GUILD MASTER
INTRODUCTION
Players take the role of founding fathers of a medieval town.
The best builder earns the title of Guild Master.
THE CARDS
There are 116 cards listed.
These will have to be manufactured by the players.
Information on the card must include:
The card name, resources it provides, and bonuses it receives.
SET UP
Shuffle the Deck thoroughly.
Each player is dealt 5 cards.
Determine player turn order by any convenient method.
TURN SEQUENCE
Players take turns. A turn consists of the following phases:
1. First Draw Phase
2. First Trade Phase
3. Discard Phase
4. Second Draw Phase
5. Second Trade Phase
6. Build Phase
DRAW PHASES
The current player may draw up to 5 cards.
If you already have 5 or more cards in your hand you can't draw anymore cards.
TRADE PHASES
The current player may trade cards with other willing players.
Trades cannot be forced. A player never has to show his cards or do a trade.
Trades do not have to be equal. For example: Two for one.
DISCARD PHASE
The current player may discard from zero to three cards into the discard pile.
BUILD PHASE
The current player picks one resource category out of the 10 available.
If the player has any cards of that resource in his hand he may 'build' them.
'Built' cards are placed face up in front of the player.
A player 'owns' all the location cards he builds.
These cards count towards the players' victory calculation at the end of the game.
END OF GAME
The game ends at the end of the turn the last card is drawn from the deck.
VICTORY CALCULATION
When the game ends each player adds up all the points they've accumulated in each
of the 10 resource categories.
Players may want to keep a running total during play.
Each location put in play provides two resource points in one category or one resource
point in two categories.
Example: TT = Two resource points in the Trade/ Transportation resource category
Many cards give a bonus resource point if you own another specific card.
Example: You get an extra T for the Trade Route card if you also own the Cross Roads card.
The player with the highest score in the most categories is the winner.
RESOURCE CATEGORIES
# Categories Abbreviation
1 Food/ Agriculture F
2 Trade/Transport T
3 Construction/ Materials C
4 Religion/ Church R
5 Government/ Nobility G
6 Military/ Fortifications M
7 Public Health P
8 Arts/ Entertainment A
9 Learning/ Education L
10 Industry/ Crafts I
CARD LIST
Location Name Resources Bonus
Cross Roads TT
Trade route TT Cross Roads +T
Farmland FF Irrigation +F
Irrigation FF
Grainmill FF Farmland +F
Vineyard FF
Quarry CC
Mason CC Quarry +C
Gold Mine TT
Salt Mine FF
Iron Mine II
Smelter II Iron Mine +I
Logging Camp CC
Lumbermill CC Logging Camp +C
Carpenter CI Lumbermill +C
Papermill II Lumbermill +I
Fishing Village FF
Pearl Divers II Fishing Village +I
Ranch FF
Hunting Grounds FF
Herbalist IP
Orchard FF
Stone Walls MM Mason +M
Castle MG
Guard Tower MM Castle +M
Moat MM
Gatehouse MM Stone Walls +M
Apothecary PI
Brothel AA Port +A
Bath House AP Aqueduct +P
Sewers PP
Aqueduct PP Architect +P
Library LL Printing Press +L
Builders Hall CC Mason +C
Blacksmith II Iron Mine +I
Armorer MI Iron Mine +I
Barracks MG Arena +M
Marketplace TT
Bowyer MI
Fletcher MI Bowyer +I
Stables MT
Temple RR
Wizards Tower LL
Merchant Shops TT
Merchants Guild TT Merchant Shops +T
Spice Merchant FT
Tavern AA Brewery +A
Inn AT Cross Roads +T
Alchemist LI
Inventor LI
Scribe LI Papermill +I
Brewer FA
Woodcarver II Logging Camp +I
Glassblower II
Tanner II Cattle Ranch +I
Weaver II
Tailor II
Bakery FF Granary +F
Jeweler II Gold Mine +I
Palace GG
Townhall GG Town Square +G
Docks TT
Shipyards TT Port +T
Fishing Fleet FF Fishing Village +F
Merchant Fleet TT Port +T
Caravan TT Trade Route +T
Theatre AA Schoolhouse +A
Garden FP
Wheelwright TI Blacksmith +T
Cobbler II Tanner +I
Dye Maker II Fishing Village +I
Port TT Docks +T
Warehouses TT
Bazaar TT Marketplace +T
Granary FF Farmland +F
Catacombs RP Temple +R
Graveyard PP Cathedral +R
Shepherd FF
Monastery RR
Shrine RR
Cathedral RR Shrine +R
Almshouse PP Monastery +P
Hospital PP Surgeon +P
Kings Highway TT
Surgeon PP
Barber PP
Architect CC
Greenhouse FA Glassblower +A
Circus AA
Fairgrounds AA
Dungeon GG Castle +G
Gambling Hall AA
Pub AA Brewery +A
Town Square TG Cross Roads +T
Butcher FF Ranch +F
Rug Merchant TI
Schoolhouse LL
Tollbooth GG Bridge +G
Bridge TT
Sculptor AA Quarry +A
Sage LL University +L
University LL Library +L
Printing Press LI Dye Maker +L
Fortune Teller AA
Thieves Guild TT Bazaar +T
Candlestick Maker II Beekeeper +I
Clock Maker II Inventor +I
Laundry PP Aqueduct +P
Jousting Pavilion AM Fairgrounds +A
Archery Range AM Fletcher +M
Arena AM
Toymaker AI
Beekeeper FI
GAME DESIGNERS NOTES
You can of course add more cards, remove some, change others, etc.
A few key changes would give the game a Roman flavor.
Other 'flavors' could include: Western town, Space colony, Military base, Modern city,
Renaissance city state, Oriental town, Arabian city, Industrial Era town, etc.
The resource categories may be changed as well to suit the milieu.
The above card list is not strictly medieval. There are anachronisms, fantasy elements, and
cross-cultural references. You may want to clean it up to make it historically accurate.
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INSPIRING RESPONSE
Hello!
My name is Aaron Dalton, I am a High School English Teacher in Evanston,
Wyoming. I am also an avid gamer, and stumbled across your site from the
ed games newsletter. Wow! What a resource.
I had an opportunity to create about 75% of the cards for your game
"Guildmaster". We were able to play a modified version, each student
alloted 3 cards, plust a few random students with 4 or 5. We played two
rounds, and it went really well. Our "Guildmaster" had 16 points in one
resource, but ended up owing many favors for cards given to her.
I designed the cards with roads. As the students built their holdings,
they had to match up the roads, and tape them to the chalkboard. The
resulting city was very chaotic, and went along well with our
non-fiction reading "The Labyrinthine City of Fez" by Anais Nin. It
served as a take-off point for our discussion of the story.
Thank you very much! It is always fun to meet a fellow gamer, and to try
something new.
Please send any replies to redbaronaaron@yahoo.com.
Sincerely,
Aaron Dalton
**************************************************************
LINK
Guild Master has been published in the
ACADEMIC GAMING REVIEW
***************************************************************
INCREASED PLAYER INTERACTION VARIANT
by Marcelo Paschoalin (fermmoylle@ig.com.br)
The changes on the original rules are on ALL CAPS. The major changes on the
game are below. Everything else is the same as the original.
----------------------------------
1. First Draw Phase
2. GUILDMASTER PHASE
3. First Trade Phase
4. Discard Phase
5. Second Draw Phase
6. Second Trade Phase
7. Build Phase
DRAW PHASES
ALL PLAYERS may draw up to 5 cards.
If you already have 5 or more cards in your hand you can't draw anymore
cards.
GUILDMASTER PHASE
Using his hand of cards, each player makes a hidden bid to achieve the title
of Guildmaster. After all the players have decided on the amount of cards
they will bid, they must tell to the other players the amount chosen. If
there's a draw, the players not involved on the draw must choose by open
vote who will be the Guildmaster. If there's no agreement on that, chance
will dictate who will be the Guildmaster (coin toss, dice roll, lotery
numbers...).
TRADE PHASES
ALL PLAYERS may trade cards with other willing players. THERE'S NO LIMIT ON
TRADES.
Trades cannot be forced. A player never has to show his cards or do a trade.
Trades do not have to be equal. For example: Two for one.
DISCARD PHASE
ALL PLAYERS may discard from zero to three cards into the discard pile.
BUILD PHASE
THE GUILDMASTER picks one resource category out of the 10 available.
If the PLAYERS HAVE any cards of that resource in his hand THEY may 'build'
them.
'Built' cards are placed face up in front of the player.
A player 'owns' all the location cards he builds.
These cards count towards the players' victory calculation at the end of the
game.
VICTORY CALCULATION
When the game ends each player adds up all the points they've accumulated in
each
of the 10 resource categories.
Players may want to keep a running total during play.
Each location put in play provides two resource points in one category or
one resource
point in two categories.
Example: TT = Two resource points in the Trade/ Transportation resource
category
Many cards give a bonus resource point if you own another specific card.
Example: You get an extra T for the Trade Route card if you also own the
Cross Roads card.
EACH PLAYER GAINS POINTS EQUAL TO THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCE POINTS ON HIS
_WORST_ CATEGORY, PLUS ONE POINT ON EACH CATEGORY HE HAS MORE RESOURCE
POINTS THEN THE OTHER PLAYERS.
IF MORE THEN ONE PLAYER LEADS A CATEGORY WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF RESOURCE
POINTS OF ANOTHER PLAYER, BOTH GAIN THE BONUS POINT.
Example:
On the end of a game with 5 players, the resource points on the 10
categories (F, T, C, R, G, M, P, A, L, I) are below:
Sue: 10, 4, 4, 4, 0, 3, 6, 3, 0, 12
Tom: 5, 8, 2, 2, 2, 5, 6, 6, 6, 4
Jeff: 6, 9, 4, 0, 5, 1, 5, 8, 1, 7
Bill: 7, 10, 1, 2, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 9
Jane: 5, 7, 2, 1, 2, 4, 1, 5, 5, 12
Sue ends the game with 5 points (0 on the worst category; leads on F, C, R,
P, I)
Tom ends the game with 5 points (2 on the worst category; leads on M, P, L)
Jeff ends the game with 3 points (0 on the worst category; leads on C, G, A)
Bill ends the game with 2 points (1 on the worst category; leads on T)
Jane ends the game with 2 points (1 on the worst category; leads on I)