Introduction
The name Krakonoš is the Czech version for Rübezahl, a folklore mountain spirit/giant of the Krkonoše Mountains.
Krakonoš, the game, poses the players as giants from mythology, seeking to guide or force the lesser species of the world to their agenda in a series of encounters.
Creatures of the Night is a greater game world in which Krakonoš takes place. One of the purposes of this game is to introduce new players to the CotN world, so that they will better understand the background and creatures involved when they try out other games.
Krakonoš is a card game. It is self-supporting. You can play any version of the game, each expansion being a stand-alone game with the option to combine two or more together for variation or bigger games.
Gameplay
Players set up the game by generating a character from a selection of race, agenda and minions cards. These three card types allow for a lot of variation through differing combinations, providing a different experience each time it is played. It also allows players to break the mold of classic archetypes – play as a villainous Treeman, or a guardian fire elemental as you try to establish your control over the realm.
A game, or campaign, is played using a number of generated encounters. Each encounter is also built using encounter, species and item cards, providing more variation to the play experience. One or more encounters are active during the game simultaneously, allowing players to choose where to focus their efforts. As encounters are struggled for, some will be concluded, either won by a victorious player, or ruined through heavy conflict. New encounters are generated throughout a campaign until one player stands victor through his win conditions.
Alternative game modes are available, allowing players to try out team fights, a nemesis (all vs one) or scenario encounters. A campaign system allows players to take their favourite characters through more than one game, gaining bonuses as they advance.