DEER LORD! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Gameplay
• The Cards
  • IF YOU SUSPECT A PLAYER IS 'DUPING', YELL 'DEER LORD!' AND DESCRIBE THEIR DUPE
• IMPORTANT! HERD MENTALITY!
• RULES FAQ
  • How do we judge DUELS?
  • What do I get from winning a duel?
  • NOBODY has any duel cards left!
  • How specific do you need to be when accusing someone by yelling DEER LORD!?
  • What are face up cards and how do I get them?
  • How do I get the rewards on the card?
  • Do I need a majority ruling from the group to win a duel or complete a dupe?
  • I was doing a dupe, what now?
  • I got caught trying to dupe, what now?
  • I correctly accused someone of 'duping', what now?

Gameplay

Each player draws 5 cards (7 for a lengthier game).

The game starts as soon as any player challenges another player to a Duel. If nobody has a Duel card in their hand, reshuffle the deck and start over.

After the first Duel, players take turns clockwise.

DURING YOUR TURN YOU MAY:

• challenge 1 player to 1 Duel
• confess any Dupe cards you completed (no limits) and place those cards face-up on the table
• skip your turn if you have no Duels and nothing to confess

The Cards

DUELS are fought between 2 players. The one who plays the Duel card chooses an opponent. If that opponent refuses to battle, the challenger gets to keep the Duel card.

The group decides who wins the Duel and gets to place the card face-up on the table.

If the last card in your hand is a Duel card, you need to win that Duel in order to win the game. Draw a new card if you lose.

TIP Most Duels are about 'being the best at something'. Skill counts, but so does effort and creativity! Keep in mind that the other players choose who deserves to win.

'DUPE' cards are instructions you have to carry out during the other players' turns. The group will be need to be able to recall that you did it when you confess later when it's your turn, but you have to do it casually enough that no one calls you out while you're doing it.

If the group agrees you duped them, place that card face-up on the table.

If the group cannot confirm you did the dupe (or didn't do it well enough), discard that card and draw a new one.

So make sure the others notice your dupe, but don't be too obvious... or you'll get caught!

IF YOU SUSPECT A PLAYER IS 'DUPING', YELL 'DEER LORD!' AND DESCRIBE THEIR DUPE

• If you were INCORRECT, you have to draw a card from the deck or remove one of your face-up cards from the table.
• If you were CORRECT, as a reward, you get to swap any card from your hand with one from the deck. The player who was 'duping' discards that card and draws a new one.

TIP Duels usually provide the perfect opportunity for dupes.

Some cards include a REWARD that comes into effect as soon as you may place a card face-up on the table. If you remove the card from the table, the effect no longer applies.

IMPORTANT! HERD MENTALITY!

THE GROUP DECIDES IN ANY CASE OF DOUBT!

• whether or not a player's dupe was successful
• who the winner is in a Duel
• what the penalty is for cheating
• what happens when a player refuses a Duel
• etcetera!

TIP Get the group on your side if you want to win!

RULES FAQ

Source: the publisher's RULES FAQ page. The reader comments below the FAQ on the page are not transcribed.

How do we judge DUELS?

The instructions on the duel cards leaves room for interpretation. The group must decide on how duels must be fought. Each judging player can use his or her own set of criteria to decide which of the dueling players won.

What do I get from winning a duel?

Apart from the obvious personal glory, you are the one placing the duel card in front of you on the table. This gives you an 'extra life' (when you wrongfully accuse someone, you can discard this card instead of having to draw a new card) and a reward if there is one on the card.

NOBODY has any duel cards left!

Error error! Every player draws one card, if no players have a duel card after that, repeat

How specific do you need to be when accusing someone by yelling DEER LORD!?

This is something we recommend you let the group decide but as a rule of thumb, you need to be able to name the behavior someone is showing. The accusing player doesn't have to know exactly what is on the card but needs to know which act he or she is accusing.

If there is a dispute about whether the accusation was correct, the accused waits until it is his turn to reveal the dupe card in question. Then the group assesses and votes on the accuracy of the accusation.

What are face up cards and how do I get them?

When winning a duel or completing a dupe, you get to put that card in front of you, face up. From that moment, the reward comes into play. Another advantage is that the next time you incorrectly accuse another player, you can discard any face up card instead of having to draw another card.

How do I get the rewards on the card?

When winning a duel or completing a dupe, the card is placed in front of you and the reward is 'activated'. Only when that card is discarded because of an incorrect accusation, does the reward end.

Do I need a majority ruling from the group to win a duel or complete a dupe?

You're not going to like this answer… The group needs to decide. It's all about how strict you are. We are nice people who tend to believe the claims of one person

Any other questions? Leave them in the comments below!

I was doing a dupe, what now?

If you were able to successfully dupe during another players' turn, wait until it is your turn and confess what your dupe was you by showing the card. The group will decide whether to grant you the card or not.

If the group decides you did the card successfully, put it face up in front of you. Claim your reward!

if the group decides you did not do the card succesfully, switch it with another card from the deck.

I got caught trying to dupe, what now?

discard the card you were caught doing and switch it with a new one from the deck.

The player who accused you correctly gets to exchange any card from his or her hand for one in the deck. This is a way for them to get rid of cards they don't want or can't do.

I correctly accused someone of 'duping', what now?

Congratulations! You may switch one card in your hand with one in the deck.

The player that was accused switches the dupe card he was correctly accused of, with one in the deck.

I incorrectly accused someone of a dupe, what now?

Darn! you have two options:

Take a new card from the deck

OR

discard one of your face up cards

Your face up cards 'protect' you from having to draw extra cards. Collect as many of them as you can!

Can I refuse a duel?

Follow the most important rule: the group decides.

Optional:

If someone refuses a duel, the group can get creative and choose to punish that player (drawing more cards, having to play the next three duels,…) or decide to have mercy and cut him/her some slack.