Die Pioniere (fan expansion for The Settlers of Catan)

Description

--- "Pioneers" is an unofficial Settlers of Catan expansion featuring 32 unique cards that provide players with persistent, double-edged abilities from game start, altering gameplay and victory conditions. Key mechanics include: - *Card distribution* Each player receives three random Pioneers cards and selects one to keep. - *Persistent effects* The chosen card's ability applies to that player throughout the entire game. - *Double-edged abilities* Cards offer powerful benefits balanced by drawbacks, such as victory point adjustments or building restrictions. - *Extortion mechanics* Examples like "The Beggars" allow extorting resources from opponents building settlements or cities, blocking builds if unpaid, in exchange for +1 VP. - *Specialized restrictions* Cards like "The Sailors" limit building to ships only, reducing victory points by 2. Pioneers is an unofficial expansion for Settlers of Catan consisting of 32 unique Pioneers cards that fundamentally alter gameplay from the outset. Prior to the game starting, each player draws three random cards and selects one, whose effects persist for that player for the duration of the game. These cards function as double-edged swords, granting potent abilities at the cost of significant trade-offs, such as modified victory point thresholds or gameplay limitations. For instance, "The Sailors" restricts the player to building only ships while lowering their required victory points by 2 from the standard total. Conversely, "The Beggars" empowers the holder to demand any resource from players attempting to build settlements or cities; refusal or inability to pay prevents the construction, offset by increasing the Beggars player's victory point requirement by 1. ---