card_system.txt

DESIGN GOALS

Force Improvisation
    Variety. 
    Break the default gameplan. These enemies are armored. What do you do?
    Randomness builds stories (Hearthstone)

Provide Building Blocks
    Give tools not fish.
    Don't give immunity to opportunity attacks....
    give additional movement and acrobatics so you can jump off the wall.
    
When in doubt, Simplify
    rule of outliers: one good thing is better than two mediocre ones
    tighten the gameplay loop

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Characters are
    - a deck of cards, built from some number of tracks
    - a luck counter

Luck resets per scene.
It is essentially the number of permissable failures.

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Cards have
    speed, perception, and stubborness
        Discard any card to move [speed] squares as an [action].

        When asked to use these as defenses
        Choose a card from your hand
        If it is not already revealed, reveal it 
            (show to opponent, and keep visible afterwards)
        Use that card's stat as your defense
        You may choose not to reveal any card, in which case your defense is 0

    a list of effects, each with
        tags describing where it can be used
            priority: [slow] [default] [fast] [ultra fast]
            kinds: [action] [modifier] [reaction]

        general tags: [attack] [distraction] ...

        a textual description of the effect

        you may play the card to activate one of the chosen effects


Combat flow
Round
    All players draw cards equal to their [draw]. This is usually the number of tracks they have.
        Draw until deck is empty, then reshuffle discard pile for a new deck.

    Teams alternate.
        Choose a team member to take an action.
            This is mandatory if any team member has more cards in hand than their [hold].
            If both teams pass here, proceed to the next round.
        
        The game enters "stack" mode. 
            Each character may play only one card per stack.
            The stack has levels. Each level has
                - one action
                - zero to many modifiers
        
        When an action becomes the top of the stack
            Any participant may choose to add a new action to the stack.
                The new action must have higher priority.
                If multiple participants want to add an action
                    the participant with highest perception wins
                    if tied, the active team wins
                That new action becomes top of the stack

            All participants may choose to apply a modifier to the current action.
                The modifier must be of equal or higher priority.
                Once applied, a modifier cannot be taken back.
                When no one wants to add a modifier, proceed.

            The current action resolves, with all applied modifiers.
            The stack drops down. The next highest-priority action becomes the top.
            
            If the stack is empty, it clears. Swap active teams and repeat.

In combat / out of combat interactions
    Each turn lasts six seconds, and each characters draws <3> cards.
    Each character can hold one card between rounds.
    Outside of combat the same rules apply.

    If characters have 30 seconds to prep, they can cycle through all their cards.
    This means characters can be holding 1 card of their choice at the start of combat.
    In case of ambushes, the surprised side doesn't have this extra card.

    Instant obstacles, for example when a pit trab suddenly opens
        Player [draws] and then calculates their defense normally
    Passive obstacles, for example a door that can be broken down
        You may spend 30 seconds, then use whatever hand you want

    




Dice overview -- Defender wins ties

mod d20  perc  real
 -3  17  17%    6/36
 -2  14  28%   10/36
 -1  12  42%   15/36
 00   8  58%   21/36
 +1   6  72%   26/36
 +2   3  83%   30/36


perception / stubborness
    00  60%  Typical.
    +1  25%  A subtle or flavorful buff. 
    +2  10%  Interesting, a key consideration of this card.
    +3   5%  This card is exclusively for this bonus.

speed
    The others grant the bonuses passively, but speed is in contrast to the card's effect.
    Either you get the speed or the effect.
    This means effect strength and speed should be positively correlated.

    step, shuffle, walk, job, run

    0  ---  armor cards
    3  20%  
    4  30%  
    5  30%  
    6  20%  



If your attack deals
    interrupt :: enemy cannot have cards trigger in the current stack
    stagger X :: interrupt, then choose X cards from target's hand to discard
    stun      :: interrupt, target discards hand
    prone     :: stun, target draws half (round down) next round



FIGHTER

# 1x Power Attack     0   ?   2
  2x Clobber          0   0   3
  2x Headbutt         0   1   2
# 3x Shield Block     0   0   4
  2x Shield Bash      0   1   1
# 1x Grim Resolve     2   2   
  2x Toughness        0   3   
  2x Weapon Skill     1   0   3
 

Clobber
    [action : melee attack]
        +0 attack -vs- defense, kills
    [modifier : melee distraction]
        -2 to any
    [action : move 3]

Headbutt
    [passive : +1 muscle]
    [action : melee attack]
        muscle -vs- muscle
        whoever loses is staggered by the amount they lost
    [action : move 2]

Power Attack
    [slow action : melee attack]
       +5 attack -vs- defense, kills, 2 damage
    [reaction : after rolling for muscle]
        You may discard this card. Increase your roll by 1.
    [action : move 3]

Shield Block
    [modifier : self or adjacent ally]
        +4 defense
    [action : move 4]

Shield Bash
    [passive: +1 muscle]
    [modifier : self]
        +2 defense. If you block and the attack is melee, [stagger 1] the attacking enemy.
    [action : move 1]

Grim Resolve
    [passive : +2 perception]
    [passive : +2 muscle]
    [slow action]
        Draw two cards.

Toughness
    [passive : +3 muscle]
    [reaction : when you take damage]
        You may discard this card. Reduce the damage taken by 1.

Weapon Skill
    [passive : +1 perception]
    [reaction : after rolling for either defense or attack]
        You may discard this card. Increase your roll by 1.
    [action : move 3]


ROGUE

# 3x Gust           0  0  5f
  2x Wind Wall      1  0  4
# 1x Quick Slap     0  0  3
  2x Backstab       0  0  3
  2x Dash           0  1  8
# 1x Keen Senses    5  0  4
  2x Leap           0  0  2f
  2x Hide           2  0  4

Gust
    [action : any character within close range]
        Slide target 3 squares in any one direction.
        An unwilling target may reduce the distance slid by their [muscle], to a minimum of 0.
    [action : jump 5]

Wind Wall
    [passive : 1 perception]
    [modifier : ranged defense]
        +3 defense against a ranged attack.
    [action : close range distraction]
        -2 to any
    [action : move 4]

Quick Slap
    [fast action : melee attack]
        +2 -vs- defense, interrupts
        combo (you may play this card even if you have another on the stack)
    [action : move 3]

Backstab
    [slow action : melee attack]
        +3 -vs- defense, kills, ignores armor
    [action : move 3]

Dash 
    [action : move 8]

Keen Senses 
    [passive : 5 perception]
    [active : move 4]

Leap 
    [fast action : jump 2]
        combo (you may play this card even if you have another on the stack)

Hide
    [passive : +2 perception]
    [slow action : all enemies that can see you]
        perception -vs- perception, if you succeed all you become hidden
        while hidden, enemies know roughly where you, but cannot target you directly
        you may choose to break stealth to play a card. When you do so
            for the duration of the current sequence stack
                whenever you play a card you may choose to increase its priority by one stage
    [action : move 4]


CLERIC