VTES V5 rules reference

One Methuselah's turn, from unlock to discard, with timing windows and deeper rules loops.

Start game session

(choose 5 seats clockwise) Predator=right, Prey=left

Setup:

• Build crypt+library decks • Shuffle both decks, cut by predator • Draw 7 library cards (starting hand) • Deal 4 crypt cards to uncontrolled region face down • Initial pool + Edge setup (per rules) • Choose first Methuselah

Check end condition:

only 1 Methuselah remains (or table ends)

Victory Points (VP) update:

• Gain 1 VP when prey is ousted • Gain +1 VP if last remaining Winner = highest VP (even if ousted)

Hand size baseline = 7

Whenever hand size changes or cards are added/removed: Immediately draw up to, or discard down to, hand size

Drawing cards (replacement):

Whenever you play a card from hand, draw 1 from library to replace it (unless card text says otherwise). If library empty: you continue playing, but don't draw.

1) Unlock Phase

• Unlock all your cards • Resolve unlock-phase effects • Handle contests / yields • (Adv) Optional: burn 1 pool per Infernal minion to unlock • If you have the Edge, you may gain 1 pool from blood bank

2) Master Phase

• Receive master phase actions (MPA) • Use MPAs (e.g., play master cards) • Choose ordering vs other master-phase effects • Unused MPAs are lost

3) Minion Phase

• Ready, unlocked minions may take actions • Mandatory actions first • Each action fully resolves before next

4) Influence Phase

• Receive transfers (normally 4) • Early-game balancing (5 players): seat1 gets 1, seat2 gets 2, seat3 gets 3 transfers on their first influence phase (seats 4-5 reach their first influence phase after this) • Spend transfers to influence/reveal vampires etc.

5) Discard Phase

• Receive discard phase action (DPA) • Use DPA to discard+replace • (Adv) Use DPA to play event (≤1 per phase; each event only once per game) • Unused DPA lost

If unique card/title duplicates enter play -> contest begins

All contested copies turn face down (out of play)

During your unlock phase:

• Pay cost to contest (card: 1 pool; title: 1 blood) OR • Yield (burn yielded card / lose title) • Vampires in torpor must yield contested titles

If all others yield:

• Your copy unlocks & turns face up during your next unlock • Contest ends

Start Influence Phase

Set transfers by seat/turn

Repeat until transfers = 0 (player choice):

• 1 transfer: move 1 pool -> uncontrolled vampire (adds blood) • 2 transfers: move 1 blood from uncontrolled vampire -> your pool • 4 transfers + burn 1 pool: move vampire from crypt -> uncontrolled (plus any other allowed transfer options)

At any time in this phase:

If uncontrolled vampire blood ≥ capacity: • move to ready region face up, unlocked • excess blood returns to blood bank

End Influence Phase

unused transfers lost

Start Discard Phase

Gain DPA

Use DPA (optional):

A) Discard 1 card -> draw 1 B) (Adv) Play 1 event card (≤1 per phase)

End Discard Phase

unused DPA lost

Select your next action

(only ready, unlocked minion) OR end minion phase

Mandatory actions gate:

• If any of your ready, unlocked vampires have 0 blood, they have mandatory HUNT actions. • While mandatory actions remain, you cannot take non-mandatory actions. • If multiple mandatory actions exist, choose order. (Other mandatory actions can exist via card text.)

Announce action & lock acting minion

• Basic bleed / basic hunt / action card in hand / effect in play • Set targets (directed/undirected) • Pay costs (if any)

Window: 'as action is announced'

(only effects explicitly allowed here)

Block eligibility (rule-level):

• Directed at a Methuselah (e.g., bleed prey): that Methuselah may attempt to block • Directed at a minion: that minion's controller may attempt to block • Undirected: prey and predator may attempt to block (Other cases require card-specific rules; excluded here)

Resolve block attempts (clockwise)

Each eligible player may attempt with a ready, unlocked minion (see Block Attempt FSM)

Action blocked?

YES -> blocked path NO -> successful path

Successful action resolves

Branch by action type: • Bleed -> Bleed subloop • Hunt -> Hunt subloop • Political -> Referendum subloop • Other -> Resolve per card/effect

Blocked action cleanup

Action is unsuccessful; resolve blocked-action consequences, then end the action

Action ends

If a minion unlocks during this phase (effect), it may act again

If action is BLEED and is unblocked:

• default bleed amount = 1 (modifiable) • action modifiers & reactions may modify/redirect/reduce (card-agnostic here)

Prey burns B pool (if possible)

If pool reaches 0 -> oust check

If B ≥ 1, bleed is successful:

Acting controller gets the Edge (take from current holder if any)

If action is HUNT and is unblocked:

• undirected action • default stealth +1 • hunt is mandatory at 0 blood

If successful:

Acting vampire gains hunt amount blood from blood bank

Potential blocker chosen

(ready, unlocked minion)

Window: action modifiers + reactions

• Stealth/Intercept added only if needed • Same minion cannot play same reaction/modifier more than once per action • Impulse cycles; any effect returns impulse to acting

Compare:

if Intercept ≥ Stealth => block succeeds else => block fails

Block fails

• return to next blocker opportunity • action continues

Block attempt succeeds

(Intercept ≥ Stealth) => action becomes blocked (unsuccessful)

Block resolution (rule)

If action is blocked: • Any card played to perform the action is burned • Two simultaneous consequences: A) blocking minion locks B) blocking minion enters combat with acting minion Exception (rule-level): If an effect ends the action before block resolution OR before consequence B (entering combat), then neither consequence occurs.

Did an effect end the action

before block resolution or before entering combat?

Action ended early (rule-level)

• Not treated as blocked resolution • No lock + no combat • Cleanup per the ending effect

Post-block / pre-combat window

(only effects usable 'when action is blocked' or 'before combat begins') Use shared IMPULSE_WINDOW Context A (combat/directed@1) ENV timeouts => auto-PASS

Enter combat as a result

of the successful block?

Blocked, no combat

(Action unsuccessful) • blocker locks (already) • no action effects • no action cost paid Continue to blocked-action cleanup

Special rule: Leave Torpor is blocked

No combat (minions in torpor cannot enter combat). If blocker is a vampire: optional immediate diablerie opportunity. If blocker is an ally or declines: action simply fails.

Combat begins

(acting minion vs opposing minion) Combat occurs in 1+ rounds.

Combat card limit:

• The only minion cards that can be played during combat are combat cards. ADV: Some combat cards are played by minions "not involved in the current combat"; minions controlled by ANY Methuselah can play those cards. (Non-combatants can play ONLY if the combat card text explicitly allows it.)

Non-combatant combat-card play (ADV):

A minion not involved in the current combat may play a combat card ONLY if that combat card explicitly says so. Sequencing is still by impulse during combat: Acting Methuselah first; once they pass, defending Methuselah; then remaining Methuselahs clockwise (5-player). If any Methuselah plays an effect, impulse snaps back to the acting Methuselah.

Start of combat round

(Each round has 7 steps)

1) Before Range

Play cards/effects usable before range is chosen. NOTE: 'before range is determined' effects must be played before the acting minion decides whether to play a maneuver.

2) Determine Range

Default = close. Use maneuvers to change/offset to close or long. No minion may play two maneuvers in a row.

Maneuver cycle:

Any combatant play a maneuver (alternate)?

Range is set for this round

(close or long) (If maneuver came from strike card/weapon: that also sets the initial strike choice constraint.)

3) Before Strikes

Play cards/effects usable after range is set but before strikes are chosen.

4) Strike

Resolve 1+ strike pairs at the same range. Each pair: - Acting minion chooses strike - Opposing minion chooses strike - Resolve simultaneously (except special cases)

Strike targeting note:

At long range, a ranged strike may target an opposing retainer (instead of the opposing minion) if announced when strike is announced.

Choose Strike (acting)

From: hand strike / weapon / combat card / other strike source. If maneuver was used from a strike card/weapon this round: no other strike for the initial strike.

Resolve Strike Pair

Apply strike effects. Then proceed to damage resolution. If a combatant becomes not ready at any point: round & combat end immediately.

Additional Strikes (Adv):

Announced/performed only after the first pair. Acting decides to gain additional strikes before opposing. Only 1 card/effect to gain additional strikes per round ('limited'). Resolve by repeating Choose+Resolve steps (only minions with remaining additional strikes act). All additional strikes occur at the same range.

5) Damage Resolution

Two substeps: A) Prevent damage (play prevention combat cards) B) Mend damage: - Vampires burn 1 blood per unprevented damage - Allies/retainers burn 1 life per unprevented damage

Combat ends immediately

(if a combatant is no longer ready) Return to action flow after resolving required steps.

6) Press

If both combatants still ready: Use presses to continue into another round or to end combat. Combatants may continue playing presses to offset opponent's last press. No minion may play two presses in a row.

Press cycle:

Uncancelled press to continue exists?

7) End of Round

Play end-of-round cards/effects (after the press step). Note: This step also occurs even if combat ends prematurely.

7) End of Round (premature)

Play end-of-round cards/effects (after the press step). Note: Occurs even if combat ends prematurely.

Combat ends

Return to action resolution flow

Priority within combat steps:

At every combat stage, the acting minion gets first opportunity before the opposing minion. Operationally this is handled by impulse: • Acting Methuselah keeps impulse until they pass. • Then the defending Methuselah gets impulse. • Then the remaining Methuselahs get impulse clockwise (5-player). Other Methuselahs can only act if a card/effect explicitly allows it (e.g., combat cards playable by minions not involved in the current combat).

Referendum starts

• Terms set/declared (if political action) • Then proceed to polling

Polling step

Impulse cycles; votes/ballots cast in order • Acting may delay casting until they choose to cast • Edge holder may burn Edge to gain 1 vote

If passes: apply terms/effects

If fails: no effect Note: political action still 'successful' if unblocked even if referendum fails

Minion enters torpor

(typically from combat damage)

Leave Torpor action

(only action torpor vampire may take)

Diablerie (directed action)

Burn vampire in torpor Diablerie steps are a single unit: no interruption; effects before/after only

Immediate diablerie opportunity

(from blocked Leave Torpor) Not an action (cannot be blocked)

Blood Hunt referendum

Automatic & immediate after diablerie Not an action (cannot be blocked)

If blood hunt passes:

Diablerist burned

If victim older / Red List:

May gain Discipline / trophies (handled before blood hunt if applicable)

If Methuselah pool reaches 0 -> ousted

Remove all cards they control from game Return rivals' owned cards they controlled at end

If your prey is ousted:

Gain 1 VP If you are not ousted at same time, gain 6 pool

(Optional) Withdraw

Announce intention to withdraw (handled per rules/advanced summary)

Declare effect fully:

• announce targets/costs/choices • show card/effect • card may be temporarily out-of-play until resolution

Timing: 'as card is played'

ONLY cancel-as-played + wake effects legal Use ABC sequencing until all pass (then continue)

Resolve or cancel:

• if canceled, card effect does not happen • move card to ash heap or into play upon resolution • acting regains impulse after any effect resolves

Replace/draw:

• after 'as played' window closes and card is resolved/canceled • draw 1 to replace (unless no-replace) • if library empty: no draw • enforce HAND_RULE immediately

OPEN IMPULSE WINDOW

A play window exists at specific FSM steps. ENV sets a timer per polled player; timeout => auto-PASS.

Acting Methuselah ALWAYS has impulse first.

('Acting' = player who is currently resolving an action/card/effect)

Poll current impulse owner:

PLAY 0+ allowed effects/cards OR PASS (If PLAY happens: resolve it, then acting gets impulse back)

If PLAY:

1) run Card Play Micro-FSM (declare -> as played -> resolve -> replace) 2) acting immediately regains impulse

If PASS (or timeout):

advance impulse to the next Methuselah according to the context-specific order below.

Context for impulse order

(after acting passes)?

Context A: Combat OR action directed at a single Methuselah

Order after acting passes: 1) Defending Methuselah first 2) Then every other Methuselah in clockwise order (5-player example: A -> D -> next clockwise after D -> ... -> last)

Combat-only clarification:

In combat, "defending Methuselah" = the controller of the opposing combatant. Other Methuselahs only get impulse if the current window allows them to play something (e.g., a combat card explicitly playable by a minion not involved).

Context B: Action directed at a SET of Methuselahs

Order after acting passes: 1) Those targeted Methuselahs in clockwise order 2) Then every other Methuselah in clockwise order (Exclude acting from the pass list)

Context C: Undirected action

Order after acting passes: 1) Prey first 2) Predator second 3) Then every other Methuselah in clockwise order (5-player example: A -> Prey -> Predator -> Cross1 -> Cross2)

Give impulse to next Methuselah in the chosen order

(if that Methuselah plays, impulse snaps back to acting)

Has EVERY Methuselah passed

consecutively in the CURRENT window?

CLOSE WINDOW

Return to parent FSM step (advance state)

Split by card type

(master/action/modifier/reaction/combat/...) (already done: vtes_v5_split_v1/)

Infer timing hooks per card

(type defaults + text patterns) Export mapping JSON

Manual override list

for ambiguous timing / exceptions (rule-level only; no card flows)

Export artifacts:

• card_timing_hooks.json • hook counts • uncertain list

HOOK: CARD_AS_PLAYED

(cancel-as-played + wake only)