Cult! deck

Cult!
Designers	Amy
Date	12 April 2007
Players	3 to 5 (Conjectural)
This is an untested deck. Its cards are complete, but it hasn't yet been tested.
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.

Rough draft

I wanted to make a playable game that evoked a sort of feel somewhere between Illuminatus! and an actual global conspiracy game. Still under construction- there appear to be just a few too many goal cards, and there are too many redundant Surveillance conspiracies.

No offense to any religious or political group, of course. Some were obligatory- Jews, for instance, to be included and had to be. Others such as the Catholic Church or Atheists or Gays I couldn't really think of a good Conspiracy action for them. "Action: Destroy Christmas"? I intend to replace a few of the redundant alphabet soup agencies with some of the more popular conspiracy theories that I forgot (Majestic-12 and the Catholic Church at very least, suggestions welcome for other targets of silly theories).

The goals are probably heavily unbalanced in favour of some, too numerous, and there probably aren't enough actions or ways to destroy locations. This will be addressed when it's not 10:30 at night on the 1.0a stage. 1.1 patch will include these fixes and organization according to type with neat hyperlinked headings and such. A few superfluous cards might also be removed, as to my eyes the deck looks rather large and unwieldy.

Credits: Inspiration for Goal Cards goes to James Hutchings' Class Struggle deck as does several of these cards (a few also need to be credited to others such as Kryptopol). Inspiration for the game itself goes to Kevan's World Domination deck.

Not Actually Frequently AQ

Q: What does Thing- Government mean? What does Government do?
A: Nothing. Yuk yuk yuk. I'm so funny.
Q: How does Nuclear War work?
A: A nuclear war card is played face down and said to be a nuclear war card. Each player states whether they believe it's really the Nuclear War (capital letters) card, a simple yes or no. Except the person who played the card, obviously, as they should know what it is. The card is then revealed and the directions followed, which usually involve people being ejected from the game instantly depending upon what occured. Then it is placed in the discard pile like a normal action is and play continues. Yes, some of them are harsh or nonsensical, and as the number of players rise it grows to be far more of a gamble to use the cards. Nuclear War is Serious Business.
Q: How do goals work?
A: Not well, currently. But in the way it was intended- Not like World Domination or Class Struggle. Goals are normal actions, just coloured red instead of blue- so unless your hand is revealed, they're secret. Therefore it's a lot less public than World Domination in what you're trying to achieve, and ends a lot more abruptly in some cases than Class Struggle because you only need 1 goal instead of 3, and all but 1 are instantaneous. I'd like to say that's a design feature and not an accident but it's probably subject to change if it proves to be unlikable, which it probably does as with the current oversaturation of them it's difficult to predict what goals someone has and is trying to reach and too easy to achieve one by pure probabilistic luck
Q: Why is X so broken? Why is Y so useless? Why is Z unintelligible gibberish?
A: Untested decks need testing, see previous, and consult your pineal gland, respectively.

Card List

Bavarian Illuminati

Thing- Conspiracy

Action: Look at a random card from all of your opponents' hands.

The Jews

Thing- Conspiracy

Action: Search the draw pile or discard pile for a card and place it in your hand OR take a card at random from an opponent's hand.

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Thing- Conspiracy

When this card is played, choose a player. Whenever they draw a card while FBI is in play, you may look at it.

Central Intelligence Agency

Thing- Conspiracy

When this card is played, choose a player. You may look at their hand. Action: Every opponent must choose a card and reveal it to you (but not to eachother).

Freemasons

Thing- Conspiracy

Action: Draw up to 3 cards. Discard your hand down to five immediately.

The United Nations

Thing- Government

Action: Issue a sternly worded recommendation another player to perform an action of your choice. If they do not do so, shuffle the draw pile.

America

Thing- Location

Action: Destroy a location

The USSR

Thing- Location

Action: Search the draw pile for a General Public card. Place it in your hand. Another player may immediately play Communists or America from their hand to block this. If so, destroy USSR. USSR may not use this action if America or Communists is in play under someone else's control.

Communists

Thing- Conspiracy

Action: Choose an opponent. They must discard 2 cards at random.

Thule Society

Thing- Conspiracy

Action: Return a card from the discard pile to your hand.

US Congress

Thing- Government

Action: No player may play actions during their next turn. This ability cannot be used on your next turn if it was used on the prior one.

Conservatives

Thing- General Public

Liberals

Thing- General Public

Feminists

Thing- General Public

Catholics

Thing- General Public

Labourers

Thing- General Public

Neodynium Solutions, Ltd.

Thing- Corporation

Avaricity, Inc.

Things- Corporation

The Military Industrial Complex

Thing- Corporation

Disney

Thing- Corporation

COBRA

Thing- Conspiracy

Play onto an opponent. Any player may spend an action to prevent an action you play, except if it was prevented by this card previously.Action: Destroy COBRA.

Terrorist Organization

Thing- Conspiracy

Action: Discard a card you have in hand. An opponent must choose and discard 3 cards.

Western Europe

Thing- Location

Action: Destroy Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe

Thing- Location

Action: Destroy Western Europe

Africa

Thing- Location

China

Thing- Location

Action: Search the draw pile for a location and place it in your hand.

Asia

Thing- Location

The Moon

Thing- Location

Action: May not be destroyed by any card that does not specifically target Locations.

Secret Antarctic Base

Thing- Location

The Middle East

Thing- Location

Atlantis

Thing- Location

KGB

Thing- Conspiracy

Action: All players must reveal their hands to eachother

New World Order

Action- Goal

If you control at least 2 conspiracies and 4 locations, you win the game.

Good Shepard

Action- Goal

If you control 4 general publics, you win the game.

Combined Conspiracies Corporation, Ltd.

Action- Goal

If you control 5 Conspiracies, you win the game

World Government

Action- Goal

If you control at least 6 of the following cards, you win the game: United Nations, any Location but Atlantis, The Moon, and Secret Antarctic Base, and the General Public*.

• You may not use more than 2 General Public cards for the purposes of this.

Brainwashing

Action

Take a General Public card from your opponent's control and put it into play on your side.

Orbital Mind Control Laser

Action

Take any Thing that is not a conspiracy or location from your opponent's control and put it in your hand.

Popular Front

Action- Goal

If you control at least 2 locations, 2 general public cards and 1 conspiracy and all opponents have no conspiracy cards and each has a lesser amount of general public cards in play, you win the game.

Easily Maligned Special Interest Group

Thing- General Public

Easily Maligned Religious Group

Thing- General Public

Oddly Perceptive For Sheep

Action

Look at a random card in an opponent's hand. If it is a conspiracy, they must discard their hand.

Sinister Initiation Ritual

Action

Search the draw pile for a conspiracy and place it in your hand.

Celebrity Endorsement

Action

Search the draw pile or discard pile for a General Public card. Place it in your hand.

Defection

Action

Discard two cards. Take a thing from an opponent's control and place it in your hand.

Magic Bullet

Action

Destroy a non-location thing

Workers United

Action- Goal

If you control the USSR, Communists, and at least 3 General Public cards, you win the game

I Call It A "Laser"

Action- Goal

If you control the Secret Moon Base, the Orbital Mind Control Laser, and at least 1 Conspiracy and at least 1 Corporation, you win the game.

They're Here

Action- Goal

If you control The Grays and The Moon you may play this card. Play continues as normal. If you end your next turn still satisfying the conditions of this card, you win the game.

Chains of Economic Servitude

Action- Goal

If you control at least 3 corporations and 1 conspiracy, you win the game

Nonaggression Treaty

Action

When this card is played, pick a player secretly (write it down on a piece of paper and keep the paper to prevent cheating). If they during their next turn play an action that affects you, the action is prevented and they must discard their hand.

Nuclear War

Action- Nuclear War

This card must be played face down and declared as nuclear war. Regardless of what the response is, destroy all Locations. Anyone who disbelieved then immediately discards their hand. Shuffle the discard pile into the draw pile and have everyone redraw up to 5 cards again.

Global Pandemic

Action

All players discard half their hands (round down).

Secret Rituals Published On Internet!

Action

Pick an opponent. They must reveal their hand and discard any conspiracies within it

Accusations of Bias

Special Rule- Joke

Pick any group over or underrepressented in this ruleset (eg. Catholic Church, America). Complain about it. You may still play 1 action and 1 thing this turn (Ie: this card does not count as either). If accusations of bias leaves your hand, return it to your hand and then discard it.

Media Control

Action

During their next turns, all players require your approval to play their actions. If you reject an action, it is returned to their hand (if an action card) or nothing happens (if a thing with an action prompt) but their action for the turn is still used up.

Rumours and Whispers

Action

All players reveal their hand to the person sitting to the counterclockwise direction, then give a random card with the person sitting to the clockwise direction.

Secret Police Raid

Action

Destroy a non-Location thing.

Cardboard Doomsday Device Prop

Action- Nuclear War

Declare this card face down as nuclear war. If a player states they believe it is actually nuclear war, return all of their played cards to the draw deck and shuffle it. If no one believes it is nuclear war, this card has no effect.

Brinkmanship

Action- Nuclear War

Declare this card face down as nuclear war. If a player states they believe it is nuclear war, you lose the game. If they disbelieve, take their hand, place it in your hand, and then redivide it into two equal parts as you see fit, one of which is returned to the opponent.

Sorry, A Bird Got Stuck On The Radar Dish

Action- Nuclear War

Declare this card face down as nuclear war. If a player states they believe it is nuclear war, they lose the game.

Lt. Colonel Stanislav Saves The Day

Action

This card may be played immediately even on a turn that is not your own in response to nuclear war. Reveal a card that is declared as nuclear war for what it is to all players.

This Card Defeats Annoying Game Theory Problem

Action

This card may be played immediately, even on a turn that is not your own in response to nuclear war. Discard a card. You are now uneffected by the results of the unknown card.

Starchild

Action

Search the deck for all cards played as nuclear war. Remove them from play entirely. They may not be returned to the discard pile or draw pile during the current game. This card defeats any other card in this matter, including obstruction by US Congress or Media Control.

Spy Network

Action

This card may be played immediately, even on a turn that is not your own in response to nuclear war. Destroy a conspiracy. You may look at the unknown card, but may not show others. (You can tell them, but they might not believe you).

Aissur Tievos Ni...

Noitca

You may only play this card if you control USSR, Communists, or KGB. Play as an immediate response to nuclear war after the reveal of the card. Follow the directions on the card backwards. If this is too silly or a significant minority of the players disagree as to how to interpret the reversed card, discard this card with no effect.

The Grays

Thing- Conspiracy

Action: Return a General Public card from an opponent's control to their hand.

Preemptive Strike

Action

This card may be played immediately, even when not on your turn, in response to a declared nuclear war. Discard the nuclear war card, ignoring its directions. If it was Nuclear War or Doomsday Device, the player who played the card loses the game. If not, destroy 3 locations you control. If you do not have 3 locations in play, discard your hand too.