The GM names a stat, you draw cards, you play one, and the result either meets the target or it doesn't. This chapter breaks down every piece of that process.
The Draw
When a character attempts something with a meaningful chance of failure, the GM calls for a check tied to one of the four stats: Heart, Body, Mind, or Spirit. The process works as follows:
- Draw. Pull a number of cards from the top of your deck equal to your stat value in the called stat, with a minimum of 2. If your Body is 3, draw 3 cards. If your Spirit is 1, you still draw 2 cards—every character always has a choice.
- Choose. Look at the drawn cards and select one to play. This is your result card.
- Resolve. Place the played card face-up in your fatigue pile. Return all unplayed cards to the bottom of your deck in any order you choose.
- Compare. Calculate the card's effective value. If it meets or exceeds the Difficulty Class (DC), you succeed.
Kael has Body 3. The GM calls for a Body check at DC 9. Kael draws 3 cards from the top of his deck: 5♣, 9♦, Q♠.
The 9♦ meets the DC at face value (9). The Q♠ (value 12) would succeed easily but is a powerful card worth saving. The 5♣ would fail. Kael plays the 9♦ to conserve the Queen for a tougher check later.
The 5♣ and Q♠ go to the bottom of his deck. The 9♦ goes to his fatigue pile. Kael climbs the cliff.
The Economy of Drawing
Higher stats draw more cards, giving you better odds and more choices—but each drawn card cycles through your deck faster. A character with Body 5 draws five cards per Body check, seeing more of their deck and depleting it faster if they play many checks. This is intentional: power comes at the cost of stamina. Stat 1 characters draw one card per check with no choice at all, but their deck barely shrinks.
Card Values
Number cards (2–10) are worth their face value. Face cards and Aces have fixed values:
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| 2–10 | Face value |
| Jack (J) | 11 |
| Queen (Q) | 12 |
| King (K) | 13 |
| Ace (A) | 14 |
Resonance
The heart of this system. When the card you play has a suit that matches the stat being checked, add your stat value to the card's base value. This bonus is called Resonance.
Effective Value = Card Base Value + Stat Value
(only when suit matches stat)
The four suit-to-stat mappings are fixed:
| Suit | Symbol | Stat |
|---|---|---|
| Hearts | ♥ | Heart |
| Clubs | ♣ | Body |
| Diamonds | ♦ | Mind |
| Spades | ♠ | Spirit |
Resonance Table
The table below shows effective values at different stat levels. Note how a modest card becomes formidable when its suit aligns:
| Card Base | Stat 2 | Stat 3 | Stat 4 | Stat 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 8 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| J (11) | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| Q (12) | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| K (13) | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| A (14) | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
Mira has Spirit 4. She makes a Spirit check and draws a 7♠. Spades match Spirit, so her effective value is 7 + 4 = 11. If she'd drawn a 7♥ instead, no match—the effective value would be just 7.
This means a low Spade in Mira's hand is often worth more than a high card of a different suit. A 5♠ gives her EV 9, while a 9♥ gives her EV 9 as well—but the Spade also feels right for the character, rewarding her investment in Spirit.
Dran has Body 3. He makes a Body check at DC 10. He draws: 4♣, J♦, 8♥.
The 4♣ resonates: 4 + 3 = EV 7. Not enough. The J♦ is raw value 11—clears the DC with no resonance needed. The 8♥ is just 8—short.
Dran plays the Jack. Sometimes brute force beats synergy. But that Jack is now in fatigue, and the humble 4♣ is back in the deck where it might resonate again later.
Difficulty Classes
The GM sets a Difficulty Class for every non-combat check. Use the table below as a guideline. Combat checks compare against Guard or Resolve instead of a flat DC.
| DC | Tier | What It Feels Like | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Routine | Trivial for anyone competent | Climbing a ladder, reading common text, calming a friendly animal |
| 7 | Easy | Straightforward with basic ability | Picking a simple lock, navigating a familiar forest, persuading a friend |
| 10 | Moderate | Requires real skill or luck | Tracking quarry through rain, persuading a skeptical guard, forging a document |
| 13 | Hard | Challenges even specialists | Deciphering ancient script, crossing a collapsing bridge, lying to a magistrate |
| 16 | Very Hard | Near the edge of mortal ability | Outwitting a master strategist, scaling a sheer ice wall, resisting a dragon's presence |
| 19 | Legendary | The absolute peak | Feats spoken of in myth—parting a river, bending fate itself |
Without Resonance, an Ace (14) is the highest possible result. With Resonance at Stat 5, a theoretical max of 19 is possible (Ace + 5). This means Legendary DCs are achievable only by high-stat characters who also draw a matching Ace—an intentionally rare event that should feel momentous at the table.
Opposed Checks
When two characters act directly against each other—arm-wrestling, a debate, a feint versus perception—both sides draw and play simultaneously. The higher effective value wins.
- On a tie: The defender wins
- If there is no clear defender (e.g., a race): The character with fewer cards in their fatigue pile wins the tie
A spy attempts to lie past a magistrate. The GM calls for an opposed check: the spy's Heart vs. the magistrate's Mind.
The spy (Heart 3) plays a 10♥—Resonance for EV 13. The magistrate (Mind 4) plays a Q♦—Resonance for EV 16. The magistrate sees through the deception.
Degrees of Success (Optional Rule)
For non-combat checks where you want more granularity than pass/fail, the GM can interpret the margin between the effective value and the DC:
| Margin | Degree | Example Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Exactly meets DC | Bare success | You pick the lock, but it takes a while and makes noise. |
| +1 to +3 over DC | Solid success | Clean work. You get what you wanted with no complications. |
| +4 to +6 over DC | Strong success | You exceed expectations—extra information, faster result, or a secondary benefit. |
| +7 or more | Exceptional | The best possible outcome. The GM should reward creativity and narrate something memorable. |
| Fails by 1–2 | Near miss | You almost had it. The GM may offer a partial success at a cost. |
| Fails by 3+ | Clear failure | It doesn't work. Consequences apply. |
Group Checks
When the entire party attempts the same thing—sneaking past guards, crossing a treacherous river—the GM calls for a group check. Every character draws and plays as normal.
If at least half the group succeeds, the group succeeds as a whole. Characters who failed individually still face minor consequences at the GM's discretion (twisted ankle, spotted briefly but not caught, etc.).
Extended Checks
Some challenges can't be resolved in a single draw: a long chase through city streets, a complex magical ritual, a multi-stage negotiation. For these, the GM assigns a Progress Threshold (a total number the party must accumulate) and a round limit.
Each round, participating characters make a check against a set DC. Successful checks add their margin of success (EV minus DC) to a shared progress pool. The challenge succeeds when the pool meets or exceeds the threshold, and fails if the round limit expires first.
The party must escape a collapsing mine. The GM sets Progress Threshold 15, DC 9 (Body), 4 rounds.
- Round 1: Kael plays EV 12 (margin +3). Mira plays EV 8 (fail, no progress). Pool: 3.
- Round 2: Kael plays EV 10 (+1). Mira plays EV 14 (+5). Pool: 9.
- Round 3: Both succeed—pool hits 16. They burst into daylight with a round to spare.