Most cards you encounter require you to attempt a check to acquire or defeat. See the Attempting a Check section for more details.

Each boon has a section called Check to Acquire. This section indicates the skills that can be used in checks to acquire the boon and the difficulty of those checks.

Each bane has a section called Check to Defeat. This section indicates the skills that can be used in checks against the bane and the difficulty of those checks. If you fail a check to defeat a monster, you suffer damage (see the Suffer Damage, If Necessary section for more details).

If a card’s check says “None” or “See Below,” the card’s powers will tell you what to do. If the check is listed as “None” and the power does not state the requirements to acquire or defeat, the card cannot be acquired or defeated.

If a power allows you to automatically defeat or acquire a card, you may use it instead of attempting the check. Doing so counts as succeeding at all checks and requirements to defeat or acquire the card. 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.

After you attempt the check, deal with any effects that were caused by the check. For example, if you failed a check to defeat a monster, suffer damage. If any cards played while attempting a check included their own checks, resolve the current check in this step and the new checks in subsequent steps.