Res Arcana

About the game

What is Res Arcana?

Prepare Your Place of Power! In a high tower, an Alchemist prepares potions, using vials filled with otherworldly fluids. In a sacred grove, a Druid grinds herbs for a mystical ritual. In the catacombs, a Necromancer summons a bone dragon... Welcome to the world of Res Arcana! In it, Life, Death, Elan, Calm, and Gold are the essences that fuel the art of magic. Choose your mage, gather essences, craft unique artifacts, and use them to summon dragons, conquer places of power, and achieve victory! A game typically lasts 4-6 rounds. In each round, players do these steps: Collect essences: performs any Collect abilities, and may take essences from components. Do actions, 1 per turn, clockwise from the First Player: place an artifact, claim a monument or Place of Power, discard a card for 1 Gold or any 2 other essences, use a power on a straightened component, or pass: exchange magic items and draw 1 card. Play continues until all players have passed. Pass procedure: If you are first to pass, take the First Player token, swap your magic item for a different magic item, draw 1 card. Check victory points (10+ VPs). If no one has won: straighten all turned components, and begin the next round.

How it plays

Mechanics

On the shelf

Categories

Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

• How do setup and the first turn work in Res Arcana?
• When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
• How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?