Goblin Mountain Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Tunnel Card Structure
• Goal and Overview
• Setting up the Game (2 Players)
• Playing the Game
• Moving Adventurers (Dice)
• Adventurers Left Behind
• Resolving Actions
• Fate
• Treasure
• Scoring
• Variant: Adventurer Drafting
• Variant: Solo Mode
  • Setting up the Game (Solo)
  • Playing the Game / Rule Changes
  • Moving the Goblin King
  • Capturing Adventurers
  • Fate (Solo Mode)
  • Scoring
• Icon Legend

Game Components

• 8 Dice (d6): 2 warriors (orange), 2 dwarven miners (yellow), 2 mages (blue), 2 rogues (black)
• 2 Cubes (orange) to mark Fame
• 2 Cubes (yellow) to mark Treasure
• 2 Cubes (green) to mark Rescued Villagers
• 3 Tokens (or Crystals) to count Fate
• 1 Pawn (Goblin King, for Solo Mode)
• 6 Tunnel Cards (double-sided)
• 2 Party Overview Cards (front)
• 2 Special Tunnel Cards (back, for Solo Mode)
• 1 Village Card (front)
• 1 Goblin Warrens Card (back, for Solo Mode)
• 1 Promo Card (front: for 2 player mode, back: for Solo mode)

Tunnel Card Structure

The diagram on page 2 labels the parts of a Tunnel Card:

• Name of the location
• Color and range requirements for dice
• Location
• Available action

Goal and Overview

Goblin Mountain is a competitive dice-placement game, where 2 players take turns to move their adventurers (dice) through a linear dungeon and maximize treasure and fame while trying to make it to the exit without getting caught by the goblins.

Setting up the Game (2 Players)

• Place the 6 Tunnel Cards in random order (using a random side for each) forming a straight line; this is the Tunnel Track.
• Add the Village card to the end of the Tunnel Track.
• Both players get 1 Party Overview Card, 1 Fame marker, 1 Rescued Villagers marker (both set to 0) and 1 Treasure marker (set to 5). Both players get 1 Fate token and 1 die of each color.
• Both players set all their dice to 3.
• The third Fate token is placed in the center as a general supply.
• One player is chosen to be the starting player. The other player sets his yellow die to 4.

Playing the Game

Players alternate taking turns until the game ends. The starting player takes the first turn. A player's turn consist of these four steps:

1. Optional: Spend Fate tokens to use special actions (p. 7)
2. Move one adventurer (die) (p. 5)
3. Check if other own adventurers have been left behind (p. 6)
4. Take the action at the adventurer's new location (p. 7-9)

The game ends when all dice of both players are either captured by the goblins or have reached the Village Card.

Adventurers can only move in this direction, towards the village.

Moving Adventurers (Dice)

At the beginning of the game all the players' dice are still off the Tunnel Track, considered loitering.

When players take their turn and move a die, they first take 1 of their loitering dice or one of their dice on the Tunnel Track. They cannot take dice from the Village Card. (There is no way you can persuade these adventurers to go back into the mountain!)

Then they have to place this die at a new location:

• The newly chosen location must be closer to the village than the leading dice of the current player (also counting the former location of the die currently being moved). If you already have one or more dice at the village, the only valid location is the village. If you skip locations during a move, there is no way you can access these locations anymore with any of your dice later on.
• Locations that are already occupied by an adventurer of the opposing player (or you) are not valid locations, except if they allow both players to place one die. Indicated by 2 separate numbered actions. It is however possible to visit a location already visited by the opposing player, once it has been vacated.
• Some locations require the die to match a specific color and/or having strength (pips) in a specific range (e.g. ≥4). In this case all requirements must be met to be able to place a die there.

Example: Julie can move any of her four adventurers during her turn, but whichever dice she moves, only the highlighted locations are eligible as targets, since they are closer to the village than the player's leading adventurer (blue 2). However, Julie can't place a dice here, because the location is occupied by one of Robin's dice.

Adventurers Left Behind

If there were one or more dice "behind" the moved die when it was taken from its location, all these dice lose 1 strength (remove 1 pip). (Remember, it is paramount to stay together, leaving party members behind will expose them to the goblins, and they will eventually get captured.)

If the strength of a die ever falls to or below 0, the die is removed from its location and placed next to the respective players Party Overview Card. The adventurer has been captured by the goblins.

Hint: when placing a die, don't place it on the location, place it next to it on your side of the Tunnel Track, so that it is easy to distinguish the owner of the dice.

Resolving Actions

After players moved their die, they may resolve the action associated with the location. All actions are described on pages 8/9.

The icons on the location cards are read as follows: the item inside the box is what you get; the item on the left border of the box is what you have to pay. If this is a dice symbol, the die placed here must meet the stated requirements in order to get the rewards. This does not restrict which dice you can place here, only whether you can perform the action. The dice symbol X means that the reward depends on the strength of the die.

Fate

Before players move one of their dice, they can spend one or more of their Fate tokens to get a lucky break. The spent Fate tokens are placed back in the general supply, and players can choose and apply one of the following effects:

• Switch two of their dice with each other. Loitering adventurers can also be switched. Note: this does not trigger any locations to resolve. The switched dice need not match color or strength requirements.
• Increase/decrease the strength of one of their dice by 1. Increasing a 6 or decreasing a 1 has no effect. Note: None of these effects can be applied to dice on the village card.
• Set one of their dice to strength 4.

The location actions are printed on pages 8 and 9 of the booklet, one entry per location:

Hideout – time to catch your breath and gather your strength. Allows 1 dice per player of any color. The first player to arrive may set the die to a 5. The second player to arrive may pay 1 Treasure to set the die to a 4. Some Hideouts additionally allow the player arriving first to rescue 1 villager.

Cache – stow away some of your loot, you can go get it later when the goblins have calmed down. Allows 1 dice of any color. Players may trade 3 Treasure for 2 Fame. This action may be performed more than once if the player can afford it.

Goldmine – if we only had the time to delve here forever. Allows 1 yellow dice per player. The first player to arrive receives as much Treasure as the die has strength. The second player to arrive receives half the die's strength, rounded up.

Wishing Well – throw in some coins for good fortune. Allows 1 dice of any color. Players may trade 2 Treasure for 1 Fate from the supply (if available) OR trade 2 Treasure to increase the strength of the die by exactly 3 (to a maximum of 6. 4/5 can be increased to a 6). Players may take this action more than once if they can afford it.

Treasure Hoard – jackpot! Allows 1 dice of any color. Players receive as much Treasure as the die has strength.

Cave In – did you hear that? I think there might be someone trapped behind these rocks… Allows 1 yellow dice of strength 4 or greater. Players receive the indicated reward: 2 Rescued Villagers.

Locked Door – well, what might be behind this door? Let's pick the lock and find out… Allows 1 black dice of strength 4. You receive the indicated reward: 2 Fame.

Goblins – there's no way around them, let's go through them... Allows 1 orange dice of strength 5 or greater. Players receive the indicated reward: 2 Fame and 1 Treasure.

Icy Depths – ancient evils linger in the icy depths, but also great treasure, it's best if our presence goes unnoticed… Allows 1 blue dice of strength 3 or lower. You receive the indicated reward: 1 Fame and 1 Treasure.

Village – finally, we made it out! Every die can be placed here and the game will end when all dice have reached this location or have been captured. The first four dice placed here can get bonus Fame if they meet the respective strength requirements: the 1st die at strength 4 or greater gains 2 Fame; the 2nd die at strength 5 or greater gains 2 Fame; the 3rd die at strength exactly 6 gains 2 Fame; the 4th die at strength exactly 6 gains 1 Fame.

Note on the Village Card: the card also carries a small pictorial scoring reminder (Rescued Villagers, Treasure and captured-adventurer icons). That reminder is not transcribed here; the written scoring rules govern.

Treasure

Players can't carry more than 8 Treasure. Excess Treasure is lost!

Scoring

Players sum up their Fame starting with the Fame they collected on their Party Overview Card, and then:

• add 1 Fame for every 2 Treasure (keep the Treasure, it might still be the deciding factor in case of a tie!)
• add 1 Fame for every 3 Rescued Villagers.
• add 3 Fame if they rescued more villagers than the other player.
• remove 2 Fame per captured adventurer.

The player with more Fame wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most Treasure wins. If there still is a tie the player with more remaining Fate tokens wins. Otherwise both players share the victory.

Note: The scoring rules for the solo game are summarized on the Goblin Warrens Card, while the scoring rules for the 2 player game are summarized on the Village Card.

Variant: Adventurer Drafting

Instead of starting with adventurers having all strength 3, players can decide to draft adventurers before starting the game.

After setting up the Tunnel Track and determining the starting player all 8 dice are rolled and placed in center of the table in pairs of the same color. The player who is not the starting player goes first and choses one of the dice of any of the pairs. The other player then takes the remaining die of the same color, and becomes the next player to pick a die.

Do this until both players each have 4 dice, one of each color. The starting player starts the game as usual.

When using this variant, you don't increase the second player's yellow die to strength 4 before starting.

Variant: Solo Mode

The Goblin King and his minions have caught wind of your presence in the mountain. Your small group of adventurers can't hope to win a fight against this host, so it's time to run like hell…

Setting up the Game (Solo)

• Set up the Tunnel Track as normal. Then choose one of the two Special Tunnel Cards, Chasm (normal) or Catacombs (hard), on the flip side of either Party Overview Card (use the other as usual to track your Fame, Treasure and Rescued Villagers) and insert it into the Tunnel Track at the proper location (as indicated in the top left corner of the card):
  • Chasm: 3 normal Tunnel Cards to the left and 3 to the right.
  • Catacombs: 2 normal Tunnel Cards to the left and 4 to the right.
• Place the Goblin Warrens Card in front of the Tunnel Track and place the Goblin King on the number 6.
• Take your four adventurer dice and place them on the last location of the Goblin Warrens Card. Set all dice to strength 3.
• Start with 0 Fame/Rescued Villagers, 5 Treasure und 1 Fate.

Goblin King and Adventurers can only move in this direction.

The setup diagram labels the parts as follows: "2 Tunnel Cards"; "Special Tunnel Card (in this case the Catacombs)"; "Goblin Warrens: flip this card and append it to the end of the Tunnel Track as soon as vacated".

• Take the other four dice and place them above the Tunnel Track and set them all to the value 1. In the Solo Mode, these are not adventurers, but show how stealthy your adventurers move. Let's call them Stealth dice.
• You don't need the three remaining wooden cubes. But you may place both remaining Fate tokens in the general supply.
• Before your first move you may ONCE reduce the strength of an adventurer by 1 to increase another's strength by 1.

Playing the Game / Rule Changes

You will advance your dice as normal, while the Goblin King will be moving according to rules explained below. If the Goblin King catches up to your adventurers they are eventually captured and removed from the Tunnel Track. If at least one adventurer makes it out of the mountain you can score the game, otherwise the game is lost.

Player turn in Solo Mode:

1. • 4. Resolve as in a normal two player game
2. Roll the Stealth die with the color matching the die you just moved and move the Goblin King (p. 14)

The diagram for this step shows 4 Tunnel Cards and the Village Card.

Moving the Goblin King

How far the Goblin King moves depends on how stealthily your adventurers moved:

Move the Goblin King 1 location forward PLUS 1 location for every 5 or 6 all your Stealth dice currently show.

If the die furthest along the Tunnel Track has already reached or passed the first field of the Special Tunnel Card, Stealth dice with a 4, 5 and 6 will move the Goblin King in addition to the usual 1 field.

Capturing Adventurers

If the Goblin King ends his move on a location with one of your dice, that die loses 1 strength. For every step the Goblin King still has left, the die loses additional strength. Should the adventurer's strength reach 0, he is captured and removed from the Tunnel Track. If the Goblin King still has movement left, he continues as normal.

Note: If there is more than one die on the location the Goblin King enters, you may choose which die loses strength for each step of the Goblin King's movement.

Stealth dice of captured adventurers and such that have reached the village are removed right away and do no longer give the Goblin King additional movement. (i.e. the Stealth die of an adventurer that has moved to the village this turn is not rolled anymore, but removed from the game. The Goblin King then still does his normal movement).

Fate (Solo Mode)

At the start of your turn you can use Fate as normal. You can also use the fourth Fate action, which is only available in Solo Mode: Set all Stealth dice to a 1.

The Goblin King starts on field 6 in the Goblin Warrens and moves down to field 1, then he enters the Tunnel Track on the starting location of the adventurers and continues from there as adventurers would. As soon as the Goblin King and all adventurers have left the Goblin Warrens you take the card, flip it and append it at the end of the Tunnel Track. Before this has happened no adventurer can leave the Tunnel Track to get to the village.

Scoring

If you make it to the village, you sum up four Fame starting with the Fame on your Party Overview Card, and then:

• add 1 Fame for every 2 Treasure.
• subtract 2 from your Rescued Villagers, then add the result to your Fame. (Note, that you can also lose Fame if you only rescued 1 villager or none at all).
• remove 2 Fame for every captured adventurer.

Then check the table to see how well your party fared…

Fame	Result
≤ 14 Fame	downright shameful
15-19 Fame	barely acceptable
20-24 Fame	decent, but unimpressive
25-29 Fame	highly commendable
30+ Fame	completely flawless

Icon Legend

Page 16 of the booklet prints an unlabelled icon legend (the booklet does not name the card each entry belongs to). It is transcribed as printed, with Fate, Treasure, Rescued Villager and Fame as the four resource types:

• Spend 3 Treasure to gain 2 Fame.
• If the die here is not moved on your turn, increase it by 1.
• Spend 2 Treasure to either gain 1 Fate or increase the die by 3. You can do this multiple times and you can do both if you can afford it.
• You may "invert" the die placed here. (a 1 becomes a 6, a 2 becomes a 5, a 3 becomes a 4, and vice versa).
• If a die is moved past this location it loses 1 strength, except if a die is currently at this location, cancelling the effect. Moving to or from this location does not cause loss of strength.
• Decrease the strength of the die placed here by any amount (not exceeding the die's strength), gain that many Fame.
• You may reroll the die place here once.
• Gain Fame in the amount of 1 less than the strength of the die.
• Both players can place a die here. The first player to arrive may perform the top action, the second player to arrive may perform the bottom action.