Eternal Palace Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Aim of the Game
  • Your Painting: Layers and Features
  • Monuments, Prizes & Imperial Seals
• How to Play
  • 1. Roll
  • 2. Plan
  • 3. Play
    • Using Wisdom
    • Using Fish
    • Locations
  • 4. Restore
• End of the Game
  • Prizes
  • Imperial Seals
  • Winning the Game
• Advisors
  • Benefactors
  • Traders, Diplomats and Artisans
• Expansion Modules
  • Privileges
  • Labyrinth
  • River Market
  • Compositions
  • Locations
• The Master: Solo Mode
  • Setup
  • Aim of the Game
  • How to Play
  • End of the Game
  • Playing with Expansions

Components

• 1 board
• 1 painting insert
• 80 painting layers: 70 layers (5 of each of 12 numbered layers, 5 Eternal Bridge layers, 5 'X' layers for use with expansion locations), 10 features
• 107 tokens: 46 advisors, 5 Imperial seals (double sided 3/1), 2 prizes (1 completion prize, 1 sequence prize), 10 Feature tokens, 33 Wisdom (25 x1 and 8 x5), 33 Fish tokens (25 x1 and 8 x5), 20 additional resource tokens, 4 Monument tokens
• 90 resources (25 wood, 25 stone, 20 kaolin, 20 bronze)
• 5 player sets (each in a different colour), each with: 1 Canvas, 1 Canvas stand, 1 Dice screen, 15 Markers, 5 Dice

Deluxe components: Monuments are miniatures in the deluxe game.

Expansion modules:

• Privileges (included in all editions): 15 privilege tokens, 4 advisors, 2 board tokens
• The Master: Solo mode (included in all editions): 17 Master cards, 3 personality cards
• River Market (part of the Deluxe edition): 1 River Market location, 12 demand cards
• Labyrinth (part of the Deluxe edition): 1 Labyrinth location
• Locations (part of the Kickstarter pack): 5 location tiles
• Compositions (part of the Kickstarter pack): 12 composition cards

Setup

1. Place the board in the middle of the play area.
2. Place the completion prize token, sequence prize token, and 5 imperial seal tokens at the Palace.
3. Place the 4 monuments at their matching locations (locations 3, 5, 8 and 10).
4. Separate the advisor cards based on player count and shuffle them into a face-down deck. Place the deck beside the board, alongside the Academy of Wisdom (location 2). Reveal a number of advisors equal to the number of players plus 1 and lay these face-up in a column below the deck.
5. Place 1 feature token on the final space of the track at these 7 locations:
   • Fish Market
   • Academy of Wisdom
   • Forest of Abundance
   • Stone Quarry
   • Kaolin Mine
   • Bronze Forge
   • Eternal Bridge
6. Place 1 feature token near the scrolls of these 2 locations:
   • Temple of Wisdom
   • Palace Market
7. Remove the 10 painting features, 5 canvas pieces, and 70 painting pieces from the insert. Display the feature pieces around the insert and give each player a canvas piece. Display the other painting pieces on the insert in the slots with the lowest numbered painting pieces at the back and the highest at the front.
8. Sort the fish, wisdom and resources (wood, stone, kaolin and bronze) by type and place beside the board as a common supply.
9. Place a resource inside the ring at these 4 locations:
   • 1 wood at Spring Pavilion
   • 1 stone at Serenity Bridge
   • 1 kaolin at Dragon Kiln
   • 1 bronze at Noble Ox
10. Each player chooses a player colour and sets up their play area:
    • Set your canvas into a canvas stand and turn it so that the sky is facing you.
    • Set up your dice screen beside your canvas.
    • Keep 3 of your dice and place the others at the Palace.
    • Place 1 marker on the lowest space of the track at these 7 locations: Fish Market, Academy of Wisdom, Forest of Abundance, Stone Quarry, Kaolin Mine, Bronze Forge, Eternal Bridge.
    • Place 1 marker on the '0' space of the Palace track.
    • Keep your other 5 markers in front of you.
    • If you're playing a 1, 2, or 3 player game, take 3 fish. If you're playing a 4 or 5 player game, take 4 fish. Also take 2 wisdom and 1 of each resource (1 wood, 1 stone, 1 kaolin and 1 bronze) from the supply. Always keep your tokens and resources in front of your dice screen and visible to the other players.
11. Take 1 marker from each player and place them randomly onto the turn order track below the Palace track.

NOTE: The supplies of fish, wisdom and resources are not intended to be limited. If you run out, use suitable replacements.

Aim of the Game

Each painting layer, painting feature, monument, prize and Imperial seal you collect is worth 1 point at the end of the game. The player with the most points wins.

Your Painting: Layers and Features

As you visit locations, you will earn painting layers and painting features. You can gain a painting piece from every location. You will need to visit some locations multiple times to earn a painting piece, but some can be earned immediately.

Features are available at locations that require multiple visits, and they are awarded only to the player who claims the first painting piece from these locations.

When you add layers and features to your painting, position them so that each individual piece is visible. Higher numbered pieces are placed in front of lower numbered pieces. You cannot add more than 1 of each numbered layer, but you may add any number of features.

IMPORTANT: Your painting is not secret. If another player asks, you must always reveal how many painting layers and features you have collected.

Monuments, Prizes & Imperial Seals

Each time you contribute to building a monument, you take control of the monument model. Only the player who has the monument at the end of the game earns a point. The completion prize is awarded to the player who collects 8 painting layers first. The sequence prize is awarded to the player whose painting contains the longest sequence of consecutively numbered layers. Imperial seals are awarded to the players who have achieved the most and second-most progress on the Palace track.

How to Play

The game is played over a number of rounds, until 1 player has collected 8 painting layers.

Each round has 4 phases:

1. Roll
2. Plan
3. Play
4. Restore

1. Roll

Everyone rolls all of their available dice once, and then the turn order is adjusted.

At the start of the game, some of your dice are at the Palace and unavailable to you. You will gain these dice as you play.

Roll all of your available dice in front of your dice screen, and keep them visible to all players. Add up the results of your dice roll and announce this total.

Adjust the player markers on the turn order track, so that they are arranged from left to right in order of increasing dice total (in other words, the lowest total is on the left and the highest total is on the right). If tied, the tied player whose marker was already earlier in the current turn order (that is, furthest left) maintains the earlier position.

IMPORTANT: During this phase, you cannot use game effects to change your dice results.

2. Plan

Everyone secretly makes groups of dice behind their screen.

When all players are ready, move all the dice you rolled behind your dice screen, taking care not to change any of the results. Arrange your dice into any number of 'groups' you wish. A group consists of 1 or more dice placed beside each other. The total value of dice in each group, and in some cases the number of dice in the group, will be important since they will determine which actions you can take in the next phase.

Be sure to arrange your dice so that when you remove your screen, the groups you intended to create will be absolutely clear.

When everyone has finished arranging their dice, lift your screen and place it aside.

3. Play

Players take turns to play dice groups to visit board locations and take the corresponding actions. This continues until all dice groups have been played.

The position of the markers on the turn order track determines the order of play. The player with the left-most marker goes first. Then take turns in this order from left to right.

On your turn, choose 1 dice group in front of you, then place it at 1 of the locations on the board to 'visit' that location and take the corresponding action.

• At a numbered location, you may only place a group if its value (the sum of all its dice results) is exactly equal to the location number.
• At the Eternal Bridge, you may only place a group that contains a single die.
• At the Imperial Scrolls, you may place a group of any size or value.

NOTE: You are always free to visit and revisit a location, including within a single round, provided you have the dice to do so. Even after you have collected the painting layer from a location, you may continue to visit it and take the corresponding action.

When play returns to you, place another dice group. If you have no more dice, skip your turn. The round continues until everyone has placed all their dice groups.

Using Wisdom

Before you place a group, you may spend wisdom to change the value of the dice.

Spend 1 wisdom to add or subtract 1 from the value of a single die. Spend 2 wisdom to change a 6 into a 1, or change a 1 into a 6. You may spend any amount of wisdom in a single turn to change the value of 1 or more dice by any amount.

Using Fish

If there are already dice at a location when you visit it, you must pay a penalty in fish, except at the Imperial Scrolls which never require a penalty.

You must pay exactly 1 fish to the supply for each player (including you) who already has any number of dice at the location. If you cannot pay the whole penalty, you cannot visit the location.

Locations

FISH MARKET

When you visit the Fish Market, you may appoint 1 new advisor. Draw 3 advisors from the top of the deck and choose 1 to keep, 1 to discard, and 1 to return to the top of the deck. You cannot appoint one of the face-up advisors beside the board. For the advisor you kept, choose from the following options:

• Pay the resources in an advisor's banner, to take that advisor and 3 fish. — or —
• Pay 3 fish, to take any 1 advisor without paying the resources in the banner.

If you cannot afford to or do not wish to keep an advisor, discard 2 and return 1 to the top of the deck, then take 3 fish.

At the end of your visit, move your marker exactly 1 step up the location's progress track. When you reach the end of the track, take a painting layer. If you are the first player to do so, remove the feature token and take a painting feature of your choice.

ACADEMY OF WISDOM

When you visit the Academy of Wisdom, you must appoint 1 new advisor from the face-up advisors beside the board. Each advisor gives you an immediate or ongoing benefit. These are explained in the Advisors section.

• Pay the resources in an advisor's banner, to take that advisor and 2 wisdom. — or —
• Pay 2 wisdom, to take any 1 advisor without paying the resources in the banner.

At the end of your visit, move your marker exactly 1 step up the Academy's progress track. When you reach the end of the track, take a painting layer. If you are the first player to do so, remove the feature token and take a painting feature of your choice.

Face up advisors at the Academy of Wisdom are not replaced until phase 4: Restore.

MONUMENT LOCATIONS

These locations allow you to contribute to building the monuments. Use wood to build the Spring Pavilion, stone to build the Serenity Bridge, kaolin to build the Dragon Kiln, and bronze to build the Noble Ox.

When you visit a monument location, you must pay a cost equal to the type and number of resources already present in the circle. If you cannot pay the cost, you cannot visit the location. At the start of the game, each circle has 1 resource in it, so the cost is 1 resource of that type.

Pay the cost to the supply, then add exactly 1 resource of the matching type to the circle, so that the cost to the next visitor is increased by 1.

NOTE: You may visit a monument location even if you already have the monument.

Move your marker exactly 1 step forward on the Palace track, then take the matching monument either from the board or from the player who currently has it. If you already have the monument, move your marker an extra step forward on the Palace track.

At the end of your visit, take the painting layer that matches the location, if you do not already have it.

RESOURCE LOCATIONS

These locations allow you to gather 1 of the 4 resources. Gather wood at the Forest of Abundance, stone at the Stone Quarry, kaolin at the Kaolin Mine, and bronze at the Bronze Forge.

When you visit a resource location, the size of your dice group determines how many matching resources you can take from the supply:

• Forest or Quarry: Take 1 resource if your group contained 1 die, or take 3 resources if your group contained 2 or more dice.
• Mine or Forge: Take 1 resource if your group contained 2 dice, or take 3 resources if your group contained 3 or more dice.

At the end of your visit, move your marker exactly 1 step up the location's progress track. When you reach the end of the track, take the painting layer that matches the location. If you are the first player to do so, remove the feature token and take a painting feature of your choice.

NOTE: You cannot play a group containing a single die at the Mine or Forge. You may play a group of 3 or more dice at the Forest or Quarry, or a group of 4 or more dice at the Mine or Forge, but you do not gain any additional resources.

TEMPLE OF WISDOM

When you visit the Temple of Wisdom, take 3 wisdom.

The first time you visit the Temple, place a marker on the panel matching the values of the dice in your group. If you visit again using a different combination of values, place a second marker, and then take a painting layer. If you are the first player to place 2 markers in different panels, remove the feature token and take a painting feature of your choice.

NOTE: You may play a group of 3 or more dice at the Temple. If you do, take 3 wisdom but do not place a marker.

Your markers are only used to record the first 2 times you visit the Temple using groups with different combinations of values. Markers never block you or another player playing a similar group on a later visit.

PALACE MARKET

When you visit the Palace Market, depending on how many dice you visit with, take 3, 4, or 5 different items from this list: 3 fish | 2 wisdom | 1 wood | 1 stone | 1 kaolin | 1 bronze

If you visit with 2 dice, take 3 different items. If you visit with 3 dice, take 4 different items, and if you visit with 4 or more dice, take 5 different items.

The first time you visit the Market, place a marker on the panel matching the size of your group. If you visit again with a group that matches a different panel, place a second marker, and then take a painting layer. If you are the first player to place 2 markers in different panels, remove the feature token and take a painting feature of your choice.

NOTE: Your markers are only used to record the first 2 times you visit the Market using groups of different sizes. Markers never block you or another player playing a group of a similar size on a later visit.

ETERNAL BRIDGE

When you visit the Eternal Bridge, you may only place a group that contains a single die. Move your marker along the progress track a number of steps equal to the value of the die. Take the rewards shown on the spaces that you move onto or over:

• Take 1 fish.
• Take 1 wisdom.
• Take 1 fish and 1 wisdom.
• Take 1 resource of your choice.
• Take 1 face-up advisor for free. (Do not pay or receive fish, wisdom, or resources.)
• When you reach the end of the track, take a painting layer. If you are the first player to do so, remove the feature token and take a painting feature of your choice.

NOTE: You don't need to play a die with the exact value to reach the end of the track.

IMPERIAL SCROLLS

When you visit the Imperial Scrolls, you may place a group of any size or value.

• If the group contains a single die, you may take 2 fish or 1 wisdom.
• If the group contains 2 or more dice, you may take 2 fish, 1 wisdom or 1 resource of your choice.

REMEMBER: You never pay a fish penalty at the Imperial Scrolls.

4. Restore

This phase starts when everyone has played all of their dice groups. It's time to prepare for the next round.

Recover dice

All players take back the dice they played this round.

Restore advisors

All players rotate any advisors they used this round back to a vertical orientation.

Retire all advisors at the Academy

Remove the advisors in the column of cards alongside the Academy, and put them face-up next to the deck in a discard pile. Then reveal new advisors from the deck and lay them face-up in a column, next to the deck.

REMEMBER: The number of face-up advisors should always be equal to the number of players plus 1.

Award dice at the Palace

While any dice remain at the Palace, do as follows:

• 2 or 3 players: Award exactly 1 die to the player with the fewest dice.
• 4 or 5 players: Award exactly 1 die each to the 2 players with the fewest dice.

If players are tied with fewest dice, give the die to the tied player whose marker is furthest ahead on the Palace track. If still tied, give the die to the tied player who is earliest (left-most) in the current turn order. If you receive a die take 1 of your dice from the Palace and add it to your available dice for all future rounds.

End of the Game

The end of the game is triggered when at least 1 player collects 8 painting layers. Finish the current round, then end the game.

Prizes

The player who was first to collect 8 painting layers takes the completion prize.

The player who has the longest sequence of consecutively numbered painting layers takes the sequence prize. If players are tied, the tied player whose sequence contains the highest valued layer earns the prize. If players are still tied, no player earns this prize.

Imperial Seals

The player furthest ahead on the Palace track earns 3 Imperial seals (take a token and flip it to the '3 seal' side).

The player in second place earns 1 Imperial seal. Only give out the award for second place if that player is at least half as far along the track (rounded up) as the player in first place.

If players are tied for first place, all tied players earn 3 seals and second place is not awarded.

If players are tied for second place, and second place is awarded, all tied players earn 1 seal.

Winning the Game

Reveal your complete painting and count up your points:

• Each painting layer is worth 1 point.
• Each painting feature is worth 1 point.
• Each monument you have is worth 1 point.
• Each prize is worth 1 point.
• Each Imperial seal is worth 1 point.

The player with the most points wins. If tied, compare the numbers on the tied players' painting layers. The player who collected the highest uniquely numbered layer wins.

If there is still a tie, all tied players share victory.

A note on the use of easels: Easels were not widely used in China during the time period in which Eternal Palace is set. Although the use of easels is out of context, we chose to use them to give Eternal Palace an elevated table presence.

Advisors

There are 4 types of advisors: Benefactor, Trader, Diplomat and Artisan.

Benefactors

Benefactors are identified by a lightning bolt. When you appoint a Benefactor, immediately take the reward(s) shown and then place the advisor in the discard pile next to the deck.

NOTE: Advisors with a special symbol are only used in a 4 or 5 player game.

1. Take 4 wisdom.
2. Take 1 fish, 1 wisdom and 1 resource of your choice.
3. Take 4 fish.
4. Take 2 resources of your choice (they can be the same or different).
5. Move your marker 1 step forward on the Palace track.
6. Move your marker 1 step up the progress track at 1 of the resource locations.

Traders, Diplomats and Artisans

When you appoint a Trader, Diplomat or Artisan, keep the card face-up in front of you. You may use the power of an advisor once per round on your turn, including on the turn you gain the advisor. After you use an advisor, rotate it sideways to show that you cannot use the power again this round.

When you use a Trader, pay to the supply what is shown on the left, and then take from the supply what is shown on the right. You cannot make the trade in reverse.

7. Trade 1 wisdom for 2 fish.
8. Trade 1 wisdom for 1 resource of your choice.
9. Trade 1 fish for 1 wisdom.
10. Trade 2 fish for 1 resource of your choice.
11. Trade 1 resource of your choice for 2 wisdom.
12. Trade 1 resource of your choice for 1 other resource of your choice.

When you use a Diplomat, you must give what is shown on the left to 1 other player of your choice, and then take from the supply what is shown on the right.

13. Give 1 wisdom, and take 1 fish and 1 resource of your choice.
14. Give 1 fish, and take 2 wisdom.
15. Give 3 fish, and take 2 resources of your choice (they can be the same or different).
16. Give 1 resource of your choice, and take 3 wisdom.
17. Give 1 resource of your choice, and take 1 wisdom and 1 different resource of your choice.
18. Give 3 resources of your choice (any combination), and move your marker 1 step forward on the Palace track.

You may use an Artisan if you visit a resource location or if your dice match a requirement at the start of a round. When this happens, take from the supply what is shown on the right.

19. When you visit a resource location, take 1 wood.
20. When you visit a resource location, take 1 stone.
21. When you visit a resource location, take 1 kaolin.
22. When you visit a resource location, take 1 bronze.
23. At the start of each round, gain 2 wisdom if you have the lowest total dice value. Do not gain wisdom if there is a tie.
24. At the start of each round, choose 1 of the following rewards. If you grouped 2 dice, gain 1 fish. If you grouped 3 dice, gain 1 resource of your choice. If you grouped 4 or more dice, move your marker 1 step forward on the Palace track.

Expansion Modules

Your game may include the following expansion modules:

• Privileges (all editions)
• Labyrinth (part of the Deluxe edition)
• River Market (part of the Deluxe edition)
• Compositions (part of the Kickstarter pack)
• Locations (part of the Kickstarter pack)
• The Master: Solo mode (all editions)

The Labyrinth, River Market and Compositions expansions cannot be combined with each other. Only play with at most one of these three expansions in any game.

Privileges

This module adds privilege tokens that allow players to manipulate their position on the turn order track. It is recommended for experienced players.

Components: 15 privilege tokens, 4 advisors, 2 board tiles

Setup

• Give each player 1 privilege token. Place the remaining tokens in a common supply. These are not intended to be limited.
• Shuffle the 4 advisor cards into the advisor deck.
• Place one board tile beside the scroll at the Palace Market, with the side showing a single privilege token face up. If playing with the Palace Market alternative location, flip the tile over to show the side with two privilege tokens.
• Place the other board tile over the third space of the Eternal Bridge. If playing with the Eternal Bridge alternative location, place the tile in the same position.

How to Play

During phase 2 (Plan), before everyone reveals their dice groups, all players in turn order may choose to play exactly 1 privilege below their marker on the turn order track.

After everyone has either chosen to play a privilege or not, resolve them one by one, and from left to right.

If you played a privilege, switch the position of your marker with the marker immediately ahead of yours, unless that player played a privilege, in which case the switch is blocked. After any played privileges have been resolved, return them to the supply.

In this example, Yellow is first and chooses not to play a privilege. In response, Green chooses to play a privilege. Pink chooses not to. Green switches positions with Yellow, and becomes the first player, pushing Yellow into second. Pink remains in third place. If Yellow had played a privilege, Green could not have moved up — but might have still played a privilege to prevent Pink from playing one and pushing Green into third. If Yellow had not played a privilege but both Green and Pink did, first Green would switch with Yellow, and then Pink would switch with Yellow, pushing Yellow into third.

You can gain privileges at the Palace Market, at the Eternal Bridge (when you move onto or pass over the third space), and by appointing one of the new advisors.

25. Benefactor: Take 2 privilege tokens.
26. Trader: Trade 1 resource of your choice for 1 privilege token.
27. Diplomat: Give 1 fish and 1 wisdom, and take 1 privilege token.
28. Artisan: When you visit the Eternal Bridge, take 1 privilege token.

Labyrinth

The Labyrinth expansion adds an additional location. It is especially recommended if you are playing with 4 or 5 players.

Components: 1 Labyrinth location

Setup

• Place the Labyrinth location beside the main board.
• Place a feature token on the central space of the Labyrinth.
• Each player places a marker on the first space of the Labyrinth.

How to Play

You may visit the Labyrinth by playing a dice group containing a single die.

Choose a path connected to your marker's current position, and pay a number of fish matching the number shown on the path. Then move your marker 1 step along the path to the next reward space and take the reward shown.

• Pay 1, 2 or 3 fish to move along the path.
• Take 1 wood, 1 stone, 1 kaolin or 1 bronze.
• Move your marker 1 step forward on the Palace track.
• Take painting layer X. If you are the first player to do so, remove the feature token and take a painting feature of your choice.

River Market

The River Market expansion adds an additional location. It is especially recommended if you are playing with 4 or 5 players.

Components: 1 River Market location, 12 demand cards

Setup

• Place the River Market beside the main board.
• Place a feature token on the last space of the River Market track.
• Each player places a marker on the first space of the River Market track.
• Shuffle the 12 demand cards and place them in a face-down deck on the River Market. Flip the top card of the deck face up.

How to Play

Each demand card shows the same three demands:

• 1 resource of your choice
• 1 kaolin or bronze
• 1 wood or stone

With 2 or 3 players, only the top two demand spaces are available. With 4 or 5 players, all three demand spaces are available. Each card also shows a reward on the left and a penalty (in red) on the right. The demand cards carry the following reward/penalty pairs:

• Reward: You may pay 2 resources of the corresponding type to move your marker 1 step up the progress track at a resource location. Penalty: Lose 1 fish.
• Reward: You may appoint 1 new advisor for free. (Do not pay or receive fish, wisdom, or resources). Draw 3 advisors from the top of the deck and choose 1 to keep. Discard the others. You cannot appoint one of the face-up advisors beside the board. Penalty: Lose 1 fish.
• Reward: Move your marker 1 step forward on the Palace track. Penalty: Lose 1 wisdom.
• Reward: Take 1 bronze, 1 kaolin, 1 stone and 1 wood. Penalty: Lose 3 fish.
• Reward: Take 2 resources of your choice. Penalty: Lose 1 wisdom and 1 fish.
• Reward: Take 2 different resources of your choice. Penalty: Lose 1 resource of your choice.
• Reward: Take 1 resource of your choice. Penalty: Lose 2 resources of your choice.
• Reward: Take 1 fish and 3 wisdom. Penalty: Lose 2 resources of your choice.
• Benefit: Take 3 wisdom. Penalty: Lose 3 resources of your choice.
• Benefit: Take 4 fish. Penalty: Lose 3 resources of your choice and 1 wisdom.
• Benefit: Take 2 wisdom. Penalty: Move your marker 1 step backward on the Palace track.
• Benefit: Take 3 fish. Penalty: Discard an advisor you had previously appointed.

You may visit the River Market by playing a dice group containing a single die.

Place a marker on one of the demand spaces on the current demand card, and satisfy the demand shown on the space by paying 1 resource matching the demand. Only one marker can be placed on each demand space, but a single player may satisfy multiple demands on the same card over separate turns.

At the end of your visit, move your marker exactly 1 step up the location's progress track. When you reach the end of the track, take the X painting layer. If you are the first player to do so, remove the feature token and take a painting feature of your choice.

Fulfilling the final demand

When all the available demands have been satisfied, every player must do the following:

• If you placed one or more markers, gain the reward on the card a number of times equal to the number of markers you placed.
• If you placed no markers, you must pay the penalty. If you cannot pay the full penalty, pay as much of the penalty as you can.

Then, return all the markers on the card to their players, discard the completed demand card, and flip a new demand card to replace it.

Compositions

The Compositions expansion adds valuable new objectives for players to compete to fulfill.

Components: 12 composition cards

Setup

Shuffle the 12 composition cards and deal a number of face up cards beside the main board equal to the number of players. Put the remaining composition cards back in the box.

How to Play

The first player to collect all three painting layers shown on a composition card immediately takes the card and gains the rewards shown in the scroll.

• The required layers on some cards include 'EB' which means Eternal Bridge.
• The rewards on some cards include Imperial Seals. Keep these cards until the end of the game. Each Imperial Seal on them is worth 1 point.

The composition cards carry rewards such as: move your marker 1 step forward on the Palace track; take 2 wisdom (worth 1 point at the end of the game); take 3 resources of your choice; take 1 resource of your choice (worth 1 point at the end of the game, or 2 points on some cards); take 3 fish (worth 1 point at the end of the game).

Locations

The Locations expansion includes alternative versions of 5 locations. You can add any combination of the new locations to the game.

Components: 5 location tiles

Setup

Choose which of the location tiles you want to include, and place them so that they cover up the corresponding part of the board.

How to Play

Each location tile changes the actions and rewards available when you visit the location.

Fish Market

When you visit the Fish Market, you may appoint 1 new advisor. Draw 1 advisor from the top of the deck. You may pay any number of fish to draw the same number of additional advisors. Then choose 1 to keep, 1 to return to the top of the deck, and discard any other cards. You cannot appoint one of the face-up advisors beside the board.

For the advisor you kept:

• Pay the resources in an advisor's banner, to take that advisor and 3 fish. — or —
• Pay 3 fish, to take any 1 advisor without paying the resources in the banner.

If you cannot afford to or do not wish to keep an advisor, return 1 to the top of the deck and discard the other cards you drew, then take 3 fish.

Academy of Wisdom

When you visit the Academy of Wisdom, you may either appoint 1 new advisor or take all of the wisdom in the Academy's reserve.

To appoint an advisor, you must pay the resources in the advisor's banner. When you do, take 1 wisdom from the supply and add it to the Academy's reserve.

Temple of Wisdom

When you visit the Temple of Wisdom you may do one of the following:

• Take 1 wisdom.
• Pay 1 resource of your choice to take 3 wisdom.
• Pay any 2 resources of your choice to take 6 wisdom.

Palace Market

When you visit the Palace Market, depending on how many dice you visit with, take 1, 2, or 3 different rewards from this list:

• You may pay 1 resource of the corresponding type to move your marker 1 step up the progress track at a resource location.
• Move your marker 1 step forward on the Palace track.
• Take 2 wisdom, 1 resource of your choice and 2 fish.
• Take 1 face-up advisor for free. (Do not pay or receive fish, wisdom, or resources.)

Eternal Bridge

• Move your marker 1 step forward on the Palace track.
• You may pay 1 resource of the corresponding type to move your marker 1 step up the progress track at a resource location.
• Take 1 kaolin.
• Take 1 stone.
• Take 1 bronze.
• Take 1 wood.

The Master: Solo Mode

Eternal Palace can be played solo against the Master, an automated opponent.

Components: 17 Master cards, 3 personality cards (double-sided)

Setup

Choose one player colour for yourself and one for the Master. Set up the game as normal for a 2-player game, with the following changes:

The Master's supplies

Give the Master 2 fish and 2 wisdom, but no resources. (The Master never collects resources.)

The Master's dice

Make a supply of 5 dice for the Master: 2 dice of the Master's player colour plus 1 die of each of the 3 other unused colours (not including your player colour).

Start the game with 6 dice in front of you: 3 of your own dice plus 3 taken from the Master's supply (exactly 1 die matching the Master's player colour plus any 2 other dice taken from their supply). Put the remaining 4 dice (2 of yours, plus the other 2 dice in the Master's supply) at the Palace.

The Master's deck

Select one of the Master's six personalities to play against:

• Balance: Recommended for your first game
• Ascent: The Master favours higher-numbered locations more often
• Enlightenment: The Master favours the Eternal Bridge more often
• Descent: The Master favours lower-valued locations more often
• Perception: Recommended for use if an expansion location is in play
• Uncertainty: The Master favours the monument locations

Each personality uses 8 of the Master cards. Find the 8 cards which show the appropriate symbol and shuffle them to create a face-down deck. Put the 9 other Master cards back in the box. Also find the matching personality card and keep it face up.

Aim of the Game

Before you begin, choose a difficulty mode: Apprentice, Journeyman or Expert (see 'End of the Game' below).

The game ends as normal when either you or the Master collects 8 painting layers. Both you and the Master score points for painting layers, painting features, monuments, Imperial seals and prizes as normal, but the Master can also score additional points based on the difficulty level.

If you score more points than the Master, you win.

How to Play

1. Roll

Roll your available dice and the Master's available dice once (example: in the first round roll all 6 dice). Adjust your markers and the Master's markers on the turn order track as normal.

2. Plan

After you have grouped your dice, flip the top card of the Master's deck face-up and place the Master's dice onto the matching coloured positions on the card (do not change the dice values). Each row of dice on the Master's card represents a separate group of dice that the Master will play this round.

If the value of a row of 3 dice exceeds 12, remove the lowest-valued die (if tied, remove the right-most tied die) and place it below the other dice to create an extra group containing a single die.

3. Play

You and the Master take alternating turns, starting with the player who is first on the turn order track.

Your turns

Play your own turns as normal, with the following changes:

• If you visit a location at which the Master already has any number of dice, you must pay 1 fish to the supply.
• If you use a diplomat advisor, you must give something to the Master. If the gift is a resource, put the resource back in the supply and give the Master 1 wisdom from the supply instead (the Master never collects resources).

The Master's turns

The Master first chooses a dice group to play.

• If the Master has a group with a value that matches the value of one of your unplayed groups, the Master plays that group. If this gives the Master a choice of groups to play, the Master plays the top-most group.
• If the Master has no groups that match the value of one of your unplayed groups, the Master simply plays the top-most group.

Later in the game, when the Master has 2 dice of his own player colour, place these dice together on the matching coloured position within the same group. When this happens, if the value of a row of 4 dice exceeds 12, remove the lowest-valued die as above if doing so reduces the total to 12 or less. If not, remove the two lowest-valued dice (if tied, remove the right-most tied dice) and place them below the other dice to create two extra groups containing one die each.

The Master only plays the group to visit the corresponding location if it costs no fish to do so and the Master can benefit as follows:

• Can the Master move ahead on the progress track?
• Can the Master gain the monument piece?
• Can the Master place a first or second marker?

If the Master would not benefit, consider the sequence of possible actions on the personality card one by one, from top to bottom. Resolve the first action that allows the Master to both legally play the dice group and directly benefit. Each personality card has a different combination and sequence of the following actions:

• Spend fish: Can the Master spend fish to play the dice group at the corresponding location and benefit as defined above?
• Spend wisdom: Can the Master spend wisdom as shown to increase or decrease the value of the group and play the dice group at the new corresponding location (without spending fish) and benefit as defined above? Note: The Master doesn't change the individual values of his dice. Adjust the group's overall value, ignoring the possible dice values.
• Visit Eternal Bridge: If the Master is playing a group containing a single die, can the Master visit the Eternal Bridge (without spending fish) and move ahead on the track?
• Visit Labyrinth or River Market: If the Master is playing a group containing a single die, can the Master visit the Labyrinth or River Market (without spending fish) and move ahead on the path or progress track?
• Visit closest monument location: Can the Master spend any combination of fish and wisdom to place at the closest monument location, regardless of whether or not the Master already has the monument? If the Master has a choice of closest locations, the Master first prefers to visit a location for which the Master does not already have the monument, but will otherwise visit the higher-valued location.

When the Master visits a location, the Master takes the following modified action, and collects painting layers and features as normal.

Fish Market: The Master takes 3 fish, and moves 1 step up the progress track. Also discard 2 cards from the top of the advisor deck. The Master never appoints an advisor.

Academy of Wisdom: The Master takes 2 wisdom, discards 1 face-up advisor beside the board at random, and moves 1 step up the progress track. The Master never appoints an advisor.

Monument locations: The Master takes the monument piece, and moves 1 step forward on the Palace track. Place 1 matching resource from the supply at the location.

Resource locations: The Master moves 1 step up the progress track. The Master never takes resources.

Temple of Wisdom: The Master takes 3 wisdom, and places a marker at the location. The Master always places a marker, regardless of the value of dice placed and the position of the Master's first marker.

Palace Market: The Master takes 3, 4 or 5 wisdom if there are 2, 3 or 4 dice in the group, and places a marker at the location. The Master always places a marker, regardless of the number of dice placed and the position of the Master's first marker.

Eternal Bridge: The Master spends the minimum amount of wisdom needed to increase the value of the die to at least 4, if necessary. (If the die is a 1, the Master spends 2 wisdom to change it to a 6; if the die is a 2 or 3, he spends 2 or 1 wisdom respectively to change it to 4; if the die is a 4, 5 or 6, the Master spends no wisdom.) The Master takes fish and wisdom rewards as normal. For any other reward, the Master instead takes 1 wisdom.

4. Restore

Award 1 die from the Palace as normal. The Master always receives the second die of the Master's player colour last.

End of the Game

The end of the game is triggered as normal when either you or the Master collect 8 painting layers. Award the completion prize as normal.

The Master scores points for his painting layers, painting features, monuments, Imperial seals and prizes as normal. Award additional bonuses to the Master as follows, depending on the difficulty level you chose during setup.

Apprentice

• Painting features: If the Master is ahead of you on the track at a location with a painting feature, the Master claims the feature.
• Sequence prize: Award the sequence prize as normal. If there is a tie, the Master claims it.

Journeyman

• Painting features: If the Master is ahead of you on the track at a location with a feature piece, the Master claims the feature.
• Sequence prize: If you have a sequence of at least 4 consecutively numbered painting layers and this is longer than the Master's longest sequence, you claim the prize. Otherwise, the Master claims it.
• Fish & wisdom: The Master gains 1 wisdom for every 3 fish in his supply, and then moves 1 step ahead on the Palace track for every 2 wisdom now in his supply.
• Palace track: Now award Imperial seals as normal. In addition, the Master scores 1 extra point for every step the Master has progressed on the Palace track beyond space 8.

Expert

• Painting features: The Master takes all unclaimed features, regardless of the position of your marker on the progress track.
• Sequence prize: If you have a sequence of at least 7 consecutively numbered painting layers and this is longer than the Master's longest sequence, you claim the prize. Otherwise, the Master claims it.
• Fish & wisdom: The Master gains 1 wisdom for every 3 fish in his supply, and then moves 1 step ahead on the Palace track for every 2 wisdom now in his supply.
• Palace track: Now award Imperial seals as normal. In addition, the Master scores 1 extra point for every step the Master has progressed on the Palace track beyond space 5.

You win if you beat the Master's score. If there is a tie, the Master wins.

Playing with Expansions

Labyrinth and River Market expansion

You can play the solo game with either the Labyrinth or River Market location, but do not use the Balance Master card deck or personality card.

Labyrinth: The Master moves 1 step along the shortest path towards the centre of the Labyrinth. The Master takes a painting layer and can claim the feature token as normal when the Master reaches the centre. The Master never pays fish to move and never gains resources.

River Market: The Master places 1 marker on the top-most available demand and moves 1 step up the progress track. When all available demands have been satisfied, the Master gains rewards or pays penalties in the same way a player would, except that if the Master would gain or lose a resource the Master instead gains or loses 1 wisdom, and if the Master would gain or lose an advisor the Master instead gains or loses 2 wisdom. Unlike other locations, the Master considers the River Market location beneficial even after the Master has claimed the painting layer, and can continue to revisit the location.

Locations expansion

There are no changes in the solo game when playing with alternative Fish Market and Temple of Wisdom locations.

Academy of Wisdom: If there is no wisdom in the reserve, the Master discards 1 face-up advisor at random and adds 1 wisdom to the reserve from the supply. Otherwise, the Master rolls 1 die:

• If the Master rolls 5 or 6, the Master takes all the wisdom present, and moves 1 step up the progress track.
• If the Master rolls 1, 2, 3 or 4, the Master takes up to 2 wisdom from the supply, discards 1 face-up advisor at random, and moves 1 step up the progress track.

Palace Market: The Master takes the first 1, 2 or 3 rewards from the following list if there are 2, 3 or 4 dice in the group: the Master moves 1 step up the progress track at the highest valued resource location; the Master takes 3 wisdom and 2 fish; the Master moves 1 step forward on the Palace track.

Eternal Bridge: The Master takes 1 wisdom instead of any individual reward as normal, except for the Palace track reward near the end of the bridge. For this reward, the Master moves 1 step forward on the Palace track just like a player would.