Dragon RageGame Manual

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Dragon Rage Game Manual

Designer Biography :

Dr. Lew Pulsipher started playingboardgames more than 50 yearsago. He designed his own games,then discovered strategic"realistic" gaming with early AvalonHill wargames, and ultimatelyearned a Ph.D. in military anddiplomatic history at DukeUniversity. His first commercialtitle was published in 1980. He isdesigner of Britannia, Dragon Rage,Valley of the Four Winds, Swordsand Wizardry, and Diplomacy Games& Variants.

After a 20 year hiatus from gamedesign to teach himself computingand work as a programmer andchief of PC support at a major Armymedical center, Lew has come backto designing games.

Britannia (2nd edition) appeared in2006, with foreign editions(German, French, Spanish,Hungarian) in 2008. Britannia isamong the games covered in thebook Hobby Games: The 100 Best,edited by James Lowder. It wasdescribed in an Armchair Generalonline review of a 2006 edition as"ready to continue on as one of thegreat titles in the world of games".

Players of Britannia, a strategicallydeep, four‐player game depictingthe history of Great Britain fromthe Roman invasion to the NormanConquest, play primarily forentertainment, but some schools useit to teach Dark Ages history. Othergames are forthcoming, amongthem an abstract boardgame fromMayfair Games.

A former contributing editor toseveral role‐playing game magazines,and author of over a hundred gamemagazine articles, he is nowMonthly Contributor toGameCareerGuide and Gamasutra.These sites, owned by GameDeveloper Magazine, are thepremier Web sites for thoseinterested in video game creation.

He is a contributor to the booksHobby Games: the 100 Best andFamily Games: the 100 Best (GreenRonin), and to the forthcomingTabletop Game Design (ETC Press).He is finishing his "howto" book, Getit Done: Designing Games fromStart to Finish.

"Dr. P’s" "day job" is teaching gamedesign and other video gamecreation topics in the southeasternUS, where he has 17,000 classroomhours of experience, mostlyteaching computing and especiallycomputer networking, in collegeand graduate school.

Current projects are atPulsipherGames.Com.

Blogs:http://pulsiphergamedesign.blogspot.com/,http://teachgamedesign.blogspot.com.

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Dragon Rage Game ManualCopyright (c) 1982, 2010 by Lewis Pulsipher

Copyright (c) 2010 Flatlined GamesIntroduction to the revisededition

Designed by Lewis Pulsipher, designer ofthe classic game 'Britannia', Dragon Ragewas published in 1982 by Dwarfstar, animprint of Heritage Models. Heritage wasprimarily a miniatures producer run by DukeSeifried. Shortly after the initial release ofDragon Rage, the company went bankruptfor reasons not related to the boardgamesand the game became unavailable.

Dragon Rage is a good introduction tothe world of hex-and-counter wargames witha very strong theme and deep, yet simplegameplay.

I was thrilled when the occasion topublish a new edition of this classicpresented itself. Dragon Rage is nowavailable again, about 30 years after theoriginal publication. To some of you it'll be afond memory of the past, and to the others itwill be a new game altogether. I hope all ofyou will enjoy it the same.

The rules book has been rewritten fromthe ground up, with only minor modificationsto the game system. This revised editionincludes a remake of David Helber's originalmap and counters that is very close to theclassic Heritage edition. However, thecounters are two-sided, and include brandnew art by Lionel Liron on the back, in fullcolor. I also developed an optional campaignsystem, allowing to play a few linked gameswhose outcome influences the next as thecampaign unfolds. The last addition to thisrevised edition is a new original map on theback of the Esirien map, Nurkott, along withnew scenarios.

I hope you'll enjoy this new edition, andthat you'll have a lot of fun with it!

Eric Hanuise,FlatlinedGames.

Missing partsIf any parts to this game are missing ordamaged, please return them to:Dragon Rage Customer Service , FlatlinedGames, 39 rue gheude, 1070 brussels.Your damaged part will be replaced free ofcharge, as will missing parts.

Rules organisationThe Dragon Rage rules are organised in twobooks :- Game manual : this manual introduces themain game components and leads you stepby step trough your first games of DragonRage using the main scenario of two dragonsattacking the city. This is the 'user manual'for the game, and will teach you the basicrules.- Rules reference : this manual holds thedetailed rules covering every aspect ofDragon Rage. It is organised in subsectionsfor easy reference during gameplay : Rulesreference, Scenarios and appendixes,Campaign rules, Tournament rules, etc.

Your first gameThe game

Dragon Rage is a two-player fantasygame that depicts the attacks on the walledfortress-city of Esirien. One player controlsthe "invaders", a pair of dragons, while theother controls the "city forces" defending theramparts and interior, including knights,infantry, archers, militia, the hero-lord ruler,and his wizard.

The invaders attempt to destroy part orall of the city, while the defenders attempt toprotect it. Each map Hex represents about 25yards, each turn about a minute, and eachunit about 50 men or one Dragon.

For best results, read the 'Your firstgame' section once through quickly. Thenimmediately try a game, even if it is solitaire.Refer back to the rules during your firstgame, re-reading the fine points asnecessary. After the first game or two youwill have learned the rules clearly.

Should a rules question arise during play,look at the relevant section of the rulesreference to answer it. Anything notspecifically allowed in the rules is not a validgame move, and is not 'legal' during play.

Dragon Rage is a simple and fast-pacedgame so during a session, game flow is moreimportant than in-depth rules discussion. Inthe unlikely event that you encounter a rulesquestion that is not covered by the rulesreference, agree on a temporary ruling toallow the game to continue without furtherdisruption, and look for a definitiveresolution after the game session iscompleted.

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Dragon Rage Game ManualThe city of Esirien

Esirien is an old city, veteran of many wars. The eastern section was built first, as a

military colony of the Empire.

Time passed and the Empire fell. Now it was a trading center, and the western portion grew

up around the docks and warehouses. Now alone, it needed an army and a militia to repulse

attacks from the wilds beyond the gates.

Giants, trolls, orcs and goblins all attempted to pillage and plunder Esirien, but after each

attack it rebuilt.

One day, the monsters disappeared. Dragons had moved into the far mountains.

Esirien's army sallied forth to destroy their lair, capturing wealth and breaking the eggs. Then

the dragons came to avenge the death of their family ...

The esirien city mapThe color map shows the city of Esirien,

with a key to terrain features in the corner.The Terrain Effects Chart summarizes theeffect of the terrain, which is explained inmore detail within the rules.

Note that although the inside of the cityshows many buildings, these are primarilyfor appearance, since "open terrain" includeshexes with or without buildings.

The river that runs through the city endsin Hex 1413, the sea begins in 1414. Dockhexes include the moles in 1315 and 1516, aswell as 0815, 0915, 1014, and 1115.

Finally, note that large gates areindicated by a red glow around the structure,while doors are indicated by a blue glow.

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Dragon Rage Game ManualTroops & individualcharacters counters

City Defender troop units areorange and characters yellow.Unit types include CAV-cavalry, INF-infantry, MIL-militia, ARH-archers, HERO-defender hero, WZD-defenderwizard. Combat ability,Escape and Movement areprinted on the counters.Each city defender counterprovides the unit's statisticsas follow :

Each unit has two movementpoint (MP) values. The firstnumber "C" is the normalnumber of hexes the unit maymove. The second,parenthesized "(D)" number isroad movement : if the unitstarts on a road Hex andfollows the roads for its wholemovement, use that numberinstead.

Dragon countersThe dragons have nonumerical values on thecounter itself. See the rulesand tables for informationabout their capabilities. AllDragons have a facingdirection, as shown by thecolored arrowhead, and an "inflight" version (use whichevercounter is appropriate for themonster's current status).

Heart countersThese counters are used totrack the dragon's damage onthe play aid.

SP countersThese counters are used totrack the wizard's remainingspell points.

The countersTurn pointer

This counter is used to pointto the current game turn onthe track printed across thebottom of the mapboard. Bluesquares indicate turns withreinforcements for thedefending player.

Last damage pointerThis counter is used to markthe last game turn the invaderdestroyed a VP Hex on thetrack printed across thebottom of the mapboard. Iften turn pass without theinvader destroying a VP hex.,he loses the game.

Broken pointerIs used to show when a dooror gate is broken open. Usethe top of the arch on thecounter to point to the brokenhexside.

Burned bridge markersAre placed on wooden bridgesthat are burned down.

Wounded markersAre placed on top of a herowhen he receives a wound (ahero who is wounded again iskilled).

Magic markersShow the central location of aFog or a Whirlwind.Destroyed / Victory pointsmarkers

Are placed in a city Hex whenthe invader "destroys" it togain its victory points value.Note that destruction (forvictory points) has noadditional effects — terrain isunchanged, the invadersimply scores the appropriatevictory points, represented byplacing a marker of theappropriate value in the Hex.

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Dragon Rage Game ManualSetup

- Each player rolls the die, the player withthe highest result chooses to play theDragons or the city defender.- Place the Esirien map on the gamingsurface- Defending city forces set up first, anywherewithin the city, including in any tower, in thewaterfront district, and along the walls(inside) as desired. Units may set up on thebridges if desired. Maximum one city forcecounter, plus either the wizard or hero, maybe placed in a single Hex.- City defender forces: 4 cavalry, 8 infantry, 4archer, 4 militia, 1 hero, and 1 wizard.The invading forces then set up along anyHex at the west, north, or east edge of themap, next to the forest.- Invading forces: 2 Dragons.

Victory pointsThe dragons win by destroying parts of

the city : certain hexes have victory pointsmarked (Numbers 1-5 in blue), and when theHex is destroyed, a victory points marker isplaced on that Hex.

The Dragons destroy a victory point Hexby walking into the Hex and spending oneMP in it (in that or some later turn), or byslithering into it. Landing from flight or abound in an unoccupied Hex will destroy it.Dragonfire into a Hex will always destroy it,except for towers, where only dragonfirebreathed through an open entrance willdestroy the Hex.

A Whirlwind spell cast by the defendingwizard will destroy all victory points in a Hexit occupies.

Victory conditionsCity defenders win the game when all

invaders are destroyed, if 10 game turns passin which no victory points are destroyed, or if10 game turns pass in which no (grounded orairborne) invader units are within the wallsof the city.

Invaders victory is assessed using thefollowing criteria :- Dragons destroy less than 16 VP's :Invaders are defeated (invader title :featherless chicken)- Dragons destroy 16 VP's : Invadersmarginal victory (invader title : dragonwhelp)- Dragons destroy 18 VP's : Invaders normalvictory (invader title : destroyer of cities)- Dragons destroy 20 or more VP's : Invaders

great victory (invader title : the death fromabove)- Dragons destroy all Vp's : Invadersultimate victory (invader title : the bane ofEsirien)

After a few plays, the invader playershould aim for at least a 20 VP great victory.

The ultimate victory has so far neverbeen claimed, so if you do manage that rarefeat, by all means send us a session report!

The game turnThe game turn sequence is organised in 9phases as follow :(1) Invading player movement phase

The invading player moves his dragonson the map, and resolves any overrunattacks.(2) Dragonfire phase

The invader player resolves anydragonfire flame attacks.(3) Invading player melee phase

The invading player may resolve anymelee attacks made by his units.(4) City forces spell-casting phase

The city player may cast a spell with hiswizard.(5) City forces reinforcements phase

On turns 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, and soforth the city player receives reinforcementunits.(6) City forces movement phase

The city player may move his units on themap.(7) City forces archery phase

The city player resolves any archeryattacks.(8) City forces melee phase

The city player resolves any meleeattacks made by his units.(9) Advance turn pointer

At the end of the turn, the city playermoves the turn pointer to the next box on theturn record track.

Game turns are repeated, one afteranother, until either the invader concedesdefeat, or gains sufficient victory points towin.- If all invaders are killed, the city forcesplayer automatically and instantly wins.- If ten or more turns pass without anyinvaders within the walls of the city, the city

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Dragon Rage Game Manualforces player automatically wins.- If ten or more turns pass without anyvictory point hexes destroyed, the city forcesplayer automatically wins.

StackingNo troop unit may move into a Hex

occupied by any other unit. Characters andDragons may enter hexes occupied byanother unit in certain circumstances (seebelow).Heroes & wizards

These special characterunits may stack with any otherfriendly unit in the same HexHowever, a stack of no morethan two units is allowed (heroor wizard with some other unit,or just a hero and wizardtogether).

In addition, a hero (but not awizard) may move into a Hexoccupied by a Dragon, but thisautomatically ends his move.

Terrain & Movement

SeaNo unit can enter a sea Hex (all-water

hex.)River

No unit can enter a river Hex However, aunit can enter a bridge or ford hex., but onlyfrom the hexsides where the bridge or ford isconnected to the banks of the river.

The Dragon may walk, slither, bound, orland on a bridge, but it cannot enter the ford.Of course, the Dragon could bound or flyover the river instead.

WallsNo unit can climb over a wall hexside.

However, a gateway allows movementthrough a wall hexside from the inside outfreely, or from either direction if it issmashed.

There are wall gateways connectinghexes 0606-0707 and 2113-2212, as well asat either bank of the wooden bridges over theriver in 1407 and 1413.

TowersA unit can only enter a tower Hex

through an entrance, or by bounding orlanding (from flight) on it directly. The playerdefending the city controls all towers andtheir entrances, and can enter or exit freely.The Invader cannot use these entrances untilthey are smashed, which permits freepassage to all.

Units in a tower are always consideredboth 'in' and 'on top' of the tower.

Cavalry units cannot end movement in atower, although they may cross a tower byfollowing the road in hexes 0914, 1310 and1511.

RoadsAny units can move along a road,

following it from Hex to Hex The road passesthrough walls at the gates, and actuallypasses through the lower floors of the towersin 0914,1310, and 1511. The road does notenter any other towers, so units entering orleaving other towers cannot use roadmovement. All three bridges have roadwayover them, so road movement can continueacross bridges.

A unit that follows the road for its entiremove uses its road MP value.

Note that the Dragons have no specialroad MP value, and thus gain no benefit frommoving along a road.

Entrances to walls & towersEntrances include both large gates (red)

and small doors (blue). Towers may haveeither type of entrance on one or more sides,while wall hexes sometimes have a gateway(red) through them. Entrances are indicatedby a colored glow on the map. Only a unitagainst that hexside (or moving over thathexside) can use the entrance.

The City Defender automatically controlsall tower entrances, and can use them freely,at no movement cost. The player who lasthad a unit in the Hex on the inside part of awall gateway controls that gate, and can useit freely. If a player does not control an

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Dragon Rage Game Manualentrance, he cannot use it unless it issmashed open. Once smashed, an entrancecannot be repaired.

Smashing doors (blue)A Dragon automatically smashes open a

door by simply facing it at any time duringmovement (or at the end of its move). No MPcost is required, and the Dragon cancontinue moving into the tower if desired (ifthe tower is occupied, see Overrun rules : adragon may not overrun in a tower).

Smashing gates (red)A Dragon can attempt to smash a gate by

moving to face it while walking, and thenspending one or more MPs (from itsremaining MPs that move) to "smash" it. Ifthere is no City Defender unit on the otherside of the gate, after one MP is spentsmashing the gate automatically shatters.Otherwise, when the MP expenditure ismade, one die is rolled. If the roll is equal toor less than the MPs spent, the gate issmashed; otherwise it is unaffected.Smashing MPs cannot be accumulated fromturn to turn, and each Dragon must resolveits attempt separately.

Movement could continue through thegateway (if any MPs remain).

A Dragon with all legs destroyed can stilltry to smash a red gate. Unguarded red gatescan be broken on a 6+ on 1d6, and gateswith city guards on the other side can bebroken on 11+ on 2d6.

Opening an entranceA City Defender unit in a tower or behind

a gate may open it during its own player-turnduring combat, to make an attack out to anenemy on the opposite side of the entrance.In this case, the entrance remains openthroughout the following enemy (Invader)player-turn, allowing the enemy to move (byOverrun, unless the unit is in a tower) andattack through it.

Destruction of bridgesThe wooden bridges (on hexes 1407 and

1413) can be destroyed.Troops

A unit of troops can destroy a bridge bymoving onto it, and not making any normalmelee or missile attacks that player turn.Instead, place a "broken" markerunderneath. On the following player-turn, ifthe unit is undestroyed, when it moves off,the bridge is wrecked behind it, replace the"broken" with a "burned" marker.

DragonsA dragon will automatically destroy a

wooden bridge if it bounds onto it, or landsfrom flight on it. A "broken" marker is placedunderneath the Dragon on the bridge. If theDragon does not leave on its next move, itwill fall into the river (which instantly kills aDragon).Note: the stone bridge in Hex 1410 isindestructible.

(1) Invading player movementphaseThe 'terrain and movement' section

above describes the effects of terrain onmovement during this phase.

Dragon FacingA Dragon must face toward one of the six

adjacent hexes with the front (top) of thecounter. Facing is important in movementand combat: if a Dragon is facedambiguously, the opposing player decideswhich hexside it faces toward.Rear Face

Dragon Movement modesEach turn, a Dragon may use only one of

the following four movement modes: Walk,Slither, Bound, or Fly.Walk

An undamaged dragon can walk 4 MP onhis turn. the Dragon damage record sheettracks the remaining MPs according to theleg damage sustained so far.

A walking dragon gets one free 60°rotation before each Hex movement, andspends 1 MP for each Hex entered.

He may also make additional 60° turns atthe cost of 1MP each.Movement and extra turning can becombined in any order during a Walk move.Slither (no attack)

A slithering Dragon may go forward,snakelike, 1 Hex (directly forward, no turnallowed); or turn 60° once while remaining inplace.

A slithering Dragon cannot move further,nor make any attacks the same player-turn itslithers.

As a result, slither moves are generally a"last resort" used by a Dragon unable to

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Dragon Rage Game Manualperform any other type of move!Bound

At least half the Dragon's leg points andwing points must be intact to permit thismovement mode (exception: a Dragon maybound from a tower regardless of leg pointsintact).

In a bound, the Dragon may first rotate60 degrees right or left if desired, and thenbounds 1 to 3 hexes forward in a huge hop.

The Dragon may bound over any hex.,including terrain normally impassable, and/orhexes occupied by friendly or enemy units.However, the Dragon cannot land on any unitexcept a hero and/or wizard. Note thatbecause the bound must be in a straight line,there are only nine hexes a Dragon couldbound into on such a move.

Example of bound options for a DragonDragons can bound 1 to 3 hexesFly (no attack)

At least half the Dragon's wing pointsmust be intact to permit flying. Furthermore,to take off at least half the leg points mustalso be intact, or the Dragon must be makinga take off from a tower. The Dragon mayeither take off or land in addition to flying,but cannot both take off and land during thesame movement phase.

In a flying move, the Dragon must movestraight forward at least two hexes, then itcan turn 60° left or right, then it can moveanother two hexes, turn again, etc. No otherturns are allowed while flying, even if takingoff or landing also.

Overall, a Dragon can fly up to 6 hexeseach turn. A Dragon in flight is denoted byusing the "in flight" version of the counter.This shows it is at 60-90 meter altitude. ADragon in flight is flying above all terrain andunits, it can ignore both. A Dragon that

begins its move in flight may land in the Hexwhere it starts (no change of facing ispossible, obviously), but the landing stillcounts as part of a flight move (prohibitingany other type of move, and attacking thatphase).

A flying Dragon cannot land on any unitexcept a hero and/or wizard.A dragon cannot make attacks if it made aflying move that turn.Crash

A bounding or flying Dragon will "crash"if it is in the same Hex as a Whirlwind spell,or is in flight and has its wing points reducedbelow half.

When it crashes, the Dragon lands in thathex., and suffers 2d6 wound points. TheDragon player determines how these damagepoints are distributed over its body. If theDragon crashes into any river or sea hex., itinstantly dies. Units in the crash Hex mustroll to "escape" or are killed, and any victorypoint locations or wooden bridges aredestroyed (scored).

To escape, a unit must roll its escapenumber (printed on the counter) or more on1d6 or be destroyed. Each unit has its"escape" determined separately.

A Dragon in a tower with one or morewing points remaining may deliberately fallout of the tower in any direction and crashinto the neighboring Hex below. Of course,the Dragon must suffer the crash result (2d6damage). Crashing replaces the normal moveof a Dragon.

Overrun attacks and movementOverrun attack or movement only applies

when walking on the ground, never whenslithering, bounding, or flying.overrun attacks

A Dragon may make an overrun attackonly while walking. This allows the Dragon tomove into the Hex occupied by any enemyunit, at a cost of 1 MP extra. A Dragoncannot bound or fly into an enemy-occupiedHex. A Dragon cannot overrun inside a tower,due to the small space, but it can overrunthrough an open or smashed gate in a wall.

An overrun attack is resolved the instantit occurs, with the Dragon worth six combatstrength for this purpose. See Combatresolution Table for details on how to resolveit. After the attack, the Dragon may continuemoving, or simply sit there (on top of theenemy, if the attack failed).

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Dragon Rage Game ManualOverrun movement

A walking Dragon may simply overrunthrough an enemy-occupied Hex. In this case,the beast simply passes through the hex.,ignoring the enemy units. An overrun move isprohibited if the monster must stop in theenemy occupied Hex. (E.g., if it has nomovement point left with which to make anoverrun attack, described above.) Overrunmoves are prohibited inside a tower.

(2) Dragonfire phaseA Dragon that is neither flying nor

slithering may "breathe fire" with its head.This is done in the dragonfire phase beforenormal melee combat in the Invader's player-turn.

A flying Dragon may breathe fire onto atower Hex if the Dragon neither took off norlanded that turn. Only tower hexes can be hitby fire from a flying Dragon.

The head has a combat strength of zero(0) on the turn it breathes fire -- in effect, thehead cannot be used for other attacks for theremainder of the turn.

RangeDragonfire is breathed into any one of

the three hexes to the front of the dragon. Itthen extends to a second Hex directly beyondthe first, in a straight line from the Dragon.The dragonfire cannot be breathed into theHex the dragon occupies.

A Dragon cannot breathe fire through awall or into a tower except through an openentrance. If breathing fire into a tower, if thatis the first Hex (of the two), the fire stopswithin the tower, and travels no further.

EffectAll units in hexes hit by dragonfire are

destroyed unless they escape. To escape, aunit must roll its escape number (printed onthe counter) or more on 1d6. Any unit in atower has a +2 bonus to the die roll. Eachunit has its "escape" determined separately.

Dragonfire into a Victory Points Hex willalways destroy it, except for towers : If thedragon is on the ground level, onlydragonfire breathed through an openentrance will destroy the Hex If he is flying,dragonfire on a tower will always destroy it.Fire limitations

A Dragon can only breathe fire twice in agame.

(3) Invading player melee phaseTypes of Dragon attacks

Each area of the Dragon, except its belly,can be used for an attack. The head can bite,the wings buffet, and the legs claw and kick.Each area has one or more "groups", eachwith a combat strength for attacks. As anarea takes damage, groups are destroyed,and thus the combat strength for attacks willdecrease.

The head of the Dragon is one group,with a combat strength of 3. The wings of theDragon form two groups, each with astrength of 2. The legs of the Dragon formfour groups, each with a strength of 1.

Attack limitationsEach type of group can only attack

certain hexes, depending on the facing of theDragon, and terrain. See the diagram belowfor the terminology used for variousdirections and facings:

Around means all six hexes surroundingthe Dragon. Underneath means the Hex the

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Dragon Rage Game ManualDragon occupies. Above means any towerHex around the Dragon.

The Head can only attack to the frontincluding above, and underneath. The Wingscan only attack to the front including above.The legs can attack all around andunderneath, but not above.

Various groups from one or more areas ofthe Dragon may combine to attack a singleHex. If the entire, undamaged Dragoncombines its combat strength to attack oneHex (it would have to be to the front), thetotal would be 11 (3 + [2x2] + [4x1] = 3 + 4+ 4 = 11). The various areas or groups canattack separate hexes if desired.

Additional limitationsA dragon cannot make attacks if it made

a flying or a slither move that turn. It canonly attack over a wall or into a tower if anentrance is open. Two or more dragonscannot combine their combat strengths, eachDragon must attack separately, and mustattack separate hexes.

Combat resolution table

To resolve the attack, total the combatstrength of all attacking areas, and referenceit against the combat strength of the cityforce units in the target Hex in the combatresolution table. If the result is a targetnumber (2 to 6), roll 1d6 : The defending unitis destroyed on a roll equal or higher than

the target number. If the result is D, thedefending unit is destroyed. If the result isM, the attacker misses and the attack has noeffect.Extreme odds

11 indicates that you must roll the dicetwice and add results, the defending unit isdestroyed on a total of 11 or 12.Multiple areas attacks

Two or more areas can combine combatstrengths to attack one enemy. If two or moreenemy units are stacked in the same hex.,they must be attacked as one combinedgroup. Two or more different hexes withenemies must be attacked separately (adifferent attack against each hex.). Each areacan only make one melee attack per turn, nomatter how many enemies may be adjacent.Walls & towers

A Dragon cannot make a melee attackinto or out of a tower, nor across a wall,unless an open or smashed entrance is used(i.e., the entrance is between the attackerand his enemy).

Special characters in meleeHero wounds

The first time a hero is"killed" by any attack, he is justwounded instead. Place awounded marker underneaththe hero counter. When awounded hero is "killed" he isfinally destroyed and removed from thegame. A wounded hero performs just like anormal hero unless otherwise indicated.Wizard

The wizard has specialmagic spells (see Wizard Spellssection). In addition, whenstacked in a Hex with anotherunit, the wizard adds his combatstrength only when attacked.The wizard himself has no combat strengthto make attacks (but his reputation andmagic help protect him). This defensivestrength also applies if the wizard is alone ina Hex.

OverrunA dragon that made an overrun attack

move (see Movement) can still make normalmelee attacks. Note that if it overrunned andstopped on a unit, and the overrun failed tokill it, the Dragon can now make normalattacks with head and/or legs "underneath"itself.

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Dragon Rage Game Manual(4) City forces spell-casting phase

The wizard & magicOnly the wizard can cast spells.

Spell pointsEach time the wizard casts a spell, he

must use up a certain number of "spellpoints." The spell points used vary with the

spell. The wizard only has ten (10)spell points for the entire game. Hecannot use more, and when theseare exhausted, he is unable to castany more spells.

Casting spellsSpellcasting occurs at the beginning of

the player's turn, before any movement. Theplayer simply selects one spell from the listbelow, uses the appropriate spell points, andnotes the effect. Markers are provided forsome, to indicate the area affected.

Casting limitationsA wizard cannot cast more than one spell

per turn. He may cast the same spell turnafter turn, or a different one each turn,provided sufficient spell points remain.

The wizard may cast a spell into any Hexwithin range, regardless of line of sight. Thewizard is presumed to have a crystal ball thatallows him to see "through" normalobstacles.

Boost Morale spell (1-3 SP)This spell costs 1 spell point, with an

extra cost of 1 spell point per Hex of radiusapplied, up to a maximum cost of 3 points(for 2 hexes radius).

The spell is cast into the wizard's ownhex., and if extra cost for radius is spent, willextend one or two hexes outward from thereas well. The spell affects units on the sameside as the wizard only, and only for thatturn.

Melee attack effect : All units withinBoost Morale add one (+1) to the die rollwhen resolving a normal melee attack. Ifsome units have Boost Morale, and some donot in a melee attack, the addition is madeonly if half or more of the combat strengthinvolved has Boost Morale.

Melee attack on dragons : All unitsmaking a melee attack on a Dragon add one(+1) to the die roll.

Escape bonus : If either the unit is hit bydragonfire, or all heroes are dead, or both,any escape die rolls have one added (+1).

Militia attack ability : A militia unit mayattack a Dragon without a hero being with or

adjacent to it.Note: the effect of this spell is not

cumulative with normal bonuses due to ahero. A unit can either take the effect ofboost morale, or a hero, but not both at thesame time.

Fog spell (2 SP)This spell costs 2 spell points.The spell can be cast into any Hex within

a radius of three from the wizard. The Fogmarker should be placed to show the Hex it'scast into. The Fog itself covers that hex., andall hexes within a radius of two from it (for atotal area of 19 hexes).

Duration : The Fog spell lasts until thecasting player's next spellcasting phase.Then it dissipates.

Effect : No attacks or combat of any sort(neither melee, missile, nor dragonfire) mayoccur by units in the Fog, or against units inthe Fog. A dragon may neither bound intonor out of Fog, nor may it land (from flight)in Fog. A dragon can take off in Fog, boundover it (if starting and ending outside of it),and fly completely over Fog. A dragon maystill walk in Fog, and can destroy victorypoints in the Fog.

Whirlwind spell (2 SP)This spell costs 2 spell points. It is cast in

any Hex within four of the wizard. When cast,place the "Whirlwind 1" marker in that Hex.

Duration & travel : The spell remains ineffect during the whole turn. On the caster'snext turn magic phase, replace the markerwith "Whirlwind 2" and move it randomly oneHex. To determine the direction, roll one die,1-N, 2-NE, 3-SE, 4-S, 5-SW, 6-NW. The spellthen lasts for one last turn in the new hex.,and then dissipates on the beginning of thecaster's next magic phase.

Effects : A Whirlwind in a Hex preventsany unit in that Hex from attacking, nor mayit be attacked (by missiles, melee orDragonfire). However, a Dragon in aWhirlwind may attack with its head and legsonly.

A Dragon must spend one extramovement point (+1 MP) to enter aWhirlwind hex., and one extra to leave it. Ifthe monster flies or bounds into, out of, orthrough a Whirlwind it crashes on a die rollof 4+. If the monster is in flight, and theWhirlwind occurs in its hex., it must roll forcrashing at that instant, but if it doesn'tcrash, it can move out of the Hex during hismovement phase without needing a secondcheck.

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Dragon Rage Game ManualAny victory points in a Hex occupied by a

Whirlwind are automatically destroyed.Entrances and bridges are unaffected by aWhirlwind. No units may unload from shipsonto docks covered by a Whirlwind.

Lightning spell (3 SP)This spell costs 3 spell points. It is cast

into any Hex within four of the wizard, andhits one unit in that Hex (selected by thewizard casting it).

Effect : The power of the Lightning is 5minus the distance (in hexes) the spell wascast from. A Lightning cast into the sameHex has a full power of 5, into an adjacentHex a power of 4, etc., to a power of 1 if cast4 hexes away.

When cast at a Dragon, the strength ofthe Lightning bolt is the number of damagepoints inflicted on the Dragon (the Lightningautomatically hits). The Invader playerdecides which areas are hit, but must giveeach area one damage point before any areais given two damage points. Areas as yetundamaged are always the first to takedamage from Lightning.

(5) City forces reinforcementsphaseThe City Defender receives

reinforcements from the sea starting on the10th turn, and every fourth turn thereafter(i.e., on the 14th, 18th, 22th, etc. turns).These turns are marked in blue on the turntrack.

Each group of reinforcements consists offour infantry troop units, which arrive on anydock Hex along the seafront, and/or on thewooden bridge in 1413. If the wooden bridgeis burned, reinforcements cannot be placedthere.

Reinforcements can only arrive in vacanthexes at the start of the movement phase ofthe player-turn. If insufficient vacant dockand bridge hexes exist, those which cannotarrive are delayed until the next turn.

If there are insufficient infantry countersfor reinforcements, due to all infantryalready being in play on the mapboard,militia is substituted. If all infantry andmilitia units are already in play, no additionalreinforcements are received until "dead"units become available for reinforcements ona subsequent reinforcement-arrival turn.

Dock hexes where reinforcements arriveinclude 0815, 0915, 1014, 1115, 1315, and1516 (as well as the bridge on 1413).

(6) City forces movement phaseThe 'terrain and movement' section

above describes the effects of terrain onmovement during this phase.

Units are moved one at a time, butmovement of one may be halted temporarilyto move another.

A player can move as many or as fewunits as desired, including all or none. A unitneed not move its full MP, it can move onlypart instead. MP cannot be saved from turnto turn, nor can it be transferred from oneunit to another. Movement only occursduring the proper phase of the game turn.

(7) City forces archery phaseOnly archer units may fire missiles.An archer unit can either fire missiles or

make a normal melee attack, but not both inthe same turn. Such a unit can only firemissiles once a turn, regardless of thedifferent target hexes available.

Line of sightAn archer unit must be able to see the

target Hex to fire on it. If firing from a tower,any Hex can be hit. If the target is in a toweror flying, it can be hit regardless of terrain (ALine of Sight always exists to a flyingDragon). In all other cases, the firer is unableto see through any tower or wall hexside. Todetermine this, trace a straight line from thecenter of the firer's to the center of thetarget's Hex. If the line intersects any part ofthe wall or tower structures painted on themap, firing is prohibited.

An archer may shoot through an entrancein a wall, but only to the Hex immediately onthe opposite side. The smaller buildingspainted on the mapboard inside the city haveno effect on the line of sight (it is presumedarchers, etc. are in upper floors and on roofs;however, buildings that act as walls stillblock line of sight within the city).Missile attacks against Dragons (5+, 6+)

Archers fire two hexes, three if from atower (and the target is neither in a tower,nor flying).To hit with missiles, one die is rolled.

At one Hex range and shooting at aDragon not in flight, a 5+ is needed to hit.

In any other situation, including anyfiring at a flying Dragon, a 6+ is needed tohit.

If the Dragon is flying when hit, itautomatically takes two damage points in thebelly.

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Dragon Rage Game ManualIf a Dragon is hit by missiles, it will suffer

one damage point in the wings, legs, or head(area selected by the firer).

(8) City forces melee phaseAny unit in the same or a neighboring

Hex to a Dragon may attack it. Melee attacksare prohibited if either unit or Dragon is in atower, but both are not, or if the attack isacross a wall hexside, or if the Dragon is inflight.

When a unit attacks, it indicates whatarea of the Dragon is being attacked, androlls one die. If the proper number results,the Dragon is hit.

When a Dragon is hit, the number ofdamage points inflicted equals the combatstrength of the attacker. Thus a unit withcombat strength 2 will cause two damagepoints with each hit.

The head (6+)Can only be attacked from the Hex

directly in front of the Dragon, or from anytower Hex around it (i.e., any Hex above it).A die roll of 6+ is needed to hit, and the headis a single group with 8 hit points.

Once both wings and all 4 legs are lost,the dragon's head can be attacked from allthree front hexes.

The wings (4+)Can be attacked from the four side hexes

or any Hex above it. A die roll is 4+ is neededto hit, and the wings are in two groups, eachwith 6 hit points.

The legs (5+)Can be attacked from any except above.

A die roll of 5+ is needed to hit, and the legsare in four groups, each with 3 hit points.

The belly (4+)Can only be attacked from underneath (in

the same hex.) A die roll of 4+ is needed tohit, and the belly is one group with 6 hitpoints.

damage points on DragonsEach successful attack on a Dragon

inflicts damage points. The number ofdamage points suffered equals the combatstrength of the attacker.Location of damage

When an attack is made, the attackermust indicate which area on the Dragon isbeing targeted before rolling the dice. Thisoften influences the die roll needed to hit. Ifthe attack is successful, that area is hit.Some areas cannot be hit from some

positions.When an area is hit, the first group (if

more than one) in that area always takes thedamage first.

When enough damage accumulates todestroy the first group, the next group takesthe damage, etc. When an entire group isdestroyed, its combat strength for attacksdrops to zero (0). If an entire area isdestroyed, any further hits on that area haveno effect.

Note that groups are always marked offone after another, regardless of the directionof attack. This is a game device to representgradually decreasing strength and power. Aspecific group within an area does notcorrespond to any specific part of the body.Head area damage

When the entire head area (one group of8 damage points) is destroyed, the Dragoncannot use dragonfire anymore, and goesberserk.

A berserk Dragon only moves if notfacing an enemy. It will rotate to face thenearest unit, and if none are adjacent, willwalk, slither or bound toward the nearestenemy unit and attack. After each Invadermelee phase, roll one die for each berserkDragon. On a result of 5+, the Dragon dies.

In addition, when the head area isdestroyed, it cannot be used in combatanymore.Wing area damage

When one entire group of wings isdestroyed (there are two, each of 6 damagepoints), the Dragon can neither fly norbound. The loss of a wing group alsoeliminates that group from combats.Leg area damage

Each leg group destroyed (there are four,each of 3 damage points) reduces themovement points of a walking Dragon by one(-1 MP/leg group lost). In addition, the loss ofa leg group eliminates that group fromcombats. When all leg groups are destroyed,the Dragon is unable to walk or bound, andcan only take off for flight from a tower.Belly area damage

When the entire belly area (one group of6 damage points) is destroyed, the Dragonimmediately dies.Dead dragons

When a Dragon dies, it collapses in theHex it occupies. Any other unit in the Hexmust roll its escape number or higher to

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Dragon Rage Game Manualavoid being crushed and destroyed. Anyvictory points in the Hex are destroyed andscored by the Invader player. The Hexbecomes impassable to all units, even othermonsters, although a unit may fly or boundover it.

Heroes & militia hero attacksWhen any unit is attacking a Dragon, add

one (+1) to the die roll of all attacks if thehero is next to or stacked with the unit. Thisonly applies if the hero is not wounded. Ifwounded, the hero does not cause thisaddition.

The hero unit itself also adds one (+1) toits die roll when attacking a Dragon.

Militia leadershipThe militia units are untrained and poorly

disciplined troops. They will not attack aDragon unless a hero is in the same oradjacent hex., or they are within theinfluence of a "Boost Morale" spell from thewizard. In either case, the militia would addone (+1) to its attack die roll, due to the heroor the morale spell.

Death of a heroIf a player had heroes among his units,

and all are dead, the rest of his forcesbecome demoralized. The demoralized unitsmust "check morale" successfully each timethey wish to attack a Dragon. If the unit fails,it cannot attack that player-turn. Archersneed not check morale to fire missiles.

Each unit checks morale separately, byrolling one die, and adding one (+1). If theresult is greater than or equal to the escapenumber, it passes morale and may attack thatplayer-turn. If the result is less than theescape number for that unit, it fails moraleand cannot attack.

(9) Advance turn pointerThe city defender player concludes his

turn by advancing the turn pointer.Players continue taking turns until either

the invader player or the city defendingplayer meets his victory conditions.

This concludes the 'Game Manual' booklet. You should stopreading here and start a game right away, even if solo! Werecommend you play the basic game a few times before youmove on to the full rules detailed in the rules referencemanual.Credits

Original Game : Game design by Lewis Pulsipher, development by Lewis Pulsipher and ArnoldHendrick. Playtesting by Robert Dudley, Kevin Garbleman, Albie Fiore. Bob Lansdell, MundyPeale, Jim Adams, Mark Humphreys, lan Livingstone, Sue Pulsipher, Martin Crim, Keith Ivey,Roland Gettliffe, Eric Bracey. Steve Raymond, and others; and Albert Pare, Cameron Owen,Rommie Stults, and Bruce Webster.Revised edition : Game design by Lewis Pulsipher, development by Lewis Pulsipher and EricHanuise. Graphic design by Eric Hanuise (maps, play aids, rules) , David Collignon (old stylecounters) Lionel Liron (new style counters) and Miguel Coimbra (cover art).Revised Edition Playtesting : Eric hanuise, Jean-Michel gevels, Axel Calingaert, OlivierCaprini, Alain Peters, Alain Gotcheiner, Marc Dave, Marc Elsoght, Frederic Moyersoen,Olivier Doyen, Jean Lognay, Serge Lehman, Greg Charles, Frederic Prévot, Anthony Desert,Vincent Boulanger, Romain Laurent, Didier Vandamme.

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Dragon Rage Game Manual