Paleo: A New Beginning
Paleo: A New Beginning Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Overview and Setup
- Setup
- The Farm
- New Humans, Tools, and Symbols
- Night Phase
- Scenario Overview
- Modules
- Module M: A New Beginning (12 cards) — Difficulty: Easy
- Module N: Nocturnal (18 cards) — Difficulty: Medium
- Module O: The Xrib Tribe (18 cards) — Difficulty: Hard
- Module P: The Black Rock (17 cards) — Difficulty: Hard
- Module Q: Dream Journey (20 cards) — Difficulty: Hard
- Module R: Wrath of the Fire God (15 cards) — Difficulty: Deadly
- Cards with the Expansion Action Symbols
- Secret Tokens
Overview and Setup
Components: 1 Board (Farm), 1 Night tile, 5 Expansion tokens (3 Fences, 1 Scythe, 1 Millstone), 8 Grain, 8 Tool tokens, 7 Secret tokens, 5 Obsidian tokens, 171 Cards, 1 Hut.
Assemble the hut as shown before your first game. The hut fits into the game box assembled; you do not need to disassemble it after each game. Assemble it facing out.
Card Setup
First, sort the cards based on the symbol in the top-right corner of the card fronts, just like the base game. Try not to look at the card fronts too closely, to avoid ruining the surprise.
- New dream cards (5 cards): these cards are marked with a sheep icon in the top-right corner. Shuffle them in with the base game dream cards.
- New idea cards (3 cards): these cards are marked with a sheep icon in the top-right corner. Shuffle them in with the base game idea cards.
- New secret cards (8 cards): these cards are marked with a sheep icon in the top-right corner. As with the secret cards from the base game, you need these only for specific modules. Add these to the base game secret cards.
- New base card set (35 cards): replace the old base cards for all scenarios in this expansion. For now, return the base game base cards to the box.
- New humans (20 cards): replace the old human cards for all scenarios in this expansion. For now, return the base game human cards to the box.
- Modules (100 cards): this expansion includes 6 new modules. For the first scenario, "A New Beginning", you will need only module M. Set the remaining modules aside.
There are also 5 blank cards included in this expansion. These are not needed to play the game.
Introduction
Games using this expansion follow all of the base game rules, with a few exceptions detailed in this rulebook. Notably, the resolution of the night phase changes slightly with this expansion.
The new cards include several new abilities:
- You can now capture several animals and cultivate grain to fulfill your need for food.
- However, food spoils at the end of the day, so you must plan further ahead and carefully consider how much you want to expand your new farm.
Just like the base game, this expansion contains modules. As before, these can be combined with each other in any combination, and there are 6 suggested preset scenarios that you can play in sequence in this rulebook.
The overview on the base camp board, showing which resources can generally be found on which cards, remains accurate with this expansion.
New in This Expansion
- Farm: this board represents your stable and fields. You place all the animal cards you capture in the wilderness on this board.
- Hut: once you have built the hut, you no longer need to sleep outside.
- Expansion tokens: these expansion tokens improve your farm.
- Obsidian: the obsidian tokens are used only with module P.
- New tool tokens: there are 3 new tools: bow & arrow, shell necklace, and flute, as well as 2 additional trap tokens.
- Grain: grain is a new resource.
- Secret tokens: secret tokens have a number on the front and secrets on the reverse side. Like secret cards, you use these tokens only when a card instructs you to.
Setup
Set up the game as normal, with the following changes. The setup shown below is the default expansion setup, without the use of modules. The new modules are explained on pages 7-9 of the printed rulebook.
- Place the farm board next to the base camp.
- Place the night token on top of the night board, to the right of the stone plate.
- Place 4 expansion tokens (2 fences, 1 scythe, and 1 millstone) below the matching symbols on the farm board. Place 1 fence in the cutout at the top of the farm board.
- Place the hut, without the roof, next to the farm board. Place the roof below the farm board.
- Place the grain with the other resources (8 grain).
- Place the 2 additional trap tokens with the base game trap tokens in front of the workbench. Sort the other 6 new tool tokens (bow & arrow, flute, and shell necklace) by type, and place them in front of the workbench.
- Place the new humans on the base camp instead of the old humans. Shuffle the new dream and idea cards into the corresponding decks from the base game. Place these decks on the base camp as normal. (Setup graphic shows 20 humans, +5 dream cards, +3 idea cards.)
- In addition to the secret cards listed in the modules, you will always need secret cards 6 and 7. Place these cards facedown on the night board. Place the 7 secret tokens facedown next to the night board.
- When setting up the cards, use the new base cards instead of the old base cards. Then deal the cards as normal to each player.
The Farm
Utilizing the Farm
In order to utilize the farm, you must reveal cards with specific actions. There is always at least one of these options on each farm card: Expansion, Animal, or Grain.
Most of the new cards that depict animals include the option to capture that animal and add it to your stable. These animals can be found in many different types of cards.
The farm board includes a reference for what you can do with an expansion, animal, or grain action.
New Farm Symbols
- Animal yield: almost all of the animals you capture provide a yield, shown in the top-right corner of the animal card. You receive the yield when you choose the stable action during an animal action (see "Animal Actions" below).
- Capture an animal: when you resolve this action, you add the animal card to your stable, placing it in one of the 3 spaces at the top of the farm board. If there are already 3 animals in the stable, you must first discard 1 of the 3 existing animals to the faceup discard pile.
- Remove a captured animal: place 1 captured animal from your stable in the graveyard.
- Discard a captured animal: discard 1 captured animal from your stable to the faceup discard pile.
- Receive grain: take 1 grain from the supply and place it on your camp.
- Spend grain: spend 1 grain from your camp, returning it to the supply.
- Expansion action: you can build 1 of the expansion tokens below the farm board by paying the shown resources. See "Build Expansion Tokens" below.
- Animal action: choose 1 of the animal actions on the farm board, either stable or slaughter. If you do not have any animals in your stable, you cannot use the animal action.
- Grain action: choose 1 of the grain actions on the farm board, either harvest or grind (see "Grain Actions" below).
Build Expansion Tokens
Pay the resources shown to build 1 expansion token (fence, scythe, millstone, or hut). You can build 1 expansion token during each action.
- You cannot use this action to craft tools.
- You cannot use the craft action to build expansion tokens.
Expansion Tokens on the Farm
- Fence: place 1 fence token in 1 of the 3 spaces at the top of the farm board. It does not matter if there is a captured animal in that space or not. Fences are needed to take care of animals during the night phase (see "Night Phase" below).
- Scythe: place the scythe token on the top section of the grain action reference on the farm board. This improves your harvest action.
- Millstone: place the millstone token on the bottom section of the grain action reference on the farm board. This improves your grind action.
- Hut: place the roof on the hut. Once there is a roof on the hut, during each night phase, the players can heal up to 2 damage from 1 or 2 humans. If you heal 1 damage each from 2 different humans, they can be from different groups.
Secret Tokens on the Farm
Some actions can cause you to receive secret tokens. If you do, take the specified token, turn it faceup, and place it either with your group or on the farm board, as instructed. See "Secret Tokens" below for details on individual secret tokens.
You can have a maximum of 2 secret tokens on the farm board. If you would place a 3rd secret token on the farm board, you must either return an existing secret token to the box, or return the new token to the box.
Animal Actions
When resolving the animal action, choose 1 of the following 2 actions:
- Stable action: gain the yield shown on each of the animals in your stable. You gain the yield from animals regardless of whether you have built a fence for it.
- Slaughter action: remove 1 animal card from the stable, placing it in the graveyard, and take the meat and pelts shown on the "hunt" action on the card. You do not need to meet the requirements or pay the costs on the hunt action.
Example: Resolving a stable action. You reveal a card and choose to resolve the animal action. You decide to resolve the stable action. You receive the yield for each of the animals in the stable, receiving 1 pelt from the "Sheep" card and 1 food from the "Tame Dodo" card. You discard the card you revealed as normal.
Alternatively, you could resolve the slaughter action, choosing the "Tame Dodo". You receive the reward from the hunt action on the "Tame Dodo", without fulfilling requirements or paying costs. Then, you place the "Tame Dodo" in the graveyard.
Grain Actions
When resolving the grain action, choose 1 of the following 2 actions:
- Harvest grain: discard 2 cards and receive 1 grain. The scythe expansion token improves this action (see "Expansion Tokens on the Farm").
- Grind grain: spend 1 grain and receive 2 food. You do not discard any cards for this action. The millstone expansion token improves this action.
Example: Resolving a grain action. You reveal a card and choose to resolve the grain action. During a prior action, you built the scythe expansion token, which helps you harvest. You discard the top 2 cards from your deck as normal, then receive 2 grain (the printed example shows the scythe's "additional grain") and discard the card you revealed as normal.
New Humans, Tools, and Symbols
New Humans
The new humans follow all of the rules from the base game. However, in addition to tools, they can also bring non-recurring resources or cards, or are more resilient than their ancestors.
As normal, you receive these items immediately as soon as you receive that human.
- Resources: place these resources on your camp.
- Ideas: place the idea card on the workbench as normal, placing any matching tool tokens as necessary.
- Dreams: place the dream card on top of your deck.
Note: during setup, if you receive a human with a dream card, place that dream card on top of your deck after the initial card deal.
New Tools
Crafting and using tools follows all the rules from the base game.
- Bow & arrow: this token gives your group +2 strength permanently.
- Shell necklace: this token gives your group +1 perception permanently.
- Flute: spend the flute to the supply to place the top 2 cards from the facedown discard pile on top of your deck.
- Note: if you use the flute while another player is helping you, you can divide the 2 cards among the 2 players.
New Symbols
- Receive any tool: take 1 tool of your choice from the supply. You do not need to have the idea for it. Secret tokens that have not been revealed cannot be chosen.
- Spend any tool: spend any tool from your group. Faceup secret tokens in your group also count as tools and can be spent by this symbol.
- Remove special cards: you must remove the next card with the specified back from your deck, placing it faceup in the graveyard. If you do not have any cards with the specified back in your deck, you do not need to remove a card. If the symbol shows a specific secret card, it must be removed no matter where it is located.
- Note: if another player is helping you with this action, they can remove a card from their deck instead. Thus, if another player is helping you, one player must remove a matching card if either player has a matching card in their deck.
- Return dream cards: return the number of dream cards shown from anywhere in your deck.
- Note: if another player is helping you with this card, they can remove dream cards from their deck to cover some or all of the cards.
- Everlasting dream: flip 1 of your faceup humans facedown. That human is now in the dream world. Their damage tokens remain on them, but they cannot be healed, take more damage, or affect the game in any other way. However, they must still be fed during the night phase.
- Note: if you flip your last human facedown, you receive a new human from the deck, just like when your last human dies.
- Awaken: flip 1 of your facedown humans faceup. That human can immediately be used again as normal.
Avoidable Dangers
Avoidable dangers have a blue and red background and a red-and-blue marking in the top-left corner on the card front. These dangers can be avoided by not owning certain items. In addition to a negative action, these cards will have an action with the "help" symbol. If you avoid the danger, you can use this action to help another player, or ignore the card.
Example: Resolving an avoidable danger. You reveal this card, and check if you have any grain in your camp. Because you do not have any grain, you can choose to help another player, or ignore the card. You discard the card as normal.
Night Phase
New Rules
After resolving the steps of the night phase from the base game, but before dealing cards for the next day, you must return any spoiled food and care for your animals.
- Food spoils: after all humans have been fed and mission cards have been resolved, you must return all remaining food from the camp to the supply.
- If you do not have enough food to feed your humans, you continue to receive skulls as normal.
- Grain, wood, and stone do not spoil, and remain in your camp until used.
- Care for animals: after food spoils, you must discard all animals in a space without a fence to the faceup discard piles.
- Before discarding animals, you can rearrange animals in the stable, to choose which ones are in spaces with fences.
- You can spend 1 grain each to prevent animals being discarded this way.
Because you care for animals before dealing cards for the next day, it is possible you may find the same animal again during the next day.
Example: An animal escapes. You have captured 2 animals, but only have 1 fence. You choose to keep the "Sheep," and choose not to spend grain. You discard the "Tame Dodo" card to the faceup discard pile.
Scenario Overview
Combining Modules
All modules from the expansion can be combined freely. As normal, 2 modules are always combined, except for the one module that the source marks as "must be combined with 2 other modules." (The symbol for that module is not legible in the text dump of the source; see the scenario table for its use.)
Recommended Scenarios
The recommended scenarios, as printed, are:
| Scenario | Modules |
|---|---|
| I | Module C + M |
| II | Module H + N |
| III | Module G + O |
| IV | Module I + P |
| V | Module O + Q |
| VI | Module N + Q + R |
Source note: the scenario table prints module symbols C, G, H and I, which do not correspond to the six new modules of this expansion described below (M, N, O, P, Q, R). The table is reproduced as printed; this has not been corrected.
Modules
Module M: A New Beginning (12 cards) — Difficulty: Easy
A fertile valley lies in front of us; we can stay here forever and settle down. However, all beginnings are difficult and we must learn many new skills to make this place our home.
- Mission card M
- "Settled" card at the camp
- "Isolation" idea card
- Secret card 23
- 2 dice
Settled: place this card faceup at the camp. Note that you can receive only 1 of the 2 victory tokens from this card, because the card is removed. For this action, count all of the expansions you have built, including the fence placed during setup. The card requires you to have built 5 buildings.
Isolation: to resolve this action, you must have a completed hut (a hut with a roof). In addition, you must remove the "Reeds" and "Clay" cards from your group, or a helping player's group, in the graveyard.
Module N: Nocturnal (18 cards) — Difficulty: Medium
During the day, we roam through the jungle, but at night, the jungle comes to us. We must prepare and set traps.
- Mission card N
- 5 night cards
- Secret cards 24 and 25
- 2 dice
Additional setup: place the 5 night cards facedown as a deck at the camp.
Mission card: after each night phase, shuffle the 5 night cards, then reveal 2 cards and resolve the 2 cards one at a time in any order. After resolving the cards, return them facedown to the night deck at the camp.
- If you receive food from these night cards, place it at your camp as normal. Night cards are revealed after food spoils, so this food does not spoil right away.
Traps: as soon as you receive a trap, you may place it with your group or on the mission card. Additionally, you can always use a "help" action, discard 1 card, and spend 1 wood to place a trap from the supply on the mission card. You cannot use this action to place a trap with your group.
Module O: The Xrib Tribe (18 cards) — Difficulty: Hard
Deep in the jungle, we have met an unfamiliar tribe, whose warriors seem quite volatile. We should familiarize ourselves with the Xrib and their religion.
- Mission card O
- Secret cards 1, 13, 14, and 26
- 2 dice
Double-sided mission card: the mission card represents the volatile Xrib people. Depending on which side is faceup, the Xrib are either in a friendly or angry mood. You will occasionally meet individual members of the Xrib tribe. Depending on which side is faceup, you can select positive actions, or you might be in trouble with the Xrib.
- Friendly: you can choose this action only if the Xrib tribe is friendly.
- Mood changes: turn the mission card to the indicated side. If that side is already faceup, there is no further effect.
Dodo cards: all cards that contain the word "Dodo" in their title are considered "Dodo" cards, regardless of which module the dodo is from.
Module P: The Black Rock (17 cards) — Difficulty: Hard
Obsidian is suitable for creating high-quality tools. Unfortunately, it seems to be found mainly in very inhospitable areas. We must endure great hardships to collect it.
- Mission card P
- "Obsidian Hatchet" idea card
- Secret cards 9, 27, and 28
- 5 obsidian tokens
- 2 dice
Additional setup: place the 5 obsidian tokens as an additional resource in the supply.
Obsidian is not a tool token.
Special symbols:
- Receive obsidian: place 1 obsidian on your camp.
- Spend obsidian: spend 1 obsidian token, returning it to the supply.
Module Q: Dream Journey (20 cards) — Difficulty: Hard
We have enraged the spirits of our ancestors. To appease them, we must cross the threshold into the dream world.
- Mission card Q
- 9 dream cards
- Secret cards 8 and 29
- 2 dice
Additional setup: shuffle the 21 dream cards (the module Q dream cards, as printed), then return 9 of them to the box facedown. Next, shuffle the 9 dream cards from this module with the 12 remaining dream cards, and place them facedown on their place on the camp board. Some of these dream cards are marked on the back. When drawing dream cards, you still draw the top card of the deck, regardless of whether it is marked or not.
Mission card: all cards that contain the word "Spirit" in their title count as "Spirit" cards. After you have removed 3 spirits, you can remove the mission card and heal 3 collectively among all players. Place the spirits you remove next to the graveyard to track how many you have removed.
Module R: Wrath of the Fire God (15 cards) — Difficulty: Deadly
The burning mountain is raining fire on us. We must save as many people as we possibly can, nothing else matters!
- 2 mission cards R
- "Sacrificial Altar" idea card
- Secret card 30
- 8 volcano cards
- 20 base game human cards
- 2 dice
Additional setup: shuffle the 8 volcano cards and place 6 of them as a facedown deck at the camp. Shuffle the 2 remaining volcano cards in with the base cards. Place the human cards from the base game as a facedown deck at the camp. These humans can be rescued from the volcano, but have no other game effect. Place both mission cards on the night board.
Special symbols:
- Discard volcano cards: for each volcano card you discard facedown to complete an action, you receive 1 skull token.
- Rescue humans: return 1 human from the camp to the box. The type of human rescued has no effect.
If you rescue a total of 20 humans, you immediately win the game!
Mission card 1: "Wrath of the Fire God".
- Objective: when playing with this module, the players do not receive victory tokens. Instead of winning by completing the cave painting, you must rescue 20 humans from the camp.
- You cannot go to sleep early: you cannot discard all of your remaining cards to end the round faster without consequences.
- Victory tokens: whenever you would receive a victory token, you instead remove 1 skull token from the night board, returning it to the supply.
- The volcano: after each night phase, before dealing the cards for the next round, take 1 volcano card from the deck at the camp and place it on the facedown discard pile. Skip this step if there are no volcano cards remaining in the volcano deck.
Mission card 2: "Rescue".
- During each night phase, you automatically rescue 3 humans from the camp. When you rescue the last remaining humans, you immediately win the game.
- Like all other mission cards, the "Rescue" mission card resolves after feeding humans.
- The players decide the order in which mission cards resolve, so you could choose to resolve this mission card before other ones.
Cards with the Expansion Action Symbols
Source note: the card-face requirement and reward icons on the printed cards are reproduced where the source text states them in words. Icon-only rewards are marked as such and should be checked against the printed card.
Base Cards
- Trader: this action allows you to take any tool from the supply or the workbench and place it with your group. You do not need to have the idea for this tool.
- Medicinal Herbs: if you choose this action, place secret token 1 onto an open space on the farm board. See "Secret Tokens" below for more details.
Pig
A captured pig does not provide a yield during a stable action, but you can choose to slaughter it as normal.
Quarry
This action works just like the corresponding action on the "At Home" cards. Pay the resources shown to craft an idea from the workbench.
At Home
Like the farm cards, this card allows you to do a grain or animal action.
Dreams
- Manure: if you choose this action, place secret token 2 onto an open space on the farm board. See "Secret Tokens" below for more details.
- Last Chance: if you choose this action, you exchange your current group, regardless of the number of humans, for a new group of 3 humans, and receive 1 skull token.
- Note: if another player is helping you, that player can exchange their entire group for a new group of 3 humans instead, but only 1 player can resolve this effect, and you cannot share the new humans.
Secrets
- Artifact: after you decide on an action and roll the dice, you may reroll 1 or both dice. You cannot reroll 1 die twice.
- Dark Power: if the "Artifact" card is faceup with a player, the "Artifact" is removed, regardless of whether that player is helping with this action or not. Place the card back into the secrets deck. It can be revealed again from the secrets deck.
- Totem: place this card in the graveyard to gain 1 [icon], 1 [icon] and 1 [icon] during 1 turn. You can also use this card after a die roll. (The three reward icons are shown on the card; not spelled out in the source text.)
- Reeds: to choose this action, you must discard 2 cards and have the "scythe" expansion token. After resolving this action, place this card with your group. It does not have any other actions, but you have collected "Reeds" for the "Isolation" idea card.
Module M Cards: A New Beginning
- Clay: place this card with your group. It does not have any other actions, but you have collected "Clay" for the "Isolation" idea card.
- Bull: if you capture a bull and choose the stable action, you may reveal secret card 23.
- Escape:
- Avoidable danger (see "Avoidable Dangers"): if no animals are in the farm, nothing happens and you can choose to help or ignore this card.
- If you must choose the 3rd option, you must place 1 of your captured animals on the faceup discard pile, regardless of whether it was fenced in or not.
Module N Cards: Nocturnal
- Ergot: avoidable danger (see "Avoidable Dangers"): if there is no grain on your camp, nothing happens and you can choose to help or ignore this card.
- Curse:
- This action can be chosen only if any player has the "Artifact" card.
- This action can be chosen only if no player has the "Artifact" card.
Module O Cards: The Xrib Tribe
- Exchange: you can choose the top action only if the Xrib tribe is friendly. Additionally, you must remove 4 idea cards of your choice from the workbench and place them in the graveyard; if you do not have enough idea cards, you cannot choose this option. When you resolve this action, place secret token 3 on an open space on the farm board. See "Secret Tokens" below for more details.
Module P Cards: The Black Rock
- Icy Wind: you, or a player helping you, need only to possess the "Clothing" token. You do not need to spend it to receive the dream card.
- Untitled card with three token icons (the source text does not print its title): all 3 tokens shown must be in your group, or the token of a helping player. These are secret tokens, so if you do not recognize some of them, you may not have found them yet.
Forgotten Cave
Source note: this card sits on its own row of the printed card list, without a module tab.
- Forgotten Cave: you must place secret token 5 faceup with your group. See "Secret Tokens" below for more details.
Module Q Cards: Dream Journey
- Deep Sleep: instead of the top card, you place the next marked dream card from the dream deck on the camp board on top of your deck. If there are no marked cards remaining in the deck, you place the top card.
- Toad: when resolving the stable action, the toad's yield allows you to lick the toad and place a dream card on top of your deck.
Secret Tokens
- Medicinal Herbs: place this token on the farm board. Resolve a grain action and discard 1 card from your deck to heal 2 damage from humans in your group.
- Manure: place this token on the farm board. Resolve an animal action and discard 2 cards from your deck to receive 1 grain for each captured animal in the stable.
- Cocoa: place this token on the farm board. Resolve a grain action to receive 1 dream card and 2 food.
- Obsidian Axe: place this token with your group. This token permanently gives you 1 skill and 2 strength, and counts as a tool. It has no additional rules.
- Obsidian Jewelry: place this token with your group. If an action you resolve has a requirement of 1 or 2 [icon], you do not need to roll the dice to increase the requirements. It counts as a tool, and can be used when helping other players.
- Obsidian Spear: place this token with your group. This token permanently gives you 3 strength and counts as a tool. It has no additional rules.
- Sacrificial Altar: place this token on the farm board. Resolve an animal action and place a captured animal in the graveyard, without receiving the rewards, to receive 1 talisman and 2 food.