Objective of the Game

In Too Many Bones, you embody a unique race of adventurers, the Gearlocs, tasked with a monumental challenge: venturing north into Daelore to confront and defeat The Ebon, a lawless collective ruled by powerful Tyrants. Your ultimate goal, as decreed by the Gearloc Council, is deceptably simple: locate and vanquish the chosen Tyrant within their allotted number of days. Succeed, and victory is yours! Fail, and Daelore remains under the iron fist of the Ebon.

Preparation (Setup)

Alright, Gearlocs, let's get this adventure started! Here’s how to set up your battlefield:

1. Battle Mat Placement: Place the Battle Mat in the center of your play area. This is where all the action will unfold!
2. Tyrant Selection: Choose a Tyrant based on your desired game length (or draw one at random). Place its Tyrant Card, Tyrant Chip, and Tyrant Die to the left of the Battle Mat.
3. Day Counter: Place the Day Counter Card and Day Counter Chip (set to 1) directly below your Tyrant Card.
4. Encounter Deck:
   • Find any blue Tyrant Encounters specific to your chosen Tyrant and set them aside.
   • Shuffle the green General Encounter Deck (or Solo Encounter Deck if playing with one Gearloc). Draw a number of Encounter Cards equal to the number shown on your Tyrant Card minus 3.
   • Shuffle these drawn cards with the set-aside Tyrant Encounter Card(s). Place this new deck to the left of the Battle Mat, story side up.
   • Finally, find Special Encounters 001-003 and place them, in order, on top of your newly created Encounter Deck.
5. Loot & Trove Loot: Shuffle all Loot and Trove Loot cards. Place both decks (chest side up) to the right of the Battle Mat. Keep the 4 Lockpicking Dice nearby.
6. Baddies: Based on the Baddie Type icons on your Tyrant Card, find all corresponding Baddies. Flip them face down, shuffle, and create 1Pt, 5Pt, and 20Pt Baddie "Active Stacks" above the Battle Mat. Place a few stacks of 8-10 Health Chips to the right of these stacks.
7. Gearlocs: Each player chooses a Gearloc. Place your Gearloc Mat, Gearloc Chip (with starting Health Chips underneath), Initiative Die, and Stat Dice.
   • Find your Gearloc's 16 Skill Dice and place them in a Storage Tray near your Gearloc Mat.
   • Refer to your Gearloc Reference Sheet for any Skills with a circle ( ) next to their name. These are your starting Skills. Find the corresponding Skill Dice and place them in their slots on your mat, starting with their "0" side showing if possible.
8. Other Components: Gather 6-10 Atk Dice, 10-12 Def Dice, and 2-4 of each type of Effect Dice. Place them below the Battle Mat. Set the black D6 in this area. Place the 4 Lane Marker Chips and 4 Baddie Initiative Dice above the Battle Mat. Lastly, place the Round Counter Die at the top of the Initiative Meter on the Battle Mat, set to R1.

You're all set! Let's get ready to roll some bones!

The Game Turn

A day in Too Many Bones follows a routine, moving through four distinct phases:

1. New Day Phase

   At the start of each new day (skip this for Day 1), rotate the Day Counter Chip by 1. Keep an eye on this, Gearlocs, as the Tyrant's allotted days are ticking!

2. Encounter Phase

   Draw the top Encounter Card and read it aloud to the party. Discuss your options and choose one. Your choice will lead to either a peaceful outcome or a battle.

   • Successful Encounter: If you successfully complete the Encounter (peaceful or battle), proceed to the Reward Phase.
   • Unsuccessful Encounter: If you fail the Encounter, skip the Reward Phase and go directly to the Recovery Phase. Don't be disheartened, even the best Gearlocs stumble sometimes!

   Battle Setup (if applicable)

   Most Encounters will lead to a battle. Here's how to prepare:

   1. Build the Battle Queue (BQ): If the Encounter Card specifies "BQ: Baddie Pts," calculate your Baddie Points: Current Day x Number of Gearlocs in Party. Draw Baddies from your Active Stacks to match this total, prioritizing higher point Baddies. Stack them face down, with higher point Baddies on top.
   2. Place Initial Baddies: Place the top Baddies from the BQ onto the Battle Mat (up to 4 at a time).
      • Give each Baddie its starting Health Chips, a Lane Marker Chip (matching its starting lane color), and set its Initiative Die on the Initiative Meter.
      • Melee Baddies start on red positions, Ranged Baddies on yellow. The first Baddie goes in Lane 1, the second in Lane 2, and so on.
   3. Gearloc Initiative: Each player rolls their unique Gearloc Initiative Die and places it on the Initiative Meter along with the Baddies' Initiative Dice, in descending order (highest goes first). In case of ties, the party decides.
   4. Place Gearlocs: Place your Gearloc Chips (with current HP) from your Prep Area onto the grey Gearloc Starting Positions on the Battle Mat. Melee Gearlocs start on red positions, Ranged Gearlocs on yellow, and Melee-Ranged can choose either.
   5. Round Counter: Ensure the Round Counter Die is set to R1.
   6. Start of Battle Effects: Trigger any "start of battle" effects or Skills.

   In Battle - Gearloc Turn Sequence

   Once battle begins, units take turns in the order shown on the Initiative Meter. When it's your Gearloc's Turn:

   1. Loot: Use any Loot cards you desire (unless specified otherwise).
   2. Effects Trigger: Check for any Effect Dice on your Gearloc Chip and resolve them.
   3. Move Gearloc: You can spend Dexterity (Dex) to move your Gearloc to adjacent positions (1 Dex per position).
   4. Determine Target: If you plan to attack, select your target before rolling dice. Melee Gearlocs target adjacent units, Ranged Gearlocs can target any unit.
   5. Select and Roll Your Dice: Your remaining Dex determines how many dice you can roll (any combination of Atk, Def, and available Skill Dice).
   6. Resolve the Roll: This is where the magic happens! You don't have to use every result, but you can:
      • Apply damage and effects to your target.
      • Resolve non-target damage or instant Skills.
      • Allocate rolled Def Dice and Active (A) Skill Dice into your Active Slots.
      • Place rolled Locked (L) Skill Dice into your Locked Slots.
      • Place any rolled Bones (misses) into your Backup Plan (BP).
      • Use your Backup Plan Skill (once per turn) by spending the required Bones.
   7. Baddies React: Some Baddies have Skills that trigger after being attacked.

   In Battle - Baddie Turn Sequence

   When it's a Baddie's Turn:

   1. Effects: Resolve any Effects on the Baddie Chip.
   2. Determine Target(s): Baddies target the "closest" opposing unit (Melee) or any opposing unit (Ranged).
   3. Move: Melee Baddies move up to 2 adjacent positions towards their target if not already adjacent. Ranged Baddies do not move.
   4. Skills: Resolve any general Baddie Skills.
   5. Roll Dice: Roll all of the Baddie's inactive Def Dice and its Atk Dice (if a target is in range).
   6. Resolve the Roll: Place rolled Def Dice on the Baddie Chip, apply total damage to the target, and resolve any triggered BP Skills (if enough Bones were rolled).
   7. Gearlocs React: Trigger any applicable Gearloc Skills.

   If a Baddie is defeated, remove it from the Battle Mat. If there are less than 4 Baddies on the mat at the end of a round, new Baddies from the BQ will join the fight.

3. Reward Phase

   After a successful Encounter, it's time to reap the rewards!

   • Gain any specific rewards from your chosen option and any general Encounter rewards.
   • Draw Loot or Trove Loot if awarded.
   • Spend any earned Training Points. Each Training Point grants one Training Attempt for a Stat or Skill. Training HP, Dex, or a Skill always succeeds. Training Attack or Defense requires a successful roll to increase the stat.
   • Record any Progress Points by stacking the Encounter Card under your Tyrant Card.

4. Recovery Phase

   Wind down the day with some crucial recovery actions:

   • Trade Loot: Freely trade any Loot (including Trove Loot) with other Gearlocs in your party.
   • Lockpicking Attempt: Each Gearloc can make one Lockpicking Attempt on any discovered Trove Loot.
   • Individual Options: Each Gearloc chooses one of the following:
     • Rest and Recover: Heal to full HP.
     • Search for Better Loot: Discard 1 Loot. Roll 6 Atk Dice. For each you roll, reveal a Loot Card and you may keep 1.
     • Scout the Area: Roll a D6. On 1-3, reveal a 1Pt Baddie; 4-5, reveal up to a 5Pt Baddie; 6, reveal up to a 20Pt Baddie. You can leave it on top of the stack or cycle it to the bottom.

   Once everyone has completed their recovery, the day ends! Rotate the Day Counter and start a new day.

End of Game and Scoring

The game concludes when one of two conditions is met:

• Victory Condition: You win the game if your party successfully reaches and defeats the selected Tyrant within its allotted number of days. Congratulations, Gearlocs! You've silenced The Ebon!
• Loss Condition: You lose the game if the Day Counter exceeds the Tyrant's allotted days before you defeat them, or if all Gearlocs are Knocked Out (KO'd) and there are no surviving Gearlocs at the end of a battle.

There is no traditional "scoring" in Too Many Bones; it's a cooperative adventure where you either achieve your objective or succumb to the dangers of Daelore.

Tips for Winning

Venturing into Daelore is no walk in the park, but these tips will help you on your quest:

1. Strategize Your Training: Don't just blindly upgrade stats! Consider your Gearloc's innate strengths and how their Skills synergize with your party. Investing in Dexterity early can give you more dice to roll, while carefully chosen Skills can turn the tide of battle. Remember, HP and Dex training always succeed, so they are safe bets!
2. Manage Your Backup Plan (BP) Wisely: Those "misses" (Bones) aren't useless! Your Backup Plan can provide crucial extra actions or damage. Learn your Gearloc's BP Skills and try to save up Bones for when you really need them. Upgrading to Innate 1 by spending 6 Bones can also provide a powerful boost for the rest of your adventure!
3. Scout and Prepare for Baddies: The "Scout the Area" option in the Recovery Phase is invaluable. Knowing what Baddies you're up against allows you to strategize your attacks and defense. Don't be afraid to cycle less desirable Baddies to the bottom of the stack to increase your chances against easier foes!

Good luck, Gearlocs! The fate of Daelore rests on your big-eared, thin-bodied shoulders!