Jewels
Jewels Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1. Components
156 cards:
- 67 Encounter cards
- 72 Resource cards
- 12 Event cards
- 5 Reminder cards
84 coins 5 Merchant markers 1 eight-sided die (D8) 1 First Player marker (Turn marker) 1 Rulebook 1 Playmat
2. Idea and Goal of the Game
In Jewels you wear the robes of a wealthy Merchant of Gems and Jewels in the Kingdom of Marylia. You travel from City to City, buying gold and gems to sell at the right moment, or to be crafted and set into ever more elaborate jewels.
At the end of the game, the player who has accumulated the most wealth wins.
3. Setup
Roll the die to choose the Player who will take the first Turn in the first Round of the game, and give that Player the corresponding First Player marker. Each Player chooses a Merchant marker of a different colour.
Place on the table:
- the Personnel (Characters) deck,
- the Resource deck,
- the Event deck.
Deal:
- 3 cards from the Resource deck to each Player,
- 25 coins to the first Player, 26 to the second, 27 to the third, and so on. Place the remaining coins, which will form the Bank, beside the playmat.
Form the two main decks, Resources and Encounters, and lay out 2 rows of 7 cards each.
Each column of 2 cards represents a City. For the purposes of the game, the Cities are numbered from 1 to 7 from left to right. The bottom row shows the Resources available for purchase in each City; the top row shows the Characters (Personnel).
Starting with the first Player and going clockwise, each Player places their Merchant marker on a City of their choice.
At the end of the setup phase, if any cards with special abilities have entered play (see section 4.2), these must be resolved. For example: the Leprechaun makes every Player draw a card when it enters play; in that case the game starts with one extra card for every Player.
4. Card Types
4.1 Resources
Resource cards are the basis of trade.
There are two kinds: Gems and Gold. Gems can be crafted and sold individually, or used to create Jewels (see section 4.4). Gold is the base Resource for creating Jewels; it cannot be crafted or sold individually, and at least one is needed to create each Jewel.
At any moment of the game, Players may always, and only, have Resource cards in hand, and Players may only draw a card from the Resource deck alone.
Each Resource card has:
- a Resource type, which can be one of the following: Gold, Amethyst, Turquoise, Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby and Diamond;
- an acquisition cost, shown in red at the bottom left, showing the number of coins that must be paid to the Bank to acquire the Resource;
- a market value, shown in green at the top right, showing the coins gained from selling the Resource.
4.2 Characters
Characters are the cards with which you can Interact (see section 6.4), and they have various abilities.
After you have Interacted with a Character and resolved its abilities, the Character is discarded to its own discard pile. If there are coins on the card, the Player who Interacted with it collects those coins.
Each Character has:
- a Character type, which can be one of the following: Acquirer, Mercenary or Monster;
- a text, which explains the ability of the card;
- symbols, which identify the abilities of the card and may be present at the top right or within the text of the card.
The symbols are:
- Arrows (exchange symbol): present on any Character. To use its ability, the Interact action (section 6.4) is required.
- Two gem/jewel symbols: present only on Acquirers. They indicate the type of Gem or Jewel that the Acquirer can buy.
- Coin symbol (yellow): can be present on any Character. Always shown in yellow, it shows the number of coins to be placed on the Character when it enters play.
- Discard symbol: can be present on any Character. When the card is discarded, resolve the ability described in the card's text.
- Enter-play symbol: can be present on any Character. When the card enters play, resolve the ability described in the card's text.
- Card symbol: can be present on any Character. Interacting with the Character allows the Player to draw Cards.
4.2.1 Characters - Acquirers
A Player may Interact with an Acquirer to sell it Gems or Jewels. Acquirers are discarded after the Interaction.
4.2.2 Characters - Mercenaries
A Player may Interact with a Mercenary to use its ability in their own favour, or to hinder the other Players. Mercenaries are discarded after the Interaction.
4.2.3 Characters - Monsters
A Player may Interact with Monsters to conquer their Treasure. The Interaction takes place in the same way as with any other Character.
In addition, the following rules apply:
- If at any moment a Monster is in a City where a Resource card is present, that Resource card is immediately added to its Treasure, placed under the Monster card.
- The Monster is discarded only when it has been defeated (see section 5.4). After discarding the Monster, the Player who defeated it collects its Treasure (Resources and coins).
4.3 Events
Event cards may be drawn at various moments of the game, by effect of a Character's ability, or during the Start of Turn phase. When an Event is drawn, its effects are resolved.
Each Event has:
- an Event type, which indicates the Event;
- a text, which indicates the effect of the Event.
4.4 Jewels
Jewels are a combination of Resource cards, and they can be of three types: Ring, Bracelet and Necklace.
The possible combinations are:
Ring:
- 1 Gold + 1 pair of identical Gems and 1 different Gem;
- 1 Gold + 3 identical Gems.
Bracelet:
- 1 Gold + 2 pairs of different Gems;
- 1 Gold + 4 identical Gems.
Necklace:
- 2 Gold + 1 set of three Gems and 1 pair;
- 2 Gold + 5 identical Gems.
As you will have noticed, at least 1 Gold card is always necessary to Craft a Jewel (2 for Necklaces).
The value of a Jewel is given by the sum of the Market Value of the Resources that compose it, plus any bonus. For example, a Ring composed of 3 Diamonds has a total value of 36 coins (8 + 8 + 8 for the Diamonds + 2 for the Gold + 10 bonus).
All this information is summarised on the Reminder cards.
5. Player Turn and Round
A Round of Jewels is composed of one Turn for each Player.
Starting with the Player with the First Player marker and proceeding clockwise, each Player has a Turn in which they perform 3 Actions of their choice from the 6 possible. The same type of Action may be repeated several times, but without exceeding the maximum number of Actions per Turn. Once the three Actions are performed, the next Player's Turn begins.
The Player whose Turn is in progress is considered the Active Player; this is important, for example, for the Auction (see section 7).
The hand limit for each Player is 6 cards at the end of each of their own Turns. If a Player exceeds this limit, they must discard down to 6 cards in hand. However, a Player may exceed this limit at any moment; but at the end of each of their Turns they must discard any excess cards.
Example: a Player has 6 cards and at the start of the Round a Leprechaun enters play, making every Player draw a card. They now have 7 cards but need not discard. On their next Turn they may use the 7 cards as they wish, and only at the end of their Turn must they discard if they still exceed the limit of 6 cards.
NOTE: Whenever Players must draw a card, they must do so exclusively from the Resource deck.
6. Actions
6.1 Travel
The Travel action allows the Player to move between the various Cities. Moving to an adjacent City costs no coins; for each move beyond the first, the Player pays 1 additional coin. Example: moving 4 Cities costs 3 coins.
Regardless of the number of Cities the Player moves through, the Travel action always costs one Action. The Player may choose to move 2 Cities by spending one Action and 1 coin, or to move one City and then another, spending 2 Actions and no coins.
6.2 Buy
The Buy action allows the Player to purchase a Resource in the City where they are located. The Player pays the Acquisition Cost to the Bank and adds the Resource card to their hand.
6.3 Forge
The Forge action allows the Player to create Jewels, or to refine Gems, using the cards in their hand. Forged Jewels or Gems are placed on the table in front of the Player so that all Players can see them. Forging a Jewel or a Gem then allows it to be sold.
A Player may not sell a Jewel or a Gem in the same Turn in which it was Forged (but they may do so in the same Round, for example through an Auction).
Source note: the printed FAQ (section 12) states that a Gem or Jewel cannot be sold in the Round in which it was Forged, which differs from the wording above ("same Turn"). Both are transcribed as printed.
Forged Jewels or Gems cannot be modified afterwards.
Gold cannot be Forged singly.
6.4 Interact
The Interact action allows the Player to use certain abilities of the Characters present in the City where the Player is located. Abilities that require the Interact action are marked with the arrows symbol (see section 4.2).
The abilities are described in the text of the card.
The Interaction with Characters takes place in the following order:
- The Player pays any costs required by the Character's ability; for example, paying coins or discarding a card. If a Player cannot pay the required cost, they cannot Interact with the Character.
- The Character's ability described in the text is resolved, and its effects are applied.
- The Character card is discarded and the Player who Interacted with it collects any coins present on it.
By Interacting with Acquirers, a Player may sell Gems and Jewels. When a Gem or Jewel is sold, it is discarded, and the Player collects from the Bank the Market Value of the Gem or Jewel, plus all the coins present on the Acquirer.
By Interacting with Mercenaries, the Player may exploit their abilities.
By Interacting with Monsters, the Player may challenge them by rolling a die to conquer their Treasure. Remember that Monsters are discarded only when defeated.
6.5 Wait
The Wait action allows the Player to refill the City in which they are located. If a Player is in a City without Resources and/or without Characters, by using this action they may take a card from the corresponding deck and refill the City by filling the empty space. If both cards are missing, the Player may refill both empty spaces with the same action.
A Player may also Wait when a Monster is present in the City, in order to add Resources to its Treasure.
6.6 Collect
The Collect action allows the Player to gain one coin. The Player with this action collects 1 coin from the Bank and adds it to their own reserve.
7. Going to Auction
If the Active Player wants to buy a Resource, or to Interact with an Acquirer, in a City where other Players are present, those other Players may pay 1 coin to the Bank to go to Auction, without using any Action.
Purchase Auction: all the Players involved secretly hide a number of coins of their choice in a closed fist and reveal them at the same moment. The Player who offered the most pays the amount they bid to the Bank and receives the Resource. The losing Players take back the coins they bid. In this case, only the amount bid is paid, regardless of the Resource's cost.
Sale Auction: all the Players involved secretly hide a number of coins of their choice in a closed fist and reveal them at the same moment. The Player who offered the most pays the amount they bid to the Bank and gains the right to sell the Gem or Jewel. The losing Players take back the coins they bid.
In the case of a tie in an Auction, the Active Player wins, or otherwise the Player closest to the Active Player in clockwise order. This applies when the tie occurs between two or more non-Active Players.
If the Active Player, following an Auction, fails to buy or sell an item, the Buy or Interact action is not spent. With the Auction mechanism, Players may therefore buy or sell even during an opponent's Turn.
8. Start and End of the Round
8.1 Start of the Round
Skip this phase in the first Round of the game.
The start of the Round consists of 3 sub-phases, in this order:
8.1.1 Change
The Player whose Turn it is rolls the die and discards all the cards present in the City corresponding to the number rolled (Resources and/or Characters). If as a consequence of the roll no card is removed, for example because the City was empty, or because an 8 was rolled, the Player draws an Event card and resolves its effects.
8.1.2 Market Fluctuation
Place 1 coin on every Acquirer present in every City.
8.1.3 Refill
Starting from the Character row, from left to right, refill with cards the empty Cities and resolve all the abilities of the cards, as for example the Leprechaun. Then do the same with the Resource row.
NOTE: If a Monster is in a City with a Resource, you must always add the Resource to its Treasure.
8.2 End of the Round
The Round of play ends when all the Players have taken their Turn. When the Round ends, the First Player marker passes to the next Player in clockwise order, and a new Start of the Round phase begins.
9. End of the Game
When, during the Refill sub-phase, it is not possible to refill the empty spaces of any City, whether they are Characters or Resources, the last Round of the game begins. When the last Round ends, the game ends. At the end, the Players count their wealth. Coins are counted normally; Jewels and Gems Forged but not sold count as half of their Market Value, rounded down. The wealthiest Player wins the game.
10. Two-Player Variant
In a two-player game the Round no longer comprises one Turn per Player, but simply a single Turn per Player, so Turn and Round coincide. This means that the Start of the Round phase takes place before each Player's Turn, except the very first one. Therefore each Player always has all the Cities refilled at the start of their Turn, since there is always a Refill sub-phase before it begins.
11. Suggestions and Strategies
Although it is a game suited to everyone, Jewels has many strategic elements to take into account in order to win, which you will learn game after game. As you will have noticed, the Cities are refilled with cards only at the start of each Round of play. This means that the First Player, the one with the marker, will always have an advantage, having all the Cities full (and therefore more options). Your strategy must take into account at which point in the Round you take your Turn, and your position in the following Turns.
You can always avoid a lack of options with the Wait action, which will allow you to refill with Character and/or Resource cards a temporarily empty City.
Placement at the end of your Turn is also essential, since through the Auction it will be possible to buy or sell even during the Rounds of your opponents, and in any case to make them spend more coins.
Being a game based on Action Points, you must make the most of the limited number of Actions available.
Creating high-value Jewels is obviously the road to follow, also because selling a Jewel will allow you to sell the whole combination of Gold and Gems with a single Action. It is not, however, the only strategy available. Selling single Gems can earn a lot, thanks to the Market Fluctuation. Often the Player who wins is the one who not only crafts and sells the best Jewels, but also makes the most of the spare Gems not used in the various combinations.
12. FAQ
How can I Forge a Necklace with 7 cards if I can have at most 6 cards in hand?
6 is the maximum number of cards you can have at the end of your Turn. During the game you may have any number of cards in hand, and only at the end of each of your Turns must you discard if you exceed the limit.
Can I sell without Forging?
No, you must always Forge before selling, which means you can always and only sell the cards that are already in front of you on the table (and not those still in your hand). Remember that you cannot sell a Gem or a Jewel in the Round in which it was Forged.
Can I Forge Gold?
No, Gold cannot be Forged alone and therefore cannot be sold either.
Can I use the Wait action in a City where a Monster is present?
Yes, but in this way the Resource will be immediately added to the Monster's Treasure.
Can drawing cards with a Mercenary's ability end the game?
No, the game can end only during the Refill phase.