Materia Prima: The Alchemists Guild Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Game Preparation
• Goal of the Game
  • Philosopher's Stone
  • Secret Quest
• Elements
• Player Turn
  • Move
  • Mine
  • Discard
  • Fight
• Alchemists
  • Life and Death
  • Soul Stone
• Tower
  • Tower Extension
  • Equip
  • Convert
  • Transmute
• Game Board
  • Free Hexes
  • Element Hexes
  • Towns
    • Research
    • Purchase
• Homunculi
• Equipment
• Philosopher's Stone
• End of the Game
  • Wisdom Value
  • Scoring Points
• Secret Quests
• Actions and Icons

Game Components

• 180 Element markers
• 7 Game board tiles
• 24 Homunculus cards
• 24 Homunculus figures
• 24 Equipment cards
• 24 Philosopher's Stone cards
• 4 Alchemist cards
• 4 Alchemist figures
• 20 Figure stands
• 10 Dice
• 4 Tower cards
• 4 Tower figures
• 3 Tower cards (Town cards)
• 8 Quest cards
• 12 Tower extension markers
• 4 Philosopher's Stone markers

Game Preparation

Before the hunt for the Philosopher's Stone can begin, a few preparations must be made.

1. The seven-part Game Board is set up and the corresponding Town cards are laid out. The arrangement of the board tiles is reserved for the oldest player. The Town cards are placed next to the board.
2. The Tower extension markers are shuffled face-down and one marker is placed face up on each town card.
3. Each player chooses an Alchemist and a Tower with the corresponding figures and cards.
4. Each player receives a Soul Stone, which he places on the Alchemist card.
5. All players draw a Quest card face down. Only those Quests are available that are suitable for the number of players.
6. From the 3 different Recipe card decks (Homunculi, Equipment, Philosopher's Stone) all cards with the Wisdom value 1 are taken out and each player receives a face-down card from each recipe type (3 cards in total).
7. The remaining Recipe cards with the Wisdom value 1 are shuffled with the other cards according to their recipe type and placed next to the Game Board.
8. The players decide who starts (usually the youngest).
9. In clockwise order, the players place their Tower figures and their Alchemist figures on a hex on the game board. You only have to make sure that they are not placed on an Element hex, a Town or an opposing Tower.
10. Now the game can begin.

Player setup: Alchemist card, Tower card, 3 Recipe cards with wisdom value 1, Soul Stone, Quest card.

Board setup: 3 Recipe piles, Tower and Alchemist of each player, 7 Game Board tiles, 3 Town cards with tower extension.

Goal of the Game

To end the game, an Alchemist must generate a Philosopher's Stone by transmutation, fulfill his secret quest, and ultimately possess a soul stone. However, the winner is the player who has collected the most wisdom value points after the final score (see End of the Game).

Philosopher's Stone

The central aim of the game is to create the Philosopher's Stone. Each Alchemist must search the towns for recipes to create it. A Philosopher's Stone is made from 3 recipes. All wisdom value numbers from 1 to 3 must be present when collecting the partial recipes.

However, the ingredients and requirements that are necessary for this can be very different. Some partial recipes require certain elements, others require the soul stone of an Alchemist.

A Philosopher's Stone card shows: the Philosopher's Stone icon, the wisdom value (1, 2 or 3), the number of required elements, the element icon and the element name.

Secret Quest

Alchemy has a centuries-old tradition and its masters come from families, schools and guilds whose history is as old as the records that tell of them. An Alchemist is therefore not a blank sheet of paper. Some have a special alchemical codex, others act out of love or revenge, and there are those who have gone mad by the power of the Philosopher's Stone and want to plunge the world into chaos.

Every single biography results in a secret quest. However, this secret should be guarded, since the competitors will exploit every weakness.

The game can only be completed when the first one fulfills this quest with the help of the Philosopher's Stone and owns a soul stone at the end.

A Quest card shows: the quest icon, the quest name, the quest description, the quest monolog and the required number of players.

Elements

In the Alchemist's world everything revolves around the transmutation of things and living beings. But for everything they create, they need special ingredients. Some can be mined as elements (earth, water, air, fire, iron) directly on the game board, others are more valuable and must be fabricated from the simple elements. The element icon on a hex displays which element can be mined from the hex.

Higher-level elements can be transmuted in the alchemy tower (see Tower).

The Elements are divided into three levels, which differ not only in their value, but also in their power. The following plan shows all elements and their relationship to each other.

• Level 1: Water, Earth, Air, Fire, Iron
• Level 2: Sulfur, Glass, Copper, Mercury
• Level 3: Aqua Regia, Platinum, Gold

Plan (each element is connected by a line to the elements it is made from): Sulfur connects Water and Earth; Glass connects Earth and Air; Copper connects Air and Fire; Mercury connects Fire and Iron; Aqua Regia connects Sulfur and Glass; Platinum connects Glass and Copper; Gold connects Copper and Mercury.

Player Turn

Each Alchemist usually has 3 actions in one turn, which he can invest at will. He can move, mine or discard elements and fight. It doesn't matter which actions he performs in one turn and in which order he does it. If he is satisfied with less than his available actions, he can stop his turn at any time and it's the next player's turn.

In addition to the four basic actions, there are other possible actions in the Alchemist tower and in the towns (see Tower and Game Board).

Move

The game board is divided into hexagonal fields. Each figure (Alchemist or Homunculus) can move to any adjoining hex with one action. There are no natural boundaries on the board. The only restriction is that a hex on which another player's Alchemist or Homunculus is standing may neither be crossed nor designated as a target. A player's tower hex may not be entered either. A player's Alchemist and his Homunculi may share a hex.

Mine

On the map there are element hexes where elements (iron, fire, water, air and earth) can be mined. These hexes are marked with a corresponding icon. As soon as a figure (Alchemist or Homunculus) is standing on one of these hexes, he can use an action to mine a unit of the respective element. The mined elements are placed either on the Alchemist card or on the homunculus card. However, you have to pay attention to how many elements a figure can carry.

Discard

Within one action a figure can discard as many elements as it carries with it on the hex on which it stands. These remain there and can be resumed by mining them again. Discarded elements have to be "mined" again with an action in order to pick them up, just as if they were mined from the element hexes.

Fight

All Alchemists and homunculi usually have both an attack and a defense value. If there is an opposing Alchemist or homunculus in an adjoining hex, a figure can attack it with an action. It can attack as often as it has free actions in the current turn. If there are several figures of a player in one hex, the attacker may choose whom to attack.

As soon as an attack is initiated, the following 3 steps must be completed.

1. A figure (Alchemist or Homunculus) attacks an adjoining figure. In an attack, both the attack value of a figure and the dice result must be taken into account. For the attack, as many dice as the attack value specifies are used. The die numbers are added and the result is the strength of the attack roll.
2. The attacked figure has the possibility to defend itself against an attack. The dice are rolled with the number of dice that the defensive value of the figure specifies. The die numbers are added and the result is the strength of the defense roll. If the strength of the defense roll is higher than or equal to the strength of the attack roll, the attack is repelled and nothing else happens. If the strength of the defense roll is lower, it continues with step 3.
3. As soon as the attack is successful and cannot be repelled, the opponent's figure is considered as defeated.

A defeated homunculus is removed from the game board and all its elements become the property of the attacker.

A defeated Alchemist is placed back on his Tower hex and one of his soul stones as well as all his carried-along elements become the property of the attacker.

In both cases, the attacker decides which elements he keeps according to his maximum capacity. The others fall on the field of the attacked figure. If the attacker is an Alchemist, he must pick up the soul stone. If the attacker is a homunculus, the soul stone falls on the hex of the attacked.

If an Alchemist loses his last soul stone, he does not simply vanish, he continues to exist as a soulless being and has the possibility to recapture his soul stone (see Life and Death).

Example: Vitrudes attacks with an attack value of 3 and Sejlon has a defense value of 3. The strength of Vitrudes' attack roll is 4. The strength of Sejlon's defensive roll is only 3 and he is defeated. Sejlon is placed on his tower hex, Vitrudes receives as many elements as he can carry, and the remaining elements, as well as Sejlon's soul stone, fall on the attacked figure's hex.

Alchemists

Each Alchemist has its own figure and Alchemist card. The figure marks the current location on the board. The Alchemist card shows an Alchemist's name and characteristics. The properties are divided into two columns (see Life and Death). The side with the heart shows the status values he has when he owns at least one soul stone, the side with the skull shows the values when he has lost his last soul stone.

An Alchemist card shows: the Alchemist icon, name, storage for soul stone, storage for Philosopher's Stone, status values with soul stone (defense, attack, load capacity, number of actions per turn), status values without soul stone, storage for equipment and special ability.

Life and Death

As soon as an Alchemist loses his last soul stone in battle, the following rules apply to him.

1. His status values change. Now the values beneath the skull apply.
2. He becomes stronger, but cannot win the game without a soul stone.

If an Alchemist gets back a soul stone in battle or by transmutation, the status values beneath the heart symbol apply again.

NOTE: Even if an Alchemist loses his soul, there are no consequences for his homunculi. Even objects are not affected and can be used without a soul stone.

Soul Stone

Every Alchemist has a soul (soul stone), which he can lose in a battle (see Fight). A soul stone is a special element that can only be carried by an Alchemist. It may not be taken up by a homunculus.

When an Alchemist attains a second or even a third soul, these function like an extra life. They do not occupy any space in the inventory. In every lost battle an Alchemist has to give up a soul, but only when he doesn't have one anymore, he is considered as defeated and becomes a soulless being.

Soul stones may be discarded on any hex except a tower hex. They may also be used for transmutations, even if this means that the respective Alchemist becomes a soulless being.

Example: With an equipment card a new soul stone can be transmuted. Example: A recipe card for the Philosopher's Stone can require a soul stone for transmutation.

Tower

An Alchemist's tower, placed at the beginning of the game, offers him not only a roof over his head, but is also his fortification and storage house. Once an Alchemist or one of his homunculi is in his tower, he cannot be attacked. In addition, a foreign Alchemist cannot enter the tower hex even in his absence. The tower also serves as a storage facility. Since each figure can only carry a certain amount of element units, it's good to know that you can safely unload them in the tower and thus prevent other Alchemists from accessing them.

With only one action an Alchemist or homunculus can discard or pick up as many elements as he wants. As soon as elements are unloaded in the tower, they must be placed on the tower card.

Example: Vitrudes discards 2 elements in the Tower with one action.

A Tower card shows: name, tower icon, storage for equipment, storage for tower extension, storage for transmuted recipes of the Philosopher's Stone, and the table of elements for conversion.

Tower Extension

Each tower can be improved with a tower extension, which can be bought in the towns. The extensions help to transmute or grant one free element per turn, which can be stored directly in the tower. A player may have more than one tower extension. However, only one extension may be active per turn.

A tower extension marker shows the costs for the tower extension and its effect, for example: transmute with fire and any level 1 element a copper element; or receive an earth element in each turn and store it in the tower.

Equip

In the tower you can pick up or drop as many elements as an Alchemist or a homunculus can carry with one equip action. Once an Alchemist performs a conversion or transmutation, he does not need to perform an additional equip action. Equipment that is moved between the Alchemist and the tower must also be swapped with an equip action.

Convert

The action of element conversion is a form of transmutation. Alchemists are only able to produce mercury from water and iron in their own laboratory. A conversion is only possible if the Alchemist has the necessary source elements. It doesn't matter whether the source elements are placed on the Alchemist card or on the tower card as long as the Alchemist figure is placed on the tower hex.

Example: Sejlon converts gold. He needs 1 air, 2 fire and 1 iron element. Each conversion is an action. Example: Action 1: water and fire to copper. Action 2: iron and fire to mercury. Action 3: copper and mercury to gold.

Transmute

An Alchemist stumbles over recipes for equipment or homunculi again and again. In order to carry out a transmutation according to these recipes he needs all the elements shown on them. He must use an action to create the item or homunculus.

• Equipment cards must be equipped immediately on the Alchemist card or stored on the tower card.
• Partial recipes of the Philosopher's Stone must be stored on the tower card.
• Homunculi cards are placed next to the Alchemist card and the matching homunculi figure is positioned on the tower hex.

Example: Sejlon transmutes a shovel from 1 copper and 1 mercury.

NOTE: As soon as an Alchemist performs a conversion or transmutation, he can move as many elements as he wants between the Alchemist card and the tower card without having to perform an additional action.

Game Board

The game board consists of seven modular tiles that can be rearranged with each game to drastically change the game experience. There are three different types of hexes on the game board: element mines, towns and free hexes.

Free Hexes

On the game board each hex is free if there are neither element icons nor town icons on it. If a figure stands on a free hex, it has three possible actions. It can move, attack someone or discard something. A fourth possible action is added if elements have been discarded on a free hex. Then these can be taken up again by the mining action.

Element Hexes

An element mine is marked by an element icon on the hex. In addition to moving, fighting and discarding, a figure on this hex can mine the special element shown on the icon.

Towns

The towns are very special hexes. In addition to the four basic actions (move, fight, discard and mine), an Alchemist can research recipes and buy improvements for his tower.

In Alka Sowa there are towns whose chronicles and stories are as old as the continent itself. On their markets tower extensions can be bought and in their libraries old recipes can be researched. But not every town offers all kinds of recipes. Which ones (equipment, homunculus, Philosopher's Stone) can be purchased in a town, can be found on the corresponding town card.

NOTE: An Alchemist may only have 3 hidden recipes for equipment, the Philosopher's Stone, or homunculi in his hand. As soon as he gains a fourth, he must discard one of his choice.

Research

In every town, there are libraries and bookshops where an Alchemist can research recipes for homunculi, equipment and the Philosopher's Stone. The recipe research costs one action and can only be done by Alchemists. The player draws a card from the corresponding deck.

Example: Sejlon researches a recipe for an equipment card in Hammerbreach.

Purchase

In every town, there are markets and craftsmen. They offer a variety of goods that help Alchemists improve their towers and laboratories. On each town card, there is a tower extension marker, which can be bought with an action. To do this the Alchemist needs the required element in his inventory. The Alchemist then hands it in with the purchase action and may place the tower extension marker directly in the corresponding field on his tower card. The effect of the tower extension comes into effect with the next player's turn. As soon as a tower extension marker has been purchased, a new one must be drawn face down and placed on the town card.

Example: Sejlon buys a tower extension in Hammerbreach.

Homunculi

Every Alchemist is able to create smaller or larger helpers with the help of transmutation. These are called homunculi. Therefore he needs a homunculus card and the element units indicated on it. Once a homunculus has been created, the homunculus card must be placed next to the Alchemist card. The homunculus figure is placed on the tower hex and as soon as it's the player's turn again, he can control the homunculus like any other figure according to its action number.

Homunculi have special abilities that help the Alchemist achieve his goal of attaining the Philosopher's Stone. However, an Alchemist is not able to control an infinite number of homunculi. Therefore, the maximum number for each is limited to 3. As with the elements, there are three levels of homunculi that define their value and power. Unlike an Alchemist, a homunculus has limited possibilities to act. Not every homunculus can fight for example. They also differ in terms of the number of their actions and the extent of their capacity. Which abilities such a helper possesses can be taken from his homunculus card. Furthermore homunculi are not able to perform transmute, purchase or research actions.

A homunculus card shows: homunculus icon, name, wisdom value, required elements for transmutation, attack, defense, load capacity and number of actions per turn.

NOTE: An Alchemist cannot exchange elements with his homunculus, hand them over to him, nor take them away from him. A transfer must always be done by discarding and mining or via the tower.

NOTE: An Alchemist may never have more than 3 homunculi on the game board. If an Alchemist transmutes a fourth, he must resolve an active homunculus of his choice.

Equipment

Using transmutation, any Alchemist can generate equipment that gives him various advantages. However, he can carry a maximum of 2 items. Weapons increase the attack value, shields and armor improve the defense value and enchanted jewelry grants special abilities. As with elements and homunculi, there are 3 different levels of equipment that define their value and power.

To make equipment you need an equipment card and the elements indicated on it. When an item is made, it must either be equipped immediately or stored in the tower. Equipment can be stored in the tower without any limitation.

An equipment card shows: equipment icon, wisdom value, required elements for transmutation, and its improvement of abilities, defense value or load capacity.

Philosopher's Stone

The Philosopher's Stone is the purest form of Alchemy and its production is the master discipline of every Alchemist. In order to transmute such a stone, an Alchemist must first search for recipes in the towns. A Philosopher's Stone is made from 3 partial recipes. When collecting the partial recipes, all wisdom value numbers from 1 to 3 must be present. Each Alchemist can only transmute one of the three partial recipes and as a result only one stone. As soon as a partial recipe has been transmuted, it must be uncovered and stored in the corresponding field on the tower card. When an Alchemist has transmuted all 3 recipes, he receives a Philosopher's Stone marker, which he can place on his Alchemist card.

NOTE: Unlike a soul stone, the Philosopher's Stone cannot be taken from an Alchemist in a fighting action.

End of the Game

The game ends immediately when the first player with a soul stone and a Philosopher's Stone completes his secret quest. The winner is the player who received the most wisdom value after counting the points.

Wisdom Value

Every Alchemist strives in his life for perfection and the deepest insight into the secrets of Alchemy. This insight is expressed in the wisdom value points. Alchemists receive these through the conversion of elements, the transmutation of equipment and homunculi, the possession of a soul stone and the achievement of one's secret quest. The greatest insight into Alchemy, however, is provided by the creation of the Philosopher's Stone, for which one also receives the most wisdom value points. The wisdom value points are added up at the end of the game. For example, if a player loses a homunculus in the course of the game, it will not be counted at the end.

Scoring Points

The table shows what you get points for.

	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
Elements	-	-	2
Homunculi	1	2	3
Equipment	1	2	3
Philosopher's Stone	1	2	3

• Philosopher's Stone Set: +5
• Soul stone: +3
• Tower extension: +2
• Secret Quest: +9

Example: Player 1 completes his quest and ends the game. Elements 4, Homunculi 3, Philosopher's Stone 6, Stone Set 5, Soul Stone 3, Secret Quest 9. Wisdom value 30.

Example: Player 2 receives the following points for his progress. Elements 6, Homunculi 5, Philosopher's Stone 3, Equipment 5, Soul Stone 6. Wisdom value 25.

Secret Quests

• Tyrant: Transmute 3 homunculi and place them in 3 different towns! The mission is accomplished as soon as the third homunculus moves to last open town hex.
• Armory Master: Transmute 4 equipment items (minimum level 2) and bring 2 of them to Blackholm! The mission is accomplished as soon as the Alchemist moves to the Blackholm town hex with two equipped weapons.
• Spender: Drop 3 level 3 Elements in front of the tower, which is farthest from your own tower! The mission is accomplished as soon as the Alchemist or the player's homunculus has discarded the 3 elements in a hex adjacent to the opponent's tower.
• Soulreaper: Go with 3 soul stones to Windshire! The mission is accomplished as soon as the Alchemist with three soul stones moves to the Windshire town hex.
• Pacifist: Transmute a Philosopher's Stone without fighting and win the game by climbing any air shrine! The player must not engage in any fight with any Alchemist or homunculus throughout the entire game. The mission is accomplished as soon as the Alchemist moves into an air mining hex with a soul stone.
• Magnate: Transmute 3 elements of gold and bring them to Hammerbreach! The mission is accomplished as soon as the Alchemist or a player's homunculus has discarded the 3 elements in Hammerbreach town hex.
• Lord of Hellfire: Burn down the city of Windshire, by placing 9 Elements of Fire in it! The mission is accomplished as soon as the Alchemist or a player's homunculus has discarded the 9 elements in Windshire town hex.
• Homekeeper: Place at least 2 homunculi around your tower and keep them until your next turn. The mission is accomplished as soon as the player's turn comes again and 2 homunculi have survived on a hex adjacent to his tower.

Actions and Icons

• Moving: Move to an adjoining hex!
• Mining: Get elements from a mine!
• Discarding: Drop elements on your hex!
• Fighting: Attack on an adjoining hex!
• Converting: Convert elements in the tower!
• Transmuting: Create homunculi or equipment in the tower!
• Equip: Exchange elements and equipment in the tower!
• Researching: Acquire a new recipe in a town!
• Purchase: Get an extension marker for your tower!

Icons: number of dice on an attack roll; number of dice on a defensive roll; number of elements a figure can carry; number of actions to be performed per turn.

Elements: Water, Earth, Air, Fire, Iron, Sulfur, Glass, Copper, Mercury, Aqua Regia, Platinum, Gold.