Fox Hunting Board Game General The Fox Hunting Board Game is free to play as you wish. The game represents a mixture of D&D, a Stratego based game play and various other strategic board games. Do not feel restricted by all noted rules here as you may play more than one version of this game at your own accord. These rules can be considered rough guidelines. Requirements I. Board The Fox Hunting Board Game requires one board as depicted on the image, but not limited to this particular design. This design has 15 by 45 squares. It should be large enough to fit all pawn on each square as well as the coins or other objects representing traps or golden eggs. A large table underneath or sizeable floor space may be required to play this game comfortably. This board depicts the starting point for the fox and hunters at the opposite side of the board and a starting point for the keeper at the centre of the board. This board depicts a number of squares which pawns may neither land on or traverse: grey squares representing walls, blue squares representing water and dark green squares representing impassible hedges. This board depicts a number of squares certain players will receive penalty for landing on them: orange squares near the fox den for most hunting pawns and purple squares for the fox pawns. This board depicts buildings by red squares fully or partially surrounded by grey squares. When a red square is adjacent to a grey square it and its adjacent red squares all are part of the building and contain all of the building's properties. This board depicts a number of yellow squares representing food sources fox pawns may be required to land on within a set number of moves to maintain full movement. II. Pawns The Fox Hunting Board Game requires at least one pawn for each player competing in this game. Additional marking may be required to help players keep track of which pawn represents who or what. Fox coloured pawns may represent foxes. Back pawns may represent game keepers. Hunting pawns may be any colour. Establish which is which during the set up, before the game starts. III. Dice The Fox Hunting Board Game requires at least one standard die. This die determines movement and outcomes of chance events during the game as well as establish powers and capability for hunting pawns. Feel free to use more dice if you wish to ad more complications to this game. IV. Pen and paper The Fox Hunting Board Game requires pen and paper to keep track of roles, scores, movements, limits. It may be best to represent all players on paper before getting started. V. Clock The Fox Hunting Board Game may be a game that depending on the game played can go on for hours. It could be a good idea to include a clock so time may be restricted to achieve the goals to win the game. Running out of time may represent winning or losing depending on the game played. VI. Coins The Fox Hunting Board Game will at least require a type of coin to represent trappers, if this type of hunter is part of this game. A golden coin representing a golden egg for the foxes to catch may also be interesting items. It is best the size of the coins do not exceed the size of a square. Coins may also be a tool for shooters helping to keep track of the number of shots they have left. A small bowl might be useful to collect coins during the game. Gameplay I. Number of players and pawns The Fox Hunting Board Game requires at least 3 players: one fox, one hunter and one game keeper. Each player may have one or more pawns depending on the type of game played. However the game keeper pawns must always match the hunting pawns. The fox pawns move first, then the hunting pawn move and lastly the game keeper pawns move on each turn. All pawns must be moved at each turn unless they are permitted to skip the turn or are forced to skip the turn. II. About Foxes The Fox Hunting Board Game has foxes at its cores. Foxes make the first move of every game. The objective of each fox first of all is not getting captured by hunting pawns. Of a fox lands on the square of a hunting pawn or a hunting pawn lands on a fox' square the fox gets captured. A fox pawn starts enters the game at the fox den square and must move along adjacent squares in any direction. The number of squares to move across is determined by the die, but may be reduced due to lack of food, water or due to an injury. All fox pawns move first at the start at the game in a sequence determined during the set up before the game. This sequence remains on each turn. Moving across or landing on the same square twice during a single move is an illegal move. If it avoidable the move cannot be made. If it is unavoidable, in case of a blocked route, the fox pawn is to be immobilized as a penalty and skips turns determined by die. A fox pawn may jump over another fox pawn, but may never land on it. If landing on a fox pawn is unavoidable the landing fox pawn is immobilized as a penalty and skips turns determined by die. The fox pawn landed on moves to an adjacent square by its choice, if there is a choice. Fox pawns may not jump over hunting pawns or game keeper pawns. If a fox pawn lands on a hunting pawn's square it is captured. If a fox pawn lands on a game keeper pawn it must backtrack and is to be immobilized as a penalty and skips turns determined by die. If a fox gets captured it may have a chance of escaping by the casting of the die. An even or uneven number may represent losing or capturing, but each side of the die may also represent a type of fatality which may or may not land the hunting pawn in prison. Fox players require water within every seven moves and food within every ten moves. For that the pawns must land on squares adjacent to water and land on the yellow food squares or enter the veterinary shop. Failing to do so within time may limit the movement of a fox reducing the number of squares the pawn may advance. If a fox pawn lands inside a building, represented by red squares surrounded by grey squares, it may choose stay there and skip turns for a number determined by die roll before or during the game. Hunting pawns are not allowed to capture or shoot fox pawns within a building, unless open season is declared. A fox pawn is free to move within the fox den area marked by orange and red squares. Within the fox den area a fox pawn can be shot by a shooter or captured by a poacher. If a fox pawn lands on a square inside the veterinary shop it immediately gets water, food and loses all penalties and restrictions. When all fox pawns get caught the game ends. You may permit a limited or unlimited amount of respawning. If a fox lands on a purple square, which are adjacent to the hunters' starting square, it dies immediately. Feel free to ad a brutal fate without consequences to the hunters or ad a variety of such by the role of the die. The hunting lodge's square may or may not be added as a suicide square during set up. If a fox pawn lands on a trap or moves over it may not move from the trap's square until either a game keeper's pawn lands on it or if it escapes capture by a hunting pawn. If a game keepers pawn lands on a trapped fox the freed fox ends up on an adjacent square of its choosing. A fox may end up wounded instead of killed if a shooting hunting manages to land a shot on it through the cast of the die. A wounded fox pawn may still move, but at a reduced speed. Golden eggs may be added to the game serving as goals, extra lives, end goals, power ups and score boosts. A fox player win if at least one fox pawn achieves the goal or goals set up by the start of the game. A fox pawn scores by tricking hunting pawns into prison. This can be done by blocking a hunting pawn's path so it is forced to backtrack if a die roll makes the hunting pawn exceed the steps it can take. This may happen if a hunting pawn is forced to land of a fox pawn within a building. This may also happen if upon capture an illegal killing method is rolled through the die. A fox player wins the game by having more hunting pawns imprisoned through illegal moves upon it than imprisoned by game keeper pawns. If an illegal move gets made in between a fox pawn and a game keeper pawn the fox player gets the credit for the hunting pawn's imprisonment. If there is one than one fox player at the end of the game in case of a score draw the pawn closest to the hunting lodge wins the game. III. About Hunters Hunting pawns all have the main goal of catching one or more fox pawn. All hunting pawns catch the fox by landing on its square or having the fox land on their square. Some types of hunting pawn may be able to catch the fox pawn from a distance. All hunting pawns enter the game starting on the hunting lodge square and must move along adjacent squares in any direction without moving over or landing on a square twice during a single move. If moving twice is unavoidable, in case of backtracking, the hunting pawn lands in prison as a penalty. All hunting pawns enter the game after all fox pawns have entered the game and made their first move. The sequence of pawns entering the game and moving on each turn must be determined before the start of the game. A hunting pawn may end up in prison during or at the end of a game. Breaking out of prison requires matching the die roll of the game keeper. A variation on this rule may be established during set up before the game starts, such as only require even or uneven rolls. Of board challenges and penalties may also be used as a requirement for getting hunting pawns out of prison. When a hunting pawn breaks out of prison it restarts at the hunting lodge square. If a hunting pawn lands on the square of a game keeper or a game keeper lands on a square of a hunting pawn the hunting pawn lands in prison. If a hunting pawn lands on a square it is not permitted to be on it lands in prison. These squares include the fox den and its adjacent orange square and the red squares of buildings if a fox pawn already occupies this square, unless open season is declared. Variations of the game may include food squares, if such gets established during set up before the game starts. If a hunting pawn lands on a square occupied by another hunting pawn it lands in prison. A hunting pawn may never jump over any other pawn. Any pawn in its path blocks it unless the pawn is a fox pawn and the die allows the hunting pawn to land on top of it. A hunter wins if the pawn or player captures the fox pawn or captures most of the fox pawns by the end of the game. When the last fox pawn is captured the game ends. When a hunting pawn captures a fox pawn the fox pawn may cast a die determining the killing method. If the die rolls a killing method that is inhuman or illegal the hunting pawn lands in prison as penalty, but the fox pawn remains scored. Killing methods and their associated die roll should be determined before the game starts during set up. IV. Hunter roles and powers. During set up roles and powers may be set up to hunting pawns and players, similar to how a D&D game gets set up. Each role may have its advantages and limitations. Keep track of the roles of each player or pawn established during set up. The colours of the pawns may reflect their roles. Players are free to select roles as they see fit before the game starts at which point they must cast the die to establish their powers and limitations. Roles may not be changed once the game started. Shooters: a hunting pawn with a gun able to shoot a fox pawn on a straight unobstructed line at a distance greater than one. A shooter may not shoot a fox pawn if the fox pawn sits on an adjacent square. This distance may be established through the roll of the die. If a one is cast on the die, marking the adjacent square the shooter may not shoot and will solely rely on landing on fox pawns to score. The number of shots the shooter may carry. If the shooter wishes to shoot again after the last shot was used, the pawn must enter the shop. Until If a shot gets fired the die should be cast to establish if the shot hit or misses: even or uneven. A fox pawn may cast the die to establish the lethality of the shot. If the shot is lethal the fox pawn is captured without ability to escape. A shooter may not land within the fox den or the orange squares surrounding it, but a shooter may shoot a fox pawn within the fox den if the fox pawn is within range and unobstructed. Trappers: a hunting pawn capable of landing one trap coin on each a square adjacent to its square on each turn instead of moving. If a fox pawn lands on a square with a trap coin it will remain there until either captured or freed by the game keepers. Traps cannot be set within buildings or within the fox den area, unless open season is declared. A trapper can have up to 6 traps established by the cast of the die during the set up before the start of the game. Traps may be replenished at the shop. Trappers may not enter the fox den or the orange squares adjacent to it. Farmers: combines the shooter and trapper, but is not permitted to move beyond half of the board, marked by the position of the prison, unless open season is declared. A farmer must land on or within farm squares within a set amount of turns, similar to the fox pawn's food and water requirement, unless open season is declared. Should a farmer fail to land on these squares within the set turn limit, its loses its ability to catch the fox pawn until it does. Poachers: combines the shooter and trapper with all rules and limitations established for these two types. Its shooting range also establishes the range a game keeper may catch the poacher if a straight line of squares exists between these pawns. Poacher are permitted to enter the fox den area and place traps on the orange squares. If by the roll of the die the fox pawn escapes capture or is not shot lethally the poacher immediately lands in prison. More types of hunters may be established before the game starts and types may be altered or enhanced as seen hit. It is best to keep types well balanced and note down all modifications. V. About game keepers Game keeper pawns must always match the number of hunting pawns, regardless of the number of players. Therefore the number of players in the position of game keepers can never exceed the number of players of hunters. Game keepers only start entering the game if all hunting pawns made their first move. The starting point for each game keeper pawn is a food square adjacent to the prison. The sequence of the game keeper pawns entering the game and moving on subsequent turns must be established before the game starts. Game keeper pawns may not start from the same square the previous game keeper pawn started from. All game keeper pawns must move along adjacent squares without moving over or landing on a square twice on the same turn. If backtracking is unavoidable the game keeper pawn gets removed from the board permanently as a penalty. If all game keeper pawns are removed from the board all hunting pawns may re-enter the board starting from the hunting lodge on their next turn. All hunting pawns at this point will no longer face prison penalties for moves that previously would get them a penalty. The removal of the last game keeper pawn declares open season. Fox pawns may the be captured within the fox den area, within buildings including the veterinary shop and hunting pawns may from then on backtrack on routes blocked by other pawns to land on fox pawns. Game keeper pawns may not jump over any other pawns. Game keeper pawns may move over the orange and red squares of the fox den, but may not land on any of these. If through blockage they are forced to land on the fox den they are removed from the board permanently as a penalty. Game keeper pawns score by landing on hunting pawns sending the latter to prison by doing so. If a hunting pawn is a poacher then it is sufficient for a game keeper pawn to land within the poacher's shooting range, in a straight line and unobstructed, to send this hunting pawn to prison. Game keeper pawns score if it forces a hunting pawn into a backtrack move, unless a fox pawn is also involved in this move. Game keepers remove trap coins if they land on a square with this trap coin. Game keepers may not land on a fox pawn unless the fox pawn is on a trap coin at which the trap coin gets removed and the game keeper may place the fox pawn on an adjacent square of its choosing. If a game keeper can set a trapped fox pawn free, then this is the only move it may make. If a game keeper pawn lands on the square of another game keeper pawn or a square adjacent to a game keeper pawn it gets removed from the board permanently as a penalty. VI. General game mechanics All pawns move from their designated starting point along a number of squares determined by the roll of the dice upon their turn. These moves may go on all empty adjacent squares in all directions as without moving or landing on a square twice during the same move. This means pawns can go straight, in a corner, in a U or even make a snake move. Any die roll might land on a pawn on adjacent square if enough empty squares are available to make that move. No pawn ever moves diagonally. Diagonal squares do not affect pawns directly. To reach a diagonal square the die must roll at least two eyes. All light green, yellow and red squares within buildings can be landed on or moved over by all pawns. Grey, blue and dark green squares cannot be landed on or restricted. Orange, purple and some red squares may be restricted for some pawn or may contain penalties for some pawns. Open season is declared if all game keeper pawns have been removed from the board. All hunting pawns lose restrictions within buildings and the fox den area and may now freely backtrack upon blockage. If during open season a hunting pawn lands on another hunting pawn the latter gets removed from the board permanently. Shooting ranges and trap quotas remain as they were before open season was declared. VII. About buildings When one or more red squares border a grey square this square and any adjacent red square are marked as the interior of a building. On these red squares all fox pawns are protected and cannot be captured or shot, unless open season is declared. The buildings depicted on the map are a prison, a veterinarian, a shop and two small houses. There are more grey squares representing buildings that cannot be entered. Prison: This building, located at the centre of the board, cannot be entered. It serves as a starting point for game keeper pawns and a holding area for imprisoned hunting pawns. If the space within the prison is insufficient to hold all hunting pawns feel free to keep a bowl next to the board for additional space. The prison, being sat at the centre of the board, marks the boundary restraining farmers unless open season is declared. Veterinarian: This building located between the prison and the hunting lodge, can be entered by all pawns through the yellow food square marking its door. Within this building all fox pawns cannot be capture or shot unless open season is declared. Traps may not be placed within this building unless open season is declared. A fox pawn within this building receives food, water and gets all wounds treated. All penalties get lifted. A fox pawn may reside inside and skip a number of turns determined by die roll before the game starts or during the game. Shop: This building located between the prison and the hunting lodge, can be entered by all pawns through the yellow food square marking its door. Within this building all fox pawns cannot be capture or shot unless open season is declared. Traps may not be placed within this building unless open season is declared. Shooter and trapper hunting pawns replenish their empty stock upon entering this building. Hunting pawns cannot replenish their stocks until these are fully depleted. When hunting pawns have their stocks depleted they cannot use these powers until the shop is entered. Houses: These buildings located between the prison and the shop and veterinarian, can be entered by al pawns through the yellow food square marking their doors. Within this building all fox pawns cannot be capture or shot unless open season is declared. Traps may not be placed within this building unless open season is declared. Farms: Farms are located on the corners of the map closest to the hunting lodge. These buildings cannot be entered but do mark squares farmers must land on within intervals to retain their powers. Farms mark prime locations for golden eggs if these are part of the game. Hunting lodge: The hunting lodge is located at the far edge of the board. It is marked by buildings which cannot be entered along with purple and red squares. The hunting lodge serves as the starting point for all hunting pawns and a lethal area for fox pawns if these land on the purple or red squares. Fox den: not a building at all. It is marked by orange and red squares and acts as a starting point for all fox pawns. VIII. To win To win may mean many things in many games. Winning conditions for all players are set before the game starts. These winning conditions may include, but might not be limited to, golden eggs, time limits, scores, cleared boards, open seasons declared. In case of a draw scores may determine winning players. For fox players their final location closest to the hunting lodge determines the winner. For hunting players the final location to the fox den determines the winner. For game keepers the last capture determines the winner. A cast of the die or a short open season game can also serve to determine winners.