Obaryon's Wondrous Monster Cards

A trading card game popular in Durmgrist, especially in Valceado. It depicts several monsters alien to those in Valceado and the hunters who fight them. It was invented by Obaryon. He secretly used monsters native to Xhanitia to make the cards, coming up with very few designs himself. The game is colloquially known as Monster Hunter.

## Rules

Below is the in-universe rules document.

*Welcome, dear reader, to my manual for the latest and greatest in entertainment. I am Obaryon Winterwikke, known to many as the creator of* Obaryon's Travelling Board-And-Pieces of Fun*, nowadays colloquially referred to as* Board Game*. After much research into other methods of entertainment, my mind wandered to the concept of playing cards. Most people know of these cards used in a variety of games, but I believe I am the first to wonder what could be accomplished if one were to use cards not of the average design, but rather of unique appearances, indeed a game where one does not need, and likely will not have, all cards that are available, thus allowing for the additional entertainment by bartering for cards with fellow players. Henceforth searching for a topic on which to base this game, I decided to focus on something many of us appreciate: The battles of Nature, the thrill of the hunt. However, rather than using depictions of creatures we all know, I decided to go for a more fantastical approach to the world presented by my cards. It is thusly that I present to you what I will name this world's first ever Trading Card Game:* **Obaryon's Wondrous Monster Cards**

**The Setup**

At the start of a game, each player chooses which cards to choose for their deck. A player must have at least 10 Monster Cards, at least 10 Weapon Cards combined, and exactly four Hunter Cards. Each player also needs a way to track the hit points of their Fortress, which start at any value agreed on by both players, depending on the duration of the game they wish to play.

**The Cards**

Cards are split into four categories: Monster Cards, Weapon Cards, and Hunter Cards.

Along with various special descriptions, all cards share the following descriptor:

•       Cost: The resource cost of playing the card.

**Monster Cards**

Monster Cards are the only cards that can damage an opponent's Fortress. Monster Cards have the following descriptors:

•       Hit Points

•       Damage

•       Special Abilities

•       Weaknesses

On your Turn, you can order a Monster Card that you have in play to attack. If the opponent has no monster or hunter cards in play, their Fortress takes damage. If the opponent has Monster Cards in play, they can order a Monster Card to fight. If Monster Cards fight, both deal damage to the opposing Card. If a Monster Card deals the killing blow to an opposed Monster Card, they can make an attack. Otherwise, only a single Monster Card can be ordered to attack.

**Weapon Cards**

Weapon Cards are cards that can only damage an opponent's Monster Cards. Weapon Cards have the following descriptors:

•       Damage

•       Damage Type

To damage a monster, play a Weapon Card while one of your Hunter Cards is in play, choosing which Hunter Card uses it, and which Monster Card you are targeting. If the Weapon Card's Damage Type matches one of the target's Weaknesses, the target takes the listed damage. If not, the target takes 1 point of damage, and the Hunter Card suffers a Failure. If the Weapon has the Standard Damage Type, the target takes the listed damage, but the Hunter Card also suffers a Failure.

**Hunter Cards**

Hunter Cards must be in play to use weapon cards. All players are assumed to have four generic Hunter Cards, but special Hunter Cards exist too. Special Hunter Cards have the following descriptor:

•       Special Abilities

Unlike other cards, a player has access to all their Hunter Cards from the start of the game, where they are lined up on Standby, effectively not in play, but also do not counting as part of the player's hand. Hunter cards can suffer three Failures before they are killed. All Hunter Cards also have the ability to Retreat by spending a resource, returning them to Standby. If a Monster Card is killed by a Hunter Card, the Hunter Card's player gains an additional Resource on the next round.

**Hit Points**

How many points of Damage the Card can take before it is killed.

**Damage**

How much damage the Card can deal on a turn.

**Special Abilities**

Abilities activated by spending resources when a card is in play. Can have a variety of effects. Each Special Ability can only be activated once per round. Some Special Abilities can be activated during the opponent's turn.

**Weaknesses / Damage Type**

Chosen from the following:

•       Fire

•       Water

•       Thunder

•       Ice

•       Dragon

•       Poison

•       Paralysis

•       Stun

•       Blast

Additonally, some weapons have the Standard Damage Type.

**Resources**

Each round, each player gains a number of resources. This starts at 1, and increases by 1 each round, up to the maximum of 15. Certain Special Ablities can temporarily increase this.

**Play**

A player has two piles of cards, their deck and their graveyard. Their deck contains all their not yet drawn cards. Their graveyard contains all killed cards, and all played weapons.

Additionally, a player has their hand, and their play space. Each round, a player draws two cards. A player cannot have more than 10 cards in their hand, and cannot draw a card if it would take their hand above 10.

On each round, both players determine, whether by coin toss, dice roll, or other means, who acts first.

A player loses if their Fortress is destroyed or they run out of cards.

## Behind the Scenes

The cards, mechanics and story of Monster Hunter is based on the real world videogame franchise Monster Hunter