PLAY ME IRL - Bloodborne: The Card Game - Seven Pthumerian Queens

Over the New Year, I discovered something. Friendship is overrated when there are Blood Echoes on the line. Victory is more important than loyalty. Eh, I mean, when you're playing Bloodborne: The Card Game that is. (Please still be my friend)

The Aim of the game is for 3-5 players to get to the end of a Chalice Dungeon whilst accumulating the most Blood Echoes. (Points!) You earn points by hurting and killing monsters and boss creatures. There are various ways to earn bonus pieces by playing smart (if not a little dirty). While it can work out in your favour to play cooperatively, this is a competition, so getting the edge and striking the final blow on an enemy can be what makes or breaks your points total. Speaking of "breaking" your points total, much like in the video game of Bloodborne, you can die. (And you might do it a lot) If you are slain by a monster or another player, you lose all the points you haven't banked. This can be frustrating, especially if you've tried a gambit that hasn't paid off. There is a way to "bank" your Blood Echoes, though this comes with the penalty of not being able to attack for a turn, potentially losing out on a big payday.

Now can I recommend that if you're going to invite people round to play this game, you read the rules properly first? "Properly" doesn't consist of drinking a whiskey and having Arrested Development on in the background, while slowly falling asleep. (You know, as a hypothetical) My first game involved dishing out the required doodads to each player, then I sat there for a few beats, everyone staring expectantly. "Oh, right, yeah. How do we start?" *whips out the rule book* (This is bad game hosting, DO NOT REPLICATE) If you're as lucky as I am, your friends will be a lot smarter than you so hand the very simple rule book to them and let them fix any mistakes you've just made. (Thanks, guys)

To start, you choose one of five Final Boss cards. This will set up the Big Bad for the end of the adventure and will also give the Dungeon a unique rule. We played with Mergo's Wet Nurse, who gave each player back 1 health at the start of each round. (A rule that we only remembered at about halfway through the game, whoops) The other four Final Boss cards were less forgiving. One of which, Rom, The Vacuous Spider, would inflict perma-death on a player who died twice. (So yeah, slight degrees of difficulty) Next, you shuffle and pick seven monster cards and three Boss cards, give them a further shuffle and place them face down next to the Final Boss. These make up each of the floors that you and your fellow hunters have to fight through. Each player gets given five Hunter Starter cards (basically your core weapons and your Blood Echo banking card), a health dial to keep track of how badly you're doing and a Hunter Board each for keeping track of all the Blood Echoes and Trophy Tokens you accumulate. Finally, you shuffle and display the Upgrade cards. One for each available player, the rest get placed face down. These are a mix of powerful weapons, healing items, and tools that can be used to help you and potentially hinder the other players. Once done, reveal the first Monster and your set to go. (Yay, oh God, no)

Each round consists of 4-8 steps, depending on what cards are played. The aim of each round is to kill the Monster that you come up against. At the end of the round, if the monster hasn't been killed it escapes, robbing the players of additional Blood Echoes and Trophy Tokens. (Trophy Tokens are awarded to whichever Hunter lands the killing blow, these are traded in at the end of the game for bonus Blood Echoes) Bosses and Final Bosses don't run, however, so you just keep fighting until it dies.

1. Choose and Play Action Cards: First off, players must choose an action to take. This can range from attacking, Transforming their weapon, using an item or going to the Hunter's Dream to bank Blood Echoes. Most of everyone's first moves will be to attack. At the bottom of each weapon card is a number, this is the damage it will inflict. You are encouraged to talk to the other players about what you're planning on doing, you don't need to hide your hand from them. (Of course, you can lie. Strategic lying is a thing) 
2. Transform Weapons: You can use a Transform card (which is one of your Starter Cards) which essentially lets you stall for one step to see what other players actually play. The only downside to that this locks you into attacking, you can't bank points after stalling.
3. Resolve Instant Effects: If a Hunter has used an item or weapon with an "instant effect" (such as a healing potion), this is the point it works. Given what the next step is, a healing item can make or break your Blood Echo stockpile.
4. Monster Attacks: The Monster will always attack first. At the bottom of each Monster card is a coloured lantern symbol, indicating which of the damage dice to roll for its attack. (Either green, yellow or red) The green has two sides with 0, three with 1 and the highest damage is 2. Not bad odds though two of the 1 sides have a + indicating that the dice needs rolled again until it lands on a side that doesn't. (E.g. 1+1+0=2) The other two dice are less forgiving, each only has one 0 side each and having 3 and 4 as a standard level of damage. (Fun times agogo) Needless to say, this step can be devastating if you get some unlucky rolls as each attack hits all players. (Players in The Hunter's Dream take half damage, rounded down) If you are killed at this step, you can't attack the Monster.
5. Hunters Attack: Finally, you get to dish out what this beast was just laying down. (Assuming you survived the onslaught) The order of attack is clockwise, starting with whoever's turn it currently is. You can't miss attacking, whatever card you've played, you'll do the stated damage. (Unless another card has stated otherwise) The damage you do to the Monster is then rewarded to you as Blood Echoes, the player who lands the final hit will not only receive the Blood Echoes but also a Trophy Token. (Go you, ya big monster killing stud!)
6. Monster Escapes: Sometimes you're well-laid plans and attacks won't be enough to finish a Monster off. In this case, it will escape, taking with it all unclaimed Blood Echoes and the potential Trophy Tokens. Sad times. Even sadder times if it has an "If this Escapes" condition. This can range from doing damage to all Hunters to stealing unbanked Blood Echoes. (This game is not your friend)
7. The Hunter's Dream: Remember this place. Time for that to come into effect. If you used your action to come here, then there are a whole load of benefits. Firstly, you bank all your accumulated Blood Echoes. This means dying, other players items and Monsters can't touch them, they're yours for keeps. You get to reclaim all your used action cards. As this is the only way to get your weapons back it's recommended you do this every now and then if you want to earn any future Blood Echoes and not just stand there like a chump. You get to grab yourself a tasty new Upgrade from one of the ones on display. (You replenish the display ones only once every player has picked one up) Maybe most importantly of all, after banking your points, you reset your health back to full. Any player who entered the Dream by dying only get an Upgrade and the health replenishment. (Still, not a bad deal for essentially attacking a Monster with your face) The only real downside is you don't attack the Monster while here so you can't earn any Blood Echoes for this round. (Sad trombone)
8.  End of the Round: With the Monster dead (or having "done a runner") and everyone back from The Hunter's Dream it's time to collect yourselves before the madness ensues. Firstly, discard any of the action cards you used and display them is such a way that the other players can see them. (Again, for the purposes of being a sneaky bastard and formulating a "scheme") The player to your left becomes the next chump-in-charge for the next round, and they get to reveal the next Monster card. (Joy!)

That may look longwinded and confusing, but these rules were picked up relatively quickly at around 1 a.m. with most of us fueled by alcohol and Pringles. (The "Fuel of Champions", I'm told) These steps are repeated until all Monsters and Bosses are defeated and you're left with the Final Boss.

The encounter with work like the previous ones except for the obvious, you're going to have to deal a lot more damage to this guy before it bites the big one. The other big difference is every Hunter who even just deals damage to the Final Boss in the final round of attacks will be rewarded with Trophy Tokens, just to add extra incentive for one last push to victory. (Or one final stab in the back, depending on how much of a dick you want to be. There can only be one winner after all) Once defeated, all the players first count how many Blood Echoes they've banked, then how many they receive from Trophies, then lastly how many they have unbanked. If there is a tie, whichever play had banked the most, wins. Congratulations, you're the head honcho Hunter, everyone else is a stupid munter. (And presumably very pissed off at the sneaky shit you just pulled to win the game)

Having been the first time I've played it, with a bunch of other first-timers, there wasn't as much calculated douchebaggery as there could have been. (I think I was the only one to be guilty of that anyway. And it failed spectacularly. Karma exists) It was a fun experience, and with the right people, it can be a laugh. Basically what I'm saying is if I invite you round for some board games, you won't end the night hating me more than you already do.
(Sorry for the bad picks, my iPod wasn't making it easy to recover the photos I took)