Beta Testing Rules

Introduction:

The objective is to deploy your clan avatars to reclaim fragments of the shattered material plane and merge them with your growing realm. You must plant your realm stone on a fragment, then channel your Shén (spirit) power into it while also gaining a physical foothold to defend it by sending clan avatars to fight and secure anchor points to attach this fragment to your Home Realm.

As the Celestial of your clan your influence at these fragments is remote and finite, and other clans, long separated by the shattering of the world stone, also vie for spiritual and physical dominance to expand their realms.

You must protect your realm stone as your connection to this unclaimed area and secure the anchor points that will allow you to add it to your ever-growing realm. You must maintain a flow of Shén power into these unclaimed fragments until your Shén dominates, and guide and support your clan’s avatars as they push back your opponent’s encroachments.

Rules: 

You and up to 5 other players will vie over a gridded playing field representing a planar fragment. We recommend using a standard playing field of 8x8 squares for a 2 player game, similar to a standard chess or checker board, but there is no reason to not use a larger board if you want a longer game or are playing teams.

Each player constructs a deck of an agreed upon number of cards. The number of cards you have represents the strength of your connection to this planar fragment and you are defeated if they are depleted.

Establish the game scenario by placing up to 6 Anchor Points in any space on the board. The default, and most balanced scenario places an anchor point at the each of the 4 corners of the square game board.

Roll 2d6 and the player with the highest total goes first. In case of a tie, reroll.

Starting with the first player and continuing anticlockwise, each player sets their realm stone in any empty vertex on the board, then places 4 Shén counters, one on each vertex around your realm stone to represent the center point of your physical and spiritual presence. Realm Stones cannot be placed next to another Realm Stone, on a vertex of a space with an Anchor Point, or where the 4 Shén counters placed around it would overlap with another players Shén. The type of Realm Stone you place sets your home Realm. Playing cards from other Realms will be more difficult. 

Each player shuffles their deck, places it face down and draws 6 cards into their hand. Players may draw a new starting hand if they do not draw any Avatars, by shuffling their hand back into their deck and re-drawing 6 cards.

Starting with the last player to place their realm stone and continuing clockwise, each player then takes a turn by doing one of the following:

Draw a card into your hand from your deck. When there are no cards remaining in your deck, reshuffle your discard pile and place it face down to create a new draw deck.

Place one Shén counter on any empty vertex where that counter, and any of your counters that are now attached to it, have at least one empty vertex next to them. Then remove any opponent’s Shén counters that are now surrounded and captured unless they are connected by a direct line of Shén counters to their own realm stone. Players lose one card for every counter removed. Counters may not be placed where one was just removed by an opponent. Establishing a second Realm Stone can protect Shén counters that are separated and could be surrounded.

Play a card from your hand. Cards can be played on any space or vertex where you have as many or more Shén counters than that card’s power (The number in the top center of each card). Cards that are not Avatars and be played as written as long as you have at least one space with equal or more Shén counters than it's power. This includes up to four counters around the space or up to five on and next to a vertex. Cards not associated with your Home Plane, as noted by the clan icon on each card, cost one more Shén to play. You will have to establish a second Realm Stone to be able to play cards with power 4 from other Realms, or establish a second Realm Stone of your home realm to play cards with power 5 from your home realm.

If the card you play is an Avatar, then Manifest (i.e. place on the board) its miniature/counter to an empty space where you have as many or more Shén counters (0-4) in that hex as the Avatar’s Cost to Manifest (See number next to the Shén symbol at the top center of each card). Avatars that have Spirit in their name are unique and are manifested onto a vertex of the spirit path (the lines around the spaces). Unless otherwise noted you can only have one Spirit in play at a time. Spirits are manifested onto a vertex where you have as many or more Shén counters (0-5) as their Cost to Manifest (This includes the vertex and the up to 4 vertexes connected to it). 

Manifested Avatar’s trait cards are placed face up next to the board in front of you with their trait bar and card text visible to all players. Manifested Avatars enter play Exhausted (Rotate their card 90 degrees to show it cannot be Activated until Refreshed).

Refresh a clan avatar by rotating one of your Avatar cards back 90 degrees from its Exhausted position to its Ready position.

Claim an Anchor Point if you have a Ready Avatar on or next to an Anchor Point. Turn that Avatar’s card 90 degrees to show it is now Exhausted. Place one of your Shén counters on that the Anchor Point to show you have claimed it. Previously claimed Anchor Points can be claimed by other players. For every Anchor Point you own, beyond the one being claimed, your opponent loses that many cards.

Establish a second Realm Stone by replacing a Shén counter with your Realm Stone on any vertex where you have 5 Shén counters (one on the vertex and the 4 around it). This can establish your secondary Realm if you place a realm stone different than your original one. If you place the same Realm Stone as your home Realm, so that you have two of the same type, then playing cards from that Realm costs one less Shén than normal.

Use an ability of a Ready Avatar. Turn that avatar’s card 90 degrees to show it is now Exhausted. Abilities can be used if that Avatar is in a space or vertex which is surrounded by as many or more Shén counters than its ability’s power. A Shén counter on the same vertex as an Avatar on the Spirit Path counts towards this total.

Make a Ranged Attack from one of your Ready Avatars by targeting any other Avatar 0-4 spaces away (Measure the distance from spaces diagonally and/or horizontally/vertically, while distance along the spirit path is only horizontal/vertical). Turn your attacking Avatar’s card 90 degrees to show it is now Exhausted.

Each player, starting with the attacker, can play one card that directly influences the attack from their hand if the defended space has as many or more of your Shén counters as its power cost before ranged attack and defense rolls are made. Avatars can’t be summoned during combat.

Roll one dice per Ranged Attack Power (The number that is furthest to the right on an Avatar’s Trait Bar) and one for each of your Shén counters around target space. Compare that attack result to the target’s defense result roll of one dice per Defense Power (The number that is in the middle of an Avatar’s Trait Bar) and one for each of their Shén counters around target space. Ranged attacks are not allowed to or from a vertex of the spirit path. If the attack result is higher than the defense result the attacker wins and the defender loses a number of cards (removes cards from their Hand, Deck, or Discard Pile from the game) equal to the unmodified attacking Avatar’s Ranged Power stated on their card. Alternatively, if the attack result isn’t twice that of the defense result, the defender can remove their Avatar from the game and not lose any cards. If the attack result is twice the defense result, then the defending Avatar is automatically removed from the game and cards are lost as normal. If the attack result is lower than the defense result of ranged attack, nothing happens.

Move an Avatar and Enter Combat by moving one of your Ready Avatars one space (or vertex if they are Walking the Spirit Path), or more if their card text states they can. Avatars can move horizontally, vertically or diagonally. An Avatar is not Exhausted by moving into or through empty spaces or vertices.

Combat begins if your Avatar moves into a space or vertex occupied by an opponent’s Avatar. Combat can also begin with a Realm Stone if your Avatar starts it's turn in a space or vertex next to a realm stone. Turn your attacking Avatar’s card 90 degrees to show it is now Exhausted.

Each player, starting with the attacker, can play one card from their hand that directly influences combat before combat rolls are made if the defended space or vertex has as many or more of your Shén counters as its power cost. Avatars can’t be summoned during combat.

Each Player rolls one dice for each of your Avatar’s power, either Attack (the number furthest to the left on an Avatar’s Trait Bar) or Defense, one for each of your Shén counters around that attacked space or vertex, and one for any power generated in any other way.  Compare the total attack result to your opponent’s defense result. The winner of the combat is the player with the higher Combat Result. Re-roll if there is a tie. If the attacking player wins then the defender removes from the game a number of cards from their deck, hand, or discard pile equal to the attacker’s raw attack power stated on their card. Alternatively, if the attack result isn’t twice that of the defense result, the defender can remove their Avatar from the game to not have to lose any cards. If the attack result is twice the defense result, then the defending Avatar is automatically removed from the game and the defender loses cards as normal.

If an attacker wins combat, places their Avatar in the attacked space/vertex, and the defender must retreat by moving one space/vertex away from the direction of the attack. If the defending Avatar wins or if the defender is a Realm Stone then they stay put. If the attacker loses, they must retreat by moving their Avatar back to the space/vertex they moved from. They just stay put if attacking a Realm Stone. If there is no empty space/vertex to retreat to, place that Avatar next to that player’s Realm Stone. If no space/vertex is available around a Realm Stone, their Avatar is removed from the game.

The winning Avatar’s Ability (attacking or defending) may now be resolved if that Avatar is in a space or vertex which is surrounded by as many or more Shén counters than that ability’s power. A Shén counter on the same vertex as an Avatar walking the Spirit Path counts towards this total. Players can only resolve one Avatar’s ability per combat. An attacker automatically wins an attack on a Realm Stone (no dice are rolled) and the defender loses a number of cards equal to the attacking Avatar’s raw attack power as written on their card.

Winning the Game:

A player wins when they claim all Anchor Points set for the scenario, or if they are the only player left with cards in their deck, discard pile, or hand.

If there are at least two players remaining, play proceeds to the next player.

If playing in teams, players on each team should alternate placing their realm stones and taking turns. A team loses when none of their players have any cards in their deck, discard pile, or hand, or the opposing team has claimed all Anchor Points.