A Fool's Fortune
A Fool's Fortune Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Game
A Fool's Fortune is a two player card game in the tradition of Rummy, where players race to make sets... but with several wily twists. Found within the deck of 77 unique cards are 5 suits of Fortunes and a host of talented Characters players may employ. Be the first player to complete 3 sets to win A Fool's Fortune!
Acts
A Fool's Fortune has 3 levels of play, called Acts. Each Act is a stand alone version of the game with its own unique strategies. The rules of each Act expand upon those of the prior.
- ACT I: the Page's Game. Enter the world of A Fool's Fortune where Players match clever tactics and keen wits in a duel of fate and fortunes!
- ACT II: the Baron's Game. ACT II expands upon the Characters' Abilities, making these allies even more versatile... and dangerous!
- ACT III: the Master's Game. Character Abilities are fully unmasked and the game takes on a new dimension. Players will need a crafty mind and cunning strategies to take full advantage of the options available... because if they miss their opportunity at fortune, their Rival surely will not!
There is a three Player version of the game found at the end of ACT I, which can be played at any Act.
ACT I: The Page's Game
The Cards
A Fool's Fortune deck contains 77 unique cards. There are 2 kinds of cards: Fortunes and Characters.
Fortunes
The 55 horizontal cards are Fortunes. Each Fortune contains a Realm and a Resource.
Realms: Each of the 5 Realms of A Fool's Fortune are represented by a color: Mountain (grey), Forest (green), Coastal (blue), Desert (red), City (purple).
Resources: Each of the 5 Resources found within the Realms are represented by a symbol: Folk, Location, Nature, Treasure, Supernatural.
Examples: The Fortune type of the Lady of Ravens is Forest - Folk. The Fortune type of the Hidden Temple is Mountain - Location.
Aligned Fortunes
Fortunes are Aligned to each other if their Realm or Resource match. (Examples: Fortunes Aligned by their Realm: Coastal; Fortunes Aligned by their Resource: Supernatural.)
A Charmed-Pair
A Charmed-Pair is two identical Fortune types. Each Realm has five Charmed-Pairs, one for each Resource. (Example: the Charmed-Pair of the Desert-Supernatural.)
Sets
A Set is a group of Aligned Fortunes that are in play.
To Begin a Set, a Player must put into play at least 3 Aligned Fortunes. A Set of 3 or 4 Fortunes in play is considered an Open Set. (Examples: an Open Set Aligned by Realm (Coastal); an Open Set Aligned by Resource (Location).)
As play continues, Players attempt to Close their Sets. A Closed Set has all 5 variations of Aligned Fortunes. (A Closed Realm Set contains all 5 Resources; a Closed Resource Set contains all 5 Realms.)
NOTE: A Charmed-Pair may not be used in the same Set. (i.e. a Player may not have both Coastal-Locations in the same Coastal Set.)
Wilds
In addition to the 5 Resources, each Realm also has 1 Wild. Wilds have no symbol in their corners and can be used to represent any Resource within their Realm. (Examples: the Coastal-Wild being used in an Open Realm Set may be Closed with either the Coastal-Treasure or the Coastal-Folk; the Mountain-Wild is being used in a Closed Resource Set as the Mountain-Location.)
RULE: A Player may play a Set Aligned by Wilds.
Characters
The 22 vertical cards are the Characters that Players will meet throughout the game. Characters can be Recruited into a Player's services, but for a fee of course.
Note: In Act I, all Characters are used in the same manner. The symbols in the corners and the information in their text box enter play in Acts II & III.
Recruiting Characters & Fees
To bring a Character into play, a Player must Recruit them. To Recruit a Character, place 2 Aligned Fortunes underneath that Character. These 2 Fortunes are considered that Character's Fees. (Example: the Duchess's Fees are 2 Fortunes Aligned by Folk.)
RULE: A Player may Recruit a Character with a Charmed-Pair.
RULE: A Player may use a Wild as a Fee for a Character. The Wild may be paired with any other Fortune, including another Wild.
Engaging & Readying Characters
Players use Character Abilities during the game. Characters have two positions to signify how they are used: Engage & Ready.
To Engage a Character: rotate a Ready Character 90-degrees.
To Ready a Character: turn an Engaged Character back upright.
RULE: When a Character is Recruited, they first enter Play Engaged.
Setting the Stage
Cards are placed within certain areas of the playing surface, depending upon how they are being used. There are two main areas of play: the Field and the Stage.
The Field
The Field is the communal area of play, to which both Players have access. There are three sections in the Field: Fate, Faire & Road.
- Fate: The deck of unrevealed cards, placed face down.
- Faire: Discarded Fortunes are placed face-up in the Faire in vertical piles grouped by their Realm. The Fortune type of any Fortune below should be visible.
- Road: Discarded Characters are placed on the Road, face-up and horizontally. The name of any Character below should be visible.
The Stage
The Stage is the area of play where the cards a Player controls are placed. Each Player has a Stage. There are three sections to the Stage: Cache, Crew & Camp.
- Cache: Sets are played in the Cache. To begin a Set, a Player must put into play at least 3 Aligned Fortunes. A Player may have no more than 3 Sets in their Cache at a time.
- Crew: Characters a Player has Recruited are placed into their Crew. When a Character is first Recruited, they enter the Crew Engaged. A Player may have no more than 3 Characters in their Crew at a time.
- Camp: Fortunes a Player controls, but are not in a Cache or Crew, are stored in Camp. Fortunes from Camp can then be used in Sets or as Fees.
The Hand
Players hold a Hand of cards, which only they may see. The Hand-size is 3.
Drawing Cards: To Draw a card, a Player brings the top card from the Fate Deck into their Hand.
Character Abilities
Recruited Characters in a Player's Crew have 2 Abilities: Fetch & Cut.
Fetch
A Player may Engage a Character in their Crew to Fetch a Fortune from the Faire. The Fortune they wish to Fetch must be Aligned to at least one of the Fees of that Character! This Fortune is brought from the Faire to the Player's Camp.
Example: The Bishop Engages to Fetch the Coastal-Supernatural. One of the Bishop's Fees, the Desert-Supernatural, is aligned to the Coastal-Supernatural by Resource. The Bishop may Fetch from the Faire any one of the three Fortunes that are Aligned to at least one of the Bishop's Fees by Realm or Resource.
Clarifier: For the purposes of Fetching, Wilds are considered Aligned to Fortunes of their Realm and to other Wilds. Therefore a Character with a Wild as their Fee may Fetch other Wilds or Fortunes of the same Realm.
Cut
A Player may Engage a Character to Cut that Character from their Crew. A Cut Character is discarded to the Road. The Fees of that Character are brought into the Player's Camp.
The Day
A Player's turn is called a Day. A Day has 3 phases: Morning, Afternoon & Night. Each phase has specific tasks the Player performs.
Morning
The 'getting ready' phase. Tasks are performed in the order listed.
- Restore Hand: Draw an amount of cards from the Fate Deck to reach the Hand-size of 3.
- Ready Characters: Ready all Engaged Characters in the Crew.
- Receive Allowance: Draw 1 additional card from Fate.
Afternoon
The 'getting down to business' phase. Tasks are performed in any order.
- Recruit Characters: Recruit a Character into the Crew. There may be no more than 3 Characters in a Crew at a time. When a Character is first Recruited, they enter the Crew Engaged.
- Use Character Abilities: Fetch Fortunes from the Faire. Cut a Character from the Crew.
- Play Sets: Begin, add to, reduce, or remove Sets. There may be no more than 3 Sets in a Cache at a time. Fortunes that are removed from a Set are placed into the Camp.
- Sort Fortunes: Players use cards from both their Camp and Hand to arrange, rearrange and expand their Cache and Crew.
Clarifier: During the Afternoon a Player may perform as many tasks as they choose, transforming their Stage as their Fortunes align.
Night
The 'tidy-up' phase. Tasks are performed in the order listed.
- Pay Dues: A Player must discard 1 card. This is considered their Dues. Dues may be a Fortune from the Hand or Camp, or a Character from the Hand.
- Stage Cleanup: Fortunes in a Set reduced to 1 or 2 cards are discarded. Any Fortunes that are still in Camp are discarded.
- Hand Cleanup: Any cards in Hand that are in excess of the Hand-size of 3 are discarded.
RULES: Dues may not be Paid with a Fortune Fetched that same Day. A Cut Character cannot count as Dues.
Beginnings & Endings
Winning
The first Player to Pay their Dues while having 3 Closed Sets & 1 Ready Character has won Act I of A Fool's Fortune!
Going First
To determine who goes first, the person who initially asks: "Would you like to play A Fool's Fortune?" tosses the cards face up, back and forth, until the first Character is revealed. The Player who receives that Character then chooses whether they wish to go first or second.
Shuffle the Fate Deck, then place it onto the Field. The Player who goes first begins their Day by Drawing 3 cards from Fate to Restore their Hand (since there are no cards in their Hand) plus 1 for their Allowance. It is now their Afternoon.
Empty-Stage Rule
If a Player has no cards on their Stage (no Characters in their Crew and no Sets in their Cache), they may, in lieu of their Allowance, bring a Fortune from the Faire or a Character from the Road to their Camp. They may not Pay their Dues with this card.
Encore
If a Player attempts to Draw from the Fate Deck during their Morning, but there are no cards left, the game enters into an Encore. Shuffle the Faire, the Road, and each Player's Hand together to form a new Fate Deck. Players' Stages remain intact, however. The new Hand-size is 1. The Player who triggers the Encore begins their Day again.
This is the end of ACT I: The Page's Game.
Three Player Game
The first Player to Pay their Dues while having 2 Closed Sets & 2 Ready Characters wins at the three Player game. A three Player game may be played at any Act. A Player may have no more than 2 Sets in their Cache at a time.
ACT II: The Baron's Game
Act II expands upon Character Abilities, making these allies even more versatile... and dangerous.
Scenes
Each new section of Rules within Act II is called a Scene. Players may choose to incorporate one new Scene at a time as they learn the game.
New Abilities
Characters now have several types of Abilities Players may choose from:
- Universal Abilities: Abilities that any Character may use.
- Unique Abilities: Abilities that only specific Characters may use.
- Charmed Abilities: Abilities a Character may gain.
Taking Fortunes: In Act II, Players can Take Fortunes from their Rivals. A Fortune that has been Taken is brought to Camp. Dues can be Paid with a Fortune that has been Taken on that Day.
Winning Act II
The first Player to Pay their Dues while having 3 Closed Sets & 2 Ready Characters has won Act II of A Fool's Fortune!
SCENE I: Universal Abilities
Universal Abilities are Abilities that any Character may use. Fetch & Cut are examples of Universal Abilities. There are 2 new Universal Abilities in Act II: Kick-Back & Barter.
Kick-Back
A Kick-Back allows you access to a Fee of a Character in your Crew without having to Cut that Character. Engage a Character to Kick-Back one of their Fees to Camp. (Example: one of the Assassin's Fees, the Desert-Location, is Kicked Back from your Crew to your Camp.)
Repay: A Character missing a Fee is considered Unpaid. A Player may Repay an Unpaid Character anytime in the Afternoon by replacing the missing Fee with another Fortune Aligned to the remaining Fee. (Example: the Forest-Folk is being used to Repay the Assassin.)
Unpaid Characters:
- During a Player's Clean Stage task of the Night Phase, any Unpaid Characters and their remaining Fee are discarded.
- Unpaid Characters may not be Engaged.
Barter
A Barter is a Universal Ability that allows a Player to Take a Fortune from a Rival's Open Set, so long as they replace it with another Fortune that is also Aligned to that Set. Engage a Character to make a Barter. The Fortune taken from a Rival's Set is brought to Camp; the Fortune given completes the Barter.
Wild-Barter
A Player may Barter for a Wild Fortune from an Open or Closed Set, so long as it is replaced with another Fortune that is also Aligned to that Set. (Example: the Forest-Wild is taken from a Rival's Closed Set and brought to Camp; the Forest-Supernatural is given to the Rival's Set to replace the Forest-Wild that has been taken.)
Reminder: A Charmed-Pair may not be in the same Set.
Clarifier: A Player may only Barter with a Rival's Wild-Set by giving another Wild.
Refuse a Barter
After a Player declares a Barter, their Rival has an opportunity to Refuse the Barter. To Refuse a Barter, Engage a Character. If the Barter is Refused, the Fortune the Rival was attempting to give returns from where it came (Hand or Camp), and the Fortune that was intended to be Taken remains safe in the Set. The Character attempting the Barter remains Engaged.
SCENE II: Unique Abilities
There are two types of Characters: Savvy & Skilled. Each type of Character has certain Unique Abilities.
Savvy Characters
Savvy Characters have a special bond to a specific Fortune type. There are 11 Savvy Characters, each Savvy to a particular Realm or Resource. The symbol or color in the corners of the card signify the Fortune type the Savvy Character is Savvy to. This is also printed on the card. (Examples: the Captain is Coastal-Savvy and has Unique Abilities related to Coastal-Fortunes. The Ranger is Nature-Savvy and has Unique Abilities related to Nature-Fortunes.)
Unique Savvy Abilities
A Savvy Character has several Unique Abilities they may use, each relating to the Fortune type they are Savvy to. A Player must Engage a Savvy Character to use their Savvy Ability.
- Savvy-Fetch: A Savvy Character may Fetch a Fortune they are Savvy to.
- Savvy-Barter: A Savvy Character Taking or giving a Fortune they are Savvy to in a Barter cannot have that Barter Refused.
- Savvy-Refuse: If a Savvy Character Refuses a Barter that involves a Fortune they are Savvy to, no further Barters may be attempted that Day.
- Savvy-Parry: A Savvy-Barter MAY be Refused by a Character who is also Savvy to either of the Fortunes involved in that Barter. However, further Barters may be attempted again that same Day.
Skilled Characters
The 11 other Characters are Skilled. Each Skilled Character has a Domain, pictured on the upper and lower corner of their card. Domains are a Fortune type that a Skilled Character has a special connection to. Domains come into play in the next Scene. (Examples: the Domain of the Fey-Child is Forest-Supernatural; the Domain of the Enchantress is Desert-Folk.)
SCENE III: Charmed Abilities
Characters may gain a Charmed-Ability if their Fees are Aligned in a certain way. There are 2 types of Charmed Abilities: Charmed-Fate & Charmed-Bargain.
Charmed-Fate
A Player may Engage a Character in their Crew who has gained a Charmed-Fate to Draw 1 card from the Fate Deck.
Charmed Fate is gained by:
- A Savvy Character who is Savvy to the Charmed-Pair of their Fees.
- A Skilled Character who has the Charmed-Pair of their Domain as Fees.
Charmed-Bargain
A Player may Engage a Character who has gained a Charmed-Bargain to Draw 1 card from the Fate Deck. However, their Dues are +1 this Day.
Charmed-Bargain is gained by:
- A Savvy Character who is Savvy to both of their Fees.
- A Skilled Character who has their Domain Fortune as one of their Fees.
- Any Character whose Fees are a Charmed-Pair.
(Examples: the Prince has a Charmed-Fate; the Healer has a Charmed-Bargain.)
Character Study
If the Trickster or Journeyman's Fees contain 1 Wild, they gain a Charmed-Bargain. If their Fees contain 2 Wilds, they gain a Charmed-Fate. The Journeyman's Domain is Wild.
SCENE IV: Flash
Players may Flash a Character, discarding them from their Hand or Crew, to use certain Abilities.
To Flash a Character from a Hand: Discard the Character from Hand, then perform their Ability.
To Flash a Character from a Crew: Engage then discard the Character, then perform their Ability. The Fees of that Character are brought into the Player's Camp.
Universal Flash Abilities
- Flash a Character to Barter.
- Flash a Character to Refuse a Barter.
Clarifier: If a Player Flashes a Character to Barter and the Barter was Refused, the Character remains on the Road.
Savvy Flash Abilities
- Flash a Savvy Character to Savvy-Fetch
- Flash a Savvy Character to Savvy-Barter
- Flash a Savvy Character to Savvy-Refuse
This is the end of ACT II: The Baron's Game.
ACT III: The Master's Game
Act III is where Character Abilities are fully unfurled and the Skilled Characters come into their own.
Winning in Act III
The first Player to Pay their Dues while having 3 Closed Sets & 3 Ready Characters has won Act III of A Fool's Fortune!
SCENE I: Skilled Characters
Each Skilled Character has 2 Unique Abilities: a Talent & a Strike.
Talent
A Skilled Character's Talent is printed on the top portion of the Character's text-box next to the Engage symbol. A Player must Engage a Skilled Character in their Crew to use their Talent.
RULE: Players may also Flash a Skilled Character from their Hand or Camp to use that Character's Talent.
(Example: The Healer's Talent is to Ready a Character in a Crew. She may Engage or Flash to use this Talent.)
Key-Words
Each Key-Word describes a new Ability or effect of the game.
Fee-Swap: A Fee-Swap is a Unique Ability that allows a Player to Take 1 Fee from a Character in any Crew, so long as that Fee is Repaid. The Fortune being used to Repay the Character must be Aligned to the remaining Fee. Engage or Flash a Character who has the Fee-Swap Ability to Fee-Swap. The Fortune taken in the Fee-Swap is brought to Camp.
Weaken: To Weaken a Character, rotate them upside-down. A Weakened Character may not be Engaged. During a Player's Ready Character task of their Morning, any Weakened Characters in their Crew are rotated to the Engaged position.
Rainbow: Rainbows are Fortunes that are played together in a Set or as Fees, yet are not Aligned. Rainbow Fees are 2 Fortunes used as Fees that are not Aligned. Rainbow Sets are Fortunes in a Set that are not Aligned. A Closed Rainbow Set would include one of each Resource and one of each Realm.
Spy: To Spy, look at a Player's Hand. The Spy Skill is followed by another effect which then targets the specific Hand being Spied upon.
Cross: An Ability that Crosses a Player is one in which a Rival attempts to Take, Weaken, Spy, Refuse, or mess with a Player directly in any way.
SCENE II: New Savvy Abilities
Savvy Fee-Swap: A Savvy Character may Engage or Flash to Fee-Swap so long as they are Savvy to either the Fee being Taken or the Fortune that is given.
Savvy-Refuse a Savvy-Fee-Swap: A Savvy Character may Engage or Flash to Refuse a Rival's Savvy-Fee-Swap, so long as the Character is also Savvy to either Fortune involved.
SCENE III: Skilled Strike
In addition to their Unique Talent from Scene I, each Skilled Character also has a Unique Strike Ability. The Strike Ability of a Skilled Character is printed in the lower portion of that Character's text-box, next to the Flash symbol. Players must Flash a Character to use their Strike Ability. Remember, Characters can be Flashed from a Hand or Crew.
Key-Words
Wayside Fortune: Fortunes that are made Wayside are moved from the Cache or Crew of a Player and into their Camp. Players may Fetch Wayside Fortune in a Rival's Camp as though it were at the Faire. However, a Player may Pay their Dues with Wayside Fortune that has been Fetched. When it is their Day, any Wayside Fortune in a Player's Camp may be sorted and must be cleaned up, just like any other Fortune in Camp.
Making Fortunes Wayside: If a Player reduces a Rival's Set to 2 or 1 Fortunes, those Fortunes are Wayside. If a Player Cuts a Rival's Character from a Crew, that Character's Fees are Wayside.
Lock: If a Player has Locked a feature of Play, that feature of Play cannot be accessed or used by Rivals until the Player's next Day (or otherwise noted).
Character Study
Though the Trickster is Wild-Savvy, having all the perks of a Savvy Character, she also has a Strike... she is the Trickster, after all.
Clarifier: When an Ability refers to a Player, a Character, a Cache, etc. it means that any Player, any Character, any Cache, etc. may be chosen. It may seem obvious for Players to use the mischievous Abilities against their Rivals and the helpful ones on themselves... but that may not always be the case!
RULE: Players may Take a Fortune from themselves, or make their own Fortunes Wayside. In either case, the Fortune Taken or made Wayside, is placed into that Player's Camp.
Cohorts: Many Characters' Skills can be used in combination with the Skills of other Characters for a variety of nifty or nasty effects. What clandestine cohorts mingle amongst the Characters drawn from Fate?
Loose Ends
- If a Player cannot Pay their Dues... they lose!!!
- A Player cannot Cross a Rival if that Rival has an Empty Stage.
This is the end of ACT III: The Master's Game.
Reference Guide
The Day
Morning (tasks performed in order): Restore Hand; Ready Crew; Receive Allowance.
Afternoon (tasks performed in any order): Recruit a Character; Use a Character's Abilities; Play Sets; Sort Fortunes.
Night (tasks performed in order): Pay Dues; Stage Cleanup; Hand Cleanup.
Universal Abilities
- ACT I: Fetch, Cut
- ACT II: Kick-Back, Barter, Refuse a Barter
Unique Savvy Abilities
- ACT II: Savvy-Fetch, Savvy-Barter, Savvy-Refuse
- ACT III: Savvy-Fee-Swap
Unique Skilled Abilities
- ACT III: Talent, Strike
Charmed Abilities
- ACT II: Charmed-Fate: Draw 1 Fate. Charmed-Bargain: Draw 1 Fate, Dues +1.