Official Dragon Dice FAQ and Rules Clarifications (C)1996 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Permission to copy and distribute the information contained in this document is granted as long as this header is included. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained in this document should be taken as an extension of the rules booklet contained in the Dragon Dice boxed set. Its purpose is to supplement the rules booklet by clarifying the most confusing parts of the game. This document will be updated on a regular basis as new questions are asked and new rules clarifications are necessary. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part Three - Dragons, Routing, and The Eighth Face, (v. 0.99) Note that this FAQ is a prerelease. We are asking that all interested players examine it, and make suggestions concerning rules that were not discussed. *** DRAGONS General Rules A) Dragons attack immediately after spells which last until the beginning of your turn expire. EXAMPLE: Stoneskins that you cast during the previous turn are of no avail when you are attacked by the dragon; however, any Watery Doubles cast are still in effect, as are any Stoneskins cast on you by another player. B) During the attack, it is the actual OWNER of the die (not necessarily the person who summoned it) that rolls the dragon. C) If a player has armies present at more than one terrain at which there is a dragon or dragons, the acting player determines the order in which to resolve the dragon attacks. D) Dragons of different colors fight one another. If more than two dragons are present at the terrain, it is the OWNERS of the dragons that select the target dragon (which must be of a different color). Owners select simultaneously. Dragons roll simultaneously. 1) Unless a dragon rolls belly, ten points of damage are still necessary to slay it. If two dragons are attacking a single other dragon, their damage is considered as a single total since the rolls are simultaneous. 2) If a dragon breathes on another dragon, the target dragon's usual five saves are negated until the end of the player's next turn. However, the effects of such breath do not occur until after the combat is complete. Multiple breaths have no increased effect. The Attack A) The dragon and its target army are rolled simultaneously. B) All damage is accrued simultanously. C) Dragon Results: 1) Belly: The dragon's five automatic saves do not count for THIS BATTLE. (Note: this roll has no effect on Lightning Strikes which target the dragon, or later battles.) 2) Breath: see below. 3) Claws: Five points of damage. 4) Jaws: Ten points of damage. 5) Tail: Three points of damage, and reroll, adding the second result. Continue to reroll until a tail result is not indicated. 6) Treasure: One (and only one) unit may be promoted (once). Trade it for a dead unit of the same race but worth ONE health more. Three-health units may not be promoted to monsters, including DragonLords and Dragonmasters). (Note because the effects of all dice are considered simultaneously, the effect of the promotion does not take place until AFTER the target army has finished its attempt to slay the dragon, and any tail damage has been counted.) 7) Wing: The dragon flies away; return to the owner's dead unit area. (Note that because the effects of all dice are considered simultaneously, the target army does have an opportunity to kill the beast before it can fly away, and if any tail damage was rolled before the Wing, it applies.) D) Dragon Breath: THE EFFECT OF DRAGON BREATH IS ALWAYS CONSIDERED AFTER THE ARMY'S ROLL TAKES EFFECT. It has no effect on the current dragon attack. 1) Gold-Turn to Stone: Five units from target army are killed unless they can roll a save individually (i.e., any of the five units which do not roll a save or an ID face are killed). The army's owner chooses which dice are targeted. 2) Blue-Paralysis: The target army may roll for nothing but saves until the end of its NEXT turn. Relevant special action icons rolled during saves (cantrip, counter) are handled normally. Actions which occur without rolls (moving to reserves, maneuvering the die when there is no army present or no army desiring to oppose) still occur normally. 3) Red-Flame: Five health worth of units are killed and then buried. The army's owner chooses which units are lost. (Note that Open Grave will save units struck by Flame.) 4) Green-Frost: All rolls made by the target army (or any of its units) are halved until the end of its NEXT turn. (Special action icons are immune, as usual.) 5) Black-Disease: Any units in target army that rolled an ID icon (during the one roll against the dragon) are killed. E) Any ID icons rolled by the defending army can be used as the army's owner wishes: as melee, missile, or save results. F) Special Action Icons vs. Dragons 1) Bullseye: count as normal missile hits. 2) Cantrips: produce instant magic. Note that despite the fact that the effect of the magic is considered before damage is totaled on both sides, a cantrip CAN NOT void a roll which has already occurred (although it can indirectly counter it). Remember the principle at work here, even during a simultaneous roll, is that dice once rolled cannot be further affected or nullified. EXAMPLE: A Coral Elf Enchanter rolls a Cantrip and uses it to Lightning Strike during a dragon attack. Even if the Lightning kills the dragon, the effects of any damage or breath that the dragon rolled MUST be counted. EXAMPLE: The Enchanter decides to cast a Wall of Ice instead. The three saves DO count in helping the army resist the dragon's damage. EXAMPLE: Two Coral Elf Enchanters both manage to roll Cantrips, and cast a Summon Dragon spell to send the attacking dragon to another terrain. This spell DOES NOT void any damage the dragon caused, or indeed any damage the army has caused (so if the dragon is killed by the army, it will be summoned--from the dead unit area it went to one second before). However, if the dragon was summoned to a terrain at which the acting player has an army, the dragon will also attack at that terrain. (Note: if the dragon is summoned to a terrain where a dragon attack has already occured--either on the acting player's army or on another dragon--the dragon does not attack during this turn.) 3) Counter: count as saves AND melee hits. 4) Fly: count as saves. 5) Rend: count as melee hits, AND reroll, adding the second result. Continue to reroll until a Rend roll is not indicated. 6) Smite: count as normal melee hits. 7) Trample: count as normal melee hits (do not double). G) Modifiers due to spells are applied as the owner desires. Negative results (i.e., taking all five penalties off melee when the army only rolled three hits) are not permitted. It is permitted, however, to apply the penalties in an unused result. EXAMPLE: An army which is suffering from 3 Ashstorms and 2 Palsies rolls 12 melee hits, 4 missile hits, and 3 saves when attacked by a dragon. Even though the army eventually decides to use its melee results against the dragon, the player can choose to subtract the 4 of the penalties from his missile results, and another from his melee results; thus he kills the dragon and minimizes his losses. 1) As noted in FAQ Part 1, Special action icons are immune from the effects of modifying spells. Any modifiers must be attributed to other results which were rolled. If only Special action icons were rolled, the modifiers or penalties are ignored. 2) A Flashfire spell, if still in effect, will allow the target army to reroll one of its units during a dragon attack. H) Modifiers due to terrain count during an attack (including maneuvers counting as saves for the elven races, and modifiers due to the Eighth Face) count during the dragon attack. Promotion A) AFTER suffering any losses due to dragon attack, an army that slays a dragon may promote as many units as possible. (Trade in each unit for a dead unit of the same race but worth one health more. However, three-point units can never be promoted to monster units, including DragonLords or DragonMasters.) 1) All promotions happen simultaneously. Each unit can only be promoted once, and no unit which is recovered from the dead during this promotion can be itself promoted. 2) The effects of a "Treasure" result from a dragon attack and a successful Dragonslaying are NOT cumulative. No unit may promote more than once. 3) Under no circumstances can a unit be promoted to a dragon (which is not unit) despite that dragons when out of play reside among the dead. *** ROUTING Determining Rout A) Routing occurs if an army attacked by an enemy at the same terrain and when rolling to save (or making its one roll against a charge) rolls more ID icons than other saves. B) Magical damage CAN NOT cause a rout. Only melee attacks and missile attacks from the same terrain have the opportunity to cause a rout. C) The health value of the ID icon is irrelevent. EXAMPLE: When rolling to save, a three-health unit rolls an ID face. Other units produce 2 normal saves. The army does NOT rout. D) Saves generated through terrain and the Eighth Face DO count in preventing routs. EXAMPLE: A Coral Elf army rolls 4 maneuvers, 2 saves, and 6 ID icons when rolling for saves in the Coastland. The army does NOT rout. EXAMPLE: A Dwarf army in possession of the Eighth Face rolls 3 normal saves and 6 ID icons. Since the saves are doubled, the army does NOT rout. E) Automatic saves generated through saves do NOT count in preventing a rout. EXAMPLE: An army rolls 4 saves and 6 ID icons, but is under the effect of 2 Stoneskins. The army DOES rout. F) A charging army may rout if it rolls more ID icons than saves (as above) despite the fact that its saves do not count. *** Effects of Rout A) It is the option of the opponent to pursue the routed army. B) No rout can occur if the terrain die is at face number 1 (impossible for the moment anyway, since only magic can be at terrain face 1). C) In a multiplayer game, if three armies are at a terrain and one of these armies is in possession of the Eighth Face, no rout can be produced unless it involves the army controlling the terrain (i.e., an army in control of a terrain cannot be forced from the Eighth Face by the actions of two other armies on one another). EXAMPLE: Army A at the terrain controls the Eighth Face. If routed, the army can be forced out of control of the terrain die. If Army A routs another army at the terrain, it may elect to leave the Eighth Face to pursue an army. EXAMPLE: Army A at the terrain controls the Eighth Face. Army B attacks Army C, also present at the terrain. Even if a rout is indicated by the rolls of Army B or Army C, a rout is not possible. D) An army which is routed during a skirmish forfeits its ability to counterattack, whether its opponent wishes to pursue or not. E) All damage from the skirmish from the attacking or counterattacking army is resolved before the opponent decides to pursue. F) During a charge, all damage is resolved before any rout takes effect. G) If both armies rout during a charge, the terrain die is lowered one step and the action ends. (Exception: see (C) above. The terrain is not lowered if there is an army in possession of the Eighth Face at the terrain which was not involved.) H) If a rout is indicated and the opponent decides to pursue the routed army, the terrain die is lowered one step and the pursuing army takes an action as the NEW face of the terrain die indicated. An army which was formerly in melee may suddenly be using missiles, and an army using missiles may find itself using magic. I) The pursuing army has a NEW and FREE action (it does not count as a march of the pursuing player.) The player can choose to target a different army, and even a different terrain with missiles or magic. J) Multiple routs and counter-routs are possible. After a rout, a new action has begun. The army which pursued could find itself routed in the course of this new action, or it could pursue a routed army again. K) If an army is both routed and destroyed, the attacking army may still pursue (see I, above). *** THE EIGHTH FACE A) When a player maneuvers a terrain die to its eighth face, he is said to have captured the terrain, or to be in control of the terrain. B) Immediately upon capture of a second terrain, the player wins the game. C) An army in control of the Eighth Face may perform any action: magic, melee, or missiles, as its owner desires. Any other armies present at the terrain are limited to melee actions. D) All save rolls (and ID icons used as saves) made by an army in control of a terrain are doubled. 1) Magical automatic saves (e.g., Stoneskin) are NOT doubled. 2) Flys and the save effect of Counters (though not the counterstrike damage) ARE doubled. E) Additional saves generated through the Eighth Face bonus DO count against preventing routs F) All maneuver rolls (and ID icons used as maneuvers) made by an army in control of a terrain are doubled. 1) Magical automatic maneuvers (e.g., Wind Walk) are NOT doubled. 2) Flys ARE doubled. 3) When rolling for maneuvers, the effects of Rend are doubled. (Note: Rend does NOT reroll when rolling for maneuvers.) 4) The maneuver result of a Trample is doubled (though not the melee hit result). 5) During a charge, the doubling of manevers is considered when damage is calculated. EXAMPLE: An army in control of an eighth face charges, and rolls 5 hits and 8 maneuvers. The maneuver rolls are doubled, and the target army must save against 21 points of damage. G) The effects of the Eighth Face are cumulative with terrain advantages. EXAMPLE: A Dwarf army in the Highlands terrain in control of the Eighth Face rolls 5 maneuvers. The roll is doubled to account for the Vagha terrain advantage, and doubled again because the army is at the eighth face (i.e., quadrupled). 20 maneuvers. A Goblin army in Swampland at the Eighth Face would have the same effect. EXAMPLE: A Coral Elf army in the Coastlands terrain is in control of the Eighth Face. When rolling to resist damage, the army rolls 5 maneuvers. First, these maneuvers are doubled (because the army is at the Eighth Face). The Selumari advantage then takes effect, and the 10 maneuvers become 10 saves. The Eighth Face does NOT cause these saves to be doubled again. A Lava Elf army in Highlands at the Eighth Face would have the same effect. EXAMPLE: A Dwarf army in the Highlands terrain in control of the Eighth Face charges. The army produces 5 normal hits, 5 maneuvers, and one Trample special action result. The maneuvers are quadrupled, resulting in 25 normal points of effect. The Trample roll counts as 15 points of effect (3 maneuvers, quadrupled, plus 3 normal hits). The total damage is 40 points. H) Whenever an Eighth Face is abandoned--either through the complete destruction of the controlling army, or through the army's departure through reserves or Path spells--the terrain is immediately reduced one step, to 7. I) City: Any player who owns an army in control of a terrain with this symbol, may, at the beginning of his turn, "recruit" a one-health unit--returning it from the dead to this terrain--or "promote" a unit of the army in control--trading it in for a dead unit of the same race but worth one health more. (Three health units cannot be promoted to monsters.) 1) The effects of the promotion happen before a dragon attack, if any. J) Standing Stones: All units of an army controlling a terrain with this symbol can cast magic of the terrain's color, even if they normally cannot cast that color of magic. 1) Magic cast through a standing stone's ability may be doubled as normal. EXAMPLE: A Dwarf army controlling a Standing Stones in a Coastland may cast and double Blue or Green magic. K) Temple: An army in control of a terrain with this symbol is immune to death magic. Also, at the beginning of his turn, the player who owns the army may force any other player to bury one of his dead units. The target player chooses which of his units to bury. 1) The effects of the Temple prevent the target army from being targeted by the death magic of other player's armies. However, the player's own army may cast Reanimate Dead on itself, and any of the player's armies may cast Open Grave on the army in the Temple. 2) Because Summon Dragon targets a terrain, possession of a Temple does not prevent a black dragon from being sent to the terrain. 3) Possession of a temple has no effect on the ability of a player to double death magic. 4) The effects of the burial happen before a dragon attack, if any. 5) Dragons cannot be buried through the temple's burying power. L) Tower: An army in control of a terrain with this symbol can shoot farther than normal, aiming its missile fire at an army at any terrain in play (but not the reserve area). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Questions? Comments? Write to TSRDavidE@aol.com