Farao Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Game Preparation
• Playing the Game
  • Player's Move
  • Movement in the Pyramid
  • Obstacles
  • Ancient Inscriptions
  • Items
  • End of the Move
  • Attack
  • End of the Game
• Big Pyramid
  • Variant of the Game "Big Pyramid"
• Almanac
  • List of Game Tiles
  • List of Obstacles
  • List of Items

Components

The setup diagram labels the following components:

• Outside wall of the small pyramid (4 L-shaped fills)
• 48 basic pyramid tiles
• Burial chamber tile (closed walls)
• Shared supply of tokens with ancient inscriptions
• Shared supply of tokens with items (black and white back side, placed face down)
• 3 archaeologist figures per player, in the player's colour
• Player card per player, in the player's colour
• Dice
• Summary card (items and obstacles)
• Four entrances to the pyramid

Game Preparation

For the first game, we recommend the basic version of "Small pyramid", which we will explain now. Set aside the items marked with a blue border and pyramid tiles marked with the expansion symbol; they are for the extended version of "Big pyramid" (see p. 6).

• Put four L-shaped fills into the game board to make it smaller and as the outside wall of the pyramid.
• Randomly lay out the 48 basic tiles of the pyramid upside down on the game board.
• Always place the burial chamber tile in the middle of the pyramid with the wall side facing upwards.
• Each player receives three figures in his colour, representing his archaeologists, and a colour matching player card.
• Sort tokens with items by type and place them with the back (black and white side) upside down next to the game board. This is the shared supply of tokens with items.
• Divide the tokens with the ancient inscriptions according to colours. This way you will create their shared supply.
• There is also a summary card with items and obstacles that you can encounter in the game, a detailed description of which can be found in the almanac on page 6.
• Prepare the dice.

Playing the Game

The youngest player begins the game by making his move. Then the players take turns clockwise. The winner is who first discovers and reads five ancient inscriptions, and then enters one of his archaeologist figures into the burial chamber to find out if a tomb with Imhotep's body is actually hidden there and he goes down in history of archaeology.

Player's Move

At each turn, you throw a dice and then move one of your archaeologist figures by as many fields as on the dice. If the figure you want to move is not placed on the game board, you can start with it at any corner entrance to the pyramid (these entrances count as the first field of the move). You can also move the figure around the outside wall of the pyramid, and the same rules apply to its fields as for the other tiles you turn in the game. You can enter the other tiles of the pyramid from the fields of the outside wall and vice versa.

The player's move can not be split between two or more archaeologist figures.

Movement in the Pyramid

As you move through the pyramid, you gradually move by as many fields as you have on the dice. If, during your move, you are going to enter an unturned tile, turn it face up and select its position so that you can enter it from the tile you are moving from. If you have chosen one tile and turned it, you ALWAYS have to move on it. As you move your figures, you can find various items and obstacles on each tile.

Example: Here is your figure which you move. You have chosen an unexplored tile (1). You take it to your hands and find out that it has a shape of letter L. You cannot place it like this (2), because you could not enter it. You have two possibilities: place the tunnel so it turns to the right (3) or to the left (4). Then you enter with your figure to a revealed tile and if you have a move left, you continue with the game.

During the move, you must not move either over the wall or askew. You can not go back to the tile you have just come from. You can enter this tile only in your next move. Other constraints may be various obstacles (see below). Other archaeologists do not block your progress, you can walk through the tiles on which they are standing or finish your move there.

Example: Here is your figure which you move. In your next step, you cannot enter the tile (1) as it is behind the wall. You also cannot get to the tiles (2) in one step as they are askew. You cannot enter the tile (3) as you came from there during your previous step. You have two possibilities left. You can go to an unexplored tile (5) or to a revealed tile (4) and from there, in your next step, continue to the tile (2) in the right upper corner.

Most of the tiles in the pyramid are just a corridor or intersection that goes further. However, on some tiles there are various obstacles and items that will affect you during the game. If you encounter such a tile during your move, perform its effect immediately. If you have more movement points, continue.

Obstacles

If you have decided to enter an unexplored tile and it has turned out to be an obstacle, you can no longer take the move back or go elsewhere. You must enter the tile. Thus, if there is, for example, a deadly obstacle, the archaeologist will die.

Obstacles can have these impacts:

• They kill: Your archaeologist will die. The player shall remove the archaeologist figure from the game board and can "deploy" it again during his next move. From now on it represents a new archaeologist.
• Player's move ends: As soon as you enter this tile, your move ends even though you could have some movement points left.
• You cannot enter them: See the description below.

For more details on obstacles, see Almanac (p. 7) and the summary card. Each obstacle also contains an item that can protect you against it. If you have it with you, the obstacle does not affect you and you can ignore it (the item remains yours in this case). If you lose your item while standing on an obstacle tile (e.g. you are robbed, see below), nothing happens. You can leave the tile and the obstacle will not endanger you. The obstacle has effect when you enter it.

Ancient Inscriptions

To win the game, you must, as soon as possible, "read" five different ancient inscriptions that are also hidden in the pyramid tiles. Read the inscription by entering with your archaeologist on the tile and taking the token of the corresponding colour from their shared supply. Add the obtained token to your player card. You cannot obtain an inscription of the same colour twice.

Items

You will find items on some tiles. Each time you enter (go through it or end there your move) on such a revealed or not revealed tile, you can take the token of this item and place it on your player card. You can only have one item once, so if you already have it, do not take it again. Most items have two meanings:

• The item protects you from the effects of an obstacle. If you enter the tile with this obstacle and you have the item, you can ignore it and enter the tile (you do not lose the item).
• You can use the item by returning it at any time during your move to shared supply (you spend it) and performing its effect.

When you first discover the place with the item, turn the stack of the relevant tokens with the face (colour side) up to see that the item is already available somewhere and take one. In a game of 6 players, the tokens of one of the items may be used up. If the tile with a chest is in the game, the player may take the last item out of it (see p. 7).

End of the Move

Your chosen figure of archaeologist moves by as many tiles as you have on the dice. However, his movement may end early. This is because of an obstacle or if no tile is available for movement. This may happen, for example, at the end of a dead end, where the only option would be to return, but it is forbidden (see Movement in the pyramid). The archaeologist must always continue to move, if it is possible. The move cannot be voluntarily shortened, even if it is advantageous for the player.

Attack

The attack will occur if the archaeologist ends his move on a tile where there is already at least one archaeologist of another player. In case you just walk through the tile, there is no attack. When attacking, the second archaeologist is robbed and injured.

• Robbing: you take one player's item for each archaeologist you attack. You may take an item you do not yet have (ancient inscriptions cannot be taken).
• Injury: you return the archaeologist figure back to the player it belongs to. During the next move, the player may "re-enter" the figure into the game. All archaeologists in the relevant tile from other teams are attacked. Only the archaeologists of the opponents who have a first aid kit are not injured (see p. 9), everybody is robbed.

End of the Game

The winner is the player who first opens the burial chamber and enters it. In order to do so, he must first obtain five ancient inscriptions located in the tunnels of the pyramid. Once the player has tokens of five different inscriptions, one of his archaeologists can enter the tomb and win. At this point the player turns the tile of the burial chamber to open it. As soon as the burial chamber is open, other players can enter it, even if they do not have all the inscriptions read because the door to the ancient tomb is open permanently. This determines the order of players. Whoever enters the burial chamber by one of his archaeologists does not continue in the game. When the last player enters the tomb with the archaeologist, the game ends.

Big Pyramid

Variant of the Game "Big Pyramid"

If you've tried the "Small pyramid" variant and want to enjoy a slightly longer and more difficult version, you can play the "Big pyramid" extension. The game does not differ with the rules, just during the game preparation, prepare also the items with the blue border and add the pyramid tiles with the expansion symbol. In this case, do not put four L-shaped fills into the game board. If you encounter obstacles and items in the "Big pyramid" that you do not know yet, see their description in the game almanac, p. 7.

Compared to "Small pyramid", in the "Big pyramid", there are seven different ancient inscriptions, adding two more (pink and orange) in the game. However, only five of them are enough to open the burial chamber.

Hint: If you want to prolong the game, you can play for all seven inscriptions and open the chamber when you find them all.

Expansion parts are always of turquoise colour.

Almanac

You can also use the summary card to quickly check the fields, obstacles and items. But first read their detailed description in this almanac. The summary cards serve only for quick orientation during the game.

List of Game Tiles

Map: If you turn the tile with a drawn map, you can reveal any unexplored tile in the pyramid. Turn the tile as you choose and put it back to its place and leave it revealed. If you have chosen a tile next to your archaeologist (next to a tile with a map) and you have remaining points for a move, you can move your figure to this place, if it is possible.

Burial chamber: The goal of this game is to open the burial chamber and enter it. Whoever enters the first is the winner. The burial chamber is in the middle of the pyramid. During the game, you can not enter it or go through it, you can do it only if you have read five different ancient inscriptions or if it is open.

Ancient inscription: When you discover a field with an ancient inscription, "read" it and take its appropriate token from the shared supply. Put it to the player card.

Secret tunnel: If you find the tile with the entrance to the secret tunnel, nothing happens. From this tile it is possible to move the archaeologist figure in one move to another revealed tile with the secret tunnel. If you reveal at least two tiles like this, you will create a shortcut in the pyramid.

Dark shrine: As soon as you enter the shrine, place the curse token on any revealed pyramid tile. If the curse is already placed somewhere, move it to another free revealed tile. The curse blocks the tile, and it is not possible to enter it. The curse can not be placed in the burial chamber.

Coffer: There is one token of each item in the chest. If you reveal the tile with the coffer and enter it, put aside one token of each item in the game (even the ones not revealed) and take one of them. Anyone entering this tile later will take some of the remaining items. The "effect" of the coffer is triggered only by the first player to discover it. The other incoming player does not complete the items. Also, here you cannot take the item you already have for the second time.

List of Obstacles

They kill: If you enter a tile with such an obstacle and you do not have a corresponding protective item, your archaeologist will die. You remove the figure from the game board and your move ends. From now on, it represents a new archaeologist who you can "put into" the game again during the next move.

• Snake: If you have a torch with you, you can ignore the snake. You chase it away and continue with your move.
• Toxic gas: When you have a scarf with you, you can ignore the toxic gas. You protect yourself and continue with your move.
• Trap: If you have a plan with you, you can ignore the trap. You know where exactly the trap is, and you carefully keep moving.

Player's move ends: When you enter one of these tiles and you do not have the item that will protect you from its effect, your move ends. The archaeologist figure remains on the tile and can only move further in the next move. If you have a corresponding item, you continue to move and ignore the obstacle.

• Hunger: If you have food with you, you can ignore the hunger. The feeling of hunger will not surprise you and you continue with your move.
• Fatigue: If you have chocolate with you, you can ignore the fatigue. The feeling of fatigue will not stop you and you continue with your move.
• Thirst: If you have water with you, you can ignore the thirst. The thirst will not surprise you and you continue with your move.

You cannot enter them: You cannot enter this tile unless you have the correct item. If you have the appropriate item, you can ignore the obstacle and enter the tile. If you want to move to a tile which is not revealed and after revealing it you find out that there is one of these obstacles, your move ends immediately (unless you have the appropriate item). The archaeologist figure stays on the tile from which you wanted to move it to the obstacle.

• Wall ruins: If you have a magic bottle with you, you can ignore the wall ruins and enter it as if the tile was without an obstacle.
• Secret door: These doors are described by Egyptian hieroglyphs and only ghosts can go through. If you have a golden key, you can go through the door too.
• Abyss: The abyss is so deep that you cannot jump over or walk around. It can only be overcome with the papyrus of the dead.

List of Items

• Food: If you already have food with you, the tile with hunger will not end your move. You can continue. In this case you can keep the food token.

  You can also "spend" the food and turn the dice to number 6 during your move. You can use the food also if you have already done some steps with your archaeologist, even if you have gained the food just now. The food does not add six moves but only changes your throw to 6. For example, if you threw a two, you made two steps and came to the tile with food, you can take it, use it immediately, turn the dice to number 6 and continue moving four more steps (6-2=4).

• First-aid kit: This item cannot be single-used, nor it protects you from the danger awaiting you inside the pyramid. The purpose of the first-aid kit is to protect you from injuries from other players in the attack. If you have a first-aid kit and your archaeologist is attacked by someone, then he is robbed but not injured. In this case you can keep the first-aid kit token. Caution: the attacker can also steal the first-aid kit (if he does not have one). Even in this case, the archaeologist is not injured but he loses the first-aid kit.

• Magic bottle: If you have a magic bottle with you, you can enter the tile with wall ruins and continue to move further. In this case you can keep the magic bottle token.

  If you use it, you can walk through the wall to the adjacent revealed tile. When you make such a move, you have to return the bottle to shared supply. You cannot walk through more walls with one bottle. The magic bottle cannot be bought for money.

• Golden key: If you have the golden key with you, you can enter the tile with magic door and go through it to the next tile. You can keep the golden key in this case.

  You can use the key and "spend" it so that you freely rotate the tile on which you are standing or the unoccupied revealed neighbouring tile. The golden key cannot be bought for money.

• Money: For the money you get during the game (you find it or steal from another player), you can buy any item, except for ancient inscriptions and magical items (magic bottle, golden key and papyrus of the dead). You put the money token to the shared supply and take any item available, i.e. it has been discovered somewhere in the pyramid and the stack of its tokens is face-up. The money does not protect you from any particular obstacle.