Setting up

Materials

  • Two Sets of 6 numbered polyhedral dice. (D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D20)
  • A 78 Card Tarot Deck
  •  The Planet Die (a D12 with Planetary Symbols on its faces.)
  • The Zodiac Die (a D12 with Zodiac Symbols on its faces.)[a]
  • Scoring sheet (optional)
  • Rolling tray (optional)

Splitting the deck

The full Deck of Tarot cards must be split into sections in preparation for play.

⬡ Start by separating all the Major Arcana into their own pile. These cards all have unique names and are numbered 0 through 21. (Sometimes 1 through 22)[b][c]

⬡ The remainder of the deck are Minor Arcana. These cards resemble regular playing cards and have four suits: Cups, Swords, Wands, and Pentacles. Separate them into two decks, one containing cups and swords, and the other containing wands and pentacles.

⬡ Give one of the minor arcana decks to each player and have them shuffle. These are the players’ Draw decks.

The Planet and Zodiac Dice

The Planet die and Zodiac die are neutral dice that alter the game rules or have conditional effects. Place them in a spot to the side of the board where both players can see and reach them. The Planet Die starts on Venus and the Zodiac Die starts on Virgo.

Dealing Out Minor  Arcana

Minor Arcana cards are a resource that players can use throughout the round. Players deal [d]the cards into two locations, their Wells and their Hand.

Each player has three w[e]ells[f]. Each well is made up of a face down card with a face up on top of it. When the top card of a well is played, the bottom card is flipped face up.

Each player starts with one Minor Arcana card in their hand. This is their Hidden Card. Only they see their hidden card.[g]

Drafting major arcana

After dealing out minor arcana, players draft three major arcana cards[h]. The player going second in the match gets first pick in the draft.[i]

The draft occurs in the following sequence:

1. The player picking first[j] picks one major arcana of their choosing

2. The player picking second picks two major arcana.

3. The player who picked first picks two more major arcana for a total of three.

4. The player picking second picks one more major arcana for a total of three.

Rolling the Dice

Both players roll all of their numbered dice[k]. Set up is completed and the starting player can take their first turn.

On Your Turn[l]

Action Phase

The first phase of your turn is the action phase. You may perform one of the following actions:

⬡ Capture: If a die you control is showing a face value greater than or equal to an opponent's die, you may remove both dice from play. (You and your opponent should always have the same number of dice in play.) The player who captures the last pair of dice wins the round[m]. (You cannot capture while the Zodiac Die is showing Virgo)

⬡ Reroll: Choose a single die on the board to reroll, it may be one of either player's numbered dice, the Zodiac Die or the Planet Die. The majority of zodiac symbols are triggered by dice being rerolled[n].

⬡ Play a card: Play a card from your hand or your wells, then send it to the Graveyard[o]. Each  card has a unique effect listed in the card effects table.

If a played card triggers any  of your Major Arcan[p]a, the base effect of the minor arcana card is resolved before the effects of any major arcana. If multiple major arcana are triggered you may activate them in any order.

If rerolls generated by playing cards trigger the zodiac die, the zodiac die’s effect is resolved as part of the reroll.[q]

Planet Phase

After your action phase is completely resolved, the planet die will take effect. Rerolls caused by the Planet Die are able to trigger the effects of the Zodiac Die.

If the Planets symbol changes during the planet phase after the planet has already been activated, it does not activate a second time.

After the planet phase is complete, the turn is over and the next player begins their turn.

Minor Arcana Base Effects

Number Cards

Change the value of any single die to the card’s value. (Number cards cannot target dice that cannot match the card’s value.)

Jack

Change the value of any single die to a 1.

Knight

Banish one die. A banished die cannot capture or be captured, and cannot be targeted with cards or rerolled. A banished die is unbanished at the start of your next turn.

Queen

You perform the reroll action twice on the same turn that you play the Queen.

King

Change the value of any single die to its max value.

Ace

A numbered card that can be a 1 or an 11.

Winning and scoring

The winner of a round is whoever takes the last pair of numbered dice (your last die and your opponent’s last die) off of the board.

The winner of a round scores points equal to the maximum values of the final dice captured added together.

For example : If the last pair of dice captured are a D20 and a D4 then the winning player scores 24 points.

Playing Multiple Rounds

After a round is won and scored wa new round begins.

Set up the new round using the following steps:

  1. Players return all Major Arcana to the draft pile.
  2. Players discard the cards in their graveyards and any remaining minor arcana.
  3. Players reset the Planet and Zodiac dice[r].
  4. Players deal out their minor arcana.
  5. Players draft their major arcana, switching who had first and second Draft.
  6. Players return all their numbered dice and roll them.
  7. The First turn begins with the player who had the second draft.

Zodiac Die effects

The following are all of the zodiac symbols and their effects. The number in parentheses is the numerical value corresponding to the symbol.

You may use Numbered cards, rerolls, or major arcana effects  to change the Zodiac Die. When the Zodiac Die is rerolled it does not affect itself.

*Aries ♈: The Planet Die only activates at the end of your turn  if you capture on your turn[s].(1)

Taurus ♉: Negates the effect of the Planet die. (2)

Gemini ♊: when you roll a numbered die, roll the opposite [t]numbered die of the same size. (3)

Cancer ♋: 6s and 9s may be treated as either when they are showing on a numbered dice. (4)

Leo ♌: The numbered die/dice showing the highest value may not be changed by any means. (5)

Virgo ♍: Capturing is not allowed while Virgo is showing. (6)

*Libra ♎: when you roll a die and it rolls the value or symbol it was already showing, roll it again. (7)

Scorpio ♏: When you roll a numbered die, subtract 1 from the result.(8)

Sagittarius ♐: When you roll a numbered die, roll the Planet and Zodiac dice as well. (9)

Capricorn ♑: When you roll a numbered die, add 1 to the result.(10)

Aquarius ♒: When this die rolls Aquarius, choose any

other symbol as the result. (11)

Pisces ♓ : When you roll a numbered die, roll any other

dice showing the same value. (12)

Planet Die effects

The following are all of the Planet Symbols and their effects. The number in parentheses is the numerical value corresponding to the symbol. You may use numbered cards to change the Planet Die.

Mars ♂: At the end of your turn, roll one die your opponent controls. (1)

Venus ♀: At the end of your turn, roll one die you

control. (2)

Mercury ☿: At the end of your turn, roll the smallest sized[u] numbered die/dice that is still in play. (3)

Moon ☽: At the end of your turn, roll the Planet and Zodiac and die. (4)

Sun ☉: Negates the effects of the Zodiac die. (5)

South Node ☋: At the end of your turn, reroll any dice showing a 1 or 2. (6)

North Node ☊ : At the end of your turn, reroll any dice showing their max value. (7)

Pluto   :At the end of your turn, halve the value of all even dice. (8)

Jupiter ♃: At the end of your turn, roll the largest sized[v] numbered die/dice. (9)

Saturn ♄: At the end of your turn, add +1 to all dice showing odd values. (10)

Uranus ♅: When  Uranus appears , choose any other symbol as the result. (11)

Neptune ♆: when Neptune appears Banish [w]a die, this die remains banished as long as Neptune is active.(12)

Major Arcana

Major arcana cards are cards with passive abilities that you draft at the start of the game. They are triggered by specific base actions and will allow you to modify those actions or activate additional effects.

         0.    The Fool: when you play a numbered card on

a die that is already matching  that value, you may roll any die.

  1. *The Magician: at the start of the game move one of your wells to your hand. This gives you two additional hidden cards and one fewer well.

  1. The High Priestess: When you play a card on the zodiac die, you may roll a die.

  1. The Empress: When you play a face card, you may roll a die. $

  1. The Emperor: When you play a numbered card on a die that is already matching that value[x], you may set that die to its max value. $

  1. The Hierophant: when you play a numbered card with a prime value, change the planet die to any symbol.

  1. The Lovers: when you play a numbered card on a die you control, you may target a second die you control with that card.

  1. The Chariot: When you play a face card, return a numbered card from your Graveyard to the top of any well.

  1. Strength: This card starts in your hand. You may play this card as if it were any Face card. $

  1. The Hermit: When you play a numbered card on a die that is already showing that number, you may banish that die.

  1. Wheel of Fortune: when you play a hidden card, roll a die.

  1. Justice: When you play a numbered card on a die you control, you may also target an enemy die.

  1. The Hanged Man: when you play a card, you may substitute its effect for the effect of the card on top of your Graveyard. $

  1. Death: When you capture, this card enters your hand no matter where it is. It counts as a face card but has no effect when played.

  1. *Temperance: When you play a numbered card, you may play it one number higher or lower than itself.

  1. *The Devil: At the start of the game, sacrifice the top card of one of your wells to the devil. Any time  you play a hidden card, you may play the sacrificed card as well.

  1. The Tower: when you play a card that trumps the top card of your Graveyard, you may reroll a numbered die. $

  1. The Star: when you play a numbered card on a die that shows the same value, you may change the zodiac die to any zodiac. $

  1. The Moon: when you play a hidden card, you may change the zodiac die to any zodiac. $

  1. The Sun: when you play a face card, you may change the planet die to any planet. $

  1. Judgement: when you play a numbered card and you also have a numbered card at the top of your discard, you may play the card as any value between the two numbered cards. $

  1. *The World: When you play a numbered card on the planet or zodiac die, you may target a numbered die as well.

Index:

Draw deck - a deck of 28 minor arcana cards (two full suits). Players utilize these decks to fill their wells and their hands at the beginning of a round. Then may play these cards during their action phase.

[a]With how many different effects these have, I think you might need cheatsheet/player aid components as well, either separately or on the back of the rulebook.

[b]I suppose this assumes players will be playing with their own tarot deck? Seems like an unnecessary edition if they're not.

[c]"either 0-21 or 1-22" if and only if the Minor Arcana are not numbered. If the Minor Arcana are numbered, this is too confusing to help me distinguish.

[d]So, I choose one Minor Arcana to be my Hidden card and deal the rest out into wells, or just 6 into wells? I would add numbers and concrete actions to this section, because otherwise I'm making assumptions.

[e]capitalize everywhere or nowhere, I think

[f]I think flip this wording, instruct players to deal 3 cards face-down and and 3 face-up cards on top of them, then tell them that these are their "Wells".

This probably needs an image example as well.

[g]are they allowed to reveal this or communicate about it, or no? Make this enforceable.

[h]do these go into the players' hands?

[i]how do we decide who goes second?

[j]would replace this with "Player 1" and "Player 2" for clarity

[k]I'm assuming that because there are two sets, each player gets one...but you should actually say that and list the numbers here.

[l]Before describing a turn, describe the overall structure of the game, something like "players alternate taking turns until X happens and the game end is triggered".

_then_ you can describe how such a turn plays out.

[m]this information is important and should be communicated earlier and not embedded in a longer paragraph

[n]No idea what this means yet, maybe I'll find out later?

[o]I'm assuming this is discard pile? should be explicit, including whether the contents are public information or not.

[p]mention the table listed below

[q]an example would be very helpful here

[r]to Venus and Virgo?

[s]I would reverse these: "If you capture on your turn, the Planet Die only activates at the end of your turn."

[t]what is the opposite? your opponent's?

[u]would this always be the d4?

[v]would this always be the d20? largest die in play? might want to be "highest value" instead, since they're all kinda the same physical size

[w]what does it mean for a die to be Banished?

[x]do you mean, when the number of the card matches the number shown on the die?