Raccciman’s World

• About the Deck
• Viashi (A trick taking game for 3 players)
• Viashi variants
• Loot (Similar to Gin Rummy) PLAY ONLINE!
• Treasure (Similar to Rummy)
• Crusade (A trick taking game for 3-5 players)
• Mages Wild (Simlar to Crazy Eights) PLAY ONLINE!
• Politics (3-4 players)
• Two-Faced (A trick taking game for 2 players)
• Finance (A trick taking game for 2 players)
• Changelands (The cards form a changing board)

Politics

For 3-4 players.
In addition to the Viashi deck each player in this game needs a dozen counters identical to those of the other players, except differing in color, an opaque container (hearafter referred to as a cup, although cloth bags work equally well), and a ten sided die.
Not like any other card game, Politics features some rather twisty strategies, and being able to react quickly to changing circumstances. This is another one of my son Ben's inventions. It's a complicated game (well, it's politics!), and this is rev. 3.

Each player chooses a suit, and the cards of the remaining suits are removed from the deck, and set aside out of play. The remaining Queens are shuffled, and one of them is drawn and placed on the table, the remaining queens are given to the players who have chosen those suits. Then the kings are shuffled, one is chosen randomly to be placed next to the queen already on the table, and the remaining kings are distributed to the players who chose their suits. Continue until one card of each rank is laid out in order on the table. Each player should be holding only cards of their chosen suit, and they should be holding all the cards of that suit except for any that happen to have been randomly chosen and placed on the table.

Roll the die to see who goes first.

Order of play is as follows:

1. Placing Influence Markers
2. Using Card Abilities
3. 'Revolts and Ruckuses' -Card Takeover and Switching attempts
4. Scoring

The first player to reach 20 points in a three player game, or twelve points in a four player game wins.

Placing Influence Markers: Each player gets as many influence markers as they have cards in their hand. If they have insufficient markers in their pool, they get all the markers available, and lose the rest of their influence for that turn. Then starting with the first player and moving clockwise around the table, the players take turns placing these to the table. A player can play any number of influence markers on cards of their chosen suit, or they can put markers on any card not adjacent to one of their own cards. They can only place a number of markers equal to the distance from their nearest card (if there is one card between the card they are placing on, and their own card, they may place two markers, two cards between they can place three markers, etc.) Once all the players have place their markers (unused markers are returned to the pool, not saved up for subsequent turns).

Using Card Abilities: Starting with the first player and going around the table clockwise, each player has a chance to use the special abilities of the cards of their suit that are played to the table. Each ability can only be used once per turn except for the warriors (5s), and most of the abilities cost an influence marker. The influence markers must belong to the player using the ability, and must come from off the card being used.

• Queens can Request Favors: They can borrow an ability from a card next to them. Borrowing the ability costs nothing, but in order to use the ability they must pay that ability's usual cost.
• Kings can Banish: You can move some or all of any one color of markers off any one of the cards of your suit, and put them on any other one card of your suit.
• Princes can Lead: You can move any number of your influence markers off of one card and move them to the card next to it.
• Princesses can Influence: You can move any card that is 'below' the princess (closer to where the fool started) and move them up the order one card (ie swap them with a neighbor). The Princess can move the card next to her, swapping it with herself.
• Warriors can defend: You can move markers off the warrior whenever you are attempting to prevent a takeover attempt or a card switch, and use them in that defense. This ability does not cost any additional markers.
• Merchants can Swindle: You can move any card that is 'above' the merchant (closer to where the Queen started) down the rankings one card (ie swap them with a neighbor). The merchant can move the card next to them, swapping it with themselves.
• Workers can Haul: You may move any number of your influence markers off of any one of the cards of your suit, and place them on the card opposite. If they were on the card in the ninth position they can be moved to the card in the first, if they were on the card in the 8th position they can be moved to the card in position 2, if they were on the 7th they can be moved to the 3rd, if they were on the sixth card they can be moved to the 4th, and vice versa. Markers on the middle card cannot be moved.
• Magicians can Summon: You can pull all or some of one color of markers off of any one card and place them on the Magician.
• Fools can Befuddle: You may roll the die. If you do so you must swap the card of the rolled rank number with one of it's neighbors. This ability costs nothing. If a 0/10 is rolled you do not switch anyone.

Revolts and Rumpuses: Start at the lowest card (where the fool started) and work towards the highest card. Everyone with markers on each card can chose as many markers as they desire into the cup. One marker is drawn, and the player that owns that marker decides to take over that card (swap the current card with one of the same rank from that player's hand -- all markers still on the card are moved to the new card), to swap the card with either one of it's neighbors (markers stay on the card when it swaps), or to leave it where it is. The remaining markers in the cup are returned to their owner's pool.

Scoring : The first turn is a non-scoring round. Points are scored when two cards of the same suit lie next to eachother. The amount of points scored is equal to the difference between the two ranks. So a princess (4) and a warrior (5) sitting next to each other score 1, but a king (2) and a worker (7) score 5. A combination of a queen (1), merchant (6), and prince (3) in a row would score 8, five for the queen-merchant combination, and 3 for the merchant-prince.

At the end of the scoring phase the player to the left of the first player is designated the new 'first player' and next round begins with everyone collecting their influence markers.