First, build the board. Choose, randomly or by agreement, as many sectors as there are players. Put them together in the starting pattern for your number of players, from 2 to 6.

2 Players

3 Players

4 Players

5 Players

6 Players

This is now the playing board. Remember to place the colored Portals at the edges of the board, as shown in the starting pattern.

Each player now picks a color and takes the wizard, the round Lair marker, and the two Treasures of that color. Each player puts their Lair marker into the hole in the center of the sector closest to them. Put your wizard on the marker. That square is now your Lair. Put your two treasures on the treasurechest images.

Now shuffle the cards and deal seven, face down, to each player. Set the rest aside as a draw deck, and leave room for a face-up discard deck. If you run out of cards, you will reshuffle the discards. Give each player a Life Counter, with the dial set at 15. It can go no higher than 20 – your life is capped at 20. To determine who goes first, roll a die. The highest roller goes first, and play continues clockwise. No Attacks are allowed on the first turn. You may still play an Attack card, but only to use its number.