How To Play

PowerMage 54™ is a playing card game that gives players the opportunity to manage a group of freelance superheroes, who battle each other to see who, at the end, is the true PowerMage. You are the PowerMage Manager. Your superheroes are your PowerMages.

A player battles against opponents using a standard deck of 54 cards that have been highly modified.  Your success in the game is counted by points, which will be explained later in the “Cards” section. When a players point level drops to zero, they have been defeated and leave the game. The last player standing is the winner.

The game is easy to pick up and follow but cards may be played together in complex ways, if there is any contradiction on how to play the card, use this rule book and simply follow the text on the cards or log onto www.PowerMage54.com. At the same time, you can use the PowerMage 54™ cards to play any game that requires a standard deck of cards.

How To Play

Set Up: All players start with 5 cards and 100 points. A pad of paper or other counting device may be needed to keep track of each player’s points, which go up and down throughout the game. If a player’s points reach 0, the player has been defeated and is no longer in the game.

  1. Player Draws a card from Draw Deck or New Rule! BEFORE a player draws a card a player can discard any 2 cards in hand and draw two new cards. Player’s turn is over once the two new cards are drawn. The discarded cards are shown and added to the discard pile.
  2. Action Play: Player decides to do one of the following:
    • attack using an Attack card*
    • increase their points by using a Health card*
    • use the ability on a Face card** or Thump card
    • pass their turn if the player holds 5 or less cards.  (Note: Thump cards MUST ALWAYS be used with a Face Card. See Attack, Health or Face card under Cards for more information.)
  3. * Attack and Health card values can be multiplied with the value of a Thump card as long as a player has a Face card. The player must show the Face card that is associated with the thump card.
    • Example: Player has the Face card, Blister, a thump card with the value of 4 and an attack card with the value of 8. The player declares, “Using Blister I attack you with my Pulse Rifle that has the value of 8, multiplying it by my Thump card with the value of 4, doing a total damage of 32 points.” The player then discards the Pulse Rifle and Thump card into the discard pile and returns the Face card, Blister, into their hand.
  4. ** Face cards are only the PowerMages. These are the Jacks, Queens and Kings
  5. Defense Play: If a player is being attacked, that defending player may reduce damage with the use of a Defense card. Value of the defense card is subtracted from the value of the attack. Defense card values can be multiplied with a Thump card while being used with a Face card. (See Thump cards under Types of Cards.)
  6. Remainder of attacking points are subtracted from the defender’s points.
  7. Cards that are used are added face up to the Discard Deck.
  8. At the end of the turn players can only hold up to 5 cards unless otherwise indicated by other cards. Excess cards must be discarded with no benefit or value. If a player does not have any cards in their hand, they are still in the game, and they must wait for their turn to draw a card.
  9. Turn is over and play begins again clockwise with the next player.

Quick Info

  • If you run out of cards from the draw deck – reshuffel the discard pile and turn face down to create a new draw deck
    • Suggested Rule: For faster game play, when the cards must be reshuffeled because the draw deck has been depleted  – everyone’s points are halved (Odd numbers are rounded up).
  • Thump cards can ONLY be used with face cards
  • Face cards do not have a value
  • Face cards are only discarded when using their ability
  • If an attack has been redirected – that attack may be defended
  • When using the Joker as a face card – that card is then discarded after use.
  • Game is over for a player when they run out of points.
    • Suggested Rule: (Highlander Rule) When a player is defeated, the winning player can scavenge through the defeated player’s cards and keep the cards that they wish, as long as they hold up to the amount of cards allowed in their hand.