Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components
Goal of the Game
Setup
Course of the Game
Fights
Wounds and Death
- Notes:
Rest
- During a Rest:
- Note:
Levels
- Leveling up:
- Gaining XP
End of the Game
- Zangdar's Secret
- Musical Instruments
The 8 Courageous Heroes
The 10 Commandments of the Adventurer
Scenarios
The Guard
Time is Pressing
- Tips for use:
Credits
- Acknowledgements

Components

8 Adventurer booklets
20 Wound tokens
77 Fight cards
56 Dungeon rooms
44 Search cards
16 Fate tiles
1 game board (the Brawl-o-meter)
1 Fight pawn
1 Enemy pawn
1 Vigilance pawn
10 GP (that means Gold Pieces!)
10 XP (that's for eXperience Point)
3 Rest tokens
1 Curse token & 1 Poison token
1 timer adjustable to three durations (green - orange - red)
1 introductory booklet
1 rulebook
1 game box (you're going to need it during the game!)

Goal of the Game

The players form a valiant Company of adventurers. Their objective: get their hands on the twelfth statuette of Gladeulfeurha! That sounds easy enough, put that way, but to do it you will have to:

venture into the Dungeon of Naheulbeuk (it's freezing in here...)
triumph over the creatures within (bashing time!)
thwart sadistic or humiliating traps (sometimes both at once...)
uncover the secret of the vile Zangdar and defeat him (Zangdar, not the secret!)

But the hardest part of all this is that Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk is a cooperative game, meaning the players will have to work as a team. You'll have to stick together even when the others are deadweight. Everyone wins or everyone loses!

Attention! In your box is an introductory booklet. This booklet lets you experience your first adventure without needing to decipher this rulebook (great, isn't it?). Dive right into it, you'll have all the time in the world to read these rules when you find yourself languishing at the bottom of a damp dungeon cell (which is bound to happen...).

Setup

A dungeon!

Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk is a genuine labyrinth of dark rooms and unsettling corridors.

Your box of Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk contains 56 Dungeon rooms (recount them: if they're not all there, the Dwarf has swindled you!)

These rooms are identifiable by a letter (from A to N, 14 letters in total) and a number (from 1 to 56).

Thanks to them, you'll be able to build a different dungeon for each of your games. Before starting a game, the players must choose one of the scenarios proposed at the end of the rules.

Once you've exhausted the proposed scenarios, you'll also be able to build your own Dungeons, placing your favorite rooms in them, or at random, by drawing one room with letter A, one room with letter B... up to the room with letter N.

Difficulty levels:

Depending on their form of the day and their expertise in matters of dungeons, the players can choose their difficulty level:

Bitos du Donjon: play the introductory booklet
Beginners: play a scenario, removing the Trap cards from the game
Seasoned: play a scenario, keeping the Trap cards
Total Nutcases: play a scenario, keeping the Trap cards and without using the Fate Point rule (see the paragraph Wounds and Death)

Heroes!

That's you! Yes indeed, I know what you're thinking: it's not won yet...

Each player chooses an Adventurer booklet from among those available.

This booklet represents the Hero they will play during the game.

The player opens their booklet and folds it so that only the "level 1" page is visible.

Heroes always begin the game at level 1 but may advance to level 2 - and perhaps even level 3 - during the adventure.

When this happens, the player simply turns the pages of their Adventurer booklet.

Treasures (and traps...)

Your motivation for setting foot in this gloomy place.

Depending on the difficulty level you have chosen, remove or keep the Trap cards from the Search cards.

Then shuffle the whole set of Search cards to form a draw pile, face down.

A load of stuff!

You find a bit of everything, and above all, anything at all, in this Dungeon...

Place the Brawl-o-meter on one side of the table.
Place the 3 Rest tokens on the appropriate spaces of the Brawl-o-meter.
Place the Vigilance pawn on the Brawl-o-meter, on space 0 of the guard.
Place the Fight and Enemy pawns nearby.
Form a reserve with the GP, the XP, and the Wounds.
Shuffle the 16 Fate tiles and form a draw pile, face down.
Shuffle the Fight cards and form a draw pile, face down.

Note: for games with 3 or 4 players, remove all Fight cards marked 5+ from the game. If you are 5 or 6 players, all Fight cards are used.

A Prems!

Whoever leads the way discovers the treasures... and the traps!

Finally, a player takes on the role of Prems (that doesn't hurt...).

They take the stack of rooms that make up the dungeon. The Prems is responsible for reading the current Dungeon room.

At the end of it, they will pass the stack of remaining Dungeon rooms to the player on their left, who becomes the new Prems.

To avoid any jealousy within the Company, the role of Prems will pass from player to player throughout the game...

Each player's position at the table may matter in the resolution of certain Dungeon rooms.

The responsibilities of the Prems:

In addition to describing the situation to their companions, the Prems must settle any ties: for example, if two Heroes who dealt the most blows must each receive 1 XP, the Prems decides which of the two receives the precious reward. If the players disagree and cannot reach a decision (does the Company rest, or not?), it is the Prems who decides. Generally speaking, if you have any doubt about which Hero should perform an action, draw a card, or fall into a trap and die pathetically, it is up to the Prems to make that call.

Course of the Game

A game of Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk unfolds as follows: the Company ventures into the dungeon, crossing its rooms and corridors, fighting its monsters, falling into its traps, and looting its treasures. Nothing simpler, right?

In game terms, this means the players will go through the Dungeon rooms one after another, until they reach the lair of the vile Zangdar, the final room of every scenario... They will have to face him in an ultimate Fight: if Zangdar is the stronger, the Heroes lose the game all together and history will forget them completely...

The Prems takes the first Dungeon room from the draw pile and reads its text aloud.

On one side, each Dungeon room bears a name and offers a short flavor text (we recommend you hold your nose while reading it, to get your group in the mood).

On the other side, the room confronts the players with three types of events:

Choices
Tests
Fights

Once the events of a Dungeon room are resolved, and before moving on to the next room, the Company may decide to rest (cf. Rest).

Whether the Company rests or not, the completed Dungeon room is set aside from the game and the Prems passes the remaining rooms to the player seated to their left. This player becomes the new Prems.

Choices

If the Dungeon room offers the group several possibilities, the choice must be made by majority. The players must then come to an agreement, and this is generally the moment when the trouble begins. If they cannot agree, it is the Prems who decides.

Example: the entrance door of the dungeon (room number 1). The players have the choice between knocking on the door, picking the lock, or making as much noise as possible to draw the guards outside.

Tests

To progress through the dungeon, the Heroes will face numerous trials, called Tests.

There are 8 types of Tests: Balance, Climbing, Dexterity, Skill, Intelligence, Speed, Coordination, and Endurance.

All Tests are carried out using the Fate tiles and, most often, under a time limit.

The timer is set to the color of the Dungeon room:

green timer - orange timer - red timer

Most can be performed collaboratively, involving several players at once...

Balance Test

At the start of the Test, the Hero is seated and their Fate tile rests on the table in front of them.

When the Test begins, the Hero must balance their Fate tile on top of their skull, stand up, walk around the game table, sit back down, and place the tile back on the table before time runs out.

If the tile falls, it's a failure. Otherwise, it's a success.

Depending on what is indicated on the Dungeon room, the Test may be more or less difficult. For example, sometimes the player will have to walk around the table twice, or walk in a particular manner.

The Elf's good advice: puff out your chest and hold your head high!

Climbing Test

At the start of the Test, the Hero is seated and their Fate tile rests on the table in front of them.

When the Test begins, the Hero must balance the tile on top of their skull, stand up on their chair, then sit back down and place the tile back on the table before time runs out.

If the tile falls, it's a failure. Otherwise, it's a success.

The Sorceress's good advice: don't climb on a chair with wheels or an old, rickety stool!

Dexterity Test

The Hero takes 7 Fate tiles and places them in front of them.

When the Test begins, the Hero must build a "house of cards" made of the 7 tiles. The construction must be built inside the game box. The Dungeon room will indicate where the box must be placed (on the table, on the player's knees, etc.).

If the construction is standing at the end of the allotted time, the Test is a success. Otherwise, the Test is a failure.

The Thief's good advice: the construction may collapse during the Test, that doesn't stop the player from rebuilding it if they still have time...

Speed Test

The player places a Fate tile on the edge of the table so that more than half of it hangs over the void.

With a quick upward movement of the hand, the Hero must flip the tile up and catch it, with the same hand, before it falls back onto the table or the floor.

If the player catches their tile, the Test is a success... otherwise, it's a failure.

The Minstrel's good advice: nimble hand and keen eye, or the Company is doomed!

Skill Test

For this Test, one of the players will serve as the target and the others will be the shooters.

The players stand up and position themselves on either side of the table, the target on one side, the shooters on the other.

The target takes the box (the way it must be held is specified on the Dungeon room) and moves 3 steps away.

The shooters then have the time of the timer to place as many Fate tiles as possible into the box, throwing them over the table.

The success of the Test is determined by the number of Fate tiles the players manage to place in the box, as indicated on the Dungeon room.

The Dwarf's good advice: I do have a piece of advice, but it'll cost you 1 GP! Ha ha ha! And get that elf color off me.

Intelligence Test

A player lays out the 16 Fate tiles, face down, in the center of the table to form a 4x4 square.

The Heroes have the time of the timer to find the 8 matching pairs by flipping the tiles two at a time.

The players must flip 2 tiles each on their turn, in turn order, starting with the Prems. They may use both their hands (unless otherwise stated on the Dungeon room) to flip the tiles.

If the two revealed tiles are not the same color, they must be flipped face down again.

Once a pair is found, the tiles remain face up.

If all 8 pairs are face up at the end of the time, the Test is a success. Otherwise, it's a failure.

The Barbarian's good advice: Sock puppet!

Coordination Test

The Prems takes the stack of Fate tiles and places it on the table in front of them.

All the Heroes stand up, step back, and position themselves around the game table, evenly spaced from one another.

The Prems throws a Fate tile to the player on their left, who then throws it to the player on their left, and so on, until the tile makes it all the way around the table and reaches the last player.

This last player must place it on the table in front of them to form a new draw pile, tile after tile.

The goal is to make all 16 tiles go around in this way within the time of the timer. Unless otherwise stated on the Dungeon room, if a tile falls, the player at fault must pick it up and throw it again.

All the tiles must go around the table before time runs out for the Test to be a success. In some cases, the number of tiles that made it around determines the quality of the success or failure.

The Ranger's good advice: there's no need to wait for a tile to finish going around before throwing the next one!

Endurance Test

The Hero stands, 2 Fate tiles placed on the table in front of them.

When the Test begins, the Hero must place the first tile on their raised, horizontal thigh, then the second tile must be balanced on their two index fingers, side by side, held horizontal, arms outstretched.

This pose must be held for the entire duration of the timer for the Test to be a success. If one or both tiles fall, the Test is a failure.

The Ogre's good advice: Akala yum yum!

Fights

Exploring the dark, damp corners of Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk, the Company will be led to confront its residents: wandering monsters, big villains, and other minions in Zangdar's service.

Most enemies are represented on the Fate tiles, others make their appearance on certain Dungeon rooms, and all of them want to hurt the Heroes.

Each enemy has:

A special power that slightly modifies the rules of the Fight (except Orcs, who are just plain dumb and mean).
A resistance that depends on the number of Heroes in the Company (even those who aren't fighting for one reason or another are counted).

Before starting a Fight:

The Enemy pawn is placed on the space corresponding to the monster's resistance, on the Brawl-o-meter.
The Prems deals each player the appropriate number of Fight cards (indicated on the Adventurer booklets).
The timer is set to the color of the Dungeon room: green - orange - red.

Note: several Talents and Special Abilities of the Heroes are used before the start of the Fight.

Example: with 4 players, place the Enemy pawn on 8. You will need to match or exceed this score to defeat the Goblin.

How a Fight unfolds:

The Fight cards represent letters that the players will need to combine to spell the keywords indicated on their Adventurer booklets. Each attack allows for landing more or fewer blows on the enemy.

Example: the Barbarian lands a powerful blow by spelling "BASTON" ("FIGHT") but can also land smaller blows by spelling "SPAM" or "PAF" ("POW").

Of course, players won't necessarily have the letters they need in hand to spell their keywords!

The players have the time of the timer to trade cards with each other, 1 card for 1 card.

When a player completes one of their keywords, they slam their cards down on the table, shouting the word!

For a blow to count, it must be played before the time runs out.

When a player lands an attack, they immediately draw 3 Fight cards to refill their hand.

Important: the player always draws 3 cards, no matter how many cards the attack was made of.

No more cards, tough luck! If the draw pile runs out during a Fight, the players must finish it with their remaining cards.

Resolving the Fight:

When time is up, the clash of weapons stops, the dust of the Fight settles, and it's time to see who took some hits.

Starting with the Prems, then continuing clockwise, each Hero announces the number of blows they landed.

To keep count, the players use the Fight pawn and move it along the track of the Brawl-o-meter.

If the Company manages to land a number of blows greater than or equal to the monster's resistance (the Fight pawn has reached the space where the Enemy pawn sits), the Fight is a success.

Otherwise, the Fight is a failure.

Successful Fight

If the Fight is a success, the Company may continue exploring the dungeon. Sometimes it will earn a reward (GP, XP, Search card), which will then be indicated on the Dungeon room.

Failed Fight

If the Fight is a failure, all Heroes automatically take 1 Wound. This Wound is added to any already taken during the Fight. Sometimes a defeat will cause an additional consequence, then specified on the Dungeon room.

The Hits:

Won or lost, a Fight is never without danger.

Half of the Fight cards bear a "HIT" symbol in addition to their letter.

If a player uses cards with this symbol to spell their keywords, they run the risk of taking a bad hit.

At the end of a Fight, won or lost, a Hero takes 1 Wound for every "3 HITs" present among all the Fight cards they played.

Example 1: two keywords played, no Wound taken.

Example 2: two keywords played, 1 Wound taken.

Important: once the Fight is over, ALL the Fight cards are shuffled together to form a new draw pile. The players never keep their cards at the end of a Fight.

No attack played:

No mercy for cowards!

If a Hero landed NO attack during the Fight, they automatically take 1 Wound.

In summary: if a Hero landed no attack and the Fight is a failure, they automatically take 2 Wounds (ouch!).

Remark: the different ways of taking Wounds during Fights are recapped on the Brawl-o-meter.

Wounds and Death

Tough being an adventurer!

On the Adventurer booklet, there are a certain number of spaces to place Wounds. A character dies when they fill the last space.

Each Hero is more or less resilient. At level 1, the Ogre dies on the sixth Wound, the Thief on the third.

During the game, players will have the opportunity to remove Wounds from their Adventurer booklet through Rests or healing.

When a Hero dies, another player takes the dead Hero's booklet along with all the Adventurer booklets not being played in this game. They shuffle the booklets well and present them, under the table, to the unfortunate player. This player must draw a new booklet at random.

If they draw their own character, lucky break, they still had a Fate Point left! The Hero is not dead, they resume play at their level, with their equipment, and with no Wounds!!!
On the other hand, if they draw a different character, they are well and truly dead. The dead character's Adventurer booklet is then set aside from the game. The player rejoins the game with their new character at level 1, with no Wounds and no equipment (as at the start of the game). The new member of the Company will join the group at the start of the next Dungeon room.

On certain Dungeon rooms, it is specified that upon a character's death, their Adventurer booklet is permanently removed from the game. In that case, the player must draw a new booklet.

When a Hero dies, their equipment and their GP are lost unless the Company decides to rest right after the Dungeon room in which the Hero was killed. In that case, the survivors may split the dead Hero's equipment and GP. If the Company cannot or does not want to rest, the dead Hero's equipment is discarded and the GP return to the reserve.

Notes:

If you play in "Total Nutcases" difficulty mode, you are not entitled to Fate Points. When a Hero dies, a new Adventurer booklet must be drawn, mandatorily.
If the reserve of Adventurer booklets runs out, the death of Heroes then becomes permanent and the affected players are eliminated from the game. However, the resistance of Monsters continues to be calculated based on the initial number of Heroes.
If a truly calamitous Company were to be reduced to only two Heroes permanently, the game is immediately lost (dang it...).

Rest

Time for a snack and a nap...

Between each Dungeon room, the Heroes may decide to take a rest.

To do this, they must flip over the Rest token matching the color of the Dungeon room that was just played.

Once the token is used, the Heroes must wait until the next room of the dungeon before they can rest again.

The Company therefore has only 3 rests for the whole adventure!

Fortunately, certain Dungeon rooms or certain powers, such as the Sorceress's, also allow healing.

During a Rest:

Each Hero may remove 1 Wound from their booklet.
The players may decide to play their Equipment - Food cards to recover more quickly from their Wounds.
The players may trade (or give) Equipment cards and GP to one another (XP may never be traded).

Note:

If the Company has moved on to the orange Dungeon rooms without having used the green Rest token, it is flipped back over and its benefit is lost. The same applies to the orange Rest token when the Company has reached the red Dungeon rooms.

Levels

I'm level 2! I'm level 2! Tralalalalère!

All Heroes begin the game at level 1. Over the course of the adventure, they will have the chance to level up, thanks to XP and GP.

Leveling up:

To go from level 1 to level 2, the player must discard either 2 XP, or 2 GP, or 1 XP and 1 GP.
To go from level 2 to level 3, the player must discard either 3 XP, or 3 GP, or 2 XP and 1 GP, or 1 XP and 2 GP.

Note: the Barbarian and the Ogre may only discard XP to level up.

Important: Heroes keep their Wounds when they level up.

When a Hero changes level, they fold their Adventurer booklet to reveal the corresponding level's page.

Level 3 is the maximum level Heroes can reach in this dungeon (after all, they're a bunch of clumsy oafs...).

Gaining XP

XP is obtained in two ways:

In certain Dungeon rooms, when the Heroes overcome the dungeon's trials.
Through certain Search cards.

When a Hero draws a Search card bearing the XP symbol, they may decide to forgo it in exchange for 1 XP.

Cards used this way are not placed in the Search card discard pile but are removed from the game.

The player must make this decision the moment they gain the card. Once kept, it can no longer be discarded for the gain of 1 XP.

End of the Game

If, by some happy chance, the Company manages to make its way to the final Dungeon room, Zangdar's Office, it will be able to have it out with the genius of evil.

The conditions of this ultimate confrontation are determined by the Company's accomplishments during the adventure:

have they uncovered Zangdar's secret?
have they gathered the musical instruments whose melody will make the vile sorcerer tremble?

Zangdar's Secret

Before reaching Zangdar, the Company will have the opportunity to uncover his secret in one of the Dungeon rooms crossed.

If it succeeds, the players will be able to ignore Zangdar's special power during the ultimate confrontation.

Remark: each of the four versions of Zangdar's Office offers a different special power.

Musical Instruments

Everyone has their weak point. For Zangdar, it's music!

Among the Search cards there are 5 Equipment - Instrument cards.

If the Company manages to gather these instruments, scattered throughout the dungeon, the Heroes will have a serious psychological advantage over the genius of evil.

Indeed, the duration of the Fight against Zangdar depends on the number of instruments in the Company's possession:

0-1 instrument: red timer
2-3 instruments: orange timer
4-5 instruments: green timer

The 8 Courageous Heroes

The Dwarf

Special attack: AMORT ("TO DEATH")

The Dwarf can land a powerful attack. This attack is worth a fixed number of blows increased by the number of GP he possesses (nobody touches the Dwarf's gold!).

The player who lands this attack must bellow a thunderous "TO DEATH!"

Special ability

The Dwarf takes Wounds in increments of 4 HITs rather than 3 HITs.

Talent

When one of the Dwarf's Companions dies, the Dwarf may immediately recover part of their equipment... waste not! The number of pieces recovered increases with his level.

Limitation

The Dwarf never gives GP to the other Heroes... when he has some, he keeps it!

To play the Dwarf well, be in a bad mood (that shouldn't be difficult, you're in a rotten dungeon).

The Barbarian

Special attack: BASTON ("FIGHT")

The Barbarian hits really hard! This attack is truly powerful and its strength increases with the Barbarian's level.

Of course, the player who lands this attack must shout "FIIIIIGHT!"

Special ability

During a Fight, the Barbarian may spell his attacks with a spelling mistake: he has the right to replace one letter with any other letter. Careful, each attack that contains a mistake counts as one more HIT at the end of the Fight.

Talent

The Barbarian can use every weapon that exists. The number of weapons he can use simultaneously increases with his Level.

Special rule

The Barbarian cannot use GP to level up.

To play the Barbarian well, limit your vocabulary (more than usual...).

The Ogre

Special attack: ROTROTROTROT ("BURPBURPBURPBURP")

The Ogre can chain devastating stomach burps. The value of this attack depends on the number of "BURP" words the Ogre has played during the fight: a single "BURP" is a small attack, 4 "BURPs" produce a cataclysmic effect.

When the player plays this attack, it would be in good taste for him to produce a loud burp!

Talent

Before each Fight, the Ogre may discard 1 Equipment - Food card to increase the strength of his first attack. The power of this increase grows with his Level.

Limitation

The Ogre cannot use Equipment cards - other than Food cards - that he finds in the Dungeon. He may however keep them to give to his little companions.

Special rule

The Ogre cannot use GP to level up.

To play the Ogre well, speak in a strange language.

The Thief

Special attack: MAMAN ("MOM")

The Thief may attempt a desperate attack and rob his opponent. This attack lets him gain 1 GP at the end of the Fight.

Special ability

At the end of a Fight in which the Thief landed no attack, he takes no Wound (he was hiding, the coward...).

Talent

The Thief may allow the Company to avoid Fights by attempting a Trick. On a success, the Fight is simply ignored and the players move immediately to the next Dungeon room. The chances of success increase with his level... It is impossible to trick Zangdar.

To play the Thief well, be cowardly, chicken-hearted, and grumbling.

The Sorceress

Special attack: WASA + AAAA

The Sorceress can summon powerful spells. This attack inflicts a fixed number of blows and each additional A increases this number by 1.

Of course, when the Sorceress plays this attack she must shout an emphatic "WASAAAAA!"

Special ability

Before the start of each Fight, the Sorceress may discard all or part of her hand of Fight cards before refilling it.

Talent

The Sorceress may use her Magic to heal a wounded Hero (herself included). The chances of success increase with her level.

To play the Sorceress well, treat the others like ignoramuses.

The Elf

Special attack: BISE ("KISS")

The Elf can charm her enemies. At the end of the Fight, the monster's special power is nullified. It is impossible to charm Zangdar.

When the player plays this attack, she must blow a few kisses around her.

Special ability

At the end of every Fight, the Elf may transfer ALL her HITs onto ONE Hero of her choice.

Talent

The Elf may fire an arrow before the start of each Fight. Unfortunately, the chances of success of this attack are slim and the projectile may just as easily hit a valiant companion... or the Elf herself. The accuracy of her shot increases with her level.

To play the Elf well, look dim-witted.

The Minstrel

Special attack: RIME ("RHYME")

The Minstrel can compose epic songs in the middle of a Fight to boost the morale of a Companion. The Minstrel designates another Hero, who immediately draws 3 Fight cards.

The moment the player plays this attack, he must make a rhyme with the name of the player he wants to help... for example: "Ludo, you're the man" or "Antoine, don't be a pain."

Special ability

The Minstrel may give Fight cards to the other players without receiving any in exchange.

Talent

During a Rest, the Minstrel may forgo his own recovery to benefit his companions. The effectiveness of his support increases with his Level.

To play the Minstrel well, be in a good mood (that shouldn't be difficult, you're playing this awesome game).

The Ranger

Special attack: BIEN ("GOOD")

The Ranger can encourage his companions. When he plays this attack, the player shouts "Way to go, guys!" (or any other encouragement) and each other Hero may immediately draw 1 Fight card to add to their hand (if the draw pile is empty, the attack's effect is ignored).

Special ability

During a Fight, the Ranger draws 4 Fight cards rather than 3 each time he plays an attack.

Talent

At the start of each Fight, the Ranger may allow his companions to draw extra cards. These cards are not counted toward the maximum indicated on the Adventurer booklet. The number of cards distributed increases with his Level.

To play the Ranger well, act like an annoying little know-it-all.

The 10 Commandments of the Adventurer

If you really want to feel like the valiant adventurer you are portraying, apply the following commandments!

Commandment 1: "Let's go, and may good fortune guide our steps on the path of friendship!"

The authors put all their energy into recapturing the delightful atmosphere of Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk. You may pay tribute to this investment and dedication by giving depth to your character. Nothing stops you from creating your own version of the role, but here are a few acting tips to recapture the atmosphere of the series:

The Sorceress has a raspy voice, she is pedantic and clearly thinks all the others are idiots.
The Barbarian is... simple. He has a booming voice and, given the choice, he always prefers a Fight!
The Minstrel is cultured, a bit of a romantic, and knows how to make lyrical, and after a while, slightly ball-busting, sentences.
The Dwarf is stingy, irascible, a poor companion, a grumbler... but deep in his heart, he is stingy, irascible, a poor companion, and a grumbler.
The Ranger thinks he's the leader of the group. He has the attitude, but not necessarily the skills... Anyway, nobody really listens to him.
The Thief talks a lot because he doesn't know how to fight... well, that's what the Barbarian thinks... which just goes to show, you can be simple and still be a good judge of character.
The Elf is a ravishing airhead. If you have trouble playing the "ravishing" part, you should be able to portray the other trait without too much trouble.
The Ogre is even simpler to play than the Barbarian, he only speaks in grunts. It's the ideal role to give to the player who's starting to doze off at the end of the table because the evening has been long and his throat is still dry.

Commandment 2: "I wish I were a Dwarf..."

Dwarves are short, as everyone knows. To illustrate this fact, the player playing the Dwarf must perform - whenever possible - Tests on his knees, next to his seat.

Commandment 3: "Such Dwarf, such Elf!"

These two can't stand each other. They can under no circumstances trade Equipment cards or GP with each other, nor agree with each other when choosing between Dungeon room options.

Commandment 4: "Yum! Yum!"

The Ogre can speak the language of the other Heroes but prefers to use his own language, made up of strange grunts ("Akala yum-yum!"). Only the Sorceress understands him and has the ability to translate his words to the other members of the company...

Commandment 5: "Fight!"

Remember that the Barbarian is illiterate, so it would be good manners for another character to help him decipher his Search cards... when they're not weapons, of course! From level 2 onward, he may try to read his cards himself, like a grown-up, following the lines with his finger...

Commandment 6: "The Elf gains a level!"

It is common knowledge that with every level gained, female Elves also gain a bra cup size (even though, generally, they don't wear one). If you play the Elf, take care to come play with a plunging neckline hidden at first by a small sweater or a vest... When you pass level 2, slide the garment down to hear the males of the Company shout "CROM!" If you ever pass level 3... improvise! If a male player plays the role of the Elf (we pass no judgment on this kind of behavior), a pair of rolled-up socks under the t-shirt should do the trick.

Commandment 7: "Careful, I'm going to fire an arrow! NO, NO, NO, NO! Ouch!"

Several times during the game, the Elf will likely try to use her bow... with varying degrees of success... When the Elf misses her shot and plants an arrow in the Prems's backside, the latter must play the rest of the current Dungeon room and the next room standing, until the pain passes!

Commandment 8: "The Company advances down a long, filthy corridor when suddenly, at the turn of a dimly-lit passage..."

Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk is inspired by role-playing games. When you are the Prems, you play something like the role of a game master. Don't hesitate to embellish the descriptions and to lay it on thick about the results of tests... instead of saying: "Okay, Bob, you take 1 Wound because you dropped your Fate tile," say: "The Dwarf slips like crap on the stairs, tumbles down ten feet of filthy steps, and sprawls out in the room below, cracking a few ribs. Go on, take 1 Wound, Bob."

Commandment 9: "I'll just stay here to... keep watch?"

The Thief is a coward! During Fights, he'll try to watch how the fight is going to see if he can land an attack without taking any risk (that is, playing his attacks without a "HIT" when the Company already has enough blows to win the fight). For the sake of atmosphere, it would be good for the Thief to play his fights hidden behind a chair and trade his cards discreetly with the other players so he can spring out like a jack-in-the-box the moment he lands a surprise attack!

Commandment 10: "The world isn't perfect."

There is no Commandment 10.

Commandment 11: "Don't panic, improvise!"

You've probably noticed that Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk wasn't really a board game like the others. You don't sit quietly in your chair playing cards calmly. You might well find yourself in a tricky situation. For example, how do you do the Climbing Test if you're sitting on the floor in your bedroom? The golden rule is: make do, as long as it's funny, safe, and everyone agrees... If the situation is unsolvable, take the opportunity, since you're in your own room, to kick everyone else out and stay alone with the Elf... you'll thank us later.

Commandment 12: "The game's authors are wonderful"

Since you're such nice players, we're giving you a twelfth Commandment. There, it's a gift! It makes us happy...

Scenarios

My First Dungeon

For a gentle first visit to the Dungeon. 5 - 12 - 15 - 19 - 22 - 25 - 30 - 34 - 38 - 41 - 46 - 53

Running from the Guard

Make your way through the Dungeon on a day the Guard is being zealous... you have to like repetitive jokes... careful, some adventurers never made it back out! 1 - 6 - 12 - 16 - 20 - 21 - 26 - 31 - 35 - 37 - 43 - 45 - 51 plus one card N (at random)

Brawlers

Feel like chaining together some good fights? The Barbarian's favorite Dungeon! 2 - 7 - 11 - 14 - 18 - 24 - 28 - 29 - 33 - 37 - 44 - 45 - 50 plus one card N (at random)

For the Hairy Adventurers

Visit the Dungeon by way of its hardest rooms! 2 - 8 - 9 - 16 - 20 - 23 - 27 - 32 - 35 - 39 - 42 - 48 - 51 plus one card N (at random)

Teamwork

Ideal for group cohesion, here's a Dungeon that will bond the team together. 4 - 5 - 10 - 14 - 20 - 23 - 25 - 32 - 35 - 38 - 42 - 46 - 50 plus one card N (at random)

Good Old Family Dungeon

A classic, timeless Dungeon that goes with everything! 3 - 6 - 10 - 16 - 17 - 22 - 27 - 31 - 36 - 40 - 43 - 47 - 49 plus one card N (at random)

Not Afraid to Look Ridiculous

Go through the Dungeon visiting the most... let's say, unexpected rooms. 3 - 6 - 11 - 13 - 20 - 21 - 27 - 32 - 35 - 40 - 42 - 48 - 52 plus one card N (at random)

Fast & Furious

A quick story and a conclusion in blood and tears. 7 - 11 - 15 - 17 - 24 - 28 - 31 - 36 - 39 - 42 - 46 plus one card N (at random)

The Guard

The Guard is a recurring enemy (like the lady in the restroom).

Every time it encounters the Company, its vigilance increases.

Its resistance is boosted by its vigilance.

Example: with 4 players and a vigilance of 3, the Guard's resistance is 13.

Note: vigilance cannot exceed 16, so the Guard with 6 players has a maximum resistance of 31.

Time is Pressing

Fights and Tests are played under a time limit, thanks to the magnificent timer supplied in your box.

The duration of these trials depends on the color of the Dungeon room:

green - orange - red

Tips for use:

Before a Fight or a Test begins, the Prems sets the timer's duration to the appropriate color, then places it on an edge of the box. Once the players are ready, they take it off the edge of the box and place it on the table (the timer starts automatically).

Credits

Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk is a game by REPOS PRODUCTION.

Tel. + 32 (0) 477 254 518 - 7, Rue Lambert Vandervelde - 1170 Brussels - Belgium - www.rprod.com

Game authors: Antoine Bauza & Ludovic Maublanc

Adaptation, Development & Publishing: les belges à sombreros aka Thomas Provoost & Cedrick Caumont.

Layout: Alexis Vanmeerbeeck

Acknowledgements

Ludo thanks Angèle the Sorceress, Pepsi_Félon the Thief, Johann the Barbarian of the Steppes, Geoffrey the 4-Burp Ogre, Tata Zaza the Level 3 Elf (Crom!), Dominique the Sage, Ludo the Dwarf (no relation to me), and all the other testers from Dijon: Mireille, Marina, Fabien, Fred, Pat, Stéphane... and a thought for all the adventurers turned into ridiculous little monkeys...

Antoine thanks the hordes of level 1 testers who left laughter and sweat in the training rooms of the Dungeon... and there are many of them!

Les belges à sombreros wish to thank Pen of Chaos, Justine, Marcus of l'Antre-Jeux, Pierre Léoni, Simon the Ogre, Sylvain the Barbarian, and Philmeer the Elf, as well as Marie-Le-Nain and Loïs-Le-Paladin Maloir, Toni and Maruska, le Jambon, Mr-Piège-Pomme, John Berny, Cédric Littardi, Tibi, Agnès, Merlin, Morgane.

Find the world of Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk on the Pen of Chaos website: www.penofchaos.com/donjon

Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk is also available as a comic book from Éditions Clair de Lune.