Portable Adventures: Lair of the Rat-King
Portable Adventures: Lair of the Rat-King Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
60 Cards: 4 ME CHARACTERS, 11 CHARACTERS, 13 ENCOUNTERS, 13 STUFFS, 8 ADVENTURES and 11 EVENTS 1 Rule sheet 4 six sided dice
Object
The first person to reach 7 ADVENTURE POINTS wins.
Alternately, the person with the most points when the last card is drawn from the draw pile, wins.
Portable Adventures Basic Concept
Each player assembles a group of adventurers using CHARACTER and STUFF and EVENT cards. With their group, they "battle" their opponents during ADVENTURES by using ENCOUNTER cards and REINFORCEMENTS. These ADVENTURES, and a few other special cards, are worth ADVENTURE POINTS (AP), which are the victory points that make them heroes of the land!
Rules of the Game
Starting the Game
At the start of each game, take a ME card at random and place it face up in front of you on the table. (This card represents you as an adventurer in your group. This card cannot be taken out of your group or discarded.) The dealer shuffles the rest of the cards and deals 4 cards to each player. The remaining cards form the draw pile. The discard pile will be formed during play. The player to the dealer's left goes first.
Your Turn
At the start of your turn, draw cards from the draw pile until you have 5 cards in your hand. If a player needs to draw a card and there are not enough cards in the draw pile, that player draws as many cards as possible from the draw pile, then shuffles the discard pile and places it face down to form a new draw pile. The player then continues drawing cards.
During your turn, you must take one of the following actions:
- Play a CHARACTER card into any group. (In a 2-player game, there is a maximum of 4 characters per group. In a 3+-player game, there is no limit to the number of characters you may have in your group.)
- Play or replace a STUFF card on any CHARACTER card in any group. (Maximum 1 STUFF card per character unless otherwise noted.) (See STUFF CARDS.)
- Play an EVENT card on any CHARACTER card or group. (Any number of event cards allowed per character.) (See EVENT CARDS.)
- Play an ADVENTURE card to start an ADVENTURE ROUND. (See ADVENTURE CARDS.)
- Discard up to 3 cards to unflip the same number of your CHARACTER/STUFF cards in play.
- Use one of your CHARACTER'S TURN OPTIONS. If the CHARACTER card is flipped, they cannot use their turn option until they are unflipped (right side up)!
EXAMPLE: Tisha has the ME Priest CHARACTER (2 CP) on the table, and Rikki Rogue CHARACTER in her hand. For Tisha's turn, she places Rikki on the table as her action. Her band is now worth 5 CHARACTER POINTS for any ADVENTURE.
CHARACTERS may also be played during ADVENTURE ROUNDS as REINFORCEMENTS to help your group. They are discarded after the ADVENTURE ROUND is over.
Note: REINFORCEMENTS do not count towards your group limit in a 2-player game, as they are not officially in your group.
Cards and Their Functions
The general purpose of each card type is explained here. Many cards also have specific abilities that are explained on the card.
Most cards in the game can be flipped or unflipped. Normally, when you play a card, you place it on the table right side up, or unflipped. If a card forces you to flip a card in play (or you use an action that flips a card in play), turn the card upside-down (180o clockwise). If an action flips a card in play that is already flipped, that card is discarded instead! (Note that you still perform the action even if flipping the flipped card is the cost of the action).
Normally, an unflipped card has its' card type on the left hand margin (such as Event, Stuff, etc...).
(Figure: a sample CHARACTER card shown "unflipped" and "flipped".)
Character Cards
(Including ME cards)
Each CHARACTER has a number of CHARACTER POINTS, (CP) as shown in the big circle. These points determine the strength of your group.
Characters are differentiated by the colors in their backgrounds. Different colors can use different STUFF or are affected differently by cards in the game.
All CHARACTERS can be flipped. Some CHARACTERS do not have a numerical value when they have been flipped. These CHARACTERS are always discarded immediately when they have been flipped (regardless of other card effects). Also, ME cards can never be discarded; when a card forces you to discard a ME card, flip the ME card instead.
Some CHARACTERS also have TURN OPTIONS and/or special benefits. If these CHARACTERS are flipped, they may not use their TURN OPTIONS until they have been unflipped.
Some CHARACTERS have exclusions based on race, profession, or social standing, stated below the illustration of the character. That CHARACTER can never be in a group with a CHARACTER that it excludes. If at any time it ends up in a group with a CHARACTER it excludes, then discard both!
EXAMPLE: All Dwarphs cannot be in the same group as Urks. If an Urk is ever in the same group as Dwarphs, all Dwarphs and the Urk in that group are discarded.
Stuff Cards
STUFF cards are composed of WEAPON, SPELL, WHIM, MAGIC and other types of cards.
Usually you can only have one STUFF card on a CHARACTER. You can play a STUFF card on a CHARACTER that doesn't already have one, or you can replace an existing STUFF (place the original STUFF card in the discard pile).
Some STUFF cards allow you to play more STUFF cards on single CHARACTER. These are cumulative, so if you have 2 cards that allow another STUFF card, you can have 3 STUFF cards on that CHARACTER!
No STUFF cards may be played if no legal CHARACTER cards are there to receive them. This includes replacing a STUFF card that allows a CHARACTER to have an additional STUFF card if the CHARACTER already has a STUFF card.
Some cards are worth an amount of CHARACTER POINTS (CP). (As shown in the big circle.) These are added to that character's total CP.
Some cards have varied effects based upon a die roll called a STUFF DIE. This is rolled when you use the card during an ADVENTURE ROUND. Some cards are flipped or discarded after they have been used.
EXAMPLE: On her next turn, Tisha plays a Bow & Arrows (Red, Green & Tan STUFF) card onto Rikki. This is legal because Rikki is Green. Rikki is now worth 5 CP.
STUFF cards may also be played on REINFORCEMENTS brought in during ADVENTURE ROUNDS only if you have brought in a CHARACTER that can use the STUFF card during this adventure. These STUFF cards are discarded after the ADVENTURE ROUND is over. (The reinforcements take their items with them when they leave.)
Event Cards
These cards are played during a regular turn, either on you or an opponent. Each card explains what the card does, usually affecting a card already on the table. Some Events stay in play, and others are discarded after they take place.
Some EVENTS, such as REPUTATIONS, can be flipped. When REPUTATIONS are flipped, the resulting modifier is applied to that CHARACTER.
EXAMPLE: Jason has the ME Wizard CHARACTER in play. For his turn, he plays the Familiar EVENT card onto his ME CHARACTER. His ME card is now worth 4 CP and he has now 1 more AP toward winning!
Adventure Cards
Playing an ADVENTURE card starts an ADVENTURE ROUND. The person who plays the ADVENTURE card automatically draws another card from the deck before beginning their ADVENTURE ROUND action.
Starting with the person who played the ADVENTURE, every player with at least 1 CHARACTER participating, can do 1 of the following actions:
a. Play an ENCOUNTER card. b. Play a REINFORCEMENT card on their group. c. Play a STUFF card on one of his or her REINFORCEMENT cards. d. Roll a STUFF DIE on a CHARACTER he or she controls. e. Pass.
Continue around the table until everyone passes consecutively.
Everyone now rolls his or her ADVENTURE DIE. Flip any opponent's CHARACTERS whose CHARACTER die (shown on their card) matches another player's die roll.
EXAMPLE: Mike, Frank and April are playing.
Mike's ADVENTURE DIE roll affects Frank & April's CHARACTERS. Frank's ADVENTURE DIE roll affects April & Mike's CHARACTERS. April's ADVENTURE DIE roll affects Mike & Frank's CHARACTERS.
The entire CP of each group plus their ADVENTURE DIE roll is then tallied. The group with the highest total with participating CHARACTERS wins the ADVENTURE card and places it to the side of their group with any other ADVENTURE cards they have won. If a tie occurs between the highest groups, the ADVENTURE card goes to the person who played it, as long as they have participating CHARACTERS! (Even if they weren't one of the high scores.) If the group that played the ADVENTURE card does not have any participating CHARACTERS, the adventure is instead discarded.
ADVENTURE cards that have a yellow sunburst with a "S" allows the winner of the ADVENTURE to go through the discard pile and take a STUFF card and play it normally before the next player's turn (See STUFF cards).
(Icon: the sunburst symbol printed on the ADVENTURE card.)
EXAMPLE: Tisha, Eric and Tim are playing a game. Tisha plays The Hidden Nest ADVENTURE card, starting an ADVENTURE round. At the start of the ADVENTURE round, this is the game board (CD=CHARACTER die):
Tisha: ME Priest (3CP,6CD) with Magibolt, Rikki Rogue with Bow & Arrows (5CP, 4CD). Eric: ME Rogue with Battle Axe (5CP, 6CD). Tim: ME Wizard (2CP, 6CD) with Mind Control Spell, Tinki Mercenary (2CP, 1CD).
Tisha uses her Magibolt Spell, rolls a 2, gaining a +2 CP. She flips her spell. (10CP) Eric plays Jeff Squire (2CP, 6CD) from his hand onto the board as a MERCENARY. Tim flips his Mind Control Spell, and rolls a die. He rolls a 2, so his ME card has +4 CP for this adventure. (8CP) Tisha, Eric and Tim then pass.
Each rolls a die. Tisha rolls 6, Eric rolls 1 while Tim rolls a 2. Eric and Tim's ME CHARACTERS flip (both become 2CP). Eric's Jeff flips to a -1 CP. Tim's Tinki is discarded! The final totals are:
Tisha: 3CP (ME) + 5CP (Rikki) +2 Spell + 6 (die roll) = 16 Eric: 5CP (ME) + 1 (die roll) = 6 Tim: 6CP (ME) + 2 (die roll) = 8
Tisha wins the ADVENTURE! She puts The Hidden Nest on her side of the table. She now has 1 AP toward winning. This adventure has a "star S", so she rummages through the discard pile and chooses the Magibolt potion. She places it on her ME card, as it can added to a character that already has a STUFF card in play!
(Illustration: "Tisha's group so far..." with the caption "1 AP towards victory.")
Encounter Cards
These cards are played exclusively during an ADVENTURE. There are two general types of ENCOUNTER cards: Instant and Effect. Instant cards are played directly into the discard pile and have an immediate effect on the game. Effect cards are played upon the table and their result lasts until the end of the ADVENTURE. At the end of an ADVENTURE, discard all ENCOUNTER cards.
Clarifications on ENCOUNTER cards in this set:
Wererat: If Wererat is played on a CHARACTER whose CP total is negative; their CP total is still negative. Wererats just aren't a good thing!
Ratlings: If an adventure states that all Ratlings numeric values are doubled or tripled, this applies to all the numbers on their cards.
EXAMPLE: Squeeker: Two groups each get -4 CP!
Trigger Cards
Some card have an asterisk * in the lower left hand corner. These are TRIGGER cards. Upon a prior agreement amongst the players, when a trigger card is played, introduction of another PORTABLE ADVENTURES set or specific cards into the draw deck occurs. This is an option, feel free to modify the consequences of using trigger cards!
EXAMPLE: Dimensional Rift Event card is played. Once it has been discarded, it was predetermined that the 8th GRADE set of PORTABLE ADVENTURES replaces the remaining LAIR OF THE RAT-KING draw pile. (They have just stepped into an alternate universe!)
Terms Used on Cards
Discard: If an action forces you to "discard a card," then you must place a card you control into the discard pile from play. You only discard cards from your hand if an action says, "Discard a card from your hand."
Not Participating: When used in reference to a character: a. Cannot use any STUFF on them. b. Are not affected by & not legal targets of ENCOUNTER cards. c. Their CP is not added to the group total for the ADVENTURE. d. Are not affected by ADVENTURE DICE during the ADVENTURE.
When used in reference to a group: a. Each CHARACTER in the group is considered to be "not participating" (see above paragraph). b. Do not roll ADVENTURE DICE during the ADVENTURE.
Melee/Ranged/Any: when an ADVENTURE or ENCOUNTER card restricts a certain type of STUFF card, for example, "No Melee Stuff used during this adventure", Ranged and Any STUFF cards are permissible.
Male/Female: some cards affect the gender of any/all group's CHARACTERS. Each character has a M/F on their card. ME cards have a * symbol which signifies the player's gender.
Specific classifications: these terms are on the top left hand of the cards and are affected by actions that describe those terms. EXAMPLE: Mage, Ratling, Room 113, etc...
Combining Different Decks
This where the real fun of PORTABLE ADVENTURES begins! Each deck has cards specific to their genre, yet add new dimensions when applied to a different genre! Here are a few suggestions on combining decks, but experiment and you'll find more!
Multiverse
Take 2 (or more) decks, separate the ME cards, and shuffle. Each player draws a ME card randomly and play as normal.
Conjunction of the Planes
Choose 1 deck and play as normal. Predetermine a specific card to trigger the merging of the genres when it's played; such as the DIMENSIONAL RIFT EVENT card in the Lair of the Rat-King set. When that specific card is played, shuffle in the 2nd set, or replace the remaining cards in the draw pile with the 2nd set (without ME cards) into the remaining draw pile and resume play.
On the Borderlands
Each player plays with a different set, his or her world verses their opponent's worlds!
Creation
As each deck has a "storyline", the owner of the game can construct their own "storyline" by combining cards from more than one deck before play. As long as there are at least 14 ADVENTURE/EVENT or STUFF cards totaling at least 21 ADVENTURE points, play will be balanced. (If you are using cards that target specific cards, make sure both kinds of cards are in the deck.) If you wish to have more than 4 players, add 6 points worth of any combination of the above per player. We recommend a limit of 8 players maximum for speed and ease of play, but who are we to stop you?
If you have any house rules, suggestions, comments or thoughts about our games, we'd love to hear from you!