TABLE OF

CONTENTS
Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Player Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Play Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Play Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Player Turns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Action Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Taking a Skill Alteration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Taking a Spell into your Spell Combination . . . . . . . . . .7
Taking a Spell and recycling it into Acuity . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Taking Back Exhausted Alterations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Starter Alterations (Grey-edge) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Class Alterations (Grey-edge with tint) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Skill Alterations (Blue-edge) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Artifact Alterations (Purple-edge) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Fine Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Replenish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
After an arduous trek through a dense forest, you finally emerge into a clearing and are greeted by Cast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
a breathtaking vista. From a cliff overlooking the otherworldly Aetherlight Plains, barely visible to Determining the Effect of your Spell Combination . . .13
you on the horizon is your destination: the thriving settlement of Concordia. It dawns on you; you Spell Combination Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
and your caravan have just arrived at the heart of Valanyr, the new frontier that is as mysterious as Equilibrium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
it is ravishing. Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
According to the seasoned mages guiding your caravan, this land was once decimated by an Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
unknown cataclysm centuries ago. This unprecedented devastation is believed to have altered the Heroics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
land’s innate Elan, rendering it fertile but mercurial, subverting the laws of magic itself. Where the Prestige . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
elements of nature are normally stable and separate, here they are in constant flux. Arcanas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
You’ve seen fire inexplicably morph into lightning, and water harden into earth. This volatility Game End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
means that the old ways of spellcasting are useless, but also that—for the first time in Solo Play: Prodigy Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
centuries—there are new and unknown spells to be discovered.
Gameplay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Standing by your side and taking in the view are other members of your caravan; not friends, but Game End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
fellow mages who are also seeking new fortunes. You realize you haven't had the opportunity to Solo Play: Achievements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
speak to them and learn about their past. But whatever their tales may be, you are sure they’re
Icon Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
here for the same reason as you; to see what possibilities this strange new land may yield.
Spell Effect Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
And, perhaps, in their minds, they’re thinking the same thing you are… Classes Explained . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Arcanas Explained . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
That if even the laws of magic can remake themselves here, Artifact Alterations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
why can’t you do the same? Skill Alterations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Quick Setup & Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
 COMPONENTS

4 Player aids

24 Elemental
dice

4 Class boards (double-sided)

Acuity & Mana
discount tokens
(1 each)

20 Prestige tokens

2 Mystrune
tokens
Prestige
56 Spell cards board
70 Acuity
crystals

50 Mana crystals

18 Heroic cards 3 Arcana boards

(double-sided) Equilibrium board

8 Starter Alterations 2 Class Alterations

(grey edge) (grey edge with tint)

25 Skill Alterations 9 Artifact Alterations

44 Alteration cards, (blue edge)
Consisting of... (purple edge)
2
OVERVIEW Alterations
Primary effect
2-4 mages exert control over chaos with their
Elemental dice to craft new Spell combinations,
explore unknown magicks, and compete with
other mages to perform heroic deeds!
Your adventure in Valanyr begins. As a mage, you’ll learn magical
Alteration techniques to control the chaos of your Elemental dice,
and use these Elements to combine Spells into new and unknown
magicks. Your Spell combinations can either inflict Ruin, grant
Restore, or something more — use them to perform heroic deeds,
ranging from helping your allies defeat dangerous beasts, to Secondary Discard effect
effect (Skill Alterations)
finding a path for stranded travelers lost in the otherworldly land
of Valanyr. Spells
Each of your Elemental dice grants you one of six Elements:

Spell
Fire Water Lightning Earth Aether Void effect

During setup, each mage chooses a Class with varying capabilities

and starting resources, with their differences offering a unique Spell
cost
path to power.
During your turn, you’ll perform either two distinct actions or cast
your Spell combination to acquire a Heroic feat. Once a player has
acquired a certain number of Heroic feats (based on player count), Acuity
the game ends with all other players casting their Spell
Elemental dice Mana
combinations. The player with the most Victory Points (VP) wins!
(Resources allocated
to take Spell)

Victory Points! Heroics

(Found on
Heroics, Arcanas, Sigil
& Prestige tokens)

Delve into the fantastic

world of Mercurial, Victory
and discover a new Points
age of spellcrafting. Required
“Ruin”

Required “Restore”

3
 SETUP Place 1 Mana crystal and 1
7 Acuity crystal on each
Set out the Arcana boards and
9 Equilibrium board by placing
Setup for main area face-up Heroic card. them in the space above the
Heroic cards:
(3 player example) Above the Mana and
8 Acuity supply, set out the
For the Arcana boards, randomly
Prestige board and place the select a side to be face up.
8 Prestige tokens over the top half
of the board. Randomly choose 1 of the 2
Mystrune tokens and place it
in the slot on the right side of
the Equilibrium board. The
revealed face does not matter, and
7 players may refer to both
6 faces any time.

4
1
5

1 Shuffle the Heroic

cards face down to form
the Heroic deck. 2
Separate the Skill
2
Alteration cards
(blue edge) from
the rest of the
Alterations. Shuffle the Skill
Alterations face down to form 5 Place the Mana
discount token on
the Alteration deck. Place the
the space below the
Starter, Class, and Artifact 3
leftmost Spell, and the
Alterations aside for now.
Acuity discount token below the
Shuffle the Spell cards face down next Spell to the right (2nd leftmost). Solo play:
3 to form the Spell deck.
Set out the Mana crystals and Acuity Prodigy Mode
From all three decks (Heroic, 6 crystals. For each player in the game, place 1 Setup differs slightly
4 Alteration, and Spell), draw 6 for solo play — full
Acuity on the revealed Skill Alterations starting
cards and place them face up to from the left. (There are 3 players in the example here, rules are on page 20.
the left of each respective deck. so an Acuity has been placed on the 3 leftmost cards.)
4
PLAYER SETUP Play Area
Each player chooses a Class (Elementalist, Arcanist, Enchanter, or Ensure there is ample space around your Class board, so that you
Chaosmancer), then places their chosen Class boards on the space in may store various components and objectives you will be acquiring
front of them. over the course of the game.
B Mana slots Recommended Layout

Alterations
Exhausted
Dice pool

Acquired
Objectives

Spell combination area

A Aetherflow Acuity slots Casting Chart

Players then take the components stated on their Class boards as Example of a player’s area during gameplay
starting resources:

A Starting hand of Starter, Class, and Artifact Alteration

cards: For the Starter Alterations (grey edge) and Class
Alterations (grey edge + hue), you take the cards shown into
your hand. For the Artifact Alteration (purple edge) with a (?),
draw a random Artifact Alteration.

The Enchanter takes 3 Artifact Alterations and will

therefore start with 5 cards in hand, while all other
Classes start with 3.

B Dice, Mana, and Acuity: Stated below the Sigil is the number of Play Order
Elemental dice, Mana, and any Acuity you start with. Place the
dice beside the Class board to form your Dice pool. Place the The first player is the one who most recently performed a
Mana on the Mana slots (blue circles), and the Acuity on the heroic deed. Play will proceed clockwise. Depending on play order,
Acuity slots (grey circles). the second player onwards starts with extra Acuity crystals, which
First game: All players flip their Class boards and they take from the supply:
use the simplified “Initiate” Class instead. Besides 2nd player:
their Sigils and Aetherflow powers, all Initiate’s
3rd player:
starting resources and cards are identical.
4th player:
For their Artifact Alterations, Initiates
choose 1 of 4 Artifacts with this icon All players must then roll all the dice in their Dice pool to determine
on the bottom left side of the card. their starting Elements. You are now ready to begin!
5
 PLAYER TURNS
Do not reroll your Elemental dice between turns!
Mercurial is a turn-based game, starting with the first player and
proceeding clockwise. During your turn, carry out the following After rolling your dice at the start of the game, do not reroll them
actions: between turns. You only reroll your dice as part of an effect

TAKE & PLAY

granted when playing Alteration cards, or when you reset your
resources after casting your Spell combination.
TAKE 1 of any of the following:
1. A new Skill Alteration card into your hand.
2. A Spell card into your Spell combination.
3. A Spell card to be recycled to gain 1 Acuity.
TAKE
4. All exhausted Alteration cards back into your hand.
Taking a Skill Alteration
PLAY 1 Alteration card from hand to activate its effects.
As your Take action, you may take one of six Skill Alterations
When your turn ends, Replenish the Alteration and Spell card cards from the main area into your hand, leaving an empty slot on
rows (see page 11). the row. If there are any Acuity crystals on the Alteration card
you’re taking, you gain those for yourself.

OR
CAST
CAST your Spell combination to acquire objectives (Heroics,
Arcanas, and Prestige) and then reset your play area and In this example, the 3 Alterations on the left have an Acuity on
resources (see page 12). top, so taking any of those cards also gains you the Acuity.

As you may perform your Take and Play actions in any

Action Order order, you may use your Play action to play a newly taken
If you select the Take & Play actions, you may perform them in any Alteration in the same turn if you wish.
order. This is important as Alterations may allow you to perform Skill Alteration limit: You may
more Take and Play actions during your turn. never have more than 6 Skill
Alteration cards at a time,
regardless of whether they are
Example of a valid turn: exhausted or in hand.
1. You play an Alteration that lets you Play 2 However, Skill Alterations may
more Alterations this turn. be discarded for bonus effects,
2. You play 1 more Alteration, leaving you with and to make space for new ones
1 more Play action. (see page 10).
3. You expend your Take action to take a Spell
into your Spell combination. Empty slots: After taking an
4. You then use your remaining Play action to play another Alteration card, an empty slot is
Alteration, and you end your turn. left behind. This will be filled at
the end of the turn through the
Replenish step (see page 11).
6
Taking a Spell into your Spell Combination
Elements & your Elemental dice
As your Take action, you may take a Spell card and add it as an
active Spell into your Spell combination. Elements are resources granted by your Elemental dice.
To take a Spell card, you must allocate the requisite Elements as Whatever the Element is shown on the top face of your dice,
listed on the card’s dice slots, using the Elemental dice from your you possess an instance of that Element.
Dice pool. The card’s dice slots can be found on the lower half of the
card, and there are two types: Fixed A and Flex B . Fire, Water, Lightning, and Earth are
basic Elemental energies, commonly
allocated to Spell cards to take them. At
Fire Water the point of casting, unallocated
Elements will contribute Ruin or Restore
to your Spell combination based on your
B A Class’ Casting chart (see page 13).
Flex Dice Slot Fixed Dice Slot Lightning Earth
Allocate a Fire dice Must allocate a
to qualify, or 2 Mana Fire dice to qualify
Allocation: To take Spell cards, Elements you
possess may be allocated to the card’s dice
Fixed dice slots contain just an Element, and a dice with the slots with matching Element symbols. While
corresponding Element from your Dice pool must be allocated to it. allocated, you still possess that Element, but
Flex dice slots have 2 Mana on the side, meaning that instead of they are “locked in” and cannot be modified or
allocating a dice, you may choose to instead allocate 2 Mana. reallocated.

Mana & Acuity . Aether is a special Element that empowers all

Aethercharged Spells in your Spell Combination.
Representing your mana reserves and mental clarity It can also be converted to other Elements through
respectively, your Mana and Acuity crystals serve as alternate your Class’ Aetherflow power (see page 9).
resources that you may allocate to Flex dice slots on Spell cards.
Void is an Element that has no form, but can be
converted easily to other Elements using certain
Like Elemental dice, acquired Mana remains yours
Alteration cards (see page 9).
throughout the game. Allocated Mana return to your Class
board after you cast your Spell combination.
Conversion: By playing Alteration cards or
At any given time, you can have a maximum using the Mystrune, you can convert your
of 10 Mana and 10 Acuity on your Class unallocated Elements to other Elements.
board. This is signified by there being 10 marked When you do this, you rotate the dice holding
slots of each on the board. the Elements that are being converted to the
faces showing the new Elements.
Acuity may be substituted for Mana, with 2
Acuity being equivalent to 1 Mana. Unlike
Mana, allocated Acuity crystals are discarded IMPORTANT: Your Elemental dice are yours for the
after you cast. Acuity is also discarded when entirety of the game and are never discarded. Allocated
using certain Alteration cards (see page 9). dice will return to your Dice pool after you cast.

7
 Spell limit: Besides being limited by dice, Mana, and Acuity, there is no
limit to the number of active Spells you can possess. Feel free to
accumulate as many as you wish to craft the strongest Spell
combination possible!
Empty slots: After taking a Spell card, an empty slot is left behind.
When you take a Spell, place it in This will be filled at the end of the turn through the Replenish step
your Spell combination area, then (see page 11).
allocate the requisite Elements using
your dice, Mana, and Acuity by placing
them over the Spell’s dice slots. “Hybrid” Spells: Certain Spells can be paid for with
a choice of either Fire or Water dice. For these
All allocated resources are locked onto the
Spells, you can pay with either Element, but all
Spell card and cannot be used again until
your allocated dice must have the same Element
they return to your Dice pool or Class board,
(either all Water or all Fire – they cannot be mixed.)
which only happens after you Cast.

Discounted Spells: The 2 leftmost Spells on the row of 6 Spell cards

are marked by Mana and Acuity discount tokens, signifying a
discount to their total cost when you take them. The leftmost Spell is Taking a Spell and recycling it for Acuity
discounted by 1 Mana A , 2nd leftmost by 1 Acuity B . As your Take action, you may recycle the leftmost Spell by flipping it
face-down and returning it to the bottom of the Spell deck, leaving
behind an empty slot. Whenever you do this, take 1 Acuity.
B

Making use of the discounts is optional — you can always "overpay" if

you choose to. So if a Spell is discounted by 1 Acuity, you can allocate
the full cost with your dice and Mana instead, and not make use of the
Acuity discount. However, you do not get Acuity in change when you Taking Back Exhausted Alterations
do this. As your Take action, you may take back all your exhausted Alteration
cards, allowing them to be played from hand again. As part of
Example: To take a Spell with 1 Fixed Fire and 2 Flex Fire dice resetting your resources after you Cast, you will also take back your
slots, 1 Fire die and 4 Mana (or its equivalent) needs to be exhausted Alteration cards. More details about playing Alteration
allocated. Assuming it is discounted by 1 Acuity, you can instead cards in the next section titled “Play” on page 9.
allocate 1 Fire die, 2 Mana, and 3 Acuity to it. Here are more
combinations that would also work:
• 1 Fire die, 3 Mana, and 1 Acuity.
• 1 Fire die, 7 Acuity.
• 2 Fire dice, 3 Acuity.
• 3 Fire dice (therefore overpaying).
...and so on!

8
 PLAY Starter Alterations (Grey-edge)
Starter Alterations provide primary effects that all Classes have
Before playing an Alteration card from hand, you first decide whether access to.
to execute the Alteration's primary effect or secondary effect. You
then play the card by placing it face up in front of you and execute the Effect: Take an Effect: Discard
chosen effect. Alterations have a wide variety of effects such as Acuity, OR Play ‘?+1’ amount of
manipulating your unallocated dice to convert between Elements, or up to 2 more Acuity. Convert
allowing you more Take & Play actions. Skill Alterations may also be Alterations this ‘?’ number of
played and discarded with an Acuity to gain a Take Action. turn. Void to any other
Elements that
you already have
Alteration Card Anatomy (allocated or
A otherwise).
Primary effect

Secondary effect — Aetherflow: For Starter Alterations,

Sigil bonus their secondary effect is to trigger their Class’ Aetherflow
power A , which allows players to convert any number of
Aether to an Element as specified on their Class board.
Operator:
Conveys the For example, the Enchanter’s
amount to be Aetherflow power allows them to
converted convert Aether to Lightning.

“And/or”
Symbol
Class Alterations (Grey-edge with tint)
Certain Classes start with Starter Alterations with improved effects.
Coloured edge Secondary Discard effect
(indicates Alteration type) effect (only for Skill These are instead called Class Alterations and have a coloured tint to
Alterations) their grey edges.
Elementalist’s Class Alteration Arcanist’s Class Alteration
For a detailed look at what each icon and operator does, Effect: Take 2 Effect: Discard
see page 23. ‘?+1’ amount of
Acuity AND
play up to 2 Acuity. Convert
more ‘?’ number of
When an Alteration is played and Alterations Aether and/or
placed face up in front of you, it is this turn. Void to any
other Elements
exhausted, and you cannot use that
that you already
Alteration again until it is returned have (allocated
to your hand with a Take action. or otherwise).

Unlike other Starter and Class Alterations, the Arcanist’s

IMPORTANT: You may choose to skip your Play actions Class Alteration does not have the Aetherflow secondary
during your turn.
effect, as the Arcanist does not have an Aetherflow power.

9
 Skill Alterations (Blue-edge) A Artifact Alterations
Skill Alterations are acquired through the Artifact Alterations provide flexibility over your
Take action and can be played to exert turn actions. Some allow you to take extra
greater control over your Elemental dice. components, while others increase offer unique
B ways of manipulating your dice. Many Artifact
Their primary effects are often improved
Alterations require Acuity to be discarded before
by Sigils, which you collect when you
they can be used.
acquire Heroic cards (see page 18).
Secondary effect — Take Acuity: The secondary
effect of all Artifact Alterations is to take 1 Acuity.
Found on Heroic cards, Sigils mark the type of
heroic deed portrayed. When the Heroic is acquired, For a detailed look at what each Artifact Alteration does,
its Sigils improve the primary effects of certain Skill see page 26.
Alterations. For more info, please see page 18.

Fine Points
Secondary effect — Reroll dice A : The secondary effect
of all Skill Alterations is to reroll up to 2 of your separate All effects must be resolvable. When playing any Alteration for its
dice when played, and you may play 1 more Alteration primary effect, you must be able to activate all its effects in the order
this turn. as expressed to be able to play it. If any portion of the primary effect
cannot be executed, that Alteration cannot be played.
Using Skill Alterations this way allows you to "chain" rerolls during
your turn, where you repeatedly play them from hand to reroll your
dice. After doing so, you still retain 1 more play action, which you
may then use to play something else.

When using the secondary effect of Skill Alterations, the

Chaosmancer’s special power allows them to roll up to 4
dice (instead of 2).

A
Discard effect — Gain a Take B
action B : As your play action,
you may “seal” a Skill Alteration Example: A This Alteration requires you to have at
by discarding it with 1 Acuity. If you do, gain least 2 active Spells and to discard 2 Acuity. If you
1 more Take action this turn. The discarded do not have at least 2 Active Spells and 2 Acuity to
Skill Alteration is flipped face down and discard, you cannot play this Alteration.
returned to the bottom of the Alteration B This Alteration converts up to 2 Fire and/or
deck, while the Acuity is returned to the Lightning to Void, and then allows you to take at least 2 Acuity
general supply. This discard effect is (more if you have the corresponding Sigil). If you do not have
unique to Skill Alterations. at least 1 Fire or Lightning to convert to Void, you cannot play
this Alteration.
Tip: When combined with effects that grant you more play
actions, it’s possible to seal multiple Skill Alterations in a single
turn, granting up to two more Take actions!
For a reference on Skill Alterations and their functions,
see page 27.
10
Alterations can only modify unallocated dice. Allocated dice will
remain unchanged and locked to their Spells until after you’ve cast.
REPLENISH
When you end your turn after choosing to Take & Play, replenish both
the Alteration and Spell card rows. To do this, first produce Acuity on
B
the Alteration card row if there is an empty slot on that row, then fill
all empty slots in the Alteration and Spell card rows.

Producing Acuity on Alteration Card Row

If there is an empty card slot A in Alteration card row, place an
Acuity crystal from the general supply (NOT from your Class board)
A on each Alteration card to the left of the empty card slot B . If the
C empty slot is on the leftmost side of the row C , no Acuity needs to
Example: You play an Alteration that converts Earth to Fire be placed.
and/or Lightning A . You may apply this effect to your
unallocated dice B , but not to the Earth dice that is already B
allocated to an active Spell C that you’ve taken in an earlier turn.

C A
When using Alterations to convert
Elements, you may convert any amount
of specified Elements up to the number
If there are multiple empty card slots, then Acuity is placed on
listed in the operator, but you must
Alteration cards to the left of the rightmost empty card slot D .
convert at least 1. You cannot choose to
convert an amount of 0 and ignore the
conversion effect. As such, when the Convert Convert at
one or two least one
symbol ∞ is listed in the operator, it means
with no limit
any amount as long as it is 1 or more. D
Alterations check for allocated Elements. When an Alteration
checks for if you possess a certain Element, allocated dice are
included in that check.
Filling Empty Slots
B For both the Alteration and Spell card rows, fill all empty card slots by
shifting cards along the row, then reveal new cards from the
Alteration and Spell deck to fill the rightmost empty slots.

A
D
C

Example: You play an Alteration A that converts Void to any

Elements you already have. As your other Elements include
Lightning (unallocated) B and Fire (allocated) C , you can
convert your Void D to either or both of those Elements. Example of how cards will shift with empty slots
on both the Alteration and Spell card rows
11
 CAST
Ruin & Restore .
Once you are satisfied with your Spell combination and
Elemental dice, it's time to Cast and perform Heroic deeds! Ruin is a measure of how destructive your Spell
combination is, while Restore is a measure of how curative
The process of Casting involves the following steps: or fortifying your Spell combination is.
Because Ruin and Restore are diametrically opposed quantities
Determine the effect of your Spell combination by doing and cancel each other out, you must carefully select the Spells to
the following: take into your Spell combination. Choose poorly, and you may
1 a. Resolve Links Spells if you have any.
end up with a Spell combination that fizzles ineffectually when
Casting!
b. Calculate Ruin and Restore values.
c. Resolve Enchantment Spells if you have any. The exception is if you manage to craft a Spell combination with
d. Resolve your Ruin and Restore values. exactly the same amount of Ruin and Restore. Instead of
fizzling, you instead achieve Equilibrium. (see page 15).

C B

After determining the effect of your Spell combination,

check which objectives you qualify for and can claim.
2 Objectives include Heroic cards, Arcana boards, and
Prestige tokens (see page 17).

A Spells: In most cases, your active Spells will form the

Heroics Arcanas Prestige
bulk of your Spell combination’s effect.
B Dice & Acuity: Based on your Class’ Casting chart,
your unallocated Elemental dice will contribute Ruin
or Restore based on their Elements. You may also After claiming objectives, you will reset your play area
spend Acuity to increase your Ruin or Restore. (see page 17). This involves returning all allocated

C Class Powers: Certain Classes have powers that add

3 Elemental dice to your Dice pool, returning allocated
Mana to your Class board, returning all your exhausted
effects when you Cast. Alterations to hand, and setting aside all claimed
objectives in your the space you have set aside for
acquired objectives. Your used Spell cards will be placed
in a single pile alongside your acquired objectives.
IMPORTANT: You must have at least 1 active Spell in your play
area before you can Cast!

12
Determining the Effect of your Spell Combination
To determine the effect of your Spell combination, follow these steps: Aethercharged Spells are A
empowered if you possess at least
a. Resolve Link Spells: If you have Link Spells, choose which normal one instance of an Aether Element.
Spells to link them to, and resolve the Link Spells’ effects. Aethercharged Spells are indicated by the
yellow banners at the top A , and a golden
alternate value in their spell effects B .
Spell Card Anatomy When you Cast while possessing an
Aether, all Aethercharged Spells use the
Element Banner golden alternate value when determining
(Indicates Spell’s their effects. Aethercharged Spells can
Element) Spell type icon overlap with other Spell types (e.g.
(Normal spells B
have no icon) Aethercharged Linked Spells).

Spell effect Dice slots IMPORTANT: The Aether Element does not need to
be allocated to be in effect. Having one Aether in your
Dice pool will trigger improved effects for all your
Aethercharged Spells.

Arcanist Class power: The Class

Normal Spells provide a fixed or Arcanist has the bonus power of
variable amount of Ruin or Restore and always possessing an Aether Element.
stack additively with each other. Most
Spells in the game fall into this category.
b. Calculate Ruin and Restore: Add up the total number of Ruin and
Restore given by your normal Spells cards and unallocated Elemental
dice. At this point, you may also spend Acuity to increase your Ruin or
Link Spells do not stack additively. Instead, you link Restore totals.
them to a normal Spell when Casting and apply their
effects accordingly. You may link multiple Link Spells to
one normal Spell, and their effects stack multiplicatively. If you have any unallocated dice while Casting, they will
contribute Ruin or Restore depending on their Elements.
Example: This Link Spell A A B The Casting chart on your Class board shows what each
doubles the effect of the Element from unallocated dice must produce.
Spell it’s linked to. When
you Cast, you pair the Link
Spell to a normal Spell B
that grants 7 Ruin — it now
gives 7x2 = 14 Ruin.
You may also spend Acuity to add Ruin or Restore to your
Spell combination, based on the costs specified on your
Casting chart. (4 for 1 Ruin, and 3 for 1 Restore)

13
 d. Resolve Ruin and Restore: As Ruin and Restore cancel each other
Certain Spells give Ruin or Restore based on the amount out, if your combination has both, you must take the greater of the
of Acuity on your Class board. While Casting, if you spend two and subtract the other from it. If your Ruin and Restore are equal
any Acuity for Ruin and Restore, note that the spent Acuity will and cancel out each other for a net result of zero, you achieve
not count towards these Spells. Equilibrium (see page 15).
With the final value of the Ruin or Restore your Spell combination has,
Example: You have a Spell A that gives Restore equal to you may now check which objectives you qualify for and can claim
number of Acuity on your Class board, which is at 8 B . (see page 17).
While casting, if you choose to spend 3 Acuity to improve
your Spell combination’s Restore, the Spell will now consider
IMPORTANT: When Casting, all your Spells and Elements
you to have only 5 Acuity on your Class board, and will from your unallocated dice must be counted – you cannot
therefore contribute 5 Restore. choose to selectively omit Spells or unallocated dice.

Spell Combination Examples

B

c. Resolve Enchantment Spells: If there are Enchantment Spells, apply

their effect to your Ruin and Restore totals in an order of your choice.

Enchantment Spells apply

unique effects across your entire
Spell combination.
5 10 3 1
Example #1: Here, there are 3 normal Spells and 2 unallocated
Example: This Enchantment Spell dice. (The second Spell was acquired with an Acuity discount, so
converts all Restore in your Spell there’s 1 less Acuity allocated to it.)
combination to Ruin. If your Spell • The first Spell is upgraded by the Aether you have on the dice.
combination has 5 Ruin and 7 Restore,
you end up with 12 Ruin instead of the • The second is a Fire/Water Spell, and you’ve chosen for it to
Ruin and Restore cancelling each contribute 10 Restore.
other out. • The third card simply contributes 3 Ruin, and the single Water
die contributes 1 Restore.
The Ruin and Restore of this Spell combination is 3 and 16
respectively. The third Spell giving 3 Ruin cancels out 3 Restore,
resulting in a final total of 13 Restore.

14
 Equilibrium
The mercurial nature of magic in
Valanyr manifests in the strangest ways.
One such manifestation is a spellcasting
phenomenon called Equilibrium.
Where traditional spellcrafting teaches that a
mage should always avoid mixing Ruin and
Restore, doing so in Valanyr in equal measure has
the potential of creating a unique property called
8 x2 Myst. Little is known about Myst, except that it
allows for the creation of new forms of magicks,
and its conjurer is briefly given an unknown
power that many have named the Mystrune.
+1
Equilibrium board
To achieve Equilibrium, your Spell combination needs to have
the exact same number of Ruin and Restore. When this
happens, each point of Ruin and Restore combine to form one
unit of Myst. Based on the amount of Myst generated, your
Spell combination gains the effect as written on the
+4 ( ( Equilibrium board:
Example 2: You have 1 Link Spell, 2 normal Spells,
1 Enchantment Spell, and 3 Acuity spent for 1 Restore. A B C
(The top and bottom left Spells were acquired with an Acuity
discount and Mana discount respectively.)
• Resolve Link Spells: The Link Spell is applied to the first
normal Spell, which grants 2 Ruin for every Spell in your D
combination. By itself it grants 8 Ruin, so applying the Link
Spell’s x2 effect doubles it to 16 Ruin.
• Calculate Ruin and Restore: These components add up to
16 Ruin and 5 Restore.
• Resolve Enchantment Spells: This Enchantment converts
all Restore to Ruin, resulting in 21 Ruin and 0 Restore.
A Amount of Myst required
• Resolve Ruin and Restore: There’s nothing to cancel out, so
B The resulting effect of your Spell combination, where you
you’re still left with 21 Ruin.
may choose between the Ruin or Restore.
C These bonuses are gained after Casting, which includes the
Mystrune D and other potential bonuses like Acuity or
Prestige.

15
 Mystrune
When you Cast and achieve Equilibrium, you gain the
Mystrune from the Equilibrium board and place it on your
Class board. If the Mystrune is already being held by another
player, you instead take the Mystrune from that player.
When acquired, the Mystrune can be used during your
turn as a free action — it does not consume a Take or Play
action. The Mystrune offers two effects to choose from, with
each one listed on the front and back faces of the Mystrune
token. 8 + 3 + 12 + 1
Mystrune: Vyl’nari Mystrune: Tes’kora
12 + 12 12
Front Example: With the above Spells and Elements, you Cast a
Spell combination that grants 12 Restore and 12 Ruin.
Convert any 1 dice to Convert any 1 dice to Equilibrium is achieved, and you gain 1 Myst for each point of
Fire or Lightning. Water or Earth. Restore and Ruin, giving you 12 Myst.

Back

While Casting, While Casting, Based on the Equilibrium board, your Spell Combination can
gain +3 Restore. gain +2 Ruin. now assume the effect of 24 Ruin or 34 Restore, and you
collect the Mystrune, 2 Acuity, and 1 Prestige.
You keep the Mystrune until you choose to use it, or until
another player takes it from you. Keep a lookout for other
players trying to achieve Equilibrium, for you may lose
your Mystrune before being able to use it!
After using the Mystrune, return it to the Equilibrium board.
If you use the Mystrune while Casting and achieve Equilibrium
again, you retain the Mystrune instead of returning it to the
Equilibrium Board.

16
Reset OBJECTIVES
After you have cast your Spell combination and claim all the
objectives you qualify for, your turn ends and you must reset your Heroics
play area: Sigil
Once you have the Ruin or Restore
value of your Spell combination, choose
B a Heroic card to acquire. Your Spell
combination must meet the Ruin A or
Restore B requirement as shown on
the Heroic card.
B
When you take a Heroic card, you
A
first take all Mana and Acuity on the
card and add it to your Class board. Victory Points
A

D C

Take the Heroic card and place in the designated A

space set aside for acquired objectives. Whenever
i. Return all your dice to your Dice pool and reroll them. A you collect more Heroics cards, stack them on top
The next player can begin their turn while you continue resetting of the previous Heroics, but with the Sigils on the
your play area. top right visible A , so that they can be referenced
ii. Return all previously allocated Mana to your board. B easily.
Discard all Acuity crystals that were allocated on your Spells. Mana is
yours permanently and therefore reusable between casts, while IMPORTANT: You can take only take 1
Acuity is always discarded after use C . Heroic card per Cast.
iii. Take all your exhausted Alterations back to your hand. D
This allows them to be played from hand again starting from your Empty slots: After taking a Heroic card, refill the
next turn onwards. slot by drawing a card from the Heroic deck and
placing on the slot, and then place 1 Mana and 1
iv. Collect and place all used Spell cards Acuity on the card.
into a single pile and place it near your
Heroic cards in the space you have set
aside for acquired objectives. IMPORTANT: You may also Cast without acquiring a Heroic
card. This is usually done when you make a mistake and craft
These Spell cards may contribute to a Spell combination that does not have enough Ruin or
your VP total if you have acquired Restore to qualify for any available Heroics. Be sure to still
certain Arcanas. collect any other objectives you qualify for, such as Prestige
tokens and Arcanas (see next page).

17
 Prestige
Sigils
For every 3 Ruin or 4 Restore remaining after you
How will you be remembered? Sigils acquire a Heroic card, you collect 1 Prestige token. This
mark the type of heroism you’ll be info is indicated on the Prestige board A . Place any
known for in song and legend. acquired Prestige beside your collected Heroic cards.
If you wish to, you may also Cast to collect
Prestige tokens without acquiring a Heroic card.
Prestige limit:There is no limit to the number of
Prestige tokens any player can have. If the general A
supply of Prestige tokens is exhausted, simply track
A any extra amounts acquired through other means.

Most Heroic cards have one or two Sigils. Each Class board will Arcanas
also have a Sigil that the player using that Class starts the game Arcana boards are bonus objectives that
with A . can be collected if your Spell combination
There are 4 Sigils, each representing a category of heroic deeds fulfills their requirements. Once acquired,
that the Heroic card falls under: they are kept for the rest of the game.
When the game ends, they grant 2 VP plus
bonus VPs based on the Spells you’ve Cast
Beastslayer: Deeds that involve the slaying of
and collected throughout the game A .
aggressive and dangerous beasts. A
When acquired, place the Arcana board
beside your acquired Heroic cards.
Saviour: Deeds that involve saving the lives of your
fellow adventurers and settlers.
IMPORTANT: You can acquire only 1 Arcana board per Cast.

Pathfinder: Deeds that involve finding or cutting

open a path for explorers to move forward.
“Hybrid” Spells: For the purposes of
qualifying for Arcanas, hybrid Spells count for
both Elements that they are associated with. B
Runebreaker: Deeds that involve discovering and C
disabling the dangerous, malfunctioning runaliths
across Valanyr. Example: This Spell is associated with
Fire B and Water C , and therefore
counts as both a Fire and a Water Spell.
When you acquire Heroic cards, these Sigils and the Sigil from
your Class board grant bonuses to certain Skill Alterations that
indicate that they benefit from them, allowing you to activate
their effects with improvements for the rest of the game. At the For a detailed look at what each Arcana requires and provides,
end of the game, these Sigils and those featured on your Skill see page 25.
Alteration cards may also provide bonus VPs (see page 19).

18
GAME END Scoring example in a 3 player game
The end of the game is triggered when any one player has VPs from Heroics: 44 VPs from Prestige tokens: 3
collected a number of Heroic cards, based on player count: VPs from Arcana: 4 VPs from Sigils: 10
• 2 Players: 5 Heroics For a more epic game between skilled Final VP Score: 61
• 3 Players: 4 Heroics players, you can increase the required
• 4 Players: 3 Heroics number of Heroic cards by 1!
When this occurs, all other players with any Spell cards active must
Cast them (in turn order) and acquire whatever objectives they can,
and the game ends.

Final Scoring
All players add up the following to determine their final scores:
Sigil count

Heroics: Score the VPs as listed on your Heroic cards.

3 0
Arcanas: Score a base of 2 VP for each of your Arcana
boards, then score bonus VPs as listed on your Arcana
boards while referring to your used Spell cards.

3 4
Prestige: Score VPs as listed on your Prestige tokens.

Sigils: Referring to your Heroic cards, your Class board, (Used Spell pile that
and your Skill Alteration cards, score 1 VP for every pair contains 5 Water, 3
of identical Sigils that appear on the components. For Fire, 2 Lightning, and
every set of 3 or more identical Sigils, score 1 VP per 2 Earth Spells. Arcana
Sigil for that entire set instead. grants 1 bonus VP for
every 2 Water Spells.)
The player with the highest VP score wins!

TIEBREAKER: If there is a tie, the player with the most

Arcana boards wins. In the event of a further tie, the player
with the most Spell cards in their score pile wins. If there is
still a tie, the tied players share victory!

19
 S O L O P L AY Setup

PRODIGY
MODE 5

In Prodigy Mode, you play as a

solo prodigious mage exploring
Valanyr, performing heroic 5
deeds and mastering your
elemental prowess. After each
turn, the rows of Alterations and
Spell cards shift to the left, with
the leftmost card being 4
discarded from the 3rd turn 2
6
onwards.

The game ends when all

available Spells are discarded,
signaling the retirement of
3
Place all the Spell cards
your life as an adventurer. 1
with the following icon
on the bottom right
corner back into the box – these will
not be part of solo play. Shuffle the
1
remaining 42 cards face down to form the
Spell deck.

2 Shuffle the Heroic cards face down to form the

Heroic deck , then draw 6 cards and place them face
up in a row to the left. Starting from the left, place 6 Place the Mana discount token on the space
a die and 2 Acuity on the first 3 Heroic cards. below the leftmost space on the row of Spell
Place 2 Mana and 2 Acuity on the last 3 Heroic cards, and the Acuity discount token on the
cards. space below the 2nd leftmost space.

3 Shuffle the Skill Alteration cards (with blue edge) Player Setup
face down to form the Alteration deck.
Similar to the steps listed on “Player Setup”
For the Alteration and Spell decks; draw and place section on page 5, you’ll choose a Class to play
4 out only 3 cards to the left, resulting in the three and collect components as stated on the Class
leftmost spaces remaining empty. Set aside space board as your starting resources. However, for
for one more column of cards; this will be used for Prodigy Mode you’ll start with
discard piles later in the game. 2 less Mana but 6 more Acuity.

Set out the Mana and Acuity crystals, the Arcanas You must then roll your dice to determine your
5 starting Elements. You are now ready to begin!
(random side), Equilibrium board, and the Mystrune
as normal.
20
Gameplay Heroic Rewards
As reward for acquiring them, the initial 6 Heroics grant either
Rules of play in Prodigy mode remain the same as the standard mode 1 Elemental die and 2 Acuity A or 2 Mana and 2 Acuity B .
of play, with the following modifications:

Moving Alteration and Spell Rows A B

The Alteration and Spell card rows now start with a size of only
3 cards A , instead of 6 as in the standard mode of play.

C
B Whenever you acquire any of these Heroics, refill the
A empty slot with a new card from the Heroic deck as
normal. Instead of the usual 1 Mana and 2 Acuity,
place 3 Acuity on the newly revealed Heroic cards.

C
B
Here’s an example of how the row of Heroic cards may look as
When you end your turn after choosing to Take & Play, perform the the game progresses:
Replenish step as normal to fill empty slots on the Alteration and
Spell card rows to bring them back to their current size, but do not
produce Acuity on the Alteration card row.

As an additional step after ending your turn, regardless of

whether you chose to Take & Play or Cast, you must shift both
cards rows to the left by 1 card B , with the rightmost empty
slot being filled with a card from the respective deck. For the
By the middle of a game session, you’ve acquired second, fourth
first 3 turns, this causes the size of both card rows to grow by 1 card.
and fifth Heroics starting from the left. Your total reward for
After your 3rd turn, the rows would have reached the maximum size of doing so was 1 Elemental dice, 4 Mana, and 6 Acuity. The newly
6 cards. When shifting both card rows in later turns, the leftmost card revealed Heroics now have just 3 Acuity for their rewards.
will be placed face-down into a discard pile on the left side C . These
cards are removed for the rest of the game. Because the Alteration
deck has fewer cards, it will be fully discarded before the Spell deck. Game End
Skill Alteration Discard Effect When all available Spell cards on the row enter the discard pile, you
When playing and discarding a Skill Alteration for its spend a final turn Casting what Spells you still have active, and then
discard effect, rather than returning it to the bottom of the game ends. Count your Victory Points the same way you would
the Alteration deck, place the card directly onto the for the standard mode to see how well you did on your journey. Try to
Alteration discard pile. acquire as many objectives before the Spell deck runs out! A decent
Taking a Spell to recycle score is 60 VPs, while 90 VPs or more is considered excellent.
The Take action of recycling the leftmost Spell to take an Acuity has For a greater challenge, please see the list of possible
been replaced with a simpler one: you may now simply use your Take Achievements on the next page.
action to take an Acuity.
21
 S O L O P L AY
ACHIEVEMENTS
To qualify for any achievements, you must complete a game of Prodigy Mode with a score of at least 45 VP.

Adept: Achieve a score of 70+ VPs. Power Overwhelming: Acquire all dice and Mana from Heroics.

Expert: Achieve a score of 80+ VPs. Lifebringer: Craft a Spell combination that grants 48 or more
Restore.
Master: Achieve a score of 95+ VPs.
Deathbringer: Craft a Spell combination that inflicts 36 or
Arcana Whisperer: Acquire all 3 Arcanas. more Ruin.
Twin Legends: Score 10VP+ across two Sigil types. Craglord: Craft a Spell combination that consists of 4 Earth
Prodigy: Acquire at least 3 of each Sigil type. Spells.

Polyelemental: Craft a Spell combination that consists of a Fire, Absolute Control: Start a turn with at least 1 unallocated dice of
Water, Lightning, Earth, and a hybrid Spell (Fire & Water). every Element, then end that turn with all dice (including
allocated) having the same Element.
Pacifist: Complete the game without casting a Spell
combination that inflicts Ruin. Spoilt for Choice: Craft a Spell combination that qualifies for 2
Arcanas (although you can still only take one while Casting).
Destroyer: Complete the game without casting a Spell
combination that grants Restore. Manafont: Gain 8 Acuity in a single turn.

Accomplished: Acquire 7 or more Heroics.

Excluding Adept, Expert and Master, complete a game

OVERACHIEVER where you qualify for at least 3 other achievements.

Credits Playtesting & Advice Special Thanks:

Game Design & Creative Direction: David Goh Gary Yeh, Lee Yingjie, Song Yijie, Daryl Chow, Tan Guan Hao, Mike Uenki Yong Mike Beecraft
Worldbuilding & Writing: Ryan Mennen & David Goh Beecraft, Sathya Sandiran, Uenki Yong, Isaac Tan, Braxton Shane Isaac Tan David Lockwood
Avery, Kyle Jarratt, Jörgen Björkslätten, Tan Wei Liang, Nicholas Tan, Ryan Mennen Gr’Flur
Heroic Illustrations: Thomas Tan & Jeannette Wang Eric Khoo, William Wong, Ong Zheng Yang, Fiona Chin Ee Ling, Sea Sathya Sandiran
Alteration Illustrations: Chen Wei Lin Yao, Karsten Kutterer, Leslie Horn, William Horn, Joel Moseman,
Spell Illustrations: David Goh Keith Morrison, Lucas Azaïs, Maxwell Renn, Adam Butler, William
Arcana Illustrations: Yang Shao Xuan Brown, Mackenzie Franklin, Joel Lim, Jeff Dean, Kristin Reichstein,
Class Illustrations: Beverley Yim & David Goh Chris Stutzman, Jake Turner, Melissa Craig, Eric Yurko, Angela Lin,
Box Cover Illustration: Agus Setiawan Chris Meeusen, Ren Lim, Kim Brebach
Character Concept Art: Uenki Yong
Insert & Organizer Design: Kyle Jaratt ...and many more of you who’ve played Mercurial and gave valuable
feedback, but we didn’t get your names... thank you all so much!
Additional Development: Good Games Publishing
Consulting & Copy editing: Ryan Mennen, David Digby
Proofreading: Jared Brayshaw, Melanie Hawkins © Hyperlixir 2023. All rights reserved
www.hyperlixir.com
22
 ICON REFERENCE

Take attached All other players

Components may take attached Cast
Components
Fire Water Lightning Earth Void Aether Flip a Dice to
Alteration Play 2 more Spell its opposite
Beastslayer Pathfinder Alterations face

Linked Number of active 3 Active Reroll

Spell Spells you have Spells
Ruin Restore Myst Mana Acuity Dice (Any) Number of Any Element that
Runebreaker Saviour Discard
3 Acuity Fire you have you have (allocated
or otherwise)

Convert up to 1, Convert any Secondary Effect:

improved by Amount (min 1) Take 1 Acuity
Saviour Sigil Secondary Effect:
Secondary Effect: Use your Class’s
Link Spell Reroll up to 2 Dice Aetherflow power
and play 1 more
Convert any amount (min 1) Alteration
If you have 2 or more Pathfinder Sigil,
Enchantment Spell You may reverse the conversion. Discard Effect: Discard this
Alteration and an Acuity to gain
1 more Take Action

SPELL EFFECT REFERENCE

7 Restore Restore Amount = Number of

active Spells you have x 3

Ruin Amount = Number of Link Spell: Triple the effect of

Acuity on your Class board Linked Spell

Enchantment: All Restore

6 Ruin; 8 Ruin if have an Aether
is converted to Ruin

Link Spell: Double the effect of Linked

Choose: 7 Ruin or 10 Restore Spell. Triple it instead if you have Aether.

23
 CLASSES EXPLAINED A

B D C

B C D Chaosmancer
A Starts with the Pathfinder Sigil, 7 dice, 4 Mana, and no Acuity.
Arcanist
A Starts with the Runebreaker Sigil, 5 dice, 6 Mana, and 1 Acuity. B Starts with the 2 stated Starter Alterations and 1 Artifact
Alteration chosen at random.
B Starts with the 1 stated Starter Alteration, 1 stated Class
Alteration, and 1 Artifact Alteration chosen at random. C Aetherflow: Convert any number of Aether to Water.

C Class Power: The Arcanist has the effect of always having an D Class Power: Whenever the Chaosmancer uses a Skill Alteration
Aether Element active, but does not have an Aetherflow power. for their secondary effect, they may reroll up to 4 dice (instead of 2).

D Class Alteration: When played, discard ‘?+1’ amount of Acuity.

Convert ‘?’ number of Aether and/or Void to any other Elements that A
you already have.
A

B C D

B C Elementalist
A Starts with the Beastslayer Sigil, 6 dice, 5 Mana, and no Acuity.
Enchanter
B Starts with the 1 stated Starter Alteration, 1 stated Class
A Starts with the Saviour Sigil, 6 dice, 5 Mana, and 1 Acuity.
Alteration, and 1 Artifact Alteration chosen at random.
B Starts with the 2 stated Starter Alterations and 3 Artifact
C Aetherflow: Convert any number of Aether to Earth.
Alterations chosen at random.
D Class Alteration: Take 2 Acuity AND play 2 more Alterations this
C Aetherflow: Convert any number of Aether to Lightning.
turn.

24
ARCANAS EXPLAINED All Arcanas give 2 base VP, plus bonus VP that’s counted at
the end of game based on the Spell cards in your score pile.

Requirement: Your Spell combination has Fire, Lightning, and Earth Requirement: Your Spell combination has Water, Lightning, and Earth
Spells. Spells.
Reward: 1 VP for every 2 Fire Spells cast. Reward: 1 VP for every 2 Water Spells cast.

Requirement: Your Spell combination has 4 or more Spells. Requirement: Your Spell combination either inflicts at least 27 Ruin
Reward: 1 VP for every 4 Spells cast. or grants at least 38 Restore.
Reward: 2 VP for every 3 Spells cast that have 4 or more dice slots.

Requirement: Your Spell combination has at least 3 Spells that are Requirement: Your Spell combination achieves Equilibrium and
improved by Aether, and you have the Aether Element. results in at least 12 Myst.
Reward: 1 VP for every 2 Spells cast that can be improved by Aether. Reward: 1 VP for every 3 Spells cast that are not improved by Aether.

25
 ARTIFACT ALTERATIONS All Artifact Alterations may be played for their
secondary effect instead, which is to take 1 Acuity.

Runic Catalyst Aeonic Prism Manafont Glove Eldritch Codex Timewarp Lantern
You must have active Convert an Aether to an Discard 3 Acuity. Convert any 1 die to You must have at least
Spells. Take Acuity Element that you already Take 5 Acuity. Void. 2 active Spells. Discard
equal to number of have. All other players 3 Acuity. Take a Spell.
active Spells you have. may take 1 Acuity. (Dice/Mana/Acuity
must be allocated for
the Spell as per
normal)

Voidstar Bracelet Prismatic Wand Jewelled Key Azurite Pendant

Discard an Acuity. Flip Discard an Acuity. Discard an Acuity. You must have at least 2
a die to its opposite Convert 1 Void to either Convert 1 Void to either active Spells. Convert any 1
face. All other players Water or Earth. All Fire or Lightning. All die to an Element you
may take 1 Acuity. other players may take other players may take already have.
1 Acuity. 1 Acuity.
26
SKILL ALTERATIONS All Skill Alterations may be played for their secondary effect instead,
which is to reroll up to 2 separate dice and play 1 more Alteration.

Effect 1 Requirement
Convert Earth to Discard 3 Acuity.
Effect Effect 1 Fire. The amount
Convert Lightning Convert any you can convert is
to Water and/or amount of Aether 1 + number of
Earth. The amount to Void. Pathfinder Sigils
you can convert is you have.
1 + number of Effect 1
Saviour Sigils you Convert any
have. amount of Fire to
Effect 2 Water and/or
Effect 2 Take Acuity. The Earth.
Take 2 Acuity. amount you take
is 1 + number of
Runebreaker
Sigils you have.

Effect 2
CHOOSE: Take Acuity. The
Requirement
amount you take
Effect 1 Possess any
is 2 + number of
Convert any number number of Water.
Beastslayer Sigils
of Earth to Water.
you have.
Effect 1 Effect 1
If you have at least 2 Convert up to 2 Convert up to ‘?’ of
Runebreaker Sigils, Fire and/or any dice to Void,
you may perform Lightning to Void. where ‘?’ is your
the conversion in
number of Water.
reverse (Water to
(You may also
Earth).
convert the Water if
you choose to.)
OR
Effect 2
Flip a die to its Effect 2 Effect 2
opposite face. Take Acuity. The Take Acuity. The
amount you take amount you take All Skill Alterations may also
is 2 + number of is 2 + number of be played for their discard
Saviour Sigils you Runebreaker effect, which is to discard the
have. Sigils you have. card and 1 Acuity to gain
1 more Take action this turn.

27
 QUICK SETUP (STANDARD) TURN SUMMARY
4 During your turn,
choose either: & OR
6
TAKE PLAY CAST
TAKE 1 of any of the following:
5 a new Skill Alteration card into your hand.
a Spell card into your Spell combination,
a Spell to be recycled to gain 1 Acuity,
or all exhausted Alterations back to your hand.
2
3 PLAY 1 Alteration card from hand to activate its effects.
When your turn ends, Replenish the Alteration and Spell card rows.
OR
1 CAST your Spell combination to acquire objectives (Heroics, Arcanas,
and Prestige) and then reset your play area and resources.
When you Cast, add up the effects of all your Spell cards, dice,
applicable Class powers, and any Acuity spent to add Ruin or Restore.
1 Shuffle the decks for the Choose and acquire a Heroic card that you qualify for and collect
Heroic, Skill Alteration, and Spell Prestige for every 3 Ruin or 4 Restore leftover. You can also collect
cards and set them out. an Arcana you qualify for.
After Casting, reset your play area:
2 From all 3 decks , draw 6 cards and place them Reroll your dice and discard all allocated Acuity.
face up to the left of each respective deck. Return all allocated Mana to your Class board.
Place the Mana and Acuity discount tokens below the 2 Take back all exhausted Alterations to hand.
3 Place your acquired Heroic, your cast Spells, any Prestige and
leftmost Spell cards.
Arcanas aside in a space reserved for acquired objectives.
4 Set out the Mana crystals, Acuity crystals, and Prestige Board with
tokens. Place a Mana and an Acuity on each face-up Heroic card. VICTORY SUMMARY
For each player in the game, place 1 Acuity on a revealed Skill The game ends when a player acquires Heroics based on player count:
5
Alteration starting from the left. 2 Players: 5 Heroics For a more epic game between skilled
3 Players: 4 Heroics players, you can increase the the max
6 Set out the Arcanas (random side up), Equilibrium board and a 4 Players: 3 Heroics number of Heroics by 1!
Mystrune token (chosen at random).
All other players then take turns casting their Spell combination, and
Each player chooses a Class to play the game ends. Counting VPs:
and sets them out, taking the dice, Add all VPs on Heroics, Prestige, and Arcanas.
Mana, Acuity, and Alterations as Gain 2 base VP for every Arcana you have, then add their bonus VPs.
stated on the Class boards. Gain 1 VP for every set of two identical Sigils, and 1 VP per Sigil for
every set of three or more identical Sigils.
After choosing the starting player, all other players take Acuity based The player with the highest VP score wins!
on their turn order:
2nd player: All players must then roll all their dice in
3rd player: their Dice pool to determine their starting
4th player: Elements. You are now ready to begin!
Rulebook Translations
For alternate language translations of this rulebook,
please scan the QR code on the left or visit this link:
https://hyperlixir.com/rulebooks/mercurial