Paupers' Medley
🐸 Dettagli da BoardGameGeek
Consiglio BGG sul numero di giocatori
Categorie
Meccaniche
Design & Art
Lingua
Pre-order - leggi i dettagli
🐸 Una rana saggia sa quando dividere l’ordine… e quando aspettare il salto giusto.
Pairs well with
FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
Four boxes. Four different ways to return to Brighthelm. Each time you discover that world was bigger than you remembered.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Four ways to return to Brighthelm, each different from the other
Paupers' Medley collects four expansions for Pauper's Ladder, the narrative game by Paul Stapleton (design and illustrations) published by Bedsit Games in the LongPack format. The Moon Towers, This Cobbled Isle, The Brighthelm Bodachs, and The Giftbearers: each brings with it new cards, mechanics, characters, and atmospheres. They are not variations on the same theme: they are four expansions that take different directions.
Explore the Moon Towers and their ethereal guardians. Sail the coasts with the Cutty Wren, trading exotic goods. Play as malevolent bodachs spreading corruption. Celebrate Christmas in Brighthelm with crackers and gifts. Each expansion brings new regional decks, talents, bird companions, curses, and game modes (including cooperative mode).
What they say abroad
Four expansions that don't just add: they transform.
— FroGames
Every return to Brighthelm is different. Each time you discover something you didn't know was there.
— FroGames
Paupers' Medley
The base game supports solo play and each expansion maintains that mode, adding new decks and challenges. The narrative experience remains complete, even if you lose the exchange dynamics and political interactions of multiplayer.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsWhat it contains
Four expansions, four worlds
The Moon Towers
400 cards of new cities, villages, dangers, treasures, equipment, and quests. 14 new bird companions, talents for your pauper, and curses to endure. The largest expansion.
This Cobbled Isle
The regional city deck to explore the streets of Brighthelm, the Cutty Wren ship selling exotic goods along the coast, personal quests for each pauper. Cooperative and quick play modes included.
The Brighthelm Bodachs
Play as malevolent bodachs spreading evil power. Tricks, pacts with other players, and enslaved creatures to fight by your side. Completely flips the game.
The Giftbearers
Christmas in Brighthelm: challenge opponents to pull crackers, exchange gifts in the name of goodwill. New festive-themed paupers and birds.
Four boxes that don't just add content: they change the way you return to Brighthelm. Each time is a different journey.
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Choosing an expansion
Open the boxes. Someone wants to explore the Moon Towers, someone else prefers the bodachs. Decide together (or everyone takes their own path if you play combined). The table changes even before you start.
First new cards
You draw from a deck you didn't know. A city you'd never seen, a bird companion with strange abilities. Every card is a discovery. You realize Brighthelm was bigger than you thought.
The mechanic that changes everything
If you chose This Cobbled Isle, you suddenly play cooperatively. If you are a bodach, you trick others to get slaves. The game you knew has become something else. And it works.
The festive or dark moment
With The Giftbearers, someone pulls a cracker and laughs at the absurd gift. With The Bodachs, someone enslaves a creature and turns the game around. Four expansions, four completely different tones.
End of game with new cards
You finish the game with a hand of cards that didn't exist in the base game. Someone won with a new strategy, someone else discovered an unseen combo. You're already thinking about the next expansion to try.
How to play
The flow of each round (base + expansions)
Each expansion integrates into the base game by adding decks, mechanics, and modes. The turn remains the same, but the options multiply.
You move between regions. Now there are the Moon Towers, the streets of Brighthelm, the coast where the Cutty Wren sails. Each deck brings new locations.
You draw from the active regional deck (or from the ship's deck if you are on the coast). Resolve quests, accumulate treasures, face dangers. New cards change possible strategies.
You use new talents, activate new bird companions. If you are a bodach, you trick others. If you play co-op (This Cobbled Isle), you collaborate for common goals.
You accumulate virtues (or corruption if bodach), complete personal quests, exchange gifts (if Giftbearers). Each expansion brings different victory or progression conditions.
Why it's different from others
Six elements that make the difference
The Moon Towers: 400 cards of content
It's not a small expansion. The Moon Towers brings 400 new cards of cities, villages, dangers, treasures, equipment, quests. 14 new bird companions, talents and curses. It's almost a new game within the game.
Cooperative mode (This Cobbled Isle)
This Cobbled Isle introduces a complete co-op mode. All players collaborate against the game. It completely changes the pace and strategies. It's not a variant: it's a new way to play.
Play as an antagonist (The Bodachs)
The Brighthelm Bodachs lets you play as evil bodachs. Spread corruption, trick others, enslave creatures to fight for you. It completely reverses the player's role and introduces asymmetrical mechanics.
Complete festive theme (The Giftbearers)
The Giftbearers brings Christmas to Brighthelm. Crackers to pull, gifts to exchange, new paupers and festive-themed birds. It's not just a reskin: the exchange and challenge mechanics change player interaction.
The merchant ship (Cutty Wren)
This Cobbled Isle introduces the Cutty Wren, a ship that sails along the coast selling exotic goods. You can intercept it, trade, plan your movements based on its whereabouts. It adds a mobile and strategic resource.
Personal quests and quick games
This Cobbled Isle brings personal quests for each pauper and a variant for faster games (fewer virtues to win). It adapts the game to your time and your desire for long or short narratives.
How it ends
How to win (depends on the expansion)
Each expansion brings different conditions. Some maintain the classic victory, others introduce cooperative or asymmetrical objectives.
Victory
- Accumulate virtues (or corruption if bodach) by completing quests and exploring
- Complete your pauper's personal quests (This Cobbled Isle)
- In co-op mode, everyone wins if you reach the common objective before the time limit
Defeat or failure
- Suffer too many curses or dangers and your pauper is eliminated
- In co-op, you fail if the event deck runs out before completing the objective
- As a bodach, you lose if others hinder you enough to stop your corruption
Four expansions that take Pauper's Ladder and lead it in four different directions. Each box is a new way to return to Brighthelm.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Paupers' Medley
Is the base game required to play them?
Yes, Paupers' Medley collects four expansions for Pauper's Ladder. They are not standalone games: they require the base game to be played. Each expansion adds decks, cards and mechanics that integrate with the main system.
Can I play them all together or are they separate?
They are designed to be played separately or combined. You can choose a single expansion per game (e.g., just The Moon Towers) or mix elements from multiple expansions. The manual suggests balanced combinations, but modularity is high.
Which expansion should I try first?
This Cobbled Isle is the most accessible: it adds the city, trade, and cooperative mode without overhauling the game. The Moon Towers is the largest and requires more time. The Bodachs and The Giftbearers are the most specific (antagonist and festive theme).
Does cooperative mode change the game much?
Yes, completely. In co-op (This Cobbled Isle), everyone collaborates against the event deck to achieve a common goal. It changes the pace, strategies, and table interaction. If you love competitive Pauper's Ladder, try other expansions first.
Is it available in Italian?
This edition is in English. The game is highly language-dependent: each card carries narrative text, quests, and descriptions. A good knowledge of English is needed to fully enjoy it.
Paupers' Medley collects four expansions for Pauper's Ladder, the narrative fantasy game by Paul Stapleton published by Bedsit Games. The Moon Towers, This Cobbled Isle, The Brighthelm Bodachs and The Giftbearers bring over 400 new cards, cooperative mode, antagonistic roles and a festive theme. For 1-4 players, 30-90 minutes, ages 8+. Each expansion transforms the base game in a different way, adding regional decks, bird companions, talents and new mechanics. Available on FroGames.it.
Paupers' Medley
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
The photos on the website often come from BoardGameGeek and are intended to give you an idea of the game. They may vary slightly from the version you receive. The content declared by the publisher is always binding.
📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
We always strive to provide the correct content, but minor variations are possible due to reprints or updates. The information comes directly from the publishers. If you have any questions, please contact us!
⏳How do pre-orders work?
Pre-order the game before release, payment is immediate, and the game is reserved for you. As soon as it arrives, we'll ship it right away! If there are any delays, we'll update you promptly.
🔒Can I trust buying here?
Absolutely! Secure payments, tracked shipments, and a team that loves board games as much as you do. If something goes wrong, we'll do our best to fix it.
🛠There's a problem with my order, what should I do?
Write to us now! Whether it's a missing part, damage, or an error, we'll help you resolve it as soon as possible. Your experience truly matters to us.