Backpacks & Blisters (Second Edition) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
  • Map set-up
  • Player set-up
  • Rambling Deck & Cairn set-up
• Game Management
• Rambling
  • Blister cards
• Scoring
  • Prime Locations
  • Beauty Spots
  • Cairns
  • Change of Weather
• Lunch and Tea
• End of the Day
• Money and its uses
  • Refreshments
  • Chocolate
  • Ferry and Bus rides
• The Heavy Rucksack
  • End of the Day and the Heavy Rucksack
• Secret Desires
• Equipment tiles
• The Solo Game
• Lightweight Scoring Guide
• How to spend £1

Components

1. Map
2. Cairns
3. £1 coins
4. Chocolate bars
5. Equipment tiles
6. Sheep, Ferry and Bus markers
7. Stones
8. Ramblers
9. Time marker
10. Score markers
11. Rambling cards
12. Heavy Rucksack markers

Setup

Map set-up

Open the map. Place the Time marker, sunny-side up, on 10 a.m. on the Time chart. Place the £1 coins, the Chocolate bars and Heavy Rucksack markers on their map spaces. Place the Ferry on Derwent Water and the Bus at Keswick. Place the Equipment tiles face up beside the map.

Player set-up

Each player takes a Rambler, Stones and Score marker of a particular colour and also receives a £1 coin and a bar of Chocolate. Each player places their Rambler in Keswick and their Score marker on the 'Start' of the Score track.

The youngest player is '1st Rambler' and the next youngest is '2nd Rambler' and so on. In this order, each Rambler chooses one Equipment tile. Players keep their Equipment tile face-up.

Rambling Deck & Cairn set-up

Remove the Heavy Rucksack (1 card), Change of Weather (3 cards) and Blister cards (5 cards).

Shuffle the remaining cards, then turn over five cards. Place a Cairn on the Prime Location shown on each of these cards.

e.g. Catbells is one of the five cards, and a Cairn is placed on the map accordingly.

Now deal four cards to each player.

Next, take the five cards used for placing Cairns, the Change of Weather and Blister cards and shuffle them into the deck.

Finally, take the top ten cards from the deck, add the Heavy Rucksack card and shuffle these. Place these eleven cards back on the top of the deck. This is now known as the Rambling Deck; place it on its space on the map.

Game Management

Starting with the 1st Rambler, turns proceed in clockwise order. When all Ramblers have completed a turn, and before the turn passes back to the 1st Rambler, the Time marker is moved forward one space. Nominate one player to act as Time-Keeper and give the Sheep marker as a reminder.

If the Rambling Deck runs out, shuffle the discards to form a new deck.

Rambling

A Rambler is moved by playing a card. Movement is either on the flat (large or small circles) or uphill and downhill (large or small triangles). A Rambler moves as far as the card allows, using the number of circles and triangles shown on that card. The circles and triangles on the card can be used in any order, and they need not all be used.

e.g. this card allows a Rambler to move three circles and two triangles.

The Rambler can be moved from Grange to Catbells (circle - triangle - circle - triangle).

That same Rambler would not be able to move to Maiden Moor, but would have to stop on the small triangle before it (still using circle - triangle - circle - triangle).

To complete the turn, the player places the card on the discard pile and draws a new card from the top of the Rambling Deck.

Other Rambling rules:

• Only one Rambler may occupy a small circle or small triangle
• A Rambler can overtake another Rambler who is occupying a small circle or small triangle. This is a bonus because the movement cost for that circle or triangle is ignored.

e.g. the Rambler uses the same card.

This time the Rambler would be able to reach Maiden Moor by overtaking the other Rambler who occupies the small triangle en route.

• More than one Rambler may occupy a Prime Location (a large circle or large triangle). Therefore there is no overtaking bonus when moving past a Rambler on a Prime Location.

Blister cards

Blister cards are a confounded nuisance, and you should feel free to moan when drawing one. They are basically a card with zero movement. A Rambler won't move if this card is played, so a good idea is to discard a Blister at Lunch or Tea or when enjoying Refreshments or when having a Ferry or Bus ride.

Scoring

Prime Locations

The way to win the game is to score the most points. Points are recorded on the Score track. When a Rambler ends a move on a Prime Location, the Rambler places a stone there and immediately scores the number of points shown on that location. A Rambler may only score a Prime Location once; the stone is placed to show they have done so.

Note: Prime Location points are NOT scored at Keswick and stones are not placed there.

Beauty Spots

Sometimes a Rambler will end a turn on a Beauty Spot. This scores 1 point. A stone is never placed on a Beauty Spot and a Rambler may therefore score each Beauty Spot more than once.

Cairns

Each Cairn gives a bonus when Scoring. A Rambler can only score each Cairn once.

For each Cairn:

• the first Rambler to place a stone there receives a bonus of 10 points
• the second Rambler to place a stone there receives a bonus of 7 points
• other Ramblers receive a bonus of 5 points if they place a stone there.

Change of Weather

Whenever a Change of Weather card is drawn, it is immediately shown and the Time marker flipped to show the new weather. The card is placed on the discard pile, and the player draws another card.

Important! When the weather is Rainy, the score for any Prime Location or Beauty Spot is reduced by one point. Beauty Spots will then score 0 points.

Lunch and Tea

Ramblers do need to take a break, and this happens in the game at Lunch (1 p.m.) and Tea (3 p.m.).

A summary is shown next to the Start space of the Score track.

In each of these turns:

1. Ramblers do not move.
2. Each player discards a card but does not draw a new card (so a player will hold only three cards after Lunch, and two cards after Tea).

All Equipment tiles are returned to the supply.

3. Each Rambler scores again for a Prime Location or Beauty Spot they currently occupy. A Rambler does not score for a Cairn during Lunch or Tea. A Rambler will already have a stone on a Prime Location, so a second stone is not placed.
4. Each Rambler collects a £1 coin.
5. The Rambler with the fewest points chooses an Equipment tile, then the Rambler with next fewest, and so on until all Ramblers have one tile. In the event of a tie for points, the younger player draws first. Ramblers may choose an Equipment tile they used previously.

End of the Day

A Rambler must finish the game at Keswick. A Rambler arriving there from 4 p.m. onwards immediately scores the points (added or deducted) as shown on the Time chart for that turn. Once the points have been scored, the Rambler is removed from the map and the game is over for that player.

Note: A Rambler may NOT enjoy Refreshments in Keswick after 4 p.m.

Finally, any Rambler not getting back by 6 p.m. will have to be brought back by Mountain Rescue – and they then lose ALL their points. Rambling is a serious business!

Money and its uses

A small amount of money is always useful to a Rambler. Each Rambler starts the game with a £1 coin, and receives another £1 at Lunch and another £1 at Tea.

Refreshments

Glass icons show Prime Locations where Refreshments can be 'enjoyed'. Points are scored as usual when placing a stone at such a location. However, if a Rambler decides to enjoy Refreshments, they stay there for a turn (not moving), pay £1, discard any number of cards and then draw new cards up to the current hand size. In addition, the Rambler scores 5 points. Refreshments are very enjoyable!

Note: Refreshments may NOT be enjoyed during the Lunch and Tea turns.

Chocolate

Ramblers like Chocolate - it helps them walk better. Each Rambler starts the game with a bar of Chocolate.

A Rambler may eat Chocolate in any turn (simply discard the counter to its map space); this doubles the number of circles and triangles on the card for that turn.

e.g. To move from Seatoller to Haystacks, the Rambler would need six circles and three triangles; the Rambler could get there in one turn by playing the card shown and eating a bar of Chocolate.

Chocolate may be bought from a Refreshment location at any time in a Rambler's turn. The Rambler pays £1 to buy a bar of Chocolate.

Important! A Rambler may only ever carry one bar of Chocolate – it melts!

Ferry and Bus rides

A Rambler can take a ride instead of moving in the usual way. The Rambler must be on a Ferry Point or Bus Stop at the start of the turn. The Rambler pays £1 and simply moves to another Ferry Point (if travelling by Ferry) or a Bus Stop of the same number (if travelling by Bus). Use the markers and share the fun!

Note: Keswick is a Bus Stop for all buses (73, 78, 555) and also a Ferry Point.

It's always fun to have a ride, so the Rambler also scores points. 5 points are scored for the Ferry, and 3 points for the Bus.

When taking a ride, the Rambler discards and redraws one card as usual, so this is a good time to sort out a Blister.

The Heavy Rucksack

When the Heavy Rucksack card is drawn from the deck, the player places it on the table and draws a replacement card. The Rambler takes the two Heavy Rucksack markers.

Rambling is more difficult when carrying the Heavy Rucksack. On each card played the number of circles is reduced by one and the number of triangles is reduced by one.

e.g. When carrying the Heavy Rucksack, this card would allow the Rambler to move just one circle and no triangles.

The 'Unfortunate Rambler' must carry the Heavy Rucksack for two turns; these are recorded by placing the markers on the Heavy Rucksack space on the map at the end of each turn. When the second marker is placed, there is an immediate pause in play and each Rambler gets to vote on who should be the next Rambler to carry the Heavy Rucksack. Voting starts with the player to the left of the Unfortunate Rambler, and ends with the Unfortunate Rambler. Altruistic Ramblers may even vote for themselves! The Rambler receiving most votes takes the Heavy Rucksack card and markers. If the vote is tied, then the current Unfortunate Rambler decides who takes the Heavy Rucksack.

Note 1: It is possible for the same Unfortunate to carry the Heavy Rucksack for another two turns.

Note 2: When carrying the Heavy Rucksack, a Ferry or Bus ride is a good idea.

Note 3: A Rambler could eat Chocolate when carrying the Heavy Rucksack, but reduces the number of circles and triangles before doubling.

Note 4: Lunch and Tea do NOT count as a turn when carrying the Heavy Rucksack.

End of the Day and the Heavy Rucksack

Once a Rambler has been removed from the map, that Rambler may not take part in any more Heavy Rucksack voting, nor can they be given the Heavy Rucksack.

If a Rambler in Keswick is removed from the map and is carrying the Heavy Rucksack, then that Rambler is awarded 5 points. What a hero! The Heavy Rucksack is then removed from the game.

Secret Desires

The Prime Location shown on each card is called a Secret Desire. If a Rambler places a stone on that location and has either played the card that turn or can show it in their hand, then the Rambler scores an extra 2 points for the location. This is known as 'fulfilling a Secret Desire'.

e.g. If the Rambler used this card to reach Bowder Stone or had the card in hand (and shows it), then the Rambler scores an extra 2 points for fulfilling this Secret Desire.

Note: A card may NOT be used to claim a Secret Desire in the turn that it is drawn.

Equipment tiles

Equipment is very useful - it helps a Rambler have a really successful day. Each piece of Equipment has a different use, and this is explained on the tile. A Rambler just needs to use it at the right time!

The Equipment tiles are:

• Binoculars: Score an extra 2 points when placing a stone at a triangular Prime Location.
• Guide Books: Each Secret Desire scores an extra 5 points (instead of 2 points).
• Compass: After placing a stone at a triangular Prime Location draw two cards (instead of one). Then discard one of those cards.
• Kendal Mint Cake: Deduct just one circle or one triangle when carrying the Heavy Rucksack.
• Sun Protection: Add an extra 1 point when placing a stone in sunny weather.
• Walking Sticks: Add one circle to each card.

The Solo Game

In the Solo game, the Rambler walks alone. The rules are identical to the multi-player game except for the modifications below:

1. In the Rambling Deck set-up take the top FIVE cards from the deck, add the Heavy Rucksack card and shuffle.
2. Do not use the Time marker to record Sunny and Rainy weather. Instead, use two sets of stones (maybe yellow for Sunny and black for Rainy) and place these on the time chart to show the state of the weather during each turn. At the end of the game score 1 point for each Rainy turn more than ten.

e.g. for fourteen Rainy turns score 4 points.

A Rambler's fortitude deserves reward!

3. When the Heavy Rucksack enters play, the Rambler must carry it for the remainder of the current hour. Then at the start of the next hour (e.g. 12.00) the Rambler simply walks as normal until the end of that hour (three turns). Then, (guess what?) ..... the Rambler carries the Heavy Rucksack for the next hour, then walks as normal for the next hour etc. etc.

Turn the Heavy Rucksack card face up when carrying it and face down when not carrying it. The markers can be used to show the hours on the time chart when the Rambler will next be carrying it.

4. A Rambler cannot take the same piece of equipment twice; three pieces of Equipment will be used during the game.

Points are scored as in the multi-player game. Ramblers may award themselves the honours as shown below:

Final score	Honour
50 points	Stop taking photos
60 points	Take a guide with you next time
70 points	You are now a true Rambler - with stout legs!
80 points	You stride whilst others merely walk
90 points	You have the constitution of a mountain goat
100 + points	Verily you are the Lord of the Hills
Less than 50 points	Don't leave the house!

Lightweight Scoring Guide

• Place a stone on a Prime Location: score the points shown. Important! Reduce by 1 point in Rainy weather.
• Stop on a Beauty Spot: 1 point. Important! In Rainy Weather Beauty Spots score 0 points.
• Bonus for reaching a Cairn: 1st Rambler +10 points; 2nd Rambler +7 points; other Ramblers +5 points.
• Enjoy Refreshments: 5 points.
• Take a Ferry ride: 5 points.
• Take a Bus ride: 3 points.
• Fulfil a Secret Desire: +2 points.
• End of the day at Keswick: add or subtract points for that turn as shown on the Time chart.
• Remove the Heavy Rucksack from the game in Keswick: 5 points.

How to spend £1

• Buy a bar of Chocolate: this doubles the circles and triangles on a card.
• Enjoy Refreshments: discard and redraw any number of cards. Score 5 points.
• Take a Ferry ride: move from one Ferry stop to another. Discard a card and redraw. Score 5 points.
• Take a Bus ride: move from one Bus stop to another of the same number (Keswick has all numbers). Discard a card and redraw. Score 3 points.