Wands
Wands Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
104 cards: 8 each regular, 4 each bombs.
Types of Cards
Blasts - Blasts cannot be countered by other players or cards. They take effect immediately.
Spells - A Spell is cast. It can be countered by a Counter-Spell.
Counter-Spell - Counter-Spells are played in response to Spells or other Counter-Spells. They can cancel out Spells or Counter-Spells, shift the effects of Spells and Counter-Spells to other players, or add additional effects to Spells and Counter-Spells.
Setup
Each player starts with 10 Life Points.
Deal 7 cards to each player. Cut cards (from a standard deck), roll a die, or pick any other method to determine who goes first.
Goal
The goal of the game is to eliminate the other players by getting their Life Point totals to zero. If your Life Points are reduced to zero, you are eliminated from the game.
Play
On your turn, draw a card, then play a card. Instead of playing a card on your turn, you may elect to keep all your cards in hand and sacrifice a Life Point instead.
If you are ever reduced to zero cards in hand, draw two cards on your next turn.
If you play a Blast, it takes effect immediately.
If you play a Spell, the next player has a chance to cast a Counter-Spell. All other players have a chance to play a Counter-Spell in response to the original Spell cast. This continues until all players pass around or run out of cards to play.
If a player casts a Counter-Spell, the next player has a chance to cast a Counter-Spell in response. All players have a chance to play a Counter-Spell in response, similar to above. This also continues until all players pass around or run out of cards to play.
Counter-Spells and Spells are resolved in a stack or last in, first out order.
Any Spell and Counter-Spell effects that go through to a player are said to have resolved.
A Sample Turn
There are five players -- Merlin, John Dee, Dr. Faustus, Morgan Le Fay, and Marie Laveau.
Merlin is first to go. Merlin plays the Spell "Next player discards half his/her hand, rounded up." Play proceeds to John Dee. John Dee has the opportunity to play a Counter-Spell. John Dee plays "Dispel the last Spell or Counter-Spell cast." Play proceeds to Dr. Faustus. Dr. Faustus plays "Dispel the last Spell or Counter-Spell cast." Morgan Le Fay's turn; she passes. Marie Laveau is up next; she also passes. Play goes back to Merlin. Merlin passes. John Dee's turn -- he has no Counter-Spells left, so cannot do anything.
The effects are resolved in LIFO order -- Dr. Faustus' dispel card cancels out John Dee's dispel card. Merlin's discard Spell hits John Dee, who is forced to get rid of half his cards, rounded up. Poor John Dee.
A Note
In a two-player game, the reverse Blast card functions a little differently than in a three-player (or more) game. Much like in Uno, reversing the order of play in a two-player game also functions as a skip.