Biblios: Quill and Parchment
Biblios: Quill and Parchment Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 12 Book Dice
- 8 Influence Dice
- 4 Task Cards + Markers
- 4 Travel Dice
- 1 Embellishment Die
- 1 Monastery Card (2 areas: Scriptorium and Chapel)
- 5 Value Dice
Object
Score the most piety points by copying books, praying in the chapel, and sending your novice out to do good works in nearby towns.
Overview
The game lasts 2 periods of 4 days (rounds). After 8 days, the game ends and the player with the most piety points wins.
Note: The 2-player rules changes are explained later (see "2-Player Rules").
Influence Track
The influence track on your task card tracks your abbot influence and the number of days played. As you accrue or use influence, you keep a running tally by adding or subtracting influence on the track. Each track square is numbered from 1 to 8, for each day. The hexagons show the result when abbot influence is added or subtracted from your current total.
Example: On day 1 you earn 8 abbot influence and on day 2 you earn 6 influence. You enter 8 and 6 into the first two squares. So, after two days, your total is 14, which is entered into the next hexagon. After 4 days, you have accrued 28 influence points, which you'll use in Period II. On day 1 in Period II, you use 5 influence points, so you subtract 5 from your current total of 28 and enter 23 into the next hexagon.
Dice Icons
| Book Type | Travel Die | Value Die |
|---|---|---|
| Religion | Move 1 | Increase 1 |
| Philosophy | Move 1 + Wild | Increase 1 |
| Astronomy | Move 2 | Increase 1 |
| Bestiaries | Move 2 | Increase 2 |
| Herbals | Move 2 | Increase & Decrease 1 |
| Chapel | Move 3 | Increase & Decrease 1 |
Setup for Period I
- Place the monastery card (side A up) on the table.
- Put the value dice on the monastery card in the matching colored spaces with these values showing (left to right): 4-3-3-2-2.
- Give each player: 1 task card (use side A), 1 marker, 3 book dice, 2 influence dice, 1 travel die.
- Put the embellishment die on the purple space on the monastery card.
- From oldest to youngest player, write the player icons (top left of task card) in the bottom pew (i.e., row) of the chapel, from left to right.
Note: The monastery card and task cards are double-sided. The rules for the A side are presented first.
Player icons (found in the upper left of the task card): Quill, Hat, Paper, Coin.
Period I
Period I lasts 4 days. Each day, perform 3 steps in order:
- Matins: Plan the Day
- Lauds: Perform Tasks
- Vespers: Go to Chapel
Matins (step 1): Plan the Day (simultaneous)
All players roll their 6 dice.
- Next, players simultaneously decide to either:
- reroll all of their own dice
- reroll exactly 1 of their own dice
- stop and keep the results
- Show the decision with a hand gesture. On the count of 3, show either an open hand (to reroll all), a finger pointing to a specific die (to reroll that die) or a closed fist (to stop rolling and keep results).
- You may reroll two more times for a maximum of 3 rolls.
- The options remain the same until you stop. If you reroll just 1 die, it may be a different die on different rerolls.
- When all players stop rolling, go to step 2.
Lauds (step 2): Perform Tasks
- All players simultaneously use their dice to perform tasks (i.e., to mark task cards).
- Use dice in any order. But "earning book bonuses" and "going to chapel" require special attention regarding timing.
Using Dice
Influence Dice: Influencing the Abbot
Calculate the sum of your influence dice and enter it into the appropriate box on the influence track, then (starting on day 2) enter the new total into the next hexagon.
Example: It is day 2. On day 1, you earned 8 influence points. On day 2, you earn 6. Add the influence together and enter 14 in the next hexagon on the track.
Book Dice: Copying Books
Five sides of the book dice show a book type, representing a book you've copied. For each copied book, cross out a book in the matching column ("stack") from the bottom up. If you take a die for a completed stack, exercise the Abbot's Option (see "Abbot's Option: Rule for Unusable Dice").
Example: Your book dice show 1 religion icon (blue) and 2 philosophy icons (gray). The religion stack is already completed, so you exercise the Abbot's Option with that die. Since you copied 2 philosophy books before, you now mark the next two spaces.
Earning a Book Bonus
If you are first to complete a stack of books (i.e., reach the top), circle the highest number above the stack. The second and third players to complete the same stack circle the second and third values, respectively. The fourth player to complete the stack scores no bonus. The bonuses score piety points at game end.
Example: You are the second player to complete the religion book stack, so you circle the second highest value: 3.
Important: Resolving Ties. If multiple people complete the same stack during this step, the player "closest to the altar" scores the book bonus first. See "Go to Chapel."
Book Dice: Chapel
The sixth side of each book die shows a chapel. Keep it face up in your player area and use it in Step 3: Go to Chapel.
Travel Die
Send your novice monk to find books and do good works. For each monk on the travel die, move him (i.e., mark a circle) along the path on the map.
- Start on 1 of the 2 paths next to the monk.
- Movement must be continuous along path lines.
- If you enter a space with a book icon, circle the icon and then mark off the next space in the matching book stack.
- If you enter a space with a question mark, circle it, then roll a book die and earn the result (if it's a chapel, put it aside until the next step).
- If your monk reaches a town, mark it off. You score points for towns visited at game end.
- If you are unable to move, you may exercise the Abbot's Option (see below).
Example: On day 1, you moved 2 spaces. On day 2, you move 3. You enter spaces with a philosophy book and a question mark, so you mark off a book on the philosophy stack, then roll a book die and take the result.
Star Icon on the Travel Die
One side of the travel die shows a star icon. If this icon is showing, you may choose any 1 book type to copy, then cross out the star above the corresponding book stack. You may only use a star icon one time per book type. With this side, you also gain one movement as shown by the monk.
Example: Your travel die shows the side with the star and a monk. You choose a religion book, then mark a religion book in the stack and then cross out the star above the stack. You also move your novice 1 space.
Abbot's Option: Rule for Unusable Dice
If you are unable to use a book or travel die, you may either:
- move your novice one space, or
- perform a good deed (i.e., mark one circle in the cross)
If neither option is possible, the die has no use. A die used to move in this case is considered a separate die (which may be important when using the B-side of the task cards, but not for the A-side).
Vespers (step 3): Go to Chapel
- Players with dice showing a chapel icon now move up 1 pew (i.e., row) in the chapel per icon.
- The player "furthest from the altar" moves first, followed by the second furthest, and so on.
- Players lower in the chapel are further away than those higher. For players in the same row, the player more to the right is further away.
- When moving up, mark your player icon in the leftmost open space in the next row up. Note that only 1 player may reach the highest space.
Example: The coin player (circle) is furthest from the altar since the quill (line) and paper (square) players moved up already. The coin player has 2 chapel dice, so she writes her circle symbol in the next 2 rows, in the leftmost available space. Next, the paper player moves up 1 row because he has 1 chapel die. The quill does not move because she has no chapel dice.
Chapel Bonuses
The chapel provides bonuses, shown to the left of the pews. If you reach/pass a pew with a symbol, roll a book die and mark your card accordingly. Note that if the roll results in a chapel you advance again. At game end, you score points for the highest reached.
Important: Earning a Book Bonus in Step 3. Step 3 occurs in turn order, so if you complete a book stack due to a chapel bonus, score the bonus immediately.
Start a New Day
Return to Matins (Step 1) or, if 4 days have passed, start Period II.
Period II Setup
Take the dice needed to "prepare the scriptorium" and place them on the monastery card. One row of dice is needed per player, starting from the top row. Remove all other dice from the game.
Example: For 3 players, take dice required to fill the top 3 rows of the scriptorium. Each row holds 2 book dice and 1 travel die. The embellishment die, at the end of the top row, is part of the game now.
Period II
Period II lasts 4 days. Perform 3 steps in this order:
- Vigil: Prepare the Scriptorium
- Prime: Appeal to the Abbot
- Terce: Perform Actions
Vigil (step 1): Prepare the Scriptorium
Roll each row of dice separately (including the embellishment die) and place them back into the scriptorium. To speed up play, all players should roll and place a row of dice. The dice no longer belong to the players.
Prime (step 2): Appeal to the Abbot
Players bid abbot influence in step 2 for turn order in step 3.
- All players secretly (by using a hand to block others' view) and simultaneously write down a number (i.e., "bid") in the appropriate box on the influence track (e.g., box 5 in Period II for day 5).
- You may bid zero.
- You may not bid more influence than you have.
- When ready, reveal the bids. For ties, the player closest to the altar is considered the higher bidder.
- All players enter their bid amount in the appropriate influence track box and then subtract this amount from their total.
Terce (step 3): Choose and Perform Tasks
- Take turns from high to low bidder.
- On your turn, take a row of dice from the scriptorium and perform the dice actions, as described in Period I.
- The embellishment die provides a new action (see "Special Actions" below).
- Also, each row has a special action (see "Special Actions").
Emphasis: Step 3 occurs in turn order. For actions where timing is important (e.g., moving in chapel and book bonuses), make sure to use the established turn order.
Special Actions
Top Row: Embellish a Book
If you take the top row of dice, you must use the embellishment die to increase or decrease a value die, according to the embellishment die's icon(s).
- For a positive sign, raise a value die by 1 pip.
- For a negative sign, lower a value die by 1 pip.
- If two signs are showing, use both signs. They may be used on the same die or different dice.
Example: The embellishment die shows a positive and a negative sign. You lower the religion value die (blue) by 1 and raise the astronomy value die (pink) by 1.
Second Row: Go to Chapel
If you take dice from the second row, you may turn one of the book dice taken to the chapel side and use it as a chapel instead.
Third Row: Travel Further
If you take dice from the third row, you may raise the travel die taken by 1.
Fourth Row: Change Plans
If you take dice from the fourth row, you may reroll one of the book dice taken once. You must use the new result, if rolled.
Start a New Round
Return to Step 1 of Period II and start a new round, unless 4 days have passed.
Game End
The game ends after 8 days. Enter your scores into the scoring circles for each type of scoring and then sum the scores. See the scoring example below.
Book Bonuses. Total the book bonuses.
Novice Travel. Score 2/5/10 piety points for reaching 1/2/3 towns.
Remaining Abbot Influence. Score 1 piety point per 4 influence remaining. Round down.
Cross. Score 2 piety points per marked circle in the cross.
Chapel. Score the piety points based on the highest level reached in the chapel.
Book Stack Multipliers.
- For each book stack, the player with the most books scores 3 times the value of the book's value die (at the top of the monastery card). The second most scores 2 times the value. The third most scores the value. Fourth place scores half the value, rounded down.
- If you fail to reach a level with negative numbers, you do not score positive points for that stack, but you score the negative points still showing in the stack space.
- If multiple players scored a book bonus for a stack, the player with the higher bonus is considered to have more books.
- If multiple players have not reached a stack top and are tied at the same level, resolve the tie in favor of the player closer to the altar.
Determining a Winner
The player with the most piety points wins. Ties are resolved in favor of the player closer to the altar.
Scoring Example
Remaining Abbot Influence: Score 3 piety points for your influence: 12/4=3.
Travel Score: Your novice reached two towns, to score 5 piety points.
Book Bonuses: Score 3 book bonuses for 10 piety points.
Cross: Score 4 piety points for filling 2 circles in the cross.
Multipliers (see value dice on monastery card): You were first on religion (3x value die); second on philosophy (2x the value die); third on astronomy (1x value die); you score negative points for herbals; you were third on bestiaries (1x value die). Your total for the stacks is 22.
Chapel: You are the paper player. You reached the level to score 6 piety points.
2-Player Rules
For 2 players, an imaginary opponent named Cadfael plays. He copies manuscripts and prays in the chapel, but he does not earn abbot influence nor does he have a novice. When he scores piety points, you do not keep track of his score, but he may prevent you from scoring piety points.
Period I
Prior to Matins (step 1): Perform Cadfael's Tasks
- Either player rolls Cadfael's 3 book dice.
- Mark his book stacks according to the roll.
- If he rolls a chapel, place it aside for use in step 3.
- If he completes a stack, circle the bonus on his task card. This prevents others from earning the same value bonus.
- If he takes a die for a completed stack, reroll it and he earns the new result.
Cadfael's Setup: During setup, set aside a task card and 3 book dice for Cadfael. Mark his player icon in the chapel.
Vespers (step 3): Cadfael in Chapel
- Follow the same turn order rules for moving in the chapel.
- If Cadfael reaches a level with a question mark, roll a book die and mark the result accordingly.
Period II
During setup, gather the dice required for 3 players.
Vigil (step 1): Prepare the Scriptorium. Prepare the scriptorium as if for 3 players.
Prime (step 2): Appeal to the Abbot. Cadfael does not bid.
Terce (step 3): Choose and Perform Tasks
- After revealing bids, if the high bid is more than double the low bid, the high bidder chooses a row for herself, then chooses a row for Cadfael.
- If the low bid is at least half the high bid, the low bidder chooses a row of dice after the high bidder and Cadfael gets the remaining row.
- Mark Cadfael's task card for his book dice, as usual.
- If Cadfael is given the embellishment die, he does not use it.
- Players perform their actions in turn order.
- If Cadfael's dice are chosen by the high player, Cadfael is considered second in turn order.
Game End (2-Player)
Consider Cadfael a competing player when scoring the book multipliers. You do not keep any score for him, but he may knock someone down to second or third place, if he has more of a given book.
Solo Rules
In the solo game, play against an imaginary player named Cadfael. He performs most of the tasks as an actual player. Your goal is to outscore him. Follow the usual rules of play, except as noted below. The easy mode is described first.
Period I
Cadfael's Setup: Set aside a task card for Cadfael. Use side A. Cross out the highest book bonus value (5) above all the stacks on Cadfael's and your task cards. The highest value is now 3.
Matins (step 1): Cadfael's Turn
Cadfael takes the first turn, with these dice: 2 influence dice, 3 book dice, 1 novice die.
On his turn, roll his dice:
- If the total on his influence dice is 7 or higher, stop rolling.
- If the total is 5 or 6, you choose to reroll his dice or stop; however, you must stop after 3 rolls.
- If the total is 4 or lower, you must reroll his dice unless he has rolled 3 times.
After stopping, use his dice.
Using Cadfael's Dice
Use the book and influence dice as normal for Cadfael.
- If Cadfael reaches the top of a book stack, circle the book bonus immediately.
- If he has a chapel icon, he moves up in the chapel on his turn (not during step 3). He also earns chapel bonuses, as usual.
- When using the travel die, his novice travels along the outermost edge of the map, earning bonuses as usual.
- If his travel die shows the star icon, roll a book die and he earns the result of the roll. He does not cross out the stars above the stacks, so he may receive the same type multiple times as a bonus.
Your Turn: After finishing his turn, use the same dice to take your turn. On your turn, you have the same options as in the normal game.
No Abbot's Option for Unusable Dice. If either player takes an unusable die, it must be used as one novice movement. If the novice cannot move, the die has no value.
Vespers (step 3): Go to Chapel. There is no separate step 3, but Cadfael and you each move in the chapel during your turns.
Cadfael's Abbot Influence Bonus for Period I: Before starting a new day, if Cadfael's abbot influence for that day was more than your influence, he moves his novice an additional space along the path.
Period II
Vigil (step 1): Prepare the Scriptorium. Do not set up or use the Scriptorium. Continue to use the same dice as in Period I except use 1 fewer book die.
Prime (step 2): Appeal to the Abbot. There is no step 2.
Terce (step 3): Choose and Perform Tasks
Take turns rolling and using dice as described in Period I. Cadfael continues to take the first turn.
- After stopping the dice rolls, the total on the influence dice represents the bid (for Cadfael or you, depending on whose turn it is).
- Subtract the bid on the influence track as normal.
- You (and Cadfael) may end up bidding more influence than you have. In this case, the influence amount will go into negative values.
Cadfael's Abbot Influence Bonus for Period II: Before starting a new day, if Cadfael's bid was higher than yours, roll a book die. If the die result is a book, raise/lower the corresponding value die by 1 pip to favor Cadfael. In other words, if Cadfael is ahead in the stack, raise the die by 1 pip. If he is behind, lower it. If tied, leave the value die alone. If the result is a chapel, ignore the bonus.
Game End (Solo)
Score as usual, except as noted below.
- Book Bonuses: Remember that the 5-value bonuses are not used.
- Unused Influence: Negative scores are possible, e.g., negative 8 influence scores negative 2 points.
- Cross: No cross scoring.
- Book Stack Multipliers: The winner in each stack scores the number of pips on the corresponding value die. Second place does not score. If either player fails to reach the negative values, score the negative values, as usual.
If your total score is higher than Cadfael's, you win. Otherwise you lose.
Adjusting Difficulty Level
- To decrease the difficulty level, remove the special Cadfael bonuses for having a higher total on the influence dice.
- To increase the difficulty, double the abbot influence bonuses for Cadfael (i.e., move the novice 2x and change value die by 2 pips).
- To increase the difficulty level even more, give Cadfael's novice a head start on the path. The more spaces you give, the greater the difficulty.
B-Side Variants
The monastery card and task cards have "B" sides for a different gaming experience. All players should use the same sides, but you may use any combination of sides. Not for use in the solo game.
B-Side: Monastery Card
B-Side Setup for Period II
The B-side of the monastery card requires different combinations of dice during the setup for Period II. Some rows have different special actions than the A-side.
- Row 1: Place 2 book dice, 1 travel die and the embellishment die in this row. No changes to this row's action.
- Row 2: Place 3 book dice in this row. You may reroll 1 of them one time as a special action.
- Row 3: Place 1 book die and 1 travel die in this row. Move up 1 pew in the chapel as your special action.
- Row 4: Place 2 book dice in this row. Move your novice 1 to 3 spaces on the map as your special action.
Chapel Bonuses: Note that the chapel piety point values are different and that the star icon replaces the question mark icon, so you earn a book of your choice (see "Book Dice: Copying Books").
B-Side: Task Card
Travel Rules
- Draw lines for movement.
- Draw a circle on spaces where the novice stops.
- You must move the exact number of monks on the travel die.
- All movement is orthogonal only, though you may change direction.
- You receive a bonus only for spaces you stop on, i.e., if you pass through, it does not count.
- If you stop on the cross icon, mark a space on your cross.
- You may not cross any lines you've drawn.
- If you are unable to move, the die has no use (i.e., you may not take the Abbot's option with the travel die using the B-side).
To move on the map, draw a continuous line starting from the monk into (and through) map boxes. Draw circles where you stop.
Book Bonus Values: The values for scoring book bonuses are different.
Cross: Each filled circle is worth 3 piety points.
Unused Influence: Divide the influence amount by 3 to calculate piety points.
Points of Emphasis
Moving in Chapel
- Period I: Move in order from furthest from the altar to closest.
- Period II: Players move in turn order.
- Periods I & II: The player in the lowest pew, then most to the right, is furthest away. When moving up, write your symbol in the leftmost open space in the next row up. Player symbols are not erased (except when the game is over).
Book Bonus Ties
- Period I: If multiple players complete a stack during the same step, the player closest to the altar scores the higher bonus.
- Period II: Use dice in turn order; score book bonuses on your turn.
Unusable Dice: For any die that cannot be used, you may exercise the Abbot's Option. A pair of dice with the same symbol are separate dice, so if only one can be used, you must use it; exercise the Abbot's Option for the other. If movement on the map is not possible, then an unusable die must be used in the cross. If both the cross is filled and no movement is possible, then an unusable die has no use. Exception: Using B-side task cards, you may not exercise the Abbot's Option with an unusable travel die.
Summary
Period I
Period I lasts 4 days, with 3 steps each day:
Matins (step 1): Plan the Day
- Simultaneously roll dice, up to 3x. Three options each roll: roll all, roll one, stop.
Lauds (step 2): Perform Tasks
- Simultaneously use dice to copy books, increase abbot influence, move novice.
- Place chapel dice aside for use in step 3.
- Score book bonuses from closest to furthest from altar.
Vespers (step 3): Go to Chapel
- From furthest to closest to altar, move in the chapel.
Period II
Period II lasts 4 days, with 3 steps each day:
Vigil (step 1): Prepare the Scriptorium
- Roll the dice in the Scriptorium and place back into rows.
Prime (step 2): Appeal to the Abbot
- Simultaneously and secretly write bid in box on influence track.
- Reveal bids to determine turn order for step 3. Ties broken in favor of closest to altar.
- Reduce abbot influence according to bids.
Terce (step 3): Choose and Perform Tasks
- In turn order, choose a row of dice and perform actions, including the special action of the row.
Credits
Biblios: Quill and Parchment, designed by Steve Finn.
Dr. Finn's Games relies on crowdfunding to publish games, so thanks to all the Kickstarter backers who helped bring this game (and many others) into existence. Thanks to all the playtesters of this game, as well as the reviewers who provided free video and written reviews. Thanks to Iello for allowing me to use "Biblios" in the title. Please visit doctorfinns.com to learn about other great games from Dr. Finn's Games.
© 2021 Dr. Finn's Games. Art and graphic design by Akha Hulzebos. Biblios is a trademark of Iello USA LLC, 5550 Mirage Painted Rd. Suite 320, Las Vegas, NV 89149. Used with permission.