With the vast amount of maps, it is tempting to use them in various ways, and we encourage alternative games using the Chartagon maps. To facilitate this we have two different sections below with different alternatives: 1) game components that can be added on top of the original rules, and 2) alternative rules that replace the original rules.
Game components
“The cursed animal”: This game component replaces the sacred animal component with an animal that moves using the same rules as the sacred animal. However, this time the animal is malicious and will destroy one finding (i.e. take one card) from a player, if the animal enters a research zone of the player. Every time! So you better trap it fast, or maneuver it to your competitors’ camps…
“Random folks”: If you have played a map several times and want to change it slightly, you can replace all the folks using the cards of fate. For each folk that you want to place, take one card of fate and use the E section to get the position of the x-axis, which is numbered 1-12 at the top and bottom of the map. Then take another card and use the S section to get the y-axis, which is numbered 1-8 and the left and right of the map. Usa a differently colored map pin to mark the zones that the x+y-coordianted fall within, or anything that works as a marker (small stones or paper balls).
“Archipelago”: Use more that one map in the same game. Use the rules for the water ways component to travel between the islands. I.e. place one map pin in the ocean in one turn, and place it on any coast point in the next turn. Tip: you can fit two A5 maps on a single A4 paper.
Alternative rules
“Fast play”. These rules makes the game faster and more aggressive, by skipping research zones. You get a discovery card every time you place a pin on a new post. The card type is the same as the post type, so before you start you should make three different piles (plain / forest / mountain), and place them with the front side up. This way you will always see how many points the next discovery card of each type will give. You play until there are no more cards, or no more cards can be collected. Opporunity cards always give +1p, without conditions.
“Long play with 2 (or 1) cards”. Using the basic rules, the number of discovery cards determines how long you will play. That means that on larger islands (A3, A2, A1) there will be less competition for space (research zones and posts). To keep a good balance between space and cards, you should decrease the number of available discovery cards from three to two, or even one. You can combine this with the long play rules below.
“Long play with 4 (or 5) posts per zone”. Using the basic rules, the number of discovery cards determines how long you will play. That means that on larger islands (A3, A2, A1) there will be less competition for space (research zones and posts). To keep a good balance between space and cards, you can require four (or even five) posts next to a zone before you can establish a research zone. You can combine this with the long play rules above.