Thunderstone Quest: Rotten Roots
Thunderstone Quest: Rotten Roots Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Rotten Roots is an expansion product for Thunderstone Quest. Rules for new components start on page 4. Those who are familiar with these components can skip directly to the Questbook on page 8.
Unpacking the Box
This box should include the following components. Please note that this is an expansion to Thunderstone Quest and is not a stand-alone game.
- 1 Quest 13 Rotten Roots, the full contents of which are featured in the Questbook.
- 1 copy of each Monster, Hero, Item, Ally, Spell, and Weapon from Rotten Roots, to be used in Epic Mode.
- 1 Rotten Roots Rulebook/Questbook.
Prestige Class Boards
Prestige Class boards are dual-sided: one side is for use in Barricades Mode (cooperative play) and one side may be used (optionally) in competitive games. Rules for Barricades Mode are covered in the Barricades Mode expansion's Rulebook. When playing competitive games, a new 11b setup step for the Thunderstone Quest Rulebook is added to the end of step 11. Starting with the first Champion and proceeding in turn order, each Champion may choose 1 Prestige Class with which to play. Then Champions select their Side Quests and/or Guild Sponsorships as normal.
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 (one 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 gems cost. These Ranks cost gems to gain, as listed on the left-hand side of the board within the Rank to which you are going (4). You must pay the gems cost of each Rank you gain. If the listed gems cost cannot be paid that turn for the 1 or 2 Ranks you earned, the new Rank(s) are not gained. You do not start with any Ranks in your Prestige Class, and Ranks must be gained in order; they cannot be skipped. When a Rank is gained, 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.
Tiny Titan
The Tiny Titan board (Rotten Roots Prestige Class) has the following training section:
- Up arrow: Defeat 1 Monster with a Fey Hero and an Elemental card. (1 Rank)
- Two up arrows: Defeat 1 Monster with 3+ (icon) of Fey Heroes and an Elemental card. (2 Ranks)
- Once per turn, after you complete 1 of the above, pay the gems cost listed below for each of the 1 or 2 new Ranks, or nothing is gained.
The Ranks of the Tiny Titan board are:
- Rank 1 (cost 0 gems): Dungeon: Discard 2 cards from the top of your deck. Draw 1 Fey Hero discarded in this way.
- Rank 2 (cost 1 gem): Elemental cards cost -1 (icon) for you.
- Rank 3 (cost 2 gems): This Prestige Class is worth 6 gems when the game ends.
- Rank 4 (cost 3 gems): Spoils: You may buy 1 gem (paying (icon)).
- Rank 5 (cost 4 gems): Once per turn, if a Dungeon Room caused you to discard 1 (icon) cards, draw 1 card. If it's a Weapon, you may wield it.
- Rank 6 (cost 5 gems): All Fey Heroes gain +1 (icon).
- Rank 7 (cost 6 gems): This Prestige Class is instead worth 3 gems per Rank you have.
- Rank 8 (cost 7 gems): Dungeon: If you have a Fey Hero, discard 1 card to draw 1 card.
- Rank 9 (cost 8 gems): +1 HP.
Note: this board is a low-resolution scan. The gem cost symbol is identified from the grey gem icon on the board, and icon-only values are shown as "(icon)" where they were not legible enough to name with certainty. Check the physical Tiny Titan board against this transcription before relying on those values.
Heroes
Heroes are an optional addition for Thunderstone Quest, giving you the opportunity to train your Heroes even further, making them even more powerful than ever before.
Even though 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 the Heroes at the bottom of their respective Hero stacks, below the 2 Heroes. Only play with 1 copy of each Hero. While not in use, store the Heroes in the box with their respective level 1-3 Heroes.
You can level your Heroes into Heroes in exactly the same way as you level other Heroes. This will usually cost 5 XP (the current Hero's printed level +2).
Note: in the scan, the Hero type is shown as a white shield icon, which is rendered here as "Heroes". Check the physical cards for the exact level numbers.
Guardians
The Barricades Mode expansion introduced Guardians, giving the Champions a cooperative challenge to overcome in order to save the Village and claim victory. The Guardian for the Rotten Roots Quest is included for use when playing the Barricades Mode expansion.
Filleath, the Toxic
Filleath has always felt he was destined for more, but it seems he's always lived in the shadow of greater creatures, none greater than Ashbrow, the great tree guardian of the Deepwood. But a new pact with a being from the Abyssal lands will bring an end to all that. Now armed with dark powers, he will spread a blight that puts the entire forest in jeopardy.
Difficulty: three crowns.
Note: the Filleath card (Demon, Fey, Humanoid, Guardian) is a low-resolution scan. Its threat-level values and the text of its three Monster-phase abilities (Poison Proximity, Malicious Mischief, You Little Thief!) and its setup line are not legible enough to transcribe reliably, so they are not reproduced here. Consult the physical Guardian card.
New Guardian Keys
Rotten Roots brings a new alternate set of Guardian Keys for use in normal competitive play. The anatomy of the new Guardian Keys is:
- Champion Textbox. Contains the card's title (1a), keywords (formatted in Small Caps) (1b), and game text (1c). Once a Guardian Key has been found by the Champions, its game text becomes a new universal trait or ability available to all Champions.
- Key Icon. Acts like a keyword, referenced on other cards that may be triggered by the presence of the Guardian Key in some way.
- Victory Points. This is the amount of VP the Guardian Key is worth at the end of the game for any Champion who does not use the ability in the Key's textbox.
Just like in the base game, Champions are looking for these Guardian Keys in the Dungeon in order to challenge the Guardian and end the game. During setup, choose which set of Guardian Keys to play with, shuffle them into the Monster decks as stated in the Rulebook, and play as usual.
Once a Guardian Key has been found, all Champions may use the ability in the Key's textbox. However, these abilities can only be used once per game, and if a Champion chooses to use that ability, they forfeit the VP on the card at the end of the game.
The example card shown is the Green (Earth) Seed, a Guardian Key. Its textbox reads: "Once found, all Champions gain the following one-time ability: VILLAGE OR DUNGEON. Draw any 3 cards from your discard pile."
Once the fourth Guardian Key has been found, the final stage of the game begins. If playing with the new Guardian Keys, perform the following steps in order:
- Flip the Monster in the Wilderness over to reveal the Guardian.
- All Champions now draw 6 cards, and then discard 4 to form hands for the final turn.
- Each Champion will now have 1 more turn, including the Champion who found the last Guardian Key. During this turn, the Champions may battle the Guardian in the Wilderness, or they may take a normal turn.
If a Champion battles and defeats the Guardian, the Champion gains the rewards for defeating it, but the Guardian will still remain in the Wilderness, awaiting the next challenger. Monsters cannot be removed from the Wilderness for any reason.
When the game ends, Champions total their VP as normal and determine the winner.
Guardian Keys in Barricades Mode
Rotten Roots includes new Village and Monster cards that are affected by the presence of Guardian Keys in the game. As a result, we recommend that you use the standard Guardian Keys from Thunderstone Quest in your Barricades Mode setup, like normal. As the Keys are found, they may trigger new abilities or provide bonuses to the Heroes (or Monsters). However, the other normal functions of the Guardian Keys (like triggering the final stage of the game) are no longer relevant. Simply ignore the game text on those cards.
Wilderness and Monster
Rotten Roots includes a new Wilderness tile. On one side are the same mechanics as always, and on the other side are the mechanics for Barricades Mode.
These tiles also have Monsters printed on them, including a new Grub Monster with similar, but different mechanics from the Giant Rat Monster. In any mode of Thunderstone Quest, you may play with a Monster printed on the Wilderness tile, or you may use any Monster from the back of any Guardian.
Grub
Grub is a Monster (Vermin, Insect) with the following Spoils ability:
- Spoils: Level up 1 Hero, paying (icon) 2. If the Hero was (icon), you may heal 1 Wound.
Note: the Grub card is a low-resolution scan. Its keyword line, its icon-only costs, and the level-up condition are not fully legible, so icon values are shown as "(icon)" and the wording is a best reading. Check the physical card before relying on it.
Questbook
Quest 13: Rotten Roots. The Questbook presents the Quest 13 adventure. Its narrative fiction is omitted from this transcription; the card list, Guardian, Guardian Keys, Dungeon Rooms, Prestige Class and Quest rules are reproduced.
Quest Card List
Heroes
- 15x Amber Leafspark
- 15x Bernhard the Prepared
- 15x Killian Silanus
- 15x Phelorna
- 15x The Highwind Three
- 15x Walnut Silvergrove
Items/Allies
- 8x Barkskin Armor
- 8x Craftsman's Tools
- 8x Magic Flute
- 8x Petal Pal
Spells
- 8x Shape Change
- 8x Spike Growth
- 8x Strengthen Ally
- 8x Swarm Strike
Weapons
- 8x Golden Horn
- 8x Leaf Blade
- 8x Needle Bow
- 8x Treant Root
Monsters (Level I)
- 10x Army Ants: 2x Elite, 1x Queen, 2x Taskmaster, 2x Warrior, 3x Worker
- 10x Birds and Creatures: 2x Blue Jay, 2x Centipede, 2x Snake, 2x Spider, 2x Woodpecker
Monsters (Level II)
- 10x Diminutive Druids: 2x Dallanbark, 2x Grimmelder, 2x Ravenheart, 2x Soulthorn, 2x Stormgraves
- 10x Tree Spirits: 2x Compost Creeper, 2x Nightcrawler, 2x Shady Flower, 2x Sticky Skeleton, 2x Thorny Vamp
Monsters (Level III)
- 10x Fiendish Fairies: 2x Glitteraadia, 2x Hollyraain, 2x Jor'ospeck, 2x Lilyffiil, 2x Thunderkath
- 10x Mushroom Herd: 2x Cancroid Creeper, 2x Fungal Scavenger, 2x Hydroid Harvester, 1x Myconal Shepherd, 3x Spore Sower
Guardian
- Filleath, the Toxic
Treasures
- 1x Catapult
- 1x Orb of Opposing Forces
- 1x Root Stride
Guardian Keys
- 1x Blue (Water) Seed
- 1x Green (Earth) Seed
- 1x Orange (Air) Seed
- 1x Purple (Darkness) Seed
- 1x Red (Fire) Seed
- 1x Yellow (Light) Seed
Prestige Class
- 1x Tiny Titan
Dungeon Rooms
- Nest
- Fairy Village
- Gnarled Glade
- Druid Hovel
- Spore Field
- Root Pools
Other
- 6x Guardian Guides
- 24x Paper Dividers
- 24x Plastic Dividers
- 24x Randomizers
- 1x Wilderness Tile
Filleath, the Toxic's Lair
The Guardian Filleath, the Toxic has a Lair card with three Threat Level tiers and three abilities (Poison Proximity, Malicious Mischief, and You Little Thief!). Its general setup line reads: "Each turn before placing Champions, each Champion rolls (icon) in the Threat Level indicated. Advance the Threat token forward 1 space when each such roll ends. When there are no more spaces to advance, flip this Lair over."
Note: the Lair card is a low-resolution scan. Its ability text and threat-level values are not fully legible, so the setup line above is a best reading. Check the physical Lair card before relying on it.
FAQ
The FAQ is printed on the back cover of the Rulebook & Questbook.
How is "discarding" different from "discard from your deck"?
Essentially, all discarding in Thunderstone Quest is the same; you move cards from a location to your discard pile. However, where those cards come from can change. Regular discarding at the end of the turn moves all of your cards in play (except for cards with the Static keyword of course) to your discard pile. Certain monsters and other effects can force you to discard a card from your hand or from cards in play, moving them to your discard pile. But some cards have traits or abilities that allow you to discard cards from your deck, usually giving you an opportunity to pick up extra cards for your hand along the way. In that case, simply set aside cards from your deck as instructed, perform any other parts of the ability as written, then move any remaining cards to your discard pile.
What is a "column" of Dungeon Rooms?
A column of Dungeon Rooms includes the (icon), (icon), and (icon) rooms on either the left or right hand side of the Dungeon. Abilities that affect a column of Dungeon Rooms affect anything in each of those three rooms.
If I defeat a Monster from the Mushroom Herd, do I gain a Festering Wound if my Champion is in one of the locations described?
No. Those After Battle abilities only affect other Champions.
What if I run out of cards in my deck during a "discard from deck" action?
The rules state that your discard pile is shuffled to make a new deck anytime you need more cards. In this case, you would discard from your deck into a pile off to the side. Then if you run out of cards in your deck, shuffle your discard pile and continue discarding into that side pile until you discard enough cards. Once the discard is complete, then you put all the discarded cards into your new discard pile.
If I draw a card from my discard pile, can I search the pile or do I have to take the card on top?
For any ability that refers to cards in your discard pile, it includes the entire pile. So unless otherwise stated, feel free to search for what you're looking for.
Can a Hero's Skill be reduced to a number below 0?
Yes, it can. However, a Skill value less than 0 is effectively 0 for traits or abilities that refer to a Hero's Skill. For example, if I use the Shape Change Spell on a Hero with 2 Skill, the Hero's value is reduced to -3 unless otherwise increased. However, if another card references the Skill value of that Hero, it is considered to be 0 for the purposes of that card.