Survive The Playing Card System - INTERMEDIATE RULES

Competence as Expectation

Survival is not competence.
At the intermediate level, members are evaluated on whether they can function without becoming a liability to their Hand, their faction, or the Syndicate.
Competence determines:

• How much tolerance you are given
• How closely you are watched
• How quickly failure escalates into consequence

Those who cannot meet baseline expectations are not punished immediately.
They are sidelined.

---

1. Baseline Abilities (Minimum Magical Competence)

All magical members possess baseline abilities.
These abilities are passive. They do not define role, rank, or advancement.
They allow awareness. They allow restraint. They allow survival.
They do not allow rise.
Failure to properly control baseline abilities is considered incompetence, not inexperience.
Aether
Description

• Allows the user to draw and circulate psionic energy
• Enables the use of all other abilities

Limitations

• Overdraw causes physical and mental harm
• Poor control accelerates exhaustion and injury

Resonance
Description

• Detects nearby psionic ability activation
• Alerts the user to magical activity in proximity

Limitations

• Precise location can only be determined within close proximity.
• The specific ability type remains unclear unless the user is the primary target.
• Simultaneous activation by multiple psionic users may cause visual overlap or interference.

---

2. Echo (Overload & Failure State)

Echo is a passive psionic ability.
It is an automatic failure response triggered by exceeding psionic limits.
Echo activates when a user:

• Draws beyond their natural stamina
• Forces prolonged or repeated ability use
• Ignores physical or mental strain

Effects

• Increased injury risk and critical failure rates
• Progressive decline in mental and physical stability

Continued exertion while Echo is active compounds internal damage, leading to:

• Permanent injury
• Cognitive decay
• Organ failure
• Death

Echo does not grant power or control.
It makes a member unreliable.

---

3. Crews Under Stress

A crew is stable only while its authority is uncontested.
When leadership weakens, disappears, or makes reckless choices, the Syndicate does not intervene immediately. It watches, measures, and waits.
Instability is tolerated—until it becomes inconvenient.

---

4. Leaving a Hand vs Being Removed

Leaving a Hand (Voluntary)
A member may leave a Hand on good terms only if:

• The leader consents
• The departure is formally acknowledged
• The departing member does not:

• Form a new Hand
• Join another Hand
• Recruit from their former Hand

As long as all former Hand members remain alive, the departing member is considered Neutral.
Leaving cleanly preserves reputation. Leaving wrong creates enemies.
Being Removed from a Hand (Forced)
Removal is not neutral.
Being removed means:

• Loyalty is questioned
• Judgment is doubted
• Reliability is suspect

Removed members are often relegated to Deck-level use, regardless of prior status.
Leaving is a choice. Removal is a verdict.

---

5. Crew Dissolution

A crew dissolves when its leader is:

• Removed
• Incapacitated
• Killed
• Stripped of authority

When this occurs:

• The Hand is disbanded
• Crew protections end
• Members return to the Deck

Once in the Deck:

• Anyone of appropriate Arcana may recruit or use them
• Prior loyalty holds no official weight

When a Hand breaks, its cards scatter.

---

6. Leader Death With a Surviving Hand

The death of a leader does not automatically destroy a Hand.
Surviving members must act quickly, as prolonged indecision attracts attention.
Possible Outcomes
Reform Under a New Leader

• A new leader is chosen from within the Hand
• The new leader must be of the same Arcana rank as the former leader, or lower
• The Hand remains intact and leadership transfers

Members who stay are considered Loyal.
A fallen leader does not elevate the Hand.
Dissolve Voluntarily

• The Hand disbands
• Members return to the Deck

Members who choose this path are considered Neutral.
Disperse to Other Hands or Form a New One
Members who join or form another Hand without consent while former members are still alive are considered Hostile.
Survival is acceptable. Replacement without permission is not.

---

7. Loyalty States (Contextual, Not Permanent)

After disruption, members are informally viewed as:

• Loyal — remained with the Hand or supported reform
• Neutral — returned to the Deck without conflict
• Hostile — joined or formed another Hand without consent

These labels affect:

• Future recruitment
• Trust
• How others treat you

They are not permanent. They are remembered.

---

8. Contracted Partnerships — Consequences

Working with a higher Arcana through contract does not grant protection.
If exposure, casualties, or failure occur during a contracted partnership:

• Responsibility is judged as if the higher Arcana were part of your Hand
• Consequences reflect your leadership, preparation, and judgment
• Scrutiny flows downward first

If casualties are extreme or exposure threatens Syndicate stability:

• Higher Arcana involved may face indirect backlash
• Consequences are quieter, slower, and political
• Repercussions are delayed—but not erased

Borrowing power means inheriting the blame. Catastrophe ensures no one walks away untouched.

---

9. Reserves — Risk & Scrutiny

Reserves are effective, but their use is not invisible forever.
Overuse Consequences

• Patterns attract attention
• Excessive reliance signals instability
• Quiet observation follows

Liability
If a Reserve causes exposure or damage:

• Responsibility falls on the leader
• Deniability does not absolve you

Hidden power keeps you alive. Relying on it too often gets you watched.

---

FACTIONS & FACTION AWARENESS

You do not need a faction to survive. But factions determine how hard the ground hits when you fall.
Factions do not grant authority. They shape how support is extended, how failure is absorbed, and how consequences are mitigated.
Recognized Factions
The Myriad Syndicate formally recognizes two dominant factions:

• Moon Faction
• Star Faction

Their philosophies and doctrines are not required knowledge at this level.
You do not need to understand how factions operate to be affected by them.
What Factions Are (Intermediate)
Factions function as support networks.
They provide:

• Political cover
• Informal protection
• Faster intervention
• Softer judgment after mistakes

They do not:

• Override Arcana rank
• Grant command authority
• Nullify consequences

Think of factions as buffers, not shields.
Support, Not Immunity
Faction alignment offers conditional protection, not safety.
When aligned:

• Mistakes are contextualized
• Failures are contained
• Fallout is redirected or delayed

However:

• Severe failure still carries consequences
• Catastrophic exposure still draws attention
• Repeated incompetence erodes protection

A faction cushions impact. It does not stop the fall.
Faction Gravity & Affiliation
Alignment forms through:

• Family ties
• Mentorship
• Shared operational styles
• Repeated cooperation

Remaining unaffiliated is possible—but means facing consequences alone.
Mixed Hands — Special Mission Cases
Mixed Hands are not normal operations.
They may only be formed when:

• Explicitly authorized by the Imperial Arcana or assigned by the Grand Arcana

Mixed Hands:

• Are temporary
• Exist only for a specific mission
• Dissolve immediately after completion

If factions are made to cooperate, something has already gone wrong.
Advancement & Protection Bias
Faction alignment does not guarantee advancement. It reduces resistance to it.
Aligned members receive:

• Mentorship
• Advocacy
• Strategic placement
• Protection after near-failures

Neutral members advance slower because no one absorbs their risk.
Losing Faction Support
Faction support weakens when a member:

• Embarrasses the faction
• Creates excessive exposure
• Acts against faction interests
• Becomes more liability than asset

Loss of support is not announced. It is felt when no one intervenes.

---

INTERMEDIATE SUMMARY

Survival keeps you breathing. Stability keeps you standing. Reputation decides how long.
Rank decides authority. Crews decide visibility. Factions decide who absorbs the shock.

Type

Guide, How-to