Fate of the Norns: Gulveig Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Rules of Play
  • 3- Player Rules
  • 2-Player Rules
  • 4-Player Rules
• Optional Extended Rules
  • Blind Bidding
  • Betting
  • Alternate Cards
  • Player Roles

Rules of Play

Gulveig can be played by 2 to 4 players and depending on the number of players, the rules will be slightly different. The most common 3-player configuration is described first, followed by the rules alternations in a 2 and subsequently 4-player game.

3- Player Rules

All players agree to the victory conditions for the game (the standard game score of 1000 points or another shorter point total).

1. Deal 7 cards face down to each player
2. Deal 3 cards face down in the center. These cards are referred to as the "treasure"
3. Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, the players bid for the treasure cards. Bidding starts at 90 (or 100 points for veteran players) and proceeds in a clockwise direction.
   • The first bid must be 90 points or more (the player to the left of the dealer cannot pass when called upon to make the first bid).
   • Each player increases the bid in increments of 10 or more points or may choose to pass.
   • A player who passes may not longer participate in the bidding.
   • Bidding continues until there are no more bids are being placed (bidding may cycle around the table more than once).
   • The highest (winning) bidder reveals the treasure cards and then takes those cards into their hand.
   • The winning bidder then sets aside 3 cards in their winnings pile (each player will have their own winnings pile).
   • The winning bidder has the option of increasing their bid.
4. In 1 hand, 7 rounds will be played. For each round:
   • The winning bidder leads off the round by playing a card from their hand.
   • Proceeding clockwise, players play 1 card from their hand that matches the clan ("suit" card border icon/colour); If they cannot match the clan then they must play any other card.
   • Any cards that do not match the first card's clan symbol have their combat value reduced to 0. Once everyone has played one card into the pile at the center of the table (called a "trick"), the player who played the card with the highest combat value wins all of the cards.
   • The player who won the trick will lead off the next round.
   • All players must keep track of the cards that have been played. Looking at the face down winnings pile is not permitted.

Players who lead off can show a matching pair of clan cards (ex: Loki + Spear) and claim the matching points (ex: 60 points). They must then play one of the two cards. That clan now has supremacy ("trump") and all of the combat values are increased by +7. Supremacy cards can win a hand even if they don't match the clan colour that was initially played. Note: players must still follow the clan that was initially played. Holding supremacy cards doesn't invalidate that rule.

5. After all of the hand in hand are played, everyone calculates their scores by counting all of the card values in their winnings pile. They then add any supremacy combos that they may have made during the hand. The player who won the bid must match or exceed their bid in order to score points equal to their bid. Any excess points above the bid are not scored. If the player scores less points than their declared bid, the bid is deducted from their game score (game score points can go below 0). All other players add the points scored in the hand (called "scavenger points") to their game score.
6. Hands keep being played until someone has scored 1000 game points. Having a game score in the last 100 points of the game is referred to as being "on the barrel". While on the barrel, a player doesn't accrue scavenger points. The only way to win is through winning a bid.
   • Between hands, the role of the dealer is rotated to the player to the left.

2-Player Rules

A 2-player game is played very much like the 3-player game, however there are a few differences:

• When the cards are being dealt, 7 cards are removed from the game (for the duration of the hand).
• Bidding starts at 50 points

The 2-player variant is very interesting when it comes down to the bidding. The 7 cards that are out of play can hold as few as 6 points or as many as 74 points! But those are very rare extremes, and on the most part, 25 to 35 points are more realistic.

4-Player Rules

The 4-player game is referred to as the "beer and pretzel" variant. The 4-player game runs exactly like the 3-player game except that the 4th player is assigned the treasure cards. The 4th player doesn't participate in the bidding. After the treasure cards are revealed, the 4th player scores points equal to all of the cards within the treasure. If a supremacy combo is revealed, the 4th player scores points equal to the combo's value! The 4th player is then free to go and refresh the snack bowl and get everyone another round of beers.

This play dynamic is a remnant from the original game of "Tukstantis" which Gulveig replicates. The player roles, expanded on in the "optional extended rules" section (below) aims to make the 4th player's role much more involved. It also offers a nice catch-up mechanic for a player who have started to lag behind.

Optional Extended Rules

The rules variants presented below are purely optional rules extensions that will add a different dynamic to the standard Gulveig game.

Blind Bidding

For adventurous players, blind betting can be a very fun option. In order to bet blind, you must not look at the cards that were dealt to you. You must also bid a minimum of 120 points in a 3 or 4-player game (or a minimum of 60 points in a 2-player game). If you win the bidding, you can claim the treasure cards without showing them. You may not adjust your bet. If you end the hand by successfully matching (or exceeding) your bid, then you score twice as many points. If you fail to meet your bid, you lose twice as many points!

Betting

Gulveig can be played with friendly wagers. If all of the players agree, Gulveig can be played for a penny a point. When the game ends, all player pay the winner an amount equal to the difference in their respective game scores. For example if player A wins with 1000 points, player B has 500 points and player C has -200 points, then player B pays player A $5 and player C pays player A $12.

Alternate Cards

The Gulveig game comes with 4 alternate cards that can be substituted into the game in order to spice things up. The alternate cards have the grey Valknut symbol next to the card name. You must take out the original card and replace it with the alternate version. These alternate versions allow for supremacy combos that span across multiple clans. Once declared, the player chooses which of the two clans gains supremacy by playing one of the two cards. Supremacy is granted to the clan matching the card played. These new supremacy combos are worth more points, but are also harder to defend once played since the cards have very low combat strengths.

Player Roles

Player roles bestow each player with a random game-altering power they may choose to trigger during play. Every player will be dealt one face-down rune card before the Gulveig hand is dealt. Each rune card is mapped to a table of "roles" that explain which of the 3 powers will pertain to them:

• The player may get the "bid-winner" power if they win the bidding
• Otherwise they will get the "bid-loser" power
• If they are the 4th player in a 4-player game, then they get access to the "4th player power"

Player role cards are revealed and activated after the treasure cards are flipped over and before the bid-winner picks them up. The player to the left of the dealer gets the first opportunity to reveal their role card (a player may opt out of their role). Reveals are then made in a clockwise manner.

About role cards:

• The power use is voluntary (unless otherwise specified).
• Some powers affect the role card holder only while others can affect all players (denoted with an [everyone] tag).

The rune glyph printed beside each role is an image and is not reproduced below; the rows appear in the printed order of the rune column. Minor typographical slips in the printed table (for example "wining pile") are corrected here; the rule content is as printed.

Role	Bid Winner	Bid Loser	4th Player
Tyr's Sacrifice	You may lower your bid by 10 points	Exchange 2 cards with a player who lost the bidding (draw another role in a 2-player game)	You donate your points to the player to your left. These points are added to their winning pile score (you must play this role)
Idun's Orchard	Gain +5 points	Everyone donates a card to the treasure, then everyone gets 1 random card from the treasure	Freya is worth 4 points [everyone]
Volcanic Anthem	Farbauti is worth 6 points [everyone]	Surt is worth 5 points [everyone]	Thiassi is worth 4 points [everyone]
Freya's Gold	Freya's Combat Strength is 8 [everyone]	Freya's worth is reduced by -10 points (you must play this role) [everyone]	Bid-Winner scores -5 points
Valkyrie Song	Baldur is worth 6 points [everyone]	Odin is worth 5 points [everyone]

You are invited to improve the player roles table with any great ideas you may have. Post your versions on the official Fate of the Norns forums: http://www.fateofthenorns.com/phpBB3/index.php