Welcome to the World of Lords of Waterdeep!

In the game of Lords of Waterdeep, you assume the role of one of the secret rulers of the city. Your main goal is to recruit adventurers, complete quests, and gain the most victory points to emerge as the successful ruler of Waterdeep.

Let me walk you through the basic rules and mechanics of this exciting game.

Components

The game consists of:

• Gameboard: This is where all the action takes place. It represents the city of Waterdeep and is divided into different locations.
• Agents: These are the pawns that represent your workers. They will be placed on the locations to take actions.
• Quest cards: These represent the various tasks you need to complete. Each quest card has specific requirements and rewards.
• Intrigue cards: These cards allow you to have special abilities and interact with other players.

Gameplay

The game is played over a series of rounds, with each round consisting of the following phases:

1. Assign Agents: Each player takes turns placing their agents on different locations on the game board. The locations determine the actions you can take.
2. Take Actions: Starting with the first player, each player takes turns resolving their chosen action at the location where their agent is placed. These actions include recruiting adventurers, completing quests, playing intrigue cards, and more.
3. Complete Quests: After all players have taken their actions, you have the opportunity to complete quests by spending the required adventurers and resources. Completing quests rewards you with victory points.
4. Recover Agents: At the end of the round, all agents are returned to their owners, ready to be assigned again in the next round.

Victory Conditions

The game comes to an end after a certain number of rounds. At the end of the game, the player with the most victory points is declared the winner. Victory points can be gained by completing quests, playing intrigue cards, and fulfilling other in-game conditions.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the game, it’s time to dive in and start exploring the strategic depths of Lords of Waterdeep. Good luck on your quest for power and glory!

When we start playing the game, it’s time for each of us to pick a color! You can choose whichever color you like best. Once you’ve made your color selection, you’ll need to grab a player mat that matches your chosen color.

Now that you have your color and player mat, it’s time to gather your agents. The number of agents you get depends on how many players are participating. Here’s a handy table to help you figure out how many agents you’ll need:

Number of Players
Agents per Player

2	4
3	3
4	2
5	2

Now that you know how many agents you need, place them in the Agent Pool area of your player mat. This area is where you’ll keep your agents during the game. Make sure they’re arranged neatly, so you can easily see how many you have left.

With your agents in place, you’re ready to begin playing the game. Good luck!

Alright, let’s get started! First things first, I need to place one of my agents near the round 5 space on the rounds track. I’ll also put my round score marker on the 0 space of the scoring track. To make things fair, each player does the same.

Next, I’ll grab 3 victory point (VP) tokens and place them on each space of the rounds track. This way, we can keep track of our progress throughout the game. Oh, and I can’t forget to take my building control markers.

Now it’s time to set up the Builder’s Hall. I’ll shuffle the stack of building tiles and draw 3 of them. I’ll place them faceup in each of the 3 spaces in the hall. The remaining tiles go facedown in a stack right next to the hall. We’ll need those later!

Alright, let’s talk about adventurers. They’re an important part of the game, and we need to make sure we have enough of each type. We’ve got Clerics (white), Fighters (orange), Rogues (black), and Wizards (purple). I’ll put them within easy reach for everyone to grab. Oh, and don’t forget the gold tokens! They come in denominations of 1 and 5.

During the game, we might run into a situation where there aren’t enough adventurers of a certain type available to hire. If that happens, we can only hire as many as there are in the supply. So keep an eye on those adventurers!

Let’s get started with setting up the game. First, we need to shuffle the Lord cards and deal one to each player. Remember to keep your card hidden from your opponents.

Next, we’ll shuffle the Quest cards and each player will receive 2 faceup cards as their active quests. Make sure to keep these cards visible to everyone.

Now, it’s time to place a faceup Quest card in each of the 4 spaces of Cliffwatch Inn. The remaining Quest cards should be placed facedown in a deck near the Inn.

We also need to shuffle the Intrigue cards and give each player 2 facedown cards. Keep these cards hidden from your opponents. The remaining Intrigue cards should be placed facedown in a deck near Waterdeep Harbor.

The player who has most recently been to another city will be the first player and gets the first player marker. They will also receive 4 gold. The player to their left will get 5 gold, the next player will get 6 gold, and so on. Make sure to store your gold on the Tavern on your player mat.

Whenever you need to draw from an empty deck, you’ll have to do a little shuffle dance. Take all the cards in the discard pile and give them a good mix-up. Then, put them face-down in the right spot on the board to make a new deck. But don’t go throwing any completed Quest cards back in there!

The Meaning of It All

Secret Agents

As a fancy Lord of Waterdeep, I get to send my Agents all over town to do my bidding. These wooden pieces come in five different colors, each representing a sneaky secret society.

Pick your favorite color and grab the Agents that match. These Agents will be yours to command. Stick ’em in the “Agent Pool” area of your player mat.

The number of Agents you get depends on how many folks are playing. Check out the table below to see how many you get.

Number Of Players
Agents per Player

2	4
3	3
4	2
5	2

Do you ever wonder how many agents can be assigned to each player in a game, based on the number of players involved? I was curious about this myself, and I found a fascinating table that shows exactly that! Take a look:

– For a game with 2 players, you can have 4 agents per player.

– If you have 3 players, each player can have 3 agents.

– In a game with 4 players, each player can be assigned 2 agents.

– Finally, in a game with 5 players, you can still have 2 agents per player.

Isn’t that interesting? It’s amazing to see how the number of players affects the number of agents allocated to each player. I hope you find this table as intriguing as I did!

When we play the game, we each put one more Agent of our color near the end of Round 5 on the rounds track. I can use that Agent during that round. There is also a sixth (gray) space that we can use in future expansions.

There are also two neutral Agent pieces in the game: the Ambassador and the Lieutenant. Nobody starts with control of these Agents, but we can add them to our pool as the game goes on.

Player Mats

We each have a player mat that matches the color of our Agents. This mat helps us keep track of different game resources.

Agent Pool: This is where we keep Agents that we haven’t assigned yet. At the end of the round, all of our assigned Agents return here.

Tavern: The Tavern is where we keep the Adventurers we’ve hired until we use them for Quests. We can also store Gold in the Tavern.

Quests I’ve Completed: Whenever I finish a Quest, I put its card in my “Completed Quests” section on my player mat.

Brave Explorers

I employ various Brave Explorers, including noble heroes and ordinary mercenaries, to complete different tasks.

There are four types of Brave Explorers represented by wooden cubes: Healers (white), Warriors (orange), Sneaks (black), and Spellcasters (purple). Different quests require different types of Brave Explorers to achieve success.

These cubes, along with Gold (explained below), make up the available supply. I place them next to the game board, conveniently accessible to everyone.

Buildings

When you play the game, you’ll come across 9 basic Buildings. Each of these buildings has different spots where you can send your Agents to take action.

But that’s not all! There are also special spots for Building tiles. These tiles are available for purchase, and once bought, you can put them into play.

Now, let’s get started. At the beginning of the game, you’ll need to draw 3 Building tiles. Place them face up in the 3 spaces provided at Builder’s Hall.

Wondering what to do with the remaining tiles? Simple! Just put them face-down in a stack near Builder’s Hall, in the spot marked just for them.

Understanding Buildings

Every building, whether it’s printed on the game board or a tile in Builder’s Hall, contains important information that you need to know.

Name: The name of the building will help you find more detailed information about it.

Cost: This tells you how much gold you need to buy the building. For example, Helmstar Warehouse costs 3 gold.

Instructions: The instructions tell you what resources the building provides. It could be things like adventurers, gold, victory points, card draws, or other useful items.

For example, Helmstar Warehouse provides 2 rogues and 2 gold.

Owner: When someone assigns an agent to a building, the player who owns that building gets a benefit. In the case of Helmstar Warehouse, the owner gets 1 rogue.

Cards

When I go on adventures and serve you, I perform tasks and complete secret missions. These activities are represented by cards, which also contain my sneaky manipulations and hidden victory conditions.

My Lord Cards

Hey there! Did you know that Waterdeep is governed by a group of sneaky individuals called the Lords of Waterdeep? These Lords are represented by eleven special cards, known as Lord cards.

So, here’s what we do: grab those Lord cards, give them a good shuffle, and deal one card face down to each player. Keep that card a secret- no peeking!

Now, put the rest of the Lord cards back in the box, face down. We won’t be using them for the rest of the game.

If someone needs to draw a card, but the deck is empty, we’ve got a solution. Take all the cards from the discard pile with the same type and shuffle them up to create a new deck. Then, place it face down in the right spot on the game board. Simple, huh?

Just a heads up, Quest cards that have been completed don’t go back into the Quest deck. We want to keep things fresh!

When you play Lords of Waterdeep, you’ll notice that each Lord card gives you extra victory points if you meet certain conditions. These conditions are explained in the card’s rules text. Let me give you an example: the Khelben Arunsun card gives you bonus victory points for completing Arcana Quests and Warfare Quests.

Quest Cards

As a Lord of Waterdeep, you can further your interests by completing Quests. Quests are represented by Quest cards. Here’s how it works: we shuffle the Quest cards and deal two of them face up to you. These cards are called your active Quests.

But that’s not all! We also place one face-up Quest card in each of the four spaces at Cliffwatch Inn. The rest of the Quest cards are kept face down to form the Quest deck. This deck goes in the space on the game board that’s labeled specifically for it, right next to Cliffwatch Inn.

The Mystery of Intrigue Cards

Have you ever wanted to steer others towards your own goals without their knowledge? Well, with intrigue cards, you can do just that! These special cards allow me to secretly manipulate others, all while playing the game of Lords of Waterdeep.

But here’s the catch: my fellow Lords of Waterdeep are just as cunning as I am. They too possess their own arsenal of intrigue cards. So, it’s a battle of wits and double-dealing as we all vie for power and control.

At the start of the game, we each receive two intrigue cards. This small stash is our hidden advantage, known only to us. The remaining intrigue cards are placed facedown to create the Intrigue deck, which rests in its designated spot near Waterdeep Harbor on the game board.

So, as I sit at the table, I can feel the excitement building. I hold these secret weapons in my hand, ready to unleash them at just the right moment. Who will suspect me? Who will I fool? Only time will tell as we navigate the treacherous world of Lords of Waterdeep and uncover the hidden truths behind intrigue cards.

The Goal of the Game

In the game of Lords of Waterdeep, the objective is to gather the most Victory Points by the end of the eighth round in order to emerge victorious.

Each player receives a player mat that corresponds to the color of their Agents, which helps keep track of their various resources throughout the game.

Playing the Game

Lords of Waterdeep is played in rounds, with each round consisting of multiple turns where players assign their Agents to different tasks.

Starting a Round

The rounds track on the game board is initially populated with 3 VP tokens on every round space, as shown in the setup instructions. These VP tokens also serve as indicators of the current round.

At the beginning of each round, the 3 VP tokens are removed from the corresponding round space and one VP token is placed on each visible Building in Builder’s Hall.

When you buy a Building or start a round: Sometimes Building tiles have special instructions that you need to follow when you buy them or at the beginning of each round. If any of those Buildings are in play, you’ll need to follow the start-of-round instructions for each one.

Once all start-of-round effects are finished, it’s time for each player to take their turns. Everyone takes turns in order.

At the start of Round 5: This is what happens when Round 5 begins. Each player takes their extra Agent piece, which matches their color, from the spot near the rounds track and adds it to their pool. You’ll have this extra Agent for the rest of the game.

Playing Your Turn

It’s now your turn to make a move! You start by looking at who has the First Player marker and then proceed to the player on their left.

During your turn, you have the option to perform one or both of the following actions if you have Agents that are available to use.

I. Placing an Agent

If you have any Agents in your pool, you can choose to assign one of them. To do this, simply place your Agent on an unoccupied action space of a Building. You have the freedom to choose any Building, whether it’s a basic one or one that has already been introduced into the game. However, you can’t place your Agent on an action space that is already occupied by another Agent, whether it’s yours or belongs to another player. Also, you can’t place your Agent on a Building that hasn’t been put into play yet.

Once you assign your Agent, you must follow the instructions for that specific action space. Keep in mind that you can only perform the action once.

When it’s your turn, you have to do something – you can’t just sit back and watch! If you have any Agents left, you need to assign one of them to take an action. Don’t worry, if there’s ever a rare situation where you can’t do anything on your turn, you can pass. But remember, passing is only for emergencies!

If you’ve used up all your Agents and you don’t have any left to assign, then you’re out of luck for the rest of that round. The game will move on to the next player who still has Agents available. So don’t use up all your Agents too quickly!

Now, let’s talk about some special rules for certain Buildings. They have their own unique effects, so pay attention to how they work. If you want to know more about all the Buildings and what they can do, check out the detailed descriptions.

Welcome to Builder’s Hall!

Here at Builder’s Hall, you’ll find a variety of Building tiles that can enhance your gameplay experience. These tiles bring new actions and possibilities to the game, allowing you to strategize and create your own unique path to victory.

When you visit Builder’s Hall, you have the opportunity to choose one of the available face-up Buildings for purchase. Simply pay the required amount of Gold and claim the Building as your own. Not only will you earn Victory Points right away, but you will also place the corresponding tile on the board, marking your ownership.

But the opportunities don’t end there! As soon as you acquire a Building, a new one becomes available. Draw the top tile from the Building stack and reveal it for others to consider.

Builder’s Hall is the place where your plans come to life. Make wise choices, invest in the right Buildings, and lay the foundation for your success. Your journey starts here!

Benefits for Owners: Once a new Building is introduced, you can assign an Agent to it, just like any other Building on the game board. However, if someone other than the owner assigns an Agent to that Building’s action space, the owner receives a special benefit mentioned in the tile’s “Owner” line.

Cliffwatch Inn

Cliffwatch Inn stands out because it has three action spaces instead of the usual one. You have the option to assign more than one of your Agents to Cliffwatch Inn as long as there are open action spaces available. However, keep in mind that you still can’t assign more than one Agent per turn.

Obtaining Quests: At the beginning of the game, Cliffwatch Inn holds 4 face-up Quest cards. Assigning an Agent to Cliffwatch Inn is the standard way of acquiring new Quests. However, each action space comes with a different effect.

When you arrive at Cliffwatch Inn, you have a choice of action spaces to assign your Agent to.

If you decide to take a face-up Quest card, you must remember to replace it with a new card from the Quest deck right away.

Welcome to Waterdeep Harbor

Hey there! So, Waterdeep Harbor is a pretty unique place. You see, instead of just having one action space like most other spots, it actually has three! Yup, three whole action spaces just waiting for you to make your move.

What’s cool is that you can even send more than one of your Agents to Waterdeep Harbor at the same time. Of course, you can’t send more than one Agent per turn, but hey, it’s nice to have options, right?

Now, when you do send an Agent to one of those action spaces, it’s gonna have two effects. Yep, two in one! How awesome is that?

1. Playing the Intrigue Card: When I assign an Agent to one of the action spaces on Waterdeep Harbor, I get to play a single Intrigue card from my hand. It’s important to note that if I don’t have any Intrigue cards, I won’t be able to assign an Agent to Waterdeep Harbor.

Hey there! When you play an Intrigue card, you gotta follow what it says right away. The card’s effect only happens once. Let me break it down for you. Take Lack of Faith, for instance. This card makes every opponent get rid of one Cleric ( ) from their Tavern if they can. But if someone has more than one Cleric, you can’t make them get rid of extras using this card.

Now, an Intrigue card can be one of three things: an attack, a utility, or a Mandatory Quest.

Attack: Attack cards are designed to give you an edge by hindering or penalizing your opponents. They can help you win the game by strategically removing or interfering with other players’ abilities. For instance, a card like Lack of Faith allows you to remove another player’s Cleric, weakening their position.

Utility: Utility cards, on the other hand, provide you with beneficial effects to support your gameplay. These cards allow you to do something helpful and advantageous for your own progress. Take Call in a Favor, for example, which lets you select and gain resources from the supply that you specifically need.

Mandatory Quest: A Mandatory Quest is a minor task that you can impose upon one of your opponents. By forcing them to complete this task before they can move on to their other Quests, you disrupt their plans and slow down their progress, giving yourself an advantage in the game.

2. Reassign Agent: Once all the Agents have been assigned for the round, players who have an Agent in Waterdeep Harbor can reassign that Agent to another action space. This allows them to take an additional turn with that particular Agent, providing them with more opportunities and strategic options.

Players take turns reassigning their Agents, starting with the action space numbered “1”. It’s important to note that you cannot reassign an Agent to Waterdeep Harbor itself, as it is not an available option for reassignment.

During a game, there are certain actions you can take that allow you to reassign your Agents to different tasks. These actions have specific effects that can be quite useful.

II. Finishing a Mission!

Once you’ve decided which Agent to use, you can complete a Mission. Each Mission card tells you how many Adventurers you need and what type. Sometimes, you’ll also need to spend Gold.

Remember, you don’t have to complete a Mission if you don’t want to. You’re only allowed to finish one Mission on your turn.

To complete a Mission, you must take the required Adventurers and Gold from your Tavern and return them to their respective supply. In return, you get the reward specified on the card.

No matter how many Agents you have or switch during your turn, you can only complete one Mission per turn.

Understanding a Mission Card

Quest Type: Have you ever wondered what makes a quest different from another? Well, there are five unique types of quests: Arcana, Commerce, Piety, Skullduggery, and Warfare. Each type represents a different kind of adventure that is crucial to its completion.

Hey there! Let’s talk about the Lords of Waterdeep and how they earn bonus VP by completing different types of Quests. Take Khelben Arunsun, for example. He’s got a neat skill that lets him score 4 bonus VP for every Arcana Quest and Warfare Quest he completes. Pretty cool, right?

Now, completing these Quests requires a few things. Each Quest card has a handy “Requires” line that shows you what resources you’ll need. These resources can be Adventurers or Gold, and they’re represented by little symbols. So make sure you’ve got what you need before you take on a Quest!

Reward: Whenever you finish a Quest, you earn a reward. The specific reward will be listed on the “Reward” line. Rewards typically include Victory Points (VP), but they can also include other things like Adventurers, Gold, or cards. If you receive Adventurers or Gold as part of the reward, you should take them from the supply and add them to your Tavern.

For instance, completing the Spy on the House of Light Quest will give you 6 VP and 6 Gold. As soon as you finish the Quest, you can immediately collect the Gold and move your score marker 6 spaces along the scoring track.

Each Quest provides a reward only once, when it is completed. Once you have received the reward, turn the Quest card face down and place it in the “Completed Quests” area on your player mat.

Mandatory Quests

There are Intrigue cards called Mandatory Quests that can be played on your opponents to disrupt their plans.

When I play an Intrigue card with a Mandatory Quest, I get to pick an opponent to give this card to. I place it face up in front of them. Once the card is there, that player can’t work on any other Quests until they finish the Mandatory Quest.

Let me give you an example. The quest “Stamp Out Cultists” needs a Cleric, Fighter, and Rogue to finish. And as a reward, you get 2 VP.

Now, when you finish a Mandatory Quest, you gotta put the card in the Intrigue discard pile.

Plot Quests

There are a few Quests labeled as “Plot Quests”, and that means they’re really important for keeping things under control in Waterdeep.

When you undertake a Plot Quest, you not only earn rewards but also trigger lasting effects. For instance, take the quest “Recover the Magister’s Orb.” By completing this quest, you’ll gain 6 Victory Points, but that’s not all. You’ll also unlock a special ability: once every round, you can assign one of your Agents to a spot that already has an opponent’s Agent.

Identifying a Plot Quest is easy. Just look at the color of its name on the card. The name of a Plot Quest stands out, as it’s printed in a different color than regular Quest cards.

Once you’ve finished a Plot Quest, remember to keep its card nearby. This serves as a reminder of the ongoing effect it grants you.

End of the Round

When all Agents have been reassigned from Waterdeep Harbor, the round comes to an end.

At this point, all players must return their Agents back to their respective pools. The player with the First Player marker kicks off the next round.

End of the Game

I’m here to talk to you about the game and how it ends. It might seem a bit complicated at first, but I’ll break it down for you.

The game has 8 rounds, and when you reach the end of the eighth round, it’s time for final scoring. That means we’ll calculate points for each player.

Here’s how it works: you count up your VP (victory points) and move your scoring marker accordingly. There are a few ways to earn VP:

Each Adventurer in your Tavern	1 VP
Every 2 Gold in your Tavern (rounding down)	1 VP
Lord card	As specified by the card

After final scoring, the player with the most VP wins the game. If there’s a tie, the player with the most Gold breaks the tie.

So, there you have it! That’s how the game ends, and now you understand how to be the winner. Get out there and start playing!