Author: Tony Pi
Last saved by: Peter Reich
Company: Department of Linguistics, U of T

LIVING TRUMPS
Game Rules
A Rook's Edge Card Game set in Roger Zelazny's Amber
design by Tony Pi & David Dalgleish, all rights reserved © 1999

TABLE OF CONTENTS

	1  INTRODUCTION
	2  GAME SET-UP
		2.1  Number of Players
		2.2  Equipment
		2.3  Identities
		2.4  Attributes & Forte
		2.5  Blood
		2.6  Personal Shadows
		2.7  Hands
	3  SEQUENCE OF PLAY
		3.1  Conditions of Win
		3.2  Initiative Step
		3.3  Intrigue Step
			3.3.1  New Blood Phase
			3.3.2  Shadow Phase
				3.3.2.1  Scry
				3.3.2.2  Shapeshift
				3.3.2.3  Trace
				3.3.2.4  Travel
			3.3.3  Substance Phase
				3.3.3.1  Substance (General) Actions
					3.3.3.1.1  Scheme
					3.3.3.1.2  Shadowshift
					3.3.3.1.3  Hellride
					3.3.3.1.4  Broken Patternwalk
				3.3.3.2  Substance (Amber) Actions
					3.3.3.2.1  Patternwalk
					3.3.3.2.2  Blood Curse
				3.3.3.3  Substance (Chaos) Actions
					3.3.3.3.1  Logrus Tendrils
					3.3.3.3.2  Pit-Dive
				3.3.3.4  Substance (K4) Actions
					3.3.3.4.1  Living Trump
			3.3.4  Tricks Phase
		3.4  Power Step
			3.4.1  Black Zone Turning
	4  DUEL
		4.1  Naming a Boon (NAB)
		4.2  Gauntlet and First Blood
		4.3  Choice of Weapons
		4.4  Show of Strength
		4.5  Feints
		4.6  Yielding
	5  DEAL
		5.1  Open Negotiations
		5.2  Liar's Edge, Doublecross and Spar
		5.3  Trumping for Help
	6  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

	APPENDIX A:  Game Reference Sheets
	APPENDIX B:  Game Variants

1  INTRODUCTION

	Living Trumps is the first in the Rook's Edge Card Game system, set in Roger Zelazny's Amber setting.  By collecting four-of-a-kinds in their Hands, players may build their Powerbase and become better at certain kinds of combat and intrigue.  There are several variants of the Basic Game that can be played:

	In the Nine Princes in Amber variant, all players take on the roles of Princes and Princesses of Amber, vying for absolute power in the multiverse.
	In the Prince of Chaos variant, all players take on the roles of Lords and Ladies of Chaos.
	In the Trumps of Doom variant, all players take on the roles of Shadow Sorcerors or other scion of Amber or Chaos, who do not have ready access to Amber or the Courts of Chaos, but have power over the Keep of Four Worlds (or similar constructs).

	For a more advanced game, the Patternfall War may be played with all three Courts and the addition of the Jewel of Judgment.  Special rules for this advanced game are included in the Appendix.

2  GAME SET-UP

2.1  Number of Players

	3-8 Players
	Gamemaster Dworkin/Suhuy optional

2.2  Equipment

	Trump Deck (2 decks of 52 with similar backs, with 1 Joker per Player)
	Shadow Deck (2 decks of 52 with similar backs yet different from the Trump Deck,
		with 2 Jokers only; keep 4 other Jokers aside)
	Blood of Amber / Blood of Chaos (a supply of tokens)
	Nametags

2.3  Identities

	Each Player should choose a unique card rank as her Identity (Two to Ace; also called Flaws) from the following list.  This card represents you and your weaknesses.  The lists below are suggested correspondences, but feel free to reassign identities:

	Amber			Chaos			Shadow

A	Benedict		A	Swayvill		A	Ganelon
K	Eric			K	Mandor		K	Dalt
Q	Fiona			Q	Dara			Q	Coral
J	Brand			J	Jurt			J	Luke
10	Corwin		10	Merlin			10	Ghostwheel
9	Bleys			9	Borel			9	Delwin
8	Caine			8	Despil			8	Sand
7	Julian			7	Bances		7	Julia Barnes
6	Deirdre		6	Lintra			6	Jasra
5	Gerard		5	Tmer			5	Sharu Garrul
4	Llewella		4	Belissa Minobee	4	Rhanda
3	Random		3	Tubble		3	Bill Roth
2	Flora			2	Gilva			2	Vialle

2.4  Attributes & Forte

	Attributes are represented by card suits.  Amber DRPGs Attribute system can be used, or use Skills as alternative Fortes to increase your options in role-play.
	Choose a suit as your Forte.  Find the card of your Identity rank and Forte suit from the Shadow Deck.  Place in front of you in your Powerbase, face-up.

		Attributes		Skills
	♥	Psyche		Artistry		(Hearts)
	♣	Strength		Espionage		(Clubs)
	♦	Endurance		Politics		(Diamonds)
	♠	Warfare		Magic			(Spades)

2.5  Blood

	Each Player takes five Blood initially.  You may gain, invest or sacrifice Blood in the course of the game.  Blood represent resources:  you, your personal powers, allies, devotees, progeny, blood creatures, constructs or agents under your control.

2.6  Personal Shadows

	Place the Shadow Deck at the center of the table, from which Personal Shadows are dealt to each Player (see below).  Players 'own' these (Personal) Shadows, and may later consolidate these Shadows into their Powerbase.  Face-up Shadows are susceptible to takeovers and Shadow Storms, but face-down Shadows are not.  Personal Shadows will vary in number throughout the game.  Players may look at their own face-down cards at any time.

	• Amberites are dealt two cards face-up.  One additional card is dealt face-down, representing Amber.  Amberite Personal Shadows are also known as Golden Circle (GC) shadows.  Immediately invest one Blood on the Amber card.
	• Chaosians are dealt three cards face-up.  Chaosian Personal Shadows are also known as Black Zone (BZ) shadows.
	• Shadow Sorcerors are dealt four cards face-down, representing the Keep of Four Worlds (K4).  Four of their five Blood must be invested on these face-down cards.

2.7  Hands

	Each Player is dealt 12 Trump cards from the Trump Deck.  This is your Hand, representing your strengths and weaknesses, and your influence over other Players.  Players have exactly 12 cards in their Hand at all times.
	Your goal is to collect 4-of-a-kinds in your Hand (a Trick).  If you have a Personal Shadow of the same rank as the Trick, it is a Power Trick, enabling you to consolidate that card into your Powerbase (if you so choose).
	You will be trading Trump cards with other Players, and using them to play Duels and Deals.  A helpful hint:  try not to have any of your Flaws in your Hand.

3  SEQUENCE OF PLAY

	A Turn consists of three Steps, of which the second step consists of four Phases:
		1.	Initiative Step
		2.	Intrigue Step
			a.	New Blood Phase
			b.	Shadow Phase
			c.	Substance Phase
			d.	Tricks Phase
		3.	Power Step

3.1  Conditions of Win

	The first Player with a Flush or a Straight in their Powerbase at the end of a Turn wins.  A Straight Flush or Royal Flush also wins, but no other combination can win (even a 5-of-a-kind).  In case of ties, the Player with the highest poker hand wins, then the Player with the most Blood currently.  A Power Hierarchy below lists in order of value the poker hands used.

	Royal Flush
	Straight Flush
	5 of a Kind
	4 of a Kind
	Full House
	Flush
	Straight
	3 of a Kind
	Two Pairs
	One Pair
	High Card

3.2  Initiative Step

	Powerbases are used to determine the order that Players take their actions (Intrigue Steps), with highest going first.  In case of ties, the Player with the most Blood goes first.  Other ties resolved by cutting the Shadow Deck for high card.

3.3  Intrigue Step

	Each Player takes his Intrigue Step according to the Initiatives calculated.  When all Players have taken their Intrigue Steps, proceed to the Power Step.

3.3.1  New Blood Phase

	This Phase, the Player gains one Blood.

3.3.2  Shadow Phase

	Anyone may use any of the Shadow Actions listed.  Choose only one of the following Shadow Actions to perform.  For example, you cannot Scry and Track in the same Phase.  Except for Travel, these Shadow Actions may be performed as many times as you can afford, during this Phase:
		• Scry
		• Shapeshift
		• Trace
		• Travel

3.3.2.1  Scry

	Scry (Trump, Sorcery, Logrus, etc.) allows you to peek at any one card in the game.
	Invest one Blood per card scryed.  If the card scryed belongs to another Player, give the Blood to him.  If the card in question as yet belongs to no one, treat it as sacrificed Blood.
	In all cases, the card is returned with all due respect to secrecy to its original position.

3.3.2.2  Shapeshift

	Shapeshift (or other related skills or magics) allows you to exchange a Trump card in your Hand for the top card from the Trump Deck, per Blood sacrificed.  Take the first card into your Hand.  Decide a card to discard (may be the card just drawn).

3.3.2.3  Trace

	Trace (with Pattern Lens, tragoliths, magic, etc.) allows you to find Players with a specific card you are looking for, by fishing with a card already in your Hand.
	Sacrifice one Blood per Track.  Show a card from your Hand.  All Players with that card rank must raise their hands.

3.3.2.4  Travel

	Different character types have different Travel destinations, or Places of Power.  Each Place of Power must be occupied for certain special actions in the Substance Phase.

	• Amberites may travel to Amber.  Turn one GC shadow face-down and invest one Blood on it.  You may have at most one face-down card representing that you are in Amber.  You must have at least one GC to go to Amber.  You may also switch the GC shadow you have turned over, but that constitutes your action.
	• Chaosians may travel to the Abyss.  Take all BZ shadows and reshuffle into the Shadow Deck.  Having no cards in your BZ always represents you on the brink of the Abyss.
	• Shadow Sorcerors may travel to the Keep of Four Worlds.  Invest four Blood on four Personal Shadows; turn them over and place Blood accordingly.  You must have at least four Personal Shadows to go to the Keep.  You may also switch the K4 shadows with any other shadows you own, but that constitutes your action.

	With Amber and K4, the Blood invested may be used in other actions.  However, one immediately leaves Amber or K4 by doing so.  Being in K4 does not mean also being in Amber; the two Places of Power are exclusive.

3.3.3  Substance Phase

	One Substance Action may be taken this Phase.  Anyone may Scheme, Hellride, Shadowshift, or Broken Patternwalk.  Actions unique to each Court are also available, and are listed separately.

3.3.3.1  Substance (General) Actions

3.3.3.1.1  Scheme

	If you Scheme, you gain one Blood for sitting back and biding your time, accumulating additional power.

3.3.3.1.2  Shadowshift

	To Shadowshift, invest one Blood per Shadow you wish to draw from the top of the Shadow Deck.  Turn Shadows over one by one.  The Blood is invested on top of the Shadow Deck:  this is the Ante.
	If you draw a Joker from the Shadow Deck, a Shadow Storm has struck.  If you are an Amberite or Chaosian, you may attempt to control the Shadow Storm by sacrificing one Blood to avoid the effects.  This is a type of Controlling Chaos.
	If you cannot control the Shadow Storm, shuffle all your Personal Shadows back into the Shadow Deck!  Shadow Storms do not affect Amber or K4.  Lose your Ante and skip your Tricks Phase.
	If you are unaffected by a Shadow Storm, use the invested Blood as Ante to Deal with any Player.  You are limited to one Deal, as per usual, during an Action.  You may break off negotiations once to renegotiate with someone else.

3.3.3.1.3  Hellride

	A Hellride allows you to target another Player's Personal Shadow.  Choose a Shadow to takeover.
	If you wish to force a Duel, invest two Blood on the selected Shadow.  Proceed with the Duel, with the Blood and Shadow as Ante.
	If you wish to give your opponent the option to Duel or Deal, invest one Blood on the selected Shadow.
	Your opponent now has three options.
	He may yield immediately, gaining the invested Blood in exchange for the Shadow.  Place your new acquisition in with your Personal Shadows.
	Or, he can invest no additional Blood, but be forced to Deal for the Shadow and the one Blood as Ante.
	Or, he may invest one more Blood on the Shadow and defend his Shadow in a Duel, with the two Bloods and the Shadow being Anted.
	You may only target an opponent's Amber or a K4 Shadow to force a Duel if you are yourself in the same Place of Power.  You must use Blood from Amber or a K4 Shadow, meaning that you may yourself be forced out of the Place of Power, if you lose.  Naturally, the Abyss cannot be targeted.

3.3.3.1.4  Broken Patternwalk

	All can walk the Broken Pattern.  You cannot be in Amber.  Sacrifice one Blood.  An Opponent cuts the Shadow Deck into three.  Choose one pile to conduct your Patternwalk.  Name a card rank.  From the top of the chosen pile, turn over cards until you find the named card rank, a Joker (Primal Chaos), or run out of cards.
	If you find the card, incorporate it into your Personal Shadows.
	If you turn over a Joker, Primal Chaos has hit!  Attempt to control it or suffer its effects.
	If you run out of cards, tough luck!
3.3.3.2  Substance (Amber) Actions

	3.3.3.2.1  Patternwalk

	You must be in Amber (includes Tir-na Nog'th and Rebma) to Patternwalk.
	Name a card rank.  Sacrifice one Blood.
	Pick a Pattern to walk.  Another Player looks for the card you named one by one:
		• The Tir-na Nog'th Pattern:  start top-down the Shadow Deck.
		• The Rebma Pattern:  start bottom-up from the Shadow Deck.
		• The Amber Pattern, cut the deck, then start top-down from the Shadow Deck.
	If the named card appears, incorporate into your Personal Shadows.  Reshuffle the Shadow Deck.
	If a Joker appears first, a Primal Power has interfered!  Shuffle all Personal Shadows back into the Shadow Deck, including Amber and K4 Shadows.  You can nullify the effects of such Primal Chaos by invoking Primal Order:  sacrifice a number of Blood equal to the number of face-up cards, including the Joker, that came up during your Patternwalk.

	3.3.3.2.2  Blood Curse

	If you sacrifice all free and invested Blood you have, you may Blood Curse one Opponent.  For the next Turn, he must play that entire Turn with an Open Hand.  You may do this once per game.

3.3.3.3  Substance (Chaos) Actions

	3.3.3.3.1  Logrus Tendrils

	Name a specific card (including suit and rank).  Cut the Shadow Deck.  Sacrifice one blood.  Go through the deck card by card, face-up, until either the suit or rank appears.  Choose one card from the face-up cards.  If you wish, you may sacrifice another Blood to send out another tendril (i.e., keep going until the suit or rank appears again), as many times as you desire and can pay for.
	If a Joker appears, Primal Chaos threatens you.  Count the number of cards face-up, including the Joker.  If you can sacrifice a number of Blood equal to the number of face-up cards, you can control Primal Chaos, nullify its effects or add Primal Chaos, intensify it by adding another Joker to the Shadow deck (to a maximum of six).  There is no way for Logrus Masters to remove Primal Chaos from the Shadow Deck.

	3.3.3.3.2  Pit-Dive
	A Lord of Chaos may Pit-Dive for strange powers and artifacts from the Abyss, if he has no Personal Shadows.  For each Blood you have, turn over that many cards from the bottom of the Shadow Deck.  If Jokers do not appear, take any Pairs into your Black Zone at the cost of two Blood per pair.  If there are no pairs, you found nothing, but it costs you nothing.  If a Joker appears, you lose all your Blood and end your Turn.

3.3.3.4  Substance (K4) Actions

	3.3.3.4.1  Living Trump

	Sacrifice one Blood.  Name one suit.  From the top of the Shadow Deck, turn over each card in turn, until you find the named suit or a Joker.  If it is a Joker, Primal Chaos occurs.  If you find the suit, stop turning cards over.  Of the cards currently face-up, choose one card to incorporate into your Personal Shadows.  If you wish, you may sacrifice another Blood to find the next card of the named suit.  You may only take one Shadow this Action.

3.3.4  Tricks Phase

	A Player can now declare Tricks in her Hand, if she had not been afflicted with a Shadow Storm or Primal Chaos.
	Four of a kind constitutes a Trick; a Joker in your Hand counts as a wild card and may be used to complete a Trick.  She sacrifices one Blood per Trick.
	If the Trick matches the rank of one of her GC Shadows, she can consolidate that Shadow into her Powerbase.  The card is placed face-down in her Powerbase, not to be flipped over until the Power Step.  The newly acquired cards do not count towards her Power until after the Power Step.
	If the Trick is of her own rank, or of a rank that is not a Player Identity, she must immediately trade all four cards for four new cards from the Trump Deck..
	If the Trick of another Player's Identity, then she is said to have control over her opponent.  She may name a rank, and the other Player must trade her as many cards of that rank he has, on a one-to-one basis.  Jokers are always traded first, if present in the Trick; otherwise, cards from that Trick are used.  If the named rank is absent from the opponent's Hand, keep the Trick in your Hand.

3.4  Power Step

	Lords of Chaos have their BZ Turning first (see below).
	Next, turn over your face-down Powerbase cards.
	There can be at most five face-up cards in your Powerbase at any one time.  Extra cards must be recycled back into your Personal Shadows.

3.4.1  Black Zone Turning (BZT)

	During the Power Step, the shifting geography of the Courts of Chaos affects the Black Zone.  Each Chaosian with at least one Personal Shadow must choose a Shadow to give to the Chaosian immediately above them in the initiative hierarchy.  The Chaosian with the highest initiative gives to the Chaosian with the lowest initiative.  The exchange is considered simultaneous.  Players without any Shadows (on the brink of the Abyss) are counted out of the loop for the Black Zone Turning.

4  DUEL

	A Duel is more direct than a Deal.  It encompasses direct conflicts such as battles, swordfights, battles of will, contests of strength, etc.  Most Duels have an Ante; the winner keeps the Ante.  There are four steps in a Duel:
	• First Blood
	• Choice of Weapons
	• Show of Strength
	• Feints

4.1  Naming a Boon (NAB)

	Naming a Boon is a case where the winner of the Boon names a single Trump card (rank, suit, colour, or all), and if the loser has the named Trump card, he must yield that Trump card.  If the loser does not have the named card, he may give any card instead.  The winner must also chose a card to give to the loser in exchange, regardless of whether or not he named the correct Boon.  Both Players should make sure that they have 12 cards each at the end of each exchange.  NAB is rewarded in addition to any other Antes the Players wagered.
	If the Boon was won due to a Joker being turned up, the Joker must be the card given to the loser.  Fickle are the Primal Powers.

4.2  Gauntlet and First Blood

	In a Duel, for the first step the Challenger picks any one card from his Hand and gives it to the Defender; this called throwing down the Gauntlet.  The Defender does not place the Gauntlet into his Hand immediately; instead, the Challenger draws a Trump card at random from the Defender's Hand.  This random card is called First Blood.
	If First Blood is a Joker, the Defender automatically wins.  The Challenger keeps the Joker.  The Defender receives whatever Ante was chosen, and gets to NAB.
	If First Blood is the Defender's Flaw, the Challenger wins the Ante and gets to NAB.
	If First Blood is the Challenger's Flaw, the Defender wins the Ante and gets to NAB.
	If First Blood is anything else, proceed to Choice of Weapons.
	The Gauntlet card is then placed into the Defender's Hand.

4.3  Choice of Weapons

	The Defender gets the Choice of Weapons.  He picks a suit (Attribute) that he thinks he is stronger in than the Challenger, taking into account cards in his Powerbase and his Hand.

4.4  Show of Strength

	Next, both Players must make a Show of Strength in the battle suit.  To do this, each Player must put down a single Trump card from his Hand that is of the battle suit.  If one of the Players cannot put any cards of the battle suit down, he must immediately Yield.
	At this point, calculate each Player's Points.  Each card of the battle suit in the Player's Powerbase counts as one Point.  The card (of the battle suit) the Player puts down as a Show of Strength counts as one Point.  Any cards placed down in the Show of Strength that has the same rank as a Pair (or 3,4,5-of-a-kind) is multiplied by the appropriate number.
	For example, suppose Benedict has in his Powerbase an Ace of Spades, an Ace of Hearts, an Ace of Diamonds, and a Jack of Hearts.  The battle suit is Hearts.  He can put down an Ace of Hearts from his Hand.  He currently has 2 Points from the Ace and Jack of Hearts in his Powerbase, plus the Ace of Hearts in his Show of Strength counts as three more points (because he has 3 Aces in his Powerbase), for a total of 5 points.  If he had simply placed a Two of Hearts down in the Show of Strength, he would have only 3 points.
	Compare the Challenger and Defender Point totals.  Whoever has the lower of Points must bring the total up to match, placing more cards of the battle suit face up.  If that cannot be done, the one with the lower point value must Yield.
	If Points now balance, proceed to the Feints.

4.5  Feints

	With the initial Show of Strength showing that both parties are competent in this battle, it becomes a matter of feints.  Your task is to catch your opponent lying.
	Starting with the Challenger, he places one card face-down next to his Show of Strength.  This card is either of the battle suit, or it is not.  However, it is supposed to be of that suit.
	You must first place another card of your own down.  Then, call his Bluff if you think your foe is lying about the very last card he played.  Otherwise, let it slide.
	He must do the same, guessing whether or not you are bluffing.  The first person to run out of cards completely must Yield.  Jokers count as cards in the right suit.
	If you call your Opponent's Bluff, he must turn over the last card Played.  If it is a Bluff, he must also turn over all of his feints.  You may then NAB, and take the Ante (if any).
	If your foe's card is a Joker or not a Bluff, you must turn over all your feints.

4.6  Yielding

	A Player may yield at any stage, but forfeits the Ante and owes the opponent a Boon.
5  DEAL

	Players begin the Deal by negotiating to trade Trump cards.  They may talk, and agree on a card that they are willing to offer the other in exchange for one that they want.  However, they don't have to tell the truth!  The goal is to know when to lie, when not to lie, and when to accuse your fellow trader.

5.1  Open Negotiations

	After agreeing on a card to trade to your 'ally', decide whether you want to honour the trade, lie through your teeth, or accuse your trading partner of cheating.
	You can Honour the trade by putting down the agreed-upon card (Trump Ante).  However, if your 'ally' lied, you stand a chance of losing your Ante when he presses his Liar's Edge.  If he accuses you of lying by putting down your Flaw card instead of the agreed-upon card, though, and you've honoured the agreement, it is a False Accusation and you automatically win and get to NAB and claim any Ante.  If he also Honoured his end of the bargain, you trade the Trump cards.  Any Blood invested as Ante is doubled and split between you and your foe; you receive that amount of Blood, as does your opponent!
	You can Lie, putting down a different card than agreed upon.  This will typically be of a suit that you believe you are stronger in than your trading partner.  If your Opponent catches you by accusing you with your Flaw, you automatically lose the Ante and owe him a Boon.  If he was Honouring his agreement, you've screwed him over and you can press your Liar's Edge and force a contest in which you are likely to be superior in.  If he was Lying as well, then you've Doublecrossed each other!
	If you are suspicious of each other, you can Accuse the other of Lying...but only by putting down his Flaw card from your Hand, or a Joker.  If you do not have his Flaw card in your Hand, you don't know him well enough to poke holes in his lies!  If you accuse and he is Lying, then you win the Ante and Boon.  If you accuse and he's honouring his agreement, you are red-faced and lose the Ante and owe him a Boon.  If you both Accuse, then it becomes a matter of pride, and the only thing that can settle this is a Spar.
	A Flaw counts as an Accusation only if your opponent did not ask for his own card in the Trade.  Thus, if you agreed to trade him his Flaw, you cannot be Accusing him of lying!
	Place the said Trump Ante face-down on the table.  Wait for your 'ally' to do the same.  Turn them over simultaneously.  Resolve.  If the result is Liar's Edge, Doublecross or Spar, follow the procedures below.

5.2  Liar's Edge, Doublecross and Spar

	The Trump Ante determines the battle suit for the Player who put it down.  Next, five cards will be placed next to the Trump Ante face-down; they will add to the Points total.  In a Spar, both Players choose the five cards they wish to put down.  In a Liar's Edge, only the Liar chooses freely; his opponent's five cards are drawn by the Liar randomly (and unseen by either) and placed face-down.  In a Doublecross, both Players draw their opponent's five cards randomly, unseen, and face-down.
	Players with a choice may never play a Joker at this stage.
	Calculate the Points total of the face-up cards.  Players may Yield at any time, giving up the Ante and owing a Boon.
	Each Player chooses one of the five cards to flip over.  The Points total is recalculated.  This procedure is continued until one person Yields or decides to Trump for help, or all five cards have been flipped over.
	If a Joker is flipped up, the Player with it wins.
	If both flip up a Joker simultaneously (possible only in a Doublecross), both Players suffer Primal Chaos (see above).  The Action is terminated, the Tricks Phase skipped, and any Blood invested is sacrificed instead.
	In the event of a tie, Players may NAB of each other (there being a single exchange of cards).  All Blood invested is sacrificed.

5.3  Trumping for Help

	A Player may double his Points total if he Trumps for help.  He may Trump any Identity that appears in his Powerbase or the Deal.  That Identity may be a Player or not.
	If the Player trumps a Non-Player, the top card of the Trump Deck is flipped over.  If it happens to be the person he Trumped, his point total is doubled.
	If the Player trumps another Player, the Player first must accept the Trump Call.  The call for help allows the Trumped Player to name 3 cards he would like from the Player requesting aid.  If the caller is willing to part with one of those cards, then it is treated as a Naming of a Boon at the very end of the Shadow or Substance Phase.  
	The Opponent now has the choice of likewise Trumping an Ally.  If it is the same Player who is Trumped, the Trumped Player must make the final decision.  Only the one Aided is obliged to honour the agreement.
	Even if you lose, you are obliged to honour your Trump agreement.
	It could be the case that the card named is no longer in your Hand after the Deal.  In that case, you are forced to renege.
	You can renege at your own risk, but it jeopardizes your chances at future aid.

6  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

	Many thanks to our playtesters Megan, Tom, Julia, Dave, Stefan, Steve, and Charles.

LIVING TRUMPS
QUICK REFERENCE SHEET
A Rook's Edge Card Game set in Roger Zelazny's Amber
design by Tony Pi & David Dalgleish, all rights reserved © 1999

CONDITIONS OF WIN:  Be first to build a Flush or Straight Powerbase.

SEQUENCE OF PLAY		ATTRIBUTES		SKILLS	DEAL OPTIONS
Initiative (all)	♥	Psyche	♥	Artistry	Honour
Intrigue (indiv)	♣	Strength	♣	Espionage	Lie
Power (all)		♦	Endurance	♦	Politics	Accuse (Flaw/Joker)
			♠	Warfare	♠	Magic

DEAL RESULTS (r5 =random 5 cards)
Honour + Honour -> FAIR TRADE		  Honour + Lie -> LIAR'S EDGE (H=r5)
Honour + Accuse -> FALSE ACCUSATION   Accuse + Accuse -> SPAR (both choose 5)
Accuse + Lie    -> CAUGHT RED-HANDED  Lie    + Lie    -> DOUBLECROSS (both r5)

INTRIGUE	[=invest, +gain, -sacrifice, @ each]
  NEW BLOOD (+1)
	|
   SHADOW
  • Scry (=1@/-1@)	  • Trace (-1@)
  • Shapeshift (-1@)	  • Travel (=1 Amber, =4 K4)
	|
  SUBSTANCE
    General				  Amber			  Chaos
  • Scheme (+1)			• Patternwalk (-1)	• Logrus Tendrils (-1@)
  • Shadowshift (=1@)		• Blood Curse (-all)	• Pit-Dive (0/-2@)
      <DEAL>			
  • Hellride			
	<DUEL> (=2)							  K4
	<DEAL> (=1)							• Living Trump (-1@)
  • Broken Patternwalk (-1)
	|
    TRICKS

DUEL/EXILE			DEAL				LIAR'S EDGE, SPAR, DOUBLECROSS
First Blood			Open Negotiations		Choose/Random 5
Choice of Weapons		Choose Trump Ante		Card-By-Card Reveal
Show of Strength		Reveal Trump Ante		Yield or Trump for Help
Feints			Resolve			(Countertrump)

	Amber		Chaos		Shadow		Power Hierarchy
A	Benedict	A	Swayvill	A	Ganelon		Royal Flush
K	Eric		K	Mandor	K	Dalt			Straight Flush
Q	Fiona		Q	Dara		Q	Coral			5 of a Kind
J	Brand		J	Jurt		J	Luke			4 of a Kind
10	Corwin	10	Merlin	10	Ghostwheel		Full House
9	Bleys		9	Borel		9	Delwin		Flush
8	Caine		8	Despil	8	Sand			Straight
7	Julian	7	Bances	7	Julia Barnes	3 of a Kind
6	Deirdre	6	Lintra	6	Jasra			Two Pair
5	Gerard	5	Tmer		5	Sharu Garrul	One Pair
4	Llewella	4	Belissa M.	4	Rhanda		High Card
3	Random	3	Tubble	3	Bill Roth
2	Flora		2	Gilva		2	Vialle

LIVING TRUMPS
Patternfall War
A Rook's Edge Card Game set in Roger Zelazny's Amber
design by Tony Pi & David Dalgleish, all rights reserved © 1999

The Patternfall War combines the Nine Princes in Amber ,the Prince of Chaos, and the Trumps of Doom variants.  Players choose which of the three kinds of characters to play.  There should be no overlaps in ranks.

Princes of Amber may use Amber and K4 Actions.  Amberites may also now Impose Primal Order by sacrificing a number of Blood equal to the number of face-up cards.  You may remove a Joker from the Shadow Deck, or simply ignore its effects.

Lords of Chaos may use all Chaos and K4 Actions.  The BZT rule applies only to Lords of Chaos, but only count non-K4 Shadows only for BZT.

Shadow Sorcerors may use K4 Actions.  Shadow Sorcerors may also try to control Primal Chaos, but may not add or delete Jokers from the Shadow Deck.

The Jewel of Judgment is a unique token given to the first Player who suffers from a Primal Power effect from the Shadow Deck.  It can be spent like any other Blood.  However, there are advantages and disadvantages to having this particular token.
	The Player with the Jewel of Judgment gains four additional Blood immediately.  However, as long as he possesses the Jewel, he gains *no* New Blood.
	If the Jewel of Judgment token is sacrificed, the next Player who encounters a Primal Power from the Shadow Deck and suffers its effects obtains the Jewel.

New Victory Conditions

To win, one must:
	(i)	have a straight or flush in her Powerbase;
	(ii)	have the Jewel of Judgment;
	(iii)	be in her Place of Power (Amber, Abyss, or Keep);
	(iv)	• Amberites must walk the Pattern for their own Identity;
		• Chaosians must control Primal Chaos;
		• Shadow Sorcerors must Living Trump and take their own Identity.

LIVING TRUMPS