Dragon’s Lair is a fast-paced adventure of courage and wit. You and up to 5 other adventurers sally forth to plunder the treasure laden den of the fearsome DRAGON! Will it be a collaborative effort? Or will it be each adventurer for themselves? Just know one thing: the dragon does not appreciate its hoard being touched! And it won't be waiting around idle!
Dragon's Lair is a card and dice game for 1 to 6 players. There are three modes of play: Solo, collaborative or competitive. In each mode you face the presence of the mighty DRAGON and a race to reach 1500 points.
You are an intrepid adventurer, seeking fortune and glory. Your aim is to collect the 1500 points of treasure before the DRAGON.
When drawing from the treasure card decks an encounter ensues! Who gets to add the prize to their loot is determined by a roll of the die. Players can come outfitted with equipment cards to help sway the odds in their favour.
Be warned, the more valuable the treasure is the harder the DRAGON will fight to take it back!
The fearsome DRAGON is an automated opponent.
How the dragon works: The DRAGON is the major antagonist of the players throughout the game. The dragon becomes active when drawing a Treasure card or wagering.
Whenever a treasure card is drawn, the DRAGON draws and reveals cards from the Dragon card deck. The number of Dragon cards drawn is the number marked on the bottom left of a Treasure card.
After all dragon card effects are resolved both the player and the dragon roll one die each. The highest rolling die will get the treasure for their inventory.
Any player not currently taking their turn can perform the dragon’s action on its behalf.
When a player attempts to steal a treasure card, they must face the dragon! The dragon will get to play cards equal to the number on the bottom left of the treasure cards. All effects of the dragon cards must be resolved before the roll happens. Both the player and dragon roll 1 die (unless otherwise stated by a card’s effect. The treasure in question then goes to the inventory of the highest roll.
Separate the dragon, equipment and treasure cards into their respective decks. Shuffle the separated decks then place the cards face down into the middle of the table easily reachable by all. For the treasure cards, cut the deck in half and use both decks for play.
During a turn a player can perform TWO actions. The actions that can be taken are DRAWING or WAGERING. Only TWO actions can be taken per turn. Any combination of the two actions can be performed during a turn. (eg draw+draw, draw+wager, wager+wager).
Starting with the highest roller, take turns in a clockwise direction. Play continues in such fashion until one player has reached the winning condition. If any of the dragon, equipment or treasure cards run out before the winning condition is met, shuffle any discarded cards back into the decks and resume play.
Instead of a hand, players have an inventory of ‘items’. Any treasure or equipment card acquired by the player is placed face up on the table in front of them. Inventory items belong to the player and cannot be used by other players.
A player will win when they score 1500 points. Points are calculated as the total of the denominations on each treasure card in a player's inventory. Once a player reaches the winning condition, this player then wins the game and gameplay is reset.
If the dragon’s inventory reaches the winning condition before the players, the game ends and gameplay is reset.
Treasure cards are placed in your inventory when collected. A treasure can be wagered. Treasure cards have a value (bottom right) that contribute to a player’s winning condition score.
Treasure cards come in 3 different ‘rarities’ : bronze, silver and gold.
The rarity is demarcated by the artwork detail colour on the back of the cards. Generally, the score value of the treasure cards correlates to their rarity. (Bronze lower and gold higher)
Dragon cards are drawn during an encounter. Dragon cards proc various effects that will hinder your attempt to collect treasure cards.Players cannot draw cards from the dragon deck
Each player can have up to 3 equipment cards in their inventory. Once three cards are in a player’s inventory, new equipment cards cannot be drawn from the deck.
Using an equipped item IS NOT an action.
Equipment card effects are used by ‘tapping’ the cards. Rotate a card 90 degrees clockwise to signify an item has been tapped. The effect of the equipment card is then carried out.
At the start of a player’s turn untap all equipped items.
• A good adventurer makes sure to enter the Dragon’s domain well equipped!
• If the dragon obtains an equipment card. It is worth 100 points of value to the dragon.
• You may use an equipped item at any point during your turn or in an encounter.
• Dragon cards with a (!) symbol ALWAYS take effect before any equipped items.
When drawing, a player picks up one card from the top of the equipment or treasure decks and reveals it to the table.
• Drawing 1 card from either the treasure or piracy decks is considered 1 singular action.
• When drawing an equipment card, the player puts that card (untapped) into their inventory.
• When drawing a treasure card, place it face up in the middle of the table. This is the start of an encounter with the dragon. If the encounter is won, the treasure card is placed face up in the player’s inventory.
• The point value of a treasure card counts towards the player’s score immediately upon acquisition.
To initiate a wager, a player places any number of treasure cards from their inventory into the middle of the table. The wagering player then declares a chosen opponent (This can be the dragon or another player). The chosen opponent then MUST place treasure cards face up onto the table with a total value equal to or the closest exceeding value to the original wager.
When wagering a PLAYER: All players must declare what items (if any) are being used for the wager.
When Wagering the DRAGON: For each treasure card wagered, the dragon gains (+) to the their die roll equal to the rarity score (bottom left) of the treasure cards wagered.
The winner of the die roll then takes all treasure and puts it into their inventory.
• Treasure cards with negative valuations can be wagered!
• You can ONLY wager treasure cards.
• The chosen opponent of a wager cannot refuse a wager.
• Players/Dragon with no treasure cards cannot be targeted by a wager.
• If a chosen opponent cannot match the wagered amount, they must wager the highest closest value.
When playing alone your win condition remains the same. Instead of taking a turn, perform actions until yours or the dragon’s winning condition is met.
When playing with 2 or more players the win condition remains the same, however treasure across ALL inventories of the players is added together for the winning score. All players win if their treasure points reach 1500 points before the dragon.
When playing with 2 or more players the win condition remains the same. The FIRST player to reach the target score wins. Each player’s inventory contributes solely to their score. If the Dragon reaches the target first, no players win.
The condition of 1500 is a benchmark for a balanced game with 4+ people. A different win condition can be set upon agreement by all players before gameplay starts.
When playing with 2 or more players the win condition remains the same. ONE player will perform actions as the Dragon. All other players are adventurers. The winning player is the one who reaches the target score first.
How to play as the dragon:
The dragon player has a hand of dragon cards which they replenish to 5 cards at the end of each action. On the turn of the dragon player they may draw 1 card from the Dragon or Treasure card decks. The dragon player cannot initiate a wager.
The appendix section goes into detail how to play each of the 11 unique piracy cards. Targets and Timing icons are introduced below to quickly highlight the usage of a piracy card.
The targeting icon signals which players the piracy card affects.
Player chooses a single opponent that the card will taget.
The effect of the piracy card affects all opponent players.
The effect of the piracy card will apply to the player.
All players are affected by the piracy card’s effects. Including the player.
The timing icon signals when the player can play a piracy card.
This card is played as an action during the player’s turn. Piracy cards with this icon played count as 1 action.
This card can be played out-of-turn by a player or opponent. Interrupt cards do NOT count as an action.
The effects of this piracy card are applied throughout the entirety of play. Card does not have to be played for effects to be active.
This card is played out-of-turn as a response to an actioned in-turn piracy card. This does NOT count as an action.
Click on each card for more details!
The targeting icon signals which players the piracy card affects.
Plunder
Take two treasure cards.
Discard this card, draw 2 treasure cards from any available deck. Acquired treasure cannot be buried until your next turn. Playing Plunder and drawing two treasure cards from the effect ofPlunder is considered 1 action.
Spyglass
Swap hands with another player
Discard this card. Select one target opponent, swap all cards in your hand with the targeted opponent's cards in hand.
Skulduggery
Steal a random card, give a card
Discard this card. Select one target opponent, take one random pirate or treasure card from the targeted opponent's hand and put it in your hand. Take one chosen card from your hand and give it to the same targeted opponent. The card given cannot be the same card as the one the player takes.
X Marks The Spot
Steal 1 buried treasure card
Discard this card. Select one target opponent, take one buried treasure card from that opponent and put it in your hand. This treasure card cannot be buried until your next turn.
YO HO HO!
Steal 2 random treasure cards from each player
Discard this card. Take 2 random treasure cards from each opponent's hand and put it in your hand. Acquired treasure cards cannot be buried until your next turn. If an opponent has no treasure cards in hand, that player is not affected.
Hook
Steal a random card and skip player's next turn.
Discard this card. Select one target opponent. Take one random pirate or treasure card and add it to your hand. That targeted opponent's next turn is skipped. If taken card is a treasure card, it cannot be buried until your next turn.
Possible house rules:
• True randomness by not looking at the type when choosing from opponent's hand.
The Kraken
Shuffle all non-buried treasure back into the deck
Discard this card. ALL players (including the attacking player) put all treasure cards from their hand back into the treasure decks. Shuffle both treasure decks together, and split it back into two decks. This card is not affected by Pirate's Code, The Kraken has been released, The Kraken takes all. But The Kraken can be negated with Yarr.
Pirate's Code
Pass the effect of a card onto yer matey
When targeted or affected by a pirate card, discard this card and select one target opponent. The effect is applied to that targeted opponent instead, you are not affected.
Notes:
• The targeted opponent can play Pirate's Code again to further pass the effect to another player.
• Multiple Pirate's Code cards can be applied to a single player (e.g. player D plays a card that affects player A, B and C. Player A and B can play Pirate's Code to pass the effect to player C. Player C will then resolve the effect 3 times. If player C plays Pirate's Code as well, it will only pass ONE effect, and player C still needs to resolve the effect twice)
Bombs Away
Discard 2 pirate cards from each player's hand
Discard this card. All opponent players choose 2 pirate cards in their hand and discard them into the discard pile. If an opponent does not have any pirate cards in hand, that player does not get affected. If an opponent only has 1 or 2 pirate card(s), that player has to discard all cards.
The Black Spot
Ye Cannot win if this card be in your hand
This card cannot be played. Whenever this card is in a player's hand, that player cannot win even if that player has the required value of buried treasure to win.
Player must find a way to remove this card from their hand before they can win.
Notes:
• This card can be discarded with the effect of Bombs Away.
• This card can be given to another player with the effect of Skullduggery.
Yarr!
Prevent a card's effect
When a pirate card is being played, discard this card and nullify that card's effect completely.
Notes:
• A player can play a Yarr! card against another Yarr! card. Eg. player A plays Bombs Away. Player B can play Yarr! to nullify Bombs Away. Player A then plays Yarr! to nullify player B's Yarr!. Bombs Away then takes effect.
• Once you start resolving a pirate card's effect, a player is not allowed to negate it with Yarr!. E.g. player A plays The Kraken, player B has discarded 2 treasure cards from hand, player C then cannot play Yarr!, since the Kraken's effect has been resolved by player B.
• You can use Yarr! to target cards that are not affecting you. E.g. player A plays X marks the spot targeting player B, player C plays Yarr! nullifying X marks the spot's effect.
Parley
Surrender a wager
When you enter a wager, and both players have put down treasure(s) to be wagered, immediately discard this card and you instantly lose the wager.
Notes:
• A player cannot play a Parley card to affect a wager that they are not a part of.
• The opposing player receives all wagered treasures after this card's effect is resolved
• Any player can play Yarr! to nullify the effect
