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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.
Icons: 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 1-
health 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 Axe     Goblin Axe     Lava Elf
Sword                                       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
turn-
Second 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      Spell
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    Spell
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    Spell
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    Spell
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    Spell
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