KeyForge Adventures: Fall of the House Gormangeist
KeyForge Adventures: Fall of the House Gormangeist Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
KeyForge: Adventures is a cooperative game mode in which one to three players work together to uncover the mystery of Gormangeist Mansion. Each player uses a 36-card KeyForge deck from their collection and sufficient counters and tokens. The players' collective enemy is The Amalgamator and its army of robotic minions that inhabit the Gormangeist Mansion. This enemy is represented by a special mansion deck, an adventure deck, and two oversized cards.
Players follow most of the standard rules of KeyForge, except for the modifications described in this document. The game continues until either an Archon with no essence in its essence pool is drained by The Amalgamator, at which point all the players lose, or until the players find a way to defeat The Amalgamator and win.
Mansion Cards
The various rooms and cooridors in the sprawling Gormangeist Mansion are represented by special double-sided mansion cards.
The starting side of each mansion card is marked with a door icon. At the start of the game, all mansion cards should be orientated so their door icon is visible.
Each mansion card has a trait: Room, Obstacle, or Barricade. These traits might be referred to in other card abilities.
Each mansion card also has an ability that describes what the players must do to flip the card and reveal what is on the reverse side. Sometimes, the players will find valueable items, including the Dark Essence needed to ultimately win the game. But be cautious; sometimes flipping a mansion card will reveal an enemy creature, or worse!
The various rooms and corridors in the sprawling Gormangeist Mansion are represented by special double-sided mansion cards. Two of these cards begin the game already in play: "Endless Corridors" and "Grand Stairway." The rest of the mansion cards remain out of play until they are put into play by another mansion card effect. Mansion cards do not ready or exhaust.
The front side of each mansion card is marked with a door icon and represents either an area that can be explored, or an obstacle that the players can attempt to bypass.
Mansion cards are played separate from the Gormangeist battleline and artifacts. Once a mansion card is in play, players can interact with it by using its "Explore:" ability. Players can only interact with the side of the mansion card that is face up.
Mansion cards are not creatures. Card abilities that affect creatures cannot affect mansion cards.
If a mansion card has a power value, players can use their creatures to fight it. A mansion card is destroyed when it has an amount of damage on it equal to or greater than its power. Mansion cards deal no damage in a fight.
Mansion cards without a power value cannot be destroyed.
When a mansion card leaves play, it is purged (removed from the game).
Flipping Mansion Cards
When a mansion card is explored or destroyed, the active player flips it to reveal what they just discovered. The reverse side of each mansion card can be an action card, a creature, an artifact, or an essence. Any counters and tokens remain on the card, and their effects apply immediately. When flipped, these cards are considered to be played by Gormangeist—the opponent—for the purposes of card abilities.
The following explains how a flipped mansion card is played, by type:
- Creature: Each creature enters play ready on the right flank of the Gormangeist battleline.
- Artifact: Each artifact enters play ready in the Gormangeist play area in an area distinct from its battleline.
- Action: Each action card has a play effect, which the active player resolves immediately, then removes the card from the game.
- Essence: Each essence card is placed into the active players essence pool.
Setup
To set up the game, follow these steps:
Place Gormangeist Mansion and The Amalgamator
- Place the oversized Gormangeist Mansion and The Amalgamator cards near one edge of the play area. Leave ample space near these two cards for the Gormangeist battleline and a row of mansion cards.
Create mansion deck
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Find the mansion cards "Endless Corridors," and "Grand Stairway" and put them into play near the Gormangeist Mansion so that their door icons are visible (see sidebar on previous page).
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Find the mansion cards "Bizarre Wall Clock," "Grandfather Clock," "Nonstop Alarm Clock," and "Sealed Odeum," and set them aside, out of play.
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Gather the remaining mansion cards and ensure they are all orientated so that their door icons are visible. Then, shuffle them together to form the mansion deck. Place the mansion deck within easy reach of all players.
Create adventure deck.
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Find the adventure card "The Grim Reaper" and place it in the left-most position of the Gormangeist battleline, ready.
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Find the adventure card "It is Time," and place it in the adventure discard pile. Shuffle the remaining adventure cards together to form the adventure deck. Place the adventure deck facedown within easy reach of all players.
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Take the top 2 cards of the adventure deck and place them facedown in the Gormangeist archives.
Players set up their decks
Each player chooses an Archon deck from their collection, shuffles it, and draws a six-card starting hand. Each player may mulligan their starting hand once as in a standard KeyForge game.
Set aside all key tokens—they will not be used in this adventure.
- Each player gathers 3 Archon's Essence cards and puts them next to their archon card to form their essence pool.
Randomly determine one player to be the first player.
Create common supply
- Put all tokens and counters used in a standard KeyForge game within easy reach of all players to create the common supply.
The game is now ready to begin.
Fundamental Concepts
This section contains the fundamental concepts for KeyForge: Adventures that provide context for players who are about to learn how to play the game.
House Gormangeist
During the game, the players are working to explore the Gormangeist Mansion and discover its secrets before The Amalgamator drains them of all their essence. The Gormangeist Mansion and The Amalgamator are each represented by oversized cards.
The Amalgamator is aided by creatures, artifacts, upgrades, and action cards in its adventure deck. All of these adventure cards belong to the Gormangeist house and are considered "enemy" cards for the purposes of card abilities.
Team Play
In KeyForge: Adventures, all players cooperate as a team and will win or lose together. Each player uses their own KeyForge deck, has their own Æmber pool, their own battleline, and controls their own cards. Players should form a collective strategy for how to best overcome the various enemies and obstacles they will face.
When the active player is resolving a card ability, creatures in other players' battlelines, upgrades attached to those creatures, and artifacts controlled by other players are all considered to be in play and can be affected by the cards played or drawn by the active player.
Essence Cards
Essence cards are a new card type introduced in this adventure. Each player begins with three "Archon's Essence" cards and will discover "Dark Essence" during the game.
Throughout the adventure, they players will be harried by The Grim Reaper. Each time The Grim Reaper reaps, if there is Æmber in the Gormangeist Æmber pool equal to the current key cost, Gormangeist spends Æmber equal to the current key cost and the active player is drained of one essence. When this happens, the active player selects any essence card in their pool and attaches it to The Amalgamator. If a player is drained while they have no essence, the game ends and the players lose.
Archon's Essence
Each player starts with 3 "Archon's Essence" cards in their essence pool, which represents the life force of their Archon.
Dark Essence
Hidden throughout Gormangeist Mansion are strange crystalline objects that contain Dark Essence—all that remains of Archons destroyed by the Grim Reaper. Players need to find this Dark Essence and use it as a weapon to defeat The Amalgamator. When The Amalgamator has an amount of Dark Essence attached to it equal to the number of players +1, the players win the game!
Draining Essence
Each player has their own essence pool. At the start of the game, each essence pool contains three Archon's Essence. Players can find Dark Essence by exploring the mansion, but each player can only have one Dark Essence in their essence pool at a time.
Throughout this adventure, there will be times when one or more players are drained of their essence. Usually, this will happen as the result of the Grim Reaper resolving its "After Reap:" ability, though there are also some other situations where essence can be drained.
Each time a player is drained, they choose any essence card in their essence pool and attach it to The Amalgamator. When The Amalgamamator has Dark Essence attached to it equal to the number of players +1, the players win the game.
Adjusting the Difficulty
Fall of the House Gormangeist is intended to offer a meaningful challenge for most KeyForge players and decks. However, the difficulty can be easily modified for a more personalized experience.
For those interested in an easier experience, draw only one adventure card during step 5 of each Gormangeist turn (instead of two).
For those interested in a more challenging experience, draw three adventure cards during step 5 of each Gormangeist turn (instead of two).
Siphon Icons
The "Gormangeist Mansion," "The Grim Reaper," and other cards have siphon icons. This icon represent a constant ability for Gormangeist to steal Æmber directly from a player's Æmber pool.
Haunted
This adventure makes extensive use of the haunted keyword. While a player has 10 or more cards in their discard pile, that player is haunted. While a player has 0–9 cards in their discard pile, they are not haunted.
Some effects on mansion cards and adventures cards will not resolve unless the active player is haunted.
Winning and Losing
Players win this adventure by defeating The Amalgamator. The team of players does this collaboratively by exploring the mansion to find enough Dark Essence to overwhelm The Amalgamator and escape its trap.
However, the players' time is limited. At the end of each player's turn, Gormangeist steals 1 Æmber from that player's Æmber pool for each siphon icon in play. If Gormangeist has Æmber equal to or greater than the current key cost, the players are in danger of being drained of their essence the next time The Grim Reaper resolves its "After Reap:" ability.
If a player with no essence remaining in their essence pool becomes drained, the game is over and the players lose.
However, the players can turn Gormangeist's insatiable thirst for essence against it. If a player has Dark Essence in their essence pool when they become drained, they can attach the Dark Essence to The Amalgamator. When The Amalgamator has an amount of Dark Essence attached to it equal to the number of players + 1, the game is over and players win!
| # of Players | Dark Essence Needed |
|---|---|
| 1 Player | 2 Dark Essence |
| 2 Players | 3 Dark Essence |
| 3 Players | 4 Dark Essence |
Turn Sequence
When playing a game of KeyForge: Adventures, players take turns in sequence, starting with the first player. The player currently taking their is the active player. After the active player finishes all the steps of their turn, that player performs a Gormangeist turn. Then, the next player in sequence becomes the new active player. Once the turn order is established, it cannot change.
Player Turns
During a player's turn, they follow most of the rules described in the KeyForge Master Rulebook regarding choosing a house, playing/discarding/using cards, readying cards, and drawing up to a six-card hand.
In this adventure, players cannot forge keys.
Ignore the first turn rule. The first player should take a full turn at the start of the game.
The active player may use their cards and abilities as normal during their turn. If a creature is used to fight, it may fight an enemy creature in the Gormangeist battleline, or a mansion card that has a power value.
The active player can resolve the "Explore:" ability on any mansion card in play during their "Play, discard, or use cards" step. Each "Explore:" ability has a cost requirement that must be fully met before the "Explore:" ability can resolve.
If a player has no essence in their essence pool, they may continue playing but skip their "draw cards" step. But remember, if a player with no essence in their essence pool is drained again, the players lose the game.
After the active player finishes their turn, they perform a Gormangeist turn.
Gormangeist Turns
During each Gormangeist turn, the active player performs several steps, described below. Note that Gormangeist always chooses its own house to be its active house for the turn.
1. Play Adventure Cards. The active player plays each card from the Gormangeist archives (see "Archives and Hand of Cards"), top to bottom. Each time a player plays an adventure card, they resolve that card completely before playing the next card. These cards are considered to be played by Gormangeist—the opponent—for the purposes of card abilities. If cards are added to the archives during this step, they are not played this turn. If cards are drawn during this step, they are played this turn.
Any bonus icons on adventure cards are resolved one at a time, top to bottom. Æmber bonus icons cause the Gormangeist to gain that much Æmber, which is placed in the Gormangeist Æmber pool from the common supply. Draw bonus icons cause the top card of the adventure deck to be added to the Gormangeist's hand of cards that will be played this turn.
The following explains how an adventure card is played, by type:
- Creature: Each creature enters play exhausted on the right flank of the Gormangeist battleline.
- Artifact: Each artifact enters play exhausted in the Gormangeist play area in an area distinct from its battleline.
- Action Card: Each action card has a play effect, which the active player resolves. Then, the action card is placed in the adventure discard pile.
- Upgrade: Each upgrade is attached to the The Grim Reaper.
If a card would be drawn or archived from the adventure deck and the adventure deck has no cards in it, shuffle the adventure discard pile to form a new adventure deck and draw the card from that new adventure deck.
2. Gormangeist Creatures Are Used. During this step, each ready creature in the Gormangeist battleline is used, starting with the creature on the left flank and proceeding to the right, until each Gormangeist creature is exhausted.
Gormangeist creatures always reap unless they have the prey keyword (see "Prey Keyword").
When an ability calls for Gormangeist Æmber to be spent, the cost is modified by card effects that modify key costs.
3. Gormangeist Artifacts Are Used. During this step, each Gormangeist artifact is used. The active player may choose the order in which artifacts are used. Exhaust those artifacts and resolve their "Action:" abilities, one at a time.
If Gormangeist has taken control of another player's artifact with an "Omni:" ability, it uses it during this step. If such an artifact has more than one "Omni:" ability, the active player chooses which one resolves.
4. Ready All Gormangeist Cards. Ready each card controlled by Gormangeist.
5. Draw Adventure Cards. Draw 2 cards from the top of the adventure deck and add them to Gormangeist's archives.
Additional Rules
Because no player controls the Gormangeist cards, the following additional rules explain how to use them during cooperative gameplay.
Gormangeist Archives and Hand of Cards
The Gormangeist archives is a facedown game area where adventure cards may be put during the game.
During each Gormangeist turn, the active player takes the Gormangeist archives, and plays each card one at a time, top to bottom. If a card effect would cause Gormangeist to draw cards during the turn, those cards are taken from the top of the adventure deck and added to Gormangeist's hand to be played that same turn. Any cards that cannot be played are added to the archives instead.
If a card effect causes Gormangeist to archive one or more adventure cards, the required number of cards are taken from the top of the adventure deck and added to the Gormangeist archives to be played on the next Gormangeist turn. If the adventure deck has no cards in it when archiving an adventure card, reshuffle the adventure discard pile to form a new adventure deck and archive the top card of the new adventure deck.
If a player's card effect would look at and/or discard cards from the opponent's hand, the appropriate cards are looked at and/or discarded from Gormangeist's archives instead. If a card effect would return an adventure card to Gormangeist's hand, archive that card instead. Any player card effect that interacts with the opponent's archives also interact with Gormangeist's archives.
If a card effect would cause Gormangeist to reduce the amount of cards drawn, reduce the number of adventure cards drawn at the end of its turn by that amount to a minimum of 1 adventure card.
Gormangeist Mansion and The Amalgamator
This adventure revolves around a battle against the Gormangeist Mansion and The Amalgamator.
The Gormangeist Mansion and The Amalgamator are each its own card type. They are not considered creatures or artifacts for the purposes of card abilities.
Draining Essence
The cost for Gormangeist to drain essence is modified by effects that modify key cost.
When a player is drained of essence, they choose any essence card in their essence pool and attach it to The Amalgamator. This counts as the opponent "forging a key" for the purpose of card abilities.
Likewise, each essence card attached to The Amalgamator count as a "forged key" for the purpose of card abilities.
Reading Adventure Cards
Abilities on adventure cards are written such that the player drawing the card or using the creature reads and resolves the text against themselves. Any time the word you or your appears, it refers to the active player (the person reading the card and resolving the ability).
Any time a card ability refers to Gormangeist, it refers to the opponent represented by the adventure. When resolving effects on a player's cards that refer to that player's opponent, Gormangeist is that opponent and performs the actions indicated by that player's card effect. Any card ability that affects "each player" also affects Gormangeist.
On a player's cards, only creatures controlled by that player are considered friendly. Teammates' creatures are considered neither friendly creatures nor enemy creatures.
All adventure cards in this adventure belong to House Gormangeist.
Keywords
Some Gormangeist cards have new keyword abilities, which are defined below. Additionally, enrage and taunt work slightly differently for Gormangeist creatures.
Enrage
An enraged creature not controlled by a player gains "prey – the least powerful creature" if it does not already have the prey keyword. It only gains this keyword while it is enraged.
Prey
Some of the Gormangeist creatures have the prey keyword. A creature with prey fights whenever it is used if the active player controls a creature described by the keyword. If a creature has the prey keyword but no eligible creature exists for it to fight against, the creature reaps instead of fighting. If multiple eligible creatures exist in the active player's battleline, that player chooses which of their creatures is fought.
Taunt
When a creature that has the prey keyword is used to fight a creature that does not have taunt, and one of that creature's neighbors has taunt, the creature with taunt is fought instead.
Treachery
A creature with the treachery keyword enters play under the control of the opposing player. When the active player is performing a Gormangeist turn, and a Gormangeist creature with treachery is played, the active player must place that creature in their own battleline.
Versatile
A creature with the versatile keyword can be used as if it belonged to the active house.
Turn Sequence Reference
Active Player's Turn
- Skip your Forge a Key step
- Choose a house
- Play, use, and discard cards of your chosen house
- Ready your cards
- Draw cards from your deck (Skip this step if you have no Essence in your Essence Pool)
- Gormangeist steals: For each siphon icon in play, Gormangeist steals 1 Æmber from you.
Gormangeist Turn
- Play adventure cards: Play each Adventure card in the Gormangeist archives, one at a time, from top to bottom. Resolve any bonus icons on the card:
- Add 1 Æmber to the Gormangeist Æmber pool.
- Draw 1 card from the Adventure deck and place it on top of the Gormangeist archives; that card will be played immediately after you finish resolving the current Adventure card.
- Creature: Place it exhausted on the right flank of the Gormangeist battleline.
- Artifact: Place it in the Gormangeist play area, separate from its battleline.
- Action Card: Resolve the "Play:" effect. Then, place the action card in the adventure discard pile.
- Upgrade: Attach it to the The Grim Reaper. (If The Grim Reaper is not in play, discard the upgrade without playing it.)
- Use Gormangeist creatures: in the Gormangeist battleline, from left to right.
- If the creature has the "Prey" keyword, it fights the active player's creature that is described, if able. Otherwise, the creature reaps.
- Use Gormangeist artifacts: Use each artifact from left to right, one at a time.
- Ready Gormangeist cards
- Draw adventure cards: Draw 2 Adventure cards and add them to the Gormangeist archives.
Winning the Game
As soon as The Amalgamator has enough Dark Essence attached to it, the players win.
| # of Players | Dark Essence Needed |
|---|---|
| 1 Player | 2 Dark Essence |
| 2 Players | 3 Dark Essence |
| 3 Players | 4 Dark Essence |
Icons
- Siphon Icon: Can appear on Mansion cards or Adventure cards. At the end of your turn, Gormangeist steals 1 Æmber for each siphon icon in play.
- Gormangeist House Icon: All enemy cards in this adventure belong to the Gormangeist house.
- Æmber Bonus: When an Adventure card with this icon is played, take 1 Æmber from the common supply and add it to the Gormangeist Æmber pool.
- Draw Card Bonus Icon: When an Adventure card with this icon is played, take the top card of the Adventure deck and place it facedown on to the top of the pile of cards in the Gormangeist archives.