A not too serious game about destroying the swordmaster. There are four ways to win this game: discover that the swordmaster hides his identity, hang him, hire ninjas to kill a player, collect a bunch of swords, or try your luck with the dice.
To play, you need a die (preferably two) and a number of counters or markers.
Inspired by Kryptopol and Middle Eastern Confrontation.
Basic Rules
Each player draws seven cards. Rock-Paper-Scissors-(Spock-Lizard) to decide who plays first. At the beginning of your turn, draw a card. During your turn, you may play/use any number of free actions, at most one action, and at most one thing, in any order. There is no maximum hand size.
Special Rules
There's one special kind of action: the free action. Free actions can be played on another player's turn. In particular, a free action can be played in response to another player's action and take effect before that action. This applies even if that player's action was free. Contrarily, an ordinary action can not in turn be played in response to and take effect before a free action, even if it is your turn. "At the beginning of your turn" is before you draw a card.
Every unit has a combat strength as a corner value and an implicit attack action. This is a free action that can be used once during each of your turns. To use it, you must target a unit in play. Each owner rolls a number of dice equal to the combat strength of their unit. The player with highest score wins and destroys the other unit. At a tie, nothing happens. Since attacks are just free attacks, actions and things are not restricted to be played before or after combat.
To be eliminated is to lose the game. Remaining players may still play for the victory. To kill someone is to eliminate a player. Destroying a unit, even through combat, is not to kill someone. Actions on things cannot be used on the same turn the thing was played.
Card List
The Swordmaster
Thing
Has sword.If this card is shown while in your hand, you lose.
You have killed someone.
If a player other than yourself eliminates you, that player wins the game.
Your units have +1 power.
Hanging
Action
Kill target player who has killed someone.
Accusation
Action
Target player reveals his or her hand. If he or she does not have The Swordsmaster or a unit, you lose.
Execution
Thing
Has a sword.Action: Any player may use this action. Target a player. If you control three cards with swords at the beginning of your next turn, kill that player.
Ultimate
Thing
Action: Roll 2D6; if you get two ones, you win the game.
50% downloading
Thing
Cards played by any player do not take effect until the present player's next turn. Until then, the cards are treated as things. Free cards and actions on things are exempted from this rule.
Auction
Thing
Action: Display the top card of the draw pile. Take turns bidding cards for that card. The player who bids the most number of cards discards that many from his hand and takes the displayed card. At a tie, return the displayed card to the top of the draw pile.
Accounting
Thing
Each player must have one of the cards of their hand visible at all times.
Great Wall
Thing
Your units get +1 power whenever they are attacked.
In the Cover of the Dark
Thing
Any player may, for free, choose to flip any number of his or her units face down whenever he or she would be able to use an action. Units may be played face down. Whenever a face-down unit is activated, you must turn it face up. If a face-down units is targetted, its owner may target a random face-down unit under his control instead.
Infiltration
Thing
Transfer control of target non-unit thing to you.
Military Service
Thing
Has a sword.If a player controls a unit at the beginning of his or her turn, he or she may draw an extra card.
Penguin
Thing
Disable target Bodyguard while Penguin is in play.
Rubber Rope
Thing
Noone can be hanged.
Security Camera
Thing
Action: Target a card in a player's hand, that player must show the card to you and only you.
Slip on Banana Peel
Thing
Play this card under target player's control.
If you control this card at the beginning of your turn, destroy the card and skip a turn.
Sword of Clubs
Thing
Has a sword.Sword of Clubs cannot be destroyed.
Wanted
Thing
If a player controls The Swordmaster, he or she must destroy a thing under his or her control at each beginning of his or her turns. If The Swordmaster is destroyed, it is returned to its owner's hand.
Body Snatchers
Action
Each player gives his or her hand to the player acting after him or her.
Challenge
Action
Challenge target player in Rock-Paper-Scissors. The loser must discard two cards. If you win, draw three cards.
Conspiracy
Action
This card does nothing if played.
If this card is discarded from your hand, you may draw three cards.
If an action by a player forced you to show this card, he or she must discard two cards.
Fire Ants
Action
Target a unit. Toss this card on that card to destroy the target and draw two cards. The throw must be from at least half a meter (2 feet) away, the card must spin at least half a turn in the air, and come to a rest overlapping the targetted card. If it is not possible to throw a card, flip a coin instead - you hit on heads.
Gifts
Action
Draw a number of cards equal to the number of players. Give from your hand a card to each player without showing those cards to other players.
Gun Control Laws
Action
Destroy target armed unit or thing with a sword.
Hacker
Action
As an additional cost to play this card, discard two cards from your hand.
Search the discard pile for a card of your choice. Show it to all players and put it in your hand.
! Happy Hour !
Action
If this card is in your hand, it must be played whenever possible.
Discard a card from your hand if you have any. Each player besides you may draw two cards.
New Identity
Action
Destroy all things under your control. Discard your hand. Draw four cards.
Roof Lamp
Action
Target player has been blended and must discard from his ahnd a card that you target.
MacGyver?
Action
Target a person not playing this game. That person hums a song. The first player to guess the song may draw three cards. Each player may guess only once. If you cannot find a person to help with this card, discard it without effect.
Meatgrinder
Action
Destroy target thing; its owner draws a card.
Meteor
Action
Target two cards that are in hands (not necessarily the same player's). Those cards are discarded.
Rock-n-Roll
Action
Name a music group. Repeat: the next player mentions a music group not already mentioned and starting with the last character of the last mentioned group. The thinking time is limited to twenty seconds. The first player to fail must discard two cards.
P1: Metallica. P2: Aerosmith. P3: Helicopters. P1: Slipknot. P2: uhh... techno something?
Som' Owl
Action
Look at the top four cards of the draw pile and put them back in any order.
Throwing Star
Action
Target a unit. Roll 1D6; at 4 or greater, you hit someone's eye and the targetted unit gets -1 power. For every ninja under your control, you may use this effect again with a new (or old) target.
Hobo
Action - Free
Return the top card of the discard pile to your hand.
"Luck"
Action - Free
Use when a die is to be rolled. Choose the outcome of a single die. (You may only choose an outcome that is possible to get with the die.)
Mind Control
Action - Free
Use when a card is played; you make all decisions for that card.
Smoke Bomb
Action - Free
Play whenever you or one of your units is targetted; negate all effects. If an action card was used, this card must still be discarded. If you control a ninja, you may discard a card from your hand to return this card to your hand.
The Hulk
Action - Free
Target unit gets +1 power until End of Turn. (You may play this card after seeing the outcome of the usual dice.)
Thing - Unit
Bodyguard cannot attack.
Whenever you would be killed, you may sacrifice Bodyguard instead.
Thing - Unit
Bodyguard cannot attack.
Whenever you would be killed, you may sacrifice Bodyguard instead.
Thing - Unit
Armed.Whenever Caveman attacks, he targets a random unit, friend and foe alike, other than himself.
Thing - Unit
Has a sword.
Thing - Unit
Has a sword.Action: Discard a card from your hand. Target a non-unit thing and give it to a random player.
Action: Destroy a random unit. Your own units, including Clumsy Ninja, can be targetted.
Thing - Unit
Armed.Action: Eliminate target player that does not control any units.
Thing - Unit
Armed and has a sword.Po the Kung Fu Ninja may attack twice per turn.
Thing - Unit
Action: Draw a card.
Thing - Unit
At the beginning of your turn, roll 1D6. At a 4 or 6, return The Planet Man to your hand because of pollution.
Whenever a player would be eliminated, sacrifice The Planet Man instead.
The Planet Man is always facing upwards, even when told not to.
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