Escape the Dark Castle - FAQ
Welcome, Prisoner…
In these pages you will find designer's notes and answers to frequently asked questions about Escape the Dark Castle, including its expansions. We’ll update these pages as new questions arise, so if you can't find a helpful answer here please email us at: contact@themeborne.com with the specific card in question.
Q - Do doubles count outside of combat?
A - A double counts as two singles of the traits shown. For instance, if you are required to "roll 2 wisdom in 3 attempts" and your character has a double wisdom on their dice, you can succeed this challenge in one roll!
Q – How many items are drawn after combat?
A - As standard, after surviving a combat, draw one item card. Just one, regardless of how many or what type of enemies the combat involved, and regardless of how many players are in the game. This is the standard rule. There are some rare occasions where you draw more than one, but on these occasions the text specifically tells you so - breaking the standard rule.
Q - If I already have two items in hand and draw a Partially Rotten Apple, can I still use it?
A - Remember that the player who physically reaches out and draws an item card does not automatically keep it. Every time you draw any number of item cards, you first turn them face up into the middle of the table where all players can see (we can call this temporary inventory area 'the pool' for the purposes if this example). Then you decide as a group who will take what from the pool. During this discussion, players can put items they were already carrying down into the pool, pick others up, use them, pick up what they originally put down again, trade with other players, or any combination of this. The golden rule is that no character can be carrying more than 2 items when a chapter card is turned - anything you don't want to take forward with you gets left behind in the discard pile.
Q – Can I use an item while RESTING?
A – No. A character who is RESTING cannot roll their dice or use items.
Q- Can we trade items after revealing the chapter card?
A – No. You must complete the trading of item cards between players BEFORE you turn the next chapter card. Once you turn, the events of the chapter are effectively happening in real time. No time to trade. You are a group of ragged prisoners running blinding through the Dark Castle. You don't get a preview of what is coming! We want you to be nervous about turning those chapters, so we packed them with nasty surprises and restricted trading to beforehand only.
Card FAQ
Every card in Escape the Dark Castle has a unique code on its lower left edge (e.g. DCSE-CH01). In the list below, simply click on the code for the card your question relates to and you’ll be taken to the appropriate FAQ page. This will avoid spoilers as much as possible.
| CHAPTER CARDS | ITEM CARDS | |
| DCSE-SC01 | DCSE-CH25 | DCSE-IC01 |
| DCSE-CH01 | DCSE-CH26 | DCSE-IC02 |
| DCSE-CH02 | DCSE-CH27 | DCSE-IC03 |
| DCSE-CH03 | DCSE-CH28 | DCSE-IC04 |
| DCSE-CH04 | DCSE-CH29 | DCSE-IC05 |
| DCSE-CH05 | DCSE-CH30 | DCSE-IC06 |
| DCSE-CH06 | DCSE-CH31 | DCSE-IC07 |
| DCSE-CH07 | DCSE-CH32 | DCSE-IC08 |
| DCSE-CH08 | DCSE-CH33 | DCSE-IC09 |
| DCSE-CH09 | DCSE-CH34 | DCSE-IC10 |
| DCSE-CH10 | DCSE-CH35 | DCSE-IC11 |
| DCSE-CH11 | DCSE-CH36 | DCSE-IC12 |
| DCSE-CH12 | DCSE-CH37 | DCSE-IC13 |
| DCSE-CH13 | DCSE-CH38 | DCSE-IC14 |
| DCSE-CH14 | DCSE-CH39 | DCSE-IC15 |
| DCSE-CH15 | DCSE-CH40 | DCSE-IC16 |
| DCSE-CH16 | DCSE-CH41 | DCSE-IC17 |
| DCSE-CH17 | DCSE-CH42 | DCSE-IC18 |
| DCSE-CH18 | DCSE-CH43 | |
| DCSE-CH19 | DCSE-CH44 | |
| DCSE-CH20 | DCSE-CH45 | |
| DCSE-CH21 | DCSE-BC01 | |
| DCSE-CH22 | DCSE-BC02 | |
| DCSE-CH23 | DCSE-BC03 | |
| DCSE-CH24 | ||
| CHAPTER CARDS | ITEM CARDS | |
| DCA1-CH01 | DCA1-CH09 | DCA1-IC01 |
| DCA1-CH02 | DCA1-CH10 | DCA1-IC02 |
| DCA1-CH03 | DCA1-CH11 | DCA1-IC03 |
| DCA1-CH04 | DCA1-CH12 | DCA1-IC04 |
| DCA1-CH05 | DCA1-CH13 | DCA1-IC05 |
| DCA1-CH06 | DCA1-CH14 | |
| DCA1-CH07 | DCA1-CH15 | |
| DCA1-CH08 | DCA1-BC01 | |
| CHAPTER CARDS | ITEM CARDS | |
| DCUQ-CH01 | DCUQ-CH09 | DCUQ-IC01 |
| DCUQ-CH02 | DCUQ-CH10 | DCUQ-IC02 |
| DCUQ-CH03 | DCUQ-CH11 | DCUQ-IC03 |
| DCUQ-CH04 | DCUQ-CH12 | DCUQ-IC04 |
| DCUQ-CH05 | DCUQ-CH13 | DCUQ-IC05 |
| DCUQ-CH06 | DCUQ-CH14 | |
| DCUQ-CH07 | DCUQ-CH15 | |
| DCUQ-CH08 | DCUQ-BC01 | |
| COMPANION CARDS | ||
| DCUQ-NP01 | DCUQ-NP02 | DCUQ-NP03 |
| CHAPTER CARDS | ITEM CARDS | |
| DCPL-CH01 | DCPL-CH09 | DCPL-IC01 |
| DCPL-CH02 | DCPL-CH10 | DCPL-IC02 |
| DCPL-CH03 | DCPL-CH11 | DCPL-IC03 |
| DCPL-CH04 | DCPL-CH12 | DCPL-IC04 |
| DCPL-CH05 | DCPL-CH13 | DCPL-IC05 |
| DCPL-CH06 | DCPL-CH14 | |
| DCPL-CH07 | DCPL-CH15 | |
| DCPL-CH08 | DCPL-BC01 | |