Killing Code: Venice Vendetta Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Pre-Game Set-Up
• Components
• Surface Description
• Game Flow
  • 1. Flip Over Cards
  • 2. The Investigators Act
    • Movement Rules
  • 3. The Killer Acts
    • Movement
    • Murder
• Direct Movement Abilities
• Investigating the Cause of Death
• Map Instruction
  • Areas
  • Blocks
  • Bridges
  • Canal Routes
  • Clock Towers
  • Alleys
• Game Scoring
  • Accusation Round
• Victory or Defeat
  • Complete the Accusation
  • Exceptions to the Rules
  • Assassin's Shame
• Character Cards
  • Character List
    • Male
    • Non-Gendered
    • Female
• Killing Code Cards
  • Common Killing Code Cards
  • Scenario Special Killing Code Cards
  • Promotional Killing Code Card
• Rule Clarifications
  • Murders
  • Movement
  • Characters
  • Killing Code Cards

Introduction

Killing Code: Venice Vendetta is a cooperative game of reasoning in which players must work together to discover the identity of a Killer in the city before it is too late. One player acts as the Killer. She secretly assumes the identity of one of the citizens of Venice, looking for opportunities to kill the other citizens. The other players will be acting together to unmask the Killer's identity. Within the round limit, the Killer must keep her identity hidden and complete her killings, while the other players must investigate her murder methods to discover clues leading to the Killer's unmasking and stop these atrocities.

Pre-Game Set-Up

If this is your first game, and you cannot decide who should play the Killer, the player with the most secrets should play the Killer. He or she chooses a Scenario Card (A) to start the game, and agrees to tell one of those secrets to the other players if he or she loses this game. The other players are the Investigators.

Open the Game Board (B) and place it with the bottom side (the graves) facing the Killer. Take out the 13 Character Markers (C) and place them on the board in the correct block as indicated by the map below.

Then take the 12 Suspect Cards (D), shuffle them together and place them face-down. The Killer draws the top 2 cards from this pile. After examining them, the Killer chooses 1 to be her identity in this game, placing it face down in front of herself and concealing it further by covering it with the Killer Card (E). Return the unchosen card to the bottom of the suspect pile. (Reminder: the Investigators do not have identities, they do not draw Suspect Cards.)

Hand the 11 standard game Killing Code Cards (F) to the Killer, and prepare the 13 Character Card (G). (2 of the 13 Killing Code Cards are [word obscured by hand in source] scenario-specific: The Final Farewell and The [word obscured by hand in source] Mask Hides a Murderous Smile.)

Components

• Game Board (B), with the bottom side (the graves) used by the Killer.
• Character Markers x13 (C). Each is placed into a plastic base: a red base for the Suspect Character, and a black base for the rest. Put the Character Marker in the base. The red base represents the Suspect Character.
• Plastic Base (red) x10 and Plastic Base (black) x13.
• Suspect Cards x12 (D).
• Killer Card x1 (E).
• Killing Code Cards x13 (F). Includes 2 special Killing Code Cards.
• Character Cards x13 (G).
• Scenario Cards x5 (A). There are 5 scenarios within the game, and each of them has individual setting, special rules and tasks for both sides of players with unique goals.
• Achievement Cards x10.
• Reminder Cards x20.
• Killer's Mask x1. When the Killer takes a life, she should don the Killer's Mask to hide her expression and create maximum drama.
• Master Marker x1. Only used in scenario 1.
• Boat Marker x1. Only used in scenario 1.
• Mask Marker x1. Only used in scenario 2.
• Carnival Marker x1. Only used in scenario 2.
• Broken Bridge Marker x2. Only used in scenario 4.
• All Clean Marker x4. Only used in scenario 4.
• Carriage Marker x1. Only used in scenario 5.
• Visitation Marker x4. Only used in scenario 5.
• Quarantine Marker x1. This marker is used to represent that an area is under temporary quarantine. More details can be found within the Plague Doctor's rules.
• Alarm Marker x1. This marker indicates that there is an active alarm in this area. More details can be found with the Bell Ringer's rules.

Surface Description

I. An area is composed with blocks with the same color. Some Characters' abilities and Killing Code Cards are triggered by area. Please see details in related parts of rulebooks.

II. Each area has more than one block. There are green or red bridges between blocks. Each block has 3 circle spaces for putting Character Markers.

III. Characters can move through green bridges.

IV. Characters can not move through red bridges.

V. There are some characters' abilities and events in scenarios that rely on Clock Tower. If there is a clock tower in a block, then this is a "Block with Clock Tower".

VI. Characters can move by cannel routes in blue. A dock is a block as one end of a cannel route.

VII. A line connecting several blocks represents an alley. Some characters' abilities are relying on alleys.

VIII. All the components and markers are put aside of the board. See details of use in selected scenario card.

Game Flow

The game will last up to 5 rounds, each round comprised of 3 stages.

1. Flip Over Cards

At the start of this stage, the Killer takes all the living character cards, shuffles them, face down and places them in a pile in front of him. In the first round of a standard game, this will include all 13 character cards. (This number is reduced each round when the Killer takes her victims.)

Deal character cards according to the number of players, then flip those cards face-up and place them in area easily reached by all players. These will be the character cards available for use this round.

Number of players, number of character cards dealt, and number of actions taken per Investigator:

• 2 player game: deal 6 cards, the Investigator chooses 4 to use.
• 3 player game: deal 6 cards, each Investigator chooses 2 to use.
• 4 player game: deal 6 cards, each Investigator chooses 1 card to use, with the first Investigator choosing 1 additional card to use.
• 5 player game: deal 6 cards, each Investigator chooses 1 card.
• 6 player game: deal 7 cards, each Investigator chooses 1 card.

2. The Investigators Act

Starting with the Investigator to the left of the Killer, that player chooses one of the available character cards for this round and places it face-up in front of herself. Once a character card has been placed in front of a player, no other Investigators may choose that card. After placing the card in front of herself, that Investigator can move that character according to the movement value on the card and use one active ability on the card.

After the Investigator finishes moving her chosen character and has taken any actions, the next Investigator clockwise repeats this process until all Investigators have taken a character card.

In a 2-4 player game, the number of character cards an Investigator can take may not be limited to just one. In these situations, the Investigators take turns choosing character cards one at a time, moving them and using their actions. After the final Investigators (to the Killer's right) has selected her card, moved and acted, repeat this process, starting with the first Investigator again until the Investigators have taken a number of character cards as determined by the player count (see sidebar).

Character cards include that character's movement points, class, gender, active abilities and passive abilities. (Abilities are outlined in detail on the character cards.)

Movement Rules

• Each character card's movement point value explains how many blocks (not spaces!) the character can move when a player chooses their character card.
• Accomplish Move (Yes/No): the abilities on the character cards which may cause the character to change or give up his or her normal movement.
• Encountering Other Characters: If a character enters a block with another living character already inside it, that character must stop and loses the rest of his or her movement points this move.
• Spaces and Full Blocks: Each block contains circles referred to as spaces to mark where the characters can stand. If all the spaces in a block are occupied, the block is full. A full block cannot be entered and serves as a barrier to normal movement paths.
• End of Movement.

3. The Killer Acts

The Killer's stage consists of 2 parts: movement and murder.

Movement

The Killer can choose from 2 options for movement:

• (A) Use the remaining 2 character cards not chosen by the Investigators. The Killer chooses what order to use these cards in.
• (B) Use 1 card in front of an Investigator.

After the Killer has taken her movement action(s), she is ready to take a life.

Murder

(C) The Killer selects a killing code card from her hand and uses its ability to end the lives of one or more characters based on the qualifications of the killing code card text. Each round the Killer can only make use of 1 killing code card. Please refer to the killing code card section of this rulebook for further clarification. The Killer dons the mask, dramatically announces who will die, then lays that character's marker down in the block they were just alive in. Search the character cards for the character killed and place that card face up on the grave marker from this round. At this point the Killer places the killing code card that she used face down on top of that character card. If multiple characters were killed at once, place them all on the same grave before placing the killing code card over them.

After the murder takes place, proceed to stage 1 of the next round, but remember to leave out the dead character cards.

Direct Movement Abilities

If you see the word direct on a character card ability, that means the ability is a direct movement ability. A direct movement ability allows a character to move directly from her block to another block somewhere else on the board outlined by conditions in the ability without passing through the in between blocks or using any movement points. A direct movement ability does not allow a character to enter a full block, but a full block in between the character and her destination does not stop the direct movement.

Direct movement abilities are not affected by normal movement rules. For example, since the character is not moving through the in between blocks, she is not required to stop when entering a block with another character in it. Direct movement abilities are not affected by effects that limit movement. For example a player may still use a direct movement ability to exit a block with a quarantine marker on it.

After taking a direct movement action, that character cannot move any further, except for the Playboy as detailed in his ability.

Investigating the Cause of Death

After a character is killed, the Investigators can investigate that character's cause of death. When a character controlled by an Investigator passes through (while using movement points) or stops in a block containing a dead character with a face-down killing code card over her character card, the player moving the character may turn over the killing code card and share the information with the other players.

After looking over the new killing code card, the Investigators may update their suspicions by placing or removing suspect trackers onto or off of whichever characters they choose to.

Map Instruction

Areas

Each color on the map represents an area. Areas are comprised of several blocks. Some character card abilities and killing code cards affect or are limited by these areas. Further details can be found on those cards.

The areas on the map are: Area in Red, Area in Brown, Area in Purple, Area in Yellow, and Area in Blue.

Blocks

Each area contains several blocks. Blocks are connected to each other by green or red bridges as well as canal routes and alleys. Each block contains 3 spaces for characters to stand on. Characters moving normally move from block to block along green bridges and canal routes.

Bridges

Characters can move across green bridges to get from block to block in normal movement. Characters cannot move across red bridges with normal movement. Red bridges can be ignored during a direct movement action.

Canal Routes

Characters can move across canal routes during normal movement. Characters must follow the entire canal route from the beginning to the end. If the canal route goes under a bridge, the character cannot choose to end her movement at that bridge. The beginning and end of a canal route is marked on the map with a dock.

Clock Towers

There are 5 clock towers on the map. Some character abilities, killing codes, and/or scenarios may refer to the clock towers and the block or area the clock tower is located in.

Alleys

There are 4 black lines on the map representing the alleys of Venice. Some character abilities, killing codes, and/or scenarios may refer to the alleys and the block or area an alley is connected to.

Game Scoring

Accusation Round

After the Killer has successfully killed 5 or more characters or has used 5 killing code cards, the game immediately enters a special final round called the Accusation Round.

The final round is an additional round which only has the first 2 stages. The Killer will not take any action in this round, instead she should don the mask, steeple her hands and watch the proceedings dramatically.

When the Investigators are finished moving in this round, they must immediately make an accusation. The Investigators may only accuse one suspect. Various methods of reaching an agreement on this accusation include:

• Discussion
• Votin
• Arm Wrestling
• Drinking Contest
• Giving in to the Most Persuasive Who-Done-It Speech
• Being Generally Louder than the Other Investigators
• Agree with the Person you Secretly Find Attractive
• Bribing, Coercing, or Torturing the Killer

Or any additional methods which the design company assumes no responsibility for the consequences of. Or whatever, you know, it doesn't matter. Just guess. Faced with this accusation, the Killer must flip up her suspect card with a flourish.

Investigators: "There's only one conclusion! It could only have been the Rat Catcher!" Killer: "Ah, you have seen right through me!"

Investigators: "It's obvious! All the evidence points to the Cat Burglar!" Killer: "By the time you realize your mistake, I'll be long gone!"

The Investigators are free to make their accusation any time during the game, not only in the final round. However, the players will never get more than one chance to unmask the Killer. After the accusation is complete, the game is finished. Don't be reckless! Cross-check and verify!

Victory or Defeat

Complete the Accusation

So close, yet so far very very wrong... No matter when it is made, if the accusation was correct, the Investigators win. If the accusation was wrong, the Killer wins.

Exceptions to the Rules

The codes are absolute.

At any time, if the players discover that the Killer has made an error in using a killing card, for example, if the Killer killed someone in the wrong position, or if it is discovered that the Killer accidentally murdered her own identity, the assassins guild will immediately 'fire' the offending player and she is defeated. The Investigators win. No room for mistakes!

Assassin's Shame

You have sullied the reputation of our guild... If while playing, during the Killer's stage, the Killer discovers her killing codes are incapable of murdering even a single character, she must concede defeat in the most humiliating way possible. What a waste of perfectly good assassin training. Maybe the Bell Ringer needs a new assistant. Go stand in the corner.

Character Cards

Character cards have several key elements:

1. Movement Points: The number of blocks a character can move in one normal movement.
   • 0: This character cannot take a normal movement.
   • 1: This character can only move up to one block.
   • 2: This character can move up to 2 blocks.
2. Gender: Characters are male and female. The gender can have an effect on the conditions of a killing code card or in scenarios. The Dove does not identify as either gender, perhaps you should quit trying to label it.
3. Class: The icon below a character's movement points, as well as the shape and color of a character's nameplate represent the character's social class. The class can have an effect on the conditions of a killing code card or in scenarios.
   • Purple: Noble - A member of Venice's nobility.
   • Blue: Citizen - A middle class citizen of Venice.
   • Red: Commoner - A low class commoner of Venice.
   • The Dove does not belong to any social class, perhaps we could learn from it.
4. Ability Explanation:
   • Active Ability: The player can choose whether or not to use this character's ability. The ability needs to be activated in order to have any effect. Each time a character card is chosen, that character can only take advantage of one active ability.
   • Passive Ability: If the conditions of this ability are met, it will automatically be in effect. The players cannot decide to use or not use these abilities.
5. Name: Name of the character.

Character List

The Bishop: Class Noble, MV 2. Ability (Passive): The Bishop is too important. He does not need to stop if he encounters another character during his normal movement.

The Inquisitor: Class Noble, MV 2. Ability (Passive): The Inquisitor has his eyes on you. Characters who started the round in the same area as the Inquisitor have their movement points reduced to 1 this round. This has no effect on characters with 0 or 1 movement points.

The Plague Doctor: Class Citizen, MV 2. Ability (Active): Either before or after the Plague Doctor has moved, he may place the Quarantine Marker on the area he is in. As long as an area has the Quarantine Marker on it, other characters cannot make normal movements out of that area. At the beginning of the next round, remove the Quarantine Marker from the board.

The Playboy: Class Citizen, MV 1. Ability (Active) Direct: Before moving, the Playboy may move directly to the same block as any female character on the map. After taking this direct movement, he may still take his normal movement.

Male

The Bell Ringer: Class Commoner, MV 2. Ability (Active): Before or after moving, if the Bell Ringer is in a block with a clock tower, he may place the alarm marker on that tower. When the Killer is selecting a killing code card, she may not kill any character in the same area as an alarm marker except the Bell Ringer. At the beginning of the next round, remove the alarm marker from the board.

The Rat Catcher: Class Commoner, MV 2. Ability (Active) Direct: Whenever another character ends her normal movement in the Rat Catcher's block, that character may immediately move directly to any block along the same alley as the Rat Catcher.

Non-Gendered

The Dove: Non-Gendered, MV 0. Ability (Active) Direct: The Dove cannot take a normal movement. Move the Dove directly to any block in the same area as the Dove or connected to the block the Dove is in by an alley. *The Dove lacks the passion to kill. It cannot be the Killer.

Female

The Lush: Class Noble, MV 2. Ability (Active) Direct: Either before or after moving, the Lush may move any other character in the same area directly to an empty space in her block.

The Courier: Class Citizen, MV 1. Ability (Passive): Each time the Courier enters a block with no other living character in it, she gains 1 movement point, but may not backtrack to any block she has been to in the course of this movement.

The Cat Burglar: Class Commoner, MV 2. Ability (Active) Direct: If the cat burglar ends her movement in a block with a clock tower in it, she may move directly to any block with a clock tower in it and a space for her.

The Boatswain: Class Noble, MV 2. Ability (Active) Direct: If the Boatswain ends her turn at one end of a canal route, she may choose to move directly to the block at the other end. *(Active) Whenever the Boatswain crosses a canal route during her normal movement, she may choose to take one other character from the same block with her if there is space for both characters at the destination block.

The Actress: Class Citizen, MV 2. Ability (Active): Before moving the Actress, draw the top face down card of the character card pile and place it next to the Actress. The Actress replaces her movement points and abilities with those of the drawn character card until the end of the round. She keeps her name, class, and gender.

The Gypsy: Class Commoner, MV 2. Ability (Active) Direct: Before moving, the Gypsy may forfeit her movement points and choose any living character on the board to swap spaces with directly.

Killing Code Cards

Each killing code card outlines a different killing method and its limitations. When the Killer murders a character, she will place the killing code card used face-down over the murdered character's character card. The Investigators may not flip over the killing code card until they have investigated the body. If the killing code card is flipped up and it is discovered that this killing code card could not have killed this victim, the Killer immediately loses the game in disgrace. Scenarios may add or remove killing code cards from the game.

Common Killing Code Cards

• Poison: Kill one character in the same area as the Killer.
• Gunpowder Conspiracy: Kill all characters in one block. The Killer must be in an adjacent block connected by one green or red bridge. Ignore the alarm marker for this killing code. This killing code cannot be used in the block the Killer is currently in.
• The Fall: Kill any character in a block with a clock tower. The Killer must be in a block with a clock tower.
• Sailor's Riot: Kill any character in the brown or blue areas. The Killer must be in one of these areas.
• Honeypot: Kill any character the opposite sex as the Killer.
• Revolution: Kill any character in the purple area. The purple area must contain one cohort character whose class matches the Killers.
• Crossbow: Kill one character in a block connected to the Killer's block by a red or green bridge or one character in the same block as the Killer.
• One Bird, One Stone: Kill a target in the same block with the dove, if the killer and the dove share an alley or area.
• Drowning: Kill any character in a block with a dock in it. The Killer must be in a block with a dock in it. These two docks do not need to be connected.
• Collapsing Rafters: Kill any character in the yellow or red areas. The Killer must be in one of these areas.
• Black Chariot: Kill any character along the same alley as the Killer.

Scenario Special Killing Code Cards

• The Final Farewell: Kill any character in the red or brown areas. The Killer must be in one of these areas.
• The Mask Hides a Murderous Smile: Kill any character without a mask. The Killer must be wearing a mask.

Promotional Killing Code Card

• Dead End Bridge: Kill any character in a block with a red bridge. The Killer must be in a block with a red bridge.

Rule Clarifications

Murders

• Is it allowed for the Killer to kill his own identity? It is not allowed. If it is discovered that the Killer has done this, the Investigators win immediately.

• Is the Killer allowed to kill the Dove? Yes. The Killer hates birds. They make terrible cohorts and the Honeypot technique is completely useless against them.

Movement

• Can you move one step, use a power, then continue moving? Each ability has timing outlined in its description above. In the case of most abilities, the answer is no. But for an ability like the Boatswain's she might pick up a passenger at different steps of her movement. Passive abilities are not limited and are simply always in effect forever everywhere except in death.

Characters

• If the Cat Burglar uses her ability and lands in a block with the Rat Catcher, can she use his ability to move along a connected alley? Nope. This would break two rules. In the course of one movement, a character can only take advantage of one direct movement and/or use one active ability. Another example would be if the Bell Ringer stops in a clock tower block and places the alarm marker, he has already used an active ability and cannot choose to use the Rat Catcher's ability either.

• When selecting the Actress card, can you decline to draw a character card for her? You don't have to draw.

• What happens if the Actress draws a character with a passive ability? The passive ability is in effect for the rest of the round. For example if the Actress gains the ability of the Inquisitor, for the rest of the turn, any characters starting their movement in the same area as the Actress or the Inquisitor will have their movement points reduced to 1.

• If the Courier starts her move in the same area as the Inquisitor, is her movement limited to 1 this turn? No. The Courier already has 1 movement point. Her ability gives her additional movement points after she starts moving and those additional points are unaffected by the Inquisitor's nosy gaze.

Killing Code Cards

• If the Gunpowder Conspiracy causes the number of dead characters to reach 5 or more, will the next round be the final round? Yes. The next round will be the final round if the conditions are met. Refer to the section "Accusation Round."

• If you use Revolution, and the purple area has more than one viable cohort character, can you use one to kill the other? Sure, why not? Nobody ever claimed these revolutions were organized.