150 Card Games in Shuffle City After the discovery of ancient card gaming a decade ago and the subsequent boom in popularity for card games, the way people played card games changed forever. Instead of a large number of unique card games that each only worked against other cards of the same brand, people began re-implementing ancient rules discovered in Athens to create a single open source, cross-compatible card game that everyone can play. Anyone from a large company to a single person can make cards, as long as they understand the science behind card game design. Making weaker cards isn’t particularly hard, and a lot of amateurs will design themselves cards that match with their personality or interests. However, making more powerful cards generally takes a lot of skill and understanding. For this reason, people looking for powerful cards will usually either buy designs from corporations or commission designers to develop the card they need for their deck. Threats to Shuffle City Calamity is right around the corner for Shuffle City as its new popularity draws unwanted attention. A malicious corporation experiments on humans in their ambition to control the very multiverse, spies play a war of subterfuge in an attempt to avert a terrible fate, a zealous cult searches for power by harnessing supernatural sources, and the powers of Olympus find themselves manifesting through Olympian Artefacts and Bound Titans. These are just some examples of possible threats to the players’ home. The Olympian Artefacts In the ancient past, when monsters and gods freely walked the earth, the ancient Greek people were gifted with the laws of card games - divine power that could be channelled through play. During this secret era, many of the myths we know today were forged - strange powers were granted to kings, and the gods gave cursed gifts to those they feared. When the laws of card games were sealed under the Parthenon, these stories were rewritten to conceal the now-secret history of card games. Despite this, remnants of the truth have still made their way across the world through six extremely powerful items known as The Olympian Artefacts.
151 Each of these artefacts change the laws of card gaming in ways that the gods found dangerous - despite this, they have found themselves in the hands of a variety of people across the world. These six artefacts and their holders are: Pandora’s Deck Box: Originally designed as a way to imprison creatures dangerous to the gods, this deck box allows the wielder to seal anyone that they defeat in battle into a card. Historically, many of these cards were captured by the great warrior Pandora. Today, Pandora’s descendant Pyrrha Deucalion (p.178) wields the deck box as a Pirate Queen - turning all of her enemies into cards. Bracelet of Harmonia: Given as a gift to one of the gods’ children, Harmonia, this bracelet acted much like the battle-disks of today - with the bonus that it also granted the user incredible luck in battle. It comes with a curse, however, as its new bearer Karam Trivedi (p.169) is both unable to remove it and punished by extreme misfortune in any situation aside from card games. The only way to be released from the bracelet is to destroy all of the other Olympian artefacts - this has become Karam’s mission. The Cornucopia: While the laws of card games can be rather stringent on what kind of cards can be designed, the gods created this powerful horn as a way to test what could exist beyond those laws’ purview. Today the Cornucopia has found its way to the hands of Cory Warhol (p.168), a wealthy and cocky card game designer who uses the Cornucopia to make cards for the rich and powerful. Achilles Eyepatch: Once wielded by Achilles himself during the Trojan Tournament, this eyepatch grants users the ability to answer any question they wish. Today this artefact has found its way into the hands of Peter Crowley (p.177), an occultist and CEO of Dimensional Mechanics - the world’s biggest card game manufacturer. He’s used this eyepatch to ensure the success of his company, and to learn the esoteric secrets of the universe. Dagger of Damocles: Originally given to Damocles as a gift from the gods, this dagger allows you to force those its wielder defeated in battle to fulfil their demands, whether they agreed to or not. This item was found mysteriously by a man named Axton Westall (p.164), the now right hand man of the Neo Athenian Church.
152 Cape of Golden Fleece: Made from the golden wool of Chrysomallos the Winged Ram, this cape has been passed down a lineage of kings without the knowledge that it had the dangerous ability to make any card game the wielder watched real - allowing for real damage from the game. Only two years ago the cape was captured by Lightning Bolt (p.174), an agent from the underground organisation NETDECK, and since then has been locked up safely in a vault. It is said that there may be a 7th artefact, but even the most well informed people on the truth of card gaming history are unaware of what this artefact may be or what it may do. The Sealed Titans Back in the era of the Olympian Artefacts, there existed countless threats to humanity and the gods that walked the earth. Many of these were captured in Pandora’s Deck Box; and eventually, nearly as many were set free once more. Luckily for the world, three of the most earthshaking threats within were properly never released from their cardboard prison. The Three Sealed Titans are incredibly powerful and dangerous entities that hold enmity towards not just the gods but humanity in general. Should they be let free, they would wreak havoc, possibly bringing about the end of days. For this reason, they were given a special provision on their capture - not had they been locked away in cards, they were also unable to be released unless all three of the titans were in combat with each other at the same time. Today, people have forgotten the significance of these titans - but with card games once again becoming popular, the world is once again at risk of the titans coming together in battle. Cronus is the first and oldest of the titans; father of the pantheon, he holds an unbridled hate for anything he considers too “lowly” for himself. With domain over time itself, if he was to be let free, he would trap the world in a perpetual state of pain and finality as punishment for his imprisonment. He is also the only titan to have an active plan in the works to let him out - having manipulated Melania Phobose (p.188) into starting the Neo Athenian Cult and amassing those powerful enough to wield the Titans, he seeks the time when the three inevitably come together and wreak havoc upon the world. Atlas is the middle sibling of the three titans and bearer of the globe. Should he be let free, it would be in his power and interest to simply stop holding the Earth, leaving it to fall and collapse. Largely self-interested and simply uncaring for the people of the earth, he isn’t as vindictive as his older brother - even if just as dangerous should he be let free. Today, Atlas is held by Orvis Goddard (p.189), a young person both completely
153 unaware of the danger the titans hold and under the impression that bringing them all together would in fact bring prosperity to humanity. Prometheus is the last and youngest of the titans, holding complete and supreme knowledge over all the secrets of the universe. Believing that he is the only being who is smart enough to rule, should he be let free, he would quickly take over the world as its new supreme king - waging wars on any who oppose him. While not having a direct plan for freedom, Prometheus may have such an understanding of the world that he knows it isn’t required. While he is owned by the CEO of Mainphase Technologies Conrad Martin (p.183), the accomplished businessman is completely unaware of the significance the card he holds represents. Dimensional Mechanics As the biggest corporation in the city, Dimensional Mechanics holds incredible influence over ongoing politics. Through development of DM System Packs and the most popular card game accessories in the world, they are extremely wealthy and easily able to buy out anyone or anything that gets in their way. Through continuous lobbying efforts by their extremely skilled lawyer Malcolm Haine (p.171), Dimensional Mechanics has been given a pass to do almost anything they like within the walls of the grand tower that tops the city’s skyline. The secret to Dimensional Mechanics’ success is the “New World Portal” technology developed by their CEO Peter Crowley (p.177). This technology lets the company access alternate dimensions and use the inhabitants of these worlds as the building blocks of card game designs. This process is ongoing and has unknown side effects on the involved worlds.
154 These New World Portals are already a secret from anyone but the highest ranked employees of Dimensional Mechanics, but the even darker secret is that New World Portal technology is powered by way of human experimentation. People from across Shuffle City are stolen away by Dimensional Mechanics’ resident mad scientist Gisela Strangelove (p.173) and hooked up to devices that use their latent psychic abilities to power the system. These people eventually are let free with their memories erased, but some return home with psychic powers and fuzzy memories of what happened to them. Dimensional Mechanics is a large company with a decent percentage of the whole city working for them in one way or another. Dimensional Mechanics Plots The company hopes to kidnap the players and use their incredible willpower to generate enough energy for a century of new card game releases. Gisela Strangelove has secretly created a small army of psychic warriors that she intends to use in taking over the company and the city alike Peter Crowley starts a public campaign and possibly a tournament to find an heir to his incredibly successful company - he secretly wants to sacrifice this person to make him immortal. Portals have begun opening up to alternate worlds across Shuffle City due to an experiment gone wrong - the whole city is wrapped up in the confusion as Dimensional Mechanics denies involvement. The players find themselves in another world only to learn the dark truth of Dimensional Mechanics as this new world is targeted by them. One of the players or an important NPC has fuzzy memories of their time having been kidnapped by Dimensional Mechanics - they want revenge. The Neo Athenian Church There’s a lot to be argued about whether the Neo Athenian Church as it exists in Shuffle City is truly following the word of its god. However, with ancient card gaming being discovered in Athens under the Parthenon, the cult has grown to an incredible size and been recreated based on popular culture. The primary belief of the Cult of Athena today is that Athena herself is the very first card game designer and that within the rules of ancient card gaming is a gateway to power. In the minds of believers, Athena’s
155 domains of wisdom, war, and handicraft are all exemplified within the art of card games - and mastering that art can elevate people beyond the bounds of natural human power. At the behest of their immortal leader Melania Phobose (p.188), the cult is quick to latch onto people with supernatural abilities, as well as anything they can find with connection to ancient card games. The leadership of the cult don’t care for most of the followers - instead only caring for those powerful enough to be of use to their plots. With the uncovering of both the Olympian Artefacts and the Sealed Titans, their current goal is to collect as many of these powerful items as possible. Melania herself was manipulated into creating the cult due to manipulation from the sealed titan Cronus. Her right hand man Axton Westall (p.164) holds the Dagger of Damocles and uses it to expand the cult under any means necessary. Finally, the cult’s secret weapon Jezebel Mercury (p.190) has unmatched psychic abilities that are used to target the cult’s enemies head on. Today, the cult is rather numerous, being especially popular with the youth of Shuffle City. Most of these people are completely unaware of the cult’s malicious intentions. Neo Athenian Church Plots The cult convinces someone close to the players into joining them and is coaxing them into doing evil acts unknowingly. The cult succeeds at organising the three sealed titans into a battle together, risking the whole world should the battle have the chance to go through. The gods of Ancient Greece wage a war against the cult for misrepresenting them, putting the whole city at risk. The cult becomes aggressive in recruiting one of the most supernaturally powerful players - doing whatever they need to in hopes to recruit them. NETDECK NETDECK has existed under different names for millennia before ancient card games became known to the public. They’ve done their best to hide the discovery from centuries of scientists - and when the truth at last was let slip a few decades ago, their leader Theodore Mercury (p.170) changed tactics entirely, now aiming to control and mitigate the threat ancient card games pose to the world. Today, NETDECK works primarily out of Shuffle City due to its role as the hub for the international card games industry. The organisation has a direct focus on finding and either capturing or disabling any supernatural forces that come from ancient card gaming, and has had its hands full due to the influx of strange occurrences in Shuffle City.
156 There are three primary divisions to NETDECK, each fulfilling different roles for the organisation: CONTROL: This division of NETDECK acts primarily as informants, handlers, and manipulators. They make their way into important corporate, political, or social positions, then use their position and skills in conjunction to find supernatural threats and assist fellow divisions in need. AGGRO: This division of NETDECK acts primarily as the problem solvers for the oragnisation. With skilled spies, hackers, and card gamers, people in this division stay completely out of the public eye - ready to collect, destroy, or disable any threats to the world or NETDECK itself, supernatural or not. MIDRANGE: This division of NETDECK acts as the middle ground between the CONTROL and AGGRO divisions. Often hired from outside sources who already have useful positions in society, agents are trained in manipulation, infiltration, spycraft, and card gaming so they can do the work NETDECK needs done. NETDECK holds a firm hand around most of Shuffle City, and is the main reason that despite any supernatural occurrences, the average person remains both unscathed and unaware. Collecting the rest of the Olympian artefacts is the primary goal of the organisation; however, with the advent of the sealed titans and the secret psychics manufactured by Dimensional Mechanics, the group has been put on the back foot. At the time being, only their best agent Lightning Bolt (p.174) has been able to successfully attain any items of importance. While the agents of NETDECK only number in the double digits, many of these people are very powerful and have their own beliefs for how to deal with the ongoing threats to Shuffle City and the world. NETDECK Plots A magical event has occurred in the middle of town - mysterious NETDECK agents have locked down the area of the city and aggressively push everyone away from it. Spies plot to steal something seemingly innocuous from the players… but despite their best efforts, the players notice the theft. Something the players need is hidden in the NETDECK vault - to get it, the players will need to infiltrate the best protected space in all of Shuffle City. A malicious person ousts Theodore as the leader of NETDECK, using the power of the organisation to take over the city.
157 Notable Locations in Shuffle City As the world’s biggest hub for card game action, Shuffle City is filled to the brim with locations designed directly for card gamers - even mundane spaces normally prohibitive towards card games accommodate it in some way. No matter where the players go, they should be able to find a functional and fun arena or location of some kind to have a battle or encounter - come up with anything at all that sounds interesting! The following are just some examples of the stranger and more notable locations that sit around the city. Dimensional Mechanics Central Tower Right in the centre of Shuffle City sits the central headquarters of Dimensional Mechanics, the world’s leading organisation in card game design. The upper floors of this 80-story tower are of course dedicated to everyday business, but most of the city is more interested in the lower floors. The first 10 floors are dedicated to the public and fans of Dimensional Mechanics’ work, featuring: The largest card game store in all of Shuffle City (which, of course, only sells DM products). The official DM arena, where company-ran tourneys are hosted. A Museum focused on the “History of Dimensional Mechanics”, much of it is fanciful and self-aggrandizing. Visitation rooms for appointments & meetings with visitors and Dimensional Mechanics staff. Dimensional Mechanics Central Tower Plots The upcoming anniversary pack pre-release will feature a tournament of unprecedented size - forcing everyone in the tower into a battle royale. People who opened the illustrious golden trading card are offered a tour of the tower’s mysterious upper floors by Peter Crowley (p.177) himself. Shuffle Crossing A must-see stop for anyone visiting the city, this 4-way intersection in the middle of the city’s downtown was the birth of Shuffle City’s card gaming traditions. While it used to be plagued by traffic, the renewed focus on other parts of town alongside its historicity has led to it mostly being a public event zone today. Markets, electoral debates, tournaments, and much more are hosted here. Shuffle Crossing Plots A hole opens up in the middle of the road, nearly dragging people in with it - no one is quite sure why this happened. Cory Warhol (p.168) is hosting a meet-and-greet in the crossing, the lines spanning long enough to disrupt the traffic city-wide.
158 Shuffle City University A proud fixture of the city for over one hundred years, the university has recently pivoted to be hyper focused on card games. While it still teaches traditional courses like business and science, resources and scholarships are almost entirely focused on courses like Card Game Design and Practical Card Games. With generous sponsorships from Dimensional Mechanics, the university has the most state of the art card game facilities in the world. Shuffle City University Plots A rogue teacher uses strange magic powers to attack all card games across the university, hoping to shut it down. Roland Garfield (p.163) creates an extremely difficult card gamethemed treasure hunt across the university; winners don’t seem to leave his office. Mulligan Shipyard As a hub for card games and card game production, Shuffle City quickly became a central position for international trade. Run by the wealthy Albrecht family, it dominates the coast of the city with warehouses and ships. It is also the biggest hub for crime across the city, with criminals and pirates - both righteous and malicious - making homes in abandoned or unused warehouses and docks. Shipyard workers are known to be connected to the criminal groups across the city, concealing their hideouts from the higher-ups. Mulligan Shipyard Plots A criminal group known as the Snatch Steal take something precious from the players and return to their shipyard hideout. Pirates led by Pyrrha Deucalion (p.178) have invaded and taken over the shipyards, completely shutting down trade and threatening the city.
159 Miscellaneous Arenas The number one tourist attraction in Shuffle City is its smorgasbord of card game arenas - many of them carrying their own unique gimmick in order to stand out. Realistically, if you think of a gimmick for an arena, someone in Shuffle City has probably created it. With that said, here are a few miscellaneous arenas that stand out among the rest: Custom Arena Services: These chain storefronts offer private rooms with completely customisable hard-light hologram arenas. Everything from tropical islands to molten lava is available. Escape Arena: Featuring a combo of card games and escape rooms, the Escape Arena asks combatants to solve puzzles to keep fighting. Rooms often come with over-the-top themes. TopDeck ArenaMall: Both an arena and a mall, people will fight in the middle of shoppers going about their day. This mall also has the greatest game store density in the city. Royal Flush Cruise & Arena: Leaving Friday and returning Sunday, this massive ship is often host to events of the rich and wealthy. Every year, the Albrecht family will host a dinner here with the city’s powerful. Metagame TourArena: This Shuffle City tour bus service only lets you see outside if you win your matches. Generally the drivers will go easy on tourists, but regulars get the difficult treatment. Iron Duelist Arena: Televising all matches, this arena asks combatants to fulfil strange TV challenges in the middle of their matches; spanning the breadth of anything from “no using warriors” to “fight a boxing match while you play.” Clubs Theatre & Arena: The best place to watch live card games in the city, private rooms can be borrowed to battle at the same time. The theatre is often booked well in advance for big matches. Flying Man Arena: With both hot air balloons and skydiving, this arena offers heart-racing battles, although, at this point... a lot of the equipment is rather shoddy. It’s probably okay... Right? 8.93 Duel it Out!: This radio show gives locals an opportunity to battle it out on air. Only competitors who have grievances with each other are allowed on, and listeners comment on who’s right. Oneiroi Labs: A hotshot private health startup with brainwaveinteractive technologies that allow people to literally battle one another in their sleep, their eventual goal is to use card games to solve nightmares. And in the meantime, it makes for a compelling sales pitch for tourists. Rogues Arena: This underground criminal arena puts people’s lives on the line as people bet on who survives. Prisoners are secretly given the option to fight here for their right to escape by local police.
160 People of Shuffle City Shuffle City is home to millions of people; every single one of them has a unique story to tell, with complex relationships to both the city and the card games they play. This section highlights just 30 of the most relevant people you might meet while in Shuffle City. Alongside each of these citizens and oddities of Shuffle City is a deck that the Judge can use in Card Game Combat. Feel free to use these decks for characters other than the 30 listed here. Deck Name Gimmick Player Pg. Adventuring Party Repeating “When played” effects. Henry Rowan 162 Archeology Automatons Use my opponent’s graveyard to my advantage. Roland Garfield 163 Art of the Secret Swords Full offence with no defence. Axton Westall 164 B.B.B. (Building Block Battalion) Teaming up to overcome threats that would otherwise be impossible. Elena Guerrero 165 Bestial Transformations Become a warrior myself, gaining more power from different aspects. Finnley Nuadat 166 Building Blocks of Hope (B.B.H) Become stronger when I have less life. Hope 167 Cards from the Cornucopia Random effects with a lot of power. Cory Westall 168 Chthonian Thaumaturgy Using Simple Card Moves and getting benefits from when I do. Karam Trivedi 169 Clerics of Pacifism Whoever has the most life will win the game. Theodore Mercury 170 Court of Purgatorio Splits the battlefield in two ha;ves. Malcolm Haine 171 Dracodancers Friendly universal effects that I take the most advantage of. Malo Peleke 172 Experiment #21 {Fuseing} warriors with each other. Gisela Strangelove 173 Ghosts in the Machine Set traps that disrupt the opponent’s gameplan. Lightning Bolt 174 Jewelcasters Gain life and get effects whenever I gain life. Patricia Albrecht 175 Military Battlefish Dealing damage whenever my opponent does certain actions. Veronika Rasputin 176 Occulto Dell’arte Control my opponents’ actions, forcing them to do what I want. Peter Crowley 177 Pandora’s Locker Plunder warriors from my opponent that I can use to protect my strongest cards. Pyrrha Deucalion 178 People of Menaga Weakening my opponent’s warriors until they turn to stone. Diana Gorgoneio 179
161 Deck Name Gimmick Player Pg. Plus Force: Healers Without Borders Stave off hurt via damage reduction effects. Howard Fleming 180 Psychopomps’ Passage Mill out my opponent’s deck, revealing their end. Morsimos Cerberus 181 Shining Glade Insects Protect the things that demoralise my opponents. Sascha Albrecht 182 Speakers of the Chained Titan Relies on the power of my strongest warriors to play. Conrad Martin 183 Spirit Samurai Advantages from winning clashes. Agathe Stematis 184 Strings of Fate Tie two warriors together, changing their relationship with each other Moira Clotho 185 The Caped Detective Summon “villains” to my opponent’s side of the field. Percival Blanchett 186 The Enclosing Labyrinth Trapping opponents in a maze of walls, then picking them off. Agnes Minos 187 The Inevitable Cronus Huge effects happening after several turns. Melania Phobose 188 Titan Weapons Equip Atlas with items that make him even stronger Orvis Goddard 189 Ultraviolence Light Actions that cause collateral damage to me and my opponent. Jezebel Mercury 190 Web Tapestries of the Spider Queen Recur tapestries that shut down my opponent’s gameplan. Shun Cao 191 Guest Encounters Deck Name Gimmick Player Pg. Life Finds a Way Summoning weak warriors, then buffing them through evolution. Leonard Darwinson 192
Henry Rowan (He/Him) Your Friendly Local Game Store Owner Shuffle On is a games store held in high esteem by locals in the know as one of the city’s best battling spots. Henry, as the owner of the store, has put a lot of effort into creating a kind and welcoming atmosphere that anyone can join in with. DM Cards and Mainphase Network stores are both threatening to put him out of business, but thanks to love from the community, he’s been able to survive - barely. Henry isn’t actually that interested in card games himself (preferring to spend his time playing TTRPGs), but he’s kept up with the metagame enough to help new players get started. Most of his time is spent running the store, but if there’s a spare space in a tourney, he’d be happy to fill it. Adventuring Party A classic fantasy style RPG party - they work together to overcome any challenge that comes their way. Gimmick: Repeating “When you play” effects. Lash Out Against Losing: Reminisce about a time from your past, Tell the opponent that you’re actually going to get serious now. Example Card Names: Level 12 Paladin, Level 6 Sorcerer, Level 7 Druid. Establish a Plan to Win Quest Board Item | {Normal} At the start of your turn, you can choose any number of warriors you control. Activate each of their “When this is played” effects. Use a Simple Card Move. Game Master Warrior | {Strong} Whenever you would Use a Simple Card Move, you can instead do one of the following: - Create a {Strong} warrior - Destroy target warrior an opponent controls - Use two of your normal Simple Card Moves Power Card Moves Level 8 Fighter Warrior | {Normal} When this is played, {Strengthen} each warrior you control. Use a Simple Card Move. Level 5 Wizard Warrior | {Normal} When this is played, use two Simple Card Moves. Use a Simple Card Move. Level 11 Rogue Warrior | {Normal} Level 11 Rogue can’t be blocked. When this is played, deal 1 damage to your opponent. Use two Simple Card Moves. Simple Card Moves Gain 1 life. Sacrifice a warrior you control to destroy a warrior your opponent controls with less or equal strength. Create a {Normal} warrior. 162
Roland Garfield (He/Him) Washed-up Archaeologist turned Card Game Design Teacher As one of the archeologists to discover the rules for Ancient Card Games beneath the Parthenon, Roland should probably be world famous. Despite that, he’s closer to being a washed up professor - spending most of his time at Shuffle City University teaching card game design to his students. Despite this impression, Roland is actually fairly connected to the secrets of the city; if the city’s safety were truly put at risk, he might just step up to protect those he could. With that said, his main focus is on helping the new generation find their footing - if it wasn’t life-threatening, he’s more likely to teach someone how to overcome a problem then deal with it himself. Archeology Automatons Clunky old robots that perform archeology across ancient ruins. The Ancient History Mechadragon is their greatest discovery. Gimmick: Use the opponent’s graveyard to my advantage. Lash Out Against Losing: Pretend to put someone in real danger, Put the burden of solving a problem on the players. Example Card Names: A.A. Surveyor, A.A. Explorer, Historic Discovery Establish a Plan to Win Archeology Automaton Excavation Zone Item | {Strong} Whenever a card enters the opponent’s graveyard, gain 1 life. Use a Simple Card Move. Ancient History Mechadragon Warrior | {Strong} This warrior cannot die due to the effects of any cards with card types matching those in the opponent’s graveyard (Warrior, Item, Invocation). Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves A.A. Retrofitter Warrior | {Normal} This card has the same strength and effects of a warrior or item in your opponent’s graveyard. Use a Simple Card Move. A.A. Identifier Warrior | {Normal} Target opponent discards a card. Use a Simple Card Move. Dawdle Use four Simple Card Moves. Simple Card Moves Create a {Weak} warrior with {Blocker}. Sacrifice a warrior you control to destroy a warrior your opponent controls with less or equal strength. Your opponent puts the top card of their deck into the graveyard. 163
Axton Westall (He/Him) Cultist with a Love for Violence Right hand man to Melania Phobose and wielder of the Dagger of Damocles, Axton is a true believer in the Neo Athenian Church. In his mind, only people as powerful as him are worthy of living - a test he’s more than happy to put others to when the opportunity arises. His Olympian Artefact lets him place bargains on the outcome of card games he participates in, supernaturally forcing the loser to complete horrifying and sometimes gruesome commands from the winner. He holds an intense admiration for Melania, and will do absolutely anything she asks of him. Anyone else that gets close to Melania will quickly become the target of his jealousy, and he’ll often battle them in the name of “judging their worthiness”. Art of the Secret Swords While these ancient blades have long since seen their wielders pass, they have since awakened to taste blood once again. Gimmick: Full offence, no defence. Lash Out Against Losing: Raise the stakes for what losing this game means, Beg and plead for the opponent to give you pity. Example Card Names: Secret Sword: Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, Secret Sword: Asi, Secret Sword: Hrunting. Establish a Plan to Win Secret Sword: Excalibur Warrior | {Strong} {Overwhelm} {Sniper} 1 Excalibur can’t block. Use a Simple Card Move. Secret Sword: Zulfiqar Warrior | {Normal} {Inconspicuous} Each player takes 1 damage at the start of their turn. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Secret Sword: Durendal Warrior | {Strong} {Piercer} 2 Secret Sword: Harpe Warrior | {Weak} {Sniper} 2 This warrior can attack the opponent directly. Use a Simple Card Move. Secret Sword: Ame-noHabakiri Warrior | {Normal} At the start of your turn, you can sacrifice this. If you do, target opponent loses 2 life. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Give a warrior or item your opponent controls {Underwhelm}. {Strengthen} a warrior you control until the end of turn. Create a {Normal} Warrior. 164
Elena Guerrero (She/Her) Naive Girl With a Love for Card Games Ever the worst student in any given class, Elena teeters one bad exam away from expulsion on a daily basis. Despite this, she still loudly insists in the middle of the classroom that one day she’ll be the strongest card gamer in the whole world. A knucklehead filled with childish ideas of what being a “card game legend” entails, it’s still hard to deny that she has potential. With a big smile on her face and a pure love for card games, she’ll challenge you to a match before you’ve even finished introducing yourself, and likely follow that up in short order with expectations of rivalhood. Her naivety and hyperactive nature makes her a magnet for trouble… and for being used as a pawn for others’ ends. B.B.B (Building Block Battalion) A military made of building blocks, battling and working together with the common goal of overcoming evil! Gimmick: Teaming up to overcome threats that would otherwise be impossible. Lash Out Against Losing: Push your body to the edge (risking your health), Ask the opponent to make a promise that they can’t refuse. Example Card Names: B.B.B Explosives Planter, B.B.B. Missile Launch, Operation Star Establish a Plan to Win B.B.B. Star Soldier Warrior | {Normal} B.B.B. Star Soldier has {Piercer} X, where X is the number of warriors in a {Teamwork} group alongside it. Use a Simple Card Move. B.B.B. Warzone Item | {Strong} Use two Power Card Moves on your turn instead of one. At the start of the turn, take 1 damage. Power Card Moves B.B.B. Support Copter Warrior | {Normal} {Strengthen} each warrior you control. Use a Simple Card Move. B.B.B. Toybox Item | {Strong} When you play this and at the start of each of your turns, create a {Weak} warrior with {Teamwork}. Use a Simple Card Move. B.B.B. Reinforcements Invocation Create 4 {Weak} warriors with {Teamwork}. Simple Card Moves Create a {Weak} warrior with {Blocker}. Create a {Normal} warrior. Sacrifice any number of warriors you control. Destroy a warrior an opponent controls with strength equal to or less than the strength the sacrificed warriors would have had while in a {Teamwork} group. 165
Finnley Nuadat (He/Him) Guardian of Shuffle City’s Wildlife Preserves On the outskirts of Shuffle City sits Lanowarr Forest, a wildlife preserve filled with animals and plants from all across the world. Due to the dangerous wild fauna within, many people choose to avoid the forest. However, Finnley chose to make it his home - living entirely off the grid, and becoming close friends with the wildlife within. Though Finnley and the forest have lived peacefully for many years, the Albrecht family has recently begun lobbying to cut down the preserve’s size in favour of more construction land. Finnley has been fighting tooth and nail to stop the people of the city from hurting his animal friends. Bestial Transformations Finnley takes on the aspects of various animals from Lanowarr Forest, changing shape and joining the battle himself. Gimmick: Become a warrior myself, gaining more power from different aspects Lash Out Against Losing: Extoll the virtues of your environmental cause, Call out for beasts to ambush and flock the players. Example Card Names: Aspect of Lizard, Aspect of Giraffe, Aspect of Trout. Establish a Plan to Win Aspect of Elephant Item | {Strong} You’re a {Normal} warrior, or stronger if another card says so. (You can attack. You clash with enemies that attack you as if you were a warrior before you take damage. You only take damage if you lose the clash.) Gain life equal to your starting life total. Use a Simple Card Move. Aspect of Tiger Item | {Normal} You’re a {Strong} warrior. (You can attack. You clash with enemies that attack you as if you were a warrior before you take damage. You only take damage if you lose the clash.) You gain {Overwhelm}. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Aspect of Snake Item | {Normal} You’re a {Weak} warrior, or stronger if another card says so. Whenever you win a clash, target opponent {Fumbles}. Use a Simple Card Move. Aspect of Wolf Item | {Weak} You’re a {Strong} warrior with {Piercer} 1. Use a Simple Card Move. Aspect of Eagle Invocation You’re a {Weak} warrior, or stronger if another card says so. You can attack your opponent directly. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Give yourself {Piercer 1} and {Sniper 1} until the start of your next turn. Create a {Weak} warrior with {Blocker}. Sacrifice an item you control to destroy a warrior or item your opponent controls with less or equal strength. 166
Hope (She/Her or He/Him) The Spirit of Hope Once Left in Pandora’s Box In ancient times, Pandora was a master card gamer who battled threats across the world to keep humanity safe, sealing them in her deck-box. Hope was her constant magical companion. Sadly, in the battle against the titans, Hope was defeated and sealed in the deck box as well. Eventually, the cards Pandora sealed escaped her deck box, either as cards or full creatures again. All except for Hope, who still believed that her friend would save her one day. When Pyrrha gained control of the deck box and began using it for evil, it was the last straw for Hope, who finally escaped in search of new friends. Building Blocks of Hope (B.B.H) A changed version of another card gamer’s deck, this deck gives the building blocks a fantasy theme. Gimmick: Become stronger when I have less life. Lash Out Against Losing: Explain my backstory to the opponent, Thank my opponent for a good battle. Example Card Names: B.B.H Priest, B.B.H Hope Journey, B.B.H Vanguard Establish a Plan to Win B.B.H Hope Hero Warrior | {Strong} {Overwhelming} Unless you have less then half your starting life, this warrior can’t attack and has {Inconspicuous}. Use two Simple Card Moves . B.B.H Path to Victory Item | {Strong} Set your life to 1. You can’t lose life. Power Card Moves B.B.H Magician Warrior | {Normal} While you have less then half your starting life, warriors you control are {Strengthened}. Use a Simple Card Move. B.B.H Rebellion Invocation Create 2 {Weak} warriors with {Teamwork}. If you have less than half your starting life, create {Normal} warriors with {Teamwork} instead. Use a Simple Card Move. B.B.H. Planning Invocation Set your life to half of your starting life total. Use two Simple Card Moves. Simple Card Moves Gain 1 life. Sacrifice a warrior you control to destroy a warrior your opponent controls with less or equal strength. Create a {Normal} warrior. 167
Cory Westall (He/Him) Superstar Card Designer with No Clue What He’s Doing Movie star turned world famous card designer, Cory is known for creating custom cards for the rich and famous to use in their decks. Generally considered a shocking career move after a string of failed films, he’s made a name for himself on his extremely quick turnaround and ability to do things no other card designer seems able to do. The secret to his success is the Cornucopia, an Olympian Artefact with the power to create any card the user can think of. Despite Cory’s lack of personal card game design skills, the ownership of this item has given Cory a rather big head in the card game design business - leading to him often insulting other designers’ work. Cards from the Cornucopia Cory isn’t a very skilled card designer, so the Cornucopia will often make random effects based on what he’s seen before when he draws from it. Gimmick: Random effects with a lot of power. Lash Out Against Losing: Threaten to destroy the Cornucopia, Break down pathetically. Example Card Names: [A card from the player’s deck], [A card the players have seen in a fight before], [Something really silly]. Establish a Plan to Win Open the Floodgates Invocation Use 10 Simple Card Moves at random. (Roll a d8 on the Simple Card Moves table in Chapter 2. Then do it again, and again, and…) “I think I get it now?” Invocation For the rest of the game, when you would roll a die, you can choose to add or subtract 1 to the result. Use 2 Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Warrior who “???” Warrior | {???} Roll a d4: 1. “...is strong”: this card is {Strong} and gains {Overwhelm}. 2. “...can kill”: this card is {Normal} and destroys an opponent’s warrior when it enters the battlefield. 3. “...protects me”: this card is {Strong}, can’t attack, and has {Blocker}. 4. “...does… something.”: this card is {Normal}. Use 2 Simple Card Moves at random. Item that “???” Item | {???} Roll a d4: 1. “...makes guys”: this card is {Strong} and makes a {Weak} warrior with {Teamwork} once per turn. 2. “...ruins your day”: this card is {Normal} and forces target opponent to {Fumble} once per turn. 3. “...lets me attack”: this card is {Weak} and makes you into a {Normal} warrior. 4. “...does… something?”: this card is {Normal} and lets you use an extra Simple Card Move each turn at random. Invocation where I “???” Invocation Roll a d4: 1. “...hurt you”: target opponent loses 2 life. 2. “...heal myself”: you gain 3 life. 3. “...destroy your stuff”: destroy all warriors or items my opponent controls. 4. “...do something!”: use 4 Simple Card Moves. Simple Card Moves Roll a d8 on the Simple Card Moves table in Chapter 2. 168
Karam Trivedi (He/Him or They/Them) Cursed Historian Combating Destiny Once, Karam was a successful and respected historian and scholar of mythological study - tragically, fate had other plans for him. On an investigation into underworld myths, Karam discovered a bracelet that bound itself to him before he was aware of its nature. This Olympian Artefact granted him incredible luck in card games, but a bevy of misfortune in the rest of his life. What’s worse, he discovered a prophecy suggesting a wielder of one of the Olympian Artefacts would become the cruellest tyrant to ever walk the earth. Pragmatic and tired, Karam chose to dedicate his life to stopping the other wielders of Olympian Artefacts from gaining power. Chthonian Thaumaturgy Of the Chthonian gods, one holds power and domain over magic - Hekate the Triple Goddess. They remind Karam of where he found his curse. Gimmick: Increased value from smaller cards (represented by Simple Card Moves). Lash Out Against Losing: Go all out without any holding back, Reveal a supernatural history the players were unaware of. Example Card Names: Underworld Meeting, Knives of Hekate, Statue of the Triple Goddess. Establish a Plan to Win Torches of Hekate Item | {Strong} Once per turn, when you use a Simple Card Move, you may use an additional Simple Card Move. Use a Simple Card Move. Hekate, The Triple Goddess Warrior | {Strong} Whenever you use a Simple Card Move, deal 1 damage to your opponent. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Empousa, Chthonian Guardian Warrior | {Strong} When you use a Simple Card Move, if Empousa is in the graveyard, you can return them to the battlefield instead. Use a Simple Card Move. (You don’t use this when you return Empousa from the graveyard.) Medea, Priest of Hekate Warrior | {Normal} Your Simple Card Moves can’t be affected by Counter Your Opponent’s Play. Use a Simple Card Move. Path of the Triple Goddess Invocation Use 3 Simple Card Moves. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Gain 1 Life. {Strengthen} a warrior you control until the end of turn. Create a {Normal} Warrior. 169
Theodore Mercury (He/Him) Stringent Pacifist in Control of NETDECK NETDECK has existed for centuries, fighting to stop people from discovering the powers of ancient card gaming. In the wake of their failure and the public discovery of card games’ history, the group has reorganised - and with their former leader conceding their post in shame, senior agent Theodore has been put in position as the organisation’s new leader. Using his place in a retirement home for the wealthy to gather information, Theodore commands NETDECK’s three divisions to stop supernatural powers from hurting everyday people. While he’s generally considered rather wise, many of NETDECK’s leadership consider him too much of a pacifist and are looking to oust him. Clerics of Pacifism Fighting isn’t always the answer, and these clerics believe in that above all else. Wielding pens over swords, they espouse the virtues of peace. Gimmick: Whoever has the most life will win the game. Lash Out Against Losing: Give some worldly wisdom to my opponent, Keep my opponent distracted while something important happens. Example Card Names: Church in the Country, Prayer of Peace, Paragon of Charity. Establish a Plan to Win Way of Peace Invocation. In X turns from now the player with the most life will win the game. (X is equal to the players starting life total) No player can lose the game until this effect is resolved. Use a Simple Card Move. Theodore Only Has One Establish a Plan to Win. Power Card Moves Revival Blessing Invocation Until the end of the game, when a warrior would be defeated, instead the competitor who defeated that warrior gains 1 life. Use a Simple Card Move. Cleric of the People Warrior | {Weak} At the start of each turn, gain 1 life. Use a Simple Card Move. Rest in Comfort Invocation Gain 3 Life. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Gain 1 Life. Create a {Normal} Warrior. Create a {Weak} Warrior with {Blocker}. 170
Malcolm Haine (He/Him) The Best Lawyer in all of Shuffle City Coming from a humble family in the outer suburbs of Shuffle City, Howard threw himself into legal studies from a young age. He had hoped to make real, positive change in the world - tragically, this was not to be. One bribe from Dimensional Mechanics after another led to Malcolm being a poor imitation of the brightly-smiling man he once was, little more than a pawn for furthering the corporate hand of DM’s reach. His ego is as fragile and jagged as broken eggshells, desperate to hide from the immorality of his current actions. He’s the sort to try and justify his actions by claiming that ‘no one man is truly evil or good’, so that he might avoid cracking under the cognitive dissonance. Court in Purgatorio Equal parts angel and devil, the judges presiding over the Court in Purgatorio demand the proper formality from all competitors. On the surface, anyways. Gimmick: Splits the battlefield into two halves. Lash Out Against Losing: Threaten legal action for interfering, Claim to be doing all of this for the love of his family Example Card Names: Bill of Last Rites, Dante the Eternal Plaintiff, Cast into Inferno/Paradiso Establish a Plan to Win Invoke Due Judicial Process Invocation Split the battlefield into the Paradiso Court and the Inferno Court. (When cards are played, choose one of these courts to be placed in. Cards can only attack or block cards in the same Court as them. Warriors can spend their attack for the turn to switch Court.) Use two Simple Card Moves. Malcolm Only Has One Establish a Plan to Win. Power Card Moves Vergilius, Cruel Legislator Warrior | {Weak} {Sniper} 666 Use a Simple Card Move. Surprise Witness Item | {Normal} Once per turn, you may switch the Court of any card on the field. Your opponents cannot spend their attacks to switch Courts while you control Surprise Witness. Use a Simple Card Move. Order! Order! Invocation Destroy all warriors and items in target Court. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Create a {Normal} warrior. Create two {Weak} warriors. Target card your opponent controls has no card text while it remains in its current Court. 171
Malo Peleke (He/Him) World Renowned Streamer with an Unbeatable Record Known as “TheInvincibleGamer” online, Malo has never once lost a game on stream. Famous for challenging high profile celebrities, influencers, and card game champions, Malo brings charisma and good sportsmanship to every fight he takes part in. Generally he’s much more interested in making entertaining battles then winning, and it’s for this reason that his undefeated record in live battles is all the more shocking. What Malo and his fans don’t know is that Dimensional Mechanics, as his sponsor, have been secretly rigging each of Malo’s battles to ensure his victory. For whatever reason, they want him to become famous, and are investing substantial resources into making that happen. Dracodancers The Dracodancers are made up of half-human, half-dragon hybrids with a love for all forms of dance. They mix in their elemental breath with impressive choreography. Gimmick: Friendly universal effects that I take the most advantage of. Lash Out Against Losing: Dimensional Mechanics tries to sabotage the game, Dimensional Mechanics tries to force the player into giving up. Example Card Names: Dracodancer Disco, Dracodancer Folk, Dracodancer Jazz. Establish a Plan to Win Dracodancer Stage Item | {Strong} When a warrior would die, it instead stays on the field and its owner takes 1 damage. Use a Simple Card Move. Dracodancer Ballroom Warrior | {Normal} At the start of each player’s turn, that player creates a {Weak} warrior. Other warriors you control are {Strengthened} and have {Overwhelm}. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Dracodancer Ballet Warrior | {Weak} When this warrior is played, destroy target warrior or item the opponent controls. Use a Simple Card Move. Dracodancer HipHop Warrior | {Normal} Warriors must attack if possible. Dracodancer HipHop can attack directly. Use a Simple Card Move. Dracodancer Tap Warrior | {Normal} {Overwhelm} All warriors and items except for Dracodancer Tap gain {Inconspicuous} Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Create a {Normal} warrior. Sacrifice a warrior you control to destroy a warrior your opponent controls with less or equal strength. {Strengthen} a warrior you control until the end of turn. 172
Gisela Strangelove (She/Her) The Mad Scientist Behind Dimensional Mechanics While Peter Crowley is the face of Dimensional Mechanics, Gisela is the force behind Research and Development. Once accused of being a “mad scientist”, today her innovations at the company have led to her being a respected scientist and inventor. What most people don’t know, however, is the immoral methods with which she experiments and designs new technology. To power the New World Portal technology behind DM’s success, Gisela devised a battery powered by mental energy and willpower. People from across Shuffle City are kidnapped to power this battery - often being experimented on by Gisela and subsequently cast back outside, bringing strange powers gained from other worlds with them. Experiment #21: “THE GILGAMESH PROJECT” Of the many experiments made illegal by the government, Experiment #21 is one of the best known - a truly unethical methodology for fusing live humans. Gimmick: {Fusing} warriors with each other (See Special Keywords in Chapter 6). Lash Out Against Losing: Reveal that you’ve rigged the surroundings to explode, Call on reinforcements. Example Card Names: ENKIDU Black Site, Contraband Compound, Illegal Experimentation. Establish a Plan to Win GILGAMESH Amalgam Warrior | {Normal} {Overwhelm} When this defeats a warrior in a clash, {Fuse} this card with the defeated warrior. Use a Simple Card Move. Last Resort Item | {Strong} Once per turn, {Fuse} yourself with a warrior you control. (While you’re a warrior: You can attack. You clash with enemies that attack you as if you were a warrior before you take damage. You only take damage if you lose the clash.) Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Unwilling Test Subject Warrior | {Weak} {Fusion Potential}: {Sniper} 1, {Piercer} 1. Use a Simple Card Move. Malformed Splicing Invocation {Fuse} all of the warriors your opponent controls. The new warrior gains {Underwhelm}. Use a Simple Card Move. Experimental Technician Warrior | {Normal} Once per turn, target opponent {Fumbles}. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves {Strengthen} target warrior you control until the end of the turn. Create a {Normal} Warrior. {Fuse} two target warriors you control. 173
Lightning Bolt (She/Her) Zealous Agent of NETDECK’s AGGRO Division There are legends throughout Shuffle City of the legendary hacker “Lightning Bolt” who once stole millions from Dimensional Mechanics. While this story is true, Lightning Bolt is no longer just a petty criminal - instead, she’s one of NETDECK’s best agents, working in the AGGRO Division to take down supernatural card game threats. Orphaned alongside her sister Agathe Stemantis, Lisandra became a hacker to help make ends meet. However, after discovering Olympian Artefacts were the cause for her parents’ death, she took on the name Lightning Bolt full time, joining NETDECK to give her the edge she needed for her revenge. Ghosts in the Machine Malicious programs that throw wrenches into the players’ strategies. While most of these are aspects of the card game, some include active real world hacking. Gimmick: Set traps that disrupt my opponent’s gameplan. Lash Out Against Losing: Create a distraction to try and escape, Reveal a secret that shakes the players to their core. Example Card Names: Ghost Program Social Engineer, Ghost Program Overwrite, Ghost Program Malware. Establish a Plan to Win Battle Disk Disabling Program Item | {Strong} Disable the opponent’s battle disk so they can’t play the game in X turns (X is equal to starting life total). Use a Simple Card Move. Spirit Samurai Kojiwraith Warrior | {Normal} {Overwhelm} Whenever you lose a clash, target opponent discards a card. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Ghost Program Trojan Item | {Normal} {Inconspicuous} When an opponent plays a card, you may sacrifice this to counter the play of that card. Use a Simple Card Move. Ghost Program Counterhack Item | {Normal} {Inconspicuous} When a player Decides the Outcome of a Clash, you may sacrifice this to make it so they fail. Use a Simple Card Move. Ghost Program Living Code Item | {Normal} At the end of each of your turns, create a {Normal} warrior with {Blocker}. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Sacrifice an item you control to destroy a warrior your opponent controls with less or equal strength. Create a {Weak} warrior with {Blocker}. Gain 1 Life. 174
Patricia Albrecht (She/Her) Rich Kid with Imposter Syndrome Second in line to inherit the Albrecht family’s fortune and shipping empire, Patricia has had an extremely charmed life. Having been given lessons by some of the world’s best card gamers since she was as young as 6, she’s a veteran of tournaments across Shuffle City. The fact that she has never won a single one despite all the training has given her a severe case of imposter syndrome, something she actively covers up with a facade of cocky overconfidence. A student at Shuffle City University, Patricia has quickly gained a reputation as a bully among the students. In particular, she’s known to target people that are well known in the card gaming scene or confident in their gaming abilities. Jewelcasters Spellcasters that use jewels fueled by life energy for magic. The jewels have since grown into their bodies, making them part-human, part-jewel. Gimmick: Gain life and get effects whenever I gain life. Lash Out Against Losing: Insult the players in a cutting way, Resolve to put yourself in danger if they let you lose. Example Card Names: Jewelcaster Diamond, Jewelcaster Emerald, Jewelcaster Signature Spell Establish a Plan to Win Jewelcaster Amber Warrior | {Normal} If this card is destroyed, gain 2 life. Whenever you gain life, create a {Weak} warrior with {Teamwork}. Use a Simple Card Move. Jewelcaster Refinement Invocation Pay all but 1 life. For each life spent, give a Jewelcaster one of the following effects: - {Strengthen} them. - Give them {Piercer} 1. This can stack. - Give them {Sniper} 1. This can stack. Power Card Moves Jewelcaster Ruby Warrior | {Weak} Gain 1 life at the end of each turn. (opponents included) Use a Simple Card Move. Jewelcaster Ritual Item | {Normal} At the start of your next turn, deal damage to your opponent equal to the amount of life you gained the turn you played Jewelcaster Ritual, then destroy this item. Jewelcaster Sapphire Warrior | {Weak} Whenever you gain life, {Strengthen} this card permanently. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Gain 1 life. Give a warrior or item your opponent controls {Underwhelm} Create a {Normal} warrior. 175
Veronika Rasputin (She/Her) Revenge-seeking Dockworker with Superpowers Four years ago, when Veronika disappeared, most people just assumed it was because of her troubled home life. In truth, she was kidnapped by the world’s most successful card gaming company, Dimensional Mechanics. For the year that Veronika was kidnapped, she was experimented on and used to power their New World Program. When she came back, she suddenly had the strange ability to lift things many times her weight. While her memories of the event remain fuzzy, Veronika has dedicated her life to taking down her captors. Working a day job at the Mulligan Shipyard, she leads a small gang of criminals looking to topple Dimensional Mechanics by whatever means she deems necessary. Military Battlefish Fiercely swimming through the ocean, the Battlefish are the military’s secret weapon - fish with chassis as sturdy as mighty battleships. Gimmick: Dealing damage whenever my opponent does certain actions. Lash Out Against Losing: Explain why you can’t lose this fight no matter what, Put something the players care about at risk. Example Card Names: Dolphinship Frigate, Turtleship Seawall, Octoship Bomber. Establish a Plan to Win Mantaship Carrier Warrior | {Normal} When a warrior an opponent controls attacks, deal 1 damage to that opponent. Use a Simple Card Move. Sharkship Destroyer Warrior | {Normal} When your opponent draws a card, deal 1 damage to them. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Whaleship Command Warrior | {Strong} {Defender} Puffership Submarine Warrior | {Normal} {Inconspicuous} {Underwhelm} This warrior can attack the opponent directly. Use a Simple Card Move. Fleet Schooling Invocation Create four {Weak} warriors. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Sacrifice a warrior you control to destroy a warrior your opponent controls with less or equal strength. {Fumble} target opponent. If the opponent does the described action, instead of Veronika using a response move, she deals that player 1 damage. Create a {Normal} warrior. 176
Peter Crowley (He/Him) CEO of Dimensional Mechanics Maybe the singular most well known man in all of Shuffle City, Peter is generally considered charismatic and theatrical, if somewhat cold-hearted as a businessman. A genius in his own right, he holds an extreme interest in the occult and has dedicated his life to the funding and study of strange technologies so that he can control it. He is cocky above all else, and seems to always know the answer to any question he might have. This is because he holds “Achilles’ Eyepatch”, an ancient Olympian Artefact that lets him answer any question that someone on earth knows the answer to. Occulto Dell’arte Corrupted from the archetypes of the Commedia Dell’arte, these faceless puppets take their place on stage surging with occult energy. Gimmick: Control my opponents’ actions, forcing them to do what I want. Lash Out Against Losing: Ensure the loser of this match will die a terrible death, Reveal how something close to a player is now owned by Dimensional Mechanics. Example Card Names: Spell of Il Dottore, Magick Pulcinella, Gnostic Colombina. Establish a Plan to Win Tragic Script Item | {Strong} In X turns, take control of each of your opponent’s next turn. You choose everything that they do during this turn. (X is equal to that player’s starting life total - 1.) Use two Simple Card Moves. Comedic Script Item | {Strong} If a warrior an opponent controls deals damage to you, you gain control of that warrior. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Chaos Harlequin Warrior | {Normal} Opponents that can Decide the Outcome of a Clash on their turn must Decide the Outcome of a Clash at least once during each of their turns. Use a Simple Card Move. Summoned Zanni Warrior | {Weak} {Blocker} At the end of the opponent’s turn, if Zanni died this turn, return it to the battlefield. Use a Simple Card Move. Esoteric Pantalone Warrior | {Normal} At the end of your turn, choose target warrior or item an opponent controls; it loses all text until the end of your next turn. Use two Simple Card Moves. Simple Card Moves Gain 1 life. Give a warrior or item your opponent controls {Underwhelm}. Target warrior your opponent controls loses all text until the start of your next turn. 177
Pyrrha Deucalion (She/Her) The Pirate Queen of Shuffle City The greatest pirate in the seven seas and captain of The Black Lotus, Pyrrha has taken the shores of Shuffle City as her home - leveraging the bustling shipping industry to steal card game treasures once reach port. Known to be as fierce as she is feared, Pyrrha is always ready to prove a point in the cruellest way possible. Most businesses in the city pay her expensive tributes to prevent her from plundering every last one of their wares. One of the main reasons for her great success is her ownership of Pandora’s Deck Box. This Olympian Artefact and family heirloom allows her to steal the soul of anyone she defeats in a card game - something she has used plenty of times proudly. Pandora’s Locker An army of undead pirates made up of the numerous souls Pyrrha has taken from her victories. They all look sad or afraid. Gimmick: Plunder warriors from my opponent that I can use to protect my strongest cards. Lash Out Against Losing: Pull a gun or knife on my opponent’s ally (threatening their life), Try to destroy the soul-card of someone my opponent cared about. Example Card Names: Soul of Dread Roberts, Soul of Redbeard, Soul of [Someone the players care about] Establish a Plan to Win Soul of Davy Jones Warrior | {Strong} When Davy Jones destroys an opponent’s warrior in a clash, create a {Weak} warrior. Whenever Davy Jones would die, you can instead sacrifice another warrior you control. Use a Simple Card Move. Ghost Ship Warrior | {Weak} {Inconspicuous} Play this to the opponent’s field instead of yours. At the end of the turn, while you control Ghost Ship, discard the top card of your deck until you reveal a warrior or item - your opponent may cast that card for free. Power Card Moves Soul of Bonny Warrior | {Normal} {Overwhelm} {Piercer} 1 When Bonny would die, instead you can sacrifice another warrior you control. Soul of Blackbeard Warrior | {Normal} At the beginning of your turn, create a {Weak} warrior. When Blackbeard would die, instead you can sacrifice another warrior you control. Skeleton Crew Warrior | {Weak} {Teamwork} This warrior can attack directly. When it deals damage to the opponent, create a copy of this card. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Create two {Weak} warriors. Sacrifice a warrior you control to destroy a warrior your opponent controls with less or equal strength. {Strengthen} a warrior you control until the end of turn. 178
Diana Gorgoneio (She/Her) Antisocial Medusa with a Knack for Card Game Design Renowned as the world’s best card game designer, Diana is a recluse by nature. She refuses to leave her apartment, spending most of her time watching nerdy TV on the couch. Even when she accepts a commission, she hires proxies to interact with her wealthy benefactors - coasting off of the large sums of money for months at a time until she takes on another job. However, Diana isn’t just antisocial; in truth, her true identity is that of a gorgon, with hair of snakes and a gaze that petrifies those she lays eyes upon. She loves card games and will ramble about game design at a moment’s notice, but avoids social connection at every turn in fear of hurting others with her powers. People of Menaga A society of snake-people with eyes that weaken anyone they look at, eventually turning them to stone. Only other snake-people are immune. Gimmick: Weakening my opponent’s warriors until they turn to stone. Lash Out Against Losing: Mistakenly look at my opponent (slowly turning them to stone), Break down into tears at the prospect of actual human connection. Example Card Names: Menaga Healer Donelle, Menaga Archivist Havu, Menaga Seer Vasuki. Establish a Plan to Win Hall of the Menaga Item | {Strong} {Overwhelm} {Weak} warriors become items and lose all text. Use a Simple Card Move. Menaga Queen Nyoka Warrior | {Normal} {Sniper} X, where X is the number of items your opponent controls. {Piercer} X, where X is the number of items your opponent controls. Power Card Moves Menaga Trader Fani Warrior | {Normal} Once per turn, reduce the strength of one target warrior your opponent controls. (This works in the same way as Gaze of Medusa.) Use a Simple Card Move. Menaga Warrior Sarpa Warrior | {Normal} {Overwhelm} When Sarpa defeats an opponent’s warrior in a clash, that warrior becomes a {Weak} item with no text instead of being destroyed. Use a Simple Card Move. Gaze of Medusa Invocation Reduce the strength of all of your opponent’s warriors. ({Strong} warriors become {Normal}. {Normal} warriors become {Weak}. {Weak} warriors become items and lose all text.) Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves {Strengthen} target warrior. Reduce the strength of target warrior an opponent controls. (This works in the same way as Gaze of Medusa.) Target warrior your opponent controls loses all text until the start of your next turn. 179
Howard Fleming (They/Them or He/Him) Ever-busy Doctor with a Packed Schedule Between working full shifts at the Shuffle City Central Public Hospital and prescribing medication at Oneiroi Labs, Fleming’s had their calendar full almost 24/7 for years - Despite this, when a string of patients with amnesia and highly unusual symptoms made their way to one or the other, Fleming turned to investigation. Having noticed that a number of patients had connections with the docks, Howard investigated - only for Pyrrha to notice their skills and blackmail them into working on her crew, taking up even more of his precious time. Plus Force: Healers Without Borders Backed by the world’s leading medical technologies, the Plus Force is a crack team of vehicledriving doctors who believe an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Gimmick: Stave off hurt via damage reduction effects Lash Out Against Losing: Pass out in the middle of battle from overwork, Pirates threaten the players for getting involved with their doctor. Example Card Names: Plus Force Life Raft, Plus Force First Responders, Caduceus of Care Establish a Plan to Win Plus Force Rescue Raft Item | {Strong} All damage to you is reduced by 1. Use two Simple Card Moves. Plus Force Captain, Asclepius Warrior | {Normal} You can only take a maximum of 1 damage per turn and can’t gain life. When an opponent’s warrior would attack Asclepius, they attack directly instead. At the end of each opponent’s turn, if you didn’t take damage, win the game. Power Card Moves Plus Force Helper Helicopter Item | {Normal} {Overwhelm} When a card other than Helper Helicopter is attacked, {Strengthen} that warrior until the end of your next turn. Plus Force Urgent Care Ward Item | {Strong} When played and the start of your turn, create two {Weak} warriors with {Blocker} and {Teamwork}. Use a Simple Card Move. Plus Force Rescue Ladder Item | {Normal} Attach this card to target warrior an opponent controls. At the start of your turn, if you haven’t taken damage since your last turn, take control of that warrior until the end of your next turn. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Gain 1 Life. Create a {Weak} warrior with {Blocker}. Create a {Normal} warrior. 180
Morsimos Cerberus (It/Its) Death Itself and Every Legend of the Afterlife When people die, sometimes they will be challenged by death itself for a second chance at life. Whether as a reaper, an angel, a three-headed dog, or any other number of guises, they’ll be there; if you hold enough willpower to try and survive, Morsimos will challenge you to a card game, with one more chance at life as the stakes. During this game, they will be almost silent, and maybe somewhat judging. Using the minimal possible words, they won’t hold back - making it known clearly that if they win, it will spell the end of your story. The rare person who truly gets to know them may discover that they hold a lot of love for humanity, and thus uses games as a way to give people another chance, even despite their duty’s obligations. Psychopomps’ Passage There are many stories about who will greet you when you die - Morsimos is all of these stories, and so is its deck. Gimmick: Mill out my opponent’s deck, revealing their end. Lash Out Against Losing: Show how the world will be after my opponent has passed, Show kindness in my opponent’s passing. Example Card Names: Calls to Valhalla, Scythe of the Reaper, Wheel of Samsara Establish a Plan to Win Last Gasps Invocation. For the rest of the game, if the opponent draws or discards a card from their deck and they have no cards left, they lose 1 life. Use a Simple Card Move. Morsimos Only Has One Establish a Plan to Win. Power Card Moves Weigh the Heart Invocation Name a card type (Warrior, Item, Invocation). The opponent reveals a card from their hand at random and discards it. If you guessed the card type correctly, they lose 1 life and draw a card. Otherwise they gain 1 life and draw a card. Use a Simple Card Move. Stygian Coins Item | {Normal} Warriors can’t attack unless they have a “coin” counter. Once on each players’ turn, that player can give one of their warriors a “coin” counter. Use a Simple Card Move. Pearly Gates Item | {Strong} When an opponent’s warrior attacks, gain 1 life. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Target player discards a card from the top of their deck. Gain 1 Life. Create a {Weak} warrior with {Blocker}. 181
Sascha Albrecht (They/Them) Heir Apparent with Ambition Beyond Reason First in line to inherit the Albrecht family shipping company, Sascha has one goal: protect the empire that their father built at all costs. A charismatic and friendly person on first blush, they’re secretly much more manipulative and ruthless than they appear. From behind the scenes, they’ve guided politicians and other companies into giving Albrecht Shipping even more power, convincing people that changes from the status quo are a massive risk. You’re most likely to meet Sascha as an ally, someone who might even seem like a friend. They’ll guide you into doing things that are convenient for them, but the moment you go against their interests, you’ll face the full force of their anger. Shining Glade Insects Insectile warriors wielding sewing needle spears and pin-prick swords - their goal is to protect their home at all costs. Gimmick: Protect the things that demoralise my opponents. Lash Out Against Losing: Become relentless and reveal that I never cared, Put my own life at risk (making it so if the opponent wins, I might be hurt). Example Card Names: Shining Glade Ant Army, Shining Glade Ladybug Lancers, Blessings of the Shining Glade Establish a Plan to Win The Shining Glade Item | {Strong} Your opponent is always treated as if they have no Combat Tension. Use two Simple Card Moves. The Blessed Forest Item | {Strong} This Item is always treated as “The Shining Glade”. When a warrior an opponent controls attacks, flip a coin - on heads, the attack is countered. Use two Simple Card Moves. Power Card Moves Shining Glade Paladin Moth Warrior | {Strong} The Shining Glade gains {Inconspicuous} while this is on the field. Use a Simple Card Move. Shining Glade Spider Knight Warrior | {Normal} At the start of each turn, select one of the opponent’s warriors: that warrior loses all text until the start of your next turn. Use a Simple Card Move. Shining Glade Beetle Blockade Invocation Create 4 {Weak} warriors with {Blocker}. Simple Card Moves Create a {Weak} warrior with {Blocker}. Gain 1 Life. Target warrior your opponent controls loses all text until the start of your next turn. 182
Conrad Martin (He/Him) The Cocky Founder of Dimensional Mechanics Only Rival Dimensional Mechanics is the big name in card games, but they have one competitor - Mainphase Technologies. Started by Conrad as a small tech company, it quickly grew to second place in the international card games scene. With innovative digital battle disks utilising proprietary e-decks, Mainphase quickly became well known for their quality compared to their competitors. Conrad himself is cocky above all else, insistent that he’s the best card gamer in the entire city. Despite this, he’s almost completely unaware of the city’s secrets “- even wielding a Sealed Titan himself while unaware to its power and history. Speakers of the Chained Titan Prometheus gave fire to humanity, and as punishment was chained to a rock and gored by eagles. These are those who speak for him. Gimmick: Relies on the power of my strongest warriors to win. Lash Out Against Losing: Put my own life at risk if I lose, Buy out something important to the players. Example Card Names: Acolyte of Prometheus, Final Word Speaker, Ship of Theseus. Establish a Plan to Win Chained Titan - Prometheus Warrior | {Strong} {Overwhelm} Opponent’s Staples gain {Overwork}. Use a Simple Card Move. Unchained Prometheus Warrior | {Strong} {Overwhelm} Opponents play with the top card of their deck revealed. They can play the top card of their deck. Opponents can’t play cards from their hand. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Truename Speaker Warrior | {Normal} When this is played, if you control Prometheus, gain 3 life. Use a Simple Card Move. Curse Speaker Warrior | {Normal} When this is played, if you control Prometheus, destroy target warrior or item. Use two Simple Card Moves. Silent Speaker Warrior | {Normal} At the start of your turn, if you control Prometheus, deal 1 damage to your opponent. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Create a {Normal} warrior. Give a warrior or item your opponent controls {Underwhelm}. Sacrifice a warrior you control to destroy a warrior your opponent controls with less or equal strength. 183
Agathe Stematis (She/Her) Card Game Influencer with a Dedicated Fanbase As a popular card gaming influencer under the name “AggieWins”, Agathe found success reviewing cards, explaining the metagame, and partaking in silly card gaming challenges. Her fans appreciate her happy-go-lucky personality and friendliness, something that contrasts with the “spooky” aesthetics for her streams. In her offline life, Agathe studies at Shuffle City University to learn video editing. Her hopes are that one day her streams will get big enough that her missing sister will see, so that the two might finally be able to reconnect. Spirit Samurai Warriors from beyond the grave reawaken to do battle once again, challenging all in sight to a clash of blades. Gimmick: Advantages from winning clashes. Lash Out Against Losing: Become depressed at your lack of ability, My fans cheer me up and reignite my passion. Example Card Names: Armour of the Spirit Samurai, Spirit Samurai Hanztu, Cursed Blade Muramasa. Establish a Plan to Win Spirit Samurai Masamare Warrior | {Normal} Masamare may always roll to Decide the Outcome of a Clash, even against cards it couldn’t otherwise. Whenever a Spirit Samurai wins a clash, use a Simple Card Move. Use a Simple Card Move. Moonlight Haunting Item | {Strong} {Inconspicuous} Whenever a Spirit Samurai you control wins a clash, {Strengthen} it. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Spirit Samurai Mubanshee Warrior | {Strong} {Piercer} 2 Spirit Samurai Mubanshee can’t attack the opponent directly. Use a Simple Card Move. Spirit Samurai Hideyokai Warrior | {Normal} At the start of your turn, create a {Normal} warrior with either {Blocker} or {Overwhelm}. Your opponent creates a {Weak} warrior. Use a Simple Card Move. Crossroads Killing Invocation. {Strengthen} target warrior you control. It battles with target warrior your opponent controls. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Create a {Normal} warrior. {Strengthen} a warrior you control until the end of turn. Target warrior your opponent controls loses all text until the start of your next turn. 184
Moira Clotho (She/Her) Weaver of Fate Searching for Mortal Joy Having spent eternity weaving the fate of that which was, is, and could be, Clotho - the youngest of her siblings - found herself desiring a change. She wanted to experience the mortal world herself - and after some convincing, her sisters permitted her to walk amongst humanity in mortal form. An outsider by nature, Moira has joined Shuffle City in search of what makes mortal lives special. She offers divination services to pay the bills, but her joys are in exploring the city and indulging in the delights of human experience. Most likely, you’ll find her in the city’s clubs, museums, or classrooms, exploring all there is to being human. Strings of Fate The threads of fate bind together those with a shared destiny, leaving them inexorably connected - whether by love, hate, coincidence, or any other number of weaves. Gimmick: Tie two warriors together, changing their relationship with each other. Lash Out Against Losing: Reveal a dark secret about the players’ futures, Prophesise a strange and calamitous fate. Example Card Names: Augury Master, Delphic Visionary, Sundered Destiny. Establish a Plan to Win Maiden of Fate Warrior | {Normal} {Overwhelm} Maiden of Fate can attack directly. Once on your turn, Maiden of Fate gains a “String” with a warrior your opponent controls. Warriors that Maiden of Fate has Strings on cannot attack it. Use a Simple Card Move. Shattered Weave Item | {Strong} {Inconspicuous} Warriors you control are {Strengthened} for each String they have with other warriors. Warriors your opponents control gain {Underwhelm} if they have any Strings with other warriors. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Prophecy Breaker Warrior | {Normal} When you play this, Prophecy Breaker gains a “String” with a warrior your opponent controls. When Prophecy Breaker dies, destroy all warriors it has Strings with. Use a Simple Card Move. Destiny’s Cudgel Warrior | {Normal} Once on your turn, Destiny’s Cudgel gains a “String” with a warrior your opponent controls. When Destiny’s Cudgel destroys a warrior it has a String with, deal 1 damage to that warrior’s controller. Use a Simple Card Move. Dawdle Use 4 Simple Card Moves. Simple Card Moves Target warrior you control gains a String with a warrior your opponent controls. Create a {Weak} warrior with {Blocker}. Target warrior your opponent controls loses all text until the start of your next turn. 185
Percival Blanchett (He/Him) Corrupt Cop with Dreams of Being a Hero As a child, Percival envied the police detectives he saw in movies and TV. He dreamed of protecting his home from the forces of evil, and when he was able to sign up for police training, he jumped at the opportunity. Today, Percival is little more than Dimensional Mechanic’s attack dog. Blinded by the hatred and dogma of his peers, he assumes the worst in people until 100% otherwise. All too quick to pull a battle disk on those he believes to be guilty, his simplistic worldview and fear of backing down has led him directly into DM’s pockets. In his mind, a company ‘altruistic’ enough to hold so much sway over Shuffle City must be in the right despite all the terrible things they ask him to do, The Caped Detective A hero of the people, The Caped Detective takes on the streets of Crime City to enforce the law and put in their place those that deserve it in their place. Gimmick: Summon “villains” to my opponent’s side of the field Lash Out Against Losing: Wrongfully accuse my opponent of committing a crime, Unholster my baton. Example Card Names: Backstreet Crimeboss, The Boy Sleuth, Secret Identity Establish a Plan to Win The Caped Detective Warrior | {Strong} {Piercer} 1 Once per turn when a villain is destroyed, The Caped Detective can attack an additional time this turn. Use a Simple Card Move. Into My Own Hands Item | {Strong} You are a {Normal} Warrior. You are {Strengthened} while attacking villains. All opponents are villains. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves The Lynchpin Warrior | {Normal} This card enters play under your opponent’s control. This card is a villain. When this card is destroyed, its controller must sacrifice another non-villain warrior they control. Use two Simple Card Moves. Clean Up The Streets Invocation Target opponent creates three {weak} warriors with “This is a villain. When this is destroyed, the player who destroys it {Strengthens} a warrior they control.” Use 2 Simple Card Moves. Lay Down The Law Item | {Normal} {Inconspicuous} At the end of each competitor’s turn, they lose 1 life for each villain they control. Use 2 Simple Card Moves. Simple Card Moves Each opponent creates a {Weak} warrior with “This card is a villain” Sacrifice a warrior you control to destroy a warrior your opponent controls with less or equal strength. Create a {Normal} warrior. 186
Agnes Minos (It/Its or She/Her) One of many cast-off experiments of Dimensional Mechanics and their New World Portal, Agnes left their secret labs in disarray; with her body now possessing bestial and bovine features and a memory wiped of almost all of her past. Her one saving grace, ironically enough, was a side effect of the experimentation - an otherwise perfect memory. Faced with the heartless exploitation of Dimensional Mechanics on one side and public harassment over her new form on the other, Agnes has become a recluse interacting primarily through the Internet - now making a living as an elusive and prodigious technician. She never forgets a loose spring, an unbracketed line of code, or a grudge unpaid. The Enclosing Labyrinth The memories of the labyrinthine world Agnes found itself in imprinted onto a deck - it fights by sealing her and her opponents away from any closure or escape. Gimmick: Trapping opponents in a maze of walls, then picking them off Lash Out Against Losing: Hide yourself from reach of the players, Break something in a tearful rage Example Card Names: Decaying Passageway, To Daedalus’s Specifications, Minos the Maze-Tyrant. Establish a Plan to Win Asterion, the Entombed Warrior | {Strong} {Piercer} 1 Asterion cannot attack by normal means. Immediately after any item clashes with an opponent’s warrior, Asterion may immediately clash with that warrior. Use a Simple Card Move. Collapse of the Labyrinth Invocation Create the Labyrinth Grand Gate. (It’s a {Normal} item with {Blocker} and {Overwhelm}.) For the rest of the game, at the start of each player’s turn, if they control less Items than you, they take 1 damage. Power Card Moves Corridor of Confusion Item | {Normal} {Blocker} When an effect is activated that targets or affects another card on the field, you may make it affect Corridor of Confusion instead. Use two Simple Card Moves. Theseus, Mazewalker Warrior | {Weak} This warrior is {Strengthened} for each Item you control. (This changes whenever you gain or lose items.) Use a Simple Card Move. Phalanx of Granite Pikes Item | {Normal} {Blocker} When a competitor attacks Phalanx of Granite Pikes, that competitor loses 1 life. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Create a {Normal} item with {Blocker}. {Weaken} an opponent’s warrior or item until the end of their next turn. Sacrifice an item you control to destroy a warrior your opponent controls with less or equal strength. 187
Melania Phobose (She/Her) Immortal Leader of the Neo Athenian Church Thousands of years ago, Melania came across the Locked Titan Cronus. In return for granting her immortality, Melania promised to help Cronus free himself. Wise and patient in a manner that belies her age despite her youthful appearance, Melania started the modern-day Neo Athenian Church as a way to achieve her goals - having gained hundreds of followers since. Years of being manipulated by Cronus has led to Melania becoming something of a bigot. She only believes in the value of those who possess supernatural abilities - she might use normal people for the sake of gaining more power, but they’re little more than pawns to her. She believes that only those with powers will survive when the titans are free, and that allowing this to happen will “set the world right.” The Inevitable Cronus Even sealed away, the power of Cronus upon the world is inexorable. Cloaked in death itself, the strongest of the titans ensures victory through merely the passage of time. Gimmick: Huge effects happening after several turns. Lash Out Against Losing: Cast dark magic over the game, Use the opponent’s inadequacies against them. Example Card Names: Encounter the Inevitable, Move Forward Despite It All, Rot and Succumb to Time. Establish a Plan to Win Locked Titan - Cronus Warrior | {Strong} {Overwhelm} If Cronus deals damage to an opponent, you win the game. This card is treated as an item until X turns have passed. (X is equal to your opponents starting life total -1) Use two Simple Card Moves. Time Simply Passes Item | {Strong} {Inconspicuous} This card can’t be destroyed by any means. At the start of your opponent’s turn, they take 1 damage. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves All Things Die Invocation Destroy up to three target warriors. Use 0-2 Simple Card Moves inversely proportional to the number of warriors destroyed. Every Moment at Once Warrior | {Weak} At the end of your turn, decide whether this warrior is: - {Weak} and has {Sniper} 2 - {Normal} and has {Piercer} 1 - {Strong} and can’t attack. Use a Simple Card Move. Dawdle Use 4 Simple Card Moves. Simple Card Moves Create a {Weak} warrior with {Blocker}. Gain 1 Life. Target warrior your opponent controls loses all text until the start of your next turn. 188
Orvis Goddard (They/Them) Knucklehead Wielding Cataclysmic Power Hot-headed and belligerent to a fault, Orvis is deeply invested in getting done what they believe to be right! They’re the kind of person who is good at becoming a hero, going out of their way to help those in need. It’s a shame, then, that they’ve been convinced that arranging the exceedingly dangerous Sealed Titans into a battle with one another will help the people of the city. (It won’t. Quite the opposite actually.) Wielding the “Burdened Titan - Atlas” as a family heirloom, they’ve made it their mission to fulfil the family dream of releasing the titans. Completely unaware of the apocalyptic calamity this could be, they go about their day on the hunt for others who know about the titans, helping people along the way. Titan Weapons Huge-sized weapons that are wielded by the Burdened Titan - Atlas while he holds up the earth. Each is the size of whole islands. Gimmick: Equip Atlas with items that make him even stronger. Lash Out Against Losing: Reveal a sad history about why I’m doing this, Do something risky that puts myself in harm’s way. Example Card Names: Cave Slider, Sky Carver, With the Weight of the World Establish a Plan to Win Burdened Titan - Atlas Warrior | {Strong} {Piercer} 2, {Overwhelm} Warriors clashing with this lose {Overwhelm}. Use a Simple Card Move. World Let Loose Invocation Destroy all cards your opponent controls. They discard their hand. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Mountain Buster Item | {Normal} Equip this card to one target warrior. That warrior gains {Blocker} and can attack an item once each turn, in addition to its other attacks. Use two Simple Card Moves. Ocean Parter Item | {Normal} Equip this card to one target warrior. That warrior gains {Inconspicuous} and can attack directly. Use a Simple Card Move. Acolyte of Atlas Warrior | {Normal} Return any items put into the graveyard onto the field, and equip them to this card if possible. Use a Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves {Strengthen} a warrior you control until the end of turn. Target warrior your opponent controls loses all text until the start of your next turn. Create a {Weak} Item with “Equip this card to one target warrior - that warrior gains {Sniper} 1”. 189
Jezebel Mercury (She/Her) Troubled Girl with Anger Issues and Incredible Destructive Power The child of NETDECK’s head director has had a life wracked with misfortune; angry at her father neglecting family for duty, she ran and was quickly captured by Dimensional Mechanics. Having been made a test subject to their experiments on psychic powers, she returned two years later with no recollection of the time spent there, and with the power to create hard light constructs and lasers. With her anger issues and antisocial behaviour having only gotten worse, she was easily able to be manipulated by the Neo Athenian Church. She now acts as Melania Phobose’s secret ultimate weapon, a tool to weaponize against anyone who would dare go against the Church’s doctrine. Ultraviolence Light Jezebel’s powers let her turn light into weaponized constructs and lasers, serving as a lethal equivalent to a regular card game deck. Gimmick: Actions that cause collateral damage to me and my opponent. Lash Out Against Losing: Threaten the players’ life, Destroy everything around me. Example Card Names: Revival of Ultraviolence, Origin of Ultraviolence, Construct of Ultraviolence. Establish a Plan to Win Regalia of Ultraviolence Item | {Normal} You are a {Strong} warrior with {Overwhelm}. (You can attack. You clash with enemies that attack you as if you were a warrior before you take damage. You only take damage if you lose the clash.) Use a Simple Card Move. Apocalypse of Ultraviolence Item | {Strong} Choose a number. X is equal to the number you chose. In X-1 turns, deal X damage to each player. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Burning of Ultraviolence Invocation Take 1 damage. At the start of your next turn, target opponent takes 3 damage. Use a Simple Card Move. Emanation of Ultraviolence Invocation Target warrior you control and target warrior your opponent controls are both {Strengthened}, gain {Piercer} 1, {Sniper} 1, and can attack an additional time. This lasts until the start of your next turn. Use a Simple Card Move. Radiance of Ultraviolence Invocation. Destroy all warriors and Items on all competitors’ fields. Gain 1 Life. Simple Card Moves Gain 1 Life. Create a {Normal} Warrior. Target warrior your opponent controls loses all text until the start of your next turn. 190
Shun Cao (He/Him) Former Gangleader Turning Over a New Leaf Just a couple years ago, Shun used to be the leader of Chain Stack, the biggest and most feared criminal empire in all of Shuffle City. Extorting people for money and rare cards, Shun had free rein to do whatever he pleased. This all changed when Pyrrha docked in Shuffle City, quickly humiliating Shun in battle and stealing half of his soul. Having now been on the other side of violence, Shun realised what he did was wrong. He’s since dedicated his life to making up for his crimes, making amends to the people he’s hurt, and figuring out how he can take down Pyrrha. Web Tapestries of the Spider Queen A massive spider with the face and hands of a woman weaves beautiful tapestries, arguing for good in the world. Gimmick: Recur tapestries that shut down my opponent’s gameplan. Lash Out Against Losing: Try my best to show everyone what I’m doing is for the best, Give in to the darkness that I’ve put behind me. Example Card Names: Tapestry of Friends, Tapestry of Wonder, Tapestry of Rest. Establish a Plan to Win Arachne, Finding Happiness Warrior | {Strong} If a Tapestry is destroyed, you can play it again next turn when you would “Use a Simple Card Move”. Use two Simple Card Moves. Arachne, Giving Into Darkness Warrior | {Strong} At the start of your turn, sacrifice any number of Tapestries. Deal X damage to your opponent, where X is the number of Tapestries you destroyed. Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Tapestry of Peace Item | {Strong} Equip to an opponent’s warrior. It can’t attack and loses all effects while this is equipped to it. Use two Simple Card Moves. Tapestry of Love Item | {Weak} Equip to an opponent’s warrior. You control that warrior so long as this is equipped to it. Use a Simple Card Move. Dawdle Use 4 Simple Card Moves. Simple Card Moves Create a Tapestry. It’s a {Weak} item with “Equip to an opponent’s warrior. Warriors equipped with this tapestry gain {Underwhelm}.” Gain 1 Life. Create a {Normal} Warrior. 191
Leonard Darwinson (He/They) Evo-ludologist evolving into the ultimate gamer! A Professor at Shuffle City University’s School of Life Science, Leonard Darwinson rocketed to prominence in the wake of the university’s dramatic shift in focus towards card games a decade ago. His long time obsession with both card games and evolutionary biology made him a popular choice for grant funding, coming from the university’s card game focused sponsors. Darwinson is a pioneering figure in the emerging field they call “applied bioevolutionary ludology,” the science of applying biological evolutionary principles to the playing of games, and has published several high profile papers on the subject. Outside of their academic work, Leonard could be considered something of a fanatic, a true believer in nature and the processes of life. From the smallest microbe to the mightiest beast, the swarming insect to the vibrant forest flowers, Leonard seeks to understand every niche, every adaptation, and promulgate their wonders to the gaming masses. Leonard’s personality is a fascinating fusion of the academic professional, and the zealous apostle of his ideological fusion between card games and nature. He can rapidly switch between precisely and expertly explaining the relationships between different organisms, or the interactions of complex card combinations, and fervently extolling the virtues of natural selection. By following the lessons of evolution, both the ultimate life form, and the ultimate card game player, might be discovered, or so they say. His strength of character and academic brilliance has seen Darwinson gain a small but dedicated group of followers, mostly younger pupils and PhD studentss at the university who’ve committed themselves to the same undertaking as their leader—pursuing their own evolution, following the pattern of nature, to become the ultimate gamers. The self-titled “Evo-ludologists” eagerly seek battle opponents, seeing every challenge, winor-lose, as an opportunity to reach the next stage of their evolution. Leonard Darwinson Plots Darwinson announces a special tournament, the ‘Darwin Cup,’ in which competitors must adapt to survive. It features card battles hosted at the university, in a variety of artificial and unconventional environments, such as underwater, suspended in the air, or in a pit of venomous snakes! A group of Darwinson’s Evo-ludologists are causing commotion at Shuffle Crossing by pretending to be various animals and plants, which they claim is a valuable research exercise. Some crawl on the floor like bugs, others flap their arms like birds, stand perfectly still like trees, or run in packs and howl like wolves. They refuse to disperse unless defeated in card battle. Leonard is giving a talk on the university campus on his research and ideology. They will challenge strong-looking opponents in the crowd, and if they consider someone a worthy opponent, they’ll show up repeatedly in the future to request a rematch, each time having slightly adapted his strategy or deck, growing closer to his ultimate evolution! 192
Life Finds a Way Simple organisms rapidly evolve into birds, beasts, plants, and insects, continually adapting with new abilities, climbing the evolutionary ladder towards supremacy. Gimmick: Summoning weak warriors, then buffing them through evolution. Lash Out Against Losing: Fix the opponent with keen, analysing eyes. Laugh through the loss and delcare that every loss is an opportunity for evolution. Example Card Names: Progenitor Organism, Natural Selection, Genetic Bottleneck, Basic (Dinosaur, Beast, Insect, Plant, Bird etc.) Establish a Plan to Win Tree of Life Item | {Strong} {Inconspicuous} Once per turn when one of your warriors is destroyed, target warrior gains your choice of keywords: {Strengthened} {Piercer} 1 {Sniper} 1 {Teamwork} {Blocker}. Use 2 Simple Card Moves Mass Extinction Invocation Choose one warrior you control and one warrior your opponent controls. Destroy all other warriors. For each warrior destroyed by this effect, gain a keyword (from the list in Tree of Life). Use a Simple Card Move. Power Card Moves Keystone Species Warrior | {Strong} Once per turn, if a warrior is destroyed, give this warrior a keyword (from the list on Tree of Life). Use a Simple Card Move. Cambrian Explosion Invocation Choose one of these options up to three times (you may choose the same option multiple times): Create a Weak Warrior Target warrior gains a keyword (from the list on Tree of Life). Prokaryotes Warrior | {Weak} When this gains a keyword, gain another keyword (from the list on Tree of Life). Use 1 Simple Card Move. Simple Card Moves Create two {Weak} warriors. Sacrifice a warrior you control to destroy a warrior your opponent controls with less or equal strength. Gain 1 Life. 193 By Zak Barouh
194 Chapter Six Judge’s Handbook The person that runs the game is referred to as “the Judge”. This person is in charge of running the game, controlling the world and characters that players interact with. This section contains a list of tips for the Judge, as well as further rules clarifications and advanced modifications to the game. Your First Session As with many games that work off of the Powered by the Apocalypse framework, the first session of play in Perfect Draw! should generally be focused on shared character creation and planning the upcoming adventure. This session is a chance to set expectations, establish the main cast, and teach the rules of the game. Before You Play Before the first session, you should prepare some materials. (This guide assumes you’re playing in person, but each of these tools have digital substitutes for playing online.) Firstly, if you and your players are unfamiliar with the game, you should have a crib sheet of both the General Moves and Card Combat General moves ready. These are available in the appendix at the end of this book and downloadable as print ready files on Itch.io. Additionally, you’ll need at least a set of two six-sided dice. (Having a separate set of dice for each player can save time handing them around, but isn’t necessary.) You’ll also need writing implements; bringing both a pen and a pencil for the table is a good idea, as certain details will need to be marked and then erased.
195 You should print out a copy of each Playbook that will be used in your game. For the sake of saving on paper, it’s best to encourage players to choose a playbook before you start, and print out only the playbooks they select. You can scan and print the playbook pages of this book if you need; alternatively, print-ready versions of the playbooks are available on itch.io along with the General Moves and Card Combat Moves files. Finally, you will need to cut up a series of “cards”. Perfect Draw! is somewhat unique among tabletop games in that it requires you to create cards as part of standard play. Ideally you’ll want to cut these cards into equally sized shapes so they aren’t too easy to distinguish while they’re face down - with that said, it’s alright if they’re not perfectly identical, so long as players are willing to play fair and have fun. A card template is available on Itch.io with the other print files. Please note that you’ll want to have a pen on hand to draw and write on these cards - one for each player would be ideal. For character creation, each player will need 4 cards to make their starting deck, and you’ll likely want to keep at least another 5 on hand to create cards for NPCs and let players create new cards during play. Defining Boundaries Once you and the players are all at the table, it’s best to discuss boundaries before beginning proper play. While the nature of card game stories may result in serious topics being made more “cartoonish” and “safe”, certain storylines and Playbooks may have more of an impact on players than you expect. For example, The Idealist has potential to bring up themes of ideological conflict that ring true to real life, and The Turncoat has the potential to commit villainous acts that might prove more personal than expected. Before beginning the session, ask each player if there are any topics they would like to not be shown explicitly or avoided altogether in your game. Note these, and don’t ask questions about why. If a player has asked for something to not be in the game at all, respect their wishes; it can’t happen in the game. If something has been asked to not be shown in detail, if it ever comes up, immediately shift away from it and cut the story until after it concludes. You should repeat this process again once you have defined the story with the players, but this should help you ensure the overall plot isn’t related to any topics that might hurt someone. Define with the players a hand gesture or word they can use if they ever feel uncomfortable about something in the game. Try and make it something obvious and that can only be used with intention, such as putting two fingers together to make a ‘T’ shape, or saying the words “Stop Now”. If this comes up, immediately stop the story and clarify what the problem was. Skip over this topic and add it to the list of things not to show or detail in play.
196 Creating the Setting If you already have an idea for the setting and story of this game, present it to the players; you can also tell them before the session to pitch the game, get the players excited, and give them time in advance to brainstorm. Otherwise, ask each player what they’d like to see in this game and setting. Work with the players to try and establish a plan that satisfies everyone where possible; for example, one player might want to play as a dragon assuming a human form, while the other wants to play a spaghetti-western genre story. You could combine these aspects to create a western-style town where dragons secretly manipulate society and mine gold to add to their hoard. Create Player Characters Each player should select a Playbook. If they’ve already chosen one before the session, give them their printout. Otherwise, show the players each of the Playbooks to help them decide. Once they have decided, the players should take turns defining aspects of their Playbook, following the steps listed in the Making Your Character section in Chapter 4. Don’t rush the players. It’s okay for one player to take longer to make choices than another. Nonetheless, be sure to check on each player to see if they’ve made progress. Try to spend equal time with each of them and get them involved with each others’ narratives if possible - if someone is struggling to conceive an idea for a character or uncertain of how to design their deck, collaborating with them and lending a hand can help significantly. Play the Game Depending on how much time you have left dedicated to the session, you may now want to spend some time playing the game. If so, this is a fantastic opportunity to introduce the players to each other in the narrative. In this game, it’s a good idea to start in medias res; the player characters already know each other, although it’s possible they aren’t yet friends. An ideal scenario for the first session is one where the players can show off their characters, and fit at least one card battle in; for instance, in the midst of a tournament, or before fighting a powerful opponent. Making at least the first duel be a team fight involving at least two players is ideal: this allows multiple players the opportunity to get used to the card game rules, display their deck without putting the focus on a single character, and show how their characters might interact in the middle of combat.
197 Resolving Problem Cards Because the effect creation system in Perfect Draw! is very open-ended, it’s very possible that certain cards will be created that prove too powerful or game-warping for your campaign. However, because this is a collaborative experience and not a printed card game, the cards you create don’t always have to be the final versions, and can always be rebalanced. First, it’s important to note that just a card feeling powerful does not necessarily make it a problem. Players have a lot of room for effects, and the potential to make powerful cards is intended. To combat this, the Judge has the ability to create reactive abilities and challenging problems that can each be created on the fly. Cards can sometimes look overpowered from the outside, but they might have costs that are hard to see without the player’s perspective. Generally a card has truly become meta-warping when the player using it starts to feel like it’s dominating their options. If there is a problem, the first step is for players and the Judge to discuss what the problem is. If the players don’t mind that specific card being somewhat centralising, then it isn’t a problem. Of course, the Judge is also playing the game, so if it’s making it difficult for the Judge to create interesting card battles, it may be worth bringing that up to the players and resolving it together. If after talking it out, you all agree that it really is a problem, try to work out what you feel the problem with the card is, and use that as a basis for rebalancing. Once a problem has been agreed on, there are two ways you can help resolve it:
198 Rebalance the card: It’s possible that, in retrospect, a card turned out to be somewhat more powerful or more versatile than it seemed during its initial creation, it’s also possible that something intended to be a weakness ended up as a strength. In these cases, it may be worth going back to the drawing board with the card, and rebalancing it as if you had done things slightly differently. If the effect truly does seem to be costed correctly, then you can still choose to impose a “Good in the Metagame” penalty to the effect, making it cost extra EP. Replace the card: If rebalancing the card is impossible for fundamental reasons, it may be easier to simply replace the card. In this case, the player removes the card from their deck, and then may create a new card to fill its space. It’s perfectly okay to give this new card the same name and theme as the card that was just removed, but you should at least modify the effect so that it’s no longer a problem. Please note that it’s also possible, if less common, for cards to become problems due to being weak; for instance, a player may feel bad if they’ve created a card that feels useless in their deck or the meta. This can be resolved by removing it from the deck via the Take a Prolonged Rest move, but for more relevant cards (such as cards important to the plot or character), it may feel wrong to simply replace them. If this is the case, it may be best to rebalance or change the card as above.
199 Involving Players Outside the Card Game While one player is involved in a card game, uninvolved players can be left to watch. For some players, this is perfectly fine and even ideal; if a player wants to sit back and watch while others take the spotlight, that’s great! However, other players can get antsy when nothing is happening to their own characters for protracted periods or when it’s more difficult for them to affect the overall situation. That’s also okay! While the nature of card game stories can often ask for very personal 1v1 battles, you should still aim to give your players equal chances to be active and relevant to the narrative. Besides simply having characters interact with and commentate on others’ card games from the sideline, here are some ways to give characters the spotlight while someone else is in a card game. Multiplayer Battles: Just because most card game stories focus primarily on 1v1 battles doesn’t mean yours have to. If your players prefer, it may be better to focus on multiplayer battle styles in the Team Battle and/or Free for All formats. This way, multiple players will reliably get the chance to fight alongside one another and share the spotlight. Simultaneous Battles: Just because one player has gotten into a game, doesn’t mean other players have to sit and watch. Players could enter into several battles. When this happens, after one game has completed a round or reached a cliffhanger, you can take the chance to cut to the other game. This is a great way to still have personal 1v1 battles, while also giving everyone a chance to be important. Giving Players Other Goals: Card game battles and watching them aren’t the only available options to those on the sidelines; while card games are ongoing, other threats may still exist. For instance, a battle could be taking place between two competitors as they race down the highway. One player may need to focus on driving to avoid an upcoming cliff while another player deals with the engine having troubles. Similarly, an NPC the players like could have been captured, giving everyone not in the ongoing battle a chance to go on a sidequest concurrently with the ongoing game. When you do this, it can be smart to make the card game and the plot outside of it tie into one another. For instance, maybe the bomb that the players are trying to disarm is tied to life in the card game. Maybe when a player takes a particularly hard blow in the card game, the shock of the blast almost hits an uninvolved player. Or maybe when the opponent uses a threat move, they intentionally attempt to interfere with the aims of those outside the game.