the time has come to
GROW
once again
the time has come to
GROW
once again
vox_
ludo
JESSE KROON
Game Design | Narrative Design | Experience Design
ARBOR II
CORE RULES
THE GOAL OF THE GAME
The goal of the game is to reach a set number of Victory Points, or Glory, before your opponent.
In a 2 person game on the Valley of Fate Scenario, victory is claimed by the first player to reach 12 Glory.
NOTE:
The number of Glory required for the game to end can be changed to allow for shorter or longer games as desired by the players. In addition, the Scenario played can necessitate different amounts of Glory.
You earn 1 Glory for every Forest Tile you have placed in a space that is partially covered by a Root Tile. The game ends immediately when a player reaches the required number of Glory.
NOTE:
(1) The Soul of the Forest Rule is important to keep in mind when calculating Glory.
(2) You cannot place a tile in the center of a Root Tile.
STARTING THE GAME
SETUP
Each player chooses a colour for their Forest and selects the corresponding Forest Deck.
Open the envelope and remove the cards. A Forest Deck includes:
1 Sage Tile
5 Guardian Tiles
25 Tree Tiles
After this, players select the Ancient they want to play in that game.
NOTE:
Ancients are characters that define special rules that only a single player has access to. See the Ancients section of these rules for more information.
Once players have chosen their Ancients, players must choose what Scenario they want to play and set up the board as per the requirements.
Place your Sage Tile in the starting position and place your Ancient piece on top of it.
Finally, take 5 green Cultivation Cards and the 25 Star Cards to form the 30 card Spirit Card Deck.
Shuffle the Spirit Card Deck and place it to the side.
Each player rolls a die, the higher roll can decide which player goes first.
CORE CONCEPTS
THE FOREST
Your Forest is the collective term for all the tiles present on the board in your color. During your turn, tiles can be placed on the board within spaces in order to grow your Forest. By placing tiles, you are creating the area your Ancient piece can stand on.
THE ANCIENT
At the start of the game, you chose an Ancient as your character. This is a powerful being with unique powers. Each Ancient grants you a Passive rule, an Ancient Blessing power, and an ultimate power.
Your Ancient is represented on the board by a wooden piece placed on a tile of your Forest color. Your Ancient is source of power for your forest, and emanates an Aura that allows you to take Actions on your turn.
THE AURA
Your Ancient emanates an Aura from the tile it is standing on. The Aura extends 2 spaces away from that tile.
You can only move your Ancient to tiles of your Forest color within your Aura, and you can only place new tiles in spaces within your Aura.
THE MANNA
During your turn, you take Actions by spending Manna. Manna is a resource you gain at the start of your turn by rolling the Manna Dice.
Every Action costs 1 Manna, and there are certain ways you can regain Manna on your turn.
However, the maximum amount of Manna you can have at any time is 8. Gaining Manna above 8 nullifies the Manna gained.
THE PLAYER'S TURN
Each player's turn is a single day, separated into 3 phases: Dawn, Day, and Dusk.
DAWN
Roll for Manna
At the dawn of your turn, you roll both dice together. You always choose the higher of the two numbers.
This number becomes your Manna, which you will spend to take Actions during your Day Phase.
If you roll the Ancient Blessing symbol on one of the dice, you gain the number of Manna shown on the other die and you can use your Ancient's Blessing power on your turn.
If you roll Ancient Blessing twice, you can choose to either reroll both your dice or one of your dice.
DAY
Spend Manna on Actions
During the day of your turn, you spend your Manna on Actions to place your Forest Tiles, move your Ancient, as well as draw and play Spirit Cards.
The Actions you can take are as follows:
Move your Ancient to a space within your Aura.
Place a Tree Tile in an open space within your Aura.
Replace a Tree Tile with a Guardian or Sage Tile within your Aura.
Draw a Spirit Card (if there is one available).
Play a Spirit Card from your hand (if it costs Manna).
Invoke your Sage Tile in order to use your Ancient's Invocation.
All Actions cost 1 Manna.
When you run out of Manna, your Day Phase ends.
You do not need to use all your Manna in your turn, but unspent Manna does not carry over to your next turn.
DUSK
Reveal Spirit Cards
At the end of your turn, you replenish the revealed Spirit Cards by drawing Spirit Cards until there are 3 Cards visible to players.
Spirit Cards have a color which corresponds with their associated Spirit.
The player who goes first does not have access to Spirit Cards on their first turn. The first 3 Spirit Cards are revealed at the end of that player's turn.
THE PLAYER'S TURN
GAMEPLAY RULES
SPIRIT CARDS
Up to 3 Spirit Cards are available to be drawn.
By spending 1 Manna, you may choose 1 of the 3 Cards to add to your hand.
NOTE:
Ignore the text on the back of the card, this is only relevant for the original Game of Arbor. In Arbor 2, cards are denoted by their color. Consult below or on your Ancient Guide to remember the mechanics of the Spirit.
New Spirit Cards are only revealed during your Dusk Phase. If you draw all 3, you can't draw any more.
You may only hold up to 5 Spirit Cards in your hand at any time.
the 6 sacred spirits:
Esh'to | Spirit of Fire
Remove a Tree from the board.
Lau'su | Spirit of Light
Grow a Tree in any space.
Xin'eth | Spirit of Shadow
Move any two Trees within your aura to different spaces.
Shai'al | Spirit of Storm
Gain 2 Manna. Does not cost Manna.
Ool'lan | Spirit of Fate
Revert any Action. Must be played immediately when an Action is taken.
Arbor | Spirit of Life
Activate your Ancient's Blessing ability.
GUARDIAN TILES
Guardian Tiles are special tiles you can place on the board to safeguard your forest.
Guardian Tiles can only be placed by replacing the central Forest Tile from a set of 5 adjacent Forest Tiles.
ETERNITY
Eternal tiles cannot be moved or removed by any effect.
The Sage Tile, all Guardian Tiles, and the Forest Tile your Ancient is standing on are all Eternal.
INVOKING YOUR SAGE
Your Ancient gives you access to a powerful ultimate ability
You can use this ability by invoking your Sage for 1 Action. Wh: en you invoke your Sage, you must remove it from the board.
In exchange, you activate your Invocation power.
You can replace a Tree Tile with your Sage Tile in the same way as you would place a Guardian Tile on the board.
SOUL OF THE FOREST
Your Ancient is the soul of your forest, and it is via connection to the Ancient that the forest is granted its power.
Tiles are only considered "part of your forest" if they are connected to the tile your Ancient is standing on through an unbroken chain of tiles.
If part of your forest is separated from your Ancient, it loses all benefits, including Glory gained through connection to a Root or Eternity (in the case of Guardians).
ANCIENT MECHANICS
Your choice of Ancient defines the following special rules for you:
Passive
This is a special rule that is always active for you, and only applies to you.
Blessing
This is a special ability that you can use when you have played a Life Spirit Card, or when you have rolled the Blessing symbol when rolling at Dawn.
Invocation
This is a powerful special ability that you can use when you have invoked your Sage. You cannot use this ability again until you have placed your Sage back on the board.