A Conclave of Wyrms
A Conclave of Wyrms Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
The object is to be the player with the most points (indicating draconic power) at the end of six hands (referred to as Cycles). You receive points by accurately predicting the number of tricks (referred to as Gatherings) you will take in a Cycle and also by taking special card combinations. You want to avoid taking cards with negative points values.
Set Up
There are six cards indicating five Dominant Colors and one that indicates No Dominant Color. Shuffle the five Dominant Color cards and put them in a stack face down. Place the No Dominant Color card at the bottom of this stack as the last card to be drawn. This creates the Dominant Color deck. Give each player a set of tokens numbering from 0-9. Write each player's name on a score sheet. Determine who will deal first (see section on Dealing).
Dealing
The oldest player deals the first Cycle. After shuffling the deck, that player deals out all cards in the deck except for the last one, which is set aside until after predictions have been made. The number of cards a player has will range from ten to twenty depending on the number of players. For the next Cycle the deal passes to the left of the current dealer.
Determine the Dominant Color
Turn over the top card of the Dominant Color deck. This determines the Dominant Color (typically referred to as a trump suit in other games) for the duration of the current Cycle.
The Cards
Queen: There is only 1 Queen card in the deck. The Queen takes ANY Gathering into which it is played. Not only is it the highest ranked card, but it also supersedes even the Treasure/Great Wyrm combination or the abilities of the Lair. It will take a Gathering under all circumstances. The Queen is worth negative 10 points during the scoring phase.
Each color has 9 numbered cards (3 Drakes, 3 Dragons, 3 Wyrms) and 2 special cards (Lair, Treasure).
Great Wyrm: This is the highest ranked card of its color (number 9). It is susceptible to capture by the Treasure of the same color. It is worth an additional 10 points during the scoring phase.
Wyrms: These are the highest ranked of the dragon cards; they are numbered 7 through 9.
Dragons: These are the middle ranked dragon cards; they are numbered 4 through 6.
Drakes: These are the lowest ranked of the dragon cards; they are numbered 1 through 3.
Treasure: This card is ranked just above the Lair but below the Hatchling Drake (number 1) when determining whether it takes a Gathering. If it is played in the same Gathering as the Great Wyrm of the same color, it will allow you to take the Gathering (unless the Queen is played or in cases where a Lair removes the Gathering). If more than one Great Wyrm/Treasure combination occurs in the same Gathering, the Dominant Color takes precedence; otherwise the last Treasure played into the Gathering takes precedence.
Lair: This card is the lowest ranked colored card when determining whether it takes a Gathering. When playing with 3 or 4 players, if a Lair is played in a Gathering comprised entirely of cards matching the color of the Lair, it removes the cards in that Gathering from play until the next Cycle is dealt. (Knights are considered colorless when placed into a Gathering with a Lair; thus a Lair would also remove a Gathering containing Knights from play if no other colors were present.) When playing with 5 or 6 players, the Lair will take a Gathering out of play if the majority of cards in the Gathering are the same color as the Lair (instead of the entire Gathering needing to be the same color).
Knight: There are 5 Knights in the deck; these are all ranked below the Lairs. The only time a Knight will take a Gathering is if all players play a Knight. If this should happen, the last Knight played takes the Gathering. A player can play a Knight into any Gathering even if they have a card of the color that was led. Knights are each worth negative 5 points during the scoring phase, unless a player manages to take all 5; then they are worth positive 100 points! Knights are considered colorless when determining if a Lair takes a Gathering out of play.
Predicting
Players look at the hand they have been dealt and predict (sometimes called a bid) the number of Gatherings (sometimes referred to as tricks) of which they are likely to take possession. They will indicate this number by placing a token, whose numbers range from 0-9, in front of them, hidden until everyone is ready to reveal their prediction. Everyone then reveals his or her prediction simultaneously. Once the predictions are revealed the scorekeeper should list these on the score sheet to keep track of them.
Highest Prediction Bonus
Whoever revealed the highest prediction number gets to take the "extra" card left over from the deal and place it into his or her hand of cards. That player must then choose one card, which could even be the "extra" card just received, to take from his or her hand and place it face down in front of them. This card will be added to the first Gathering he or she takes once play begins. If that player takes no Gatherings, they will still receive any points associated with that card during the scoring phase, but it doesn't count as an actual Gathering by itself. If two or more players tie for the highest prediction, these players get to examine this "extra" card but none may place it in their hand. It is then placed face down in a discard pile.
Creating and Taking Possession of Gatherings
The player to the left of the dealer begins the Cycle by playing any card they choose (this is referred to as leading). This card should be placed face up in the center of the play area. The next player to their left must play a card of the same color if they have one. On their turn a player can always choose to play a Knight (considered a colorless card) or the Queen, instead of the color led. If the first player leads with a Knight or the Queen, then the next player may play any card they choose, and in so doing, indicate the color the rest of the players must follow for the Gathering. If a player does not have any cards in the color led, they may play any card they choose, but the other players must continue to play cards of the color originally led if able to do so. Play continues clockwise until all players have played one card, thus creating a pile of cards in the center of the play area. This pile of cards is called a Gathering. At this point one of two things can happen:
- The Gathering is entirely discarded from play (see the Lair card), or
- A player takes the Gathering and places it face down in front of them. (These Gatherings will be added up at the end of the Cycle to determine if the player made his or her prediction, so make sure all your Gatherings are kept in a way that makes for easy counting.)
If the Gathering is not discarded, it is taken by the player who...
- plays the Queen card, or
- plays a Treasure card of the color matching a Great Wyrm card played in this same Gathering, or
- plays the highest card (indicated by the number in the upper left corner of the card) of the Dominant Color (remember that on the 6th Cycle there is no Dominant Color!), or
- plays the highest card (indicated by the number in the upper left corner of the card) of the original color led in this Gathering, or
- plays the final Knight card in the Gathering, in cases when only Knights are played.
(Note that it is possible for more than one of the above to take place in the same Gathering. If this happens, follow the order listed above; i.e., #1 takes precedence, then #2, etc.)
If a Gathering is removed from play because the Lair card was played, the person who played the Lair card gets to play a card of his choice to lead the next Gathering. Otherwise the player who takes a Gathering leads the play on the next one. Play continues in this way until all cards have been played, and all Gatherings have been either taken or discarded. This ends the first Cycle.
Scoring
At the end of the Cycle, after the last Gathering has been taken, each player must then count the number of Gatherings that they have each individually won. If a player takes EXACTLY the number of Gatherings that he predicted, then he will score a bonus 50 points. Additionally any player who takes a number of Gatherings equal to or greater than the number he predicted, will reveal the cards in the Gatherings he took and add up the positive points associated with the card combinations he took (see section on Card Combination Scoring Values) and then subtract the negative points (if he took any Knights or the Queen). This amount, along with the 50-point bonus if he was correct in his prediction, determines a player's total points earned for this Cycle. In most cases, card combinations can combine, for example 3 Flights of Wyrms would also include 3 Conclaves of Three along with an additional +30 points for the Great Wyrm bonuses. Note however, that a Great Flight (consisting of all Drakes, Dragons and Wyrms of one color) is scored for a total of 100 points and a player does not earn an additional 75 points for the smaller Flights it includes. Similarly Conclaves of Four and Five would earn a total of 50 or 100 points, respectively, and no additional points for the smaller Conclaves that they encompass.
If a player is unfortunate enough to win fewer than the number of Gatherings he predicted, then he will receive only the negative points collected in his Gatherings, not any positive points!
Card Combination Scoring Values
- Correct prediction of Gatherings taken = +50 points
- Flight of Drakes: (1, 2 & 3 of same color) = +25 points
- Flight of Dragons: (4, 5 & 6 of same color) = +25 points
- Flight of Wyrms: (7, 8 & 9 of same color) = +25 points
- A Great Flight: (1-9 of same color) = +100 points (a Great Flight is a total of +100, with no additional points for the smaller flights that it encompasses)
- Conclave of Three: (3 of same number*) = +25 points
- Conclave of Four: (4 of same number*) = +50 points
- Conclave of Five: (5 of same number*) = +100 points
- Safe Hoard: (Treasure & Lair of same color) = +25 points
- Each Great Wyrm = +10 points
- Queen = -10 points
- Each Knight = -5 points
- All five Knights: (replaces Knight penalties) = +100 points
*There is no Conclave bonus for having multiple Treasures or Lairs, just for the numbered cards (Drakes, Dragons & Wyrms).
Cycles and Dominance
Each race of dragonkind holds dominance for a Cycle of ten to twenty years. The Dominant race holds a special place of honor wielding even more power for the duration of that Cycle. After every five Cycles, one additional Cycle takes place when there is no Dominant race. At the end of this final Cycle, the Queen chooses as mate the draconic lord who has shown himself to be the most powerful and skillful, thus insuring the continued greatness of dragon kin.
All dragon kind must at some point go into a deep slumber in their lairs (assuming they feel it is secure from dragons of other races). When this happens it effectively removes them from the draconic power struggle for the entirety of that Cycle.
Finally there is the Queen, who makes an appearance at one gathering each and every Cycle. When she arrives, no one, not even the greatest of Wyrms, questions her authority!
Alternate Rules
Higher Prediction Scoring
Players receive 25 points per gathering taken in addition to the 50 point bonus for correctly predicting the number of gatherings they will take.
Alternate Prediction Scoring
Players receive 25 points per gathering taken, up to the amount they predicted, whether they correctly predict or not. Additionally they receive a 100 point bonus, if they correctly predict the number of gatherings they will take.
Personalized Dominant Colors
Players are each dealt one of the five dominant color cards at the start of the game. During the game, whenever they are out of a color led in a gathering they can play a card of this color as a dominant color. Highest dominant color takes the gathering. In case of a tie the last of the tied cards played takes the gathering. After five cycles, play a cycle with no dominant color, as in the basic rules.
Example Scoring
The printed example scoresheet diagram is labelled: Player Names; Cycle Predictions; Bonus 50 Points if Prediction is correct; Points from Gatherings taken; Subtotal at end of first Cycle; Subtotal at end of second Cycle; Subtotal at end of third Cycle.
In cycle #1 Ben & Ann both took the number of Gatherings that they predicted (2 for Ben, 0 for Ann), so they received their bonus 50 points. Ann didn't take any Gatherings, so she doesn't have any other cards that will add or subtract from her score. Ben also took the red #1,2&3 cards (a Flight of Drakes) for +25 points, and four #3 cards (a Conclave of Four) for +50 points. He also took the Queen which subtracted 10 points, and a Knight which subtracted 5 more, so Ben's subtotal at the end of Cycle #1 adds up to 110 points.
Tom only took 3 Gatherings though he predicted he would take 4; as a result not only does he not get the 50 point prediction bonus, he also doesn't get to claim any positive points for the cards he took. He still is forced to subtract 15 points from his score because he took three Knights.