The Restless Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• The Game
• Setting up the Game
• The Decks
  • Characters
  • Starter Items
  • Rest Cards
  • Realms
  • Status Effects
  • Encounters
  • Loot
  • Treasure
  • Types of Items
  • Items, continued
  • Counters
  • Traitor Gods
• Targets
• Combat
• Taking a Turn
• The Final Battle
• Minutiae

The Game

Do not let these rules intimidate you. I designed this game so that both new and experienced players could enjoy it together. After the first few hands, everything will make sense.

No rule book can cover every possible situation of a game. If you are confused, try for a reasonable solution that maintains the mood and challenge of the game. If you have a specific question, check the Minutiae section for a more comprehensive online rulebook, as well as rules for integrating The Tarot Restless.

Setting up the Game

As a party:

• Draw 6 Character cards. Of them, choose 4 to create your party, with each player controlling 1 Character. If there are fewer than 4 players, a player may control more than 1 Character. Return the unused Character cards to the deck.
• Give each Character a supply of Counters equal to their Health points. Use these to track your Health. Tip: Don't discard them when losing Health, just put them aside so you can keep track of your total Max Health.
• Draw 6 Starter Item cards and pick which 4 should be kept. These can be given to any Character and Characters can have more than 1 Starter Item.
• Draw 3 Rest cards and place them face-down on the table.
• Gain 5 shared Reroll Counters.
• Draw a Realm 1 card and read it aloud.
• Place 4 Encounter cards face-down in a row in the middle of the table. The first Encounter of the game is a , so add 2 on top of it.

The Decks

Characters

Each player controls a Character. Across the middle of the card, Characters have Unarmed Attack Power, Inventory Size / Max Weight, Health. Below that, Special Text, a Death Effect, and a Trait.

Any Character can use any item in the game, but cards with Trait Tags that match the Character's trait offer extra uses. Cards with global effects like Encounters, Realms, or Traitor Gods only need the Trait on a Character in the party to be activated. These effects do not stack, e.g. having two Herbalists does not trigger a card with an Herbalist tag twice.

When a Character dies, their Death Effect becomes active until they are replaced by a new Character. New Characters may join the party at the end of the Realm or when a Rest card is played.

Note: Increasing Max Health just increases the available maximum, it does not confer healing.

Starter Items

Starter Items are basic items that Characters acquire at the beginning of the game. These include Weapons, Spells, Equipment, and Consumables.

This is a cooperative game, so all held cards are revealed to all other players at all times.

Rest Cards

The party receives 3 Rest cards at the start of the game and cannot gain more by any means. Keep them face down. Rest cards may be played after defeating a Target or at a Non-Combat Encounter. Decide as a party when to use them. When playing a Rest card, all players with dead Characters may draw a new Character and re-enter the party. The party also gains 3 Reroll Counters and, while Resting, Characters may spend Reroll Counters to restore 2 Health to any Character.

While Resting, players can:

• Use unlimited Consumable items.
• Use items marked with the Rest symbol.
• Use charged Active items that do not require a Target.
• Trade all items freely.

(Example Rest card text: "All Characters add +1 to their Unarmed Attack rolls until another Rest is played. The party gains 3 Reroll Counters. During Rest, cards with Rest symbols may be used and Reroll Counters can be consumed for 2 Health each.")

Realms

The game consists of 5 Realms of increasing difficulty. Realm cards apply global changes to the rules for the Encounter cards below them. The first Realm is drawn from the Realm 1 deck, the second from the Realm 2 deck, and so on. After drawing a Realm, add 4 face-down Encounter cards beneath it unless the rules of the Realm say otherwise.

At the start of the 5th Realm, draw and reveal the Traitor God that the party will face at the end of the game.

For added difficulty, increase the Encounters of each Realm to 5.

Status Effects

There are 4 types of beneficial conditions that affect individual Characters (Black Ash, White Phrism, Golden Veil, Crimson Membrane). A Character may have multiple Status Effects but may not stack a single effect type unless otherwise noted. They weigh nothing and cannot be transferred, traded, or dropped. They are retained if a Character is transfigured, but disappear upon death.

Encounters

Encounters are split into two groups. Non-Combat Encounters and Combat Encounters. Non-Combat Encounters are unique and include Traders.

Note on Traders: Traders buy and sell items based on their Value, which is listed in the bottom right corner. If the party comes up short, they can add Reroll Counters to cover the difference, with each Reroll Counter being worth 1 Value. They may also sell held items for Reroll Counters. If the Character(s) overpay for Trader items, Traders will give change in the form of Reroll Counters. When moving to the next Encounter, add the Trader's Inventory to the discard pile(s).

Combat Encounters must be resolved through fighting or fleeing. Read the Combat section for more information.

Note on adding Combat Encounters: When instructed to Add a Combat Encounter or if an Encounter Must Be a Combat Encounter, reveal it as normal. If it is anything other than a Combat Encounter, replace it until a Combat Encounter is drawn and then shuffle the unused Encounters back into the deck.

Loot

The loot deck contains Weapons, Consumables, and Equipment, as well as 33 Nothing cards, which must be discarded or rerolled when revealed.

Treasure

The Treasure deck contains powerful Weapons, Consumables, Equipment, and Sin cards.

Note: Sin cards bind to whichever Character reveals them for any reason. If one or more appear in a Pick From Multiple Treasures event, they MUST be taken by whoever reveals them and no Treasure will be acquired by the party. If they appear in a Trader Inventory, they MUST be taken and the empty slot may be refilled with a different Treasure card.

Types of Items

Active: Has unlimited uses but must be recharged between each use.

Consumable: Items with limited uses that must be discarded upon use or when no Counters remain. Some Consumables have X Counters on them, meaning they can be used multiple times before discarding. If a Consumable does not have Counters listed, it is considered to have 1 Counter.

Weapon: Melee Weapons replace a Character's Unarmed Attack damage with the damage indicated on the card. Ranged Weapons used Ranged rolls and tend to have multiple chances to hit a Target. More on Combat and Ranged rolls in the Combat section.

Equipment: Confers passive benefits to a Character or the entire party.

Note on Armor: Armor reduces incoming damage. Put Counters on the card equal to the Armor it provides. When taking damage, reduce it by 1 and remove a Counter. If a Character has multiple sources of Armor, they may choose which source loses a Counter. Armor added directly to the Character is placed on their card. Armor must be used if available. Note that many cards differentiate between losing Health and losing Armor. Armor items may be kept even if they have 0 Armor.

Items, continued

• All items have Weight and Characters have limited Inventory Size.
• Items have their Value listed in the bottom right corner.
• If an item has a Rest symbol in the text box, it can only be used while Resting.
• Held items can be traded amongst Characters at any time that is not battle.
• Items can be revealed without being added to an Inventory. If the party is Resting, excess items are considered part of a shared Inventory, allowing all players to use them until ending Rest.

Counters

Counters can be used to track Armor, Spell uses, Health, Reroll Counters, other quantifiable card information, or anything the players see fit.

Reroll Counters: At the start of the game, the party gains 5 Reroll Counters. These can be used to reroll any die roll or act as currency when visiting Traders. More are acquired by defeating Targets, visiting with Traders, or when Resting.

Traitor Gods

At the start of the 5th Realm, draw one of these cards and place it at the end of the Encounters. Each Traitor God has a unique rule set. These battles take place in a different plane of reality, so all Realm rules are disregarded. Traitor Gods are not considered Encounters.

Many other travelers have made journeys parallel to yours, and if the party arrives at the end of the 5th Realm with at least one unused Rest card, they may spend their final night with them. When doing so, heal all Characters for 2, provide any bonuses offered by the Rest card, and create a Trader with a Trader Inventory for the party to visit if they choose.

Targets

Combat Encounters are Targets. To resolve them, the party must defeat the Target or flee from it. Targets have Types, Damage or Attack Power, Die Defense, Health, Special Text, and Drops.

Types:

• Human
• Beast
• Interplanar
• Phenomena

Stats:

• Attack power or damage
• Die Defense
• Health
• Drops: Reroll Counters, Loot, and Treasure.

Note on Chain Magic: Targets with Chain Magic spread their damage around the party in a chain, point by point. If a Combat or Dodge roll against a Chain Magic Target fails, the Attacking Character takes 1 damage, the Character to their left takes 1 damage, the next Character takes 1 (if required), and so on until all damage has been dealt. A Target with 3 Attack and Chain Magic will strike 3 Characters for 1 point of damage, not for 3 points each.

Combat

Characters take turns attacking the Target by making Combat, Ranged, and/or Dodge rolls against the Die Defense. Combat and Ranged rolls are considered Attack rolls.

Combat rolls: When attacking Unarmed or with a Melee Weapon, roll the D20 against the Target's Die Defense. If the roll is equal or greater, the Character deals their damage to the Target. If it is less, the Target deals damage to the Character.

Ranged rolls: A Ranged roll is a Combat roll without the risk of taking damage. If the roll lands on the Target's Die Defense or higher, the player deals damage to the Target. If it is less, neither Target nor the Character deals damage.

Dodge rolls: A Dodge roll is the inverse of a Ranged roll: If it is greater than the Die Defense, the Character takes no damage. If it is less, they take damage. Characters only need to perform a Dodge roll when instructed by the rules of their card or when Fleeing.

Taking a Turn

Characters may take turns in any order so long as all Characters get a chance before repeating. When all Characters have taken a turn, they then go again in any order. Characters cannot trade items during Combat.

When attacking, Characters must declare which Weapon or Spell they intend to use. If none are available, they attack Unarmed. Note: Melee Weapons replace the Character Unarmed Attack power, and do not add to it.

In a single turn, the player must:

Attack a Target: Using a Weapon, a Spell, or by attacking Unarmed.

And may:

• Discard any of their item(s).
• Use as many Active items as desired. Turn used Active items sideways until Recharged.
• Use a Consumable. If a Character uses a Consumable, turn their Character sideways until it is their turn again. If they do not, they may do so during another Character's turn. This effect resets at the start of their next turn and does not stack.

Defeating a Target: When the Target reaches 0 Health, it dies. Pick a player to draw the Drops (if any) and divide them amongst the party. Place the defeated Encounter in the discard pile.

After battle and before starting the next Encounter, the party can trade amongst themselves, play a Rest card, or proceed to the next Encounter. If instructed to fight another Combat Encounter immediately or consecutively with the previous, the party skips this step.

Fleeing: The party can Flee from a Target if desired. All players must roll a Dodge roll against the Target. If they fail, they receive 1 damage. Ignore Chain Magic effects. If a Character dies while fleeing, discard their Inventory. After Fleeing, the party cannot Rest until they defeat a Combat Encounter or arrive at any Non-Combat Encounter.

Character Death: If a Character is killed by a Target, their Inventory is added to the Drops of the Target that killed them and their Death Effect comes into play. If a Character is killed by any other means, their Inventory can be split up among the party immediately.

Players with dead Characters can re-enter the game when a Rest card is played or a new Realm is drawn. New Characters join the party with no items, but can be given items from surviving Characters. Players that die in the 5th Realm return before the party begins the battle with the Traitor God.

The Final Battle

After the last Encounter of the 5th Realm is resolved, the party arrives at the Rapturous East, where the membrane that separated the planes of existence has been torn away. In a vast maelstrom of divine light, the Traitor Gods battle each other, the mortals they betrayed, and horrors from across the Cavity. Save for the conflagration before you and the blasted wastes that precede it, the whole of the world has been swallowed by apocalypse smoke. It is the final day of the universe.

The party can decide against entering battle with the Traitor God, to accept annihilation, and to allow the apocalypse smoke to destroy them. If this is the case, all Characters die and the game is over. This is a valid ending of the game.

If they choose to proceed, begin battle with the chosen Traitor God.

Each Traitor God is unique. They do not have Attack power, but various types of attack that vary on the Character's failed Combat or Dodge roll. The party cannot Flee.

When the Traitor God dies, the game, and the world, is over. All things vanish into the ruinous light of death.

The cycle begins again.

Play again with a different team, new tactics, make your own cards, try challenge runs, or create new rules for a totally different style of gameplay - the game is yours.

Minutiae

Die rolls cannot exceed 20 or go below 1.

Pick From Multiple: This effect allows Characters to pick from multiple options. If two or more Pick From 2 effects are occurring for the same card, they add together to create a Pick from 3, or more depending on how many are in effect. Cards not chosen are placed at the bottom of their decks, not discarded.

Discarding cards: When cards are discarded, they are placed into piles organized by deck.

Challenge runs: Experienced players may increase the difficulty by starting with no items, fewer Rest cards, adding more Encounters to each Realm, or fielding fewer Characters. Players may also use the cards in this game to invent entirely new forms of play. Do whatever you want. It's your game.

If you create a new play mode, tell the designer. They would love to integrate it into future versions of the game.

The designer's previous work, The Tarot Restless, can be integrated into this game. For details, as well as the expanded rules, FAQ, and other notes, please visit www.winslowdumaine.com/rules.