Root Database - Law of Root

2. Key Concepts

Terms are defined strictly in the Glossary (G). (G - Glossary)

2.1 CARDS

You draw cards from the top of the shared deck, and discard to a shared discard pile. If the deck is ever empty, shuffle the discard pile immediately to form a new deck. Each card has a SUIT: bird, fox, rabbit, or mouse. Most cards also have an effect you can craft (4.1).

(4.1 - Craft)

2.1.1

Birds Are Wild.

You can treat any bird card as a card of another suit, even if you must spend, take, or give multiple cards of the same suit.

Forced Effects.

If you are prompted to discard or give cards of non-bird suits, you must treat your bird cards as a prompted suit.

Reverse Substitution.

If you are prompted to spend, discard, take, or give a bird card, you cannot substitute a card of another suit.

2.1.2

Ambush Cards.

There are five AMBUSH CARDS in the shared deck: one mouse, one rabbit, one fox, and two birds. They cannot be crafted. You may play one in battle to deal immediate hits (4.3.1).

(4.3.1 - Step 1: Defender May Ambush.)

2.1.3

Dominance Cards.

There are four DOMINANCE CARDS matching the four suits. They cannot be crafted. You may play one to permanently change your victory condition (3.3).

(3.3 - Dominance Cards)

2.1.4

Your Play Area.

When you activate a dominance card (3.3.1), craft persistent effects (4.1), or reveal cards (G.25), place these cards in your PLAY AREA near you. They are not in your hand and can only be spent, discarded, or otherwise used if explicitly instructed. (3.3.1 - Activating.) (4.1 - Craft) (G.25 - Reveal)

2.2 CLEARINGS AND PATHS

The map of the Woodland is composed of many CLEARINGS linked by PATHS.

2.2.1

Adjacency.

A clearing is adjacent to all other clearings linked to it by a path.

2.2.2

Suit.

Each clearing has a SUIT: mouse, rabbit, or fox.

2.2.3

Slots.

Each clearing has a number of BUILDING SLOTS (white boxes). Whenever you place a building, it fills an open slot. You cannot place a building in a clearing with no open slots.

2.2.4

Ruins.

Slots marked with a small "R" begin the game filled with RUINS. Ruins cannot be removed unless explicitly instructed (such as by the Vagabond's Explore action, 9.5.3). (9.5.3 - Explore.)

2.3 RIVERS

Many clearings are linked by RIVERS. (Rivers are not paths, but can be treated as paths if explicitly instructed. Rivers do not divide clearings or forests.)

2.4 FORESTS

Areas on the map enclosed by printed paths and clearings are called FORESTS.

2.4.1

Adjacency.

A forest is adjacent to all clearings that touch it without crossing a printed path, and it is adjacent to all forests that are separated by only one printed path.

2.5 RULE

A player RULES a clearing if they have more total warriors and buildings in it than each other player. (Tokens and pawns do not contribute to rule.) If there is a tie between players in a clearing, no one rules it.