Rule Book

Rule Book

elcome, sailors, aboard the Pequod. As a mate
on the ship, you will be responsible for the loyal
mariners aboard your whale boat as the ship embarks on
a whaling voyage. Kill whales, gain oil, and improve
your crew as the journey grinds inexorably towards one
and only one fate. The White Whale awaits you; will you
be a worthy match for him?
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0.0 OVERVIEW
1.0 SHIPPING OUT : STARTING THE GAME
1.1 SETUP
1.2 YOUR FIRST CREWMEN
1.3 LOOMINGS
2.0 LIFE ON THE SHIP: CREW MAINTENANCE
2.1 REVIEWING THE CREW
2.2 HIRING NEW SAILORS
2.3 BRIBING
2.4 A SHIFT AT THE MASTHEAD
3.0 MYSTERIES OF THE SEA: BREAKING DOWN THE SEA DECK
3.1 WHAT DOES THE SEA HAVE TO OFFER?
3.2 CREATURES
3.3 EVENTS
3.4 CHAPTERS
3.5 THE WHITE WHALE
4.0 A MOST UNCOMMON SEAMAN: THE SAILOR DECK
4.1 SAILOR STRENGTH
4.2 SAILOR ABILITIES
4.3 ISHMAEL
4.4 AHAB
5.0 THE WHALE: HUNTING A WHALE
5.1 LOWERING
5.2 THE HUNT
5.3 THE WHALE ATTACK
5.4 THE SAILOR ATTACK
5.5 PERFECT THROWS AND HARPOONEERS
5.6 A SUCCESSFUL HUNT
6.0 THE WHITE WHALE: MOBY DICK
6.1 EARLY SIGHTINGS OF MOBY DICK
6.2 THE FINAL BATTLE
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MOBY DICK is a card game for 2-4 players simulating the fateful
voyage of the Pequod. To play, you will need tokens or a ledger to
track oil gains, at least 2 six-sided die, the cards provided, a table,
a stout spirit, a bottle of stout spirits (optional), and around an hour
to spare.
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STARTING THE GAME
1.1 SETUP
To begin, remove the ISHMAEL and AHAB cards from the sailor deck,
then separate and shuffle the three decks, placing them on the table with
enough room for a discard pile in front of each deck. Each player should
also take one of the four harpoon cards, which will represent your status
during a hunt.
Players must also decide how long a voyage they wish to take, which will
determine how many chapters must be logged before Moby Dick can be
hunted.
1. Short - 3 chapters
2. Standard - 5 chapters
3. Epic - 7 chapters
4. Legendary - All chapters
1.2 YOUR FIRST CREWMEN
Now that the journey has been plotted, it’s time to prepare the crews.
Barring any pre-existing political relationships to determine the turn
order (age, height, accuracy with a harpoon, etc.) sailors should roll a
single die to determine who will take the first turn at the masthead. The
player with the highest roll receives ISHMAEL. Deal out a starting crew
of three sailors from the sailor deck to each player, taking note that this
means the player who started with ISHMAEL will only receive two other
sailors to begin. Each player should place their crew face up on the table;
the voyage is about to commence.
1.3 LOOMINGS
The journey begins with CHAPTER 1: LOOMINGS in effect, so search
the Sea Deck for it and place it face up on the table. Whoever earned
ISHMAEL is the opening narrator and then play will progress to the left.
If you don’t have a measure of your own to pass with the turns, feel free
to use the MEASURE card included, instead.
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Ahab and Ishmael are the first sailors to be pulled from the deck.
The loomings card marks the start of the game.
TURN PROGRESSION
2.1 REVIEWING THE CREW
Every turn, or day on the ship, begins with a review of your crew. Any
player’s crew can have up to seven sailors. Take a moment to observe the
mariners at your command.
Are they of stout spirit and ample mettle?
Would you consider all of them to be true bosom friends,
for whom you would willingly sacrifice your own life?
Do you even have a full crew?
If any of these answers are no, it’s time to consider acquiring some new
sailors. Sailors can be hired anew, exchanged with other players, or even
bribed away from them, should they spurn your generous offers of trade.
While there are limits on how many sailors can be specifically hired or
bribed, there is no total limit on the amount of sailors that can be added
to a crew in a single turn. Use any and all means necessary to prepare
for your turn!
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2.2 HIRING NEW SAILORS
No sailor can bear to see an undermanned whale boat and will happily join
for free when there are a few spots open. If you have no sailors at the start
of your turn, draw two from the sailor deck. If you have one or two sailors,
draw one.
Beyond that, sailors work for one thing and one thing only; Oil. Anyone
who tells you otherwise is either a romantic or a cheat, probably both. You
can hire up to three sailors per turn, and they are more expensive the more
you choose to hire in a turn. Sailors can be hired from the sailor deck, or
saved from the depths and drawn off the discard pile. The costs are as
follows;
Drawn from the Sailor deck
FIRST HIRE: 10 Barrels
SECOND HIRE: 20 Barrels
THIRD HIRE: 30 Barrels
Drawn from the Sailor discards
FIRST HIRE: 30 Barrels
SECOND HIRE: 20 Barrels
THIRD HIRE: 10 Barrels
Remember, your crew can only be up to seven men. You can hire beyond
seven, but you then must choose among the sailors and discard back down
to seven before proceeding. If the sailor deck has fewer cards than a player
purchases, the player receives whatever is left, the Sailor Deck discard
pile is reshuffled back into the deck, and the player draws their remaining
purchased sailors.
Here we have a player with a crew of five sailors. As a hunt begins, they must
leave one behind on the Pequod. The boat has a combined strength of 7. The
whale has yet to be struck so the harpoon card is set to UNFAST
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2.3 TRADING
On occasion, a situation may arise wherein an agreement can be reached
between two players concerning one or more sailors in their employ. Deals
like these are allowed and even encouraged, with little to no restrictions on
what represents legal tender in the exchange. A few examples:
Two sailors and twenty oil for STEELKILT? Sure.
Another drink and the promise of a slice
of pizza for BILDAD? ‘Tis allowed.
A charitable gift of the CARPENTER
to an unlucky mate? What a friend!
The only rule is that deals can only be conducted by the player whose
turn it is. Some sense of decorum must be maintained if the ship is to sail
smoothly.
2.3 BRIBING
If you have your eye on someone specific and your fellow mate refuses to
come to terms, you can also choose to spend oil and attempt to bribe that
sailor away. Bribing is a three-step process.
1. Player must offer oil equal to 20 times a sailor’s
current strength (2 strength = 40 barrel bribe).
2. The sailor’s current employer can choose to pay
the bribe themselves and keep the sailor.
3. If the current employer does not or cannot match the
bribe, player spends the oil and gains control of the sailor.
Only one bribe can be attempted per turn. Oil spent on bribing sailors is
lost as if it was used to hire sailors from the sailor deck. It is not exchanged
between players.
2.4 A SHIFT AT THE MASTHEAD
Now that your crew has been deemed able, it’s time to take your shift at
the masthead and discover what the sea has to offer. Draw a sea card and
see what awaits you. After resolving whatever sea card is drawn, it is the
next player’s turn.
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BREAKING DOWN THE SEA DECK
3.1 WHAT DOES THE SEA HAVE TO OFFER?
The vast expanse of the sea. What mysteries does she hold? Four kinds,
actually. While at the masthead (a.k.a. when you draw a sea card) you may
meet another ship or sailor, a notable Chapter may occur, or some creature
may be sighted and the call shall ring out across the ship “THERE SHE
BLOWS!!!”.
If at any time the sea deck runs out, the discard pile is reshuffled.
3.2 CREATURES
If a creature is drawn, it is either a whale or something else. If it is a whale,
it is hunted. Otherwise follow the instructions on the card.
Some whales are marked as Legendary; these mythic beasts will require
every available hand if they are to be successfully taken. When hunting a
Legendary whale, players may bring an additional sailor out on the hunt,
increasing their boat size to five. Any player lucky and skilled enough to
land such a whale will find a special charm follows them for the remainder
of the voyage. These details are spelled out on the card, and are active
regardless of the player’s crew effects.
3.3 EVENTS
Strange things may befall the ship during a sea voyage. When an event is
drawn, follow the instructions on the card and then discard it.
3.4 CHAPTERS
Chapter cards are turning-point chapters of the book, representing
advancement on your fateful journey. After being drawn they are set
aside, face up, and their effects are felt until the next chapter is drawn. The
number of chapters agreed upon at the start of the game must be drawn
before Moby Dick can be fought.
Some chapters also contain Bonus text, outlining a specific goal players
can compete with each other to achieve before the chapter ends. These
goals vary widely, and, depending on when the chapter is drawn, may
turn out to be near impossible to achieve. Take heart! There can always
be another voyage and a second chance. The first player to complete the
bonus on a chapter receives 50 barrels of oil for their efforts.
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THE WHITE WHALE?
Several cards are nearly blank, offering only a passing thought or reflection
on the nature of the White Whale itself. Representing a possible sighting of
the White Whale, these cards automatically advance the game to the next
chapter in the deck. Search for the next chapter, put it into play, and then
reshuffle the sighting and the remaining sea cards.
THE SAILOR DECK
The backbone of any successful whaling voyage are the sailors who man
the boats and no man can be forgotten in the heat of a hunt. Though every
man may not have the strength of a harpooneer, each brings with them a
particular set of skills. When the moment calls, it may be exactly those
skills that are needed.
4.1 SAILOR STRENGTH
Sailor strength is represented by a number on each card. Sailors vary in
strength, and their strengths may change after certain events or chapters.
The higher the strength number, the better.
4.2 SAILOR ABILITIES
Most sailors have special abilities, which are detailed on each card. These
abilities affect whale cards, attack rolls, sailor deaths or various other
things. More skilled seaman are to be treasured; protect them well!
There are certain seamen who bring only bad luck aboard a ship, carrying
doom heavy around their necks. These sailors are marked with Cursed
upon their card, and should they chance to join a player’s crew, they must
be added to the whale boat during a hunt.
4.3 ISHMAEL
Ishmael is a unique character, strongly affected by the men who sail around
him. Instead of having one set ability, Ishmael changes from hunt to hunt.
During any hunt, the player controlling Ishmael can activate him and copy
the ability of any other sailor active in the hunt. Ishmael does not copy the
strength of the chosen sailor.
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Above is a typical sailor card. Sailor strength always appears in the
top right corner of the card. Sailor abilities are shown at the bottom
portion of the card. This card shows a relatively low strength
sailor who can negate one effect, STOVE BOAT.
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Whenever Ishmael is lost during a hunt or an event, he is passed to the
player’s left instead of being put into the sailor deck discard pile. Ishmael
cannot be removed from the game due to sharks. Call him lucky, I suppose.
4.4 AHAB
Ahab, the monomaniacal captain of the Pequod, is a constant presence
throughout the game, skulking around the ship in his dark rage. When
any Chapter card is drawn, Ahab is drawn up onto the deck to see what’s
happening and the player who flipped the Chapter card immediately
receives Ahab. If Ahab is lost during a hunt, he returns to his cabin and is
set aside from play until the next chapter. Ahab cannot be removed from
the game due to sharks, owing to his supernatural tenacity.
HUNTING A WHALE
5.1 LOWERING
So you’ve spotted a whale and sung out for him. Now what? You must
decide which of your sailors will be going out on this hunt, choosing up
to 4 sailors unless otherwise noted. Some whales are spotted in inclement
weather conditions, altering some rules for the duration of that hunt.
5.2 THE HUNT
The player who drew the whale begins the hunt. Turns during the hunt
have two parts, the whale attack and sailor attack. The hunt proceeds until
one player successfully kills the whale, all players retreat or are stove,
or the whale escapes. Whale escapes can happen either through some
unknown trickery or by flipping through every card in the whale deck.
5.3 THE WHALE ATTACK
The first phase of the hunt is the whale attack. Grit your teeth and flip
over a whale card. It will have some effect, possibly a fatal one. You must
suffer its effects, modifying a roll or killing the specified number of sailors,
unless you have a brave sailor available to counter the card. If a sailor has
the ability to counter your drawn whale card, he can be activated to do so.
Each sailor can only be activated once per hunt, and these feats of bravery
place the sailor directly in harm’s way; activated sailors must always die
before unactivated sailors in the event of a fatal whale attack.
If a whale attack kills the last man in your boat, you are removed from the
hunt.
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This Right Whale has a strength of 10. Successfully killing this whale will give
the player landing the killing blow 20 barrels of oil. The rest of the players
receive the modest lay of 10 barrels.
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5.4 THE SAILOR ATTACK
Should you survive the whale’s attack, your crew has a chance to land a
strike of their own. You can attempt one strike on the whale by rolling 2
dice and adding the combined strength of the sailors in your boat. If the
modified roll equals or exceeds the strength listed on the whale card, the
attack is successful.
After one successful attack, your boat becomes fast, or attached, to the
whale. This close proximity grants an additional +1 to your attack rolls,
but many whale cards are much more dangerous when your boat is fast. A
successful attack on a whale while your boat is fast kills the whale.
Instead of attacking, you can also choose to retreat from the hunt to protect
your men, but only after you have dealt with a whale attack. Cowardly or
clever, depending on your outlook.
5.5 PERFECT THROWS AND HARPOONEERS
Some rolls of the die successfully strike the whale no matter its strength.
Double “ones” are perfect throws and always strike the whale, while
certain sailors are listed as “Harpooneer”, meaning any set of doubles
automatically hits the whale. This ability does not require the sailor to be
activated.
5.6 A SUCCESSFUL HUNT
After much trial and tribulation, if you can successfully roll a killing blow
upon the great leviathan, you are presented with a choice. Either receive the
oil bonus listed on the whale card, or choose to impress and recruit another
sailor from an opponent’s crew with stories of your grand deed. This sailor
joins your crew after the hunt, affected by these tales as mariners are wont
to be.
All other players, regardless of their status in the hunt, receive their modest
lay, 10 barrels of oil.
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Glory
There are certain deeds of men that stand out among
even the most extraordinary of enterprises, and these
deeds should never go unrecognized. During a whale
hunt, if you are the last player in the hunt and manage
to strike the beast down alone, you are granted double
the oil bonus on the card. This represents the crew’s
recognition of your deed and prevents the recruitment
of another player’s sailor.
Now take a swig of grog before the measure is passed, you deserve it.
During a hunt, cards are drawn from the whale deck to determine the whale’s
actions. In this case, it’s bad news for one player - but it could be much worse!
As always, the right sailor could negate this effect.
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7.1 EARLY SIGHTINGS OF MOBY DICK
Every so often, a pure white card is found in the sea deck, containing only
a mysterious quote regarding its whiteness.
If MOBY DICK is sighted before the agreed upon number of chapters have
been played, flip through the sea deck until a chapter is found, and then
play that chapter. Reshuffle MOBY DICK and the remaining sea deck.
7.2 THE FINAL BATTLE
If the required number of chapters have been drawn when MOBY DICK
is found, Moby will attack. Players must lower with ALL of their available
sailors to meet him. The hunt then proceeds, with a few changes to rules.
1. During the final hunt with Moby, players are considered
permanently fast for the purpose of whale cards.
2. Whale cards that would normally affect a players attack
roll affect the combined strength of the sailors instead.
3. Players cannot retreat or be removed from the hunt.
4. Moby cannot escape.
MOBY DICK
nstead of attacking Moby after drawing a whale card, players can do little
more than try to fend off his furious onslaught. The final hunt proceeds as
follows:
1. Each player flips a Whale card and resolves it as normal.
2. Sailors can be activated to counter cards as normal.
3. The player then rolls to represent Moby’s attack. If the boat
has more than 3 sailors in it, roll two dice; if the boat has
3 or fewer, roll only one die.
4. If that roll exceeds the crew’s combined sailor strength,
one Sailor dies.
5. The player’s turn is over and play continues to the left
6. When a player’s last sailor dies, that player is out of the game.
The last boat standing picks up the Ishmael card, and may proudly declare
“Call me Ishmael.” This player has “won” the game, but at what cost?
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There are several white Moby Dick cards scattered throughout the sea deck.
When a Moby card is pulled, search through the sea deck for the next chapter,
put it into play, and then reshuffle the sighting and the remaining sea cards.
If the requisite number of Chapter cards have been drawn, drawing the Moby
Dick cards initiates the final, fateful chase.
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