Don Pepe Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• The Family
• Set the Table
• Look at the Menu and Hand out the Cake
• Shuffle the Cards
• Take your Place
• Now the Trouble Starts...
  • Step 1. Your Cake Explodes
  • Step 2. Grab your Loot
  • Step 3. Play a Card (or two...)
  • Step 4. Wake Up!
• The Menu
  • The Action Cards
  • The Movement Card
• Say "Ciao" Baby!
• The Bitter End
• The Winner
• Seat Distribution: Semi-automatic
• Game Turn Example

Contents

• Game board
• 60 Cards
• Bank Notes
• Arched tiles with 48 Gangster characters
• 6 Cakes
• 18 Sleeping Pill disks
• 6 Menus

The Family

• The Boss: Don't step on his toes. When he says something, it's done. When he tells you to go, you're already gone.
• Mike the Knife: Quick like a weasel and sharp like a knife. Don't get too close.
• Jim the Gorilla: You will find one in every family. As big as a dresser, but not too bright.
• Joe the Gun: A loaded pistol and an itchy trigger finger. Don't let him out of your sight.

Set the Table

How you set the table depends on how many guests you're expecting.

3 players: The first player takes 10 yellow gangsters, the second player 10 red gangsters and the third player takes 10 blue gangsters, so that each player has 1 Boss, 2 Joe the Gun, 2 Mike the Knife and 5 Jim the Gorilla. In the middle of the game board place 20 x $1,000 bills for Hors-d'oeuvres, 10 x $5,000 bills for the Main Course and 5 x $10,000 bills for Dessert.

4 players: The first player takes 7 yellow gangsters, the second player 7 red gangsters, the third player 7 blue gangsters and the fourth player 7 green gangsters, in the assortment: 1 Boss, 1 Joe the Gun, 2 Mike the Knife and 3 Jim the Gorilla. In the middle of the table place 20 x $1,000 bills, 10 x $5,000 bills and 2 x $10,000 bills.

5 players: Each player selects a color (yellow, red, blue, green or orange) and takes 6 gangsters (1 Boss, 1 Joe the Gun, 1 Mike the Knife and 3 Jim the Gorilla) in the selected color. In the middle of the table dish up 20 x $1,000 bills and 10 x $5,000 bills.

6 players: Each player selects a color (yellow, red, blue, green, orange or purple) and takes 5 gangsters (1 Boss, 1 Joe the Gun, 1 Mike the Knife and 2 Jim the Gorilla) in the selected color. In the middle of the table distribute 20 x $1,000 bills and 8 x $5,000 bills.

Look at the Menu and Hand out the Cake

Each player receives a Menu and a Cake in his color and places it before himself on the table. The sleeping pills are placed next to the board.

Shuffle the Cards

Each player is dealt 5 cards to make up his hand. Note: Hide your cards from your opponents' prying eyes! The rest of the cards are placed face down as the draw pile.

Take your Place

You have your choice between a "semi-automatic" and a "manual" place setting:

Semi-Automatic: The gangsters are distributed around the table according to the suggested placement for 3, 4, 5 or 6 players. The game begins as described under Seat Distribution below.

Manual: The Gangsters are distributed arbitrarily around the table: The youngest player begins and sets one of his Gangsters into a chair of his choice. This continues in a counter-clockwise direction, i.e. the player to his right places a Gangster at the table. This continues to go around until all Gangsters are distributed at the table. The player who places the last Gangster begins the game.

Now the Trouble Starts...

The game then continues in a clockwise direction.

On your turn, you execute the following steps.

1. Your Cake explodes (if it is on the table.)
2. Grab your loot.
3. Play a card (or two). Then draw a card (or two) from the draw pile so that you have 5 cards in your hand.
4. Wake up any of your Gangsters that were knocked out with sleeping pills.

Here is a more detailed description of the steps:

Step 1. Your Cake Explodes

For some unknown reason, the Boys have baked a lot before this small meeting. And remarkably they all have used the same ingredients. These cakes have it inside. You'd better pray that once one comes around you blow out the candles, before they blow you out...

If you placed your Cake card on the table last turn, you begin this turn by having your Cake blow up! The Gangster who sits directly behind your cake as well as those sitting directly on the left and on the right of it are blown up. Permanently! Take their bodies off the board and put them to the side - even if some of them belonged to you. Then remove your Cake from the table and put it in front of yourself again.

Step 2. Grab your Loot

The Boys earn their cash by controlling the Bars, Casinos, and Restaurants in the city. Perhaps you call it "Protection Money - Extortion" - They call it "a job like any other."

Every one of the "business interests" of the gangsters is represented by different folders (or cards and ledgers) at various places around the table. Collect the cash for every one of your gangsters seated at these locations. Also, grab the loot for your Boss and your accountant. Your "income" is calculated as follows:

• $1,000 for your Boss (wherever he is seated - he only needs to be alive);
• $1,000 for each "Business" that you control;
• $4,000 if you have the absolute upper hand over a certain business (i.e. two of your Gangsters are seated behind two equal folders, cards or ledgers);
• Double your income for this turn if one of yours boys sits in the chair of the accountant (at the cash register).

Step 3. Play a Card (or two...)

Here's where your nerves are put to the test... Hold onto your glass, try to keep your trembling hand under control, watch for the right chance... and keep your eyes open!

• Take a peek at the "Menu" and select your next course - an action card: Play one of the cards which you have in your hand face up on the table to the discard pile next to the draw pile. Perform the action described on the card.
• If you still have itchy fingers, you may play a second card. However, your second card may only be a "Movement Card."
• Take one (or two) cards from the draw pile so that you again have 5 cards in your hand.

Note...

• If you do not have a "Movement Card" in your hand or choose not to move, you may only play one "Action Card" on your turn.
• Instead of playing an "Action Card" and a "Movement Card" on your turn, you may play two "Movement Cards" and move two Gangsters.
• If you cannot or do not wish to play a card, you may discard one card and take a new one from the draw pile.
• If the last card is taken from the draw pile, shuffle the discard pile and place it face down on the table to form a new draw pile.

Step 4. Wake Up!

Sometimes some of your boys become very tired... and fall into a deep sleep. Thank goodness they don't stay this way for very long...

If some of your Gangsters were knocked out in the last game turn (see Menu), you can now wake them up. Remove the sleeping pills from their heads.

The game turn ends after Step 4. The game continues with the player to the left.

The Menu

During the game each player will have a Menu Card, which is a short outline of the following. Refer to it quietly - and ask no questions. Because if your questions get on other players' nerves - you'll hear about it! Look through it and make your plans, and know what cards you have in your hand...

Think about your possibilities each turn. Don't forget: You can play an "Action Card" plus a "Movement Card." If you play a card, you must execute its action immediately...

The Action Cards

Knife Play this card to eliminate an opposing Gangster sitting directly to the right or left of Mike the Knife. OR - if one of your Gangsters is sitting at a place with a knife on the table you may play this card to eliminate an opposing Gangster directly to his left or right.

In either case, if you play this card you eliminate a Gangster. If you eliminate him, remove him immediately from play. Send him to Crook Heaven!

Gun Play this card to eliminate an opposing Gangster sitting directly across from Joe the Gun. OR - if one of your Gangsters is sitting at a place with a gun on the table you may play this card to eliminate an opposing Gangster sitting directly across from him.

In either case, if you play this card you eliminate a Gangster. If you eliminate him, remove his corpse immediately from play. Time to order a coffin.

Be careful: Joe the Gun sitting at the table at a place marked with an 'X' (see the figure at the bottom of page 8 of the German rules) cannot shoot directly across the table.

Cake Play this card to place a cake at anyplace on the table, whether a Gangster is sitting there or not. But watch it: 2 cakes cannot be put on the same place.

Pass the Cake Play this card to pass a cake (that is already on the table) one place, i.e. to the first Gangster sitting to the left or right of where the cake currently is.

With this card, however, only one cake may be passed on.

Ka-Boom! This card allows you make an opposing cake explode! All Gangsters sitting directly behind the cake, as well as to the immediate right and left of it, are removed from play. Send them to the Deep Freeze...

Slumber Cocktail Play this card to drop a sleeping pill into some of the drinks that are on the table. Choose 3 Gangsters that are sitting at a place with drinks and place a sleeping pill marker on their heads. Only one sleeping pill can be given to each Gangster in this case.

These Gangsters remain unconscious for so long that, until they wake up, they cannot participate in the cash distribution that a player gets, they are unable to eliminate any opponents, and they cannot move. Obviously, because of their stupor, they can still be attacked or blown up. At the end of his turn a player wakes all of his Gangsters up by removing the sleeping pill markers and putting them back into the center of the table.

Note! A second sleeping pill that is put on a Gangster that is already unconscious by another player falls into a deep coma. He is removed from play and sleeps the Big Sleep.

It's the Cops! Scram! A Raid! The Cops are here! Play this card to cause all players (including you) to remove all living Gangsters from the table. (This way the police don't find a single Gangster in the smoke filled backroom and have to leave with empty handcuffs.)

Then all players put their surviving Gangsters back around the table. The player who played this card begins and places one Gangster at any seat at the table. The rest of the players follow in a counter-clockwise direction, placing a Gangster where they would like. Once all Gangsters have been seated at the table again, the player that played the "Cop Card" may end his turn by playing a "Movement Card" (if he has one.) Then the game continues as normal.

The "Cop Card" can only be played once! After that it is immediately removed from the game.

The Movement Card

Movement Play this card to move a Gangster to another free seat at the table. You know to play this card after an "Action Card," however, if you have them, you may also play two "Movement Cards" on your turn. Keep the sequence in mind: First an "Action Card" then a "Movement Card" - never the other way around.

Say "Ciao" Baby!

As soon as your last Gangster is sent to heaven, you are out of the game! Put your cards in the discard pile. If your cake is still on the table, simply leave it there.

The bomb in your cake quietly ticks away... it will not, however, explode automatically at what would be the beginning of your next turn. Instead, all players still in the game can make the cake explode by playing a "Ka-Boom!" Card or move the cake with a "Pass the Cake" Card.

You may be out of the game... but you are not necessarily out of the race - depending on how much cash you saved, you can still win... just hold on... and wait for...

The Bitter End

The game ends when one of the following situations occurs:

1. Only the Gangsters of one player are still seated at the table. In this case, this player receives any remaining loot from the center of the table.
2. When there is no more money in the middle of the table. The game ends when the last bill is pocketed, even if the amount taken is lower than what that player is entitled to.
3. If all the Gangsters still at the table are taken out with a single explosion.

The Winner

Call him "The New Don." The player with the most cash wins. Even if this player was taken out of the game before his opponents. If more than one player has the same amount of cash, then the one that Gangsters at the table the longest wins. If there is still a tie, then the player that removed the most opposing Gangsters before they died together is the winner.

Seat Distribution: Semi-automatic

In order to save time at the beginning of the game, one of the following seat distributions can be chosen. Each player distributes his Gangsters around the table as shown (diagrams on pages 12 and 13 of the German rules, not reproduced). Note: depending on the number of players, not all seats will be filled.

A bit of advice: This seat distribution has the Gangsters sweating right from the start... If you want to defend yourself, don't wait long! Protect your Boss, protect your business, and try to eliminate the reason that's causing your Gangsters to sweat. The first few turns will be very nerve wracking...

3 Players. Game start: The yellow player begins, followed by the red player and finally the blue player.

4 Players. Game start: The yellow player begins, followed by the red player, then the blue player, and finally the green player.

5 Players. Game start: The yellow player begins, followed by the red player, then the blue player, then the green player, and finally the orange player.

6 Players. Game start: The yellow player begins, followed by the red player, then the blue player, then the green player, then the orange player, and finally the purple player.

Game Turn Example

Look at the following game turn. This will give you an idea of how the game functions. Each example turn is shown to you as if you were that color... (Diagrams on pages 14 and 15 of the German rules, not reproduced; seat letters refer to them.)

You are the red player.

• Step 1: Your cake explodes and blasts the opponent at seat 'A'.
• Step 2: You receive $1,000 for your man controlling the bar at seat 'D'. This amount is doubled to $2,000 because one of your boys is seated in the accountant's chair by the cash register at seat 'B'.
• Step 3: You play the "Pass the Cake" card and move the blue cake to seat 'Q', so your Gangster won't explode.
• Step 4: Nothing happens here. You don't need to wake any of your Gangsters up, since none are unconscious.

You are the yellow player.

• Step 1: Your cake explodes and removes two of your opponents - at seats 'M' and 'N'.
• Step 2: You get no money. Your Boss is already gone and you control no businesses.
• Step 3: You play a "Cake" card and place the dangerous pastry before the blue Gangster at seat 'J' in the hope that on your next turn you will blow away three Gangsters at seats 'I', 'J', and 'K'.
• Step 4: Nothing happens here.

You are the orange player.

• Step 1: Nothing happens here - you don't have a cake on the table.
• Step 2: You grab your loot of $5,000 ($1,000 for your Boss at seat 'O' and $4,000 because you have the upper hand over the casinos at 'O' and 'C'.)
• Step 3: You play a "Ka-Boom!" card and cause the red cake to explode. Thus the yellow Gangster at seat 'A' is removed.
• Step 4: You wake your man up at seat 'N', removing the sleeping pill marker from his head.

You are the purple player.

• Step 1: Nothing happens here - you don't have a cake on the table.
• Step 2: You take $2,000 ($1,000 for your Boss at seat 'R' and $1,000 because your Boss also controls the restaurant there.)
• Step 3: Since your Mike the Knife is out of action at 'E', you decide to play a "Knife" card so that your man at 'P', who is sitting by a knife, can take out the orange Boss at 'O'.
• Step 4: You wake the sleepyhead at seat 'E'.

You are the blue player.

• Step 1: Your cake explodes and blows up the Gangsters at 'P' and 'Q'.
• Step 2: You grab $1,000 (your friend at 'G' controls a restaurant).
• Step 3: You play a "Gun" card. Your man at 'F' takes the gun and blows away the Boss at 'O'.
• Step 4: Nothing happens here.

You are the green player.

• Step 1: Nothing happens here - you don't have a cake on the table.
• Step 2: You get $1,000 for your Boss at 'H'.
• Step 3: You play a "Movement" card and move your Boss to seat 'L'. You hope he survives for your next game turn and can bring you $1,000 for controlling the bar.
• Step 4: Nothing happens here.