Donnerwetter
Donnerwetter Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
1 Game Board (500 x 664 mm) 1 weathervane 4 weatherfrogs 16 barometer stones 36 weather cards
Object of the Game
The object of the game is to give the right local weather forecast, which makes the player's weatherfrog climb up the ladder.
Preparation of the Game
The game board shows a jar for weatherfrogs with a ladder and 20 dwellings (tent, hut, villa etc.). Each building has 3 levels. Above the dwellings there is the sky, divided by 2 x 16 weather squares and clouds.
The 36 weathercards are shuffled and are placed face down on the 32 weather squares. Each player gets one of the 4 leftover cards. He may look at it and use it during the game. The card is placed face down in front of the player. If the game is played with 2 or 3 players, 2 or 1 card(s) is placed covered up immediately on the clouds.
After this, each player places a weatherfrog of his choice on the edge of the jar (thread) and picks up the 4 matching barometer stones.
The player who is starting the game receives the weathervane. The weathervane is turned over to the player whose turn it is during the game.
The Weather
The 4 weathercards of a column, of a row, or of a diagonal above each building determine the local weather. All cards have typical weather symbols and white and black clouds indicating the quality of the weather.
The cards show these weather types, with their clouds:
- Sun: 3 white clouds
- Fog: 1 black cloud
- Rainbow: 2 white clouds
- Rain: 2 black clouds
- Snow: 1 white cloud
- Thunderstorm: 3 black clouds
The weather above a "building" is determined by the symbols (clouds) of the 4 weathercards standing above the building. By totalling the values, white clouds neutralize black clouds.
Example: There are 4 uncovered cards above a "building" with the following symbols (clouds): 3 white clouds; 2 white clouds; 2 black clouds; 1 black cloud. The total is 2 white clouds.
- Beautiful weather = 2 up to 12 white clouds: If the total out of 4 cards is 2 or more white clouds, the weather is beautiful.
- Mediocre weather = 1 white cloud, 1 black or no cloud: If the total is only one or no cloud at all (white or black clouds), the weather is mediocre.
- Bad weather = 2 up to 12 black clouds: If the total is two or more black clouds, the weather is bad.
How to Play the Game
All players may give up to 4 weather forecasts before performing a move. If several players want to give forecasts, the barometer stones are set clockwise, starting with the player who has the weathervane.
Weather Forecast
The weather is determined by setting a barometer stone in one of the levels of a building.
- Top level = 2 to 12 white clouds: If a stone is put into the top level, the forecast is beautiful weather (2 to 12 white clouds).
- Middle level = 1 white, 1 black or no cloud: If the barometer stone is in the middle level, the forecast is mediocre weather (1 white, 1 black or no cloud).
- First level = 2 to 12 black clouds: A stone in the first level (ground level) means bad weather (2 to 12 black clouds).
Forecasts may only be made for "buildings" which have covered up weather cards above.
- A player may only give one weather forecast per building.
- Only two players may place a barometer stone on the same level of a building. The second stone is put on the first one to maintain the sequence of the forecast.
- Maximum 2 barometer stones per player in the same level.
Once a barometer stone has been placed, it remains in its position until there is a scoring; it must not be moved again.
The scoring takes place when all 4 weathercards above a "building" are uncovered (see Weatherchange and Create Weather).
Weatherchange
The player who has the weathervane may change the weather during his move. This is done by removing an uncovered card from a weather square and placing it face down on the clouds. On the empty weather square he may place his card, which he got at the beginning of the game, or a card of the clouds (it has to be covered up and the player must not look at it).
Only one change of weather per move.
Create Weather
The weather is created by uncovering any weathercard. Each player has to uncover a further weathercard after his move, so that all weathercards are uncovered after 32 moves.
- If no weatherchange had been performed before the creation of weather, a covered up card is uncovered.
- If a weatherchange had been performed (exchange of an open card with a covered up card), the player has to uncover any two cards, so that there is another additional card uncovered.
If the weather created by uncovering cards of a column, row or diagonal is complete, there is an evaluation (scoring) immediately.
Evaluation
If 4 cards above a building are uncovered, there is an evaluation. The players who have done a weather forecast for this "dwelling" receive:
- First correct forecast (lower barometer stone): plus 4 points.
- Second correct forecast (upper barometer stone): plus 2 points.
- Wrong forecast (the barometer stone is on the wrong level): minus 1 point.
Frogs climb up and down: The weatherfrogs climb up and down the ladder according to the points scored. They stand on the spaces of the ladder. The ladder ends at the bottom of the jar, which means a frog can go 3 fields behind the starting point (thread of the jar). Further wrong forecasts do not have any effect.
After the evaluation, the players get their barometer stones back.
End of the Game
The game is finished if all weathercards are uncovered, or when the first weatherfrog has reached the upper end of the ladder or jumps over it. After the last card has been uncovered, the last scoring is done.
The player whose frog has climbed farthest on the ladder, or jumped over the upper end of the ladder, is the winner.
Short Version of the Game
The game goes as follows:
- The player whose turn it is gets the weathervane.
- If desired, everybody may use as many barometer stones as he likes.
- The player who has the weathervane may remove an uncovered weathercard from a weather square to his own taste and place any card from the clouds (covered up) or one of his own weathercards (weatherchange) on the empty square.
- He has to uncover another weathercard, after a "weatherchange," any two weathercards are uncovered (Create Weather).
- He has to hand over the weathervane to the next player.
The next player follows in clockwise direction, before he performs his move. All players may give weather forecasts. If all 4 cards above a building are uncovered, there is an evaluation. The weatherfrogs are moved accordingly.