Celtic Quest Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Background
• Learning the Game
• Overview
• Contents
• Components
  • Destiny Cards (11, but 5 used only in the Advanced Game)
  • Quest Cards (18)
  • Map Tiles (24)
  • Settlement Tiles
  • Markers
  • Chits
  • Settlement Charts (6)
  • Enchantment Chart
  • Player Mat
• Setup
  • Map Setup
  • Resource Chit Placement
  • Settlement Charts Setup
• Player Turn
  • 1. Draw Chits
  • 2. Move
  • 3. After Movement
    • 3a. Stone Circle
    • 3b. Celtic Settlement
• Game End
• Advanced Game

Background

It's AD 42 and Britain is ripe for invasion by Claudius' Legions. You are a young Celt on the brink of adulthood and you have visited the High Druid who has foretold your destiny.

In this game each player attempts to win by gathering victory points and fulfilling their Destiny. It can be played to a time limit or the game ends when either the stock of reputation/victory point markers is exhausted or the final Celtic Settlement is conquered or sufficient crystals are delivered to the High Druid enabling him to repel the invaders with a powerful spell.

Learning the Game

It is recommended that players initially play a few games of the introductory game Celtic Trader to familiarise themselves with movement, resource collection and delivery along with attribute improvement. Once players are familiar with this, the full game can be played using these rules. There are advanced rules, introducing the advanced Destiny Cards at the end. Both variant rules to add further variety and examples of play are on separate sheets.

Overview

Each turn the players draw chits, these might increase the demand for resources, or make resources available on the map, add Romans to the map and more. Then the players move around the map collecting resources and delivering them either to Settlements for reputation or to the High Druid in the Stone Circle to complete Quests for victory points. Reputation can be converted to victory points or discarded to improve the player's abilities at the Stone Circle. As Quests are completed the map becomes enchanted, altering the road network, removing resources and making crystals available. The game ends when either the Romans conquer all 6 settlements or the Enchantment Chart reaches '12' or the supply of reputation/victory points is exhausted.

Each completed Quest gives the player victory points and a bonus ability. Each delivered resource reduces the demand. Crystals increase in value as more are delivered. Roman chits on the map slow the players' movement and eventually conquer the settlements, making them unavailable for trade.

Clarifications and examples are presented throughout the rules in boxes like this.

Celtic Quest builds on the system introduced with Celtic Trader. The Role Cards are replaced by hidden Destiny Cards; there are extra items that are stored in the pouch. The map is variable and made up of tiles that can be flipped (enchanted) which will alter the map. Quests are introduced, which gives the players other things to consider beyond delivering resources to settlements.

Those players who find setting the initial demands on the Settlement Charts too time consuming should use the Quick Setup Variant Rules.

Players can use the map generation rules within Celtic Quest to produce custom maps to play Celtic Trader if desired.

The Enchantment Chart tracks the number of times the Druid chit has been drawn and the number of crystals returned to the Stone Circle. The final Victory Point value of crystals is dependent on the level reached on this chart.

The other components in the game box are related to Celtic Trader and are not required for Celtic Quest or are spares.

Spares: 1 blank Destiny card, 1 blank Quest card, 1 Enchantment marker, 2 Roman chits, 1 set of resource chits (6 chits, one of each), 1 Elixir chit, 1 Ring chit, 1 Romanised chit, 1 Orders chit, 1 Druid chit, 1 Cycle chit.

It is recommended the Chits be sorted and stored by category, keeping the spares separate.

Contents

• 5 Wooden Player Markers
• 15 Wooden Ability Markers (3 per player)
• 5 Player Reference Sheets
• 6 Settlement Charts
• 1 Enchantment Chart
• 5 Player Mats
• 24 Hexagonal Map Tiles
• 11 Destiny Cards
• 18 Quest Cards
• 1 Set-up Reference Card
• 51 Reputation/Victory Point markers [114 points in total]
• 5 10 Game End Reputation/Victory Point Markers
• 1 Enchantment Chart Marker
• 16 Crystal Chits
• 14 Roman Chits
• 78 Resource Chits/Markers (13 for each Resource)
• 4 Bread, 4 Gold, 3 Elixir, 3 Ring Chits
• 1 each of: Druid, Orders, Cycle, and Romanised Chits
• 1 Celtic Quest Game Rulebook
• 1 Variant Rule sheet
• 1 Examples of Play Sheet
• 1 Bag

Components

Destiny Cards (11, but 5 used only in the Advanced Game)

Each player is dealt one at the start of the game and keeps it secret until the game end. In the Advanced Game each player receives two and selects one (see Advanced Game).

A Destiny Card details the starting location for the player along with what will score bonus victory points for the player.

A bonus shown as "0/15/20 for X" means: if X has not been improved the bonus is 0; improved once, the bonus is +5; improved twice, +10; and so on.

Quest Cards (18)

Each player is dealt one at the start of the game. The Quest Card lists the two resources that the player needs to deliver to the Stone Circle to complete the quest (both resources have to be delivered at the same time). Once the quest is completed it is placed face up by the Player Mat and the player can use the bonus awarded. A player without a quest may draw one when at the Stone Circle or a Settlement.

The blank Destiny and Quest cards are spares and not used in the game (see Variant Rules).

Map Tiles (24)

Map tiles show the following features:

• Woods and Hills
• Road
• Stone Circle, which indicates Quests can be taken here
• Bridge: you have to follow the road over/under the bridge; you cannot move to the other road
• Resource Chit Generator (resource locator)
• Potential location for a Roman Chit
• Celtic Settlement (for example Parisi, Regni or Cantii)
• Enchantment indicator, which shows that this tile can be enchanted (flipped)
• Crystal Chit Locator (on enchanted tiles)

Enchanted tiles are usually the reverse side of the un-enchanted tile. Enchanted tiles have a blue 'glow', a crystal chit locator and no enchantment indicator. All roads on an enchanted tile are connected.

Enchanted tiles usually improve the connectivity of the roads, making movement on the map easier.

Chits can be placed in the bag; markers cannot.

Settlement Tiles

Two of the Settlements (Cantii and Regni) can be enchanted, so these settlements have two versions: a green (un-enchanted) tile with the Roman Town on the reverse, and an enchanted tile with the Roman Town on the reverse. The un-enchanted (green) settlement tiles have an enchantment indicator icon to show this. If the Cantii or Regni Settlement is to be enchanted, replace the tile with the enchanted version. Flip the tile when the settlement is conquered. If the non-enchanted (green) tile is conquered then the tile can no longer be enchanted.

Conquered (Romanised) Settlement Map Tiles are on the reverse side of the Settlements.

When all the roads on a settlement tile have a Roman chit then the settlement is Romanised (conquered), and flipped to show the Roman Town. One Roman chit on the settlement tile is removed from the game and any others are put in the discard pile. The Settlement Chart for that tribe is removed from the game.

Markers

The game has the following markers:

• Wooden Ability Markers (cubes), used on the Player Mat, and wooden Player Markers, used on the map.
• Reputation/Victory Point Markers, used to record collected reputation or Victory Points (114 points in total).
• 10 Markers (5), only used if the game ends with Victory Point Markers exhausting. Players can exchange 10 Victory or Reputation Points for the marker to ensure enough Victory Points are available for the player to finish their turn.
• Settlement Markers, used on the Settlement Charts (identical to Resource Chits) (36, 6 of each, one for each settlement).
• Enchantment Chart Marker, used on the Enchantment Chart to indicate the current victory point worth of crystals (see Enchantment Chart).

Chits

The game has the following chits (summarised on the reference card):

• Resource Chits (6 types): placed on the map on the appropriate resource locator if an empty one is available. Otherwise discard immediately and choose a Celtic Settlement to increase the demand for the resource. To increase demand, move the corresponding resource marker on the appropriate Settlement Chart one column to the right. A marker in the '8' column cannot be moved further.
• Crystal Chit: placed on a map tile on the crystal chit locator when the tile is enchanted (flipped).
• Item Chits (yellow bordered): placed in the Pouch on the Play Mat and discarded when used or no longer wanted. A maximum of 3 items can be carried at any time.
  • Gold: used to bribe (move) a Roman chit.
  • Bread: used to move an extra tile.
  • Ring: used to gain 2 extra reputation when delivering a resource.
  • Elixir: used to pick up one resource without stopping.
• Roman Chit: Romans are placed on the map. Players have to stop (end turn) when moving onto a Roman. The following turn the Roman can be moved to another location. If all the roads into a Celtic Settlement have a Roman chit on them then the Settlement is immediately conquered (see Map Tiles and Settlement Tiles).
• Cycle Chit: when this is drawn, all discarded chits are returned to the bag.
• Druid Chit: when this is drawn, the Enchantment Chart is increased by one (move the Enchantment Chart Marker to the next box), and a green tile with an enchantment indicator is flipped (enchanted), at the drawing player's choice. Any resource chits currently on the tile are removed from the game. The Druid is then discarded. Any Romans remain on the tile if there are locations for them; otherwise they are discarded. Finally a crystal chit is added to each crystal chit locator on the tile.

When a drawn resource cannot be placed on the map, the drawing player moves one Resource Marker (corresponding to that resource) one box to the right on one Settlement Chart.

Settlement Charts (6)

The Settlement Charts track the demand for the various resources at the Settlements. The values along the top of the chart, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, are the amount of reputation gained when delivering that resource to the Settlement. There is no limit to the number of resources that can be in a particular column.

Each Settlement Chart is double-sided, with the Celtic Trader setup on one side and Celtic Quest on the other.

When a Settlement is conquered (closed), the settlement tile is flipped and the chart and associated markers are removed from the game.

When a resource is delivered, the Resource Marker is moved one box to the left on that Settlement Chart. If more than 3 resources are in a particular column, overlap the markers so all are visible.

Example of the Iceni Settlement Chart mid-game: Ore, Fish & Cloth are worth '1', Deer is worth '4' and Wheat & Grapes '6'.

Enchantment Chart

This tracks the worth of crystal chits and the game ends immediately when the Enchantment Chart Marker reaches the '12' box. The marker starts on the box marked with the Enchantment Marker icon (before box 1), then moves to the '1' box, then the '2' box, and so on.

The Enchantment Chart Marker is moved to the next box whenever the Druid is drawn and whenever a crystal chit is delivered to the Stone Circle.

The Enchantment Chart shows the Victory Point value of a crystal for each box, as printed on the chart: box 1 = 1 VP, 2 = 2 VP, 3 = 3 VP, 4 = 4 VP, 5 = 3 VP, 6 = 4 VP, 7 = 4 VP, 8 = 5 VP, 9 = 6 VP, 10 = 7 VP, 11 = 8 VP, 12 = 9 VP (game ends).

Player Mat

• Victory Points and Crystals are placed here.
• Pouch: used to hold up to 3 item chits.
• Earned Reputation points are placed here.
• Carried: used to hold resources and Crystal chits (Carrying Capacity).

Ability development is recorded on the Player Mat. Each player starts with 2 MOVE, 0 TRADE and 1/0 CARRY. Abilities can be improved by spending Reputation Points, according to the COST in reputation points. This is the same for each ability. The VALUE of each ability is listed.

• Movement value is the current movement allowance (maximum movement points for the turn).
• Trading value is the bonus in reputation earned for each delivery.
• Carrying Capacity value is a split rating. The first number is the maximum number of resources that can be carried, and the second is the number of resources that can be picked up while still moving (any further collected resources require the player to end movement).

Example: for this player, maximum movement is 2, Trading bonus is 0, and 2 items (maximum) can be carried; picking up an item ends movement.

Setup

Separate the chits and markers into the following piles:

• Reputation/Victory Point Markers and '10 Game end' markers
• Crystal Chits and Enchantment Chart Marker
• Roman Chits (14)
• Resource Markers/Chits (6 types, 13 of each)
• Item Chits (Gold, Bread, Elixir, Ring)

Put 1 Romanised, 1 Orders, 1 Druid and 1 Cycle Chit into the bag.

Determine player order randomly, and the players sit around the table in this order. Decide if the game is to be played to a time limit or not. If it is, allocate one player to monitor the time; when the limit is reached the current round is played out and the game ends (see Game End).

Give each player a Player Marker, matching ability markers, a Play Mat, a reference card and starting item chit(s) according to the number of players (see table below and Setup Card). The item chits are placed in the pouch on the Play Mat. If fewer than 5 are playing, remove unused item chits from the game.

Player Number	Starting Item(s)
1	1 Gold
2	1 Bread
3	1 Ring
4	1 Elixir
5	1 Gold & 1 Bread

Remove Roman Chits from the Roman Chit pile based on the number of players, and place the remaining Roman Chits in the bag (see table below and Setup Card).

Number of Players	Roman chits to Remove	Roman chits in Game
2	0	14
3	1	13
4	2	12
5	3	11

The Player Marker is not placed on the map initially. It will be placed during the player's first turn (see Player Turn, step 2).

Remove the 'Advanced Game Only' Destiny Cards from the game, shuffle the remaining 6 and each player picks one unseen. Shuffle the Quest cards, deal a Quest to each player, and place the deck to hand.

Build the map, place the resource chits and set up the demands on the Settlement Charts following the rules below. Place the Enchantment Chart near the Settlement Charts and put the Enchantment Chart Marker on the matching box on the chart.

Play begins with the first player.

Map Setup

The following rules are used to generate a new map for each game.

Place the Stone Circle tile in the middle of the table, and then put the 2 enchanted Settlement Tiles (Regni and Cantii) to one side. Shuffle the remaining tiles and put them in a stack to hand. In player order, each player draws a tile and places it on the table to form the map.

The Cantii and Regni have two tiles each in the game. Use the un-enchanted (green) tile when creating the map. If the tile is enchanted then replace it with the enchanted version. If the settlement is conquered, flip the current tile over.

A tile is placed so it joins an existing tile. Road sections have to align, and a path of connecting roads from one road on the tile has to lead back to the Stone Circle for the placement to be legal.

When the map is finished (all tiles in the stack placed), if more than 2 resource locator sites (in total) are on road sections that do not connect back to the Stone Circle then the map needs to be adjusted so this is no longer the case.

Examples of illegal placements: A: roads are not aligned. B: no route back to the Stone Circle.

Resource Chit Placement

Place the resources from the resource chits/markers on the map face up on their matching resource locators, unless a site is on a path not connected to the Stone Circle. For those sites not connected, place the resource face down; this resource chit and the locator are not in the game.

Settlement Charts Setup

Use the non-Celtic Trader side of the Settlement Charts.

To set up each chart, calculate the shortest route from the Settlement to each resource following the roads. Place the Resource Markers on the Settlement Chart in the corresponding column. So if the resource is adjacent (1 movement point away) then the Resource Marker goes in the first column (value 1); if the resource is 2 movement points away then the Resource Marker goes in the second column (value 2); 3 away in the third column (value 4); etc. If a resource is more than 5 movement points away, the Resource Marker still goes in the last column (value 8).

Put the remaining resources (24, 4 of each type) in the bag.

If the charts are set up correctly, each Resource should appear once on each Chart, and each chart should have 6 Resources. The Celtic Trader game's map and Settlement Charts are an example of correct set-up.

Play now starts with the first player.

Player Turn

Each player takes turns, doing the following steps:

1. Draw Chits

Draw 2 chits from the bag and resolve both in any order.

2. Move

If it is the first turn, the player chooses where to start, according to their Destiny Card.

The player's marker can be moved from tile to tile. Each tile moved costs a movement point. The maximum movement points a player has is indicated on their Player Record Chart (MOVEMENT). When moving, the roads on have to be followed, and when movement ends the marker should be placed to show which road it is on if a tile has two unconnected roads. Movement between unconnected roads is not allowed.

Unused movement points cannot be saved for use in future turns.

If a Roman chit is on the road section (or town) moved to or through, then the player's turn ends immediately and the marker is placed on top of the Roman chit. If a marker is on top of a Roman chit at the start of the turn, then the Roman chit may be moved to another map location (player's choice) or left where it is; in either case the player is allowed to move away. A Gold chit can be discarded from the player's pouch to avoid being stopped by the Roman, and the Roman chit can be moved to another location (player's choice) if desired.

If stopped by a Roman, nothing can be picked up in that tile and no After Movement actions are permitted. Gold can only be used to move a Roman if the tile the Roman is on is entered.

A resource on a tile can be picked up and put in the CARRIED box on the Player Mat when a player moves onto (or starts moving on) the tile using a road that is connected to the resource. Normally picking up a resource ends movement, but if two resources are on the same road section then both can be picked up as movement ends. The maximum number of resources that can be carried is indicated by the Carrying Capacity on the Player Mat (first number). With a high enough Carrying Capacity it is possible to pick up a resource and continue movement; this capability is also indicated by the Carrying Capacity on the Player Mat (second number).

If a crystal chit is located on the same tile as a settlement, then the settlement can be entered after picking up the crystal (picking up ends movement from tile to tile). Crystals can be collected from ANY part of the enchanted tile (as all roads on the tile are connected); the actual position of the crystal locator is irrelevant.

Carried chits can be discarded (to the discard pile) at any time during movement.

Settlements and Roman Towns can be moved through; movement is only stopped if a Roman chit is on the road section used or in the Roman Town.

Quest bonuses affecting movement and pick-up:

• If the Talisman Quest has been completed, the player draws 3 and returns 1 to the bag.
• If the Horse Quest has been completed, the player can use an additional movement point.
• If the Wood Spirit Quest has been completed, movement to a tile with woods costs nothing (zero points). Similarly for hills if the Hill Spirit Quest has been completed.
• If the Pack Quest has been completed, the player can carry an extra resource or crystal chit.
• If the Sack Quest has been completed, the player can pick up an extra chit and still continue to move.

There is no limit to the number of player markers allowed on a tile or tile feature (settlement, Roman or resource locator, etc.).

Crystal chits can be discarded (to the discard pile) in the same way other resources and items can be discarded. If a discarded Crystal Chit is later drawn, put it on an empty Crystal Chit Locator on the map.

3. After Movement

Further actions after movement are possible at certain tiles:

• Stone Circle (see 3a)
• Celtic Settlements (see 3b)

3a. Stone Circle

If at the Stone Circle, these actions may be performed in the following order; all are optional.

Complete a Quest

If the player has the two resources shown on the Quest Card held in the Carried box on the Player Mat, then the quest can be completed.

1. Reveal the Quest Card and discard the two listed resources.
2. Place the quest face up by the Player Mat.
3. Enchant (flip) a tile that has an enchantment indicator (player's choice). Remove any resources on the tile from the game and add a crystal chit to the crystal chit locator. Any Romans remain on the tile if there are locations for them; otherwise they are discarded.

The Quest Horse needs both wheat and fish. For example: if all fish locators are enchanted, then this quest can be discarded.

Improve Abilities

Increases to the abilities (Movement, Trading and Carrying) can be purchased with reputation.

Each level of ability has a cost (0, 2, 4, 7, 10) in reputation and has to be improved in order (left to right). Multiple improvements are possible if the player has sufficient reputation; the player moves the appropriate ability marker(s) if enough reputation is discarded. As soon as the ability is improved, the new value for the ability applies.

Reputation Markers represent the reputation the player has gained. Larger denominations can be split down at any time, and if reputation is used or converted to victory points, 'change' can be given.

Claim Victory Points

Victory points can be converted from reputation: move the reputation marker to the victory point box.

Discard a Quest

If the quest held is impossible to complete it can be revealed and discarded. This can happen if all the tiles with resource locators for a particular resource have been enchanted.

Draw a Quest

If the player does not have a quest to complete, a new Quest Card can be drawn.

Deliver Crystal Chits

Any crystal chits carried can be delivered. Move the crystal chit(s) from the Carried box to the Victory Point box on the Player Mat, and then move the Enchantment Chart Marker to the next box for each crystal delivered. If the last box (12) is reached, the game ends immediately.

3b. Celtic Settlement

If at a Celtic Settlement, these actions may be performed in the following order; all are optional.

Delivering Resources

If at a Celtic Settlement, carried resources can be delivered to the settlement in exchange for reputation points. The Settlement Chart shows the demand for each resource at each settlement. The column (1, 2, 4, 6, 8) the settlement marker is in shows the current demand for the associated resource.

If the resource is discarded, then reputation equalling the column value is gained, and then the settlement marker is moved to the column to the left. More than one resource can be exchanged; adjust each associated settlement marker.

If duplicate resources are exchanged, then the original demand value is gained for each, but the marker is moved left for each resource exchanged.

If a settlement marker is in the '1' column, then it is not moved further left even if more resources are exchanged for this minimum value.

Reputation gained is increased by the bonus from Trading.

Example: if the Iceni Settlement Chart looks like this, the demands are Ore, Fish & Cloth '1', Deer '4', and Grapes & Wheat '6' at the Iceni. The Ring chit can be discarded to increase the reputation by 2, and if the Harp Quest has been completed that also gives an extra 2 reputation.

Draw a Quest

If the player does not have a quest to complete, then a new Quest Card can be drawn.

Game End

If a time limit was agreed at the start of the game, then when that limit is reached the game ends at the end of the current turn (after all players have played the same number of turns), unless one of the other game-ending conditions occurs first.

The game ends immediately when either the marker on the Enchantment Chart moves to the '12' box, or all 6 Celtic Settlements have been Romanised (converted to Roman Towns, see Settlement Tiles).

If the supply of Reputation/Victory markers is exhausted, then players can exchange 10 reputation or victory points for one of the 10 markers, putting the exchanged markers into the supply, and the game ends at the end of the current player's turn.

Once the game is over, Destiny Cards are revealed and each player's total victory points are calculated. Bonuses from the Destiny Card are added to the victory points collected and the victory points awarded from crystals. The player with the most victory points wins. If two or more players tie with the highest total, then the winner is the player with the most completed Quests (from among those with the most victory points). If that still results in a tie, then those players share the win.

Variant rules are provided on the Variant Rule Sheet, for use in all versions of the game (Celtic Trader, Celtic Quest and Celtic Quest Advanced).

Advanced Game

Once players have played Celtic Quest a few times, then some or all of the Advanced Destiny Cards can be shuffled into the Destiny deck. Only add the LUCKIEST once all the other Destiny Cards are included and familiar to all the players. Once you are using all the Destiny Cards, each player should receive two Destiny Cards, select one, and return the other to the deck during the game setup.