Arcane Guardian – Rulebook

Gameplay Summary

The Arcane Guardian is a solo game. One game is about 10 minutes long.

The player controls a mage who wanders in an enchanted dungeon, opens treasure chests, fights monsters, collects ancient masks and other objects. The game is made up of steps that are to be carried out in a set order.

The goal of the game is to escape the dungeon. If the player’s healthgoes below 1, and cannot heal than the game is over and the player loses. The game is also lost if the player cannot make a move while still in the dungeon.

Parts of a Card

Preparing to Play

The player places the Mage Card at the center of the playing surface, then puts a standard six-sided die on it. The player turns the die to 3 and puts it on the Level 1 square. After this, the player prepares another six-sided die and places it next to the playing surface, then places the four Spellcards in front of the player.

The player thoroughly shuffles the playing cards (all except the Mage, the Spellsand the Endings) then forms 3 separate, equal decks of them and places them face down around the Mage card, to its right, its left and above it. The player turns the top cards face up.

After this, the player selects three Endingcards, turns them face down and then shuffles them without seeing the illustrations of the cards.

The player removes the bottom five cards of the three decks previously formed around the Mage card. Still, without turning any card face up, the player shuffles an Endingcard into all three of the previously remover lower five cards then places these cards back to their original deck. The player must do this without revealing any cards.

After all this, the game begins! The player makes the first step.

Parts of a Step

The player carries out steps until the Mage escapes the dungeon, the healthgoes below 1, or there are no longer any valid steps to make.

I. Interaction

The player selects an available deck next to the Mage card and interacts with the upper card. The player can only choose a deck that has a playing card on top of it (revealed or unrevealed), not and Endingcard. The only exception to this rule is if there is such an Endingcard on top of a deck that the player may interact with.

If the chosen card was not revealed, i.e. not face up, then the player must reveal it and instantly interact with it.

After this, the player acts according to the text and the type of the card then the player may collect it or discard it into the discard pile.

II. Reveal

After an interaction’s end, the player reveals all cards that are unrevealed (face down) on top of a deck except the top card of that deck where the prior card was that the player interacted with.

If the player has less than 1 Mana(the player turned all Spellcards sideways) then the player cannot reveal at all!

Gameplay – Types of Cards and Their Specifications

I. Mage and Health

The Mage card represents the player who marks the Healthand the level on it with the help of a die. On this card, you can find the maximum Healthvalue of a level. The player begins the game with 3 Healthand at level 1, and after this, the player rotates the die according to the current Healthand moves it to mark the current level.

The player’s Healthmay never be more than the maximum defined by the current level and possibly by other cards. If the player’s maximum Healthchanges, then the player loses all the excess Healththat are above the new maximum. The player may not have more Healththan 6 since more could not be marked with a single die. Even if a card contradicts it, the Healthcannot be more than that!

II. Spell and Mana

The Spellcards are the abilities of the Mage and are also used to mark the player’s Mana.The player always has that much Manaas many Spellcards are in an unturned position. If the player loses Manathen the player has to mark it by turning 90 degrees sideways as many freely chosen Spellcards as the amount of the loss. If the player gains Manathen the player turns back as many freely chosen already turned Spellcards as the amount of the gained Mana. The player may not have more than 4 or less than 0 Mana, only as many as can be marked with the Spellcards. Values above or below it always are lost.

The player may freely use any or all Spellcards anytime. Even in case the Healthhas been reduced below 1 if the player can save the Mage from dying and losing the game. When using a Spellcard, the player acts according to the written text then turns the card sideways 90 degrees to mark it being unavailable. These Spellcards cannot be used until the player turns them back to their original position by gaining Mana.

III. Enemy

The Enemycards represent various monsters and opponents. To interact with Enemiesmeans fighting. Enemiescan be overcome in multiple ways. The player may choose between the options present on the said card, which usually means suffering some amount of damage and losing Health, discarding Collectibleitems or casting one or more Spells. After this, the player discards the Enemycard.

Every Enemycard can be defeated by casting two, freely chosen Spellcards.

Furthermore, Enemycards can be defeated by Spellsthat specially target them. For example, to defeat a Fire Elemental card the player needs to cast two Spells, but by casting the Frostball, the player can defeat it with only one Spell.

IV. Trap

During an interaction with a Trap, the player has to roll a die, then act according to the result of the roll.

V. Collectible and Useable Items

There are numerous Collectibleitems (Masks, Potions, Torches) in the game. These cards are collected in front of the player during the interaction with them. Collectiblecards work according to their written description. They either have a constant effect, a one-time-only usable effect or possibly both.

Useablecards have a one-time-only effect when used then the player discards them. During their usage the player has to act according to the written text on the cards. The player may freely use any or all Usablecards anytime in the player’s possession. Even in case the Healthhas been reduced below 1 if the player can save the Mage from dying and losing the game.

It may occur that the player has to discard a Collectibleand/or Usablecard. In that case, the player places the card into the discard pile without using it, so without it having any effect. The discarded card’s constant effects cease to exist immediately.

VI. Chest

During an interaction with a Chest, the player may decide to either roll a die and act according to the rolled result, or in case the player’s level meets or exceeds the level required by the Chestthan the player may open it without rolling a die and receive the rewards written on it. The player does not have to open a Chesteven if the required level is met. After the interaction, the player discards the Chest.

VII. Curse

During an interaction with a Cursecard, the player must collect the card that will continue to have a negative effect until it is discarded. The effect may be positive in the presence of certain card combinations or in special cases. A Cursecan only be discarded during a Level Up, except if the card itself allows it tied to some condition. The Curse’seffect ceases as soon as the card is discarded.

VIII. Level Up and Level Down

When Leveling Up, the player instantly moves the die up to mark the new level, then changes the Healthto the new maximum.

When Leveling Up, the player gets 4 Mana, so the player turns back all the Spellcards to their original position.

When the player Levels Upthe player may discard one freely chosen Curse, however, it is not mandatory.

If the player reaches the maximum level (Level 4) there are no further levels and during Level Uponly the Healthgets filled back to the maximum and the Spellsturned back to their original position. A Cursemay be discarded in this case too.

If the player Levels Down, then the player moves the die down and from now on the player is considered to be of a lower level and the maximum Health is reduced.

If the player is on the lowest level (Level 1), then a Level Downhas no effect.

IX. Ending

The Endingcards are special cards that mark the end of a deck and allow the player to win the game.

The player must interact with the Endingcards when they are revealed and follow the written instructions. The only exception is when there are conditions to meet on them.

The Endingcards may never be discarded. This is true even if the player performs a conditional and not an immediate interaction with an Endingcard.

If the game does not end by revealing an Endingcard, for example, the victory is bound to matching a certain condition, or the player receives some other reward instead of winning, then the player is not required to fulfill this condition immediately and may interact with this card later if the player is able to meet the conditions then.

By revealing an Endingcard, the deck ends and any remaining cards under it will have no further role, the player may not reveal them. There is an exception to this rule: if the player reveals such an Endingcard that isCollectible, the player has to collect that card and then any remaining cards below it will continue to function as a normal deck. Until the player has not discarded all these remaining cards, then the player may reveal and interact with them.

Endingcards with a Keyallows a special end game option. The Dungeon Gate Endingcard only means victory if the player has the Key. To acquire it, the player has to interact with such an Endingcard that either instantly or conditionally gives the Keyto the player. After such a successful interaction, the player has the Key, and if interacts with the Dungeon Gate then wins the game. Ending. cards that provide the Keyremain at their original place even after a successful interaction with them.