Reality Bender - A Roleplaying Card Game.

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Paorou-sama

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Reality Bending, the roleplaying card game.

A pen and paper roleplaying game that uses 52 card deck with jokers. Resolve situations by drawing from a deck and using cards.

Why cards? Reality benders bend aspects of reality. Therefore, everyone draws from a deck of 'reality', twisting and bending it to their whims. You literally then 'hold the cards in your hand'. If you run out of cards to draw as a result of your abuseive power, (representing aspects of reality to bend) something bad happens to everyone involved.

Stats:
Wands/Clubs represents the raw will and potential of the self. (Mana/Energy Stores) Elemental Fire.
Pentacles/Diamonds represents the body, health and prosperity. (Defensibe Capability) Elemental Earth.
Swords/Spades represents combative ability or application of destructive power. (Offensive Capability) Elemental Air.
Cups/Hearts represents emotions, the subconscious and the heart's desires. (Social Capability) Elemental Water.

All stats start at one, with 10 as the highest. These represent your success rates when using said capabilities.

Hit points are represented as Wands, since losing all energies of the self means your will has been snuffed out, and you no longer can bend reality to your whim. Wands are primarily used or spent to ensure succesful bending.

To resolve problems, use Arcana. Normally, they have one result in the form of a card. Compare that card's number to an opponent's defense, a problem's difficulty, a girl's charms, etc. If it overcomes it, it succeeds.

Affinities
A result is bolstered by an Arcana's Affinity rules. Each arcana has it's own take on the affinity rules, so make sure to check these.

Channeling
Simply means you test your wands stat. How you go about this varies, but by default, you use the fool arcana (and it is considered a free action if its purpose is the use of another arcana). If you succeed, you are able to manage your energy and use just the right amount. If you fail, you mis-manage, and lose a wand point.

Destined Draw
This is the highest possible outcome when attempting to use arcana. It means you draw a card with a number and suit equal to your stat and it's rank. The only other way to achieve this is by the use of the Jokers. They usually have overwhelmingly powerful effects.

MASTERY
Mastery is the Arcana's most powerful application. It obviously requires a specialized cost to achieve.

BEYOND MASTERY
Cosmetic term entailing the Arcana's use to it's highest degree. It is advised not to use these in your game if you're just starting out. These simply give a general idea of what lies beyond mastery of a selected arcana.

The Arcana
These represent reality bending techniques and uses. Each Arcana is suited for a sort of role, but some can encompass any number of roles.

The Fool Arcana
Everyone has this, even non-benders have it at level 1. Represents potentials and how each of your actions naturally bends a little bit of reality.

Achievement Cost: None
Level up cost: 9 x (New Level-1)
Mastery:

How to use:
- Used by stating how you wish to fix a situation in the context of the 4 suits. This depends on the situation; If attacking, generally one uses swords. If resisting damage, one uses the diamonds. if charming someone, use the hearts. If charging up for an arcana manifestation, use the wands, etc.
- Look at the raw stat and apply modifiers (-1,-2, or +1,+2) depending on the difficulty of the situation.
- Draw a card and reveal it. If the number is lower or equal to the stat used, it passes. (Royalty and Jokers pass, regardless.)
- However, anyone nearby with the Fool Arcana can disrupt you by drawing a card as well and comparing its result to your card. If it's higher, you fail. If not, your attempt goes through uncontested.
- After all this is determined, place all cards involved into the spent pile.
- You may also counter other Fool Arcana attempts once during your turn.

AFFINITY:
- Getting a card with the same suit as the stat utilized means you succeed regardless of the number. This can still be countered as normal, however.
- Getting a card with the same number as the stat you are using means you've succeeded greatly. (double the effects of succeeding) However, it can still be countered.
- Getting a destined draw means that you've succeeded greatly (double the effects of succeeding) and its result cannot be countered by other Fool Arcana users.

Level 1 : Above.
Level 2 : If your attempt is countered, you may counter back once. In addition, you may counter 2 fool arcana attempts in one round.
Level 3 : Simply using the Fool Arcana grants a +1 modifier.
Level 4 : You may counter an unlimited times until you get a lower result than the last card. You may also counter any number of fool arcana attempts in your immediate vicinity.
Level 5 : Your fool arcana attempts cannot be countered.
MASTERY : You may use the fool Arcana as a free action, once per character's turn. (You may use it once during your turn, once during your opponent's turn, and then again for another opponent's turn, etc.)
BEYOND MASTERY : Your potential is as great as the Big Bang itself. You realize that all things spring forth from that potential, and you set out to achieve a possibility greater than the cosmos itself.


The Magician Arcana
Summons a temporary item, creature, or power to aid you. Represents power over the elements and materials.

Achievement Cost: 9, including an Ace.
Level up cost: 9 x (New Level)
Mastery: On top of experience cost (9 x New Level) You must use an Ace in each suit.

How to use:
- Use a channel action.
- Draw a card and reveal it.
- Depending on the suit and number of the card, it represents a purpose and it's efficiency.
- If it is lower than the stat linked to it's suit, place it on the field. This is your boon.
- If not, it is simply lost. Place it on the Spent Pile.
- Using the boon is a free action. To use, simply determine if an action can be resolved using the card's suit, declare the use of the card, then place it into the spent pile.
- For as long as you don't use it, it remains on the table. However, you must make a channeling action at the beginning of each turn it remains on the table.
- Using the boon automatically counts as a success, and the opponent must test for defensive measures as normal; in the case of defense/channeling, it simply succeeds.
- As long as the boon is on the table, the opponent may attempt to destroy it. Doing so is a spade/sword action and only requires a success on the opponent's part.
- At level one, you may only have one boon on the table at any time.
- You may unsummon boons as a free action, at no cost. Place them into the spent pile.
- To use a boon, you must be in the vicinity of it. It is considered lost if you cannot sense it.

AFFINITY:
- This has no affinity effect until level 2.
- Getting a destined draw means the boon can be used for any situation. (attack, defense, social, channeling)

Level 1 : Above.
Level 2 : You may declare a specific use for the boon (I want a sword for attacking, or someone to block my attacks, or to become beautiful for a bit, etc.) and compare the number to your relevant stat. If it's simply the same suit, you may use it as an affinity effect, regardless of number.
Level 3 : Once they have passed, your boons have a +1 modifier. (If it's a 5 of spades, it functions as a six of spades.)
Level 4 : You no longer use channeling rules at the beginning of each turn for the purpose of unused boons.
Level 5 : You may have any number of boons on the table at one time.
Level 6 : You may use the magician arcana any number of times per turn. (Provided you're willing to expend staves each time.)
Level 7 : Whenever you use the magician arcana, you place two cards on the table instead; You may dictate which card represents the boon's use, and which card represents the boon's defenses/durability. They must both adhere to your relevant stat, unless they have affinity. Using the boon does not expend it; instead it's effects can be used once per turn. (the defense card can be used to protect you, for instance, but only if you haven't used its other ability during your turn.) This means the only way to get rid of it (other than unsummoning) is to destroy it, or by getting an attack result higher than the boon's defense number.
Level 8 : As long as you are in the immediate vicinity, your boons cannot be removed by anything other than your unsummon action, or by your death. Whenever a boon would be destroyed, you must use a channeling action, however.
MASTERY: You have created a servant with minimal sentience. This means it can act independently of you, but still relies on your commands to get by. You may draw three cards this time, representing a primary skill, its defense(diamond) number, and it's control(clubs) number. These must adhere to your own stats. For as long as they still have a control number, they can do whatever you command (provided they have a number/stat to do so) even over extremely long distances. They can only be destroyed if their control number is reduced to zero, which can only be damaged by overcoming their defense number. The moment their control number runs out, they cease to function and the cards used are simply turned face down. If you are in the vicinity, you may instead use a channeling action to turn them back up.
BEYOND MASTERY: Your mastery of the elements and of creating from nothing can go a variety of ways: from creating sentient beings who serve their master all their lives, creating godly weapons, to manifesting huge amounts of raw energy from nothingness.


The High Priestess Arcana
You conjure hidden powers to bolster your actions.

Achievement Cost: 9, including a 2 of any suit.
Level up cost: 9 x (New Level)
Mastery: On top of experience cost (9 x New Level) You must use a two of hearts, and a two of clubs.

How to use:
- Use a channel action.
- Draw 2 cards, and place them face down on the table.
- To use them for an action, state what you wish to achive and reveal the first card. If it is under the number of your relevant stat, it passes. If not, place it into the spent pile. This counts as an action.
- Provided you pass, reveal the second card. It adds to the result of the first card, you may add the numerical values, or simply perform a new effect that automatically succeeds. (depending on the suit) This is a free action.
- If you fail the action, you may use the second card to bolster the result of any other arcana. (For instance, a boon from the magician arcana is a 2 of spades, you may reveal the second card of this arcana - 5 of clubs- to make it a 7 of spades.)
- Getting a result higher than 10 as a result of these, however, means you failed. Royalties count as one in this case.
- Affinity only works with the cards involved. (For instance the first and second cards of this arcana, and a result from another arcana plus a second card from this arcana.)
- You may opt not to use these cards until later. If so, simply leave them face down on the table. You may not use this arcana again until they are completely spent, however.

AFFINITY:
- Having cards of the same suit means that they succeed despite the total result, provided the suit matches the relevant stat.
- Getting cards with the same number means that they succeed despite the total result, provided the individual cards are under or equal to the relevant stat.
- Getting a Destined Draw is only possible with jokers involved. You are immensely successful. This effect cannot be stopped by an opposed test, unless it can bring forth a result equal to or greater than 25.

Level 1 : Above.
Level 2 : You may play both cards as if they were 'second cards' for any other arcana. However, this may only be done once per arcana used.
Level 3 : You may play with one of the cards revealed.
Level 4 : You do not need to channel to use the high priestess.
Level 5 : You may play with one card in your hand.
MASTERY: Using a card longer places it into the spent pile. You may instead perform a channeling action to keep a card used this way on the table. However, you may replace a card on the arcana once per turn.
BEYOND MASTERY: You have mastered the unseen powers to such a degree that you can literally use them in all your actions and perform inexplicable feats.
 
HOLY CRAP! I LIKE THIS IDEA!!!

If you're still interested in this idea, I'd surely join your venture. :)

The arcana have always held my interest (not tarot cards, just the ideas of the arcana).
 
Woah, this is a really cool idea. Thank you Cel for resurrecting this from the dead. Though how one could pull this off in a forum setting would be interesting.
 
Keep a deck of cards on hand or (if you know a little C programming like I do) make a program that you can easily start up and run. Or Pao can give us a website that runs it already. :P
 
Still working on the other arcana and what happens if the deck runs out.