DEATH BY SHAKESPEARE

INTRODUCTION
Game for 2-4 players. 
Theme: Modes of Death and Character Types in the plays of Shakespeare. 

VICTORY
Have the most living characters at the end of the game. 

GAME END
The game ends when the death number is reached. 

THE DEATH NUMBER
Roll 1D6 +3. This will give a random number between 4 and 9. 
This is the number of characters who will die before the play is over. 
Titus Andronicus Option: Death Number = 14 (Minimum 3 players)  

CHARACTER POOL
Each player is dealt 5 Random Character cards. 

DICE
Six sided dice are needed.

CHARACTER CARDS
Each Character has a special ability. 

DEATH CARDS
Each Death card has a rating of 1 to 6. 

CHARACTER DECK CARD LIST
Name:			Sex:	Special Ability:
Big Lunk		M	When you  roll a 6 Draw a card
Innocent Babe		F	May change opponents roll of 1 to a 2
Flawed Ruler		M	When you roll a 3 play another Death card
Bright Young Thing	F	Negate an opponent’s roll of 5
Malign Influence	M	When you roll a 4 get another roll
Sidekick		M	When you roll a 6 you may reroll
Clever Servant		F	All opponent’s Hand sizes are -1
Imp of Mischief		M/F	When you roll a 6 trade a Character with opponent
Mistreated Villain	M	Hand Size +2
Powerful Woman  	F	When you roll a 5 move a Death card to another Character
Figure of Fun		M	When you roll a 1 trade Hands with opponent
Wise Fool		M	If you roll a 3 discard a Death card not on self  
Comic Relief		M	If opponent rolls a 4 discard Death card on self
Bawdy Woman		F	When you roll a 2 steal a random card from opponent's hand
Tragedy’s Minion	F	If opponent rolls a 2 you may play a Death Card
Narrator		M	When you roll a 4 look at all opponent’s hands
Foil			M/F	If opponent rolls a 1 you may make him reroll
Stock Character		M/F	When you roll a 1 you may change it to a 6


SETUP
Each player is dealt 5 random Character cards. 
These are kept face up on the table in front of the player. 

TURN SEQUENCE 
Players take turns. 
Each turn has 3 Acts:
1. First Act: Draw 2 Death Cards
2. Second Act: Place 1 Death card on an Opponent’s Character Card
3. Third Act: Roll the Death Die 

FIRST ACT
Draw 2 Death cards. 
If the Deck runs out, shuffle the discard. 
You max hand size is 5 cards. Discard excess cards. 

SECOND ACT
Place 1 Death card on an Opponent’s Character Card. 
This may be any one of his cards. 
A Character may have any number of Death Cards stacked on him. 

THIRD ACT
Roll 1D6. This is the Death Die. 
If the rolled number matches the number on any Death card on an opposing 
Character, then the Character is killed. 
If there are multiple characters that can be killed, pick just one. 
A Killed Character and any Death cards on it are discarded. 
Note: The Death roll will often activate the Special Abilities of one or more Characters. 
The Attacked player may respond first with the reaction of one of his Characters. 
Play of reactions proceeds clockwise. 


DEATH DECK CARD LIST
#	Death:
1	Stabbed in Duel 
2	Stabbed Through the Heart
3	Stabbed by Dagger
4	Stabbed by Sword
5	Stabbed Repeatedly
6	Eats Hot Coals
1	Buried to Neck and Starved
2	Beheaded
3	Hanging
4	Poisoned
5	Blinded & Dies of Shock
6	Throws oneself Away
1	Ripped Apart by Mob
2	Snakebite
3	Baked into a Pie
4	Indigestion
5	Dismemberment & Fire
6	Grief
1	Disappears
2	Drops Dead
3	Pursued by Bear
4	Stabbed and Poisoned
5	Stabs Self
6	Poisons Self
1 	Broken Heart
2	Dies of Shame
3	Stabbed Through Curtain
4	Lack of sleep
5	Drowns
6	Smothered by Pillow