Episode 275: Septima

Septima was designed by Robin Hegedűs and is published by Mindclash games. In Septima you are witches doing witch to become a head witch in a village who doesn’t really care for witches. In this rules gist I am going to go over the full version of the game, because I feel that is where this game is at. Each player gets a player board that has a suspension track, a healed villager track, and space for up to 4 witches that a in your coven. Each player also gets a deck of actions cards. The main board is made of locations where you can ingredients, find villagers that need to be healed, and random buildings that can enhance certain actions. The game takes place over a year, which is broken up into 4 seasons, which is broken up into 5 lunar phases. Using some math magic (see what I did there) that equals 20 turns in a game. At the start of the game, you get to draft two witches into your coven. These witches enhance actions. Lets go over the meat of the game, which are those action cards. On your turn you select one face down and then every reveals. If you match someone else or the septima you get a better version of the action but also earn suspicion, which is bad but more on that later. I am not going to go over the better version of the actions because this is a gist, but the main actions are:

• Collect: Collect resources around the location you are at provided they match whatever lunar cycle you are in.
• Move: You get to move 3 spaces around the board.
• Brew: You get to brew some potions. These potion are either used to heal villagers or give you a one time ability.
• Heal: Use the potions to heal villagers.
• Chant: Lower your suspicion.
• Recruit: Send a loyal citizen to the crowd, more on this later
• Plead, send a loyal citizen from the crowd to the trail chamber (again later), also get points. Remember, redo a previously played action
• Annnd Ritual: Advance one space of the ritual track. The ritual track is a whole side board and is not in the base game. If you are playing the full game, you get a spell at the start of the game. There is a bunch of rules about how to use spells, just know they give you some ability or points. As you move up this ritual track you can get more spells and ready a spell to be able to use again. Also points.

After the actions are resolved if you raised suspicion you have to roll the hunter dice. There are hunters positioned around the board and if they catch you the send one of your witches in your coven to a trial. Which occurs during the end of the phase. During this trial, you put all loyal citizens and any angry citizens (number based on the total suspicion of all tracks) into a bag. You pull a certain amount of citizens from the bag to render a judgement at the trial. If the majority are angry the witch is banished, if you have more of your loyal citizens the witch joins your coven.

That is pretty much the turn. Couple things to note, as you heal villagers you go up certain tracks that give spells, resources, witches, and help you send loyal citizens to the crowd and the trial. Also at the end of the game lots of points.

At the end of the season you can collect your played action cards.

At the end of the game, there are some hidden objectives that will earn you points and various other things that will give you some points.

At the end of the game, whoever has the most points is the winner of Septima!