Path of the Necromancer Core Rule book

Welcome to “Path of the Necromancer,” a strategic and immersive trading card game where players delve into the dark arts of necromancy to outwit and overpower their opponents. In this game, you will summon minions, cast spells, and use the powers of the undead to claim victory. This rulebook provides all the necessary instructions and guidelines to play the game.

Game Overview

“Path of the Necromancer” is a game for two players. Each player assumes the role of a necromancer, using a deck of 40 cards, along with a chosen Hero card, to battle their opponent. The goal is to reduce the opponent’s health to zero or exhaust their deck, forcing a loss.

Card Types

  • Hero Cards: The centerpiece of your deck, determining your starting health and lifeforce generation.
  • Lifeforce Cards: These track your lifeforce, the primary resource in the game.
  • Minion Cards: Your primary attackers and defenders on the battlefield.
  • Artifact Cards: Enhancements for your minions, providing various boosts or abilities.
  • Spell Cards: Powerful one-time or persistent effects to turn the tide of battle.
  • Event Cards: Ongoing scenarios that can influence the game’s flow.
  • Land Cards: These provide persistent effects and shape the battlefield dynamics.

Deck Building Rules

  • Each player’s deck must consist of exactly 40 cards, excluding the Hero card.
  • Only one Hero card is permitted per deck.
  • Players can include any number of copies of a card in their deck.

Field Layout

  • The game is played on a field divided into 2 rows and 7 columns.
  • The first row is dedicated to Minion cards.
  • The second row contains zones for Spell, Event, Land, Hero, Deck, and Graveyard cards.

Turn Structure

  • Start Phase: Trigger start of turn effects.
  • Resource Phase: Gain lifeforce based on your Hero card.
  • Draw Phase: Draw one card from your deck.
  • Main Phase: Play cards, attack, and perform Lifeforce Actions.
  • End Phase: Trigger end of turn effects.

Lifeforce Mechanics

  • Lifeforce is the primary resource, used to play cards and perform actions.
  • Players start with 10 lifeforce and regenerate it each turn based on their Hero card.
  • If during your resource phase, no lifeforce was used your last turn, you gain full lifeforce.

Combat Mechanics

Basic Attack Rules

  • Minions attack once per turn, using their attack value to deal damage.
  • A minion can choose to attack the opponent’s minions, event cards, or the Hero directly.

Minion Battles

  • When minions engage in battle, they deal damage to each other simultaneously.
  • Damage is compared to the defense value of each minion.
  • If a minion’s attack value is equal to or greater than the opponent minion’s defense value, the opponent minion is destroyed.

Piercing Damage

  • If a minion’s attack value exceeds the defense value of the target, the excess damage is dealt to the opponent’s Hero.
  • If a spell’s damage exceeds the defense value of the target, the excess damage is dealt to the opponent’s Hero.

Hero Actions

  • All Hero cards have multiple actions that they can use. Only 1 hero action can be used per turn.
  • All heroes have this action: Draw: Spend 3 lifeforce to draw a card.

Resurrection Mechanics

  • If a minion is destroyed and then resurrected, it is considered a new entity. This allows the resurrected minion to attack again in the same turn, even if it had attacked previously before being destroyed.

Multiple Attacks on a Single Target

  • Multiple minions can attack the same target within a turn.
  • This strategy can be used to accumulate enough damage to meet or exceed a target’s defense value, especially useful for high-defense targets.

Defense Restoration

  • Any minion that has had its defense value reduced during a turn (but not destroyed) will have its defense restored to full at the end of the turn.
  • This restoration occurs during the end phase, ensuring that minions are ready for the next round of combat at full strength.

Win and Lose Conditions

  • Reduce your opponent’s Hero’s health to zero to win.
  • If your opponent cannot draw a card due to an empty deck, you win.
  • Lose if your Hero’s health reaches zero or you cannot draw a card due to an empty deck.

Keywords

  • Quick Effect: Can be activated at any point during either player’s turn.

Status Effects

  • Untargetable: Immune to targeted effects.
  • Invisible: Untargetable until they attack, are damaged, or the effect is removed.
  • Frozen: Cannot attack for one turn.
  • Shocked: Takes and deals 1 damage to neighboring minions.
  • Burned: Takes extra 2 fire damage.
  • Poisoned: Defense is reduced to 1 until the end of the turn.

Additional Game Rules

  • Maximum of 7 minions, 3 spell/event cards, 1 land card, and 1 hero card on the field.
  • Multiple artifact cards can be equipped.
  • Discard down to 10 if you have more cards in hand at the end of your turn.

Core Design Philosophies

  • Minimize the need for external tracking (e.g., no damage counters).
  • All summoned minions must come from the hand, deck, or graveyard.
  • Cards are self-explanatory, negating the need for external resources.

Detailed Card Type Explanations

1. Hero Cards

  • Function: Represents the player in the game.
  • Unique Effects: Each Hero card has special abilities that can influence gameplay.
  • Health and Lifeforce: Determines starting health and lifeforce regeneration rate.
  • Hero Abilities: Each hero card has special abilities that affect that duel. Only 1 hero ability can be used per turn.

2. Lifeforce Cards

  • Purpose: Tracks the player’s current lifeforce.
  • Number in Deck: Every deck contains 10 Lifeforce cards.
  • Regeneration: Aligns with the Hero card’s lifeforce generation rate.

3. Minion Cards

  • Role: Main combat units used to attack and defend.
  • Cost: Requires lifeforce to play.
  • Attributes: Each minion has an attack and a defense value.
  • Types and Traits: Various minion types (e.g., Skeletons, Ghosts) with specific traits. Eldritch minions have unique traits.
  • Effects: Some minions have unique abilities or effects.

4. Artifact Cards

  • Usage: Attached to minions to alter their abilities or stats.
  • Durability: Remain in play until the attached minion or the artifact itself is destroyed.

5. Spell Cards

  • Function: Cast to create various effects on the game.
  • Placement: Played in spell zones on the field.
  • Variability: Some are one-time use, while others remain until destroyed.
  • Types: There are several types of spells (e.g., Fire, Ice) 

6. Event Cards

  • Placement: Played in spell zones.
  • Mechanics: Can have a defense value.
  • Vulnerability: If they have a defense value, they can be attacked and destroyed like minions.

7. Land Cards

  • Effect: Provide ongoing benefits or game-altering effects.
  • Exclusivity: Only one can be on the field per player at a time.

Gameplay Strategies and Tips

  • Building Your Deck: Focus on synergy between your Hero card and other cards in your deck.
  • Resource Management: Balance your lifeforce expenditure between playing cards and keeping enough for crucial actions.
  • Strategic Combat: Consider the attack and defense values of minions carefully before engaging in combat.
  • Utilizing Artifacts: Enhance your minions strategically with artifacts for maximum effect.
  • Spell Timing: Timing is key with spell cards; use them to disrupt your opponent’s strategy or to protect your own.
  • Event Card Use: Play event cards that complement your game plan or disrupt your opponent’s.
  • Land Management: Choosing the right land card at the right time can give you a significant advantage.

Additional Rules

  • Card Effects Clarification: If a card’s effect seems ambiguous, the most straightforward interpretation usually applies.
  • Chain of Play: Players can respond to each other’s actions, following the ‘last in, first out’ rule.
  • Handling Disputes: In case of a dispute, both players should agree on an interpretation or seek a third-party ruling.

Appendix: Glossary of Terms

  • Attack Value: The damage a minion can deal.
  • Defense Value: The damage a minion can withstand before being destroyed.
  • Trait: A characteristic shared by minions of the same type.
  • Effect: Specific abilities or impacts of a card.
  • Quick Effect: An ability that can be activated at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I play more than one Hero card?

  • A: No, only one Hero card is allowed per deck.

Q: What happens if my lifeforce total goes below zero?

  • A: Lifeforce cannot go below zero. Any action requiring more lifeforce than you have is not permissible.

Q: Are there limits to the number of cards I can play in a turn?

  • A: No, as long as you have the necessary lifeforce, you can play multiple cards.

Q: How do counterspells work in a chain of actions?

  • A: Counterspells follow the ‘last in, first out’ rule. The last counterspell played is the first to resolve.

Q: What happens if both players reach zero health simultaneously?

  • A: In the rare case this occurs, the game is considered a draw.

Q: Can I play a land card if my opponent already has one on the field?

  • A: Yes, but doing so will destroy the land card already in play.

Q: Are there any restrictions on the types of minions I can include in my deck?

  • A: No, as long as the total deck size is 40 cards (excluding the Hero card), you can include any type and number of minions.

Q: How do I determine who goes first in a game?

  • A: This can be decided by a coin flip, dice roll, or any other agreed-upon method between players.

Q: Can I use the trait or effect of a card if it’s frozen?

  • A: Yes, unless the trait or effect specifically involves attacking, a frozen card can still use its abilities.
Scroll to Top
×