The Shipwreck Arcana Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• The Hours Card
• Arcana Cards
  • Front side features
  • Back side features
• Fate Tokens
• Number Line Tokens
• Faded Card Powers
• Player Turn
  • 1. Draw
  • 2. Play
  • 3. Predict (optional)
  • 4. Resolve
  • 5. Fade
• Communication
• Fading
• Ending the Game
• Strategy
• Adding or Removing Players
• 2-Player Challenge Mode
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Credits
  • Playtesters
• Arcana Card Reference
  • Special cards
  • Arcana cards
  • Kickstarter arcana cards
  • Gen Con promo arcana cards
  • Stars Below arcana cards
• Faded Power Reference
  • Faded powers
  • Kickstarter faded powers
  • Stars Below faded powers
• Additional Official FAQ

Components

• 20 Arcana cards (A)
• 1 The Hours card (B)
• 2 Score/doom trackers (C)
• 1 Token bag (D)
• 21 Fate tokens (E)
• 35 Number line tokens (F)

Setup

1. Place The Hours card at the left edge of the central play area, with the green score tracker at 0. Place the red doom tracker according to your desired difficulty.
   • 0 doom — Easy
   • 2 doom — Normal
   • 4 doom — Hard
   • 6 doom — Doomed
2. Shuffle the arcana cards face-up and place the deck above The Hours card. Place the top 4 arcana cards in a row to the right of The Hours card.
3. Give each player a complete set of 7 number line tokens in one color. If there are fewer than 5 players, put away any remaining number line tokens.
4. Place all 21 fate tokens into the bag and shake it to shuffle them. Place the bag in the center of the play area.
5. Choose a starting player. Play proceeds clockwise.

The Hours Card

The Hours is a special card that is always in play face-up. It has a dark background, as opposed to arcana cards. It includes a score track and lacks a duration. It has no ability on its back side, as it will never fade and cannot leave play or be cycled. The Hours card is not considered an arcana card.

Arcana Cards

The front of each arcana card depicts a unique name, image, and ability, while the back of each card depicts its faded power.

During the game, the arcana deck is always face up (the front of the top card is visible). There are always 4 face-up arcana cards in the central play area beside the special card The Hours.

Over time, arcana cards in play will fade, which causes them to leave the central play area and flip (see: Fading).

Front side features

• Card name (A)
• Ability title (B)
• Ability text (C)
• Card duration (D)

Back side features

• Power icon (E)
• Power title (F)
• Power text (G)

Fate Tokens

Fate tokens are black. The front of each fate shows its value (numeral 1 through 7), and how many hours (pips) it consumes when played.

A fate's value is what the other players will try to predict (using the arcana cards). The hours on it determine how quickly that fate will cause arcana cards to fade from play.

• Fates with a value of 1, 2, or 3 consume 1 hour.
• Fates with a value of 4, 5, or 6 consume 2 hours.
• Fates with a value of 7 consume 3 hours.

Fates are drawn from the bag, and return to the bag whenever they are discarded or otherwise leave play.

Number Line Tokens

Each player has a series of 7 number line tokens (numerals 1 through 7), which they arrange in front of them.

During your turn, your allies may ask you to flip some of your number line tokens to reflect what they think your hidden fate's value is or is not. You should not manipulate your own number line unless another player asks you to. Your number line allows your allies to store information about your hidden fate between your turns. Don't reset your number line at the end of your turn unless your allies make a prediction.

Other than their colors, number line tokens are identical to fates. The hour pips on them have no effect; however, they serve as a useful reminder of how many hours each fate has.

Faded Card Powers

When an arcana card fades (see: Fading), flip it over and place it below the central play area. The back of each arcana card has a helpful power that can be used once by the players; after using a card's faded power, place that card face-up on the bottom of the arcana deck.

Each faded power describes what it does and when and how to use it. Some powers can only be used by the active player, while some can only be used by the group of predicting players. Only one faded power may be used per turn. Using a faded power does not force the group to make a prediction that turn.

Some faded powers allow the group to ask the active player questions; the active player may only respond to these with "yes" or "no." There is no limit to the number of faded powers that can be available, and powers are not tied to any one player.

Place faded cards below the central play area. Move them to the bottom of the deck when they are discarded.

Player Turn

During a player's turn, they are the active player, and take the following steps in order:

1. Draw

• Draw fates from the token bag until you have 2 fates in your hand. You may not show these fates to your allies or look at the other fates in the bag.
• Later in the game, you may start your turn holding a fate from your previous turn. In that case, you only draw 1 new fate.

2. Play

• Play 1 of your fates face-up in front of 1 of the 5 cards in the central play area, obeying that card's ability text. If you can obey multiple cards, choose one to obey and ignore the others.
• If 1 of your fates is from a previous turn, you may not give any indication whether the fate you are playing is the one you kept from your previous turn.

3. Predict (optional)

• Your allies may make a single prediction, attempting to guess the value of the fate that is still in your hand (the one you did not play this turn).
• Their prediction must be a statement about a single value, in the form "We predict your fate is ___." For example, "We predict your fate is 4."
• If they decide not to make a prediction, keep your fate face-down, do not reset your number line, and proceed to the Fade step.
• If they do make a prediction, proceed to the Resolve step.
• The entire group gets a single unanimous prediction.
• They can discuss amongst themselves what they think your fate is. They may tell you to flip some of your number line tokens to reflect what they think they have learned about your fate.

4. Resolve

• If no prediction was made, skip this step.
• If a correct prediction was made, you are freed from that fate! The players collectively score 1 point (move the green score tracker up 1 space).
• If the prediction was incorrect, the players' doom advances (move the red doom tracker up 1 space).
• After any prediction, correct or incorrect, discard your fate back to the bag and reset your number line.

5. Fade

• At the end of each turn, check to see if any arcana cards fade (see: Fading).

Communication

All players should try to avoid giving away any information about their hidden fates, verbally or nonverbally. It is recommended that the active player not talk to other players during their turn unless responding to a prediction.

Fading

An arcana card will fade when the number of hours in front of it (the sum of the pips from all its fates) is greater than or equal to its duration (the moons at the bottom of the card). When a card fades, do the following:

1. Discard all of the fates in front of it back to the bag.
2. Flip it over and place it below the central play area.
3. Advance the players' doom by 2 unless your allies made a correct prediction this turn!
4. Refill the row of arcana cards by placing the top card of the arcana deck face-up in the empty spot.

Remember that The Hours is not an arcana card and never fades. Fates played in front of The Hours move to the arcana card to its immediate right.

Ending the Game

The game ends when one of the score trackers reaches the 7th spot on The Hours' score track.

• The players win by making 7 correct predictions (green score tracker reaches 7).
• The players lose if their doom reaches 7 (red doom tracker reaches 7).

Strategy

When you are the active player, you'll need to carefully choose where to play (and where not to play) to convey information about your remaining fate to your allies. Your play will help them narrow down the possible values of your fate until they are able to confidently predict it (which may take more than one turn).

Pay attention not only to where you can play, but where the other players may assume you could not play. For example, if another player plays a fate with a value of 1 onto the Midnight arcana card ("If one of your fates is lower than the other, play the lower one here"), that player has not conveyed much information (they could still have a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7). You might conclude that they made this (uninformative) play because they couldn't play elsewhere.

So, if The Deep arcana card ("If the sum of your fates is 5 or less, play one of them here") is also in play, you can conclude that their fates did not sum to 5 or less. Since you know they played a 1, you can conclude that they did not have a second 1, a 2, a 3, or a 4, because any of those values paired with the 1 would have allowed them to play on The Deep and give more information. Now you're making progress — you've narrowed the possibilities down to 5, 6, or 7!

Adding or Removing Players

Players can easily join or leave the game after it has started.

• If a player joins the game, give them a set of number line tokens and choose a spot for them in the turn order.
• If a player leaves the game, discard any fate they were holding and put away their number line tokens.

2-Player Challenge Mode

If you wish to increase the difficulty of two-player games (instead of or in addition to starting with more doom), give each player two number lines (A and B). The turn order should go: player 1's turn A, player 2's turn A, player 1's turn B, player 2's turn B. Hidden fates for A and B turns are kept separate. The extra turns will put more pressure on arcana cards to fade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: If the group has an ability (such as the faded power "Twice") that allows more than 1 prediction during a turn, does each incorrect prediction incur the doom penalty?

A: No. If any of the predictions are correct, the entire prediction is treated as correct.

Q: What if I play a fate in front of an arcana card, but then realize I played illegally?

A: Announce this to your allies. Leave the illegally played fate on the table, discard the fate in your hand, and proceed to the Fade step, skipping the Predict and Resolve steps.

Q: What if I know someone can't have a particular fate because I'm holding the last copy of that token?

A: You may discard your fate to reveal its value to the group and influence their decision. If you don't discard it, you must refrain from directly or indirectly revealing its value, even if this means allowing the group to make a prediction you know is incorrect.

Q: What are the "visible fates" that some powers refer to?

A: A visible fate is any fate that is currently in front of an arcana card with its number showing.

Q: Does doom from an incorrect prediction stack with the doom from arcana cards fading that turn?

A: Yes. Doom advances by 1 for the incorrect prediction, plus another 2 for each card fading.

Credits

Game design by Kevin Bishop

Art by Matthew Bishop

Rules version 0.1

© 2017 Meromorph Games

Playtesters

Jacqueline Bishop, Tonya Brenner, Dan Miller, Peter Plashko, Laetetia Sledz, AJ & Jessica Perez, Joe Farrell & Diane Kuhn, Benjamin Yamada, Sheri Paschen, Andrew Helton, Phil Gallagher, Shawn French, Harley Cox, Kerry Milan, Ned Bates, Adam Holt

Arcana Card Reference

Note: the printed 2-page rulebook does not contain a card list or appendix — each arcana card's logical condition is printed on the card itself. The card conditions and explanations below are transcribed from Meromorph Games' own official card reference (meromorphgames.com/shipwreck-arcana/cards), which reproduces each card's ability text and explains how it plays.

Special cards

The Hours — "If you cannot play anywhere else, play one of your fates here. Then move it one card to the right."

The Hours is always the 5th card on the table, to the left of the 4 face-up arcana cards currently in play. You must play one of your 2 fates on The Hours if you cannot legally play either of your fates on any of the other 4 cards in play. If you can play anywhere else, you cannot play on The Hours.

Once you play a fate on The Hours, you then move that fate one card to the right, so that it is now in front of the leftmost arcana card (that is not The Hours). This happens even though that fate could not normally be placed in front of that arcana card. This may also cause that card to fade at the end of the turn.

The Hours card itself can never fade, as there will never be a fate in front of it at the end of the turn.

In order to help the group remember that the active player played on The Hours, they can wait until the end of the turn before moving fates to the neighboring card.

Q: What if I can't play anywhere except The Hours, but using a power (such as Shadows) would let me play elsewhere?

A: In this case, you may either:

• Not use the power, and play on The Hours.
• Use the power, and play elsewhere.

You are not required to use the power and play elsewhere. But if you do use the power and now can play elsewhere, you must play elsewhere.

This situation works in reverse, as well. If you currently can play elsewhere, but using a power (such as Shadows) would make it impossible for you to play anywhere except The Hours, you may either:

• Not use the power, and play elsewhere.
• Use the power, and play on The Hours.

Arcana cards

The Beast — "±1: If one of your fates is exactly 1 more or 1 less than the other, play one of them here."

You can only play on The Beast if your 2 fates are sequential. For example, if you are holding 1 and 2, 2 and 3, and so on, then your second fate is 1 more than your first (and your first is 1 less than your second). You can therefore play either of your fates on The Beast. This card functions similarly to The Huntress.

The Belltower — "x3: If the sum of your fates is a multiple of 3, play one of them here."

Add together the values of both of your fates. If that sum is 3, 6, 9, 12, etc, then you can play either of your fates on The Belltower. For example, if you are holding 2 and 4, the sum of your fates is 6, and you can play either one on The Belltower.

• If you play the 2, your allies will know that your remaining fate plus 2 produces a multiple of 3. This means you could have a 1 (1+2 = 3), a 4 (4+2 = 6), or a 7 (7+2 = 9).
• If you play the 4, your allies will know you have a 2 (2+4 = 6) or a 5 (5+4 = 9).

The Blind Man — "Free: Play one of your fates here. I don't further your doom when I fade."

You can always play either of your fates on The Blind Man, and doing so conveys no information to your allies... but also doesn't cause the doom track to advance when The Blind Man fades. This makes The Blind Man a "safety" play. Because it conveys so little information, it can also be a way to tell your allies that you can't play anywhere else, which may give them a lot of second-hand information.

Because The Blind Man lasts for only 1 hour (it has 1 moon at the bottom), the first fate played on it will cause it to fade, granting the players its faded power for free! This can be worthwhile if you need more powers to complete predictions.

The Chalice — "Tell: Play one of your fates here. If you do, say whether your remaining fate is higher than the one you played."

You can always play either of your fates on The Chalice. Immediately after doing so, you then tell your allies whether your remaining fate is higher than the one you just played. Do so in the form of a "yes/no" statement, e.g. "Yes, my remaining fate is higher" or "No, my remaining fate is not higher."

Remember, you can't say whether it's higher or lower. For example, if you are holding 4 and 4, you can play a 4 on The Chalice and then say "No, my remaining fate is not higher." This is because your remaining fate (4) is not higher than the fate you played (also 4).

Dawn — "Higher: If one of your fates is higher than the other, play the higher one here."

Dawn is one of the simpler cards, so there's not much else to say. You can always play the higher of your two fates on Dawn, unless both of your fates are exactly the same — in this case, neither one is higher. This card functions similarly to Midnight.

The Deep — "≤5: If the sum of your fates is 5 or less, play one of them here."

Add together the values of both your fates. If the sum is 5 or less, you can play on The Deep. For example, if you are holding 1 and 3, the sum of your fates is 4, so you can play either fate on The Deep.

• If you play the 1, your allies will know that your remaining fate plus 1 cannot be more than 5, so you must have a 1 (1+1 = 2), 2 (2+1 = 3), 3 (3+1 = 4), or 4 (4+1 = 5).
• If you play the 3, your allies will know you have a 1 (1+3 = 4) or 2 (2+3 = 5).

This card functions similarly to Leviathan and The Key.

The Engine — "Factor: If one of your fates is double or triple the other, play one of them here."

Choose your lower fate and figure out what its value would be if doubled and if tripled, then compare those values to your higher fate. If either one matches, you can play either one of your fates on The Engine. For example, if you are holding:

• 1 and 4: 1 doubled is 2 and 1 tripled is 3, neither of which matches 4, so you can't play on The Engine.
• 1 and 2: 1 doubled is 2, which matches your other fate, so you can play either one on The Engine.
• 2 and 6: 2 doubled is 4, which doesn't match 6, but 2 tripled is 6, which does match, so you can play either one on The Engine.

Your allies must remember that you can play either your higher or lower fate on The Engine. For example, if you play a 2 on The Engine, it could be because your fates were 1 and 2 (1 doubled is 2), 2 and 4 (2 doubled is 4), or 2 and 6 (2 tripled is 6).

The Huntress — "±2: If one of your fates is exactly 2 more or 2 less than the other, play one of them here."

You can only play on The Huntress if your 2 fates are sequential and 1 apart. For example, if you are holding 1 and 3, 2 and 4, and so on, then your second fate is 2 more than your first (and your first is 2 less than your second). You can therefore play either of your fates on The Huntress. This card functions similarly to The Beast.

The Judge — "Even: If the sum of your fates is even, play one of them here."

Add together the values of both your fates. If the sum is an even value (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, etc.) then you can play either fate on The Judge. If the sum is an odd value (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, etc.), then you can't play either fate here.

Remember that the sum of two even values is always even, and the sum of two odd values is always even, too. The only time that the sum of two values is odd is if one of the values is odd and one is even. So, if you play an even value on The Judge, your allies will know that your hidden fate is also even, and if you play an odd value, they'll know your hidden fate is odd.

This card functions similarly to The Stranger.

The Key — "7 to 9: If the sum of your fates is 7, 8, or 9, play one of them here."

Add together the values of both your fates. If the sum is at least 7 and at most 9, you can play on The Key. For example, if you are holding 2 and 7, the sum of your fates is 9, so you can play either fate on The Key.

• If you play the 2, your allies will know that your remaining fate plus 2 equals 7, 8, or 9, so you must have a 5 (2+5 = 7), 6 (2+6 = 8), or 7 (2+7 = 9).
• If you play the 7, your allies will know you have a 1 (7+1 = 8) or 2 (7+2 = 9). There is no 0 fate, so the sum of your fates cannot be 7.

While it may not be obvious at first glance, this card functions similarly to The Deep and Leviathan.

Leviathan — "≥11: If the sum of your fates is 11 or more, play one of them here."

Add together the values of both your fates. If the sum is 11 or more, you can play on Leviathan. For example, if you are holding 5 and 7, the sum of your fates is 12, so you can play either fate on Leviathan.

• If you play the 7, your allies will know that your remaining fate plus 7 cannot be less than 11, so you must have a 7 (7+7 = 14), 6 (7+6 = 13), 5 (7+5 = 12), or 4 (7+4 = 11).
• If you play the 5, your allies will know you have a 7 (5+7 = 12) or 6 (6+7 = 12).

This card functions similarly to The Deep and The Key.

The Lord — "5-6-7: If one of your fates is 5, 6, or 7, and the other is not, play the 5, 6, or 7 here."

When checking to see if you can play on The Lord, it helps to think of two groups of fates: the fates that The Lord wants (5, 6, 7) and the fates that he doesn't want (1, 2, 3, 4). If you have one fate he wants and one he doesn't, you can play the fate he wants on The Lord. If you have two fates he wants or two fates he doesn't, you can't play anything on The Lord. This card functions similarly to The Noble and The Servant.

Midnight — "Lower: If one of your fates is lower than the other, play the lower one here."

Like Dawn, Midnight is one of the simpler cards, so there's not much else to say. You can always play the lower of your two fates on Midnight, unless both of your fates are exactly the same — in this case, neither one is lower. This card functions similarly to Dawn.

The Mirror — "Same: If both of your fates are the same, play one of them here."

The Mirror is perhaps the simplest card in the game. You can only play one of your fates on The Mirror if both of your fates are exactly the same — and when you do, your allies will immediately know exactly what your hidden fate is. However, it's very rare that you'll actually be able to play on The Mirror, so it often just helps your allies by eliminating the possibility that your two fates are the same.

The Noble — "3-4-5: If one of your fates is 3, 4, or 5, and the other is not, play the 3, 4, or 5 here."

Similar to The Lord, when checking to see if you can play on The Noble, it helps to think of two groups of fates: the fates that The Noble wants (3, 4, 5) and the fates that she doesn't want (1, 2, 6, 7). If you have one fate she wants and one she doesn't, you can play the fate she wants on The Noble. If you have two fates she wants or two fates she doesn't, you can't play anything on The Noble. This card functions similarly to The Lord and The Servant.

The Prophet — "Match: If one of your fates matches a visible fate, play your other fate here."

Visible fates are those fates which have previously been played and are now in front of the 4 arcana cards currently in play. You may play a fate on The Prophet if and only if the other fate in your hand matches the value of one of these visible fates. If both fates in your hand match the values of visible fates, you may play either one on The Prophet.

For example, if the fates 1, 2, 6, and 6 are currently visible in front of arcana cards, and you are holding:

• 2 and 5: You can play the 5 on The Prophet because your other fate matches the visible 2.
• 2 and 6: You can play either of them on The Prophet because regardless of which one you play, the other one will match a visible fate.
• 4 and 5: You cannot play either of them on The Prophet because regardless of which one you play, the other one will not match a visible fate.

The Rider — "Unique: If both of your fates are unique from each other and all visible fates, play one of them here."

Visible fates are those fates which have previously been played and are now in front of the 4 arcana cards currently in play. You may play a fate in front of The Rider if and only if neither of your fates matches the value of any of these visible fates, and only if your 2 fates do not match each other's values.

For example, if the fates 1, 2, 6, and 6 are currently visible in front of arcana cards, and you are holding:

• 2 and 5: You cannot play either of them on The Rider since your 2 matches the visible 2.
• 6 and 6: You cannot play either of them on The Rider since your fates match each other.
• 4 and 5: You can play either of them on The Rider because neither one matches the other or any visible fate.

The Servant — "1-2-3: If one of your fates is 1, 2, or 3, and the other is not, play the 1, 2, or 3 here."

Similar to The Lord, when checking to see if you can play on The Servant, it helps to think of two groups of fates: the fates that The Servant wants (1, 2, 3) and the fates that he doesn't want (4, 5, 6, 7). If you have one fate he wants and one he doesn't, you can play the fate he wants on The Servant. If you have two fates he wants or two fates he doesn't, you can't play anything on The Servant. This card functions similarly to The Lord and The Noble.

The Shore — "4 Apart: If the difference between your fates is 4 or more, play one of them here."

Look at the fates in your hand and figure out the difference between them by subtracting the smaller fate from the larger one. If the difference is 4 or more, you can play either of your fates on The Shore. For example, if you are holding:

• 1 and 3: The difference is 2 (3-1 = 2), which is less than 4, so you can't play here.
• 1 and 5: The difference is 4 (5-1 = 4), so you can play on The Shore.
• 2 and 7: The difference is 5 (7-2 = 5), so you can play here.
• 6 and 7: The difference is 1 (7-6 = 1), which is less than 4, so you can't play here.
• 7 and 7: The difference is 0 (7-7 = 0), so you can't play either one on The Shore.

The Stranger — "Odd: If the sum of your fates is odd, play one of them here."

Add together the values of both your fates. If the sum is an odd value (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, etc.) then you can play either fate on The Stranger. If the sum is an even value (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, etc.), then you can't play either fate here.

Remember that the sum of two even values is always even, and the sum of two odd values is always even, too. The only time that the sum of two values is odd is if one of the values is odd and one is even. So, if you play an even value on The Stranger, your allies will know that your hidden fate is odd, and if you play an odd value, they'll know your hidden fate is even.

This card functions similarly to The Judge.

Kickstarter arcana cards

Asunder — "Difference: If the difference between your fates is equal to a visible fate, play your higher fate here."

Look at the fates in your hand and figure out the difference between them by subtracting the smaller fate from the larger one. Then look at all the fates in play and see if a visible fate has the same value as that difference. If one does, you can play the higher of your fates on Asunder.

For example, if the fates 1, 2, 6, and 6 are currently visible in front of arcana cards, and you are holding:

• 2 and 5: The difference of your fates is 3, which is not a visible fate. You cannot play on Asunder.
• 6 and 6: The difference of your fates is 0, which is not (and can never be) a visible fate. You cannot play on Asunder.
• 4 and 5: The difference of your fates is 1, which is a visible fate. You can play your 5 on Asunder.

Q: What if there are no visible fates?

A: You cannot play either of your fates on Asunder in this case, as there is no visible fate whose value is equal to the difference of your fates.

The Captain — "1-4-7: If one of your fates is 1, 4, or 7, and the other is not, play the 1, 4, or 7 here."

Similar to The Lord, when checking to see if you can play on The Captain, it helps to think of two groups of fates: the fates that The Captain wants (1, 4, 7) and the fates that she doesn't want (2, 3, 5, 6). If you have one fate she wants and one she doesn't, you can play the fate she wants on The Captain. If you have two fates she wants or two fates she doesn't, you can't play anything on The Captain. This card functions similarly to The Lord, The Noble, and The Servant.

The Feast — "Draw: Play one of your fates here, draw a fate, and continue your turn. You may not play here again."

The Feast allows you to "cycle" one of your fates, getting rid of it for a chance at something better. It's not very useful by itself; instead, use it if you have no good play on any other arcana cards, and you think playing on The Feast may allow you to get a better pair of fates for playing elsewhere.

For example, say that you are holding a 1 and a 7, and The Feast and Midnight ("Lower") are in play.

• You could play your 1 on Midnight, but this won't tell your allies much.
• You play your 1 on The Feast instead and draw a new fate. It's a 6! You're now holding a 6 and a 7.
• You play your 6 on Midnight, giving your allies a lot of information about your remaining fate.

Some additional things to keep in mind:

• Once per turn: Remember that you can only play on The Feast once per turn, so if you draw new fates that still aren't very good, you'll have to live with them.
• Fading: If The Feast gains enough fates in front of it to cause it to fade, it fades at the end of the turn along with any other cards that fade this turn. Depending on where else you play after playing on The Feast, you may actually cause multiple cards to fade in a single turn, suffering the penalty (2 doom) for each one! If your allies make a correct prediction, they'll still avoid all fading penalties for the turn.
• The Hours: If you play on The Feast, but the new fate you draw doesn't allow you to play on any of the 3 other arcana cards, you'll have to play on The Hours. You can't play on The Feast again. If The Feast is next to The Hours, the fate you play on The Hours will still slide over onto The Feast.

Fortune — "High Odds: If your fates are unequal and both odd, play your higher fate here. If only one is odd, play your lower fate here."

What fate you're allowed to play on Fortune changes based on what fates you have.

• If both of your fates have the same value, you can't play on Fortune.
• If both of your fates have even values, you can't play on Fortune.
• If both of your fates have odd values, you can play your higher fate on Fortune.
• If one of your fates has an odd value (and the other is even), you can play your lower fate on Fortune.

For example, if you are holding:

• Two 1s: Your fates are the same, so you cannot play on Fortune.
• A 2 and a 4: Both your fates are even, so you cannot play on Fortune.
• A 3 and a 7: Both your fates are odd, so you can play your higher fate (7) on Fortune.
• A 3 and a 6: Exactly one of your fates is odd, so you can play your lower fate (3) on Fortune.
• A 2 and a 5: Exactly one of your fates is odd, so you can play your lower fate (2) on Fortune.

Q: What does this mean for my allies?

A: Fortune can feel overwhelming, but it's actually very helpful. Consider what your allies will see:

• If you play an odd fate on Fortune, your allies know it has to be your higher fate (if your other fate is odd) or your lower fate (if your other fate is even). Your remaining fate must be even and higher or odd and lower than the one you played. It can't be the same as the odd number you played.
• If you play an even fate on Fortune, it has to be your lower fate. Your allies know that you had one odd and one even fate, so your remaining fate must be odd. Additionally, because you played your lower fate, your remaining fate is higher. Your remaining fate must be odd and higher than the one you played.

The Ghost — "Alone: If no visible fate is exactly 1 more or 1 less than either of your fates, play one of them here."

Look at each of your fates and see if any visible fate is 1 more or 1 less than it. If the answer is yes, you can't play on The Ghost. However, if you can't find any visible fate that's 1 more or 1 less than either of your fates, you may play either of your fates on The Ghost.

For example, if the fates 1, 2, 6, and 6 are currently visible in front of arcana cards, and you are holding:

• 2 and 5: The visible fate 1 is 1 less than your 2, and the visible fate(s) 6 are both 1 higher than your 5. You cannot play on The Ghost.
• 3 and 4: The visible fate 2 is 1 less than your 3. You cannot play on The Ghost.
• 4 and 4: The only visible fates that would be 1 more or 1 less than 4 would be 3 and 5. Neither of those is visible, so you can play either of your 4s in front of The Ghost. When you do, your allies can immediately conclude that your remaining fate is not 1 more or 1 less than any of the visible fates. This means you can't have: 1 +1 (rules out 2); 2 +1 or -1 (rules out 1 and 3); 6 +1 or -1 (rules out 5 and 7). Collectively, they've ruled out 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. So you must have either a 4 or 6. Not bad!

Q: If there are no visible fates, can I play on The Ghost?

A: Yes. If no fates are visible, than no visible fates are exactly 1 more or 1 less than either of the fates in your hand. This means you can legally play either of your fates on The Ghost.

Iron — "Rising: If one of your fates is higher than my highest visible fate, play your other fate here."

Iron is all about building upon the fates that have already been played in front of Iron.

• If there are no visible fates in front of Iron: Any fate in your hand will be playable on Iron. Example: There are no fates in front of Iron, and you are holding 1 and 2. You may play either fate in front of Iron. Your allies will not be able to deduce anything about your remaining fate from this play alone.
• If there are one or more visible fates in front of Iron: Look at the fates in your hand to see if one of them is higher than the highest visible fate in front of Iron. If one of yours is higher, you may play the other fate in your hand on Iron. Example: If 1 and 3 are in front of Iron, and you are holding 2 and 6, you may play the 2 in front of Iron because your other fate (6) is higher than Iron's highest fate (3). You may not play the 6 because your other fate (2) is not higher than Iron's highest fate (3). Example: If 1 and 3 are in front of Iron, and you are holding 5 and 6, you may play either of your fates in front of Iron, because no matter which one you play your remaining fate will still be higher than Iron's highest fate (3).
• If there is a single 7 in front of Iron: No more fates can be played on Iron! If this happens, Iron will never fade because additional fates will never be able to be played in front of it. It effectively becomes a dead card in your 4th arcana card slot. However, if Iron is next to The Hours, it may still fade when fate slides off of The Hours and onto Iron. Additionally, faded powers that add, remove, or relocate visible fates may be used to affect Iron. Example: If there is a single 7 in front of Iron, and you are holding 7 and 7, you cannot play on Iron because neither of your fates is higher than the highest fate in front of Iron (7).
• The faded powers Shadows ("+1") and Skies ("Relocate") can potentially be used to help keep Iron from remaining stuck.

Q: What if multiple fates with the same value are in front of Iron?

A: It will behave as described above, since Iron only cares about the single highest fate in front of it. If there are more than one, pick one; everything will still work the same. For example, if 1, 3, and 3 are in front of Iron, all that matters is that the highest fate is a 3.

The Lantern — "All x4: If the sum of your fates plus all visible fates is a multiple of 4, play one of your fates here."

Add together the values of your two fates plus all visible fates in front of arcana cards. If the sum is a multiple of 4 (4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, etc.), then you can play either of your fates on The Lantern. If the sum is anything else, you can't play here.

For example, if the fates 1, 2, 6, and 6 are currently visible in front of arcana cards, and you are holding:

• 2 and 5: The sum of your fates is 7 (2+5 = 7), and the sum of all visible fates is 15 (1+2+6+6 = 15). The sum of your fates plus all visible fates is 22 (7+15 = 22), which is not divisible by 4 (20 and 24 are, but 22 is not). You cannot play on The Lantern.
• 3 and 6: The sum of your fates is 9 (3+6 = 9), the sum of all visible fates is 15, and the sum of your plus all visible ones is 24 (9+15 = 24), which is divisible by 4. You can play either one of your fates on The Lantern. If you play the 3, your allies will know that 3+?+15 is divisible by 4. Since 3+15 = 18, you could be holding a 2 (2+18 = 20) or a 6 (6+18 = 24). If you play the 6, your allies will know that 6+?+15 is divisible by 4. Since 6+15 = 21, you could be holding a 3 (3+21 = 24) or a 7 (7+21 = 28).

While it looks at more fates than just the ones you're holding, this card functions similarly to The Engine.

The Pallbearers — "Within 2: If the difference between your fates is 1 or 2, play one of them here."

Look at the fates in your hand and figure out the difference between them by subtracting the smaller fate from the larger one. If the difference is 1 or 2, you can play either one on The Pallbearers. If the difference is larger than 2, or if the difference is 0 (because both fates are the same), you can't play here. This card functions similarly to a combination of The Beast and The Huntress.

The Passage — "Between: If exactly one visible fate falls between your fates, play one of them here."

If only one visible value (which might appear on more than one visible fate) falls between your two fates' values, then you can play one of your fates on The Passage. Look at each visible fate value and ask "Is that value higher than one of my fates, and lower than the other?" If the answer is "Yes," then that value falls between your two fates. If no visible values fall between your fates, or if two or more visible values fall between your fates, then you can't play on The Passage.

For example, if the fates 1, 2, 6, and 6 are currently visible in front of arcana cards, and you are holding:

• 2 and 5: The values 3 and 4 would fall between your fates, but neither one is visible. You cannot play on The Passage.
• 1 and 7: The values 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 would fall between your fates. Both 2 and 6 are visible. Since more than 1 visible value currently falls between your fates, you cannot play on The Passage.
• 2 and 7: The values 3, 4, 5, and 6 would fall between your fates. Only the value 6 is visible (on two different fates). Since exactly one visible value (6) falls between your fates, you may play either of your fates on The Passage.

If you play the 2 on The Passage, your allies will know that exactly 1 visible fate value must fall between 2 and your remaining fate. Looking at the visible values, they deduce whether that value might be the one that falls between your fates:

• 1? If this fell between your 2 and your other fate, your other fate would have to be lower than 1. That's impossible, so this isn't the one that's between your fates.
• 2? 2 can't fall between 2 and anything else, as it's neither higher nor lower than 2.
• 6? This is the only option left, and it could fall between your fates is one of them (2) was lower than 6, and the other (?) was higher than 6. In this case, that means your other fate must be a 7, since no other value would be higher than 6. Nice!

The Wish — "Guess: Play one of your fates here. If you do, your allies may make one extra prediction this turn."

You can always play either of your fates on The Wish, and doing so conveys no information to your allies by itself. However, they are allowed to make two predictions this turn while trying to guess your hidden fate.

If your hidden fate was narrowed down (but not guessed) during a previous turn, The Wish may give your allies a better chance at success. Alternatively, as with many cards that convey "no" information when played on, The Wish may inadvertently let your allies know that you couldn't play anywhere else, which is useful in and of itself.

Q: If my allies guess twice but one of the predictions is wrong, does doom advance?

A: Not if the other guess is correct. Doom only advances if all predictions are wrong. Additionally, doom only advances a single time, regardless of how many wrong predictions are made.

For example, if The Wish grants an extra prediction, and your allies use the Sorrows ("Twice") faded power to make an extra prediction, it is possible that they might make as many as three incorrect predictions in a single turn. Even if this happens, the doom still only advances once as a penalty for the failed predictions. If any of the three predictions are correct, doom does not advance at all.

Gen Con promo arcana cards

The Imago — "Delay: Play one of your fates here. A 7 played here only counts as 1 hour towards fading."

You can always play either of your fates on The Imago. 7s played on The Imago only count as 1 hour when calculating whether the card is about to fade, instead of their normal value of 3 hours.

This has a few unusual uses. For example, The Imago means it is possible to have far more visible 7s in play than otherwise, which can help other cards that care about visible fates such as The Ghost or The Prophet. Additionally, a player holding a 7 may be incentivized to play it on The Imago, which may mean players that choose not to play on The Imago are not holding on to a 7.

Stars Below arcana cards

The Ash — "Fragile: Play a 7 here. Each turn: I fade if a 1 or 2 was played anywhere this turn."

The only fates which can be played on The Ash are 7s. All other fates cannot be legally played on it. Separately, whenever a 1 or a 2 is played on any card in play, The Ash fades at the end of the turn.

Q: When exactly does The Ash fade?

A: At the end of the turn, alongside any other cards which are fading this turn. It also incurs 2 doom as per the usual fading rules. This 2 doom is in addition to the doom incurred by other cards fading this turn. Of course, if the group makes a correct prediction, all doom caused by fading this turn will be prevented, and the group will score 1 point. This is regardless of how many cards faded this turn.

Q: How many moons does The Ash have?

A: None. It has a comet indicator instead, meaning that it fades based on special conditions as described in its game text. For The Ash, that special condition is whenever a 1 or 2 is played.

Q: What if there are 1s or 2s already in play when The Ash enters play?

A: The Ash ignores any fates already in play. It only cares about new 1s or 2s that are played.

Q: What if a 1 or 2 is played but then we get rid of it with a faded power like Sinners (Discard Lower) or Sails (Exile)?

A: Even if the offending 1 or 2 is removed from the board, The Ash will still fade because a 1 or 2 was played this turn.

Q: What if I play a 1 or 2 on The Hours?

A: The Ash will still fade at the end of the turn.

Q: Can The Ash have other fates in front of it besides 7s?

A: Yes, potentially. You can't play fates in front of it unless they're 7s; however, you could use a faded power such as Skies to relocate other fates onto The Ash. Because The Ash has no moons, adding additional fates onto it still won't cause it to fade. You can even move 1s or 2s onto it — as long as they were played before The Ash entered play!

The Fall — "Inevitable: Play one of your fates here. Each turn: I fade if the sum of my visible fates is at least twice your hidden fate."

You can always legally play any fate onto The Fall. Separately, after you are done playing fates on your turn, you must then announce whether The Fall will fade this turn. The Fall can fade even if you play somewhere else.

Q: If I no longer have a hidden fate at the end of the turn, does The Fall still fade?

A: Yes. Once you are done playing fates for the turn, The Fall fades (or doesn't fade) based on the value of the hidden fate you hold onto. Even if the group makes a prediction, causing you to reveal and discard your hidden fate, The Fall still fades based on the value of the hidden fate you were holding.

Q: When is the group allowed to know if The Fall will fade this turn?

A: Once the active player is done playing fates, they must inform the group about whether The Fall will fade this turn. In addition, if the answer changes (for example, by using faded powers), the active player must update the group on whether The Fall will fade. Basically, the group should always have accurate information about whether The Fall is fading as they make their deductions.

For example, there is a 1 on The Fall, and you are holding a 3 and 2. You play the 3 on The Fall, and announce that it will fade this turn. You then use the faded power Skies to relocate the 1 from The Fall to another arcana card. You now inform the group that The Fall is no longer fading this turn.

Other powers that might change whether The Fall is fading include Sinners (Discard Lower), Shadows (+1), and Sails (Exile).

Q: How does the faded power Sails (Exile) interact with The Fall?

A: Sails is a unique case, because it's used after you've already revealed and discarded your hidden fate as part of a correct prediction. You'll still tally the sum of all fates remaining in front of The Fall after using Sails, and compare them to the hidden fate that was correctly guessed. If exiling one fate away causes the remaining sum to no longer be twice the hidden fate's value, The Fall will no longer fade this turn.

The Musicians — "Make 11: If the sum of your fates plus up to one visible fate is 11, play one of your fates here."

Add together the values of both your fates. If the sum is 11, you can play on The Musicians. If the sum isn't 11, look at each visible fate. If the sum of one of them plus your two fates is 11, you can play on The Musicians. You may not indicate to the group which visible fate you added to your fates, if any.

For example, if you are holding 5 and 2, and a 4 and 7 are visible, the sum of your fates plus 4 is 11, so you can play either fate on The Musicians.

• If you play the 5, your allies will know that your remaining fate could be a 6 (5+6=11) or 2 (5+2+4=11). The visible 7 can't be part of the equation, as 5+7 already exceeds 11, without even adding in your hidden fate.
• If you play the 2, your allies will know you must be including one of the visible fates, since 2+9=11 and there is no 9 fate. So you must have a 5 (2+4+5 = 11) or 2 (2+2+7 = 11).

The North Wind — "Tiers: If one of your fates has exactly 1 more hour than the other, play one of them here."

Each fate has 1, 2, or 3 hour marks (called pips or hours). The distribution is:

• 1s, 2s, and 3s have one pip.
• 4s, 5s, and 6s have two pips.
• 7s have three pips.

To play on The North Wind, one of your fates must have exactly 1 more pip than the other.

• Cases where you can play on it: if one of your fates is a 1, 2, or 3, and the other is a 4, 5, or 6; if one of your fates is a 4, 5, or 6, and the other is a 7.
• Cases where you can not play on it: if one of your fates is a 1, 2, or 3, and the other is a 7, since the difference in pips is too large; if both of your fates are 1s, 2s, and/or 3s, since they all have the same number of pips; likewise, if both of your fates are 4s, 5s, and/or 6s.

The Thief — "Steal: After playing somewhere else: Move a visible fate higher than your hidden fate from another card to this one, if possible."

You can never play a fate directly onto The Thief. However, after you play on another card, you must then move one fate from in front of any card other than The Thief onto The Thief, if that fate is higher than your hidden fate. This may change which cards fade at the end of the turn.

Q: What if no visible fate is higher than my hidden fate?

A: Announce that you cannot move any visible fates onto The Thief.

Q: What if I use a faded power to change my hidden fate?

A: What a particular question! Okay. Say you are holding a 2 and 3. You play the 3 onto an arcana card. Because the 3 is higher than your hidden 2, you must now move it onto The Thief. However, before you announce whether or not any fates will be moved onto The Thief, you use the Shadows (+1) power to treat your hidden fate's value as +1. Because your hidden 2 is now treated as 2+1=3, no visible fates are higher than your hidden fate. You would then announce that you cannot move any fates.

The important thing here is that once you play your fate, you either need to resolve The Thief immediately, or use a power immediately, then resolve The Thief. One way or another, the group should know what (if anything) The Thief has been able to steal before they begin their deliberations. You can't wait around listening to them for a while before choosing to activate The Thief.

Q: What happens when I play on The Hours and The Thief is next to it?

A: Fates played on The Hours slide to the right, onto the leftmost arcana card. Perform this move before having The Thief steal a fate. That means the fate played on The Hours is not available for The Thief to steal, since the stolen fate must come from a card other than The Thief.

Faded Power Reference

As with the card conditions above, each faded power's text is printed on the back of an arcana card rather than in the rulebook. The following is transcribed from Meromorph Games' official faded power reference (meromorphgames.com/shipwreck-arcana/powers).

Faded powers

Saints — "Higher Than? Before making a prediction, the group may discard this to pick a number X and ask 'Is your fate higher than X?'"

This power can only be used by the group, and can only be used after the active player has finished playing fates, but before the group decides to make a prediction. When the group uses Saints, they collectively choose any number X, and then ask the active player whether their hidden fate is higher than X. The active player may respond "yes" or "no."

While the group may choose any number for X, keep in mind that the only values a fate can have are 1-7.

Also, note that if the group asks "Is your fate higher than 4?" while the active player is holding a 4, they must answer "No" because 4 is not higher than itself. They may not give any indication that this is the case.

Secrets — "1-2-3? Before making a prediction, the group may discard this to ask 'Is your fate 1, 2, or 3?'"

This power can only be used by the group, and can only be used after the active player has finished playing fates, but before the group decides to make a prediction. When the group uses Secrets, they collectively ask the active player "Is your hidden fate a 1, 2, or 3?" The active player may respond "yes" or "no." This power is similar to Songs, Spires, and Swords.

Shells — "Old? After playing their fate, the active player may discard this to say whether they had that fate during their previous turn."

This power can only be used by the active player, and can only be used after they have finished playing fates, but before the group decides to make a prediction. When the active player uses Shells, they may state whether the fate they played was one they drew from the bag this turn, or one they had from a previous turn.

For example, if the active player begins their turn with one hidden fate token, and draws a second token from the bag, then plays a 2, they may use Shells to say "I did not have this 2 last turn." This would let the group know that the 2 was drawn from the bag this turn, and therefore that the player's remaining hidden fate must still be the token they had from a previous turn. This also means that the group knows definitively that they can continue to apply any number line deductions they made previously about that hidden fate.

Remember that, with the exception of this power, the active player is not normally allowed to confirm whether their hidden fate is one they've kept from a previous turn.

Sinners — "Discard Lower: After playing their fate, the active player may discard this to discard one visible fate that is lower than their remaining fate."

This power can only be used by the active player, and can only be used after they have finished playing fates, but before the group decides to make a prediction. When the active player uses Sinners, they may then choose any single visible fate in front of an arcana card whose value is less than their hidden fate, and return the chosen fate to the bag.

You cannot provide any additional information to the group about your hidden fate, e.g. you may not confirm how much higher it is than the discarded fate, or whether it's also higher than other visible fates.

Sometimes not using this power can provide as much information as using it. If the group has narrowed your hidden fate down to two possible options, and they know that there is a visible fate which you could discard to confirm one of the options, but you do not do so, they may conclude that you cannot. This would tacitly imply that the other option is correct.

Q: Can I discard the fate that I just played?

A: Yes, if it is lower than your hidden fate.

Q: Can I use Sinners if no visible fate is lower than my hidden fate?

A: No. You can only use the power if there is a valid fate to discard.

Songs — "1-4-7? Before making a prediction, the group may discard this to ask 'Is your fate 1, 4, or 7?'"

This power can only be used by the group, and can only be used after the active player has finished playing fates, but before the group decides to make a prediction. When the group uses Songs, they collectively ask the active player "Is your hidden fate a 1, 4, or 7?" The active player may respond "yes" or "no." This power is similar to Secrets, Spires, and Swords.

Sorrows — "Twice: Before making a prediction, the group may discard this to make one extra prediction this turn."

This power can only be used by the group, and can only be used after the active player has finished playing fates, but before the group decides to make a prediction. When the group uses Sorrows, they may make an extra prediction this turn. Only one of the predictions needs to be correct to avert doom and score 1 point.

Q: If my allies guess twice but one of the predictions is wrong, does doom advance?

A: Not if the other guess is correct. Doom only advances if all predictions are wrong. Additionally, doom only advances a single time, regardless of how many wrong predictions are made.

Sparrows — "Cycle: Before playing their fate, the active player may discard this to replace an Arcana card (with no fates) with the top card of the deck."

This power can only be used by the active player, and can only be used after they draw fate tokens from the bag but before they play a fate. When the active player uses Sparrows, they choose a single arcana card that has no visible fates in front of it, place that card on the bottom of the deck, and replace it with the top card of the deck.

The active player may not confirm or deny whether they could have legally played on the replaced arcana card.

Remember, all players can always see what the top card of the arcana deck is, meaning that the new card which will replace the old one is known ahead of time. The active player can — and should — take this into account when deciding whether to use Sparrows.

Spires — "3-4-5? Before making a prediction, the group may discard this to ask 'Is your fate 3, 4, or 5?'"

This power can only be used by the group, and can only be used after the active player has finished playing fates, but before the group decides to make a prediction. When the group uses Spires, they collectively ask the active player "Is your hidden fate a 3, 4, or 5?" The active player may respond "yes" or "no." This power is similar to Secrets, Songs, and Swords.

Swords — "5-6-7? Before making a prediction, the group may discard this to ask 'Is your fate 5, 6, or 7?'"

This power can only be used by the group, and can only be used after the active player has finished playing fates, but before the group decides to make a prediction. When the group uses Swords, they collectively ask the active player "Is your hidden fate a 5, 6, or 7?" The active player may respond "yes" or "no." This power is similar to Secrets, Songs, and Spires.

Kickstarter faded powers

Shackles — "Within 2? Before making a prediction, the group may discard this to ask 'Was the difference between your fates 2 or less?'"

This power can only be used by the group, and can only be used after the active player has finished playing fates, but before the group decides to make a prediction. When the group uses Shackles, they collectively ask the active player "Was the difference between your hidden fate and the fate you played less than 2?" The active player may respond "yes" or "no."

For example, if the active player plays a 6, the group may then use Shackles to ask "Is your hidden fate within 2 of 6?"

• If the active player responds "yes," they must have a 4 (6-4 = 2), 5 (6-5 = 1), 6 (6-6 = 0), or 7 (7-6 = 1).
• If the active player responds "no," they must have a 1 (6-1 = 5), 2 (6-2 = 4), or 3 (6-3 = 3).

Q: What if the active player had more than 2 fates over the course of their turn?

A: This might occur if the active player played one of their first two fates on The Feast, drew a new (third) one, and then played somewhere else. In this case, the active player should ignore the value of the fate played on The Feast when answering. This means they will take into account only whether the hidden fate in their hand, plus the (second) fate they played during their turn (on a card other than The Feast) were within 2 of each other.

Shadows — "+1: Before playing their fate, the active player may discard this to treat the fate they don't play this turn as 1 higher this turn."

This power can only be used by the active player, and can only be used after they draw fate tokens from the bag but before they play a fate. When the active player uses Shadows, they choose the fate they will not play this turn and mentally add 1 to its value. They then play their other fate as though their hidden fate has the adjusted value. This may allow them to play on arcana cards that they could not otherwise play on.

For example, the active player has 4 and 5, and the arcana card The Mirror ("Same: If both of your fates are the same, play one of them here.") is in play. The active player can use Shadows to treat their 4 as a 5 (4+1 = 5), and then play on The Mirror because both of their fates are now 5s.

Note: with this power, you can treat a hidden fate of 7 as though it's an 8. This can allow you to create plays that would not be possible otherwise!

Q: Does the group guess the original value of the hidden fate, or the modified value of the hidden fate?

A: Either one, as long as they're specific. In the example above, the group would conclude that the hidden fate must be a 5, and since they know that Shadows was used, they can conclude that the unmodified value must have been 4. They could predict "You have a 4" or "After using Shadows, you have a 5," and both predictions would be correct.

Q: If the group does not make a prediction, does the hidden fate remain modified next turn?

A: No. Once the turn ends, treat the fate as its original value. This may mean that the group needs you to update your number line (for example, shifting the possible values down 1).

Q: Does changing the value affect the number of hours on the fate?

A: No, only the value changes. For example, if you have two 3's and you change one of them to a 4, you still cannot play on The North Wind.

Q: How does Shadows interact with cards like Dawn or The Noble?

A: When you use Shadows, you increment the value of whichever fate you don't play. This can lead to some tricky scenarios! Let's walk through a few of them.

First example: Dawn ("Higher: If one of your fates is higher than the other, play the higher one here."). If you have two 4s in your hand and use Shadows, the fate you keep will be incremented and become a 5. Because only the unplayed fate can become a 5, and Dawn requires the played fate to be a 5, you still cannot play on it.

Second example: The Noble ("3-4-5: If one of your fates is 3, 4, or 5, and the other is not, play the 3, 4, or 5 here."). If you have a 2 and a 6 in hand and use Shadows, you still can't play on The Noble because you can't play your 6 (keeping the 2, which increments to 3) and you can't play your 2 (keeping your 6, which increments to 7).

Skies — "Relocate: Before playing their fate, the active player may discard this to move one visible fate to a new arcana card."

This power can only be used by the active player, and can only be used after they draw fate tokens from the bag but before they play a fate. When the active player uses Skies, they choose a single visible fate in front of an arcana card, and move it in front a new arcana card. They then continue their turn.

Note that because some arcana cards care about what fates are in front of them, this may affect whether you can play on certain cards. Additionally, if you move too many fates in front of one card, you may cause it to fade this turn, even if you don't play another fate in front of it.

Q: What happens if I use Skies to cause multiple cards to fade in the same turn?

A: If your allies make a correct prediction this turn, the doom track won't advance no matter how many cards fade. However, if your allies don't make a correct prediction, you'll incur doom for each card that fades. So be careful!

Storms — "Same? Before making a prediction, the group may discard this to pick a visible fate and ask 'Is your fate the same?'"

This power can only be used by the group, and can only be used after the active player has finished playing fates, but before the group decides to make a prediction. When the group uses Storms, they collectively choose a visible fate in front of an arcana card and ask the active player "Is your hidden fate the same as this one?" The active player may respond "yes" or "no."

Q: Can the group choose a fate that was just played by the active player this turn?

A: Yes.

Q: Can the group use this power if there are no visible fates?

A: Trick question — this can never happen. This power is used after a fate is played and before predictions (and fading), so there should always be at least one visible fate: the one that was played this turn. The only (current) way that there would be no visible fates is if the active player had immediately used the Sinners power to discard the fate they just played... in which case, no other powers can be used this turn, including Storms, since only one power may be used each turn.

Stars Below faded powers

Sails — "Exile: After making a correct prediction, the group may discard this and another faded power to remove a visible fate from the game."

This power can only be used by the group, and can only be used at the end of the turn, after a correct prediction is made, but before cards fade. When the group uses Sails, they collectively choose another available faded power to discard, as well as a visible fate to remove from the game. The exiled fate token is set aside. It does not get returned to the bag until the game is over.

Q: What if there aren't any other faded powers to discard?

A: Sails cannot be used unless there is at least one other faded power to discard.

Q: If a fate is exiled from a card that would have faded this turn, does it still fade?

A: Maybe not. Re-check its fade conditions. For most cards, this means recalculating how many moons it has and how many total pips (hours) are on the fates in front of it. For The Fall card from the Stars Below expansion, you'll need to re-check its game text to see if its fade condition is still met.

Sands — "Amplify: Attach this to the card that replaces it. The turn that card fades, fades cause +1 doom and predictions are worth +1 point."

This power is not used by the players; instead it takes effect immediately when it's unlocked. As soon as the Sands power becomes available, attach it to the arcana card that took its place on the board. You can set Sands just below that card to indicate that Sands is attached to it.

When a card fades while Sands is attached to it, it creates a unique one-turn effect: all fades cause 1 additional doom, and a correct prediction this turn is worth 1 additional point.

Q: If multiple cards fade on the same turn as a card with Sands attached, how much doom do we get?

A: Each card normally incurs 2 doom when fading. If one of them has Sands attached, then all fades incur +1 doom this turn. So each card that fades this turn incurs 3 doom instead of 2. If 3 cards are fading, that's 3x3=9 doom in a single turn! Remember, though: making a correct prediction cancels all doom that would be incurred by fading this turn. This means that even in the scenario above, you could cancel all 9 doom by guessing right!

Q: What if the card that Sands is attached to leaves play without fading?

A: Some powers, such as Sparrows (Cycle), let the group remove an arcana card from the board. If that card has Sands attached, discard Sands just like any other faded power that's been used. It does not cause any other effect when it's discarded like this.

Scions — "Slow: Before making a prediction, the group may attach this to an arcana card. Fates in front of that card are only worth 1 hour."

This power can only be used by the group, and can only be used after the active player has finished playing fates, but before the group decides to make a prediction. When the group uses Scions, they collectively choose an arcana card to attach it to. Treat all fates in front of that card as though they had one pip (hour) instead of their usual number of pips. This means that 4s, 5s, and 6s count as one pip instead of two, and 7s count as one pip instead of three.

Q: Why would I want to attach Scions to a card?

A: Remember, most arcana cards fade once the total number of pips on the fates in front of them equals or exceeds the number of moons on the card. Because Scions reduces those pips, it lets that arcana card remain in play longer. It also lets more "expensive" fates (4s, 5s, 6s, and especially 7s) be played more safely on that card.

Q: Does Scions affect fates that enter play after Scions is attached to a card?

A: Yes. Any fate that winds up in front of the card that Scions is attached to will begin counting as one pip. This includes fates that are played after Scions is attached. It also includes fates that are moved from another card onto Scions' card, with faded powers such as Skies (Relocate). On the other hand, if a fate is moved off of Scions' card, it regains its usual number of pips.

Scythes — "Help: Before making a prediction, the group may discard this and another faded power to ask 'Is your fate a 2 or 6?'"

This power can only be used by the group, and can only be used after the active player has finished playing fates, but before the group decides to make a prediction. When the group uses Scythes, they collectively choose another available faded power to discard, then collectively ask the active player "Is your hidden fate a 2 or 6?" The active player may respond "yes" or "no."

Q: What if there aren't any other faded powers to discard?

A: Scythes cannot be used unless there is at least one other faded power to discard.

Additional Official FAQ

From Meromorph Games' official FAQ page (meromorphgames.com/shipwreck-arcana/faq), beyond the questions printed in the rulebook.

Q: What size are the cards?

A: Standard tarot card size, 70x120mm (2.75x4.75in). Standard tarot sleeves should fit.

Q: If the group uses a power that starts with "Before making a prediction, ...", is the group then forced to make a prediction this turn?

A: No. Making a prediction is always optional, regardless of arcana cards or faded powers. You can freely use a "Before making a prediction" power such as Saints ("Higher than?") and then choose whether or not to make a prediction based on the results of the power use. This is covered in the rulebook under the Faded Powers section: "Using a faded power does not force the group to make a prediction that turn."

Q: I've shuffled arcana cards from different sets together. Is there an easy way to separate them again?

A: Promo and expansion arcana cards have a small, diamond-shaped set icon, just below the moons on the front of the card.