Soothsayers
Soothsayers Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Objective
The first soothsayer to obtain enough Fate tokens wins the game immediately:
- 2 players: 7 Fate tokens
- 3 players: 6 Fate tokens
- 4-5 players: 5 Fate tokens
Gain Fate tokens when you:
- Ascend to the highest level of each suit
- Capture the strongest Tarot under each suit
- Trade Coins for Fate tokens
- Wield the powers of the greater Tarot
The Components
- 20 Starter cards (#1)
- 80 Common cards (#2-6)
- 12 lesser Standard Tarot (#0-11)
- 10 greater Standard Tarot (#12-21)
- 22 Transcended Tarot (#0-21)
- 5 Player Aids
- 1 Trading Mat
- 25 Fate tokens
- 30 1s Coins
- 28 5s Coins
- 1 Crystal Ball
The Setup
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Create a tableau in front of each player by placing 4 Starter cards (#1) in this order: EARN/TRADE, DRAFT, ASCEND, CAPTURE. Leave space below each Starter card for the Tarot you'll capture. Remove any unused Starter cards from the game.
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Shuffle each deck separately: Common cards, Lesser Standard Tarot, Greater Standard Tarot.
Note: There is a second deck of Tarot cards referred to as the Transcended Tarot (see page 11) that have a symbol in the lower-right corner. Do not use the Transcended Tarot for your first game.
-
Place the lesser Standard Tarot deck on top of the greater Standard Tarot deck. (Don't shuffle!)
For 2-4 players, remove the following number of cards from the top of the deck out of the game:
- 2 players: Remove 5 Lesser Tarot cards
- 3 players: Remove 3 Lesser Tarot cards
- 4 players: Remove 1 Lesser Tarot card
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Deal to each player's hand: 5 Common cards, 1 Lesser Tarot card.
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Create the market in the center of the table with 1 row of faceup Tarot cards and 2 rows of faceup Common cards as follows:
- 2-3 players: 4 Tarot & 8 Common (total)
- 4-5 players: 5 Tarot & 10 Common (total)
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Place the Trading Mat faceup on the correct side for the number of players. Place a Fate token on each of the 5 or 6 spots on the Trading Mat and place the rest in a pile to the side.
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Give each player 4 Coins (1s). Form separate piles of 1s and 5s to form a bank.
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Whomever had the most vivid dream recently receives the Crystal Ball to become the Starting Player, or choose randomly.
The Gameplay
Turn Overview
- Lead 1 of the 4 suits in your tableau by placing the Crystal Ball on the card and performing an action.
- After you complete the action, other players (foes) may follow or pass.
- Refresh the market and pass the Crystal Ball clockwise.
Leading
Lead by placing the Crystal Ball on top of 1 of the 4 suits in your tableau and perform an action at the top of the card. When leading, state out loud: "I lead [ACTION] at Level [#]"
Example of Leading: Joshua leads Draft at level 1.
Actions
The EARN/TRADE suit offers 2 choices of actions to lead:
EARN — Take X Coins from the bank.
Joshua leads the card on the left, which shows EARN 4 at the top. He gains 4 Coins from the bank.
OR TRADE — Pay X Coins to the bank to buy the lowest-cost Fate token from the Trading Mat and place it to the side of your tableau.
Diane leads TRADE and pays 7 Coins to the bank to take the top-most Fate token. The next time someone leads TRADE, they would need to pay 12 Coins.
DRAFT: Draw X Common cards from the market or deck into your hand.
The card on the left shows DRAFT 2. Connor leads that card and chooses to draw 1 Common card from the market and 1 from the deck into his hand.
Note: Do not replenish the market until all players have followed or passed.
ASCEND: Take X ASCEND actions to level up your tableau by playing up to X Common cards from your hand on top of any of the 4 suits in your tableau. You can choose to level up the same suit or different suits.
Each card you place must match the suit and be the next level in sequential order (from 1 to 2, from 2 to 3, etc.), unless you pay 5 Coins to the bank to skip a single number (from 1 to 3, from 2 to 4, etc.).
Joshua leads with the card above, which states ASCEND 2, enabling him to level up his tableau by playing up to 2 cards from his hand. First, he plays a DRAFT level 2 on top of his DRAFT level 1. Then he pays 5 Coins to skip a level and plays his ASCEND level 3 on top of his ASCEND level 1.
Note: You cannot pay 10 Coins to skip 2 numbers in a single ASCEND action. However, you could perform 2 ASCEND actions, playing a card and paying 5 Coins for each of them, enabling you to skip from 1 to 3 and then 3 to 5, for example. As another example, with an ASCEND 2 (or higher), you can pay 5 Coins to go from 2 to 4 in one suit and then pay 5 Coins to go from 1 to 3 in another suit.
If you are the first to ascend to a level 2 or higher in a suit, place a Fate token from the supply on top of that card in your tableau. Steal a Fate token from another player by ascending to a higher level card in the same suit.
Joshua is the first to ASCEND to level 2 or higher for the DRAFT suit, so he places a Fate token from the supply on top of his DRAFT level 2 card. Diane has a Fate token on her ASCEND level 2 card. After playing his ASCEND level 3 card, Joshua steals Diane's Fate token and places it on his card.
CAPTURE: Seize the Tarot to wield their powers. Place up to X Tarot from the market or your hand into your tableau, below any of the suits depicted on the left side of the Tarot.
The cost to capture each Tarot is equal to its level. To pay the cost, discard up to X Common cards of any suit from your hand, adding up their levels, and/or pay any number of Coins to the bank. The discarded card levels and Coins must meet or exceed the Tarot's level.
Connor leads with the card above, letting him CAPTURE 1 Tarot by discarding up to 2 Common cards and/or any number of Coins. He captures JUSTICE (level 11, at right) and places it below the DRAFT suit in his tableau. Then he pays the capture cost (11) by:
- Discarding Common cards of levels 2 and 6, adding up to 8.
- Paying 3 Coins to the bank, bringing the total to 11.
Note: Once placed, a Tarot cannot be moved. Only 1 Tarot can be below each suit, but you can replace a previously captured Tarot by discarding it out of play.
Higher level CAPTURE cards enable you to capture up to 2 Tarot, but you are still limited to discarding X Common cards in total.
Similar to the ASCEND action, if you are the first to capture a Tarot under a specific suit, place a Fate token from the supply on top of that Tarot. Steal a Fate token from an opponent by capturing a higher level Tarot under the same suit as the opponent's Tarot.
Diane captures the WHEEL of FORTUNE (level 10). She now has the highest level Tarot under the EARN suit, so she steals the Fate token from Connor's EMPRESS (level 3). Joshua captures The FOOL (level 0). This is the first Tarot to be captured under the ASCEND suit, so he places a Fate token from the supply on top of the captured Tarot.
Following & Passing
After the active player performs their action, each other player (foe) in clockwise order may follow or pass:
FOLLOW
When the active player leads DRAFT, ASCEND, or CAPTURE, you may follow by performing the action stated at the bottom of your own card.
Cost to Follow: Compare the card that the active player led (before Ascending) vs. your own card in that suit.
- If your level is the same or higher, follow for free.
- If your level is lower, pay the player the difference in Coins.
Joshua says "I lead DRAFT at Level 3," and draws 3 cards from the market to his hand. Diane is also at DRAFT level 3 and says, "I can follow for free," drafting 2 cards, as shown on the bottom of her DRAFT card.
PASS
Instead of following, you may pass to gain Coins from the bank as stated at the bottom of your EARN card, regardless of which suit was led.
If a player leads EARN or TRADE, you must pass.
Connor's DRAFT is level 1, so he would need to pay Joshua 2 Coins to follow. Instead, he says "I'll pass and earn 3 Coins," as per the bottom of his EARN card.
Wielding Tarot Powers
Tarot offer game-breaking powers to accelerate your progress and enabling you to seize Fate tokens. Each Tarot power describes when it can be activated, such as:
- LEAD: activate on your turn, when you select the suit above the Tarot as your action.
- Ascend Action: activates for each ASCEND action when leading or following.
Additional symbols that appear in Tarot powers: Common card, Common card of level 2, Common card of the CAPTURE suit, Tarot Card, Coins, Fate token.
Activating a Tarot power is optional. If the Tarot power starts with "Instead," you can forgo performing the normal Common card action, in order to activate the Tarot power. If you have any questions about how a Tarot is activated or the effects of its power, consult your player aid or the Appendix.
Refresh the Market
At the end of each turn (after all other players have followed or passed):
- Fill any empty Common or Tarot card spots in the market, regardless of what was led. If the deck of Common cards ever runs out, shuffle the discard pile and replace it. If the deck of Tarot cards runs out, stop refilling the market with Tarot cards.
- Pass the Crystal Ball clockwise.
Common deck depleted: If you've already reshuffled the discard pile, and there are still not enough Common cards to fill the market, immediately end the game (see The End).
FATE Tokens
Gain Fate tokens to win the game (see The End). Obtain them in 4 ways:
Trade Coins
Lead with the TRADE action (instead of EARN) and pay Coins equal to the lowest-cost available Fate token on the Trading Mat. Place it to the side of your tableau.
Ascend to the Highest Level
If you are the first to ASCEND to a 2 or higher in a suit, place a Fate token (from the pile) on top of that card in your tableau. Steal a Fate token from another player by Ascending to a higher card in the same suit.
Capture the Strongest Tarot
Similarly, for each suit, if you are the first to CAPTURE a Tarot under it, place a Fate token (from the pile) on top of that Tarot. Steal a Fate token from another player by Capturing a higher Tarot under the same suit.
Wield Tarot Powers
Some higher level Tarot powers let you obtain Fate tokens. Place a Fate token (from the pile) to the side of your tableau.
Do Not Forget
- Lead: Place the Crystal Ball on the card and say, "I lead [ACTION] at Level [#]" Perform the action.
- Follow: Pay the lead player if your level is lower. Perform the action on the bottom of your own card.
- Pass: Gain coins stated at the bottom of your EARN card, regardless of what was led.
- ASCEND: For each action, level up your tableau from your hand. Pay 5 Coins to skip a level.
- CAPTURE: Cost = Level of captured Tarot. Pay with levels of X discarded Common cards + any number of Coins.
The End
A player wins immediately when their total number of Fate tokens reaches the following count based on the number of players:
- 2 Players: 7 Fate tokens
- 3 Players: 6 Fate tokens
- 4-5 Players: 5 Fate tokens
If the Common deck is fully depleted when refreshing the market (after shuffling discards), the player with the most Fate tokens wins:
Break ties in order by:
- Most coins
- Most cards in hand
- Highest-level captured Tarot
The winning soothsayer gains control over the fate of the universe. There is no 2nd place.
The game above ends immediately when the bottom player ascends to Draft level 6, stealing the Fate token from her foe (at level 5), and bringing her total of Fate tokens to 7:
- 1 each on the DRAFT and CAPTURE suits that are each higher than her foe.
- 1 on each of the Tarot below her DRAFT and ASCEND suits, which are both higher levels than her foe's Tarot under those suits.
- 1 from the TRADE action.
- 2 from the TEMPERANCE Tarot's power.
Appendix
Common Distribution
Common card levels range from 2 to 6 with the following counts of each:
| Level | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per suit | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Total | 24 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 8 |
Notes on Tarot
The tarot deck originated in 15th century Italy. At that time, it served as a deck of playing cards that could be used in a variety of games. It wasn't until over 300 years later that tarot began to be associated with fortune telling.
SOOTHSAYERS uses a modified tarot deck that includes all 22 Major Arcana (referred to in this game simply as "Tarot"), as well as the Ace and 2-6 of the Minor Arcana (referred to in this game as "Common cards").
The evocative images on the SOOTHSAYERS cards originated in the popular Rider-Waite tarot deck, illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith and first published in 1909, now in the public domain.
The Tarot
The following are references for select Tarot cards. Using a Tarot power follows all normal rules except where the Tarot specifically breaks those rules.
0. The FOOL
Since The FOOL's level is 0, no cards or Coins need to be discarded when capturing him. When you follow the suit that The Fool is placed under, you never have to pay Coins to the opponent who led, regardless of the difference in your levels or any Tarot powers the opponent may have. The FOOL may follow The HERMIT.
1. The MAGICIAN
For each ASCEND action when leading or following, you may pay 3 Coins to skip 1 level (instead of the usual 5 Coins). You may NOT pay 6 Coins to skip 2 levels.
5. The HIEROPHANT
For each ASCEND action when leading or following, you may optionally pay 2 Coins to ASCEND to a card directly from the market, rather than one in your hand. If you have multiple Ascend actions, you may use The HIEROPHANT multiple times in a turn.
7. The CHARIOT
When you CAPTURE, each Coin you spend counts as 2 Coins. For example, if you discard a level 5 Common card and spend 8 Coins, you could capture The WORLD (21), because 5 + (8 x 2) = 21.
8. STRENGTH
When you CAPTURE, each level 2 Common card that you discard counts as a level 6.
9. The HERMIT
The other players must pass, unless they have The FOOL under the same suit as The HERMIT.
10. WHEEL of FORTUNE
When you lead EARN, instead of your normal action, you may gain Coins from the bank until you have the same amount of Coins as the player with the most Coins.
11. JUSTICE
When you lead DRAFT, instead of your normal action, you may instead draw Common cards from the market and/or deck until you have the same number of Common cards in your hand as the player with the most Common cards.
12. The HANGED MAN
When you lead the suit that The HANGED MAN is under, before taking your normal action, you may instead pay 6 Coins to rotate The HANGED MAN 180° (upside-down). If The HANGED MAN is already upside-down when you lead the suit, you may instead pay 6 Coins to rotate The HANGED MAN 180° (right side up) to gain a Fate token from the pile to place on the side of your tableau.
13. DEATH
When you lead with CAPTURE, you may discard one of your previously captured Tarot level 1-11 and add its level toward the cost to capture.
14. TEMPERANCE
When leading or following DRAFT, instead of drafting any cards, you may instead give 4 Common cards from your hand to other players to gain a Fate token from the pile to place on the side of your tableau. You choose which player gets each card.
15. The DEVIL
For each CAPTURE action, while leading or following, if you capture a Tarot by discarding any 3 cards of the CAPTURE suit, immediately gain a Fate token from the pile and place it on the side of your tableau.
16. The TOWER
When you lead the suit that The TOWER is under, before taking your normal action, you may optionally discard the top cards from the other 3 suits in your tableau, as long as they are all level 2 or higher. Then, for each suit you discard, if any 1 foe now has the highest level Common card in that suit, they immediately steal your Fate token from that suit. If 2 or more foes now tie for the highest level of that suit, return your Fate token to the supply. Finally, gain a Fate token from the pile and place it to the side of your tableau.
17. The STAR
When leading or following the ASCEND action, instead of your normal action, you may instead discard any 3 Common cards of level 3 (regardless of suits) to gain a Fate token from the pile and place it to the side of your tableau.
18. The MOON
When leading the suit that The MOON is under, instead of your normal action, you may instead discard any 3 Common cards of level 2 (regardless of suits) to gain a Fate token from the pile and place it to the side of your tableau.
20. JUDGEMENT
When you lead the suit that JUDGEMENT is under, before taking your normal action, you may steal 1 Fate token from a foe, if you are tied for having the highest level card in your tableau for that suit. Even if tied for multiple suits, you may only steal 1 Fate token. JUDGEMENT is the only way to steal a Fate token from a foe that has attained a level 6.
21. The WORLD
When leading the suit that The WORLD is under, instead of your normal action, you may instead discard any 3 Common cards of the suit that The WORLD is under to gain a Fate token from the pile and place it to the side of your tableau.
Transcended Tarot Deck
After you've played at least 1 game with the STANDARD tarot deck, you can use the TRANSCENDED tarot deck to add variety and depth to the game. The TRANSCENDED Tarot cards all feature a symbol in the lower-right corner.
The TRANSCENDED tarot deck is slightly more complex and includes more direct player interaction, including some "take-that" mechanics.
During setup, you must ensure you only have 1 Tarot card for each level, so choose one of the following:
- Use the TRANSCENDED tarot deck in full, replacing all of the STANDARD tarot cards.
- Mix-and-match by randomly or purposefully selecting some number of cards from the TRANSCENDED tarot deck and replacing only the STANDARD tarot cards with the same levels.
The following are references for select TRANSCENDED tarot cards.
1. The MAGICIAN
When you capture The MAGICIAN, you may immediately select a Common card from the market to play onto your tableau, following the rules to ASCEND.
5. The HIEROPHANT
When you lead with ASCEND, you may choose to forgo your normal ASCEND actions and instead pay another player 4 coins to steal one of the top Common cards in their tableau and place it on your own tableau, following the rules to ASCEND.
6. The LOVERS
After swapping, you may not immediately activate the newly acquired tarot. If needed, move the Fate token to the player who now has the highest level tarot under this suit.
14. TEMPERANCE
When leading, instead of Drafting, discard one or more Level 2 Common cards from your hand. Gain a Fate token, unless any opponent can show more Level 2 Common cards from their hand than you discarded.
16. The TOWER
When leading, discard 1 Common card of each of the 4 suits to gain a Fate token.
17. The STAR
When leading, instead of Ascending, discard one or more Level 3 Common cards from your hand. Gain a Fate token, unless any opponent can show more Level 3 Common cards from their hand than you discarded.
21. The WORLD
When leading, instead of your normal action, discard from your hand one or more Common cards of the suit above The WORLD. Gain a Fate token, unless any opponent can show more Common cards of that suit from their hand than you discarded.
Credits
Game Design: Jeff Grisenthwaite
Illustrations: Pamela Coleman Smith (public domain)
Graphic Design: Marco Primo
Playtesters: Joshua Adams, Maxine Ekl, Randy Ekl, Lisa Faber, Anne Grisenthwaite, Meri McLaughlin, Tom McLaughlin, Diane Millar, Christian O'Kelley, Jennie Tyderek, Connor Wake, and many fine folks from Break My Game, Protospiel Online, and Cardboard Edison.
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