1872: The Lost Crows Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• How to Win
• How to Lose
• Scoring
• Set Up
• Map Locations Guide
• Turn Order (Phases)
  • Phase 1 – Tribal Unit Activation
  • Phase 2 – Resolve Actions
  • Bad Omen Chart
  • Phase 3 – Movement
  • Phase 4 – Journaling
• Vision Quest
• Plot/Encounter Hexes
• Vision Quest Results
  • Plains Visions
  • Forest Visions
  • Mountain Visions
• Plot/Encounter Tables
  • Hex A
  • Hex B
  • Hex C
  • Hex D
  • Hex E
• Plot Outcomes

How to Win

Move your tribe from the starting Forest hex in the southeast (Mounted Native location) to the British Canadian Flag double-hex in the north by expending Movement Progress while balancing Food, Resolve, and Proximity. You must visit the 5 lettered Plot Hexes. You immediately win once you enter that double-hex.

How to Lose

If any of your three primary resources (Food, Resolve, or Proximity) are at 0 at the end of a turn you lose.

• Food is a variety of items (meat, fruit, and grains) needed to sustain your tribe. Your tribe dissolves and leaves you if Food reaches 0.
• Resolve represents your tribe's loyalty and eagerness to follow your orders. You, as the Chief, are banished when Resolve reaches 0.
• Proximity is the distance the bulk of the U.S. Cavalry ordered to pursue you is maintaining. They will reach you and destroy your tribe when Proximity reaches 0.

Scoring

If you lose, score 1 point for each hex traveled in the game.

If you win, score 1 point for each hex traveled in the game, plus 2 points for each Crow you have colored.

Set Up

Besides this Rules PDF and Player Sheet PDF, you will need:

• 12 six-sided dice (Four to track your resources at the top of the Player Sheet, and eight for rolling)
• Pencil and Eraser
• Notepaper (For the Roll-and-Write Journaling Phase)
• 3 Colored Pencils (ideally yellow, green, and brown) ⧫

1. Use any three colors (besides black, which you'll use to map your route) to color in the three terrain key hexes to the right of the hex map. For instance, if I had Yellow, Green, and Brown colored pencils I would probably color the Plains hex yellow, the Forest hex green, and the Mountain hex brown. You will also use these colors to fill in Crows throughout the game.

⧫ Optional "No Colored Pencil" Rule: If you do not want to use colored pencils or if you don't have access to them, you can still play the game with a completely different visual effect. Just use your regular pencil to complete the terrain key in a similar manner to this one. Sketch the same symbols in the empty hexes (and Crows) as you discover them.

2. Place three of the dice (with the 6 side up) in the three Primary Resource boxes at the top of the Player Sheet (Food, Resolve, and Proximity). Place a fourth die (with the 6 side up) on the Movement Progress box. Movement Progress is not a primary resource, but it has similar mechanics.

None of the four tracking boxes can exceed 6. Certain events might reduce your capacity to carry a resource for the rest of the game. If that happens, circle your new max cap under your die. Excess supplies are always discarded.

Now you're set up and ready to play. Good luck!

Map Locations Guide

There are a few locations on the map that you need to understand before playing.

• Starting hex: You start in the lower right hex of the map depicted by the mounted native. It is a forest hex so color in the hex accordingly. Trace your movement as you leave this hex.
• Winning hex: You win by entering the double hex in the north depicted by the British Canadian flag.
• Fort Benton: This hex is impassable unless noted otherwise during a Plot.
• Fort Benton Zone of Control: Reduce your Proximity rating by 1 at the beginning of each turn if you start in one of these hexes.
• River: These dark lines require one extra Movement Point to cross.
• Plot/Encounter Hexes (A, B, C, D, and E): Roll 1d6 immediately when entering one of these hexes for the first time and refer to the Hex/Plot Encounter chart for the appropriate Letter and your d6 result.

Turn Order (Phases)

Each day is represented by a turn consisting of four phases. You will roll dice and assign them amongst your tribe to resolve actions, while tracking supplies and progress with other dice. You will color terrain, and trace your movement toward the winning hexes.

1. Tribal Unit Activation
2. Resolve Actions
3. Movement (optional)
4. Journaling (At Plot Hexes)

Phase 1 – Tribal Unit Activation

Each of the four Tribal units (Chief, Tribe, Warriors, and Shaman) have 2 die-boxes. Take all 8 dice that are not on the Resources at the top of the page. (The dice on the Resources are used only as trackers.) Roll 2d6 and place them in any two unfilled tribal die-boxes. The boxes you choose can be two in the same unit or in different units. Your goal is to get a difference as close to 2 or 3 as possible. Repeat this process three more times until all four Tribal units have their boxes filled – all 8 boxes.

• Tribe: These are the children, women, and a few men who hunt and forage for food.
• Chief: The Chief is the most versatile of the four Tribal units. He has no specialty but instead offers support to all different resources through his Wilds (feather icon).
• Shaman: Possibly as important as the Chief, the Shaman is more than just his advisor. He is also the tribe's healer, judge, jury, and counselor. The Shaman is needed in order for your tribe to gain a powerful boon from a Vision Quest since he is the only tribal unit that can roll Crows.
• Warriors: These are the braves and pipe carriers that harass the U.S. Cavalry or lead them astray.

Spirit Dancers: You have two Spirit Dancers. Each can be used once per game to change a die result from Phase 1 to any of your choice. For instance, if you ended up with a smaller number in the tens place than in the ones place (maybe a 2 in the tens and a 4 in the ones), you'd want to change it so you don't get a negative number. In order to do so, you put an X through a Spirit Dancer box and change the number to any between 1-6, of your choice. These changes can be on the same round or different rounds.

Phase 2 – Resolve Actions

Your Tribe is constantly on the move and working a variety of tasks to balance the resources needed to reach Canada. Subtract the two die numbers for each unit by subtracting the bottom die from the top die. Use the difference and refer to the chart on the right side of the Player sheet. Resolve the icons in order from left to right on the player sheet (Tribe, Chief, Shaman, Warriors). If your result shows two icons, you can resolve them in any order you wish.

The Player Sheet chart is laid out as a grid: the difference (5, 4, 3, 2, or less than 2) down the side, and each tribal unit across the top. Each cell lists the effect(s) that unit's icons produce for that difference.

Difference	Tribe	Chief	Shaman	Warriors
5	Reduce two Primary Resources of your choice by 1.	Reduce two Primary Resources of your choice by 1.	Roll 2d6 and refer to the Bad Omen chart.	Roll 2d6 and refer to the Bad Omen chart.
4	Roll 2d6 and refer to the Bad Omen chart.	Lose 1 Proximity and 1 Resolve.	Shaman is hurt or afflicted with fever. Reduce Resolve by 1. On the next two turns, during Phase 1 the first 2d6 rolled must be placed in the Shaman's boxes (before any other rolls). The Elder Shaman (if you have him) still gets to discard 1 die before assigning them.	Lose 1 Resolve.
3	Color an adjacent unmapped hex as Plains. If all adjacent hexes are mapped, choose an unmapped hex two hexes away. Color an adjacent unmapped hex as Plains. If all adjacent hexes are mapped, choose an unmapped hex two hexes away.	Color an adjacent unmapped hex as Plains. If all adjacent hexes are mapped, choose an unmapped hex two hexes away. Color an adjacent unmapped hex as Forest. If all adjacent hexes are mapped, choose an unmapped hex two hexes away.	Color an adjacent unmapped hex as Forest. If all adjacent hexes are mapped, choose an unmapped hex two hexes away. Color an adjacent unmapped hex as Forest. If all adjacent hexes are mapped, choose an unmapped hex two hexes away.

Icon key for the Player Sheet chart (as printed in the guide to the different icons):

• Reduce two Primary Resources of your choice by 1.
• Shaman is hurt or afflicted with fever. Reduce Resolve by 1. On the next two turns, during Phase 1 the first 2d6 rolled must be placed in the Shaman's boxes (before any other rolls). The Elder Shaman (if you have him) still gets to discard 1 die before assigning them.
• You can add one to any Primary Resource or Movement.
• Increase Proximity by 1.
• Lose 1 Proximity and 1 Resolve.
• Add 1 Movement.
• Add 1 Food.
• Color in a Crow (to the Right of the starting hex) to match the terrain you currently occupy. Once you have colored seven Crows, refer to the Vision Quest chart to get your powerful boon for whichever terrain has the most colored Crows. A player can only have one Vision Quest per game. Any Crow acquired after a Vision Quest increases one Primary resource of your choice.
• Color an adjacent unmapped hex as Plains. If all adjacent hexes are mapped, choose an unmapped hex two hexes away.
• Color an adjacent unmapped hex as Forest. If all adjacent hexes are mapped, choose an unmapped hex two hexes away.
• Color an adjacent unmapped hex as Mountains. If all adjacent hexes are mapped, choose an unmapped hex two hexes away.

Bad Omen Chart

Roll 1d6 and apply that to the tens place, then roll 1d6 and apply it to the ones place before consulting the chart below.

Roll	Result
11-12	Windstorm (Lose 1 Movement Progress)
13-14	Traitors (Reduce your Maximum Proximity capacity by 1)
15-16	Thunderstorm (Movement Cost is doubled this turn)
21-22	Bad Luck (Lose 2 of your lowest Resource)
23-24	Hailstorm (No Movement this turn)
25-26	Heatwave (Lose 2 Resolve)
31-32	American Settlers (Lose 2 Proximity)
33-34	Drought (Reduce your Maximum Food capacity by 1)
35-36	Dissent (Reduce your Maximum Resolve capacity by 1)
41-42	Cursed Land (You cannot enter the adjacent hex to the north next turn)
43-44

Phase 3 – Movement

If you choose to travel, you can only move to mapped hexes. Use your regular pencil to trace your route from the south of Montana to the Canadian border. If you do not move during this phase, lose 1 Resolve. Although your goal of the game is to reach the British Canadian flagged double-hex at the top of the map, you will have to deviate from your route to reach the Plot/Encounter hexes (labeled A-E). You will need to spend Movement Progress equal to the cost to get into each hex. These differ by terrain types:

Terrain	Cost to enter
Plains	1 Movement and 2 Food
Forest	2 Movement and 1 Food
Mountains	3 Movement and 1 Food
River (crossing)	Lose 1 extra Movement or Resolve when crossing a River.
No movement this phase	Lose 1 Resolve if you do not move during this phase.

Each terrain has difficulties and bonuses about them. Plains are easier to move through while Mountains have better secret encounters and boons. Forests are in between on both counts.

You must have the necessary Food and Movement Progress and can only have a maximum of 6 stored at the top of your Player Sheet. Here are three examples: with 3 MPs and 6 Food, you could move through three Plains, or with 6 MP and 3 Food you could move through three Forests—as long as all the hexes were mapped and colored beforehand. You never have to move your maximum though. If you do use all of your movement points, just move the die off of your player sheet until you recover movement again.

Use your regular pencil to draw your tribe's route into the next hex. When you move into a Plot/Encounter hex (identified on the map as A, B, C, D, and E) for the first time you must immediately STOP and end this phase. Roll 1d6 and refer to the correct encounter table located on the next page. Most Encounters hexes will require you to make a choice in a choose-your-own-adventure fashion. Many of the encounters follow a plot line, so DO NOT read ahead and do not read other possibilities after you've chosen your path.

To win, you must move into the Canada double-hex at the top of the map. The double-hex must be mapped, and both hexes share the same terrain.

Phase 4 – Journaling

After resolving a Plot/Encounter hex, write a short paragraph description of your travels up to (and including) this hex. There are "keywords" that trigger other events in future Encounters, some of which change the victory conditions of the game, and others will affect plot advancement. If you enter a Plot Hex that talks about a sacred stream, you should write about it because a future Plot Hex may instruct you to do something (or get something) if you have "sacred stream" written in your Journal.

Write a final journal entry once you complete the game (win or lose). If you win the game and visited all five Plot hexes, then you will have written a six-paragraph story of your journey. Every time you play, your story will be different.

Some "choose your own adventure" results must be referenced on the last pages of this document.

Vision Quest

A Vision Quest is a special action that provides help in your mission to reach the winning hexes. It isn't needed to win, but the boon is undoubtedly beneficial. Seven Crows are required to activate a Vision Quest. Each time you gain a Crow, color in one of the Crows below the hex map the same color as the terrain you are currently in. Once you have acquired your seventh Crow, roll 1d6 and consult the table below that is represented by the most abundant colored Crows. In case of a tie, you choose.

Plot/Encounter Hexes

In order to win the game, you must reach Canada after visiting the 5 Plot hexes. You must immediately end your movement when you enter any Plot/Encounter Hex. Roll 1d6 when first entering a Hex of a given letter (A, B, C, etc..) and refer to the result below. (You will only roll on each Plot Hex letter once per game (only 1 A result, 1 B result, etc…)

The following pages refer to the Vision Quest Results and the Hex Plot/Encounter. Do Not read past this page until instructed.

Vision Quest Results

Roll 1d6 and consult the table for the terrain with the most colored Crows.

Plains Visions

1. River Spirits: Each time your tribe crosses a river, gain 2 Resolve.
2. Bison Herd: Immediately set your Food (and Food maximum) to 6.
3. Waterwalkers: Rivers no longer affect movement.
4. Windriders: You may reroll 1 die while in the Plains.
5. Big Sky Blessing: Lose any single primary resource of your choice on a storm result instead of the storm consequence.
6. Woman Warchief: Write a permanent #6 in the top Chief tribal die-box. Discard any 1 die at any time (after rolled) during Phase 1.

Forest Visions

1. Stormwalkers: You are immune to any negative effects that have the word Storm in it.
2. Bear Tribe Treaty: Reset all Resource maximum capacities to 6 (including Movement) and then add 2 to all of those resources.
3. Night Thieves: Gain 1 Food when your Tribe rolls a negative result.
4. Forest Fire: Immediately set your Proximity to 6 and add 1 to your Resolve.
5. Feather Scouts: Forests only cost 1 movement to enter.
6. Pipe Carriers: Write a permanent #6 in the top tribal die-box. Discard any 1 die at any time (after rolled) during Phase 1.

Mountain Visions

1. Ghost Mountain: Draw a Mountain in any non-adjacent blank hex. Set all of your Primary resources to 5 when entering it.
2. Spirit of the Goat: Mountains only cost 1 movement to enter from now on.
3. Storm Dancers: Remove your Spirit Dancers. You can now use this ability once per turn only in Mountains.
4. Sacred Spring: Your Shaman is immune to wounds/fevers and Bad Omens.
5. Future Portents: When rolling for a Bad Omen, roll both dice at the same time and then choose their placement (tens/ones) after evaluating the results. If you roll doubles, you avoid/ignore consequences.
6. Elder: Write a permanent #6 in the top Shaman tribal die-box. Discard any 1 die at any time (after rolled) during Phase 1.

Plot/Encounter Tables

Roll 1d6 on first entering a Plot/Encounter hex and find the entry with that letter and number. Each entry ends with instructions to go to a numbered outcome (for example "go to 10A"); the numbered outcomes are listed under Plot Outcomes below.

Hex A

• A1 Perfect Sunset – A hush falls over the tribe as you witness one of the most beautiful sunsets the Creator has ever devised. What a poignant ending for the day. A glint of gold is reflecting off your Henry. You look down and mutter a silent prayer that you won't have to use it.
• A2 Challenge to the Chief – An ornery nephew sympathetic to the Sioux has challenged you for leadership of the tribe. If you ignore it, go to 10A. If answer his challenge, go to 40A.
• A3 Wagons East – You come across a small wagon train of Christians making their way east while flying British colors. If you ignore them, go to 11A. If you try to greet and make peace, go to 23A. If you order them to be massacred, go to 31A.
• A4 Toxic Lake – You come across a warm lake that smells of rotten eggs. Hundreds of dead fish are floating on the surface and washed up on shore. If you ignore, go to 17A. If you harvest all of the edible fish, go to 04A.
• A5 Thick Fog – The day's events are compounded by a thick fog that has rolled in. If you continue camping for the night, go to 33A. If you order the immediate break of camp in an attempt to out distance the fog, go to 18A.
• A6 Farm on Fire – You see smoke in the distance which turns out to be an American homestead on fire. If you help the homesteaders, go to 29A. If you ravage the homestead for supplies, go to 47A. If you ignore it, go to 03A.

Hex B

• B1 Perfect Sunset – A hush falls over the tribe as you witness one of the most beautiful sunsets the Creator has ever devised. What a poignant ending for the day.
• B2 Trading Post – You surmise that this must be a Trading Post for Fort Benton. If you parley and trade with the post, go to 07A. If you attack the post, go to 30A. If you ignore the post, go to 48A.
• B3 Dead Blackfeet – You come across the remains of a Blackfoot scouting party. They wear the uniforms of the U.S. Cavalry but have been stabbed and scalped, likely by other tribes in the area. If you leave the traitors' corpses to the vultures, go to 11A. If you order your tribe to give the bodies a local pyre funeral, go to 37A.
• B4 Spirit Bear – A very rare white spirit bear crosses the headwaters of the river in search of food. It shows no fear as it lumbers toward your Shaman. If you attack it, go to 25A. If you make noise so your presence is known, go to 15A. If you stay silent and observe in awe, go to 35A.
• B5 Golden Spring – Camping at the headwaters, some of your tribe has come across a breadcrumb trail of gold in the river. If you delay your sojourn for a day to collect gold, go to 02A. If you ignore it, go to 17A.
• B6 Mining Camp – Searching for a defensible site to camp, you have found a small American mining operation in the hills near a river. If you order an attack on the camp, go to 41A. If you try to greet and make peace, go to 19A. If you ignore, go to 48A.

Hex C

• C1 Perfect Sunset – A hush falls over the tribe as you witness one of the most beautiful sunsets the Creator has ever devised. What a poignant ending for the day.
• C2 Pristine Lake Source – You come across the source of the Great River, an enormous glacial fed lake. If you camp at the lake shore, go to 43A. If you look for a more defendable position, go to 16A.
• C3 Hot Springs Source – It turns out that the source of the Great River is a series of hot springs. The shaman wants the Tribe to bathe in the springs. If you agree with the Shaman, go to 05A. If you oppose bathing in the springs, go to 39A.
• C4 Sioux Raiders – War cries of the Sioux horsemen shatter the still of the night as they gallop through your camp slicing at warriors, women, and children indiscriminately. If you respond in kind, in protection of your tribe, go to 34A. If you try to parley and reason with them, go to 21A.
• C5 Red Moon Tribe – One of the oldest tribes in the region is under attack by a large U.S. Cavalry scouting group. They have always been fiercely reclusive and refuse all types of parley. If you order your warriors into the fray, go to 28A. If you use the distraction to try and bypass the area undetected, go to 09A.
• C6 Abandoned Cabin – Out in the middle of nowhere stands a lone cabin, nearly pristine yet seemingly abandoned. If you investigate it, go to 08A. If you ignore it, go to 17A.

Hex D

• D1 Perfect Sunset – A hush falls over the tribe as you witness one of the most beautiful sunsets the Creator has ever devised. What a poignant ending for the day.
• D2 Narrow Gorge – While traveling through a long deep gorge, the small trickle of water at your feet becomes deeper and deep. The water is raging and nearly 2 feet deep within an hour, sweeping some children off their feet. If you order the tribe back out of the gorge the way you came, go to 42A. If you order the tribe to cling to and climb the walls, go to 14A.
• D3 Ominous Dream. – A dream of terror is shared by you and the Shaman. Dead crows dropping from the skies to the north. If you order your tribe towards the south, go to 27A. If you ignore it, go to 01A.
• D4 Ambush! – Cavalry come sweeping over the bluff, rifles and pistols firing into tipis. If your Resolve is greater than 3, go to 22A. If your Resolve is currently 3 or less, go to 45A.
• D5 Buffalo Massacre – In front of you for miles lay the fresh kills of hundreds of buffalo. A herd known in the area as Red Hooves because of the type of mud and clay they prefer to walk through. It looks like the entire herd was destroyed by the Cavalry. If you order your tribe to harvest all usable meat, go to 38A. If you order your shaman to bless this cursed land and let the buffalo rest in peace, go to 06A.
• D6 Raze Ft. Benton – Scouts have reported that the bulk of the Ft. Benton army detachment is 40 miles away and headed in the wrong direction looking for you. There can be no more than a handful of second-rate soldiers currently left at the Fort. Striking now might be the only chance you have at a decisive victory, and protecting all of the other Tribes in the region by forcing the U.S. into a truce. NEW VICTORY CONDITION: If you accept the new condition and attack Ft. Benton, go to 12A. If you ignore it, go to 17A.

Hex E

• E1 Perfect Sunset – A hush falls over the tribe as you witness one of the most beautiful sunsets the Creator has ever devised. What a poignant ending for the day.
• E2 Missing Mountie – A small group of Mounties clearly on the American side of the river are searching for one of their own. They are allowed on U.S. soil for only 24 hours and offer you a deal of stewardship in Canada for the return of their comrade. NEW VICTORY CONDITION: If you agree to their terms, go to 44A. If you ignore it, go to 17A.
• E3 Rattlesnake – A dream foretold of this but you thought nothing of it until you were bit early in the morning. If you allow the shaman to treat you, go to 26A. If you allow one of the women in the tribe who professes western medicinal skill to treat you, go to 49A.
• E4 Highland Twister – The clouds slowly boil over you with shades of green and purple. The air temperature drops dramatically as tendrils of the clouds snake their ways down to land. If you order your tribe to the high banks of the river, go to 24A. If you order your tribe to the rocky bluffs a few miles back, go to 46A.
• E5 Earthen Mounds – You come upon the remains of a civilization thousands of years older than you. There has been argument since your grandfather was a child as to whether mounds like these were temples, homes, or graves. This is the first time you've seen ones for yourself. If you investigate, go to 13A. If you skirt around it, go to 36A.
• E6 Rope Bridge – A large yet old rope bridge spans the gap of the river to the north. While discussing how safe it may or may not be, one of the impatient warriors carefully trots his horse across. Order the tribe to cross the bridge carefully, go to 20A. Order the warrior to cross back to this side since this bridge seems "too convenient," go to 32A.

Plot Outcomes

Choose-your-own-adventure results, referenced from the Plot/Encounter tables above. Do not read ahead.

• 01A – If you took stock of every dream you ever had, you'd be a quivering mess. You ignore the dream and continue north.
• 02A – The Whites value this more than life itself. You realize you can use it to secure your passage into Canada. Reduce Movement Progress to 0, and you cannot move out of this hex next turn. NEW VICTORY CONDITION: The word GOLD must be written in at least 3 Journal Entries before you reach an E Plot Hex. When you reach E, do not roll on the chart, Instead, Neutral frontiersmen on the south side of the river will escort you to the Canadian outpost for the gold recovered. You Win!
• 03A – The fire is between the settlers and The Creator. You ignore the burning and move on.
• 04A – When the Creator provides, it would be insulting not to partake. The fish are a bounty to your tribe (gain 1d6 Food), but some of the weaker people got sick. Shaman is afflicted with Fever.
• 05A – The therapeutic nature of the water seems both physical and spiritual. Gain 1 Resolve.
• 06A – Nobody shall benefit from this tragedy. The shaman performs the ritual. Lose 1 Resolve.
• 07A – They seem friendly enough in trade, giving your tribe 2 Food. Shortly after you leave a U.S. Cavalry scout can be seen in the distance tracking your movements. Lose 1 Proximity.
• 08A – An explosion rips through this elaborate dynamite booby trap injuring many of your tribe who were too close. You realize too late that the Cavalry had set this up specifically to try to kill you. Lose 1 Resolve, Shaman is afflicted with Fever.
• 09A – The skirmish takes attention away from you. Add 1d6 Movement Progress.