TPK: Total Party Kill
TPK: Total Party Kill Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
A total of 105 cards divided into:
- 7 dungeon level cards
- 5 Character cards
- 40 character equipment cards
- 8 additional potion and amulet cards
- 45 threat cards (treasures, traps, monsters, ...)
Objective of the Game
You must work together to leave the dungeon alive and with as many treasure cards as possible.
Setup
Choose a character sheet and take the 8 equipment cards assigned to that character (marked with its character icon). Shuffle these cards and place them face down beside you, forming your equipment deck.
Shuffle all the threat cards and place them face down, forming a deck to one side of the table. Arrange the 7 dungeon level cards in order, from level 1 to level 7, and place them next to the threat card deck.
Everything is now ready to begin! Whoever most recently went down into a dungeon will start the game. If nobody has been in any dungeon, the oldest player begins, and play proceeds clockwise.
Look at the level 1 dungeon card. This card shows the total number of threat cards to place on the table, face up for everyone to see; the number of cards each participant draws from their equipment deck; and how many of those cards you must keep and how many you must discard before facing that dungeon level.
Note: The cards you do not draw from your deck, and the cards you decide to discard from your hand, are set aside for later levels; they can no longer be used in the level in play. Depending on the challenges posed by the threat cards, choose from the equipment cards you have drawn the ones you consider best for overcoming the level.
Character sheets must be kept in view, since they show each character's abilities and equipment. This gives a clue about which threats each character can mainly overcome, so that all characters know what contribution is most likely from each of them. This will help you choose which equipment cards to bring to each dungeon level.
Game Turn
The characters must overcome the threats shown on the cards, always in order from left to right.
On your turn, decide whether to use any of your cards to overcome one or several threats you find in the dungeon. As long as you have cards in your hand and do not pass, it is your turn.
Each time you use one of your cards to overcome a threat, that card returns to your own equipment deck, and the threat card is turned over to show that it has been overcome.
Overcoming a threat is very simple: you only need to show an equipment card with the same icon as the threat card.
Example of a Turn
Miguel, Elena and Javi are going to be Brin, Taric and Galen. Since there are 3 characters, level 1 of the dungeon will have 3 threats: a small monster, a large monster (x2) and a secret door. Miguel was the last to go down into the basement of the house, so he starts with his character, Brin, a specialist in secret doors. He decides to keep his card and pass his turn to Elena, the second to play.
She is Taric and has an x2 weapon, but first there is a small monster, so she decides to pass. She trusts that Javi, with Galen, has a weapon to overcome the small monster and that Brin can find the secret door.
Javi also has an x2 weapon, but since Miguel and Elena have passed, if the turn returns to Miguel they will have lost the game, so he uses it. He trusts that Taric has an x2 weapon to finish off the large monster, which is why Elena has passed, since she knows Taric cannot find secret doors. Javi uses Galen's weapon against the small monster (turn the card over).
Miguel's turn again, and now there is a large monster. He passes again, knowing that Elena can attack the monster with Taric. If he passed on attacking the small one earlier, it is because he has an x2 weapon! Elena attacks with Taric's x2 weapon and defeats the large monster (turn the card over).
Javi has already spent the card he had with Galen's weapon, so he passes the turn to Miguel. Only the secret door remains to be overcome.
Good thing: Brin keeps the torch that lets them find the secret door (turn the card over).
They have overcome level 1! Since Miguel overcame the last threat of the dungeon level, he takes charge of collecting, shuffling and setting up level 2 of the dungeon.
Likewise, you may decide not to use your cards and pass the turn. Then the initiative passes to the person on your left, who must face the threat or pass again. But beware! If the rest of the table is not able to overcome the threat you let pass (because they do not have the appropriate equipment card, or because they want to keep some card for later) and the turn returns to you, you will have failed the exploration. You have lost the game immediately.
Very important! We are exploring a dungeon that hides treasures and dangers alike, so we must move with the utmost stealth. This means that nobody may speak to choose their cards or to decide whether to use them. You must trust that the rest of the group will do its job according to their abilities and equipment.
You cannot speak to choose your cards or to use them!
Overcoming a Dungeon Level
The dark dungeon the characters venture into has 7 different levels, which must be overcome one by one.
There are 4 types of threats in the dungeon:
- Monsters: Aggressive creatures ready to end our lives.
- Locked doors: Old but sturdy wooden and iron doors block some passages of the dungeon.
- Traps: Hidden and dangerous mechanisms guard the treasures the dungeon holds.
- Secret doors: Hidden from inexperienced eyes, they must be discovered in order to find the most valuable treasures.
You must decide when to use your equipment cards so that, with your choices, you overcome all the threat cards each level has.
Once a level is overcome:
- Gather all the threat cards and shuffle them again, forming the dungeon deck for the next level.
- Shuffle the equipment cards too, each player their own, including any treasures you have acquired, and leave each deck ready for the next level.
- Whoever overcame the last threat of the previous level begins the next level. They consult the new level card and place the threat cards (making one row per level), and announce how many cards you must draw from the deck and how many you must keep in hand.
End of the Game
Once the threats of level 7 are overcome, you will have escaped the dungeon and can enjoy the treasures. You have won! But depending on the total number of treasures kept across the whole group, you will become legends. The characters will earn the following reputation:
| Treasures | Reputation |
|---|---|
| 0 | Laughingstock of the dungeon |
| 1 | Cheap amateurs |
| 2 | Beginners in practice |
| 3 | Lucky opportunists |
| 4 | Persistent dungeon looters |
| 5 | Brave treasure hunters |
| 6 | Dungeon-delving professionals |
| 7 | Bards will sing of your deeds |
| 8 | Great legends of dungeon-delving |
| 9 | Your heroism will be carved in stone, with honor and glory |
| 10 | You have won a throne in paradise, the respect of dragons, and free drinks in the frontier taverns |
Card Descriptions
Dungeon Level Cards
There are seven dungeon level cards. The characters must overcome the 7 levels, from the first to the last. The level cards show the following information:
- The number of threat cards the level has, depending on the number of characters. For example, on level 3 in games with 4 characters there will be a total of 12 cards.
- The number of cards you must draw from your equipment deck.
- The number of cards you must choose from among the cards drawn. This will be the equipment with which your character will try to overcome the threats ahead. They must be chosen after revealing the threat cards that will be placed on the table.
Character Sheets
Choose 5 different characters. On the character sheet card you will find its name, an illustration of the character, an icon of its profession and its attributes. The attributes show the number of icons it carries in its equipment for overcoming the dungeon's threats. The 5 characters are:
- Taric (warrior): Specializes in fighting monsters and breaking down locked doors. This is the recommended character for those who want an easier game, as it is the character who has the fewest decisions to make.
- Galen (dwarf): Specializes in disarming traps.
- Brin (elf): Specializes in finding secret doors. Probably the most difficult character to play.
- Land (thief): Can do everything, although their specialty is picking locks.
- Pentegarn (mage): More versatile thanks to their magic, but above all their offensive spells against monsters stand out.
Character Equipment Cards
Each character has its assigned cards, marked with the profession icon, similar to the one on the character sheet.
The character's equipment cards also include the equipment illustration and the icon of the threat it can overcome:
- Monster
- Trap
- Locked door
- Secret door
There are special equipment cards:
- Versatile equipment: Cards that show two icons separated by a slash. They let you choose which icon to use.
- Powerful equipment: Serves to overcome a dungeon card also marked "x2", but will also serve to defeat two simple cards placed consecutively.
- Ranged weapons: Ranged weapons can reach any enemy located between the last threat card overcome and the next locked door or secret door. Ranged weapons can skip monsters or traps, but cannot go beyond locked or secret doors.
- Powerful ranged weapons: Eliminates "x2" enemy cards or two consecutive enemy threats (not separated cards). It can be used at range.
Potions and Amulets
For games with 2 or 3 characters, replace some of the basic equipment cards with potions and amulets. These new cards improve their competencies and will allow them to face a greater variety of threats.
Three-Player Games
The potions you must add for 3-player games are shown in the following table (marked with the 2/3 icon). Each row shows the hero, the equipment card to remove, the potion to add, and the resulting equipment:
| Hero | Remove | Add potion | Resulting equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taric | Sword (monster) | Potion | Monster / Trap / Secret door / Locked door |
| Galen | Sword (monster) | Potion | Powerful monster (x2) / Locked door |
| Brin | Sword (monster) | Potion | Powerful ranged weapon (x2) |
| Land | Locked door | Potion | Monster / Locked door |
| Pentegarn | Sword (monster) | Potion | Powerful ranged weapon (x2) / Locked door |
Two-Player Games
Besides the potions, when there are only 2 players, some characters may choose an amulet from the two available options summarized below (marked with the 2 icon). "Or" marks the choice between the two options:
| Hero | Remove | Add amulet |
|---|---|---|
| Galen | Trap | Option A: Secret door / Trap; or Option B: Trap / Locked door |
| Brin | Secret door | Option A: Secret door / Trap; or Option B: Secret door / Locked door |
| Land | Locked door | Option A: Trap / Locked door; or Option B: Secret door / Locked door |
Dungeon
The threat cards depict the various dangers the characters will encounter in their search for treasure and glory.
Threat cards show the illustration and the icon of the type of danger (monster, trap, locked door, secret door), and therefore the icon needed to overcome them.
There are special threat cards:
- Versatile: Can be overcome with different types of icon.
- Powerful enemies ("x2"): It is necessary to use an "x2" item, or two simple items, to defeat them. Simple items from different characters cannot be combined against the same powerful monster.
- Treasures: The most important card in the game, since it is what the characters have gone down into the dungeon for.
To obtain a treasure card, you must overcome the card immediately before it. With the path clear, take the treasure, place it in your equipment deck (not in your hand) and end your turn.
Note: Remember that taking a treasure ends your turn.
When passing to the next dungeon level, this treasure may appear in your hand. You may use it as a wild card against any threat of the dungeon cards. Against anyone!
But when you use a treasure as a wild card, it returns to the dungeon deck and not to your equipment cards. With it, you have overcome the threat but lost the treasure, which may reappear on another dungeon level.
Note: If several treasure cards appear consecutively, taking the first card automatically ends your turn. The player after you takes the next card, ends their turn, and so on until there are no more consecutive treasures. The goal is that nobody accumulates treasures two at a time.
Remember that the objective of the game is to leave dungeon level 7 with as many treasures as possible.
Game Mode: Infernal Dungeon
Do you want to explore the dungeon in expert mode? You can attempt this challenge with a small change to the rules described above.
In this game mode, when a character uses a treasure card to overcome a threat card, instead of shuffling it back into the dungeon threat deck, it is removed from the game.
Will you now be able to leave the dungeon alive? And how many treasures will you be able to keep at the end?