# Dice Conquest

## Rules

### Lore

The dragon Kalterstorm laid waste to the countryside before retiring to its lair in the ruins of Raxor Thun. You are tasked with the destruction of the dragon, but a gauntlet of creatures stands in your way.

### Components:

- 23 Creature cards
- 4 Health tokens
- 9 Trap cards (only used in Advanced Play for added difficulty)
- 8 Hero cards
- 4 Health Tracker cards
- 4 Player Aid cards
- 7 Polyhedral dice
- 1 1st Player Token

### Overview:

In this cooperative game, one or more Heroes will battle Creatures by selecting and placing dice. Once the total of the values of all the dice on a Creature is equal to or more than that Creature's health, it is defeated! Using inherent special abilities, critical hits, and Loot (Magic Items) gained from defeating certain Creatures, the Heroes will be able to face the final foe, the dragon, Kalterstorm. Should any Hero fall, at any time, all players have lost.

### Setup:

1. Each player chooses one of the Hero cards. Remaining Hero cards can be discarded back to the box.
2. Each player also chooses one Player Aid, Health Tracker card, and a Health token. Remaining Player Aids, Health cards, and tokens can be discarded back to the box. Place the Health token on the number of health corresponding to the number of Heroes in the game.
- 4 Heroes: 4 health each
- 3 Heroes: 6 health each
- 2 Heroes: 10 health each
- 1 Hero: 20 health
3. Give the First Player token to the noblest Hero. If the players cannot decide, the youngest adventurer will be given the token.
4. Remove Kalterstorm from the Creature deck and shuffle the remaining Creature cards. Place the shuffled Creature cards in a deck facedown and place Kalterstorm on the bottom of the deck.
5. Draw three Creature cards and place them faceup in a display next to the Creature deck. Place each Creature to the right of the previous one. Resolve any Reveal effects on these cards from left to right. Note: some Creatures make you draw more Creature cards – these are also added to the display and their Reveal effects are also resolved.
6. Place the dice within reach of all players. This area will be called the Available Dice area. Choose another area to be the Spent Dice area: where dice that have been discarded are placed.

### Gameplay:

Dice Conquest is played over a series of rounds. Each round begins with the First Player rolling all dice in the Available Dice area. Then, starting with the First Player and going clockwise, each Hero will choose one die and resolve it to attack a Creature. This continues until the end of the round is triggered (see Round End).

#### Attacking Creatures:

On your turn, you must choose one die from the Available Dice area to attack a Creature. Once chosen, you may not select another die. You may keep the number shown on the chosen die, or you may reroll that die one time. You must keep this new roll.

To attack a Creature, place the chosen die on the Creature's card keeping the value of the die faceup. This is the amount of damage done to the Creature.

Example: The Knight chooses a D6 showing a '1' and decides to reroll it to get a higher number. A '4' is rolled. The Knight places this die on the Skeleton, which means the Skeleton has suffered 4 damage so far.

#### Special Dice Notes:

- When choosing the D10 die (10-sided die with one digit on each face), the "0" face is equal to a 10.
- When choosing the D10% die (10-sided die with two digits on each face), the 00 face is equal to a 10. For all other faces, only use the first digit (for example, 20 = 2, and 30 = 3). A 10 on this die is similarly read as a 1 (and not a 10).

#### Slaying a Creature:

As soon as the sum of all dice on a Creature equals or exceeds the Health Number, that Creature is slain. This can happen when a new die is placed on the Creature and/or when an effect alters the current dice on a Creature that would now meet the threshold to slay it.

#### Creature Abilities:

Several Creatures have abilities that activate upon their reveal, to be resolved after a minimum of 3 Creatures are drawn to the display (during setup and the end of a round). Other abilities, such as those that affect themselves or the Heroes, are active when the Creature is in the display.

Example: The Giant Spider has two abilities: when revealed it does one damage to a Hero, and it will only accept odd-numbered dice placed on it.

Example: The Basilisk, while in the display, prevents the Heroes from rerolling dice for any reason until it is slain.

#### Hero Abilities and Critical Hits:

When attacking Creatures, you may use your Hero's ability which may modify the normal game rules. In addition, if you choose a die equal to your Critical Hit number, you may also use the ability shown for the Critical Hit when attacking with that die. You can use abilities in any order you choose.

Any abilities that bring dice out of the Spent Dice area back into the Available Dice area are rerolled first.

Example: The Wizard wishes to attack the Stone Golem which has 16 health left. He chooses the D12 showing a 4 on it and rerolls it. A 7. Not what is needed so the Wizard uses his ability to reroll again. A 10! This allows the Wizard to use his Critical Hit ability to slay a Creature with 20 or less health.

The Stone Golem gets discarded and the D8 that was on it as well as the D12 that was just used are placed in the Spent Dice area.

If the Creature does not possess Loot, remove it from the game. If it possesses Loot, give the card to any Hero.

All dice on the slain Creature are discarded to the Spent Dice area.

#### Loot:

Some Creatures have Loot listed on the bottom of their card. If you slay a Creature, you may take the Creature card and keep any Loot for yourself or give it to another Hero. Loot may be used at any time during your turn by discarding the Loot, unless stated otherwise.

Example: The Rogue has the Loot, Dagger of Piercing (found on the Gargoyle). He really wants to use his Critical Hit ability but there isn't a "4" showing on any of the Available Dice. However, the D4 is showing a "1" so he discards the Loot and chooses to use the D4 to activate his Critical Hit ability.

#### Round End:

When either (a) all Creatures in the display have been slain, (b) all dice have been placed or Spent, or (c) any Hero chooses to pass, the round ends and you must do the following:

1. Take Damage. If there are any remaining Creatures in the display, the Heroes take damage equal to the sum of the damage shown on the Creature cards. Starting with the First Player and going clockwise, each Hero takes 1 point of damage until all Creature damage is allocated.

Example: A Skeleton, Hag, and Banshee are in the display. The sum of their damage is 4. The First Player is the Cleric, followed by the Rogue and then the Wizard. Allocate one damage to the Cleric then going clockwise, the Rogue takes one damage, then the Wizard takes one damage, and finally, the Cleric takes a second point of damage. Since 4 damage has been allocated, no more damage is taken.

If the Health of a Hero ever reaches the skull, that Hero has fallen, and all players have lost the game.

2. Remove or Keep Spent Dice. Any dice that have been placed on Creatures that have not been slain may be left on the Creatures or removed to the Spent Dice area, to be rolled next round.

Example: a D20 showing a "2" is on a Cave Giant. Since that is such a low number for the die, the Heroes decide to remove the die so it can used next round to hopefully better effect.

3. Prepare for the next round.
a. Pass the First Player token clockwise.
b. Draw 3 new Creature cards and place them in the display next to the rightmost Creature card (if there is one) then resolve any Reveal effects on these 3 new Creatures from left to right. If there are no more Creature cards in the deck, continue a new round without dealing any new Creature cards (it often takes more than 1 round to defeat Kalterstorm).

### Game End:

The game ends when Kalterstorm is slain (all players win) or one Hero has fallen (all players lose).

### Advanced Play: Traps

Trap cards are optional cards that increase the game's difficulty. After mastering the standard game, you may shuffle in 2, 3 or 4 Trap cards into the Creature deck during setup.

Each time a Trap is revealed, draw an additional Creature card (a minimum of 3 new Creatures are always drawn during Setup and when preparing for the next round), and any Reveal effects are resolved on all new Creature and Trap cards from left to right as usual.

### Clarifications:

a. For each damage that is healed, move the Health token up the Health Tracker. (You may not heal past your original starting health). If there is a Heal and damage effect at the same time, you can Heal first.

b. If placing a die will cause a Creature to be slain, all the dice on it are immediately considered Spent for purposes of Hero abilities that let you return or roll Spent dice. However, a Creature's ability (such as a Hero having to take damage when a die is placed on that Creature) will still occur even if the die causes the Creature to be slain.

c. The dice are limited to their maximum number, and you may not change a die to be more than it otherwise could be (i.e., you cannot change a D10 to an 11).

d. In most cases, Creature abilities will override conflicting Hero abilities and Loot, but certain types of abilities may be countered:
- Damage Abilities: Abilities that let you avoid damage (Knight, Warrior, Ring of Invisibility), will override the Creature ability of dealing damage (Cave Giant, Kalterstorm, etc.).
- Dice Manipulation: Abilities that let you manipulate dice on a Creature after placement (Ranger, Sword of Flame, etc.) may be used even if their use would violate a number limitation (Troll, Rat Swarm) or an odd/even restriction (Stone Golem, Giant Spider).
- Loot Dealing Damage: Loot that deal damage to a Creature (Wand of Blasting, Potion of Strength) are not limited by odd/even restrictions, but cannot slay a Creature if their damage causes the total damage to exceed the Health of a Creature with an exact restriction (Gremlin, Doppelganger, Skeleton).

## Creature Cards

### Kalterstorm

Attack: `1`
HP: `50`
Condition: `LAST`
Rules: `Only attack Kalterstorm if it is the last remaining creature. Take 1 damage when placing a die on this creature. You cannot use any critical hits when attacking this creature.`

### Gargoyle

Attack: `1`
HP: `17`
Condition:
Rules: `When placing a die on this creature, discard an Available die to the Spend Dice area.`
Loot: `Dagger of Piercing: Discard to activate your critical hit on a 1.`

### Were Rat

Attack: `1`
HP: `14`
Condition: `REVEAL`
Rules: `Draw an additional card.`
Loot: `Ring of Invisibility: Discard to take no damage when placing a die on a creature.`

### Doppelganger

Attack: `1`
HP: `18`
Condition: `EXACT`
Rules: `Until this creature is slain, discard the highest set of matching numbers rolled at the beginning of each round. This creature must be slain by EXACTLY 18 damage.`

### Giant Cobra

Attack: `2`
HP: `26`
Condition:
Rules: `Take 1 damage when placing a die on this Creature.`
Loot: `Amulet of Antiquity: Discard to return a Spent die to the Available Dice Area.`

### Goblin Scout

Attack: `1`
HP: `9`
Condition:
Rules: `Discard the die with the highest number when rolled at the beginning of the round. If a tie, the first player chooses.`

### Troll

Attack: `2`
HP: `21`
Condition: `1-9`
Rules: `No die of 10+ may be placed on this creature.`
Loot: `Mace of Smiting: Discard to reroll a die.`

### Gremlin

Attack: `1`
HP: `3`
Condition: `EXACT`
Rules: `You cannot use Loot until this creature is slain. This creature must be slain by EXACTLY 3 damage.`
Loot: `Ring of the Mage: Discard to reroll all Available dice.`

### Wyvern

Attack: `3`
HP: `23`
Condition:
Rules:
Loot: `Sword of Flame: Discard when placing a die to increase all other dice on the creature by 2.`

### Banshee

Attack: `1`
HP: `13`
Condition:
Rules: `You cannot return any Spent dice until this creature is slain.`
Loot: `Quicksilver Blade: Discard to add +1/-1 to your chosen die.`

### Goblin Shaman

Attack: `1`
HP: `12`
Condition:
Rules: `You cannot use critical hits until this creature is slain.`
Loot: `Wand of Blasting: Place this card on a creature to deal 3 damage to it. Discard this card when the creature is slain.`

### Goblin Champion

Attack: `2`
HP: `13`
Condition:
Rules:
Loot: `Potion of Prowess: Discard to add +1/-1 to any die.`

### Bugbear

Attack: `2`
HP: `20`
Condition:
Rules:

### Warg Rider

Attack: `2`
HP: `16`
Condition:
Rules:

### Cave Giant

Attack: `3`
HP: `34`
Condition:
Rules: `Take 1 damage when placing a die on this creature.`
Loot: `Potion of Strength: Place this card on a creature to deal 5 damage to it. Discard this card when the creature is slain.`

### Stone Golem

Attack: `1`
HP: `22`
Condition: `EVEN`
Rules: `Only EVEN dice may be placed on this creature.`

### Shade

Attack: `1`
HP: `11`
Condition:
Rules: `Take 1 damage when placing a die on this creature.`

### Giant Spider

Attack: `2`
HP: `18`
Condition: `ODD`
Rules: `REVEAL: One hero must take 1 damage. Only ODD dice may be placed on this creature.`
Loot: `Gauntlet of Healing: Discard this card to heal 1 damage of any hero.`

### Ogre

Attack: `2`
HP: `30`
Condition: `FIRST`
Rules: `You cannot target any other creature until this creature is slain.`

### Rat Swarm

Attack: `1`
HP: `7`
Condition: `1-4`
Rules: `No die of 5+ may be placed on this creature.`

### Hag

Attack: `1`
HP: `11`
Condition: `REVEAL`
Rules: `Draw an additional card.`
Loot: `Healing Salve: Discard this card to heal 1 damage of any hero.`

### Skeleton

Attack: `2`
HP: `8`
Condition: `EXACT`
Rules: `This creature must be slain by EXACTLY 8 damage.`

### Basilisk

Attack: `1`
HP: `15`
Condition:
Rules: `You cannot reroll until this creature is slain.`
Loot: `Scroll of Holding: Discard to cancel one creature's attacks this round.`

## Hero Cards

### Warrior

Ability: `If you take damage during your attack (not at the end of the round), you may immediately roll and place a spent die to any creature. This additional placement doesn't deal additional damage to you.`
Crit Hit: `5 - Change this die to any number and heal yourself 1 damage.`

### Cleric

Ability: `After choosing and rolling a die, you may choose to place a different die than the one rolled (without rerolling that die).`
Crit Hit: `6 - Change this die to any number and heal 1 damage of any hero.`

### Knight

Ability: `When attacking with a die that is 7 or less, you cannot take damage, unless fighting Kalterstorm.`
Crit Hit: `3 - Change this die to any number or discard it to slay a creature with 10 or less remaining health.`

### Ranger

Ability: `If a die is 5 or less, you may double its value immediately after placing it. It must be exactly double.`
Crit Hit: `7 - Change this die to any number and, after placing, roll and place a Spent die to any other creature.`

### Rogue

Ability: `When you slay a creature, return one spent die to the Available Dice area.`
Crit Hit: `4 - Change this die to any number or discard it to slay a creature with 10 or less remaining health.`

### Sorceress

Ability: `When placing a die, increase all other dice on that creature by 2.`
Crit Hit: `8 - When placing this die, roll and return one Spent die to the Available Dice area.`

### Thief

Ability: `Discard a die to use any other die in the Spent Dice area. You must roll the Spent die and may not reroll it.`
Crit Hit: `2 - Change this die to any number and take the last discarded Magic Item.`

### Wizard

Ability: `You may reroll twice when attacking.`
Crit Hit: `10 - Discard this die to slay any creature with 20 or less remaining health.`

## FAQ

### Rerolling dice when returning from Spent area
**Question:** When returning a die from the spent to the available dice area, is it a given that it is always rerolled? Because I do not see that in the rules and the rogue card doesn't mention rerolling.
**Answer:** Any abilities that bring dice out of the Spent Dice area back into the Available Dice area are rerolled first.

### What happens if I can't place a die?
**Question:** What happens if I cannot place the die? For example, if all I've got to attack is the golem (even dice only) and my rerolled result is odd, is the die wasted and discarded and Spent? Is discarding the die considered a PASS which triggers "ending the turn"?
**Answer:** If you can't legally place your die then you just discard it. It is not a pass that would end the round. Just place it in Spent and go to the next die.

### Using Critical Hit ability more than once
**Question:** Can you use a character's Critical Hit ability more than once on the same turn?
**Answer:** Yes. Critical hits are used when placing (sometimes discarding) a die with your critical hit number, and since you choose one die per turn, you would typically only be able to use a critical hit once per turn. You can use it multiple times per round as long as you have matching dice, but only once per turn.

### Understanding the 1 to 9 range on monsters
**Question:** What does 1 to 9 mean on a monster? Other cards say various things under health too.
**Answer:** They specify what numbers are allowed to be applied to that card. Other examples are "odd" or "even," and your example of 1-9 means you may only put those numbers on, not higher, so no 10.

### Clarifying the Sorceress's ability
**Question:** About the Sorceress ability (When placing a die, increase all other dice on that creature by 2). Does it mean +2 for each die placed on that creature, or just a +2 bonus regardless of the number of dice placed?
**Answer:** It’s +2 for each other die, not just a flat +2.

### Can affected dice exceed their maximum value?
**Question:** Can the affected die go up +1 if it hits its maximum number of sides? Or would the skill not take effect? Using 5 on a d6 as an example; would it become 6 or stay 5?
**Answer:**

### Using items after all dice are spent or placed
**Question:** Are you allowed to use items after all the dice are spent or placed?
**Answer:** Technically your turn is over. However, it's common in cooperative play to place the last die and then use a card, though rules suggest playing the card before placing the last die.

### Basilisk's reroll prevention vs. Rogue's ability
**Question:** Does the Basilisk's reroll prevention stop the Rogue's ability to return a Spent die to the Available Dice area?
**Answer:** It only stops the attacking reroll. Returned dice are always rerolled (they are essentially a new die that has entered the game).

### Using abilities/critical hits without full resolution
**Question:** Can you use abilities or critical hits that you can't fully resolve?
**Answer:** Yes, you can use the crits even if you can't take full advantage of their power.

### Interaction between Banshee and Thief's abilities
**Question:** Does the Banshee prevent the Thief's ability to use a die from the Spent Area?
**Answer:** The banshee prevents the thief’s ability.

### Using the Wizard's Critical Hit for 30 damage
**Question:** Can the Wizard's Critical Hit be used to deal 30 damage, like against a full-health Ogre?
**Answer:** You do not get to put the die on a creature. To use the critical hit, you discard it to deal 20 or less damage.

### Using multiple magic items and swapping them
**Question:** Can a hero use multiple magic items in one turn? Can heroes swap magic items at any time?
**Answer:** Once assigned to a hero, the magic items may not be swapped again, but a hero may use multiple magic items in one turn.

### Thief's ability to retrieve items after modifying dice
**Question:** Can the Thief take back the Potion of Prowess or Quicksilver Blade after using it to modify a die?
**Answer:** Yes, you can. She’s very shifty!

### Discarding a die on Kalterstorm or similar creatures
**Question:** Do you have to place a die on Kalterstorm if you roll it, or can you just discard it?
**Answer:** Once you choose a die, you have to place it if you are able. You can pass before choosing a die, but once chosen, it must be placed if possible.

### Handling dice that can't legally be placed
**Question:** What happens if I reroll a die and it can't legally be placed on the last available creature?
**Answer:** After the re-roll, you have to place it (you can't choose not to place), but if it's not possible (not legal) then discard the die.

### Knight's power and damage mitigation
**Question:** Does the Knight's power prevent all party damage, or just their own?
**Answer:** The knight only soaks damage when placing dice of 7 or less on a creature. That damage is completely mitigated. However, he still takes damage normally at the end of the round from creatures that remain.

### Rogue's ability to return the die used to kill a creature
**Question:** Can the Rogue return the die used to kill a creature to the Available Dice area?
**Answer:** Yes, as soon as the monster is slain the dice is considered spent. So, you can reroll and put it back into the available pool.

### Moving Spent dice back to the Available Dice pool
**Question:** Do Spent dice move back to the Available Dice pool at the beginning of a new round?
**Answer:** All spent dice are moved to the available dice pool at the beginning of the round. Only dice you choose to leave on creatures remain.

### Difference between discarded and spent dice
**Question:** Are discarded dice different from spent dice?
**Answer:** Discarded dice go to the Spent area, so they are no different from dice put there for any other reason.

### Ring of Invisibility usage clarification
**Question:** Does Ring of Invisibility protect against all die placements in a round or just one?
**Answer:** Just the one die for the one ring. After all, you can discard the card only once.

### Handling matching numbers with "discard highest set" rules
**Question:** Does the "discard the highest set of matching numbers" rule apply even if there are no matches?
**Answer:** Correct on both. If no matches, keep everything. If the highest matching set is more than 2 dice, discard them all.

### Clarifying Dagger of Piercing usage
**Question:** Does Dagger of Piercing activate on a roll of 1 or on a creature that does 1 damage?
**Answer:** Yes, you are correct. It’s when using a die.

### What to do with a die that gets an invalid value after rerolling
**Question:** What happens if you reroll a die and get an invalid value for the targeted creature?
**Answer:** You don't have to declare which creature you want to attack. After the reroll, if the value is invalid, you must discard the die.

### Clarifying the Scroll of Holding's effect
**Question:** Does the Scroll of Holding cancel a creature's damage or its ability?
**Answer:** A creature's attack refers to its end-of-round damage. The scroll will prevent that creature’s full damage from happening, protecting all heroes.

### Dying while killing Kalterstorm: Who wins?
**Question:** Can you use your last life point to kill Kalterstorm? Who wins in this case?
**Answer:** Kalterstorm will still deal the damage in this case, so you are also dead and unable to claim victory. However, you're welcome to ignore this interpretation and declare yourself the winner!

### Handling game-freezing situations with the Ogre and Banshee
**Question:** What happens if I can't beat the Ogre while the Banshee is in play?
**Answer:** You'd have to pass and move to the Round End. The banshee blocks abilities within the round but doesn’t stop the flow of the round’s end.

### Round end conditions in a 4-player game
**Question:** Does every player have to pass to end the round in a 4-player game?
**Answer:** Only one player needs to pass to end the round.

### Ranger's ability with dice that exceed max value
**Question:** Can the Ranger double a die if it would exceed the die's maximum value?
**Answer:** The Ranger's ability can't double a die if it would exceed the die's maximum value. You could double a 3 on a D6 but not a 4.

### Handling rerolled odd dice with Kalterstorm and Stone Golem
**Question:** What happens if you reroll a die and it becomes odd, but only an even die can be placed on Stone Golem?
**Answer:** You must pass, and by passing, the round ends.