Charioteer

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T

ABLE OF

C

ONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 1 How Many Players

GETTING STARTED

The Board

The Racing Oval

Tracking the Chariots

The Pack 2

The Wall Spots Slots

Spots and Slots 3

Pack Marker THE DICE

Info Dice

Attribute Dice Bonus Dice

Using Bonus Dice 4

Scoring Successes Auto-Successes ATTRIBUTES

Minimum Totals Maximum Totals

BUILDING YOUR CHARIOT

SIGNATURES AND TRAITS 5 Signatures

Traits 6

CHARIOT COUNTERS

Chariot Damage

PLAYING THE GAME

Number of Laps Starting the Race The First Turn

TURN SEQUENCE 7 Phase One - Challenge

Phase Two - Random Event 8

Phase Three - Passing Resolving the Pass

Multiple Passes 9

Racing on the Inside Wide Pass

Free Pass

Phase Four - Pack Movement

ACTIONS 10 Whipping Bashing Out of Control Flipped Chariots Avoiding Wrecks Replacing Chariots Injured Charioteers 11 Injured Horses NON-PLAYER CHARIOTS Locales and NPCs NPCTABLES 12 RACING NPCS NPC In Position Passing

When to Use Bonus Dice

Last Call 13

WAGERING

THE CAMPAIGN GAME

PATRONS

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Fringe of the Empire Heart of the Empire

Outside of Rome 14

Rome and the Circus Maximus Changing Locales CAMPAIGN LENGTH Sesterces Auctions Charioteers FAME 15 Types of Fame Gaining Fame Using Fame Points Total Fame

FREEDOM 16

HORSE TEAMS

Horse and Fame ENTERING A RACE

DIRTY TRICKS

CAMPAIGN TURN SEQUENCE 17

THE FINAL WORD

PLAYING THE CHARIOTEER DECK

FACTION ROSTERS 19

THE CAMPAIGN -RACES ONE THROUGH EIGHT 21

QRS-PASSING TABLE 23

WHIPPING TABLE

BASHING TABLE 24

OUT OF CONTROL TABLE

INDEX 25

BACK PAGE -RACING OVAL &MORE 26

SPECIAL THANK S TO:

 Paul Kime for the cover.

 Lil for keeping it real!

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I

NTRODUCTION

Traditional chariot racing games are all dice and mice. What this means is players roll dice and move their chariots from square to square around a track for a few laps and call it racing. This makes for long boring stretches of movement interrupted by short bursts of action.

And it takes a long time to run one race.

When you realize that in ancient Rome there were usually 24 races per festival day, the traditional chariot racing game falls short, way short.

What is needed to recreate the drama and action of real life chariot racing is a radical new approach to the chariots, charioteers and the racing oval.

And that's what Charioteer brings to the table.

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OW

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ANY

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LAYERS

Charioteer is best played with one to four players. When playing with less than four players each player can run more than one chariot (1) in a race or add Non-Player Chariots (page, 11) that will be controlled by the game mechanics.

The minimum number of chariots in a race is up to you. Four chariots from different racing factions (page, 13) are recommended but you can choose to run more or less as you desire. The maximum number of players is

theoretically unlimited. We've included four chariots in the game but feel free to add more if desiring to play larger races.

(1) Note that when we refer to chariot we are speaking about the charioteer and horses as well as the actual chariot itself.

G

ETTING

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TARTED

In this section we'll get you started on your way towards your first race. Later in the book we'll cover the

Campaign rules that will allow you to delve deeper into the life of chariot racing.

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HE

B

OARD

The first thing you may have noticed is that there's no board in Charioteer. Don't worry, you won't need one. After you've read the rules, lay the rule book face down on the table so all players can read the information found on the last page. This will give you the information you need to run a race as well as providing the inside wall for the chariots to race against.

On the back page you will find the following info:

 Racing Oval - The picture of the track in the upper left corner. This is used to track the location of the pack (page, 2) during the race.

 First Turn - The order of play used for the First Turn only.

 Turn Sequence - The order of play from the second turn forward.

 Random Event Table - The list of Random Events that can occur during the race. Players refer to this table during the Random Event Phase (page, 8).

 NPC Position Table - This table determines if a NPC is In Position to pass. Players refer to this table during the Challenge Phase (page, 7).

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HE

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ACING

O

VAL

In Charioteer we've forsaken the traditional square to square movement found in other racing games. Instead we've divided the track into six movement zones numbered from 1 to 6. There are four Straightaways and two Turns. During the race all of the chariots will be in the same movement zone. Starting in zone #1, behind the start line, and going clockwise around the oval we have:

 1 - The Near Turn. This is where the start line is located. All of the chariots will start the race in this movement zone, behind the start line.

 2 - Entering the Straightaway.

 3 - Leaving the Straightaway.

 4 - The Far Turn.

 5 - Entering the Far Straightaway.

 6 - Leaving the Far Straightaway. This is where the finish line is located. Chariots that cross the finish line will end up in zone #1, the Near Turn movement zone, when they have completed the race.

You will need to use a coin or token to track the movement of the pack.

You will also need to use a coin or token to track the laps as they are run. Place it on the three circles locate inside the oval.

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RACKING THE

C

HARIOTS

In traditional racing games the chariots are positioned in relationship to where they are on the track. In Charioteer the chariots are positioned in relationship to each other. Unlike auto racing, chariots do not get lapped and never fall way behind the leader. They may be in the back of the

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HARIOTEER

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HE

P

ACK

The chariots will race in a pack, all in the same zone, and pack movement is plotted on the Racing Oval. Remember that the pack is made up of all the chariots that are actively racing. Chariots that are unable to continue to race are removed when the pack leaves the zone that they were disabled in.

The chariot that is in the lead (the Leader) is always placed in the front of the pack and closest to the wall. There are three things to remember when placing the remaining chariots. They are:

 The Wall.

 The Spots.

 The Slots.

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HE

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ALL

Always remember that the left side of the lead chariot is always placed adjacent to the wall and cannot be passed on that side. The lead chariot is placed adjacent to the rules book at the lower right corner. Here's a picture showing this.

Now that we know where the lead chariot is placed at the start of the second and subsequent turn let's go over where the rest of the pack lines up.

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POTS

Each chariot has a spot in the pack at all times. Think of a spot as the place the chariot occupies in the pack. The lead chariot is in 1st place (spot #1), the chariot behind the lead chariot is in 2nd place (spot #2) and so on down to the last chariot, or the one in last place, at the back of the pack.

There is one spot for every chariot in the race. In the basic game there are four chariots racing so there are four spots. If there were three chariots racing you would have three spots while six chariots would have six spots.

A spot is considered to be one chariot wide and one chariot deep.

Example - In the following picture the chariot in 1st place, the Leader, is in the 1st spot. The chariot right behind it is in 2nd place and in the 2nd spot. The 3rd place chariot is behind it and in the 3rd spot and the 4th or last place chariot is in the 4th or last spot.

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LOTS

Every spot is divided into three slots, each one chariot wide and one chariot deep. Together the three slots are three chariots wide. They are:

 Slot #1. Adjacent to the wall (rules book). Chariots in slot #1 can only be passed to their right.

 Slot #2. One chariot width away from the wall. Chariots in slot #2 can be passed to their left and right.

 Slot #3. Two chariot widths away from the wall. Chariots in slot #3 can be passed to their left and right.

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Any chariot that is closer to the wall than another chariot is considered to be inside (page, 9). Racing inside of an opposing chariot gives that chariot a +1d6 when rolling on the Passing Table (page, 23).

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POTS AND

S

LOTS

Where a chariot is in relationship to all the other chariots is defined by the spot and slot it occupies.

Example - In the following picture the four chariots are in the following positions.

 The Leader is in first place occupying the 1st spot/1st slot position. The Leader is always placed in this spot and slot at the start of the turn.

 The second place chariot occupies the 2nd spot/1st slot position. Notice how the chariot is placed in close proximity with the chariot in the spot in front of it.*

 The third place chariot occupies the 3rd spot/2nd slot position. Notice how the chariot is placed in close proximity with the chariot in the spot in front of it.

 The fourth place chariot occupies the 4th spot/3rd slot position. Notice how the chariot is placed in close proximity with the chariot in the spot in front of it.

*

Note that there may be times when the chariots are in adjacent spots but may not be in close proximity. This happens when one chariot is in slot #1 and the other is in slot #3.

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ACK

M

ARKER

During the race the chariots will be grouped together in the same movement zone. This group is called the pack. Use a coin or similar object to track the position of the pack during the race. This coin is called the pack marker.

Example -Before the race begins place the pack marker in zone #1. After the First Turn (page, 6) place the pack marker in zone #2.

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HE

D

ICE

Charioteer is played with six-sided dice, called d6 in the rules. You will be asked to roll one or more d6 during the game. The dice are used in a variety of ways. They are:

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NFO

D

ICE

Sometimes you will be asked to roll one or more d6 to provide some info, such as when rolling 1d6 on the Horse Injury Table (page, 11).

 When rolling 1d6 the result is read as rolled.

 When rolling 2d6 you add the scores together.

 To remind you to roll 1d6 or 2d6, we've placed a "1" or "2" in the upper left hand corner of the table.

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TTRIBUTE

D

ICE

A player will also be called upon to roll Attribute Dice. When this occurs simply roll 1d6 for each point of the required Attribute (page, 4).

Example -If you are called upon to roll Savvy Dice as on the Passing Table and have a Savvy of 5 you would roll 5d6.

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ONUS

D

ICE

At the start of every race each chariot will receive Bonus Dice equal to their total number of Attribute Points (page, 4). Prior to the race you will receive additional Bonus Dice if any of the following apply:

 Your team has the Strong Trait (page, 6). Prior to the race you lose Bonus Dice if any of the following apply:

 Your team has the Weak Trait (page, 6). During the racing you can gain Bonus Dice in the following ways:

 One Bonus Die is gained if you choose not to attempt to pass another chariot.

 One Bonus Die is gained from a roll of six, seven, or eight on the Random Event Table (page, 26) depending on the Locale where the race is being held.

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 Two Bonus Dice are gained at the start of the second lap.

 Three Bonus Dice are gained at the start of the third lap.

 When racing more than three laps, at the start of each lap, after the third, each player will receive three Bonus Dice.

 If your team has the Resilient Trait (page, 6).

 Your charioteer has the Second Wind Signature (page, 5).

During the racing you can lose Bonus Dice in the following ways:

 One Bonus Die can be lost from a roll of eleven when rolling on the Random Event Table.

 One Bonus Die is lost when you use it.

U

SING

B

ONUS

D

ICE

Bonus Dice can be used anytime during the race and are discarded after they are used. Bonus Dice, without any limits, can be used on the following tables:

 First Turn Table (page, 26).

 Passing Table (page, 23).

 Whipping Table (page, 23).

 Bashing Table (page, 24).

 Out of Control Table (page, 24).

S

CORING

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UCCESSES

When rolling Attribute Dice or Bonus Dice any result of 1, 2, or 3 is considered a success. These come into play when rolling on the Racing Tables.

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UTO

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UCCESSES

There will be times where the player is allowed to count Auto-Successes in addition to any successes he may have rolled. When these occur, add the auto-successes and rolled successes together to arrive at the total successes. Example - I'm rolling on the First Turn Table (page, 26). I am allowed to roll 3d6 for the Savvy Dice and choose to roll 2d6 in Bonus Dice (page, 3). I score a 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 for three successes. Looking on the First Turn Table I see that I am to add the three successes rolled to my Speed Auto-Successes. My Speed is a 3 so I have scored a total of 6 successes.

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TTRIBUTES

In Charioteer we use three Attributes to differentiate your charioteers and teams of horses. The three Attributes are:

 Savvy - This reflects the ability of the charioteer to make good decisions during the race. The higher the Savvy the better he will race.

 Strength - This reflects the ability of the charioteer to handle the horses during the race. The higher the Strength the more control of the horses he will have during the race.

 Speed - This reflects the overall quality of your team of horses. The higher the Speed the faster your horses can run.

Each Attribute is given a numerical value from 1 to 6. The higher the Total Attributes the better the chariot will perform.

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INIMUM

T

OTALS

The Speed Attribute can never be less than one. If you are reduced to a Speed of zero you are out of the race. Your chariot is now considered to have flipped (page, 10) and wrecked.

The Savvy and Strength Attributes can reach zero but you can still race.

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AXIMUM

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OTALS

No Attribute may ever be higher than six.

B

UILDING

Y

OUR

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HARIOT

Before the race begins each player must build his chariot, consisting of a charioteer and team. Here's how it's done:

 Each player starts with 9 Attribute Points. If desired players can start with more than nine points.

 These nine Attribute Points are divided between the three Attributes, Speed, Savvy, and Strength however the player desires.

 Each player then receives Bonus Dice equal to the total of their three Attributes, or in this case nine.

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Example - Aidan, Ethan and Lucas want to race. Each of them starts with nine points of Attributes to divide between their Speed, Savvy, and Strength. Aidan builds his chariot in the following way.

 Three Speed points.

 Four Savvy points.

 Two Strength points.

 He now receives nine Bonus Dice. Ethan builds his chariot in the following way.

 Three Speed points.

 Three Savvy points.

 Three Strength points.

 He now receives nine Bonus Dice. Lucas builds his chariot in the following way.

 Four Speed points.

 Three Savvy points.

 Two Strength points.

 He now receives nine Bonus Dice.

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IGNATURES

&

T

RAITS

In Charioteer we use Signatures and Traits to further differentiate the chariots.

 A Signature is a demonstrated behavior that the charioteer does that is recognizable during his career.

 A Trait is a demonstrated behavior that the team of horses does that is recognizable during their career.

Signatures and Traits share two common features.

 First, they can be good or they can be bad.

 Second, they are not discovered until the first time the charioteer or team is used and immediately prior to the First Turn (page, 26). The only exception is the player charioteer where the player can choose his Signature.

Now let's go into greater detail about both.

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IGNATURES

Here's how a charioteer gains a signature:

 Player charioteers can choose any one Signature with the following restriction. No player charioteers in the same faction may have the same Signature as another charioteer in that faction.

 Non-Player Chariots (NPCs) (page, 11) have their Signature determined

immediately before the First Turn of their first race. This includes all pre- generated NPCs.

 Roll 2d6, add the results together and consult the Signature Table to determine if they indeed have a Signature. It is possible that the NPC will not have a Signature. Any Signatures rolled that match the Signature of another charioteer in the same faction, are re-rolled. Players need to note the Signature of each charioteer on the Faction Roster (page, 19) and what affect it has.

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IGNATURE

(Adding the results together)

# SIGNATURE

2 Frenzy: The frenzied charioteer will always use at least one Bonus Die when attempting to pass or when being passed.

3 No Signature:

4 Faint of heart: The charioteer will count his Savvy at one less when attempting to pass or being passed on the turn.

5 No Signature:

6 Slow to React: The charioteer counts his Savvy as one lower than normal on the First Turn. 7 No Signature:

8 Agile: The agile charioteer will add 1d6 when being whipped but not if he instigates it. 9 No Signature:

10 Brawler: The charioteer will always use the whip when given the chance.

11 No Signature:

12 Second Wind: This charioteer gains one extra Bonus Dice when starting a new lap after the first.

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RAITS

Here's how a team of horses gain a Trait:

 Teams have their Trait determined immediately before the First Turn of their first race. This includes all pre- generated teams.

 Roll 2d6, add the results together and consult the Trait Table to determine if they indeed have a Trait. It is possible that the team will not have a Trait. Teams with the same Trait may race for the same faction. This is different than charioteers.

Players need to note the Trait of each team on the Faction Roster (page, 19) and what affect it has.

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RAIT

(Adding the results together)

# TRAIT

2 Skittish: The team will count its Speed at one less when attempting to pass or when being passed on the turn.

3 No Trait:

4 Weak: The team starts the race with 2 less Bonus Dice than normal.

5 No Trait: 6 No Trait:

7 Strong: The team starts each race with 2 more Bonus Dice than normal.

8 No Trait: 9 No Trait:

10 Resilient: The team will add one Bonus Die at the start of each lap after the first.

11 No Trait:

12 Fierce: This team will roll 1d6 extra whenever an opposing chariot tries to pass it.

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HARIOT

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OUNTERS

There are four color-coded chariot counters in Charioteer, each representing one of the different Racing Factions (page, 13).

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HARIOT

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AMAGE

Racing chariots were lightweight vehicles built for speed and can be damaged very easily. Chariots have two stages.

 Undamaged - This is the condition that the chariot starts the race.

 Wrecked - The chariot is wrecked and out of the race. Once the pack leaves the

movement zone the wreck occupies it is removed from the race.

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LAYING THE

G

AME

Here's a brief outline of how Charioteer is played.

 Each player starts with one or two chariots depending upon how many players there are. If desired each player can use one chariot and the remaining ones can be Non-Player Chariots (NPC), played by the game mechanics.

 Each player builds their chariot (page, 4).

 The chariots are placed in movement zone #1.

 The First Turn (page, 6) is played out.

 The players move their chariots around the racing oval for three laps with the first player to cross the finish line being the winner.

Now let's go into more detail on how the game is played.

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UMBER OF

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APS

Chariots start a lap in movement zone #1 (behind the start line) and finish a lap in movement zone #1(crossing the finish line).

Each race lasts three laps. If desired players may race more or less laps. Just for reference here's how many laps the ancients used to race.

 Homerian Greeks would race one lap.

 Later Greeks raced twelve laps.

 Early Romans raced seven laps.

 The Roman Empire raced five laps.

 The Byzantines raced five laps.

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TARTING THE

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ACE

At the start of the race, place the pack marker in movement zone #1. The First Turn can now begin.

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HE

F

IRST

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URN

Here's how the First Turn is played.

 Each player consults the First Turn Table (page, 26).

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 Each player may choose to use as many Bonus Dice as desired, discarding them after they are rolled. Note that the NPCs must roll to see if they use any Bonus Dice (page, 3).

 Roll all the d6 that the player has decided to use.

 Count all the successes (score of 1, 2, or 3) that are rolled.

 Add the successes rolled to the number of Auto Speed Successes (page, 4) the player has.

 Compare the total number of successes each player has.

 The chariots are placed in spots (page, 2) from first (scored most total successes) to last (scored least total successes). All ties are rolled off, using 1d6, with the higher scores being placed in front of the lower scores.

 Move the pack marker into the next movement zone.

After the First Turn is completed the race starts in earnest with each subsequent turn using the following Turn Sequence. This sequence is followed for the remainder of the race.

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URN

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EQUENCE

Each turn follows a strict sequence divided into four phases. They are:

 Challenge Phase.

 Random Event Phase.

 Passing Phase.

 Pack Movement Phase.

Only when all four phases have been completed is the turn is over. Let's go into each phase in more detail.

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HASE

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NE

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C

HALLENGE

The purpose of the Challenge Phase is to see if one or more chariots have moved Into Position to pass other chariots. Here's how it's done:

 At the start of the Challenge Phase the players must position their chariots on the table. The Leader, or the chariot in the front of the pack, is always placed in the 1st spot and 1st slot, adjacent to the wall (rules book).

 Starting with the chariot in spot #2, each player places his chariot either in the same

attempt to pass but gains one Bonus Die) or in a slot to one side or the other of the chariot in front of it (in position to pass).

Example - In the following picture the four chariots are in the following positions.

 The Red player is in first place and places his chariot in the 1st spot/1st slot position. This is closest to the wall.

 The Blue player is in second place and decides to place his chariot in the 2nd spot/1st slot position. It is directly behind the chariot in front of it and is Out of Position and may not attempt to pass. He does gain one Bonus Die.

 The White player is in third place and decides to place his chariot in the 3rd spot/2nd slot position. It is to the side of the chariot in front of it and is In Position to pass.

 The Green player is in fourth place and decides to place his chariot in the 4th spot/3rd slot position. It is to the side of the chariot in front of it and is In Position to pass.

When the Challenge Phase is complete we go to the Random Event Phase.

I

MPORTANT

!

Note that after Random Events are resolved chariots that were Out of Position could now be In Position and able to attempt to pass. Conversely, those that were In Position to pass may now be Out of Position and cannot attempt to pass. Moving In and Out of Position due to a Random Event does not affect the Bonus Die that was gained for placing your chariot Out of Position during the Challenge Phase.

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HARIOTEER

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HASE

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WO

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R

ANDOM

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VENT

The purpose of the Random Event Phase is to see if unforeseen events have occurred that could affect one or more chariots during the race. Here's how it's done:

 The Random Event Phase starts with each chariot, at the same time, rolling 2d6, adding the scores together and consulting the Random Event Table (page, 26).

 Random Events are resolved from the 1st place chariot to the last.

 If the results of a Random Event from one chariot would cause a chariot to move to a different spot or slot before it has resolved its own event, it will still resolve its event from its new location subject to the original order.

 Chariots that drop back one or more spots due to a Random Event can still attempt to pass if they find themselves In Position to do so after the Random Event Phase is

complete.

After all Random Events have been resolved we move on to the Passing Phase (page, 8).

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HASE

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HREE

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P

ASSING

The purpose of the Passing Phase is to see which chariots, if any, have made successful passes and moved up one or more spots. Here's how it's done:

 Only chariots that are In Position at anytime during the Passing Phase are eligible to attempt a pass. This can be due to being placed In Position during the Challenge Phase, moving Into Position due to a Random Event, or moving Into Position due to another pass.

 The Passing Phase starts with the chariot closes to the Leader and In Position to pass and works its way to the last chariot in the pack that is In Position to pass.

 The chariot attempting to pass is called the passing chariot.

 The chariot being passed is called the target chariot.

In the following picture the red chariot is the target chariot while the blue chariot is the passing chariot.

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ESOLVING THE

P

ASS

Now that Challenge and Random Events Phases are complete it's time for those In Position to attempt to pass.

 To start the pass the passing chariot moves forward one spot but stays in the same slot as shown in the following picture. This is why a chariot in the same slot as the chariot in the spot in front of it cannot attempt to pass!

 Next the passing chariot goes to the Passing Table.

 The passing chariot starts with 1d6 for each point of Savvy.

 He adds 1d6 for each Bonus Die he decides to use.

 He adds 1d6 if racing inside the opposing chariot.

 He now rolls all the d6 looking for successes (a score of 1, 2, or 3).

 He adds the number of successes rolled to his Auto Speed successes (if passing on a Straightaway) or his Auto Strength successes (if passing on a Turn).

 If he is passing more than one chariot he subtracts one success for each chariot he has previously passed.

 If he is attempting to pass two slots over from the target chariot he subtracts one success.

 This is his Success Total.

Now the target chariot goes to the Passing Table and follows the same procedure to arrive at its Success Total. Note that the target chariot does not declare how many Bonus Dice he will use until after the passing chariot has determined its Success Total.

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There may be times where it is obvious the passing chariot cannot pass the target chariot and the target chariot need not roll.

 Both players compare their Success Totals to each other and consult the Passing Table (page, 23). Immediately carry out the results.

In the following picture the pass has been successfully resolved and the chariots moved into their new positions.

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ULTIPLE

P

ASSES

If a player successfully passes a chariot and is In Position to pass another chariot he can attempt another pass. The pass is attempted in the normal manner but the player must count one success lower than what was actually scored for each chariot previously passed in the phase. Example - I have just passed the chariot in spot #3 and move into that vacated spot. I am In Position to pass the chariot in spot #2 so can immediately try to pass. I score 3 successes from my dice rolls and Auto Successes but can only count 2 successes as I have previously passed another chariot this phase. If I am successful and still In Position I can try to pass a third chariot, but will count two successes lower for having passed two chariots previously.

Multiple passing also applies to NPCs as well!

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ACING ON THE

I

NSIDE

Chariots that are closer to the wall than opposing chariots will count as racing inside and receive a +1d6 on the Passing Table when attempting to pass or defending against a pass.

W

IDE

P

ASS

There may come a time when you are In Position to pass but your chariot is two slots away, instead of adjacent, to the target chariot. This is called a Wide Pass. When this occurs, use the normal passing procedure. There are two differences than the normal pass made from the adjacent slot.

 First, neither chariot can attempt to whip or bash the opposing chariot.

 Second, the wide racing chariot subtracts one success from their Success Total on the Passing Table.

In the following picture the Blue Chariot is In Position for a Wide Pass.

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REE

P

ASS

Chariots of the same faction or if agreed upon between opposing charioteers during the race may attempt a free pass. Here's how this is done.

 The passing chariot must still place his chariot In Position.

 The pass is carried out normally but the target chariot does not roll any d6 but does count its Speed normally.

 The passing chariot still must score more successes than the target chariot to successfully pass.

Once the Passing Phase is complete we go to the fourth and final phase, Pack Movement.

P

HASE

F

OUR

-

P

ACK

M

OVEMENT

The purpose of the Pack Movement Phase is to see where the pack is during the race.

After the Passing Phase is complete advance the pack one movement zone. This is done by moving the pack marker. When the pack crosses the Finish Line the race is over.

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C

HARIOTEER

!

A

CTIONS

During the race the charioteers will be involved in a variety of actions. Let's go over each one in greater detail.

W

HIPPING

When allowed by the Passing Table (page, 23), charioteers may attempt to whip their opponent. This represents whipping the opposing charioteer and/or horses in hopes of causing the chariot to back away or possibly crash. To whip, both players follow the same procedure.

 Each player starts with 1d6 for each point of Strength.

 If he is not using a whip subtract 3d6.

 Both players compare their Success Totals to each other and consult the Whipping Table (page, 23). Immediately carry out the results.

B

ASHING

There may come a time where chariots will collide or Bash. This can be on accident or on purpose. When directed to the Bash Table (page, 24) each player uses the following procedure:

 Each chariot starts with 1d6 for each point of Savvy.

 Both players compare their Success Totals to each other and consult the Bashing Table (page, 24). Immediately carry out the results.

O

UT OF

C

ONTROL

There may be times when a chariot will go Out of

Control. When directed to check for possibly going Out of Control use the following procedure. Note that each chariot rolls for itself and not against each other.

 The chariot starts with 1d6 for each point of Strength.

 Consult the Out of Control Table (page, 24) and carry out the result based on the number of successes scored. Immediately carry out the results.

F

LIPPED

C

HARIOTS

When a chariot flips due to a result on the Out of Control or Bash Tables it will drop back one spot landing on slot #1 (1 or 2), slot #2 (3-4) or slot #3 (5-6), becoming a wreck and the charioteer may be injured (page, 11).

 If the chariot lands in an empty slot the chariot in that spot will move up one spot to where the flipped chariot was prior to flipping. The chariot moving into the vacated spot will stay in the same slot.

 If it lands on an occupied slot then there is potential for more damage. Both chariots immediately roll on the Out of Control Table and carry out the results immediately. Note that wrecks flipping subsequent times remain wrecks and force the driver to check more than once for injury!

Chariots that flip will remain on the racing oval until the end of the Passing Phase. After the pack moves into the next movement zone the wreck is removed from the oval. The following picture shows what happens when a chariot flips onto an occupied slot. The flipped chariot (Blue) is placed on top of the occupying chariot (Red) and both now roll on the Out of Control Table.

A

VOIDING

W

RECKS

Chariots cannot move through wrecks and any chariot that finds itself with a wreck in the same slot but one spot in front of it must roll on the Bash Table (page, 24). Note that the wreck will roll on the Bash Table as well and could, potentially, be flipped into another spot/slot.

R

EPLACING

C

HARIOTS

When playing a campaign wrecked chariots are always replaced at no cost.

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I

NJURED

C

HARIOTEERS

When a chariot flips there is a real good chance that the charioteer of the chariot has been injured. Here's how to determine what happens.

 Start with the Strength of the charioteer.

 Modify it by any applicable circumstances found on the Charioteer Injury Table.

 Roll 1d6 and add the result to the modified Strength of the charioteer.

 Consult the Injury Table and immediately carry out the results.

1 C

HARIOTEER

I

NJURY

(Read the result as rolled)

CIRCUMSTANCE MODIFIER

Another chariot flipped onto your chariot

-1

Your chariot flipped onto another chariot

+1

TOTAL RESULT

9+ Charioteer walks away with bruises. Able to make his next race.

8 Charioteer injured and must miss next race. 7 Charioteer injured and must miss 1 + 1/2d6

races. He also loses 1 point of Strength. 6 or

lower

Charioteer is dead.

I

NJURED

H

ORSES

When a chariot flips there is a real good chance that the horses have been injured. Here's how to determine what happens.

 Roll 1d6 and read the result as rolled.

 Consult the Horse Injury Table.

1 H

ORSE

I

NJURY

# RESULT

1 Horses can return with normal Speed. 2 Horses can return with normal Speed. 3 Horses can return at one Speed less. 4 Horses can return at one Speed less. 5 Horses are loss.

6 Horses are loss.

N

ON

-P

LAYER

C

HARIOTS

Non-Player Chariots or NPCs are just that. They are chariots that are controlled by the game mechanics instead of by the players.

There are those NPCs that race for the player and those that race against the player. Physically a player will make the dice rolls when needed but the strategy is game driven. When a NPC is racing for a player the player will roll on the NPC Position Table (page, 26) and for Bonus Dice usage as well (page, 3). Here's how you generate NPCs.

 Decide which Locale (page, 13) the race is being held at.

 Next roll 1d6 and look at the appropriate NPC Table (page, 12).

 Continue to roll for NPCs until you have a full race.

 After you have filled your race roll 1d6 for each of the three Attributes, as listed, for each NPC. Remember that the Savvy and Strength Attributes apply only to the charioteer while the Speed Attribute applies only to the team.

 On a result of "1" the Attribute in the box is reduced by one point.

 On a result of "6" the Attribute in the box is increased by one point.

 Any other result means the Attribute is unmodified.

Example - I decide to race in the Fringe of the Empire. I have three players but need one NPC to fill out the field of four chariots. I go to the Fringe Table and roll 1d6, scoring a 3. This means the basic Attributes are 3 Savvy, 3 Strength for the charioteer and 3 Speed for the horse team. I next toll 1d6 for each Attribute. I score a "1" on the Savvy so reduce it to 2. I score a "1" on Strength and reduce this to 2. I score a "6" on Speed and increase it to 4. Maybe I should consider getting a new charioteer!

L

OCALES AND

NPC

S

Each Locale (page, 13) has its own NPC Table (page, 12). Each Locale also has an Attribute Maximum (the total of all three Attributes) for that Locale and it is listed on the respective table. Player and NPC chariots racing for your faction cannot exceed this number. When they do they must step up to the next higher Locale. Can you race at any Attribute total under the maximum? Yes you can.

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C

HARIOTEER

!

NPC

T

ABLES

FRINGE OF THE EMPIRE (11)

# SAVVY STRENGTH SPEED

1 3 2 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 5 4 3 3 6 3 4 3

HEART OF THE EMPIRE (13)

1 4 3 3 2 3 4 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 5 4 4 4 6 3 5 4 OUTSIDE OF ROME NPC(15)

1 4 4 4 2 3 5 4 3 4 4 5 4 5 4 4 5 5 5 4 6 5 4 5

IN THE CIRCUS MAXIMUS NPC(18)

1 6 5 5 2 5 4 6 3 5 6 5 4 6 4 5 5 6 5 5 6 5 5 6

R

ACING

NPC

S

Racing NPCs is pretty easy and not much different than if a player were racing the chariot. In fact the only

differences are determining if they are In Position to pass and when to roll their Bonus Dice. Let's go over how to determine how the NPC moves Into Position.

NPC

I

N

P

OSITION

When the Challenge Phase comes up, roll 1d6 for each NPC chariot, starting with the one closest to the lead chariot, and consult the NPC Position Table. This will tell you where to place the NPC chariot. If given a choice of which slot to occupy, the NPC will always take the slot that allows it to pass to the inside.

1 NPC

P

OSITION

# RESULT

1or 2 The NPC is Out of Position and may not pass. Gain one Bonus Die.

3to 6 The NPC is placed In Position and will attempt to pass when it is its turn.

P

ASSING

NPC will always attempt to pass when they are In Position (page, 8).This may occur when they move Into Position to pass or if the opportunity comes up during the turn.

W

HEN TO

U

SE

B

ONUS

D

ICE

During the turn the NPC will use Bonus Dice just like a player. The only difference is that they must roll dice to determine how many if any will be used. Here's how it's done:

 When the NOC has a chance to use Bonus Dice roll id6 for each Bonus Die.

 On a score of 1, 2 or 3 he will use a Bonus Die.

 On a score of 4, 5, or 6 he will not use the Bonus die.

It is possible that the NPC, just like a player, will use Bonus Dice more than once during the turn as the situation arises.

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L

AST

C

ALL

On the last turn a score of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 means the Bonus Die is used and all remaining Bonus Dice will be used during the Passing Phase of the last turn.

W

AGERING

Wagering on chariot races was common in the Roman Empire and you can do it in Charioteer. Want to bet on the races? Here's how it's done.

 Each player starts with 200 sesterces (page, 14).

 Each player may only bet on his own chariot or one from the same Faction (page, 13)

 Each player may only bet to win.

 Each player must bet sesterces (page, 14) equal to the total Attributes of their chariot.

 All bets are put into the same pool.

 The winner takes all!

Example - Four chariots are racing with the following stats:

 Red Faction - 4 Savvy 4 Strength 4 Speed

 Blue Faction - 5 Savvy 5 Strength 5 Speed

 Green Faction - 4 Savvy 4 Strength 5 Speed

 White Faction - 4 Savvy 5 Strength 4 Speed Red must bet 12 sesterces, Blue must bet 15 sesterces, Green must bet 13 sesterces and White 13 sesterces. The total bet from all the chariots is 53 sesterces with the winner taking all.

T

HE

C

AMPAIGN

G

AME

After you have run a few races and feel comfortable with the rules you may want to run a campaign. A campaign consists of eight races where the results of one race can influence the outcome of the following race.

P

ATRONS

In the campaign game players take the role of a Patron. A Patron represents the head of a Racing Faction. As such he is allowed town multiple charioteers and horse teams, enter them in races, bet on them and if desired attempt Dirty Tricks (page, 16).

R

ACING

F

ACTIONS

Historically there were four factions and these are represented in Charioteer. Fans of each faction were identified by the colors they wore during the races. They were:

 The Blue - One of two major factions. Their rivals are the Green and their allies the Red.

 The Green - One of two major factions. Their rivals are the Blue and their allies the White.

 The Red - One of two minor factions. They are allied with the Blue.

 The White - One of two minor factions. They are allied with the Green.

In Charioteer each of the four factions begins the campaign on an equal footing.

L

OCALES

Charioteers (1) and Patrons will start in one of four areas of the Empire called Locales. As your charioteers win races and gain Fame (page, 15) you will work your way up from the fringes of the sprawling Empire through its heart into Italy and perhaps to race in the Circus Maximus itself.

Let's cover each Locale in more detail.

(1) Remember, players may choose to only race chariots and not be a Patron.

F

RINGE

O

F

T

HE

E

MPIRE

Charioteers and Patrons will usually start their careers in a province on the Fringe of the Empire. Examples of these provinces would be Syria, Judea, Germania, Hispania, Cyrenaica and Numidia. Chariots available for purchase and opponents in these Locales can be found on the Fringe of the Empire Table (page, 12).

When a player or Patron NPC reaches twelve total Attribute Points he can no longer race in the Fringe of the Empire.

H

EART OF THE

E

MPIRE

When the chariots reach a total of twelve Attribute Points they have reached one of the provinces that make up the Heart of the Empire. Examples of these provinces are Gallia, Aegyptus, and Africa. Chariots available for purchase and opponents in these locales can be found on the Heart of the Empire Table (page, 12).

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C

HARIOTEER

!

O

UTSIDE OF

R

OME

When the chariots reach a total of fourteen Attribute Points they have reached the home province of Italia and are closing in on the pinnacle of racing venues, the Circus Maximus in Rome. Chariots available for purchase and opponents in these locales can be found in the Outside of Rome Table (page, 12).

When a player or Patron NPC reaches sixteen total Attribute Points he can no longer race Outside of Rome but must now race in the enter the Circus Maximus!

R

OME

A

ND

T

HE

C

IRCUS

M

AXIMUS

This is it! The "Big Time"! The Circus Maximus! This is the place every Patron dreams of: the place with the biggest purses! This is the place every charioteer hopes for as the big purses will expedite his journey to Freedom (page, 16).

Races in the Circus Maximus are under the watchful eyes of the biggest crowds and more importantly the Emperor.

C

HANGING

L

OCALES

As mentioned previously, each Locale has a Maximum Attributes Total and chariots with a higher total cannot race in that Locale.

There will be times when a Patron has a variety of chariots and some may be able to race in some Locales and some may not. When this happens here are some options that can be used:

 The Patron can move up to a better Locale.

 The Patron can sell the charioteer that exceeds the maximum for 1 sesterce per Total Fame Point.

 The Patron can sell the charioteers that he believes are not good enough to race in the new Locale for 1 sesterce per Total Fame Point.

 The Patron can keep all his charioteers and race them in a Locale where all his charioteers can race.

I

MPORTANT

!

Remember that the horses and charioteer combine their Attributes to determine where they can race but they are separate. There may be times when you change teams or charioteers to qualify for a race.

C

AMPAIGN

L

ENGTH

A campaign consists of eight races. You can choose to race more or less if desired.

S

ESTERCES

Each faction begins the campaign with 200 sesterces* to use in the following ways:

 Buy charioteers.

 Buy horses.

 Enter a chariot in a race.

 Buy Dirty Tricks (page, 16).

 Wager on the races.

The more sesterces the faction has at the end of the campaign the better it has done.

If a faction runs out of sesterces it is bankrupted and all its chariots, horses, and charioteers are auctioned off to the other factions. But don't despair; maybe they'll hire you as a charioteer!

*

Sesterces were coins used during the Roman Empire. For simplicity's sake, in Charioteer we abstract the number of sesterces to equal thousands of coins.

A

UCTIONS

Opening bids on a charioteer or team at auction is equal to 1 sesterce per Total Fame Point. All interested players continue to bid progressively higher until only one player remains with the highest bid. He wins that auction.

C

HARIOTEERS

Each faction can have up to three charioteers at one time. One will be you, the player, while the other two must be Non-Player Charioteers. You can choose to name them or merely call them charioteer #1, #2, and #3. Here's how charioteers work:

 Charioteers can only race in three races per campaign.

 It costs the faction 1 sesterce per Attribute Point of each charioteer, including you.

 Generating NPCs is done normally (page, 11).

New charioteers can be bought anytime during the campaign to replace dead or injured charioteers. Injured charioteers that are replaced will leave the faction and never race for them again! You do however, receive sesterces equal half of their Total Fame Points.

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F

AME

Charioteers, along with gladiators, were the rock stars of ancient Rome. They were famous for their exploits and we take this into account in Charioteer. Here's how your charioteer raises in Fame.

T

YPES OF

F

AME

There are three types of Fame in Charioteer

 Total Fame - This is the Total Fame Points the charioteer earns over his whole career. Each time a charioteer gains Fame this is added to his current Total Fame Points.

 Used Fame - These are Fame Points that are spent to increase an Attribute. This is not subtracted from the Total Fame of the charioteer.

 Leftover Fame - These are Fame Points leftover from raising an Attribute that can be saved to raise more Attributes

Example - Benjamin starts with zero Total Fame Points. He wins a race and gains 3 Fame Points. This is his Total Fame. He does not have enough to raise an Attribute so this is also his Leftover Fame. Later he comes in second in a race and gains 2 Fame Points. He now has 5 Total Fame Points. He adds the 2 to the 3 Leftover Fame Points and uses it to increase his Strength Attribute to 4. He uses 4 Fame so has 1 Fame point left over.

G

AINING

F

AME

So how does a charioteer gain Fame Points? It all starts with winning.

 Charioteers receive 1 Fame Point for each chariot he beats in a race. However, if the chariot he beats has a lower Attribute Point Total he only receives 1/2 of a Fame Point.

Example - Brutus has 12Attribute Points. He comes in second in a race. He beats the third place chariot (10 total Attribute Points) so gains 1/2 of a Fame Point. He beats the fourth place chariot (12 Fame Points) so gains another 1 Fame Point. This means he has gained 1 1/2 Fame Points for the race. These are added to his Total Fame Points.

U

SING

F

AME

P

OINTS

Charioteers use Fame Points to increase their Attributes. Whenever possible the charioteer must increase one or more Attributes. This means that you may be forced to increase very low Attributes before a higher one. You cannot save them to increase by more than one point at a time nor not use them to avoid moving up to a tougher Locale. This represents better training, food, and living conditions as well as their portion of the purse. Attributes can be raised by one point in the following manner:

 Decide which Attribute the charioteer will raise. This can be Savvy or Strength.

 Attributes are raised 1 point at a time

 Spending Fame Points equal to the new point value does this.

Example - Brutus has a Savvy Attribute value of 3. He wants to raise it to 4. He must spend 4 Fame Points to do so. After he has raised his Attribute value to 4 he discards the 4 Fame Points that he used.

Although Attributes can only be raised by one point at a time there is no limit to the number of times that it can be raised. Nor is there a limit to the number of Attributes that can be raised at the same time - provided the maximum of six points per Attribute is not exceeded.

Example - Brutus has a Savvy of 3 and Strength of 2. He has earned 10 Fame Points. He decides to raise his Strength by one point. He must spend 3 Fame Points to do so. He discards the three Fame Points and now has 7 leftover. He now raises his Strength from 3 to 4. He must spend 4 Fame Points to do so. He discards the four Fame Points and now has three leftover. He now wants to raise his Savvy from 3 to 4 but as he only has three points leftover so he cannot.

Players need to note the leftover Fame Points that can be used to increase Attributes in the History section of the Faction Roster.

T

OTAL

F

AME

Charioteers can use Fame to increase their Attributes. In addition they should keep a running total of the amount of Fame Points they have won during their career as it can become a record if you are inclined to keep them. Example - Brutus had accumulated 36 Fame Points during his career. He also spent 30 of them on Attribute improvement so currently his useable Fame Points are six but he still has thirty six career Fame Points.

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C

HARIOTEER

!

F

REEDOM

Eventually, if the player is extremely fortunate, he will find himself with eighteen Attribute Points. He has become the best of the best and is eligible for freedom. So how does he do it? Simple, he must win a race at the Circus Maximus with eighteen total Attribute Points. Once he does this he has gained the favor of the Emperor and has won his freedom. He may retire to a life of luxury…or not.

If desired the player may choose to continue racing and covering himself with glory by adding to his Fame. This is totally up to the player's discretion but remember he cannot exceed eighteen total Attribute Points. On the other hand, he may decide to try his hand as a Patron…

H

ORSE

T

EAMS

Each faction can have as many teams of horses as desired. You can choose to name them or merely call them team #1, #2, etc. Here's how horses work:

 Horses can only race in three races per campaign.

 It costs the faction 2 sesterces per Attribute Point of each horse team.

 Generating NPC teams are done normally (page, 11).

Example - I roll a 3 on the Fringe of the Empire Table. I get a charioteer with a 3 Savvy and a 3 of Strength. The Speed of the team is 3 as well. I rolled 1d6 and scored a "6" increasing the Speed to 4. It costs me 8 sesterces for the team.

New horse teams can be bought anytime during the campaign to replace loss or injured teams. Injured teams that are replaced will leave the faction and never race for them again! You do not any compensation.

H

ORSES AND

F

AME

Horses will receive the same amount of Fame the charioteer earns each race and can use the points to increase their Speed in the same manner as the charioteer does. This is done by the Patron.

Example - Team Judea has a Speed Attribute value of 3. The Patron wants to raise it to 4. He must spend 4 horse Fame Points to do so. After he has raised its Attribute value to 4 he discards the 4 Fame Points that he used.

E

NTERING A

R

ACE

It costs a faction one sesterce for one chariot to enter a race. This fee includes the chariot, charioteer, and horse team. You can enter as many chariots into one race as you desire. There is no limit to the number of chariots that can be in the same race!

However, this cost is not recovered!

Example - There are four factions and each decides to enter one chariot. I decide to add two more which will give be three and make it a six chariot race. Fearing, and rightfully so, that I will cooperate between my chariots to my advantage, each other player adds an additional chariot. We now have a nine chariot race. Remember, the more chariots in the race the more sesterces and Fame can be won!

We have included four chariot counters in Charioteer but we offer additional chariots if desired, including resin ones. See our website for more information.

www.twohourwargames.com

D

IRTY

T

RICKS

Sometimes Patrons may seek an edge in the race by employing underhanded tactics. These we call Dirty Tricks. Dirty Tricks attack either the opposing horses or charioteer.

Before each race players can allocate sesterces on Dirty Tricks. Here's how it's done:

 Each player writes down which factions he is attacking, it could be more than one, and if he will attempt to bribe the charioteer or drug the horses.

 Each player writes down if he is defending from Dirty tricks and if he will protect the charioteer and/or horses.

 Each player now pays ten sesterces for each d6 the player will roll when attempting the trick or defending against it. There is no limit to the amount of sesterces that can be spent! If no sesterces are spent to defend against the attack the player will not roll any d6 but the attacker must still roll their d6.

 Each player now rolls their d6 both in attack and defense.

 Count the number of successes (1, 2, or 3) that are rolled and compare them against each other, the number of successes for the dirty trick and for the defense against it.