Masterminds Duel

DM-I: Masterminds Duel

Summary

Outscore your opponent in puzzles and use this advantage to outsmart them in a psych duel!

Before the DM

This DM features a solo puzzle session before the DM actually happens. Both players need to schedule a time when they will play it out, it should take around an hour. This can be as simple as pinging the host and asking to do the puzzles now.

The session will have 10 puzzles that players need to solve. You may use any tools to help you solve these puzzles. The contents of the puzzles will vary and may include logic puzzles, word cryptics, small hunt puzzles, trivia and more.

The times that the players took to solve the puzzle will be recorded by the host and compared. For each puzzle, the player that performed better will receive the better card to be used in the DM.

DM Rules

At the start of the DM, both players will be given a deck of 10 cards, where each card corresponds to the puzzle they have solved. The cards will have a strength value and an effect. The effects of the cards are fixed and both players will have a card with each of the 10 effects. The strengths, however, are hidden and are decided by puzzle performance. The player with better puzzle time will receive the version of the card with the higher strength, whereas the player with worse time will receive the card with lower strength.

🔍 For example, if Craw solved the Example puzzle in 1:40 and Reds solved it in 2:50, then Craw will receive a card with 6 strength and the Example effect, whereas Reds will receive a card with 4 strength and the Example effect.

You will learn the strength of your cards at the start of the DM, after which players will be given 10 minutes to evaluate them and play.

The game is divided into 7 bouts, which are further divided into 9 turns each.

On each turn, players will privately play one of their cards. After both cards are played, their effects are revealed and resolved and the card with the higher strength wins. The winner receives 1 point. In case of a tie, no points are awarded.

The strength of the cards used are not revealed, only which card is stronger.

The cards used are discarded and a new turn starts.

After 9 turns are played and 9/10 cards are used, the bout ends. The player with the higher score wins the bout. In case of a tie, the bout is also tied.

After the bout ends, all discarded cards are returned to the players’ hands. Note that that these are the same cards as before, so the permanent effects will persist between bouts and the information about card strength will carry over.

After 7 bouts are played, the game ends. The player with more won bouts wins the DM. The DM will end if a player reaches 4 wins, as the opponent cannot catch up.

If after the 7th bout players are tied in wins, Whims wins the DM as the player with more priority.

Here is the list of the 10 cards and their effects:

• Bluff: Choose a card. When shown, this card will be shown as the chosen card. The strength and effect of the chosen card are not copied.
• Counterspell: Cancel the effect of the opponent's card.
• Empower: Next card you play gets +1 power permanently before resolving the turn.
• Fireball: If you win using this card, gain 2 points.
• Kill: Win this turn. Lose the bout if canceled by Counterspell. Win the bout if played against Offering.
• Mayhem: The player who played the lower strength card wins instead. Loses against Kill.
• Offering: If you lose this turn, this card gains +3 permanently. Does not have an effect if it loses against Kill.
• Reveal: After the results of the next turn, reveal the strength of both cards played in that turn.
• Swap: Permanently swap the strengths of the last 2 cards you played. This does not affect the results of previous turns. Has no effect if played in the first 2 turns.
• Warp Time: In the next turn, the opponent plays their card first, you see its effect, then you play your card.

If both players play W on the same turn, no effect.

Note that each starting letter is unique and is an easy way to refer to each of the cards

📌 Amendment: Revealed information.

After every turn, the update image will show the 2 cards played, which one won and the current scores.

Effects of Empower, Mayhem, Offering and Swap are not revealed; it is up to the players to track them.

Bluff can be outed in the following scenarios:

• If Bluff is played against Counterspell, the matchup is shown as B vs C, regardless of claimed card.
• If Bluff is played as Kill and loses.
• If Bluff is played as Kill against an Offering, the bout does not end.
• If Bluff is played as Fireball and wins, only 1 point is awarded.
• If Bluff is played as Warp Time, it has no effect, revealed instantly.
• If Bluff is played as Reveal, it has no effect, revealed next turn.

I am leaking the icons craw made (and a cute crow)