Call to Adventure: The Stormlight Archive
Call to Adventure: The Stormlight Archive Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Rules Overview
Players new to The Stormlight Archive should read the accompanying insert to get a sense of the world. Then if you read through these first two pages, you'll know the basics of the game. The rest of the rulebook gives step-by-step instructions for each phase of play.
1. Gain Destiny Points To Win
In Call to Adventure, your goal is to build the hero with the greatest Destiny score!
Triumph + Tragedy + Experience = Destiny
There are many ways to gain these points, which represent dramatic moments in your character's life. Destiny scores are calculated at the end of the game (see Ending the Game) and determine the victor, whether you're playing competitively against your friends, or cooperatively battling Odium.
2. Gain Cards to Build Your Story
You begin the game by choosing three Character cards: your Origin, Motivation, and Destiny. These cards form the basis of your Story — the tableau of cards you will build over the course of the game. As you gain new Story cards, you'll tuck them under your Character cards. Each "path" you leave visible will become a part of your Story, showing the icons you've collected and the points you've earned.
3. Cast Ability Runes to Attempt Challenges
Overcoming challenges is the key to building your character. Every hero begins with two ability rune icons (as indicated on your Origin card). When you attempt a challenge, you cast (roll) the three core rune stones. Depending on the relevant icons shown on the challenge card, you may also be able to cast ability rune stones.
To overcome a challenge, you must choose a path, then equal or exceed its difficulty. Every result of a slash adds 1, while results showing an ability rune symbol (sword, arrow, shield, wand, eye, crown) or a Dark rune's moon add 2. All other symbols add 0.
All challenges are resolved in the same way, adding runes and card effects according to how you've built your hero. For more details, see Attempt a Challenge and Reading the Runes. You can also modify challenge attempts by playing Hero and Antihero cards.
4. Become Radiant to Face Odium
Call to Adventure: The Stormlight Archive is balanced for Co-op play, where you team up with other players to defeat Odium (see Facing Odium). This set contains 12 Destiny cards, and 10 of those (marked with a Radiant icon) are the orders of Knights Radiant. Radiant icons are special story icons that can unlock your Radiant abilities (see Radiant Icons), and they play a key role in overcoming Odium.
The rest of this rulebook builds on these fundamentals! If this is your first game of Call to Adventure, begin reading the next section. For rules specific to The Stormlight Archive, read the Story Icons, Radiant Icons, and Facing Odium sections. For video rules and expanded FAQs, visit: www.brotherwisegames.com/about-call-to-adventure
Setting Up the Game
Before the game begins, sort through all game components, shuffle the decks, and prepare the play space. During setup, each player uses Character cards to start building their hero.
1. Deal the Cards
Deal each player six Character cards:
- 2 Origins (brown with a bronze tree)
- 2 Motivations (blue with silver)
- 2 Destinies (red with gold)
Each player keeps one of each type of card, then removes the rest from the game.
If this is your first time playing, deal players just one Character card of each type.
Deal every player one Hero card to form their starting hand. These cards should remain hidden from other players. Finally, give each player three Experience tokens.
2. Reveal Your Character
Your three Character cards form the core of your hero's Story. Take a player board and place your character cards on it. Place your chosen Origin to the left (face-up), your Motivation in the middle (face-up), and your Destiny on the right (face-down, but you may look at your own Destiny at any time). Your Story will grow over the course of the game, and includes:
- Your ability rune icons
- Triumph and Tragedy points gained over the course of the game
- Any icons or special powers granted by your Character and Ally cards
On the left side of the player board is the Corruption tracker, which represents your character's corruption level. At the start of the game, place your hero marker on the third level of the tracker (unless your Motivation card specifies a different starting level). Every time you gain a Corruption icon, move the tracker down one level. Every time you gain a Virtue icon, move it up one level. Your position on the Corruption tracker dictates whether you can play Hero or Antihero cards or cast Dark runes, and affects your final score.
Play Example: Story Tableau — When Adam is dealt his six Character cards, he chooses to keep Warrior as his Origin, Trained by a Master as his Motivation, and Edgedancer as his hidden Destiny. He places them on his playmat, sets his Corruption tracker to the starting level, and gets ready to play!
3. Prepare the Story Decks
In the center of the table, set up the three Story decks, the Hero Deck, and the Antihero Deck. Beside each Story deck, lay out a row of face-down cards.
- For a 1-3 player game, lay out four cards per Act.
- For a 4-player game, lay out five cards per Act.
If playing a Solo or Co-op game, set up Odium and his deck of Antihero cards (see Facing Odium).
Place the rune stones within reach of all players. Rune stones are shared by all players during the game. The rune types are the Core Runes, the Ability Runes, and the Dark Runes.
Once play is ready to begin, turn the Act I cards face-up and begin the game! The player who most recently finished reading a novel goes first.
Traits and Challenges — As you reveal Act I cards, you'll see three card types. Traits, like Officer and Lighteyes, have just one "path." You can use your turn to gain one, following any rules specified on the card. Challenges, like Face a Shardbearer and On the Run, have two paths. To gain a challenge, you must cast the runes. An Ally, like Betrothed, is gained if you succeed at the challenge that holds it.
Each Turn
On your turn, you may gain a trait or face a challenge. You may also use any number of card abilities, play Hero or Antihero cards, and/or journey.
Gain a Trait
Traits define your character's personality, profession, and life experiences. A trait has only one "path." Some traits have specific prerequisites stated on the card, while others can simply be taken by the active player. When you gain a trait, place it under your current Story card. In general:
- Act I cards go under your Origin.
- Act II cards go under your Motivation.
- Act III cards go under your Destiny.
Leave the top of the trait card visible. Any ability runes, story icons, or other rewards become a part of your Story.
Play Example: Gaining a Trait — On his first turn, Adam chooses to gain the Officer trait. He tucks the card under his Origin. Now he has a Strength icon!
Attempt a Challenge
Challenges are the daring deeds your hero undertakes on the path to fame or notoriety. Challenges can bring great rewards, but they also carry the risk of failure! To face a challenge:
- Assess the difficulty, indicated by the number on the left-hand side of the card.
- Declare which path you're taking (top or bottom). If a path has a +1 icon, the difficulty is increased by 1.
- Gather your pool of rune stones.
- You can always cast the three core runes.
- Add any matching ability rune stones. Every challenge has two relevant ability rune types shown below its difficulty. If you have matching ability rune icons in your story, you can add ability rune stones to your attempt.
- You may spend Experience tokens to add Dark rune stones to your casting.
- Apply any card effects, such as those from Hero or Antihero cards, that say "play this before any hero attempts a challenge."
- Cast the runes!
- If the result equals or exceeds the difficulty, you overcome the challenge. Gain the card, placing it under your current Character card with the top or bottom of the new card showing (depending on which path you took).
- If you fail a challenge, discard it from the table and gain an Experience token.
Whenever you gain or discard a card from the table, replace it with another card from that Act deck. In the rare event that you have no valid options (e.g., four traits with prerequisites you do not meet), you may discard and replace one visible card.
Hero and Antihero Cards
Whenever you get a rune result of a white triangle, or acquire a Path with a white triangle, immediately draw a Hero card. Whenever your result includes a dark triangle or you gain a path with a dark triangle, immediately draw an Antihero card. When your result includes a dual triangle, you may choose to draw a Hero or Antihero card.
Your position on the Corruption track indicates whether you can play Hero cards, Antihero cards, or both. For example, if your position on the track has the Hero icon, you may play Hero cards, but not Antihero cards. In general, players begin the game able to play both.
Most Hero and Antihero cards specify when they can be played. Otherwise, they can be played at any time. These cards' effects can even interrupt other players' actions. Resolve these effects in reverse order, starting with the last card played and working backwards. When a card says it can affect "any hero," it means any hero including your own.
After a Hero or Antihero card takes effect, place it face-up beside your Story. At the end of game, add the Triumph and/or Tragedy values of played cards to your score. You do not get points for cards still in your hand at the end of the game.
Reading the Runes
Runes give Call to Adventure the element of chance, but you can improve the odds by building your hero's abilities. When you "cast the runes," you throw them on the table to see which sides land face-up (as if rolling two-sided dice). Each side adds a different number of successes to your attempt. In the rare event that a rune lands on its thin edge, you may choose which side you want to be face-up!
Core Runes
You cast the three core rune stones during every challenge. Depending on how it lands, a core rune adds 1 or 0 to your attempt.
- Slash: Add 1 success to any challenge
- Blank: Add 0
- Symbol side (triangle/diamond): Add 0 and draw a Hero or Antihero card, or gain an Experience token, as shown
The core rune symbol faces indicate:
- Slash (any color): 1 Success
- White triangle: Draw a Hero card
- Dark triangle: Draw an Antihero card
- Dual triangle: Draw a Hero OR Antihero card
- Diamond: Gain an Experience Token
Dark Runes
Before you attempt a challenge you may spend an Experience token to add a Dark rune stone to your pool; this may be done up to three times per turn.
- Slash (Dark rune): Add 1 success to any challenge (1 Success, no Penalty)
- Moon (Dark rune): Add 2 to any challenge and move your Corruption track down by one (2 Successes, move down 1 step on the Corruption Track)
Beware! As you gain Corruption, you lose the ability to play Hero cards. At the lowest level of Corruption, you lose 4 Triumph points and may no longer spend Experience to cast Dark runes.
Ability Runes
Whenever you attempt a challenge, check your Story to see if you have any ability rune icons relevant to that challenge. For each relevant icon you have, cast one rune of that type. You can cast a maximum of three rune stones per Ability, and your third rune stone must be the special rune stone marked with three dots. (The special rune stone is only available when you have three or more icons in that ability.)
- Strength (sword): Add 2 (sword) or 1 (slash) to a Strength challenge. Special rune: Add 2 to a Strength challenge, or add 0 and immediately gain one Experience token.
- Dexterity (arrow): Add 2 (arrow) or 1 (slash) to a Dexterity challenge. Special rune: Add 2 to a Dexterity challenge, or add 0 and immediately draw one card.
- Constitution (shield): Add 2 (shield) or 1 (slash) to a Constitution challenge. Special rune: Add 2 to a Constitution challenge, or add 0 and immediately gain one Experience token.
- Intelligence (wand): Add 2 (wand) or 1 (slash) to an Intelligence challenge. Special rune: Add 2 to an Intelligence challenge, or add 0 and immediately draw one card.
- Wisdom (eye): Add 2 (eye) or 1 (slash) to a Wisdom challenge. Special rune: Add 2 to a Wisdom challenge, or add 0 and immediately draw one card.
- Charisma (crown): Add 2 (crown) or 1 (slash) to a Charisma challenge. Special rune: Add 2 to a Charisma challenge, or add 0 and immediately draw one card.
Allies
Allies are special cards in the Act I and Act II decks. When an Ally card is revealed from the Story deck, the active player tucks it under any available challenge. (Reveal another card to fill the empty slot on the table.) Allies can't be assigned to Traits. A challenge may hold only one Ally. If there is no valid challenge when an Ally is revealed, discard the Ally.
An Ally adds +1 difficulty to both paths of a challenge. When you overcome a challenge that holds an Ally, place the Ally face-up beside your Character tableau. It is now part of your Story. Some Allies have powers that allow you to spend Experience or sacrifice the ally to trigger beneficial effects. To sacrifice an Ally, turn it face-down.
Journey
Before gaining a trait or facing a challenge, once per turn you may take the optional journey action. To journey, spend an Experience token to discard one Story card on the table and replace it with another card from the same deck. If you discard a challenge that holds an Ally, the Ally is also discarded.
Ending Your Turn
Once you are out of actions to take, play passes to the next player in clockwise order. When passing your turn, end any card effects you played this turn. Replace any Story cards you took from the table during this turn.
Ending An Act
- When you have gained at least three trait or challenge cards, you must end your current Act. You may no longer gain traits or face challenges from that Act.
- All players may gain or attempt Story cards from any revealed Act, as long as they have not already completed that Act.
- At the start of your turn, if you are the first player to have three cards under your current Character card, reveal the next row of cards and move on to that Act.
Play Example: Ending Act I — During Act I, Adam acquired a trait, overcame two challenges, and gained two Allies. He is ready to move on! In Act II, cards he gains will be placed under his Motivation card, Trained by a Master. If Adam is the first player to complete Act I, he reveals four cards from Act II at the beginning of his next turn. Any player may then gain cards from Act II.
Story Icons
Some cards are marked with story icons. There are six types of story icons: Divinity, Justice, Arcana, Royalty, Villainy, and Radiant.
Collecting sets of matching story icons will provide Destiny points at the end of the game. A single icon alone is worth no points. Each set of story icons is scored in the same way, adding directly to your Destiny score at the end of the game:
- A pair of matching icons = 2
- Three matching icons = 4
- Four matching icons = 8 (and so on, doubling)
Radiant Icons
The Radiant icon is a special story icon. Like all story icons, collecting a set of these icons will add to your score at end of game (see above).
However, these icons also have the ability to unlock card abilities during the game. For example, the 10 Destinies associated with the Knights Radiant all give you a special power if you meet a certain threshold of Radiant icons (e.g. "if you have three Radiant icons").
Other cards give you temporary Radiant icons ("until end of turn") which allow you to meet these thresholds, but do not count toward your story icons at end of game.
Special Rules
When attempting a Radiant path, you may not use Dark runes. If an effect (such as Embrace the Thrill) would add a Dark rune to the challenge, ignore it.
As you begin Act III, if you have a Radiant Destiny card (one with a Radiant icon), reveal it.
Ending the Game
When one player has gained three cards under their Destiny card, their final Act is closed. All other players may take one final turn. If you are playing a Solo or Co-op game, each hero then has the chance to face Odium (see Facing Odium for how to end a Solo or Co-op game).
At end of game, reveal any unrevealed Destiny cards and calculate the final score:
- Gain any points from your Destiny card, based on the requirements you've met.
- Add up all Triumph and Tragedy points visible in your Story.
- Add the Triumph or Tragedy modifier from your final position on the Corruption track. (Corruption track points are not cumulative.)
- Add one point for every unspent Experience token you have.
- Every Hero card you played is worth 1 Triumph, and every Antihero card you played is worth 1 Tragedy, regardless of your position on the Corruption track.
- Add any points you have gained from story icons.
- In Solo and Co-op play, if everyone defeated Odium, all players add 9 Triumph and a Radiant icon to their final tally.
Victory is awarded to the player(s) with the highest Destiny score.
To conclude the game, each player has a chance to tell their story. Describe how your hero's Character and Story cards fit together… how they emerged from humble Origins, followed their Motivation, and achieved their Destiny. Whether or not you won the game, you've hopefully created a memorable character!
Play Example: End of Game — Adam's Destiny gives him 5 Triumph for ending the game with certain icons. He has another 14 Triumph visible on his Story and Ally cards. He adds 2 Tragedy for his final position on the Corruption Track, and 4 Destiny for his unspent Experience. His played Hero and Antihero cards are worth a total of 4 points. He also completed a set of story icons, adding another 8 Destiny. If he also helped defeat Odium (9 points), his final score would be 46!
Facing Odium: Solo and Co-op Play
You may play The Stormlight Archive as a purely competitive game, but it has been balanced to focus on cooperative play. In Multiplayer Co-op mode (or Solo if you are playing alone), you face an Adversary card: Odium, the godlike force of wrath responsible for unleashing war in Roshar. Working alone or with a team, it's up to you to hold him back!
Set Up
Co-op and Solo games follow the typical game set up, with the following exceptions:
- Set the Adversary: Place Odium on the table.
- Begin the Adversary Quest: Choose one Adversary Quest for this session, and place it on the table, face-up.
- Equip the Adversary: Set aside all Antihero cards marked at the bottom with an Odium icon. These form Odium's special deck; place it nearby.
- Set Odium's Power: Place Experience tokens on Odium: two for each player (e.g. place 5 tokens on Odium's card for a Solo game, 10 for 2-player Co-op, and so on).
Odium's Deck — Odium's special deck of Antihero cards includes: Broken Oath, Embrace the Thrill, Ravages of War, The Everstorm (x2), and Unmade Influence. At the end of each turn, discard any revealed card(s). When the special deck runs out of cards, shuffle them together and replenish the deck.
Solo/Co-op versus Competitive Play
For the most part, Solo and Co-op games are played the same as competitive play. During Acts I, II, and III, players take turn facing challenges and adding cards to their Story. Note that most Hero cards can be played on any hero, allowing your group to function as a team against Odium.
Some actions or events may trigger effects on the Adversary Quest, adding or removing Experience tokens from Odium. Your goal is to completely deplete Odium's tokens and defeat his challenge card. Regardless of how many tokens Odium has, the game ends with each player facing his challenge.
Facing Odium
You may not attempt the Adversary challenge until after your last turn. When any player begins their turn with nine Story cards, they must face Odium. Each other player then uses their next turn to face Odium. To face Odium:
- Choose two abilities and cast all your runes of that type.
- You may use Hero and Antihero cards (but not Dark runes, because attempting to defeat Odium is a Radiant path).
- If your result equals or exceeds Odium's difficulty, you succeed!
- For each success you achieve above his difficulty, Odium loses one Experience token. (For example, if his difficulty is 9 and a player's result is 12, remove three tokens.) Remove those tokens from the game.
The Adversary Quests
To ensure variety in your Solo/Co-op games, every Adversary Quest has different options. Each includes a way for Odium to gain more Experience tokens, and a way to make Odium lose tokens. Most include other effects that apply until end of game. For your first Solo/Co-op game, we recommend using Radiants United as your Adversary Quest.
Playing Odium's Cards
Whenever you cast the core rune stones and get a result of a dark triangle (Antihero):
- Draw a Hero or Antihero card for yourself, as usual.
- Reveal the top card of the Odium's special deck of Antihero cards.
- Before resolving your current attempt, immediately apply any effects from the revealed Odium card. Your Hero or Antihero cards, including the one you just drew, may be played in response to Odium's cards. Don't forget, other players can play their cards to help you!
- If a card's effect does not apply (such as Embrace the Thrill while facing a Radiant path), ignore it. At the end of the turn, discard any cards Odium played and end any effects from those cards.
Winning the Solo or Co-op Game
If Odium's challenge is defeated by every player who faces him (or just you if you are playing Solo), and if he has no tokens left at the end of the game, the heroes win! If any hero fails, Odium wins. Any player who faced Odium gets a Radiant icon and 9 for succeeding. In a Co-op game, the player with the highest Destiny score is the ultimate winner.
Rune Probability
Because Call to Adventure's rune system is so unique, it can be helpful to understand the probabilities involved. Here's a look at the minimum, average, and maximum values for common combinations of core runes plus Ability/Dark runes:
| Runes Cast | Minimum | Average | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Runes (CR) Only | 0 | 1.5 | 3 |
| CR + One Dark or Ability Rune | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| CR + Two Dark or Ability Runes | 2 | 4.5 | 7 |
| CR + Three Dark or Ability Runes | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| CR + Four Dark or Ability Runes | 4 | 7.5 | 11 |
| CR + Five Dark or Ability Runes | 5 | 9 | 13 |
Every Dark rune adds an average of 1.5 to your attempt, as do the first two runes in each ability. The special runes are less predictable, providing either a 0 or 2 (average of 1).
Glossary
Ability Rune: Your character's available ability runes are defined by the visible icons in your Story. When attempting a challenge on your turn, you have access to the rune stones that correspond to your ability icons. However, you may use no more than two types of runes that are relevant to that challenge. All players share all rune stones, taking turns using them. If a card effect would add runes that are not relevant to a challenge, those runes are not included in your attempt.
Act: Call to Adventure is split into three Acts. At the beginning of the game, reveal four Act I cards (or five, in a four-player game). If you have a Radiant Destiny, you may reveal it when you begin Act III.
Adversary: An Adversary is a special type of challenge with only one path. In Solo and Co-op play, you must overcome the Adversary to win. The Stormlight Archive focuses on a single Adversary: Odium.
Adversary Quest: There are four Adversary Quests. If playing a Solo or Co-op game, select one Adversary Quest to guide your game. Each Adversary Quest contains rules for defeating Odium.
Ally: Allies are special cards that are placed under Challenge cards to make them more difficult, but also more rewarding. When an Ally is revealed, the active player determines which available challenge will hold it. If an Ally card is revealed during game setup, the first player makes that choice.
Antihero Card: Whenever you gain a card with a dark triangle icon or cast a rune result of a dark triangle, draw an Antihero card. You may only play an Antihero card when your position on the Corruption track displays the Antihero symbol or the dual symbol.
Attempt: When attempting a challenge, announce which path you wish to take, then cast (roll) the relevant runes to see if you succeed at the challenge.
Challenge: Overcoming challenges is the primary way to advance in Call to Adventure. If you attempt a challenge and succeed, you may add its challenge card to your Story.
Character cards: There are three types of Character card — Origin, Motivation, and Destiny.
Co-op: A Co-op game is a multi-player game in which players work together to defeat Odium, the incarnation of hatred and wrath.
Corruption: Players begin the game at the third level of the Corruption track, with no Virtue or Corruption. Whenever an effect says "gain Virtue," move one level up the Corruption track. When a Dark rune shows a moon or an effect says "gain Corruption," move one level down the Corruption track. Your position on the Corruption track determines your ability to play Hero or Antihero cards, and may affect your score at the end of the game.
Difficulty: A challenge's difficulty represents the number of successes required to overcome that challenge. When a card effect gives a challenge +1 difficulty, that challenge will require one additional success to complete. If a card effect gives a hero +1, that means the opposite: they have one automatic success toward that challenge.
Hero: Your "hero" is the character that you are creating over the course of the game. Cards that refer to "any hero" mean any character, including your own.
Hero Card: Whenever you gain a card with a white triangle icon or cast a rune result of a white triangle, draw a Hero card. You may only play a Hero card when your position on the Corruption track displays the Hero symbol or the dual symbol.
Journey: Once per turn, the active player may "journey" by spending an Experience token to discard and replace one Story card in the current act.
Path: Every challenge card has two paths — one each on the top and bottom of the card. When attempting a challenge, you must declare which path you are attempting before casting the runes. If you succeed, place the card in your Story with that path showing. Traits and Adversaries have only one path. Allies, which are not tucked under Character cards, do not count as "paths."
Radiant: The Radiant icon is a special type of story icon. These icons are tied to many card abilities, and cards with Radiant icons will add to your Destiny score at the end of the game.
Re-attempt: When you "re-attempt" a challenge, you cast the runes again, keeping any effects from Hero cards, Antihero cards, or other abilities.
- If your first attempt included a result of a triangle or diamond, you gain that benefit immediately and keep it even if you re-attempt. If you get the same result on a re-attempt, you get that benefit an additional time!
- Ignore any Corruption gained from Dark runes during your first attempt.
- In a Co-op or Solo game, if the result of a re-attempt includes a dark triangle, reveal a new Antihero card for the Adversary.
- Until a re-attempt is resolved, the first attempt does not count as a success or failure.
Sacrifice: If a card says you may (or must) sacrifice an Ally, turn the Ally's card face-down. Its icons are no longer part of your story, though some cards (such as Mastermind and Truthwatcher) may interact with face-down Allies. Some Allies (such as Sister, Brother, Betrothed, or True Love) provide a benefit when sacrificed. You may gain this benefit even if you were forced to sacrifice the Ally. If a card does not explicitly say that you may sacrifice it (such as Child), it cannot be sacrificed unless you are forced to do so by another card's effect.
Solo: A Solo game is a single-player game that uses all the rules specified here for Solo and Co-op play. Of the four Adversary Quests, Radiants Unite and The True Desolation are compatible with Solo play. During a Solo game, you may choose not to use the Stoneward and Bondsmith Destiny cards.
Special Rune: Each rune set has a third, special rune, marked with three dots. Special runes must be cast when you gain your third icon in an ability, and not before.
Story: Your Story includes the tarot-sized cards in your character tableau: your Origin, Motivation, and (once revealed) your Destiny. It includes the visible paths from any Story cards you have gained (Traits and Challenges), along with any Ally cards you have gained. It does not include the Corruption track, or Hero and Antihero cards.
Story Icons: Sets of story icons are worth Destiny points at the end of the game.
Trait: Trait cards do not need to be attempted; you may add them to your Story without casting runes. Some cannot be gained unless you pay an Experience cost or meet a prerequisite, while others can be gained by anyone; these may give bonuses if their prerequisites are met.
FAQs
Am I allowed to have more than three rune icons in one ability? Yes. While you may only cast a maximum of three runes per ability, you may gain additional rune icons as part of your Character tableau. For example, if your Destiny is Willshaper, gaining a fourth Wisdom icon would help you earn an additional Triumph at the end of the game.
If I'm playing a Hero or Antihero card to help with a challenge, can I play it after the runes have been cast? If a Hero or Antihero card has timing restrictions, these will be specified on the card. This is what it means when a card specifies its timing:
- If a card says to play it "before any hero attempts" a challenge, it must be played on any hero's turn (including your own), before runes are cast.
- Some cards say to play them "as any hero attempts" a challenge. These cards can modify an attempt after the runes are cast, but before the attempt is resolved.
- If timing is not specified, you may play the card at any time. This applies to several cards in this set: Say the Words, Embrace the Thrill, Honorblade, Take Shelter, Voidlight, Stormlight, and Chasm Duty.
If I get a card-draw result during a challenge, when do I draw the Hero or Antihero card? You may draw it immediately. You cannot use the card if it says you must "play this before you attempt a challenge" or if it gives you a bonus to "your next challenge." But some cards, like Say the Words or Embrace the Thrill, do not have those restrictions and can be played before the challenge is resolved.
What happens if I gain more than three Corruption? You cannot gain more than four Corruption. If you reach this point, you cannot cast Dark runes (unless an Antihero card specifically allows you to do so). If you are able to remove Corruption (by gaining Virtue), you move back up.
If another player has revealed Act II cards but I have fewer than three cards under my Origin (Act I), can I try to gain Act II cards? Yes. As soon as any cards are revealed, all players may access them. For example, if you manage to overcome an Act II challenge when you have two cards under your Origin, you would tuck that Act II challenge under your Origin. However, you can only move forward: a player who has three cards under their Origin cannot place an Act I card under their Motivation (which is associated with Act II).
When you have a bonus to face a specific path, is that a bonus to both paths of a challenge? No. Some cards (like Healer, Parshendi, and Peasant) give a bonus or penalty to specific paths. They may only apply that bonus if they take that specific path (e.g. a Peasant attempting a path that awards a Virtue icon).
How do Lighteyes, Darkeyes, and The Nightwatcher work? This set includes three cards that can provide a one-time bonus to a challenge attempt on your next turn. Lighteyes, Darkeyes, and Nightwatcher's Boon are added to your Story like other traits, but you can leave them fully revealed until your next turn as a reminder to apply the bonus. If the bonus is not used on your next turn, it is lost.
In Co-op mode, can players reveal their Destinies to each other? Your Destiny card should stay secret until all players have chosen their three Character cards, and it should remain face-down until it is revealed (at the beginning of Act III or from another card effect), so you can remember that it is not yet active. You are free to tell other players about your Destiny in order to coordinate with the team (e.g., "I'm a Skybreaker, so try to leave that Justice path for me to attempt"). In a Co-op game using the Contest of Champions Adversary Quest, a Champion of Odium or Mastermind might want to bluff about their Destiny during the first two Acts!
In Co-op, when do Antihero cards revealed from Odium's deck take effect? When a dark triangle result reveals a card from Odium's deck, it takes effect while a hero attempts a challenge. Players may respond with any number of card effects (such as using Take Shelter to ignore The Everstorm). Cards from Odium's deck are played even if they have no effect (such as Ravages of War, when a hero has no Allies). In rare cases, they might even help the heroes!
What does it mean if an effect happens "whenever a hero gains Corruption"? Some Adversary quests cause Odium to gain tokens when a hero moves down the Corruption track. This ability is not triggered by effects in place at the beginning of the game (Haunted Past or Redemption Seeker). This effect can be triggered more than once per turn, such as when multiple Dark runes produce a Corruption result.
What does it mean if an effect happens "whenever a Radiant icon is added to a hero's Story"? Some Adversary Quests cause Odium to lose tokens when a hero adds a new Radiant icon to their Story. This effect is triggered by gaining any Challenge, Trait, or Ally that includes a Radiant icon. It is not triggered by revealing a Radiant Destiny, or by cards like Stormlight that give a hero temporary ("until end of turn") Radiant icons.
Can I play Hero and Antihero cards on myself? Yes. Hero and Antihero cards that specify "any hero" can target your hero. While many Antihero cards are designed to hinder an opponent, some can provide benefits when played on your turn. Unmade Influence gives you a bonus, as long as you don't mind taking a darker path. Act of Wrath restricts your path choices, but gives you a bonus. Stubborn Obstacle gives you a benefit, at the cost of making a challenge slightly harder.
How does it work to pledge loyalty to Odium in the Contest of Champions? In this Adversary Quest, you can choose to side with Odium. This must be declared as you begin Act III. You immediately take tokens from Odium, adding that amount to your hero. At the end of the game, you do not face Odium. All other heroes face Odium as normal, and they win if they all defeat him. If any hero fails, or if Odium has any tokens at end of game, you win. If there are multiple Odium loyalists, the loyalist with the highest Destiny wins.
What is the difference between competitive, Co-op, and Solo play? Competitive mode pits players against one another to earn the highest Destiny score. To play competitively, follow all the game rules through Ending the Game. Do not use the Stoneward card in a competitive game. Cooperative multiplayer (Co-op mode) adds the rules for facing Odium. The player with the highest Destiny score still gets bragging rights, but your primary goal is defeating Odium! Finally, Solo mode is a single-player experience that focuses on defeating Odium, without other opponents. Do not use Bondsmith or Stoneward in a Solo game.
Expanding Your Adventure
While The Stormlight Archive is designed to deliver a great standalone experience, it can also be combined with the original Call to Adventure to give you even more variety! For an optimal experience, the publisher recommends adding a selected set of Origin, Motivation, Destiny, Act I, Act II, Act III, Hero, and Antihero cards from the core game. These cards have been chosen to stay true to The Stormlight Archive while adding variety to your game. Be aware that Radiant paths will be less common when you combine sets, making Odium more challenging to defeat.
Co-op Mode When Playing with the Base Game — The special rules for facing Odium (see Facing Odium) supersede the Solo and Co-op rules in the original Call to Adventure core set. If you play with combined sets, keep in mind that any Hero or Antihero card that targets "you" can be used to target any hero.
Game Components
- 34 Character Cards (12 Origin, 10 Motivation, 12 Destiny)
- 72 Story Cards (27 Act I, 25 Act II, 20 Act III)
- 48 Hero & Antihero Cards (24 Hero, 24 Antihero)
- 5 Adversary Cards
- 4 Player Boards with 4 Hero Markers
- 24 Rune Stones (3 Strength, 3 Dexterity, 3 Constitution, 3 Intelligence, 3 Wisdom, 3 Charisma; 3 Core Runes, 3 Dark Runes)
- 60 Experience Tokens
Quick Start Guide
Object of the Game
Acquire traits and overcome challenges to build the hero with the greatest Destiny!
Set Up
Shuffle all decks, then:
- Deal each player 2 Origin, 2 Motivation, and 2 Destiny cards, plus 1 Hero card and three Experience tokens.
- Reveal each hero's chosen Origin and Motivation, leaving their Destiny hidden.
- Prepare the Story decks.
The player who most recently finished reading a novel goes first. Play proceeds clockwise around the table.
On Your Turn
Every turn, you may gain a trait OR attempt a challenge.
- Gain a trait.
- Attempt a challenge by casting the runes. Always use the core runes, then add any relevant ability runes you have. You may add a Dark rune for each Experience token you pay, except when facing a Radiant path.
During your turn, you may also:
- Journey: Pay to discard and replace one Story card on the table.
- Play Hero or Antihero cards.
- Activate any abilities available to you from Character cards or Allies.
Casting the Runes
When you have a rune icon in your Story, you can cast that kind of rune when attempting challenges of that type. The six abilities are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
Ending An Act
When you have three Story cards under one of your Character cards, you have ended that Act. At the start of your next turn, if you are the first player to have ended an Act, reveal the next row of cards.
Ending The Game
When any player has three cards under their Destiny card, each other player takes one final turn. If you are playing Co-op, the heroes then face Odium. If Odium is defeated, reveal Destinies and add up each player's score to determine a winner!