Mutiny!
Mutiny! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
You must arm your men for mutiny before the other players. The first person to collect 10 cutlasses (8 cutlasses in a 4-5 player game) successfully enacts his mutiny, takes over the ship, becomes the new captain, and wins the game.
Components
- Crew Members: These large, hexagonal markers represent the five key crew members that players are trying to bribe. Each crew member is described in detail later in these rules.
- Chart Tiles: These square tiles represent the locations that the ship will sail to each turn.
- Doubloon Tokens: These round tokens are used to bribe the crew members. They come in 5 colors to represent each player's specific bribes.
- Rum Tokens: These bottle-shaped tokens can be used to bribe crew members just like doubloons, but are useful only for a one-night bender.
- Cutlass Tokens: These sword-shaped tokens are used to win the game. When a player collects his 10th cutlass (or 8th cutlass in a 4-5 player game), the game immediately ends and that player wins (see Game End, below).
- Spyglass Marker: The spyglass marker gives its owner the power to break all ties. This player is known as the lookout.
Game Setup
- Each player chooses a color (red, blue, green, purple, or white), then takes 8 doubloons of his color and 3 rum tokens (which have no color).
- Place the 5 crew members in the center of the play area, with plenty of room between each member so that doubloon and rum tokens can be placed around them. The crew members must be placed in numerical order from left to right (1 through 5).
- Shuffle the chart tiles and place them face down below the Pilot crew member (crew #4). Then reveal the top tile and place it face up on the other side of the Pilot. The face up tile illustrates where the ship will be sailing to next.
- Give the spyglass to the player who has seen a pirate movie most recently (or determine randomly).
- Place the remaining doubloons, rum, and cutlasses in a single pile. This pile will hereafter be referred to as "the bank."
Playing the Game
Each turn of Mutiny! has three phases. The first phase is the bidding phase, during which players bid doubloons and rum for control of the crew members (representing bribes). The second phase is the resolution phase, during which the players who bid most successfully benefit from the special abilities of the crew. The third phase is the retrieval phase, during which the players may retrieve some of their previously played doubloons from play to bid again on the next turn.
The phases are played out as follows:
Phase 1: The Bidding Phase
In this phase, the lookout (the player with the spyglass marker) calls out the names of the five crew members, one at a time, in numerical order. As the name of each crew member is called, each player (including the lookout) secretly places into his hand the number of his doubloons and rum he wishes to bid on that crew member, then holds out his fist, being careful to conceal his bid. These bids represent the bribes that players are placing with that specific crew member.
When all players are ready, the bribes are revealed and the doubloon and rum tokens are placed by the crew member that was bribed. Place each player's bribe on the side of the crew marker that corresponds to his color.
This continues until all five crew members have received their bribes, at which point the resolution phase begins.
Example: Scott is the lookout, and calls out, "The Gunner!" Once Scott, Darrell, and Brian have all placed their bribes in their fists and are holding them over the table, they each open their hands and reveal their bids. Brian has bid 2 doubloons and 1 rum. Darrell has bid 2 doubloons, and Scott has bid 1 rum. Each player places his bid next to the Gunner crew marker, by the side marked with his color.
Phase 2: The Resolution Phase
In this phase, the lookout resolves each of the five crew members, one at a time, in numerical order. This is done as follows:
- Add together the total number of doubloons and rum each player has bid on the crew member. This is that player's total bribe to that crew member.
- If one player has the single highest bribe on the crew member, that player immediately gains the benefits of that crew's primary ability (see Crew Abilities, below). If there is a tie between two or more players, the lookout must choose which player wins the tie. Any player may make a deal with the lookout and bribe him with rum (but not doubloons) before he breaks the tie, but any such deal must be immediately honored.
- The player with the second highest bribe on the crew member is then determined in the same fashion (with the lookout breaking ties), and that player immediately gains the benefits of the crew member's secondary ability (see Crew Abilities, below). The player who receives the primary ability of a crew member is not eligible to receive that crew member's secondary ability.
Once all five crew members have been resolved, the retrieval phase begins.
Example: Scott, Darrell, and Brian have just finished the bidding phase and now continue to the resolution phase. Scott, who is the lookout, calls out the first crew member, "Ahoy the Deck Hand!" Scott (purple) had bid one doubloon, Darrell (red) had bid a doubloon and a rum, and Brian (green) had bid one rum. Darrell (with a bribe of two) wins the primary ability, and enacts this immediately. Brian and Scott are tied for the secondary ability with one bribe each. Scott is the lookout, however, and chooses himself to win the secondary ability (which he immediately enacts). Brian receives no benefits from the Deck Hand, and the resolution phase now moves to the Gunner.
Phase 3: The Retrieval Phase
Starting with the lookout and continuing clockwise, each player may, in turn, retrieve up to any 3 of his previously bribed doubloon markers back from any of the crew markers. All remaining doubloon markers remain with the crew on which they have been played. After all players have retrieved their doubloons, all rum is discarded from the crew members (but players keep the rum that they own but have not yet played) and a new chart marker is turned face up. Once this is done, a new turn begins.
A Note on Ties
If two or more players are tied for the most bribes on one crew member, the lookout must decide which of the tied players will get to use the crew member's primary ability, and which of the tied players will get to use the secondary ability. If other players also have bribes on that crew member, but are not tied for the most bribes, they receive nothing. Furthermore, the lookout may have to break a tie for control of a crew member twice: once when that crew member is resolved, and a second time if that crew member is affected by the chart tile (as explained on the "Charting the Course" diagram). The lookout may choose a different player to win the tie each time he breaks the tie.
Crew Abilities
The Deck Hand (#1)
"The Deck Hand! Everybody's best friend! Clearly the most valuable member of the crew!" With his many friends among the crew, the Deck Hand seems to have his hands in everything.
- Primary Ability: The player may move any one doubloon or rum token controlled by any player from one crew member to any other crew member. Neither the doubloon or rum token changes owners, however.
- Secondary Ability: The player may move any one of his doubloon or rum tokens from one crew member to any other crew member.
The Gunner (#2)
"The Gunner! The sea dog with the most bang for your buck! Clearly the most valuable member of the crew!" With his access to the ship's weapons, the Gunner is the key to a successful mutiny.
- Primary Ability: The player gains 2 cutlasses.
- Secondary Ability: The player gains 1 cutlass.
The Cook (#3)
"The Cook! Giver of rum, mother to us all! Clearly the most valuable member of the crew!" As the crew member in charge of rum rations, the Cook has a great deal of influence over the other crew members.
- Primary Ability: The player gains 2 rum.
- Secondary Ability: The player gains 1 rum.
The Pilot (#4)
"The Pilot! Master of our fates! Clearly the most valuable member of the crew!" The Pilot determines the ship's course, which can spell wealth or ruin for the other crew members.
- Primary Ability: The player chooses which of the two locations on the current chart tile that the ship will sail to this turn. (See the "Charting the Course" diagram for an explanation of how the locations work.) After the player chooses a route, immediately put into effect the results of the destination.
- Secondary Ability: The player gains 1 cutlass.
The First Mate (#5)
"The First Mate! Wisest hand on the ship! Clearly the most valuable member of the crew!" The First Mate is highly influential when settling arguments... and he has the keys to the officer's rum cabinet.
- Primary Ability: The player takes the spyglass, becoming the new lookout.
- Secondary Ability: The player gains 1 rum.
Charting the Course
The chart tile will always show two destinations (north and south), each with effects impacting the player who controls (that is, has the highest total bid on) the depicted crew member. The player who gains the Pilot's primary ability determines whether the ship sails north or south. After this has been decided, the effects of the destination are immediately implemented.
On the sample chart tile depicted here, should the ship sail north, the player who controls the Gunner will gain 1 cutlass. If the ship sails south, the player who controls the Deck Hand will gain 2 rum. Other destinations may cause the players to lose items rather than gain them.
The various symbols as they appear on the Chart Tiles are shown in the following key:
- The Deck Hand
- The Gunner
- The Cook
- The First Mate
- The Pilot
- Gain a Doubloon
- Lose a Doubloon
- Gain a Rum
- Lose a Rum
- Gain a Cutlass
- Lose a Cutlass
Obtaining and Losing Rum, Doubloons, and Cutlasses
Either by winning the favor of a crew member, or by sailing to a destination on a chart tile, players will gain and lose resources (rum, doubloons, and cutlasses) during the course of the game.
Gaining resources: When a player gains rum, doubloons, or cutlasses, either from a crew member or a chart tile, he should take these from the bank and place them in front of him. The doubloons and rum are now available for bribes in a future turn, and the cutlasses will help that player win the game. Note that each player has a maximum of 10 doubloons in his color. If a player already has 10 doubloons, he will receive nothing if granted another doubloon by a chart tile.
Losing rum: When a player loses rum via a chart tile, he must discard an unplayed rum token (i.e. one not already bribed to a crew member). If a player has no unplayed rum, he may ignore the penalty.
Losing cutlasses: When a player loses a cutlass via a chart tile, he simply takes one of his cutlasses and places it back in the bank. If a player has no cutlasses, he may ignore the penalty.
Losing doubloons: When a player loses a doubloon via a chart tile, he may choose to remove an unplayed doubloon, or a doubloon that has already been bribed to any crew member.
Game End
The moment a player collects his 10th cutlass (or 8th cutlass in a 4-5 player game), the game ends and he is declared the winner. If two or more players achieve this at the same time, then the player who has the most cutlasses wins. If they are still tied, then the player with the most unplayed rum wins. If they are still tied, the game ends in a draw.