Dead Reckoning: Deep Legends Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Non-Saga Content
• How to Use the Deep Legends Saga Materials
• Saga Setup
• New Rules for Sagas
  • Encounters
  • Eliminating Cards
  • Encounter Book
  • Discovering Cards
  • Bury a Card
  • The Saga Die
  • Fortune Encounters
  • Saga Items
• Campaign Specific Rules
  • Before the First Game
  • Campaign Points from Saga
  • After Each Game
  • Before Games 2-5
  • After Game 6: Winning the Campaign
• Using the Sea Dogs Cards with a Saga Campaign
• FAQ
• Solo Rules for Saga and Campaign
  • Saga Content, Solo and 2-Player Co-op Play
  • Solo Campaign
• Co-op Campaign

Components

• 55 Cards (some in the hidden content Tuck box)
• 1 Ocean board
• 8 Ship Upgrades tiles
• 1 Card divider
• 1 Deep Legends Encounter Book
• 1 Envelope of hidden content
• 1 Tuck box with hidden content
• 1 Saga die
• 1 Campaign Log pad
• 1 Rulebook

Transcriber note: the Deep Legends Encounter Book is a separate printed component. Its entries are read aloud only when the rules instruct you to, and they are not reproduced in this rulebook. The Envelope and Tuck box contents are physical hidden content and are not part of this text.

Non-Saga Content

Included in this expansion, but not part of the discoverable Saga content, are 2 new types of Ship Upgrade tiles and 1 new Ocean board. These can simply be added to your game right away.

The new Ocean board is named Golden Island, which is a valuable island that is easy to capture, however, the cost of all Buildings added to this island is doubled for all effects used to place a Building here.

If you have a Ship Upgrade tile with an Influence icon, so long as you have no Cargo or Coins in that hold, then you may place one Influence cube on an island once per turn.

How to Use the Deep Legends Saga Materials

There are 2 different ways to enjoy your Saga content:

1. As part of your normal Dead Reckoning games. Gradually discover the Saga and expand your game each time you play, either with the same players or different players.
2. As part of a 6-game campaign with a campaign winner at the end.

The rules on pages 6 through 8 teach how the Saga content works. Pages 9 through 13 explain rules specific to playing a campaign.

You can use the following method to accelerate the discovery of new content. Before your game, remove 5 randomly selected non-Saga cards from each Row deck and bury them (i.e. place them out of the game beneath the Row deck). These cards should NOT include Saga Encounters.

Saga Setup

Before your first game incorporating the Saga content, do the following...

1. There are some cards that are NOT in the tuckbox, and have a small "1.00" in the top right. DO NOT LOOK at the back of these, but shuffle them into their respective Advancement Row decks during setup.
2. There is a tuck box with many cards inside. DO NOT LOOK AT THESE CARDS. Only take out specific cards from this box when directed to do so during gameplay.
3. There is an "Eliminated Cards" divider. Place this in the tuck box at the very back.
4. Place the Encounter book nearby. DO NOT READ IT before the game, only read it when directed during gameplay.
5. There is 1 envelope. DO NOT OPEN this until instructed.

Some of the discoverable cards are called "Saga items" and carry over from game to game. Between games, discovered Saga items should be kept with their respective deck of Sailor cards, and whoever plays with that deck next simply starts the game with those items. These Saga items have very modest benefits and each summarizes on the back the narrative story that caused the item to be discovered. Thus, a different set of players will be up to date on any relevant stories and they won't be starting with a significant strategic advantage or disadvantage.

New Rules for Sagas

Encounters

Non-Merchant ship Encounters are a new type of Encounter that will be mixed into the Advancement row decks. Like Merchant ships, you'll want to be careful to not look at the back side of them when drawn from the Advancement box and placed on the Ocean board. These encounters are like Merchant ships, but instead of attacking them, you may pay the indicated Coins cost to explore them.

After you pay the cost (and NOT BEFORE), you turn the Encounter over and read out loud what it says on the other side.

These count as 1 of the 2 Advancements and/or Encounters you may interact with each turn.

Eliminating Cards

You will be instructed to "Eliminate" cards from time to time. Eliminated cards should be stored in the Saga tuck box behind the "Eliminated Cards" divider. Once a card is eliminated, it won't be needed again unless you choose to reset the Saga.

Encounter Book

If something instructs you to "read Book 1.XX", then locate entry XX in the Deep Legends Encounter book and read that section out loud. Narrative story elements are written in special text, while the regular text will be instructions that you must follow. Only read entries you are instructed to read.

Discovering Cards

If something instructs you to "gain card 1.XX", remove the indicated card from the Deep Legends Saga tuck box and gain it. Cards in the tuck box are sorted numerically, with a small number "1.XX" in the top right. Try your best to avoid looking at other cards in the box while locating the card you need.

If something instructs you to "take card 1.XX and add it to the Row X deck", remove the indicated card from the Deep Legends Saga tuck box and, without looking at the back, add the card to roughly the middle of the indicated Advancement row deck.

If something instructs you to take out a card and do something else with it, simply follow those instructions.

Bury a Card

When you are instructed to "bury" a card, place that face up beneath the Advancement deck box of its Row. That card won't be used again during this game, but should be shuffled into that Advancement deck box in future games.

The Saga Die

This is the included non-standard d6. When something instructs you to roll a die, roll this die. If you are instructed to roll multiple dice, simply roll this die multiple times.

Fortune Encounters

Encounters with this icon (a red stop-sign with an exclamation mark) are called "Fortune Encounters". They count as Encounters, and, like Merchant ships, can sometimes be both an Encounter and an Advancement. However, they do NOT count as the available Advancement/Encounter on the space they are placed. Moreover, if you gain or encounter them, they don't count as 1 of your maximum 2 Advancements/Encounters for the turn. When a Fortune Encounter is drawn from a box, place it on the Ocean board and then draw another card from the row deck and also place it on the same board. An Ocean board can have any number of Fortune Encounters, but must have at least 1 non-Fortune Advancement/Encounter.

The specific condition to encounter a Fortune Encounter will be spelled out on it. Make sure to read the text on the front of Fortune Encounters so you know when and how they are to be encountered.

Saga Items

Cards with this icon (a "SAGA ITEM" banner) are called Saga items. These items carry over from game to game. So if you own a Saga item at the end of a game, keep it with your deck of Sailor cards. You, or whoever plays that same deck, will start the next game with this item.

Unless otherwise specified, Saga items should be kept near your play area, and they will tell you how and when they can be used.

Saga items in battles: If you ever sink an opposing Ship, you may choose any 1 Saga item the other player has and take it. You now own that item!

Buying and selling Saga items: The active player may buy or sell Saga items to/from any other player as long as neither player is in the middle of a battle or Encounter. The price paid will be any amount of Cargo and/or up to 5 Coins and is freely negotiated between the buying and selling players. The buyer may use Cargo/Coins from their own Dock tile and/or their Ship. The selling player puts the paid Cargo/Coins directly onto their Dock tile or Treasure chest.

Campaign Specific Rules

This section describes the rules for playing a Dead Reckoning campaign. If you are not playing a campaign, you can ignore these rules.

A campaign plays out over 6 games. You'll generally want to play all 6 games with the same group. However, you can sub in a player in for another player as desired and a player can drop out of the campaign if necessary.

At the end of the 6th game players will compare their campaign scores to see who won the campaign.

It is not required for the Saga content to be included in order to play a campaign. Moreover, if the content is already partially discovered when you begin your campaign, that is ok too. In this case players take a -2 Campaign point penalty for each Saga item they begin the campaign with – you can make a note of this on the back of your Campaign Log to remember. This penalty only applies at the start of the campaign, not each game.

Before the First Game

Give each player a Campaign Log sheet. The Campaign Log will be used to track your progress throughout the 6 games of the campaign. Before the first game, you'll need to name your "memoir" by filling in the space after "Voyages of__" (marked A on the Campaign Log).

Campaign Points from Saga

Some Saga items or Encounter book entries will indicate that you gain "Campaign points". When instructed as such, mark those points in the "Campaign points from Saga" area of your Campaign Log.

After Each Game

After each game in the campaign, players should do the following, marking the appropriate spots on the score side of their Campaign Log (marked C on the Campaign Log).

Players score Campaign points based on who won the game:

• 1 or 2 player campaign: Score 6 Campaign points if you won the game, and 0 if you lost.
• 3-player campaign: Score 6 Campaign points if you won the game, 3 if you got second place, and 0 if last place.
• 4-player campaign: Score 6 Campaign points if you won the game, 3 if you got second place, 1 if you got third place, and 0 if last place.

Next, each player marks each Achievements they got during the game. The columns in this table are filled in from top to bottom (marked D on the Campaign Log). For example, the first time you end a game with the Explorer Achievement, you fill in the top row of the explorer column; the next time you end a game with the Explorer Achievement you fill in the next row in the explorer column. If a column in this table has been marked 4 times, you do not place marks for that column anymore.

Next, each player marks the Sailor cards of theirs which ended the game at level 4. Rows in this table are always filled in left to right (marked E on the Campaign Log). If a row in this table has already been marked 3 times, you do not place marks for that row anymore. Note, there is only 1 row for Deck Hands and 1 row for Gunners. If you got 1 or 2 Deck Hands to level 4, only make 1 mark, and likewise for Gunners. Also note, there are 2 rows for Crew. If 2 or 3 of your Crew get to level 4, mark each Crew row once.

Lastly, on the other side of the Campaign Log write down any Saga items that you have so you can remember which cards to start with next game. There is also a notes section for any kind of notes you may want to make.

Before Games 2-5

(Note: before the 6th game skip this step.)

Before games 2 through 5, the player who got last place in the prior game (and the player who got 3rd place if you are a group of 4) gains a Tenacity Bonus by marking one of the spots on the back of their Campaign Log. Players will gain the selected Tenacity Bonus for the current game, but may not choose that bonus again in future games.

The Tenacity Bonus options printed on the back of the Campaign Log are:

Games 2-5: Last place player in prior game (and also 3rd player in a 4 player game) chooses one bonus below to gain at the start of the game. You may not choose the same bonus twice.

• Gain a basic non-sail ship upgrade.
• Gain a free level-up, any card.
• Gain 5 coin to your chest.
• Gain 4 cargo to your Harbor.

Choose from these options if you are playing with the Sea Dogs expansion:

• Gain a basic non-sail ship upgrade.
• Gain a free level-up, any card.
• Gain 5 coin to your chest.
• Draw 3 Sea Dogs cards and keep 1. Keep it for the rest of the campaign.

After Game 6: Winning the Campaign

Your campaign has come to a close and it is time to determine who is the most legendary swashbuckler of them all! Make all the marks on your Campaign Log that you normally do at the end of a game. Then put a value equal to your game 6 total score in the "Entire Game 6 Score" area.

Finally, count-up your Campaign points.

• Score the total value of Saga points. (13 in the example above, marked F.)
• Score the points for your placement in the various games. (Marked G: 21 in the example.)
• For each row completed in the Achievement table, gain 5 points. (Marked H: 10 in the example.)
• For each column completed in the Achievement table gain 3 points. (Marked I: 3 in the example.)
• For each column completed in the Sailor cards table score 3 points. (Marked J: 6 in the example.)
• Score the value of points for the Entire Game 6 Score. (Marked K: 73 in the example.)
• In the example above the player's total campaign score is 126 (marked L).

The player with the highest total campaign score is the winner! If two or more players tie, they share the victory.

Using the Sea Dogs Cards with a Saga Campaign

If you own the Sea Dogs Expansion, we recommend you incorporate that into your campaign. Incorporating the Sea Dogs Expansion is described in full in the rules that come with that expansion.

At the END of each campaign game, randomly deal each player 3 Sea Dog cards, plus a 4th and 5th Sea Dog to the player who won the game just played. Each player selects 1 of the Sea Dogs dealt to them and sleeves it onto a card in their deck matching the sailor type indicated on the selected Sea Dog. If a player already has Sea Dogs or other special Sailor illustration cards on all the possible options, simply deal them 1 new Sea Dog card at a time until they get one they can sleeve. The remaining cards are added back to the other Sea Dogs cards. Once gained, a player will keep their Sea Dog card for the rest of the campaign. This means that by game 6 each player will have 5 Sea Dogs cards, and possibly a 6th from Tenacity Bonuses.

FAQ

Do I need to start the Saga from the beginning to play the campaign?

No. You can have already started playing with and discovering the Saga material in prior games and THEN start a campaign.

Can I play more than one campaign in a row and create a Super Campaign?

Absolutely! In this case, give each player a new Campaign Log, but let each player keep any Saga items they had at the end of the previous campaign.

Can I play the campaign multiple times?

Yes. You can play the campaign as many times as you like. You may choose to reset the Saga content before starting a new campaign or leave it as is, partially or completely mixed in.

What if I have multiple Saga expansions, can I use all of them right away?

You can if you want, but if you are starting from the beginning of the first Saga, we suggest finishing 3 or 4 games with just the first Saga before adding in the content from the second. Other Saga expansions will have rules explaining the best ways to incorporate them.

What if a player drops out of a campaign?

This is not a problem, you can simply continue the campaign either leaving their spot empty or filling it with an AI player that uses the solo player rules (see the base game). If that player had any Saga items, the player with the least current Campaign points gains the items.

Solo Rules for Saga and Campaign

You can use Saga content when playing solo, and even play through a campaign solo.

Saga Content, Solo and 2-Player Co-op Play

Whenever the AI claims a Saga Encounter, whether Merchant ship or otherwise, simply place it in its Merchant pile. Do not look at the back of the card. The AI ignores all Fortune Encounters. The AI will never steal Saga items if they sink your Ship. For 2-player co-op, players may not sell their Saga items to each other, however, so long as your Ships are in the same location, you may freely give each other Saga items.

Solo Campaign

1. Keep track of the AI's Campaign Log in addition to your own.
2. If you are playing with Saga content, the AI gets 10 Saga Campaign points at the start of the campaign, but then, of course, cannot score anymore during the campaign.
3. Since the AI will never get specific Sailor cards to level 4, the AI simply scores 6 Campaign points for the sailor chart on its Campaign log.
4. Just like a real player would, the AI scores either 0 or 6 Campaign points after each game depending on whether it lost or won the game.
5. In games 2 through 5, if you lost the prior game, you get to choose a Tenacity Bonus as normal. If the AI were to gain a Tenacity Bonus, it always just gets 5 extra at the start of the next game instead. However, these should NOT contribute to their 30 for the Capitalist Achievement, so keep them separate in some way until end-game scoring.
6. At the end of each game mark the Achievements the AI claimed as normal. Since the AI cannot gain the Master Merchant Achievement, scratch out that column on the AI's Campaign Log and ignore that column for scoring the AI's Campaign points.

Co-op Campaign

All rules for the solo campaign apply to the co-op campaign as well. Importantly, you need to track separate Campaign Logs for each AI opponent and each player (4 in total). The differences being:

1. Each member of the winning team gets 4 Campaign Points for winning a game instead of 6, and the losing team members get 0 each.
2. Both members of the previously losing team get a Tenacity Bonus in games 2 through 5. At the end of the campaign, aggregate the total campaign scores for each team to determine a campaign winner.