Loyalty: Rome Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Setup
  • The Pantheon
  • Favors
  • Prepare Influence Dice
  • The Temple
  • Supply
  • The Senate & Starting Player
• Gameplay
  • Phase 1: The Favor of the Gods (Check Phase)
    • A) Claim Favor (Majority Check)
    • B) Alea Iacta Est (Check Dice)
  • Phase 2: The Influence of the Gods (Action Phase)
    • Action 1: Send Messenger and Use God Action
      • Following
    • Action 2: Score the Temple & Retrieve Messengers
    • Action 3: Gather Influence & Increase Wealth
    • Action 4: Retreat from the Pantheon
  • The Temple Track
• Game End
• Final Scoring (Triumphal Procession)
• Appendix: God Cards
  • Reign
  • Underworld
  • War
  • Wealth
  • Mysticism
• Favors

Game Components

• 1 Double-Sided Temple Track
• 30 God Cards
• 24 Messengers (6 in each player color)
• 30 Favors
• 58 Laurel Wreaths (24x value 1, 22x value 2, 12x value 3)
• 13 Influence Dice
• 1 Senate Die
• 60 Coins (40x value 1, 20x value 2)

Setup

The Pantheon

• Find the 3 starting God cards (Janus, Ceres, and Vulcanus) and set them aside.
• Shuffle the remaining God cards, count out 18 of them, and place them as a face-down draw deck.
• Return the remaining God cards to the box; they are not used in this game.
• Shuffle the 3 starting gods with 3 random God cards from the draw deck. Place them face up in a row in the center of the table.

This display is known as the Pantheon. All gods placed here are available for actions.

Favors

• Shuffle the 30 Favor tokens face down.
• Reveal one token for each God card in the Pantheon, and place it above that card.
• Place the remaining tokens face down as a reserve.

Prepare Influence Dice

• Take the number of dice corresponding to the player count (listed below). Return any excess dice to the box; they are not used in this game.

Players	2	3	4
Dice	7	10	13

• Place exactly one die under each of the 6 God cards.
• Set each die to the value matching its card's position (e.g., a "1" under the 1st card, a "2" under the 2nd card, etc.).
• Roll all remaining dice and place them under the corresponding God cards based on their rolled values.

Divine Limit: At any given time, a God card may never have more Influence dice under it than the number of players in the game (max 2 dice in a 2-player game, max 3 in a 3-player game, and max 4 in a 4-player game). If a roll causes this limit to be exceeded, you must reroll the excess dice until they can be placed legally.

The Temple

• Place the Temple track within easy reach above, below, or next to the Pantheon. Make sure the side matching your player count (2/3 or 4 players) is facing up.
• In a 2-player game, place 2 messengers of an unused player color on the marked spaces to block them.

Supply

• Place the Laurel Wreaths (sorted by value: 1, 2, and 3) and the coins nearby to form a general supply.

The Senate & Starting Player

• Each player chooses a color and receives all 6 messengers of that color, along with 3 coins as starting capital.
• Roll the Senate die to determine the starting player. Play proceeds clockwise.

Gameplay

Gain the favor of the gods by harnessing their powers. On your turn, you must resolve the following two phases in order.

Phase 1: The Favor of the Gods (Check Phase)

At the start of your turn, you must perform these two checks in order: first, check for majorities on God cards (A), and then check your collected dice (B).

A) Claim Favor (Majority Check)

Check all God cards in the Pantheon. Score every card where you meet both of the following conditions:

1. You have at least 2 messengers on the card.
2. You have more messengers there than any other Senator (ties do not count).

Example: It is Maurice's turn. He has 2 messengers on Janus, but does not have the majority because Anja also has 2 messengers there. On Mars, he has the majority, but not the required minimum of 2 messengers. Maurice only scores Vulcanus, as it is the only card where he meets both conditions (the majority and at least 2 messengers).

Important: You must score all eligible cards (declining is not allowed)!

Resolve the following steps in order. Apply each step to all cards being scored before moving to the next:

• Take the Favor tokens located above all of these cards and place them face up in front of you.
• Return all messengers (yours and your opponents') currently on all of these cards to their respective Senators.
• Move all of these God cards to a face-up discard pile, overlapping them so that their category symbols remain visible.
• Take all Influence dice from under all of these cards and place them into your personal supply.
• Refill the resulting gaps in the Pantheon with new God cards from the draw deck, and place 1 new Favor token from the reserve above each new card.

B) Alea Iacta Est (Check Dice)

Now, check the number of Influence dice in your personal supply.

• 3 or more dice: You must roll all of your dice.
• 1 or 2 dice: You may choose to roll them now. If you decide to roll, you must roll all of your dice.
• Placement: Place the rolled dice under the God cards corresponding to their rolled values.

Divine Limit: Always observe the limit when placing dice: A God card may never have more dice under it than the number of players in the game. (Any excess dice must be rerolled until they can be placed legally.)

Phase 2: The Influence of the Gods (Action Phase)

In this phase, you must choose exactly 1 action from the following four options:

Action 1: Send Messenger and Use God Action

If you choose this action, all other Senators may also perform an action (see Following).

• Choose a God card in the Pantheon that has at least one Influence die under it. Mark the card by placing the Senate die under it with your player color facing up.
• Place one of your messengers on the card, take one Influence die from under it, and place it in your personal supply.
• Perform either the Main Action or the General Action of this card. (See the Appendix for full descriptions of all God cards and their actions.)

Following

If the active Senator chose the Send Messenger and Use God Action, all other Senators may decide in turn order whether or not to follow.

Following (for all other Senators): If a Senator decides to follow, they may also perform an action of the chosen God card. To do so, they must:

1. Place one messenger from their personal supply onto the first available space (from left to right) on the Temple Track.
2. Perform an action of the active God card. The General Action is always available, but the Main Action is only available if the Senator already has at least one of their own messengers placed on that card.

Example: Klemens chooses Proserpina for his action. Andrea decides to follow, but since she does not have a messenger on that God card, she may only perform the General Action. Magdalena already has a messenger on Proserpina, so she may choose to perform either the Main Action or the General Action.

If you cannot fully perform an action, you may not choose it.

IMPORTANT: Action effects can NEVER affect the column in the Pantheon currently marked by the Senate die (this includes the God card, any messengers on it, the Favor token, and the Influence dice).

Example 1: The active Senator chooses Discordia's Main Action to swap 2 Favor tokens. Because Discordia is the active God card, her Favor token cannot be affected; only the tokens of 2 other gods may be swapped. Any Senators who follow this action must also obey this restriction.

Example 2: The active Senator chooses Venus's Main Action, allowing them to copy the Main Action of any other card. They choose to copy Discordia's Main Action to swap 2 Favor tokens. Because Venus is the active God card in this case, her Favor token is the only one that cannot be swapped.

Action 2: Score the Temple & Retrieve Messengers

Retrieve all of your messengers from the Temple Track and return them to your personal supply. Collect the bonuses (coins and/or Laurel Wreaths) from the spaces those messengers occupied.

Action 3: Gather Influence & Increase Wealth

Take 1 coin from the general supply. Also take 1 Influence die of your choice from under any God card and place it into your personal supply.

Action 4: Retreat from the Pantheon

Retrieve any number of your messengers from God cards in the Pantheon and return them to your personal supply.

Following is only permitted if the active Senator chose the Send Messenger and Use God Action.

The Temple Track

• Messengers are placed on the Temple Track when a Senator chooses to follow the active Senator.
• Only 1 messenger may occupy each space.
• Always place messengers from left to right on the first available empty space.
• At branching paths, you may choose the next available space, provided there are no gaps leading up to the branch.
• Spaces granting a bonus are marked. You do not collect this bonus when placing a messenger, but only later when you retrieve your messengers from the Temple Track.
• The last space on the Temple Track can never be occupied. If you place a messenger there, immediately move it to any God card in the Pantheon (excluding the card currently marked by the Senate die).
• Important: Retrieving messengers can create gaps on the Temple Track. When placing new messengers, you must always fill these gaps first, proceeding strictly from left to right.

Laurel Wreaths

• Laurel Wreaths come in values of 1, 2, and 3. You must always take or pay the exact token depicted.
• Combining values or making change is strictly prohibited. For example, you may not substitute two bronze "1" Laurel Wreaths for one silver "2" Laurel Wreath (whether you are gaining or paying them).
• If you cannot pay the exact Laurel Wreath required, you may not perform that action.

Game End

The game ends immediately (do not finish the current round) if any of the following conditions occur:

A. A God card space in the Pantheon cannot be refilled. B. A Favor token space above a God card cannot be refilled. C. The last Laurel Wreath of any one value (1, 2, or 3) is taken from the supply.

Final Scoring (Triumphal Procession)

• Beginning with the starting Senator, each Senator retrieves all their messengers from the Temple Track and collects the corresponding bonuses. (If the supply of Laurel Wreaths is depleted, those points are lost.)
• Each messenger still on a God card at the end of the game is worth 1 Prestige Point.
• Sum all Prestige Points earned from your Favor tokens.
• The Senator with the most Prestige Points has gained the greatest prestige among the people and wins the game!

Appendix: God Cards

Reign

Jupiter (Father of the Gods)

• Main Action: Pay 10 coins. Gain 1 available Favor token from the Pantheon and immediately refill the empty space with a token from the reserve.
• General Action: Steal 1 coin from any opponent.

Juno (Mother of the Gods)

• Main Action: Pay 2 coins. Move any 1 messenger from its current God card to any other God card.
• General Action: Pay 3 coins. Move 1 of your messengers to an adjacent God card (cards 1 and 6 are considered adjacent).

Minerva (Goddess of Wisdom)

• Main Action: Pay 3 coins. Perform one Main Action and one General Action from other God cards (may be the same card or two different cards).
• General Action: Pay 1 coin. Perform either the Main or the General Action of another God card.

Neptunus (God of the Sea)

• Main Action: Move 1 Influence die from under any God card to under any other God card.
• General Action: Pay 1 coin. Move 1 Influence die to an adjacent God card (cards 1 and 6 are considered adjacent).

Apollo (God of Light & the Arts)

• Main Action: Pay 1 value-2 Laurel Wreath to gain 6 coins.
• General Action: Pay 1 value-1 Laurel Wreath to gain 3 coins.

Janus (God of Gates, Beginnings & Endings)

• Main Action: Pay 2 coins to gain 1 value-1 Laurel Wreath.
• General Action: Gain 1 coin.

Underworld

Pluto (God of the Underworld)

• Main Action: Pay 3 coins. Remove all messengers from any 1 God card and return them to their corresponding Senators.
• General Action: Pay 2 coins. Move 1 of your messengers from one God card to another.

Aesculapius (God of Medicine)

• Main Action: Pay 3 coins. Place 1 messenger from your personal supply onto any God card.
• General Action: Pay 3 coins. Move any 1 messenger from one God card to another.

Proserpina (Queen of the Underworld)

• Main Action: Pay 1 coin. Advance 1 of your messengers on the Temple Track by exactly 2 spaces (skip occupied spaces).
• General Action: Pay 1 coin. Advance 1 of your messengers on the Temple Track by 1 space (skip occupied spaces).

Parcae (Goddesses of Fate)

• Main Action: Pay 4 coins. Remove any 1 God card from the Pantheon and return it to the box. Return any messengers on it to the corresponding Senators. Immediately refill the empty space with a new God card from the draw deck.
• General Action: Pay 3 coins. Remove any 1 God card that has no messengers on it from the Pantheon. Return it to the box and immediately refill the empty space from the draw deck.

Somnus (God of Sleep)

• Main Action: Remove 1 of your messengers from any God card to gain 3 coins.
• General Action: Remove 1 of your messengers from any God card to gain 2 coins.

Laverna (Goddess of Thieves, Tricksters & Rogues)

• Main Action: Steal 1 coin from each opponent.
• General Action: Pay 2 coins to gain 1 value-1 Laurel Wreath.

War

Mars (God of War)

• Main Action: Pay 2 coins. Place 1 messenger from your personal supply onto any God card.
• General Action: Gain 2 coins.

Hercules (God of Strength)

• Main Action: Pay 1 coin.
• General Action: Pay 1 coin.

Bellona (Goddess of War)

• Main Action: Pay 2 coins. Remove any 1 messenger from any God card and return it to the corresponding Senator.
• General Action: Pay 4 coins. Remove any 1 messenger from any God card and return it to the corresponding Senator.

Furiae (Goddesses of Vengeance)

• Main Action: Pay 1 coin. Remove any 1 available Favor token from the Pantheon (remove it from the game) and immediately refill the space with a token from the reserve.
• General Action: Gain 1 coin.

Terminus (God of Boundaries)

• Main Action: Remove 2 of your messengers from the Temple Track and collect their corresponding bonuses.
• General Action: Remove 1 of your messengers from the Temple Track and collect its corresponding bonus.

Discordia (Goddess of Discord)

• Main Action: Swap the positions of 2 Favor tokens currently above God cards in the Pantheon.
• General Action: Gain 1 coin.

Wealth

Mercurius (God of Merchants & Thieves)

• Main Action: Pay 4 coins to gain 1 value-3 Laurel Wreath.
• General Action: Pay 3 coins to gain 1 value-2 Laurel Wreath.

Vesta (Goddess of the Hearth)

• Main Action: Gain 1 coin for each of your messengers currently on the Temple Track.
• General Action: Gain 1 coin for every 2 of your messengers currently on the Temple Track (rounded down).

Vulcanus (God of the Forge)

• Main Action: Gain 1 value-1 Laurel Wreath.
• General Action: Gain 1 coin.

Saturnus (God of Time & Agriculture)

• Main Action: Gain either 1 value-2 Laurel Wreath or 3 coins.
• General Action: Gain either 1 value-1 Laurel Wreath or 2 coins.

Abundantia (Goddess of Abundance)

• Main Action: Gain 2 coins for each of your messengers on other God cards in the Pantheon.
• General Action: Gain 1 coin for each of your messengers on other God cards in the Pantheon.

Justitia (Goddess of Justice)

• Main Action: Swap the positions of 1 of your messengers on a God card and any 1 messenger on the Temple Track.
• General Action: Pay 2 coins. Retrieve all of your messengers from the Temple Track and collect their corresponding bonuses.

Mysticism

Flora (Goddess of Blossoms)

• Main Action: Pay 3 coins to gain 1 value-3 Laurel Wreath.
• General Action: Gain 3 coins.

Fama (Goddess of Fame)

• Main Action: Place 1 messenger from your personal supply onto the Temple Track (first empty space from the left) and gain 1 coin.
• General Action: Pay 1 coin to place 1 messenger from your personal supply onto the Temple Track (first empty space from the left).

Fortuna (Goddess of Fortune)

• Main Action: Roll up to 3 Influence dice from your personal supply. Gain a Laurel Wreath equal to the number of dice rolled (1 die = value-1, 2 dice = value-2, 3 dice = value-3). Then, place the rolled dice under the God cards corresponding to their values.
• General Action: Take all Influence dice from under any 1 God card and reroll them. Then, place them under the God cards corresponding to their new values.

Diana (Goddess of Nature)

• Main Action: Pay 1 coin. Take 1 Influence die from under any God card and place it in your personal supply.
• General Action: Pay 2 coins. Take 1 Influence die from under any God card and place it in your personal supply.

Venus (Goddess of Love)

• Main Action: Perform the Main Action of any other God card in the Pantheon.
• General Action: Perform the General Action of any other God card in the Pantheon.

Ceres (Goddess of Agriculture)

• Main Action: Gain 2 coins.
• General Action: Gain 1 coin.

Favors

• Gain 3 Prestige Points. (3x)
• Gain 5 Prestige Points. (4x)
• Gain 8 Prestige Points. (2x)
• Gain 1 Prestige Point for each value-1, value-2, value-3 Laurel Wreath you own. (1x each)
• Gain 3 Prestige Points, plus 1 additional Prestige Point for every 3 coins you own (rounded down). (1x)
• Gain 1 Prestige Point per coin you own (maximum of 10 Prestige Points). (1x)
• Gain 1 Prestige Point for each Favor token you have collected. (1x)
• Gain 2 Prestige Points, plus 1 additional Prestige Point for each Favor token you have collected. (1x)
• Gain 2 Prestige Points for each scored God card of the corresponding category. (1x each)
• Gain 2 Prestige Points, plus 1 additional Prestige Point for each scored God card of the corresponding category. (1x each)
• Gain 4 Prestige Points for each complete set of scored God cards (a set consists of one card from every category symbol). (1x)
• Gain 2 Prestige Points for each set of 3 or more scored God cards sharing the same category symbol. (1x)
• Gain 4 Prestige Points for each set of 4 or more scored God cards sharing the same category symbol. (1x)
• Gain 4 Prestige Points, plus 6 additional Prestige Points for each set of 5 or more scored God cards sharing the same category symbol. (1x)