Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books

Expansion for Scholars of the South Tigris

Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components

1 Starting Translator Card
16 Translator Cards
4 Starting Page Cards
52 Page Cards
1 Main Board Extension
30 XP Tokens
16 Black Dice
6 Scroll Cards
12 Action Cards
4 Research Markers
4 Row Reference Tiles
16 Row Bonus Tiles

Setup

Set up Scholars of the South Tigris as described in the original rulebook, with the following changes:

Place the Main Board Extension at the right end of the original Main Board, and all XP Tokens and Black Dice into the Main Supply.
Shuffle the new Starting Translator Card, all Translator Cards, and all Scroll Cards into their respective piles.
Shuffle the 8 Upgraded Action Cards (grey backs), placing 6 faceup above the Main Board Extension. These must be arranged into 2 rows of 3. Place 1 XP onto each Upgraded Action Card in the top row, and 2 XP on each in the bottom row. Return the remaining 2 Upgraded Action Cards to the box.
Place 1 XP onto space 3 of each of the 7 Research Tracks. Place 1 XP per player on the first Caliph Card Space.
Shuffle the 52 Page Cards into a facedown Draw Pile near the Main Board Extension. From the top of the Draw Pile, reveal and place 1 faceup into each of the 6 Book spaces of the Main Board Extension.
Give each player the following:
- Their new Action Card, which they add to their hand of Action Cards.
- Their extra Research Marker, which they place on the zero space of the Medicine (black) Research Track.
- 1 Black Die, which they add to their Bag (before selecting Starting Translators and Resource Cards).
- 1 XP from the Main Supply.
- 1 Starting Page Card, 1 Row Reference Tile, and 1 of each Row Bonus Tile. These must be placed below their Player Board as shown.
Take note of the order in which Row Bonus Tiles must be arranged from top to bottom.

Black Dice

Black Dice are a new type of Die in the game. Each player starts with 1 Black Die in their Bag, and can gain more throughout the game. They have the following features:

Black takes priority over all other colours. Even if paired with a secondary Die for an action, that action's colour will be Black.
Like Secondary Dice, they have values 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6.
Their colour can be changed using Workers, like any other Dice.
They are considered to be a coloured Die when adding up a player's Dice Sum.
If a player was to gain a Black Die, but there were none left in the Main Supply, they may instead gain a Primary Die or Destroy a White Die.

Upgraded Action Cards

Any time players gain this effect, they may upgrade 1 of their Action Cards. As the name suggests, Upgraded Action Cards are improved versions of the standard Action Cards that all players start the game with. When gaining an Upgraded Action Card, players must follow these steps:

Swap an available Upgraded Action Card with their own Action Card.
- This must be the matching Action Card (they cannot give up their Mathematics Card to gain a second Physics Card).
- Their Action Card is placed facedown in the same space where the chosen Upgraded Action Card was taken from.
- The Upgraded Action Card is moved to wherever their Action Card came from. This could be to their hand, or even onto their Player Board from a previous action. Any Dice or Workers that were on their Action Card should be returned to where they were on that Action Slot.
Gain any XP that was on the Upgraded Action Card.

See page 15 for some further rules clarifications.

XP Tokens

XP (short for Experience) is a new resource that players can gain and spend throughout the game. The XP supply is intended to be unlimited. If it should run out, use a suitable replacement.

Page Cards

Page Cards are a new type of Card that represent published scientific works. Any time they gain this effect, players may gain 1 Page Card or gain 2 XP (there is a reminder of this alternative option above the Medicine Research Track).

On the Main Board Extension, there are 3 Books, each with spaces for 2 Page Cards. To gain a Page Card, players need to spend the indicated XP in the top-left corner of the chosen Card. If there is only 1 Page Card on a Book, that Page Card's cost is reduced by 1 XP.

When gained, players must pay any relevant costs before tucking Page Cards below their Player Boards, much like Retired Translators. Page Cards with a red banner can only be tucked below specific Action Slots (note the icon to the right above the red banner). Page Cards with a gold banner can be tucked below any Action Slot.

If there are ever no Page Cards remaining on a Book, place 2 new Page Cards on the Book from the top of the Draw Pile.
If all 3 Books ever have just 1 Page Card each, fill all empty spaces on Books with new Page Cards from the top of the Draw Pile.

Tucked Page Cards with red banners give unique abilities, much like Retired Translators. Those with gold banners give end game effects.

Players cannot place Influence on Page Cards.

Recruit

If taking a Black Recruit Action, players increase their action's value by 3. There is a reminder of this ability on their Starting Page Card.

Players can also Employ Translators into Room 11. This costs 4 Silver and allows players to gain 1 Page Card or gain 2 XP (there is a reminder of this alternative option above the Medicine Research Track).

Deliver

If taking a Black Deliver Action, players gain 1 XP if they stop on or move past the Neutral Marker. Simply starting on the same space of the Neutral Marker does not provide any XP.

If players deliver a Medicine Scroll, they advance up the Medicine Track, just as they would any other Research Track when delivering Scrolls of other colours.

Research

If taking a Black Research Action, players advance up the Medicine Research Track. All the costs are the same as advancing up other Research Tracks.

Each player has a new Action Card which may be used to harvest the Medicine Track when Resting. Gaining movement beyond space 7 immediately earns players 1 XP.

During Setup, 1 XP was placed onto space 3 of each Research Track. The first player to reach each of these collects the XP, adding it to their own supply.

Figure captions: "Does not include the Medicine Track" and "Includes the Medicine Track".

Translate

If taking a Black Translate Action, players do not Translate a Scroll from the House of Wisdom. They will instead be looking to gain a Page Card from those available.

There is a reminder of how this action functions below the Books on the Main Board Extension.

With a Black action of 6 or higher, players must place 1 Gold onto any 1 Translator. After doing so, they gain 1 XP and 1 Page Card.
With a Black action of 10 or higher, players must place 2 Gold onto any 2 Translators (not 2 on the same Translator). After doing so, they gain 3 XP and 1 Page Card.

Remember that players can always gain 2 XP instead of a Page Card if they wish.

Gold being placed must come from a player's personal supply. If the Translators receiving Gold do not belong to the player placing it, they must also pay Silver to the owners, just like any other interaction with Translators.

As with all other actions in the game, players may underspend their pips. Therefore, a Black 11 Translate Action could select either option listed above.

First Caliph

During Setup, 1 XP per player was placed onto the first Caliph Card Space of the Main Board. When the first Caliph Card is revealed, each player collects 1 XP from this space, adding it to their own supply.

Tucking Cards

In the original game, players had to pay Silver or gain White Dice when tucking Cards where they already had Cards present. These rules no longer apply. Any costs that players need to pay when tucking Cards is dictated by their Row Reference Tile.

Row Reference Tile costs, as printed from top to bottom:

No Cost
1 x (Pay 1 Silver/gain 1 White Die to Bag)
2 x (Pay 1 Silver/gain 1 White Die to Bag)
3 x (Pay 1 Silver/gain 1 White Die to Bag)
No Cost

Players have 1 Page Card tucked beneath their Recruit Action Slot from the start of the game. As shown on the Row Reference Tile, tucking a second Card under Recruit will require players to pay 1 Silver or gain 1 White Die to Bag. The next Card below Recruit would be twice this cost, and then three times this cost. Any further Cards, however, would have no cost since they are below the lowest row of the Row Reference Tile. Tucking the first Card under Deliver, Research, or Translate has no cost.

When tucking a Card results in a row being completely filled with any combination of Page Cards or Retired Translators, players must follow these steps before tucking any further Cards:

Immediately slide their Row Reference Tile down 1 row.
Resolve 1 of the 2 effects shown on their highest Row Bonus Tile, then flip it to its gold side.
Place the flipped Row Bonus Tile in the empty space above the Row Reference Tile.

This process essentially lowers the costs of all future tucked Cards by 1.

Important Rules: Page Cards are only tucked at the ends of turns, much like Retired Translators. When tucking multiple Cards of either type, players may tuck them in any chosen order.

In this example, a player is tucking the last Card into the highest row below their Player Board. This does not cost them anything. As this completed a row, they slide their Row Reference Tile down, resolve their highest Row Bonus Tile, and place it facedown above their Row Reference Tile. Before doing so, tucking a Card below Recruit or Translate would have required them to pay 1 Silver or gain 1 White Die. Now neither has any cost.

Retired Translator effects like this allow players to tuck Page Cards under different Action Slots than those printed on Player Boards. For example, if this effect was under Recruit, a player may tuck Page Cards there that must usually go beneath Translate.

End of Game

When the game ends, there is 1 new step to carry out before adding up Dice Sums and moving into final scoring. In turn order from the First Player Marker, each player may resolve their End Game Page Cards (gold banners).

When it is their turn to act, players can resolve the effects of their End Game Page Cards in any order they choose. Should any of these effects result in them Retiring more Translators or gaining more Page Cards, these should be tucked immediately, rather than at the end of their turn. In this way, players can gain even more Page Cards to resolve, or even complete more filled rows of tucked Cards below their Player Board.

Scoring

For their Dice Sum, players count Black Dice as colours (positive).

In addition to the original scoring, players should also score VP for the following:

Tucked Page Cards
Facedown Row Bonus Tiles
The position of their Research Marker on the Medicine Track

Remaining XP is not worth anything.

Solo Play

Setup

Place only 1 XP on the first Caliph Card space.
Do not give your opponent their extra Research Marker, a Black Die, Starting Page Card, Row Reference Tile, or Row Bonus Tiles.
Place your opponent's Research Markers on the Main Board Extension. Each Research Marker should be placed directly below a different Page Card.

Gameplay

Your opponent's turns remain unchanged from the original game. They may collect Page Cards, which only score their printed VP values, much like Retired Translators. They do not use Black Dice or collect XP.

Note: Sanskrit Scrolls do not count Page Cards for their scoring condition.

Gaining Page Cards

Each time your opponent's Player Marker wraps around back to the left of the Resource Track, they still place 1 Research Marker as normal. Along with placing a Research Marker, they will also collect 1 Page Card. Your opponent will select 1 of their remaining Research Markers that currently has a faceup Page Card above it. If there multiple options, it will take the Page Card worth the most VP. If tied, it will take the highest Page Card among those options. If still tied, it will take the left Page Card from those options.

If all remaining Research Markers have no Page Cards above them, take the highest (then left-most) Research Marker. After doing so, also take 1 of the remaining Page Cards using the same rules outlined above.

Gaining Upgraded Action Cards

Any time you gain an Upgraded Action Card, return the other Action Card from that same column to the box. Return any XP on the discarded Action Card to the Main Supply. In this way, you can never gain more than 3 Upgraded Action Cards during a solo game.

Appendix: Translators & Row Bonus Tiles

The printed icon table is transcribed in reading order, row by row (left column, then right column). Icon-only entries are described in words:

Gain 1 XP.
Gain 1 Black Die to Bag or Gain 1 White Worker.
May spend any 1 Worker to gain 2 XP.
May spend 1 XP to gain 1 Gold or 2 Silver.
May spend any 1 Worker to advance 1 space up the Medicine Track.
May treat Black Dice and Purple Dice as if they were the same.
May return a Black Die from hand to Bag to gain 3 Silver.
May treat Black Dice and Orange Dice as if they were the same.
May return a Black Die from hand to Bag to gain 1 XP and Draw 1 Die.
May treat Black Dice and Green Dice as if they were the same.
May return a Black Die from hand to Bag to Destroy a White Die and gain 1 Worker.
Upgrade 1 Action Card or gain 1 Black Die to hand and 1 XP.
May return a Black Die from hand to Bag to place 1 Influence in any Guild.
Upgrade 1 Action Card or Destroy 2 White Dice.
May return a Black Die from hand to Bag to gain 1 Gold, and place 1 Gold or take 1 Gold from a Translator.
Upgrade 1 Action Card or gain 1 Gold and place 1 Gold or take 1 Gold from a Translator.
Employ a Translator or Increase any Research Track.

Appendix: Page Cards

Gain 1 Gold if the action is Red or Orange.
May Destroy a White Die and Draw 1 Die when delivering to the Purple Guild.
Gain 2 Silver if the action is Red or Purple.
Gain 2 Silver when delivering to the Orange Guild.
May place 1 Gold or take 1 Gold from a Translator if the action is Yellow or Orange.
Gain 1 Gold when delivering to the Green Guild.
May gain a White Die to place 1 Influence in any Guild if the action is Yellow or Green.
Destroy a White Die after interacting with either pictured Translator.
Gain 1 Worker and Destroy a White Die if the action is Blue or Green.
Gain 1 Gold after interacting with either pictured Translator.
May spend 2 Silver to increase any Research Track if the action is Blue or Purple.
Place 1 Influence in any Guild after interacting with either pictured Translator.
Gain 1 Purple Influence when delivering to the Purple Guild.
May spend 1 Worker to Increase a Primary Research Track after interacting with either pictured Translator.
Gain 1 Orange Influence when delivering to the Orange Guild.
May place 1 Gold or take 1 Gold from a Translator if stopping on a White Spot.
Gain 1 Green Influence when delivering to the Green Guild.

Appendix: Page Cards (continued)

May spend 1 Worker to Increase any Research Track if stopping on a White Spot.
Place 1 Influence in any Guild if either Research Track was increased this turn.
Gain 1 XP if the action is Black.
Place 1 Gold or take 1 Gold from a Translator if either Research Track was increased this turn.
Gain 2 Silver if the action is Black.
Gain 1 Gold if either Research Track was increased this turn.
Gain 1 Silver per Research Marker that is 4 or higher.
Gain 2 Silver if either Research Track was increased this turn.
Gain 1 Primary Die or Destroy a White Die per Research Marker that is 6 or higher.
Gain 1 Primary Die to Bag if either Research Track was increased this turn.
Gain 1 Gold per Research Marker that is at level 7.
Destroy up to 2 White Dice after interacting with the pictured Translator.
May spend 2 Silver to harvest any 1 Research Track that was increased this turn.
Increase a Primary Research Track after interacting with the pictured Translator.
Destroy 1 White Die if either Research Track was increased this turn.
Gain 1 Gold after interacting with the pictured Translator.
Gain 2 Silver after interacting with the pictured Translator.

Appendix: Page Cards & Upgraded Action Cards

Gain 1 Purple Influence if Translating from the Purple Guild.
Gain 2 Silver if the action's value is 8 or higher.
Gain 1 Orange Influence if Translating from the Orange Guild.
May place 1 Gold or take 1 Gold from a Translator if the action's value is 10 or higher.
Gain 1 Green Influence if Translating from the Green Guild.
Place 1 Influence in any Guild if the action's value is 12.

Page Cards: Further Clarifications

Page Cards with red banners act much like Retired Translators. This means that once a player has placed their Action Card and Dice for the turn, they may resolve all actions in any order. This includes the main action, effects from the played Action Card, Retired Translators, and tucked Page Cards.

Some Page Cards refer to an action's colour. In these cases, a player cannot perform an action as 1 colour, and then place Workers or use other effects to change to a different colour in order to meet the requirements of another action.

Other Page Cards refer to interacting with a pictured Translator. Remember that this can include Employing, Dispatching, Translating, placing or taking Gold, or Retiring. Players must finish the action in which they interacted with the Translator in full before gaining the Page Card's benefit, and performing any further actions.

Upgraded Action Cards: Further Clarifications

If an Upgraded Action Card is moved to the same Action Slot being used that turn, a player may also perform the action in the brown banner at the top of the Action Card. This is not true, however, if the Action Card being replaced had a brown banner action that had already been performed.

Upgraded Action Cards are limited. Once they are gone, players cannot gain any more.

If this Upgraded Action Card is moved to a Player Board, the printed Black Die should be ignored for that turn.

Appendix: End Game Page Cards

Advance 1 space up the Biology and Physics Tracks.
Destroy up to 4 White Dice.
Advance 1 space up the Chemistry and Astronomy Tracks.
Count remaining XP as Gold for end game scoring.
Advance 1 space up the Mathematics and Philosophy Tracks.
Count remaining Workers as Silver for end game scoring.
Take a full Rest Action following the usual rules.
Harvest 1 Action Card from those remaining in hand.
Dispatch any 1 Translator.
Gain 2 Gold. Place up to 2 Gold on any Translators.
Gain 3 Primary Dice.
Place 1 Influence in each Guild.