Römisch Pokern
Römisch Pokern Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 6 Roman dice (each die shows the faces I, V and X)
- 36 Action cards
- 1 score pad
Object of the Game
Players try to roll the highest valid Roman number with the 6 dice in order to write it on the score pad. Numbers must be written in ascending order. Each entry on the score pad earns points, and the player who accumulates the most at the end of the game wins.
Keep this Roman saying in mind: Si tibi tessella favet ego te studio vincam - if the die favors you, I will beat you by my skill!
Setup
- Write each player's name in the columns of the score pad. One player is responsible for recording scores during the game; they take the pad and a pencil.
- Each player receives a set of six different Action cards. The remaining cards can be returned to the box.
- The 6 dice are given to the player whose name is written in the leftmost column of the pad. That player is the first player. Play then continues clockwise.
Course of the Game
On their turn, the player begins by rolling 1 die.
Stop or Again?
After rolling the die, the player must choose whether to roll another die or to stop. The player may keep rolling as long as the result gives a valid Roman number (see the end of the rules for the table).
Examples of valid results:
- I + I + I = 3
- X + V = 15
- X + X = 20
A single I may be either added to or subtracted from a V or an X:
- I X = 9, or X I = 11
- I V = 4, or V I = 6
Example: Julius rolls a V on his first roll, then an X on his second roll. That gives X V = 15. He decides to roll a third die and gets an I. His result is now X I V = 14 or X V I = 16.
Stopping and Scoring Points
If a player decides to stop rolling (or after rolling the 6th die) and the final result of their roll is a valid Roman number, this number is written in the player's column on the score pad. The player decides in which of the 7 rows they want to write the number (one number per row).
Important!
- Each value in a row of a player's column must be greater than that of the row before it.
- A number may appear only once in a column.
Example: Julius decides not to roll a fourth die. He decides to write his result X V I = 16 in the second row of his column. (The pad shows 16 in row 2 of Julius's column.)
Once the number has been written, the player's turn ends. They pass the dice to the player on their left.
Failure
A player's turn is considered failed if:
- they cannot form a valid Roman number using all the dice they have rolled. This can happen if the player gets a fourth V or a second V, for example; or
- the player notices, after rolling the 6th die, that their result is already present in their column; or
- they cannot write it in any of their rows because of the ascending-values rule.
A player who fails a roll may (and only at that moment) either:
- write no number for this turn on the pad and pass the dice to the next player; or
- use one of their Action cards to influence the result.
Note: Action cards can therefore only be used after a failed turn.
Action Cards
Each Action card can be used once. It is then removed from the game.
- Grey card: The player rerolls all the I of their roll. They reroll them all at the same time.
- Orange card: The player rerolls all the V of their roll. They reroll them all at the same time.
- Blue card: The player rerolls the die of their choice.
- Red card: The player may ignore the die of their choice that they have already rolled. This die is set aside. The player may still roll dice that have not yet been used. Example: Agrippina has rolled X X V I V in this order. She then plays this Action card to remove the second V from her result and decides to stop. She can therefore write "26" in her column.
- Purple card: The player may add to their column a number that they have already used previously. These 2 numbers must be consecutive in the column. Example: At the end of his turn Gaius gets the valid number X X X I I I (33). But he has already written this number in his 6th row. He therefore plays this Action card. He can then add "33" in his 5th or 7th row. He decides to add it in the 5th.
- Joker card (yellow): The player may give this card any of the actions of the other Action cards.
End of the Game
The game ends as soon as a player writes the 7th number of their column: the players finish the current round so that all players have played the same number of turns. The first player therefore cannot play again.
Players receive a bonus of 5 points for each unused Action card.
To obtain their final score, each player adds up all the numbers in their column, plus any bonuses from unused Action cards.
Example (from the sample score pad): Julius's column holds 9, 16, 25, 31, (row 5 empty), 33, 35, with a bonus of 15, for a total of 164. Agrippina's column holds 18, 23, 26, (row 4 empty), 27, 29, 37, with a bonus of 20, for a total of 180. Gaius's column holds 19, 21, 23, 28, 33, 33, 39, with no bonus, for a total of 196. Gaius wins with 196 points!
Special Cases
- The game also ends if a player has no Action card left at the start of their turn and fails their turn.
- Four X are valid only if they form the number X X X I X (39). Therefore a result of X X X X is not yet a failure. The player can still hope to roll an I.
- The number "38" cannot be obtained with the 6 dice.
- Optional rule: for experienced players who want to take more risks, it is possible to roll more than one die at a time. It is also possible to allow the use of Action cards even when the player has obtained a valid Roman number.
Summary of Roman Numbers
| Number | Dice | Number | Dice | Number | Dice | Number | Dice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | 11 | X I | 21 | X X I | 31 | X X X I |
| 2 | I I | 12 | X I I | 22 | X X I I | 32 | X X X I I |
| 3 | I I I | 13 | X I I I | 23 | X X I I I | 33 | X X X I I I |
* Note: although there is another notation for this Roman numeral, this game uses only the best-known one, which does not allow the I to appear 4 times in a row.