Die Dolmengötter
Die Dolmengötter Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Material
- 1 game board (Celtic landscape with a ground for 28 stone circles)
- 80 stones in 5 colors (octagonal wooden stones)
- 65 dolmens in 5 colors (printed square wooden stones)
- 20 druids in 5 colors
Set-up
The game board is placed in the middle of the table. It shows the layout for 28 stone circles (tetragonal, hexagonal and octagonal). In the course of the game, stones will be placed on the round intersection points. These are called "stone places." In that way stone circles arise consisting of 4, 6 or 8 stones. Every stone is involved in up to three stone circles. The figure in the middle of each stone circle represents the scoring factor for the highest dolmen in this stone circle. Around the game board there is the scoring track on which the victory points are marked.
Each player gets 4 druids of one color and stones and dolmens in the same color, according to the following table:
| 2 players | 3 players | 4 players | 5 players | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stones | 16 | 13 | 12 | 10 |
| Dolmens | 13 | 10 | 9 | 7 |
| ...with value "4" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| ...with value "3" | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| ...with value "2" | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| ...with value "1" | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Each player places his stones and 3 druids in front of him. Each player also places his dolmens in front of him, but so that only he is able to see the figures. The figure symbolizes the value of the dolmen god which is painted on the underside of the dolmen (1 to 4). The fourth druid is placed on the "4" ("Start") on the scoring track as a scoring marker.
The smallest player is the first player. Each player (the first player begins, then the other players follow clockwise) places one of his druids on any free stone place until all druids are placed.
1. Course of the Game
After the placing of the druids on the game board, the game is continued clockwise. The active player chooses one of the following options:
- Walk of druids (1.1)
- Collecting herbs (1.2)
- Flight of druids (1.3)
1.1 Walk of Druids
The player moves one of his druids to any neighbouring free stone place. If there is another druid on a neighbouring stone place (no matter whose), then this druid can be skipped. Also a row of druids can be skipped. But stones and free stone places may not be skipped. On one stone place there can only be either one druid or one stone.
Now the player can place one of his stones on the stone place which his druid just left. If he dispenses with placing a stone, his scoring marker is moved one field backwards. If a scoring marker is already on the "1" on the scoring track, it is not possible for this player to dispense with placing a stone (Exception: A player has no more stones in his stock. Then his scoring marker will not be moved backwards if he does not place a stone.).
Special rule for the stone places on the border: A druid on a stone place on the border of the game board can move to the border stone place on the opposite side. Opposite stone places are marked with the same rune (Celtic letter). From the 4 stone places in the corners, a druid can move either to the vertically or horizontally or diagonally opposite stone place. In terms of all other rules, the initial stone place and the opposite stone place are handled like neighbouring stone places.
1.2 Collecting Herbs
The player turns one of his druids on the belly, instead of moving him. The druid is collecting herbs now and is developing magic powers. He can use his magic powers in the next move of this druid for the "Flight of druids."
1.3 Flight of Druids
The player moves one own druid, which is lying on the belly, to any free stone place on the game board (there the druid stands upright again). The player can place one of his stones on the stone place which his druid just left, or can dispense with placing a stone, with the same consequences as described in 1.1 Walk of Druids.
2. Dolmens
2.1 Placing Dolmens
As soon as one color has the majority (2.2) in a (complete or incomplete) stone circle, the player whose color has the majority can place one of his dolmens in the middle of this stone circle. The value of the dolmen god must be on the underside! The player can also dispense with placing a dolmen (without any consequence).
2.2 Majority
There have to be stones of at least 2 colors in one stone circle, and one color must have the majority compared to every other color. So there can only be a majority if there are at least 2 stones of one color and one stone of another color in a stone circle.
Majority and equalizer within the meaning of this game are understood as the relative majority / relative equalizer (compared to every other color), not as the absolute majority / absolute equalizer (compared to all other stones).
The majority in a stone circle can change several times in the course of a game, like the example in Illustration 1 shows (2.3, 2.4).
2.3 Equalizer
As soon as one color (which does not have the majority) equalizes compared to the color which has the majority, the player of the equalizing color can place one of his dolmens under the other dolmens in this stone circle.
It is not an equalizer within the meaning of this game if there are only 2 stones of different colors in a stone circle, because there must be a majority first (2.2).
2.4 Majority Again
As soon as one color has the majority again, the player of this color can place one of his dolmens on top of the batch of dolmens in the middle of this stone circle.
The extension of a majority is possible, but the placing of a stone in a stone circle, where a player already has the majority, does not allow him to place a dolmen.
See Illustration 1.
3. Scoring
As soon as a stone circle is completed, it comes to a scoring. A stone circle is completed after a stone has been placed on the last free stone place of a stone circle (and a dolmen is placed, if possible). All dolmens which are lying in the middle of this stone circle are now scored. The victory points are calculated with the following formula:
value of the dolmen god x scoring factor = victory points
3.1 Scoring Factor
The scoring factor depends on the geometrical shape of the stone circle (tetragonal, hexagonal or octagonal) and on the position of the dolmen within the batch of dolmens (see Illustration 2).
If a batch of dolmens has not reached its maximum height after the completion of the stone circle (for example, only 2 dolmens in an octagonal stone circle), then the highest dolmen gets the maximum scoring factor. The other dolmens get the lower scoring factors (see Illustration 3).
3.2 Victory Points
The scoring markers are moved forward on the scoring track according to the victory points. The dolmens in question are removed from the game board. The stones remain on the game board.
3.3 Important Facts About Dolmens
- The majority in several stone circles can be changed at once by placing a single stone. In this case, dolmens can be built in all stone circles in question according to the rules.
- A majority of a color can arise by placing a stone of a different color ("passive majority"). Example: If Red is the only color in a stone circle with 2 stones and Yellow now places a stone in this stone circle, then Red has the majority now and can place a dolmen!
- It may happen that more than one stone circle is completed by placing a single stone. In this case, all dolmens in all stone circles in question are scored.
- If a player does not place a possible dolmen, then it is supposed that the player dispenses with placing a dolmen. If one forgets to place a dolmen, it is not allowed to place a dolmen after the move.
- It is always allowed to look under one's own dolmens, after they have already been placed (to see the value again), but never under the other players' dolmens!
Illustrations
Illustration 1: Example for the placing of dolmens in an octagonal stone circle
- Red places a stone on a stone place = no majority yet.
- Yellow places a stone on a stone place of the same stone circle = no majority yet.
- Blue places a stone on a stone place of the same stone circle = no majority yet.
- Yellow places another stone on a stone place of this stone circle = Yellow has the majority and places a dolmen in the middle of this stone circle.
- Red places another stone on a stone place of this stone circle = Red equalizes and places a dolmen under the yellow dolmen.
- Blue places another stone on a stone place of this stone circle = Blue also equalizes and places a dolmen under the red dolmen.
- Blue places another stone on a stone place of this stone circle = Blue has the majority and places a dolmen on top of this batch of dolmens.
- Red places a stone on the last free stone place of this stone circle = Red equalizes and places a dolmen under this batch of dolmens.
Illustration 2: value of the dolmen god x scoring factor = victory points
The scoring factor for each dolmen depends on the shape of the stone circle and the dolmen's position (from top) in the batch:
- Tetragonal stone circle (max height 2 dolmens): x3, x2.
- Hexagonal stone circle (max height 4 dolmens): x4, x3, x2, x1.
- Octagonal stone circle (max height 6 dolmens): x5, x4, x3, x2, x1, x0.
Illustration 3: Example for the scoring after completing an octagonal stone circle
The batch of dolmens (top to bottom) shows the values 4, 2, 1, 3, 4 (values symbolize the number on the underside of each dolmen god):
- The top dolmen has the value 4 and gets the scoring factor 5. Yellow gets 20 victory points for this dolmen (4 x 5 = 20).
- Blue gets 8 victory points for the second dolmen from top (2 x 4 = 8).
- Yellow gets 3 victory points for the third dolmen (1 x 3 = 3).
- Red gets 6 victory points for the fourth dolmen (3 x 2 = 6).
- Blue gets 4 victory points for the bottom dolmen (4 x 1 = 4).
End of the Game
The game can end in 2 ways:
- A player has placed his last dolmen. Now every other player makes one last move.
- The last stone of all players has been placed on the game board. Then the game ends immediately, but possible dolmens can still be built.
Now all dolmens which have remained on the game board are scored, according to the scoring rules (see Scoring above).
The player with the most victory points after all scorings is the winner of the game. If 2 or more players are equal, then the player who could build the most dolmens is the winner. If 2 or more players are still equal, then the players in question share their victory.
Credits
The game designer thanks the following people: Dirk, Ines, Gitti, Hartmut, Karsten, Leif, Tim, Toni, Wolfgang (testing), Martin (testing and reading the rules), Silke (reading the rules), Peter (testing and realisation), Steffi K. (graphics), Steffi S., Mike (English translation), Sabine (for her patience) and all who I forgot to mention.