Magia Cum Laude Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
  • Changes in a 2-player game
• Game Play
  • 1. Name, who you want to move
  • 2. Draw cards (only if you named an apprentice)
  • 3. Decide, how to move
  • 4. Play movement cards
  • 5. Get the crystal
• 6. Additional action (only if you named an apprentice)
• Special locations and situations
  • Portals
  • Desk
  • Apprentice meets apprentice
  • Apprentice meets examiner (examination)
  • Fulfillment of an apprentice spell
  • Fulfillment of the master order
• Game End
• Scoring

Components

• 1 game board
• 6 apprentices (one each in brown, green, blue, red, yellow and black)
• 1 examiner
• 60 crystals (21 white, 21 blue and 18 red)
• 120 cards, split in:
  • 9 mission cards
  • 66 movement cards
  • 19 apprentice spells
  • 20 master orders
  • 6 player aid cards
• these instructions

Setup

The game board is placed on the table. It shows the top floor of the tower of the academy of Babas.

1. On each tile in the tower one randomly chosen crystal is placed (spare the 7 starting tiles with the portals).
2. Place the examiner (big gray figure) on the tile in the middle with the desk.
3. The 6 apprentices are placed to the respective oriels of the tower that match with their color. Split the cards in 4 piles - movement cards (white owl back), apprentice spells (scroll back), master orders (book back) and mission cards (sealed letter back). For each apprentice a spell is drawn (apprentice order) and placed face up next to his oriel 4. Each player receives one mission card 5 und one master order 6 and puts them face down in front of him. The rest of the apprentice spells, mission cards and master orders are no longer needed for this game. Put them back in the box. For your first few games sort out the 6 movement cards with the "change places"-symbol. In later plays you can also play with these cards and instead sort out neutral ones. 7 Each player is dealt a hand of 5 movement cards. The remaining pile of movement cards is placed on the corresponding field on the board 8.

From now on players are called masters, as they are not the apprentices!

When reading the instructions for the first time, ignore the paragraphs in red.

Changes in a 2-player game

With only 2 players, there is a small change in setup.

• Everybody receives his master order and his mission card as known.
• In addition, another master order card is uncovered. There you can see a number from 1 to 4.
• In the corner of your mission card, you can find the numbered colors of the 4 apprentices not (yet) included in your mission.
• Each of the both players additionally has to complete the spell of the apprentice whose color matches the number of the uncovered master order card.
• The additional apprentice has to complete his spell as well to finish the game. He is equal to both other apprentices on the mission card. Thus he is worth the same points in the end. He can finish the game as well, when submitting his spell to the examiner if both others are ready as well.

Example: Daniel has the mission, to bring the yellow and black apprentices to their success. On the mission card he can find the missing colors in following order: 1: brown, 2: green, 3: blue, 4: red. The additional master order drawn, shows a 3. He has to complete the spell of the blue apprentice as well to finish the game.

Game Play

Each apprentice got a spell for his examination, which needs 6 crystals in different combinations - fire magic (red), water magic (blue) and/or aerial magic (white). For the fulfillment of a spell he must move around in the tower to collect the matching crystals. Each tile in the tower is loaded with one crystal. Each master can move every apprentice and the examiner. In order to move, you need the movement cards.

The order of the phases in one turn is the following:

1. Name, who you want to move (which apprentice or the examiner)
2. Draw movement cards (only if you named an apprentice)
3. Decide, how to move
4. Play movement cards
5. Take the crystal (if available)
6. Additional action (only if you named an apprentice)

1. Name, who you want to move

You can choose between the red, black, yellow, green, blue or brown apprentice as well as the examiner.

• To move an apprentice in phase 4, you need one movement card for one step. So, if you play four cards you can move the named apprentice four tiles further.
• If you want to move the examiner be clear to have at least three cards in your hand.

Once you've decided who you want to move, say his color.

If you neither can move an apprentice nor the examiner, name an apprentice and you may get lucky to draw the right movement cards in phase 2.

2. Draw cards (only if you named an apprentice)

Depending on which tile the apprentice you named starts his movement, you receive new cards:

• From a white owl tile you draw 2 cards from the draw pile.

• From a gray stoat tile you draw the top 2 cards from the discard pile.

• From a black dragon tile you draw one card face down of another player.

• If you want to move the examiner, you don't get any cards.

• The hand card limit is 7. If you have more than 7 cards at the end of your turn, you have to discard cards until you have just 7 cards left on your hand.

Example: Benny would like to move the red apprentice who is still on his starting tile. Because the tile is white (the starting tiles of the blue, red and yellow apprentice are white, the starting tiles of the black, green and brown one are black), he draws two cards of the draw pile.

A little later in the play Benny would like to move the black apprentice who is standing on a black tile. He draws one card face down from Carolyn. (The picture caption reads "Caroline's hand"; the text reads "Carolyn". Both name the same player.)

3. Decide, how to move

You decided to move an apprentice. Now you have again two possibilities how to move:

• Move by color: You can move an apprentice with movement cards of matching color one step per card in any direction

or

• Move y direction: You can move any apprentice one step per card in the direction of the matching tapestry. The portals do have both colors of the adjacent tapestries.

Note: the printed bullet heading reads "Move y direction"; this is transcribed as printed. The sense is "move by direction" (the option that uses tapestry colors, as opposed to "Move by color" above).

It is not possible to mix the two ways to move. Either move by color (of the apprentice) or by direction (color of the tapestries).

If you are able to move, you have to move. Only if there is no possibility to move with the chosen apprentice, you have to pass.

You decided to move the examiner. You have also two possibilities how to move:

• With 3 movement cards of any color, the examiner can move in one line until he hits an apprentice or the wall. If he hits the wall, he can collect the crystal he's standing on right now (if there is any). If he meets an apprentice there will be an examination. (→p.7).

or

• With 3 movement cards in one color, the examiner can move directly to the tile of the matching apprentice and do an examination.

4. Play movement cards

• Per tile you want to move an apprentice, you have to play an appropriate card from your hand.
• You can play as many cards, as you hold in your hand. As you are starting your turn with 7 cards and you can draw up to 2 cards, you could move an apprentice up to 9 tiles in one turn. Though you so end up with no cards left in your hand.
• To move the examiner instead, you need to play three cards as mentioned above.
• It is not possible to finish the movement on the same tile, where the figure started its turn.

And how does this look like, if I have, for example, 2 green cards on my hand? With two green cards you can move either the green apprentice up to two tiles in any direction, or you can move any apprentice along a line two steps in the direction of the green tapestry.

And with a green and a yellow one, how can I move? With a green and a yellow one, you can move an apprentice only by direction of the matching color of the tapestry. So first, in direction of the green and after that in direction of the yellow tapestry (or vice versa). Alternatively you can only play one card and move the apprentice just one step.

Red box: If you have already fulfilled your masters order ("fulfill the masters order" → p.7), you can't move any figure on a tile with crystals on it, if you'd get it in your own stock, nor use any additionall actions.

5. Get the crystal

• The apprentice collects the crystal from the tile, he ends his movement on. It is placed on a matching space on his scroll. If the apprentice can't use this color (any more), the master automatically gets this crystal in his own stock.
• If the examiner ends his movement on a tile with a crystal, this master gets it in his own stock.

Red box: If the player has already fulfilled his master order, he can't get any more crystals and is not able to make this move!

Red box: Also this movement is not possible with fulfilled master order, any more.

Example: Andrea has announced to move the red apprentice (Phase 1). After she has drawn two cards from the draw pile (the apprentice is standing on a white tile (Phase 2)), she plays a yellow and a black card (Phase 4) and moves the apprentice first in the direction of the yellow tapestry, then in the direction of the black one. Now, the red apprentice is standing on a white tile again. The red apprentice collects the blue crystal on that tile (Phase 5), and places it on his spell, because he still needs it. By playing two cards with different colors she automatically decided to move by direction (Phase 3).

6. Additional action (only if you named an apprentice)

Additional actions are marked by symbols on some of the movement cards. There are three possible additional actions:

• Hat symbol: After moving the apprentice, the examiner is moved one tile as well. Apprentice and examiner can move in different directions. The examiner collects the crystal, he's moving on.

• Change places symbol: With this card you can change the position of two apprentices with each other. We recommend, to sort these 6 cards out, when playing the game for the first few times. In later plays, you can sort out 6 normal cards (one of each color) instead.

• Steal/give crystal symbol: You can steal a crystal from another masters stock or give him one from your own stock.

• Full second turn symbol: You get a full second turn in a row, without phase 2 ("Draw movement cards"). (In that case you can collect two crystals, but you only get cards once.) You can move an apprentice in the first turn and the examiner or another apprentice in the second one. In the second turn you are able to use another additional action.

• Only one additional action per turn can be played. If you play two cards or more with an additional action symbol, you have to choose one of them.

• The additional action has always to be accomplished if possible.

• Within an examiner movement, additional actions are not valid.

Special locations and situations

Portals

From a portal you can jump to any other portal. It is also possible to jump with an apprentice from an oriel to the middle and finish the game. Each apprentice can use each portal (but doesn't have to). The examiner is not allowed to use them, but he can stand on the portal in the middle. To jump does not count as a movement action and doesn't cost any cards. The portal, the apprentice jumps to, doesn't have to be free. In this case he will have a meeting (or an examination in the middle, if the examiner stands there).

Desk

You can use the desk in the centre of the board to finish the game early, as soon as both apprentices shown on the mission card have fulfilled their spells and one of them reaches the desk tile.

Apprentice meets apprentice

If an apprentice (A) moves on a tile with another apprentice (B), (A) can take one crystal, which (B) has already collected, presumed (A) can still use it for his spell. If he meets several apprentices on one tile, he can take a crystal from everybody, whose spell is not yet fulfilled. The masters can't get any crystals in this way.

Red box: In case the apprentice has already fulfilled his spell, no more crystals can be taken from him.

Apprentice meets examiner (examination)

If an apprentice moves directly on the tile with the examiner, or the examiner meets an apprentice, there is immediately an examination situation.

• If the apprentice has collected all the necessary crystals within the meeting (the spell is completed), he has passes his exam. His spell is turned by 90°, to make clear that apprentice has fulfilled his exam (Now, the spell is fulfilled). No more crystals can be taken from him by now. If one master additionally has completed his mission card at this time, the game ends immediately and the finishing master is credited for finishing 2 victory points (VP). If two or more masters completed their mission cards at the same time, each of them is credited with 1 VP only. A master can end the game also it's not his/ her turn.
• If an apprentice meets another apprentice and the examiner on one tile, he can't take any crystals from the other apprentice. He just has his examination.
• If the apprentice has not collected all necessary crystals of his spell yet, he will lose one crystal by active masters' choice and the master puts it back to any empty tile on the board. Alternatively, the apprentice gets a crystal from the active masters stock, if he can still use it.

If the examiner meets several apprentices, each of them who fails the exam, loses a crystal or gets one by choice.

Fulfillment of an apprentice spell

If a spell is completed in an examination, it is turned by 90°, to make clear this apprentice passed. No more crystals can be pinched from this spell. As soon as two spells are completed, the game could be finished early by a master, who has both colors on his/her mission card, while an apprentice of the color on his/her mission card meets the examiner or the desk in the middle. In the end, each spell on your mission card which is completed/fulfilled counts 5 VP. Uncompleted spells don't count anything.

Fulfillment of the master order

If you have collected exactly the 5 crystals of your master order, you have the possibility to fulfill the order by uncovering it. From that point on, no more crystals can be taken or given. You have the advantage of 8 VP, but you will not have any additional actions (Phase 6) any more. Also every move you'd get a crystal is prohibited. The master order can be fulfilled any time on players turn, as long you have exactly the 5 matching crystals.

Game End

The game ends, either...

• if both apprentices on the mission card of a player have completed their spells and one of these apprentices meets either the examiner or the desk in the middle to put down his/her work there. A master can end a game also if it's not his/her turn.
• or if the draw pile is used up. Then the examination time has run out.

It is not necessary to complete the master order to finish the game, but you will have a lot more VP.

Example: Carolyn has moved the green apprentice on a tile with the yellow apprentice and the examiner. She can't take a crystal from the yellow apprentice, as long as the examiner is on the same tile. Because the green apprentice is missing one white crystal she gave him one from her stock. The spell of the green apprentice now is completed, but as the green apprentice already met the examiner, he can't pass the exam successfully this turn. Daniel now moves the blue apprentice to the examiner as well. Because his spell is also completed the spell of the blue apprentice is fulfilled now. As Carolyn has the blue apprentice on her mission card beside the green one, she uncovers her mission card, finishes the game prematurely and receives two victory points. Now, all received VP are counted. The player with the most VP wins the game.

Scoring

Masters get victory points for:

• Finishing the game ....................... 2 VP, if tied ............................................ 1 VP
• Per completed apprentice's spell according to mission card ............... 5 VP
• Completed master order ............. 8 VP
• each crystal in your stock matching an uncompleted master order .............. 1 VP
• each mismatching crystal in your own stock ............................................ -1 VP

Example: Andrea has the two apprentices red and black on her mission card. Both completed their spell and Andrea finishes the game by meeting red with the examiner. She is credited for every spell 5 points and for finishing 2 points. Furthermore she has the combination of 3 white and 2 blue crystals on her master order. She has collected 2 white, 2 red and 1 blue crystal at the end. Because the order was not completed here there are no 8 VP and the crystals are counted individually. She gets for 2 white ones and the blue crystal a total of 3 victory points. Unfortunately, she has another two red crystals, which will cost 2 points. She ends on 5 + 5 + 2 + 3 - 2 = 13 VP.

The master who gets the most victory points, wins the game.

If tied, the master who has collected more crystals on his/her master order wins. If there is still a tie, those masters have to share the victory.