Magic Dwarf
Magic Dwarf Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
What's Part of the Game
- 1 Magic Path (made up of 6 double-sided pieces: start, finish, and 4 path tiles)
- 4 Students and 3 Witches (with bases)
- 6 Character Cards
- 44 Forest Cards (20 students and 20 witches, each with 1 will-o'-the-wisp, and 4 magic dwarves with numbers from 1 to 3)
Setting Up the Game
- Build the magic path:
- Flip the start and finish pieces to the side with the squirrel.
- Flip the 4 path pieces to any side and connect all 6 tiles.
- Place 4 students and 1 witch on the corresponding spaces on the start tile.
- Place 1 more witch on the 3rd colored space after the start tile.
- Shuffle all the forest cards and spread them around the magic path like a dense forest. Draw 1 of these cards and place it next to the start tile.
Set the remaining witches and the 6 character cards aside. You will only need these if you are playing the Magic Duel version. Let the race begin!
How to Play
Zauberzwerg is a cooperative game: You win or lose together.
Each turn, choose one of the two face-up cards together and move the matching pawn accordingly. Your goal is to get all of the students to the finish line at Rupert's mine before one of the witches gets there.
Moving the Students and Witches Through the Forest
You will play in turns going clockwise. Whoever saw a dwarf last starts. The player whose turn it is flips over a forest card of their choice and places it next to the forest card already flipped over next to Start. This means you always have 2 face-up cards to choose from. Now move a character along the path with one of these cards.
Discuss with the other players which of the 2 cards is the best choice before moving.
The card shows whether you move a student or a witch. It also shows which color space you must move that character to. Take the character and place it on the next empty space along the path that matches the color shown. Skip over spaces that already have a character on them.
Example: With this card, you can move a student to the next empty yellow space. Jump over the witch who is on the first yellow space to get there!
Also think about which student or witch you want to move. You get to pick any student or witch, as long as it matches the card you used!
Put the used card on the discard pile.
Make sure that you do not draw your cards from this discard pile. Only when there are no more forest cards to draw, shuffle the cards in the discard pile and spread them around the magic path as you did at the beginning.
The Magic Dwarf
Some cards show Rupert, the magic dwarf. If you draw one of these cards, you can move any character backwards the number of spaces shown. This is especially useful for witches! You also skip spaces that already have a character on them.
Example: With Rupert the magic dwarf, you can send the witch back 2 spaces. Since both spaces right behind the witch already have characters on them, you move her to the second empty space behind them.
After you've moved a character, it's the next person's turn.
Arriving at the Finish Line at Rupert's Mine
You can move a student or a witch to the finish line if there is no empty space matching the color shown on the way there. Place the character in an empty space next to Rupert's mine.
Example: Since there are no more yellow spaces on the path before the finish line, you move the student to meet Rupert at the finish line.
Won or Lost?
Once the 4th and final student has reached the finish line, you all win! But if 1 witch gets there first, you lose the game.
Practice Makes Perfect!
If you still haven't managed to beat the witches to Rupert's mine after several games, try an easier goal first. Start by trying to get only 2 or 3 students to the finish line to win the game.
That's Way Too Easy!
If you're looking for a bigger challenge, try beating the following 7 levels. In these, the witches get a bigger head start each time. Can you still make it to Rupert's mine?
Choose one of the levels below before starting the game. Place the witches at Start or the 3rd (middle) colored space on the part of the path shown.
The level diagrams in the printed rulebook show the witch positions along the path (Start, then the sections after Start, through to Finish). The positions below are read from those diagrams.
- Level 1: A stroll through the forest. Witches: 1 at Start and 1 in the first section after Start.
- Level 2: Brisk magic path. Witches: 1 at Start and 1 in the second section after Start.
- Level 3: Shimmering sprint path. Witches: 1 at Start and 1 in the third section after Start.
- Level 4: Hocus-pocus hijinks. Witches: 1 in the first section after Start and 1 in the third section after Start.
- Level 5: Crazy catch-up chase. Witches: 1 in the second section after Start and 1 in the third section after Start.
- Level 6: Prize-winning parkour. Witches: 1 in the first section after Start and 1 in the fourth section after Start.
- Level 7: Magical mastery. Witches: 1 in the second section after Start and 1 in the fourth section after Start.
Magic Duel (for 2–6 players)
After the students have received their magic wands, Rupert organizes a friendly race. You play in 2 teams against each other. One team tries to get the witches to the finish line first, and the other team does the same with the students.
Divide yourselves as equally as possible into students and witches. Take the matching character card and place it face up in front of you. Flip the start and finish tiles to the side with the rabbit and place 3 students and 3 witches on the marked starting spaces. Place the remaining student back into the box. You will not need it in this version.
In the Magic Duel, you do not turn over any cards. Instead, 1 person from each team takes 2 cards into their hand.
One team starts and plays 1 of their 2 cards and moves 1 character according to what is on the card. In your team, think about which cards you will play and which character you will move. Then draw 1 more card and now it's the other team's turn.
The first team to get all their characters to the finish line wins.