FAQ

• How does the game work?

  The player uses Spell Points to cast spells, perform actions, and bring characters into play. There are two major classes of characters -- Townies and Monsters, both of which are broken down into many sub classes that each have their own special qualities, from Vampires and Zombies to murderous Monstrous Townies and Normals.

  Spell Points come initially from Haunted Lands. These points can be used to possess Townies, haunt Townie Lands for more Spell Points (and even enhancements), or even to convert the other player's Monsters so that they work for you. Many Characters, especially Monsters, provide Spell Points as well.

  Last updated: Wednesday Jun 15, 2:28am EDT
• What types of cards are there?

  There are two major types of cards - Townie Cards and Monster Cards. Diablerie, as the name suggests, is meant to be played with predominately Monster decks. There are Townies who try to balance things out a little bit, but they are really meant to help your Monsters or hinder your opponents' Monsters. Don't try to win with just Townies; the good guys are meant to lose in this battle.

  Under Townies, you have many different types of Townie Characters (Normals, Mystics, Vigilantes, and Monstrous Townies to name the main groups), Items, Townie Lands (some just provide Spell Points if you haunt them, some that enhance the game), Townie Actions (the equivalent to instants in similar games), and Barricades (you gotta have stuff to block the Monsters with, right? How about a flipped over school bus or a stack of shopping carts?). Many of the Townie cards are designed to hinder your opponents.

  Monsters are the real focus of the game, though. Monster Card types include Characters (Vampires, Zombies, Werewolves, Aliens, and Witches to name just a few), Haunted Lands, Haunted Items (these are Monster themed and help Monsters), Monster Actions (wicked instants), and Spells (these are magical effects performed by your army of Monsters).

  Of course, there are types I didn't mention here. I don't want to let the black cat entirely out of the bag, but there are a few mysterious groups that appear every once in a while, and one of them is more powerful than all of the Townies and Monsters combined, so powerful that their members will be very rare.

  Last updated: Wednesday Jun 15, 2:37am EDT
• How are the cards set up?

  Here are the elements of a card: Name (what is it?), Casting Cost (how many spell points does it take to put this out?), Card Type (what class/type of card?), Conversion Cost (how many Spell Points to Haunt it, Possess it, or Convert it), Effect or Ability (what does this card bring to the table?), Effect or Ability if Haunted or Possessed (what happens if you turn this one over to the Dark Side -- usually in italics), and Stats (Strength / Defense / Spell Points).

  If any of these features are missing, it's because that particular card does not have that feature. For example, Lands don't have casting costs or stats. Normals don't have Casting Costs (you can just put them out because they're only warm bodies anyway). Zombies don't have Conversion Costs (you can't turn them, they're really not even loyal to you to begin with).

  Last updated: Wednesday Jun 15, 2:47am EDT
• What's the premise?

  You live in a world in which all those classic horror and sci-fi movie monsters are real, but life is pretty normal. Well, except that people are finding copies of a spell book called The Book of Diablerie. It's a book of wicked spells that teaches you how to harness the dark magic that's already in the world and bend it to your will. So, as you read, you learn how to control monsters and use the magic locked in haunted places, as well as how to make hauntings and possessions occur to give you more magic.

  This is awesome, but there are other people out there too who are doing this, and you must defeat them to unleash your full dark power.

  Last updated: Thursday Jun 16, 11:03pm EDT
• What about sets of cards?

  Unlike similar games, the base set (or Starter Set) is going to remain pretty much the same. There will be Starter Decks that will be functional decks of 60 cards that you can actually use to play the game successfully.

  Then, there will be Starter Expansions, also known as Booster packs. These will be used for cards you just can't get enough of in the Starters, but they will include more advanced members of the Starter Set as well.

  Later, we will introduce Expansion Sets. These will be new sets of cards that will not include cards from the Starter Set. Expansions will typically be centered around a theme, with names like Diablerie Macabre, Diablerie Sideshow, and Diablerie Tarot.

  Of course, at some point there will be other editions of the Starter Set, as some cards are dropped, revised, or added (from a previous Expansion). The plan is that each new edition will contain new art and some common cards from previous Expansions. But all of that is looking into the future.

  Last updated: Wednesday Jun 15, 3:02am EDT
• How do you play Diablerie?

  First a couple of fundamentals. 1 - Read the sections on card set-up and how does it work (spell points). 2 - you perform actions or cast spell points by tapping cards (turning them to the side)

  Each player has a deck. Decks can be customized to suit the player's taste and style. To start the game, each player draws seven cards.

  Anatomy of a Turn:
  1. Untap cards used during your last turn.
  2. Draw one card from the top of your deck.
  3. Casting phase - You can put out one Haunted Land AND one Townie Card without a Casting Cost (either a Normal or a Townie Land). You can also tap your resources (lands, characters, or other cards that give you spell points) and cast whatever you want to put down that turn. By the way, Characters and Items experience a kind of Summoning Sickness -- effects apply immediately, and newly cast characters can block attackers, but anything that requires tapping is out of the question until your next turn.
  4. Attack phase - tap your attackers; announce them all at once and apply any character enhancements before your opponent announces their defense; blocking is one-on-one and Overkill damage goes to the defending player. If your attacker does more damage than the blocker can take, and the blocker does not kill the attacker, the difference goes to the other player.
  5. Wrap up - anything you have to do to tie up loose ends, so to speak (some cards can be used at this time to untap before your turn is over, or other end-of-turn business).
  6 - Settle Up - draw from your deck until you have five cards in your hand, assuming you have fewer than five.

  Each Player starts with 100 health -- believe me, you will need it. You play until you have 0 health, and yes, some cards may allow you to keep playing even after you're dead.

  Last updated: Wednesday Jun 15, 3:13am EDT
• What happens to discards or dead characters?

  They go to the True-Death Pile when removed from play. Sometimes, they can return to play from the True-Death Pile. Now, sometimes, cards get removed from the game altogether, and you can't bring them back.

  Last updated: Wednesday Jun 15, 3:19am EDT