Alchemists - Czech Games Edition

20 Pages·2015·18.91 MB·English

I received my new cauldron today. OOvveerrvviieeww
Finally, my laboratory is complete!
Two to four players take the role of alchemists competing to
For days, I have been gathering and drying ingredients in discover the secrets of their mystical art. Points can be earned
in various ways, but most points are earned by publishing
anticipation. What shall I mix first? I have a strong hunch
theories – correct theories. Therein lies the problem.
about raven’s feather and mandrake root. And they say you
Players gain knowledge by mixing ingredients and testing the
can never go wrong with a toad.
results using a card-scanning app on a tablet or smartphone. They
But then, what do they know? This is my laboratory, my deduce how to make potions that they can sell to adventurers.
research! Once I have published my theories, the others will Gold pieces can be spent on magical artifacts, which are very
powerful but also very expensive.
be coming to me! I am determined to prove that I have the
Players' reputations go up and down as their theories are
greatest mind that ever studied alchemy.
published or disproven. At the end of the game, reputation is
So now, I shall light my fire, for it is time to get to work. converted to points. Points are also scored for artifacts and
Knowledge, wealth, and fame can all be found in the murky grants. The player with the most points wins.
depths of the cauldron.
1
BBaassiicc PPrriinncciipplleess ooff AAllcchheemmyy
Ah! A new student. How delightful! I’m always glad to Congratulations on mixing your first potion! If you Pop Quiz:
meet a someone whose heart burns with the fire of science. followed my instructions correctly, you mixed , which I shall reveal the true nature of scorpion and bird claw.
Are you ready to uncover nature’s mysteries? Ready to is a healing potion. Now, can you tell me what potion you will get when you
make discoveries that will earn respect and admiration? How is it possible that two seemingly ordinary ingredients combine the two?
Well, my young friend, this is a long journey. It will could combine to make something extraordinary? Well, it’s To check your answer, scan this picture:
require perseverance and a keen mind. Let us begin simply, time for you to learn a little theory.
by mixing a potion from ingredients we can find on a walk
AAllcchheemmiiccaallss
through the forest. See? Here is a mushroom. And here is
a toad. Now all you need is a fully equipped alchemical
laboratory. I’ll wait while you set one up.
TThhee CCaarrdd RReeaaddeerr
To play Alchemists, you will need the Alchemists app on your
smartphone or tablet. To get the app, scan this QR code.
Or enter cge.as/ald into your web browser. The app is free.
You've already paid for the game.
(To play without the app, see the facing page.)
DDeedduuccttiioonn
Mixing potions is easy once you know which alchemical
corresponds to which ingredient. But we don’t know! Isn’t
Each ingredient corresponds to exactly 1 alchemical. An that wonderful? So many mysteries waiting to be solved.
alchemical has a red aspect, a green aspect, and a blue And so much grant money available for our research.
aspect, and each aspect can be positive or negative. In your first experiment, you discovered that mushroom and
Only one device is necessary. Players can share.
When two alchemicals combine, matching aspects amplify, toad combine to make . What does this tell you about
Once you have downloaded the app, launch it and tap the
and they make one of these potions: their alchemicals?
button. Please enter this four-letter
There are only 4 ways to make .
code: DEMO. HEALING SPEED WISDOM
+ =
MMiixxiinngg PPoottiioonnss
POISON PARALYSIS INSANITY
Ready? Wonderful! Now toss these ingredients into your
+ =
cauldron and stir until the substance changes color. To figure out what potion is created, look for a match in sign
and color between a big circle on one alchemical and a
Alchemists mix potions by combining two different
little circle on the other:
ingredients. Tap the button and scan
+ =
these two cards with the camera: Examples:
+ =
+ =
We don't know which pair of alchemicals we have, and we
+ =
don't know which ingredient corresponds to which half of
the pair. But we do know that mushroom and toad cannot be
any of these four alchemicals:
You may have to adjust your angle to get both cards in the
picture. When the app recognizes the cards, they show up because these do not have the symbol. Their red aspect
in the bottom half of the screen. When the app displays the is negative.
correct ingredients, tap .
2
To be a successful alchemist, you need to keep an orderly TThhee NNeeuuttrraall PPoottiioonn Pop Quiz:
notebook. I have already revealed the alchemical for bird claw. Find
out what happens when you mix bird claw and toad. Then
Each alchemical has exactly one alchemical that
tell me: What alchemical must correspond to toad?
neutralizes it. When you combine a neutralizing pair, you
get a potion that has no magical effects, although it does
make a tasty soup.
If two alchemicals have no matching aspects, they neutralize
each other to make a neutral potion .
Examples:
+ =
+ =
Do not become discouraged when you mix a neutral
potion. Your experiment has actually given you a lot of
information. Now you just need to figure out how to use it.
Things to know: And now, my young alchemist, your fundamental training
The results triangle is for recording the results of your is complete. Well, complete enough. I have to get back to
• Each alchemical has exactly one alchemical that
experiment. Take a token and put it at the intersection work.
neutralizes it (It makes a red, blue, or green potion with
of mushroom and toad. any other alchemical.). I wish you much success in all your endeavors, and if you
The deduction grid is for recording what your experiment should ever happen to publish an important discovery, be
• An alchemical's neutralizer has the opposite sign for
tells you. Your experiment eliminates 4 possibilities for sure to give proper credit to the alchemist who taught you
each aspect (each color).
mushroom and toad, as shown. In general, you will have everything you know.
• On your deduction grid, alchemicals that neutralize
to proceed by eliminating possibilities until only one
each other are in adjacent rows. Note the horizontal
possibility remains.
bands of light and dark shading.
Your deduction grid is for your personal use. You can make
notes using any system you want.
SSeelleeccttiioonn bbyy HHaanndd WWeebb--BBaasseedd CCaarrdd RReeaaddeerr
The card reader gives you the option to select ingredients by At alchemists.czechgames.com, you can find a web-based
hand. Instead of scanning cards, you will hide the card reader version of the app. On the web, cards are selected by hand.
from the other players and tap on the two ingredients you
are mixing. Everything else works the same.
TThhee GGaammeemmaasstteerr BBooaarrdd
If for some reason you want to play Alchemists without using an electronic device, one person
can play gamemaster and act as the card reader. The gamemaster can use the box lid to keep the
gamemaster triangle hidden from the other players.
The gamemaster mixes up the 8 ingredient tiles and inserts them secretly and randomly into the 8
slots. The gamemaster does not need to worry about the actual alchemicals. The result of mixing any
two ingredients is given by the triangle.
The gamemaster handles every situation that normally requires the card reader. For example,
whenever a player needs to “scan” ingredient cards, the player passes the cards face down to the
ggaammeemmaasstteerr
gamemaster. The gamemaster looks up the resulting potion and then gives the answer that the card
reader would give in that situation. The gamemaster can then put the ingredients in the discard ttrriiaannggllee
pile.
If the battery on your smartphone dies and you want to use the gamemaster triangle to finish your
game, just convert the four-letter game code to an ordered list of 8 ingredients using this simple
algorithm: ... Actually, on second thought, maybe we should keep that information to ourselves. But if
you know the battery is dying, someone who isn't playing can take the role of gamemaster by peeking iinnggrreeddiieenntt ttiilleess
at the answers in the app and setting up the gamemaster triangle accordingly.
Gamemaster Exam:
This gamemaster triangle is set up so you can “scan” all three examples on this page and give the
same answers that the card reader would.
3
SSeettuupp
Ah, but the craft of alchemy is about more than mixing
MMaasstteerr oorr TTwwoo,, TThhrreeee,, oorr FFoouurr PPllaayyeerrss??
potions. Alchemists seek knowledge, of course, but what
they truly value is prestige. Making your mark on the
AApppprreennttiiccee?? This side of the board is for a four-player game. The setup
world will not be easy. You need to publish before your
for two or three players is the same, except you use the other
colleagues do, expose the flaws in their theories, and get
You can play Alchemists either as masters or apprentices. side of the board.
the powerful artifacts before they are all sold out. You
For your first game, we recommend you play the apprentice
see, you are not the only alchemist in town.
variant. A few of the rules are simpler, and the academic
conferences are more forgiving. Even so, it offers the full
range of possibilities.
A few details of setup depend on which variant you are
playing.
aaddvveennttuurreerr ttiilleess
Shuffle the adventurer tiles face
down and randomly remove one from
TTeesstt oonn
the game. (Put it back in the box
DDeebbuunnkk TThheeoorryy PPuubblliisshh TThheeoorryy
without looking at it.) Turn up the top SSttuuddeenntt aaccttiioonn
adventurer and set the stack by the aaccttiioonn ssppaaccee aaccttiioonn ssppaaccee
ssppaaccee
adventurer space.
ccoonnffeerreennccee ttiilleess
Use this side for the apprentice
variant or this side for the master
Magic Mortar Discount Card Boots of Speed
variant. The conference tiles go into
the adventurer stack. The one marked
goes under the top two
adventurers. The one marked
aarrttiiffaacctt rrooww
On an action space where
goes above the bottom adventurer.
you have at least one cube,
BBuuyy AArrttiiffaacctt When you mix a potion,
Your next artifact costs you can perform that action
discard only one of the
2 gold less. After that, again after everyone is done.
ingredients. A colleague
aaccttiioonn ssppaaccee artifacts cost you 1 gold less. Limit once per round.
chooses it randomly.
Can’t be used to
Sell Potions.
aaddvveennttuurreerr
ssppaaccee
SSeellll PPoottiioonn TTrraannssmmuuttee IInnggrreeddiieenntt
aaccttiioonn ssppaaccee aaccttiioonn ssppaaccee
4
aarrttiiffaacctt ccaarrddss Feather in Cap Wisdom Idol Altar of Gold EExxhhiibbiittiioonn BBooaarrdd
Divide the cards into decks ,
Set this board aside for now. You will use it in the final
, and . Shuffle each deck During the exhibition: round.
randomin dfreopmen ddeecnkt ly. D anradw p 3la ccaer tdhse amt sSuap1ercott c piteafioaosscisinndftssute , y l filtoonyhur.gi s Werd eacedcahmhpiee o nntinsy ts psswc teforo rarorotitfenmh g WfoiArs deto atmhcceh oI redsrenoeadlc l i tosy t fowh uteoh orhert ahygv. ae1m openo, ian t GPaaiIynm 1tmh rtaeoetpd 8mui atgaatonteily ode pn fpf.oieiecnctte:s s o. f
in the artifact row. Draw 3 cards at ingredient set aside.
random from decks and Amulet of Rhetoric Witch’s Trunk Seal of Authority
and place them in rows beside the
game board. The selected artifacts are
all face up. Players may look at them
at any time. Return the rest of the GainI m5 pmoeidntisa toef ereffpeuctta: t ion. DYImoruam wn eo7d liionangtegr eeedrf ifdeerncattws:. e2Wn adhdoedrnsit eiy ooan uta hple puoborliyni,s thgs a ooinrf
artifact cards to the box. They will not ingredients when choosing reputation.
play order.
be needed this game.
Magic Mortar Discount Card Boots of Speed
On an action space where
Windgcishhrceeoandor idsyeeo nosut nsi t.ml yAr iaox nc nadoe ol plomeofa tltgiyoh.u ene , artYi2foa gcutors l ndce olxestst say. roAtuiff at1ec rgt otchlodas ttl,se ss. ayygooaLuui in cmh Caaainfvatt eenpo r’ean tert c bfvleoeee rarp muysetos rteno hdrenao etitu s oac nd cu dtobi.on e ne, .
Sell Potions.
oorrddeerr ssppaaccee
rewards for choosing this
space
eenndd--ooff--rroouunndd
bbuussiinneessss rreemmiinnddeerr oorrddeerr mmaarrkkeerrss
Each player sets one flask
DDrriinnkk PPoottiioonn ccoonnffeerreennccee
here for use as an order
aaccttiioonn ssppaaccee ssppaaccee marker.
uunnuusseedd ccuubbeess
ssppaaccee
hhoossppiittaall
ppaarraallyyzzeedd
rreessuulltt ttookkeennss ggoolldd ppiieecceess aallcchheemmiisstt’’ss
oorrddeerr ssppaaccee
ffaavvoorr ccaarrddss
Shuffle the favor cards and
place them here, face down. iinnggrreeddiieenntt
ccaarrddss
Shuffle the ingredients
and deal 5 face up to the
ingredients row. Leave
the rest of the deck on the
FFoorraaggee IInnggrreeddiieenntt board face down.
aaccttiioonn ssppaaccee
iinnggrreeddiieennttss rrooww
5
PPllaayyeerr’’ss LLaabboorraattoorryy
PPuubblliicc SSeeccttiioonn PPrriivvaattee SSeeccttiioonn IInnggrreeddiieenntt ccaarrddss
Apprentice Variant: Each player draws
The types of potions you have already made, your grants, The types of ingredients and favor cards in your hand, the types of seals
3 ingredients from the top of the deck.
your artifacts, your number of gold pieces, and the number you play, the ingredients in your experiments, and your deductions from
and types of cards in your hand are always public knowledge. results are always kept secret from the other players. This information Master Variant: Each player draws
can be hidden behind your laboratory screen. 2 ingredients from the top of the deck.
PPllaayyeerr bbooaarrdd
BBiidd ccaarrddss FFaavvoorr CCaarrddss
Each player draws 2 favor cards,
THESE SPACES ARE FOR DISPLAYING
POTIONS YOU HAVE MADE chooses one to keep and one to
discard.
Custodian
EACH PLAYER STARTS Merchant SSeeaallss
YOUR GRANTS
WITH 2 GOLD PIECES
GO HERE
Play when you declare actions.
PIlfa payyino ewytuc oth eFoP hstes.sfoeh olpnSe aIltrla ulefelchi t tgtclfinee ahlhyii orastiooP ps sthyl,tyouno , orroD ttye eoiuguimo ooe ruarcun w naiiunptn .nyesumdbo k rru1at,e eani P c s oty gfioo eht nios nrtaobselis ,todnlt et .l cnha fsous ips arb caecetc a iteoirhs.dne a.
AAccttiioonn CCuubbeess
AAsssseemmbblliinngg YYoouurr LLaabboorraattoorryy
The number of action cubes depends on the number of
The tab at the
players. LLaabboorraattoorryy ccaauullddrroonn
bottom of the
• two players: 6 cubes.
cauldron is a shelf
The cauldron can also go on the left or right side.
• three players: 5 cubes. for your cards.
It can even stand alone.
• four players: 4 cubes. Do not tear it out.
Leave extra cubes in the box.
In all cases, you use only 3 action cubes in the
first round. Put your remaining cube or cubes on
the adventurer stack. This reminds you to take the full
rreessuullttss ssccrreeeenn
complement at the end of the first round.
ttrriiaannggllee
ddeedduuccttiioonn
ggrriidd
6
TThheeoorryy BBooaarrdd
ggrraannttss
Arrange them as shown.
rreeppuuttaattiioonn mmaarrkkeerrss
Each player puts one flask on
the 10 space to mark initial
reputation.
ccoonnflfliicctt ttookkeennss aallcchheemmiiccaall ttookkeennss SSttaarrttiinngg PPllaayyeerr TTookkeenn
Used only in the master variant. For the apprentice
Give the starting player token to the player who was
variant, leave these in the box.
most recently in a laboratory.
IInniittiiaalliizziinngg tthhee CCaarrdd RReeaaddeerr
At the start of the game, launch the app, select the master Each randomization has a four-letter code. Write this down.
or apprentice variant, and tap the If you need to complete the game on a different device (for
button. The app will randomly assign each ingredient example, if your first card reader runs out of power), just
a different alchemical. (So if you were hoping to gain an tap and type the code into the new
advantage by remembering the answers from the previous device. It will use the same randomization as the first device.
game, you are out of luck.) This system also enables you to play with two or more card
readers if you wish.
7
TThhee RRoouunndd
The game is played in six rounds. At the beginning of each round, players choose their play order. Then players declare
all their actions for the round. During the round, actions are evaluated in order, clockwise around the board.
CChhoooossiinngg PPllaayy OOrrddeerr GGeettttiinngg NNootthhiinngg Each player has their own row, corresponding to their
position on the order spaces. If you are lowest on the
Sometimes (usually when confer- order spaces, you declare actions first and place your cubes
You start your day with a leisurely
ence deadlines are approaching) in the bottom row at each action space. The next player
walk through the forest, looking for
you need to get things done places cubes in the row just above the bottom row, and so
interesting things to grind up in your
quickly. In that case, forget ingredients, forget favors. You on. The player highest on the order spaces will go last and
laboratory. Or perhaps you spend
just eat a quick breakfast and run off to get your work place cubes in the highest row. In a 2-player game, the rows
some time doing favors for people
done. marked or are not used.
around town ... in exchange for
favors later, of course. If you choose this space, you draw no cards, but at least you Example:
will get to go first ... or maybe second. In the illustration on the left side of this page, Blue is lowest.
Beginning with the player with
He must declare actions first. Red goes next. Note that in the
the starting player marker and
PPaayyiinngg GGoolldd
illustration at the bottom of this page, Red's cubes are always
proceeding clockwise around the
in the middle row. Green is highest. She declares actions once
table, each player chooses an order Sometimes you don’t even have
she knows everything that Blue and Red plan to do. Her cubes
space. Lower spaces give you more time to make breakfast. Instead,
go in the first row.
cards but leave you at a disadvantage you buy fresh rolls from the baker
when resolving actions. and eat them on your way through town. FFiirrsstt RRoouunndd EExxcceeppttiioonnss
When it is your turn to choose, place
To choose this space, you must pay 1 gold piece. If you don't
your order marker on one of the have the gold, you can't choose this space. In the first round, you are allowed only
unoccupied order spaces and draw 3 action cubes. In later rounds, you may
On this space you draw no cards, but you are guaranteed to
the indicated cards. use your full set of cubes. (The number of cubes depends on
go first. Yes, sometimes it is that important.
Two players cannot choose the same space, and no one can the number of players. See page 6.)
choose the green space at the very bottom. That's a special PPllaayy OOrrddeerr The three actions marked with this symbol are not
space for alchemists who drank a potion on the previous available in the first round.
round. See page 10. In a 2-player game, you cannot choose For the rest of the round, play order will be determined by
the space labeled . the order of the markers on the order spaces. RReessoollvviinngg AAccttiioonn SSppaacceess
The starting player marker will have no further effect this
DDrraawwiinngg IInnggrreeddiieennttss
round. At the end of the round, it will be passed to the left
Each action space is resolved in order, clockwise around the
and the next round will have a different starting player.
Draw the indicated number of ingredients from board, as shown.
the top of the deck. Do not take any of the face- DDeeccllaarriinngg AAccttiioonnss
up cards. Those are available only from the
Forage Ingredient action space.
Once all players have chosen an order space (and drawn
DDrraawwiinngg FFaavvoorr CCaarrddss their cards), it is time to declare actions. The player lowest
on the order spaces must declare his or her actions first,
These represent favors that the townsfolk owe followed by the next lowest player, and so on. Players who
you. Draw the indicated number of favor cards chose the higher spaces (with fewer cards) will have the
from the top of the deck. advantage of seeing what other players are doing before they
declare their own actions. When it is your turn to declare
If either deck runs out of cards, shuffle its discard pile to
actions, you declare all your actions at once.
make a new deck.
Place your action cubes on the actions you want to take
this round. Different spaces have different requirements as
FFaavvoorr CCaarrddss
RESOLVE THE ACTION SPACES IN THIS ORDER.
illustrated below.
Favor cards give you a single-use advantage during some
part of the round. They will tell you when they can be used.
Some favor cards say “play immediately”. These must be
played as soon as you draw them. Cards are explained in
detail at the end of this rulebook. After you play a favor card,
it goes to the discard pile.
FIRST ACTION REQUIRES 1 CUBE. THREE ACTIONS ARE ACTION REQUIRES 2 FIRST ACTION REQUIRES 1 CUBE.
A SECOND ACTION REQUIRES POSSIBLE HERE. EACH CUBES. ONLY ONE ACTION A SECOND ACTION REQUIRES
1 MORE. REQUIRES 1 CUBE. ALLOWED. 2 MORE.
8
On each action space, players take their actions in order, Example: DDeecclliinniinngg YYoouurr AAccttiioonn
beginning with the player on the highest occupied row.
Once all players have taken
When you take your action, remove your cube. (Or remove
their actions in the order shown, When it is your turn to perform an action, you may
both cubes if the action requires 2 cubes.) Once everyone
they move on to evaluate the change your mind and decline your action instead. Pick
on the action space has taken their first action, players with
next action space. up your cube (or cubes) and put it on the unused cubes
two actions may take their second, in the same order.
space . At the end of the round, every pair of unused
cubes will allow you to draw 1 favor card. See page 16 for
details.
AAccttiioonnss AAvvaaiillaabbllee iinn tthhee FFiirrsstt RRoouunndd
Five actions are available to you in the first round. We will cover these first.
FFoorraaggee ffoorr IInnggrreeddiieenntt TTrraannssmmuuttee IInnggrreeddiieenntt BBuuyy AArrttiiffaacctt
To find the ingredient you want, This venerable alchemist has Nothing says “success” like a
sometimes you have to spend a discovered how to turn ingre- shelf full of expensive hardware.
little extra time in the forest. Be dients into gold. He’ll be happy
When you buy an artifact, take
sure to bring a stout walking to share the gold if you’ll supply
one of the cards in the artifact
stick to ward off wolves, bears, the ingredients. Maybe he’s too
row and pay the cost in the upper
and rival alchemists. old to forage for himself.
left corner. Keep your artifacts
Or maybe he just dislikes getting
When it is your turn to forage on the table in front of you where
up early enough to beat the other
for an ingredient, you may take everyone can see them.
foragers.
either 1 face-up ingredient from the row or draw 1 random
ingredient from the top of the deck. Cards in the row are When you play this action, discard 1 ingredient and take 1 Periscope VICTORY POINTS
COST
not replaced, so players who play later may have a more gold piece from the bank. On this space, going first does not AT THE END OF
THE GAME
limited choice. Once all the face-up cards are gone, your give you any advantage.
only choice is to draw from the top of the deck. (Or you can Whenever you discard ingredients, no one else gets to see
always decline the action and move your cube to the unused what you discarded. The discard pile should always be face
cubes space.) down. Immediately after
a colleague sells or tests
Tip: This is a quick way to get the gold piece you really a potion, you may look at
EFFECT
need ... or an inefficient way to get the two gold pieces you one of the ingredients.
really, really need. Skilled alchemists, however, will make Choose it randomly.
Limit once per round.
most of their money by earning grants and selling potions
to adventurers.
Early artifacts have effects that last the entire game. If an
effect does not specify that it is limited to once per round,
then you can use it every time it applies.
Once all players have finished their actions here, remove any
Other artifacts have an immediate effect that can be used
remaining face-up ingredients from the board and put them
only once. Using this effect is part of your Buy Artifact
in the discard pile face down. A new set of 5 face-up
action.
ingredients will be dealt at the beginning of the next round.
Most artifacts are worth victory points at the end of the
game. Some have variable victory points that are explained
on the card.
At the beginning of the game, the artifacts row has only
artifacts labeled . The artifact row is not replenished, not
even if they have all been taken. During the conference at
the end of round 3 (and again at the end of round 5) any
remaining artifacts will be discarded and the next three
artifacts will be placed in the row. Until then, the and
artifacts are kept face up on the table so that players
can read them and plan ahead.
9
EExxppeerriimmeennttss TTeesstt oonn SSttuuddeenntt DDrriinnkk PPoottiioonn
A student will drink anything This is the simplest way to find
The town council has banned tests on animals because
for science. Until he gets sick. out what a potion does. Of
of the ... issues ... arising from the winged pig outbreak.
Then he’ll drink anything for course, it does have some
So now alchemists have to test their potions on people.
science and 1 gold piece. drawbacks.
Fortunately, the town has a good supply of alchemy
students. And in the worst case, you can always try your The first player to use this action The advantage to experimenting
potion yourself. space performs the experiment on yourself is that you do not
as described above. have to pay any gold pieces. The
The final two actions of the round give you the most
information. This is where you mix two ingredients and see Players who experiment later disadvantage is that the negative
what happens. The procedure for mixing a potion is the may be at a disadvantage. Once potions have an impact on you.
same whether you are Testing on a Student or Drinking the the student drinks a negative potion, his zeal for science The effect is different according
Potion yourself: is considerably diminished. For everyone playing after the to the color of the negative
player who mixed the negative potion, the action costs 1 potion you drink:
gold piece. (You always have the option of declining the This is a potion of insanity. You don’t remember
action and moving your cube to the unused cubes space. drinking it, nor do you remember doing naked
If you cannot pay the student's fee, then you must decline cartwheels through the town square. But everyone
the action.) else remembers.
Every round you get a new student – one whose heart burns You lose 1 point of reputation .
with the fire of science, one who doesn't know about what This is a potion of paralysis. It’s hard to get up in
happened to the previous student. So the first experiments the morning when you can’t move your limbs.
of the round are always free until someone mixes a negative
Move your order marker onto this
potion.
order space. Next round, you will not
Example:
choose an order space with the other
Yellow goes first. The first player never players. Instead you will draw the cards indicated by this
1. Choose 2 of your ingredient cards to mix. has to pay, so Yellow tests on the special order space and play last.
2. Place them in your cauldron so that no one else can see student for free, making . This penalty lasts for only one round. If your marker has
them. That's good news for Blue. It means been on the paralysis space for the entire round, you can
3. Tap or , he doesn't have to pay either. He move it off when it is time to begin drinking potions, so that
depending on the action space. mixes . no one will confuse your marker with those of players who
4. S can the cards and tap when the reader The student is still happy. Green paralyze themselves now. (Of course, if you drink this potion
recognizes them. doesn't have to pay anything either. again, you'll have to put your marker back again.)
She mixes . Now the student is Congratulations! You have just survived drinking
5. Show the result to the other players. Yes, they will learn
unhappy, but Green reminds him that poison. As a student, you must have built up an
which potion you made, but they will not know which
she told him the risks and there's nothing he can do about it. immunity. But even so, you don’t feel that great.
ingredients you used.
You’ll need to spend some time recovering.
Now it's Red's turn. If she wants to test a potion on the student,
6. P ut the corresponding result token in your results
she must pay 1 gold piece to the bank. She does so and mixes Instead of taking your action cube back to your
triangle.
. It really doesn't matter what she mixes. Yellow and Green player board, put it on the hospital space. For the
7. Put the corresponding result token on your player
will still have to pay 1 gold piece each if they want to perform next round, you will have 1 less cube to use.
board, to remind the other players that you have made
their second tests. No negative potion can affect you twice in the same
that potion (unless you already have that token there).
round. Positive and neutral potions have no game effect, but
This is mandatory. Potions you have mixed are public
you will experience a sensation of deep relief.
knowledge.
8. Discard the ingredients you used. Ingredients are always
discarded face down. OOtthheerr FFuunn TThhiinnggss TThhaatt CCaann HHaappppeenn TToo YYoouu WWhheenn YYoouu AArree PPaarraallyyzzeedd
(Even if your group has agreed to use the card reader's
If multiple players drink a potion, they will all have their starting player, and it would not be fair if the same player got
“select by hand” option, you still put the two ingredients in
order markers on the green space at the bottom. Those who those advantages two rounds in a row.) In the unlikely event
the cauldron. That way you won't forget to discard them.)
put their markers there first will play ahead of those who put that the player on the left is paralyzed, too, the marker keeps
The major difference between the two actions is what their markers there later. going around the table until it gets to an unparalyzed player.
happens when you mix a negative potion. The effects of the
If the starting player marker is passed to a player who is In the incredibly unlikely event that all players are paralyzed,
, , and potions are quite unpleasant. That's why
paralyzed, the paralyzed player passes the marker to the left. don't pass the marker at all. Next round, the starting player
alchemists have students.
(The player on the left is getting all the advantages of being will be the one who would have started this round.
YYoouurr FFiirrsstt RRoouunndd
You now know enough to play your first round of Alchemists. Well, almost the entire round. There are a few things that happen after the Drink Potion action space is resolved, but you can read
about those details later.
If you want, you can play your first round now. Then, come back here and learn about the other 3 action spaces. The rules for what to do at the end of the round are on page 16.
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