[Variant] Adding more RPGness using Phases instead of individual turns

[Spazmortis]

I have created this variant in an attempt to help the card game feel more like an RPG and add more player interaction, while combating the issue where 2 characters will explore the same location, one will encounter something that is good for the other guy, but not let them know. Why aren’t they calling out to their buddy and asking if that sword or piece of paper is something they might want?

Pathfinder Adventure card game RPG variant – by Spazmortis

In this variant the game is comprised of rounds instead of individual player turns. I was inspired by Firedale2002 HERE

Movement - Each character moves to a location of their choice

Exploration - Each player announces if they are exploring or not. If they are, draw a location card face up for each character that is exploring.

Encounters - Players that announced that they were exploring can encounter a single card at their location. The party should discuss who will encounter what.

Start with a location and resolve encounters for all players there. This can be done in any order. Move on to the next location and repeat the process.

A player encountering a card advances the blessings deck before they attempt any checks.

Encounters must follow this order: Barriers that don’t have the cache trait - Monsters – Henchmen – Villains – Barriers with the cache trait – Boons

Players that did not announce that they were exploring cannot encounter a card.( they still advance the blessings deck when it’s their encounter.)

Example of play: Valeros and lem are both at the same location, they flip a warewolf and a rad spell. Valeros advances the blessing deck and attempts to slay the warewolf but fails. The warewolf stays face up in front of the location deck and lem is forced to encounter it, as he announced that he was exploring and cant back out now!. Lem advances the blessings deck and encounters the warewolf, he beats it somehow and can use a blessing to attempt to acquire the spell. If he fails, their encounter phase is over. When the turn is over the spell gets shuffled back into its location. (The characters didn’t notice it or were beaten up and fled the scene)

Immediately after his encounter, a player can choose to use a blessing or ally to encounter another card at their location. if there are no cards face up at the location, Flip one and encounter it. Do not advance the blessings deck.

Once a player has exhausted all of their options for this encounter they reset their hand and it is now the next players encounter.

If an encounter closes a location, do this after the other players at the same location encounter their cards. Any cards left face up at the location after it is closed are banished.

If there are no cards left at the location a player can use their encounter to attempt to close it

Ship extra movement – If you are playing Skull and shackles you can move the ship to any location during this phase. Players can choose to go with the ship or stay behind as normal. It is up to the party to decide who is captain for this phase.

End the turn – Shuffle any face up exploration cards back into their location deck unless stated otherwise on the card.

Evade – If a character has the evade skill and chose to explore, immediately after the exploration phase they can choose to shuffle one of the face up cards back into the location deck. This counts as their encounter, and must advance the blessings deck as normal. They can still use blessings, ally’s ect. to flip another card when it is their encounter turn

[nondeskript]

It's interesting. My biggest concern would be how resetting everyone's hands at once affects your ability to play cards on other people's checks. That is offset to a degree by the ability to strategically set the order of encounters, which would lower the difficulty somewhat. Also characters that buff other characters (like Lem and Valeros) are less likely to be in the same location as characters in locations with fewer cards, since they would have to give up explores for that round.

[Spazmortis]

Ok. I edited it so players reset their hand after they have ended their encounter.

Thanks :D

[Spazmortis]

I have made another phases style variant that is closer to the original game. I will just post it here instead of spamming.

Phase Variant 2 :D

The turn is split into phases

Movement – All players move to a location of their choice.

Exploration – Characters explore like normal. The difference is when there are multiple characters at the same location.

Flip a card from the location deck, if there are multiple characters at the same location choose which one encounters it.

If multiple players want to encounter the same card, they must come to an agreement or roll a d12 and the highest result wins.

The character then advances the blessings deck and encounters it like normal until his turn is over.

Repeat the process until each character at the location has explored.( The last character will usually be dealing with the unknown.)

Players can still choose not to explore but must advance the blessings deck.

Ship Rules - If a character hasn't encountered a card yet they can choose to sail the ship to another location. (It is good to get the approval of the group before doing this so you dont leave them stranded)

Announce this before a card is flipped for this character.

Any characters at the starting location of the ship can choose to go with the ship or stay behind. Even if they have completed their exploration phase.

End the turn like normal