The Scepter of Zavandor
The Scepter of Zavandor Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
1 Game board 6 player boards 56 chits of magic dust (value 2) 24 chits of magic dust (value 5) 20 chits of magic dust (value 10) 28 Opals 28 Sapphires 24 Emeralds 24 Diamonds 20 Rubies 8 cards of each type of concentrated energy 12 sets of artifact cards (3 each) 126 Energy cards 9 Sentinels 6 Turn order cards (I, II, III, IV, V, VI) 6 sets of colored wood chips (8 each)
You'll find them depicted on the back cover.
Game Objective
The players represent young students of magic competing for the Scepter of Zavandor which gives the position of archmage. To achieve it, they have to accumulate enough magical power and knowledge.
Game Setup
The 6 player boards are shuffled face down and each player draws one of them, placing it face up in front of himself on the table. Each player receives 3 gems (2 opals and one sapphire) and places them on the space for active gems (the magic spiral) on his player board. Additionally each player receives a starting amount of magic dust as denoted on his player board. The player who plays the fairy also gets 2 additional blue energy cards.
Of the 8 wooden chips in his color, every player places one on the victory point track at the edge of the main game board, one on the first level on his starting field of knowledge (as marked on his player board), and the other 6 on his own player board: 5 on the knowledge marker positions and one on the starting position on the hand limit track: for the elf and the witch on the number 4, for the druid and the fairy on the number 5, and for the magician and the kobold on the number 6. The corresponding space is highlighted.
With 2 players, only one artifact of each kind is used, with 3 or 4 players two of each, and with 5 or 6 players all three of each kind are in play. The artifact cards are sorted by the letter on the back, each stack is shuffled separately and the four stacks are then placed on top of each other in the sequence A-B-C-D so that the A artifacts are on top. Finally, draw as many artifact cards as there are players and place these cards face up next to the main game board.
The energy cards are sorted by type, shuffled separately and placed next to the game board. The magic dust, the concentrated energy cards, and the 9 sentinel cards should also be made available.
Game Sequence
The game is played in turns, and each turn consists of 4 phases. These turns are repeated until the victory conditions are met in phase 4.
First, the turn order for the actual turn is determined. Then, all players get their income. Next, they can spend their magical energy in turn order. Finally, the victory points are adjusted on the victory point track.
The more detailed description of the phases:
Phase 1: Determine turn order and refill artifacts
At the start of each turn, the player sequence is determined. The player with most victory points receives the position card number I and places it face up next to his player board. The player with second most victory points receives the number II, and so on.
If two or more players have the same number of victory points, the player with more victory points from gems has the edge. If this is also equal, the sequence of the respective players is drawn randomly. This will always happen at the start of the game, as all players start with 3 victory points from their 3 gems. This player sequence applies to all other phases of this turn.
If the number of open artifact cards is less than the number of players, draw new artifact cards from the stack until the number of open artifact cards is equal again to the number of participating players.
If no artifact was auctioned off in the last turn, no new artifact card is drawn.
Phase 2: Gain magical energy
In turn order, every player gains the magical energy his gems and artifacts produce. This energy is represented by energy cards in the hand of the player and chits of magic dust placed face up on the player board.
Opals: Magic dust
Active opals produce magic dust: if a player has one active opal, he receives 2 units of magic dust. For two active opals he receives 5 units of magic dust, for three active opals he receives 10 units of magic dust. If a player has 4 active opals, he will receive 10 + 2 units of magic dust, for 5 active opals 10+5, and so on.
Other gems: Energy cards
For each active sapphire, the player receives a blue energy card, for each active emerald (and Crystal of Protection) a green energy card, for each active diamond a white energy card and for each active ruby (and Chalice of Fire) a red energy card. If a player would receive 4 energy cards of the same color, he receives a card of concentrated energy in this color instead, and additionally two units of magic dust.
Concentrated energy cards can only be obtained in this phase and only instead of 4 new energy cards of the same color. It is not possible to trade in 4 (low value) cards for a card of concentrated energy.
A player must take concentrated energy instead of 4 cards if possible. It doesn't matter if the cards come from different sources: 3 emeralds and one Crystal of Protection give the player concentrated green energy, not 3+1 emerald cards.
In the first turn, each player gets 5 units of magic dust for his opals and a blue card for his sapphire.
Once collected, the color of energy cards does not matter; all that matters is the number printed on each card.
Phase 3: Player activities (in turn order)
Phase 3 has to be played in the player order. First, the player with the position card number I proceeds with all his activities, next, player II and so on. This means that these activities can only be performed by the active player.
As an exception, the bidding on the artifacts is of course possible for all players during each auction (including players who have already taken their activities), and the winning player of course pays the price immediately, including selling gems if necessary for payment.
With the collected magical energy, the players can buy more gems, improve their knowledge, or bid on artifacts.
There is no limit on the number of these activities each player can perform (except improving knowledge, see below), they can be performed in any sequence, or skipped at all.
If a player has to overpay for an activity because he has no matching energy cards to meet the price exactly, he receives change in units of magic dust, if possible. There is no 1 unit of magic dust, so surplus of 1 might get lost from time to time. It is permissible for a player to combine the costs of non-auction items in order to better match his energy cards.
Phase 3a: Buying and selling gemstones
At the start of the game, every player is able to get magical energy from opals and sapphires. When he acquires certain artifacts (spellbook, elixir) he gains the ability to enchant emeralds or diamonds. If a player has reached level 4 of the Knowledge of Fire, he also is able to enchant rubies (to a maximum of 5 rubies).
In order to acquire a gem as a source of magical energy, you have to spend a certain amount of energy first. In a world of wizards and elves, you'd call that "enchanting of gemstones". Here, in the game, we humbly use the concept of "buying" them.
The energy costs for gems are denoted on the player board; higher levels of the Knowledge of Gemstones reduce the necessary amount of energy. The new gems are taken from the general supply and placed on the player's board. There are two options: if they are placed on the magic spiral, they are active and produce magical energy. If they are placed on the pentagon, they are inactive and cannot produce energy.
At the start of the game, any player can only have up to five active gems. Artifacts, and the Knowledge of Accumulation, may increase this number in the course of the game. The active player may freely activate and deactivate his gems by moving them from the pentagon to the magic spiral and vice versa. By doing this, he can change his number of victory points and take influence on the player sequence in the next turn.
A player may also sell gems (return them to the general supply). He will then receive half the amount of energy he would have to spend for buying it at this time, rounded down. This energy may be used for paying for other activities, or received in the form of magic dust.
Phase 3b: Improve knowledge
Every turn, a player can spend magical energy to improve his knowledge by one level in one field of knowledge. To do this, he pays the necessary energy and moves his wooden chip one position up in this field. If he has no chip yet in this field and wants to learn level 1, he has to take a chip from his board first and pay for it (in addition for the energy cost for moving to level 1). The chips cost between 20 and 40 units of magical energy and can be bought in any order. A bought chip is placed in the pentagon, it is moved to a book of knowledge as soon as the player pays the cost for level 1 in that field. Buying a chip does not count as improving knowledge. Putting it into level 1 does.
If a player arrives at level 4 in a field of knowledge, he gets 2 victory points.
Some fields of knowledge increase or decrease the hand limit. Move the chip on the hand limit row on the player board accordingly. The hand limit change only applies when the player first gains this field, not each time he increases his knowledge.
A player is also allowed to pay for a new knowledge chip without placing it in a field of knowledge immediately. The chip is then placed in the pentagon instead. Later this chip can be used for placing it in any field of knowledge. However, a player is allowed only one chip in every field of knowledge.
Phase 3c: Bid for artifacts and sentinels
At the start of each turn, there are as many artifact cards in the offering as players are participating. Additionally, all sentinels not yet auctioned are always available.
The active player can start an auction of any one open artifact card or sentinel, but only one at a time. Bids are made in the current player sequence, beginning with the active player. A player who has passed cannot bid in the same auction again.
The starting bid has to be at least the minimum bid printed on the card.
Discounts and additional charges are not considered when bidding, they have to be considered only when a bid is successful and the player has to pay the energy.
The next player then increases the bid or passes, and so on. To illustrate who is still participating in the auction, a player temporarily flips his turn order card to the black side when he passes.
The winning bidder immediately pays the magical energy and utilizes the effect of the artifact immediately, including possible discounts. The active player may then start another auction. If no one else bids, the active player has to buy the artifact or sentinel himself.
If a player has made a higher bid than he can possibly pay (including selling all of his gems), the Curse of the 9 Sages hits him and he is out of the game immediately. The auction is cancelled.
A player is allowed to acquire more than one artifact or sentinel every turn. He is also allowed to possess more than one of a kind of an artifact (exceptions: magic belt and magic wand). Therefore, discounts given on the acquisition of other artifacts and sentinels also add up.
If the acquisition of an artifact has a direct impact on the game (e. g. Shadow Cloak: destruction of opponent's gems), the effects apply before the next auction may be started.
As soon as the player with most victory points has at least 10 victory points, the player with the position card I has to pay 10 energy units more when acquiring an artifact. (Beware that victory points are tallied in phase 4 only!) The player with the position card II has to pay 5 energy units more if he has at least 10 victory points himself. On the other hand, the player coming fifth has to pay 5 energy units less, as soon as the leader has at least 10 victory points. The player coming sixth has to pay 10 energy units less in this case. For sentinels, these additional charges or discounts are doubled (20 or 10, respectively).
Only when the player sequence changes (i. e. in phase 1) the players affected by this rule change accordingly.
Phase 4: Count victory points and check victory conditions
Magical energy is transient. This is represented by the hand limit: Every player may keep only a certain number of cards after phase 3.
At the start of the game, the players have a hand limit of 4, 5, or 6 cards since the starting field of knowledge may increase or decrease the hand limit by 1.
If a player finds himself with more magical energy than he can store at this moment, he has to discard excess energy without compensation by returning it to the general supply.
| Energy item | Counts as |
|---|---|
| Card (sapphire, emerald, diamond, ruby) | 1 card |
| "2" magic dust chit | 1 card |
| "5" magic dust chit | 2 cards |
| "10" magic dust chit | 3 cards |
| Concentrated energy card | 3 cards |
You are allowed to exchange chits of magic dust into larger units at any time in order to reduce your number of cards, e. g. exchange two chits of 5 units for one chit of 10 units.
In this phase, all players check their victory points:
| Item | Victory Points |
|---|---|
| Active opal or sapphire | 1 VP |
| Active emerald or diamond | 2 VPs |
| Active ruby | 3 VPs |
| Top level in Field of Knowledge | 2 VP |
| Artifact | as printed on card |
| Sentinel | 5 VP plus bonus |
A player's victory points can also decrease, if some of his gemstones have been deactivated, sold or destroyed. The new victory point total replaces the old total, they are not added to the player's old total. Any victory points acquired through sentinels are counted as normal, the bonus points change accordingly every turn.
If in this phase 5 or more sentinels have been acquired by players, the game ends.
The player with most victory points is the winner. If two or more players have the same number of victory points, they are all winners and have to play another game for determining the true holder of the Scepter of Zavandor.
Artifacts
Spellbook (A): If a player has a spellbook, he is able to buy emeralds. Each Spellbook provides a discount of 15 energy units when acquiring the Shadow Cloak. Minimum bid: 20, Victory Points: 1
Runestone (A): As soon as a player acquires a runestone, he may immediately advance one of his chips in one field of knowledge by one level (without any further costs and in addition to any normal advance). Each Runestone provides a discount of 10 energy units when acquiring the Chalice of Fire. Minimum bid: 20, Victory Points: 1
Crystal Ball (A): Each crystal ball increases the hand limit of the player by 3. Each crystal ball provides a discount of 5 energy units when acquiring the Elixir. Minimum bid: 20, Victory Points: 1
Magic Belt (B): A Magic Belt allows a player to have two more active gems. These gems are placed on the belt. A player may only have one Magic Belt. Minimum bid: 30, Victory Points: 2
Magic Mirror (B): As soon as a player acquires a Magic Mirror, he may place one of his unused knowledge chips (normally the most expensive one) into the pentagon for free. Additionally, all other players have to return one of their active gemstones to the general supply without compensation. You can't start an auction for a Magic Mirror if you don't have at least one active gemstone. Minimum bid: 40, Victory Points: 2
Crystal of Protection (B): The Crystal of Protection works like an additional active emerald, giving the player one green energy card in phase 2. This may result in the player receiving a concentrated energy card. Minimum bid: 40, Victory Points: 2
Elixir (B): If a player has an Elixir, he is able to buy diamonds. As soon as a player acquires an Elixir, he receives 1 diamond free of charge. For each Crystal Ball he has, the player has to pay 5 energy units less when acquiring an Elixir. Minimum bid: 60, Victory Points: 2
Mask of Charisma (C): As soon as a player acquires a Mask of Charisma, he may advance one of his chips in one field of knowledge by one level (without any further costs and in addition to any normal advance). Each Mask of Charisma provides a discount of 20 energy units when acquiring a sentinel. Minimum bid: 50, Victory Points: 3
Magic Wand (C): A Magic Wand allows the player to have two more active gems. The gems are placed on the artifact card. A player may only have one Magic Wand. A Magic Wand also increases the player's hand limit by 3. Minimum bid: 60, Victory Points: 3
Chalice of Fire (C): The Chalice of Fire works like an additional active ruby, giving the player one red energy card in phase 2. This may result in the player receiving a concentrated energy card. For every runestone he has, the player has to pay 10 energy units less when acquiring a Chalice of Fire. Minimum bid: 80, Victory Points: 4
Shadow Cloak (D): As soon as a player acquires a Shadow Cloak, he may place one of his unused knowledge chips (normally the most expensive one) into the pentagon for free. Additionally, all other players have to return one of their active gems to the general supply without compensation. For every spellbook he has, the player has to pay 15 energy units less when acquiring a Shadow Cloak. You can't start an auction for a Shadow Cloak if you don't have at least one active gemstone. Minimum bid: 80, Victory Points: 5
Talisman (D): As soon as a player acquires a Talisman, he may advance one of his chips in one field of knowledge by two levels (without any further costs and in addition to any normal advance), or, alternatively, two of his chips by one level. Minimum bid: 100, Victory Points: 8
Sentinels
The sentinels are guarding the Scepter. Only after the majority of the sentinels have been removed (auctioned), can the Scepter be taken.
Sentinels have no direct impact on the game but provide bonus victory points for meeting certain conditions:
Phoenix: 2 victory points for each kind of active gem; hence, a maximum of 10 bonus victory points.
Owl: 2 victory points for each top level in a field of knowledge; hence, a maximum of 12 bonus victory points.
Fox: 2 victory points for each active sapphire to a maximum of 12 bonus victory points.
Toad: 2 victory points for each Runestone, Crystal of Protection, Spellbook, and Elixir.
Unicorn: 1 victory point for each active diamond; hence, a maximum of 11 bonus victory points.
Tomcat: 2 victory points for each active opal to a maximum of 12 bonus victory points.
Scarab: 1 victory point for each active emerald; hence, a maximum of 11 bonus victory points (Crystals of Protection don't count).
Raven: 2 victory points for each Crystal Ball, Mask of Charisma, Magic Belt, and Magic Wand.
Salamander: 2 victory points for each active ruby; hence, a maximum of 10 bonus victory points. (Chalices of Fire don't count)
Minimum bid for each of the sentinels: 120 Victory points: 5 + bonus as stated above
Fields of Knowledge
The knowledge of magic is divided into six fields (represented by books) and not easy to learn. Each student starts with some basic knowledge in one of the fields. Each field of knowledge has four levels. The cost to enter a level is printed on the correspondent book on the gameboard.
Knowledge of gems makes it easier to buy gemstones. The energy needed for enchanting is reduced by 10 per cent per level (see the table on the players' boards).
Knowledge of energy flow provides the student with extra magic dust every turn. For level 2 in this field he receives an extra 2 units of magic dust, for level 3 an extra 5 units and on level 4 an extra 10 units. As soon as a player achieves at least the first level in this field, his hand limit is decreased by 1. The elf starts at level 1 in this field.
Knowledge of fire makes it possible to enchant rubies when a student achieves level 4 in this field. Lower levels have no effect. The druid starts at level 1 in this field. Additionally, he has the exclusive right to buy exactly one ruby at level 3. Players can only have up to 5 rubies! (Chalices of Fire don't count against that limit.)
Knowledge of the 9 sages provides the player with extra energy as soon as a new level in this field is achieved (but only once for each level). For level 1 the player receives two extra blue sapphire cards, for level 2 two green emerald cards, for level 3 two white diamond cards, and for level 4 two red ruby cards. If a player has no means to get green emerald cards (i.e. no Spellbooks or Crystals of Protection) when entering level 2, he discards the 2 cards he just got and takes the equivalent in Magic Dust. The same rule is in effect for level 3 and diamond cards, and for level 4 and ruby cards. However, this energy cannot be used in the same turn; therefore the cards are placed under the player's position number card until the start of the next turn. These cards do not count against the hand limit in this turn. The fairy starts at level 1 in this field- She therefore receives two extra sapphire cards at the beginning of the game as printed on her player board.
This also applies, however, to selling. As soon as a player achieves at least the first level in this field, his hand limit is decreased by 1. The witch starts at level 1 in this field.
Knowledge of artifacts makes the acquisition of artifacts and sentinels cheaper. For level 2 and 3, the player enjoys a discount of 5 energy units for artifacts, and 10 energy units for sentinels. For level 4, the discount is 10 for artifacts and 20 for sentinels. As soon as a player achieves at least the first level in this field, his hand limit is increased by 1. The mage starts at level 1 in this field.
Knowledge of accumulation allows the student to use more than 5 active gems. If he is on level 2 or 3, the player may activate one extra gem, on level 4 he may activate two extra gems. As soon as a player achieves at least the first level in this field, his hand limit is increased by 1. The kobold starts at level 1 in this field. The extra gemstones are placed on the fields (+1) and (+2) in the lower right corner of the player boards.
The Characters and Their Starting Fields of Knowledge
| Character | Starting field of knowledge | Hand limit | Level costs | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Witch | Knowledge of Gemstones | -1 | 2-4-8-16 | Cheaper Gemstones |
| Elf | Knowledge of Energy Flow | -1 | 3-6-12-24 | Extra magic dust every turn |
| Druid | Knowledge of Fire | +-0 | 5-10-15-20 | Rubies possible (maximum 5) |
| Fairy | Knowledge of the 9 Sages | +-0 | 3-6-12-24 | Extra energy for entering new level |
| Mage | Knowledge of Artifacts | +1 | 2-4-8-16 | Cheaper artifacts and sentinels |
| Kobold | Knowledge of Accumulation | +1 | 2-4-8-16 | More active gemstones possible |
You can find forums, a glossary, and a FAQ at www.zavandor.de
English rules and FAQs can also be found at www.zmangames.com
Many thanks to Jim Hlavaty for letting us use game mechanisms from his game Outpost (TimJimGames).
The designer thanks: Anja Weinhold and Dirk Clemens R&D thanks: All gamers around the world who helped us making a great game even better
Kudos to all our play testers: Simone Drögemüller, Matthias Bodenstein, Ines Schäfertöns, Bernd Peters, Olaf Mörtl, Christian Raabe, Thorsten Brandes, Heike Brandes, Torsten Schulz, Katrin Micka, Andreas Umminger, Christian Dörr, Britta Dörr, Kerstin Dörr, Frank Pohl, Hans-Joachim Wachtel, Lukas Kautzsch, Ulrike Haustein, Barbara Rüther, Joachim Markwald, and Felix Girke
© 2004-2006 Lookout Games English version © 2006 by Lookout Games and Z-Man Games Inc. Made in Germany
Game design: Jens Drögemüller Illustrations and graphic design: Andrea Boekhoff R&D: Hanno Girke Zavandor world development: Kay-Viktor Stegemann