The game with bite.
A game for 2-6 stalwart "vampires" 10 years or older
Ravensburger Game Nr. 012190
Authors: Alex Randolph, Walter Obert, Dario De Toffoli
Design: Karin Schliehe/ Ravensburger Studios/ Felix Seeberger/ Gerhard Schmid
Photography: Barbara Bräuning/ Becker Studios
Translator: Ken Tidwell
Copyright 1991, Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg
"Unheard of! Betrayal!" rants Dracula as he chases the vampires out of the palace and seals the big tomato, the inexhaustible source of all ketchup, in a dark, forbidding tower.
Today the young vampires have gathered to steal that modern emblem of power, the tomato, from the Count.
Whoever holds the tomato will rule the vampires.
Beware, however! Vampires become anxious around tomatoes, and if they are offered any...!
Before the first game please punch out all of of the cards and twist the ketchup bottles out of the plastic frameworks.
The hunt of the vampires may begin. Plays proceeds clockwise. The player who rolls the highest total on two dice begins.
Which tower hides the big tomato? The movement along the path to the towers is influenced by fateful spell cards, duels with other players, bridges and ketchup bottles.
Whoever takes control of the tomato is the new master vampire!
You may move your vampire 1, 2, or 3 spaces (without rolling). The first space costs nothing. Each further space costs one ketchup bottle (ketchup bottles are returned to the reserve in the box).
In any event, you will always land on a colored space at the end of your turn. Draw the top fate card of that color from the card holder. Show this card to the other players, do what it says, then put the card back on the bottom of the stack in the card holder.
You may also play up to three spell cards during your turn. A speed card allows your vampire to move up to three additional spaces. No ketchup bottles are required for these additional spaces; sorcery is free!
In each of the stack are 2 "bad" and 3 "good" fate cards.
The "bad" fate cards indicate that 1, 2, or 3 of your spell cards must be discarded. These are placed on the bottom of the spell card stack. Other "bad" fate cards indicate that 1, 2, or 3 of your ketchup bottles must be returned to the reserve in the box. Naturally, these totals will be limited by the number of bottles and cards which you have on hand.
The "good" fate cards indicate that you may take 1, 2, or 3 of the spell cards displayed on the board. You may choose which of the cards you take. Other "good" fate cards indicate the number of ketchup bottles you may take from the reserve.
The best fate card is the flying vampire. It allows you to either move your vampire to any space on the board that is the same color as the fate card. Or you may take a confidential peek inside one of the castle towers. If you choose the second option then your vampire does not move; it stays in the space where its turn ended. Also, you may not take the contents of the tower; you just get to look. You may only remove the contents of a tower when you stand in the castle yard!
The fate cards are not shuffled during the game so one can easily take notice of their sequence. Once the sequence is known you can consciously choose the color of the space you land on in order to receive the best fate cards.
A player may possess neither more than eight ketchup bottles nor more than five spell cards. Surplus spell cards may not be picked up. Surplus ketchup bottles are immediately added to the reserve in the box.
The vampires may influence considerable control over game events through the magical powers of the spell cards.
The ketchup elixir cards can fetch ketchup bottles from the reserve. You is not cashed needs, if one e.g. a duel-blame has or because a fate-card the depositing of ketchup-bottles demands. (There four 1 bottle, three 2 bottle, and two 3 bottle spell cards.)
The glove card allows you to steal one spell card from another player. A glove spell may not be used to pilfer another glove spell. (There are four glove spell cards.)
The speed card extends your movement by 1, 2, or 3 spaces. The player spends no ketchup bottles for these additional moves. Sorcery is free. (There are 3 speed spell cards.)
For example, a player moves only 1 space, which costs nothing. He then plays a speed card and moves 3 spaces further. This move has not cost him any ketchup bottles.
A bridge card allows the addition or movement of a bridge. A player may only move a bridge once both bridges are on the board. (There are six bridge spell cards.)
The collapsed, broken paths may only be crossed with help of a bridge. Naturally, one can take a detour and move over any existing bridge.
Duel cards increase the battle strength of the vampires. These are only played during duels and is discarded at the end of the duel [only used once?]. (There are four +1, two +2, and two +3 duel spell cards.)
In the course of a turn, each player may play a maximum of three spell cards (the duel cards are not included in this count).
With the spell cards of each player openly displayed, you may make tactical decisions.
For example:
Spell cards are returned to the bottom of the spell card stack after they are played. They are always valid for only one application of the indicated spell (that is, you may to use one bridge card, for example, to create two bridges).
No player may possess more than five spell cards. Excess cards may not be picked up.
Always replace the three spell cards on the board as they are taken. Each player may choose which of the cards to take when they are awarded new spell cards (either by a fate card, profit from a duel, or possession of an onion).
Antagonistic vampires are allowed to jump over one another. However, you may not always want to go out of your way. A player may move onto an occupied space and cause a duel. Exception: The first space in front of the starting place is a duel free zone.
Duels are fought with the duel dice. The aggressor rolls with the red, the defender with the black die. (This is important, because the red die has a point advantage.)
If you have a duel card, you must play it before the dice are rolled. (Remember! The duel cards are not affected by the three spell card per turn limit.)
Die points and duel card points are added. The highest total wins the duel. If there is a tie then the dice are traded. Once again, each player may play a duel card and the dice are rolled. This continues until a clear winner is determined.
A player is never forced to use their ketchup elixir cards to pay a duel debt. If he has ketchup bottles, he pays as many as he can; if he doesn't have any, he pays nothing.
Also, after a duel, once the new location of the current player has been determined, a fate card must be drawn for that space and its instructions followed!
If you wish to renew your supplies of ketchup bottles and spell cards, you may do so instead of moving.
Throw both dice and divide the sum between spell cards and ketchup bottles. For 1 point you may take one ketchup bottle; for 2 points you may take one spell card.
The sum of the die is 5. You may take 2 spell cards and 1 ketchup bottle, 1 spell card and 3 ketchup bottles, or 5 ketchup bottles.
However, you must obey the customary limits on possession of spell cards and ketchup bottles. Ketchup bottles are taken from the reserve in the box. Spell cards are selected from the cards on the board.
If your supplies are filled to overflowing you can, if you want, also draw a fate card, do what it says, then discard up to three spell cards.
If you want to wrest control of the big tomato, you must dare to enter the the horrifying castle.
Move normally over a bridge onto the black space in the castle. However, you must pay an admission fee (toll) in ketchup bottles. Throw both dice and return that number of ketchup bottles to the reserve. If you are caught short, you will be thrown immediately into the dungeon. Therefore, one is wise to dare to enter the castle only with a large store of ketchup.
Once the castle toll as been paid, you may open a castle tower. Is the tomato inside? Congratulations! The new master vampire and game winner has been found! If it is an onion then off to the dungeon with you! The onion may be kept. It entitles its owner to take a spell card from the board at the start of each turn (normal limits apply). A player may take only one spell card no matter how many onions they possess.
The dungeon is a disagreeable place even for vampires. Those imprisoned inside may escape if they:
One may also use the dungeon stay replenish their supplies. The dungeon is big enough to hold several vampires; however, they are not allowed to duel there and, naturally, may not draw fate cards.
Alex Randolph has reused some elements from his game, "Drachenfels" ("Dragonrock"), in this game.
We found that house rules were necessary to make this game playable at all. We never managed to make it fun. Perhaps there are other problems lurking in my translation of the rules.
A player's turn ends when they draw their fate card. By implication, a player draws only one fate card no matter how many spaces they get bounced onto during their turn. The fate card drawn matches the space they are standing on at the end of their turn.
Do not replace any spell cards displayed on the board until a player has finished choosing all of the spell cards that they are meant to pick up.