Overview: A strategic card game about military deployment, bluffing, and resource management inspired by the Ashlock Wars.
Each player starts with 10 resource points (coins, tokens, etc.)
Deal each player 7 cards to start
Players can see their own cards but not their opponent's
Scouts (Value 1-2): Cheap, low risk, good for bluffing
Infantry (Value 3-5): Solid backbone troops
Cavalry (Value 6-8): Strong units, costly to deploy
Siege Weapons (Value 9-10): Powerful but expensive and obvious
Special Cards: Ambush, False Intelligence, Reinforcements (rare, various effects)
Each player selects 1-3 cards from their hand to play face-down
Players announce what they're deploying (can lie!)
Example: "I'm deploying cavalry and infantry" (might be true, might be all scouts)
Players commit resources equal to what they claim to deploy
Minimum 1 resource per card
If bluffing, you can underpay (risky!) or overpay (sells the bluff!)
Before revealing, either player can attempt to read their opponent:
Perception Check vs opponent's Deception DC
Success: You get a hint about their deployment (GM gives vague info: "They seem confident" or "You sense hesitation")
Critical Success: You learn one specific card type they played
Failure: No information
Critical Failure: You misread them and they know it
After reading attempts, either player can fold and forfeit the round, losing only their committed resources.
Both players flip their cards simultaneously
Calculate total army value
If someone under-resourced their deployment: Caught bluffing! Automatic loss of round + lose double the resources they should have spent
Highest total value wins the round
Winner takes all resources wagered that round
Both players draw back up to 7 cards (or as many as remain in deck)
Successful Bluff:
Play low-value cards (scouts) while claiming high-value deployment
Opponent folds before reveal → You win without showing cards
Opponent calls and you still win somehow → Extra psychological damage
Failed Bluff:
Opponent calls your bluff and you lose → Lose double resources
You fold when you actually had the winning hand → Wasted opportunity
Deception Check: When making bold claims about deployment, GM may call for Deception check:
DC 15: Basic bluff (claiming one tier higher than reality)
DC 20: Major bluff (scouts as cavalry)
DC 25: Outrageous bluff (empty deployment as full siege)
Opponent's Perception check opposes your Deception.
Players can make Games Lore checks to:
Recall historical strategies (DC 15): Gain +1 to next Deception or Perception check
Read the meta-game (DC 18): Predict likely deployment based on resources spent
Calculate odds (DC 20): Know the probability of certain cards remaining in deck