tarot card game - draft 2

tarot card game
by Yosie

Set Up
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This game is played with a 78-card tarot deck, having minor arcana of four suits (Swords, Cups, Wands, and Pentacles) with ten numbered and four court cards each (Page, Knight, Queen, and King), and 22 major arcana (The Fool to The World).

Deal each player 5 cards.

Lay out four rows of cards, five cards wide, like you're setting up Solitaire sorta. Have the bottom row cards face-up; the rest are face-down. This is the gallery.

Determine which player will go first each round. Turns then progress left from there.


The Round
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The game takes place over 20 rounds.

At the start of the round, flip over the top card of the deck and place it in the middle of the table. This is the centerpoint card.

Each player then gets one turn, and then there's a showdown.


Player Turn
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During your turn, draw 1 card. Then place 1 card from your hand face-down in front of you for your showdown card.


Showdown
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Flip over each player's showdown card. Compare them to each other and the centerpoint to determine the most valuable.

Each card starts with its rank as its value. Pages are 11, Knights are 12, Queens are 13, Kings are 14, and Aces are 15.

If the card's suit matches the centerpoint (including major arcana), it gains 2 value. If its rank matches the centerpoint, it gains 4 value.

Depending on suit matchup, some cards get more value. Swords beats Cups, beats Pentacles, beats Wands, beats Swords. If your card's suits beats the suits of any of the other players' cards, it gains 3 value.

Major arcana have -10 value if the centerpoint is a minor arcana. This does mean the rank 9 major arcana (The Hermit) and lower can go into negative value.

Whoever's card has the most value wins the showdown. He or she takes the centerpoint and keeps it in front of them for score-keeping purposes; this is the prize. Then the winner picks 1 face-up card from the gallery and adds it to his or her hand. If possible, the taken card's suit much match the centerpoint's suit (including major arcana). Flip over the card beneath the taken card.

Discard all the showdown cards to the discard pile, then, if there are still cards in the gallery, start a new round.


End of Game
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After the gallery is empty, calculate score. Each prize card is worth its rank in points (as listed under Showdown). Whoever has the highest score wins.