The Joker
Each player may use their Joker exactly once, during Round 2 or Round 3. When activated, choose one of the following effects and resolve it immediately.
Joker actions are designed to create high-impact disruption, information swings, and psychological pressure.
1. Swap
Effect: Swap one hero from your hand with one hero from another player.
Target Options:
A hero from another player’s hidden hand, or
A hero from another player’s public table (face up).
Resolution Rules:
Both swapped heroes are revealed face up to all players during the swap.
After the swap:
Each hero is placed into its new owner’s hand face down.
Both players shuffle their hands immediately.
Strategic Risk: Because hands are shuffled after the swap, any future joker targeting that player requires guessing which hidden card is the swapped hero. Attempting to re-target the same hero becomes a high-risk, high-reward play.
2. Sabotage
Effect: Target one opponent and select two hero cards from their possession.
Target Rules:
The two targeted heroes may be:
Face up, face down, or a mix of both.
Resolution Rules:
Both targeted heroes are:
Revealed face up to all players.
Immediately moved to the Rugged Zone.
The targeted player then draws two random heroes from the Hidden Pool.
These replacement cards are placed face down and remain private.
This action strips an opponent of known or suspected value while denying them control over replacements.
3. Ban
Effect: Permanently remove a hero from the game.
Target Rules:
Any hero may be targeted unless it is already banned.
Resolution by Location:
If the hero is in the Open Pool, Hidden Pool, or Rugged Zone:
The hero is moved directly to the Banned Pool.
No further effects occur.
If the hero is in a player’s hand:
The hero is revealed and moved to the Banned Pool.
The affected player draws one random replacement card:
From the Hidden Pool, if available;
Otherwise, from the Rugged Zone.
The replacement card is placed face down.
Banned heroes are removed permanently and cannot re-enter play.
4. Protection
Effect: A defensive action that conceals information and disrupts targeting.
Resolution Rules:
All cards in your hand are turned face down.
Your hand is then shuffled.
This action does not affect other players directly, but makes future joker targeting against you significantly more uncertain.
Joker Usage Notes
Joker actions do not grant Star Bank rewards to the joker user.
Any Star Bank effects triggered by joker actions apply only to the targeted player, as defined in the Star Banking rules.
Joker actions may not be used during Round 4 — Lock-in.
Design Intent
Jokers are meant to introduce chaos with intention - forcing players to balance aggression, timing, and uncertainty while managing the consequences of public information.
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