Reef & Ruins Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Setup
• Gameplay
• Boons
• Search a Ship Ruin
• Cast an Enchantment
  • Enchantment Boons
• Explore the Reef
• Pearl Bonuses
• Trade in Shells
• Lucky Numbers
• Game End
• Play Example
  • Play Example Continued
• Solo Game
  • Solo Score Table
• Reference
• Scoring

Contents

• 1 Round Tracker
• 1 Otter Token
• 3 Hydra Dice
• Player Pads: Ship Ruins & Enchantments, Reefs (Arcane Atoll, Bewitching Barrier)

Setup

1. All players take one copy of each of the following sheets: Ship Ruins, Enchantments, and a Reef plus a writing utensil. Place the sheets in that order.
2. As a group, pick which Reef side you all want to explore and which side of Round Tracker to use.
3. The last player who either tamed a hydra, pet an otter, or rolled some dice is the Dice Roller for the game. They take the Otter Token, Round Tracker, and 3 Hydra Dice.
4. Everyone picks their own lucky number between 1 and 6 (or roll for it if you'd rather leave it to fate!) and writes it on their Reef Sheet. If possible, each player should have a different lucky number.

Gameplay

At the start of each round, the Dice Roller moves the Otter Token to the next space on the round track. If there's a Boon next to that round number, everyone gains that Boon before the Hydra dice are rolled.

Now, the Dice Roller rolls the three Hydra dice and calls out the results for the round.

Everyone plays at the same time and each player then decides how to use all three dice — they can either Search a Ship Ruin, Cast an Enchantment, or Explore the Reef. Then, any leftover dice may be used in the Reef or Traded for shells.

Boons

• Roll a die: Players may write that value directly into any ship Ruin or into their Reef.
• Boon Die Value: These can be placed directly into a Ruin, Reef, or turned into shells.
• 2 shells: Gain two shells.
• Enchantment: Gain an enchantment.

Search a Ship Ruin

Each of the Ruins are numbered 1 - 6. Use a die that equals the Ruin's value, modify a die value with shell(s), or add multiple die values to equal the Ruin's value to unlock that Ruin for the current round only. Once you access the Ruin, any remaining dice may be placed into the Ruin.

Each of the Ruins have different rules for writing in die values. Unless specified, values can be written in the Ruins in any order.

You'll earn coins based on how complete each Ruin is, plus any Ruin Bonuses.

1. SAME: The values in each row must be the same. The values in different rows are not related to each other. Coins are earned for the number of complete rows.
2. DIFFERENT: Adjacent values must be different. Coins are earned for the number of complete rows.
3. +/- ONE: Values must be written starting from the leftmost spot and going right. Values must be one higher or lower than the value before it. If you switch from ascending to descending or descending to ascending, circle the +/- icon between the values. Coins are earned based on the furthest value written in the Ruin, plus a bonus based on the amount of ascending or descending changes if the Ruin is complete.
4. ODDS: All values must be odd. (1, 3, 5, 7, etc.) Coins are earned for each completed row. Gain a bonus for each correct column sum. For example, if there is a 1 and 3 in the first column, it adds up to 4 and thus would gain bonus coins, as indicated.
5. EVENS: All values must be even. (2, 4, 6, 8, etc.) Coins are earned the same as in the 4th Ruin.
6. PYRAMID: The values on the base of the pyramid may be any value. Each value on a higher row must be equal to or lower than each of the two values that it is balanced on. Coins are earned based on finished rows, starting at the bottom of the pyramid. For example, if all values are filled in, then 18 coins are gained. If all values but one on the second row are filled in, only 6 coins are gained.

Cast an Enchantment

Each Enchantment links to the Coin value from a specific Ruin following the dotted line connecting them on the Ruin and Enchantment sheets.

You need at least two dice to cast an Enchantment — one hydra head can't handle magic alone!

Once dice (and shells) are added together, cross off the leftmost avaliable enchantment in the matching section, then get any listed boon immediately.

Enchantment Boons

• Pearl: Gain a Pearl Bonus from the Reef.
• Boon Die Value: These can be written directly into a Ruin or used as you would a Hydra die value.
• x2-x5 End Game Multiplier: Use the highest earned multiplier to increase the value of the coins found in the corresponding Ruin at the end of the game.
• Shells: Gain two shells.

Explore the Reef

All players use the same Reef during the game.

Bewitching Barrier Reef: You can mark any space that is adjacent to the center (Start) or a previously marked space. Initially, you only have the options of filling in a 2, 3, 5, or 6. Gain pearl bonuses for marked highlighted (green) spaces, complete rows, and complete columns.

Arcane Atoll Reef: Draw one shape into the Reef based on the die value or two single blocks. Shapes can be rotated or mirrored. If a shape covers any of the textured reef spots, it must cover all of that texture and no other texture. The shape can overflow from a textured spot to a untextured spot.

To the right is an example of drawing shapes while covering all of only one texture.

Lucky numbers are only counted here for the specific shape, not for the two single blocks.

Gain pearl bonuses when an entire row or column is filled in.

Pearl Bonuses

Pearl bonuses are gained from the Reef or Enchantments. Whenever you earn a Pearl, cross it off and immediately choose one bonus in the Pearl Bonus section.

• Boon Die Value: These can be placed directly into a Ruin or used as you would a Hydra die value.
• Coins: These add directly to your final total.
• Enchantment: Gain the next enchantment in any row.

Trade in Shells

Shells are your otter friends' favorite currency — and they're handy for tweaking dice values.

Shells always come in pairs (two). Circle a pair when they are earned and cross them off when you use them to adjust dice up or down by 1. You can use as many as you like each round. You can spend shells on the same round that you earn them or save them for a later round.

Adding one to a 6 results in a 7 and subtracting one from 1 results in a 0.

Lucky Numbers

At the end of the game, players gain 2 coins for each instance of their Lucky Number written on the Ruins and in the Reef.

Game End

The game ends after all players have used all of their dice in the final round.

Players tally their coins in each Ruin and then multiply each Ruin by its corresponding enchantment multiplier, if any were earned. Then they total all enchantment values.

Players gain coins for their Lucky Number and their Pearl Bonus.

The player with the highest score wins! If two or more players are tied for the highest score, everyone else not tied for the highest score wins, as is tradition for hydra games.

Play Example

The Dice Roller advances the Otter Token one space on the round tracker. All players gains the boon shown; in this case two shells to be marked by a circle on their Reef sheets.

1, 2, and 5 are rolled.

Finley chooses Ruin 2 (Mariner's Misfortune Ruins), writes a 1 in that Ruin, then crosses 5 out in the Reef.

Deirdre adds all three dice to get 8, crosses off the next 8 enchantment and gains 2 shells by circling them.

Play Example Continued

María adds 1 and 5 to access Ruin 6 and writes a 2 in Ruin 6.

Solo Game

The solo games plays the same as the multiplayer game.

Solo Score Table

Score	Outcome
Less than 100	Hydra Hatchling: You're earning treasure, but only enough to compete with the youngest of the hydras.
101-125	Coral Crawler: You've learned some of the ways of the ocean, but not enough to maximize all the wonders of the Reef.
126-150	Seashell Seeker: You know where the seashells are buried and just how to use them to your advantage.
151-175	Reef Ranger: The Reef is your oyster and the ruins your playground.
175+	Wave Wisperer: You are the master of magic, the reefs, and yourself; which can be the most difficult of all.

Reference

• Gain 2 shells: Shells can be used to add or subtract 1 from a Hydra die value. You may use multiple shells on a die, but you cannot add 1 to a 6 to get a 1 or subtract 1 from a 1 to get a 6.
• Enchantment: The result of at least two dice added together. You may not use one die and shells to make an enchantment.
• Roll a die: Players may write that value directly into any ship Ruin or into their Reef.
• Coins: Points in the game.
• Lucky Number: Worth 2 coins (points) each time it appears in your Ruins and reef.
• Boon Die Value: Value can be placed directly into a Ruin or used as you would a Hydra die value.
• Pearl: Gain a Pearl Bonus from the Reef.

Scoring

1. Score all ship Ruins.
2. Multiply each Ruin by it's Enchantment.
3. Gain 2 Coins for each Lucky Number used in your Reef or Ruins.
4. Add any additional points from your Reef.