Morels: Foray Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 2 Player Setup
• Foray: Modules
• Foray: The Cards
  • Play immediately without entering your hand
    • Rainstorm (1)
    • Forest Fire (1)
    • Panther Cap (2)
  • Play immediately without entering hand, or take into hand & play later
    • Farm Girl (1)
    • Chef (1)
    • Farmers Market (1)
    • Thief (2)
    • Shiitake Log (1)
  • Take into play area and play later
    • Map (1)
    • Eccentric (1)
    • Eureka (1 per player)
• 3 Player
  • Setup
  • Gameplay
  • 3 Player Full Turn Example
  • Game End
• 4 Player
  • Setup
  • Gameplay
  • Selection: Selecting 1-8 on the Compass
  • Selecting H for Hand
  • Selecting D for Decay
  • 4 Player Full Turn Example
  • 4-Player Game End
• 1-Player Variant
• FAQ

2 Player Setup

PREP: Give each player 2 Pan Tokens. Place 2 Eurekas, the Eccentric, and the foraging stick supply nearby. To prepare the Night Deck, remove the Night Chanterelle from the game, add the Night Lion's Mane, and shuffle. To prepare the Day Deck:

1. Determine whether you will be using the Thief and/or Panther Cap and remove Destroying Angels from the Day Deck accordingly: if using the Panther Caps OR the Thieves, take 2 Destroying Angels out of the game; if using both, take 4 Destroying Angels out of the game.
2. Remove 2 Baskets & 1 Moon from the Day Deck. The Moon is out of the game. Give 1 of the Baskets you removed to each player. Thus, in 2p Foray, there will be 3 Baskets in the Day Deck and each player begins the game with a 10 card hand limit. There are 8 Night Cards in the Night Deck but only 7 Moons in the Day Deck, so one Night Card will not be taken.
3. Add 1 Chanterelle day card & 4 Lion's Mane day cards to the original Morels Day Deck, then shuffle.
4. Deal out starting hands of 3 cards each.

NOTE ON THE DECAY: When taking the decay in Foray, players may decide in which order to resolve any cards that are in question. Baskets still play first and cards destined for your hand are still considered in hand prior to enacting the Thief, Panther Cap, or Destroying Angel.

Outside of this modified setup and the effects of any Foray cards you've included, 2p Foray proceeds with the same rules as Morels.

Foray: Modules

It is recommended that Foray cards be used in modules (though it can also be fun to blast the deck with all of them). Suggested modules, all of which include Eureka! and the Eccentric:

• Farm to Table: Rainstorm (2/3p), Chef, Farmers Market, Panther Cap, Farm Girl, Shiitake Log
• Pans' Labyrinth: Rainstorm (2/3p), Forest Fire (2/3p), Map, Thief, Farm Girl, Shiitake Log
• Home Brew: Any combo [Stretch Goal: including designing your own cards with provided blanks]

Foray: The Cards

Play immediately without entering your hand

Rainstorm (1)

Discard upon collecting and clean up as though your turn is over, but don't decay a card. Add a second 8-card "Rainforest" below the main forest (if the Day Deck has < 8 cards, add all remaining) and take a 2nd turn. THE RAINFOREST DOES NOT REFILL. If a card is collected from the Rainforest, decay is from the Rainforest; any other action results in a decay from the main forest. Both forests feed the same decay. Taking the final card of the Rainforest or main forest DOES NOT decay the other forest; thus, there could be a turn with no decay when either forest depletes.

• 3p: You do not get a bonus action after the cleanup phase between taking the Rainforest and beginning your extra turn.
• 4p: Do not use Rainstorm.

Forest Fire (1)

The Forest Fire may only be taken from the forest. Discard it along with the Decay and the first 4 cards remaining in the forest, as shown below. Declare whether you will add 0 or 1 Morels to the game and, if adding 1, whether you will place it on top or bottom of the Day Deck. Clean up as though your turn is over, but do not decay a card. Then, if adding a Morel, take it from the supply and place it either on bottom or on top of the Day Deck. Now take an additional turn.

If the Forest Fire enters the Decay, discard it and the Decay and do not decay a card for the next turn. NOTE: If the Forest Fire is taken from the Rainforest, it only affects the Decay and the Rainforest (if < 4 cards are present, remove as many as possible).

• 3p: Like the Rainforest, you do not get a bonus action between the cleanup and your extra turn. When placing a Morel on top of the deck, it becomes the first "Peek Card".
• 4p: Do not use Forest Fire.

Panther Cap (2)

Immediately discard EITHER 2 cards from your hand to peek at the top card of the Night Deck OR 1 card from your hand to peek at the bottom card of the Night Deck. If taken with a Decay, include any other cards destined for your hand as being in hand prior to enacting the Panther Cap. The Destroying Angel and the Panther Cap are both toxic. If there are 2 or more of any combination of them in the Decay, the Decay may not be taken, nor can you take the Panther Cap if the Destroying Angel is in your system. Even if your brain wants to void this rule, your liver is happy it exists. Thieves and toxic mushrooms, however, may combine.

Play immediately without entering hand, or take into hand & play later

Farm Girl (1)

Collect all Honey Fungus OR Lawyer's Wig in the forest(s) and Decay. Place them on the Farm Girl card in your play area. Though they don't count against your hand size, these cards may be cooked or sold (in part or in full, in combination with cards from your hand or not) as a future turn as though they exist in your hand. The Farm Girl may be played even if there are no Honey Fungus or Lawyer's Wig available. If taken into hand to play later, playing the Farm Girl will constitute your turn.

Card illustration note (from the beta): "The Farm Girl collected 4 Honey Fungus from the Forest and Decay. They will stay on her until you use them." Flavour caption: "Coming Soon" stamp on the art.

Chef (1)

The Chef operates as a fancy pan with a few twists. To play the Chef without entering your hand, you must immediately cook by adding 3 or 4 mushrooms of the same cooking value to the Chef. If taken into hand, the Chef may be played later with her special ability, but otherwise functions similarly to a pan (may be played empty for later use or directly with mushrooms). Butter may be used if 4 mushrooms are cooked. Cooking with the Chef counts as a cook for all purposes.

NOTE: You must cook at least two mushroom types with the Chef. She is avant-garde, holds loose reigns on a fierce temper, and will not compromise her aesthetic.

Card illustration note (from the beta): the Chef card caption reads "The chef sautéed 1 Fairy Ring, 2 Hen of the Woods, and 1 Porcini (all "3" cook value) in a glowing sizzle of decadent butter. Bon appétit!" Flavour caption: "Sweet cook!"

Farmers Market (1)

The Farmers Market enables two separate sales of single day mushrooms for double the stick value. You may sell one mushroom as part of your turn when acquiring the Farmers Market if you wish, in which case it goes directly to your play area and never enters your hand, or you can take it in hand to play later with a sale as a turn. When using for the 1st time, place the mushroom on the Farmers Market to denote it has one use left. After the 2nd use (which would also constitute a turn), discard the Farmers Market and both sold mushrooms.

NOTE: If selling three or more mushrooms, you may split the sale between the Farmers Market and a normal sale. For example, if selling three Tree Ear, you may sell one on the Farmers Market for 4 sticks and the other two per normal for 2 sticks each to net 8 sticks on your turn. You may not use both Farmers Market sales on the same turn, except when it is possible in 3-player due to the bonus action.

• 3p: Because of the bonus action, it is possible to use both Farmers Market sales on the same turn (even if you acquired the Farmers Market on that turn). That is, if using Farmers Market as part of your turn, your bonus action remains available.

Thief (2)

If playing upon pickup, in which case it never enters your hand, you may give up to 3 cards from your hand to your opponent to potentially steal one cooked day mushroom. If playing later from your hand as your turn, you may give up to 2 cards from your hand to potentially steal one cooked day mushroom. If taken from a Decay, include any other cards destined for your hand as being in hand prior to enacting the Thief. There are two valid scenarios:

(a) If you give the exact number of cards as the cooking value of one cooked mushroom, swipe that one cooked mushroom and place it in your play area (it does not require a Pan since it is already cooked). It will count toward your score but does not count as a cook for any other purpose.

(b) If giving a number of cards unequal to the value of a cooked mushroom, your opponent must take them but you do not purloin a cooked mushroom.

Caveats:

1. Night cards cannot be stolen. Giving a Night card only counts as one card given.
2. You cannot give more cards than the highest value cooked mushroom he/she has, unless he/she has not cooked, in which case give exactly 1 card when using.
3. You cannot steal back an exact card that has been stolen from you.
4. Stealing a mushroom never affects a butter or cider that was cooked with it.
5. You cannot use the Thief on an opponent if that would violate his/her hand limit.

• 4p: If cards given to you via the Thief caps your hand limit and your selection would now violate your hand limit, act as though your selection is no longer available.

Shiitake Log (1)

Either play immediately to your play area with 1-4 shiitakes, or take into hand and play at the beginning of a future turn (after which you would take your turn as normal). The number of Shiitakes played to the log, which we'll call "sporing", determines the log's growth potential. For example, if you spore the log with the Night Shiitake and one day Shiitake, the growth potential of the log is three. Indicate this by turning the Shiitake Log until it shows "III" at the top, reminding you that one Shiitake will be added from the supply to the log upon each of your next three cooks. Rotate the log after each cook to show one fewer numerals. After your third cook, your growth potential is exhausted, so discard the Shiitake Log but leave any Shiitakes that were on the log in your play area. Though they don't count against your hand size, cards spored to or generated by the Shiitake Log may be cooked or sold (in part or in full, in combination with cards from your hand or not) as a future turn as though they exist in your hand.

NOTE: As long as you're within the growth potential, growth happens when you cook even if the log is empty (even if you just made it empty by cooking Shiitakes!).

NOTE: Shiitakes may not be added to the log later, except by their own increase.

Card illustration note (from the beta): "The log was spored with 3 Shiitakes. On each of your next three cooks, add a Shiitake to the log from the supply. After the 3rd cook, discard the log."

Take into play area and play later

Map (1)

The Map never enters your hand. At the beginning of a future turn, reverse the order of the forest (i.e. swap card 1 for 8, 2 for 7, etc.) then take your turn. If a Rainforest is in play, you may choose to reverse either forest, but not both.

• 4p: Using the Map DOES NOT physically reverse the forest. Instead, if you select, say, "7" on your dial and play the Map, act as though it is in slot 2, which makes it free. NOTE: If you select, say, card "3", and it is not available when resolving, you may use the Map to take a card from the other end of the forest (which would then cost).

Eccentric (1)

The first player to ENACT a Thief, Panther Cap, or Destroying Angel (even if no cards are discarded) is awarded the Eccentric. He lives in your play area and may be used at any time in the future to take a card as it decays. This could be during cleanup after your turn or an opponent's turn. There is no additional decay after the Eccentric swipes the decaying card. He is a friendly but awkward fellow, unaware of social norms and eager to study any find at any cost. The more slime, the better!

Eureka (1 per player)

You will earn 1 Eureka per game. After completing your 1st cook, take a Eureka card into your play area. Play it as your turn once during the game to collect two sequential cards from the forest. The Decay is off limits. If using sticks, you only need enough to access the closer card (thus, if taking the 2nd card in the forest, you also acquire the 3rd at no cost). Eureka functions similarly to taking a 2-card Decay in determining eligibility for hand size and order of play.

• 4p: You may choose to acquire your bonus card in the slot before or after your selection. If your selection is gone but the adjacent card you desire is available, you may use Eureka to acquire only the adjacent card if you wish.

3 Player

The 3 player version of Morels is similar in ruleset to 2 player with a few key differences.

Setup

Setup is exactly the same as 2p except:

a) Give the start player the 1st Player Marker (same as the Priority Marker in 4p).

b) Remove 3 baskets instead of 2 from the Day Deck and give 1 to each player.

c) Give each player 3 foraging sticks.

d) Add the expansion mushroom cards denoted with a "3" to the Day Deck: 1 Lawyer's Wig, 1 Shiitake, 1 Hen of the Woods, 1 Fairy Ring, 1 Porcini, 1 Lion's Mane.

e) When setting up or cleaning up the forest after each turn, place two "Peek Cards" from the top of the Day Deck beside the Day Deck, as shown in the turn example to follow. The purpose of these cards is to allow players to see a glimpse of what's coming next to the forest. Peek Cards are NOT part of the forest. They cannot be taken and do not participate in any actions such as the Map. They may be displayed where you wish, but below the deck is a convenient spot. Following the current turn, the Peek Cards will be treated as the top two cards of the Day Deck for refilling the forest.

Gameplay

The biggest difference that makes 3p work and gives it a different feel from 2p and 4p is the "bonus action". The bonus action follows your normal turn but happens before cleanup. It can be anything that would normally constitute a turn (playing an empty Pan, cooking, selling, using the Chef, Farmers Market or Thief) so long as it does not result in taking any cards from the Decay or forest.

NOTE: The Shiitake Log and Map must be played at the beginning of a turn. They do not qualify for a bonus action.

3 Player Full Turn Example

Figure note: "Save for additional detail or graphics, if necessary."

The beta's turn diagram is not transcribed; its labels are omitted.

Player 1 takes the Chef and uses it immediately to cook 2 Porcini and 1 Hen of the Woods. For his bonus action he sells 2 mushrooms from his hand.

Player 2 takes the decay and uses the Farmers Market immediately to sell the Lion's Mane that was also in the decay for 6 sticks. The Farmers Market has one use left and lives in her play area. For her bonus action she could use the Farmers Market again but instead plays an empty Pan.

Player 3 pays 3 sticks to take the Morel. He opts not to use a bonus action.

Game End

In 3p, everyone gets the same number of turns. If the last card vanishes from the forest during the player's turn/cleanup who went 1st (easily recalled via the 1st Player Marker), Players 2 and 3 will still take normal turns as though the forest was still there. The Decay may be taken in one of those turns, or not. If the last card vanishes during Player 2's turn/cleanup, Player 3 will still get a turn. If it vanishes during Player 3's turn/cleanup, the game ends following his/her turn and bonus action.

For additional 3p reminders, reference the BLUE text in the section detailing the Foray cards.

4 Player

The setup and game flow for 4p varies considerably from 2p and 3p. By enabling simultaneous card selection, 4p maintains a lively pace with meaningful decisions that, as in 2p and 3p, hinge on your opponents' desires as well as your own.

Setup

Setup is the same as 2p except:

a) Give each player a Compass and Player Ready Marker.

b) Give each player 3 foraging sticks.

c) Give the start player the Priority Marker.

d) As in 3p, there are "Peek Cards". There are 4 of them in 4p. For detailed information and an example, see the 3p rules for Peek Cards.

e) Add the expansion mushroom cards denoted with a "4": 3 Pans, 1 Lawyer's Wig, 1 Shiitake, 1 Lion's Mane, 1 Hen of the Woods, 1 Fairy Ring, 1 Porcini, and 1 Morel. There should be 5 Day Chanterelles and no Night Chanterelle, just as in 2p and 3p.

Thus, every player will start with a Basket, 2 Pan Tokens, 3 cards, and 3 foraging sticks.

Gameplay

In 4p Foray, the core rules change for cooking and selling. You only need 2 mushrooms of a type to cook and 1 to sell. The key caveat to this is that you cannot cook a night mushroom by itself: it must be accompanied by one or more day mushrooms (NOTE: In the case of the Chef, it could be 2 Night Mushrooms).

4p Foray is also played in "rounds" rather than turns. Each round consists of:

1. All four players make a selection on their Compass. This happens simultaneously and is hidden information. You can use your hand and cards to protect your Compass from view, or feel free to devise your own "fort" element or screen if you'd like a throwback to 3rd grade test taking :)
2. When you have finished selecting, flip your Player Ready Marker.
3. The player with the Priority token acts as moderator. Once the Priority Player sees that all four Player Ready Markers are flipped, she asks for Compasses to be revealed. She then moves clockwise, beginning with herself, affirming the selection of each player as they take card(s) or other actions. When all four players are finished, the Priority Player performs cleanup, passes the Priority Marker to the player on her left, and the next round begins.

Selection: Selecting 1-8 on the Compass

• Resolve all selections in clockwise order, beginning with the player holding the Priority Marker.
• The selections on the Compass correspond to the card "slots" in the forest. The card closest to the Decay is "Slot 1", the card closest to the Day Deck is "Slot 8", with 2-7 falling in between as expected.
• The first two slots are free, as usual, for the Priority Player and 2nd player (the player to the left of the Priority Player) in any given round. For Players 3 & 4 in that round, the first THREE slots are free.
• NOTE: If there are two identical cards in sequence, you may take either regardless of which you selected, provided you can afford it if necessary. Selections after you don't matter in this case.
• If you have attempted to select a card and it is no longer available when play reaches you, you have two options (note that taking the Decay is not one of them):
  • a) Pay for a different card in the forest. No cards are free if using this option! Slot 1 would cost one foraging stick, Slot 2 two sticks, and so on. When doing this, you cannot take a card selected by a player who will resolve after you (unless using Eureka! to take the card adjacent to your selection).
  • b) Do something from your hand as though you had selected "Hand" on your Compass.

Selecting H for Hand

If you have selected H, you may cook, sell, play an empty Pan, or use an expansion card from your hand that constitutes a turn (including the Farm Girl, who may take cards in multiple slots).

Selecting D for Decay

This is the only way to take the Decay. If you select Decay and someone takes it before you resolve, proceed with the options outlined above for when your selection is unavailable.

4 Player Full Turn Example

The beta's turn diagram is not transcribed; its labels are omitted.

The Priority Player has selected the Hen of the Woods in Slot 4. She pays 2 sticks and takes it. Player 2 also selected Slot 4, now empty. He would like to pay 3 sticks for Slot 3 (it would be 3 sticks even if the Priority Player had taken Slot 1 or 2), but Player 3 has selected it. He takes a "Hand" action instead. Player 3 takes the Shiitake in Slot 3 for free (remember Players 3 and 4 have free access to the 1st 3 slots). Player 4 uses her Map to take the Chanterelle for free (she has access to the 1st 3 slots, in reverse). The Priority Player then decays, resets the forest and Peek Cards, & passes the Priority Marker to the left.

4-Player Game End

Following the round in which the last card exits the forest (even if it was upon cleanup), each player has the opportunity to cook once. Note that if, say, the Priority Player takes the last card from the forest to begin a round, the actions of Players 2, 3, and 4 are still part of that round.

1-Player Variant

[Link and brief description of solo variant, developed by GameRulesforOne on BGG with enjoyable playtesting and collaboration with Two Lanterns Games, which is coming soon!]

FAQ

1. Does it matter which way we deal out the Rainforest, or other similar dealing instances? A: As long as the Peek Cards are the first two of the Rainforest in 3p, jump around if you want to!

2. I've taken a Thief, Moon, and Chef together as a 3-card decay. In what order do I resolve them? A: Whenever resolution order is in question, you may decide in which order they are resolved.

3. I've noticed that some expansion cards aren't useful every game. What gives? A: Like any card in Morels, value is dependent on timing and circumstances. Part of the fun!

4. I've taken a Thief and a Destroying Angel (or Panther Cap) from the Decay. Are they both considered out of my hand, for hand limit purposes and otherwise? A: Yes. Thus, you could not give the Destroying Angel away with the Thief.

5. If taking the Farm Girl, Chef, Shiitake Log, and/or Farmers Market from the Decay and using right away, must other cards in Decay fit in my hand? What about if, say, there is a Farm Girl and Chef and I want to use them both right away? A: Yes to the first. In the second case, you don't need room for the Chef since she's never going to enter your hand.

6. Can you add Lawyer's Wig or Honey Fungus from your hand to the Farm Girl in your play area? (No answer is printed for this question in the beta.)

7. Does using the Thief qualify as a "cook" for the Shiitake Log? (No answer is printed for this question in the beta.)