How to Play Root Board Game – Vagabond Root Rules

This How to Play Root Board Game section outlines the rules, gameplay and game actions involving the faction Vagabond.

– Setting up a Root game
– Root gameplay in simple steps
– Root game concepts
– Root Marquise de Cat Gameplay and Rules
– Root Eyrie Dynasty Gameplay Rules
– Root Woodland Alliance Gameplay Rules
– Root Vagabond Gameplay Rules

Overview of Vagabond Faction

Relationship with other factions matters
Vagabond plays all sides of the conflict while going on quests to increase his own influence throughout the wood. Vagabond scores points by improving the relationship with another faction or removing a warrior belonging to a faction hostile towards the Vagabond.
Score points through quests
Vagabond can also complete QUESTs to score points.
Item management is important
To move and act effectively, Vagabond must manage and expand their pack of ITEMS.
Vagabond can do this by exploring forest ruins and helping other factions.

Vagabond Abilities

Crafting

You spend to craft. All of match the suit of the Vagabond’s current clearing. If you craft an item, you may immediately take it, face up.

Lone Wanderer

There is only 1 Vagabond pawn which cannot rule a clearing or stop another player from ruling one. Your pawn cannot be removed from the map. Whenever opponents use
an effect that says it removes all enemy pieces from a clearing with the Vagabond, the Vagabond damages three items.

Nimble

Vagabond has the NIMBLE special ability and can move regardless of who owns the clearing.

Defenseless

If the Vagabond has no undamaged

they become defenseless and the attacker will deal an extra hit.

Items

Vagabond’s capabilities depend on the items he gets. Items are face up or face down.

When Vagabond exhausts an item, it is flipped face-down and actions are then taken

When items are gained, they are placed on matching tracks. Each track can hold 3 matching items
When gained, other items are placed in Vagabond’s satchel
Vagabond can freely move face-up undamaged items between track and Satchel
Vagabond exhausts hammers to craft. All hammers match the suit of his current clearing. If the item is crafted, Vagabond takes it immediately, face-up

Maximum Rolled Hits

In battle, Vagabond’s maximum rolled hits of equal undamaged sword items (face up or face down) in the Satchel

Taking Hits

Damage undamaged items when taking hits. When Vagabond takes a hit, he must damage 1 undamaged item and move it to damaged box.
If no undamaged items are left, ignore remaining hits

Dominance Cards and Coalitions

Vagabond can activate a dominance card to form a coalition with the player with the fewest victory points.
Place Vagabond’s score marker on that player’s faction board.
If tied for fewest points, Vagabond chooses a player from the tie.
If the chosen player wins, Vagabond also wins.
Vagabond stops scoring victory points.
Vagabond cannot form a coalition with a player who has already activated a dominance card.

Relationships

Improve Relationship:
- Take Aid action with a non-hostile faction.
- Aid the faction the number of times listed between current Allied space and next Allied space during the turn.
- Move the faction’s relationship marker 1 space right on the track.
Allied Status:
- When the relationship marker reaches the final space on the Allied track, you become ALLIED with the faction.
- Score 2 points each time you aid an Allied faction.
- During Daylight phase, you may move warriors from 1 Allied faction with you.
  - Allied warriors follow their normal movement rules and do not benefit from NIMBLE special ability.
- In battle, Allied warriors in the clearing are treated as yours.
  - Maximum hits you can roll = number of Allied warriors + total undamaged swords.
  - If Ally is a defender, you cannot treat their warriors as yours.
Taking Hits:
- You can take hits by removing Allied warriors.
- If you take more hits than by damaging items during the same battle, the Allied faction becomes HOSTILE.
Causing Outrage:
- If you cause OUTRAGE by moving or battling with Allied warriors, you give the matching card.

HOSTILE status. When non-hostile faction warrior is removed, the relationship market immediately moves to Hostile box.

When removing a piece of Hostile faction, earn 1 victory point. You do not score a point for removing warrior that made faction hostile
Exhaust extra boot item when moving into clearing with warriors of any Hostile factions

You cannot move the relationship marker out of Hostile box by using Aid. You can still aid hostile faction to take crafted items
You can form a coalition with a hostile faction. Move the relationship market to Indifferent space

Vagabond Gameplay

Birdsong

Refresh:
- Flip 2 spent items face up for each Tea item on the Refresh track.
- Then, flip 3 more spent items.
Slip:
- Move to an adjacent clearing or forest without spending Boot items.
- Ignore effects preventing movement out of a clearing.

Daylight

Spend items to take actions:
- Move: Spend 1 Boot. Spend 1 more if destination has Hostile warriors. No moving into forests.
- Battle: Spend 1 Sword.
- Explore: Exhaust 1 Torch. Take an item from a ruin, score 1 VP, and place item in Satchel or matching track. Remove ruin if last item taken.
- Aid: Spend any 1 item and give a matching card to a player with faction pieces there. Take 1 item from their Crafted Items box.
- Quest: Choose a matching quest, exhaust 2 items to complete it. Draw a new quest. Score 1 VP per matching completed quest or draw 2 cards.
- Strike: Spend 1 Crossbow to remove an enemy warrior from your clearing or another faction piece if no warriors.
- Repair: Spend 1 Hammer to move a damaged item to Satchel or matching track, keeping the item on its current side.
- Craft: Play a card and spend Hammer(s) of listed suit to craft it. Place crafted item in Satchel or matching track.
- Special Action: Spend 1 Torch to take the action listed on your character card.

Evening

Rest:
- If in a forest, move all items in Damaged box to Satchel or matching track and flip them face up.
Draw cards:
- Draw 1 card plus 1 per face-up Coin on the matching track.
Discard cards:
- If more than 5 cards, discard down to 5.
Check Item Capacity:
- If total items in Satchel and Damaged box exceed item limit (6 + 2 per Bag item on matching track), remove items until at limit. Permanently remove excess items.