Update 5-7-26

 At long last I have an update for Arcadia fans! My personal life has been a challenge, and I am about to list my house for sale, but once I'm past that, things should improve greatly. I have a couple pieces of news I'll share with you. If you're still around, bless you for waiting this long, but I am hoping this will be worth the wait.

THE LEGEND OF ARCADIA V2.0

First is a project I've been working on for about 5 years: updating the original "The Legend of Arcadia" Rules (TLOA). As a refresher, that's the combination of Chronicle Rules and Solo Rules combined, with the added rules of playing the story of The Wyld Hunt by navigating every Quest card. I think the new rules are fantastic, but I might be biased. Gone is the "race against time" element, which I have replaced with a system that not only makes more sense, it is fun yet challenging. I'm currently playtesting the new rules. While it's utterly impossible to playtest every possible Character and Merit combination, as long as the mechanics are doing what they are designed to do, it should be very enjoyable. After I playtest through several quests and I'm confident in the system, I'll post the new rules here. I can tell you that after playing through the first Quest, it was challenging but I had a great time when I completed it. Some of the new changes include:

• Moving TWH to a 2D6 system to match KIM and produce more consistent results
• A "Doom Counter" replaces Quest time limits, simulating the encroaching danger of the Darkening and creating organic campaign pressure
• Some Flaws are assigned (and you can chose to add more), producing richer and more distinctive characters
• A different system for handling Enemy Flaws
• Banes — special Flaws triggered by the Doom Counter — represent the Darkening's growing influence
• Three difficulty modes (Wanderer, Adventurer, Heroic) allow players to tailor the challenge to their own skill set, level of enjoyment, or desire to be challenged
• Suggested story paths guide players through essential narrative beats - it's not necessary to complete every single quest, but you can do as many as you wish

Look for this update to come soon, most likely in the next 1-2 weeks.

ARCADIA EXPANSION: KING ARDLANTH'S FATE

Yes, that's the title I decided on for the expansion. That name will make more sense when you run through the Quests. It can be played using the standard rules, but will be much more fun if you utilize TLOA rules. There are 4 different possible endings to the game under TLOA, based on decisions and challenges that you experienced during the playthrough.

All Quests, Waylays, and Leagues are complete as far as the design goes. There will be no new Characters, Flaws, or Merits - the game has plenty of these already - although there could possible be some new Treasure cards specifically for Quests. I'm currently in the process of gathering artwork. My mom was an artist and was going to paint a watercolor map for me that would have looked similar to the art style of TWH and KIM, but she passed away 2 years ago, which was devastating to me personally, as well as setting the project back. I will most likely commission some map artwork and see how it turns out. Also, I need to playtest this new expansion, especially for TLOA rules where you can bring a character across from TWH and KIM with all their Merits and Flaws.

Due to the art issues and playtesting needed, look for new cards to start appearing within the next 3-4 months.

That's all for now. I hope you are all doing well and find this news exciting!

Update 8-6-25

Hello everyone, it's been a rough few years for me personally. I mentioned in the comments that I lost my 2 best friends almost 4 years ago, which I struggled to deal with. Unfortunately I suffered another setback. My mother, who was a watercolor artist, was going to paint my new map for me. Sadly she passed 2 years ago, so that has been a struggle as well.

I retired from work and feel like I'm in a good place now. I will, however, need to commission a new artist. I do have the framework for the expansion created. Once I have the map I can start creating cards. Once the weather turns and I am trapped indoors (in about 2 more months), I'll start laying out the framework and getting feedback. I also have a new solo variant I've been working on. It won't be too much longer now before new content starts coming...

Update 6-19-16

Hello Arcadians! Time has flown by and it's hard to believe it has been almost two years since I last posted. However, I just want you to know that I'm going to be putting more time into the site in a big way. I'd like to officially announce that I'm creating an expansion for Arcadia!

This will be a "fan" creation and is not affiliated with White Wolf in any way. I just thought I'd like to create some additional cards that can be used with the game and finish telling the story that began with the first two sets. I haven't committed to a name yet - I've been back and forth between King Ardlanth's Fate (KAF), Road to Skyeholm (RTS)., or Day of Darkening (DOD). It will not be called The Lion's Den, which was White Wolf's intended name, and I have no wish to infringe on that.

The setting begins after the events at the end of KIM, as the players look to Skyeholm, the ruling kingdom of Arcadia, to solve the puzzle of The Darkening and High King Ardlanth's fate. Skyeholm has three vassal kingdoms surrounding it: Ardenmore, Middlemarch, and the Arborian Nation. To the south of Middlemarch are the Fallen Lands, and to the North of Ardenmore is the Frost Kingdom. Like the original two games that tell a story when the quest cards are followed in a linear progression, this series of quests will take you from Skyholme to the Arborian Nation, from the Arborian Nation through familiar territory in Ardenmore to the Frost Nation, back through Ardenmore and Middlemarch, and into the dreaded Fallen Lands. From there what will happen is yet to be told.

This expansion will introduce new cards of every type, and reintroduce some familiar cards that have changed due to the events in TWH and KIM. However, the set will tilt heavily towards Quest, Waylay, and Map cards, as they will be the main difference from the released sets, which have plenty of Characters, Arts, Abilities, Flaws, and so on. I do have some artwork lined up for the new cards. I'm not certain how many cards will be in the set, but it is likely to be around 200 to 250 or so. That's still a lot of cards!

What I plan to do is work on cards then release them one at a time on the site, similar to the Ogre King Road card I created previously. I'll even discuss printing your own versions of the card for actual use! So stayed tuned for more info as it appears...

Update 8-15-14

Hello everyone,

I ended up taking a personal break for a little while. Little did I know how long that break would be, but I truly did need it. Unfortunately that break will need to last a little while longer, as I have some pressing personal issues to deal with over the next few weeks.

Expect some new posts coming soon, and thank you for your patience...

The Legend of Arcadia: Quest #11

QUEST #11 - CONSCRIPTION

The Waylay Deck is reshuffled. For Treasure, Bill draws Map of the Land and places it on The Kyrrian Tower. He places Lady Kryddia on The Eastern Coastal Road (1). The two "dummy" Ally cards, Gurthdass and Shaebanaria, are placed on Eidle Road and Ardenroad (3) respectively.

To complete the Quest, Bill must collect all 3 allies and bring them to Eidolon within 14 days, while facing 15 points of Waylays.

Day 1
Bill leaves the Hamlet of Easlynn and uses the Warhorse's movement to move to The Eastern Coastal Road (2) and the The Eastern Coastal Road (1). The Waylay drawn is Pirates, a Combat 2 Test that costs 3. Bill rolls a 5 for a total of 8; the opposing roll is 8 for a total of 10. Pyro exhausts Burn & Boil to change his total to 12 and defeats the Pirates. Bill must still face 12 points of Waylays.

Day 2
Bill recovers Lady Kryddia.

Day 3
Bill moves to The Kyrrian Tower. The Waylay drawn is Magical Barrier, a Resolve 3 Test that costs 5. Bill rolls a 6 for a total of 9; the opposing roll is 7 for a total of 10. Since you must win 3 Tests to beat the Magical Barrier, Bill doesn't want the Treasure that badly and exhausts a Bag of Gold, retreating back to The Eastern Coastal Road (1). Bill must still face 7 points of Waylays.

Day 4
Bill uses the Warhorse's movement to travel to Oceanius and then to Goldenreach Fields. The Waylay drawn is Flock of Harpies, a Resolve 3 Test (with a cost of 4). Bill rolls a 9 for a total of 12; the opposing roll is 11 for a total of 14. Per the Flock of Harpies text, Bill is caught by the harpies' song and cannot retreat; instead he must test each day to break free. He exhausts a Bag of Gold and stays on the space.

Day 5
Bill rolls 7 for a total of 10; the opposing roll is 4 for a total of 7. The Flock of Harpies is defeated. Bill must still face 3 points of Waylays.

Day 6
Bill moves to Eidle Road. The Waylay is Ogre Games, a Savvy 2 Test (cost of 3). Bill opts to have Lady Kryddia take the Test. Bill rolls 11 for a total of 14; the opposing roll is 5 for a total of 7. Ogre Games is defeated and Bill does not have to face any more Waylays.

Day 7
Bill recovers Gurthdass. Gurthdass smells really bad.

Day 8
Bill uses the Warhorse's movement to move to Eidolon, then to Ardenroad (3). He recovers Shaebanaria, who smells much better than Gurthdass.

Day 9
Bill moves to Eidolon and has returned the allies, completing the Quest. His Merits are restored, and he now has 2 XP. Bill recruits Wenig, Knocker Mechanic and has 0 XP remaining.

The Legend of Arcadia: Quest #10

QUEST #10 -  PEACE MISSION

The Waylay Deck is reshuffled. For Treasure, Bill draws Circlet of Resolve and Coin of Clarity. Bill studies the map before placing the Treasure. He only has 9 days to complete the Quest...he has to travel to 2 cities he hasn't been to before, and he will be doing a lot of retreating because he may not engage in Combat. Bill has been to Althros, Darkreach Loche, Raxis, and Oceanius...the closest Towns he has not been to are Balanvale and the Hamlet of Easlynn. He puts the Circlet of Resolve on Darkreach Loche and the Coin of Clarity on Balanvale. He must face 9 points of Waylays.

Day 1
Bill uses the Warhorse's movement to move to The Kyrrian Tower, then on to Darkreach Loche. The Waylay drawn is Huntsman's Snare, a Might 1 Test. Bill rolls 3 for a total of 6; the opposing roll is 6 for a total of 7. Bill is forced to exhaust the Belt of Troll Strength to change his total to 9 and defeat the snare. He must face 8 more points of Waylays.

Day 2
Bill recovers the Circlet of Resolve.

Day 3
Bill arrives at Balanvale by Road, so there is no entry Trial. A Waylay is played here but it cannot be a Combat Waylay. The Waylay drawn is Sandman, a Resolve 4 Test. Bill rolls a 9 for a total of 13 (+1 from the Circlet); the opposing roll is 8 for a total of 12. Bill has defeated the Sandman, and must face 4 more points of Waylays.

Day 4
Bill recovers the Coin of Clarity.

Day 5
Bill has Lady Kryddia handle the Savvy 6 peace Trial. Bill rolls a 5 for a total of 8 and passes the Trial. One town down, one to go.

Day 6
Bill leaves Balanvale by Road, so no exit Trial is necessary. He uses the Warhorse's movement to move to Darkreach Loche and then Ebonlique. The Waylay encountered is Mounted Spidereye Goblin, a Combat 4. Bill immediately retreats to Darkreach Loche, but does not have to face any more Waylays.

Day 7
Bill moves to The Kyrrian Tower.

Day 8
Bill uses the Warhorse's movement to move to The Eastern Coastal Road (1), and then to The Eastern Coastal Road (2).

Day 9
Bill moves to the Hamlet of Easlynn. This is his last day of the Quest, so he must pass the Savvy 6 Peace Trial today! Bill again uses Lady Kryddia and rolls a 3 for a total of 6, passing the Trial. The Circlet of Resolve and Coin of Clarity are returned, all Merits are restored and Bill earns 1 XP.

The Legend of Arcadia: Quest #9

QUEST #9 - THE FLOWER QUEST

The Waylay deck is reshuffled. For Treasure, Bill draws Circlet of Resolve and Fae Armor. He places Fae Armor on The Eastern Coastal Road (1) and the Circlet of Resolve on Oceanius.

To complete this Quest, Bill must journey to Orchid Isle and bring a blossom back to Eidolon, while keeping the blossom from wilting, within 16 days while facing 16 points of Waylays.

Day 1
Bill uses the Warhorse's movement option and journies from Eidolon to The Kyrrian Tower, and then on to The Eastern Coastal Road (1). The Waylay drawn is Trojan Horse, a Combat 3 Test. Bill rolls 8 for a total of 11; the opposing roll is double sixes (!) for a total of 15! Bill exhausts Burn & Boil to get to 15, then exhausts Perceptive Fighter for a total of 16. The Trojan Horse is defeated. Bill must still face 13 points of Waylays.

Day 2
Bill spends the day looking for Treasure and recovers the Fae Armor.

Day 3
Bill moves to Oceanius. The Waylay is Tiberius, a Combat 6 Test! Bill first rolls to overcome the illusions, a Resolve 4 Test; Bill rolls 11 for a total of 14; the opposing roll is 4 for a total of 8. Bill has defeated the illusions and now must face Tiberius. He rolls 7 for a total of 10; the opposing roll is 7 for a total of 13. Bill could use Dem Bones and Fae Armor to try to win, but he'd be out of Merits for the rest of the Quest. He decides to retreat back to The Eastern Coastal Road (1) and exhausts Bag of Gold. Bill must face 7 more points of Waylays.

Day 4
Bill decides to go around Tiberius, using the Warhorse's movement to move back to The Kyrrian Tower, then to Goldenreach Fields. The Waylay is Hurricane, a Might 4 Test with a cost of 3. Bill rolls snake eyes (!) for a total of 5; the opposing roll is 9 for a total of 13. He decides to exhaust Dem Bones, because if he retreats he'll have to exhaust a Merit anyway. He re-rolls both dice and gets a 4 for a total of 7. Admitting defeat, Bill retreats to The Kyrrian Tower and exhausts Lady Kryddia. He must still face 4 more points of Waylays.

Day 5
Bill decides to rest and recovers Burn & Boil. He must now roll a die, and gets a 2, an even number. Finally, some good luck! Since Bill can choose any League to begin the day, why not Orchid Isle?

Day 6
Pyro awakes on Orchid Isle. The Waylay is Fianna Garou, a Savvy 2 Test. Bill rolls 9 for a total of 10; the opposing roll is 7 for a total of 9. Bill has won a Savvy Test! He must face 2 more points of Waylays.

Day 7
Bill attempts to find an orchid, a Resolve 6 Trial. He rolls a 5 for a total of 8 and successfully gains an Orchid.

Day 8
Bill attempts to leave Orchid Isle, a Might 5 Trial. Bill rolls a 2 for a total of 5 and barely passes. Tsu Ocean (1) also has a Might 5 Trial, for entry. Bill rolls a 4 for a total of 7 and enters Tsu Ocean (1). The Waylay is Tax Collector, a Savvy 2 Test. Pyro is not very Savvy, and also suffers from the Warrant, so he gives up his last Bag of Gold. The Tax Collector stays on the space, but Bill has no more Waylays to face. Bill did not have to face the Orchid Trial because he went up against Trials and not Tests when moving from League to League.

Day 9
Tsu Ocean (1) has a Might 6 Trial to exit. Bill rolls a 4 for a total of 7 and passes. He moves into Coral Palace, which has no entry Trial.

Day 10
Bill uses the Warhorse's movement to move to Palinian Coast Junction, then on to Middleguard. He definitely wants to avoid Tiberius and the Hurricane on the two Leagues to the north.

Day 11
Bill moves to Raxis.

Day 12
Bill uses the Warhorse's movement again to move to Eidle Road, then to Eidolon, completing the Quest. The Fae Armor is returned, all Pyro's Merits are restored, and Bill gets 1 XP, which he spends on 2 Bags of Gold, leaving him with 0 XP.