1 table of contents - Eagle

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction................................. 2
Object of the Game....................... 3
Components and Setup................ 3
Turn Actions................................. 5
• Go Adventuring..................... 6
• Visit a Statue.......................... 8
• Complete a Quest................... 9
End of Turn................................... 9
Free Actions................................ 10
• Commit Cards to Quests..... 10
• Use a Treasure Token........... 11
• Use a Card’s Special Power... 11
• Use an Artifact card............. 11
• End of Game......................... 12
4-player and Simplified Rules.... 12
Visit www.Fantastiqa.com for gameplay tips and variants!
1
An UneXPecteD WaY In....
But before you can attempt either to protest or
to analyze his sanity any further, the old man
packs three of these towels into your rucksack
and shoves something into your shirt pocket.
Sensing your confusion, and misunderstanding
it completely, he says “Not to worry! You are now
officially, fully equipped for all possible hazards and
dangers that will beset you on your FANTASTIC
ADVENTURE!” He gives you a little wink, places
one end of the leash into your hand, and turns away.
[You don’t really have to read this part, but you’ll have
more fun if you do. Trust me.]
YOU NEVER EXPECTED that when you answered
that oddly phrased “Help Wanted” ad, you would
find yourself three hours later standing next to three
other equally confused applicants in a mahoganypaneled drawing room (in an apartment building?)
belonging to a white-haired, bespectacled, tweedy
old man, wreathed in veils of pipe smoke, wearing
an oversized pith helmet, and besieged by a host of
small, overeager canines. Moments later, a butler
(who has butlers anymore?) appears seemingly out
of nowhere, and hands you each a well-worn leash.
Oh. A dog-walking job. Fine. Not quite what you
expected, but you suppose it could have been worse.
And if the looks of the place are any indicator, it
might pay pretty well...
Attached to the other end of that leash is a dog—one
of those small terriers that seems to have confused
an espresso machine for its water bowl. With an
enormous singleness of purpose, the dog drags you
out the door, down the stairwell, across the street,
into the wooded park yonder.
It is at this point it sees the cat. 7 milliseconds
later, you are propelled onward at an even more
unthinkable rate of speed after a sprinting,
hissing ball of fur that dives into a dense hedge of
bushes….. And when you finally make it back out,
with hair matted and an assortment of twigs up
your nose, it appears that you are no longer in the
same world anymore. That is, if the 80 foot, brightly
painted sign looming before you is any indicator...
The old man removes his pipe and coughs
elaborately, gradually working up the energy to
speak. “You all came here seeking not just a job,
but an ADVENTURE.” His eyes crinkle as he
appraises each one of you. He approaches you
personally, straightens your shoulders, and smiles,
pleased at the improvement. “I am here to offer you
precisely that. But before an ADVENTURER can
ADVENTURE, he—or SHE—I am, despite all
appearances, quite up to date on such matters,
needs an ADVENTURER’S KIT!” And having said
this, with a flourish and an unexpected spryness,
he tosses you each a weathered canvas rucksack.
Protruding from it are a number of items that seem
anything but adventurous. A bucket dangles from
a loop on the back. A broom sticks out awkwardly.
There appear to be any number of regular
household items inside. “And of course, don’t
even THINK of embarking on an ADVENTURE
without your MAGIC WAND!” And having said
this, he hands you each a toothbrush, still sealed in
its package. Peeking inside the rucksack, you shut
it again quickly when you see a pair of glowing
eyes staring back at you. Looking around, you
are astonished to discover that the old man is
demonstrating the finer points of swordplay to one
of the other applicants—using a spatula.
WELCOME TO
FANTASTIQA,
LAND OF FABLED BEASTS
AND FANTASTICAL QUESTS
...and at that very moment, descending from the
sign on a string of high-tensile silk, approaches
the biggest, hairiest, appallingest spider you
would never in your most unholy nightmare have
the courage to imagine. Stunned, you drop your
backpack—which thuds solidly, much like a bag of
CARPETS might—and reach into your shirt pocket,
feeling for the item that your host hid there, hoping
beyond hope that you will find a tiny ray gun or
other useful device that might rescue you. Nope—
just an envelope with the word “QUEST” intricately
stenciled across it. Ah, terrific. The spider moves
closer now, in all its jaw-clacking, leg-twitching,
thread-tangling nastiness.
“Oh, yes--and finally!” he says—and a butler returns
with a cart containing a covered silver platter.
The old man licks his lips, obviously relishing the
moment: “Behold, your FLYING CARPET!” He
uncovers the platter. It contains... a stack of old dish
towels. Plainly, the old man is quite deranged.
Not to worry, indeed! Well, I suppose it’s a good
thing you might have a spatula tucked somewhere
in your pack? Uh, oh...
It’s time to leave. Now.
2
COMPONENTS
1. Game Board
2. 2 Card Supply Boards
3. 6 Circular Region Tiles
4. 6 Wooden Statues
5. 60 Gems
6. 29 Artifact cards
7. 27 Beast cards
8. 45 Quest cards
9. 79 Creature cards
10. 4 Quest Goal cards
11. 16 Peaceful Dragon cards
12. 12 1-Point Bonus Tokens
The game also includes:
• 4 Dog cards
• 16 Flying Carpet Tokens
• 12 Reshuffle Tokens
• 4 Quest Tokens
• 4 Player Reference Cards
• 4 Individual Adventurer Kits
(Each kit contains an Adventurer Standee, Placard, and 9 Starting Cards)
• 1 Reference Sheet/Glossary
• This Rulebook
OBJECT
You and your opponents find yourselves wandering the wild, weird world
of FANTASTIQA. As you adventure, you encounter strange Creatures. Each
Creature you face has both an ability and a vulnerability. By playing card
symbols to which a Creature is vulnerable, you can subdue that Creature and
recruit it as an ally, adding its own ability to your expanding deck of cards.
Some subdued Creatures carry Gems, which you can spend to purchase
powerful Artifacts or to summon mythical Beasts to your aid. You begin with
only a handful of household items, but you will grow in power as you gather
allies. By completing Quests you score points and receive other rewards. The
first player to meet or exceed the Quest Goal wins the game!
Object:
Subdue strange Creatures and
fulfill fabulous Quests as you
adventure in Fantastiqa. You
gain power as you add subdued
Creatures to your deck of cards.
The first player to complete
enough Quests to reach the
Quest Goal is the winner!
SETTING UP THE GAME
• If you are new to strategy games or if you are playing with children, use the
Simplified Rules on page 12 the first time you play.
• If you are playing with 4 players, follow the special 4-Player Rules on page
12.
• Set up the Table. Place the Game Board in the center of the table, with
the two Card Supply Boards on either side as shown. Place the Gems and
Peaceful Dragon cards in the corners as shown.
• For the moment, set aside all the cards with a Shooting Star in the lowerright corner.
• Quest Goal. Choose a numbered Quest Goal card and place it face-up in the
corner as shown. The Quest Goal indicates the number of points required
for victory. Use the guide to the right to match the number of players with
a Quest Goal, based on how long you want to play. The very first time you
play, play a shorter game just to learn how everything works.
3
Game Duration / Quest Goal
Shorter
Regular
Longer
2 Players
8 pts.
10 pts.
12 pts.
3 Players
4 Players
7 pts.
8 pts.
9 pts.
12 pts.
11 pts.
15 pts.
(Team Play)
• Regions and Statues. Turn the six circular Region tiles face down and mix
them. Distribute them randomly to each circular space on the board, face-up.
Place one wooden Statue (Artifact Tower, Beast Bazaar, or Quest Chest) on top
of each Region tile, assigned at random. Alternately, let players freely choose
where to place Regions and Statues.
Create Card Decks. Make sure all cards are separated by type, using the symbols
showing in the lower right corner for Artifacts, Beasts, Quests, and Creatures.
Then follow these steps carefully:
For Artifact, Beast, and Quest cards, shuffle these cards separately by type and
place them face-down in separate stacks on top of each matching space on the
appropriate Card Supply Board. Keep cards with a Shooting-star Symbol separate
from the others.
For Creature cards, build a special deck. The Creatures you encounter will
become more powerful as the game progresses. See the example to the right for how
to build the Creature deck based on the number of players in the game.
• Separate the Creature deck into distinct sections indicated by the arrows in the
lower-right corner. Return all unused cards to the box.
• Shuffle each individual section separately.
• Stack each separate section face-down as shown to the right to make a single
Creature deck.
• Place the completed Creature deck face down on the Creature space on the Card
Supply Board. Up-arrow cards will be on top, down-arrow on the bottom.
• Do not shuffle the deck again!
• Prepare to Adventure! Each player claims a matching Adventurer Standee
and Adventurer Placard, along with 1 Quest token, 3 Flying Carpet tokens, 3
Reshuffle tokens, and 3 Gems (Gems can be any mixture of colors).
• Give each player a set of 9 matching Adventurer cards, plus 1 Dog and 1
Peaceful Dragon card. These cards all have Shooting Star symbols on them.
• Determine the Starting Player. The player who most recently conducted a
successful short symphony for the Mountain Moles of Mu will start the game.
Alternately, award this honor to the player who scored the lowest in the last game
played, or use some other method on which you all agree.
Choose Starting Quests, Artifacts, and Board Positions in Reverse Player Order.
Start with the player to the right of the Starting Player, and then continue counterclockwise, with the Starting Player going last:
• Choose 1 Starting Quest and 1 Starting Artifact (these have Shooting-Star
symbols). Read these out loud for all to hear. After choosing one of each, pass
these cards to the player on your right.
• Place your Adventurer Standee on any unoccupied Region on the board.
Strategy tip: the two Regions in the middle of the board offer more options for
Adventuring than the corners do.
• Fill Open Quests on the board. The Starting Player now shuffles the remaining
Starting Quest cards, draws two, reads them aloud, and places them face-up on
the two marked Quest spaces on the board. Return all remaining Starting Quests
and Starting Artifacts to the box.
• Create a personal Draw Deck. Shuffle your Starting Artifact with your Dog,
Peaceful Dragon and 9 Starting Cards to create a face-down Draw Deck of 12
cards. Use your Adventurer Placard to organize your cards: place your Draw Deck
on the left side of your Placard face-down (in your Magical Rucksack), with your
Discard Pile on the right face-up (your Rejuvenation Tent). If you are left-handed,
note that the reverse side of your Placard shows these symbols in reverse order.
• Draw a starting hand of five cards from your personal Draw Deck. Don’t let your
opponents ever see the cards in your hand!
• The starting player now begins the game!
4
WHAT TO DO ON YOUR TURN
On your turn do these three things in order: 1) Replenish the Board,
2) Perform ONE Turn Action, and 3) End Your Turn. See Reference Sheet for
a detailed turn summary.
1) REPLENISH THE BOARD
Refill Creature Cards
• Draw Creature cards one-at-a-time from the top of the Creature deck and
place them face-up in each open road space between Regions. (Start at the
compass symbol on top of the board and proceed clockwise, filling the
center last.) Read the name of each Creature you draw, out loud.
• If the newly displayed Creature card shows a Gem symbol in the corner,
then place one Gem on it taken from the supply. Cover the Gem symbol
directly.
• In the unlikely event that you are unable to draw a Creature card, because
none remain in the deck, the game is over—see END OF GAME, page 9.
• If you draw an EVENT card, perform the action indicated and remove the
Event card from the game.
Event: Mischievous Raven
• Ravens like shiny things—like your Gems! The Player (or players) with
the most Gems loses half of them to the Raven. Return these Gems to the
supply. If this player has 4 Gems or fewer, he is unaffected. Round down
when determining what counts as “half” of a player’s supply.
• After performing this action, remove the Mischievous Raven card from the
game and draw a replacement card from the Creature Deck.
• If you draw a Mischievous Raven card when filling the board at the start of
the game, set it to the side and finish filling the board. Then draw 10 cards
from the top of the deck and shuffle the Raven card in with these before
replacing them. Do not shuffle the entire deck!
Refill Open Quests
• If either of the two marked Quest spaces on the board is empty, then draw
the top Quest card, read it out loud, and place it there, face-up, for all to see.
This Quest will be available for all players to complete. Whenever reading
a Quest card, be sure to mention the Region where it must be completed,
as marked on the card. (Regions include Forests, Fields, Highlands, Hills,
Wetlands, and Frozen Wastelands.)
• Place a +1 Point Bonus token on each new Open Quest.
Refill the board with Creature
Cards. Read cards aloud as you
draw them.
Place a Gem on top of each Gem
symbol on a Creature card.
End the game if you cannot draw a
Creature card.
Read each Event card out loud and
do as it indicates. Then remove it
from the game and draw another
Creature card as a replacement.
If you draw a
Mischievous
Raven, the player(s)
with the most
Gems loses half.
If this player has 4
Gems or fewer,
he is unaffected.
Refill Open Quests on the board
and read them aloud.
Place a 1-Point
Bonus Token next to
each Open Quest.
2) PERFORM ONE TURN ACTION
Choose one of the following Turn Actions:
On your turn, choose only ONE
Turn Action:
• Go Adventuring (see next page), or
• Visit a Statue (see page 8), or
• Complete a Quest (see page 9)
You may perform only ONE Turn Action per turn. For example, if you Go
Adventuring on your turn, you may NOT also Visit a Statue or Complete a Quest.
Although you are limited to only one Turn Action per turn, you may perform as
many Free Actions as you like. If you have any Free Actions available that you would
like to perform before your Turn Action, play them before proceeding (see page 10).
5
• Go Adventuring, or
• Visit a Statue, or
• Complete a Quest
You may perform an unlimited
number of Free Actions on your
turn. (See page 10.)
TURN ACTION: GO ADVENTURING
You will always start and end your turn on one of six different Region
tiles on the board (“Regions” for short). You will use cards from your
hand to subdue Creatures that stand in your way as you adventure from
Region to Region. These subdued Creatures will be added to your deck
and join you in future adventures!
Follow these rules when you Go Adventuring:
• You may move your Adventurer to any adjacent Region by subduing
the Creature occupying the space between the two Regions. A Region is
considered “adjacent” if a road connects directly to it from your current
Region.
• To subdue a Creature between two Regions, play one or more cards
from your hand whose upper left corners match the symbol(s) at
the bottom of the Creature card. Play an equal or greater number of
matching symbols to succeed! See example on the next page for details.
• You may travel to as many Regions on your turn as you like, provided
you can subdue each Creature you encounter along the way. See
example on page 7.
• Travel in one continuous line. You may not move diagonally. You may
not backtrack. Follow roads as marked!
• Go Wild! When subduing Creatures, you may substitute any two
matching symbols in place of any other single symbol (as a Wild).
These symbols must be used to subdue the same Creature—you may
not divide these symbols between two or more different Creatures.
Very Important Note: you may NOT use wilds this way to complete
Quests!
• Keep track of your movements! As you use your cards to subdue
Creatures, place these cards directly across each subdued Creature card
at right angles.
• Each time you subdue a Creature, move your Adventurer to the next
adjacent Region beyond it. It is okay if this Region contains another
Adventurer.
• Recruit all subdued Creatures! Immediately after you have finished
Adventuring, recruit all the Creatures you have subdued. They become
your new allies and will help you in future adventures. Stack all newlysubdued Creatures face-up on top of your discard pile, along with all
the cards you used to subdue them. Do not add these cards to your
hand--discard them! Remember: none of your discarded cards is ever
completely removed from play—all your used cards go on top of your
own personal Discard Pile for use later in the game!
• Your turn is now over. See “End Your Turn” on page 9.
Here are a few more rules that apply when you Go Adventuring…
• Immediately after Adventuring, add all Gems from subdued Creatures to
your personal supply. You may use them later this turn in conjunction with
Free Actions if you like.
• Some cards will allow you to use Special Powers when you Go Adventuring.
See “Free Actions” on page 10.
• Remember the Golden Rule for reading most cards in the game. The top of
a card shows the card’s ability when played from your hand. The bottom of
the card shows what is required in order to claim the card. Once a card is in
your hand, you can safely ignore all the symbols at the bottom of the card!
6
To subdue a Creature, play cards
with symbols at the top that match
the symbols at the bottom of the
card you wish to subdue. These
symbols are helpfully marked “Subdued by.”
In the example above, the Troll
card subdues the Enchantress. The
Enchantress subdues the Knight. The
Knight subdues...
You may subdue any Creature
adjacent to your Adventurer. You
may subdue multiple Creatures in
a row on the same turn. Move your
Adventurer as you go.
These two
matching card
symbols can be
used together
as a single wild
symbol to subdue
a Creature on the
board.
This doublesymbol card
can be used as
a single wild
symbol to subdue
a Creature on the
board.
Place cards at
right angles
across each
card you
subdue to keep
track of your
movements.
Add all subdued Creatures to your
Discard Pile, along with the cards
you used to subdue them.
EXAMPLE OF TURN ACTION: GO ADVENTURING
The active player begins her turn in the Hills
with these five cards. She has a good hand! She
chooses Go Adventuring as her Turn Action.
Two Sword symbols are required to subdue the Dragon.
The Sword symbol on the Spatula card matches the first
symbol. The double-symbol Satyr counts as a single
Wild symbol, which matches the second Sword. Working
together, the Spatula and Satyr subdue the Dragon!
The Billy Goat can
be subdued with one
Web symbol.
In each case, the
active player places
the subduing card
across the subdued
card like this:
The double-symbol
Gryphon card is Wild,
and subdues the Billy
Goat.
The Witch’s Broom
sweeps up the Rabbits
of Unusual Size!
The Enchantress’ Wand
bewitches the Knight,
subduing him!
The active player ends her Go Adventuring Turn Action in the Fields. She gathers up the four subdued
Creatures, along with all the cards she used to subdue them. These all go in her personal Discard Pile.
She puts the two Gems she collected in her supply. She has no cards to discard, so she simply Redraws
until she has five cards and ends her turn.
7
TURN ACTION: VISIT A STATUE
When you visit a Statue, choose only ONE of the following options:
Artifact Tower: draw
Artifact cards here.
• Draw 3 Statue cards, or
• Release up to 3 cards from your hand or discard pile (pay 1 gem each),
or
• Teleport to a Region with a matching Statue (pay 2 gems)
Statue Option: Draw 3 Statue cards
• A Statue card is any card you draw when visiting a Statue. The cards you
draw are determined by the Statue in the Region which you currently
occupy on the board.
• There are three different Statues in the game: the Artifact Tower, the
Beast Bazaar, and Quest Chest. When you Visit a Statue, draw from the
matching deck on the appropriate Card Supply Board.
• If you visit the Artifact Tower or Beast Bazaar, you may purchase as
many of the drawn cards as you can afford. You are not required to buy
any. Each Artifact and Beast card costs the number of Gems shown at the
bottom of the card.
• Place claimed Artifact and Beast cards face-up in your Discard Pile. Do
not add them to your hand!
• If you visit the Quest Chest, you must claim at least one of the cards you
draw. Quests are free—but you may only have three face-up Quests at a
time, maximum.
• Place claimed Quest cards face-up in front of you. Read each claimed
Quest and its destination Region out loud.
• A penalty applies for Incomplete Quests equal to the number of cups
shown on it. Be careful not to over-commit yourself! The moment you
claim a new Quest, your score drops by the number of cups shown until
it is completed! (A three-cup quest is worth -3 points until fulfilled, +3
points when completed.)
Statue Option: Release up to 3 cards from your hand or discard pile.
(Pay 1 gem per released card.)
• To “release” a card means to remove it from play for the rest of the game.
You might want to do this when you find yourself with cards you no longer
want.
• Place released cards in a single face-up stack to the side—they may not
be reclaimed.
• You may never release a Peaceful Dragon. Unfortunately for you,
Peaceful Dragons are loyal and refuse to leave your side!
Beast Bazaar: draw
Beast cards here.
Quest Chest: draw
Quest cards here. You
must keep at least one.
Statue Option: Draw 3 Statue
Cards.
Purchased Artifact and Beast
cards go in your Discard Pile.
Artifacts and Beasts add greatly
to your personal power. Buy
many, and buy often!
Claimed Quests go face-up in
front of you. You are limited to
three face-up Quests at a time.
Incomplete Quests penalize
you by the number of cups
showing on the card. Drawing Quests is risky but often
rewarding!
Statue Option: Teleport to a Region with a matching Statue. (Pay 2
gems.)
• Immediately move your Adventurer to another Region on the board
showing the same type of Statue located in your current Region
(Artifact, Beast, or Quest Statue).
Statue Option: Release up to
3 cards from your hand or
discard pile. (Pay 1 gem per
released card.) Releasing cards
is a good way to thin your deck
of unwanted clutter!
Here are a few more rules that apply when you Visit a Statue…
• Return all spent Gems to the supply. • Discard unclaimed Statue cards face-up under the matching deck.
• If face-down Statue cards ever run out, simply reshuffle the discards to form a
new deck.
• Some cards allow you to use Special Powers when you Visit a Statue. See “Free
Actions” on page 10.
• Your turn is now over. See “End your Turn,” page 9.
Statue Option: Teleport to
a Region with a matching
Statue. (Pay 2 gems.) Teleporting can be a clever way to pass
obstacles on the board!
8
TURN ACTION: COMPLETE A QUEST
• You may complete at most one Quest per turn.
• To complete a Personal Quest in front of you or an Open Quest shown
on the board, you must occupy the Region shown on the Quest card
and discard the required cards from your hand and/or those already
committed to that Quest. The discarded cards must display an equal or
greater number of symbols in the corner matching those on the Quest
card. You may not complete Personal Quests belonging to other players!
You may complete one Quest as a
Turn Action.
To complete a Quest, occupy the
Region shown on the Quest card
and discard the required cards from
your hand and/or those already
committed to that Quest.
When you complete a Quest, do the following:
• Read the completed Quest out loud and immediately claim the reward shown on
the completed Quest card (1-3 Gems). Open Quests award a 1-Point Bonus token
as well. This counts as one extra point towards the Quest Goal!
• Turn the fulfilled Quest card face-down and place it on top of your Adventurer
Placard. Your score has now increased by the number of cup symbols on the
Quest card! Make sure you have discarded all the cards used to complete this
Quest.
• Check your total score. Completed Quests are worth the value shown on the
card. Bonus tokens are worth one point each. Incomplete Quests require that
you subtract the displayed value. If you now have a total score (including
penalties) that meets or exceeds the Quest Goal, you win the game! See “End of
Game” on page 12.
• Remember, you may NOT substitute cards with two matching symbols (wilds)
in order to complete a Quest. (Matching-symbol wilds work only for subduing
Creatures when you Go Adventuring on your turn.)
• Your turn is now over. See “End your Turn,” below.
3) END YOUR TURN
If you have any Free Actions available that you would like to perform after
your Turn Action, play them before proceeding (see page 10). To end your
turn, perform the following actions:
• Make sure that you have already discarded all the cards that you used this turn,
plus any cards that you subdued on the board.
• Optional: Discard as many unused cards from your hand as you wish. You are
not required to discard any unused cards if you do not wish to do so. Stack
discards face-up next to your Adventurer Placard in your Discard Pile.
• Optional: Discard one unused card on top of an opponent’s Discard Pile (a
Peaceful Dragon, for example). To do so, you must occupy the same Region as
this opponent and you must have actively moved to this Region this turn. (Any
means of movement counts: Adventuring, Flying Carpet, Teleporting, etc.)
• If you have fewer than five cards in your hand, now refill your hand to five cards.
Draw from your personal Draw Deck.
• If you ever run out of cards in your Draw Deck and need to draw, shuffle your
Discards to form a new face-down Draw Deck. Place this Deck next to your
Adventurer Placard.
• The player on your left now takes her turn.
A Few General Rules and Reminders:
• You may inspect cards in your own Discard pile at any time. You may count
your Draw Deck but you may not look through it.
• You may ask for a card count from other players at any time (for example, to
count their completed Quests). You may not ask what their total point score is,
however—all face-down cards are secret. You may not examine other players’
Draw Decks or Discard Piles.
• You may never completely remove one of your cards from the game unless an
action specifically permits you to do so. All of the cards that you use on your
turn must go on top of your personal Discard Pile.
9
Here the active player completes
the Quest to Snare and bewilder the
Hideous Hedgehog of Hogarth! She
occupies the Hills Region and has
committed two Web symbols and two
Wand symbols to the Quest.
You may not use two matching
symbols as a Wild when completing
Quests.
Used cards go face-up in your personal Discard Pile (adjacent to the
Tent symbol).
You are never required to discard any
unused cards if you do not wish to!
Plan ahead! If you hold a card that
would enable you to defeat an out-ofreach Creature this turn, you might
want to keep this card in your hand in
preparation for next turn!
You may discard one unused card
into an opponent’s Discard Pile if you
occupy the same Region at the end
of your turn. You must have moved
on the board this turn to perform this
action.
After you are finished discarding,
redraw until you have 5 cards.
If you are unable to draw enough
cards from your Draw Deck because
it runs out, shuffle your Discard Pile
to make a new one.
FREE ACTIONS
The following Free Actions can be performed both before and after your
Turn Action (but not during it):
•
•
•
•
Commit Cards to Quests (or Withdraw them). See below.
Use a Treasure Token. See next page.
Use a Card’s Special Power. See next page.
Use an Artifact Card. See next page.
You may perform as many Free Actions as you have resources available to
you. Play multiple Free Actions on your turn to perform powerful combos!
Free Action: Commit Cards to Quests (or Withdraw them)
As a Free Action, you may commit one or more cards from your hand to
Quests, or withdraw (and discard) them. See example to the right.
• You may freely commit any number of cards from your hand and apply
them to your own Personal Quests and to the two Open Quests displayed
on the board.
• To commit cards to your Personal Quests, at least one symbol on the
committed card must match a symbol on the Quest. Tuck committed
cards behind the Quest card part way, so that their symbols still show.
These committed cards should be visible to all players.
• You are allowed to commit extra symbols beyond those required, but
not if you have committed all required symbols of that kind already. For
example, you may play a double-Wand card when only one further Wand
is required—but you may not commit any more Wands if all Wand symbols
have already been matched.
• To commit cards to an Open Quest, secretly place one or more cards
face-down in front of you. Put the Quest token on top of these cards to
distinguish them from others. You may have no more than five cards face
down under your Quest Token at any time. If you have more than five,
you must immediately discard committed cards until you have only five
left in this stack.
• Any card (even a Peaceful Dragon) may be committed face-down beneath
your Quest token—it does not have to match a displayed Quest symbol.
But all cards committed beneath your Quest token must either a) remain
there, b) be used to fulfill an Open Quest, or c) be discarded. These cards
may not be used for any other purpose. No cards committed beneath
your Quest token can be used for Personal Quests!
• You may withdraw cards from any Quest (Personal or Open) by moving
committed cards to your Discard Pile. Do not put them back in your hand!
Note: any personal Quest itself stays in place and cannot be removed!
• You may commit cards to a Quest (as a Free Action) and complete that
Quest (as your regular Turn Action) both in the same turn, as long as you
perform no other Turn Action.
Strategy Tip: Remember that each card you commit to a Quest will remain out
of circulation until the Quest is completed! Be careful not to commit cards that
you might need to defeat Creatures! As a rule it is best to wait until you have
at least two cards in your deck showing the same symbol before adding one of
these to a Quest.
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You may perform as many Free
Actions on your turn as you like.
Free Actions
• Commit Cards to Quests (or
Withdraw them)
• Use a Treasure Token
• Use a Card’s Special Power
• Use an Artifact Card
Example of a Free Action:
Commit Cards to Quests
The active player has two face-up
Quests. On her turn, in addition
to performing her regular Turn
Action, she also commits cards
to Quests as Free Actions. She
commits one Web symbol (the
Net), one Tooth symbol (Rabbits),
and a double-Flame symbol
(Dragon) from her hand.
In an attempt to fulfill Quests
in the center of the game board,
the active player also wants to
place two of her cards face down
beneath her Quest token. Because
she already has five cards there—
the maximum allowed at one
time—she first Withdraws two
of the cards already there and
places them in her discard pile.
She then adds the two new cards,
face down.
(Withdrawn
and
Discarded)
Free Action: Use a Treasure Token
Spend a Treasure token to perform an special action, instantly. Flip spent tokens
over to show that they have been used. Treasure tokens include:
• Flying Carpet. Fly over a Creature card to an adjacent Region. (The Creature card stays in
place.) Follow existing roads—you may not travel diagonally. Strategy tip: it is often best to
save Flying Carpets for when you are stuck and cannot move!
• Reshuffle. Move all cards from the Tent back into your Rucksack. Shuffle your Discards
together with your existing Draw Deck to form a new Draw Deck. Strategy tip: reshuffle
right after you acquire powerful new cards in your Discard Pile!
Free Action: Use a Card’s Special Power
Cards showing a circular symbol near the upper-left corner have Special Powers.
Special Powers allow you to perform a Free Action instead of that card’s main
ability. As you use each card for a Free Action, place it in your Discard Pile.
• The Flying Carpet symbol lets you fly to an adjacent Region (see Treasure Tokens, above).
• The Peaceful Dragon symbol lets you summon a Peaceful Dragon. Draw a Peaceful
Dragon card from the supply and immediately place it on top of any opponent’s Discard
Pile. (The Peaceful Dragon is useless--he just takes up valuable space in your hand
drinking tea and refusing to fight or Quest!)
• The Gem symbol (on Dog cards) lets you claim one Gem from the supply. Your dog has
a good nose for sniffing out treasure! Note: the Gem symbols at the BOTTOM of Creature
cards indicate that you place a Gem on the card when it goes on the board. You do NOT
claim a Gem each turn one of these cards enters your hand!
• Cards with “+S” card symbols let you draw—not claim—one additional card when
visiting any Statue, giving you more options to choose from. (Play “+S” cards before you
draw.)
• You may also use “+S” cards to release extra cards at a Statue (but you must still pay 1
Gem for each card you release).
• Cards with a Key symbol let you Visit a Statue as a Free Action (just like the “Visit a
Statue” Turn Action, but without taking up your Turn Action).
Free Action: Use an Artifact Card
• Artifact cards wield strange abilities. After you use an Artifact for a Free Action,
place it in your Discard Pile.
• The costs shown below are the prices when an Artifact is originally purchased.
There is no cost to use cards already in your hand.
Artifact Card Descriptions
Cost: 2 Gems (or Starting Artifact)
• Bell of Summoning. Draw 3 cards from your Draw Deck. Keep one, discard the others.
• Bitter Brew: Choose one card from your Discard Pile (or Hand) and place it in any
opponent’s Discard Pile!
• Looking Glass: Double the symbol value of one card you play this turn while
Adventuring! Remember: by doubling symbols, you create one wild symbol. (And two sets of
matching symbols count as a double-wild.) The Looking Glass may not be used for Quests.
• Rogue’s Purse: Snatch one Gem from each opponent holding more Gems than you! If no
opponent holds more Gems than you, you steal nothing.
• Wardrobe of Changing: Exchange any two Creatures on the board! Move any Gems in
play along with the Creatures when you switch their places.
Cost: 3 Gems
• Bag of Bulging: Draw two extra cards from your Draw Deck!
• Bent Pentacle: Draw one card from the Creature Deck and place it in your Discard Pile!
• Deck of Misadventure: Exchange the positions of any two Adventurers on the board!
Yours may be one of the exchanged Adventurers, but it is not required to be.
• Gnomish Portal: Teleport to any Region with a Statue matching the one in your current
Region!
• Smelly Alchemy: Reclaim any card from your Discard Pile and add it to your hand! You
may use this card immediately.
Cost: 4 Gems
• Double Espresso: Perform one extra Turn Action! Actions must be performed in
sequence—they cannot interrupt one another. You may perform more Free Actions both
before and after this extra Turn Action if you like.
• New-Fangled Pentangle: Draw one card from the Creature Deck and add it to your hand!
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Free Action:
Use a Treasure Token
Flying Carpet
token
Reshuffle
token
Free Action:
Use a Card’s Special Power
Flying Carpet
Peaceful Dragon:
draw one and place it
in an Opponent’s
Discard Pile
Collect one Gem
Draw or Release
1 extra card
at a Statue
Key: Visit a Statue
in your Region as
a Free Action
Free Action:
Use an Artifact Card
Examples of Artifact cards.
The purchase price is
shown at the bottom.
END OF GAME
•
•
If your total score (including penalties) equals or exceeds the Quest Goal, you win the game! Each completed Quest is
worth points equal to the number of cups shown on it. Incomplete Quests subtract the same amount. Even if you reach the
Quest Goal in completed quests, you must first subtract all your Incomplete Quests to determine your total score!
More rarely, the game ends when a player is unable to refill the board because the Creature deck has run out. In this
case, the player with the highest score wins the game. If players tie, then the player with most Quest cards wins the
game. If players still tie, then they share the victory.
4-PLAYER RULES
When playing with 4 players, play as partners in two teams (two players each). Follow these rules:
• Team members sit alternately around the table (no two teammates take turns right after each other).
• Players’ scores on the same team are added together (including penalties). If players on the same team collectively meet or
exceed the Quest Goal, that team wins the game!
• As a Free Action (before and/or after a Turn Action, not during) the active player may trade cards with her partner.
Trades work according to these rules:
• Partners trading cards must occupy the same Region or adjacent Regions.
• Both players must agree to the trade, and to which cards are traded.
• The traded cards must come from the players’ hands. Traded cards may not come from their Draw Deck, Discard Pile,
cards committed to personal Quests, cards beneath their Quest token, etc.
• An equal number of cards must be traded: players must receive as many cards as they give, and vice-versa. Players may
not give or exchange Gems or Treasure Tokens.
• Open table-talk is permitted. Partners may not talk secretly and may not show their cards to each other. Partners may not
plan with each other during the opposing team’s turn.
SIMPLIFIED RULES
If you are new to strategy games or if you are playing with children, try playing by simplified rules. Follow all the regular
rules for setup and gameplay, with the following exceptions.
Setting up the simplified game:
• Remove the following components from the game and put them back in the box: Artifact cards, Peaceful Dragon cards,
the two wooden Artifact Tower Statues, and the “Reshuffle” tokens.
• Choose a Quest Goal for a shorter game, based on the number of players (7 or 8 points—see page 3). If adults are playing
the game with children, consider giving the adults a higher Quest Goal as a handicap.
• Place a Beast Statue and a Quest Cup Statue on the top two and bottom two Regions of the board, in whichever order you
choose. The middle two Regions will have no Statues on them.
• Give each player one additional Flying Carpet token to start the game (4 total).
• Each player shuffles her 9 Adventurer Cards and 1 Dog card to make her initial Draw Deck, and then draws five cards into
her hand as usual.
Playing the simplified game:
• Each time that a player completes a Quest, she claims a Flying Carpet token in addition to the marked reward. The
maximum number that a player may have at one time is 4 Flying Carpets. Flip face-down Flying Carpet tokens face-up
again to indicate that they are available for use.
• Ignore any “Special Powers” on Creature Cards or Beast Cards. (“Special Powers” are the symbols in the circles near the
upper-left corner of the card.) Note: Dog cards still award 1 Gem when played as a Free Action.
DESIGNERíS VARIANTS
Visit www.fantastiqa.com for Designer’s Variants and other exciting game resources!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A Fantastiqal thank-you goes out to Natasha Seegert, whose contributions entitle her to spend all next year in the Rejuvenation Tent drinking tea with
the Peaceful Dragon. Special thanks to Rick Soued for his vision and creative development. A gratitude-laden Rucksack goes to Paul Incao and family
(esp. Rachel) for their creative and critical contributions. Exquisitely legible acknowledgment goes to Alex Chalhoub, Annika Pecchia-Bekkum and
Michael Fox, and buckets of gems go out to Jason Cook, Trent Levesque, Patrick Whiting, Ian Whiting, Shane Smith, and Tara Merrill. Thank you also
to Joanne and Alex Soued; Genny Zou; Shannon Crutchfield; Sean Brown; Brandon Allen; Bryan Carr; Amanda Klein; Gabriel Klein; Brandon Cook;
Phil Kilcrease; Carrie Ulrich; Alan, Lauren, and Harrison Reiser; Alex Boren; Nate McVaugh; Lydia Middendorf; Lisa and Bart Foust; Keith Zabik; the
Admins at BoardGameGeek; and all backers at Kickstarter!! And to anyone I’ve forgotten!
Original game design, layout and rules: Alf Seegert — alfseegert.com
Development and Production: Rick Soued, Gryphon Games — eagle-gryphon.com
Graphics and production: Pixel Productions, Inc.
Art used by permission from the Bridgeman Art Library, New York City
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