Sub Terra II: Inferno's Edge
Sub Terra II: Inferno's Edge Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Components
- Set Up
- Objective
- Round Structure
- Game End
- Placing Tiles
- Actions
- Explorer Actions
- Exerting
- Running Out of Health
- Start Playing
- Hazards
- The Artifact
- The Guardians
- Special Tiles
- Line of Sight
- Destroying Walls
- The Temple
- The Volcano
- Acknowledgements
- Inside the Box Board Games LLP
Introduction
Sub Terra II: Inferno's Edge is a cooperative board game for one to six players. You must work together to explore the temple, unlock the inner sanctum, and escape with the artifact.
This won't be easy. To reach the sanctum, you'll need to avoid deadly traps, brave scorching lava, and defeat the temple's mysterious guardians. And beware - the volcano stirs beneath you, and you're running out of time...
Components
- 1 Start Tile
- 2 Wing Tiles
- 30 Temple Tiles
- 1 Sanctum Tile
- 1 Tile Bag
- 10 Character Sheets
- 10 Character Meeples
- 6 Reference Cards
- 40 Health Tokens
- 4 Shore-Up Tokens
- 3 Luck Tokens
- 1 Shield Token
- 3 Demolish Tokens
- 1 Volcano Board
- 1 Volcano Tracking Token
- 2 Hazard Dice
- 1 Number Die
- 6 Rubble Tokens
- 1 Lead Explorer Medallion
- 3 Key Tokens
- 1 Artifact Token
Set Up
-
Place the Entrance tile (2x1) on one side of the play area, and the two Wing tiles (3x1) on either side of it.
-
Put the Sanctum tile (2x1) off to one side.
-
Put all the Temple tiles (1x1) in the tile bag.
Leave the three Journal tiles (book icon) to one side - these belong to the Aristocrat.
-
Every player picks an explorer card, then takes the number of health point tokens (heart) as indicated on that card (3, 5 or 7). Place the corresponding explorer meeples on the crossroads space on the Entrance tile.
(If you have only two players, each player will control two explorers. If playing solo, you can choose three to six explorers to control)
-
Put the eruption marker on the following space on the volcano board:
(If this is your first game, it's recommended you choose Normal or Beginner)
Difficulty 3 Explorers 4 Explorers 5 Explorers 6 Explorers Beginner 27 24 22 20 Normal 26 21 19 17 Advanced 22 18 16 14 Expert 20 16 14 12 -
The bravest player is the lead explorer. Give them the lead explorer medallion (uncursed side facing up). If there's a disagreement on a choice the team has to make, the lead explorer's decision is final.
-
Start playing!
(The setup diagram illustrates: 1. the Entrance tile with the two Wing tiles attached on either side; 2. the Sanctum tile set aside; 3. Temple tiles going into the tile bag, with the three Journal tiles set aside and not bagged; 4. each player choosing an explorer card and taking their starting health tokens; 5. placing the eruption marker on the volcano board track (spaces numbered 1-27, spiraling up the mountain); 6. reference cards showing the turn structure.)
Objective
This is a cooperative game. You must work together as a team to:
- Find the Sanctum by placing all the Temple tiles from the tile bag onto the board.
- Bring the three Keys to the Sanctum to release the Artifact.
- Return to the Entrance with the Artifact to win!
Round Structure
The game will last approximately twenty rounds. Each round, perform the following steps in order:
- Starting with the lead explorer, all explorers take a turn in clockwise order:
- A. That explorer performs actions
- B. That explorer rolls the hazard die
- At the end of the round:
- A. All guardian enemies on the board activate twice.
- B. Move the eruption marker one step down the volcano track.
Game End
The game ends when there are no surviving explorers remaining in the temple, or when all explorers are downed.
If an explorer managed to escape with the Artifact, you have won!
| Result | Rank |
|---|---|
| All explorers survived | Legendary |
| One explorer didn't survive | Gold |
| Two explorers didn't survive | Silver |
| Three or more explorers didn't survive | Bronze |
If your team failed to escape with the Artifact, you have lost.
| Result | Rank |
|---|---|
| Did not escape with artifact | Forgotten |
Placing Tiles
During the game, tiles will be drawn from the tile bag and placed on the board.
All tiles have two sides, the temple side, and the volcano side. All tiles are placed on the board temple side up. Don't worry about the volcano side for now.
Tiles cannot be placed behind or beyond the Wings, as shown.
Two tiles are connected if they are placed adjacent to each other, and there's no wall separating them.
Tiles can be placed so that an open side is facing a wall on another tile. In this case, the side between the tiles is considered a full wall, and the tiles are not connected.
Actions
Every turn, an explorer has two action points to spend on any number of the following actions. The same action can be used multiple times in a turn, and explorers don't have to spend all their action points if they'd prefer not to. An action can cost one, two or three action points to perform.
Reveal (1 action point)
Choose an open side of your current tile that doesn't yet have a tile connecting to it. Draw a temple tile from the tile bag, and place it temple-side up in that gap, so that it connects to your current tile.
You can choose any rotation, so long as a full connection is made to your current tile.
Move (1 action point)
Move from your current tile to an adjacent connected tile.
Some tiles cannot always be entered in this way. (see The Temple section below)
Explore (1 action point)
Reveal a tile, then you must immediately Move onto it as a single combined action. If the new tile cannot be entered in this way, you stay where you are. This is a much faster way to place tiles, but it's also much riskier.
Heal (1 action point)
Either regain one health point, or choose another explorer on your tile to regain one health point. No explorer can ever have more health points than the amount specified on their explorer card.
Handle Item (1 action point)
Choose one:
- Pick up an item lying on your tile. (Place it on your explorer card)
- Take an item held by another explorer on your tile.
- Give an item you're holding to another explorer on your tile.
- Place an item you're holding onto your tile.
The Keys and the Artifact are both items.
IMPORTANT: an explorer can only hold one item at once!
Attack (1 action point)
Roll the number die. If you roll a 4 or more, destroy an enemy on your tile. (it is returned to the supply)
Run (2 action points)
Perform up to three Move actions.
Dig (2 action points)
Remove a rubble token from an adjacent connected tile. (it is returned to the supply)
Explorer Actions
Additionally, each explorer has two special abilities, shown on their character card. Some of these are actions, which come with a cost in action points:
Abilities with no cost are passive abilities. They will always be "on" - you don't have to actively use them.
SPRINT — Perform two Move actions.
ALERT — You and other explorers on your tile cannot trigger traps or lose health from traps.
Exerting
Once per turn, an explorer may choose to spend a health point to gain a third action point for that turn. This is called exerting.
Running Out of Health
Explorers with one or more health points are considered active. They can perform actions as normal.
Explorers who fall to zero health are overcome by their injuries and become downed. Place the explorer meeple flat on its side. If it's currently their turn, their turn ends.
While downed, an explorer can perform only a single Move action each turn ("crawling"). They cannot perform any other actions and they cannot exert, though their passive abilities still apply. They still roll the hazard die at the end of their turn.
When a downed explorer is healed to one or more health by another explorer, they become active again. Stand the explorer meeple back upright.
Start Playing
You should now know:
- Your objective
- The round structure and turn structure
- How to perform basic actions (e.g. placing tiles, moving)
If you prefer, you can now start the game and learn the rest as you play. Just look up each tile type and hazard die result as you encounter them.
Good luck!
Hazards
Exploring a volcano temple is dangerous. At the end of each explorer's turn, that explorer rolls the hazard die.
There are six possible outcomes:
Stumble
If you exerted this turn, lose a health point.
Lava
ALL explorers standing on a lava tile lose a health point.
Collapse
If there are any ruin tiles on the board without a rubble token on them, roll the number die. If this number matches one of these tiles, that tile collapses:
- Put a rubble token on that tile.
- All explorers on that tile lose 5 health points.
- Destroy all enemies on that tile.
Ruin tiles that already have a rubble token on them cannot collapse until that token is removed.
Trigger Trap
Trigger all spike trap tiles you're standing on, and all dart trap tiles you're standing on or next to.
When a spike trap triggers, all explorers on that tile lose 3 health points.
When a dart trap triggers, all explorers on or next to that tile lose a health point.
(NOTE: only traps near the current explorer are triggered. Multiple traps can trigger from the same roll.)
Wake Guardian
Find the closest guardian tile to your current location. Place a guardian meeple on that tile.
(If there's a tie for closest, you choose one of them. See The Guardians section below)
Activate Guardians
Activate all guardians on the board. (see The Guardians section below)
The Artifact
When all the temple tiles have been placed on the board and the tile bag is empty, you have enough information to know where the Sanctum is. Place the Sanctum tile on the board so that it's connected to a tile in the furthest possible "column" from the temple entrance.
If more than one suitable tile exists, the lead explorer chooses one of them. If there is no suitable tile or valid placement location in the furthest column, use the next furthest column instead.
However, finding the Sanctum isn't enough - you need to unlock it to retrieve the Artifact inside.
To do this, place the key tokens on the Sanctum tile using the Handle Item action.
When the third key token is placed on the Sanctum tile, place the Artifact on the Sanctum's ledge space.
The Artifact can then be picked up like any other item, and you can start your journey back to the entrance!
The Curse
However...as soon as you pick up the Artifact, everything gets worse. Flip the lead explorer medallion over to the cursed side.
From now on:
- At the end of each explorer's turn, that explorer rolls both hazard dice, and applies their effects in either order.
- At the end of each round, the eruption marker is moved an additional step down the volcano track.
The Guardians
The Ashen Legion are the eternal guardians of the Artifact. They don't welcome intruders.
Placing Guardians
Whenever a guardian tile is placed on the board (other than the starting Wings), place a guardian on it.
Whenever an explorer rolls the guardian symbol on the hazard die, find the closest guardian tile to their current location, then place a guardian on it. (If there's a tie for the closest tile, the current explorer chooses one of them)
"Closest" is always determined using paths of connected tiles.
Activating Guardians
Twice at the end of every round, or whenever the guardian symbol is rolled on the hazard die, all guardians on the board will activate. Every time a guardian activates, they will perform the first applicable action from this list:
1. Attack
If on the same tile as an active explorer, an active explorer on that tile loses a health point.
(If more than one explorer is present, the lead explorer chooses who gets hurt)
2. Move
Otherwise: move one tile step towards the closest active explorer, unless blocked by a rubble token.
(If there's a tie for closest active explorer, or there's a choice of direction, the lead explorer chooses one of them)
3. Dig
Otherwise: remove the blocking rubble token from the board.
(If it matters, the lead explorer chooses the order in which the guardians activate)
Running Away
When an explorer leaves a tile that contains a guardian, they will lose a health point for each guardian on that tile. If this would remove your last health point, you fall down on the tile you just moved to.
Fighting Back
Guardians are not affected by traps or lava tiles. They can be destroyed by:
- The Attack action (on a 4+ die roll).
- Various specialist explorer actions.
- A ruin tile collapsing on them.
Special Tiles
The following multi-part tiles consist of two or more tiles stuck together. Each tile-sized space on them is considered a separate tile, except they're placed and flipped over as a group.
Entrance
This is where the explorers enter and leave the temple. All explorers start the game on the crossroads space.
If an explorer wants to leave the temple, they can move onto the exit space.
- Remove that explorer from the board.
- They are now safe, but they cannot return to the temple, perform any actions, or use any abilities.
- They still roll hazard dice at the end of their turn. Consider them as standing on the entrance tile if they roll the guardian symbol.
Wings (x2)
These are placed either side of the Entrance at the start of the game. Although these contain guardian spaces, and guardians can appear here, they do not start the game with guardians present.
Sanctum
This tile doesn't start the game on the board or in the bag, and needs to be discovered. (See The Artifact section below)
Line of Sight
Some abilities refer to being able to "see" a tile, explorer or enemy.
You can see anything in a straight line from your current location, except:
- You can't see through walls.
- You can't see into, out of, or through a tile containing a rubble token.
Destroying Walls
The Sapper can use their Demolish ability to destroy adjacent walls. Place a Demolish token over one side of your current tile.
From now on, neither tile covered by the token has a wall on the affected side. You can move, reveal and explore through the gap as normal.
The Temple
There are nine types of temple tile in the game, along with four special multi-part tiles (Entrance, Sanctum, and the two Wings).
Normal (x3)
These tiles have no special properties.
Bridge (x2)
Only one explorer can occupy this tile at once. It cannot be entered if there is already an explorer on it.
Key (x3)
When this tile is placed, immediately put a key token on it. This item can be picked up by using the Handle Item action, and is required to unlock the sanctum. (see The Artifact section below)
Lava (x5)
Explorers standing on this tile will lose a health point whenever ANY explorer rolls the lava result on the hazard die.
Spike Trap (x3)
Whenever an explorer enters this tile, they immediately roll the number die. On a 4 or more, they avoid the trap. Otherwise, it triggers.
When this trap is triggered, all explorers standing on this tile lose 3 health points.
Dart Trap (x4)
Dart traps also affect tiles adjacent and connected to them.
When this trap is triggered, all explorers standing on or next to this tile will lose a health point.
(Unlike spike traps, dart traps are not triggered on entry)
Ruin (x6)
When this tile is placed, immediately put a rubble token on it. Tiles with rubble tokens on them cannot be entered - the token has to be removed using the Dig action first. (If placed as part of an Explore action, do not move onto the ruin tile)
Cleared ruin tiles have a chance of collapsing again when the collapse result is rolled on the hazard die. Explorers standing on them when they collapse will lose 5 health points.
Guardian (x4)
When this tile is placed, place a guardian on this tile.
When the guardian symbol is rolled on the hazard die, a guardian is placed on the closest guardian tile to the current explorer. (see The Guardians section, below)
Journal (x3)
Journal tiles are a special type of temple tile placed by the Aristocrat. These don't start the game in the tile bag, but are otherwise identical to normal tiles once placed.
The Volcano
At the end of each round, the eruption marker is moved one step down the volcano track (or two steps if the Artifact has been picked up).
While the marker is above zero, everything is fine.
When the marker reaches zero, the volcano is ready to erupt. The next time an explorer rolls the lava result on the hazard die, remove the marker and flip the volcano board over:
- If the Artifact hasn't left the Sanctum, or the Sanctum hasn't been placed yet, the game is over and your team has lost.
- If the Sanctum tile has been placed, flip it over to the volcano side.
Whenever a tile is flipped over, remove all tokens and meeples from it. Explorers on that tile are killed, and guardians on that tile are destroyed. Explorers can no longer enter the tile.
Unfortunately, explorers who are killed still roll the hazard dice at the end of their turn. Consider them as being on the entrance tile if they roll the guardian symbol.
From now on, the eruption will spread whenever:
- The eruption marker would have moved one step down the volcano track (i.e. twice at the end of every round, as the artifact has been picked up)
- An explorer rolls the lava result on the hazard die (in addition to the normal effects)
When the eruption spreads, flip over all temple-side tiles that are connected and adjacent to a volcano side tile, keeping all existing connections intact. (The wing and entrance tiles flip over as a group)
WARNING: THE LAVA MOVES QUICKLY. GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!
Acknowledgements
Tim Pinder: Game Designer, Creative Director
Rose Atkinson: Game Development, Narrative Development
Leigh Murphy & Heather McDade: Assistant Development
Diana Franco Campos: Illustrator
Marco Luna Villela: Graphic Designer
Peter Blenkharn: Project Manager
Character Development Consultants Tia Brawn Patrick Lickman Sye Robertson Ursula Searle Fawn Hunkins-Beckford Breyana Scales Lee Hulme Skyler Klee
Inside the Box Board Games LLP
Inside the Box Board Games LLP is an indie tabletop publishing and design company based in London, UK. We're focused on designing innovative and engaging games across a range of themes that communicate powerful stories and ideas.
If you want to join us as an enthusiastic game designer, or as an illustrator, graphic designer, videographer, or want to connect with us as a reviewer, game store or otherwise, then hit us up on our website!
We're going to make amazing games, will you join us?