Drachenjäger von Xorlosch Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Material
• Game Idea
• The Goal
• Preparations
• The First Turn
• Movement
• Group Size
• Solving Quests and Tasks
  • Dwarves of more than one player in a square
  • Solving quests through majority
  • Solving quests through diplomacy
• Gaining Experience Levels
• New Quests
• Magic Items
  • Boots of Movement
  • Potion of Experience
  • Dragon Trap
• Winning the Game
  • Short game
• The Tasks
• Game Rules Summary
  • Movement
  • Quests and tasks
  • Quest and task fulfillment
  • Experience levels
  • Magic items
  • Winning the game
• Translation of the Insert's Legend

Game Material

A. 1 Gameboard with 2 different Setups (Ruins A and Dungeon B)

B. 36 Task Cards in 3 different colors

C. 9 Magic Items with 3 different Symbols

D. 36 dices in 6 different colors

Game Idea

The presence of dragons is a constant threat for the dwarf kingdom of Xorlosch, and everyday the Dragonhunters are doing their best to protect the population. Each day brings countless new tasks, each of them more important that the previous one, and with not a second to waist. Solve them! Let your group of trusted dwarfs be the fastest one! For their own fame but also for their friends and families in the kingdom of Xorlosch they will make sure, that nobody has to live in fear of the dragons. Everyone is counting on you.

The Goal

The Dragon Academy has prepared 13 difficult Quests, huge challenges that are made up of many single Tasks. Lead your group of dwarfs with skill and cleverness to achieve as many quests and tasks as fast as possible. With every successful quest your group's experience will grow to allow you to solve the later quests with greater skill. The group that fulfills the most tasks will win the game.

Preparations

1. Decide at which of the two locations your adventure will take place. You can choose to explore the mysterious Ruins or to climb down into the Dungeon. Place the relevant side of the game board into the center of the gaming table.

2. Every player takes six dices of one color. Every dice represents one Dragonhunter dwarf. Each die with an Axe symbol represents a Warrior, who relies on his battle prowess. Each die with a Pliers symbol represents a Mechanicus, who is skilled in the use of traps and other devices.

3. The 36 Task Cards are divided by their color into 3 stacks, which are shuffled and placed face down on the table where every player can reach them.

4. Take 2 cards from the green task stack and place them face up into the game board square with their number. Do the same with 3 cards from the blue stack and 4 cards from the red stack. As long as those stacks are not used up, there will always be 3 quests with a sum of 9 tasks lying on the game board. The following quests are already visible to the players - put 2 green, 3 blue and 4 red cards face up beside their task stacks.

5. The number of magic items to be used in the game depends on the number of players:

   • 2 players: 1 potion, 1 dragon trap, 1 pair boots of movement
   • 3 or 4 players: 2 potions, 2 dragon traps, 2 pairs boots of movement
   • 5 or 6 players: 3 potions, 3 dragon traps, 3 pairs boots of movement

   The items will be placed as a stack on one of the relevant places of the game board.

[Diagram 1 (the central starting square and the stairwell to the Ruins or Dungeon) is an illustration and is not reproduced.]

The First Turn

At the beginning of the game the dwarven group of each player has a Total Experience Level of 5. Each player can distribute these levels to his dwarves as he sees fit. He can bring one level 5 dwarf into the game or five dwarves with a level of 1 each or one level 3 dwarf and two level 1 dwarves or any other combination of warriors and mechanicusses of his color. He does not have to distribute all 5 levels at the beginning and can instead save up some to bring new dwarves into the game at a later time or level-up dwarves that are already on the game board.

The smallest player begins the game. He chooses his combination of dwarves and puts their playing pieces with the relevant number face up into the big central starting square (the square with the stairwell leading up to the ruins or down into the dungeon, see Diagram 1) in the center of the game board. Clockwise the other players do the same.

When all hunters are assembled in the starting square, the starting player begins the hunt with his first movement turn. The other players' turns follow in a clockwise direction until the end of the game.

In the first turn of the game no player is allowed to solve a quest.

Movement

Each player has 8 Movement Points per turn. From these 8 points the Number of Dwarves that the player has on the game board is subtracted. A player that has 5 of his 6 Dragonhunters in the game can move those 5 for a total of 3 movement points (8 - 5 = 3). The larger the hunting party the more difficult it is to coordinate.

Movement of one dwarf from one square to an adjacent square costs 1 movement point.

A dwarf may move from one square to another only through an open and free passage. Obstacles cannot be crossed (see Diagram 2).

Obstacles are Debris (ruins, dungeon), Ladders (ruins) and Crevices (dungeon) that are marked by a boot in a white round circle.

For clarification you will find an insert in the box that shows the ruins and dungeon with all free passages (black lines) and inaccessible passages (red lines). For a translation of the insert's legend see the last page. The inaccessible passages can only be overcome by using a Pair of Boots of Movement. See "Boots of Movement" on page 6.

The order in which a player is using up his movement points is up to him. He may move dwarf A, then dwarf B and then move dwarf A again.

Each square can be entered by the same dwarf more than once per turn.

A player does not have to use up all of his movement points and can instead choose to let the rest of them expire.

If a player is moving one of his dwarves through a square with at least one dwarf of another player who has a higher level, then he has to pay him the proper respect. This costs – regardless of the total number of dwarves in that square – one additional movement point. Paying the proper respect has to be done when a dwarf is moving into a square with another player's dwarf with a higher level and before he continues on its way, even if the player moves other dwarves in the meantime. If a dwarf begins or ends his movement in the relevant square the paying of proper respect does not apply.

Group Size

A player may, before spending his first movement point, remove dwarves of his color out of the game or bring them back in. Removing and bringing back dwarves does not require movement points.

This change can only take place via the central starting square. This means that a player who wants to remove a dwarf from the game has to move that dwarf into the central square in an earlier game turn.

A dwarf that is removed from the game automatically loses his experience levels. Dwarves brought into the game always start at an experience level of 1. Dwarves outside of the game do not count towards the group size.

When bringing new dwarves into the game a player has to keep his Total Experience Level in mind. Every player starts with 5 Experience Levels, but by solving quests this total can be raised (see "Gaining Experience Levels"). The total can never be exceeded.

For example it is possible to remove a level 3 dwarf from the central starting square and immediately bring him back as a level 1 dwarf. The remaining 2 levels are not lost but can for example be used to raise the dwarf to a level of 2 and bring another level 1 dwarf into the game.

Solving Quests and Tasks

Each quest consists of a number of Tasks. There are quests made up of 2 Tasks each (green), 3 Tasks each (blue) and 4 Tasks each (red). A quest is solved as soon as all tasks are fulfilled.

Each Task Card has either the warrior symbol (axe) or the mechanicus symbol (pliers) on it. Only dwarves of the relevant type can fulfill that task.

In order to fulfill a task, the dwarf must be standing in the square with that task.

[Diagram 3 shows example quest positions on the board; see the caption below.]

Diagram 3 caption: The blue player can on his turn solve the red quest, because he has the dwarves with the highest experience levels in the squares 17, 19 and 23, which gives him majority, even though he does not have a dwarf in square 20. The green player receives task 20, because he has the most experienced dwarf in that square. The red player can on his turn solve the green quest, because he has the dwarves with the highest experience levels in all necessary task squares.

To fulfill a task, the player must have at least one dwarf of the necessary type in each of the relevant task squares (see Diagram 3 on page 4). If only dwarves of that player are standing in the relevant squares, he automatically fulfills the quest (like the red player in Diagram 3 on page 4).

Dwarves of more than one player in a square

If dwarves from more than one player are standing in the same square, only the one with the highest level can fulfill the task. Dwarves whose type cannot fulfill the task do not count in this regard, even if they have a higher level.

If a player has more than one of his dwarves of the relevant type in the same square, they are allowed to add their levels to count as one dwarf of the relevant higher level.

If there are two or more dwarves with an equal amount of levels, then only the player whose turn it is can fulfill the task.

If two task cards are lying in the same square, both of them can be fulfilled at the same time by the dwarf or dwarves in this square (see Diagram 4).

[Diagram 4 is an illustration and is not reproduced.]

Solving quests through majority

Solving a quest can only be announced by the player whose turn it is. This can take place anytime during his turn. This allows a player to solve more than one quest with the same dwarves in the same turn. For example he could use his movement points to move a dwarf into one square, announcing the solving of a quest, then move the same dwarf into another square to announce the solving of another quest.

A player can in his turn also force the solving of a quest for which he is not able to fulfill all but more than half of the tasks with his own dwarfs. This is possible in a blue 3-task-quest with a majority of 2 to 1 and in a red 4-task-quest with a majority of 3 to 1 (see blue player in Diagram 3 on page 4).

If the task fulfillment in a square is not done by the player whose turn it is, then the player with the highest level dwarf of the relevant type will receive that task. In case of a draw the player whose turn it is may choose which dwarf will fulfill the task.

A player who is able to solve a quest through majority is not obliged to do so.

Solving quests through diplomacy

Solving a quest through majority is not possible, but in each of the quest's squares there is a dwarf that can fulfill the relevant task, then the player whose turn it is can propose to solve the quest through diplomacy to the other players. He is not obliged to make this proposal.

For each of the quest's squares he asks the player with the dwarf of the highest level in that square. He can freely choose in which square he wants to begin. If even one player rejects his proposal, the quest cannot be solved.

Especially if two or more players have dwarves with an equal level in one and the same square, it is allowed, even recommended to the players to enter negotiations. All negotiations have to take place in the open, secret agreements are not allowed.

During the course of the negotiations a player with a highest level dwarf on a square is allowed to refrain from his right of Task Fulfillment to make room for someone else.

During the course of the negotiations a player is allowed to turn a previous veto into a renunciation or agreement. After a previous agreement he is allowed to refrain in favour of another player. However, once pronounced, a renunciation cannot be taken back.

Gaining Experience Levels

Once a quest is solved through Majority or Diplomacy, the involved players get the task cards that their dwarves have fulfilled. Every player places his task cards openly in front of him, so that all players are aware of the actual score of the game.

The Total Experience Level available to the dwarven group of a player is always equal to the 5 starting experience levels plus the number of task cards that the player has gained during the game. Thus for each new task card that a player gains he is allowed to raise the level of one of his dwarves on the game board by one. It is possible that the level of one dwarf rises by more than one, if more than one task card is gained.

The raise in experience levels can take place at any time during the player's turn.

A player does not have to distribute all of his experience levels to his dwarves. He can save up levels to use them at a later time.

A dwarf who has taken part in solving a quest does not have to gain any experience levels because of it. Instead the experience levels can be distributed freely.

Once a dwarf has gained experience levels, those cannot be reduced. This is only possible in the indirect way by moving the dwarf out of the game via the central starting square.

New Quests

Directly after a quest has been solved and before the player whose turn it is continues his movement, a new quest of the same color is placed on the game board. This is always the quest that is already lying openly beside the stack of its color. If there are tasks left in the stack, a new quest is laid out beside it.

Magic Items

A player gains a magic item if he has one of his dwarves on each of the two squares with the relevant symbol. This will give him a Potion of Experience (A), Boots of Movement (B) or a Dragon Trap (C). In order to fulfill this condition his dwarves do not have to be those with the highest levels in the relevant squares and also do not have to be of a certain type (warrior or mechanicus). As long as there is a magic item left lying on one of the two squares, the player takes it and places it with the back side (red cross) facing up in front of him. This shows that the player has gained the item in this turn and may use it in his next turn at the earliest.

A player may own all three types of magic items, but only one per type.

Once a player has used a magic item, he puts it back into the relevant square on the game board with the back side (red cross) facing up. The red cross reminds the player that it cannot be picked up again in his current turn.

During his turn a player can pick up and use more than one magic item from each type.

At the beginning of his turn a player flips all magic items whose red crosses are facing up (because they were either acquired by him during his previous turn or put back onto the game board by his predecessor) so that the side without a red cross is facing up. They are now ready to use or pick up.

Boots of Movement

The Boots of Movement can only be used by the player whose turn it is. He may use them any time during his turn. They affect one of his dwarves for the rest of the turn, providing him with 2 additional Movement Points and allowing him to cross all passages that are blocked by Obstacles (debris, ladders and crevices) as if they were free passages (see Diagram 5).

[Diagram 5 is an illustration and is not reproduced. Its caption reads: "Red has 5 movement points and is using the boots of speed in his turn."]

Potion of Experience

The Potion of Experience can be used any time, not just during its player's turn. It provides one dwarf with heroic power and makes him more experienced than any other dwarf for the duration of the turn.

This allows a player to turn one dwarf into the highest level dwarf in order to solve quests or not to pay the proper respect. However, a dwarf still has to meet the condition of his profession (warrior or mechanicus) when fulfilling a task.

If another dwarf in the same square is also using a potion of experience, then both dwarfs count as equally experienced. When fulfilling a quest the player whose turn it is has the right to choose that his dwarf will fulfill the task.

Dragon Trap

The Dragon Trap can be used any time, not just during its player's turn. This ancient device allows one dwarf to fulfill a task in a square, even if he is not the most experienced dwarf (even if there is a dwarf present who is affected by a potion of experience) and even if he doesn't meet the condition of his profession (warrior or mechanicus). See Diagram 7 on page 7.

If another dwarf in the same square is also using a dragon trap, then both dwarfs count as equally experienced. When fulfilling a quest the player whose turn it is has the right to choose that his dwarf will fulfill the task.

[Diagram 6 (the dragon trap) is an illustration and is not reproduced.]

Winning the Game

The game ends after all 13 quests have been solved. The player who has fulfilled the most tasks wins the game. In case of a draw the player with the most experienced dwarf on the game board wins. If this also results in a draw, the second most experienced dwarf decides the outcome, and so on. Only if all dwarfs of the leading players have exactly the same experience levels, the game ends in a draw for those players.

Short game

The short game ends not after all 13 quests are solved but after all 3 Dragon quests (see below) are solved.

The Tasks

The rulebook describes each task type with the following flavour text:

• Tatzelworm: "The common tatzelworm counts as the lowest of the dragons. A monster with sharp fangs and claws and a terrible stench, but no match for a real Dragonhunter, unless he has the delicate nose of an elf ..."
• West Wind Dragon: "Great flyers, without doubt ... force them into narrow tunnels and attack from all sides ... defeat them in close combat with axe and spear ... aim the crossbows at their long necks where their scales are the weakest."
• Cave Dragon: "Be aware of the cave dragons, my son! A great many of us have underestimated their power, because they are unable to fly. But in turn they know their caves as well as daddy Burgosch knows the inside of his tool box."
• Healing Herbs: "Don't go into battle without at least one potion of the fourleavy Oneberry and a good salve of Chonchinis to heal your burning flesh. Always remember: Preparation is our strength, ignorance the weakness of the dragons."
• Carbuncle Stone: "It is a shame that such an ugly breed like the dragons carry beautiful stones like those inside their skulls. It is said that they contain their souls, so by salvaging it we will make sure that the dragon will never be revived."
• Kobold: "The kobold Pirikamuniputalapat knows more about the ruins than even it's scaled inhabitants. No wonder, as he plays his pranks on every newcomer. He also knows about the old traps, as he is using some of them for his jokes."
• Helmet: "Over 800 years ago daddy Kurum defeated two of the dragon kind in the old fortress by using his most precious pieces of armor as a lure. Since then his golden Dragon Helmet is lost."
• Dragon Egg: "Try to get at least one dragon egg! Every egg that cannot be raised by the scaled brood is a great gain for the cause of our lord Angrosch ... also the human alchemists pay good money for them."

Game Rules Summary

Movement

Each player has 8 Movement Points per turn. These are reduced by the Amount of Dwarves that the player has on the game board.

The movement of one dwarf from one square to an adjacent square costs 1 Movement Point. The dwarves can be moved in any order.

Moving through a square with another player's dwarf of a higher experience level costs one additional Movement Point.

A player may at the beginning of his turn via the central square remove dwarves of his color from the game board or bring new dwarves into play. This costs no extra movement points.

Quests and tasks

Each quest consists of a couple of tasks. There are 2-task-quests (green), 3-task-quests (blue) and 4-task-quests (red). A quest is solved when all of its tasks are fulfilled.

Every Task Card comprises either the warrior symbol (axe) or the mechanicus symbol (pliers). In order to fulfill a task, a dwarf of the appropriate profession has to be standing in the relevant square.

During the first Turn of each Player no Quests may be solved.

Quest and task fulfillment

If there is more than one dwarf standing on a square, only the dwarf with the highest Experience Level is allowed to fulfill the task.

Solving a quest can only be announced by the player whose turn it is.

In order to solve a quest there has to be at least one dwarf of the appropriate profession standing in each of the relevant Task Squares.

A player can also solve a quest in which he is able to fulfill more than half of the tasks with his own dwarfs. This is only possible in a 3-task-quest with a ratio of 2:1 or in a 4-task-quest with a ratio of 3:1.

If there is at least one dwarf who is able to fulfill the task standing at each of the task squares relevant for solving a quest, then the quest can be solved with the agreement of all participating dwarves.

After a quest has been solved, all players whose dwarves took part gain the relevant Task Cards.

Experience levels

At the start of the game each player's dwarven group has an Experience Level Total of 5.

For each Task Card a player gains he is allowed to raise the Experience Level of one of his dwarves by 1. This can happen anytime during his own turn. Once given to a specific dwarf the experience levels cannot be taken back.

The Experience Level Total of each player always equals the number of Task Cards he has gained plus the 5 Starting Experience Levels.

Magic items

A player can gain a magic item by having one dwarf standing in each of the two squares with that item. Each magic item can only be used for the duration of one game turn and is discarded afterwards.

• Boots of Movement: One dwarf has two additional movement points and is allowed to pass over obstacles.
• Potion of Experience: One dwarf becomes the most experienced dwarf of his profession for one turn.
• Dragon Trap: One dwarf is allowed to fulfill a task in his square regardless of his experience or profession.

Winning the game

The game ends after all quests have been solved. The player who has fulfilled the most tasks wins the game.

Translation of the Insert's Legend

The printed legend of the insert (free passages, inaccessible passages, ruins and dungeon) is shown as a graphic on the box insert. The rulebook's text for this page contains only the heading above, so no legend text is reproduced here.