Letters from Whitechapel: Dear Boss
Letters from Whitechapel: Dear Boss Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents of the Box
This expansion contains:
- This rulesheet with new and optional rules;
- 1 Jack's screen, improved and revised for new rules;
- 5 Policeman plastic miniatures (blue, yellow, brown, red, green);
- 2 Jack plastic miniatures (black);
- 5 Wretched plastic miniatures (white);
- 42 cards: 25 Jack Suspect, 5 Policeman, 12 Potential Victim.
The sculpted plastic miniatures in this expansion replace the wooden pawns from the base game.
What's New
Miniatures
The sculpted plastic miniatures included in the Dear Boss expansion replace the wooden pawns from the base game.
Jack's Screen
Players suggested revisions for Jack's screen; this new version has the Woman tokens table (from page 9 of the Letters from Whitechapel rulebook) on the right-hand side. The Whitechapel map on the screen is divided into clearly labeled sections to match those of the game board, which simplifies game play for Jack.
Cards
Dear Boss contains 42 cards that add historical details to the characters of the Whitechapel district. The three decks of cards are modular; the players should decide which of the decks to include. The Game Setup Guide has more information about how to best incorporate these decks into your game, depending on how you want it balanced.
Cry Havoc
During phase 2, "Police: Hunting the Monster," the Head of Investigation can choose a detective. That detective can use the optional rule Cry Havoc.
Cry Havoc: During phase 2, "Police: Hunting the Monster," the Head of Investigation can choose a detective. That detective moves his miniature exactly one Crossing, then chooses a Patrolling Constable miniature (green, brown, or red) and moves it one Crossing, even if that miniature has already moved during this phase. If the Patrolling Constable miniature had not yet moved, he does not move again during this phase.
Jack Suspect Cards
Card Front
The ellipse in the upper left corner of the card represents the difficulty for the Jack player and the likelihood of the suspect's guilt. Jack Suspect cards range in difficulty from level 1 to level 4, with the probability of guilt expressed by colors: white (unlikely), yellow (low), red (high), black (very high).
On the right-hand side of the card are the Hideout section and the four Night sections. Jack must choose a location for his Hideout that falls within the section of the board listed in the Hideout section of his Jack Suspect card. When making his kills for each Night, Jack cannot choose a Wretched miniature that is located in the area of the board listed in the corresponding Night section on his Jack Suspect card.
The text box gives a restriction for Jack, as well as historical information about the suspect.
Card Back
Jack Suspect card backs are red and feature a black top hat.
Using Jack Suspect Cards
To choose a difficulty level: During step 4 of setup, Jack takes all of the Jack Suspect cards marked with the difficulty level desired (1, 2, 3, or 4) and shuffles them, then draws one at random. The remaining cards are returned to the game box. Jack keeps this card behind the Jack screen; the information it contains is known only to Jack.
To allow all difficulty levels: During step 4 of setup, Jack takes all of the Jack Suspect cards, shuffles them, and draws one at random. The remaining cards are returned to the game box. Jack keeps this card behind the Jack screen; the information it contains is known only to Jack.
Jack Suspect Card Text
The following Jack Suspect card text is legible in the rulesheet:
- Walter Sickert (difficulty 1): "During the first Night, you must use one Coach or one Alley as your first movement."
- Aaron Kosminsky (difficulty 1): the card text is partly obscured in the rulesheet image. Legible portion: "During the first Night, you can c[...] Coach and two Al[...]"
The card text of the remaining Jack Suspect cards is not shown legibly in the rulesheet images; it is not transcribed here.
Policeman Cards
Card Front
The detective color is indicated by both the colored blotches on the background and the inset ovals on each Policeman card. The ovals correspond to the Head of Investigation tiles from the Letters from Whitechapel base game. The text box states a role (Detective, Sergeant, or Patrolling Constable) and gives each Policeman an ability that can be activated when he is the current Head of Investigation.
Card Back
Policeman card backs are black and feature a police helmet.
Using Policeman Cards
During step 8 of setup, when you hand out the Reference sheets, give each detective the Policeman card that corresponds to the color of his Policeman miniature. The ability on each Policeman card can be activated when that Policeman is the current Head of Investigation.
Policeman Card Text
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William Smith (Patrolling Constable): "If you are the Head of Investigation, during phase 3, 'Police: Clues and Suspicion,' you can choose one other Patrolling Constable (green, brown, or red). That Policeman gains the Rushing ability: during that phase, he can choose to move his Policeman miniature one additional Crossing instead of looking for clues or executing an arrest."
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Edward Watkins (Patrolling Constable): the card text is partly obscured in the rulesheet image. Legible portions: "[...] are the Head of Investigation, during phase 2, 'Police: Hunting the Monster,' you can choose one Patrolling Constable (green, brown, or red). That Policeman can look for clues after he moves his Policeman miniature [...] ing that phase. [...] he does, that Policeman does not execute an action during phase 3, 'Police: Clues and Suspicion.'"
Potential Victim Cards
Card Front
The numbered circle in the upper right corner of the card represents the Potential Victim's location. The text box either gives a restriction for the Police or gives a special ability to Jack. It also gives historical information about the murdered woman.
Card Back
Potential Victim card backs are white and feature a shoe.
Using Potential Victim Cards
Immediately after step 5 of setup, Jack shuffles the Potential Victim cards and draws eight at random. The remaining cards are returned to the game box. These eight numbered circles on the Potential Victim cards are treated as red numbered circles for the rest of the game. They cannot be chosen as Jack's Hideout.
During phase 2, "Jack the Ripper: The Targets Are Identified," Jack places the Woman tokens in the numbered circles listed on the Potential Victim cards. During phase 8, "Jack the Ripper: A Corpse on the Sidewalk," the Potential Victim card with the numbered circle closest to the Crime Scene marker is activated. The ability listed on that card is now in effect.
Potential Victim Card Text
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Catherine Eddowes (circle 149): "During the current Night, Jack can use the Jack's Letter 'Goulston Street,' but only if this Letter has already been used during the current game."
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Elizabeth Stride (circle 158): the card text is partly obscured in the rulesheet image. Legible portion: "If the Time of the Crime t[...] numeral 'II,' Jack [...] numbered [...]"
Investigating History
Not transcribed: the historical "Investigating History" sidebar on the second page of the rulesheet, which gives background on the five canonical victims. It contains no rules.
Optional Rule: Dear Old Boss (Promo)
Transcribed from the official English "Dear Old Boss" promo sheet published by Giochi Uniti (© 2021 Tiopi srl). The sheet presents this as a new optional rule inspired by the "Saucy Jacky" postcard for Letters from Whitechapel, compatible with the Dear Boss expansion.
During Hell, phase 3, "Police: Patrolling the Streets", after turning over the top tile of the Head of the Investigation pile, turn over all other tiles too, one at a time in sequence: this will be the turn order in which the Policemen of the corresponding color must act during Hunting, phases 2 "Police: Hunting the Monster" and 3 "Police: Clues and Suspicion", starting with the Head of Investigation and proceeding in the sequence of the tiles (no longer clockwise around the table).
If no Clue marker has been placed on the board during a turn, at the end of phase 3 "Police: Clues and Suspicion", the Head of the Investigation can swap two tiles in the sequence to change the turn order: any tile can be swapped, also the Head of the Investigations one, thus changing the player leading the investigation for the current Night.
At the end of the Night, shuffle all the Head of Investigation tiles to recreate the pile.