MASTER OF VENICE
INTRODUCTION
Card game for 2-4 players.
Players take the roles of rival powerful Families in circa 15th century Venice.
THE DECK
Players share a common deck.
CARDSET
Click here for this amazing cardset by Zak.
VICTORY
The player with the most gold at the end of the game wins.
The Game ends when players have gone through the deck twice.
BITS & PIECES
Use change to represent gold (zecchino or ducato d'oro).
Six sided dice are needed.
TURN SEQUENCE
Each turn is divided into 8 phases:
Draw Phase
Revenue Phase
Diplomacy Phase
Expansion Phase
Event Phase
War Phase
Pope Phase
Doge Phase
CARDS IN PLAY
A card “put into play” is placed face up in front of its owner and stays in
play until some other card or rule causes it to be discarded.
A player derives benefits every turn from the cards he has in play.
Other cards (not put into play) produce an effect and are then discarded.
Note: Many cards have a cost in gold to be played or put into play.
DRAW PHASE
Each player draws 1 card.
If the deck runs out, shuffle the discard and draw from it.
REVENUE PHASE
Each player automatically gains 3 Gold.
Players derive additional income (gold) from their possessions.
Roll 1D6 for each Cog or Caravan:
1D6 Result: Notes:
1 Unprofitable Trip No Gold earned
2-3 Profitable Trip Earn 1 Gold
4-5 Fine Profit Earn 2 Gold
6 Worthy Profit Earn 3 Gold
7 Great Profit Earn 4 Gold
8+ Fabulous Wealth Earn 5 Gold
Cogs and caravans attached to Trade Routes get a bonus +1 or +2 to the Roll.
(A Cog or caravan can only be attached to one trade route)
If you control the Pope gain 5 gold per turn
If you control the Doge gain 3 gold per turn
If you control the Office of Council Head gain 2 gold per turn
If you control the Office of General gain 2 gold per turn
If you control the Office of Admiral gain 2 gold per turn
If you control the Office of Construction gain 1 gold per turn
Note: Trade routes do not generate gold, they increase the income of
attached Cogs/Caravans.
Gain one Gold for every Cog/caravan attached to one of your Trade routes, that
is owned by another player.
DIPLOMACY PHASE
Players may make (secret) deals, alliances, and trades in this phase.
In the true Machiavellian spirit, nothing is binding.
EXPANSION PHASE
Players may put Army, navy, cog, caravan, trade routes, and patronage
cards into play. These cards remain in play.
Popularity cards may be played.
Popularity cards are discarded at the end of the turn.
A player may build a Villa if he doesn’t already have one.
A Villa costs 10 Gold to Build. (7 Gold if you hold the Office of Construction)
Patronage, Pageant, Feast, Masquerade cards can only be played if you control a Villa.
Note: Caravans and Cogs can be played with no trade route attached.
A Trade Route may have up to 3 Cogs/Caravans attached.
You may attach Cogs/Caravans to Trade routes controlled by opponents.
Some Trade Routes can only attach either Cogs or Caravans.
EVENT PHASE
Players may play event and crime cards in this phase.
If you negate a crime card with a caught card, the player who played the
crime card loses 1D6 Gold and automatically loses the next election.
You may discard (from play or hand) a Guard or Mercenary card to negate a Brigands card.
You may discard (from play or hand) a War Galley card to negate a Pirates card.
Only the controller of the Pope can play Excommunicate or Call Crusade cards.
Only the controller of the Office of Council Head can play accusation cards.
WAR PHASE
Players may play War or Army cards in this phase.
If you play a War card, the current controller the Office of General must
pay 2D6 (minus the number of Armies he controls) gold or lose the game.
If you play a War card, the current controller the Office of Admiral must
pay 2D6 (minus the number of Navies he controls) gold or lose the game.
You may discard (from play or hand) a Mercenary or Condotierri card to
take control of a target Caravan or Trade Route.
Your opponent may discard (from play or hand) a Guard or Mercenary card to negate your play.
You may discard (from play or hand) a War Galley card or privateer, to
take control of a target Cog or Trade Route.
Your opponent may discard (from play or hand) a War Galley card to negate your play.
POPE PHASE
(The highest Church Official is the Pope)
Roll 1D6. On a roll of 6 the Pope dies and a new Pope must be elected.
Players vote for the new Pope. To vote, you must control at least one Cardinal.
Each player makes a secret bid. A bid consists of a number of Votes.
Gain 1 vote for each Cardinal you control.
Gain 1 vote for each Gold you bid (Bribes).
Gain votes for Popularity cards you have in play this turn.
Gain Votes for Intrigue cards you play.
The player with the most votes wins the election and gains control of the Pope.
If there is a tie, those players roll high on 1D6 to see who wins.
One cardinal of the winning player becomes the new Pope.
DOGE PHASE
(The highest Venetian Government Official is the Doge)
Roll 1D6. On a roll of 6 the Doge dies and a new Doge must be elected.
Players vote for the new Doge. To vote, you must control at least one Senator.
Each player makes a secret bid. A bid consists of a number of Votes.
Gain 1 vote for each Senator you control.
Gain 1 vote for each Gold you bid (Bribes).
Gain votes for Popularity cards you have in play this turn.
Gain Votes for Intrigue cards you play.
The player with the most votes wins the election and gains control of the Doge.
If there is a tie, those players roll high on 1D6 to see who wins.
One senator of the winning player becomes the new Doge.
The player who controls the Doge must immediately appoint to each
player, including himself, control of 1 of 4 Offices:
Office of Council Head, Office of General, Office of Admiral, and Office of Construction.
These appointments last until the next election.
CARD TYPE NOTATION
# = Number of that card in the deck
Cost = Amount of Gold it costs to put this card into play
Gold = Amount of Gold this card generates in Revenue phase
C = Cardinal
S = Senator
G = Cogs (Fleet of Sailing ships used for trade)
V = Caravan
W = War
E = Event
A = Army
I = Intrigue (Play and pay for during votes)
N = Navy
R = Crimes
T = Trade Route
P = Popularity
U = Artists & Scientists
CARD LIST
Card Name # Type Cost Gold Notes
Cardinal 12 C 3 1
Senator 12 S 3 1
Cogs 15 G 3 2
Caravan 10 V 3 2
Assassination 1 R 2 - Discard target person
Arson 1 R 2 - Destroy target Villa
Slander 2 R 2 - Discard target person
Caught 1 R 1 - Negate a Crime Card
Intrigue 4 I 2 - Worth 4 Votes
Patronage 3 U 3 1 Worth 1 Vote
Pageant 1 P 2 - Worth 5 Votes in Doge Phase
Feast 1 P 1 - Worth 3 Votes in Doge Phase
Masquerade 1 P 3 - Worth 7 Votes in Doge Phase
Benifice 1 P 1 - Worth 3 Votes in Pope Phase
Act of Devotion 1 P 2 - Worth 5 Votes in Pope Phase
Build Church 1 P 3 - Worth 7 Votes in Pope Phase
Explorer 2 E 3 - Draw 3 cards
The Turks 1 W - -
The Geonese 1 W - -
The Golden Horde 1 W - -
League of Cambri 1 W - -
Antioch 1 T 2 +1
Rome 1 T 2 +1
Aegean Sea 1 T 2 +2 Attach Cogs only
Byzantium 1 T 2 +1
Ottoman Empire 1 T 2 +1
Hanseatic League 1 T 2 +1
Timbuktu 1 T 2 +1
Mamluks 1 T 2 +1
Mughal Empire 1 T 2 +1
The Silk Road 1 T 2 +2 Attach Caravans only
Mercenaries 2 A 3 -
Guards 2 A 2 - Defense only
Condottieri 2 A 2 - Attack only
War Galleys 2 N 3 -
Privateers 2 N 2 - Attack only
Call Crusade 3 E 4 - Draw 5 cards
Excommunicate 2 E 2 - Discard target card
Indulgences 2 E - - Gain 1 Gold per Cardinal you control
Taxes 2 E - - Gain 1 Gold per Senator you control
Black Death 1 E - - Discard target Trade Route
The Reformation 1 E - - Discard target Trade Route
Storm 1 E - - Destroy target Cog or Caravan
Pirates 2 E - - Destroy target Cog
Brigands 2 E - - Destroy target Caravan
The Pope Dies 1 E - - Play in Pope Phase
The Doge Dies 1 E - - Play in Doge Phase
Accusation 3 E 2 - Discard target Senator
Senator Dies 1 E - - Discard target Senator
Cardinal Dies 1 E - - Discard target Cardinal
FAQ'S
- When the Pope/Doge dies, i assume that the relative senator/cardinal card
is eliminated - is that right ?
Yes
- Caravans and Cogs can be played with no trade route attached ?
Yes
GAME DESIGNERS NOTES
Thanks for the suggestions Zak.