Die Patin
Die Patin Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Idea
In DIE PATIN, you take on the role of a mafia boss lady who strives to expand the influence of her clan. But beware! Your competitors can quickly become snappy if you snatch away their loot. Plan your expeditions strategically and strike at the right moment to prove your supremacy.
Contents
- 1 gameboard
- 20 figures (1 boss lady and 3 henchmen in each of 5 colors)
- 150 rats (30 wooden cubes in each of 5 colors)
- 75 borders (15 sticks in each of 5 colors)
- 40 loot markers (colorless wooden cubes)
- 15 intrigue cards (3 in each of 5 colors)
- 50 back rooms (10 in each of 5 colors)
- 25 mission tiles (numbered from 1 to 5 in each of 5 colors)
- 36 location tiles (9 enterprises, 4 of each kind)
Set-up
- Place the gameboard in the middle. Each player chooses one color and gets the corresponding: 4 figures (3 henchmen and 1 boss lady), 30 rats (wooden cubes), 15 borders, 10 back rooms, 3 intrigue cards, and 5 mission tiles.
- In the game with fewer than 5 players, some districts on the board won't be used. Use the borders of an unchosen color for marking these off. The following districts will remain empty:
- With 4 players: orange
- With 3 players: orange, gray
- With 2 players: orange, gray, blue, yellow
- Place 2 loot markers in each district.
- Each enterprise is represented by 4 identical tiles of the 36 location tiles. If you are five players, you use all enterprises. In the four-player game, you choose one enterprise to remove from the game and put its four tiles back into the box. In the three-player game, you remove 3 enterprises (12 tiles); and with two players, 5 enterprises (20 tiles). Mix the tiles and place one in each district. (These are the areas showing your player count.)
- Distribute the remaining enterprises as evenly as possible among the other areas (1-2 enterprises per area). If there are then any areas where the same type of enterprise comes to lie twice, you exchange tiles until there are no duplicates any more.
- The player with the most insidious laugh becomes the starting player. This player is the first to claim one of the starting areas and enclose this area with borders. (No borders are needed at the edges of the gameboard.) At one of the four adjacent manholes, he places three of his rats; at a second one, two rats; and at a third one, one rat. The fourth manhole remains unoccupied. The other players, in clockwise order, also choose their starting area and place their rats in the same way.
Game Concepts
Districts
The gameboard shows 7 color-marked districts. Each district consists of three areas and contains 2 loot markers that can be collected. The loot markers can be scavenged from ANY area of the district. At the end of each round, all districts are refilled to 2 loot markers.
Areas
The gameboard consists of 21 areas. Each area is surrounded by 4 manholes. Two areas are considered adjacent if they share 2 manholes.
Territories
Each player controls one territory. A territory consists of all the areas that are enclosed by a player's borders. A territory does not have to be contiguous, but it can be separated by opposing territories. At the beginning of the game, each player's individual territory is his starting area.
Rats
The rats (wooden cubes) are a crucial element of the game. They are sleazy petty gangsters, and you need them to exert your influence in the town and to occupy areas. Rats are exclusively placed at manholes and give you power in all the areas adjacent to this manhole.
Only rats of the same color can be at one manhole. To place rats at a manhole, all opposing rats first need to be removed. Rats that are taken off the playing area are returned to the player's supply.
Occupy Areas
Every time you place a figure in an area outside your territory, you try to claim this new area at the end of the action (see "Making a claim"). But everybody must be left with at least one area at all times. That means that you may never place a figure in the very last area of another player's territory.
Course of the Game
The game proceeds over five rounds. Each round, players, in clockwise order, place figures in order to get loot, set up back rooms, and claim areas. After each player has had four turns and all figures have been placed, the round is over. Then an interim scoring takes place, before you take all figures off the board and begin the next round. The player who has accumulated the most points after the final scoring in round 5 wins.
At the beginning of a round, each player chooses one of his intrigue cards, puts it face down on the table and places his boss lady on it. With this card, you determine what special ability your boss lady will use in this round.
After that, one player after another has his turn, beginning with the starting player. On your turn, you place either your boss lady or one henchman from your personal supply in an area inside your territory or in an area adjoining your territory. (At no time may you place a figure (not even your boss lady) in an area that does not abut on your territory!)
A. Placing a Henchman
Inside Your Territory
If you place a henchman inside your territory, you can carry out two of the following actions in any combination and order. (It is also possible to carry out the same action twice; exception: Setting up a back room.)
Bribing a rat. Place one of your own rats at a manhole in this area or remove an opponent's rat from a manhole in this area. If you want to place a rat but you don't have any left, you may take it from a different manhole. Keep in mind that there may be rats only of one player at each manhole.
Getting loot. Take a loot marker from the district that this area belongs to. You can get loot only if there are still loot markers available in this district.
Setting up a back room. To set up a back room, the following requirements need to be met:
- There are still one or more enterprises in this area.
- During this round, you already have placed another figure in this area.
- You have no back room yet in this area (or you don't have one there any more).
- You may never have 2 back rooms in the same area.
To set up a back room, you place one of these from your personal supply in the area and take an enterprise from there. Enterprises give you victory points at the end of the game - the more tiles of the same type you have, the more points you score (see "End of the Game"). As soon as you take an enterprise, you gain the bonus depicted:
- Place a rat at one of your manholes or at any unoccupied manhole on the gameboard.
- Remove an opponent's rat from any manhole.
- Take a loot marker from the general supply.
- This tile counts as an additional point at the end of the game.
Example: Minerva places a henchman in an area of her territory. Now she may carry out two actions; she chooses "Getting loot" twice, in order to preempt Agatha, who controls an area in the same district. Minerva grabs the two loot markers and ends her turn. Now Agatha, on her turn, has to look for loot somewhere else, since there is nothing left to get here.
Example: On her next game turn, Minerva places a henchman in the same area. Now she can set up a back room here. She places one of her back rooms in this area and, in return, takes one of the enterprises from there. The bonus of the enterprise gives her a loot marker from the general supply. With her second action, she wants to bribe a rat. She could remove one of Agatha's rats from here; but instead, she decides to place one of her own rats at a yet-unoccupied manhole.
Outside Your Territory
If you place a henchman outside your territory, you spend any number of loot markers (always at least 1) in order to carry out a "Bribing a rat" action for each of these. Then you claim this area. (See "Making a claim")
If you are not able or willing to spend a loot marker, you may not place a henchman outside your territory.
You may carry out the "Getting loot" and "Setting up a back room" actions only inside your territory.
Making a Claim
To add an area to your territory, you need to be able to claim it and assume power there. You can make a claim whenever you have placed a figure outside your territory. The power you exercise in an area is calculated by the number of your rats at the 4 adjacent manholes plus the number of your figures in this area; here, your boss lady counts double.
Only if this value is higher than the power of any other competitor in this area can you successfully assert your claim. Then relocate the borders in order to mark the newly-formed territories. If there is an opponent's back room in this area, you destroy it. Take the tile and keep it as a trophy - at the end of the game, it gives you 1 victory point. (The opponent concerned keeps the location tile he acquired from there.) If your power in the area you are claiming is equal to or lower than any other player's power, your attempt at taking power has failed, and nothing happens.
Example: Her newly collected loot allows Minerva to expand her territory. She places one of her henchmen in Agatha's area. With her 4 loot markers, she bribes 4 rats there: She removes 2 blue rats from this manhole, places one of her own rats there and places another one at another manhole. She puts the loot markers back into the general supply. Minerva now has 5 rats in this area. This, along with her henchman, results in a power value of 6. Now Agatha has only 3 rats left at a manhole in this area; thus, her power value is 3. Minerva takes over control, and the borders are relocated. Additionally, she destroys Agatha's back room and takes the tile as a trophy.
B. Placing the Boss Lady
Intrigue Cards
The boss lady is the highest-ranking animal of your clan and has special abilities. At the beginning of the game round, you have already picked one of your intrigue cards, thus determining what action your boss lady will carry out. Besides this, the card determines whether to place your boss lady inside your territory or adjacent to it. Your chosen intrigue card remains secret until you reveal it on any of your game turns and place your boss lady. Then you carry out the action according to this card:
Administration. If you have chosen this card, you need to place your boss lady in an area inside your territory. There, you may carry out five actions ("Bribing a rat," "Getting loot" and "Setting up a back room") in any combination and order. Even your boss lady has to observe the conditions of the "Setting up a back room" action.
Bribe. If you have chosen this card, you need to place your boss lady in an area outside your territory. There, you carry out the "Bribing a rat" action four times and then claim the area.
Invasion. If you have chosen this card, you need to place your boss lady in an area outside your territory. Choose a manhole at this area. Remove all opposing rats from there and place two of your own rats. After that, you claim the area.
Example: Minerva's conquering expedition isn't yet over. At the beginning of the round, she has chosen the "Invasion" intrigue card, and now she decides to use it. To this end, she places her boss lady in an area outside her territory. She chooses a manhole, removes Wilma's 4 rats, and places two of her own rats there. Minerva now has 3 rats in this area (just as Wilma has); but since her boss lady also counts two power points, Minerva is more powerful and may add the area to her territory.
Scoring for Missions and Clearing Phase
At the end of the round, after all players have placed their 4 figures, everybody can score for a mission. There are 5 missions. You can score for only one mission at the end of each round. For this, you need to meet its condition:
- Have the most areas in your territory.
- Have the manhole with the most rats.
- Have the most manholes with your rats.
- Have the most back rooms on the gameboard.
- Have the most loot markers in your supply.
If you meet the conditions for several missions, you choose one of these. To score for a mission, put your mission tile for this round (tile 1 for round 1, tile 2 for round 2 ...) on the corresponding space on the gameboard.
If several players tie for a mission, nobody may score for it in this round. At the end of the game, you get points according to the numbers on the mission tiles.
You can score for each mission only once in the game.
Example: At the end of the second round, Minerva controls the largest territory (5 areas). In addition, her rats are lying at 8 different manholes; so she is leading here as well. However, she has to choose one of the two missions; she puts her mission tile with the number 2 on the "Have the most areas in your territory" mission. Agatha has the most back rooms (3) and may also place her mission tile with the number 2. With her 7 rats, Leona has the most rats at one manhole, but she has already scored for this mission in round 1, and therefore, she may not place her mission tile there. Wilma and Leona both have 6 loot markers; so they tie for this mission. Neither of them may put her mission tile on this space.
Before the Next Round Begins ...
- ... all players take their figures back from the gameboard (the rats stay where they are).
- ... refill the districts to 2 loot markers each.
- ... everybody chooses one intrigue card for the upcoming round.
- The next player in clockwise order becomes the new starting player.
End of the Game
The game ends after the mission scoring in round 5. Now you'll find out who wins. Your final score is calculated as follows:
Missions. Every mission tile you have been able to place on a mission space gives you the points printed on the tile.
Chains of enterprises. A chain of enterprises consists of the collected location tiles that show the same enterprise. The more tiles of the same type of enterprise you have, the more points you get. Each chain of enterprises scores the following points:
- 1 point for 1 tile
- 3 points for 2 of the same tile
- 6 points for 3 of the same tile
- 10 points for 4 of the same tile
In addition, you get one more point for each collected enterprise with a victory-point symbol.
Back rooms. Every opposing back room lying in front of you as a trophy gives you 1 point.
The player with the highest total of points wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most mission points wins. If there is still a tie, the power struggle for Beasty Town has ended in a draw and a return game is inevitable.
Example of a scoring: In rounds 1, 2, 3, and 5, Minerva was able to score for a mission; for this, she has accumulated 11 points. The 5 location tiles she has collected belong to 2 chains of enterprises: 2 claw studios for 3 points and 3 hat shops for 6 points. Plus, 2 enterprises show the victory-point symbol. Consequently, she gets another 11 points overall for her location tiles (3 points + 1 point + 6 points + 1 point = 11 points). Along with the 3 opposing back rooms she destroyed, her total score adds up to 11+11+3=25 points.