Naasii: A Coyote & Crow Dice Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Overview
• How to Play!
  • 1 - Set Up Your Score Sheet
  • 2 - Choose a Lucky Number
  • 3 - Decide Who Goes First
  • 2 - Take Your Turn
  • 3 - Score
  • 4 - Lucky Numbers
  • 5 - Nizi
  • 6 - Game End
• Optional Nizi Abilities

Contents

• 12 dice (9 white Coyote dice and 3 black Crow dice, each with 12 sides and numbers from 1-12)
• Score Pad
• Rules booklet
• 5 optional rules cards

Overview

Naasii is a "push your luck" style dice game for 2-5 players. It plays over a number of rounds depending on the number of players (2 players = 11 rounds, 3 players = 8 rounds, 4 players = 6 rounds, 5 players = 5 rounds). Each round, every player will get a chance to roll dice, trying to gain the most points possible, while avoiding busting. After the last round, players will tally their scores and the highest score wins.

How to Play!

1 - Set Up Your Score Sheet

Each player should take a score sheet. The sheet is set up for a 2 player game. In games with more than 2 players, you won't be using the full sheet. Put an X in each of the score boxes for the rounds at the end of the game you won't be using based on the number of players you have. In addition, each player should cross out an equal number of boxes in the Sets column and the same number in the Runs column. So in a four player game, you'll only be using the first 6 score boxes and you'd mark off the last 5 score boxes, 5 boxes in the Sets column and 5 in the Runs column. Which boxes are marked off in the Runs and Sets Columns are up to each player's personal preferences.

2 - Choose a Lucky Number

Pick any number you would like between 1 and 11. You may pick the same number as other players. You may not pick 12. Write your number in the Lucky Number spot on your score sheet. This will be your Lucky Number for the whole game.

3 - Decide Who Goes First

Pick a player to be the first player. We suggest the youngest player, but anyway you'd like is fine. Play will always proceed clockwise from the first player. Each player gets to take one turn per round.

2 - Take Your Turn

On your turn, you'll be rolling groups of dice. You might only roll once, or you might roll up to four times. You may choose to stop any time after your first roll and Score. Your goal is to Score either Sets or Runs using at least 3 dice. A Set is at least three of the same number (three 7s for example). A Run is a sequential series of at least three numbers (6,7,8 for example). 12s are always wild and must always stand in for any other number between 1 and 11. Players do not have to decide what numbers they stand in for until the end of their turn, during scoring.

2.1 Your First Roll: Roll 3 White (Coyote) dice. Call out what you've rolled so that all players are aware of the numbers in play. If you are able to Score and wish to stop, you may. Proceed to scoring. If you choose to keep going (either because you don't have enough dice to Score or because you want a higher score), you'll need to Lock one dice. Then, proceed to your second roll.

2.2 Locking Dice: Each time you roll any number of dice, you need to choose at least one die to Lock. Locked dice are set aside and not rerolled for the rest of the turn. They will go toward your final score for the turn. You may not Lock black dice, ever. You may lock as many white dice as you wish, but you must lock at least one.

2.3 Your Second Roll: Pick up any dice you didn't Lock on the first roll and add 2 white dice and 1 black dice. You'll now have between 3 and 5 dice, including 1 black dice. Roll the dice.

2.4 Check the Black (Crow) Dice: No matter what the black die shows, it can affect your turn. First, if the die shows a 12, you've Busted (see Busting under Scoring). Any other number on the black die Eliminates the same numbered white dice. Eliminated white dice are immediately passed to the next player to be used on their turn. For example, a player rolls a 3 on the black die. Any white 3s just rolled are passed to the next player. Black dice are never eliminated. It's possible to have a situation where all dice are Eliminated, leaving no dice to Lock. If you ever cannot Lock a dice, you've Busted.

2.5 Avoiding Busting: If you've rolled a black 12, you can avoid Busting by choosing to Eliminate a 12 you've either rolled or Locked. Every white 12 Eliminated this way avoids one Bust from one black die.

2.5 Lock Dice again. Follow the rules as listed under 2.2. Then decide whether you want to Score or roll again. If you roll again, go to Your Third Roll.

2.6 Your Third Roll: As before, pick up any unlocked dice (including the black die) and add in 2 white dice and a black dice. You should now be rolling between 4 and 7 dice, depending on how many you've previously Locked. Roll the dice.

2.7 Check the Black (Crow) Dice: Repeat the process described in 2.4

2.8 Lock Dice Again: Repeat the process described in 2.5

2.9 Your Fourth Roll: If you choose to roll again, this will be your last roll. You'll pick up any unlocked dice, all 3 of the black (Crow) dice and the last two white dice. Since you've locked in at least 3 total dice in previous steps, you may be rolling up to 9 dice.

2.10 Check the Black (Crow) dice: Repeat the process described in 2.4

2.11 Lock Dice Again: Lock any remaining dice you wish to. When you've finished this, proceed to Score (below).

3 - Score

After the first roll and before each of your following rolls, you may choose to stop and Score. Scoring requires you to have at least a Set of 3 or a Run of 3 and a spot on your Scoring sheet to cross off. You may only Score one thing each turn - either a single Set or a single Run. For Sets, simply cross off the box of the matching Set on the score sheet and write the number of dice in your Set in the scoring box. For example, if you Scored a Set of five 8s, you'd cross off the "Set of 8s" box and write 5 in the score box under the round you're currently playing. For Runs, follow the same procedure, but you may cross off any Run box that contains a number in the Run you are scoring. For example, you are Scoring a Run of 8,9,10,11. You may cross off the Run boxes for 8, 9, 10 or 11. You'd then write 4 in the score for the round. You cannot score the same box twice. Once it's crossed off, you'll need to find other ways to score. Once you've written down your Score, pass all remaining dice to the next player. It's now their turn.

3.1 Busting: If you Bust during your turn, do the following. First, mark an X in the current round score box. You Score zero points this round. Second, cross off one Set or Run. It will be unavailable to you for the rest of the game. Third, put an X in 3 Nizi circles. You gain 3 Nizi for Busting (see Nizi below).

3.2 No Score: It's possible (if unlikely) that you'll roll all twelve dice and neither bust nor have enough dice to score. For example, if all of your white dice at the end of the turn were: 1, 2, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 9, 11. You would not be able to score either a Set or a Run. If this happens, treat your turn as though you busted, except that you receive 4 Nizi instead of the usual 3 for Busting.

4 - Lucky Numbers

Your Lucky Numbers are why you should pay attention to the rolls of other players. Your Lucky Number does nothing on your own turn and doesn't affect your own rolls in any way. However, during other player's turns, any time any white die rolls your Lucky Number, you gain 1 Nizi (even if that die is Eliminated by black dice).

5 - Nizi

Nizi are worth points at the end of the game. You gain Nizi by Busting, having other players roll your Lucky Number or by rolling all 12 dice and neither Busting nor Scoring. When you gain a Nizi, put an X in any one of the circles.

5.1 Optional Rules: If you want more involved game play, you can use the optional Nizi rules. This allows you to spend your Nizi on various game changing abilities. You may spend Nizi on an Ability after every roll and after you've confirmed you haven't Busted on that roll. You may spend your Nizi any way you like. You can buy multiple abilities at the same time or repeat the same ability multiple times. When you spend Nizi on an Ability, fill in the same number of circles with X's in them as the cost of the Ability. You must use the Ability immediately upon purchase.

6 - Game End

Once all players have taken the appropriate number of turns, players tally their total scores. Add up the Score from each round. Then add in 1 point for every 3 Nizi the player has. The player with the highest score is the winner. If there is a tie, the winner is the tied player with the most Nizi. If it's still tied, it's a shared victory.

Optional Nizi Abilities

Cost	Ability	Effect
One Nizi	Adjust	Change the value of 1 die by +/-1
One Nizi	Re-Roll	Re-roll 1 or 2 unlocked white dice
One Nizi	Flip	Flip 1 or 2 unlocked white dice to their opposite side
Two Nizi	Pair	Immediately Eliminate a matching pair of white dice for 4 Nizi
Two Nizi	Small	Score a Set or Run with just 2 dice.
Two Nizi	Score	Eliminate a white 12 for 3 Nizi
Three Nizi	Repeat	Score an already Scored box again
Three Nizi	Evade