Cosmic Playsheet

Basic Rules

Perils & Pathways is a two-player, mini-adventure game that fits right in your pocket, using standard playing cards and a single six-sided die.

What You Need

1. Two players

2. 60-90 minutes

3. A deck of 54 standard playing cards (jokers included)

4. One six-sided die

5. A Perils & Pathways playsheet

1) Choose Roles.

Decide who will play each role below, or flip a coin.

The Hero

Navigates through the maze to claim THE PRIZE at the end. Chooses an ARCHETYPE from Playsheet-1.A., taking the corresponding four cards from the deck. These cards are their level in each SKILL (Playsheet-1.B.).

The Teller

Mediates between THE HERO and the game world. Describes PATHWAYS, PERILS, and consequences. They know what is around each corner, and must improvise details to help the other player make informed decisions about where to go. Shuffles and deals all cards. Should read the playsheet and all rules.

2) The Prize.

Place the A♥︎ face-down.This is THE PRIZE. Decide together what THE HERO is searching for. Look to Playsheet-1.C. for ideas, or make up your own.

3) The Big Bads.

Shuffle the A♦, A♣, and A♠ and place them face-down on top of the A♥. These are THE BIG BADS (Playsheet-2.A.), the final and most dangerous guardians of THE PRIZE. THE HERO will eventually face all three. If they improve their skills and equipment in time, they just might survive.

4) Shuffle.

Shuffle the remaining cards and place them face-down on the stack of aces.

5) Pathways.

THE TELLER looks at the top two cards (or pick up three at a time for a quicker game), then places them face-down before THE HERO. The back of each card represents a PATHWAY, left, right, or straight (if using three cards).

THE HERO chooses which direction to take. To help them choose, THE TELLER describes a detailed PATHWAY for each card. THE TELLER should base their description on the PERIL that THE HERO will face if they choose that direction (see Step 6, but they must not give the PERIL away outright.

Ex. A broken airlock covered in green goo…

(behind which waits a giant slime beast)

The first set of PATHWAYS can only be described with images, the second only with sound, and the third only with smell. Repeat this pattern for the remaining PATHWAYS.

6) Perils.

THE HERO chooses a path and flips that card, revealing the PERIL.The suit tells you the SKILL needed to pass it (Playsheet-2.B.). The value tells its difficulty.

Ex. A 9♣ will be a test of agility with a difficulty of 9

THE TELLER describes the PERIL. Come up with your own idea or reference Playsheets-3.A-E for inspiration.

7) Gifts.

The flipped card may secretly be a GIFT in disguise. A️ HEALING GIFT ♥ is treated like a PERIL card, but poses no danger and grants THE HERO +1♥ (i.e. +1 health point) if they currently have less than 3♥ (Playsheet-3.B).

Face cards and jokers are USEFUL ITEMS that THE HERO may use once at a later point (Playsheet-3.A).

8) Playing the Peril.

If THE HERO’s SKILL LEVEL is > the PERIL’s difficulty, they pass safely thru without gaining a new SKILL LEVEL.

If not, THE HERO rolls a die and creatively describes how they attempt to pass. Before rolling, THE HERO may channel one additional SKILL and use any USEFUL ITEMS in their plan.

If THE TELLER finds this plan convincing, they may choose to add +1 to the die roll for each of these skill/item bonuses. If they find the plan especially impressive, they can even let THE HERO roll their die twice and use the higher result.

If the final total (die result + all bonuses) is greater than the PERIL's difficulty, THE HERO succeeds. Tuck the defeated PERIL card behind THE HERO's matching SKILL card. This grants +1 LEVEL in that SKILL.

Ex. Our HERO, a Pilot, runs towards their starfighter but finds a towering mech blocking their path. THE HERO only has a 2♦, or strength LEVEL 2, which is not enough to defeat the 8♦ mech in direct combat.

THE HERO needs to improvise a plan. They decide to take control of the suit using their hacking device, and then use their piloting skill to send the suit flying into a wall. For added flair, they specify that they first use their grappling hook item to tie up the mech's feet and make it easier to trip.

THE TELLER likes this plan, and awards THE HERO a +3 bonus (+1 for using the hacking device item, +1 for using the grappling hook item, and +1 for using their piloting skill). THE TELLER also tells THE HERO to roll twice and keep the higher result, as they really like the level of detail in the plan.

THE HERO rolls a six-sided die and scores a 2. 2+3=5... not enough. They roll again and score a 5. 5+3=8!

THE HERO has successfully vanquished the mech. They place the defeated 8♦ card underneath their 2♦-- they know have a 3♦ strength level. They discard the used items (the hacking device and the grappling hook) and continue, deeper into the maze.

If the total is still less than difficulty, tuck the PERIL card behind THE HERO's ♥ card instead, marking -1♥ (or health point). If THE HERO ever reaches 0♥, they lose all their ITEMS and half their gained SKILL LEVELS. Shuffle some of these cards back into the stack, above THE BIG BADS. Discard the rest.

9) Repeat.

Each PERIL is resolved only once, whether THE HERO passes or fails. Any cards not given to THE HERO (a.k.a ITEMS and gained SKILL LEVELS) stay on the table, right where THE TELLER placed them.

Draw and play until only four cards remain in the starting stack.

10) Showdown.

Draw the top three cards (THE BIG BADS). Treat them as PERILS, describing a PATHWAY for THE HERO to choose. THE HERO must beat a difficulty of 11 in the card’s SKILL. All other PERIL rules apply.

Repeat for all three BIG BADS.

If THE HERO survives, they have overcome all PERILS and earned the PRIZE!