Dive! Diver! Die!

Dive! Diver! Die! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components

In the murky depths you will find:

5 player tokens (one in each of the five colors)
5 depth tokens (one in each of the five colors)
50 player cards (5 sets of ten cards each, numbered 1-10)
50 event cards
10 Oxygenator cards (one set of cards numbered 1-10)
80 gold coins: 35 of value 1, 20 of value 5, 20 of value 10, 5 of value 50
30 duration tokens: 25 of value 1 (5 in each of the five colors), 5 of value 5 (1 in each of the five colors)
10 Jewel of Zakarra clue tokens
1 Jewel of Zakarra token
1 start player token
2 wooden oxygen marker cubes
1 oxygen die
2 ten-sided treasure dice
1 six-sided die

Setup

Note: For simplicity and flow, the optional Jewel of Zakarra quest variant is included in these rules. If you are playing D3 for the first time or prefer a simpler game, ignore all references to the Jewel of Zakarra or the Jewel of Zakarra clue tokens. We encourage you to include the quest for the Jewel of Zakarra once you are familiar with the basic rules.

Place the board in the middle of the play area. Place all the gold coins next to it; they form the BANK.
Place one oxygen cube on the 0 space of the oxygen track at the top of the board. The other cube is set aside for now.
Shuffle the Oxygenator cards and place them as a face-down deck next to the board.
Shuffle the event cards and place them as a face-down deck next to the board.
Each player receives (in their color):
- a. 1 player token
- b. 1 depth token
- c. 10 player cards numbered 1-10
- d. 5 duration tokens of value 1
- e. 5 duration tokens of value 5
This makes up their equipment.
Remove two cards at random from each player and return them to the box without looking at them. They are not used for the rest of the game.
Each player places their player token in the boat.
Place (from the BANK) the number of doubloons shown on the numbered jewel on the right side of the board at each of depth levels 4, 5 and 6.
[Advanced game] Place Jewel of Zakarra clue tokens at random on each of the different depth levels. The four remaining tokens are set aside next to the board.
The last person to have touched water is the start player. That player receives:

[Grace reminds us not to forget to remove two random cards from each player's hand at the start of the game.]

Dive Preparation Phase

D3 takes place over four dives. The aim of the game is to survive having collected as much gold as possible, to the envy of the other divers. Before each dive begins, players must make their preparations:

Each player draws an event card. Event cards are single-use and can be played at any time and/or in any combination unless the card explicitly says otherwise. Unused cards can be kept for later dives.
Each player selects a player card from their hand. This card represents the amount of oxygen they want to contribute to the expedition. The start player collects the cards contributed by each player, shuffles them and places them face down next to the board.
Each player chooses a card from their hand to represent their maximum time spent searching. The card represents the maximum duration they plan to spend searching for treasure. Players place the chosen card face down in front of them (the maximum search time does not include the descent or ascent time of the dive).
The start player rolls the two ten-sided dice to set the total amount of gold that can be discovered during this dive. The treasure dice are always read with the higher figure first, so that they form a two-digit amount, which is the total gold to be discovered. Take that amount in gold doubloons from the bank and place it in a separate pile near the board.

Example 1: Jasmine rolls 0 and 1. The total gold that can be found will be 10. Example 2: Geraldine rolls 0 and 0. The total gold that can be found will be 100.
Starting with the start player and continuing clockwise, players choose the depth at which they will search for treasure, placing their depth token on the chosen depth level. Several players may choose the same depth. The deeper the dive, the greater the reward, but the risk of the dive also increases.
Finally the Oxygenator starts up. Reveal a card from its deck and add its value to the oxygen track at the top of the game board. If any player has chosen to dive to depth 5 or 6, reveal one more card. Revealed Oxygenator cards are discarded to the discard pile.

[Geraldine tells us about the Oxygenator. Its main function is to share the individual oxygen contributions. If fortune smiles on us, it will also generate extra oxygen during the dive!]

Dive Phase

Next, players begin to dive. They descend one depth level per turn on the way to their chosen depth. Once they reach it they must decide how long they wish to stay there, and they may search for treasure once per turn while they remain at that depth. Once their search time is used up, they begin the ascent to the surface, again one level per turn, until they reach the surface and happily complete the dive. Starting with the start player and continuing clockwise:

1. Players take turns to dive one depth level per turn, clockwise

The descending player moves their token down one depth level, then rolls the oxygen die and adjusts the oxygen track according to the result. Once this is done, they check whether they have reached the required depth. If so, see "Reaching the Chosen Depth" below. Then they pass the oxygen die to the next player on their left and end their turn.

If the oxygen track falls below 0, see "Running Out of Oxygen".

Example (required reading): Alice (start player) moves her token from the boat to depth level one and rolls the oxygen die, getting a result of -1. She therefore moves the oxygen track cube one space to the right. Since she has not reached her chosen depth, she passes the oxygen die to Sam (on her left) and her turn ends. Sam's turn begins. He jumps from the boat to depth level one, rolls the oxygen die, moves the oxygen track cube according to the result, checks whether he has reached his chosen depth and ends his turn. Ivy, the last player, repeats the steps: she dives to depth one, moves the oxygen track cube according to her oxygen roll, checks whether she has reached her chosen depth and ends her turn. It is Alice's turn again. She descends from depth one to depth two and makes her oxygen roll. Since she has reached the depth she chose earlier…

Reaching the Chosen Depth

A. If a player reaches their previously chosen depth level, they reveal their maximum duration card.
B. The player must then decide the actual duration of their search, which can range from a minimum of one up to at most the value shown on their maximum duration card.
C. The player places the chosen number of duration tokens on the revealed card. The number of tokens indicates the number of turns the player must spend searching for treasure before attempting to return to the surface.
D. The difference between the actual search duration chosen and the maximum shown on the card is added, as shared oxygen, to the oxygen track, moving the cube to the left as far as necessary.
E. The player may now take a bonus depending on the depth they are at: either the Jewel of Zakarra clue token or the gold bonus. If several players have chosen the same depth, the bonus goes to the one who decides to spend the most time searching. In that case, players must wait until everyone who chose that depth has decided their actual search time before the bonus can be assigned. Any remaining bonus goes to the player who decides to spend the second-most time searching. Ties are decided in favor of the player who reached the chosen depth first.
F. Bonuses obtained are placed temporarily in front of each player.

Example: During the preparation phase, Alice placed a card of value 7 face down as her maximum search duration. On reaching her chosen depth, she reveals the card, but decides she will only search for 4 of the 7 possible turns. This determines her actual search time. She places four "1" tokens on the revealed card and the difference between her theoretical maximum and the actual time chosen, in this case 3 (7 minus 4), is released as oxygen, moving the cube 3 spaces to the left on the oxygen track.

Since both Alice and Sam selected the same depth, Alice has to wait to see what Sam does before she can claim the bonus for that depth, a clue to the whereabouts of the Jewel of Zakarra (both have selected depth two, and there is no gold bonus at that depth). Sam's turn comes; he completes his descent from depth one to depth two and reveals his maximum duration card, which has a value of 4. He decides to stay the maximum allowed and places four duration tokens of value "1" on the card. He releases no extra oxygen, so nothing is added to the track. Alice and Sam are tied in search time. The clue to the whereabouts of the Jewel of Zakarra goes to Alice since she reached depth two first. She temporarily places what she obtained in front of her. On her next turn she will start searching for treasure.

2. Any player who has reached their chosen depth and has duration tokens on their revealed maximum duration card must search for treasure

A. Remove one of the duration tokens from the revealed maximum duration card and return it to your reserve.
B. Roll the oxygen die and adjust the track according to the result.
C. Take as much gold from the pile of gold to be found (not from the bank!) as shown on the doubloon on the left side of the board for that depth level.
D. The gold obtained this way, as well as gold received from bonuses and clue tokens, stays temporarily in front of each player. It only becomes theirs for good when they reach the surface safe and sound.
E. The player's turn ends and they pass the oxygen die to the player on their left.

Example: It is Alice's turn; she is at the depth she chose during preparation, in this case depth two, and has four tokens on her maximum duration card. She removes one of those tokens (leaving three on the card) and returns it to her reserve. She resolves her oxygen consumption and takes two gold doubloons from the pile of gold that can be found this dive. She places that gold temporarily in front of her, together with the Jewel of Zakarra clue token she obtained earlier as a bonus. Play continues clockwise until it is Alice's turn again. She removes another duration token from the card, rolls the oxygen die and moves the cube on the track, then takes another two gold doubloons and places them with the rest of her loot. And she will keep doing this for four turns. If at the start of her turn she has no duration tokens on the card, she discards it and begins the ascent to the surface…

3. Players begin the ascent to the surface when, at the start of their turn, they have no tokens on their revealed maximum duration card

To ascend after completing the treasure search, first discard the maximum duration card and return the depth token to your reserve. Then move your player token up one level, from the depth you were at to the one immediately above (in the example, the token would move from depth 2 to depth 1). Make the oxygen roll and adjust the track accordingly. Pass the oxygen die to the player on the left and end your turn. Players keep ascending until they reach the boat again.

Example: After discarding her maximum duration card, Alice removes her depth token from the board and returns it to her reserve. She then moves her token from depth two to depth one, rolls the oxygen die and adjusts the oxygen level according to the result. Sam's turn comes and he does the same. When it is Alice's turn again, she continues her ascent and moves her token from depth one to the surface, making one last oxygen check. If she succeeds, she keeps all the loot obtained on the dive.

4. Once a player reaches the surface, they place their token in the boat

HURRAY and congratulations! They have survived the dive. Now they may move their loot into their reserve.

5. The current dive ends when all players are back on the boat

Sole Survivor: If, at the end of the dive, only one diver has made it safe and sound to the surface, they receive 20 extra gold doubloons from the bank.

6. Replenish

Replenish from the bank all gold bonuses as needed, as well as the Jewel of Zakarra clues, placing new ones at random at the depths that have none, starting with the greatest depth. Any gold left in the pile of gold to be discovered is returned to the bank.

7. Pass the start player

Reveal the cards remaining, if any, in the common oxygen pool and then discard them. Pass the start player token and the oxygen die to the player with the least gold, by proximity clockwise to the current start player.

8. Begin a new dive with its preparation phase

9. End of the game

The game ends after 4 dives; the winner is the player who has accumulated the most gold. Ties are broken in favor of the player who obtained the Jewel of Zakarra and, if still needed, the player with the most unused event cards.

[Nikata reminds us that a new event card is drawn at the start of each dive, and that all gold from bonuses and event cards is taken from the bank, not from the total gold available during the dive.]

[Jasmine reminds us that event cards can be played at any time and in any combination, unless the cards specify otherwise. She also tells us that these cards are a source of fun and very powerful, and encourages us to find creative combinations.]

Other Rules

Running Out of Oxygen

If, as a result of the oxygen die roll, the oxygen level falls below zero, reveal the top card of the common oxygen deck. Add the value shown to the oxygen track and discard the card.
If there are not enough cards in the common oxygen deck to bring the track cube to or above zero, the player has run out of oxygen. The automatic safety system kicks in and brings the player to the boat immediately. They have to drop all ballast, which means all the gold collected and the bonuses, both gold and clues, and return them to where they came from. All gold collected is returned to the pile of gold available for the search, bonus gold returns to the bank, and clues return to their places on the board.
Reset the oxygen track to zero.
The value of any face-down maximum duration card, or of duration tokens on revealed cards, is absorbed by the Oxygenator and converted into common oxygen. That value is added to the oxygen track.
The dive is over for that player, but they may still play event cards. The game continues for the remaining divers who are still underwater.

[Jasmine explains that the maximum duration is each player's personal oxygen reserve, and it is connected to the Oxygenator. Once the actual search duration is decided, unused oxygen is automatically absorbed by the Oxygenator and added to the common oxygen reserve.]

Event Cards

Perilous Dive – during this dive, the value of the gold available for the search is doubled. When searching for gold, you get double the normal amount (for example, at depth 6, 20 gold per search turn). The result of the oxygen die roll is likewise doubled (for example, a roll of -3 becomes -6).
Bonus Happy – this card cannot be used to collect a bonus twice (that is, after receiving the bonus of 5 gold at depth 6 you cannot play this card to receive another 5 gold).
Sabotage! – You can swap the face-down maximum duration cards of any two players, or swap any player's face-down card for one chosen at random from your hand.
Wall-D / Wall-F – these "completely trustworthy" robots use different rolls to determine how they help in the search. When played, you must make a roll with the oxygen die each time you search [the result is not used to affect the amount of oxygen available]. The result is added to the amount of gold found and is taken from the total pile of gold available for the search (for example, at depth 6, with Wall-D helping (negative rolls become positive and vice versa), a roll of -3 would become three more doubloons added to the 10 received at that depth).
Swordfish Loves You – Make a roll with the oxygen die. According to the result, adjust the oxygen track, and the player stays at that depth (with a result of -3/-2/-1) or moves twice (with a result of 0/1). Cannot be played on a player who is searching.
Toughest Diver – all unrevealed cards of the common oxygen deck are added to the gold bonus.
Long Robotic Arm – Lets you search for gold at a depth below the one chosen. So, if the chosen depth is 5 and this card is played, you get 10 pieces of gold per search turn (which corresponds to depth 6). You do not have to move the player's depth token to that level. However, using this card prevents the player from receiving any bonus during the current dive. Obviously, it cannot be used if depth 6 was chosen.

Advanced Rules

The Jewel of Zakarra

(Not an easy mission.)

The Jewel of Zakarra is a rare, tremendously prized object. Only the bravest and most reckless divers would dare go looking for it. There is only one jewel waiting to be found per game and therefore, the first person to successfully recover it will enjoy the glory exclusively.

Each depth has a Jewel of Zakarra clue token, unless there are not enough tokens to replenish all depth levels that have none.
You need to collect two clue tokens (at least one of depth and another of duration).
With those two clues you can find the whereabouts of the Jewel of Zakarra. You will have to dive to the specified depth for the specified time to be able to find the Jewel of Zakarra. The jewel is worth 50 gold coins.

Example: Jasmine has a duration clue of 6 and a depth clue of 5, so she will have to dive to depth 5 and search for exactly 6 turns. If she succeeds, she will obtain the precious gem.
If the ascent fails and the player is dragged to the surface, the jewel becomes available again for whoever finds it.
If during a dive more than one player meets the requirements of the clues they hold, the jewel is awarded to the first of them to reach the surface safe and sound.
The clue and the jewel can be obtained in the same dive. It is therefore possible to find it from the second expedition onward.

Designers' Notes

At Black Dove Games we aspire to create and develop novel and innovative mechanics that deal with and fit naturally into interesting storylines. Whenever possible, we try to make games that are as realistic as possible, with a pinch of imagination.

The "Die" in Dive! Diver! Die! refers to the die used continually throughout the game. Nobody actually dies in this game, although coming back empty-handed is almost worse than dying for any self-respecting underwater treasure hunter. We hope you have as much fun playing it as we did designing, testing and playing it.