Ben Hur Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Bits
• Setup
• Start
• Turn Order
• Speed Sticks
• Whips
• Ramming
• The Race
• Variants

Bits

• 1 board
• 6 wooden chariots
• 6 charioteer cards
• 54 tempo normal cards
• 45 tempo riskant cards
• 12 corner rounding cards
• 5 speed sticks
• 2 dice

Setup

Each player takes a charioteer card. Start positions should be determined randomly. As each color is taken, the player rolls a die. On a "1", they get place 1. On a 6, they get place VI. If your position is filled, keep rolling until you receive a place.

Shuffle the two stacks of tempo cards. Each player receives two cards from each pile, so that he has 4. If someone has 3 or 4 accident cards, they should deal themselves a new set.

If there are 2-3 players, each may take 2 or three chariots. Each chariot receives its own speed cards which may not be shared.

Start

Charioteer I begins the race. He lays one of his tempo cards, moves his piece accordingly, then chooses a new tempo card from either the normal or risky decks.

Then player II may go, and so on in turn.

Instead of moving on the first turn, a player may lay an accident card aside. When you lay down an accident card, roll a die. If you roll one of the numbers on the accident card, then you do NOT take a new card- you must play the rest of the game with only 3 cards. If you roll a number higher than those listed, then you may take a replacement card.

Turn Order

A player's position at the end of the turn determines the order of play. At the start of a round the first player is the lead chariot. The lead chariot of the closest player to the next red dashed line on the board. If two chariots are equidistant, then the one closest to the inside rail moves first.

[Transcription note: in the source, the sentence beginning "The lead chariot of the closest player" has no main verb. It is reproduced as printed.]

Speed Sticks

There are 5 speed sticks I+, II, II+, III, and III+, these indicate the distance that the chariot moves. II is the length of one chariot, and a + indicated half a length. So, III+ is two and a half chariot lengths.

To move, place the appropriate speed stick in front of your chariot, with a bend of 30 degrees or less. Then move the chariot to the other end of the stick. You can then bend the chariot an additional 30 degrees at the end of a move.

Whips

If two figures are within a chariot length at the start of a round, one of the drivers may whip the other's horses. The whipping must be announced before one of the two places a tempo card to start his turn. Both players roll a die, adding one point for each horseshoe card he possesses in his hand. The winner may move normally on his next move. The loser must either play an accident card on his next move, or allow the winner to place his speed stick and piece.

Ramming

If one player cannot (or chooses not to) move around another chariot, then he may ram it. Each player involved in the ram attempt rolls one die. The agressor may add any horseshoes on the card which was just played. The defender receives a bonus point for all horseshoes in his hand.

If the defender wins, the agressor tosses his tempo card, and remains where he was. He takes a replacement tempo card and his turn is over. If the aggressor wins, the loser is picked up from the board, and the aggressor moves as normal. The loser then places his piece back at the other end of the speed stick. (Thus taking over the aggressor's old position.

Each chariot may either ram once or whip once. If you have a long speed stick that takes you through several figures, you must go around.

Ties are rerolled.

The Race

1. Normally a round consists of two short races. The race is once around, and across the dotted line.

Accident cards work as described earlier. The player plays the accident card, and rolls to see if he receives a replacement. After the beginning of a race, however, if a player rolls a "1", he is out of the race. On any of the other listed numbers, he simply does not replace his card.

Sometimes accident cards are useful. If you are going to be forced into a wall with a III+, then you may play an accident card and hope for a replacement that lets you finish rounding the corner.

The player who finishes first receives a I laurel. Second gets a II laurel. Players who crash receive one more point than the last finisher. (In a 5 player race, if 3 finish, the two unlucky ones receive 4 points.)

Finishing first means that your entire chariot crosses the finish line.

Player with the lowest score out of two races wins.

2. Running a two lap race.

Crossing the goal line one earns you the appropriate numbered dolphin. If you are rammed back behind the finish line, then you must surrender your dolphin.

Rolling a I on an accident card no longer knocks you out of the race. But you still do not receive a replacement card.

Completing your second lap lets you get a laurel.

3. You can race three laps, although you should take 5 accident card per deck.

Variants

1. When a player plays an accident card, he may immediately play again. To keep players from burning an infinite number of accident cards, the third card must be a speed card.

2. The III+ stick counts as 2 horseshoes for ramming. Note the horseshoe embossed on the speed stick.