Quest for the Grail Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview of the Game
• Preparing for Play
• Understanding the Cards
• Divisions of Time and Action
• The Player Turn
  • Draw Phase
  • Build Phase
  • Deployment Phase
  • Assignment Phase
  • Upkeep Phase
  • Challenge Phase
  • End of Turn
• Card Layout
• The Court Deck
  • Domains
  • Warriors
  • Knights
  • Kings
  • Lesser Warriors
  • Warrior Actions
  • Warrior Death
  • Companions
  • Ladies
  • Other Companions
  • Rewards
  • Weapons & Armor
  • Vows
• The Quest Deck
• Combat
  • Sequence of Combat - Combat Exchange
  • Attack
  • Check for Mortal Wounds
  • End of Combat
  • Formal Combat
  • Challenge of Honor
  • Challenge of Victory
  • Challenge of Title
  • Mortal Combat
  • Mortal Challenge
  • Questing
  • Special Combat Options
• Winning the Game
  • Questing for the Grail
  • Alternate Victories
• Sealed Deck Play
• Solitaire Play
• Recommended Sources
• Glossary of Terms

Overview of the Game

A pack of Quest for the Grail contains Quest cards and Court cards you use to make two decks for play. Your Court deck contains all the cards you play with, such as Kings, Knights, Rewards, Events, Domains and Companions. Your Quest Deck contains quests which any player's Knights can undertake.

You use cards to build a kingdom and gather Knights to defend your realm. Your Domains generate Power which you use to maintain your Knights and retainers. Your Knights gain Valor as they face challenges and undertake Quests. Once one of your Knights has achieved enough Valor you may declare that he is undertaking a Quest for the Grail. If the Questing Knight defeats three Quests, he has achieved the Grail and you have won the game.

Preparing for Play

Before play begins, pick cards from your collection to build a Court Deck and a Quest Deck. Court cards have a dog rampant on the back. Quest cards have a unicorn rampant on the back. You will also need two 6-sided dice and some method of keeping track of increases in Valor (counters or dice work well).

Your Court Deck must contain at least 40 cards. Your Quest Deck must contain at least 10 Quests with no more than 2 of a single Quest. Keep in mind that quests in your Quest deck may be undertaken by any player's Warriors.

Before play starts, shuffle your decks and draw a 9-card hand from your Court Deck. Turn the top card in your Quest deck face up. This is called your Active Quest. Roll to see who goes first. Turns progress clockwise from the starting player.

Understanding the Cards

Each type of card in Quest for the Grail is laid out slightly differently, with several boxes which contain information necessary for the play of the game. Each card has its name above the illustration. Each card has a large text box centered at the bottom of the card. This area contains descriptive information, including card type and any special abilities.

Rewards, Warriors and Spells have small, uniquely shaped boxes in their upper left corners. These indicate costs. Rewards have a diamond with a number to indicate their value. Warriors have an oval with a number indicating their Upkeep cost. Spells have a star with a number for the Enchanter value needed to cast them.

Warriors also have four small number boxes on the bottom of the card, two on either side of the main text box. These are labeled PRO for Prowess, STR for Strength, END for Endurance and VAL for Valor. The numbers in these boxes indicate the Warrior's values for those characteristics. Quest cards have similar boxes, but the one in the lower right corner is a diamond indicating the Valor value gained for overcoming that Quest.

Divisions of Time and Action

Time in Quest for the Grail is measured in Rounds, Turns and Phases. A Round is a complete set of player Turns, from the start of your Turn to the start of your next Turn. A Turn is when you draw and play new cards and do most of your actions. A Phase is a part of a Turn in which you do a specific type of action. Many cards have powers which last for one of these durations.

The Player Turn

Each player follows the same sequence of phases during his Turn.

1. Draw Phase
2. Build Phase
3. Deployment Phase
4. Assignment Phase
5. Upkeep Phase
6. Challenge Phase
7. End of Turn

Draw Phase

Draw a card from your Court Deck. There is no limit to how many cards you may have in your hand. If you are unable to draw a card because you have no cards in your Court Deck you lose immediately. After you draw you may choose to turn up a new Quest card to replace your active Quest.

Build Phase

You may put one Domain card from your hand into play. Domains generate Power which is used to pay for cards you have in play during your Upkeep phase. Each Domain generates 1 Power unless otherwise noted on the card.

Deployment Phase

You may play Warrior cards from your hand. There is no limit to how many you may play, but Warriors whose upkeep cost you do not pay will be discarded during the Upkeep phase. Most Warriors are unique cards, only one of which can be in play at a time. If you play a unique Warrior who is already in play, you initiate a Challenge of Title during your Challenge Phase to determine which Warrior remains in play.

Assignment Phase

You may assign Companion, Vow or Reward cards (of Value 0) from your hand to any Warrior you have in play. Each Warrior can receive only one assigned card per Assignment Phase. If a unique Companion or unique Reward is already in play, you may not put a duplicate of that card into play. Rewards (except for Vows and Combat Experience) and non-Lady Companions may be transferred from one Warrior to another during this phase. Receiving a transferred card counts as a Warrior's assignment for that Turn.

Upkeep Phase

During this phase you spend Power to pay for Warriors and other cards with Upkeep costs. Your available Power is equal to the total generated by the Domains you have in play, plus 1 additional Power per Domain if you have that Domain's King in play, plus Power from any other source. From this total you pay the Upkeep costs of any cards you have in play. Discard any card whose Upkeep was not paid. A player may choose not to pay a card's Upkeep even if he has sufficient power.

Challenge Phase

Each of your Warriors may: undertake a Quest, issue a Challenge, undertake a Quest for the Grail, or do nothing. Only one of these actions may be taken by a Warrior each Turn. When declaring a Quest, a Warrior may undertake any active Quest from any player's Quest deck, including your own. All combats are fought during the Challenge phase.

End of Turn

Cards whose effects last until the end of the Turn are discarded. Any normal damage to Warriors who were not Mortally Wounded is removed.

Card Layout

As the game goes on, you build an array of cards in front of you.

The area in front of each player is his Court Area. The player's Court deck, Court discard pile and Court cards which are in play are laid out in the Court Area. When putting Court cards in play, make sure you keep the relationships between Warriors and the cards assigned to them clear.

Choose an area adjacent to your Court Area as your Quest Area. Each player's Quest deck, Quest discard pile and active Quest card are placed in his Quest area.

Cards in the Court Area or Quest Area are considered to be in play.

The Court Deck

There are seven types of cards which can be in a Court Deck: Domains, Warriors, Companions, Rewards, Events Spells and Combat Actions. Combining cards of different types and abilities is an important part of playing strategy.

Domains

Domains are played during your Build phase and remain in play until the end of the game. They are the lands in which the action of the game takes place. They are also the main source of Power, which is what you use to pay Upkeep for many of the cards you have in play. Each Domain generates 1 Power unless otherwise noted on the card. If you have a King in play, each Domain card you have in play for that King's kingdom produces one additional Power each Turn.

Domains are not Unique.

Warriors

Warriors are played during your Deployment phase and remain in play until the end of the game. Warriors include Knights, Kings and other fighting characters. Each Warrior has an Upkeep cost in Power which must be paid each Turn, including the one in which he is first played. If you do not pay the required Upkeep, the Warrior is discarded at the end of your Upkeep phase.

Each of your Warriors may take one action during your Turn. This action may be used to undertake a Quest, issue a Challenge, or use a special ability which requires an action. Warriors are unique cards unless the card states otherwise. If a unique Warrior is in play and someone plays the same Warrior, a Challenge of Title is initiated.

Each Warrior has four characteristics. Prowess is his martial skill. Strength is his physical strength and ability to deal damage in combat. Endurance is his ability to withstand hardship and damage. Valor represents his virtue, renown and purity of spirit. These characteristics may be modified by other cards, such as Events, Companions, Rewards, etc. Valor may be modified without the use of cards, rising or falling based on actions taken by the Warrior. Changes in Valor are kept track of with counters or dice. If Valor ever goes below 0 the Warrior is discarded. A Warrior may not spend Valor if he has 0 Valor.

Knights

Knights are the elite Warriors of Arthurian legend. They have several special abilities which other Warriors do not have. They are the only Warriors who can Quest for the Grail, take Lady Companions or receive Vow cards. They also have the Knightly Healing ability which allows them to remove damage by spending Valor.

Kings

Kings are Knights and have all the abilities of Knights. Kings increase their player's Power based on their land holdings. If you have a King in play, each Domain card you have in play for his kingdom produces 1 additional Power. Some King cards may include special game winning conditions. If you do not have a King in play, the only way to win the game is to have a Knight achieve the Grail. When a King is challenged to a Formal Combat, his player may designate one of his other Warriors to fight in his stead as his Champion.

Lesser Warriors

Warriors who are not Knights do not have the special abilities of Knights, but also do not have their chivalric obligations. They cannot issue or be the object of a Challenge of Honor and they can issue a Mortal Challenge without a Valor penalty. They also cannot have Lady Companions or Quest for the Grail. Most lesser Warriors are not unique.

Warrior Actions

Warriors have a special set of actions which they can perform. They may take one of these actions per Turn. Special abilities listed on a Warrior's card do not require an action unless that is specified on the card. These actions include: undertaking a Quest, fighting a combat, questing for the Grail (Knights only), using a special ability requiring an Action.

Warrior Death

There are four main things which can cause a Warrior to be slain. These are not paying Upkeep for the Warrior, receiving a Mortal Wound in combat, losing a Challenge of Title and having a total Valor of less than 0. A slain Warrior is discarded along with any Rewards, Vows, Companions and Combat Experience assigned to him.

Companions

Companions are played during your Assignment phase and remain in play until the end of the game. Companions are retainers, friends and even lovers associated with a Warrior. When you play a Companion, you assign it to a Warrior immediately. They support the Warrior with bonuses and special abilities. Some Companions add to their Warrior's upkeep cost each Turn.

Ladies

The courts of Arthurian legend abounded with beautiful ladies whose favors Knights vied for. Unlike other Companions which may be assigned to any Warrior, Ladies may only be assigned to Knights. Each Lady has special abilities which can be used as indicated. A Knight may only have one Lady Companion. Ladies are considered unique unless otherwise indicated on the card. If a Lady is in play, no one may play that same Lady.

Other Companions

Other Companions include enchanters, animals, servants and other retainers. Any number of these Companions may be assigned to any Warrior. Companions who are not Ladies may be transferred to another Warrior or discarded during the Assignment phase. Receiving a Companion by transfer counts as a Warrior's one assignment for that Turn.

Rewards

All Reward cards have a value listed on them. This determines how and when they may be assigned. Reward cards can be assigned to any Warrior, either during the Assignment phase or as the reward for a successful Quest. Some Rewards may add to their bearer's Upkeep cost.

Only Rewards of Value 0 may be assigned during the Assignment phase. They must be assigned to a specific Warrior and remain in play until they are destroyed, discarded, or that Warrior leaves the game.

When a Warrior overcomes a Quest, he may trade the Valor he receives for completing that Quest for a Reward card of equal or lesser value. This Reward is received in place of all Valor he would have received for the Quest.

Rewards with value greater than 0, except for Combat Experience are unique cards. If one is in play no one may play a duplicate of that card.

Rewards other than Vows and Combat Experience can be transferred from one assignee to another during the Assignment phase. Receiving a Reward by transfer counts as a Warrior's one assignment for that Turn.

Weapons & Armor

These add bonuses in combat and may only be assigned to Warriors. A Warrior may only be assigned 1 Armor, 1 Weapon, 1 Shield and 1 Horse at a time.

Vows

These alter the characteristics of Knights. They usually trade off some inconvenient restrictions for useful advantages. Vows may only be assigned during the Assignment Phase and remain in play until the end of the game. Vows cannot be transferred from one Knight to another and cannot be discarded as the result of a defeat in a Challenge of Honor.

Combat Experience

These always have a value of 1 and can only be assigned as the result of a victorious Quest. Combat Experience cannot be transferred from one Knight to another and cannot be discarded as the result of a defeat in a Challenge of Honor.

Events

Events may be played at any time unless limited by the text of the card. They have specific effects which alter the play of the game and last for a duration specified on the card. Most Events work once and are then discarded. When multiple, conflicting Events are played in sequence, the last card played takes precedence if they conflict.

Spells

Each Spell has a Magic value. In order to play a Spell, you must control a Warrior or Companion who is an Enchanter with an Enchanter rating (the number listed after the word Enchanter on the card) equal to or greater than the Magic value of the Spell. Each Enchanter may cast only one Spell per Round, but those Spells may be cast at any time within a Round unless the card specifies otherwise. Casting a Spell does not require an action from a Warrior Enchanter or from a Warrior to whom a Companion Enchanter is assigned. The duration of Spells is variable and is specified on the card.

Combat Actions

Combat Actions represent specific tactics in combat. They can be played on your Warriors, or on any other Creature or Warrior involved in combat on any player's Turn. Combat Actions have a limited duration specified on the card and are discarded at the end of that period.

The Quest Deck

Your Quest deck must contain at least 10 cards. It may not contain more than 2 of any one Quest card. The nature of the Quests included is up to you, but pick them with an awareness that they may be undertaken by both your Warriors and your opponents' Warriors.

Quest cards represent difficulties and trials which Warriors undertake to prove themselves. They include such things as renegade Knights, monstrous creatures, supernatural dangers and even moral dilemmas. Knight and Creature challenges have appropriate combat characteristics listed on them. Other cards have descriptions of their effects.

All Quest cards have a Valor value. When a Warrior overcomes a Quest, he gains this amount of Valor. You may keep that Valor, or you may decline it to play a Reward from your hand on the Questing Warrior. The Reward must have a value equal to or less than the Valor you would have gained. Alternatively, you may decline the Valor to draw an additional card from your Court Deck.

When you draw a Quest card, place it on top of the Quest deck, face up. That card remains in play until someone overcomes it. When one of your Quests is overcome, immediately turn up a new Quest. You may also choose to draw a new Quest card to replace your active Quest at the start of your Turn. If you run out of Quests, reshuffle your discarded Quests and start over.

Combat

1. Attack
2. Check for Mortal Wounds
3. End of Combat

Sequence of Combat - Combat Exchange

All combat is broken up into Combat Exchanges. In each Combat Exchange, both participants make an Attack Roll to attempt to damage the other participant. When one of the participants is a Creature or Knight Quest, any player may roll the dice for the Quest other than the controller of the Questing Warrior.

Attack

Both combatants make their attacks at the same time. A Warrior's attack is made by rolling two six-sided dice and adding his total Prowess. The combatant with the higher total hits his opponent, while the combatant with the lower total misses. If the totals are tied, both combatants hit. When a combatant hits his opponent he does damage equal to his Strength.

Check for Mortal Wounds

After each Exchange, both participants check to see if their accumulated damage equals or exceeds their Endurance. If it does, they have been Mortally Wounded and are defeated. If neither participant received a Mortal Wound, the combat continues, going to the next Combat Exchange. If one or both of the participants are Mortally Wounded, then the combat ends.

End of Combat

Determine the outcome of combat as explained in the sections on Formal and Mortal Combat.

Formal Combat

Formal Combats are fought between individual Warriors under special restrictions. Formal Combats are not fought to the death, and are usually fought to settle a dispute between the two Warriors. The three main types of Formal Combat are Challenges of Honor, Challenges of Victory and Challenges of Title.

During a Formal Combat, no other Warriors or Companions may use their abilities to aid the participants of the combat, except for increases in Characteristics given by Ladies assigned to the combatants. Event and Combat Action cards may be used in a Formal Combat, but Spells may not. Rewards and Vows assigned to participants may be used in a Formal Combat.

Challenge of Honor

A Challenge of Honor may be issued by any Knight to any other Warrior in play during the challenging player's Challenge Phase. This requires an action by that Knight.

Knights who Challenge unworthy opponents lose Valor when they do so. An unworthy opponent is any Warrior who is not a Knight, or any Knight whose Prowess is 3 or more less than the Prowess of your Knight. A Knight who issues an unworthy Challenge immediately loses 2 Valor.

After a Challenge has been issued, the Challenged Warrior has the option to decline the Challenge. If a Knight declines a Challenge made by any opponent, the Knight loses 2 Valor. A Warrior who is not a Knight may always decline a Challenge of Honor without a Valor penalty.

While fighting a Challenge of Honor, once one of the Warriors has taken damage equal to or greater than his Endurance he has been defeated. If both Warriors are defeated simultaneously, neither Warrior is considered to have been victorious or defeated and neither gains or loses anything. Warriors defeated in a Challenge of Honor are not discarded and all damage received is restored once a Victor is determined.

The Victor in a Challenge of Honor gains 1 Valor, while the defeated Warrior loses 1 Valor and must discard one Reward assigned to him of the Victor's choice except for Combat Experience and Vows. If this loss of Valor reduces a Warrior's Valor below 0 he is discarded.

Challenge of Victory

When you intend to win by an alternative victory condition listed on a King card, you issue a Challenge of Victory during your Turn. During the next Round of play, each player may have one of his Knights declare a Challenge of Honor against your King with no risk of loss of Valor. If your King or his Champion is defeated in any one of these Challenges, your King is discarded and you have not won the game. If you are not defeated during this Round, you win the game at the start of your next Turn. No player may declare a quest for the Grail or victory by another means during this Round.

Challenge of Title

A Challenge of Title occurs when a unique Warrior is brought into play who is a duplicate of another unique Warrior already in play, or when a King is played who reigns over the same Domain as another King already in play. Warriors who are not unique do not initiate a Challenge of Title, but non-unique Kings still initiate a Challenge of Title with any King who rules over that same Domain. If you play a unique Warrior whose duplicate is in your own Court, it does not result in a Challenge of Title, you just discard the one who was in play first.

All Challenges of Title take place during the Challenge Phase, before any actions are taken by any Knight. A Challenge of Title never requires an action by a Warrior. A Challenge of Title is fought like a Challenge of Honor, but produces very different results. A Warrior overcome in a Challenge of Title is immediately discarded and cannot be Healed or kept in play by any means. The victor of a Challenge of Title gains no Valor, but does get to remain in play. If combat results in a tie both combatants are discarded.

All Rewards assigned to the defeated Warrior are discarded. In a Challenge of Title both combatants are considered defenders. If they are Kings they may choose Champions to fight for them. If a Champion is defeated defending another Warrior in a Challenge of Title, the Warrior challenged is discarded, not the Champion.

Mortal Combat

Mortal Combats are fought to the death. In most cases Mortal Combat occurs when a Warrior undertakes a Creature or Knight Quest, or issues a Mortal Challenge. Warriors may use any aid possible without any restrictions such as those imposed by Formal Combats.

Mortal Combats are resolved in the same way as Formal Combats. In a Mortal Combat when a Warrior has received damage equal to or greater than his Endurance he is Mortally Wounded. When at least one participant is Mortally Wounded, the combat ends. At the end of the Combat phase, all Mortally Wounded combatants are discarded, unless they are healed.

If the combat was between a Warrior and a Quest and the Quest is Mortally Wounded, the Warrior has overcome the Quest, even if he also received a Mortal Wound. A Mortally Wounded Warrior must be healed before he may receive Valor or a Reward at the end of a combat. Warriors who take damage, but are not Mortally Wounded are healed at the end of the Turn in which they are damaged.

Mortal Challenge

A Mortal Challenge may be issued by any Warrior to any other Warrior in play during the challenging player's Challenge Phase, at the cost of an action for that Warrior. A Knight who issues a Mortal Challenge immediately loses 2 Valor. Warriors who are not Knights may issue a Mortal Challenge without penalty. A Mortal Challenge may not normally be declined and is fought as a Mortal Combat.

Questing

Each of a player's Warriors may undertake any active Quest from any player's Quest deck during his Challenge phase. Combat with Quests is always considered Mortal Combat.

When a Warrior successfully overcomes a Quest he receives Valor equal to the Valor value of the Quest. You may decline that Valor to assign a Reward card from your hand to the Questing Knight or to draw an extra card from your Court Deck. Rewards assigned in this manner must be of Value equal to or less than the Valor value of the Quest. Drawing a card or playing a Reward uses up all the Valor the Warrior would have gained. When a Warrior is Mortally Wounded at the same time he overcomes a Quest and is healed at the end of the combat, he still receives the Valor or Reward for overcoming that Quest.

If a Warrior fails to overcome a Quest, all damage that Quest has received is removed at the end of combat, with the exception of Dolorous Damage.

Special Combat Options

Aid in Combat

Some Warriors have the ability to give Aid to or receive Aid from other Warriors. Aid acts as an increase in combat to a specific characteristic. A Warrior who can give Aid may use his action for a Turn to add 1 to the specified characteristic for any other Warrior controlled by that player for that Turn. A Warrior who can receive Aid can add 1 to the specified characteristic for every other Warrior controlled by the same player who uses action for that Turn to give Aid. No Warrior may receive more points in Aid than his starting Valor. No Warrior may give Aid to a Warrior whose total Valor is lower than his own. Aid may never be used during a Formal Combat.

Yielding

During combat, after any Combat Exchange, a Warrior may request that his opponent allow him to yield and end the combat. A Warrior may only request to yield once per combat. In a Formal Combat, if the opponent accepts, the yielding Warrior loses 1 Valor, and the accepting Warrior gains 1 Valor. If a Warrior asks to yield in a Mortal Combat, his opponent may choose to give him a Mortal Wound immediately, and Quests will always choose to do so. Knights are expected to allow opponents to yield in combat. If a Knight does not allow an opponent to yield in Formal or Mortal Combat, he loses 2 Valor. Non-Knight Warriors are not penalized if they do not allow an opponent to yield. Combatants in a Challenge of Title may not yield.

Champions

When challenged to a Formal Combat a King may choose a Champion to fight in his place. The Champion may be any other Warrior belonging to the player who controls the King. If the Champion is Victorious, treat his King as the Victor. If the Champion is defeated, treat his King as defeated. A Champion may not be used in a Mortal Combat. In a Challenge of Title, both combatants are considered defenders and may designate Champions.

Armor

Some cards have an Armor value listed on them. This is the amount of protection that the card gives in combat against all damage sustained. Each time a Warrior, Creature Quest or Knight Quest with Armor is damaged, the damage received is reduced by the amount of the Armor. Armor from multiple sources is cumulative, adding to give a total Armor value for the Warrior or Quest.

Healing and Knightly Healing

Knightly Healing allows a Knight to Heal himself by spending 1 Valor. When a Warrior is Healed, all damage is removed. If he was Mortally Wounded, he is no longer Mortally Wounded. A Knight may only use Knightly Healing at the end of a combat. It heals all damage at that time, regardless of the amount of damage or the condition of the Warrior. It is the only way to heal damage before the end of a Turn. It does not change the outcome of the combat, but it prevents that Knight from being discarded. If at any point during the game a Warrior's Valor falls below 0, he is immediately discarded. Abilities which enhance Endurance are not considered healing and are not restricted in the same ways.

Dolorous Damage

Dolorous Damage is damage which is not removed by normal means. It cannot be healed with Knightly Healing and does not go away at the end of a Turn in which it is dealt, even if the Dolorous Damage was dealt in Formal Combat. Dolorous Damage can only be removed by cards which specifically indicate that they can be used against it. Any Warrior who receives a Dolorous Mortal Wound is discarded.

Winning the Game

You may win the game by Questing for the Grail or by achieving an alternative victory condition listed on a King you have in play.

Questing for the Grail

During your Challenge phase you may declare that one of your Warriors is Questing for the Grail if he has a total Valor of 12 or more. To achieve the Grail and win the game, he must overcome 3 Quests in the same Turn. He must still have at least 12 Valor at the end of his Quest. These Quests must be chosen from among those which are revealed at the time the Quest is declared, or those which are revealed during the Quest as the result of overcoming revealed Quest cards. A Knight who has survived a Quest, but has taken damage may spend Valor for Knightly Healing before his next Quest.

A Knight who Quests for the Grail gains no Valor for the Quests he overcomes. If he is defeated by a Quest during the Quest for the Grail, he loses Valor equal to the value of that Quest.

During a Quest for the Grail, if a Knight receives a Mortal Wound he has failed that Quest for the Grail, even if he can heal himself with Knightly Healing.

Alternate Victories

If a King has an alternate victory objective listed on his card, you can win the game by achieving those goals. When you achieve the conditions stated on the card you may declare your intention to win the game by that means. During the next Round of play you must face a Challenge of Victory. During that Round, each player may have one of his Knights declare a Challenge of Honor against your King with no risk of loss of Valor. If your King or his Champion is defeated in any one of these Challenges, your King is discarded and you have not won the game. If you are not defeated during this Round you win the game at the start of your next Turn. No player may declare a Quest for the Grail or victory by another means during this Round.

Sealed Deck Play

When playing Quest for the Grail with sealed decks (freshly opened Starters) a few small modifications make play flow more smoothly. Players should play with all of the Quest cards they receive. Ideally they should agree in advance not to look at their Quest cards before beginning play. Players then select a 40-card Court deck. During play each player turns up a new Quest card at the end of each of his Turns.

Solitaire Play

Quest for the Grail can be played solitaire for amusement or to test out deck design ideas. For the most enjoyable solitaire game pick at least 20 Quest cards at random and turn a new one up at the end of every Turn. If you run out of Quests without achieving the Grail you have lost the game.

Recommended Sources

Gawain and the Green Knight (Trans. J. R. R. Tolkein & E. V. Gordon), Le Morte D'Arthur (Thomas Malory), Alliterative Morte Arthure, Tristan (Gottfriend von Strassburg), Parsifal (Wolfram von Eschembach), Arthurian Romances (Chretien de Troyes), The Idylls of the King (Arthur, Lord Tennyson), King Arthur and His Knights (Howard Pyle), Lancelot and His Companions (Howard Pyle), The Champions of the Round Table (Howard Pyle), The Boy's King Arthur (Sterling Lanier).

Glossary of Terms

• Aid: Ability for a Warrior to contribute +1 to the characteristic of another Warrior by using an action.
• Armor: Value subtracted directly from the damage of every blow done to a Warrior or Creature with Armor.
• Attack: Process of rolling to determine whether a Warrior does damage to a Warrior or Creature in combat.
• Bearer: Knight to whom a Reward card is assigned.
• Challenge of Title: Combat between two Knights over ownership of a particular title or name. Initiated automatically if a player plays a duplicate of a Knight card which is already in play or a King who has title to the same Kingdom as one you have in play. A Formal Combat, but concluded with the death of the defeated Warrior.
• Challenge of Honor: Combat between two Warriors which is concluded with a loss of Valor rather than the death of a combatant.
• Character: General term referring to all Warriors and Companions.
• Chosen Knight: Knight to whom a Companion is assigned.
• Combat: Any encounter between two Warriors or a Warrior and a Quest creature which is resolved by rolling attacks and dealing damage.
• Damage: Amount, based on an attacker's Strength, by which a defender's Endurance is reduced when an attack succeeds.
• Defeated: Warrior whose Endurance is reduced to 0 in combat is defeated.