Witchcraft: Moonlight Magic
Witchcraft: Moonlight Magic Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Content
- 12 Starting Spells
- 12 Basic Spells
- 80 Ingredients
- 5 Jokers
- 10 Familiars
- 6 Player Aids
- 6 Witches
- 28 Crystals
- 10 Spells
Game Idea
In Witchcraft 2-6 witches compete in conjuring. They exchange crystals for ingredients, which they need for their spells. For successful spells, they gain magic (stars). Whoever is first to gather 20 magic, wins the game. Familiars help in reaching this goal faster.
Game Setup
Shuffle all basic spells and put them in a face up stack. Shuffle all familiars and place them in another face-up stack. Shuffle the deck and place it in a face-down stack. Then lay out the market: Draw 9 cards from the deck and lay them out randomly in a 3x3 grid. This grid shows all the cards that are on the market.
Each player randomly draws a witch (alternatively, the witches can be chosen), takes the 2 corresponding starting spells and lays them out face up in front of them. Each witch receives 4 crystals. Lay out the remaining crystals as a supply. Then, each witch gets her starting benefits. If no one has drawn the Brave, the last person to cast a spell starts.
Gameplay
Clockwise, the witches each choose one of the following actions and perform it:
- Buy cards: Buy up to 3 cards from the market.
- Take familiar: Take the familiar from the top of the stack and 1 crystal.
- Take basic spell: Take the basic spell from the top of the stack and 1 crystal.
- Take crystals: Take 2 crystals.
- Familiar action: Perform the action of one of your familiars.
Cast Spells
Each witch may have a maximum of 3 spells in front of her. To cast a spell, you must assign all the ingredients pictured on the card. If you assign the last ingredient to a spell, it will be cast automatically. Put the spell and its ingredients aside. It no longer takes up space in your inventory, and you get the indicated amount of magic.
End of Game
As soon as a witch has at least 20 magic, the game ends immediately and this witch has won. Always count all the magic of cast spells, familiars and starting advantages of the witches.
Joker
This ingredient can be used in place of any ingredient to cast a spell. Once a joker is purchased, it must be immediately assigned to a spell, if possible, just like the other ingredients. It is not necessary to decide immediately which ingredient the joker should serve as a substitute for.
Actions
Buy cards: Choose up to 3 cards from the market that are adjacent to each other in a row (horizontally or vertically). Then, for each card you want to buy that does not already have crystals on it, place one of your crystals on a card you do not want to buy. You don't have to pay for cards you want to buy that already have at least one crystal on them. Then take the chosen cards and all the crystals on them and place them face up in front of you. The empty spaces in the market are immediately filled from the deck. If the deck is depleted, a new deck is shuffled from the discarded cards and the ingredients of spells that have already been cast. Purchased ingredients are then assigned to your spells. Ingredients that do not fit into any of your spells may be kept in your inventory in front of you and used later. Once you have obtained a new spell, you must immediately assign matching ingredients from your inventory. You may have a maximum of 3 spells in front of you. If you take a fourth spell, you must discard one spell at the end of your turn (including any ingredients you have already assigned to this spell).
Take familiar: Take the top familiar from the stack and place it in front of you. Additionally, take 1 crystal. Familiars either provide new actions or benefits. Each familiar is worth 1 magic. You can have a maximum of 2 familiars in your inventory. If you take a third familiar, you must discard one of the familiars you already have in front of you.
Take basic spell: Take the top basic spell from the stack and place it in front of you. Additionally, take 1 crystal. You can have a maximum of 3 spells in front of you. Any surplus spells (including ingredients already assigned) must be discarded at the end of your turn.
Take crystals: Take 2 crystals from the supply. If there are no more crystals in the supply, take them from the player with the most crystals.
Familiars
Each familiar is worth 1 magic. You may have a maximum of 2 familiars in your inventory. If you take a third familiar, you must replace one of the familiars already in front of you. Familiars provide either permanent benefits, or an additional action that you can choose to take on your turn.
(The familiars are identified by their pictures in the rulebook; the animal named here is the one depicted.)
- Magpie — Action: Take 6 crystals.
- Cat — Benefit: Each time you take crystals, a familiar, or a basic spell, you may also buy 1 ingredient (pay 1 crystal if needed). This benefit applies immediately and can be used as soon as you obtain this familiar.
- Bat — Benefit: You may also buy cards that are not adjacent to each other. However, this does not allow you to buy more cards.
- Raven — Action: Choose a row of the market, put it under the stack and restock the market (crystals remain in their place). You may then buy cards.
- Squirrel — Action: You may buy up to 4 cards adjacent to each other. Pay the respective amount of crystals.
- Goat — Action: Once during the game, you may take an additional action (same or different) on your turn. Afterwards, rotate this card sideways to indicate that you have used this ability.
- Hare — Benefit: You can cast this spell at any time. It is not depleted and can be cast as many times as you like. To do so, set aside the appropriate ingredients and gain the 3 magic. This spell counts as a familiar and does not count toward your maximum number of spells.
- Raccoon — Action: You may buy exactly 3 cards for 1 crystal less in your turn. If you want to buy only 1-2 cards, you may not take advantage of this benefit.
- Snake — Benefit: Choose an ingredient. Communicate it to the other players. You can always treat this ingredient as a joker. You cannot change the ingredient you have chosen throughout the game.
- Owl — Benefit: You gain 2 magic. Hence, this familiar is worth a total of 3 magic.
Witches
- The Brave: You are the starting player and start the game with your first action. Additionally, you start the game with 1 magic.
- The Unyielding: Draw cards from the deck until you draw an ingredient. Place it in front of you. Additionally, you start the game with 1 magic.
- The Resilient: Draw cards from the deck until you draw an ingredient. Place it in front of you. Repeat this process for a second ingredient.
- The Curious: Draw cards from the deck until you draw a spell. Place it in front of you.
- The Honest: At the beginning of the game, take 4 additional crystals from the supply. Hence, you start the game with 8 crystals.
- The Kind: At the beginning of the game, take the familiar from the top of the stack. Place it in front of you.
No Secret Information
In Witchcraft, players do not have cards on their hands. All cards of all players are publicly visible at any time, there is no secret information. You may ask your teammates at any time how much magic they currently have and adjust your strategy based on this information.
2-Player Modification
When playing Witchcraft with two players, the following additional rule applies: Every round, after both of you have had your turn, you discard the bottom row of the market. The other two rows are moved down, and the top row is filled with new cards from the deck. The crystals from the removed row are transferred to the newly created row, and the remaining crystals remain on their respective cards.