The Gods Will Have Blood
The Gods Will Have Blood Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Elements of the Game
- 36 Accused Cards will represent the individuals brought before the court. Each of the accused have a brief description of their personal background and the charges against them.
- 2 Wood Cylinders mark Jacobin Reputation (red) and Court Legitimacy (black).
- One draw bag is used to hold the Judgement Pool, determining the verdict passed by the court.
- 11 red cubes will represent the willingness of the court to pass a guilty verdict.
- 3 white cubes will represent the willingness of the court to exonerate the accused.
- One blue cube will be placed on the "W" space of the Court Legitimacy Vine. This token is a favorable verdict when drawn from the Judgment Pool.
- The game includes one canvas playmat. Here, the player will mark the status of their Reputation, Legitimacy and Momentum, while tracking those that the court has condemned (the Discarded).
Setup
- Separate the 3 blue Accused Cards. Shuffle the remaining 33 Accused Cards. Randomly set aside 12 and shuffle the remaining 21 red cards with the 3 blue to form the Accused Deck.
- Place the black wood cylinder in the "L" space and the red cylinder in the "R" space on the vine.
- Place the blue cube in the "W" space on the vine.
- Place 7 red cubes in the Momentum Box.
- Place 4 red cubes and 3 white cubes in the draw bag to form the Judgment Pool.
How the Game is Won
To win, you must have maximum Reputation (marked with a * on the vine) and no remaining Accused Cards.
However, if either Legitimacy or Reputation ever occupies the bottom space on its vine, you will lose. You will also lose if you are instructed to remove a white cube from the Judgment Pool and there are none (a hardening of the heart).
How the Game is Played
Reputation will rise when suspected royalists and Girondist rivals are accused and sentenced to death, but it will likely suffer when you err on the side of leniency.
Legitimacy will lower when condemning accused on flimsy charges or going to obvious lengths to undermine the defense, and it may increase if an accused person facing such charges is acquitted.
Momentum marks the passage of consecutive guilty sentences. Momentum is cumulative. Each time Momentum is added, red cubes are taken from the Momentum Box and added to the Judgement Pool, increasing the likelihood of a guilty verdict in future proceedings.
Each turn, read the description provided on the top Accused Card for clues regarding the substance of the charges and what impact may result from either verdict. You must then decide on your verdict. After choosing a verdict, you will draw two cubes (one at a time) from the judgment pool to determine the fate of the accused.
If either drawn cube matches your verdict, that judgment passes. If neither cube matches, judgment will be in favor of the drawn verdict.
If Guilty, turn the Accused Card over and carry out the effects noted under the guillotine icon in order. Then, place the Accused Card among the discarded and return the drawn cubes to the Judgment Pool.
If Not Guilty, turn the Accused Card over and carry out the effects under the not-guilty icon on the card in order. Then place the Accused Card among the 12 set aside during setup. Finally, return all missing red cubes to the Momentum Box and return the other drawn cubes to the Judgment Pool.
The wild token (blue) is counted as a favorable verdict, but it is only returned to the Judgment Pool if the Legitimacy Marker is in the "W" space on its vine.
If the Momentum Box becomes empty, divide the Accused Deck into two approximately even stacks. For the rest of the game, you will hear two cases at a time and assign a single judgment for both defendants. Carry out the sentences for each card one at a time in full. You may do so for the cards in any order.
If the Momentum Box is empty when instructed to add momentum, lower Legitimacy one space for each cube you are unable to add.
Example 1
You have read the charges facing Marie Jeanne Roland de la Platierre and decided to find her guilty. The first cube drawn from the Judgment Pool is red. The defendant is found guilty. Next, you turn over the card to read the effects of finding Citoyenne Roland guilty under the guillotine icon and carry out each in the order presented on the card. First, you must add two red cubes from the Momentum Box to the Judgment Pool. Second, the red pawn (Reputation) must be moved up the vine, but the black pawn prevents this (Diagram A). Instead, you proceed to the next effect. Finally, the black pawn (Legitimacy) must move down the vine. Because the space below Legitimacy has a pawn, you must move Legitimacy an additional space (Diagram B).
Example 2
The Momentum Box no longer has red cubes. The Accused Deck is divided in two and two cases are heard at a time. After reading both, the player decides to find both defendants guilty. A white cube, then a red cube are pulled from the Judgment Pool. Both will now be condemned. Both cards are flipped over to carry out the sentences. The player starts with the top card, because Reputation cannot currently be increased (per the second card). Legitimacy lowers an extra space due to the Reputation Marker's placement (Diagram Y). Then the player must carry out the second sentence. A momentum cube cannot be added (box empty), so Legitimacy lowers one space. Then Reputation is raised one space on the vine (Diagram Z).