Rise of the Necromancers Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Setting Up the Game
• Playing and Winning the Game
  • The game
  • Turn Sequence
• Phase 1 – Play Cards
  • Necromancer cards
  • Apprentice cards
  • Spell cards
  • Item cards
• Phase 2 – Raise Minions
• Phase 3 – Movement
• Phase 4 – Take an Action
  • The Valley of Souls
  • Land
  • Dungeons
  • Libraries
  • Workshops
  • Cities
  • Academy Spaces
• Phase 5 – Place Dominion Counters
  • Placing Dominion counters on your Player board (Spells & Items)
  • Placing and removing Dominion counters on the Game board
• Combat
  • Attack rolls – how to inflict wounds
  • Combat sequence
  • Death of a Necromancer
  • Combat Example 1 – Dungeon Combat
  • Combat Example 2 – City Combat
• Special Situations
• Optional Rule: Necromancers Can Attack Each Other
• Contents of the Game
  • Boards, dice and miniatures
  • Card Deck
  • Corpses
  • Resources
  • Minions

Setting Up the Game

Game set up is as follows:

1. Place the Game board in the middle of the table. You can play the game on either side of the Game board, but it is recommended that you use the side of the Game board with the fewest spaces in a 2 or 3 player game and the other in a 4 or 5 player game.
2. Each player collects a Player board and puts it in front of them.
3. Place the Resource counters, corpse counters and Minion tokens next to the Game board.
4. Shuffle the Item deck, Spell deck and Dungeon deck and place them face down on the appropriate spaces on the Game board.
5. Place the 4 Academy Headmaster cards face up on the appropriate spaces on the Game board.
6. Shuffle the Necromancer deck and deal each player 3 Necromancer cards face down. Put the remaining cards in the box. Each player can then look at their own cards to see what kind of Necromancer they can become.
7. Shuffle the Apprentice deck and deal each player 3 Apprentice cards face down. Put the remaining cards in the box. Each player can then look at their own cards to see what kind of Apprentices they can attract.
8. Each player rolls a die and the player with the lowest roll collects the black Necromancer miniature and the 13 corresponding Dominion counters (in case of a tie, roll again).
9. The remaining players now choose their Necromancer miniatures and Dominion counters. Each player now places their Necromancer miniature in The Valley of Souls space in the center of the Game board and their Dominion counters next to their Player boards. The set-up is now complete. The black Necromancer starts the game.

Playing and Winning the Game

By carrying out evil deeds

The forces of benevolence hold a tight grip on the kingdom… and yet something evil is stirring.

The game

The first Necromancer to place the 13th Dominion counter on the board wins the game. When the game begins, you have not played a Necromancer card and start out as an unnamed Necromancer, as shown on the left-hand side of your Player board.

Dominion counters represent your Necromancer's influence, knowledge and power. The more Dominion counters you have in play, the closer you are to becoming the Necromancer King and winning the game.

You can place Dominion counters when you:

• Acquire evil Items
• Acquire evil Spells
• Conquer Cities
• Conquer Dungeons
• Become Headmaster of one of the four academies

If you have rule questions or want to see a tutorial video, please visit our website: www.SoreLoserGames.dk

Turn Sequence

The game play moves counterclockwise, so when you end your turn, the player to your right goes next. The black Necromancer always starts the game.

In each turn you can do the following, in the following order. Some steps in the turn sequence are mandatory and some are optional. There are five phases in the turn sequence:

1. Play cards
2. Raise a Minion
3. Move
4. Take an action
5. Place Dominion counters

Phase 1 – Play Cards

In this phase you may play any number of cards from your hand. Cards in your hand are not in play and do not affect the game in any way.

To play a card, pay the cost on the left-hand side of the card and place it face up (some cards are free to play).

If you play your Necromancer card, place it on your Player board covering the space with the unnamed Necromancer.

Until you have played a Necromancer card, you are an unnamed Necromancer with move 1 and power 1 as depicted on your Player board.

You cannot play an Apprentice if you have not already played a Necromancer and they cannot be played in the same turn.

Throughout the game you will have a variety of cards in your hand: Necromancer cards, Apprentice cards, Spell cards and Item cards.

Example: Gravedigger is free to play. Leper costs 1 Ichor.

Necromancer cards

The moment you play a Necromancer card, it represents who you are the rest of the game. It lists your power and any special rules that apply to you. When you choose which Necromancer to become, you must remove your two remaining Necromancer cards from the game.

When a Necromancer becomes infamous enough he will get a name of his own, and Apprentices will flock to his banner.

Apprentice cards

You can only play an Apprentice card, if you in a previous turn have played a Necromancer card. An Apprentice has unique abilities that might be useful for your Necromancer.

Note: It can often be an advantage to have a Necromancer and an Apprentice from the same academy.

Apprentices follow you everywhere and can fight in City battles and explore Dungeons.

You can only have one Apprentice at a time. If your Apprentice dies, you can play one of your other Apprentices. However, once your third Apprentice dies, you cannot attract another.

An Apprentice is your Necromancer's devoted follower, always in his shadow and willing to sacrifice himself for the greater evil.

You cannot discard an Apprentice that you already have in play. He must die a natural (or preferably unnatural) death.

Spell cards

It is free to put a Spell card in play. You play a Spell simply by placing it face-up in front of you. Once a Spell is in play, you can use it for the rest of the game, but only once per turn.

To cast a Spell that's in play, you must spend the Resource shown on the right-hand side of the Spell card, or discard one or more Zombies in the case of Zombie Explosion. The effect of the Spell, and when it can be cast, is listed on the card.

A Spell is cast by your Necromancer, so the Spell can only affect a combat on the space your Necromancer is on.

There are four different color Spells in the game. When you have one Spell of a certain color it is level 1, when you have two of the same color it is level 2 and finally if you have three of the same color the Spell is level 3. A level 1, 2 or 3 Spell has the same cost to cast but becomes more powerful the higher the level. Level 3 is the maximum level for any Spell.

Example: The player already has two blue Spells. The player looks at the top three cards in the Library deck and uncovers a third blue Spell, which in the next turn can make the Spell level three and earn the player an extra Dominion counter. So the player picks the blue Spell and places the two others face down on the top of the Spell deck.

Note: You cannot put the Spell card in play until your next turn during the "Play cards phase". This means that you cannot place any Dominion counters until next turn.

The spell Weaken drains the life force of your enemy, leaving them feeble and no match for your minions. zombies are slow and do little damage… but an exploding zombie horde is a great way to breach a city. Then again, why make it so difficult? Sometimes the best way to obliterate your enemies is with a Death Bolt. And of course, Mist Walk is the art of walking in the border lands of life and death.

Item cards

You can use the effect of an Item card from the moment it is in play. The effect of Items lasts until the end of the game unless the card says: "once during the game".

If an Item can be used "once during the game" you should turn the card upside down after you have used it, so you can remember, they have been used. Note that you still have those cards in play even though their effects have been used.

Some Items bolster the Necromancers in combat or hone their sinister skills and yet others help Necromancers tighten the grip on their succumbed Cities.

Phase 2 – Raise Minions

In this phase, you can raise one – and only one – Minion for your Necromancer's army. To raise a Minion, choose the type of Minion you want, pay the cost shown on your Player board and place the Minion on your Player board. There are four types of Minions.

Zombie — costs 1 Lesser corpse: power 1, move 1 (Academy of Decay, green)

Hell knight — costs one Lesser corpse plus one Ichor or one Scroll (you can choose Ichor or Scroll): power 2, move 2 (Academy of Blood, red)

Ghost — costs one Greater corpse and one Dark water: power 3, move 1, Ghost strike (Academy of Mist, blue)

Skeletal dragon — costs one Greater corpse, one Ichor and one Scroll: power 4, move 3 (Academy of Bone, Bone colored)

At the start of the game, you will have no Resources or corpses and so cannot raise any Minions.

Note: Zombies are easy to raise, but they are weak. Hell knights are stronger than Zombies and move faster. Ghosts are even stronger and they can pre-emptively strike your opponents with the Ghost strike rule. Skeletal dragons are the strongest and fastest Minions, but they are also costly to raise.

Phase 3 – Movement

In this phase, you can cast the Spell Mist Walk, move your Necromancer miniature around the board and leave Minions behind to protect your Dominion counters.

Your Necromancer miniature represents your Necromancer, his Apprentice and his army of Minions that are on the Player board.

You can move as many spaces as the slowest Minion on your Player board. If you have no Minions, you and your Apprentice can move 1 space in the movement phase.

For example, if a Necromancer has an army with a Skeletal dragon and a Zombie, he can only move 1 space because his slowest Minion, the Zombie, has movement 1. However, if the Necromancer only has a Skeletal dragon in his army, he can move 3 spaces, because his slowest Minion is the Skeletal dragon with movement 3.

You can move as many spaces as you want up to your total movement allowance. You can move through spaces without taking an action, but if you move onto a City space that you do not control, or a space containing an opposing Necromancer's Dominion counter, your movement phase ends immediately and the action phase begins. You must move and cannot end your turn on the same space as you started the turn on. The exception to this is City spaces – you can stand still on a City space with your own Dominion counters on it.

You cannot enter a space occupied by another Necromancer, except for The Valley of Souls. If you are in a position where you cannot move because all adjacent spaces are occupied by other Necromancers, you must stand still and skip both your movement and action phase.

You can leave your Minions behind and fortify your Dominion counters. To fortify your Dominion counters, you take one or more of your Minions from your Player board and place them on the space you are on. You can only do this if you begin your movement phase on a space with one or more of your own Dominion counters. Likewise, you can return your Minions to your Player board when you begin your move on a space that contains one or more of your Minions.

Note: Sometimes it is worthwhile to leave Minions behind to protect your Dominion counters, but other times you might want to leave them behind so you can move faster.

Phase 4 – Take an Action

A Necromancer must take the action of the space he ends up on after the movement phase.

The Valley of Souls is the only place on the board where Necromancers can occupy the same space.

Resources and Corpses are necessary for playing cards, casting Spells, playing Items and raising Minions.

Necromancers and their Apprentices are known to rob graveyards and other holy places in the dark of night.

The Valley of Souls

The Valley of Souls is nothing but darkness and fog.

When you end your move in the Valley of Souls you can take no action.

All the Necromancers start the game in the Valley of Souls and if a Necromancer dies, the Necromancer is immediately returned to this space.

Land

When you end your move on a Land space, roll the dice as depicted on the Land space and collect the Resource(s) and/or corpse(s).

Land spaces are those that contain dice symbols. This is where your Necromancer goes to dig for Corpses or collect Resources for use in unholy rituals.

Dungeons

When you end your move on a Dungeon, you can enter it if no other player has left Minions behind to protect the Dungeon and you do not have a Dominion counter on the Dungeon space already.

If you already have a Dominion counter on the Dungeon space, then you can take no action – you cannot explore Dungeons you already control.

If another player has left Minions behind to protect the Dungeon, then you must defeat the Minions in combat before you can enter the Dungeon – see the combat section. If you win the combat, you enter the Dungeon.

To enter the Dungeon, pick the top card of the Dungeon deck and reveal it to all players. You can enter a Dungeon even if another player has a Dominion counter on the space already.

When you enter the Dungeon you flip the top card so all players can see it. When you enter a Dungeon only your Apprentice can accompany you. Your Minions must wait for you outside the Dungeon.

This means that only your Necromancer and Apprentice can participate in combat and quests in the Dungeon. Some Dungeon cards say "Quest" in which case you must follow the instructions on the card. Some Dungeon cards say "Quest-Choice" in which case you can choose not to follow the instructions on the card. And finally, some Dungeon cards say "Combat" in which case you must inflict one wound in combat to kill the foe in the Dungeon – see the combat section.

If you manage to do what it says on the Dungeon card and your Necromancer survives, you can collect the treasure (if any) printed on the card, return any of the opposing player's Dominion counters from the space (if any), place the spent card in the Dungeon discard pile and finally place your own Dominion counter on the space.

If all Dungeon cards have been played, reshuffle the Dungeon discard pile and place it face down on the Dungeon deck space on the Game board to form a new Dungeon deck.

What's lurking in the depths of the Dungeon – a monster, a trap or maybe a treasure? Only enter a Dungeon if you're strong enough – or evil enough – to find out.

Libraries

When you end your move on a Library, look at the top three cards of the Spell deck without showing them to the other players. Pick one card and add it to your hand. Put the remaining two cards back on top of the Spell deck in any order.

Necromancers visit Library spaces to study ancient books and evil magic. The more powerful Spells they master, the more other Necromancers will fear and respect them.

Workshops

When you end your move on a Workshop, look at the top three cards of the Item deck without showing them to the other players. Pick one card and add it to your hand. Place the remaining two cards back on top of the Item deck in any order.

Note: You cannot play the Item until your next turn during the "Play cards phase". This also means that you cannot place any Dominion counters until next turn.

Some Necromancers tinker in their Workshops and craft evil weapons and other sinister Items that will strengthen them in their pursuit for dominance.

Cities

When you end your move on a City space you can attack the City as long as you do not have a Dominion counter on the space already. Remember, if you have a Dominion counter on a City space already, you can stand still and collect taxes several turns in a row.

If you do not have a Dominion counter on the City space, then you attack the City as explained in the combat section.

If you already have a Dominion counter on the City space, then you collect taxes from all your Cities. When you collect tax, you simply collect the Resources and Corpses shown on all the City spaces that have your Dominion counters on them. You cannot collect tax during the same turn in which you conquer a City; you have to wait until your next turn.

Note: Attacking a big City with many attacks and/or wounds can be very dangerous and often requires an army of Minions. Smaller Cities are easier to conquer. The smallest Cities have no wounds (towers) and so can be taken by a lone Necromancer – he simply has to survive.

Necromancers conquer Cities to harness their power and ensure a steady supply of Resources and Corpses.

Example: The orange player controls two Cities. The player chooses to spend the turn on collecting taxes. The player takes 1 Lesser corpse, 1 Ichor and 1 Dark water.

Academy Spaces

When you end your move on an Academy, you can become Academy Headmaster if you have six cards and/or Minions in the same color as the Academy – unless another player is Academy Headmaster already. There are 4 Academy spaces on the Game board: Academy of Decay (green), Academy of Bone (bone colored), Academy of Blood (red) and Academy of Mist (blue).

If there is an Academy Headmaster already, you can become Headmaster if you have more cards and/or Minions in the same color as the academy than the current Headmaster. Note that the Headmaster card itself also counts towards the amount of cards you have in play of a certain color. If the current Headmaster has left Minions behind to protect the Academy, you must defeat the Minions before you can become Headmaster.

When you become Headmaster you collect the Headmaster card and place it face up next to your Player board. The bonus effect is described on the back of the card and takes effect immediately. Return any of the opposing player's Dominion counters from the space (if any) and finally place two of your own Dominion counters on the space.

Academies are great places of power and being appointed Headmaster of an Academy will increase your authority, bringing you even closer to your ultimate goal: The foulest of thrones.

Example: The pink player has six cards and/or Minions and becomes Academy Headmaster of Mist.

Note: After you've become the Headmaster of an Academy, it sometimes happens that you lose Minions or an Apprentice. In the case that you no longer have six cards and/or Minions of the academy color, you nonetheless remain the Academy Headmaster and keep the Headmaster card. However, watch out for other players who will try to "steal" the Headmaster card from you.

Phase 5 – Place Dominion Counters

In this phase you place and remove Dominion counters from the Player board and the Game board. If you have played an Item card, a Spell card or have been on a Dungeon, Academy or City space during your turn, place or remove Dominion counters as follows:

Placing Dominion counters on your Player board (Spells & Items)

If you have one Spell card in play, place one Dominion counter on the Spell track on your Player board. If you have two Spell cards of the same color, then place two and if you have three Spell cards of the same color, then place three Dominion counters on the Spell track on your Player board. Items work just like Spells. You place one, two or three Dominion counters on the Item track of your Player board depending on whether you have one, two or three Items of the same color.

Example: The player has 3 Spell cards all in different colors, so the player should have one Dominion counter on the Spell track. The player also has 4 Items, two of which are in the same color and the player should have 2 Dominion counters on the "Item track" of the Player board. Spells: Death Bolt, Weaken, Zombie explosion. Items: Leper Bell, Staff of Pestilence, Blood Chalice and Cat Familiar.

Placing and removing Dominion counters on the Game board

You place Dominion counters on the Game board when the following happens:

• When you win a City combat, place as many Dominion counters on the City space as it has Resource and Corpse icons (one, two or three)
• When you become Academy Headmaster, place two Dominion counters on the corresponding Academy space
• If you have been successful on a Dungeon space, place one Dominion counter on that Dungeon space

If there are already one or more opposing Dominion counters on the Academy, City or Dungeon space, return them to their owner. But remember, that is only if you have just put down a Dominion counter on the space.

The moment you place your 13th Dominion counter, the game is over, you are the Necromancer King and win the game!!!

Example: The orange player has placed 13 Dominion counters and wins the game. The Orange player has placed 5 Dominion counters on the Player board (3 blue Spells and 2 red Items). Also the orange player has 8 Dominion counter on the Game board (2 counters for being Academy Headmaster of Mist, 4 counters for one small and one big City, and finally 2 counters for the Dominion of two Dungeons).

Combat

There are three kinds of combat – City combat, Dungeon combat and combat against Minions left behind on Academy spaces or Dungeons by other players. All combats are conducted in the same manner except that Minions cannot participate in Dungeon combat.

Attack rolls – how to inflict wounds

Necromancers, Apprentices, Minions, Dungeon monsters and Cities can all attack, but they have varying numbers of attacks with varying power. Necromancers, Apprentices, Minions and Dungeon monsters all have one wound each. Cities can have from zero to five wounds.

When you make an attack roll, you roll a power die and if your score is equal to or less than the power of the attack, you inflict a wound. You have as many attacks as there are power dice and the power of each attack is the number on the die. A roll of a 6 is always a miss, even if the attack has power 6 or higher.

For Necromancers, Apprentices and Dungeon monsters the power dice are depicted on the cards. For Minions, the power dice are depicted on the Player board and for Cities the power dice are depicted on the Game board.

Example: As depicted on the card, the Elder Wizard has three attacks: one with power 1, one with power 2 and one with power 3. To see if the Elder Wizard inflicts a wound, you roll one die for each attack – if you roll a 1 on the first roll, you inflict a wound, if you roll a 1 or a 2 on your second roll, you have inflicted another wound and finally, if you roll a 1, 2 or 3 on your third roll, you have inflicted yet another wound.

Note: You can increase the power and number of attacks during the game through bonuses on Items, Spells and Academies.

Combat sequence

1. Determine your opponent. If you attack another player's City or Dungeon, that player will be your opponent and will roll the dice in combat. In all other cases, the player to your left will act as your opponent and roll the dice.

When you have determined your opponent you can cast the Spell Weaken.

2. Ghost strike attacks. Ghost strike attacks come first! Both players roll one die for every attack they have with the Ghost strike rule. But remember that Minions cannot attack in Dungeon combat (they are waiting outside). For every roll equal to or less than the power of the attack, the players inflict a wound on their opponent.

For each Ghost strike wound inflicted on a City, the City loses one of its strongest attacks in this combat.

For each wound inflicted on you by your opponent, you must either a) Remove a Minion or an Apprentice or b) Allocate a wound to a City. However, if you are fighting in a Dungeon, you can only remove Apprentices. If you are unable to remove a Minion or an Apprentice or allocate a wound to a City for each wound inflicted on you, your Necromancer takes the excess wound(s) and dies.

3. Remaining attacks. The remaining attacks are resolved after the Ghost strike casualties have been removed. The remaining attacks are resolved just like the Ghost strike attacks:

Both players roll one die for every attack without the Ghost strike rule, and the Minions and Apprentices that have already been removed cannot attack. Remember that Minions cannot attack in Dungeon combat (they are waiting outside). For every roll equal to or less than the power of the attack, the players inflict a wound on their opponent.

For each wound inflicted on you by your opponent, you must either a) remove a Minion or an Apprentice or b) allocate a wound to a City. However, if you are fighting in a Dungeon, you can only remove Apprentices. If you are unable to remove a Minion or an Apprentice or allocate a wound to a City for each wound inflicted on you, your Necromancer takes the excess wound(s) and dies.

When all remaining attacks have been rolled you can cast the Spell Death Bolt and then Zombie Explosion.

Combat ends when you have rolled all your remaining attacks and the Spells have been cast.

4. Did I win my combat?

City combat: You win a City combat if you inflict one wound to each opposing Minion in the City (in case an opponent has left Minions in the City), one wound is allocated to each of the City's towers (Cities can have from zero to five wounds, each represented by a tower) and your Necromancer survives. If you lose (without dying), you must move back one space to the space where you came from and your turn is over.

Note that Cities regain all their wounds after combat.

Dungeon combat: You win a Dungeon combat if one wound is allocated to the opponent in the Dungeon and your Necromancer survives. If you win a Dungeon combat, you can collect any treasures printed on the Dungeon card. If you lose, your turn is over.

Combat versus Minions: Combat versus Minions occurs when an opponent has left one or more Minions on a Dungeon or Academy space to defend against intruders. You win a combat against Minions if you inflict one wound to each opposing Minion and your Necromancer survives. If you are successful, you can take the action on the space you are on. If you lose, your turn is over.

Death of a Necromancer

If a wound is inflicted on your Necromancer, the Necromancer dies and the miniature is returned to The Valley of Souls on the Game board and your turn is over.

You cannot collect any Resources or Corpses during the turn in which your Necromancer dies, but the death of a Necromancer has no effect on your surviving Minions and Apprentices, your Items and Spells or the cards in your hand.

Your next turn is played just like any other, except you start in The Valley of Souls.

Combat Example 1 – Dungeon Combat

You move to a Dungeon space and flip a Dungeon card.

1. Determine your opponent. The Dungeon card shows the Troll Chieftain who has two power-two attacks.

The player to your left will act as your opponent and will roll the dice on behalf of the Troll Chieftain.

2. Ghost strike attacks. You can make no Ghost strike attacks because your Necromancer and your Apprentice do not have any Ghost strike attacks, and your two Minions (a Zombie and a Ghost) are waiting outside and cannot make any attack rolls in a Dungeon combat. The Troll Chieftain has no Ghost strike attacks and makes no attack rolls.

3. Remaining attacks. You roll your Apprentice's power die and get a 4, which is higher than the Apprentice's power and so is a miss. Next, you roll your Necromancer's power die and get a 3 – a miss again since the Necromancer's power is two.

Now the Troll Chieftain rolls his two power 2 attacks and gets a 2 and a 3 – he inflicts one wound. Now you have to allocate the wound to the Apprentice and remove it from the game.

Finally, you cast the Spell Death Bolt on level 1, which gives the Necromancer an additional power-three attack. You roll a 2, which is equal to or lower than 3 and so you inflict a wound on the Troll Chieftain thereby killing it.

4. Did I win my combat? Even though your Apprentice died, you inflicted a wound on your opponent and your Necromancer survived – so you won the Dungeon combat.

Now you can collect the treasure printed on the Dungeon card, and discard the Dungeon card.

Combat Example 2 – City Combat

Your Necromancer attacks a City.

Your Necromancer, two Zombies and a Ghost move to attack a City space that has one tower (which means it has one wound) and two power 1 attacks. An opposing player has conquered the City earlier in the game and has left a Ghost to protect the City, so you need to inflict one wound on the City, one wound on the Ghost and finally your Necromancer must survive for you to win the combat.

1. Determine your opponent. Your opponent is the player controlling the City.

2. Ghost strike attacks. Your Ghost makes a Ghost strike attack and you roll a 2, which is equal to or less than its power 3 and so it inflicts a wound. Your opponent's Ghost then attacks and rolls a three, thereby also inflicting a wound.

You choose to remove one of your Zombies from the game, and your opponent allocates one wound to the City. Now your opponent has lost one attack from his City because it received a Ghost strike wound.

3. Remaining attacks. Now you roll your remaining two attacks – one attack from the remaining Zombie and one from the Necromancer. You roll a 5 for your Zombie which is a miss because the Zombie only has power 1. Then you roll a 1 for your Necromancer, who is power 2, and so you inflict a wound. Because your opponent's City received a Ghost strike wound, it only has one attack and rolls a 3 which is a miss. Your opponent's Ghost is now removed because of the wound you inflicted.

4. Did I win my combat? You win the combat because you managed to inflict wounds to all the opposing player's Minions and City towers and your opponent did not inflict a wound on your Necromancer. Now you remove the opposing player's Dominion counter from the City space and place your own Dominion counter.

Note: Sometimes a combat can be rather big, involving many City attacks, many Minions, your Necromancer and Apprentice and even Spells. Remember to make sure to keep track of all the attacks and remember to allocate all the wounds.

Special Situations

How do I fight a City without towers? Cities with no towers have no wounds and are automatically defeated unless the attacking Necromancer is killed. Sometimes a Necromancer or Apprentice will still roll their attacks even though the City has no wounds because some Items or special abilities might give a bonus if a wound is inflicted.

Example: Decayed Baron gets +1 power for each Zombie he controls. In this case the Baron would get +1 power for each Zombie on his Player board and on the Game board (even in a Dungeon combat).

What happens when I encounter a Golem? You can sometimes encounter a Golem in the Dungeon. If you are successful in your Dungeon combat against the Golem, it will be under your control. The Golem is treated exactly like an Apprentice, except you can have one or more Golems in addition to your Apprentice.

When a Minion is left outside a Dungeon or left behind on the Game board, is it under my control? When your Necromancer and/or Apprentice enter a Dungeon, the Minions on the Player board and on the Game board cannot participate in the Dungeon combat. However, they are still considered under your control when it comes to special abilities and becoming Academy Headmaster.

Spells and when I should cast them:

Mist Walk is a movement Spell and must be cast in the beginning of the movement phase. Mist Walk can improve the move distance of your army.

Weaken is a combat Spell and must be cast in the first step of the combat sequence. Weaken can reduce the strength of your opponent's attack and therefore improve your chance of winning a combat and protecting your army.

Death Bolt is a combat Spell and must be cast in the end of the combat sequence third step – remaining attacks. Death Bolt is a bolt of dark and vicious energy that gives you the opportunity to finish off an opponent in the event you did not inflict enough wounds with regular attacks.

Zombie Explosion is a combat Spell and must be cast in the end of the combat sequence third step – remaining attacks. Zombie Explosion gives you the opportunity to finish off an opponent if you did not inflict enough wounds with regular attacks. You cannot use Zombie Explosion in a Dungeon combat. When you cast Zombie Explosion you must discard a Zombie for each wound you want to inflict – you can discard no more Zombies than your Spell level, however. The Zombie you discard can already have made an attack roll itself, but you cannot cast Zombie Explosion if you have no Zombies left.

Optional Rule: Necromancers Can Attack Each Other

If you want a more challenging game, you can allow Necromancers to attack each other. Bear in mind that this changes the dynamics, but we recommend using this rule once you have played a couple of games.

When a Necromancer attacks an opposing Necromancer, i.e. moves onto a space occupied by an opposing Necromancer, two things can happen:

The defending Necromancer can choose to flee. In this case, it is moved to an adjacent unoccupied space chosen by the attacking Necromancer. The space cannot be a City that the fleeing Necromancer does not control, nor a space occupied by a rival Necromancer's Dominion counter(s). In this case, the attacking Necromancer gets to take an action on the space that it moves onto (previously occupied by the fleeing Necromancer). The attacking Necromancer cannot move any further during this turn.

The defending Necromancer can choose to stay and fight. In this case, a combat breaks out. The combat follows all the normal rules for combat. If the attacker inflicts enough wounds to kill the defending necromancer, the attacker has won the combat. If not, then the attacking necromancer is moved back one space to the space where it came from and the attacker's turn is over.

Remember, that the opposing necromancer receives the "last" wound inflicted i.e. you must inflict a wound for each, minion, apprentice and city tower (in case of a city combat), before you can inflict any on the necromancer. So it is not easy to win combat when you attack. But sometimes it might be worthwhile to attack a necromancer, just to kill the minions and/or apprentice. When necromancers die they go to the Valley of Souls.

If the combat took place in a dungeon or academy space and the attacker won, the attacker can take an action as normal after the combat. If the combat took place in in a city and the attacker won, the attacker places and removes dominion counters as normal (see the section concerning city combat). If the combat takes place on any other space, the attacker spends their entire turn fighting the defending necromancer and can take no further action that turn.

Note: If both Necromancers want to cast the same Spell, then the Spells are resolved at the same time. The attacking Necromancer must declare whether he wants to cast Spells first.

Contents of the Game

Boards, dice and miniatures

• 5 Player boards
• 5 Evil rule summaries
• 5 Necromancer miniatures
• 65 Dominion counters
• 2 Resource dice
• 2 Corpse dice
• 6 Power dice

Card Deck

• 16 Necromancer cards
• 16 Apprentice cards
• 4 Academy Headmaster cards
• 24 Item cards
• 24 Spell cards
• 30 Dungeon cards

Corpses

• 20 Lesser corpses
• 15 Greater corpses

Resources

• 20 Ichor
• 20 Dark water
• 20 Scroll

Minions

• 28 Zombies
• 15 Hell knights
• 15 Ghosts
• 12 Skeletal dragons