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Official Mice & Mystics Rules

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Mice and Mystics is a cooperative story-driven board game where players embody heroic mice on a quest to save their kingdom. Through teamwork and strategic gameplay, players will explore a magical world filled with challenges, enemies, and adventure. Here's how to play:

List of Components

Game Figures

  • Heroes: 6 mouse hero figures, each with unique abilities.

  • Minions: 16 figures, including rats, spiders, centipedes, and roaches.

Cards

  • Ability Cards (28): Special powers specific to each mouse class.

  • Search Cards (71): Include weapons, armor, items, and events.

  • Encounter Cards (18): Define the challenges in each area.

  • Hero Cards (6): Detail each mouse hero's stats and starting equipment.

Dice

  • 5 action dice with symbols for movement, attacks, and defense.

Board and Tiles

  • Story Control Board: Tracks chapter progress and holds key components.

  • Room Tiles (8 dual-sided): Represent areas of the castle or underground.

Tokens and Markers

  • Cheese tokens, wound markers, mousetraps, and more for various gameplay effects.

Introduction

Mice and Mystics blends storytelling and gameplay. Players take on the roles of mice who were once humans, now navigating a magical world. The game unfolds through chapters in a storybook, each presenting unique challenges and objectives.

Preparation Tips:

  • Review chapter-specific rules before gameplay.

  • Assign a player to guide the group through special rules and objectives.

Objective

Complete the chapter’s victory conditions to succeed. Common objectives include defeating minions, escaping specific areas, or reaching designated spaces. Failure occurs if:

  • The hourglass marker reaches the chapter’s end marker.

  • All mice are captured simultaneously.

Game Setup

1. Choose ChapterSelect a chapter from the storybook, starting with Chapter 1 for a full campaign.

2. Select HeroesEach player picks a mouse hero and gathers their corresponding hero card, initiative card, and figure.

3. Pick AbilitiesPlayers choose one ability card per mouse, ensuring it matches the hero's class.

4. Equip ItemsDistribute starting equipment (weapons, armor, and items) as listed on hero cards.

5. Set the BoardArrange room tiles as described in the chapter setup. Align orientation arrows on tiles to ensure proper layout.

6. Prepare DecksShuffle search and encounter cards. Place decks in their designated areas on the story control board.

7. Place Tokens and FiguresFollow chapter instructions to position cheese tokens, minions, and hero figures.

Playing the Game

The game proceeds in rounds, each consisting of turns taken in initiative order.

Mouse Turn Options

  • Actions: Choose one action, such as:

    • Scurry: Move additional spaces.

    • Battle: Attack an enemy.

    • Search: Look for items or events.

    • Recover: Remove negative effects like stunned or webbed.

    • Explore: Move to a new room tile.

  • Movement: Roll an action die and add the result to the mouse’s move value.

Free Actions:

  • Share items or cheese with adjacent mice.

  • Equip items from the pack to available slots.

  • Level up by spending 6 cheese tokens to gain a new ability.

Mouse Abilities and Equipment

  • Abilities: Special powers are activated by spending cheese tokens and meeting class requirements.

  • Weapons, Armor, and Accessories:

    • Grant bonuses for attack, defense, or movement.

    • Some require specific classes or multiple “paws” to equip.

    • Each mouse can carry up to three items in their pack.

Battling

Combat Mechanics

  • Attack: Roll dice and count symbols (swords for melee, bows for ranged).

  • Defense: Opponent rolls dice to block hits with shields.

  • Cheese Tokens: Any rolled cheese symbols are added to the attacker’s stash or the minion wheel.

Targeting Rules:

  • Melee attacks require adjacency.

  • Ranged attacks require line of sight but can target enemies across the room.

Room Tiles

Each chapter uses specific tiles to create the game board. Tiles include:

  • Exit Areas: Allow mice to explore adjacent tiles.

  • Special Spaces: Marked areas for unique rules, like mousetraps or hidden items.

  • Orientation Arrows: Ensure all tiles are aligned correctly.

Negative Effects

Mice can suffer from several conditions:

  • Stunned: Limited to recover actions.

  • Webbed: Cannot move or scurry until the web is removed.

  • Knocked Down: Lose a turn to stand up but can still attack or defend.

  • Poisoned: Requires antidotes or special healing abilities.

Minions

Behavior

  • Minions move predictably toward the nearest mouse.

  • They attack based on proximity and initiative track order.

Special Minions

  • Bosses: Have multiple life points and initiative cards.

  • Brodie (the cat): A unique minion with its own rules for pouncing and chasing.

Special Rules

  • Cheese Tokens:

    • Mice spend cheese for abilities.

    • Minions collect cheese on the minion wheel, triggering surges when it fills.

  • Party Items: Tools like the Fishhook & Thread or Dinner Fork help navigate difficult terrain.

Victory and Defeat

  • Victory: Achieve chapter-specific goals, such as reaching the exit or defeating all minions.

  • Defeat: Occurs if the hourglass marker reaches the chapter end or all mice are captured.

Storybook

Each chapter in the storybook provides:

  1. Story Text: Narrative sections read aloud to set the scene.

  2. Objectives: Goals for the mice to complete.

  3. Setup Instructions: Tile arrangement, starting positions, and special rules.

  4. Victory/Defeat Conditions: Specific requirements for success or failure.

  5. Special Rules: Unique conditions that add variety to gameplay.

Immerse yourself in a tale of bravery and camaraderie as you guide your tiny heroes through perilous chapters. Victory awaits those who think creatively, act boldly, and embrace the heart of teamwork!

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