The Quacks of Quedlinburg: The Alchemists
The Quacks of Quedlinburg: The Alchemists Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 5 essence markers
- 5 alchemist's flasks
- 8 patient markers
- 8 patient charts
- 20 essence cards
- 2 ingredient books (double-sided)
- 20 fortune telling cards
- 40 firecracker chips (25 1-chips, 10 2-chips, and 5 3-chips)
- 30 locoweed chips
Extension Overview
You need "The Quacks of Quedlinburg" to play "The Alchemists."
(We recommend that you only combine "The Alchemists" with the basic game at first. Once you have gained some experience of playing this game extension, you can also combine it with "The Herb Witches.")
As alchemists, you receive visits from patients suffering from all kinds of weird and wonderful conditions. At the start of the game, choose a patient to treat. Every patient needs a special essence as a remedy. You must make this essence in your alchemist flask and will receive special bonuses for it.
Game Setup
Set up the game as usual.
Shuffle the new fortune teller cards together with the ones from the basic game. Some of the fortune teller cards can only be used with "The Herb Witches" or "The Alchemists" game extension. You will recognize these cards by the symbol at the bottom right. Cards bearing the "Alchemists" symbol can only be used with "The Alchemists." Cards bearing the "Herb Witches" symbol can only be used with "The Herb Witches." Cards not bearing a symbol can also be used with the basic game without any of the game extensions.
Select one of the ingredient books for the locoweed and lay it out ready. The ingredient books are not assigned to a specific set. So you can use each of the locoweeds with each set.
Each player additionally receives the alchemist's flask, essence marker, and 4 essence cards in their chosen color. (The front and back of the essence cards show different essences.) Place your alchemist's flasks above your cauldron and the essence marker on the 0 space in your alchemist's flask.
Put the 8 patient markers in a bag and draw 3. Then find the matching patient charts and place them in the middle of the table with the picture side facing up. Then return all 8 of the patient markers and the 5 remaining patient charts to the box.
Each player must now decide which of the 3 patients they wish to treat and place the corresponding essence card on their alchemist's flask. (You may look at your essence cards before you decide on a patient.)
Beware: Several players may choose the same patient!
You don't need the remaining essences in this game and can return them to the box.
Note: Use the new firecracker chips to replace your old ones when they have worn out.
How to Play
New Phase: The Essence Phase
There is now an additional phase to play once all players have finished the Preparation Phase, but before the scoring: the Essence Phase.
During this phase, you distill an additional essence from your potion (regardless of whether your cauldron has already exploded or not). Similar to the Preparation Phase, you all perform the Essence Phase at the same time.
At the start of the Essence Phase, always place your essence marker on the "0" space in the alchemist's flask. Just like when you prepare a potion, you cannot "save" anything for the next round. Complete the following three steps one after the other:
- Count how many different ingredients (colors) are in your cauldron. Do not count the white chips here! Place your essence marker on the appropriate space in the alchemist's flask.
- Add up the white chips in your cauldron. If the sum totals exactly 7, move your essence marker forward 1 additional space in the flask.
- If the cauldron of the player directly to your left or right explodes, move the essence marker forward yet another space. If the cauldrons of your two immediate neighbors explode, move the essence marker forward 2 spaces. (So in the 2-player game, you may advance a maximum of 1 space.)
Example: There are 2 red chips, 1 orange chip, and 1 blue chip in your cauldron. That's 3 different colors. So place your essence marker on space 3. You've got white chips with the sum of 7 in your cauldron. So move the marker forward 1 more space. The cauldron of the player to your left explodes. The cauldron of the player to your right does not explode. So move the marker forward 1 more space. You finish your move on space 5.
Check afterwards what bonus you have earned for your essence. Follow the glass tube that leads from your essence marker to the essence card. If the tube ends in a glass, you receive the bonus shown in that glass—either a rat stone, points, or a special bonus. Some essences allow you to perform a special action, which you can use in the next Preparation Phase. You may also perform this action if your tube does not end in a glass. The special bonuses and actions of the essences are described in detail from page 4.
Note: In rare cases, it may be useful to select a lower space than the one you could reach. In this case, place your essence marker on the desired space before you receive your bonus.
- If victory points are displayed in the selected space, immediately move your point marker forward by the specified number of points.
- If a rat stone is displayed in the space, move your rat stone forward by 1 additional space at the beginning of the next round.
- Points and rat stones are always bonuses that you receive in addition to your patient bonus or patient action.
- If your current space displays a bonus in an oval glass, your patient chart will tell you when you will receive the bonus.
- Place the essence marker back on the "0" space at the start of the next Essence Phase. After the Essence Phase, the evaluation takes place as usual.
Final Round
In the ninth round, there is a final Essence Phase. In this round, you do not earn any of the bonuses, rat tails, or points shown on the essence, but rather 1 point per space that you advanced on the alchemist's flask.
The Essences
Nervousness
If your essence marker lands on space 1, you receive 1 additional rat tail at the start of the next round. If you land on a different space, draw the specified number of chips from the bag at the start of your next Preparation Phase. After drawing your chips, return the firecrackers to the bag. Lay the rest of the chips out in front of you. During the Preparation Phase, you may decide before you place each chip in the cauldron whether to place one of the chips on display in the cauldron or to take a new chip from the bag and place it in the cauldron instead. You may not put any of the chips in the cauldron if it has exploded.
Special case: Red book, set 2. If you draw red chips from your bag, you may only place them after you stop.
Ear Worm
Once you have finished your essence, draw the specified number of chips from your bag one by one. So draw a chip from the bag, place it in your cauldron according to its value (just like in the Preparation Phase), and carry out the chip action as necessary. Repeat this as often as your essence allows. If you draw white chips, also put them in the cauldron. Your cauldron will not explode if the sum of the white chips totals more than 7.
Special case: Red book, set 2. If you draw a red chip, it is also counted even if you do not put it in the cauldron in this round.
Carrot Nose
At the start of the game, take 1 additional 1-chip pumpkin and place it in your bag. So you start the game with 10 chips.
At first, you will only receive the points you achieve or the rat tail as a bonus. You can only use the essence's actual function in the Preparation Phase of the following round. Every time you draw a pumpkin chip, you may choose to reduce your essence by 2 spaces. If you do this, place the pumpkin you just drew on the next free ruby space. The value indicated is irrelevant.
Wing Ears
At first, you will only receive the points you achieve or the rat tail as a bonus. You can only use the essence's actual function in the Preparation Phase of the following round. Every time you draw a white chip, you get to choose:
- Move the white chip forward by twice as many spaces as its value indicates. For example, move a white 3-chip forward 6 spaces. To do this, you must reduce your essence by 2 spaces (regardless of your move distance).
OR
- Return the chip to the bag. If you do this, you must reduce your essence by 3 spaces.
You may of course also choose not to use either of these 2 actions. Then you just place it as usual.
Beware: You may not use either of the actions if the white chip you just drew causes your cauldron to explode.
Chicken Eyes
You will receive your bonus immediately after the Essence Phase.
The glass spaces of the Chicken Eyes essence card show these bonuses (each is placed on a space as shown in the diagram):
- Take 3 rubies.
- Roll the die twice and take the bonus after each roll.
- Move your droplet forward 2 spaces.
- Fill your flask.
- Swap a 1-chip from your cauldron for a 4-chip of the same color.
- Swap a 1-chip from your cauldron for a 2-chip of the same color.
- Take a 1-chip toadstool.
- Roll the die 4 times and take the bonus after each roll.
- Take a 1-chip pumpkin.
- Take 1 ruby.
Witch's Hump
At first, you will only receive the points you achieve or the rat tail as a bonus. You can only use the essence's actual function in the Preparation Phase of the following round. Each time you place a chip on a ruby space, you may use your essence. Reduce it by 2 spaces. Depending on which chip you have just placed, you receive the bonus indicated on the patient chart. The value indicated on the chip always counts for the action. You may of course also refrain from using this action.
If you are allowed to take a chip as a bonus, put it in your bag immediately. If you roll a droplet, move your droplet immediately (you may have to place it on your first chip). The chips you have already placed do not move at all.
For a 1-chip, take 1 ruby.
For a 2-chip or an African death's head hawkmoth, roll the bonus die once.
For a 3-chip or ghost's breath, take a 1-chip mandrake.
For a 4-chip or locoweed, take 3 victory points.
Beware: Red book, set 2. If you place red chips in your cauldron after your stop, you can no longer perform an essence action with them.
Forgetfulness
At the start of the game, take 1 additional 1-chip crow skull and 1 additional 1-chip toadstool and place them both in your bag. So you start the game with 11 chips.
At first, you will only receive the points you achieve as a bonus. You can only use the essence's actual function in the Preparation Phase of the following round. At any point during your turn, you may return any colored chip from your cauldron to your bag (except the locoweed). Reduce your essence by as many spaces as the value on the chip. This does not change the position of the other chips in your cauldron. So there may be "gaps" in your cauldron.
Beware: You cannot return white chips to the bag.
Vampirism
If your essence marker lands on space 1, you receive 1 additional rat tail at the start of the next round. If you land on another space, you may immediately buy an additional chip for the value you reached at the end of the Essence Phase. Place this chip in your bag right away.
The New Ingredient Books
Once you have counted the chips of each different color in your cauldron during the Essence Phase and placed your essence marker on the appropriate space, you may move 1 additional space for each locoweed in your cauldron. For example, if you have 2 locoweeds in the cauldron, you may move forward 3 spaces in total: 1 space because the locoweed itself is a new color in the cauldron and 2 spaces for the two locoweed actions.
Before you place the locoweed in your cauldron, count how many ingredients of each different color are already in your cauldron (excluding white). The values on the chips are irrelevant here. Then move the locoweed forward by as many spaces.
Beware: If this is your first locoweed, you may count it even though it is not in your cauldron yet.
First, place the locoweed on the next free space in your cauldron. Afterwards you may return a chip of any color (except white) to your bag. The position of all other ingredients in the cauldron remains unchanged.
Before you place the locoweed in your cauldron, count the values indicated on all of the white chips in your cauldron. Then move the locoweed forward by as many spaces. If you do not have any white chips yet, move the locoweed forward just 1 space.