Search for the Emperor’s Treasure

About this board game

Search for the Emperor’s Treasure is a tongue-in-cheek fantasy adventure board game for 2–10 players, with a playing time of about 60 minutes. Originally published in Dragon Magazine in 1981, it invites players to take the role of a warrior, elf, cleric, or magician.

Players wander across the board, collecting treasure and resolving encounters at locations such as castles, villages, the Wizard’s Tower, and the Pirate Lair. The Emperor’s six magic artifacts are powerful items, but they also act as a countdown clock: once enough have been found, the game ends, with the required number depending on the number of players.

Treasure, encounters, and equipment are randomized using chits drawn from three cups. Characters can obtain them by fighting monsters or making lucky die rolls on charts associated with different board locations. Encounters may bring monsters, helpful travelers with quests, nuisances, or Imperial Guard patrols seeking to confiscate the Emperor’s Treasure.

• Fantasy roles: Play as a warrior, elf, cleric, or magician.
• Randomized discoveries: Draw treasure, encounters, and equipment from separate cups.
• Terrain strategy: Location terrain determines who can receive an encounter when it is drawn.
• Classic adventure flavor: Use spells, ranged and close combat, magical weapons and armor, and more.

Terrain creates an unusual tactical wrinkle. If an encounter does not match a player’s current terrain, it can be given to someone whose location does match, meaning a character in rugged forest or mountains may face several monsters during other players’ turns.

With damsels in distress, evil wizards, a volcanic demon, and even a wandering elephant, Search for the Emperor’s Treasure packs a surprising amount of flavor into a magazine-sized game. A significantly revised version was later published as part of The Best of Dragon Magazine Games.