The Leper

[Joff]

This is my next project. Here are a few brief notes. As usual, a rules document in draft form will follow shortly. Any comments are welcome.


The Leper

The Leper is a nomad piece.

When a player completes the first city, after scoring for the city, the Leper is placed into this city by the player who completed it. The placing player may choose which tile of the city the Leper begins on.

On a player’s turn, after placing a tile, a player may move the Leper 5 spaces. The Leper must move 5 spaces; unless it is illegal to do so (i.e. the Leper has reached a dead end). The Leper moves horizontally or vertically over the playing area and must not backtrack during his 5 tile movement.

For every follower that the Leper comes into contact with in the course of his movement, the owner of the follower loses 2 points.

If the player has a zero score, he does not lose any points.

Boundaries do not affect the Leper’s movement.

The Leper is a neutral figure and is not owned by any player.

A Leper cannot be removed by a Dragon.

A Leper cannot be captured by a Tower.

If a follower is protected by the Fairy, the Leper can come to rest upon or move over the tile, but the follower will not lose 2 points.

Builders, Pigs and Barns do not lose any points.

The presence of the Leper does not impact upon followers when scoring for any features.

If a follower is on the tile from where the Leper begins his movement, the follower does not lose 2 points.

[wicke]

Incredible, I have two counts (since I bought Graf, König und Konsorten) and last night I started to think about making a variant with a neutral figure so that I can use the second count. But last night I didn't come up with any ideas.
Now this morning I noticed your "The Leper", that might be just right, what do you think.
Or is the count too big for The Leper ?

[Joff]

I don't think it matters on the piece that is used, as long as it can be differentiated between the others.

[Lardarse]

I am reminded of the mechanic from The Ark of the Covenant. It sounds like that, except in reverse.

[Joff]

Yes, it piggybacks directly from the Ark mechanic, which is where I took it from. I have also been considering a similar mechanic as the Prophet in Ark. Something like a King who visits a city only once but can score double and then removed from the game.

[kjamma4]

This is my next project. Here are a few brief notes. As usual, a rules document in draft form will follow shortly. Any comments are welcome.

I like it as I think more neutral figures are kinda cool.

On a player’s turn, after placing a tile, a player may move the Leper 5 spaces. The Leper must move 5 spaces; unless it is illegal to do so (i.e. the Leper has reached a dead end). The Leper moves horizontally or vertically over the playing area and must not backtrack during his 5 tile movement.

Obviously playtesting would tell whether this works but at first glance 5 spaces might seem much. Additionally, I would make it so the Leper could move up to 5 spaces rather than forcing 5. As opposed to the Dragon who is supposedly on a hunger rampage, the Leper is just wandering around.

For every follower that the Leper comes into contact with in the course of his movement, the owner of the follower loses 2 points.

If the player has a zero score, he does not lose any points.

Boundaries do not affect the Leper’s movement.

The Leper is a neutral figure and is not owned by any player.

A Leper cannot be removed by a Dragon.

Yes! The Dragon does not like the taste of Leper meat!!!

A Leper cannot be captured by a Tower.

Yes! The people in the Tower don't want to associate with the Leper.

Cool.

[Lardarse]

Yes, it piggybacks directly from the Ark mechanic, which is where I took it from. I have also been considering a similar mechanic as the Prophet in Ark. Something like a King who visits a city only once but can score double and then removed from the game.

I thought it came from there. Not sure I like it moving every move either... maybe have it as a separate MTW action (as opposed to after every MTW), but if it is moved, it has to move 5 spaces.

And the prophet... how about each player has a crown, and when your big follower into a city, you can choose to place it lying down with a crown on it. It counts as having only 1 strength (instead of 2), but means that that player will score double from that city if it completes. The crown leaves the game whenever it is present in a city when it is scored.

Possible variants:
- The crown leaves the game whenever the follower leaves the board. Meaner variant, because of the towers and the dragon.
- The crown can be placed on a small follower as well as a large follower. When placed on a small follower, he still has 1 strength. Makes the crown easier to use.
- The crown is not placed with a follower, but can instead be used (as a MTW action) to convert a big follower down to strength 1 but giving double points.
- There is no crown, and this instead becomes an ability of the big follower when being placed in a city only.
- There is no crown, and instead each player has an additional figure which acts like the prophet. Not sure this is a good route to go down.
- There is only a neutral crown (instead of one per player, although a second may be needed), and the person who controls the king tile may relinquish it to place their big follower with the crown. The target size to take the king again stays in effect.

[Joff]

On a player’s turn, after placing a tile, a player may move the Leper 5 spaces. The Leper must move 5 spaces; unless it is illegal to do so (i.e. the Leper has reached a dead end). The Leper moves horizontally or vertically over the playing area and must not backtrack during his 5 tile movement.

Obviously playtesting would tell whether this works but at first glance 5 spaces might seem much. Additionally, I would make it so the Leper could move up to 5 spaces rather than forcing 5. As opposed to the Dragon who is supposedly on a hunger rampage, the Leper is just wandering around.

As this piggybacks directly from The Ark of the Covenant, (which, being Biblically minded, I REALLY want to get, but it seems out of stock everywhere I try in the UK. This version would also help when I introduce Carcassonne to family (I have several preachers, ministers and Christian folk within my family)), I do not see the 5 tile movement as a problem at all, as this mechanic has been subjected to playtesting already in The Ark of the Covenant (for moving the Ark) and it seems to work very well indeed, as several BGG reviews are testimony to.

[Joff]

I thought it came from there. Not sure I like it moving every move either... maybe have it as a separate MTW action (as opposed to after every MTW), but if it is moved, it has to move 5 spaces.

You misunderstand my intention. As it is the same mechanic as Ark, it's movement is instead of moving-the-wood for a player, not 'as well as'.

I think the misunderstanding comes from how I wrote the original draft rules above. However, when I wrote 'The Leper must move 5 spaces; unless it is illegal to do so', I was referring to the amount of spaces it has to move if a player chooses to move the Leper as his move the wood option.

Hope this clears it up.

[Joff]

And the prophet... how about each player has a crown, and when your big follower into a city, you can choose to place it lying down with a crown on it. It counts as having only 1 strength (instead of 2), but means that that player will score double from that city if it completes. The crown leaves the game whenever it is present in a city when it is scored.

Possible variants:
- The crown leaves the game whenever the follower leaves the board. Meaner variant, because of the towers and the dragon.
- The crown can be placed on a small follower as well as a large follower. When placed on a small follower, he still has 1 strength. Makes the crown easier to use.
- The crown is not placed with a follower, but can instead be used (as a MTW action) to convert a big follower down to strength 1 but giving double points.
- There is no crown, and this instead becomes an ability of the big follower when being placed in a city only.
- There is no crown, and instead each player has an additional figure which acts like the prophet. Not sure this is a good route to go down.
- There is only a neutral crown (instead of one per player, although a second may be needed), and the person who controls the king tile may relinquish it to place their big follower with the crown. The target size to take the king again stays in effect.

I will start a new thread for this. I have PM'd you regarding this Lardarse

[kjamma4]

You misunderstand my intention. As it is the same mechanic as Ark, it's movement is instead of moving-the-wood for a player, not 'as well as'.

Ah. In that case, the five tile move makes sense.

[kjamma4]

Incredible, I have two counts (since I bought Graf, König und Konsorten) and last night I started to think about making a variant with a neutral figure so that I can use the second count. But last night I didn't come up with any ideas.
Now this morning I noticed your "The Leper", that might be just right, what do you think.
Or is the count too big for The Leper ?

Just sand off a few bits and it'll work fine.  

[Joff]

Here are the draft rules (ver 0.1): The Leper 0.1 draft

[Novelty]

I'm just wondering if it might be worth it to have The Leper and the (?)Prophet(? or something else) instead - i.e. 2 different neutral pieces that does something the opposite to each other, just like the Jester and Minstrel.  Just a thought.

Anyways, added to the "In Development" list/thread.

[Novelty]

Just a thought:

*Is it intentional that you could - complete the first city that has a builder with one's first tile, place the leper, draw your 2nd tile and place it and then move the leper, all in one turn?