Skull King: Expansion Pack
Skull King: Expansion Pack Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Pack Contents
- 7s, 8s, & 0/14s: 1 of each suit
- Wild 15: 1
- Mary Thorne: 1
- Last Volley Card: 1
- First Mate Con: 1
- Spotted Stingray: 1
- Davy Jones' Locker: 1
- Walk the Plank: 1
- Reference Cards: 3
- Blank Cards: 4
Game Play
First, add the extra number cards, the Wild 15, and the new pirate (Mary Thorne) to your Skull King deck. Then, include any or all other expansion cards as you like.
The Expansion Cards
All expansion pack cards are marked with this compass symbol in the lower-left corner, making them easy to identify.
The expansion cards follow many of the same rules as the base game cards. Any differences are outlined here and on the reference cards included in the pack.
Note: With all expansion cards included, up to nine players can play the full ten rounds. For more than 9 players, play as many rounds as possible that allow all players to be dealt the same number of cards. Then deal that number of cards to each player to complete the full 10 rounds.
New Suited Cards
Additional Number Cards
There is a 7, 8, and 0/14 for each of the four suits.
7s & 8s
Plays as normal suited cards. If multiple 7's or 8's tie as the highest-ranked in a trick, the first one played wins.
Example: Kevin leads with a yellow 8. Terri, lacking yellow, plays a purple 12. Greg plays a yellow 8 from the new expansion cards, and Matt plays an escape. The 8's tie, and Kevin wins the trick since he played his 8 first.
Capturing an expansion 7 or 8 grants either a +5 points (8's) or a -5 points (7's), but only if the player makes their bid that round.
0/14s
When played, the player must immediately declare whether the card is a 0 or a 14. Unlike standard 14's, it does not award bonus points when captured. If multiple 14's tie as the highest-ranked card, the first one played wins the trick.
Note: these are not used in 2-player play.
Wild Monkey 15
This suited card behaves like a wild card. It can represent the yellow, purple, or green suit, but never black (trump).
If a trick already has a lead suit (yellow, purple, or green), this card plays as that suit with a value of 15.
If there is no lead suit yet, the player chooses yellow, purple, or green as its suit when played. It cannot be declared as black (trump).
If black is the lead suit, the Wild 15 loses to trump. No suit declaration is needed.
Note: If the White Whale is played in the same trick, follow base game rules. The 15 is highest, and wins the trick.
New Pirate Card
Mary Thorne
Plays as a normal pirate and follows pirate hierarchy. It loses to the Skull King, and beats the Mermaids.
Pirate Power (if used): If Mary Thorne wins a trick, that player must choose a random card from any player's hand (including their own hand) without looking at it. That player must play the chosen card in the next trick, regardless of lead suit rules and any other card effects.
Additional New Cards
First Mate Con
Defeats all pirates, but loses to Mermaids and the Skull King. When a player wins a trick with him, they may use the all pirate powers from any pirates he captures.
He does not earn bonus points for capturing pirates. However, if the Skull King or a Mermaid takes him, they earn a 30-point bonus.
Walk the Plank
This card does not win a trick. When played, the player must remove one standard Pirate at the end of the trick, if any are present. If multiple pirates are in a trick, the player chooses which one to remove, potentially changing the highest-ranking pirate.
If the Skull King wins a trick where a pirate is removed by Walk the Plank, no bonus is earned for capturing that pirate, as it is no longer in the trick.
Spotted Stingray
Plays similar to the White Whale card in the standard deck, but the lowest card wins the trick. In the case where the lowest card is a tie, the first played wins.
Note: When multiple Sea Monsters (Kraken, White Whale, Spotted Stingray) are played in a trick, the last one played determines the applied action.
The Last Volley
Does not win a trick. When played in a trick, this card requires the player to play one additional card after all others have played. That player will then skip the final trick of the round. The only exception is if a player uses this card on the last trick of a round.
Davy Jones' Locker
Does not win a trick. When played, it destroys all Sea Monsters in the trick, even when multiple are played and regardless of order of play. The Sea Monsters and Davy Jones are removed at the end of the trick, and the remaining highest-ranking card wins the trick, in order played.
20 bonus points are earned for each Sea Monster captured by Davy Jones, regardless of play order.
A Few Notes
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Bonus points (or penalty points) are still only awarded to a player at the end of a round if they get their bid.
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Davy Jones' Locker, The Last Volley, The Spotted Stingray, and Walk the Plank are not escape cards, and don't act like one in a trick. If played in a trick where the remaining cards played are all escape cards, the first escape played will win the trick.
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When The Last Volley, Walk the Plank, or Davy Jones lead a trick, the lead suit selection is deferred to the next player.
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In a trick where only non-winning special cards are played with no ranking cards, the trick is discarded. The player who led leads out the next trick. (Example: Player 1 plays Davy Jones' Locker, Player 2 plays the Spotted Stingray, and Player 3 plays Walk the Plank. The trick is discarded, and Player 1 leads out the next trick
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In 2-player play, the Wild 15, Walk the Plank, and 0/14 cards are not used.
Play any combination of cards you like from this expansion.