AMULETS
By Jörg Hansen

A (not really) fantasy game of deduction for 3-5 players.

Five spirits are captured in five amulets. The wizards try to find out their correct
placements on the altar to cast the freeing spell. Succeeding means honour, failure means
eternal doom.  ;)

Material
You need the altar, a 5x5 map signed A1 to E5, and 5 amulets (pawns), in colors or shapes
different. A 30-card deck is needed corresponding to the map grid (A1 to E5) and the 5
amulets. Since players need this deck only once at the beginning of the game, a standard
poker deck and a translation table will do. Every player needs a sheet of paper as spell
book, and a pen.

The spell book
The wizards should draw their spell books as following: A table, consisting of 8-10 rows - 
5 rows for the amulets, 3-5 rows for the wizards. The rows should be named with the amulets
and the wizards' names. The wizards' names should begin with the own name and then proceed 
clockwise. An example spell book could look like this:

|   |   |   |   |   ||   |   |   |   |   |
| R | Y | G | B | B || M | S | S | R | A |
| e | e | r | l | l || e | u | t | i | n |
| d | l | e | u | a ||   | s | e | c | n |
|   | l | e | e | c ||   | a | v | k | e |
|   | o | n |   | k ||   | n | e |   |   |
|   | w |   |   |   ||   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   ||   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   ||   |   |   |   |   |

...

Setup
Each player secretly draws one altar card and one amulet card. Undrawn cards come out of
play, unrevealed. The amulets are placed randomly on the map, not more than one on one
field.

The Game
The Wizards choose a start wizard, play continues clockwise. At his turn, a wizard may ask
a question to the old spirits (the others players). All answers are recorded by the players.
The game continues and is only interrupted by the tries of casting a spell. If the spell
succeeds, the casting wizard wins the game. If it doesn't, the casting wizard is out
of play and may no longer ask the spirits. But he is still giving answers as a spirit. 
In the case of all wizards failing the casting, there is no winner, only misery...

Asking the spirits
At his turn, the active wizard may place the amulets on the altar as he likes, not more
than one per field. Afterwards he reads out the coordinates of the 5 amulets, for all
players to write down in the amulets' rows in their spell book.

The spirits' answers
Beginning at the left of the asking wizard, each player checks his personal altar field and
his personal amulet. Then he gives exactly one of four possible answers, which is recorded
in all players spell books in the row of the answering spirit. His possible answers are:

1.) If his amulet is on his own field, he answers "I'm home". All players note a '*'.
2.) If a foreign amulet is on his own field, he answers "Someone is at my home". All
    players note a 'o'.
3.) If his amulet is in one line or one row with his field (same letter or same number),
    he answers "I can feel my home". All players note a '+'.
4.) If none of these conditions occur, he says "No answer". All players note a '-'.

In case of conditions 1 & 3 or 1 & 3 occurring at the same time, the spirit's answer is
always the higher one. Answer 3 is not mentioned then.
The asking wizard never gives any answer.

Casting a spell
A wizard may interrupt the game at any time, if he thinks he found out all the spirits'
amulets and their coordinates. He places the assumed player amulets on their assumed homes
and all the assumed non-player amulets at random altar fields. This is his try of casting
the spell. The others players (the spirits) now check this try clockwise, beginning with the
left neighbour. If his personal amulet stands on his personal field, he answers "yes", 
and the next player continues checking. If it doesn't, he says "No", and the casting has
failed. The trying wizard may not ask the spirits anymore, and the game continues where 
interrupted before. 
But if all spirits answer "Yes", they are freed and the casting wizard wins the game.

Designer's note
This game, years old and deriving from boring school times, is nothing else but a
master mind clone, but a funky multi-player one.  Experienced players should not need more 
than 5-6 questions. This is not really a party game, since all players stare at their notes
and beg each active player for a thinking break :) - give it a try.