Merlins Erben
Merlins Erben Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
The druids try, with the help of the spirits, to collect high-value plants and magic cards. At the right moment one must decide for the cult of the Sun or of the Moon, for only the cult that wins the later vote yields the points needed and victory in the succession to the great Merlin.
Using the magic dice, the druids move through the stone circles, call the spirits of the Celts to their aid, collect magic plants, try their hand at magic spells and hinder their rivals in their plans. At the same time they try to gather enough votes for the decisive election at the Place of Decision. At the end only the points and magic cards of the victorious cult count. The druid who can show the most points of this cult wins the game.
Game Components
- 1 large game board: the Celtic stone circles
- 2 magic dice
- 4 playing pieces as druids
- 8 large cards as the spirits of the Celts
- 8 small cards as the playing pieces of the spirits
- 8 stands for the small cards of the spirits
- 18 magic cards
- 21 plant cards
- 4 double-sided reference cards
- 1 rulebook
Preparation
Before the first game, the 8 small and the 8 large cards must be carefully punched out of the punch sheet. The 8 small cards are inserted into the stands, which gives the playing pieces for the spirits.
- The 8 spirit playing pieces are placed on their spaces next to the stone circles. The corresponding large cards are placed next to them as a stack.
- The magic cards are shuffled separately for the Sun and the Moon and placed face down next to the respective symbol of the outer stone circle.
- The 21 plant cards are shuffled and placed as a face-down stack on the large plant symbol next to the stone circle.
- Finally, each player receives a druid playing piece and places it in the centre of the game board, at the Old Oak. The oldest player begins. The others follow in clockwise order.
The Game Board
The board shows three stone circles that are regularly connected to one another. In the centre is the Place of Decision. Here the druids begin and end their contest.
The board also shows the Place of the Spirits, the Sun magic card stack, the Moon magic card stack and the stack for the plant cards.
The Celtic Symbols on the Board
- Druid's foot (pentagram): Playing pieces leave and enter the Place of Decision through these spaces. A druid begins its movement here at the start of the contest. Any playing piece that ends its movement on a druid's foot during the game is immediately placed on the Place of Decision and can no longer be moved.
- Spirit (triskele): A druid that ends its movement on this space may call any spirit into the stone circle or drive one out of the stone circle. See The Spirits below.
- Plants: If a playing piece ends its movement on a plant space, the player draws a plant card. Only the Dwarf King always receives two cards when he reaches a plant space.
- Sun: If a druid ends its movement on the sun space, it receives the top card from the stack of Sun magic cards. Spirits never draw magic cards.
- Moon: If a druid ends its movement on the moon space, it receives the top card from the stack of Moon magic cards. Spirits never draw magic cards.
The Spirits
A total of 8 spirits have made their way to the great stone circles: three spirits of the Sun, three spirits of the Moon, the Dwarf King and the Morrigan.
When a druid ends its movement on a spirit space of the middle stone circle, it may call any spirit into the stone circle or drive one out of the stone circle.
Calling a spirit: If a spirit is called, the player takes any spirit from the Place of the Spirits and places it on the space next to their druid. As a sign of control, the player places the large card of that spirit face up in front of them on the table. In the following round the spirit can be moved with the help of one of the magic dice.
Driving out a spirit: If a spirit is driven out, the player takes any spirit from a space of the stone circle and places it on the Place of the Spirits. If a player thereby loses a spirit, they must also return the large card of that spirit. The driven-out spirit is then free again for the other players. Spirits on the Place of Decision can never be driven out!
The Dwarf King
The Dwarf King is treated like a normal spirit. However, the following special rules apply to him:
- He always receives 2 plant cards on a plant space.
- If he is on the Place of Decision, he votes for a cult of the choice of the player who controls him.
- He always has 0 points.
The Morrigan
The Morrigan is treated like a normal spirit and also receives plant cards. However, when she is placed on a druid's space, the player who gains control of the Morrigan may choose one of the following options:
- He may look at all the cards of the druid on the Morrigan's space.
- He may steal one or two plant cards, or one magic card. The cards are drawn at random from the hand of the opponent.
After the Morrigan has been placed on another druid and has carried out its action, the new druid gains control of the Morrigan.
If a druid is moved onto the space of the Morrigan, it takes control of her without the Morrigan carrying out an action.
Whoever controls the Morrigan at the end of the game receives a deduction of 20 points. Furthermore, the Morrigan may never be placed on the Place of Decision.
Movement
Druids and spirits are moved mainly by the two magic dice. When it is a player's turn, they always roll both dice and move one playing piece according to the instruction of one die. If a player has no spirit, they choose one of the dice to move their druid; the second die then has no effect. If a player has one or more spirits, they may move one piece for each die, for example one spirit, or their druid and one spirit.
The Symbols of the Magic Dice
- Pips (numbers 1 to 6): If the die shows a number, move a piece by the corresponding number of spaces within the stone circles. The number must always be used up completely.
- Straight line: If the die shows a straight line, the player moves a piece any distance in one direction. A turn is not possible.
- Single bend: If the die shows a single bend, the chosen playing piece must turn exactly once during its movement. Otherwise it may be moved any distance before and after the turn.
- Double bend: If the die shows a double bend, the chosen playing piece must turn exactly twice during its movement. Otherwise it may be moved any distance before and after each turn.
- Two rings: If only one of the two dice shows a ring, this has no significance for movement. Only when two rings appear may the player choose between normal and magic movement.
- In normal movement the rings are ignored and the playing pieces are moved as usual.
- In magic movement the player moves none of their pieces, but may choose one of the following two options:
- Draw a magic card from a stack of their choice, or
- Move any spirit within the stone circle.
Moving a spirit allows some interesting plays:
- An own or foreign spirit within the stone circle is placed on a druid's foot and lands immediately on the Place of Decision.
- A foreign spirit is placed on the player's own druid and thereby changes owner.
- An own spirit lands on a plant space and receives a plant card.
- The spirit of the Morrigan is placed on another druid and casts it under her spell.
Special Rules for Movement
- No more than two playing pieces may stand on any one space of the three stone circles.
- Druids can never jump over other druids. However, a druid may be placed on the space of another druid, as long as that druid stands alone on its space. Spirits are not an obstacle to movement.
- Each playing piece can carry out only one action on a board space.
Example: A druid meets a foreign spirit on the space of the Moon magic cards. It must decide whether to draw a magic card or to take control of the spirit.
Meeting of Two Druids
When a druid is placed on the space of another druid, the newly arrived druid may demand a card exchange. In a card exchange the player may choose one of the following options:
- Exchange one Moon magic card or one Sun magic card.
- Exchange one or two plant cards.
Both players then choose the required cards from their hand and pass them simultaneously, face down, to their opponent. As a matter of principle, when asked by the other players, one must state how many cards of which card type (Moon card, Sun card, plant card) one holds in hand.
Magic Cards
Druids receive magic cards when they end their movement on the Sun space or the Moon space, or when they roll a pair of rings. The timing of playing out a card is generally explained in its text. Once played, a magic card leaves the game. Spirits never receive magic cards when they enter the Sun or Moon space.
Plant Cards
There are normal plant cards, which have a value (5, 10 or 15) and show the symbol of the Sun or of the Moon. These cards are only scored at the end of the game, and only for the victorious cult.
The magic berries can be used both for the Sun and for the Moon. Their bonus of +30 points is, however, only received in combination with the three plant cards of one cult (see also The Magic Potion below). A player who holds the wrong magic berries in hand at the end of the game receives a deduction of 20 points.
The Magic Potion
A magic potion always consists of the three different plant cards of one cult plus magic berries. Only in this combination do the magic berries receive their value of 30 points, so that a complete magic potion of the victorious cult counts 60 points. A magic potion may also be used as 1 vote in the vote.
Example: A Sun magic potion, shown in the rulebook as the cards 5, 10 and 15 together with the magic berries +30 (5 + 10 + 15).
The Vote
As soon as five playing pieces stand on the Place of Decision, the first phase of the contest ends and the vote takes place. The vote always begins with the player who placed the fifth playing piece on the Place of Decision. The other players follow in clockwise order. Each player may vote only once. They must then state all the votes they wish to deploy.
- Each druid always casts 3 votes for one cult.
- Spirits always vote with 1 vote for their cult.
- The Dwarf King votes with 1 vote for one cult.
Additional votes are possible through a magic potion or through magic cards. The use of such votes is always voluntary.
- A magic potion (5 + 10 + 15 + 30) counts as 1 vote for the corresponding cult.
- The Magic Portrait (Magisches Bildnis) counts as an additional vote.
- The magic cards Teutates or Lug double the vote of one's own spirit.
If the players already reach a majority for one cult in the first round, scoring follows immediately. If there is a tie in the first round, a second vote takes place immediately.
In the second vote each playing piece in the stone circle has only a single vote. An abstention is forbidden by the honour of the druids and spirits. Additional votes through magic cards or a magic potion are no longer possible. Since exactly 5 votes are cast in the second vote, a decision always results.
The following three lines are printed as a separate block after the second-vote paragraph, with no lead-in sentence of their own; they are kept in that position:
- -20 points for the owner of the Morrigan.
- -20 points for the owner of the wrong magic berries.
- The Dwarf King always has the value zero.
Scoring
Basically, only the points of the victorious cult count. Additional points are possible through magic cards. The points in detail:
- 20 points for each druid in the centre, regardless of which cult it voted for.
- 20 points for each spirit of the victorious cult in the centre.
- 10 points for each spirit of the victorious cult in the stone circle.
- Plant cards are worth their printed value.
- 30 additional points from the magic berries in a complete magic potion.
- 20 additional points for two identical plants through the cauldron or the harp.
The gain of additional points is possible only once per card. A magic berry card can therefore belong to only one magic potion, and a plant that earns additional points through the cauldron or the harp cannot, for example, also be part of a magic potion.
End of the Game and Victory
The player who at the end has the highest point value from controlled spirits, their druids, the plants and magic cards is named the successor to the great Merlin. With the help of the victorious cult, he will guide the further fate of the druids, at least until the next game.
Note on the transcription: the printed rules do not state a specific condition that ends the game. None has been added here.