The Four
Developed by Patrick
Type: Card Game
Details: Originally a card game only exclusively available at The Four in Hand, The Four is a card game that has recently grown in popularity. Sailors have even taken to spread the joy of this intense card game, as it involves a serious poker face alongside patience. Players have to try and attain a full suite of the cardset, the essential way to win, while remaining tactfully aware of the other cards players may possess.
The frequency of which this game is encountered outside of Scalvoris is minimal, but there are a few places such as Viden, Rynmere, and even Rharne; which have adopted the ideals of this game. They've even given the game itself a few twists, such as Rharne including a drinking system (naturally) with the rules.
The
Suites are as Followed:
Academia: The Book Card, The Candle Card, The Quill Card, The Mentor Card
Artisans: The Masoner Card, The Shipwright Card, The Carpenter Card, The Smith Card
Kingdom: The King Card, The Queen Card, The Jester Card, The Advisor Card
Immortals: The Deity Card, The Champion Card, The Exalted Card, The Cursed Card
Knighthood: The Knight Card, The Squire Card, The Sword Card, The Shield Card
Serpents: The Thief Card, The Pirate Card, The Politician Card, The Murderer Card
Six cards are drawn from a shuffled deck and the players must maintain a hand of six or less, either discarding cards they don't need into a pile or guessing which players have a certain card. The concept is fairly simple but requires a bit of tact and deception, as players can either discard cards for new ones or "Swipe" a particular card. There is even the capacity to "Negotiate" cards with one another, trading a card of your card for a card of someone else's choice also. Overall the game is entirely focused around gathering a set of Four cards that belong to one Suite, with the intent to hinder the other's prowess along the way. Up to four players is usually the max in one card session, however multiple decks can be created to include more players if necessary.
Terms:
Blocking: Keeping a player from winning the game by naming the Suite they're about to complete, however involves severe penalty if the guess is incorrect.
Bluff: To declare another player possesses the card you've attempted to Swipe, therefore challenging them and risk gaining or a couple of card.
Discard: Removing a single card from your hand to free open a spot for another card.
Draw: Taking a card from the Discard pile
Fringe: A term declaring that a player has almost a full Suite
Four: The declaration of a full Suite, therefore winning the game
Pass: Holding onto your current hand without any action taken
Swipe: Attempting a guess at a potential players card, if the guess is correct then the player "Swipes" it as a result
Negotiate: Bartering a card from your hand for another card in another Player's hand; a real gambling move
Rules:
-Bets are allowed prior to starting a game
-The Game is turn based; the first round typically resulting in everybody either Discarding or Negotiating
-The players involved must obtain a full Suite which consists of four cards from six Suites
-Players can either
Discard,
Draw,
Pass,
Swipe, or
Negotiate in a turn; only one action is allowed in that turn
-Players
cannot Draw or
Swipe when they're at
Six cards; they must either
Discard,
Negotiate, or
Pass
-Cards that a player
Discard are placed face down in a pile.
-
Bluff can be called if a Player suspects another possesses a card they're
Swiping, but denies it, in doing so that player risk a penalty if their call is wrong. If the Player in question possesses the card, then they lose it and any other card associated in it's Suite. If the player doesn't possess it, then they get to choose a card from the caller if they don't have six cards. If the player does, then the one who called Bluff must
Draw instead.
-Players must call out
Fringe when they're in possession of 3/4's of a Suit
-Blocking becomes another option once
Fringe is declared, but if the players guess wrong they're out; if they guess right then they're the winner.
-Players must call out
Four when they do possess all four in a Suit; revealing the deck and winning the game.
Other Information: For out of character purposes and the sake of fun, one can determine the initial hand created to start the game by rolling.
Simply rolle 6d24 and the numbers you receive is potentially the hand you've started with! For those who've combined two whole decks for more players, simply make it 48 instead of 24! Or you could also use this
number scrambler also, if you wish to determine the first hand dealt that way.
- Advisor Card
- Book Card
- Candle Card
- Carpenter Card
- Champion Card
- Cursed Card
- Deity Card
- Exalted Card
- Jester Card
- King Card
- Knight Card
- Masoner Card
- Mentor Card
- Murderer Card
- Pirate Card
- Politician Card
- Queen Card
- Quill Card
- Shield Card
- Shipwright Card
- Smith Card
- Squire Card
- Sword Card
- Thief Card
