I would like to thank Mark Bassett for introducing me to this fascinating game. He was probably not aware of my deep desire to tinker or fiddle with it... He also provided the ideas/rules for relative location of chambers, the "Sorcerer Resurrected" and the addition of ramps.
The rest of the strange ideas here are mine and are in no way associated with, or endorsed by, Philmar (the makers of THE SORCERER'S CAVE), Terence Donnelly, or anyone else for that matter. Nothing in this expansion set is intended to infringe on any copyright or trademark, and anything presented here may not be sold or resold. In short, this expansion set is made available for use by owners of the original game.
In the original rule set Terence Donnelly suggests that "new dimensions may be added to characters, or new creatures, hazards, and treasures". I have taken him up on his suggestion and hope that some of what is presented here may add to the enjoyment of playing THE SORCERER'S CAVE.
In summary, this expansion set provides a description of rules and components that can be used to expand the original set by approximately one-third. There are:
7 extra starting creatures
4 extra other creatures
3 extra heavy treasures
7 extra artefacts
4 extra hazards
17 extra areas
This expansion set introduces and alters a number of terms and concepts, some of which require slight changes in the reading of various existing cards.
1. Creatures are divided up into four classes:
H - Human: these are cards such as the heroes, women, priests etc. The Sorcerer is human. Most of the creature cards fall into this category.
I - Inhuman: include cards such as the ogre, troll, dwarf. The Medusa and Basilisk are inhuman.
A - Animal: includes the dragon, bear, Minotaur, unicorn and vipers.
U - Undead: includes the ghouls and spectres.
2. Based on the above classification, a number of cards should be read slightly differently.
Charmed Flute: Affects all animals.
Talisman: Wards off all Undead on 3rd level or deeper.
Eye of God: Annihilates Undead.
Lotus Dust: Does not affect Undead.
Magic Sword: Adds 1 to strength of any human; 2 to strength of hero. Enables bearer to fight Undead.
Strength Potion: Adds 2 to strength of any human.
3. Undead creatures can be attacked by inhumans or by any human carrying the appropriate weapon (eg. Hero with Magic Sword).
4. Any card that can be used by a man, can also be used by the rogue or barbarian. Any card that can be used a Priest or Wizard, can also be used by an Elf. (See 'New Starting Creatures' below.)
The following new creatures are available for selection at the start of play. Any ones not chosen are shuffled in with the rest of the pack.
| Type | Class | Magic Power | Fighting strength | Carries
(kg) |
No. in pack | Select Value | Point Value | Reaction
Roll |
| Halfling | I | - | 1 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1/23/4-6 |
| Rogue | H | - | 3 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1-3/-/5-6 |
| Barbarian | H | - | 4 | 30 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1-3/45/6 |
| Elf | I | 2* | 3 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 12/3-5/6 |
These creatures have the following special abilities:
Halfling is able to detect secret stairs discovered by other player's parties ie. this ability is equivalent to using the charmed flute.
Rogue adds 1 to the die roll when opening the treasure chest. The Rogue can also disarm a trap. This ability must be used immediately after drawing the trap card. The trap card is then reshuffled back into the pack, and another drawn in its place. The Rogue's ability cannot be used if two trap cards are drawn in the same chamber. Note that if a Dwarf is present in the same part, the player can choose to avoid or disarm the trap.
Barbarian may go into a killing frenzy when fighting inhuman or magical creatures, and adds 1 to the die roll. After such a fight (including after retreating), the Barbarian must rest for 1 full turn. The Barbarian may also swim across the pool, carrying heavy treasure (in the same way as described in the original rules for the giant).
Elf has a sense of balance and will not fall when walking on narrow ledges. The Elf can also remain in the background during a fight, and use a bow to add 2 to the overall strength, much like the Priest and Wizard. This is not a magical ability and is not affected by those artefacts or hazards affecting magic or magical abilities.
| Type | Class | Magic Power | Fighting strength | Carries
(kg) |
No. in pack | Point Value | Reaction
Roll |
| Minotaur | I | - | 8 | - | 1 | - | 1-3/4-6/- |
| Bear | A | - | 5 | - | 2 | 4 | 1-2/3-6/- |
| Lich | U | 6 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 1-4/5-6/- |
Minotaur: If party retreats while fighting the Minotaur, he will pursue them into the adjacent chamber or passage to continue the fight. If the new chamber is empty, he will remain there, otherwise he will withdraw to the previous one if the party is completely defeated. A party fighting the Minotaur in a passage can only send one creature at a time against him. The Minotaur will not pursue a party retreating up or down stairs.
Lich: This is the most powerful Undead creature. It is not affected by the Talisman, and the Eye of God will only ward it off.
Bear: The Bear is never a leader of a group of creatures.
The revised strength order, including the new creatures is:
Lich, spectre, minotaur, dragon... hero, barbarian, women-hero, rogue, priest, man ... troll, elf, dwarf, halfling
Add three new heavy treasure cards for Crystal Ball (15 points, 10 kg).
There is one card for each of the following new artefacts:
Breathing Bracelet. Allows a human wearer and any one companion creature to breathe freely anywhere, including the pool or the lava pit. 15 points.
Sleeping Scroll. When used by Priest or Wizard, will cause all non-Undead strangers in the chamber to fall into a magical sleep for 1 full turn of the player using it. Use once and discard. 5 points.
Resistance Ring. Gives a human wearer +1 on the die roll when resisting magical attacks (eg. against the Medusa or Basilisk.) 5 points.
Jumping Boots. Allows a human wearer to transport the whole party 2 areas at a time: but only on the same level, and in a straight line. The party must still stop when entering a new area. 15 points.
Protection Amulet. Allows a human wearer to detect and avoid traps. 10 points.
Magic Dagger. Can be used by non-heroic humans to fight the Undead. 10 points.
Glowing Necklace Can be worn by non-heroic creatures. Will add +1 to die roll on approaching strangers. 20 points.
Wight (Undead). Attacks weakest party creature with a strength of 4. This creature can only defend if he or she has a magical weapon or is inhuman, and/or be aided by a creature that has a magical weapon or is inhuman. Wight remains. [2 cards]
Bats. Attack each party member with a strength of 1. Magic artefacts may not be used against the bats. Any creature defeated by them is not killed but must retreat. If one party member retreats, so must all. Return card to pack after fight. [1 card]
Basilisk. Each member of a party entering the area must immediately roll above 3 or be paralysed for a turn. Paralysed creatures must continue to roll in subsequent turns until they escape the paralysis. Those creatures in the party who escape paralysis must wait for all members to escape paralysis, before the party can leave. The party can only interact with other strangers once all have escaped paralysis. Only non-paralysed creatures can be attacked by members of another party. Basilisk remains. [1 card]
New area cards should be constructed as follows:
1 special chamber (see below)
3 extra "standard" chambers with 4 exits;
4 extra "standard" chambers with 3 exits;
3 extra bend corridors (joining E-S edges); 1 with descending stairs
4 extra T-junctions (in each of 4 arrangements); 1 with descending stairs
2 extra cross-roads; 1 with ascending stairs; 1 with descending stairs
The following is the new special chamber:
Lava Pit. Has 4 pathways connecting adjacent entrances. These paths provide nearly safe passage through the lava.
On first turning the card over, the party must stop inside the entrance. On the following turn, it can move back to its last area or attempt to cross to an adjacent entrance along a path. Each creature going on a path must roll above 2 or be overcome by the fumes, fall into the lava and perish.
Any heavy treasure carried by a creature that perishes is destroyed and removed from play; artefacts are not destroyed, and may be recovered. Only heavy treasure may be deliberately thrown into the pit.
Any party entering via a stairway or trap leading to the lava pit must roll to see where (or if) they arrive. On a roll of 1-2, one member (of the player's choice) falls into the pit and perishes. On a roll of 3, the party arrives at the north entrance, 4 at the east entrance, 5 at the south entrance, and 6 at the west entrance. If a 1 or 2 was rolled, roll again.
The following house rules are not required in order to use the above expansion set, (and can also be used with the original set) but do provide for some alternative forms of play.
1 Allow four players to start with creatures with a total selection value of 7 points, provided that no player may start with more than 3 creatures. If there are five players, allow each to start with 6 selection points, and six players with 5 selection points (in this case the hero counts as worth 5 selection points, but may only be chosen by the last player to select a party). In a 6-player game, players should have the option of forming an alliance with another player before the start of play (see the original rules for 'Union of Exploring Parties').
2. Levels must line up one below the other, in such a way that traps and stairways occupy the same relative positions on different levels. That is to say, all parties will occupy the same 'space' in the cave, and will not create 'separate' areas as suggested in the original rules.
3. At the start of the game (after choosing parties), split small pack into Treasure/Artefact and Creature/Hazard packs. When entering a chamber on the 1st level, roll a die. On a roll of 1-4, take a card from the Creature pack; on a roll of 5-6, take a card from the Treasure pack. On the 2nd level, take one card from each pack. On the 3rd level, take one card from each pack and then roll (as on the 1st level) to see which is the third card taken. Use the same approach for lower even/odd levels.
4. A creature may only have one magical artefact active at a time. Place all other such cards below the creature carrying them, and these are not considered to be active or available for use until made so at the start or end of a turn (the exception is the Eye of God, which is active at all times). Example: if a hero moves into a chamber with The Ring as the active item, he cannot then use the Charmed Flute to discover a secret door there... he would have to wait until the next turn to make it 'active'.
5. A new ability can be added to the Dwarf:
Tunnelling: A Dwarf may tunnel a one-way path (to be used by the Dwarf's party only) through a chamber blocked by an earthquake to an adjacent destination area. The Dwarf will then leave the party and remain in the destination area. (The Dwarf will only leave after any encounter with strangers in the destination chamber is resolved.) He cannot be approached again by that party and will remain indifferent to them for the remainder of the game (unless attacked). This ability can only be used if the destination area is already connected to the blocked chamber.
6. Sorcerer Resurrected
Shuffle the Sorcerer card into the top third of the pack. When the Sorcerer is first killed, shuffle the card back into the remaining pack. When the Sorcerer is next drawn, he is considered to be "resurrected": this time with a Fighting strength of 6, and Magical Power of 11! Place 2 markers (for example, coins) to remind players of this.
7. Take one of each type of bend and corridor, and turn them into "ramps" or sloping tunnels. Mark one end of each corridor as the "high" end, the other as "low"; the ramp is then considered to slope from high to low. The idea here is that if a ramp is connected to level 2 by its high end, the low end comes out on level 3, whereas if it's connected to level 2 by its low end, the high end comes out on level 1. In play you treat them similarly to staircases, but the difference is that cards with a staircase always have an alternative exit on the same level, whereas with ramps you have to change level or waste a turn going back.