Adventure Tours Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Rules of the game
  • Game parts
  • Aim of the game
  • Expedition boards
  • Adventurer Cards
  • Adventurer cards
  • Preparation of the game
  • How to play
    • (1) Improving the equipment
    • (2) Participating in an expedition
  • Special abilities of the expeditions
  • End of the round
  • Scoring
  • Next round
  • General information
  • End of the game
    • Variation 1
    • Variation 2
• Guide
  • Actions
  • Special abilities

Rules of the game

Game parts

• 102 adventurer cards
• 18 overview cards
• 6 expedition boards (printed both sides)
• 90 coins (40x1, 24x5, 16x10, 10x20)
• 1 set of playing instructions
• 1 reference aid "Adventure Tours Guide"

Aim of the game

The game lasts 3 expeditions (= rounds). The first player to use his cards as equipment or expedition members, ends the round. Everyone then receives money for their expedition members. Adventurer cards still held in hand by the players narrow the profit. The one to make the most money with his 3 expeditions wins the game.

Expedition boards

• Area for expedition members.
• Equipment in three categories (technology, provisions, clothing). The greater the number, the better the expedition is equipped, so that they will also be booked by more demanding adventurers.
• Special ability of the expedition (full explanation in the "Guide").

Adventurer Cards

• Demands made on the expedition by the adventurer. The colour of the card specifies which equipment (technology, provisions, clothing) is important to the adventurer.
• Money that the adventurer pays, if he takes part in the expedition.
• The value, by which the equipment of the expedition is increased, if the adventurer supports the expedition.
• The adventurer's action, if he is added as an expedition member (full explanation in the "Guide").

Adventurer cards

The adventurer cards can be played in two ways:

• as sponsors, to improve the expedition's equipment, or
• as members, who invest money in the expedition thereby providing the necessary victory points.

Preparation of the game

The expedition boards are shuffled, desert expedition side up, and each player receives a board at random. First of all, it is recommended to play a few games in the basic version. In this version there are no special abilities and the desert expedition side is used. After a few games have been played, the players can decide to play the expert version - for this, the expedition boards are turned over and the reverse side is used. After this preparation, each player has an expedition lying in front of him, each one with different special abilities and start conditions. The special abilities are explained exactly in the "Guide".

The adventurer cards are shuffled thoroughly and each player receives 6 cards face down. The remaining cards are placed face down in the centre of the table and form a draw pile. The money tokens and the overview cards are held ready. The tallest adventurer starts the game.

How to play

The game lasts 3 rounds (= expeditions). In each round, the players take their turns in turns, moving in a clockwise direction. The player whose turn it is plays an adventurer card of his choice. He can place this card next to his expedition board:

• either on the right to improve the equipment (1)
• or at the top as an expedition member (2).

(1) Improving the equipment

The player places an adventurer card on the right next to his expedition. Every card can be added to improve the equipment. The adventurer thereby supports the expedition. The appropriate equipment (technology, provisions and clothing) is increased by the value on the card added. If there are already cards lying there, then the new card is overlapped on top of the card(s) already lying there, so that the symbols on the left of the cards can still be seen and the sum total per equipment segment can be counted at any time.

Example: The desert expedition has a value of 3 in all equipment segments. At the end of the third round and the third improvement, technology (red) is worth 5, provisions (blue) are worth 4 and clothing (yellow) is worth 6. In the next round, the player can now add adventurers to his expedition, at the top of his board, that require a value of up to 5 for technology, up to 4 for provisions and up to 6 for clothing.

Afterwards, the player must draw a new adventurer card from the draw pile.

If the option "Improving the equipment" is chosen, then it always consists of the 2 partial actions "Adding a card" AND "Drawing a card" from the draw pile. A card which was added to improve the equipment neither generates any money nor allows you to use the adventurer's action!

Important: To play a card to improve the equipment, no minimum requirements concerning the previous equipment are necessary.

(2) Participating in an expedition

The player places his adventurer cards at the above of his expedition board in the segment for participating adventurers. If cards are already lying there, the new card is overlapped on top of the card already there, so that the symbols on the left of the card can still be seen and you can keep an eye on your income.

This newly placed adventurer would like to participate in the expedition and is prepared to pay the sum of money shown on the card at the end of the round. In order to be able to place the adventurer card there, the demands of the adventurer may not exceed the current equipment of the expedition in the same colour category. If the demand (= value) exceeds the current equipment of the expedition (sum of values on all equipment cards of the corresponding category), then the card may not be added there at the moment.

Example: In technology (red), the desert expedition has a value of 5, in provisions (blue) a value of 4 and in clothing (yellow) a value of 6. A "Slowhand Bill" can be played as an adventurer, since his demand on clothing at 6 is not too high. However, no blue or red "Slowhand Bill" can be played, since his demand of 6 in technology or provisions is not fulfilled.

Important: The depicted action of an adventurer can be employed, but only directly after adding an adventurer (not valid for "Pater Miller"; full explanation in the "Guide").

After adding a member, the player does not draw a new adventurer card.

Special abilities of the expeditions

In the expert game each expedition has special abilities which each player may use once during his turn (full explanation of the special abilities in the "Guide").

End of the round

If, at the end of his turn, a player has no more cards in hand, the expedition (=round) ends immediately, and the scores are counted up. The remaining players do not take their turn - the round is not played through to the end. A round can not finish if the equipment is improved (exception: special ability), since a new card must be drawn within that turn.

The round also ends immediately once the draw pile is depleted. The discard pile is not shuffled and reused! If there are less cards in the draw pile than must be drawn, then only those in the pile are drawn.

Scoring

To count up the score, each player sums up his expedition's income. Each of the adventurers lying at the top of the expedition board pays the expedition leader the sum of money depicted on the card. The money is taken from the centre of the table and placed in front of the players face down. Adventurers lying in the equipment segment (to the right of the board) do not generate any income.

Caution: Every adventurer still held in the hand costs 2 coins. These expenses are to be paid after receiving the income. However, a player can drop no lower than 0 with his money.

Example: At the end of the round the player still has two cards in hand. The expedition members placed generate an income of 3+4+2+5=14 coins. After deducting the expenses for the two adventurer cards in hand, the player receives 10 coins.

Next round

After counting up the score, a new expedition begins. All cards are shuffled and again each player receives 6 adventurer cards. The player on the left of the player who ended the last round becomes the new starting player.

General information

• The cards of the discard pile may be looked at by any player and at any time.
• There is no limit to the number of hand cards.
• A card can be played against a fellow-player and also against oneself (see "Guide").
• The number of cards that a player holds in his hand must be visible at all times to all players. Players can ask each other about the number of their cards.
• Money may be exchanged at any time.

End of the game

The game ends after 3 expeditions. Each player counts up his money from the 3 expeditions. The player with the largest sum total is the most successful expedition leader and wins the game. In the event of a tie, there is more than one winner.

Variation 1

If desired, all the expedition boards can be shuffled before each round and redistributed to the players.

Variation 2

The player to score the lowest number of points in the current round may be the first to choose one of the boards in current use for the following round. The remaining players follow suit in an ascending order of points or in the event of a tie in a clockwise direction.

Guide

Actions

• Give any player 1 additional adventurer card from the draw pile into his hand. You may also take this card into your own hand.

• Give any player 2 or give two players 1 additional adventurer card each from the draw pile into his hand. Before doing so, you must announce whether you will split the two cards between 2 players or whether you will give both cards to one player. You may also take the cards into your own hand.

• To improve the equipment place 1 additional card from your hand to the right of your board. Afterwards, just as with a normal Action to improve the equipment, you must draw an adventurer card for the additional card.

• Discard the last (lying on the furthest right) equipment card from any player and place it on the discard pile. Important: Expedition members of this player which have already been set out remain untouched. The conditions for adding these cards are checked solely when they are laid down.

• Take away the last (lying on the furthest right) equipment card from any player and add it to your expedition board as a piece of equipment. Important: Expedition members of this player which have already been set out remain untouched. The conditions for adding these cards are checked solely when they are laid down. Do not take a card from the draw pile to replace the stolen one.

• Take another complete turn.

• Set out another expedition member of the same colour, if the conditions are fulfilled. You can then carry out the action of the additional adventurer.

• Discard the last (lying on the furthest right) equipment card from any player and place it on the discard pile.

• Take away the last (lying on the furthest right) expedition member from any player and add it to your expedition board as a piece of equipment. Important: The adventurer's claim need not be taken into consideration. You can not make use of the action of the new expedition member.

Special abilities

• After you have had your regular turn, you may add another (an additional) card to improve the equipment. For this card, as with any regular action to improve the equipment, you must draw another adventurer card.

• You may only use this special ability after you have laid a card to improve the equipment. You do not need to draw an additional card, but may do so. Irrespective of that, you may give any one player 1 additional adventurer card from the draw pile. You may also include this additional card in your own hand.

• You may only use this special ability, if you have placed a card to improve the equipment. It allows you to carry out the action of the added equipment card as if it had been laid down at the top of the board, as an expedition member. To do this however, the claims of the adventurer must be fulfilled. Afterwards, draw another card - as usual. Caution: The value of the equipment just laid down counts when calculating the equipment. A "Pater Miller" card laid down as equipment may also be used against attacks and is then also removed.

• You may only use this special ability, if you have added an adventurer as an expedition member. You may add another adventurer (of any colour), once his claims have been fulfilled. You may also carry out the action of the additional adventurer.

• You may only use this special ability, if you have placed an adventurer as an expedition member. You may use the adventurer's action twice. These two actions are treated separately, e.g. you can use an attack card against two players. If you double up on an attack card, then "Pater Miller" can only protect against your first attack. If you should attack the player a second time, he needs a second form of protection or your attack will be successful. It is not possible to double up on "Pater Miller's" action.

• Take another complete turn. If you improved your equipment in the first round, then draw a card from the pile first. This card can be used immediately in the second round.