Columbus 1991 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object of the Game
• Components
• Before the First Game
• Game Setup
• The Sea
• Navigation
• Sailing
• Provisions
• Dangers
  • Storm
  • Whirlwind
  • Damage
  • Calm
• Discovery
  • Event Cards
  • Land in Sight!
• End of the Game
• Quick Reference
  • Object of the Game
  • Game Setup
  • Course of Play
  • End of the Game

Object of the Game

Each player takes command of a ship and sails west across the Atlantic. There the aim is to discover an inhabited island as quickly as possible and then return to Spain with this news.

The player who achieves this first is the winner and may celebrate as the discoverer of America.

Components

• 1 game board
• 5 ships
• 15 sails
• 4 symbol dice
• 2 whirlwinds
• 13 reefs
• 2 islands
• 2 palm trees
• 1 telescope
• 15 telescope discs
• 39 event cards
• 40 provision barrels
• 1 spinner arrow
• 1 sheet of stickers

Before the First Game

All plastic parts must first be carefully separated from one another.

The round stickers are applied to the inside of the telescope discs so that they can be seen when the discs are placed on the telescope and looked through.

The coloured crosses are stuck onto the large sails (fore and main masts), which are then each inserted into the front and middle holes of the hulls of the same colour. The third sail is placed in the same way in the rear hole (see also the photo on the underside of the box).

The two palm trees are inserted into the islands. The arrow is mounted on the turntable, the large compass rose on the African continent, by loosening the attached rivet and pressing it from below into the hole of the game board, and then inserting the arrow into it.

Game Setup

• Spread out the game board.
• Shuffle all telescope discs well and lay them face down in the wide column at the left edge of the game board (west).
• Place the telescope next to them.
• Place all reefs and both islands on the correspondingly marked spaces (spray, or spray with the palm tree motif).
• Place the whirlwinds on the two easternmost spaces marked with the whirlwind symbol.
• Shuffle all event cards and lay them as a face-down pile next to the game board.
• Each player chooses a ship and places it on the starting space between the European and the African continents.
• Each player also receives 3 provision barrels, which he places in front of him where they are clearly visible.
• Place the remaining barrels next to the game board.
• Determine a starting player; the others follow in clockwise order.

The great voyage can begin!

The Sea

The game board shows the Atlantic Ocean between the Old and the New World, greatly simplified for game-play reasons. The Iberian Peninsula and the north-west African coast can be seen in the east, but what the unknown part of the world in the west will offer is still uncertain.

The dangerous route leads past rock cliffs and reefs and through windless areas (light blue spaces), where one can only wait and hope that the sails will finally fill again under strong winds.

The board is divided into 6 areas. There are 5 areas for the movement of ships in total (2 in the west and then 3 vertical columns each), and a sixth for holding the telescope discs; no ship sails on this one! Likewise, spaces with islands, reefs or other ships cannot be entered. No ship may be moved beyond the edge of the board; it remains - without further effect - on the last space before the edge. The spaces showing the whirlwind symbol may be entered at any time; the symbol merely marks where new whirlwinds may arise.

At the start, the ships are placed on the starting space between the two continents. From this space a ship may move onto each of the 5 adjoining water spaces (or the reverse - at the end of the game).

Navigation

Ships are moved by means of the 4 symbol dice, which are all identical. They show 5 symbols, which have the following meanings:

Compass rose (2 per die): If this symbol is rolled, a ship may be moved 1 space in any direction (horizontally, vertically or diagonally) onto a free water space. If several of this symbol are rolled in one throw, a ship may accordingly be moved several spaces.

It is permitted at any time to change direction from space to space, or even to move back and forth.

Sail: This symbol has primarily the same meaning as "compass rose", i.e. moving a ship 1 space.

Furthermore, a sail symbol may be used in the event of damage to repair the main mast (see "Damage"), or to leave a calm area (see "Calm").

Whirlwind: A whirlwind may be moved 1 space in any direction. If several whirlwind symbols have been rolled in one throw, one may decide whether to move one whirlwind by the corresponding number of spaces, or whether the movement is to be divided between both in any way (see "Whirlwind").

Storm: If a player has rolled the storm symbol, he may let a storm arise. To do so he determines - clearly visible to all players! - one of the five areas (vertical two- or three-column strips) as the storm area, and then turns the arrow of the compass rose - with a flourish! When the arrow has come to rest, every ship located in the storm area must immediately be moved 1 space in the direction the arrow indicates. If they encounter an obstacle in doing so, damage occurs (see "Damage").

If a player has "rolled" several storms, he may still designate only a single area in which the storm breaks out. However, for each further die showing the storm symbol he may set the arrow in motion once more, in order to perhaps turn it to a direction more favourable to him. The direction last turned always applies.

Example: Leo rolls 1 whirlwind and 3 storms, and designates as the storm area the area in which the ships of his two closest rivals are located. He turns the arrow, but unfortunately it stops at "West". As all ships are still on the outward voyage, the storm would benefit the opponents, since it would drive their ships one space towards America. Leo does not want that and therefore turns it a second time: south-west. This too would advance the ships of both opponents, but one of them would then run into a reef by this movement, i.e. it would lose its main mast (see "Damage"). That in turn would suit Leo's plans well. He considers and decides to turn it a third time as well (he has rolled 3 storm symbols in total), in order perhaps to damage both opponents after all. This time it is again "West", and the two affected ships are immediately moved one space in that direction. This last "turn" therefore definitely applies; Leo can no longer - so to speak retroactively - choose the second attempt.

Telescope: This symbol also has several meanings:

1. If one's ship lies in front of one of the two islands (Azores or Canaries) - i.e. on one of the eight adjoining spaces - one may take provisions there, namely 1 barrel from the supply for each telescope symbol rolled.

2. Instead, one may take one card for each telescope symbol (see "Event Cards").

3. On the two westernmost columns (marked with telescopes at the upper and lower ends on the game board), one may go on the discovery of America with the telescope. There - and only there! - one may look at one telescope disc per telescope symbol, by taking it up, placing it on the telescope and then looking through it (see "Discovery").

If several telescope symbols have been rolled in one throw, one may combine and carry them out in any manner.

Example: Karin has rolled 3 telescope symbols in total. She is standing with her ship directly next to the Azores. She uses 2 of the telescopes to replenish the food supplies on board, i.e. she takes 2 provision barrels from the supply. For the third telescope symbol she takes a card from the pile.

Sailing

When a player's turn comes, he always rolls all 4 dice. In what order he subsequently carries out the individual dice is left to him.

Thus he may, for example, with a suitable roll, first let a storm break out in a particular area (turn the arrow and carry out the storm) and then sail his ship into it without danger. Or conversely: he sails first out of an area and then lets the storm arise in the area he has just left.

If one does not want to or cannot carry out certain dice, these are forfeited.

Note: To make clear which dice have already been carried out and which are still available, one simply passes used dice on to one's left-hand neighbour, the next player.

One may also forgo one's turn entirely, i.e. pass all 4 dice directly to the next player without rolling them. For such a voluntary forgoing one receives 2 provision barrels from the supply. (This is also possible in the case of "Calm" or "Damage"!)

Provisions

Provisions play an important role in this game, for without them one is largely helpless at the mercy of fate and the hardships of the sea.

One should therefore take care during the game always to have as much provision as possible available. However, it is equally important to use it at the right moment.

Provisions are obtained in various ways:

• At the start each player receives 3 barrels as the basic equipment of his ship.
• If one lies in front of an island, one may take on board provisions there - 1 barrel for each telescope symbol rolled.
• If one forgoes one's turn (voluntarily!), one receives 2 barrels of provisions for it.
• Many cards also allow one to receive provisions (see "Event Cards").
• By uncovering the corresponding telescope discs, one's own stock of provisions is also increased (see "Land in Sight!").

No player may at any time hold more than 8 provision barrels. Each further barrel he would receive beyond this remains in the supply.

By means of provisions a player may attempt to improve the result of his throw. After a player has rolled, he may decide to throw one, several or even all dice once more. For this he must return 1 barrel to the supply - regardless of whether he wants to re-roll one or several dice. This may be repeated in any manner (1 barrel per throw!), until he is either satisfied with the result or no longer wishes to spend or has no further provision barrels available.

Changing a throw is, however, only permitted as long as none of the dice has yet been carried out.

Example: Bernd stands on a space of the westernmost column and wants at last to discover America. He rolls:

Since at the moment he neither wants to sail nor "whirl", he gives up 1 barrel and re-rolls all dice except the telescope die.

Now he already has the second telescope, but that is not enough for him. He therefore throws once more (giving up a barrel!), whereby he keeps both telescopes. The third throw brings no further telescope. As Bernd has no provision barrel left, he must be satisfied with this throw result and carries out his turn accordingly.

Dangers

During the long voyage the brave seamen face manifold dangers and difficulties. They may get their ships into storms and whirlwinds, or remain stuck in the many unpredictable calm areas.

Storm

The starting space is the only storm-free space on the game board; ships standing on it are not affected by any storm (not even through card instructions!).

During the first round of play there is as yet no storm, i.e. storm symbols rolled are disregarded.

From the second round onwards, however, as already described, a storm may arise in one of the areas through a rolled storm symbol. The player who has rolled determines, by pointing, in which of the 5 areas the storm breaks out. He then turns the arrow and thereby fixes the direction in which all ships located in the storm area (including those standing on calm spaces) must be moved 1 space. The moving of these ships takes place simultaneously, so that they do not collide with one another.

[Diagram: STORM. The middle area (3 columns) has been declared the storm area. The arrow of the compass rose points to north-west (NW); the two ships A and B located in this area must each be moved 1 space in this direction. Since this happens simultaneously, they do not collide and consequently suffer no damage. Ship C is not affected by the storm, since it is located in another area.]

A storm may nevertheless cause collisions between ships, namely when a ship is moved out of the storm area and a different ship is already standing on its new target space.

[Diagram: STORM. The same example, but with a different wind direction: north-east. Again ships A and B, but not ship C, are affected by the storm. Ship A can move 1 space to NE unhindered. Ship B, however, collides with ship C, which is not moved: both ships suffer damage; both ships stand on the same space.]

Only in such cases is it possible for two or more ships to stand briefly on one space (other than the starting space).

A storm is also dangerous for a ship if it would drive it onto a reef, an island or the mainland. In this case the ship is not moved, but remains on its starting space and loses its main mast (see "Damage"). It may happen in this way that a further ship drives into the already damaged one and likewise suffers damage.

[Diagram: STORM. The already known example, again with a different wind direction: south-east. Ship B collides with an island (damage!), but remains on its starting space. As a result ship A, which must be moved 1 space in direction SE, collides with it, and likewise suffers damage! In this case too two ships briefly stand on the same space.]

If a ship would have to be drawn beyond the edge of the game board by a storm, it remains standing on its starting point. It suffers no damage as a result.

Whirlwind

At the start the whirlwinds are placed on the two correspondingly marked game spaces that lie nearer to the starting space. They may be moved onto any water space of the game board, but not directly onto reefs or islands (though across them!). It has no further effect if both whirlwinds stand on the same space.

If a whirlwind is moved directly onto a space with a ship (or a ship is driven - for example by a storm - onto a space that is currently being struck by a whirlwind), that ship suffers damage (see "Damage"). The whirlwind itself may afterwards, once the player whose turn it is has finished his turn, be moved by the player affected by the whirlwind onto any water space marked with a whirlwind symbol. Should another ship be located there, it meets the same fate (damage). In this case the player concerned may then again move the whirlwind once more, and so on.

Damage

If a ship collides with the mainland, an island, a reef or another ship, or is reached by a whirlwind, it suffers damage, which is shown by removing the main mast. This is pulled out of the ship's hull and placed in front of the affected player.

A damage immediately ends a player's turn; all dice of his throw not yet carried out therefore lose their significance at once, and the next player comes to play.

A ship that has already lost its main mast cannot be damaged any further. There are therefore only two kinds of ships: intact ships (with all sails) and damaged ships (without main mast).

As long as a ship has suffered damage, i.e. is without its main mast, it can no longer be moved. (A storm, however, drives it from space to space just like an intact ship, but cannot inflict any further damage on it.)

The player of a damaged ship must try to repair it and make it seaworthy again, by making a so-called "repair throw": when his turn comes he plays as usual with all 4 dice and tries (possibly using provision barrels and the re-rolling this permits) to roll the sail symbol. Only this symbol counts in a "repair throw"; all other symbols remain disregarded and cannot be used by the player either. A single sail symbol is enough; several of them are just as useless as the other motifs.

If a player succeeds in rolling a sail symbol in a "repair throw", he may put the main mast back into his ship. His turn is then over! Only in the next round can he move his ship normally again and use all the dice symbols as usual.

If a "repair throw" does not succeed, i.e. no sail symbol is rolled, the round was unfortunately wasted - there remains only the hope for better dice luck in the next round!

Calm

The game board is covered with calm areas (light blue spaces). These windless areas are dangerous for the seamen, since they never know when the wind will rise again and so may remain trapped with their ships in them for several rounds.

As long as a player's ship is located in a calm area, only the sail symbol counts for him on his throw. All other symbols are disregarded and remain without effect. If a player rolls a sail symbol, he may use it to move his ship 1 space in any direction. If this enables him to get out of the calm, i.e. his ship again reaches a normal water space, he may then also use the remaining dice of his throw - in contrast to the "repair throw". It is likewise permitted to cross a calm area during a turn with a sail symbol.

Example: The player of ship A is on turn and rolls 2 compass roses, 1 sail and 1 storm.

First he moves his ship 1 space to the west with one compass rose symbol (1st move), then with the second compass rose symbol to the south-west, onto a calm space (2nd move). He now uses the sail symbol to sail out of the calm again, towards the north-west (3rd move), since only with this symbol is leaving a calm space possible! The 4th die finally shows the storm symbol, with which he now - as one may already guess - lets a storm arise in the area he has just left and thereby tries to slow down his fiercest competitors (ships B and C).

Under certain circumstances it may also make sense to sail into a calm area even though one has not rolled a sail symbol in this round. But it must be borne in mind that at the moment a ship enters a calm area, - as already described - all dice (except the sail symbol) can no longer be carried out, and the player's turn therefore inevitably ends.

If a player has rolled several sail symbols, he can of course also cross several calm spaces in one turn.

Discovery

All the hardships and privations that the seamen take upon themselves during the long and strenuous voyage serve, of course, only one purpose: the discovery of America.

The symbol for discovery is the telescope. With the telescope one can, by finding fertile islands, provide fresh provisions; look out on the way for first signs of the longed-for land; and finally discover one of the numerous islands off the coast of America.

Event Cards

On the way one may take one event card from the pile for each telescope symbol that one has rolled. If one has rolled several telescopes, one may take several cards - but always only one after the other (because a card may bring about a hurricane, by which the ship of the player whose turn it is may possibly suffer damage; his turn would then end immediately, i.e. he could no longer use his remaining dice, including the further telescopes).

Some of the event cards are marked with a small cross. These must be read aloud to the other players and carried out immediately. All others may be kept secret from the other players, laid face down in front of oneself and collected.

When it is his turn, each player may, at any time - that is, before rolling, during the carrying out of the dice, or afterwards - play exactly one card (in addition to the cards marked with a cross!).

Played cards are collected in a discard pile. If the draw pile is empty, this pile is shuffled and used as the new draw pile.

Players whose ships are damaged or stand on calm spaces may likewise play 1 card per round.

The cards have the following meanings:

Cards with a cross:

• PROVISIONS (13x): The player immediately receives the number of provision barrels shown (but never more than 8 barrels in total).
• MUTINY (2x): When a player draws such a card, he must either immediately give up 1 provision barrel or forgo his turn in the next round. (For this he then naturally does not receive 2 provision barrels, since he is not forgoing his turn voluntarily!)
• HURRICANE (2x): The arrow is turned once and all ships are moved accordingly 1 space.
• FOG (4x): Move all ships 1 space in the direction indicated.

Cards without a cross:

• GOOD WINDS (4x): In the round in which he plays this card, the player may move his ship by an additional 2 spaces. This card also permits leaving or crossing a calm area.
• VERY GOOD WINDS (2x): If a player plays this card, he may, directly after his turn, carry out one further turn (with all its consequences).
• WHIRLWIND (3x): By playing this card the whirlwinds may additionally be moved by 2 or 3 spaces.
• CARPENTER (3x): If a player plays this card at the start of his turn (before rolling!), he may repair his main mast and put it back in (it thus corresponds to the sail symbol in a "repair throw"). He may then roll and move normally straight afterwards.
• GOOD WEATHER (6x): This is the only card that may be played at any time, i.e. also outside one's own turn. If a fellow player wants to let a storm break out in an area, one may, before he turns the arrow, play this card and thereby prevent the storm. All further storm symbols rolled by that fellow player also lose their effect as a result. (It cannot be used against the hurricane or fog card.)

Land in Sight!

The real aim of this game is the discovery of America. One should therefore try to sail west as quickly as possible, in order to be able to discover land on the spaces of the last two vertical columns.

If the ship of a player is located on any normal water space of these two columns, he may, for each telescope he rolls, look at one of the face-down telescope discs, as already described at the beginning under "Telescope".

The discs show 3 different motifs:

• Nothing but blue sky and wide sea (3x): Here one has unfortunately fallen for a hallucination. No land, no glory!
• Uninhabited island (7x): One is on the right course. Here fresh water and food can be taken on board: for each palm tree shown, the player receives one provision barrel from the supply (do not forget: no more than 8 barrels in total).
• Inhabited island (5x): Success! The weeks of hard hardship have been worthwhile. A new continent has been discovered!

Discs of the first two categories, once uncovered, are placed face up beside the game board; they are thus out of the game. If a player has found an inhabited island, he places this disc face up in front of himself, as proof of his discovery. These discs cannot be taken away from each other.

A player who has already discovered an inhabited island may no longer uncover any further telescope discs. He may, however, still take cards or load provisions if he rolls a telescope symbol, provided he lies in front of one of the two islands.

After a player has discovered America, he may immediately (possibly still in the same turn) set out on the return voyage. The same rules apply unchanged as on the outward voyage.

End of the Game

The player who reaches the target space (= starting space) with his ship and can show a telescope disc with an inhabited island wins the game and is the winner.

Quick Reference

(The publisher's short summary of the rules, reproduced as printed in the manual.)

Object of the Game

Discover America and be the first to sail back into the home port with this news.

Game Setup

• Select one ship per player and place it on the starting space (between Europe and Africa).
• Give each player 3 provision barrels.
• Place the remaining barrels next to the board.
• Place all reefs, the islands and the two whirlwinds on the correspondingly marked spaces.
• Shuffle the telescope discs well and lay them face down on the edge strip in the west of the game board.
• Place the telescope next to them.
• Shuffle the cards and lay them as a face-down pile.

Course of Play

The dice: When a player's turn comes, he rolls all 4 dice and carries them out - if he wishes. All dice are identical; they show 5 different motifs:

• Compass rose (2x): Move the ship 1 space in any direction.
• Sail:
  • either move the ship 1 space (as with "compass rose"),
  • move the ship out of a calm, or
  • repair the ship's main mast.
• Whirlwind: Move a whirlwind 1 space in any direction.
• Storm: Determine the storm area and turn the arrow. Move all ships in this area 1 space in the direction indicated by the arrow. (Can be cancelled with the event card "Good Weather!")
• Telescope:
  • either take an event card,
  • load provisions (next to islands), or
  • look at telescope discs (permitted only on the last two columns, in the west).

Provisions: If a player is not satisfied with his throw, he may re-roll single or all dice by giving up one provision barrel. This process may be repeated in any manner. If a player forgoes his turn completely, he receives 2 provision barrels for it. At no time may a player hold more than 8 provision barrels.

Dangers: If a ship collides with the mainland, a reef, an island or another ship, or is reached by a whirlwind, it suffers damage, i.e. it loses its main mast (placed in front of the affected player). A ship without its main mast cannot be moved deliberately and must be made seaworthy again through a "repair throw". In a "repair throw" only the sail symbol counts. If a player rolls a sail symbol in a "repair throw", he may put the main mast back into his ship and play normally from the next round onwards.

As long as a ship stands in a calm area, only the sail symbol also counts. A ship must first be moved out of a calm with a rolled sail; the remaining dice may then be used.

Discovery: For each telescope rolled one may take an event card. Cards with a cross must be played immediately; all others may be kept. A player may play only one card per turn (in addition to those with a cross).

If the ship of a player stands on a space of the two vertical columns at the western edge of the game board (marked with telescope symbols), he may look at one disc per telescope:

• Disc shows sea without an island: bad luck!
• Disc shows an island without inhabitants: one provision barrel from the supply per palm tree shown.
• Disc shows an island with inhabitants: America!

Uncovered discs are set aside face up or, if it is an inhabited island, placed in front of the player concerned. A player who has discovered America may no longer look at any discs. He immediately begins the return voyage.

End of the Game

The player who reaches the target space (= starting space) with his ship and can show a disc with an inhabited island ends the game and wins.