Wayfarer Rules Document
LAST UPDATED: 12:44 PM EDT — JUNE 6, 2021
1. Game Concepts
100. General
100.1. Wayfarer is Magic: the Gathering variant for two to four players, consisting of one scrivener, who manages the game, and one to three other players, called wayfarers.
100.2. Wayfarer uses Magic rules except where otherwise stated. Where Wayfarer and Magic rules conflict, Wayfarer rules take precedence. Rules written on cards take precedence over both.
100.3. To play, the scrivener needs a set of scene decks. Each wayfarer needs a Magic preconstructed Commander deck.
100.3.a. A scene deck is a randomized set of cards for that Scene, with the scene card on top.
100.3.b. A set of scene decks are together called an Episode. A set of Episodes are a Journey.
100.4. Each Wayfarer starts with a Magic preconstructed Commander deck. These can change between sessions. See rule 304.3.
100.5. Although Commanders are used, Commander damage is not. Ignore rule 903.10a from the Magic Comprehensive Rules.
100.6. Spark emblems cards and act cards have a tier associated with them. This is displayed using a tier icon on the upper-left corner of the card, having a number that represents which tier the card is in. Generally, what tier of cards are used are dependent on the tier of the game that’s being played.
100.7. Wayfarers go first. They draw a card during their first draw step.
100.8. Some rules are different for “singleplayer” play compared to “multiplayer” play. Singleplayer in this case means there is only one wayfarer, and multiplayer means there is more than one wayfarer.
2. Scrivener
200. General
200.1. While the wayfarers use rules close to normal Magic rules, the scrivener is different.
200.2. There are no restrictions on scene decks, except that it must include at least one scene card. Typically, each scene card has a set deck. Each scene deck has a number, the Scene I deck is used first.
200.3. After each of the wayfarers’ commanders are revealed and placed into their command zone at the beginning of each game, the scene card of the Scene I deck is put into the command zone. Then, the Scene I deck becomes their library.
200.4. For their opening hand, the scrivener draws cards equal to their base hand size.
200.4.a. The scrivener’s base hand size is dependent on the number of wayfarers that are in the game. To determine this, start with 1, then add 2 for each wayfarer beyond the first. So it’s 3 for two wayfarers, and 5 for three wayfarers, and so on.
200.4.b. Singleplayer — When there is only one wayfarer, the scrivener’s base hand size is 2.
200.5. The scrivener has no maximum hand size.
201. Turn
201.1. The scrivener has the same phases and steps as a normal player, but is executed a bit differently.
201.2. During the scrivener’s untap step, before the permanents are untapped but after phased out permanents phase in, all infused permanents are no longer infused. This turn-based action doesn’t use the stack.
201.3. At the beginning of the scrivener’s upkeep, put an Essence land card from outside the game onto the battlefield under the scrivener’s control.
201.3.a. Essence cards are colorless Essence lands with “{T}: Add one mana of any color.”
201.4. The scrivener doesn’t draw as normal during their draw phase.
201.5. At the beginning of the scrivener’s first pre-combat main phase, they may cast a number of cards from their hand, equal to the number of wayfarers, without paying their mana cost. This turn-based action doesn’t use the stack.
201.6. At the beginning of the scrivener’s end step, if they have less cards in their hand than their base hand size, then they draw cards until it is equal to their base hand size. These draws can’t be replaced by effects. This turn-based action doesn’t use the stack.
201.7. Scrivener has no maximum hand size so they don’t discard any cards during their cleanup step.
202. Scenes
202.1. Scene cards are active as long as they have been face up in the command zone. The scene cards are both owned and controlled by the scrivener.
202.2. Abilities of scene cards function in the command zone and can’t be countered.
202.3. A scene opens when it starts and closes when it ends.
202.3.a. “When this scene opens” trigger occurs when the scene card has been placed in the command zone face up. For the first scene, the trigger’s ability goes on stack at the beginning of the first upkeep.
202.3.b. “When this scene closes” trigger occurs when an effect or rule instructs the scrivener to “ready the next scene”.
202.4. If the scrivener would lose they commence the next scene instead.
202.5. If an effect or rule instructs the scrivener to “ready the next scene”, do the following:
202.5.a. Remove all scene cards from the command zone and place them outside of the game and the scrivener shuffles their hand into their library and the scrivener sacrifices an Essence. “When this scene closes” triggers now occur. Then, when the stack is empty, if it’s the scrivener’s turn, end the turn then skip to the scrivener’s next turn.
202.5.b. Singleplayer — If there is only one wayfarer, the scrivener sacrifices two Essences instead of one.
202.5.c. As the scrivener’s next turn starts, put the scene card from the next sequential scene deck onto the command zone face up. That scene deck becomes the scrivener’s library. The scrivener draws cards from their new library equal to their base hand size.
202.5.d. As the scene card is put into the command zone, if they have zero or less life, their life becomes equal to the “revived” value of the new act card. Otherwise, they gain life equal to the “survived” value. The revived value becomes the scrivener’s new starting life regardless of whether they used it or not. This life gain can’t be replaced.
202.5.e. Then, the scrivener loses all poison counters, if they had any.
202.5.f. Finally, any “when this scene opens” trigger occurs, if there are any.
203. Essence and Infuse
203.1. As described in 201.3, the scrivener gets an Essence land at the beginning of each of their upkeeps.
203.2. As the scrivener is casting a spell, as an additional cost, they may tap three untapped Essence they control to infuse it. Essence tapped this way don’t untap during their controller’s next untap step.
203.2.a. If it’s a permanent spell, it enters the battlefield infused. If that permanent has an ability that triggers when infused, it triggers when the permanent enters the battlefield. If it also has an enters the battlefield trigger, that occurs at the same time and the scrivener may put them onto the stack in any order.
203.3. Anytime the scrivener can cast a sorcery, they may infuse a permanent they control. This is a special action that does not use the stack.
203.4. Infused spells can’t be countered and infused creatures have haste.
203.5. A copy of an infused object is also infused.
203.6. Infused permanents revert to not being infused on the beginning of the scrivener’s untap step before permanents are untapped.
3. Wayfarers
301. General
301.1. The wayfarers start with a preconstructed Commander deck and generally play as normal as the Commander format except the wayfarers use the “Shared Team Turns Option”(Magic Comprehensive Rules 805) with all of the wayfarers on the same team. The scrivener is considered the team’s opponent.
301.2. The wayfarers’ starting life has been adjusted based on the tier of the game. On tier 1, the wayfarer’s starting life is 30. On tier 2, it’s 35. On tier 3, it’s 40. On tier 4, it’s 45. On tier 5, it’s 50.
301.3. If a wayfarer would lose, they enter a downed state instead.
301.3.a. As a wayfarer gets downed, they return each of their commanders from anywhere to the command zone, then they shuffle into their library all cards not in their command zone that they own. This includes permanents(including those they own but don’t control), cards on the stack, graveyard, and in exile. Additionally, emblems they own except for spark emblems and any counters on the downed wayfarer are removed.
301.3.b. Until they return, treat the player, their library, and any objects they own in the command zone as though they don’t exist to the other players.
301.3.c. At the beginning of the wayfarer’s upkeep, downed wayfarers searches their library for a basic land and put it onto the battlefield. Then, if they have three basic lands on the battlefield or if the next scene would open, they return.
301.3.d. As a downed wayfarer returns, their starting life total is decreased by 10 for each time they’ve been downed this game, and their life becomes the new total. They then shuffle their library and draw their opening hand and may make mulligans as normal. Once they choose not to take a mulligan, continue the game.
301.3.e. If a wayfarer’s starting life total becomes 0 or lower, they do not return from being downed.
301.3.f. When all wayfarers are downed, the team loses and the game ends.
301.4. If a wayfarer would win or if the scrivener would lose outside of the effect of a scene card, ready the next scene instead.
301.4.a. If an effect of a card causes this win or loss, wayfarers cannot win or the scrivener cannot lose again during that game using an identical ability. If a wayfarer would win or the scrivener would lose again using an identical ability, they instead don’t win or lose.
301.4.b. An identical ability is an ability with the same rules that comes from the same printed card text.
302. Spark Emblem
302.1. The wayfarers also start each game with a special type of emblem called a spark emblem. Its tier depends on the tier of the adventure the players are playing.
302.2. Spark emblems start in the command zone and are active throughout the game.
302.3. After each tier of an adventure is completed, each of the wayfarer’s spark emblems are replaced with one of the same subtype of one higher tier.
302.3.a. After the first and third tiers of adventures, each wayfarer may replace their spark emblem with one of another subtype of one higher tier instead.
303. Items and Spoils
303.1. Wayfarer also uses a Spoils deck that the wayfarers may earn whenever they “loot the spoils”. When they do this, that wayfarer casts the top card of the spoils deck without paying its mana cost.
303.2. Among the spoils deck are item cards. Wayfarers may only control one item permanent among all of the players. If they have more than one item permanent when state-based actions are checked, then they choose one and shuffle the rest into the Spoils deck.
303.3. If an item would leave the battlefield, it gets shuffled into the Spoils deck instead.
304. Progression
304.1. There are five tiers of adventures and spark emblems, these each go up in tier with each game.
304.2. The first game starts with tier 1 Episode and spark emblems. The next game, the scrivener uses the next higher tier Episode and the wayfarers use the next higher tier spark emblem.
304.3. Each wayfarer removes cards from their deck then adds cards from card packs they have received between games.
304.3.a. After seeing the cards in the card packs, the wayfarer must remove twenty cards from their deck and add ten cards from the card packs. Wayfarers may elect to take basic lands instead of cards from the card packs, but they must still take ten cards total between basic lands and cards from card packs.
304.3.b. Any cards left over are no longer available.
Version History
0.1–2021–05–12
Initial document
0.2–2021–05–17
Changed terminology
Gear counters are now essence counters. High gear is now infused. Low gear is simply not infused.
Acts are now Scenes, as are the respective decks and cards. Scenes are readied and they open when they start, close when they end.
There are now also Adventures and Episodes.
Mechanical changes
Essence is now used up for infusions at a rate of two per infusion instead of getting one use for every three essence.
Can’t cast free spells using essence anymore.
Scenes now have separate decks. Changed how scene changes work a bit.
The first card draw of a scene now happens after any opening triggers resolve.
0.3–2021–05–23
Changed terminology
“At this scene’s open/close” is now “When this scene opens/closes”.
Mechanical changes
Changed how the scene changes work. If it’s the scrivener’s turn when you ready the next scene, end the turn then go to the scrivener’s next one.
A copy of an infused object is also infused. Unless stated otherwise.
0.4–2021–06–04
Mechanical changes
Changed how Essence works:
The scrivener simply gets one on each of their upkeeps now, no more limits and they get it on their first turn.
Instead of getting mana equal to the number of Essence, Essence are now simply lands that add one mana of any color. No more colorless though.
With each scene close, the scrivener must sacrifice an Essence(if they have any, which they probably do).
To infuse, they now tap three untapped Essence lands they control. The tapped lands don’t untap during the scrivener’s next untap step.
Changed how Downed wayfarers work:
Downed wayfarers now get a basic land on each of their upkeeps and return when the they have three or the next scene starts.
