5.0 Exploring the Deathmaze

Cases:

5.1 Setting Up for Play

5.11 Before the adventurers enter the Deathmaze, a Player must organize them into a marching order. Take Hero and Thief counters from the countermix, one for each corresponding adventurer, and assign one counter to each adventurer. Then, arrange these counters in a marching order on a flat surface (as described below).

5.12 A marching order consists of a number of rows of adventurers. Adventurers in the first row will come into direct contact with monsters, and will have to use melee weapons to fight them; adventurers in the second row will be able to use missile weapons (and, in the advanced game, cast spells); adventurers in the third and subsequent rows will not be able to engage in combat. No more than three adventurers may be present in each row. At least two adventurers must be present in the first row (unless there is only one adventurer in the party). Players may by mutual agreement organize the adventurers into any order within these limitations (i.e., two or three in the first row, but no more than three in other rows).

5.13 After a marching order has been determined, punch out the Corridor and Room chits. Place the Corridor chits in a cup or other receptacle, and the Room chits in a second receptacle. Draw one Corridor chit at random, and place it facing in any direction on the table. Take the Party marker and place it on top of the Corridor chit; this corridor is the first part of the Deathmaze that the adventurers have entered.

5.14 Note: Except when the party is engaged in combat or negotiations, a Player may rearrange the party's marching order in any way that suits his fancy, in accordance with 5.72.

5.2 Moving Through the Deathmaze

5.21 In Deathmaze, there is no playing board or game-map. Instead, a Player builds up a map of the maze in the course of play by laying Corridor and Room chits adjacent to each other. The Party marker is always placed on top of one of the chits to mark the location of the adventurers' party.

5.22 Each time the party leaves a Corridor Segment through one of the two open sides of the Corridor chit (i.e., not through a door), a Player draws a Corridor chit from the appropriate cup and places it adjacent to the Corridor chit the party has just left. (Obviously, if a chit has previously been drawn and placed for the adjacent Corridor Segment, no new chit is drawn).

5.23 Each time the party leaves any Segment (Corridor or Room) through a door, a Player draws a Room chit from the Room cup and places it adjacent to the door the party just went through. Some of the chits in the Room cup are marked Corridor, with a corridor configuration; if one of these chits is drawn, throw it back into the Room cup, draw a chit from the Corridor cup, and use it instead of a Room chit. (If the Corridor cup is empty, chits marked Corridor may be used instead.) If then a Corridor chit with no doors should be drawn, this corridor chit may be placed with one of its open ends abutting the door the party has exited. Note: If a chit has previously been drawn for a Segment the party wishes to enter, no new chit is drawn. If the party exits a door into an area for which no chit has been drawn and that new area abuts on an open, previously drawn Corridor segment, draw a Corridor chit (despite the fact that the party is moving through a door).

5.24 Often, a Player will draw a chit which can be placed adjacent to the previous chit in more than one configuration — that is, facing in two or more different directions. In this case, he may place the chit to face in any valid direction.

5.25 A chit must be placed so that any adjacent doors on previously placed chits abut doors on the new chit and adjacent blank walls must abut blank walls. When a Corridor chit is placed, it must be placed so that any open ends of adjacent Corridor chits abut open ends of the placed chit. Sometimes, a draw chit does not complement the adjacent chits (for instance, when three doors are required and a draw chit has only two). In such a case, throw the draw chit back into the appropriate cup and draw another. Keep on drawing until a chit that fits is drawn. If there are no chits that fit the circumstances (this will happen very rarely), use a chit that matches as many of the adjacent chits as possible, and assume that chit-sides which do not match the chit-side of an adjacent chit are impassable, i.e., the party may not cross such a chit-side.

Example: [Figure: five chits in a layout, an empty center segment with a chit to its left, to its right and above it.] In the above case, if the party were to enter the empty center segment from either door, they would draw a Room chit for the Segment (since they would be entering through a door). If they drew a chit with four doors, one with two adjacent doors, or one with one door, they would have to throw the chit back since none of these chits can be placed so that doors abut the left and right segments but no door abuts on the upper segment. Only a chit with two opposite doors, or one with three doors (the third door would be placed facing downwards) would fit the circumstances.

5.26 Each time the party moves into a new Corridor or Room Segment, a Player must: a) determine whether the party moved through a Trapped door (assuming they moved through a door); and b) whether there are any monsters in the new Corridor or Room Segment. If the party moved through a door, roll 1D6. If a 1 is rolled, the door was Trapped; see the Trap rules, 10.0. After any Traps have been dealt with, a Player determines whether there are any monsters.

5.27 If the segment is a Corridor, or a Room that the party has previously visited, roll 1D6. On a roll of 1, the segment contains wandering monsters. Refer to Monsters and Negotiations, 7.0. If the segment is a Room that has not been visited previously, roll 1D6. On a roll of 1, 2, or 3, there is a Room monster. See 7.0.

5.28 After Traps, monsters, unusual features, and treasure have been dealt with by the party, the party may leave its Segment through a door or open corridor and enter an adjacent Segment. If there is no chit for the adjacent Segment, draw a chit as outlined above. If a chit has already been drawn for the Segment, simply move the party marker on top of the chit. There will be no Traps on doors abutting on previously-explored Segments, but wandering monsters may exist in such Segments.

5.29 In the unlikely event that all but one potential exit from the explored area of the Deathmaze have been closed off (for instance, only one last door or open corridor out of the Deathmaze remains and all other doors and open corridors end in or open into enclosed areas) and a chit drawn for the last door or open corridor results in a dead end, throw the drawn chit back and draw another. Continue to draw chits until a chit is drawn that will not result in a dead-end.

5.3 Exploration Table

(see charts and tables)