Characters:
1. Assassin: Announce a character. The player with that character
says and does nothing when called.
2. Thief: Announce a character (other than Assassin or Assassin’s
target). The player with that character gives all gold in
possession at the beginning of their turn.
3. Magician: May trade entire hand with another player, or, may
discard any number of cards and draw the same number.
4. King: Gets 1 gold for each noble (gold) district built. Receives
crown card immediately and starts next turn.
5. Bishop: Gets 1 gold for each religious (blue) district built. The
Bishop cannot be targeted by the Warlord.
6. Merchant: Get 1 gold & 1 for each trade (green) district built.
7. Architect: Gets 2 district cards and may build up to 3 districts.
8. Warlord: Gets 1 gold for each military (red) district built. May
destroy 1 district by paying 1 less than the build cost.
9*. Queen: Receive 3 gold if you are sitting beside the King or
beside the person to whom the Emperor gives the crown. Only
use the Queen in a game with 5 or more players.
1*. Witch: Take action then announce a character. When the player
with that character is called, that player takes an action and ends
his turn. You then resume your turn using the attributes of the
character chosen. The Thief cannot steal from the Witch or the
Witch’s target. King still gets the crown.
2*. Tax Collector: If a player builds any districts in his city they must
give you one gold at the end of his turn if he has any left. This
applies to Assassin retroactively.
3*. Wizard: Look at another player’s hand of cards and take one
card. You may immediately build it (at normal cost) or put it in
your hand. You may build a district normally in the same turn
and may build two districts of the same type.
4*. Emperor: Gets 1 gold for each noble (gold) district built. Take
the crown and give it to any other player. That player must give
their choice of 1 gold or district card from his hand.
5*. Abbot: Gets 1 gold for each religious (blue) district built. The
player with the most gold must pay you 1 gold. If there is a tie,
or if you have the most gold, you receive none.
6*. Alchemist: Get back all the gold you spend to build district cards
(but not for other purposes) during that turn.
7*. Navigator: After taking an action, you receive 4 gold or four
district cards. You may not build any district cards.
8*. Diplomat: Gets 1 gold for each military (red) district built. At the
end of your turn, you may exchange 1 district from another
player’s city for 1 in your city, paying the difference. The
Diplomat may not take “The Keep” or a district from the Bishop.
Remove the Cemetery from the deck before game starts.
9*. Artist: You may place one gold coin on one or two districts in
your city. The cost (and victory point value) of the district is now
increased by one for all purposes.
CITADELS - Rules Summary
Object:
Increase your city's prosperity by influencing powerful
characters and building new districts. The player with the
most points worth of districts at game end wins.
Setup:
▪ Shuffle Character Deck (decide if using 8 original or new).
▪ District Deck: remove cards with asterisk, deal 4 remaining
cards to each player; shuffle the rest.
▪ 2 gold to each player. Remaining gold in ‘bank’.
▪ Deal character cards face up to players until the King (or
Emperor) is revealed. Give the Crown piece to that player.
Playing the Game: (4-6 players)
Step One: Remove Characters:
▪ Shuffle all character cards and draw one at random and put
it face down in the middle of the table.
▪ Draw character cards based on the # of players (4=2, 5=1)
and place them face up in the middle of the table. If the
King/Emperor is drawn replace it with another card.
3) Character Powers/Abilities: You MAY use once at any
time during your turn.
▪ If your power gives you gold, you can use it before
building districts or after.
Step Four: End of Round:
▪ Once all character cards have been called, shuffle the
character cards.
Game End:
▪ Once a player builds his 8th district, the game ends after
the current round is completed.
▪ Shorter Game: end the game once the 7th district is built.
▪ Scoring:
▪ City Points = total number of combined gold in all
districts of player's city.
▪ 3 points if player has at least one district in each of the 5
colors.
▪ 4 points for the first player to build 8 districts; 2 points
for other players to build 8 districts.
If 7-8 people are playing:
▪ Crown player looks at remaining Character cards, secretly
chooses one, and passes deck to the left.
▪ This continues until one card remains which is placed face
down with the others.
▪ 7-Player Game: Play as a 6-player game except during
Choose Characters, when the seventh player is given the
last card he also secretly looks at the face down card on the
table and chooses one of those two cards, placing the other
face down in the middle of the table.
▪ 8-Player Game: Play as a 7-player game with the addition
of one of the rank-9 characters.
Step Three: Player Turns:
Dark City Expansion:
Step Two: Choose Characters:
▪ Crown player calls out each character in numerical order,
skipping to the next if one isn't chosen.
▪ When your card is called, place it face up in front of you
and take your turn.
1) Take an Action: You MUST do one of the following:
▪ Take 2 gold from the bank; or
▪ Draw 2 district cards, keep 1, and put the other on
the bottom of the deck.
2) Build a District Card: You MAY:
▪ Build one district card, playing it in front of you after
paying its cost in gold.
▪ You may never build two identical districts (ex: two
castles, two markets, etc.)
▪ Building the 8th district triggers the game end, you
may build more if allowed to.
▪ Bonus Cards: There are 10 character and 14 district cards
marked with asterisks (*).
▪ Characters: one or two bonus character cards can be
swapped in for the same rank members.
▪ If you want to use one of the rank-9 characters in a 4-7
player game, increase the number of cards that are
placed face up in the middle of the table during Step
One.
▪ Districts: You can add 2-3 bonus district cards to the deck.
If you want more, remove one existing purple district card
for each bonus district card added.
Districts:
(3) Keep – The Keep can’t be targeted by the Warlord/Diplomat's
ability.
(5) Observatory – If you choose to draw cards when you take an
action, you must draw an extra card and put an extra card on the
bottom of the District Deck face-down in any order.
(2) Haunted City – For purposes of Victory Points (not Income), the
Haunted City is considered to be of any 1 color of your choice at
the end of the game (unless you built it during the last round of
the game).
(6) University – The cost for this district is 6, but is worth 8 Victory
Points at the end of the game. The cost of the Warlord’s /
Diplomat’s ability targeting this district is based off the final cost
of this district.
(6) School of Magic – For purposes of Income (not Victory Points),
the School of Magic is considered to be a color of your choice
every turn.
(5) Smithy – Once during your turn, you may pay 2 gold to draw 3
district cards.
(6) Library – If you choose to draw cards when you take an action,
you must keep an extra card you have drawn.
(6) Dragon Gate – The cost for this district is 6, but is worth 8
Victory Points at the end of the game. The cost of the Warlord’s
/ Diplomat’s ability targeting this district is based off the final
cost of this district.
(5) Graveyard – When the Warlord destroys a district (excluding
the Graveyard) with his ability, you may pay 1 gold to put the
destroyed district into your hand (unless you are the Warlord).
Note: If the Diplomat is used, remove this card from the game
and randomly replace it with another card.
(5) Laboratory – Once during your turn, you may put a district card
from your hand to the bottom of the District Deck face-down
and receive 1 gold from the bank.
(6) Great Wall – The cost for the Warlord's / Diplomat's ability
when targeting your districts (excluding the Great Wall) is
increased by 1 gold.
(5) Quarry – You may build districts identical to another district
already in your city (but may only have up to 2 of the same
districts). You do not lose the district built this way if the Quarry
is destroyed.
(5) Wishing Well – At the end of the game, you score 1 Victory
Point for each other purple district in your city.
(4) Imperial Treasury – At the end of the game, you score 1 Victory
Point for each gold in your possession. Gold used to beautify a
district does not count.
(5) Map Room – At the end of the game, you score 1 Victory Point
for each card in your hand.
(6) Hospital – If you are assassinated and called upon, you may still
take your action for the turn, but that's all you can do. Note: If
the Witch is used, remove this card from the game and
randomly replace it with another card.
(5) Poor House – If you have no gold at the end of your turn, you
must receive 1 gold from the bank. The Tax Collector collects
your gold before this ability activates. Gold used to beautify a
district does not count.
(3) Lighthouse – When you build (not exchange) the Lighthouse,
you may look through the District Deck, choose 1 card and place
it in your hand, then reshuffle the deck.
(6) Park – If you have no cards in hand at the end of your turn, you
may draw 2 cards from the District Deck.
(3) Armory – During your turn, you may destroy the Armory along
with another district card of your choice in another player’s city
(even if it's a completed city but the game will still end, and the
player will still get the Victory Point bonus for a completed city).
Place the 2 destroyed districts to the bottom of the District Deck
face-down in any order. If you destroy the Bell Tower, the game
will still end at the end of the round if the end condition has
already been met.
(6) Ball Room – When you have the Crown, all other players must
say “Thank you, your Excellency” loudly and clearly after you call
his character. If a player forgets, mumbles, or says something
different (for example, "Thanks, your Excellency") and starts his
turn without saying it, he loses his turn. Starting a turn includes
using an ability, or touching / receiving a district card from the
District Deck or the bank's gold (does not actually get to keep
the card(s) or gold). The Witch can still resume her turn as the
bewitched character even if the bewitched player loses his turn
and does not take an action.
(6) Factory – The building cost for any other purple district you
build in your city is reduced by 1. This doesn’t affect the cost of
the Warlord's / Diplomat's ability or Victory Points.
(4) Museum – Once during your turn, you may place 1 district card
from your hand, face-down, under the Museum. At the end of
the game, you score 1 Victory Point for each card under the
Museum. If the Museum is destroyed or exchanged, all cards
under the Museum go with it. If destroyed, the destroyer places
all cards to the bottom of the District Deck face-down in any
order.
(5) Bell Tower – When you build the Bell Tower in your city, you
may decide that the game will end at the end of the round in
which a player builds 1 less than the # of districts required to
complete a city. If the Bell Tower is destroyed, the end
conditions go back to normal (but if a player completed a city,
the game will still end regardless). All players with a completed
city after Bell Tower activates get the 4 Victory Point bonus
(unless someone already has a completed city prior to
activation, in which case these players will only score 2 Victory
Points).
(6) Throne Room – Every time the Crown moves from a player to
another, you must receive 1 gold from the bank. If the Thief
steals from you at the same time the Crown moves, the Thief
steals your gold before this ability activates.
FAQ - Updated June 15, 2010
Errata
If a tie occurs after all districts and bonus points are totaled:
1) Player with most victory points from only the value of his districts is the
winner (i.e. don’t calculate bonus points to resolve the tiebreak).
2) If there is still a tie, the player with the most gold is the winner.
On page 15 under the Tax Collector’s description, there’s a portion that
reads “If the Assassin or Witch has already built a district card...” This
sentence is correct for the Assassin, but this doesn’t apply to the Witch who is
unable to build districts until the bewitched character’s turn.
Characters & Special Powers
Q: Are you required to use a character’s special power?
A: No. The assassin is not forced to kill anyone, nor is the thief forced to
steal, etc. Still, there is rarely a situation when it wouldn’t be to your
advantage to use the special power.
Q: Can a player receive income for his districts in two parts, before and after
building? For example, if someone is the King and has two yellow districts
already built, can he use the King’s special power to take one gold now,
build a new district, and then take a gold for the other yellow district he
owns?
A: No. You may use abilities to receive income whenever you want, but you
must take all of the gold at the same time. So, you can either collect gold
for districts before constructing new districts (if money is needed to
build), or after building (if the new district gives gold).
On the other hand, district income is distinct from the 2 gold received
when taking an action. Also, the Merchant’s special power of receiving 1
extra gold happens at the beginning of his turn and is not considered
district income either. So, you can take 2 gold, build, and then receive
income from your districts; you cannot receive income from some
districts, build, and then receive income from the district you have just
built.
Q: Can a player build more than eight districts (i.e. he is the Architect during
the last round and has a hand full of low-cost districts, but needs a lot of
points to win)?
A: Yes, you may build more than 8 districts if you have the means to.
Q: Can you build identical districts (same name and illustration)?
A: No. You can build a district that is in someone else’s city, but you cannot
build another district that is already in your city.
Q: Can the Diplomat exchange districts with a completed city of 8?
A: No.
Q: If the Bell Tower is in play, can the Warlord destroy someone’s 7th district?
A: No. The Bell Tower makes a seven-district city “completed,” and the
Warlord cannot destroy districts in a completed city.
Q: How exactly does the Queen’s special power work? Does she get three
gold if a) one of the adjacent players has the crown, or b) one of the
adjacent players chooses the King/Emperor role for that round?
A: The Queen’s special power is tied to the King/Emperor card, not the
crown.
Q: When a character is bewitched by the Witch’s special power, can that
character use his special power before the Witch takes over the rest of his
turn?
A: No. The bewitched character cannot use his special power, but the Witch
may use that character’s special power after the bewitched character
performs his one action.
Q: If the Witch bewitches a character with a passive special power (i.e. the
Bishop’s special power of being immune to attacks from the Warlord),
which character benefits from the special power? The Witch or the
bewitched character?
A: The Witch player acquires all abilities of the bewitched character.
Q: If the Tax Collector is called and the Witch builds a district through a
bewitched character, who pays one gold to the Tax Collector: the Witch
or the bewitched character?
A: The Witch player uses his own gold and cards while taking over the
bewitched player’s turn, so the Witch would pay one gold to the Tax
Collector.
Q: What happens to the crown if the Emperor is assassinated?
A: The player who has the crown keeps it.
Q: When the Emperor gives the crown to someone, the rules say that the
person receiving the crown must give the Emperor one gold or one card.
Which player chooses whether a gold or a card is given, the Emperor or
the player receiving the crown?
A: The player receiving the crown.
Q: If the Navigator opts to not use his special power (take 4 gold or take 4
cards), may he build a district?
A: No. Part of the Navigator’s special power is the restriction “You may not
build any district cards.”
Q: How much does it cost for the Warlord/Diplomat to destroy/exchange
the University or the Dragon Gate?
A: Building cost minus one: 6 - 1 = 5
Q: Can the Warlord destroy a building of a murdered Bishop?
A: Yes. Since the Bishop is not present, he is not able to protect his districts.
Q: Are you allowed two identical districts in your city by using the Diplomat’s
special power?
A: No.
Districts
Q: Can the Graveyard’s ability (pay 1 gold to take a card that was just
destroyed by the Warlord) be used to save itself if the Warlord chooses to
destroy it?
A: No. Because the Graveyard was destroyed, it is no longer in play and its
ability is void.
Q: What if a player has both the Observatory and Library in his city? How do
their effects combine?
A: When the player chooses to use his action to draw cards, he draws three
and keeps two.
Q: How do you handle the endgame scoring bonuses when the Bell Tower
has been built?
A: The bonuses are awarded for seven districts instead of eight. If one or
more players have seven districts when the Bell Tower is built, they all get
the four bonus points for simultaneously meeting the seven district
condition. If the Bell Tower is built as someone’s seventh district, he and
anyone else with seven districts get four bonus points for simultaneously
meeting the endgame condition; any players to subsequently reach seven
districts before the round (and the game) ends get two bonus points.
Q: If a player has the Quarry and builds a duplicate district, but the Quarry is
later destroyed by the Warlord, is one of the duplicate district cards lost
because it is no longer “legal” for that player to have duplicate districts?
A: No. The Quarry allows you to “build” a duplicate district. Since the district
is already built, the player does not automatically lose one of the
duplicates.