Version 0.2

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• Shop page

• You must use only bits available through The Game Crafter pieces and accessories departments.
• You may use up to 1 box of any size.
• You may use up to 1 booklet of any size for rules only.
• You may NOT use any other printable components in your game.
• You may NOT use customizable game parts, such as custom dice in your game.
• All components needed to play should be in the box; avoid asking players to have common on-hand components.
• You should be able to play the whole game without the box and only having the rules in mind.
• The cost of your game cannot exceed $39.99.
• Player count may be anywhere between 1 and 6 players. Supporting a wider range is better than a narrow one.
• Play time should be no more than 30 minutes per player.
• Any themes or mechanics are allowed; creative innovations encouraged!
• A rules document must be downloadable from your game's shop page and also included in the game itself. Can be in booklet or document form.
• A print and play version of the game is not required.
• The game must be publish ready (as it relates to our shop, not as it relates to being finished). This means it has a logo, backdrop, shop ad, action shots, description, and cool factors. It must also have all images proofed, and have packaging.
• This must be a new game created for this contest. It cannot have existed on TGC prior to the start of the contest.
• All artwork must be your own, commissioned by you, licensed to you, or in the public domain.
• All entries must be submitted through TGC's game editor (by clicking on the “Contests” button) no later than Noon UTC (6am US Central) on April 20th.
• Contestants may submit multiple entries to this contest. Each entry will be judged separately.

• Chap-books of the eighteenth century by Ashton, John, b. 1834
  https://archive.org/details/chapbooksofeight00ashtuoft
• Mythical Monsters, by Charles Gould; 1886; W.H. Allen & co., London.
  https://archive.org/details/mythicalmonsters00goulrich
• Sebastian Brands Narrenschiff. Ein Hausschatz zur Ergetzung und Erbauung, erneuert von Karl Simrock by Brant, Sebastian, 1458-1521; Simrock, Karl Joseph, 1802-1876., ed
  https://archive.org/details/sebastianbrandsn00branuoft
• Joris Hoefnagel (Flemish / Hungarian, 1542 - 1600), and Georg Bocskay (Hungarian, died 1575)
  Mira calligraphiae monumenta, fols. 1-129 written 1561–1562; illumination added about 1591–1596, Tempera colors, watercolors, gold and silver paint, and ink on parchment and paper bound between pasteboard covered with red morocco Leaf: 16.6 × 12.4 cm (6 9/16 × 4 7/8 in.)
  The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
  http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/1487/joris-hoefnagel-and-georg-bocskay-mira-calligraphiae-monumenta-flemish-and-hungarian-fols-1-129-written-1561-1562-illumination-added-about-1591-1596
• Tymms, W. R.: “The Art of Illuminating As Practised in Europe from the Earliest Times” (1860)
  https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Tymms-Illuminating/pages/026-eleventh-century-02-d/
• http://game-icons.net

Defend the village from the hordes of monsters bent on raiding its resources.

1 - 4

• Dice
  • D20, White - 1
    Total health of the Temple
  • D6, 16mm (Black, Blue, Red, White) - 4 of each
    Used for building shop stocks
  • D6, 16mm, Blank (Black, Blue, Red, White) - 1 of each
    Used for damaged buildings
  • D6, 16mm, Numeral, Black - 1
    The wave die. It shows the current wave number and monster level
  • D6, 14mm, Rounded (Black, Blue, Green, Red, Yellow) and D6, 12mm, Rounded (White) - 5 of each
    The Monsters
  • D6, 16mm, Rounded, White Pearl - 4
    Combat dice
• Pawns
  • Joystick (Green, Orange, Purple, Yellow) - 1 of each
    The Heroes
  • Rings (Black, Blue, Red, White) - 4 of each
    Used for hero skills
• Other Parts
  • Blank Euro Square Card - 4
    The buildings of the village
  • Blank Mat, Spinner - 1
    The temple
  • Parts Bag, Medium, Brown - 1
    Used for random draws
  • Sand Timer, 120 seconds - 1
    Used to time the heroes' turns
  • Spinner, Red - 1
    Used to show the direction of attack for the wave
  • Tape Measure - 1
    Used for movement and to denote which player's turn it is
  • 16 page rulebook - 1

Every player chooses a pawn to represent their hero. If you are playing solo, choose two heroes.

Every hero starts with no skills (see Skills for a full explanation). Each of these rings is earned only by killing monsters and they are only placed on your pawn after a wave has finished in the Repair, Rebuild and Recuperate! phase.

Every hero has 2 hit points (HP). They can take two damage before being killed. When your hero is down to 1 HP, place it lying on the ground to remind everyone you are about to die. See Hit Points for a full explanation.

Every hero starts with a basic weapon that does 1 damage when you attack. Heroes cannot use magic until they get at least one mage specialisation.

1. Place all the shop stock dice (the larger dice that are coloured black, blue, red or white) in the brown felt bag.
2. Draw four random dice from the bag and roll them. Where they land is where the buildings of the village should be placed, so you should roll them fairly far apart if you want room in the centre for the temple.
3. Put one of the building cards under each die such that it doesn't touch another building.
   • Keep in mind that during the Defend the Village! phase, heroes cannot enter buildings as they are boarded up - and you may need to move between them.
   • If dice are too close together, you can place a building under more than one die. In which case you will have one or more empty buildings to place as you see fit. All four buildings must be placed.
4. Place the temple (the circular card with the spinner) in the village.
   • It's best to place it in the centre if you are able, so it gets some protection from the surrounding buildings.
5. Place the d20 on the temple showing the number 20, such that it doesn't interfere with the spinner. This is the health of the temple.

The game starts with The Heroes Arrive! phase. Where 2-4 stalwart heroes arrive to defend the village from the encroaching hordes of monsters. The players have one turn (2 minutes) to buy equipment in the village before the first wave arrives.

The game is over with the heroes all losing-

• if the temple loses all its HP (shown on the d20)
• if all the buildings are destroyed (they have one of the blank dice on them)
• if all the heroes are killed

The heroes win if all the waves of monsters are defeated.

1. The Heroes Arrive!
2. The Invasion!
   1. The Next Wave Approaches!
   2. Defend the Village!
   3. Repair, Rebuild and Recuperate!

From the wastelands they wander, destiny gathering them in one place. The one location where their presence can make a difference and to perhaps halt the progress of the evil hordes that wish to devastate the land.

For each hero

Spin the spinner on the temple and roll two combat dice. From the temple, measure that many inches away. This is where your hero starts, place your pawn there.

Once all heroes have been placed, start the timer.

• Players may now have their hero perform a move and an action.
• Players must all have a move and an action before they can have a second move and action (i.e. they can't have two in a row).
  • If playing solo, you must alternate between your heroes.
• You can have as many moves and actions as you can fit within the time limit.
• The order for which player goes next is determined by the player that passes on the tape measure.
• Movement and action choices are more limited in this phase than other phases.
• The player that goes first is determined by the tape measure. Whomever had it last, picks it up first or failing that, whomever it is closest to.

Moving

A move is only possible if you hold the tape measure. There is only one tape measure.

If you are not paying solo, you must pass it to another player after each move. You may pass it to any other player, even the one that passed it to you.

• You may move from 0 to 4 inches in any direction
• You may move into or through any building or the temple

Actions

You can only perform one action after a move. If you want to perform another action, you must wait until you are again handed the tape measure. If playing solo, a hero can only do another action after your other hero has moved and had an action

• Buy Equipment. You may take one die from the building you are in as an action. Keep the face showing the same number and place it in front of you. It is now part of your hero's equipment.
• Do Nothing. You may alternatively do nothing as an action.

Repeat the next three phases until either a losing condition has been met, or six waves of monsters have been defeated (see Ending the Game)

From out of the mists they come. From the forests, from the swamps. From the mountains and the plains. They come, the unending tide of woe

There are six waves of monsters to be defeated.

1. Place the black die that shows numbers instead of dots on the temple to indicate which wave this is.
   • The wave die also indicates how much damage a monster causes when it attacks.
2. Take one monster die of each colour and roll them.
   • On a 1 to 4, that many monsters of that type Wil be in the wave.
   • Higher than 4, that type of monster is not appearing in the wave.
3. Gather all the correct numbers of monster type dice together.
4. Add any captured shop stock dice to this group.
5. Spin the spinner.
6. Roll two combat dice. The monsters will appear this many inches away from the furthest building.
7. Roll all the gathered monster dice away from the temple in the direction of the spinner.
   • If any dice come closer to a building than the sum of the combat dice, move them back.
   • If any dice are further than 12 inches away from a building, move them closer.

Lo do we see the horde! Bolt up thine windows, bar the door! Death comes hither!

Players and monsters now alternate turns until there are no monsters left, or a losing condition has been met (see Ending the Game)

As the previous phase, a timer is used and the players may do as many moves and actions as they can fit in.

Moving

All building and the temple are now closed and barred.

• Heroes may not move through or into a building.
• If a hero started in a building or the temple they must exit as their first move.
• Heroes can not move through monsters and if they come in contact with one, they may not move away from it until the monster is defeated.

Actions

Heroes may now do one of the following actions -

• Attack. If in contact with one or more monsters, attack once with a weapon.
• Skill. Use a skill.
• Do nothing.

If your hero kills a monster, take that die and put it in front of you. It is spent in the next phase.

After the two minutes is over, it's the monsters turn.

1. Starting with the monster closest to the temple, each monster moves and has an action until thru all have.
   • Monsters are not timed and used programmed movement.
   • All monsters move 4 inches, except green monsters that move twice in the turn.
   • Monsters always move towards the closest target, either building, temple our hero, whichever is closer.
   • If a monster is already touching a target before it takes a move, it stays where it is.
   • A razed building is never a target.
2. If a monster is touching a target, it will do one of the following -
   • Temple - inflict wave die damage on the temple (reduce the number on the d20) and then disappear.
   • Building - The monster disappears and -
     • If the building is empty, it is now razed. Place a blank dice on it.
     • If the building has stock dice on it, remove one and place it to the side, it will be an extra monster for the next wave.
   • Hero - The monster causes wave die damage to the hero. See Hit Points for a full explanation.

A respite, huzzah!

1. Clean reinforcements. Remove any shop store dice that were mixed in with the monster dice and put them back in the bag. If a player had killed that monster, replace it with a monster die instead.
2. Replenish the shops. Draw as many dice from the bag as their are unrazed buildings, roll them and place one on each building.
   • If there are not enough dice for this, randomly determine which buildings get them.
3. Start the timer. Players have another two minutes before the next wave approaches.

Moving

All buildings and the temple are again open and can be moved into or through.

Actions

Heroes may now do one of the following actions -

• Advance. If in the temple, you may spend collected monster dice to get a skill ring.
  • The cost is 1 plus the number of rings you currently have.
  • No hero may have more than 3 rings.
  • You may only buy one ring in this phase.
  • You may have multiples of the same ring.
• Buy Equipment. You may take one die from the building you are in as an action. Keep the face showing the same number and place it in front of you. It is now part of your hero's equipment.
• Repair. If in a razed building, you may spend collected monster dice to rebuild it.
  • The cost is the current wave number.
  • The building retains empty until the next Repair, Rebuild and Recuperate! and will then replenish its stock as normal.
• Skill. Use a skill.
• Do nothing.

After the timer runs out, all unspent monster dice in front of players are returned to the pool of monster dice and the phase finishes. start the next The Next Wave Approaches! phase.

This section gives more details on the rules used in the game

• Movement of a hero can only be performed by a player if that player currently holds the tape measure.
• Where a hero can move depends what phase of the game they are in.
  • In every phase except Defend the Village! heroes may move through buildings and the temple.
  • If a hero started in a building or the temple at the start of the Defend the Village! phase, they must exit as their first move.
• A hero is regarded as in contact with a monster if their pawn touches the die of the monster.
• Heroes can not move through monsters.
• If they come in contact with a monster, they may not move away from it until the monster is defeated.
• A hero can not move twice in a row - one or more other heroes must have their movements and actions before any hero may move again.

• Advance. If in the temple, you may spend collected monster dice to get a skill ring.
  • The cost is 1 plus the number of rings you currently have.
  • No hero may have more than 3 rings.
  • You may only buy one ring in this phase.
  • You may have multiples of the same ring.
• Attack. If in contact with one or more monsters, attack once with a weapon.
• Buy Equipment. You may take one die from the building you are in as an action. Keep the face showing the same number and place it in front of you. It is now part of your hero's equipment.
  • You may have multiples of the same kind of equipment. While not useful for weapons, magic and armour - they still act as a possible reduction of damage by 1. See Hit Points
• Repair. If in a razed building, you may spend collected monster dice to rebuild it.
  • The cost is the current wave number.
  • The building remains empty until the next Repair, Rebuild and Recuperate! and will then replenish its stock as normal.
• Skill. Use a skill.
• Do nothing.

Hit points are an abstraction of damage taken by a hero in combat. Heroes only have two hit points, and if they are both lost, the hero is dead and out of the game. There are several things that mitigate hit point damage.

• If the hero has armour, roll a 4+ on a combat die to reduce the damage by the armour amount (or half that if the monster is Piercing - a black die).
  • If the hero has the Paladin skill they may reroll this die.
• If the hero has health potions (white dice), their player may choose to reduce the dice by the damage amount. Health potions taken from buildings are essentially extra hit points.
• A hero may also choose to discard one piece of equipment (any die they have from a shop) or skill ring for each point of damage.
• Finally any remaining damage must be taken against the heroes 2 HP.
• A hero that is down to their last hit point should be placed lying on the ground as a reminder.

Skills are similar to classes and levels in some roleplaying games. Represented with a coloured ring bought with slain monsters during the Repair, Rebuild and Recuperate! phase.

• Heroes may have multiple rings of the same type.
• Heroes may not have more than 3 total rings.
• Only one ring may be bought by a hero in a phase.

Ring colour: Black

For each ring, the hero may reroll their armour (if they have armour) when attacked by a monster.

Ring colour: Blue

With this skill, the hero may use magic equipment instead of a weapon for attacks. Magic attacks ignore monster armour (red die), but are less effective against enchanted monsters (blue die).

For each ring, the range of the magic attack is increased by 4 inches.

Ring colour: Red

For each ring, the hero may reroll their attack when attacking a monster. This includes attacks with weapons or magic.

Ring colour: White

With this skill the hero is able to heal 1 HP of another hero. They cannot heal themselves or another hero past their initial 2 HP.

For each ring, the range of the healing is increased by 4 inches.

• 4 - the most important number in this game.
  • 4+ on a d6 is what you need to succeed in hitting with a weapon, casting a magic spell or deflecting damage with your armour
  • 4 inches is the base movement of all heroes and all monsters
  • When randomly determining how many monsters of a type are in a wave, any roll over 4 means that monster type is not in the wave
• One Turn (the hourglass timer)
  When it is time for the players to have actions, they may have as many actions as they like in any order they like, within the time limit.
  When it is time for monsters to have actions, they are not timed but only get one move and one action each.
• Shop stocks (large dice)
  • Black - Armour
    The number on the die represents how much damage you can stop with the armour.
  • Blue - Magic
    The number on the die represents how much damage your spells will do.
  • Red - Weapons
    The number on the die represents how much damage your weapon will do
  • White - Health
    The number on the die represents how many extra hit points your hero has.
• Skills (rings) - maximum of 3 per hero (one ring / two rings / three rings)
  • Black - Paladin
    One armour reroll / Two armour rerolls / Three armour rerolls.
  • Blue - Mage
    4“ magic attack / 8” magic attack / 12“ magic attack. Ignores armour (i.e. red die monster armour reduction)
  • Red - Fighter
    One weapon reroll / Two weapon rerolls / Three weapon rerolls.
  • White - Cleric
    4” Heal 1 Hp / 8“ Heal 1 Hp / 12” Heal 1 Hp. On other heroes only.
• Monsters (small dice)
  • Black - Piercing
    Hero armour is halved when this monster attacks
  • Blue - Enchanted
    Magic does half damage to the monster
  • Green - Fast
    Monster moves twice
  • Red - Armoured
    The monster has armour and reduces damage taken by the wave number
  • White - Regenerating
    The monster heals wave number HP at the start of each monster turn
  • Yellow - Splitting
    When this monster is killed it splits into two new random monsters

• Class specialisations (rings) - maximum of 3 per hero (one ring / two rings / three rings)
  • Green - Thief
    +1 inch of movement / +2 inches of movement / +3 inches of movement.
  • Orange - Ranger
    4“ ranged attack / 8” ranged attack / 12“ ranged attack.
  • Purple - Bard
    4” inspiration / 8“ inspiration / 12” inspiration.
  • Yellow - Barbarian
    One follow through move / Two follow through moves / Three follow through moves.