Studies in Sorcery Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Overview
• Contents
• Game Setup
• Player Setup
• First Time Playing?
• Projects
• Materials
• Game Objective
• Gameplay
• I. Action Step
  • A) Cram
  • B) Project Action
  • C) Dig
  • D) Buy
• II. Commit Step
  • Project Example
• III. Complete Project Step
  • Credit and Demerit Tokens
• Advance the Moon
• End of Month
  • Update the Market
• End of Game
• Studies in Sorcery: Staff of the Sorcerer
  • Expansion Overview
  • Components
  • Player Setup
  • Gameplay
• Appendix: Projects
• Extra Chapter
  • FAQ
  • Divination
• Solo Mode
  • Solo Difficulty Levels
  • No Robot Solo Variant
  • Solo Mission Mode
  • Solo Mission Mode: Hard
• Mission Mode
  • Mission List
  • Mission Tracking and Optional Scoring

Game Overview

In Studies in Sorcery, you will gather materials which will be used to either buy new projects or complete your current projects. Once completed, the projects will give you either instant or ongoing benefits in addition to credits towards your degree.

Contents

• 58 Project cards
• 15 Thesis cards
• 24 Stock Material cards
• 70 Grave cards
• 4 Research Grant cards
• 2 Moon Track cards
• 4 Turn Reference cards
• Term Track card
• First in Class card
• Solo Rules card
• Materials Reference card
• Credit and Demerit tokens
• 2 Moon tokens
• First Player Marker

Game Setup

1. Place the 2 moon track cards next to each other (1-2 on the left, 3-4 on the right) in the middle of the table, with the semester track to the right.
2. Add a moon token to the 1 spot of the semester track and another to the action icon (feather) under the 1 spot of the left moon track.
3. Remove all project cards that are not for the current player count. Player-count is shown on the right side of the back of the projects.
4. Shuffle the 100-level projects and place them above the left moon track.
5. Shuffle the 200-level projects and place them above the right moon track.
6. Shuffle the 300-level projects and place them above the semester track.
7. Deal out a 3x2 project market using two cards from the 100-level deck in the 1st column, two cards from the 100-level deck in the 2nd column, and two cards from the 200-level deck in the 3rd column (a reminder of this layout for each month is shown on the semester track).
8. Place the Candle and Vial Stock Material cards in separate stacks next to the project market.
9. Shuffle the grave cards to create a face-down grave deck, leaving room for a discard pile. Then deal out a row of three stacks of two Grave cards each.
10. Form a supply of credit tokens near the market.

Player Setup

1. Give each player a Research Grant card, Turn Reference card, and two random Thesis cards. Each player looks at their Thesis cards and chooses one of them to work on, keeping it face-down in front of them and returning the other to the box.
2. Deal two cards from the 100-level project deck to each player. Each player keeps one project face-up in front of them and returns the other to the bottom of the 100-level project deck.
3. Place the Materials Reference card in front of the player that cares about math the most.
4. Give the first player token to whoever most recently attended school.

First Time Playing?

You can remove the Thesis cards with 7 credits to provide an easier experience or skip the thesis cards entirely.

Projects

You'll complete projects to earn credits, and some of them will even reward you with powerful ongoing abilities to help you complete other projects. In the top left of the card you'll see the materials needed to complete it (in the case below, a vial and two mushrooms). In the bottom left you'll see its cost to buy. The bookmark shows the department and level of the project. On the right hand side of the card you'll see the ability you'll earn once completed, if any, as well as its point value in credits.

Once you complete a project, flip the project over. This will remind you of the ability you now have, if any, as well as the credits you earned.

The project card shows: Project Name, Department and Level, Required Materials, Project Ability, Project Specifics, Cost to Buy, and Credits for Completion (Project Front). The Project Back shows the completed ability reminder, the credits earned, and the Player Count for which the project is used.

Materials

Material cards are used to complete projects. Each material card has one or more icons (top left) that can be matched up with projects and a trade value in the bottom left.

There are two types of materials:

• Grave cards are gained primarily through the dig action.
• Stock cards are purchased from the market with the buy action.

A Grave Card shows its Material Type and Trade Value. A Stock Card shows the same: Material Type and Trade Value.

Game Objective

Over the course of the semester you will acquire materials used to complete projects and satisfy your thesis. You will earn credits based on the projects you are able to complete in time. On your turn, you will search for materials, buy new projects, perform unique actions based on your completed projects, and you can even cram when necessary.

Gameplay

Studies in Sorcery is played over a 4-month semester, with each month having 4 weeks for a total of 16 weeks. Each week consists of three steps: Actions, Commit, and Complete Projects.

I. Action Step

The first player begins, and then play proceeds clockwise around the table. On your turn you must take one of the following actions:

• Cram
• Project Action
• Dig
• Buy

A) Cram

You may commit up to two materials to your projects (See the Commit Step on page 8). Complete any projects that have all required materials committed.

B) Project Action

You may use an action from one of your completed projects. Those projects will have the Action Icon (feather) followed by the action you can perform.

C) Dig

Digging lets you acquire new materials. Start by privately looking at all cards in the first grave pile, which is the left-most pile.

Take the Pile

You may choose to take all of the cards in this pile into your hand. If you do, replace the (now empty) grave pile with a face-down card from the grave deck. You are then done digging.

Keep Looking

Instead of taking a pile, you may look at the next pile in the row. If you do, add a card face-down from the grave deck to the pile you left behind. Otherwise, move on to the next pile.

After looking at all three piles, if you chose not to take any of them, you may instead do one of the following:

• Take the top card of the grave deck.
• Take a Candle or Vial Stock Material card from the market (for free).

If at any point a player needs to draw a card and the grave deck is empty, shuffle the discard pile of grave cards and use those cards to create a new face-down grave deck.

D) Buy

You may buy new projects to work on, as well as stock materials (that cannot be found in grave piles) from the Market.

To buy cards, you must discard material cards from your hand with a total value at least as high as the total price of the cards you wish to buy.

Place any bought projects face-up in front of you, and any bought stock materials (Candles or Vials) into your hand. Then restock the market by replacing any bought projects with new projects from the same level.

If the appropriate project deck is empty, use the next lowest level (e.g. if there are no 200-level projects use a 100-level project).

There is no limit on the number of projects you may have in front of you.

Research Grants are returned to the box after being used to buy from the Market.

Buy Example

A Ring material card worth $5 is discarded. The Spectral Sight project (a Sorcery I project requiring a Candle and Hand, worth 2 credits, ability: Look through all grave piles and take any 3 cards, deal 1 card to each pile) is bought, along with a Candles stock card. Together they are worth 2 + 2 = $4, so the player loses $1 (the discarded $5 Ring pays for the $4 purchase with $1 of change lost).

II. Commit Step

After everyone has taken their action, you now commit materials to projects. This step can be done by all players simultaneously.

To commit a material card to a project, place it under the card so that the material's icon is showing. You may commit up to two cards total across all of your projects during this step.

• You may commit multiple cards to the same project or spread them across multiple projects.
• You may not commit a card to a project if there is no matching icon on the project card, or if that icon has already been fulfilled.
• Material cards with multiple icons only count for one of their icons (you may decide which one).
• Some cards (e.g. Reanimate) let you commit additional materials.
• Some cards (e.g. Alchemy) have special rules for committing.

Once everyone has completed their Commit step, move on to the next step.

Project Example

The card on the right is a 200-level Reanimation project. It can be purchased from the market for $2. To complete it requires a total of 5 materials: Candle, Skull, Rib Cage, and 2 Limbs. When completed the card will be worth 4 credits and will give that player the ability to commit an additional card during the commit step.

The Grave card on the left would count towards one of the two needed Limb materials and as one of the five needed materials.

III. Complete Project Step

If a project has materials committed to it that match the number and type needed to complete it, flip it over. Check all grave cards that were committed to the project for extra credits or demerits (see below), then place all grave cards into the grave discard pile and return any stock materials to the supply.

Once a project is complete, you gain its ongoing abilities, if any, as well as the credits shown in the corner and any On Complete effects.

On Complete effects have this icon: checkmark.

Credit and Demerit Tokens

Some grave cards will assign credit modifier tokens (extra credits or demerits) to your projects. These tokens modify the point value of the project when it is completed (either +1 or -1) if you used the card for the material with the +1 or -1 beside it.

If you use the card for an icon without the +1 or -1, you do not get the modifier token.

For example, a "Mismatched Bone" grave card ($1) adds a demerit token (-1) to the project if used for its Skull, Rib Cage, or Hand materials, but does not add a token to the project if used for its Bone (Limb) material.

Advance the Moon

After everyone has completed these steps, move the moon token to the next phase of the moon.

When the moon token would move off the end of the track (after the 4th week which is the New Moon) it is the end of the month.

End of Month

When a month is over, do the following:

1. Pass the first player token clockwise.
2. Reset the moon token to the action icon (feather) under the 1 spot of the moon track.
3. Advance the moon token to the next Month on the semester track.
4. Add one card from the grave deck to each grave pile.
5. Update the market.

Update the Market

At the end of each month (except the last, when the game is over) update the market with new cards as follows:

1. Return all projects in the leftmost column to the bottom of their respective decks.
2. Shift all the cards in the middle and rightmost columns one space to the left.
3. Deal cards into the (now empty) rightmost column of the market according to the current position of the semester token.
   • Month 2: 200-level projects
   • Month 3: 300-level projects
   • Month 4: 300-level projects

At the end of the fourth month, the game is over.

End of Game

It's time to total up your credits and see who will earn the title of Valedictorian of the Dark Arts!

• First, look at your thesis card. If you meet the criteria listed, flip it face-up: you earn the credits shown on the card.
• Next, add all the credits earned from your completed projects.
• Finally, every $8 worth of unused materials counts for 1 credit (as a Physical Education elective).
• Extra credit and demerit tokens on incomplete projects are not counted.

If there is a tie, whoever has the largest total of values on grave cards in their hand is the winner. If there is still a tie, the player who howls at the moon with the most werewolf authenticity is the winner. (This is voted on by all other players and any neighbors that hear the howl.)

Studies in Sorcery: Staff of the Sorcerer

A mini-expansion for Studies in Sorcery. Find out more here: http://weirdgiraffegames.com/studies/staff

Expansion Overview

This mini-expansion to Studies in Sorcery introduces the new Staff card type, representing the powerful implements that sorcerers have at their disposal. During setup you'll choose a staff to use throughout the game. This staff will give you a special power which you can use once per month.

Staff cards can be used with all current and future expansions.

Components

12 Staff Cards

Player Setup

This expansion adds one more step to the Player Setup portion of setup:

5. Deal two staff cards to each player. Each player looks at these cards, chooses one to place in front of them and returns the other to the box.

Gameplay

You can use your staff in any step of your turn: Action, Commit, or Complete. When used, follow the instructions on the staff card, and then flip it face-down to show that it has been used.

At the end of the month, after updating the market, everyone flips their staff card face-up so it can be used during the next month.

Appendix: Projects

Lunar Sorcery

Some projects have abilities on them that are accompanied by a phase of the moon. Those abilities can only be used when the moon token is on the matching phase.

Alchemy

Alchemy projects usually have to be worked on gradually. The first time you commit a material each turn there is no negative effect. However, if you commit an additional material in the same commit phase or cram action you must add a demerit token to the project card.

Reanimation

Reanimation projects, if they have an effect, usually help in completing other projects. Sometimes these projects are just to see if it can be done and get the credits, they're not actually useful otherwise.

Electives

There are a few elective projects you can take to get a taste of future Departments! These include Divination, Artificery, and Numerology.

Extra Chapter

This book contains the FAQ, solo mode, and more.

FAQ

Q: If I use a "Crawling Claw" to complete an Alchemy project does that add a demerit (-1) token?

A: No. Since the project is completed in place without requiring you to commit a material, it does not trigger the penalty on the Alchemy project.

Q: If I have a extra credit (+1) point token and demerit (-1) point token on the same project do they cancel out?

A: The tokens remain on the project as there are cards that may manipulate specific token types (e.g. Cleansing Cauldron).

Divination

Studies in Sorcery: Divination adds in the Divination project cards. The school of Divination has several major themes:

• Place watchful Fate tokens (included in the base game) to prophesy your opponent's action and be rewarded for successful predictions
• Manipulate perception, placing extra credit tokens and turning demerits into a positive.
• Increase knowledge of hidden information which you can use against your opponents.
• Be rewarded for surrendering yourself to fate and pushing your luck.

You can find out more information on Studies in Sorcery: Divination here: http://weirdgiraffegames.com/studies/divination

Solo Mode

The solo game is played as usual, but with a few minor exceptions:

• Remove the following projects: 100 level (Minor Rift), 200 level (Dark Premonition, Ghostly Grifter), and 300 level (Bottled Brilliance).
• When taking the Buy Action, you may spend $1 to remove two projects from the Market. Place them at the bottom of their decks and replace the projects. You may buy the new projects, if you wish. You may also spend $1 to remove two projects as many times as you would like.
• Add the top 10 grave cards from the deck to the discard during setup. At the end of the month, add the top 5 grave cards to the discard.
• At the end of your turn you must draw one card from the grave deck and perform the following action based on the top icon on that grave card:

Icon	Action
-1	Add the left grave pile to the Robot's Materials. Add 1 grave card from the deck to the left pile.
Mushroom / S (Skull)	Add the pile with the most cards in it (the leftmost pile if tied) to the Robot's Materials. Add 1 grave card from the deck to it and each other pile to its left.
Ring	Add the middle grave pile to the Robot's Materials. Add 1 grave card from the deck to the left and middle piles.
Hand	Put the top row of projects on the bottom of their project decks, and replace with the top cards from those decks.
Rib Cage	Add the right grave pile to the Robot's Materials. Add 1 grave card from the deck to each pile.
Skull	Put the bottom row of projects on the bottom of their project decks, and replace with the top cards from those decks.

After performing the card's action, add the revealed grave card to the Robot's materials.

At the end of the game, calculate your score as normal. The Robot's score is the sum of the trade value of all the grave cards divided by 2 and rounded up. If you have more credits than the Robot, you win!

Solo Difficulty Levels

The difficulty level of the solo game can be changed according to this table:

Difficulty	Changes
Easy	Instead of adding the revealed card to the Robot's pile, add it to the discard.
Medium	No changes to normal solo gameplay.
Hard	Every time the Robot takes a grave pile that is only one card, it also takes 3 extra credit tokens (tokens with +1). Each token adds a point to the Robot's score.
Extra Hard	Give the Robot an extra credit token (token with +1) every time it clears cards from the market. Each token adds a point to the Robot's score.

No Robot Solo Variant

Instead of adding the grave piles into the robot's area, simply discard them. At the end of the game, use the following chart to get your score:

Grade	Final Score
A+	40+
A	32-39
B	26-31
C	16-25
D	9-15
F	0-8

Solo Mission Mode

The Solo Mission Mode requires the player to beat a certain score AND meet a mission requirement. The player must do both to move on to the next mission.

The Robot still takes grave piles, but the player does not need to calculate the Robot's score to compare against.

Solo Mission Mode: Hard

In the Hard version of the Solo Missions, the player must also beat the Robot's score to move on to the next mission.

Mission Mode

Instead of playing one game of Studies in Sorcery, players can play a series of games to try to meet certain criteria. Each mission has a specific criteria that is based on the projects players complete or the materials that players use. You do not use the Thesis cards in Mission Mode.

After each game, any player who completed the mission moves on to the next mission and any player that did not complete their mission stays on that mission and tries to beat it again in the next game.

Mission List

1. Complete 9 projects and score 20+ credits.
2. Complete 6 projects in the same department and score 21+ credits.
3. Complete two of the same project and score 22+ credits.
4. Complete 5 Alchemy Projects and score 23+ credits.
5. Complete a Sorcery Project with each moon phase and score 24+ credits.
6. Complete three projects with the same moon phase and score 25+ credits.
7. Complete 6 projects that need Mushroom or Skull and score 26+ credits.
8. Complete 5 projects that need Ring and score 27+ credits.
9. Complete 6 Sorcery Projects and score 28+ credits.
10. Complete 4 projects with no effects and score 30+ credits.

Mission Tracking and Optional Scoring

A Mission Campaign sheet is available to keep track of the mission each player is on and end game scores. At the end of each game, players fill out the Mission Campaign sheet and can track additional scores and information there.

The Mission Campaign sheet can be downloaded here: http://weirdgiraffegames.com/studies/mission.pdf