The Rules

Shakespeare Deathmatch                                                                                                    
© 2021, Dr. Mike Desing - shakespearedeathmatch.blogspot.com
 
Objective. You are a character in a Shakespearean tragedy, trying to deceive others and do them harm, seeking to be the last left alive.
 
Damage. Characters may suffer damage of four different types (suits). Each character is susceptible to different damage. While some characters live and die by the sword, others are harmed via their reputation or even their pocketbook. Your character card shows the two types of damage your character is susceptible to and how many total points of damage are needed for your character to be slain. For example, Hamlet may suffer 4 blades and 8 coins before being slain.
·   Blades reflects physical harm from weapons.
·   Coins reflects financial ruin leading to destruction.
·   Letters reflects harm to mental state and reputation.
·   Poison reflects physical damage from toxins.
 
Hand. You play cards from your hand. You have three cards in hand at all times (unless a location card changes this). Any time you play one or more cards from your hand, you immediately draw from your draw pile to return to three cards in hand. Any time you have more than three cards in hand, you must discard any extra cards to get to three cards.
 
Draw Pile. You have several cards in your personal draw pile. You are generally not allowed to look at your draw pile, and you must draw the top card each time you draw.
 
Discard Pile. When a card is no longer in play (temporarily), it is put into a discard pile in the center of the table. At the end of every act, the new protagonist shuffles the discard pile and distributes all cards to all players still in the game. New cards are placed at the bottom of any existing cards in the draw pile.
 
Damage Pool. Each player keeps a personal pool of damage cards. These are cards that other players have played on you, reflecting the damage your character has sustained. At the beginning of the game, no one knows what types of damage you are susceptible to, so it is likely you will have cards in your damage pool that do no harm to your character.
 
Revealing Characters. As you sustain damage, you may decide to reveal your character to others. At this point, you trigger the when revealed note on your character card. In addition, you discard all damage from your damage pool that does not harm your character, putting those cards back in play.
 
Setting Cards display the various locations where acts occur. There is always one setting active. The protagonist gets to choose the setting for each act.
 
Trickster Cards are special action cards. You may only play a trickster card on your action (but not when playing a card to defend against another character’s action), before you play a standard action card. If you must play a trickster card on your action or to defend (if, for example, you only have trickster cards in your hand), that card is automatically sacrificed; it will not win that scene.
 
Two Players. When down to two players remaining, or for any two-player games, there is no protagonist, and the setting is always the castle.
 
Sequence of Play 
1.  Sort cards into three piles: character cards, action cards, and setting cards. Shuffle all, keeping the three types of cards in separate piles.
2.  Each player draws one character card. Look at, but do not reveal, your character.
3.  Deal all action cards, distributing among players. These become your draw pile. Do not look at these cards.
4.  Draw three cards from the top of your draw pile for your hand. Always have three cards in hand (unless a setting changes this); at fewer than three cards, immediately draw back to three cards. 
5.  The player whose birthday is closest to April 23 (Shakespeare’s birthday!) goes first, taking the protagonist card. Play moves to the left. The protagonist selects a setting card and puts this near the discard pile. This will be the setting for this act.
6.  On your action, play a card from your hand (setting it in front of you), initiating a scene. Each player plays a card in response, setting it in front of them. You control the scene until another player plays a card defeating yours. That card then becomes the one to beat for that scene. On your action (only), you may play a trickster card or reveal your character (or both) before you play an action card. Once you play an action card, you cannot use a trickster or reveal. You may only play one trickster per scene.  
7.  At the end of the scene (when all players have played a card), the winner of that scene collects all cards played. Place one into the damage pool of another player. Discard the rest.  The next player then takes their action.
8.  After the protagonist has completed their second action during that act (play has gone one complete rotation), the player to their left becomes the new protagonist of the next act. Shuffle and distribute all cards in the discard pile, placing these beneath any existing draw piles. Repeat from step 5.
9.  If your character is slain, you are out of the game; place all cards from your draw pile, hand, and damage pool in the discard pile. Play continues until only one character remains. That player wins.