Lairs: Deeper Dungeons Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Bigger Dungeons
  • Components
  • Setup
  • Gameplay
• Challenges
  • Components
  • Additional Setup
  • Gameplay
• Terrain
  • Components
  • Additional Setup
  • Gameplay
• Weird Walls
  • Components
  • Additional Setup
  • Gameplay
• Characters
  • Components
  • Additional Setup
  • Gameplay
  • Gear Cards
• Boss Monsters
  • Components
  • Additional Setup
  • General Rules About Bosses
  • Bosses in Multiplayer
    • Boss Components in Multiplayer
• Multiplayer Mode
  • Additional Components
  • General Setup
  • Lair-Building
    • Duplicates
    • Keep It All Secret
    • Two Levels
    • One Exit, Multiple Starts
    • Ladders
    • The Peril Rule
  • Gameplay
    • The Builder: On Your Turn
    • Playing Twists

Bigger Dungeons

Ready for a deeper experience? Bigger dungeons mean more room for your creativity to shine. More hazards, more goals, more fun!

Components

• 2 Larger Lair boards
• 1 Larger map pad
• 2 Player mat extensions
• Extra Walls and Chests

Setup

Setup is as usual, with these changes:

• Place the Player Mat extension near your player mat.
• Use the larger boards and maps instead of the standard ones.
• Include an extra Monster, Trap, and Chest in your lair (4 of each type total). Use 20-25 Walls.

Gameplay

Gameplay is as usual, with these changes:

• Your Exit criteria are increased.
• Defeating your fourth Monster is worth 6VP at endgame.
• When scoring your Treasures at endgame, you may fully score six of your collected Treasures, instead of four.

Sidebar: Your new Exit criteria are all four Chests, or all four Monsters, or three of each.

Challenges

Not everything in the lair is trying to kill you... Challenges are opportunities to win or earn a little extra something!

Components

• 3 Challenge cards (Darting Wisps, Mirror Maze, and Ooze Crossing)
• 6 Challenge tiles (2 of each)

Additional Setup

Both players will have identical Challenges in their lair. Although they aren't Hazards, include Challenges in your Hazard-selection process.

• Select one Challenge in a standard-sized dungeon, or two in the bigger dungeon.
• Keep the selected Challenge card(s) near the Monster display.
• Each player must place the selected Challenge tile(s) in their Lair.
• Challenges are Goal Features; heed the Peril rule.

Gameplay

Each Challenge card explains how that Challenge works and what its potential rewards are.

When you enter a space with a Challenge, you do not have to attempt it right away; you may freely enter and exit its space until you do decide to attempt it.

Each Challenge card tells you whether and when to remove the Challenge from the lair; once removed, its space is Empty.

Sidebar: Map a Challenge by drawing a Cauldron shape.

Terrain

Some areas of the dungeon have environmental effects that aren't quite traps, but still present an obstacle that you must navigate!

Components

• 4 Terrain cards (Chasm, Flood, Lava, and Mist)
• 16 Terrain tiles (4 of each)

Additional Setup

Keep all Terrain cards face up in a display for easy reference. Shuffle all Terrain tiles face down. Each player takes three random tiles (four if using bigger dungeons); return the rest to the box without looking at them. Your Terrain tiles are Hazard Features that you must place face up in your lair during setup.

• Terrain is a type of Hazard, separate from Traps and Monsters; heed the Peril rule during setup. This means that from each Goal to the Start, you must be able to trace a path that passes through (at most) one Monster, one Trap and one Terrain.
• Two different Terrain tiles may not be in adjacent spaces. Multiple identical Terrain tiles (except Chasms) may be in adjacent spaces; for the Peril rule, a group of adjacent terrain tiles of the same type is considered to be one Hazard.

Sidebar: This is legal; the Peril rule regards the two adjacent Flood tiles as one Hazard.

Gameplay

Each type of Terrain functions differently; when you enter a space with Terrain, check that Terrain card to see what happens. Each Terrain card also gives an example of how to map its space.

• Terrain is a permanent Feature, so its space is never Empty; it will interrupt Backtracks and Hustles.

Weird Walls

A variety of different barriers might appear in the lair, blocking the passageways in new and challenging ways!

Components

• 2 Gate, 2 Key, 6 Portcullis, and 2 Secret Door tokens
• 3 Weird Walls rules cards

Additional Setup

Each type of Weird Wall is its own mini-expansion. Decide with your opponent which ones you would like to include in your game; you will both include the same ones in your lair. Consult the relevant Weird Walls rule card for setup instructions.

Weird Walls are in addition to your normal Wall count.

Gameplay

Even though they sit in Wall slots, technically they are not considered Walls by any game effect that mentions Walls. For example, they are not counted as Wall pieces when Scrounging.

Each type of Weird Wall has its own rules, described on its own rule card. Keep the cards handy for reference during play.

Sidebar: Lair-building Tip: try placing your Weird Walls after you have built the rest of your Lair; it is easier to assess the Peril rule that way.

Characters

The Adventurer's Guild draws all sorts of interesting applicants. Each one of these aspiring explorers brings a unique combination of assets and vulnerabilities to the dungeon that will let you tackle the challenge in an entirely new way!

Components

• 4 Character player mats
• 4 Character Rules cards
• 8 Gear cards (2 per character)
• Many additional tokens and wooden pieces specific to the characters

Additional Setup

You can decide which characters you are using either before or after you build your lairs—whichever timing both players agree to. If you both want to use the same character, work it out in a friendly way or decide randomly who gets to pick first. It is okay for only one player to use a character. If you are using a character:

• Use the character's player mat instead of the standard one. There is a component list and unique setup information for each character on the back of their player mat, so make sure you read that before you put the mat in place with stuff on it.
• Take the character's Rules card; it teaches you everything you need to know about your character's special features.
• You do not choose your starting cubes; each character starts with a specific combination of cubes.
• Find your character's two Gear cards. Gear cards give even more special abilities to your character (see below).

Gameplay

Gameplay is as usual, but your character brings completely unique abilities to the game. Consult your character's Rule card to learn everything your character is capable of.

Gear Cards

Gear cards are special items that your character brings along. Keep your Gear near your player mat. Each Gear card describes what it does and how it is used.

• Each character has one piece of Gear that is discarded when it is used once, and another one that lasts the whole game.
• Gear cards are not Junk cards... they do not take up space towards your Junk hand limit.
• You may willingly treat a Gear card as a Junk card if you want to, in order to satisfy a penalty or cost that demands a Junk card. This choice is at your own discretion.

Boss Monsters

Sometimes the dungeon has a denizen so dangerous that it needs a special classification. When there is a Boss in your lair, the exit stays magically locked until it has been defeated... and each one has a unique bag of tricks to keep you from doing just that!

Components

Each Boss comes with its own Monster card, rules card, and other specialized components (described on its rules card).

Additional Setup

Both players will use the same Boss; once you have agreed to include a Boss in your game, choosing it is part of your normal Hazard selection process. Keep its Monster card and rules card near your Monster display for in-game reference. Each Boss has special setup instructions on its rules card.

• A Boss is added in addition to the other Monsters you are playing with; it does not replace one of them.
• A Boss counts as both a (Monster-type) Hazard and a Goal. This matters for the Peril rule during setup, and also for any game effect that refers to Hazards or Goals.

General Rules About Bosses

• You may not exit the lair until you have defeated the Boss. Defeating the Boss is a mandatory exit criteria in addition to your other exit criteria.
• Defeating a Boss does not count as a normal Monster-defeat for exit criteria purposes; when you defeat a Boss, keep its token near your player mat, not on your achievements row.
• A Boss counts as a Monster for all game effects that refer to Monsters, and fighting a Boss is identical to fighting a normal Monster (except where its own rules describe a difference).
• A Boss may never be moved by any game effect that causes a Monster to move (unless its own rules card says so).

Bosses in Multiplayer

Only one Boss is included in the lair. Once it is defeated by any Explorer, the exit becomes unsealed for all.

Boss Components in Multiplayer

• The Builder uses all of the components that would normally go in one player's lair. The Builder may distribute elements on different levels of the lair, as long as setup instructions are otherwise obeyed (for example the Chronoclast's Gears may be hidden on different lair levels).
• Anything that would normally be shared by both players (such as cards added to the Junk deck) is still shared.
• Share one set of any components that would normally go to both players outside their lair (for example the Chronoclast's Dial, Movers, and Reminder). Each Explorer treats those components as their own on their own turn.

Multiplayer Mode

One player takes on the role of Builder, designing a multi-level Lair that the other players explore, and using diabolical Twist cards to throw unexpected problems in their way!

The Explorers win if they all escape the Lair within a specific time frame, and if their combined score meets a certain threshold. The Builder wins if the Explorers fail to escape in time, or if they all escape but fail to reach the minimum score.

Multiplayer mode takes longer to play than two-player, especially with three Explorers.

Additional Components

• 1 Hourglass board and 16 Time cubes
• 20 Twist cards
• 4 Ladder tiles
• 1 Reprieve token
• Third-player bits: Player mat, Explorer, Tracker, Pencil, extra Chests and cubes

General Setup

The Explorers use the normal components for their setup, with the major exception that they do not build a lair, and they will each have two map sheets of the appropriate size.

For a third explorer, there is an extra Player mat, pencil, Explorer, and Tracker, plus some extra cubes. Explorers choose their starting cubes after the Builder is done building; they may strategize together.

The Builder takes the Hourglass board, and places Time markers in the top half according to your desired difficulty (see the chart to the right). The Builder also keeps the shuffled Twist deck face down and the Reprieve token nearby.

Sidebar: Time Cubes by difficulty level: Easy 16; Normal 14; Difficult 12; Punishing 10.

Set up both screens so that the double-sized lair will be hidden from the Explorer players; they will all sit on the side of the table opposite the Builder. Orient one screen facing the Explorers; that way both sides will be able to refer to a screen's reminder info during play.

Lair-Building

Building the multi-level lair is more complex and will take more time than usual; it is best if the Builder is one of your most-experienced players. They use the normal lair-building rules, with these modifications:

Duplicates

Since there are two of each Monster token and Trap tile in the supply, the Builder may include two of any Monster or Trap, if they want.

Keep It All Secret

For extra fun, the Builder shouldn't reveal any Hazard or Goal card to the Explorers until that particular Feature is encountered.

Sidebar: How many of each thing to include, with two Explorers and with three Explorers:

• Walls: 34 to 40 (two Explorers); 42 to 50 (three Explorers)
• Monsters: 6 (two); 8 (three)
• Traps: 6 (two); 8 (three)
• Chests: 6 (two); 8 (three)
• Start tiles: 2 (two); 3 (three)
• Exit tiles: 1 (two); 1 (three)
• Challenges: 2 (two); 3 (three)
• Terrain tiles: 6 (two); 8 (three)
• Gate & Key: 0 (two); 0 (three)
• Portcullises: 6 (two); 6 (three)
• Secret Doors: 2 (two); 2 (three)
• Bosses: 1 (two); 1 (three)

Deeper Dungeons modules are optional; choose which ones you want to include!

Two Levels

The lair uses two boards; one board is the Upper level, and the other is the Lower level. With two Explorers, use the standard boards; with three Explorers, use the Bigger Dungeon boards.

Features are not restricted to being split evenly between levels (for example you could place all Monsters on one level).

One Exit, Multiple Starts

Include only one Exit, regardless of the number of Explorers. Include one Start tile per Explorer; each Explorer begins on a different one. They do not need to be on the same level. Explorers are not told which level they begin the game on; they must work that out themselves.

Ladders

Include at least one pair of Ladders to connect the levels. Ladder pairs are colour-coded to help you visualize their connection. Ladders are neutral Features; their space is not Empty.

Up Ladders go in the Lower level, Down Ladders go in the Upper level. Each pair of Ladders must occupy the same coordinate (for example if an Up Ladder is in E4 of the Lower level, the matching Down Ladder must be in E4 of the Upper level).

Sidebar: Ladders introduce the potential for some areas of the lair to seem inaccessible... when in reality they can be reached via Ladder from the other level.

The Peril Rule

Each Goal must be able to trace a legal path back to at least one of the Start tiles; it doesn't matter which. In addition, each Start tile must be able to trace a legal path to at least one other Start tile. Legal paths may travel through any number of Ladders.

Sidebar: This is legal; it's complicated, but you can trace paths through the Ladders and confirm that the Peril rule has been followed for all 6 Chests, the Exit, and between both Start tiles. Check for yourself!

Gameplay

Play goes clockwise, with the Builder taking the last turn each round.

The Builder: On Your Turn

Slide one Time cube from the top half of the Hourglass down to the bottom half. If there is no Time cube to slide down, the game ends immediately and you win!

Draw two Twists from the deck and look at them. Keep one, and discard the other into a Twist discard pile. Keep your Twists face up where the Explorers can't see them. If the Twist deck ever runs out, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck. There is no limit on the number of Twists you may hold.

Playing Twists

Each Twist card describes when it can be played; usually as a reaction to something an Explorer has done. When you play a Twist on an Explorer, carry out its described effects, discard it, then give the Reprieve token to that Explorer from wherever it currently is. You may not play a Twist on an Explorer that holds the Reprieve token.

Sidebar (Twist card layout): When you may play it; What it does; Endgame VP penalty.

Explorers: On Your Turn

Your turn works as usual. On your first turn, you are told your start space, but not which level of the lair you are on.

Two Maps Each

Each Explorer will draw two maps; one for each level. You are allowed to look at other players' maps to get a sense of where things are, but you may not draw anything on your own map that your Explorer didn't learn about/locate as usual in the game. (For example, even if you look at someone else's map and see that there is a Trap in the space next to you, that is still an Unknown space and Unknown Trap to your Explorer, and must be treated as such.)

Your Map Can Become Incorrect on Someone Else's Turn

When the lair changes during another player's turn, your map doesn't automatically update to reflect that change; remember, your map is a representation of what your Explorer knows, not what you as a player know.

You will only update your map when your Explorer directly encounters the altered space or Feature. All Explorers and the Builder must work together to keep track of (and point out) differences between your map and the lair's reality. These are the types of anomalies that might occur:

A Target Value Changes. A hazard's Target value can change (for example if a Monster is injured but not defeated). The active Explorer (as usual) is supposed to note the altered value on their map. When you enter (or otherwise learn about) that space, you should be informed of the true current value.

A Known Feature Vanishes. A Feature marked Known on your map can go away (for example if someone else defeats a Monster you knew about). When you enter (or otherwise learn about) that space, you should be informed that it is actually empty.

• Your Backtrack action is interrupted by a space that your map shows as non-Empty, even if it actually is Empty.

Something Appears in a Space Marked Empty. Some game effects can cause a Feature to move or appear (for example the Gloombat can move to an Empty space that is Unknown to the active player). This may cause an anomaly where a Known Empty space on your map isn't actually Empty.

A Feature moving or appearing is uncommon; when it happens, everyone should be on alert for map anomalies. Hustle and Backtrack actions must be carried out space-by-space so that everything is properly encountered. If you enter (or otherwise learn about) a space incorrectly marked Empty, resolve it as you would any Unknown Feature.

Effect Clarifications

• Game effects that allow you to learn about a space or locate something are limited to your current level.
• Game effects that allow you to move directly to any space may include spaces on the other level, even if you don't yet know which is Upper or Lower.
• If an effect allows the Builder to move you to any space, they may move you to the other level, but must inform you.

Ladders

When you find a Ladder, the Builder says whether it goes up or down; this will establish which level you are on.

To use a Ladder, perform a Creep action; you move to the same coordinate in the other level, and then continue your mapping on your other map. You should mark your maps as Upper or Lower once you have figured out which is which.

Backtrack and Hustle are interrupted by a Ladder, since its space is not Empty.

Meeting Other Explorers

When in the same space as another Explorer, you may spend any one cube to give that player any one card (or other carried item) you are holding. Monsters/Chests are not carried items.

Exit Criteria

The Exit criteria are the same as in a normal game in standard dungeons (even if you are using the bigger dungeon boards with three Explorers). Criteria are independently calculated for each Explorer. You may defeat/open more Monsters/Chests than you have room for on your Achievements row; if you do, discard that Monster/Chest from the game.

Exiting

Once you have exited, you are done playing and the game continues without you, skipping your turn. There are no VP awarded for Exiting in multiplayer.

Final Scoring

If all Explorers successfully exit the lair before time has run out, they have a chance to win, if their combined score is high enough. Each Explorer calculates their score independently (in the same way they would in a normal two-player game), and then adds them together.

Finally the Builder reveals any Twist cards that they still hold, which subtract the displayed amount from the Explorers' combined score. If the Explorers have met or exceeded the target score, they have won the game! If not, the Builder wins despite their escape!

Sidebar: Target score: for two Explorers, 32; for three Explorers, 48.

Scrounging

Multiple Explorers are allowed to Scrounge the same space; marking a space as Scrounged means "Scrounged by you".