Tadhana Game Guide 2022 For the Philippines

Can you imagine living in the Philippines before the arrival of its colonizers and capturing it in a game? Well, that is exactly the idea behind the Tadhana game, a popular tabletop role-playing game in the Philippines. This card-based game works like the popular Dungeons and Dragons but with a few local twists and ingredients.

Instead of dragons, swords, and sorcery of Western influences, this role-playing game revisits the Philippines’ mythology and culture. In short, the main characters here are aswangs (evil shapeshifters), mangkukulam (witches) and salamangkero (magicians), and the like.

It comes in a complete package that includes the rulebook, a module, the character sheet, and the printable Cards of Destiny. With the use of the forty cards, you can start an adventure, know the local culture, and win the game!

What is the Tadhana role-playing game?

Tadhana game is a tabletop RPG that covers Philippine mythology with a flip of the card. This game is based on Project Tadhana led by Nathan Briones, a writer, and an active Philippine gamer. As a member of the Philippine gaming community, Briones was inspired to design a local tabletop RPG. It draws heavily from Philippine folklore and is influenced by Filipino culture.

Set in the universe of kalawakan, the game mechanics allow the players to explore history and folklore in every flip of the cards of destiny. Project Tadhana comes in a complete kit, and it includes a unique card system that is different from the traditional polyhedral dice mechanic used in many tabletop RPG titles. If you buy Project Tadhana in the Philippines, you will instantly notice the local touch. All forty cards and the guidebook are packed in a burlap sack with a pretty logo in front.

How to play Tadhana game?

Before you play Tadhana game, it is best to familiarize yourself with the tabletop role-playing game kit and its features. The burlap bag has two books, one rulebook with 242 pages, and the Starter Campaign Book that’s called ‘Bulong’ or Whisper. The books are colorful and inside, you will find 40 cards of destiny. You will also find character sheets, a bookmark, and tokens.

Project Tadhana works using the same mechanics found in many tabletop role-playing game titles. There is an Overseer, and the others serve as players. If you act as the player in Tadhana, you portray one of the adventurers with four attributes: Husay (Skill), Lakas (Might), Diwa (Spirit), and Talisik (Wit). Also, each adventurer in Tadhana belongs to a Lahi (Race) and there are six playable races here- Tikbalang, Tao, Garuda, Engkanto, Diwata, and Aswang. Again, each Lahi (Race) has traits that the Tadhana player can unlock at various levels.

Tadhana rules

Understanding the game mechanics is easy thanks to the presence of a rulebook and module. Use these as your resources in learning about the different characters, the character development, and how each card works.  The Tadhana game rules are on page 198 of the book.

Based on the Tadhana rules, combat is resolved with Lakas used against Husay during combat. You subtract Husay from the attacker Lakas, and the Tadhana player then draws at least one card to resolve the attack. If the cards do not feature duplicate symbols, the attack fails. If a pair is shown, the attack on the player is successful. With the Tadhana card-based rules, drawing a three-of-a-kind delivers a critical hit. Tadhana players use the tokens to track the rise and fall in the player’s attributes in combat. For example, Lakas are spent when hit, or Husay is reduced if taking an action.

Tadhana playing Tips and techniques

This role-playing game has a colorful yet complex design and mechanics. If you are a foreigner, you will find Tadhana game challenging and the characters hard to understand. This is forgivable since Tadhana is inspired by Filipino culture, its folklore, and mythology. If you want to play and master Tadhana game, we recommend reading a few resources on Philippines folklore and mythology.

Tadhana, a Filipino tabletop RPG is also best played if you read and review first the rulebook and module. Yes, the book features more than a hundred pages but this will help you understand the context and background of Tadhana game. When reading the Tadhana book, make sure to check the third chapter. This section tells you about the history of this Filipino tabletop RPG production.

Can I play online?

Some of the popular games in the Philippines like ‘Pusoy Dos’ and ‘Tong-Its’ are now playable online. Also, these are now available in the Play Store or the Apple Store in the form of apps. But this is not the case with the Tadhana game.

Tadhana, a Filipino tabletop RPG is playable offline, and you need to buy the complete Tadhana kit to experience mythology and folk history on the cards. You need the guidebook, module, and tokens to fully enjoy the game set in the universe of kalawakan. Some players may be disappointed by the absence of an app or an online version of Tadhana role-playing game. But this limitation also works to its advantage since it provides Tadhana players a more realistic and local way of enjoying the game.

Can I play Tadhana for real money?

As mentioned, the RPG Tadhana game is not available online. Since it is not available online or in apps, there are limited opportunities available for players to enjoy the adventure. But this should not stop you from playing the games in real money. One option is to meet with friends or family members to play and bet on the results of Tadhana game.

FAQ

This tabletop role-playing game is colorful and rich in history, but it also comes with complex rules. If you want to know more, read the brief guide on Tadhana below.