Complots (Ferti Edition) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object of the Game
• Components
• Setup for a 3 to 6 Player Game
• Course of the Game
• A. The Different Actions
  • The Duchess
  • The Assassin
  • The Captain
  • The Ambassador
  • The Inquisitor (replaces The Ambassador)
• B. Challenging a Character
• C. Countering a Character
  • The Duchess
  • The Countess
  • The Captain and The Ambassador / The Inquisitor
• 7 and 8 Player Game
• 2 Player Game
• Clarifications

Object of the Game

Be the last survivor by eliminating the characters of all your opponents.

Components

• 6 characters in 4 copies each (24 cards): The Duchess, The Assassin, The Countess, The Captain, The Ambassador and The Inquisitor.
• 8 player aids (1 per player).
• 24 silver coins, 6 gold coins (1 gold = 5 silver).

Setup for a 3 to 6 Player Game

The special arrangements for 2, 7 and 8 players are explained at the end of the rules.

Each game is played with 5 different characters:

• The Duchess, The Assassin, The Countess and The Captain are always present.
• Finally, take The Ambassador OR The Inquisitor (we advise The Ambassador for your first games).

From 3 to 6 players, you play with 15 cards (3 copies of each of the 5 chosen characters).

Deal two characters at random to each player, who place them face down in front of them. Players may look at their cards at any time during the game, but must keep them face down.

The remaining cards are placed in the centre of the play area: they form the Court.

Give 2 coins to each player. Money is always visible. The remaining coins are placed in the middle of the play area, next to the Court: this is the Treasury.

The most sinister-looking person starts the game; thereafter the winner of the previous game starts the next one.

Course of the Game

Play is always clockwise. On their turn, a player must choose one Action among four possible ones (they may never pass their turn).

After choosing their Action, the other players may challenge them (see section B) or counter them (see section C).

A. The Different Actions

1. Income
2. Foreign Aid
3. Assassination
4. Use the power of one of the 5 characters

IMPORTANT: If a player starts their turn with 10 coins or more, they must assassinate (Action 3) an opponent's character by spending 7 coins to the Treasury. This is their only permitted Action this turn. This Action cannot be countered.

1. Income: take one coin from the Treasury. This Action can never be countered.
2. Foreign Aid: take 2 coins from the Treasury. This Action can be countered by The Duchess.
3. Assassination: pay 7 coins to the Treasury and assassinate an opponent's character. The targeted player immediately loses one of their face-down characters, of their choice, which they turn face up. An Assassination can never be countered.

Reminder: if you start your turn with 10 coins, you are obliged to perform an Assassination.

IMPORTANT:

• Once a character has been turned face up, the power of that turned card has no effect for the rest of the game. The other identical characters still hidden obviously still have their power active.
• If both of a player's cards are turned face up, that player is eliminated: their coins return to the Treasury and their cards remain visible to all.

4. Use the power of one of the 5 characters in play

To use this Action, simply announce that you possess the character whose power you want to use and, at the same time, choose the targeted player if needed (this is the case for the Captain, the Assassin and the Inquisitor).

It may be true, it may be false (and it is then a bluff). You do not show your cards, unless you are challenged by another player (see section B).

If no challenge is made, the power of the chosen character is then applied.

Here are the details of all the characters:

The Duchess

She takes 3 coins from the Treasury and cannot be countered.

The Assassin

By paying 3 coins to the Treasury, he assassinates an opponent's character. The Assassin can be countered by The Countess. If the Action succeeds, the targeted player loses a character: they reveal the character of their choice face up and display it in front of them.

The Captain

He takes 2 coins from an opponent (if the latter has only one coin, the Captain takes only one). The Captain can be countered by another Captain, and by The Ambassador/The Inquisitor.

The Ambassador

He allows you to draw 2 characters from the Court: the player then has 4 cards. They choose 2 and return the other 2 to the Court. The cards of the Court are then shuffled.

The Inquisitor (replaces The Ambassador)

He is used in only one of the following two ways:

• He allows you to draw 1 character from the Court: the player then has 3 cards. They choose 2 and return the last one to the Court. The cards of the Court are then shuffled.

OR

• He allows you to look at one Character card of an opponent, who chooses which card they wish to show. The Inquisitor then chooses to give it back to them, or to make them discard it. If it is discarded, the card is shuffled with the cards of the Court, and the opponent draws a new one as a replacement.

B. Challenging a Character

When a player wants to use the power of a character, one of their opponents may challenge them. If several players want to challenge, only the quickest to have spoken may do so.

The challenge is then resolved:

a. If the player lied and does not possess the character, they lose the challenge and immediately turn face up one of their characters (they are free to choose which of the two they turn). The power of the character is then not applied (in the case of The Assassin, the 3 coins are not spent).

b. If the player possesses the character, they show it, then shuffle this character into the Court and draw a new one, which they keep face down. The power of the character is applied. It is the opponent who then loses the challenge and immediately turns face up one of their characters (they are free to choose which of the two they turn).

Example 1:

• Player 1 says they have The Captain and wants to steal 2 coins from Player 2.
• Player 2 decides to challenge Player 1.
  • Player 1 then shows their Captain card (they immediately shuffle it into the Court to draw a new one).
  • Player 2 has lost the challenge and must therefore turn over one of their two cards. If both of their cards are turned over, they are eliminated.
• Player 1 can therefore carry out their Action: they steal 2 coins from Player 2.

C. Countering a Character

Some characters can counter Foreign Aid or other characters. A counter can succeed or fail.

To counter, simply announce that you possess the appropriate character. It may be true, it may be false (and it is then a bluff).

When the power of the Captain, the Assassin, or the Inquisitor targets a player, only that player may counter it.

IMPORTANT: A character that counters can also be challenged by any player. If the challenge succeeds, the counter fails. A challenge is always resolved before the counter is resolved.

If a counter succeeds, then the initial Action automatically fails.

Here are the characters that can counter:

The Duchess

She counters a player who attempts to take Foreign Aid and thus prevents them from taking 2 coins from the Treasury.

The Countess

She counters The Assassin. The Assassin's Action fails and the cost of 3 coins is nonetheless paid to the Treasury.

The Captain and The Ambassador / The Inquisitor

They each allow you to counter The Captain and thus prevent the theft of 2 coins by The Captain.

Example 2:

• Player 1 announces they have The Captain and wants to steal 2 coins from Player 2.
• Player 3 decides to challenge Player 1.
  • Player 1 proves their good faith by showing their Captain (they shuffle their card into the Court to draw a new one).
  • Player 3 has lost the challenge and must therefore turn face up one of their two cards (of their choice).
• Player 2 then decides to counter Player 1 by announcing The Ambassador.
  • Player 3 decides to challenge (again!) Player 2.
    • Player 2 proves their good faith by showing their Ambassador (they shuffle their card into the Court to draw a new one).
    • Player 3 has once again lost the challenge and must therefore turn face up their last card. They are eliminated.
  • Player 2 having truly announced The Ambassador, they counter Player 1's Captain.
• Player 1's Action having been countered, they do not steal coins from Player 2.

7 and 8 Player Game

With 7 and 8 players, 20 cards are used: 4 copies of each of the 5 chosen characters. The rules do not change.

2 Player Game

• The first player receives only one coin at the start of the game (instead of two).
• Make 3 piles, each containing the 5 different characters.
• Each player takes one pile of 5 cards.
• Shuffle the cards of the 3rd pile and deal one at random to each player. The three remaining cards go face down to the Court (which will consist only of these 3 cards).
• After looking at their card, each player chooses one card among the 5 of their pile. The other 4 cards are discarded.
• Each player thus has 2 cards: one they received at random and the other they chose.

Clarifications

• After the announcement of the choice of an Action, we advise letting a few seconds pass so that opponents have the opportunity to challenge or counter the chosen character.

• Once a character has been turned face up, its power can no longer be used. As well as symbolising the number of "lives" of the players (each character made visible can be considered a "life" lost, in the manner of video games), the visible characters give an indication of the hidden characters still in play.

• There are two cases where a player can lose their 2 lives in the same turn. Both involve The Assassin:

  1. Challenging The Assassin can be dangerous:

     • Player 1 announces they have The Assassin and wants to assassinate one of Player 2's characters.
     • Player 2 decides to challenge Player 1.
     • Player 1 proves their good faith by showing The Assassin and immediately makes Player 2 lose a life.
     • The power of The Assassin is then applied and makes Player 2 lose their second life.
     • Player 2 is then eliminated.

  2. Special case of The Assassin and The Countess where a player can also lose both characters at once:

     • Player 1 announces they have The Assassin and wants to assassinate one of Player 2's characters.
     • No one challenges Player 1.
     • Player 2 then decides to counter Player 1 by announcing The Countess.
     • Player 1 decides to challenge Player 2.
     • Player 2 admits not having The Countess: they lose a life and turn over one of their two cards.
     • The Assassin not having been countered, its power is applied and makes Player 2 lose their second life.