Puerto Diablo Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Box Contents
• Preparation
• Game Play
  • Phases per Harbour
  • Starting the Game
    • Selecting Characters
• 1. Log Phase
  • Weather Cards
    • Change of Weather
    • War
    • Challenge Cards
• 2. Challenge Phase
  • Committing Symbols
  • Help from the Marketplace
  • Harbour Prohibitions
  • The Challenge Is Failed
  • The Challenge Is Resolved
    • Weakening Characters
• 3. Purchasing Phase
  • Sequence
  • Tall Tales or Market
    • Tall Tales
    • Market
  • Taking Ability Cards into the Hand
  • Passing the Pilot Card
• 4. Crew Phase
  • Leaving the Harbour
  • The Last Player in the Harbour
  • New Round
  • A Summary of the Round
• A New Harbour
  • Preparations New Harbour
  • Selecting Characters
• Ability Cards
  • Moment of Play
  • Presenting to the Pilot
  • Choosing a Character
  • Determining the Effect of an Ability Card
• Ending the Game
• Treasure Hunting (Expansion)
  • Preparation
  • Beginning of the Treasure Hunt
  • Result of the Treasure Hunt
  • Harbour Ending
  • Abilities and Treasure Hunting
• Starting for Advanced Players

Box Contents

• 8 Harbour cards
• 1 Pilot card
• 5 Summary cards
• 23 Log cards
• 62 Ability cards
• 32 Tall tale cards
• 51 Character cards
• 14 Treasure cards (expansion)
• 6 Empty ability cards (create your own abilities)
• 8 Empty log cards (create your own challenges)
• 10 Rules Summary cards (player aid)
• 1 Die

Preparation

• Each player receives a summary card, which he places on the table with the ship side facing up.
• Separate the character and ability cards with a number in their upper right corner from the rest. Group the cards with the same number together. These are the five starting sets. Each player chooses a starting set. For the time being, these cards are kept in the hand. Any leftover starting sets are returned to the other character and ability cards.
• Place four harbour cards in a row. The first card is always Puerto Diablo (harbour number 2), the last card is La Coruna de l'Occidental (harbour number 5). Choose a harbour card with harbour number 3 and another with harbour number 4 and place these in sequence in between. All harbour cards are placed with their Sun side up. The harbour cards that have not been chosen are put aside.
• The ability cards have either a Roman numeral 1 (I) or 2 (II) in their left upper corner. Remove the cards with a II from the pile and place these under the harbour card with the harbour number 4. These are the level II abilities and enter the game as soon as the third harbour has been reached.
• Remove the ability cards with a treasure symbol in the upper right corner. These are only used with the Treasure Hunting expansion.
• Sort the tall tale cards and place them in ascending sequence per symbol on the table.
• Place a log card with a sun and no further flag or symbol open on the table. Shuffle the other log cards and place their pile face down next to the first log card.
• Shuffle the character cards and place them in a pile face down onto the table. Do the same with the ability cards of level 1 (i.e. with a I in the left upper corner). During the game, these piles will supply the market.
• The last player who has sailed in real life receives the pilot card. At the start of the game, he is the pilot.

Game Play

During the game four different harbours are visited. Each harbour has its own rules. Upon arrival in a harbour, the players decide which of their crew members to take ashore. These are the characters with whom will be played in this harbour.

In the harbour, log cards are turned face up. Some of these cards show a challenge. Challenges can be resolved by the committing of symbols on the character cards present in the harbour. Under the leadership of the pilot, an attempt is made to commit enough symbols to avert the danger. Committing the symbols weakens the involved characters. When characters are too weak, they must return to their ship.

When the challenge has been resolved, the players who have contributed to its resolution may tell tall tales, or purchase characters, or abilities. If the challenge is not resolved, undesirable consequences prevail. A harbour is left when only one player still has characters ashore. In the next harbour the game is continued with a fresh selection of characters.

Players can allow their characters to use abilities to influence the course of the game.

Phases per Harbour

In each harbour several rounds are played through. Each round consists of the following phases:

1. Log phase
2. Challenge phase
3. Purchasing phase
4. Crew phase

At the end of the game each player adds the victory points on his or her tall tales. The player also scores victory points for one of the symbol types of his character cards.

Starting the Game

The game starts in the harbour of Puerto Diablo. Before this harbour can be played in, each player must decide which crew member characters will be left on board the ship and which characters will go ashore.

Selecting Characters

From his hand each player chooses of two character cards with which to play in this harbour. Because two is the harbour number of Puerto Diablo. The character cards he has selected are placed face up on the harbour side of his summary card. His other character cards are placed face down to the ship side of the summary card. The ability cards are kept in hand. After the players have chosen their characters, four cards from the face down character pile are placed face up in the centre. Also, four cards from the face down abilities pile are placed there face up.

These eight cards are now the market.

1. Log Phase

In the log phase the pilot turns the log card face up. This can be a weather card, or a challenge. These cards are placed face up in two separate piles.

Weather Cards

Turning a weather card can result in a change of weather and/or a war. When a weather card has been turned up its consequences are resolved. Then, a next log card is turned and the process repeats itself, until a challenge card is turned.

Change of Weather

A weather card indicates either fair, or foul weather. The current harbour card is turned towards the current weather side, if it was not already on it. During foul weather, the conditions which must be met to successfully resolve challenges are more difficult, or the purchasing price of all characters and abilities increases.

War

When both the newly opened weather card and the top weather card on the already opened pile contains a flag or symbol, two parties enter war. Most characters are of specified descent, as noted by the flag in which their name appears on the character card. In addition, some characters also belong to the pirate, or clergy faction. This is, respectively, indicated by a pirate's flag, or a blue circle beneath their portrait on the character card. Some characters belong to both a nation and a faction. A war can arise between nations, factions, or both. When war does break out, the total number of characters in the harbour that belongs to each warring party is tallied.

Weakened characters are included (Weakened characters are discussed in phase 3). The character cards in the market are not included.

When a nation is at war with a faction and a character belongs to both sides, this character is counted by both sides. The side with the most characters wins the war. Each player that has one or more characters, that belong to the losing side, sends one of those characters (healthy, or weakened) back to the ship. He does so by placing the character's card face down on the ship side of his summary card. If each side has an equal number of characters in the harbour, then nobody has to return to the ship. Each harbour can endure only a single war as a consequence of turned weather cards (Additional wars can break out by failing a challenge, or by the playing of ability cards). Whether or not a war has already occurred in a harbour can be easily determined by consulting the pile of opened weather cards.

Challenge Cards

At the top of each challenge card the name of the danger that threatens is written. At the bottom of the card the consequences are written, in case the challenge is failed. On both sides of the card are the symbols through which the challenge can be resolved. As soon as a challenge card has been turned face up, the players enter the challenge phase. The face up weather cards and challenge cards are each placed on separate face up piles.

2. Challenge Phase

To resolve the challenge, the players must together commit as many of any of the symbols depicted on the challenge card as is indicated by the current harbour number. Therefore, in Puerto Diablo a total of two symbols must be committed; in La Coruna de l'Occidental this number rises to five.

To do this, the players offer to commit symbols of their character cards. When a symbol has been committed to resolve the challenge, the side of the character card upon which the committed symbol is depicted is covered. The symbols and doubloons on that side of the character card may then no longer be committed in this harbour.

Committing Symbols

Committing symbols is done under the pilot's leadership. The players discuss together how many symbols each player is willing to commit. It does not matter which of the two symbols on the challenge card is addressed. Each player may himself determine how many symbols he is willing to commit, which symbols and from which character card. Then, the pilot decides who actually commits which (number of) symbols , during which process no player has to commit more symbols, than he himself has offered to commit. The pilot can choose to resolve the challenge all by himself; to allow other players to resolve the challenge; or to resolve the challenge together with other players of his choice. A player may commit symbols by playing an ability card. If, when committing the symbols, the ability is unsuccessful and the player can deliver the necessary symbols in another way, he must do so. If the player can still not deliver what he had committed to, a new collaborative decision is initiated by the pilot. The pilot's decision is binding.

Help from the Marketplace

If fewer than four players have characters in the harbour, the help of one or more characters in the marketplace may be invoked. These characters can resolve a deficiency of symbols. With three players, one market character can commit symbols; with two players, two market characters. Market characters may only commit symbols if the players themselves can not commit enough symbols. In that case, the pilot chooses, when possible, one or two of the open market characters to commit the remaining necessary symbols. These character cards are then removed from the market, placed at the bottom of the face down character card pile and replaced by the next character cards of this pile. If, due to an ability card played during this phase, a person cannot deliver the symbols that he has committed, the players again consult to decide which symbols each player is willing to commit, after which the pilot again decides who will actually commit which (and how many) symbols.

N.B.: If enough symbols have been offered to resolve the challenge (including any help obtained from market characters), the challenge must be resolved. The pilot may not choose to fail the challenge.

Harbour Prohibitions

When committing symbols, local prohibitions must be respected: in each harbour one or more symbols may not be used. These symbols are shown with red background below the harbour name. In Puerto Diablo, for example, liquor is prohibited and no tavern symbols may be committed. The challenge will have to be resolved by using only the other symbol on the challenge card. During foul weather, there are more prohibitions in a harbour than during fair weather. Resolving challenges, thus, becomes more difficult. In La Corona de l'Occidental, no extra symbols are prohibited during foul weather. Instead, the challenge may only be resolved by a maximum of two players. With less than four players with characters in La Corona de l'Occidental the characters of the market may be used, but only if one player, with aid of the (one or two) characters of the market has enough symbols to resolve the challenge together with the market characters. The market is only used if no two players can solve the challenge together.

The Challenge Is Failed

When it is not possible to commit enough symbols (if applicable, aided by market characters), then the challenge is failed. No symbols are covered. However, the consequence printed at the bottom of the challenge card now comes into force. Consequences only apply to those players who still have characters in the harbour. Varying consequences are possible:

Characters get weakened, or are sent back to the ship:

• If doubloons are lost, that amount of doubloons has to be paid by covering characters, or sending them back to the ship.
• If characters with a fear for a symbol must leave the harbour, all healthy and weakened characters with that fear return to the ship.
• A specific character returns to the ship. For instance, a male character, or one chosen by another player.

Abilities and/or characters go to the ship:

• Not yet played abilities are placed on the ship. They cannot be played in this harbour.
• Characters, healthy or weakened are send to the ship.

Abilities and/or characters are removed from the game:

• "Rat infestation causes disease" has the effect that the players loose one character from the harbour. It is removed from the game.
• Players can loose an ability, sometimes a random one, sometimes an ability with a specific symbol as foreknowledge. During the challenge these abilities cannot be played. The ability is removed from the game.

Finally, a war can result from an unsolved challenge.

If the challenge is failed, then the purchasing phase is skipped. The players proceed directly to the crew phase.

The Challenge Is Resolved

When enough symbols have been committed and the pilot has decided which player(s) are to commit the symbols, each committing player then decides which symbols on which character cards he actually commits. When a player commits more than one symbol, he places all relevant sides under the summary card. It is allowed to commit different symbols on a character card's side. If a person commits symbols from both sides of the card, or if symbols are committed by a character that had already been weakened, this character returns to the ship. The card is placed face down to the ship side of the summary card. This character can no longer be employed in this harbour.

Weakening Characters

When a player commits symbols, he chooses (if he has multiple possibilities) which of his characters will be committing that symbol. The side of the character card upon which that symbol has been printed is tucked under the summary card, on either of the sides that states 'Wounded or weakened', or tucked under the characters already lying there. Covered doubloons and symbols can no longer be committed in the current harbour.

Each player who has committed to resolve the challenge may tell tall tales, purchase characters and/or abilities. Purchasing these cards is done by means of the symbols or doubloons on the left and right sides of the character cards. The characters are not weakened by doing so. Character cards are not covered, or returned to the ship during the purchasing phase.

3. Purchasing Phase

Sequence

The player who has committed the most symbols towards resolving the challenge, is the first player who is allowed to purchase. He is followed by the player who has committed the next most symbols, et cetera. Among players that have committed an equal number of symbols, the pilot gets to choose first, then followed by the player left of the pilot, et cetera.

Tall Tales or Market

Players may choose to either tell one tall tale, or purchase a maximum of three market cards.

Tall Tales

Tall tales are directly translated into victory points. The number of points a tall tale provides is printed in the red circle. Tall tales are told by possessing the symbols on the left and right side of the character cards. At the top of the tall tale card is printed how many symbols of a specific type the player must still have open in the harbour to be able to tell the tall tale. Both the symbols of healthy and weakened characters are permitted. From weakened characters only the symbols on the visible side can be used! When telling a tall tale, harbour prohibitions may be ignored: all symbols are permitted. The player can tell any tall tale that he wants. No sequence has to be followed. During the purchasing phase a player may tell one tall tale. The telling hereof does not weaken a character. They do, therefore, not need to be covered or returned to the ship. The player takes the card of the tall tale and keeps it with him until the end of the game.

Market

On the market characters and abilities can be purchased. There are always four character and four ability cards face up from which can be chosen. These cards are purchased with doubloons. Doubloons with which the cards may be purchased are available on the left and right hand side of the character cards. All remaining visible doubloons in the harbour, of both healthy and weakened characters, may be employed by a player to purchase cards at the market. Only the visible doubloons are available on weakened character's cards.

Using the total amount of doubloons that a player has, they may buy a maximum of three cards from the market. How much a card costs is printed in the money bag above the card picture. Purchasing cards at the market does not weaken characters. They do not, therefore, have to be covered or returned to the ship. When the player starts his purchase, there are four face up character and ability cards available. The available cards are only replenished after this player has finished purchasing. Purchased character cards are placed on the ship. These become available in the next harbour.

Purchased ability cards are set aside for the moment. At the end of the crew phase they may be taken into the player's hand and used in the next round.

When two characters have the same, lowest price, the player may choose which one he takes.

Taking Ability Cards into the Hand

Players who have purchased ability cards may now take these into their hand.

Passing the Pilot Card

When the challenge of the challenge phase has been resolved, the pilot card passes to the first player on the left of the current pilot, who has not helped resolve the challenge, and who is still in the harbour. When everybody has contributed, or the challenge has been failed, the pilot card passes to the first player on the left of the current pilot, who is still in the harbour. When everybody has contributed except the pilot, then he keeps the pilot card. If everybody has left the harbour, the pilot card passes to the player directly left of the current pilot. If during the game, at some point, the owner of the pilot card has no more characters in the harbour, the pilot card passes to the left, to the first player who has at least one character in the harbour.

4. Crew Phase

During this phase players can decide to leave the harbour.

Leaving the Harbour

A player who decides to leave the harbour returns all of his characters to his ship by placing his healthy and weakened characters and abilities face down on the ship side of his summary card. When a player has only one weakened character in the harbour, it makes no sense to remain in the harbour. This player automatically leaves the harbour. Players who have left the harbour are no longer considered participants for the duration of this harbour. When relevant, the players decide clockwise, starting with the pilot, whether or not to leave the harbour.

The Last Player in the Harbour

When in this phase there is only one player left in the harbour, this player must leave the harbour. However, if this player has at least one healthy character left, he may tell as many tall tales, or purchase characters and/or abilities, as he has healthy characters. This purchase is subject to the same conditions as described under the purchasing phase: the player chooses to tell tall tales, or to buy at the market and must have the requisite number of symbols and doubloons at his disposal. Abilities which can be played during the purchasing phase, can be played now. When all players have left the harbour, the game is continued in a new harbour.

New Round

When there is still more than one player in the harbour, the game continues in this harbour with the log phase of a new round.

A Summary of the Round

1. Log phase
   • Pilot turns log cards
     • weather card: weather change and/or war, stay in this phase.
     • challenge card: to challenge phase.
2. Challenge phase
   • Together symbols are committed under the leadership of the pilot
     • challenge is resolved: cover cards, to purchasing phase.
     • challenge is failed: suffer consequences, to crew phase.
3. Purchasing phase
   • The telling of one tall tale, or the purchasing a maximum of three market cards.
4. Crew phase
   • Players may leave the harbour
     • two or more players in the game: pilot card passes to new player, new round.
     • one player in the game: may tell a tall tale, or purchase market cards, new harbour.

A New Harbour

When all players have left the harbour, the players sail to a new harbour. Here the players send characters ashore.

Preparations New Harbour

The previous harbour card is removed and taken out of the game. The current weather card is kept. If this is a foul weather card, then the current harbour card is turned to its foul weather side. All other used log cards (weather cards and challenges) are shuffled and placed at the bottom of the face down pile. The market is emptied. Upon arrival at the third harbour (with harbour number 4) the level II ability cards are shuffled into the level I ability card pile. Together they form the new ability replenishment pile.

Selecting Characters

Each player chooses which characters to send ashore, the number of characters equals the current harbour number. Each round, therefore, more characters can be employed. In the second harbour (with harbour number 3) three characters may thus be taken ashore. The chosen characters are placed face up on the harbour side of the summary card. The other characters are placed face down on the ship side of the summary card. After choosing the characters, four character cards and four ability cards are placed open. These represent the new harbour's market.

If a player has less characters than the harbour number, he will now take extra characters from the market. Starting with the pilot every player with less than the required number of characters takes the cheapest character from the market, and adds it to his characters until he has the required number. The market is replenished to have four characters.

Ability Cards

At the beginning of the game each player has a number of ability cards and during the game these can be purchased at the market. The ability cards can influence the course of the game in several ways. Each card indicates what can be done with the card. To decide whether a played card actually takes effect, a die is thrown.

Moment of Play

At the bottom of the ability card one or more symbols are printed. These symbols determine whether or not a card can be played:

• Arrival: Upon arrival in a new harbour, before the first round is started.
• Log: During the settling of a weather card.
• Challenge: During the challenge phase. Before the challenge has been solved, but also after the challenge has been solved as long as no player has started the purchasing phase.
• Purchase: During the purchasing phase.
• Counter: When reacting to another ability card or event. This can only be played after the ability card to which this card intends to react has taken effect - i.e. after a successful die throw.

Presenting to the Pilot

When a player desires to play an ability card, he tells the pilot so, without telling him which specific ability. After the pilot has provided the other players with the same opportunity, he indicates that the card may be played. The pilot may not refuse ability cards. He may, though, first play another ability, or two, himself. When more than one player wants to play a card simultaneously, the pilot chooses who plays first. The player who was not chosen is not obligated after this to still play his ability card. Ability cards are played and resolved one by one. Some ability cards double the amount of doubloons, or symbols. Each doubling is applied to the original amount of doubloons. For example: If two doublings are played on four doubloons, this then totals to twelve doubloons (4 + 4 + 4).

Choosing a Character

An ability is played by a single character. Because each character differs, it is more difficult for some characters than for others to cause an effect with an ability card. At the top of each ability card one or more symbols are depicted. These represent the foreknowledge. The more foreknowledge a character has, the greater the chance a character has of effectively employing the ability card. For a limited few abilities, a specific fear (see Voodoo), belonging to a faction (see Instigate), or a specific amount of doubloons (see Begging and Haggling) counts as foreknowledge. The doubloon amount must then exactly match that on one side of the character card. The player chooses one of his open character cards (healthy, or weakened), upon which one or more of the required symbols are depicted on either the left or right hand side. Covered symbols cannot be employed to play an ability. The character is too tired to do so.

Determining the Effect of an Ability Card

Whether or not the played card takes effect is determined by the die. The player counts the number of the required symbols on the character card. Only open symbols are counted and only symbols that are not prohibited in this harbour. On the left and right side of the ability card, the minimum, that must be thrown with the die for specified numbers of symbols, is depicted. A value for 0 symbols is always provided. So, even if none of a player's characters has the requisite foreknowledge, the player can still attempt to use the ability. If the player rolls equal to or higher than the required value, then the ability takes effect as described on the card. If the player rolls lower than the required value, the card has no effect. In both cases, the card is subsequently placed face down on the ship side of the summary card. Each ability can, therefore, only be used once per harbour. Ability cards may be used to aid other players.

Ending the Game

• As soon as everybody has left the final harbour, the game ends.
• Each player adds the victory points on his tall tales.
• Each player also determines the symbol of which he has most.
• The player receives one bonus victory point for each symbol of the sort that he has chosen.
• The player who has the most victory points wins.
• Upon equal victory points, the player with the most doubloons on all his characters wins.

Treasure Hunting (Expansion)

Preparation

At the start of the game add the three abilities to the pile of level I abilities. Place the task pile face down next to the market. At the start of each harbour as many tasks are opened as the harbour number.

Beginning of the Treasure Hunt

When a player has committed to resolve a challenge, he may purchase. Before he purchases, one of his characters in the harbour is allowed to hunt for treasure. He takes a character, healthy or weakened, from the harbour and takes a treasure card from the market. Place the character crosswise over the treasure card. The character is now treasure hunting and his symbols and doubloons can no longer be used in the harbour. After the treasure hunt has started, the player may continue buying characters, abilities, or telling tall tales. The treasure cards are not replenished. When they are gone, they are gone.

It is not possible to take a treasure card when there is just one player left in the harbour and that player purchases as many cards as he has healthy characters.

Result of the Treasure Hunt

Upon the turning of each log card, it is checked whether the treasure has been found. If the log card triggers a war, this war is first handled.

If more than one player is treasure hunting, then start with the pilot, followed clockwise by the other players. A player who has more than one treasure seeker may choose his own sequence.

Just like abilities treasures have one or two symbols, that are prerequisite to finding the treasure. Count how many of these same symbols the treasure hunting character himself has, and check the weather. Throw the die to determine whether the treasure is found.

If the treasure is not found, then the treasure card is returned face up to the harbour's market and the character on the ship. If the treasure is found, the player receives the card. If it is a money treasure, then he adds it to the abilities in his hand. These doubloons can be spent once during the remaining game. If it is victory points, he adds it to his tall tales.

If the treasure hunt is successful, the game in the harbour is not yet at its end, and there are other treasure cards in the harbour, then the player chooses another treasure card and sends the character on a new treasure hunt.

Harbour Ending

If the harbour is left while treasure seekers are still active, then it is checked whether the treasure is found under the current weather circumstance. Both in the case of success and failure, the characters return to the ship. In case of success, money treasures are added to the player's abilities and victory points to his tall tales.

It is possible that a player has already left the harbour, while he still has one or more treasure seekers in the game. These continue to search, until all players have left the harbour. The player can no longer play abilities to influence the treasure hunt.

Abilities and Treasure Hunting

A character who is treasure hunting cannot help by playing abilities. Symbols that facilitate an ability can only be played by characters in the harbour. This is also the case for those abilities that are specifically targeted towards treasure hunting.

Starting for Advanced Players

Instead of using the starter sets, players can choose their own crew. This is done in the following manner:

Randomly choose a 3 harbour and a 4 harbour. The players know past which harbours the journey will take them. Shuffle the characters and deal five to each player. Each player chooses a character and then passes the other four on to the player on his left. The players each choose a second character and return the other characters to the deck. Shuffle all remaining characters and place four face up. The players place their chosen characters face up on the table in front of them. The players now take turns adding cards to their starting set. The player with the least total can choose a card. Upon equal totals the die decides. The highest rolling player gets to choose first.

The player may choose from:

a. A face up character, after which the available cards are replenished to four. b. All abilities! The distinction between level I and level II skills is not relevant to the advanced game.

The player places the purchased card face up with his other cards. The total purchasing price may never exceed 50. Precisely 50 is allowed. A player must always have at least as many characters as abilities. A player may not have any abilities twice in his starting set. Each one must be unique. During the rest of the game players may have abilities twice.

Each purchased card is placed face up next to the others. Every time the player with the lowest total continues. A dice throw is used to solve ties. If a player cannot, or does not want to, buy a new card his starting set is ready. The other players continue until they are also finished.

The abilities (both I and II) that were not chosen are shuffled, as are the characters that were not chosen. Both piles represent the market. The pilot card is given to the player with the lowest total purchase price. A dice throw is used to solve ties.