Mice and Mystics Game Rules

Hello there! Today, I want to talk to you about the wonderful game called Mice and Mystics. Have you ever heard of it? If not, don’t worry because I’m here to explain everything to you!

In Mice and Mystics, you and your friends will embark on a thrilling adventure as brave mice. Sounds exciting, right? Well, let me tell you more about the game and its rules.

First of all, when you play Mice and Mystics, you become a hero. You will explore different locations, fight fearsome enemies, and complete quests. But be careful, because danger lurks around every corner!

Now, let’s dive into the rules. There are several things you need to know to play the game successfully. For example, each mouse has its own unique abilities and equipment. You can choose the mouse that best suits your playing style. Isn’t that cool?

As you progress through the game, you will face challenges and obstacles. You will need to roll dice to determine the outcome of your actions. Sometimes you will succeed, and sometimes you will fail. But don’t give up! Keep trying, and you will eventually overcome any obstacle that stands in your way.

In Mice and Mystics, teamwork is key. You and your fellow players must work together to achieve your goals. Communication and cooperation are essential for success. So make sure to strategize and plan your moves as a team.

There are also different scenarios and story chapters that you can play through. Each one has its own unique challenges and objectives. This keeps the game fresh and exciting, as you never know what awaits you in the next chapter.

The best part about Mice and Mystics is that it allows you to use your imagination. You can truly immerse yourself in the world of the game and let your creativity run wild. Imagine yourself as a brave mouse, fighting against all odds to save the kingdom. How epic is that?

So, if you’re looking for a thrilling and immersive game, Mice and Mystics is the perfect choice for you. Gather your friends, roll the dice, and let the adventure begin. Remember, in the world of Mice and Mystics, anything is possible. Will you rise to the challenge and become a hero? Only time will tell. Enjoy the game!

About the Author

I’m a passionate gamer who loves exploring new worlds and experiencing thrilling adventures. Mice and Mystics is one of my all-time favorite games, and I’m excited to share its wonders with you. Join me on this epic journey and let’s discover the magic together!

Setting up a game of Mice and Mystics is super easy! Just follow these simple steps:

1. Start by selecting a chapter from a Mice and Mystics story book. If there are more players, some may need to control multiple mice to have the right number in the adventuring party.
2. Now it’s time to choose your hero. Each player can choose their own mouse hero and collect the mouse’s hero card, initiative card, and figure. The chapter you’re playing will let you know how many mice will be adventuring (usually four).
3. Next, choose an ability for each mouse you’re playing. Remember to check that the mouse meets the class requirements for the chosen ability.

Let’s get started with setting up the game!

First, gather all the equipment you’ll need. Look for the search cards that match each mouse’s starting setup, and make sure to equip them to the right mouse. If you need any extra cards or party items, refer to the ‘Party Setup’ section in the chapter.

Next, it’s time to set up the board. Take the room tiles and place them in the middle of the playing area. Follow the instructions in the ‘Room Tile Setup’ section of the chapter you’re playing. Make sure to position the tiles so that all the arrows on the corners are pointing in the same direction.

Now, let’s place the figures. Take the mouse figures and any minion figures and position them on the board as indicated in the ‘Room Tile Setup’ section of the chapter.

And there you have it, the game is all set up and ready to play! Have fun adventuring!

As we begin playing the game, the first thing we need to do is determine the order in which each mouse and minion will act. To do this, take all the initiative cards for the characters on the board and shuffle them. This will give us the starting initiative order for the chapter ahead.

Next, we set up the story control board. This board will help us keep track of the story and our progress. Place it to the side of the playing area. Then, place the hourglass marker on the first page of the chapter track. This will indicate where we start in the story. Also, place the chapter end marker on the page specified in the ‘Chapter End’ section of the chapter we’re playing. This will tell us where the chapter ends.

Now, let’s prepare the encounter deck. Shuffle the remaining search cards and create a deck in the search area of the story control board. The specific details for setting up the encounter deck can be found in the ‘Encounter Deck Setup’ section of the chapter we’re playing.

With these initial setup steps complete, we’re ready to dive into the story and start our adventure!

Hey there! Let’s dive into the world of Mice & Mystics. This cooperative adventure game is perfect for 1-4 players. Prepare yourself for a thrilling journey as we step into the shoes of brave, little mice.

Now, before we get started, we need to set up our playing area. Here’s what you need to do:

1. First, place the game board in the center of the table. This will be your mystical playground.
2. Next, distribute the cheese tokens, the minion figures, and any remaining initiative and ability cards to each player. Make sure everyone has easy access to them.
3. Finally, place all the other tokens off to the side. We’ll need them later on.
4. If you’re diving into a specific chapter, follow any setup instructions mentioned in the ‘Chapter Setup’ section.

With everything set up, it’s time to uncover the magic that lies within Mice & Mystics. Let’s go!

The goal of the game is simple: work together to guide our fearless mice through a series of interactive chapters. The story will unfold as we explore new territories, face dangerous challenges, and uncover hidden treasures.

Remember, teamwork is the key to success here. We’ll need to rely on each other’s skills, display bravery in the face of danger, and maybe even get a little bit lucky. Are you ready for this exciting adventure? I know I am!

Now, let’s talk about gameplay. Here’s how it works:

When I play Mice and Mystics, the game is divided into rounds, which are made up of turns. Each round starts with the player who has the highest card on the initiative track. Then, the player with the next highest card goes, and so on. Once all the cards have been used, a new round begins.

When it’s your turn, you can take actions with all the figures represented by your initiative card. However, each figure takes its actions separately.

To figure out the order in which the mice and minions take their turns, we first need to establish an initiative order.

Determining the Initiative Order

At the beginning of a chapter or whenever a new encounter card is revealed, we need to set the initiative order.

If there are no minion cards on the initiative track:

Let’s get started by organizing the initiative cards. We’ll need cards for each mouse and minion type that will be on the board when the encounter begins. To do this, we’ll shuffle all the cards together and create an initiative deck.

Next, we’ll place the cards from the initiative deck one at a time on the initiative track. The initiative track is located on the side of the story control board. Start by placing the first card on the 1 spot, then the second card on the 2 spot, and so on, until all the cards have been placed.

If there are already minion cards on the initiative track:

If there are minion cards already on the initiative track, simply shuffle the initiative cards for the new minions that will be added. Place these new cards on the next available slots on the initiative track. If the new minions already have an initiative card on the track, there is no need to add another one for them.

Okay, let’s dive into this! So, if there are more initiative cards than available slots on the initiative track, don’t worry. We just need to follow the normal placement rules for the cards, and let the extra ones temporarily extend the track, simple as that!

When it comes to boss initiative cards…

Things get a little more interesting here. You see, if a boss minion has more than one initiative card, we have a special rule. When that boss is going to be placed on the board, we randomly choose two of their initiative cards and add them to the initiative track.

The boss will then take a turn for each of their initiative cards on the track. Now, if there are already minion cards on the track when we add a boss with multiple initiative cards, we place both boss cards at the bottom of the track as usual. But here’s the twist – we need to follow the ambushing rules for the first of those two initiative cards. Sounds intriguing, right?

When I no longer have any figures on the game board that are associated with an initiative card, then I remove that card from the initiative track. After removing the card, I move up all the other cards to fill in the gap.

Don’t Waste Any Minute!

When all the little creatures on the board finish their go and there are no more left, time is short! Quickly, grab a cheese token and place it on the wheel. Keep doing this every time the last little creature completes its turn and there are no more creatures remaining on the board.

It’s Mouse Hero Time!

Time for action! A mouse hero can do one of these things and then move, or move and then do one of these things:

And that’s not all! On their turn, these mighty mice can also perform these extra actions for free. Choose wisely, ’cause you can only do each free action once during your turn. Oh, and remember, no sneaking in a free action in the middle of another action. Got it?

Mouse Ability Cards

When I’m playing as a mouse, I can only use one ability card per turn. Even if I have multiple abilities that are free actions, I have to choose wisely!

Mouse Movement

Okay, so at the beginning of my turn, I have to roll an action die. On the die, there are different symbols, but what I’m really interested in is the number printed on each face. The numbers go from 1 to 3. When I add the number I rolled on the action die to my mouse’s move value, I can figure out how many spaces my mouse can move on that turn.

Here’s an example to make it clearer: Let’s say I’m playing as Prince Collin, and he has a move value of 2. If I roll a 1 on the action die, I can move up to 3 spaces on that turn. Pretty cool, huh? (2 + 1 = 3).

Adjacent Spaces

In this game, the spaces are not all the same size and shape. Some spaces even have small gaps between them. But here’s an easy way to tell if two spaces are next to each other: if a mouse figure can go from one space to the other without any trouble, then they are considered adjacent. And if you move a figure between those spaces, it counts as moving 1 space.

Special Area Spaces

There are a few areas in the game that are bigger and don’t have smaller spaces. For example, there’s the counter in the Kitchen, the table in the Dining Hall, and the bed in the King’s Chamber.

Listen up, because I’ve got something important to tell you. There’s a cool thing called special area spaces, and they’re like no other spaces you’ve seen before. See, normally you can only fit 4 small figures or 1 big figure into a space, but special area spaces are different. You can fit as many figures as physically possible into one of these spaces, sort of like trying to stuff a bunch of toys into a toy box.

Yellow and Red Lines

Yellow Lines

Imagine this: you’re on a game board, trying to navigate your way through a colorful and intricate maze. But wait! There are yellow lines dividing the spaces, each marked with an arrow pointing in one direction. These yellow lines are essential because they determine how much movement it will cost you to cross them.

When you encounter a yellow line and decide to cross against the direction of the arrow, it’s not that simple. You’ll incur a cost of 3 spaces of movement! But if you go with the flow and cross the yellow line in the direction of the arrow, it only costs the usual 1 space of movement. It’s all about choosing the right path!

The spaces divided by a yellow line are considered adjacent to each other, which means you can move easily between them.

Now let’s talk about red lines.

These lines pose a different challenge. Mice, like you, cannot move from one space to another if there’s a red line in the way. No crossing allowed! The spaces divided by a red line are like obstacles, not considered adjacent at all.

Lastly, we have black areas and walls.

Have you noticed the areas on some of the room tiles that are colored completely black? Those areas are solid rock, which means they cannot be moved onto or through by any means.

Now, let’s talk about the areas of the tiles that depict a wall. These areas are not considered as spaces and cannot be moved onto or through either. However, there is one exception to this rule. On the Pipes tile, the dark areas represent gaps between the pipes. Amazingly, you can navigate through these gaps by using special items like the Fishhook and Thread or the Levitate Scroll, which enable a mouse to cross over red lines.

Board Features

When I explore the game’s rooms, I notice all sorts of interesting things. Some tiles have crystals growing out of the ground, while others have plates of food scattered around. But these features aren’t separate spaces on their own. They either belong to the space they’re in, like the skull in the Alchemist Chamber or the helmet in the Guardroom, or they’re in-between spaces, like the crystals in the Crystal Tunnels. To move through these in-between spaces, I need to follow the rules for moving between spaces I learned earlier.

Sharing Spaces

A maximum of 4 small figures can be in the same space. However, if there’s a large figure like a spider or centipede, it takes up the entire space. A space is considered full when there are either 4 small figures or 1 large figure in it. If I’m a mouse or a minion, I can’t move onto or through a full space.

When I’m playing a game and my mouse moves onto a space with a minion, I have to stop moving. If I start my movement in the same space as a minion or multiple minions, I can only leave that space if there are as many or more mice than there are minions.

How I Move in Water

When a mouse jumps into the water, even if it came from another water space, it can’t go any further. If a mouse wants to leave the water and move to a non-water space, it has to use all of its movement.

The player controlling that mouse has to roll the action die for the mouse and all the other mice on the space where it wants to go. If they roll at least one symbol, the mouse has successfully climbed out of the water. Put the mouse on the destination space. If they don’t roll any symbols, the mouse can’t move.

Some parts of the water have a current, which you can see from arrows pointing in a certain direction. Mice in the water can’t swim against the current. At the end of a mouse’s turn, if it is in a water area with a current, it has to move one space in the same direction as the current. If this carries the mouse off the room tile, the mouse gets captured.

Yo, check this out! So, ya know those mice? Turns out, they can’t use any free actions when they’re on water spaces because they’re constantly battling against the current. But get this – it doesn’t affect those minions! They can just stroll on through water spaces without a hitch. Pretty neat, right?

Oh, and let me drop some knowledge on ya about mousetraps. When it comes to moving across them, mice gotta be careful. See, they can actually stop on a mousetrap space without triggering it. But if they wanna keep on movin’, they’ll set that sucker off. It’s a bit of a gamble, you know? Might get caught, might slip by. Gotta keep everyone on their toes!

Hope that clears things up for ya. Just remember, mice struggle in water, but those minions ain’t got no worries. And watch out for them sneaky mousetraps – they’ll get ya if you’re not careful!

Imagine you’re a mouse, scurrying around, trying to find some tasty cheese. But wait, you come across a mousetrap! You have to be careful and figure out if it’s been sprung before you can move on.

Here’s what you do: you roll a bunch of dice, just like taking actions. The number of dice you roll depends on how far you can move. If you’re a tinkerer, you can roll dice equal to your lore value instead.

Now, pay attention! If at least one symbol shows up on the dice, then you’re in luck. You can safely pass over the mousetrap and keep going on your journey. But if no symbols turn up, oh no! The trap has sprung!

When the trap springs, a few things happen. You get hurt and take a wound, collecting a cheese token, and fall down. Ouch! That’s not a pleasant experience.

And remember, if you do spring a trap, your turn is immediately over. But don’t worry, minions aren’t affected by mousetraps. Lucky them!

Mouse Movements

Swift Movement

If I’m a mouse and I want to move some more, I can use a swift movement to do just that. To make a swift movement, I roll the action die and use the new result to move again. Of course, all the usual rules about how I can move still apply when I use a swift movement action.

Engage in Combat

In Mice and Mystics, when we’re in a fight, we have to roll these special dice called action dice. These dice can show different symbols, like swords, shields, bows, and cheese. And believe it or not, cheese can actually help us in a battle!

Now, when it’s time to defend ourselves against an attack, we only need to pay attention to the symbols that show a sword and a shield, and of course, the cheese symbols too. Those are the important ones.

Here’s a cool thing: every time we attack or defend with one of our mice, if we happen to roll one or more cheese symbols, that mouse gets a little reward – it gets a cheese token. And the more cheese symbols we roll, the more tokens our mouse gets. It’s like winning a yummy treat!

Melee attack

When I’m playing as a mouse and I have a melee weapon, I can use it to perform a melee attack. To do this, I need to pick a target by choosing a minion that is either on the same space as me or next to me. If you’re not sure what “adjacency” means, it just means that the minion is really close to where I am.

When I’m battling a mouse, I start by rolling a set of action dice. The number of dice I roll is equal to the mouse’s battle value. I make sure to take into account any bonuses that the mouse’s items or weapons might give it. After I roll the dice, I count up the number of sword and sword/shield symbols. These symbols represent the number of hits I’ve landed on the mouse.

When a mouse attacks one or more times, I will roll defense for the minion getting hit and count the number of sword/shield results rolled. Each sword/shield rolled will block one hit from the attacking mouse. It’s like the minion is putting up a shield to protect itself.

When I attack a minion and my hit goes unblocked, it hurts them, causing them to take a wound. It’s like a direct hit, and they feel it.

Now, here’s an interesting fact. Whenever I’m attacking or defending against a minion, something cool happens. If I roll one or more cheese symbols during the attack, I get to add a cheese token to the minion wheel on the story control board for each cheese I roll. Isn’t that neat?

Ranged attack

If I have a mouse equipped with a ranged weapon or spell, I can use it to perform a ranged attack. To do that, I follow the same process as I would for a melee attack, but instead of counting the sword or sword/shield symbols as hits, I count each bow symbol as a hit. When it comes to choosing a target for the attack, I have the freedom to select any minion that is on the same room tile as my attacking mouse, as long as my mouse can ‘see’ the target.

Now, if there are other minions nearby, either in the same space or in an adjacent space as my mouse, I have to select one of those minions as the target of the attack. It’s crucial to keep this in mind and consider the positioning of the minions when planning my moves.

The importance of seeing the target

When it comes to figuring out if a mouse can see a target in order to attack from a distance, I need to draw an imaginary line from where I am to where the target is. I can use a card or this rulebook to help me. If the imaginary line goes through any black areas or walls, then I can’t use my attack or spell. There are also certain things on the board that might make it seem like they would block my line of sight. Me and the other players can decide if those things should actually block my vision as a mouse.

Hurting others

Small Cuts for Minions

Whenever a non-boss minion gets hurt with one or more wounds, just check its initiative card.

• If a figure’s initiative card indicates that it only has one life, then that figure is defeated and must be removed from the board.
• If the figure that was defeated happened to be the last figure represented by its initiative card, then that initiative card must also be removed from the track.
• If a figure’s initiative card shows that it has more than one life, then place one wound marker on the initiative card for each wound it received. When the number of wounds on a multiple-life figure’s initiative card equals or exceeds its life value, that figure is defeated. Remove it from the board and take its initiative card off the track as well.

Wounds on Minions Controlled by Bosses

When it comes to boss minions, they usually have several initiative cards on the initiative track. So, each time I hurt a boss, I get to decide which initiative card to put the wound on. If a boss initiative card has a number of wounds on it that matches or goes beyond its life value, that specific initiative card comes off the initiative track. And once all the initiative cards for a boss are removed from the track, I remove its figure from the board too, since it’s been defeated.

How to Find

To search, all you have to do is say “I’m searching” and roll the action die. If you get a symbol, you draw a card from the search deck. Depending on what type of card it is, you can either keep it for later or discard it for one cheese. Event cards have their own instructions that you need to follow. But remember, once you’ve successfully searched a tile, you can’t search it again.

Now, let’s talk about recovering. If you’re stunned or webbed, you can use a recover action to get rid of that negative effect.

Getting Back on Track After Being Stunned

If you find yourself in a daze and unable to act because of being stunned, don’t worry! There’s a way to recover and get back into the game.

When I’m stunned, it feels like I’ve hit a brick wall. I can’t do anything and I feel completely helpless. But here’s the good news: there’s a simple action I can take to snap out of it.

You won’t believe how easy it is to recover from being stunned. All you have to do is perform a recover action, and just like that, the stunned marker is gone from your initiative card.

It’s almost like magic. With a quick recovery, I can shake off the dizziness and confusion that comes with being stunned. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can move again.

So next time you find yourself in a daze, don’t panic. Remember that all you need to do is perform a recover action, and you’ll be back in the game before you know it. Don’t let being stunned keep you down – take charge and get back on your feet!

Recovering From Webbed

When I’m a webbed mouse and I try to recover, I roll an action die. If I roll a symbol, I can remove the webbed marker from my initiative card.

Explore

The explore action is how I, as a mouse, can move from the room tile I’m on to a different room tile. I can only explore when there are no minions on the same room tile as me. There are 2 types of spaces where I can use the explore action: a space next to an exit area or a flip space.

Exploring an Exit Area

Hey there! Let me tell you about this cool game I’ve been playing. So, when I’m a mouse and I want to move to a new tile, I can use the explore action. But here’s the catch – the new tile has to have an exit area that matches the exit area of the tile I’m currently on. Makes sense, right?

Now, let’s talk about these tiles. They have two sides: a blue side and an orange side. If I’m moving to a tile that has a different color side facing up, I have to flip it over. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure the orientation arrow is still pointing in the right direction. But here’s the thing, if there’s no exit aligned on the side I need, then I can’t explore over to the new tile.

Hey there, let me explain how exploring works in this game! So, when I, or one of my mouse buddies, make the awesome decision to explore and move to a new tile, something pretty cool happens. We all get placed on a space right next to the exit area on the new tile. It’s like a secret shortcut or something!

How It Works for Flip Locations

Oh, and by the way, you’ll notice that flip locations are marked with this symbol:

When I, as a mouse, want to explore a new area, I go to a room tile and perform an explore action. I remove myself and my mouse friends from the tile and flip it over to the other side. The arrow on the tile stays the same, so we know which way we came from. Then, we all move to the new side of the tile, where there is another spot for us to go.

But there are also some special flip locations that we need to be aware of. These are different from regular tiles because they have unique features or effects.

If you have the Fishhook and Thread token, you can check out this cool flip location. It’s an important spot, but you need the right tools to get there.

Only tinkerers and scamps can explore flip locations marked with this symbol. If you’re not one of them, you’ll have to move on.

What Happens?

When I’m playing the game, I always get excited whenever my mouse character explores a new area. And you know what happens when that happens? I have an encounter! It’s like a surprise event that adds more excitement to the story. During each chapter, if I’m exploring an area that hasn’t been visited yet, I draw a card from the encounter deck. The encounter card has different encounters depending on how far I’ve progressed in the chapter. It’s like a little adventure within the bigger adventure.

Once I draw an encounter card, I have to place the new minions on the board. There are rules for where they can be placed. After that, I determine the initiative order, which basically decides the turn order for everyone involved. Then, I put the encounter card face-up on top of the deck. If there was already a face-up encounter card from a previous encounter, I discard that old card. The new face-up encounter card will determine the next surprise effect that can happen, kind of like a plot twist in the story.

Placing Minions on the Board

Hey there! When I’m in the middle of a game and I need to add new minions to the board, I make sure to put them in the right spot. These special spots are called “minion entry spaces,” and they have a symbol that looks like this: *. Let me walk you through the steps to place new minions on the board:

1. First, I start by placing all the small minions that can attack from a distance. I put them on the minion entry space that’s farthest away from the mice. If there are multiple options, I get to choose which space to use. But if there’s a special area bordered in red that also has a minion entry space, I’ll put the ranged minions there instead. If the chosen space gets full, no worries! I just find another space, following the same rules, to put the remaining minions.
2. Next, I move on to the large minions. I place them one at a time on an empty minion entry space that’s closest to the mice. Just like before, if there are multiple options, it’s up to me to decide which space to use.

See, following these steps makes it easy to add new minions to the board and keep the game going smoothly. Good luck with your own games!

Let me break it down for you, step by step. First, you need to place the small melee minions one at a time on any empty spaces. If there are multiple spaces available, it’s up to you to decide where to put them. Just make sure to spread them out as much as possible.

Next, when new minions are added, make sure to add their initiative cards to the initiative track. This will help keep things organized and ensure everyone knows when each minion will take their turn.

Now, let’s talk about the minion tokens. You’ll find 4 Elite Rat Warrior tokens and 1 Captain Vurst token in the game. If the encounter or chapter specifies that elite rat warriors need to be placed, use the rat figures and add the Elite Rat Warrior tokens underneath them. This way, you’ll know that these rats are the elite ones. The same goes for Captain Vurst – if the encounter calls for him, use the rat figure with the Captain Vurst token. And if you need regular rat warriors, just use the rat figures without any tokens.

Finally, let’s not forget about the mousetraps. They can be quite tricky, so be careful!

Some cards I come across have the word ‘Mousetraps’ at the top. If an encounter has mousetraps, I need to place a mousetrap marker on each space of the room tile that has a red ‘X’ symbol. To understand how mousetraps work, I should check the rules.

Moving on to ambushes. Certain encounter cards mention the word ‘Ambush’ at the top. When figuring out the order of actions for an ambush encounter, I first need to place all minion cards on the initiative track as usual. Then, I roll an action die for each minion initiative card on the track, one at a time. The rolled number determines how many spaces that card moves up on the track, pushing down the cards below it to make space. Ambushes don’t affect surge minions in that situation.

Now, let’s talk about the Greedy Roaches.

Have you ever come across “greedy roaches”? These roaches are just like regular roaches in terms of turn order. But here’s the twist: when a greedy roach appears on the board, all other roaches turn greedy too! And when a greedy roach snatches a piece of cheese from a mouse, that cheese goes straight onto the minion cheese wheel on the story control board.

Powerful Outbursts

Whenever I attack or defend with a minion and roll one or more cheese symbols, I get a cheese token for each cheese rolled. I add these tokens to the minion cheese wheel. If there are no other minions on the board and the last mouse on the initiative track finishes its turn, I add a cheese token to the minion cheese wheel.

If the minion cheese wheel has 6 or more cheese tokens, a surge happens. Here’s what to do next:

1. I move the hourglass marker one page closer to the chapter end marker along the chapter track on the story control board.
2. I check the chapter instructions. If there’s a special surge rule for the room the mice are in, I follow those instructions.

If there aren’t any specific surge instructions for a chapter, I’ll follow the surge effect on the face-up encounter card from the encounter deck, and then get rid of that card. If there aren’t any surge rules for a particular room and no face-up encounter card, no minions are added during the surge, but the hourglass marker is still moved. Once the surge is done, I’ll remove all cheese from the minion cheese wheel. If a surge requires adding minion figures, but there aren’t enough of those figures available, I’ll add as many as I can and ignore the rest.

Now, let’s talk about the free mouse actions!

When I’m playing as a mouse, there are actions I can take on my turn. These actions are important because they give me choices and opportunities to strategize. But in addition to those actions, I also have the ability to perform what are known as free actions. These actions don’t cost me anything, and I can do them at any time during my turn. However, I can only perform each free action once per turn, and I can’t do them while I’m in the middle of another action.

Share

One of the free actions I can take is called a “share” action. This allows me to freely exchange search cards or cheese tokens with another mouse. The other mouse has to be on the same space as me or on an adjacent space. It’s a great way to help out a fellow mouse or work together to get what we need.

Equip

Another free action I can choose to do is called an “equip” action. This allows me to equip or use items or equipment that I have collected during the game. It’s like putting on armor or using a special tool to give me an advantage. I can decide to equip something whenever I want during my turn, and it doesn’t cost me anything.

So, here’s the deal. When I want to equip something, I can move cards between my equipment slots and my pack. You know, those little slots where I stash my stuff. But here’s the catch: I can only have up to 3 non-trick cards in my pack at a time. If I somehow end up with more than that, I have to choose one non-trick card to get rid of. Tough choices, I tell ya.

Oh, and by the way, the cards in my pack? They go in a secret pile right in front of me, face-down. Gotta keep ’em hidden, you know. And hey, just a heads up, trick cards don’t count towards the pack limit. They’re a whole different story.

Now, when it comes to the cards I’ve already equipped, they go in front of me, face-up. It’s like my little collection of gear. But here’s the rule: I can’t equip two cards that go in the same slot. Well, except for the paw slot. I’ve got two of those, so I can fill ’em up with different cards. Although, there are some items that take up both paw slots. Pretty neat, huh?

Level Up

When I want to level up one of my mice, I can trade in 6 cheese tokens to get a new ability card of my choice. The ability card has to match the mouse’s class. It’s important to choose ability cards carefully because I can only use one ability card per turn, even if the ability can be used at different times in a turn.

What Happens During a Minion’s Turn

A minion’s turn is made up of two parts:

When it’s a minion’s turn according to the turn order, all minions of that type will move and fight.

The player who controls the mouse lowest on the initiative track acts out the minion’s turn. Minions always act in a specific way, which is explained below. When a minion’s card comes up on the initiative track, all minions of that type take their turns, starting with the ones closest to the mice and then moving outward.

Moving a Minion

When it comes to moving minions, the same rules that apply to a mouse also apply to them. However, minions have their own unique behaviors. They always act in a predictable manner and ignore the effects of water, red lines, yellow lines, and mousetraps.

Moving Melee Minions

When a melee minion moves, I roll an action die to determine how many spaces it can move. The number rolled on the die (from 1 to 3) indicates the maximum number of spaces the minion can move. The minion’s goal is to get as close as possible to the nearest mouse. It will always take the shortest route to reach the mouse’s space. However, if the space is already occupied by a mouse, the minion will move as close as it can without overlapping with the mouse. If a minion starts its turn on a space with a mouse, it won’t move. In the case where two mice are equidistant from a minion, the minion will prioritize the mouse that is higher on the initiative track.

Moving Ranged Minions

When it comes to ranged minions, they will only move if they can’t ‘see’ any mice on their tile. You can find more information about seeing the target in the “Seeing the Target” section on page 11. If a ranged minion can’t spot any mice, it will move towards the closest mouse using the shortest route, using as much movement as needed. Once it spots a mouse, it stops moving.

Battling with a Minion

Battling with a minion is similar to battling with a mouse, except that the minion targets a specific mouse.

Once a minion has moved, it will attack one mouse, following these rules:

1. If a minion can attack multiple mice, it will prioritize attacking the closest mouse that hasn’t been attacked during that turn.

If there is more than one mouse nearby that hasn’t been attacked yet, or if all the mice have already been attacked, I will go after the mouse with the highest ranking on the initiative track. Boss minions can show up in certain story chapters. These boss minions are essentially stronger versions of regular minions. To represent a boss minion on the game board, we use the figure of its regular counterpart. If there are multiple figures of the same regular minion, we place a token under the boss minion’s base to distinguish it. It’s important to note that even though boss minions may have the same type as regular minions, they are not affected by any rules or powers that only apply to regular minions. For example, Captain Vurst, a boss minion, is not affected by rules or powers that only apply to rats.

Brodie

Hey there! My name is Brodie. I’m here to talk to you about a super cool and important thing called HTML markup. Have you ever wondered what makes websites look the way they do? Well, that’s where HTML comes in!

HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language, but you don’t have to remember that. It’s a special code that helps create the structure and layout of a website. You can think of it like a set of instructions that tells your computer or phone how to display the content on a webpage.

When you visit a website, like this one, you’re actually looking at HTML markup. It’s the backbone of the internet! Without it, websites wouldn’t exist as we know them. It’s pretty amazing when you think about it.

So, why is HTML important? Well, imagine browsing the internet and everything was just plain text. Boring, right? HTML allows us to add headings, paragraphs, lists, images, and so much more. It’s what makes websites visually interesting and interactive. Without HTML, the web would be a pretty dull place!

But here’s the thing: HTML isn’t just about making things pretty. It’s also about making websites accessible and easy to navigate for everyone. That means considering things like screen readers for people with visual impairments or making sure the website works well on different devices, like phones and tablets.

Now, I could go on and on about all the cool things you can do with HTML, but I’ll save that for another time. Just remember, the next time you visit a website, take a moment to appreciate the HTML behind it. It’s the secret sauce that makes the web come alive!

Meet Brodie, the mischievous tomcat who keeps a watchful eye over the castle’s common areas. You can spot him on the game board as the paw token. Unlike other characters, Brodie doesn’t occupy a space on the board, so you can still place other figures on top of him.

When it’s time to attack or defend with Brodie, there’s a catch – any cheese you roll won’t be added to the minion wheel. But don’t worry, Brodie is still a valuable asset to have by your side.

Brodie’s gameplay is quite unique. Instead of moving and acting like other minions, he has 2 initiative cards that give him 2 turns per round, each with its own special actions:

Brodie Pounces

When Brodie comes charging, I need to pick the spot on Brodie’s room tile with the most people, including minions. Then, I move Brodie to that spot. If there’s more than one spot with the same number of people, Brodie goes after the one with the person whose initiative card is highest on the initiative track. I only need to roll the initiative card once for Brodie’s charge. Each person in Brodie’s chosen spot has to defend themselves against this attack individually. If the spot Brodie is already on has the most people or if there are no other spots with people, then Brodie will stay put and keep attacking there.

Brodie’s Pursuit

When I’m chasing after a mouse, I grab two dice and add up the numbers. That tells me how far I get to move. I always try to take the shortest path to the mouse closest to me. But if there’s more than one mouse at the same distance, I’ll go after the one with the highest number on the initiative track. If there’s more than one shortest path, the players can decide which one I’ll take. If all the mice are already on the space where I start chasing, I won’t move at all. But if I have any movement left after reaching the closest mouse, I’ll keep going toward the next closest one, following all the same rules as before.

When I finish moving, I roll some action dice. The number of dice I roll is the same as the battle value on my chase initiative card. Any figures that I pass by on my turn, including the spaces I start and end on, will be affected by my attack. I only make one attack roll each time I chase, but each figure affected must defend against that one roll separately.

A Mouse Caught

When a mouse gets hurt, you need to put those wounds on the mouse’s hero card. If the amount of wounds on a mouse ever becomes equal to or greater than its life value, that mouse becomes captured. You leave the captured mouse’s initiative card on the initiative track, but you take the mouse’s figure off the game board. You also discard all of the captured mouse’s cheese tokens and any search cards it had equipped. However, the starting equipment and items in its pack are safe and don’t need to be discarded. Additionally, you remove all wounds, poison wounds, and any other negative markers from that mouse’s card. Finally, you move the hourglass marker 1 page closer to the chapter end marker along the chapter track.

Saving a Mouse

If I happen to capture a mouse during my turn, I immediately free it on its next turn, but only if there are no more minions on the board. I can place it on the same space as another mouse or on a space adjacent to one. However, if there are still minions on the board when it becomes the captured mouse’s turn, I cannot rescue it, and it must skip its turn.

When a mouse is rescued, it uses up its entire turn.

The Downside

Stunned and Webbed

Have you ever wondered what happens when a mouse becomes stunned or webbed? Let me explain!

When a mouse becomes stunned, it’s like they’re caught off guard or surprised. You know, like when something unexpected happens and you freeze for a moment. When this happens, we place a special marker on that mouse’s card to show that it is stunned.

A stunned mouse can still move, but it can’t do much else. The only action it can take is a recover action, which helps it get back to its normal state. It’s like taking a deep breath and shaking off the surprise.

Now, let’s talk about what happens when a mouse becomes webbed. Being webbed is like being stuck in a sticky spider web – you can’t move or scurry around until you get unstuck. So, when a mouse becomes webbed, we place a webbed marker on its card.

To remove the webbed marker and free the mouse, it needs to take a recover action, just like when it’s stunned. Only then can it move and scurry around again, just like before.

Now, what about being knocked down?

When a figure becomes knocked down, it’s like they’ve fallen over or tripped. We place the figure on its side to show that it’s knocked down. However, big figures are so sturdy that they can’t be knocked down – they stay standing.

To get back up, a knocked down figure needs to spend its whole turn. It’s like they need a moment to gather themselves and stand up straight again. Once they’re back on their feet, they can attack and defend just like normal.

Lastly, let’s talk about being charmed.

When a mouse becomes charmed, it means something or someone has cast a spell on it. We put a charmed marker on that mouse’s card to show that it’s under a spell.

Being charmed can be pretty tricky. The mouse might not act like its usual self. It can be like when you’re pretending to be someone else, or when you’re doing things that you wouldn’t normally do. It’s important to keep an eye on a charmed mouse and see what it does.

When a mouse is under the charm effect, it acts like a minion during its turn. It can move and attack similar to a melee minion. The mouse follows the directions written on its initiative card and doesn’t receive any bonuses from equipped search cards or abilities.

After the charmed mouse finishes its turn, the charm marker is removed from its card.

Poisoned

Some wounds can be poison wounds. You can recognize them by the green side facing up when the poison wound marker is placed. These wounds cannot be healed with regular healing spells or scrolls. To get rid of poison wounds, you need special antidotes or cure spells.

Game Over

When I play Mice and Mystics, I get to pick a chapter from a story book. Each chapter has its own special way to win.

To beat the game, I have to finish the victory conditions before the hourglass runs out and reaches the end of the chapter track on the story control board.

I suggest playing the chapters in the right order to make it more fun.