Lord of the Rings: The Adventure Deck Game
Lord of the Rings: The Adventure Deck Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Overview
The important information are the directions, the aggression number, and the card effects (the rest is fluff).
Crossroads: Consider the card as a crossroad: therefore you are given choices on where to travel (up, left and/or right). The Directions show numbers (which range from 1 to 5) and show how many cards need to be drawn, in order to proceed with the quest.
Aggression: Each card shows an aggression number (ranging from 0 to 3) which represents the attacks you have received, while travelling. Sum the aggression numbers of each card you draw to get an Attack value which represents the amount of wounds you have sustained this turn.
At any time, if the total attack value is higher than Frodo's health points, the player immediately loses the game. The Attack value will be the sum, of all aggression numbers, of cards drawn this turn.
Example: if the player chooses directions with a high destination number, which makes him move faster, he will finish the mission within the preset time of 25 turns, but will also increase the chances of getting damaged, and killed.
Card effects: Card Effects can be good or bad, depending on the card. A player resolves the card effects ONLY of the last drawn card of the turn: hence, unless otherwise stated, the ONLY thing the player should take into account, while drawing the cards, is the aggression number.
Example: if the player chooses a direction with a destination number 3, he draws (one at a time) 3 cards, adding the Aggression Numbers of all 3 cards, and resolving the effects ONLY of the 3rd card.
The Ring: At any time, but before drawing cards from the quest deck, you can use the RING which will turn Frodo invisible and, therefore, immune to all the attacks received (consider all aggression numbers as 0). BUT, doing so, will also bring the Witch Kings closer to you: any time you use the Ring, put a token on the Witch King Track, on the play mat.
The first time you use the Ring, put a token on the Ring symbol, on the play mat: this is a reminder that the Ring has been used at least once.
Items: While drawing or before drawing (depending on the item), the player will have the chance to use one item he is equipped with. The player can use only one item, per turn.
Game Components
The components provided are a 54 card deck, 1 beginning card; a playmat.
The player will have to add about 20 tokens (coins, cubes, etc. the color is not important), to put on the playmat, to keep track of health, turn, equipped items, etc.
Winning Conditions
The player wins the game when he reaches the end of the 54 card deck, within 25 turns.
Losing Conditions
The player loses the game if:
- He doesn't reach Mt. Doom within 25 turns (each turn corresponds to 1 day or 1 night).
- His health points reach 0 (the player begins with 10 life points).
- He gets caught by the Witch Kings (when 3 Witch King markers are placed on the playmat).
Card Anatomy
The card shows: the card name; the card image; the Directions; the Aggression number; the flavour text; and the Card Effects.
The Turn Sequence
Each turn is a day or night in Middle Earth, and the player has 25 turns to complete his mission (keep track of the turns, by moving the token on the Turn Track on the playmat).
Each turn is divided in 6 phases:
- Choose a destination among the ones provided by the card.
- Draw as many cards as indicated by the number shown on the destination you chose.
- Resolve attacks received, by adding all the aggression numbers of all the drawn card(s) and remove from the Health Track on the playmat, that many heart tokens.
- Resolve card effects of the last drawn card.
- Rest, automatically or voluntarily (if voluntarily, move the token on the turn track by 2 spaces).
- End the turn, by moving the token on the Turn Track by 1 space forward.
The game ends when one of the losing conditions occurs; or when the player draws the last card from the quest deck.
Resting
When resting, the player resets all wounds received, by restoring all the tokens, on the Health track on the playmat.
Resting automatically occurs when the player (in the rest phase of the turn) is on the MOON symbol on the Turn Track on the playmat.
A player MAY wish to rest even when he is on a SUN symbol on the turn track, but this will cost him 2 turns. When this happens, move the token forward 2 spaces in the turn track (hence, place the token on the following SUN icon).
This means that, if the player doesn't rest, at the end of a turn (voluntarily or automatically), the wounds he received in the turn carry on to the following turn.
Example: it is the end of turn 9 (with a SUN icon), and the player decides to rest. The player restores all the wound tokens, and moves the token forward 2 spaces (a MOON (turn 10) and a SUN (turn 11)). Then, in the next phase, he moves the token one more space (finishing the turn, on turn 12, a MOON).
Set Up
Shuffle the card deck, and place it, face down, on the playmat, in the Quest Deck place holder.
Place a token at the beginning of the Turn Track, on the playmat.
Place 10 tokens, each on a Heart icon, as Wounds, on the playmat.
Keep the rest of the tokens at hand reach.
Choose a direction from the place holder for the discard pile, in the playmat (1 or 3).
Now, your journey can begin.
The Card Effects (FAQ)
The cards have different effects: some show people that the player meets along the way; some give conditions or choices to the player; some have no effects whatsoever (i.e. this distinction applies only when considering Card Effects, and not even Aggression Numbers - unless otherwise stated on a card).
Aragorn: When the player resolves the card effects of Aragorn, remove 1 Witch King token from the playmat.
At any time, a player might wish to go searching back for Aragorn, drawing cards from the discard pile, into the quest deck.
If he so wishes to do, when the player finds Aragorn, he immediately discards 1 Witch King token from the Witch King tracker, on the playmat.
The player doesn't take into account any other card effects nor any Aggression of ANY card (not even Aragorn's).
This action takes 1 turn/day, but the player will have to proceed his quest from the location in which he found Aragorn.
Witch King: When the player resolves the card effects of the Witch King, places Witch King token on the playmat.
Whenever there are 3 Witch King tokens on the playmat, the player immediately loses the game.
Galadriel: When the player resolves the card effects of Galadriel, increase by 1 the player's total life points.
Gollum: The player ALWAYS resolves the card effects of Gollum, when it is the destination card (regardless the effects of other cards). He moves back 3 cards (i.e. draw 2 cards plus Golum) from the discard pile, and puts them on the quest deck. Resolve the card effects of the third card, but you receive no attacks.
Arwen: When the player resolves the card effects of Arwen, discard ALL Witch King tokens from the playmat.
Shelob's Lair: When the player resolves the card effects of Shelob's Lair, immediately move the day tracker by 1 day (in step 4 of the player's turn). At the end of the turn, move the token on the day tracker, as normal.
Faramir: When the player resolves the card effects of Faramir, the player CAN look at the next 3 cards in the quest deck, then places them back, in any order.
Gandalf: When the player resolves the card effects of Gandalf, the player MAY wish not to resolve the card effect of the next card (after he has seen it).
The Rohirim: When the player resolves the card effects of the Rohirim, the player MAY advance by 2, considering the Attack value as 0, but DO NOT resolve the effects of the destination card.
Legolas: When the player resolves the card effects of Legolas, in the next turn, when drawing the cards, may declare that an aggression number is equal to 0.
Gimli: When the player resolves the card effects of Gimli, the total attack value, in the next turn, will be reduced by 2.
Osgiliath: When the player resolves the card effects of Osgiliath, draw 3 random cards, from the discard pile, and shuffle them in the quest deck.
Treebeard: When resolving the card effects of Treebeard, consider the Aggression number value of the first card you draw, in the next turn, as 0 (add up the rest, as normal).
Troll: When resolving the card effect of the Troll, you cannot rest this turn.
Goblins: When resolving the card effect of the Goblins, permanently reduce by 1 your hit points.
Sauron: When you resolve the card effects of Sauron, check if you used or not the Ring, up until now: If you have yet to use the RING, nothing happens, and you can proceed normally. Otherwise search the discard pile for all Witch Kings, and shuffle them back in the quest deck.
A Thick Fog in the Woods: If you DON'T travel to the left, you cannot look at the cards, as you draw them; look ONLY at the destination card. DO NOT add the aggression numbers: use only the aggression number of the destination card.
Into the Caves: If you DON'T travel to the right, and any card you draw is a Troll or Goblins, double the Attack value. Finding multiple Trolls and Goblins will have no additional effect.
Isengard Gates: If you travel straight forward and any card you draw has an aggression number of 0, consider it as 2. This applies to all cards that have an aggression number of 0.
The Marshes: If you travel to the right, you CANNOT rest in your next destination, hence you won't reset your wounds.
The Mountain Path: If you travel forward, do not resolve the effects of the next card (good or bad).
The Old Tavern: If you travel to the inn (forward), you can find a Mithril armor, which will reduce by 1 ALL the attack values from now on (including the next turn). Place a token on the Armor icon in the equipment. Multiples stack up.
Wondering in the Woods: If you travel straight forward, you will gain a weapon which CAN be used at any time, to consider any aggression number as 0 (including this turn). Choose as you draw cards; DO NOT choose after you have drawn all the cards. Place a token on the Armor icon in the equipment. The weapon can be used only once. You can carry more than one weapon at a time.
Minas Tirith: When the player resolves the card effects of Minas Tirith, draw 5 random cards, from the discard pile, and shuffle them in the quest deck.
Rinvendale (printed heading; the body text reads "Rivendale"): When you reach Rivendale, consider the attack number you received, as 0.
Cross Roads: Cross Roads have no effects.