Thunderstone Quest: Barricades Mode — Rules Manual

Mike Elliott
THUNDERSTONE
QUEST
BARRICADES MODE
Set Design by Bryan Reese
RULEBOOK
AEG

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Contents
Credits ........................................2
Objective .....................................3
Game End ...................................3
Unpacking the Box .......................3
Expansion Content .......................4
Setting Up for Barricades Mode ....6
New Rules ...................................8
Both Village and Dungeon
Phases, Taken Simultaneously .8
Form or Join a Party ...................9
Refill at Turn’s End ...................10
New Components ......................10
New Starter Cards ...................10
New Village Abilities .................10
Marketplace Overlay Tile .......10
Prestige Class Boards ...............11
Destruction Chits ...................12
Barricades .............................13
Guardian Dice .......................13
Guardians ............................14
Lexicon .....................................17
FAQ ...........................................18
Campaign Log ...........................21
Medals ......................................22
Iconography .................Back Cover
A game by Mike Elliott
For 1–6 players,
ages 14 and up
Visit our website at www.alderac.com/
thunderstone-quest

Questions?
https://alderac.com/customer-service
© 2022 Alderac Entertainment Group.
Thunderstone, Thunderstone Advance,
Thunderstone Quest, 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.
Credits
THUNDERSTONE DESIGN: Mike Elliott, Joe
Babbit, Will Baker, Bryan Reese, Mark Wootton
BARRICADES MODE DESIGN: Bryan Reese
DIRECTOR OF PROJECTS: Nicolas Bongiu
PRODUCTION: Dave Lepore, Adelheid
Zimmerman
PROJECT LEAD: Bryan Reese
DEVELOPMENT: Jordan Rhodes, Raymond
J. Dennis Jr., Scott Kahler, Kenneth Holdorf,
Toril Holdorf, Adam Reese, Mark Wootton, John
Zinser
ART DIRECTION: Brett Satkowiak
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Matt Paquette
LAYOUT: Brendon Goodyear
ARTISTS: Grzegorz Bobrowski, Jef Brown,
Biagio D’Alessandro, Jason Engle, Michele
Giorgi, Gong Studios, Gunship Revolution,
David Hammond, Hinkle/Silva Art,
Ambrose H. Hoilman, Ikaan Studios,
Inksane Studios, Victor Leza, Emmanuel Julian
Madail Monzon, Mirco Paganessi, Ramon Puasa
Jr., Ilya Shkipin, David Su, Lucas Svedburg,
Inna Vjuzhanina, Larry Wilson
STORY AND WORLD DEVELOPMENT:
Brett Satkowiak 2

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EDITING: Mark O’Connor
PROOFING: Gabe Covert, Richard A. Edwards, Kenneth Holdorf, Scott Kahler, Kaz Nyborg-Anderson, Brett Satkowiak, Christopher Short, Tyler Somer, Michael Spencer, Paul Tessman, Mark Wootton, Erik-Jason Yaple, John Zinser
PLAYTEST: Tanweer Ahmad, David Camillieri, Davey Chacon, Camille Chia, John Clair, Gabe Covert, Jessica Davis, Raymond J. Dennis Jr., Daniel Dineen, Marc-Alexandre Dion, Ernie Enriquez Jr., Katie Fountaine, Andrew Frost, Kathy Frost, Eric Gaudreault, Julie Gibelli, Will Gordon, Herschel Green, Eric Hansen, Mark Harbison, Soren Haurberg, Sean Heaney, Kenneth Holdorf, Toril Holdorf, Kyle Huibers, Phillip Humphrey, Pierre-Olivier Huot, Corey Johnson, Scott Kahler, Kate Kahler, David Lepore, David Levesque, Richard Martin, Luke Masouras, Mike McDonald, Steve Miyama, Kaz Nyborg-Anderson, Steven Oliver, Brin Owens, Nicolas Paquette, Adam Reese, Bryan Reese, Steve Rheaume, Jordan Rhodes, Andrew Rosenburg, Michael Spencer, Randy Szabadics, Bradford Taylor, Paul Tessmann, Marc Villeneuve, Robert Williams, Adam Wong, David Wood, Josh Wood, Mark Wootton, Erik-Jason Yaple, John Zinser

Objective
“To the Barricades!”
Thunderstone Keep is under attack and needs your help to survive! The foul creatures that have made the Keep’s sewers their home are being driven to the surface by something far more frightening. The time has come for the Keep’s Champions to band together and discover what lurks in the darkness below your feet.
In Barricades Mode, 1-6 players take on the role of a Champion and collaborate to protect the Village, or else face the fate of its utter destruction. The Champions will improve their decks, form Parties, build Barricades, share cards, and gain levels in the all-new Prestige Classes in order to face the Guardian together.

Game End
If the Champions destroy the Guardian before too many Village Locations are destroyed (based on your difficulty), the Champions win! If, however, the Guardian destroys too many Village Locations, the Champions lose. If the Guardian destroys the Village Locations by the end of the turn the Champions destroy the Guardian, then it is a Pyrrhic Victory. The Guardian has been defeated, but at what cost?

Unpacking the Box
This box should include the following components. If it does not, please visit our website at https://alderac.com/customer-service for assistance. Please note that this is an expansion to Thunderstone Quest® and is not a stand-alone game.
• 26 New Starter Cards (12 Thunderstone Pieces, 6 Bree Setim, 6 Joba, and 2 Thunderstone Stao)
• 109 Village Cards
• 10 Village Randomizers
• 20 Monster Cards
• 2 Monster Randomizers
• 24 Guild Sponsorships
• 31 Epic Mode Cards
• 13 Paper Dividers
• 13 Plastic Dividers
• 8 Prestige Class Boards
• 1 Wilderness Tile
• 1 Marketplace Overlay Tile (Epic and Campaign Modes)
• 1 Guardian Board
• 3 Guardian Cards
• 6 Guardian Guide Cards
• 16 Guardian Dice ()
• 28 Destruction Chits ()
• 5 Barricade Overlay Tiles
• 1 Threat Token ()
• 1 Destruction Chit Bag
• 1 Rulebook
Prestige Class boards can be used in any mode of Thunderstone Quest.

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In addition to the content needed to play Barricades Mode, this box also has expansion components that do not appear in specific Quests. You can use the extra content in homebrew Quests of your own design. These cards are not required to play Barricades Mode. The story begins after the capture of Miricelle from the Bandits of Black Rock. Other short stories can be found on the Thunderstone Quest website at www.alderac.com/thunderstone.

Expansion Content 4
THE BANDITS OF BLACK ROCK
By Brett Satkowiak

“Open the gates!” the call went out. What passed through them afterward shook the peace of Thunderstone Keep. The man’s clothing gave him away as a merchant, and a wealthy one at that, but he looked as if he’d just come home from the battlefront. One leg was visibly broken, the fabric around it torn and shredded. His shirt was stained red, with two long slashes exposing deep bruises underneath. His hair and beard were matted with dried blood from a wound behind his temple. A number of women gasped and various men began to murmur their concern as two guards carried the broken man from the portcullis to a low wall near the gate.

“What’s all this about?” Rennard, the Elder of the Keep, shouted as he pushed his way through the crowd. “Dear heaven!” he whispered, before calling for water and ordering a bed be readied at the inn. He turned back to the newcomer. “Sir, these are worrisome wounds. You must tell us where they came from.”

The merchant drank furiously from the bucket drawn for him before spurting out, “Bandits! In the pass!” The noise in the crowd rose once more, and Rennard raised a hand to stop it. The merchant winced in pain as he continued. “Our caravan was following the river toward the sea when we reached the Black Rocks and were attacked. A party of raiders, strong and fierce! They killed our guard and so many others!”

“How on earth did you escape?” Rennard prodded.

“My carriage was upended, leaving me unconscious for most of the battle. They must have passed over, thinking me dead. When I realized what had happened, I snuck away to the river and drifted at its mercy until I reached the ford. The road led me here.”

“Ease your mind, good sir. You are safe now. Please try to rest.”

“Thank you.” He sighed. “I only wish I could have done more for that poor girl.”

Rennard spun back on him once more. “Girl?”

“There was a maiden, from one of the towns in the Vale. She traveled with us and kept to herself. Before my escape, I saw the bandits’ leader, a man with dark robes and elven features, lead her away as he ordered the others to burn the remains of the caravan. I can only imagine what horrors she’s experiencing now.”

The elder asked the guards to deliver the merchant to the inn, before calling out to the crowds. “The Bandits of Black Rock have struck again! That pass is essential to our peace here, and furthermore, they have now captured a young woman. We will not leave her fate in their hands. I call for volunteers to free this woman and finally rout these marauders once and for all. So I ask … who will fight for us?”

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HEROES
15x Edlin
15x Outlands
15x Stalker
15x The Yellow Knight
ITEMS
8x Necklace of Dawn
8x Scionic Annals
SPELLS
8x Dark Fire Touch
8x Form of the Juggernaut
WEAPONS
8x Hand Axe
8x Rapier
MONSTERS
10X BLACK ROCK BANDITS
2x Amara
2x Belladonna
2x Blister
2x Dhamon
2x Gragath
10X EZUZRIUS’S HATCHLINGS
10x Dragon Whelps
GUARDIAN
EZUZRIUS, THE NOBLE

TREASURES
1x Miricelle
GUILD SPONSORSHIPS
6x Explorer’s Guild
6x Order of the Ancients
6x Relic Seekers
6x The Church’s Order
PRESTIGE CLASSES
1x Bloodhound
1x Divine Oracle
1x Illusionist
1x Living Legends
1x Spice Merchant
1x Town Councilmember
1x Town Guard
1x Vampire Coven
OTHER
6x Guardian Guides
12 Paper Dividers
12 Plastic Dividers
12x Randomizers

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Barricades Mode setup is the same as normal Thunderstone Quest setup, with a few changes:
1. Champions each choose 1 Prestige Class, placing it to the right of their Champion board. Playing with Prestige Class boards is optional in other modes of Thunderstone Quest.
2. Place the Guardian board, Lair (room) side face up, below the rooms in the Dungeon, and place the Threat token on the 1 space. This token will advance forward 1 space at the end of each turn. Place the new Wilderness tile showing the “Barricades Mode” side.
3. Place the 20 Destruction chits with which you are playing inside the Destruction chit bag and place the bag near the Village.
4. Place the 5 Barricades onto their respective Village Locations, inactive (red) side up.
5. Champions may optionally use Guild Sponsorships, but there’s no time for Side Quests, so they are not used in Barricades Mode. Guild Sponsorships will make the game a bit easier.
6. No Champions start with Iron Rations ().
7. Remove from your deck the 2x Lantern and 2x Thunderstone Shard Starter cards. Replace them as follows:
• 1 PLAYER: 1x Bree Setim 1x Joba 2x Thunderstone Staff
• 2 OR MORE PLAYERS: 1x Bree Setim 1x Joba 2x Thunderstone Pieces
8. In Solo Mode, use fewer stacks of cards in the Village:
• 2 Hero stacks
• 4 Marketplace stacks (of any variety)
Throughout this Rulebook, we are going to be following turns of Jordan’s first game of Barricades Mode, as he tries to save the Village solo. Jordan is playing on the First Time difficulty. We will also see turns from another, this time cooperative, game of Barricades Mode, featuring Kenneth, Toril, Ray, and Scott. They have all played before and are playing on Hard difficulty. These example turns, which contain useful play tips for new players, are written in these brown boxes. If you are familiar with Barricades Mode, you may wish to skip these boxes.
After setting up the Champion area, all of the Champions in our example games select a Prestige Class and, in the case of the cooperative game, discuss their deck-building strategies together. It is best to make sure they are not all competing for the same Hero. If Toril, Ray, and Scott are all planning on leveling up the same Wizard, there could be a problem. Jordan, playing solo, only plays with 2 Hero stacks and 4 Marketplace stacks. He chooses the Town Guard Prestige Class. As Jordan is playing on the First Time difficulty, he removes 2 Adventurers from his starting deck, replacing them with 2 Heroes from the Village. He decides to battle the least difficult Guardian for his first play, Smorga the Queen.
Setting Up for Barricades Mode 6
EZUZRIUS, THE NOBLE
Ezuzrius, the Noble, an ancient golden dragon, has gone mad. Whether by age or some unknown agent, this former protector has now gone on a rampage, wreaking havoc across the countryside. His physical strength and loyal offspring threaten to destroy your Heroes and Thunderstone Keep itself.
DIFFICULTY:

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4
THE
MARKETPLACE
WEAPON
SPELL
ITEM
4
THE
BAZAAR
4
GUILD'S QUARTER
CLERIC
FIGHTER
ROGUE
WIZARD
4
THE
TEMPLE
4
SHOP OF
ARCANE WONDERS
TREASURE
10
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New Rules
Playing Barricades Mode requires a few additional rules.
BOTH VILLAGE AND DUNGEON PHASES, TAKEN SIMULTANEOUSLY
In Barricades Mode, the Monsters are attacking the Village each “night” (at the end of each turn), and thus they give the Champions no rest! This means that every turn Champions will be able to take both a Village Phase AND a Dungeon Phase during the turn (if they wish) even if they are at the Temple. If they prefer to only take one or the other as normal, that is fine, and Champions may remain in the same Dungeon Room turn after turn as normal.
Instead of taking their turns one-by-one, Champions take a single simultaneous turn using the following structure.
First, all Champions take their Prep Phase as normal. All Champions will roll Guardian dice (see page 13), discuss their plans for the turn with each other, and place their Champions.
Next, all Champions who wish may take a Village Phase. Not many conflicts arise in the Village, and as this is a cooperative game, the Champions are assumed to be capable of handling any conflicts that may arise (such as buying the last card in a stack).
Next, all Champions who wish may take a Dungeon Phase. Champions may resolve their battles simultaneously and/or one at a time, in any order they choose, clearing the path for others (see “Recall at Turn’s End” on page 10).
The turn ends with all Champions resolving any lingering card effects, discarding, and drawing new hands simultaneously before advancing the Threat token 1 space on the Threat Level track.
ADJUSTING DIFFICULTY
Different players may want to adjust the difficulty for various reasons, such as trying to earn Medals (see page 22). We recommend players use the First Time difficulty for their first game.
FIRST TIME: Replace 2 Heroes (Adventurers) in your starting deck with 2 Heroes from the Village. You lose the game when all FIVE Village Locations are destroyed (see “Destruction Chits” on page 12).
EASY: Replace 1 Hero (Adventurer) in your starting deck with 1 Hero from the Village. You lose the game when all FIVE Village Locations are destroyed.
MEDIUM: You lose the game when all FIVE Village Locations are destroyed.
HARD: Play with the advanced Destruction chits. You lose the game when THREE Village Locations are destroyed.
LEGENDARY: Play with the advanced Destruction chits. You lose the game when even just ONE Village Location is destroyed.
TOO CHAOTIC?
Some players may find that simultaneous play interferes with their mojo and prefer taking turns one at a time. If you find this to be you, your table should follow the structure in this Rulebook, but allow Champions to resolve their turns inside the Village and Dungeon Phases one at a time (first the Village Phase and then the Dungeon Phase). If Champions are part of a Party (see page 9), they will all battle their Monster that turn simultaneously.

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FORM OR JOIN A PARTY
Barricades Mode allows Champions to combine their efforts to battle Monsters. At any time during a turn before battling Monsters, Champions in the same Dungeon Room may form or join a Party. There are a few special rules and benefits for Champions in a Party, though they may not necessarily receive all of these benefits if they form or join a Party too late in the turn (e.g., Champions who form a Party after moving do not receive the benefits of being in a Party, nor the benefits of combining Light values to move).

* Each Champion in a Party may, as an ability, give any number of Gear tokens to another Party member. They may also lend (for the turn) or give (permanently) 1 of their non-Wound cards to that same Party member. Lent cards are returned to their owner when the turn ends.
* Champions in a Party move together through the Dungeon, combining their Light values.
* Champions in a Party combine their Attack values to form their Party Attack value, which is compared against a Monster’s Health as normal.
* Armor and Magic Resistance affect only the Party and the Party Attack value, and only once. They do not affect the Champions of the Party individually.
* Each Champion in the Party suffers all other text (e.g., Before and After Battle abilities) and Wounds of the Monsters individually.
* Champions in a Party split the rewards and Spoils effects from the Monster and Dungeon Room however they see fit. If the Monster gives a Treasure card, they may look at the Treasure first before deciding how to split the rewards.

It is the first turn of Kenneth, Toril, Ray, and Scott’s game. They each roll 1 Guardian die, because the Threat Level is currently at 1. Kenneth gains 1, Toril draws a card (yay!), while Ray and Scott roll 1 each. We will discuss in detail later in this Rulebook (page 13).

For now the Champions discuss their plans for the turn, place their Champions in the Village, and simultaneously take a Village Phase each, buying cards. Kenneth heals the he just gained. When they all finish, they will move on to their Dungeon Phase.

Toril drew a handful of attack cards, but no Light, so she is going to form a Party with Scott who has 2 Light. Together they move to a Dungeon Room and battle the Monster there. While they are resolving their battle, Kenneth and Ray are going to individually battle the Monster in the Wilderness, making sure to power up their decks.

Kenneth has a Joba, so he will be able to level up 2 different Heroes for free: 1 from the Monster’s ability and 1 from Joba’s ability. Joba’s a good boy.

Toril also has a Joba, so she will be able to level up 1 Hero, as well as split with Scott the rewards from the Monster (4 and a Treasure). First they get to see the Treasure card, Guardsman the Dwarven Fighter! Toril will take 1 and Guardsman, since she is using a Fighter strategy. Scott takes the other 3. They each have to gain the Monster’s 2. Scott uses the Spoils on his 2 Thunderstone Pieces, since he is in a Party: 1 to heal 1 Wound and 1 to gain another 1. Scott and Toril are hurt, but they are ok. More importantly, because they defeated a Monster and only 2 were attacking, the Village is safe…this turn.

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Forming a Party does not allow you to choose other Champions’ cards with your effects unless explicitly stated. If you have a Cleric that heals a Wound and your fellow Party member needs the healing, you will need to lend them your Cleric for that turn or give them a . Likewise, your Party member’s high level Wizard will not help your Spell, nor does their Wizard count as you having a Wizard. You would need to borrow their Wizard for the turn or lend them your Spell.
REFILL AT TURN’S END
When refilling Monsters in the Dungeon, do not refill Monsters for any room until the end of the turn. This allows the Champions to work in tandem. Champions battling lower level Monsters may “clear the path” so that Champions battling higher level Monsters may move through unimpeded by Monster effects.
New Components
Barricades Mode features several new components.
NEW STARTER CARDS
“Bree and Joba are inseparable.”
Barricades Mode introduces 4 new Starter cards: Bree Setim, Joba, Thunderstone Pieces, and Thunderstone Staff. They replace 2x Lanterns and 2x Thunderstone Shards in your starting deck (see page 6).
NEW VILLAGE ABILITIES
“Visit the new merchant yet? She has intriguing wares, some all the way from Kerkenzen!”
The Marketplace is now a Village Location with 6 spots and an ability. Champions at the Marketplace may, as a , draw 1 card OR lend, give, or borrow a card to/from another Champion.
The Guilds’ Quarter has a different ability in Barricades Mode. Champions who visit the Guilds’ Quarter may level up their Hero that turn as a , instead of in the Village. The Guilds’ Quarter does not allow you to level up 2 Heroes in 1 turn while playing Barricades Mode.
MARKETPLACE
OVERLAY TILE
The dual-sided Marketplace overlay tile features an ability for Epic Mode on one side and an ability for Campaign Mode on the other. This overlay can be used in Epic Mode and Epic Campaign, but not in Barricades Mode.
PRESTIGE CLASSES IN
OTHER MODES
Starting with the first Champion and proceeding in turn order, each Champion may choose 1 Prestige Class with which to play (a new setup step for the Thunderstone Quest Rulebook). Then Champions select their Side Quests and/or Guild Sponsorships. Keep in mind when picking your Side Quests that Prestige Classes also distribute Legendary cards. If your Side Quest competes with another player’s Prestige Class for the same 10

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1 2 4 8 5 3 7 9 6 10 PRESTIGE CLASS BOARDS
“Over time I have developed a particular set of skills.”
Prestige Class boards are dual-sided: One side for use in Barricades Mode (cooperative play) and one side which may be used (optionally) in competitive games.
Prestige Classes are a new board that allows you to train in a specialized class, gaining new powers as you gain Ranks. The training section (top) of each Prestige Class board explains how to gain 1 Rank ( ) in your Prestige Class (1) or potentially 2 Ranks ( ) at once (2). The Rank numbers (3) are to the right of the cost. These Ranks cost to gain, as listed on the left-hand side of the board within the Rank to which you are going (4). You must pay the cost of each Rank you gain. If the listed cost cannot be paid that turn for the 1 or 2 Ranks you earned, the new Rank(s) are not gained. You do not start with any Ranks in your Prestige Class, and Ranks must be gained in order; they cannot be skipped. When a Rank is gained, it will unlock new powers for your benefit (5). Sometimes, this may give you a new ability ready to use that turn, such as a ability. Some abilities start with an italicized descriptive word, such as Diplomacy (6). This descriptive word will be referenced at other Ranks, increasing its power (7).
The top section of your Prestige Class (on the Barricades Mode side) describes what happens when you roll a Heroic Opportunity ( ) on your Guardian dice (8). As you gain Ranks in your Prestige Class, the value of your may increase (9) and may even activate more often! (10)
PRESTIGE CLASSES IN OTHER MODES
Legendary card, only one of you will be able to earn it. Because of this, we do not recommend playing with both Prestige Classes and Side Quests in the same game.
If playing with both components in your game, make sure to select the Prestige Classes first so players may see what other players have selected before selecting their own Side Quests. 11

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DESTRUCTION CHITS
“The entire location up in flames. All of it… gone.”
Sometimes the Village gets attacked and Village spots are destroyed, measured by using Destruction chits (). When the Village gains a Destruction chit, randomly take 1 of the 20 Destruction chits from the bag and place the chit in 1 of the (undamaged) spots of the Village Location indicated on the chit. That spot is now destroyed and players can no longer place their Champions on that spot. This will restrict the number of Champions that can visit each location. Normally, each Champion can visit each location. However, if there is not enough room at a Village Location, players must place their Champions in a different Village Location. If there is inadequate room at any Village Location to place their Champion, players may still take Village Phases, but they don’t put their Champion on any specific spot.
If 4 (four) spots at a Village Location are destroyed, that Village Location is destroyed. Destroyed Village Locations can no longer be visited. This prevents Champions from accessing that Village Location’s text (e.g., buying Treasure at the Shop of Arcane Wonders, buying a Gear token at the Bazaar, etc.). However, this does not prevent Champions from taking the Village Phase steps listed on their Champion board (e.g., buying 1 card in the Marketplace/Guilds’ Quarter, leveling up 1 Hero, healing 1 Wound, etc.). A destroyed Village Location only prevents Champions from visiting that Location and accessing its text, nothing more.
There are 2 sets of Destruction chits included in Barricades Mode. One set of 20 chits is “blank”; these chits have no special effects on the game other than destroying spots. A second set of 8 chits is also included; these more advanced chits alter the way the Village Locations function. It is not recommended playing with these advanced chits on your first game.
When playing with them, replace 8 blank chits with these 8 advanced chits, matching Village Locations and making sure that there are always 4 chits for each Village Location in the game. The 8 advanced chits are described below:
• THE MARKETPLACE – 1
To visit the Marketplace, you must destroy 1. If you do not have , you cannot visit the Marketplace.
• THE BAZAAR +1
(2 CHITS)
Increase the Gold Cost of all Gear tokens by 1. This only affects buying, not tokens gained in other ways (e.g., rewards from battle).
• THE GUILDS’ QUARTER +1
Increase the cost to level up Heroes by 1. This affects all leveling up that costs , even if leveling up while not at the Guilds’ Quarter (e.g., leveling up with a ).
• THE TEMPLE – 1
To visit the Temple, you must destroy 1. If you do not have , you cannot visit the Temple.
• SHOP OF ARCANE WONDERS +1
(3 CHITS)
Increase the Gold Cost to buy a Treasure card by 1. This only affects buying, not Treasure gained in other ways (e.g., rewards from battle). 12

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BARRICADES
“To the Barricades!”
Even a hastily-erected Barricade can save a life.
Barricades are new overlay tiles for the Village
in Barricades Mode. Barricades are placed on
their respective Village Locations during setup,
starting on their inactive side, signified by the red
background (1). Champions at a Village Location
with an inactive Barricade may combine together
to pay 10 gold (2) to build the Barricade at that
Location, flipping the Barricade over to its active
side, signified by the green background (3). All
Champions who spent gold and/or reduced
the Gold Cost of a Barricade are considered to
have “built” it. When a Village Location with an
active Barricade gains a Destruction chit, flip the
Barricade to its inactive side (4). This cancels
that Destruction chit (5), which is immediately
placed back into the bag, to be drawn again in the
future, possibly even during the same turn.
GUARDIAN DICE
In Barricades Mode, the Guardian assaults
Thunderstone Keep each turn via Guardian
dice ( ). At the beginning of each Prep Phase,
before placing Champions, each Champion rolls
a number of Guardian dice as indicated by the
current Threat Level (see next page).
The faces of the dice are:
(4 faces): The special attacks
of the Guardian, as listed on their Guardian
board and the Guardian guides. Some effects
will have a benefit to the Champion.
: You gain 1 .
(2 faces): Add this die to the Monster
Horde (see below). Adds 1 to the strength of the
Monster Horde attacking the Village this turn.
(2 faces): Add this die to the Monster
Horde. Adds 2 to the strength of the Monster
Horde attacking the Village this turn.
: Add this die to the Monster Horde. This
damage to the Village will be difficult to prevent.
: Draw 1 card.
: Heroic Opportunities trigger all of the
effects listed on your Prestige Class board.
Champions individually resolve their Guardian
dice (in any order they choose). Then, all
Champions combine their , , and
dice together in a single pool. This is the strength
of the Monster Horde that will be attacking the
Village this turn. Before the turn ends, remove
icons from the Monster Horde ( count as
2) equal to the total of all defeated Monsters
that turn. icons cannot be removed by
defeating Monsters. Then the Village takes 1
for each remaining icon and in the
Monster Horde. Empty the Monster Horde at
the end of each turn.
There are 16 Guardian dice included in this
box. That is the maximum number of Guardian
dice rolled on any 1 turn. If the Threat Level
rises so that Champions would roll more than 16
Guardian dice, divide the number of dice evenly
among the Champions. Split the remaining
dice evenly among some of the Champions, as
the group chooses. Which Champions roll these
extra dice can change each turn. The Threat
Level will continue to rise, but no more than 16
dice are rolled. 2 1 3 5 4 13

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GUARDIANS
“Nobody is a villain in their own story.”
Tired of adventuring parties coming to the Dungeon, the Guardians are defending their Lairs and pushing forth their minions to attack the Village. If villagers kept raiding your dungeon, what would you do? These Guardians are special Monsters, set to battle several Champions with multiple Hit Points (1), high Health values (2), Light requirements to move into the room (3), and special attacks that they may perform each turn (4). On the reverse of the Guardian is its Lair, an inaccessible Dungeon Room where the Threat Level track begins.
At the beginning of the game, place the Lair side up and with the Threat token on the 1 space of the Threat Level track (5). Advance the Threat token 1 space at the end of each turn, until it reaches the last space. As it advances along the track, the Threat Level increases, which increases the number of Guardian dice rolled each turn. When the Threat token needs to advance a space on the Lair but cannot, flip the board over, revealing the Guardian. Put the Threat token on the first space of the Guardian side. When the Guardian is revealed, it resolves a one-time effect (6). Sometimes the Guardian may also have a permanent effect listed here.
Once the Guardian board is flipped, that Champions may now enter the Dungeon Room and battle the Guardian; the Guardian must be defeated several times before it is destroyed. Multiple Champions may battle the Guardian each turn. Guardians have a number of Hit Points based on the number of Champions in the game, as indicated on their board (1). Each time a Guardian is defeated, deal 1 Wound to the Guardian and resolve its text (7). Defeating a Guardian triggers effects as if you had defeated a Monster, such as Spoils and earning Rewards. Each time a Guardian is defeated, it deals Wounds and gives rewards (8) as any other Monster.
If the Champions deal enough Wounds to the Guardian to cover up the number of Champions on the Hit Point track, the Guardian is destroyed. Resolve the Guardian’s text and the Monster Horde as normal on the turn it is destroyed. If the Champions destroy the Guardian before too many Village Locations are destroyed (based on your difficulty), the Champions win! If, however, the Guardian destroys too many Village Locations, the Champions lose. If the Guardian destroys the Village Locations by the end of the turn the Champions destroy the Guardian, then it is a Pyrrhic Victory. The Guardian has been defeated, but at what cost? Pyrrhic Victories do not count towards earning Medals (see page 22).
We join Jordan’s solo game on turn 2 where his 1 Guardian die rolled 1. Turn 1 was lucky as Jordan’s Guardian die rolled a , allowing him to build a Barricade for 0 , and he was even able to pick up 3 in battle. Turn 2, Jordan is looking to level up his deck. He has an Adventurer in his hand, so battling the Monster would let him level it up. He also has a Hero in his hand (which started in his deck because of the First Time difficulty) that could be leveled up as a by first visiting the Guilds’ Quarter during the Village Phase. Defeating the Monster would be good for leveling up Jordan’s deck, but it would mean the Village would be undefended, as defeating the Monster removes 0 from the Monster Horde.
Jordan decides that on turn 2 the value of double-leveling his deck is worth 1 getting through, and dealing the Village 1 Destruction chit. A little damage to the Village early should be fine. If Jordan’s deck is not powerful enough to repel the Guardian’s onslaught later, the Village will be taking a lot more damage. With any luck, the Destruction chit will randomly come to the same place as the active Barricade. If not, the Barricade will remain for use later in the game. 14

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We rejoin our cooperative game at the end of turn 8. When Toril advances the Threat token, she first needs to flip the Guardian Lair over to the other side, revealing Ezuzrius, the Noble. She places the Threat token on the 8 space. When revealed, Guardians deal an immediate attack (6). Ezuzrius deals 1 to each Village Location. After this, 2 Village Locations have 1, 1 Village Location has 2, 1 Village Location has 3, and the Guilds’ Quarter was destroyed. Because they are playing on Hard difficulty, they will lose if 3 Village Locations are destroyed.
After rolling their 4 Guardian dice each, they discuss among themselves their plan for the turn, because they are hurting. They are using the more advanced Destruction chits, so it will cost 1 to visit the Marketplace or Temple this turn. All Gear tokens also have +1. With 11 in the Monster Horde, Ezuzrius has 26 Health. No one is strong enough to battle that on their own, but Toril has 15 Attack and Kenneth has 11 Attack, so by forming a Party they will deal 1 to it. Scott and Ray are wounded badly, so they need to spend this turn at the Temple. While there, they combine their to build a Barricade. They are strong enough to still each defeat a Monster this turn. It is important they don’t push too hard, taking extra Wounds. They need to be in fighting condition next turn for Ezuzrius. Kenneth was also able to build 1 Barricade, and they still had 1 left from a previous turn.
After defeating 2 Monsters and 1 Monster this turn, they remove 9 from the Monster Horde, meaning the Village takes 2. Good thing the 2 Barricades help protect them. After dealing 1 to Ezuzrius this turn, in a 4-player game, they still need to deal 3 more to it. Will the Village be able to survive long enough? They better build some more Barricades. 15

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Lexicon
ALERT! EFFECTS
effects are expanding in use, being featured on cards instead of just Dungeon Rooms and Monsters. effects trigger when the card’s text normally would not. Some Prestige Classes and cards allow you to ignore effects. If so, choose with each effect whether to ignore that effect or not.
BORROW
The opposite of lend, borrowing a card allows a Champion to receive a card from another Champion for 1 turn. If the lent card has not been destroyed, return it to the original Champion when the turn ends. If it was leveled up, return the new version.
DESTROYED PILE
Whenever a card is destroyed, it is considered to be in a destroyed pile.
DISCARD OR
Discard the card into the discard pile of the Champion to your left or right. They now own the card.
GAIN
Whenever you acquire a card through any means, you gain it to your discard pile, paying no costs.
GIVE
Some effects allow you to give a Champion a card or Gear token. Unlike lending, this is permanent.
IN PLAY
Whenever you reveal your cards, they go in front of you, in play. When you are forced to discard cards (e.g., a Monster’s ability or the turn ends), discard cards from in play or from your hand. Cards in play are not part of your hand and do not count towards your maximum hand size.
LEND
The opposite of borrow, lending a card allows a Champion to give a card to another Champion for 1 turn. If the lent card has not been destroyed, return it to the original Champion when the turn ends. If it was leveled up, return the new version.
LEVEL DOWN
The opposite of leveling up, return 1 of your non-Legendary, non-Treasure Heroes to its stack. Take a version of the Hero, 1 level lower, from a destroyed pile, gaining it into your hand. You are not refunded for any XP spent. If there is no Hero 1 level lower, that Hero may not be leveled down.
PARTY ATTACK VALUE
The combined Attack values of the Champions in a Party. When battling a Monster with Armor or Magic Resistance, these values only reduce a Party’s Attack value once; they do not reduce each individual Champion’s Attack value.
PENALTY
A negative consequence from a battle, such as a Monster destroying your Hero or dealing you a . Sometimes tokens can be left in rooms as Penalties for the next battle there on a subsequent turn. Champions can gain penalties after battling Monsters. Parties split any cards or tokens left in the room from an earlier battle.
RANK
Each Rank of a Prestige Class unlocks new powers when gained. The listed XP cost of each Rank must be paid the turn the Rank is gained, or that opportunity to gain the Rank is lost. The top section of Prestige Class boards explains how that class gains 1 () or 2 () Ranks.
REWARD
A positive consequence from a battle, such as the from a Monster or a . Sometimes Gear and tokens can be left in rooms as rewards for the next battle there on a subsequent turn. Champions can gain rewards after battling Monsters.
USE
When you discard/destroy a Gear token for a Village, Dungeon, or Spoils ability, you have “used” it. Gear tokens discarded or destroyed for other reasons have not been “used.” 17

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FAQ
When a Village Location is destroyed, can I still buy cards from there? Can I still level up Heroes if the Guilds’ Quarter has been destroyed?
You may use all Village text on your Champion board, even if that Village Location is destroyed. So you may still buy 1 card, even if the Marketplace and/or Guilds’ Quarter are destroyed. However, you would not be able to visit a destroyed Shop of Arcane Wonders to buy a Treasure card. None of this affects rewards from Monsters, such as Treasure cards and Gear tokens.

Does the “+1 XP” Destruction chit at the Guilds’ Quarter affect you even if you are not there?
Yes, that Destruction chit increases the XP cost to level up all Heroes in the game, regardless of where you are when you are leveling up.

Can I join more than 1 Party in a turn? Can I join a Party to give Gear tokens or lend cards to someone and then leave that Party?
No and no. You may form or join 1 Party each turn, and you cannot leave the Party that turn.

What happens when multiple Parties reduce the Guardian’s Health in the same turn?
When a Champion/Party reduces a Monster’s Health, Armor, or Magic Resistance, that reduction only counts for that Champion/Party. The Monster has full Health for other Champions/Parties.

Do card effects such as a Cleric’s healing ability or a Rod of Teleportation work on just me, or anyone in my Party?
All effects of your cards only work on you and your cards. If you wish to give the effects to another Champion in your Party, you will need to lend/give them the card first. Rod of Teleportation is the lone exception; it teleports all Champions in your Party.

How many battles happen in a Dungeon Room each turn?
One. Multiple Champions in a room must form a Party if they all wish to battle the Monster in the room. The exception is the Guardian and Wilderness, which may have multiple battles happening in them each turn, though still only 1 per Champion/Party.

How do you battle multiple Monsters?
If you are battling multiple Monsters at once (e.g., the Prestige Class Vampire’s Coven), you must have a high enough Attack value to defeat all Monsters’ combined. Resolve the effects of all Monsters you battle. You suffer the penalties of all Monsters you are battling and, if you win, gain all of their rewards. If a room boosts the Monsters’ values, such as Health, XP, or Wounds, it boosts the values of each Monster in the room.

What does “add as a reward/penalty” mean?
Some effects add tokens or cards to a room as a one-time reward/penalty. The next time a battle is fought there, give the battling Champion the extra penalties and, if they won, the extra rewards. Parties split these rewards and penalties. 18

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When a borrowed card gets leveled up/destroyed, what happens?
The new version of the Hero would return to its owner (and is placed in their discard pile). A destroyed card remains destroyed though.
If I gain XP from a Treasure Cache, can I use that XP to pay the cost of gaining a Rank in my Prestige Class?
Yes. Once you have triggered the requirement, you have the entire turn to pay the XP cost and gain the Rank.
Can I use from a Monster to pay a Rank’s cost if the triggers from defeating that Monster? Can I use a Prestige Class effect the turn I gain the Rank?
Yes and yes. Once you trigger gaining the Rank in your Prestige Class, you have the remainder of the turn to pay the cost and gain the Rank. This may unlock text that can be used that turn, assuming the relevant Phase of the turn has not passed yet. If the Rank you gain for defeating a Monster gives you a , it is probably too late to use that ability that turn. abilities trigger after a Monster is defeated and can usually be used the turn they are unlocked.
For the Divine Oracle Prestige Class, when during the turn must I heal the Wound? How does the final Rank work?
If at any time in a turn you have defeated a Monster and healed a Wound, you may gain 1 Rank. It does not matter when you healed the Wound.
The last Rank lets you play with your deck face up. You may look through it at any time. It is still your deck; you just know its exact order.
What does Rank 6 of the Bloodhound (Barricades Mode side) Prestige Class count towards spent gold?
It counts gold you spent on everything that turn.
Do I roll a single 1d6 for all Heroes when the Rank 7 of the Bloodhound (Barricades Mode side) Prestige Class triggers?
Yes, roll 1d6 and give that value to each of your Heroes with Gold Production that turn.
Can Guardian abilities trigger on and other Guardian dice rolls?
Most Guardian abilities trigger on , , , , but some also trigger on other faces.
Can I enter the Guardian’s Lair before the Guardian is revealed? What if I use the Rod of Teleportation?
No, the Guardian’s Lair is inaccessible until it is flipped over and the Guardian is revealed.
If my Champion board is full of tokens, can I take more? Am I dead?
You are now at 0 HP and thus draw 0 cards. While at 0 HP, you do not gain the benefits of your Prestige Class or Guild Sponsorship, and you cannot use abilities. You cannot gain more Wound tokens, but you can still gain Wound cards. This may mean you are unable to pay the costs of abilities (e.g., Vampire Coven Prestige Class, Rank 3). 19

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Can other Champions in my Party help me meet the requirements for gaining a Rank in my Prestige Class?
No. Cards they have would not count for you, though they could lend/give you a card which would then count.
Do the upgrades to your Heroic Opportunity given by your Prestige Class trigger once per turn?
Upgrades usually do not affect the number of times per turn they can trigger. They usually only add additional effects.
Does the Barricades Mode ability for the Guilds’ Quarter allow me to level up 2 Heroes still?
No, you only get to level up the 1 Hero, but instead of leveling in the Village, the Hero levels as a Spoils ability (allowing it to battle that turn).
If I lend/give a Hero wielding a Weapon and with a Skill boost from an Item, do the Weapon and Item get lent/given as well?
When a Hero is lent/given, their wielded cards are also lent/given. They retain their boosts from Items, though the Items do not change possession unless they are also wielded. Return all lent cards when the turn ends to their original owner(s).
What happens to a lent/borrowed card if it is not in play when the turn ends?
If it is destroyed, it remains destroyed. Otherwise, return it to the owner (the leveled up version, if applicable) in the same place it is now.
Do any of the Guardian’s “end of turn” effects apply in a solo game?
Yes, solo players resolve this end of turn text. They get to ignore the Health boost only.
If there is only 1 Village spot left that has not been destroyed and that Location has an active Barricade, will the Barricade protect it from 4 damage that turn?
No. The last chit would be stopped by the Barricade, but the Village would have 3 more damage to take that turn and no protection. The chit would be immediately drawn again, and the Village would be destroyed.
What happens if we destroy every Monster in every Monster deck?
Congratulations on earning a Medal (see Slugfest, page 22). Reshuffle all destroyed Monsters and reform the Monster decks as per game setup.
Dark Fire Touch requires you to discard all your cards that have . My Hero doesn’t have a Light value but wields a Weapon that gives him a boost of +1 . Which cards are discarded?
Both the Hero and Weapon are discarded. 20

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Campaign Log
Keep track of your Campaigns over time, recording how many games the Campaign was, the final
score, and most importantly, the winner’s name.
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE
PLAYERS WIN/LOSS DATE 21

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EXTRA GEAR
Beat Barricades Mode with each
Champion having 5 or more Gear
tokens left.
FISTICUFFS
Beat Barricades Solo Mode
without Weapons or Spells.
BIG AND BAD
Beat Barricades Mode with each
Champion’s deck containing 25 or
more cards.
THE KEEP NEEDS US!
Beat Barricades Mode on any
difficulty.
WE ARE LEGENDS
Beat Barricades Mode with
every Champion (minimum 3
Champions) having a Legendary
card in their deck when the game
ends.
BRONZE MEDALS
ADORING FANS
Beat Barricades Mode with each
Champion’s deck containing 3 or
more Adventurers.
DON’T NEED HELP
Beat Barricades Solo Mode on at
least Hard difficulty.
FULL PARTY
Beat Barricades Mode with 6
Champions.
NO FRILLS
Beat Barricades Solo Mode with
no Treasure cards in your deck.
SAVE THEM FOR
NEXT TIME
Beat Barricades Mode with each
Champion having 10 or more Gear
tokens left.
SLUGFEST
Kill every Monster in every
Monster deck.
WE’VE GOT THIS
Beat Barricades Cooperative Mode
on at least Hard difficulty.
SILVER MEDALS Medals
As you and your friends play Barricades Mode,
the people of Thunderstone Keep will bestow
Medals upon you as you defend them from
certain ruin. The more difficult the task, the
nicer the Medal. Collect any Medals as you earn
each game by filling in the appropriate Medal
with a pen or pencil here when you do. Pyrrhic
Victories do not count towards earning Medals.
Only the mightiest of heroes achieve the glory of
earning platinum medals. 22

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LEGEND
Beat Barricades Solo Mode on Legendary difficulty.
NOT EVEN A SCRATCH
Beat Barricades Solo Mode with 6 or more HP when the game ends.
SAVIORS OF THE KEEP
Beat Barricades Cooperative Mode on Legendary difficulty.
THE UNDERDOGS
Beat Barricades Solo Mode with no Heroes in your deck.
TRAINING COMPLETE
Beat Barricades Cooperative Mode where all Champions reach the final Rank of their Prestige Class board.
GOLD MEDALS
DEFEAT THE MIGHTY
Defeat a Guardian on Legendary difficulty with 4 or more Champions.
FINALLY SAFE
Defeat 7 Guardians on Legendary difficulty.
THE B TEAM
Beat Barricades Mode on at least Hard difficulty with no Champions having or higher Heroes in their deck.
THE CHAMPIONS
Defeat Barricades Solo Mode with 4 or more or higher Heroes in your deck.
THE LICH THREAT
Defeat Baalok, the Flesh Weaver on Legendary difficulty without any Baalok cards in your deck.
THE SCION THREAT
Defeat Miricelle, Scion Defender on Legendary difficulty.
WHAT LIES BENEATH
Defeat Hive Mind on Legendary difficulty in both Cooperative and Solo Modes.
PLATINUM MEDALS 23

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Iconography Reference Guide
GUARDIAN DICE DESTRUCTION CHIT
GUARDIAN ATTACKS
1 OR 2 MONSTERS
IN THE MONSTER
HORDE (ATTACKING
VILLAGE)
GAIN 1 OR 2 RANKS IN
PRESTIGE CLASS (IF
COSTS ARE PAID)
DISCARD INTO
DISCARD PILE OF
THE CHAMPION TO
YOUR LEFT/RIGHT
DRAW 1 CARD
HEROIC
OPPORTUNITY

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