DotA Board Game

A while ago, in a fit on inspiration, I designed a board game based on Defence of the Ancients (DotA). After several iterations, I had something playable and a pretty decent game.

It plays a lot like DotA; for the first few games, everything seems confusing, and one side will get stomped and not really understand why. However, after you get the basics, a whole new world of strategy opens up.

In terms of game mechanics, it is a mish-mash of things. It has bits of deck building, dare-I-call-it-worker-placement, RPGs, drafting, and turn based strategy. It is difficult to explain, as every aspect of it integrates into the others, so bear with me.

I am going to assume that, for purposes of this article, you have a basic understanding of DotA, or at least the MOBA genre (which includes games like League of Legends).

In this adaptation, there are only two players; each controlling all 5 of their team's heroes. Players draft their teams, and battle each other, earning levels and gold to enhance themselves along the way.

Physical Components

Let's start with what the game consists of. It has:

• Hero Cards. At last count, there were 63 different heroes. Each is on an index card.
• Counters, dice, markers, and other such stuff:
• 10 location dice. These are used to indicate what each hero is doing each turn. There are 6 potential locations.
• 50 experience tokens. These are used to keep track of each hero's level, and what abilities they have. I am using blue flat marbles for this.
• A bunch of "depletion tokens". These are used to track how much mana a given hero has spent. 
• A lot of damage dice. I actually use two types of dice, "single" damage dice, and "triple" damage dice. Heroes' HP is equal to 3x their strength, so most of the time, it is easier to just factor everything by 3 and track damage that way, with a different coloured die for any remainder damage.
• Gold tracking dice. You may want to use D20s for this. Each player needs to keep track of how much gold they have. 
• Cards:
• Standard cards. Each player starts with a deck of 10 "strategy" cards. These are white-backed cards.
• Standard unit cards. These are red-backed cards.
• Each player has 2 creep cards, one of which is a "Front Creep".
• Each player also has a double sided building card. One side is "Tower", the other is their Ancient.
• Spell Cards. You gain these cards from your abilities. They are white-backed cards.
• Standard Spell cards:
• Slow
• Stun
• Snare
• Nuke
• Silence
• Blink
• Teleport
• Illusion
• Unique spell cards. Certain spells are represented by unique cards. They white-backed.
• Spell creature cards. These are for creatures summoned by hero spells. They are red-backed.
• Item cards. These represent what you can buy in the shop. 
• Active items. These are white-backed, and are added to your deck.
• Passive Items. These are yellow-backed. Each hero can equip one passive item.
• Necronomite. Red-backed. The only creature summoned by an item.
• Quick Reference Cards. These are pretty important. They are on index cards.

The Draft

As in DotA, there are many ways to draft a team. I prefer the Random Draft method for this. You can just as well adapt any other that suits you.

Take 20 heroes at random from the pile and lay them out. Randomly choose a player to pick first. You alternate picking heroes; however, do so in a 1-2-2-2-2-1 format (the first player picks one hero, then the second player picks two, etc).

Once you have your heroes, the game begins.

Heroes

Heroes are represented on index cards, and have the following information about them:

• Name
• Strength
• Agility
• Intelligence
• Primary attribute
• Ranged/Melee
• Abilities

In addition, several attributes are calculated based on their stats.

Max HP is equal to 3x your Strength.

Initiative is equal to your Agility. This determines the sequence in which the hero attacks.

Intelligence determines mana. You have 1 mana per 3 intelligence (rounded up).

Their damage is equal to their primary attribute.

Abilities vary from hero to hero. Heroes can get up to level 5, and earn an ability each level. Note that heroes start at level 0. In most cases, there are 3 abilities, and 2 levels of stats available. Certain heroes have multiple levels of abilities, and certain heroes' abilities are differently structured, or do not have levels of stats. All abilities have a level requirement (often just level 1), and of those many heroes have "ultimate" abilities that they cannot get until they reach level 3.

In addition to the ability that heroes get every level, they also get +1 to their primary stat per level.

Let's take Shadow Fiend as an example;

Shadow Fiend - Ranged
Strength: 2
Agility: 4    (Primary)
Intelligence: 3
Abilities:
1:      +1 damage per level
1:      Nuke
3:      mmt: Deals 1 damage to all enemies per level
2, 4:  Stats

His first ability is a passive that gives him +1 damage per level that he has (in addition to the damage he gains from gaining his prime attribute every level).

His second ability is a "standard ability". There are several (I'll get into this later), but basically they all work the same way. They give the player a card of that type (each standard ability is interchangeable). They can use the ability normally, but when they use that card, they can use their ability at max initiative in combat (this is pretty important).

His third ability cannot be had until he reaches level 3. It costs 2 mana, and requires him to tap (essentially use his action for the turn. You do not physically tap them as you would magic cards.) It deals 1 damage per level of his to each enemy.

He can get 2 levels of stats, at character level 2 and 4. Levels of stats give +1 to each of his non-primary stats (in his case Strength and Intelligence).

Lanes/Locations

There are 6 potential places that your heroes can be:

1. Defensive Lane
2. Centre
3. Offlane
4. Jungle
5. Fountain
6. Respawning

Let's do these in descending order:

Respawning - the hero was killed last turn, and cannot participate this turn. When its turn comes, it will return from the dead, at the fountain.

Fountain - heroes at the fountain are fully healed, their mana is restored, and they can buy things if they so wish.

Jungle - fight a creep here. It is a source of gold and experience.

Offlane - If you have 1 hero here, gain 1 experience and 1 gold. If you have 2 heroes here, gain 2 experience and 2 gold. If you have 3 or more heroes here, gain 2 experience and 3 gold.

Centre - This is where the action happens. Each side gets a wave of creeps (a front and back creep), and you duke it out. Combat will be explained later.

Defensive Lane - Whoever wins the battle in centre has the opportunity (if they wish) to push into the opponent's side. You attack the tower (or Ancient if the tower is already down; note that you cannot do both in a single turn).

First Turn Sequence

The first turn works slightly different from the rest.

1. Randomly assign the initiative token.

It is used to decide who goes first in various things.

2. Make purchases (2 gold)

You start the game with 2 gold to spend on your team. (I will list the items available for purchase later.)

3. Assign Lanes

Starting with the player with the initiative token, alternate assigning lanes to your heroes. Place a location die on a hero to indicate his destination. (see above for locations)

4. Resolve locations in descending order

See above for information on each location. Also note that both players resolve their locations in the same phase.

5. Spend experience

This seems like as good a place as any to explain how experience works.

Experience must go to a hero with the lowest level at the location at which it was earned. Each hero can only gain 1 level per turn. Experience is earned by killing things; all heroes give 1 exp; as well, many creep and other units do as well (it is specified in their bounty).

Experience is not spent until this phase, after all combat has concluded. 

6. Draw a hand

Draw a new hand; draw until you have cards in hand equal to the number of living heroes you have. (You start the game with an empty hand for the first turn)

7. Pass the initiative token

Regular Turn Sequence

1. Assign Lanes
2. Play strategy cards

Players alternate playing strategy cards, starting with the player with the initiative token.

3. Resolve locations in descending order
4. Spend Experience
5. Draw a new hand

Discard any cards remaining in your hand, then draw back up to the number of living heroes you have.

6. Pass the initiative token

Conclusion

I have gone over most of the mechanics of the game; in future articles, I will go over the cards, heroes, and items available.