Trickerion: Legends of Illusion Game Rules

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Welcome to the world of Trickerion: Legends of Illusion! In this game, I will take you on a journey into the mysterious and enchanting world of illusionists, where you will become a performer yourself. If you’re ready to step into the spotlight and amaze your audience with mind-boggling tricks, then you’ve come to the right place.

Setting Up the Game

Before we dive into the tricks and illusions, let’s set up the game. First, you’ll need to assemble the game board and place it in the center of the table. Then, each player will choose a color and take the corresponding player board.

Next, shuffle the Trick and Specialist cards separately, and place them face-down next to the game board. Deal each player a random Trick card and two random Specialist cards, which they’ll keep secret from other players. These cards will give you unique abilities and objectives throughout the game.

Finally, set up the Performance and Workshop spaces, place the Mage Token nearby, and get ready to embark on your magical journey.

Gameplay

As an illusionist, your goal is to become the most renowned performer in the city of Magoria. To do this, you’ll need to perform your tricks, train your specialists, and gather resources.

Each round is divided into several phases: Planning Phase, Action Phase, and Evening Phase.

Planning Phase

In the Planning Phase, you will secretly assign your available workers to various actions. You have a limited number of workers, so you’ll need to carefully consider your options. Do you focus on training your specialists, performing a trick, or gathering resources? The choice is yours, but remember that your opponents will also be vying for the same actions.

Action Phase

Next comes the Action Phase, where you reveal your worker placements and take turns performing actions. Each action has its own requirements and benefits, so choose wisely. You can send your workers to perform tricks, train specialists, hire new ones, or gather the resources necessary for your performances.

Evening Phase

After each player has taken their actions, it’s time for the Evening Phase. In this phase, you’ll check the Mage Token’s position on the Time Track and resolve any end-of-round effects. This is also when you’ll regenerate your workers and prepare for the next round.

Scoring Points

Throughout the game, you’ll earn Prestige Points (PP) for your performances and fulfillments of objectives. You can also earn PP by hiring famous magicians or uncovering legendary tricks.

At the end of the game, the illusionist with the most Prestige Points becomes the greatest performer in Magoria and wins the game. So, do you have what it takes to amaze the crowds and become a legend of illusion?

Now that you understand the rules, it’s time to step onto the stage and let your magic shine. Good luck, illusionist!

In Trickerion – Legends of Illusion, I step into the shoes of a legendary stage illusionist in the enchanted city of Magoria. My objective is to gain as much Fame as possible during five weeks, aiming to secure victory in the ultimate competition for the powerful Trickerion Stone.

Throughout the game, I have the opportunity to master a wide array of mesmerizing Magic Tricks, collecting the necessary Components and expanding my team to increase the number of Actions I can take each turn.

To store and prepare my Tricks, I have my very own Workshop as a Magician. At the end of each turn, I get to present an awe-inspiring magic show, utilizing the tricks I’ve honed, in hopes of gaining Fame, fortune, and fragments of the enigmatic Trickerion Stone. The player who becomes the most famous within these five weeks will emerge as the victor.

Now, let’s talk about the different Components that make up this fascinating game.

When it comes to Trickerion: Legends of Illusion, there are several components that you’ll find in the box. Let me break it down for you:

• 1x Main Game Board
• 4x Player Game Boards
• 12x Specialist Board Extensions
• 32x Wooden Character Disks (8 in each player’s colors)
• 8x Player Markers
• 6x Downtown Dice
• 48x Trick cards (4+4+4 in each category)
• 40x Permanent Assignment cards (10 for each player)
• 48x Special Assignment cards (12 for each Location)
• 90x Power cards (30 in each color)
• 40x Performance cards
• 8x Magician cards (double-sided)
• 8x Magician Poster cards
• 12x Turn Setup cards
• 64x Trick Markers
• 16x Symbol Markers
• 96x Components (40 Basic, 32 Advanced, 24 Superior)
• 28x 1 Coin Tokens
• 16x 5 Coin Tokens
• 27x Prophecy Tokens
• 50x Trickerion Shards

I’ll need some time to rewrite the text. Please bear with me.

Alright, let’s start by creating the Performance Deck. We’ll need two Riverside Theater and two Grand Magorian Performance cards. Mix them up and place them on top of each other, with the Riverside Theater cards first. Put this deck face down next to the Theater.

Now, let’s fill up the Performance card slots in the Theater. Take a number of Riverside Theater Performance cards equal to the number of players minus one (don’t take them from the Performance Deck). Randomly draw these cards and place them from left to right in the slots. Remember, in the base game, we don’t use the Magnus Pantheon Performance cards.

Next, we need to gather all the Components, Trickerion Shards, and Coins. Put them in a pile next to the game board where everyone can reach them.

Lastly, place the Trickerion Stone on the I. slot of the Turn Counter track, which is below the Fame track.

Rules for 2-3 Players

Hey there! Let’s talk about the rules for a game with 2 or 3 players. In this type of game, there are some special things you need to know.

First off, there are some places on the board called Downtown, Market Row, and Dark Alley. In these places, two of the spots for Action Points are not used. In a game with two players, only one of these spots is used. And if you’re playing with three players, none of these spots are used. It’s like they’re taking a break!

To keep things organized, you can use wooden disks that match the leftover player color(s) to cover up these empty spots. That way, everyone can see which spots are not being used.

Now, if you’re feeling extra adventurous, there’s a cool rule variation you can try. It’s called the Duel of Magicians. This rule is just for two-player games, and it adds some extra excitement. Give it a whirl if you’re up for a challenge!

II. Getting Ready to Play

Okay, now it’s time to set up the game and get ready to show off your magician skills! First things first, let’s decide who will go first. The player who has worn a top hat most recently will start, and we’ll take turns in a clockwise order.

Each player will choose a magician and make sure to pick a favorite trick category that hasn’t been chosen yet. This will make our game even more exciting and unpredictable. Once you’ve made your choice, you’ll receive your player game board and some special items to help you on your magical journey.

• First, I have the Magician card with the Base Game side facing up.
• Next, I have the Magician Poster card.
• I also have all the Trick and Symbol Markers in my color. There are four different symbols, and I have four plus one Marker for each symbol.
• For a total Coin value of 2, I choose some components to place in the Workshop.
• Now, I need to choose a Trick card with a Fame Threshold of 1 from the Magician’s Favorite Trick category. I’ll place it in the Workshop and mark it with a Symbol Marker.
• I have a starting hand of 9 Permanent Assignment cards. There are 3 Theater cards, 2 Workshop cards, 2 Market Row cards, and 2 Downtown cards.
• Finally, I have all the Character Disks in my color. I’ll place the Magician and 1 Apprentice disk on their respective slots on my Player Game Board. The rest of the disks will stay next to my Player Game Board as my personal supply.

The Importance of Additional Components

Hey there! Let’s talk about the importance of additional components in a game. When you’re playing a game, it’s always exciting to have extra things that can enhance your experience and give you an advantage. That’s why additional components are so valuable – they can take your gameplay to the next level!

Now, let’s take a look at some specific examples of additional components and what they can do for you:

• Manager: As a manager, you can benefit from additional components that have a coin value of 2. These components are placed on your board extension, and they can help you make strategic moves and gain an edge over your opponents.
• Engineer: If you choose to be an engineer, you’ll get a trick card with a fame threshold of 1. After all the starting tricks have been selected, you can place this card on your board extension and mark it with a special symbol marker. This extra card can give you an advantage and help you achieve fame more easily.
• Assistant: Having an additional apprentice on your team can be a game-changer. With an extra pair of hands, you can accomplish tasks more efficiently and make progress faster. The assistant’s board extension is where you’ll place this extra apprentice.

But that’s not all. You also have the opportunity to choose a specialist and their respective game board extension. This specialist comes with a bonus based on your starting initiative order. This bonus can be in the form of coins, ranging from 10 to 16, and also includes a Trickerion Shard. These additional components can give you an incredible advantage right from the start!

So, as you can see, additional components are a crucial part of the game. They can elevate your gameplay and give you an edge over your opponents. Don’t underestimate their power! By taking advantage of these components, you can increase your chances of success and have an amazing gaming experience. Have fun!

First time setup for beginners

If you’re new to the game, I suggest starting with the following setup, depending on the type of magician you choose:

Optical: Begin with the Enchanted Butterflies Trick. You’ll need two Trick Markers, the Symbol Marker, 2 pieces of Fabric, and a Manager with 1 Animal.

Mechanical: Start with the Linking Rings Trick. You’ll need two Trick Markers, the Symbol Marker, 2 pieces of Metal, and an Assistant with 1 Apprentice.

Escape: Try the Barricaded Barrels Trick. Make sure you have two Trick Markers, the Symbol Marker, 2 pieces of Wood, and an Engineer with the Stocks Escape Trick.

Spiritual: Go for the Mind Reading Trick. Gather three Trick Markers, the Symbol Marker, 2 pieces of Glass, and a Manager with 1 Rope.

Now, let’s talk about your starting fame points and initiative order.

Once I’ve finished setting up the players, I need to place a wooden cylinder in each player’s color on the Initiative Order circles on the left side of the Main Game Board. I’ll do this in a random order, and it will determine the Initiative Order for the first turn. In future turns, the Initiative Order will be based on the players’ Fame points, which we’ll keep track of during the game (check out the ‘Set Initiative Order’ phase for more details).

Here’s a rule for games with only two players: we’ll only use the first and third slots in the Initiative Order. This will affect the cost of Advertise.

Now, something interesting happens for players in the second, third, and fourth slots of the Initiative Order. They get an additional 2, 4, or 6 Coins respectively.

Finally, I’ll place the second wooden cylinder in each player’s color on the 5 Fame slot on the Fame Track. Since it’s possible to lose Fame points during the game, we’ll start with a Fame score of 5.

Time to Play

Here’s a summary of the different phases of the game:

1. Roll the dice
2. Set the order for who goes first
3. Spread the word
4. Allocate tasks
5. Position characters
6. Show off your skills
7. Wrap up the turn

A. Roll the Dice

Let’s kick things off by rolling the six Downtown dice. The numbers you roll will determine:

• What types of tricks can I learn?
• Who can I hire to join my team?
• How much money can I get from the Bank?

Once the dice are rolled, I place them on their matching colored slots at the Downtown. If a die shows an X result, it means I won’t have any available actions for that die this turn.

B. Setting the Initiative Order

To keep track of the Initiative Order, I use player markers in their respective colors.

At the start of each turn, we rearrange our starting positions based on our Fame points. The Initiative Order is always the opposite of our Fame Point order, meaning the player with the fewest Fame points goes first.

Remember: If two or more players end their turns on the same Fame slot, we reverse their Initiative Order in the next round. This phase is skipped in the first turn.

C. Advertising

Once the Initiative Order is determined, you have the opportunity to promote yourself using your Poster cards. You can do this once per turn.

If you decide to advertise, you’ll need to pay an amount of Coins equal to your position in the Initiative Order (1-4). Then, place your Poster above your wooden cylinder and gain 2 Fame immediately.

Keep in mind that the Poster cards will be removed during the ‘End Turn’ phase.

D. Assignment Phase

During the ‘Assignment’ phase, you’ll use your Assignment cards to plan where you want to position your Characters in the upcoming ‘Place Characters’ phase.

To plan the placement of a Character, simply place an Assignment card face down below the Character disk on your player board. This will determine where the Character will be placed in the next phase, based on the Location printed on the card.

Alright, let’s get started! We all have to do this at the same time, okay? We each take a face-down Assignment card and put it under all of our Characters. If you don’t want to put any more cards, that’s totally fine.

Just remember, if a Character doesn’t have any cards under them, they can’t be placed during the ‘Place Characters’ part. They’ll just be Idle instead. We’ll talk more about Idle Characters in a bit.

Okay, now it’s time to Place Characters!

First, we all show our Assignment cards at the same time. Exciting, right?

Starting with the person who goes first, we each put one of our Characters on a free slot at a Location. You can choose a spot on the Main Game Board or your own Workshop. It’s up to you!

When playing the game, I can only put a Character on the Location that is shown on the Assignment card below it. It’s a step-by-step process, where I place one Character at a time until all Characters are either placed or left Idle.

What does it mean to be Idle?

An Idle Character is a Character that I don’t place on any Location during the ‘Place Characters’ phase. Instead, it stays on my Game Board. I don’t have to pay for Idle Characters during the ‘End Turn’ phase.

If I want, I can choose to leave a Character Idle. All I have to do is turn its Assignment card face down during the ‘Place Characters’ phase and not place it on any Location. After that, the ‘Place Characters’ phase continues with the next player in the Initiative Order.

When I’m at a certain place, the actions I can take depend on a few things:

• How many Action Points I have
• What actions are available at that place

You can find all the different places and the actions you can take there in the Locations chapter. Then, in the next chapter, you’ll learn about the Action Point system.

The Action Point System

When I’m at a place, I get a certain number of Action Points. I can use these points to do actions at that place. The number of Action Points I get depends on:

The type of character I am:

• Apprentices: 1
• Specialists: 2
• Magicians: 3

The slot modifier:

I want to talk to you about something really cool that happens in the game. It’s all about character slots and action points in Trickerion. Let me explain.

Character Slots and Action Points

So, in the game, every character has something called action points. These action points determine what the character can do during the game. But here’s the thing – the number of action points a character has can change depending on where they’re placed on the character slots!

Each character slot has an action point modifier printed under it. When you place a character on a slot, you add or subtract this number from their base action point value. This means that different character slots can affect the number of action points a character has.

Enhancing Your Character

Now, here’s a really cool trick. You can actually buy additional action points for your character when you place them on a character slot. All you need to do is pay a Trickerion Shard. But there’s a catch – this trick only works at certain locations. Unfortunately, you can’t do it at the Theater location.

So remember, when you’re playing Trickerion, pay attention to the character slots and the action points. They can be a game-changer and help you do more amazing tricks!

When you play with the “Dark Alley” or “Magician Powers” expansions, there are additional effects that can change the number of Action Points your Characters have.

Your Characters must use their Action Points as soon as they are placed in a Location – you can’t save them for later. Each Action has a cost, which is shown in a circle under its symbol.

Once you have taken all the Actions you want with a Character, it’s time to place the next player’s Character, according to the Initiative Order.

Placing a Character

Places

The Showtime Phase

After everyone has placed their characters, it’s time to start the show. This is when the magicians on the show slots can perform their tricks. Performing tricks brings in fame, coins, and sometimes Trickerion shards.

Perform

From Thursday to Sunday, not in any particular order, magicians can choose a performance card that has at least one of their trick markers on it and perform all the tricks listed. Other players can also have their trick markers on that card, and their tricks will be performed as well. They will be considered guest performers in the show.

When I finish a Performance, I give tricks back to the person who owns them. Then we can move on to the next Performance.

Getting Your Rewards (for everyone)

When you have at least one Trick Marker on the Performance card, you will receive the rewards (Fame, Coin, and Shard) for ALL of your Trick cards represented by those markers.

Boosting Your Rewards

There are also ways to increase the rewards you receive. Let me walk you through them:

Trigger Tokens

Trigger Tokens can be used to amplify your rewards. For every Token you have, the value of your rewards increases. So make sure to collect as many Tokens as possible!

Special Ability Cards

Each player has a Special Ability card that provides unique advantages. These advantages can help you earn more rewards from your Tricks. Keep an eye on your opponents’ cards as well, as they may have abilities that can impact your performance!

Combo Cards

If you manage to play multiple Trick cards of the same color in a row, you will activate a Combo. Combos can significantly boost your rewards, so strategize and plan your play accordingly to maximize your gains!

Career Cards

Career Cards allow you to specialize in certain types of Tricks, increasing the rewards you receive from them. Choose your Career Cards wisely and focus on excelling in specific areas to maximize your overall rewards!

Broker Cards

Broker Cards give you the opportunity to trade, sell, or swap Tricks for even better ones. Use them strategically to optimize your Trick collection and enhance your potential rewards!

Artisan and Consulate Cards

Artisan and Consulate Cards provide additional ways to earn rewards. Each card has unique requirements, so be sure to fulfill them to unlock their benefits and receive extra Fame, Coins, or Shards!

Remember

Getting the most out of your Trick cards is key to earning bigger rewards. By utilizing Yield Modifiers like Trigger Tokens, Special Ability cards, Combo cards, Career cards, Broker cards, and Artisan and Consulate cards, you can significantly boost your performance and secure a competitive advantage. So, strategize, plan, and make the most of every opportunity to maximize your rewards!

Did you know that the payouts on Thursday and Sunday are different from those on Friday and Saturday? It’s true! Let me break it down for you. If you have at least one Character performing on a Thursday, you’ll subtract 1 from the Fame and Coin yields of all your Performed Tricks. On the other hand, if you have a Character performing on any Sunday, you’ll add 1 to the Fame and Coin yields of all your Performed Tricks. Interesting, right?

Now, here’s something else to keep in mind. These yield modifiers also apply when your Tricks are part of someone else’s Performance. So even if your Magician isn’t present in the Theater, the modifiers still apply. And if you don’t have any Characters at all in the Theater when your Tricks are performed, you’ll receive the same yield modifiers as the performer. Pretty cool, huh? Oh, and just to clarify, a Trick’s Fame or Coin yield can never be less than 0. Good to know!

Performer Bonuses (performer Only)

But wait, there’s more! In addition to the yields of your Tricks, as the performing Magician, you also get some extra bonuses. Exciting, right?

There’s some cool stuff you should know about performing in Trickerion. Let me break it down for you:

– First off, you get 1 Fame for each Trick Link in your Performance. So make sure to link your tricks for some bonus points!

– But that’s not all. If you have a Specialist supporting you in the Theater, you get even more bonuses. An Assistant gives you 2 Fame, a Manager gives you 3 Coins, and an Engineer gives you 1 Trickerion Shard. So having some backup can really pay off!

– Don’t forget about the Performance card you choose. The bottom box on the card will show you the Fame, Coin, or Shard value you’ll receive as a bonus. So choose wisely!

Once all the Performances are done and everyone gets their rewards, it’s time for the ‘End Turn’ phase. Just wanted to give you the scoop on how things work.

In the weekdays, when I have a Magician on one of my Performance slots, I get to choose ONE Performance card with my own Trick Marker(s) on it, and then I perform ALL the Tricks on that card. It’s pretty exciting! After I perform, everyone else gets to collect their Yields from their own Tricks too.

Performing on a Performance card gives me some great benefits! First, I get a bonus Fame point for each Link in the Performance. It’s like getting extra recognition for my hard work. Additionally, depending on the Specialists I have in the Theater, I can receive bonus Fame, Coins, or Shards. It really pays off to have a well-rounded team. And finally, the chosen Performance card itself can give me bonus Fame, Coins, or Shards. It’s like a little surprise reward!

Now let’s move on to the ‘End Turn’ phase. This is where we wrap up the current turn and get ready for the next one. There are six sub-phases that we go through pretty quickly.

First is the Pay Wages sub-phase. I have to pay one Coin for each of my working Apprentices, except for the one on the Assistant’s Board Extension. It’s important to remember to keep track of my finances.

After that, we move on to the next sub-phase.

When you hire a Specialist to work for you in Trickerion, you need to pay them 2 Coins for their services. Keep in mind that you must pay their wages as long as you have at least 1 Coin.

If you don’t have enough Coins to pay the wages, you will lose 2 Fame points for each Coin you can’t pay. However, the minimum amount of Fame points you can have is 0.

Returning Characters: At the end of the turn in Trickerion, all Characters, including the ones you hired during that turn, are returned to their respective owner’s Game Board. Also, if you hired a Specialist, their respective Board Extension is added to your Game Board.

Orders Arrive: After the turn ends in Trickerion, all the Components in the Order area are moved to the respective slots in the Buy area. The Components that were already in those slots are replaced by the ordered Components and returned to the supply. The Component in the Quick Order slot is also returned to the supply.

Change the Location of Performance cards: Shuffle all Performance cards and place them face-down in a pile. Then, deal four cards face-up on the table.

Return Poster cards: Take all Magician Poster cards and place them back into the owner’s hand.

Advance the Turn Counter: Move the Trickerion Stone one step forward on the Turn Counter track.

This is the end of the game turn. After moving the Turn Counter, a new turn begins.

Starting from the third turn and onwards, the last Performance card (along with any Trick Markers on it) is discarded. Then, a new Performance card is drawn and placed on the leftmost empty slot. This means that if there are 2, 3, or 4 players in the game, they will always have 3, 4, or 5 Performance cards available during turns 3-5.

End of the Game

Hey there! So, after we finish the fifth turn and hit that ‘End Turn’ phase, something pretty cool happens. We get to do a final scoring, where we can rack up even more Fame points based on the stuff we’ve gathered throughout the game. It’s a chance to really show off our skills and impress everyone!

First off, each of us gets 1 Fame point for every Trickerion Shard we haven’t used yet. It’s like a little boost for saving some tricks up our sleeves.

Next, we also get 1 Fame point for every 3 Coins we have left over. So, make sure to hold on to your money and make it count!

But that’s not all! We also score 2 Fame points for every Apprentice we have. They might be newbies, but they still contribute to our fame!

And here’s the best part – we get a whopping 3 Fame points for every Specialist we’ve got. These guys really know their stuff and are a big deal in the magic world.

Once the final scoring is done, that’s it, game over. The player with the most Fame points wins the game and gets the incredible Trickerion Stone. It’s like the ultimate prize for being the best magician out there. Now, if there’s a tie and two players are neck and neck, the one who’s ahead in the Initiative Order comes out on top. So, keep your eyes on that order!