Level is how many cards you hold in your hand. All characters start out at level 4.
Classes are different character types. Each one has specific abilities, as follows:
WARRIOR - Warriors are professional fighters that are good with all types of combat.
Abilities: Unarmed combat, melee combat, ranged combat, riding, might (lifting and carrying
things), outdoor survival
ROGUES - Rogues are thieves that specialize in obtaining items in illegal or unsavory ways
Abilities: Stealth (moving silently and hiding), lock-picking and disarming traps, climbing,
sleight of hand (palming small objects and picking pockets), streetwise (fencing goods,
criminal contacts, finding out information), observation (listening and
searching)
MAGES - Mages use mana (magical energy) to cast spells, and they also know a lot of information
about legends and lore.
Abilities: Wizardry (casting spells), detecting magic, lore, literacy (reading old tomes,
scrolls, etc.).
PRIESTS - Priests are holy men and women who use their faith to get their gods favor and perform
miracles. They are also good at persuasion and inspiring others.
Abilities: Miracles (magic of their gods), persuasion and oration, turning undead (if the
action is successful against the highest toughness of all undead present, then the undead
flee)
Characters will use their abilities by playing cards from their hand.
Each action has a difficulty rated by the GM from 2 (very easy) to 20 (almost impossible); a player must play a
card from their hand whose value must exceed the difficulty (Jacks count as 11, Queens as
12, and Kings as 13).
Each Class has a trump suit related to their abilities as well:
| Class | Trump Suit |
|---|---|
| Warrior | Clubs |
| Rogue | Spades |
| Mages | Diamonds |
| Priests | Hearts |
If a character is performing a task related to their Class and plays a card of that suit, they get trump- the player flips over the top card on the deck and adds the value. Other Classes can attempt actions (NON-magical) outside of their abilities, but they don't get trump, and they can't play a card higher than a 5.
Monsters and other opponents are given a difficulty based on how tough they are, and also a number of times they can be damaged before being killed or defeated (the GM should lay cards face-down for each opponent to represent this). When a character is attacking, he plays a card or cards to exceed the toughness. The opponent loses one card, and when the cards are gone, the opponent is defeated. Each multiple that the toughness is exceeded by removes another card. Some opponents also have other abilities or can even be full-fledged characters with their own hand of cards.
Opponents attack by the character playing a card, then the GM flips the top card on the deck and adds it to the opponent's toughness. If it is greater than the card played, the character must lose a card from their hand equal to or greater than the difference. This 'damage' stays until healed. The defense card can be the one lost, and returns to the player's hand if not.
Opponents can get trump if the GM wishes; use the Warrior trump suit, or the Mage or Priest trump suit if the opponent is using spells.
Combat and other encounters occur in rounds, the length of which depends on what kind of
encounter it is. Each character and opponent gets two actions per round, only one of which
can be an attack. Cards played (but not lost to damage) are replaced from the deck at the
end of each round.
Each Class has two special abilities they can use.
Warrior
Tactics - A Warrior can wait until AFTER the GM flips the card to decide which card to use
for defense.
Berserk Rage - Once per battle, a Warrior can draw one extra card off the deck and add it to
the card(s) played for an attack. This extra card does not trigger trump.
Rogue
Filch - Once per encounter, a Rogue can say he is Filching. The Rogue plays a card (trump
counts) and the GM flips a card. If the Rogue's total is higher, he can draw the next card
off the deck and replace one card in his hand with it if he wishes. The card played
is discarded and a new one is drawn.
Backstabbing - To do this, the Rogue must make a successful Stealth attempt against a
difficulty assigned by the GM. If he does, he can strike an opponent from the shadows.
His cards played (Rogue trump suit applies) are DOUBLED for effect.
Mage
Scrying - Once per game, a Mage can play a card (trump counts), and the GM flips a card.
If the Mage's total is higher, he can ask the GM a simple question to which he must answer
truthfully (it must be related to perception or simple information, like what an item's
general function is, what's behind a door, what a target's general emotions and surface
thoughts are, etc.). The card must be discarded and another card is drawn.
Alter Probability - Once per encounter, a Mage can change the card that the GM flips for
whatever reason. The second card applies no matter what.
Priest
Healing - A Priest can call on his gods for healing. To do this, he plays a card and the GM
flips a card. If the Priest's total is LOWER (he has to prove he is humble and pious), the
priest gets to draw the top card from the deck and give it to an injured character to
replace any lost cards. The card played is discarded and redrawn.
Protection - Once per encounter, a Priest can use one of his cards and add it to any defense
card played for himself AND any comrades present. The card is not redrawn at the end of the
round, and returns to the Priest's hand at the end of the encounter.
Mages and Priests are the only Classes that can use magic. The GM should allow the players to create two to three spells / miracles. Magic can have any effect approved by the GM, even duplicating special abilities of any Class.
Mages cast spells by beating a difficulty set by the GM (trump applies). Any card played is set aside- the GM will flip a card, and if this card is a higher value than that card (ignoring the extra card for trump), the Mage discards it and does not redraw another card to replace it until the end of the encounter. Mages must still play cards for attack spells as usual.
Priests gain miracles by praying and proving their piety. The Priest plays a card and the GM flips a card- if the Priest's card is LOWER, then he can use a given miracle for the rest of the day. He must do this for each miracle he wants to use for that day. The card is discarded and redrawn. If the Priest plays a card of the trump suit, then the GM must flip another card and take the HIGHER value. This is the same for the Healing special ability of Priests as well, by the way.
Some items like weapons and armor will give a +1 (or more) to attacks or defense. Other items will allow the wielder to cast spells. Some items can only be used by Mages or Priests, but some can be used by anyone. Items that grant spells would use the Mage or Priest trump suit, depending on what kind of spell it is. Items designed for specific Classes or that duplicate their abilities would use that Class's trump suit.
After a certain number of adventures, characters can attempt to increase their level. The player flips a card from the deck (the Class trump suit counts) and the GM flips a card, if the player's total is higher he can add 1 to his Level.
A Mage or Priest character can choose to add a new spell or miracle in this way instead of going up a level if they wish.
Some players may wish to Multi-class, that is have abilities of more than one Class. The GM can allow this- the player and the GM work together to decide on the Multi-class abilities and special abilities. Players can even create entirely new Classes with the GM's permission. The only limit is that no Class or Multi-class can have more than two special abilities, or more base abilities than one of the given Classes.