Der Musikclub TCG — Comprehensive Rules (Draft v2.2)

This document supersedes Draft v2.1. It incorporates explicit clarifications to lock in the current design philosophy regarding parallel seconds, time-dice reset behavior, endgame stabilizers, and deterministic setup.

If an action is not explicitly permitted by this document, it is not allowed.

1. Game Overview

Der Musikclub TCG is a competitive two-player game in which each player (a DJ) contributes music into a shared system (the mixer).

Victory is determined by whether the DJs collectively succeed in creating and sustaining a satisfying musical performance. Failure to do so results in a shared loss.

Der Musikclub is designed to remain interactive even under perfect deck knowledge.
Time exposure, shared-state pressure, and endgame persistence replace randomness as the primary sources of uncertainty.

2. Components

Each DJ requires:

One crate (deck)
Two (or more) time dice (six-sided dice)
One bin

Shared:

One mixer

3. Zones

3.1 Crate

Private, face-down, ordered deck.

There is no mandatory shuffle before play.
The opposing DJ may perform a single cut during setup.

3.2 Hand

Private zone. Cards here have no effect.

3.3 Queue

Public zone owned by a DJ.

Holds up to 4 song cards.
Songs in queue do not contribute to the mixer.

3.4 Playlist

Public, ordered, linear zone.

Contains song and effect cards.
All songs here contribute continuously to the mixer.

3.5 Mixer

Shared public zone representing the derived global state:

total static Victory Points,
frequency balance,
volume,
active loop effects.

3.6 Bin

Public discard zone.

Cards here are overclocked.
Order matters.

4. Time System

4.1 Time Dice

Each DJ has exactly two time dice.
Dice normally range from 1 to 6.
The time bank is the sum of both dice.

4.2 Automatic Die Reset (Restricted)

When a DJ pays a time-dice cost for a Play action using their own dice:

If a die would be reduced to exactly 0, it is immediately set to 6 after payment resolves.
This applies only to:
- Play Song
- Play Effect
- Fadeout
This does not apply to:
- crate actions,
- queue actions,
- Change Tempo.

Automatic die reset cannot be combined with Time Thief.

4.3 Parallel Seconds

Parallel seconds (PS) are temporary seconds granted by card effects.
PS refresh at the start of each DJ’s turn.
PS do not carry over between turns.
Any PS cost may be paid with time-dice seconds instead.
Spending PS does not advance the inner clock.

Parallel Seconds Invariant
Parallel seconds may only be generated by card effects that explicitly grant a fixed number of parallel seconds per turn.
Parallel seconds may not directly or indirectly change Victory Point totals, trigger endgame checks, or advance endgame persistence.

4.4 Inner Clock

Advances whenever any time-dice seconds are spent.
Does not advance when only parallel seconds are spent.

5. Turn Structure

5.1 Start of Turn

Refresh parallel seconds granted by owned cards.

5.2 Actions

A DJ may perform any number of actions costing only parallel seconds.
A DJ may perform at most one action that spends time-dice seconds.
Any action that spends time-dice seconds ends the turn immediately after resolution.

6. Constant Game Actions

6.1 Change Tempo

Cost: 1 time-dice second
Effect: Set one of your time dice to any value from 1 to 6
Ends the turn

6.2 Queue Actions

May be paid with parallel or time-dice seconds.

Enqueue Song — 2s
Dequeue Song — 2s
Swap Song — 2s
Fly In — 2s
Reveal the top card of your crate. If it is a valid song play, play it directly to your playlist; otherwise, overclock it to your bin.

6.3 Crate Actions (All End the Turn)

Draw 1 — 3s
Draw 2 — 5s
Draw 3 — 7s
Draw 4 — 9s
Draw 5 — 12s
Shuffle Draw — 5s
Shuffle your crate, then draw 1.
Sort Upcoming — 5s
Look at the top 6 cards of your crate, reorder them, then draw 1.
Dig for Song — 7s
Search your crate for a song card and put it into your hand. Do not shuffle.

7. Song Cards

7.1 Properties

A song card may specify:

Frequencies (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
Volume contribution
Static Victory Points (VP)
Victory Coins (VC)
Time-dice cost
Parallel-second effects
Activated or static abilities

No song may grant more than 1 VP, 1 VC, or a single fixed PS value.

7.2 Playing Songs

Songs are played from the queue to the head or tail of a playlist.
Color matching is checked only at the moment of play.

7.3 Fadeout

Only head or tail songs may be faded out.
Cost: twice the song’s printed time-dice cost.
Fadeout always spends time-dice seconds and ends the turn.

8. Effect Cards

Placed in playlist.
Modify rules or evaluation temporarily.
May grant VP, VC, or parallel seconds.
Expire when their lifetime reaches zero inner-clock seconds.

No effect may grant more than 1 VP, 1 VC, or a single fixed PS value.

9. Loop Cards

Placed in the mixer.
Affect both DJs equally unless stated otherwise.
Do not grant VP or VC directly.

10. Mixer Evaluation

10.1 Victory Points

Only static VP count toward endgame.
VC never count toward endgame qualification.

10.2 Frequency Balance & Negative Feedback

If any frequency exceeds its maximum:

All VP are treated as 0
Endgame cannot begin or progress
This state persists until corrected by card removal

10.3 Volume

Volume modifies stability and risk.
Volume does not trigger endgame.

11. Endgame & the Three-Turn Test

11.1 Endgame Trigger

At the end of any turn, if:

the mixer contains 10 or more static VP, and
VP are not suppressed by negative feedback,

the game enters endgame.

11.2 The Three-Turn Test

To conclude the game successfully:

The mixer must end three turns
with 10 or more VP
while VP are not suppressed.

These are end-of-turn checks.
Turns with suppressed VP do not count.
If VP fall below 10 at any clean check, progress resets.

11.3 Endgame Modifiers (Stabilizers)

Some effects may temporarily modify endgame thresholds or suppression conditions.

Such effects do not grant VP or VC.
Such effects do not prevent negative feedback.
Such effects do not bypass the three-turn test.

11.4 Negative Feedback Limits

Each DJ may personally cause negative feedback once without penalty.
Causing negative feedback a second time permanently forfeits that DJ’s VC.

11.5 Resolution

If the three-turn test is completed:

Static VP are totaled.
Victory Coins are evaluated.
The higher total wins.

12. Shared Failure Condition

If the game ends without a successful three-turn endgame:

Both DJs lose.

Failure to end the night is a shared loss. No Victory Coins are awarded.

13. Time Thief

When paying a time-dice cost, a DJ may borrow seconds from opposing dice valued at 1 or 2.
Borrowed dice are set to 6 after resolution.
Must be declared before using own dice.
Cannot be combined with automatic die reset.

14. Rule Priority

Card text
These rules
Default game state