Feudality is a great fun board game designed by Tom Wham and published by Z-Man Games in 2011. The game is currently out of print. A pdf of the F2F rules is available here.
These are the V1 rules for the postal adaptation (for 3-4 players only) by Richard Smith 2020. Version 2 is now available
These rules are for the basic set, not including the Dark Clouds, Pretty Flowers expansion. Note also that the Wizard and Soothsayer tiles are different for postal play.
1.1 Each player chooses a colour for their pawns (or random from the GM) - Blue, Green, Red or White.
1.2 Each player receives 3 iron cubes, 3 wood cubes, 3 food cubes, 3 gold cubes, 3 stone cubes, a keep, a tower and 1 forest tile.
1.3 There are 12 different Fiefdom Management Cards (FMCs) available. With 3 players everyone gets a choice of 4, with 4 players a choice of 3.
1.4 Having chosen an FMC, each player needs to place their Keep and Tower (gain 1 Iron for each hill covered). Example: "place Keep with top left at white 4 blue 3 and Tower at white 4 blue 4". They then need to place their forest tile.
1.5 In the postal game, the free tiles are determined slightly differently from the F2F game. As part of the setup, each player is given four random tiles (not value tiles with gold stars), and they place two on the FMC at no cost, the other two going back in the bag.
1.6 The play order is determined randomly by the GM with the Senior Player cycling round (R1 = player1, R2 = player2 etc.). Players are informed of this as part of the startup.
2.1 The game ends when one or more players gets to 13 points (4 players) or 14 points (3 players) - tie break as per F2F rules. There are a maximum of 16 turns in the 4-player game and 15 in the 3-player. Most points at the end of these wins (tie breaks as per F2F rules).
3.1 Announce Senior Player for the current turn (previously determined).
3.2 Roll Dice - the dice rolls (by the GM) are reported. Note that in the postal game there are always at least two rolls. If the first roll is not a double or 8, roll again anyway. Tiles chosen by players in the previous round are also reported at this point.
3.3 Event Card - the GM draws a random event card for the next turn and reveals it. The previously drawn event card (none at gamestart) is resolved. The GM makes all dice rolls and players conditional orders are implemented as accurately as possible.
3.4 Purchase Phase - the GM draws 2 production tiles and one military tile for each player, each group reserved for that player. A player gains an extra tile to choose from for each Soothsayer he owns. The player can specify a production or military, default is pot luck from the bag.
3.5 The outcome of any Baronial actions from last turn, and a reminder to the current Senior Player.
3.6 Feed the Fiefdom - outcome from previous turn.
3.7 Announce next Senior Player for the next turn.
3.8 Up to date FMCs need to be shared and this could be in the turn report, but will take a lot of space so they could be sent to players as a zip file, or via internet links (probably the easiest for Variable Pig as it has an active site).
3.9 Provide updated table of vitory points and resources held.
4.1 The Senior Player will have to send more orders than the others.
4.2 All players need to specify which tiles they will activate according to the reported dice rolls.
4.3 Depending on which Event Card is drawn, the Senior Player and others may have to supply orders, sometimes conditional.
4.4 Each player may purchase one of the tiles on offer, or instead buy a fortification upgrade (see F2F rules). In the postal game, a player who has at least one Wizard can buy a production tile and a fortification together (resources permitting). Players should specify the location(s) for the new tiles (e.g. "place Alchemist at blue 5 white 3").
4.5 The Senior Player must supply orders for his Baronial Actions. He can activate any two resource tiles (or the same tile twice) and receives the resources (but not victory points). He may also elect to activate one tile and take one of the alternative actions (see F2F rules). Note that in the postal game Private War B does not start a general war.
4.6 The Senior Player must feed his Fiefdom as per the F2F rules. He may have to supply conditional orders for the feeding, if not the GM will do something sensible. The outcome of last time's feeding is reported.
4.7 Knowing that they are the next Senior Player may influence a player's orders.
5.1 These operate as per the F2F rules except the Soothsayer is as described in 3.4, and Wizards don't give you an extra roll, instead allow fortifications and production tiles to be bought together as described in 4.4.
6.1 These live in the bag with the production tiles, and are purchased in the same way.
6.2 Tiles are placed inside the Keep and must be stacked so that all Men-at-arms are in one square, Archers in another and Knights (wincuding Wolf) in the remaining Keep square.
7.1 Not in the bag, each player may upgrade to the next level of fortification during the Purchase Phase.
8.1 The list of possible events are in the F2F rules and the GM will draw one using real cards.
9.1 In the event of an NMR the GM will choose neutral, inoffensive orders for the player.
9.2 Communication between barons must be done in public via messengers (i.e. press in turn report).
LAST TURN
| Player | VPs | Food | Gold | Stone | Wood | Iron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alice | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Bill | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Carol | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
THIS TURN