The Witcher: Old World
The Witcher: Old World Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Components
- Game Setup
- Gameplay
- Player's Turn Explained
- Fights
- Full Player Turn – Example for a 2-Player Game
- Solo Mode
- Glossary
- Location Actions
Overview
In Witcher: The Old World you take on the role of a witcher to discover stories that took place hundreds of years before the events from the Saga. The world you'll explore is full of tough choices, and danger lurks at every corner. Racial hatred, deceitful wizards, disputes between rulers and monsters that appeared on the Continent after the Conjunction of the Spheres mean you shouldn't embark on this perilous journey without a sword in your hand.
Your sharpened senses and witcher training have made you a slayer of monsters and a hunter of beast trophies. This is your profession: you hunt and kill monsters, as long as someone pays you.
After the fall of the Witcher Order, five new schools were created: Wolf, Griffin, Bear, Cat and Viper. Each school trains its adepts differently and lives by its own rules. After completing your training at your school's Keep you begin your journey of exploration, not only to make enough for a bowl of porridge, but also to find glory and pride for the school whose medallion you wear.
Components
- 1 Game Board
- Exploration and Event Cards
- 36 City Exploration Cards
- 36 Wilds Exploration Cards
- 56 Event Cards
- 90 Action Cards
- 28 Potion Cards
- 8 Attribute Trophy Cards
- 10 Help Cards and 1 Solo Help Card
- 2 sets of 5 Witcher Poker Dice
- 35 Gold Tokens
- 1 Closed Tavern Token
- 18 Location Tokens
- Monsters
- 28 Monster Cards
- 28 Monster Tokens
- 20 Monster Fight Cards
- 5 sets of Player Components, each containing:
- 1 Player Board with additional Witcher Name Tokens
- 1 Witcher Miniature with a color base
- 1 Scoring Token
- 5 Wooden cubes
- 1 Wooden Shield Marker
- 10 Starting Action Cards
- 4 Witcher Trophy Cards
Game Setup
Note: During your first game in The Witcher: Old World, we recommend playing a 1, 2 or 3-Player game.
1. Game Board
Place the Game Board in the middle of the table.
2. Action Card Deck
Shuffle all Action Cards and place them facedown to form the Action Deck.
Next, create the Action Cards Pool:
- Reveal Action Cards until 3 "0-cost" cards are revealed (card cost is depicted in the bottom right corner of the card); place these 3 cards on the 3 right-most slots on the Game Board, in a random order and face up.
- Combine the remaining revealed cards (if any) together with the Action Deck; shuffle and place it face down on its indicated spot on the Game Board.
- Reveal 3 Action Cards from the Action Deck; place these on the three remaining slots on the Game Board, in a random order and face up.
3. Potion Deck
Shuffle all Potion Cards and place them in a face-down pile on their indicated space near the Game Board.
4. Attribute Trophy Cards
If playing a 2/3-Player game:
- Place 1 Attribute Trophy Card for each Attribute (Combat, Defense, Alchemy, and Specialty) on their designated spot on the Game Board.
- Place the remaining 4 cards back in the box.
If playing a 4/5-Player game:
- Place all Attribute Trophy Cards on their designated spot near the Game Board.
If playing a 1-Player game:
- See Solo Mode (page 33).
5. Exploration and Event Decks
Do not shuffle the Event Deck! Keep it in numerical order, as shown by the numbers on the back side of the cards. Place the unshuffled deck on its corresponding spot on the Game Board, numbered-back-side up.
Shuffle the two Exploration Decks separately. Place each on their corresponding spots on the Game Board.
6. Gold and Poker Dice
Place all Gold Tokens and the two sets of Poker Dice near the Game Board.
7. Location Tokens
Sort all Location Tokens into 3 piles (according to their Terrain types of: Forest, Mountain, and Water). Shuffle each pile separately and place them in separate face down piles near the Game Board.
Draw 1 token from each pile and place them face up on their corresponding slots on the Game Board.
8. Monsters
- Sort all Monster Cards into 3 separate piles (based on their Level: I, II, or III) and place them nearby face up, showing Monster's illustration, Life Pool and Special Ability.
- Sort all Monster Tokens into 3 separate piles (based on their Level: I, II, or III). Shuffle each pile separately and place them nearby face down.
- Draw 3 Tokens from the Level I Stack of Monster Tokens; place them randomly, 1 near each of the face-up Location Tokens on the Game Board, in the Monster section.
2-Player Game: Draw 2 Tokens from the Level I Stack of Monster Tokens and 1 from the Level II Stack, instead. The Starting Player chooses the Terrain type for the Level II Monster.
- Turn the Monster Tokens face-up.
- Move the Monster Token to a Location shown on the Location Token. Place the token near the Location; do not cover the Terrain type on the Game Board.
- Then, find a Monster Card matching the token, and place it on the Game Board, directly below the corresponding Location Token.
- Shuffle the Monster Fight deck and place it next to the Game Board.
9. Starting Player and Help Cards
The Player who most recently read a Witcher book is the Starting Player; alternatively, you can determine this randomly.
Each Player takes an Action and Fight Help Card.
10. Player Components
Each Player does the following:
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Starting with the Player to the right of the starting Player, then continuing in counter-clockwise order, each Player takes a Player Board, by performing the following steps (one at a time):
- Shuffle all (unchosen) Player Boards face-down.
- Draw 2; then, choose 1 to keep. (Return the unchosen one back with the remaining Boards.)
- The next Player repeats the two previous steps until all Players have chosen a Player Board.
Clarification: The Starting Player of the game should be making the last choice (in a 5-Player game the Starting Player draws the last remaining Player Board). Optionally: Players can distribute Player Boards using any method they choose.
-
Take the Scoring Token (matching your School color) and place it on the lowest spot of the Trophy Track.
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Take the Witcher Miniature that corresponds to your chosen Player Board; take and attach the matching colored ring to it, then place the miniature on the School Location that matches your chosen School symbol.
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Take 5 Cubes (matching your School color) and place 1 on each of the level 1 spots of all 4 Attribute tracks and the Witcher level track.
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Take the number of your Witcher Trophy Cards equal to the number of your opponents (i.e. 3 cards in a 4-Player game); place them face down under your Player Board.
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Take the Shield Marker (matching your School color) and place it on the "1" spot of the Shield Track.
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Take your 10 starting cards (they can be identified by the icon in the top right corner that matches your chosen School); shuffle them in a face-down deck and place it on the corresponding spot next to your Player Board.
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According to the number of Players and Player order:
- Take the indicated amount of Gold; place it nearby your Player Board.
- Draw the indicated number of cards from your deck.
2-player game 3-player game 4-player game 5-player game 1st Player 3 cards, 2 Gold 3 cards, 2 Gold 2 cards, 4 Gold 2 cards, 5 Gold 2nd Player 5 cards, 4 Gold 4 cards, 4 Gold 3 cards, 5 Gold 3 cards, 5 Gold 3rd Player X 5 cards, 6 Gold 4 cards, 6 Gold 4 cards, 5 Gold 4th Player X X 5 cards, 7 Gold 4 cards, 7 Gold 5th Player X X X 5 cards, 7 Gold -
Return all remaining Player components back to the game box.
4/5-Player Setup Changes
Firstly, we recommend playing a 1-3 Player game first, before playing a 4 or 5 Player game. Once each Player is familiar with the game, the game will proceed much more smoothly.
When playing the game with 4 or 5 Players, after you setup the game as normal, perform the 2 additional steps below:
- Prepare an additional stack of Level I Monster tokens.
Place the stack face down near the Monster section on the Game Board.
For a 4-Player game:
- Randomly draw 1 Level I Monster token for the stack. For a 5-Player game:
- Randomly draw 2 Level I Monster tokens for the stack.
- Each Player chooses one of their Attributes and gains 1 Level in it. Starting with the first Player, each Player does this one at a time and in clockwise order.
Gameplay
The Goal of the Game
In The Witcher: Old World, each Player takes control of a Witcher, trained in one of the five schools. Players set out to explore the vast Continent, training and fighting to gain glory along the way. Players take Turns in clockwise order. Players strive to acquire 4 Trophies during the game. The first Player to do so wins immediately, bringing the highest honor and renown to their Witcher School!
Trophies are gained in multiple ways: Defeating Monsters (the primary way), winning fights against other Witchers, and by reaching level 5 of an Attribute.
How to use this Rulebook?
The best way to learn how to play The Witcher: Old World, is to go through the next four chapters of this Rulebook, in this order:
- Game Basics (page 9),
- Player's Turn Explained (page 12),
- Fights (page 20),
- Location Actions (page 35).
We also recommend that you use this order when teaching the game – just focus on the main rules to help new Players grasp the game flow.
Golden Rule
Card text supersedes the Rulebook:
- If any text on a card contradicts any rule written in this rulebook, obey the rules on the card.
- If Players disagree on how an effect should be resolved: resolve it in a way that would maintain the greatest thematic sense.
Game Basics
Action Cards
Each Player begins with a unique Deck of 10 Action Cards; additionally, each Player can gain new cards – and even permanently lose some cards – to craft their own customized deck during the game!
Action Cards have multiple uses; you can play each card for one of the following effects, either:
- to Move, or
- use a Fight ability.
The bottom-left corner of the card depicts a Terrain symbol. (See Movement, on page 12).
The bottom-right corner depicts the name and the cost of the card (see Drawing and Gaining Cards, on page 18).
The top-left part of the card depicts the ability that may be used during an Attack (see Witcher's Fight Turn, on page 22).
There are 5 Types of cards: Fast Attack (blue), Strong Attack (red), Dodge (green), Defensive Sign (yellow), and Offensive Sign (purple).
An Action Card shows: Fight Ability (top-left), Starting Deck icon (top-right), Card Type/Color (left edge), Extension (center-right), Terrain Symbol (bottom-left), and Name and cost (bottom-right).
Rules for each Player's deck:
- Always keep it face down on the left side of your Player Board.
- You can always look at all the cards in your deck when you suffer Fatigue (page 29). You may have to look at all the cards in your deck as a result of some Exploration Cards. Besides that, you can look through your deck, when you are not the Active Player and you are not in a Fight. When you are done looking through your deck, you must shuffle it and place it face-down.
Rules for each Players' discard pile:
- Always keep it face up, to the left of your deck.
- If any effect forces you to discard a card, place it face up on your discard pile.
Rules for Trashing a card:
- If any effect forces you to Trash a card, return it to the game box; it cannot be used anymore during this game.
Attributes and Witcher's Level
You have 4 Attributes depicted on your Player Board.
The 3 leftmost ones are common among all Player Boards:
- Combat will help you draw more cards during a Fight.
- Defense will help you block more Damage during a Fight. Any time you raise your Defense level, immediately raise your Shield level by 1 on your Shield track.
- Alchemy will help you consume more magical Potions during a Fight. Any time you raise your Alchemy level, immediately gain 1 Potion taken from the top of the Potion Deck.
The rightmost Attribute – Specialty – is unique; it is determined by the Witcher school you chose during setup: Combat, Defense, Alchemy, Speed, and Fast Attack school icons are shown, one per School.
Specialty is different for each Witcher, and all of them are explained later in this Rulebook (see page 34).
Leveling Up
After all of your Attribute markers are raised above your current Witcher Level, you immediately Level-Up to the next Level.
- When you Level-Up to Level II or III: Immediately draw 1 card from your Action Deck.
- When you Level-Up to Level IV or V: Immediately draw 2 cards from your Action Deck.
Example: The Player raises their Alchemy level, so they move their Alchemy Attribute marker to the Level 2 spot.
Example: Each of Player's Attributes are on the Level 2 or higher, so the Player raises their Witcher's Level to II.
Note: Sometimes, during a Fight or Exploration, you lower your Attribute. You never lower your Witcher's Level, even if all your Attributes are lowered below your current Level.
If one of your Attributes reach Level 5, it also may never be lowered.
Location Tokens
Location Tokens serve several purposes in the game. To avoid any confusion, we have explained them here, before we get into the rules description. Location Tokens are kept face-down near the Board.
They are used in several ways:
- To show where the Monsters are located – placed face-up on the designated slots on the Game.
- To indicate a specific Location, when a Quest requires one.
- As Trail Tokens for a specific Monster – kept face-down on the Player Board, i.e. face-down Forest Token is considered as a Monster Trail Token for the Monster that is occupying a Forest Location at that moment.
Location Tokens Clarifications
- If there is no Location Token of a specific Terrain Type, the Player can not get a Trail Quest or a Trail Token for the Monster occupying Location of that Type.
- If there is no Location token of the Terrain Type indicated on the Exploration Card, the Player draws a Location Token of any other Terrain Type. If there are no other Location Tokens in the pool, they can not resolve the Quest and the Exploration card is discarded.
Manticore School Special Location
There is a special Location on the Map that doesn't have any corresponding Location Token. This Location number is 0 and it may be found in the east. Although there will be no Monsters, Trails or Quests connected to this Location, it still has a Location Action that Players can use (see Location Actions on page 35). The Witcher from the School of the Manticore is part of Monster Trail Expansion and is described with details in the rulebook to this expansion.
Potions
Keep your unused Potions face up near your Player Board.
You may have up to 4 Potions at a time, regardless of your Alchemy level.
If you exceed the limit, discard any chosen Potion(s) down to 4.
Player's Turn Explained
Each Player's Turn is divided into 3 Phases:
I. Movement and Actions II. Fight, Meditate, or Explore III. Draw and Gain Cards
The Game Board depicts Phases I, II and III to aid Players.
Once all Players are familiar with the game, Player Turns (Phases) may overlap with the next Player (when Player decisions are not impacted by what other Players do). Phase III of a Player's Turn consists mostly of some deck management. When the Active Player is doing that, the next Player can begin Phase I of their Turn.
[...] Otto leaned towards me over the table, his eyes a little unfocused now from the local moonshine. I must mention that nowhere in the world is dwarven drink as fine as in the mountains of Mahakam. It warms the bones as fiercely as a phoenix rising, even in the midst of winter. Otto tells me with pride, that dwarves fear no one. He goes on to explain that years ago his people created complex systems that allow them to flood mines and withdraw during wartime. I told him it's fortunate they need not test those systems yet and ask him to pour, for my mustache was turning into icicles. But the thought of how different the mountainous land of the dwarves truly is and how unique the temperament of its people stayed with me for a long time. In the following years I learned that no two lands are the same, just like you'll not find two identical snowflakes. And every land is worth discovering for yourself!
Chronicles of Benno Kobart, excerpt from chapter III, A Description of the World.
PHASE I: Movement and Actions
The Witcher travels across the vast Continent; it may be a long trip, where you visit huge cities to prepare for your next hunt.
In Phase I, the Active Player uses cards to Move and visit different Locations to perform Actions.
The Active Player may Move and perform Actions multiple times in this Phase.
The Active Player may also decide to skip this Phase entirely, and proceed to Phase II.
1. Movement
To Move: Discard a card(s) from your hand to move your miniature to a Connected Location, as per below rules:
- The Terrain icon on the card you discard indicates the Terrain type that you can move to.
- You can discard any 2 cards (depicting any Terrain icons), to move to a Connected Location that depicts any Terrain.
- You can discard any 1 card (depicting any Terrain icon) and 1 Gold, to move to a Connected Location that depicts any Terrain.
- If a card has a Wild icon: you can discard just this 1 card to move to a Connected Location that depicts any Terrain.
Connected Location
The "very next" Location you reach along a path, i.e., you can't skip over Locations when moving.
Movement Clarifications
- Since step 2 of Phase I is optional, you may Move any number of times before proceeding to step 2 – discarding a card(s) for each Movement.
- Before you go to step 2, you must Move at least once. You can't begin your Turn by performing Actions in your Location.
- You may move to a Location that has any number of opponent and Monster miniatures already there.
- Some Locations are connected by a water path.
2. Dice Poker and Location Action
You may perform a Location Action, play Dice Poker, and/or resolve Quest (see page 17) in any order. After; proceed to step 3.
a) (Optional) Location Action
Each Location has a unique Location Action, which is depicted next to it on the Game Board.
When you move to a Location, you may choose to perform the Location Action.
Each Turn, each Location Action can be performed only once, even if you move out of the Location and back again during the same Turn.
Specific Location Actions are explained on page 35.
Location Action Clarifications
- You may perform a Location Action even if other Witchers or Monsters are there.
- It is possible to take a Location Action at your starting Location; to do so, you must move away from, and then back to that Location during your Turn.
b) (Optional) Playing Dice Poker with another Witcher(s)
You can choose to play Dice Poker with another Witcher at your current Location.
Each Turn, you may play Dice Poker once with each Witcher.
Dice Poker Clarifications
- You don't need to play Dice Poker at all, and you can pick and choose who you play with.
- It is possible to play Dice Poker at your starting Location; to do so, you must move away and back, during step 1, using cards for each movement as normal.
- If you choose to perform the Location Action, you may also play Dice Poker with another Witcher at this Location, either before or after.
- If you play Dice Poker with a Witcher, you can't decide to fight with that Witcher during Phase II of the current Turn.
- Dice Poker is explained below and on your Help Card.
3. Decide what to do next:
If you still have cards left on your hand, you can Move and perform selected Actions of Phase I again accordingly.
You can also decide to proceed to Phase II and keep the remaining cards.
If you run out of cards, you have to proceed to Phase II.
Dice Poker Rules
Choose a Witcher at your Location; they cannot refuse to participate. You cannot choose a Witcher with 0 Gold.
To play Dice Poker, do the following, in order:
- Both involved Players each place 1 of their Gold into a pile, to create the Poker-Pool.
- Add 1 Gold from the bank to the Pool – this represents a local player ready to play and lose some gold. (The Pool should have a total of 3 Gold.)
- Both Players each take a set of 5 dice and roll them simultaneously.
- The non-Active Player may decide to reroll their dice once.
- Afterwards, the Active Player can also decide to reroll their dice.
- Compare results to determine the winner: a. If two Players had the same results (e.g. pairs), the Player with highest values wins (e.g. a pair of fives is better than a pair of threes). b. If two Players had the same results with the same values (e.g. a pair of fives), the Player with highest value on a non-used die wins. If still tied, compare the second-highest value on a non-used die. c. If still tied, the Active Player wins.
Note: To choose a Witcher to play Dice Poker with, both of you must have at least 1 Gold each; otherwise, you cannot choose to take this Action.
Dice Poker Clarifications
Reroll: Choose any number of your dice; then, roll them. You must keep the new values on the dice!
Active Player: The Player who initiated the action, i.e., it's currently their Turn.
Full House Tie: If two Players had a full house, first, compare the results of threes, then, if still tied, the twos.
Results
Ranked from worst to best.
- Pair: two dice showing the same value.
- Two Pairs: two pairs of dice, each showing the same value.
- Three-of-a-Kind: three dice showing the same value.
- Five High Straight: dice showing values from 1 through 5, inclusive.
- Six High Straight: dice showing values from 2 through 6, inclusive.
- Full House: pair of one value and Three-of-a-Kind of another.
- Four-of-a-Kind: four dice showing the same value.
- Five-of-a-Kind: all five dice showing the same value.
PHASE II: Fight / Meditate / Explore
At any point of Phase I, you may decide to proceed to Phase II.
During Phase II you must choose to do one of the following:
- Fight
- Meditate
- Explore
Note: Once you choose one of these options, you may not go back to Move or perform any other Actions this Turn!
Fight
On your Turn, you may Fight once; either against another Witcher or against a Monster.
a) Witcher Fight
- You may choose a Witcher at your Location to Fight; if you do, they cannot refuse to participate.
- You cannot Fight a Witcher that you played Dice Poker with this Turn.
- You cannot Fight with another Witcher on a School Location and on a Location with a Closed Tavern Token.
"Witcher Fight" is explained on page 20.
b) Monster Fight
- You may choose to Fight a Monster in your Location (marked by a Monster Token).
"Monster Fight" is explained on page 21.
[...] and among warriors, witchers are the finest. They fight using not only swords, but magic too. Those mutants, while far less adept at the arts of magic than wizards, can still do things undreamed of by most men. And when they face monsters, they seem to go into a battle rage and become like monsters themselves.
Chronicles of Benno Kobart, excerpt from chapter XIII, Dangers on the Trail
Meditate
Instead of choosing to Fight or Explore, you may Meditate.
You can only choose to Meditate if:
- You have reached the highest spot (the 5th spot) on any of your Attribute tracks,
- The corresponding Attribute Trophy Card is available,
- You do not already have an identical Trophy (you cannot have more than one of the same Trophy).
To Meditate, do the following, in order:
- Take the corresponding Trophy Card from the pool; place it face up below your Player Board.
- Move your marker up 1 space on the Trophy track and suffer Fatigue (detailed on page 29). Do NOT perform step 2 if this would end the game, giving you your "Final Trophy" to win the game with.
- Proceed to Phase III.
Note: The game can only end from a Trophy that is obtained from a Fight. Because of this, if you Meditate, and this would result in you gaining your Final Trophy (i.e., gaining this Trophy will end the game): do not move on the Trophy track and do not suffer Fatigue. You still take the Trophy for its ability, but the game does not end.
Note: After reaching Level 5 in an Attribute, it may no longer be lowered for any reason.
Explore
Instead of choosing to Fight or Meditate, you may choose to Explore.
When you Explore, you must choose one of the following to explore, either:
a. The City, which you are currently in; explore the streets and buildings, and talk to people. b. The Wilds, which surround the City you are currently in; explore the trails, villages and take in the fauna of the wilderness.
After choosing one, the following steps must be performed in order:
Note: Exploring has no requirements, so this option is always available for you to choose.
- The Player to the right of the Active Player draws a card from the corresponding deck – either the City or Wilds deck, depending on your choice.
- They read the Introduction and Options on that card to the Active Player. Do not read or discuss the results at this point!
- The Active Player chooses one of the options on the card; then, they are read the Result of that choice. Do not read or discuss the results of the other choice!
Exploration Cards
Exploration Cards are divided into 3 sections:
- The Introduction with 2 Options.
Note: The Option may require the Player to pay a certain amount of Gold. If that Player is unable to do so, they cannot choose this Option.
- Option A Result (containing the story and cost and/or result of making that choice).
- Option B Result (containing the story and cost and/or result of making that choice).
Example Exploration Card text: "You are stopped by guardsmen in the middle of the street. 'You were seen using sorcery. Don't you know that you need a license from the Chapter for that?' Not long after, you find yourself in a dungeon, where you spend several hours in a filthy cell. When a guard brings your meal, you feel confident there's no one else around but the two of you. (A) Attack the guard and fight your way out. (B) Ask for a cup of water. You never know what might happen before the guard brings it. Option A Result: Before he drops face-first into a bowl of groats, the guard seems momentarily surprised. You find your swords, but can't seem to find your purse anywhere. Lose 2 Gold and raise your Combat level by 1. Option B Result: Before long, an official of high station enters the prison. He regards you with contempt and informs you that to him, a witcher and a sorceress are the same kind of devilry. But he admits that the charges were false and pays you a compensation fee. Gain 2 Gold."
Exploration Cards Clarifications
- All the effects on the Exploration Cards, whether positive or negative, relate to the Active Player.
- Some Exploration Cards allow the Active Player to draw any 1 of the revealed Action Cards of some cost to their discard pile. If there is no card of that specific cost in the pool, the Player reveals cards 1 at a time, from the top of the Action Deck and adds the first card of that specific cost to their discard pile. All other newly revealed cards are then discarded.
- Some Exploration Cards ask the Active Player to gain any 1 Trail. In that case, they choose 1 type of Terrain and draw 1 Token from the chosen Terrain Token pile. They keep that Token as a Trail Token.
Results
Exploration Cards can provide 2 different types of Result: Instant and Quest.
a) Instant Result
Unless the result has a Quest keyword, the effects are applied instantly.
- You have to resolve the effects of the cards immediately. Afterwards, remove this card from the game.
- If you are unable to receive or lose something, you do as much of the effect as possible.
b) Quest Result
Some results depict a Quest keyword.
- This card is now your Quest; place it face up to the right of your Player Board.
- Quests stay next to your Board until you Resolve them.
- If the Quest has a specific Location connected with it, then in order to resolve it, you will have to move there at any time in the future.
Example Quest card text: "...like this one." Roll a die: 1-3: Lower your Shield level by 3. 4-6: Lower your Shield level by 2. Regardless of your roll; in addition: Quest: 1. Kaer Seren. Enter: page 33.
- If the Quest has a Terrain Type connected with it, you draw a random Terrain Token of that Type and place it face-up on the Quest. The Location represented by the token is now the Quest Location.
- There is no penalty to ignore a Quest. Unresolved Quests are simply discarded at the end of the game with no effect.
- You can acquire any number of Quests; you do not need resolve one before getting another.
- If you need to take a specific type of a Terrain Token, and the pool is empty, take any other random Terrain Token to define the Quest Location.
Resolving a Quest
Players resolve the Quests they have during Phase I of any of their Turns.
In order to resolve a Quest, you must move to the Quest Location. There might be an additional cost to pay.
Example Quest card text: "...cial wares, don't you? Well, ask for Landrag the arbalist in Vengerberg. You'll not find a better crossbow than a Landrag's!" Quest: 8. Vengerberg. Enter: Lose 2 Gold to buy a Crossbow; page 14.
Resolving a Quest is always optional, even if you move into the required Location and you have what is required for payment (if there is an additional cost).
After you choose to resolve a Quest, the following is performed in order:
- The Player to the right of the Active Player draws the exact numbered card from the Event Deck indicated on the resolved Quest.
- The result of each Event Card may be different, based on its type: a. Introduction story with Options; b. Introduction story with a Test; c. Introduction story with a short Fight. With these cards, the Introduction (and possibly the 2 Options) is read and the Active Player either chooses an Option, performs a Test, or completes a short fight. d. Equipment or Companion. These cards are kept by the Active Player near their Player Board for the entirety of the Game (unless the card states otherwise).
After resolving a Quest with a Location Token, shuffle the token back into the appropriate stack and remove the Exploration Card from the game.
Event Cards Clarifications
- Event cards are numbered on the back side. Do not read any other cards while you search for the required card.
- The book symbol marks the Event Cards for easy reference on Exploration and Event Cards.
- An Event Card may provide a Permanent effect. (Example: "EQUIPMENT – Leave this card in front of you. — CROSSBOW".)
- All the effects on the Event Cards, whether positive or negative, relate to the Active Player.
Note: When you lower your Defense as a result of an Exploration or Event Card, remember to lower your Shield level if necessary.
[...] I told him that his reckless decisions have put us in shit. Travelling is educational, he replied with impudence.
Chronicles of Benno Kobart, excerpt from chapter XIII, Dangers on the Trail
PHASE III: Drawing and Gaining Cards
The last Phase of your Turn represents rest and training. After traveling – encountering new places, people, and dangers – it's time to calm your mind and prepare for the road ahead; however, a Witcher still needs to practice their new fighting and magical skills too.
In this Phase, Player completes following 3 steps in order:
- You may choose and discard any number of cards from your hand (you may have a maximum of 3 cards at the end of this step).
- Draw Cards from your Action Deck until you have 3 Cards in your hand.
- When you need to draw an Action Card but your Action Deck is empty, immediately shuffle all discarded Action Cards to create a new Action Deck, then continue drawing as normal.
- Choose 1 of the 6 Action Cards revealed on the Board which will be added to your deck and pay its cost.
Action Cards Cost
The number depicted on the bottom-right corner of the card is the cost that must be paid for you to gain that card.
The cost is how many cards from your hand you must discard.
(Example card: "CRIPPLING STRIKE" – Fast Attack, cost 2.)
Hand-Limit
Your Hand-Limit is 7 cards: if you have 7 cards in your hand, and you are supposed to draw any number of additional cards, stop drawing additional cards; the effect is lost.
Depending on the card's position (in the row of cards on the Board), its cost may be modified:
- If the card is on the right-most slot, you may take it discarding 1 less card than its normal cost. The cost may be reduced to 0, but not below (any additional reduction is ignored).
- If the card is on one of the two left-most slots, you must discard 1 additional card to take it.
When you take a new card in this step, it goes directly into your hand (not your discard pile); after, slide cards to the right (to fill the empty space); then, draw 1 new card and place it on the left-most (empty) slot.
Note: Gaining a new card after losing a Fight is explained on page 27.
Clarifications
- Gaining a new card is not optional; you must take 1, even if you don't want it.
- When you pay for a new card, you discard cards from your hand to your discard pile.
- Cards with a higher cost will typically be stronger.
Fights
Witchers are trained to hunt Monsters, but their exceptional skills are of use when they must defend their schools' honor in a bar fight.
When at the same Location as another Witcher or Monster, as the Active Player, you can choose to Fight in Phase II of your Turn. You cannot Fight with another Witcher on a School Location.
Fights with a Monster or a Witcher have some similar rules, which are described first – these are General Fight Rules. Unique rules for either type of Fight are described next.
They say each one of them carries two swords – silver for monsters and steel for people. I've met witchers who drew the latter with reluctance, and I've met witchers who rarely left it in its scabbard.
Chronicles of Benno Kobart, excerpt from chapter XVI, What is a Witcher?
General Fight Rules
These apply to both Witcher and Monster Fights.
If you are the Active Player (the Attacking Witcher) or the Defending Witcher, you both:
Keep the cards that are in your hand (do not discard any of them); you do not draw additional cards at the beginning of a Fight, unless another rule explicitly says so.
To create your Life Pool Deck, do the following:
Combine and shuffle all of your discarded Action Cards with your entire Action Deck; place it nearby as a face-down deck – this is your Life Pool Deck.
Life Pool Deck and Getting Knocked-Out
The cards in this deck represent your remaining Life. Once your Life Pool Deck runs out and you discard/play your last in-hand card, you are Knocked-Out; the opponent immediately wins the Fight!
When both opponents lose their last card on the same Fight Turn, the Player who played the card(s) which led to that situation is not considered to be Knocked-Out and is the winner.
When you are Knocked-Out by the Monster, you may still get a reward for Driving the Monster Away (explained on page 26).
[...] To see one of them fighting a monster is a feast for the eyes, but to see two witchers dueling is a spectacle! The one I found most spectacular happened in Vengerberg. One of the witchers was a Wolf, the other must have been a Cat, based on his feline grace and speed. They were at each other's throats from the moment when news came out about a contract, then they fought at a tavern... what a sight that was! None who saw it will ever forget it. Only the tavern keeper seemed sad after they split a long table in two.
Chronicles of Benno Kobart, excerpt from chapter XVI, What is a Witcher?
Witcher Fight Rules
- Both Witchers prepare to fight as described in the General Fight Rules.
- Both Witchers in the Fight take one Turn at a time, alternating back and forth, with the Attacking Player taking the first Turn.
- The Fight ends immediately when a Witcher is Knocked-Out (as detailed above in the general rules).
- After a Witcher Fight, place the Closed Tavern Token on the Location. A Player cannot attack another Player on a Location with that Token. The Closed Tavern Token remains in this Location and is moved only when another Witcher Fight took place elsewhere.
Make a Wager
Additionally, before a Witcher Fight only, spectators may make a Wager.
Each other Player (those not Fighting), may place one Wager.
To place a Wager, take 1 Gold (from your supply) and place it on one of the upper-right spots on your Player Board.
- If you place it on the Attack icon spot, you wager that the Attacking Witcher (the Active Player) is going to win the Fight.
- If you place it on the Defense icon spot, you wager that the Defending Witcher (non-Active Player) is going to win the fight.
Wager Clarifications
- Your miniature does not need to be on the Location (where the Fight is taking place) to place a Wager.
- Placing a Wager is always optional.
- During a 2-Player game, no Player can make a Wager.
- Players place Wagers against the "bank", not one of the other Witchers.
- Players can't Wager more than 1 Gold.
Monster Fight Rules
- The Player to the right of the Active Player becomes the Player controlling the Monster.
- Before the Fight, the Player controlling the Monster reads out loud the Monster's Special Ability description – the description states when the Special Ability must be used.
Example Monster Card: FOGLET – Monster's Level: I; Monster's Life Points: 10; Monster's Special Ability: "During the Monster's first Fight Turn: pick the Attack Type that makes the Player discard more cards from their deck or hand."
- Before the Fight, the Player controlling the Monster creates Monster's Life Pool. That Player draws a number of Monster Fight cards from the top of the Monster Fight Deck, equal to the Monster's Life Points as depicted on the Monster Card. They shuffle the drawn cards together to form the Monster's Life Pool.
- If the Monster takes any Damage, Player controlling the Monster discards a number of Cards from the Monster Life Pool equal to Damage suffered.
- When the Monster takes it's Turn, Player controlling the Monster will draw a single card from the top of the Monster Life Pool (see page 25 for more details).
- Any Player may always count the number of cards in the Monster Life Pool, without looking at them or changing their order.
- If the Active Player has a Monster Trail Token for that Monster, they take the first Turn during this Fight; otherwise, the Monster takes the first Turn.
- The Witcher and the Monster will take Fight Turns alternately, until the Witcher is Knocked-Out, or the Monster is Defeated.
Witcher's Fight Turn
Each Turn represents just a few seconds during the Fight. The Witcher can drink Potions, utilize Specialties they've learned, and most importantly, attack their opponent. Creating Card Combos represents a Witcher's fighting finesse by combining the right dodges, magical signs, and sword mastery. The Witcher constantly moves to avoid attacks, and tries to use the momentum of the attacks to their fullest.
The Witcher Fight Turn is divided into 4 Steps, resolved in the following order:
1. Using Potions, Specialties, and Effects
Potions: You may use one or more Potions, up to your limit. The limit of Potions that you can use in total during the entire Fight is shown by your Alchemy Attribute Level.
Potions Limit: You may have up to 4 Potions at a time, regardless of your Alchemy level.
(Example card: "Blizzard" – Potion – "After you finish your Combo, play any 1 additional card from your hand; it does not need to match extensions!" – flavor text: "It's sometimes seen that a witcher unfairly outnumbers the influence of Blizzard counters before their opponent even has time to attack.")
To keep track of how many Potions you have used this Fight, flip them face down after using and keep them nearby; discard them after the Fight is over.
Witcher Specialty: You may use your Witcher Specialty following the description found on the Player Board and on page 34 of this rulebook.
Card Effects: You may use cards (Equipment, Trophies, etc.) for their Effect.
(Example card: "CROSSBOW" – EQUIPMENT, leave this card in front of you – "Once per Fight: during your first Fight Turn, you may discard 1 card to deal 2 Damage.")
Potions, Specialties and Effects Clarifications
- You can use any effect during this step, unless it explicitly states that it must be used at another time.
- As long as card or Specialty description doesn't say otherwise, you can use these any number of times and in any order.
- Using any of these is always optional.
- All of these effects count toward your Attack and may trigger some other effects, applied as a result of your Attack.
2. Playing a card Combo
From your hand, play 1 or more cards connected together to form a Combo.
To form a Combo, do the following:
- Place any card face up in front of you.
- Place another card connected (on top):
- The color of the card must match 1 of the Combo Extension Color(s) on the card you place it on.
- You may repeat step 2 any number of times, until you:
- Run out of cards, or
- Cannot make another legal connection.
- After making a Combo of at least 1 card, you may proceed to Resolving a card Combo.
Note: The color only needs to match one Combo Extension color of the card directly beneath (this is only relevant when making a Combo comprised of 3 or more cards).
All the effects on the card played and on the Combo Extensions that Player used are resolved in the following steps.
The effects are resolved only after the Player is done playing their Card Combo.
Card Details: Each card has a color, and most have Combo Extensions allowing them to create Combos with other cards.
Card Combo Clarifications
- 1 card is still considered a Combo, even though it is only a 1-Card Combo.
- If you have any cards in your hand, you must play a combo of at least 1 card; however, you are not required to play all of your cards, even if you are able to play a larger Combo.
- The connected card (on top) must match only 1 Combo Extension. Remaining Extensions and their effects are ignored.
(Example card: "STAGGERING BLOW" – cost 0.)
3. Resolving a card Combo
a) Dealing Damage
Sum all used Damage Icons on all cards in your Combo; your opponent Suffers Damage equal to this sum.
Example: The Player deals 3 Damage to their opponent. There is no card connected to the Block card Extension, so the Yellow Extension Effect does not apply.
When fighting a Monster:
- For each point of Damage dealt to the Monster, discard 1 card from the top of Monster's Life Pool.
When fighting a Witcher, Damage is always applied in this order: Shield, deck, then hand, as follows:
- For each Damage taken, the Player lowers their Shield level;
- If their Shield level is 0, and there is still excess Damage to suffer, they discard 1 card from the top of their deck for each excess Damage;
- If their deck is empty, and there is still excess Damage to suffer, they discard 1 chosen card from their hand for each excess Damage;
- If their hand is empty, they are immediately Knocked-Out and their opponent wins the Fight!
b) Raising Shield level
After all Damage is taken, you sum all Shield icons that are visible on your Combo, and raise your Shield level by that amount.
Note: Your Shield level may never go above your Defense Attribute value.
Example: There are 3 Shield Icons in Player's Combo. Their current Shield level is 1, so they raise it by 2, to the level 3. The Player cannot raise their Shield level to 4, since their Defense level is 3.
c) Performing Special Effects
After raising your Shield level, perform the special Effects in your Combo (if there are any):
- Draw the top card from the discard pile. The Player takes the top card from their discard pile and adds it to their hand. The cards used for this Turn's Combo are not part of the discard pile yet.
- Return this card to your hand. The Player takes this card and adds it back into their hand. Other Cards used in the combo (if any) are sent to the discard pile.
- Draw more or less cards (+1 / -3 icons). Cards with this Effect are resolved during Step 4 of the Fight Turn.
Combo Extensions effects: Some of the Combo Extensions have special effects. Resolve them only if the Combo Extension is used to extend this Combo.
4. Replenishing Your Hand
At the end of each Fight Turn, Player replenishes their hand as per below steps:
- Basic number of cards is equal to Combat Attribute value.
- Add or subtract any modifiers coming from Combo played during this turn.
- Modify the result again for any special cards or effects.
The final result is the number of cards you draw.
If your Combat Attribute value result is 0 (or less), you draw 0 cards (any value below 0 is ignored, and has no additional effect).
If your deck is depleted, do not shuffle your discard pile and stop drawing cards.
After drawing cards, place all cards from your Card Combo into your discard pile (with card starting the Combo being on the bottom).
Your Hand-Limit is 7 cards: if you have 7 cards in your hand, and you are supposed to draw any number of additional cards, stop drawing additional cards; the effect is lost.
Example: The Player's Combat level is 2 and there is a +2 modifier in their Combo. They have used a Potion that tells them to draw 1 less card. 2+2-1=3, so the Player draws 3 cards. (Potion card "Swallow": "Raise your Shield level by 1; and, at the end of this Fight Turn, draw 1 less card.")
Monster's Fight Turn
In the Monster's Fight Turn, other Players will take turns in deciding on the Type of the Attack it will take.
In its first Fight Turn, the Player controlling the Monster will choose the Attack Type. That Player says out loud, whether the Monster is Charging or Biting. After that, the top card from the Monster Life Pool is revealed and the effect is applied.
- Charge icon
- Bite icon
In all future Monster's Fight Turns, Players will choose the Attack Type sequentially (in a counter-clockwise order, excluding the Active Player), but the Player controlling the Monster remains the same.
Monster's Attack Effects:
- Damage Dealing Damage to a Witcher is explained above (see page 23). (Example Monster Fight card: "The Player takes 3 Damage.")
- Discarding random cards from their hand The Active Player shuffles their hand of cards and the Player controlling the Monster randomly chooses 1/2/3 cards (based on the Monster Level). Those cards go to the discard pile. If the Player doesn't have the required number of cards in their hand, the whole hand is discarded, and any remaining cards are discarded from the top of their deck. (Example Monster Fight card: "The Player discards a number of random cards from their hand (empty hand: from the top of their deck) according to the Monster's level:" I: x1, II: x2, III: x3.)
- Trashing a chosen card from their hand The Active Player chooses 1 card from their hand and trashes it. That card is out of the game permanently. If the Player has an empty hand, the topmost card from their deck is revealed and trashed. (Example Monster Fight card: "The Player trashes any 1 card from their hand (empty hand: from the top of their deck).")
- Lowering an Attribute level The Active Player moves the cube on the corresponding track on their Player Board. The Attribute cannot be lowered below 1. (Example Monster Fight card: "The Player lowers their Alchemy level by 1 and takes 0, 1 or 2 Damage, based on the Monster level:" I: 0, II: 1, III: 2.)
End of the Fight and the Outcome
The Fight ends when the Life Pool of one Witcher or Monster is reduced to 0, then the opposing side (that still has Life remaining) is declared the victor and wins the Fight.
This can occur through taking Damage, or by having an opponent play their last card(s) and after resolving it/them, the opposing player still has 1 or more cards left.
Monster Fight Outcomes
The Monster Fight may result in one of three Outcomes:
- Player Defeats the Monster, as explained above.
- Player Drives the Monster Away. This happens when the Player is Knocked-Out, but the Monster has 0 or 1 card left in their Life Pool.
- Player is Defeated. It happens when the Player is Knocked-Out, and the Monster has 2 or more cards left in their Life Pool.
Defeating the Monster
- When you Defeat a Monster, take the Monster Card and gain 2 Gold.
- Turn the card over and read the fight description. You may read it out loud.
- Move up by 1 on the Trophy Track and suffer Fatigue (detailed on page 29).
- Slide the Monster Card under your Player Board, so the Trophy ability is visible.
After a Monster is Defeated, you must Spawn a Monster, by performing the following steps.
- Draw a random Monster Token which is 1 level higher than the just Defeated Monster. Example: If a Level II Monster was Defeated, you draw a random Level III Monster token.
- If Level III Monster is Defeated: draw another Level III Monster instead.
- If you run out of Monster Tokens of a certain level, make a new pile from all the Driven-Away Monsters of that level.
- The Monster Token, Location Token connected to the Defeated Monster, corresponding Trail Tokens, and corresponding Trail Quests from all Players are discarded face-down back to their respective pools and shuffled. Location Tokens on Quest cards are not discarded.
- Draw a Location Token of the same Terrain type as the Defeated Monster's one and place it on the empty Monster section of the Game Board.
- Place the Monster Token (that was drawn during step 1) near the Location on the Game Board, that corresponds to the Location Token drawn in step 3.
- Place the matching Monster Card in the Monster section of the Game Board.
4/5-Player Gameplay Changes
The Additional Monster Token Stack:
If there is a Level I Monster token available in this stack, when a Level I Monster is Defeated during normal gameplay (not Driven Away), place the top token from this stack into the game (instead of placing a Level II Monster as you would normally).
When the additional stack is empty, continue playing the game and placing new Monsters as normal.
Driving the Monster Away
If you are Knocked-Out during a Fight, but you manage to reduce the Monster's Life Pool to 1 or 0, you Drive the Monster Away; when this occurs, perform the following steps:
- Gain 2 Gold.
- Discard the Monster Card and the Monster Token.
- Add a 0-cost Action Card to your discard pile (explained below).
Follow Spawn a Monster steps as explained above, with one change.
Draw the new Monster of the same level as the Monster you have Driven Away. If you run out of Monster Tokens of a certain level, make a new pile of Driven Away Monsters of that level.
Complete Defeat
If you are Knocked-Out during a Fight, and you failed to reduce the Monster's Life Pool to 1 or 0, you suffer a Complete Defeat; when this occurs, perform the following steps:
- Take 1 Trail Token matching the Monster's Terrain (if the Player doesn't already have one).
- Add a 0-cost Action Card to your discard pile.
- Modification: During this Turn only, you can only draw up to 2 cards during Phase III of your Turn (see page 18).
The next time any Witcher attempts to fight that Monster, it will begin with a full Life Pool again. It rested-up and healed since last time.
Regardless of the Fight outcome, perform the following steps:
- Shuffle all the Monster Fight Cards together to form a new deck.
- Shuffle the Action Cards in your deck, discard pile, and hand together to form a new deck. Then, proceed to Phase III of your Turn (see page 18).
- Raise your Shield level up to your Defense level.
Add a 0-cost Action Card to your discard pile
When you Drive the Monster Away or the Monster or other Player Defeats you, you are required to add a 0-cost Action Card to your discard pile; in all cases, perform the following steps exactly, unless explicitly stated to do otherwise:
- Take any 1 of the Action Cards from the revealed pool that has a printed cost of 0. Ignore the printed cost modifier on the Game Board.
- Place it on your discard pile.
- Replenish the Action Card pool as normal, described on page 19.
If there are no 0-cost cards in the Action Card Display: ignore steps 1, 2, and 3; then instead, perform the following steps:
- Reveal cards (one at a time) from the top of the common Action Deck, until a 0-cost card is revealed;
- Place that card into your discard pile, then
- Place the remaining cards that were revealed (if any) into a common discard pile, next to the Game Board.
Witcher Fight Outcomes
The Witcher Fight may result in one of two Outcomes:
- The Attacking (Active) Player won:
- The Attacking (Active) Player gains a Trophy and Gold.
- The Defending (non-Active) Player adds a 0-cost Action card to their discard pile, shuffles their deck and draws 3 cards.
- The Defending (non-Active) Player won:
- The Defending (non-Active) Player gains Gold, shuffles their deck and draw 4 cards.
- The Attacking (Active) Player adds a 0-cost Action Card to their discard pile and draws one card less, during Phase III.
Rulers and city councils throughout the Continent are giving out privileges and monopolies like it's a contest, and levy import taxes to regulate markets in accordance with their own interests. And the merchants, unsurprisingly, are racing to find ways how to bend the rules and get ahead. To think they could simply go out and have an honest fistfight, like the witchers do... I guess some people simply love bureaucracy.
Chronicles of Benno Kobart, excerpt from chapter VII, Politics and Cliques.
Gaining a Trophy
If the Active Player (who initiated the Fight) won, they perform the following steps:
If you already have a Trophy from that Witcher (i.e. you initiated the Fight with them before and won), skip all steps below.
- Take 1 Witcher Trophy that belongs to the Defeated Witcher. Those Trophies are kept underneath the upper part of the Player Board.
- Turn the card over and read the fight description. You may read it out loud.
- Move up by 1 on the Trophy Track and suffer Fatigue (detailed on page 29).
- Slide the Witcher Trophy under your Player Board, so the Trophy ability is visible.
For Example: If a Wolf Witcher started and won a Fight against a Bear Witcher, the Wolf Witcher takes a Bear-Witcher Trophy from its pool. The Bear Witcher does not lose any trophies gained previously.
Trophy Clarifications
- Trophy Limit: Each Player may have at most 1 Trophy from each other Witcher's School.
- If the Defender wins the Fight, they don't gain a Trophy from their opponent.
Witcher Trophy Description: Fight description on the top; at the bottom, the Trophy Effect is described.
(Example Trophy card: "TROPHY – BEAR SCHOOL" – flavor text: "Ladies and gentlemen, this bearskin is now ready to be sold." – Trophy Effect: "Once per Fight: during your Fight Turn, if your Shield level is 0, raise your Shield level by 1.")
Gaining Gold
The Witcher that won the fight gains Gold based on the Reputation of their opponent. The amount of Gold Player wins – 1, 2 or 3 – is shown on the Trophy Track next to their opponent's position.
Adding a 0-cost Action Card
Losing Witcher adds a 0-cost Action Card to their discard pile, as explained above.
Forming a new deck
Regardless of the result – both Witchers do the same – they each: raise their Shield level up to their Defense level, shuffle all of their Action Cards found in their deck, discard pile, and hand together to form a new deck.
After doing so, both Players will draw cards based on their performance during the fight, as detailed next:
a. The non-Active Player doesn't proceed to Phase III like the Active Player does; instead, they immediately draw a set number of cards after the fight:
- If the non-Active Player Won: They immediately draw up to 4 cards.
- If the non-Active Player Lost: They immediately draw 3 cards (instead of 4). b. The Active Player proceeds to Phase III of their Turn; however, the number of cards they can draw may be impacted:
- If the Active Player Won: They draw the normal number of cards (up to 3), during Phase III.
- If the Active Player Lost: They may only draw 2 cards instead of 3, during Phase III (of this Turn only).
Resolving Wagers
If no Wagers were placed, you can move on and skip this section.
After the Witcher Fight, if any Wagers were placed, do the following:
- If a Player placed a Wager on the Witcher who lost: they move their wagered Gold to the Common Pool.
- If a Player placed a Wager on the Witcher who won: they take back their Wagered Gold; additionally, they gain the same amount of Gold as the winner of the Fight.
As time goes by, the Witchers are getting more recognition and the wagers, as well as the fight rewards, are naturally growing.
[...] the prefect's son, Olgierd, rose and gestured for silence, then proceeded to speak in florid words about the time last year when he went to the edge of the forest to ambush the beast that has been terrorizing the area. He was in the middle of naming all the lands he should receive for getting rid of the problem, when a witcher entered the tavern, covered in blood and carrying the head of a wyvern. The boy turned pale, then purple in the face, opened his mouth like a fish out of water and ran out, not to be seen again that night. I guess some folk are all talk, while others are all action.
Chronicles of Benno Kobart, excerpt from chapter VII, Politics and Cliques
Gaining Trophies and Fatigue
You may gain a Trophy in 3 ways:
- Meditate (see page 15).
- You start (and win) a Fight against another Witcher (see page 20).
- You win a Fight against a Monster (see page 21).
Regardless of how you gain a Trophy, perform the following steps:
- Read the text at the top out loud.
- Advance 1 spot on the Trophy Track. If you reach the top spot, you immediately win the game! (Meditate Exception explained below.)
Meditate Exception
The game can only end from a Trophy that is obtained from a Fight; because of this, if you Meditate, and this would result in you gaining your Final Trophy (i.e., gaining this Trophy will end the game):
- do not move on the Trophy track
- do not suffer Fatigue.
You still take the Trophy for its ability, but the game does not end.
- Suffer Fatigue: Fatigue represents the toll that long fights and travels have taken on Witcher's health. Trash a number of cards equal to your Fatigue value as shown on your current position on the Trophy Track. To do so: Search through all of your Action Cards – those in your deck, hand, and discard pile – Trash the required number of cards. Afterwards, shuffle all of your remaining Action Cards and form a deck.
- Finally, slide the Trophy Card into the special slot on your Player Board Trophy Cards are always displayed with their Trophy Effect visible to all Players.
Fatigue value
This is determined by your current position on the Trophy Track.
For example: After gaining the first Trophy, the Fatigue is 1, as indicated by the Trophy Track.
Trash
This is not the same as discarding; when you Trash a card, you get rid of it for the entire game (it is returned to the game box, never to be seen again during this adventure)!
You can trash multiple cards of the same type, or all different types; all that is required is that you Trash exactly the required amount; you cannot choose to Trash more or less than what is explicitly required.
Unless otherwise specified by an effect, you can remove a card from your hand, deck, or discard pile.
Winning the Game
After one Player reaches the top spot on the Trophy Track, that Player immediately wins the game!
Remember: the game cannot end after Meditation.
Full Player Turn – Example for a 2-Player Game
PHASE I – Movement and Actions
The Player is a Witcher from the School of the Bear and their level is 2. Their Combat level is 3, Defense – 2, Alchemy – 2, and Specialty – 3. They have 4 Gold, Blizzard Potion, and a Trail Token for a Monster occupying a Mountain Location.
The Player starts their turn with 4 cards in their hand.
The Player starts their Turn in Vengerberg. They cannot perform a Location Action here; the first action in this Phase has to be Movement. They play a card with a Water Terrain Icon from their hand to move to Ban Ard.
Player's Alchemy level is equal to their character level so they may perform the Ban Ard Location Action and raise their Alchemy level by 1.
They move their marker corresponding to the Alchemy level to its Level 3 spot. The Player draws 1 Potion Card (Black Blood) and keeps it face-up next to their Player Board.
The Player has 2 Potions now – Blizzard (from the previous Turn) and Black Blood they've just drawn.
The Player plays a card with a Mountain Terrain Icon from their hand to move to Kaer Morhen. They may perform an Action with another Witcher at their current Location. The Player decides to play a Dice Poker.
Both involved Players each place 1 of their Gold into a pile, creating the Poker-Pool. After, they add 1 Gold from the bank to it so there is 3 Gold in the Pool now.
Both Players each take a set of 5 dice and roll them simultaneously. (Active player result shown; non-Active player result shown.)
The non-Active Player may perform a reroll now. They decide to reroll 2 dice.
The Active-Player rerolls 3 dice.
The non-Active Player's Full-House is better than the Active-Player's two pairs. The non-Active player wins and gets Gold from the Poker-Pool.
The Player continues their Turn. They perform the Kaer Morhen Location Action to train one of their Attributes.
Since they are not in their own School, they may pay Gold to train Combat, Defense or Alchemy. The Player pays 3 Gold, to raise the Defense level by 1. They raise their Shield level, too – their maximum Shield level is 3 now.
Each of 4 Player's Attribute markers are moved to 3 so the Player raises their character level to 3.
After Leveling Up, the Player immediately draws 1 card from their Action Deck.
The Player plays a card with a Wild Terrain Icon from their Hand to move to Hengfors. Although there is a Monster on that Location, the Player does not have to Fight it.
The Player performs the Hengfors Location Action.
The Player gets 1 Gold. Additionally, they may get a Trail Quest. They have a Trail Token for a Monster occupying a Mountain Location already so they decide to get a Trail Quest for a Water Location.
The Player gets a random Water Location Token and places it face-up (with the Location shown) on their Player Board. After, they place 1 Gold on that token.
The Player still has 2 cards in their hand. At this point, they decide to proceed to Phase II of their Turn. They choose to Fight the Monster – Archespore.
PHASE II – Fight
The Archespore's Special Ability forces the Player to discard any 1 unused Potion to initiate a Fight.
The Player discards the Black Blood Potion.
(Example Monster Card: "ARCHESPORE – Level I – 'The Player must discard any 1 of their unused Potions (with no effect) to initiate a Fight with this Monster.'")
The non–Active Player creates the Archespore Life Pool, consisting of 12 Monster Fight Cards.
The Active Player combines and shuffles all of their discarded Action Cards with their entire Action Deck; places it nearby as a face-down deck – this is their Life Pool. They do not shuffle these 2 cards from their hand!
The Player has a Trail Token for a Monster occupying the Mountain Location so they perform their Fight Turn first. They play a 2-card Combo from their hand.
- First, the Player sums all visible and activated Damage Icons (3). The Player controlling the Monster discards this amount of cards from the Monster Life Pool – they place them face-up next to the Deck.
- Now, since there are no Shield icons in this Combo, the Active Player checks and sums up the value of modifiers from Cards in their Combo. The sum is 0 so they draw 3 cards, according to their Combat level.
After drawing cards, the Player places all cards from their Combo into their discard pile.
Now, it's Monster's Turn. The Player controlling the Monster chooses the Attack Type – Charge or Bite. They choose the Bite and reveal the card from the top of the Monster Deck.
The Active Player takes 5 Damage. First, they lower their Shield level to 0. Since they have 0 Shields left, they have to discard 2 cards from the top of their deck.
Now, it's Player's Turn again. Their Shield level is 0 so they use the School of the Bear Specialty: they raise their Shield level by 1 and draw 2 cards from the top of their deck.
The Player has 5 cards in their hand.
The Player uses the Blizzard Potion and flips it face down, leaving it next to their Player Board. They play a 3-card Combo and – thanks to the Potion Effect – 1 additional card, ignoring the extensions.
First, the Player sums all visible and activated Damage Icons (5). The Player controlling the Monster discards this amount of cards from the Monster Life Pool – they place their face-up next to the deck.
The Active Player sums all visible and activated Shield Icons (1) and raises their Shield level by that amount.
Now, the Active Player performs the Special Effects in their Combo. They take the top card from their discard pile and add it to their hand. There are no modifiers on played cards so the Player draws 3 cards, according to their Combat level.
After drawing cards, the Player places all cards from their Combo into their discard pile.
Now, it's Monster's Turn again. The Player controlling the Monster chooses the Attack Type – they choose the Bite again.
The Active Player lowers their Alchemy level by 1. Archespore is a Level I Monster so no Damage is taken.
Now, it's Player's Turn. There are only 2 cards left in the Monster Life Pool so the Player plays 1 card from their hand, deals 3 Damage and defeats the Monster.
Now, the Player:
- Discards the Potion used in Fight.
- Gains 2 Gold.
- Turns the Monster Card over; they may read the fight description out loud.
- Moves up by 1 on the Trophy Track.
- Looks at all of their Action Cards – those in their Deck, hand, and Discard Pile – and Trashes 1 Card; after, they shuffle all of their remaining Action Cards and form a Deck.
- Slides the Trophy Card under their Player Board.
PHASE III – Drawing and Gaining Cards
The Player proceeds to Phase III of their Turn.
First, they draw cards from their Action Deck, until they have 3 cards in their hand. After, they choose 1 card, from the 6 revealed on the Board.
The Player decides to gain the Lightning Reflex from the right-most spot. This card costs 2, but it's on the spot with the –1 cost modifier so the cost of this card is lowered to 1. The Player discards 1 card from their hand to their discard pile and draws the chosen card to their hand. Next, they slide 5 remaining cards to the right, to fill the empty space, draw 1 new card from the Action Deck, and place it on the left-most (empty) spot.
Solo Mode
Set up the game as you would for a regular (2/3-player) game with the following changes:
New Solo-Help Card: Take the Solo-Help Card and keep it nearby.
Player Setup Change: Take 3 Gold and place it on your Player Board. Draw 5 cards from your deck.
Monster Setup Change: Draw 1 Monster token from each Monster-token stack (3 in total; 1 each of Level I, II and III). Do this instead of drawing 3 from the Level I stack. The rest of Monster setup is the same.
Attribute Trophy Setup Change: Shuffle one set of Attribute Trophy cards together (one of each type). Randomly draw 1 and place it near the game board face up. (Return the remaining attribute trophies to the game box.)
How to Win
To win, you must gain 4 Trophies. To do this, you'll need to do both of the following:
- Defeat all 3 monsters (that were placed during setup).
- Gain the Attribute Trophy (that was placed during setup).
As in the regular game, the Attribute Trophy may not be the final Trophy that you obtain; thus, you may not Defeat the final Monster until you obtain the Attribute Trophy.
Keep track of how many turns you take during the game for final scoring purposes.
Gameplay changes
Play the game as normal, except for the following changes:
Dice Poker All Location Actions during Phase I are the same, except for Dice Poker.
You start a game of Dice Poker as normal – you pay 1 Gold, roll 5 Dice, and then you may perform one reroll of any number of those Dice.
After that, you compare your result to the Solo-Help Card. Gain Gold based on your result (see next page).
Exploration Cards Any effect that asks another Player to read something, must be read by yourself. When reading, cover the card (that you are reading) with another, so that you do not see the results until you make a choice. (If possible, do not read the result that corresponds to the choice you didn't make.)
Fighting Monsters During your Fights, when the Monster attacks, the attack type is determined by a Die roll: On a roll of 1-3, the type is Charge; on a 4-6, it is Bite.
Defeating a Monster Do not draw a new Monster Card after Defeating one.
Drive a Monster Away If you Drive a Monster Away, you still spawn a new Monster of the same Level (as normal); however, Driving a Monster Away does not count as Defeating a Monster (for the purposes of winning the game, as you do not obtain a Trophy).
Gain a new card During Phase III, if you gain any other card than a card from the right-most spot, discard the card from the right-most spot at the end of this Phase.
Solo Dice Poker Results
| Your Result | Reward |
|---|---|
| Pair | 0 Gold |
| Two Pairs | 1 Gold |
| Three-of-a-Kind | 2 Gold |
| Five High Straight | 3 Gold |
| Six High Straight | 3 Gold |
| Full House | 4 Gold |
| Four-of-a-Kind | 5 Gold |
| Five-of-a-Kind | 6 Gold |
Game End
The game ends immediately when you gain all 4 Trophies prepared at the Beginning of the Game.
Remember, you must Defeat (not Drive Away) 3 Monsters to win.
You kept track of how many turns you took during the game; now, compare your result to the table below to see how well you have done!
Solo Witcher End-Game Results
| Number of Turns it took you to complete the game: | Your Result |
|---|---|
| 13 and more | Not bad... for a greenhorn. You wield your sword better and better, and the power of your Signs grows. Although you are still far from the greatest among witchers, you are a hunter whom monsters cannot ignore. |
| 11–12 | You can be relied on. When given a quest, you often return with the head of the targeted beast. There are still witchers in the world who surpass you in skill, but you have nothing to be ashamed of. |
| 9–10 | This world needs a professional, and that's you! Your efforts do not go unnoticed. The first rumors of a brave witcher can be heard among the people. But the road to mastery is long - there is still a long way to go. |
| 7–8 | You are on the road to become a legend. You know your job like no other. With a sword in your hand, you become the real terror of monsters, and people know that they can feel safe with you. |
| 6 and less | You are a living legend! Bards compete in composing songs to praise your heroic deeds. Thanks to your efforts, the honor and reputation of your School are known across the Continent. |
Glossary
Witchers Specialties
School of the Viper – Venomous-Steel
Once per Fight: When your opponent discards 1 (or more) cards as a result of your Attack, you may perform your Venomous-Steel Ability to view and alter the order of your opponent's top cards of their deck and (if level 2 or higher) discard their cards.
- According to the icons directly to the right of your Venomous-Steel marker, draw a number of cards from the top of your opponent's deck; (and possibly) discard a number of them; and then put the remaining cards back on top of your opponent's deck in any order you choose.
- If discarding cards is part of the effect, you must do it.
School of the Bear – Armor
Once per Fight: On your Turn, if your Shield level is 0, your Armor Ability automatically triggers: draw cards from your deck (and if level 2 or higher, raise your Shield level).
School of the Cat – Speed
Once per Fight: During your first Fight Turn, you may perform your Speed Ability to draw cards from your deck (and possibly return some to the top of the deck in any order).
School of the Griffin – Magic
Once per Fight: You may perform your Magic Ability to draw 1 card from the top of your discard pile; then, discard 0-2 cards from your hand.
If this ability is level 4 or 5: Look through your discard pile and pick any 1 card to add to your hand.
School of the Wolf – Swordsmanship
Once per Fight: When you make a Combo of 3 (or more) cards, you may perform your Swordsmanship Ability to deal additional Damage (and, if level 2 or higher, draw additional cards).
Note: As you raise your Specialty level, you cannot use the ability of the lower level.
Location Actions
Traveling and Taking Actions on the Map is done by a Player during the "Movement and Actions Phase" (see page 12). Following are the details for each Location Action:
Alchemy ≤ Level (Attribute Training Locations)
At this Location, you may gain 1 level of the Indicated Attribute, only if that Attribute's level is equal to or lower than your Witcher Level.
For example: If your level is 1, you can increase your Combat (from level 1) to level 2; However, if your level is 1, and your Combat level is 2, you cannot increase it to level 3 by using this Location Action.
Alchemy: Any time you advance your Alchemy level, immediately gains 1 Potion taken from the top of the Potion Deck.
Defense: Any time you advance your Defense level, raise your Shield level by 1 (exception: level 5).
Dice Poker with Locals
In two Locations, the Player may play Dice Poker with some locals.
The Player has to place 1 Gold to the pool, 2 Gold is placed in the pool from the bank.
Resolve a game of Dice Poker where the locals are represented by a Player to the right of the Active Player.
If the Player is the winner, the Player takes all 3 Gold, if the locals have won, the Gold goes back to the bank.
All other rules are the same as with Witcher Dice poker (see page 14).
Potion Locations
At three Locations with this symbol, Active Player can draw 1 Potion from the top of the Potion Deck. Potions are kept face-up near / or below Player's Board. If you exceed the limit of 4 Potions, discard any chosen Potion(s) down to 4.
Trash and Gain an Action Card
In that Location, the Player may trash one, chosen card from their hand, and gain one card from the 6 cards available on the Game Board.
The printed cost of a newly gained card may be lower, the same or 1 higher than the cost of the trashed card.
The Player adds the newly gained card to their hand.
Witcher Schools
Locations with this symbol are Witcher Schools. Each Witcher School has similar effect, but Witcher Specialty can be trained only in the school that Witcher belongs to.
- Choose 1 of the following Attributes to train: Combat, Defense, or Alchemy.
- If you are taking that Action in your school, you may choose to train your Specialty instead.
- You can't train other School's Specialties using this Action.
- Pay the cost to Train that Attribute;
- The cost is Gold of value equal to the current level of the Attribute + 1.
- Move the chosen Attribute up 1 level.
- You do not have to train Attributes evenly – School training is actually a good way to specialize in one (or more) Attributes.
- If you cannot cover the cost, you cannot choose that Attribute to train.
Eg. The Player is taking an Action in one of the Schools. The Player chooses to train Defense, and that Player moves the Defense up by 1 level – from level 3 to level 4. The Player has to pay 4 Gold for that training.
Tracking a Monster
In two Locations, the Player may talk to local people about any information they have on a Monster.
First, the Player gets 1 Gold. Then, the Player chooses one Monster that they wish to track. The Player gets a Terrain Token from the pile that the Monster is currently occupying. The Player places it face-up on their Player Board (with a Location shown) and places 1 Gold from the bank on it – it's called a Trail Quest. It cannot be the same Location that the Player is currently at (in that case, the Player draws another token).
When the Player would enter that Location indicated on the token, the Player gets that Gold from the Token and turns that Token over – that Token represents a Trail for that particular Monster.
Eg. There is a contract for Harpies, that occupy a Mountain Location of Doldeth. The Player wants to get some intel on them, so the Player takes a Mountain Location Token. It shows Location Ard Modron. The Player places 1 Gold on that Token and the Player should try to get to it in coming Turns to get 1 Gold and a Trail Token on Harpies.
Note: If there are no Terrain Tokens of one type available in the pool, the Player may not choose to start a Trail Quest for that Terrain type.
Gaining Gold / Trashing Cards Location
In that Location, the Player gets 1 Gold, if the Player has 0 Gold.
Also, the Player may trash 1 or 2 Action Cards from the 6 available in the pool on the Game Board. After doing so, the available Action Cards are moved to the right, and the pool is replenished from the common Action Card Deck.
[...] I will now try to give a detailed description of the weeks I've spent on the trail in the company of a witcher, back when our paths crossed in a most unexpected way!
Chronicles of Benno Kobart, excerpt from chapter XIII, Dangers on the Trail.