TSCHAK! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Set Up
• How to Play
• Value of Teams
• Chameleons and Artefacts
• Monsters and Treasures
• The Loot
• Ties
• New Keep
• End of the Game and Scoring
• Reminders and Notes
• Credits

Contents

• 1 keep
• 2 "en route" boards
• 24 gold pieces
• 40 adventurer cards: 12 wizards (blue background), 12 warriors (green background), 12 dwarfs (red background)
• 28 keep cards: 14 monster cards, 14 treasure cards
• 4 artefacts (purple background)

Set Up

With 4 players, you can leave the two "en route" boards in the box, you will not need them. With 3 players, use one as a 4th virtual player, and with 2 players, place one on either side of each player.

When setting up, an "en route" board still receives the same number and type of cards as the players.

1. Place the keep in the middle of the table.
2. Create a reserve of gold and prepare 3 sets of loot of 3 pieces, 2 pieces and 1 piece respectively. With 2 players, prepare a single haul containing two pieces.
3. Shuffle the monster cards. Remove 2 of them from the game, and put them back in the box without looking at them. With the remaining cards form a draw pile face down and place it to the left of the keep. Take the first 3 cards and place them face up on the three floors of the keep, on the places provided for this purpose (the three windows).
4. Do the same with the treasure cards, but on the right side of the keep.
5. Shuffle the wizard cards (blue background) and deal 3 to each player. NB: Don't forget the "en route" boards.
6. Shuffle the warrior cards (green background) and deal 3 to each player.
7. Shuffle the dwarf cards (red background) and deal 3 to each player.
8. Each player also receives an artefact card (purple background) and thus has a hand of 10 cards, which are kept secret.

Reminder: When setting up with 2 or 3 players, an "en route" board receives exactly the same number and type of cards as the players.

Note that all the cards are face up here for explanatory purposes. In reality, everyone keeps his cards hidden, and those placed on the "en route" board are also hidden. Only monsters and treasures in the keep are visible.

Now you're ready to start.

How to Play

You are going to attack the first tower. From floor to floor, each player will create their own team of three cards. A team must always be composed of cards of different types. Type = background colour of the card.

On each floor, we proceed similarly but nevertheless slightly differently:

1st floor (lowest)

• Everyone chooses 1 card in secret.
• When everyone has chosen, all the players reveal their cards simultaneously.
• The procedure is repeated until everyone has 3 cards face up in front of them.
• The values of the teams are then compared.

2nd floor

• Everyone chooses 1 card in secret.
• When everyone has chosen, all the players reveal their card simultaneously.
• Then everyone chooses 2 cards at once.
• When everyone has chosen, they reveal the 2 selected cards simultaneously.
• The values of the teams are then compared.

3rd floor (top)

• Everybody chooses 3 cards at once.
• When everyone has chosen, they reveal the 3 selected cards simultaneously.
• The values of the teams are then compared.

Value of Teams

To determine the value of a team, add up the values of the cards within it.

Above, a team of strength 12.

Chameleons and Artefacts

A Chameleon wizard copies the power of the most powerful wizard in opponents' teams. If no one has played wizard with points (2-5) on this floor of the keep, a Chameleon wizard is worth nothing.

The artefact is always used by the weakest character in the team, thus doubling its power. Depending on the circumstances, this can be a Chameleon wizard.

Calculation of the values of the teams in an example with 4 players:

• Pascale: her team is worth 9, by simply adding 3 + 4 + 2.
• Croc: his team is worth 13 because the Chameleon copies the most powerful wizard (in this example, Line's).
• Line: the artefact doubling the power of the weakest character, his team is worth 10 (5 + 2x3).
• Vincent: the Chameleon is worth 4, and the artefact doubles its power. In total, the team is therefore worth 14.

Monsters and Treasures

On each floor, a monster protects the access to a treasure. Once the values of the teams have been determined, the two cards are assigned as follows:

• The weakest team receives the monster card, whose strength varies according to the creature. Here, the level 3 golem.
• The strongest team takes the treasure card. Here, the treasure is worth 4 points.

The monster or treasure cards received floor by floor are collected in a pile face down in front of the players.

The Loot

Once the three floors of the tower have been cleaned out, everyone is left with one last card in hand. This is the last character in the team, who prefers to quietly collect gold coins lying around here and there. But of course he is not alone ...

The players compare the value of this last card: the player having the highest takes 3 pieces, then the second 2 pieces, and the third 1 piece. NB: with 2 players, only the strongest takes 2 pieces, since there is only one pile of loot.

After each floor, once the monster card and the treasure card have been assigned, the players gather their teams up by forming a face down pile. Once the spoils have been distributed, the 10 cards of a player are therefore combined into a single pile.

Ties

Sometimes two or more teams are tied. In this case, use the following hierarchy:

• The team with the most powerful wizard is considered to be the strongest.
• If the wizards are of equal value, the one with a wand wins.
• In this comparison, a wizard of the Order of the Chameleon is always lowest.
• If the tie persists between the teams, we move on to the warriors. Likewise, the strongest wins.
• In case of equality between warriors, whoever has an axe is the strongest.
• In some rare cases, it may come down to comparing the strengths of the dwarfs.
• In case of equality, whoever has an axe is the strongest and whoever fights bare-handed is weakest.

This hierarchy is also used when assigning loot. Note: at this stage, a Chameleon wizard or an artefact are worth nothing at all!

New Keep

• As long as the 4th keep has not been explored, prepare a new keep with new monster and treasure cards (see Set Up).
• Then, everyone passes the 10 adventurer cards in front of them to their left. NB: with 2 or 3 players, an "en route" board is considered a "neighbour".
• The game continues normally. We start with the first floor, and each player tries to optimize the new hand of cards he has received.

End of the Game and Scoring

At the end of the 4th keep, and once the last loot has been distributed, each player counts up their points.

1) The loot

Each piece is worth 1 point.

2) The treasure cards

• 4 Chests: are worth between 2 and 5 points depending on the number of gold pieces shown on the card.
• 2 cursed chests: cost -1 or -2 points, depending on the number of skulls shown on the card.
• 6 Rings of Power: combined, their final value is the number that you have, squared. Thus, 1 ring is worth 1 point, 3 rings are worth a total of 9 points, etc.
• 1 Trophy: worth 2 points for each monster card in your possession when scoring. With 2 players, it's only worth 1 point per card.
• 1 Elixir: eliminates a monster card of your choice when scoring. So you do not suffer its penalty points.

3) The monster cards

• 8 diverse creatures: each is worth a number of negative points corresponding to the number of skulls shown on the card. These points are deducted from the total accumulated from the treasures.
• 6 Troglodytes: they are calculated like the rings, but their total is always negative. Thus, for example, 3 Troglodytes are worth -9 points, 4 Troglodytes are worth -16 points, etc.

The player with the highest total wins.

In the case of a tie, the player with the fewest monster cards wins.

If still tied, the players involved share the victory.

Reminders and Notes

• If a player makes a mistake and forms a team in which there are at least two cards of the same colour, he is immediately penalized (if the other players have revealed their cards): he begins by exchanging a "prohibited" card for a legal one from his hand. Then, regardless of the total achieved by his team, he takes the monster or cursed treasure costing the most points on this floor.
• Cursed chests cost penalty points, but it's still the strongest team on the floor that takes them.
• If you eliminate a monster with an Elixir, then it doesn't score as a Trophy.
• When comparing the 10th cards of each player for the allocation of loot, remember that a Chameleon wizard or artefact is worth nothing at that point. A player with such a card in hand never gets loot.
• Sometimes a player can end the game with a negative score. What can I say, in faith 'tis a hard life for an adventurer ...

Happy quests!

Credits

A game by Dominique Ehrhard

Illustrations: Vincent Dutrait (www.vincentdutrait.com)

Photolitho and layout: Samuel Rouge

Translation: Gavin Wynford-Jones

GameWorks Sàrl Rue du Collège 14 1800 Vevey - Switzerland

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