Robit Riddle: Storybook Adventures

Robit Riddle: Storybook Adventures Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components

3 storybooks: Big Brother, Clumsy Conspiracy, Heartfelt Harvest

6 character cards 6 player aids 4 location cards 18 encounter cards: 6 allies, 6 adversaries/robits, 6 traps/items 45 story cue cards 30 initial cue cards 1 bookmark 3 ending trackers 15 story tokens 5 encounter dice 1 story die

Setup

(4 player layout shown)

Select a character for each player. Read the back of the character's card which gives the player background information about the character and their missing pet robit.

Share whatever information about the character or their relationships that is important for the group. This can be what is on the card or made up by the player.

Flip all character cards front side up. This side has their name/icon, action stats, and story cues.
Deal an initial cue card to each character. Display the story cue side face up.
Create a common pool of 6 story tokens. These tokens will be spent to overcome encounters by placing them on open story cues.
Make a supply of the remaining story tokens. Tokens move from here to the common pool by rolling gears on the encounter dice.
Place the 5 encounter dice within reach of the player(s). These dice will be rolled by the leader during an encounter. There are three unique sides: target, miss, and story token.
Place story die within reach of the player(s). Can be used once per game. There are four unique sides: target, and three action icons.
Place the bookmark within reach of the player(s). The bookmark may be used by any player as a quick jump back in the storybook.
Group encounter cards by color/icon, then line them up so all names are showing. Encounter cards have their names sideways along the right edge of the card.

The encounter cards come in three types: ally, adversary, or trap. These encounter types are signified by icons and the colors red, purple, and green. These cards are drawn as player(s) have encounters in the storybook.

The back of the encounter cards are elements player(s) may add to their group after an encounter. These elements include robits, allies, and items.

Put unused storybooks, characters, and initial/story cues back in the box.

Getting Started

All robots in Tink Town have a special bond with their pet, called a robit. Today all of the robits have gone missing!

Each player pretends that they are robots searching for an answer to the riddle of the missing robits. In each storybook, player(s) will be able to find some of the missing robits but not all. It is more important to find out why the robits have gone missing.

It is the job of each player to become a storyteller by acting as the characters they have selected and found along the way. The player(s) and the storybooks will guide each other to form an incredible story!

The word "you" will be used in this game to mean all the characters, as in all of you. All of the characters are in this together.

You are now ready to begin your adventure! The leader opens the storybook and turns to the first page and begins reading. At the bottom of each page there will be icons which will tell the player(s) how to proceed.

Finishing the Game

The game ends when the player(s) reach an ending in the storybook. Player(s) then total their points.

Each storybook tells different parts of the riddle. Playing through all the independent realities will be tough; choosing direction, having encounters, and rolling dice all affect the outcome of the story.

How many paths can you find? Will you solve the riddle of the missing robits?

Storybook

The selected storybook will guide the adventure. In each game, players have the chance to find some of the pet robits but not all. Multiple plays with each storybook work together as a non-linear alternate reality campaign.

Several icons and text treatments signify different actions to take throughout the storybooks.

Headers

Location and encounter headers in the storybook let the players know they need to find the matching card and add it to the play area.

New locations and encounters should replace any existing ones already in play. Return previous cards to their respective stacks.

When moving a location or encounter card, also move story cue cards and story tokens associated with them.

Location cards have a map icon. Take the location card that matches the name. Turn it over and read the description aloud. Then place it title side up in play area.

Encounter cards have a robot face icon. Take the encounter card that matches the name and icon. Place it in the open play area without looking at the back.

The footer displays the information and choices that must be made based on the icon to the right.

Footer example:

3 - Turn to page 10
1 or 2 - Turn to page 11
X - Turn to page 12

Page

The current page number is shown in the top right or left of each page. When following pages based on selections in the footer, these are the numbers you search for.

Icons

Icons shown in the lower right corner describe what must happen on each page:

Encounter: The leader resolves the current encounter card.
Rotate Leader: The leader selects an available choice then passes the storybook to the left.
Determine State: Turn to the page that answers the question above based on cards in the group.
Choice: The leader decides which page to turn to based on the choices shown.
Continue: The leader turns to the page shown (there is no choice on this page).
End: Players have reached the end of this story. Earn the Victory Points shown in the gear.

Example storybook page: Tink Town

Tink Town is a quiet little place. Not much upsets the peace here. But this morning something is different. Your robit is not around.

Just about everyone has at least one pet robit. These companions have a special connection. This symbiotic relationship completes both robots and robits in unexplained ways.

While you can't have a conversation with your robit directly, you do understand each other. This link is a mystery, but you don't care as long as you have your robit.

Encounter

An encounter is where player(s) will add to the story of their adventure by pretending they are the characters in the game. This happens in two phases: initial encounter & team support. Encounters are signified by the encounter icon in the lower right of a page footer along with a breakout of target action icons.

The leader will choose a character to initiate the action, choose an action, tell a story, and then roll the dice. The story telling is important as it will lead to the team support phase where the rest of the player(s) can add to the leader's story to help overcome the encounter.

Acting Character

The leader must first decide which character will initiate the encounter. They can select their own character or any ally that has joined the group since they started, but not one of the other players' characters.

Actions

Actions are where the story telling starts. The actions are listed on the character's card as three symbols.

Battery: Power or inner strength
Processor: Intellect or wisdom
Scanner: Communication or observation

The value inside the icon is the character's ability in that action. This value determines how many encounter dice will be rolled.

Select an action the acting character will use to overcome the encounter.

Targets

The target for the encounter is the selected action's value in the footer of the storybook. Only one action and its matching target are used.

The number of successes must equal or beat the target in order to continue to the page listed next to it.

The higher up the encounter footer list the better the outcome. When there are multiple targets for one page, only one action is used when resolving the encounter.

Story Telling

With the action selected and before rolling the encounter dice, the leader tells a story of how they are using the action to overcome the encounter.

This can be as elaborate or simple as the player is comfortable with, but it should at least give the other players enough to go on to help in the teamwork section.

Example:

Bobby, the Leader, uses Hum as the acting character. Bobby selects the Battery action, then tells a story.

"I will carry you," says Hum putting Neigh onto his back.

Clank's Battery is 4 so Bobby rolls 4 encounter dice. Resulting in 2 Successes, 1 Miss, and 1 Story Token.

Bobby's roll does not beat the target of 3, but does add one story token to the common pool.

Dice Roll

The leader rolls a number of encounter dice equal to the acting character's selected action value. Each die has the same faces which can have three different results.

Success
Miss
Story Token

Add the number of successes and compare to the target. Each story token rolled adds one to the common pool. This is the only way to get more story tokens.

Team Support

Every character present is doing something, even if just "Watching in awe." Players take turns adding to the story for each character in the group, excluding the acting character. In this phase, actions do not matter.

Story Cues

A player may add a success to the encounter while storytelling. This is done by incorporating a story cue into the story and spending a story token.

A story cue is a piece of information about the card they are attached to. They are helpful prompts to give players story telling ideas when giving team support.

Some story cues come with the large cards while others are gained via the storybook. Story cues can be associated with any large card and can only be used once per game.

Each large card in play (i.e. in the group or the current location and encounter) with playable story cues can add one success per encounter, limiting the team support successes by the number of large cards in play and story tokens available (minus the acting character).

Negative Story Cues

Story cues with a red header are treated differently than green header story cues. A large card with negative story cues attached are unable to help in team support. Instead, during an encounter they must do one of the following:

Tell a story about how the negative story cues has kept that card from contributing.
Spend a story token from the common pool and tell a story about how the story cue was resolved. This does not add a success, but does allow that large card to be used in future team support phases.

Story Tokens

After the player tells a piece of the story using a story cue, a story token is then taken from the common pool and placed on that story cue's gear signifying that it can't be used again for the rest of this adventure.

If there are no story tokens in the common pool or no available story cues, then a success can not be added to the encounter.

Story tokens are gained by rolling gears on the dice.

Team Support Example

Hum is in need of help, now the rest of the players decides on other character's support.

Diana uses Vic's "Wise beyond years" story cue. Vic says to Neigh, 'I know the safest path to take'. Diana spends a story token from the common pool to Vic's story cue, adding a success to the encounter.

Clank supports Hum as he carries Neigh, Andrew explains. Ben says that, Beep is following along making sure the back is clear. Neither Andrew nor Ben use a story cue since they already have enough successes.

Bobby wraps the encounter up saying, Neigh seems to settle with all the help from Hum and the rest of the group. Overcoming the encounter Bobby turns to page 10 as shown next to the target they bested.

Finishing

Turn to the page displayed to the right of the bested target. If the group's successes are lower than the selected target (did not overcome the encounter), turn to the page number next to the last line with the big "X" icon.

Outcomes

While adventuring through the storybook, additional help may be gained or lost. These items are represented by different text treatments and icons in the book. The items come in two forms: story cues and team elements.

Story Cues

A call out, text surrounded by gears with a number in the upper right, means draw the corresponding story cue. Draw that number from the story cue card stack.

Flip it over and add it to the card listed at the top. If the card listed at the top is not currently in play do not bring it into play now. If the top says "Character," that means the character the leader chose to initiate the encounter.

Call outs without a number means take that action freely. An example would be "Clear any negative story cues." This means to discard any story cues with a red header. These apply to all elements currently in the group.

The gold gear with a number indicates the number of end game victory points players have received by uncovering this card, even if the card is discarded or out-of-play.

Team Elements

Bold text with a lose or gain icon next to it means something was added or removed from the team. These elements can include robits, allies, and items.

Gain Team Element (flip icon): Flip the current encounter card over and add it to the team to be used by any player.
Lose Team Element (X icon): Remove the named card from the team. You may no longer use it for encounters or team support.

If the card had any story cue cards associated with it, those stay when gaining or losing the element.

Robits and Items have story cues that can be used by any player during team support. Allies have story cues and actions. As such, allies can be used by the leader for the encounter or during team support.

As with the story cues, the gold gear with the number indicates the number of end game victory points. These points can never be taken away, even when cards are removed.

Example of a storybook page with story cues and team elements:

Tick Tock Titan is like a big brother to me.

Lose Team Element: Savvy Sensor is lost in the crowd

Gain Team Element: Ribbit Robbot joins your group.

Lullaby Lake - Turn to page 33

Moaning Mines - Turn to page 34

Whirring Waste - Turn to page 35

Meeting Up With Friends

While checking Robit Park, you find some of your friends missing their robits. Realizing this is bigger than just you, you join forces and gather information that seems important.

A crowd passes you on their way to Pattering Plant in search of answers. Through all of the beeping and shuffling you are able to collect a few useful bits of data.

One robot thought he had seen some robits heading into the depths of Moaning Mines. A young pair of robots had felt the ground shake near Lullaby Lake.

Bookmark

The bookmark is used as a quick jump back in the storybook. Any player may spend a story token from the common pool back to the supply, then place the bookmark at the current page. It can only be placed at non-encounter pages.

At any time the current leader may go back to the bookmark and continue the story. Once an encounter is resolved or the bookmark is used, the bookmark is removed from the book.

The bookmark may be repositioned by spending another story token. It can be used as many times as the players like.

Story Die

The story die can be used once per game. Player(s) must agree on when it is to be used. It can be used at any time (i.e. before or after an encounter roll). After use it is returned to the box.

There are three possible outcomes of the story die roll.

Success, adds one success to the encounter.
Not the encounter action, nothing happens.
Matches encounter action, succeeds regardless of target and successes.

Ending

Once you reach an ending in the storybook, add up your victory points. There are points from the ending in the storybook and the gold gears on all story cues & gained elements (lost, negative, resolved, and out-of-play cards give you points if they have been revealed). Compare total to the chart below.

Score Chart

Points	Rank
less than 10	Beginner
11 - 20	Explorer
21 - 30	Adventurer
31 +	Hero

After scoring, record your game in the appropriate ending tracker for the chosen storybook. This will be important for future expansions. The things that will be important to remember will be players, characters, and ending page.

Solo Play Variant

Solo play can happen in two ways:

Player selects multiple starting characters.
The acting character may use team support. Also Team Support is not limited to one use per encounter per large card.

Adjusting Difficulty

If players are finding that roll luck is far below the average probabilities, add story tokens to the common pool during game setup. The more tokens added the more players will be free to choose the path through the storybook. Of course the opposite is true if players want a harder game.

Another way to allow more player choice is to have multiple characters per player as with the solo play variant above.