7 Dice Wonders
7 Dice Wonders Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
7 Dice Wonders is based on Antoine Bauza's 7 Wonders, with Artwork by Miguel Coimbra, which was partly recreated for this adaptation. The original game was published by Repos.
As in the original, the players seek to create their own world wonder and to build up their society in order to earn the most victory points.
Players: 1-4. Age: 7+. Time: 5-20 Minutes.
Components
- 7 Dice
- 7 Wonder cards
- some Scoresheets
- 1-4 Pencils (one per player)
Set Up
Each player receives 1 Wonder card, 1 Scorepad sheet and 1 pencil. One player rolls the seven dice, selects one which may not be rolled by the first player, and then the game begins.
Note: For changes in the sinlge player games, please refer to the Single Player Rules at the end of this ruleset. Thanks!
Gameplay
The game is played in three rounds (ages). In each age, each player gets one turn. Therefore each player is active three times during the game.
On a players turn, s/he roles the 6 remaining dice. Selects 2 to keep (exactly two, not three, not four, not one... just two) and rerolls the four others.
Again s/he selects 2 (which s/he keeps) and rerolls the last two for the last time in this turn.
After s/he rolled the dice, s/he selects which die (or dice) should be used for what purpose and marks those purposes on the scorecard.
S/he may use all dice but one. The not-used die is passed to the next player, which may not be rolled by her/him.
Then it is the next players turn. S/he will also roll the remaining 6 dice, select two, reroll the rest, select two again and reroll the last two. Etc etc.
The game continues until each player was able to roll the dice three times (each age is concluded).
Optional rule: the 2nd Age may be played in a counter-clockwise order.
Game End
Before the game ends and each player totals her/his score, the Military might is compared and that result added to the Victory Points which were collected through the various means.
The Winner of the game has the highest total of Victory Points.
In case of a tie, the winner is the one with the more built stages of her/his World Wonder, followed by the most built Tech Levels, followed by the most collected Resources. In case of a tie in each of the three tie-breaker categories, please play another round to determine a final winner.
The Dice
The dice can show a lot of different results. Like in the original game each symbol has a different meaning. The most likely ones are resources:
- wood
- stone
- bricks
- ore
- ideas
- cloth
- glass
- paper
Dice never show just one resource (except for the x2 ones: [a die face showing a double resource] but even these count as two resources). The always come in pairs. And you can always use everything you rolled.
So in this example: [example dice from the original graphic] You can use both, the brick and the stone for your purposes.
The other symbols in the game are:
- VP
- military
- 3 inventions
- money
They can occur by themselves on a face of a die, or in these combinations:
- [a die face showing military together with ideas] In this case, you can again use both symbols. The Military Might as well as the resource: Idea.
- [a die face with a combined symbol split by an "OR" symbol] This is the only exception. Here you have to choose which of the three symbols you want to use. The "OR" in the middle of the symbol, as well as the undivided background should make this obvious.
The Money icon shows the value of "2". You can use this amount to trade with a (direct) neighbor any one resource that s/he currently has. Some Tech Levels decrease this cost to a 1 to 1 trade. So, you might be able to trade two resources with just one die result.
The Cards
Each Wonder Card is unique. Each has two differenent sides (marked A or B). In a game, all players must use the same lettered side. For an early game it is recommended to play with the A sides only (The B sides are more challenging and also add another options (see: The Guilds).
Each wonder card comes with (usually) three different stages in which the World Wonder can be built, as well as a resource that your civilization has available from the start.
The card labels are: Starting Resource, Optional Resource, Opt. Res. Cost, Cost of a Wonder Stage, Stage, Reward for building a stage, Name and Side.
Please note, that you must first build the first stage (on the left) and then work your way upwards.
In this case – Babylon (A), you would have to build the first stage by paying with two Bricks (giving you three Victory Points), and (later on) may build the second stage by paying one Wood and one Idea (this would give you one (!) Invention choice, as well as one further Victory Point).
The third stage of the Wonder can be built after the second stage was constructed (you usually have to pay with three resources of the same kind, which is the reason why some Wonders have the optional Resource to save in the process of the game).
The Scoresheets
The scoresheet is for you to mark your progress throughout the game.
On the right of the Scoresheet are four different things. The Vault, the Military Might, the (rolled) Victory Points and the Inventions. Each has a different column in which to mark differen things.
In the case of the (rolled) Victory points and the Military, you just add up a total (from your dice) and write down that number in the respective space at the end of your turn (so once per Age). The last space costs Resources to use. So in case of the Military you must pay Wood and Ore to increase your Military total after your initial Might, and in case of the (rolled) Victory points you must pay both Stone and Bricks to add some for the third time (only applies to the third age, if you marked rolled VP in both previous Ages).
Please note, that Military Might can only be written down twice throughout the game.
In the top left you can see the 7 resource which you can save. You have to pay two resources of the same kind to use this resource in following turns. For example: To save paper to you need to pay with two paper symbols on your dice.
The cost of any markable space on the scoresheet is marked on the left of its parathesis [ ]. In the case of the two Tech Trees (found in the bottom left) you also need to have build the above Tech Levels first. This is indacted by the arrows, which point you twowards the bottom levels, which may build after the upper levels have been paid for.
Left to the games name, you can find your Wonder. You can mark the stages that you built by marking them in the solid line Pyramid-shaped spaces. Note, that Giza (B) has four levels and Rhodes (B) has only two. Please mark therefore the correct levels in the process of your Wonder construction.
The Inventions are different. Here you can mark each die-amount only once and each symbol only once (cross the once you used out at the top of the column).
Example: After you marked the single Wooden Gear, you can never again use either a single different Invetion, nor the Wooden Gear for any other die-amount.
The Vault is something that can be filled only once per Age (similar to the (rolled) Victory Points). However it can even be filled outside of your own turn. You may use your rolled Money and mark down one coin if you want to fill your Vault and not trade with a neighbor.
In an age where you didn't store a coin here, and a neighbor trades with you, you also receive a coin (the amount of money that your neighbor used to trade with is not important). Saved coins are worth Victory Points at the end of the game (two unused coins are worth 1 VP, three are worth 2 VP).
You can also cross out coins in a later turns to immediately be able to use the Money symbol for trade (or similar things) just as if you had rolled it.
Military Conflict
The Military Conflict only happens once in the game. Right before all victory points are totalled.
The Military Might of each player is compared with the direct (left and right) neighbors.
If your Military Might is less than that of your neighbors, you lose 2 Victory Points.
If your neighbor has twice your amount (or more) you lose six Victory Points.
This goes for both neighbors... so your total minus can be as high as 12 lost Victory Points.
Unless of course, you decided to to not include Military Might at all on your scoresheet. In case case, your civilization is a pacifistic one, and can never lose more than 3 Victory Points due to the Military Conflict.
You also compare the Military Might with all players at the table to gain Victory Points. If you have the highest total, you add 5 points, if you have the second highest you add 3 points.
If two players are tied for either first or second place, they get the appropriate amount minus one.
You must have a Military to earn Victory Points for first or second place. If you are a pacifist you don't gain any points.
For example, George has the same amount as Annie at the end of the game. Bela has a higher total than either of them. Bela gets 5 VP. George and Annie receive both 2 Victory Points (three minus one) each.
The Guilds
The Guilds are only available on the B-sides. They can only be build in the third Age of a game. The cost is printed beneath the respective Guilds. Their effects vary, but only apply to you and/or your neighbors if you actually paid them.
Similar to the trade-arrows, this is indicated by the Triangles on the Guilds.
- Grants VP according to you and your neighbors results. (Age III only)
- Grants VP according to your neighbors results only. (Age III only)
Tech Trees
The Tech Trees are, as previously indicated, seperated from one another and are each constructed in three levels. Whatever level you unlock, you may use it immediately (in the case of trade and/or jokers).
Each Tech Tree is aimed towards certain resources.
The first Level lets you trade with your opponents at a cheaper rate.
The second level will give you a joker. Jokers can be used once per age.
The third (and last) level is the most rewarding one. One will grant you two Victory Points per stored Glass, Paper, and/or Cloth resource, the other will grant you one Victory Point per stored Wood, Stone, Ore and/or the Bricks resource.
Please note that your optional Resources on your Wonder card can be stored and therefore count in this case.
The starting resources (nor any jokers) do not count (you didn't actively store them, you just had them right away).
The Wonders
The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus offers the unique oppertunity to store the Idea resource. Some Wonder stages allow you to (immediately!) build a Tech Level (must be a legal build) for free.
The Gardens of Babylon have an Invention joker. This one can be applied at games end (changing a double symbol to a triple symbol instead) as long as you don't want to score anything twice. "The Reroll and use 7th Die" ability only works in the turn in which you unlocked this stage. Its Guild gives you Victory Points equal to the Military Mights of your neighbors.
Its Guild gives you one Victory Point for every Tech Level your neighbors unlocked throughout the game.
The Statue of Zeus allows you (on the A) side to use all seven dice per age as soon as you unlock the second Wonder stage. On the B side you get to use the Guild of one neighbor, regardless of its construction state.
The Lighthouse of Alexandria offers Wonder stages that give you a joker resource. These can be used in every turn once, including the one in which you unlocked them. The Guild gives you Victory Points for every Glass, Paper, or Cloth resource your neighbors and/or you stored throughout the game.
His own Guild gives him Victory Points equal to the ones his neighbors collected.
The Pyramids of Giza have a Guild that gives them one Victory Point per Wonder Stage that was constructed by oneself, and/or ones neighbors. The B-side has four stages instead of the usual three.
The Temple of Artemis offers the unique oppertunity to store Money (with a nomination of one). The Wonder stages that provide you with "+X" coins only add to any rolled Money Symbols or the stored one. Its Guild gives you Victory Points for every Stone, Wood, Ore, or Bricks resource your neighbors and/or you stored throughout the game.
The Colossus of Rhodes grants additional Military Might (to be applied before the Military Conflict happens). Its Guild grants Victory Points equal to the losses of the neighbors. This is the only Guild that works after the Military Conflict, but before the total Scoring.
A Players (examplatory) Turn
George's Wonder are the Gardens of Babylon. He, like all others at the table, plays with the side shown in the original graphic (the side letter is not legible in the text layer). His scorecard is (in the beginning of the game) blank.
Let's look at George's turn. George was passed this die by Annie: He therefore cannot roll (or reroll) this die throughout his turn.
George uses the Bricks and Ore die to build his first Wonder Stage (Bricks are also on his Wonder card as his permanent resource). He also uses the the Ore from the same die along with the one that was passed to him by Curt to store Ore (permanently). He also stores Stone with the Stone x2 die. The two Victory Points are noted, and he is left with the Military Might and Idea and the lone Idea die. He passes on the single Idea, rather than giving the next opponent (Bela) the chance to enlarge his army. The Idea and Military Might die remains unused.
George rolls the other six dice. His result: He keeps: the one showing both Ore and Bricks and the blue Victory Point. He rerolls the other four... and gets: He keeps: the Idea with the Military Might, as well as another blue Victory Point. He rerolls the last two, and gets the double Stone and the Idea (again).
Out of his seven dice he now uses six (all but one) to score with.
In his upcomming turns George can always use one Ore and one Stone (as well as the Bricks from his Wonder card). Bela in his turn trades with George. Therefore the scoresheet of George looks liks this at the end of his turn: [scoresheet example from the original graphic]
The Single Player Games
There are two options to play by oneself.
The Highscore-Variant
In this variant, no other components are neccessary. One randomly selects one die in each Age, which may not be rolled (it was "passed" to you). You also draw one Wonder card in each Age, which offers its Starting Resource for trade. If you don't trade throughout the game, add one coin to your Vault.
The Da Vinci Bot-Variant
The second Variant is not yet officially part of the game. Playtest at your own risk (for frustration).
In the first Age, randomly select a die that you may not roll this turn. Otherwise the rules above the Single Player Games stay in effect.
The Da Vinci Bot (DVB) receives a Wonder card, a scoresheet, its Bot card, and its bot die.
On its turn, you roll the usual six dice that it normally would be able to roll as well as the bot die (showing four symbols per side). You don't reroll for it. Instead you score everything that is possible with the 7 dice (six normal ones and the bot die) according to the preferences of the DVB shown on the Bot card.
The bot die may show these symbols:
- Immediately builds the bottom Wonder stage (for free).
- Immediately builds the middle Wonder stage (for free). This can only take place if the lower one(s) were build before hand. Note that in the case of Giza B this refers to either mid-stage.
- Immediately builds the highest wonder stage (lower parts must be present first.)
- Any Resource which is shown in the paranthesis [ ] is automatically stored the first time its rolled. The second time it counts as a single resource of its kind.
The DVB will only trade with you in some cases, please refer to the bot card to find out when.
The Military Conflict is resolved after you have completed everything else. A Ghost appears, and rolls (please roll for him, he is rather insubstantial) all seven dice. Any amount of Military symbols that you see is his Military Might – which you can now use to compare with your own, and conduct the Military Conflict.
Roll the bot die a second time. Add the first result to the second. (this symbol doesn't allow for several rerolls in a row, just for one)
It is up to you aggresive the Ghost you play against is. You may want to reroll the dice once or twice before the final Ghosts result, because you found that he is in a bad temper today. But you must decide on the amount or rerolls before your first roll for him.
Write down your end Victory Point result in the following manner: Wonder name and Side – X VP – X M – R – rerolls of the Ghost.
Example, after George played with Annie and Bela, they go home and rest, but he plays one more game with himself, using the Zeus Wonder, on the B side. He is feeling cocky and grants the Ghost two rerolls. Before the Military Conflict George's result is 17 VP (he also has 3 M.M.). The Ghost rolls a much higher amount of Military Might than George has, namely six. George subtracts 3 VP from his score (he lost 6 due to the Military Conflict, but gained three because he has the second highest total) and writes down: Zeus B – 14 VP – 3 M– R – 2 . Now can try to beat his highscore.
Please note that each amount of Ghost rerolls is its own category.