Lords of Waterdeep: Scoundrels of Skullport
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When someone opens Skullport, everyone stops smiling. Corruption changes the game, alliances crumble, and in the end, someone always curses that they didn't see it coming.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Two dungeons under Waterdeep, one thrilling expansion
Scoundrels of Skullport arrived in 2013, designed by Chris Dupuis, Peter Lee, and Rodney Thompson, three Wizards of the Coast designers who know the Dungeons & Dragons universe inside out. It's not just a simple expansion: it's a double content that adds Undermountain (the legendary dungeon beneath Mount Waterdeep) and Skullport (the smugglers' haven in the depths). You can use them separately or together, and with them comes the Gray Hands faction, bringing the game to up to six players.
Undermountain raises the stakes: more expensive quests, richer rewards, greater risks. Skullport introduces Corruption, a resource that gives you immediate advantages but negative victory points at the end of the game. The interesting part is that the value of Corruption changes based on how much everyone has collected: the more corrupt the table, the more it hurts you. A reverse speculation system, where those who play dirty drag everyone into the mud.
What they say abroad
"Skullport adds meaningful tension through Corruption. Every dirty trick now has a price you can't ignore."
Skullport adds real tension with Corruption. Every dirty trick now has a price you can't ignore.
— The Opinionated Gamers
It's the expansion Lords of Waterdeep deserved: deeper, nastier, more unpredictable. Corruption changes the game from top to bottom.
— FroGames
Lords of Waterdeep: Scoundrels of Skullport
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and gameplay sessionsWhat you find in the box
The two modules that change everything
Undermountain
Halaster's legendary dungeon. New action spaces, more expensive missions requiring more adventurers and gold, proportionally greater rewards. High risk, high reward.
Skullport
The shadowy port. Introduces Corruption: tokens that give immediate advantages but are worth negative points at the end of the game. The more Corruption in play, the more each token hurts.
Gray Hands
The new faction that brings the game to six players. Secret Lords, exclusive buildings, dedicated missions. A complete identity, not just an extra color.
New buildings and quests
116 cards that expand the pool of quests, intrigues, and constructions. Each game can have unprecedented configurations, never-before-seen combinations, strategies to reinvent.
Recommended sleeves 116 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting the cards with clear sleeves to make them last a long time.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 64 × 89 mm | 116 |
| Total cards | 116 |
After Skullport, you won't play Lords of Waterdeep the same way. Corruption gets into your head and never leaves.
A game in five acts
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The Depths Open
The board expands. Undermountain and Skullport appear next to Waterdeep, tripling the available spaces. The first turns are exploration: everyone looks at the new options, calculates the costs, and assesses whether it's worth going underground. Someone notices the Corruption tokens and laughs nervously.
Someone Touches Corruption
The first player takes a black token. They get an immediate advantage (gold, adventurers, extra cards) and everyone at the table mentally notes: one corrupted. It's not scary yet: a single token is worth -1 or -2 points. But now the die is cast. Who follows?
The Spiral
Mid-game, the table is divided. There are those who resisted and play clean, those who took 2-3 tokens and now have a resource advantage, and those who took 5 and made an incredible acceleration. But each new token increases the negative value of all tokens. Those who were corrupted by choice are now hostages: they must hope that others don't take more Corruption, but they cannot control them.
The Final Calculation
Last round. Everyone counts mentally: how much Corruption is in play? How much will each token be worth at the end of the game? Some realize they have lost 15-20 points and despair. Some have played clean and are now smiling. Some have speculated perfectly: they took Corruption when it was worth little, stopped before it exploded, and now win by 3 points.
Counting the Damage
End of game. Secret Lords are revealed, points from quests are tallied, and Corruption tokens are subtracted. The standings flip twice. Those who seemed to be winning collapse, those who were behind catch up. Undermountain gave extra points to those who dared, Skullport punished those who dared too much. Someone swears they'll play clean next time. No one believes them.
How to play
The flow of each round
Scoundrels of Skullport doesn't change the structure of the base game. It adds spaces, options, and cursed Corruption.
Choose an action space on the main board, in Undermountain or in Skullport. Some Skullport spaces give you extra resources but force you to take a Corruption token.
Gather adventurers, gold, play intrigues, complete quests. Undermountain quests require more resources but give greater rewards. Skullport quests often include Corruption as a cost or prize.
When everyone has placed their agents, the round ends. Building cards are reallocated, available quests are updated, and play continues.
After 8 rounds, Lords are revealed, points from quests and buildings are tallied, then the value of Corruption is subtracted. That value depends on how many tokens were taken in total: the more Corruption in play, the more negative points each token is worth.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Dynamic Corruption
It's not a fixed penalty. Each Corruption token is worth negative points based on the total collected by all players. If 10 are collected in total, each token is worth -1. If 40 are collected, each token is worth -5 or -6. It's reverse speculation: you have to bet on how dirty others will play.
Undermountain as vertical scaling
Dungeon quests require 6-8 adventurers instead of 4, cost 10 gold instead of 5, but give 20-25 points instead of 12. If you manage to complete them, you break away from the group, but you need to build a larger economic engine. It's not for everyone.
Sixth player with full identity
Gray Hands is not just an extra color. It has its own Lords, exclusive buildings, a thematic direction (manipulation and control). It adds a player without diluting the game: new spaces compensate for the crowding.
116 new content cards
New quests, new intrigues, new buildings. These are not variations of the base cards: they are unprecedented mechanics. Buildings that interact with Corruption, quests that reward those with fewer black tokens, intrigues that force others to take them.
Total modularity
You can play with Undermountain only (more options, zero Corruption). With Skullport only (Corruption without economic scaling). Or both together (pure chaos). Each combination changes winning strategies. It's not just one expansion: it's three games.
Delayed and uncertain punishment
Corruption doesn't hurt immediately. It gives you advantages now, punishes you after 40 minutes, and you don't know by how much until you count the total tokens. It's a ticking time bomb with a variable timer. It creates a psychological tension that the base game lacked: every token taken by others directly concerns you.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Scoundrels of Skullport is won like the base game, but Corruption can turn everything upside down in the last 30 seconds of scoring.
Victory
- Complete high-value quests (especially Undermountain quests for 20-25 points) by quickly accumulating adventurers and gold
- Use Corruption with discipline: take enough to gain advantages, stop before the total value explodes
- Build buildings that generate passive resources or extra points, especially those that interact with Skullport and Undermountain
Defeat
- Take too much Corruption early, thinking you can control it, then watch helplessly as others take more and increase the negative value
- Avoid Skullport entirely to play clean, but lose the economic advantage and fall behind in resources for the entire game
- Focus on Undermountain without building the right engine: expensive quests remain incomplete, you've spent everything and have no points
Scoundrels of Skullport is the expansion that forces you to play dirty and then makes you pay the price. If you think you can resist temptation, you're lying.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Lords of Waterdeep: Scoundrels of Skullport
Is the base game required to play Scoundrels of Skullport?
Yes, it's mandatory. This is an expansion that adds content to Lords of Waterdeep, not a standalone game. The base board, agents, and core mechanics are needed. Scoundrels expands, it doesn't replace.
Can I use only one of the two modules, or do I have to use both?
You can choose. Undermountain adds more expensive spaces and quests, without Corruption. Skullport introduces Corruption without economic scaling. Or you can use both for the complete (and chaotic) experience. Modularity is part of the design.
How exactly does the Corruption value work?
Each Corruption token you have is worth variable negative points based on the total number of tokens taken by all players during the game. If 15 tokens are taken in total, each token is worth -2 points. If 35 are taken, each token is worth -5 or -6. The value scales on a chart: the more global corruption, the more it hurts.
Does the table get too crowded with six players?
No, because Undermountain and Skullport add enough action spaces to compensate. In practice, you have three boards instead of one. The typical worker placement blockage is diluted: there are always alternatives. The game time increases (expect 70-80 minutes), but there's no bottleneck.
Is the edition for sale in Italian?
Yes, this is the Italian edition published by Asmodee. Rulebook, cards, and components are all translated. Compatible with any Italian copy of Lords of Waterdeep.
Lords of Waterdeep: Scoundrels of Skullport is the double expansion for the fantasy worker placement game by Chris Dupuis, Peter Lee, and Rodney Thompson, published by Asmodee. It adds Undermountain (dungeon with high-risk quests) and Skullport (criminal port with the dynamic Corruption system), plus the Gray Hands faction for six players. For 2-6 players, games lasting 60 minutes, ages 12+. Mechanics: expanded worker placement with negative resource speculation. Available on FroGames.it with immediate shipping.
Lords of Waterdeep: Scoundrels of Skullport
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