Staggering Stories Card Game Rules v1.0
Welcome to the wacky world of Staggering Stories, now in Card Game form!
Firstly, don't panic! Though these rules may look long, they aren't really very complicated at all. In fact, like us, they are very simple.
Let's take a look at the three basic types of card, shall we?
| Character | Event | Equipment |
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The aim of the game is to win all the Character Cards from your opponents. At the beginning of the game the Character Cards are shuffled and dealt out to the players. Thus each player will have a 'Character Hand' (not to be confused with 'Davros hand', that's from a different type of game entirely!)
That leaves the Event and Equipment Cards. You will notice that they both have the same purple edges? The Event and Equipment Cards are shuffled together into a pile which is placed face down in the middle of the table (or floor of the rubber room, wherever you play). This we will call the 'Event Pile'.
At the beginning of each player's turn they will take a card from the top of the Event Pile and add it to their 'Event Hand'. Yes, each player has two separate groups of cards to manage, a Character Hand and an Event Hand.
Unless instructed otherwise by the Event Card they have just picked up, the player must now perform 'The Challenge'!
There are two types of Challenge - a Character Challenge and an Event Challenge.
The Character Challenge: Choose a Character Card from your Character Hand and select one of the three Character Skills to use (Strength, Garibaldi Rating or Trivia).
You can boost this Character Skill if you have appropriate Equipment Card(s). Beware, however, whenever you use an Equipment Card at the end of the turn you must discard it to the Event Discard Pile, so use Equipment Cards wisely. Do not show the Character Card or Equipment Cards to the other players, instead choose an opponent and say (in a commanding voice) 'I am Character Challenging you on the Skill of x' (where x is one of Strength, Garibaldi Rating or Trivia).
Yes, this is effectively a version of Trumps (no, not Tramps, that's an entirely different game!) Your opponent must select a Character Card from his own hand to battle your Character Card. The higher Skill Score wins and takes the other player's Character Card and keeps their own. Equipment Cards can be used before and after the two player's have revealed their Character Cards, so the two players could get into an Equipment Card Battle! In this case, simply keep adding any Skill Score bonuses the Equipment Cards give until one player gives up. All Equipment Cards used in play must be discarded to the Event Discard Pile at the end of the Character Challenge.
The Event Challenge: This other type of Challenge is where the player chooses an Event Card from their Event Hand to use on an opponent. Like a Character Challenge, the player whose turn it is can select any other player to perform the Challenge upon.
You will notice that in the top left of Event Cards and also Character Cards there is a number between 1 and 10 in a red box. This is the Event Difficulty Score. Again, this is rather like Trumps and the highest score wins.
To combat an Event Challenge the other player may use either a Standard Event Card (i.e. not an 'Event: Immediate' or 'Event: 3 Rounds' card) or a Character Card from the same Universe. The Universe symbol is printed in the top right hand box on Standard Event Card and Character Cards, plus also on the back of Standard Event Cards so the opponent can see at a glance what he can use to combat the Event Card.
If the Challenger wins against the opponent's Character Card then the Challenger wins that Character Card and discards the Event Card used. If the Challenger wins against another Event Card then the opponent must select a Character Card from their Character Hand and give it to the Challenger. As ever, all Event Cards used are discarded to the Event Discard Pile.
If the Challenger loses then no Character Cards change hands. The victorious opponent keeps any Character Card they used. If it was Event Card vs. Event Card then both Event Cards are discarded. The Challenger can never lose a Character Card via an Event Card Challenge, only his chosen opponent can. In the case of a draw no Character Cards change hands but, as ever, Event Cards as discarded.
Note: no Equipment Cards can be used by either side in an Event Challenge.
The Next Player's Turn: Play continues like this, with each player taking a card from the Event Card Pile and, if not instructed otherwise by the picked Event Card, must pose a Challenge to another player of their choice until one player rules supreme!
Complications: There are several more points to keep in mind when playing the Staggering Stories Card Game:
No player can hold more than 5 cards in their Event Card Hand. This includes both Event Cards and Equipment Cards together. If the player has 5 cards in their Event Card Hand they must play at least one that round, whether is be an Event of Equipment Card. Failure to do so will incur the wrath of the Gaming Police.
Not all Event Cards are for attacking another player. There are actually three types of Event Card: Standard Event Cards, Immediate Effect Event Cards and Use Within 3 Rounds Event Cards. Of these the latter two will harm the player who draws them in some way. To prevent cheating these Negative Event Cards have their type written on the back - each player can see when you draw such a card and ensure you use it when you must. Negative Event Cards do not have an Event Difficulty Score, indicating that they cannot be used in an Event Challenge. Such Negative Event Cards must be shown to all players when played and used instead of that turns Challenge.
That's All Folks!: It may sound complicated now but give it a try, it really is very simple. Here's a quick reminder of the main sequence of play:
- Shuffle the Character Cards and deal them out to the players face down so players only know their own cards.
- Shuffle the Event and Equipment Cards into one pile, face down, (the Event Pile) and place it in the centre of the playing area.
- Each player, in order, takes their turn until one player wins all the Character Cards from the others (or until you give up, in which case the player with the most Character Cards wins.)
- At the beginning of each player's turn they must select a card from the Event Pile but not show the other players. If it is an Event: Immediate card then it must be played immediately and shown to the other players. If the player has an Event: 3 Rounds card that they've held for 3 rounds then that too must be played immediately, or at the beginning of any previous round it has been held (as soon as picked up, if desired).
If the player has not played a Negative Event Card (i.e. An Event: Immediate or Event: 3 Rounds card) then they must perform The Challenge! This can take the form of an Event Challenge or a Character Challenge. For both types of Challenge the Challenger must choose an Opponent, any other player of their choice who must defend against The Challenge.
For an Event Challenge the Challenging player must select a Standard Event Card and pit the Event Difficulty Score (in the red box, top left) against their Opponent. The Opponent may choose another Standard Event Card or a Character Card (that must be from the same Universe - the symbol in the box on the top right). Neither must see the other's Card until both have chosen. At that point both must reveal their cards. The winner is the one with the highest Event Difficulty Score. Discard any Event Cards used. If the Challenger wins against a Character Card then the Challenger wins that Character Card. If the Challenger wins against an Event Card then the losing Opponent must give a Character Card, of their choice, to the Challenger. If the Challenger loses they do not lose a card in the same way.
If the Challenger chooses to perform a Character Card Challenge then they must select a Character Card from their Character Hand and choose a Skill (Strength, Garibaldi Rating or Trivia). The Opponent is told the Skill that is to be used and selects a Character Card from their Character Hand to combat with. As with an Event Challenge the Challenger is never at risk of losing a Character Card, only the Opponent. If the Challenger wins, by having the highest Skill Score, then they claim the card the Opponent used. If either player has any Equipment Cards that add to the selected Skill they may play those after showing their Character Card, simply add to the Skill Score as appropriate. Any Equipment Cards used must be discarded to the Event Discard Pile. On a draw both players keep their Character Cards.
- The next player takes their turn, as in point 5, as so forth until an overall winner is declared.