Savage: A Game of Survival Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Summary
• Game Contents
• Setup
• Win Conditions
• Game Modes
• Gameplay
  • Phase 1: Turn Phase
  • Phase 2: Event — Recruitment Phase
  • Phase 3: Event — Outcome Phase
  • Phase 4: Food — Distribution Phase
• Voting
• Questions & Clarifications
• Glossary

Game Summary

• Players select the preferred game mode: Standard or Insomnia. Refer to "Game Modes" on page 3.
• Each player receives (1) facedown identity card, (3) faceup life tokens, and a hand of (7) random cards from the main deck.
• Traitor Meeting (Standard Mode only): Traitors secretly meet their fellow traitors.

Round

Each round has 4 phases. Repeat in order (unless a player is eliminated, ending the game).

Phase 1: Turn Phase. Each player takes a turn (clockwise, starting with the leader) performing the actions below in any order. Each diseased player must start their turn by rolling the danger die once, without drawing cards.

• Choose (only one) draw option:
  • Draw (1) card.
  • Roll danger die to draw (3) cards.
  • Discard a pair of duplicate cards to draw (3) cards.
• Contribute any number of cards to the food stockpile.
  • (The player who contributes the most cards receives the leader token at the end of the Turn Phase.)
• Play any number of medicines from hand.

Phase 2: Event — Recruitment Phase. Leader chooses a team of recruits for the event. All players vote; see page 5 and 7.

Phase 3: Event — Outcome Phase. Leader follows the SURVIVE or FAIL instructions on the event card.

Phase 4: Food — Distribution Phase. Leader chooses which players to feed (lose no life) or starve (lose a life).

Game Contents

1. Main Deck Cards (127 Cards)
   • (34) Food
   • (29) Liquor
   • (23) Weapon
   • (23) Trap
   • (10) Medicine
   • (8) Disease
2. Danger Die (1 Die)
3. Event Cards (9 Cards)
4. Identity Cards (10 Cards)
5. Leader Token (1 Token)
6. Life Tokens (30 Tokens)

Setup

• The player voted most untrustworthy receives the leader token and danger die.
• Shuffle the main deck and deal each player a starting hand of (7) random cards. Players cannot have a disease in their starting hand, so shuffle diseases back into the main deck, and draw to replace. Place the main deck at the center of the table.
• Shuffle all (9) event cards facedown, and place near the main deck. The event deck can be customized with event cards from other expansions. An event deck consists of (3) liquor events, (3) weapon events and (3) trap events.
• Referring to Table 1, shuffle the required number of traitor and survivor cards together. Give one to each player randomly, facedown. Place (3) life tokens faceup on the backside.

Table 1: Determine number of traitors and survivors.

Total players	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
# Traitors	1	2	2	3	3	4	4
# Survivors	3	3	4	4	5	5	6

Win Conditions

Each game consists of (4) rounds. If a player is eliminated (life total reduced to (0)), the game ends and a victor is decided:

• Survivors: All survivors must reach the end of the last round or eliminate at least (1) traitor, without being eliminated in the process.
• Traitors: Eliminate at least (1) survivor. (Even if both a survivor and a traitor are eliminated at the same time, traitors win.)

Game Modes

• Standard Mode: The traitor team will get to see each other before the leader conducts their first turn. Follow the instructions as shown under "Traitor Meeting;" refer to page 4.
• Insomnia Mode: Disregard the "Traitor Meeting."

Gameplay

Traitor Meeting (Standard Mode only): Secretly the traitors have formed an alliance to eliminate the weakest survivor(s). In this phase, the traitors are given an opportunity to meet one another. Once each player has seen their identity card, everyone follows this script recited by the leader from memory:

"Everyone, close your eyes. Follow my instructions. Traitors, open your eyes and find your teammates. (Count down 5 seconds.) Traitors, close your eyes. Everyone, open your eyes."

Each round has 4 phases. Repeat in order (unless a player is eliminated, ending the game).

Phase 1: Turn Phase

Each player takes a turn (clockwise, starting with the leader) performing the actions below in any order. Each diseased player must start their turn by rolling the danger die once, without drawing cards.

A. Gain resources. Current player must perform only (1) of the following (3) options:

• Draw only (1) card from the top of the main deck.
• Roll the danger die to draw (3) cards from the main deck. If you roll the broken-heart symbol, also lose a life. If you roll the +1 symbol, draw an additional card.
• Discard (2) duplicate cards from your hand, faceup, to draw (3) cards from the main deck.

There is no maximum hand size. If the main deck is ever depleted (and not before), shuffle the discard pile and turn it over to create a new main deck.

Diseases are contagious! Each extra disease card drawn by a player (after ALL cards, including replacement cards, have been drawn) is then passed counterclockwise to the nearest non-diseased player, if possible.

Current player's turn. (Illustration: the current player draws a disease; the extra disease is passed counterclockwise to the nearest non-diseased player.)

B. Players can play medicine on their turn to either remove (1) disease from any player, or restore (1) life for any non-diseased player. Note: The only time medicine can be played outside of a player's turn, is to remove a disease gained during another player's turn (after ALL extra diseases have been spread from the current player).

C. Contribute any number of non-disease cards (can be none) to food stockpile.

• Contributions are placed facedown, overlapping the player's identity card.
• Having enough food in the food stockpile enables the leader to choose to feed all players during the "Food - Distribution Phase"; refer to page 6.
• Disease cannot be contributed to the food stockpile.

Phase 2: Event — Recruitment Phase

Once everyone completes their turn, all food-stockpile contributions are shuffled together and passed to the player who contributed the most cards. That player is now the leader. Place the leader token on top of the food stockpile.

The leader reveals and reads the top card from the event deck, including the SURVIVE and FAIL outcomes.

Each time the recruit symbol (#) is encountered, read the green # from the table, determined by the total count of players in the game. In the example below, if there are 6 players in the game, the table says the leader would choose 3 players to participate in the event.

Example 1: Event Card. The card's event type is shown as Weapon (here, the OPPORTUNITY card). The card lists its event requirements (the recruit count and the contribution required), a player-count table with the number of recruits for each player count, and a survival difficulty rating. Its SURVIVE and FAIL outcomes are printed below.

• Event: OPPORTUNITY (Event Type: Weapon)
• Event requirements: "Pay off an informant for valuable info. Leader must choose 3 recruits to contribute (1) liquor each."
• Player table: 4-7 players: 3 recruits. 8-9 players: 4 recruits. 10 players: 5 recruits.
• SURVIVE: Leader draws 3 cards and may distribute them to any number of players, discard and replace any diseases drawn.
• FAIL: Leader chooses a non-diseased player to lose (1) life, then chooses (2) players to exchange life totals.

The leader chooses the listed number of recruits (regardless of whether or not those players are willing, are diseased, or claim to have the required card). The leader may include themselves in the group, but may not include any players with no cards in hand. The responsibility rests on the leader to choose the group; they cannot abdicate.

Once the leader chooses a team of recruits, ALL players (including the leader and diseased players) perform a vote of confidence, which determines if the majority agrees with the leader's proposed team of recruits.

If the vote does not pass by majority, the player to the immediate left of the current leader is given the leader token and chooses the team of recruits (which can be the same as what the previous leader chose). For more on "Voting," refer to page 7.

If the vote did pass: All recruited diseased players must first roll the danger die (without drawing cards). Then all recruits contribute exactly (1) card to the leader, facedown. Keep these separate from the food stockpile.

Players may openly discuss the cards in their hand, but must not reveal any cards publicly. (Players are not required to tell the truth about the cards in their hand.)

Example 2: Group Discussion. The leader announces: "Alright, everyone, the event requires me to recruit (3) people to contribute weapons. I have a weapon. Who else does?" Other players answer "I do not have one!" or "I have a weapon!"

Phase 3: Event — Outcome Phase

All contributed cards will be shuffled and revealed by the leader faceup. If ALL cards match what the event required, the leader will follow the instructions under the SURVIVE outcome (in order). Otherwise, the leader will follow the instructions under the FAIL outcome (in order).

The leader may be required to have players lose a life due to a SURVIVE or FAIL outcome. If a leader's decision would cause any number of players to be eliminated (life total reduced to (0)), a vote of confidence must be performed to approve their decision. Refer to "Voting" on page 7. Discard all cards contributed to the event. The completed event cards are stacked faceup so players see the number of rounds completed.

Phase 4: Food — Distribution Phase

After the event, the leader shuffles and reveals all cards in the food stockpile.

• Set aside all medicine, weapon, trap and liquor cards found.
• Remove food from the stockpile equal to the number of liquor found.
• Account for any effects from the SURVIVE or FAIL event outcome.
• Count the remaining food.

The leader then decides how many players to feed. The following should be considered before food is distributed:

• Players who are fed neither lose nor gain a life.
• The leader may choose not to feed any number of players, regardless of the amount of food in the food stockpile. Those players lose (1) life each.
• If the leader's choice to starve any player(s) would cause any player(s) to be eliminated, a vote of confidence is performed to approve the decision. Refer to "Voting" on page 7.

End the round by discarding ALL cards from the food stockpile. If the players survived to the end of the 4th round, survivors win! Otherwise, continue to the next round (Phase 1, page 4).

Voting

A vote of confidence must occur when the leader does the following:

• Proposing which players should participate in an event ("Event — Recruitment Phase").
• Proposing to eliminate any player(s) ("Event — Outcome Phase" or "Food — Distribution Phase").

When performing a vote of confidence, players are voting on the leader's proposal AND determining if the current leader should remain in power for the rest of the round. Vote with the following in mind:

• All players vote (including diseased players and the leader).
• Remember that the leader has the power to starve any player(s) at the end of the round, as they see fit. (Exception: if starving a player would result in player(s) being eliminated, a vote is required.)
• Voting is performed with a (3)-second countdown by the leader, followed by a simultaneous thumbs-up or thumbs-down from all players.
• Players agreeing with the leader's proposal, but lacking confidence in the leader, may choose to downvote just to pass leadership.
• A vote must pass by majority (more than half the players giving a thumbs-up, no ties).
• If the vote does not pass by majority, the player left of the leader is immediately appointed the new leader (taking the leader token). The new leader makes their proposal (which can be the same as, or different from, the previous leader's proposal), and all players vote again. If the leader token is passed a second time, that new leader makes a decision without any need for a vote.

The leader token cannot be passed more than twice in the same phase.

Example 3: Consecutive Downvoting.

• 1st vote: CURRENT LEADER.
• 2nd vote: NEW LEADER (PASS TOKEN, 1ST TIME).
• 3rd vote: NO VOTE REQUIRED. NEW LEADER (PASS TOKEN, 2ND TIME).

A vote does not occur if the danger die caused a player to lose their last life.

Questions & Clarifications

Question — What if not enough players claim to have the card needed, to meet an event's requirements? Answer — The leader is still obligated to choose a team of recruits to participate in the event, regardless of the likelihood the group can SURVIVE the event. Players are still given the opportunity to perform a vote of confidence, in case the majority of players wish leadership to change.

Question — Suppose an event's FAIL outcome forces the leader to lose a life. If this would eliminate the leader, would the players be required to vote? Answer — No. The leader losing a life would not be due to an individual player's decision, so it would not call for a vote. In this example, the leader would be eliminated and a victor would be determined depending on that player's identity.

Question — The FAIL outcome in the event requires the leader to choose a non-diseased player to lose a life. If all players have a disease and there are no targets to choose, what happens? Answer — If there is no non-diseased player, that part of the instruction is disregarded. The leader follows the instructions as much as possible, then proceeds to the "Food — Distribution Phase."

Question — Can players use food from their hand in order to be fed for the round? Answer — No. Players must be fed with food distributed by the leader, only from the food stockpile.

Question — At the end of a round, can a leader feed the same player multiple times? Answer — Yes, but it makes no difference. Each player needs only (1) food to be fed, and being fed does not heal a life; it only prevents players from losing a life.

Question — At the beginning of the "Event — Recruitment Phase," if there is a tie between players who contributed cards into the food stockpile, who receives the leader token? Answer — Whoever placed the most cards first would receive the leader token.

Question — When an event outcome causes players to draw cards from the main deck and a disease card is drawn, what happens? Answer — Unless the event text specifically says otherwise, the player draws a replacement card for each disease and then places the disease(s) in front of the appropriate player(s). Refer to page 4.

Question — When gaining a disease from another player, do I draw a "replacement" card from the main deck? Answer — No.

Question — What happens if an event requires more recruits than there are players with any cards in hand? Answer — No cards are contributed. Players all vote (see page 7) to see if a majority wishes to keep the current leader. Afterward, the current leader must follow the instructions under the FAIL text.

Question — When the leader token is given to a newly appointed leader in the event phase, does that player distribute the food at the end of the round? Answer — Yes, the decision of which players are fed is determined by whoever physically has the leader token at that time.

Question — Can the leader reveal the food stockpile before resolving a SURVIVE or FAIL outcome from an event card? Answer — No. Unless the event specifies otherwise, the leader follows the instructions from the SURVIVE or FAIL outcome before shuffling and revealing the food stockpile.

Question — At start of turn, can a diseased player play a medicine before their disease forces them to roll the danger die? Answer — No. Players with any number of disease cards must roll the danger die (once, and without drawing cards), before doing anything else.

Question — If multiple diseased players with (1) life participate in an event, who decides which player rolls the danger die first? Answer — All diseased players participating in the event can roll the danger die in any order. The rolls are treated as simultaneous.

Question — When a disease forces a player to roll the danger die, does the +1 symbol enable that player to draw a card? Answer — No. The +1 symbol applies to players that roll the danger die only when attempting to draw cards from the main deck.

Glossary

• Food Stockpile: Players may contribute food, weapon, trap, liquor and even medicine to the food stockpile. During the "Food — Distribution Phase," the leader is able to feed a number of players equaling up to the amount of food cards in the food stockpile (after event and liquor effects are applied).
• Discard Pile: Cards from the main deck are discarded in this pile faceup after use.
• Main Deck: There are (6) types of cards in the main deck: food, medicine, weapon, liquor, trap and disease cards.
• Food Cards: Each food card found in the food stockpile can feed one player, at the leader's discretion.
• Liquor Cards: These may be contributed to the food stockpile or toward events. For each liquor found in the food stockpile, remove (1) food.
• Trap Cards: These may be contributed to the food stockpile or toward events. They generally have no effect in the food stockpile.
• Weapon Cards: These may be contributed to the food stockpile or toward events. They generally have no effect in the food stockpile.
• Leader Token: The player with this token is the leader.
• Medicine Cards: Players can play this card on their turn to either remove (1) disease from any player, or restore (1) life for any non-diseased player. Can be played out of turn, after gaining a disease, to immediately remove it. Medicine may be contributed to the food stockpile or toward events, though not beneficial for survivors.
• Disease Cards: When drawn, place this card faceup and draw a replacement card. Players with disease(s) must roll the danger die once (without drawing cards) both at the start of their turn and when contributing to an event. Rolling the danger die puts a player at risk to lose (1) life. Each extra disease card drawn by a player (after ALL cards, including replacement cards, have been drawn) is then spread counterclockwise to the nearest non-diseased player, if possible.