Mantle of the Keeper Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Setup
  • Quick Start
  • Battle for the Mantle Mode
  • 1. Prepare the Play Area
  • 2. Select Your Chosen
    • 2a. Player Mat Setup
  • 3. Shape the Battlefield
    • Obstructions and Spaces Explained
    • 3a. Select Rym Tiles
    • 3b. Place Hazard Tokens
  • 4. Character Placement
  • 5. Draw Cards
    • 5a. Overhaul (Optional)
  • Battle for the Mantle!
• The Basics
  • Icons
  • Player Mats
  • Basic Cards
  • Special Cards
  • Modifier Cards
  • Golden Rule
  • Arcane Turrets
• Round Summary
  • 1. Income Phase
  • 2. Action Phase
    • 2a. Movement
  • 3. End-of-Turn Phase
  • Spending Favor
  • Rounds
• Combat
  • Line of Sight & Range
  • Attack & Defense
  • Full Defense Bonus
  • Attack vs. Deal
  • Favor and Favor Abilities
  • Combat Example
• Game End
  • Tiebreaker
• Alternate Turn Order
  • Turn Order Deck
• Alliance (Team Mode)
  • Alliance Setup
  • Alliance Special Rules
• Special Rules
  • Push the Limits!
• New Player Setup
• Glossary

Game Components

• 1 Lore Book
• 120 Chosen Cards (6 decks of 20 cards each)
• 4 Player/Round Summary Reference Cards
• 1 Arcane Turret Instruction Card
• 1 Victory Card
• 6 Player Mats
• 6 Rym Tiles
• 6 Chosen Standees
• 15 Hazard Tokens (4 Breach, 4 Rift, 4 Tremor, 3 Surge)
• 3 Arcane Turret Tokens/Standees
• 1 Current Player Token
• 20 Tracking Cubes
• 1 Six-Sided Apothecary Experimental Die
• 4 Player Turn Order Cards

Setup

Setup for the standard game mode, Battle for the Mantle, is described on the following pages. You can find the Alliance game mode on p. 15.

Quick Start

1. Prepare the Play Area.
2. Select Chosen.
3. Select Rym Tiles (4 total).
4. Place Hazard Tokens (5 total). Rifts are always placed in pairs and count as 1 Hazard.
5. Place Chosen.
6. Draw 5 Cards. (a. Overhaul (Optional): see p. 7.)

Example of 4 player setup of Battle for the Mantle game mode.

Battle for the Mantle Mode

The realm of Vaile needs a new Keeper, and the time has come to determine which Chosen will take up the Mantle. Players battle as Chosen characters to become the next Keeper of Vaile. After the dust settles, the last Chosen remaining wins the game!

1. Prepare the Play Area

• Give each player a Round Summary card and 5 tracking cubes.
• Place all 6 Player Mats (Character Stat side up), Chosen Decks, and Standees in the center of the table.
• Set Rym Tiles and Hazard Tokens in reach.

First time playing? See the recommended 4 player setup for new players on page 16!

2. Select Your Chosen

• Players take turns rolling the Apothecary Experimental Die. Whoever rolls the highest number will be the first player and claim the Current Player Token.
• Starting with the first player, players take turns in clockwise order to select a Chosen character, taking its Player Mat, associated Chosen deck, Standee, and any accessories (i.e. Apothecary's Experimental Dice or the Artificer's Arcane Turret Tokens/Standees). Then, pass the Current Player Token to the left.

2a. Player Mat Setup

• Flip the Player Mat (Tracker side up) and place it in front of you.
• Shuffle your Chosen Deck and place it face down to the left of your Player Mat.
• Place a tracker cube on the ( ) slot on the Favor Track.
• Place a tracker cube on the top of the Chosen Health ( ) number 20.
• Place a tracker cube on top of the unlocked symbol on the bottom left Favor Ability - signifying the ability is available for use.
• Place the remaining two tracker cubes in reach. They may be used later in the game.

3. Shape the Battlefield

Obstructions and Spaces Explained

Before the explanation of how to set up the board, there are a few things you should know:

• The term space denotes any square on the grid-style Rym Tiles.
  • Only 1 Chosen may occupy any given space.
• Obstructions are the spaces that pre-exist on Rym tiles with thickened white borders.
  • Obstructions can be moved through but require 2 movements to get out of 1 Obstruction Space.
  • A player cannot end their turn on an Obstruction space or attack while in an Obstruction space.
  • Obstructions block Line of Sight and cannot be attacked through or destroyed.
  • If an Obstruction takes up multiple spaces, each space within the Obstruction must be accounted for when paying for extra movement.

Note:

• Obstructions diagonal from each other block Line of Sight.
• Moving through Obstructions that are diagonal from each other costs one additional movement.

Example of Obstructions diagonal from each other. Line of Sight and movement restrictions also apply to Breach Hazard Tokens.

3a. Select Rym Tiles

Starting with whoever has the Current Player Token, players take turns in clockwise order to select a Rym tile to build the arena. Players place their tile adjacent to an already placed tile. Tiles may be rotated in any direction, and either tile side may be used. The Arena will always consist of 4 Rym tiles.

Then, pass the Current Player Token to the left.

Note: The board must always end as a square (2x2) without gaps between tiles.

3b. Place Hazard Tokens

Starting with whoever has the Current Player Token, players take turns in clockwise order picking 1 Hazard type and placing it on a qualifying space. Hazard Token selection continues until there are 5 Hazards on the board.

Note: Rift Hazard Tokens are always placed in pairs. Two Rifts count as ONE Hazard when placing them during setup.

Hazards may not be placed on Obstructions or already placed Hazards. See Hazard token effects below.

Then, pass the Current Player Token to the left.

RIFT: While on a Rift token, all other Rift tokens in play are treated as Adjacent. A player may move across a Rift without using its effect.

TREMOR: When a character moves onto a Tremor token, they are dealt 1 damage. Also, if a character ends their next turn still on the Tremor, they are dealt an additional 1 damage.

SURGE: When a character moves onto a Surge token, gain 1 extra movement during that movement sequence. A player may end their turn on a Surge and use the effect their next turn.

BREACH: Breach tokens act as Obstructions with the exception they can be destroyed with 1 damage.

Note:

• Adjacent means any space touching any other given space (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal).
• A character may force another character to move through a Rift if a card or effect influences movement.
• Rifts may not be attacked through to hit an opponent on (or Adjacent to) another rift in play.
• Hazards, excluding the Breach, are considered as on the ground plane and may be attacked through.

4. Character Placement

Starting with whoever has the Current Player Token, players take turns clockwise to place their Chosen on the board.

• Chosen must be placed on a non-Obstruction space.
• Only one Chosen may be placed on a single Rym tile.

Then, pass the Current Player Token to the left. This player will start the game. At the end of each turn, pass the Current Player Token to the left to help keep track of whose turn it is.

5. Draw Cards

• Each player draws 5 cards from their Chosen Deck.
  • If playing a 3-player game, the last player in turn order draws 6 cards instead of 5.
  • If playing in a 4-player game, the 3rd player in turn order draws 6 cards instead of 5, while the 4th player in turn order draws 6 cards instead of 5 AND starts the game with 1 Favor ( ).

Note: The Hand Limit is 6. Discard down to 6 at the end of your turn and gain 1 Favor for each card discarded.

5a. Overhaul (Optional)

If a player's starting hand is not to their satisfaction, they may choose to Overhaul. To Overhaul, a player discards their entire original hand and then redraws the same number of cards minus one. A player may decide to Overhaul any number of times, but each time must draw one less card than the previous Overhaul. Players may only Overhaul during game setup. Once all players are done Overhauling, the game begins.

Battle for the Mantle!

Starting with whoever has the Current Player Token, players take their entire turn in clockwise order. After each player has gone in the turn sequence, it is the end of the round. Play continues in the same fashion until only one Chosen remains.

The Basics

Icons

Below are the different Icons used throughout Mantle of the Keeper. Depending on the context of the effect, some icons have a slash through them meaning the stated icon does not, or cannot, apply.

• Favor: Favor is the currency used throughout the game.
• Line of Sight: See Line of Sight and Range on p. 12.
• Rounded Up: Meaning a value is rounded up to the nearest whole number. (i.e. 3.5 Rounds Up to 4)
• Stack: Stacking is when multiple cards are played at once.
• Action: Actions are used on a player's turn to acquire cards and play cards (or effects). (See Round Summary Breakdown on p. 10.)
• Range: See Line of Sight and Range on p. 12.
• Successful Damage: See Attack and Defense on p. 13.
• Base Movement: The default number of spaces a Chosen is able to move on their turn. See Movement on p. 11.

Player Mats

The Player Mats are double-sided. The backside displays Chosen stats, game play tips, and backstory for each character and is used when deciding which Chosen to play.

Example of Player Mat backside.

The front side features:

• A: Chosen Health
• B: Favor Track
• C: Favor Abilities
• D: Range
• E: Base Movement

Basic Cards

Basic Cards strictly attack or defend and do not have any special effects. Italicized text at the bottom of cards is called "Flavor Text" and is for thematic purposes only. Card anatomy explained (See Image 3).

Special Cards

Special Cards are part of what differentiates each Chosen's play style. Each special card has an effect written in the text box. (See Image 1)

Modifier Cards

Special Cards that enhance attack or defense are called Modifier Cards. These cards are played in addition to an attack or defense and DO NOT count as an action to play. They must be played simultaneously as the primary attack (or defense) and cannot be added after the opponent has decided their response. Modifier Cards may not be Stacked, meaning only one Modifier card may be played per attack or defense action. (See Image 2)

Note:

• Modifier Card effects only last until the end of the action unless specified otherwise.
• Some Modifiers are attack/defense specific meaning they may only be played at the specified time.

Card anatomy (Image 3): A: Character Name; B: Character Symbol; C: Attack Value; D: Defense Value; E: Card Name; F: Flavor Text.

Golden Rule

Card or Favor Ability effects can sometimes conflict with the rules throughout this rulebook. In this case, always follow the card text.

Arcane Turrets

Arcane Turrets are solely used by Khaya the Artificer. Players may use the tokens or standees. An Arcane Turret Instruction Card is provided with Khaya's deck to reference during play. Below are the rules for the Arcane Turret.

• When Activated, attack for 1 to all Nearby opponents. (See p. 12 for "Nearby" explanation.)
• Gain 1 Favor for each Successful Damage delivered by turrets.
• Players who defend an attack from the Arcane Turrets DO NOT gain the Full Defense Bonus.
• The Arcane Turret cannot defend. Attacker gains 1 Favor for destroying.
• Turrets cannot be placed on Hazards or Obstructions.
• Turrets are treated as an Ally for the Artificer (and her team) or an enemy for the Artificer's opponents.
• If placing a turret exceeds the placement limit, destroy an existing turret on the field to place a new one.
• If Khaya is eliminated, remove all Arcane Turrets from play.

Arcane Turret Token - Placement Limit: 2; Health: 1; Range: 3.

Round Summary

Player turns are broken down into 3 phases: Income, Action, and End-of-Turn.

On a player's turn, they individually go through each phase of the round. The phases must be played in order, and each phase must be declared as finished before moving on to the next phase. After declaring it as completed, a player may not return to a previous phase. Once they have stated their turn as finished, pass the Current Player Token to the left. Play continues in the same format.

1. Income Phase

Gain 1 Favor AND Draw 1 card.

2. Action Phase

Players have 2 actions (and optional FREE movement action) each turn and may choose to do two of the following actions in any combination. For example, a player may draw 2 cards, play 2 cards, or play a card and draw a card on their turn.

Draw a Card:

• Players may draw from their Draw Pile.
• If a Draw Pile is ever emptied, shuffle the Discard Pile and place the deck face down to form their new Draw Pile.

Play a Card:

• Offensive cards may only be played on your turn during the Action Phase; this includes cards that do not count as an action.

Note:

• After playing a card, it is immediately placed face up in the player's Discard Pile.
• Any Discard Pile is public knowledge.
• Several Favor Abilities may be used on your turn. Doing so DOES NOT COUNT as an action but must be paid for as specified by the Favor Ability.
• For every point of Successful Damage, gain an equal number of Favor.

2a. Movement

Base Movement is ALWAYS free and does not count as a player's 2 actions on their turn. Each Chosen Character has a Base Movement value as signified on their Player Mat. During the Action Phase, players may move their Chosen up to their Base Movement in spaces. Chosen can be moved in any direction (horizontally, vertically, and diagonally). Movement can be any time before, after, or in between actions during the Action Phase, but may not be split up. Meaning that a player may not use a part of their Base Movement, then perform an action, then move the remaining value. Movement DOES NOT COUNT AS AN ACTION.

Note:

• Players may spend any number of Favor during their movement to move an equal number of spaces in addition to their Movement Speed.
• If able to move an opponent by an effect, you may not move them additional spaces with this method.
• Obstructions can be moved through but require 2 movements to get out of 1 Obstruction Space.
• Players may not end their movement on an Obstruction.
• Players may move through opponents, but require 2 movements to get through 1 opponent. Moving through Allies does not cost any additional movement.

3. End-of-Turn Phase

• Activate any End-of-Turn effects.
  • If multiple End-of-Turn effects trigger at the same time, the player decides which order to resolve their effects.
  • If a player has cards above the hand limit of 6, they must discard down to 6 cards at this time and gain 1 Favor per card discarded.

Spending Favor

Favor may be spent on your turn to perform Favor Exchanges or unlock/use Favor Abilities stated on the Player Mat (p. 8). Favor may NOT BE SPENT after starting the End-of-Turn Phase.

• Favor Exchange
  • Discard 1 Card: Gain 1 Favor.
  • Spend 2 Favor: Draw 1 Card.
• Favor Abilities
  • Players may spend the indicated amount of Favor to unlock or use Favor Abilities.
  • Once unlocked, place one of your tracking cubes on the lock icon associated with the Favor Ability you are unlocking to signify that it is unlocked. That Favor Ability is able to be used for the remainder of the game.
  • Favor Abilities may be unlocked in any order.

Rounds

After each player has taken their turn in clockwise order, it is the end of the round. Play continues in clockwise order until only one Chosen remains!

Combat

Line of Sight & Range

Line of Sight means a player can see an opponent and choose to Target them for an attack. To determine if an opponent is in Line of Sight, a player must be able to draw an (imaginary) straight line from the center of the current space their Chosen occupies to the center of an opponent's space with nothing blocking its path. This includes Obstructions, Breaches, and all characters or turrets. (See Line of Sight examples on this page).

If the (imaginary) line passes the tip of the corner of an Obstruction, it is not considered to be blocking Line of Sight.

After Line of Sight has been determined, check to see if the Target is within Range by starting with an Adjacent space and counting the shortest path to the target. If the number of spaces is less than or equal to your Range, they may be Targeted for an attack or effect. (See Range example on this page).

Note:

• Chosen block Line of Sight of other Chosen regardless if they are opponents or allies. Two diagonally adjacent Chosen block Line of Sight.
• The only instance that Line of Sight does not apply is if a card or effect states otherwise. If a card uses the icon for Line of Sight does not apply, the opponent must still be within Range. Obstructions, players, and breach tokens CAN be blocking the path.
• Nearby is often used on cards to signify that Range and Line of Sight must be applied when Targeting an opponent(s).

Line of Sight Example 1: The Dark Mage nor the Nomad have Line of Sight to each other due to the diagonally adjacent Obstructions.

Line of Sight Example 2: The Dark Mage is in Line of Sight of the Assassin. Line of Sight to Ranger 1 is blocked since the Dark Mage and Obstruction are diagonally adjacent. Line of Sight to Artificer 1 is blocked by the Obstruction. The Apothecary is within Line of Sight of the Assassin even though the imaginary line passes the tip of the Obstruction. The Nomad and Artificer 2 are within Line of Sight of the Assassin, while the Ranger 2 is not due to the Apothecary and Nomad being diagonally adjacent.

Range Example: Once Line of Sight has been determined, check to see if targets are within Range. In this example, the Dark Mage, Apothecary, Nomad, and Artificer 2 are all within Range and Line of Sight of the Assassin. If one of them were to exceed her Range of 2, she could not target them for an attack or effect.

Attack & Defense

If a player chooses to attack, they declare to a Nearby opponent they are Targeting and play a card from their hand or use an effect.

For defense, if a player is Targeted, they may play a card in response to defend. The card must have a defense value to defend. Defending an attack does NOT count as an action.

The difference of the attack value on the attacker's card and the defense value on the defender's card equals the total damage the defender receives, called Successful Damage. The Chosen health on the defender's Player Mat must immediately be adjusted according to the Successful Damage received. Players receive Favor equal to the total Successful Damage dealt (whether by attacking or sometimes defending).

The only value that matters when a player is defending is the defense value. An attacking player does NOT take any damage from their opponent's defense (unless a card states otherwise). (See combat example on p. 14)

Note:

• Only one card may be played at a time. Players cannot Stack cards for an attack or defense (unless stated otherwise, i.e., Modifier Cards).
• You may not attack through other characters (unless stated otherwise).
• If both attack and defense cards have effects that would affect the other player, the attacker's effect always resolves first. If the defender is eliminated from the attack, the defender's effect does not apply.

Full Defense Bonus

If an attack is fully defended (i.e. the defending player receives no damage), the defending player is rewarded for the full defense by immediately gaining 2 Favor. (The Full Defense Bonus does not apply when defending against the Arcane Turret).

Attack vs. Deal

Card effects use two different terms to describe how and when to calculate damage.

• Attack: means a card's damage may be defended, and combat proceeds as normal.
• Deal: means that the indicated damage cannot be defended and must be calculated immediately.

Favor and Favor Abilities

Favor is the currency used in battle to unlock or use a Chosen's Favor Abilities, purchase additional cards, or enhance movement. Players gain Favor immediately for inflicting points of Successful Damage during attack or defense or by fully defending an attack. Players earn 1 Favor for every point of Successful Damage inflicted on others and 2 Favor for fully defending attacks.

Favor may then be spent anytime on their turn or as described by the Favor Abilities themselves.

Note:

• Causing a player to take damage from a Hazard counts as Successful Damage.
• Any number of Favor may be spent during a player's turn so long as they can afford the cost.
• Using Favor Abilities DOES NOT count as an action (unless specified otherwise).

Combat Example

1. Player 1 First Attack: Morgan, who controls the Ranger, decides to Target the Artificer (who is Nearby) for an attack. She uses her first action to play Heirloom Bow and attack for 5 damage.

2. Player 2 Defense: Grace, who controls the Artificer, does not want to take any damage and decides to play Tome of Defense. By defending for 5, the Artificer receives no damage and Morgan receives no Favor for Successful Damage. As a Full Defense Bonus, Grace gains 2 Favor.

   Reminder: Playing a card to defend does NOT count as an action.

3. Player 1 Second Attack: With her first attack action completely blocked, Morgan decides to use her 2nd and final action to play her special card, Explosive Arrow. In addition to the 5-damage attack, Explosive Arrow forces Grace (the Artificer) to discard a card even if there is no Successful Damage.

4. Player 2 Second Defense: Grace decides to play Mechanical Armor, which defends for 4, then deals 2 damage back to the attacker. Since the Artificer only defended for 4 of 5 incoming damage, she receives 1 damage. Also, because of Mechanical Armor's effect, the Ranger is dealt 2 damage (which cannot be defended because the damage was dealt).

5. Summary of Favor: Morgan receives 1 Favor for Successfully Damaging Grace with her attack. Grace receives 2 Favor for dealing damage with her defense effect. They then move their tracking cubes along their Favor Track. Morgan, who now has 5 Favor, decides to spend all of it to unlock the Favor Ability Second Wind.

Game End

The Battle for the Mantle ends when only one Chosen remains on the board. You have proven yourself worthy of being the next Keeper of Vaile. The Ascended have placed their trust and power in you to bring balance to the realm. What will you do with it?

Tiebreaker

In the rare event of a tiebreaker where both Chosen are eliminated, the player with the most Favor takes up the Mantle and is victorious! If still tied... time for a rematch!

Alternate Turn Order

Turn Order Deck

Using the Turn Order Deck gives players the unpredictability of battle by changing turn orders each round. Assemble the Turn Order deck by gathering as many numbered cards as there are players.

For example, in a 3-player game, the Turn Order cards numbered "1-3" would be used.

At the beginning of each round, any player shuffles and deals 1 Turn Order card to each player. The numbered card each player receives indicates which order they take their turns.

For example, if you are dealt the "3" turn order card, you would go 3rd in turn order.

Play continues as normal until a single Chosen or team remains.

Alliance (Team Mode)

Alliance is a team-based game mode where Chosen are not just tested on their abilities but also their synergy to cooperate with others to overcome even the mightiest of challenges. The core mechanics of Alliance operate the same as Battle for the Mantle. However, the objective differs because the last team with a remaining Chosen is victorious.

Alliance Setup

• First, split players into teams of two. It is recommended to stagger team members to every other seat around the table to help with turn orders.
• Set up and turn order operates the same as in Battle for the Mantle.

Alliance Special Rules

• After a teammate is eliminated, the remaining player on their team may have 3 actions on their turn instead of 2.
• If and when the number of members on each team is again equal, actions return to normal (2 actions each turn) after the current turn ends.

Special Rules

Push the Limits!

After hundreds of play tests, the StrongBox team found that Mantle of the Keeper offers the best experience when played with the rules stated throughout this book. But that doesn't mean you can't explore all the game has to offer! We encourage you to try different player counts (yes, even up to 6 players), map combinations (Rym tile counts and number of Hazards), or even increased Chosen health. Although, know that trying different combinations will most definitely change play time; So, it's not recommended for brand-new players. But most importantly, do what's the most fun for your group!

New Player Setup

Welcome to Mantle of the Keeper! Below is the recommended new player set up for 4 players.

• Player 1: Take Grae the Nomad's Player Mat, deck, and standee and place it in front of you.
• Player 2: Take Shem the Ranger's Player Mat, deck, and standee and place it in front of you.
• Player 3: Take Velya the Assassin's Player Mat, deck, and standee and place it in front of you.
• Player 4: Take Vogarn the Apothecary's Player Mat, deck, and standee and place them in front of you.

Each player then shuffles their individual decks and places them to the left of their Player Mats. Place a tracking cube on top of the "20" Chosen Health slot. Then place another cube on the ( ) slot on the Favor Track. Place a third cube on the bottom left Favor Ability covering the unlocked symbol. This ability is available for use. Set your remaining two cubes aside within reach as they may be used later in the game. Then set up the board and lay hazard tokens as seen below.

Then, flip back to "Draw Cards" (p. 7) and continue set up from there.

Glossary

• Action: A portion of a player's turn may be used to either play a card from their hand or draw a card. Each player has two Actions each turn (unless stated otherwise).
• Adjacent: Any space touching a player's character's occupied or selected space (Vertically, Horizontally, and Diagonally).
• Ally: Any player that is on one's team.
• Attack: Using a card to inflict damage on a Targeted opponent. Attacks may be defended.
• Base Movement: The default number of spaces a Chosen is able to move on their turn.
• Chosen: A player's main character. The individuals hand-picked by the Ascended to compete for the Mantle of the Keeper.
• Deal: Indicating damage cannot be defended and must be calculated immediately.
• Defend: Using a card, or Favor Ability, to block an incoming attack toward your character. Does not count as an action.
• Discard: Placing in your Discard Pile, either from your hand due to a card effect or Favor Ability, after the resolution of a played card, or by utilizing Favor Exchange.
• Discard Pile: The location where you place cards (to the right of the Player Mat) after using their effects or due to a "Discard" effect from another card's effect or a character's Favor Ability. Any discard pile is public knowledge.
• Draw: Acquiring a card from the Draw Pile to put into your Hand (unless stated otherwise).