Pow Wow Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Preparation
• How to Play
• End of the Game
• The Black Feathers
• Advanced Game Version

Contents

36 Feathers:

• 26 green feathers with positive values (4 x 1, 4 x 2, 4 x 3, 4 x 4, 4 x 5, 3 x 10, 2 x 15, 1 x 20)
• 3 blue feathers with the value 0
• 3 red feathers with negative values (2 x -5, 1 x -10)
• 4 black feathers with special functions: green feathers x 2; highest green feather = zero; zero / shuffle feathers; unknown value

28 Tokens:

• 20 Buzzard Tokens
• 8 Tomahawk Tiles

8 Headbands with Velcro

20 Velcro pieces (male & female)

Preparation

Before starting the first game, carefully remove the feathers, tokens, and tiles from the stamped boards. Apply a Velcro piece onto the back of each of the 20 buzzard tokens.

To begin the game, each player first ties a headband around their head with the Velcro facing forward.

All of the buzzard tokens are placed on the middle of the table. The tomahawk tiles are only required for the advanced version and remain in the box for the regular game.

All 36 feathers are shuffled and then placed in a stack face down in the center of the table. The used feathers will form a pile face up beside it as the game continues.

How to Play

The game is made up of a few rounds. The youngest player starts the first round. To begin a round, each player takes a feather from the stack and places it — without looking at it — into their headband so that all the other players can see the value on it.

The starting player makes the first guess. The number announced can be any value but should not be higher than what you guess is the total value of all of the feathers. It can also be a negative number.

Play continues in a clockwise direction. The next player has two possibilities:

1. Announce a higher number. Then it's the next player's turn.
2. Dispute the number announced by the previous player.

Once a player disputes the previous player's call, the round is over. All the players remove their feathers from their headbands and place them face up in the center of the table so that the sum of all the numbers can be calculated.

First add all the positive numbers together and then subtract the negative numbers.

Note: observe the effect of the black feathers (see box "The Black Feathers").

If the result is the same or higher than the disputed number, the disputer loses. They must apply a buzzard token to their headband.

If the result is lower, the player who announced it loses. They must apply a buzzard token to their headband.

Example: Player A begins and announces the number 8, player B increases to 13, player C says 14, and player D raises to 16. Player E disputes this number. All players remove their feathers from their headbands and the sum of all the feathers is calculated. The result is 14. Player D guessed too high and must place a buzzard token onto their headband. If the result had been 16 or higher, player E would have had to place a buzzard token onto their headband.

Form a separate pile for the used feathers. If the black feather with the value zero was in play, then all 36 feathers are reshuffled and placed face down in a stack again.

A new round begins. Each player takes a feather from the stack. (If there are not enough feathers for all players, reshuffle all the feathers and place them again in a stack face down.) The player who received a buzzard token in the previous round announces the first guess.

As soon as a player receives their third buzzard token, they are out of the game. Then the player to their left begins the next round.

End of the Game

The black feathers have the following functions. Should there be more than one in a round the following sequence is always applied:

Tip: if there are 3 or 4 players, it can be agreed that you have to collect 4 or 5 buzzard tokens in order to be out of the game.

If there are 7 or 8 players and you wish to shorten the waiting period for those who've had to drop out of the game, you can choose to end the game after the third player has dropped out. The player with the least amount of buzzard tokens wins the game. If there's a draw, then there is more than one winner.

The Black Feathers

The black feathers have the following functions. Should there be more than one in a round, the following sequence is always applied:

1. First apply the black feather with the question mark: The top feather of the stack is turned over. The value of this feather is calculated into the sum. The feather with the question mark is then placed on the used pile.
2. Then apply the black feather max. = 0: It is placed together with the highest green feather on the used pile. If there is no green feather in this round, the max. = 0-feather is simply placed on the used pile.
3. Finally apply the black feather x2: The sum of the green feathers is doubled.

The black feather with the zero counts simply as zero. When it shows up in a round, all 36 cards are reshuffled after the end of that round.

Advanced Game Version

After you've played the game a few times you can try out the advanced version. Each player receives a tomahawk tile which they place face up in front of them.

All the rules of the regular game remain. In addition, each player may use one of the following special rules in each round. To indicate the use of a special rule, players turn over their tomahawk tile. The tile is turned back over again at the beginning of a new round.

• I agree. The player whose turn it is can agree with the guess of the previous player and take ownership of that guess. The next player cannot agree as well.
• Change direction instead of making a guess. The round proceeds counter clockwise instead of in a clockwise direction or vice verse.
• Additional feather. After making a guess, you choose another player to take an additional feather and put it behind their headband without looking at it. In any one round, no player may have more than 2 feathers in their headband.

Note: the headbands can be hand washed in cold water and air dried.