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Dunjiin™ is an Adventurous Game for 2-6 players ages 8 and up. Typical playtime is 15-45 minutes. These are the latest Official Rules. v1r140613
Download Dunjiin™ Rules:
These rules sheets are designed to fit into your Dunjiin™ game box. Print on regular paper, double-sided with crop marks in order to trim it down to 7×10 and fold it in half, then half again, then once more so that they will fit neatly inside your box. You should end up with 2 sheets of rules totaling 4 legible pages of rules.
REQUIRED TO PLAY
• 108-card Dunjiin Deck: 66 Monster cards, 26 Treasure cards, 12 Magic cards, and 4 Death Fairy Cards.
• 3 Armor Point counters per player. Coins are recommended. (Not included)
OVERVIEW
You and your fellow explorers are out looking for adventure in the monster-infested Dunjiin! Create a character to search for treasure and magic items while battling fearsome monsters. As your adventure proceeds, you may level up your character, hire assassins and summon powerful dragons. Keep a close eye on your treacherous fellow adventurers, and beware the dreaded Death Fairy! The adventure ends when only one Player remains.
GETTING STARTED
Select a person to be the Dunjiin Dealer.
Each Player places 3 Armor Points (AP) in front of them. We use coins; you can use anything you like as long as they all match!
ORDER OF PLAY
1. Each player is dealt a Character by a dealer.
2. Players take turns in clockwise order, starting with the player to the dealer’s left.
3. On your turn, you may play one Action.
4. When no cards remain in the Dunjiin draw deck, shuffle the discard pile and return them to the Dunjiin deck.
5. Play continues until only one player survives the Dunjiin.
For Normal Play (2-6 players):
The dealer shuffles all 108 Dunjiin cards together thoroughly. Have the player to the dealer’s right cut the deck.
For Faster Play (2-3 players):
Separate the cards into Red and Blue decks. Select one color to use; shuffle and cut this deck only.
CHARACTER CREATION
Starting with the player to the dealer’s left, and continuing clockwise, lay a single card face-up in front of each player. Continue to deal until each player has 3 Monster cards. If a player receives 3 Monster cards before the others, stop dealing to that player and continue dealing to the others until everyone has 3 Monster cards. Place the remaining cards face down in the center of the table within everyone’s reach. This stack represents “The Dunjiin.”
In addition to the Monster cards, players may also have received Magic Items, and Treasure; These cards and the Armor Points represent each character’s equipment. Players may also have one or more Death Fairy cards. (The only card with a beautiful woman with skull and bones icon.)
The three Monster cards in the player’s hand represent their Character. The number in the banner on a Monster card represents the card’s Strength. Add all three Strength numbers together to determine the player’s Level. If a player has two matching cards (depicting the same monster), add +2 to the Level. If the player has three matching cards, add +3 to the Level. (33 is the highest level your Character may attain.)
The Death Fairy (During Character Creation)
If any player received one or more Death Fairy cards during Character creation, that player will lose -1 AP for each Death Fairy they received. Place the lost AP in the center of the table next to The Dunjiin deck; This pile of discarded AP is known as “The Store.” All AP lost during game play are placed here. Remove the Death Fairy card(s) from the character and place them face up next to the Dunjiin deck. This discard pile is known as “The Graveyard.” As the adventure proceeds, all discarded cards will be placed into The Graveyard.
Keep the 3 Character cards together for easy access. Place AP above or on the Character cards. If players received Magic Item or Treasure cards, arrange them next to the Character cards, each in their own column. These cards will remain face-up throughout the game.
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
Everyone’s first turn involves Exploring the Dunjiin. The player to the dealer’s left begins the adventure by turning over the top card in the Dunjiin deck. Magic Item or Treasure cards get added to that player’s other cards for use later, and their turn is complete. If it is a Monster card they have to fight it.
Fighting Monsters
The first Monster card a player draws when exploring represents the creature they are fighting. The number of shields on the card represents the total number of cards that will be drawn out to determine how strong that Monster is. For example, if the first card has 2 shields, the player would need to draw one additional card to determine the monster’s total Strength. 3 shields; a total of 3 cards, 4 shields; a total of 4 cards.
A Monster may have a combination of Monster, Treasure, and Magic Item Cards. Add the values of all numbered cards (include the value on the Treasure cards); the sum obtained is the Monster’s Strength.
2 and 3 of a kind bonus:
When matching Monster cards are drawn, the Monster’s Strength is increased. +2 (for a pair) or +3 (for 3 of a kind). Image and point value must match for this to apply.
Adding Up Who Wins
• If the Character’s Level exceeds the Monster’s Strength, the player wins.
• If the Monster’s Strength exceeds the Character’s Level, the Monster wins.
• If the Character’s Level is equal to the Monster’s Strength, the Monster wins. (The Dunjiin is a dangerous place!)
• If a player is losing to a Monster, they may use a Magic Item to defeat the Monster. Magic items will defeat all Monsters except Death Fairies. Once used, Magic Item cards are discarded to The Graveyard.
Monsters With Magic Items
The exception to the rule above occurs when Magic Items are drawn when determining a Monster’s strength. Each Magic Item drawn will need to be countered by the player’s own Magic Items for the player to survive the attack.
If the player cannot fully counter the magical attack, they will:
• Lose -1 AP for every Magic Item they cannot not counter.
• Lose an additional -1 AP if their Character Level is lower than the Monster’s Strength.
If the player is reduced to 0 AP, they are “unarmored.” They may buy AP back from the store at the beginning of a turn for 10 Treasure points, but if they incur more damage when they have 0 AP, their Character dies and they are out of the game.
The Death Fairy
When one or more Death Fairies are drawn when determining a Monster’s strength, the Monster becomes the Death Fairy. The player must draw out all of the Monster strength cards even if the Death Fairy is the first card. This will determine if the Death Fairy attacks with Magic Items or another Death Fairy.
The Death Fairy has special rules:
• The Death Fairy always wins the battle. (The Strength of the other Monster cards don’t matter.)
• The Player cannot use Magic Items to defeat the Death Fairy.
• The Death Fairy may use Magic Items against the Player.
• The Player cannot counter a Death Fairy’s Magic Items.
• The Death Fairy cannot be dodged. (Dodging Monsters will be explained later)
• The Death Fairy inflicts -1 AP worth of damage to the player, and an additional 1 AP of damage for every Magic Item or Death Fairy card used in the attack.
VICTORY!
When a player defeats a Monster, the player takes any Treasure cards the monster had and adds them to their Character’s equipment. The player also chooses a single Monster card (not a Treasure, Magic, or Death Fairy card), and turns it face-down, to create a new pile within their Character’s equipment. This represents an Experience Point (XP). XP are used for many additional actions (dodging monsters, Leveling up, etc.) described later.
All other Monster and Magic Item cards used in battle, are discarded to The Graveyard.
DEFEAT!
When the Monster’s strength overpowers the Character’s level, the player loses 1 AP. The player also loses 1 AP for every Magic Item the player was not able to counter. Lost Armor Points are discarded to The Shop. Monster and Magic Item cards are discarded to The Graveyard. The defeated player does not receive any XP or Treasure.
Now that everyone has taken their first turn and explored the Dunjiin, more actions may have become available.
CORE ACTIONS | DESCRIPTION | CORE ACTION COST |
---|---|---|
Explore | Flip a card on the Dunjiin deck to discover Treasure, Magic, and Monsters! | Free! |
Shop | Buy any or all Armor Points in the Shop. Purchases can be made at the beginning a players turn only. | 10 Treasure or 1 Magic Item each |
Rest | Skip your turn and rest at the inn. | 1 Experience Point |
Dodge | After drawing 1 Monster card face up on the table, the player may Dodge the attack and redirect it to any other player. | 1 Experience Point |
Empowered Dodge | Make it more difficult for another player to avoid a Dodge. | 1 Experience Point + 1 Magic Item |
Level Up a Character | Swap out a lower valued Monster card in a Player’s Character for a higher valued Monster card from the Player’s XP stack. (action completes player’s turn) | 3 Experience Points + 10 Treasure |
Necromancy | Search the Graveyard for a single card to increase Character Level. (Only once per Player, per game.) | content |
Premonition | Cast Premonition to “Scry” the Dunjiin to see the next hand. It may be cast before your turn or after you drawing a Monster card. | 1 Magic Item |
ADVANCED ACTIONS | DESCRIPTION (For Level 33 Characters Only) | ADVANCED ACTION COST |
Summon a Dragon | Force the player of your choice to confront a 5-card Dragon. The player must draw 5 cards to determine the Dragon’s strength & Magic Items. | 3 Experience Points + 1 Magic Item |
Hire an Assassin | A player may hire an assassin to attack the player of their choice. The player must draw 5 cards to determine the Assassin’s strength. | 1 Magic Item + 30 Treasure |
Set a Trap | Set a trap which forces the next player fighting a Monster to draw one extra card and add one extra point to the Monster’s strength value. | 3 Experience Points |
CORE ACTIONS OVERVIEW
Core Actions are available to players of any Level. Here is a brief explanation of each available action. Details of each action can be found directly after this overview.
Explore
Flip a card from the Dunjiin deck to discover Treasure, Magic, and Monsters! This is the only free action available to Players. All other actions use a combination of XP, Treasure, and/or Magic Items.
Shop
If there are any Armor Points in The Shop, a player may purchase them only at the beginning of their turn. Cost: 10 Treasure points each. Sometimes a player may have to pay a bit more, as no change is given.
Rest (Stay at the Inn)
Skip your turn and rest at the inn. Cost: 1 XP.
Premonition
“Scry” the Dunjiin to see the next hand. Cost: 1 Magic Item.
Dodge a Monster
After drawing a single Monster card face up on the table, the player may Dodge the attack and redirect it to any other player. Cost: 1 XP.
Empowered Dodge
Use Magic to make it more difficult for another player to Dodge. Cost: 1 XP and 1 Magic Item.
Leveling up a character
Swap out the lower valued Monster cards in a player’s Character for higher valued cards found in the XP pile. Cost: 3 XP plus 10 Treasure. (No other actions may be completed during this turn.)
Necromancy
Search The Graveyard for a single card to increase Character Level. Cost: 3 XP and 1 Magic Item. (This can only be performed once per player, once per game.
ADVANCED ACTIONS OVERVIEW
Advanced Actions may only be performed by Level 33 characters (3 matching cards of 10).
Set Trap
Set a trap in the Dunjiin which forces the next player fighting a Monster to draw one extra card and add one extra point to the Monster’s strength value. Cost: 3 XP.
Summon a Dragon
Force the player of your choice to confront a 5-card Dragon. The player must draw 5 cards to determine the Dragon’s strength & Magic Items. Cost: 3 XP and 1 Magic Item.
Hire an Assassin
Similar to summoning a Dragon, a player may hire an assassin to attack the player of their choice. The player must draw 5 cards to determine the Assassin’s strength and Magic Items. Cost: 1 Magic Item and 30 Treasure.
MAGIC, TREASURE, AND EXPERIENCE POINTS
Experience Points (XP)
When you defeat a monster, you can choose a single Monster card to use as XP. You can use XP to do many things as outlined in the table below.
Treasure Points (TP)
These valuable cards are worth the sum of their face value. Treasure Points may be spent on shopping for armor, training to increase Character Level, and hiring of assassins. Treasure cards are discarded after use. See the table below for detailed information on how to use TP
Magic Items (MI)
A Magic Item may be used to defeat Monsters, counter a Monster’s Magic Items, cast spells, or summon dragons. Magic Items are also worth 10 Treasure Points when shopping at The Shop. Magic Items are single use items and are always discarded after use.
THE GRAVEYARD / RESETTING THE DUNJIIN
At some point The Dunjiin will have very few cards. When this happens, all players should agree to reshuffle and recut the cards in The Graveyard (Make sure no one wanted to cast Necromancy first!). After reshuffling/cutting the cards, place them face down on the table putting any previously undrawn cards on top. Do this every time The Dunjiin gets low on cards.
ACTIONS IN DETAIL
Shopping
At the beginning of your turn, you may buy Armor from The Shop if there are any Armor Points (AP) available. Each AP costs 10 Treasure or 1 Magic Item. You may purchase multiple AP, up to as much Treasure and Magic you are willing to part with. There is no change given in The Shop.
Example: Sarah has a 5 and a 7 Treasure card, totalling 12 TP. She may only buy 1 AP with this amount and must discard both Treasure cards to buy this (very expensive) Armor.
There are only 3 Armor Points available per player at any time during the game. For example: if 3 people are playing, there is a total of 9 AP available to all players at any given time.
NOTE: When only 2 players remain, or when all Characters are at Level 33: it is Last Call at The Shop. Each player may shop one final time before The Shop closes for the rest of the game.
After shopping, you may Explore the Dunjiin, Rest at the Inn, or cast Premonition.
Premonition
While you are exploring the Dunjiin, you may cast Premonition to determine what you will encounter. You may cast Premonition either before or after drawing your first card. You should also have some XP handy to do additional actions.
Premonition (before drawing any cards):
Declare you are casting “Premonition,” discard 1 Magic Item to The Graveyard, then draw the top card from the Dunjiin, keeping it hidden from the other players.
If it is a Monster card, draw additional cards according to the Monster’s shield count, keeping them hidden as well. After looking at the cards, choose whether you want to Fight the Monster, Dodge it to another player, or Rest.
If the first card drawn is the Death Fairy, continue to draw out the Monster as you normally would, then you may decide to Rest by spending 1 XP and declaring so and passing the hidden cards to the Player to your left.
If a Death Fairy shows up AFTER the first card, you may decide to Dodge or Rest with 1 XP. These are the only instances where a player can survive a face-to-face encounter with a Death Fairy.
Premonition (after drawing 1 card):
After drawing a card from the Dunjiin face-up as you normally would, discard 1 Magic Item to the Graveyard declaring “Premonition.” Draw all additional cards, keeping them hidden from other players. After looking at the cards, choose whether you want to fight the Monster, Dodge it to another player, or Rest. NOTE: You may NOT cast Premonition if the first card drawn is a Death Fairy.
Explore
The primary activity is the game is Exploring the Dunjiin. Begin your exploration by drawing a single card from the Dunjiin Deck and placing it face-up near your character.
If the card is Treasure or a Magic Item, add it to your character’s belongings. Your turn ends.
If the card is a Monster card (but not a Death Fairy), you may choose to fight it or Dodge it to another player (If you have at least 1 XP). See instructions for Dodging under Additional Actions below.
Dodge
After drawing a single Monster card from the Dunjiin, you may decide to dodge it rather than fight. To Dodge, place 1 XP card (still face down) on the first Monster card BEFORE drawing any additional cards. You cannot dodge a monster after drawing more than 1 card.
Slide both the Monster card and the XP to another Player, declaring “I Dodge the Monster to YOU!!!” (Or something similar).
If the player the Monster is Dodged to has XP, they may Dodge to any another player (including the original player). The Monster may be Dodged until someone decides to fight it or is forced to fight it because of lack of XP. Note: The XP used to Dodge is NOT added to the Monster’s Strength. Discard it to The Graveyard after combat is resolved.
Empowered Dodge
You may use a Magic Item to Empower a Dodge. An Empowered Dodge cannot be Dodged again unless the targeted Player also Empowers their Dodge with an additional Magic Item. This exchange can continue until a player runs out of either XP or Magic Items. Once a Dodge is Empowered it cannot be dodged without using a Magic Item.
To make an Empowered Dodge, place a Magic Item with the XP and the Monster cards and slide all three cards to another player. The Magic Items are NOT added to the Monster itself.
Rest (Stay at the Inn)
You may choose to skip a turn and “stay at the Inn.” Discard one XP and enjoy the temporary safety.
Train/Level Up
To increase a character’s Level, you may spend your turn Training. Training costs 3 XP and 10 Treasure. To Train, select a single XP and exchange it with one of the existing Monster cards making up your Character Level. Note: One of the XP discarded to Train may be the card removed from the existing Character.
Example: Jefferson’s current Character Level is 26 (one 10 Strength card, one 6 Strength card, and one 7 Strength card). He Trains by replacing the 6 Strength card with a matching 10 Strength card. He discards the 6 Strength card, two additional XP, and a 10 Treasure card. His new Level is 29 (two matching 10 Strength cards for a +2 bonus plus one 7 Strength card).
Necromancy
Once per game, a player may choose to use Necromancy to search the Graveyard for a single card to improve their Character Level. Discard 1 Magic Item and 3 XP. Select a single Monster card (not a Magic Item, Treasure, or Death Fairy) from the Graveyard and swap it with one of your current Character cards. Discard the old Character card to The Graveyard. After performing Necromancy, your turn ends.
ADVANCED ACTIONS
Once a player has reached a Character Level of 33, these additional actions become available.
Set Trap
Make life difficult for lower-Level players by Trapping the Dunjiin. Players may not Dodge Monsters or Rest while a deck is trapped. After setting a Trap, the player’s turn ends.
To set a trap, the player select 3 XP and places them face-down next to the Dunjiin draw deck declaring “The Dunjiin is trapped.” Each Trap in effect increases each Monster’s Power by +1; meaning an additional card must be drawn for the encounter (e.g., drawing a 3 Power Monster means a total of four cards must be drawn).
NOTE: More than one Trap may be placed on a deck. +1 card must be drawn for each Trap in effect.
Summon Dragon
Command a mighty dragon to attack an opponent of your choice. Discard 1 Magic Item and 3 XP to the Graveyard. Draw 5 cards from the Dunjiin deck and lay them face-up in front of any other player. The player must fight that monster and may not Dodge or Empowered Dodge it. After Summoning a Dragon, your turn ends.
Hire Assassin
Beware the knife in the dark! Discard 1 Magic Item and 30 Treasure to The Graveyard. Draw 5 cards from the Dunjiin deck and lay them face-up in front of any other player. The player must fight that monster and may not Dodge or Empowered Dodge it. After Hiring an Assassin, your turn ends.
THE ENDGAME
Winning The Game
The last player standing when all other players have lost all their Armor Points and died is the winner. Congratulations on surviving your Dunjiin crawl!
Losing The Game
Armor Points track your character’s overall health and well-being. When you have no Armor Points left, you are Naked (and probably bleeding pretty badly). If you get hit when you are Naked, you are Dead. Discard all your Level, Treasure, and Magic Item cards to the Graveyard.
OPTIONAL RULES
Hardcore Mode (Hard)
Treasure Cards are wild cards. They count as matching cards for Monster cards with the same point value for the purpose of creating two and three of a kind bonuses.
For example: Sarah draws a 3 Shield, 10 Strength Monster card (Red Dragon), 10 Point Treasure card, and a 2 Shield, 10 Strength Monster card (Green Dragon). The Treasure card combines with ONE of the Monsters giving the hand a +2 to the total: This is a 32 Strength Monster.
In another example, she draws two matching 10 Strength Monster cards (Red Dragon) and a 10 Point Treasure card. The Treasure card combines with BOTH of the matching monsters, giving it +3 to the total. This is a 33 Strength Monster.
Powderpuff Mode (Easy)
When a Player’s Level is equal to a Monster’s Strength, it is a draw. All cards are discarded.
Playing For Keeps
Players may decide to wager their hard-earned coins at the beginning of the game. All players must agree to this BEFORE gameplay begins. At the end of the game, the winner gets to keep all the coins!
COMBAT EXAMPLES
Example 1:
William has a Level 25 character. He Explores the Dunjiin and draws a 3 Shield, 9 Point Monster card. He chooses to fight the monster and draws an additional 2 cards: an 8 Treasure card and a 7 Point Monster card. The 3 cards total 24 points of Strength.
William’s Level exceeds the Monster’s Strength, he defeats the Monster and receives 8 Treasure and 1 XP.
Example 2:
George has a Level 22 character. He Explores the Dunjiin and draws a 4 Shield, 5 Point Monster card. He draws an additional 3 cards: a 9 Treasure card, a 2 point Monster card, and an 6 Point Monster card. The four cards total 22 points of Strength.
George’s Level is equal to the Monster’s strength, so he is defeated and loses -1 AP.
Example 3:
Eleanor has a Level 30 character with non matching 10s. She Explores the Dunjiin and draws a 4 Shield, 7 Point Monster card. Drawing an additional 3 cards: a 10 Point Monster card, a 5 Treasure card, and a Magic Item. The four cards total 22 points of Strength.
Eleanor’s Level exceeds the Monster’s strength, but she does not have a Magic Item to counter the Monster’s Magic Item. She loses -1 AP.
Example 4:
Rhys has a Level 27 character. He Explores the Dunjiin and draws a 4 Shield, 8 Point Monster card (Skeleton). He draws an additional 3 cards: an 8 Point Monster card (Skeleton) which matches his first card, a 10 Treasure card, and a Magic Item. The four cards total 26 points of Strength +2 for the pair of Skeletons, totalling 28 points of Strength.
Rhys’s Level is less than the Monster’s strength, and he does not have a Magic Item to counter the Monster’s Magic Item. He loses -2 AP.
Example 5:
Fisher has a Level 33 character. He Explores the Dunjiin and draws a 3 Shield, 10 Point Monster card. The next two cards he draws are a Death Fairy and a Magic Item.
Fisher cannot fight the Death Fairy or counter her Magic Item. He loses -2 AP.
CREDITS
Core Dunjiin Game System Developed by Damon, Rissa and Sarah Law, and Jefferson Davis.
Artwork:
Damon Law, Bill Gage, Chris Hyde, and Ronnie Werner.
Core Color by Chris Hyde.
Death Fairy art by David Revoy (aka Deevad) which is licensed under a Creative Commons 3.0 License from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Deevad
Graphic Design, Production, Publishing, and Documentation by DamonDesign, LLC
Rule Editors:
Molly Newman, Matthew Hamm, Damon and Sarah Law.
Playtesters:
Jefferson Davis, Rissa Law, Sarah Law, Charles VonHemmerling, Kevin Rigdon, Anne, Mark, William, and Eleanor Horner, Eden Celeste, Matthew “Michael” Sinclaire, Stuart Craig, Molly, Jim, Rhys, and Fisher Newman, Kris Koby, David Harding, and Whitney Wjinhausen.
Special Thanks to all of the people who have been playtesting and all the people who help make this game possible!
A Huge HUZZAH! to House DAOS, and all the people who playtested and didn’t even know they were playtesting!
Dunjiin™ is © 2014 by DamonDesign, LLC.
Dunjiin™ is a trademark of DamonDesign, LLC
Please visit
www.dunjiin.com
for more information/rules clarifications/etc.
Rules v1r140613 updated on June 13, 2014