Rise of the Rune Lords
I think this game is brilliant I have played it several times now and even replayed a couple of the scenarios both for the benefit of new players and because we messed up the first time trough.
Its a totally cooperative game where you get to play the iconic characters form the pathfinder universe and take them through a selection of increasingly difficult adventures as you discover and attempt to thwart the Runelords of the title. as you do so you character if it survives grows in abilities and becomes better equipped.
The game can be played by any thing from one to six players and is basically a complex card game each adventure involves meeting a set of win conditions which vary from adventure to adventure but the play remains similar. Your hero's must visit and explore a number of locations represented by a small pack of cards made up of various things such as monsters allies useful stuff traps and the like. the number and type of these locations depends on the number of characters in the game & the scenario involved. Some are largely benign and some decidedly lethal but most so far are a bit of both.
Each character is represented by a small deck of 15 cards from which they draw a hand size with varies from character to character with various simple but elegant mechanics this slim deck is made to do a great deal first it represents the characters life once that's gone they are dead. it also represents the characters equipment and abilities with the hand representing those which are readied. These cards may be used in a number of ways depending on the card and the character using them sometimes use retains them in the players hand sometimes they are placed to the bottom of his as yet unplayed deck sometimes into his own discard pile and other times banished back into the box.
All in all very subtle very replayable & the nearest thing I have got to a good roleplaying session without roleplaying. I was so impressed after playing a couple of games of it using some one else's copy I ordered my own dispute it being out of stock the day it arrived.
Ginger
