Prophecy: Dragon Realm
Prophecy: Dragon Realm Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Ancient Races:
- 10 Race cards
- 20 figures
- 1 Goblin Rage token
Dragon Realm:
- 1 Dragon Realm board
- 1 Dragon Realm Astral Plane disc
- 15 negative Dragon cards
- 12 positive Dragon cards
- 5 Dragonslayer Abilities card
- 5 Dragon Heart cards
- 1 Gate to the Dragon Realm (a Lesser Guardian card)
New cards for the standard game:
- 9 Adventure cards
- 9 Common and 5 Rare Item cards
- 3 Guardians
Cooperative game:
- 5 Cooperative Abilities
- 25 Power Up tokens, +1 to +5
New Cards for the Standard Game
You will also find in here several new Items, Adventures, and Guardians to enrich the basic game. These cards (and all cards in the Dragon Realm expansion) are marked by a symbol printed on the card. You can use them independently or with other expansions—just shuffle them into the appropriate decks. When using new Guardians, there will be some Guardians left after game preparation—lay them aside without looking at them.
There are also rules for one player, if you want to enjoy an adventure when no other players are available.
There are also fixed or adjusted versions of some cards from the first edition of the basic game. If you have the first edition of the basic game, please remove the corresponding cards from the game and replace them with the new versions:
- Scroll of Stealing
- Scroll of Decay
- Scroll of Divine Will
- Potion of Healing
- Potion of Strength
- Storm Queen
- Lone Wolf
- Fire-breathing Dragon
- Mirrored Shield
Ancient Races
THE ANCIENT RACES option allows you to play a non-human adventurer. You still choose your character's Profession, but Race is used to enhance the possibilities of the character. The Race card summarizes the special advantages and disadvantages of your character's Race.
The expansion contains 10 Race cards and 20 new figures. There are only 6 Races (including Humans), but some occur multiple times. This represents the relative frequencies of these Races in the world of Prophecy. Humans are there, too, and they have a special advantage just as all the other Races do.
Choosing Your Character
The Race cards should be dealt out at the same time as the character cards and should be selected in the same way.
You will receive 2 Race cards and 2 Character cards. Choose 1 Race card and 1 Character card to keep, and pass the other Race card and Character card to the player on your left. Again you will have 2 of each card and again you chose 1 Race card and 1 Character card to keep and pass the others to your left. The third choice is final.
In a 2 or 3 player game, you can simplify things: deal 3 Character cards and 3 Race cards to each player. Choose one of each and pass the rest to the left. Then make your final choice.
Playing Piece
If your character is human, use the corresponding playing piece from the core set. For new Races, there are 20 more in the expansion. Each new Race is represented 4 times: male or female, magical or martial. You can also use the human playing piece from the core set corresponding to your character's Profession. Choose the playing piece you like best. Just be sure that it matches your character well enough to keep people from being confused about which one is yours.
Race Cards
Strength and Willpower
Some Races have adjustments to Strength and Willpower such as "Willpower -1" or "Strength+1". This adjustment is made at the beginning of the game: you take one blue or red cube more or less. This adjustment also affects the maximum number of cubes allowed. For example, an elven paladin starts with Strength 4 and Willpower 5. He is still limited to at most 8 red and 11 blue cubes.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Each Race has special advantages. Some affect the initial set-up (more Gold or Experience). Some apply throughout the game. Some Races have disadvantages. You are responsible for remembering your character's disadvantages and playing by those rules, even though they may be inconvenient.
References to Race
Some new Items and Adventures refer to your character's Race. You can use these new cards even if you are not using Races in your game: just treat all characters as humans.
Human
Treat each Ability card as though the number on it were 1 less. A human paladin learning Concentration (Fortress, cost 8) would pay only 7 Experience. To learn Meditation (Forest Camp, cost 2), he would pay 1 Experience and 1 Gold.
This discount even works on Dragonlore Abilities learned in the Dragon Realm. However, it does not apply to other uses of Experience (e.g., Strong Man or Elixir of Youth).
Elf
The discount on spells in Forest can be used only once per round, and only on the player's turn. The discount on Battle of Wills applies to every Battle of Will in Forest, even on another player's turn.
Both discounts are cumulative with other similar discounts.
Troll
The learning penalty works as though the number on the Ability card were 2 greater. A troll mystic would pay 4 Experience for Sacrifice (Monastery, cost 2) and 10 Experience and 10 Gold for Horsemanship (Forest Camp, cost 8). This penalty even applies to Dragonlore Abilities learned in the Dragon Realm. It does not affect other uses of Experience (such as Strongman or Elixir of Youth).
The Low Faith also means (beside the fact you don't have to care about the effect of mentioned cards) you have to leave Clover Meadow on the space (as the rules say you can't use an Opportunity you have no use for).
Dwarf
Put 3 extra Gold on your race card: they are in your bank. You can spend them as normal, and when you gain Gold, you can put it back in the bank. (You can never have more than 3 Gold in the bank.)
Whenever you have to determine how much Gold you have (e.g., maximum Gold, Economic Crisis, Charity, Hermit, Pickpocketing) you do not count Gold in the bank. Thus, a dwarf who has 6 Gold only loses 1 in an Economic Crisis (3 are in the bank and of the other 3, he loses half, rounded down).
The Gold in the bank is also safe, and cannot be stolen by any means.
You can move your money between your character card and the bank at any time (and thus to decide that you have less than 3 Gold in your bank—this is especially useful in cooperative games, when you want another player to have lesser or the same amount of Gold as you have).
By weaponcraft, you can strengthen any weapon (but each weapon only once). The Gold piece on the weapon is only a marker, it can't be used as Gold any more. It remains on the card even when it changes owners, but it gives the +1 only to dwarves. Remove the Gold piece once the item is discarded.
Halfling
The halfling's luck only applies to battle die rolls. It does not apply to any other die rolls, not even the roll for using a shield. The thrown weapons bonus is cumulative with the Thrown Weapons Ability, if your halfling learns it.
Goblin
Trophies apply only to creatures that are defeated, not to those the Goblin spares (Centaur, for example), or are destroyed without reward (Scroll of Destruction, Mirrored Shield).
A goblin gains 3 Experience for defeating Creatures that give less than 3 Experience (including Thug who gives no experience when defeated by weapon or spell).
A goblin gains 1 Gold for defeating Creatures that normally give no Gold. This advantage can be used together with the Hunting or Pickpocketing Abilities.
For example, defeating the Giant Spider (1 Experience, Rare Item) gives the goblin 3 Experience, a Rare Item and 1 Gold (3 Gold with Hunting Ability). For defeating a Vampire receives the goblin receives only 3 Experience and 7 Gold, as written on the card.
At the start of the game, goblin player takes the Rage token. When he loses a Battle with a Creature (including Guardians or Creatures in Astral Plane worlds), put the Rage token on that card. It gives the goblin +1 in his next battle against that Creature (the type of battle does not matter—you can gain +1 to Battle of Strength for lost Battle of Wills and vice versa). The bonus applies for the entire Battle (even if it consists of more rolls).
If the goblin is defeated by another Creature meanwhile, move the token to the new Creature. The goblin player takes his token back when the marked Creature is destroyed by any means (e.g., killed by another player) or if the next Battle with this creature ends as a draw.
Dragon Realm
THE DRAGON REALM is the first Astral Plane expansion world. These worlds are all based on the same principle: each replaces one of the Astral Planes with a unique world through which the character must travel to win the hidden Artifact.
This part of the expansion is designed to give experienced players a more complex challenge. If one of the players is new to Prophecy, it is probably better to play without the Dragon Realm—remove the Gate to the Dragon Realm Lesser Guardian card, the Legends of Dragons Chance card, and all cards with pictures of scales or dragons on the back.
However, for experienced players: Onward to the Dragon Realm!
Set Up of the Dragon Realm
Place the Dragon Realm game board near the main game board so that everyone can see it. The game board has three paths which start at the bottom and climb up to the Lake of Fire. From the Lake of Fire, characters can access an Astral Plane, to get the Artifact hidden in the Dragon Realm.
The Dragon Realm Astral Plane is represented by the big disc—place it next to the Dragon Realm game board, above the Lake of Fire. Be sure that the Astral Plane side (the dark whirl on burning sky) is up.
On the light-colored spaces along the path, you will find Items, Abilities, and Opportunities; on the dark spaces, you will find Obstacles and Creatures; those colored half-and-half have both. The Dragon Realm Astral Plane can be attacked from the last space of any path (like you can attack standard Astral Planes from the adjacent fields of Main Board).
Note the middle path is the shortest, but it has the fewest positive cards. The path on the right is the longest, but it has the most positive cards. When your character enters the Dragon Realm, you will have to decide whether she will hurry to the Lake of Fire to get the Artifact or whether she will focus on using the journey to become more powerful.
Dragon Realm Cards
Four different types of cards (with four different backs) will be found in the Dragon Realm expansion.
Positive and Negative Dragon Cards
These cards have scales and a picture of a dragon on their backs. Those with orange-colored scales and a gold dragon are positive cards: Opportunities, Items, and Abilities. Those with dark red-colored scales and a red dragon are negative cards: Obstacles and Creatures.
Before beginning the game, shuffle these cards. Place one light-colored card on each light-colored space and one dark-colored card on each dark-colored space. Those which are half-and-half get both a positive and a negative card (with the negative card on top). You will have three of each type of card left over. Set these aside without looking at them.
Dragon Heart
There are 5 Dragon Heart cards. These are used to signify that your character made her way to the heart of the Dragon Realm and thus demonstrated exceptional strength and wisdom. You will need as many Dragon Heart cards as there are players. Set them in a face-up pile on the Dragon Realm Astral Plane disc.
Dragonslayer Abilities
The 5 Dragonslayer Abilities have dark backs with a picture of a dragon. On the front side, they look just like the Abilities you learn from the Guilds. Shuffle these 5 cards and put them next to the Dragon Realm board.
Note that these are different from the Dragonlore Abilities, which are positive cards that may turn up in the Dragon Realm.
Power Up tokens
When playing with the Dragon Realm, guardians of all other Astral Planes are strengthened. Both their Strength and their Willpower is higher by 1. You can put a +1 Power Up token to each Astral Plane to mark that.
Setup of the Main Board
There are two cards that go on the main game board. (If you are not using the Dragon Realm part of the expansion, you should remove these cards from the game.)
Legends of Dragons
This is a new Chance card. Shuffle it in with the others.
Gate to the Dragon Realm
This card replaces one of the Lesser Guardians. Shuffle the other Lesser Guardian cards and choose 4 without looking at them. Put the remaining Lesser Guardians back in the box. Shuffle the Gate to the Dragon Realm in among the other 4 Lesser Guardians. You want to be sure it is one of the 5 Lesser Guardians, but no one should know which one it is.
Distribute the Guardian cards among the five Astral Planes as usual.
On the Main Game Board
Although the Dragon Realm will not be accessed until the later stages of the game, it has an effect on the world right from the beginning.
Maximum Number of Abilities and Items
If you are using the Dragon Realm, each character can have one extra Ability and Item (i.e. 8, with adjustments based on Race if you are playing with Races).
Legends of Dragons
When the Legends of Dragons Chance card comes up on your turn, you do two things: put a Dragonslayer Ability into play, and reveal two cards in the Dragon Realm.
Dragonslayer Abilities
The player who turned up the Legends of Dragons Chance card turns up the top Dragonslayer Ability card and adds it face up to the indicated Guild, just as though it had been turned up from the top that Guild's deck (so it might replace an older Ability being offered at that Guild). This Ability can be gained in the same way any Ability is gained. However, if this card needs to be returned to a deck (e.g., if it is replaced by a newer Ability or if it must be given up by a character who learned it) it is returned to the bottom of the Dragonslayer deck, not the Guild deck.
Dragonslayer Abilities are only used in the Dragon Realm. Combat bonuses apply only to combat against Dragon Realm Creatures; they do not apply to combat against other characters, against the Greater Guardian in the Dragon Realm, nor against the Fire Breathing Dragon from the core set.
Revealing the Dragon Realm
In addition to turning up a Dragonslayer Ability, the player who turns up the Legends of Dragons card reveals two Adventure cards in the Dragon Realm.
Choose the first negative card on any path (the one closest to the start of the path), or any positive card between path start and the first unrevealed negative card. You cannot reveal any card lying under or behind an unrevealed negative card.
After revealing the first card, reveal another following the same rules (it can be of the same or different type, on the same or different path).
The Legends of Dragons card does not allow you to reveal the Artifact nor the Greater Guardian of the Dragon Realm. However, these can be revealed in the usual way—with a Prophetic Dream Chance card.
Gate to the Dragon Realm
The Gate to the Dragon Realm is shuffled in with the Lesser Guardians and placed on one of the Astral Planes. It can be revealed either by a Prophetic Dream or by an attack on that Astral Plane. In either case, the following happens:
Take the Greater Guardian and Artifact card from that Astral Plane space and put them on top of the Dragon Heart cards on the Dragon Realm Astral Plane disc. Discard the +1 Power Up token (the +1 Astral Planes bonus does not apply in the Dragon Realm).
The Gate to the Dragon Realm remains on the Astral Plane space until the end of the game, making it possible to enter the Dragon Realm from the two spaces adjacent to this Astral Plane, according to the rules for attacking an Astral Plane. (If the Gate to the Dragon Realm is revealed by such an attack, the character can enter the Dragon Realm immediately.)
If you decide to enter the Dragon Realm, you must pay 3 Gold to rent a drake. Then put your character on the Gate to the Dragon Realm card, it is treated as the first space of all three Dragon Realm paths. Your round does not end, continue immediately by the rules for Dragon Realm movement (see below).
In the Dragon Realm
Your round in the Dragon Realm is played by different rules.
Chance Cards
You do not turn up a Chance card at the beginning of your round in the Dragon Realm. Furthermore, these cards do not affect your character. So you avoid the Economic Crisis, but also Good Times and Refreshing Wind. When calculating which character has the least of something for Charity, those in the Dragon Realm are ignored.
However, Adventures which compare characters' statistics or possessions (such as Golden Fish or Hermit) do take characters in the Dragon Realm into account.
Movement
Unlike the main game board, characters must hack their way through the Dragon Realm. You have 3 choices:
a. Go forward,
b. Stay,
c. Return to the main game board.
Going Forward
You can move ahead to the next space along the path. You can move ahead 2 spaces if the first space is empty or if it has only a previously revealed positive card that you do not want to use.
If your character enters a space with a face-down card, you reveal it. If there are two cards, you cannot reveal the positive card until your character successfully deals with the negative card.
Your attempt to move forward may not be successful. If you fail to overcome a Creature or Obstacle on that space, then your character does not get to enter it—she remains on the space before it.
On your first round in Dragon Realm, you start on the Gate to the Dragon Realm (that is placed in Astral Plane on Main Board). By going forward, you can enter the first space of any Dragon Realm path from here following the same rules (including the right to move twice if that space is empty). If you fail to overcome a negative card here, you stay on the Gate card, and you may try the same or another path next round.
In the Dragon Realm, it is not possible to use the movement Abilities and Items (the ones with the non-crossed-out boot icon). Similarly, these cannot be used to enter the Dragon Realm (not even the Scroll of Teleportation or the Royal Cape).
Abilities Used Instead of Moving
You can use Abilities that require you to give up your move for the turn, such as Blacksmithing, Meditation, or Miraculous Healing. An Ability like People's Hospitality cannot be used because it requires a certain type of terrain.
Return to the Main Game Board
You may return to the main game board at either of the two spaces from which it is possible to access the Gate to the Dragon Realm (regardless of which one you came from). Treat this movement as though your character just moved there in the usual way and continue your turn following the rules for Main Board (fight the Creatures, use Opportunities etc.).
Using Banner of Hope
You can use the Banner of Hope in Dragon Realm (before movement). If the Banner of Hope owner rolls 6, all characters on any board are affected, regardless of where the Banner of Hope owner is.
Negative Cards
Obstacles
Obstacles are a new type of card not found among the Adventures on the main game board. An Obstacle card explains how it can be overcome. Read the text and do what it says. Usually, an Obstacle presents a dilemma, requiring you to decide how much to risk to improve your chances of success.
In general, the more you put into it, the more you stand to lose and the better your chances of winning. If your character fails to overcome the Obstacle, she remains on the previous space and your turn is over. It is permitted to try again on your next turn.
A character that overcomes the Obstacle gains Experience and moves into that space. The Obstacle, however, is not removed. It remains there to block the path of any adventurers who may come along later. You only have to overcome the Obstacle when you try to move forward into that space, not when you are knocked back, so you will not have to overcome it again unless you return to the main game board and then come back along this path once more.
Creatures
A character attempting to enter a space with a Creature must fight it. The rules are the same as on the main game board, except that Dragonslayer Abilities may be used and the effects of a loss or draw are different.
If your character loses, she is knocked back to the main game board (in addition to losing 1 Health and any additional penalties described on the card). You may return to either of the two spaces adjacent to the Gate to the Dragon Realm. This ends your turn. (You ignore any cards that may be on the space you chose to be sent to.) If you return to the Dragon Realm, even on your next turn, you must again pay 3 Gold and attempt to enter the first space of one of the 3 paths.
In case of a draw, your character remains on the previous space and your turn is over, just as if she had failed to overcome an Obstacle. You can try again on your next turn.
If your character wins, she gets the Experience and any other bonuses described on the card and the Creature is removed from the game. Your character remains on the space that was guarded by the defeated Creature.
Positive Cards
If your character enters a space with a face-down positive card, reveal it. (Note that if there is also a Creature or Obstacle in that space, your character is not considered to have entered until she overcomes it.)
You do not have to use the positive card. Moreover, a space containing only a revealed positive card may be treated as an empty space. (See Movement—Going Forward.)
Items
If there is an Item on the space your character enters, you may take it. (You do not have to pay anything for it.) It can be used as any other Common or Rare Item card. (You can tell which one it is by its front side.) If your character discards it, it does not go to the Item discard pile. It is removed from the game instead.
Opportunities
Opportunities in the Dragon Realm work the same way they do on the main game board—you either use them or you don't. Once an Opportunity is used, it is removed from the game. (Don't forget that in order to use it, your character must actually benefit from the use. You cannot heal a character in the Pool of Forgetfulness if she is at full Health and Magic, for example.)
Dragonlore Abilities
Your character can learn special Dragonlore Abilities if she is on a space with such a card. They only cost Experience; you pay 0 Gold. If you do not want it or cannot learn it, leave it where it is.
Dragonlore Abilities follow the same rules as other Abilities (including the limit on number of Abilities). If you discard a Dragonlore Ability, remove it from the game.
Note that Dragonlore Abilities are learned in the Dragon Realm and can be used both in the Dragon Realm and on the main game board. They are distinct from the Dragonslayer Abilities that appear in the Guilds when the Legends of Dragons card is turned up, and can be used in the Dragon Realm only.
Battles Between Characters
You can attack another player's character if your character successfully advances to a space where she already is or if you remain on a space where she already is. If there are multiple other characters there, you may choose one.
Combat follows the usual rules, except that if the defeated character loses Health, she is knocked out of the Dragon Realm as though she were defeated by a Creature. If she gives up an Item to the victor instead of losing 1 Health, she may remain.
Journey's End
Each path through the Dragon Realm ends at the Lake of Fire. From there, you can attack the Astral Plane that contains the Greater Guardian and the ancient Artifact (these cards were moved to the Dragon Realm game board when the Gate to the Dragon Realm was revealed) as well as the Dragon Heart cards.
This Astral Plane is treated as any other Astral Plane and not as a part of the Dragon Realm. The Greater Guardian and the Artifact here can be revealed by a Prophetic Dream, but not by Legends of Dragons.
Attacking the Greater Guardian
The Greater Guardian can be attacked from the last space of any of the three paths. This works like any other attack on an Astral Plane. You cannot use Dragonslayer Abilities, but you can use Abilities and Items that can be used in the Astral Planes.
If your character loses or draws, she remains on the final space of the path. On your next turn, you still have the option to attack again, return to the main game board, or stay in place (to use an Ability that requires you to give up your movement).
If your character defeats the Greater Guardian, she gets the Artifact and a Dragon Heart card. She then returns to the main game board at either of the two spaces adjacent to the Gate to the Dragon Realm, and your turn ends.
Dragon Heart
The character who defeats the Greater Guardian in the Dragon Realm gains, in addition to the Artifact, a Dragon Heart card. This card signifies that your character has traveled through the Dragon Realm. It is neither an Item nor an Ability, and there is no way to lose it.
It is possible to gain a Dragon Heart even after the Artifact has been won. Any character on the last space of one of the three paths can use her movement to enter the Lake of Fire, gain a Dragon Heart, and return to the main game board. (She does not have to fight the Guardian because it was defeated by the one who took the Artifact.)
Each player is allowed to take only one Dragon Heart during the game.
When your character gains the Dragon Heart, she immediately recovers all Health and Magic. The Dragon Heart also gives an advantage over characters who have not overcome the trials of the Dragon Realm—in a battle of Strength or Wills against a character without a Dragon Heart, a character with a Dragon Heart gets +1.
Normally, a character with 4 Artifacts automatically gains the fifth Artifact. However, if the fifth Artifact is held by a character with a Dragon Heart, it too must be won in combat.
Artifacts of Fallen Characters
If a character dies (has to lose Health when she has none) in the Dragon Realm, then any Artifacts she was carrying remain on the space where she died (i.e. the space with the Creature or Obstacle that killed her). The first character to end her turn on this space (by moving there or by giving up movement and remaining there) gains these Artifacts. The Final Battle cannot begin until these Artifacts have been picked up.
End of the Game
The Last Artifact
The game cannot end if no one has yet retrieved the Artifact from the Lake of Fire, not even if one character already has the other four (unless, of course, everyone else concedes the victory). Eventually, someone must enter the Dragon Realm and get the Artifact hidden there. And there is good reason to do so: the journey can strengthen your character so much that even with only one Artifact she will be a match for another character with many. (And don't forget that possession of the Dragon Heart means you cannot lose as long as you hold at least one Artifact.)
The Final Battle
Once all the Artifacts have been retrieved, if no one has won yet (i.e. no player has four Artifacts, or one player has four Artifacts and another player has the fifth one and the Dragon Heart), all the characters are transferred back from the Dragon Realm and the Final Battle begins according to the basic game rules.
The Apocalypse Variant
If you are using the Apocalypse variant from the basic game, use the following rules: Once the fifth artifact is retrieved, the Gate to the Dragon Realm closes. Any characters still in the Dragon Realm are transported to one of the two places on the main game board adjacent to the Gate. At this time, you may put away the Dragon Realm board and cards—they will not be used in the Final Battle.
When the Legends of Dragons or Prophetic Dream Chance cards are turned up during the Final Battle, just ignore them and turn up the next card instead. (If there is no card left to turn up, the Apocalypse begins as described in the standard rules.)
Cooperative Game
Finally, there are rules and cards for a cooperative game: a game where you do not compete each against other, but where you work together to beat the challenge the game offers to you.
THE COOPERATIVE VARIANT offers you a completely new experience. Instead of proving who amongst you is the best, you have to prove if your group is good enough to beat the game. The cooperative game is for 2 to 5 players.
If you want, you can also solo the game. You can use SOLO RULES as described at the end of this chapter. If you are an experienced player, you can also choose 2 or 3 characters and play as all of them, using full Cooperative rules.
Difficulty
Before starting the cooperative game, you have to choose the difficulty level—Normal, Hard or Very Hard. This allows you to customize the game to your needs and set a target that is both challenging but reachable by your group. We recommend:
- Choose Normal difficulty if you never played Cooperative game yet.
- Choose Hard difficulty if you already won Normal difficulty easily. You can start right with the Hard difficulty if you are very experienced Prophecy players.
- Choose Very Hard difficulty if you finished Hard difficulty, and if you want extra challenge. Be prepared that you might lose, as you need both skill and luck to win this setting.
We recommend you discuss this choice among all players. If there is one experienced Prophecy player and several newbies, it would be possible to play on a higher difficulty (if the experienced player tells the others what to do), but it is better to choose lower difficulty and let the players play most of the game the way they want to—they'll enjoy the game better this way.
Game Preparation
The cooperative variant is balanced for the basic game. You can expand it by new adventures and items found in this expansion, and also by Races. However, for this game set aside all Dragon Realm components: Dragon Realm board, all cards with a dragon on their back side, and also Legend of Dragons Chance card and Gate to the Dragon Realm Lesser Guardian card.
Items
When playing cooperative, you have to remove cards that have mainly competitive use. Please remove the following Common Item cards:
- Scroll of Stealing
- Scroll of Decay
- Scroll of Destruction
- Scroll of Thought Stealing (from this expansion)
- Scroll of Forgetfulness (from this expansion)
Abilities
In this expansion, you'll find 5 Ability cards for the cooperative game only. You can recognize them by a symbol printed on the card. There is also written a name of an original Ability on the card. Before the game, you have to replace that original Ability with the new, cooperative Ability. Remove the replaced Ability from the game, put a new Ability into the appropriate deck, and shuffle as usual. You have to replace one Ability in each Ability pile.
Characters and Races
From all Character cards, reveal randomly an amount equal to number of players plus 2. Then reveal randomly the same amount of Race cards. Players then can distribute the characters and races amongst themselves freely. If the players cannot come to a conclusion, shuffle these cards and deal one Character and one Race card to each player randomly.
In any case, put the remaining two Character and two Race cards back in the box, together with those that were not revealed at all.
Choose freely a player to start the game. Then prepare the game as in the standard competitive variant.
Tokens
According to the chosen difficulty and number of characters in the game, you have to prepare Power Up tokens for the Astral Planes. Use the following table:
| Characters | Difficulty | Power Up tokens |
|---|---|---|
| 2 characters | Normal | +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 |
| 2 characters | Hard | +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 |
| 2 characters | Very Hard | +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 |
| 3 characters | Normal | +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 |
| 3 characters | Hard | +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 |
| 3 characters | Very Hard | +3 +4 +4 +4 +4 +5 |
| 4 characters | Normal | +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +3 |
| 4 characters | Hard | +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 |
Put these tokens face down and shuffle them and form a stack from them (alternatively, you can put them into a sack to be drawn from randomly). During the game, these tokens are drawn to strengthen the Guardians of Astral Planes.
Note: This table is just a recommendation. Once you have played the cooperative game a few times, feel free to choose Power Up tokens the way that fit best for your group.
The Game Itself
Most of the game rules are exactly the same as when playing the standard competitive game. There are only few exceptions.
Trading
Use the optional rule "Trading Between Characters" from the basic game rules. That rule allows you to trade Gold and Items with another player on the same space, instead of your movement.
However, contrary to the standard game, in the cooperative game the trade doesn't have to be mutually beneficial. You can give all your stuff to another character and take nothing back if you believe it will help your group to win the game.
Note, there is one limitation. Artifacts won in Astral Planes cannot be traded under any circumstances!
Prophetic Dream Card
When the Prophetic Dream card is revealed, the following things happen:
-
Immediately, all players become completely silent and motionless. The player who revealed the card, is dreaming and no one can interfere with his dreams.
-
That player reveals one card in any Astral Plane, as in the standard game.
-
Then the same player reveals the first prepared Power Up token. He has to put that token face up on one of the unconquered Astral Planes (i.e. a plane where a Greater Guardian and his artifact dwells). He has to do that on his own, no other player is allowed to talk, gesticulate or generally try to influence his decision.
Once this is done, the player wakes up and the game continues with his turn.
The Power Up token he placed on an Astral Plane displays a number. From now on, Strength and Willpower of both Guardians in that sphere is increased by that number. So for example a +3 Power Up token would make:
- Tortured Souls to have Willpower of 6
- Scaled Monster to have Strength of 10
- Vampire Lord to have a Strength of 8 and Willpower of 8
- Master of Pain to have Strength + Willpower 17
Note that if there are two or more Power Up tokens in one Astral Plane, then their bonuses are totaled.
So for example +3 and +2 tokens in the same Plane would make Shapeless Things have a Willpower of 11 and Strength of 10.
Attacking the Astral Planes
The power of Artifacts is not allowed to be concentrated. Thus the following rule applies:
If a player possesses an Artifact, he is not allowed to attack any Astral Plane until all other players have at least the same number of Artifacts as he has. Note it is not allowed to trade or drop Artifacts, so it means all players have to win at least one Artifact by themselves before any player that has won an Artifact is allowed to attack an Astral Plane again. In the particular cases that means:
- In 5 player games all players have to win exactly one Artifact.
- In 4 player games all players have to win one Artifact, and then any one of them has to win the fifth one.
- In 3 player games all players have to win one Artifact, and then any two of them have to win the fourth and fifth one (each must be won by different player).
- In 2 player games both players have to win one Artifact, then again, both of them have to win one Artifact, and then any one of them has to win the fifth one.
End of the Game
Victory
Players win the game if they all survive and if they win all five Artifacts before the Astral Planes collapse.
Loss
The game is lost when any character dies.
The game is also lost if the Astral Planes collapse. This happens shortly after the last Power Up chip is drawn because of Prophetic Dream card evaluation. That player puts the token in an Astral Plane, and players have only three more rounds to gain all Artifacts (starting with the player that revealed the Prophetic Dream card). You do not turn up a Chance card in these rounds (but you can use Banner of Hope).
If they fail to retrieve the Artifacts, the Astral Planes collapse and the game is lost.
A Few Tips
To win the game, especially on the hardest settings, you have to cooperate and to have a common strategy.
Contrary to the standard game, the art of the game is not "how to win the best things before other players do". It is rather "how to get the best things to the players that can use them most efficiently, and how to do so as quickly as possible"—because the time is merciless and every time a Chance card is revealed, the Astral collapse is closer.
Think well when you draw the Prophetic Dream card. No one can give you advice, but you should be aware of a strategy your group has regarding the Astral Planes to be able to make the best decision.
And most important—consider very carefully when and how to attack the Astral Planes. Each character has to succeed at least once. If the strongest character wins the Artifact protected by the weakest Guardian, then you are probably in trouble. He is effectively out of the game until all players win their Artifact, but these players have to defeat stronger Guardians—and these Guardians get stronger more quickly, because as one Plane is conquered, the remaining Power Up tokens have to be dealt amongst fewer Planes.
Solo game
You can play the solo game using the rules similar to the Cooperative game.
Game Preparation
Choose a Character and Race by any method you prefer.
Choose a difficulty, and then prepare the Power Up tokens pile:
| Difficulty | Power Up tokens |
|---|---|
| Normal | +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 |
| Hard | +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 |
| Very Hard | +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 |
Remove the same Common Item cards as in Cooperative game.
Take the 5 cooperative Abilities. Find the Ability cards they are replacing, but do not replace them—instead, remove both the cooperative Abilities and the cards they should replace from the game. Each of the 5 decks will contain only 9 Ability cards now.
Take the Legend of Dragons card and shuffle it into the Chance deck. In the Solo game, this card works the same way as Prophetic Dream (so you have two Prophetic Dream cards).
Game Flow
The game uses the same rules as the cooperative game. There is of course no trading between characters and no limitations to Astral Planes attacks.
When Prophetic Dream or Legend of Dragons card is revealed, you reveal one Guardian, draw one Power Up token, and place it to a Plane of your choice, like in Cooperative game.
Game End
If you retrieve 5 Artifacts, you win. If your character dies, you lose.
When the last Power Up token is placed, you have five rounds. Do not turn a Chance card during these rounds (but you can use Banner of Hope). If you fail to retrieve the Artifacts, the Astral Planes collapse and you lose.
Game Variants
Beside the cooperative mode, this expansion offers several combinations of ways to play the game. You can play both with Races and the Dragon Realm or with just one of them. You can just play the Standard Game, but with added Adventures and Items. Finally, you can try one of the game variants described below, designed to keep the game always fresh.
Ancient Races
The Races do not complicate the game very much at all—all you have to do is remember a couple of special characteristics that your character has. In fact, the actual game will be a bit simpler and shorter because the characters begin the game a bit more powerful. If you are experienced Prophecy players, you will be able to attack Astral Planes after a few turns.
You might consider to increase power of the Guardians.
Increased Guardian Power
Use this only if you are experienced players.
Put a +1 Power Up token in each Astral Plane. The Lesser and Greater Guardians will have +1 both to their Strength and Willpower.
You can also choose +2 token, or deal +1 and +2 tokens randomly, but note the higher Power Ups you use, the longer the game will be.
Hybrids
Once playing with Races begins to seem ordinary, you can make new, more powerful Races by crossing them. Let everyone have two Races and combine their advantages and disadvantages. When playing dwelfs or humblins you should definitely use Dragon Realm or increase the strength of Guardians.
Dragonslayer Variant
In this variant, you are not concerned with Artifacts. The goal is to be the first to pass through the Dragon Realm, slay the Dragon Queen at the Lake of Fire, and gain the title of Dragonslayer. This is a quicker, simpler version of the game, but victory depends more on chance, and the Items, Characters, and Races are less balanced.
Set Up
Only the Lesser Guardians are put in the Astral Planes, and one of these is the Gate to the Dragon Realm card. The Greater Guardians, Artifacts, and Dragon Hearts are not used.
When placing Dragon Realm Astral Plane disc next to the Dragon Realm, set it with the Lake of Fire side up. Find the Dragon Queen card among the Dragon Realm cards and place her face-up on the disc. Alternatively, you can use another dragon or even two or three dragons. These could be face-up or face-down. In any case, put a +1 Power Up token next to this card or cards.
Game Play
Only the goal of the game is different: the winner is the first one to defeat the Creature (or Creatures) at the Lake of Fire. The Lesser Guardians primarily serve to keep the location of the Gate to the Dragon Realm hidden, but don't forget that there are nice rewards for defeating them, and you won't even have to fight a Greater Guardian afterwards.
The rules for the battle with the dragon of the Lake of Fire are a bit different. It is possible to use Dragonslayer Abilities in this battle (which do not work when attacking the Dragon Realm Astral Plane in the normal version), and it is not possible to use Items and Abilities that can be used in Astral Planes. The Lake of Fire gives the dragon extra power: +1 to Strength and Willpower.
If you use the multiple dragons variant, then your character must fight them in succession on the same turn, similar to the way you fight Guardians in the Standard Version of the game.
Appendix
General
Rolling more times
When several Items or Abilities that make you roll additional times, using the best or worst result to affect one roll, resolve it as follows:
Consider rolling twice and using the best result as one extra positive die, rolling triple and using the best result as two extra positive dice. And vice versa, rolling twice or triple and using the worst result as one or two negative dice. When these effects combine, just add the positive and negative dice, and use the result.
For example Prayer + Concentration on the same roll means three positive dice—you roll four times and use the best result. Using Prayer against opponent's Curse is one positive and two negative, i.e. one negative in result—roll two dice and use the worse result.
New Items
Weapons with Multiple Types
Some weapons have two or more types (e.g., "crushing edged weapon"). The limitations and bonuses of these weapons are cumulative.
For example, an Elf with the Edged Weapons and the Long Weapons Abilities gets a +2 bonus when using a long edged weapon. However, a Halfling in the same situation gets only +1 bonus, because his penalty for using long weapons applies.
Exotic Weapons
The character pays Experience once for each battle in which she uses the weapon (so only once against a Creature with 3 lives). If she cannot pay the price, she cannot use the weapon.
Throwing Star
Using the throwing star with another one-handed weapon works just like using the Ambidexterity Ability.
Staff of Time
This works like the Turn Back Time spell from the Standard Game. It costs no Magic, but the effect can only be used if the character is using the staff in battle.
Gnomish Cloak
This cloak cannot be used to affect die rolls in battle or rolls for shields. It can be used immediately before a battle (versus the Sphinx or the Nameless, for example), after a battle (versus Golem Guardian or Ghouls, for example), and any other rolls outside of battle (exploring the Ruin, using the Scroll of Stealing, overcoming Obstacles in the Dragon Realm, etc.).
New Adventures and Guardians
Creatures with Multiple Types
Bonuses against Creatures with multiple types are cumulative. For example, the Centaur is both a humanoid and an animal. A character with the Abilities Hunting, Dueling, and Pickpocket gets +2 versus the Centaur and gains 4 Gold if she defeats it.
Creatures with Opportunities
Some defeated Creatures offer you a service in exchange for not killing them. If you use the service, then the card should be treated as a used Opportunity and not a defeated Creature. This means that you do not gain Experience and you do not get anything that is earned by defeating the Creature; however, the card is removed from the game board after you use it.
Nightmare
You can choose whether its type is demon, undead, humanoid, or animal, but it can only have one of these types. You can only use Magic to lower its Strength before the battle.
The Path of Balance
Two Abilities are the same type if they have the same color and illustration on the front of the card. Dragonslaying, for example, is the same type of Ability as Dueling (both come from the Fortress), and Fire Breathing is different (it is a Dragonlore Ability learned only in the Dragon Realm).
Magical Forest
You choose before you roll. If you choose increased Strength (5) and you roll a 4 or less, you gain nothing and the forest goes away.
Dragonslaying Abilities
Dragon Magic
The discount is for all spells cast while in the Dragon Realm, not just one per round.
Negative Dragon Cards
Cursed Crossroads
Your opponent chooses the cursed path and you try to take any other.
If you choose the cursed path, your character is wounded and does not move. On your next turn, the opponent may choose a different number or the same one.
Eyes of Fire
You roll no dice. You get to choose which way you will pay. You pass in both cases—you may not decide to pay nothing and to stay.
Labyrinthine Rocks
Unlike Cleansing Fire, you must declare how much Magic you are using before-hand. Even if you are successful on your first roll, you spend all you said you would.
Fire Geysers
If you guess 5, you probably won't fly over them, but you cannot be wounded. If you guess 1, you are certain to fly over them, but it could cost up to 4 Health.
Cloud of Forgetfulness
Use the actual number on the card, not how much your character paid for the skill. Thus for purposes of this card, risking the Stealth Ability counts as 3 whether your character is a Human, Elf, or Troll.
Phantom Dragon
Compute the Phantom's Strength before you start casting combat spells.
Skeletal Dragon
In particular, if you pay no Magic, count that as a roll of zero. This limit is on the result, not the roll. Thus a Halfling who pays 1 Magic has a final result of 1, not 8.
Golden Dragon Lord
You may trade one Item of yours for any Item of the same type carried by any other character. You trade a Common Item for a Common Item, a Rare Item for a Rare Item, or even an Artifact for an Artifact.
Positive Dragon Cards
Boiling Pool, Pool of Secret Wishes
You can only improve one attribute.
Pool of Forgetfulness
If you pay some of the cost by discarding Abilities, each Ability is worth the price shown on the card. For example, you can discard Stealth (cost 3) to recover 1 Health and 2 Magic. Use the actual value on the card, not what your character had to pay for it. Trolls, humans, and elves all get the same value from discarding the same Ability.
Guardian of the Realm
If you use this Opportunity, move your figure to one of the two spaces adjacent to the Gate to the Dragon Realm and draw 2 Rare Items. Your turn ends.
Dragon Aura
In combat with another character, neither may use spells such as Concentration, Berserker Rage, Prayer, Blessed Weapon, Flaming Weapon, etc. You can use spells like Healing Arts or Thievery after battle.
Fire Breathing
Note when choosing which spells and items to use, the attacker decides first, then the defender.
Abilities for the Cooperative game
Secret Hideouts
You may use this Ability only just before or after movement, i.e. you cannot drop or trade an item you have used in combat or you got as a reward or from Opportunity this round. When other characters want to trade with you in their rounds, it still costs them their movement.
Time Freeze
The price of this spell depends on the number of other players (i.e. 2 Magic in three player game etc.)
You can use it only after you (not another player) reveal a Chance card. This card is not resolved now. Each player, starting with you, plays a full round, except a Chance card is not revealed. Then resolve the previously revealed Chance card, and play your standard turn. The Time Freeze spell cannot be used again until the Chance card deck is reshuffled.
Note with this spell, you are gaining extra time in cooperative game, and you can also delay a Chance card resolution (giving the players for example a chance to spend gold before Crisis is evaluated, to buy items in a shop before they get replaced, etc.).
After the last Power Up token is drawn, no more Chance cards are revealed, and you cannot use this Ability any more.