Scriptoria Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Set-up at the Beginning of the Game
• Course of a Day
  • First Hour: Inks
  • Second Hour: Lecterns
  • Last Hour: Illuminations
  • End of the Day
• Appendix I: Supplies
• Appendix II: Help
• Appendix III: Achievement
• End of the Game
• Master Variant
• Rule with 2 Copyists
• The Hell of the Library
• Reminder of Game Turn
• Credits

Contents

• 1 Scriptorium board
• 6 Lectern boards
• 1 Cup board
• 4 Scroll boards, folded
• 78 Ink beads: 26 black / 13 green / 13 blue / 13 red / 13 golden
• 140 Sketch tiles: 60 borders, 26 corners, 20 texts, 28 miniatures, 6 dropcaps
• 15 Achievement tiles
• 1 Grimoire piece
• 4 Copyist pieces: gray / orange / light green / purple
• 1 Quill piece
• 12 Help tokens
• 1 Ink bag
• 1 Sketch bag

Each Sketch tile shows its sketch type, its Illumination points, and its cost in Ink. Corner and Border Sketches can be rotated to match any Corner or Border location allocated to them on the Scroll. Text Sketches can be placed on any of the three Text locations on the Scroll indifferently.

Set-up at the Beginning of the Game

At the beginning there was the Verb.

A game is made of Days (usually seven), divided into Hours.

1. Place the Scriptorium board and the Cup board on the side of the table. Place the Achievements on the Scriptorium, sorted by category and by decreasing number of Illumination points (5 points, then 3, then 2).

2. Place all Sketch Tiles in the Sketches bag.

   • For 2 Copyists, draw 20 Sketches.
   • For 3 Copyists, draw 12 Sketches.
   • For 4 Copyists, skip this step.

   Stack these Sketches on the Scriptorium board in their allocated spots (Borders on the Border square, Corners on the Corner square, etc.) with the Illumination points facing up.

3. Each Copyist receives a Scroll board and a Copyist piece of matching colour. The Copyist pieces are placed at the beginning of the score track. Each Copyist then takes the 3 Help tokens and places them on their slot, with the Illumination points facing up.

4. If you have written a manuscript more recently than the other Copyists, you receive the Quill, become an Archivist, and play first.

Steps 5 to 7 are repeated at the beginning of each Day.

5. Randomly pick up Lecterns.

   • For 2 Copyists, draw 3 Lecterns.
   • For 3 Copyists, draw 4 Lecterns.
   • For 4 Copyists, draw 5 Lecterns.

   Set aside the Lectern or Lecterns that are not used that Day. Randomly draw 4 Sketches per Lectern from the Sketches bag and lay them out with the Illumination points facing up.

6. Place all the Inks in the Ink Bag (except those that might be in the Copyists' stocks). Then draw:

   • For 2 Copyists, 11 Inks.
   • For 3 Copyists, 17 Inks.
   • For 4 Copyists, 23 Inks.

   Place them on the Cup board in the allocated spots.

7. Finally, place the Grimoire in the center of the Cup.

Course of a Day

First Hour: Inks

It is time to divide up the inks obtained from madder, copper, lapis lazuli, lampblack or gold in a fair manner. Of course, it may be prudent to retire early to study the art of illumination.

1. Starting with the Archivist, and continuing clockwise, each Copyist takes up to 2 different Inks from the Cup. Gold and black Inks can't be taken at the same time. The Inks are placed in the Stock of one's Scroll.

   Example 1: There are 2 red Inks left in the Cup. Sister Alexandra can only take one. Sister Anna takes the last one. The first Hour is over.

   Example 2: There are 2 gold, 2 black, 1 red and 1 blue Inks left in the Cup. Brother Fabianus takes 1 gold and 1 red. Brother Florentius takes 1 black and 1 blue. There are 1 black and 1 gold left. Brother Philippus must choose one or the other. And the next Copyist takes the remaining Ink. The first Hour is over.

2. When it's your turn, you may decide to withdraw to study. You do not take any Ink, but the Grimoire, and do not participate in this Hour any more. The other Copyists continue without you until the Ink runs out. If any Copyist takes the Grimoire, the distribution of Ink skips their turn.

   Example 3: There is 1 gold, 1 black, 2 red, 1 green and 1 blue Inks left in the Cup. Sister Anna takes 1 gold and 1 red Inks. Sister Alexandra takes 1 black and 1 blue. There are 1 red and 1 green Inks left. Sister Solina decides to study: she takes the Grimoire. Sister Anna takes the remaining red and green Inks. The first Hour is over.

Second Hour: Lecterns

Now the Copyists divide up the templates of the sketches, as well as the necessary supplies. Out of charity, we do not choose for ourselves, but for others.

1. If you have the Grimoire, you're first to pick your Lectern. You keep this Lectern, which becomes unavailable. If no one has taken the Grimoire, skip this step.

2. The Archivist chooses an available Lectern and gives it to another Copyist who still doesn't have a Lectern. Then, the latter repeats the procedure, and so on until every Copyist has one, and only one, Lectern. It may happen that a single Copyist gives out two Lecterns during a single Hour. Copyists cannot refuse the given Lectern.

   Example 4: Brother Fabianus gives Brother Florentius a Lectern. In turn, Brother Florentius gives Brother Philippus a Lectern. The latter must give Brother Fabianus a Lectern.

   Example 5: Sister Alexandra gives Sister Anna a Lectern. In turn, Sister Anna gives Sister Alexandra a Lectern. The latter now must give Sister Solina a Lectern.

3. The Sketches remain on the assigned Lecterns. The last Lectern not to have been attributed is discarded and its Sketches are placed on the Scriptorium.

Last Hour: Illuminations

It is time for the copyists to use their inks and their inkwells to illuminate their pages. They use their fortitude to achieve elements of their Scroll. Temperance prevents them from accumulating Sketches and Inks.

1. Starting with the Archivist, and going clockwise, you may accomplish Sketches. You may pick the Sketches from your Lectern or from your personal stock. There is no limit to the number of Sketches you may accomplish within one same turn. Each Sketch displays a cost in Ink and a gain in Illumination points. Sketches must be placed according to the display rules (a Corner in a corner, a Border on a border, etc.). You may place only one Sketch in a same slot of the Scroll.

   Nota Bene: a Corner Sketch can be placed on any free corner among the 4 corner slots of the Scroll. Likewise, a Border Sketch can be placed on any free border among the border slots of the Scroll.

   Nota Bene: it is advised to place the tiles with the right side up on the Scroll and to place the necessary Inks on top of the tile before counting the Illumination points.

2. The Inks that have been used are placed back inside the bag. You may use your Supplies at that moment (see Appendix I: Supplies) and benefit from one or more Help tokens (see Appendix II: Help).

3. Golden Ink can replace any other Ink while completing your Illumination, except for black Ink.

4. For Border Sketches only, you may decide:

   • either you spend the necessary Inks and get the Illumination points; or
   • you just place the tile without spending the Inks and you don't get the Illumination points.

   In any case, these tiles can help you win an Achievement (see Appendix III: Achievement).

   Example 6: Brother Fabianus has two Border Sketches. He decides to execute the first one paying the cost in Inks (1 black, 1 golden and 1 green). He thus gets 3 Illumination points. Yet, he doesn't want to pay the cost of the second Border Sketch. He then places it for free on a free spot of his Scroll but doesn't get any points.

5. Once you are done with your Sketches, place the potential remaining Sketches of your Lectern in your stock.

End of the Day

1. At the end of the day, you may only keep in your stock no more than 7 Inks and 7 Sketches (sometimes less, see Appendix III: Achievement). You must discard the extra Inks in the Ink bag. The extra Sketches are discarded on the dedicated spot on the Scriptorium.
2. The Archivist passes the Quill directly on to their left (unless the Quill Supply is being used) and you start over at the First Hour.

Appendix I: Supplies

Nota Bene: Supplies may only be used during your turn in the Last Hour; you may not save it for later.

• The red Inkwell — you don't spend any red Ink during your turn.
• The black Inkwell — you don't spend any black Ink during your turn.
• The blue Inkwell — you don't spend any blue Ink during your turn.
• The green Inkwell — you don't spend any green Ink during your turn.
• The gold leaf — you don't spend any golden Ink when it's your turn (except if it is meant to replace another colour).
• The quill — you become the Archivist at the beginning of the next Day OR you get 2 Illumination points.

Appendix II: Help

During the last Hour, each Copyist may, when it's their turn, spend one or more Help tokens to receive additional Sketches.

• If you want to take a Sketch from the Scriptorium, turn over one of your still available Help tokens on the Index side.
• Then, the Sketch goes to your own stock. You may draw it immediately or keep it within the limits of your stock. The Scriptorium's Sketches can be viewed at any time.
• If you take a Sketch from another Copyist's stock, hand them over one of your still available Help tokens. It will be placed on the other Copyist's Scroll with the Illumination points side up.

Nota Bene: you cannot take a Sketch from a Lectern.

Appendix III: Achievement

During the Last Hour, when you finish a part of your Illumination, you immediately take the first corresponding Achievement tile (the one that's on top of the pile). If you finish several parts within the same turn, you take several Achievement tiles. Each tile gives a bonus in Illumination points that will only be taken into account at the end of the game. The Achievement tile is then placed in the Sketches stock of your Scroll and uses up a spot until the end of the game. If the stock is full, you must discard as many Sketches as necessary to provide space for your Achievements.

The parts of an Illumination that can be completed for an Achievement are: left frieze, right frieze, dropcaps + texts, miniature, and full manuscript.

End of the Game

The game ends at the end of a Day when at least one Illumination has been finished or, less often, if the Sketches bag is empty at the end of a Day.

At the end of the game, starting with the Archivist, the number of Illumination points already gained with Sketches is modified by adding to the score the Illumination points of the Achievement tiles and by adding 2 Illumination points per unused Help token (on the 2 IP side).

If your Copyist piece exceeds 66, continue to count your points at the beginning of the score track.

If it's your Copyist who has the most Illumination points, you win. In the event of a draw, there are several winners.

Master Variant

For increased mastery, you can place on the table the Lecterns that haven't been drawn in the previous turn and randomly complete the number with Lecterns that have already been used during the Day that has just been played.

Rule with 2 Copyists

The rules are the same, with the difference that during the Second Hour, if you have the Grimoire you'll be the first to choose your Lectern. Then the other Copyist chooses their Lectern among the two Lecterns left. If no one has taken the Grimoire you simply follow the usual rules.

The Hell of the Library

In order to find out what is hiding behind the black door of the Hell of your Library, you must reach 66 Illumination points. This score is very hard to get. With each new game, the Copyist pieces move forward: 2 points for each game played. When Copyists with different experiences play together, all the pieces are moved forward following the highest level of experience. If any Copyist reaches square 66, you are allowed to enter the Hell of the Library...

Reminder of Game Turn

Set-up at the beginning of the game

1. Place the Achievements on the Scriptorium in decreasing order.
2. Place Sketches on the Scriptorium: 2 Copyists — 20 Sketches / 3 Copyists — 12 Sketches / 4 Copyists — 0 Sketch.
3. Each Copyist takes 3 Help tokens.
4. If you have written a manuscript more recently than the others, you become the Archivist and take the Quill piece. You play first.

Set-up at the beginning of the Day

5. Place 4 Sketches on each Lectern: 2 Copyists — 3 Lecterns / 3 Copyists — 4 Lecterns / 4 Copyists — 5 Lecterns.
6. Place the Inks in the Cup: 2 Copyists — 11 Inks / 3 Copyists — 17 Inks / 4 Copyists — 23 Inks.

First Hour: Inks

7. Each Copyist takes in turn up to 2 different Inks. It is forbidden to take 1 golden Ink with 1 black Ink.
8. If a Copyist takes the Grimoire in order to study it, they don't participate in the Ink distribution of that Day.

Second Hour: Lecterns

9. A Copyist with the Grimoire can pick their own Lectern.
10. The Archivist gives a Lectern to another Copyist who doesn't have one and who, in turn, will give another Copyist a Lectern, until each Copyist has one and only one Lectern.
11. The last Lectern is discarded and its Sketches are placed on the Scriptorium.

Last Hour: Illuminations

12. Each Copyist draws as many Sketches as they want while spending the required amount of Inks.
13. The Supplies allow not to spend Inks of a certain colour.
14. Golden Ink can replace any Ink except black Ink.
15. Border Sketches can be used for free without getting Illumination points.
16. The Ink and Sketches stocks are limited to 7 each at the end of each Day.

End of the Game

17. The game ends when, at the end of a Day, at least one Manuscript is completed or the Sketches bag is empty.
18. Then the sum of the Illumination points is calculated: the ones already gotten with Sketches, the ones from Achievements and from unspent Help tokens.

Credits

Game designer: Fabien Clavel. Game development: Florent Cautela. Graphic designer and illustrator: Philippe Mompas. English translation: Clémentine Daudier.