Maelstrom (School Project)

⚓ How Maelstrom Is Played

🎯 Objective

Work together to collect a set number of treasures(5, 10, or 15) before being overwhelmed by hazards, enemies, or status effects. All players win or lose as a team.

🧩 Setup

• Choose      your roles:
  • Captain       (Level 3)
  • Navigator       (Level 2)
  • Pirate       (Level 1) (Add a second Pirate in 4-player games)
• Each      player draws 3 cards from their role-specific deck.
• Set      up the five shared decks:
  • Island       Deck
  • Seafaring       Deck
  • Enemy       Deck
  • Item       Deck
  • Treasure       Deck
• Everyone      starts at Adventure Level 1, tracked with paper and pencil.
• Place      the 6-sided die nearby for early encounters.

🔄 Turn Structure

Each player takes a turn in clockwise order, going through the following phases:

1. Draw Phase

• Draw      1 card from your role-specific deck (up to a hand limit of 3).

2. Encounter Phase

• Choose      to play a card from your hand, triggering an Island, Seafaring, or      Enemy encounter.
• Roll      the 6-sided die to determine the level of the card’s challenge.
  • Once       the team has collected 6 treasures, you upgrade to using       the 12-sided die for all card levels.

3. Resolve Encounter

• Use      your character's level + items to overcome the card’s effect or enemy.
• If      under-leveled, roll the 12-sided die to attempt a win.
• Apply      outcomes:
  • Defeat:       Earn Adventure Points, possibly draw Treasure or Item cards.
  • Failure:       Trigger status effects (e.g., scurvy, storm damage).

4. Item Use / Strategic Phase

• Use or      trade Item cards (max 2 per player).
• Discuss      strategy, recover from effects, or level up if enough points are gained.

🧗 Leveling Up

• Gain Adventure      Points (AP) from defeating cards.
• When      you accumulate enough AP, your character level increases.
  • This       increases success chances against higher-level encounters.
  • Some       Item or Treasure effects scale based on level.

    

🏁 Game End

• The      game ends once the team collects the agreed-upon number of Treasure      cards (e.g., 5, 10, or 15).
• If all      players are defeated (or can no longer progress), the game ends in      failure.

🃏 Deck & Card Count Breakdown

Deck

Cards

Purpose

🏝️ Island Deck

2 sets of 10 (20 total)

Captain-only deck. Includes status effect zones, cursed   islands, and loot opportunities. Some have buffs like drawing extra Treasure   cards.

🌊 Seafaring Deck

2 sets of 10 (20 total)

Navigator-only deck. Includes environmental challenges   (whirlpools, ghost ships, storms, scurvy-inducing rivers).

⚔️ Enemy Deck

2 sets of 10 (20 total)

Pirate-only deck. Includes monsters, rival pirates, and   ambushes. Some may be avoided with item use or dice rolls.

💰 Treasure Deck

15 cards

Reward deck. Gained by overcoming tougher challenges or   certain Island cards. Needed to win the game.

🧪 Item Deck

20 cards

Strategic tools. Includes buffs, healing, temporary level   boosts, and risky effects (e.g., Bottle of Rum, Orange Fruit). Limit 2 per   player.

🎭 Role Decks

~10–12 cards each (3 total roles)

Each player has a personal deck of action/event cards   unique to their role (Captain, Navigator, Pirate). Draw and play from these   during turns.

👥 Player Count and Scaling

Players

Setup Changes

Solo (1P)

Control all 3 roles (or 2 roles with simplified actions)

2P

One player controls 2 roles

3P

Standard: 1 Captain, 1 Navigator, 1 Pirate

4P

Add second Pirate (same deck, shared level or independent)

🏴‍☠️ Maelstrom: Turn-by-Turn Gameplay Example

Players:

• Captain      (Level 3) – Dillon
• Navigator      (Level 2) – Mariah
• Pirate      (Level 1) – Dain

Game Goal: Collect 10 Treasures before the crew is wiped out or overwhelmed.

Starting Setup:

• All      players draw 3 cards from their personal role decks.
• Shared      decks (Island, Seafaring, Enemy, Treasure, Item) are shuffled and placed.
• Everyone      begins at Adventure Level 1.
• The      team is using the 6-sided die until they reach 6 Treasures.

⚓ Turn 1: Captain (Dillon)

1. Draw Phase

• Dillon     draws 1 card from their Captain deck (now has 3).

2. Play Phase

• Dillon     plays an Island Card: “Volcanic Island – Level determined by      die roll.”

3. Roll for Challenge

• Rolls      a 3 on a d6, so the island is Level 3.

4. Resolve Encounter

• Dillon     is Level 3 – an exact match.
• No      need for an extra die roll.
• The      island is conquered!

5. Rewards

• Island      card effect: “Draw 1 Treasure and 1 Item card.”
• Dillon     draws:
  • Treasure:       "Gemmed Kraken Tooth" (adds +1 to future Island encounters)
  • Item:       "Bottle of Rum" (boosts level by +2 temporarily, but forces d12       roll in combat)

6. End of Turn

• Dillon     equips the item (holds 1 of max 2).
• Team      now has 1 Treasure.

🌊 Turn 2: Navigator (Mariah)

1. Draw Phase

• Mariah     draws 1 Seafaring card (now has 3).

2. Play Phase

• Mariah     plays “Ghost Ship Encounter – Level TBD.”

3. Roll for Challenge

• Rolls      a 5 on d6 – Level 5.

4. Resolve Encounter

• Mariah     is Level 2 – underleveled.
• She      chooses to roll a d12 to try to succeed.

→ Bree rolls a 9 on the d12 – success!

5. Rewards

• Seafaring      effect: “Draw 1 Item card and gain +1 Adventure Point.”
• Item:      "Orange Fruit" (heals scurvy if affected later).
• Adventure      Points now: Bree (1), Team (1 Treasure)

⚔️ Turn 3: Pirate (Dain)

1. Draw Phase

• Dain     draws 1 Enemy card (now has 3).

2. Play Phase

• Plays      “Cursed Buccaneer – Level TBD.”

3. Roll for Challenge

• Rolls      a 2 on d6 – Level 2 enemy.

4. Resolve Encounter

• Dain     is Level 1 → underleveled.
• He      rolls d12 → result is 4 → Success!

5. Rewards

• Enemy      defeated → gain 1 Adventure Point and draw an Item.
• Item:      “Rusty Saber” (+1 in combat if Level ≤ 2)
• Adventure      Points: Carlos (1), Team (still 1 Treasure)

🔁 Next Round – Team Plan

• Dillon      (Captain) has a Treasure that boosts Island encounters—plans to tackle a      higher-level Island.
• Mariah      (Navigator) is near leveling up and wants to risk a storm card.
• Dain      (Pirate) now has a bonus item—might target a mid-level enemy next turn.

🎯 Summary After 1 Full Round:

Player

Role

Level

AP

Items

Notes

Dillon

Captain

3

0

Bottle of Rum

Holding Treasure

Mariah

Navigator

2

1

Orange Fruit

Success on Ghost Ship

Dain

Pirate

1

1

Rusty Saber

Beat Level 2 Enemy

Team

—

—

—

—

1 Treasure Collected

🎮 Next Steps

As the team progresses:

• More      dangerous encounters will appear.
• Once      they reach 6 Treasures, they switch to 12-sided die only for      encounter rolls.
• At      certain AP thresholds, players will level up, making it easier to      conquer higher-level cards.
• Strategic      Item use becomes more important, and cooperation is key.

🏴‍☠️ Maelstrom Player Aid

🎯 Goal

Work together to collect 5, 10, or 15 Treasure cardsbefore your crew is defeated.

🎲 Turn Overview

Each Player’s Turn:

1. Draw      Phase
       Draw 1 card from your role deck (max 3 in hand).
2. Play      Phase
       Choose a card to play from your hand:
   • Captain      → Island card
   • Navigator      → Seafaring card
   • Pirate      → Enemy or Hazard card

1. Roll      Phase
       Roll a die to determine card level:
   • Use       a d6 until 6 Treasures are collected
   • Switch       to d12 afterward

1. Resolve      Encounter
   • If       your level ≥ card level → auto success
   • If       under-leveled → roll a d12
     • Success:        gain rewards
     • Failure:        suffer penalties (status effects, etc.)

1. Item      Use / End Turn
   • Use       or equip 1 Item (max 2 held)
   • Check       if anyone levels up with Adventure Points

     

📈 Leveling & Adventure Points

• Earn      Adventure Points (AP) from victories.
• At      AP thresholds (e.g., 3, 6, 10), level up.
• Higher      level = easier wins, access to stronger effects.

🧪 Item Mechanics

• Max 2      Items per player
• Use      Items before or after a card is played
• Examples:
  • Bottle       of Rum: +2 Level this turn, but use d12 for any combat
  • Orange       Fruit: Cures Scurvy from Seafaring cards
  • Rusty       Saber: +1 vs enemies if Level ≤ 2

    

🏆 Victory & Defeat

✅ Victory: Team collects agreed number of Treasure Cards
❌ Defeat: All players are incapacitated or no longer able to progress

👥 Player Roles

Role

Starts At

Focus

Deck Type

⚓ Captain

Level 3

Exploration, Buffs

Island Deck

🌊 Navigator

Level 2

Hazards, Events

Seafaring Deck

⚔ Pirate

Level 1

Combat, Enemies

Enemy Deck

📦 Quick Component List

• 5      Decks (Island x20, Seafaring x20, Enemy x20, Treasure x15, Item x20)
• 3      Role Decks (Captain, Navigator, Pirate)
• 6-sided      die (early game)
• 12-sided      die (later game + combat)
• Paper      & pencil for Level and AP tracking