Dragonquest: A Fantasy Dice Game

Dragonquest: A Fantasy Dice Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components

13 Treasures
1 score sheet pad
4 black Movement dice
1 special red Movement die
12 Useful Objects
10 bone colored Treasure Chamber dice
3 yellow Danger dice
1 yellow letter die
3 blue Battle dice
1 dark purple Skeleton Battle die
3 Spider tiles
2 "Miss-next-turn" markers
3 Wall tiles
2 white Damage dice
1 grey Spider die
3 Demon tiles
1 Rules booklet
1 Useful objects sheet

Pens are not included.

Preparations

Give each player one score sheet from the pad and one pen (not included). Write your name on your score sheet – if you wish, you can invent your own hero or heroine!
Sort out the dice according to the categories above. Place them on the table, within easy reach of all players.
Sort the treasure tiles, the Useful Objects and the other tiles, and place them within easy reach of all players.
Determine a starting player.

The Score Sheet

On your individual score sheet, you will keep track of a number of things as the game goes on – the rules will tell you how to record all of these things!

the position of the sun on the Sun Track, i.e. the current game round
your route through the castle towards the Treasure Chamber, and then towards the exit
the Life Points (LP) you have remaining in the game
the traps you fell into
how many gold coins you collected in the Treasure Chamber
what you found on your way (find points) – and what horrors you have awakened
and – if you are unlucky, or take excessive risks – also your death in the game

Note: Make sure that your own score sheet is clearly visible to the other players; that way, you will ensure that all the things recorded on it are correct, and that none of the players forget anything.

Overview of One Turn

Every time it is your turn, the following will/may happen – in short. The detailed rules for each section will follow.

A) First, you cross off the next space in the Sun Track, going from left to right.

B) Then, the opponent on your right will use the three Wall tiles and try to trap you. This may result in certain squares inside the Castle being blocked on your score sheet, so that you will have to choose a longer route.

C) Now you roll all five Movement dice (one red, four black). You may thereafter re-roll once or at maximum twice, with any of the Movement dice of your choice except those showing skulls. Once you finish rolling the Movement dice, you either move on inside the castle and record any Find Points (FP) on your score sheet – or proceed to D) if you had the misfortune of rolling three or more skulls.

D) If you happen to roll three or more skulls on the Movement dice, there is no moving or recording Find Points! Instead, you must continue your turn by rolling the yellow Danger dice to see what you have encountered – a monster, or a trap. You will then most likely lose Life Points, which will be marked on your score sheet.

E) If you manage to make it into the Treasure Chamber on your score sheet, you continue that turn by rolling the Treasure Chamber dice in order to see what you can find and carry with you. You may if you wish – and dare – remain in the Treasure Chamber the next time it is your turn, and the next turn again and so on while accumulating more and more treasures... Until you decide to leave the Treasure Chamber and head for the Exit. But the longer you stay, the higher the risk of the dragon waking up – and that is something you do not want to happen in this game!

F) If you manage to reach the Exit square before the sun goes down, you have survived the castle's dangers (this time...) and sum up the total value of treasures and gold coins you managed to carry with you!

Who Wins and Who Loses?

G) If anything goes amiss – and there is quite a lot that might – it may result in the death of your hero. Crossing off the Dragon space in the lower right corner will then be your last and final gesture in this game.

There is only one way to win this game: by making it from the Start space on the left via the Treasure Chamber and to the Exit on the right, before you run out of turns and the sun goes down. If you are the only player to do this, you have won. If several of you accomplish this, the winner is the player who has taken treasure to the highest total value, recounted in gold coins.

There are however a number of ways in which you can lose this game and die a horrible death. You can lose all of your life points in battling monsters or falling into traps – and if you fail to make it out of the castle before sunset, the darkness will swallow you.

Rules in Detail

DragonQuest is played over the course of a maximum of 19 rounds (20 for a player who has the Amulet of Time). Beginning with the starting player everyone whose hero is still alive takes their turn in clockwise order. Each turn normally consists of at least of the following steps A) and B). The other steps only occur if applicable.

A.1 Cross Off the Next Space in the Sun Track

Towards the top of your score sheet you will find the Sun Track consisting of 19 spaces: from sunrise to sunset. You start off every turn by first crossing off the next space, from left to right.

If and when you cross off the very last sun-space in the Sun Track to the right, you have that turn as your last and final attempt to try to make it out of the castle – which means continue drawing the line on your score sheet so that it hopefully reaches the Exit space on the right. After that the sun goes down, and – as indicated by the skull symbol – a sure death awaits you inside the castle...

A.2 The Useful Objects

Then you may spend Find Points to purchase a Useful Object (see C.3). The 12 Useful Objects that you can find – if you are lucky – inside the castle are listed on the separate sheet, and note that none of them is of any help against the dragon!

The descriptions of the Useful Objects are reproduced at the end of this rulebook.

B The Wall Tiles

Important: This step is skipped if you are currently in the Treasure Chamber or have just left it!

The opponent on your right takes the three Wall tiles, secretly chooses one of them and places it in front of you with the blank side up.

Then you must say a number: either 1, 2 or 3. Flip the tile to its numbered side:

If that number does not match the number you said, nothing happens – no square gets blocked this turn!

If however the number you said matches the number on the Wall tile your opponent now gets to block one square of his or her choice on your score sheet!

Your opponent may not block squares any way he or she wants; there are a few restrictions:

No squares adjoining the Start space, the Treasure Chamber or the Exit may be blocked; nor squares adjoining the orange and black space.
No more than two adjoining squares orthogonally may be blocked. Adjoining diagonally is never allowed! If your opponent has already blocked two adjoining squares, the next square to be blocked must be at least one free square away.

Example: Gina is about to roll the Movement dice in her turn, but first Christopher on Gina's right takes the Wall tiles and secretly chooses the tile with the "2" and places it (number side down) in front of her. Gina guesses "2" ... which unfortunately happens to be correct! Christopher takes Gina's score sheet, blocks one square of his choice, and hands the score sheet back to Gina who now rolls the Movement dice. If she had said "1" or "3", no square would have been blocked this turn.

In short: there must always be a possible route from the Start space to the Exit space via the Treasure Chamber on your score sheet, even if sometimes convoluted and time-consuming!

C.1 The Movement Dice

Now you continue to explore the castle: Roll the single red and the four black Movement dice, to see what they will show. Dice showing one or two skulls (danger symbols) must immediately be set aside. Note that the red die can show either one or two skulls!

You are after that initial roll entitled to one or maximum two re-rolls, with any of the dice you choose except those showing skulls – those must always be set aside. You do not have to use the re-rolls; instead, you may stop after the initial roll, or after the first re-roll, and accept the result.
If you happen to get a total of three or more skulls at any point, no more re-rolls for you; and you do not move either, or make a find – instead go immediately to section D.1 (on page 6).
If you instead have rolled a maximum of two skulls, you now move on your score sheet (C.2), and accumulate any Find Points (C.3). These Find Points are used to acquire one or more of the 12 Useful Objects in the game, and which may add to your treasures or even save your life in the game (see "Useful objects sheet").

Example: Anna rolls the five Movement Dice, and gets two Skulls, one Room, one Corridor, and one Find symbol. She chooses to stop right there, moves two spaces on her score sheet, and ticks off a Find Point on her score sheet. This concludes her game turn.

C.2 How to Move on Your Score Sheet

If you have rolled a maximum of two Skulls, and have one or more Room/Corridor symbols on the dice, you use that result of the Movement dice to move.

You move as many squares as the sum of Rooms and Corridors you have rolled on the Movement dice – one square for each such symbol, room and/or corridor.

You start your way through the castle on the start space at the left. Your first step leads to any square orthogonally adjacent to it. You mark your progress through the castle by drawing a continuous line on your score sheet. It may angle off upwards, downwards, to the left or to the right, but never diagonally (unless you have the one Useful Object that allows you to do this, once). You may not move to a blocked square or a square you have previously visited, with one exception: the Treasure Chamber, which counts as one square. Every time you finish a move, mark that end point by putting a dot in that square.

Example: Beate rolls the Movement dice, and gets one Skull, two blanks, one Room and one Corridor. She sets aside the Skull, the Room and the Corridor, and re-rolls the remaining two dice. She gets another Skull, and another Room. Now she has two Skulls and wants to avoid her second re-roll – instead she stops and uses the two Rooms and the one Corridor to move three squares on her score sheet.

Note that you may, if you wish, move fewer steps than the dice show! (This is for tactical reasons: for example while hoping another player will move out of the Treasure Chamber, so that it will be empty when you enter there in your next turn.) Also note that it is possible, although very rare, for your turn to result in nothing at all happening.

Example: Christian rolls the Movement dice – and gets two Skulls and three blanks! Since he is close to the Exit, does not want to take any risks and has several spaces left in his Sun Track and thus plenty of time, he decides to not use any of his re-rolls and remains standing where he is on his score sheet.

Note: For an easier game all players (or younger players) may start on the small orange square instead.

C.3 Accumulating Find Points

If you have rolled no more than two skulls, you must now tick off one Find Point (FP) for every Movement die that shows a Find symbol.

On your score sheet, there are three rows of FP going from 1 to 6 and a Danger at the right – Spider, Demon or Skeleton. You start with the top row, ticking off the boxes from 1 and onwards to the right.

Example: On his very first turn David rolls the Movement dice, and gets two blanks, two Rooms and one Find symbol. He decides to re-roll the two blank dice, and gets one Skull and another blank. He sets the Skull aside, and his second re-roll is only with the remaining blank die which now shows another Find symbol. Now he moves two squares on his score sheet (for the two Room symbols), and crosses off the '1' box and the '2' box in the topmost row for his two FP on the dice.

You may later use accumulated Find Points to acquire a Useful Object of the same or lower value, but only at the beginning of your turn (A.2). Once you have rolled the Movement dice, it is too late!

When acquiring a Useful Object you must cross off the whole row of FP. Excess points (if any) are forfeited and the danger at the end of the row cannot be awakened anymore (see C.4).

Example: It is a couple of turns into the game, and Erika has so far accumulated 5 Find Points in her top row. Now it is her turn again, and she decides to start her turn (after crossing off a space in her Sun Track) by "cashing in" the 5 FP. She chooses the "Orb of Light" tile (which costs 5 FP) and puts it on the table in front of her. The entire top row ending with the Spider is now crossed off. Then she continues her turn by rolling the Movement dice as usual. Any further FP acquired must now be entered in the middle row.

When you roll further Find symbols during the course of the game, tick off the first FP of the row below the one you just crossed off. After all 3 rows of FP have been crossed off, you cannot collect any more FP for the rest of the game.

C.4 Awakening a Danger by Exceeding an FP-Row

If you exceed 6 FP in any row, you have awakened the danger at the right of the row! As for the effects of awakening a danger by exceeding 6 FP, see rules section D.6 (on page 9).

Example: Frederick has 5 FP in the top row on his score sheet and could start his turn by trading in these for a Useful Object of the same or lesser value – but wants to gamble on hitting 6 FP for an even more valuable object. The end result on the Movement dice is however two Skulls, one Corridor and two Find Points! Too bad. He moves another square in the castle (for the Corridor), and must then cross off the '6' AND the 'Spider!' in the top row. The entire row is crossed off, and he must immediately take a Spider tile and place in front of him on the table.

Note: In the rare case that the supply of spider tiles/demon tiles has already been depleted when a player awakes the spider/demon, he or she must mark or note this on his or her score sheet instead of taking a tile.

D.1 The Yellow Danger Dice

If you get a total of three or more skulls on the Movement Dice in your turn, regardless of on the initial roll or on any of the two possible re-rolls, you do not move and do not get to tick off any Find Points. Instead, you must immediately continue your turn by rolling the yellow Danger dice to see what you have just encountered inside the castle: a trap (see D.3), or a monster (see D.4).

First set aside the yellow letter-die. Then roll any one of the other yellow Danger dice, and place it on the space marked A on your score sheet, at the bottom left.

Example: Henry just rolled the third skull on the Movement dice. Now he rolls the first yellow Danger die – the result is an Orc. He places that die, Orc upward, on the space marked A on his score sheet. Now he rolls a second Danger die: it also shows an Orc. The result is clear – he has encountered an Orc inside the castle.

Then roll another Danger die: if it shows the same symbol as the previous die, the result is clear – that is what you have encountered.

If instead the second Danger die shows a different symbol than the one you placed on A, you place this second Danger die on the space marked B. Now roll the third Danger die: if it shows the same symbol as on either A or B, the result is clear – that is what you have encountered.

Example: Ivana rolls an Orc on the first Danger die (and puts it on A), an Arrow Trap on the second Danger die (and puts it on B), and yet another Arrow Trap on the third Danger die, so the result is clear – she has encountered an arrow trap inside the castle.

If instead the third Danger die shows a third symbol, not the same as on A or B, you place that third die on the space marked C. Now take the yellow letter die, and roll it. If it shows a letter, you have encountered the monster or trap shown on the corresponding die on your score sheet (A, B or C). But if the fourth yellow die shows the blank side, you have luckily escaped in the nick of time!

Example: John has rolled first a Poisonous Fog (placed on A), then a Troll (placed on B), and finally an Orc (placed on C). Now he rolls the fourth yellow Danger die – and it shows A. John has encountered a trap with poisonous fog inside the castle.

D.2 Life Points

You start the game with 13 Life Points (LP), shown as thirteen bone spaces in the column on the left side of the score sheet. Every time you sustain damage (from a trap, a monster, or the dragon), you cross off the corresponding number of Life Points in that column: starting from the top and going downwards, one bone for every LP you lose.

If you cross off the last bone space at the bottom of this column, your hero or heroine has regrettably died inside the castle and you have lost the game.

Note: One of the Useful Objects you can find (Healing Potion) immediately gives you 3 additional life points! Record this on your score sheet by hand-drawing another three bones near the bottom of the column, thus "extending your life" in the game.

D.3 Traps

Your score sheet lists three different traps, with two red damage-spaces for each trap. The first [second] time you encounter a trap, you cross off the corresponding damage-space on the left [right], and also cross off the corresponding number of Life Points. Depending on which trap it was, a "side effect" may also occur.

Arrow Trap: Cross off the stated number of life points on your score sheet (-1 the first time, but -2 the second time you encounter that trap in the game). You must also immediately roll one white Damage die (both times), and cross off the number of LP that it shows!

Example: Ivana above has encountered an arrow trap (see top example on this page), and crosses off the left arrow trap space on her score sheet (where it says "-1 LP"). Note also the Damage die symbol here (red arrow)! It means she must now also roll one Damage die. Ivana rolls one white Damage die; it shows a 2. Now she crosses off 1+2 = 3 LP (bones) in her Life Points column.

Trapdoor: The first time you encounter a trapdoor, 3 LP are crossed off on your score sheet. If it happens a second time in the same game, you cross off 6 Life Points!
Poisonous Fog: The first time you encounter this trap, you cross off 2 LP – and must take a "Miss-next-turn" marker and place before you (If the supply is currently depleted, mark the next space of your Sun Track with a circle instead)! The second time you encounter poisonous fog, you cross off 5 LP and again miss your next turn, as above.

"Miss-next-turn" marker: If a "Miss-next-turn" marker is in front of you at the start of your turn, just cross off the next space on the Sun Track, put the marker back into the supply, and end your turn immediately.

Example: John above has encountered a trap with poisonous fog! On his score sheet, it says "-2 LP" but depicted there is also the "Miss-next-turn" marker. John crosses off 2 of his Life Points, and places a "Miss-next-turn" marker on his score sheet. On his next turn he hands back the "Miss-next-turn" marker (after as usual first crossing off another space in his Sun Track), but does nothing else. On his following turn, he takes a normal turn.

If you encounter any of the traps a third time during the same game, it is very bad: you die automatically, since you cannot sustain any more damage. Cross off all your remaining Life Points, and also cross off the "death box" in the lower right corner of your score sheet.

Note: Some of the 12 Useful Objects you can find inside the castle (if you have accumulated enough Find Points on the Movement dice and then cashed them in) will protect you against traps or monsters! Any such object can however only be used once. You then do not lose any LP at that moment, but that object is afterwards put aside, out of the game.

D.4 Monsters

If the yellow Danger dice instead show that you have encountered a monster (Ghoul, Troll, or Orc), you must immediately on that same turn fight to the finish against it. This fighting is done over as many rolls with a Battle die as necessary in that same turn, until you either roll a Sword on the Battle die and have defeated the monster, or until you have lost all your LP and you die as a result.

Example: Blue battle dice for a Ghoul, Troll or Orc.

Fight! Take the appropriate blue battle die for the type of monster you have encountered. Roll it.

If that Battle die shows a Sword, you have defeated the monster. Your our turn ends immediately.
If the Battle die instead shows the monster, you must immediately roll the Damage dice (see page 9) and lose LP accordingly. Then roll the battle die again.

Repeat this, until you either finally roll a Sword, or run out of LP and die.

The blue Ghoul Battle die has 2 Ghoul symbols and 4 Sword symbols. The Troll die has 3 Trolls and 3 swords. The Orc die 4 Orcs and 2 swords. Thus, defeating an Orc is much more difficult than defeating a Troll, which is more difficult than defeating a Ghoul!

D.5 The Damage Dice

There are two white Damage dice in the game, each numbered 1-1-1-2-2-3. Each time you lose a roll with a Battle die (= it shows a Monster symbol), you immediately then roll one or two Damage dice to determine how many LP you just lost:

Ghoul: Roll both Damage dice, and lose as many LP as the die with the lowest number.
Troll: Roll one Damage die, and lose as many LP as it shows.
Orc: Roll both Damage dice, and lose as many LP as the die with the highest number.

Example: Karen has rolled four Skulls on the Movement dice, and then rolled the result Ghoul on the Danger dice. She rolls the corresponding blue Battle die, which shows a Ghoul symbol! She now rolls both Damage dice, which show a 1 and a 3; Karen thus loses 1 LP on her score sheet. She immediately rolls the Battle die again – it shows another Ghoul, and the Damage dice both show 2's. She loses another 2 LP on her score sheet. A third roll of the Battle die, which finally shows a Sword symbol! The Ghoul has at last been killed, and Karen's turn is over – but she has just lost three LP.

D.6 Spiders, Demons and Skeletons

If you awakened a danger by accidentally or carelessly accumulating too many Find Points without cashing them in, the following happens:

Spider: Take one Spider tile and put it on the table in front of you. You have been bitten by a poisonous spider, and the venom will start to take effect in the same turn that you leave the Treasure Chamber AND on each turn thereafter. On each of these turns, you must roll the grey Spider Damage die once, directly after crossing off one space of the Sun Track (A.1), and follow the result:

"Crossed off Gold Coins" and you have become weakened and must scratch off one already ticked gold coin space on your score sheet (50 or 100, your choice) which you cannot carry; If you have no more ticked gold coin spaces left, then nothing happens for this result.
"-2 LP" and you lose two life points in that turn. If you lose your last Life Point, you of course die.

Example: Spider tile and grey Spider Damage dice.

Demon: Take one Demon tile and put on the table in front of you. Your opponent on the right immediately takes your score sheet and "activates" the black square on it – draw a ring around it! Now, on each turn, starting on the turn after you have encountered a Demon – and always after you have taken your turn as usual – the Demon (steered by the opponent on your right) moves TWO steps. The Demon will start from the black square (the player on your right marks the movement with XXX's in the squares) and move towards you on the score sheet, straight or diagonally, regardless of whether you also move in that turn or are in the Treasure Chamber. The Demon cannot enter the Treasure Chamber, nor can it return to any square it has previously been on, but it can pass through blocked squares, and squares where the player has previously been! Also, you cannot move to any square with a cross, where the Demon has previously been. If the Demon reaches the square where you are (including the Exit in the same turn that you reach it), you die in the game.

Example: Movement of a demon.

Skeleton: This monster you immediately have to fight just like you fight a Ghoul, Troll or Orc, but using the dark purple Skeleton Battle die. When and if you roll a Sword symbol, you have defeated the Skeleton; but for every turn that you instead roll a Skull, you lose 1 LP the first time; 2 LP the second time; 3 LP the third time; 4 LP the fourth time; and if there is a fifth time, you die.

Example: Dark purple battle die for a Skeleton.

E.1 The Treasure Chamber

You do not have to roll an exact number of spaces to enter the Treasure Chamber – if you have more rooms and/or corridors, it does not matter. You must visit the Treasure Chamber on your way through the castle; bypassing is not allowed. Note that the Treasure Chamber counts as one space.

Once you have entered the Treasure Chamber on your score sheet, and if you are the only player currently present in there, you continue your turn by rolling all 10 Treasure Chamber dice to see what you can find and take with you. You may only roll the Treasure Chamber dice ONCE in your turn (unless you have the Useful Object stating otherwise). All dice showing a Dragon symbol are immediately set aside!

Note down all gold coin symbols, 50 or 100, on your score sheet. If you roll two or more Star symbols on the Treasure Chamber dice, you have found something extra valuable! You may then take ONE such treasure, requiring at most the number of Star symbols you just rolled. Note that the most precious treasures require as much as six Star symbols!

Note also that there are two extra "blank" treasure tiles in the game, which you can use to make up your own extra special treasures if you wish.

If you choose to stay in the Treasure Chamber on your next turn, you again roll the remaining Treasure Chamber dice. For every turn in the Treasure Chamber you must re-roll all remaining Treasure Chamber dice (= those not showing a Dragon symbol).

Example: Lars has finally made it into the Treasure Chamber and is the only player currently present in there. He rolls those 10 dice, and gets Dragon-Dragon-blank-50-50-100-Star-Star-Star-Star. A really lucky roll! He sets aside the two dice with the Dragon symbols, ticks off two 50 gold coin squares and one 100 gold coin square on his score sheet, and then from the pile of treasures on the table selects a golden apple worth 2200 gold coins (requiring four Star symbols, which he just rolled).

If more than one player is in the Treasure Chamber at the same time on their respective score sheets, the same principle as above is followed: each player rolls the remaining Treasure Chamber dice – there will be fewer and fewer available as those showing a Dragon symbol are always set aside – and then ticks off the corresponding amount of gold coins on their score sheet and/or takes one treasure, provided he or she has rolled at least the corresponding number of Star symbols.

Example: Lars has just done his roll above, and now it is Martina's turn to arrive in the Treasure Chamber on her score sheet. (Lars is still in the Treasure Chamber, on his score sheet.) She rolls the remaining 8 Treasure Chamber dice, resulting in Dragon-Dragon-blank-blank-blank-50-100-Star. A much worse roll than Lars' – Martina sets aside the two dice showing Dragons so that there are now four in total on the table, ticks off one 50 gold coin square and one 100 gold coin square on her score sheet, and her turn is over; that single Star symbol is of no help.

E.2 When You Leave the Treasure Chamber

When it is your turn again (cross off another space in the Sun Track!) and you decide to leave the Treasure Chamber, you do not roll any dice at all. Simply move one step (continuing the line on your score sheet) to any square of your choice that adjoins the chamber. This ends your turn (See example).

Not until the Treasure Chamber is again empty of all players, can any player entering after that start by rolling all 10 Treasure Chamber dice once more.

Yes, re-entering the Treasure Chamber is allowed... provided you believe you have enough time to do so, and enter by a different route than via the one you entered or exited the chamber!

E.3 If the Dragon Wakes Up

If at any time there are seven or more Treasure Chamber dice showing Dragons, the dragon inside the chamber has awakened... and those players inside the chamber are in very bad shape!

I. First, all players inside the chamber – beginning with the player who awakened the dragon – must in turn order put back all those treasures found in the chamber. (Any Useful Objects found elsewhere in the castle are however kept.)

II. Second, all those players must scratch off all ticked-off gold coin squares on their respective score sheets, as those gold coins are lost in the ensuing, flaming chaos!

III. Third, all players must in turn order roll all 10 Treasure Chamber dice and both Damage dice to see how many Life Points they lose when the dragon breathes fire: -1 LP for each dragon and -LP equal to the Damage dice result for the player who has rolled the dice!

IV. And fourth, if any players are still alive after sustaining the dragon's fiery breath, they must immediately flee from the chamber (= draw their line on to any one square adjoining the Treasure Chamber).

All this is done in that same turn (= the turn of the player, who has woken up the dragon); no extra space in the Sun Track is crossed off, neither for the active player nor any other player who was also affected.

See G: If and when you die in the castle.

Example: The Dragon has been awakened! Nicholas returns his treasures and gold coins, and then rolls all 10 Treasure Chamber dice, gets two Dragon symbols, and 2 and 3 respectively on the Damage dice: he must thus cross off 2+2+3 = 7 LP on his score sheet. Regrettably, he only had 5 LP left over from previous encounters with traps and monsters, and thus now is dead.

F The Exit

If you can make it to the Exit space at latest in your 19th turn (= the last space in your Sun Track) before the sun goes down, you have survived the horrors and trials of the castle (unless a Demon finally catches you). You do not need to reach the Exit space by exact count: if the Movement dice show more it does not matter. Now make sure you write down the sum total of your gold coins and treasures on your score sheet!

Note: There is one Useful Object (the Amulet of Time) which provides you with one extra turn!

G If and When You Instead Die Inside the Castle

In the lower right corner of your score sheet there is a symbolic dragon beside a box. Tick off that box. May your hero or heroine rest in peace. Better luck in the next game!

Whenever any player dies during the course of the game, the other players carry on in turn order – every player has 19 turns to try to accomplish their task, or 20 if you possess the Amulet of Time!

End of the Game

The game ends after the end of the 19th round (or possibly the 20th, for any hero who possesses the "Amulet of Time").

Of the players who made it all the way through the castle and to the Exit before the sun has gone down, the one with the highest total value of treasures, Useful Objects and gold coins, is the winner.

The game may end early, if all heroes die before the end of round 19. In this case, the dragon has won... once again.

Solo Game Play

DragonQuest is very well suited for solo game play, provided you act in an intellectually honest fashion. On each turn in phase B just shuffle the Wall tiles, name a number and draw one tile and reveal it: If that number is revealed, block one square on your sheet – but in a way a real opponent would do, to hinder your way.

Description of the Useful Objects

Reproduced from the reference sheet printed on the last page of the rulebook.

There are a total of twelve Useful Objects to be found inside the castle, via Find Points. These just may decide the game in your favour, or even save your life! Two of these objects must be used immediately when you choose them (Amulet of Time and Healing Potion); the others you place before you and decide when to use them later.

Note that each tile has a number indicated in white (4, 5 or 6), showing how many Find Points you need (minimum) in a row on your score sheet, in order to take that object. (If you have 4 FP, you may only take a Useful Object worth 4; if you have 5 FP in a row, you may take a Useful Object worth either 4 or 5; and if you have 6 FP in a row, you may take any object you wish.)

You can only obtain a maximum of three Useful Objects during a game. Choose wisely!

If another player beats you to it and picks a particular Useful Object that you wanted, it is regrettably no longer available to you. Any objects that have been used are discarded, out of the game.

Requiring 6 Find Points

Amulet of Time: Immediately hand-draw one extra sun in the Sun Track row, to the right. Then discard the Amulet. You now have one extra move in which to try to escape the castle!

Dragon Talisman: When reaching the Treasure Chamber, throw twice with the Treasure Chamber dice in your turn – the first throw as usual (but then setting any Dragons and Stars aside), and the second with all those dice that showed blanks or gold coins in your first throw. You thus may gather more stars! Once used, discard the Talisman.

Magic Ring: Frightens away one monster, so you do not have to fight it. If you decide to use it, you must do so before the battle starts – once it has started, it will be too late to use it! Then discard the Ring.

Golden Necklace: Worth 1000 gold coins at the end of the game, if you survive the castle.

Requiring 5 Find Points

Orb of Light: You may in one of your game turns move not only straight but also diagonally, in any combination of such steps, for this turn only! Choose carefully when to use this, as it may save you vital steps inside the castle. Once you have used it, discard the Orb of Light.

Healing Potion: This instantly extends your life in the game! Immediately draw three extra bones in your Life Point column, near the bottom of it, and then discard the Potion. You now have a better chance of surviving the traps and monsters inside the castle.

Key to Secret Doors: You may, for one game turn only, move through one blocked square on your score sheet – but you may not end your move on this blocked square, you must move through it! Once you have used it, discard the Key.

Golden Belt Buckle: Worth 800 gold coins at the end of the game, if you survive the castle.

Requiring 4 Find Points

Chainmail Coat: Protects you against the next Arrow Trap. Then discard this tile.

Leather Hood: Protects you against the next Poisonous Fog Trap. Then discard this tile.

Rope: Protects you against the next Trapdoor. Then discard this tile.

Silver Ring: Worth 500 gold coins at the end of the game, if you survive the castle.