Dungeon Party
Dungeon Party Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Dungeon Party uses the following components:
- Character coasters
- Monster coasters
- Room coasters
- Treasure coasters
- Dungeon coasters
- Dice (20-sided and 6-sided)
- Coins (used for bouncing)
There are several types of coasters used in the game: Characters, Dungeons, Monsters, Rooms, and Treasures.
Character Coasters
Each player selects one Character coaster at the start of the game, and places it in front of them (and perhaps puts their drink on it). The coaster displays (1) the class and race of their character, (2) the Damage value, (3) any Defense value, (4) artwork, (5) the Bonus effect, (6) Special powers, and (7) the starting Hit Points (HP).
Bonus
Each Character has a Bonus effect: an advantage when fighting certain Monster types that they hit for extra damage. For example: Dwarves get +2 Damage against Fire monsters. When a Dwarf character successfully hits a Fire class monster like a Demon or a Great Dragon, they would do their normal Damage (2) plus 2 more, for a total of 4.
This means that each character (and sometimes more than one) can be the 'go to' hero in a battle against a Monster of a particular type.
Dungeon Coasters
One Dungeon coaster is selected at the beginning of the game. It shows (1) the Dungeon title (e.g., The Wizard's Tower, The Dungeon of Dread, The Goblin Cave, etc.), (2) tells the story of the Dungeon, (3) outlines how many Encounters per Level there are (1 Room, 1 Monster and 1 Treasure per Encounter, including which Boss monster to use), and (4) gives any Special Rules.
Monster Coasters
Each Monster coaster has (1) the Monster's Name, (2) level, (3) Damage value, (4) artwork, (5) the Monster's Type(s), (6) any Special Powers (Does +1 Damage vs. Dwarves, Regenerates every turn, Gains 1 HP whenever he hits a character, etc.), and (7) its starting Hit Points.
The different Monster Types include: Primitive, Undead, Nature, Large, Mindless, Slow, Fire, Magical, Demon, and Evil.
Room Coasters
Each Room coaster displays (1) the Room's name, (2) level, (3) art, and (4) Room effect. A Room may also contain a Trap or a Curse (see pages 12-13), or a special instruction that might affect the battle or allow a player to add to the story.
Treasure Coasters
A Treasure coaster is awarded when the room's Monster has been defeated. The coaster displays (1) the Treasure's name, (2) artwork, (3) any effect the item has, (4) which race/class can use the effect, if any, (5) whether it is a spell, and (6) its value, from 1 to 5, denoted in purple gems.
Setup
1) Number of Players and Selecting Characters
Each player chooses one or more Character coasters, representing their alter-ego in the game. Fighting through a dungeon can be tough work, so we recommend 4 - 6 Characters to have the best chance of surviving all the way through. Based on the number of players, here is the number of Character coasters each player should play:
- 1 Player: 4 - 6 Characters (fewer for a greater challenge)
- 2 Players: 2 - 3 Characters each (2 for a greater challenge)
- 3 Players: 2 Characters each (or 1 if you are feeling really frisky)
- 4 Players: 1 Character each
- 5 Players: 1 Character each
- 6 Players: 1 Character each
- More than 6 Players: Sure! Why not? More players will make surviving easier, but the more, the merrier!
The players should consider which character classes will work well together and avoid duplication as much as possible. Assembling a diverse set of characters into a mighty adventuring party will allow the best chance of being able to use the greatest number of magical items encountered, thus increasing the probability of victory!
2) Creating the Dungeon
After selecting their Characters and forming a party, one player (let's call this person the 'Game Master') will choose a Dungeon coaster, either randomly or by choice. They will then create the dungeon by assembling a stack of encounters from the coasters as prescribed by the encounters and levels defined on the Dungeon coaster. Each encounter is comprised of three types of coasters: Room, Monster, Treasure, and is created by randomly drawing a treasure and placing it face down, then randomly drawing a monster of the correct Level and placing it on top of the Treasure face down, and then randomly drawing a Room of the correct Level and placing it on top of the Monster face down. This way, during play, the room is selected first, then the monster, and when the monster is defeated, the treasure is revealed.
The encounters are stacked with the highest level Rooms and Monsters at the bottom and the next highest level above them (example: If the Dungeon calls for 2 First level encounters, 2 Second level, 3 Third level, 2 Fourth level, 1 Fifth level, and a Boss level, then the Boss level encounter (three coasters) will be placed face down first, then the one Fifth level encounter next, then the 2 Fourth level encounters... all the way to the 2 First level encounters at the top of the pile). This way, the players will draw the First Level encounters first, and so on down into the dungeon depths.
Example layout as printed in the rulebook:
- Level 1, Encounter 1: Level 1 Room, Level 1 Monster, Treasure
- Level 1, Encounter 2: Level 1 Room, Level 1 Monster, Treasure
- Levels 2-5: in same order as above
- Boss Encounter: Boss Room, Boss Monster, Treasure
While we prefer the previous method of building the Dungeon, an alternate way to build it is to assemble three different stacks of coasters (one for treasures, one for monsters, and one for rooms) with the correct number of Level coasters in each pile in the same order as described above (Level One on top, then Level Two, etc.). Then, when an encounter is needed, just pull the top coaster off each pile to quickly create the encounter and go!
After the Dungeon is prepared, the characters will start their adventure by revealing the first encounter, starting with the Room coaster at the top of the stack. They will follow the instructions on the Room (if any), battle the Monster, and then, if they survive, claim the Treasure.
For each new encounter, the 'hero' from the previous encounter will always be the starting player. At the start of the game, the hero is selected randomly.
Encounter Turn
1) Reveal Room and Monster
The Room coaster at the top of the Dungeon stack is revealed, and any special directions are followed for the following battle. Some Rooms can be trapped or cursed (see pages 12-13). The Monster Coaster is then revealed, and the battle begins.
2) Battle the Monster
Each player, starting with the hero and going clockwise around the table, will take a turn bouncing the coin in an attempt to hit the monster. When it is a player's turn to attack, they will bounce the coin on the table toward the Monster's coaster. If the coin lands on the Monster's coaster, then the monster is hit and takes damage.
Note: The coin must bounce at least once on the table FIRST and then land and stay on the Monster coaster, with at least half of the coin on the coaster to count as a hit. Beginners can bounce from any distance away, but experienced adventurers should bounce from at least a coaster distance away.
When a Monster is hit, reduce the Monster's Hit Points by the damage done by that player's character. You can track this on paper, a smartphone or by using dice. The starting Hit Points are shown in the upper right corner of the Monster coaster. The damage may be increased by a Bonus, a Special rule or power, and/or a Treasure.
Players who wish to use one of their Special powers or Treasure to increase their damage must declare that they are doing so before bouncing their coin.
Special powers may be used once per encounter, unless they are marked with a star symbol, in which case they may only be used once per Dungeon.
When a Monster's Hit Points reach zero, then it is defeated and placed out of play.
If the player misses (i.e., the coin does not land on the Monster's coaster), then the player's character is automatically hit and takes damage (loses Hit Points) equal to the Damage value for that Monster. There may also be additional damage or an effect as listed on the Monster's Special powers.
If the character's Hit Points reach zero, then that player has been knocked out of that encounter. If all characters in the party are knocked out, then the players have been defeated by the Dungeon and lose. If the party wins the battle, all characters in the party are healed and regain their maximum hit points (the starting number on their Character coasters). The party is then ready for the next encounter.
3) Recover the Treasure
The player who delivers the final, killing blow on the Room's Monster is the 'hero' and gets the Treasure coaster. They may keep it for themself, or give it to anyone in the party. Treasures can be valuables (literally treasure), a magic item, a magic weapon, or a spell. Some Treasures, such as weapons or spells, may give a special benefit to the player that owns them. However, the owning player may only gain that benefit if they are of the race or class shown on the left edge of the treasure tile (if noted).
All Treasures show a certain number of Purple Gems, which represents the Treasure's value. At the end of the game, the player with the most Purple Gems wins!
Traps
Some Rooms and Treasures may contain traps. Before entering a Room guarded by a trap, one of the players must attempt to disarm it. That player must bounce the coin onto the Trap coaster to disarm it. If they fail, they take the damage (or the effect) shown, and then the party can enter the Room.
Similarly, when Treasures are trapped, the hero (the player who killed the Monster guarding the trapped Treasure) may attempt to disarm it or ask another player to do so. If successful, the player that disarmed the trap gets the Treasure. If they fail, the Treasure is destroyed!
Thieves get two attempts to disarm traps.
Curses
Some Rooms are 'cursed'. The party may attempt to avoid the curse by having each character bounce their coin onto the Room coaster. The hero from the last battle will try first, followed by the character to their left, etc. If all characters successfully avoid the curse, it affects no one. Otherwise, the first character to miss is affected by the curse. Some curses last until the end of the encounter, and some last until removed. Curses may be removed by certain items or spells.
Ending the Game
If all players' characters have been defeated in an encounter, the game ends. Your adventure has failed! Try again.
When the last monster has been defeated (the Boss), the game ends. Your adventure has been a success! Cheers!!
Optional Drinking Rules
If the players also want this to be a traditional drinking game, then the following rules apply:
- If you are 'hit', you drink.
- If you are killed in a battle, after the encounter (if there is at least one survivor), you may 'drink a potion' (a big drink) to be resurrected and ready for the next room.
- If you kill a monster, you are the hero and must make a toast.
Forbidden Games recommends responsible drinking. Do not drink unsafe amounts of alcohol under any circumstances, and never drive when you've been drinking.
Designing Your Own Dungeons
After playing a few games with the included Dungeon coasters, you may want to try your hand at designing your own Dungeons! Using the rules for 'Creating the Dungeon' in Setup on pages 8-9, you can build Dungeons according to the following complexities:
| Difficulty | # of Levels | Average # of Encounters |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | 3 | 6 |
| Medium | 4 | 9 |
| Hard | 5 | 12 |
Use your imagination when combining Rooms, Monsters and Treasures to build encounters, or do it randomly and see what transpires!
Solo Play
As mentioned above, playing Dungeon Party solo is quite simple: just select 4 - 6 characters and bounce the coin for each character when battling a Monster. We recommend NOT using the optional drinking rules when playing in solo mode!