Overview

Magic Realm is a complex fantasy adventure game set in a land filled with monsters, treasures, warriors, and magicians. Players choose characters and set personal victory conditions at the start, then explore a modular hex map, fight monsters, loot treasures, trade with natives, and cast spells. The game is famous for its depth, emergent storytelling, and steep learning curve. It supports 1 to 16 players and typically takes 4+ hours.

Components

• 20 double-sided map tiles (hex-shaped clearings connected by paths)
• 16 character cards with personal counters
• Monster chits and treasure cards
• Native group counters
• Spell cards and magic chits
• Combat counters (fight, move, and magic chits)
• Gold and fame/notoriety tracking
• Day tracker

Setup

1. Arrange the 20 map tiles face-down, then flip them to create the game map with clearings and paths.
2. Place native groups, treasure sites, and dwelling locations as indicated.
3. Each player selects a character and places their figure at the Inn or their starting location.
4. Each player secretly records their victory conditions (choosing from fame, notoriety, gold, spells learned, and great treasures).
5. Set the day counter to Day 1.

Turn Structure

The game lasts 28 days (4 weeks). Each day consists of:

1. Birdsong (Planning): Each player secretly records their planned activities for the day (up to 2 basic phases, more with special abilities).
2. Sunrise: Reveal plans simultaneously.
3. Daylight (Execution): Players execute their planned activities in turn order.
4. Sunset: Monsters prowl; encounters are resolved.
5. Midnight: Reset for the next day.

Actions

During Birdsong, players plan from these activities:

Activity	Effect
Move	Travel from one clearing to an adjacent clearing along a path
Hide	Attempt to avoid detection by monsters and natives
Search	Search a clearing for treasure, hidden paths, or secret passages
Trade	Buy or sell items with native groups present in the clearing
Rest	Recover fatigued combat chits
Alert	Prepare a weapon for combat
Enchant	Cast an enchantment spell (for magic-using characters)
Follow	Follow another character who moves
Hire	Recruit native warriors to join you

Combat

Combat occurs when characters encounter monsters or hostile natives:

1. Encounter Step: Determine which monsters appear.
2. Melee Round: Each round, combatants simultaneously select attack and maneuver directions. Attackers and defenders compare speed (lighter attacks strike first) and direction (must match to hit).
3. Damage Resolution: Compare weapon weight to armor. If weapon weight exceeds armor, the target is killed. Some creatures have special vulnerabilities.
4. Combat continues until one side is eliminated or flees.

Magic

Magic-using characters can learn and cast spells from color-coded magic types. Spells require specific conditions (enchanted tiles, mana sources) and use magic chits that fatigue after use.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

At game start, each player secretly assigns points across 5 categories:

• Fame (earned by killing monsters)
• Notoriety (earned by killing natives and causing havoc)
• Gold (earned by finding and selling treasure)
• Spells Learned (for magic users)
• Great Treasures (specific powerful items)

At the end of 28 days, each player scores based on their chosen victory conditions. Meeting or exceeding targets earns victory points. The player with the most points wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Hidden movement: Characters can hide to avoid monsters. Failed hiding attempts may trigger encounters.
• Natives: Native groups roam the map and can be traded with, hired, or fought. Their reactions depend on the character’s relationship.
• Treasure sites: Must be discovered through searching. Contain powerful items and dangerous guardians.
• Character diversity: The 16 characters have vastly different abilities (e.g., the Swordsman excels in combat, the Witch can transform into animals, the Wizard commands powerful spells).
• The game has four “encounters” (rules modules) that allow gradual learning of increasing complexity.
• Optional rules add weather, seasons, campaigns, and other advanced features.

Player Reference

Day Phase	Activity
Birdsong	Plan 2+ activities secretly
Sunrise	Reveal plans
Daylight	Execute activities in order
Sunset	Monster prowl and encounters
Midnight	Reset

Victory Categories: Fame, Notoriety, Gold, Spells, Great Treasures