The Incursion is run with four primary pieces of equipment: The Game Board, the Deck of Void, the Deck of Fire, and the Deck of Grey. The Game Board can be printed, hand drawn, or purchased as the participants prefer. The three decks are available as printable PDF files, and available for purchase online.
The Incursion is divided into three acts like a stage play. The first act has a single scene. The second act has three scenes, and takes up the bulk of the incursion. The third act has a finale that stretches across the remaining two scenes. Each scene is divided into five distinct phases of play.
The First Act is the opening of the story. The Second Act covers the bulk of the story and the rising action. The Third Act is the finale.
The Acts are played by laying cards on the Game Board until play triggers a scene. When a scene is triggered, the Psychonauts play through the five phases of the scene and then return to laying cards on the board until the next scene is triggered.
The Anatomy of Three Acts
Act 1 > In Scene 1 Psychonauts place cards until a Mythos Card is laid. A Mythos Card Triggers The First Scene. The Mythos Cards determines the story and the Act two conditions.
Act 2 > In Act 2 Psychonauts place cards until a Serpent or Firebird Card is laid. This triggers the The Second Scene. Following that, Psychonauts continue to place cards, until 2 cards of the same element are laid. This triggers the Third Scene. If this has already occurred, the scene triggers immediately. Scene 4 triggers when one of the following conditions are met: all spots in the map are filled, or a third card of the same element is laid.
Act 3 > Scene 5 triggers immediately after the completion of Scene 4. The form of the final two scenes is determined by the element used to trigger Scene 4. Scene 6 triggers immediately after completion of Scene 5. Form of Scene 6 is affected by the success or failure of Scene 5
Basic Play
Three Fire Cards are laid Face down beside a single face up card. Each Psychonaut choose one of those cards to draw and place. The psychonauts follow the instructions on the cards laid.
Narration
The Storyteller leads the collective narration of the Incursion and prompts Psychonauts to add their own points to the narration as play proceeds.
The Scenes
Scenes are played in a manner reminiscent of a combination Poker and Blackjack. The Psychonauts must form winning hands from their own cards and a shared pool of cards, being careful not to bust by going over a value of thirteen.
Scenes are played against the Storyteller. Any Psychonaut beating the Storyteller results in a collective victory for the Psychonauts, although individual Psychonauts will succeed or fail and be rewarded or suffer consequences based on their own performance.
The Anatomy of a Scene
The Goal is twofold: to beat the Storyteller’s Hand Value, and not bust (Go Over 13 points) in the process.
The Storyteller draws a random Tactics card from the unused Tactics Cards and places it face up in front of their hand. This card is used to determine the hand Value in the same manner as the Psychonauts, but the storyteller may not tap the Tactics card to activate its abilities. Each Psychonaut’s Hand Value is determined by the total value of the the cards from their hand and the river that match the suits on one of their tactics cards. All eligible cards are included in the calculation. Psychonauts must pick one of the two totals BEFORE the face down cards are revealed.
Round Action Order proceeds as follows: Draw Cards from the Draw Pile to Storyteller and Players, Draw the River Card, and then Lay the Tactics.
Running the Scenes
Scenes use a Five Round System. The Raven Round is for Setting the Scene. The Storyteller draws and places face down cards for Storyteller and each Psychonauts. The Storyteller then lays the First River Card.
The Viper Round is the Tactics Round. The Storyteller draws and places face up card for themselves. Psychonauts choose if they will lay a face up card from their hand. The Storyteller lays the second River Card. Psychonauts place their first Tactics Card. The Owl Round is also a Tactics Round. Psychonauts choose if they will lay a face up card from their hand. The Storyteller lays the third River Card. Psychonauts place their second Tactics Card.
The Rabbit Round is the Reveal Round. Psychonauts choose if they will lay any more face up cards from their hand. All Face down cards are revealed. And then Victory or Failure is determined. The Wolf Round is the Consequences Round. Successful Psychonauts choose their rewards, including which Tactics Card they will return to their hand, and which Void Cards they will retain (based on degree of success). Psychonauts then calculate consequences to be applied to failed Psychonauts. And Psychonauts choose whether to attempt to mitigate any of those consequences
The Finale
The form of the final two scenes that make up Act Three vary based on other events.
Scene 5 > The form of Scene 5 is based upon on how Scene 4 triggered.
- All spots in the map are filled: The Psychonauts are in control of the finale and gain a +1 bonus.
- Three cards of the same element are laid: The Psychonauts are caught off guard by the finale and receive a -1 penalty.
Scene 6 > The form of Scene 6 is based on how Scene 5 resolved.
- Scene 5 Succeeded: The Psychonauts are in control of the finale and gain a +1 bonus.
- Scene 5 Failed: The Psychonauts are caught off guard by the finale and receive a -1 penalty.
Professor Harbinger's School for Villains 