Dice City: By Royal Decree
Dice City: By Royal Decree Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
By Royal Decree comes with 39 new location cards, 18 Queen's Plans cards, and 12 Army Strength tokens. It also comes with a double-sided trade board and 4 green trade dice, to use with the board.
If it doesn't, please contact [email protected]
New Rules
In this expansion you will see a number of locations that have a new term: PRESENCE.
Presence
You will see the term PRESENCE appear in the ability text of many cards in this set, usually followed by a number. PRESENCE is equal to the number of dice you have in your city after removing the die from that card to use its ability. Where a location stipulates PRESENCE and then a number, you must have exactly that many dice remaining in order to use the ability. In other words, if a card has PRESENCE: 2, then it means that for the ability to be used, you must have exactly 2 other dice remaining in your city after removing the die on that location. Note that the green trade die does not count towards PRESENCE (see page 6).
You may still remove a die on a location to use its ability even if you do not have the correct PRESENCE but it will have no effect; the ability is treated as if it were blank.
New Options
There are two new options available in By Royal Decree.
Queen's Plans
The Queen's Plans cards represent a way for players to play the game with an added incentive to build their cities in a way that the Queen desires.
During set up, after the eight locations have been placed in the display, shuffle all the Queen's Plans cards and deal three to each player facedown. Each player reviews their cards and does the following:
- Selects a plan and puts it facedown in front of them. This is each player's private plan.
- Selects a plan and puts it facedown in the middle of the table. This will form part of the communal plans.
- Discards the remaining plan facedown back to the unused Queen's Plans cards.
After each player has done this, all of the Queen's Plans in the middle of the table are turned face up – these are now communal plans. All of the unused plans are returned to the box.
If you have fulfilled the terms of a communal plan or plans during your turn, you may claim them and place the card(s) facedown in front of you next to other points you have collected (either tokens, trade ships or bandits).
To claim your own private plan, reveal the card to the other players to show that you have fulfilled the terms of the plan, and then place it in front of you facedown next to other points you have collected (either tokens, trade ships or bandits).
After a player has claimed their private plan, all other private plans must be turned face up and put into the middle of the table. These now become communal plans, and any player may claim them.
Once a plan has been claimed it cannot be claimed again.
Note the following three clarifications of the Queen's Plans cards:
- When claiming a plan that uses the term "build", the plan is referring to locations that have been added to your city board (through any means). The starting locations are not considered to be built, and cannot be considered part of any Queen's Plan that requires you to build some "objective".
- When a plan refers to a location of the same or certain "type" it is referring to the general type – Civic, Cultural, Economic or Military.
- The cards that show a pattern that is to be built indicate the location types with a combination of colors and symbols; blue is Civic, purple is Cultural, yellow is Economic, and red is Military.
At the end of the game, add up the VP value of all completed Queen's Plans that you have claimed and add them to your total as normal.
Trade Board
This board represents the trade towns and villages of The Plains that the Queen wishes to open up business with.
There are two sides to the board. One side represents a small trade village. This has Harvest and other basic locations on it.
The second side is a trade town. This has more powerful locations and will create stronger combinations and bigger swings in the game.
Players must all agree on whether to use a specific trade board at the start of the game. The rules for both boards are the same. The green die is used on the trade board and is known as the trade die. Place the chosen board in a central area of the table, where all players can reach it.
- The trade board is not considered part of your city. It also does not share any column with the columns in your city. No player may build locations on the trade board.
- On each player's turn they roll the green trade die and place it on the resulting location as they would a normal die.
- However, as there is only one board, each player has been allocated a specific space to place their die, so that they know which is theirs (P1 being the starting player, P2 the next, and so on).
- Whenever the rules or a card refer to the trade die being "on" a location it means on the appropriate space for that player at that location.
Trade Die
The trade die is different to all other dice in Dice City. It cannot be used for ANY of the five normal dice step functions of Dice City. Nor can a dice in your city be used to move the trade die with the normal dice action. It also does not count for PRESENCE. It can be affected by a location that specifically targets the trade die, but not abilities that refer to "all of your dice", "another" die, "other" dice or similar terms.
Otherwise it has its own set of actions and rules:
- You may use the location beneath the trade die and resolve its ability, but to do so you must place a Resource token from your stock on the location (not your space, but the actual location) and remove the trade die. The token can be a wood, stone, or iron token. You may also choose to place an Army Strength token on the location. To do this you must currently have at least 1 Army strength and then reduce your Army strength by 1. If you cannot place such a token, you cannot use the trade die.
- You may move the trade die to an adjacent location, but to do so you must place a token on its current location as above, before moving it. If you cannot place such a token, you cannot move the trade die.
- You may remove the trade die to collect all of the tokens on its location (there is no cost to do this). If you take an Army Strength token it must be used the turn you take it. Army Strength tokens cannot be stored in your stock between turns. Any that are not used are lost at the end of the turn.
- When the trade board refers to another die or location, or one of your other dice or locations etc., it is referring to the dice or locations in your city. Not the dice or locations of other players on the trade board.
Adding Your Locations From This Expansion To Your Games Of Dice City
All the locations from By Royal Decree can be integrated with your other Dice City location cards. There are 3 different ways:
Quick Play
Shuffle the locations of the base set and the expansion(s) together and simply play as normal. When you remove a die to refresh locations in the display, you may refresh any number of locations from 4 to 8.
Random
Separate the locations of the base set and the expansion(s) by type (civic, cultural, economic, military). Shuffle the cards of each type together and take 15 at random. Shuffle those 60 cards together to form the location deck to be used during the game.
Full Set
Choose 5 random different locations of each type, add all 3 copies of them in the location deck, and then shuffle the deck.
For a more balanced game, we recommend the "Full Set" or "Random" set ups.
Suggested Set-Ups
In addition to this we have added some suggested set ups that showcase different aspects of the game using all of the expansions released so far:
| Type | Everything | Dice City All That Glitters By Royal Decree | Dice City Crossroads By Royal Decree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic | Merchant Guild | Bazaar | Market Place |
| Economic | Mint | Market Place | Bank |
| Economic | Master Builder | Goldsmith | Crafts Guild |
| Economic | Trade Post | Warehouse | Alchemist |
| Economic | Flea Market | Investment House | Flea Market |
| Military | Barracks | Catapult | Watchtower |
For those players that want to use all of the available cards we suggest the "Epic" set up. Choose one of each location card from By Royal Decree, Crossroads, All That Glitters and the Dice City base set. Use this as your location deck.
FAQ
The location cards' ability text is printed on the cards themselves; this rulebook prints the FAQ questions and answers as they appear, grouped under the location or term they concern.
PRESENCE
What happens if I use an ability with a PRESENCE requirement, without having the correct number of dice required on my board?
The card is considered to be used, but nothing else happens as the ability is treated as if it were blank.
Can I use a location that copies other abilities (like Town Hall or Church) to copy a location with a PRESENCE requirement?
Yes, you can. When an ability with PRESENCE is used, it checks to see how many dice are left on the board (after having removed the one that activated the ability). If the number is equal to the PRESENCE listed on the card, then yes, the ability can be performed. If, for example, a player were to use a Town Hall in order to use the ability of the Investment House, it would have to be their 3rd die of the round. Thus, when the ability would be executed there would be just 2 dice on the board, allowing it to happen.
Flea Market
If I have PRESENCE: 4 and I use this ability, can I get 2 different resources?
No, they will have to be the same resource.
Alchemist
What happens if I use this ability and I already have resources from all 3 types?
The card is deactivated but you don't gain anything from it.
Can I use 2 pass tokens to gain a resource, after using an Alchemist?
Yes, you can. Even though Alchemist has PRESENCE: 0 (meaning it will be the last die you will use in your turn) you can still use your pass tokens afterwards, before going to the next phase.
Theater
What happens if I roll one of my dice on a Cathedral / Great Wall / Monument / Lighthouse / Monastery? Does it count as used in regards to the VP gained by Theater?
In order for one of these locations to count for the Theater you will have to discard your die on that location to "perform its ability". Due to the abilities being ongoing there won't be any additional effects.
If I use a Town Hall to use the ability of a cultural location (e.g. Manor), will it count for Theater?
Yes, it will.
If I gain VP from the Monument's ability by activating a (non-cultural) location adjacent to it, will it count for the Theater?
No, the Theater only counts cases of removing a die to use the ability of the location.
Arena
After using Arena's ability, can I discard a die to get a pass token, reactivate a deactivated location or refresh the available-to-build locations?
Yes, you can. The only thing Arena's ability prevents you from doing is discarding a die to move another die to an adjacent location.
If an Arena is used, can I then use a Stables to move a die?
Yes, you can. What Arena prevents you from doing is discarding a die to move another die to an adjacent location. Stables ability can be used to move a die as normal.
Monastery
I have 3 Lumber Mills, 2 Quarries and 1 Mine in my city. How many points is Monastery worth?
Since you have only 1 complete active set of the 3 Harvest locations (due to that single Mine) it is worth just 2 VPs. If you build another Mine you will have 2 complete sets meaning it will then be worth 4 VPs.
If at the end of the game some of my Harvest locations are deactivated, do they count in regards to Monastery's ability?
No. In order for a set to count, all 3 cards (Lumber Mill, Quarry and Mine) must be active.
Wagon Maker
When exactly do I have to move the die that lands on Wagon Maker? When it is rolled or at the beginning of my next turn?
You have to move it as soon as it is rolled and lands on it (thus, at the end of your round). Also note that Wagon Maker only works when you land on it, not when you move a die onto it.
Aqueduct
Do I get to reroll the trade die as well?
No, you only roll the 5 dice in your city.
Caravan Quarter
Do I have to place a resource on the trade board's location that I want to use?
No, you don't.
Can I use Caravan Quarter and instead of using the ability of a trade board location, take the resources on it instead?
No, you can't. Caravan Quarter only allows you to use the ability.
If I use Caravan Quarter to use the location that my trade die is currently on, can I then use that trade die afterwards?
Yes, you can. Caravan Quarter's ability is used regardless of what you do with your trade die afterwards.