Important Note: This is very much a test. It's not quite as tentative as some of the things I've run, but it's still running in a style that I'm completely unsure will work PbP, so buckle in and understand that anything and everything could disappear at a moment's notice.
The Gist: You play a student at a college university with the (mis?)fortune of being one of the individuals father fate decided to tap for his game of knucklebones. You've got to pass your classes, avoid being eaten, and maybe try and get an internship on the way out.
What I need from you: So, right now I need you to submit your hero. It's a really simple process, and there are two examples down in the cards section, but the below is a rough sort of character sheet:
//First, the name, self explanatory.
Name://HP, should sit between 8 and 12
HP: //Speed, should be between 2 and 4.
Speed: //You get 8 points to spend between these next four. Pick wisely.
Knowledge: Tech: Savvy: Might: //Alright, now here at the bottom I want you to come up with a perk and a flaw for your hero. If you can't make something specific, just give me the perk/flaw names and I'll write in the rest.
Now, as you'll read below (if you read the rules), you'll know that normally we'd be picking a scenario together that would outline the goals. However, since this is a test, I'm just going to tell you the scenario and you're going to live with it.
Scenario: My Future's So Bright....
Description: A good life is shaped by good beginnings, and you're determined to be the first one out of the gate. Which would be a lot easier if the gate wasn't currently infested by some writhing tentacle thing that may or may not have once been the janitor's small intestine. You've got to get good grades, find a job (keep the job), be recognized in town as a man or woman who can get things done, AND have enough money saved to graduate without an ounce of student loans! Easier said than done.
Win Conditions- Your grade rank must be A after at least 2 full exams
- You must have a job type Asset card in play
- You must have fully completed at least 1 lead from each neighborhood.
- You must possess the money resource card 'Diamond the Size of a Testicle'.
Special Rules: You may not start with a job or any positive modifications to your starting funds as part of your hero character.
I need four of you. Feel free to ask questions. I realize things are a bit disorganized, but, well, if the game goes well and people want to play more, I'll be open to spiffing up the place.
Really, Really Short version: Get Objective from GM. Move around the map, go to different areas in order to build strength, try to keep passing exams, evade hideous eldritch abominations, and try to be the first player to get all the objectives done.
Less Short Version: At the very beginning of the game, the GM provides the options for different goals. These goals determine how you can win the game. Once the goal has been chosen (or during its choosing) player's select their hero cards and the GM allots the starting resources. Each player receives one random asset, three random action cards, starting items from their character, and the A Little Money resource card. Each player then decides on a starting location, and the real cycle of play begins.
At the start of each round it's the player's first phase. During this time you get to move any/all of your units up to their speed value, and play any action/Asset/Ally cards you like. There is no order to this, and you can take part of your move action, play an action, and then take the rest of your move action. Once you're finished with your movement and actions, assuming if you're not on a street tile (see the map section), you declare whether or not you want to interact with the tile you're currently on.
Once everyone is finished with that, the GM posts the interaction cards drawn, in addition to any effects from player action cards.
Players then respond who they're going to tackle the results of the interaction cards (if necessary), and allocate resources, assets, allies, and actions as needed.
GM then resolves all the challenges and informs players what they won (or lost) in the interaction. If no one won the game as a result of completing a challenge, the GM draws and plays a new Fate card.
This cycle then repeats from the start until the goal objective, assigned at the beginning of the game, is met.
Mechanical Cycle of Play
At start of the Game:
The goal card is selected.
Each player selects their hero, then each player is dealt three actions, one asset, and their starting resources.
The dealer draws the starting Fate Card. If any variant of 'A Calm Day' or 'More of the Same' is drawn, a new Fate card is drawn.
Player Phase A
Make Movements for Heroes and Allies, Play Actions Cards and Fate Cards, and Activating Assets, in any order.
Interact with a Tile
GM Phase A
Assign challenges from player Action cards
Assign Interaction cards from tiles
Player Phase B
Choose how to tackle challenges
Allocate resources to resolving challenges
GM Phase B
Roll to resolve challenges and update everyone to reflect the resolution
Draw a new face up Fate card
A basic town Map is in the spoiler below, and will be attached to the end of every game round. I'd advise you to consult it liberally while reading this.
The Map is made up of different street locations connected to specific buildings and places. The street locations are interconnected, but the buildings only lead back out onto the street unless you draw an interaction card specifying you can move otherwise. It costs one movement to move between streets or enter/exit a building. So, for example, if you started on Downtown streets and wanted to get to the FabLabs, it would take 3 movement. One movement to go from the downtown streets to the City Outskirts, one movement to go from the outskirts to the University Satellite properties, and one movement to enter the FabLabs.
Each Hero card and ally card carries its own movement score, this indicates how many spaces they can move in the absence of any external effects. Driving rain and afflictions can lower a character's movement, while motorcycles and good old fashioned training can raise it.
If a character (hero or ally) ends their movement on a street tile, that's it. Unless there's specific text from an active fate card, a lead that character is chasing, or a monster on that street tile, then there's nothing else that can be done. If, however, a character ends their movement phase in a building, then they have the option to interact. There are two forms of interaction, investigation, and special actions.
Investigation is the core of the game, can be done on any building tile, and yields interaction cards that present choices and challenges to the player. I'm not going to say it's impossible, but it's going to be absurdly difficult to win the game without doing any investigation. Depending on where you are, investigations yield various different outcomes. One does not find the same kind of asset investigation the scrapyard as one does investigating the campus administration.
Special actions are not available everywhere and are described explicitly on the map. Special actions tend to generate known outcomes, and are good to go for when you know exactly what you need, but they typically also come with a price. Sometimes that price is just your action, but other times it takes significant investment of resource cards. Shops are a unique interaction with special rules. Any tile that has a shop available can be browsed by spending an action there. This reveals three item type assets and their associated prices. If you don't buy any, these items are shuffled back into the deck and there is no guarantee that you (or anyone else) will see them again.
Main Campus
Buildings,
--> Central Library //Special Action, Cram: You can trade 2 of any resource card you have for 1 of any other. This can only be done twice per turn.
--> The Class Commons
--> Dorms
Connects to: Lower Campus, Downtown
Lower Campus
Buildings,
--> Administration
--> Campus Theatre and Arts Center //Special Action, Relax: You can spend a turn here. There's a 30% chance to do nothing, a 60% chance to reduce stress by 1, and a 10% chance to reduce stress by 3.
--> Monument Park
Connects to: Main Campus, The Old Quarter
Downtown
Buildings,
--> The Bus Station //Special action, Ticket to Ride: Pay Spare Change in order to instantly move to any other building.
--> The Dusty Yellow Dog Bar and Grill
--> Hospital //Special Action, Treatment: You can restore 5 HP at the hospital for A little Money.
Connects to: High Hill, Main Campus, City Outskirts
The Old Quarter
Buildings,
--> The Warrens
--> City Newspaper
--> Silverwater's Books //Shop: You may purchase objects here.
Connects toLower Campus, High Hill
City Outskirts
Buildings,
--> Scrapyard
--> Rhigg's Pawn Shop //Shop: You may purchase objects here. Special Action, Pawn: You may sell items here.
--> The Old Church
Connects to: Downtown, Campus Satellite Properties
High Hill
--> Police Station //Special Action, Bribe: You can pay Comfortable funds to immediately get a lead if you have no police heat, or reduce your police heat if you have any.
--> The Estates
--> Samus' Exotics Emporium //Shop: You may purchase objects here
Connects to: The Old Quarter, Downtown
Campus Satellite Properties
--> FabLabs
--> The Special Subjects Library
--> The Farms //Special Action, Make Work: You can always work here for a turn to earn spare change.
Connects to: City Outskirts
Rolls
Rolls are done using a 1d10 system, 8, 9 and 10 are considered to be successes. Every two 1's negate a success.
The number of dice you get is determined by the challenge type (Knowledge, Tech, Savvy, or Might), the stats of the Hero, the stats of any involved allies, any boosts from assets, and any boosts from action cards. In addition, you can spend resource points to gain additional dice on the related checks at a 1:1 ratio.
There are three circumstances for rolling: Taking a Challenge, Interfering with another, and Combat. All three are described below.
Taking a Challenge
Challenges are the larger part of the game. Need to finish a group engineering project? That's a challenge. Need to drag a piece of eldritch magi-tech back to your dorm without the cops seeing you? That's a challenge. Need to drink a vampire under the table so you can pick their pocket? That's a challenge.
Challenges com up in a variety of ways. Each game has an objective, typically comprised of several connected goals. Each one of the goals, usually, is made of up challenges. More common challenges come up from interacting with various tiles, resolving Fate Cards, and dealing with the actions of your opponents. Whatever the source, each challenge presented will have clear rolls for the number of successes needed (1 for normal challenges, 2 for advanced challenges, and 3 for critical challenges), any modifiers to the challenge (For example, most exams won't let you use ally stats), and the effect of succeeding, failing, and crit failing.
Succeeding a challenge means that you scored at least as many successes as are required. On most occasions, good things happen. Sometimes, it just prevents bad things.
Failing a challenge means you scored less than the number of successes required. Failing doesn't necessarily hurt you, but it always indicates a missed opportunity.
Crit-Failing a challenge means you scored less than 0 successes. Usually a product of someone interfering with you, or rolling a lot of 1s. Bad things will happen.
Interfering
Certain cards let you interfere with the actions of the other players. In this circumstance, you get to roll whichever stat the card allows, and each success you get counts as a 1 for them. Essentially, for every two successes you get, the player you're interfering with loses a success.
This is a dirty, underhanded, and thoroughly deplorable tactic- unless the other person is trying to end the world, in which cause it's laudable and utterly heroic. Regardless, most interference cards come with a steep karma hit.
Combat
Combat encounters function a little differently than a normal challenge. In a fair fight, a coin is flipped to decide which party goes first. The selected party then rolls their combined might. Every success inflicts a point of damage on the enemy side. Then the opposing party rolls their might and inflicts damage in the same way. This loop continues until the conditions of the fight have been met.
In a fatal fight, if a Hero is reduced to 0 hp, you lose resources (and potentially cards) and end up back at the university hospital. There may be additional malicious effects. If an ally in a friend slot is reduced to 0hp, there's a 50% chance they'll be reduced to 1 HP and sent to the hospital where you can complete a challenge to get them back on your side, but there's also a 50% chance they'll just be killed outright. If an ally in a standard slot is reduced to 0 HP, they're killed.
Some fights are last man standing, no holds barred, battle to the death affairs- but not all. Social fights, bar brawls, and similar conflicts typically do not devolve into a fatal combat. These fights typically let combatants bow out when they're reduced to 1hp, and carry no risk of death. Losing them still has repercussions, and may still hospitalize units, but it's not a life-or-death matter.
As an important note, resource points spent and stat points temporarily gained from action cards will persist for every roll of a combat encounter, not just the first.
Card Types
Heroes - You. Hopefully this card doesn't change. Hero cards have 8 stat points at start, some number of HP, a speed value, and at least one perk and one flaw.
Allies - People who can help you, often requires resources to recruit. Ally cards have variable stat points, some amount of HP, a speed value, and may or may not have perks and flaws.
Assets - Items, places, etc, that provide bonuses to various resources and stats.
Actions - Cards that do something, good or bad. Some of these cards can be triggered by contingencies.
Interaction Cards - Cards that originate from interacting with the world. These cards often present choices, challenges, and the opportunity to pursue leads.
Fate Cards - Cards drawn only by the dealer, determining the state of the world and any global modifiers.
Resource Cards - Cards that can be spent to improve certain rolls, buy items, and measure Karma.
No matter how dark things are, a player always has access to their Hero. A player's hero is their avatar unit, and while it can be injured, robbed, and given poor grades that will effect the live it is presumed to have after the game ends, it's nearly impossible to actually kill. For the beginning of the game, the hero is will likely be your prime unit to move around the board, investigate mutant naked mole rat warrens with, and try to get through intolerable group projects with.
Allies are additional character that you get to control independently of the hero, can do most of the same investigative actions the hero can, and can lend their support additively to many situations. However, they come with drawbacks. Most all heroes will cost resources to recruit, and may or may not need to be unlocked by completing one or more challenges. More, they can be much more easily influenced by other players and events in the game. There are a number of action cards that can turn allies against the player, and while there are ways to safeguard against this, one must be careful to stay in good company.
How much company one can have is limited. Ally slots come in two flavors, 'friends' and standard allies. In general, a player has one friend slot and three standard slots. The friend slot grants a unit certain protects; they're more difficult to kill for good, they gain resistance to many betrayal and instant death action cards from other players, and they have more opportunities to develop and strengthen than normal allies. Normal allies can be promoted into the friend slot for free, but demoting an ally from the friend slot to the standard slot costs 2 Karma. Discarding an ally from the friend slot entirely costs 4 karma. Allies with the 'group' descriptor cannot enter the friend slot.
The three normal ally slots can be occupied by anyone, but these individuals are vulnerable to all effects, and if they die- that's it. There's no way to recover them short of some very dark rabbit holes, and even then... Well, it's not going to be them. Discarding a standard ally costs 2 stress.
Asset cards and action cards are the two main cards that you can keep in your hand and play as the game progresses. Unless noted by another card, you can only have five assets and five action cards in your hand. You can, however, have as many assets on the table as you choose, though some may require them to be used by individuals to be effective, and you can always play as many action cards as you can afford. Most assets and actions cost resources to play. This isn't a challenge or a roll, you just have to discard that many resources to play the card.
Assets
Asset cards are objects, contacts, keycards, magic tomes, extra-terrestrial data banks, fancy clothes, etc. They're permanent, persistent objects that provide bonuses- sometimes at the cost of minor flaws. Asset cards always describe the cost of the asset (sometimes with several options) and usage and effects of the asset.
While assets are typically persistent, you can be forced to discard an asset as part of its use, the failure of another action, or malice of another player. Some actions can help protect an asset, (as can some assets) but there is no way to protect a favored asset like a favored ally.
Actions
Actions are little ways of influencing fate. They can screw over your enemies, give you an edge when you need it, augment base stats, transport you across the map, or even generate new allies. They're one time benefits. Like Assets, the card will describe the cost and the effect.
Actions are only good for one shot.
Interaction cards and fate cards are both card types that describe what's happening in the world. You don't get to possess either type of card, but you do have to deal with the consequences.
Interaction Cards
Choosing to investigate a tile on the university map yields an interaction card. Interaction cards come in three major flavors; duds, events, and leads. Duds don't do anything major, you might get something free and minor out if you're lucky, or they could just waste your turn. Events are one shot challenges that typically yield fair rewards, such as the ability to draw action cards or gain a number of resource points. Leads are mini quests which will require you to go to a string of places and perform various challenges there, but lead to nice reward cards and are typically required in order to complete the game's goal.
Interaction cards may also have the option to choose between options. For instance, the 'Bizzare Study Group' interaction card at the library lets you either take a one shot advanced Savvy check to sit in with them and gain either 3 tech or 3 knowledge, or you can make a standard savvy check to listen in on their conversation and get one knowledge and a lead for where to go next.
Fate Cards
Fate cards are global effects and modifiers, just one more drop of chaos to disturb your carefully laid plans. Weather, traveling theatre groups, occult murders, political rallies, museum openings, crime waves, all available at the fickle finger of Fate's discretion. Some events have timers that expire naturally, others can be removed by performing specific actions. Regardless, the 'Dawn of New Day' fate card removes all other fate cards from play that do not have specific exemptions.
Bear in mind the Fate deck is liberally peppered with 'More of the Same' type cards, which basically do nothing.
Resources
Knowledge: Used to pass many exams and perform occult knowledge checks. Generated by staying at libraries, study groups, etc. Spend to increase knowledge rolls.
Tech: Used to manipulate technology (Even alien or trans-temporal technology) and pass class projects. Generated by engineering labs, working on projects, etc. Spend to increase tech rolls.
Savvy: Used to pass some exams, cheat on others, and effectively interact with people. Generated by studying the arts, conversing with other individuals, etc. Spend to increase savvy rolls.
Might: Used to defend yourself and strike back against the abominations of the night. Generated by training at the gym, weapons, numerical superiority, etc. Spend to increase might rolls.
Stress: Stress is a measure of how taxed you are mentally. Every point of stress you gain represents a 5% chance for you to be forced to re-roll any success you gain during a challenge. If your stress reaches 10, you have a panic attack and black out. You may lose items, resources, or gain a negative 'asset' card that can't be removed and represents your cracked sanity. After that, you'll be transported to a random street location with 5 stress.
Money: There are five different money cards. Rather than using exact units, each card is sort of abstract amount that you have on hand. In ascending order, these cards are: Spare Change -> A Little Money -> Comfortable Funds -> Cash to Burn -> Diamond the Size of a Testicle.
Unless otherwise stated, each player starts with the 'A Little Money'. To buy something, the player must have at least as much money as the object or service costs. If you buy something costing as much money as you have, then you'll drop down to the next level of cash. If you buy something that costs less money then you have, there's still a chance that you'll drop down to the next level. This chance is determined both by which resource card you possess and the difference between the price of the item and your available funds.
Cards
(Not all, clearly. Just examples for now, with more added as they come up.)
Name:Samuel 'Sammy' Bauer
HP: 10
Speed: 4
Knowledge: 1
Tech: 1
Savvy: 3
Might: 3
Frat Life: Starts Play with the Fraternity Brothers Ally and the Test Book Asset already out
Blockhead: Start with -1 successes on all knowledge challenges.
"Look, I ain't the world's most intelligent man. Couldn't tell you what the hell we covered in lecture last week, wasn't even there. What I can tell you is there's some strange shit going on, and I'm gonna look mighty damn fine when I save everyone. Chicks dig being saved."
Name: Gael Lucaria
HP: 10
Speed: 3
Knowledge: 2
Tech: 4
Savvy: 1
Might: 1
Dynamite Engineer: All Tech Based challenges yield better rewards
Huff and Puff: If Gael ever moves at his full movement speed, his speed next round is reduced by 1. This effect is cumulative. Not moving for a round resets this effect.
"If someone... would have... told me that... there... were flesh eating... cyber werewolves... I swear.. I would have... gone... gone to the gym... a little."
Name:Fraternity Brothers
Traits: Human, Group
Recruit Cost: Pay 6 Knowledge, 6 tech, or beat them in a social fight without taking damage.
HP: 4
Speed: 2
Knowledge: 0
Tech: 0
Savvy: 1
Might: 2
"No means no and yes means yes. That's what the guidance counselor says."
Name:Elizabeth Zann
Traits: Human, Musician
Recruit Cost: Pass Advanced Savvy check, or recruit directly to friend slot
HP: 3
Speed: 3
Knowledge: 1
Tech: 0
Savvy: 4
Might: 0
Play for Me: If both Elizabeth Zann and the controller's hero are on the same tile, they can both forfeit all actions for a round so that the controller can discard 2 stress.
Jealous Type: If you ever have to remove Elizabeth from your friend slot, gain 7 instead of 4. You cannot demote Elizabeth from a friend slot to a standard slot, she must be discarded.
Beautiful, Talented, and just a wee bit jealous...
Name:Test Book
Cost to Play: Pay 2 knowledge and one action card.
Effect: When taking a Knowledge based exam, a 4-10 count as successes. 2 and 3 are the same as 1. A critical failure results in an academic honesty violation, in addition to other hurdles.
"The accumulated knowledge of eight generations of Kappa Theta Phi. Might not help on a physics exam, but there's a mean boilermaker recipe in there."
Name: Badass Duster
Cost to Play: 1 Savvy, 1 Might
Effect: When Making Might and Savvy checks related to intimidation, you gain 1 extra die.
"Makes you look like a big damn hero. Unless it's summer, and then it makes you look like a sweaty edgelord."
Name: Adorable Kitten
Cost to Play: None
Effect: You have a 25% chance to ignore any card that tells you to draw stress cards. If you lose this card once it is in play, you gain 5 stress.
"A small grey bundle of fur, warmth, and cuddles. Also claws. Tiny, adorable, yet still painful, claws."
Name: Investigative Contacts
Cost to Play: 2 Savvy, 1 Knowledge
Effect: When chasing a lead, you get to know the details of the stage after the one that's currently active. You can discard this card to skip any one stage.
"Eh, I know a guy who knows a guy."
Name: Running Shoes
Cost to Play: None
Effect: Speed Increased by 1. Must be attached to a specific unit.
"To understand why you would pay $200 for a shoe, you must use a $200 shoe. Thus understanding follows from action. So sayeth MuDashi MiyaMove, Mascot of Eastern Footwear."
Name: Bizarrely Relevant DIY Book
Cost to Play: 3 Tech
Effect: You can spend a turn reading this book before taking any Tech challenge to gain 2 dice. If you do, roll a d10. If the result is a 1, 2, or 3, gain 2 stress.
"Look, I'm not denying that it's been damn helpful, but it's... weird. I was flipping through the other day, wishing I could fix my PS4, and there was a section on exactly what I needed to do it, diagrams and all. Thing is, this book says it was printed in 1986. How the hell does that work?"
Name: Friends in High Places (Academic)
Cost to Play: Pay Comfortable Funds
Effect: After every exam, you can make a single savvy check. Every two successes raises your grade on that exam by one. If you have an academic honesty violation, you can discard this card to get rid of it.
"Of course, your family has already proven their value to society. I hardly thing we need to subject you to the same rigor as the common student when you come from such a... refined stock."
Name: Membership Card to the Meat Market (Unique)
Cost to Play: 3 Tech
Effect: When in the warrens, you can choose to interact with the hidden bar known as the Meat Market instead of the normal warrens tile.
"The card smells faintly of sulphur, and touching it brings a thrill to your fingertips."
Keep the PaceCost to Play: 2 Might
Effect: On any stack of units, increase the max speed of the fastest unit by one. The set all units in the stack to that speed as long as they follow the path of the fastest unit.
"Everything runs in packs these days..."
Calling in SickCost to Play: 2 Stress
Effect: One unit controlled by another player cannot be activated or used this round or the next.
"*cough* *cough* I'm sick... The flu? No, I actually I just have a really bad headache, but I don't know how to make that obvious over the phone."
Calling in DeadCost to Play: 5 Stress
Effect: One non-friend unit controlled by another player must pass a straightforward check against its best stat. If it fails, it dies instantly.
*DIAL TONE*
Sucker PunchCost to Play: None
Effect: Gain +5 Might for the first loop of a combat encounter.
"Neither glorious nor honorable, but effective."
IOUCost to Play: None
Effect: Can use this to pay for any item costing 'A Little Money' or less. If you do, you gain the IOU negative asset, which has a 20% chance to generate 1 stress every turn after 5 turns.
"One step above begging, and not too much different than stealing."
Share the PainCost to Play: Must have at least 5 stress
Effect: Roll 1d10. Lose stress equal to half that number. Everyone else gains that much stress.
"Misery Loves Company..."
First AidCost to Play: Knowledge 2
Effect: Heal 5hp on any unit.
"Oh god, is that a stapler?"
Strange CoinCost to Play: 3 stress.
Effect: The next interaction card you draw will either be very good or very bad for you.
"Make a wish..."
Adrenal RushCost to Play: Must be at less than 50% health
Effect: Gain 2 Speed and 2 Might for one round
"My heart is beatin', my hands are shakin', but I'm still shooting, and I'm still getting headshots!"
Delicious CandyCost to Play: None
Effect: Restore 1 HP and discard 2 stress.
"Ooh! Piece of candy!"
True GritCost to Play: 2 Might
Effect: Gain six temporary HP before a fight. Damage done to these HP will not persist after the fight is over.
"You ever actually been in a fight, son?"
BreakthroughCost to Play: None
Effect: Gain 3 knowledge on one check
"Think of the implications!"
MakeoverCost to Play: 4 Savvy
Effect: Permanently Add 1 Savvy to a unit
"Everybody wants to become someone new. Why not try it?"
Study GuideCost to Play: None
Effect: Automatically gain 1 success on an exam.
"Seriously, I'm surprised how few people read this stuff- it's perfect for when I need a sleep aid."
Mysterious StrangerCost to Play: 2 Might, 2 Tech, 2 Knowledge, 2 Stress. Must be alone.
Effect: Double all your base scores for one round. Increases the chance for Temporal break fate cards to be drawn. Increases the chance for you to draw temporal break interaction cards.
"She came out of nowhere, had a mask up over her face and a hat pulled down low. Saved me without saying so much as a word. Weirdest thing was that I felt like I knew her, like I'd known her all my life."
VacationCost to Play: Targeted unit cannot be in a threatened situation, must not have an insanity card, and cannot be an abomination.
Effect: One unit you control leaves play for three full rounds. It comes back into play at the bus station with full health and most malicious attached cards removed. If the hero is sent on vacation, discard all stress counters.
"I need a day off..."
Arrogant TalentCost to Play: 1 Knowledge, 1 Tech, 1 Savvy, 1 Might
Effect: One ally gets an extra die on all checks. However, they lose this bonus whenever they fail a challenge or take any damage.
"Ghosts, demons, little green men? Foolish superstition and over active imagination. I intend to expose the truth, not listen to childish babbling!"
Burning both EndsCost to Play: none.
Effect: Speed increases by 1 and Might, Knowledge, Tech, and Savvy increase by +2 for one round. For three rounds after, all stats decrease by 1.
"Yes, tomorrow is going to hurt. No, you shouldn't think about that now."
HungerCost to Play: 1 HP
Effect: Doubles the resource gain and loss for all stages any challenge card, yours or otherwise.
"There are many forms of hunger, some more wholesome than others, but all stem from the Sin of Greed."
A Chance Encounter
Type: Event
Challenge:Advanced Savvy
-Pass: Draw an asset card (likely) or draw an ally (rarely)
-Fail: No Effect
-Crit-Fail: Lose 3 savvy, if you don't have it, lose a random asset.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Type: Lead
Part 1: Investigate the Old Church bellfry (Knowledge challenge)
Part 2: [Unknown, complete part 1]
Part 3: [Unknown, complete part 2]
Part 4: [Unknown, complete part 3]
End Reward: Gain Ally, Eustace Holt. Discard 3 stress. Draw 3 action cards.
A day at the Dog
Type: Dud
Effect: Discard 1 Stress. You may pay a little money to discard 3 stress instead.
The Dawn of a New Day
Effect: Discard all Fate cards currently in play and shuffle the deck.
Unnatural Rain
Effect: Any player who ends their movement on the street gains 1 stress. Some challenges become harder, some challenges become easier.
A Murder!
Effect: One random player gets a police heat card. All players gain a lead.
A Crossing of Worlds
Effect: Gates may break open in various locations, periodically unleashing (probably hostile) creatures into the world.
Bad Neighborhood
Effect: Various locations may spontaneously generate thug enemies. In addition, investigation of these areas is more dangerous.
Spare Change
Using: If you buy something that costs spare change, there is a 75% chance you'll lose your spare change card and be left with nothing.
Stacking: If you gain another spare change card, there is a 50% chance to upgrade to 'A Little Money'. Otherwise ignore the new card.
A Little Money
Using: If you buy something that costs A Little Money, discard this card and draw Spare Change.
--> If you buy something that costs Spare change, there is a 25% chance you will discard this card and draw spare change.
Stacking: If you gain another A Little Money card, there is a 50% chance to upgrade to 'Comfortable Funds'. Otherwise ignore the new card.
--> If you gain spare change, there is a 5% chance to upgrade to 'Comfortable Funds'
Comfortable Funds
Using: If you buy something that costs Comfortable Funds, discard this card and draw A Little Money.
--> If you buy something that costs A Little Money, there is a 30% chance you will discard this card and draw A Little Money.
--> If you buy something that costs spare change, there is a 5% chance you will discard this card and draw A Little Money.
Stacking: If you gain another Comfortable Funds card, there is a 40% chance to upgrade to Cash to Burn. Otherwise ignore the new card.
--> If you gain A little Money, there is a 10% chance to upgrade to Cash to Burn
Cash to Burn
Using: If you buy something that costs Cash to Burn, discard this card and draw Comfortable Funds.
--> If you buy something that costs Comfortable Funds, there is a 35% chance you will discard this card and draw Comfortable Funds.
--> If you buy something that costs A Little Money, there is a 5% chance you will discard this card and draw A Comfortable Funds.
Stacking: If you gain another Cash to Burn card, there is a 30% chance to upgrade to Diamond the Size of a Testicle. Otherwise ignore the new card.
--> If you gain Comfortable Funds, there is a 10% chance to upgrade to Diamond the Size of a Testicle
Diamond the Size of a Testicle
Using: If you buy something that costs Diamond the Size of a Testicle, discard this card and draw Cash to Burn.
--> If you buy something that costs Cash to Burn, there is a 40% chance you will discard this card and draw Cash to Burn.
--> If you buy something that costs Comfortable Funds, there is a 5% chance you will discard this card and draw Cash to Burn.