Dead Reckoning: Letters of Marque — Rules Manual

COMPONENTS
PANTONE 4625C
PANTONE 7527C
2 Empire boards
39 Random Prime Cargo tokens
30 Non-Random Prime Cargo tokens
14 Favor Reward tokens
4 Letters of Marque tokens
4 Explorer Illustration cards
4 Explorer Ability cards
4 Advancement cards
16 Trade vessel cards
57 Saga Advancements/Encounters
1 Tuck box with hidden content
1 Card divider
6 Envelopes with hidden content
1 Box with hidden content
4 Basic Ship Upgrade tiles
4 Advanced Ship Upgrade tiles
16 Wooden Favor markers (8 Current Favor and 8 Peak Favor markers)
1 Saga Die
1 Campaign Log pad
1 Rulebook
1 Changing Tides Encounter Book
1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4
Explorer Explorer Explorer Explorer
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WHAT IS A SAGA?
Sagas are expansion sets to the Dead Reckoning™ game that let you explore new regions and discover new tales over the course of multiple games. Incorporating a Saga expansion means you will be adding some additional Advancements and Encounters to your game the 1st time you set up, but you will discover most of the new content during gameplay, organically expanding your game each time you play through Encounters and player choices. This newly discovered content then becomes part of all future games. For example, if you discover a new Row 2 Advancement from the Saga during a game, unless you are explicitly told to “Eliminate” it as some point, that Advancement is now an Advancement randomly mixed into Row 2 in all future games.
Since you will add the Saga content gradually, it’s OK to include Saga content in a new player’s 1st game. However, we do think it’s best if at least 1 player is familiar with the base game and has a good understanding of the rules.

LETTERS OF MARQUE
SAGA EXPANSION
3
After years of the New Sea being the dominion of cutthroat pirates, opportunistic privateers, and daring Merchant adventurers, the empires of the old world have turned their gaze toward its waters. Drawing their attention are stories and evidence that magic exists in the waters of the New Sea. Three primary resources found only in the New Sea, Dragonfish venom ( ), Moon Salt ( ), and Black Pearls ( ), each with different magical properties, are in high demand in the old world empires.
These empires are now seeking the assistance, trade, and loyalty of experienced ships and sailors in the procurement of these resources. With consistent trade and loyalty to an empire, a captain can obtain a letter of marque and the backing of that empire. Some captains may seek this route, while others may prefer to stay independent. Though the New Sea has attracted the gaze of empires, it remains as untamed as ever.

OVERVIEW
This expansion is compatible with, but does not require, the prior expansions Deep Legends, Salt & Thunder, and Sea Dogs.
The content of this expansion has 2 parts:
1. Flags of the Old World: This is content you can add to any game of Dead Reckoning, including the solo mode, the co-op mode, and as you work through Deep Legends and Salt & Thunder. If you use Flags of the Old World in the campaign mode, note that the changes to the campaign rules can be found on page 26.

2. Saga 3 – Changing Tides: This is a new Saga that works very much like Deep Legends and Salt & Thunder. It requires the inclusion of the Flags of the Old World content. You can start the Changing Tides Saga before, during, or after you have started progress on Deep Legends and Salt & Thunder. It works with the solo, 2-player co-op, and campaign modes.
This rulebook will first teach how the Flags of the Old World works. Then it will go into the Saga rules. Most of the Saga rules will be the same as prior Sagas, so if you are familiar with those rules, look for the Changing Tides rules on page 25.
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HOW TO USE
FLAGS OF THE OLD WORLD
CONTENTS
2 Empire boards
4 Advancement cards
39 Random Prime Cargo tokens
30 Non-Random Prime Cargo tokens
4 Explorer Sailor Illustration cards and 4 Explorer Sailor Ability cards
4 Letters of Marque tokens
14 Favor Reward tokens
8 Current Favor and 8 Peak Favor markers
4 Basic Ship Upgrade and 4 Advanced Ship Upgrade tiles
16 of a new type of Merchant ship called a “Trade vessel,” are included in the game
14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14
Explorer Explorer Explorer Explorer

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SETUP
1. Add to each player’s starting deck an Explorer Sailor card.
2. Each player gets 2 sets of Current Favor and Peak Favor markers. Each player puts 1 of their sets on the start space of each Empire board, with the Current Favor marker seated inside the Peak Favor marker.
3. Add the new Ship Upgrade tiles to the upgrade options.
4. Shuffle the 16 Trade vessel cards into their respective Row decks. These cards have a “LoM” to indicate they are from expansion 3 but are not listed as “3.00” to distinguish them from the 3.00 cards that are part of the Saga.
5. Prime Cargo tokens ( ):
a. Near the play area, place all the Random in a mixed-up pile face down.
b. For each row 1 Ocean board…
- If it is an island, put 1 face down Random in the water part of the board (considered to be “in the water”) and a second face down Random on the island part of the board (considered to be “on the island”).
- If it is an open sea, put 1 face down Random on it in the water.
c. Place a Random face down on each undiscovered Ocean board as a reminder to place a Random on the Ocean board when it is discovered.
Explorer
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6. Empire boards:
a. Place the 2 Empire boards along the top edge of the Harbor board.
b. Place the Letter of Marque tokens face up for each empire on their
respective spot on each Empire board.
c. Randomly place the Favor Reward tokens on the Empire Favor tracks
as indicated. All 14 tokens should be randomly allocated across the 2
Empire boards.
d. Each player should have a set of their Current Favor/Peak Favor
markers on the start space of each Empire board.
Do this process for both Empire boards
A
B
C
D
Harbor board
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GAMEPLAY
All rules from the base game and other expansions are the same except for
the following additions:
PRIME CARGO
Prime Cargo are either face down and “Undiscovered” or face up and “Discovered.”
Prime Cargo can be in the water, on an island, at a player’s Harbor, or on a Ship where
it takes up 1 hull space.
PRIME CARGO WHEN EXPLORING OCEAN BOARDS:
Whenever an unexplored face down Ocean board with an island is explored
during play, it gains an Undiscovered Prime Cargo (face down) in the water and another
Undiscovered Prime Cargo on the island. When an open seas Ocean board is explored,
it gains 1 Undiscovered Prime Cargo in the water.
LOADING PRIME CARGO ONTO YOUR SHIP:
You never load Undiscovered Prime Cargo. Undiscovered Prime Cargo can be discovered
(flipped over) with the Prime Discovery icon (see below) if your Ship is on the
same Ocean board.
Discovered Prime Cargo in the water may be loaded onto your Ship on the same Ocean
board without restriction. To load Discovered Prime Cargo from an island onto your
Ship on the same Ocean board, you must control the island.
Each Prime Cargo on your Ship takes up a hull space like regular Cargo and Goods.
ICONS
PRIME DISCOVERY:
This icon lets you discover (flip to face up) 1 Undiscovered Prime Cargo
that is on the same Ocean board as your Ship. If it was in
the water, it stays in the water; if it was on the island, it stays
on the island. (Usually, you will want to then immediately load
this token onto your Ship if possible.)
When a Prime Cargo is discovered, it may add more Undiscovered Prime Cargo to the game.
When you discover a Prime Cargo, make sure to flip it such that its orientation matches
the rest of the board.
If you see this icon along the edge of the just Discovered Prime Cargo, add an Undiscovered Prime Cargo from the supply to the island
on the Ocean board 1 space in the relative direction. If there
is no Ocean board in that direction, or if it is not yet explored,
or if it is an open sea, don’t add a Prime Cargo.
If you see this icon along the edge of the just Discovered Prime Cargo, add an Undiscovered Prime Cargo from the supply to the water
on the Ocean board 1 space in the relative direction. If there
is no Ocean board in that direction, or if it is not yet explored,
don’t add a Prime Cargo.
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For example:
If you revealed this token, you would add a face down to the island on the Ocean board to the right (if possible) and another one to the water on the Ocean board below it (if possible).
This icon lets you add 1 Undiscovered to any island.
This ability on the Level 4 Explorer means you may do 3 distinct actions of either of the 2 indicated icons. For example, you could add 1 and discover 2.
Since they are distinct actions, you do not need to do them all at the same Ocean board. You may move in between each action. For example, you can use this to discover a at 3 separate Ocean boards as you move around on your turn.
This ability means that on this turn, 1 on your Ship may count as whatever type you wish, whether Dragonfish (), Moon Salt (), or Black Pearls ().
NEW SHIP UPGRADES
There are new Basic and new Advanced Ship Upgrade tiles you can choose from. They work the same, with the advanced tile having more hull space.
This upgrade lets you do a Prime Discovery once each turn.
1 4
1 4
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USING PRIME CARGO
There are several ways to use Prime Cargo. You may use only Prime Cargo that is on your Ship.
After using a Prime Cargo, you should put it in a face up Discard pile out of the way. If
the supply of Random Cargo ever runs out, add all the discarded Random Cargo
face down to the supply and mix them up.
1. Some abilities specifically say something like, “Spend 1 Dragonfish (Cargo)
to do something.” If you have a Dragonfish (Cargo) on your Ship, you
may discard the Dragonfish (Cargo) to use that ability.
2. All Prime Cargo have a built-in reward. You may choose to discard the Prime Cargo
from your Ship to get that reward during your turn, unless specified otherwise.
Prime Cargo Reward Examples
Draw +1 card (Cargo) (but not past your hand maximum)
at the end of the turn in which you spend this token.
Immediately gain 2 Cargo on your Ship.
Immediately gain 2 Cargo on your Ship.
Tokens with a slash separating 2 icons means you
choose 1 or the other icon to gain.
Gain +1 Sail (Cargo) when you set sails this turn (use before
setting sail) OR Gain an Attack flag (Cargo) to immediately
initiate an attack against an opponent’s Ship.
Immediately repair 1 damage (Cargo) on your Ship OR
Choose any 1 island and have it immediately produce (Cargo).
Gain 1 Influence (Cargo) and use it immediately OR On any
player’s turn at any time, spend Cargo to choose a Sailor card you
own and act as if there is an additional Wheel (Cargo) icon
on the card until the end of the current turn.
Immediately repair 1 damage (Cargo) on your Ship OR Gain 1
Cannon (Cargo) to use this turn. You may spend this token in
response to being attacked on another player’s turn to
gain the Cannon to use in the battle.
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OTHER WAYS TO GAIN AND LOSE FAVOR:
Advancements: Some Advancements grant the ability to gain Favor with 1 of the empires. Here are some examples:
This ability lets you spend 2 from your Ship and/or Harbor to gain 1 Favor with the Prouhan Emirates.
This ability lets you pay 1 from your Ship or Harbor to gain 1 Favor with the Prouhan Emirates, and you may do that a number of times equal to the number of wheels on the card.
This ability means you gain 1 Favor with the Prouhan Emirates.
Battles: If you attack and win a battle against a Trade vessel, you will generally gain Favor with an empire as part of the “WIN” rewards (they appreciate you harassing their rival’s Trade vessels). However, if you lose a battle against a Trade vessel, you will generally lose Favor with an empire as part of the “LOSE” penalties (the victorious Trade vessel sails home and informs the empire of your ill deed).
Attack or Trade? It’s up to you!
3. You may also trade to an empire to curry their Favor. To gain Favor with an empire, your Ship must be in Harbor. You may then discard a from your Ship that matches 1 of the types of that the empire wants, as indicated on their Empire board. You then advance 1 space on that empire’s Favor Track. (See page 11 for how this works.)
For each you may 10

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TRACKING YOUR FAVOR AND BONUSES
The Peak Favor marker indicates the furthest point you have reached on each Empire’s
Favor Track, and the Current Favor marker indicates your current point on each track.
When you gain Favor with an empire, move the Current Favor marker forward (to the
right) 1 space along that empire’s track. If this would put the Current Favor marker
ahead of your Peak Favor marker, then move the Peak Favor marker forward as well
and gain the Favor Reward on that space. If you are already on the rightmost space
of the empire’s track, gain 2 to your chest instead of moving.
If you lose Favor with an empire, move your Current Favor marker back 1 space
(to the left) on the track. Leave the Peak Favor marker where it is. If the Current
Favor marker is already on the leftmost space of the empire’s track, lose 2
from your chest.
Favor Rewards
Gain the indicated and/or at Harbor.
Choose between either 2 repairs
or something else.
Draw +1 card () at the end of this turn (as always, not past
your hand maximum).
Immediately gain any Basic Ship Upgrade tile.
Choose either a card in your Discard pile or the
bottom card of your deck and level it up.
If possible, add the indicated Building to
an island you control.
Gain the specific Ship Upgrade tile indicated (the
Basic Ship Upgrade tile that gives 4 hull spaces).
Gaining Favor Losing Favor
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RIVAL PENALTIES:
The empires are not happy when you trade with their rival. Advancing on 1
empire track will sometimes cause you to lose Favor with the other empire.
When you advance your Peak Favor to a space with this
icon, you lose 1 Current Favor on the Prouhan Emirates
track. Move your Current Favor marker (but not your
Peak Favor marker) back 1 space.
When you advance your Peak Favor to a space with this
icon, you lose 1 Favor on the United Avaria track. Move
your Current Favor marker (but not your Peak
Favor marker) back 1 space.
LETTERS OF MARQUE:
When you advance your Peak Favor marker to a space with
this icon, you may choose 1 of the Letter of Marque tokens
for that empire, if there are any left, and gain it. A Letter of
Marque gives you an ongoing ability that you may use for the
rest of the game, as long as you still have the token.
If your Current Favor marker ever moves backward past the spot with this icon,
return the Letter of Marque token to the Empire board.
If you ever advance your Current Favor marker past another player’s Current
Favor marker on a given Empire board, and they have a Letter of Marque of
that empire, you may take that Letter from them and, in exchange, give them
your Letter of Marque from the same empire (if you have 1).
It is possible to have a Letter of Marque from both empires.
EMPIRE ACHIEVEMENT:
If your Peak Favor marker reaches the last space on an Empire Favor Track,
gain that Achievement by placing an Achievement marker on that space. This
Achievement is worth 5 victory points at the end of the game.
BOUNTIES:
If your Current Favor marker moves back from the start space, you have a
bounty on your Ship. If any opponent’s Ship defeats your Ship in a battle
(sinking is not required), that player gains the following:

After this happens, your bounty is cleared and your Current Favor marker on
that track moves to the start space.
1 Favor on the
same track
1 Favor on the same track
and 2
from your chest
2 Favor on the same track
and 2 from your chest
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SUGGESTED ENDGAME RULE
If all players agree before the game, when playing with Flags of the Old World, you may have the endgame be triggered when a player places their 5th Achievement marker rather than their 4th.
Since this expansion introduces new achievements you can gain, and it creates ways to potentially reach other achievements faster, changing the endgame threshold from 4 to 5 will temper the abilities of skilled players to rush the endgame faster than they would otherwise be able to.
SUGGESTED BATTLE VARIANT – PIRATE’S PLUNDER:
For those looking for a bit more pirate in your Dead Reckoning games, we suggest this rule: When you win a battle with your Ship against an opponent’s Ship, and you don’t sink in that battle, before you gain plunder, you may choose 1 and/or 1 on their Ship and move it to your Ship.
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If you are familiar with the way Sagas 1 and 2 work, you can skip ahead to page 25. If not, keep reading.
There are 2 different ways to enjoy your Saga content:
1. As part of your normal Dead Reckoning games. Gradually discover the Saga and expand your game each time you play, with either the same players or different players.
2. As part of a 6-game campaign with a campaign winner at the end.
The rules on pages 14 through 18 teach how the Saga content works.
Pages 19 through 23 explain the rules specific to playing a campaign.
Note: Although we think it’s particularly cool to start a Saga and a campaign at the same time so that you unlock Saga content throughout the campaign game, “campaign” and “Saga” are not linked by definition. You can play a campaign with no Saga content, and you can include the Saga content without ever doing a campaign. You can do multiple campaigns before, during, and after you discover some or all of the Saga content. Moreover, even if you start a Saga at the same time as a campaign, it’s entirely possible that you won’t discover all Saga material over the course of a 6-game campaign, so you might discover more in subsequent non-campaign games or during a second campaign.
HOW TO USE THE SAGA MATERIALS
You can use the following method to accelerate the discovery of new content.
Before your game, remove 5 randomly selected non-Saga cards from each Row deck and bury them (i.e., place them out of the game beneath the Row deck).
These cards should NOT include Saga Encounters.
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SAGA SETUP
Before your 1st game incorporating the Saga content, do the following:
1. There are some cards that are NOT in the tuck box and have a small “3.00” in the top right. DO NOT LOOK at the backs of these but shuffle them into their respective Advancement Row decks during setup.
2. There is a tuck box with many cards inside. DO NOT LOOK AT THESE CARDS. Take out specific cards from this box only when instructed to do so during gameplay.
3. There is an “Eliminated Cards” divider. Place this in the tuck box at the very back.
4. Place the Encounter Book nearby. DO NOT READ IT before the game. Read it only when instructed to during gameplay.
5. There are several hidden content envelopes and a hidden content box. DO NOT OPEN THESE until instructed.
Some of the discoverable cards are called “Saga items” and carry over from game to game. Between games, discovered Saga items should be kept with their respective deck of Sailor cards, and whoever plays with that deck next starts the game with those items. These Saga items have very modest benefits, and each summarizes on the back the narrative story that caused the item to be discovered. Thus, a different set of players will be up to date on any relevant stories, and they won’t be starting with a significant strategic advantage or disadvantage.
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RULES FOR SAGAS
ENCOUNTERS
Non-Merchant ship Encounters are a new type of Encounter that will be
mixed into the Advancement Row decks. Like Merchant ships, you’ll want
to be careful to not look at the back side of them when drawn from the
Advancement box and placed on the Ocean board. These Encounters are
like Merchant ships, but instead of attacking them, you may pay the
indicated cost to explore them.

After you pay the cost (and NOT BEFORE), you turn the Encounter over and
read out loud what it says on the other side.
These count as 1 of the 2 Advancements and/or Encounters you may interact
with each turn.
ELIMINATING CARDS
You will be instructed to “Eliminate” cards from time to time. Eliminated cards
should be stored in the Saga tuck box behind the “Eliminated Cards” divider. Once
a card is eliminated, it won’t be needed again unless you choose to reset the Saga.
ENCOUNTER BOOK
If something instructs you to “read Book 3.XX,” then locate entry XX in the
Changing Tides Encounter Book and read that section out loud. Narrative story
elements are written in special text, while the regular text will be instructions that
you must follow. Read only the entries you are instructed to read.
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DISCOVERING CARDS
If something instructs you to “gain Card 3.XX,” remove the indicated card
from the Changing Tides Saga tuck box and gain it. Cards in the tuck box are
sorted numerically, with a small number “3.XX” in the top right. Try your best to
avoid looking at other cards in the box while locating the card you need.
If something instructs you to “take Card 3.XX and add it to the Row X
deck,” remove the indicated card from the Changing Tides Saga tuck box
and, without looking at the back, add the card to roughly the middle of the
indicated Advancement Row deck.
If something instructs you to take out a card and do something else with it,
follow those instructions.
BURY A CARD
When you are instructed to “bury” a card, place that card face up beneath the
Advancement deck box of its Row. That card won’t be used again during this
game but should be shuffled into that Advancement deck box in future games.
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THE SAGA DIE
This is the included non-standard d6. When something instructs you to roll
a die, roll this die. If you are instructed to roll multiple dice, roll this die
multiple times.
FORTUNE ENCOUNTERS
Encounters with this icon are called “Fortune Encounters.”
They count as Encounters and, like Merchant ships, can sometimes be both an
Encounter and an Advancement. However, they do NOT count as the available
Advancement/Encounter on the space they are placed. Moreover, if you gain
or encounter them, they don’t count as 1 of your maximum 2 Advancements/
Encounters for the turn. When you draw a Fortune Encounter from a box,
place it on the Ocean board and then draw another card from the Row
deck and also place it on the same board. An Ocean board can have
any number of Fortune Encounters but must have at least 1 non-Fortune
Advancement/Encounter.
The specific condition to encounter a Fortune Encounter will be spelled out on
it. Make sure to read the text on the front of Fortune Encounters so you know
when and how they are to be encountered.
SAGA ITEMS
Cards with this icon are called Saga items. These items carry
over from game to game. So if you own a Saga item at the end of a game,
keep it with your deck of Sailor cards. You, or whoever plays that same deck,
will start the next game with this item.
Unless otherwise specified, you should keep Saga items near your play area,
and they will tell you how and when you can use them.
SAGA ITEMS IN BATTLES:
If you ever sink an opposing Ship, you may choose any 1 Saga item the other
player has and take it. You now own that item!
BUYING AND SELLING SAGA ITEMS:
The active player may buy or sell Saga items from/to any other player as long
as neither player is in the middle of a battle or Encounter. The price paid will
be any amount of and/or up to 5 and is freely negotiated between the
buying and selling players. The buyer may use / from their own Dock tile
and/or their Ship. The selling player puts the paid / directly onto their
Dock tile or Treasure chest.
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CAMPAIGN-SPECIFIC RULES
This section describes the rules for playing a Dead Reckoning campaign.
If you are not playing a campaign, you can ignore these rules.
A campaign plays out over 6 games. You’ll generally want to play all 6 games
with the same group. However, you can substitute a player in for another player
as desired, and a player can drop out of the campaign if necessary.
At the end of the sixth game, players will compare their campaign scores to
see who won the campaign.
It is not required for the Saga content to be included in a campaign. Moreover,
if the content is already partially discovered when you begin your campaign,
that is OK too. In this case, players take a -2 Campaign point penalty for each
Saga item they have at the beginning of the campaign. You can make a note of
this on the back of your Campaign Log to remember. This penalty only applies
at the start of the campaign, not each game.
A
B
BEFORE THE FIRST GAME
Give each player a Campaign Log sheet. Use the Campaign Log to track your
progress throughout the 6 games of the campaign. Before the first game, you’ll
need to name your “memoir” by filling in the space after “Voyages of__” A.
CAMPAIGN POINTS FROM SAGA B
Some Saga items or Encounter Book entries will indicate that you gain
Campaign points. When instructed as such, mark those points in the
“Campaign points from Saga” area of your Campaign Log.
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AFTER EACH GAME
After each game in the campaign, players should do the following, marking the
appropriate spots on the score side of their Campaign Log C.
Players score Campaign points based on who won the game:
* 1- or 2-player campaign: Score 6 Campaign points if you won the game or
0 if you lost.
* 3-player campaign: Score 6 Campaign points if you won the game,
3 if you got second place, or 0 if last place.
* 4-player campaign: Score 6 Campaign points if you won the game,
3 if you got second place, 1 if you got third place, or 0 if last place.
* Next, each player marks each Achievement they got during the game.
Fill the columns in this table from top to bottom D. For example, the
1st time you end a game with the Explorer Achievement, fill in the top row
of the explorer column; the next time you end a game with the Explorer
Achievement, fill in the next row in the explorer column. If a column in this
table already has 4 marks, do not place marks for that column anymore.
* Next, each player marks the Sailor cards of theirs that ended the game at
level 4. Always fill the rows in this table from left to right
E. If a row in
this table already has 3 marks, do not place marks for that row anymore.
Note that there is only 1 row for Deck Hands and 1 row for Gunners. If you
got 1 or 2 Deck Hands to level 4, make only 1 mark, and the same applies
to Gunners. Also note that there are 2 rows for Crew. If 2 or 3 of your Crew
get to level 4, mark each Crew row once.
C
D
E
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Lastly, on the other side of the Campaign Log, write down any Saga items you have so you can remember which cards to start with next game. There is also a notes section for any notes you want to make.
BEFORE GAMES – (NOTE: BEFORE THE 6TH GAME, SKIP THIS STEP.)
Before games 2 through 5, the player who got last place in the prior game (and the player who got third place if you are a group of 4) gains a Tenacity Bonus by marking 1 of the spots on the back of their Campaign Log. Players will gain the selected Tenacity Bonus for the current game but may not choose that bonus again in future games.
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AFTER GAME: WINNING THE CAMPAIGN
Your campaign has come to a close, and it is time to determine who is
the most legendary swashbuckler of them all! Make all the marks on your
Campaign Log that you normally do at the end of a game. Then put a value
equal to your game 6 total score in the “Entire Game 6 Score” area.
Finally, count up your Campaign points.
Score the total value of Saga points.
13 in the example above
Score the points for your placement in the various games.
21 in the example above
For each row completed in the Achievement table, gain 5 points.
10 in the example above
For each column completed in the Achievement table, gain 3 points.
3 in the example above
For each column completed in the Sailor cards table, score 3 points.
6 in the example above
Score the value of points for the Entire Game 6 Score.
73 in the example above
In the example above, the player’s total campaign score is 126.
The player with the highest total campaign score is the winner! If 2 or more
players tie, they share the victory.
F
G
H
K
L
I J
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USING THE SEA DOGS CARDS WITH A SAGA CAMPAIGN
If you own the Sea Dogs expansion, we recommend incorporating that into
your campaign. Incorporating the Sea Dogs expansion is described in full in
the rules that come with that expansion.
At the END of each campaign game, randomly deal each player 3 Sea Dog
cards, plus a 4th and 5th Sea Dog to the player who won the game just played.
Each player selects 1 of the Sea Dogs dealt to them and sleeves it onto a card
in their deck matching the sailor type indicated on the selected Sea Dog. If a
player already has Sea Dogs or other special Sailor Illustration cards on all the
possible options, deal them 1 new Sea Dog card at a time until they get 1 they
can sleeve. Add the remaining cards back to the other Sea Dog cards. When
a player gains a Sea Dog card, they keep it for the rest of the campaign. This
means that by game 6 each player will have 5 Sea Dog cards and possibly a
6th from Tenacity Bonuses.
FAQ
Do I need to start the Saga from the beginning to play the campaign?
No. You can have already started playing with and discovering the Saga
material in prior games and THEN start a campaign.
Can I play more than 1 campaign in a row and create a “super campaign”?
Absolutely! In this case, give each player a new Campaign Log but let each
player keep any Saga items they had at the end of the previous campaign.
Can I play the campaign multiple times?
Yes. You can play the campaign as many times as you like. You may choose
to reset the Saga content before starting a new campaign or leave it as is,
partially or completely mixed in.
If I have multiple Saga expansions, can I use all of them right away?
You can if you want, but if you are starting from the beginning of a
particular Saga, we suggest finishing 3 or 4 games with just that Saga
before adding in the content from other Sagas. Other Saga expansions may
have different rules explaining the best ways to incorporate them.
What if a player drops out of a campaign?
This is not a problem. You can continue the campaign by either leaving
their spot empty or filling it with an AI player that uses the solo player
rulebook. (See the base game.) If that player had any Saga items, the
player with the least current Campaign points gains the items.
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You can use Saga content when playing solo, and you can even play solo through a campaign.
SAGA CONTENT, SOLO, AND 2-PLAYER CO-OP PLAY
Whenever the AI claims a Saga Encounter, whether Merchant ship or otherwise, place it in its Merchant pile. Do not look at the back of the card.
The AI ignores all Fortune Encounters. The AI will never steal Saga items if they sink your Ship. For 2-player co-op, players may not sell their Saga items to each other; however, so long as your Ships are in the same location, you may freely give each other Saga items.
SOLO CAMPAIGN
1. Keep track of the AI’s Campaign Log in addition to your own.
2. If you are playing with Saga content, the AI gets 10 Saga Campaign points at the start of the campaign but then, of course, cannot score any more during the campaign.
3. Since the AI will never get specific Sailor cards to level 4, the AI scores 6 Campaign points for the sailor chart on its Campaign Log.
4. Just like a real player would, the AI scores either 0 or 6 Campaign points after each game depending on whether it lost or won the game.
5. In games 2 through 5, if you lost the prior game, you get to choose a Tenacity Bonus as normal. If the AI were to gain a Tenacity Bonus, it always just gets 5 extra at the start of the next game instead. However, these should NOT contribute to their 30 for the Capitalist Achievement, so keep them separate in some way until endgame scoring.
6. At the end of each game, mark the Achievements the AI claimed as normal. Since the AI cannot gain the Master Merchant Achievement, scratch out that column on the AI’s Campaign Log and ignore that column for scoring the AI’s Campaign points.
SOLO RULES FOR SAGA AND CAMPAIGN
CO-OP CAMPAIGN
All rules for the solo campaign apply to the co-op campaign as well. It’s important to track separate Campaign Logs for each AI opponent and each player (4 in total).
The differences being:
1. Each member of the winning team gets 4 Campaign points for winning a game instead of 6, and the losing team members get 0 each.
2. Both members of the previously losing team get a Tenacity Bonus in games 2 through 5. At the end of the campaign, aggregate the total campaign scores for each team to determine a campaign winner.
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HOW TO USE THE CHANGING TIDES SAGA MATERIALS
OPEN LETTERS FROM THE EMPIRES
There are 2 Open Letter cards for each empire that don’t begin in the Changing Tides Saga tuck box. They are 3.00A and 3.00B for each empire. At the beginning of the first game of the Saga, place both of the 3.00A cards face up on the table and place the 3.00B cards face down beneath them.
If an empire’s 3.00A card was eliminated in a previous game, begin the game with the 3.00B card face up. The 3.00B cards will not become face up in the middle of a game.
At the start of the game, read the face up cards out loud for all players to hear. They represent open requests that the empires have made for any ship and sailors to assist them. Each one has different conditions that, when met, will cause something to happen. If the requirement for an Open Letter has not been met by the end of a game, it will start the next game face up next to its Empire board.
These are the rules that differ or add to the rules from prior Saga expansions. The 1st player to acquire a Letter of Marque from an empire will trigger that empire’s “Open Letter.” This will eliminate the card and will require the reading of a passage in the Encounter Book.
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CROW’S NEST ABILITIES
Some abilities on new Advancements discovered in Saga 3 have the keyword “Crow’s Nest” with a spyglass icon. A Crow’s Nest ability is an ongoing ability that is active as long as the card is in play or in your Discard pile. To help remember any Crow’s Nest abilities you have in your Discard pile, when you discard a card with a Crow’s Nest ability, you can place it face up and adjacent to the other cards in the Discard pile; it still counts as being in your Discard pile for all purposes.

SAGA 3 CAMPAIGN RULES
If you are playing a Campaign with Saga 3 content, use these additional rules:
1. If you end a game with a level 4 Explorer, mark a spot on your campaign log in the 2nd or 3rd column M of the Sailor chart. Note: Normally, you mark from left to right on this chart, but the Explorer, while it lets you make a mark in any Sailors row, can only do so in the 2nd or 3rd column.
2. If you end a game with an Empire Achievement, mark any spot in the bottom row of the Achievement chart N. If you end the game with both Empire Achievements, add 2 marks in the bottom row of the chart. Note: Normally, you mark from the top down on this chart, but the Empire Achievement, while it lets you make a mark for any Achievement type, can only do so in the bottom row.

KNOWN PRIME CARGO
There are 12 of each type that indicate their type on the back. During setup, place these in 3 face down piles near the supply of Random. If something instructs you to gain a specific type of, take a random token from the appropriate pile. If any of these supply piles runs out, add the discarded tokens of the appropriate type face down to reform the supply.

M
N
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“Hallowed Gun” is a new type of Basic Ship Upgrade tile that should be placed in the general ship upgrade area. However, when acquiring a Basic Ship Upgrade tile of your choice, if you want to choose the Hallowed Gun, you must, at that time, pay 1 Moon Salt from your Ship; otherwise, you cannot select it. This is in addition to any other cost to acquire the Basic Ship Upgrade.
The Hallowed Gun on your Ship, uncovered by /, gives you a Battle ability that you may, like all Battle abilities, use once on each player’s turn. The ability lets you drop a die into the Battle tower as if it were a cube. It will roll out onto the Battle board and then do something depending on what is rolled. If the die lands balanced in such a way that it is not touching a zone, immediately re-drop it. Otherwise, if you roll a…
0: Replace the die, in its exact location, with a cube from your supply.
1: Replace the die, in its exact location, with a cube from your supply. Then you may move that cube into an adjacent zone.
2: Replace the die, in its exact location, with a cube from your supply. Then you may move that cube into an adjacent zone. Then repeat the process again, starting with dropping a die into the Battle tower.
READ ONLY After Opening Saga Envelope 3.c
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RULE CLARIFICATIONS
FOR ALL SAGA EXPANSIONS
UNIQUE CREW ACQUIRED DURING
SAGA DISCOVERY
Prior expansion rulebooks did not clarify this rule entirely, so to be clear, these
rules apply to those expansions as well as this expansion.
It is possible to acquire a unique Sailor Illustration card (such as a Sea Dog)
during a Saga Encounter.
If you are playing through a campaign, the player who acquired that unique Sailor
Illustration card keeps it as part of their deck for the remainder of the campaign.
If you are not in a campaign, but you are playing with mostly the same group
of players over multiple games, you can, as a group, choose to keep “story
consistency” and leave that unique Sailor in the deck that discovered it.
When you want the starting decks to return to “normal,” you can add the
unique Sailor Illustration cards as additional cards to the
Sea Dogs expansion.
When using Sea Dogs, if you acquire 1 of these unique Sailor Illustration cards,
and it does not specify which sailor type to replace, it can be sleeved as a
replacement for any sailor type.
Bolstered Outposts () are a new type of Outpost (). Each island
can still have only 1 Outpost, but it can now be either bolstered or normal.
Regular Outposts can be upgraded to Bolstered Outposts by
discarding 1 Moon Salt from your Ship or Harbor at any time on
your own turn. Then replace 1 of your normal Outposts with a
Bolstered Outpost.
In addition to functioning like normal Outposts, each of your
Bolstered Outposts will let you do each of the following once
per turn:
Turn over an Undiscovered on its island.
Move up to 2 , , or from its island to your Harbor.
READ ONLY After
Opening Saga Box 3.1
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NEW SOLO AND CO-OP RULES FOR CHANGING TIDES SAGA

When playing solo or 2-player co-op and using the Flags of the Old World/Changing Tides Saga, all rules are the same with the following exceptions/additions:

THE COVENANT AND PRIME CARGO

Whenever the left side of the Covenant card would place 1 or more cubes on an Ocean board, but it cannot do so for any reason other than losing a battle to your Buildings or Pirate mode Ship, it instead takes a token from that space, choosing first any that are in the water and second, if it controls the island, taking 1 from the island. If there are no available tokens on the space for the Covenant to take, then do the following:

1. If it is missing out on placing just 1 cube, then do nothing.
2. If it is missing out on placing 2 or more cubes, then, if possible, it takes a water token from any adjacent Ocean board or an island token from an adjacent island that it controls. You choose which token the Covenant takes but still first taking a water token, if possible, and otherwise taking an island token, if possible.

When the Covenant takes a token, first flip the token over to see if it adds any additional face down tokens to adjacent spaces, then remove the token and place it in the Covenant’s Harbor. The Covenant accumulates its tokens in its Harbor. At the end of the game, each token in its Harbor gives it 2 points.

THE COVENANT AND EMPIRE BOUNTIES

The player, or players if co-op, interacts with the empires the same way they would in a multiplayer game. The Covenant, however, does not track its Empire Favor, cannot get a bounty or a Letter of Marque, and does not really interact at all on the Empire board. However, it can still cash in on bounties on your Ship.

When the Covenant defeats your Ship in a battle, if you have 1 or both empire bounties on you, for each bounty, the Covenant gets 2 points per Empire Favor it would gain plus any indicated tokens it steals from your chest. Then your bounty clears as normal.

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LORE OF THE EMPIRES
Upon the continent of Panropa are two great powers, both with a strong,
expansive military. Despite this, neither is willing to commit their own
forces to the New Sea, fearing that if they did, the other would gain
advantage. Both now seek to commission privateers in pursuit of valuable
resources on their behalf.
THE TWO EMPIRES
Prouhan Emirates: An old power, Prouhan’s strength is in its sprawling cities,
which are considered cultural hubs of Panropa and beyond. The nation is known
for its fashion, theater, architecture, and all aspects of its high society as well
as many of the world’s most prestigious universities and scientists. However, its
population is sharply divided into the rich and the poor, and as such, the nation
has often experienced internal strife in recent years. Despite this, its central
government is extremely efficient, and those in power have been quick to stifle
any signs of rebellion among the lower classes whenever it rears its head.
United Avaria: A newer republic, United Avaria was formed from a disparate group
of kingdoms and minor nations in the vast region formerly called Avaria. Many
were once at odds with each other, but the growing influence of Prouhan in the
north forced them to reconsider their stance, and when military encroachment
began on their borders, they finally came together and formed a true republic
to defend themselves against the Emirates. Because of its history, it is a more
sparsely populated nation, but it is also larger and has more diverse resources.
Some portions of it are almost devoid of authority, existing in a barbarous
state of near lawlessness, where different groups are in control. The centralized
government of United Avaria is made up of representatives who often quarrel, but
they all agree on the need for a strong military.
THE MAGICAL RESOURCES OF THE NEW SEA
In addition to its economic value from trade, shipping, and traditional
resources, exploration of the New Sea has also led to the discovery of three new
commodities with innate arcane power. The monopolization of these resources is
a top priority for both the Prouhan Emirates and United Avaria. In both nations,
there are those seeking to gain access to all three in order to become true
masters of magic. Their interests are far more than economic in nature: They seek
knowledge and the power that comes with it.
Black Pearls: The oyster species of the New Sea have quite different qualities
from those found elsewhere, not least of which is their larger size. Far more
important, however, is that these creatures, when nesting near specific sites
such as the volcanic vents found near many New Sea islands, create pearls that
somehow gain the capacity to store magic. When this occurs, the pearls lose their
normal coloration and gain a swirling, nearly black appearance that gives them their
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name. The power within these pearls can be accessed by those with arcane talents. It
is eventually depleted, which returns the pearls to their normal appearance.
Prouhan has placed a particular emphasis on these pearls, as they are in extremely
high demand among the upper echelons of its society. The current trend is to have
them made into jewelry that, when worn, grants a slowly diminishing illusion of
enhanced beauty, stature, and charisma to its wearer. By the time the magic is fully
depleted, the look is no longer in fashion anyway, so nothing is lost.
Moon Salt: This enigmatic substance is rarer than the aforementioned Black
Pearls, being found only on remote island coastlines of the New Sea. The only way
to identify this substance is to examine it under moonlight, when it can be seen
to emit a faint glow and slightly swirling inner light. The reasons for its existence
remain a mystery, although many theories abound. The most common is that it
is created by the spilling of blood onto the shoreline rocks during a full moon.
Others attribute it to the nesting grounds of mermaids, or a dozen other less
sensical notions.
Regardless of its origins, however, Moon Salt has extremely beneficial mystical
properties. It can be dissolved in water and then scrubbed into the skin, which
grants a temporary but significant increase to a person’s resilience to injury for
a short while. Even more importantly, the salt can be infused into the smelting
process, resulting in metals that have significantly increased durability and a
slight luminescence in the light of the moon. When incorporated into smelting
in this manner, the salt’s effects appear to be permanent, or at the very least
quite long-lasting. Swords of Moon Salt steel are nearly unbreakable and never
dull, while guns of such steel can be made smaller and lighter but remain more
powerful than larger weapons.
United Avaria has placed a high premium on Moon Salt, and it can be sold there for
exorbitant sums.
Dragonfish: These rare fish can only be found near the coral reefs of the New
Sea and exist in two colorations that have been identified so far: red and white.
They are effectively winged, with long fins and tails that they can use in the
same manner to soar through the air for surprising lengths of time once they lift
themselves free of the surf with their powerful tails. Dragonfish have been seen in
a wide variety of sizes, with some claiming that they have observed specimens as
large as a man. Most are less than a foot long, however. They are opportunistic
feeders and will eat anything, be it fish, birds, or insects. They have a maw of
teeth that would rival those of the most intimidating shark, though their bodies
are narrower and thus allow them to take comparatively smaller bites than such
larger predators.
Perhaps most unique, however, Dragonfish are venomous creatures, capable of
imparting their venom both via bite and through spitting at prey. This venom,
when carefully distilled and mixed with milk to dilute its more acidic properties,
can impart upon those who ingest it both sharper senses and enhanced strength.
These benefits most often come with noticeably increased aggression, however,
though careful training can apparently mitigate this side effect.
In Prouhan, this compound is in high demand in underworld circles, where it is
used to enhance the capabilities of both human and animal combatants for
arena fights. United Avaria also has demand for it, although for more mundane
purposes; there, it is used to increase the strength and effectiveness of horses,
mules, and other livestock used to pull heavy loads for long distances, which
increases the efficiency of overland travel.
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© 2023 Alderac Entertainment Group.
Dead Reckoning, Letters of Marque, Changing Tides, Card Crafting System and all related marks are ™ or ® and © where indicated Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc. 2505 Anthem Village Drive Suite E-521 Henderson, NV 89052 USA.
All rights reserved. Printed in China.
Questions? www.alderac.com/customer-service
www.alderac.com/dead-reckoning

CREDITS
Game Design
John D Clair

Art
Ian O’Toole

Graphic Design
Jay Hernishin
Ian O'Toole

Director of Projects
Nicolas Bongiu

Production
David Lepore
Adelheid Zimmerman

Rules
John D Clair
Luke Peterschmidt

Editing
John D Clair
Luke Peterschmidt
Mark Wootton
Dan Varrette
Shawn Carman

Proofing
Dan Varrette

Additional Development
Luke Peterschmidt
Mark Wootton

Project & Development Lead
Jay Hernishin

Prime Cargo
Letter of Marque

Glen Armor
Paul Alewitz
Chris Buckley
Leon Blight
Csilla Clair
Luke Peterschmidt
Adelheid Zimmerman
Kirk Buckendorf
John Zinser
Mark Wootton
Chris Buskirk
Erik Lima
Eric Elder
Ian Ingoldsby
Eric Martinez
Avery Sakamoto
Josh Wood
Neil Kimball

ICON REFERENCE
Minus or Plus Favor with United Avaria
Minus or Plus Favor with Prouhan Emirates
Gain a Prime Cargo of your choice
Discover a Prime Cargo on the tile where your Ship is
Dragonfish Black Pearl Moon Salt
Minus or Plus favor with an empire of your choice
Add a Prime Cargo to the island
If discovered, see page 27

Playtesters:

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