Overview

DragonLance is a fantasy board game where players control hordes of dragons competing to capture the DragonLance from atop a central tower and carry it back to their lair. Players roll for movement points, maneuver dragons at different altitudes, engage in aerial combat, and play magic cards for bonuses and special abilities. The first player to return the DragonLance to one of their lair hexes and descend to zero altitude wins.

Components

• Game board with central tower, walls, 6 gates, and lair hexes for each color
• 5 dragons per player (in 6 colors)
• DragonLance token
• White altitude chips/markers
• 24 magic spell cards
• Leader characters (advanced game)
• Magic items (advanced game)
• Flying citadels (advanced game)
• 1d10 die

Setup

Basic Game

1. Place the tower, walls, and 6 gates in the board center. Place the DragonLance atop the tower.
2. Leader characters, magic items, and flying citadels are not used.
3. Ignore Mountains, Forest, Water, and arrows on the board.
4. Shuffle the 24 magic spell cards.
5. Each player chooses a dragon horde color and sits near that lair. Place all 5 dragons, one in each hex of the lair.
6. High die roll goes first; play proceeds clockwise.

Advanced Game

As above, plus deal or choose leader characters (each controls their leader’s dragon horde). Optional advanced terrain rules may be used.

• 2-3 players: Each controls 2 hordes on opposite board sides.
• 2 players: Each controls 3 opposite hordes.

Turn Structure

On each turn, a player may:

1. Roll for movement (1d10) — determines movement points for the turn. Rolling 1 or 2 also grants a magic card draw.
2. Move dragons — distribute movement points among any of your dragons.
3. Attack — each dragon may attack once per turn (costs no movement points).
4. Play magic cards — 1 card per dragon you control per turn.
5. Capture the DragonLance — if conditions are met.

All movement points must be used. Actions can be done in any order except as noted.

Actions

Movement

• 1 movement point per hex or per altitude level change.
• Dragons start at zero altitude and must ascend above zero to move between hexes.
• Maximum altitude at end of move: 10 (may be higher mid-move).
• Cannot enter or move through a hex containing another dragon (regardless of altitude).
• A dragon at zero altitude (except at game start or winning move) crashes and is eliminated.
• Cannot go back and forth between 2 hexes more than once per turn.

Altitude

• Stack altitude markers under a dragon to track altitude.
• 1 movement point to ascend or descend 1 level.
• May ascend and descend in the same hex but not both (must go one direction only while in a hex).
• If all altitude markers are in use, no dragon may ascend higher.

Tower Courtyard

• Enter only through your own color gate; exit through any gate.
• Must be at altitude 4 or less to pass through a gate.
• Only 1 dragon of a given color may be in the courtyard at the same time.
• Neither gates nor walls may be flown over.

The Tower

• Enter by being in an adjacent courtyard hex at altitude 10; costs 1 movement point.
• Picking up the DragonLance ends that dragon’s movement (remaining points go to other dragons).
• Dragon with DragonLance must leave the tower on its next turn.
• A dragon atop the tower cannot be attacked.
• If the DragonLance has been taken, no dragon may land on the tower.

Combat

• Attack any adjacent dragon of a different color if both are at the same altitude.
• Costs no movement points; each dragon attacks at most once per turn.
• Cannot attack a dragon at zero altitude or atop the tower.
• Combat Roll: Attacker rolls 1d10 + modifiers; defender rolls 1d10 + modifiers. Higher roll wins (tie = no effect).
• Loser: Drops altitude by the difference in rolls. Dropping to 0 or below = crash (eliminated).

Attack Modifiers

• Movement: Every movement point used to reach attack position adds to the attack roll.
• DragonLance: +5 to attack and defense rolls.
• Magic Cards: Various attack or defense bonuses.

Capture the DragonLance

• Declare a capture attack (instead of normal attack) before rolling.
• Lancer gets an additional +3 defense for capture attempts.
• If attacker wins: takes the DragonLance; defender does NOT lose altitude.
• If attacker loses: loses altitude normally. Tie: no effect.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Win: Carry the DragonLance from the tower back to one of your lair hexes and descend to zero altitude.

Elimination: A dragon that crashes (drops to altitude 0 or below outside a lair on the winning move) is removed. If all of a player’s dragons are eliminated, that player is out.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Magic Cards (24 total): Drawn when rolling 1 or 2 for movement. Held secretly with no hand limit. Any player may play cards on anyone’s turn (1 card per dragon controlled per turn).
  • Attack spells (+3 to +9): Cloudkill, Cone of Cold, Fireball, Incendiary Cloud, Lightning Bolt, Power Word (+6 each; one dragon color immune per spell), Meteor Swarm (+9, no immunity), Magic Missile (+3 attack or defense).
  • Globe of Invulnerability: +10 defense.
  • Dispel Magic: Cancels the last magic card played.
  • Fear: All adjacent dragons must flee; Lancer is immune.
  • Haste: Roll 2d10 for movement instead of 1d10.
  • Passwall: Cross a courtyard wall at any altitude.
  • Teleport: Move a dragon to any legal space/altitude (Lancer cannot teleport).
• Lancer is immune to Fear but can play Fear on others.
• If only 1 dragon remains and is blocked in the courtyard, unused movement points are discarded.
• Advanced Game: Adds leader characters with special abilities, magic items, flying citadels, and terrain effects (Mountains, Forest, Water).

Player Reference

Turn: Roll 1d10 for movement -> Move/Attack/Play Cards in any order

Movement: 1 point per hex or per altitude level

Combat: Attacker 1d10 + mods vs Defender 1d10 + mods; loser drops altitude by difference

DragonLance: +5 attack/defense; capture attempt gives defender +3 extra

Win: Return DragonLance to your lair, descend to altitude 0

Magic Cards: Draw on roll of 1-2; 1 card per dragon per turn