Characters
Overview
Characters can be found in Widget Ridge Story Packs and our NEW Emergence Character Packs.
Each Story Pack contains two unique characters, each with their own Beloved Widget and Gadgets. Story Packs also contain a Location card and alternative Goal cards for 2-players. Each pack has its own unique story that revolves around its two characters, pulling you into the lore of Widget Ridge!
Emergence Character Packs contain three new characters with their Beloved Widgets and Gadgets, and including new inventions that can be added to your Marketplace deck!
Characters
When using characters in gameplay, a player chooses which character they want to play, and starts the game with the selected character card face up on the table between the two players. Character cards stay face up during the game and never leave play. Each player then replaces cards from their 10-card starting deck with their chosen character's unique starting cards. This includes the Beloved Widget and two Gadgets, based on their starting card numbers.
When playing with characters, you should include the assigned Beloved Widget and custom Gadgets.
Lets now look at the character card:
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Banner - This graphic identifies the school of engineering the character is aligned with. Examples are the Red, Blue, Yellow, and Black banners. See Schools of Engineering for additional information.
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Card Type - This symbol is used to indicate that the card is a character card.
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Linked - This symbol is used to indicate the character has a Beloved Widget linked to them.
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Ability Icons - These icons are used to represent the actions needed to trigger one or both of the character's abilities.
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Character Abilities - When a Widget, Gadget or Invention card is played with a matching icon, it triggers the character's first ability. Playing a second card with same icon during a single turn will trigger the character's second ability. Each ability can only be triggered once per turn.
Keyword Abilities
Starting with Story Packs, we introduced Keyword Abilities. These abilities can be found on any card and are typically in a Bold and Italic font. Here is our complete list of keyword abilities:
Keyword | Set | Ability |
|---|---|---|
Acquire # | Story Pack: The Ghost that Stole Lighting | When played or triggered, acquire allows the player to purchase a card for free with the corresponding cost or less from the Marketplace row. Example: Acquire 5 a player may select a 5 or less cost invention from the Marketplace if available. |
Charge # | Story Pack: The Fire In Which We Learn | When played or triggered, gain X Spark for each Widget in your melted pile. |
Drain # | Story Pack: The Fire In Which We Learn | When played or triggered, Drain reduces a target players Spark by its corresponding value. Example: Drain 3 target player loses 3 Spark. |
Incinerate | Emergence Character Pack 1 | When played or triggered, you may melt a card in the Marketplace row. |
Investigate | Emergence Character Pack 2 | When played or triggered, target opponent reveals a card at random from their hand. You gain spark equal to its cost. |
Link # | Story Pack: The Ghost that Stole Lighting | You may pay X to connect to a Device in your workshop, triggering its connection ability. You may pay X to trigger your full construct ability at the end of your turn. Example: Link 2 costs 2 Gold to connect. Link triggers the attached device's connection ability and can be used to trigger a full construct ability at end of turn for 2 Gold. Once a card is linked, it can only be replaced by another corresponding invention. |
Recon | Story Pack: The Fire In Which We Learn | When played or triggered, all opponents play with their hands face up until end of turn. |
Retrieve | Story Pack: The Ghost that Stole Lighting | When played or triggered, you may select any card from your discard pile and add it to the top of your deck. |
Salvage | Emergence Character Pack 3 | When played or triggered, once this turn you may buy one invention card from the melted pile. |
Scatter | Emergence Character Pack 3 | When played or triggered, you may exchange a card in Marketplace with the top card of the Marketplace deck. |
Stealth | Emergence Character Pack 2 | When played or triggered, look at the top card or your opponents deck and choose to leave it or discard. |
Store # | Emergence Character Pack 1 | When played or triggered, choose a card of cost # or less in the Marketplace Row and store it in Hastur. You may play a card from Hastur by paying its cost. You can only store up to 2 cards in Hastur. |
Walkabout | Expansion Pack: Walkabout | If an Invention with the Walkabout ability is on a Location, you can acquire it without paying the Gold cost. |
Wind-Up | Emergence Character Pack 1 | When played or triggered, you may search the Marketplace deck for a card called Wind-Up and replace any card in the Marketplace row with it. Then shuffle the Marketplace deck. |
Locations
Locations are shuffled into the Marketplace deck. When a Location is revealed, it remains on that space, and a new Marketplace card is placed on top. The Location card acts in every way like a blank space, except it has an additional effect. If a Location appears on top of another Location (in the same space), discard the oldest Location. Location cards cannot be melted unless a card or effect specifies.
Example: You acquire Wood-Burning from the leftmost space. The replacement card is Ward Manor. Ward Manor stays on that space, and you overturn another Marketplace card to replace it. Ward Manor will remain there, modifying that space until it leaves play.
Locations cards are optional and are not required to be played to enjoy the character experience.
Inspirations
Picture it: You're at the Marketplace, but nothing looks good. Either it's not right for you, or it's too expensive. But then you think: "What would Casey Vicksworth do? Probably melt something, right?"
Welcome to Inspirations. These new cards will go into your Marketplace deck. When they come up in a space, they're bought just like an Invention. However, when you acquire an Inspiration, the effect resolves immediately and then you melt it.
That's it. Quick and easy.
Inspirations cards are optional and are not required to be played to enjoy the character experience.
Goals
Goal cards are optional win conditions and rule adjustments that alter your gameplay experience. Players should agree to play with these alternate Goal cards, and if an agreement cannot be reached, the goal defaults to the first player to obtain 100 Spark.