K. David Ladage
United States
Cedar Rapids
Iowa
-
The Great Dalmuti
By: Richard Garfield
Published: Wizards of the Coast
Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Dalmuti
===
A Brief History
So... assume you are a mathematician who has just invented the card game that completely turned the gaming industry upside down becoming a bigger hit than anyone could have possibly anticipated. You have ideas for board games and other card games. But what do you do next? What do you do to get people's attention?
Well, whatever you decide to do, it was rather unlikely you would follow in the path that Richard Garfield took and publish something as completely silly as The Great Dalmuti. But this did not seem to cause any troubles in his career. The game is a fanciful take on any one of a hundred variations of the bar-game Asshole and its ilk. But it is a fun little diversion.
Life Isn't Fair
First you will need seven to ten players. Granted, most editions of the rules will tell you that other configurations are possible. But it has been my experience that anything less than five players is a boring game; five or six players is a marginal game; anything above ten players is just too chaotic. So the sweet spot is seven to ten.
Second, you will need a table large enough to accommodate the chairs; you will need one very comfortable chair, one comfortable chair, and enough other chairs to seat all but two of the remaining players.
Third, randomly determine the seating arrangements. The Greater Dalmuti will sit in the very comfortable chair; the The Lesser Dalmuti will sit to the left of the Great Dalmuti in the comfortable chair; The Merchants will sit to the left of the Lesser Dalmuti in the remaining chairs (these players are ranked First Merchant, then Second Merchant, and so on). The last two players are the Lesser Peon and then the Greater Peon -- they do not get a chair; they can stand or kneel as required.
The Greater Peon will shuffle the deck until the Great Dalmuti is satisfied that the cards are properly randomized. The Great Dalmuti may cut the deck, assign someone to do cut the deck, or forgo a cut; whatever the Great One feels is appropriate at that time. The Greater Peon may then deal the cards -- first card going to the Lesser Dalmuti, since the Peon is simply performing this task at the pleasure of the Great Dalmuti. The number of cards that each player receives will not always be the same, depending upon the number of players playing. This is fine.
The deck consists of 12 ranks of cards -- from the great Dalmuti card (rank 1) to the Peasants (rank 12). Each card has a number of copies in the deck equal to its rank (i.e., their is one Dalmuti card; there are 12 Peasant cards). In addition, there are two Jesters. These are wild cards.
After the players have had a moment to sort their cards, their may be a revolution. If either of the peons have both Jesters, then a revolution has taken place. In a revolution, the Greater Peon becomes the Greater Dalmuti; the Lesser Peon becomes the Lesser Dalmuti.
After the revolution (if any), comes Taxation. The Greater Dalmuti selects any two cards from the hand dealt and places them face down on the table before the Greater Peon; the Greater Peon then hands over the two lowest numbered cards in their hand to the greater Dalmuti. A similar exchange, only with one card, takes place between the Lesser Dalmuti and the Lesser Peon. At this point the game can begin.
The Great Dalmuti plays any number of cards of the same rank and announces the play. For example, the play could be four cards of rank 10 (Shepherdess) -- "Four Shepherdess". Proceeding in clockwise order, each player may either (a) play the same number of cards of a lower number, or (b) pass and drop out of the round.
Each successive play must be with the exact same number of cards (in this case, four cards), but with a number that is lower than the previous play in the round. Thus, if the Lesser Dalmuti follows this play by playing "Four Mason" (rank 8), then the First Merchant can either play four cards of a rank less than 8, or pass. Any player that passes can no longer play any cards in the round.
Once all players have passed, the Greater Peon gathers up the cards from the table. The last player to have played cards that round, then plays any number of cards of the same rank and announces the play -- starting a new round.
This continues until all cards have been played from all hands. The first player to empty their hand will become the Greater Dalmuti in the next round; the second player to empty their hand will become the Lesser Dalmuti in the next5 round; and so on through the Merchant ranks, with the last two players to empty their hands becoming the Lesser and Greater Peons respectively.
All players move to their respective seats, and the next game begins.
Ultimately, there is no 'winner' to the game -- other than to be highest ranked at the end of each game. It is a social party game.
The House Rules House Rule
One rule that has been a part of this game for my group from the start is the House Rules House Rule. This rule states: At the start of each game (excluding the first game of the evening), the newly appointed Greater Dalmuti may make a declaration. This declaration becomes a law for the remainder of the games in the evening.
The declaration cannot impact the game directly. You cannot make a declaration that changes the rules of the game, or how the game is played. You cannot make a declaration that calls out a player specifically (calling out a title, it just fine). Anything in the realm of the social atmosphere is perfectly legal. Anyone that violates any of the laws that have been established faces Punishment (see below).
Examples of declarations/laws that have proved fun for us over the years are:
The Thumb-monster: All players are required to have a drink in front of them at all times. Once in the course of a game, the Greater Dalmuti may place his thumb on the table. If he does, all other players are required to do the same. The last player to get their thumb on the table must down whatever drink they have, and refill it immediately. Anyone that places their thumb on the table before the great Dalmuti does, will face Punishment.
Town Crier: As each player places cards, they do not announce the cards being played, the Lesser Peon does. This player must stand up, and loudly proclaim "Hear ye, hear ye! The {title} has just played {cards}!" -- for example, "Hear ye, hear ye! The Second Merchant has just played three Peasant!"
Quorum: With the exception of the Greater and Lesser Dalmuti, no player may leave the table for any reason without the permission of the Greater Dalmuti. This can be especially tense if the Thumb-monster law is in effect, and players are having to go to the bathroom...
Servant: The lowest ranking Merchant, at the start of each game, must refill all player's drinks, get them snacks, etc. as they wish... excepting the Peons, of course... they get nothing (other than a drink, if required by another law...).
and so on... A Greater Dalmuti may, if they wish, decree that a previous law has been retracted. This counts as their decree for that game. So many good laws have been decreed in our games, it would be impossible to list them all. So... punishment. What should it be?
Punishment is certainly something that, like the laws, is dependent upon the group you are playing with. Punishments that we have imposed included doing 20 push-ups (we were in the Navy, what did you expect?) to having to stand up and sing a song of the Greater Dalmuti's choosing. But with some imagination, I am sure you can come up with something on your one that fits your group. Just keep it legal...
Conclusions
If you want a game that is purely social and can inspire some great conversation... this is a great time. If you are looking for a game with strategic depth... look elsewhere.
-
Jonathan C
United States
Iowa
-
Great review! I remember playing this with church groups growing up, and it was a lot of fun so long as it didn't go on forever. I never read the 'house rules' before...quite funny! Didn't realize that this could be so easily turned into a drinking game.
-Jonathan
-
|
|
