Beast Hunt Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Getting Started
• How to Play
  • Classes
• Important Terms
• How to Win
• Game Modes
• Card Types
  • Champions
  • Beasts
  • Malevolent Shards
  • King of Beasts
  • Lesser Beasts
  • Heroes
  • Malice
  • Arcana
  • Armament
  • Curse
  • Banner
  • Enchant
  • Defiance

Getting Started

Before starting the game, sort the cards in the box by type. All standard-size cards are shuffled together to form the Main Deck. The large Beast cards and the Malevolent Shard cards are shuffled together to form the Beast Deck. Lesser Beasts are added to the Main Deck together with the Hero, Arcana, Defiance, Enchant, Curse, Armament, Ancient Arm, and Banner cards.

Next, each player chooses one champion to represent them throughout the game and places it in front of them, in their play area. This play area is called the player's Party. The first player to choose a champion is determined by rolling dice; the player who rolls highest chooses first.

Each player may take one Rules Reference card. Return the remaining champion cards and Rules Reference cards to the box.

Next, shuffle the Main Deck thoroughly and deal 5 cards to each player. Place the remaining cards face down in the centre of the play area. Beside the Main Deck, leave a space for the Discard Pile; during the game, place sacrificed, destroyed, assassinated, or discarded cards there.

Shuffle the Beast Deck, then reveal 3 cards from the top of it face up. Finally, choose 1 Beast King card at random and place it face down beside the Beast Deck.

How to Play

The player who rolled highest when choosing champions takes the first turn. Play then proceeds clockwise.

Each player's turn consists of 3 Actions. These actions may be performed in any order, and the same action may be repeated as long as actions remain.

With 1 Action, you may:

• Draw 1 card from the deck.
• Play a Hero, Armament, Curse, Banner, or Arcana card.
• Roll the dice to use the effect of a Hero already in your Party.
  • If you play a Hero, its effect may be used immediately by rolling the dice, without spending an additional action.
  • The same Hero's effect may not be used more than once in the same turn.

With 2 Actions, you may:

• Attack a Beast.
• Use an Ancient Arm.

With 3 Actions, you may:

• Discard your entire hand, then draw 4 cards. (This may be done even if your hand is empty.)

Cards that say they may be used "immediately" do not require an action to use their effect.

Your turn ends when you have no actions left. Unused actions are not carried over to your next turn.

Unless otherwise specified, each turn begins with 3 actions.

Unless otherwise specified, at the end of your turn your hand may contain no more than 7 cards. If you have more than 7 cards at the end of your turn, discard until you have 7.

Classes

The class of a champion or Hero is shown by the symbol at the top of the card. Attacking certain Beasts may require a particular class, or a combination of classes, within your Party. A blank space, or the dark symbol shown in the rulebook, means that any class may be used.

The classes are: Shinobi, Nightmare, Royal, Hunter, Invoker, Pirate, and Mercenary.

Important Terms

• Draw: Take the top card of the Main Deck and add it to your hand.
• Discard: Place 1 card from your hand into the Discard Pile.
• Pull: Choose 1 card at random from another player's hand and add it to your hand.
• Attack: Roll the dice and attempt to defeat a Beast.
• Defeat: If an attack succeeds in hunting a Beast, add that Beast to your Party.
• Facedown: When a card is face down, its effect cannot be used, and it is not a target of attacks. If it is a Hero card, it is also not a target of Steal, Destroy, or Return. A Hero that is stolen while face down is turned face up.
• Stagger: Some Beasts have a number printed in the central star below their name. This number is the Stagger value. If a player rolls at or above that value but still fails to defeat the Beast, the next player who fights that Beast may defeat it by rolling at or above the Stagger value.
• Destroy: Place 1 Hero in another player's Party into the Discard Pile.
• Sacrifice: Place 1 Hero from your own Party, chosen by the player, into the Discard Pile.
• Steal: Move 1 Hero from another player's Party to your own Party.
• Assassinate: Place any 1 Hero into the Discard Pile.

Note: If a card says "immediately attack a Beast", this effect does not apply to the Beast King.

How to Win

Defeat the Beast King! The Beast King takes on a different form and nature each time it reincarnates. Be further careful: if 3 Malevolent Shard cards are face up on the field, and the Beast King is not defeated within the next round (until every player has taken one turn), the Beast King wins.

Game Modes

• 1 Champion: Each player uses 1 champion. Suited to games with many players.
• 2 Champion: Each player uses 2 champions. Suited to 3 to 4 players. Champions are chosen in snake draft order.
• Shardless: Remove the Malevolent Shard cards from the Beast Deck. Suited to players who want to compete more directly for turn order.

Card Types

Champions

Before the game starts, each player chooses 1 champion. Each champion has a class, an active skill, and a passive skill. The skill printed at the top is the active skill, which may be used during that player's turn unless otherwise specified. A passive skill triggers when its condition is met. If the player misses the timing to trigger it, it cannot be used again until its condition is met again.

A champion always remains in your Party. It is not a target of Destroy, Sacrifice, or Assassinate, and no card can be equipped to it.

Beasts

At the start of the game, place 3 Beasts face up on the field from the top of the Beast Deck. On your turn, you may spend 2 actions to attack these Beasts. To attack, you must meet the class requirement shown by the symbols at the bottom left of the card.

The purple orb at the bottom right of a Beast card shows how many times the "roll two six-sided dice and find their total" step is performed during combat with that Beast.

The number printed in the white star at the centre of a Beast card is its Stagger value (see Important Terms).

Each symbol next to "Requirements" represents 1 Hero in your Party. Champions do not count as Heroes, but their class is applied when judging the requirement.

When you defeat a Beast, add that card to your Party and gain its effect. Then reveal a new Beast from the top of the Beast Deck, face up. If you do not have a Party made of 5 cards of the same class, you must defeat 3 Beasts to challenge the Beast King.

Malevolent Shards

When a Beast is defeated and a new card is revealed from the Beast Deck, a Malevolent Shard may appear. When a Malevolent Shard is revealed, place it in a row above the Beasts, and reveal 1 new Beast card.

When 3 Malevolent Shards have been placed, a countdown begins. Each player has only 1 turn remaining before the Beast King must be defeated. If the players fail to achieve this cooperatively, the Beast King's evil plan is realised, all champions are defeated, and everyone loses.

King of Beasts

This is the win condition of Beast Hunt. There are several King of Beasts cards. Before the game starts, choose 1 at random and place it face down near or below the other Beasts.

This card is not turned face up until a player has a Party of 5 cards of the same class, or has defeated 3 Beasts. When a player is ready to challenge the Beast King, turn the card face up; it then stays face up until the end of the game.

As with other Beasts, attacking the Beast King costs 2 actions. The player who defeats the Beast King wins.

When 3 Malevolent Shards are on the field, change tactics and cooperate so that one player can defeat the Beast King. In that case, defeating this Beast King is a win for everyone.

Lesser Beasts

These cards are included in the Main Deck. When a player draws a Lesser Beast, they must reveal it and play it immediately. After it is played, you must attack that Beast.

If you defeat it, add the card to your Party. In addition, you gain a +1 modifier to your dice roll against the Beast King for each Lesser Beast in your Party, and you gain 1 additional action that turn.

If you do not defeat it, the card is placed in the Discard Pile.

If you have Lesser Beasts in your starting hand, then when it becomes your turn you must fight each of them one at a time before taking your normal turn.

Heroes

Heroes are the companions you meet along the way. Each Hero has a class and an effect. In many cases, a Hero's effect is triggered by rolling dice.

To use a Hero's effect, roll 2 six-sided dice; their total must satisfy the condition (green: at or above; red: at or below).

A Hero may use its effect by rolling dice immediately after it is played from your hand. A Hero already in your Party may use its effect once per turn by spending 1 action, if the roll succeeds. If the dice roll fails, the action is not returned.

You may place any number of Heroes in your Party.

Malice

Malice cards represent the terrible evil of the Beast King. They have harmful effects for all players and affect everyone in various ways.

When drawn, a Malice card is played immediately, and it affects everyone present. If it is in your starting hand, Malice is resolved before Lesser Beasts. After it is resolved, it is placed in the Discard Pile.

Arcana

Arcana cards trigger a one-time magical effect. After use, they are placed in the Discard Pile.

Armament

Armament cards can be equipped to any Hero on the field. An equipped Armament gives the Hero an additional effect.

Curse

Curse cards can be equipped to any Hero on the field. An equipped Curse gives the Hero an unfavourable effect.

Banner

Banner cards can be equipped to a Hero, and they change that Hero's class. If an Armament, Curse, or Banner is destroyed, or the Hero it is equipped to is destroyed or leaves the player's Party, these cards are placed in the Discard Pile unless otherwise specified. Each Hero may have at most 1 card equipped at a time.

Enchant

Enchant cards are used to influence the result of a dice roll. Playing an Enchant does not require an action, and any player may use one after a dice roll is complete.

You may stack several Enchants to influence the result. Some Enchants have both a positive and a negative value; when using one, declare which value applies.

After all players have finished using Enchants, total their values to determine the final result. After use, all Enchants are placed in the Discard Pile.

Defiance

Defiance cards are used to hinder other players who attempt certain actions. The actions that can be targeted are playing a Hero, Arcana, Banner, Curse, or Armament. Only 1 Defiance may be used per action.

When Defiance is triggered, the player who used it rolls the dice first, then the targeted player rolls. The player who rolls higher wins; if the rolls are tied, roll again.

If Defiance succeeds, the targeted card is placed in the Discard Pile. After both players have rolled, either player may use Enchants.

Ancient Arms

If you have 3 Ancient Arms in your hand, you may spend 2 actions to play them and defeat 1 Beast of your choice. This effect cannot be countered by Defiance, and it does not apply to the Beast King.