Rules

the rules to Destiny Swap are written in a rigid shorthand due to the cards being made by hand, and the time it would take to write out longer rules would add up quite quickly. ideally once the shorthand is learned, one would not need to check this website to play the game once u have cards to, as the rules will all be on the cards as much as possible. as time goes by i will try to simplify to increase accessibility

TLDR, the simple version (ignore actions except for the Phantom Cards and Core Cards):

1. How to Start:

Each player must have a Phantom card [P] , and there must be at least one theoretically playable Spirit Card [S] in the game. each player must have at least 5 cards in total, including phantom cards. but not over 40.

Each player does the following:

Place 1 Phantom Card [P] in your Field [#F] . Shuffle remaining cards, and place deck on left hand side. this stack is called "The Pool of Never Ending Cruel Fate" [TPONECF] . or "The Draw Pile" [ " ].

Draw 3 cards from your Draw Pile [ " ] , this is your hand.

2. How to Win:

The last player left with a Phantom Card [P] in the Field [F] wins.

extra rules that i will find a better place for later:

[S] total endurance replenishes every time [FE]. however the total amount of endurance can be altered if specified, for the specified duration

[P] endurance does not replenish unless otherwise specified.

if there is more than 2 players, u choose which [P] to target each turn, optionally doing equally divided damage rounded down to [⬌⚡P ]

[P] with the most [i] activates 1st, then goes to the next player clockwise

if ◇ exceeds ○ of a [S] during an [ ! ] , then that [S] perishes and is moved to discard pile of owner

3. Turns:

Check the Initiative [ i ] number on your Phantom Card [P] . Whoever's [P] has the highest [ i ] goes first. The next player to take their turn is the player with the next highest [ i ] number on their [ P ] . ( If it is ever a tie, gayest player wins tie. )

---- Manifest Stage ----

(Use Core Cards to generate Core Energy to then use it to Play cards and use actions):

Draw 1 card from [ " ] , and Play cards from your hand, to place them in The Field [ F ] using Core Energy [X] .

~` Core Cards [XC] , are cards that cost 0 Cores to play. these are special types of cards that are used to generate Energy Cores [Q] to manifest things into The Field [ F ] . 

Core cards will mostly only have one action: once per turn, during the manifest stage, you may t generates 1 type of Energy Core

turn the Core Card sideways [┌ ] to signify it as used for that turn. it stays "used" until all players have taken their turns. [ Fe ].  `~

a card's cost of how many cores needed to play it will be on the top left of a card, along with the type required. 

You can use all core energy available to play as many cards as you would like as long as core energy allows.

When playing Spirit Cards or Core Cards, you use core energy to "purchase" cards from your hand, to play them into the Field [F]. Cards in the Field [F] will be activated during the activation phase.

This is also the phase when you would also use your core energy to activate actions on Spirit Cards if you are playing with actions

--- Activate Stage ----

All cards in the field

"Activate" [ ! ] at this time. 

~ if not otherwise specified, any cards in the field [CF] with a ◇ Power Stat "releases" that power at the targeted entity. "The targeted entity" by default is the Opposing [⚡] Player's Phantom Card [⚡P ]. *** ~

The total number of the ◇ Power of all cards in your field added together is equal to the total ◇ Power released. This number is then taken away from the total health of the targeted entity. The default targeted entity is the opposing player's [ P ] .

if the targeted entity is not a [P] , the total power released will take away from the health of the targeted entity [⨂N]. 

if that entity does not have health, the endurance stat is used. if the Endurance stat is less then total power released in the current activate phase, the targeted entity [⨂N] parishes and is placed in the discard pile [ Solemn Slot of Despair ]

once you have played out the activation phase to satisfaction, and all power has been released, Your Field [#F] is considered "at equilibrium [e] " [#Fe]

if your field is at equilibrium, this does not mean the field is at equilibrium. the field refers to all players. once the [P] in the field with the least amount of [i] has gone, this is when the field would be at equilibrium.

at this time, if there is still an opposing Phantom Card [⚡P ]  in the Field with health above 0 , then the player with the [P] with the next highest [ i ] Activates, as normal (next player takes their turn like normal)

when a [ P ] reaches 0 health or lower:

When the health of a player's [P] reaches zero, the player with a [ P ] still alive is tentatively the winner

if they have not gone yet this round, they may still take their turn. (if their [ i ] is lower than the attacking player)

((( if the player whose [ P ] health reached zero has not gone yet this turn,

[ if the field is not at [e] ] ,  

then the player may take their turn. )))

 when a player's phantom card is at 0 health, the phantom is in a state referred to as "Ghost Mode" .  This is when a Phantom is in a hail merry "half alive" state. if the player in Ghost Mode is able to lower all opposing Phantom cards to 0 before activation phase on their turn, the game is a tie, and all phantoms parish, unless otherwise stated.

if the player in ghost mode is not able to defeat their opponent(s), they have lost the game and the player with the living Phantom has Swapped their Destiny.

They have won the game.

***the only exception is if there is a Sheild Card [D] in the Field [DF]. in this case the Sheild Card with the least health in the field is the default target unless otherwise specified. 

if an entity is Targeted ⨂ ,  they will be the entity the power is released onto.

The not simple version:

(everything the same but add the following) 

(no longer ignore actions)

Symbol Key:

[A] = ally card - a spirit or phantom card you own thats currently [F] and faceup

[C] = card a type of entity

[D] = shield card - a type of card that is targeted when the player's [P] normally would be

[e] = equilibrium. when a turn or action is at rest or complete

[F] = the "field". if the "field" has been referenced, it is referencing every card currently in play not in decks or hands. 

[ i ] = initiative

[N] = entities

[P] = phantom card - your player card. only 1 of these cards per player, start the game with ur phantom card face up in front of you

[Q] = Energy Cores

[S] = spirit card - a type of card that usually will have power, endurance or health, and wll behave as a "being" that is attacking the opposing team. one will be able to target these cards on the enemy team, or buff your own. all unless otherwise stated on cards.

[X] = core energy signifier

[ ! ] = "activate" - when a card's power "releases" at [⚡N ] . Actions can activate as well, if it is a Swap Action ( insert symbol here )

[┌ ] = symbol for when to turn your card sideways, or a way to refer to when a card has been turned

[□] = deck

[>] = manifest card into the field

[☽☽] = cost of a card

⬌ = "all" of something

⚡= "opposing" , usually meaning something that is not owned by you

[ # ] = "your own" - refers to something that you own

[ " ] = The Draw Pile

[TPONECF] = "The Pool of Never Ending Cruel Fate" - literally just The Draw Pile

[ SSOD ] = [ Solemn Slot of Despair ]

♥ = "health" - mostly only for Phantom Cards [P] , a stat that must be kept track of, that can go up or down as the game goes on. if power is released at a card with health, the health is damaged equal to the amount of power released. 

◇ = Power - attack or offensive stat

○ = Endurance - defense or block stat

⨂ = "Targeted". pick the one of the entities in the [F], within the restriction if specified. this symbol will normally be near an action to signify when action is used it will involve choosing an entity to target

if symbols are combined implied combination of meaning will be relevant.

example = [Fe] (or [FE] ) means when the field is at equilibrium. (when all cards have activated and everyoe has gone)

Action Symbol Key:

Δ  = Active Action - An action that you choose to use during 'Manifest' that sometimes costs Core Energy. Active Actions stack with normal [ ! ] . there is no change to ◇ power [ ! ] ,

and action happens in addition to [ ! ] . After using an active action, belonging card always switches to [┌ ] until [FE] unless otherwise stated.

▽  = Swap Action - An action that you choose to use during 'Manifest' that sometimes costs Core Energy. Swap Actions conditionally stack with normal ◇ power [ ! ] if Swap Action [ ! ]. the qualifier should be specified with action description. After using a swap action, belonging card always switches to [┌ ] until [FE] unless otherwise stated.

▽  = Passive Action - if the [ C ] this action belongs to = [ F ] and face up ,

then this action [ ! ] until [ C ] is not in play

Example of Spirit Card:

(pictured below: Doodle with a pistol in the rain wearing a suit. someone probably just shot his dog)

Core Types

(in order of type advantage

[i.e. astral 'beats' glitter, glitter 'beats' fear etc.]):

1 - glitter - ☢

2 - fear core - ∩

3 - magic core - ⨁

4 - grit core - ◵

5 - death core - ⛧

6 - pressure core - ⦺

7 - life core - ⟟

8 - astral core - ✪

*** 9 - all core - (÷)

(all core has +1 against all, +1 resistance to all)

(glitter has advantage over fear, etc)

graph below: look along left side for attacking card's core type, and along the top for defending card's type

Notes up upcoming things

im probably gonna add:

• symbol for "face up"

• symbol for "not in play" or "card death"

• ability is better verbage than action probably

• an about the cores section in destiny swap page