Muses
Muses Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Setup
In addition to the cards, you will need 2 regular six-sided dice and 3 tokens such as coins or counters to represent 'hints'.
To begin a game, shuffle the nine cards and place them face down as a draw deck. Place the three hints in front of you.
The Cards
Each card represents one of the nine Muses. On the edges of a card are the Muse's 'conditions', shown as numbers, dice faces or words. Below the Muse's name is the card's point value from 1 to 5, shown by a large number in a circle. Below the point value on some cards is the Muse's 'power'.
Aim of the Game
The aim of the game is to score at least 20 points. If you succeed, you have gained the inspiration you need to begin work on your masterpiece!
How to Play
On your turn, do the following four things in order:
- Turn over the top card from the deck: Place it face up in the 'display' of cards in the centre of the play area. The name and picture on the card must be in the correct, upright orientation.
- Roll both dice.
- Claim a Muse (if possible): If the dice result meets the condition on the top edge of any of the Muses in your display, you may claim that Muse and place it face up, below the display, in a tableau of Muses from whom you have successfully gained inspiration. You may only claim one Muse after each dice roll.
- Rotate unclaimed Muses: At the end of your turn, you must rotate turn any unclaimed Muses in your display 90 degrees anti-clockwise. If this brings a card back to its original upright orientation, or brings a blank edge to the top, you must discard it. Otherwise it stays in the display with a new, usually more difficult condition on the top.
Keep taking turns in this way until all cards have been taken or discarded.
Conditions
The conditions on the edges of the cards are of three types:
- Number: A condition written as a number, such as '7' or '≥ 9', shows a sum of both dice that must be achieved. In the first example, the dice must add up to exactly 7 to claim the Muse. In the second example, the sum of both dice must be greater than or equal to 9 to claim the Muse.
- Dice: A condition shown as a dice face indicates a specific result that must be rolled on one of the dice.
- Words: A condition written as words, such as 'Both odd' or 'Pair ≥ 6', indicates a specific numerical combination of dice results that must be achieved. In the first example, both dice must be odd (1, 3 or 5) but may be different. In the second example, the dice results must match and also have a sum that is greater than or equal to 6 (such as a pair of '4's).
Powers
Every Muse that you claim, except for Calliope and Cleo, gives you the power to alter the dice once after a roll. If you used a Muse's power, turn the card face down. You cannot use that Muse's power again.
You may use any number of powers in a turn. When using powers that add to or subtract from a die result, the result cannot go above 6 or below 1.
Hints
You start with three hint tokens, representing Homer, Dante and Virgil. You may discard a hint at any time to add or subtract 1 from the result on one die. You may use the hints in combination with the powers of the Muses.
End of the Game
At the end of the game, score all of the points on the Muses you have claimed, whether or not you have used their powers, plus 1 point for each unused hint.
If you score 20 or more points you have won the game, and have found the inspiration you need to create a work of art that is moving, important or lucrative (delete as preferred).