Oak
Oak Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Game Board (double-sided if you own the deluxe edition; the night side of the board is purely aesthetic)
- 5 Druidic Order Player Boards
- 1 Solar Marker
- 1 Round Marker
- 1 Crane Bag
- 1 First-Player Token
- 24 Elder Druid Upgrades (gorget, instrument, satchel, cape, ravens, antlers) — in each of the 4 player colors (yellow, orange, teal, purple)
- 9 Druids per player color
- 3 Resource Markers per player color
- 4 Ancient Boards
- 4 Bard Boards
- 1 VP Marker per player color
- 12 Artifact Tiles (front and back)
- 40 Ingredient Tokens
- 4 Artifact Extension Tiles
- 2 Card Limit Markers per player color
- 35 Creature Cards (front and back)
- 4 Heart of the Oak Moot Cards
- 15 Potion Tiles (front and back)
- 6 Moot Cards per player color
- 15 Completed Potion Markers
- 24 Double-Sided Shrine/Menhir Cards (shrine front, menhir back)
- 6 Broichan Moot Cards (for the solo mode)
- 6 Solar Tokens
- 1 Player Aid
Setup
- Place the game board in the center of the table.
- Place the solar marker on the first space of the solar track, the 11-space track that runs parallel to the VP track.
- Place solar tokens on each branch of the Oak, depending on the number of players. (For 1-3 players, place 2 on each space. For 4 players, place 1 on each space).
- Put all 40 ingredient tokens in the cloth crane bag to mix them up, and draw 1 ingredient per player, plus 2 more. Place these on the corresponding spaces of the forest.
- Separate the 15 potion tiles into 3 piles (I, II, III) and then shuffle each pile. Draw one from each pile and place it onto the corresponding space of the game board. Return the remaining potion tiles to the box.
- Shuffle the 35 creature cards and place them face down in a deck next to the game board. Then draw 3 and place them face up in a column on the spaces indicated.
- Shuffle the 12 artifact tiles and place them face down next to the game board in a stack. Then draw 3 and place them face up in a column on the spaces indicated.
- Place the 24 shrine/menhir cards next to the game board. All cards are double-sided and identical. One side shows the 2 shrines, and the other side is the menhir. It does not matter which side is face up.
- Place the 15 completed potion markers near the game board in a supply. They are not considered limited. Find a suitable replacement if they run out during the game.
- Place the round marker on space 1 of the round track.
- Give the first-player token to the oldest or wisest player.
- Place the 4 Bard boards, 4 Ancient boards, 4 artifact extension tiles, and 4 Heart of the Oak moot cards off to the side of the game board. They may or may not come into play in your game as they depend on player actions, potions, and creature cards.
Player Setup
A. In reverse player order (counterclockwise from the player to the right of the start player) choose 1 of the 5 druidic orders and take the corresponding player board.
B. Take all components in your player color: 9 druids, 2 card limit markers, 3 resource markers, 1 VP marker, 6 moot cards, and 1 player aid.
C. Take 6 elder druid upgrades, one of each type: gorget (Arch-Druid), instrument (Bard), satchel (Ovate), cape (Recluse), ravens (Talon-Master), and antlers (Ancient - used only if the Chosen of the Oak potion comes into play).
D. Place 3 druids on the resting spaces of your player board; the remaining 6 druids go on the main game board on the roots of the Oak.
E. Place the card limit markers on the appropriate space of your player board, indicating that you have 1 space at the top of your board for a shrine/menhir card and 1 space at the bottom of your board for a creature card.
F. Place each of your 3 resource markers on space 6 of each resource track. These are your starting resources.
G. Take the 3 starting moot cards with the starting-card symbol into your hand. Set aside the 3 other moot cards. Certain actions will allow you to add them to your hand during the game.
H. Place your VP marker at the start of the VP track on space 0.
I. In a 1 or 2-player game, place 1 neutral druid (that of an unused player color) on each temple space depicting a druid (1 of the 3 temple spaces in each of the 3 temples).
J. In a 3-player game, place 1 neutral druid (that of the unused player color) on the temple space depicting a blue druid holding a staff.
K. In a 1, 2, or 3-player game, return any unused player color components to the box.
Overview of the Game
Oak is a worker placement game in which you play as the leader of a druidic order. You may take special actions, but most of the time you will play moot cards that correspond to one of the 3 temples of the board (the feather, mistletoe, or rune temple) or an Oak action. Then you will place a druid, pay resources, and take an action.
A moot card ("moot": a Gathering of Druids) shows its corresponding temple spaces, its costs, its temple actions, and its Oak action at the bottom.
The Feather Temple has spaces for druids to be placed, each requiring a cost and granting a temple action.
Example of an Oak action: Place/move a passive druid on the feather Oak branch, pay 3 feathers, and receive the indicated VP (see "II. Oak Action" below).
Example of a temple action: Place one of your active druids on the 2-stone space of the feather temple. Pay 6 feathers, take a creature card (see "7. Cards" below).
Gathering ingredients and brewing potions, along with collecting artifacts, building menhirs, and befriending creatures of the Otherworld will help prove your devotion to the Oak.
Ingredients (blueberry, root, acorn, mushroom, and bark) are shown on the board as: Potion, Artifact, Creature Card, Menhir.
Throughout the 5 rounds of the game, the sun (solar marker) will move along the solar track, which is next to the VP track. When it reaches a Solstice space, a Festival is triggered. Festivals boost player confidence, and you might gain a reward.
In the end, whoever has the most Victory Points (VP) is declared the most devout and will receive the secrets of the mighty Oak as the reward for winning the game.
The Seeds to Grow
Before learning the rules of play, it is important to understand the key elements of the game.
1. Druids
Druids are workers you will place on the board, player boards, or artifacts to take actions. Some druids are active; some are passive. Any druid can be upgraded to an elder druid.
Active druids
Druids in your play area on resting spaces are active and available to be:
- Sent to a temple to perform temple actions.
- Or sent to special action spaces.
- Or sent to the roots of the Oak to assist in a temple action, which also changes them to a passive druid.
Active druids already on action spaces are no longer available to be used this round. Active druids that have been used this round, i.e., those on temples or special action spaces, return to resting spaces at Dusk.
Passive druids
Druids on the roots of the Oak are passive and available to be sent to take the Oak action shown at the bottom of moot cards. Or, after passing, to gather ingredients.
Upgrading druids
Active or passive druids can be upgraded to an elder druid. When upgrading, first choose which type of elder druid you want: Arch-Druid, Bard, Ovate, Recluse, Talon-Master, Ancient.
Note: The Ancient is only available when brewing The Chosen of the Oak potion.
Then that elder druid component is placed on any druid wherever they are located. If the upgraded druid was already used this round, it remains in place, and if it was an active druid, it will return to your player board as an elder during Dusk.
Only some resting spaces can hold elder druids (in addition to regular druids).
Note: At any time you may rearrange druids on your resting spaces to make room for elder druids. But you may not return a druid to the roots to make new room.
Elder druids may go on spaces reserved for elders. They can also go on regular druid spaces and perform regular druid actions.
An elder druid has special abilities (see Appendix) that are activated immediately or when played. Elder druids are not required to activate their special abilities when played.
You are limited to 1 of each type of elder druid, but all elder druids remain upgraded for the duration of the game.
2. Ingredients
Ingredients are used to brew potions. They can be found in the forest, which is replenished at the end of the round (Dusk) from the crane bag.
There are 5 ingredients: bark, roots, blueberries, acorns, mushrooms.
3. Resources
The 3 resources in the game are feathers, mistletoe, and runes. You have 1 track for each resource on your player board.
Your resource markers on each track indicate how many of each resource you have. You will move the markers up and down as you gain and lose resources. 9 is the limit for each resource.
Example: 6 feathers.
At any time on your turn, you may return 2 ingredients (same or different) to the crane bag in exchange for 1 resource of your choice. This icon is printed on your player board as a reminder.
4. Solar/Solstice
The solar marker represents the sun. It moves on the 11-space solar track adjacent to the VP track. The solar marker moves clockwise to the next step when a druid encounters a solar token on an Oak branch, and it moves automatically during Dusk. When a solar marker lands on a Solstice space (the spaces with the purple indicator and the hands), a Solstice Festival is triggered (see "II. Oak Action" below).
5. Potions
Once you've gathered the necessary ingredients, you may select an action that allows you to brew 1 potion.
The Darkwood Potion, printed on the board, is available in each game. The other potions are chosen randomly during setup.
Potions always activate immediately upon brewing. Brew a potion by returning the required ingredients to the crane bag, and then take the reward.
Example: Darkwood Potion: 3/4/5 different ingredients earns 3/5/7 VP.
Example: Bolt of Taranis: 1 blueberry and 1 ingredient of any kind earns the reward. The reward here is to reverse the rotation of 2 artifacts twice.
To keep track of how many potions you have brewed during the game, take a completed potion marker.
Note: Details of potion rewards are in the appendix.
6. Artifacts
Artifacts have special action spaces for active druids that are only available to you. The number of times you can use this action is limited, and each use may cost VP. You have 2 spaces to store artifacts on the side of your player board. Therefore, you can only have 2 artifacts at any one time. (Brewing The Gift of the Gods potion allows you to place 1 artifact extension to the right of your player board, allowing you to put a 3rd artifact into play for the remainder of the game.)
When you take an artifact, place it in an open artifact spot to the right of your player board with the 4-VP segment lined up horizontally, gain the 4 VP, and then refill the artifact display. If you do not have an available spot, you may not take an artifact as an action.
On your turn, prior to taking an artifact, you may refresh the display of artifacts (1x per turn) by paying 1 rune. Discard all 3 tiles in the display, placing them underneath the stack in any order you choose, and then draw 3 new tiles for the display.
Note: Details of artifact effects are in the appendix.
7. Cards
Moot Cards
The moot cards in your hand determine what temple/Oak actions you can take.
Advanced moot cards, the ones without the starting-card symbol, have more powerful actions, or allow you to perform a normal action at a lower cost. Once you have an advanced moot card in hand, it is available to you for the remainder of the game.
Heart of the Oak is a special moot card, only in play if the potion that creates it is in play.
Note: Details of all moot cards are in the appendix.
Shrine/Menhir Cards
Shrine/menhir cards are double-sided. One side is the shrine, and the other is the menhir.
Shrines have 2 orientations. Both show a resting space and the immediate VP earned when placing the card in that orientation. One orientation has 2 VP and a resting space for a regular or elder druid. The other orientation has 4 VP and a resting space for a regular druid.
Each time you gain a shrine, you may choose which orientation to use for that shrine. The orientation of a shrine card, once chosen, cannot be changed, and only the resting space and VP on the upright side will be gained. Slide the card under your player board, leaving only the chosen shrine visible.
A menhir requires a lot of resources and a special action with an elder druid, but earns you 6 VP.
Example: Sean has 2 creature cards and room for one more. He would have to move his limit marker before taking another shrine or menhir.
Creature Cards
Creature cards bring you help from the Otherworld and will give you immediate or ongoing special powers.
Whenever creature cards are taken, the display is immediately refilled from the draw pile.
Immediately gain (or lose) the VP on the creature card when you take it.
On your turn, prior to taking a creature card, you may refresh the display of creature cards (1x per turn) by paying 1 mistletoe. Discard all 3 cards in the display, placing them underneath the deck in any order you choose, and then draw 3 new cards for the display.
Note: Details of creature card effects are in the appendix.
Card Limits
You are limited in the number of shrine/menhir and creature cards you can have. A spot to the left of the appropriate card limit marker needs to be open when you gain one of these cards or you may not take that action. Shrines/menhirs are placed above your player board and creatures below.
To gain more space, you may move the marker to the right with some actions, or additional spaces may be added to the left of your board by acquiring the Bard or Ancient board.
Alternatively, you may pay the depicted cost on your player board (which depends on your druidic order) to increase the limit at any time during your turn as a free action.
8. Victory Points (VP)
The VP symbol indicates VP you earn immediately upon taking that card, action, etc. Some actions cost VP; you can never go below zero VP on the VP track. If you cannot pay the VP required to do an action, you may not do that action.
How to Play
Oak is played over 5 rounds. Each round has 3 phases: Dawn, Day, and Dusk. You will play all 3 phases before moving onto the next round. On the 5th and final round, the game ends after the Day phase, and Dusk is skipped.
Dawn is when players receive income; this may be done simultaneously.
Day is when players take their actions in turns.
Dusk is when your play area is reset for the next round.
1. Dawn
Note: This phase is skipped during the first round of the game, as the steps are done during setup.
All players receive income. Your basic income is shown on your player board: 3 feathers, 3 mistletoe, and 3 runes. Over the course of the game, you might acquire further income on various cards.
2. Day
In this phase, starting with the player who has the first-player token and moving clockwise, each player takes an action in turn, until they are unable to perform actions and must pass, or they choose to pass.
You may choose 1 of the following actions on your turn:
A. Play a moot card B. Use a special action space C. Pass and gather ingredients
A. Play a moot card
To play a moot card, choose a card from your hand and place it face up in front of you. Choose whether you are performing a temple or Oak action:
I. Temple Actions (middle of the card)
- Place active druid
- Pay resources
- Take action
II. Oak Action (bottom of the card)
- Pay resources
- Move druid
- Take VP
- If you passed a solar token, remove it, move the solar marker, and trigger a Festival (if any).
I. Temple Actions
Take one of your active druids from a resting space, and place it onto the temple location on the main game board that corresponds to your card. The space in the temple dictates which action you take on the card. If there is/are already 1 or more druids on that space (either yours or your opponents'), you will also need to send a second active druid from a resting space to the roots of the Oak (druids moved in this way are now passive and may still be used as passive druids this round). Spend the resources required on the moot card. Take the temple action.
Example: Shona plays the moot card that allows her to build a shrine. There is already a druid on that space in the corresponding temple, so she takes two available active druids and places one on the temple space and one on the roots of the Oak. She pays 5 mistletoe. Then she takes a shrine card and places it above her player board in an available card spot.
II. Oak Action
Spend the resources indicated on the bottom line of the moot card. If you already have a druid on this branch that corresponds to your card, move that druid one space higher. Otherwise, move one of your druids from the roots of the Oak, and place it onto the first space of the corresponding Oak branch. Take any indicated VP. Each player may only have one druid on each of the 3 main Oak branches. If you come to the fork in the branch, you must pick a direction, and you can never move back down a branch. The last, highest, spaces of each branch have special victory points that you earn immediately, based on your current inventory:
- 1 VP for every 5 you have already earned.
- 2 VP for every 1 elder druid you have.
- 2 VP for every 1 creature card you have.
- 2 VP for every 1 completed potion marker you have.
- 2 VP for every 1 shrine/menhir card you have.
- 3 VP for every 1 artifact you have, including completed artifacts.
Multiple players' druids may occupy the same space, but once one player has entered the highest space of a branch, other players may also occupy that space only if they enter during the same round. During the Dusk phase, the space becomes locked, and no other players may enter that space in future turns. Lay down all druids on the last space to indicate that it is now locked.
If you pass a solar token, move the solar marker 1 space, and remove the solar token from the board.
If a Solstice Festival is triggered, it happens immediately. All players whose VP marker is behind the solar marker receive Festival income from the spaces on the Oak branches that their druids occupy (including the recently moved druid). Because you can only have a maximum of 1 druid per type of branch, you may have a maximum of 3 rewards. If you do not have a druid on any Oak branch, or if you only have a druid (or druids) on the last space of an Oak branch, or your VP marker is in front of the solar marker, you do not receive any rewards during that Festival.
Note: Whenever you may move your druids on more than one branch per turn (potions/cards/etc.) complete each movement in a left to right order when given a choice (feather then mistletoe then rune branch) and also remove any solar tokens and trigger Festivals before moving onto the next druid.
Example: Sean plays a moot card with the rune Oak action, pays 3 runes, and then moves his druid already on that branch one space higher. He receives 2 VP. Because he passed a solar token, he moves the solar marker 1 space forward and discards the solar token. A Solstice Festival is triggered, and he earns 2 runes. Next time he moves this druid, he'll have to decide to move right or left up the branch.
B. Use a special action space
Special action spaces are found on your player board, the main game board, and on artifacts. Some only allow an elder druid to be placed and some allow any type of druid to be placed. Each special action space can only hold 1 druid. The build a menhir action has 1 space for each player color so each player may build 1 menhir per round.
Special action spaces are on the:
I. Player Boards (Druidic Orders) II. Main Game Board (Build a Menhir) III. Artifacts
To use a special action space, move an available active druid from a resting space on your player board to an available special action space, pay the applicable costs (if any), and resolve the effect.
I. Player Boards (Druidic Orders)
Some orders have ongoing effects, but each player also has 1 or 2 special action space(s) on their player board. You may place a druid (or elder druid) here to take that action. Each player's action/effects are unique to their druidic order (see the appendix for details).
II. Main Game Board (Build a Menhir)
Place an available active elder druid on the special action space of your color on the menhir location of the main game board. Spend 3 feathers, 3 mistletoe, and 3 runes. Take a menhir card and place it menhir side face up in an available shrine/menhir card spot above your player board. Remember that you can spend the indicated costs to move a card limit marker at any time. Gain 6 VP.
Example: Erin places her Talon-Master druid on the space to build a menhir. She spends 3 of each resource. Erin takes a menhir card, but she has no available space to the left of her card limit marker. So, as a free action, she pays a further 1 of each resource to move it one space to the right as depicted on her Order of the Fox player board. Then she places the menhir card face up in the newly freed space. She takes 6 VP.
III. Artifacts
Place an active druid onto the special action space of a previously acquired artifact, and then rotate the artifact clockwise until the next VP bar is lined up horizontally with your player board. You lose the indicated number of VP (if any). Perform the action.
After taking the action, if the flip icon is now also aligned to the left, this artifact is used up. Flip it face down and set it aside in your play area until the end of the game. The druid remains on the flipped artifact until Dusk. The completed artifact is now inactive and not available for use any more, but the artifact location is now empty and available for a new artifact. (See the appendix for artifact details).
Note: You may have a maximum of 2 active artifacts at any time (or 3 if you brew The Gift from the Gods potion). You may not choose to discard an artifact to gain a different one. The only way to free up a spot is to use up one of your current artifacts.
Example: Ian is playing as the Order of the Wild. He has 2 special action spaces available on his board. He places his Bard (elder druid) on the space that allows him to brew a potion. The Bard has no extra effect here. He spends 1 root and 1 mushroom (could be 1 of any) and brews Belenos' Boon. He takes a completed potion marker. He then takes his Festival income just for himself.
Example: Shona previously acquired the Ring of the Seer artifact tile, which allows her to reuse any previously played moot card. She places a druid on the artifact space and rotates it one space clockwise to the last space. She loses 3 VP. For the action she replays a moot card. Since she doesn't need to pay resources, she decides to upgrade her druid on this artifact tile to a Bard elder druid, adding the instrument upgrade component to this druid, and a Bard board to the left of her player board. Since the flip icon is now aligned, she flips the artifact and places the Bard druid on the back of the card until Dusk, when it will return to an elder resting space.
C. Pass and gather ingredients
You may choose to pass (or may be forced to pass if you cannot do any other actions). For the remainder of the phase, you are only allowed to gather ingredients. Each time your turn comes around, if you still have any passive druids on the roots of the Oak and there are still ingredients in the forest, you may move 1 of your passive druids from the roots to the forest to collect 1 available ingredient. The ingredient goes into your supply. On each subsequent turn of this phase, if you still have any druids remaining on the roots of the Oak, you may move one of them from the roots of the Oak to the forest and collect an ingredient.
Example: Sean passes and sends 1 passive druid to the forest to collect 1 ingredient. He adds the ingredient to his supply.
End of the Day Phase
The Day phase ends immediately when all players have passed and:
- all ingredients are gone from the forest
or
- there are no druids on the roots of the Oak.
During the 5th and final round, you skip Dusk and proceed directly to Final Scoring.
3. Dusk
Reset for the next round by following these steps in order:
a. Return your druids (including elder druids) from all temple, player board, menhir, or artifact action spaces to the resting spaces of your player board. During the course of the game, you may get more available resting spaces for active druids. Remember: while normal druids can be placed on any resting space, elder druids can only be placed on the elder-marked resting spaces. Druids that do not have a suitable resting space on your player board or shrine cards must be returned to the roots of the Oak. Druids in the forest are returned to the roots of the Oak.
b. Lay down all druids that are on the last space of an Oak branch on their side. These occupied spaces are now locked.
c. Take back into your hand all moot cards played during the last round.
d. Replenish the supply of ingredients in the forest from the crane bag up to the player count plus 2.
e. Move the solar marker 1 step clockwise. This may trigger a Festival (see "II. Oak Action" above).
f. Pass the first-player token clockwise to the next player.
g. Advance the round marker. Start the next round with Dawn.
In a 1 or 2-player game, move the neutral druid in each temple clockwise to the next temple space within that temple.
In a 3-player game, move the neutral druid clockwise to the next temple, placing it on the space with the illustrated druid in that temple.
Final Scoring & Game End
When the 5th round is complete, gain end-game VP in this order:
- You may brew 1 Darkwood Potion (the potion printed on the board) with your remaining ingredients (if any).
- If you still have the Carw Gwyn creature card, you may discard it now and gain 6 VP.
The player with the most total VP has lead their order well and brought much honor to the sacred Oak. They receive the wisdom of the Ancients and win the game.
If there is a tie, the winner is whomever has taken the most steps on the Oak branches. If there is still a tie, you share the victory in harmony.
Eclipse Variant
If you are familiar with Oak and want a bit more of a challenge, use this variant. During a Festival, all players whose VP markers are currently ahead of the solar marker must pay the resources shown on the spaces that their druids occupy on the Oak branches. Pay as much as you can.
Solo Mode
Broichan is a Scottish druid with connections to the king. He will prove a formidable opponent as you both strive to honor the Oak. His actions will generate VP, as well as take spaces on the board, and refresh card and tile displays. May the protection of the ancestors be yours.
Setup
- Set up the game for 2 players. Broichan does not have a player board.
- Choose a color for Broichan. Place all 9 of his druids on the roots of the Oak. Place Broichan's VP marker at the start of the VP track on space 0. Give Broichan the first-player token.
- Give Broichan all his unique moot cards. Shuffle these and place them as a face-down deck in Broichan's play area.
Extra Rules for Broichan
- Broichan never gains or pays resources (feathers, mistletoe, or runes).
- Broichan will gather and use ingredients.
- Broichan never benefits from creature cards or artifacts. If Broichan receives a creature card, artifact, or shrine/menhir, he receives the VP and discards it (face up) in his play area.
- Broichan can upgrade druids to elder druids during the game, but he will never use their abilities.
Game Adaptations
The game is played as a normal 2-player game of Oak, with the following exceptions:
Dawn
Broichan's druids all start on the roots of the Oak. These are his available active and passive druids.
Day
When it is Broichan's turn, draw the top moot card from his deck and place it face up. If the moot deck is empty, reshuffle the discard pile before drawing. Find the temple that this card corresponds to and place 1 of Broichan's druids (from the roots of the Oak) on the first free action spot, clockwise from the neutral druid.
Example: If the neutral druid is on the 3-stone space, place Broichan's druid on the 1-stone space.
If all spots are already occupied, Broichan instead takes one step on the Oak branch corresponding to his face up moot card.
If he cannot take a step on this Oak branch he will instead place his druid on the temple action space occupied by the neutral druid.
If Broichan has placed a druid on a temple, he now performs the action shown at the bottom of the card:
- Storytelling: Broichan loses 4 VP (this simulates him using artifacts).
- Worship: One of Broichan's druids is upgraded to an elder druid. Choose any of his normal druids to upgrade to any kind of available elder druid.
- Knowledge: Broichan takes the creature card with the highest number (found in the lower right hand corner of the card). Refill the display.
- Wisdom: If able, Broichan brews the highest possible level of the Darkwood Potion and gains VP accordingly. If he cannot brew it, he draws 2 random ingredients from the crane bag.
- Mysticism: Broichan takes the artifact in the display with the highest number. Refill the display.
- Ritual: Broichan takes a shrine card and places it face up in his play area. If this is his first shrine, he places it with the 2 VP side up, and he takes 2 VP. The next shrine card he acquires will be placed 4 VP side up, on top of the first card, and he'll receive 4 VP. The next is placed on top with the 2 VP side up and he receives 2 VP. Continue to alternate in this way for any additional shrines that he receives.
If Broichan has no druids left on the roots of the Oak at the start of his turn, do not draw a moot card for him. Instead, he passes. If you pass, Broichan will automatically pass on his next turn.
Broichan does not need druids to gather an ingredient, and he will always gather the ingredient closest to the top left. (Top left, and then in a clockwise direction.)
Dusk
Broichan's druids on action spots are all placed back on the roots of the Oak.
Solstice Festival
Since he does not gain resources, if Broichan is eligible to participate in a Solstice Festival, he draws ingredients equal to the number of druids he has on Oak branches, no matter where they are positioned.
Oak Branches
If Broichan ever has a set of 3 ingredients of the same kind, he immediately discards them and takes a step on an Oak branch. He uses the following criteria when deciding which branch to climb:
- He will choose to climb the branch that will currently award him the most VP on the top branch, even if this changes by the time he reaches the highest spot (ignore locked branches).
- If there is a tie, he will climb the branch where he is closest to the top.
- If there is still a tie, he will climb the leftmost of the tied options.
- If all the top spaces are already locked, he will climb the branch where his movement will trigger a Solstice Festival, and break any ties by moving on the left most option.
When Broichan's druids advance on the Oak branches, they might pass solar tokens, move the solar marker, and trigger a Solstice Festival as normal.
Broichan gains 2 VP for each step as normal.
Game End
Just like you, Broichan can try to brew the Darkwood Potion recipe one last time.
Credits
GAME DESIGN: Wim Goossens • ARTWORK: Maciej Janik • PROJECT MANAGER: Rudy Seuntjens • GAME DEVELOPMENT: Seb Van Deun • ART DIRECTION & RULEBOOK DESIGN: Rafaël Theunis • EDITOR: Amanda Erven • PROOFREADERS: Ori Avtalion, Dave Moser, Christine Gijbels • QUALITY CONTROL: Eefje Gielis • LOGISTICS: Wim Goossens
The author likes to thank his wife Katrien for her continued support and patience, his friends (in particular Gert, Ruben, Wesly, and Jordy) for their great insights and the seemingly endless playtests, and Game Brewer for believing in a new author and bringing Oak to life.
If there is any issue with this product, please contact the vendor where you purchased this game, or contact our customer service at gamebrewer.com/customer-service.
Appendix
1. The Moot Cards
Storytelling (Starting Moot Card)
Feather Temple Actions:
- 1-stone space + pay 1 feather: Move 1 card limit marker 1 space to the right.
- 2-stone space + pay 6 feathers: Take 1 of the 3 available creature cards.
- 3-stone space + pay 6 feathers: Take 1 of the 3 available artifacts.
Feather Oak Action: Pay 3 feathers: Advance 1 space on the feather Oak branch.
Worship (Advanced Moot Card)
Feather Temple Actions:
- 1-stone space + pay 0 feathers: Take 1 druid (or elder) from the roots of the Oak and place it on an available resting space.
- 2-stone space + pay 1 feather: Advance 1 druid 1 space on any Oak branch.
- 3-stone space + pay 4 feathers: Upgrade 1 druid to an elder druid.
Feather Oak Action: Pay 3 feathers: Advance 1 space on the feather Oak branch.
Knowledge (Starting Moot Card)
Mistletoe Temple Actions:
- 1-stone space + pay 3 mistletoe: Look through the crane bag and take any 1 ingredient.
- 2-stone space + pay 5 mistletoe: Take a shrine card and place it face up in either orientation.
- 3-stone space + pay 6 mistletoe: Upgrade 1 druid to an elder druid.
Mistletoe Oak Action: Pay 3 mistletoe: Advance 1 space on the mistletoe Oak branch.
Wisdom (Advanced Moot Card)
Mistletoe Temple Actions:
- 1-stone space + pay 0 mistletoe: Exchange any amount of 1 resource for same amount of any 1 other resource.
- 2-stone space + pay 1 mistletoe: Brew 1 potion.
- 3-stone space + pay 4 mistletoe: Take 1 of the 3 available creature cards.
Mistletoe Oak Action: Pay 3 mistletoe: Advance 1 space on the mistletoe Oak branch.
Ritual (Starting Moot Card)
Rune Temple Actions:
- 1-stone space + pay 3 runes: Take up to 2 druids (including elders) from the roots of the Oak and place them in available resting spaces.
- 2-stone space + pay 3 runes: Brew 1 potion.
- 3-stone space + pay 4 runes: Immediately take any one of your advanced moot cards into your hand. You now have this card available to you for the remainder of the game.
Rune Oak Action: Pay 3 runes: Advance 1 space on the rune Oak branch.
Mysticism (Advanced Moot Card)
Rune Temple Actions:
- 1-stone space + pay 3 runes: Take a shrine card and place it face up in either orientation.
- 2-stone space + pay 4 runes: Take 1 of the 3 available artifacts.
- 3-stone space + 6 runes: Resolve an action on any moot card you've already played this phase. You do not need to pay the cost in resources or place any new druids.
Rune Oak Action: Pay 3 runes: Advance 1 space on the rune Oak branch.
Heart of the Oak Moot Card (Special Moot Card)
This card is acquired when you brew The Heart of the Oak potion. This card does not correspond to a temple on the board, but rather has its own temple on the card.
To activate, play the card, place a druid on the temple on the card, choose which action to take, and pay those resources, take the action.
Temple Actions:
- Pay 3 feathers: Upgrade 1 druid to any 1 elder druid.
- Pay 3 mistletoe: Take 1 of the 3 available creature cards OR brew 1 potion.
- Pay 3 runes: Take a shrine card and place it face up in either orientation OR take 1 of the 3 available artifacts.
Heart of the Oak Action: Pay 3 of any resource in any combination: Advance 1 space on any Oak branch.
2. Druidic Orders
Order of the Bee: Place a druid to upgrade any druid to an elder druid. Follow the normal upgrade procedures. The resting spaces on this order's player board can all hold elder druids.
Order of the Blackbird: Place an elder druid to take a creature card. Follow the normal rules for taking that card.
Order of the Cairns: Place an elder druid to take a shrine card. Follow the normal rules for shrine placement. Additionally, each shrine/menhir card slot can hold up to 2 shrine cards.
Order of the Fox: Place an elder druid to gain 6 of any 1 resource. The card limit marker can move to the right by paying any 3 resources; they do not need to be the same resources.
Order of the Wild: There are 2 action spaces:
- Place a druid to brew a potion.
- Place an elder druid to draw 3 ingredients from the crane bag.
3. Elder Druids
Arch-Druid (gorget): Arch-Druids are the wisest members of the order they lead. If an active Arch-Druid is placed on an action space (temple or special), the cost of that action is reduced by 2 to a minimum of 0.
Bard (instrument): Bards tell tall tales about mythological creatures, and people gather to hear their stories. As soon as you upgrade to a Bard, place a Bard board to the left of your player board to create an extra open space for a creature and shrine/menhir card.
Ovate (satchel): Ovates are healers, seers, and prophets. If you use your Ovate for an action that brews a potion, you may pay 1 fewer ingredient than required to complete the potion. Potions always cost a minimum of 1 ingredient.
Talon-Master (ravens): Talon-Masters are dedicated to Morrigan, goddess of war, and act as enforcers. Your Talon-Master may be placed on the same temple action space as another druid without sending a second druid to the roots of the Oak.
Recluse (cape): Recluses tend to the sacred places of the woods. The Recluse has a dedicated resting space. Therefore, they do not take up any other resting spaces, and while on the resting space they are considered active and available for use.
Ancients are only available if the Chosen of the Oak potion that creates them is in play.
Ancient (antlers): Ancients are imbued with the Oak's magic and are practically immortal. Your Ancient has all the special abilities of all other elder druids. As soon as you brew the potion that allows you to upgrade to an Ancient, place the Ancient board to the left of your player board. It has a special resting space (to mimic the Recluse), and a space for a creature and a shrine/menhir card (to mimic the Bard). The Ancient may use multiple druid special abilities in one action.
4. Potion Tiles
Level I
- Inspiration (1 acorn + any 1 ingredient): Upgrade one of your druids to an elder druid.
- Bolt of Taranis (1 blueberry + any 1 ingredient): Recharge up to 2 of your artifacts 2x by rotating them 2 spaces counterclockwise, allowing them to be used more times. You cannot recharge already flipped artifacts. This does not cause you to re-gain or re-lose the VP now aligned with your player board.
- Nature's Gift (1 bark + any 1 ingredient): Advance one of your card limit markers 2x or both of your card limit markers 1x, for free.
- Lugh's Touch (1 mushroom + any 1 ingredient): Use any active artifact (owned by you or another player) without using one of its charges. Take the action, but do not rotate the card clockwise and do not place a druid.
- Belenos' Boon (1 root + any 1 ingredient): Trigger a Solstice Festival for you alone. Your VP marker does not need to be behind the solar marker. Do not move the solar marker.
Level II
- Runic Power (1 acorn + 1 blueberry): Build a menhir by paying 6 resources of your choice.
- Summon Dryad (1 blueberry + 1 bark): Move up to 2 steps on 1 Oak branch. You do not gain the VP bonus of your first step; but if you pass a solar token on your first step, resolve that, and any Festival rewards from that first step before advancing further.
- Arduinna's Grant (1 bark + 1 mushroom): Move 1 of your druids 1 step on any Oak branch. Your druid may move onto the last spot, even if already locked.
- Renewal (1 mushroom + 1 root): Resolve an action on any moot card you've already played this phase. You do not need to pay the cost in resources or place any new druids.
- Bloom (1 acorn + 1 root): Move 1 of your resource markers up to the end of its track (space 9).
Level III
- Warp Wood (2 acorns + 1 bark): Move your druids 1 step on each Oak branch. This may be the first step from the roots and may be partial if they do not have available movements on all 3. They cannot move into the last space if locked on a previous round.
- Animal Companion (2 blueberries + 1 mushroom): Search the creature deck for any creature card you want and put it into play in an available slot under your player board. Shuffle the deck before returning it.
- Gift from the Gods (2 barks + 1 root): Search the artifact stack for any artifact you want and put it into play next to your player board. In addition, if this is the first time you brew this potion, you may also take an artifact extension and add it to your player board. For the rest of the game, you can have up to 3 active artifacts. Shuffle the stack before returning it.
- Chosen of the Oak (1 acorn + 2 mushrooms): Upgrade one of your druids to the Ancient druid. Since you may only have 1 of each elder druid, you may only brew this potion 1x.
- Heart of the Oak (1 blueberry + 2 roots): Take your Heart of the Oak special action moot card and add it to your hand. You can only have 1 Heart of the Oak moot card, therefore you may only brew this potion 1x.
Printed on the Board
Darkwood Potion: You may brew 1 set per use:
- 3 different ingredients = 3 VP.
- 4 different ingredients = 5 VP.
- 5 different ingredients = 7 VP.
5. Artifact Tiles
| No. | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Moonstone Necklace: Gain 6 feathers. Any excess feathers are lost. |
| 2 | Arduinna's Pendant: Gain 6 mistletoe. Any excess mistletoe is lost. |
| 3 | Bag of Runestones: Gain 6 runes. Any excess runes are lost. |
| 4 | Plaque of Cernunnos: You may take a creature card from the display and play it immediately. You must have space available to place the card to use this ability. |
| 5 | Wyrdwood Shaper: Take and place a shrine card. You must have space available to place the card to use this ability. |
| 6 | Carnyx: Perform any Oak action for free. Don't spend any resources. |
| 7 | Antler Headdress: Upgrade one of your druids to an elder druid. Replace the regular druid as you would with a card action. |
| 8 | Golden Kettle: Brew a potion with 1 fewer ingredient than required. Minimum of 1 ingredient. |
| 9 | Golden Sickle: Draw 3 ingredients from the crane bag. |
| 10 | Cornucopia: Trade any amount of a single resource for the same amount of any other single resource; then gain 3 more of the resource gained (X into Y+3). |
| 11 | Ring of the Seer: Resolve an action on any moot card you've already played this phase. You do not need to pay the cost in resources or place any new druids. |
| 12 | Shield of Toutatis: Gain 2 VP. |
6. Creature Cards
Creature cards remain in play and can be used each time they are applicable. If a phase or action is specified, you may only use the card during that phase or action.
| No. | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Slúagh na Marbh: Ongoing: You may exchange feathers into mistletoe or runes at any time. |
| 2 | Bodach: Ongoing: You may exchange mistletoe into feathers or runes at any time. |
| 3 | Selkie: Ongoing: You may exchange runes into feathers or mistletoe at any time. |
| 4 | Boggart: Ongoing: You may treat any temple space as a 1-stone space. |
| 5 | Dobhar-Chù: Ongoing: You may treat any temple space as a 2-stone space. |
| 6 | Each-uisge: Ongoing: You may treat any temple space as a 3-stone space. |
| 7 | Cù-sìth: Feather temple action: You may pay 1 extra feather to perform the Oak action in addition to the temple action. No other payment is required. |
| 8 | Buggane: Mistletoe temple action: You may pay 1 extra mistletoe to perform the Oak action in addition to the temple action. No other payment is required. |
| 9 | Yan-Gant-Y-Tan: Rune temple action: You may pay 1 extra rune to perform the Oak action in addition to the temple action. No other payment is required. |
| 10 | Ceiliog Lugus: Dawn: Gain 2 feathers. |
| 11 | Korrigan: Dawn: Gain 2 mistletoe. |
| 12 | Pixie Queen: Dawn: Gain 2 runes. |
| 13 | Aos Si: Dawn: Draw 1 ingredient from the crane bag. |
| 14 | Aonbharr: Solstice Festival: Gain 1 extra resource of any resource type you gain. Can be 1 extra of all 3 resources if you gain all 3 during the Festival. |
| 15 | Bugul Noz: Solstice Festival: Gain 2 resources of your choice (same type), even if you are not eligible to participate in the Festival. |
| 16 | Caoineag: Any temple action: Pay 1 less resource. |
| 17 | Clurichaun: Brewing a potion: Take back 1 used ingredient of your choice. You must have it to pay but may immediately reclaim it. |
| 18 | Fear Dearg: Brewing a potion: You may pay 2 resources of your choice to substitute for any 1 ingredient. You may do this as many times as you want. |
| 19 | Abhartach: On your turn: You may pay 1 ingredient token to gain 1 resource of your choice. Return the ingredient token to the crane bag. You may do this as many times as you want. |
| 20 | Fear Gorta: Taking a creature card: You may pay 2 fewer resources. Does not apply to this card. |
| 21 | Cailleach: Taking a creature card: Instead of taking a card from the display, you may look at the top 6 creature cards of the deck and choose 1. Shuffle and place the 5 discards under the draw pile. If you look at the top 6 cards you must choose 1 of those. |
| 22 | Fuath: Ongoing: Any druid may be used for a special action space, even if it normally requires elder druids. |
| 23 | Groac'h: Ongoing: Your elder druids may always be placed in a temple action space that contains another druid, without needing to send a second druid to the roots of the Oak (as if they were a Talon-Master). |
| 24 | Ghillie Dhu: Pass and gather ingredients: You may choose any ingredient from the crane bag instead of gathering an ingredient from the forest. If you do, also discard 1 ingredient of your choice from the forest. |
| 25 | Unicorn: Pass and gather ingredients: You may gather ingredients without sending a passive druid to the forest. You don't need to have an available druid on the roots to gather ingredients. |
| 26 | Fachan: Building a menhir: Pay 3 fewer resources of your choice. |
| 27 | Glaistig: Taking a shrine/menhir: You may also gather an ingredient from the forest without placing a passive druid. |
| 28 | Leanan sídhe: Recruiting a druid: You may also gather an ingredient from the forest without placing a passive druid. |
| 29 | Tarw Cernunnos: Using an artifact: Gain 1 VP any time you activate an artifact (even with Lugh's Touch). |
| 30 | The Unseelie Court: Moving your card limit marker: Pay 2 fewer resources. |
| 31 | Gancanagh: Ongoing: Provides 2 additional resting spaces to place druids when they return home at Dusk. |
| 32 | The Seelie Court: 1x immediate use: Choose a potion tile from the unused potion tiles in the box and place it on this card for the remainder of the game. You are the only player who may brew this potion. |
| 33 | Pùca: Ongoing: Adds 2 extra creature card spots. This card remains in play and continues to occupy 1 spot. |
| 34 | Carw Gwyn: 1x use: Lose 3 VP when you take this card. Discard to gain 6 VP. Can be played, but also saved, and then tactically used when desired, including during final scoring. |
| 35 | Ellén Trechend: 1x immediate use: Gain 5 VP. The card still takes up a card spot, but has no further effect. |
7. Iconography
Action/notation icons:
- "1" (Receive the indicated amount): receive the indicated amount.
- "+1" (Receive a supplemental indicated amount): receive a supplemental indicated amount.
- "1" (Pay the indicated amount): pay the indicated amount.
- "-1" (Reduce the cost as indicated): reduce the cost as indicated.
- Pay
- When... Then...
- Move/Rotate/Gain
- Clockwise
- Slide/Move
- Transform
- Perform again/Refresh
- Exchange
- Flip
- Or
- Per/From
- Allowed/Completed
- Solstice
- Do not/Remove
- Look
Component/space icons:
Feather, Mistletoe, Rune, Artifact, Ingredient token, Bark, Root, Blueberry, Acorn, Mushroom, Ingredient forest, Potion, Creature card, Moot card, Heart of the Oak moot card, Roots of the Oak, Crane bag, Shrine, Menhir, Druid, Elder druid, Arch-Druid, Bard, Ovate, Talon-Master, Recluse, Ancient, Basic income, Solstice Festival income, Solar marker, Card limit marker, Feather branch, Mistletoe branch, Rune branch, A branch of your choice, Locked space, 1-stone temple, 2-stone temple, 3-stone temple, Heart of the Oak stone temple, Action space, Elder druid action space, Resting space for druids, Resting space for druids and elder druids, Victory Points, Reminder to brew Darkwood Potion 1x at the end of the game, Round marker, First player token, You, Another player.
Produced by Jiaxing Whatz Games Co., Ltd - No 1010 Kanghe Road, Xiuzhou District, 314000 Jiaxing City - CHINA // Published by Game Brewer BVBA - Patersstraat 51 - B-2300 Turnhout - BELGIUM