Tavern Masters
Tavern Masters Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
How to Begin
- Shuffle all play decks and set them out face down.
- Each player begins with 3 Gold.
- The player who most recently bought a drink at a bar or tavern is the first Server this game.
- The Server deals out 4 Tavern cards to each player.
4a. Card Draft (Competitive or Cooperative Play)
a. Each player chooses one card to keep and places it face down, passing the remaining cards they hold to the player on their left.
b. Players continue to select one card to keep and place face down, passing remaining cards until they are handed their last card to keep.
4b. Challenge Chart (Cooperative or Solo Play)
- Players choose how many rounds they wish to play on the Challenge Chart.
- Play begins with the Server taking the "Round 1" Marker and Server Chip, then all players take their first Day Phase simultaneously.
Mulligan Rule: If any player holds no Drink cards which cost 2 Gold or less to purchase, that player may discard their cards to the Tavern deck discard pile and draw 4 new Tavern cards from the deck.
Challenge Chart
| Challenge Level | Number of Rounds |
|---|---|
| Buzzed | 6 Rounds |
| Tipsy | 5 Rounds |
| Sloshed | 4 Rounds |
| Hammered | 3 Rounds |
| Wasted | 2 Rounds |
How to Play
- Tavern Masters is played in a series of rounds.
- Each round is played in three phases: Day Phase, Night Phase, Counting the Till.
- Players play cards and make actions at the same time during each phase.
- At the end of each round, the player to the left of the Server becomes the new Server and a new round begins.
Components
- Tavern Deck — the deck of Tavern cards.
- Patron Deck — the deck of Patron cards.
- Round Markers — track the current round.
- Server Chip — marks the current Server.
- Gold Coin — currency token.
- Golden Dragon (worth 10 Gold) — currency token.
Day Phase
At the beginning of each Day Phase (except on the first Round) the current Server deals out 3 Tavern cards from the Tavern deck randomly to each player.
During the Day Phase, players may use any Gold they have to purchase Goods or hire Staff cards in their Hand. Once a card is "purchased" or "hired", it may be played to the player's play area, known as their "Tavern".
Staff cards have an optional Hire cost, where if you have a card with a certain name or type in your Tavern, you may play that Staff without paying any Gold.
Once all players have finished purchasing Goods and hiring Staff for the round, the Day Phase is over and the Night Phase begins.
Tavern Cards
Tavern cards show, in order: the Card Name, the NPC Type icon, the Goods Type icon, the Card Type (Staff or Goods), the Card Effect text, the Cost to Play (Purchase or Hire Cost), and the Flavor Text.
- Staff Card — has a Hire Cost, which may allow you to play it for free ("or have") if you hold a matching card in your Tavern.
- Goods Card — has a Purchase cost in Gold.
Once a Goods card has been played to your Tavern, it remains there unless another card or effect causes it to be moved or discarded. You only have to pay the Purchase or Hire Cost once to play it.
Non-Player Characters
Staff and Patron cards are considered Non-Player Characters (NPCs) as they are not representing any of the players directly.
Some NPCs have an NPC Type, such as Soldier, Thug, Mage, or Wench, which is usually indicated by a symbol in the upper-right corner of the card.
Type Icons
- Soldier
- Thug
- Mage
- Wench
- Entertainer
- Sailor
- Craftsman
- Hunter
- Drink
- Food
- Game
- A gold coin icon = Amount of Gold Coins
Name Rule: When a card references a word, such as "any Cheese", it means any card in the target area which has the word in the card name, or any card which counts as the word (ex. "Counts as Cheese").
Trading
During the Day Phase of each round, players may offer to trade Tavern cards with one another. Only Tavern cards or Gold may be traded between players.
Any card traded or stolen from a player's Hand goes to the other player's Hand.
Any card traded or stolen in-play from a Tavern remains in play and moves to the Tavern of the player receiving the card.
Game Terms
Drink Types: There are four main Drink types: Ale, Mead, Wine, and Brandy; other Drinks without these key words count their name as their type.
"Any" vs "Any one": "Any" is considered plural meaning it affects as many cards as it applies to, whereas "Any one" refers to only one of the cards it applies to.
"Removed from the Game": When a card is removed from the game, do not discard it; return it to the game box. It may not be used for the remainder of this game.
"Switch with": When a card is switched with another card, it takes the place of the other card while the other card takes its place, even if one card is in play and the other is not.
Night Phase
At the beginning of each Night Phase of a game, the current Server deals out 3 Patron cards from the Patron deck randomly to each player.
During the Night Phase, players may play Patrons from their Hand to their Tavern if they have the card or type in their Tavern which the Patron "Wants".
Noble Patrons may not be played unless the player has a card or effect in play which allows them to play Nobles.
If more than one player will access a discard pile during this or any Phase, it is done in clockwise order starting from the player to the left of the current Server.
Once all players have finished playing Patrons for the round, the Night Phase is over and the Counting the Till Phase begins.
Patron Cards
Patron cards show, in order: the Card Name, the NPC Type icon, the Patron Type (Patron or Noble Patron), the Patron Like/Card Effect, the Flavor Text, and the "Wants" line (the Cost to Play).
- Patrons are defined by their Wants. A Patron who Wants "Ale" is considered an Ale Patron, and a Patron who wants "Any Drink" is an Any Drink Patron.
- When you have any card or type in your Tavern that a Patron in your Tavern "Likes", you do not have to discard that Patron at the end of the round.
Counting the Till Phase
During the Counting the Till Phase, each player calculates how much Gold they gain for the current round.
Players gain 1 Gold for each Patron and 2 Gold for each Noble Patron in their Tavern, as well as any additional gold from other cards and effects in play.
(Competitive Play) If any player has 20 or more Gold, the game ends and the winner is determined!
(Cooperative or Solo Play) If this is the last round of play based on the number of rounds chosen on the Challenge Chart, the game ends and the outcome is determined.
If progressing to the next round, all players discard any Patrons from their Tavern (except those who Like something in their Tavern). Flip to the next Round Marker, the Server then passes the Server Chip to the player on their left, and play continues with the new Server dealing the next round.
Hand Size
Each player's Hand Size at the end of each round is limited to 5 cards.
At the end of each round, each player must choose and discard cards from their Hand until they only hold up to five cards. These cards can be of any type.
How to Win
When the game ends, each player counts up their total Gold.
(Competitive Play) The player with the most Gold wins!
If two or more players are tied for the most Gold, all players continue playing one more round.
(Cooperative or Solo Play) If all players have at least 20 Gold, then all players win!
If any player has less than 20 Gold, all players lose!
Quick Reference
Day Phase
- Draw Tavern cards
- Purchase Goods / Hire Staff
Night Phase
- Draw Patron cards
- Play Patrons by "Wants"
Counting the Till
- Collect your Gold
- Discard Patrons