REPUBLIC OF ROME RULES SUMMARY

Overview

Don't Panic!

First off, don't panic. This game has a lot of pieces and complicated rules and understanding it in detail takes a long time. But you need not understand it in detail to play it; this summary is here to get you started and you can learn the details during play. Please understand, however, that you will make a lot of mistakes and will probably lose the first few times.

There are real rules to this game but they are horrible. The problem with them is that they are organized around the sequence of play but the game itself has a structure that's completely independent of the sequence. The way the game works is all mixed up with the phases of the turn. This summary tries to separate sequence from structure; at the very least, it's shorter than the rules.

What The Game Is About

This game is about becoming the ruler of Rome. There are actually several games but this summary covers only the earliest, simplest, shortest version with more than two players.

You are a faction, which controls senators. In general, you make the decisions for the senators, vote their votes and spend their money. It is possible for other players to steal your senators, and for them to die so don't get too attached. We hate it when players cry. :)

Winning and Losing

You win by controlling the senator who becomes the undisputed leader of Rome. There are several different ways to do this but it is very important that, in your zeal to win, you don't allow Rome to be destroyed. That's right: you can change history by allowing Rome to fail centuries earlier.

While you are playing against the other players, the game is playing against all of you; sometimes it's much better to give stuff to your opponents "For the Good of Rome" than keep it from them and risk Rome's destruction. Keep this in mind when the Barbarians are at the gates.

Game Mechanics

The goal here is to give you an idea of what's going on, not teach you the game. Ask the experienced players or look in the rules as specific questions come up.

General

The rules manual has an index/glossary in the beginning but a few words will get you started.

HRAO is the "Highest Ranking Available Officer" -- this is the biggest bigwig currently in Rome and has special duties (mostly privileges).

DR means two six sided dice rolled together.

TRD means three six sided dice rolled together.

You have a card that has the turn sequence laid out in detail; refer to it often.

Put your faith in an experienced player who knows the rules, especially in the beginning. You are going to lose anyway; at least this way you will be able to influence the game.

Factions

Each player is a faction. Your faction has loyal senators. It is possible to lose your senators so don't get too attached. Winning means having the winning senator.

The Sequence of Play has a space for the faction treasury. This can be used for certain actions (listed on the card). Each senator in the faction also has a personal treasury that is used for everything else. Most actions are performed by a specific senator and paid for from his personal treasury.

The Deck

On your turn you may have an opportunity to draw a card from the card deck. There are a lot of different kinds of cards and some of the more interesting types will be discussed subsequently but there are two main types of cards. Cards with red text you can keep in your hand, to be traded or played to your own advantage. Cards with black text must be played face up.

Senators & Families

The black-text cards with a bust on the left side are senator family cards. These represent the leading member of a family. Each has a military value (which represents the value of this senator as a military leader), an oratory value (the ability of the senator to persuade), a loyalty value (representing his loyalty to your faction) and influence (which will be increased over time). In the top middle there is a number which represents the number of the family. If the number is in brackets there is a statesman associated with the family.

Senators & Statesmen

Red-text cards with a bust on the right side are statesmen. They are typically better than the family senators. The statesmen are played at the beginning of the game and during the Revolution Phase. The statesman is placed on the family card if you have it.

Wars

Cards that say "war" on them represent conflicts between Rome and other nations. Some wars have "matching wars"; two or more matching wars can make each war harder to prosecute. Likewise, some wars have leaders. If the leader shows up while the war is on, the war becomes harder to win. A war will be in one of several states:

Inactive

When wars are first drawn they are generally placed in the inactive space on the board.

Active

When the Roman senate sends troops to a war (and in a few other cases) it becomes active and is moved to the Active space on the board.

Unprosecuted

An active war that doesn't have Roman Legions committed to it is moved to the unprosecuted space on the board.

Combat and Armies

Wars have strengths associated with them. Typically, they have an army strength and a fleet support value. Sometimes they have a third number associated with them; this is a fleet strength.

To fight a war, one takes the number of Roman units (fleets or legions) committed to the war, adds the commander's military value and subtracts the war value, adds this to a TDR and applies the results from the table on the board.

On two value wars (wars whose cards have 2 strength values), the senate must send at least as many fleets as specified on war card for fleet support. Then the senate can apply as many legions as it wishes and resolve the battle by combat.

If the war has 3 numbers associated with it the senate must fight a fleet battle. Once the battle is won, the card can be treated as a 2 number war card.

Mortality

During the mortality phase a chit is drawn and the senator with a matching number dies.

The Senate

Presiding Magistrate

HRAO is Presiding Magistrate
Tribunes

Voting

Assassinations

Elect 2 Consuls

Elect Censor

Prosecutions

Minor Prosecutions
Major Prosecution
Popular Appeal
Exile

Repopulating Rome

Other Business

Curia

Dead cards go into curia until they are revived.

Forum

Cards waiting to be assigned by the senate go into the forum.

Treasury

The amount of money that Rome has to spend is recorded on the Treasury.

Population

Empire would be much easier without people. This is reflected in the game by the population table and the Unrest Level track. The higher the unrest the worse the world is. And the harder it is to make it better.

Your senators can improve the unrest level (and their own popularity) by sponsoring games and land bills.

Random Events

At the start of your turn you roll two dice. If the result is a 7 then you roll a TDR and apply it to the random events table. This event will stay in effect until the next turn. Otherwise you get to draw a card. Don't roll a seven if you can help it, that's my advice.

Provinces

Provinces are created from time to time. Each province needs a governor which is assigned by the senate.

Concessions

Concessions provide income to a particular senator. They are assigned by the senate.

Leaders

Some of the wars have leaders associated with them. Having a war AND a leader makes the war much harder to prosecute.

Victory Conditions

Winning

Some people like to know the goal right up front. It's a bit complicated so I'm sorry if it isn't clear.

All victory conditions assume Rome survives to the end of the turn. If Rome collapses you are First Citizen of Nothing (i.e. you lose); congratulations!

  1. Your senator becomes extremely influential. More precisely, one of your senators achieves a total of 35 influence points and has more than anyone else at the end of the turn.
  2. Your rebel senator defeats the senate.
  3. The senate declares your senator Consul For Life.
  4. Your senator wins a civil war (and survives).
  5. We run out of cards without a winner -- the most influential faction wins.

Losing Horribly

There are four ways for Rome to fail (and if Rome fails, so do you):

  1. There are four or more active War cards in play at the end of a Combat Phase.
  2. A result of "People Revolt" is obtained during a Population Phase with no Civil War in effect.
  3. The Senate is unable to pay the fine for any Natural Disaster or Evil Omens card with no Civil War in effect.
  4. The State Treasury has insufficient funds to meet all the Republic's obligations during the Revenue Phase with no Civil War in effect.

Turn Sequence

The turn sequence is on the Sequence of Play card that each player has. The turn sequence is your friend. Read it. Know it. Live it.

 

Good luck.