Saboteur Gold — Rules Manual

It isn’t always convenient to pass rules to and fro.
Players (especially newcomers) often need to consult the rules, and to see ahead what their choices may be, or what might be done to them.
From the leaflet, each player gets …
• a rules resumé
• a guide to dwarves & actions
• a reminder about pathways
Players’ leaflets for Saboteur-2
Don’t print this - the leaflet starts on next page
More little rules leaflets here►
Printing
They’re created at A5 size, which is half of A4.
The easiest way to print, using A4 paper, may be to slice it in half first, then use it as A5 sheets.
A4 is longer than letter size, but not so wide. I have not tried the leaflets out on letter sized paper.
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Saboteur
Version 2 - the expansion
1
8
Simple! Dwarves are down in a mine, seeking treasure.
Some are nice : some are nasty.
There are as many dwarves in the mine as there are players.
Diggers - nice dwarves
Up to eight of them (the number will vary in each game) are doing what
any half-decent dwarf would do - they’re digging a tunnel towards
treasure.
Saboteurs - nasty dwarves
But there will very likely be Saboteur dwarves around, seeking to
get in the way of the Diggers and stop them from getting a
pathway to the treasure.
Others - ‘so-so’ dwarves
There may be others in the mine, hoping for rich pickings.
Boss, who’s busy leaning on his pick in blue shirt and green trousers.
Profiteer, spending valuable time resting: with the accounts book open.
Geologist (there may be two) doesn't care about treasure or gold: just crystals.
►Digger teams
The maximum number of Diggers is eight, and they are in two teams.
There’s a Green team, and a Blue one.
Only one team gets gold if the treasure is reached by a gold-digger.
►To start
Deal each player a dwarf - keep it secret.
Take 10 path & action cards and set them aside - they’ll not appear!
Deal each dwarf 6 cards.
Splitting the treasure
►A - If Diggers get there
Diggers win if they get to the treasure and there is a path to it from any ladder.
Only the team that completed the path can grab gold.
If a door of their own colour blocks the path they are allowed through, but if there’s a door
of the other team’s colour blocking the route, they cannot get through, so get nothing.
It is possible that one team will build the final path to the treasure, but that no diggers from
either team will be able to gather any gold pieces, because doors block them - how awful!
How many Dwarves get gold?
The potential prize is determined by the number in the winning team, including the Boss
and the Profiteer if they’re taking part. The Geologist isn’t interested in gold.
Only Dwarves who are not trapped in a cell can participate in the share-out,
and be counted in the following “how many dwarves” guide.
Single Dwarf gets - 5 pieces
Two Dwarves - 4 pieces each
Three of them - 3 each
Four - 2 pieces
Five or more - just 1 piece each
Boss or Profiteer always get less than Diggers.
►B - If someone other than diggers gets there
If the Boss, Geologist, Profiteer or even a very silly Saboteur get to the treasure first, it’s
as if a Digger had done so.
• If it’s a Saboteur that gets there, they enable a digger-win. They are not counted as one
who got there, and they get nothing (they lost). Diggers and the boss may be eligible
for a share of the gold, however (the profiteer always is).
Digger teams that can get past coloured doors are included in the share-out in this scenario.
If both teams are blocked by doors, none are included.
Once that’s been cleared up, the share-out is calculated as detailed above.
►C - Treasure is not reached
If the path’s not completed but there are no Saboteurs, the Profiteer gets 3 gold pieces.
Nobody else gets anything. If there’s no Profiteer either, nobody will benefit.
No matter how things ends up, Geologists get as many Gold Pieces as there are crystals
within the mine … two geologists share the prize (rounded down).
…. and lastly, thieving
Dwarves who’ve got a theft card and who are not trapped can now steal one gold piece
from another dwarf. The last to have play a Theft Card steals first, then in clockwise order.
Tokens for 1, 2 and 5 Gold Pieces

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Saboteur
Saboteurs win if the treasure’s not reached and …
• the deck is used up and
• no players have playable cards in hand.
Saboteurs are not eligible to take any gold if they’re trapped in prison.
If there was only one eligible Saboteur, they’d get five pieces.
If there were two, each would get four pieces; if three, it’s three pieces
each.
If there were no saboteurs, nobody gets anything - except the Profiteer.
Profiteers
Such greed!
Profiteers never lose unless trapped behind bars - then nothing!
If anyone gets to the treasure, the profiteer always gets two pieces less
than the highest scorer - even if that is only the Profiteer.
Even if the saboteurs win, the profiteer gains.
Furthermore, if the path’s not completed but there are no Saboteurs to take the gold, the
Profiteer gets three pieces, and nobody else gets anything.
Boss
Wearing both green and blue, to show he’s ‘with’ both teams,
the Green and the Blue.
He bosses them - but he doesn’t belong to any team, so he gets gold
even if both teams are blocked. They don’t but he does… bosses are like
that.
So he alone, or he and the profiteer may be the only
dwarves that do get gold.
Geologist
What a gem!
No matter how things ends up, Geologists who are not trapped get as
many Gold Pieces as there are crystals on display within the tunnel
system.
2 7
Map (6)
Secretly look at any of the three treasures.
Whether to tell others, and whether to tell the truth
- that’s the dwarf’s choice.
Theft (4)
Put a theft card in your own player area. After the gold has
been distributed, you can steal 1 piece of another dwarf’s gold.
You cannot steal if you are trapped in jail.
Swap hands (2)
Play this to exchange hands with another player.
You can do this even if you have no further cards, and if the draw
pile is empty. You take all their cards.
Inspection (2)
If you play this, you may look at the role of another player
and find out what they’re up to.
Trapped in prison! (3)
Play this card against another player, who is then trapped
in jail and cannot play path cards.
If still trapped when the round ends, they don’t get included as
one of the winners and don’t get a cut of the treasure.
Free at last! (4)
With this card you can release any dwarf from jail.
Rock fall
To block a route or to clear one, a dwarf may create a rock fall.
It permits the removal of a path-card of the dwarf’s choice (other than the Start Card).
Change hats (2)
Use it on a player (including yourself) to change their role…
randomly take one from the pile.
Hands Off (3)
You can remove one Theft card from any dwarf.

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Pathways
Aiming to reach this goal:
One of the three goal-cards is gold: the other two are just rocks. Most pathway cards will help diggers to get here.
Pathways must continue routes that have an unbroken link back to a ladder.
Saboteurs may place path cards so that the route goes away from the treasure, or makes the route more circuitous.
There must always be at least seven pathway cards between the starting ladder and the three goal cards, and there must be space for one card to go between each goal card.
The mine starts here
From this point the mine-pathways can go in any of the four directions.
The three goal-cards may break the following rule about paths properly joining up.
Oh dear!
Saboteurs can use these to block fruitful pathways.
Pathways cannot be added to if they don’t link back to a ladder, so if this blocks a route coming in at the top, a path cannot be added at the bottom.
All the paths on side-touching cards must be continuous from one to the other, as in the example below.
These two will fit together as shown.
But the one with bend in it cannot be placed at the other side of the crossroads as it stands - rotated, it could.
4
5
The Bridge
Two unconnected paths: one going under a dark bridge. At least one of the two paths must connect to a ladder.
You cannot turn left or right on this card: it’s not a crossroad.
The Double Curve
Two unconnected paths.
At least one path must connect to a path with a ladder on it.
Ladders
The ladder’s going down into a lower level that links to the Start Card.
It can help bypass blockages, gaps, or doors… it’s like a new start.
Its path must join another path, but that path doesn’t have to link directly to the Start, or to another ladder.
It cannot be placed next to a treasure card.
Path with a Door
A path with a green or blue door can be used to carry treasure away only by the diggers in the team of the same colour as the door.
The boss is not held back by them.
Anyone can place doors, and anyone can build beyond them.
Some path cards contain Crystals. These have no effect on the path’s connections, and do not affect anybody.
Geologists love them! It’s what they’re looking for.

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6
Each turn, do A, B, C or D
A- Lay down a mine-path card
The card must be put next to a path that’s already on the table, and the new section of path
must join paths that can be reached from a ladder.
Cards are laid short sides to short sides: long to long. They may be rotated before being placed.
Diggers try to establish an uninterrupted path from a ladder to one of the goal cards, whilst
the saboteurs will attempt to prevent it.
B- Take action - affecting either the mine, or a miner
Actions are put face-up in front of oneself, another dwarf, or onto the discard.
They can be used to …
• hinder or help yourself or others
• to take a card out of the pathway
• to gain information about the goal cards.
The actions take place immediately. So, take the action, then take a new card.
Discard means removing the card from play - not back into the draw pile.
C- Pass and discard
Perhaps you cannot play a card, or it might be good to try to improve your hand.
Discard one, two, or three cards and take the same number back. If there are not that many
available, take less.
Simply discarding and not taking anything back may become the only available option.
D- Discard and repair (or escape)
By discarding two cards a dwarf can repair one of their broken tools or break free from jail.
This option cannot be used to help others.
They then get only one new card, thus reducing the size of their hand.
3
Actions
By placing an action card either in front of a dwarf, or on the play-pile, dwarves can wreak
havoc, or put things right, or look at maps to locate the treasure.
Actions that break or mend trolleys, lamps, or pickaxes can be directed at any dwarf.
Several of a dwarf’s items may be broken, but they can have only one broken tool of any type
at the same time.
Miners need trolleys (3)
By playing this card in front of another dwarf, miners are
prevented from creating pathways until it’s been mended.
Mending trolleys (2)
Dwarves can mend their own broken trolleys, or those of
associates. Just discard the ‘mend’ card,
and the broken trolley card.
Mend that lamp! (2)
Dwarves can mend their own lamps, or those of other dwarves.
Just put it on the discard, and remove the broken lamp card.
Going nowhere without a lamp! (3)
With this card in front of them, miners can’t see to put down
any pathways.
It must first be mended.
Done diggin’! (3)
No pickaxe, no pathways.
It must be mended before the dwarf can dig again.
Fixed it! (2)
Just discard both pickaxe cards - break, and mend.
Extras
Just three cards can be used to repair two types of wanton damage.
This lamp card is one such - it repairs lamps or pickaxes.

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