HMS Dolores Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Setup
  • 1 - Build the draw pile as follows:
  • 2 - Deal cards to each player according to the number of players:
• Sharing the Loot
  • The outcome of the share depends on both players' choices:
• Example of Shares in a 3-Player Game
• Message in a Bottle Cards
• End of the Game and Victory
  • Example 1
  • Example 2
• "Message in a Bottle" Cards
• Recap Table
• Credits

Contents

• 70 Goods cards of 7 different types: weapons, wine, jewelry, lace, tableware, musical instruments, and gold ingots.
  • Each type of goods is split across 10 crates: seven crates of value 1; two crates of value 2; one crate of value 3.
• 10 Message in a Bottle cards, including 1 Dawn card (see detail on the Message in a Bottle cards).

Setup

1 - Build the draw pile as follows:

• Set aside the Dawn card from the other Message in a Bottle cards.
• Randomly remove 4 Message in a Bottle cards; they will not be used in this game.
• Shuffle, face down, all the Goods cards together with the 5 remaining Message in a Bottle cards.
• Set aside 15 cards from the draw pile and shuffle them together with the Dawn card, then place them back underneath the draw pile.

The draw pile then contains 70 Goods cards and 6 Message in a Bottle cards (including the Dawn card, present somewhere within the last 16 cards of the deck).

2 - Deal cards to each player according to the number of players:

• 2 players: 4 cards
• 3 players: 3 cards
• 4 players: 2 cards

These cards are immediately placed face up in each player's personal area. As soon as a player holds several Goods cards of the same type, they must be arranged together in a column: this is called a collection (the value of a Goods card must always remain visible).

Message in a Bottle cards are also kept face up in front of their owner.

All of these cards make up the players' starting loot.

Sharing the Loot

A game consists of a series of shares.

Each share always involves two players: a dealer and the player seated to their left.

The last player to have "drunk from the cup" is the first dealer.

The dealer deals the top 4 cards of the draw pile between themself and their left-hand neighbor (the sharing zone), face up: the first 2 cards are placed in front of the player to their left, the last 2 in front of themself.

These 4 cards make up the loot that these two players are about to share.

When both players are ready, they count together up to 3 (you can chant "Do-Lo-Res!") and each holds out a hand toward the other, making one of the gestures shown below (see also the recap table at the end of the rulebook):

• Share (open hand)
• Conflict (closed fist)
• Dodge (thumb raised)

The outcome of the share depends on both players' choices:

• When both players choose Share, each takes the 2 cards of the loot placed on their own side.
• When one player chooses Conflict against a player who chose Share, the Conflict player takes all 4 cards of the loot.
• When both players choose Conflict, the 4 cards of the loot are discarded.
• When a player Dodges an opponent who chose Share, they immediately take the card of their choice from among the 4 cards of the loot. The opponent takes the remaining card(s) on their own side. The remaining cards are discarded.
• When a player Dodges an opponent who chose Conflict, they immediately take the card of their choice from among the 4 cards of the loot. The opponent takes the remaining 3 cards.
• When both players Dodge, the 4 cards of the loot are discarded. Simultaneously, both players point at a collection they own. Each then discards that designated collection entirely.

The two players may discuss their intentions or make a deal together, but they are free not to keep their word! Whether to skillfully close out a negotiation, provoke the opponent into a bad decision, or interfere with other players' shares while they happen:

talk is the wrecker's favorite weapon!

• Each card won this way is added to the winning player's personal area, into the matching collection.
• The player to the dealer's left becomes the new dealer. They deal the cards for the next share.

Example of Shares in a 3-Player Game

Players A and B have resolved their first share.

Player B, to the left of the first dealer A, becomes the new dealer. They deal 4 cards to make a share with player C, to their left.

It will then be player C's turn to become the dealer and to hold a share with player A, and so on.

Message in a Bottle Cards

(see card details below)

Each Message in a Bottle card bears a scroll depicting an event that can be triggered during the game. During shares, Message in a Bottle cards are treated like Goods cards. When a player wins a Message in a Bottle card, they add it to their personal area and may use it later in the game, including during a share they are not taking part in! The card is discarded after use.

Note: for a simplified game, it is entirely possible to play with the Dawn card as the only event.

End of the Game and Victory

The game ends immediately when the Dawn card is drawn. The share in progress is not played out.

Each player counts their points as follows:

• Determine the value of each of your collections by adding up the values of the cards in it.
• Add together your highest-value collection and your lowest-value collection. All other collections score you no points.
• If several collections are tied for the highest value, or tied for the lowest value, they are all taken into account.
• If all of a player's collections have the same value, that player doubles their score! Indeed, their collections count as both the highest-value and lowest-value collections at once (see Example 2).

Watch out: it is the values of the cards in each collection that count, not the number of cards.

Example 1

A player holding:

• 2 wine,
• 2 lace,
• 4 musical instruments,
• 5 gold ingots,
• 6 tableware,

scores 2 + 2 + 6 = 10 points.

(With 1 additional gold ingot, they would have scored 2 + 2 + 6 + 6 = 16 points.)

Example 2

A player holding:

• 3 jewelry,
• 3 weapons,
• 3 lace,

scores (3 + 3 + 3) x 2 = 18 points.

The player with the highest score wins. In case of a tie, the tied players share the victory.

"Message in a Bottle" Cards

Broken Lantern: The cards of the next share are dealt face down. The player who used the Broken Lantern must look at the cards of the share and reveal whatever information they wish to - or say nothing, or even lie!

Lookout: Play this card when the Dawn card is revealed, if you wish to extend the game. The Dawn card then has no effect and the game continues until there are no longer enough cards for a new share. The Dawn card has no value for the player who ends up winning it.

Theft: Discard the Goods card of your choice from another player's area and add it to your own personal area. Note: the Theft card must be used immediately, even if it is dealt during setup.

Swirl: Rearrange the cards of the share in progress however you like, keeping the initial number of cards in front of each player.

Ebb: Discard the cards of the share in progress and draw 4 new cards to replace them. Note: if the Convoy card has been played, you only draw 4 new cards.

Convoy: Draw 2 additional cards to add to the share in progress. Each player now has 3 cards in front of them.

Ruse: During the share, hold out both hands simultaneously, and choose one of the two after seeing your opponent's gesture.

Mix-up: Play this card after both players have held out their hands. Both players' choices are cancelled, and the share is immediately replayed with the same cards.

Wager: Play this card during another two players' share. Hold out both your hands at the same time as they do, in order to bet on both of their gestures. If you correctly guess both of these players' gestures, you win the cards of your choice. The two players then win the remaining cards according to the gesture they played. Note: the Wager card is not used in a two-player game. It counts among the 4 Message in a Bottle cards removed during setup.

Dawn: The Dawn card immediately ends the game when it is drawn, including when the Convoy, Ebb, and Broken Lantern cards are in use. Note: the Dawn card is always shuffled among the last 16 cards of the draw pile.

Recap Table

• Blue plays Share; Red plays Share: Blue takes the 2 cards on their side; Red takes the 2 cards on their side.
• Blue plays Dodge; Red plays Share: Blue takes first, choosing 1 card; Red takes the remaining card(s) on their side.
• Blue plays Share; Red plays Conflict: Red takes all 4 cards.
• Blue plays Dodge; Red plays Conflict: Blue takes first, choosing 1 card; Red takes the remaining 3 cards.
• Blue plays Conflict; Red plays Conflict: the 4 cards are discarded.
• Blue plays Dodge; Red plays Dodge: the 4 cards are discarded. In addition, Blue and Red each discard one collection.

Credits

Thanks:

Bruno Faidutti would like to thank everyone who played Dolores at his home, in Etourvy, or elsewhere... For their time and dedication, Eric M. Lang thanks everyone who took part in playtesting Dolores.

The publisher thanks:

• Oriol Comas y Coma for the Comas variant, ultimately included in the rules,
• Tom Vuarchex for everything that he is,
• The new recruits of "lui-même," Thomas and Clément, for their attention to the smallest detail,
• Bruno Faidutti for all the help he brings to every game, even when he is the designer.

A game by Bruno Faidutti and Eric M. Lang. Illustrations and design: Vincent Dutrait. Art direction: Philippe des Pallières, assisted by Thomas Cosnefroy. Layout: Caroline Ottavis.

© éditions "lui-même", August 2016, first edition.