Arcadia: The Wyld Hunt
Rules Cards Text
(4 rules cards)
Arcadia: The Wyld Hunt, Story Pack, Character Pack, and White Wolf are
trademarks of White Wolf, Inc. (c) 1996 White Wolf, Inc. All rights
reserved. Rules cards text (c) 1996 White Wolf, Inc.
Card 1 (included in Character Pack):
(page 1)
WELCOME TO ARCADIA (tm)
Arcadia is the fantastic and mystical home of the changelings, the
fae. Here they exist as they have for eons, drawing from the dreams and
nightmares of mortals to forge their own fantastic reality.
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In This Pack
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In this pack you'll find three types of cards: a Character Icon,
Merits, and Flaws. By selecting a combination of various Merits and Flaws
you can customize the character that you will use to adventure through the
land of Arcadia.
Character Icon Cards
These 3-D pop-up cards contain the special information about your
race. Your Attributes (Might, Savvy and Resolve) are all detailed here,
as is your gender and special ability.
[hammer] Might Might is your character's physical prowess. It
encompasses your strength, agility and overall
physical health.
[lock] Resolve Resolve represents the reasoning ability,
willpower and mental fortitude of your character.
[winged wheel] Savvy Savvy signifies guile and cunning, but it may
also indicate your charm and charisma.
[helmet] Combat Allies and Waylays have a Combat Attribute;
characters do not. Characters use their Might
Attribute for all Combat Tests and Trials.
Merit Cards
Just as every individual has unique special talents, so too does
every character in Arcadia. Merits come in many shapes and sizes, but
they all help you in some way. Each Merit has a cost, which represents
the number of points you must spend in order to acquire it. See "Building
Your Character" below for more information. There are five types of
Merits: Abilities, Advantages, Allies, Arts and Treasures.
Abilities - Every Ability is tied to an Attribute. This represents
the 'source' of the Ability. If more of your Abilities derive from one
particular Attribute, it may affect your approach to problem-solving (i.e.
if you have more Might Abilities, you will use physical means to solve
problems). Abilities also have a court symbol, either Seelie [Seelie
symbol [white rose]] or Unseelie [Unseelie symbol [black rose]]. This
will be discussed below.
Advantages - Advantages are special skills or affinities that are
available to your character.
Allies - Allies are the friends you have met along the way. Many of
them have skills that they can lend to your service.
Arts - Arts, drawn from the peculiar magic of the fae, can be used to
a character's advantage in a wide variety of ways.
Treasures - These are the mystical and mundane items that your
character may have at his disposal. Treasures can be quite potent, but
often have equally daunting drawbacks.
(page 2)
Flaws
Just as everyone has skills, they also have shortcomings. Flaws are
optional, but if taken they can increase the number of points you have
available for your Merits; again see "Building Your Character" below.
There are three types of Flaws: Curses, Enemies and Weaknesses.
Curses - Curses represent special limitations that affect your
character. They may cover a wide range of situations but have only minor
effects, or they may occur in very specific circumstances and have more
severe consequences.
Enemies - Enemies represent those who look upon the character with
disfavor. He/she may endure the general dislike of an entire race, or
suffer the hatred of a specific powerful figure.
Weaknesses - These are the physical, social and psychological
shortcomings of your character.
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Buiding Your Character
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Step 1: Select Your Race
If this is your first pack of Arcadia: The Wyld Hunt character cards,
then you will have only one Character Icon. Otherwise you'll need to
select one of your Character Icons now. This will define your race and
gender.
Step 2: Select Your Merits and Flaws
You begin with 5 free points with which to create your character.
Every Merit has a cost listed in the top left corner of the card. This is
the number of points you must invest, or spend, on the Merit to purchase
it for your character. Every Flaw has a number of bonus points, also
listed in the top left corner of the card. By taking that Flaw you gain
its bonus points to spend on more Merits. For example: Esekial is
creating his character and he wishes to take 7 points of Merits. He takes
a 2 point Flaw, bringing his total available points from 5 to 7.
Special Rule: Treasures
Treasures are used in two ways in this game. They can be purchased
just like any other Merit, to be at your character's disposal for
every game you play with that character, or they can be discovered in
the course of the Quest adventure. Treasures that you purchase are
called permanent Treasures, and they are treated just like any other
Merit: if your character discards them they will return for the next
game. Quest Treasures can be used for the duration of one game only.
It is possible for a character to find the same Treasure on multiple
Quests. More information on Quest Treasures is available in the
Story Pack rules.
Step 3: Your Court
The fey are divided into 2 courts: Seelie and Unseelie. Seelie
characters are good, just, kind and righteous, while Unseelie characters
are evil, conniving, manipulative and dastardly. Every Ability and
Weakness is labeled either Seelie or Unseelie. If you have more Seelie
than Unseelie Abilities, you are Seelie, and vice versa. If you have an
equal amount of each, you must choose your court, but you cannot change it
after you have decided.
Step 4: Your Identity
Now that you have defined your character, all that's missing is the
breath of life. You should name him or her and add some flavorful
information as to where you [he/she] came from and what you're [he/she is]
doing on this Quest. For more information on the Quest itself, see the
Rules card in the Story Pack.
Card 2 (included in Story Pack):
(page 3)
STORY PACK
Lord Gamine
Years ago, Skyeholm, the mountain castle of High King Ardlanth, ruler
of Arcadia, fell under a mysterious curse called the Darkening, which
turned all of Skyeholm's inhabitants into petrified marble statues.
Several months ago, Lord Gamine, the ruler of Ardenmore, embarked upon a
quest to uncover the truth about Skyeholm and the Darkening. He has not
returned. In his absence, Gamine's human-mule advisor, Bernard Assjack,
rules as regent. Bernard has called all of the heroes of the land
together to set out on a Quest to find Lord Gamine and return him to
Ardenmore.
What You Need to Play
In order to play Arcadia: The Wyld Hunt you need only one Story Pack
and one Character Pack. You will also need a single-six sided [single
six-sided] die.
The Golden Rule
Any rules on individual cards will always supersede the basic game
rules listed here.
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In This Pack
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In the Story Pack you'll find three types of cards: Leagues, Waylays
and Quests.
League Cards
Leagues are the lands of Ardenmore, the kingdom in which this
adventure takes place. Every League has specific features such as
Terrain, Enter & Leave conditions, a short description of that particular region
and the Rest conditions that can be found there.
Terrain - Terrain indicates the specific features of the land and
what can always be encountered there. Terrain icons are matched with
Waylay icons for the purposes of playing Waylays. See "Waylays" below for
more information.
Enter & Leave - Some Leagues have rougher Terrain than others. Enter and
Leave information tells you what Trials, if any, your character must pass
in order to move into or out of the League.
Special - This section contains any information specific to that
League.
Rest - The Rest information tells what types of Merits and
(sometimes) Flaws can be recovered here. For more information on Rests
and recovering Merits and Flaws see the "Sequence of Play" below.
Quest Cards
The Quest defines the particular game you will play. Each Quest will
include the Waylay ratings, Treasure ratings, and experience points of the
game, along with specific information about the Quest's victory
conditions.
(page 4)
["stop" hand] Waylays These are the number of points in Waylays your
opponent selects to play against you.
[key] Treasures These are the number of points in Treasures you
may select to be placed for you to find during
your Quest.
Experience - This is the number of experience points your character
earns if he completes his Quest.
Victory Conditions - On the opposite side of your Quest card is a
detailed explanation of the Quest and how it must be completed. Each
Quest has its own victory condition.
Waylay Cards
In the course of your adventure, your opponent will play Waylay cards
to deter you, and you will do the same to him. Each Waylay is a creature,
object or circumstance that could potentially hinder otherwise undauntable
heroes. Waylays are divided into four categories: Might, Resolve, Savvy
and Combat. You must use the listed Attribute when you face a Waylay
unless you have a Merit that allows you to change the nature of the
Waylay. Waylays that have no number listed for a specific Attribute can
never become a Waylay of this type. For example: A Hurricane can never be
changed from a Might to a Savvy Waylay; you can't talk a storm out of
running its course. Hence, there is no Savvy Attribute listed on the
Waylay card. Each Waylay lists the Terrain on which it can be found, a
Waylay Rating, the Test information and its Attributes. Adiagram [A
diagram] of the Waylay card layout may be found at the end of these rules.
Terrain - The type of Terrain a Waylay may be played on. Only one
feature needs to match with the League Terrain. For example: If a Waylay
lists Forest and Swamp and your League lists Swamp and Fields, you may
play that Waylay. Waylays with this symbol can be found on any Terrain:
[symbol is "Arcadia" "A" inside a circle]
Waylay Rating - Waylays are ranked by their potency. A low Waylay
rating indicates an easy situation, while higher numbers become tougher to
overcome. Your opponent can select Waylays with a combined rating equal
to or less than the Waylay Rating of your Quest.
Test - Nearly every Waylay involves a Test of some kind. The symbols
on top identify the type of Test required. It is still important to read
the actual card text, as special circumstances may apply. Some Waylays
can be tested in more than one way. If a Waylay has two Tests listed, the
character encountering it can choose which Test to face.
Attributes - Each Waylay has at least 1 Attribute. These Attributes
determine a Waylay's base rating. This rating is added to the die results
to determine the score. If a Waylay Attribute is not listed, it can never
become a Waylay of this type.
Card 3 (included in Story Pack):
(page 5)
THE WYLD HUNT
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Setting the Stage
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1: Create Characters.
You and your opponent each create a character following the rules
listed in the Character Pack. Your Merit cards are placed face up
(unexhausted) in front of you. Your Flaws are given to your opponent and
placed face up in front of him/her.
2: Select and play Quests.
You select the Quest your character will undertake. You read your
opponent's Quest(s) and he reads yours. You select a volume of Waylays
equal to the Waylay rating of /your opponent's/ Quest(s). You also select
a volume of Treasures equal to the Treasure Rating of /your/ Quest(s).
Note: A Quest with a Treasure Rating of 3 allows you to select one 3-point
Treasure, three 1-point Treasure, or any combination that adds up to 3.
We recommend attempting only one Quest on your first game. Later,
however, you may find that attempting several at once is more challenging
and dramatic.
3: Select and play Leagues.
For every Quest you're undertaking, select 5 Leagues. You and your
opponent each roll a die. The player with the lowest roll goes first.
Players then take turns laying down their Leagues. Leagues can only be
placed in a ["]feature matching feature["] format and must always be
played horizontally (in the same direction - long side to long side, short
side to short side). Leagues can */never/* be placed short side to long
side to form a T connection. A newly played League must match any and all
existing Leagues beside it. For example: A Forest end can connect to any
other League with a Forest end on it as well. A side with a Forest and a
Road can connect to any other side with either a Forest or a Road, or
both. Border Terrain Leagues require special attention. A Border is an
end. No other League can be played beside a Border. The exception to
this is Ocean Terrain. Ocean Terrain can */only/* be played beside other
Ocean Terrain or beside a Border. If a League has Unique listed on it,
there can only be one of that League in play. If both players wish to
play that League[,] the player with less [fewer] total character points
[Merits?/experience?] may place the League. The duplicate Unique League
must be discarded.
4: Place Treasures.
You and your opponent now take turns placing your Quest Treasures on
the board. Treasures are placed one at a time and no League can have more
than one Treasure underneath it unless all other Leagues already house
Treasures. Any Treasures found during a Quest are not permanent to your
character and cannot be kept from game to game. You may, however, add
permanent Treasures with experience points (see "Winning the Game",
below). During the course of game play your opponent cannot pick up your
Treasures[,] and vice versa.
5: Place Characters.
You now select your opponent's starting League and he selects yours.
This is called your Base Camp.
6: Begin Play.
Play now begins. The player who rolled lowest goes first. He/She
may move his/her character one League in any direction. See the "Sequence
of Play", below. If you have a Waylay that can be played on the League
he/she's moved [your opponent moves] to, you may opt to do so, or hold it
for later. Ultimately you must use your Waylays at opportune times to
slow or halt your opponent's progress while you complete your Quest. If
no Waylays are played your opponent can encounter the League and benefit
from any Rests there [or pick up any of his/her Quest Treasures located
there].
(page 6)
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Sequence of Play
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Game play is simple. You and your opponent take turns moving your
characters around the Leagues that are in play. Each turn is called a
Day. During a Day a character may either move to and encounter a new
League or stay on and encounter his current League. Characters can only
move to adjacent Leagues. They may never move diagonally. Several things
may exist on a League: characters, Waylays, Rests, and/or Treasures.
These are encountered in a specific order. You encounter a League as
follows:
[0) Exiting Trial for current League, if any]
[then]
1) Entering Trials - You must pass the Trial (if one exists) before you
can encounter anything on the League. If you fail the Trial, you must
remain in your starting League and cannot move this Day.
[then]
2) Encounter any Waylays, new or existing. You [Your] opponent can now
play a Waylay on you in this League. An opponent, however, cannot
normally play a Waylay on a League which already has a Waylay card on it.
If there is more than one Waylay on a League, all must be encountered in
the same Day.
[if no 2, then]
3) Another character can be encountered or left alone, at your option.
[or]
4) You may pick up any of your Treasures.
[or]
5) Finally,[] you may rest.
Aside from the Entering Trial, you may only encounter one [type of] thing
on a League per Day: Waylays, opposing character, Treasure or Rest. If
you face a Waylay you cannot get your Treasure or Rest until the following
Day.
Leaving Leagues
You may leave any League that does not contain a Waylay and move to
any adjacent League. You must pass any Terrain [Exit] Trials stipulated
by your current League before you move. If you do not pass, you are stuck
in your current League for the Day and can try again on your next Day. If
there is a Waylay in your League that you have not defeated, you may only
leave in the direction from which you came. This is called retreating.
You cannot move past an undefeated Waylay unless you have a special card
that allows it.
Playing and Encountering Waylays
When your opponent enters a League, you have the option of playing a
Waylay card against him. The Waylay must match at least one of the
Terrain features of the League on which it is played. You may only play
Waylays on an opponent, never on yourself (although you may end up facing
Waylays that you played but your opponent retreated from). Once you play
a Waylay, your opponent must face it upon entering the League. If a
character remains in the same League you cannot play another Waylay on
him, unless special circumstances say otherwise.
When you face a Waylay it will either be one already on a League
you're moving into, or one that your opponent plays against you when you
enter a League. If you do not defeat the Waylay, it remains on the
League. Unless special circumstances dictate otherwise, a Waylay will
remain in play until it is defeated. If there is more than one Waylay on
a League, you encounter each one [them] in the order of their Waylay
Ratings: lowest to highest.
Card 4 (included in Story Pack):
(page 7)
Encountering Other Characters
When you encounter another character on a League you may choose to
waylay him. If you do[,] you may also choose the type of Test: Might,
Savvy, Resolve or Combat. If you're victorious, you may select which
Merit your defeated opponent exhausts, or you may choose to move him one
League in a direction of your choice (ignoring Terrain Trials). But
careful about bullying an opponent too much -- he can always come back and
waylay you on his terms the next Day.
- Base Camp -
Your Base Camp is your starting point and the only place on the board
where you are safe. Your opponent may never Waylay you here and
regardless of the Rest listed you may always recover 1 Merit of any type
while there.
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Tests and Trials
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There are two types of hurdles a character will be forced to overcome
in his journeys: Tests and Trials.
Tests
Tests are always opposed: they are either between 2 characters or
between 1 character and 1 Waylay. There are four different types of
Tests: Might, Resolve, Savvy and Combat.
Might Might Tests use the character or Waylay's Might Attribute.
Resolve Resolve Tests use the character or Waylay's Resolve Attribute.
Savvy Savvy Tests use the character or Waylay's Savvy Attribute.
Combat Combat Tests are special. A character uses their Might
Attribute against a Waylay's Combat Attribute.
Tests are done by rolling a [six-sided] die and adding it [that
number] to your base Attribute. This total is called your score. Your
opponent rolls for the Waylay and adds it [that] to the Waylay's base
Attribute. You then compare scores. If [your score is higher,] you are
victorious, [and] the Waylay is defeated and discarded. On your next Day
you may encounter your Treasures or the Rest listed on the League. If
there is a tie, or Stalemate, the Waylay remains in play and you may
retreat or try again the next Day [on the next Day, you may retreat or try
again]. /If [your score is lower,] you're defeated, [and] you must
exhaust 1 Merit./ You may try again the next Day, or retreat. [On the
next Day, you may try again or retreat.] If you have a Merit or
circumstance which allows you to retest, both you and your opponent (or
Waylay) reroll the Test.
Trials
Trials are often found on Leagues and occasionally on Waylays. They
are specific tests you must pass in order to move on or overcome a
circumstance. Unlike a Waylay or Character Test, a Trial is not opposed.
The Trial will indicate the Attribute you must use, as well as the
difficulty you must overcome. Roll a [six-sided] die and add that number
to the listed Attribute. If you equal or exceed the difficulty listed,
you pass the Trial and may move on. If you fail you cannot enter or leave
a League respectively. If you fail a Trial listed on a Waylay you suffer
its listed effects.
(page 8)
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Exhausting and Recovering Merits
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In many cases you must exhaust your Merits to use their special
abilities. When you exhaust a Merit, you turn the card over. You can no
longer benefit from any of its abilities. The only way to recover an
exhausted Merit is to rest. Each League details what Merits can be
recovered by resting there. If no Waylay is encountered you may rest on a
League the Day you enter it (See Sequence of Play, above). If you do
encounter a Waylay you must spend the following Day on the League if you
wish to benefit from the Rest. You may never rest on a League that has an
active Waylay on it.
Exhausting All of Your Merits
If you're unfortunate or foolhardy enough to exhaust all of your
Merits, you're in a bad spot. You can at any time opt to discard an
exhausted Merit instead of exhausting another one. If all of your Merits
are exhausted and you lose a Test, you must discard one of your exhausted
Merits. If you're forced to discard all of your Merits, you skip your
next Day and are transported back to your Base Camp. Your discarded
Merits will not return until the beginning of your next game.
Exhausting and Recovering Flaws
Your opponent may, when appropriate, exhaust one of your Flaws to
force your character to suffer the listed effect. Much like Merits, some
Leagues allow your opponent to recover one of /your/ Flaws. Flaws can
never be discarded, only exhausted. When a Flaw is exhausted, a character
can no longer suffer from its disadvantages.
[Winning the Game]
The game is over when one character completes his/her Quest(s). Each
Quest has unique conditions which must be met for it to be completed. If
you're playing a Chronicle with continuing characters, the winning
character gains 1 experience point. That experience point can be saved or
spent immediately to buy a new Merit or get rid of a Flaw. Points are
used on a 1 for 1 basis. If you have 2 experience points, you may buy a 2
point Merit, two 1 point Merits, buy off a 2 point Flaw or two 1 point
Flaws. For every 2 experience points a character has spent add 1 to the
Waylay Rating of any Quests you undergo.
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WAYLAY CARD LAYOUT
Waylay Rating Terrain
| |
| |
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| __________ | |
Test --- | | o O | | |
| | | | |
| | -------- | o | |
| | -------- | o | |
Info --- | | -------- | o | |
| | -------- | | | --- Art
| | | O | |
| ---------- | |
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|
|
Attributes