Pug Wars: Comprehensive Game Manual

Pug Wars is a light-hearted 1v1 battle card game where adorable yet fierce pugs face off in comedic combat. This document is divided into four sections:

• Full Gameplay Manual: Detailed rules and mechanics of Pug Wars.
• Comprehensive Character Manual: Stats and move lists for the five playable pugs (Potato, Lily, Bongo, Mr. Twill, and Selah).
• Quick Start Manual: A beginner-friendly guide to start playing quickly.
• Quick Start Character Manual: One-page summaries of each character for new players.

Designed for both casual fun and competitive strategy, Pug Wars combines simple dice-driven mechanics with strategic depth. The tone is humorous and light, but under the fluff lies a balanced game of tactics and luck. It’s also designed to be web-friendly: straightforward enough to implement digitally, yet nuanced enough to remain engaging.

Full Gameplay Manual

Game Overview and Objective

Pug Wars is a turn-based duel between two players, each controlling a unique pug character with distinct stats and abilities. Players take turns playing cards (actions) to attack their opponent or use special moves. The goal is to reduce your opponent’s Health (HP) to zero, thereby winning the match. Matches are typically quick (a few minutes) but packed with funny moments and strategic decisions.

Components

• Character Cards: Each player selects one of the five pug characters. The character card lists that pug’s base stats (Health, Power, Defense, Attack) and describes their moves.
• Move Cards: For each character, there are four move cards: one Basic Attack, two Unique Moves, and one Special Move. These cards detail the effects and any dice rolls required. In a physical game, players can have these cards in hand or on the table for reference. In a digital/web game, these would be clickable actions.
• Dice: A six-sided die (d6) is used to introduce randomness into attacks and abilities. (Optionally, two dice or different dice may be used for certain moves as specified.)
• Tokens/Markers: (Optional) Tokens can help track one-time Special move usage and temporary effects. For example, you might place a token on a character who has used their Special (to remind that it’s unavailable), or use markers to note a temporary buff/debuff on a character.

Core Stats and Mechanics

Each pug character has four core stats that define their strengths and playstyle:

• Health (HP): The amount of damage a pug can withstand. If a character’s HP reaches 0, that pug is knocked out and loses the game.
• Power (POW): The pug’s general attack power and skill with abilities. This stat is used to calculate damage for most attacks. Higher Power means higher damage output.
• Defense (DEF): The pug’s ability to resist damage. Defense is subtracted from incoming attack calculations, reducing damage taken.
• Attack (ATK): A measure of the pug’s aggressiveness and agility. In the core game, Attack can be used for determining certain effects (like breaking ties for who goes first) and is referenced by specific abilities. (For simplicity, most damage calculations use the Power stat, but some moves may use the Attack stat instead for variety.)

These stats interact in combat. For example, a high Power character can deal more damage, but a high Defense opponent can mitigate that damage. All characters’ stats are balanced such that no pug has a strictly dominant stat line — each has advantages and weaknesses (see Character Manual for the stat table).

Turn Structure

A Pug Wars duel proceeds in rounds of turns:

1. Start of Game: Both players roll the d6 (or flip a coin) to determine who takes the first turn (high roll goes first). Optionally, players can agree that the pug with the higher Attack (ATK) stat goes first, reflecting its quickness. This can add a strategic element to character choice but is not required.
2. Player’s Turn: On your turn, you may perform one action by playing one of your move cards:
   • Basic Attack (always available).
   • One of your two Unique Moves (always available, unless a move’s description imposes a cooldown or limited use).
   • Special Move (once-per-game; if you’ve already used it, it’s no longer available).
   • You cannot play more than one card in a turn, but you may choose not to play any move (for instance, if a move’s effect was set up on a previous turn like a counter, or simply for strategic reasons).
3. Resolving Actions: After choosing a move, declare it and follow the card’s instructions:
   • Attacks and damage-dealing moves: Roll the die and calculate damage or effect as the card directs (see “Attacks and Damage” below for the basic rules). Apply the result to the opponent (subtract HP, etc.).
   • Status or buff moves: Apply any effects (e.g. healing, defense boosts for yourself, debuffs on the opponent). Use tokens or notes to remember effects that last beyond the turn.
   • Many moves involve a dice roll to introduce a random factor (for example, determining damage or whether an effect succeeds).
4. Apply Damage/Effects: Subtract any damage dealt from the target’s Health. If an effect alters stats (temporarily or permanently), note the new stat for the affected character.
5. Check Win Condition: If a player’s Health drops to 0 or below, the game ends immediately and that player loses. Otherwise, continue.
6. End of Turn: The turn ends after the action is resolved. Any temporary effects that expire at end of turn or start of next turn are handled. Then it becomes the other player’s turn.
7. Repeat Rounds: Players alternate turns, each using one move per turn, until one pug is knocked out.

Throughout the game, both players will decide when to use basic attacks versus unique or special moves. Timing and strategy are key — especially because Special Moves can only be used once.

Attacks and Damage Calculation

Combat in Pug Wars is centered on using moves to reduce the opponent’s Health. Here’s how attacks work:

• Basic Attack: The most common attack which each pug can use each turn. By default, its damage = Attacker’s Power – Defender’s Defense + 1d6 (die roll). For example, if your pug’s Power is 8 and the enemy’s Defense is 3, and you roll a 4 on the die, you would deal (8 – 3 + 4) = 9 damage. (Always deal at least 0 damage; if the calculation goes negative, treat it as 0 instead of healing your foe!)
  • Fairness Note: The random roll (1-6) adds unpredictability, but the difference between the characters’ Power and Defense sets a baseline. A stronger pug will usually deal more damage than a weaker one, even with a low roll, ensuring skill and stats matter.
• Unique Moves: Unique moves may also deal damage, often with bonus effects or different formulas:
  • Some unique attacks might use the same formula as the basic attack (Power – Defense + die) but with a twist (extra damage, multiple hits, status effects, etc.).
  • A few moves might use other calculations. For instance, a move could specify “use Attack stat instead of Power” or “ignore the opponent’s Defense” for that attack. Each unique move card will explain its damage calculation and effects. These moves introduce creative randomness, like additional dice rolls or conditional outcomes (e.g., “if the die rolls a 6, do extra damage”).
• Special Moves: Special moves are one-time powerful actions. They generally have higher damage potential or strong effects:
  • Most Special Moves use an enhanced damage roll (for example, rolling two dice for damage instead of one) or a higher flat bonus. This makes them more impactful than regular attacks.
  • Specials often include a unique advantage on top of damage (knockdown, stun, self-heal, stat debuff, etc.).
  • Because they can only be used once, there’s no randomness in availability — both players know each has one “ultimate” to unleash, but not when. The timing of using a Special adds strategy and mind-games.

All damage in Pug Wars is subject to a bit of luck from dice, but extreme luck is mitigated by the stats. Even a low roll on a strong pug will do respectable damage, and a high roll on a weak attack won’t one-shot an opponent from full health. This balance keeps gameplay feeling fair.

Unique Moves and Special Moves

Aside from basic attacks, each pug has:

• Two Unique Moves: These are character-specific abilities that provide flavor and tactical options. Unique moves can range from defensive maneuvers, multi-hit combos, status effects (like stunning an opponent or buffing oneself), to risky high-reward attacks. They can be used any number of times (unless otherwise specified), but only one per turn. Unique moves often incorporate randomness to keep things interesting (for example, a chance to inflict an effect or variable damage outcomes). Reading the move card will tell you exactly what the move does.
• One Special Move: This is the character’s signature “finishing” move, usable only once per game. Special Moves tend to have high impact – they can swing the momentum or clinch a victory. Because they’re so powerful, using them at the right moment is crucial. Each Special Move has some unique advantage (massive damage, guaranteed stun, etc.) and may involve extra dice or special conditions. After a Special Move is used, it cannot be used again in that match (in a physical game, the Special move card could be flipped or removed from play to indicate it’s spent).

Using Special Moves: Since they are one-time, players often save them for critical moments (for instance, to finish off a weakened foe or to make a comeback when low on health). There’s a psychological aspect: both players know a big move is in each other’s back pocket. This can create bluffing or anticipation in competitive play.

Status Effects and Buffs/Debuffs

Some moves cause status effects or temporary stat changes:

• Stun (Skip Turn): The affected pug loses their next turn. (They essentially sit idle, perhaps seeing stars from a heavy hit or being charmed by cuteness.) Stuns wear off after causing the skipped turn. To keep things fair, most stuns in Pug Wars are either chance-based or on one-use moves, so you can’t lock someone out of play repeatedly.
• Defense Buff: Increases a pug’s Defense temporarily (until a certain number of turns or attacks pass). This reduces damage from incoming attacks. For example, a move might grant “+2 DEF until your next turn,” meaning the pug is harder to hurt for one opponent’s attack.
• Power Buff: Temporarily increases a pug’s Power (or Attack) for a short duration or for the next attack only. This can make the pug’s next attack hit harder.
• Debuffs: The opposite of buffs – for instance, a move might cause an opponent to have “-2 Power on their next attack” or lower their Defense briefly. Debuffs wear off after their duration (often one turn or one attack).
• Healing: A few moves allow a pug to regain some Health. Healing is always limited (small random amounts or conditional) to prevent prolonging the game indefinitely. Using a turn to heal is a strategic choice – you recover HP but also give the opponent a chance to act next.

All such effects will be clearly stated on the move card. If two effects conflict (unlikely in this simple design), the one played later takes priority, or they both apply in their respective ways if possible. No effect lasts more than a couple of turns unless explicitly stated (Special move effects might be an exception if noted).

Introducing Randomness Fairly

Randomness in Pug Wars comes primarily from dice rolls, which add fun uncertainty:

• Damage Rolls: Almost every attack has a dice component (usually 1d6) so that damage isn’t the same every time. This prevents the game from feeling too deterministic or repetitive. A weaker character can roll high and a stronger one roll low, but across a match these tend to even out. The Defense stat ensures even a high roll from a low-Power pug won’t deal absurd damage – it will be mitigated by the opponent’s defense. Likewise, a low roll when you have a strong Power stat still yields moderate damage. This design ensures no one loses solely due to a couple of unlucky rolls; strategy and stat advantages carry weight.
• Random Effects: Some unique moves have chance-based outcomes (for example, “40% chance to stun” or “on a roll of 5-6, this move does extra damage”). These are designed with balance in mind. Generally, if a move has a chance to inflict a strong effect, it will do only modest damage on its own, so even if it fails, the user isn’t completely wasting their turn — and if it succeeds, they gain an advantage without outright winning instantly (unless the opponent was already on the brink of defeat).
• Mitigating Unfairness: To keep things fair, Pug Wars avoids “all or nothing” randomness as much as possible. For instance, rather than a move that either completely misses or fully hits for huge damage, most moves provide at least a small effect even on a “fail” roll. Example: one character’s stun move still does a bit of damage even if the stun doesn’t land, so the turn isn’t entirely lost. This design philosophy keeps players engaged; a run of bad luck is unlikely to leave you helpless.
• Strategic Use of Luck: Players can strategize around randomness. For example, if your opponent’s Special Move is a big damage attack with two dice, you might buff your defense in anticipation to blunt its impact, reducing the swing of a high roll. Likewise, if you have a move that is risky (high reward on a good roll, but some penalty on a bad roll), you can save it for when you’re slightly behind (to gamble on a comeback) or when you’re comfortably ahead (and can afford the risk). The random factors encourage adaptive play — players must be ready to respond to unexpectedly high or low damage outcomes.

Overall, luck plays a role but smart play is rewarded. Each character’s design ensures that no one relies purely on luck; their moves give them tools to handle various situations. Skilled players will manage risk (deciding when to gamble on a big roll or when to play it safe with a guaranteed small effect). This blend of skill and luck makes Pug Wars exciting and replayable, without making outcomes feel unjust.

Winning the Game

The win condition in Pug Wars is straightforward: reduce the opponent’s Health to 0 (or below). The moment a pug’s HP hits 0, the match ends immediately and the other player is victorious. There are no ties in standard play:

• If by some rare occurrence both pugs reach 0 in the same action (for example, one character’s special causes both fighters to be knocked out simultaneously), you can consider it a dramatic double knockout. In casual play, this can be a draw or you can do a “sudden death” overtime (perhaps each pug resets at 10 HP and you continue). In competitive play, a tournament might declare a double KO as a draw and have the players rematch.
• There is no point scoring or alternative win condition — just good old-fashioned pug pugilism until one pug drops!

Players should shake hands (or paws) after a match and perhaps swap characters for a rematch to try out different strategies.