Mascarade: Expansion Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview & Contents
• Setup
• Suggested Set-Ups
  • Classic scenario
  • "Let it roll!" scenario
  • "Strength in Unity" scenario
  • "Ultimate Combo" scenario
  • "Deadly Duel" scenario
  • "The Infernal Trio" scenario
• Character's Powers
  • Alchemist
  • Actress 8+ (Coin Purse)
  • Courtesan 8+
  • Gambler (Coin Purse)
  • Puppet Master 6+
  • Damned 8+
  • Patron (Coin Purse)
  • Beggar
  • Bear Tamer
  • Necromancer (Coin Purse)
  • Princess 6+ (Coin Purse)
  • Sage 8+ (Coin Purse)

Overview & Contents

This expansion adds new Character cards which allow you to refresh your games.

• 13 Character cards
• 13 Character tokens
• 1 Cemetery card
• 1 rulebook
• 5 game aids

Setup

You can combine the characters from the expansion and those from the base game as you wish, while respecting the following rules:

• The Judge must always be present. Note: You can choose to play without the Judge if roughly two thirds of the characters have the Coin Purse symbol. This, however, creates much longer games.
• The Coin Purse icon indicates characters who bring money into the game. Roughly a third of the characters should bring money from the bank into the game.
• The X+ icon indicates the minimum number of players required for this character to be used in a game.
• The Courtesan can only be used if at least a third of the characters in the game are female.
• When the Necromancer is in play, the unused characters must be shuffled and placed face-down under the Cemetery card. You can choose the cards you want to place under the Cemetery. We advise you, however, not to put the Damned in it if you have less than 8 players.
• In games with more than five players, you can choose to add one or two cards to the middle of the table, as in games with 4 or 5 players. In that situation, you can use any of the characters from the game. Clarification: the cards in the middle of the table are not considered to be players, and can therefore not be victims of the Princess or the Usurper.

Suggested Set-Ups

Classic scenario

From 6 to 8 players: Alchemist, Spy, Gambler, Judge, Patron, Beggar, Necromancer, Puppet Master. 9 p: Sage 10 p: Princess 11 p: Witch 12 p: Cheat 13 p: Actress

"Let it roll!" scenario

From 6 to 8 players: Alchemist, Fool, Gambler, Judge, Necromancer, Puppet Master, Bishop, Inquisitor. 9 p: Princess 10 p: Courtesan 11 p: Cheat 12 p: Sage 13 p: Usurper.

"Strength in Unity" scenario

From 6 to 8 players: Alchemist, Actress, Courtesan, Sage, Judge, Puppet Master, Peasant, Peasant. 9 p: Beggar 10 p: Princess 11 p: Inquisitor 12 p: Fool 13 p: Cheat

"Ultimate Combo" scenario

From 6 to 8 players: Alchemist, Actress, Inquisitor, Judge, Necromancer, Princess, Cheat, Usurper. 9 p: Gambler 10 p: Courtesan 11 p: Damned 12 p: Puppet Master 13 p: Patron

"Deadly Duel" scenario

2 players: Bishop, Gambler, Judge, Damned, Queen, Sage.

"The Infernal Trio" scenario

3 players: Alchemist, Bishop, Gambler, Judge, Queen, Sage.

Character's Powers

Icons used below: the number after a character's name (for example 8+) is the minimum number of players needed to use that character. The Coin Purse icon marks characters who bring money into the game.

Alchemist

The Alchemist chooses a direction (left or right), then all players hand their fortune to the player next to them in that direction.

Actress 8+ (Coin Purse)

The Actress uses the power of the last character to have been played, as though it was her own.

Special Case:

• If the Actress uses the power of the Peasant and other Peasants are revealed, the Actress and the Peasant(s) each gain 2 gold coins. However, the Peasants must pay the fine, as they are not the Actress.
• If a player has played the Necromancer or the Usurper, it's that character who is copied, and not the card revealed by the Necromancer or the one chosen by the Usurper.
• The Actress never uses the power of the Damned.

Courtesan 8+

The player to the right of the Courtesan reveals their card. If it's a male character, they give three gold coins to the Courtesan.

Clarification: The Courtesan can only be used if at least a third of the characters in the game are female. In case of doubt on the gender, consult the game aid (for the expansion characters) and this list (for the base characters):

• Female: Queen, Spy, Witch, Widow.
• Male: King, Fool, Bishop, Cheat, Judge, Thief, Peasant, Inquisitor.

Gambler (Coin Purse)

The Gambler takes 3 coins from the bank and hides 1, 2, or 3 of them in her fist. She then chooses another player who must guess the number of coins.

If the player guesses correctly, that player wins the coins. If the player gets it wrong, the Gambler wins them. Any remaining coins are returned to the bank.

Puppet Master 6+

The Puppet Master chooses two players and takes a gold coin from each. The two chosen players must get up and switch places. Their Character cards and their fortunes remain in place.

Damned 8+

The Damned cannot be announced. If revealed, the player is immediately eliminated from the game and the Damned is removed from the game.

Special Situation:

• If the Damned is revealed by the Usurper, the Courtesan, or the Inquisitor, the player who caused the Damned to be revealed is eliminated. The eliminated player then gives their character to the player who had the Damned, and the Damned card is removed from the game.
• If the Princess chooses the Damned, the power of the Damned is not applied.
• If the Necromancer reveals the Damned, the Necromancer is eliminated.

Patron (Coin Purse)

The Patron gets 3 gold coins from the bank, and the players next to him each get 1 gold coin from the bank.

Beggar

The Beggar demands one coin from each player, in turn, starting with the player to her left and going clockwise. If the player is richer than the Beggar, then the player must give her one.

Example: Around the table are sitting, clockwise, Thomas (4 coins), Cedrick (8 coins), Ann (11 coins), Bruno (11 coins), Eric (7 coins) and Adele (9 coins). (The original shows this seating as a diagram.)

Thomas announces having the Beggar and no one contests it. Cedrick, Ann, and Bruno each give a coin to Thomas in turn. Eric won't give any as Thomas now has 7 coins. The turn continues and Adele also gives Thomas a coin.

Bear Tamer

The Bear Tamer is a blank card which allows you to think up your own power in order to use it in your games.

Necromancer (Coin Purse)

The Necromancer reveals the top card of the Cemetery and immediately uses its power. It then returns the character's card to the bottom of the Cemetery deck.

Special Situation: If the Necromancer reveals the Damned, the Necromancer is eliminated. Cemetery Contents: You can choose the cards you want to make up the Cemetery. We do, however, suggest you do not put the Damned in it if you have less than 8 players.

Princess 6+ (Coin Purse)

The Princess gets 2 gold coins from the bank. She then chooses a player who must show their Character card to the other players, without looking at it themselves.

Special Situation: if the chosen player reveals the Damned, the power of the Damned is not applied.

Sage 8+ (Coin Purse)

The Sage gets 1 gold coin from the bank and looks at the cards of two other players of his choice.

If you're playing with cards in the middle of the table, they can be selected by the Sage.

Usurper 8+ (Coin Purse)

The Usurper chooses a player and attempts to guess their character. The chosen player's card is then revealed. If it's the character announced by the Usurper, the Usurper uses their power as though it was his own.

Clarification:

• If the Usurper reveals the card of the player to his left, that player will have to, on their turn, choose the "swap their card – or not" action.
• The Usurper cannot choose a player who has just revealed their card because they were pretending to also be the Usurper.