See the linked section for full details on additional resources available for the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game.

No

When you play a boon that has multiple powers, choose only one of them, even if playing the boon doesn't take it out of your hand. This rule applies even if you are allowed to play the boon freely.

These can be identified by a P in front of its level. When upgrading the vault. you may add up to one of each promo card when you add other cards of its level.

Some cards have the Owner trait, followed by the name of a character. If your character is the Owner of a card, you - and only you - may treat it as if it is level 0.

Refer to the linked Rules: Feats section for full details.

Anyone

Any character in the party may take it; when rebuilding (see the Rebuilding section for more details), that character's deck must still conform to their deck list, but they may keep the Loot card although its level is higher than the most recently played scenario's #.

Put it in the vault

If no character takes the Loot card, put it in the vault.

During a scenario, you can spend 1 hero point to reroll the dice on your check (see the Roll the Dice section for more details). After a scenario, you can spend all of your hero points (minimum 1) to return from death (see the After the Scenario section for more details). You can only spend a hero point to gain a feat when it is awarded to you.

Immediately

When you are awarded a hero point. you can immediately spend it to gain a feat (see the Feats section for more details). If you don't spend it to gain a feat, draw a hero point marker and keep it with your character until you spend it; when you spend it, return it to the box. You can only spend a hero point to gain a feat when it is awarded to you.

No

When a power or effect refers to 'any number' of something, that number must be at least 1.

Some cards require you to shuffle a proxy for your character into a location. Use any proxy card that isn't being used in the scenario, and set your pawn on its side. While your proxy is in a location, you may explore, encounter cards, and play cards, but you can never move, and you must evade any banes you encounter. When the proxy is examined, encountered, or would be removed from the game, return it to the vault and set your pawn upright.

See the linked Rules: Bless section for full details.

Yes

If you are instructed to attempt a check, you must do so, although you may choose to fail; if you do, your result is 0.

See the linked Rules: Active and Optional Powers for full details.

When a power heals you, shuffle the specified number (and, if specified, type) of random cards from your discards into your deck. If you're discarding a card to heal yourself, exclude that card from the cards you are healing.

No

When the same characters or cohorts appear in different sets, they are represented with different cards having different abilities and powers. To distinguish between them, we add the name of the set the card came from to the card name. For example, "Core Set Ezren" is a different card than "Rise of the Runelords Ezren," so you may not exchange roles between them.

You may choose to move to your current location only if there are no other locations you can move to. Some effects can also move you to your current location. When this happens, do not apply any effects that happen when you move.

The symbol # is shorthand for the number of the adventure you're currently playing. For example, if a card's check to defeat is listed as "10+#" and you're playing a scenario in adventure 1, the check to defeat is 11 (10+1); if you're playing in adventure 2, it's 12 (10+2). If it's listed as "10+##" and you're playing a scenario in adventure 1, that's also 12 (10+1+1).

No

Don't confuse traits with card names: "a Giant monster" is a monster that has the Giant trait, not necessarily any monster that has the word "Giant" in its name.

No

See the linked Rules: The Golden Rules section for full details.

No

Yes

See the linked sections for several concepts to keep in mind while playing.

Yes

See the sections linked here for suggestions on starting decks for all the characters.

The front of your character lists a hand size; draw that number of cards from your deck. The back of your character lists your favored card; if it gives you a choice, choose 1 for the scenario before drawing. If you didn’t draw at least matching card, set aside your hand and draw again, repeating as needed until your and contains at least 1 favored card. If you set aside enough cards that you can’t draw up to your full hand size, draw all the remaining cards, then shuffle the set-aside cards into your deck and draw the rest of your hand. Once you have a full hand that includes your favored card, shuffle the set-aside cards back into your deck.

Yes

Yes

Characters may trade cards from their decks with each other. After trading, each character’s deck must still conform to their deck list.

See the example in the linked Play Area Example section.

See the series of linked sections for the full details on how to set up a game.

Yes

To use older cards with this set, or to use these rules with older sets, apart from keeping game term changes in mind, there are just a few things that need special consideration. See the linked Compatibility with Older Sets section for a full list.

Yes

See the linked Rules Changes section for a full list of rules that have changed.

We simplified some game terms without changing their meaning. The adventure deck number of a scenario is called #, while the adventure deck number of a card is its level. The box is now the vault. “Before you act” is now before acting (the same is true for “after” and “while” acting). “Discard piles” are just discards, and “reset your hand” is simply reset. A character’s Card List is now their deck list. “Summon and build a location” is add a new location. “Location decks” are just locations, and the “blessings deck” is the hourglass, so deck now refers only to character decks. “Permanently closing” is just closing.

We gave simple names to some existing concepts. Blessing a check adds a die to it. You suffer damage, and healing shuffles random cards from your discards into your deck. Local refers to things at your location, and distant to things at other locations. Playing a card by putting it on top of your deck is called reloading. You bury cards in your bury pile.

See the linked section for full details of the new game features.

Yes

See the linked sections for an example of game play through several turns.

See the linked Make Your Own Cards! section for full details.

If you want to play at conventions or game store events, or you just want more scenarios to play at home, check out the Pathfinder Adventure Card Society organized play program. To join in the fun, visit paizo.com/pathfindersociety/acg and get started by downloading the Pathfinder Adventure Card Society Guide. Then find an Adventure Card Society event at paizo.com/organizedplay/events, or run your own!

paizo.com/pacg

Visit paizo.com/pacg, where you’ll find FAQs, rules updates, character sheets, links to videos of people playing the game, the latest Pathfinder Adventure Card Game news, and more. You’ll also find the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game forums where you can interact with other players and the people who made the game.

See the linked Card Types: Boons section for full details.

See the linked Card Types: Banes section for full details.

See the linked Card Types: Proxies for full details.

Each Adventure Path includes 1 or more of these cards, providing a categorized list of story banes for that Adventure Path. When an effect requires a random story bane from one of these categories, randomly choose it from the appropriate story bane roster. When an effect requires a random story bane and no category is specified, randomly choose a category first. If you randomly choose a story bane that is not available, randomly choose another. The story bane roster for The Dragon’s Demand is on the back of the wildcard The Onslaughts.

These cards have powers that increase the challenge of the game. See the Add Wildcards section for more details.

These cards have lasting negative effects. When a card tells you to suffer a scourge, if that scourge isn’t already displayed, draw it from the vault and display it, then choose a marker design that isn’t already in use and mark it. Then place a corresponding marker next to your character. While so marked by a scourge, that scourge’s powers apply to you. If you suffer a scourge that you already have a marker for, the scourge has no additional effect; do not add another marker. If you encounter a scourge in a location, immediately suffer it; the encounter is over. Some effects cause a scourge to mark a location. If you’re at a location when it is marked, or if you end your turn at a marked location, suffer the corresponding scourge. Powers that remove scourges remove them only from characters, not locations, unless they specifically say otherwise. When a power removes a scourge, remove the marker from the character or the location as appropriate, and if no characters or locations currently suffer the scourge, you may return it to the box.

These support cards are companions that some characters get at the start of a scenario. (The Core Set does not include any characters that use cohorts; they can be found in certain class decks and Adventure Paths.) If the back of your character lists a cohort at the bottom of your deck list, after you draw your starting hand, add your cohort to it. If you encounter a cohort in a location, you automatically acquire it. If you would banish a cohort from a location, you may encounter it instead. Otherwise, if you would banish a cohort, remove it from the game instead; it may not be used in future scenarios, even if it’s listed on your character.

No

See the linked Card Types: Locations section for full details.

If your role is banished, you regain it at the start of the next scenario.

See the linked Card Types: Roles section for full details.

See the linked Card Types: Characters section for full details.

Characters, Roles, Locations, Support Cards, Proxies, Banes, and Boons.

If you decrease the challenge below Normal by using smaller locations, fewer locations, a larger hourglass, or a lower #, that’s Easy mode. There’s no special reward for that.

Increase the challenge over Normal in four ways outlined above, typically by adding 3 wildcards and increasing both # for banes and the vault’s bane level by 1.

Increase the challenge over Normal in two ways described above, typically by adding 2 wildcards.

Yes

To add wildcards, place 1 or more wildcards on the table and apply any number of powers from them. Mark the chosen powers with a marker. Each one you add increases the challenge by a small amount—requiring perhaps a few extra explorations, inflicting the loss of a few cards either directly or through expenditure. You may choose wildcards that you particularly enjoy, but consider adding random wildcards for additional challenge.

Yes

For a harder game, when you build the vault, include banes 1 level higher than #; this introduces more difficult barriers and monsters sooner. When you do this, also treat # as 1 higher for banes; this increases the difficulty to defeat Veteran banes. For an easier game, you can treat # as 1 lower for banes, but you should still build the vault with banes that have levels up to #.

Yes

This directly impacts how many turns you have. Normal mode has 30 blessings in the hourglass. Using fewer blessings makes for a faster game that is also more difficult. Using more makes the game easier, and may also increase the time required.

Yes

Normal mode uses all of the locations listed by the scenario for the number of characters you have. To make the game easier, decrease the number of locations by 1; to make it harder, increase it by 1. This will generally change the number of explorations needed to finish the game by about 4 (for small locations) to about 7 (for large locations). Be careful reducing the number of locations in scenarios that use villains, as doing so may make it too easy to corner the villain. Also, some scenarios depend on certain locations being present, so be careful to avoid breaking the game.

Yes

Normal mode uses medium-sized locations (typically 9 cards plus any story banes). To make the game easier, use small locations (typically 3 fewer cards); to make it harder, use large locations (typically 3 more cards). This will generally change the number of explorations needed to finish the game by about 2 per location.

If you can’t construct a valid deck from the cards your group has available because you don’t have enough of certain cards, choose the extra cards you need from the vault, with a maximum level of the most recently played scenario’s # minus 2 (minimum 0). If you have cards left over after rebuilding all of the surviving characters’ decks, put them back in the vault.

Yes

If you want to start a new character, you may, but it’s important that you do not keep decks built for characters you’re not actively playing — doing so would use up cards that you should be encountering during play. If you switch characters for some reason, it’s best to write down the cards in the previous character’s deck (or use the free character sheets posted online at paizo.com/pacg) and return the cards to the vault until you want to play that character again.

See the linked Rebuilding section for full details.

Not typically

You may instead replay a scenario you have already completed, but you may not earn the reward from a given scenario, adventure, or Adventure Path more than once unless the reward specifically says otherwise.

See the Ending a Scenario, Adventure, or Adventure Path section for full details.

If the party corners the villain, or closes all of the locations, or achieves a condition for winning listed on the scenario, they win.

If at any point you need to advance the hourglass but there are no cards remaining in it, immediately end the current turn; the scenario ends and your party of adventurers loses. You also lose if all of the characters are dead at the same time (see the Dying section for more details). You do not earn the reward on the scenario, and you didn’t complete that scenario. You must replay it and complete it successfully before you can attempt the next scenario.

See the Closing a Location section for full details.

If it’s not already built, retrieve the location from the vault and build the location as usual; do not add villains or henchmen unless instructed to do so. The location and its deck become part of the location list for the rest of the scenario.

You may be instructed to add a new card to the top or the bottom of a deck or other stack of cards. Otherwise, any cards added to a stack are shuffled into it.

Immediately draw the card from the vault and play it, using any power on it that can be used in the current circumstance, then banish it. If no power on it can be used in the current circumstance, banish it.

The To Close or To Guard section on some locations requires you to do this. Summon and encounter the card; if you do not acquire or defeat it, the location is not closed.

Summon the card and encounter it. This starts a new encounter. If you’re already in an encounter, complete the encounter with the summoned card before continuing the original encounter. If you’re told to summon and encounter the danger, summon the danger listed by the scenario and encounter it; if the scenario lists more than one danger, randomly choose one of them. If you’re told to summon and encounter a boon, and you acquire it, draw it. Otherwise, after evading a summoned card or resolving the encounter with it, always put it back in the vault unless the card that caused you to summon it instructs you otherwise. If an effect causes multiple characters to summon and encounter cards, resolve the encounters sequentially in any order you like, including banishing the card at the end of the encounter. If the summoned card is a villain, defeating it does not allow you to win the scenario. Summoned cards are not part of any location.

See the Summoned and New Cards - Overview section for full details.

Do the following whenever you are instructed to reset. First, apply any effects that happen when you reset. You may play cards or use powers only if they say they may be used when you reset. Next, you may discard any number of cards. Then, if you have more cards in your hand than your hand size specifies, you must discard until the number of cards in your hand matches your hand size. Finally, if you have fewer cards than your hand size, you must draw cards until the number of cards in your hand matches your hand size. If you don’t have enough cards left in your deck, your character dies (see the Dying section for more details).

Cards that have the Trigger trait have powers that happen when you examine that card. When a card has the Trigger trait, it’s highlighted in red and listed first so you can easily spot it. If you are examining multiple cards and a triggered power interrupts your examinations, set the remaining cards aside and examine them after you deal with the triggered power. While set aside, the cards still count as being in the location.

Sometimes a power allows you to examine one or more cards in a stack—that means looking at the specified card then putting it back where it came from. (Examining is not exploring, though it may happen during an exploration.) If you are examining a location, when determining which cards you are examining, consider only facedown cards. If a power tells you to examine something until you find a particular card type, begin with the top card and stop when you find a card of the specified type. If you don’t find a card of that type, ignore any directions related to that card. Examine the cards in the order you find them, and put them back in the same order unless instructed otherwise. If anything would cause you to shuffle the stack you are examining, shuffle only after you put back any examined cards that do not leave the stack.

Yes

Sometimes a power allows you to search a stack of cards and choose any card of a particular type; that means you may look at every card in that stack and choose any card of that type. Unless instructed otherwise, shuffle the stack afterwards.

Yes

If your character dies, start a new character for the next scenario. Choose a character (it can be the same character who just died, though you do not get any of the feats that character previously had) and build a new deck as described in the Build Your Deck section, choosing cards with a maximum level of the most recently played scenario’s # minus 2 (minimum 0).

If all of the characters are dead, the party loses the scenario (see the Ending a Scenario, Adventure, or Adventure Path section for more details).

Yes

Certain powerful cards allow characters to return from death during the scenario. Alternatively, at the end of the scenario, if you are dead, you may spend all of your hero points (minimum 1) to return from death; you are no longer dead, and receive rewards as if you had not died (see the After the Scenario section for more details). Otherwise, death is permanent. The other characters may use the dead character’s cards when they rebuild their decks after the scenario; any cards they don’t keep are then returned to the vault.

If, for any reason, you are ever required to remove one or more cards from your deck and you don’t have enough cards, your character dies. Bury your deck, hand, recovery pile, displayed cards, and discards; your turn immediately ends. You cannot take turns, play cards, move, attempt checks, do anything, or affect anything while you are dead; effects that refer to characters do not affect you unless they specifically refer to dead characters.

If, for any reason, you are ever required to remove one or more cards from your deck and you don’t have enough cards, your character dies. Bury your deck, hand, recovery pile, displayed cards, and discards; your turn immediately ends. You cannot take turns, play cards, move, attempt checks, do anything, or affect anything while you are dead; effects that refer to characters do not affect you unless they specifically refer to dead characters.

Determine the amount of damage to be applied, then choose that number of cards from your hand and discard them. If you don’t have enough cards in your hand, discard your entire hand.

When you suffer damage from a source such as a monster or a location, you and other characters may only do things that reduce or otherwise affect the specific damage type you’re suffering. (If a card says it reduces damage with no type listed, it reduces all types of damage.) For example, if you’re suffering Fire damage, you may play cards that reduce Fire damage or cards that reduce all damage, but you may not play cards that reduce only Combat or Electricity damage.

If you fail a check to defeat a monster, you suffer an amount of damage equal to the difference between the difficulty and the result. Unless the card specifies otherwise, this damage is Combat damage.

No

No

No matter how many penalties are applied to a roll of the dice, the result cannot be reduced below 0.

Subtract 4

If a card is resistant to any number of traits used, subtract 4.

Add 4

If a card is vulnerable to any number of traits that are used on the check, add 4.

No

No

No

No

Collectively, the party may play no more than one of each type of boon during a check, although powers that say they can be played freely do not count toward that limit.

See the linked Determine the Difficulty section for full details.

See the linked Determine Which Skill You're Using section for full details.

Yes

You may choose a skill that isn’t listed on your character; when you use such a skill, your die is a d4.

Attempting a check requires the several actions listed here: Determine Which Skill You're Using, Determine the Difficulty, Play Cards and Use Powers That Affect Your Check, Assemble Your Dice, Roll the Dice, Suffer Damage, If Necessary

Yes

You may choose to fail a check; if you do, your result is 0.

The location is not closed. Banish any cards in the location except any remaining villains and shuffle the deck; if all distant locations are guarded, banish the villain you encountered.

The location’s When Closed effect happens: First, apply any effects that say “before closing.” Then banish all of the cards from the location; it is now closed. Finally, apply any effects that say “on closing” and put the location card back into the vault. The location is no longer in play, and all characters that were at that location always immediately move. After the encounter, the exploring character may no longer explore.

No

Only one avenging attempt can be made for each bane.

Yes

Another local character may avenge your encounter with an undefeated bane by burying a card to encounter it. If the encounter is avenged, first apply effects that happen when the bane is undefeated, ignoring steps and effects that would cause the bane to go anywhere. Then, the avenging character begins a new encounter against the same bane. It works in a similar manner; for example, if defeating the bane would have allowed the first character to attempt to close the location, the avenging character would get that opportunity after defeating the bane. Only one avenging attempt can be made for each bane.

Shuffle the undefeated bane back into its location.

Banish it

You banish it.

These powers happen after attempting all checks when encountering a card, and before resolving the encounter.

No

You may not use such a power against any card that does not have a check to acquire or defeat, or against any card that has a check you’re not allowed to succeed at.

These powers can be used after guarding distant locations from the villain and before attempting the check on the encountered card.

Yes

Each character at a distant location from the villain may immediately attempt to fulfill the To Guard requirement for their location; the villain’s location cannot be guarded. You may decide the order in which these attempts are made. If anything causes a character to move to another distant location before their attempt is made, they may attempt to guard only their new location. If any character succeeds, their location is guarded and the villain cannot escape there this encounter (see the Determine Whether the Villain Escapes section for more details). Guarding a location only prevents the villain from escaping there during this encounter; when the encounter ends, the location is no longer guarded.

If you evade the card, do not activate any other powers on it; the encounter is over. If it is a boon, you did not acquire it; if it is a bane, it is neither defeated nor undefeated. If it came from a location or another stack of cards, shuffle it back in; if it came from the vault, return it to the vault.

Powers that relate to evading the card you’re encountering take effect immediately after applying the effects from encountering a card. You may also use powers or cards that let you evade the card you’re encountering.

Check the Encountering a Card - Overview section linked here. In brief, you start the encounter by reading the card, then go through all of the following steps that apply in order: Apply Any Effects That Happen When You Encounter a Card, Apply Any Evasion Effects, Villain Step: Attempt to Guard Distant Locations, Apply Any Effects That Happen Before Acting, Attempt the Check, Attempt the Next Check, If Needed, Apply Any Effects That Happen After Acting, Resolve the Encounter, Avenge the Encounter, Villain Step: If You Defeated a Villain, Close the Villain's Location, Villain Step: Determine Whether the Villain Escapes, Villain Step: If the Villain Has Nowhere to Escape to, You Win!

Your cards include the cards in your hand as well as your displayed cards, discards, bury pile, recovery pile, and deck.

When instructed

Don’t shuffle any stack of cards unless you’re instructed to.

You can look through your displayed cards, your discards, your bury pile, and your recovery pile at any time. You may not look through your deck unless a card specifically allows it.

No

When a card leaves your hand, that action can activate only one power. For example, if you have a character power that says “discard a card to bless your check” and another power that says “discard a card to add the Fire trait to your check,” you can’t discard one card to activate both powers. Similarly, if you have a character power that says “discard a weapon to add a die to your check,” and a card in your hand that says “discard a weapon and this card to add a die to your check,” you can’t discard one weapon to satisfy both requirements.

No

You may not use a power that doesn’t apply to your current situation. For example, you may not play a card to reduce damage when damage isn’t being suffered, and you may not play a card to evade a monster when you are not encountering a monster.

If a power says that using it counts as playing a boon, it counts as playing a card that has traits matching the skills the character is using as well as any traits that power adds.

If you are instructed to play, reveal, display, reload, discard, recharge, bury, banish, or otherwise manipulate a card, that card must come from your hand unless you are activating a power on a displayed card, in which case you activate it with the displayed card instead.

Yes

Cards often have instructions that you need to follow after you play the card; follow these instructions even if the card is no longer in your hand (even if the card is out of your sight, such as in the vault or in your deck).

No

While set aside, a card does not count as being in your hand, your discards, your deck, or anywhere else.

Set it aside

Sometimes you don’t know what action to take and must leave a card set aside until you do. For example, an armor you’re burying might allow you to succeed at a check to recharge it instead; set it aside until you know whether you succeed at the check.

Yes

When you display a card, it leaves your hand immediately.

No

When you reveal a card, it doesn’t leave your hand.

No

You must do everything the power says when possible.

Anyone can play a card whenever the card allows it.

First, apply any effects that happen at the end of the turn. While you do this, if a power directed you to end your turn, you may not play cards and use powers. Then, if you have any cards in a recovery pile, do whatever they say to do during recovery. While you do this, you may play cards or use powers only if they affect things that happen during recovery. (It’s possible to play cards during recovery that go into the recovery pile themselves.) After you’ve dealt with them all, banish any that remain. Finally, reset your hand (see the Resetting section for more details). When you’re done, the turn passes to the player on your left.

If your character is at a location that has no cards remaining, you may make one attempt to close it at this time (see the Closing Your Location section for more details).

You may explore your location once each turn without playing a card that allows you to explore; this must be your first exploration of your turn. You may never explore outside of your explore step. When you explore, first apply any effects that happen when you explore, then flip over the top card of your current location and encounter it. If it’s a boon, attempt to acquire it; if it’s a bane, attempt to defeat it (see the Encountering a Card section for more details). Many effects allow you to explore again on your turn; each exploration is a separate step. There is no limit to the number of times you can explore. However, during a single exploration, no matter how many different effects allow you to explore again, treat them as granting 1 additional exploration, not a series of additional explorations. For example, Ezren is at the Academy, which says “On your first exploration of your turn, if you encounter anything other than a spell, after the exploration you may explore.” On his first exploration of his turn, he encounters and defeats the barrier Pit Trap, which says “If defeated, you may explore.” He gains only 1 additional exploration, not 2. If something grants you an additional exploration, after you finish what you are doing, you must immediately use that exploration or forfeit it.

Yes

You may give 1 card from your hand to another local character. (Characters typically cannot give you cards on your turn.)

You always begin your turn by discarding the top card of the hourglass faceup into the hourglass discards. The top card of this pile is the hour. If it lists an effect that happens when it is the hour, that effect happens now. (Other powers listed on the hour do not happen at this time, and you do not attempt to acquire the hour.) If you have to remove one or more cards from the hourglass for any reason and there aren’t enough cards to do so, the party loses the scenario (see the Ending a Scenario, Adventure, or Adventure Path section for more details). After advancing the hour, apply any other effects that happen at the start of a turn.

Take your turn by going through the following steps in order: Advance the Hour, Give a Card, Move, Explore, Close Your Location, and End Your Turn. You can play cards and use powers without limit in between these steps, as long as they don’t say they can only be played at certain times. You cannot play cards or use powers between turns.

The level is the number on the top-right corner of the card.

The adventure number

The symbol # is shorthand for the number of the adventure you're currently playing. For example, if a card's check to defeat is listed as "10+#" and you're playing a scenario in adventure 1, the check to defeat is 11 (10+1); if you're playing in adventure 2, it's 12 (10+2). If it's listed as "10+##" and you're playing a scenario in adventure 1, that's also 12 (10+1+1).

Traits are listed in the lower right corner of the card, and many effects refer to a card's trait to make checks and battles easier or harder. See the linked Traits section for more details.

Generally speaking, the storybook overrides a card's rule, and a card overrides the general rules. See the linked Golden Rules section for more information.

Yes

See the linked Strategy sections for several helpful recommendations.

Check the Card Basics section for a diagram of the card and the various parts of a typical card.