PvP Rulebook v0.91


Overview

Overview

Welcome to Sanctuary

Introduction

Sanctuary is a single-player, cooperative, and competitive trading card game set within a world where gods reign supreme, deciding the fates of all creation.

The Pantheon has long been at odds with one another. Fate, god of endings and finality, believes that it is time for those created to test their strength against their creators. You take on the role of an Emissary of Fate searching for a group of heroes who have the power to challenge the gods themselves.

Assemble Your Party

Choose your party leader and build your adventuring party from among Heroes, Companions, Class Levels, Equipment, and other supplies. You can play as you like - there is no one "right" way in Sanctuary.

Hunt for Relics

The Pantheon’s creation of the world left a lasting legacy that continues to shape reality today: Relics. The Relics are ancient objects imbued with the power of the gods themselves, and they continue to exert their influence on all things. Your party seeks out these relics while preventing your opponents from doing so.

PvP battles represent two or more groups clashing over these relics as each side attempts to achieve its objectives through strategic combat and resource management.

Win Fate's Favor

Each turn that a relic is held by one of the parties, it gains Favor. The first party to reach 30 points of Favor wins the game. However, be careful - relics are dangerous objects that often have detrimental effects on their holders as well as the entire party.

PvP Game Formats

Sanctuary offers various PvP formats to suit different play styles and preferences - and players are encouraged to invent their own. Each format below provides unique strategic opportunities, ensuring that every game is a new experience.

Standard Formats

Standard 1v1

The classic head-to-head battle where players use their full decks and strategies to capture or destroy Relics.

Standard 2v2

Team up with a partner to combine strategies and defeat your opponents in a coordinated effort.

Standard 3v3

A large-scale battle where three-player teams face off, each player contributing their Hero and unique tactics to the collective effort.

Solo Hero Variant Formats

In the Solo Hero Variant, each player is restricted to one Hero, known as their Party Leader, which focuses the strategy on that single character.

Solo Hero 1v1

A duel where each player relies on their Party Leader’s abilities and deck synergy to secure victory.

Solo Hero 2v2

Team-based gameplay where each player brings one Hero, requiring close coordination with teammates.

Solo Hero 3v3

A strategic clash of three-player teams, each member contributing their solo Hero to the team’s overall strategy.

• Deck Size: 60 cards per player

• Heroes: Only one Hero per player.

Tips for Choosing a Format
Overview

Classes

There are six basic classes in Sanctuary, each emphasizing a different style of play.

Outlander

Outlander

Combat-focused, character and action-based fighters, excelling in fast-moving, hard-hitting martial and ranged combat. They prioritize single-target attacks and group combat tactics. Outlanters are wary of Relics are are more keen on seeing them destroyed rather than recovered.

Warrior

Warrior

Tactical, defense-oriented fighters specializing in melee combat and battlefield control. Warriors excel in both offensive and defensive capabilities, making them versatile in combat. They use armor and weaponry to protect allies and dominate the battlefield.

Rogue

Rogue

Stealthy, agile fighters skilled in deception, sabotage, and precision strikes. Rogues are masters of evasion and exploiting enemy weaknesses. They focus on quick, high-damage attacks and rapid disengagement, making them perfect for hit-and-run tactics and disruption.

Mage

Mage

Spellcasters focusing on ranged magic attacks, control spells, and area-of-effect damage. Mages manipulate the battlefield and cast powerful spells to influence enemy movements and deal significant damage from a distance. They excel in versatility and control.

Cleric

Cleric

Scholars and Healers, specializing in restoring health, protecting allies, and leveraging Relics for their own ends. Clerics sustain the party and use Relics to their advantage. They focus on support, healing, and providing buffs and debuffs to keep their allies alive and well.

Bard

Bard

Versatile support characters specializing in inspiring allies, disrupting enemies, and providing buffs and debuffs. Bards use musical instruments and performances to cast spells, enhancing the party’s overall effectiveness. They adapt to various roles, from healing to damage, making them essential in any party.

Overview

Parts of a Card

Playable Cards

All cards in Sanctuary follow the same format:

Character Cards.png

1. Name

The name of the card determines if another card in your deck is a duplicate.

2. Base Class

Heroes and Class Levels have a base class icon.

3. Hit Points (HP)

How much health the card has. When the card's HP reaches zero, it's defeated and sent to the discard pile.

4. Agility (AG)

How hard this card is to hit. Another player must beat a card's AG during an attack roll to score a hit.

5. Armor (AR)

How much damage is mitigated when this card is hit. When a card takes damage from an attack, subtract the card's AR from the damage total before applying it.

6. Ability Tokens

Ability Tokens are the resources spent to use abilities play other cards.

7. Basic Attack

The type and damage amount of a Character's basic attack.

8. Subtypes

Specific qualities related to the card type, each following a specific pattern:

9. Card Effects

The card's abilities are stated here.

10. Flavor Text
11. Card and Set Data
12. Rarity Symbol
13. Cost

Cost refers to the quantity and types of resource (Ability Tokens, Gold, Favor, Character actions, etc.) that must be spent in order to use or put a card into play

13. Card Type

This icon displays the card's type with exception of Characters:

14. Illustrator

Relic Cards

Relics are unique in that they are placed face-down on the play space before the game begins. While Relics follow the same format as playable cards, they have specific differences:

Relic Cards.png

Overview

Card Types

There are five types of cards in Sanctuary: Characters, Experience, Equipment, Actions, and Relics.

Characters

Outlander

Heroes

Heroes are the cornerstone of your party, serving as the main figures in your deck and resource well from which other cards are put into play. Each Hero starts with a base class and comes with unique attributes and abilities that shape your chosen strategy. Heroes grow in power by taking class levels, which both expand their stats and abilities while increasing the resources you can use during the game.


Image description

Companions

Companions are the supporting characters that aid your Heroes in battle. With their own unique attributes and skills, Companions are essential for executing strategic plays, and expanding your party’s capability. Unlike Heroes, Companions can’t take class levels or use equipment.


Experience

Mage Class Level

Class Levels

Class Level cards represent the advancement of a Hero’s abilities and skills - unlocking new powers and enhancing existing ones - allowing your Heroes to evolve to meet new challenges. When a class level card is attached to a Hero, that Hero gains the attributes and abilities shown on the Class Level card.


Backstory

Backstories

Backstory cards let you customize the past of your Heroes, providing them with traits and abilities based on their personal histories. On top of adding depth to your characters, Backstories offer bonuses or abilities that are mechanically unique from Class Levels.


Character Cards.png

Consumed

Items

Items that provide various effects, such as healing or buffs.

Scrolls

Scrolls are magical items that can be used to cast spells or invoke special effects once.

Equipped

Equipment is meant to be handled or worn by a Character: weapons, instruments, armor, shields, accessories, and tomes. Characters can hold up to three pieces of equipment at once: one in each hand, and one worn. If a piece of equipment requires two hands, then a Character can't hold anything else.

Weapons

Tools of combat that characters can wield, enhancing their attack power and abilities.

Instruments

Best used by Bards to enhance abilities or provide buffs.

Armor

Protective gear that increases a character’s armor and/or agility.

Shields

Hand-held defensive items that offer protection and can sometimes reflect attacks.

Tomes

Books of knowledge that grant magical abilities or bonuses to spellcasting characters.

Placed

Constructs

Structures or mechanical creations that provide ongoing effects or support. They may operate by themselves or require a Character’s interaction.

Actions

Standard & Combined Actions

Characters can perform these during their turn, beyond their listed abilities. Some Actions allow for the combined effort of several Characters.

Reactions

Actions that can be played from your hand in response to an opponent’s action.

Immediate Actions

Actions that can be played at any time, often with instant effects.

Relics

Relics are powerful and ancient items that must be held in order to win — often with powerful detrimental effects.

Fated Occurrences

Fated Occurrences represent the Emissary's direct intervention into the fight. These emulate significant events that are otherwise outside of the Character’s control and affect all players by introducing major changes or challenges.

Tokens

Conjured/Called Entities

Magical or mundane beings brought into play by specific abilities. These tokens have their own stats and effects.

Ability Tokens

Tokens that represent the resources available to use items, actions, or add Characters to the party.

  1. Gaining Tokens: Characters gain ability tokens shown on the face of their cards when they are put into play. Ability Tokens are ‘held’ by the Character that brings them into play. Some Equipment and abilities may give, remove, spend, or recover tokens to specific Characters in play. Unless otherwise stated, Tokens held by any Character can be used by any other Character or card in play.

  2. Placement and Use: Tokens are placed on or below the holding card face. Players spend tokens to play cards from their hand or use abilities stated on cards in play. When a token is spent, it’s is flipped up-side down. When a token is *recovered*, it’s flipped right-side up.

  3. Token Recovery: Ability tokens are *recovered* at the rate of 1 token of their base class plus 1 token of each attached Class Level per turn. Some Equipment and abilities may recover tokens in other ways.

Playing the Game


Playing the Game

How to Win

Playing the Game

Before You Start

Sanctuary is designed to played in a variety of campaign and PvP formats, and players are encouraged to create their own. For Standard PvP, follow the rules below.

Deck Composition

Your deck must have 60 cards in any combination you choose within the following limitations:

1. Tokens and Relics

No Token or Relic cards are permitted in your deck. Tokens remain in your collection until put into play.

2. Heroes and Artifacts:

 Your deck must have at least one Hero. You may have as many Heroes and Artifacts in your deck as you like, but neither may have any duplicates.

3. Fated Occurrences

You may have up to four total Fated Occurrence cards in your deck.

4. Backstories and Class Levels

There is no limit to the quantity or duplicates of Backstory and Class Level cards.

Card Play Limits

1. Heroes

You may only have up to three Heroes in your party at any time. There is no limit to the number of Heroes you can put into play during your turn. Heroes join the party exhausted and gain their specified Ability Tokens at the start of your next turn.

2. Fated Occurrences

Only one Fated Occurrence card can be played per player per turn.

3. Backstories and Class Levels

Only one Backstory or Class Level can be attached to a Hero on your turn; e.g., if you attach a Backstory to a Character, you cannot attach a Class Level on the same turn.

Playing the Game

Game Setup

Playing the Game

Turns

Playing the Game

Conditions

Advanced Rules