Das Blaue Amulett

Das Blaue Amulett Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components

Gameboard
4 wood prince pieces
3 black wood "Dark Power" pieces (a dwarf, a witch, and an enchantress)
24 movement cards
31 fate cards
1 wood "Blue Amulet" ring

Preparation

Each player receives a prince and 6 matching movement cards. The princes should be placed at the castle at the beginning of the path.

To determine the first player, a set of movement cards is mixed. Each player randomly draws a card. The player with the highest number goes first (the Joker is considered higher than the 5).

Each player places the movement cards on the table in numerical order (the Joker is considered higher than the 5). A Dark Power is placed on the first three special spaces – a gate, a ruin, and a castle. The sequence should be dwarf, witch, enchantress. The 31 fate cards are shuffled and placed face down on the gameboard.

The movement cards are the numbers 1 to 5 and the Joker. The fate cards include the "Blue Amulet" card, which is drawn by the player who receives the Blue Amulet; cards for overcoming the Dark Powers (the Dwarf, the Enchantress, and the Witch); and cards for overcoming the three Task Places (the Ruins, the Water, and the Fires).

The Game

There is a double path from the starting castle to the final castle. The right-hand path leads to the final castle, the spaces on the left-hand path lead back to the start. Special places (castles, gates, ruins, water, fire and the final Castle of Light) interrupt the double path. These special places are counted as spaces when moving. Every third space, an arrow indicates the direction in which the figures must move. The spaces with the arrows are also fate spaces. A player that stops on a fate space must draw a fate card.

The Goal

Each player tries to reach the Castle of Light as fast as possible. The right side of the double path leads to the Castle of Light. However, players must perform 3 tasks and overcome any Dark Powers they meet along the way. The Dark Powers can be encountered at any of the special places that interrupt the double path: the 4 gates, the 2 castles, the Ruins of Life & Death, the Water of Truth, the Fires of Purity, and possibly even the Castle of Light itself. The Blue Amulet can protect you from the Dark Powers! At the task locations (the Ruins, the Waters, and the Fires), the players must complete tasks.

The first player to reach the Castle of Light and defeat the Dark Power there wins the game, and inherits the kingdom...

Playing the Game

Movement

The princes move along the right-hand path a number of spaces equal to one of the movement cards. The chosen movement card is then turned face down to indicate it has been used. The Joker allows the prince to move any number of spaces from 1 to 6. When the Joker card is used, the player may immediately use another movement card to go again this turn.

Note: All players can see the movement possibilities available to their opponents because the available movement cards are face up. Once all of a player's cards have been turned face down, they are all turned face up again and all are again available to choose.

Drawing Fate Cards

When a prince ends his move on a space marked with an arrow, the player draws the top fate card. Other players should not see the card that is drawn.

Note: A maximum of 3 fate cards may be held by a player at a time. If a player must draw a 4th card, one of their fate cards must first be discarded face up.

Dark Powers

When a player is finished moving his prince, he may place the 3 Dark Power figures on any of the special locations (one figure per location).

Note: The shifting of the Dark Powers is always the last action a player takes on his or her turn, even if the player chooses to leave the Dark Power where they are.

Also Note: The starting location may never be occupied by a Dark Power.

Pushing the Princes onto the Opposite Path

If a prince ends his move on a space occupied by another prince, that prince is pushed onto the adjacent space of the left-hand track, and is now travelling in the opposite direction.

Thus, a prince that is heading in the right direction can suddenly find himself heading back the way he came. But when a prince on the left-hand track is landed on, he will be travelling in the right direction again!

If a prince already occupies the space that another prince is being pushed into, the first prince is pushed forward one space in the direction of the path he's on.

Note: Several princes can occupy the special locations at once. No pushing occurs at these locations.

Special Locations

Along their journeys, the princes will encounter many special locations. These present challenges that must be overcome before the prince may continue his journey.

a) The three task locations (Ruins of Life & Death, Water of Truth, and Fires of Purity) represent double obstacles. Those wishing to pass must complete the task (see the section "How are the tasks completed?") as well as overcome any Dark Powers which may be there.

b) Castles and gates (including the final Castle of Light) are simple obstacles. A prince must simply overcome any Dark Power that may be present there.

The following rules apply

If a player cannot overcome the Dark Power or cannot complete a required task, the prince must turn back, travelling along the left-hand path instead of continuing through the special location on the right-hand path.

Note: A prince can never go back through a special location that he's already passed. When such a location is reached (by travelling along the left-hand path), the prince simply turns around and continues his move along the right-hand path.

Also Note: A player must move his or her prince on their turn (even if it means they reach an obstacle before they're ready to face it). A player cannot pass his or her move in hopes of the situation changing.

Overcoming the Dark Powers

There are two ways to pass through a special location that is blocked by a Dark Power:

a) The appropriate fate card is played that matches the Dark Power blocking the path.

b) The prince is currently in possession of the Blue Amulet. The Blue Amulet allows a prince to pass by any of the Dark Powers without playing the appropriate fate card. However, if passing through a task location, the task must still be completed.

How are the tasks completed?

To pass through the task locations, the player must play the matching fate card. The Blue Amulet is of no help in completing tasks!

Note: It is important that fate cards always be played (or discarded) face up so that players can deduce which cards may still be available in the draw pile.

Who begins with the Blue Amulet?

At the beginning of the game, place the Blue Amulet on the Castle of Light. The first player to draw a fate card displaying the Blue Amulet symbol, takes the Blue Amulet from the board, and hangs it upon their prince. As long as the prince carries the Blue Amulet, he is protected from the Dark Powers and may pass through them freely (the matching fate card need not be played).

How can the Blue Amulet be taken from a prince?

There are two possibilities:

A player may draw a fate card with the Blue Amulet symbol, in which case the Blue Amulet is immediately removed from the current prince and placed on the new prince.
If a prince ends its move on the prince that is carrying the Blue Amulet, then the Blue Amulet is transferred to the new prince, who then pushes the other prince onto the opposite path as normal.

Note: Whenever a player takes the Blue Amulet from another player, he or she may also randomly choose a fate card from the hand of the player who lost control. The 3-card-rule still applies! If the player already holds 3 cards, but wishes to draw another from their opponent's hand, he or she must first discard a fate card face up.

Also Note: The Blue Amulet cards (there are a total of 5) are the only fate cards that cannot be held. They are played immediately when drawn.

When the Blue Amulet does not help

Once a prince passes the Fire location, the Blue Amulet can no longer protect that prince from the Dark Powers. If he reaches the Castle of Light and there is a Dark Power there, the appropriate fate card must be played to overcome it.

However, the prince continues to wear the Blue Amulet until it is taken from him normally.

Gathering Forces at the Castles

When a prince lands on a castle (including the starting castle) by exact count, and after any Dark Powers have been overcome, the player may take the top 3 fate cards from the face-up discard pile. For a short time, this means the player may have as many as 6 fate cards in their hand, but before their turn is over, they must again discard down to 3 cards. Again, this only applies if the prince lands on the castle exactly, but is true even if the prince approached the castle from the left-hand path.

Note: If one or more Blue Amulet cards are picked up from the discard pile, they are played immediately, and that prince gains the Blue Amulet.

Further Important Rules

When all the fate cards have been drawn, the discard pile is shuffled and placed face down to create a new draw pile.

Princes may pass each other on the paths.

A place is considered overcome if a prince landed on it and played the appropriate task card and/or Dark Power card (or is in possession of the Blue Amulet), even though they have not yet passed through the place. If the Dark Power that was placed at that location changes before the prince moves again, the new Dark Power does not also need to be overcome.

A prince must reach the Castle of Light by exact count (obviously the Joker comes in handy here). If he cannot, he must turn back along the left-hand path and try again the next time around.

Several princes can occupy a special location at once.

Movement cards must remain visible to all players!

Castles, and gates may simply be crossed if there is no Dark Power present. If a prince reaches the Castle of Light by exact count and no Dark Power is present, he wins the game!

When a prince is pushed onto a space with a red arrow, no fate card is drawn.

Remember: If a Dark Power is present at a task location, two fate cards must be played: one to complete the task and one to overcome the Dark Power (unless you have the Blue Amulet).

When playing with less than 4 players, simply don't use 1 or 2 of the princes and the matching movement cards.

When moving twice (with a Joker card), if a red arrow is landed on both times, a fate card is drawn each time.

It's possible to move three times in one turn. If you use the Joker as your last movement card, then all 6 are turned face up again, and the Joker is chosen again, a third card is then chosen.

Most important rule: Forgotten is Forgotten!

If you forget to rearrange the Dark Powers before declaring your turn is over, too bad!
If you forget to draw a fate card from the player you took the Blue Amulet from before your turn is over, too bad!
If you forget to move again after using a Joker, too bad!

End of the Game

Whoever is first to reach the Castle of Light by exact count and overcome any Dark Power present is the winner! The finishing order of the remaining players is determined by their positions on the board at that time.