Schäferstündchen Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object of the Game
• Components
  • The Game Board
  • The Role Cards
  • The Playing Cards
  • The Game Markers
• The Two Factions
  • Team Game or Every Man for Himself?
• Setup
• Round Sequence
  • 1. Play Selfish Card (Egoistenkarte)
  • 2. Play Assignment Card (Vergabekarte)
  • 3. Reveal Cards
  • 4. Move
  • 5. Snatch Sheep
  • 6. Fight
  • Tie
  • 7. End of Round
• Item Cards (Gegenstandskarten)
• Interjection Cards (Einwurfkarten)
• Combat Cards (Kampfkarten)
• Explanations and Notes
  • Sit Out (Aussetzen)
  • Snatching a Sheep vs. Receiving a Sheep
  • Card: Schaf-Roulette (Sheep Roulette)
  • Card: Verlaufen (Getting Lost)
  • Card: Second Hand Sheep (Errata)
  • Card: ist einfach umgefallen (Errata)
  • Card: Nimm 2 (Errata)
  • Card: Falsche Lieferadresse (Errata)
• Example of a Round

Object of the Game

The game ends as soon as the last sheep has been snatched. The player who owns the most sheep wins the game. In a team game of villagers against bandits, the team with the most sheep wins. In case of a tie, a new sheep is placed in the valley until there is a clear winner.

Components

• 71 playing cards
• 1 game board
• 1 punchboard with 12 role markers and 14 sheep markers
• 1 rulebook

The Game Board

The board shows: the Valley (Tal), the Path (Weg) of the villagers, the Path of the bandits, the Home (Zuhause) of the villagers and the Home of the bandits.

NOTE! When a player has to "go home", he goes to the respective home of his faction.

The Role Cards

A role card shows: the role name, the faction symbol, the movement value, the combat value and the special ability.

The Playing Cards

A playing card shows: the card name, the card value, the rules text, and possibly the additions "Item" (Gegenstand) or "Interjection card" (Einwurfkarte). The colour of the card value shows whether the card has a positive (green) or negative (red) effect. Cards with the addition "Item" count as items (see Item Cards). Cards with the addition "Interjection card" count as interjection cards (see Interjection Cards).

The Game Markers

Role markers and sheep markers.

The Two Factions

In Schäferstündchen two factions compete against each other: the grumpy villagers try to save their sheep from the cunning bandits, who have set up their camp in the mountains.

• The Villagers: The Maid, The Pastor, The Teacher, The Shepherd, The Innkeeper, The Cook
• The Bandits: The Robber's Daughter, The Bandit, The Magpie, The Strong Man, The Weasel, The Old Crone

Team Game or Every Man for Himself?

With an even number of players you can decide to play in TEAMS, either on the side of the villagers or on the side of the bandits. The players of a team snatch sheep together and never have to fight each other in the valley. If everyone plays EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF, players of the same faction also count as opponents and must fight each other in the valley.

Setup

• First decide whether you want to play as TEAMS or EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF. A team game needs an even number of players.
• Each player receives one of the 12 roles, at random or by choice, and lays the card face up in front of him. (Errata) In a team game, make sure that each faction, i.e. the villagers and the bandits, has the same number of representatives.
• Spread out the board and place the role markers of the roles in use on the HOME of the villagers or of the bandits respectively.
• Depending on the number of players, place sheep markers in the VALLEY. The remaining sheep markers form the supply.
  • 2-4 players = 9 sheep markers
  • 5-6 players = 11 sheep markers
• Shuffle all playing cards and form a draw pile.
• Each player draws 5 hand cards.
• The youngest player is the starting player and begins the game.

Round Sequence

1. Play selfish card
2. Play assignment card
3. Reveal cards
4. Move
5. Snatch sheep
6. Fight
7. End of round

1. Play Selfish Card (Egoistenkarte)

Each player must place one of his hand cards face down in front of himself. The effect of this card will affect him in the current round.

Special ability: The Pastor may play a second assignment card instead of a selfish card.

2. Play Assignment Card (Vergabekarte)

Each player must place one of his hand cards face down in front of another player. The effect of the card will affect that player in the current round.

Note that each player may receive at most two assignment cards; in case of doubt the speed of the players decides. Alternatively, the players can play their assignment cards one after another, the starting player beginning.

NOTE! Interjection cards (see Interjection Cards) may be played neither as selfish cards nor as assignment cards.

3. Reveal Cards

(Errata) The starting player begins and reveals, one after another, all cards lying in front of him and resolves their effects. The effects of the cards are resolved in the order of the card values, beginning with the lowest. Cards with the same value are resolved simultaneously. If a card is an item (card value 0), it is laid face up in front of the respective player and can be used by him immediately. After the starting player, the next player has his turn to reveal and resolve his cards, and when he is finished the next player, and so on.

When the effect of a card has been completely resolved, the card is placed on the discard pile. Cards whose effect lasts until the end of the current or the next round stay in place until the effect ends. Items stay permanently in front of the player.

4. Move

The players move their role markers along the PATH of the board according to their movement value in the current round. Not only the printed movement value of their role card is taken into account, but also the effects of selfish/assignment cards and items that are laid out. (Errata) Several figures may stand on the same space.

The movement value is made up of:

• Printed movement value of the role card +
• Movement bonus of laid-out item cards +
• Movement bonus of laid-out selfish/assignment cards

There is no negative movement. The movement value can be 0 at the minimum.

The HOME of a faction is the starting point of movement in the first round and after every return home.

A figure stops as soon as it has reached the VALLEY, no matter how far it could move. Excess movement points are forfeited.

Special ability: The Weasel must draw a card from the draw pile at the end of its movement and moves additional spaces according to the card value. The card is then placed on the discard pile.

5. Snatch Sheep

After all players have moved, it is checked who has made it into the VALLEY. If a single player, or only players of the same team (in a TEAM game), is in the valley, each of these players may snatch a sheep, i.e. place one of the sheep markers in front of himself. Then he moves his role marker to the HOME of his faction and is ready for the next round. If several players, or players of both factions (in a TEAM game), are in the valley, a FIGHT takes place.

All players who are not in the valley remain at the position where they stand.

Special ability: The Strong Man always snatches two sheep. Even if he had to fight for them beforehand, on a win he may go home with two sheep. Effects of cards always affect only one of the two sheep.

6. Fight

If several players, or players of both factions (in a TEAM game), are in the valley, it must be fought out who may snatch a sheep and who must go home in shame and disgrace, without a sheep.

Depending on the number of opponents, different numbers of sheep can be snatched. The number of opponents equals the number of figures in the valley.

• 2 opponents = 1 sheep marker = 1 winner
• 3-4 opponents = 2 sheep markers = 2 winners
• 5-6 opponents = 3 sheep markers = 3 winners

The one who can show the highest combat value wins. This combat value is made up of:

Printed combat value of the role card + combat bonus of laid-out item cards + combat bonus of laid-out selfish/assignment cards

Special ability: The Robber's Daughter halves the combat value of all fighters involved in the fight, including that of her companions. (Errata; the printed rulebook says: The Robber's Daughter halves the combat value printed on the role card of her opponents. Her team members (in a TEAM game) do not profit from this rule.)

To increase the combat strength calculated this way, each opponent may additionally play a COMBAT CARD face down from his hand. When this card is revealed, ONLY the card value is counted as a bonus on the combat value. The card text or other properties have no effect on the combat value. The card is then placed on the discard pile.

Special ability: The Innkeeper ignores negative effects of cards on her combat value. (Errata) This also includes the card "Angebissen" (Bitten) and the special ability of the Robber's Daughter.

With several opponents the two or three strongest fighters win. (Errata) These can be in different teams. In case of a TIE there is a tiebreak.

All opponents go home at the end of a fight, whether they have won or lost. However, only the winners may take a sheep with them. (Errata) As soon as someone has taken the last sheep out of the valley, all other "winners" go away empty-handed.

Special ability: The Bandit may stay in the valley after he has lost a fight. If he has won, however, he returns home as usual. (Errata) If the Bandit has lost a fight and receives the "Verlaufen" (Getting Lost) card next round, he does not get lost but stays in the valley.

Tie

In case of a tie, the player whose role card has the higher printed combat value wins. If this leads to no decision, all players involved in the tie draw a card from the draw pile. The player with the highest card value wins the fight. All cards drawn this way are discarded unused.

Special ability: The Shepherd always wins a tie.

7. End of Round

Each player places his revealed playing cards that have lost their effect on the discard pile and draws back up to five hand cards. (Errata) When the draw pile is used up, the discard pile is shuffled back into the draw pile.

Then the starting player status passes clockwise. The next round can begin.

Special ability: Before the players refill their hand cards, the Old Crone may draw three cards from the draw pile, take one of them and give the other two to two other players at the table. These cards go directly into the hands of the respective players. Only after that do all players draw up to a total of five hand cards.

Item Cards (Gegenstandskarten)

These cards bear the note "Item" and are played as selfish or assignment cards.

Items can only be used when they lie face up in front of the player (exception: Starker Kaffee). A player may have any number of item cards laid out. The effects of items add up.

Items stay in place until they are either discarded (e.g. the Brett), are lost, or are stolen by another player.

Special ability: The Maid cannot be stolen from by other players.

Interjection Cards (Einwurfkarten)

These cards bear the note "Interjection card". They may be played DIRECTLY FROM THE HAND as soon as the condition is fulfilled. They may not be played face down as selfish or assignment cards, but otherwise count as normal playing or hand cards.

Combat Cards (Kampfkarten)

Any playing card that has a card value can become a combat card. It is played from the hand in a fight to increase the combat value (see Fight).

Explanations and Notes

Sit Out (Aussetzen)

If a player must sit out, he may not move and may not play a combat card. If he is involved in a fight, he may not snatch a sheep and must return home at the end of the fight. Still, fighting is worthwhile: if he wins, he can prevent the opponent from snatching a sheep.

Snatching a Sheep vs. Receiving a Sheep

Snatching a sheep means that the player stands in the valley and takes a sheep home with him, with or without a fight.

Cards such as "Mach määh daraus" or "Schaf-Roulette" cause the player to receive a sheep, i.e. it is taken from the supply. The number of sheep in the valley remains unchanged.

Card: Schaf-Roulette (Sheep Roulette)

The player draws a card from the draw pile and acts according to the card value of this card. Afterwards it is placed on the discard pile. If the player receives one or two sheep, he takes them from the supply, not from the valley. (Errata) If no sheep is left in the supply, the player goes away empty-handed. The additional sheep are received by the player who snatched the sheep.

Card: Verlaufen (Getting Lost)

The player walks across the valley onto the opposite path; the valley itself counts as one movement space. In the next round the player starts his movement from this point and walks towards the valley as usual. If the player is lucky, his movement ends exactly in the valley and he does not get lost onto the opposite path.

Card: Second Hand Sheep (Errata)

The chosen card may be taken into the hand and played next round.

Card: ist einfach umgefallen (Errata)

The sheep that fell over is placed in the supply.

Card: Nimm 2 (Errata)

If possible, take one further sheep from the valley. If no further sheep is left in the valley, you go away empty-handed.

Card: Falsche Lieferadresse (Errata)

This card always refers to only ONE sheep.

Example of a Round

All players lay one card face down in front of themselves as a selfish card. One of the players must give himself a card with a negative effect, as he has no positive card in his hand but must play a card.

Next, each player lays a face-down card in front of one of his fellow players. Since it is a team game, everyone takes care to give good cards to their teammates while playing bad cards to the opponents.

All players, beginning with the starting player, now reveal their cards in turn. One player must sit out and may not move his role marker forward. All others move their role markers by the spaces their movement value allows. A player with a low movement value was lucky: he received an assignment card with a movement bonus and reaches the valley together with two players of the opposing team.

The duo would have liked to take two sheep home for their team undisturbed, but now the two must brawl over it with their opponent from the other team. Since in a fight between three opponents there are two sheep to snatch, he can at least contest only one of them.

All three players add the bonuses of their revealed item cards to the printed combat value of their role card and check whether their revealed selfish and assignment cards also influence the combat value this round. Indeed, the lone fighter has to accept a reduction of his combat value. Still, he does not give up and, to increase his combat value, lays one of his hand cards face down in front of himself: the combat card. The other two also decide to play an additional combat card from their hands.

All reveal their card and add the card value to their combat value. The lone fighter had no luck: the card value of his combat card was not enough to compensate for the negative effect of his assignment card. The player with the highest combat value takes a sheep home. The second best also takes a sheep. The lone fighter has lost both sheep to the opposing team.

The three players put their role markers back on the home of their respective faction. All other players stay at their current positions on the path. The players now put all revealed cards (except item cards) from the table onto the discard pile and draw back up to five hand cards. The starting player status passes to the left neighbour and everyone is ready for the next round.