Artifacts and Curses

An expansion for Dwarf Mine by James Hron.

 Artifacts and Curses
Artifacts and Curses is an expansion to be played with Dwarf Mine.
The Dwarf Mine base game must be purchased to be able to play this expansion.
You can find out more at paperdicegames.com/dwarf-mine

Artifacts and Curses is a new way to play Dwarf Mine! With this expansion, at the start of a new game of
Dwarf Mine, your dwarf leader will start with one (or more) artifact and curse.
Each artifact gives powerful abilities to your dwarf mine. These abilities may include starting your mine with a
powerful room, spells you can cast at any time, or powerful weapons that can vanquish even the strongest
foes you’ll face in the mountain.
However your dwarf leader will also start the game with a horrible curse. These curses change how you can
build your mine, send new enemies to attack your dwarf population, or even send assassins in the night after
your dwarf leader.
This Artifact and Curses expansion includes 10 artifacts and 10 curses, giving more than 100 possible
combinations to start playing! By the end of your next game of Dwarf Mine, you’ll have created a completely
unique history for your mine—no two games will ever be the same!

Materials
You will need the following materials to play Artifacts and Curses:
• Dwarf Mine Base Game
• Artifacts and Curses Expansion (this is what you are reading)
• Different Polyhedral Dice (4 sided, 6 sided, 8 sided, 10 sided, 12 sided, 20 sided)
Reading an Artifact and Curse
The space below outlines the different parts of an artifact and curse included in this expansion.

Title and description.

How the artifact or curse change

the rules of Dwarf Mine.

Achievements to work towards

while playing with this artifact or
curse.

A bonus benefit if you complete

the achievements for this artifact
or curse.

Starting a Game
At the start of your game of Dwarf Mine, roll on the Artifact Table and Curse Table found on the next page.
This will determine which artifact and curse you start the game with.
You can keep track of which artifacts and curses you’ve played with! Eventually, you can pick and choose to
play with your favorites, or choose combinations you haven’t played with yet.
Unless otherwise stated, the rules of Dwarf Mine remain the same. If a circumstance arises where rules
stated in the Artifacts and Curses expansion conflict with the core rules of Dwarf Mine, the rules of Artifacts
and Curses take precedence.
Good luck, and may your mines see favor and fortune!
Choosing an Artifact
Roll 1d12 on the table below to find out which artifact your dwarf leader will start the game with!
1d12 Artifact PDF Page Number
1 Dwurgor’s Hammer 6

2 The Stone Scrolls 6

3 Farbarth’s Gold Dowsing Rod 7

4 Orehounds 7

5 Goblin’s Bane 8

6 Mithril Laboratory 8

7 Lucky Pet Rock 9

8 Gruthor and the Hourglass 9

9 Grobrock Cornerstone 10

10 Mageroot Tea 10

11 Your choice! n/a

12 Roll on this table twice n/a

Choosing a Curse
Roll 1d12 on the table below to find out which curse your dwarf leader will start the game with!

1d12 Curse PDF Page Number

1 Endless Night 12

2 Curse of the Red Thirst 12

3 Dark Heart of the Mountain 13

4 Crown of Cursed Stones 13

5 Assassin of Whispers 14

6 Silvervein Ring 14

7 Curse of Coin 15

8 The Bloodstone Amulet 15

9 Stalker in the Night 16

10 Curse of the Sloth 16

11 Your choice! n/a

12 Roll on this table twice n/a

Artifacts
 Dwurgor’s Hammer
A hammer crafted by the ancient masters of our kind. Dwurgor’s Hammer was
created to build a wonderous mine that even our forefathers and wise-mothers can
be proud of. Dwurgor was the greatest builder before our time—his power is now
yours. Use this hammer with wisdom, strength, and honor, knowing it builds the
halls your daughters and sons will one day rule.

Rule Changes
• All rooms you build in Mine Level 1 cost 0 gold. If any part of the room descends beyond Mine level 1, the room costs the
normal amount listed in the Dwarf Mine rules.

• You may start the game by building one of the following rooms in Mine Level 4, for free:
-War Room
-Combat School
-Mine Commons

Achievement List
Create 9 rooms in Mine Level 1 using this hammer.

1
Finish a game with over 100 prestige using this hammer.

If the above achievements are complete, you may instead build rooms in Mine Level 2 at a cost of 0 gold.
If you choose to do this, rooms in Mine Level 1 cost the normal amount listed in the Dwarf Mine rules.

The Stone Scrolls

You claim the three ancient scrolls as your birthright. Fire – to bless your forge and
destroy your foes. Stone—the stout defender of dwarves everywhere. Luck—fickle
and impossible to master, yet often arrives when help is most needed. The Stone
Scrolls are yours! May they vanquish your foes, protect the dwarves who call your
mine home, and give you luck to the end of your days.

Rule Changes
• A scroll can be cast during any phase of gameplay. Scrolls are reusable, and can be cast as many times as you want throughout
a game.

• The Fire Scroll costs 5 gold to cast (or 1 gemstone). Deal 8 damage to an enemy.

• The Stone Scroll costs 5 gold to cast (or 5 ore). Reduce enemy damage by 8.

• The Luck Scroll costs gold equal to your Mine Age. Choose 1—make your Treasure Roll on the level deeper than your current
mine level OR make your Combat Roll on the level closer to the surface than your current mine level.

Achievement List
Cast all 3 scrolls in one game.

Defeat the dragon or another monster after rolling 15+ on your combat roll on Mine Level 4.

If the above achievements are complete, you can cast one scroll for free, once during your game. 2 3
 Farbarth’s Gold Dowsing Rod
It shines by torchlight and dances in the shadows. Hold it in your hands, stretch your
arms forward, and close your eyes. You will feel a pulse. This is the rhythm of the
mountain. Hidden within this rhythm is the location of all treasure the mountain
holds. The Gold Dowsing Rod, created by our ancestor Farbarth, will lead you to the
treasures, and help you create the greatest mine our bloodline has ever seen.

Rule Changes
• Before you make a treasure roll, choose one:
-Make a treasure roll on the Mine Level 4 Treasure Roll table.
-Choose to keep the result directly above or below the treasure roll you made.
-Make an additional treasure roll. You get to keep the results from both rolls.

Achievement List
Collect two gemstones in a single turn from treasure rolls.
Collect at least 6 mithril throughout a game using Farbarth’s Gold Dowsing Rod.
If the above achievements are complete, gain 4 additional gold each time you roll an
even number on a Treasure Roll when using Farbarth’s Gold Dowsing Rod. 3
Orehounds
There is nothing better than growing up with puppies. Now, as a fully grown dwarf
about to lead your very own mine, your loyal Orehounds will be coming with you.
They are experts at sniffing out and finding ore, and can even help in battle in a
pinch! Watch out though—losing the Orehounds you’ve known your whole life is
painful on many levels.

Rule Changes
• If you gain ore during your treasure roll, double the amount of ore gained.
• If you do not gain ore during your treasure roll, gain 2 ore.
• After a combat roll, you may attack with your Orehounds. Roll an additional 1d6 damage from your
Orehounds. However, if that enemy deals damage next turn, your Orehounds die instead of your mine
population. When your Orehounds die, you no longer get the benefits of this artifact.

Achievement List
Gain 6 or more ore in a single turn.

4
Use your Orehounds to defeat an enemy.

If the above achievements are complete, and your Orehounds die, roll 1d8 and add your Mine Age. If 10
or more, you’ve had new Orehound puppies! You can continue using this artifact!
 Goblin’s Bane
A sword forged by the blood and bitterness of your ancestors—Goblin’s Bane stands
both as a symbol of the defiance your great-great-great-great grandmother and
grandfather showed to the ancient goblin clans, and as a reminder of the pain
inflicted on those goblins. Now, at the dawn of your leadership over a new mine,
Goblin’s Bane passes into your hands.

Rule Changes
• First, roll 1d6. If 1-2, your favored enemy is goblins and the artifact is a sword named Goblin’s Bane.
If 3-4, your favored enemy is root walkers and the artifact is an axe named Root’s Bane.
If 5-6, your favored enemy are the stone folk and the artifact is a hammer named Stone’s Bane.
• When you enter combat against your favored enemy, roll your attack die twice and deal damage to your
favored enemy equal to the sum of both dice.
When you enter combat against any other enemy, +2 to damage dealt with your Attack Die.

Achievement List
Deal over 20 damage to your favored enemy with a single attack.
Kill the Goblin King, Root Walker Hive, or Stone Folk Brood with that creature type as your favored enemy.

If the above achievements are complete, you may choose your favored enemy at the start of the game. 5
Mithril Laboratory
The frail parchment has been tenderly cared for by your mother, and her father
before her. They were passed down to you. On the eave of striking the first stone of
your mine, you opened the parchment. The ancient plans to build an alchemical
Mithril Laboratory were unveiled inside. Your enemies will cower before the
incredible alchemical might of your mine!

Rule Changes
• At the start of the game, you may place a Mithril Laboratory anywhere in your mine. You
also start the game with 1 mithril.

• Using the Mithril Laboratory, you can pay 1 mithril to:

-Create a Star-Dazzle Concoction: Use once to skip any combat.
-Create a Liquid-Fire Potion: Use once to deal 2d20 damage.
-Create a Living-Death Draught: Use to bring 2d10 dwarves back from the dead.

Achievement List
Skip a combat two turns in a row using the Star-Dazzle Concoction.

6
Bring back at least 15 dwarves from the dead in a single turn using the Living-Death Draught.

If the above achievements are complete, you can also pay 1 mithril to:
-Create a Mithril-Scrub Lotion: Use once. Your mine loses population equal to half the damage
received in combat this turn.
 Lucky Pet Rock
It was hard making friends as a dwarfling. You never had the biggest beard, couldn’t
dig the fastest – but you did have your lucky pet rock. Sure, you were made fun
of...until good things started happening. You found a few loose coins here, a gem
there. Suddenly, everyone wanted to hang around. All thanks to your Lucky Pet Rock.

Rule Changes
• At the start of the game, roll 1d12 seven times. Record each result. A result may be rolled more than once.

• Each time your Mine Age reaches one of those recorded results, choose one of the following:
-Gain 1d4 Gemstones
-Gain 4d6 Gold
-Gain 4d4 ore
-Damage dealt by all enemy attacks is reduced by 4 this turn
-Gain 1d4 Mithril (can only be chosen once per game)

Achievement List
Choose all 5 different benefits from your Lucky Pet Rock in a single game.

7
Collect all 7 total benefits from your Lucky Pet Rock in a single game.

If the above achievements are complete, you can also choose:

-Roll 4d8. Gain that much population for your mine this turn.

Gruthor and the Hourglass

The fable of the young and foolish dwarf Gruthor, and the magical Hourglass, is well
known. Gruthor first used it to save his Grandmother Dwarf from disease, and then
his sister from tragedy. But then he turned to selfish means, furthering his own
wealth and status. Only after he found himself trapped inside the Hourglass did he
learn the morals of his own story. Now that the Hourglass is yours, what will you do?

Rule Changes
• Each turn, choose one of the following. However, you cannot make the same choice two turns in a row.
- Time Stop Construction: Each room you build this turn costs half as much gold.
- Time Freeze Attack: During this turn, you can attack enemies once before combat begins.
- Exploring in Time: You can make both your Treasure and Combat rolls on the same Mine Level of your choice.
- New Beginnings: Reset your gold and population to what they were at the start of the game. You can only choose this option
once per game.

Achievement List
Defeat an enemy before it has a chance to make an attack.

8
Choose each option for the Hourglass in a single game of Dwarf Mine.

If all the above achievements are complete, once per game you may make the same choice two turns in a row.
 Grobrock Cornerstone
Your mother was a sculptor, her father was as well, and his mother was before him.
As far back as the stone tablets show, your family was one of stone sculptors. The
greatest secret you received from your lineage, is that of the Grobrock Cornerstone.
It’s mystical properties allow you to build rooms in ways they’ve never been built
before. This is an artifact worthy of your new mine.

Rule Changes
• You can build 1 more room beyond restrictionsthan allowed in the Dwarf Mine Rules. For example, you
can build 6 Hovels, 2 Main Mineshafts. Or, you can build 4 Barracks and still build a Mine Commons.
• Rooms built completely in Mine Level 1 cost half as much gold, rounded down.

Achievement List
Build 6 Barracks and 6 Hovels in a single game of Dwarf Mine.
End your game of Dwarf Mine with more rooms in Mine Level 4 than any other Mine Level.
If the above achievements are complete, rooms built completely in Mine Levels 1 or 2

9
cost half as much gold, round down.

Mageroot Tea
Others think your love for tea is just an eccentric habit of a successful dwarf. If only
they knew the truth. Tea, steeped in the mystical and rare mageroot, will give a
small glimpse into the future. You’ve used this glimpse into the future to great
benefit, and your mine has flourished because of it.

Rule Changes
• Make your Combat Roll (1d8 + Mine Age) at the start of our turn. Combat will still occur during the Treasure and Combat Roll
phase—you just get to know the result of the Combat Roll ahead of time.

• You can reroll this Combat Roll once per game.

• For example, on your first turn of the game, you roll 1d8 and get a 5. Because your Mine Age is 1, the resulting value is a total
of 6. This will be what you use for your combat roll. You can now take your turn, knowing which enemy you will face (a Dire
Wolf, in Mine Level 1) when you get to your combat roll.

Achievement List
Roll low enough on your very first turn to completely avoid combat!

10
Build a Trap Room to avoid combat with an enemy you identified with Mageroot Tea.

If the above achievements are complete, you can also make the Combat Roll for the next turn as well.
This allows you to know your Combat Roll two turns ahead of time.
Curses
 Endless Night
You have never seen the sun.
Since you were born, clouds, darkness, and the smell of undeath follows you. At
night you can see them—shuffling at the edge of your vision, horribly groaning,
getting ever closer. Now, it seems, they’ve arrived—and they bring death.

Rule Changes
• During the persistent phase, after any other enemy attacks, Zombies of the Endless Night attack.
• Zombies of the Endless Night: Health = Mine Age. Zombies attack with 1d4, and increase in the dice chain
every odd year. For example, on turns 1 and 2 zombies attack with 1d4. On turns 3 and 4 they attack with
1d6. On turns 5 and 6 they attack with 1d8. Zombies have a maximum attack of 1d20.

Achievement List
Survive to Mine Age 13 against the Endless Night.
Use a Trap Room against Zombies of the Endless Night.
If the above achievements are complete, once per game, you may have
Zombies of the Endless Night fight another persistent enemy to your mine.
1
Curse of the Red Thirst
It was never your intention to harm another Dwarf. And yet, the thirst always got
bad enough. When it did, you couldn’t help yourself. You still can’t help yourself.
Dwarves around you mysteriously disappear. This is why you’ve set out to build your
own mine—you are sick of the stares, the whispers, and the suspicion. Now, you’ll be
able to satiate your thirst with your own population of dwarves.

Rule Changes
• Satiate your Thirst: each persistent phase you must subtract population from your mine equal to your Mine Age.

• Your Dwarf Leader has 20 health. The game is only over once the health of your Dwarf Leader drops to 0 or below.

• Anytime your population would drop below zero, remove health from your Dwarf Leader equal to the difference. For
example, if Satiating your Thirst requires 8 dwarves but you only have 6 population, subtract 2 from the health of your Dwarf
Leader, and your population drops to 0. The same concept should be applied when in combat with enemies.

Achievement List
Satiate your Thirst with 10 dwarves in a single turn.

2
Name one of your hovels with a vampiric food pun.
If the above achievements are complete, your Dwarf Leader starts the game with
30 health instead of 20 health.
 Dark Heart of the Mountain
You carry it with you everywhere you go. It rests in a small leather pouch, under your
armor, close to your heart. At night you take it out in the darkness and stare at it,
longingly. It’s beautiful. You’ll never part with it—it’s yours, after all. But there are
others that desire it just as much. You’ll never let it go though, no matter how much
blood must be shed...

Rule Changes
• Anytime you gain gold, you are attacked by Greedy Orcs: Health = total gold gained. 1d6 Attack.

• Anytime you gain gemstones, you are attacked by Envious Humans: Health = 5 per gemstone gained. 1d8 Attack.

• Anytime you gain mithril, you are attacked by Jealous Elves: Health = 10 per mithril gained. 1d10 Attack.

• You can give away the gold, gemstones, or mithril you gained to avoid combat with the Orcs/Humans/Elves.

Achievement List
Attack three different enemy types in a single turn.

Give away two of the following in a single turn to avoid combat: gold, gemstones, mithril.

3
If the above achievements are complete, once per game per enemy (Orcs, Humans, Elves), you may give
away 5 ore instead of the gold/gemstones/mithril you gained to avoid combat.

Crown of Cursed Stones

The crown was supposed to be the symbol of your leadership into the new mine.
However, since you placed the crown encrusted with odd stones upon your head, you
have been unable to take it off. It is hard to think, hard to hear, hard to lead. The
dwarves in your mine look up to you, but you just can’t do what must be done.
After all—heavy is the brow that wears the Crown of Cursed Stones.

Rule Changes
• At the start of the game, roll 1d6 + Mine Level for each level of your mine.

• The resulting value is the maximum amount of rooms that can be built for each corresponding mine level.

• For example, for Mine Level 1 you roll a three. 3 + Mine Level of 1 = 4. You can build a maximum of four rooms in Mine Level 1
during this game of Dwarf Mine. Repeat this process for all Mine Levels.

Achievement List
Build the maximum amount of rooms the Crown of Cursed Stones allows for both Mine Levels 1 and 2.
Choose a mine level. Finish the game without creating any rooms in this Mine Level.

4
If the above achievements are complete, the Crown of Cursed Stones no longer
restricts the amount of rooms you can build in Mine Level 1.
 Assassin of Whispers
No one knows why. But, upon your birth, someone walked to the fabled dark cloth,
and whispered your name. Ever since then, each year, an attempt has been made to
assassinate you. At first your were despondent—why you? But as you grew, you
realized that these assassination attempts speak to something greater—you have a
destiny. Be sure that you fulfill it.

Rule Changes
• At the start of each of your turns, an assassination attempt is made on your dwarf leader. You must choose one:

• Bribe the Assassin: Pay the assassin 1d6 + Mine Age worth of gold, gems, and mithril (gems = 5 gold, mithril = 10 gold)

• Fight the Assassin: The assassin has health equal to your Mine Age and deals 1d12 damage.

• Hide from the Assassin: You can create a secret door which leads to a hiding spot in a hovel for 4 gold. However, each hovel
can only hold one hiding spot, and each hiding spot can only prevent one assassination attempt during a game of Dwarf Mine.

Achievement List
Avoid an assassination attempt using all three methods in a single game.

5
Successfully fight the assassin when your Mine Age is 15 or above.

If the above achievements are complete, you can create secret doors in any room that costs 10 or more gold.

Silvervein Ring
You weren’t born with a silver spoon in your mouth—it was a ring of silver on your
finger. As a dwarf babe you slept in a silver bed. As a dwarfling you played with
golden toys. Your dwarf allowance was paid in mithril. Your whole life you’ve known
luxury. Now, as you lead your own mine for the first time, your appetite for luxury is
insatiable.

Rule Changes
• Building a room costs twice as much gold as listed in the Dwarf Mine rules.
• Each room you build automatically gives you prestige equal to the original cost of the room listed in the
Dwarf Mine rules.
• For example, building a barracks would now cost 6 gold, but would give you 3 prestige.

Achievement List
Finish a game with at least 120 prestige.
Build the maximum amount of hovels and barracks by turn 10.
If the above achievements are complete, you can add payment of 1 gem to any room to
gain 10 additional prestige, or 1 mithril to gain 20 additional prestige. 6
 Curse of Coin
It started as a dwarfling—an obsession with stacking coins. Eventually it was
hundreds of stacks of coins, covering every flat surface. Interestingly, each stack was
a different height—no two stacks were the same. You never grew out of this
eccentricity. You’ll need to plan your mine carefully, because the same stacks of
coins that ruled your adolescence will now rule your mine.

Rule Changes
• On each of your turns this game, you must spend a different total amount of gold.
• For example, on turn one you buy a barracks for 3 gold and a hovel for 4 gold. Your total gold spent this
turn was 7 gold. For the rest of the game, you cannot spend a total of 7 gold on any given turn. Be sure
to track the total gold spent each turn on your Mine Sheet so you can reference it throughout the game.
*Please note, you may spend “0” gold on a turn multiple times in a single game.

Achievement List
Spend at least 20 gold in a single turn.

7
Spend totals of 3, 7, 11, 13, and 17 gold during your turns in a single game.
If the above achievements are complete, you may spend the same amount of total gold
during a single turn, twice. For example, you may spend 7 gold on turns one and three.

The Bloodstone Amulet

It showed up one winter when you were young—a gift from no one. Inside was an
amulet. What could be the harm of trying it on?
You learned how foolish you were all those years ago. The amulet sears your skin
when you try to take it off. When wearing it, it feels warm though, nestled against
your skin. Fortune follows you now. But so does disaster.

Rule Changes
• Start the game with an additional 1d6 gold.

• At the start of the game, roll 1d6 to determine which Bloodstone curse your amulet has:

1-2: Each enemy uses one dice higher on the dice chain for their Attack Die. Also, when making your Combat Roll,
roll 1d12 instead of 1d8 for your combat roll each turn.
3-4: Roll 1d12 instead of 1d8 for your combat roll each turn. Each enemy starts with 1d6 more health than listed.
5-6: Each enemy starts with 1d6 more health than listed. Each enemy uses one dice higher on the dice chain for their Attack Die.

Achievement List
Play all 3 versions of the curse for the Bloodstone Amulet.
Roll the maximum number on all dice rolls related to the Bloodstone Amulet this turn.
If the above achievements are complete, you may gain 1d4 additional gold per turn. 8
 Stalker in the Night
For as long as you remember, you blow your candles out before dark. You cover
reflective surfaces. Your evenings are shrouded in darkness. Because, if the reflection
from a gemstone shines bright at night, you are stalked by a horrible monster that
attacks viciously and ruthlessly anytime light shines near you in the dark.

Rule Changes
• Anytime you gain something shiny like gemstone or mithril, you are attacked by the Stalker in the Night.
• Stalker in the Night: Health = 10 + total times the Stalker in the Night has attacked you. 1d12 Attack. If
the Stalker in the Night survives the second round of combat, it will eat 1 gemstone from your mine. If
there is not gemstone available to eat, it will eat 1 mithril instead.

Achievement List
Defeat the Stalker in the Night within the first two rounds of combat.
Be attacked by Stalker in the Night 5 or more times in a single game of Dwarf Mine.
If the above achievements are complete, start the game with a gift of 1 gemstone—
then get attacked by the Stalker in the Night!
9
Curse of the Sloth
You never should have taken that trip to the jungles in the south. You should never
have gone on the hike through the shadowy Sloth Forest. And you certainly should
never have picked up the baby sloth. The mother sloth barreled towards you, fangs
bared, and taken a chunk out of your leg. Ever since then, you and everyone around
you, moves more slowly than they should.

Rule Changes
• You cannot build more rooms per turn than your Mine Level. For example, if your Mine Level is 2, the
maximum amount of rooms you can build this turn is 2.
• You can only start building rooms in Mine Level 2 on turn three, Mine Level 3 on turn five, and
Mine Level 4 on turn seven.

Achievement List
Reach Mine Age 20 in a game of Dwarf Mine.
Choose a room that costs over 10 gold to build as your very first room.

10
If the above achievements are complete, you can begin the game by building rooms in
Mine Level 1 and 2 at the start of the game.
Thank You!
Thank you so much for checking out the Artifacts and Curses expansion to Dwarf Mine! I design games and
gaming resources so people can enjoy them, and you are the most important part of that process!
If you want more expansions for Dwarf Mine, or if you have any suggestions for Artifacts and Curses, positive
or critical, please take this survey. Survey responses help me improve my current and future games. Thank
you for your suggestions and comments!

Copyright
Copyright © 2024 by James Hron
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be copied in any form without the express written
permission of the author.
Designed and Developed by James Hron.
Artifact and Curse art by Jesse Gillespie. See more of their great art on Instagram: graaar

Published by Paper Dice Games.

paperdicegames.com
First Edition (Version 1.00) 2024 (PDF)