Dominion: Plunder Rules

Official-rulebook flavor excerpt: “Across the sea, they have so much stuff.”

Plunder takes Dominion to the coast and beyond, with long-lasting Duration cards, a face-down deck of unique Loot Treasures, Events, and Traits that permanently modify one Kingdom pile for the game. Many cards in this set care about cards remaining in play, gaining Treasures, or effects that wait until a later turn.

Setup

Use the Basic cards and normal Dominion rules and choose 10 Kingdom piles. Events and Traits are landscape cards and do not replace Kingdom piles. If any selected card or Event refers to Loot, shuffle all 30 Loot cards into a face-down Loot pile near the Supply. Loot is outside the Supply and cannot normally be bought.

If Traits are used, assign each Trait to a randomly chosen eligible Action or Treasure Kingdom pile and place the Trait so everyone can identify the pile it modifies. No pile receives more than one Trait. A Trait affects every card from its assigned pile, including cards from that pile after they leave the Supply. With split piles, the Trait applies to every card in the pile.

Loot

Loot is a face-down deck outside the Supply containing two copies of each of 15 differently named Treasure cards. When an effect says to gain a Loot, take the top Loot, reveal it, and gain it normally. Players do not look through the Loot deck. If the Loot pile runs out, further Loot gains fail.

Duration Cards

A Duration remains in play while it still has an effect waiting to happen. Discard it during the Clean-up after its final pending effect resolves. Some Plunder Durations wait for “the next time” something happens and can therefore remain in play for several turns. If another card plays a Duration multiple times, keep whatever reminder cards are needed in play until all of those future effects are finished.

Kingdom Card Clarifications

Abundance

Abundance is a Treasure-Duration. When played, set it aside as instructed. The next time you gain a card matching Abundance's condition, receive the listed bonus, then Abundance has completed its delayed effect and can leave play at the appropriate Clean-up.

Buried Treasure

When you gain Buried Treasure, play it immediately; this is mandatory. Playing it this way does not use an Action or Buy. If several gain reactions happen at the same time, resolve them in an order you choose, but Buried Treasure still must be played if it remains available to do so.

Cabin Boy

Resolve its immediate card/action benefit. At the start of your next turn, choose between its future coin benefit and trashing Cabin Boy to gain a card within its gain limit. If you choose the trash option, Cabin Boy can even gain another Cabin Boy if one is eligible and available.

Cage

Cage is a Treasure-Duration. When played, it may set aside cards from your hand face down. At the start of your next turn, after drawing your normal new hand, put those set-aside cards into your hand. Keep each Cage's set-aside group distinct if you have several Cages in play.

Crew

Crew is a Duration that draws cards now and later. When its later instruction tells you to put Crew onto your deck, that topdecking is mandatory if Crew is still in play and can be moved.

Crucible

Trash a card from your hand if possible, then receive coins based only on the coin portion of that card's cost. Potion, Debt, and other special cost components do not add to the coin amount.

Cutthroat

Cutthroat remains in play for its future effect and also attacks. Its delayed trigger can react to gaining an expensive enough card; because Loot cards themselves have a qualifying printed cost, gaining Loot can satisfy Cutthroat's condition.

Enlarge

Enlarge gives an immediate benefit and has a mandatory start-of-next-turn trash instruction if you have a card in hand to trash. After trashing, gain according to the card's gain rule. Keep Enlarge in play until the future instruction is complete.

Figurine

Figurine is a Treasure that can also draw cards. Because it is a Treasure, it can be played in the Buy phase and can interact with effects that care about Treasures in play.

First Mate

Choose one Action card name from your hand and play any number of Actions of that name from your hand, one after another. After finishing those plays, draw until you have six cards in hand. The Actions played through First Mate do not consume your normal Action plays.

Flagship

Flagship is a Treasure-Duration. The next time you play a non-Command Action, Flagship causes that Action to be played again; this replay is mandatory. Multiple Flagships can stack and cause multiple replays of the same qualifying Action. Flagship can still replay an Action that trashed itself during its first play because the replay effect refers to that played card. A qualifying Action played outside your own turn can also consume the Flagship trigger.

Fortune Hunter

Look at the top three cards of your deck. You may play one Treasure among them. Fully resolve that Treasure before deciding the final order of the unplayed cards that return to your deck.

Frigate

Frigate attacks each other player with a lingering restriction until that player's next turn. After that player plays an Action, the Frigate effect can force a discard according to its text. Keep track of which opponents are currently affected when several turns or Durations overlap.

Gondola

Choose whether to take Gondola's coin effect immediately or at the start of your next turn. When you gain Gondola, you may play an Action card from your hand without using an Action. If Gondola is played multiple times, choose the immediate/future option separately for each play.

Grotto

Set aside up to four cards from your hand face down. At the start of your next turn, discard those set-aside cards and draw the same number. The discarded cards can be shuffled into your deck if the replacement draw requires a shuffle.

Harbor Village

Draw a card and receive +2 Actions. After the next Action you play finishes resolving, if that Action produced coins, Harbor Village gives its additional coin. Check the Action's actual resolved effect, including modifications that changed whether it produced coins.

Jewelled Egg

Jewelled Egg is a Treasure that provides its printed Buy/coin benefit. When it is trashed, the player who trashed it gains a Loot if one is available, even when the trash occurs on another player's turn.

King's Cache

King's Cache is a Treasure that lets you choose a Treasure from your hand and play that Treasure three times in succession. If the chosen Treasure is a Duration and still has future effects waiting, King's Cache can remain in play as a reminder for the repeated plays.

Landing Party

Draw two cards and receive +2 Actions. Landing Party can remain in play until its return condition occurs. On the next turn in which your first played card is a Treasure, resolve that Treasure, then put Landing Party on top of your deck if it is still in play.

Longship

Receive +2 Actions now. At the start of your next turn, draw two cards. Longship remains in play until that future draw is complete.

Mapmaker

Look at the top four cards of your deck, put two into your hand, and discard the rest, using as many cards as are available if fewer than four remain. Whenever any player gains a Victory card, you may play Mapmaker from your hand as a Reaction. A Mapmaker drawn by another Mapmaker reaction can become available to react to that same gain when timing permits.

Maroon

Trash a card from your hand if possible. Draw two cards for each printed card type on the trashed card. Multi-type cards can therefore produce a large draw.

Mining Road

Receive its Action, Buy, and coin benefits. Once during that turn, when you gain a Treasure, you may play that gained Treasure immediately if it is still in a playable location. Multiple Mining Roads can apply to different Treasure gains, but the same gained Treasure is not repeatedly played by every Mining Road.

Pendant

Pendant is a Treasure whose coin value is based on the number of differently named Treasures you have in play. Pendant itself counts as one of those Treasure names.

Pickaxe

Trash a card from your hand if one is available. If the trashed card meets Pickaxe's cost condition, gain a Loot directly to your hand, allowing that Loot to be played later in the same Buy phase if timing permits.

Pilgrim

Draw four cards, then put one card from your hand onto your deck. The card you topdeck does not have to be one of the cards Pilgrim just drew.

Quartermaster

Quartermaster is a long-term Duration. At the start of each of your turns, choose either to gain an eligible inexpensive card and set it aside on that Quartermaster, or put one card previously stored on it into your hand. Separate Quartermasters maintain separate stores. If the same Quartermaster was played more than once by a replay effect, it can provide multiple choices at each start of turn while sharing that Quartermaster's stored cards.

Rope

Rope is a Treasure-Duration. It gives its Buy/coin benefit now; at the start of your next turn, draw a card and then optionally trash a card from your hand.

Sack of Loot

Sack of Loot is a Treasure that gives its Buy and coin benefits and then gains a Loot if one is available.

Search

Search gives its immediate coin benefit and waits for a Supply pile to become empty. The next time a Supply pile empties while Search is waiting, trash Search and, if that succeeds as required, gain a Loot. Multiple plays of the same Search can create multiple pending triggers, so a replay effect can result in multiple Loot gains when the condition occurs.

Secluded Shrine

Receive its coin benefit. The next time you gain a Treasure that turn, you may trash up to two cards from your hand; after that first Treasure gain, the Shrine's one-time trigger is used for the turn whether or not you trashed two cards.

Shaman

Receive +1 Action and its coin benefit, then you may trash a card from your hand. Shaman also creates a game-wide start-of-turn rule that makes each player gain an eligible inexpensive card from the trash when possible. Announce the available legal cards before the active player chooses.

Silver Mine

Gain a Treasure costing less than Silver Mine directly to your hand. Because it goes to your hand, it can normally be played that same Buy phase.

Siren

Siren attacks and remains in play for its future draw-to-eight effect. When you gain Siren, it normally must be trashed unless you trash an Action from your hand to satisfy its gain condition. If another gain reaction moves Siren before the trash instruction resolves, the attempt to trash Siren may fail while the rest of the gain timing is still resolved normally.

Stowaway

Stowaway draws cards on your next turn. Whenever any player gains a Duration card, you may play Stowaway from your hand as a Reaction, allowing its future draw effect to begin even outside your turn.

Swamp Shacks

Receive +2 Actions, then draw based on the number of cards you currently have in play, using the card's grouping rule. Swamp Shacks itself counts, as do older Duration cards and Treasures still in play; face-down or set-aside cards do not count as being in play.

Taskmaster

Receive +1 Action and its coin benefit. If you gain a card of exactly Taskmaster's specified cost that turn, Taskmaster remains in play and repeats its bonus at the start of your next turn. A new qualifying gain on that later turn can keep the same Taskmaster going again.

Tools

Tools is a Treasure. Gain a copy of a card that any player currently has in play, if a Supply copy is available. Tools itself can be the named card because it is in play while resolving.

Trickster

Trickster is an Attack that makes other players gain a Curse. It also creates a once-this-turn option: when you discard a Treasure from play, you may set that Treasure aside and put it into your hand at the end of the turn instead of leaving it discarded. Multiple Tricksters can preserve multiple Treasures.

Wealthy Village

Draw a card and receive +2 Actions. When you gain Wealthy Village, if you currently have at least three differently named Treasures in play, gain a Loot. Treasures left in play from prior Duration effects can count.

Loot Clarifications

Amphora: Choose between its immediate coin/Buy benefit and a future version at the start of your next turn. If played multiple times, choose separately; it remains in play if any play chose the future effect.

Doubloons: When gained, gain a Gold if possible.

Endless Chalice: Once played, it stays in play for the rest of the game and supplies its Buy/coin benefit now and at the appropriate future turns.

Figurehead: Gives coin now and draws two cards at the start of your next turn.

Hammer: Gives coin and then gains an eligible inexpensive card; make the gain if a legal card is available.

Insignia: For the rest of the turn, whenever you gain a card, you may put it onto your deck if it has not already moved elsewhere.

Jewels: Gives coin and +1 Buy. At the start of your next turn, put Jewels on the bottom of your deck as instructed.

Orb: Inspect your discard pile and either play an Action or Treasure from it, or take Orb's alternate Buy/coin benefit.

Prize Goat: Gives +1 Buy and lets you optionally trash a card from your hand.

Puzzle Box: Gives +1 Buy and may set aside one card from your hand face down; after you draw your next hand at end of turn, put the set-aside card into that hand.

Sextant: Gives +1 Buy, then lets you look at the top five cards of your deck, discard any number, and return the rest in any order.

Shield: Gives +1 Buy. As a Reaction to an Attack, you may reveal Shield from hand to be unaffected by that Attack. Shield stays in your hand and can be revealed against later Attacks.

Spell Scroll: Spell Scroll is an Action-Treasure Loot. Trash it to gain an eligible cheaper card; if the gained card is an Action or Treasure, you may play it immediately. Spell Scroll itself can be played in the Action phase or the Buy phase because of its types.

Staff: Gives +1 Buy and may play an Action from your hand without using an Action.

Sword: Gives +1 Buy and attacks, making other players discard down to four cards. Normal Attack defenses such as Moat or Shield can protect against it.

Event Clarifications

Avoid: Receive +1 Buy. The next time you shuffle that turn, you may leave up to three chosen cards in your discard pile instead of shuffling them. Multiple Avoids can increase how many cards may be left out.

Bury: Receive +1 Buy, then put a card from your discard pile on the bottom of your deck if one is available.

Deliver: Receive +1 Buy. For the rest of the turn, cards you gain are set aside and placed into your hand at the end of the turn. Buying Deliver multiple times does not make the same gained card move repeatedly.

Foray: Reveal and discard the required number of cards from your hand. If the discarded cards have the required number of different names, gain a Loot.

Invasion: Resolve its sequence in order: optionally play an Attack from your hand, gain its listed Victory card, gain an eligible Action onto your deck, gain a Loot, then play that Loot.

Journey: Once per turn, if the previous turn was not yours, arrange to take an extra turn after this one. During Clean-up of the current turn, do not discard cards in play, though you still discard your hand and draw normally. Cards kept in play are not replayed on the Journey turn but still count as being in play.

Launch: Once per turn, return to your Action phase and receive its card/Action/Buy bonuses. Start-of-turn effects do not repeat. If you later reach another Buy phase, Buy-phase-start abilities can happen again if their rules permit.

Looting: Gain a Loot.

Maelstrom: Trash the required number of cards from your hand if possible; each other player with a sufficiently large hand trashes one card from theirs.

Mirror: Receive +1 Buy. The next Action card you gain that turn causes you to gain another copy of it if possible. Multiple Mirrors can apply to separate qualifying gains.

Peril: You may trash an Action from your hand; if you do, gain a Loot.

Prepare: Set aside cards from your hand face up as instructed. At the start of your next turn, play all set-aside Actions and Treasures in an order you choose and discard any set-aside cards that cannot be played that way.

Prosper: Gain a Loot first, then you may gain any number of differently named Treasures according to the Event's rules. Resolve each gain completely before choosing the next.

Rush: Receive +1 Buy. The next Action card you gain that turn is played immediately if possible. Buying another Rush after that can set up another future Action gain, but one gained Action is not played twice merely because multiple Rush effects were waiting.

Scrounge: Choose the Event's trash option or its Estate-from-trash option. If the chosen option results in the required gain, continue with Scrounge's additional gain instruction.

Trait Clarifications

Cheap: Cards from the assigned pile cost one coin less for the whole game, without going below zero. It does not reduce Potion or Debt portions and does not retroactively change setup choices already made.

Cursed: When you gain a Cursed card, gain both a Loot and a Curse if available. If the Curse pile is empty, the Loot gain can still occur.

Fated: When shuffling, you may separate Fated cards before shuffling and put them on the top and/or bottom of the resulting deck as the Trait allows; shuffle the other cards normally.

Fawning: When you gain a Province, gain a Fawning card if possible. This is mandatory when a copy is available.

Friendly: At the start of Clean-up, you may discard one Friendly card from your hand to gain a Friendly card. Use this at most once per turn.

Hasty: When you gain a Hasty card, set it aside; at the start of your next turn, play it. A card can therefore be played by Hasty even if its normal type would not ordinarily be playable.

Inherited: During setup, each player replaces one starting card with an Inherited card according to the Trait. These starting cards were not gained and therefore do not trigger gain reactions.

Inspiring: After playing an Inspiring card on your turn, you may play an Action from your hand whose name is not already represented among your cards in play.

Nearby: When you gain a Nearby card, receive +1 Buy.

Patient: At the start of Clean-up, you may set aside any number of Patient cards from your hand. At the start of your next turn, play those set-aside cards.

Pious: When you gain a Pious card, you may trash a card from your hand.

Reckless: When you play a Reckless card, play its instructions twice. When it is discarded from play, return it to its Supply pile. If a Reckless Action was played using a Way and therefore skipped its printed play text, it still returns when discarded from play.

Rich: When you gain a Rich card, gain a Silver.

Shy: At the start of your turn, you may discard one Shy card from your hand to draw two cards. Use this at most once per turn.

Tireless: When a Tireless card would be discarded from play, set it aside instead. At the end of the turn, after drawing the next hand, put the Tireless card onto your deck. This is mandatory when applicable.

Accessibility Notes

Announce the name of every Loot as soon as it is revealed and keep the Loot discard/ownership locations clear. During setup, announce every Trait together with its assigned pile, then repeat that pairing whenever the Trait triggers. Keep long-running Durations separated by player and announce exactly what condition each is waiting for. For Quartermaster, keep each Quartermaster's stored cards in a distinct group and read the group before the owner makes a start-of-turn choice. For Prepare, Cage, Grotto, and Puzzle Box, state the number of cards set aside and keep the sets physically distinct even when identities are hidden. When a Trait moves cards during shuffle or Clean-up, verbally identify that the movement is caused by the Trait rather than ordinary cleanup.

Source

This accessible rules page is based on the official Rio Grande Games Plunder rulebook and retains additional accessibility guidance for mixed blind and sighted play. Official Rio Grande Games Plunder rulebook PDF.