Scribe's Arena
Scribe's Arena Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Main Objective
The goal of the game is to choose words you think are hard to solve, while revealing letters in your opponent's words and solving them during the game.
The first player or team to solve all their opponent's words wins the game!
Components
- Game Board (2): Each player uses one game board. Solve your opponent's words on the front side, and write your own words on the back.
- Battlefield Cards (9): Every game takes place on a different battlefield. This card determines the word lengths for each game, and may also introduce an extra effect to the game.
- God Cards (10): Each player selects a powerful god and utilizes their unique powers for each game.
- Ally Cards (30): Powerful followers relating to your god's element will assist you in battle, although they can only be used once!
- Spell Cards (52): These cards will help assist in revealing your opponent's words faster, or work to hinder your opponent's progress.
- Turn Order Cards (2): These are just used to remind players what occurs every turn. Use them if you are new to the game or need a reminder!
- Counters (2): Place these on the bottom of your god card to track your current energy level.
- Markers (2) and Cleaner (2): Use these to write on the game board, and to clear the game board once a game is finished.
- Rulebook (1): The rulebook you are reading now!
Game Setup
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Select 1 battlefield card by random or by choice. (Battlefields marked with * are beginner-friendly)
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Using the game board, each player writes down real English words on the "Your Words" side. These words should correspond to the word lengths written on the battlefield card. [The time limit for this step is 1 minute per word]
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Deal each player 3 god cards. Each player chooses 1 god card to play for that game. Players reveal their choices at the same time.
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[Advanced Mode Only] Distribute the 6 ally cards to each player. The element should correspond to their chosen god.* Each player chooses allies equal to the number shown on their god card, putting them face-up beside their god card.
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Set the starting resources:
- Put a counter on your god card's energy bar.
- Draw your starting hand of spells.
- Apply the Battlefield's Start Effect (if any).
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The player with the god who is first by alphabetical order is the first player to take a turn. Players then alternate turns until a player solves all their opponent's words.
*If two gods of the same element are chosen, the ally cards are dealt randomly instead of being chosen.
Beginner Mode (Recommended for first game)
- Only play with the first two words of each battlefield.
- Do not use Allies (Skip Step 4 of Setup).
- Do not use the "Start Effect" of the battlefield.
Example Game Field
Each player uses their own Player Space, while the Shared Space is accessible by all players.
Shared Space: Battlefield Card, Spell Deck, Discard Pile.
Player Space: Ally Cards, God Card, Game Board.
Making Words
Players must create real English words for their opponent to guess throughout the game. These words must comply with a few rules:
- Pronouns or any words that must be capitalized cannot be used.
- Abbreviations of words cannot be used.
A reference source (dictionary) can be decided before a game, if needed.
Write your words clearly on the reverse side of your game board - "Your Words". Do not show your opponent these words!
Example: A player makes the words "laugh" and "shadow" in a game on the Hazi Desert battlefield (Beginner mode).
Game Board
Draw lines on your game board to indicate the word lengths you are attempting to solve.
Example: Playing on Fields of Magic battlefield, the word lengths are 5-6-7. The lines are drawn to each word length.
If you forget your words, you can flip the game board to see your words again at any time during the game.
Important: Remember, you are solving your opponent's words on your own game board.
Taking Turns
Each turn has 3 phases: Start Phase, Action Phase, End Phase.
Start Phase
- The player draws 1 spell from the deck and gains 1 energy.
Action Phase
- The player can use an unlimited amount of action spells.
- The player may also use an ally card. Only one ally card can be used per turn.
End Phase
- In the end phase, the player has a normal letter guess.
- Instead of a normal letter guess, the player can choose to word guess.
End
The player ends their turn. Next player starts their turn.
Notes
- The soft cap hand limit is 3: At any time a player has more than 3 spell cards in their hand, they must destroy spells until they have 3.
- The hard cap energy limit is 10: Energy gained beyond 10 is cancelled.
- Players must pay the energy cost to use any spell.
- When an ally card is used, exhaust it by flipping the card over. Exhausted allies cannot be used anymore.
Types of Guesses
To solve your opponent's words, you must use guesses. Words must also be solved in order (Top to Bottom).
A word is considered solved when all letters of that word are revealed.
There are 3 types of guesses: Normal, Special, and Word.
- Normal guesses are 1 letter guesses, granted in the End Phase only. Note that they are susceptible to interrupt spells.
- Special guesses are bonus letter guesses, granted through spells and other powers.
- Word guesses are a player's attempts to guess the whole word by saying the word.
Once a normal or special guess is used, your opponent must tell you all instances where that letter appears in their word.
Afterwards, the player who guessed the letter can cross off that letter in the letter bank on the left side, indicating that the letter is used.
If a word guess is correct, all letters are revealed instantly. However, if incorrect, no letters can be crossed off in the letter bank.
Types of Spells
To use a spell, you must pay its energy cost before activating its effect. A spell card shows its Energy Cost, Spell Name, Spell Effect, and Spell Type.
There are 3 spell types: action, interrupt, and counter.
- Action spells are used during a player's action phase.
- Interrupt spells are used when an opponent normal guesses.
- Counter spells are used when an opponent uses a spell.
The spell is destroyed after being used, which means it is sent to the top of the discard pile.
All players draw from the same deck. The moment the deck runs out of spell cards, shuffle the discard pile as the new deck.
Remember: Any time you have more than 3 spells in your hand, choose and destroy spells until you have 3.
God Cards and God Powers
Each god has a god power which you can activate every time a condition is met. Some god powers can even be activated on your opponent's turns.
This power stays active throughout the game and has unlimited uses. The player must remember to activate it! Make sure to always look out for opportunities to meet the condition.
A god card shows its God Name, God Element, God Power, Starting Resources (Energy, Spells, Allies), and an Energy Bar.
Ally Abilities
Ally cards are one-time special powers that can turn the tides of battle! They are always face-up beside a player's god card, and are usable in a player's action phase.
Allies must be the same element as the god card chosen.
They are free of energy cost, but once a card is used, they are exhausted, and cannot be used again unless refreshed.
To use an ally card, declare their name, follow and resolve its effects, and then exhaust the ally by flipping the card over.
Special Effect Keywords
- Adjacent means letters which are consecutive in the alphabet. For example, "J" is adjacent to "K", but "M" is not adjacent to "O".
- Cancel means that the guess/effect is nullified and stopped.
- Destroying a spell is moving it to the discard pile.
- Hand is the term for the spells you are holding.
- Lock means a letter cannot be affected by normal or special guesses. When a letter is locked, write it in the "LOCK:" box. Only one letter can be locked per word. The word can still be word guessed.
- Refresh makes an exhausted ally ability usable again.
- Refund means that a player gains energy equal to the energy they originally paid to use a spell.
- Steal means to remove a resource from your opponent, while gaining that same resource yourself.