Tome: The Light Edition Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
  • Standard/Team Mode (4 Players)
• How to Play
  • Taking a Turn
  • Winning a Chapter
  • Using Effects
  • Special Spells
  • Flux
  • Finishing the Chapter
  • Finishing the Round
  • Winning the Game
  • Table Talk
• More Ways to Play
  • Playing with Multiple Versions
  • Easy Mode
  • Duel Mode (2 Players)
  • Survival Mode (3 - 4 Players)
• Resolving Spells
  • Timing and Conditions
  • Constant Spells
  • Attributes
• FAQ
• Quick Reference

Components

Spell anatomy

1. Power: The numerical value of the spell.
2. Element: The suit of the spell.
3. Name: The name of the spell (no effect on gameplay).
4. Effect: Basic Spells, the unique ability of a spell.
5. Property: Special Spells, reminder text for Element ability of Special Spells. See page 9.

Spells

• 24 Basic Spells: black bordered spells, 6 spells x 4 Elements.
• 6 Special Spells: white bordered spells, 6 spells x 1 Element.

Basic Elements

• Fire: Quick and intense.
• Earth: Sturdy and reliable.
• Wind: Tricky and flexible.
• Water: Calm and replenishing.

Special Element

• Light: Righteous power.

Score Cards

• 8 Score Cards: 1 Point, 9 Point, 11 Point. Slide the Score Card down to track points, and rotate the top card for 10 Points.

Life Tokens

• 4 Life Tokens, used only in Survival Mode (see page 16): 2 Health and 1 Health tokens.

Setup

Standard/Team Mode (4 Players)

Players divide up into 2 teams and compete, where points are won as a team. This is the normal way to play Tome. For additional ways to play, see Duel Mode (page 14) or Survival Mode (page 16).

1. Divide the players up into teams of 2. Teammates must sit across from one another. Assign one member of each team to be the scorekeeper and give that player the Score Cards.
2. Select a dealer at random. Each player is dealt 6 spells, with the remaining 6 spells placed in the center of the table face down, forming the Element Deck.

How to Play

Each round of play is broken down into 6 turns, referred to as chapters.

3. To begin a chapter, the dealer takes the top spell from the Element Deck and reveals it face up to the rest of the group. That spell will be the Title Spell for the chapter.

Taking a Turn

4. The player to the left of the dealer begins the first chapter by playing a spell face up from their hand. Play then continues clockwise until all players have played a spell.

Winning a Chapter

5. Once each player has played one spell, the Strongest (winning) spell can be determined.

Normally the spell with the highest Power is the Strongest spell and wins the chapter.

BUT... If a Basic Spell has the same Element as the Title Spell, it is Stronger than any spell of another Element, regardless of Power. These spells are referred to as Trump.

If there is more than one Trump spell, the Trump spell with the highest Power is the Strongest.

If there is a tie, the play order of the spells is then considered. Whichever spell was played first is the Stronger one.

Using Effects

Most spells have an effect that can help swing the chapter in favor of their team. In order to use this effect though, players must adhere to the rules of the Chain.

The first Basic Spell played each chapter can activate its effect, and also begins a Chain in that Element.

During a Chain, if a Basic Spell with the same Element as the Chain is played, that spell gains its effect. The Chain continues for the next player.

BUT... if a Basic Spell with a different Element than the Chain is played, the Chain is broken! The spell that broke the Chain is then Silenced.

A Silenced spell cannot activate its effect. Its Power and Element are unaffected, and it can still be affected by other spells. Trump spells are still Trump.

After the Chain has been broken, ALL remaining spells can be played without repercussion. A new Chain does not begin until the next chapter.

A Chain is only started by the first Basic Spell played during a chapter, and the Chain can only be broken once per chapter. Only the spell that breaks the Chain is Silenced for it! For more on spells, see page 19.

The Title Spell does not have any effect on the Chain, or vice versa. The Title Spell does not start a Chain, and a Trump spell will still be Stronger than spells of another Element even if Silenced.

Special Spells

Special Spells can be identified by their white border. They have three unique attributes.

• Special Spells do not have an effect. Each Special Element has a Property shared by all spells of that Element.

That Property does not belong to any one spell, but the Element itself. A Property still works even if the spell is Silenced. Any spell with that Element will always have that Property, so long as it remains that Element.

If a Special Spell has its Element changed, it loses that Element Property. If a Basic Spell would change to a Special Element, it gains the Property of that Element.

• Special Spells do not start or break the Chain.

If the first spell played is a Special Spell, there is no Chain until a Basic Spell is played.

If a Special Spell is played during a Chain, the Chain does not break; it remains intact for the next spell.

• Special Spells cannot be Trump.

If the Title Spell is a Special Spell, no Element is Trump for that chapter, so long as the Title Spell remains a Special Element.

Light is the special Element in Tome: The Light Edition.

Light spells are Stronger than non-Trump spells. When the Title Spell is a Light spell, there is no Trump, so Light spells will be Stronger than all other spells.

Flux

Every Element has a Flux spell, denoted with a Power of F.

F is the highest Power a spell can have. A Power of F is immune from having its Power raised or lowered, but not from being changed to another Power specifically.

Even though a Flux spell has no effect to Silence, it can still be used to start or break a Chain.

Finishing the Chapter

6. Once the winning spell is determined, the team with the winning player scores points:
   • The first 5 chapters are each worth 1 point.
   • The final chapter is worth 2 points.
7. The dealer takes the cards that were played that chapter and sets them aside in a discard pile, face down. Players may not look at those cards.
8. The dealer reveals a new Title Spell from the top of the Element Deck and places it face up on the old Title Spell beginning a new chapter.
9. The winner of the previous chapter is the new lead player and plays the first spell.

Finishing the Round

10. After the final chapter is played, shuffle all the spells back together, including any left in a player's hand.
11. The player to the left of the current dealer becomes the new dealer. A new round is dealt, and the player to the left of the dealer leads for the first chapter.

Winning the Game

The game is over when both these conditions are met:

• A team has 15 or more points.
• That team is ahead by 2 or more points.

If one team reaches 15 while the other has 14, the game is not over! The other team still has a chance, so long as they do not fall behind by 2 or more points. Fight with all your might, and you just might pull off a stunning comeback!

Table Talk

Partners are not allowed to communicate about what spells they have or what spell the other should play during the game. True magic is ineffable, and speaking of it directly is the sign of an amateur spellcaster.

More Ways to Play

Playing with Multiple Versions

Tome: The Light Edition can be combined with other sets of Tome containing different Elements from the ones listed here. In order to combine spells from other versions, the Tome deck must be constructed first.

1. Take the Flux from each available Basic Element and shuffle them together. Place them face down and have each player take a turn flipping one face up.

Gather the remaining spells from each of the revealed Elements, and return the unused Flux spells to the box. The number of Basic Elements used in the deck will depend on the number of players:

• 2 Players: 4 Basic Elements
• 3 Players: 3 Basic Elements
• 4 Players: 4 Basic Elements

2. Take the Flux from each available Special Element and shuffle them together. Place them face down and chose a player to flip one face up.

Gather the remaining spells from the revealed Element, and return the unused Flux spells to the box.

A Tome deck will always have only 1 Special Element.

3. Once all Elements have been selected, shuffle all the spells together. Move on to Setup.

Easy Mode

Certain rules can be bent in order to create a more relaxed player experience. For newer players or those looking for a more casual game of Tome, we recommend:

• Having the pile of played spells be collected face up.
• Allowing for some or any Table Talk.

Duel Mode (2 Players)

This mode is for two players to face off head to head. Players go back and forth playing spells, and can plan out combos to try and overwhelm their opponent. All the rules for how to use spell effects and the Chain (page 8) are the same as in Team Mode.

Setup

1. Both players take 2 Score Cards.
2. Select a dealer at random. Each player is dealt 6 spells, and 6 spells are placed in the center of the table face down, forming the Element Deck.
3. The remaining 12 spells are placed face down in a pile between the two players, forming the Draw Deck.

Play

4. To begin a chapter, starting with the dealer both players draw 1 spell from the Draw Deck.
5. The dealer reveals a Title Spell from the top of the Element Deck, then the player who did not deal begins the first chapter by playing a spell from their hand.
6. Players alternate playing 1 spell at a time until both players have each played 2 spells on the chapter.
7. The player who played the Strongest spell (page 7) is the winner, and the winning player scores points:
   • The first 5 chapters are each worth 1 point.
   • The final chapter is worth 2 points.
8. The dealer takes the spells that were played that chapter and sets them aside in a pile face down.
9. Both players draw a spell from the Draw Deck. The dealer then reveals a new Title Spell from the top of the Element Deck, and a new chapter begins.
10. The winner of the previous chapter is the new lead player and plays the first spell.
11. Once all chapters have been played, the player who was not the dealer becomes the new dealer. A new round is dealt and the player who did not deal leads the first chapter.

Winning the Game

The game is over when both these conditions are met:

• A player has 15 or more points.
• That player is ahead by 2 or more points.

Survival Mode (3 - 4 Players)

This is a special mode of Tome where each player is on their own. The goal is not to win a chapter by playing the Strongest spell, but to survive. All the rules for how to use spell effects and the Chain (page 8) are the same as in Team Mode, but the method of scoring points is different.

Each player starts the round with 2 health. Each chapter, the player who plays the Weakest spell will lose 1 health. If a player loses all of their health, they are out of the round, and all remaining players score points.

Setup

1. Each player takes 2 Score Cards and 1 Life Token.
2. If playing with 3 players, set up the deck (page 13).
3. Select a dealer at random. Each player is dealt 6 spells, with the remaining 6 spells placed in the center of the table face down, forming the Element Deck.

Play

4. The player to the left of the dealer begins by playing a spell from their hand, and play continues clockwise until all players have played 1 spell on the chapter.
5. Once each player has played one spell, the Weakest spell can be determined.

The Weakest spell is the spell that is not Stronger than any other spell.

Once the Weakest spell is determined, that player loses 1 health. If a player loses both their health, they are knocked out for the round. They discard their hand face down and take no more turns until the next round is dealt.

• Whenever a player is knocked out, all remaining players score 1 point.
• If only 1 player remains, the round is over, and that player scores another 1 point.
• If the final chapter is played, the winner of that chapter gets 1 point (4 players only).

6. The dealer takes the spells that were played that chapter and sets them aside in a pile face down. Then they reveal a new Title Spell from the top of the Element Deck, and a new chapter begins.
7. The player with the Strongest spell from the previous chapter is now lead player and plays the first card.
8. After all players but 1 are knocked out, or the final chapter is played, shuffle all the spells back together, including any remaining in a player's hand. The player to the left of the current dealer becomes the new dealer. All players regain their health.

Winning the Game

At the end of the round: if the player with the highest score has 10 or more points, AND is not tied, they win! Otherwise a new round begins.

Resolving Spells

Timing and Conditions

Most spells require certain circumstances for their magic to activate, even if a spell is not Silenced.

The Timing of a spell indicates when a spell will activate once it is on the chapter.

When the Timing of a spell is met, the effect will immediately activate.

A spell will activate, if it is legal to do so, unless specified in the effect. Ex: "You may..."

After a spell effect has been activated, its magic is used up and will not linger. It will only affect spells on the chapter when it is activated; new spells played will not be affected.

Silencing a spell that has already activated cannot undo the magic; it can only stop a spell from activating.

Some spells are great played last, while others are better played earlier. Using a spell effect at the right time can be the key to victory!

This spell only counts other spells on the chapter when it activates. If played first this spell would gain 0 Power, if played second it would gain 2, if played third it would gain 4, etc.

The Condition(s) of a spell describes if a spell can activate. When the Timing of a spell is met, all Conditions must also be met in order for a spell to activate.

A spell that has met its Timing but its Conditions are false cannot activate. Even if the Conditions of a spell become true later, if its Timing is no longer met, it has missed its Timing and cannot activate.

A spell can activate multiple times if its Timing and Conditions are met multiple times.

A spell with a Condition that is checked each time a Fire spell is played, including itself, will activate each time its Condition is met, even if it has already activated.

If two spell effects would activate at the same time, resolve them in the order that the spells were played.

Constant Spells

Some spells do not have a Timing. They are marked with the Constant symbol (an infinity sign) and are referred to as Constant Spells. Their effect does not "activate", rather they persist for the whole chapter.

Think of them as an additional rule just for that chapter.

A Constant Spell effect can change as the circumstances of the chapter change with each new spell played.

• This spell has +3 Power for each other Fire spell on the chapter.
• If more Fire spells are played, or if spells on the chapter gain or lose the Fire Element, the Power of this spell will fluctuate accordingly.

A Constant Spell that is Silenced will have no effect on the chapter, and any effects it did have will disappear.

Attributes

Basic Spells sometimes have an Attribute listed before the effects of the spell. Attributes are written in ALL CAPS.

Spell Attributes are always true, even if the spell effect does not activate or the spell is Silenced.

FAQ

The Title Spell is not "on the chapter" for the purpose of spell effects. Spells do not count the Title Spell for their effects, and the Title Spell is not affected by effects unless specified.

Do I keep spells left in my hand when a round ends? No. If you have extra spells because of an effect like Recycle, you must discard them after the final chapter.

Can a spell have less than 1 Power? No, 1 is the lowest Power a spell can have. If a spell with 1 Power would lose Power, it remains at 1 instead.

Does Ignite begin a Chain if it becomes a Light spell? Yes. It was a Fire spell when played so a Fire Chain begins, even if it changes Element after.

Can I pick Recycle with Quench, if that player's team lost? Yes. If Quench was played first. Spells that would resolve at the same time go by the order in which they were played.

Can I use Breeze if someone has played Sturdy? Yes. Sturdy only stops the Element of the current Title Spell from being changed from an effect like Flashfire. It does not stop someone from replacing the Title Spell with a completely different spell.

Does Storm/Crush still break the Chain? Yes. These spells will break the Chain, but their Attribute stops them from being Silenced for doing so.

How does Whirlpool work? For every Water spell, including Whirlpool, all other spells will lose Power. If a spell drops below the Power of Whirlpool, it will become another Water spell... which will then add to the effect of Whirlpool!

Does Storm work on Constant Spells? No. It will revert any spells that have been altered from their original Power and Element, but any Constant spell effects will continue to be active once Storm has resolved.

Quick Reference

Setup

• 1-A. [TEAMS] Split into teams of 2, partners sit across from each other.
• 1-B. [SURVIVAL] If 3 players: set up the deck (page 12).
• 2-A. [TEAMS/DUEL] A player on each team takes 2 score cards.
• 2-B. [SURVIVAL] Each player takes 1 Health Token and 2 Score cards. Players begin each round with 2 health.
• 3. Deal 6 spells to each player.
• 3-C. [DUEL ONLY] Place 12 spells face down, forming the Draw Deck.
• 4. Place remaining 6 spells face down, forming the Element Deck.

Playing a Round

• 5. Dealer reveals a Title Spell from the top of the Element Deck.
• 5-C. [DUEL ONLY] Both players draw 1 spell from the Draw Deck.
• 6. For the first chapter each round, player to the left of the dealer leads.
• 7. Going clockwise from the lead player, each player plays 1 spell.
• 7-C. [DUEL ONLY] Starting with the lead player, each player plays another spell.
• 8-A. [TEAMS/DUEL] The Strongest spell wins the chapter.
• 8-B. [SURVIVAL] Player with the Weakest spell loses 1 health.
• 9. Collect the used spells and place them off to the side face down.
• 10. Dealer reveals next Title Spell, winner of the last chapter leads.
• 11. After the final chapter: collect all spells and shuffle. Player to the left of the current dealer is the new dealer, and a new round begins.

Scoring

• 12-A. [TEAMS/DUEL]
  • First 5 chapters are worth 1 point.
  • Final chapter is worth 2 points.
• 12-B. [SURVIVAL] If a player's health drops to 0, they are out of the round.
  • Each remaining player gains 1 point.
  • If only 1 player remains, the round ends and they score another point.
  • If played, the final chapter is worth 1 point to winner (4 players only).
• 13-A. [TEAMS/DUEL] A team wins when they reach 15+ points AND are ahead by at least 2 points.
• 13-B. [SURVIVAL] At end of round: if player with highest score has 10+ points and isn't tied, they win.