An Empty Throne
An Empty Throne Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
This small form card game uses a combination of these rules along with prompts and text found on in-game cards (Field, Tombs, Refuge Kith, and Turn Reference cards). While these rules offer an overview of the game, the entire text of those in-game cards is not repeated in these rules, but can be found on the cards themselves. In short: the text on those cards are part of the rules. Read and follow what the cards say to do, in the order presented, and in the context of these rules.
Set Up
Shuffle the 30 Kith cards and deal them into 3 even face up decks in the middle of the play area in a row. Each player takes 3 Field cards and places 1 Field card (set to the non-flipped side) on their side of each of the 3 decks, forming the 3 Fields and the 3 Field decks. Shuffle The Tombs deck and place it face down to the side of the Fields.
Shuffle the 5 Starting Kith/Refuge Bonus cards and deal 2 to each player, forming the players' hands. The remaining Starting Kith/Refuge card is flipped to its Refuge Bonus side and placed to the side of the Fields (this is the Refuge Bonus card).
Each player takes a Turn Reference card and adds it to their hand.
Players choose a starting player using a method they agree on. The game begins and the starting player takes the first turn.
Kith Cards and Playing An Empty Throne
An Empty Throne revolves around each player playing (and moving or exchanging) Kith cards to their side of the 3 Fields, and The Tombs, to trigger Abilities and create Coalitions.
Kith cards represent the various inhabitants of the land, and most begin the game in the 3 face up Field decks in the middle of the play area. The 5 starting Kith/Refuge cards are special, and the back of each features a Refuge Bonus. Each Kith card has several important pieces of information: Value, Kith, Impact Ability, and Recruit Ability.
- There are 8 different Kiths. 5 are found in the Field decks and 3 are found in The Tombs. A card's Kith is represented by its illustration and color. Each Kith card features a Value of 0-9.
- Each Kith card has an Impact Ability (bottom - arrow down). An Impact Ability is only ever used when a Kith card is played from a player's hand to their side of a Field or The Tombs.
- Most Kith cards also have a Recruit Ability (top - arrow up). A Kith's Recruit Ability is only used when it is the topmost, face up card of a Field deck. Players should ignore the Recruit Ability of cards in their hand. Kith cards in The Tombs do not have a Recruit Ability.
All cards of the same Kith have the same Recruit and Impact Abilities.
Finally, each of the 5 starting Kith cards are special. The back of each features a Refuge Bonus, tied to that card's Kith. Each game, 1 of these cards will be revealed and represent a Kith that seeks refuge from the struggles of power, and is the Refuge Bonus for the game. At the end of the game, cards of the Refuge Bonus Kith in a player's hand are worth points.
Kith cards in a player's hand are kept secret from the other player. There is no maximum hand size. There is no discard pile.
Fields
There are 3 Fields. Each Field has a face up Field deck (comprised of Kith Cards). The topmost, face up card of a Field deck features that Field Deck's Recruit Ability.
Each player has a Field card on their side of each Field, denoting their side of each Field. Kith cards a player plays to a Field are placed on their side of that Field, and Kith cards on a player's side of a Field are that player's cards. When a player plays a Kith card from their hand to a Field, they follow the text of their Field card.
Kith Abilities are specific in what cards they can affect. If an ability says "this card," it is referring to itself.
Kith cards currently on either player's side of a Field are played cards. Kith cards on a player's side of a Field are their cards. Kith cards on the opposing player's side of a Field are opposing cards.
Field cards are double sided. When a player has a Coalition at a Field, their Field card at that field is flipped. Once a Field card has been flipped, it remains flipped for the rest of the game and can never be flipped again.
The Tombs
The Tombs deck is similar to the 3 Fields: each player can play Kith cards to their side of The Tombs deck.
However, The Tombs never has a Recruit Ability. When a player plays a Kith card from their hand to their side of the Tombs, they follow the text on The Tombs deck (found on the back of each Kith card in the Tombs deck).
Kith cards currently on either player's side of The Tombs are played cards. Kith cards on a player's side of The Tombs are their cards. Kith cards on the opposing player's side of The Tombs are opposing cards.
Player Turns
An Empty Throne is played over alternating player turns, with players taking turns until one of the game's end game triggers occurs. What a player can and must do on their turn is covered on each player's Turn Reference card. When a player takes a turn, they follow the text of their Turn Reference card, in the order presented.
Coalitions
A Coalition is a collection of specific Kith cards on a player's side of a Field, at the end of the player's Turn. This can also be found on the back of each player's Turn Reference card.
End Game Triggers and Scoring
The end game triggers and scoring can be found on the back side of each player's Turn Reference card.
Field Example
During his turn, Jeb uses one of his Actions to play a Red Kith (Value 4) from his hand to his side of this Field.
He follows the text on his Field Card. He may either:
- Use the Recruit Ability of this Field Deck's top most card (the Green Kith)
or
- Use the Impact Ability of the Red Kith (Value 3) that he played to his side of this Field.