Sheriff of Nottingham: 2nd Edition
Sheriff of Nottingham 2nd Edition Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
Sheriff of Nottingham includes:
- 204 Goods cards (144 Legal Goods, 60 Contraband Goods)
- 12 Royal Goods cards (Royal Goods additional rule)
- 6 Black Market cards (Black Market additional rule)
- 6 Deputy cards (6 player game additional rule)
- 1 Booty tile (6 player game additional rule)
- 1 Sheriff standee
- 2 Deputy standees (6 player game additional rule)
- 133 Gold coins (55 1-gold coins, 48 5-gold coins, 18 20-gold coins, 12 50-gold coins)
- 6 Merchant Stands
- 6 Merchant Bags
- 1 Rulebook
The Goods Cards
Each card shows a product that a Merchant can sell in the Nottingham Market.
The top left corner shows the Value of the Goods. This is the amount of Points it will be worth at the end of the game if it's in your Merchant Stand.
Under the Value, there's the Good's Penalty. This is the amount of Gold you must pay if you are required to pay a Penalty during the Inspection Phase (see Phase 4: Inspection).
There are 144 Legal Goods (blue with steel border) in the game:
- 48 Apples worth 2 Gold each
- 36 Cheese worth 3 Gold each
- 36 Bread worth 3 Gold each
- 24 Chickens worth 4 Gold each
There are also 60 Contraband Goods (red with bronze border, marked with the Contraband icon on the top right) in the game:
- 22 Pepper worth 6 Gold each
- 21 Mead worth 7 Gold each
- 12 Silk worth 8 Gold each
- 5 Crossbows worth 9 Gold each
In addition, there are twelve Contraband Goods called Royal Goods (purple with gold border, marked with the Royal Goods icon on the top right). These are used only if you are playing with the optional Royal Goods rules (see Optional Rules).
The Bread cards, some of the Contraband, and some of the Royal Goods are marked with a "for games with 4+ players" icon — see Setting Up the Game.
Setting Up the Game
Each player takes a Merchant Stand along with the Merchant Bag of the same color and places those items in front of them.
Choose 1 player to act as the Banker. They will give each player (including themselves) 50 Gold, and will keep the rest of the Gold close at hand to provide change to the players during the game. The Banker must not mix their own money with the bank's funds!
The basic game is played without the Royal Goods cards. It's recommended for your first couple of games to stay with just the basic rules and then add in the optional ones later.
Shuffle all the Goods cards together, deal 6 cards to each player, and place the deck in a facedown draw pile.
The player with the highest amount of actual money on them will be the first Sheriff. Give that player the Sheriff standee.
3 Player Game
Before shuffling the Goods cards, remove all cards that have the 4+ icon and return them to the box. This includes:
- 36 Bread, 4 Pepper, 5 Mead, and 3 Silk cards.
- If playing with the Royal Goods, 1 Golden Apple, 1 Blue Cheese, 2 Rye Bread, 1 Pumpernickel Bread, and 1 Royal Rooster cards should also be removed prior to shuffling.
6 Player Game
If you are playing a six-player game, check the 6th Player additional rules (see 6th Player Rule).
Game Phases
The game is played over a series of rounds. During each round, one player will act as the Sheriff while the other players act as Merchants. Each round is divided into five phases, which must be played in order:
- Market
- Load Merchant Bag
- Declaration
- Inspection
- End of Round
At the end of each round, the player with the Sheriff standee passes it to the player to their left. That player will be the new Sheriff for the round.
In a three-player game, the game continues until each player has been Sheriff 3 times. In a four or five-player game, the game continues until each player has been Sheriff twice. For a six-player game, check the 6th Player additional rules (see 6th Player Rule).
Phase 1: Market
In this phase, Merchant players may discard unwanted cards and draw new ones, hoping to get a set of Goods to take to the Market.
The Sheriff chooses a starting player. Then, going clockwise from the starting player, each Merchant player takes one turn. On your turn, you may set aside up to 5 cards from your hand (faceup), then draw cards from the Goods deck until you again have 6 cards in your hand. After all players have taken their turns, the Sheriff collects all the cards that have been set aside to form a faceup discard pile next to the Goods deck.
Note: The Sheriff player does not play during this phase and cannot exchange their Goods cards. While you are the Sheriff, you should pay attention to the other players carefully for hints about what they might pack into their bags!
Example: Little John has 2 Chickens in his hand but wants to take more of them through the front gate. He decides to set aside 3 other cards from his hand and draw 3 new cards from the Goods deck, hoping for more Chickens!
Phase 2: Load Merchant Bag
In this phase, Merchant players place the Goods cards they want to take to market in their Merchant Bags.
All Merchant players will place Goods cards in their bag at the same time. They must place 1 to 5 Goods cards in their bag. They should be careful to not let the Sheriff or the other Merchants see which cards they're choosing!
When you are satisfied with the Goods in your bag, snap it closed and place it on the table in front of you. Once you close your bag, you cannot change your mind about the Goods you want to take to market!
Example: Alan-a-Dale has been collecting Apples. He places 4 Apples and 1 Crossbow from his hand into his Merchant Bag. He would love to toss in the Silk he's holding, but he would exceed the 5 Goods limit, so he closes the bag and places it in front of him.
Phase 3: Declaration
In this phase, Merchants declare to the Sheriff what Goods they are delivering to the Market. Of course, lying about the bag's contents is always an option. In fact, Merchants will probably have to lie at some point during the game!
Starting with the player to the Sheriff's left and proceeding clockwise, each Merchant player will look the Sheriff in the eye, declare which Goods they are taking to market, and hand the Sheriff their Merchant Bag.
Important: The bag cannot be opened during this phase! You must declare the exact number of Goods in your Merchant Bag and can only announce 1 type of Legal Good, which may or may not even be in your bag. You cannot declare Contraband or mixed Legal Goods. Other than that, you can make any declaration you wish.
Example: Will Scarlet looks at the Sheriff and announces, "My bag has 4 Chickens in it!" He has to say 4, because there are 4 cards in his Merchant Bag, but they might not all be Chickens! In fact, Will only has 2 Chickens in his bag. The other 2 cards are a Bread and a Silk. The Silk is Contraband, so he would have to lie about that anyway, and the Bread could not be declared, as he can only declare 1 type of Legal Good. He hands his Merchant Bag to the Sheriff: "Just 4 chickens, honest!"
Phase 4: Inspection
Now the Sheriff can choose to inspect the Merchant Bags!
The Sheriff decides which Merchant Bags he wants to inspect. He can inspect any number of Merchant Bags during this phase, from none to all of them, and in what order he wants to perform the inspections. If the Sheriff inspects a bag and finds out its owner lied about its contents, he will collect a fine. But be careful! An honest Merchant can charge the Sheriff a Penalty if they were telling the truth.
As the Sheriff, you may choose to threaten the Merchants with an inspection. As Merchants, you can offer bribes to the Sheriff to try to avoid it, or to convince him to inspect someone else's bag. Of course, the Sheriff can choose to ignore the bribe and inspect your bag regardless, or to let you pass without a bribe. All players can participate in all negotiations at the same time during this phase, but it's the Sheriff who decides when the negotiations are over. If the Sheriff accepts a bribe, he will give the Merchant's Bag back unopened. If he decides to inspect the bag regardless of what was offered, he will open the bag, revealing its contents to all players.
Here are some examples of what can be offered as a bribe:
- Gold
- Legal Goods from your Merchant Stand
- Contraband from your Merchant Stand
- Goods in your bag
- Promises of future favors
Example: The Sheriff is about to inspect Alan-a-Dale's bag. He says "Wait, Sheriff! You don't need to look in that bag! How about I give you 5 Gold and 2 Apples for your trouble?" The Sheriff looks at him suspiciously and says, "Make it 8 Gold and 2 Apples and we have a deal." Looking hurt that no one believes his innocence, Alan-a-Dale pays the Sheriff 8 gold and 2 Apple cards from his Merchant Stand. The Sheriff hands Alan's Merchant Bag back to him.
Important: You cannot offer any of the cards in your hand or more Gold than you actually have as part of a bribe!
Note: Only the Sheriff can touch the Merchant Bags until he inspects them or returns them to their owners. The Sheriff must inspect or reject each Merchant Bag 1 at a time, and in any order he chooses.
As soon as the Sheriff hands back a bag or opens it, all negotiations for that bag are over. Once the Sheriff has made a choice, it is too late to change his mind! If the Sheriff gives the bag back, the final bribe promised (if any) must be paid. If the Sheriff does take a bribe, he cannot inspect the bag.
If you receive a bribe as the Sheriff, add any Goods included as part of the bribe to your Merchant Stand (whether they came from another player's Merchant Stand or their bag). Any Gold paid is added to your supply.
Normally, all bribes and deals made during the Inspection phase must be honored, but there are some exceptions. See Honor Among Thieves for more details.
If the Sheriff Lets You Pass
All Legal Goods are placed in the matching spaces of your Merchant Stand faceup. The Legal Goods of your Merchant Stand can always be inspected by any player at any time.
All Contraband is kept secret! You must reveal the number of Contraband cards you have smuggled into Nottingham, but not their type. Keep your Contraband Goods facedown at the top of your Merchant Stand.
Example: Maid Marion's sweet and innocent reputation got her past the Sheriff without even paying a bribe! She pulls 3 cards out of her bag: 2 of them were Cheese, just like she said in the Declaration phase. She places those in her Merchant Stand faceup. But the 3rd card was Contraband! The Sheriff groans as she places it facedown above her Stand.
If the Sheriff Inspects Your Bag
There are 2 possible outcomes:
If you were telling the truth and your bag has exactly what you declared, the Sheriff must pay you Gold equal to the Penalty on every Legal Good in your bag. Your Legal Goods are then added to your Merchant Stand.
Example: Little John turns out to be an honest man. The Sheriff inspected his bag and found that it does, indeed, have exactly 4 Chickens in it, just like he said. The Sheriff must pay him 8 Gold (2 for each Chicken). Little John then adds the Chickens to his Merchant Stand.
If you were lying, and your bag does not have exactly what you declared, 3 things happen:
- Any Goods that you did declare truthfully are allowed into the Market. Place them on your Merchant Stand faceup, as normal.
- Any Goods that you did not truthfully declare are confiscated: whether they are Legal Goods or Contraband! The Sheriff takes all of those Goods and places them on the discard pile.
- You must pay a fine to the Sheriff for all confiscated Goods. The fine is equal to the Penalty shown on each card.
Example: Gilbert Whitehand has 4 cards in his Merchant Bag. He declared that he had 4 Apples. Even after Gilbert offered a hefty bribe, the Sheriff refused to believe him and inspected his bag. Inside, he found only 1 Apple, 1 Cheese, and 2 Mead. Since Gilbert was truthful about the 1 Apple, he is allowed to keep it (adding it to his Stand). But, he lied about the other 3 Goods, so those are confiscated and placed in the discard pile. Gilbert must now pay the Sheriff 10 Gold (2 for the Cheese plus 4 for each Mead).
Playing hint: When offering bribes to the Sheriff, keep in mind that you will have to pay him a Penalty for any confiscated Goods anyway. Sometimes it's worth offering him a little bit more to avoid having your Goods confiscated.
Running Out of Gold
It is possible that you will run out of Gold coins during the game. If you cannot pay a Penalty you owe, you must give the player Legal Goods from your Merchant Stand with a Value at least equal to the amount you owe. This may mean that you give more value than you owe, but you don't receive change for the excess. If you do not have enough Legal Goods, you must reveal and hand over Contraband to make up the difference. The player who received the Goods must then add them to their Merchant Stand.
If you have exhausted all the Goods and Contraband in your Merchant Stand to pay a debt, any leftover debt is considered paid. This helps a desperately poor player!
Honor Among Thieves
Normally, all deals made must be honored! However, there are a couple of exceptions.
Promises of future favors, which take place after the current round of play, are not binding!
You might offer Goods from your bag or Merchant Stand as a bribe to the Sheriff. Of course, you might be lying about which Goods you actually have! If the Sheriff lets you pass, when revealing the Goods in your bag, you only have to pay the Sheriff the Goods you promised if they actually exist! If you promised something to the Sheriff that is not in your bag or Merchant Stand, you do not have to pay those Goods (though you must prove you don't have them by showing the cards in your bag and Stand to the Sheriff).
A deal is complete when an offer is made by either a Merchant or the Sheriff and the other player accepts it. Until then, it's still under negotiation. Usually, it is obvious when a deal has been accepted, but if there is ever any confusion, just use the word Deal to show that you agree to the terms.
Example: The Sheriff is threatening to inspect Will Scarlet's Merchant Bag. Will decides to use this opportunity to get back at Gilbert Whitehand. He makes the following offer: "Sheriff, I will pay you 20 Gold if you agree to let me pass unchecked and agree to inspect Gilbert's bag, regardless of what bribes he may offer you!" The Sheriff agrees, taking Will's money and waving him along. Now the Sheriff must inspect Gilbert's bag.
In a later round, Gilbert makes a deal with the Sheriff: "If you don't inspect my bag this round, I won't inspect your bag next time I'm Sheriff." The Sheriff agrees and lets Gilbert into the Market. But, when Gilbert is the Sheriff during a later round, he could decide to betray his honor and inspect the (former) Sheriff's bag!
Phase 5: End of Round
If all players have been Sheriff 3 times (in a three-player game) or twice (in a four or five-player game), the game ends immediately!
Otherwise, the player who was the Sheriff passes the Sheriff standee to the player on their left. That player will be the Sheriff during the next round.
All players now draw cards from the draw pile until they again have 6 cards in hand before the next round begins. Note that the Sheriff should already have 6 cards in hand from the last round.
Reshuffling Cards
In the event that you run out of cards during the game, shuffle all Goods cards in the discard pile to form a new draw pile.
Winning the Game
At the end of the last round, all players discard any cards they have in their hand. Those cards are not worth any Points!
Then, reveal your Contraband cards and count your score. You earn Points equal to:
- The Value of all Goods you have in your Merchant Stand (Legal and Contraband)
- Any Gold coins you have
- King and Queen Bonus
King and Queen Bonus
"So, you want to be the Chicken King?"
Lastly, the player who has successfully delivered the most and the second most of each type of Legal Good is declared the King and Queen, respectively, of that Good. They receive bonus Points as follows:
| Type of Good | King's Bonus | Queen's Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Apples | 20 | 10 |
| Cheese | 15 | 10 |
| Bread | 15 | 10 |
| Chickens | 10 | 5 |
If there is a tie for the King's Bonus, add the King and Queen bonuses together and divide the total equally between all the tied players (rounded down). Do not pay out bonuses for second place.
If there is a tie for the Queen's Bonus, divide those points equally between the tied players (rounded down).
Once the King and Queen Bonus is added to the total, the player with the most Points wins.
If two players tie for the same amount of Points, the player with the most Legal Goods wins. If there is still a tie, then the player with the most Contraband Goods wins. If there is still a tie, then the victory is shared.
Playing hint: You can use the extra coins from the bank to help add up your score. Simply take coins equal to the value of the Goods in your Merchant Stand and for any King or Queen bonuses you earned. Then, just count your coins!
Example: David of Doncaster ends the game with these Goods in his Merchant Stand: 4 Apples, 6 Cheese, 1 Bread, 4 Chickens, 2 Pepper, and 1 Crossbow. He has 42 Gold. Comparing his totals with the other players, he sees that he has the most Cheese, making him the Cheese King, and that he is tied with one other player for the second most Chickens, so they split the Chicken Queen bonus. His total score is as follows:
Legal Goods — Apples: 4 x 2 = 8; Cheese: 6 x 3 = 18; Bread: 1 x 3 = 3; Chickens: 4 x 4 = 16. Contraband — Pepper: 2 x 6 = 12; Crossbow: 1 x 9 = 9. Gold coins on hand: 42. Cheese King: 15. Chicken Queen: 5 ÷ 2 = 2.5, rounded down to 2. Total: 8 + 18 + 3 + 16 + 12 + 9 + 42 + 15 + 2 = 125 Points!
Optional Rules
Royal Goods
Royal Goods are the finest quality Goods in the Kingdom. Prince John has declared that these Goods can only be used by himself and his most loyal cronies. So, all Goods marked with the Royal Goods icon are considered Contraband!
Add the 12 Royal Goods cards to the Goods deck before you shuffle at the start of the game. Note that 6 Royal Goods cards are marked with a 4+ and must be removed during a three-player game.
Royal Goods are treated just like any other Contraband, so you must pay their Penalty if your bag is inspected, or get to add them facedown above your Stand if you manage to smuggle them into the Market. These cards are worth 2 or 3 Legal Goods (depending on the amount of Goods shown on the card), but they only count as 1 card when you are making your declaration.
At the end of the game, any Royal Goods you have in your Merchant Stand are added to your other Legal Goods of the matching type before you determine who wins the King and Queen Bonus for each type of Goods.
Example: Will Scarlet and Maid Marion are competing for the title of Cheese King. Will has 10 Cheese cards and Maid Marion has 11. Normally, that means Maid Marion would get a 15 Gold bonus and Will would only get 10 Gold. But, Will has a surprise! He has a Gouda Cheese card (counts as 2 Cheeses). That brings his total to 12 Cheese, which is more than she has. Will gets to be the Cheese King!
Inspection Time Limit
Sheriff of Nottingham is even more fun when you set a time limit on the Inspection Phase! The Sheriff only gets 1 minute for each Merchant in the game. So, in a four-player game, the Sheriff only gets 3 minutes to decide if he is going to inspect any of the Merchant Bags. If he runs out of time, any Merchants he has not inspected must be allowed to pass without bribing him.
Removing Cards Before the Game
Have annoying card counters in your group? Frustrate them with this optional rule! At the beginning of the game, after shuffling the cards, randomly remove 10 cards from the deck and return them to the box without revealing them. This way, no one will know which cards were removed!
Seven Card Hand
Increase each player hand size from 6 cards to 7. This gives the Merchants more control and makes it a little more challenging for the Sheriff.
6th Player Rule
6th Player Setup
- Place the Sheriff standee back into the box and use the 2 Deputy standees instead.
- Shuffle the 6 Deputy cards and place them facedown in the middle of the playing area.
- Place the Booty tile next to the Deputy cards.
Gameplay
The Sheriff of Nottingham is recruiting and training new Deputies. Each round, 2 players will act as Deputies and 4 players will act as Merchants.
Shuffle the Deputy cards and draw 2 from the top. Give 1 Deputy standee to each of the selected players. They will be the Deputies for this round.
The round goes through the 5 phases: Market, Load Merchant Bag, Declaration, Inspection, and End of Round. Gameplay will follow the core game rules until Inspection, where the Deputies will work as a team (or on their own) to inspect the Merchants' Bags.
Inspection
During the Inspection phase, both Deputies can talk and negotiate freely with the Merchants, with 3 possible outcomes:
- Both Deputies agree to let a Merchant pass. The Merchant opens their bag and organizes their Goods cards as usual. If the Deputies have accepted a bribe to let the Merchant pass, the bribe is placed on the Booty tile.
- Both Deputies agree to open the Merchant bag. If the Merchant was telling the truth, then each Deputy pays half of the Penalty to the Merchant using their own Gold (not from the Booty). If the Merchant was lying, the money received is placed on the Booty tile.
- Only 1 Deputy wants to inspect the bag, while the other is willing to let the Merchant pass. In this case, the Deputy who wants to inspect the bag acts on their own. If they settle a bribe to let the Merchant pass, they will collect it alone. If they open the Merchant's Bag, they will pay or receive any Penalty on their own.
At the end of the Inspection phase, the 2 Deputies evenly share all the Gold and Goods cards placed on the Booty tile. Any leftover Gold or cards must be discarded, unless the 2 Deputies agree on how to distribute them.
Example: Little John and Maid Marion are the Deputies for this round and are now ready to investigate the Merchants! They take a good look at Gilbert Whitehand and both decide he can pass without a bribe. David of Doncaster is causing both Deputies some doubts. Little John wants to investigate him, but Maid Marion thinks he's clean. They wait a little. Alan-a-Dale seems really suspicious and neither Deputy trusts him! When confronted, Alan-a-Dale starts to negotiate and the 3 of them agree on a bribe of 12 Gold. All the coins are placed on the Booty tile.
Will Scarlet also seems suspicious, but Little John wants to let him pass. Maid Marion disagrees and wants to investigate him. So now, Maid Marion is dealing with Will Scarlet alone. They keep negotiating until they reach a bribe value of 8 Gold. Maid Marion receives the full amount.
Both Deputies now deal with David of Doncaster. David doesn't accept their request for a bribe, so the deputies decide to open his bag! Surprisingly, all the Goods are legal, and each Deputy pays half the Penalty to David.
End of Round
After the 5 phases, a new round starts: draw the 2 topmost cards from the Deputy deck and perform the 5 phases as described earlier.
After 3 rounds, each player will have acted as Deputy once. Shuffle the Deputy cards, create a new deck, and start a new round.
Example: The round is over, so Little John and Maid Marion now share the amount collected on the Booty tile, each receiving 6 Gold.
End of the Game
The game ends when the Deputy deck has run out for the 3rd time. Points and Bonuses are counted following the core game rules.
Black Market
The rumors about smugglers are all over Nottingham's alleys. A Black Market has formed in the dark corners of the city, full of special demands waiting for those brave enough to face the Sheriff and his Deputies and smuggle bigger amounts of Contraband.
Setup
Sort the Black Market cards by their type, creating 3 piles of 2 faceup cards each, with the card of higher Value on top. Place them next to each other in the center of the playing area, in reach of all players.
Gameplay
Gameplay will follow the core game rules until the Inspection phase. After you receive your Merchant Bag from the Sheriff, you may claim a Black Market card, allowing you to trade in smuggled Contraband for additional Gold!
You must have 3 Contraband cards of the same type as the Black Market card you will claim for your Merchant Stand. Reveal the matching Contraband cards to the other players and discard them before claiming the Black Market card. Claimed Black Market cards are placed in the player's Contraband pile.
The first player that fulfills a Black Market order takes the topmost card of that kind, with a higher Value than the card below it.
Players may only claim 1 Black Market card per round, but there is no limit to the amount of cards a player can claim in total. As long as they have the required Contraband, a player can claim both Black Market cards of the same type in different turns.
At the end of the game, players score points for all Black Market cards they have in their Contraband pile.
Example: The Sheriff allowed David of Doncaster into the Market during the Inspection phase. After positioning the cards from his Bag in his Merchant Stand, he shows he has 3 Pepper cards among his Contraband, allowing him to claim a Black Market card. David now collects the topmost card from the Pepper Black Market pile and removes the 3 revealed Contraband cards from the game.
Goods Breakdown
| Type of Goods | 3 Players | 4-6 Players | Gold Value | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Goods | ||||
| Apples | 48 | 48 | 2 | 2 |
| Cheese | 36 | 36 | 3 | 2 |
| Bread | 0 | 36 | 3 | 2 |
| Chickens | 24 | 24 | 4 | 2 |
| Contraband | ||||
| Pepper | 18 | 22 | 6 | 4 |
| Mead | 16 | 21 | 7 | 4 |
| Silk | 9 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| Crossbow | 5 | 5 | 9 | 4 |
| Royal Goods | ||||
| Green Apples | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Golden Apples | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Gouda Cheese | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Blue Cheese | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 |
| Rye Bread | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Pumpernickel Bread | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 |
| Royal Rooster | 1 | 2 | 8 | 4 |