Quest
Quest Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
26 character cards — 4 Loyal Servants of Arthur, 2 Minions of Mordred, Morgan le Fey, Scion, Changeling, 2 Dukes, 2 Archdukes, Blind Hunter, 2 Clerics, Troublemaker, Youth, 2 Apprentices, Brute, Lunatic, Mutineer, Arthur, Trickster, Revealer
4 score tableaus (one side for each player count, two options for four players)
2 Loyalty cards (Good, Evil)
20 Quest cards (10 Success, 10 Failure)
5 Team tokens
5 score markers (double-sided blue and red)
10 player aids
26 character tokens
5 Veteran tokens
1 Leader token
1 Magic token
3 Amulet tokens
3 Faded Amulet tokens
Objective
Quest is a game of hidden loyalty. Players are either Good Loyal Servants of Arthur, or Evil Minions of Mordred. Good wins the game by successfully completing three quests or correctly identifying Evil during the last quest. Evil wins by failing three quests and avoiding Good's Last Chance. Evil can also win by identifying specific Good characters during the Hunt.
Players may make any claims during the game, at any point in the game. Discussion, deception, accusation, and logical deduction are all equally important for Good to prevail or Evil to rule the day.
The Cards and Tokens
Character card - Determines if a player is Good (Arthur's sigil on a yellow icon) or Evil (Mordred's sigil on a red icon). A player's character card may not be revealed at any point in the game, nor the character art discussed. Some characters have special powers, such as Morgan le Fey, who is included in all games. Some special character cards are used at different player counts. See Special Roles on pg 9. Some are optional and can be switched in for other roles. See Optional Roles on pg 10.
Leader token - Designates the player that will decide the Team.
Team token - Allocates positions on the Team.
Quest card - Determines a Quest's success or failure.
Magic token - Compels a player to play a Success card for that Quest.
Veteran token - Indicates that a player has already acted as Leader and may not be chosen to lead another Quest.
Amulet token - Given to a player to check the loyalty of another player.
Loyalty card - Reveals a player's loyalty to Good or to Evil without revealing a player's exact role.
Setup
Select the tableau corresponding to the number of players. For a game of 4, you may play either side of that tableau. Place the tableau in the center of the play area with the score markers, Team tokens, Quest cards, Veteran tokens, and the Magic token adjacent to the tableau. Place a player aid in front of each player.
Randomly select a Leader; the Leader receives the Leader token and a Veteran token.
For games of 6 to 10, place the Loyalty cards next to the tableau, and then place the Amulets as below, according to player count:
- 6 players - 1 token between the 2nd and 3rd Quests
- 7 players - 2 tokens, the second between the 3rd and 4th Quests
- 8+ players - 3 tokens, the third between the 4th and 5th Quests
Optional: Place near the tableau the character tokens for each character in the game, as a reference for the players. See more about character tokens on page 12.
Determining Allegiances
Gather and shuffle the character cards according to the chart below. Deal one card to each player facedown. Each player secretly looks at their role and assigned loyalty (Good or Evil) on their character card.
| PLAYERS | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | |||||||
| Loyal Servant of Arthur | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Duke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Archduke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Evil | |||||||
| Minion of Mordred | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Morgan le Fey | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Scion | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Changeling | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
The Reveal Stage
After all the players know their character and allegiance, the Leader must ensure that all the Evil players know each other by repeating the following script:
For games of 4 to 5:
"Everyone close your eyes"
"Scion, extend your thumb so that Morgan le Fey may know of you"
"Morgan le Fey, open your eyes and look around so that you know your Scion"
"Scion, re-form your hand into a fist."
"Morgan le Fey, close your eyes"
"Everyone open your eyes"
For games of 6 or more:
"Everyone close your eyes"
"Minions of Mordred and Morgan le Fey - not Changeling - open your eyes and look around so that you may know of each other"
"Minions of Mordred and Morgan le Fey, close your eyes"
"Everyone open your eyes"
Gameplay
The game consists of several rounds; each round has a Team Building phase, a Quest phase, and a Transition phase. The game ends with the Final Quest phase.
Team Building Phase
After appropriate discussion, the Leader takes the required number of Team tokens (indicated on the tableau, or on the chart below) and assigns each Team token to any player. There is no voting in Quest. The Team that the Leader picks goes on the Quest.
| PLAYERS | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Quest | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 2nd Quest | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 3rd Quest | ½ | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 4th Quest | ⅔ | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 5th Quest | - | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
The Leader can be on the Team, but is not required to be so. Note that a player may only be assigned one Team token.
Magic token: After the Leader picks a Team, they then choose a player on which to place the Magic token. The Leader may place the Magic token on themself. The player with the Magic token on them may not play a Fail this Quest, unless their role indicates otherwise.
Example: The first Quest in a five-player game requires a Team of two players. The Leader passes Team tokens to Jennifer (herself) and DeShawn. The Leader then places the Magic token on DeShawn.
Quest Phase
The Leader passes a set of Quest cards (one Success and one Fail) to each Team member. Each player on the Quest selects a Quest card and plays it facedown in front of themselves. Good players must select a Success card (unless otherwise dictated by their role). Evil players may select a Success or Fail as they choose (unless otherwise dictated by their role, or assigned Magic token).
The Leader collects and shuffles the played Quest cards before revealing them. The Quest is completed successfully only if all the cards revealed are Success cards. The Quest fails if one or more Fail cards have been played.
The 4th Quest (and only the 4th Quest) in games of 7 or more players requires at least two Quest Fail cards to be a failed Quest.
Note: Two different players should shuffle the played Quest cards before revealing. Designate a player not on the Team to collect all the discarded Quest cards so that it's clear which cards are played and which are discarded. Shuffle the discarded Quest cards.
Place a blue score marker on the tableau if the Quest succeeded and a red one if the Quest failed.
Example: Jennifer gives herself and DeShawn a set of two Quest cards. Jennifer selects the Success card and places it facedown in front of herself. DeShawn has the Magic token on him, but because he is Morgan le Fey, he does not have to play a Success card. He places a Fail facedown in front of himself.
Jennifer takes the two Quest cards and shuffles them and hands the cards to Evie who also shuffles them, before revealing that the Quest failed. She places a red score marker on the first Quest space on the tableau.
Transition Phase
Once the outcome of the Quest has been revealed, the Leader must choose which player will lead the next Quest. The Leader may not pick a player who has a Veteran or an Amulet token (see Amulets below). No player may lead more than one Quest in a game.
The new Leader takes the Leader token and gains a Veteran token.
Amulets: These are used for games of six or more players.
After the results of a Quest have been revealed, if there is an Amulet token placed in the space after the just-completed Quest, the Leader must select a player to receive the Amulet at the same time they choose the next Leader. The current Leader may not pick a player who has an Amulet or a Veteran token to receive the Amulet for this round, nor can they pick the same player as they are choosing to be the next Leader.
After the next Leader and the Amulet holder have been chosen, and before the next Quest commences, the Amulet holder acts. They may check the loyalty of any player who both has not received an Amulet and has not been checked by an Amulet. Use the Faded Amulets to track who has been checked by an Amulet.
The player being checked is passed the set of Loyalty cards, and must secretly select, and pass to the Amulet holder, the card that corresponds to their allegiance. The Amulet holder looks at the selected card - then discards both Loyalty cards face down so no other players will see the selected player's allegiance.
End of Round
The next round begins in the Team Building phase.
Game End
The game ends in one of two ways:
- Three successful Quests—Good wins! The game is over.
- Three failed Quests (or two, in a game of four players)—Proceed to the Final Quest. Either Good or Evil can win at this point.
Final Quest
If three Quests fail (or two, in a game of four players), immediately enter the Final Quest phase. The Final Quest proceeds with discussion and then either the Blind Hunter hunts or Good has its Last Chance.
The Discussion
All players have five minutes to discuss who the Minions of Mordred may be. Minions may cause confusion, lay low to escape discovery, or even come clean about their true loyalty to give the Blind Hunter the maximum amount of information.
Set a timer. Once five minutes are up, all conversation must cease.
The Hunt (When Using Optional Characters)
The Hunt is only included in games of six or more players when using the optional Blind Hunter character. The Final Leader asks, "Blind Hunter, if you would like to skip Good's Last Chance and enter The Hunt, do so now."
If the Blind Hunter does not want to Hunt, they may stay silent, and the game enters Good's Last Chance.
If the Blind Hunter does want to Hunt, they reveal that they are the Blind Hunter. They must identify two Good players by their role.
Note: if the Cleric is in play, then the Blind Hunter must identify the Cleric as one of the roles. For purposes of the Hunt, the Duke, Archduke and Apprentice characters may be identified as Loyal Servants of Arthur.
- If the Blind Hunter identifies two Good players by their role correctly, Evil wins.
- If the Blind Hunter guesses incorrectly, Good wins.
- The game ends if the Blind Hunter Hunts; there is no Good's Last Chance.
Example: Jennifer is the Blind Hunter. She thinks she knows who two of the Good players are, so she identifies herself as the Blind Hunter to activate The Hunt. She asks Alex, "Are you the Cleric?" If Alex is the Cleric, Jennifer moves on to a second player. She asks if they are a Loyal Servant of Arthur. If either guess is wrong, Evil loses.
No player, except the Blind Hunter, may talk during The Hunt.
Good's Last Chance
Each player gets ready to accuse. At the count of three, each player points at two players. Hold your hands in the air, and then announce, "Minions of Mordred, drop your hands," at which point, only Good players should be pointing.
If the Good players are pointing at all the Evil players, and only the Evil players, Good's Last Chance succeeds and Good wins. Otherwise, Evil wins—except in the rare case when the Leader for each Quest was Evil, then Good wins instead.
Index of Characters
| Character | Page | Character | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | 10 | Lunatic | 11 |
| Archduke | 9 | Morgan le Fey | 9 |
| Arthur | 11 | Mutineer | 11 |
| Blind Hunter | 10 | Revealer | 11 |
| Brute | 11 | Scion | 9 |
| Changeling | 9 | Trickster | 11 |
| Cleric | 10 | Troublemaker | 10 |
| Duke | 9 | Youth | 10 |
Special Roles
The following roles are included at different players counts as shown in the table on page 4. These roles have unique abilities and restrictions. Additional optional roles can be found on page 10.
Morgan le Fey is included at every player count and is on the side of Evil. She may secretly ignore the Magic token if it is placed on her, and may play a Fail or a Success as she chooses.
The Scion is included in games of four or five players and is on the side of Evil. They do not know who the other Minions of Mordred are, but Morgan le Fey knows their true loyalty.
The Changeling is included in games of six or more players and is on the side of Evil. They do not know who the other Minions of Mordred are, and they are likewise unknown to Evil.
The Duke is included in games of six or more players and is on the side of Good. They may drop one hand of any player during Good's Last Chance after roles are revealed. Adding the Duke makes the side of Good stronger. A second Duke may be added to the game optionally for games of six or more players.
The Archduke is included in games of nine or more players and is on the side of Good. They may switch one hand of any player during Good's Last Chance after the Minions of Mordred drop their hands. Adding the Archduke makes the side of Good stronger. A second Archduke may be added to the game optionally for games of six or more players.
Optional Roles
The following section (Optional Roles through Credits) is translated from the official Brazilian Portuguese edition of this rulebook (Galápagos Jogos, v1.0), as no complete English copy of these pages could be located; see the note under Table of Contents.
The following characters may replace any characters loyal to Good or Evil in Quest, except Morgan le Fey, who must be included in every game. It is also recommended that the Blind Hunter be included in games with these optional characters, as a threat to the Good players. Additional Loyal Servants of Arthur may also replace other characters loyal to Good. Doing so generally strengthens Good.
Recommended Optional Characters
These are the recommended setups for trying out optional characters:
| PLAYERS | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | |||||||
| Loyal Servant of Arthur | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Cleric | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Duke | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Youth | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Troublemaker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Archduke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Evil | |||||||
| Minion of Mordred | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Morgan le Fey | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Blind Hunter | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
The Blind Hunter is on the side of Evil. They do not know who the other Minions of Mordred are. When the Final Quest begins, the Blind Hunter may choose to start the Hunt and try to identify the characters of two Good players. If the Blind Hunter identifies both characters correctly, Evil wins. Otherwise, Good wins.
Use the following lines during the Reveal Stage:
"Everyone close your eyes."
"Blind Hunter, give a thumbs-up so the Minions of Mordred know who you are."
"Minions of Mordred, except the Blind Hunter, open your eyes to learn who the other Evil players are."
"Minions of Mordred, close your eyes."
"Blind Hunter, return your hand to its original position."
"Leader, give a thumbs-up if you are a Minion of Mordred."
"Cleric, open your eyes."
"Cleric, close your eyes."
"Leader, return your hand to its original position."
"Everyone open your eyes."
The Cleric is recommended in games of six or more players and is on the side of Good. They know whether the first Leader is on the side of Good or Evil. A second Cleric card may be added to the game.
The Troublemaker is recommended in games of six or more players and is on the side of Good. If she is investigated by any ability that checks loyalty (the Cleric or Amulets, for example), she must lie and say that she is on the side of Evil. Including the Troublemaker in a game strengthens Evil.
The Youth is recommended in games of six or more players and is on the side of Good. If the Magic token is placed on the Youth, they must play a Fail card instead of a Success card for that Quest.
Other Optional Characters
The Apprentice is on the side of Good. They point only one hand at another player during Good's Last Chance. They may point their second hand at another player after the Minions of Mordred lower their hands. Including an Apprentice in a game strengthens Good. Up to two Apprentices may be added to a game.
The Brute is on the side of Evil. They may only play a Fail on the first three Quests, but may play a Success card on any Quest. This character is recommended in games of seven or more players. Including the Brute in a game strengthens Good.
The Lunatic is on the side of Evil. They must play a Fail on every Quest they take part in, unless the Magic token is placed on them. Including the Lunatic in a game strengthens Good.
The Mutineer is on the side of Evil and does not know who the other Minions of Mordred are. During Good's Last Chance, the Mutineer may choose not to lower their hands. If the Mutineer is pointing at two Good players at the end of Good's Last Chance, the Mutineer must join Good, whether or not Good wins. Good players must point at the Mutineer to win Good's Last Chance, even if the Mutineer changes their loyalty.
Add the following lines to the Reveal Stage:
"Mutineer, give a thumbs-up so the Minions of Mordred know who you are."
"Minions of Mordred, except the Mutineer, open your eyes to learn who the other Evil players are."
"Minions of Mordred, close your eyes."
"Mutineer, return your hand to its original position."
Arthur is recommended in games of seven or more players and is on the side of Good. He knows who Morgan le Fey is from the start of the game. Evil wins if Arthur is identified first during the Hunt. It is not necessary to also correctly identify a second Good character.
Add the following lines to the Reveal Stage:
"Morgan le Fey, give a thumbs-up so that Arthur knows who you are."
"Arthur, open your eyes to identify Morgan le Fey."
"Arthur, close your eyes."
"Morgan le Fey, return your hand to its original position."
The Trickster is recommended in games of six or more players and is on the side of Evil. They may give a false answer to any ability that checks loyalty, such as the Cleric's or an Amulet's. Including the Trickster in a game strengthens Evil.
The Revealer is recommended in games of seven or more players and is on the side of Evil. They must reveal their identity after the 3rd failed Quest. Players do not need to, and may not, point at the Revealer during Good's Last Chance. Including the Revealer in a game strengthens Good.
Variants
Unknown Characters Variant
Below is a variant that adds an element of randomness to games.
In games of four players, create two piles of character cards: one of Good characters (Loyal Servant of Arthur, Cleric, and Youth) and one of Evil characters (Morgan le Fey and Blind Hunter). Shuffle the Good character cards, randomly remove one without revealing it, and set it aside. Then shuffle the remaining Good cards together with the Evil cards and randomly deal one card to each player.
In games of five players, do the same as described above, but add a Loyal Servant of Arthur card to the pile of Good characters before shuffling all the cards together and dealing them.
In games of six or more players, create two piles of character cards: one of Good characters you would like to play with (one card for each Good player according to the number of players in the game, plus two extra characters) and one of Evil characters you would like to play with (one card for each Evil player, plus the Blind Hunter). Shuffle the Good character cards, randomly remove two without revealing them, and set them aside. Shuffle the Evil character cards, randomly remove two without revealing them, and set them aside. Add the Morgan le Fey card to the remaining Good and Evil cards, shuffle them, and randomly deal one card to each player.
Hunter Variant
The Blind Hunter is an important character in the game, but only if used the right way. Hunting too often, or not often enough, can reduce the effectiveness of the character's ability. This variant can help rein in more impulsive players or encourage more timid ones. Add the following vote at the start of the Hunt:
The Leader of the fifth Quest deals a Success card and a Fail card to each Team member. Each player on the Quest chooses one of the two Quest cards and places it facedown in front of themselves. Good players must choose a Success card; Evil players may choose a Success or a Fail card as they wish.
The Leader collects the played Quest cards and shuffles them before revealing them. If there is one or no Fail cards, the Hunt ends and Good's Last Chance begins.
If there are two or more Fail cards, the Blind Hunter reveals their identity. They must identify the characters of two Good players.
Note: if the Cleric is in play, the Blind Hunter must guess the Cleric, plus one other character of their choosing.
- If the Blind Hunter correctly identifies the characters of two Good players, Evil wins.
- If the Blind Hunter gets the characters wrong, Good wins.
- The game ends if the Blind Hunter Hunts; there is no Good's Last Chance.
Character Tokens
For every character card in Quest, there is a corresponding character token that can be used as a reference for which characters are in play in that game. After selecting the character cards that will be in play, take the corresponding character tokens and place them in the center of the table. For characters with more than one card, use the matching number of tokens.
Credits
Design: Don Eskridge
Project Management: Anna Russell
Development: Travis Worthington
Graphic Design/Illustrations: Luis Francisco, Justine Nortjé, Weberson Santiago
The following credits are specific to the Brazilian Portuguese edition (Galápagos Jogos) from which the Optional Roles, Variants, and Character Tokens sections above were translated:
Translation: Paula Pizauro
Revision: Gabriel Novaes and Luis Perdomo
Brazilian Layout: Felipe Godinho, Guilherme Xavier, Robson Minghini, and Tati Hapanchuk
Errata
Official correction published in Kickstarter Update #22 (August 10, 2021), correcting the printed rulebook's Game End section on page 7:
"Three successful Quests—Good wins! The game is over."
Note: When using the optional Blind Hunter, the Blind Hunter reveals themself and a Hunt occurs (see page 8). There is no discussion, nor Good's Last Chance.
As explained in the same update: when the Cleric and Blind Hunter were moved from basic roles to optional roles, the Hunt was folded into the Final Quest, but the rulebook's Game End section was not updated to note that a Hunt still occurs on a Good win when the Blind Hunter is in play. The Blind Hunter should always be included alongside any named Good roles, to provide a penalty for players who openly claim their role ("claiming"), which is not otherwise part of the Quest system.