Before you giggle about how 'nerdy' card and dice games are, remember the days of stealing funny colored money from the banker when they went for another pop when playing Monopoly. Now, imagine when you landed on someone's territory that instead of paying their exorbitant rent, you beat the crap out of them and take over ownership of the property. That is the kind of cutthroat game Culdcept Saga is.
Card and dice games need not rely on a solid story, which is a good thing because the story in Culdcept Saga is certainly not its strong suit. The story begins with you bought as a slave by a slave trader to raise some cash for your broken down village. You quickly run into a mysterious girl who thinks that you may actually be a 'cepter', with the ability to use the mysterious cards she possesses. It turns out that she is correct, and the plot plays out as a wafer-thin device to land you battling on various game boards against other card-carrying cepters. The corny dialogue and weak story are easy to look past once you get to battle.
Each game is essentially the same, with increasingly difficult enemies and goals to reach. Players use the dice to roll their way across an initially blank board. Land on a vacant property, and you can place one of your 'creature' cards on it to stand guard and demand 'toll' from all else who land on it. The toll is in the form of 'magic', which is the game's ultimate goal. The first player to reach a set level of 'total magic' and reach the castle is the winner, and awarded with additional cards for their collection, and usage in future battles.
Gamers earn magic in several ways throughout the game. Players are granted magic when they cross certain checkpoints on the board, as well as when they 'lap' the castle. Magic also adds to your pool of total magic based on the properties you currently possess, and the amount of toll they collect. Each time you land on a property you own, you can use some of your magic to upgrade your land to collect more toll.
This all sounds simple, until you remember that just because an opponent lands on your territory does not mean they have to pay you. They have the option to take one of their own creature cards and attempt to demolish yours, taking over ownership of the property in the process. Each creature card has certain values as to the health and strength points they have, as well as any special powers that may come into play. Some creatures may completely deflect attacks from enemies above or below a certain strength threshold. While the player that landed on the property typically gets the first chance to attack, some creatures have built-in 'strike first' skills that make defeating them a difficult task. Learning to read and understand all the card nuances is a necessity to be successful in the game.
As a result, you must be mindful of what creature you have guarding each of your properties. Most creatures have a certain element attached to them, and will receive health bonuses when battling on the same element's property. To add to the complexity of battle, each player selects one item card prior to battle. The item cards are either an offensive weapon giving them a strength boost or a defensive tool giving them a health increase. In battle, each creature attacks just once. If the first attacker defeats the opponent right away, the battle ends. If it does not, the opponent has a chance to strike back.
