Illusio
Illusio Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Equipment
32 Objectives cards, 64 Components cards, 26 Special actions cards, 10 Magicians cards and this manual.
You will also need some paper and pencil to write down everyone's score.
Game purpose
1896: As the pioneers of magic compete against each other to amaze the public, the most spectacular magic show of all time will soon happen and YOU want to win it! To achieve that, you'll portray one of the ten magicians in competition and challenge your competitors with prestigious tricks.
Main rules: objectives and components
Each player portrays a magician who dares to win the show by obtaining the highest prestige (symbolized by prestige points). You get that by achieving more or less complicated Objectives selected among four magic domains (Close-up, Illusion, Evasion, Mentalism). Each domain is easily recognizable thanks to specific colors.
In order to set up his tricks, each magician will get several items called Components belonging to the following groups and types:
- Accessories (Scarf, Rope, Cards and Blades), Animals (Rabbit, Dove and Tiger), Tricks (Curtain, Mirrors and Smoke), Boxes (Case, Cage and Reservoir), Audience and Formulas.
Depending on the targeted trick, the magician will need different numbers and types of these Components.
Necessary Components are indicated on the Objective cards.
Diagram labels: "Exact type of Component" (for example, the Blades icon on a Component card) and "Group of Component" (for example, the Animal icon on a Component card). A Close-up Objective card (Galloping Halves) shows the required Components as icons along its top, sides and bottom edge.
There are 4 values corresponding to 4 levels of Objective cards (see also the 'Displaying and scoring magic tricks' chapter).
- Evasion, "The Chinese Links": Level 1 = 1 Point
- Close-up, "The Hare and the Fortune": Level 2 = 2 Points
- Illusion, "One and a Half": Level 3 = 3 Points
- Mentalism, "Voices in Silence": Level 4 = 4 Points
Game setup
- First player's selection
Each player draws a card among the deck of Objective cards and the one who's got the highest level starts. In case of a tie, even players draw another card until the tie is broken. The cards are then shuffled back into the deck.
- Characters
Each player portrays a character selected at random from the Magician cards. Each Magician has a specific talent that may be exercised for free (on himself or on another player) once per round. These talents are described on each card.
- Decks
Two decks, face down are made: Objective cards on one part, and Special actions + Components cards (shuffled together) on the other. When you run out of cards from one of the decks, shuffle the discard pile and place it face down to form a new deck.
- The « Contest »
Four Objective cards are then revealed in the center of the table in a common slot called the Contest. There can not be more or less than four cards in the contest: when you take one Objective card from the contest, you have to replace it by another one from the deck. Players can capture one Objective card from the Contest once they own at least half of the Components required to achieve it. One player can not own more than two Objective cards waiting to be realized.
Setup diagram: the Objectives deck; the four cards of the Contest in the centre; the Components/Special Actions deck; and seating positions for up to 6 players around the table.
5/ Card distribution
At the beginning of the game, each player draws four cards (not to be shown to anyone) from the Components/Special actions cards deck, to set up his starting hand.
Turn sequence
Start
A player starts his turn by drawing one or more Components/Special actions cards as follows:
- If he has less than 4 cards in his hand, he draws as many cards as necessary to obtain 5 cards.
- If he has 4 or more cards in his hand, he only draws one.
A player may never have more than 8 cards in his hand at the end of his turn.
Actions
After drawing his cards, the player can select up to two actions from the list below: (the same action may be played twice):
- A: He can place one Component card in front of him in order to prepare a magic trick. Such cards are called the Backstage.
- B: He can play one Special action card.
- C: He can exchange one or more of his cards with an equal number of cards from the Components/Special actions Deck.
- D: He can take one of the contest Objective cards (which, then, goes 'under realization') by placing around it at least half (rounded up) of the necessary Components from his Backstage. Once this is done, these Components may not be transformed anymore (neither by magic nor by a card).
- E: He can place a Component directly from his hand or his Backstage around an Objective under realization.
- F: He can discard one of his Objectives currently under realization to return its Components to his Backstage (they may be transformed again).
Remember that using the talent of your character does not cost any action but can only be used once per round.
Diagram labels: "Magic trick on display" (a Mentalism trick with a Special action card "Deja vu" played on it); "Magic trick under realization" (an Illusion Objective, "The floating body", with Components placed around it); "Backstage" (the Components placed in front of the player); the discard action F is shown with a trash-can icon "= F".
Displaying and scoring magic tricks
A magic trick is displayed (without counting as an action) when you have all of the required Components placed around it. One then announces « I'm displaying [name of the trick]! ». As a second action, the player may play a Special action card on his trick. The trick remains displayed for one round (which means from the end of the player's turn to the beginning of his next turn), during which other players may act on it (thanks to Special action cards). Once the round is over, the player discards the Components that were used to realize the trick, keeps his Objective card (placing it to the side) for determining bonus points for magic domain specialization (see below) and write down his points.
Basic scoring
A successfully displayed magic trick pays, at a minimum, as many Prestige points as the level of the Objective card (level 1 = 1 point, level 2 = 2 points, etc.). Two kinds of bonuses may be added to this basic scoring.
Accuracy bonus
When a trick states a specific type of Component as prerequisite, it can also be performed with any Component from the same Component Group. For example a trick in which you need a rabbit can be performed with any animal. However, if the exact required type is used, the trick is performed perfectly. In that case the magician gets a bonus of 1 additional prestige point for each exact component used. This bonus doesn't apply to Audience and Formula (as these groups have no types).
Diagram labels: "No bonus" and "1 bonus point", shown over the two example Components placed around the Mentalism trick "The Tiger's Choice" (Smoke and Tiger cards); the printed diagram carries no further caption.
Specialization bonus
Once a player has decided to specialize in the same magic domain, he acquires bonus points in the following way: 1 bonus point per new Objective of the same magic domain successfully displayed.
You may specialize in different domains, each paying its own bonus point. For example, 5 Mentalism tricks will pay 4 bonus points, whereas 2 Mentalism + 3 Illusion tricks, will only pay 3 bonus points (1+2).
Diagram labels: "1 bonus point" (per new domain specialization, shown as Evasion, Close-up and Evasion Objectives stacked); "Player's magician" (the Gemelos card).
Winning
The game ends when one of the players reaches a minimum of 12 Prestige points. That goal may be modified if you decide to shorten or extend the game.
Description of Special actions cards
Transform
Can only be played on yourself. Transforms any Component from your Backstage into another one (doesn't work on the components of an Objective under realization).
Use wisely as you can't remove this card!
NOTE: If a player forgets what a card has been transformed into (by the Transform card or a magician's talent), the 'illusion' vanishes (Transform card is discarded) and the transformed component becomes what is on the card again.
Take
Allows you to randomly take one card from one of your opponent's hands. This card goes into your hand.
Encore
Allows you to extend the displaying of a magic trick by an additional round. Encore cards are not cumulatives if played during the same validation round.
Immediate success
The trick is immediately validated, even if there is an Encore on it (earned points - including bonuses and/or maluses, discarded Components, and Objective card kept as a magic domain token).
Deja vu
Can only be played on a magic trick already on display. The trick pays 1 less Prestige point.
Grand
Can only be played on a magic trick already on display. The trick pays 2 additional Prestige points.
Hints & tips
Several things are done pretty discreetly in ILLUSIO which makes it a "sudden death" game as some events may seem to be real surprises for the novice or inattentive player. Here are some things to be aware of:
Magician's talents
It may be easy to forget to pay attention to the opponent's magician's talents. This is probably the worst mistake as these talents may drastically change the course of the game. Be sure to be attentive to the magician's talents when playing a card on the table or before playing an action as it may be turn against you in the end.
Bonus
You may not pay enough attention to the fact that a player has already performed a magic trick of a specific domain. The specialization bonus may give a player one or more points when successfully displaying a trick. In the same manner the precision bonus may give a player 2 or even 3 more points when executing a magic trick!
Keeping track of points
As the various bonus and Special actions cards may greatly change the reward of a successful magic trick, you should carefully keep track of how many points have been earned by other players. Keep in mind that a level 1 trick with a Deja vu on it won't pay anything whereas a level 4 trick with 3 good components and a Grand card on it may pay up to 9 points!
Juggling with cards
Some of the Special actions cards may appear as attacks when played on you. For instance, an Encore will extend the validation process by a round, but remember that you can use this extra round to play bonus cards on your magic trick. On the other hand, playing an Immediate success, while preventing you from opponent's attacks, will also forbid the use of bonus cards...
Choose wisely between "time and money"
ILLUSIO is a fast game. As it can be a "sudden death" game you should always think of what is the best thing for you to do at a given time. Sometimes waiting for the right card may give you a better chance for victory but, most of the time, you shouldn't hesitate to throw away cards you can't use right away or at least to play something (even playing an apparently useless card in your backstage) as your luck can change quickly during a game session. Remember: this is a struggle for success and everyone will race to win!
The "second action card" dilemma
Most of the Special actions cards can only be played as a second action. For instance, playing a Grand card after completing a magic trick to put it on display may only be played as a second action (because of the validation of the displayed trick occuring at the very beginning of your next turn), playing a Special actions card against an opponent will eliminate one of your actions you can play on yourself. You will often have to calculate the most advantageous moment and way to play the Special actions cards. A few false moves may be enough to lose the game.
Bluffing and covering tracks
As your opponent's magicians have special talents that might allow them to foil your strategy (by changing, stealing or doing other nasty things to the cards in your backstage), it might be useful to hide your strategy in the middle of apparently useless cards. Also consider the fact that playing a card directly on a magic trick under realization will avoid it being altered by a magician's talent. There might be an easier way to do things but the most important part is to trust no one...