Arcana System

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Arcana System
Designer CK
Date 26/07/2012
Players 2+
This deck has not been categorised.
To play Dvorak: Draw five cards each and leave the rest as a draw pile. On your turn, draw a card from the draw pile and play one Thing and/or one Action. (See the full rules.)
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This deck is locked. Further cards should not be added - leave feedback on the talk page.

I have been toying with this idea for some time: a moderately simple card game, playable with a deck or two of Tarot cards (originally my idea only involved a pack of playing cards, but the Major Arcana offer a lot of room for creativity) and assorted bits and bobs, that combines the feeling of being a powerful conjurer directing arcane forces (as, for instance, in Magic: The Gathering), the elemental rock-paper-scissors strategy element of Vantage Master Online and games like it, and the creative, play-by-the-seat-of-your-pants aspect of nomic games like Dvorak. Additionally, I wanted it to be versatile: you can play this like a card game version of Vantage Master if you like, concentrating purely on elemental summons pounding each other, or you can turn it into a contest to see who can create the most inventive trump combos, or you can play it as I'm about to describe it: a middle ground between those two extremes. Finally, I wanted it to be dynamic: it should be possible at all times to play a card or exploit a mechanic that will turn a bad situation around or generally cause something interesting to happen, and this always requires making a choice between well-defined alternatives. Do you keep your Pentacle on hand to heal the damage you expect to take next turn, or do you play it to prevent your opponent from powering up his summon and doing damage at all?

In all fairness, I'm mostly putting this here so I can use it to generate a Lackey export. If it seems fun, though, feel free to play it and leave suggestions on the talk page. The card list, obviously, is complete (and has been for several centuries, if I understand correctly), but the rules are not quite. Don't post any more trump combos, though: allow everyone else the pleasure of inventing them separately!

Rules

Didn't seem right to call them "Special Rules", considering this is basically an entirely new game.

Rules go here

Under construction, obvs Additional equipment that may prove useful:

  • Damage counters (I have them in two different colors, one to represent 1 damage and one to represent 5, so as not to be saddled with huge amounts of little glass beads or what-have-you)
  • A d20 (if you're playing with random game length)
  • A d10 (for cards/combos that involve a 1-in-current-HP chance of something happening, or similar)
  • Several d6 in different colors, to mark the duration of poison/freeze/related effects.


Card List

A
Ace of Pentacles
Minor Arcana
Element: Earth
Cure: Heal target for 1 damage and remove all status effects.
2
Two of Pentacles
Minor Arcana
Element: Earth
Heal: Heal target for 1 damage.
3
Three of Pentacles
Minor Arcana
Element: Earth
Heal: Heal target for 1 damage.
4
Four of Pentacles
Minor Arcana
Element: Earth
Heal: Heal target for 2 damage.
5
Five of Pentacles
Minor Arcana
Element: Earth
Heal: Heal target for 2 damage.
6
Six of Pentacles
Minor Arcana
Element: Earth
Heal: Heal target for 3 damage.
7
Seven of Pentacles
Minor Arcana
Element: Earth
Heal: Heal target for 3 damage.
8
Eight of Pentacles
Minor Arcana
Element: Earth
Heal: Heal target for 4 damage.
9
Nine of Pentacles
Minor Arcana
Element: Earth
Heal: Heal target for 4 damage.
10
Ten of Pentacles
Minor Arcana
Element: Earth
Heal: Heal target for 5 damage.
S
Squire of Pentacles
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Earth
Court Element: Earth
Base power: 1
C
Cavalier of Pentacles
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Earth
Court Element: Air
Base power: 2
Q
Queen of Pentacles
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Earth
Court Element: Water
Base power: 4
K
King of Pentacles
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Earth
Court Element: Fire
Base power: 6
A
Ace of Swords
Minor Arcana
Element: Air
Cure: Heal target for 1 damage and remove all status effects.
2
Two of Swords
Minor Arcana
Element: Air
Freeze: Freeze target for 1 turn.
3
Three of Swords
Minor Arcana
Element: Air
Freeze: Freeze target for 1 turn.
4
Four of Swords
Minor Arcana
Element: Air
Freeze: Freeze target for 1 turn.
5
Five of Swords
Minor Arcana
Element: Air
Freeze: Freeze target for 2 turns.
6
Six of Swords
Minor Arcana
Element: Air
Freeze: Freeze target for 2 turns.
7
Seven of Swords
Minor Arcana
Element: Air
Freeze: Freeze target for 2 turns.
8
Eight of Swords
Minor Arcana
Element: Air
Freeze: Freeze target for 3 turns.
9
Nine of Swords
Minor Arcana
Element: Air
Freeze: Freeze target for 3 turns.
10
Ten of Swords
Minor Arcana
Element: Air
Freeze: Freeze target for 3 turns.
S
Squire of Swords
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Air
Court Element: Earth
Base power: 1
C
Cavalier of Swords
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Air
Court Element: Air
Base power: 2
Q
Queen of Swords
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Air
Court Element: Water
Base power: 4
K
King of Swords
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Air
Court Element: Fire
Base power: 6
A
Ace of Cups
Minor Arcana
Element: Water
Cure: Heal target for 1 damage and remove all status effects.
2
Two of Cups
Minor Arcana
Element: Water
Poison: Poison target for 1 turn. Poison cannot reduce a summon's HP below 1.
3
Three of Cups
Minor Arcana
Element: Water
Poison: Poison target for 1 turn. Poison cannot reduce a summon's HP below 1.
4
Four of Cups
Minor Arcana
Element: Water
Poison: Poison target for 1 turn. Poison cannot reduce a summon's HP below 1.
5
Five of Cups
Minor Arcana
Element: Water
Poison: Poison target for 2 turns. Poison cannot reduce a summon's HP below 1.
6
Six of Cups
Minor Arcana
Element: Water
Poison: Poison target for 2 turns. Poison cannot reduce a summon's HP below 1.
7
Seven of Cups
Minor Arcana
Element: Water
Poison: Poison target for 2 turns. Poison cannot reduce a summon's HP below 1.
8
Eight of Cups
Minor Arcana
Element: Water
Poison: Poison target for 3 turns. Poison cannot reduce a summon's HP below 1.
9
Nine of Cups
Minor Arcana
Element: Water
Poison: Poison target for 3 turns. Poison cannot reduce a summon's HP below 1.
10
Ten of Cups
Minor Arcana
Element: Water
Poison: Poison target for 3 turns. Poison cannot reduce a summon's HP below 1.
S
Squire of Cups
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Water
Court Element: Earth
Base power: 1
C
Cavalier of Cups
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Water
Court Element: Air
Base power: 2
Q
Queen of Cups
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Water
Court Element: Water
Base power: 4
K
King of Cups
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Water
Court Element: Fire
Base power: 6
A
Ace of Wands
Minor Arcana
Element: Fire
Cure: Heal target for 1 damage and remove all status effects.
2
Two of Wands
Minor Arcana
Element: Fire
Strike: Target takes 1 damage.
3
Three of Wands
Minor Arcana
Element: Fire
Strike: Target takes 2 damage.
4
Four of Wands
Minor Arcana
Element: Fire
Strike: Target takes 3 damage.
5
Five of Wands
Minor Arcana
Element: Fire
Strike: Target takes 4 damage.
6
Six of Wands
Minor Arcana
Element: Fire
Strike: Target takes 5 damage.
7
Seven of Wands
Minor Arcana
Element: Fire
Strike: Target takes 6 damage.
8
Eight of Wands
Minor Arcana
Element: Fire
Strike: Target takes 7 damage.
9
Nine of Wands
Minor Arcana
Element: Fire
Strike: Target takes 8 damage.
10
Ten of Wands
Minor Arcana
Element: Fire
Strike: Target takes 9 damage.
S
Squire of Wands
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Fire
Court Element: Earth
Base power: 1
C
Cavalier of Wands
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Fire
Court Element: Air
Base power: 2
Q
Queen of Wands
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Fire
Court Element: Water
Base power: 4
K
King of Wands
Minor Arcana - Summon
Element: Fire
Court Element: Fire
Base power: 6
0
The Fool
Major Arcana - Special Attack
If attack does damage, deactivate target and discard all its attached cards. If target is a Major Arcana Summon, it is destroyed instead.
I
The Magician
Major Arcana - Sorcery
Search the deck for a copy of target enemy Minor Arcana summon and play it (this includes attached cards, damage counters, status effects, et cetera). Shuffle the deck afterwards.
II
The High Priestess
Major Arcana - Summon
Base power: 3
Tap: Heal 3 damage from all friendly summons in the same position.
To untap: Discard an attached card.
III
The Empress
Major Arcana - Summon
Base power: 3
To tap a friendly summon in defense position: Discard an attached card.
Friendly summons in attack position may defend without incurring the usual 50% off-position penalty.
IV
The Emperor
Major Arcana - Summon
Base power: 2 + any attached cards
All attacks by friendly summons receive +1 damage (after elemental modifications).
V
The Hierophant
Major Arcana - Summon
Base power: 3
Discard an attached card: Force-tap target enemy summon in opposite position.
VI
The Lovers
Major Arcana - Enchantment
All attacks are prevented.
VII
The Chariot
Major Arcana - Special Attack
If attack does damage, untap immediately.
VIII
Strength
Major Arcana - Enchantment
All friendly attacks receive +4 damage (before elemental modifications).
IX
The Hermit
Major Arcana - Sorcery
Look at the top X cards of your deck and re-arrange them in any order. X is the total number of active friendly summons and active Major Arcana in play. (Count combos as a single Major Arcanum.)
X
Wheel of Fortune
Major Arcana - Special Attack
Flip a coin; if heads, attack does double damage (after elemental modifications). If tails, attack does normal damage and attacking summon takes 2 recoil damage.
XI
Justice
Major Arcana - Enchantment
Enemy summons take 1 damage for every 2 damage inflicted on friendly summons.
XII
The Hanged Man
Major Arcana - Enchantment
Enemy summons have only an X/10 chance to attack. X is an enemy summon's current HP.
XIII
Death
Major Arcana - Sorcery
All active summons in attack position (friendly and enemy) are destroyed.
XIV
Temperance
Major Arcana - Enchantment
All attacks by enemy summons receive -4 damage (after elemental modifications).
XV
The Devil
Major Arcana - Summon
Base power: 5 + any attached cards
Discard an attached card: Destroy target active enemy summon in opposite position.
XVI
The Tower
Major Arcana - Sorcery
Activate all inactive enemy summons.
XVII
The Star
Major Arcana - Special Attack
If attack does damage, target is frozen for 3 turns.
XVIII
The Moon
Major Arcana - Sorcery
All active enemy summons in defense position take 2 damage and force-tap.
XIX
The Sun
Major Arcana - Sorcery
All active friendly summons are healed for 3 damage.
XX
Judgement
Major Arcana - Enchantment
Damage done by enemy summons is not applied directly; instead, resolve any attacks normally (applying elemental modifications et cetera), but total the resulting damage and re-distribute it at will among active friendly summons.
XXI
The World
Major Arcana - Special Attack
Attack targets all enemy summons in opposite position. Activate inactive summons if necessary to resolve attack.
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