Black Rose Wars: Duel – Lex
Black Rose Wars: Duel – Lex Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
How to Read This Rulebook
This rulebook is divided into six chapters, which are to be consulted as indicated below in order to understand the game as simply and straightforwardly as possible.
- Components: this chapter visually presents all the game components in the box.
- Basics: this chapter introduces the game without going into the rules, but rather provides a foundation for better understanding the following chapters.
- Setup: this chapter contains all the instructions for setting up the game area.
- Game Turn: this chapter explains in detail the rules that come into play during the five phases that make up a game turn, clarifying the flow of actions that each player must put into practice, but without going into detail about rules that are not strictly related to a single game Phase, all of which are recalled by cross-references and directions to the chapter that contains them.
- End of Game Tally: this chapter covers the rules for determining the winner at the end of the game.
- Rules Compendium: this chapter explains in detail all the in-depth rules that affect the game continuously or that require a temporary interruption of the game flow in order to be applied.
- Beyond the Duel: this chapter provides practical instructions for using this product in combination with the other products in the Black Rose Wars line.
Components
- 1 Game Board
- 7 Rooms
- 36 Lex Spell Cards
- 6 Personal Spell Cards
- 2 Forgotten Spell Cards
- 1 School Reference Card
- 6 Upgrade Cards
- 3 Evocation Cards
- 7 Room Activation Tokens
- 2 Mage Cards
- 2 Reference Cards
- Events Card
- 2 Quest Cards
- 4 Physical Action Tokens
- 1 Crown Token
- 8 Persistence Tokens
- 3 Power Tokens
- 75 Damage/Instability Cubes
Models and Bases
- 6 Evocation Bases (3 per player color)
- 3 Templarii
Bartholomäus
Bartholomäus is the leader of the dark occultist coven known as Totentanz.
Traditionally, the coven leader chooses their successor and trains them, until the latter defeats the Master and takes their place.
When this happens, the new leader buries their mentor and takes their mask, forever concealing their identity from the eyes of the rest of the coven.
Behind Bartholomäus' mask anyone can hide, man or woman, young or old. Only one thing is certain: their total dedication to the cause.
This is why Bartholomäus is now on a quest to find the lost Shrine of the Order of the Teutonic Knights. Reports tell of an enormous power held in its rooms. A power capable of summoning hosts of Templars under its control—the power of the Lex school of magic!
Ulrich
Ulrich von Jungingen was the 26th Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.
In a mad quest for power he practiced dark magic throughout his life, hoping to make history and be remembered forever. At the height of his power he created the obscure school of magic known as Lex. Intoxicated with power, he decided to unleash the Teutonic Order against Poland and Lithuania, convinced that he could easily subjugate them, but his thirst for power made him arrogant, and in 1410 A.D. he lost his life in battle.
Because of his dark practices, his remains now restlessly lie in a shrine in his homeland. He continues to defend his legacy, and will do so until a brave one succeeds in defeating him by taking away his dark power.
Basics
Black Rose Wars Duel: Lex is a game of mage duels set in the Black Rose Lodge, a sentient place where a powerful supernatural being, the Black Rose, resides.
In this place, the most powerful mages in the world gather, learn, and challenge each other to determine who is the best among them, the one who will become the next Grand Magister of the Lodge.
This game allows two players to compete in a terrifying battle of magic and teaches the fundamentals of this game's older brother, Black Rose Wars. Everything in this box can be used with Black Rose Wars to expand the core game.
But it doesn't stop there: Schools of Magic, Rooms and Mages from any product in the Black Rose Wars line can be used in place of the materials in this box to create ever-changing duels using the rules described in this rulebook.
The Lodge and the Rooms
The Lodge is the battleground where the mages duel during the game. The Lodge consists of 7 Rooms, which are placed on the board during game setup.
A Room has two states, Destroyed or Rebuilt. The side with the slots (called Instability Slots, see page 18) represents the Destroyed side and the reverse side represents Rebuilt Rooms.
The specific rules for Rooms and their Effects are explained in detail on page 19.
The Mage
The Mage represents the player during the game. Each Mage has their own Model representing them in the Lodge and a Mage Card describing their characteristics.
Please note: On all game components, players are identified with the term "Mage."
Mage Card Anatomy
- A Name.
- B Health value: the maximum number of Damage the Mage may have assigned before being defeated (see page 18). The slot indicating the defeat of the Mage is marked by an arrow.
- C Hand value: the maximum number of Spell Cards the Mage can have in their Hand (see page 12).
- D Strength value: the amount of Damage the Mage inflicts on the target when they perform a Physical Attack (see page 13).
- E Speed value: the number of "Move 1." effects the Mage can perform with a single Explore Physical Action (see page 13).
- F Maximum Quest value: this value is not taken into account in a Black Rose Wars Duel game, but is used in other products in the Black Rose Wars line.
- G Trophy Tokens Slot: this value is not taken into account in a Black Rose Wars Duel game, but is used in other products in the Black Rose Wars line.
- H Physical Action Tokens Slot: these are the slots in which the player's two Physical Action tokens are to be placed.
Power Points
To win the game, Mages must accumulate Power Points; whoever has the most at the end of the game is the winner (see End of Game Tally on page 16). Power Points may be accumulated in several ways, such as defeating the opposing Mage, rebuilding Rooms or completing Quests.
Note: the Black Rose also accumulates Power Points.
The Power Board track on the game board will hold the Power Tokens, which are used to track the Power Points accumulated by the players and the Black Rose. If a Mage or the Black Rose exceeds 20, turn their Power Token to the side showing the +20 value and move it along the track to reflect the new score. For example: a score of 27 would place the +20 Power Token in the space 7 of the track.
Spell Cards
Mages use Spell Cards to unleash powerful spells in the Lodge.
There are three types of Spell Cards: School Spell Cards, Personal Spell Cards and Forgotten Spell Cards.
School Spells
The School of Magic (Lex in this box) consists of a Deck of 36 School Spell Cards (12 different Spell Cards, 3 copies each). Its deck constitutes the Library.
Personal Spells
Each Mage comes with three copies of their Personal Spell Card. The illustration shows the Mage the cards are associated with.
Forgotten Spells
Forgotten Spells are particularly powerful spells from ancient times. These Spell Cards have unique graphics that set them apart and can only be drawn from Effects such as that of the Occult Black Rose Room.
Cells
These two slots on the game board house the Mages' Models at the beginning of the game. Each Mage is matched to the Cell on their player's side of the game board (recognizable by color).
When defeated, a Mage is placed in their Cell. See page 19 for Cell's complete rules.
Events and Quest Cards
The Event Card indicates Effects that the Black Rose applies at the beginning of each Game Turn to influence the game and try to win (see page 10).
Quest Cards show six Quests available to players to collect additional points during the game. For the complete rules of Quests see page 21.
Damage/Instability Cubes
Each player is given 25 of these cubes of a specific color. The 25 black-colored cubes are used to track effects related to the Black Rose, the entity that dwells in the Lodge and participates in the game as the third player.
The Game Effects indicate whether to use a Damage/Instability Cube to represent Damage, the wounds the Mage inflicts on the opponent and the Evocations they control, or to represent Instability, magical energy that the Mage releases in the Lodge Rooms to gain control of them.
Damage/Instability Cubes are also used during the game for other purposes besides those just described such as, for example, keeping track on the game board of what turn is in progress or how many times you have defeated your opponent.
Players must use their cubes wisely, because once they are exhausted they will not be able to perform Effects that require placing cubes. Whenever an Effect requires a player to place more cubes than they have left, the Effect is resolved using all available cubes.
If an Effect forces a player to place more cubes than the number of cubes available to them, they may use the available Cubes as they wish (for example, if a Spell inflicts 3 Damage to two Models and the player has only 4 cubes available, they can distribute those 4 cubes as they prefer between the two Models).
Setup
Follow the steps below to set up the game:
- Open the game board in the center of the Game Area.
- Place the Occult Black Rose Room in the center of the game board so that the Destroyed side is visible, that is, the side showing the Instability Slots (the holes). Shuffle the remaining six Rooms and place them randomly around the Occult Black Rose Room so that the Destroyed side is visible; the set of seven Rooms is called the Lodge.
- Place the Events Card in the corresponding slot on the game board, so that one of the two sides chosen randomly or by mutual agreement is visible. Place the two Quest Cards in the corresponding slots of the game board, so that one of the two randomly or mutually chosen faces of each is visible.
- Each player places one of their Damage/Instability Cube on slot 0 of the Trophy Track and Room Track of their side of the game board; then places their own Power Token on slot 0 of the Power Track. The Crown Holder places a Damage/Instability Cube of the Black Rose on slot 0 of the Trophy Track, Room Track, and Turn Track of the game board; then they place the Black Rose Power Token on square 0 of the Power Track. Now you are ready to play.
- Place the Room Activation Tokens and the Black Rose's Damage/Instability Cubes (black cubes) next to the Game Board, so that they are within reach of both players.
- The player who last received a rose (or a randomly chosen player) gains the Crown Token, becoming the Crown Holder.
- Starting with the Crown Holder and proceeding clockwise, each player chooses a color and sits on the side of the game board showing that color. They then take the Damage/Instability Cubes, Physical Action Tokens, Persistence Tokens, Power Token, and Evocation Bases corresponding to that color. The player then chooses a Mage, takes the corresponding Model and places it in the Cell of their color. They take their Mage Card and place it on the corresponding slot on their side of the game board and place their Physical Action Tokens on it, then they take their Mage's three Personal Spell Cards and keeps them in front of them, revealed.
- Take the Lex Spell School deck and place it next to the game board so that it is within reach of all players. Place the School Reference Card under the School of Magic deck as shown in the image. This deck is considered the Library. Shuffle the available Forgotten Spells and create a deck; place it next to the game board in the corresponding slot. Place the Models of Evocations, 3 Templarii, within reach. The Crown Holder takes the School Reference Card from the Library and selects one of the two Starting Grimoires indicated on it. The player searches the School of Magic deck for the six cards indicated, then adds to them a Personal Spell Card of their own Mage and shuffles them. This seven-card deck is their Grimoire; they place it in the corresponding slot on their side of the game board. Then they take their other two Personal Spell Cards and place them revealed in the Memories slot of their side of the game board. The other player does the same, however, choosing the Starting Grimoire that the Crown Holder did not choose. Once this process is completed, shuffle the rest of the School of Magic deck of the Library and place it back on the side of the game board above the School Reference Card.
School Reference Card Anatomy
- A Name of School of Magic.
- B Special Rules and Keywords.
- C Elements on Spell Cards.
- D School of Magic Symbol.
- E Starting Grimoires.
- F Type, Element, and Target of each Spell Card in the corresponding starting Grimoire (Dark Side and Light Side).
Some Spells of this School can assign an Upgrade card to a target Evocation. These cards must be taken from the corresponding deck and placed next to the target Evocation card. Upgrades follow these rules:
- An Evocation can have a maximum of one Upgrade assigned to it.
- If an Upgrade in addition to the first one is about to be assigned to an Evocation, the owner chooses which one to keep and discards the other.
- If an Upgrade Card whose corresponding card is not available in the deck is about to be assigned, it is not assigned.
Game Turn
A Game Turn consists of five Phases to be played in the order shown below.
- Black Rose Phase
- Study Phase
- Action Phase
- Evocation Phase
- Cleanup Phase
Golden Rule
A specific rule stated on a game component takes priority over the basic rules stated in this rulebook.
Crown Holder and Play Order
The Mage who has the Crown Token is referred to as the Crown Holder, and is considered the First Mage for the entire duration of the current Phase. The Crown Holder has the final say on any ambiguous situation that may occur during the game.
Play Order: on many occasions it is indicated to solve something in "play order." This means to resolve starting with the First Mage and proceeding clockwise.
1. Black Rose Phase
Consult the Events Card and apply the current turn's Event Effect (indicated by the Black Rose's Damage/Instability Token in the corresponding track).
These Effects always affect Mages, even if they are in their Cell (see page 19).
- Turn 1: Rebuilding — the Black Rose gains 1 and places 1 Instability in each Room.
- Turn 2: Control — in play order each Mage chooses an Evocation in the Lodge, it activates under their control; the Black Rose converts all the Damage inflicted by that Evocation during this activation.
- Turn 3: Inversion — the Black Rose gains 2 and converts 3 Damage on each Mage.
- Turn 4: Collapse — the Black Rose gains 2 and inflicts 3 Damage to each Model.
Effects and Targets
Effects
The game often refers to Effects. Most components of the game and every Physical Action (see page 13) have Effects, which are composed of one or more phrases and/or symbols that allow you to influence the game. Each phrase that makes up an Effect must be applied, starting with the first and proceeding in order. If a phrase cannot be applied in its entirety, the parts that cannot be applied (even all) are skipped and the game continues by applying the next phrase. An Effect is considered resolved when an attempt has been made to apply all the phrases that make up the Effect, even if none of them could be applied.
Resolution of Multiple Effects
During the game, it may happen that more than one Effect needs to be resolved when a certain condition occurs, or while another effect is being resolved. When this happens, the Effect being resolved is resolved until the period (.), then the game stops and each Mage (or the Black Rose) in play order can resolve 1 or more Effects. When all Effects are resolved, the interrupted Effect resumes resolving from the period (.) at which it was interrupted.
Targets
The Effects of Spells and other components of the game always have a specific target. That target must be chosen from those available by the player resolving the Effect.
The target of an Effect is always indicated before the text of the Effect itself followed by a colon (:), except for the Spell Card Effect targets, which are listed in the third banner under the Spell name.
Effects resolved by a Mage with targets other than themselves, unless specified in their text, never harm the Mage themselves and/or their Evocations.
Targets may be:
- Model: the Effect can target a Model. The number next to the icon indicates the range, i.e., the number of Rooms of distance from the Model resolving the Effect in which the target might be; to choose a target, it must be possible to draw a straight line not blocked by the walls of the Rooms between the Room in which the target is and the Room in which the Model resolving the Effect is. If the icon is followed by an asterisk, the Effect can target a Model in the Lodge regardless of distance, and even if an unbroken straight line cannot be drawn as indicated above.
- Mage Model: as Model, but only a Mage's Model can be targeted.
- Evocation Model: as Model, but only an Evocation's Model can be targeted.
- Room: the Effect targets a Room and affects all Opposing Models (Mages and their Evocations) within that Room. The number within the icon indicates the range, i.e., the number of Rooms away from the Model applying the Effect to the target Room; to choose the target Room, it must be possible to draw a straight line not blocked by the walls of the Rooms between it and the Room in which the Model resolving the Effect is. If the icon contains an asterisk, the Effect can target a Lodge Room regardless of distance and even if an unbroken straight line cannot be drawn as indicated above.
- Personal: This Effect targets the Mage who resolves it.
- Special: no specific target. The text of the Effect indicates how to apply it and which elements of the game are affected by it.
For examples and in-depth rules on Targets, Range and Line of Sight see page 20.
2. Study Phase
Starting with the First Mage, each Mage draws 2 Spell Cards from their Grimoire and 2 Spell Cards from the School deck of the Library.
If a Mage has to draw from the Grimoire but it does not contain enough cards, the Mage shuffles their Memories (their discard pile) and forms the Grimoire again. After doing so, they keep drawing.
The Mage Card indicates a Hand value, which is the maximum limit of Spell Cards that the Mage can hold at the same time. After drawing Spell Cards, if the player has in their Hand a number of cards greater than this value, they must discard cards (into their Memories) until their number of cards is within their Hand value.
After carefully reading the two Effects of the Spell Cards in your Hand (Light Side Effect, indicated by an arrow to the left of the Spell name, and Dark Side Effect, indicated by a crescent moon to the left of the Spell name), each Mage positions from 2 to 4 of the Spell Cards from their Hand on the Spell Slots of their side of the game board (Quick Spell slot, slot I, slot II and slot III). These cards are placed face-down oriented with the chosen side (Light or Dark) toward the Mage who placed them, and the Effect on this side will be the only one used of the card during the Action Phase (see below), called the Active Side.
Spell Cards placed in this way are considered Ready Spells.
Spell Card Anatomy
- A Name.
- B School of Magic symbol.
- C Effects, one on the Light Side and the other on the Dark Side. During the Study Phase, the Mage must choose which of the two Effects they will use.
- D Spell Type: Combat, Contingency.
- E Elements: the Element of a Spell is used in specific situations that may occur during the game; the Elements are: Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Sacred, Profane, Magic, all Elements (when necessary, the Mage chooses which Element it represents).
- F Target: the type of target and the range of the Effect (see page 11).
- G Instability: this Effect is to be read as "Place 1 Instability in a Room.", referring to the Mage who has just revealed the Spell Card (see page 13).
Note: to choose wisely which of the two Card Effects to use later in the Turn and the order in which to place the Spell Cards it is best to consult the section on Targets (page 11) and the in-depth rules in the Rules Compendium chapter (page 17).
3. Action Phase
The First Mage (the Crown Holder) performs up to two Actions of their choice from those shown in the Actions box below. When the First Mage has resolved all of their Actions, the other Mage does the same. This continues until both Mages no longer have the ability to perform Actions, then the Action Phase ends.
Note: if a Mage is in their Cell, they have a limited number of options available to them, see Cells on page 19.
Physical Action Tokens
When a Mage performs a Physical Action (see box below) they must flip one of their two Available Physical Action Tokens so that it shows the Exhausted side.
Entering a Room
Regardless of how a Model is placed in a Room (Movement, Evocation, direct placement, or other), it is considered to have entered the Room.
Move a Model in the Lodge
When a Model performs "Move," its controller moves it to an adjacent Room; they repeat this operation a number of times equal to the number indicated after the word "Move."
Place a Model in the Lodge
When a Model places itself (or is placed) in a Lodge Room, if it is not already in the Lodge, it is taken from the reserve. If that Model is already in the Lodge its position changes from the Room it was in directly to the Room in which it is placed, without passing through other Rooms.
Example: revealing a Spell Card
When a Mage Reveals a Ready Spell, they must flip it from bottom to top so as to swap the positions of the two short sides of the Spell Card. The Effect that is applied will be the one whose texts are readable and which the Mage had chosen during the Study Phase.
Actions
During their Activation, a Mage must perform one or two of the Actions described below. To perform a Physical Action, the Mage must Exhaust (see above) one of their Available Physical Action Tokens. A Physical Action is considered a separate and different group of Effects, and they are resolved in the order the Mage prefers; a Mage may also choose to ignore some or all of these Effects.
Explore (Physical Action)
- Move 1. You may perform this Effect a number of times equal to your Speed Value. Each individual "Move 1.", separated by a period (.), is a different Effect, and the player may choose to use all or only part of them; nevertheless, different Effects cannot be used between one "Move 1." and another. Unused "Move 1." Effects are lost.
- Activate a Room (see Activating a Room, page 19).
Example: you may move to an adjacent Room, then move to another adjacent Room and then activate the Room you are in. Or, you can move to an adjacent Room and activate the Room you are in. Or, you can activate the Room you are in and then move, but you cannot move to an adjacent Room, activate it and then move to another adjacent Room.
Fighting (Physical Action)
- Perform a Physical Attack on a Model (a Physical Attack inflicts on the target an amount of Damage equal to your Strength Value).
- Activate a Room (see Activating a Room, page 19).
Example: you may perform a Physical Attack and then Activate the Room you are in, or, you may Activate the Room you are in and then perform a Physical Attack.
Command (Physical Action)
Choose one of your Evocations, it activates (see Activating an Evocation, below).
Casting a Spell
Choose one of your Ready Spells (face-down) located in the numbered Spell Slot (I, II, III) with the lowest number, or the one located in the Quick Spell Slot.
Reveal that Ready Spell flipping it over so as to swap the positions of the two short sides of the Spell Card (see example above). You are considered the Mage who casts that Spell.
If you reveal a Spell showing the symbol of Instability in the middle of the card, place 1 Instability in a Room (see page 18 for Instability rules), then resolve the Effect of the Spell Card you had placed in the Active Side during the Study Phase.
Momentum
Choose one of your Ready Spells and discard it into your Memories. When you do this, you may perform "Move 1".
Limitation on Spell Casting
A Mage may perform the Action "Cast a Spell" twice during the same Activation (using both of their Actions) only if one of the two Actions is used to cast the Spell that is in the Quick Spell Slot.
4. Evocation Phase
Evocations are creatures summoned by the magic and controlled by Mages. Each of them is represented in the Lodge by a Model.
During this Phase all Evocations in the Lodge are activated. The First Mage chooses one of their available Evocations and it activates. After the activation is complete, the Mage rotates the chosen Evocation card 90° (thus orienting it vertically) to show that it has already been activated in this Evocation Phase (make sure to keep all Damage Cubes on the card). If a Mage has no Evocations in the Lodge or has already activated all of their Evocations, they end their Evocation Phase.
After activating the chosen Evocation, the other Mage does the same. This alternation is repeated until all the Evocations in the Lodge have been activated.
Evocations
Summoning Evocations
A Mage may summon an Evocation through different Effects. A Mage who resolves an Effect that summons an Evocation takes the Model of that Evocation and places it in the Lodge, following the Effect's instructions. They then take the card of that Evocation and place it at one of the three Evocation slots on their side of the game board. They take the Evocation Base with the number of pips indicated on the chosen Evocation Slot and clip it to the base of the Model; this will help associate a Model with the corresponding Evocation Card. In addition, if a Mage has two or more identical Models among their Evocations, the number of pips helps to distinguish them when they are targeted by Effects.
If there are no available Models of a specific Evocation (because they are all in the Lodge), the Mage can still resolve the Effect that summons it, but does not place any Evocation in the Lodge.
Owner and Controller of an Evocation
When a Mage summons an Evocation they are considered the Owner of that Evocation as long as that Model is clipped to an Evocation Base of the same color as the Mage. The ownership of a Model never changes.
The Controller of an Evocation is the Mage who makes any decisions related to that Evocation. By default, the owner of an Evocation is its controller.
During the course of the game, the controller of an Evocation may change due to various Effects. In this case, its ownership does not change and the new controller takes all decisions related to the Evocation. An Evocation that inflicts Damage or places Instability always places Cubes of its controller's color.
Activating an Evocation
When an Evocation is activated, its controller can have it perform a number of "Move 1." Effects equal to the Speed Value of the Evocation. Each individual "Move 1.", separated by periods (.), is a different Effect and the Evocation can use all or part of these Effects, but cannot perform other Effects between them. Unused "Move 1." Effects are lost.
Before or after the "Move 1." Effects, the Evocation may perform a Physical Attack against a Model. A Physical Attack inflicts Damage equal to the Strength value of the Evocation. The Evocation uses the cubes of its controller to indicate the Damage it inflicts; this Damage is considered inflicted by both the Evocation and the Mage controlling it.
Activation by Effects or Physical Actions
The Evocation Card is to be rotated 90° to indicate that the Evocation has already activated exclusively during the Evocation Phase; if an Evocation is activated for any other reason (such as the Effect of a Spell Card or through the Physical Action Command) its Evocation Card must not be rotated.
Evocation Card Anatomy
- A Name.
- B Archetype: Evocations have one or more Archetypes that allows them to be influenced by specific Effects.
- C Skill: this Effect is applied as written following its specific directions.
- D Speed Value: an Evocation may perform a series of consecutive "Move 1." Effects equal to this number.
- E Strength Value: When an Evocation inflicts Damage, place Damage Cubes of its controller's color on the target's Mage Sheet or Evocation Card; this Damage is considered inflicted by the Evocation Model (not from its controller).
- F Health Value: when an Evocation has an amount of Damage on its card equal to this value, it is defeated. Place the Model outside the Lodge and put its card back into the Evocation Card Deck. The owner takes back the Evocation Base clipped to the defeated Model.
5. Cleanup Phase
This is the Final Step of the Game Turn. Perform the three steps shown below in order:
-
Game Board Cleanup: all Mages discard the Spell Cards on their Spell Slots in their Memories. All Revealed Forgotten Spells are removed from the game (they do not return to the Forgotten Spell deck). All Persistence Tokens on the Mage Cards return to their respective owners. All Evocations become available again; turn each Evocation Card horizontally. Each Mage turns their Physical Action Tokens over to the Available side.
Each Mage keeps all the cards in their Hand at the beginning of each new Game Turn.
-
Majority and Rebuilding: check to see if there are any Rooms in the Lodge with all Instability slots occupied; these Rooms must be Rebuilt one at a time in any order.
For each Room that is rebuilt, assign the Power Points indicated in the three room banners (under the Room's name banner) to the Mages and/or the Black Rose based on the number of Instability they placed in the Room:
- The largest amount of Power Points (the leftmost one) to the Mage (or the Black Rose) who placed the most Instability. If all the Instability Cubes in the Room belong to a single Mage (or the Black Rose), they gain 1 additional Power Point. Whoever gains these points advances their cube by one slot on the Room Track of their side of the game board.
- The intermediate amount of Power Points (the one in the middle part) to the Mage (or the Black Rose) who placed the second highest number of Instability.
- The lowest amount of Power Points (the one furthest to the right) to the Mage (or the Black Rose) who placed the lowest number of Instability.
In case of a tie, all the Mages (and the Black Rose) who have tied gain 1 less Power Point than indicated in the banner.
Example: Rebuilt Room — Once the Power Points are assigned, the cubes in the Instability slots from the Room return to their respective owners and the Room is flipped to the Rebuilt side; then place the corresponding Room Activation Token on it so that it shows the Available side. When a Room is Rebuilt, nothing happens to the Mages and Evocations inside it; simply put their Models back inside the Room once it has been flipped. A Rebuilt Room is not flipped again for the rest of the game.
-
End of Turn: if the cube on the Turn Track is on slot 4 the game ends and we move on to End of Game Tally (see page 16) otherwise, the Crown Holder moves the cube on the Turn Track one slot to the next number, then passes the Crown Token to the other player who becomes the new Crown Holder, in which case the new Turn starts by restarting from the 1. Black Rose Phase.
End of Game Tally
At the end of the game (having completed the fourth Turn) the Mages and the Black Rose count the Power Points gained to determine the new Grand Magister of the Lodge; if the Black Rose is the winner, she decrees that no participating Mage is worthy of this title.
The Mages and the Black Rose advance their respective Power Tokens on the Power Track of the game board according to the points indicated below (remember to turn the Power Token over and place it at the beginning of the Power Track if you exceed 20).
- Trophies: +3 to whoever owns the cube in the most advanced position on the Trophy Track. In case of a tie, +2 to anyone who has the cube in the most advanced position on the track.
- Room Majority: check who has the most Instability in each of the Destroyed Rooms. For each Destroyed Room in which a Mage (or the Black Rose) owns more Instability, advance the cube on its Slot Track by one slot; in case of a tie, the Black Rose advances the cube on her Room Track (provided she has at least 1 Instability in the Room). +3 to whoever owns the cube in the most advanced position of the Room Track. In case of a tie, +2 to everyone who has the cube on the most advanced position of the Room Track.
- Quests: the Black Rose gains the Power Points indicated on each Quest Slot of Quest Cards not covered by a Cube.
Once all the Power Points are added up, whoever has the highest total wins. In case of a tie between the two Mages, or between a Mage and the Black Rose, the Black Rose wins.
Rules Compendium
This chapter collects all the rules that do not directly come into play in a specific Phase of the game, but which must be followed when the situation calls for it, as well as featuring many examples of how to apply the rules in different situations.
Inflict/Convert Damage, Defeat and Immunity
Inflict Damage
When a Mage or the Black Rose inflicts Damage to a Model, they place as many of their Damage/Instability Cubes on the Damage Slots of the Mage's Health Bar, or in the case of an Evocation they place them on their card; those cubes are considered Damage.
A Mage cannot in any way inflict Damage on themselves and/or the Evocations they own or control, and vice versa.
Convert Damage
When a Mage or the Black Rose convert Damage on a Model, they replace Damage on it that is from the other Mage or the Black Rose with their own cubes, up to a maximum of Damage equal to that indicated by the Effect that allows you to convert.
The Black Rose converts Damage starting with the rightmost cubes in the Health Track, while a Mage can freely choose which cubes to convert.
A Mage cannot in any way convert Damage on themselves and/or to on the Evocations they own or control, and vice versa.
Defeat of an Evocation
When an Evocation has an amount of Damage equal to its Health value, it is defeated and placed outside the Lodge.
Example: Inflict and Convert — The blue Mage inflicted 3 Damage to Bartholomäus. The red Mage converted 2 Damage on Ulrich. Ulrich suffered Damage equal to his own Health value, therefore he is Defeated.
Defeat of a Mage
When a Mage has suffered Damage equal to their Health value, the Mage is defeated and the following occurs:
- The Effect that defeated it resolves to the period (.) of the sentence being resolved, at which point it is interrupted and the Mage's defeat must be resolved (see below). Once the defeat is resolved, the interrupted Effect resumes resolving from the period (.) at which it was interrupted.
- The Model of the defeated Mage is placed in their Cell.
- The Power Points gained by the opponents (the other Mage and the Black Rose) are established in this way:
- 3 Power Points to whoever inflicted the most Damage, 1 to whoever inflicted at least 1.
- 2 Power Points to both opponents if they inflicted the same number of Damage.
- 4 Power Points to the opponent if they inflicted all the Damage.
- Whoever inflicted the last Damage on the defeated Mage advances their cube on the Trophy Track by one slot.
- All Damage cubes assigned to the defeated Mage return to the owners' supply.
Immunity
Unless specified by the Effect, a Mage (or the Black Rose) and their Evocations ignore any Effect resolved by that Mage (or the Black Rose) that inflicts or converts Damage on themselves and/or their Evocations.
An Evocation cannot inflict Damage on the Mage that summoned it or on another Evocation under that Mage's control, unless it acts under the control of an opposing Mage (see page 14).
Place/Convert Instability
Placing Instability
When a Mage or the Black Rose place Instability in a Room, they place as many of their Damage/Instability Cubes on the available Instability Slots of the target Room. It is only possible to place cubes in this way on available Instability Slots. If there are not enough slots, excess cubes are not placed.
A Room in which all Instability Slots are occupied by Instability Cubes will be rebuilt during the Cleanup Phase (see page 15).
Converting Instability
When a Mage or the Black Rose converts Instability on a Room, they replace the Instability of the other Mage or Black Rose with their own cubes, up to a maximum of Instability equal to that indicated by the Effect that allows you to convert.
The Black Rose converts Instability starting with the rightmost cubes in the Room, while a Mage can freely choose which cubes to convert.
Example: Placing and Converting — The Blue Mage Places 3 Instability in Mystic Observatory. The red Mage converts 1 Instability in Mystic Observatory.
Rooms and Room Activation Tokens
Each Lodge Room is represented by a hexagonal tile. At the beginning of the game, each Room shows its Destroyed side, which allows Mages who activate the Room (see below) to use its Effect.
During the game, a Room can be Rebuilt (see page 15). On a Rebuilt Room there is always the corresponding Room Activation Token, which allows the Mage activating the Room to use a very powerful Effect (see below).
Activating a Room
When a Mage activates a Room (for example, by resolving the Effect "Activate a Room" with an Explore or Fighting action), they must resolve the Effect indicated in the Room or, if present, on its Room Activation Token.
Room Anatomy
- A Name, symbol, color and Effect. The Lodge consists of 7 Rooms of different colors.
- B Power Points Banners: these indicate the Power Points gained if the Room is Rebuilt (see page 15).
- C Instability Slots: these determine how much Instability can be placed in the Room (see page 18).
- D Rebuilt Room: it shows the name, symbol and color of the Room. Its Effect can be found on the Available side of the corresponding Room Activation Token.
Room Activation Tokens
When a Room in which there is a Room Activation Token showing the Available side is activated, the Mage activating it must resolve the Effect indicated on it and then flip that token over to show the Used side.
When this happens, the Effect of that Room Activation Token cannot be used for the rest of the game. A Mage who activates a Room in which there is a Room Activation Token showing the Used side does not resolve any Effect.
Cells
These two slots on the game board house the Mages' Models at the beginning of the game. Each Mage is matched to the Cell on their player's side of the game board (recognizable by color).
Cells and the Mages within them use the following rules:
- No Model can move, be moved or placed in a Cell; only when a Mage is defeated (see page 18) is their Model placed in their Cell.
- A Mage in a Cell may exclusively perform the following:
- Activate their Evocations during the Evocation Phase.
- Perform the Momentum Action.
- Perform the Explore Action.
- When a Mage begins their Activation in a Cell, they must perform an Explore Action or a Momentum Action to get out of it. If they cannot do so, they remain in the Cell.
- A Mage in a Cell is not considered to be in the Lodge and cannot be targeted by Effects or affected by anything, except for Events Card Effects, Quest Cards (see page 7) and Effects that specify that they apply to a Mage in their Cell.
Range, Line of Sight, Dummy Target
Range
The numerical value of the targets (see page 11) is called the range, and it indicates the distance at which the target chosen to apply the Effect can be located. Ranges with a value greater than 0 require line-of-sight between the person resolving the Effect and the target.
A range with an asterisk, or one with a value of 0, instead, does not require any line of sight.
Line of Sight
The line of sight is an imaginary, straight line between the center of the Room in which the Model resolving the Effect is located and the center of the Room in which the target of the Effect or the Room targeted by the Effect is located. This line must always run through the centers of a row of Rooms, and can never run along the edge of a Room, traversing a maximum number of Rooms (excluding the starting Room) equal to the range indicated on the Effect's target.
Dummy Target
You can choose a Dummy Target as the target of an Effect that targets Models. The Dummy Target counts as a Model, even if it is not physically in the Lodge; the purpose of choosing it as a target is to allow Mages to cast a Spell and resolve as much of its Effect as possible, even when there are no Models available as targets. A Dummy Target does not suffer Damage. It is not possible to choose a Dummy Model as the target of a Physical Attack.
Example: Line of Sight and Dummy Target — All the Models: all Models in a Room within range 1. The Effect resolved by Bartholomäus applies on all Models at range 0 and 1 from him.
Persistent Effects
Persistent
A Persistent Effect affects the game for the duration of the Turn in which it is resolved. The player who resolved it can apply it whenever the condition required in its text is met.
To show that one of these Effects is active, the Mage who resolved it places on the target Mage Card the Persistence Token of their color and corresponding to the Spell Slot (Quick Spell, I, II or III) in which the revealed Spell Card showing the Persistent Effect is located.
The Persistent Effect ends when the Spell Card is no longer in play after Step 1 of the Cleanup Phase.
Quests
In the two Quest Cards placed on the game board are six different Quests.
Each Quest consists of these elements:
- A Name.
- B Condition.
- C Effect.
- D Quest Slot.
The moment a Mage fulfills the Condition of a Quest, they may declare that they have completed it; when this happens, the Mage places one of their cubes on the Quest Slot of the Quest they have completed and immediately applies its Effect.
A Quest with the Quest Slot occupied by a cube is considered completed and solved, and is no longer available for the rest of the game.
If a Mage forgets to declare that they have completed a Quest, or does not want to complete it despite having fulfilled the Condition, the Quest will remain available.
In the End of Game Tally, the Black Rose gains Power Points from all Quests still available (see page 16).
Beyond the Duel
Duel into Black Rose Wars
The Material in this box can be used to expand Black Rose Wars by including it in games as shown below.
- Lex School of Magic: during step 9 of the Setup you may replace one of the Schools of Magic present in the core game with the Lex School.
- Forgotten Spells: you may add any Forgotten Spells from the other Black Rose Wars products to the games of Duel by adding them to the deck during Setup.
- Mages: you may use all Mages from the other Black Rose Wars products in Duel games.
- Rooms: you may replace the seven Rooms with Rooms from other Black Rose Wars products when playing Duel.
- Incompatible Materials: No Quest Cards or Event Cards from Black Rose Wars are included in a Duel game. Materials that generate Effects (usually Spells and Rooms) that call upon these types of cards must never be included in the game.
Black Rose Wars into Duel
Material from the other products in the Black Rose Wars line can be used to expand this game by including it in games as shown below.
- School of Magic: you may replace the Lex School of Magic with any School of Magic from the other products, making sure to include in the game all the materials necessary for the operation of that School (such as Evocations). Due to the head-to-head challenge nature of this game, some of the Schools of Magic that develop complex tactics may not be impactful in a duel. It should also be kept in mind that if a School of Magic involves the use of additional rules, these will need to be consulted in the rulebook of the Black Rose Wars core game or in the rulebook of the expansion from which the chosen School of Magic comes.
- Forgotten Spells: you may add these cards to the Forgotten Spells deck of the core game.
- Bartholomäus and Ulrich: these two Mages can be chosen as a Mage during step 8 of the Setup described in the core game rulebook.
- Rooms: the Rooms in this box (and the corresponding Activation Token) can replace Rooms in the core game that have the same Name without regard to the italicized part, to have a Lodge with more varied Effects; for example, you can replace the Black Rose Room of the core game with the Occult Black Rose Room, or the Armory of the core game with the Templar Armory.
The Black Rose Wars Saga
Turin, 1522 A.D.
Magic does not exist. This is true for skeptics, the ignorant, or those who have simply stopped believing.
Magic must not exist. This is true for those who are afraid, for those who want to maintain Power, for those who have decided to wipe it off the face of the Earth.
The Church has acknowledged the existence of Magic and has banned it.
But the Voice continues to travel, light and swift, carried by invisible winds. It reaches the ears of the Perceivers, people who are able to pick it up and use it in different ways.
The origin of the Voice is the Black Rose, a sentient being upon which the Lodge was founded. The Voice calls all the Perceivers, vulgarly called Mages by the ignorant. It calls them to gather and have them challenge each other to elect a new Grand Magister. For the next ten years, the Grand Magister will be the one who speaks for the Black Rose, giving strong directives aimed at the survival and future proliferation of the Perceivers.
This is the world of Black Rose Wars, many will be the adventures you will experience, each adding a dash of insight to your knowledge, waiting for the spark brought by the Voice to ignite your perceptive vessel so that you can hear the Call.
Black Rose Wars
Black Rose Wars is the first chapter in this thrilling saga. The Black Rose, a mysterious sentient being, rules the winds of magic and calls upon the best Mages. Every ten years, the mages compete in deadly battles to choose the Grand Magister. The power of spells and terrifying evocations eventually comes to destroy the rooms of the Lodge. Each time, however, the magic of the Black Rose repairs the Lodge until the next challenge.
Rebirth
Black Rose Wars: Rebirth is the second installment of the game, a new core box that introduces new game mechanics, new Schools of Magic, new Mages, and more. Mages are called upon to rebuild the Lodge. The Voice of the Black Rose calls to the Perceivers, men and women who can hear her faint call. Now it is your duty to rebuild what Lucifero has destroyed.
Inferno
Inferno is the expansion that introduces the first Avatar to the game, and presents players with a challenge that borders on the impossible. Lucifero has escaped the control of his summoner, and the Lodge has been transformed into the Circles of Hell. In the bloody battle that ensues, the power of Magic will be so great as to destroy the Lodge forever, and with it, the Order of the Black Rose.
Apocalypse
Apocalypse is the expansion that lets you take on the role of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, four of the most incredible Mages in history. A breathtaking challenge with pre-built decks and a new game mechanic. With this expansion, you can also build your own Mages and decks from scratch for even faster and more furious games. Apocalypse also includes all the rules you need to organize and play real Black Rose Wars tournaments.
Black Rose Wars: Duel – Lex v.1.1 © 2023 Ludus Magnus Studio. All rights reserved. www.ludusmagnusstudio.com