The Amazing Race:Arcane Edition
The Amazing Race is an American reality game show in which typically players race around the world. The race is split into legs interspersed with physical and mental challenges, and require players to deduce clues, navigate themselves in foreign areas, interact with locals, perform physical and mental challenges, and travel using minecart, nether, boat and by foot. Players are progressively eliminated at the end of most legs; with the final leg's having a grand prize.
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Players[edit]
The Race features 10-14 players. The players represent the diversity of the server. The stress of racing against someone, staying ahead of the competition, completing the assigned tasks, and dealing with little rest, and often a player's inability to cope with the fatigue is what is ultimately responsible for a player's elimination from the Race.
Clues[edit]
When players start a leg, arrive at Route Markers, or complete certain tasks, they normally receive a book that contains their next clue. After retrieving the clue, players open the envelope and read aloud the instructions given on the clue sheet and then follow those instructions. Players are generally required to collect each clue during each leg and keep that information with them until they reach the next Pit Stop, surrendering them once they have checked in.
At Route Markers, clue envelopes are placed inside a box mounted to the Marker. In usual seasons, extra envelopes are left in clue boxes to prevent this from letting them know what place they are in.
Route Markers[edit]
Route Markers are uniquely coloured banners that mark the places where players must go. Most Route Markers are attached to the boxes that contain clue books, but some may mark the place where the players must go in order to complete tasks, or may be used to line a course that the players must follow.
Route Information[edit]
Route Information clues instruct the teams where to go next. Such a clue usually provides only the name of the players'/teams' next destination; it is up to the teams to figure out how to get there.
Route Information clues may specify how the teams have to travel (such as by foot, by train, by nether or by boat), and instruct players what type of location to travel to (such as a specific location in another city or area, another location within the player's present city, the Pit Stop of the leg, or the Finish Line of the race). Route Information clues have also provided cryptic clues about the next location, leaving players to figure out where they must go. For example, players have been given a small country flag and told to fly to that country, or have been told to travel to the "Most Northern City".
In some cases, Route Information clues will require all teams to complete a non-Detour, non-Roadblock task before getting the clue to their next destination, such as taking part in a ceremonial observation. If a player/team goes to the next destination using the wrong type of transport, they will get a time penalty at the Pit Stop or Finish Line, be sent back, or other means of penalty.
Detour[edit]
A Detour presents the team with a decision between two tasks, "each with its own pros and cons," as often stated by the host. The two tasks are named, often based on rhymes or puns, such as "Plow" / "Fowl" to differentiate between a task involving plowing against a task involving corralling ducks. Teams are given several details about both tasks, but may need to travel a short distance by foot or other means of transportation to the different task locations.
Typically, one task is less physically demanding than the other but is tedious or requires some amount of time or thinking to complete, while the other is usually a more physically demanding or frightening option that, depending on the team's ability, may take less time to complete.
The decision about which task to attempt lies solely with the team. A team may choose to switch tasks as many times as they wish with no penalty other than the time lost in attempting the tasks and travelling between task locations. Unless otherwise instructed, teams can work together to finish a Detour option. Once a team has completed one of the tasks, they are given the clue to their next location.
Roadblock[edit]
A Roadblock is a task that only one team member may perform. A Roadblock clue is given as a cryptic question, such as "Who's really hungry?" or "Who wants to get down and dirty?" Based on this information and observation of any other racers at the task, the team must decide which member will complete the task before reading the full task description. Once a team announces its decision of who will complete the Roadblock, it cannot be taken back.
The Roadblock task is performed only by the selected racer while his or her partner waits in a designated area, although the partner is usually able to supply words of encouragement and advice. Some Roadblocks may involve the non-selected racer, such as leading a horse his or her partner rides, or helping his or her partner solve a puzzle. Normally, once the racer completes the Roadblock, the team receives its clue to the next Route Marker. In selected legs, two Roadblocks may be featured, with the person that sat out the first Roadblock required to do the second. By the end of the round, the final teams should have an even or close to even amount of roadblocks done.
Fast Forward[edit]
A Fast Forward is a task that, once completed, allows the team that completes it to bypass all remaining tasks in the leg and proceed directly to the Pit Stop. The Fast Forward clue is given with another task clue (usually a Roadblock or Detour) and is a separate task from the others.
Only one team may complete a Fast Forward in any given leg, and a team may only complete one Fast Forward in the entire Race. Teams that win the Fast Forward are not guaranteed a first-place finish for that leg and still face elimination if they arrive at the Pit Stop last. Multiple teams may undertake Fast Forward tasks, but only the first team to complete the task gets credit.
Obstacles[edit]
Besides clues, players may encounter the following that may or may not affect their placements or possibly slow them down:
U-Turn[edit]
The U-Turn is always placed immediately after a Detour. After completing their Detour option, a player/team may use their U-Turn ability to force another player to backtrack and complete the Detour option they did not previously complete. The player placing the U-Turn places a photo of the player/team they are penalizing along with their own "Courtesy of" photo on the U-Turn marker stand.
It is possible for a player to U-Turn a player that has already passed the U-Turn (or skipped it by means of a Fast Forward), nullifying its effects. A player/team can only use their U-Turn power once per Race. Teams are warned of an upcoming U-Turn either before the leg when the teams leave the Pit Stop, when the teams arrive at the Detour, and/or at the Route Marker clue after the Detour.
