Table of Contents
What's Included? Card Numb ering What's All About? Cards The Deck Game Victory Two-Dra Two-Draw w Mull igan of the Cosmos A Set-up Set-up Diagram The Formation The Pool Limbo The Abyss
3 4 4 4 6 7 8 11 11 11 12 13 13 13
Order of Activ ation Icon Abilities Casting Spells Wall Spells Wish Spell Instant -Defeat Cards
16 17 17 17 17 18
Spoils of Victory Flyers, Swimmers, & Earthwalke rs Powers & Confl icts Counter-Effect Cards Items Duplicated Events & Spells
19 19 20 20 21
22 A l t e r n a t i v e D e ck ck Terms Card Realms Holdings Rule Cards Events Champions Magical Items & Artifacts Allies Spells Psionic Psionic Power Cards
27 38 39 40 40 41 42 43 44 45
Unarmed Cards 45 Blood Abilities 46 Thief Skills 46 & 47 Theme Decks 47 Types of Themes 49 Ind ivi dua l Card Strategies 59 Tactic s & Tips 65 70 Deck Most Popular S P E L L F I R E Cards . . .70 Decks Hero Combat Deck 84 FORGOTTEN Monster Deck 87 Avatar Deck 90 Deck 93 Good to be the King" Deck 96 The "Nines" Deck 99 Deck 102 Undead 75-Card Deck 105
T o u r n a m e n t R u l es es C a r d D e s c r i p t io io n s 120 Selected 3rd Edition Cards Selected 1st Edition Chase Cards Selected 3rd 3rd Editio n Photo Card s
185 187 187
Booster Car ds 196 Selected Selected D R A G O N L A N C E " Booster Cards 198 REALMS Booster Cards 201 Art ifac ts Booster Pack 205 Powers Booster Pack 247 Booster Pack . . . .289 Runes & Ruins Booster Pack , , .3 .332 32 375 Booster Pack
There's a lot of the "proud father" in me when I think about the Although true that and several others helped invent the game, the latest group of developers, including Kevin Bill Jim B utler , and Dori Hein, have taken the game several steps steps forward in evoluti on. Fourth e diti on decks are a lot like today's formula race cars when compared to first edition decks, which drove like model Ts. I've had unusua lly good good times pla yin g this game. I can rememb er going to with some some polished decks decks thi nk in g 1 would be able to all comers. Imagine my surprise when I person after person whose decks were far than mine. decks so that I I have have a a Caramon an an Undead R A V E N L O F T T deck, etc., h as also been great fun. TSR we all have our spell decks and our dragon decks, and making the perfect deck has burned up a lot of pleasant pleasant hours for me. Arguing rules with the playplay ers of TSR and mak ing them let me go first I'm the oldest player (even though that rule was changed) has got to be some of the best times I've ever had in a life filled with fun gaming memories. Games that get better over time a re few. definitely fits i n this category. category. In 1994 1994 when it fi rst came out, the game was fun f un for tiplayers or just two. New card sets have made the game even more fun for The fans of the game have made it better as well. Their good ideas and comments on the rules have allowed TSR to improve the game to its present day condition. I've also learned (the hard way) that there is a big dif ferenc e between between decks decks suitable for games and decks set up to face one opponent. I've a few personal favorite concepts in the game. The Rule Cards developed out of our need to add new rules to a game where people had old rules sets. Photo cards and what we've designed into them have become some of game. The some of the most fu n cards in the Lovely Colleen an d Delsenora are my two favor ite cards. It's also a great deal of fun signing cards at conventions, even tho ugh 1 still cringe at the thought of inking up someone else's card. Being in on the ground floor of a creation creation like thi s still has it s kicks years later. I hav e decks decks w i t h o ld cards people can't get any more. It does my heart good to see the look of fear and confusion on a new player's face when out my Mask deck or my Ancient Curse deck. May you never never see see your opponent draw th at nasty Carav an card,
James
Ward
Vice President of Creative
. . .471 Afterword
3
FO R E W O R D FO
1st 1st Chase
is a collectible card game for two or more players. The idea in collectible games is that each player builds his own unique deck from all of the cards he owns. Most have powers that break or change the general rules of the game. all cases, the special power on the card takes precedence over the rules presented here.
25" through "25 of RL
Booster Pack in 1994. There are 100 cards in this booster pack.
2nd
Second released in August 1994. Cards numbered 1-420 are in this edition, with the 401-420 cards replacing twenty existing existing rare cards cards from 1st 1st Ed it io n. There was no Booster Pack release with this edition. Cards from this set are clearly marked "Second Edition" on the lower left corner of the card back.
Included? Guide Volume II contains contains updated rules, new strategies and and tactics, mater ial for the novice and and experienced experienced player and descriptions of individual cards from the Powers, Runes & Ruins, a nd B I R T H R I G H T booster packs. Also included are descriptions of cards changed from 2nd to 3rd Edition, not covered in the previous Reference Guide because of its release date between the Artifacts and Powers boosters. It's important to note to note that card releases the but preceding this p roduct, are not not inclu ded. At the time
Booster pack #1, June Ju ne 1994. 1994. This chase contains all 400 cards found in 1st edition plus a set set unique to Booster Pack #1. #1. They are numbered "1 of
The
DRAGONLANCE, LANCE, Booster Booster Pack #3, released in October 1994. 1994. There are 100 100 cards in th is booster booster pack pa ck..
DL Chase
D R A C O N L A N C E Chase Cards, 25-card set found in the D R A C O N L A N C E Booster Pack, October 1994. They a re numbered "1 of 25" through "25 of 25," next to the
D R A G O N L A N C E logo.
this product was written, text and art from the 4th Edition release, an d Night Stalkers was not available. In addition, because of space considerations this product could not contain all
FR
the above mentioned cards, and a line in the sand needed to be drawn. Information on S P E L L F I R E releases left out this product will left out of this likely be printed at a later date. We have, however, included a checklist t o both 4t h Edition and in the index section of this book.
Pack #4, #4, released in FORGOTTEN November 1994. There are 100 cards in this booster
FR Chase
F O R G O T T E N R E A L M S Chase Cards, 25-card set found i n the FORGOTTEN R E A L M S Booster Pack, November 1994.
Card Numbering
AR
Throu ghout this book, book, whenever a card is named, it is followed by the card number and the latest edition of the game it has appeared in. For example, the card The Caravan would be depicted as "The Caravan This indicates that Caravan is card number 319 which is the latest release as of this this in the 3rd Edition of
product. In most cases, cards from the 1st through 3rd Editions of S P E L L F I R E have the same numbers, unless they were replaced in subsequent sequ ent editions. Below i s a li st of card editions editions and booster booster abbreviations used in this product in their order of release.
1st
First
They are numbered "1 of 25" through "25 of next to the F O R G O T T E N R E A L M S logo.
AR Chase Chase
Ar ti fa ct s Chase Chase Cards, 20-card 20-card set set found in the Art ifacts ifa cts Booster Pack, May 1995 1995. They ar e numbered "1 of 20" through "20 of 20," next to the
AD&D logo. PO
Powers Booster Pack #6, released in September There are 100 100 cards in this booster pack.
PO Chase
Powers Chase Cards, 20-card set found in the P O W E R S Booster Pack, September 1995. They They are numbered "1 of 20" through "20 of 20," next to the AD&D
released in June 1994. Cards numbered
1-400 make up this edition.
Artifacts Arti facts Booster Booster Pack released in May 1995. There are 100 cards in this booster pack.
3rd
Third edition, edit ion, released in October 1995 1995. There are 440 cards in this edit ion, wi th the 421-44 421-440 0 cards replaci ng twenty existing rare cards from 1st and 2nd Edition.
There was no Boos Booster ter Pack Pack release release with this th is edition. edi tion. INTRODUCTION
4
Booster Pack
5
released in December
The Cards
Booster Pack # 7, released in December 1995. There are 100 cards in this booster pack.
UD Chase
Chase 25-card se t found in the Booster Pack, December 1995. They a re numbered "1 of 25" through "25 of 25," next to the logo.
RR
Runes & Ruins Booster Pack #8, released in Febr uar y There are 100 cards in this booster pack.
RR Chase
Runes & Ruins Chase Cards, 25-card set found in the Runes & Rui ns Booster Pack, Febru ary 1996. They are numbered "1 of 25" through "25 of 25," next to the AD&D logo.
BR
Booster Pack #9, released in May 1996. There are 100 cards in this booster pack.
RR Chase
Chase Cards, 25-card set found in the Booster Pack, M ay 1996. They a re numbered of 25" th rough "25 of 25," next to th e B I R T H R I G H T logo.
Promo
Promotional cards are given away at conventions, such as the GEN Fair. These are the only places to obtain such cards. The first promo cards were dist ributed at GEN CON in August of 1994. As of this guide, there are three promo cards in existence.
What's
The Cards Each card has a similar look and layout. Take a moment and look at a few of them. The cards (most have map pictures) are the realms that make up your empire. The rest of the cards are laid out vertically. In the upper left corner is an icon that identifies the type of card. For example, the wizard champion icon and wizard spell icon have the same shape, but different colors (pink and gold spellbooks). The same is true for the cleric champion icon and the cleric spell icon (purple and gold shields), the psionicist champion icon and the psionicist power icon (green and gold faces), etc. Wizard and cleric psionic power cards, unarmed combat cards, blood abilities, and thief skills are all the same pale gold. Seven of these icons belong to a single card type: champion. Clerics, heroes, monsters, wizards, psionicists, regents, and thieves are all champions. Rules that discuss champions apply to all of these cards. There are some rules unique to individual types of champions. Some of the icons have a number in them. All champions have a number. The number is the base level of the champion. The higher the level, the more powerful it is in battle. Most cards have levels ranging from 0 to though a few cards, notably the avatars, have much higher numbers.
A ll
The idea of the game is to build an empire. Players take turns drawing and laying down cards from their individual decks. In a collectible card game, each player has his own deck. Cards from one play er' s deck are never mixed in with cards from another player's deck. As you build your empire, the other players are trying to destroy You use fantasy champions (clerics, monsters, wizards, and others) to attack and defend empires. These champions are aided by magical items, artifacts, events, allies, and other special cards. If your attack is successful, part of the empire is destroyed (referred to as being "razed") or a defending champion is defeated and discarded. In any the idea is to have fun. Don't get hung up on rules technicalities or play "touch rules." No one has fun in a game with a rules lawyer. Play fairly and honestly. Be willing to replay a few cards if a player di dn' t under stand what was going on. it' s jus t a game. 6
7
To find out who goes first in a game, each player cuts his deck, not-
The Deck A standard S P E L L F I R E game deck contains 55 cards a mixture of realms, alli es, events, spells, magical items, artifacts, and other cards. The precise mix depends on the deck and the player. Each type of card has its own purpose and value in the game. No individual card can appear more than once in a deck, unless an exception is stated on the card. A card is considered the same if it has both the same icon and the same name (it may or may not have the same artwork). Indi vid ual card types have the following l i m i t s p e r d ec k . Card Type
a Rule Card Perform any other actions that must happen at the beginning of your turn. For example, Marco (50/3rd) allows you to look at an opponent's top card at the beginning of your turn (phase 0).
Phase 1:
Draw three from the draw pile Some cards allow you to draw additional cards each turn.
Phase 2;
Play a Only one of each can be played in a turn, even if you have more in your h and. Steps A & can be performed in any order.
0-6
1-20 any number
Magical items Artifacts Events Wizard spells Cleric spells Psionic powers Unarmed combat Blood abilities Thief skills Rule cards cards in deck may not the icon an
Phase 0:
Card Limit
Realms Holdings Champions*
appearing
ing the last digit of the card number he's cut to. (Example: The Deck of Many Things from the F O R G O T T E N R E A L M S booster is #47 of 100. The "7" is the number used to see who goes first.) Whoever has the highest number goes first. In the event of a tie, the tied players cut again. Everyone then shuffles his deck thoroughly and places it face down on the table. Each player then draws five cards to form his starti ng hand. At the start of each player's turn, that player three cards. Play proceeds clockwise around the table. Note: All players draw at least three cards their first turn of any rule card, magical item, or artifact that might indicate less. Every player must follow this turn sequence. Phases 1, 5, and 6 must be performed. Phases 0, 2, 3, and 4 are optional. The phases are below.
to
0-10
A) Play, rebuild, or replace one realm You may do only one of the above. If a realm is played, you cannot rebuild another realm in the same turn.
any number any number any number an y num ber any number any number 0-3 55 to
90 a
Play one holding
Holdings must be attached to realms from the same world. Once attached they cannot be rearranged. You can add a holding to a realm other than the one
just played or rebuilt.
number if more
in
Before beginning play, a ll players should agree on which optional rules, if any, are being used. Once the rules have been agreed everyone should select a deck.
Phase 3:
the pool and or abilities You are not required to perform steps A & B of this phase in a set order; you can bounce back and forth between them. G
A) Place any num ber of cham pions, artifacts, and magical items into the pool
Artifacts and magical items must be attached to champions. Once attached, they may not be rearranged. An can be placed only on a champion from the same world; magical items can be attached to any champion. B) Use any Phase 3 spell, psi onic power, or blood ability There must be a champion in the pool able to use the spell, power, or abil ity . Other play ers may use psionic powers, spells, or blood abilities to counter yours. You may only pl ay Phase 3 cards at this time. Each card is clearly marked with the it can be played at the end of the text box, as well as whether the card is offensive (Off) or defensive (Def). Cards without a listed phase can be used any time (like Wish [FR/46]).
Phase 4:
Attack of another Once the realm is chosen, you cannot switch the attack to a diff erent realm, even if you use a different champ ion. Ch amp io ns for the attack can come from your hand or pool. For more detai ls on attac ki ng realms, see the chapter on Comba t.
Phase 5:
psionic powers, or abilities and adjust hand At this point in the turn, it's no longer possible to place champ ions in your attach magical items, or perform other actions done during phase 3 unless the card was obtained as a spoils of victory. Use any card allowed to be played in phase 5 There must be a ch amp io n in your pool able to use the spell, psionic power, or ability. Only player whose turn it is can play cards in phase 5. B) Discard cards from your hand until only eight cards remain
Some card powers may allow you to keep more cards in your hand.
Phase 6:
on table to your turn The player to the left of you may now take his turn.
Id
There are two ways a game c an end. Th e most common i s when someone has six realms in play and none of them are razed. He has built an empire. The first player to do this wins. The second way a game can end is when one of the players runs out of cards in his draw That player is allowed to finish his but the game ends when he raps (knocks to signal the end of his turn). The player with the most unrazed realms wins. If two or more people have the same number of realms, count the number of realms to break the tie. If further tie breakers are needed, count holdings . If this still results in a tie, the game is a draw.
Two-Draw Mulligan If you have not played a realm and do not have a realm in your hand that can be played by the end of your second turn, stop the game and start over. No one wins or loses. If you're call ing for a mulligan, you must have pl ayed any event cards th at mi ght gi ve extra cards (and thus a chance to get a realm, such as Good Fortune and you must show your hand to prove that you have no realms. It is possible for someone to draw a realm, but then be forced to discard it through card play. If this happens, you can still c a l l for a two-draw as long as you never got the chance to play a realm card onto the table. If you have realms in your hand, but other have them all in play, you can stil l declare a mull ig an. A mull ig an can only be by a single player twice. On the third you're forced to continue playing with the cards you've been dealt.
Rule of the Cosmos Only one of each champion, arti fact , realm, or h oldi ng card can be in play at once. While you have a specific champ ion, arti fact , realm, or holding in play, no other player can have that card in play. For if you have (44/3r d) in you r pool or in combat, no other Elminster cards can be brought into play. If a card's name and type are identical to one already in play, the Rule of the Cosmos prevents the second from being played. This restriction does not apply to all cards, only realms, artifacts, champions, and holdings. A razed realm is still considered in play, but its special powers don't work. You may not put a realm into your formation if it is also in someone else's formation, even though it is razed.
11
The Formation As realms are they form a triangle with its facing you diagr am at left). Your first realm played is the top of the triangle. The second row must be before playing realms into your third row. If something forces a realm to be discarded, it's possible to have an empty spot in the lead position when there are realms in the second row, or an empty spot in the second row when there are realms in the third row. You must pla y new realms into the empty spots before any other spot. For example, A through E are filled, but A and have been discarded by spells or events, you have to lay down next realm into position A. You cann ot lay it into position B or F. Each unrazed realm protects the two realms directly behind it by shielding them from attack. A realm cannot be attacked if it is behind ano the r unrazed realm. A razed realm offers no protection. Realms that are exposed by a razed can be attacked normally. The Pool The pool is a place on the right side of your formation. phase 3 of your turn, you can put any number of champions into the pool from your hand. You may attach artifacts an d magic al items to these champions. These cards are considered to be in play but don't count against yo ur hand size limit. The cards in the pool stay there un til they are used in battle or until some thing forces the m to be discarded. a champion is sent to the discard pile, or the Abyss, of his att ac hed ca rds are placed in the discard pile.
Limbo Limbo is a that cards are sometimes sent to, either through comb at or through the power of certain cards. It is to the righ t of your formation. cards in Limbo are not considered to be in play. player brings an identical champion into his the champion in Limbo is sent to the discard pile when he returns. You can't choose to leave your champion in Limbo to avoid being discarded. If a champion is sent to Limbo because he was defeated in battle, his attached cards are discarded. If he is sent to Limbo for any other reason, his items If someone attaches an artifact to one of his cha mpi ons which is held by a champion of yours in Limbo, your artifact is discarded when the champi on returns from Limbo. you are allowed to draw cards from your discard pile, or shuffle cards back into your draw pile, cards in Limbo are never included.
The The Abyss is a place where events are placed after they've been played or discarded. addition, some realms, holdings, and other cards can h ur l cards into the Abyss. Once any card is banished to the Abyss, it can't be brought back , and it is ou t of the game for good. GAM E PLAY
g)
b)
c)
Yon indicate which realm is being attacked. It must be a realm your champion is to attack, either because exposed or because the champion has some special movement power allowing him to attack it. You can choose to attack any player's realm. You may never attack your own realm. Once you've announced an phase 3 is over and only phase 4 cards may be played.
d) The attacker's special power and attached cards by the special power and attached cards. Refe r to the Order of Activa tion section, for the precise order that cards activate. If your attacker w ins the roun d of bat through use of his special power, or that of an attached card the defender gets to activate his special power), the defender is discarded and that round is over.
e)
0
i)
Compare the total levels of each side. Take into account any realm, holding, magical items, artifacts, events, spells, and so forth that affect the combat. The side with the largest total is winning. A tie means the defender is winning. The player that is losing play one card. Compare the total levels again. If he is still losing, he keeps playing cards one at a time until he is winning. Cardplay goes back an d forth l ike this until the player that is losing either cannot or not play another card. The round of combat is over. The winner does not have the option to play any more cards, no matter how badly he may want to.
COM HA
14
that round.
players have now completed one round of battle.
• If your attacking champion won the rou nd, bu t the realm he attacked was not razed, you may select another champion and attack it again. You may not use the same champion to attack more than once in your turn. You must attack the same realm; your attackers cannot switch the attack to a dif fer ent r ealm. The defending player can likewise choose a new defender (but is never required to defend ). A defen ding champion not deend for more than one round of battle (although some champions can as their sepcial power).
Yon select a champion from your or and present it as the attacking champion. You may not add any artifacts, magical items, or other cards to the champion at this time. However, if the attacking champion came from your pool, he may already have some attached cards. Your opponent a from his hand or pool and pre sents it as the defe ndin g ch amp ion. The player not add any cards to the defending champion at this time. if the defender came from the player's pool, he may already have some attached cards. If he opts to put no defender forth, the realm is razed.
level
wins ties.
The places his champion, with attached cards, into h is pool. You discard all allies , and other cards used in the combat. The loser discards all the cards he used in the combat, including his champion and all its attached cards.
During phase 4 of the turn, you can attack an opponent's realm. All a single realm are known as a battle; each champion that comes forward during the constitutes a single round of comb at. An atta ck follow s this sequence: a)
The player with The
• If your attacker or the defending realm was razed or discarded, the battle is over. You may not continue to attac k new realms, even if you have champions l e f t who have not participated in battle this turn. j)
After the battle is over, one of the players may be eligible to spoils of victory. Spoils of victory is one card from winner's draw The attacker draws spoils of victory if the realm he was attacking was razed or discarded. The defender draws of victory if an attac king cha mp ion was defeated in combat and discarde d (or sent to the Abyss or Limbo). The card can be held in your hand, played immediately, or put back on the top of the draw pile.
The battle ends if the defender's realm is razed or discarded, or if one of the attacker's champions is defeated or discarded. However, there are some circumstances. possible results for a round of combat are listed below. • If the defender defeats an attacking champion during a round of combat, the battle is over. The attacker may not put forward another champion to continue the attack. The defender earns spoils of victory if the atta ck in g champi on was discarded. " If the attacker wins a round by defeating the defending champion, he can continue the attack. The victorious champion retur ns to the attacker's pool and the player can bring forth a dif fer ent cham pion that has not already been used in this and start another round of combat against the same real m. 15
COMBAT
• If the defender ever declines to defend the realm, the realm is razed and the battle is over. The attacker has won and earns spoils of victory. • If the attacker ever declines to put forward a the battle is over. Neither side has and neither player gets spoils of victory. The attacker is never required to continue an attack. • If cardplay causes the attacked realm to be razed or discarded (such as by a Cataclysm! [99/3rd] event) during combat, the battle is over. The attacking player gets spoils of victory. Both champions must be selected before combat is considered to have started.
• If cardp lay causes an attac king champion to be defea ted or discarded, the battle is over. The defending player gets spoils of victory. An example would be playing the Treasure (312/3rd) event while defending your realm against a monster champio n.
Order of Activation When the combat round begins, cards activate in a particular order. Most of the time, all of the attacker's cards activa te in the order that they were attached and it doesn't cause any questions to arise. Sometimes, however, the precise order that cards activate can be impor tant. The list below details the exact order that cards ac tiva te. 1) 2) 3) 4)
Rule cards Realm powers Holding powers Spells, psionic powers, and other cards in play before battle (in the order playe d) 5) Powers that activ ate "before comba t" 6) Attacking champion's power and any attached: a) b) c) magical d) blood e) thief f) unar med combat cards* g) psionic power cards * 7) Defending champion's special power and attached cards (same order as attacker). * Multiple
first the first of card only number in icon. the case of cards with the and no bonuses, first.
COMBAT
16
Abilities Most card s ha ve some sort of that is bestowed upon them b y their particula r icon. Wizards, fo r instance, gain th e a b i l i t y to cast spells, gain the ability to use psionic power cards, regents can use blood and so on. Any card that removes a champion's special power does not negate the champion's icon ability.
Casting Al l spells are either offensive (meaning tha t they directly aff ec t the opposing card) or defensive affect the casting champion or other friendly cards). While some champions are immu ne to o ffe nsive very few are immune to defensive spells. Spells can be cast only in the phases listed on the card du ring your turn, unless otherwise specified on the card. In all spells must have a target. For example, you can't have your champion cast Dispel Magi c if there is no spell or effe ct he is negating by casting it
Spells If cardplay prevents an atta cki ng champion from continuing to fig ht, that champ ion is defeated but returns to its pool and the battle is over. Since the champion was not discarded, the defender does not get spoils of victory. Examples inc lud e the of Fire, Wall of Iron, Wall of Stone, Wall of Force, and Wall of Thorns spells. It's worth no ting that a or earth-walking champion can be severely weakened by using any of the above spells, since he's essentially trapped behind the where his non-flying a llies can't reach him. An attacking champion always has the opportunity to play a single card th at him to continue the battle (regardless of current combat totals), such as the Fly sp ell . If cardplay prevents a defe nding c hampion from continuing to fight, that round of combat is over. The defending champion returns to his pool. The attacking player may select a differ ent ch amp ion that has not already been used in this battle and start another round of combat against the same realm.
Spell The Wish spell is the most powerful spell in the game. It ignores all cards that state they are immune or otherwise unaffected by spells. of a champion's immunities or special powers, Wish can remove them from the game. Once cast, the i s i n c a p a b l e of being used in way, in clud ing the casting of further spells (including Spell Turning and Dispel Magic). Thus, if the Wish spell
COMBAT
is turned back on its caster, another of casting spells needs to cast a Turning or Dispel Magic to save the original caster. The Wish spell is not a spell like Limited Wish; it can't be used to negate most events. It can only be used to negate an event with a duration (like events that last "until the player's turn"). It can't be used to stop events like Caravan or Cataclysm since they take effe ct
Instant-Defeat Cards Certain cards in the game instantly defeat other cards o f a specific type. Examples include the Lovely Colleen's Chase) to kill the Living Scroll's (408/3rd) ability to defeat heroes and clerics and several others. Any time an insta nt-win is indicated d ur in g combat (phase 4), the player about to suffer the defeat has the opportunity to play a single card in an effort to avoid defeat. makes no differe nce who is wi nn in g or losing. Card s like the Chest of Many Things (which allows you to change your champion into a different type of champion) can thus turn the tide of battle. The card played must chan ge the condition of defeat (such as changing a champion from a monster to a hero). Cards can't be to go after the cause of the defeat (like playing Shield of Wickedness to force the Noble your side of the battle). Events are ac cepta ble, since they can be played at anytime and are meant to act as counter-effect cards. For example: Von is in combat and the Noble Djinni (84/3rd) is played against him. Since Strahd is a flyer, the ba tt le would norm ally be over, but player uses the Airs hip (90/3rd) event to discard the Noble Djinni and continue the combat. Immunities A champion whose special abili ty grants him an i mmunity to any card type is immune only to the offensive powers of that particular type of card unless a defensive immunity is noted. For most cards, this is a simple matter of glancing at the card's notation (Off or Def) and making the necessary adjustment. Artifacts (and some magical items and other cards) complicate matters by granting their attached champion an immunity or special movement powers in addition to the card's other special powers. When these are used against a champion with an immuni ty, any bonus gained from the item is lost, but any special movement power or immunity it grants remains. In short, if the power or only affects the user a movement power or an immunity), it is negated by an opposing champion's immunity.
A imm un iti es are always active, regardless of the order in which cards activate (detailed above). A champi on immune to offensive magical items is always immune to such items, regardless of whether attacking or defending.
Spoils of the realm being you are attacking is razed or discarded during combat, you get to draw one card from your draw pile. This is true even if other than combat causes the realm to be razed or discarded. This card may be played immediately, held in your hand, or placed back on the draw pile. If the attacker is defeated and discarded during combat, the defe nder gets to draw one card from hi s draw pile. Once agai n, this is true even if the defense itself did not cause the c ham pio n to be discarded, but some other cardplay. The spoils of victory card is special. It can be played immediately when drawn, of the phase marked on the card. the player decides to hold the card, or place it back on his draw pile, he loses his oppor tuni ty to use the card immediate ly. For exa mple : A player draws as his Even though phase 3 is long over, may be played into the pool. Realms drawn as spoils m ay be playe d immedi ately as well. Even spells, psionic powers, blood abilities, etc. can be played out of phase as spoils of victory.
Swimmers, & A flyi ng champion can attack any realm, re gardless of its position. If it attacks a protected realm, alli es of that champi on must be able to reach it (by being flyer s, swimme rs, or themselves). A champion's ability to fly, swim, or is not automatically conferred to its allies. A swimming champion is able to att ack any realm that shows a coa stline , even if it is in the back of a for ma tio n. Realms t hat don't show can be attacked by swimmers if they're exposed (such as in the A position). Rivers and ponds don't count. An champion can move underground to reach realms that are otherwise protected. Earthwalking is a special power that allows that champion to attack any realm not specifically protected against ear thwa lkers or limited by champion type (such as a power that "only clerics can attack" or "only swimmers may attack"). If a champion with one of these special a realm, any ally that joins him must also be able to get to the realm; a champion's special movement abilities do not automa tica lly trans fer to his allies. Any type of champion and ally can defend against flyers, swimmers, and earthwalkers. COM HAT
A flyer cannot choose to not fly, nor can a swimmer choose to not swim, or an choose not to If a realm cannot be attacked by a flyer, a ch ampion desi gnated as a flyer cannot attack it, even if the realm is exposed and he need not fly to get to it. The same is true for swimmers, earthwalkers, or any other champions of this type. Special Powers & Conflicts Many realms, champions, and allies have special combat powers. These take affect only when tha t card is involved in a round of batt le, unless the card states otherwise. Realm and hold ing powers take affect when that realm is the target of attack, unless otherwise specified. there is a direct conflict of powers, where o ne a b i l i t y completely contradicts the other. most cases, careful thought can fig ure out what the results should be. If no solution presents itself, the first card pla yed gets to use its power first. the case of cham pions in combat, the attacker gets first use since he is pushed forw ard into comba t first. The same is true of the attac hed mag ical items and artifacts that are brought into combat from the player's pool. For example, you attack a realm with the Lovely Colleen Chase). The defender puts forwa rd the Living Scroll Colleen imm edi ate ly destroys any monster champ ion. The Living scrolls immediately defeats any hero. However, since Colleen was put in the ba tt le first, you get the first use of your power and win the round of ba ttl e. For more informat ion, refer to the Order of section.
Counter-Effect Cards The standard rule for the game i s that the effects of cards played take place in the order which they're played. In other words, when a card is played, of its effects are dealt with before the next card can be played. There is one notable exception to this rule. Some cards, such as Calm (400/3rd), are specifically designed to be coun ter-effect cards. When a coun ter- effe ct card is played, it negates the effects of a card that was played before it. In all cases, it must be the next card played by the affected player. For example, if you lay down a Cataclysm! (99/3rd) event, the realm you target is discarded. However, event can negate the Cataclysm! the targeted play er plays an y other card before he reacts with a or similar card, the Cataclysm! is not negated.
CO M
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An y that can be used once per turn is for use from phase 3 of your current turn until phase 3 of your next normal turn (unless otherwise noted). Turns gained from the Caravan event or by razing Ancient don't count. Items that the powers or abilities of another champion or card must be selected during phase 3 of your current turn or immediately when played (such as dur in g phase 4 of a battle when the item is playe d from the hand ). You can't wait for a battle to push a champion forward, and then decide on whose power /ability to use.
Duplicated Ev ents & Spells Several magical items and artifacts can create duplicates of just-cast spells or events (The of Might [FR Chase/18] is a good example.) Spells and even ts that are dup lic at es of just-played cards are treated like real cards. They can be dis pel led , spell-turned , calmed , or negated as usual. Treat each effect as a separate card for the purposes of coun ter-effect cards. Each can only a or event matter how many items he has in play that copy spells or events.
Worlds Optional add a differe nt twist to the game. They can be used or disregarded at the whim of the but everyone must agree on which optional rules are to be used in a game. The decision must come before the players have selected their decks. Several of these rules require the use of counters or chips to keep track of ad dit io na l levels or cards un der the control of another player. Ru les ma rk ed wit h an asterisk h igh ly recommended, so give them a try. the Attacker or Defender* For games with four or more this variant adds excitement by giving all players the option of joining in a battle. Both the attacker and the defender can request aid from other players, but players outside the battle can never force their aid on an u nwi lli ng attac ker or defender. You can aid only one side or the other, never both. Con tribu ted a llie s and spells are discarded at the end of the combat; magical items and artifacts are discarded if the champion they are attached to is defeated. the winner of the battle is entitled to a spoils of victory, his allies are likewise entitled to a free card. If this allows two players to place down their sixth realm, both players share the victory.
The Barbarian's Game* This variant causes a game to end only when a player has six unrazed realms in his formation at the of his turn (phase 0). It's not possible to place seven realms in a formation (six is the maximum). When a player runs out of cards in his draw pile, his discard pile is reshuffled and becomes a new draw pil e.
Conqueror's Game If you want a more aggressive game, this game is won by the first player to have six realms in his formation and to have three other on the board. As this is difficult to accomplish in a th is opt iona l rule is recommended only for multi contests. Whether or not the six realms in the your formation are razed is unimp ortant ; they can be razed and you still win. Each time a player razes a pu t a mar ker of some sort on that realm to who razed it. Each marker should be unique to the player. Coins , dice, and poker chips make good mark ers. If the realm is ever rebuilt or the marker is returned to the player.
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using this optional rule, realms that are utterly destroyed (sent to the discard pile from the formation) cannot be played again by anyone. This rule can also apply to any other card affected by the Rule of the hold ings, and ar tifacts. If these cards are "destroyed" during the course of a game, their presence can no longer make a d iffer ence in the struggle to build six realms. Realms (and other cards) are unique places in the game und er the Rule of the and cannot be replaced. This rule doesn't affect cards that are discarded before ever being in play. Experience Spoils When your champion is victorious in battle and the opposing champion is discarded (or sent to the that champion gains additional levels to his base level for the victory. If yo ur champion's level is less than his opponent's, he gains levels equal to the difference i n the two base levels. his level is greater than his opponent's, he gains levels equal to that of the opposing champion. For if an atta ck er with a level of 4 defeats a defen der with a level of 10, the attacker's base level is increased by 6 levels. the defender were to win the battle, then the vict or 's base level wo ul d be increased by 4. If a cham pio n is sent to the d iscard pile or the Abyss and then returned to the game, all experience points he earned previously are lost. If a champion is sent to Limbo, however, he returns to the game with any previously earned experience intact. You should consider using counters or keeping track on paper the increased levels of all victorious champions in play. Fear of Any
ch amp ion or ally of base level 4 or higher autom atic ally away any opposing allies of levels 1 or 2. Clerics and their allies are imm un e to this effect. Melon Rule you bring a ripe melon to the table, all other players draw one card less at the start of each turn. The Melon Rule is not cum ula tive ; only one card can be lost each turn as the result of this rule. The person who brings the melon is not affected, but if two players bring melons, players (including the two who brought the draw one fewer card each turn. (A mi ni mu m of one card must be dra wn each turn; there is exception to this.)
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Parallel Universes In especially large games (6 or more players), Ru le of the Cosmos can restrict game play. The Parallel Universes optional rule up to two of the same champion, realm , or holding to be in play at the same time.
Questing During phase 2 of your turn you may turn face down a champion in your pool. It must be a champion that is able to attack or defend on that turn, not one impaired by an event or spell. This champion has gone questing and can not be used to attack or defend un til yo ur next turn. During phase 2 of your next turn, discard the top card from an oppo nent's dr aw deck. If the card is anything but a champ ion, the card is discarded and the questing champion returns to its it may not attack that turn. If the card is a champion, the questing champion must face it in one-on-one combat. Neither can an y the battle. Judge the victor strictly by the levels and the powers on the two cards, considering the questing champion the attacker, his opponent the defender (who wins ties). Each player can send one champion questing each turn. The advantage of questing is that the player can force another player's card to be discard ed before he ever gets to use it, as well as removing an opposing champion from play.
Treasure Spoils o f victory. When a champion This optional rule expands on defeats an opponent in battle, any attached magical items and artifacts by the defeated champion are transferred to the victor. This rule does not ap pl y to c hampio ns sent to Limbo or the Abyss. Artifact s and magical items must be to be legally attached to the vict or (that is from the same world or being able to satisfy special power restrictions). Players should use counters or chips to keep track of which cards belong to whom.
True
Alternative Deck Sizes For players wanting to try something really different, listed below are the deck construction rules for 75-card and S P E L L F I R E decks. Due to the increased number of cards, certain modifications need to be made to the basic S P E L L F I R E rules. These rules apply f o r of 75 or 110 cards, and are not i nterchan geable w i t h t he sta nd ar d 55-card rules. In additio n, because the rules for 75and 110-card decks differ for those of a 55-card a player with one type of deck should not play someone with another. The fo llowing are s pecific rules changes for these larger size decks:
• Cards Drawn: At the start of your turn draw more than three cards. 75-card decks draw 4 cards per turn, and 110-card decks draw 5 cards per turn. • Hand Size: Because more cards are drawn into your hand, the number of cards you can have at the end of your turn is increased. For a 75-card deck, you may have a hand of up to 10 cards, and 110-card decks may have up to 12 cards at the end of a turn. • Realms: Because there are more cards in a deck, players can opt to change the basic wi nn in g conditions. The optional Barb aria n's G am e rules are recommended for a six-realm fo rmation , forcing a player to defend his winning fo rma tion for at least one turn before being dec lared the winner. For 110-card decks you can also use a ten-realm formation for the purposes of given the fact that there are considerably more realms in this size deck. When using the ten-realm formation it is best not to use the Barbarian's optional rules. Special note: It is TSR policy that there will never be cards banned from use in an official tournament. We believe in the skill and strategy of players to circumvent any particularly obnoxious in the knowledge that subsequent boosters will make such potential game-breakers obsolete.
This option ensures that you must win the game by having six in a f orm atio n. Unde r this rule no one can win the game by taking the last card from his draw pile. When a you run out of cards you shuffle your discard pile to form a new draw and continue the game. C ards in the Abyss remain in the Abyss.
World Bonuses* When a champion attacks or defend s a rea lm fr om the same wor ld, that champion's level increases by 3. RULES
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25
SIZES
Alternative Card Deck Limitations Deck Card Type
Card Limit
Champions*
3-27
items Artifacts Events spells spells sionic powers Una rm ed comb at blood ab ilitie s skills cards
any
any nu mb er any nu mbe r number any number any number any num ber Nate: cost,
level.
Deck Card Limit 15-30
Holdings
any num ber
M a g i c a l i te m s Artifacts Wizard spell s Cle ric spells sionic powers Una rmed combat Blood abilities T h i e f s k i ll s Rul e cards be
no
7 n u m b e r any number any numbe r any number any number any num ber of its
Artifacts
Attached
Avatars
Base Level
These powerful magical devices must be attached to a cham pion from the same world, unless otherwise stated in the card's special powers. For a R E A L M S a r t i f a c t can only b e placed on a REALMS champion. It not be placed on a D A R K or Each ch ampi on can only have one artifact. Cards that affect magical items do not affect unless artifacts are mentioned on the Magical and artifacts are always attached to champions. Holdings are always attached to realms. There are other specific cards tha t are attached to ch ampions and realms. Attached cards always stay together. If a cha mp ion goes into battle, he takes his attached cards with him. The cannot choose to leave them in the pool to keep them safe. Attached cards can also mean alli es, spells, and othe r cards with a champion during the course of a battle. Only magical item and artifacts return with a champion to the pool following combat (unless the champion was discarded).
Avatars are the physical manifestations of gods in the S P E L L F I R E game. Avatars can be any champion type an d are designated as being an avatar in the champio n's special powers. Avatars are not played into a pool nor mal champ ions. To bring an avatar into play, other cards have to be discarded; what types of cards are discarded depends on the indi vid ual av at ar . These champions tend to be higher in level than normal champions. The level of an individual card is the number inside the icon, before any adj ust me nt. M any ca rds level. a special a f f e c t a champion's base or power does not specify base or adjusted level, it is considered to be
This term refers to an attack upon a single realm during the current player's phase 4. A bat tle m ay last several rounds, using new champions. In each round two champions face off, one from each player. A battle is over when the defending realm is or destroyed, when an attacking cham pio n is defeated, or when the attacker decides to discontinue his attack.
GLOSSARY OF
Blood Abilities
This card type can be used by any regent champion as part of their icon abilities, as we ll as other champio ns whose special powers indicate they can use blood abilities. Blood abilities are either offensive or defensive, and are used si m il ar ly as spells. These cards have a crown icon, and are pale gold in color.
Caster
The caster is the champion (not player) who cast a specific wizard or cleric Unless otherwise specified, spells that are turned are sent back to the casting cham pion. Also referred to as
Champion A card with a hero, wizard, cleric, psionicist, regent, thief, or monster icon in the upper left corner is a champion. Unless a special power says otherwise, only a cham pio n can attack or defend a player's realms. Clerics
These champions can cast cleric spells. The cleric champion icon and cleric spell icon are the same, but are different colors. The champion icon is purple, while the spell icon is pale gold.
Coast
Coast is a desi gnati on for realm s that have an ocean or sea somewhere in the ill ust rat ion . Coastal realms can be attacked by sw imm ing champions and allies regardless of the realm's position in an op ponen t's formation. This also includes realms with pictures instead of maps that dep ict water, such as Doc's Island (5/RR ). i n this guide o f S P E L L F I R E realms indicate whet her they can be attacked by champions and allie s with the swimming special power.
Defeated
A champion is considered defeated if he is forced to be discarded from battle through card play or his level is lower than his opponent's and his owner cannot or will not play cards to increase his level. Unless a champion's special power says otherwise, defeated champions are sent to the owning pl aye r's discard pile along with any attac hed cards.
Defensive
Ma gi ca l items, spells, unarmed combat cards, power cards, thief skil ls, and blood ab iliti es can have a defensive designation. Defensive cards affect the card's and not an opponent. Unless otherwise spec ified , opponents are not immune to the effects of defensive cards .
Discarded
cards are discarded as a result o f defeated in batt le, or by another card's special powers du r i ng other phases of the as spells cast into an opponent's pool. Unless otherwise stated, cards that are discarded go to a player's discard pile. Discarded cards are always sent to their owner's discard pile even if they were being used by another player via a card's game special powers. Other phrases in the that mean the same as discarded are killed, or
Discard Pile
When a card is discarded as a result of combat or another card's special powers, it is placed in t hat p lay er's discard pile. Several cards in the g ame can cause a discard pi le to be reshuffled into that player's draw pile, or allow a card to be drawn from here during the course of the game. This stack of cards is not to be confused with the Abyss.
Dragon
Cham pi ons and allies designated as dragons gain bonuses or penalties based on other card's special powers. Most dragons are monster champions, though they can be any champion type.
Draw Pile
This is the stack of cards from which a player draws his three cards at the beginning of his turn. When a player picks the last card from his draw deck, the game is over and the player with the most realm in play is the winner. Also referred to as draw deck.
Dwarf
Champions and allies designated as dwarves gain bonuses or penalties based on other cards' special powers. Most dwarves are hero champions. Cards designated as being are also
E arth -
A champion with the earthwalking ability can travel under the ground to attack any realm in a player's for mat ion. Norma lly a realm can only be attacked if it is exposed. Earthw alkers cannot attac k realms that specifically state that they are immune to earthw alker s or that earthwalkers cannot attack. Earthwalk ers cannot attack realms that specify that only other types of champions may attack (such as "Can only be attacked by clerics," or "Can only be attacked by flyers or swimmers").
walking
or
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Champions and designated as elves gain bonuses or penalties based on other card's special powers. Elves can be of any champion thoug h most are eith er heroes or wizards. Any cards previously designated as half-elves are now considered to be elves. Cards that are considered elves are not also
E lf
(Drow) Elf
champions and allies are considered to be both for the purposes of card play. Champions and allies designated as gain bonuses or ties based on other cards' special powers.
Events
These cards can be played at any time, unless a specific time to play the event is stated on the card. Each has a special power that takes effect immedi ately. Once played, an event card is placed in the Abyss and cannot be played again.
Exposed Realm
The foremost realm is the only one a champion can attack if he's not a flyer, swimmer, or has some other special power. As a player's realms get razed and over, the ones behind become exposed and can be attacked. the pyramid shape of the each realm in the middle row protects two realms in the last row. The center realm in the last row is protected by both realms in the middle row.
Flyers
Champions o r allies with t he a b i l i t y to fly can attack any realm, regardless of its position, by flying over intervening realms. If a card does not specify that it's a shows or the name flyer, it is not, even if the of the card the ability fly. Flyers cannot attack realms that state that they are immune to flyers or that flyers cannot attack.
Formation
The pattern of realm cards on the table is called the formati on. The standard formation is a six-card pyram id with the base facing the owning play er.
Gnome
Champions and allies designated as gai n bonuses or penalties based on. other cards' powers. Most gnom.es are heroes, though they can be of any champion type.
Halfling
Champions and allies designated as gain bonuses or penalt ies based on other cards' special powers. Most halflings are heroes, though they can be of any champion type. champions are also halflings. 31
Harmful
Harmful is a designation for event cards that have detrimental to one or more players in the These types of events can be negated t hrough the use of Calm or any other card whose special power negates harmful events. Helpful is a designation for event cards that have beneficial effects for one or more players in the game. These types of events cannot be negated thr oug h the use of Calm though they can be by other cards whose special powers negate helpful or all events.
Heroes
This type of champion can lead allies, but cannot cast spells unless a power states otherwise. They can use magical and unarmed combat cards specific ally designed for hero champions.
Holdings
A holding is attached to a realm dur ing phase 2 of a player's turn. A holding must be from the same world as the realm it is attached to, unless otherwise stated by a special power. For example, a DARK holding can only be placed on a DARK realm. could not be placed on a FORGOTTEN or realm. In most cases the power of the holding can only be used when the realm it's attached to is being attacked.
Icon
Immunity
The icon is the symbol in the upper corner of a card, designating the type of card. Within the icon are the level or level the card possesses, if any.
S P E L L F I R E cards with an immunity cannot b e affected by a specific type of card or card effect. Cards immune to offensive spells are immune to both off ensiv e wizard and cleri c spells; cards immune to psionics are immune
to psionic power cards and the offensive psionic special powers of In Play
etc.
This term refers to cards that are on the table, but not those in the player's hand, discard pile, Limbo, or the Abyss. Cards in the pool, realms and in formation, and any card being used in a battle is considered in play. Even realms are considered in play. Cards with a duration of effect are placed on the tabl e and and are considered to be in play.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Limbo
Cards temporarily removed from play by anot he r card's special but not discarded or sent to the Abyss, are instead sent to Limbo. Cards in Limbo retur n to p lay at the end of their player's next turn. If an opponent puts a champion or realm into play that is currently in Limbo, the Rule of the Cosmos discards the card in Limbo when it returns to play.
Magical
These devices have inherent powers. They are attach ed to a champ ion. A champion can carry any numbe r of magical items. (Ar tifa cts are not considered magic al items.) Each magical item lists whether it is defensive (only affects the wielder's or offensive (affects the opposing side). All of a champion's magical items are used when attacking or defending a realm (unless otherwise indicated ).
Monsters
Most champions are considered monsters, Monsters can use magical items and arti fac ts nor mal ly , in addition to whatever other special powers they possess.
Offensive
Mag ical items, spells, unarmed combat cards, and thief skills can have an offensive designation. Offensi ve special powers directly affect the opponent. Unli ke defensive many opposing ch amp ions, allies, and magical item are immune to the affects of some offensive cards.
Pool
Champ ions , magic al items, and artifacts that hav e been put in play are kept in the pool. When a champion attacks or defends, it is not considered to be in the pool. Cards in the pool cannot be returned to the player's hand, except as a result of a card's special power. The cards in the pool do not count against the hand size limit. A player can have any number of champions in his pool. A player with no realms (including razed ones) must discard his entire pool at the end of the current player's turn. Cards are typically played into a player's pool during phase 3 of their t ur n.
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LOSS
Psionic
Psionic power cards are usable by as part of thei r champion's icon ability (the w ay a wizard is able to use spells). Power cards can also be used by other champion types that specifically indicate they can use or being granted by anoth er special powers. Like spoils, power cards are either offensive or defensive and can be canceled by other cards' special powers.
Cards
Regents
This champion type was introduced in the B I R T H R I G H T booster pack and is able to use blood ability cards as part of the champion type's (the same way that a cleric is able to use cleric spells). Regents can also use allies, magical items, artifacts of the same world, and any other cards allowable by their special powers.
Round
A round is a single combat of champion vs. champion, one the attacker and the other a defender. It may any number of allies, and magical items. A battle frequently lasts multiple rounds.
Psionicists This champion type is
to use psionic power cards as part of the champion's icon abi lity (the same way tha t a regent is able to use blood abili tie s). Psi onicists may also have a special power that is either offensive or defensive (see individual card entries) that can be by the special powers of other cards. Psionicists can also use allies, magical items, artif act s of the same world, and other cards (such as spells) depending on their special powers.
Rarity
This is the frequency of cards in distribution. The four types of rarity are Common, Uncommon, Rare, an d Chase. Chase cards are the o f cards. If a card's rarity is referred to as "Realm," this indicates that it's a Common card.
Razed Realm
When a champion attacks a realm and the defending play er does not put forward a cha mp ion to defend it, the is The realm card is turned upside down, but remains in the formation. The powers of the realm no longer function. Any (or other card s) attached to the are discarded. Razed realms are discarded when a new realm is played in that portion of the form ati on. D uring phase 2 of a player's turn he can discard 3 cards from his hand to rebuild a realm instead of playing one from his hand.
Realms
Typically a king dom, na tion, or empire, realms are placed in the player's formation. Realm cards are the only cards that face horizontally rather than Unless otherwise stated in a card's special powers, the powers of a realm can only be used when is being attacked. Realms arc played into a formation facing the opponent so he can read the realm's special powers.
or
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Rule Cards Rule cards are played at the beginning of a player's
turn (phase 0), before he dra ws his three cards. These cards change the rules of the game based on the description on the card. This change affec ts all pl ayers for as long as the card is in play. If another player puts a rule card into play, the previous one is discarded. Special Power
Most cards in the game have special powers, which can found in the card's text box. Special powers take effect whenever a card is used during the game or is the target of another card's special powers. When a card's special powers take effect is based on the card's type and can be found on the Order of Activation list (page 16). abilities. Another term for special powers is
Spells
Wizards and clerics can cast spells as part of their champion's icon ability. Wizards only cast wizard and clerics only cast cleric spells. The spell icon is the same shape as the champion that can cast it, but is a pale gold color. Each spell lists whether it is de fensive affects the casting side) or offensive aff ect s the opposing side). It has nothing to do with who is attacking or defending. Offensive spells can be used when attacking or defending a realm, as can defensive Each spell also lists what phase of a tu rn it can be cast (for example, Off /4) . Phase 3 is before a battle, phase 4 is during combat, and phase 5 is after a battle. Only the current player can cast spells in phase 3 or 5. The attacke r and defe nder can both cast spells in step 4. There are also spells that can be cast at any time as long as there is a champion in the able to cast the spell. These spells either do not have a or st ate in their description that they can be cast any time. 35
Certain magical items are designa ted as being a sword in the card's special power box. Such mag ica l items gain bonuses based on other cards' special powers, such as a champion who gets additional levels when using a Magical items that are swords are also
Sword
Swimmers A sw im mi ng cham pion or ally can attack any realm in an opponent's for mat ion that shows a coastline in its picture. For example, Raven's Bluff shows a coastl ine in the picture, and thus is vulnerable to swimmers. This also includes realms wi th pic tures instead of maps that depict coasts, such as Doc's Island Individual entries o f realm s indicate whether they can be attacked by swim ming c ham pio ns or allies. Thieves
This type of champion can use thief skill cards as p art of the champion's icon ability (the same way a cleric is able to use cleric T hieves can also use allies, items, artifacts of the same world, and any other cards by their special powers.
Thief Skills These cards can be used by thief champions as part of the cham pio n's icon ability (the same way that a psionicist is able to use psionic power cards). Thief skills are either offensive or defensive and are usable only du rin g a certa in phase of a player's turn (for example, Off/3 or Def/4 ). These cards can also be used by other cham pion types whose special powers designate they can use thief skills. Trademark Se e World. Unarmed Combat Cards
User
This is the champion (not the player) who uses a ic power, unarmed combat, t h i e f or blood card. Unless otherwise specified, such cards th at are turned are sent back to the using champion.
Weapon
Certain magical items are designated as being a in either the card's special powers or in the corrections in this book. Such magical items gain addition bonuses based on other cards' special powers, such as a champion who gains additional levels when using a weapon. Magic al items that are swords are also considered to be
Wizards
These champio ns can cast wizard spells. The wizard champion icon and wizard spell icon are the same symbols, but di ffer ent colors. The champion icon is pink , while the spell icon is pale
World
This refers to the origin of a holding, champion, or artifact. It is noted by a logo on the card, right beside the card's name. A logo at the bottom of the card by t he card numb er refers to the publishing set, not the world, and has no affect on determining which cards can be attached. Artifacts can only be on champions from the same world. Holdings can only be placed on realms from the same w orld. The AD&D logo is a world all its own. It is not generic and thus not a part of the FORGOTTEN REALMS, DARK SUN, B I R T H R I G H T , or any other world. An AD&D champion can only have AD&D artifacts attached to it. An AD&D holding can only be attached to an AD&D realm.
The champion type that can use this kind of card is designated in the card's special powers, but are generally heroes, dragons, or undead. Certain unarmed combat cards can be used by any type o f cham pion . These cards are either offensi ve or defensive and are generally used dur in g phase 4. Undead are a special kind of champion or ally, designated in a card's text box. Unless the card says "un dea d," it is not unde ad, even if the picture or name of the card seems to indicate otherwise.
OF
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37
As of the creation of this product there are 13 types of cards: holdings, rule cards, events, champions, magical items, artifacts, allies, spells (both & power cards, unarme d combat cards, blood abilities, and thief skills. Each of these cards is played diffe rent ly du ri ng the course of a game, and the interaction between these cards is what allows a player to win any individual game. To determine how many of each type of card is allowed in a deck, refer to The Deck on page 8.
Realms represent places that are loyal to you. They are the focus of attacks by opposing players, and your first line of defense. Each rea lm is a kin gdo m, nat ion, city-state, or empire found in one of role -playi ng worlds. Du rin g phase 2, you may play one new realm. This new realm is into the foremost empty space in the your formation or on top of a razed realm (which is then discarded); it cannot replace an active (face-up) realm. Empty places in the formation must be filled in a particular order. The tip of the pyramid (card A, see Formation on page 13) must hav e a c ard, even if it is razed, before one in the mid (cards B and C) or row (cards D, E, and F). The middle row must ha ve cards in both of its positions before a card can be played in the last row. It doesn't matter which card in a particular row is played first. If you have no realms on the table, razed or unrazed, all champions in your pool are discarded at the end of the current turn. If you earn spoils of victory below) and draw a realm you can save your champions from being discarded as long as you can play the realm into your formation. In the formation diagram, realm A protects realms B and C. If A is razed, B and C can be atta cke d. If A and B are razed, C and D can be attacked. Realms E and F are still protected. A realm retains its position in the form ation even if other realms are disca rded. For example, if realms A, B, and C are all discarded, realms D, E, and F do not move up to fill the empty spots.
Realm Champions Some realms (and holdings) can defend themselves as champions of a certain type. For example, Malatra, The Living Jungle states that it can defend itself as a level 6 monster. These realms can defend without the aid of a champion from your pool or hand, as CAR D BASICS
the realm (or attached holding) provides the champion. If the realm does not declare the type of champion (stating champion instead of a specific c hampion type), it is considered to be a hero. Allies are normally with a realm champion, as are only if the realm or its attached holding can cast spells or grants a defender th e ability to do so. Real ms tha t arc considered to be heroes can use combat cards that can only be used by heroes. Realm champions can only be used during a round of battle; they serve no other purpose outside of phase 4. The bad thing about using this special power is that magical items and cannot be played with realm specifically mentioned in the realm's special power. In addition, if a realm (or attached holdin g) cha mpi on is defeated during a round of bat tle, tha t realm is razed and the attac ker gains a spoils of victory.
Realms a is it is turned face down in your formation. It is not removed from its position in the formation or discarded. If a holding is attached to that realm, it is discarded when the realm is razed. During phase 2, you may replace a realm with a new one. The razed realm is then discarded. Real ms can be razed as a result of combat, or thr ough the use of events, or ot her cards' special powers specifically designed to raze opponents' realms. Once a realm has been razed, any power the realm provided for the owning player is eliminated. A razed realm can be back up) if you discard three cards from your hand during phase 2. You may rebuild only one realm each turn, and by doing so you forfeit playing a new realm from your hand. When the rebui lt realm is flipped bac k over, its special power is reactiva ted and holdings can once again be it can once again be attacked by opponents.
There are some holdings that can be attached to any real m, and this is specifical ly stated in the special powers of indivi dual as with the Keep of the Dead (64/AR) . The powers of most holdings only tak e affect when the attach ed realm is attacked, though the special powers of some holdings are always such as Keep on the Borderlands Only one holding can be attached to realm. Once attached to a a holding cannot be moved to another realm or removed unless through another card's special power. If the realm
is razed, the attached holding is discarded
otherwise stated
by the holding's special power). A cannot be attacked separately from the attached realm, or vice versa. A holding is not considered a "coast" for the purposes of swimmers, even if there is water found in the picture.
of Karlott the Shaman (63/3rd), events can never be returned to your hand. Some cards allow you to reshuffle your discard pile into your draw pile. Since event cards are in the Abyss, this has no affect on them. During the first turn of play, no player can play The event to an additional After everyone has had their first turn, this event can be played normally.
Event Pause The moment an event is played, the event-player must give all an oppor tunit y to take one of the following actions: • Negate the Limited Wish (43/FR), Intercession (48/RR), Helm (89/FR) • Duplicate the Weasel (6/AR)*
Rule Cards A rule card is played at the beginni ng of your turn, before you draw your cards for that turn. While a rule card is in play, it changes the rules of the everyone. A rule card is discarded when another rul e card is played; only one rule card can be in pl ay at a no matter how many players there are in the game. When put into play, a rule card is placed at the top of that your formation for all opponents to see. As soon as another rule card is played, the one in play must be discar ded. Rul e cards can also be discarded through the use of some card's such as with Wish or
Events event cards can be played at any time, even dur ing another player's turn. Those that cannot be played at any time state specifi in t he card's special power when it can be played. In general, events take effect in the order that they are another player is drawing a card from his hand to play, it is considered rude to quick ly whi p out an event before he can finis h his card. A Event cards are considered to be either or ful event can be countered for a particular player by the Calm event or by discar ding Chase) from his hand or pool. Events can be negated completely by cards such as Limited Wish (43/FR) and Intercession (48/RR) , or by discarding the champion Helm (89/FR) from his pool. A Wish (43/FR) can only negate an event that has a duration stated on the card and is "in play"; it can't typically be used like Limited Wish. Event cards are placed in the Abyss discar ded. With the 40
of Might
• Calm the event (for that (10/lst
Chase), Onad the (400/3rd), Delsenora
* An th e
ha s negated cannot be use of Onad the of Might, or similar cards. decision to Calm or an event begins clockwise from the h as been passed, he can't choose l a t e r t o negate o r Calm an event; he Once th e of ii.
Once an event has been played, the first action a player does must apply to the event or t he event occurs normally. For example, if you have the Bell of Might in your pool and an opponent plays a Cataclysm! (99/3rd) event, you can either choose to Calm, negate, or dupli cate the event against someone else. You can't do more tha n one; you're only entitled to a single action. Events and Calm An event that is Calmed by one player still exists for other players if it everyone in the game. For example, if you Calm the Bronze event, then the event has no influence on you; however, the Bronze Dragons still prevent other players from att ack ing.
Champions There are seven types o f champions in the S P E L L F I R E game: heroes, wizards, clerics, psionicists, regents, thieves, and depicted with an icon in the upper left corner of the card (see Icons, page 7). With the exception of champions are th e most cards in the game. Champions are able to attack and 41
CAR D BASICS
of another card's special powers, such as the Ego Coin (419/3rd). There are also artifacts that can only be attached certain champion types, such as Tenser's Crystal Ball ( 68/RR ). There are a few rare ar ti fa ct s tha t can be attached to any champion in the Items All magi cal items have (O ff) or (Def) at the bottom of their description; artifacts do not. This stands for and defensive. Offensive magic al items are assumed to be directly affecti ng opposing champ ions, either in combat or while in their owners' pool. Defensive m agi cal items are assumed to be affecting only the champion and have no influence over an opposing champ ion in or otherwise. Champ ions that are immune to magical items are generally only immune to offensive magical items. There are rare cases where a champion is immune to all or defensive magical items, which means th at the level bonuses are ignored (but no t the special power, since they do not affect an opponent durin g a round of battle). Both offensive and defensive magical items can be used when or defending. The terms have nothing to do with which side of the battle a champion is on.
Artifacts Arti fact s are more pow erful versions of items and are neither offensive nor defensive. Either a champion (or player) is immun e to artifacts, or he isn't. Ar tif act s have vast and varied powers, affecting indiv idual champions, all champ ions in a pool, altering the conditions of a bat tle, or even all of the above. Art ifa cts are so powerful that they come before magical items on the Order of Activation (see page 16). Opposing champions that are immune to artifacts are able to ignore any special powers that would directly affect them, such as the item's level bonus. If the special power of an artifa ct only a ffec ts the attached champion or his attachments, another card's immunity to artifacts would not negate that effect. An example would be the special power of the Death Rock (2/A R Chase), which only affects the attached champion and any allies played with h im. On the other han d, a champion immun e to artif acts would be able to totally ignore the level bonus and special powers of Barab's Goblet of Dissolution (5/AR Chase).
Allies Allies are the common troops of the S P E L L F I R E game, a d d i n g t h e i r level bonus and special powers (if any) to the attache d ch amp ion 43
CARD
dur ing a round of battle. Allies increase a champion's level in combat, adding their level bonus to that of the champion and any other atta ched cards. Excep t in a few rare cases, the special powers of allies are used exclus ively du rin g a round of combat in accordance with the Order of (see page Most special powers take affect as soon as they're played. Some, like the Brine Dragon can keep its special power in reserve until it's needed. Like champions, allies may have special designations swimmer, or These movement powers allow them to follow champions with similar powers when attacking realms not in the front of an opponent's formation. This also can them to instant defeat cards that affect those designations, the Noble (84/3rd) who defeats flyers. It's also important to note that if a champion is immune to offensive magical items, or some other card type, so are any attached allies unless otherwise indicated. This also holds true for all other cards that are attached to a cha mpi on. At the conclusion of a round of all allies played during battle are sent to the discard pile. There are a few cards that make exception to this rule because of their special powers, such as the realm Some cards have special powers tha t retrieve allies from the discard pile or cause them to be shuffled back into the dra w deck to be drawn agai n. It is also possible for allies to be sent to Limbo, or even the Abyss.
Spells Spells are used pri mar ily by and cleric champions. If a champion has a wizard or cleric icon, able to use the corresponding type of spell automatically; the text box of a wizard or cleric does not have to indicate that the champion can use spells. If a wizard or cleric has its special power negated, it's still able to cast the type of spells granted by its icon type. On the other a champion m igh t be able to cast wizard spells if its special powers indicate so, as with the Ghostly Piper Chase). Every spell states whether it is offensive or defensive and shows the phase it c an be cast. Some can only be played durin g combat (pha se 4), but others can be played before or afte r combat (phases 3 and 5). There are also a select few, such as Wish (46/FR), that can be cast at any tim e. For Chain Lightning shows after description. This m eans it is an offensive spell that can only be cast phas e 4. Preservation shows indica ti ng t ha t it is a defensive spell and can be cast in either phase 3 or phase 5 of tu rn , b u t no t during combat (phase 4). To cast a CARD BASICS
in phase 3, you need to have a champion in your pool that is of casting that type of spe ll. A spel l can be cast dur in g phase 3 or 5 only if it is the caster's during another er's tu rn. A defending player can cast in phase 4, since it not his turn. A spell's offensive or defensive nature has no bearing on when it can be played; offensive spells can be played when attacking or as can defensive spells. Like magica l items, offens ive only means that the spell aff ect s an opponen t; defensive spells affe ct the player's own champion or Champions that are immune to spells are typically only immune to offensive spells, though there are a few exceptions. If a champion is immun e to defens ive he is immune to the spell's level bonus only (which doesn't get added to the battle as any other special power would have no affect on him.
Power Cards power cards are similar to spells, but are primarily used by champions. If a champion has the icon he's automatically able to use psionic power cards; the text box of the cha mpion does not have to indicate tha t he can use power cards. If a psionicist has his special powers he is still able to use psionic power cards. cha mpi ons gran ted the power to use psionic power cards lose their ability if their special power is negated. An exa mple of a able to use power cards the Kirre (56/PO). Also like spells, psionic power cards are either offensive or defensive and are played in phases (eg, Off/3, Def/4, etc.). It's important to note that psionic power cards not consid ered to be spells, and thus cannot be negated by a Dispel Magic (346/358/3rd) or any other card that negates cleric or wizard spells. However, cards such as Dispel Psionics Chase) or Psychic Storm (29/PO) are able to counter psionic power cards. Psionic power cards are not to be confused with a psionicist's special power that is psionic in nature, which is used when a psionicist an opponent. See individual psionicist entries for more details.
Unarmed Combat Cards These cards are the answer to spells. Unarmed combat cards from the R une s & Ru in s booster are usable only by hero champions, while other boosters feature unarmed combat cards that can be used by other champion types (such as dragons in an d undead in Night Stalkers). Unarme d combat cards are similar to spells in the way they're played. They're consid45
CARD BASICS
ered either or defensive, b ut spells can only be used during a in wh ich the ch amp ion p laying the card is involved; in other words they all be labeled either (Off/4) or (Def/4). Unarme d combat cards are not considered to be spel ls or power cards, and they cannot be negated by cards such as Dispel Magic (346/358/3rd). There are cards like Block (99/RR) and Dodge Chase) that are to negate unarmed combat cards.
Blood abiliti es are cards that can be used by regent champions, which were first introduced in the booster pack. Much a wizard's innate ability to cast spells, a regent is to use blood ability cards. All ability cards are considered either or defensive, and like spells can be used during phase 3, phase 5 or during a round of combat (phase 4) in which the champion using the card is involved. When a blood ability can be used is the same way as a spell. For example: (Off/4) or (Def/3). Some blood cards can be by cards that would norm ally cancel wizard or cl eric spells, such as Dispel Mag ic W h e t h e r a blood ability can be negated in this manner is stated on the card, such as Death Touch or (37/BR). Other blood ability cards can be negate d though the use of cards specifically designed to negate blood abilities, as Invulnerability (45/BR).
Strategy is with the objective of cre atin g a plan that places opponent at a disadvantage. Tactics are how a specific strategy is enacted, making use of available means to accomplis h an winning. In military terms, strategy covers the plans made for conducting a battle; tactics cover how the battle is a ct ua ll y cond ucted according to the materials at hand and occurrences during the battle. This section discusses the use of both strategy (plans and preparation f o r play) a n d tactics (actual play) i n t h e game, and how they apply to the different types of cards. Strategy for a game breaks down into two broad categories: style of play and deck-building (deck theme). These two strategies are actua lly that the theme of your deck greatly depends on how you play cards during the course of a game. If you have a deck based on the strategy be based strongly around atta ck ing an opponent's realms, as this is where an unde ad deck is strong. Basic tactics in S P E L L F I R E relate to how you use the cards in your hand to achieve a goal. If your deck is you r tactics each turn may involve play ing c ards that preven t your opponents from attacking during based on the cards currently held. You should plan to use the cards you have in your hand, not those you believe you'll draw on your next turn.
Thief Skills
Theme Decks
Thief skills are cards that can be used by thief champions introduced in the Night Stalkers booster pack. Much like a innate ability to cast all th ie f cha mpi ons are abl e to use thief skill cards. All thief skill cards are considered either or and like can be used both in and out of a round of combat. When a partic ular thief skill can be used is the same way as spells. For example: (Off/4) or (Def/3). Thief skill cards are not considered to be spells, blood abilities, unarmed combat, or psionic power cards, and cannot be negated by cards such as Dispel Magic (346/358/3rd). There are cards such as Alarm (85/NS) and Busted! (2/NS Chase) which are designed to negate thief skill cards.
There are several ways to give a theme to a deck. There are currently six worlds REALMS, upon which to base decks: and D A R K S U N , worlds You can base your deck (with U N D E R D A R K being a on cards from one of these worlds. A second theme is to choose from the diffe rent types of champ ions (monsters, heroes, wizards, cists, regents, thieves, and clerics) and build a d eck aro und that type of champion. These are the two main themes found in most decks, as well as any combination of the two. There are also secondary themes, ones that work within the confines of the prima ry theme. These may include events, magic al artifacts, or a comb ination of any of the above. If all ies being used, you may wish to concentrate on those that are numerically or on those with po tent special powers. Since the number of events you can have in any one deck is limited, these cards tend to sup por t a theme more than become one. Magical items tend to fall into this category, the use of artifacts is generally
Blood Abilities
CARD BASICS
47
& TACTICS
