The Red Dragon Inn 4
The Red Dragon Inn 4 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
4 40-Card Character Decks (Captain Whitehawk, Remy, Bryn and Tara), 20-Card Sea Event Deck, 7 Sea Event Progress Counters, 12 Remy's Marks, 4 Player Mats, 30-Card Drink Deck, 4 Fortitude Markers (red), 4 Alcohol Content Markers (clear), 50 Gold Pieces
Object of the Game
Keep your Gold and stay conscious. If you run out of Gold, or if your Alcohol Content is ever greater than or equal to your Fortitude, you are out of the game.
Getting Started
Shuffle the Drink Deck and place it where everyone can reach it. Leave space for a discard pile next to the Drink Deck.
Each player takes a player mat, a red marker, a clear marker, and one of the Character Decks. The player playing Remy also takes a number of Remy's Marks equal to the number of players in the game minus one.
If you wish to play with the optional Sea Event Deck, shuffle it, place it near the Drink Deck and place two Sea Event Progress Counters on top of it. See the "New Rules for RDI 4" document for instructions on how to play with the Sea Event Deck.
Shuffle your Character Deck and place it on the space labeled Deck on your player mat. When you must discard Character Deck Cards, place them in the space labeled Discard on your player mat.
Take 10 Gold and place it near your player mat where everyone can see it. This is your "Stash." (For games with 2 players, take 8 Gold instead. For games with 7 or more players, take 12 Gold instead.) Put the extra Gold to the side. This is the "Inn."
Place the red marker on the 20 on your player mat. This is your Fortitude. Place the clear marker on the 0 on your player mat. This is your Alcohol Content.
Take a card from the Drink Deck and place it face down on the space labeled Drink Me! This is your Drink Me! Pile. Do not look at the cards in your Drink Me! Pile yet.
Draw the top seven cards from your Character Deck. This is your hand. You may look at these cards, but you must keep them hidden from the other players.
Choose someone to go first.
On Your Turn
Your turn consists of four Phases, which must be played in order: Discard and Draw, Action, Order a Drink, Drink.
1. Discard and Draw
You may discard any cards from your hand that you do not want and then draw from your Character Deck until you are holding seven cards. You may not play any cards or effects until you have finished drawing cards.
If you draw the last card from your Character Deck, shuffle your discarded Character Cards and put them back on the Deck space on your player mat.
If you are holding seven or more cards you may opt to keep all of them and draw no new cards.
2. Action
You may play one Action Card. To play an Action Card, read the title of the card out loud and pick the affected player(s). Give other players a chance to respond to the card, then follow any instructions on the card and discard it to the Discard space on your player mat.
Card example — "Blind girl! Darts! What could possibly go wrong?" (Action)
Some Action Cards cause you to start a Round of Gambling (see "Gambling" below for more details).
If you cannot or do not want to play an Action Card, you don't have to.
3. Order a Drink
Take the top card from the Drink Deck and place it face down, without looking at it, on top of any other player's Drink Me! Pile.
Card example — "Wine" (Drink)
If the Drink Deck runs out of cards, each player must pay the tavern to serve up a new round of Drinks. (See "More Drink Rules" below for details.)
4. Drink
Reveal the top card of your Drink Me! Pile, follow the instructions on the card and place it in the Drink Deck discard pile. Some of the instructions on Drink Cards are represented by icons:
- Gain [X] Alcohol Content
- Gain [X] Fortitude
- Add a Chaser - see "Chasers" under "More Drink Rules"
- Lose [X] Fortitude
If you don't have any cards in your Drink Me! Pile when you have to drink, you start to sober up; reduce your Alcohol Content by one.
Ending Your Turn
After your Drink Phase, the player to your left goes next.
Sometimes and Anytime Cards
Card example — "I've got watch duty." (Sometimes)
Sometimes Cards can only be played under certain conditions. Each Sometimes Card tells you when it can be played in its text.
Some Sometimes Cards allow you to Negate or Ignore another card. These cards are described in "Negate and Ignore Effects" under "Other Rules".
You may play multiple Sometimes Cards in response to the same game event, even if they are multiple copies of the same card. However, you must play the cards one at a time and give your opponents an opportunity to respond to each one.
Card example — "Tip the Wench." (Anytime)
Anytime Cards may be played at any time, even if they interrupt another action.
Relevant Sometimes and Anytime Cards may be played in any Phase of a turn, either before or after the special action for that Phase. For example, you may play an Anytime Card during your Discard and Draw Phase before you discard and draw.
If two or more players would like to play Sometimes or Anytime Cards at the same time, see "Timing" under "Other Rules".
Losing the Game
Running Out of Gold
If you run out of Gold, the Wench kicks you out of the Inn and you must spend the rest of the night out in the stables. You are out of the game.
Passing Out
If your Alcohol Content is ever greater than or equal to your Fortitude, you fall unconscious and the Wench drags you up to your room to sleep it off. Your Gold is divided between the Inn and any players still in the game. Split your Gold in half. One half, rounded up, goes to the Inn. What's left gets split evenly among the remaining players, with any remainder going to the Inn. You are out of the game.
If you run out of Gold or pass out, you don't lose immediately. First, finish resolving any cards that have been played but have not yet resolved. After these cards resolve, you have one last chance to play Sometimes or Anytime Cards to save yourself or attack others. If you can't save yourself, then you're out of the game.
If you have any cards in your Drink Me! Pile when you lose, put them in the Drink Deck discard pile.
It is possible for multiple players to lose at the same time. If this happens, first determine which players are passing out. Each of those players divides their Gold among the players who aren't passing out, as described above. After this, if any players have no Gold, they lose the game as well. This means that if one player passes out and another runs out of Gold simultaneously, the player who is running out of Gold could be saved by getting a share of the Gold from the other player!
If all remaining players would lose the game simultaneously, the game is a tie between those players.
Gambling
When a player plays "Gambling? I'm in!" or Captain Whitehawk's "Ante up or walk the plank!" as their Action, this starts a Round of Gambling.
When a Round of Gambling begins, normal play is suspended and each player must ante 1 Gold, putting it in the middle of the table (making sure not to get it confused with the Inn's Gold). This counts as "losing Gold" for the purpose of cards which affect that.
The player who started the Round of Gambling is currently winning ("in control" of the Round).
Play proceeds clockwise around the table from the player who started the Round. On your turn you may either play a Gambling or Cheating Card or pass.
Card example — "Gambling? I'm in!" (Action - Gambling)
Card example — "This time, let's use my deck." (Cheating)
Play a Gambling or Cheating Card: Playing either of these two types of card gives you control of the Round of Gambling. The card you play may have other effects, as well.
Pass: You may choose to pass instead of playing a card. You may pass even if you have a Gambling or Cheating Card that you could play (and it is often correct to do so!) If you pass, you are still in the Round of Gambling and may play Gambling or Cheating Cards later in the Round, as long as the Round does not end first.
Ending the Round
If you play a Gambling or Cheating Card and everyone else passes, the Round of Gambling ends, and you win. Take all of the anted Gold and add it to your Stash.
As soon as the last player passes, the Round of Gambling ends immediately. You may not play cards that would affect the Round after this point unless the card explicitly states that you can. In particular, "Oh, I guess the Wench thought that was her tip…" (from earlier editions of RDI) may not be played after the last player has passed.
If a card effect says that you win the Round, the Round ends immediately, and you take the anted Gold.
When the Round of Gambling is over, normal game play resumes. The player who started the Round moves on to their Order a Drink Phase.
Winning Hand!
Card example — "Winning Hand!" (Gambling)
"Winning Hand!" is a special Gambling Card, because only Cheating Cards (and a few other specific cards) can be used to take control after it has been played. If "Winning Hand!" is played and it is followed by a Cheating Card, then any Gambling or Cheating Card can be played next. Just remember:
- A Cheating Card can be played after anything.
- A Gambling Card can be played after anything except a "Winning Hand!"
Captain Whitehawk's card "That's a fine hand there, but this one's got you beat" is an exception to the above rules. It is a Gambling Card that can be played even after "Winning Hand!"
Leaving a Round of Gambling
Some cards allow you to leave a Round of Gambling. If you leave a Round of Gambling, you cannot play Gambling or Cheating Cards for the rest of that Round, but you may still play Sometimes or Anytime Cards. You are no longer affected by cards that require you to ante, such as "I raise!" Any Gold that you previously anted stays in the pot.
If you play a card that requires players to ante, then immediately leave the Round (for example, with "Gambling? I'm in!" followed by "I've got watch duty"), then the Round proceeds normally, but currently has no winner. If the Round ends before any player takes control, all anted Gold goes to the Inn.
Forcing a Player to Leave a Round of Gambling
Some cards force a player to leave a Round of Gambling. When a player is forced out of the Round, each player, including the one being forced out, has a chance to respond (for example, with "I think it's time to stop foolin' around, don't you?" or some other anti-cheat card).
If there is ever only one player left in the Round, the Round of Gambling ends and the remaining player wins.
Running out of Gold During Gambling
If you run out of Gold during a Round of Gambling, you will remain in the game at least until the Round of Gambling ends, even if you leave the Round of Gambling or are forced out. Ignore any effects that force you to pay or ante Gold. If you do not win the Round of Gambling, you are out of Gold and out of the game!
If you play a card that would require players to ante, but you cannot ante (because you are out of Gold and cannot use a card like "Illusionary coin" from RDI 2), then no player is required to ante.
Gambling Example
On his turn, Remy plays "Gambling? I'm in!" to start a Round of Gambling.
Bryn plays "I've got watch duty" to leave the Round of Gambling. She does not have to ante, but she cannot play any Gambling or Cheating Cards for the rest of this Round.
Remy, Tara and the Captain each ante one Gold. Since Remy started the Round, he's winning (in control).
Tara goes next. She passes.
Captain Whitehawk plays "I raise," a Gambling Card that forces all players in the Round to ante an additional Gold. Remy, Tara and the Captain each ante one more Gold (bringing the pot to 6 Gold). The "I raise" card also puts Captain Whitehawk in control of the Round of Gambling, so she is now winning.
Remy plays "Winning Hand!" This is a special Gambling Card that can (usually) only be beaten by Cheating Cards. Remy is now winning.
Tara plays "This time, let's use my deck," a Cheating Card. Tara is now winning.
Captain Whitehawk passes.
Remy plays "Gambling? I'm In!" In addition to starting a Round of Gambling, "Gambling? I'm in!" can be used during a Round to take control. Remy is now winning.
Tara passes and so does the Captain.
Remy wins the 6 Gold in the pot.
More Drink Rules
Running Out of Drinks
When you reach the end of the Drink Deck, each player must pay one Gold to the Inn to get the Wench to bring more Drinks.
After each player pays one Gold, shuffle the discarded Drink Cards into a new Drink Deck. This happens instantly, so the Drink Deck is never out of cards. Drink Cards that have been put on Drink Me! Piles remain where they are.
Drink Events
Card example — "Round on the House!" (Drink Event)
Some cards in the Drink Deck are Drink Event Cards. If you reveal a Drink Event, follow the instructions on the card. Cards that affect Drinks do not affect Drink Events unless they specifically say that they do so.
Chasers
Card example — "Pixie Punch with a Chaser" (Drink)
If you reveal a Drink Card that has the phrase "with a Chaser" in the title and/or the "+" mug icon, reveal the next card from the deck from which you revealed the previous Drink. If it's a Drink Card, add its effects to the original Drink. If it's another Drink with a Chaser, add its effects to the original Drink and continue this process.
If no cards remain in your Drink Me! Pile when you would reveal a Chaser from it, or if you reveal a Drink Event Card as your Chaser, there is no additional effect. Do not continue revealing cards, and if you revealed a Drink Event, discard it without taking its effects. You do not sober up if your Drink Me! Pile runs out while revealing Chasers.
The Drink Deck is never out of cards, so if you run out of cards while revealing Chasers from the Drink Deck, follow the Running Out of Drinks rule and then continue revealing Chasers.
The original Drink and its Chasers all count as a single Drink. A card that allows you to Ignore a Drink will Ignore the original Drink and all of its Chasers.
No player may respond to a Drink until all of its Chasers have been revealed.
Chaser Example 1: Remy drinks from his Drink Me! Pile and gets Wine with a Chaser. He reveals the next card on his Drink Me! Pile and gets Dragon Breath Ale. He adds the effects of both Drinks, for a total Alcohol Content of 6. Remy plays "I best not. Someone needs to keep a level head" to Ignore the Drink, so he gains no Alcohol Content.
Chaser Example 2: During a Drinking Contest, Bryn reveals Light Ale with a Chaser from the top of the Drink Deck. She reveals the next card from the Drink Deck and gets Round on the House. Since Round on the House is a Drink Event Card, it has no effect as a Chaser. Bryn gains 1 Alcohol Content.
Ordering Additional Drinks
Some cards allow you to order additional Drinks during your Order a Drink Phase. When you do this, you may put the Drinks face down on any other players' Drink Me! Piles. They can all go to the same player, or they can be distributed however you like among multiple players.
Other Rules
Minimum and Maximum Fortitude, Alcohol Content, Gold
Your Fortitude and Alcohol Content can never go below 0 or above 20. Your Gold can never go below 0, but it has no maximum. If the Inn runs out of Gold Pieces, use some other markers as a substitute.
If a card effect cannot fully take effect due to these limits, the card still takes effect as completely as it is able.
Example: Remy is at 20 Fortitude. Deirdre (from RDI 1) plays "Prayer of Healing" to make Remy gain 2 Fortitude and pay her 1 Gold. Remy cannot gain 2 Fortitude, since he is already at 20, but he still must pay Deirdre 1 Gold.
Cards That Affect Your Fortitude, Alcohol Content, Gold
Some cards specify that they can be played in response to a card that affects your Fortitude, Alcohol Content or Gold. A card affects one of these attributes only if it could directly change that attribute when it takes effect.
If a card could normally affect an attribute but can't because that attribute is already at its minimum or maximum value, the card is still considered to affect that attribute.
You may not Ignore a Round of Gambling with a card that allows you to Ignore a card that affects your Gold.
Example: Bryn plays "Tip the Wench" to make Tara pay 1 Gold to the Inn. In response, Tara plays "I may be blind, but I could still see that coming!", allowing her to Ignore the card, since it would directly change her Gold.
Example: Tara reveals Wine on her Drink Phase. Dimli (from RDI 2) plays "Spike it with Firewater" to add 2 Alcohol Content to the Wine. Tara may not play "Uh oh, I don't like where this is headed..." here, because Dimli's card is not changing her Alcohol Content directly—it is changing the effects of the Wine.
Example: Tara reveals Dragon Breath Ale on her Drink Phase. She plays "I have consulted the charts... This is not in my future" to Ignore the Drink. Remy plays "I don't think so!" to Negate "I have consulted the charts." Tara may not play "Uh oh, I don't like where this is headed..." here, because Remy's card is not changing her Alcohol Content directly—it is Negating her card that would allow her to Ignore the Drink.
Example: Remy wins a Round of Gambling. At the end of the Round, Gerki (from RDI 1) plays "Um...I know you think you won, but..." to take the pot. Remy may not play "I have no time for your tomfoolery!" here, because Gerki's card is not directly changing Remy's Gold. It is affecting the outcome of the Round of Gambling.
Redirecting Damage
Some cards, such as Bryn's "Stop hitting yourself!", allow damage to be redirected from one player to another. When this happens, the game treats the Fortitude loss as though it came from its original source.
Example: Captain Whitehawk plays "I won't stand idly by while you insult the Drake!" to make Remy lose 3 Fortitude. Remy plays "Deflect" to redirect the damage to Bryn. When the damage resolves, Bryn plays "You wanna play, huh?" to deal 2 damage the player who hit her. Bryn's card causes the Captain to lose 2 Fortitude, not Remy.
If a card says that it redirects Fortitude loss, it does not redirect any other effects on the affected card.
Example: Remy plays "Take this as a warning! Next time it'll be the brig" to make Bryn lose 2 Fortitude. Bryn plays "Stop hitting yourself!" to redirect the damage back to Remy. Remy loses 2 Fortitude, but Bryn becomes marked.
If multiple redirection effects would apply to a damage effect, each redirection effect applies exactly once. The effects are applied in the order they were played.
Example: Remy plays "Take this as a warning! Next time it'll be the brig" to make Bryn lose 2 Fortitude. Bryn plays "Stop hitting yourself!" to redirect the damage to Remy. Remy plays "Deflect" to redirect the damage back to Bryn. Bryn loses 2 Fortitude (and becomes marked).
Negate and Ignore Effects
Some Sometimes Cards allow you to Negate or Ignore another card.
When you Negate a card, you completely prevent it from resolving. The Negated card goes to the appropriate discard pile. None of its effects happen.
When you Ignore a card, the card resolves normally, but it has no effect on you. It still affects other players as usual.
Negate Example: Bryn plays "Watch it! Loose cannonball!" to make Captain Whitehawk lose 2 Fortitude. The Captain plays "Challenge accepted!" to make Bryn also lose 2 Fortitude. Bryn responds with "I don't think so!" The Captain's card is Negated, so it has no effect. The Captain does not cause Bryn to lose any Fortitude.
Ignore Example: Bryn plays "I can hold my own in a brawl. Wanna see?" to make each other player lose 1 Fortitude. In response, Captain Whitehawk plays "A word of advice... don't" to Ignore the Fortitude loss. She does not lose Fortitude, but the other players do, since Bryn's card affects them normally when it resolves.
Card example — "I don't think so!" (Sometimes) — Negate a Sometimes Card. If the player who played that card is marked, this card can't be Negated. Otherwise, this card can only be affected by another "I don't think so!"
Card example — "Excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to." (Sometimes) — Ignore a Drink or an Event. (Reveal the Drink or Event first. This card may Ignore any Event, including Drink Events, Sea Events or Dungeon Events.)
Cards do not Negate or Ignore other cards unless they specifically use the word "Negate" or the word "Ignore." So, for example, cards which reduce or redirect damage, reduce Alcohol Content, or pass Drinks to other players are not Negating or Ignoring anything.
Many cards allow you to Ignore a Drink. You may only play a card of this type on a Drink that you are about to drink. You may not Ignore someone else's Drink unless that player first passes it to you, splits it with you, or otherwise makes you take effects from it.
Reduction Effects
Some cards allow you to reduce an effect from another card.
Reducing an effect below 0 reduces it to 0 instead. If a card would affect all players, reducing the effect that one player takes does not change the effect for the other players unless that card says that it changes "numeric effects."
Timing
Whenever any card is played or a Drink or Drink Event is revealed, each player (in turn order, starting with the player who played or revealed the card) may play relevant Sometimes Cards in response.
If no player has any response to a card, that card resolves and its instructions are carried out.
If a player plays a response to a card and that response resolves, each player (in turn order, as above) has another opportunity to respond to the original card. If no player does, the original card resolves.
Timing Example 1: Remy reveals Light Ale during his Drink Phase. He is holding "I best not. Someone needs to keep a level head", which would allow him to Ignore the Drink. He chooses not to play it, since the Drink only has an Alcohol Content of 1. Phrenk (from RDI 3) plays "Here ya go… This'll make that drink better!" to add 2 Alcohol Content to the Light Ale. After Phrenk's card resolves, Remy will have another opportunity to play "I best not" to Ignore the spiked Light Ale, even though he previously chose not to respond.
If two or more players are instructed to reveal and drink Drinks at the same time (for example, with the Drink Event "Drinking Contest!"), they first reveal Drink Cards and Chasers, as appropriate. After that, in turn order (as above), players may play Sometimes Cards that modify Drinks. Anytime Cards may also be played here. When no player has any further responses, each player drinks their Drink simultaneously.
If two or more players wish to respond to the same game event with Sometimes or Anytime Cards, players should take back their plays, then play and resolve their Anytime Cards in turn order, beginning from the player whose turn it is. After that, they should play and resolve their Sometimes Cards in the same way.
If a situation arises in which two or more players are each waiting for the others to act before making a decision, the deadlock should be broken with a similar method. In turn order, beginning with the player whose turn it is, each player declares their choice, then the game continues normally.
Timing Example 2: Bryn is at 12 Fortitude and 10 Alcohol Content. On her Drink Phase she reveals Elven Wine. In order to keep from passing out, Bryn plays "I've got watch duty" to Ignore the Drink. Remy (sitting to Bryn's left) and Captain Whitehawk (sitting to Remy's left) each hold an "I don't think so!", and each suspects that the other is holding one. Both Remy and the Captain are interested in Negating Bryn's Ignore card, but neither wants to be the one to spend their critical "I don't think so!" To resolve the deadlock, first Remy, then the Captain must either play a response to Bryn's card or choose not to. If neither Remy nor the Captain decides to play "I don't think so!" on Bryn's card, Bryn Ignores her Drink and remains in the game.
If two or more players wish to respond to sequential game events that occur as the result of a card being played, then players should take back their plays, then play them sequentially.
Timing Example 3: Bryn wins a Round of Gambling. Gerki (from RDI 1) wants to play "Um...I know you think you won, but..." and Captain Whitehawk wants to play "What a coincidence, I happen to have the same hand!" Since collecting the anted Gold happens after winning a Round of Gambling, Gerki may first play "Um...I know you think you want, but..." to take the Gold instead of Bryn. Immediately after he does so, the Captain may play "What a coincidence, I happen to have the same hand!" to take half of Gerki's ill-gotten spoils.
"The Wench thinks you should stop playing with the drinks."
Card example — "The Wench thinks you should stop playing with the drinks." (Sometimes) — Negate a Sometimes Card that changes the effects of a Drink. (This includes cards that Negate, Ignore or split Drinks, pass Drinks to other players, or alter any of a Drink's effects.) This card can only be affected by "I don't think so!"
Negating or Ignoring a Drink, passing a Drink to another player, splitting a Drink, and increasing or decreasing a Drink's Alcohol Content are all considered changing the Drink's effects, so "The Wench thinks you should stop playing with the drinks" can be played in all of these cases.
"The Wench thinks you should stop playing with the drinks" cannot be used to Negate another copy of "The Wench thinks you should stop playing with the drinks."
"The Wench thinks you should stop playing with the drinks" cannot be used to Negate a card that orders you Drinks, forces you to drink, or directly increases your Alcohol Content.
"The Wench thinks you should stop playing with the drinks" cannot be used to Negate a card that affects a Drink Event.
Splitting Drinks
When a card is played that can split or duplicate a Drink, it creates separate, independent Drinks. A card that affects a Drink can only affect one of the split Drinks. If a Drink is altered before it is split, then the altered Drink is split.
Split Example 1: Bryn reveals an Elven Wine (3 Alcohol Content). She plays "Let's drink to clear skies and strong winds!", which splits the Drink into two Drinks with 2 Alcohol Content each (3 Alcohol Content split in half, then rounded up). Phrenk (from RDI 3) then plays "Here ya go… This'll make that drink better!" to add 2 Alcohol Content one of the two Drinks. The result is one Drink with 2 Alcohol Content and another with 4 Alcohol Content.
Split Example 2: Phrenk plays "Here ya go… This'll make that drink better!" as soon as the Elven Wine is revealed, making the Elven Wine a Drink with 5 Alcohol Content. Bryn then plays "Let's drink to clear skies and strong winds!", creating two Drinks with 3 Alcohol Content each.
To split a Drink with one or more Chasers, first combine all like numeric effects (Alcohol Content, Fortitude, drawing cards, etc.), then split each combined effect in half, rounding up.
Split Example 3: On Bryn's Drink Phase, she reveals Elven Wine with a Chaser of Gnomish Inspirational Ale (Gain 2 AC, draw 2 cards). She then plays "Let's drink to clear skies and strong winds!" to split the Drink with Tara. Bryn and Tara each gain 3 Alcohol Content and draw 1 card.
Mead
Mead is a Drink that has its own built-in split effect. When a player reveals Mead, players first get an opportunity to affect the Drink. When players are done affecting the Mead, the player who revealed it may choose a player with whom to split it. Players then have another opportunity to affect the split halves of the Mead. Because players have an opportunity to affect the Mead after it is split, the two players sharing the Mead could end up taking different effects from it!
Mead Example: Bryn reveals Mead during her Drink Phase. No player alters the Drink, so she decides to split it with Tara. This creates two copies of Mead with 2 Alcohol Content each (half of 3 rounded up). After this, Phrenk plays "Here ya go... This'll make that drink better!" on Tara's Mead, giving it a total Alcohol Content of 4. Each player then drinks her Mead, so Bryn gains 2 Alcohol Content and Tara gains 4.
If Mead is the result of a Drink Event or if Mead is revealed as a Chaser to another Drink, it may not be split with another player. The player drinking the Mead takes its full effects.
Round on the House
Card example — "Round on the House!" (Drink Event)
The card Round on the House is similar to a split effect, but is not considered a split effect. When a Drink is revealed for Round on the House, each player immediately receives a separate, independent copy of that Drink. Players do not have an opportunity to affect the Drink before it is copied, but may affect the individual copies afterward.
Drinking Contest
Card example — "Drinking Contest!" (Drink Event) — Each player reveals a Drink from the Drink Deck and drinks it. The player who reveals the Drink with the highest Alcohol Content (even if they avoid the effects of the Drink) wins 1 Gold from each other player. If there is a tie, the players who tied reveal and drink again until there is a winner. The effects of Drink Event Cards are ignored and they count as 0 Alcohol Content.
When a player reveals a Drinking Contest card, each player, starting with the player whose turn it is, reveals the top card of the Drink Deck. If that card is a Drink Event, it has no effect and counts as having no Alcohol Content. If it is a Drink with a Chaser, the player continues revealing Drink Cards as appropriate. Once all players have revealed one or more cards from the Drink Deck, players may, in turn order, play Sometimes Cards that modify Drinks. Anytime Cards may also be played here. When all players are done playing cards, each player drinks and discards their Drink, then the player who revealed the Drink with the highest total Alcohol Content receives one Gold from each other player.
If two or more players tie for the Drink with the highest total Alcohol Content, the tied players repeat the process of revealing, modifying, drinking and discarding Drinks until there is a clear winner. If all tied players but one pass out during this process, the remaining player wins the Drinking Contest and does not continue drinking. If all tied players pass out during this process, the Drinking Contest has no winner.
If a player would win the Drinking Contest and pass out at the same time, that player collects Gold for winning the contest, then passes out.
If a player passes out during a Drinking Contest, that player loses the game, but does not split their Gold among the other players until after the Drinking Contest is completed. Players who lose the game in this way still must pay one Gold to the winner of the Drinking Contest before splitting their Gold.
Cards that increase or decrease the Alcohol Content of a Drink will affect the outcome of a Drinking Contest. If a Drink is split, Ignored, or given to another player, this does not affect the outcome of the contest. If a player somehow takes extra Drinks during a Drinking Contest (with a card like "Drink up! Captain's orders"), these extra Drinks do not affect the outcome of the Drinking Contest.
If a Drink's total Alcohol Content is less than 0 (such as "We're cutting you off!"), it counts as a 0 Alcohol Content Drink in a Drinking Contest. The Drink will still affect your Alcohol Content as normal.
Drinking Contest Example 1: In a Drinking Contest, Bryn reveals Elven Wine with a Chaser of Wine (5 Alcohol Content), and Tara reveals Light Ale (1 Alcohol Content). Bryn plays "I'm built like an ox, and I can drink like one, too!", reducing the Alcohol Content of her Drink to 1, so she ties with Tara. They each gain 1 Alcohol Content, and the Drinking Contest continues.
Drinking Contest Example 2: In another Drinking Contest, Captain Whitehawk reveals Dragon Breath Ale (4 Alcohol Content), and Bryn reveals Dark Ale (1 Alcohol Content). The Captain plays "I don't drink until my crew drinks!" to give her Drink to Bryn. Bryn gains 5 Alcohol Content, but the Captain still wins the Drinking Contest.
If you run out of Gold during a Drinking Contest, you will remain in the game at least until the Drinking Contest is finished. Ignore any effects that force you to pay Gold. If you do not win the Drinking Contest, you are out of Gold and out of the game!
Drinking Contest Example 3: Tara has 1 Gold, and reveals a Drinking Contest on her Drink Phase. As Drinks are revealed by each player, the Drink Deck runs out, so everyone pays 1 Gold to the Inn to get a new Drink Deck. Tara pays her last Gold, so she will be out of the game if she does not win. She reveals a Dragon Breath Ale and wins the Drinking Contest, receiving a Gold from each other player and staying in the game.
New Rules for RDI 4
The following rules for the optional Sea Event Deck and Remy's Marks are transcribed from the companion document "New Rules for RDI 4," referenced throughout the core rules above.
The Sea Event Deck
The Sea Event Deck offers an optional play variant for games of The Red Dragon Inn. When you play with the Sea Event Deck, you are leaving the relative safety of The Red Dragon Inn and are instead drinking and carousing in the Captain's cabin on board The Crimson Drake while it is at sea. Because you are out on adventure, you run the risk of being interrupted by random encounters. Some of the encounters are relatively safe, while others are very dangerous!
Card example — "Thunderstorm" (Sea Event, Encounter Level 2) — Fire! All hands on deck! Each player loses 1 Fortitude.
At the start of the game, decide whether you want to play with the Sea Event Deck. You may use the Sea Event Deck with any combination of Red Dragon Inn characters, even ones from other editions of The Red Dragon Inn. If you decide to play with the Sea Event Deck, shuffle the deck and place two Progress Counters on top of it. Leave space next to the deck for its discard pile. If you run out of cards in the Sea Event Deck, shuffle the discards and use that as the new Sea Event Deck.
Card example — "Sirens" (Sea Event, Encounter Level 5) — Each player must discard cards from hand based on their Alcohol Content: 0-5 Alcohol Content: 2 cards. 6-12 Alcohol Content: 3 cards. 13+ Alcohol Content: 4 cards. Each player who does not have sufficient cards to discard instead discards their entire hand, then loses 1 Fortitude for each card short that they were.
Event Deck with Progress Counters
At the end of each player's turn, remove a Progress Counter from the Sea Event Deck. When you remove the last Progress Counter, reveal and discard the top card of the Sea Event Deck and follow the instructions on the card. After this, place a number of Progress Counters onto the Sea Event Deck equal to the Encounter Level of the revealed Sea Event Card.
Sea Events affect all players. If a Sea Event requires players to make a choice, those choices are made in turn order, starting with the player whose turn is ending, unless the card says otherwise.
Example: At the end of Tara's turn, she removes the last Progress Counter and reveals "Pirates!" from the Sea Event Deck. She chooses to discard a card, so she loses 1 Fortitude. Fiona, who is next in turn order, also chooses to discard, so she also loses 1 Fortitude. Remy, who is last, chooses not to discard, so he loses 3 Fortitude. No player gains Gold. Tara puts 4 Progress Counters onto the Sea Event Deck and the game continues.
Card example — "Pirates!" (Sea Event, Encounter Level 4) — In turn order, each player may discard a card from their hand. Each player that does so loses 1 Fortitude. Each player that does not do so loses 3 Fortitude. If all players discard in this way, each player gains 1 Gold. If no player discards, each player pays 1 Gold to the Inn.
If a Sea Event gives you the option of taking an action that you can't take, you may not choose that option.
Example: "Rough Seas" allows you to discard 2 cards to lose 1 Alcohol Content. You may not choose to do this if you have fewer than 2 cards in your hand.
Card example — "Rough Seas" (Sea Event, Encounter Level 4) — Each player loses 1 Fortitude. Each player with 7 or more cards in hand discards down to 6 cards. Each player may discard 2 cards from hand to lose 1 Alcohol Content.
Removing a Progress Counter and revealing a Sea Event (if appropriate) is the last thing that a player does on his or her turn. So, for example, this happens after Wulfric changes moods.
If a player loses the game on his or her turn, or if a turn ends prematurely (for example, with Wizgille's "Uh oh! I'd better fix that right now!" or Erin's Tree form), a Progress Counter is still removed from the Sea Event Deck as normal.
Interaction Between Sea Events and Other Cards
Once an Event starts resolving, it can no longer be Negated or Ignored (note that this rule applies to all types of Events, including Sea Events, Drink Events and Events from other RDI expansions).
Discarding a card to a Sea Event effect does not count as "playing" that card. This can be relevant for Erin when she is in Tree form.
Cards that say that they affect Events can affect any kind of Event, including Sea Events, Drink Events or Events from other RDI expansions. Cards that say that they affect only a particular type are limited to that type (such as Wizgille's "I didn't activate my temporal dilation field. It's just deja vu," which refers only to Drink Events).
Some Sea Events say that they may be reduced or Ignored as though they were Action Cards. This means you may play cards that say that they can be played in response to an Action Card, but not cards that say that "you may play this card when a player would..."
Card example — "Kraken" (Sea Event, Encounter Level 5) — Each player loses 4 Fortitude. Each player may discard a card from hand to reduce this Fortitude loss to 2. Players may reduce or Ignore this Fortitude loss as though it came from an Action Card.
Example: Captain Whitehawk reveals the Sea Event "Kraken." She Ignores the Fortitude loss by playing "A word of advice...don't." She loses no Fortitude. Bryn may not play "Stop hitting yourself!", since that card can only be played when a player makes Bryn lose Fortitude.
If a card played in response to a Sea Event would cause effects to happen to "the player who played that card", those effects do nothing.
Example: Remy reveals the Sea Event "Kraken." He reduces the Fortitude loss by 2 by playing the card "You'll rue this day, scallywag!" No player becomes marked. (See "Remy's Marks" below.)
Card-Specific Notes
Ghost Pirates: In addition to reducing or Ignoring this payment as though it came from an Action Card, you may also use cards to avoid payment or pay with Gold from the Inn, as normal. If a player reduces or Ignores the payment, that does not affect the amount the other players are required to pay.
Giant Squid: If a player reduces or Ignores the Fortitude loss, that does not affect the Fortitude loss for the other players.
Kraken: You may not discard multiple cards to Kraken's second effect. You may discard to reduce the Fortitude loss to 2 and then reduce or Ignore the Fortitude loss as though it came from an Action Card. So, for example, Serena can discard a card to reduce the Fortitude loss to 2, then play "Yes, in fact, this is Holy Paladin Armor!" to reduce the Fortitude loss further. You may choose not to discard to the second effect, then still reduce or Ignore via the third effect. If a player reduces or Ignores the Fortitude loss, that does not affect the Fortitude loss for the other players.
Leviathan: Decisions about whether or not to attack Leviathan are made in turn order, starting with the player whose turn is ending. Remember: the damage to Leviathan must exceed the number of players remaining in the game in order for the players to defeat it!
Merchant Ship: Decisions about whether to pay are made in turn order, starting with the player whose turn is ending. Unlike other cards that require Gold payments, the payments on this card are considered four separate payments rather than one. This means that cards that avoid payment or pay with Gold from the Inn only replace one Gold each.
Pirates: Decisions about whether to discard a card are made in turn order, starting with the player whose turn is ending. If at least one player chooses to discard and at least one player chooses not to, then players do not gain or lose Gold.
Rough Seas: A player with 7 or more cards in hand must first discard down to 6, then decide whether to discard two additional cards to lose 1 Alcohol Content.
Remy's Marks
First Mate Remy can cause other players in the game to become marked. This means that he is keeping an extra-special watch over them to make sure they don't get out of line. Some of Remy's cards have a more powerful effect against marked players.
When playing with Remy, take a number of his marks equal to the number of players in the game minus one and place them near your Player Mat. If you are playing in a game with more than 13 players, then use some other markers as a substitute if necessary.
When you play a card that says that a player becomes marked, give that player a mark unless they already have one. If a card says that a player becomes unmarked, take back that player's mark.
A player may never have multiple marks. Players can only be either marked or unmarked. Remy himself may never be marked.
Card example — "I have no time for your tomfoolery!" (Sometimes) — Ignore an Action, Sometimes, or Anytime Card that affects your Fortitude, Alcohol Content or Gold. If the player who played that card is marked, that player loses 1 Fortitude. If the player loses Fortitude in this way, they become unmarked. You may not use this card to Ignore a Round of Gambling.
Example: Remy plays "Take this as a warning! Next time it'll be the brig" to make Bryn lose 2 Fortitude and become marked. Bryn doesn't already have a mark, so he gives her one. Later on, Bryn plays "Put 'er there, pal!" to make Remy lose 2 Fortitude. Remy responds with "I have no time for your tomfoolery!" Remy Ignores the Fortitude loss. Because Bryn is marked, she loses 1 Fortitude, then becomes unmarked. Remy takes back Bryn's mark and puts it near his Player Mat.
Credits
The Red Dragon Inn 4, Fifth Edition
Game Design: Sam Waller, Jeff Morrow and Cliff Bohm
Based on mechanics designed by Geoff Bottone, Colleen Skadl and Cliff Bohm
Art Direction and Layout: Cliff Bohm
with Art created by Kennon James, Rose Besch, Isobel Kelly, Drew Morrow, Cold FuZion Studios and Beth Trott
Additional Layout: Jeff Morrow
Published by SlugFest Games West, LLC.