Lords & Ladies Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Goal
• Setup
  • Setup Details
• Turn Structure
• At the End of Each Round
• Marrying a Suitor
  • Suitor Card Breakdown
• Having a Child
  • Additional Birthing Rules
• Hiring a Servant
  • Additional Servant Rules
  • Servant Card Breakdown
• Gossip Cards
  • Playing Gossip
  • Confirming Gossip
• Status Tokens
• Awards Cards
• End Game
• Appendix: Servant Cards
• Appendix: Gossip Cards
  • But Before Rule
• Appendix: Award Cards
• Foreign Affairs Expansion
• Appendix: Two Player Rules

Overview

In Lords and Ladies, each player attempts to raise their family's status by marriage, birth and through hiring servants. Players also use gossip and servants to destroy competing families' status. Status is gained and lost during the game as players compete to be the first to end a round with 18 status points.

Goal

Be the first player to end a round with 18 or more status points.

Setup

Components shown in the setup diagram:

• Current employable servants: three face-up servant cards beside the servant deck (on deck pile).
• Current eligible suitors: three face-up suitor cards beside the suitor deck (on deck pile).
• Gossip cards: a face-down deck.
• Birth cards: a face-down deck.
• Status Board, round marker, status tokens, status rewards (award cards), birth die, 13 gold coins and gossip tokens.

Award cards (status rewards):

• Legacy (+2 in the diagram): awarded to the player with the most generations greater than two. Grand Legacy: generations greater than four, additional +2 status.
• Gossip Queen (+2 in the diagram): awarded to the player with the most gossip tokens, greater than two. Grand Gossip Queen: gossip tokens greater than four, additional +2 status.
• Full Service (+2 in the diagram): awarded to the player with the greatest number of servants greater than three. Grand Service: servants greater than six, additional +2 status.

Setup Details

1. Each player chooses a starting lord or lady card and writes in a name. (Starting lady and starting lord each have 1 status and 1 birth point.)
2. Players start with one gold piece and one player marker. In a 3 or 4 player game each player gets two gossip cards. In a 2 or 5 player game each player gets one gossip card.
3. Follow the setup diagram on the previous page: a. Place three suitor cards and servant cards along side the rest of their decks face up. b. Place the gossip and birth decks face down. c. Each player places their player marker at the beginning of the status board.
4. The oldest player goes first and places the round marker in front of them.
5. If you are playing a two player game please consult the 2 Player Rules (see Two Player Rules below).

Turn Structure

Lords and Ladies is played over a series of rounds. A round completes after each player has taken their turn. A player's turn consists of three parts:

1. Take 2 gold or 1 gossip card.
2. Perform 1 of the following actions: a. Marry one of the three available suitors. b. Hire one of the three available servants. c. Roll to have a child, if you have a married couple. d. Take an additional gold.

Finally... At any time during the round players can:

• Play gossip cards.
• Use a servant's power.
• Pay off gossip with six gold.
• Pay six gold for a status token.

Additionally... Players must adjust their player marker as they gain or lose status points during the round.

At the End of Each Round

1. Cycle the Servant and Suitor Cards. The Servant and Suitor Cards work on a sliding system with three positions. If a card occupies the third position at the end of the round, it is returned to the bottom of its respective deck. Remaining cards slide down the number of empty positions and cards from top of the servant/suitor decks are placed to fill all remaining positions.
   • Ex. 1: No cards selected, remove the last card. Remaining cards slide down one position.
   • Ex. 2: Last card selected, remaining cards slide down one position.
   • Ex. 3: Three cards selected, three cards slide down from the deck.
2. Remove unsuccessful gossip cards and place them at the bottom of the gossip deck.
3. Pass the round marker to the player on the left. This player will start the next round.

Marrying a Suitor

If you have an unmarried lord or lady in your family, you are able to marry one of the three face up suitors following these rules:

1. As this game is based on a historic time period, only opposite sex couples are permitted. For a modern approach, you can also play where only same sex couples can marry.
2. If the suitor you are marrying has a higher status than your lord or lady, you must pay the difference in gold.
3. Some suitors come with bonus powers, these are either one time use or have a constant effect.

Suitor Card Breakdown

• Status Points represent the amount of status you will be awarded for marrying this suitor.
• Birth Points represent the suitor's ability to have children, higher numbers mean the suitor is more fertile.
• Bonus Power: some suitors have bonus powers that take immediate effect once the suitor is married. For example, marrying a suitor with "One time - Heiress / +4 gold" would give the player a one time 4 gold bonus.

Having a Child

Once you have a married couple, you can attempt to have a child on your turn. Your ability to have children is determined by the sum of the birth points on a couple's cards.

1. Roll the birth die.
2. If the number is equal to or less than the couple's birth points a child is born.
3. Take a birth card and place it to the right of his/her parents' cards.

Additional Birthing Rules

• Only one of your married couples can attempt to have a single child per turn.
• Once a member of a new generation gets married, that member's generation becomes the current generation.
• Only the current generation can roll to have offspring.
• Couples of the current generation can have unlimited offspring.
• Unmarried family members from the previous generation may marry but cannot produce offspring.

Example: when a member of a new generation marries (in the illustrated example, a marriage to Duke Cranbow), this marriage designates that generation as the current generation. Past generations may marry, but may not have children; the current generation may have children.

Hiring a Servant

On your turn, you may pay gold to hire one of the three face up servant cards. Servant cards give you additional powers and status points.

Additional Servant Rules

• You can only have one of each type of servant.
• Servants have either a one time or constant power.
• One time powers can be used at anytime in the game but the servant is then fired and returned to the bottom of the servant deck.
• Constant powers take immediate effect upon hire and last as long as the servant is held by the player.

Servant Card Breakdown

• Cost: the cost in gold to hire this servant.
• Status Points represent the amount of status you will be awarded for hiring this servant.
• Birth Points represent the servant's ability to have children.
• Power Type is either one time use or constant.
• Power: these are special powers that are available once the servant is hired. (Example: Cook, cost 2, - One time - Swap all your gossip cards with another player. Fire servant.)

Gossip Cards

Gossip cards allow players to team up to spread rumors and lower a competing player's status. Players can choose to take gossip cards as the first part of their turn.

Playing Gossip

1. Gossip cards can be played against another player at any point during a round by placing the card in front of the player.
2. Players are encouraged to discuss and strategize their gossiping.
3. You may play as many gossip cards as you wish during a round.
4. Gossip lasts for one round and can be confirmed at any point during the round it is played in.

Confirming Gossip

1. Gossip needs to be confirmed by another player using either the same gossip card or a "True" gossip card.
2. If Gossip is confirmed, the Gossip card's action is immediately taken by the player it has been played on.
3. Confirmed gossip takes precedence over a player's actions on their turn using a "but before" rule (see the But Before Rule below).
4. The two gossip mongers receive a successful gossip token and discard their played gossip cards.
5. Unless... the target of the gossip can "pay-off" the two gossip mongers with 3 gold each. If so, both gossip cards are discarded and no gossip tokens are awarded.

Status Tokens

At any point during the game, players may cash in 6 gold coins for one blue status token. These tokens are held by the player and immediately add one status point to the player's score upon purchase.

Awards Cards

There are three special awards cards that can be earned by players during the game:

1. Initially, each award goes to the first player to earn it.
2. Awards may only be held by one player at a time. For example, if a player surpasses the number of successful gossips by the current Gossip Queen card holder, that player takes the Gossip Queen card and its associated status points.
3. Each Award card also has a "Grand" award which adds additional status points for even larger numbers of servants hired, successful gossips, or number of generations birthed.

End Game

The game ends when a player finishes a round with 18 or more status points.

1. If two players finish a round with 18 or more status points, the player with higher status wins the game.
2. If two players finish the game with the same number of status points, the player with the most gold wins.

Appendix: Servant Cards

Format: card name, cost / status, power type / power.

• Butler, cost 4, status 2: Constant / Hire two servants instead of one as a second turn action.
• Chauffeur, cost 2, status 1: One Time / Run off with a player's unmarried lord or lady, discard lord/lady and then return Chauffeur to bottom of servant deck.
• Cook, cost 2, status 1: One Time / Player can swap gossip cards with another player. If the player using this card has no gossip cards they simply take the other player's cards. Servant is then discarded.
• Footman, cost 2, status 1: One Time / Force a player to fire one of their servants. The player using this card decides which servant will be discarded. This servant is discarded as well.
• Gardener, cost 3, status 1: One Time / One of your unwed children can marry another player's unwed lord/lady. The targeted player loses their lord/lady and their status. Fire servant.
• Ladies Maid, cost 3, status 1: Constant / Players receive +1 status for every female offspring in their family. If this servant is fired, bonus status points are lost.
• Maid, cost 2, status 1: One Time / Can take blame for one successful gossip. Servant is then discarded. (The Maid in the setup diagram reads: Cancel one successful gossip then fire servant.)
• Nanny, cost 3, status 1: Constant / Add +1 to all your couple's combined birth points.
• Overseer, cost 4, status 1: Constant / Players can take 3 gold as first turn action instead of 2.
• Valet, cost 3, status 1: Players receive +1 status for every male offspring in their family. If this servant is fired bonus status points are lost.

Appendix: Gossip Cards

• Bedroom Problems: All of player's birth rolls are reduced by -4 for one round.
• Drunken Servant: Player must fire the servant this card has been placed on by gossip monger. Servant card is returned to discard pile.
• Financial Ruin: Player loses all gold.
• Illegitimate Child: An unwed offspring this card is played on is banished from the family and is returned to the birth deck.
• Forbidden Love: Unmarried lord or lady is rumored to be in love with one of their family's servants. Gossipers choose the servant and lord/lady this card is played on. Then player has to marry their unwed lord/lady to the targeted servant. Player loses the servant's power.
• True: Acts a wildcard to confirm any type of gossip.

But Before Rule

Gossip in Lords & Ladies uses a "But Before" mechanic that allows gossip to override a player's action during their turn but not during the rest of the round.

For example: During their turn, a player marries one of their unwed lords/ladies to an available suitor. Before the next player takes their first turn action, two players confirm Forbidden Love on the newly married lord/lady. Because Forbidden Love was confirmed during the targeted player's turn, the suitor is returned to the available suitors, any suitor powers are lost, any gold spent to marry the suitor is returned to the player and the lord/lady is forced to marry one of their family's servants.

Appendix: Award Cards

• Gossip Queen: status bonus +3. Awarded to the player with the most number of successful gossips greater than 2, counted in gossip tokens. Grand status bonus +6.
• Full Service: status bonus +3. Awarded to the player with the most number of servants greater than 3. You cannot have duplicate servants. Grand status bonus +6.
• Legacy: status bonus +3. Awarded to the player with the most number of generations greater than 2. Generations are explained in the "Having a Child" section. Grand status bonus +6.

Foreign Affairs Expansion

The pressing of Lords & Ladies also contains the Foreign Affairs Expansion. These were drawn by guest artists and can be added to the Suitor deck.

Appendix: Two Player Rules

The two player version of Lords & Ladies works exactly like a 3 - 5 player game with three exceptions:

1. Confirming Gossip: In a two player game, a player confirms his/her own Gossip against the other player. This is done by using two of the same Gossip cards or a Gossip and True card.
2. Paying off Gossip: It costs 6 gold to pay off successful gossip, the target pays off the gossiper with 3 gold and places the remaining 3 gold in the bank.
3. Round Structure: In a two player game a round ends after three turns have taken place. After the third turn, players follow the end of round actions outlined in the End of Each Round section.

For example: Player 1 starts the game by taking his/her turn, Player 2 takes his/her turn, Player 1 takes a 2nd turn and then the round ends. Servant and Suitor cards are cycled and Player 2 starts the next round. During this round Player 2 will have two turns.