Magical Athlete (2003)
Magical Athlete (2003) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
25 Character Tokens: 1 for each character to race on the board.
25 Character Cards: 1 for each character showing what ability the character has.
24 Chips: to use in the draft and for Victory Points (VP)
1 double-sided Game board: one side is used for drafting and the other for the races.
Character special ability reference sheet
1 Die
This rulebook
- You should have one piece of paper and a pencil for doing a prophecy.
Preparations
Fold out the gameboard onto the table.
Shuffle the 25 character cards and then remove 5 cards at random without looking at them. Put them aside.
Give out the chips: In a 4 player game give everyone 8 points worth of chips and in a 5 player game everyone gets 6 points worth of chips. The rest of the chips are put aside in a bank. The players use chips to draft cards. Once the drafting is completed, reclaim all the remaining chips from all players. The chips will be used later as awards to the players who win a race.
Decide a start player randomly, then the turn will go clockwise around the table.
The Draft
(be sure to use the drafting side of the game board)
The player whose turn it is (active player) draws the top card of the character deck and places it on the "4" space of the board. If the space is already occupied, slide that card into the "3" space. The same thing happens if that space is also occupied. (Newly drawn cards will always occupy the "4" space on the board).
Then, the active player can purchase one of the cards in these spaces. The active player can purchase only one card a turn. The player must pay the cost using his chips. The cost is the number in the space. The active player can pass if he doesn't want any of the cards, however, if there is a card on "0" space, he cannot pass and must purchase this card for free.
This sequence means that if there is a card on "0" space, one of the cards on the board must be purchased, resulting in one of the spaces becoming vacant.
Every player must purchase a number of cards based on the number of players. In a game with 4 players, everyone must purchase 5 cards. In a game with 5 players, everyone must purchase 4 cards. If someone has purchased all of his cards, then he does not participate in the draft anymore and the draft continues with the remaining players until all 20 cards are purchased. If the deck runs out, the procedure above is continued but you do not draw a new card. This means the remaining cards on the spaces are still pushed toward a cheaper space every turn. As a result, the last card can be purchased at 0 cost by the last remaining player to buy cards.
After completing the entire draft, the remaining chips in players' possessions are returned to the bank.
The special ability of "Assassin" can be implemented at this moment. If this happens, the player whose character gets assassinated gets one card at random from the previously removed cards as a replacement.
The Races
(turn the game board over)
In a 4 player game, there will be 5 races. In a 5 player game, there will be 4 races.
At the start of each race, every player secretly chooses one character to participate in that race. At this moment, the special ability of "Spy" can be used. The player who has "Spy" in his hand need not select a character card before he sees all the other players' selection.
Then everyone reveals their athlete simultaneously. At this point, the special ability of the "Prophet", if she is in the race, can be used. The player who selected the "Prophet" for the race can make a prophecy for the race.
The race starts with the player to the left of the player who won the last race. For the first race, it starts with the player who is to the left of the player who purchased the last card.
On a player's turn, the active player rolls the die and advances his athlete by the number rolled. A race ends when the first 2 athletes reach the goal.
In case of the "Prophet" getting the correct prophecy, the player of the "Prophet" becomes the second place winner automatically due to the special ability of Prophet.
For each race, the first athlete's player and the second athlete's player get the award.
First race: 3 points for first place and 1 point for second place.
Second and third races: 4 points for first place and 2 points for second place.
Fourth and fifth races: 5 points for first place and 3 points for second place.
Each athlete can only race once during the game. Also, each ability outside a race can only be used once during the game (Assassin, Spy).
Special Abilities
Special abilities can only be used by characters participating in the current race (Assassin and Spy are the exceptions).
The word "Turn" during races means "rolling a die and advancing his athlete by the number rolled". If some ability says "turn", use the definition above.
If an ability says "instead of your turn", then you will not do your regular turn and do something specifically indicated by the ability.
If an ability says "before your turn", then you can do something special first and then you can do your regular turn.
Some special abilities use the keyword, "Duty". A "Duty" ability means you must use the character's ability. (Non-Duty abilities are optional: if you don't activate a special ability then you do your normal turn.)
Some abilities refer to "overtaking". Overtaking means that a character starts the turn behind a particular character and ends up occupying a space ahead of the character by any means (through a normal die roll or use of a special ability).
Example: Centaur's ability requires him to overtake a character to trigger, so the Centaur must have started the turn in a space behind that character and by the end of turn must be ahead of that character. If that happens, you can activate Centaur's special ability and kick that character 1 space backwards.
Note: If Centaur had started the turn behind a character, and that character, through some action, is sent backwards and ends up behind the Centaur, this can still trigger the Centaur's ability.
Some die roll results or activation of some ability can trigger other special abilities to happen.
See the FAQ below for details and the reference sheet for a list of special abilities.
Game End
The game ends when the requisite number of races finishes.
The player who won the most points wins the game. In case of a tie, the player whose rank is higher in the last race wins. In this case, the last race may continue even after the second athlete crossed the goal.
Reference Sheet: Character Abilities
Amazon — Instead of your turn, you can advance 5 spaces.
Assassin — After the draft, you can assassinate one character of your choice. It is removed from the game and randomly replaced by one of the removed 5 cards.
Bard — When another character rolls a "6", you can advance 1 space.
Centaur — When you overtake another character, you can kick him 1 space backward.
Conjurer — After rolling the die for your turn, you can reroll it once if you desire. The new result must be used.
Cupid — Whenever a male character and a female character share a space, you can advance 5 spaces.
Demon — When another character rolls a die, you can reduce the result by 1. This decision is done before the roll, and the minimum result is 1.
Druid — When a character uses his special ability, you can advance 1 space.
Ghoul — When another character rolls "1" for his turn, you can advance 1 space and that character cannot advance.
Gladiator — When you share a space with another character, you can challenge the character. You and the opponent roll a die and compare the results. If your roll is higher or equal to the opponent's roll, you can advance 2 spaces. If opponent rolls higher, he can advance 2 spaces.
Martial Artist — You need not count the space occupied by other characters during your movement (i.e. you can pass over occupied spaces).
Medusa — When you share a space with another character, you can cast a spell to make him rest for his next turn (i.e. he loses a turn).
Merchant — Instead of your turn, you can exchange places with another character.
Necromancer — Instead of your turn, you roll a die and move one character of your choice backwards by the number rolled. Then you advance 1 space.
Ninja — When a character starts in the same space as the Ninja, you can claim "Shadowing". You will move with that character during the entire turn.
Philosopher — When a character claims his special ability, you can cancel the effect of that ability. That character gets to move 1 space forward as compensation.
Pirate — At the start of your turn, you can kidnap one other character and move him to your space.
Priest — At the start of your turn, you can advance a last place athlete by 2 spaces, and then you can advance by 1 space for this good deed.
Prophet — When the race you are in starts, you can make a secret prophecy. You write one character's name. If that character wins first place, then you automatically get second place.
Ranger — If you roll a "1" or "2" on your turn, you can advance 4 spaces instead of the die result.
Siren — DUTY. At the start of your turn, all other characters on the board must move one space closer to Siren.
Spy — When Spy is on your team (has not raced yet), you can see the selection of racers from the other players before you make your selection.
Thief — At the beginning of a race he is in, you can steal a 1 point chip from a player of your choice.
Troll — DUTY. When you share a space with another character, the other character must move backward 1 space.
Witch — When you are overtaken by another character, you can cast a spell to make him rest for his next turn (i.e. he loses a turn). You must move back 1 space for this bad deed.
FAQ
Assassin
Assassin can assassinate himself to get a random replacement.
Philosopher cannot cancel assassination.
Bard
Challenge rolls due to Gladiator's ability may trigger Bard's ability.
Centaur
Centaur can decide whether to use his ability or not for each character. Each decision is considered one use of the ability.
Cupid
In this game, only Amazon, Bard, Druid, Medusa, Prophet, Siren, and Witch are the female characters. All other characters, including Cupid, are male.
Conjurer
When his special ability is used, it is as if the first roll never happened. This means that Bard and Ghoul could not get their bonus from the cancelled roll.
Demon
If Demon uses his ability, use only the modified die result for judging special abilities.
Druid
When Druid and Troll share their space, a real dilemma happens. In this case, Troll has priority, since Troll's ability is a forced one. When a similar dilemma happens between Druid and Philosopher, they must discuss the outcome. If discussion fails, Druid has priority.
If Druid gets several bonuses during one turn and overtakes Witch, this can trigger Witch's special ability.
If Druid's ability makes some infinite loop, except in the case with Philosopher described above, Druid must stop using his ability.
Ghoul
If Ranger rolls "1" and Ghoul uses his ability, Ranger cannot advance at all in this case.
Challenge rolls due to Gladiator's special ability are not rolls for the turn. Thus, these rolls do not trigger Ghoul's special ability.
Gladiator
Since Gladiator cannot share the space with Troll because of Troll's ability, he cannot challenge Troll.
On the other hand, Gladiator can challenge Medusa even though she might cast a spell.
Martial Artist
Martial Artist can decide to use his ability space by space. And each space he skips means one use of the ability.
Medusa
Medusa's ability is not effective at the start of the race.
If Medusa shares a space with Gladiator, Medusa can cast a spell normally but Gladiator can challenge Medusa according to his ability.
Pirate can kidnap Medusa. But, in this case, Medusa can cast a spell on Pirate.
Merchant
If by changing positions one of the characters who changed position overtakes Witch, this triggers Witch's ability.
Necromancer
If Necromancer uses his ability to move back Witch, and if some character overtakes Witch because of this backward movement, the Witch's ability triggers.
Ninja
Ninja can use his ability on another character's turn. If that character uses his ability instead of his normal turn, Ninja shadows him.
Once the shadow ability is activated, Ninja cannot stop it during the target's turn.
If the target of shadowing finishes the race, Ninja will also finish but his rank is one lower than the target because he moves after the target.
If Ninja overtakes Witch during shadowing, this triggers Witch's ability.
Shadowing is possible at the start of the race.
Philosopher
Philosopher's ability needs compensation. This means he can use his ability only when he is in the race.
Philosopher cannot cancel Prophet's ability.
Duty abilities cannot be cancelled by Philosopher's ability.
If Philosopher's ability makes an infinite loop, he must stop using his ability.
Pirate
Pirate can kidnap Medusa. But, Medusa can cast her spell.
Pirate can kidnap Troll. This will make him move back one space due to Troll's ability.
If some character overtakes Witch by being kidnapped, she can cast a spell on him.
Priest
Priest can use his ability even when he is the last place character.
Priest can use his ability when there is more than one last place character; and all such characters must be advanced.
Priest can use his ability even at the start of the race.
If some character overtakes Witch due to Priest's ability, this triggers Witch's ability.
Prophet
Prophet can predict that she will win. But, this means that if correct, she would automatically become the second place winner. So this is a very bad idea.
Ranger
Ranger can advance 1 or 2 spaces based on his roll.
Siren
Movement caused by Siren happens simultaneously. This means that except for the space of Siren, there will be no new spaces that become shared.
If Troll is 1 space ahead of Siren, Siren's ability happens once and then this results in Troll's ability triggering once.
Thief
Thief's ability works at the start of the race. Unfortunately, in the first race of the game, no players have chips. So, it is not a good idea to select the Thief for the first race.
Players must make change if needed for the Thief to collect.
Troll
Troll's ability is not valid at the start of the race.
Witch
Since Witch needs to move backward for her ability, she could not use her spell at the start of the race.
Almost all situations where Witch is overtaken by a character triggers her ability. She can decide whether to use it or not on each character. Each decision is one use of the ability.
Credits
Designed by Takashi Ishida
Illustrated by Umino Senri
Graphic design by The Cabil
©2010 Z-Man Games, Inc.
©2002 Grimpeur