Harry Potter: House Cup Competition Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Object of the Game
• Individual Setup
• Setup
• How to Play
  • Phase One: Classes
    • Learn a Lesson (Optional)
    • Place a Student (Every Turn)
    • Rewards
  • Phase Two: Challenges
    • How to Complete a Challenge:
• The Next Round
  • Starting the Next Round
• End of Game
• Additional Information
• Lesson Cards Detailed
  • Basic Lessons
  • Advanced Lessons
• Game Board Location Space Details
  • Professor's Office
  • Library
  • Classrooms
• Location Details
  • Location (one-star)
  • Location (two-star)
  • Location (three-star)
• Credits

Contents

• 1 Game Board
• 4 Common Room Player Boards
• 36 Level Trackers (9 for each House)
• 12 Student Tokens (3 each for each House)
• 18 Location Cards (4 one-star, 10 two-star, and 4 three-star)
• 31 Easy Challenge Cards
• 29 Hard Challenge Cards
• 30 Knowledge Tokens
• 1 First Player Token
• 1 Round Tracker
• 25 Magic Tokens
• 1 Rulebook
• 4 Reference Cards
• 40 Basic Lesson Cards
• 27 Advanced Lesson Cards
• 240 House Point Gems (60 for each House)
• 1 House Cup Hourglass Display

Object of the Game

Over the course of seven rounds, the Students in your house will need to use Knowledge and Magic to Level up their abilities in Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Charms classes. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins the House Cup.

Individual Setup

1. The player who most recently went to school goes first. a.) Give them the First Player token.
2. Starting with the first player, choose a Common Room player board. a.) Place the associated Students on their spaces. b.) Slot the 9 Level Trackers into Level 1 for each class.
3. Give each player 2 Basic Lesson cards and 2 Knowledge tokens.
4. The third player gets an additional Knowledge token.
5. The fourth player gets 1 Magic token and 1 Easy Challenge card.

Setup

1. Place the game board in the center of the table.
2. Place the remaining Knowledge and Magic tokens within reach of all players.
3. Randomly choose 1 Location one-star card. Place it face up.
4. Randomly choose two Location two-star cards and one Location three-star card. Place them face down on the game board. Return the other Location cards to the box.
5. Place the House Cup Hourglass Display off to one side with the gems scattered on the table.
6. Shuffle the four decks of cards separately. a.) Stack the Basic and Advanced Lesson cards face down in their respective draw spaces. Reveal the top three from each stack. b.) Stack the Easy and Hard Challenge cards face down in their draw spaces. Reveal the top three from each stack.
7. Place the Round tracker on the first space at the bottom of the game board.

How to Play

The game is played over seven rounds and each player has three Students to perform actions for the round. During Phase One, starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, place one of your three Students per turn. Phase One ends when all three Students for each player have been placed. For Phase Two, you will use the resources and levels you gained in Phase One to complete challenges.

Phase One: Classes

On their turn, each player will choose one of their three Students to send out of their common room and into Hogwarts. In either order, take one or both of the following actions with the Student.

• Learn a Lesson (Optional)
• Place a Student

Learn a Lesson (Optional)

Each Lesson shows a minimum number of levels needed in a Class. The chosen Student must meet the requirement shown on the card, as tracked on the Common Room player board, to gain the reward. Note: A Student has to have at least two Levels in a class in order to Learn a Lesson.

Lessons can be learned before or after placing a Student, so it is possible for a Student to gain a Level and then be able to Learn a Lesson, or to gain a Lesson with the placement of a Student and immediately learn it.

As soon as a Lesson is learned, gain the reward listed on the card.

Place a Student (Every Turn)

Move the chosen Student's token onto any of the Student spaces (denoted by the person icon) on the game board. The player will gain the rewards shown in the box to the left of that space.

Example: Player moves Luna's Student token to game board and receives one Magic token and one Hard Challenge card.

Placement Rules

• Two Students may not occupy the same spot.

• Some spaces are only available in a 3 or 4 player game (as noted under the Student silhouette).

• Several spaces require returning Knowledge and/or Magic tokens to the supply before placement.

• Location cards usually require a student to have a minimum number of levels.

• Professor's Office (4 spaces): Students go here to learn Magic.

• Library (4 spaces): Get ready to study. All Students who go to the Library gain Knowledge.

• Classroom: This is where Students practice their skills to Level up in the different classes.

• Additional Locations: In rounds 2, 4, and 6, additional Locations will become available. Students can only go there if they have the requirement shown in the Student space. Most of the Locations (two-star) require the Student to be at least Level 3 in a class. The final Locations all require the Students to be at least a Level 5 in a class.

All spaces are explained in detail on pages 13-16.

Any number of students can occupy the Gain 1 Level and a Lesson spaces.

Leveling up your Student is an important aspect of the game. Levels are kept from round to round allowing Students to complete Lessons and giving them access to better spaces. In order to Level up a Student to Level 5, the Student must show proficiency in that Class by returning one Magic to the supply. The Magic must still be returned even when gaining multiple levels at once. (Example: Moving the marker directly from Level 4 to 6)

Once all three Students for each player have been placed, proceed to Phase Two.

Rewards

• Magic: Take a token from the supply.
• Knowledge: Take a token from the supply.
• Move the Student's tracker up one level in Potions.
• Move the Student's tracker up one level in Charms.
• Move the Student's tracker up one level in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
• Move the Student's tracker up one level in any Class.
• Choose a faceup Lesson card.
• Choose a faceup Easy Challenge card.
• Choose a faceup Hard Challenge card.
• Take the First Player token.

Whenever a Lesson or Challenge card is taken, immediately replace it with the top card of the corresponding deck.

Phase Two: Challenges

Return Students to their Common Room in preparation for the Challenge phase. You must have at least one Challenge card in hand to participate in the Challenge Phase.

You may attempt a maximum of:

• 2 Easy Challenges
• -or-
• 1 Easy and 1 Hard Challenge

Students begin the game at Level 1. Each house has a minimum combined total of 3 Potions, 3 Defense Against the Dark Arts and 3 Charms levels.

How to Complete a Challenge:

Each Student in your house may be assigned to a Challenge. Students can work together towards a Challenge's harder requirements by having two or more Students assigned to the same Challenge. Hint: It is helpful to move a Student marker to the Challenge card they are participating in. This way it is obvious which Students are involved.

Some Challenges require Knowledge in addition to the specified class Levels. Once Levels are determined, return the specified number of Knowledge tokens to the supply.

When a Challenge is completed, gain the rewards shown on the card. If the reward has points, place one gem in your House Cup Hourglass for every 10 points. If the reward says to Gain a Level, choose one of the Students who participated in the Challenge to go up a Level in any Class. Place the completed Challenge card face down on your Common Room player board.

Any Challenges that your Students can't complete return to your hand. Your Students can attempt the Challenge again in another round.

When you attempt two Challenges in a round, choose the order in which to resolve them. It is possible to use the rewards from the first Challenge to help complete the second.

Example 1: Hermione is a Level 3 in Potions, 5 in Defense Against the Dark Arts and 2 in Charms. On her own, she can complete the Easy Challenge Avoid the Rogue Bludger. For her reward, she goes up a Level in any Class and earns her house 20 points.

Example 2: Ron and Harry need to work together to complete the Hard Challenge Cause Mayhem at the Ministry. Ron has 3 Levels in Charms, and Harry has 5 Levels in Charms; together they have 8 Levels. Since this Hard Challenge requires 7 Levels in Charms, together Ron and Harry have enough. However, they will also need to be able to turn in 2 Knowledge tokens to get the reward of 40 points and another Level.

Gems are worth 10 points each; place 6 gems in the Gryffindor Hourglass for the 60 points earned and move Hermione and either Ron or Harry Level Trackers up one space in any class.

Using Magic

Students who do not meet the requirements shown on a card can still Learn Lessons and Complete Challenges. Return one Magic token to the supply as substitute for any one Level as many times as needed.

However, Magic tokens are never a substitute for Knowledge tokens. You must always have the Knowledge tokens needed to complete a Challenge.

The Next Round

Starting the Next Round

To set up for the next round of play:

1. Return each Student to their space on your Common Room player board.
2. Advance the Round tracker one space.
3. At the start of Rounds 2, 4 and 6 reveal a Location card.
4. In a two-player game, the First Player token automatically passes to the other player unless someone took it during Phase One.

Beginning with the First Player, follow the same steps each round.

End of Game

At the end of the seventh round, it is time to see who has won the House Cup.

• Score 10 points per gem in your House Hourglass.
• Score 10 points for each of your Level trackers at Level 7.
• Score 10 points for every pair of Magic and Knowledge tokens you have. You must have one of each to score the points.

The player with the most points wins the House Cup.

If there is a tie, the player who completed the most Hard Challenges wins. If there is still a tie, the player who completed the most total Challenges wins. If there is still a tie, shake hands and share the victory... for now.

• Gem = 10 Points
• Knowledge and Magic pair = 10 Points

Additional Information

• In the rare instance that the only space available to place a Student requires resources (either Level, Knowledge or Magic) and the player does not have it, they must pass. However, that Student may still complete a Lesson. The round ends when all players have placed as many Students as possible. A player cannot willingly choose to pass their turn if a space is available.

• Cards in hand are not public knowledge. However, you can choose to keep your cards face up in front of you if you wish. This is especially helpful when playing with new players. There is no hand size limit for either Lesson or Challenge cards. However, you are limited to completing 1 Lesson per placement and completing 2 Challenges per round. The exception is when the Impervious Charm is played, and only then can you play a fourth Lesson card in a round.

• Place the discarded Lesson cards into one stack on the bottom of the game board. If either deck runs out, shuffle the combined Lesson cards to form a new draw pile.

• The number of Challenge cards is limited to those in each deck. Because Challenge cards are kept by the player who completed them these decks won't be refilled.

• There is no limit to the number of tokens or gems in the game. If needed, substitute with any muggle item available.

• When the Challenge phase starts, whoever is currently holding the First Player token begins the Challenges. They will complete their Challenges and gain the rewards before the next player begins.

Lesson Cards Detailed

Basic Lessons

Banishing Charm — Choose any quantity of the six faceup Challenge cards to discard. Once the cards have been replaced, take one. Place the discarded cards on the bottom of their respective stacks.

Cleaning Charm — Choose any quantity of the six faceup Lesson cards to discard. Once the cards have been replaced, take one.

Confundus Charm — Choose to gain Knowledge or Magic tokens with the placement of the Student, equal to the number of tokens indicated on the space.

Girding Potion — Play before placing a Student. Choose to use a space with a Level requirement that this Student doesn't meet by one Level or return one less token to the supply.

Sleeping Draught — Move the Student up one Level in any Class and take any one faceup Challenge card. Flip the Student token over. This must be the last Student placed in the round regardless of turn order.

Advanced Lessons

Nocturnal Beast — The Levels gained can be in the same class or in up to three different classes. The maximum number of total Levels that can be gained is four.

Polyjuice Potion — It must be an opponent's Student that is chosen. If there is a requirement to use the space, this Student must still meet the requirement by turning in tokens to the supply or having the required Level.

Revealing Charm — The active player can look at the top card of each Challenge deck. They can choose any one Challenge card, either from the two they peeked at or one of the ones faceup on the board.

Swelling Solution — Blindly take the top card from each Challenge deck. Choose one of them for the Student to attempt and discard the other card. If the Student can complete the Challenge, gain the reward and place the card face down on your player board. Otherwise, keep the chosen card in hand to attempt at another time.

Wit-Sharpening Potion — There are two versions of this potion that both work the same way. When played, take Knowledge tokens from the supply equal to the Level of whichever Student in the house has the highest Level in either Defense Against the Dark Arts or Charms. For instance, if a Slytherin brews the potion, look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's Levels in Defense Against the Dark Arts (or Charms). If Crabbe is the highest at Level 5, take 5 Knowledge tokens from the supply. If two Students are tied, choose one to gain the reward from.

Boggart — The Student being moved does not gain the reward of the new space. This can allow the active player to use the same space twice in one round.

Wand-Lighting Charm — The Student must be able to complete either an Easy or Hard Challenge alone, or with the help of a little magic.

Strengthening Solution — Each Student in the house can gain a Level in different classes or all of them in the same class.

Impervious Charm — +1 Knowledge. Play a second Lesson card. The class requirements can be reduced by up to three Levels.

Game Board Location Space Details

Professor's Office

• Take 2 Magic from the supply.
• Before placement, discard 1 Knowledge token. Take 1 Magic token from the supply, 1 faceup Lesson card (Basic or Advanced) and the First Player token.
• Take 1 Magic token from the supply and 1 faceup Hard Challenge card.

Library

• Take 3 Knowledge tokens from the supply.
• Take 2 Knowledge tokens from the supply and 1 faceup Lesson card (Basic or Advanced). (3+ players)
• Take 2 Knowledge tokens from the supply and 1 faceup Hard Challenge card.

Classrooms

• Move up one Level in Potions and take 1 faceup Easy Challenge card.
• Move up one Level in Charms and take 1 faceup Easy Challenge card.
• Move up one Level in Defense Against the Dark Arts and take 1 faceup Easy Challenge card.
• Before placement, discard 2 Knowledge tokens and 1 Magic token. The Student placed here moves up two Levels. The Levels can be in the same class or two different classes.
• Before placement, discard 1 Knowledge token. Multiple Students are allowed in this space. The Student placed here moves up one Level in any class and takes any a faceup Lesson card. (All Students)

Location Details

Location (one-star)

All of these Locations require discarding 1 Knowledge token to place a Student there.

The Burrow — The Student placed here moves up one Level in any class. Take 1 Magic token from the supply.

#4 Privet Drive — Another Student, not the one placed, moves up one Level in any class.

Platform 9 3/4 — The Student placed here moves up one Level in any class. Take any one Challenge card.

#12 Grimmauld Place — With this placement, discard any or all of the Lesson cards in your hand. For each Lesson discarded this way, take any faceup Lesson card. In addition, take one Lesson card, even if you didn't discard any cards.

Location (two-star)

Unless specified, these Locations require the Student to be at least Level 3 in one of their classes.

The Shrieking Shack — The Student placed here goes up one Level in two different classes.

Gringotts Bank — Take 4 Knowledge tokens.

The Three Broomsticks — Take 3 Magic tokens.

Honeydukes — Discard 1 Knowledge token and 1 Magic token before placing the Student. The Student goes up two Levels. It can either be in the same class or two different classes.

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes — Discard 1 Knowledge token and 1 Magic token before placing the Student. Choose one Student from your house to go up two Levels in whichever class they have the highest Level in. If the chosen Student is at Level 6, they will only go up one Level and forfeit the second level. If they are tied in two classes, choose one of the classes to gain both Levels in. They may not split the Levels between two classes.

Ollivander's — When revealed, immediately place 2 Magic tokens from the supply on this Location. At the start of each successive round add 2 Magic tokens from the supply if there are no tokens on this Location, or 1 if it already has tokens on it. There is no limit to the number of tokens that can be on this card. The Student placed here takes all the Magic tokens from this Location.

The Leaky Cauldron — When revealed, immediately place 3 Knowledge tokens from the supply on this Location. At the start of each successive round add 3 Knowledge tokens from the supply if there are no tokens on this Location, or 2 if it already has tokens on it. There is no limit to the number of tokens that can be on this card. The Student placed here takes all the Knowledge tokens from this Location.

Quality Quidditch Supplies — Before taking one faceup Challenge card (Easy or Hard), you may choose to replace any or all of the Challenge cards with Challenge cards from the corresponding decks. Place the discarded cards on the bottom of their respective deck.

Eeylops Owl Emporium — Take 1 Magic from the supply and put 1 gem in your House Cup Hourglass immediately.

Flourish & Blotts — Take 1 Magic from the supply. Take 1 faceup Basic and 1 faceup Advanced Lesson.

Location (three-star)

These locations have two spaces each to place Students. Any Student placed here needs to be at least Level 5 in one of their classes.

Godric's Hollow

• (Space 1) Take 2 Knowledge tokens and 2 Magic tokens.
• (Space 2) Take any faceup Challenge card from the game board. Put 1 gem in your House Cup Hourglass immediately.

Malfoy Manor

• (Space 1) The Student placed here may attempt a Challenge from your hand. They must do this without the help of any other Students in the house.
• (Space 2) Put 3 gems in the House Cup Hourglass immediately.

Ministry of Magic

• (Space 1) Take 1 faceup Easy Challenge card and 1 faceup Hard Challenge card from the game board.
• (Space 2) Take any faceup Lesson from the game board. Put 2 gems in your House Cup Hourglass immediately.

Knockturn Alley

• (Space 1) Take any 3 tokens from the supply. It can be any combination of Magic or Knowledge tokens.
• (Space 2) Take any 1 faceup Lesson and any 1 faceup Challenge card from the game board.

Credits

Special Thanks To: Nate Heiss (Game Design), Kami Mandell and Patrick Marino (Game Development), Tina Harrison (Brand Management), Delaney Mamer (Graphic Design)

Playtesters: Adam Sblendorio, Andrew Wolf, Bree Heiss, Brian Greenwald, Bridgette Reuther, Cassidy Werner, Craig Stockwell, Darren Donahue, David Nevin, Derek Mantey, Dylan Mayo, Havilah Steinman, Jake Davis, James Ernest, Jamie Scharbarth, Jayne Prindiville, Jerry Horning, Joe Zuniga, Juan Romero, Lauren Hatcher, Liz Clark, Michael Burkeen, Mike Runnestrand, Mike Turian, Nick Leslie, Parker Bakken, Paul Peterson, Peter Duran, Samantha Barlin, Sean Fletcher, Tony Serebriany, Tyler Hargrove, Wynona Hendrickson