Catapult Variant: Court Jester

[CARC_Zoner]

The "Carcassonne: Court Jester" variant reimagines the Catapult expansion (not the most popular in the line-up), using all of the existing accessories, but adding the use of two dice. Please give this variant a try and please leave a comment if you do.

The PDF file of the rules were posted on BoardGameGeek on November 11, 2010:

http://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/60906/carcassonne-court-jester-catapult-variant

CARC_Zoner

[CKorfmann]

First of all, welcome to CC!

Second, excellent variant.  I'm an author here and I really enjoyed your presentation most.  Great job on the document, it looks really good.  While our format is perfectly acceptable and I surely couldn't do any better, it's nice to see something new and snazzy.  I like the variant and especially the use of all the original components.  

For my taste, Carcassonne has always avoided the use of dice, and I actually prefer it that way.  However, if a dice component is going to be adopted, I think you've managed to do so in a very paletable way.  I started working on an adaptation of the Horse expansion from BGG for this site and hoped to do so elimiating the use of dice.  I didn't try very hard I guess.  Dice would surely make many of the chance-based mechanics in the game a much simpler, but I supose it's the principle of the thing.  Regardless, kudos on a job well done.  Merit point for you after one post!  

BTW: if you're interested in sharing more expansion/variant ideas with us, please keep them coming.  If you haven't done so already, please check out our libary of expansions HERE.

[CARC_Zoner]

Thanks for the welcome to Carcassonne Central and for the positive feedback! The merit point is greatly appreciated, too.

I really enjoy playing the game, and so found it a fun challenge to come up with the Court Jester variant with the fully-illustrated instruction document.  As for the use of dice, I thought it couldn't be any less "non-traditional" than catapulting game tokens onto the game board!

The CC site is an amazing showcase of a lot of creativity.  The number of expansions and variants is almost mind-boggling, and nothing short of awesome.  Hopefully my small contribution can be added to the library.

I do have a fun idea that I am working on for a Carcassonne: The Tower variant, which will be a departure from the original mechanics, but still use all the pieces.  My only concern is that some of these ideas have already been developed on this site!

Anyway, thanks again for the interest and for all the additional downloads that your favourable post has generated.

CARC_Zoner

[CKorfmann]

As for the use of dice, I thought it couldn't be any less "non-traditional" than catapulting game tokens onto the game board!

An excellent point sir!

I'm sure you're variant can be made available here.  Feel free to do whatever you like with your future work.  Don't worry about using similar components of other expansions.  All of the expansions here are according to the taste of the individual and multiple options will only create more opportunities.  Again, welcome.

[Talisinbear]

the tiles work simplest with the Fortuneteller rules found here, since fairs usually have fortunetellers, and it saves clunky dice rules, silly catapulting, and making home tiles for the FT.

just M2C

[CARC_Zoner]

the tiles work simplest with the Fortuneteller rules found here, since fairs usually have fortunetellers, and it saves clunky dice rules, silly catapulting, and making home tiles for the FT.

I agree that the Fortune Teller expansion by JPutt927 is really interesting and I plan to try it.  Sure, it is simpler to use some of the Catapult fair tiles for that expansion instead of making custom tiles (as you've suggested on several threads).  But I really like the designer's "red tent" tiles, which obviously took a lot of effort to create.  Seeing new ideas for tiles is one of my favourite parts of this site.

As for Catapult, there are many ways that the tiles and tokens can be used creatively and good ideas have been contributed to this forum (some without clunky dice rules).  The more ideas the better!

[Scott]

Added to downloads.