Racciman's World: Viashi Cards

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The Viashi Card Deck

About the Deck

I have created a homemade deck of cards with which to play test these games. I am working on a fancier deck which, when the Racciman's World books become published and popular, I will have commercially printed for sale. In the meantime, you can find that artwork I have already created for the deck, on my Viashi Art page.

A Viashi deck is a deck of 54 cards, five regular suits of nine cards each and a special suit of nine god cards. The regular suits are: Winds (white), Flames (red), Stones (purple), Waves (blue), and Leaves (green). The ranks of those suits from most powerful to least powerful are: Queen, King, Prince, Princess, Warrior, Merchant, Worker, Scholar/Magician, Fool. Each individual card also has a name, (the Queen of Winds is "the Priestess" and the Worker of Flames is "the Minstrel"). The god cards are always referred to by name and do not follow the ranks of the regular suits, (the Thief is NOT the Princess of Gods, and the Minion is NOT the Worker of Gods,) however they do have an order, and in game play are often used as if they belonged to the equivalent rank.

Elvish decks do not usually have suits or rank symbols marked on them (although they do usually use border styles and colors to indicate suits), and have elaborate hand-painted portraits for each card. The card names are used or omitted as decreed by the whimsy and artistic taste of the painter. Human decks have symbols for both rank and suit, and frequently use black and white stamped symbol icons rather than elaborate paintings, card names are always used in expensive human sets, and rarely used in cheap ones.

The elves always have the queen as the highest rank, whereas most humans assume that the king is the highest rank (this does not change the order of the god cards, where the Lady is always higher than the Dark Lord). "Learner" cards are frequently numbered to indicate ranking, especially among humans, however these numbers are backwards to our world playing cards, the highest rank is "1" and the lowest is "9".

The "8" rank is sometimes magician, and sometimes scholar, with different card names depending on which is used. The same rank symbol is used for both, and the change has no effect on game play.

Viashi

Viashi is an ancient and popular elvish card-game, and the one these cards were designed for.
This game has been play tested, but the players I find would usually rather play Loot or Crusade which are more casual and lighthearted in tone.

Viashi is a three person game, although a six-person two-deck variant known as Viashilym (Double-Viashi) is also popular.

The Draw Phase:

The cards are shuffled and placed in a pile in the middle of the table. Each player in turn (moving counterclockwise around the table) picks up two cards, and places one face up in front of them, and one face down. This continues until all cards are drawn. The face up cards are typically arranged in suits, and by rank, these are referred to as "table" cards.

Next the face down cards are picked up (and ordered or not as the player decides). These cards will be referred to as the players "hand", although the elves call them "secret" cards. The last person to draw is the first person to play, and becomes the leader for the first capture (or trick).

The rest of the game plays as follows:

The leader chooses to play a card into the middle of the table, from his hand, or from his table cards. The remaining two players, in order (counterclockwise), must choose a card from their hands, if the leader played from his hand, or from their table cards if the leader played from his table cards. They must play the same suit as the leader played if they have that suit, or if a god card is lead they must also play a god card if they have one. The highest card of the lead suit captures the other two cards, unless a god card has been played, in which case the top-ranking god card makes the capture, or, if no god card is played, but if the queen and the fool of the lead suit are in play, the fool makes the capture, not the queen. Likewise, the Changeling can capture the Lady. Both captured and capturing cards are owned by the capturing player, but are removed from play, and collected for later scoring.

The player who makes the capture becomes the new leader, and can choose to play from either his hand or his table cards. This is repeated until all the hand and table cards have been played.

Scoring:

Each card captured is worth one point. (This works out to two points per three card trick for a total of 36 points between the players.) The person who take the most captives scores an extra three points, nine if he takes more captives than both his opponents added together. Every player scores one point for each magician/scholar that they own.

Elves usually play Viashi in "rounds" which in typical card playing parlance would be nine hands worth of the above rules, with each player drawing first three times, and a running score kept. Viashi tournaments are also frequently handicapped by requiring that winning players use a random distribution between hand and table for the first one to three draws in following hands (one if they won the last hand, two if they won the last two hands, and three if they won the last three or more hands).

Viashi Variants

Vashy

The humans tend to play a slightly simplified version of Viashi, where the turn play travels clockwise, the king is high, rather than the queen (and is taken by the fool instead), the scoring is by trick rather than by capture, a simple bonus of two for most tricks is used (for a total 20 points), the magician/scholar bonuses are not used, and either each hand is scored as a separate game, or for more serious gamers, the play is in "sets" of three hands each. Humans tend also not to protest when players look at their hand cards during the draw phase, which is a practice much despised among elves, and certainly not allowed in tournament play. Other rule variations have been associated with Vashy from time to time in various parts of Racciman's World, but those mentioned above are the most common ones. Feel free to make up your own variations.

Viashilym (Double-Viashi)

This variant has never play tested, as I've never had six players interested in trying it, nor have I yet printed up two decks.

When playing Viashi with six players and two decks, the players form three teams, each player being seated directly opposite his or her teammate.

When deciding which card to place on the table, and which to keep secret, a player may never play to the table any card that is already on the table, unless both of his drawn cards are already on the table, in which case he must prove this by revealing both, and then may place them as desired. When two identical cards are played as part of the same trick they cancel themselves out and become dead cards that cannot take captives themselves, although they can still be taken. If one of the dead cards was lead, and no other cards of that suit besides it's twin were played, nor any god cards, then no other card can make the capture either. All cards from that trick are removed from play, and not scored for that game.

Scoring is by team, five points per "trick", plus five for the most captives and ten for taking more than both opposing teams combined. Each team also scores one point for every set of twins (two copies of the same card) they own.

Loot (also called Plunder)

For 2-4 players.
This game has proved to be one of the two most popular games that have been invented for the Viashi deck, the other is Crusade. Loot is less intelligent and more silly than Crusade.

Shuffle the deck and deal nine cards to each player. The remaining cards are placed face down in the middle of the play area to form a draw pile. The top card of the draw pile is removed and placed face upwards to create a discard pile. Each player takes turns taking the top card of either the draw or the discard pile, and then discarding one card by placing it on the discard pile. Play continues until one of the players announces that they have fired the village. If you run out of cards in the draw pile, remove all but the top card of the discard pile, shuffle those cards, and place them face down to create a new draw pile.

After each player has played at least one turn, any player may announce that they have fired the village at any time.

The object of the game is to create the card combinations that will score the most points. Valid combinations are: runs -- a rank sequence at least four cards long (ie: prince, princess, warrior, merchant; or merchant, worker, magician, fool.), sets -- three or more of the same rank (including god cards in their equivalent rank position), and colors -- four or more cards of the same suit. A game ends when a player reaches either 100 points, or -100 points.

When the village is fired, all players must immediately reveal their hands to the other players, and determine how they wish it scored. Each card in a valid combination scores as two points, and each card not yet in a valid combination when the "village is fired" counts as negative it's rank number. (Un-combined princes count as minus three points, un-combined fools count as minus nine, and an uncombined Protectress would count as minus five. An uncombined Changeling counts as -18 -- see below.) Cards cannot be counted as part of more than one combination, unless a color combination of cards also contains a run within it, in which case the color and the run are scored as two separate combinations. If six continuously ranked cards in a run, are each of a different one of the six colors, you score an extra five points.

Any god card that was in hand at the firing of the village effects the scoring of the cards. Each god-card effect is applied to everyone's cards, regardless of whose hand the god card came from. The Lady - runs are worth double points. The Dark Lord -runs are worth half points. The Builder - colors can be only three cards, instead of four. The Thief - uncombined cards count as 0 instead of minus their rank. The Protectress - colors are worth double points The Seductress - colors are worth half points The Minion - sets are worth half points The Friend - sets are worth double points The Changeling - all fools (rank 9) are worth double points. (God cards count as equivalent rank, so the Changeling doubles itself.)

Treasure

For 2-4 players.
This game has never been play-tested as I have never had two other players crazy enough to attempt it available at the same time.

This is the original elvish game that humans corrupted to create Loot, a simpler game. This game enjoys a great deal of popularity in the human city of Niontes, where it is known as "Religion".

Treasure is played similar to Loot, with the following changes:

A player may pick up the entire discard pile instead of only the top card.

During a player's turn, if a player has three cards the same rank (a set) four cards with sequential ranks (a run) or four cards of the same suit (a color) they may place them on the table. A player may also remove cards from their hand, that can be combined with their tabled cards, and add them to those combinations. No card can belong to more than one combination except if a color also contains a run (see rules for Loot.) No player may lift cards from the table or rearrange placed cards to make more advantageous combinations.

Play ends when one player empties his hand of cards, either by placing them on the table, or by discarding their last card during the discard phase of their turn. At this point, cards on the table are worth 4 points each. Cards in the hand (whether they can be combined or not!) are worth negative their rank number, unless they are changing cards or god cards, in which case they are worth -9.

Scoring and rules are altered by god cards placed on the table. These effects go into play immediately upon the god card being tabled, as follows:

If the Lady is played in a set, all runs are worth double points.
If the Lady is played in a run, players may place cards on the table if they can be added to other player's runs (unless the Dark Lord has already been played as part of a run). These cards are now considered a part of the run, even though they are scored for the player that tabled them. (Ie. If a run is 4-7, and another player puts down an 8, then no other player may play an 8 on that run, though they may play a 9 or a 3.)
If the Lady is played in a color, wind cards (white) are worth double points.
If the Dark Lord is played in a set, all runs are worth half points.
If the Dark Lord is played in a run, any effects created by the Lady are canceled. If the Lady had been played in a run, then cards already on the table, remain as they are, but no new cards may be added to other people's runs.
If the Dark Lord is played in a color, wind cards (white) are worth half points.
If the Builder is played in a set, colors may be built of only three cards.
If the Builder is played in a set, as soon as the builder is placed on the table all players draw three additional cards and add them to their hands.
If the Builder is played in a color, sets may be build with only three cards.
If the Thief is played in a set, warriors (rank 5) may change color.
If the Thief is played in a run, rock cards (purple) may change rank.
If the Thief is played in a color, hand cards are worth 0.
If the Protectress is played in a set, leaf cards (green) are worth double.
If the Protectress is played in a run, colors are worth double points.
If the Protectress is played in a color, players may place cards on the table if they can be added to another player's color (unless the Seductress has already been played as part of a color).
If the Seductress is played in a set, leaf cards (green) are worth half points.
If the Seductress is played in a run, colors are worth half points.
If the Seductress is played in a color, she cancels the effect of the Protectress. If the Protectress had been played in a color, then cards already on the table, remain as they are, but no new cards may be added to other people's colors.
If the Minion is played in a set, he cancels the effect of the Friend. If the Friend had been played in a set, then cards already on the table, remain as they are, but no new cards may be added to other people's sets.
If the Minion is played in a run, flame cards (red) are worth half points.
If the Minion is played in a color, sets are worth half points.
If the Friend is played in a set, players may place cards on the table if they can be added to another player's set. (Unless the Minion has already been played as part of a set.)
If the Friend is played in a run, flame cards (red) are worth double points.
If the Friend is played in a color, sets are worth double points.
If the Changeling is played in a set, wave cards (blue) may change rank.
If the Changeling is played in a run, fools (rank 9) are worth double points. (God cards count as equivalent rank, so the Changeling doubles itself.)
If the Changeling is played in a color, queens (rank 1) may change their color.

If a color of god cards is played that also contains a run, the gods in that run effect the scoring twice, once for "played in a color" and once for "played in a run". When a god card cancels another, it cancels all effects of the named card.

More players can join in if another deck of cards is added. If the extra god cards are put into play, the following rules apply: No god card effect can be applied twice, even if two identical god cards are played in the same kind of combination. When a god card cancels another, it cancels all the effects of both copies of the named card, but a second identical canceling card will cancel the cancellation.
This variation couldn't be playtested even if I found that many crazy people, because I only have one deck printed up.

Crusade

This is a fairly basic trick taking game for 3-5 players.
This game was designed by my son Ben, and has proved to be one of the two most popular games that have been invented for the Viashi deck, the other is Loot. Loot is less intelligent and more silly than Crusade.

The cards are shuffled and dealt to all players. Extra cards are removed from play without being looked at.

Each player picks a card to use as the trump bid. This card cannot be a god card. The trump bids are played to the table face-down, and then when each player has played, they are turned over. The suit of the lowest numbered card becomes trump, unless that card is a Queen (1) card, and there is a Fool (9) card showing, in which case the Fool's suit becomes trump. If there is a tie, the player holding the god card that is the same number as the disputing cards may reveal that card and pick which of the two suits becomes trump. If the god card is not revealed the game is played without a trump suit.

The trump bids are set to one side, with the winning card on top.

Play starts with the player winning the trump bid and proceeds around the table. Players must follow suit if they can. The card with the lowest number takes the trick, unless that card is a Queen (1), and a Fool (9) was played. If a player cannot follow suit, they may "sluff" a card of some other suit which cannot take the trick, or they may play a trump. Cards of the trump suit will take the trick , unless a lower numbered trump was played, a Fool of trump was played on the Queen of trump, or the lead suit was god cards. God cards are immune to trump.

Mages Wild

For 2-5 players
This game is simlar to Crazy Eights, and is very popular with my younger children.

Nine Cards are dealt to each player. The remaining cards are placed face down in a draw pile. The top card of the draw pile is flipped over to form a discard pile. The player to the left of the dealer plays a card onto the discard pile. If none of his cards can be played he draws one card from the top of the draw pile instead. Play then moves to the next player.

Players must either match the rank or the suit of the top card on the discard pile, unless they play a mage, or a god card. God cards cannot be played on other god cards, but can be played on any other card. Mages can be played on any card.

Certain cards have special effects: After a mage (8) is played, the player who plays it can declare which suit it has become, that will be the suit that the next player must match (unless he plays another mage, or a god card). After a king (2) is played, the next player to play must pick up two cards before taking his regular turn. When a warrior (5) is played, the player who would normally play next loses his turn. When a fool (9) is played the order of play reverses.

When the last card of the draw pile is taken, the top card of the discard pile is taken to form a new discard pile, and the remainder of the cards are shuffled, and placed face down to form a new draw pile.

The first player to run out of cards wins. (Players may not conceal how many cards are remaining in their hands).

Politics

For 3-4 players.
In addition to the Viashi deck each player in this game needs a dozen counters identical from those of the other players, except differing in color, an opaque container (hearafter referred to as a cup, although cloth bags work equally well), and a ten sided die.
Not like any other card game, Politics features some rather twisty strategies, and being able to react quickly to changing circumstances. This is another one of my son Ben's inventions. It's a complicated game (well, it's politics!), and this is rev. 3.

Each player chooses a suit, and the cards of the remaining suits are removed from the deck. The rest of the cards are set aside out of play. The remaining Queens are shuffled, and one of them is drawn and placed on the table, the remaining queens are given to the players who have chosen those suits. Then the kings are shuffled, one is chosen randomly to be placed next to the queen already on the table, and the remaining kings are distributed to the players who chose their suits. Continue until one card of each rank is laid out in order on the table. Each player should be holding only cards of their chosen suit, and they should be holding all the cards of that suit except for any that happen to have been randomly chosen and placed on the table.

Roll the die to see who goes first.

Order of play is as follows:

  1. Placing Influence Markers
  2. Using Card Abilities
  3. "Revolts and Ruckuses" -Card Takeover and Switching attempts
  4. Scoring

The first player to reach 20 points in a three player game, or twelve points in a four player game wins.

Placing Influence Markers: Each player gets as many influence markers as they have cards in their hand. If they have insufficient markers in their pool, they get all the markers available, and lose the rest of their influence for that turn. Then starting with the first player and moving clockwise around the table, the players take turns placing these to the table. A player can play any number of influence markers on cards of their chosen suit, or they can put markers on any card not adjacent to one of their own cards. They can only place a number of markers equal to the distance from their nearest card (if there is one card between the card they are placing on, and their own card, they may place two markers, two cards between they can place three markers, etc.) Once all the players have place their markers (unused markers are returned to the pool, not saved up for subsequent turns).

Using Card Abilities: Starting with the first player and going around the table clockwise, each player has a chance to use the special abilities of the cards of their suit that are played to the table. Each ability can only be used once per turn except for the warriors (5s), and most of the abilities cost an influence marker. The influence markers must belong to the player using the ability, and must come from off the card being used.

Revolts and Rumpuses: Start at the lowest card (where the fool started) and work towards the highest card. Everyone with markers on each card can chose as many markers as they desire into the cup. One marker is drawn, and the player that owns that marker decides to take over that card (swap the current card with one of the same rank from that player's hand -- all markers still on the card are moved to the new card), to swap the card with either one of it's neighbors (markers stay on the card when it swaps), or to leave it where it is. The remaining markers in the cup are returned to their owner's pool.

Scoring : The first turn is a non-scoring round. Points are scored when two cards of the same suit lie next to eachother. The amount of points scored is equal to the difference between the two ranks. So a princess (4) and a warrior (5) sitting next to each other score 1, but a king (2) and a worker (7) score 5. A combination of a queen (1), merchant (6), and prince (3) in a row would score 8, five for the queen-merchant combination, and 3 for the merchant-prince.

At the end of the scoring phase the player to the left of the first player is designated the new "first player" and next round begins with everyone collecting their influence markers.

Two-Faced

A trick taking game for 2 players
Designed by my son Ben and myself.

Start by dealing out two piles of nine cards each, on to the left and one to the right of the dealer. Place the rest of the cards in the middle of the table. The dealer draws two cards--keeping one and discarding the other face down. His oppenent then draws two cards -- keeping one and discarding the other face down. They take turns doing this until each has a hand of 9 cards and 18 cards have been discarded. Then the two piles of 9 cards are turned face up and the cards are arranged by suit. These are now dummy hands. Each player controls the dummy hand to their left.

The oppent leads first. Then his dummy plays, then the dealer, then the dealer's dummy. After the first trick, the hand taking the trick leads, whether it is a player hand, or a dummy hand. Players must follow suit if possible. The god cards act as trump. If a queen would normally take a trick, but the fool of that suit was also played then the fool takes the trick.

The player who takes the most tricks wins. Tricks taken by the dummy hands do not count towards their player's win.

Changelands

For 2-4 players
This game is really still a work in progress, suggestions for improvements gratefully accepted. We don't work on it often, because finding a flat space in our house with room to lay out 25 oversized cards isn't exactly easy. Hopefully we'll get a smaller deck printed off eventually, and will get back to work on refining this one.

This game requires some kind of marker to indicate each player's position.

The cards are shuffled and then the top twenty-five cards are laid out in a five by five grid. The grid is either aligned to the compass points, or best guess directions are assigned to each side of the grid, N,E,S,W. If any of the corner cards are flame cards, those cards are swapped for another card, and the flame cards are reshuffled into the deck. Each player's marker is placed on the rightmost card of the row of cards closest to them. To win the game a player's marker must reach the leftmost card of the row furthest from then before the other players markers do. Each player is dealt four cards. On a players turn, he draws a card, he must then remove any card from the playing field that does not have a marker on it, putting it in the discard pile and replacing it with one from his hand. Next the player may move his marker up to three cards, as long as he does not land off the five by five grid. If a marker moves to a spot that leads off the edge of the grid, he must return to his starting corner and his turn ends. Markers may not land on flame cards, if a marker lands on a card that leads to a flame card, his turn ends. Movement is as follows: A marker sitting on a wind card (white) may only move to the card to the North. A marker sitting on a leaf card (green) may only move to the card to the South. A marker sitting on a rock card (purple) may only move to the card to the East. A marker sitting on a wave card (blue) may only move to the card to the West. A marker sitting on a god card can move one card North, South, East or West. Markers may not land on flame cards. If somehow a marker ends up on a flame card the marker should be moved to its starting corner. If the starting corner is a flame card, that card should be discarded and a new card randomly drawn from the top of the discard deck.

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