Rules

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HOW TO PLAY

You begin on the grid square marked A1 on the map for LEVEL 1: CATACOMBS OF THE SUN PYRAMID. You can move through up to four (4) white grid squares at a time: up, down, left, and right. You cannot move diagonally nor pass through any black squares. When you reach a grid square marked with a letter followed by a number (e.g., B5), turn to that entry in the STORYLINE section and follow any instructions. Each time you move on the grid map you must roll 1d6 (i.e., one six-sided die) to determine whether or not you have encountered a randomly determined enemy during your movement. (You do not need to roll if you reach a marked STORYLINE grid square during your turn.) The outcome of your roll will be as follows: 

1:   NO ENCOUNTER

2:   NO ENCOUNTER 

3:   NO ENCOUNTER 

4:   FIGHT DISTURBING ENEMY

5:   FIGHT INTIMIDATING ENEMY

6:   FIGHT DEADLY ENEMY

Randomly generated foes are specific to each level—consult the RANDOM ENEMY LIST to determine which foes appear on which level. Each one is additionally sorted according to whether they are classified as “DISTURBING,” “INTIMIDATING,” or “DEADLY.” You will also face unique foes in many of the STORYLINE entries prompted by marked grids; the characteristics of these foes will be described in the STORYLINE entry itself. 

HOW TO FIGHT

Uniquely among role-playing games, combat in Escape from Teotihuacan will be determined in large part by the use of a kendama. While the success, failure, and strength of enemy attacks will still be determined by the use of dice, player attacks on enemies will be determined by your skill in simulating the motions of a handheld weapon via the kendama. (Plain wooden kendamas cost about $15.) You may practice kendama maneuvers at any time during your ordeal before or after combat. Once combat begins, however, your kendama maneuvers will count—for better or worse—and you may not continue to engage in “practice tests” while your enemy stands around waiting. (As the game progresses, however, you may acquire the ability to attempt a maneuver multiple times without penalty.) 

This section provides a list of all possible kendama maneuvers that you may attempt during the course of combat. Only one type of attack and one type of defense may be attempted during each round of combat. The numbers listed after ATTACK refer to the amount of damage inflicted on an enemy after a successful player attack, while the numbers listed after DEFENSE refer to the amount of damage to be subtracted from an enemy’s successful attack on the player. Whether or not an enemy manages to attack the player during combat will be determined by a dice roll: enemies must roll equal to or lesser than their AGILITY on 2d6 to land a hit on the player. If this happens, then a subsequent damage roll will determine the exact number of Vitality Points to be lost by the player (which may be lessened by a successful defense maneuver). An enemy’s Vitality and Agility profile will appear in either the RANDOM ENEMY LIST or STORYLINE. If you successfully defeat an enemy, you may flay its skin for possible use in magic spells (see USE OF MAGIC section) and add it to your character sheet. For a succinct illustration of how combat works in practice, read the SAMPLE COMBAT section below. 

Keep in mind that while kendama maneuvers are listed here in order of perceived difficulty as determined by the creator of this game, every player’s experience with a kendama will be unique and you may discover that some of the more “difficult” maneuvers are in fact easier for you to perform than their position in this list might indicate. It is thus highly recommended that you spend some time practicing all of these maneuvers before starting your ordeal, so that you have a good sense of what is feasible for you during actual combat. Just as with real swordplay—or any skill, for that matter—the more you practice the kendama the better you will get, thereby allowing you to dole out higher levels of damage to enemies more often and progress further into the game. Unless otherwise noted, the default starting position for all kendama maneuvers is for the ball to hang down fully extended by its attached string (i.e., suspended in the air) while the player grips the handle. You do not have to grip the handle in any particular way and you may change your grip at any time during a maneuver so long as your adjustments do not affect the position of the ball.  

KENDAMA MANEUVER CHART

TIER 1

1. JAB

Catch ball in larger of two side cups.

  • ATTACK: 1d6
  • DEFENSE: -1d6

2. STAB

Catch ball in base cup while holding handle.

  • ATTACK: 1d6+1
  • DEFENSE: -1d6+1

3. SLICE

Catch ball in smaller of two side cups.

  • ATTACK: 1d6+2
  • DEFENSE: -1d6+2

4. SMACK

Catch ball in base cup while holding spike.

  • ATTACK: 1d6+3
  • DEFENSE: -1d6+3

TIER 2

5. STUN

Catch ball on larger of two side cups, reset to starting position, then catch ball on base cup while holding handle.

  • ATTACK: 2d6
  • DEFENSE: -2d6

6. BRUISE

Start with ball on any cup, lift ball into air and catch on same cup, then repeat two more times for a total of three catches on same cup.

  • ATTACK: 2d6+2
  • DEFENSE: -2d6+2

7. PUNISH

Catch ball on larger of two side cups, reset to starting position, then catch ball on base cup while holding handle, reset to starting position, then catch ball on base cup while holding spike.

  • ATTACK: 2d6+4
  • DEFENSE: -2d6+4

TIER 3

8. SMASH

Start with ball on base cup, then lift ball into air and catch on either side cup.

  • ATTACK: 3d6
  • DEFENSE: -3d6

9. BASH

Start with ball on either side cup, then lift ball into air and catch on base cup.

  • ATTACK: 3d6+2
  • DEFENSE: -3d6+2

10. CLOBBER

Start with ball on spike, then lift ball into air and catch on either side cup.

  • ATTACK: 3d6+4
  • DEFENSE: -3d6+4

TIER 4

11. DISCOMBOBULATE

Swing ball in arc and catch on base cup while holding handle.

  • ATTACK: 4d6
  • DEFENSE: -4d6

12. DISFIGURE

Swing ball in arc and catch on either side cup.

  • ATTACK: 4d6+2
  • DEFENSE: -4d6+2

13. DISEMBOWEL

Swing ball in arc and catch on base while holding spike.

  • ATTACK: 4d6+4
  • DEFENSE: -4d6+4

TIER 5

14. JUGULAR

Catch ball on spike.

  • ATTACK: Instant Kill (exceptions noted in STORYLINE entries)
  • DEFENSE: Both deflects entirety of enemy attack and inflicts +1d6 damage via counterattack 

15. BERSERKER

Perform any Tier 3 or Tier 4 maneuver, then lift ball into air from its final cup position of that maneuver and catch with any other cup, then continue to toss ball from cup to cup—each cup transfer beyond initial maneuver constitutes +5 pts. damage on top of original maneuver’s damage and can be repeated indefinitely until ball is dropped.

  • ATTACK: + unlimited
  • DEFENSE: – unlimited until enemy’s attack fully deflected, then each additional catch counts as +5 pts. counterattack damage on enemy

SAMPLE COMBAT

You are on Level 1: Catacombs of the Sun Pyramid and decide to move across four white grid spaces. As you do so, you roll 1d6—as required each time you move on the map. The result of your die roll is a “4”. This means you will have to fight the “intimidating foe” for Level 1 as noted in the RANDOM ENEMY LIST. This corresponds to the Spotted Jaguar, whose enemy profile is 15 VITALITY, 7 AGILITY, and 1d6+2 DAMAGE. 

For this sample illustration of combat, your player has 30 VITALITY POINTS. You can choose from one of fifteen kendama maneuvers for both attack and defense. Here is an illustration of how such a battle might proceed round by round:

ROUND ONE

PLAYER ATTACK: You successfully perform the kendama “Slice” maneuver (#3), which means you can roll 1d6+2 to determine damage inflicted on the Spotted Jaguar. The result of your roll is a 3. After adding the +2 modifier for this particular kendama maneuver, the total damage inflicted on the Spotted Jaguar for this round is 5. Now the Spotted Jaguar has 10 VITALITY POINTS remaining (15-5 = 10).

ENEMY ATTACK: You roll 2d6 on behalf of the Spotted Jaguar to determine if its attack on you is successful or not: the dice add up to 7. Since 7 is equal to or lesser than the Spotted Jaguar’s AGILITY of 7, this is a successful attack. You then simulate the damage inflicted on you by the Spotted Jaguar (i.e., 1d6+2) by rolling 1d6 and adding +2. The result of the roll is 4. After adding the +2 modifier for the Spotted Jaguar, the total damage that will be inflicted on you if you cannot defend against this attack is 6 (4+2 = 6). 

PLAYER DEFENSE: You now get an opportunity to deflect or lessen the impact of the Spotted Jaguar’s attack by performing a defensive kendama maneuver of your choice. You successfully perform the “Stab” maneuver (#2), which allows you to deduct -1d6+1 from a successful enemy attack. You roll one die and the result is 2. After adding the +1 modifier of this particular kendama maneuver, the total damage you have managed to deflect is 3 pts. The end result is that you lose 3 VITALITY POINTS (6 damage – 3 defense = 3 damage). You now have 27 VITALITY POINTS remaining. This round of combat is over.

  • If you failed to perform any kendama maneuver in defense, then you would have received the full blow of 6 damage pts.

ROUND TWO

PLAYER ATTACK: You take a chance and fail to perform the more difficult kendama “Clobber” maneuver (#10)—which at 3d6+4 damage almost certainly would have likely killed your foe—and the Spotted Jaguar takes no damage. It still has 10 VITALITY POINTS remaining.

ENEMY ATTACK: You roll 2d6 on behalf of the Spotted Jaguar to determine if its attack on you is successful or not: the dice add up to 9. Since 9 exceeds the Spotted Jaguar’s AGILITY of 7, this is an unsuccessful attack. You take no damage. This round of combat is over.  

ROUND THREE

PLAYER ATTACK: You successfully perform the kendama “Punish” maneuver (#7), doling out 2d6+4 damage to the Spotted Jaguar. You roll 2d6 and the result is 5 (2+3). After adding the +4 modifier for this particular kendama maneuver, the total damage inflicted on the Spotted Jaguar is 9 (5+4 = 9). It now has 1 VITALITY POINT remaining (10-9 = 1).

ENEMY ATTACK: You roll 2d6 on behalf of the Spotted Jaguar to determine if its attack on you is successful or not: the dice add up to 4. Since 4 is equal to or lesser than the Spotted Jaguar’s AGILITY of 7, this is a successful attack. You then simulate the damage inflicted on you by the Spotted Jaguar (i.e., 1d6+2) by rolling 1d6 and adding +2. The result of the roll is 6. After adding the +2 modifier for the Spotted Jaguar, the total damage that will be inflicted on you if you cannot defend against this attack is 8 (6+2 = 8).

PLAYER DEFENSE: You attempt to deflect the impact of the Spotted Jaguar’s attack by performing the defensive kendama “Slice” maneuver (#3). Your attempt fails and you bear the full brunt of the Spotted Jaguar’s attack, which means you lose 8 VITALITY POINTS. You now have 19 VITALITY POINTS remaining (27-8 = 19). This round of combat is over. 

ROUND FOUR

PLAYER ATTACK: You successfully perform the kendama “Jab” maneuver (#1), doling out 1d6 damage to the Spotted Jaguar. You roll 1d6 and the result is 3 (there are no modifiers for this particular kendama maneuver). Since the Spotted Jaguar only had 1 VITALITY POINT remaining, this attack reduces that number to 0 and kills it. You have survived this encounter and may add one “flayed skin of a deadly enemy” to your Character Sheet. You may now move again on the map grid and roll 1d6 to see whether or not you have encountered another random enemy. If you reach a STORYLINE entry this turn, however, you do not need to roll the die and can read the corresponding entry for that grid square.  

USE OF MAGIC

Over the course of your ordeal, you will eventually acquire the means to use magic; that is, to bring about inexplicable alterations of the physical world through the aid of supernatural forces. Opportunities to learn magic spells will be revealed in STORYLINE entries; until then, you cannot cast them. In combat, the success or failure of magic spells will be determined either by a memorization system that tests your mental toughness and acuity OR by the use of a sacred item in tandem with winning three out of five tests of the game Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS). In order to attempt to cast a magic spell during combat in lieu of a kendama attack, you must: 

1. Select the magic spell you wish to cast in MAGIC SPELLS list below (you can only attempt spells that you have been awarded in STORYLINE entries and recorded on your CHARACTER SHEET).

2. Decide whether you want to attempt to cast the spell by the MANTRA OPTION or the ITEM OPTION.

3. If you select the ITEM OPTION, deduct the requisite item(s) off your CHARACTER SHEET and undertake an RPS challenge:

  • To do an RPS Test, first choose “rock,” “paper,” or “scissors” in your mind. Then turn to the ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS RANDOM CHART and—without looking!—randomly point at the chart with your finger or pencil. Repeat up to five times total. If you win at least 3 of 5 RPS Tests, you have successfully cast the spell and may calculate the damage done to the enemy. If you do not win 3 of 5 RPS Tests, then the spell fails and your combat turn is over. 

5. If you select the MANTRA OPTION, you do not need to use any items or do an RPS Test. Instead, study the spelling and order of letters and/or words listed under the MANTRA OPTION in the list below without making any written notes.

  • Note: each spell has five mantras and can no longer be cast via the MANTRA OPTION once all five mantras have been used.

6. Replicate the precise spelling and order of words in writing in the SPELLCASTING MANTRA ATTEMPTS section without referring back to the MAGIC MANTRA section.

7. Check your replication attempt by comparing it with the mantra you selected in the MAGIC MANTRA section.

8. If you successfully replicated the selected mantra, then spell is cast and you may calculate the damage done to the enemy. 

MAGIC SPELLS

1. INFERNO

A blast of fire that envelopes its target or creates a fiery barrier for several seconds.

  • Attack: 2d6
  • Defense: -2d6

ITEM OPTION: 1 jawbone, 1 conch shell, or 1 flayed skin of a DEADLY enemy + RPS Test

MANTRA OPTION:

  1. O, X, A, F, L, P
  2. X, F, L, I, P, O
  3. L, O, F, X, I, A
  4. I, F, X, A, O, L
  5. F, L, A, I, O, X

2. MINDCHILL

A frigid assault on the mind that stuns and torments the target.

  • Attack: 3d6
  • Defense: -3d6

ITEM OPTION: 2 jawbones OR 1 flayed skin of a DEADLY enemy + RPS Test

MANTRA OPTION:

  1. Ox, Ax, Sax, Max, Tax 
  2. Ax, Tax, Max, Ox, Sax 
  3. Tax, Max, Ox, Sax, Ax 
  4. Sax, Ox, Ax, Tax, Max 
  5. Max, Sax, Ox, Ax, Tax

3. SPECTRAL SHRIEK

A terrifying outburst of demonic shrieks and poltergeist abominations that severely traumatizes its target.

  • Attack: 4d6
  • Defense: -4d6

ITEM OPTION: 3 conch shells OR 2 flayed skins of a DEADLY enemy + RPS Test

MANTRA OPTION:

  1. Coatl, Tlaloc, Mictlan, Teotl, Huacan
  2. Tlaloc, Coatl, Mictlan, Huacan, Teotl 
  3. Mictlan, Teotl, Coatl, Huacan, Tlaloc
  4. Huacan, Mictlan, Coatl, Tlaloc, Teotl 
  5. Teotl, Huacan, Coatl, Tlaloc, Mictlan

4. COWARD’S BANE

Reduces target to a gibbering heap of cowardly tears by depriving it of the meaning of life.

  • Attack: 5d6
  • Defense: -5d6

ITEM OPTION: 2 jawbones AND 2 conch shells OR 3 flayed skins of a DEADLY enemy + RPS Test

MANTRA OPTION:

  1. Quetzalcoatl, Mictlantecuhtli, Tlaloc, Huehueteotl, Teotihuacan
  2. Mictlantecuhtli, Quetzalcoatl, Teotihuacan, Tlaloc, Huehueteotl 
  3. Huehueteotl, Mictlantecuhtli, Tlaloc, Teotihuacan, Quetzalcoatl
  4. Tlaloc, Huehueteotl, Teotihuacan, Quetzalcoatl, Mictlantecuhtli 
  5. Teotihuacan, Tlaloc, Quetzalcoatl, Mictlantecuhtli, Huehueteotl 

CHARACTER SHEET

You are now ready to begin your ordeal. Before you do so, however, be sure to make the following adjustments to your CHARACTER SHEET:

1. You begin your ordeal with 35 VITALITY POINTS, which is also your starting maximum. As you progress further you will gain the ability to increase your maximum Vitality Points. 

  • Damage taken in combat or in STORYLINE developments will decrease your Vitality Points, while rejuvenating remedies collected or encountered during your ordeal will increase it. 

2. At the start, your only item of consequence is an OBSIDIAN DAGGER, which you must add to your “Weapons, Armor, and Items” list. You can hold a maximum of ten items, not including special items used for Magic Spells (jawbones, conch shells, and flayed skins), which are recorded in a separate box. 

  • Once you obtain better weapons and armor (or modifications to existing armor), you will need to note these upgrades and their effects in the “Weapons, Armor, and Items” list. You can only hold one weapon at a time, so feel to discard older weapons once you obtain a better one. 

3. The “Kendama Proficiency” box lets you know how many times you may attempt a single kendama attack or defense maneuver without consequence during a single round of combat. For now, as a novice, you must record the number “0” for both attack and defense. 

  • As you progress through the game, you will gain the ability to attempt a single kendama maneuver more than once during a single round of combat without penalty.  

Once you are ready to begin your ordeal, turn to the grid square marked A1 on the map titled LEVEL 1: CATACOMBS OF THE SUN PYRAMID and start to explore the interior of the Sun Pyramid. Remember, you can move up to four white grid spaces per turn and must roll 1d6 each time you do so to determine whether or not you have encountered a foe from the RANDOM ENEMY LIST. Whenever you reach a grid marked with a number and letter, you do not need to roll for a random encounter. Instead, turn to that entry in the STORYLINE and follow the instructions. 

RULES FOR A MULTI-PLAYER GAME

Escape from Teotihuacan can be played either solo or with a group of friends. In adapting the game rules and STORYLINE entry details for multiple players, consider adopting the following modifications to the rules:

1. For MOVEMENT across the square grids of the map, players take turns moving the party through the level and in rolling the die for random enemy encounters. 

  • It is not advised to allow individual members of the party to strike out on their own separate from the party, as this will greatly complicate the progression of the STORYLINE narrative and create combat and puzzle bottlenecks.

2. For COMBAT initiated by RANDOM ENEMY ENCOUNTERS, multiply the number of random enemies to be fought by the number of players in the game. For example, if four players encounter a Cave Bear on Level 3, they would have to fight four Cave Bears instead of one. Players could choose either to attack the same Cave Bear until it is killed or attack separate Cave Bears. 

  • If some of the players are much less proficient in kendama maneuvers than others, you may choose to ease the difficulty level of the game by multiplying random enemy encounters by a factor that is fewer than the number of players. Using this approach, for instance, a group of three players might fight two Cave Bears instead of three.
  • In determining which player is attacked by any given enemy, assign each player a number or group of numbers between 1-6 or 2-12 (depending on the number of players), then roll 1d6 or 2d6 to see who was hit. For instance, a group of three players may assign the numbers 1-2 to Player One, 3-4 to Player Two, and 5-6 to Player Three, then roll 1d6 to determine the target. Alternatively, a group of four players may assign 2-4 to Player One, 5-7 to Player Two, 8-10 to Player Three, and 11-12 to Player Four (thus giving Player Four a slight advantage), then roll 2d6 to determine the target. 

3. For COMBAT initiated by STORYLINE entries, multiply the ENEMY VITALITY POINTS by a factor that is equal to (or, for an easier level of difficulty, slightly below) the number of players in the game. In addition, the enemy should be allowed to attack each player in the game once during every round of combat. 

  • For instance, if a group of three players is instructed to fight an ESCAPED PUMA (20 VITALITY, 8 AGILITY, 1d6+4 DAMAGE), the puma would instead have 60 VITALITY POINTS (20 vitality points X 3 players = 60) and be granted one attack on each player during each round of combat. A group of players desiring a slightly easier gameplay experience could choose to multiply the puma’s vitality points by a factor of 2 instead of 3 (i.e., 40 vitality points). 

4. For all other occasional events, development of character proficiencies, and acquired items described in STORYLINE entries, players should treat the details as if the effects described for one player are applicable to every player. 

  • For instance, three players who encounter a single Ayahuasca Plant or Rattlesnake Skin Helmet in the storyline narrative would each obtain his or her own Ayahuasca Plant or Rattlesnake Skin Helmet. Three players who fall into a trap would all take the same damage described in the storyline and, if applicable, all have a chance to evade the trap or mitigate its damage.

5. Keep in mind that the gameplay modifications suggested here are only suggestions. You may modify the game as you see fit in order to gain the most satisfying experience. Players who find the game exceptionally difficult as a solo experience, for instance, could choose not to make any modifications to enemy statistics or numbers whatsoever, while still playing with several additional friends to greatly increase the odds of victory in combat. 

  • For multi-player games you may also want to consider purchasing additional kendamas. While it is certainly possible to pass around a single kendama as needed during gameplay, it will make it much more difficult to practice your maneuvers in between battles if several players are sharing a single kendama.