ROWAN
A Gwyddbwyll Game based on El Oso by James Ernest
Sky: 0Pit: 0Cave: 0
SKY0
PLAYER
Move one whole stack 0 to its height in a straight line: diagonally forward/backward or laterally. No straight forward/back movement, jumping, capturing, or entering occupied cells. A stack on the top row may move into the Sky.
BEAR
Roll dice equal to the chosen player stack height, sort ascending, resolve one at a time. 1–5 indicate columns; 6 is blank. In that column, move the highest Bear stack one cell towards the Ground. If the column has no Bear stack, return up to five Bear pieces from the Cave to its top cell. Opposing pieces annihilate pairwise. Bear pieces leaving the bottom go to the Ground, then rain individually back onto the top row; rain rolls of 6 or attempts to exceed height 5 go to the Cave.
RESULT
10–12 pieces in the Sky: win. Exactly 9: draw. 8 or fewer: lose.
Move one whole stack 0 to its height in a straight line: diagonally forward/backward or laterally. No straight forward/back movement, jumping, capturing, or entering occupied cells. A stack on the top row may move into the Sky.
BEAR
Roll dice equal to the chosen player stack height, sort ascending, resolve one at a time. 1–5 indicate columns; 6 is blank. In that column, move the highest Bear stack one cell towards the Ground. If the column has no Bear stack, return up to five Bear pieces from the Cave to its top cell. Opposing pieces annihilate pairwise. Bear pieces leaving the bottom go to the Ground, then rain individually back onto the top row; rain rolls of 6 or attempts to exceed height 5 go to the Cave.
RESULT
10–12 pieces in the Sky: win. Exactly 9: draw. 8 or fewer: lose.
How to play: Select a light stack, then a marked destination. A stack may move up to its height diagonally forward/backward or sideways, never straight forward/back, and never through or onto another stack. From the top row it may leave the board for the Sky. You may also pass with a selected stack. The Bear then rolls one die per piece in the stack you chose. Rolls 1–5 affect that column; 6 is blank. Bear stacks move one square downward, collide by mutual annihilation, can return from the Cave into empty columns, and rain back from the Ground. Get 10+ pieces into the Sky to win. This playtest treats exactly 9 as a draw and 8 or fewer as a loss.