Slither and Climb

by Jed Stone

1. The game is played on three boards of 10 by 10 squares. Board A is numbered from 1-100. Board B from 101-200 and board C from 201-300. On each board the numbers pass from square to square in a logical consecutive fashion e.g. from left to right then right to left. The boards are numbered in an identical fashion and placed directly over each other though not necessarily with the same orientation. Each player starts off on board A at square 0 and the game is won by the first player to pass or reach 300 on board C.

2. To make a move a player makes his own choice of die throw by choosing a number between 1 and 6. In the first six rounds each number may be used only once; likewise in the next six rounds and so on. Players must keep their own record of their throws, as the game report will only indicate the positions of the players and not the throws made. Each round will be a two-move turn.

3. On each board there will be a number of snakes and ladders. The exact positions of the snakes and ladders and their nature will not be disclosed or hinted at by the GM. However, all the snakes will descend, and all the ladders will rise in a predetermined fashion as indicated below. Snakes will always go down at least a row and a ladder will go up at least a row. In all cases snakes will always fall to a square on the board they on. Certain ladders will, however, give access to the board above.

4. SNAKES. There are four types of snake all of which have a negative effect on play.

a) Grass snakes. - Grass snakes are the most common ones in the game. They all are all the same length but only descend to the row below the head. Eg a grass snake, which is six squares long and has its head on square 51, would stretch to square 46 while one on square 40 would descend to square 25.

b) Hydra - The Hydra has three heads all descending to the same tail the end of which will lie three rows below the middle head. The heads will be logically positioned on nearby squares, e.g. if the middle head is on 56 the other heads could be on 54 and 58.

c) Python - The Python is a very long snake. It will drop down to a square four rows below the head.

d) Snake Eggs - Should a player land on a square with a snake egg he misses his next turn. (The GM plays the next throw as 0 and the actual play is forfeit.)

5. LADDERS. At the start of the game there will be six types of ladder on the boards. All of which have a positive effect on play.

a) Stepladders- Stepladders are the most common type to be found on the board. They allow passage to the row directly above. They lean either to the left or the right from the square on which they stand. i.e. a ladder on square 43 could go up to either 57 or 59.

b) 'A' Frame ladder- This ladder will rise from two points on a row to a single square two rows above. The distance between the feet of the two ladder is always two squares, e.g. an AF reaching up to square 46 will have its legs on squares 25 and 27.

d) Double Extending ladder - This ladder will go up three rows. A DEL on square 4 would reach up to either square 36 or 38.

e) Triple Extending ladder - This ladder will rise for four rows. A TEL on square 8 would reach either square 49 or 47.

f) Loft ladders - There are two of these on boards A and B. They are between one and three squares in length and allow access to the board above. Eg a loft ladder on square 45 could rise to square 157, or 116 or even 38. They are positioned by the GM and are not necessarily part of the ladder pattern and can be different on both boards. The location of all four-loft ladders is announced at the start of the game.

g) Escalators - There are two escalators in the game. They are on squares 100 and 200 and they give instant access to the board above. Eg a player on 97 could safely play a six. The first part of the move would be on board A and the second half would continue on board B. Escalators are between one and four squares in length. Escalators are length and could rise to any square on the board above

6. The positioning of the snake eggs, the heads of the grass snakes and the foot of the stepladders will all be consistent with their own patterns. Each pattern will be mathematical e.g. squares that are the multiples of nine, or geometrical eg every other square of a diagonal. The central head of the Hydra and the head of the Python will be part of the grass snake pattern. The first foot of the 'A' frame ladder, (numerically speaking), and the feet of the Double and Triple extending ladders will be part of the stepladder's pattern. Their exact place in the patterns will be decided by the GM. All patterns will be the same for both boards.

7. PLAYER OPTIONS

a) Portable Ladders - each player has four portable ladders with them that they may use anytime in the game to extend their move by climbing to the square directly above them, i.e. from square 59 a player may pass to square 62 after they make their dice move. A player may use only one portable ladder per move and once they have positioned it, it becomes part of the board and may be used by any other player at anytime. A snake, ladder, trap door or well effect on the square initially moved to are applied before the portable ladder is put in place. Similarly any effect on the square the extra move goes to will be applied immediately. If two or more players share the same square only one of them needs to place a portable ladder for all of them to take advantage of it. (Two or more PL's placed on the same square are a waste of a resource but quite acceptable to the GM.) The number of PL's a player has at his disposal will be shown on the adjudication by an x under their name.

b) Trap Doors & Wells - each turn a player can vote for a Trap Door and a Well to be opened. Both are opened for the duration of the turn. Trap doors open between squares. (On a standard board a trap door on square 20 will drop a player onto square 1.) Wells can only be opened only on boards B and C. A player falling down a well lands on the board below.

A trap door or a well will be opened on the square receiving the most nominations with a minimum vote of 3 of the players; rounded down, i.e. with 7 players' nominations from 3 players will be required for either a trap door or a well.

8. ORDER OF MOVEMENT - The specific order in which events are processed will be as follows..

a) Players throws are processed. (Any one on a snake egg moves zero.)

b) Votes on Trap doors and Wells are counted and put into effect.

c) Effects of snakes and ladders carried through.

d) Portable ladders are positioned and extra moves made.

e) Any snake or ladder effects caused by the extended moves are made.

f) Return to a).