Long Live the King

The king is dead... Finally! Through a skillful combination of live-action intrigue and strategic use of resources, you might become the next ruler of the land. Long Live the King is a live-action strategy game for 5 or more players.

Long Live the King is a dynamic game that marries the diabolical treachery and scheming of the best strategic board and card games with the pomp and circumstance of the most elaborate live-action games. In the role of an ailing king, the gamemaster participates in the roleplaying while moderating the rules.

Up to seven other major players, including a young queen, a haughty archbishop and a wily ambassador, vie to place themselves in positions to rule the kingdom when the king finally keels over. Dozens of minor roles allow the game to be as large and elaborate as you desire. Or just keep it small... and cut-throat.

The Introduction

Long Live the King (LLK) is a strategic roleplaying game. Or maybe it's a live-action strategy game. Call it either one. It's a strategy game with cards, but instead of sitting at a table in the tradition of typical games, you actually walk around and act the role of a character in the court of the dying king. The goal is to have fun in your role, but also to become the new ruler of the kingdom (you don't really want the king to live very long!).

About the Game

Game Contents - The Long Live the King game box includes a 32-page rulebook, character portfolios for the seven major characters, coins of the realm, and 200 cards divided into six different types (Mobilization Cards, Rebellion Cards, Decision Cards, Health Cards, Status Cards, and Intrigue Cards) to cover many aspects of strategic play.

• Character Portfolios - The players in LLK take on the roles of the dying king and his court. The King is also the "game master"; he runs the game and is responsible for making sure both that everyone follows the rules (yes, there are a few) and that the game progresses smoothly. Besides the King, there are seven major players: the Queen, the Royal Bastard, the Archbishop, the Baron, the Ambassador, the Steward, and the Treasurer. Finally, and optionally, other players may take on one or more minor court characters, such as the Jailkeeper, the Royal Doctor, or the Captain of the Guard. In all, there are over thirty characters available to be played.

• Rebellion Cards - During the game, there are two simultaneous situations developing that affect the game for everyone. The peasants are growing rebellious and the Baron is raising an army (the King's supposedly) to oppose them. There are Rebellion cards and Mobilization cards that should be displayed prominently for all the players to monitor during the game. On one hand, the peasants, resentful of their lot in life and of those who rule over them, are being stirred into rebellion. Place 5 Rebellion cards to represent the various stages of the rebellion and the effects it has on the game.

• Mobilization Cards - To combat this, and for his own ends, the Baron is busy mobilizing troops for the King's army. Place 5 Mobilization cards representing the various stages of this mustering of troops.

• Decision Cards - During the Council phase of the turn, the King tallies the votes for and against the current petition, recording the Favor of each player (opinions of players with higher Influence have more weight than others) and calculating the net Favor for the petition. Then he shuffles the Decision cards and draws one. These cards instruct him regarding how to decide the matter; most Decision cards make him decide based on the net Favor for the petition, but some are more unpredictable, demonstrating the King's continued decline into ill health and madness. The Decision card the King draws is returned to the stack to be shuffled with the others to resolve the next petition.

• Health Cards - LLK includes 10 Health cards. At the beginning of the game, these cards are shuffled, and then six of them are lined up in a central location along with the Mobilization and Rebellion cards. Beginning on the second turn of the game, a Health card is revealed. This card indicates the King's current health (and mood!) for the coming turn

• Status Cards - All major players gain Status points. Status is a measure of the respect a player wields in the court and the kingdom, and also represents a player's power to affect the game in certain respects. Each Status point represents a minor court character that is loyal to that player. These followers are represented as Status cards. Each Status card has a description of a minor character, along with certain abilities or effects that a major player can access using that character. If there are enough people playing the game, the Status characters might actually be played by someone.

• Intrigue Cards - These cards represent a wide variety of things in the game, but they generally stand for events, people, actions or documents that have some effect during game play. Some are restricted in terms of who can play them, whom they can affect, or when they can be played. Playing a card may result in players gaining or losing gold, Favor, or Status, or it may have some other effect on gameplay. Intrigue cards may be traded, bought, sold, or simply given away among the players as desired. One word of advice on playing Intrigue cards: roleplay!

• Coins of the Realm - Money is one of the important resources for players in the game. Each player has different uses for his or her money, although it's generally used for bribery, persuasion, and manipulation. The single monetary unit is the gold ducat, as represented by the gold coin tokens included with the game. The platinum (silver) coin tokens are worth 5 gold ducats each.

• Extra Cards - One of the cool features of the game is its flexibility. The set includes some cards with blank faces for you to create your own new cards so you can add unexpected twists to your game.

• 32-page Rulebook - Get the ultimate preview - download the rulebook for the game!

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