Valley of the Pharaohs
Valley of the Pharaohs Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
- 1 Game board
- 6 Camel game pieces
- 1 Mummy piece
- 1 Summoner marker (black disk)
- 1 Wheel of Fate
- 9 Scarab Keys
- 12 Adventurer cards
- 40 Coins
- 1 Fabric coin bag
- 6 Summary cards
- 1 Sceptre of Amun-Ra tile
- 82 Resource cards (40 Equipment, 27 Obstacles, 15 Reversal of Fortune)
- 27 Scarab tiles – 3 each of the 9 deities (Anubis, Horus, Isis, Osiris, Nut, Sekmet, Set, Sobek, Thoth)
- 2 Dice
Object of the Game
You are an Adventurer. Your mission is to retrieve the Sceptre of Amun-Ra and safely escape from Egypt. To retrieve the Sceptre from the Valley of the Pharaohs, you must collect the 3 Scarabs matching your Scarab Key from various excavation sites throughout Egypt. Once you have the Sceptre of Amun-Ra, make your way back to Alexandria. But beware – ancient forces have awakened and enemies seek to thwart your every move.
Set Up
Follow the instructions as you read along.
- Spread out the game map.
- Each player chooses a Camel and places it in Alexandria.
- Separate the Scarab Tiles into nine piles according to deity. Randomly place one pile face-up at each of the various Excavation Sites. It doesn't matter which pile goes at each site.
- Lay the Sceptre of Amun-Ra Tile and the Mummy in the Valley of the Pharaohs.
- Choose one player to be the banker; this player will control the coin bag.
- Shuffle the Resource Deck.
- Roll one die to determine who goes first (high roll wins); turns proceed clockwise.
Each player receives:
- 7 Resource Cards
- 1 random Scarab Key
- 4 coins
- 1 Turn Summary Card
Do not show your Resource Cards to anyone! Place the remainder of the deck face-down next to the game board and leave room for a discard pile. Cards should be discarded face-up.
Your Scarab Key shows the 3 Scarab Tiles that you must collect. Search the game board to see which Excavation Sites hold the Scarabs you need. It's a good idea to try to plan a course of travel before starting. Next to the Excavation site you will see two icons; these icons indicate which two Equipment Cards you will need to excavate the Scarab buried there.
Equipment cards are part of the Resource deck; you may have been dealt a few when you received your 7 Resource Cards. If you do not have the necessary Equipment Cards, you will have to acquire them before you can excavate the site.
Your coins will be used to buy cards or get you out of trouble. In the event that the bank runs out of coins, use pennies or similar tokens as a substitute.
Taking a Turn
Every turn follows the same order of actions. Refer to your Summary Card if you forget the order.
- Clear Obstacles (if there are any in front of you)
- Roll and move
- Conduct business in a City, an Oasis, or an Excavation Site
- Raid an opponent (if you end your turn on the same space)
- Lay an Obstacle on an opponent, then either pass the dice or play a Reversal of Fortune Card to take another turn.
Rolling & Movement
- Roll both dice and move up to the number of spaces rolled, or none at all.
- Anytime a player rolls a seven, they collect two coins from the bank.
- If you roll doubles, you become the Summoner and gain control of the Mummy.
- Multiple players can occupy the same space, anywhere on the board.
Conduct Business
In order to conduct business during a turn, you must reach a City, an Oasis, or an Excavation Site. Players can complete actions in only one of these places per turn:
Cities (marked by bold red circles):
- Draw Resource Cards from the top of the deck at the cost of 2 coins per card. You can buy as many Resource Cards as you can afford. Payment goes to the bank.
Oases (marked by palm trees):
- Sell Resource Cards for 2 coins each (payment comes from the bank).
- Spin the Wheel of Fate. But beware! If you spin the wheel, you must obey its command, be it for good or ill. There is no penalty if the action cannot be carried out. If the Wheel of Fate takes you to another Oasis, you must wait until your next turn to conduct business there. If the Wheel commands you to give a card to another player, the opponent chooses one card from your hand at random.
Excavation Sites (marked by red X's):
- Excavate a Scarab Tile by discarding the required Resource Cards from your hand. Place the excavated Scarab onto your Scarab Key. You cannot excavate a Scarab Tile that is not required to complete your Scarab Key and you cannot excavate two of the same Scarab.
Raid An Opponent
(if your movement ends on the same space as another player)
- Each player rolls one die and the highest roll wins. The attacker wins ties.
- A victorious attacker wins: 2 coins or 1 random card (attacker's choice) from the defender's hand.
- If the defender wins, no cards or coins are exchanged.
- The defending player can use a Reversal of Fortune card to negate the effects of a Raid, but it must be played as soon as the outcome of the Raid is determined.
- You can raid only one opponent per turn.
Resource Cards
There are 3 different types of Resource Cards – Obstacles (O), Equipment (E), and Reversal of Fortune (R).
Obstacle Cards are used to impede another player's progress. Obstacle Cards cannot be played during each player's first turn.
Clearing Obstacles:
- Clear Obstacles in front of you at the beginning of your turn, before rolling the dice.
- To clear an Obstacle, give the person that played it the corresponding Equipment Card or two coins; or play a Reversal of Fortune Card; or forfeit a turn.
- Once an Obstacle has been cleared, place it in the discard pile.
Laying Obstacles:
- At the end of your turn, you can play one Obstacle Card. To lay an Obstacle, simply place it face up in front of an opponent.
- You cannot lay an obstacle on an opponent if they already have an Obstacle in front of them.
Equipment Cards are used to excavate Scarabs or to clear Obstacles.
Using Equipment:
- Any Equipment Cards used to excavate a Scarab Tile must be discarded.
- Equipment Cards are color-coded to match the Obstacle Cards that they clear.
Using Reversal of Fortune:
Reversal of Fortune Cards nullify negative actions.
- Deflect the curse of the Mummy
- Clear an Obstacle Card
- Cancel raid penalties (Must be played immediately after losing the dice roll-off.)
- Take a second turn.
- Take the place of a missing Equipment Card when excavating a Scarab Tile.
Once a Reversal of Fortune Card has been used, it must be discarded.
The Mummy's Curse
The Mummy begins the game in the Valley of the Pharaohs and lies dormant until it is summoned when a player rolls doubles. The Mummy is controlled by the Summoner and is used to "curse" other players by making them lose a turn.
The Summoner
- When a player rolls doubles, they become the Summoner and gain control of the Mummy.
- The Summoner Disk is placed in front of them so that other players know who is controlling the Mummy. Control of the Mummy changes whenever doubles are rolled.
- The Summoner must move the Mummy (starting from the Valley of the Pharaohs) the full number of spaces rolled before moving their Camel (according to the same roll). The Summoner moves their Camel piece any number of spaces up to the number rolled.
- Once a player becomes the Summoner, they continue to move the Mummy and their own piece during each of their turns. The Mummy must always be moved the full number of spaces rolled before the Summoner's own piece can be moved.
- If another player rolls doubles, they take over control of the Mummy.
- If the Summoner rolls doubles, the Mummy becomes inactive and is laid on its side on its current space until it is summoned again when doubles are rolled.
The Mummy
- The Mummy cannot occupy a City or an Oasis.
- When it cannot be moved to a legal space, the Mummy does not move.
- If the Mummy passes over or lands on the same space as any player (not including the Summoner or the Sceptre Bearer), they are "cursed" and lose their next turn. Their Camel is laid on its side until they take their next turn.
- When the dormant Mummy is activated and a player is on the same space, they are automatically cursed.
- If a player has been cursed and the Mummy passes over their space while their Camel is laid on its side, they are not cursed again when they begin their next turn, even if the active Mummy is on the same space.
- Players are safe from the Mummy if they are in a City or an Oasis.
- While it is standing (active) on a space, the Mummy acts as a roadblock and no one but the Summoner or the Sceptre Bearer can safely move around it.
- When it is laying down (inactive) on a space, the Mummy can be passed with no ill effects.
The Sceptre of Amun-Ra
The Sceptre lies in the Valley of the Pharaohs and cannot be retrieved from that location until a player has excavated the 3 Scarab Tiles that complete their Scarab Key.
- The first player to reach the Valley of the Pharaohs with a complete Scarab Key can claim the Sceptre of Amun-Ra and becomes the Sceptre Bearer. They must show the other players their Scarab Key and matching Scarab Tiles.
- The Sceptre can be lost in a raid (Scarab Keys and Tiles cannot).
- The Sceptre of Amun-Ra is a powerful talisman that makes the Sceptre Bearer immune to the Mummy's curse.
Raiding the Sceptre Bearer:
- Opponents may steal the Sceptre during a Raid, however they must roll two higher than the Sceptre Bearer. If the raid is successful, the Sceptre Bearer loses the Sceptre.
- If the successful raider has a complete Scarab Key, they can immediately claim the Sceptre; if not, it remains on the space where it was lost until it is picked up by a player with a complete Key.
- If you make it back to Alexandria with the Sceptre of Amun-Ra, you win the game!
Quick Reference
Have you played Valley of the Pharaohs before but forgotten the details? Use this guide to refresh your memory. Please see the main rules if you have further questions or concerns about components or game play.
Objective Summary: Obtain and use Resource Cards to excavate the Scarab Tiles that complete your Scarab Key, which is required to retrieve the Sceptre of Amun-Ra from the Valley of the Pharaohs. The first player to return to Alexandria with the Sceptre wins.
Set Up: See setup instructions on page 2.
Each player receives:
- 1 random Scarab Key
- 4 coins
- 7 Resource Cards
- 1 Summary Card
Rolling & Movement:
- Move up to the number of spaces rolled, or none at all.
- Anytime a player rolls a seven, they collect two coins from the bank.
- If you roll doubles, you become the Summoner and gain control of the Mummy.
- Multiple players can occupy the same space, anywhere on the board.
Turn Sequences: Refer to the Turn Summary cards during game play.
Resource Cards (Obstacle, Equipment, Reversal of Fortune):
- Obstacle Cards must be cleared at the beginning of your turn and may be laid on an opponent at the end of your turn. They cannot be played during each player's first turn.
- Clearing Obstacles: Give the person that played the Obstacle the corresponding Equipment Card or 2 coins; or play a Reversal of Fortune Card; or choose to lose a turn.
- Laying Obstacles: You may place an Obstacle Card in front of an opponent as long as that player does not already have an Obstacle in front of them.
- Equipment Cards are used to excavate Scarabs or clear Obstacles.
- Reversal of Fortune Cards nullify negative actions (see summary on face of card).
The Mummy:
- When a player rolls doubles, they become the Summoner. The Summoner must always move the Mummy the exact number of spaces rolled before they move their own playing piece. If the Mummy passes over or lands on the same space as any player (not including the Summoner or the Sceptre Bearer), they lose a turn.
- Players are safe from the Mummy if they are in a City or an Oasis.
- If another player rolls doubles, they gain control of the Mummy.
- If the Summoner rolls doubles, the Mummy becomes inactive until someone else rolls doubles and takes over control.
- While it is active, the Mummy acts as a roadblock and cannot be moved around.
The Sceptre of Amun-Ra:
- The Sceptre can only be retrieved by a player with a complete Scarab Key.
- Opponents may steal the Sceptre during a Raid, however they must roll two higher than the Sceptre Bearer. If the raid is successful, the Sceptre Bearer loses the Sceptre. The raiding player can immediately claim the Sceptre if they have a complete Scarab Key.
- The Sceptre Bearer is immune to the Mummy's curse.
Advanced Play
These rules are for stout adventurers only; those weak of temperament may wish to abstain. One or all of the following rules can be adapted in advanced play:
Rule 1: Each player randomly receives an Adventurer Card. Each card lists a specific action that a player may utilize. If an adventurer wins a raid against their nemesis (only possible if another player has assumed the identity of that adventurer), they automatically get two coins from the bank in addition to the typical winnings from a raid.
Matching Nemesis
Rule 2: After separating all Scarab tiles during setup, take one from each pile and mix them up facedown. Place one Scarab facedown on each Excavation site. Leave the remaining Scarab piles on the side. During play, players must visit the Excavation sites to find out which type of Scarab is hidden there. Before excavating a hidden Scarab, a player at that Excavation site can secretly look at the Scarab. If they choose to excavate it, the remaining Scarabs for that site are placed on the Excavation site face up.
Rule 3: Native Resources (indicated by a red and green Equipment icon) can be purchased in their designated Cities at the cost of 2 coins per card. Search through the Resource Deck to retrieve the proper card (show it to the other players). Reshuffle the Resource Deck.
Rule 4: Reversal of Fortune Cards can be used to cancel an opponent's Reversal of Fortune.
Rule 5: If an Obstacle is cleared with a Reversal of Fortune Card, the Obstacle rebounds to the player who originally played it and is placed in front of them. This is the only instance when a player can have more than one Obstacle in front of them.