Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books

2025 · Medieval

Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books

Players take on the role of scholars responding to a call to study medicine, examining newly arrived books and scrolls to advance medical knowledge. The expansion adds a black Medicine Research Track, black dice, and mechanics for publishing books; players invest in research, retire translators, and assemble engine-driving combinations of published works to score points and benefits. Gameplay emphasizes engine building and strategic timing of publications as players translate texts, allocate dice to research tracks, and convert discoveries into published volumes.

Players
1–4 best 3
Playing time
60–90 min
Age
13+
Complexity
4 / 5
Expansion for Base-gameArabianArea Majority / InfluenceDice RollingDeck, Bag, and Pool Building

Where to buy it

Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.

Compare all prices in Ludoya

On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya
3
Plays logged
7
Players
2h 5m
Average play
8
In collections
2
On wishlists

Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

When I gain a Page Card, do I have to take one, and how much does it cost?

You may take 1 Page Card or choose 2 XP instead. To take a card from a Book, pay the XP shown on it; if it’s the only card on that Book, its cost is reduced by 1 XP (p. 5).

When can I tuck Page Cards, and do I pay the old card-tucking costs?

Tuck Page Cards only at the end of your turn, and use your Row Reference Tile to determine any cost; the original game’s Silver/White Die costs no longer apply. Completing a row makes you slide the tile down and resolve your highest Row Bonus Tile (p. 8).

If I use a Black Die with another die, what colour is my action?

Black takes priority, so the action is Black even when paired with a secondary die. Black Dice also count as coloured dice when totaling your Dice Sum (p. 4).

What do I do when I take a Black Translate action?

You don’t translate a Scroll from the House of Wisdom: at action value 6+, place 1 Gold on a Translator to gain 1 XP and a Page Card; at 10+, place 2 Gold on two different Translators to gain 3 XP and a Page Card. You may take 2 XP instead of the Page Card, and you can underspend your action’s pips (p. 7).

Do I score my remaining XP at the end of the game?

No—remaining XP is worth nothing unless an End Game Page Card specifically changes that, such as one that scores remaining XP as Gold. Resolve End Game Page Cards before adding up Dice Sums and moving to final scoring (pp. 10, 16).

Opens Ludoya's rules assistant, which reads this game's rulebook.

Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.