Dragonology: The Game
Dragonology: The Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
To become the Master Dragonologist, the Head of the Secret and Ancient Society of Dragonologists, by mastering three dragons and advancing to the Dragon's Eye!
Components
- 2-6 Players, Ages 8+
- Game Board
- 12-sided Die
- 6 Dragonologist Playing Pieces: Dr. Earnest Drake, Dragon Man Dan, Miss Ta, Emery, Phineas Feek, Beatrice Cook
- 9 Dragons: European Dragon, American Amphithere, Cockatrice, Frost Dragon, Gargouille, Asian Lung, Knucker, Wyvern, Marsupial Dragon
- 81 Bit of Knowledge Cards
- 30 Transportation Tickets
- Secret Envelope
- Instructions
Set Up
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Place each dragon on its respective location on the board as follows:
- European Dragon - Ben Wyvis, Scotland
- Cockatrice - Oak Island, Nova Scotia
- American Amphithere - The Lost City of Manoa, South America
- Frost Dragon - Vatnajokull, Iceland
- Gargouille - Annecy, French Alps
- Asian Lung - Shanghai, China
- Knucker - Jakutsk, Russia
- Wyvern - Monrovia, Africa
- Marsupial Dragon - Melbourne, Australia
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Select one dragonologist play piece as your pawn to use throughout the game.
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Shuffle the deck of Transportation Tickets and deal three to each player. Place the remaining tickets facedown on the designated space on the board. Transportation Tickets are to be used at your discretion throughout the course of the game. Do not show your tickets to your opponents.
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Shuffle the deck of Bit of Knowledge Cards and place facedown on the designated space on the board. Each player draws one Bit of Knowledge Card from the deck to determine your starting position. Place your dragonologist on the dragon's home space that correlates to the Bit of Knowledge Card you received. (For example, if you drew a Card about the Asian Lung, your dragonologist starts in Shanghai, China on the space depicting the dragon image). Keep the selected card as your first Bit of Knowledge Card towards your goal of winning the game. If you select a Wild Card, start on any location on the map. If you select a card with a Dragon Spells & Charm command, place the card in the middle of the deck and draw again.
Playing the Game
You are now a real dragonologist and ready to play the game!
Dragonologists take turns moving around the world in search of knowledge and information relating to the following nine dragons:
American Amphithere, Asian Lung, Cockatrice, European Dragon, Frost Dragon, Gargouille, Knucker, Marsupial Dragon, Wyvern
These elements and facts are found on the Bit of Knowledge Cards. There are five specific Bit of Knowledge Cards pertaining to each dragon. When you acquire three Bit of Knowledge Cards for a specific dragon, you have the opportunity to master that dragon. In order to do so, you must land on the home of the specific dragon and present to all other dragonologists your three Bit of Knowledge Cards for that dragon. Once you master a dragon, you take that dragon piece from the board. Once a dragon has been mastered, another dragonologist cannot master that dragon unless he/she acquires a Master Claw Bit of Knowledge Card allowing them to steal another dragonologist's knowledge.
The first dragonologist to successfully master three dragons and advance to the Dragon's Eye wins the game!
Moving Around the Board
There are two primary ways to move your dragonologist:
Rolling the die
Each dragonologist follows a path by rolling the die and moving the number of spaces indicated in any direction. While you can choose your direction, you cannot divert off the path or skip spaces. If you roll the Dragon's Eye, you can go directly to the dragon's home of your choice and draw either a Bit of Knowledge Card or a Transportation Ticket - your choice.
Transportation Ticket
If you have a Transportation Ticket in your possession, you may play that rather than rolling the die on your turn. This allows for a more expedited form of transportation by air, land or sea. After a Transportation Ticket has been played, place it on the bottom of the deck.
- By Air (Hot Air Balloon or Airplane): Allows a dragonologist to travel from any space on the board to any other space on the board, regardless of the continent.
- By Land (Elephant, Camel, Locomotive or Stagecoach): Allows a dragonologist to travel to/from anywhere within one continent. Dragonologists cannot travel overseas or to another continent via Elephant, Camel, Locomotive or Stagecoach.
- By Sea (Steamboat): Allows a dragonologist to travel across the Ocean or Sea from one port to another port following one of the blue paths. You must be at a point on the board designated as a port in order to use a Sea Transportation Ticket. Anchors designate ports.
Each space on the game board counts as one when moving traditionally from rolling the die. Depending on which space you land, there are four actions that can happen:
- Blank Space - Do nothing.
- City/Port, City/Dragon's home (three icons: City/Port, City, Dragon's home) - Draw either a Bit of Knowledge Card or a Transportation Ticket - your choice!
- B (Bit of Knowledge icon) - Draw a Bit of Knowledge Card from the top of the deck.
- T (Transportation Ticket icon) - Draw a Transportation Ticket from the top of the deck.
When attempting to master and collect a dragon, you must land exactly on the dragon's home space with a roll of the die or by using a Transportation Ticket to bring you to that space.
Using the Special Cards
There are 36 special Bit of Knowledge Cards that appear to be ordinary Bit of Knowledge Cards but are actually Special Cards: 6 Wild Cards and 30 Dragon Spells & Charm Cards.
- Wild Cards (6): This card can be used in place of a third basic Bit of Knowledge Card to complete a dragonologist's mastery of a dragon. With this very valuable card, you can master a dragon with only two Bit of Knowledge Cards specific to a dragon, with the Wild card acting as the third to complete the set.
Dragon Spells & Charms
There are 30 cards total with 7 different actions as follows:
- Snatch (4): This card allows you to steal a Bit of Knowledge Card from any other dragonologist. Choose a dragonologist and blind draw one card from his/her hand.
- Hypnotize (4): This card allows you to request a specific Bit of Knowledge Card from the dragonologist of your choice. If a dragonologist has the requested card, he/she must exchange it for the card of your choice from your hand.
- Master Claw (2): This card can be played if you land on the home of a dragon that has already been mastered. It allows you to steal cards and the already mastered dragon from another dragonologist. You must have at least one Bit of Knowledge Card specific to the dragon you wish to steal in order to utilize the Master Claw. A Master Claw cannot be blocked.
- Deja Vu (8): This card allows you to go again. After you have completed a turn, you may hold up your Deja Vu Card and take another turn, then discard the card.
- Confusion (2): This card allows you to take all Bit of Knowledge Cards from every other dragonologist, put them in a deck, shuffle them, and disperse them evenly among the dragonologists, excluding yourself. This changes everyone's hand but your own.
- Swoop (2): This card can only be used after you have mastered a flying dragon. The flying dragons are American Amphithere, Cockatrice, European Dragon, Frost Dragon, Gargouille, Marsupial Dragon, and Wyvern. You then have the ability to use your dragon to "swoop" an opponent from one continent to another. You can place an opponent's dragonologist on any space on the board. Your dragonologist does not move with them, you do not move your piece until you roll the die or use a Transportation Ticket.
- Shield (8): This card allows you to defend yourself against a Snatch or Hypnotize Card, or a Bump (see Bumping Challenge below). If an opponent plays one of the aforementioned cards against you, you hold up your Shield Card and then you and your opponent discard both cards.
With the exception of the Shield and Deja Vu Cards, Dragon Spells & Charm Cards must be played at the start of a dragonologist's turn. After you have used a spell or charm card, you must discard the card by placing it on the bottom of the deck.
Bumping Challenge
If you land on the same space as another dragonologist, you are permitted to challenge that dragonologist to a head to head challenge: Flame, Claw, Tooth. If challenged, a dragonologist must accept, unless he/she possesses a Shield.
A challenge allows a dragonologist the opportunity to win more Bit of Knowledge Cards and Transportation Tickets.
The challenging dragonologist determines how many of each type of card they are willing to bet. (For example, one Transportation Ticket and two Bit of Knowledge Cards.) A dragonologist cannot challenge for more cards than the opponent has in his/her possession.
Once the number of cards up for winning has been established, the dragonologists play Flame, Claw, Tooth. Think Rock, Paper, Scissors! The dueling dragonologists say, "Flame, Claw, Tooth, Shoot." On "Shoot", use your right hand to make one of the following moves: Flame (Rock), Claw (Scissors), or Tooth (Paper). Flame (Rock) beats Claw (Scissors) beats Tooth (Paper) beats Flame (Rock). The winner takes possession of all the cards that were at stake and adds them to his/her hand.
Trading Bit of Knowledge Cards
A dragonologist is allowed to make a trade with another dragonologist at the start of his/her turn by asking if anyone is willing to make a trade. The two dragonologists negotiate the terms of the trade. If a trade is made, the dragonologist who asked for the trade forfeits his/her turn that round.
Reaching the Dragon's Eye
After a dragonologist masters three dragons, you are ready to advance to the mysterious Island of Winged Serpents in the Pacific Ocean. You can reach the Island of Winged Serpents by rolling the die or by using a Sea or Air Transportation Ticket to bring you there. If you roll the die to reach the Island, you must land on the Island by rolling the exact number of spaces. If you roll a number that would take you past the Island, you remain where you are and try rolling again on your next turn. Once you make it to the Island of Winged Serpents, you are immune from all spells and challenges.
Dragonologists must stop at the Island of Winged Serpents before heading to the Dragon's Eye. Once you land on the Island, you can only reach the Dragon's Eye by rolling the die. You must land on the Dragon's Eye by rolling the exact number of spaces or by rolling the Dragon's Eye on the die. If you roll a number that would take you past the Dragon's Eye, you remain where you are and try rolling again on your next turn.
Winning the Game
The first dragonologist to master three dragons, advance to the Island of Winged Serpents, and land on the Dragon's Eye, is the Master Dragonologist and has won the game!
The Master Dragonologist receives the secret envelope, which holds the Record Sheet that lists all the Master Dragonologists to have come before you. Record your information on the Record Sheet and place the Sheet back in the envelope.
Congratulations!