In Knightly Cup, the players take the roles of (up to) four knights of the local generic Arthurian fantasy realm, each representing their respective kingdoms. On the tenth hour of the tenth day of the tenth year since they last competed, said knights gather together to play a friendly match of 'Knightly Cup', which was apparently all the rage back in the day. They oil up their armor, they oil up their swords; they oil up the lances, and muscles, and horses. Then they run around the countryside for several days, collecting various treasure, magical hoohah, and money.

The goal of the Cup is to collect each of the other knights' standards from their respective fortresses and return to their home fortress for one final challenge. The knight who accomplishes this first will rise as the champion and claim the coveted Knightly Cup. For the victor, all the grog and wenches he can carry. And maybe his king'll let him keep some of the treasure, if the king's not a jerk about it.

But around 800CE, humanity discovered that capture the flag is actually very dull. Thus, each of the kingdoms brings a selection of fearsome beasts and birds from their menageries and somehow load them up with precious, precious candy coins, just to spice things up a bit. The knights will need to mow down a couple of these grotesque monsters in order to raise the cash to take on their enemies' guardians, which lie silently in wait.

Equipment

• Standard deck of playing cards, including black and red jokers, for a total of 54 cards.
• A big heap of six-sided dice, ideally 5 per player.
• An knight for each player (must be differentiable, e.g., a queen, bishop, rook, and knight from a chess set would work)
• Some tokens for coins (coins themselves would work fine, or paperclips, buttons, ...)
• Some tokens for the following, one per player:
  • Sword
  • Shield
  • Amulet
  • Horse
• Some tokens for each the standards, four sets containing a number of tokens equal to the number of players, and each set should be distinguishable from every other set. For example, if you were playing with 3 players, you could use 3 nuts, 3 bolts, 3 washers, and 3 screws (but it would kind of ruin the back story, unless you adapted it to robots or something.)

Set up

1. Take the pack of cards. Remove the aces. Each player selects an ace. (They're all equal, so don't stress out about it.) If you're playing with less than 4 players, put the remaining aces back into the main pack. Each player should remember the suit of her ace; this is called the player's home suit. Each player must disclose her home suit by temporarily revealing her ace to her opponents.
2. Take the main pack (i.e., the one missing most of the aces), shuffle that puppy good.
3. Put the first card face down in the centre of the table.
4. Deal the remainder equally among all players; if you have too many cards to divide them equally, take the extras and toss them into the nearest incinerator, because you won't need them any more. Or just set them aside. Your choice. The packets now constitute your hands, and you can look at them. Don't show anyone else your hand.
5. Choose a player to go first. Use whatever method you like to decide who goes first. For example, playing a game of Knightly Cup. Of course, this can result in infinite recursion, so be careful!
6. Take turns (starting with the nominated player, obviously) laying cards, going clockwise around the table. Here's how to do it:
   1. Select a card from your hand. In order to know which card you should select, you should know what the cards mean. There's a table about this later on. For now, just know that your ace is your home fortress: you don't want your opponents to know where this is, so you should try not to give it away. Otherwise, you'll have to look at the legend below and play a few games to find out what's good to do.
   2. Lay it down next to one of the cards on the table, face down. It can go above, below, to the left, or to the right of any card on the table. Think of the table as a giant grid.
   3. Take a bow. Now it's the next player's turn to lay a card. Easy, huh? However, if this was your last card, take your knight and place it on the card you just laid.
7. Once everyone's placed their last card and their knight, you're all done with creating the board.
8. Now, each player gets the following:
   • 5 coins; the remaining coins go into a separate pile called the Bank.
   • 2 dice
   • 1 standard token of her own type
9. Give yourself a pat on the back because you're done set up.

Since you now own have some swag, here's a rundown of possessions.

Possessions

Dice

Your dice are used for two things: movement and combat. The number of dice you have represents your strength, aka "fightability" aka "machismo". You can have a minimum of 2 dice and a maximum of 5.

Coins

Coins are exactly what you guessed they are: super powers. No, not really. They're coins. You can buy things with them, and you win them in combat. You can have a minimum of 0 coins and a maximum of positive infinity (provided you have the physical coins to make this happen).

Items

When you visit a merchant (see the merchant card type), you can buy various junk to help you destroy evil monsters and other players. They enhance your character in certain ways. You may only possess one item of each type.

When you lose an item (through combat, seling it, etc.), you also lose any effects that it has. Also, effects are not cumulative if you have two or more of a certain item. (See the FAQ about multiple items for more info.)

And that pretty much sums up the possessions you can get. Next, we'll go over the general flow of the game.

Game flow

The players take turns, well, taking turns. Start with the player who was chosen to go first. After that player's done, she should probably declare so, and then the next player goes. However, if the player wins the game, the game ends, the gloating begins, followed by the grog and wenches (not included).

Winning the game

To win the game, you first need to collect all the other standards. To get a standard, you need to either take it from the owner directly by winning in combat against him or go to one of the fortresses and defeat the guardian monster there. However, the guardians tend to be fairly difficult to defeat (and impossible to defeat at the outset), so you'll probably have to wander around fighting minor monsters until you get enough cash to get enough swag to defeat a guardian. Also, when you start, you'll have no idea where any of the fortresses are (besides your own home fortress, well, provided you haven't forgotten where it is), so you'll have to explore a bit.

After you've gotten all 4 standards, you must return to your home Fortress to face the Ultimate Challenge.

Taking your turn

1. Pick up one (or two, if you have a horse) of your dice. Roll it. The number (or sum, if you have a horse) is the number of moves you have.
2. Move your knight that number of moves on the board. (See Movement for details on how you can move.)
3. Depending on what you've landed on, different things can happen. You may do these in whatever order you choose:
   • If you've landed on a card that's face down, you must flip it face up.
   • If you've landed on a spot with another player's knight already on it, you may challenge him in combat, if you want. (See Combat for details.) Alternatively, you may trade with that player. (See trading for details.)
   • You may visit the card. (See Card types for what you can do on cards.)
4. If you've been been defeated in combat, either by a monster or by another player, you lose the remainder of your turn. E.g., if you were intending to fight a monster, then another player, and you are defeated by the monster, you are done your turn and cannot fight the other player. Likewise, if you were going to fight a player, then visit a merchant card, and you lose against the player, you can't visit the merchant. This loss of turn is, in back story terms, maybe because you've been knocked unconscious, have to tend to your wounds, or are crying like a sissy in the corner.
5. That's the end of your turn. Declare that your turn is done and yield the turn to the next player.

Movement

On your turn, you'll roll your dice to see how many moves you can do on your turn. You may move up to and/or including that many spots. This means that if you roll a 5, for example, you can certainly move less than five spots, if you so desire.

However, there are a few restrictions on movement:

• You can only move on cards (aka spots). That is, you can't step on a spot in the grid where there is no card, even if you're just passing through.
• You can only move in five directions: up, down, left, right, and forwards in time (unless you're Marty McFly, who I suspect you aren't). Each one of these takes 1 move.
• If you want to pass through a spot occupied by another player's knight, you must stop and challenge that knight first. (See Combat.) Alternatively, you may also trade with the knight: if you're weaker, you would probably need to give her something to let you pass, but if you're stronger, you might convince her to give you something to keep you from attacking her. If you're both equal, you can agree not to fight; this is equivalent to trading for nothing, and as such, the bargain must be struck with a handshake. You can fight or trade with another knight without incurring any cost to the number of moves you have, and you can continue on your way afterwards (provided you don't lose the combat).

Combat

1. The attacker is the active player. The defender is either the monster whose card the active player landed on, or the enemy knight whose spot the active player is co-occupying.
2. Determine the target dice roll:
   • For monsters, this is the number on their card plus the result of the roll of 1 dice (by an opponent).
   • For enemy knights, this is their defending dice roll. A defending dice roll is done the same way an attacking dice roll is. The player takes all his dice (2 to 5, remember?) and rolls them. He takes the top 3 (or 2, if he only has 2) and adds them together. This is the target score.
3. The attacker rolls his dice in the same way the attacker did. This is the attacker's score.
4. If the attacker's score is greater than the defender's score, the attacker has won the combat. See Combat outcome on what she gets as a reward.
5. If the attacker's score is less than or equal to the defender's score, the attacker has failed:
   • If the defender was a monster, the combat is finished; refer to Combat outcome to receive punishment.
   • If the defender was another player, the other player can either decide to end combat now, which means the active player's turn is over, or attack back, which means that the attacker becomes the defender and the defender becomes the attacker. In the second case, this could mean that the opponent, if he wins the next round of combat, becomes the victor and gets the spoils. The combat could go indefinitely if the defender keeps winning.

Combat outcome

• In a player versus monster combat, if the player wins, he wins a number of coins equal to the target score of the monster plus any other treasure left behind by previously defeated players. If the player loses, the player must surrender either half of her coins or one of her items to the monster (her choice). If the player has 5 or less coins, she cannot surrender half of her coins: she may either surrender all of her coins or an item. This treasure is left on the monster's card for future challengers to collect.
• In a player versus player combat, the victor may take one of the loser's items or half of his gold, at the victor's discretion. If the loser has 5 gold or less, the victor may take all of it in lieu of half of it.
• If a player has lost and has no treasure, the knight dies, but is resurrected at his home Temple, albeit with no treasure still.

Card types

Dealing with the Merchant

When a player first flips the Merchant card over, place one of each of the following items on the card, indicating the stock: horse, sword, and shield.

Buying: If you visit the Merchant, you may buy one item from him. You must pay the price listed in the Items table for the item you buy by placing the coins into the Bank. You may not buy any item that you already own.

Selling: Instead of buying from the Merchant, you can sell one of your items to him. You get half of the list price for it, rounding down. You put the item token back on the Merchant card and pay the cash to the Bank. The Merchant will not buy an item that he already has, and will not buy Amulets at all.

Templing it up at the ol' Temple

Buying: You can buy Amulets from the Temple. Unlike the Merchant, you cannot sell Amulets back to the Temple.

Seeking Asylum: Temples grant (limited) Asylum.

Storming and/or begging at Fortresses

Storming: Storming the Fortress of an enemy involves fighting and defeating the Fortress's Guardian. Fighting the Guardian is done exactly the same as if you were fighting the enemy Knight himself, 'except that the enemy knight gets an extra dice (to a maximum of 5) to roll for the target and, if he gets a chance, while attacking you back.

Begging: If the Fortress is your home Fortress, and you have less than 5 coins, you can take from the Bank until you have 5 coins. You can only use this power once per game.

Attempting the Ultimate Challenge: If you possess all 4 Standards, you may attempt the Ultimate Challenge and, if you're lucky, win the game.

Jumping through Gateways

Passing through: Gateways allow you to jump through space and time: just move to it, pay the 1 coin toll, move your knight to the opposing Gateway, then continue to use your movement roll as normal. If you use a Gateway, and the destination Gateway is occupied by an enemy knight, you must challenge or otherwise bribe him to let you pass, as if you'd arrived at that space via normal transport.

Saucy Elves

Saucy Elves cards only take effect if you land on them when they're face down; nothing happens when you land on them face up.

Trick or treat: If the Saucy Elves' card is the same colour as your home suit, you may take one item of your choice from one of your opponents, but not a Standard; if no one has any items, nothing happens. If the card is the opposite colour, you must give an item of your choosing to an opponent of your choosing; if you don't have any items, nothing happens. After that's all done, all of your opponents must turn away from the table, or leave the room. You must switch the Saucy Elves card that you landed on with another face-down card, keeping both face down. You are not allowed to peek at the other card or steal everyone's stuff while they're gone. If there are no more face-down cards, just leave the Saucy Elves card that you landing on where it is, face up.

Trading

Trading involves trading items with another player. In order to initiate a trade, the active player must move his knight onto a spot occupied by another knight. There's not a lot to trading: just agree what you want to trade, and shake on it. You can trade more things than just coinage and items, you can get creative: trade a stronger player a pile in coins in trade for his help in defeating some enemy knight and taking a possession. You can feel free to discuss trades before actually striking them, but you cannot trade any items or money without being in the same spot on the board, nor can you trade when it isn't your turn. Also, all trades must be struck with a handshake, if possible.

The Ultimate Challenge

When you visit your home Fortress and possess the 4 standards, all enemy knights are moved to your home Fortress as well. You must defeat them all individually, in the order of your choice. Combat rules are as normal: when you defeat an opponent, you receive some of their treasure, and when you are defeated by an opponent, you lose your turn and a portion of your treasure. If you defeat all three, you have won the game! If you fail, the knights may move from your home Fortress on their next turn, as may you; you may also attempt the Challenge again on your next turn.

Home town advantage

If you're visiting a card with a suit that matches your home suit (the suit of the ace you originally picked), you get several advantages:

• Since you know the language better, you can sell items to the Merchant at full price. Buying price is unaffected. You can use your home town Gateway at no cost.
• Since you know them better, you get an extra dice in combat (up to the normal maximum of 5) against monsters.
• Since you know the local fauna better, you can also sneak by enemy knights instead of fighting or bribing them. (You can certainly fight them if you like, but you don't get the extra dice.)

Ayslum

If your piece is on either your home Fortress or on a Temple, you are granted Asylum for the length of your stay. This means that no other player may attack you while you're there. However, it's entirely optional, so if you want them to have to stop and attack you, you can do that.

Temples only offer limited asylum: if you're seeking asylum at a Temple, and another Knight comes to fight you, the enemy knight must bribe the Temple in order to challenge you. The bribe starts at 5 coins. However, you can counterbribe with 6 coins, or more. After that, the attacker can counter-counterbribe, and so on, until one player backs down or runs out of money. At this point, the player who bribes the most gets their way.

Frequently Asked Questions

When dividing something in half (like when selling an item), do I round up or down?

In general, you round in the direction that would benefit the player whose turn it is the least. For example, if you sell to the Merchant, you get back half of the list price, rounding down; and when you challenge and defeat another player in combat and decide to take half his gold, you round down.

Can I have more than one of a type of item at a time?

You cannot buy an item that you already have from a Merchant. Merchants are (more or less) fair representatives from their kingdoms and will not fight dirty like that. However, it's perfectly legal to win a second, third, or fourth item by besting another knight in combat and taking that as your prize. Having multiple items does not have a cumulative effect, e.g., if you have two Swords, you do not get two extra dice for combat, and having two amulets does not allow you to escape defeat twice in one combat. The only reason to get multiple items of one type is to screw over your opponents: if all the Horses have been taken, for example, nobody else can get double speed.

Can I fight multiple enemy knights on my turn?

Yes, as long as you have enough moves, and you could potentially fight everyone else in one turn.

Can I trade with a knight, then fight him anyway?

Yes, though it's kind of a jerk thing to do. If you're strong enough, you could go to a knight's spot, initiate a trade, say that you won't attack him if he gives you some coins, and then attack him anyway and take an item as well. Again, only evil jerks need apply.

How can I get by a knight without fighting or bribing him?

You can get by by ending your turn on the card that he's on, then resuming your travels next turn. However, it's probably always more efficient to go around. And remember, your opponent with have a turn in between your two, and will either move out of the way or just fight you anyway.

Inspiration

This game's inspired by Moonstone, an Amiga game I played briefly on an emulator, realized it was rad but buggy, and promptly stopped playing it. It's also got a little bit of The Hobbit boardgame in it, but they're actually quite similar, rip-offingly so. I have this vague notion that they're both based off an older game called Talisman, but have never played it.