Die Sieben Weisen Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Overview
• Components
• Setup
• Course of Play
  • 1. Role Selection
  • 2. Alliance Negotiations
  • 3. Power Struggle
    • (a) Laying out one card
    • (b) Dropping out
    • Early end of a power struggle
  • 4. Scoring
  • 5. New Ceremony Space
• End of the Game
• Special Rules for 3 Players
  • 1. Role Selection
  • 2. Alliance Negotiations
  • 3. Power Struggle
  • 4. Scoring
  • 5. New Ceremony Space
• The Spell Cards
  • moventi!
  • anulensa!
  • volensia!
  • absentus!
  • mutantus!
  • potentia!
  • binensus!

Game Overview

The game runs for up to eleven rounds. The players form two alliances - changing again and again from round to round - in order to compete against each other with their cards in exciting power struggles.

At the start of a round every player takes on the role of a sage. Then the negotiations take place to determine the composition of the two alliances. Then follows the actual power struggle: who has the more effective spell cards, who has the stronger power cards?

But with the next contest new laws apply. Whoever was just an ally may now be a bitter opponent. Or vice versa ...

The winner is whoever has the most points at the end, in the form of crystals.

In brief: The game runs for up to eleven rounds. In each round a power struggle takes place in which the players compete in two alliances against each other; the victorious alliance wins crystals. Whoever owns the most valuable crystals at the end is the winner.

The sages meet on the ceremony spaces to fight out their power struggles. On each space the sages are listed in a different order. This hierarchy (from top to bottom) indicates who begins a power struggle, in which order the crystals are taken upon a victory, and where the next power struggle takes place. Only the hierarchy of the ceremony space on which the game piece stands is ever valid.

Components

• 11 ceremony spaces (hexagonal)
• 1 "finitum" space (signals the end of the game)
• 64 power cards (per sage: 1-1-2-3-4-5-6-7; 8 owls: 3-3-4-4-4-4-5-5)
• 14 spell cards (2 x 7 text cards)
• 7 large role cards (1 per sage)
• 7 small role cards (1 per sage)
• 36 large crystals (6 each of 2-3-4-5-6-7)
• 13 small crystals (13 x 1)
• 2 scoring tracks (with the numbers 1 - 24)
• 2 game pieces (black)

Setup

Shuffle the 11 ceremony spaces (without the "finitum" space) face down. Then shuffle the "finitum" space, face down, together with the four bottom-most ceremony spaces, and prepare all 12 spaces as a face-down stack. Turn the top 3 spaces face up and lay them out next to each other.

If only 3 or 4 players are playing, before the game starts sort out the following game material and return it to the box:

• 3 players: two large role cards of your choice and the two corresponding small role cards, as well as the corresponding 2 x 8 power cards.
• 4 players: one large role card of your choice and the corresponding small role card, as well as the corresponding 8 power cards.

Lay out the role cards that remain in the game.

Shuffle the power cards that remain in the game - always including all 8 owl cards - and prepare them as a face-down draw pile. Shuffle the 14 spell cards and prepare them as a second face-down draw pile. Each player takes 6 power cards and 1 spell card from these two piles into his hand, so that the other players cannot see them.

Layout for 4 players: later discard pile for power cards and later discard pile for spell cards are placed beside the two draw piles; the three open ceremony spaces are laid out with the face-down stack of spaces.

The two scoring tracks: lay them to the left and right of the three open ceremony spaces.

One game piece (as the "point indicator"): place between the two scoring tracks. The other piece: place on the bottom-most of the three ceremony spaces.

The large crystals: shuffle them and prepare them as a face-down supply. From this supply, place face up on each of the three ceremony spaces:

• with 3 + 4 players: 2 crystals of your choice
• with 5 players: 3 crystals of your choice

The 13 small crystals: leave them in the box for now; they are only needed at the end of the game.

Course of Play

(Note: The following rules refer to the game with 4 or 5 players. The special rules for 3 players are found in the section "Special Rules for 3 Players".)

The game lasts a maximum of 11 rounds, all of which proceed in the same order:

1. Role selection
2. Alliance negotiations
3. Power struggle
4. Scoring
5. New ceremony space

The power struggle always takes place on the ceremony space marked by the game piece (= the "current ceremony space").

1. Role Selection

The least wise player begins. He chooses one of the available roles and lays the corresponding small and large role card face up in front of himself. Going clockwise, all other players then choose one of the remaining roles. Once the last player has also chosen a role (and only then!), the ...

2. Alliance Negotiations

... begin. The players may now talk (also secretly), show each other cards, and make loose agreements (which, however, nobody has to keep later!). All with the goal of forming exactly two alliances:

• 4 players: 2 alliances of two
• 5 players: 1 alliance of two and 1 alliance of three

As soon as two players have agreed to enter an alliance, both lay their small role cards next to one of the scoring tracks. The large role cards continue to show who is playing which role.

With 4 players, the other alliance is now also settled. These two players lay their small role cards next to the other scoring track. (In the illustration on the next page, bottom right, the Druid + Magician and the Witch + Seer form an alliance.)

With 5 players, a third player could still join the first alliance. This player may not be rejected by the alliance partners! Should several players want to be this third alliance partner, the one who is higher in the hierarchy has precedence.

Once both alliances are settled, the alliance partners may give each other spell and power cards - in any quantity and composition. When the card exchange is finished, the ...

In brief:

• Form 2 alliances: 2:2 or 3:2.
• Players may show each other cards, talk, etc.
• Mark the alliances with the small role cards next to the scoring tracks.
• Should the players be unable to agree on alliances, the player highest in the hierarchy first lays his small role card next to a scoring track. Then the second-highest decides whether he lays his role card next to that of the highest or at the other scoring track, then the third-highest, etc. As soon as an alliance is "full", the following players must enter the other alliance. It is not possible for a player to belong to no alliance at all!
• Alliance partners may give each other cards.
• Once a power struggle has begun, allies may no longer give each other cards!
• Hand cards must always be held so that their number is visible to the other players.
• Should a draw pile run out, the discard pile is shuffled well and prepared as the new draw pile.

3. Power Struggle

... starts. The alliance that, at the end of the power struggle, has more points laid out than the other alliance wins the power struggle and with it the crystals lying on the current ceremony space.

The player highest in the hierarchy begins the power struggle. He either lays one card face up in front of himself (a) or he drops out (b). Afterwards play continues clockwise in seating order (not hierarchy): his left neighbour also either lays out one card or drops out, etc. When a player's turn comes again, he must decide anew whether to lay out one further card or to drop out, etc. Players who have already dropped out are skipped; they may not lay out any further card. Play continues in this way until all players have dropped out.

In brief: Whoever's turn it is must either lay out one card or drop out. Cards that may be laid out: own role, owl, spell card. The power struggle ends when all players have dropped out. For clarity, all players always lay their cards slightly offset next to their large role card.

(a) Laying out one card

Whoever's turn it is and wants to lay out a card has the following options: either he lays out

• any power card of his role or
• any owl card (= joker) or
• any spell card in front of himself.

He may not lay out other cards.

By means of the two scoring tracks the point difference between the two alliances is tracked during a power struggle. At the start of each power struggle, and whenever the score is tied, the indicator stands at zero, i.e. between the two scoring tracks. If a player lays out an owl card or a power card of his role, he marks this change in difference by moving the indicator by the number laid out back on the scoring track of his opponents, or forward on his own track.

Caution: If a player also has the second "1" of his role laid out in front of him, it does not count 1 point but 10 points!

Illustration: the Druid lays out a 6 and moves the indicator 6 spaces in "his" direction. (Caution: the "zero" space between the tracks counts too!) Footnote 1: In the example the Seer has 15 points laid out.

If a player lays out a spell card, he carries it out immediately. (More on this on the last page.) Caution: Each player may lay out at most one spell card per power struggle!

(b) Dropping out

Whoever's turn it is can (or must) forgo laying out a card and instead drop out of the current power struggle. (His laid-out cards of course remain and continue to count for his alliance!)

The first player who drops out takes the top 5 power cards from the draw pile into his hand. As soon as the next player drops out, he receives, face down, 3 power cards of his choice from the first player who dropped out, which the latter picks from all his hand cards. In addition, the second player who dropped out takes the top 2 power cards from the draw pile. Then the same procedure follows: the second player who dropped out passes 3 hand cards to the third, who likewise takes 2 new cards from the draw pile, etc. The last player to drop out, after likewise receiving 3 cards from his predecessor and 2 cards from the draw pile, places 3 power cards of his choice on the open discard pile. Now comes the ...

In brief: First player to drop out: 5 cards from the draw pile. All further players to drop out: 3 cards from the predecessor and 2 from the draw pile.

Early end of a power struggle

If an alliance has a lead of 25 or more points over the other, the power struggle ends at this moment with the victory of the leading alliance. The players who have not yet dropped out then drop out in seating order (i.e. the player who laid out the decisive card is last).

4. Scoring

The alliance with the most points laid out (= the indicator stands on its scoring track) is victorious. In hierarchy order, each member of the winning alliance takes one crystal from the current ceremony space and lays it face down in front of himself. If too many crystals lie on the ceremony space (possible with 5 players), the surplus crystal is removed from the game.

Each member of the losing alliance receives, likewise in hierarchy order, one spell card from the draw pile.

Tie: Should the indicator, after a power struggle, again stand at zero, i.e. between the two scoring tracks, the crystals are taken - independently of alliance - according to the hierarchy. In this case too the losers each receive one spell card.

In brief: Winners each receive one crystal. Losers each receive one spell card. The values of won crystals may be kept hidden, but not their number. If there are no spell cards in either the draw or the discard pile, the affected players go away empty-handed.

Example (tie): The Witch may take a crystal first, then the Priestess, and finally the Magician. The Seer and the Alchemist each receive a spell card.

5. New Ceremony Space

The player lowest (!) in the hierarchy moves the game piece to one of the two other ceremony spaces. From the face-down stack a new ceremony space is turned up and laid on top of the one just left. From the supply, two (with 5 players three) new crystals are laid face up on the new space.

All players put their role cards back into the middle of the table. All laid-out power and spell cards are put on the corresponding open discard piles. The point indicator is placed between the two scoring tracks again.

A new round begins. The player who determined the ceremony space chooses a role first. Afterwards, again in seating order, the other players choose a role, etc.

In brief: The lowest player moves the game piece to the new space. (Example: the Seer is the lowest active role and determines the new ceremony space. This is, incidentally, completely independent of whether he belonged to the winning or the losing alliance!) A new round begins; the lowest player chooses a role first, etc.

End of the Game

As soon as the "finitum" space is turned up,* no new ceremony spaces are turned up after a power struggle. After the power struggle that is due through the game piece just moved has ended, the lowest player can decide whether he moves the game piece either to the last open ceremony space, whereby a last power struggle takes place there,** or directly onto the "finitum" space, whereby the game ends immediately.

* No crystals are placed on the "finitum" space. ** Here too those who drop out take new hand cards as usual, since the cards are still needed for the card comparison.

In brief: After the "finitum" space, one or two more power struggles. Final card comparison: one 1-crystal per majority in a role.

Card comparison: After the end, the remaining hand cards of the players are evaluated. Each of the 5 to 7 roles that were in the game, as well as the owls as a further, in this case independent role, are evaluated one after another. For each role in which a player achieves the highest sum with his hand cards, he receives one 1-crystal.* In case of a tie, all those involved each receive one 1-crystal.

* In the card comparison too, the 2 ones of a role count as 11.

The spell cards no longer have any meaning.

Each player adds up the values of his crystals. The player with the highest total value is the winner. In case of a tie, the one of these players who owns the higher-valued crystal wins.

In brief: The player with the most valuable crystals wins.

Special Rules for 3 Players

1. Role Selection

Exactly as in the 4- or 5-player game.

2. Alliance Negotiations

This phase proceeds as follows: The player highest in the hierarchy (= player A) lays his small role card at a scoring track. Afterwards he may say that he plays alone. In this case both alliances are already settled: A against B + C. He can however also leave it open; then the second-highest player (= player B) is asked. He can now settle the alliances by laying his small role card either next to that of player A (A + B against C) or at the other scoring track and saying that he plays alone (B against A + C). If he lays it at the other scoring track but leaves it open too, the lowest player (= player C) now decides whether he enters an alliance with A or with B.* The two alliance partners may then give each other cards as usual.

* Of course, in a game of three, conversations may also be held at first to sound out the situation; however, no alliances may be formed beforehand.

In brief - alliance decision according to hierarchy:

• A alone: A vs B + C
• A open: B decides
  • B alone: B vs A + C
  • B with A: B + A vs C
  • B open: C decides: C + A vs B, or C + B vs A

3. Power Struggle

This is always begun by the solo player; after that play continues in seating order. In the first round, however, the solo player does not yet lay out a card, but instead uses the point indicator to mark the "solo player bonus" on his scoring track. The bonus is the sum of the two crystals lying on the current ceremony space.* Then his left neighbour is next; from now on the power struggle proceeds exactly as described in the basic rules: whoever's turn it is must either lay out one card or drop out, etc.

* Examples: crystals 2 + 2: bonus = 4; crystals 4 + 6: bonus = 10; crystals 6 + 7: bonus = 13.

In brief: The solo player always begins! (And first marks his bonus.)

4. Scoring

Exactly as in the 4- or 5-player game.**

** If the solo player wins, the surplus crystal is removed from the game.

5. New Ceremony Space

Exactly as in the 4- or 5-player game.

The Spell Cards

For every spell card, a player may lay it out even if he cannot make use of it. His limit of at most 1 spell card per power struggle is then nevertheless used up.

Each spell card exists twice.

moventi!

Swap two laid-out crystals with each other. The player swaps any two crystals lying on the three ceremony spaces with each other.

anulensa!

Lay one laid-out power card on the discard pile. The player lays any laid-out power card (also an owl) on the discard pile. The point indicator is moved accordingly.

volensia!

Take one laid-out owl card into your hand. The player takes any laid-out owl card into his hand (move the point indicator accordingly!). Already the next time his turn comes, he may lay it out in front of himself if he wishes.

absentus!

You may pass until all others have dropped out. The player may, every time his turn comes, pass without thereby dropping out of the power struggle. At the latest when the last of his fellow players has dropped out, the player plays on as usual (= lays out card(s) or finally drops out). Caution: If the second "absentus" card is also laid out in the same power struggle, only this one counts. The first is laid on the discard pile; the affected player plays on as usual.

mutantus!

Swap your large role card with an ally. The player changes his role within the alliance by swapping his large role card with that of an ally (not an opponent!). Both players then continue playing with their respective new role. Caution: Only the large role cards are swapped, not however the laid-out spell and power cards or the hand cards! If "mutantus!" is used against an ally who has already dropped out, the latter may not re-enter.

potentia!

Take three power cards from the draw pile. The player takes the top 3 power cards from the draw pile into his hand.

binensus!

You may play power cards of a second role. The player takes one of the two remaining large role cards and, from the next time his turn comes, may also lay out power cards of this second, additional role - in accordance with the basic rules. Caution: When taking the crystals or spell cards after the power struggle, as well as when determining the new ceremony space, this second role has no effect! (Which is why the small role card remains in the middle of the table.)