ARTIFACT: CORE RULES
INTRODUCTION
Original Victorian Themed version of the WarpQuest Gaming System.
Each player controls a party of adventuring archeologists and treasure hunters
trying to be the first to get some, relic, artifact, or treasure and bring it back.
DICE & PIECES
Six and ten sided dice are needed.
Each player has a pawn to represent their adventuring party on the board.
Use a small trinket to represent the ‘Artifact’. There is only one Artifact.
THE BOARD
The board is a single winding path of connected spaces with a start space and an
end space. The path should be 30 spaces long.
The First space represents the safety of European Victorian Civilization.
Spaces 2-15 represents travel through the first scenario module.
Spaces 16-29 represents travel through the second scenario module.
The End space is the final destination where the Artifact is found.
THE DECKS
There are 2 decks for each scenario:
The Module 1 Deck and the Module 2 Deck
Each deck has one of each card in its card list.
The Scenario Module Card lists are posted on other pages on this website.
THE PARTY
Each party consists of 6 members: 1 Leader, 3 companions, and 2 lesser companions.
Companions may actually represent a group of individuals.
The Leader has 5 skills. Companions have 3 skills each. Lesser companions have 1 skill.
Party members roll ten sided dice to determine skills:
SKILL TABLE
1D10 Skill: Notes:
1 Combat +1 Unarmed, Guns, Blades, Tactics
2 Strength +1 Muscle, Will, Courage
3 Agility +1 Reflexes, Swiftness
4 Sailing +1 Swimming, Diving, Boating, Navigation, Boat Building
5 Survival +1 Hunting, Hiking, Outdoor skills, Mountaineering, Guide
6 Mechanics +1 Repairs, Construction, Physics, Engineering
7 Linguistics +1 Languages, Archeology, History, Cartography
8 Personality +1 Leadership, Charisma, Wit, Charm, Diplomacy
9 Science +1 Naturalist, Medicine, Geology, Chemistry, Psychology
10 Pick any one skill
PREMADE PARTY MEMBER CARDS
Download Sample Cards here, by Markus Salo (msalo71@yahoo.com)
Check these out, they're really cool!
OPTIONAL MULTIPLAYER BIDDING RULES (By Markus Salo)
Every player creates the leader (player) as stated in the rules.
Create 30 companion and servant cards with randomly premade skills.
The players can look all the cards and draft the companions and servants.
Every player has 30 bidding points they can use. The highest bidder gets the card.
This way building of the group becames more exiting and less random.
TURN SEQUENCE
Players take turns.
Each turn consists of 3 phases:
1. Move Phase
2. Draw Phase
3. Challenge Phase
MOVE PHASE
Roll 1D6:
Move that number of spaces towards the end space.
(Or look at that many cards on the Top of the Module Deck (Observation Option))
You automatically stop when you enter the end space.
If you are the first to land on the end space your party acquires the Artifact.
Once a party has the Artifact then all other players may
move their parties in either direction on the path.
The party with the Artifact must move towards the start space.
The first party with the Artifact to reach the start space wins the game.
DRAW PHASE
If you land on an empty space in spaces 2-15 draw a card from the Module 1 deck.
If you land on an empty space in spaces 16-29 draw a card from the Module 2 deck.
If you land on an opponents party do not draw a card.
If a deck ever runs out, shuffle its discard and draw from it.
Cards are of 2 types: Challenge cards & Aid cards.
Place Aid cards in your hand.
Challenge cards are encounters your party faces immediately in Challenge Phase.
CHALLENGE PHASE
Each challenge card lists one or more skills.
Your party will have to make a skill check vs each skill listed.
(The same skill may be listed twice or more, requiring that many skill checks)
A Skill check consists of a Skill roll and Challenge Roll:
Roll 1D10. This is the Skill roll.
Add the skill bonuses of your party members to the roll.
You may discard Aid cards for further bonuses to the skill roll.
Next roll 1D10. This is the Challenge roll.
Some Challenges have a DM (Difficulty Modifier). Add the DM to the Challenge Roll.
If the challenge roll is less than or equal to the skill roll you win the Skill check.
If the challenge roll is greater than the skill roll you fail the Challenge.
If the win all the Skill Checks, you win the Challenge.
The adventure card may say what happens if you win or lose the Challenge.
If the card does not give directions, then:
If you lose the challenge: Roll 1D6:
1-4 Go back 1D6 spaces
5-6 Lose 1 Party Member
If you Win the challenge: Roll 1D6:
1-4 Gain 1 Experience Token
5 Draw 1 card from the Aid Deck
6 One Random Party member gains +1 skill level in the skill just tested.
You may spend an Experience Token to let you reroll a Move Roll or a Skill Roll.
MOVING ONTO AN OPPONENTS PARTY
If you land on an opponent’s party there will be a fight.
The current player rolls 1D10 on the skill list table.
Both players make skill rolls for the indicated skill.
The higher modifed roll wins.
In case of a tie nothing happens.
The loser must go back 1D6 spaces.
The winner takes the Artifact from the loser if the loser was in
possession of the Artifact.
SAMPLE ADVENTURING PARTY
---Leader: Dr Ozgood, English Scientist, boxer, and adventurer
Skills: Fighting, Strength, Personality, Science X 2
---Companion: Mustafa, Australian Guide and smuggler
Skills: Combat, Survival, Strength
---Lesser Companion: Lady Destine, the love interest. Skills: Personality
---Companion: Theodore, Dr Ozgood's cousin
Skills: Linguistics, Agility, Personality
---Companion: New Zealand Maori Warriors
Skills: Sailing, Combat, Strength
---Lesser Companion: Bruno, the sheepdog. Skills: Agility
AID DECK
Before adventuring the party draws 5 cards from the Aid deck.
AID DECK CARD LIST
Card Name: Notes:
Dynamite Aid: Mechanics +2 or Combat +2
Shovel Aid: Mechanics +2 or Combat +2
Tool Box Aid: Mechanics +2 or Strength +2
Pistol Aid: Combat +3
Sword Aid: Combat +3
Rifle Aid: Combat +3
Axe Aid: Combat +1 or Survival +1 or Mechanics +1
Machete Aid: Combat +2 or Survival +2
Sextant Aid: Sailing +3
Small Boat Aid: Sailing +2 or Move extra 1D6
Maps Aid: Survival +2 or Move extra 1D6
Ancient Texts Aid: Linguistics +3
Translator Aid: Linguistics +3
Doctors Bag Aid: Science +3
Chemistry Kit Aid: Science +3
Lariat Aid: Survival +2 or Agility +2
Porters Aid: Strength +2 or Move extra 1D6
Guide Aid: Survival +2 or Move extra 1D6
Rope & Grappling Hook Aid: Survival +2 or Agility +2
Find Companion Aid: Gain 1 random Companion
Spirit of Adventure Aid: Personality +3
Inspired Oration Aid: Personality +3
ARTIFACT SUPPORT PAGE!
A support page for Artifact is available here
(scenarios & rules in italian, board & player sheet in english)
MODULES
The Depths of the Earth
Mummys Tomb
Lost Continent of Atlantis
The Shadow of a Dark God by Zak