Delve the Card Game
Delve the Card Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Goal
Make it through an entire patrol with a surviving hero.
Rules
Pick one of the four super heroes that you will use for the game.
Your starting vitality is shown on the card. This is used for both your health and your attack value.
Damage will drop your vitality and if it ever reaches zero the game is over. Powers will modify your attack value when determining the outcomes of battles, but they do not add to your health.
For example, if your base vitality is 5, and you have taken 4 damage, 1 more damage will end the game even if you have a Power that adds 2 to your attack.
Pick one non-epic Power to start the game with. Unless otherwise specified, your hero can only have two powers.
Shuffle the remaining non-hero cards. This is the draw deck.
Start turning over the cards in the draw deck, one at a time and resolving them until you either reach the end of the deck and have won, or your hero is dead.
Cards are resolved as follows. Note that any text on the card takes precedence to these rules:
Powers
If your hero cannot use the power, simply discard it.
If it is in a power that your hero can use, you must decide if you want to use up one of your power slots to hold it.
You can discard a power you currently hold if needed.
If it can be used immediately, such as a med kit, you do not have to have a free power slot to do so.
Powers like this can also be stored in one of your power slots and used at a later time as well.
Disaster
Follow the instructions on the card unless you have a hero or power that allows you to ignore disasters.
Enemy
Fight enemies by determining your attack and comparing it to the number on the enemy card.
To determine your attack, use your base vitality minus any damage you have previously taken and then add any modifiers from powers.
If your number is higher, you win – discard the enemy card.
If your number is the same or lower, you lose – place the enemy card upside down next to your hero as damage.
Place the cards representing damage in any way that makes it easy to readily determine how much vitality your hero currently has.
Campaign Mode
Play the next game with the powers that you have at the end your last game.
Good luck and happy delving!
Card Reference
The card sheets contain the hero cards, power cards, enemy cards and disaster cards. Card text takes precedence over the rules above. Card text is reproduced as printed; quotes in italics are the flavour lines printed on the card.
Heroes
Each hero starts with a vitality of 5 (shown on the card) and has one hero ability.
- Mystic – Wins attacks in the event of a tie.
- Paragon – Defeats all disasters.
- Gadgeteer – Can have up to four powers at a time instead of just 2.
- Mutant – Anytime you win against an enemy, heal one damage.
Powers
- Med Kit (2 copies) – Any can use. Heal 2 damage.
- Super Strength – Paragon. +3.
- Heat Vision – Paragon. +3.
- Smoke Grenade – Gadgeteer. Defeat one enemy. Discard after use.
- Flash Grenade – Gadgeteer. Defeat one enemy. Discard after use.
- Acid Grenade – Gadgeteer. Defeat one enemy. Discard after use.
- Utility Belt – Gadgeteer. Discard this card and find up to three Grenades in the discard or draw piles and equip them. Shuffle the draw pile if used.
- Nunchaku – Any can use. +1.
- Martial Arts – Any can use. +2.
- Tonfa – Any can use. +1.
- Mech Suit – Gadgeteer. +4.
- Beastal Rage – Mutant. +4. Heal two damage when equiped.
- Energy Blast – Mutant/Mystic/Paragon. +2.
- Side Kick – Any can use. +2. Discard to defeat one enemy.
Epic Powers
Epic powers are printed with the words "Does not take up a power slot" on the card.
- Sonic Rifle – Gadgeteer. Automatically wins against Femme Fatales. Does not take up a power slot.
- Advanced Mutation – Mutant. Automatically wins against Terrorists. Does not take up a power slot.
- Cosmic Power – Paragon. Automatically wins against Aliens. Does not take up a power slot.
- Telekinesis – Mystic. Automatically win against Robots. Does not take up a power slot.
Enemies
The number on an enemy card is its attack value (see Enemy above).
- Ninjas (Death Clan) – 4. If you lose you can discard one power instead of taking damage. "...!"
- Ninja Master (Death Clan) – 6. If you lose you can discard one power instead of taking damage. "It will bring great honor to kill you!!"
- Henchmen (Street Thugs) – 1. If you have any powers, you may discard them all instead of taking damage if you lose. (2 copies.)
- Drone 4K (Robots) – 6. If you don't attack with grenades, take one damage only if you would have won. "Beep!"
- Prototype Mk. II (Robots) – 7. If you don't attack with grenades, take one damage only if you would have won. "Life signs detected... battle system armed!"
- Nexus 12 (Robots) – 8. If you don't attack with grenades, take one damage only if you would have won. "The virus known as humanity must be purged from the system!"
- Master Beast (Super Villain) – 3. Master Beast automatically wins against Mutants. "GRRRAHHHHHHH! Smash!!"
- Hate King (Super Villain) – 7. Hate King automatically wins against Paragon. "Face it... we are two sides of the same coin, you and I!"
- Xeno-cryptid Minion (Aliens) – 3. Damage from aliens cannot be healed. "This one's genetic structure is remarkable... prepare the instruments!"
- Xeno-cryptid Warrior (Aliens) – 4. Damage from aliens cannot be healed.
Disasters
Disasters are listed with the text printed on each card.
- Tornado – Discard one power.
- Meteor – Turn this card into one damage.
- Volcano – Either discard one power or turn this card into one damage.
- Earthquake – Discard one power or turn this card into one damage.
- Forest Fire – If you have powers, discard them and turn this card into one damage. Otherwise, ignore this card.