The Legend of Arcadia Rules v2.3 - Initial Release (3rd Update)

3rd Update (6/6/26)

Sorry for these continued revisions, but playtesting is revealing some issues. Thank you for your patience...

Section 5.1, Doom Counter Movement. Failing a Trial advancing the Doom Counter has now been removed.

Section 9.1, How the Encounter Tracker Works. Failing a Trial advances the Encounter Tracker by 1.

The reason for the above changes is that failing a Trial was too punishing. In the base game, failing a Trial did not require you to exhaust a Merit, it only cost you time, measured in Days. In other words, there was a consequence for losing a Trial but it wasn't as severe as losing a Test. In my solo rules, I made them equally severe, which is wrong. While Days are still tracked, they don't have an impact on gameplay. The closest mechanic that does that in these rules is the Encounter Tracker, so that's where the consequence of failing a Trial now shows up.

Also in Section 9.1, there was some confusing text about Waylays previously on a League. That has been removed and the text has been simplified.

Section 9.2 Encounter Tracker Movement. This new table was inserted to simplify at a glance how the Encounter Tracker moves. Previous Sections 9.2 through 9.4 were renumbered to Sections 9.3 through 9.5.

Finally, some new text was added to the end of Section 3: Difficulty Modes. Here is the text that was added:

"A Note on Character Builds: The Legend of Arcadia's Waylay and Quest design naturally favors Might and Resolve attributes. Might (and as an extension, Combat) covers the majority of Terrain Trials and over half of all Waylay encounters. Several Quest Trials use Resolve to overcome them. Savvy characters face an inherently more challenging campaign and should be chosen by experienced players who understand this trade-off. This reflects the base game's design, and these solo rules simply carry that forward."

Keep it dialed here for any further updates...

2nd Update

Section 11.1, Quest 12 - Save Rosewood Keep: added the following text to the last paragraph: "If you failed a Test against Sir Wrathgar, you gain the Sophia’s Hatred Enemy Flaw. You must keep this Flaw through the end of the next Quest (Escort Lady Sophia), after which you may discard it. The meaning behind this is that you nearly failed to protect her — from her perspective you were inadequate when it mattered most." I think this adds some really cool flavor to the game.

Section 4.5 - Enemy Flaws: added the following text to the end of the first paragraph and expanded: "There are 3 exceptions to this:

Ardenmore Guard Patrol: beating this Waylay earns you the Sheriff of Raxis Enemy Flaw. defeating the Patrol means you physically overpowered law enforcement. The Sheriff takes this personally.

Tax Collector and Traveling Papers: defeating the Waylay instead of buying passage with a Bag of Gold earns you the Warrant Flaw, if you do not already have it. Defeating these represents defying civil authority and evading legal obligations. You're now a wanted person."

These changes move the document to version 2.2

Update

I've already found a few errors or clarifications as I've started playtesting that I will list here while I am updating the rules document to 2.1.

Section 2: The Waylay Deck, Flaw Deck, and Character deck are all shuffled and placed facedown when starting the game.

Section 4.3: Start with 10 base points for Merits, not 5.

Section 4.6 added the following note: "NOTE: As a general rule, cards from the Waylay, Flaw, and Character decks that leave play should return to the bottom of their deck faceup, unless otherwise instructed. This reduces the chance of seeing the same card too much. When the next card you would draw is faceup, it’s time to shuffle the deck."

Section 9.1: Added the following text - "Do not roll for encounters or advance the Tracker if the League already has an unresolved Waylay, a special Trial, or an opposing Character waiting to be defeated. If the League previously had a Waylay or opposing Character that was defeated, and the League is now empty. Leagues that physically have a Waylay or opposing Character on them tell you at a glance that the player should not roll for encounters or advance the Tracker."

Section 9.1: Also added the following text: "Staying on a League to recover Treasure, perform a special Trial, or other tasks designated by a Quest do not advance the Tracker…only idle rest does as defined above."

I'm betting there will be more to come... ;)

Original Post

It's finally here! My long journey to create viable solo rules for the Arcadia CCG is finally complete. Well, they are mostly complete. There's still are few areas that need to be finished up. You can find the new rules by following the Arcadia link in the sidebar, which takes you to a shared Google folder where I have placed all my Arcadia content. You want the MS Word file (docx file) titled "Legend_of_Arcadia_Revised_Rules_v2.1". If you download it, it will preserve the MS Word file format. If you double click on it, it should open in Google Docs, which is helpful for those who don't have MS Word. I did not make a PDF version because there is a blacked out section at the end called "Revealed Secrets" that can't be un-highlighted in a PDF. If there is demand for a PDF version, I can move the Revealed Secrets section to a separate document for only the PDF version. For ease of navigation, here is the link to the actual rules document (which will open directly in Google Docs):

Legend of Arcadia Rules v2

REMAINING WORK

As I mentioned above, the rules are mostly complete. Here's what I'm still working on...

1. Playtesting. I had done some initial playtesting and was having fun playing the new rules. But after re-reading this post over at the In Arcadia blog by darkyeoman, I had an inspiration for a new mechanic, and once I added that, it invalidated my previous playtesting. I'll be doing some new playtesting shortly while posting the results here; in the meantime, if you decide to give these rules a go, please leave me some feedback on how it went, either here in the comments, or reaching out to me through the "Contact Me" gadget in the sidebar. I certainly need to have these rules tested with different deck builds.
2. A deep dive into the new rules. Why certain mechanics were chosen, strategies to pursue and how decisions affect outcomes, a short section on probabilities and why certain story elements were chosen.
3. King Ironheart's Madness Quest path and guidance. This is the next major piece I will be working on. TWH is done and ready to be tested, and I have a Quest path set for KIM, but I need to evaluate each Quest and incorporate my solo mechanics into them, as well as figuring out which cards are incompatible with my solo rules.
4. Carrying over progress from TWH to KIM. This is the biggest looming hurdle. Does the character you've built up in TWH become too powerful for KIM? Sure, you can adjust the Waylay value for each Quest, but if the Waylays are too easy, you're just increasing the amount of boring play. I don't know the answer to this question yet, and it's possible it will affect the rules I've established...I might need to restrict the Merit cardpool to TWH instead of allowing KIM, when starting play in the TWH. Or other changes could be necessary.
5. Incorporating King Ardlanth's Fate (KAF). Figuring out a way to incorporate my forthcoming expansion into these rules. But that's still a ways off for now.

These rules are still a work in progress, but I wanted to get this released because a) it's been way too long and b) feedback from the community is valuable. I hope you enjoy this, it was a lot of work - the rules are 19 pages long, even without the KIM material - but it is rewarding to see the project take off. Cheers!

Update 5-29-26

Just a quick post to let you know I am still playtesting the quests in The Wyld Hunt in the limited time I have available, and I want to complete the playtesting before posting the TLOA Rules v2.0. I'm also putting guardrails on some Quests so that the gameplay flows more smoothly. So if you're still waiting for this, thank you for your patience!

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.

The Legend of Arcadia: Quest #8

QUEST #8 - ROYAL CARTOGRAPHER

The Waylay deck is reshuffled. For Treasure Bill draws Winged Sandals and Knocker's Artifact. He places Knocker's Artifact on Palinian Coast Junction and Winged Sandals on Oceanius.

To complete this Quest, Pyro must travel through at least 6 different Leagues, and return to Eidolon. Bill rolls a 4, so 4 of the Leagues must be a border. He must also face 10 points of Walays.

Day 1
Pyro leaves Raxis and uses the Warhorse's movement to travel through Middlemarch and on to Goldenreach Fields. Fortunately the Sandman has moved on, but the place still haunts Pyro. This time the Waylay faced is Cog Dragoon, a Combat 5! Bill rolls a 9 for a total of 12; the opposing roll is 10 for a total of 15. Bill exhausts Burn & Boil for a total of 16 and defeats the Cog Dragoon. He must still face another 5 points of Waylays.

Day 2
Bill moves to Oceanius. The Waylay drawn is Jealous Redcap, a cost 3, which Pyro chooses to face as a Combat 4. Bill rolls 6 for a total of 9; the opposing roll is 5 for a total of 9, resulting in a tie. Bill exhausts Perceptive Fighter for a total of 10 and defeats the Jealous Redcap. He must still face 2 points of Waylays.

Day 3
Bill searches for Treasure and recovers the Winged Sandals.

Day 4
Bill moves to Palanian Coast Junction. The Waylay is Spike Trap, a Combat 3 Test with a cost of 1. Bill rolls 6 for a total of 9; the opposing roll is 8 for a total of 11. Bill exhausts Dem Bones and re-rolls his 1, getting a 3 for a new total of 11, resulting in a tie. The Belt of Troll Strength can't be used because it's a Combat Trial, not a Might Trial. However, since it is a tie, Bill does not have to retreat or exhaust a Merit. He also does not have to face the Waylay again because Spike Trap specifically states that you discard it after it's encountered. With a sigh of relief, Bill has outlasted the Spike Trap and must face 1 point of Waylays. The Spike Trap is discarded.

Day 5
Bill has traveled through 4 Leagues, 3 of which are borders, so he has plenty of time to search for Treasure. He recovers the Knocker's Artifact.

Day 6
Bill moves to Coral Palace and encounters the last Waylay, Corporeal Ghost! Pyro has seen far too many of these for his liking. It's a Combat 1 that must be defeated twice. Bill rolls 7 for a total of 10; the opposing roll is 3 for a total of 4. So far, so good. Bill rolls 4 for a total of 7; the opposing roll is 4 for a total of 5. Bill wins and Corporeal Ghost is discarded. There are no more Waylays left to face.

Day 7
Bill has now met the "4 Borders" requirement but must travel to 1 more League. He uses the Warhorse's movement to move back to Palinian Coast Junction, then on to Middleguard.

Day 8
Bill exhausts the Warhorse to move to Goldenreach Fields, then to Eidle Road. He has now traveled to 6 different Leagues.

Day 9
Bill moves to Eidolon and the Quest is completed. The Winged Sandals and Knocker's Artifact are returned and Bill's Merit's are restored. He now has 2 XP and spends it to buy off Indecisive, leaving him now with 0 XP.

More Proposed Questions for the FAQ

Q: Can a character have more than one of the same type of Treasure?

A: A character may only use 1 Armor, 1 Weapon, and 1 Mount unless card text states otherwise. You can carry more than 1 Weapon, but only 1 may give bonuses or be exhausted (again unless card text states otherwise). The player must state at the beginning of the Quest which Weapon is to be used. Other types of Treasure (such as 2 Wands or 2 Boots) are permitted.


Q: Can I discard a card during a Quest?

A: Not specifically. You cannot discard or buy off a flaw during a Quest, and you may not discard a Treasure. Being able to discard a Treasure would allow you to, for instance, discard exhausted Armor to pick up different, unexhausted Armor. This would circumvent the mechanics of resting, as well as the "1 type of Treasure rule" listed above. Some cards do have text that allow you to discard. For instance, Tax Collector gives you the option to discard a Bag of Gold to pass the Waylay.


Q: Can an exhausted item be used to fulfill Waylay or Quest requirements?

A: Yes. Using the cards in the previous question as an example, if you failed a Waylay and exhausted a Bag of Gold, then came up against Tax Collector, you could pay using the exhausted Bag of Gold. Exhausted cards prevent you from benefitting from card effects listed on the text of the card; the fact that the card is exhausted does not affect your ability to discard the card to fulfill a Waylay or Quest requirement.


Q: If I am forced to re-test or re-roll due to a card effect, does my opponent re-roll as well?

A: For opposed Tests, if the card text says re-roll, only you or your opponent roll (based on the card text); if the card text says re-test, both players roll again. For Trials, which are unopposed, only you re-roll.


Q: What is the difference between a tie and a loss when facing a Waylay?

A: In either case, you may stay to fight again or retreat. The difference is, if you lose, you must exhaust a Merit. You do not have to exhaust a Merit in the case of a tie.


Q: If I failed to defeat a Waylay and there is an Exit Trial to leave the League, do I have to face the Exit Trial to retreat? If I fail that, will I have to face the Waylay again because I stayed on the space?

A: The original answer to this question was only partially correct. The rules describe retreating as: "you may only leave in the direction from which you came", and it happens the next day after a failure. It describes the direction restriction but says nothing about exempting you from Trials. Given that the rules explicitly state you must pass any Terrain Trials before moving, and your only movement allowed is back to the previous League where you came from, Trials should still apply during retreat. The restriction is on direction only, not on the movement mechanics themselves. There is a logical contradiction in the naming...how do you retreat if you don't actually move? If you fail an exit Trial you're stuck in your current League for the day. But if you have an undefeated Waylay in your League, you can only leave by retreating. What happens if you fail the exit Trial (or the other League's enter Trial) while trying to retreat? The most logical resolution is that you stay in the League for the Day, the same as any other failed Trial. You try again the next Day. You would not have to face the Waylay again unless you choose to, because the rules say "If you're defeated by the Waylay Card, you must exhaust one Merit of your choosing. You may try again the next Day or retreat. (On the next Day, you may try again or retreat.)" This means you may choose to challenge the Waylay or retreat, but you may not do both. The original FAQ answer was partially correct in stating that retreating is not actual movement...it is an intention or decision to avoid the Waylay. So the short answer is that yes you must pass enter and leave Trials to move, but if you fail, you do not have to face the Waylay unless you choose to - but not until the next Day, because you already chose to retreat on the current Day when you failed the exit Trial.

The Legend of Arcadia: Quest #7

QUEST #7 - EVEN DRAGONS PAY TAXES

Without Davelon around, the Pilgrim's Burden revealed that Pyro could really use more Savvy, so he recruits an Ally, Lady Kryddia, Sidhe Adventurer, for 3 XP (leaving him 0 XP). The Waylay Deck is reshuffled. For Treasure, Bill draws Winged Sandals, Hawk Knife, and Coral Trident. Bill places Splendourscale on The Kyrrian Tower, the Hawk Knife on The Eastern Coastal Road (1), the Coral Trident on Oceanius, and the Winged Sandals on Palanian Coast Junction.

To complete the Quest, Pyro must journey from Raxis to The Kyrrian Tower, confront the Dragon, recover 2 Treasures (Bill chooses this option instead of Testing), return to The Kyrrian Tower, then return the other Treasure to Raxis, all within 10 days. He must also face 9 points of Waylays.

Day 1
Bill leaves Raxis and uses the Warhorse's movement to pass through Middleguard and on to Goldenreach Fields since both are Field Leagues.The Waylay drawn is Sandman, a Resolve 4. Bill rolls a 5 for a total of 8; the opposing roll is also 5 for a total of 9. Pyro loses and Bill opts to retreat, because Indecisive will make this a difficult Test to pass, and exhausts Bag of Gold.

Day 2
Bill uses the Warhorse's movement to move from Middleguard to Palinian-Coast Junction and then on to Oceanius since they are Field Leagues. The Waylay drawn is Sphinx's Riddle, a Resolve 2 which Pyro once faced on his  first Quest (cost is 3). Bill rolls 10 for a total of 13; the opposing roll is 9 for a total of 11. Indecisive is exhausted and Bill most roll again. He gets a 7 for a total of 10 and loses, so now he must immediately test as Combat. Bill rolls a 10 for a total of 13; the opposing roll is 8 for a total of 12, and Pyro defeats the Sphinx's Riddle once again. He must face 2 more points of Waylay.

Day 3
Bill moves from Oceanius to The Eastern Coastal Road (1). The Waylay drawn is Ardenmore Guard Patrol, a cost of 1 which Bill elects to face as a Might 2 Test. Bill rolls 6 for a total of 9; the opposing roll is 6 for a total of 8, however Warrant must be exhausted since it is an Ardenmore Guard Patrol, so the opposing total is actually 10. Bill exhausts Belt of Troll Strength to change his total to 13 and defeats the patrol. He must face 1 more point of Waylay.

Day 4
Bill does some quick calculations and determines that he can complete the Quest as long as his last Waylay can be overcome. Bill moves from The Eastern Coastal Road (1) to The Kyrrian Tower and confronts Splendourscale. Pyro agrees to recover Treasure for the dragon. The last Waylay is now played and it is Oathfriend, a Savvy 2 with a cost of 1. Arrgg! Another possible delay! Bill opts to have Lady Kryddia test in Pyro's place. Bill rolls 7 for a total of 10; the opposing roll is 5 for a total of 7. Success! There are no more Waylays to face.

Day 5
By resting here Bill could start on Oceanius, but he'd have to give up a day to rest and he doesn't have the time. Instead he uses the Warhorse's movement and moves to The Eastern Coastal Road (1) and then on to Oceanius. He spends the day searching for Treasure and recovers the Coral Trident.

Day 6
Bill moves back to The Eastern Coastal Road (1) and recovers the Hawk Knife.

Day 7
Bill moves to The Kyrrian Tower. Bill rolls and Splendourscale keeps the Coral Trident. Bill must now deliver the Hawk Knife to Raxis.

Day 8
Bill uses the Warhorse's movement to Eidolon and then to Eidle Road (both are Field Leagues). He avoids Goldenreach Fields because Sandman is still there.

Day 9
Bill moves to Raxis and the Hawk Knife is delivered as the dragon's tax payment. Pyro's reknown increases as he becomes the first to collect taxes from a dragon! Bill's Merits are restored and he now has 1 XP.

Arcadia Unofficial FAQ

I'm putting together an unofficial FAQ to answer questions that aren't in the rules or seem like they might be in a "grey area." These are listed below. If you have comments about what I've put together so far, or have questions you'd like to submit, please enter them in the post comments. I'll post an "Official Unofficial" version of the FAQ in a couple of weeks after enough time has passed to solicit responses. Here's a great chance to get in on contributing to the Arcadia community...take advantage!


Q: When an ability, treasure, etc. provides a bonus to Might, does it also provide a bonus to Combat?

A: Yes and no. A bonus that increases Might also boosts a character's combat results, since characters use Might for Combat Tests. However, if the card that is giving the bonus states that it is for a Might Test, this does not affect Combat, since that is a different Test. For example, a Belt of Troll Strength gives a character +1 Might, which helps during combat. However, when the belt is exhausted, it gives a +3 bonus to a Might Test. It cannot be exhausted for a Combat Test. The card would have to state "exhaust to add 3 to any Might or Combat Test" to give a Combat Test bonus.


Q: Some cards that give bonuses say to use before the roll is made, and some state that it can be made after the roll. Yet other cards don't specify whether it must be used before or after. So which is it?

A: This is simply an inconsistency in card design. By default, a card that states it gives you a bonus doesn't have a condition specified, so it would work before or after the roll (why you would want to apply it before the roll is somewhat baffling). A card that states it must be done before the roll is putting a restriction or condition on its use; it is a gamble whether or not it would actually be needed. So if a card doesn't have this restriction, assume it can be applied after the roll.


Q: How do you "buy off" a Flaw?

A: Each flaw has a bonus point rating associated with it. When spending XP, instead of acquiring a Merit, you pay the bonus point rating of the Flaw and deduct it from your XP. For example, Pansy has a bonus point rating of 1; if you pay 1 XP, you may discard Pansy.


Q: How do I change a Waylay from a Savvy Test to a Combat Test?

A: First, the Waylay must be able to be changed to a Combat Test; if it does not have Combat rating, you cannot change it. Second, you must have a Merit that allows you to change from one Test to another. For example, Bully allows you to change a Savvy Waylay to a Combat Waylay.


Q: What happens if I don't recover a Treasure before I complete the Quest?

A: As long as recovering the Treasure is not a requirement specifically listed on the Quest, there is no penalty for not recovering Treasure. The only downside is that you are not able to use the benefits of the Treasure during the Quest.


Q: I have a Merit that allows me to move two Leagues per turn. How does that work, exactly?

A: In addition to following the conditions on the Merit card, you still must pass any Exit and Entry Trials listed on the Leagues, unless the Merit states otherwise. If you fail an Exit Trial on the first League or an Entry Trial on the second, the extra movement is cancelled and you must stay on the first League. Also, if there is a Waylay on the first League, you may not bypass it and move to the second League unless the Merit states otherwise. Encountering a Waylay on the first League cancels the movement to the second League.


Q: The rules state that a Trial is a special kind of Test. So does a Merit that works on, say, a Might Test also work on a Might Trial?

A: Though a Trial is a special kind of Test, there is a clear distinction in card text between Tests and Trials. If the Merit states it works for Tests, it works only for Tests. The card must state it works for both Tests and Trial to be used for both. For example, Persuasive states "+1 vs. Savvy Trials. Exhaust to retest a Savvy Test." That means you get +1 vs. Savvy Trial but do not get +1 vs. Savvy Tests; it also means you may exhaust Persuasive to retest a Savvy Test, but you may not retest a Savvy Trial. In contrast, the Merit Swamp Rat states "Add 1 to your score against Tests and Trials on Swamp Leagues." That means you get +1 for both Tests and Trials.


Q: Can I move diagonally?

A: The rules state that when moving, you must move into an adjacent League. Therefore you cannot move diagonally unless a card specifically states that you can.

The Legend of Arcadia: Quest #6

QUEST #6 - AMNESIA

Note: I made a mistake on this Quest when I first played it...for some reason I thought you could choose how to face Pilgrim's Burden, but it is actually a Savvy Test and Bill failed the test. This affected some other parts of the Quest. It has all has been fixed now.

The Waylay Deck is reshuffled. For Treasure, Bill draws Writ of Carte Blanche. He places Burn & Boil on Mouth of Grey, Perceptive Fighter on Grey Reach, and the Writ on Irondew Road (2).

To complete the Quest, Pyro must get to a non-marsh League within 6 days while trying to recover his Merits, then he must journey to Raxis in 10 days, and face 8 points of Waylays along the way.

Day 1
Bill tries to leave Sibylline Swamp and enter Mouth of Grey; he must pass an Exit Might Trial of 4 and an Enter Might Trial of 5. Bill rolls 4 for a total of 7 and another 4 for a total of 7. The Waylay is Pilgrim's Burden, a Savvy 3 Test. Bill rolls 6 for a total of 7; the opposing roll is 8 for a total of 11. Pyro loses and must travel with the pilgrim's statue on his back. Pilgrim's Burden stays with Bill, and he must face 5 more points of Waylays.

Day 2
Bill recovers Burn & Boil.

Day 3
Bill attempts to move from Mouth of Grey to Grey Reach; he must pass an Exit Might Trial of 5 and an Enter Might Trial of 4. Bill rolls a 1 for a total of 3 (-1 from Pilgrim's Burden) and decides to exhaust Dem Bones to re-roll; he rolls a 3, making his total 5, and passes the Exit Trial. He then rolls a 4 for a total of 6 and enters Grey Reach. The Waylay is Roc Attack, a Might 3 (cost of 4). Bill rolls 9 for a total of 10; the Roc rolls 4 for a total of 7. Pyro wins and Roc Attack is discarded. Bill must face 1 more point of Waylay.

Day 4
Bill recovers Perceptive Fighter.

Day 5
Bill attempts to move from Grey Reach to Grey River; he must pass an Exit Might Trial of 4 and an Enter Might Trial of 5. Bill rolls 4 for a total of 6 and 6 for a total of 8 and moves into Grey River. He faces the last Waylay, which is Nymphs. Pyro does not want to hurt them and is relieved it is a Resolve 1 Test. Bill rolls 8 for a total of 11; the opposing roll is 7 for a total of 8. However, Indecisive must be exhausted since it is a Resolve Test, so Bill re-rolls and gets a 9 for a total of 12. Pyro overcomes the Nymphs and they are discarded. Bill does not need to face any more Waylays.

Day 6
Bill wants to move from Grey River to Irondew Dew Road (2); he must pass an Exit Might Trial of 5. Bill has left no room for error, as he must be on Irondew Road (a non-marsh League) since it is the 6th Day. He rolls a 4 for a total of 6 and sucessfully moves to Irondew Road. Bill claims the Writ of Carte Blanche. He must now make it to Raxis in 10 days.

Day 7
Bill uses the movement option of the Warhorse to move to Middlemarch Junction, then to Irondew Road (1).

Day 8
Bill exhausts the Warhorse to move to Splendour Bridge and then on to Sundered Copse.

Day 9
Bill moves to Sundered Woods.

Day 10
Bill enters Raxis 6 days early and the Quest is complete. Writ of Carte Blanche is returned. Bill's Merits are restored and he now has 3 XP.

Change to Solo Rules

As I've been working on the sample games I've noticed that a flat 15 days for all quests doesn't work. For some Quests it isn't even a challenge, and others are still impossible. What I've done instead is make the time limit equal to the base Waylay rating of the Quest. This required modifying some of the Quests, Like Seek the Oracle's Advice, so that not as much travel is called for, or that additional tasks give you extra time. The exceptions are Balm for Madness, which is double the base Waylay rating due to having to cross the map twice (and is really two quests in one), and Middlemarch Invaders, which has no time limit. Still, it wouldn't hurt for players to choose at least one Merit with a movement option, like the Warhorse I chose in my example.

For KIM, this is a little more problematic due to the high Waylay ratings. I'll have to see how that shakes out when I get to that part of the game.

The modified Quests now list Days for each Quest that represent the time limit, and are in the original The Legend of Arcadia post, found  here.

New Stuff by This Weekend

After finally getting over some kind of nasty cold that I think I got on the plane coming back from Florida, It's about time to get some new content up. I should have a post ready this weekend, although I'm now way behind at work and need to put in some extended hours.

Hang in there, folks!

Still no posts

I just haven't had time for new material, as I'm heading to Florida for a much-needed vacation and am remodeling my house. Check back in late May as I hope to have something up by then.

Working my way back - Hi-res map of Arcadia

My wrist has healed rapidly, so look for more posts later this week. In the meantime, at the request of reader Kokeshi, I have updated the Arcadia map link in the sidebar to point to a higher resolution map in Google Docs. This is the highest resolution I have available, taken from the original postings by Moxtaveto.

No New Posts For Awhile

I won't be posting for a couple of weeks - last week I broke my wrist and I have surgery this coming week. I can type with my other hand but it's so slow compared to my normal speed.

Hopefully I'll be back in a couple of weeks with some new material.

Arcadia Online

Reader Nin has a request for anyone who can help. In his words:

"Years ago a German forum friend of mine started an Arcadia Online script (Java).... unfortunately it was never finished, but I got the beta version. Do you know someone who could finish this project?"

Below are some screen shots for the project. If anyone is interested in resuming the work, please send me an email and I will forward it to Nin...