Thunderstone Quest: Enemies Among Us
Thunderstone Quest: Enemies Among Us Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Unpacking the Box
This box should include the following components. If it does not, please visit the AEG customer service website for assistance. Please note that this is an expansion to Thunderstone Quest and is not a stand-alone game.
- 1 Quest 10 Darkness Rising; the full contents are featured in the Questbook (not reproduced in this file; see the note in the Table of Contents).
- 1 Quest 11 Miricelle's Return; the full contents are featured in the Questbook (not reproduced in this file; see the note in the Table of Contents).
- 1 copy of each Monster, Hero, Ally, Item, Spell, and Weapon from Darkness Rising and Miricelle's Return, to be used in Epic Mode.
- 323 plastic dividers. Plastic dividers are more durable for card sorting and storage. 49 dividers are used for Quests 10 and 11, while the remaining dividers are plastic upgrades for all previously published Thunderstone Quest content.
- 49 paper dividers. Paper dividers are provided for Quests 10 and 11, in addition to the plastic dividers in case players have a preference.
- 24 Guardian Guides. Replacement guardian guides for Amtephetes VII, Thavroh Anvilbane, Hive Mind, and Ezuzrius are provided if players have those guardians from previously published releases.
- 1 Enemies Among Us Rulebook/Questbook.
Corruptions
Corruptions are a new card type in Enemies Among Us. The anatomy of a Corruption is:
- Gold Production Value. This is the amount of Gold the card produces.
- Hero Attack Boost Value. This is the amount of Attack a Hero is boosted. Boosts always have a + symbol preceding their value and can only be used to boost a Hero's value.
- Monster Health Reduction Value. This is the amount the Health, Armor, and/or Magic Resistance of a Monster you face in the Dungeon is reduced. Reductions always have a - symbol preceding their value and only apply to Monsters that already have the stat listed.
- Skill Adjustment Value. This is the amount of Skill a Hero is boosted by or reduced by. As with all boosts, they must be applied to a Hero's value, unless you have no Heroes in your hand.
- Textbox. This contains the card's title (5a), Keywords (formatted in Small Caps) (5b), and game text (5c). Each Corruption game text includes a way to destroy the card, returning it to the bottom of the Corruption deck.
- VP Penalty. This is the amount of VP the card is worth at the end of the game. Corruptions will cost you VP at the end of the game if you cannot get rid of them by the end of the game.
Corruption Setup
The Corruption deck is made up of 30 cards (15 unique). The deck gets shuffled face down at the beginning of the game and is made available to all players. When a card or effect tells you to gain a Corruption, draw the top card of this deck and add it to your discard pile.
Using Corruptions
Corruptions are Static cards, a keyword introduced in the Barricades Mode expansion. Once Static cards are revealed in your hand, they remain in play from turn to turn, not counting against your hand size. Each Corruption offers some advantage to you as a player, but some disadvantage in terms of VP and XP. Utilizing and stacking these Corruptions can make you a force to be reckoned with, but the more you have, the greater the penalties as well. You will need to find ways to mitigate those losses.
The primary way for dealing with Corruptions takes place during battles in the Dungeon. The Dungeon Phase is detailed in the Thunderstone Quest Rulebook, and a summary is posted below for easy reference.
When you battle a Monster in the Dungeon, you follow these steps:
- Battle the Monster.
- Before Battle abilities.
- Armor/Magic Resistance reductions.
- Compare Attack to Health (determine outcome).
- Receive Wounds and resolve After Battle effects. Normally, After Battle effects are only found on Monsters and inflict a negative effect, like destroying a card for example. However, these abilities can now be found on some Heroes and Village cards, which can be used at this stage in the battle to mitigate some of the negative effects of Corruptions.
- Defeat the Monster.
- Gain XP and rewards. This may be affected by your Corruptions in some way unless you are able to mitigate the effects during the previous step.
- Destroy and reveal a new Monster in the room.
- Spoils abilities.
- Check Guardian keys.
Allies
Some cards do not fall under the traditional card types: Heroes, Items, Spells, Weapons, and Monsters. Allies are one of those cards. Allies can be purchased in The Marketplace, or discovered from Side Quests, to assist players with their adventures. The anatomy of an Ally is:
- Gold Production Value. This is the amount of Gold the card produces.
Attack Boost Value (not shown). This is the amount of Attack a Hero is boosted. Boosts have a + symbol preceding their value and can only be used to boost a Hero's value. While most Allies boost another Hero's Attack, Allies with an Attack value that does not include a + symbol contribute Attack independently of Heroes.
- Skill Boost Value. This is the amount of Skill a Hero is boosted by. As with all boosts, they boost a Hero's value and do not provide their own value. Some Allies have their own Skill value, instead of a Skill boost value. Allies with Skill may wield cards like a Hero does.
- Light Value. This is the amount of Light the Ally produces.
- Textbox. This contains the card's title (4a), Keywords (formatted in Small Caps) (4b), and game text (4c).
- VP Value. This is the amount of VP the card is worth at the end of the game.
- Gold Cost Value. This is the amount of Gold the card costs.
Heroes
Heroes are a special addition for Thunderstone Quest, giving you the opportunity to train your Heroes even further, making them even more powerful than ever before.
Even though Level IV Heroes are Legendary cards, they function in exactly the same way as other experienced Heroes. When you choose the cards you are going to play with during setup, place your Level IV Heroes at the bottom of their respective Hero stacks, below the Level III Heroes. Only play with 1 copy of each Level IV Hero. While not in use, store the Level IV Heroes in the box with their respective Level 1-3 Heroes.
You can level your Level III Heroes into Level IV Heroes in exactly the same way as you level other Heroes. This will usually cost 5 XP (the current Hero's printed Level +2).
Variant: Epic Mode
Epic Mode is a favorite of the developers, and we have found an additional variant for Epic Mode that we quite enjoy. Feel free to use or not use this variant, as your players prefer.
When playing with only 1 copy of each Hero in Epic Mode (see the Thunderstone Quest Rulebook), The Guilds' Quarter provides an additional effect when visited. When you visit The Guilds' Quarter, you may put the top card of any Hero stack at the bottom of the stack, turning a new Hero face up to replace it. This variant can only be used with the Epic Mode "7a" style in the Thunderstone Quest Rulebook.
This variant allows players to cycle through Heroes that they may not like or Heroes that other players do like.
Guardians
The Barricades Mode expansion introduced Guardians, giving the players a cooperative challenge to overcome in order to save the Village and claim victory. Darkness Rising and Miricelle's Return introduce 2 new Guardians for the players to defeat.
Count Leander Mortas
Card text. When revealed, deal 1 Destruction chit (directly) to each Village Location with 2 or fewer Destruction chits. Each player gains 1 Corruption.
- Master's Thrall. You may discard 1 Corruption. If you do not, add 2 [brown icon].
- Sap Strength. Reduce the [grey icon] of 1 Hero to 0. If you do not, add 2 Destruction chits. If you have 3+ [yellow icon], add 1 Destruction chit instead.
- Summon Minions. If you have a Corruption, add 1 Destruction chit, or 2 Destruction chits if you also have a Lycanthrope or Undead Hero.
- Dark Power. Gain 1 Corruption.
Printed footer text on the card: Roll 1d6. If odd, +[Armor] equal to your Corruptions. If even, +[Magic Resistance] equal to your Corruptions. At the end of each turn, place all Champions here in the [room icon] room.
The Threat Level numbers and the Guardian attack track values are printed on the card and are not restated here.
Count Leander Mortas is the ruler of Ebonwood, a pocket dimension of perpetual twilight, who preys on the life force of others and invites them to do the same. He will offer powerful Corruptions to your deck, but then punish you if you can't find ways to get rid of them.
Difficulty: two [brown icons].
Miricelle, World Destroyer
Card text. When revealed, deal 1 Destruction chit (directly) to each Village Location with 2 or fewer Destruction chits.
- Portal Shift. You may discard 1 Hero. If you do not, add 2 [brown icon].
- Scion Summoner. For each unique Hero class in your hand (counting each Hero only once), add 1 Destruction chit.
- Blind Wrath. You may discard 1 card at random from your hand. If you do not, add 1 Destruction chit.
Printed footer text on the card: +1 [Armor] for each of Miricelle's [red icon]. At the end of each turn, place all Champions here in the [room icon] room.
Once destined to be the Scion Defender, Miricelle has fought her way back from the spaces between worlds to break down the door for the Scions themselves to possess this world. She toys with your hand and uses your own Heroes against you.
Difficulty: four [brown icons].
Prestige Class Boards
Rules for the following components were introduced in the Barricades Mode expansion. This section is duplicated from that expansion and is intended for those who do not have that content. If you are already familiar with Prestige Class Boards, you may skip this section.
The Barricades Mode expansion brought new ways to utilize your XP tokens by introducing Prestige Classes.
Prestige Class Boards are dual-sided: one side for use in Barricades Mode (cooperative play) and one side which may be used (optionally) in competitive mode games. Note, if you do not have the Barricades Mode expansion, you will only be able to use the competitive side.
Prestige Classes are a new board that allows you to train in a specialized class, gaining new powers as you gain Ranks. The training section (top) of each Prestige Class board explains how to gain 1 Rank (up arrow) in your Prestige Class (1), or potentially 2 Ranks (two up arrows) at once (2). The Rank numbers (3) are to the right of the [gem icon] cost. These Ranks cost [gem icon] to acquire, as listed on the left-hand side of the board within the Rank to which you are going (4). You must pay the [gem icon] cost of each Rank you acquire. If the listed [gem icon] cost cannot be paid that turn for the 1 or 2 Ranks you earned, the new Rank(s) are not acquired. You do not start with any Ranks in your Prestige Class, and Ranks must be acquired in order; they cannot be skipped. When a Rank is acquired, it will unlock new powers for your benefit (5). Sometimes, this may give you a new ability ready to use that turn, such as a Spoils ability. Some abilities may have an italicized description word in them, such as Riftwalk (6). This descriptive word will be referenced at other Ranks, increasing its power (7).
Example: the Riftwalker board (Barricades Mode side). Its training section reads: one up arrow: Defeat a red-shield+ Monster as a member of a Party; two up arrows, or one of each: Defeat a gold-shield+ Monster as a member of a Party; trophy: Once per turn, place your Champion in any gold-shield or lower Dungeon Room. This is not movement. Its Ranks (gem cost shown on the left-hand side of the board) read:
- Rank 1 (Dungeon). Riftwalk: Place your Champion in the same room as another Champion in the Dungeon. This is not movement.
- Rank 2. When you gain this Rank, gain the Legendary Item Boots of the Abyss.
- Rank 3 (Dungeon). Draw 1 card if you Riftwalked this turn.
- Rank 4. When you gain this Rank, gain the Legendary Weapon Void Blade.
- Rank 5. Trophy: Also, once per turn, remove 1 [brown icon].
- Rank 6. Gain 1 [token icon] token when you Riftwalk.
- Rank 7. When you gain this Rank, gain the Legendary Hero Riftwalker.
- Rank 8 (Spoils). Remove 1 [brown icon] or 1 Destruction chit.
- Rank 9. All Heroes in your Party gain +1 [icon] when you Riftwalk.
Prestige Classes in Other Modes
Starting with the first player and proceeding in player turn order, each player may choose 1 Prestige Class with which to play (a new 11b setup step for the Thunderstone Quest Rulebook). Then players select their Guild Sponsorships and/or Side Quests. Keep in mind when picking your Side Quests that Prestige Classes also distribute Legendary cards. If your Side Quest competes with another player's Prestige Class for the same Legendary card, only one of you will be able to earn it. Because of this, we do not recommend playing with both Prestige Classes and Side Quests in the same game.
If playing with both components in your game, make sure to select the Prestige Classes first so players may see what other players have selected before selecting their own Side Quests.
Lexicon
Ally. Allies are a new card type (i.e., Item, Spell, Weapon, Hero, Monster) that can be discovered to assist players with their adventures.
Before & After Battle. Before & After Battle abilities are a type of ability that triggers both Before and After Battle. Before & After Battle abilities resolve twice per turn, once at each window. If this type of ability is affected by a card that turns a Before Battle ability into an After Battle ability, it effectively cancels the Before Battle part and only resolves once.
Borrow. The opposite of lend, borrowing a card allows a player to receive a card from another player for one turn. If the lent card has not been destroyed, return it to the original player when the turn ends. If it was leveled up, return the new version.
Corruption. Corruptions are a new Static card type (i.e., Item, Spell, Weapon, Hero, Monster) that can be gained by players during their adventures. They represent adjustments to players' hands which can be used to defeat Monsters in the Dungeon. However, they often involve some kind of XP/VP penalty.
Destroyed Pile. Whenever a card is destroyed, it is considered to be in a Destroyed Pile.
Discard [left arrow] or [right arrow]. Discard the card into the discard pile of the player to your left or right. They now own the card.
From the Box. Some effects allow you to gain a card "from The Box." Take the specified card from the Thunderstone Quest game box. In essence, this is any card not already in the game. Destroyed cards are still in the game and thus cannot be gained.
Static. Cards with the Static keyword are not discarded when the turn ends. Static cards in play do not count against the number of cards you draw when the turn ends.
Swarm. Swarm is a Monster keyword. You can never predict the size of a swarm. Swarm Monsters gain additional +1d6 [black die icon] as stated on their card. Roll this whenever the [black die icon] value is needed. Once rolled for the turn, it is set for that turn.
FAQ
What happens to a Before & After Battle ability if I turn Before Battle abilities into After Battle abilities?
Normally such abilities resolve twice, once in the Before Battle timing window and once in the After Battle timing window. However, since it is no longer a Before & After Battle ability, it no longer gains the special benefit of being able to resolve multiple times per turn. In effect, it becomes an After Battle ability that can resolve only once.
If a card is discarded from my deck and then I immediately draw it, do I trigger effects as if it had been discarded?
Yes, because it was first discarded, then drawn.
Can you buy Level IV Heroes?
No, they do not have a Gold Cost. They may only be leveled into.
How do Items with Skill Requirements work?
Some Items, such as Manacles, have a Skill Requirement to wield, counting against the Hero's available Skill for wielding Weapons. Like Weapons, if Items with Skill Requirements are not wielded, you cannot use their text or values, though they still produce Gold.
How do I battle a face down Monster (e.g., in the Shallow Graves Dungeon Room)? What if it is a face down Guardian Key?
If a player battles a face down Monster, flip it face up before the battle, resolving all of the Monster's text and continuing the battle as normal. If the player finds a Guardian Key instead, set the Key aside and replace it with the top card of the Monster deck until a Monster is found, battling it as normal.
I have two (Starter) Lantern cards in the Village, head to the Dungeon, and then discard one of the Lanterns. Does the drawback from the second Lantern prevent me from moving out of The Wilderness? What if I drew the second Lantern only after I was already in the Dungeon?
You would need to also discard the second Lantern to be able to move out of The Wilderness, but any Lantern you drew after entering the Dungeon would not restrict you, as cards do not reference what you did earlier in the turn if they were not in play at that time.
What does 3+ mean?
Anytime something is written as X+, it means "X or higher/more."
If I need to discard cards but do not have enough cards in my deck, what do I do? What if I use a Dreamcatcher and my deck is empty?
Anytime you need to discard cards from your deck but your deck is empty, set aside any cards discarded to the effect thus far (as they wait for the effect to resolve), and then shuffle your discard pile to form a new deck and continue the discarding effect.
When buying a Treasure from the Shop of Arcane Wonders, is that considered "buying" the card type (e.g., Hero, Item, etc.) that I randomly gain?
Yes, it counts as buying a Hero, Item, etc. card.
Does Lorturim Dragonblood keep the Weapons wielded by the Hero that is placed on top of the deck, even if Lorturim doesn't have enough Skill to wield them?
Yes. Normally a reduction in Skill could result in a Weapon being unwielded, but in this case, Lorturim's ability text specifically states that he gains that Hero's Weapons, so that trumps the normal rules.
Do Static cards in play count as "mine"? What cards do I "have"?
Whenever a card references "your" cards or cards that you "have," it is referencing cards in your hand, whether they are revealed already, still hidden, or already in play. Borrowed cards are yours, and they are part of your hand, but only temporarily. Static cards are in play, but still part of your hand (though they do not count toward your maximum hand size).
How does Barmin Ironclaw's ability work in a room where the Monster is hidden (e.g., Shallow Graves)?
Barmin's Dungeon ability says to choose a Monster, which includes any "hidden" Monsters as well. However, the bonus to his [brown icon] will be unknown until Barmin stops in that room to battle that Monster. When using the Level IV Barmin, you would reveal the hidden Monster just before battling that turn, even if you're not fighting the hidden Monster, in order to determine your [brown icon] bonus.
Do I have to destroy Corruptions if I satisfy the requirements to do so?
No. The game text on Corruptions tells you what you need to do to get rid of them, but it is not required. Just keep in mind that the more Corruptions you have, the bigger price you may pay at the end of the game.
Can I use Mist Form or a similar card and Lantern in the same turn?
Mist Form and certain other cards allow you to place your Champion in a Dungeon Room as a Dungeon action. These cards usually specify (in Help Text) that this is not considered movement. Since the Lantern specifies that if you take a Dungeon Phase after your Village Phase you cannot move out of The Wilderness, Mist Form wouldn't be under that restriction as it is not considered movement.
Can I destroy the same [token] tokens for more than one copy of Morning Dawn?
No. The token destruction is part of a single Dungeon ability on a single card. Once that ability has been resolved, having destroyed those tokens and increasing the [token] value of the card, you can choose to resolve another copy of the card with the same ability. But you'll have to destroy additional tokens to do so.
How do the Manacles work?
When you use the Before & After Battle ability that moves the Monster back to the top of the Monster deck, the battle ends. The room will not be refilled until the end of the turn.
How do the Discard left and Discard right abilities work in Solo Mode?
Should you come across one of these abilities in Solo Mode, simply discard the necessary card(s) to your own discard pile.
Do you "gain" Treasure Caches?
Yes, they are gained, and then they are immediately destroyed.
Are Donatien Pinnick's Weapon effects global? Do they apply to all cards in play or just those equipped to Donatien?
The traits on Donatien only apply to himself or cards connected to him (meaning that specific card). For example, the [red icon] and [brown icon] bonuses on a Donatien only apply to that card, not to another Donatien that you might also have in your hand.
Can I Riftwalk using the Riftwalker Prestige Class to a room I'm already in?
Yes. Riftwalk involves placing your Champion somewhere. Where your Champion began only matters in terms of limits applied to the locations themselves.
Can I buy a [token] token and use it for Riftling's ability on the same turn?
The order for a Village Phase is outlined in the Thunderstone Quest Rulebook. According to that order, you use Village abilities and Gear token abilities before you purchase cards or tokens from The Bazaar. So the Riftling's Village ability would need to be used before you purchased the token.
How does Chain Lightning work with Swarm Monsters?
If there is a chance that a Swarm Monster could satisfy the requirement for Chain Lightning, roll the die to determine its [black die icon] value. You may do this once for each Swarm in the Dungeon. The result of this roll only applies for this purpose, so you'd need to roll it again for any other purposes that turn.
Quick Start
Setup, as printed on the Quick Start sheet. Shield icons are described in brackets as their colour; the source shows them as glyphs.
Setup
- Place the Village Board in the middle of the table. In The Guilds' Quarter, place 1 stack of each Hero Class. In The Marketplace, place 2 stacks of Items, 2 stacks of Spells, 2 stacks of Weapons, and 2 stacks of any other Marketplace cards. Place the Treasure deck in the Shop of Arcane Wonders. Place the Gear tokens into The Bazaar. Place the [red], [grey], and [gold] Monster Group decks into their respective spots on the Village Board. Place the Wound and XP tokens within reach of all players.
- To the right of the Village Board, place The Wilderness. Below that, place 2 [red] Dungeon Rooms. Below them, place 2 [grey] Dungeon Rooms. Below them, place 2 [gold] Dungeon Rooms. Populate the Dungeon with Monsters, placing 1 Monster in each Dungeon Room, matching the room's [icon]. Unless you are playing Barricades Mode, place a Guardian face down in The Wilderness, Monster side up.
- Unless you are playing Barricades Mode, shuffle 6 Guardian Keys into the Monster decks: 1 in the [red] deck, 2 in the [grey] deck, and 3 in the [gold] deck.
- Give each player a Player Board, a starting deck, and a Champion (figurine). Unless you are playing Barricades Mode, randomly determine who plays first and give all players who do not go first tokens: 1 token for playing second, 2 tokens for playing third, and 3 tokens for playing fourth. You may optionally play with Prestige Classes, Side Quests, and Guild Sponsorships. It is not recommended to play with Prestige Classes and Side Quests together. Unless you are playing Barricades Mode, you are done with Setup and may begin, following the Quick Play turn outline on your Player Board.
- If you are playing Barricades Mode:
- a. Each player selects a Prestige Class (if they have not yet done so).
- b. Place a Guardian Lair below the [gold] Dungeon Rooms, Lair side up.
- c. Place the Threat token on the 1 space of the Guardian Lair.
- d. Place the 20 Destruction chits in the bag near the Village Board.
- e. Place the 5 Barricades onto their respective Village Locations, inactive (red) side up.
Iconography Reference Guide
Icons below are described in words; the source shows them as glyphs.
- Guardian Dice: a silver die.
- Destruction Chit: a white chit with an X.
- Draw 1 Card: a "+1" card symbol.
- Guardian Attacks: four colored splatter marks (green, red, purple, blue).
- 1 or 2 Monsters in the Monster Horde (attacking Village): one or two Monster footprints.
- Heroic Opportunity: a trophy symbol.
- Gain 1 or 2 Ranks in Prestige Class (if Gem costs are paid): one arrow for 1 Rank, two arrows for 2 Ranks.
- Discard into discard pile of the player to your left/right: two arrows, pointing left and right.
- Wound Tokens: a red blood splatter.
- Wound Cards (Disease or Festering Wounds): a red and green splatter.
- Darkness Rising Quest: the Quest skull symbol.
- Miricelle's Return Quest: the Quest spiral symbol.