Keltis: Das Würfelspiel Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components
Setup
Sequence of Play
End of Game
Scoring
Example
The Game with Crossed Branches
The Author
Credits

Components

1 game board
5 Keltis dice
16 clover playing pieces
40 wish stone tiles

Setup

Before playing for the first time, carefully punch all the pieces out of their frames.
The players decide on one side of the game board and assemble it in the middle of the table. Note: if this is your first game, use the simpler side — the one without the fields showing crossed branches.
Each player takes 4 clover playing pieces of one color. If fewer than four people are playing, the remaining pieces stay in the box.
Place the wish stone tiles within reach of all players.

Sequence of Play

Whoever was most recently in Ireland goes first. If that can't be determined, the oldest player begins. Play then continues clockwise.
On a turn, the active player first rolls all five dice.
The player may keep the roll as it is, or re-roll any number of the dice once. After that the dice result is final, and the player resolves the roll in the following order:

1. Take a Wish Stone

If 2 or more dice show a wish stone symbol, the player immediately takes 1 wish stone tile and places it in front of themself. Note: the more wish stones a player has at the end, the more points they receive.

2. Advance a Playing Piece

After checking whether they may take a wish stone, the player chooses one of the rolled Keltis symbols. They then move their playing piece forward in that symbol's row by exactly as many spaces as they rolled of that symbol.
The player may not move fewer spaces than their dice indicate. Example: the player rolls 3 green symbols and 2 yellow symbols. They choose the green symbol and move their playing piece forward exactly 3 spaces in the green row.
The player may move only one playing piece per turn.
If the player does not yet have a playing piece in the chosen row, they start that row with a new playing piece.
Each player may have only one playing piece per row. Note: since each player has only four playing pieces, each player can be active in at most four rows.
Playing pieces belonging to different players may occupy the same space. They are simply placed next to or on top of each other.
Once a playing piece is moved onto the last space of a row, it stays there until the end of the game. Further dice showing that row's symbol are then wasted, including on later turns.
The player may decline to move. Note: this lets a player avoid starting a row late that might later cost them points.

3. Use an Advantage

If the player moves their playing piece onto one of the following spaces, they immediately receive the corresponding advantage:

Clover: the player may move any one of their playing pieces forward 1 space, or place a new playing piece on the first space of a row. If that playing piece also lands on an advantage space, the player may use that advantage too, and so on.
Wish stone: the player takes 1 wish stone tile and places it in front of themself.
Leprechaun: the player immediately takes another complete turn. That is, they roll all 5 dice again, may re-roll once, and then resolve that roll.

End of Game

The game ends immediately once a certain number of playing pieces have reached the goal area (the spaces with the values 6, 7 and 10) — regardless of which row.
With 2 players that is 5 playing pieces, with 3 players 7 playing pieces, and with 4 players 8 playing pieces.
It does not matter which players those playing pieces belong to.
If the playing piece that triggers the end of the game lands on an advantage space, that advantage is no longer granted.
The game also ends if a player reaches the goal area with all 4 of their playing pieces.

Scoring

Each playing piece in a row earns its owner as many points as shown on the game board. These points can be positive or negative. Playing pieces that were never placed score no points.
Players also receive points for their collected wish stones:

Wish stones	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9+
Points	-10	-4	-3	-2	1	2	3	6	7	10

Note: even if a player ends the game with more than 9 wish stones, they do not receive more than 10 points.

The player with the most points wins. In case of a tie, there are multiple winners.

Example

Player White has moved their playing piece forward 1 space in the pink row. Since 8 playing pieces are now in the goal area, the game ends immediately. The "clover" advantage space that White landed on may no longer be used.

Player White receives the following points at scoring: red-brown row 2 points, yellow row 10 points, pink row 6 points, green and blue rows 0 points each (no playing pieces in these rows). White has also collected 5 wish stones = 2 points. White therefore receives 20 points.

The other players score as follows (rows from left to right):

Black: 6 + 0 + 0 + 6 + 6 = 18 points. 4 wish stones = 1 point. Total 19 points.
Grey: 7 + 2 + 7 + 0 + 0 = 16 points. 3 wish stones = -2 points. Total 14 points.
Brown: 10 - 3 + 2 + 2 + 0 = 11 points. 7 wish stones = 6 points. Total 17 points.

The Game with Crossed Branches

If you want to play with a somewhat greater challenge, use the other side of the game board. Here, each row has spaces showing two crossed branches. These spaces are forbidden spaces — a playing piece may not stop there. A player may therefore not choose a symbol if it would cause their playing piece to land on such a space. Jumping over forbidden spaces is of course allowed.

Tip: play both sides of the board one after another and note down the points after each game. Whoever has the most points overall wins.

The Author

Reiner Knizia has lived for many years in Windsor, Great Britain. Holding a doctorate in mathematics, he has published numerous games in Germany and abroad and is among the most successful game designers worldwide. He specializes in games that offer a great deal of freedom of decision within simple rules — as with his game "Keltis," which was named "Spiel des Jahres" (Game of the Year) in 2008.

Credits

Editing: TM-Spiele Graphics: Martin Hoffmann and Claus Stephan

The author and publisher thank all playtesters and rules readers. The author thanks Sebastian Bleasdale for his contributions to the development of this game.

Already played it? This is the Spiel des Jahres 2008 — now including the "Neue Wege – Neue Ziele" ("New Paths, New Goals") expansion. For 2-4 players, age 10 and up. Art.-Nr. 691783.

Art.-Nr: 699581

MADE IN GERMANY