Just got the game yesterday and my bf and I are having a hard time deciphering some of the cards meanings. (i.e. arguing furiously almost every round ^^; )

For instance "The Hound" reads: Ally.

If The Hound is killed, place him in your discard pile instead of your dead pile.

At the beginning of the dominance phase, discard the top card from your deck or discard the Hound from play (cannot be saved).

The Second line there. Does it happen at the beginning of every dominance phase? When he dies? Is this a good thing or a detriment?

It'll happen during each dominance phase while the Hound is in play. It's probably a bad thing (although you could conceivably design a deck to make that less of a problem), but you benefit from being able to play him cheaply, and more than once (normally a unique character would go to the dead pile, preventing you from playing another copy later).

Thanks! That's what I thought.

One more thing

We want to expand! What would be a good expansion pack to get first??

It's been awhile, so I'm not sure if the conventional wisdom has changed a lot, but I'd recommend you each find the house that you think you'd want to get started with and then get the deluxe expansions for those houses.

Anyone who's joined the game more recently than I have, feel free to offer other ideas

Thanks!