Mystic Curling Club
Mystic Curling Club Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Contents
- 1 Ice Sheet
- 5 Team Boards
- 40 Spell Cards (8 per Team)
- 40 Dice, 8 each of 5 colors
- 1 Scoreboard
- 6 Scoreboard Tokens
- 1 Reference Aid
- 1 Backboard
Curling Basics
The sport of curling is traditionally played between two teams on a sheet of ice. A game is divided into six, eight, or ten rounds called "Ends". During each End, teams alternate sliding their 42-pound granite rocks down the ice, trying to land as close to the center of the rings as possible. Teammates can sweep the ice using their brooms to affect the speed and "curl".
After each team has thrown all eight of their stones, the End is complete, and points are awarded based on whose stones are closest to the center of the rings, known as the "Button". Precise measurement devices are used to check stones' distance from the center down to the millimeter!
Magical Differences
At the Mystic Curling Club, we take the central concepts of curling and adapt them to be fun and magical for tabletop play. Instead of only two teams, as many as five can play at once. Shiny dice replace the heavy granite stones, and we suggest a four End game for a fun experience. Physical sweeping is replaced by our witches' magical brooms - you'll cast spells that will let you affect the stones in play in a variety of fun and strategic ways.
Our rules for scoring are also a bit different - more points will be awarded to multiple teams! Finally, instead of measuring, we group stones by what ring they're in, and break ties by the values showing on the dice - lower is closer.
The core experience is the same: Have fun sliding your dice toward the center, knocking around your opponents' dice in the process, and generally have a great time!
Setup
To set up Mystic Curling Club on your table, perform the following steps:
- Each player chooses a Team Board.
- Each player chooses a set of dice and places them on their Team Board, showing values 1-8.
- If playing with Advanced Spells, also take the matching spell cards for their Witch and Familiar. Otherwise, return them to the box, and Enchant stones matching the pre-printed Core Spells on your Team Board. (Enchant the stones matching your spells by sliding them down to the Magic Line. On those turns, you'll be able to cast a helpful spell!)
- If you are playing with 4 or 5, each player returns two dice to the box (the stones numbered 1 and 2 on the Team Board are removed in 4-5P games). You'll each deliver 6 stones per end instead, numbered 3 through 8.
- A curling game is played over several rounds known as Ends. Decide how many Ends you want to play. Four Ends is a standard game, but you can play any number you'd like!
- Determine a start player randomly. Play will proceed clockwise throughout the game.
- Place the Quick Reference, the Scoreboard (with scoring tokens and End counter), and the Curling Sheet on the table. Having open space near one end of the board is good for players to stand and deliver stones from. A flat and level surface is important!
Playing the Game
Set up your stones and spell cards (if using Advanced Spells) before each End. Remember to enchant stones matching your spells, sliding them down to the Magic Line.
Players take turns delivering their stones until all stones have been used. You will always deliver the lowest numbered stone left on your Team Board during your turn. If that stone is on the Magic Line on your Team Board, you can use the matching spell before or after the shot, as indicated on the spell.
The rules for Delivery are explained below.
In a 3+ player game, play proceeds clockwise.
Once all stones have been delivered, it's time for Scoring.
Any stone that leaves the ice is a lost stone. If a stone bounces off something that's off the ice and returns, remove it.
Make sure the Delivery Area is clear, so players can stand behind it to deliver stones!
Delivery Rules
- To deliver a stone, Flick, Roll, or Slide the die from within the set of rings next to the delivery area.
- The stone you deliver is called the shooter. It must touch the table inside that set of rings after you let go of it!
- All teams deliver from the same side of the rings.
- If you're sliding or flicking the stone, its original value should be face-up when you let go of the stone.
- If the value of any stone (including the shooter) changes during the shot because they're bumped or roll, that's okay!
- If the shooter doesn't make it past the halfway "frog line", it's removed from play - it's turned into a frog and hops off the ice!
- Please deliver your stones at a safe speed - you don't need to throw it super hard to take-out opposing stones.
Scoring
After all teams' stones have been delivered in an End, it's time to score points. Only some of the stones in play will score points, depending on the number of teams. Each stone that scores is worth 1 point. The overall best stone is worth an extra point (2 total).
- 2p: Best 5 stones
- 3p: Best 6 stones
- 4-5p: Best 7 stones
The Scoreboard has slots labeled Best (+1 Extra Point), 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th (3P+ only) and 7th (4P+ only).
One by one, take the best stone in the rings and place it on the slots on the scoreboard, until the scoreboard spaces are full or until you've counted all the stones in the rings. To determine which stone is best, use the rules below.
Any stones that were sent to the Bonus Zone are each worth 1 point.
Each player moves their token up on the scoreboard, and play in the next End begins with whomever had the Best stone. If no stones at all scored, the first player stays the same for the next End.
Determining Best Stones
The best stone is the stone closest to the center. At the Mystic Curling Club, rather than physically measuring distance, we consider all stones in each ring (or the button) together as a group.
For multiple stones in the same ring, the lowest numbered stone there is best, and the highest is worst. If you need to break a tie between two or more equal stones, roll them off to the side (lower wins the tie).
If a stone is touching the line between two rings, it's considered to be in the better one.
Scoring Example
With 2 players, the best 5 stones are each worth 1 point, and the best overall stone is worth an extra point. Stones on a border count as being in the closer ring (in the example, a 5-stone touching the border is in the red ring). Within a ring, stones with lower numbers are considered closer. In the example, the stones from best to worst are: Purple 4 (+2), Purple 3 (+1), Orange 5 (+1), Purple 7 (+1), Purple 2 (+1), Orange 3, Purple 6, Orange 1. Final: Purple 5, Orange 1.
Magic: Spells & Charms
Spells
Each Team Board has a pair of Core Spells printed on it. During Setup, you can choose to either use those, or the Advanced Spell cards matching your Witch and Familiar. If you're using Advanced Spells, draw one randomly from each set before each End and place them on your Team Card in the correct slot (the background of the card will match). Always enchant the stones matching your spells by sliding them down to the Magic Line, as a reminder to use the spell on the correct turn.
If you've used all four cards from a set already, reshuffle them to form new piles.
A spell will either have a number and state that it is used Before or After a shot, or have a broom icon and state that it is used Before this End or is in effect During this End.
Numbered spells are used on the turn where you deliver that numbered stone. Spells are always optional, and are used either before or after the shot, as specified.
Broom spells are either used before the end starts, or have a constant effect during the end, as specified. Some broom spells will let you choose and enchant a stone, to be used with your other spell.
Spells can only affect stones on the ice unless they specify a "lost stone", and spells can never affect stacked stones. A complete list of spell keywords is below.
Protection Charm
Your Familiar lists a Protection Charm. If all your stones in play are removed from the ice on an opponent's turn via a shot or spell, activate your Protection Charm at the end of their turn.
If multiple players' Charms would activate, they happen in turn order.
Spell Keywords
Spell cards use some keywords and curling terminology on them, all the words you might not know are listed below:
- 2nd, 3rd, 4th Ring: Rings are counted going out from the center. Button > 2nd > 3rd > 4th > Guard.
- Bonus Zone: An area on the Scoreboard. Stones there always score a point after an End.
- Bump: A stone has been "bumped" if it moved as a result of the shot (even if it was a chain reaction).
- Button: The Button is the center ring.
- Enchant: Slide the stone down on your Team Card to the Magic Line.
- Guard: A Guard is any stone entirely outside the rings, and in front of some portion of them.
- Lost Stone: Any stone that is out of play. If a spell returns a lost stone to play, choose its value.
- Promote: Move the stone one ring closer to the center (or within the button if already there). It can go anywhere in that ring.
- Shooter: The stone that was thrown this turn. If it is out of play, it cannot be affected by the spell.
- Stack: Physically stack the die on another die. Stacked dice can never be affected by spells, and you cannot stack more than 2 dice together.
- Teleport: Move the stone as indicated, placing it with the same value.
- Transmute: Change the value of the stone to a new value, and place it where it was.
Victory
At the conclusion of all the Ends you chose to play, the team with the most points wins!
If there's a tie, each tied team throws one stone trying to get as close to the button as possible. Remove stones between attempts, no hitting is allowed. Best stone wins! Repeat until you have a clear winner.
It's customary in real Curling for everyone to shake hands (or fist/elbow bump) and say "Good Curling" - and for the winner to buy the loser a drink. You can adapt that tradition at the Mystic Curling Club however you see fit.