How to Play Too Many Bones: Undertow

Game Objective

In Too Many Bones: Undertow, players take on the role of Gearlocs traveling through southern Daelore in search of a specific Tyrant. The ultimate goal is to face and defeat the Tyrant before the Day Counter exceeds the number of days indicated on the Tyrant Card. If the Tyrant is defeated within the deadline, the team wins; otherwise, the game ends in defeat.

Setup

Before starting, assemble the components as follows:

1. Place the Battle Mat in the center of the play area.
2. Position the Tyrant Card, the Tyrant Chip and the Tyrant Die to the left of the Battle Mat.
3. Place the Day Counter Card and the Day Counter Chip (set to 1) directly below the Tyrant Card.
4. Set up the Lane Marker Chips and the Obstacle/Wreckage Chips above the Battle Mat, following the layout shown in the manual.
5. Place the Baddie Ini Dice and the stacks of Health Chips as shown in the manual.
6. Position the Round Counter Die on the left side of the Initiative (Ini) Meter on the Battle Mat, set to R1.
7. For each player, choose a Gearloc and place the Gearloc Mat, the Gearloc Chip (with the initial amount of Health Chips), the Ini Die and the Stat Dice as indicated.
8. Locate the 16 Skill Dice for your Gearloc and place them in a Storage Tray near the Gearloc Mat.
9. Identify the Skill Dice that your Gearloc starts with (marked with circles) and place them in the corresponding slots on the Gearloc Mat.
10. Set up the stacks of Baddie Chips (1Pt, 5Pt, 20Pt, 3Pt Krelln and 3Pt Mech) according to the type of Baddie indicated on the Tyrant Card.
11. Place the Baddie Ini Dice and the stacks of Health Chips as shown in the manual.
12. Verify that all components are in place before beginning the adventure.

Game Flow

The game progresses in daily cycles, each consisting of four main phases:

1. New Day Phase – Rotate the Day Counter +1 (skip this phase on Day 1).
2. Encounter Phase –
   • Draw an Encounter Card and read it aloud.
   • If there are already enough Progress Pts, you may challenge the Tyrant instead of resolving the encounter.
   • Choose one of the encounter options and attempt to complete it successfully.
   • If successful, proceed to the Reward Phase; if you fail, skip the Reward Phase and go straight to the Recovery Phase.
3. Reward Phase –
   • Collect all specific rewards of your choice.
   • Collect any general encounter rewards.
   • If there is Loot or Trove Loot, take it now.
   • If there are Training Pt(s), use them immediately.
   • If there are Progress Pt(s), place the card (with the Progress Pts visible) under the Tyrant Card.
4. Recovery Phase –
   • Trade Loot and Trove Loot among team members.
   • Make a Lockpicking Attempt on Trove Loot or another player.
   • Choose one of the individual options (each Gearloc can choose one):
     • Rest and Recover: heal to full HP.
     • Search for Better Loot: discard 1 Loot or Trove Loot, roll 6 Atk Dice and reveal a Loot Card for each roll; you may keep 1.
     • Scout the Area: roll a D6; 1‑3 reveals a 1Pt Baddie, 4‑5 reveals up to a 5Pt Baddie, 6 reveals up to a 20Pt Baddie. Reveal the first chip from each stack; you may leave it standing or send it to the bottom of the stack.

After completing the Recovery Phase, the day ends and the cycle restarts with the New Day Phase.

Actions and How to Play

During the game, players have access to various actions, primarily during the recovery and battle phases. Below are the main actions available:

• Rest and Recover – Available only during the Recovery Phase. Heal the Gearloc to the maximum number of Health Chips. No Dex cost or dice are required.
• Search for Better Loot – Available only during the Recovery Phase. Discard 1 Loot or Trove Loot, roll 6 Atk Dice and reveal a Loot Card for each roll. You may keep 1 Loot card.