Bounty
Bounty Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Goal
The winner is the player with the most money - dubloons - after a pre-agreed time (say one or two hours) - or the first player to get a pre-agreed amount - say 100, 150 or 200 dubloons.
Setting Up
The packs of cards for the seven trading ports, the Treasure Chest cards and the double-sided Warship Card, are placed face down beside the board.
Three or more players: Players each choose one ship and one cargo hold of the same colour. They each receive 35 dubloons: 2 x 10 Dubloon gold coins; 2 x 5 Dubloon silver coins; and 5 x 1 Dubloon bronze coins.
Two players: If there are only two players, they each start with two ships and cargo holds of the same colour and 50 Dubloons each. After playing for the first ship the player plays for the second ship during the same turn and keeps this order for the rest of the game. The cargoes of each of the ships must be kept in its own cargo 'hold'.
Moving
The player who rolls the highest begins. Players start from Home Port by throwing the die and moving in any direction - but not diagonally. If they roll a 'one' they don't move but instead take a 'Treasure Chest' card. They roll again every time they throw a six.
Trading
Players trade by entering a port and paying the Bank the trading fee on the port's scroll. They take the top card from the port's cargo pack and place it face-down at the top of their holds - and then move to another port to buy another cargo.
Players can trade at each of the seven trading ports only once on each voyage before returning to Home Port. They can return to Home Port at any time to sell their cargo to the Bank and then set off on another trading voyage. The Bank pays them the face value of all their cargo cards and returns the cards immediately to their packs.
Who is a Pirate, a Merchant or a Warship?
The top card - and only the top card - in a players' holds (that is, the last one that they bought) shows whether they are merchants, pirates or warships. (If it is an ordinary cargo card, they are merchants). Players should not tell others what they are - but it is fun to bluff!
Pirates
Players who draw pirate cards at any of the ports can decide either to become pirates or to remain honest merchants. If they want to stay merchants they sail to the next port and buy another cargo. However, if they want to become pirates, they attack another player by rolling the die with a large enough number to reach their target and by turning their pirate cards over.
- If the target is a merchant, the pirate takes the merchant's entire cargo.
- If the target is a warship the pirate loses all his cargo to the warship. The player stops being a pirate and may start to trade again.
- If a pirate attacks another pirate, they have a shoot out. The pirate with the highest total after three rolls of the die wins and takes the loser's cargo. The loser stops being a pirate and may start to trade again.
Pirates may attack as many ships as they like before returning to Home Port but they may not trade. They stay pirates until they return to Home Port to sell their cargo and then set off again as merchants.
Whenever players take another player's cargo they place it underneath their cargo holds. The cards inside the cargo hold are those that the players have bought at trading ports and provide a record of the ports that they have visited.
Warships
Players become warships by drawing warship cards at any of the ports. They stay warships until they buy another cargo or return to Home Port.
A warship can chase and attack any known pirate.
A warship can also attack another known warship. The warship that has the highest total after three rolls of the die wins and takes the loser's cargo. The loser stops being a warship.
The Temporary Warship Card
Players robbed by pirates can try to get their cargo back by racing to Admiralty Island and taking the temporary warship card. They then chase and attack only the pirate who robbed them before the pirate gets back to Home Port. If they succeed, they take the pirate's cargo.
Players stop being temporary warships as soon as:
- they capture the pirate who robbed them; or
- as soon as the pirate who robbed them returns to Home Port; or
- as soon as they enter a port to trade.
A temporary warship cannot attack another warship.
Treasure Chest
Players who roll a 'one' don't move, but instead draw the top card from the Treasure Chest pack. They must then do, receive or pay whatever is written on the card at once.
If players are blown to another port by a hurricane, or have to return to Home Port or go to Admiralty Island, they move immediately without having to throw the die.
If players draw the 'Charged with Piracy' card, they move immediately to Admiralty Island to go on trial for piracy. Their cargo is examined and if it contains any pirate cards they are found guilty and lose their cargo to the Bank. If players have no pirate cards in their cargoes they are innocent and may continue to trade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can two or more ships be on the same square at the same time? Yes, and a pirate can attack all the ships on the same square at the same time! If one of them is a warship, the pirate loses his cargo and the merchants keep theirs. If one of them is another pirate, they have a shoot-out and the winning pirate gets the cargoes of all the ships on the square.
Can ships be attacked in Port? No. Players can't be attacked while they are in a port. But they must still throw the die and move when it is their turn. This means, in practice, that if they throw an even number they can stay in port, but if they throw an odd number they must leave!
Can players become bankrupt? No, if they can't pay a Treasure Chest charge they must pay whatever money they have left and return to Home Port as quickly as they can. When they arrive at Home Port they can borrow 25 Dubloons from the Bank. Loans must be repaid at the end of the game before seeing who the winner is.
Do you have to throw the exact number you need to reach a port or to attack a ship? No, you just need to throw a number large enough to reach your destination. Once you do so, your turn is over unless you threw a six - in which case you can finish your business and then throw again.
If a Treasure Chest card orders you to return to Home Port or to go to another port do you have to throw the die to get there? No, you move to the destination immediately.
What happens if the Bank needs more money? The Bank can just buy back dubloons from the richest players by writing out IOUs. The IOUs are counted as part of the players' money at the end of the game.