Bellwake

Our own co-op card campaign: two bell-keepers hold back the Hush with allies, gear and songs across three linked scenarios, and every win, loss or choice goes into a campaign log that changes what comes next.

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The table of Bellwake

2 players, together · cooperative

The bells of Tollhaven keep the Hush away: a silent fog that eats names and voices. Two keepers, Hale Brann the Bellwarden and Sefa Wren the Cantor, play three scenarios in a row: climb the Lower Stair, relight the Foundry Below and ring the great bell on the Crown of Silence. Every round they gain echo to play allies, gear and songs, send characters on the venture against the dread of the staging area, and fight the Hush-born that come down as the Hush rises. Toll the bell to push the Hush back. What happens in one scenario is written in the campaign log and changes the next; experience buys upgrades, a fallen hero carries trauma. Silence the Unsung on the Crown to win.

Original game. One hero per player with a fixed sixteen-card deck (upgrades add cards); no mulligan, and a player deck that runs out is not reshuffled. Each round reveals two encounter cards; enemies engage when the Hush reaches their approach value, the player with fewer engaged enemies first. Engaged enemies attack in the order they engaged; there are no shadow cards. A scenario is lost when the Hush reaches 17, when both heroes have fallen, or after round 10. A hero who falls leaves the scenario, the player plays on with allies (and gains only 1 echo a round), and their enemies turn to the other hero. The campaign goes on after a lost scenario; it is won by winning the third.

Goal and end of the game

  • Win the last objective is complete (and the Unsung silenced, where she appears) · within a scenario
  • Loss the Hush reaches its limit · within a scenario
  • Loss both heroes have fallen · within a scenario
  • Loss the last round is over · within a scenario
  • Win all scenarios played and the Crown of Silence won
  • Loss all scenarios played and the Crown of Silence lost

How the game goes

Follow the track from top to bottom. ↻ repeats, a side track is a branch; under every step: what you decide there. Tap a step for what you decide there.

start↻ Campaignuntil all three scenarios playedScenarioSet up: reset,campaign log,…↻ Rounduntil a scenario end condition fires1. Kindle: echo and acard↻ 2. Musterper playerStart the muster↻ Play cards until doneuntil this keeper has stoppedPlay a card, toll thebell, or stop3. Venture↻ Commitper playerSend ready characters(exhaust)Reveal two encountercardsplayers may play fast actionsResolve vs dread:progress or the Hush…4. Travel5. Encounter↻ Optional engagementper playerEngage an enemy fromthe staging area?Enemies with approach≤ Hush engage6. Clash↻ Enemy attacksper player↻ Each enemy engaged with this keeperper enemy engaged with this keeperDefend (exhaust) ortake the blowplayers may play fast actionsDamage = strike − ward↻ Keeper attacksper player↻ Each enemy engaged with this keeperper enemy engaged with this keeperAttack this enemy(exhaust) or hold7. Rest: ready, theHush risesWrap-up: experience,trauma, campaign logBetween scenariosif the Foundry was won:choose what to saveRecast the bell orrescue the founderCampif another scenario follows↻ Each keeper spends experienceper playerOpen the camp↻ Learn until doneuntil the keeper stops or has no experience leftLearn an upgrade orkeep the experienceend of the game
All steps in words
  1. Campaign until all three scenarios played
    1. Scenario
      1. Set up: reset, campaign log, upgrades, hands, first objective
      2. Round until a scenario end condition fires
        1. 1. Kindle: echo and a card
        2. 2. Muster per player
          1. Start the muster
          2. Play cards until done until this keeper has stopped
            1. Play a card, toll the bell, or stop

              One of:

              • Play a card

                Allowed if a card in hand that can be played now.

                • Choose a playable card
                • If gear, or a song with a target: choose it: choose a character for gear, a hurt character, or an enemy
              • Toll the bell

                Allowed if once per round, for echo.

              • Stop playing cards
        3. 3. Venture
          1. Commit per player
            1. Send ready characters (exhaust)
              • Choose ready characters (zero or more)
          2. Reveal two encounter cards
          3. Resolve vs dread: progress or the Hush rises
        4. 4. Travel

          One of:

          • Travel to the next location

            Allowed if no active location, and a location in the staging area.

          • Stay here
        5. 5. Encounter
          1. Optional engagement per player
            1. Engage an enemy from the staging area?

              One of:

              • Engage an enemy
              • Keep your distance
          2. Enemies with approach ≤ Hush engage
        6. 6. Clash
          1. Enemy attacks per player
            1. Each enemy engaged with this keeper per enemy engaged with this keeper
              1. Defend (exhaust) or take the blow

                One of:

                • Defend (exhaust)
                  • Choose a ready character
                • Take the blow
              2. Damage = strike − ward
          2. Keeper attacks per player
            1. Each enemy engaged with this keeper per enemy engaged with this keeper
              1. Attack this enemy (exhaust) or hold

                One of:

                • Attack (exhaust)
                  • Choose attackers
                • Hold
        7. 7. Rest: ready, the Hush rises
    2. Wrap-up: experience, trauma, campaign log
    3. Between scenarios
      • If the Foundry was won: choose what to save
        1. Recast the bell or rescue the founder

          One of:

          • Recast the bell
          • Rescue the founder
    4. Camp
      • If another scenario follows
        1. Each keeper spends experience per player
          1. Open the camp
          2. Learn until done until the keeper stops or has no experience left
            1. Learn an upgrade or keep the experience

              One of:

              • Learn an upgrade

                Allowed if an upgrade you can afford and do not have yet.

              • Keep the experience

On the table

14 zones and piles
  • campaign log open — log entries; each one's effect runs at the start of every later scenario
  • deck per player · face down · shuffled
  • hand per player · only its owner sees it
  • party per player · open — the hero and the allies in play
  • gear per player · open — gear on a character; host = its uid
  • discard per player · open
  • engaged per player · open — enemies engaged with this player, in the order they engaged
  • encounter deck face down · shuffled
  • revealed open
  • staging open — enemies and locations not yet engaged or travelled to
  • active location open
  • encounter discard open
  • victory open — silenced enemies and explored locations with victory points
  • silenced open — heroes who fell this scenario

Cards and components

heroes 2 items
  • Hale BrannBellwarden. After Hale defends, he deals 1 damage to the attacker.
  • Sefa WrenCantor. While Sefa stands, a failed venture raises the Hush by 1 less.
cards 19 items
  • Stair GuardAlly.
  • Watch NoviceAlly.
  • Tower CaptainAlly.
  • Bell-hammerGear. The character gets +1 strike.
  • Quilted MantleGear. The character gets +1 ward and +1 health.
  • Hold FastFast, during an attack: the defender gets +2 ward.
  • Counter-pealFast, during an attack: deal 2 damage to the attacker.
  • Ring the AlarmDraw 2 cards.
  • Pilgrim of the StairAlly.
  • Choir ScholarAlly.
  • WayfinderAlly. When it joins: you may exhaust it to put 2 progress on the active location (overflow goes to the objective).
  • Tuning ForkGear. The character gets +1 resolve.
  • Echo StoneGear. Each kindle, its player gains 1 more echo.
  • Hymn of ClarityFast, during the venture: +2 resolve.
  • Mending ChantHeal 3 damage from a character.
  • Name the NamelessDeal 2 damage to an enemy, engaged or in the staging area.
  • Bell-guard VeteranAlly. Earned at camp.
  • Great CanticleFast, during the venture: +4 resolve. Earned at camp.
  • Agna Fell, BellfounderAlly. Joins from the campaign log.
encounter 18 items
  • Hollow HoundAmbush (engages at once).
  • Hushed NoviceWhen revealed: the Hush rises by 1.
  • Silent BrotherAfter it attacks undefended: the Hush rises by 1.
  • Mist WeaverWhile in the staging area: every other enemy there has +1 dread (once, however many Mist Weavers).
  • Bell-thiefWhen revealed: the keeper with the most echo loses 2.
  • Bronze HuskUnyielding (songs cannot hurt it).
  • The UnsungEach toll of the bell deals her 2 damage, 4 once the Great Bell is complete. In the staging area: the Hush rises 1 more each rest.
  • Frostbitten StepsAfter you travel here: the Hush rises by 1.
  • Rope BridgeWhen explored: each keeper draws 1 card.
  • Cold RefectoryWhen explored: heal 2 damage from each hero.
  • Furnace MouthWhile active: enemies have +1 strike.
  • Casting PitWhen explored: each keeper gains 1 echo.
  • Hall of Still BellsWhile active: heroes have −1 resolve.
  • Creeping SilenceSurge. When revealed: the Hush rises by 1.
  • Numbing ColdWhen revealed: 1 damage to each committed character.
  • Forgotten PathWhen revealed: remove up to 2 progress from the active location, or else from the objective.
  • Echoes FadeWhen revealed: each keeper loses 1 echo.
  • The Quiet SpreadsWhen revealed: the enemy discarded last returns to the staging area; if there is none, Surge.
objectives 6 items
  • The ClimbClimb the frozen stair. When it begins: each keeper draws 1 card.
  • The Gate of TollhavenReach the gate before it shuts. When it begins: reveal 1 encounter card.
  • The BellowsWake the old furnace. When it begins: each keeper gains 1 echo.
  • The PourPour the bronze. When it begins: a Bronze Husk rises in the staging area.
  • The SpireClimb the bell tower. When it begins: the Hush rises by 1.
  • The Great BellRing the great bell. When it begins: the Unsung enters the staging area. You win once she is silenced too.
log entries 5 items
  • The gate heldEach later scenario begins with the Hush 1 lower.
  • The gate fellA Silent Brother waits in the staging area of the Foundry Below.
  • The bell was recastTolling the bell costs 1 echo less.
  • The founder was rescuedAgna Fell, Bellfounder, starts in the first keeper's party.
  • The bell crackedThe Unsung has 4 more health.
upgrades 6 items
  • TemperedYour hero has 2 more health.
  • Clear VoiceYour hero has 1 more resolve.
  • Iron ArmYour hero has 1 more strike.
  • Deep BreathYou start each scenario with 2 echo.
  • A Veteran JoinsShuffle a Bell-guard Veteran into your deck.
  • The Great CanticleShuffle a Great Canticle into your deck.

Under the hood

These rules are read straight from the game's model: the same data the engine plays with. For the exact expressions, the rules diagram and the model source:

Rules diagram · Model (YAML) · Edit a copy