Dragon Dice® Rules

The following section provides clarification on some of the mechanics of Dragon Dice®. Note that some clarifications refer to mechanics discussed in the Advanced Rules section.

Players do not roll dice simultaneously unless a specific rule says so. During a march, the marching player always rolls their army first, followed by any opposing players. Once the marching player has finished resolving their roll, the opposing players resolve their rolls in turn order. Each player follows this process one by one:

*Multiples of the same SAI may be combined to create a single larger effect.

A die's effect will resolve at its assigned time. If a die's results are used and it then leaves the army, its results still stand. If a die leaves the army before its results are used, or a die enters the army after the roll, that die has no effect on that roll.

A number of species abilities, and a few spells and SAIs, allow a unit to count one type of result they have rolled as another. For example, the species ability Coastal Dodge states: 'When at a terrain that contains green (water), Coral Elves may count maneuver results as if they were save results.' Such an ability is called a 'Counts As' effect. Only rolled results may be counted in this way. Results generated by spells may never be counted as another type of result. Any results that are counted as a different type of result are considered a modifier that adds, and as such are applied during step 9 of Die Roll Resolution.

When a roll is made, it is not unusual for a number of game effects to modify that roll. To ensure the correct balance of the game, it is important to apply these modifiers in the correct order, as represented in the table in the section above.

There are also a number of important rules that must be obeyed with regards to applying modifiers:

• Modifiers that affect an army do not affect the roll of an individual unit from that army.
• Modifiers that affect an individual unit do not affect the roll of an army.
• ID icons generate the type of result the roll is for. When results are subtracted or divided, ID results are the last results to be removed by those modifiers. If the roll is a combination roll the owner of the army may choose what result type the ID generates.
• There may never be more than one modifier that divides results applied to each type of result.
• There may never be more than one modifier that multiplies applied to each type of result.

Examples of this process are provided in the FAQ for Dragon Dice®, which can be downloaded from the Rules Page on our website.

Some effects have a stated duration (such as, “until the beginning of your next turn”). If an effect with duration targets an army, it applies to that army at a particular terrain or reserves. The effect ends if there are no units remaining in the army. This is checked at the end of each action. If all the units from the army are replaced with other units as a single action, the army is still considered to be present and so the effect remains active.

Effects that apply to an army apply to all units in the army regardless when they joined the army.

Certain actions call for a 'combination roll'. A combination roll involves making a single roll for an army, but counting multiple types of result, for example, following a dragon attack, an army makes a single combination roll counting any melee, missile and save results. Results are counted and applied as per the rules for resolving a dragon attack.

The following rules apply:

• During a combination roll, any modifiers to that roll which could be applied to different results are applied as the army's owner desires. All modifiers must be applied if possible.
• If any ID icons are rolled, the owner of the army may choose what type of results they generate.
• If an SAI generates a choice of different results (for example, Create Fireminions) then the player may split those results between those required by the roll.
• If an SAI generates different results for each type of roll counted by the combination roll, then the player who rolled that SAI may choose which result to apply. For example, if a unit is targeted by a Coil SAI they make a combination roll counting melee and saves. The targeted unit rolls a Counter SAI – in a melee roll this generates melee results, in a save roll this generates save results. That player may choose to count the SAI as applying to either the melee, or to the save part of the roll, but not to both.

When armies meet in combat - melee, missile, or magic - units may take damage. If a unit takes damage equal to or greater than its health it is killed and put in its owner's Dead Unit Area (DUA).

The following points should be observed when inflicting damage:

• If a unit takes less damage than its health, the damage goes away at the end of the action. The unit is considered to have been healed.
• If possible, enough units must be killed to cover all remaining damage, but never in excess of it.
• Attacks or spells that target an army allow the entire army to make a save roll.
• Attacks, SAIs, and spells that target a unit only allow that unit to make a save roll. An individual unit that is targeted does not receive any benefits given to its army.
• Each point of save results generated, from icons, spells or any other source, negates one point of damage.

When a unit takes damage it is permitted to make a save roll unless an effect states otherwise. As stated above, if a unit takes damage equal to or greater than its health it is killed and put in its owner's Dead Unit Area (DUA).

If an effect states that a unit is killed then the unit is immediately put in its owner's Dead Unit Area (DUA), unless the effect provides an opportunity to roll a specific result to avoid it.

If some effect prevents a killed unit from entering the Dead Unit Area (DUA) (such as an Open Grave), any effects that take effect when the unit is killed, do not function.

Monsters are worth four health each. The ID icon (marked with a triangle, circle or diamond for easy recognition) generates four of whatever results you are rolling for.

Unlike other units, normal action icons only ever appear singularly on the face of a monster. Any normal action icon rolled generates four results, so if a monster rolls a melee icon, that monster generates four melee results.

Many effects in the game allow a player to promote a unit. To promote a unit, exchange it with a unit in your Dead Unit Area (DUA) (or Summoning Pool, if promoting Dragonkin) of the same species and one-health larger. If a player has no units in their Dead Unit Area (DUA) (or Summoning Pool), then promotion cannot occur.

The following rules apply to promotion:

• A promotion affects only a single unit.
• If a rule indicates to promote or recruit as many units as possible, all promotions and recruitments happen at once. Identify all units that can be promoted, match each of them with a unit in the Dead Unit Area (DUA) (or Summoning Pool), then promote each of them simultaneously.
• Promoted Eldarim and Dragonkin are not required to be the same color.
• If the promotion affects an entire army, such as after killing a dragon, all units in the army, even those that did not roll, may be promoted.
• If an ability allows you to promote multiple health-worth at once you may choose to promote multiple units by one health-worth each, or you may combine the health to promote to a larger unit, or any combination you choose.

In addition to Promotion, a number of other effects cause an army to exchange units with those in a player's Dead Unit Area (DUA).

The following points must be observed:

• Multiple exchanges with the Dead Unit Area (DUA) happen all at once. Identify any units that need to be exchanged, then highlight which units in the DUA they will be exchanged with before performing the exchange.
• Even if all the units in the army are exchanged, at no time is the entire army considered gone. As such all army-targeting spells remain in effect and all Dragonkin, minor terrains and items (providing as enough units capable of carrying them are still present) remain in play. Only check to see if an army is still in place at the end of the exchange action.
• If a unit is targeted by, or subject to an individual effect (for example, is affected by the Hypnotic Glare SAI), exchanging the unit for another causes that effect to end.
• Units that are exchanged are never considered killed.