. Units killed by a smite are chosen
by the unit's owner; the hits can be divided up however that player sees fit.
The units are removed before the army rolls to save against any other damage
incurred.
During a dragon attack or a charge, smites count as normal melee damage and can
be stopped by saves.
TRAMPLE: This icon usually counts as either a maneuver or melee hit as needed.
During a charge, however, a trample counts as both a maneuver and a melee hit,
thus inflicting double damage.
During a dragon attack, a trample counts as either a melee or a maneuver
result, as the owning player sees fit.
SPECIAL ABILITIES --------------------------------------------------------------
Beyond its particular mix of elements and icons, each race also has a unique
special ability when acting in its native terrain. These abilities are outlined
in this section. Keep in mind, however, that spells that add automatic maneuver
results (such as Wind Walk) aren't counted when determining the results of a
special ability. Read the following for an example of how this works.
Example: A coral elf army in coastland terrain rolls for saves. It rolls
three saves, four maneuver icons (which count as saves for this race in this
terrain), and has a Wind Walk spell in effect (six automatic maneuver
results). The army has generated only seven saves, as the Wind Walk results
don't count as saves.
CORAL ELVES: Calling themselves the Selumari, this race counts maneuver results
as saves when rolling for saves in coastland terrain. The lighthearted Selumari
love open skies and sea, riding magical ships of coral that sail along the water
or soar through the air.
DWARVES: Also called the Vagha, the dwarves double their maneuver results when
in highland terrain. Dwelling amid the crags and caves of the world's young
mountains, the Vagha know every detail of this fiery terrain. When pressed, they
can create paths through the very earth.
GOBLINS: Calling themselves the Trogs, this race doubles its maneuver results
when in swampland terrain. Filthy creatures who revel in swamps, the Trogs can
command the muddy earth of these regions to either firm beneath their feet or
carry them along like flotsam in a river.
LAVA ELVES: Called the Morehl, these elves count their maneuver results as saves
when rolling for saves in highland terrain. From long familiarity with the fiery
lava rivers deep within the mountains, the Morehl can easily find fumaroles to
hide within when attacked, or even call up flame to ward off damage.
DRAGON RULES -------------------------------------------------------------------
Dragons are summoned by magic and are sent to a terrain. Combat with a dragon
occurs before the normal sequence of events. Thus, whenever a single dragon and
an army are at the same terrain, a dragon attack occurs. (See Dragon vs. Dragon,
page 36, for information on multiple dragons at one terrain.) At the beginning
of the acting army's turn, the dragon attacks. The attack happens after any
spells cast during the previous turn expire, but before the army's owning player
performs any actions or declares his First March.
Note: In some cases the dragon's owner and the acting army's owner will be the
same player. A dragon attacks all armies at its terrain at the start of their
respective turns, even an army that belongs to the dragon's summoner.
The owner of the dragon rolls the dragon die and checks the following dragon
action icons.
BELLY: The dragon's 5 automatic saves don't count during this attack. In other
words, 5 points of damage will slay the dragon this turn.
BREATH: Against another dragon, dragon breath negates the automatic 5 saves
until the end of the acting player's next turn.
Against armies, dragon breath effects are based on the dragon's color. Like
spells, the effects of any dragon breath are resolved immediately (before the
acting army responds to the dragon's attack).
GOLD-TURN TO STONE: Five units from the target army are killed unless they
can generate save results. Each unit must be rolled individually, and each
needs to generate a save result. The army's owner chooses which units are
targeted.
BLUE-PARALYSIS: The target army can only roll for saves until the beginning
of the owning player's next turn. Thus, it cannot roll for missile or melee
results against the dragon that turn.
RED-FLAME: Five health-worth of units from the target army are killed and
buried. The army's owner chooses which units are lost.
GREEN-FROST: All rolls made by the target army (or any individual units in
that army) are halved (rounded down) until the beginning of the owning
player's next turn.
BLACK-DISEASE: All units in the target army are rolled; any that roll ID
icons are killed and buried.
CLAWS: A dragon's claws inflict 5 points of damage on an army.
JAWS: A dragon's jaws inflict 10 points of damage on an army.
TAIL: The dragon's tail inflicts 3 points of damage on an army. Furthermore, the
dragon immediately rolls again, applying the new results. This continues until
something other than a tail icon comes up. The target army's saves are compared
to the total damage generated.
TREASURE: After the attack is resolved, one unit in the target army may be
promoted. (Trade it in for a dead unit of the same race but worth 1 health more.
Rare 3-health units can be promoted to monsters.) This icon is found only on
wyrms.
WING: After the attack is resolved, the dragon flies away. (Return it to the
owner's dead unit area.) This icon is found only on drakes.
DRAGON SLAYING
After the dragon has rolled and any dragon breaths have been resolved, the
acting player rolls his army to determine its effect-if any-on the dragon.
The army's owner chooses either melee or missile results (whichever are
higher) to inflict on the dragon, and all saves defend against damage
inflicted by the dragon's attack. ID icons can be used as melee, missile, or
save results, as the army's owner desires.
Each dragon has 5 health and 5 automatic saves (except when its belly icon
comes up). Therefore, it takes a total of 10 damage points to slay a dragon
(or only 5 when it rolls a belly icon).
If an army slays a dragon, it may promote as many units as possible. (Trade
each unit for a dead unit of the same race but worth 1 health more. Rare
3-health units can be promoted to monsters.) All promotions occur
simultaneously.
DRAGON VS. DRAGON
When dragons of different colors are in the same terrain, they attack one
another rather than the acting player's army. Each dragon's owner chooses
another dragon as a target. All dragons are rolled simultaneously and the
results are applied. Any breaths rolled negate the 5 automatic saves until
the end of the acting player's next turn.
If there are multiple dragons of different colors, they attack each another.
In such cases, dragons of the same color team up against a dragon of a
different color.
If multiple dragons of the same color are in the same terrain, they attack
the acting player's army at the same time. An army attacked by multiple
dragons may count its melee results against one and its missile results
against another, possibly killing both with the same roll.
DICE MODIFIERS -----------------------------------------------------------------
Modifiers to an army's roll (such as the penalty for an Ash Storm or the bonus
from a Watery Double spell) don't apply to an individual unit when it must roll
separately.
Example: A unit in an army protected by a Watery Double spell is targeted by
a Lightning Strike spell. The additional saves that the spell provides for
the army don't protect the unit.
Whenever a roll is used for more than one effect (for example, when an army is
rolling against a charge or a dragon attack), any modifiers to that roll are
applied as the army's owner desires. All modifiers must be applied, however, if
possible.
Example 1: A -3 penalty from a triple Ash Storm spell could be applied to
either the saves or melee results of an army being charged-or could be
divided between those two effects. It couldn't be applied to the army's
missile results, however, because missile results don't count during a
charge.
Example 2: An army is being attacked by a dragon, and -4 penalty from
multiple Palsy spells could be applied to the save results, or the melee
results, or the missile results--or it could be divided among those effects.
If the army has neither enough melee or missile hits to kill the dragon
outright, it may choose to apply the penalty to one or both of those results
(and thus preserve the benefit of its save results). It must apply all 4
penalty points, however.
APPLYING DICE MODIFIERS
When more than one modifier is in effect, apply them in the following order:
Modifiers that subtract,
Modifiers that divide,
Modifiers that multiply, and finally
Modifiers that add.
Results can never be negative at the end; zero is as low as a result can go.
SPELL LIST *********************************************************************
EARTH: GOLD [ (Cost) NAME : effect ] ----------------------------------------
(2) STONESKIN: Add 1 automatic save result to the target army until the
beginning of your next turn. These saves remain in effect for the duration and
aren't used up. Multiple castings increase the effect, or may target another
army.
(3) DUST TO DUST: Choose 1 health-worth of any player's dead units to be buried
(removed from the game). Multiple castings can affect multiple units, larger
units, or both, as the casting player decides. Multiple castings can target more
than one player's units.
(4) PATH: Immediately move one of your units (any size) from one terrain to
another. If the unit(s) move to another terrain where there are no friendly
units, they form a new army. Multiple castings affect multiple units.
(5) TRANSMUTE ROCK TO MUD: Subtract 6 from the maneuver results of the target
army until the beginning of your next turn. This spell does affect special
racial abilities (such as maneuvers as saves for coral elves in coastland
terrain) and the additional damage done by charges. Multiple castings increase
the effect, or may target another army.
(7) SUMMON GOLD DRAGON: Send any gold dragon to any terrain, regardless of
ownership or location.
AIR: BLUE [ (Cost) NAME : effect ] ----------------------------------------
(2) HAILSTORM: Inflict 1 hit on the target army. It may roll saves. Multiple
castings increase the damage inflicted on a single army, or may target another
army. Each target army only rolls once to save, regardless of how many
Hailstorms are cast at it.
(3) BREATH OF LIFE: Restore 1 health-worth of units from the dead unit area to
the casting army. Multiple castings can revive multiple units, larger units, or
both, as the casting player decides.
(4) WIND WALK: Target army gains 6 automatic maneuver results until the
beginning of your next turn. These maneuvers remain in effect for the duration
and aren't used up. Multiple castings increase the effect, or may target another
army.
(5) LIGHTNING STRIKE: Instantly kills a target unit unless the unit rolls a save
or ID icon. Multiple castings target multiple units.
(7) SUMMON BLUE DRAGON: Send any blue dragon to any terrain, regardless of
ownership or location.
FIRE: RED [ (Cost) NAME : effect ] ----------------------------------------
(2) ASH STORM: Subtract 1 from the results of all armies at the target terrain
(including the caster's army if present) until the beginning of your next turn.
Multiple castings increase the negative modifier. If rolling units for multiple
effect (such as rolling for saves and hits during a charge or dragon attack),
the penalty applies as the army's owner sees fit.
(3) SPARK OF LIFE: Restore 1 health-worth of units from the dead unit area to
the casting army. Multiple castings can revive multiple units, larger units, or
both, as the casting player decides.
(4) BURNING HANDS: Select one unit. The target unit's melee hits are doubled
until the beginning of your next turn. Multiple castings affect multiple units.
(5) DANCING LIGHTS: The target army's missile and magic results are halved
(rounded down) until the beginning of your next turn. Multiple castings affect
multiple armies.
(7) SUMMON RED DRAGON: Send any red dragon to any terrain, regardless of
ownership or location.
WATER: GREEN [ (Cost) NAME : effect ] ----------------------------------------
(2) WATERY DOUBLE: Add 1 automatic save result to the target army until the end
of your next turn. These saves remain in effect for the duration and aren't used
up. Because the spell doesn't expire until the end of your next turn, it is in
effect during a dragon attack in your next turn. Multiple castings increase the
effect, or may target another army.
(3) WALL OF ICE: Add 3 automatic save results to the target army until the
beginning of your next turn. These saves remain in effect for the duration and
aren't used up. Multiple castings affect multiple armies.
(4) WALL OF FOG: Halve (rounding down) all maneuver results at the target
terrain, and all missile fire results in, into, or out of it, until the
beginning of your next turn. This spell does affect racial abilities (such as
maneuvers as saves for coral elves in coastland terrain) and the additional
damage done by charges. Multiple castings affect multiple terrains.
(5) FLASH FLOOD: Reduce the target terrain die one face (from face 4 to face 3,
for example) unless any army at the terrain can immediately roll at least 8
maneuver results. Multiple castings affect multiple terrains.
(7) SUMMON GREEN DRAGON: Send any green dragon to any terrain, regardless of
ownership or location.
DEATH: BLACK [ (Cost) NAME : effect ] -------------------------------------
(2) REANIMATE DEAD: Return a dead 1-health unit to the casting army. Multiple
castings reanimate multiple 1-health units only.
(3) PALSY: The target army suffers a -1 penalty to all its results until the
beginning of your next turn. Example: 12 hits reduce to 11, 7 saves become 6.
Multiple castings increase the effect, or may target another army. If rolling
units for multiple effect (such as rolling for saves and hits during a charge or
dragon attack), the penalty applies as the army's owner sees fit.
(4) FINGER OF DEATH: Inflict 1 hit on a target unit. Target may not roll saves.
Multiple castings can affect multiple units, larger units, or both as the
casting player decides.
(6) OPEN GRAVE: Until the beginning of your next turn, all units killed in the
target army go to your reserve rather than to the dead unit area. If this spell
is cast on the reserve, any units killed in the reserve while the spell is in
effect remain in the reserve area. Multiple castings affect multiple armies.
(7) SUMMON BLACK DRAGON: Send any black dragon to any terrain, regardless of
ownership or location.
OUTLINE OF PLAY ****************************************************************
The following outline gives a summary of play for easy reference.
SET-UP -------------------------------------------------------------------------
In prepartion for play, follow these steps:
(1) Decide Battle Size
(2) Assemble Armies
(3) Set the Battlefield
(4) Determine Order of Play
(5) Place Armies
(6) Determine Starting Distances
TURN SEQUENCE ------------------------------------------------------------------
Each player performs his turn in the following order:
(1) First March
- Maneuver
- Action
(2) Second March
- Maneuver
- Action
(3) Reserves
- Reinforce
- Retreat
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