El Sendero del Norte (The Northern Trail)

Developed by Ronald Roybal

The air is thin and the shadows are long. Begin your journey on the path of Northern New Mexico folklore…

Here are the complete rules for playing "El Sendero del Norte" (The Northern Trail) with a standard deck of 54 playing cards.

I. Game Components and Setup

  1. Components Needed:
    • A standard 54-card deck (52 cards + 2 Jokers).
    • A way to track stats (paper/pencil, dice, or tokens).
  2. Rank Values: For calculating effects, use the following values:
    • Ace (A): 1
    • 2 through 10: Face Value
    • Jack (J): 11
    • Queen (Q): 12
    • King (K): 13
  3. Initial Setup: Record your starting stats:
    • Vida (Health): 100 (Max 100)
    • Fuerza (Energy): 10 (Max 20)
    • Relics (Gold): 0
  4. The Deck: Shuffle all 54 cards together to form the trail deck.
  5. Optional: One six sided die or a coin to flip for The Devil’s Bargain.

II. Gameplay Loop

The game is played over a single loop until the deck is exhausted or your Vida reaches zero.

  1. Draw Card: Draw the top card from the deck.
  2. Resolve Encounter: Determine the effect of the card based on its suit and rank (refer to the Encounter Key below).
  3. Update Stats: Apply the effects immediately.
  4. Discard: Place the drawn card in a discard pile.
  5. Continue: Draw the next card until the game ends.

III. Encounter Key

The suit determines the type of event you face on the New Mexico trail.

❤️ Hearts (Corazón) - Blessings and Renewal

  • Effect: You find aid or sanctuary. Gain Vida and Fuerza.
  • Generic H (A, 2-10): Gain Vida + (Rank Value × 3).
  • Face Card Overrides:
    • H J (Helpful Hermit): Vida +20, Fuerza +5. (Max out to 100/20)
    • H Q (The Curandera’s Balm): Vida +40, Fuerza set to 20.
    • H K (Vision of the Patron Saint): Vida +50, Relics +100.

♦️ Diamonds (Diamantes) - Wealth and Temptation

  • Effect: You find forgotten treasures, but sometimes they come with a cost.
  • Generic D (A, 2-10): Gain Relics + (Rank Value × 5).
  • Face Card Overrides:
    • D J (Hidden Cache): Relics +50.
    • D Q (La Calavera de Oro): Relics +100.
    • D K (The Devil’s Bargain): Roll a standard 6-sided die (D6) or flip a coin.
      • 1-3: You fail. Vida -40.
      • 4-6: You succeed. Relics +200.
      • Heads you win, Tails you lose.

♣️ Clubs (Bastones) - Obstacles and Hazards

  • Effect: You encounter natural or mundane hardships that drain your resources.
  • Generic C (A, 2-10): Lose Vida - (Rank Value × 3).
  • Face Card Overrides:
    • C J (Flash Flood): Vida -15.
    • C Q (La Llorona’s Wail): Vida -30 and Relics -10.
    • C K (Skinwalker Trap): Vida -30 and Fuerza -10.

♠️ Spades (Espadas) - Combat Encounters

  • Effect: You must fight a creature of folklore! See the Combat Rules below.

🃏 Jokers - Wild Magic

  • Joker 1 (Wild Magic): Your state is reset unpredictably. Vida becomes 75, Fuerza becomes 15, and Relics are halved (Relics / 2).
  • Joker 2 (The Portal): You are fully healed and empowered, but cleansed of material possessions. Vida = 100, Fuerza = 20, Relics = 0

IV. Combat Rules (Spades Only)

When you draw a Spade, combat begins.

1. Determine Enemy Stats:

Card Rank

Enemy Name

Base HP

Base DMG

A-10

Cursed Spirit

Rank Value × 5

Rank Value × 2

J

El Chupacabra (Jackal)

40 HP

15 DMG

Q

La Llorona (Weeping Woman)

75 HP

20 DMG

K

The Skinwalker

60 HP

30 DMG

2. Choose Your Action (Must be done in a single choice):

You deal damage by spending Fuerza. Every 1 Fuerza spent deals 15 Damage to the enemy.

A. Full Attack (Attempt to Win)

  • Calculation: Determine the minimum Fuerza required to deal damage equal to or greater than the enemy’s HP. (Required Fuerza = Enemy HP / 15, rounded up).
  • Condition: You must have enough Fuerza to make the full attack.
  • Result:
    • Spend the Required Fuerza.
    • The enemy is defeated.
    • You take a small wound: Vida - (Enemy Base DMG / 4) (round down).

B. Flee

  • Condition: You may choose to flee at any time, especially if you lack the Fuerza for a full attack.
  • Result:
    • Lose 2 Fuerza.
    • Take the full damage from the enemy: Vida - Enemy Base DMG.

V. Game End

The game concludes when one of two conditions is met:

  1. Defeated (Loss): Your Vida drops to 0 or below.
  2. Victory (Win): You successfully draw and resolve all 54 cards.

Your final score is the total number of Relics you accumulated.

Good luck on El Sendero, Viajero! The shadows of the Sangre de Cristo are waiting!

A Note on Imagination

El Sendero de Norte can be very immersive if you use your imagination! Here are some ideas for illustrating the 1-10 cards on your path as you journey through the deck.

Hearts are Blessing and Renewal. Imagery descriptions to illustrate your path could include finding a hidden spring to quench your thirst, discovering a watermelon ripe for picking or seeing a beautiful sight of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.

Diamonds are Wealth and Temptation. Imagery descriptions to illustrate your path could include finding an abandoned mine shaft, discovering a small vein of gold ore or discovering a cache of Spanish silver.

Clubs are Obstacles and Hazards. Imagery descriptions to illustrate your path could include rough terrain, difficult passages or clever snares.

Spades are Combat Encounters. Imagery descriptions to illustrate your path could include cursed spirits, the evil eye or ill omens.

 

Below you will find a free PDF containing the rules of the game.

Let me know if you enjoyed your time with it!