Misty Ruins Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Characters
• Items
• Setup
• To Win
• Identity and Homeland
• Placing Stamina Tokens
• Actions
  • Explore
  • Move
  • Open Door
  • Gain Item
  • Open Chest
  • Identify
  • Flee/Hide
  • Rest/Heal
  • Combat
  • Buy/Sell
• Game End
• Unusual Items
• Bonuses in Exploration
  • Yellow Bonuses
  • Red Bonuses
  • Blue Bonuses

Components

• 16 Character Cards
• 8 Homeland Cards
• 16 Monster Cards
• 40 Exploration Tiles
• 41 Item Cards
• 12 Health Tokens
• 30 Gold Tokens
• 5 Player Boards
• 15 Damage Tokens
• 50 Identity Tokens
• 40 Stamina Blocks
• 5 Pawns
• 5 Lock Tokens

Characters

There are 16 cards that will represent the identity of each player. Each of these cards has symbols representing attributes of that character. The first one (fist) represents physical strength and a character's ability to fight with no weapons. The sword shows the characters ability to use standard weapons like swords. The bow represents agility and shows the character's ability to use range weapons and pick locks on doors and chests. The flame represents the characters ability to use magical items and cast wizard spells. The blue and green symbol represents the character's ability to use religious artifacts for their mystical powers. The clover represents a character's luck in combat and must be accompanied by a luck charm to use. Throughout the game, when a player attempts some kind of action that requires use of one of these attributes, he can try to determine which character he is.

Items

Items in the game are mostly for combat with monsters. If a character does not have an item for combat, he must use his fist ability which is not as powerful as items. Many item cards have a symbol at the bottom matching an attribute on character cards. That number is added to the character's corresponding ability when in combat. Also on the card is a coin with a number next to it. That number represents what the cost of the item is if purchased in a homeland. If sold in a homeland the player receives the amount shown minus 1 gold. Some items represent just gold and can be traded for gold tokens or simply used as a card for that much gold. Luck charms add a character's luck amount to any combat action in addition to whatever other item is used. Items with a shield on the bottom prevent damage in combat. Specifics on unusual cards are described a the end of the rules.

Setup

Shuffle all decks of cards. Each player draws a character card and homeland card. Each player can look at them but must keep them secret from all other players. These cards represent the identity and homeland of the player to the right of the card holder. The starting tile is placed in the center of the table. Each player is given a player board. Each player chooses a color and takes the pawn, stamina blocks, and damage tokens of that color. All pawns are placed in the box and one is chosen at random to be the first player. The pawns are then all placed on the starting tile. Draw item cards equal to the number of players face up, then place two additional item cards face up. The first player chooses one item and each player in counterclockwise order chooses one item. All items not chosen are put into an item discard pile. The last player to choose an item will be the player to go first in the game, and play will go in clockwise order during the game. Each player is given 3 exploration tiles, the players may look at these. Each player is given 2 health tokens. Place all identity tokens where all players can reach them.

To Win

The winner of the game will be the one who has the most gold. There is a coin on all monster cards and items. These are counted as gold. In addition, when the game ends, any player who knows his identity and homeland will receive 10 extra gold. The game will end when a player confronts a monster and reveals his correct identity. The player will say something like, "Tell your foul master that I am Kusk of the Zambun Jungle!"

Identity and Homeland

During the game players will explore caverns and lands, find objects, battle monsters, and learn, by elimination, their identity and homeland. Each player has 8 actions that can be performed before they must take a turn to rest. These actions are represented by stamina tokens. In combat a player may take damage from a monster. In this case he will lose a health token(s). This takes longer to recover. A player must rest a full turn to regain a health token. When a player chooses to take an action that requires an attribute he asks the player to the left, who knows his identity, to tell him if the action succeeds or fails. A player may be equal to the needed number or over by as many as 4 or 5, but this is never revealed. The only answers given on any given action are "succeed" or "fail." The player then places an identity token on the player board to keep track of the clues. Each player chooses how the token is placed to remind him if that token means that a character is ruled out, or to remind him a character is a possibility. For example, a player may choose to put the token on the upper left of the picture to indicate a possibility or may choose one identity token color to mean that a character is ruled out. Each player should develop his own system so other players do not know what the identity tokens mean. If a mistake is made along the way, either by the person placing tokens on his own sheet, or the player who knows his identity giving a wrong answer, the game can be wasted. Make sure you are careful to give accurate information and mark your identity sheet correctly.

Placing Stamina Tokens

The player who choses an item last in the set-up is first to choose an action at the first of the game and place a stamina token on that action of the player board. If a player has no stamina tokens he must take a turn to rest and take back all stamina tokens from the action mat. A player may rest on any turn even if all stamina tokens have not been placed. Resting and healing take no stamina blocks to perform.

Actions

Explore

Place one block on the explore area of the player board. You may now choose an explore tile from your hand and place it next to the tile where your pawn stands. Move your pawn onto the explored tile. On the starting tile and on all Explore tiles there are strange runes (letters). In order to place an explore card you must match either the rune or the color of the rune on the card where your pawn stands, and the matching runes must be on the adjacent sides of the tile placed and the tile where your pawn stands. If you match both the color and the rune, you immediately get a bonus. Brief descriptions of your bonus are listed on the player board. Detailed descriptions are listed at the end of the rules. Tiles can be placed upside down (or any orientation). The playing surface is the limit to which you may place tiles—in other words, tiles cannot be played if they will fall from the table. There are two general types of exploration tiles—catacombs and homelands. In homelands there are two items. Take two item cards and place on the homeland exploration tile. These are for sell. How to buy them is explained in the buy/sell rules below. You may also sell items you are carrying in the homeland. In some catacombs items are just lying there for you to pick up. Place the item card on the catacomb exploration tile when the exploration tile is played. If a monster symbol is present, place the monster card on top of the exploration tile and place your pawn on the lightning bolt on that monster card. How to proceed with a monster is explained in combat. There may also be a chest or lock symbol on the tile. See the corresponding instructions to proceed with those actions. If there is no rune on the side of a tile, no tile can be played next to it, but if later in play a tile is put next to the one with no rune from another direction, a player may move from one tile to the next with no problem. Note that the explore area on the player board has red parchment and other areas also have colored parchments. Once this action is successful, players may take another action as long as the action has a parchment of one of the colors shown on the arrow, (example: the explore area has a yellow and a blue arrow), and the player has another stamina block to place. A player may only take another action if that action is available to the player. For example, if the tile explored has an "item" card, the player may then place another block in the area with the blue parchment (item) and take the item card that was placed on the exploration tile. But he cannot take an "gain item" action if there are no items available with that exploration tile or if all stamina blocks are gone.

Move

Place one block on the move area of the player board. The player may move his pawn to a previously explored tile, you may move up to 4 tiles away from your starting point. The player cannot move past a monster card. If he moves to a monster card, he must stop there. A player can move to any adjacent card regardless of runes or other symbols on the card. He cannot move diagonally. The player can now take an available action on blue, yellow, red, or green parchment.

Open Door

This exploration card means the adventurer finds a locked door. A lock token is placed on the tile. In order to place any other exploration tile next to it, a player must first pick the lock or open the door with physical force or magical means. (Note that you can explore and then go on to open a passage in the same turn) If the player does not have an exploration tile in his hand that matches any of the runes on the lock card, he cannot attempt to open the door. The player attempting to move through the door asks the player to his left if his attribute number is equal to or higher than that shown on the locked exploration tile. The player to his left reveals if he succeeds or fails. If he succeeds, he may place a new exploration tile according the rules regarding runes and placement of tiles and move his pawn there. If he fails, his turn is over. But whether he succeeds or fails, he now knows more about his identity. In order to place a tile next to other sides of the locked exploration card, the same process must be followed. Example: Even if one side of a locked card has another exploration card next to it, another exploration may not be placed next to another side of that card unless the character or another character succeeds in opening the lock. Doors that have not been unlocked are marked with a "Lock Token." After all sides with runes of a locked are unlocked the lock token is turned over to show it open.

Gain Item

Place one block on the "gain item" area of the player board. A player may take an item that is on an exploration tile. If it is a certain number of gold, a player may keep that card representing the gold, or trade it for gold coins. Item cards on tiles can be examined by any player at any time.

Open Chest

Place one block on the "open chest" area of the player board. This means a player is attempting to open a chest using the attribute shown above the chest. The player checks with the player to his left to see if his attempt is successful. If it is not, his turn is over. If it is, the number of items shown on the chest are placed on the exploration tile, and the successful player may now play a block on the "gain item" action to take an item, providing he has a block left.

Identify

To Identify is to ask the player to the left if some item or a group of items held by the inquiring player look familiar. All items are from a homeland. If something looks familiar that means that that character is from that homeland. A player does not need to be on a homeland to identify items. This can be done in two ways: First, a player may ask if anything looks familiar. This includes all or any group of his items. If his pawn is on a homeland exploration tile, it includes that too. The player to the left either says yes or no with no other elaboration. Second, a player may ask if one item or if one homeland exploration card looks familiar (if he asks about the homeland, his pawn must be on it). The player to the left answers for that particular tile only. The answer is either yes or no with no elaboration. A player may select just some of his items to receive an answer. Once a player knows an item is from his homeland, he gets one additional point in combat when using that weapon.

Flee/Hide

These actions can only be taken if a player's pawn is on a monster card. To flee means the player moves his pawn to an adjacent exploration tile that is already in play. It costs two stamina tokens to flee. The player is now out of combat and his turn is over. To hide means a player retrieves two blocks from the player board. The player cannot do anything else in the turn and does not take damage if the monster attacks (see combat). Place your pawn on it's side to show you are hiding, so when combat damage is dealt, you receive none. To hide requires no placement of stamina block on the action mat.

Rest/Heal

To rest means a player retrieves all stamina blocks from the action mat. This is the end of his turn. A player may spend one block to move before resting on a turn. It takes no placement of a stamina block to rest. At this time the resting player may draw more exploration tiles until he has his maximum of 3. To heal means a player has lost health tokens in combat and is seriously wounded. It takes a full turn to receive one health token back. If a player does not have two health tokens he must heal, it is the only thing he can do on his turn. A player cannot rest/heal when on a tile with an active monster.

Combat

If a pawn is on a monster card, that player is in combat. He may only use the actions of "combat" or "flee/hide" until the monster is gone or he has successfully fled. The player declares what ability he is using to attack. He can only use an ability of an item he carries unless he is attacking with his bare fist. For instance, if a player has the Crossbow of Suruph with an agility (bow and arrow) attribute of 3, the player adds that to his own agility skill, let's say it is also 3, for a total attack of 6. If that number is equal to or greater than the number in the blue shield shown on the monster card, that monster is defeated (the success or failure of this is revealed by the player to the left of the attacking player). In that case the monster card is removed from play and kept by the attacking player for victory points at the end of the game. The player also receives 1 gold for a successful hit. If the attacking player's total is less than the blue number, the player places one of his damage tokens on the monster card and his turn is over.

These tokens do two things. First, each damage token of any color gives the attacking player plus one to his total attack. Second, when the monster is defeated, all players with damage tokens on the monster get that number in gold coins. If all players in the attack are out of damage tokens, the monster wins the combat. Once damage are placed on a monster they remain there until the monster is defeated or the monster is victorious, even if the character flees the battle. If there are no player pawns on the monster card, he does not leave play--he must either be defeated or be victorious.

Monsters have specific vulnerabilities and defenses. Those numbers are shown in the symbols below the blue shield. If a player is using an ability shown, he must meet or exceed that number to defeat the monster. If a player has no items to use in combat he can only use the fist. A player may use a luck charm to add his luck to any attack including the bare fist. When a player has a luck charm and declares that he is using it in combat, he ads his character's luck value on his character card to any type of attack. When a player plays an exploration tile with a monster symbol on it, he places the monster on top of the exploration tile and his pawn on the lightning bolt. He may then, providing he has a stamina block left, make an attack on the monster. Other players may then use the move action to join the combat on their turn. They do not place their tokens on the lightning bolt. In this way, the player discovering the monster is tracked. When that player takes his next turn the monster deals it's damage to all players in combat (except any hiding). So the discovering player will get two chances to defeat the monster before any damage is dealt, but all other players will get only one chance. From that point on, the monster deals its damage after the discovering player's turn, even if the discovering player leaves combat. When the monster deals it's damage it takes away stamina blocks or health tokens equal to the number shown on the lightning bolt. Stamina blocks lost this way go to the player board. Each player in the combat decides what he will lose in any combination. When a player in combat loses all (usually 2) health tokens he has been defeated and must fully heal and fully rest before he can resume play. At this point each player in combat loses one item of his choice. That item goes in a discard pile and does not re-enter the game. There is no reward for the players. Also if a player has spent all 3 damage tokens and cannot defeat the monster, the player may wait for other players to help or he may flee. The damage tokens stay on the monster and the player will retrieve them, and receive gold for each, if another player defeats the monster. If the monster is not defeated, the damage tokens remain there. The player may return to finish the job once he gains more power or luck.

Summary of damage points dealt by characters in combat are:

1. Points of the character's attribute that correspond with the type of weapon used (if there is no weapon used, the player counts only fist points).
2. Plus points of the weapon used.
3. Plus points of the characters luck if a luck charm is used.
4. Plus one point for each damage token on the monster card from all players.
5. Plus one bonus point if the player knows his homeland and is using a weapon from that land. Only one weapon at a time may be used in combat.

Buy/Sell

This can only be done in the homeland exploration tiles. Place one stamina block on the buy/sell area of the action board. The player may buy one item for the cost shown by the coin of the item. A player may sell an item for one less than the cost shown. The exception to this is if there is an item card in a homeland with just gold on it. A player may sell any item for that gold amount. This indicates an unusual demand for a certain item in that homeland. Items sold are put on that homeland tile and may be purchased by players later. A player may perform both a buy and sell action with the one stamina block.

Game End

The game is over immediately when a player places his pawn on a monster card, places a block in the combat area and states, "Tell your foul master I am (identity) of (homeland)" and is correct. If that player is incorrect, the game does not end and he is penalized 2 gold. If that player is correct, he wins the combat and takes the monster card with no further battle, the game ends and he gets 10 bonus gold. Gold is paid to that player for the monster as in other combat, and to each player with damage tokens on that monster. Each player then gets a chance to declare who they are and where they are from. If they are correct, they get 5 bonus gold. If they are wrong there is no penalty.

Total all gold to determine the winner:

1. Monsters he has defeated (number on the coin of the monster card).
2. Value of the items he holds (shown in the coin on the card).
3. Gold and the value of gold cards in his possession.
4. Bonus gold for knowing who he is and where he is from.

If there is a tie in gold the person with most stamina blocks in his possession wins. If there is still a tie, the player who has defeated the most monsters wins.

Unusual Items

Map Charm of Rittik: Instead of having a maximum of 3 exploration tiles, you may have a maximum of 5 and draw to get to 5 when resting.

Invisible Charm of Suruph: Instead of gaining two stamina blocks back when you hide in combat, you gain all blocks back.

Speed Charm of Gherost: Instead of a maximum of 4 in the move action you may move up to 6, and instead of paying two stamina blocks to flee, you pay none.

Helm of Wisten: The first two health tokens that would be taken by a monster in combat are stopped. This item (and the following two items) can be re-used with each monster encountered.

Scroll of Suruph and Helm of Suruph: The first health token that would be taken by a monster in combat is stopped.

Stamina elixir of Torphillian: Instead of taking a block from a player's own supply, he may move one that is already on the player board to a new action location and take that action. A player can do this only one time between resting.

Bonuses in Exploration

Each bonus below is keyed by a rune symbol in the printed rulebook. The symbols are icons that do not survive text extraction, so the entries are listed in printed order within each colour.

Yellow Bonuses

1. Gain 1 gold token.
2. Take 1 gold token from another player of your choice.
3. Gain 1 gold token for each monster you have defeated.
4. Get 1 gold for each item in your possession.

Red Bonuses

1. Monsters immediately do combat damage to all players (except those hiding) in combat in addition to their normal damage.
2. You may ask the player to your left if any 1 character attribute is less than 3.
3. You may ask the player to your left if you are from one homeland.
4. You may gain 1 health token. If combat removes it from you, you then may only have a maximum of 2 as before.

Blue Bonuses

1. Get 2 exploration tiles.
2. Get one item at random from the top of the item deck.
3. Choose a player. That player discards one item of his choice. It does not re-enter the game.
4. Re-gain all stamina blocks back from the player board including the one just placed on explore.