Overview
Die Card is designed to be the most long, tedious, and difficult game since Monopoly. This is best illustrated through the fact that you use the quadratic equation to determine how far you move. Are you up to the challenge?
Basic Movement
Each player has one turn. Which player goes first may be chosen by any means. Turns progress in clockwise order.
When it is your turn, roll the three twelve-faced dice. Each one represents a coefficient in the quadratic equation. The azure die represents a, the blue die represents b, and the cyan die represents c. When the game starts, the azure die is on the left, the cyan die on the right, and the blue die in the middle.
Put the value each die gives you into the quadratic equation. Input any prime numbers (aside from one) as negative. Remember, prime numbers are those which may only be divided by themselves or one.
There is a calculator provided on an in-game tablet to solve the quadratic equation for you. The solutions given represent how far you will move that turn (rounded to the nearest whole number). Positive numbers require you to move counterclockwise around the board, negative numbers require you to move clockwise around the board. Negate prime number solutions. For instance, if you get a negative two as one solution, then that gives you the option to move two spaces counterclockwise, as said two would be negated and become positive.
When your solutions are not imaginary, you may move as far as either solution.
If your given solutions are imaginary, then determine how far to move using the six-faced die. If you roll a prime number, then negate it, and move clockwise. In addition, take 1i. The i are found in the bag on the side of the board. A player may only have 15i at most, unless they are the iShill (see Goal cards).
Die Cards
If you land on one of the ten Draw Die Card(s) spaces, you must then draw at least one. To determine how many to draw, roll the six-faced die. If you roll a prime number (aside from one), negate it. If you roll a one, take one Die Card. If you roll any negative number, take two Die Cards. If you roll a four, take three Die Cards. If you have the awful fortune to roll a six, draw five Die Cards.
You may only have as much as five Die Cards in your hand at any given time. If you have to draw more Die Cards than you have room for, just draw as many as you can.
A majority of the Die Cards are only present to hold you back. You cannot win unless you have less than three, and you will have to complete tasks (detailed on each Die Card) to remove them.
Those Die Cards which do not hold you back are known as Bonus cards. These are hidden among the Die Card deck. All of these still count against a win (with the exception of the CAT! card), but you may take one turn to put them back in the deck at your will at any time. Be sure to reshuffle when doing so.
You cannot have more than one Bonus card. If you are in possession of more than one at any time, place one of your choice back in the deck. Keep in mind the BOMB! must always be placed back in the deck if it is traded to you.
If you land on a Die Card space, then immediately land on another, don’t worry. You have to leave the Die Card area and then come back before you’re forced to draw again.
When removing a Die Card, place it back in the deck and shuffle, unless told to do otherwise.
Goal Cards
The objective of Die Card is to complete the goal given on whichever one of the five Goal cards you obtain.
A Goal card may be obtained through trading, at the cost of 3i after landing on the 6 tiles next to the Goal tile, or by landing on the Goal tile.
Each player may only have a single Goal card. If a player completes the objective on their Goal card, while having a hand of only two Die Cards, then they win.
If you already have a Goal card, you may have it replaced by purchasing another or by landing on the Goal space again. This is optional.
Here are the five Goal cards, with descriptions of their goals.
The Murderer gains the ability to kill other players while in possession of this card. They may do this by landing directly on another player. If they go to the knife store, and purchase a knife for 3i, then they may kill other players by landing adjacent to them. Killed players become zombies. Zombies suffer no penalties or differences, though the Murderer wins when all other players are zombies. A player may become normal again by landing in the Fountain of Life, and using up a turn to cleanse themself.
The Elf Lord must visit the Magical Forest and then spend ten consecutive turns within it to win. The Elf Lord is unable to warp to the Forest, and he cannot perform any action whilst in it or else he will have to spend another ten turns within it to win.
The iShill has a limit of 30i. To win, he must go to the iStore and purchase the iPhone for 30i. Remember, the i stands for imaginary.
The Ent wins when every other player is a ghost (see ghosts).
The Loiterer wins when he spends ten consecutive turns in the Land of Possible Return. Unlike the Elf Lord, he is unable to easily stay put during this time. As such, a combination of lucky rolls and turns spent performing actions aside from moving will be necessary to win.
Revealing Cards
Once you have a card, you may choose to show it to all other players. If you feel it is a good idea to do so at any point, you may place it face-up outside of your hand (even if it is not currently your turn, as this is not an action that uses up a turn). Be sure to keep revealed cards on your side of the table.
Once you have revealed a card, it cannot be hidden again unless it ends up back in the deck for any reason.
Goal cards must always be revealed, with the exception of the BOMB! card.
Keep in mind that there are some cards that you should obviously not reveal. This goes without saying, but at any rate, you probably should not reveal the card which clearly says you will immediately lose if you reveal it.
Trading
You may use up a turn to trade with a player of your choice, so long as they agree. If they do not agree, you must make your turn as normal.
Each player must offer something in the trade. Each player may offer one thing, no more, no less. These are valid things to be offered in a trade:
- Any amount of i
- Acceptance of one or more Die Cards
- A Goal card
- One or more revealed Bonus cards
You may trade hidden items. You may trade more than one item, so long as you do not trade more than one type of item.
You obviously cannot give another player more items than they can hold.
So, for instance, you could accept five Die Cards in return for a Goal Card. Remember, Die Cards generally serve to hinder the player, and accepting any Die Card aside from a revealed Bonus card is considered payment.
If a player lands on the same tile as another player, either player may force a trade with the other. Both must agree on the terms, but only one has to agree to the trade.
Dropping Cards
Some cards may be dropped under certain circumstances, detailed on the cards in question. Dropping takes up a turn. When dropping a card, place it face-up on your current tile. It must be picked up by whatever player lands on it (with the exception of the WARP! card, which they may pick up by choice). If their hand is full, then they must choose a card to put down in its place.
In the case of the WARP! card, the player who lands on it may choose to use it without putting it in their hand. In this case, they will warp to a tile of their choice without moving the WARP! card.
The iStore
When you land on the iStore, you may take up a turn to buy any of the following things. After making an iStore purchase, return to START unless you purchase a warp. You do not have to land exactly on the iStore. That is to say, you may stop at the iStore instead of passing it if you wish.
2i: Force a trade with another player (they still have to agree to your terms)
3i: Place any non-Bonus card back in its deck
3i: Warp to a space of your choice
4i: Drop a card on any space of your choice, aside from START
30i: iPhone (only the iShill may purchase this item, and this purchase will result in a win for the iShill)
After making any purchase (aside from a trade with another player), return the i used to the bag.
Special Spaces
Must Trade: If a player lands on this space, then they must make a trade with another player. The other player must agree to the trade and to the terms of the trade. While the other player must agree, which player agrees is something for argument among those who are playing.
You miss next turn: The player’s next turn is skipped.
The Fountain of Life: If a player lands on this space, and they are a zombie, they may take one turn to cleanse themself and become human again.
3i (next to Goal): If you land here, you may buy a Goal card for 3i at any point, without using up a turn.
Ghosts
If a player quits the game, they will become a ghost. Quitting is done in place of a turn.
A ghost’s pawn will stay put on the board. The ghost’s cards will not be removed from their hand. Other players may still make a trade with the ghost. The terms are decided by the player who makes the trade. Standard trade rules apply, which means the player making the trade still has to give up something in the process. Any hidden cards the ghost possesses remain hidden.
Having every other player become a ghost is the only way for an Ent to win.
A player who quits cannot rejoin and take control of his/her ghost again, unless he/she quit while in the Fountain of Life. It is not possible for a player aside from the one who originally controlled the ghost to take control of the ghost. That is to say, no filling in for quitters.
If all players are ghosts, none are in the Fountain of Life, and no one is the Ent, then the God of i wins, and the four non-imaginary players lose.
Sources Used
Fonts:
TF2 Build
TF2 Build Secondary
Kabel
Segoe Script
Made using Paint.NET, the Deck Building Tool, Imgur, and of course, Tabletop Simulator.
Dice picture in logo provided courtesty of Clipart Panda.
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