Dragon Dice(tm) Solo Challenge

ver. 0.1 16 Dec 1997

 

Submitted by: ctaylor@interplay.com (Taylor Chris)

 

DCM refers to the Dice Commander's Manual - the rules standard! Accept no substitute. Or is the Revised Rules, if necessary.

 

| Table of Contents |

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Building the Armies

3.0 Setting up the Terrain

4.0 The Solo Challenge

5.0 Options

6.0 Credits

 

| 1.0 Introduction |

Dragon Dice is a great multiplayer game, but there comes a time when you cannot find opponents. These rules will provide a simple variation of the main rules that can be played by only one player.

 

 

In this version of the game, you will find that army construction becomes very critical. These are good skills that will help you in any game of Dragon Dice.

 

The basic idea is that the player will face a series of challenges. Each challenge will find the player facing a different type of opponent. The player must conquer all opponents, succeed at all the challenges, and fight the Dragons in a final battle. Not the most original story, but hey, this is a dice game...

 

One nice feature of the solo rules, especially for those players who have a large collection of dice, is that you will see many dice that you would not normally play with.

 

1.1 Object of Dragon Dice Solo

------------------------------

The player's object is to fight and defeat five different armies in a row, moving from one terrain to the next. Each battle might see the player's army a little hurt, and a fresh opponent. The idea is to reach and capture the fifth terrain and then fight off a terrible Dragon attack! Defeating the Dragons, with even one tiny unit remaining, means victory!

 

| 2.0 Building the Armies |

The player will need to build a total of six armies: one for himself, and five opponents. The first item of business is to set the size of the battles. Obviously, more dice will take longer to play, but not necessarily the difficulty of the battle. The player may choose from the following battle sizes:

 

Player

Health

Opponents Health

Number of Dragons

Small

16

12

2

Medium

24

18

3

Large

35

24

4

 

The Player Health refers to the number of health points the player gets to build his army from (page 6, DCM). The Opponents Health line is the size of each of the five opposing armies (see below). The Number of Dragons refers to the total number of Dragons the player will have to fight in the final battle.

 

2.1 Player's Army

-----------------

Once the player determines the size of his army, he should build it using the tournament rules (no more than 50% magic dice). Magic Items and Artifacts are allowed, Dragonkin are not used. The player's army can be of any racial makeup. Once you are done with it, set it aside for now.

 

2.2 Opponent's Armies

---------------------

You will need to build five armies: Heavy, Light, Missile, Cavalry and Magic. Each army must be of at least one race, but no more than two. If possible, you should keep to one race. Only if you do not have enough dice should you expand to two races.

 

Suggested Makeup

 

Total

Health

Rare(s)            

Uncommons

Commons

Small

12

1

2

5

Medium

18

2

3

6

Large

24

3

4

7

 

For example, a small Firewalker Heavy opponent army would look like: 5x Guardians, 2x Watchers and 1x Sentinel. If you don't have enough of one commonality of dice, substitute other dice within that same race and type.

 

2.21 Racial Equivalents

-----------------------

Some of the more recent races do not follow under the standard system.

Here is a table of the equivalents:

 

           

Heavy

Light

Missile

Cavalry

Magic

Undead

Hvy Inf

Lgt Inf

---

Skirmisher

Hvy Magic

Frostwing          

Melee

Lgt Msl

Hvy Msl

Cavalry

Magic

 

2.3 Dragons

-----------

Take the number of Dragons based on the size of your game (2, 3, or 4) and set them aside. These dragons can be randomly picked from your collection or be picked in this order: Black, Red, Gold, Green and Blue; Wyrms before Drakes. Dragons will _not_ fight each other, so different colors do not matter.

 

| 3.0 Setting up the Terrain |

Pick one of each type of terrain (Coastland, Swampland, Highland and Flatland) and one additional terrain of your choice (obviously pick something that will benefit your army.) The ID icon of each terrain does not matter (for purposes of this game, all terrains are assume to have all ID icons (Tower, Temple, City and Standing Stones) for purposes of any racial special rules. If the player captures an Eighth face, he can pick and choose any _one_ special ID to use at the start of his turn.

 

Minor terrains are not used.

 

3.1 Determining the Order

-------------------------

Roll all the terrain dice. The lowest roll becomes the first terrain, the next highest roll becomes the second terrain, and so on. Reroll ties.

For example: the five terrain dice are rolled. The results are: 1, 3, 3, 6, and 8. The 1 die becomes the first terrain, the two threes are re-rolled (results: 4 and 5, the 4 becomes the second terrain and the 5 becomes the third terrain), the 6 is the fourth terrain and the 8 is the last terrain.

 

The next step will actually determine what number the terrain dice start on.

 

 

3.2 Set the Starting Terrain Distance and Place Opponents

---------------------------------------------------------

The terrain dice will start at the following levels:

 

 

Starting Distance

Opponent Army

First Terrain

Lowest Missile

Missile

Second Terrain

Lowest Melee

Cavalry

Third Terrain

Lowest Melee + 1

Light

Fourth Terrain

Lowest Melee + 2

Heavy

Fifth Terrain

Eighth Face

Magic

 

Place the opponent’s armies appropriately. Move the terrain dice to the proper starting distance (lowest missile means start at 1 on the terrain die, and move it up one number at a time until you come across the first missile symbol.) Move up one additional face on the third terrain, and move up two additional faces on the fourth terrain.

 

3.3 Starting the Game

---------------------

Place your army at the first terrain. You are now ready to begin.

 

| 4.0 The Solo Challenge |

With all armies placed at their proper terrains, the player may begin the challenge! There will a total of six battles - the five opposing armies and the final battle against a horde of attacking dragons. The player must defeat each army in turn, and reserve enough units to defeat the final armies and the Dragons.

 

During each battle, the player can only affect dice that are actually involved in the battle. Dice at another terrain or in the player's reserves cannot be targeted.

 

4.1 Turn Order

--------------

Each battle consists of a series of turns, some of which are only done before or after a battle and some that are repeated during the battle.

 

            A. Set Reserves (4.2)

            B. Player Attacks (4.3)

            C. Opposing Army Attacks (4.4)

            D. Player Attempts Maneuver (4.5)

[Repeat steps B, C & D until the victory or loss conditions are met]

E. Heal Dead Units (4.6)

            F. Proceed to next terrain and battle there, or if this was the fifth terrain, the final dragon battle (4.7)

 

The player wins the first four battles by defeating all enemy units in the opposing army, or maneuvering the terrain die to the eighth face. The fifth battle must be won destroying all the enemy magicians in the opposing army.

 

The player will lose if all their non-reserve units are killed and/or buried.

 

4.2 Set Reserves

----------------

Before each battle, the player may pull aside any number of dice (leaving at least one health worth of dice at a battle.) These dice form the reserve and will not take part in the upcoming battle. The player may change his reserve at the beginning of each battle, but may not touch it during any particular battle.

 

Set the reserve dice to one side. They may not be targeted by enemy units, spells or taking for damage. They do not participate in any of the rolls.

 

They do not count towards any remaining units of the player at a battle. The player will lose the game when all non-reserve dice are killed at a battle.

 

Before a battle starts, the player may retreat or reinforce to and from the reserves as many units as he wishes.

 

4.3 Player Attacks

------------------

The player may now take an action based on the current ID of the terrain. If on a missile ID, for example, the player may missile the opposing army (and only the opposing army.) Obviously, the target of all missile attacks, melees, charges, and spells will be the opposing army for this terrain.

 

All standard rules apply. If the opfor ever rolls a Cantrip, see (4.41) and randomly pick a spell (don't worry about the magic cost), outside of maneuvers, of course.

 

Missile: The player rolls missile icons and ID icons and applies damage to the opposing army (called "opfor" for the rest of this section.) Then the player rolls the opfor for defensive shields and ID icons. If the opfor takes damage, refer to 4.31 (below) for instructions on how to resolve damage to the opfor dice. The opfor will counterattack during their next turn (4.4)

 

Melee: Roll as normal, apply damage (if any) and then roll the opfor for a counterattack. You roll your defense and then apply damage as normal.

 

Charge: Roll as normal, both your dice and then the opfor. Count your melee and maneuvers as damage, subtract the opfor shields/ID icons and apply any remaining damage. Meanwhile, apply all opfor melee icons as damage to your army.

 

Magic: Magic may only be cast by your army if you control the eighth face of a terrain (only possible during the fifth battle and the dragon attack), or if the terrain is showing a Magic symbol (chasing after those pesky magicians in the fifth battle.) Magic that targets terrain cannot be cast.

 

Routing is never used.

 

4.4 Opposing Army Attacks

-------------------------

The opfor will roll depending on what battle you are fighting (which type of units the opfor is using) and what the terrain ID is.

 

First Terrain: This missile army will obviously want to attack with missiles for as long as possible. They will attack with missile weapons if the terrain symbol permits, or use standard melee attacks if the player moves the terrain die up.

 

Second Terrain: Cavalry armies will always charge when they have the chance. They will never use regular melee attacks.

 

Third Terrain: Light melee troops will alternate charges with melee attacks. Their first attack will be a melee attack, their second will be a charge, the third will return to a regular melee attack and so on.

 

Fourth Terrain: Heavy melee troops will always use melee attacks. They will never charge.

 

Fifth Terrain: Magicians will cast spells. They will never use any sort of missile or melee attack (they stay at the first face of their terrain and whimper loudly when the player's army reaches that location.) See 4.41 for what spells the Magicians will use.

 

4.41 Opfor Magic Attacks

------------------------

Roll the magicians, count up all points of magic. Apply an ID results to the largest color pool of magic. If possible to double (by either doubling ID icons because of sympathetic terrain or burying your dead), do so. If the opfor magicians bury your dead, they will bury the maximum amount.

 

Opfor magicians will cast random spells. Start with the largest color pool and work your way down.

 

Pick up an unused terrain die (one of the earlier battlefields will work just fine), and roll it. Don't look at the terrain symbol, we only care about the number that results (remember, the terrain is a d8). Consult the chart below and look across to the color magic being cast:

 

Roll

Gold

Blue

Red

Green

Black

 

1-2

Transmute

Rock to Mud*

Hailstorm#

Dancing

Lights*

Wall of

Ice#

Palsy*

3-4

Dust to

Dust*

Breath of

Life#

Spark of

Life#

Flash

Flood*

Reanimate

Dead#

5-7

Stoneskin#

Lightning

Strike*

Ashstorm*

Watery

Double#

Finger of

Death*

8

Racial%

Racial%

Racial%

Racial%

Racial%

 

 

* Targeting your army, of course.

# Targeting the opfor army.

% See Racial spells (4.42) below.

 

Specific Spell Notes:

Breath of Life, Spark of Life, Reanimate Dead: Healing spell, see below.

Finger of Death: Pump as much black magic remaining as possible into this spell and then start targeting your units. You must attempt to use as many FoD spells this way as possible.

Flash Flood: This spell will push the player's army one terrain pip away from the opfor army.

Hailstorm: Dump the remainder of the blue magic pool into this spell and target the player's army.

 

In all cases, you get to pick the target of a spell, using the following rules:

a) A die in any army can only be targeted by more than one spell if all other dice have already been targeted -or- if a spell that can be cast multiple times to increase the effect is targeting this unit, and then only enough times to actually affect the unit (no more, no less - if possible.)

b) Target in this order: commons, uncommons, rares then monsters.

c) If it is a healing spell, and the opfor have no dead units available, reroll the spell.

d) Remember that a player's magicians may always target as per the player's instructions, as long as the spells cast are legally targeted.

 

Subtract the amount of the spell targeted, and repeat rolling on the table until all spell points have been spent or if a spell is rolled that requires too many magic points to cast (do not reroll trying to get a cheaper spell.)

 

Then resolve the spells in any order that you choose.

 

 

4.42 Racial Spells

------------------

Many of the races have unique racial spells. If you roll an 8 on the random spell selection die (usually known as a terrain die), then the opfor magician's will attempt to cast a racial-only spell. Pick a spell that only the magicians in the opfor army can cast (the one that you would pick if you were in their shoes) and target your army with it.

 

If you choose not to use racial spells, pick the general spell that would hurt you the most.

 

If you are not capable of beating yourself in the face with the opfor magic, then simply roll again (rerolling any further results of 8) and cast that spell _for free!_, do not reduce the magic pool.

 

4.5 Player Attempts Maneuver

----------------------------

The player can win the first four battles by maneuvering the terrain to the eighth face. Opposing armies will never attempt to maneuver, but will always attempt to countermaneuver.

 

The player does _not_ have to attempt to maneuver. It is always optional.

 

In the first four battles, as soon as the player maneuvers the terrain die to the eighth face, he wins. Remove the defeated opfor and move on to the next battle. During these battles, the player can only move the terrain die up, never down.

 

In the fifth battle, the player can chase down the magicians army and attack them in melee battle by maneuvering the terrain down to the first face. The player cannot maneuver the die back up once he starts this charge.

 

Racial terrain advantages are used as normal.

 

4.6 Heal Dead Units

-------------------

Units that have not been buried, but are in the dead pool might be returned to the player's army in time for the next battle.

 

Roll all the dead pool units.

 

Any unit that rolls an ID, a SAI or a magic symbol returns to life and is placed back in the player's army. This die may be immediately sent to reserves, as per the normal (4.2) Set Reserves phase. Any other result- that unit is buried and gone.

 

4.7 Final Dragon Battle

-----------------------

Once the player has defeated the magicians in the fifth battle, the final Dragon battle will begin.

 

The player may (4.6) Heal Dead Units and draw all units from the Reserves (4.2), as per normal rules.

 

If the player ended the fifth battle on the eighth face of the terrain, they will start in control of a City.

 

If the player ended the fifth battle on the first face of the terrain (ie, they chased down and slaughtered the poor opfor magicians), then they will start there. During their (4.3) Attack, their opponents (4.4) Attack (the Dragons) and during the normal (4.5) Maneuver phase, the player may move the terrain die one step towards the eighth face (running back towards the City), until the player reaches the eighth face. As soon as the player maneuvers the terrain die to the eighth face, the player takes control of the City. The maneuver takes place after each Attack (ie, at the end of Player's Attack, and at the end of the Dragon's Attack.)

 

4.71 Dragons of a different Color

---------------------------------

Dragons will only attack the player. They will not attack each other, regardless of any color differences.

 

4.72 Drakes

-----------

If a Drake rolls a Wing, it will fly away immediately (after doing any tail damage). It will automatically return at the beginning of the next Dragon Attack (it cannot be targeted during the next Player's Attack.)

 

 

4.73 Attacking a Dragon

-----------------------

A Dragon may be attacked by any number of ways:

 

First to Seventh Faces: The Dragons may only be attacked by the attacks allowed by the symbol currently showing on the terrain die.

 

Eighth Face: The player rolls his entire army, and divides the attack into three parts: missile, melee and magic. All missile results must be used to attack one Dragon, all melee results must be used to attack another, and magic spells can target any Dragon not currently being attack by missile or melee attacks.

 

4.731 Missile and Melee Attacks

-------------------------------

These work normally against a Dragon (Dragon Slaying, pg 27, DCM).

 

4.732 Magic Attacks

-------------------

Spells can be cast against Dragons. Only spells which provide defense to the player, or do hit point damage will work. Spells which kill the target, or cause some sort of secondary effect (Lightning Strike, for example) will only work on a Dragon if it rolls a Belly. Spells which increase missile or melee attacks take effect before the actual attack on a Dragon, even if all dice are rolled at the same time.

 

4.74 SAI Attacks

----------------

SAIs will only affect a Dragon if the Dragon rolls a Belly in response to the SAI activation.

 

4.8 Winning the Game

--------------------

If the player kills all Dragons, the player wins the solo Challenge.

 

Congratulations!

 

| 5.0 Options |

Options are rules that are provided to create an additional challenge, balance the game in a particular manner, or make a change to the game to better fit a player's preference.

All of the 5.X rules are optional. Other rules could be created by the player to increase his enjoyment of the game. They're your dice, no one is looking - go ahead!

 

5.1 Monsters

------------

The player is certainly allowed to use Monsters in his army. The opposing armies could also use Monsters, just replace four health worth of units with a randomly selected monster and have at it! Monsters that have a majority of icons similar to the opposing army type work best.

 

If Monsters are used, then you should use the Monstrous Magical Resistance, optional rule (page 154, DCM), for both you and the opfors.

 

5.2 No Magic

------------

If you do not want to opposing armies to use magic, then replace the army at the fifth terrain with another Light army. They start in control of a City. During step (4.5), the player may attempt to maneuver down the terrain. Remember that the opfor have double maneuvers until you wrest control of the City. At the start of the Opponent's Attack step, the opfor forces will attempt to regain control of the City (either attempting to maneuver down if you are in control of the eighth face, or by attempting to maneuver the terrain die up if it is on the seventh face.)

 

5.3 Promo Dice (The King's Charge)

----------------------------------

The various promo dice may be used. Most promo dice have some special abilities that will add challenge to the game. Giving the opfor an occasional DragonLord or DragonSlayer will definitely increase the level of difficulty.

 

 

The King's Die will give the player an additional (4.5) Player Attempts Maneuver step. If the player has a King's Die in his army, then he may also attempt to maneuver the terrain between his attack and the opponent's attack. Roll for maneuvers normally.

 

5.4 Two-Player Challenge

------------------------

It's possible to play the Solo Challenge with a friend. Have him pick out the opposition armies (following all of the rules and guidelines suggested within these rules), and then play them in order against you. The opfor may still not maneuver the terrain, unless allowed by the rules.

 

5.5 Expert Level

----------------

To increase the challenge of this solo adventure, it is possible to use any or all of these minor options:

 

increase the number of health points the opfor armies may use.

decrease the number of starting health points you may use.

randomly pick your army.

start all terrain dice on 1, and allow the opfor to make missile attacks against you until you are in range.

increase the number of Dragons during the final dragon battle.

use Ancient White Dragons (page 154, DCM) in the final dragon battle.

 

Good luck!

 

| 6.0 Credits |

Dragon Dice Solo Challenge is by CR Taylor.

Copyright 1997 Anarchy Nippon Game Studio.

Based on the Dragon Dice Collectible Dice Game from TSR, Inc.

Original Dragon Dice rules by Lester Smith, with a revised design by David Eckelberry, Dori Hein, & Bill Olmesdahl.

 

6.1 About the Author

--------------------

CR Taylor is a professional computer game designer. His former credits include: Stonekeep, Fallout and some smaller titles. He is currently working on a strategy computer game, MAX2, from Interplay.

 

He is married. Him and his wife are raising 1.5 children. They live in Southern California with the obligatory 2 cats. In his spare time, he plays Dragon Dice, ASL, Robo Rally, SFB and many other beer and pretzel type games.

 

6.2 Contacting the Author

-------------------------

You can reach the author at: anarchy@netcom.com