Weapons board game
Gameplay outline, no resolution mechanics or flavour, minimal narrative.
Pieces:
1 Board (hex)
x Weapon character cards
x Enchantment Decks (one per weapon plus one generic, differentiated by colour of back)
1 Dungeon Encounter Deck
1 Overland Encounter Deck
1 City Encounter Deck
1 Reward Deck
1 Hero Deck
Setup:
Shuffle all decks (except the Weapon deck if will be choosing instead of randomly determining)
Each player chooses or randomly draws a Weapon card. Shuffle the Weapon deck after all players have a Weapon card.
Each player will take a number of Willpower counters equal to the Willpower on the Weapon card.
Each player draws a number of cards from their own Enchantment deck and generic Enchantment deck as shown on the Weapon card. This will constitute their starting 'Hand.' Shuffle each Enchantment deck after all players have drawn)
Each player must draw from the Hero deck until they come to a Hero of the type described on the Weapon card (Thief, Warrior, etc. Alternatively, some weapons may instead have you draw from another deck, such as for an orc). Unless otherwise indicated on the Weapon, Heroes start at level 1. Shuffle the Hero deck after all players have drawn (and any other decks used)
Each player will place their counter on the space of the board indicated by the Weapon card.
Goal:
Each Weapon has a personal goal explained on the Weapon card (example: defeat x orcs, achieve x enchantments, be wielded by a Hero of x level). There is a specific benefit for completing this goal (extra Willpower & Enchantments, generally)
Once a Weapon has achieved its personal goal, it may attempt to be added to the hoard of the Great Dragon at the heart of the land. To be added, the Weapon must have an amount of Willpower plus Passive Enchantments equal to or greater than an amount varying depending upon the number of players. If a Weapon is found lacking, the Hero is discarded and the Player loses 1 turn. The first Weapon to be added to this hoard is the winner.
Play:
Play consists of a series of turns, going clockwise around the table. The player with the lowest Willpower goes first.
During a turn, the following things occur:
1. Movement
A. Player may spend an amount of Willpower equal to Hero's level to move to any adjacent area or stay in the current area.
B. Otherwise, movement is per Hero. If more than one movement option matches Hero's Movement, Player may choose from these.
2. Enchantment: Player must choose which Passive Enchantment (if any) will be in effect this turn. A new Passive Enchantment may be played at this point and be in effect.
3. Encounter(s):
A. Player draws a number of Encounter cards indicated on the area from the deck indicated.
B. Encounters are resolved in the order drawn.
4. Discard: Player must discard extra Enchantments from play or Hand until they have a number less than or equal to their Maximum.
Encounter decks:
Encounter decks consist of 3 types of cards. When a Weapon enters an area on the map, they reveal encounter cards as indicated on that area (for instance, 2 City or 4 Dungeon). These are resolved in the order drawn.
Conflict: These cards indicate such things as combat, traps, political intrigue, curses, etc. They have differing effects if won or lost as indicated on the card.
Quest: These indicate a set of requirements to fulfill to attain a reward. When completed, the Quest will be reversed to show the reward.
Treasure: Allows Player to draw cards from the Reward deck (usually discarding any non-Artifacts)
Reward deck:
Rewards cards will be drawn when an Encounter card indicates such. These generally give a benefit to the Hero and a certain amount of Willpower to the Weapon.
Artifacts: These are non-sapient enchanted objects which give benefits to the Hero they are attached to. When a Hero is defeated, these may be transferred to the new Wielder.
Blessings: A benefit to a specific Hero. These are never transferable and may be lost if certain conditions on the card are met. This covers one-shot spell effects & continuing effects.
Experience: Increases the level of the Hero (then is discarded).
Renown: Gives a social benefit to the Hero (or, rarely, to the Weapon). These are not transferable.
Enchantment decks:
Enchantments come in two types. When they are drawn, they are added to the Hand of the Player of that Weapon.
Passive: A Passive Enchantment may be put into play by paying a number of Willpower counters equal to the value of that Enchantment (in the upper right-hand corner). A Weapon may have any number of Passive Enchantments, but only one may be in use at a time.
Active: Active Enchantments remain in the Player's Hand until they are specifically being used. During a Turn, a Player may pay an amount of Willpower equal to the value of that Enchantment to have it go into effect. This card is returned to the Player's Hand at the end of the turn.
Hero deck:
Each Hero has statistics broken down by level.
Combat: Most common in Dungeon and Overland Encounters.
Magic: Most common in Dungeon and City Encounters.
Social: Most common in City and Overland Encounters.
Movement: Indicates preferred direction of Movement for the Hero (Usually 'Towards nearest')
Special:
Weapon deck:
Each Weapon has the following statistics:
Goal: the personal goal of this weapon and its reward for completion.
Willpower: the number of Willpower counters this Weapon begins with.
Enchantments: the number of specific and generic Enchantments drawn at the beginning of the game.
Capacity: The maximum number of Enchantments a Weapon may have total in play and in hand.
Special: Special effects from different Encounter types (for instance, gain 1 Willpower for each orc defeated or draw 1 extra Reward for Political Encounters)
Notes on terminology:
Hero: any creature currently the Wielder of a Weapon is considered a Hero for the purposes of most card and rules text (unless otherwise indicated on the card).
Board:
The board consists of a hex map with each hex indicating a general area.
Each hex is defined by Level, Type, and Encounters, as well as any special instructions.
When a Hero enters a new area, they draw a number of Encounter cards equal to the Encounter for that hex from the deck matching the Type of that hex. The Encounter level will match that of the hex.
What scales?
Almost all Encounters scale. Heroes scale. The scale is from 1 to 10 on most cards.
Rewards, Enchantments, and Weapons do not scale.
Conflict Encounter, Combat:
Humanoids are fairly equivalent at level 1 and progress up to level 10. In the case of weak humanoids, such as goblins, particularly high levels indicate larger groups.
Monsters tend to be more powerful than humanoids at the same level.
If a Combat Conflict is failed, this usually results in death of the Hero. Humanoids will usually become the new Hero wielding the Weapon. Monsters will generally allow the Player to draw a new Hero at a Level equal to that of the hex.
If a Combat Conflict is successful, there will generally be one or more Reward cards given.
Conflict Encounter, Trap:
Traps usually require that the player roll and add one of the Hero's stats and compare to a base number, varying by level. If failed, the Trap will have an instant or continuing effect (for example, lose 1 Artifact or end turn without continuing to further encounters).
Most traps are not lethal and few give Rewards for completing.
Conflict Encounter, Political:
These are almost exclusively found in the City Encounter deck and are usually social in nature. They generally require that the Player roll and add to the Hero's Social stat and compare to a base number which scales by level. Most Political Conflict Encounters also include a secondary option to the roll, for example giving up an Artifact or
Failure generally indicates loss of Artifacts, ending one's Turn, or a penalty on further Encounters within that hex.
Success is generally Rewards.
Quest Encounter:
Quests have a set goal which the Hero may attempt to complete to gain a bonus, Rewards, etc. The goal generally scales upwards with level of the hex, as does the reward. Once the goal is completed, the Hero gains the reward at the end of that turn. Quests are kept next to the Hero and are non-transferrable.
Treasure Encounter, Reward:
The Player draws x Reward cards, usually scaling by level.
Treasure Encounter, Special:
Some Treasures are a specific Artifact or other boon to the Hero and will be treated the same as if they had been drawn from the Reward deck.
Reward, Artifact:
This card is placed next to the Hero. Most often, these give bonuses to certain types of rolls.
Some Artifacts cannot be kept by certain types of Heroes and are instead discarded. This will be indicated on the card if applicable.
When a Hero is killed, these will often transfer to the new Hero.
Artifacts do not grant any Willpower to the Weapon unless otherwise indicated.
Reward, Blessing:
This card is placed next to the Hero. Most often, Blessings give bonuses to certain types of rolls or allow immediate success on a type of roll. Some Blessings are single-use and then are discarded, otherwise these stay with the Hero until that Hero is killed or a certain criteria is met.
Blessings are never transferrable.
Blessings grant 1 Willpower to the Weapon in most cases.
Reward, Experience:
The Hero gains a level (if not already at maximum), the Weapon gains 1 Willpower, and this card is discarded. If Hero is at maximum, Weapon gains 2 Willpower instead.
Reward, Renown
This card is placed next to the Hero.
Renown gives a bonus to Social rolls and most may be discarded to ignore a certain type of Conflict Encounter.
Pieces:
1 Board (hex)
x Weapon character cards
x Enchantment Decks (one per weapon plus one generic, differentiated by colour of back)
1 Dungeon Encounter Deck
1 Overland Encounter Deck
1 City Encounter Deck
1 Reward Deck
1 Hero Deck
Setup:
Shuffle all decks (except the Weapon deck if will be choosing instead of randomly determining)
Each player chooses or randomly draws a Weapon card. Shuffle the Weapon deck after all players have a Weapon card.
Each player will take a number of Willpower counters equal to the Willpower on the Weapon card.
Each player draws a number of cards from their own Enchantment deck and generic Enchantment deck as shown on the Weapon card. This will constitute their starting 'Hand.' Shuffle each Enchantment deck after all players have drawn)
Each player must draw from the Hero deck until they come to a Hero of the type described on the Weapon card (Thief, Warrior, etc. Alternatively, some weapons may instead have you draw from another deck, such as for an orc). Unless otherwise indicated on the Weapon, Heroes start at level 1. Shuffle the Hero deck after all players have drawn (and any other decks used)
Each player will place their counter on the space of the board indicated by the Weapon card.
Goal:
Each Weapon has a personal goal explained on the Weapon card (example: defeat x orcs, achieve x enchantments, be wielded by a Hero of x level). There is a specific benefit for completing this goal (extra Willpower & Enchantments, generally)
Once a Weapon has achieved its personal goal, it may attempt to be added to the hoard of the Great Dragon at the heart of the land. To be added, the Weapon must have an amount of Willpower plus Passive Enchantments equal to or greater than an amount varying depending upon the number of players. If a Weapon is found lacking, the Hero is discarded and the Player loses 1 turn. The first Weapon to be added to this hoard is the winner.
Play:
Play consists of a series of turns, going clockwise around the table. The player with the lowest Willpower goes first.
During a turn, the following things occur:
1. Movement
A. Player may spend an amount of Willpower equal to Hero's level to move to any adjacent area or stay in the current area.
B. Otherwise, movement is per Hero. If more than one movement option matches Hero's Movement, Player may choose from these.
2. Enchantment: Player must choose which Passive Enchantment (if any) will be in effect this turn. A new Passive Enchantment may be played at this point and be in effect.
3. Encounter(s):
A. Player draws a number of Encounter cards indicated on the area from the deck indicated.
B. Encounters are resolved in the order drawn.
4. Discard: Player must discard extra Enchantments from play or Hand until they have a number less than or equal to their Maximum.
Encounter decks:
Encounter decks consist of 3 types of cards. When a Weapon enters an area on the map, they reveal encounter cards as indicated on that area (for instance, 2 City or 4 Dungeon). These are resolved in the order drawn.
Conflict: These cards indicate such things as combat, traps, political intrigue, curses, etc. They have differing effects if won or lost as indicated on the card.
Quest: These indicate a set of requirements to fulfill to attain a reward. When completed, the Quest will be reversed to show the reward.
Treasure: Allows Player to draw cards from the Reward deck (usually discarding any non-Artifacts)
Reward deck:
Rewards cards will be drawn when an Encounter card indicates such. These generally give a benefit to the Hero and a certain amount of Willpower to the Weapon.
Artifacts: These are non-sapient enchanted objects which give benefits to the Hero they are attached to. When a Hero is defeated, these may be transferred to the new Wielder.
Blessings: A benefit to a specific Hero. These are never transferable and may be lost if certain conditions on the card are met. This covers one-shot spell effects & continuing effects.
Experience: Increases the level of the Hero (then is discarded).
Renown: Gives a social benefit to the Hero (or, rarely, to the Weapon). These are not transferable.
Enchantment decks:
Enchantments come in two types. When they are drawn, they are added to the Hand of the Player of that Weapon.
Passive: A Passive Enchantment may be put into play by paying a number of Willpower counters equal to the value of that Enchantment (in the upper right-hand corner). A Weapon may have any number of Passive Enchantments, but only one may be in use at a time.
Active: Active Enchantments remain in the Player's Hand until they are specifically being used. During a Turn, a Player may pay an amount of Willpower equal to the value of that Enchantment to have it go into effect. This card is returned to the Player's Hand at the end of the turn.
Hero deck:
Each Hero has statistics broken down by level.
Combat: Most common in Dungeon and Overland Encounters.
Magic: Most common in Dungeon and City Encounters.
Social: Most common in City and Overland Encounters.
Movement: Indicates preferred direction of Movement for the Hero (Usually 'Towards nearest')
Special:
Weapon deck:
Each Weapon has the following statistics:
Goal: the personal goal of this weapon and its reward for completion.
Willpower: the number of Willpower counters this Weapon begins with.
Enchantments: the number of specific and generic Enchantments drawn at the beginning of the game.
Capacity: The maximum number of Enchantments a Weapon may have total in play and in hand.
Special: Special effects from different Encounter types (for instance, gain 1 Willpower for each orc defeated or draw 1 extra Reward for Political Encounters)
Notes on terminology:
Hero: any creature currently the Wielder of a Weapon is considered a Hero for the purposes of most card and rules text (unless otherwise indicated on the card).
Board:
The board consists of a hex map with each hex indicating a general area.
Each hex is defined by Level, Type, and Encounters, as well as any special instructions.
When a Hero enters a new area, they draw a number of Encounter cards equal to the Encounter for that hex from the deck matching the Type of that hex. The Encounter level will match that of the hex.
What scales?
Almost all Encounters scale. Heroes scale. The scale is from 1 to 10 on most cards.
Rewards, Enchantments, and Weapons do not scale.
Conflict Encounter, Combat:
Humanoids are fairly equivalent at level 1 and progress up to level 10. In the case of weak humanoids, such as goblins, particularly high levels indicate larger groups.
Monsters tend to be more powerful than humanoids at the same level.
If a Combat Conflict is failed, this usually results in death of the Hero. Humanoids will usually become the new Hero wielding the Weapon. Monsters will generally allow the Player to draw a new Hero at a Level equal to that of the hex.
If a Combat Conflict is successful, there will generally be one or more Reward cards given.
Conflict Encounter, Trap:
Traps usually require that the player roll and add one of the Hero's stats and compare to a base number, varying by level. If failed, the Trap will have an instant or continuing effect (for example, lose 1 Artifact or end turn without continuing to further encounters).
Most traps are not lethal and few give Rewards for completing.
Conflict Encounter, Political:
These are almost exclusively found in the City Encounter deck and are usually social in nature. They generally require that the Player roll and add to the Hero's Social stat and compare to a base number which scales by level. Most Political Conflict Encounters also include a secondary option to the roll, for example giving up an Artifact or
Failure generally indicates loss of Artifacts, ending one's Turn, or a penalty on further Encounters within that hex.
Success is generally Rewards.
Quest Encounter:
Quests have a set goal which the Hero may attempt to complete to gain a bonus, Rewards, etc. The goal generally scales upwards with level of the hex, as does the reward. Once the goal is completed, the Hero gains the reward at the end of that turn. Quests are kept next to the Hero and are non-transferrable.
Treasure Encounter, Reward:
The Player draws x Reward cards, usually scaling by level.
Treasure Encounter, Special:
Some Treasures are a specific Artifact or other boon to the Hero and will be treated the same as if they had been drawn from the Reward deck.
Reward, Artifact:
This card is placed next to the Hero. Most often, these give bonuses to certain types of rolls.
Some Artifacts cannot be kept by certain types of Heroes and are instead discarded. This will be indicated on the card if applicable.
When a Hero is killed, these will often transfer to the new Hero.
Artifacts do not grant any Willpower to the Weapon unless otherwise indicated.
Reward, Blessing:
This card is placed next to the Hero. Most often, Blessings give bonuses to certain types of rolls or allow immediate success on a type of roll. Some Blessings are single-use and then are discarded, otherwise these stay with the Hero until that Hero is killed or a certain criteria is met.
Blessings are never transferrable.
Blessings grant 1 Willpower to the Weapon in most cases.
Reward, Experience:
The Hero gains a level (if not already at maximum), the Weapon gains 1 Willpower, and this card is discarded. If Hero is at maximum, Weapon gains 2 Willpower instead.
Reward, Renown
This card is placed next to the Hero.
Renown gives a bonus to Social rolls and most may be discarded to ignore a certain type of Conflict Encounter.