I want to design a card game of the Game of Forms, as played by e.g. Granny Weatherwax and the Archchancellor in Equal Rites (Pratchett), Dream and a demon in Season of Mists (Gaiman), "He" and "She" in Two Magicians (traditional, sung by e.g. Steeleye Span), Merlin and a Witch in The Sword in the Stone (White), etc.
The idea is that there will be a deck of cards, each card representing a form. Each player will have a hand of cards; they will take it in turn to play a card until one of them is unable to play a card that beats the last card played. Possibly players will get to replenish their hands as play progresses, possibly not.
I want two things from this:
The first iteration towards these that I'm going to try is going to be a simple list of 60 cards, each with a list of the cards that they beat and (for convenience) the cards that beat them on them; players will get a hand of 7-13 cards each to start with, and there will be no replenishment.
Ideally, the best approach will be to examine your cards, pick out one or two potential "finishers", and try to manouver your opponent into a position where you can win with one of your finishers, and they won't have one of the magic bullets to beat that finisher left.
Or something...
Forms:
| Beats | Form | Can be beaten by | ||
| Boar, Ram, Bull, Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant, Mammoth, Wolf, City, Plague | Fly | Rat, Rooster, Sparrow, Hawk, Cockatrice, Angel of Death, Medicine, Tar Pit, Fire, Statue, Spider | ||
| Time, City, Pride, Plague, Forest, Angel of Death | Cockroach | Mouse, Rat, Rooster, Spider, Mongoose, Sparrow, Fire, Water, Medicine, Tar Pit, Cockatrice | ||
| Cockroach, Griffon, Elephant, Mammoth, Dragon, Lion, City, Mountain, Forest, Shadow | Mouse | Rat, Mongoose, Cat, Dog, Adder, Hound, Wolf, Serpent, Tiger, Hawk, Eagle | ||
| Cockroach, Fly, Mouse, Common cold, Plague, Pride, City, Rowan Tree, Shadow | Rat | Mongoose, Cat, Dog, Adder, Hound, Wolf, Serpent, Tiger, Hawk, Eagle | ||
| Cockroach, Fly, Spider, Cockatrice, Shame, Forest, Storm, Star | Rooster | Cat, Dog, Wolf, Serpent, Lion, Tiger, Hawk, Eagle, Axe, Pride | ||
| Cockroach, Fly, Angel of Death, Storm, Mirrow, Statue, Shadow | Spider | Rooster | ||
| Hare | ||||
| Cockroach, Mouse, Rat | Mongoose | |||
| Mouse, Rat, Rooster | Cat | |||
| Mouse, Rat, Rooster | Dog | |||
| Mouse, Rat | Adder | |||
| Boar | Fly | |||
| Ram | Fly | |||
| Mouse, Rat, | Hound | |||
| Mouse, Rat, Rooster | Wolf | Fly | ||
| Fly, Cockroach | Sparrow | |||
| Fly, Mouse, Rat, Rooster | Hawk | |||
| Mouse, Rat, Rooster | Eagle | |||
| Roc | ||||
| Rooster | Lion | Mouse | ||
| Mouse, Rat, Rooster | Tiger | |||
| Bull | Fly | |||
| Buffalo | Fly | |||
| Bear | ||||
| Mouse, Rat, Rooster | Serpent | |||
| Rhino | Fly | |||
| Elephant | Fly, Mouse | |||
| Mammoth | Fly, Mouse | |||
| Basilisk | ||||
| Dragon | Mouse | |||
| Fly, Cockroach | Cockatrice | Rooster | ||
| Medusa | ||||
| Griffon | Mouse | |||
| Rooster | Axe | |||
| Forest | Cockroach, Mouse, Rooster | |||
| Mountain | Mouse | |||
| Storm | Rooster | |||
| City | Fly, Cockroach, Mouse, Rat | |||
| Fly | Angel of Death | Cockroach | ||
| Time | Cockroach | |||
| Hope | ||||
| Common cold | Rat | |||
| Plague | Fly, Cockroach, Rat | |||
| Fly, Cockroach | Fire | |||
| Cockroach | Water | |||
| Shadow | Mouse | |||
| Belladonna | ||||
| Fly, Cockroach | Medicine | |||
| Shame | Rooster | |||
| Rooster | Pride | Cockroach, Rat | ||
| Fly | Statue | |||
| Fly, Cockroach | Tar Pit | |||
| Lightning | ||||
| Rowan tree | Rat | |||
| Mirror | ||||
| Tom O'Bedlam | ||||
| Robin Goodfellow | ||||
| Music | ||||
| Star | Rooster | |||
| Fortune | ||||