Carnevale: Vicious Fighting Along the Canals of Venice
Carnevale: Vicious Fighting Along the Canals of Venice Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- The Basics
- Character Profiles
- The Golden Rule
- Fortune's Favour
- Setting Up
- Rounds & Turns
- Measuring
- Measuring & Moving With Terrain
- Line of Sight
- Cover
- Friendly & Enemy Characters
- Attacks & Damage
- Attacks of Opportunity
- Base Contact
- Weapons
- Dice Rolls
- Action Points, Will Points & Command Points
- Actions
- Magic
- Terrain
- Building Your Gang
- Equipment
- Campaigns & Scenarios
- Order of Play
- The Winds of Fate
- Scenarios
- Special Rules
The Basics
In this section you'll discover how to play games of Carnevale. Leaping over rooftops, diving into canals, fighting monsters, shooting guns, and even casting magical spells are all covered here, along with rules for rounding up your gang to take to the streets.
Character Profiles
The city of Venice is filled with a broad range of esoteric people, ranging from City Guard to foreign undead creatures. Each person is unique, but can be categorised into different character types. A butcher will be able to do different things to an Agláope, and the best way to ensure victory is to bring a varied roster to the fight.
Each model in Carnevale is referred to as a character. Each character has a series of attributes and abilities to traverse the dangerous city and fight off would-be attackers. These are documented on a character's profile. An example profile (the Capodecina) has: Actions 3, Life 13, Will 4, Command 4, Size 30, Ducats 20; MOVE 5", DEXTERITY 6, ATTACK 4, PROTECTION 2, MIND 4; weapon Twin Blades (Range 0", Evasion -, Damage +1, Penetration -); Keywords (Faction (The Guild), Leader, Trade); Character Abilities (Aerial Attack, Expert Offence (2), Infiltration); and a Command Ability. All character profiles can be found at ttcombat.com/pages/carnevale-resources
A. Size, Cost and Points
Size - The diameter of a character's base size is listed here in millimetres.
Cost - How many Ducats this character costs to include in a gang.
Points are a finite resource for each character; lost and sometimes replenished throughout the game. Points can never be lower than 0 or go above its starting number. Points are split into the following four categories:
- Action Points - Action Points (often AP) are the number of actions a character may make each turn. A character may never use more than 3 Action Points in each character turn. AP are replenished each round.
- Life Points - Life Points (LP) are the amount of damage a character can take. Whenever a character takes 1 Damage, subtract 1 Life Point from its character profile. Once a character is reduced to 0 Life Points, it is removed from the game as a casualty. This is often referred to as killing a character (even if they aren't necessarily dead, merely incapacitated).
- Will Points - Will Points (WP) are used to boost a character's actions during the game, or cast magic spells.
- Command Points - Characters with Command Points (CP) are able to spend them to command friendly characters to greater feats of daring. Making out of sequence actions and Command Abilities are just two of their uses. Command Points are also used to determine which player gets to have the first turn in each round.
B. Statistics
Statistics are used to gauge how skilled a character is in different aspects of combat. Statistics (often stats) are used to roll dice against. You may be instructed to modify a character's statistics in a game. A character may never have a statistic lower than 0 or higher than 10. Statistics are split into the following categories:
- MOVE - How far a character can move. Each point equals 1" of movement.
- DEXTERITY - A character's ability to make special movement actions and avoid attacks. Each point equals a single dice, and the total number is the number your opponent must roll equal to or above in order to hit with a Combat attack.
- ATTACK - A character's skill at both ranged and melee combat. Each point equals a single dice.
- PROTECTION - A character's defence, both natural and via equipment it fights with. Whenever a character takes Damage, it rolls a number of dice equal to its PROTECTION value. Protection can reduce Damage to a minimum of 0, showing that the attack is not powerful enough or the target is especially well armoured.
- MIND - A character's ability to use its mental faculties. Each point equals a single dice. Mind values are mostly used for casting magic.
C. Weapons
The character's weapons are listed here. If a character has multiple weapons, they may pick one to use for each action. If a character has weapons separated by "OR", then you must choose which option that character has before the game starts, and may not change the option during the game.
D. Keywords
Here are descriptors that define the character, such as Doctor, Monster etc. Certain special rules will only affect a character with certain keywords, but they have no effect on their own.
E. Character Abilities
All of the character's special abilities are listed here. There are universal Character Abilities listed in the Special Rules section of this book, but many characters have unique abilities.
The Golden Rule
Carnevale is a narrative led skirmish game. The core rules are designed to make the game fun, fast-paced, and easy to understand. However, the story element of Carnevale should never be overlooked. It is a game of daring acrobatics, vicious combat, and eldritch magic.
When playing, always remember the Golden Rule: the object of the game is to win, but the point of the game is for both players to have fun.
When weaving your own story on the tabletop, it's good practice to allow your opponent a little leeway, whether measuring line of sight, planning their actions, or any number of other options that come up during a game. It is much more important for a move to be cinematic than for it to stick to the letter of the rules.
For example, if a player wants to leap across a gap between buildings but measuring from their base they can't quite see their landing position, it's a good idea to let them make the jump - who knows when you'll want to try something equally as daring?
Fortune's Favour
Fortune favours the bold. During games your gang should be performing daring feats. Whether leaping across an entire canal in a single bound, fighting and defeating a towering Raadru with a lowly Citizen, or even escaping a fight just to run up the wall, backflip off and land on top of your opponent, sword first, Carnevale is about risky plays.
Fortune's Favour is a way to reward characters who pull off daring and dramatic plays. This core rule gets players to think carefully about their moves and encourages you to make your games more exciting.
The first person to perform a particularly dashing feat during a game can be awarded Fortune's Favour by their opponent. If there are more than two players, a consensus must be reached between the opponents - channel your inner Council of Ten to plot and sabotage! A counter like the Carnevale coin works perfectly to represent Fortune's Favour.
The character that performed the feat replenishes 1 Will Point, or 2 Will Points if the player is able to tell the story of the heroics - this is a narrative game, after all! Note that a character replenishes Will Points up to their starting number, not over it.
Once Fortune's Favour has been earned, that player is able to award it to any other player that performs further worthy feats, gaining Will Points as above. Fortune's Favour will therefore pass between players during the game, rewarding exceptional and striking plays.
Gaining Fortune's Favour is its own reward. But if a player wins the game while holding Fortune's Favour, it can always be called into question whether it is a true victory, or whether they were merely able to win based on the luck awarded to them by their opponent. The true test of skill is winning while giving away any advantages - that is how to truly beat destiny at her own game (and be able to brag afterwards)!
Setting Up
To play a game of Carnevale, simply choose and follow the rules of one of the scenarios listed either in this book or in another supplement. The scenario rules later in this book will guide you from setting up the board all the way through to winning the game.
Rounds & Turns
A game of Carnevale is divided into game rounds, which are then divided into character turns (older publications may refer to character turns as activations). Once all characters have had a turn, a new round begins.
Initiative
To determine which player gets the first character turn at the start of each game round, each player rolls a number of dice equal to the current remaining Command Points of any friendly character. Total up the number of 7+ results. The player with the most takes the initiative. If the result is a tie, simply re-roll the dice. Initiative rolls are not able to be modified, re-rolled through abilities, or altered.
If a player doesn't have any characters with remaining Command Points, they automatically lose the roll. If no players have any characters with remaining Command Points, all players simply roll a single dice each. The player with the highest roll takes initiative.
Starting with the player who took the initiative, each player chooses a single character to have a turn. Keep moving clockwise around the board until all players' characters have had a turn. Each character may only have one turn per game round.
In a character's turn it uses various actions according to how many Action Points it has (see Action Points for more details). A player may choose when to end a character's turn, and doesn't have to use any actions if they don't want to.
Once all character turns are over, the game round ends. At that point players resolve any effects that last until the game round ends, proceeding in initiative order if needed. Players then check for victory conditions according to the scenario. If no player has won, then another game round begins, and initiative is rolled again as above.
Measuring
Carnevale measures its distances in inches, noted with inverted commas (for example 6 inches is 6"). You are allowed to measure distances at any time. To calculate a distance, measure the space directly between the two closest points - this can be horizontally, diagonally, or vertically!
When measuring to or from characters, always measure from the closest part of their base. Base sizes are listed on a character's profile sheet as diameter in millimetres.
Example: the Capodecina is moving 5" from A to B. The distance is measured from the front of his base, and the front of his base cannot move further than that distance.
Measuring & Moving With Terrain
Players should ignore all terrain up to 1" high for the purposes of measuring, judging line of sight, and moving.
Line of Sight
Carnevale uses true line of sight. To check if a character has line of sight to another character, draw a straight line between the miniatures. The easiest way to do this is to get close to the character itself for a "miniature's eye view" of its surroundings. If any part of the character's body or head can see any part of another character's body or head, then it is in line of sight.
Cover
If at least 25% of an enemy character is covered in some way (including arms, legs, weapons etc), the enemy counts as being in cover and gains +1 PROTECTION.
In some situations it will be trickier to tell if a character is in cover. In these situations if the players cannot come to a decision, the character being attacked always counts as being in cover.
A character in base contact with its attacker is never counted as in cover. A character in water is always counted as being in cover when not in base contact with their attacker.
Example: the Magi-Rashaar (in green) can see over 75% of the Capodecina, so the Capodecina is not in cover. Conversely, the Magi-Rashaar hiding behind that barrel would almost certainly be in cover from the Capodecina.
Friendly & Enemy Characters
Any character in your gang is a friendly character, and any in allied or opposing gangs are enemy characters (yes you can turn on your allies!).
When abilities say they affect any or every friendly character, that does include the character using the ability, provided they are the target, or in range of the ability. However, some abilities may specify that the character using the ability is unaffected.
Attacks & Damage
There are many situations that call for a character to be attacked or to take damage, such as being hit by a Combat action, falling from a building, or even drowning!
Each point of Damage taken causes a character to lose 1 Life Point. When a character is instructed to take Damage, they make a Protection Roll. However, when a character is instructed to lose Life Points, no armour will save them and they cannot make a Protection Roll.
For example, armour offers protection when getting hit, but doesn't stop you being drowned!
Attacks of Opportunity
An Attack of Opportunity is counted as a regular action, but costs 0AP. A character cannot choose to make an Attack of Opportunity as an action, but may be instructed to for many reasons (such as moving into base contact with an enemy). Choose either to make a Combat action, a Grapple action, or a Drown action. Treat the Attack of Opportunity as a normal action of that type, with any and all Character Abilities, Weapon Abilities, or modifiers that may apply.
Base Contact
Characters must be in base contact with each other to use certain attacks and abilities. Characters are in base contact when their bases are touching. An enemy character does not count as being in cover if it is attacked when in base contact.
Note that due to small walls or other terrain features in Carnevale, there may be some height discrepancies. Miniatures are assumed to be in base contact if there is 1" or less in vertical distance between bases.
If both characters' bases are within 1" of each other and touching the same obstacle that is up to 1" high (like fighting over a barricade), they count as in base contact when making Combat actions, able to attack with 0" range weapons. However, in this situation the enemy character always counts as being in cover.
Weapons
A character may have several different weapons on their character profile. For each Combat action, choose one weapon to use and follow its rules. All characters may make Unarmed attacks. These simply count as an additional weapon the character can choose from even if it isn't on their character profile.
| Weapon | Range | Evasion | Damage | Penetration | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unarmed | 0" | - | - | +1 | - |
- Weapon: The weapon's name is displayed here.
- Range: Each weapon has a range value. This value shows the effective distance in inches that this weapon can be used on the tabletop. If the target is within the weapon's range, you may use that weapon to attack. Weapons with a range of 0" may only be used against enemies in base contact.
- Evasion: How accurate the weapon is. This number will modify the target's DEXTERITY for the attack. A plus gives the target a bonus if the weapon is less likely to hit (like a pistol), and a minus gives them a negative if the weapon is extremely accurate (like a rapier). A dash means the target's DEXTERITY is unmodified. Multiple sources can modify this amount, simply add all sources together to determine the final modifier.
- Damage: How much extra damage a weapon does. This number will modify the amount of Damage a Successful or Critical attack does. Note that this modifier has no effect on a Failed or Fumbled attack - you have to hit with the sword for the sword to do extra damage! A dash means that the Damage result is unaffected.
- Penetration: How good the weapon is at breaking through armour. This number will modify the target's PROTECTION for the attack. A weapon with a minus negatively affects their armour (like when using a musket), and one with a plus positively affects it (such as unarmed attacks). A dash means the target's PROTECTION is unaffected. Multiple sources can modify this amount, simply add all sources together to determine the final modifier.
- Abilities: Some weapons have different special rules that apply to them (such as Aquatic meaning the weapon can be used when in water). See the Special Rules section for more information.
Dice Rolls
Carnevale uses 10-sided dice, often referred to as D10. Whenever the rules refer to dice, always use D10s. Note that the rules use "dice" as both single and plural - the number of dice to be rolled will be specified.
Whenever instructed to roll dice you will first need to calculate the amount of dice you need to roll. Take the number indicated for the attribute you need to roll for and apply any modifiers, such as weapon bonuses. Every roll has a maximum of 10 dice and minimum of 0 dice. For example ATTACK 3 means you roll 3 dice.
A successful dice result is referred to as an Ace. The result required on each dice to score an Ace changes depending on the type of roll being made (see Types of Rolls), although is most often a 7 or higher. Dice rolls of 10 are always an Ace, and dice rolls of 1 are never an Ace.
Whenever you roll any dice, you must always have one Destiny Dice, which should be a different colour to distinguish it. If you're only rolling one dice, that dice will be the Destiny Dice. The Destiny Dice acts just like a normal dice, able to score Aces in the same way. However, it also determines whether a roll is a Critical or a Fumble.
Certain rules may allow you to re-roll one or more dice. Dice may only ever be re-rolled once and you must accept the second result even if it is worse than the first.
Once both players have rolled their dice, the player whose turn it is may decide to re-roll dice first, then the opponent may decide to re-roll their dice. All re-rolls for a single roll must be declared at the same time.
Unless specifically stated, you may never re-roll the Destiny Dice - it's destiny!
Successes, Failures, Criticals & Fumbles
When making a roll, you will have a table to refer to. These tables show how to proceed for four different results: Successes, Failures, Criticals, and Fumbles.
- Success: If a roll contains at least 1 Ace it is a Success.
- Fail: If a roll contains no Aces, it is a Fail.
- Critical: If the Destiny Dice is a 10 and the roll contains at least 1 other Ace it is a Critical. Remember: the Destiny Dice also counts as an Ace for the result of the roll, so a Critical will always have a minimum of 2 Aces.
- Fumble: If the Destiny Dice is a 1 and the roll contains no Aces, it is a Fumble.
Types of Rolls
In Carnevale there are five main kinds of rolls:
Basic Rolls are based on a character's statistics and are used in situations where only one model is involved. When making a Basic Roll you use one of the character's statistics as the number of dice to be rolled. Unless otherwise stated the result needed for an Ace is 7 or higher. For example a character with DEXTERITY 4 making a Basic DEXTERITY Roll rolls 4 dice, needing a 7+ on each.
Opposed Rolls are when two characters make a Basic Roll using the same attribute. Unless otherwise stated the result needed for an Ace is 7 or higher. The targeted character's player rolls first. Add up their Aces and subtract that number of dice from the active player's roll, which is then treated just like a Basic Roll. Note that the targeted character cannot score Criticals or Fumbles. For example the targeted character's player rolls 2 Aces when defending against a Grapple. The active player usually has an ATTACK value of 5, so rolls 3 dice.
Attack Rolls use a character's ATTACK stat, and are mostly used for Combat actions. The result needed for an Ace is equal to or higher than the target's DEXTERITY value.
Magic Rolls use a character's MIND stat, and are mostly used for Cast Spell actions. The result needed for an Ace is equal to or higher than the spell's Difficulty. Each spell has a different Difficulty value.
Protection Rolls use a character's PROTECTION stat, and are used to save against Damage. The result needed for a Protection Roll to be an Ace is 7 or higher unless otherwise stated. Whenever a character takes Damage, make a Protection Roll and consult the table below:
| Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Success | For each Ace, reduce the Damage score by 1. |
| Fail | No effect. |
| Critical | Add 1 extra Ace to this roll. For each Ace, reduce the Damage score by 1. |
| Fumble | Increase the Damage score by 1. |
Action Points, Will Points & Command Points
Most of a character's stats in Carnevale are static, but Action Points, Will Points, and Command Points frequently change throughout the game. Each one is used for a different situation. Keep track of how many of these points a character has in the game.
Action Points (AP)
Action Points represent how fast a character is at making decisions. Some have nerves of steel and react quickly under pressure, while others are a little more sluggish.
Actions are any attacks, movement, or special abilities a character may perform. Actions usually have an Action Point (AP) cost associated with them, although some of them may not cost AP at all. Simply pay the cost out of a character's remaining AP to perform the action. Once an action is complete a character is able to perform another action if they have enough remaining AP.
A character may never use more than 3AP in each game round. A character does not have to use all of its AP during its turn, but any extra AP are lost at the end of the character's turn.
All characters' AP is completely replenished at the start of a new game round.
Will Points (WP)
When backed into a corner, it's surprising what a person (or monster) can do. Summoning the last of your courage can be the key to fighting off an opponent bigger than you, or harnessing magical forces beyond mortal comprehension.
Will Points are a finite resource - use them at the most opportune moment! Will Points can be replenished using various special abilities, but - without those abilities - once your Will Points are gone, that's it!
There are several ways of using Will Points in Carnevale, but the most common is to increase the number of dice in a single roll. Before a character makes a dice roll, you may choose to spend up to 2 of their Will Points. Each Will Point spent increases that roll by 1 dice, up to the maximum of 10 dice.
When multiple players wish to use Will Points to modify the results of the same dice roll, they can declare their use in any order. The roll does not proceed until each player decides not to use any more Will Points. However, if you say you're using Will Points, you cannot change your mind after declaring!
Command Points (CP)
The best leaders are those who inspire. Either through heroic example or fear, they are able to spur their allies on to valiant acts. However, without direct leadership, the gangs roaming the streets of Venice are prone to acting for their own best interests.
A character may use their Command Points to help the rest of the gang. A character has an amount of Command Points on their profile to last the entire game. There are very few ways to replenish Command Points in a game of Carnevale, so make them count!
You may use Command Points for 4 different commands, but each character may only use each of these commands once per game round (for a maximum of 4CP):
- PLAN: At the start of each round, you may use 1CP to discard an Agenda and draw another one. This may be done on multiple Agendas each round by using multiple characters and 1 Command Point for each.
- ORDER: At the start of a character's turn, a different friendly character within line of sight may use 1 Command Point to give an additional 1AP to use that turn. Remember: a character may never use more than 3AP in a single game round.
- COUNTER: After an enemy character has completed an action during their turn (and after any Attacks of Opportunity), a character may use 1 Command Point. Pick a different friendly character within line of sight to gain 1AP to make a single out of sequence action. This action should be completed as normal, including any Attacks of Opportunity it causes. This extra action counts as 1AP used from a character's 3AP total per round (which means that characters that use 3AP in their turn cannot normally perform this ability).
- ABILITY: A character may use a Command Ability for 1 Command Point at any point in their turn (although not during another action). Command Abilities are unique to characters and factions. Each of these will be detailed on a character's profile or in the relevant faction rules. Only one Command Ability may be used during each character's turn, no matter how many a character has access to. The same Command Ability could be used multiple times in a round by multiple characters, provided they all have access to it.
Command Abilities come in two forms:
AURA abilities affect a target character when and only when it is in range. AURA abilities often effect an area until the end of the round. A character that is in range of an Aura counts as receiving that bonus until the end of an action (including Attacks of Opportunity), even if they use that action to move out of range.
PULSE abilities take effect immediately if the target character is in range at time of use.
Actions
Each character in Carnevale has Action Points to use during their turn. Climbing up buildings, duelling opponents, and summoning the eldritch energy of the Rent in the Sky are all covered here. Remember that Carnevale is a narrative game, and the simple actions presented in this book are to allow you to tell your own story - a character in the streets of Venice rarely just "moves", they're likely to sprint up an alley before scurrying to a rooftop to survey the scene!
Any character can use the actions listed in this section, but individual characters may have their own unique actions with an AP cost on their character profile card.
Run/Climb - 1AP
The character is able to move up to its MOVE value in inches in a broadly horizontal direction with no penalties. This movement action can be used to move over terrain features that are less than 1" high. A character may not move through another character, friendly or enemy.
At any point during a character's Run/Climb action, if it is within base contact with Difficult Ground or Vertical Terrain that is taller than 1", it may choose to climb the surface in any direction, provided it remains in base contact with the surface. To do so, make a Basic DEXTERITY Roll and consult the table below:
| Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Success | Move up to remaining MOVE. |
| Fail | Stay in place and discard any remaining MOVE. |
| Critical | Add 2 to MOVE value for this action. Move up to remaining MOVE. |
| Fumble | The character falls from its current position, following the rules for falling. |
A character moving on Vertical Terrain ignores all other characters for the duration of the move, but may not end the move occupying the same space as another character.
A character may attempt to climb multiple times in the same turn, even if not on solid ground, and won't fall immediately after climbing. Make these rolls separately.
If you are unable to end a character's turn on solid ground, that character falls from its current position, following the rules for falling.
Swimming
When a character is in water they are counted as swimming. A character reduces its MOVE value by 2" if it starts a movement action in water, unless it has the Water Creature Character Ability.
Wobbly Models
There will be plenty of times when playing Carnevale when a character's movement puts it in a place it could theoretically stand, but the miniature's base prevents it because of terrain. In these situations, remember the Golden Rule! It's always best to allow your opponent to make these slightly riskier moves, and half an inch of movement doesn't matter as much as a lovingly painted miniature falling to the floor!
When climbing to the top of a building or jumping a gap for example, if the character just about makes it but can't be placed, simply move them a minimum distance until they're safe and sound.
Charging & Disengaging
When a character moves into base contact with one or more enemy characters, it is called charging and they make an Attack of Opportunity against one of those enemies. After resolving this Attack of Opportunity, they lose all remaining movement from that action.
If a character starts its action 3" or more vertically above an enemy and moves into base contact with that enemy, they count as charging from above and their chosen weapon gains Penetration -5 for the Attack of Opportunity (even if they fall on their opponent).
Characters are never "locked" in base contact and may move away from base contact, counting as disengaging. If a character disengages from one or more enemy characters, the opposing player picks one of their characters. The players make an Opposed DEXTERITY Roll and consult the table below. Characters only in base contact because they're touching the same Obstacle do not need to disengage.
A character on a smaller sized base than its opponent gains +1 DEXTERITY when rolling to disengage (whether attacking or defending).
| Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Success | Character moves away as normal. |
| Fail | Enemy character makes an Attack of Opportunity against the disengaging character - this cannot be a Grapple. Character then moves away as normal. |
| Critical | Character moves away as normal, adding 2" to the final movement distance. |
| Fumble | Enemy character makes an Attack of Opportunity against the disengaging character - this cannot be a Grapple. Character stays in place. |
Jump - 1AP
A character cannot jump while in water. Pick a point within line of sight for your character to jump to that is no higher than 3" above the character's base. Make a Basic DEXTERITY Roll and consult the table below to determine how far you jump:
| Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Success | Move 2" plus up to 1" for every Ace rolled. |
| Fail | Move 2". |
| Critical | Move 4" plus up to 1" for every Ace rolled. |
| Fumble | Move 1". |
Move your character in a straight line towards the point nominated. This movement action can be used to move over intervening terrain features that are less than 1" high.
If you are able to place only part of the character's base on solid ground after jumping over a gap you may move it up to 1" along the straight line so that it is on solid ground. If you roll a higher distance than the point nominated, the remaining distance can be moved horizontally along the same straight line as if making a Run/Climb action.
If you cannot place the character on solid ground, it falls from its current position, following the rules for falling. Distance fallen is calculated based on the height of the character at the start of the jump rather than the start of the fall.
Note that a character only falls if it doesn't "complete" its jump by landing on solid ground, and a player can choose to have the jump end in mid-air. This can give the character a farther jump, but a guaranteed fall. A risky tactic, but sometimes required to make the gap!
Example: The Capodecina (in red) can see the roof opposite, therefore can jump to the opposite roof. The player picks a point for the Capodecina to land on (A) and measures the distance. The Capodecina needs a 4" jump. The Capodecina has a DEXTERITY value of 6, and from this rolls 3 Aces. The action is a success, so the jump is 2" plus 3" for the 3 Aces, meaning the Capodecina actually jumps 5" total. This is enough to move the 4" for a safe landing on the rooftop, and the extra 1" is turned into horizontal movement.
Chained Jumps
Once per turn when you perform a Jump onto an Obstacle or Debris, you may immediately make an additional 0AP jump from the obstacle or debris.
Controlled Landing - 1WP
Before rolling to jump, you may choose for that character to make a Controlled Landing. The jump costs 1AP as normal and the Controlled Landing costs 1 Will Point. If the action results in a fall, the character scores an Ace on the falling roll on a 5+ instead of the normal 7+.
Example: The Capodecina wants to jump down from the roof onto the balcony below (A). It's a 6" jump down onto the balcony, so the player declares that the Capodecina is making a Controlled Landing. The Capodecina rolls 2 Aces, so only jumps 4" total. He moves 4", which still puts him above the balcony, and then falls vertically from there. It's lucky the player decided on a Controlled Landing, because the Capodecina won't suffer as much damage from the resulting fall!
Falling
If a character cannot be wholly placed on solid ground, it counts as falling.
When a character falls, move it vertically straight down until it can be placed on solid ground and discard any of its remaining movement distance for the action, if it had any.
Measure the distance from the start of the fall to the end of the fall. When a character falls farther than 1" it loses Life Points equal to the distance in inches fallen. Make a Basic DEXTERITY Roll to avoid harm, consulting the table. If a character falls into water it reduces any Life Points lost by 2.
| Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Success | Reduce Life Points lost by 1 for each Ace rolled. |
| Fail | The character suffers the full effects of the fall. |
| Critical | Reduce Life Points lost by 2 plus 1 for each Ace rolled. |
| Fumble | The character suffers the full effects of the fall and gains a Stunned counter. |
Example: the Capodecina (in red) has rolled a Fumble on his Jump, which means he only moves 1" forward, and doesn't even make the small hop across rooftops. The Capodecina is moved 1" forwards towards his target (A), and then vertically down to the floor (B). It's an 8" fall, so he is poised to lose 8 Life Points. Luckily he gets to make a Basic DEXTERITY Roll to avoid harm. He rolls an impressive 5 Aces and so subtracts 5 from the total, meaning he loses 3 Life Points.
After that the Capodecina decides to jump down from a building again. He intends to land on the bannister of the bridge to get a free Chained Jump (A). It's a 7" jump, but unfortunately he only rolls 3 Aces. He moves 5" along the line between the points, and then falls vertically from there (B). Although he is closer to the floor, the fall distance is calculated from the start of his jump to the end position, so he again falls 8" in total.
Dive - 2AP
To dive, a character must be in water. Make a Basic DEXTERITY Roll and consult the table below:
| Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Success | Receive 1 Underwater Counter. |
| Fail | No effect. |
| Critical | Receive 2 Underwater Counters. |
| Fumble | Lose 1 Life Point. |
For each Underwater Counter a character has, it gains +2 PROTECTION. A character must remove all Underwater Counters when it makes another action.
If a character starts an activation with any number of Underwater Counters, you may remove the counters and immediately move the character up to 4" for each Underwater Counter, as long as it stays within water. If it has the Water Creature Character Ability, it may move up to 8" per Underwater Counter instead.
Guard - 1AP
A character not in base contact with any enemies and not in water can choose to Guard. Gain a Guard counter and end this character's turn.
When an enemy character makes a Run/Climb or Jump action in line of sight of a character with a Guard counter, you may choose to discard the Guard counter and make an Attack of Opportunity at the end of the enemy's action. If that action is used to move into base contact, the Guarding character makes their Attack of Opportunity first.
If this character is moved in any way or performs another action, it immediately loses its Guard counter.
Hide - 1AP
A character not in base contact with any enemies and not in water can choose to Hide. Gain a Hidden counter and end this character's turn.
Enemy characters cannot draw line of sight to a character with a Hidden counter if they are over 6" away, provided this character is in cover from them. In addition, this character cannot draw line of sight to any characters further away than 6".
If this character is moved in any way or performs another action, it immediately loses its Hidden counter.
Combat - 1AP
To make a Combat action, choose a weapon on the character's profile and an enemy character in line of sight within weapon range to be the target. Make an Attack Roll using the character's ATTACK stat and consult the table below:
| Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Success | Target character takes 1 point of Damage for every Ace rolled. |
| Fail | No effect. |
| Critical | Target character takes 1 point of Damage for every Ace rolled and additionally loses 1 Life Point. |
| Fumble | Attacker loses 1 Life Point and target makes an Attack of Opportunity against the attacker. |
The result needed for an Attack Roll to be an Ace is equal to the target's DEXTERITY value or higher. If you roll one or more Aces, the roll is a success. Some Character Abilities or weapons will add additional modifiers to your Attack Roll.
Once you have determined how much Damage your attack does, your target gets a chance to defend themselves. The target makes a Protection Roll. For every 1 Damage suffered after Protection Rolls, the target loses 1 Life Point.
Combat in Water
A character who is swimming may only use weapons with the Aquatic Ability, unless the character started its action outside of water (for example jumping into base contact with a character from the canal side).
Grapple - 1AP
To make a Grapple action, choose an enemy character in base contact to be the target of the attack. Make an Opposed ATTACK Roll and consult the table below, needing 7+ for an Ace.
| Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Success | Move the target character 2" plus up to 1" for every Ace rolled. |
| Fail | No effect. |
| Critical | Move the target character 2" plus up to 1" for every Ace rolled. Target receives a Stunned counter. |
| Fumble | Target character makes the Grapple action instead, using the same dice result. |
A character on a larger sized base than its opponent gains +1 ATTACK when rolling to grapple (whether attacking or defending).
A Grapple cannot move the character onto a point higher than 1" above where they started, although they do not have to be placed on solid ground. A Grapple can cause the target to fall off a building or even into water, in which case the Falling rules apply.
A character that has been grappled doesn't cause Attacks of Opportunity for moving out of or into base contact, and the character performing the Grapple action is ignored for all movement during the Grapple, ignoring the usual rules regarding moving through characters (although the target cannot be placed on top of the character).
A character can target another friendly character with a Grapple. If they do, the roll is simply counted as a Basic ATTACK Roll rather than an Opposed roll.
Example: the Capodecina (in red) is in trouble! The Ugdru (in green) has moved into base contact. Despite the vertical distance between, the gap is only 1", which means the Ugdru still counts as being in base contact. The Ugdru decides to Grapple the Capodecina. It rolls 2 more Aces than the Capodecina, so has to move him 2", but can move him up to 4" total. The Ugdru is ignored for this movement, and decides to move the Capodecina directly over the top and into the water (A). Ready to drown him next round!
Drown - 1AP
To make a Drown action, choose an enemy character in base contact and in water to be the target of the attack. A character with the Water Creature Character Ability cannot be the target of a Drown action. Make an Opposed ATTACK Roll and consult the table below.
A character on a larger sized base than its opponent gains +1 ATTACK when rolling to drown (whether attacking or defending).
Protection Rolls may not be made against Drown actions - armour doesn't stop water!
| Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Success | Target character loses 2 Life Points, plus 1 Life Point for every Ace rolled. |
| Fail | No effect. |
| Critical | Target character loses 4 Life Points, plus 1 Life Point for every Ace rolled. |
| Fumble | Attacker loses 2 Life Points. |
Magic
Characters with the Mage (X) ability are able to cast arcane spells. When working out the effects of a spell, any (X) in the text refers to the casting character's Mage (X) number.
Disciplines
Mages are limited to the kinds of spells they are able to cast. There are five Disciplines of magic in Carnevale: Divinity, Blood Rites, Fateweaving, Runes of Sovereignty, and Wild Magic.
Spells
A spell entry has four parts:
- Spell: The name of the spell.
- Cost: How many Will Points need to be spent to attempt to cast the spell.
- Difficulty: The result needed to score an Ace on the spell's Magic Roll.
- Effect: What the spell does.
All magic spells can be found online at ttcombat.com/pages/carnevale-resources or in the Magic Card deck.
At the start of the game, before rolling for Deployment Zone, pick which spells your characters know. A character with the Mage (X) ability knows (X) number of spells. A character with the Expert Sorcerer (X) ability adds (X) to the number of spells known.
If a character has the Discipline (X) keyword, then they can know spells from the disciplines listed. A character must pick all of their spells from the same Discipline.
Each Discipline has a Cantrip. A Mage will always know the Cantrip from their chosen Discipline, but Cantrips do not count towards the maximum number of known spells.
Characters are only allowed to cast their chosen spells for the entirety of the game, so choose carefully!
Cast Spell - 1AP
A character with the Mage Character Ability may attempt to cast a spell out of those they know. Each character may only attempt to cast each spell once per round. A character cannot cast a spell while in water unless it has the Water Creature ability.
Spells cost a different number of Will Points, noted in its entry. These are spent whether the action is successful or not. Select the spell you wish to cast and make a Magic Roll using the character's MIND value, consulting the table below. The result needed for an Ace is the Difficulty of each spell.
| Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Success | Character casts the spell according to its Effect. |
| Fail | Character cannot attempt to cast any other spells during this activation. |
| Critical | Character replenishes 1 Will Point, and casts the spell according to its Effect, increasing any (x) amounts by +1. |
| Fumble | Character receives a Stunned counter and loses 1 additional Will Point. Character cannot attempt to cast any other spells during this activation. |
Dispel
When an enemy character attempts to cast a spell, a friendly Mage in line of sight of the caster may declare that they are attempting to Dispel it.
The dispelling Mage must pay 1 Will Point to Dispel the spell.
The Magic Roll becomes an Opposed Roll, with the result needed for an Ace equal to the Difficulty of the spell being cast. The Dispelling character only counts Aces up to its Mage (X) level. Any additional Aces are discarded.
If the Dispelling character rolls no Aces, it cannot attempt to Dispel any other spells this game round.
A character cannot dispel a spell while in water unless it has the Water Creature Character Ability.
Terrain
Carnevale has a lot of terrain! If terrain in your collection is not mentioned in this section, simply agree with your opponent what rules each piece should follow - feel free to make up your own!
Solid Ground
Any broadly horizontal space such as streets, sloped roofs, stairs, or balconies.
These types of terrain do not have any modifiers to movement. Any pieces of scenery that are 1" high or less are counted as solid ground for the purposes of Run/Climb actions (such as crates, railings, or wells).
There are two different sub-categories of solid ground, with changes below:
Difficult Ground
Rough terrain like smashed cobbles, large rocks, or flooded streets. Characters moving over Difficult Ground with a Run/Climb action must roll a Basic DEXTERITY roll to do so.
Unstable Ground
Most often you will find Unstable Ground on the water: large rafts, planks laid out on the water, or even gondolas. Sometimes you'll find it on land too, such as carts.
This type of terrain can be small or large, although we recommend it not being larger than 4" across.
When a character jumps or falls onto Unstable Ground (even if they die on the fall), all other characters on the Unstable Ground must make a Basic DEXTERITY Roll, after any Attacks of Opportunity. If the character that jumped onto the Unstable Ground is on a larger base than a character on the Unstable Ground, they have -1 DEXTERITY for that roll:
| Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Success | No effect. |
| Fail | Move the character 2" towards the nearest edge. If they move off, they fall! |
| Critical | The controlling player moves the character up to 2" in any direction. |
| Fumble | Move the character off the nearest edge so they fall off. |
Note that some Unstable Ground could also count as an Obstacle (such as a gondola). In this case, resolve all of the other characters' rolls first, then the character may make a Chained Jump as normal. You can use this to knock people off their gondolas as you jump over a canal!
Water
Water in Venice is usually a canal, but could be a river, a pond, or any other water feature that is deep enough for a character to swim in. Water affects characters many ways, detailed in the core rules.
Canals
In Carnevale you should have several large bodies of water throughout your gaming area. A canal should be at least 4" wide on average, and usually at least one should go from one edge of the board to the other.
Moving into and out of canals where the wall is up to 1" high does not cost a character any movement, but a character cannot climb out of a canal where the wall is higher than 1", not even with a Dexterity roll - the walls are too slick!
Water Access
These can be lowered jetties, ladders, crumbled bricks, or even steps out of the water.
A character that moves out of water via a water access point does not suffer the usual 2" penalty to their movement for swimming. Water Creatures are unaffected. The Fast Swimmer bonus still applies in this situation as normal.
Water access scenery pieces can be used to climb out of canals where the wall is higher than 1", such as a ladder going up the wall.
Impassable Terrain
Impassable terrain could be solid objects like buildings or even ground covered in flame. Characters cannot move through this terrain. Note that full buildings cannot usually be entered in Carnevale - it's a dangerous place, and everyone locks their doors!
Vertical Terrain
Any vertical space such as walls or buildings over 1" tall. Characters cannot move horizontally through these pieces of terrain, but can climb them.
Landing Spots
Different places are easier or harder on the knees when landing - it's more comfortable to land in water than on a spiky Venetian railing!
Landing spots are divided into 5 categories. When a character falls onto a particular landing spot, modify the distance fallen by the amount specified:
| Landing Spot | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Soft | -4" |
| Water | -2" |
| Solid Ground | n/a |
| Difficult Ground | +2" |
| Dangerous | +4" |
Soft landings could be carts of old dusty sheets or a bunch of rotting corpses (it's Carnevale after all). Dangerous landings would be spiked railings, traps, or a barrel full of rusty spears.
Ropes & Ladders
Ladders, ropes or rigging. All of these provide easy ascending opportunities, even for the clumsiest climbers! A character climbing or descending a rope or ladder as part of a Run/Climb action can do so without making a Basic DEXTERITY Roll.
Ruins
Crumbling buildings litter the streets. Access points in ruins (such as doors and windows) can be moved through without any penalty. A character may move up or down through ruins to different floors at any point, treating the entire area as if it was Vertical Terrain.
Obstacles & Debris
Obstacles are generally scatter terrain, such as barrels, fences, carriages etc. Any piece of terrain that is 3" in height or smaller that isn't solid ground is counted as an obstacle. Jumping onto an obstacle awards you a 0AP Chained Jump once per character turn. There are broadly three types of Obstacle:
Small
Any piece of terrain that is too small for a character to be placed on, but that could feasibly be climbed on, such as a barrel or a gondola pole. These obstacles can be moved or jumped onto, but a character cannot end its turn on one. If it does so, move the character the shortest distance possible off the Obstacle.
Large
Any Obstacle that is large enough for a character to be placed onto, like a fountain or stack of boxes. Large Obstacles follow the normal rules for solid ground or Vertical Terrain as well as being Obstacles.
Debris
Debris is always in water. A character may swim freely through debris, and may climb out of the water onto debris (just like climbing out of a canal), but cannot end its turn on debris. If it does so, immediately move the character the shortest distance possible into the water around the debris.
Example: we see a few different types of terrain. The Capodecina (in red) is standing on a barrel (A) which is a Large Obstacle. The smaller barrels (B) would be Small Obstacles. The Magi-Rashaar (in green) is standing near some scaffolding (C). This would be counted as Vertical Terrain and Solid Ground on the layers between. The fountain in the middle (D) is an example of an Obstacle with both Large and Small areas. The bottom and middle sections are Large, but the very top section is a Small Obstacle. The Capodecina could jump onto it and then get a free Chained Jump with which to jump onto the Magi-Rashaar!
Barricades
Barricades come in two types:
- Light barricades work using standard cover rules: if a character is in base contact with a Light barricade, they count as being in Cover and get +1 Protection if the attacking character is on the other side of the barricade.
- Heavy barricades use the same rule, except they give a +2 Protection bonus instead of +1.
Additionally, it's hard for an enemy to simply jump over a defended barricade! When moving over a barricade that has enemy characters in base contact with the other side, the moving character must test as if disengaging, with any enemy character the opponent chooses. Their weapons must still be in range to be used if there is an Attack of Opportunity.
Gondolas
A Gondola is counted as a special kind of Unstable Ground and Large Obstacle that must be placed on water. 2 characters on 30mm bases, or 1 character on a 40mm base can ride a gondola by being on top of it. If a character on a Gondola loses 3 or more Life Points in one action, it falls off the Gondola! Move the character the shortest possible distance into water. A Gondola counts as Debris for any characters not riding it.
A character riding a gondola may make a Row action.
Row - 1AP
Make a Basic DEXTERITY Roll and consult the table below:
| Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Success | The Gondola and any characters on it move 2" plus 1" for every Ace rolled. |
| Fail | The Gondola and any characters on it move 2". |
| Critical | The Gondola and any characters on it move 4" plus 1" for every Ace rolled. |
| Fumble | All characters on the Gondola move 1" directly into water. |
A Row action cannot take the Gondola out of water, but can take the Gondola farther than the specified amount, provided the characters on top do not move farther than specified.
Building Your Gang
Individual characters in Carnevale group together into gangs. In most games you will control a single gang, but in some larger games you may have multiple gangs. Each will be comprised of a single leader and then various other characters. Each player is free to build a gang with whatever characters they like, according to the rules in this section.
All character profiles can be found at: ttcombat.com/pages/carnevale-resources
Ducats
When building your gang, you will have a set number of Ducats to spend to recruit gang members. This will be agreed upon with your opponent before the game, or could be decided by the scenario you are playing.
Each character costs a certain number of Ducats, as do various other special options. You can further customise your gang with equipment (see Equipment).
Frequency
Gangs vary wildly from faction to faction and even from game to game. However, all gangs are built around certain rules. You will usually only use a single gang, but if your game is large enough, you may agree with your opponent to use multiple gangs. We recommend not using multiple gangs until playing games of 200 Ducats or higher.
Each gang must abide by the following rules:
- Every character in your gang must have the same Faction (X) keyword.
- You must always have one single character with the Leader keyword in your gang.
- You may not have more characters with the Hero keyword than you have characters with the Henchman keyword in total.
In addition, no matter how many Ducats you are using, a character with the Unique keyword may only appear once in your gangs. The same character may appear in your opponent's gang, but any rules specifically relating to that Unique character will only work on your friendly one - the other is clearly an imposter, and should be treated as such!
Equipment
When building your gang before a scenario or campaign, you may spend Ducats on equipment. You may take any number of different pieces of equipment in your gang, but each individual piece of equipment from this list may only be taken once per player.
| Equipment | Ducats | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Flashbang Grenade | 1 | Once per game, when disengaging, you may choose to automatically score a Critical instead of rolling any dice. |
| Bottled Courage | 2 | Once per game, you may choose to re-roll a single dice (but not the Destiny Dice). |
| Climbing Tools | 2 | Once per game, when making a Run/Climb action, you may choose to automatically score a Critical instead of rolling any dice. |
| Limewater Rebreather | 2 | Once per game, when making a Dive action, you may choose to automatically score a Critical instead of rolling any dice. |
| Lantern | 2 | Once per game, at the start of a round, pick a friendly character. Until the end of the round, any character within 6" (friendly or enemy) cannot claim any bonuses from being in cover and loses any Hidden counters they have. |
| Parachute | 3 | Once per game, when Falling, you may choose to automatically score a 10 on the Destiny dice instead of rolling it. |
Campaigns & Scenarios
When playing games of Carnevale you can play single one-off games known as scenarios, or you can play a series of games in a row, called a campaign. The game is designed to follow stories, both of individual gangs vying for their place, and of Venice as a whole.
Individual scenarios can be perfectly balanced for competitive play, or may be slightly weighted in favour of one of the players, offering asymmetrical gameplay to propel the narrative. Each scenario is designed to be fair and fun though, so if you feel you had a hard time completing one, try swapping with your opponent the next time you play and see if you can do better!
Campaigns
Campaigns follow a particular story in Carnevale which is brought to life through a series of linked scenarios. When playing a campaign, you can either choose to play against the same opponent all the way through, or swap opponents for each scenario instead. Often campaign scenarios will change depending on the result of the previous scenario, so remember to make a note of the result.
At the start of a campaign, each player participating should build their gang based on an agreed number of Ducats. We recommend that linked campaigns use 150 Ducats as their starting limit. Often scenarios will specify the amount of Ducats to be used (and some will even have different numbers for each gang), and that amount may differ from that decided. If a scenario specifies to use fewer points than you have decided for the campaign, simply take a selection of characters from your overall gang for that scenario, leaving the rest behind. Note that the smaller gang will still have to follow the regular Frequency rules.
Scenarios
When playing a one-off game of Carnevale, the first thing to do is to choose a scenario to play. You can pick randomly, or just pick a scenario you like the look of.
Each scenario has a few different elements to it. We'll go into these in this section, guiding you through a game from start to finish.
Gangs
After choosing the scenario, you'll find out how many players can play and how many Ducats each player has at their disposal to build a gang. Each scenario will have a recommended Ducat limit, and for one-off scenarios, we recommend playing with gangs of 100 Ducats. These are just recommendations though - feel free to adjust the limit to suit your games!
Although the scenario determines what size gang you will be using, it's useful to have a few gang rosters made up before the game starts. Most scenarios use 75, 100, 125, or 150 Ducats, so have a few options written up before the game - it definitely speeds up your gaming evening!
Setup
Each scenario is accompanied by a map showing how to set up the gaming board and where each gang deploys. Some scenarios will have several mandatory terrain elements, but each scenario will have plenty of space for your own interpretation. When setting up terrain, some scenarios will specify that one player sets it up. If not specified, it's good to place terrain alternately.
In games of Carnevale, Venice itself is often thought of as the "third player" in the game. Having lots of terrain makes the game more fun! The amount of terrain you use in a game is up to you and your opponent, and because there are so many different types of terrain out there, we try not to be very specific on things like sizes or frequency. Whether it's houses, ladders, gondola poles, or even just piles of barrels, the more terrain the better!
A guideline to follow is the rule of thirds:
- 1/3 water
- 1/3 ground
- 1/3 buildings
Some buildings can (and should) be placed touching each other to help create the meandering streets of Venice, and special care should be paid to make sure that most of your vertical spaces are climbable. Remember that ending a turn halfway up a building means your character will fall, so try to make sure that every vertical surface has no more than 6-8 inches without a flat roof, balcony, or scaffold for your characters to stand on and take a breather! Plenty of obstacles should be used too; the more scenery elements, the more fun it is to traverse the city!
Carnevale is broadly designed to be played on a 3 foot by 3 foot board, although certain scenarios will specify different sizes. When playing larger games it's useful to increase the board size to 4 foot by 4 foot, or for smaller games 2 foot by 2 foot.
Primary Objective
Every scenario in Carnevale has at least one primary objective for each side playing. Sometimes all gangs have the same objective, and other times there are different winning conditions for each side.
Objectives come in many different forms: a gang could be fighting over weapons caches, smuggled goods, or even dead bodies! In some scenarios you will be instructed to hold choke points, defend civilian buildings, or even escape past your opponent. Sometimes specific winning spaces are defined, but in a lot of scenarios you will be instructed to use objectives.
Objectives take the form of a 30mm round marker. You could use spare miniatures, Carnevale coins, or specific objective markers. Players can create their own Objectives or use scenery elements to represent them. In these situations, a little leeway on sizing is useful - remember that most Objectives can be claimed by both sides, so there shouldn't be too many arguments!
Objectives are placed at the start of the game, after terrain. Unless otherwise stated, Objectives must be placed at least 4" away from Deployment Zones and from each other. Objectives can be placed in water or above ground level. They are usually placed alternately by each player. Unless otherwise stated, if a player has a friendly character within 3" of an Objective at the end of the game they score the Victory Points listed, provided there are no enemy characters also within 3".
Scenarios can have a few specific rules for Objectives. Some are unique to the scenario, but more generic rules for Objectives are listed below. A scenario can use any of the following Objective rules:
- Claimable: This Objective can be claimed by different gangs. Unless otherwise stated, any character that ends its turn in base contact with the Objective can claim it, provided both the character and the Objective are not in base contact with an enemy character. When an Objective has been claimed, make a note of which gang claimed it. Sometimes these Objectives can be reclaimed by other gangs, which will be detailed in each scenario. Unless otherwise stated, a Claimable Objective scores its Victory Points for the gang that claimed it at the end of the game, regardless of characters' distance from it.
- Destructible: This Objective can be destroyed. Unless otherwise stated, if a character starts its turn in base contact with an Objective, it can use 1AP to remove the Objective from the game.
- Hidden: The Objective is marked on one side and blank on the other. When placing the Objective, neither player should see what is on the bottom. Sometimes Hidden Objectives will have numbered values, and other times they'll simply be marked or unmarked. When using more than one Hidden Objective, all should have the same blank side. Unless otherwise stated, any character that ends its turn in base contact with the Objective and not in base contact with an enemy character can reveal it.
- Mobile: Only Objectives with this rule can be picked up and carried. If the scenario doesn't have this rule, assume that the Objective cannot be moved. Any character that ends its turn in base contact with the Objective and not in base contact with an enemy character can pick it up. Remove the objective from the board and make a note of who is carrying it. A character can only carry one Objective at a time. This character can only make Run/Climb actions. If this character loses 3 or more Life Points or is removed from the board for any reason (including Magic Spells like Gateway), it drops the objective in base contact. A character can choose to drop the objective at any time immediately after any action. Any friendly character can take the objective if they end their turn in base contact with the carrier. Any character with the Pickpocket special rule automatically takes the objective from an enemy character if they successfully disengage from them.
Agendas
Many scenarios in Carnevale will have secondary objectives for gangs to achieve, called Agendas. On their own Agendas often won't win a game, but could help.
All Agendas can be found online at ttcombat.com/pages/carnevale-resources or in the Agenda card deck.
Each scenario will note how many Agendas each player should use, how many Victory Points they score, and any additional rules for them. When you have filled the criteria for the Agenda it is called achieving it. At the end of each game round, check to see if you have achieved any Agendas. Any achieved Agendas score the number of Victory Points detailed in the scenario. Scenarios can use any of the following Agenda rules:
- Cycle: When you score Victory Points for an Agenda, immediately draw another one.
- Secondary: You must achieve at least one Agenda in order to score any Victory Points in the game from any sources.
- Double: When you achieve an Agenda, rather than immediately scoring Victory Points for it, you may choose to keep it in play. If you achieve it again it scores double the Victory Points. If you do not achieve it again during the game, you do not score any Victory Points. An Agenda may only be kept in play once.
- Secret: When taking your Agendas, keep them secret from your opponent until they're achieved. If a scenario doesn't have this rule, all players can see other players' Agendas.
- Total: You must achieve all of your Agendas to score their Victory Points. If you don't achieve every Agenda, you do not score any Victory Points for them, but may still score Victory Points from the Primary Objective.
Special Rules
Each scenario can have special rules unique to it. Some are simple like giving each player an extra gondola, and some will be much more complex, such as rules for burning down buildings. Simply read through the special rules and use them in your game!
Deployment Zones
Deployment Zones are different for each scenario, and although distances are specified, it may be worth changing the zones if you change the size of the board you're playing on.
After setting up terrain, each player rolls 1 dice. Re-roll any ties. The player that wins this roll decides which Deployment Zone to choose and sets up all friendly characters. Once the first player has deployed, the player with the next highest roll chooses a Deployment Zone and sets up their characters. Deployment continues in this way until each player has deployed their characters.
All friendly characters must be set up in the same Deployment Zone and no higher or lower than 3" above or below ground level. Characters may not be set up in water unless specified.
Unless otherwise stated, you must deploy characters at least 4" away from enemy characters.
Once all players have deployed their characters, players then proceed to make the initiative roll for the first round.
Duration
This shows how long the scenario will last. At the end of the last character's turn in the last round, the game is over. Tally up any Victory Points and see who wins!
Order of Play
For ease of reference, here is a simple order of play. Some special situations involve a little more in-depth thinking (such as using out of sequence actions), but this is a good base to work from.
Setup
- Scenario: Choose the scenario you're playing, and attacker/defender if relevant.
- Gang: Choose your gang, including Magic Spells. Note that it's quickest to have a few gang rosters written up before this stage, so you can simply pick one for the Ducat limit and get on with things!
- Scenery: Place scenery - it's good to alternate scenery placement if not specified.
- Objectives: Place Objectives and draw Agendas.
- Deploy: Roll off - whoever rolls highest chooses a Deployment Zone and deploys their gang. Then next highest until all gangs are deployed.
Game Round Order
- Initiative: Pick 1 character's Command Points and roll for initiative.
- Activate: The player with the highest initiative chooses 1 character to have their turn and completes their actions (up to 3AP may be used per character per round).
- Play: Players continue taking character's turns going clockwise around the table.
- End of Round: Once all characters have had a turn, a new game round starts, go back to step 1.
- End of Game: At the end of the last game round, add up Victory Points to see who wins!
The Winds of Fate
January 1st, 1795. It has been almost two years since the Rent in the Sky tore Italy asunder, sinking Southern Europe beneath the waves. Venice stands alone as the sole surviving city in the Mediterranean, not just untouched by the cataclysm, but poised in the perfect position to expand into a new world power. The docks have been reopened, and ships are being built daily to import and export goods to the most desperate countries. Countries that are willing to pay whatever price the traders desire.
Yet this resurgence into prosperity has also brought with it several unsavoury elements. The city is plagued by conflict, the most base desires of the residents coming out when the sun sets and the canals are basked in the perpetual twilight from the Rent in the Sky. The great astral tear shines over the city, forming a beacon for disreputable men, women, and creatures to cluster around. Each gang stalking the streets of the City of Masks has their own agenda, and will often fight tooth and nail for survival, control, and to maintain their secrecy in a place that thrives on private affairs.
Tonight is no different, and finds a dozen different groups on the streets battling against each other. They slip on the mask of barbarity before the sun rises to find them either back to their normal lives or face down in one of the city's many canals.
The scenarios in this campaign are designed to be played by 2-4 players, with any factions they desire. These games can be played as one-off scenarios, easy for a pick-up game, or can be linked together to form a campaign.
Scenarios
Gang War
Even before the Rent in the Sky tore Europe apart and plunged Venice into depravity there were dozens of secret (and not-so-secret) societies in the city. Each has its own agendas and storied history clashing with other citizens. Now those rivalries have come to the boil, even the smallest slight being met with utmost violence between gangs at night.
Gangs
- 2-4 players, 150 Ducats each.
Setup
- 3'x3' board.
Primary Objective
- Each friendly character on the board at the end of the game scores 1 Victory Point.
Agendas
- 3 scoring 1 Victory Point each.
- Double.
Special Rules
- Each player sets up 1 gondola anywhere on the board in water when setting up scenery.
Deployment Zones
- Up to 8" away from opposite board edges.
- 2 Players shown in blue, 3-4 players shown in red.
Duration
- 5 rounds.
Secure Arms
With increased violence in the streets comes increased demand for protection. For the wealthier members of society that comes in the form of hired bodyguards, and for everyone else, it's personal protection. While weapons are outlawed for most of the residents, there are still places to get them - if you don't mind a fight in order to do so!
Gangs
- 2-4 players, 100 Ducats each.
Setup
- 3'x3' board.
Primary Objective
- 6 Objectives, worth 2 Victory Points, shown in green (as examples).
Agendas
- 5 scoring 1 Victory Point each.
- Secondary.
Special Rules
- Any character within 3" of an Objective gains the Expert Offence (2) and Expert Marksman (2) special rules.
Deployment Zones
- Up to 8" away from opposite board edges and 12" away from side board edges.
- 2 Players shown in blue, 3-4 players shown in red.
Duration
- 5 rounds.
Acquisition
Smuggling has always been a reliable trade in the City of Canals. With many ships now calling Venice their main port of call, and the Guild taking organised crime as their own, business is thriving! There are few areas in the city at night that won't be used for smuggling goods, and turning up to the right place at the right time might net you a small fortune.
Gangs
- 2-4 players, 75 Ducats each.
Setup
- 2'x2' board.
Primary Objective
- 2 Mobile Objectives, worth 2 Victory Points, setup along the centre line of the board, shown in green (as examples).
- Each Objective instead scores 3 Victory Points to a gang if it's being carried by a friendly character at the end of the game.
Agendas
- 3 scoring 1 Victory Point each.
- Secret, Cycle, Double.
Special Rules
- When choosing gangs, players do not have to include a character with the Leader keyword.
Deployment Zones
- Up to 8" away from opposite corners.
- 2 Players shown in blue, 3-4 players shown in red.
Duration
- 5 rounds.
Take What is Theirs
True charity is hard to come by in Venice. There are beneficial organisations like the Church of Dagon to help the needy, but those institutions always come with a hidden cost. Instead, if you want something, you take it. While the day time has the streets busy with commerce, the night sees them turn bloody as rivals fight bitter wars for control of the city.
Gangs
- 2-4 players, 150 Ducats each.
Setup
- 3'x3' board.
Primary Objective
- 1 Claimable Mobile Objective for each player, setup 12" diagonally away from the Deployment Zone corner, shown in green. Each objective is automatically claimed for its controlling gang at the start of the game.
- Each Objective scores 3 Victory Points to a gang if it is within 12" of their Deployment Zone corner at the end of the game.
- Gangs can reclaim any Objectives except for the one they controlled at the start of the game. Gangs cannot pick up their own Objective until it has been claimed by another gang.
Agendas
- 3 scoring 1 Victory Point each.
- Cycle.
Special Rules
- Every friendly character gains the Brave special rule if they are within line of sight of a friendly character carrying an Objective.
Deployment Zones
- Up to 12" away from opposite corners.
- 2 Players shown in blue, 3-4 players shown in red.
Duration
- 8 rounds.
Street Fight
Simply surviving the night is often a challenge in Venice. From roaming masqueratas to sinister creatures, there are few neighbourhoods that are safe to walk. If you don't have the luxury of a locked door and a warm bed, a single wrong turn will have you fighting for your life in a desperate attempt to escape your pursuers.
Gangs
- 1-2 Attackers, 100 Ducats each.
- 1-2 Defenders, 100 Ducats each.
Setup
- 2'x4' board.
- Defender sets up all terrain.
- 1 bridge, placed in the centre of the board, leading in the same way as the long board edge, shown in green.
Primary Objective
- Every Attacking character to touch the opposite short board edge is removed from play and scores 1 Victory Point.
- Every Attacking character killed scores 1 Victory Point to the gang that killed them.
Agendas
- 3 scoring 1 Victory Point each.
Special Rules
- Defending players choose one friendly character in each of their gangs with Command Points to gain 3 additional Command Points at the start of the game.
Deployment Zones
- Attacker: up to 6" away from one short board edge, shown in blue. If there is more than 1 Attacker, divide the space equally in 2, shown in dark blue.
- Defender: up to 24" from the opposite short board edge, shown in red. If there is more than 1 Defender, divide the space equally in 2, shown in dark red.
Duration
- 7 rounds.
Special Rules
Character Abilities are listed on a character's profile, or can be acquired through other means (such as Command Abilities). Weapon Abilities are listed on a character's weapon, and will take effect any time that weapon is used.
Some of these special rules have an (X) listed after them. That (X) is most often a number (such as Fast Swimmer (2) for example), which is referenced in the rule itself. A character may find they are affected by multiple instances of these special rules. These special rules stack to a maximum of 3 unless otherwise noted.
Character Abilities
Acrobatic (X) - This character may re-roll up to (X) dice when making a DEXTERITY roll as part of any Move/Climb or Jump action.
Aerial Attack - This character does not lose Life Points from falling, provided it makes a charge from above.
Berserk - If this character has 5 or fewer Life Points remaining at the start of its turn, it gains a +1 bonus to its Action Points and +1 ATTACK.
Boat Crew - This character may be set up on a Boat at the start of the game. This character replenishes 1 Will Point at the start of its turn if it is on a Boat. Additionally, if at least 1 character with the Boat Crew ability is currently on a Boat, the Cast Off Command Ability only costs 1 Command Point, and the Boat may instead move up to 18".
Brave - This character automatically succeeds when making a Basic MIND roll from the Fear ability.
Brawler (X) - This character modifies its ATTACK by (X) when in base contact with 2 or more opponents.
Bodyguard (X) - For this special rule, (X) may be a character name or a character with a certain keyword. If an enemy character charges (X), this character may immediately make an out of sequence Run/Climb action provided it is currently out of base contact with any enemy and it charges that active enemy. This action causes an Attack of Opportunity and takes place before the opponent's Attack of Opportunity.
Bulky - This character does not gain any benefit from being in cover, and cannot make Hide actions.
Companion (X) - For this special rule, (X) may be a character name or a character with a certain keyword. If this character can draw line of sight to another (X) character at the start of their turn, they replenish 1 Will Point. In addition, while in line of sight to another (X) character they use that character's MIND value instead of their own (even if it is lower). If more than one (X) character is in line of sight, use the highest MIND value.
Concealment (X) - While in cover this character modifies its PROTECTION by (X).
Engage - This character automatically wins the Opposed Roll when an enemy character disengages from them, and so always gets to make an Attack of Opportunity. If the opposing character has Slippery however, then both players roll to disengage as normal.
Ethereal - This character may ignore all terrain while moving, but cannot end its turn or make any other actions while "inside" Impassable Terrain.
Expert Grappler (X) - This character may re-roll up to (X) dice when making or defending against a Grapple or Drown action.
Expert Marksman (X) - This character may re-roll up to (X) dice when making a Combat action while not in base contact with the target.
Expert Offence (X) - This character may re-roll up to (X) dice when making a Combat action while in base contact with the target.
Expert Protection (X) - This character may re-roll up to (X) dice when making a Protection Roll.
Expert Sorcerer (X) - This character may re-roll up to (X) dice when making a Cast Spell action or Dispelling a magic spell. In addition, this character knows (X) additional magic spells.
Fast Swimmer (X) - If this character starts a Run/Climb action in water, it adds (X) number of inches to its MOVE for that action (even if it leaves water during the action).
Fear (X) - When this character makes a Combat action, the target must first make a Basic MIND Roll, with their MIND value modified by (X), to a minimum of 1. If they roll at least 1 Ace (on a 7+ as normal), there is no effect. But if they roll no Aces, this character may re-roll any failed dice rolls for the Combat action.
First Strike (X) - This character modifies its ATTACK by (X) when making an Attack of Opportunity from charging.
Flight - When this character makes a Run/Climb action, it may instead Fly. Measure from the character to any other point within its MOVE (whether horizontally, vertically or diagonally, and this doesn't have to be on Solid Ground) and move it without making a DEXTERITY roll. It cannot make any actions while "mid-air" other than further Fly actions, and if it ends its turn "mid-air" it will fall from that spot. Additionally, this character takes 2 less Damage from falling.
Frenzied - This character may use its Life Points as if they were Will Points.
Hunter - This character gains Penetration -3 on its weapons (but not on Unarmed attacks) when targeting an enemy with a larger base size.
Infiltration - This character may be deployed more than 3" above or below ground level at the start of the game, but not in water unless specified.
Limited Movement - This character may only move up to 2" maximum in a single action when in water and up to 2" vertically up or down in a single Run/Climb action. They may still Jump as normal. In addition, this character cannot carry Mobile Objectives.
Mage (X) - This character is a Mage and knows (X) number of magic spells. See the Magic section for more details. A character with Mage (0) still knows a single Cantrip.
Mindless - This character may interact with Objectives as normal (such as carrying, revealing, claiming, or destroying), but is ignored when scoring Victory Points for them at the end of the game. It can still score Victory Points from other win conditions (such as killing enemies or Agendas).
Parry (X) - When this character becomes the target of a Combat action while in base contact with the attacker, you may force your opponent to re-roll up to (X) dice from the Attack Roll. Note that some attackers may choose to re-roll their dice too. In this situation, don't forget that you may never re-roll a dice more than once.
Pickpocket - If this character successfully disengages, its opponent loses 1 Will Point and this character automatically takes any Mobile objective they're carrying. At the end of the action, this character or any one friendly character within 3" replenishes 1 Will Point.
Primitive - At the start of this character's turn it must roll a Basic MIND Roll. If it rolls no Aces, it receives a Stunned counter.
Slippery - This character automatically wins the Opposed Roll when disengaging, and so never gets hit by an Attack of Opportunity. If the opposing character has Engage however, then both players roll to disengage as normal.
Universal Shielding (X) - This character always has a minimum PROTECTION of (X), after all modifiers. This special rule can stack higher than 3, but cannot take a character's PROTECTION value above its starting number.
Vampiric Attack (X) - If this character makes a Combat action while in base contact with its target that causes the target to lose at least 1 Life Point, it replenishes (X) of its own Life Points.
Water Creature - This character moves its full MOVE in water, may move up to 8" as part of a Dive action, and cannot be Drowned. In addition, this character may be set up in water at the start of the game.
Weapon Abilities
Aquatic - This weapon can be used while the attacker is in water.
Black Powder - This weapon cannot be used if a character starts its turn in water. In addition, a character using this weapon loses 1 additional Life Point when they roll a Fumble during an Attack Roll.
Blast - This weapon uses the round blast marker. Place the blast marker centred over the target. Roll once for your Attack Roll and apply the roll to every individual character (friendly and enemy) under the template.
Harmless - A character cannot cause any Damage when using this weapon, but still follows normal rules for making Combat actions.
Knockback - If a character takes Damage from this weapon (whether they lose Life Points or not), they are moved 2" horizontally directly away from the attacker. This movement does not count as charging or disengaging, and cannot cause Attacks of Opportunity.
Reload (X) - This weapon may only be used for up to (X) Combat actions in each round. A character in base contact with an enemy may only use this weapon (X) number of times (modified by the amount already used that round). Once that number has been reached, the weapon may not be used again until the character starts their turn out of base contact with any enemies. For example, a weapon with Reload (2) is used once in a character's turn. They are then charged in the same round. The character may then only use that weapon one more time until they start a turn out of base contact.
Poisoned - If a character loses at least 1 Life Point from this weapon, that character must roll 1 dice. On a 7+ they shrug off the poison. On a 1-6, they lose extra Life Points depending on their Base Size:
- 30mm models lose 3 Life Points.
- 40mm models lose 4 Life Points.
- 50mm models lose 5 Life Points.
- 60mm+ models lose 6 Life Points.
Smoke - Any character hit by this weapon counts as being in cover until the end of the round, and gains a Hidden counter. If this weapon also has the Blast ability, any character under the marker is affected. Remove the marker at the end of the round.
Template - This weapon uses the teardrop shaped template. Trace a line between the attacker and the target. Place the template with the centre on the line with the small end of the template in range of the weapon (base contact with the attacker if the range is 0"), and the large end further away from the attacker. Any character at least partly touched by the template (friendly or enemy) is affected by the attack. Roll once for your Attack Roll and apply the roll to every individual character hit.
Stun - If a character takes Damage from this weapon (whether they lose Life Points or not) they receive a Stunned counter. A character with a Stunned counter reduces its MOVE, ATTACK, DEXTERITY, and MIND by 1 (to a minimum of 1). A character automatically removes its Stunned counter at the end of its next turn. A character can only have one Stunned counter at a time. If a character with a Stunned counter starts its turn in water it loses 2 Life Points.
Two-handed - This weapon increases its Evasion by +1 when making an Attack of Opportunity.