DungeonQuest | Published 21 April 2010 Rating 15 votes
As the sun broke over the jagged horizon, the great stone doors began to rumble. Two robed figures watched in silent anticipation from behind the ruins of the walls that once surrounded Dragonfire Dungeon. The magical aura that surrounded the doors intensified when the sun’s early light activated its enchantment. Rocks fell as the doors began to open, revealing utter blackness beyond its threshold. One of the figures stepped toward the awaiting dungeon. “I’m coming with you, Brother Gherinn.” He was restrained by the other, also wearing the vestaments of Kellos.

“No, Jacob,” Brother Gherinn said, his scarred face hidden behind a golden mask. “I must do this on my own. Kellos will not free me from my dark past unless I prove myself.” He stepped forward toward the doors. “My salvation lies below...”

Jacob watched as his mentor disappeared through the massive doors. As the morning wind blew his hood back, he thought he heard the sound of distant laughter.

Fantasy Flight Games is excited to announce DungeonQuest, the newest board game set in the rich fantasy world of Terrinoth! This classic game of dungeon exploration has a vast and loyal following due to its compelling theme, vast replayability, and brutal challenges. With the spirit of its predecessor in mind, the new edition of DungeonQuest preserves all of this while incorporating the best elements of the classic game’s expansions and streamlining its rules.

In DungeonQuest, players must guide their heroes through the twisting halls of Dragonfire Dungeon in pursuit of unimaginable riches hoarded by the Dragon Lord Kalladra. Whoever can amass the most wealth and make it out of the dungeon before the closing of the doors seals their doom will emerge victorious. However, merely surviving the harrowing dungeon is a feat all its own...



Only the bravest of heroes dare to enter Dragonfire Dungeon, and of those heroes only a few have returned. Yet those who have returned are remembered forever, for they have faced the dragon’s challenge and emerged victorious; and mere survival is counted a victory when facing the dangers of Dragonfire Dungeon.

Legends say that the doors of Dragonfire Dungeon open every sunrise, welcoming brave adventurers into its depths. But once the sun sets, the doors close and seal the fates of those who lingered too long. Only a few have ever returned from Dragonfire Dungeon, and those who have usually come back empty-handed. But they return as heroes nonetheless.

Check out our description page for more details. In the coming weeks we’ll be exploring this product in greater detail with a series of previews, so check back frequently! This summer, the dragon’s challenge awaits...

DungeonQuest is a classic board game of dungeon exploration. 1-4 players take on the roles of heroes on a quest to gather the most loot from Dragonfire Dungeon before the doors close and seal their fates. Dare you face the dragon’s challenge?

DungeonQuest | Published 23 June 2010 Rating 13 votes
Long ago, during the great Dragon Wars, the mighty Dragonlord Kalladra devised the most cunning and insidious trap ever constructed. His desire to dominate Terrinoth became an obsession, but every attempt he made to conquer the realms was met with heroic resistance. So he withdrew himself underground and concocted a labyrinth of wretched design. Rather than engage the nations of Terrinoth in open warfare as his brethren did, Kalladra believed there was no greater danger to the rulers and heroes of the land than their own greed. And so he built Dragonfire Dungeon...

Since we announced the upcoming release of DungeonQuest in April, the response has been enthusiastic and the speculation rampant. A re-imagining of the classic board game of dungeon exploration, DungeonQuest retains the all the most beloved elements of the original game while updating key mechanics. Moreover, this new version of DungeonQuest takes place in the vibrant fantasy realm of Terrinoth (the setting of Runebound)!

Today, we’ll take a look at the basics of movement and exploration, and we’ll also catch a glimpse of one of the Heroes making her way through this perilous pit of death (keep reading for a surprising announcement!).

After randomly drawing their Hero cards and setting up the board (including the various decks), up to four players begin by placing their plastic Hero figures in the far corners of Dragonfire Dungeon. In turn, each player may then either move to an adjacent space (never diagonally) or search. After moving, a player must encounter the space he is in, and if this is a newly explored room, he’ll draw a random Dungeon chamber tile and place it on the board.



These tiles only allow movement in certain directions, and must be placed so that their arrows point in the direction from which you entered. This means you’ll have to snake your way through the perilous passageways, encountering traps and enemies as you go, as you attempt to reach the treasure at the center before your opponents. Only by grabbing what loot you can and making it back to the entrance will you claim victory!

For example, from her starting Tower room in the corner of the dungeon, the sorceress Challara may move one of two directions. Either way, the space she moves to will be unexplored (assuming the game has just begun), so she’ll randomly draw a Dungeon Chamber tile, positioning it in the empty space that she just moved into (remember, the arrow on that tile must connect to the space she just left).

Depending on the Dungeon Chamber Challara has placed, she will now draw a card from one of the various decks placed near the board. Dungeon cards are the most common, and consist mostly of dangerous challenges (though a few lucky adventurers may pick up some unguarded loot)... but if she’s stumbled into one of the other room types, like the Trap room or the Spider Web, Challara will truly need to keep her wits about her to survive.

We’ll take a closer look at encounters and enemies in future previews. For now, let’s move on to one of the exciting new characters joining your favorite heroes of Terrinoth.

Challara, the potent sorceress used in our examples above, is from an old and wealthy family, and she’s entering Dragonfire Dungeon to retrieve treasures stolen from her by Kalladra. Her powers warn her of approaching danger, allowing her to redraw a Dungeon card when encountering a chamber. On her Hero card, shown below, you’ll notice several statistics used both in combat and in determining the outcome of other encounters such as traps.



The number in the upper right corner (in this case 12) represents Challara’s Life Value, and this is the number of wounds she can take before death. In the lower left corner are four attributes that are important in Attribute tests; they are Strength (red), Agility (green), Armor (blue), and Luck (yellow). If, for example, Challara had entered the Spider Web room mentioned above, she would have to test her strength rating in order to cross it. To do this, the player controlling Challara would roll two dice. If the total of the dice is greater than Challara’s strength rating, she fails and is caught in the web for another round! Given that her strength rating is only five, she may want to avoid this room all together...

Other perils require similar tests of Agility, Armor, and Luck. The variety of attribute combinations, along with the unique special abilities of each hero, means near limitless replayability whether you’re enjoying the game solo or against live opponents.

Our look at Challara brings us to one of the most exciting benefits of setting DungeonQuest in Terrinoth: the potential to carry over your favorite Hero from one game to another. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce an exciting bonus for those who pick up a copy of DungeonQuest. All of the six new DungeonQuest Heroes also come with Hero cards for Runebound, Descent: Journeys in the Dark, and Runewars!

That’s right: All copies of DungeonQuest will contain six never-before-seen figures (of the same plastic and scale as our other titles in Terrinoth), plus the necessary cards to expand your experience in three other games! Challara, the example Hero described above, can adventure across the realm in Runebound, battle fearsome foes in Descent: Journeys in the Dark, or infiltrate enemy territory in Runewars.

Join us next time when take a closer look at specific encounters in DungeonQuest!

The priests of Kellos took me in and gave me shelter. They asked me nothing of the many heinous crimes in my past. But like all members of the Brotherhood, in time I had to face the purifying fire, and all my many transgressions became evident in the form of scars and burns over much of my body. I am a different man, now. I follow a different path, but I cannot forget my past. Only an act of true bravery, facing Dragonfire Dungeon and bringing back valuables for my brethren, will free me from the shadows of my past.
- From the journal of Brother Gherinn, Priest of Kellos

The sun is rising over Terrinoth, and the mighty Dragonlord Kalladra is preparing for his daily slumber. For a few brief hours, the magical stone door to Dragonfire Dungeon will open, welcoming the brave and the foolhardy to seek fortune and glory within. Dare you face the dragon’s challenge?

In our last preview of the upcoming board game DungeonQuest, we examined the basics of movement and exploration. Today, we’ll take a closer look at some of the deadly obstacles facing those who would enter Dragonfire Dungeon, and we’ll even take a peek at your ultimate goal: the lair of the Dragonlord himself.

When a hero moves into a space, he or she must encounter it (first placing a new Dungeon tile if the space was previously unexplored). We’ve already seen the dangers of one tile, the Spider Web. This glutinous lair has become the final resting place of many unwary adventurers who, once trapped, lacked the strength to free themselves. Should your hero need to cross this tangled mass, a test of strength is necessary... simply roll two dice. If the resulting sum is higher than your hero’s Strength rating, you have failed and become trapped in the web. You may, however, attempt to break free on your next turn by repeating the test.

Similarly perilous Dungeon tiles await all those who would face the dragon’s challenge. The Cave-in requires a test of Agility to cross (or as in the web, you’ll be trapped until you succeed), while the unforgiving Bottomless Pit leaves no room for error; you must test your Luck to cross it, and if you fail, you die! Of course, these special Dungeon tiles aren’t the only obstacles that require an Attribute test. Should you wander into a Trap room, you may find yourself facing a volley of arrows from the dreaded Crossfire Trap, or climbing out of a pit after a fall through a Trapdoor. Then there are the monsters, which we’ll cover in a future preview...

But fear not! It may seem like a physically weak hero could remain trapped forever in the sticky strands of a Web or the rubble of a Cave-in, while you spend your turns failing at a frustrating series of Attribute tests and watching the game pass you by. These heroes are made of sterner stuff, however, and don’t like to give up easily.



Every time you fail at an Attribute test (assuming failure doesn’t kill you), you’ll receive a determination token, representing your hero’s will to improve on the next attempt. You keep these tokens until you succeed at the Attribute test for which you claimed them (or give up the attempt, if applicable), and they temporarily increase the Attribute rating in question by one per token! In other words, as you try to muscle out of a spider’s web, you become a little “stronger” with each failure, increasing your chances of breaking away on the next turn. When you do finally escape, your Strength rating returns to normal.

Should you make it to the center of Dragonfire Dungeon, the ultimate encounter is in store for you: The Treasure Chamber. Great riches await those who venture this far, unless some clumsy, unlucky hero awakens Kalladra. Then, he must face the Dragon lord’s fiery wrath.



When a hero enters the Treasure Chamber, he randomly draws one Dragon card from the Dragon deck. In this randomized deck of eight cards, seven indicate that Kalladra is “Sleeping,” and the lucky hero may grab some loot. On future turns, that hero can continue to draw Dragon cards... but with an increasing risk of drawing the single “Dragon Rage” card, how long would you press your luck? Should the unthinkable happen, the unfortunate hero must discard his ill-gotten treasure, then roll two dice and suffer that many wounds. Assuming this doesn’t kill him, the badly-burned adventurer must then retreat from the Treasure Chamber, counting his blessings.

This brings us to yet another hero making the journey into Dragonfire Dungeon this summer. Brother Gherinn is a priest of great faith, and he believes that only by facing the dangers of the dungeon can he cleanse his soul. As a priest of Kellos, Brother Gherinn is no stranger to searing flames. As a result, he’s less likely to take damage should he face Dragon Rage, and his single-minded focus helps him pass tests of flesh and faith alike.



And don’t forget the big announcement from our last preview: DungeonQuest includes bonus character cards for use in Descent: Journeys in the Dark, Runebound, and Runewars! Whether battling beastmen in some lost tomb, adventuring across Terrinoth, or questing for his army’s cause, Brother Gherinn is willing to endure any pain to smite his blasphemous foes.

The many years of an elf ’s life can weigh heavily upon him. From village to village I have wandered, hearing the sad tales of lost children, spouses, friends, and loved ones who have thrown their lives away seeking gold in the depths of Dragonfire Dungeon. That wretched place has brought sorrow and loss to so many hearts... I will endure it no longer. Once and for all, those deadly halls must be emptied of their treasures. No more will loved ones dig their own graves in a fool’s quest for ancient gold.
- From the journal of Lindel

As the release of DungeonQuest approaches, dungeon-delving veterans and newcomers alike are preparing to face the dragon’s challenge. A re-imagining of the classic board game of dungeon exploration, DungeonQuest retains the all the most beloved elements of the original game while updating key mechanics. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen some of these mechanics, both classic and updated. If you haven’t already, check out our previews on the basics of movement and the fundamentals of overcoming encounters through attribute tests. Today, we’ll reveal the dungeon beneath the dungeon, a system of perilous subterranean tunnels known as the Catacombs!

The Catacombs are a hazardous labyrinth of crumbling vaults and passageways that wind their way underneath Dragonfire Dungeon. Legends say that the greatest treasure in the realm is buried in the Catacombs, worth far more than anything in Kalladra’s Treasure Chamber! There are various methods by which to enter this corridors (such as the Catacomb Entrance tile), and while some cards and encounters give players the option to explore the Catacombs, others force it upon them (such as failing an agility test when crossing a bridge).

No matter how you end up in the darkness of the Catacombs, being there can be both a blessing and a curse. It’s difficult to keep your sense of direction while in its depths, so movement works a bit differently than it does in the dungeon above; when a Hero enters the Catacombs, his travel marker replaces his figure, with the arrow pointing in the direction of his choosing. Choose wisely, because once your direction is set, you’re stuck on that path for good or ill.

Heroes in the Catacombs do not move or search like Heroes exploring the dungeon above. Instead, a Hero in the Catacombs must draw a Catacomb card at the start of each of his turns. These cards function similarly to Dungeon cards... but the risks are higher and more impressive loot awaits!

Moreover, whenever a Hero draws and resolves a Catacomb card, he places it next to his character sheet on the table, where it will serve as a counter indicating the distance travelled in the Catacombs. When (or if) that Hero finally leaves the Catacombs (perhaps by drawing an Exit or a Hole in the Roof from the Catacomb deck), the number of cards he drew during his underground journey indicate the number of spaces he has moved in the direction of his Travel Marker. He then discards those Catacomb cards, keeping any loot for himself.


In the diagram on the left, Lindel has descended into the Catacombs and drawn three cards,
moving him three spaces in a single direction of his choosing. Before leaving,
he chose to veer right, and rolled a “two” on a single die (right diagram).
He'll now emerge in that space by placing his figure and drawing a new tile.

The darkness and confusion in the Catacombs makes it easy to veer off your intended course, however. Before ascending into a space, you must choose a direction (left or right), then roll a single die. The number you roll will determine how far your Hero shifts to the left or right before returning from this dangerous underworld. With any luck, you can pop up right into Kalladra’s chamber!

But what would a preview of DungeonQuest be without a look at one of the intrepid Heroes venturing into the depths of Dragonfire Dungeon? Some seek power and wealth, others fame, and still others look to test their skill against new foes. A few, however, seek to do good for the people of Terrinoth. The elf known as Lindel is one such Hero.



Lindel’s long years have let him bear witness to the suffering caused by Kalladra, and he has vowed to end it once and for all. His decades of experience also make him a well-rounded adventurer, with a range of abilities and a knack for learning new tricks. Check out his character cards for Runebound, Descent: Journeys in the Dark, and Runewars as well!

Keep checking back! More mysteries of Dragonfire Dungeon will be revealed...

The issue is that the game moves very quickly usually:

I'm going here (points).
Draws Tile, turns it over and places.
Draws one or two cards.
Maybe gets stuff, maybe loses some points to a trap, maybe finds razorwings and rolls a die to lose some hit points.

Until a turn like this:

I'm going here (points).
Draws Tile, turns it over and places.
Draws one or two cards.
Combat! Shuffle this deck, someone else draws a monster chit, someone else draws a random power card from that particular monster's special combat deck, you draw a random power card from your special combat deck, you both draw 4 more cards from a different combat deck that both use. Now pick one of the five and put it face down. Turn them over, whoever has the highest wins, right? Nope! Whoever is lowest might be able to play some more cards and then win. Then look to see if cards used in previous rounds match the color of the winner's card(s) and add those. Then take one damage (or give one damage) for each card. Anybody dead? No? Do this all over again while everyone else goes and gets a drink.

DungeonQuest Combat Quicksheet

Combat takes place after a player draws a monster card on their turn and chooses not to attempt escape:

1. The Player to the active player’s left draws a random chit from the 4 that have the monster mentioned on the card and looks at it without revealing. Note that there are no monsters with 9 hps. Anything that could be 9 or 6 is 6.

2. The monster player draws a card at random from the 4 special power cards for the monster he is representing.

3. The active player draws a card at random from the 4 special power cards for his character.

4. Both players draw 4 random cards from the re-shuffled Combat deck so that they each have a hand of 5 cards to choose from.

5. Each player chooses a card to use and places it face down.

6. Reveal both cards and activate any instructions if a power card was played.

7. The player who played the card with the lower number (or both players if the numbers are tied) checks the upper right of their card and if their opponent played a colored card matching the symbol there, then he may play any other cards in his hand that also have that counterattack symbol and add their numbers to his original value. He may only play extra cards until his total exceeds his opponent's total.

8. The side with the higher total on their card(s) takes those cards and adds any of the same color from the combat stack and places them in front of the other player as damage against the character or monster. 1 card =1 damage.

9. If the monster or character taking damage is not killed, cards not used to give damage are placed in another stack called the combat stack to be used as possible deathblows (critical hits) in a future Step 8.

10. Both players draw cards until they have 5 again and return to step 5. This continues until either the monster has taken wounds (# of cards, not numbers on cards) equal to the number on the chit drawn in Step 1 or the character has taken enough wounds to be killed.

11. Be sure to take the power cards out of the used (or unused) combat cards and put back in respective monster or character decks and re-shuffle the combat deck.

DungeonQuest, the latest board game set in the rich fantasy world of Terrinoth, is now on sale at your local retailer and on our webstore. This classic game of dungeon exploration has a vast and loyal following due to its compelling theme, vast replayability, and brutal challenges. With the spirit of its predecessor in mind, the new edition of DungeonQuest preserves all of this while incorporating the best elements of the classic game’s expansions and streamlining its rules.

Long ago, during the great Dragon Wars, the mighty Dragonlord Kalladra devised the most cunning and insidious trap ever constructed. His desire to dominate Terrinoth became an obsession, but every attempt he made to conquer the realms was met with heroic resistance. So he withdrew himself underground and concocted a labyrinth of wretched design. Rather than engage the nations of Terrinoth in open warfare as his brethren did, Kalladra believed there was no greater danger to the rulers and heroes of the land than their own greed. And so he built Dragonfire Dungeon...

The rules to DungeonQuest present several optional rules, allowing players to tailor their own unique gaming experience. In that spirit, we're pleased to offer three all-new official variants (pdf, 836 KB) on our support page! If all players agree beforehand, these optional rules can replace certain mechanics found in the main rulebook.

But beware! No matter how you choose to play, the mighty Dragonlord Kalladra will use all his cunning and power to protect his treasure. Dare you face the dragon’s challenge?