Bohna Nostra

Bohna Nostra Rulebook

Setup

Every player selects a character card (shortened to character) along with the character's six corresponding favor cards (shortened to favor). Put the character in any easily visible spot in front of you. Shuffle your favors, draw three of them as your hand and put the rest face down in front of you as your own personal favor draw pile.

Important: The order of the favors in your hand is irrelevant. They are not counted with the bean cards and always remain at the back of your hand.

Components

7 characters
42 favors (7 sets of cards, each with 6 cards)

Playing the Game

The game is played just like the basic game with four phases:

Plant Bean Cards from Your Hand
Turn Over and Trade Bean Cards
Plant Turned-over and Traded Bean Cards
Draw Bean Cards

Following the sequence of these phases is important for calling in favors. All of the favors, except for one, are tied to specific phases in the game.

In general, the rules from Bohnanza (with or without the expansion set) or Ladybohn apply. Modifications and additions to the rules are explained later.

Offering Favors

Favors are offered in phase 2 "Turn Over and Trade Bean Cards" during bean trading. You can use the favors in your hand to make your offers even more attractive and convince your fellow players to trade beans with you. To do this, you give the favor that you offered the other player in the trade, making you the debtor. Your fellow player puts the favor face up next to their bean field to show which player owes them which favor later in the game.

Example: Anna turned over a Red Bean. Natalie is interested in the card, but can only offer a Chili Bean from her hand. That is not enough for Anna. Natalie then also offers her the following favor: The next time she draws cards as the active player, Anna can pick out and take one of them. Now the deal is done.

Attention: Favors received from one player may not be offered to a different player later in the game.

Calling in Favors

In most cases, calling in a favor is tied to specific phases of the game. A detailed description of the different favors can be found in "The Favors" section later in these rules.

Favors with the instruction "At the next opportunity" are called in automatically. If the debtor is able to honor the favor as the active player, they must do so.

Favors without this instruction can be called in during any round of the game. The point at which a favor is called in is decided by the player who has the favor face up next to their bean fields.

As a general principle: If a favor is called in, the debtor is not allowed to refuse.

If you, as the debtor, are given back one of your favors by a fellow player after you granted it to them, put it face down at the bottom of your personal favor draw pile.

Drawing New Favors

You draw new favors only when you are the active player in phase 4 "Draw Bean Cards". First, draw bean cards as usual and put them at the back of your hand. If you have fewer than three favors in your hand, draw cards from your personal favor draw pile until you have three again.

If your draw pile has run out because more than three of your favors are still in front of your fellow players, your hand of cards will have fewer favors for the time being.

The Favors

Every player starts with the same set of favor cards. Although they are all used the same way during trading, there are differences in how they are called in. The differences for all six favors are described below.

Phase 1 – "At the next opportunity, I have to plant one suitable bean from my hand in your fields instead of mine."

This favor is called in automatically when the debtor is the active player. If the debtor is able to plant their top bean card as a suitable bean in one of your fields during phase 1 of their own turn, they must do so. A card is considered suitable if you already have the same type of bean planted in one of your fields at that point in time. If your debtor plants their first card in their own field and then has a suitable bean card as the second card in their hand, they must plant it in your field even though they might not have wanted to play their second card.

Phase 1 – "At the next opportunity, I will take one suitable bean from my fields and put it in your fields – only then will I plant beans from my hand of cards."

This favor is called in automatically when the debtor is the active player. If the debtor has a bean field with the same kind of bean that you have in one of yours, they must take a bean card from their field and plant it in your appropriate field. After that, the debtor plays one or two bean cards from their hand as usual.

Phase 2 – "Take one of the two cards I just turned over from the pile as a gift before trading."

You call in this favor when the debtor is the active player. If they turn over two cards from the pile at the beginning of phase 2, you decide at that moment if you would like one of them. Place the selected bean card sideways next to your fields to plant it as usual during phase 3.

Phase 3 – "Demand a gift from me. I have to give you one bean of choice from my hand that is suitable for one of your fields."

You will call in this favor during any turn in phase 3. Demand a gift from your debtor. If they have a bean card in their hand that is suitable for one of your fields, they must give it to you as a gift. A card is considered suitable if you already have the same type of bean planted in one of your fields at that point in time. If the debtor has several suitable cards, they are allowed to choose which one they give you. Take the card you receive and plant it in your fields during this phase. If the debtor does not have any suitable bean cards, they briefly show you their hand as proof. The favor is now considered as honored.

Phase 4 – "Take the beans I just drew and select one of them. Put it anywhere you choose in your hand of cards."

You call in this favor when the debtor is the active player. Before the debtor draws bean cards in phase 4, decide whether or not you would like to have one of them. Take the cards, select one of them and give the rest back to the active player, one by one and in any sequence. Put the selected bean card anywhere you choose in your hand.

Bohnanza expansion set: The debtor does not need to be the active player in this case. Decide during any turn, before the debtor draws a card, that you want to have that card.

At any time – "Give me one bean of your choice from your hand as a gift. I have to plant that bean in my fields immediately."

You can call in this favor at any time during the game. Give the debtor one bean card of your choice from your hand as a gift. The debtor does not put this card sideways next to their fields as is usually the case with gifts, but instead plants it in their field immediately. If they do not have a suitable field, they have to harvest first.

The End of the Game

The game ends as usual. Favors that are still on the table are no longer of value. Perhaps you will have the good fortune to be in a better bargaining position during the next game thanks to one of the favors that was not called in this time...