Words that fit a table of any size

The rules page, the offline page, the guide, two spell descriptions and
the share description no longer assume a duel has exactly two wizards:
every wizard chooses, attacks go at an opponent, the last wizard
standing wins, and blindness and invisibility speak of other wizards.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_0141G6xqLeNRYEtviLWSB5Up
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Eric WagonerandClaude Opus 5.5 committed 2026-10-10 19:00:42 -04:00
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<header>
<a class="back" href="/">Back to the hall</a>
<h1>How to play</h1>
<p class="lede">You are a wizard with two hands and a rival across the table. Every turn each of you chooses a gesture for each hand, and all of them are shown at once. The right run of gestures on one hand is a spell. This guide goes through the screen from the hall to your first duel.</p>
<p class="lede">You are a wizard with two hands, and across the table sits one rival or several. Every turn each of you chooses a gesture for each hand, and all of them are shown at once. The right run of gestures on one hand is a spell. This guide goes through the screen from the hall to your first duel.</p>
<nav aria-label="Sections">
<a href="#hall">The hall</a>
<a href="#table">The table</a>
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@
<section id="first">
<h2>A first duel</h2>
<p>Open with a wave on each hand. From W-W either hand can go on to a counter-spell (W-W-S), protection from evil (W-W-P) or resist heat (W-W-F-P). On the first turn only a knife can hurt you. Then watch the warnings. When a missile is one gesture away, a palm on one hand stops it. When a fireball is one gesture away, a palm will not help, but a counter-spell on yourself or resist heat will.</p>
<p>Next, choose a spell from the sheet and pin it to one hand, and keep the other hand free for answering. Cause light wounds takes three gestures, a fireball five, and summoning a goblin three. A goblin left alone strikes every turn, so in five turns it does a fireball's damage. Read your rival's ledger every turn, because they are reading yours, and both of you can feint.</p>
<p>Next, choose a spell from the sheet and pin it to one hand, and keep the other hand free for answering. Cause light wounds takes three gestures, a fireball five, and summoning a goblin three. A goblin left alone strikes every turn, so in five turns it does a fireball's damage. Read your rivals' ledgers every turn, because they are reading yours, and any of you can feint.</p>
<p>The full rules are on the <a href="/rules">rules page</a>, with Bartle's text. If a rule here reads wrong to you, or something misbehaves, <a href="mailto:eric@ericwagoner.com">send word</a>. The hall's <em>about this game</em> lists the other ways to reach the keeper.</p>
</section>
</main>
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{:else}
<p class="standfirst">
You are <em>{duel.you.name}</em><button type="button" class="link" onclick={startRename}>change name</button>, duelling <em>{duel.foe.name}</em>.
{#if duel.state.turn === 0}Each turn, both wizards choose one gesture per hand and reveal them together. The right run of gestures on one hand is a spell.{/if}
{#if duel.state.turn === 0}Each turn, each wizard chooses one gesture per hand, and the gestures are shown together. The right run of gestures on one hand is a spell.{/if}
</p>
{/if}
</div>
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<header>
<a class="back" href="/">Back to the hall</a> · <a class="back" href="/guide">How to play</a>
<h1>How to duel</h1>
<p class="lede">Waving Hands is Richard Bartle's 1977 game of two wizards trading spells made of hand gestures. This page is a working reference, and the original transcription is at the end.</p>
<p class="lede">Waving Hands is Richard Bartle's 1977 game of duelling wizards, who trade spells made of hand gestures. Two can play, or a whole table. This page is a working reference, and the original transcription is at the end.</p>
<nav aria-label="Sections">
<a href="#turn">A turn</a>
<a href="#gestures">Gestures</a>
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
<section id="turn">
<h2>A turn</h2>
<ol>
<li>Both wizards secretly choose a gesture for each hand. In this game you pick them, then choose which finished spells to cast and at whom.</li>
<li>Every wizard secretly chooses a gesture for each hand. In this game you pick them, then choose which finished spells to cast and at whom.</li>
<li>Both reveal at once. Every spell, stab and monster attack of the turn takes effect together, so a shield you make this turn stops a missile made this turn.</li>
<li>Damage and healing are added up, monsters that lost all their hit points are removed, and enchantments cast this turn bind next turn.</li>
</ol>
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<section id="targets">
<h2>Targets and timing</h2>
<p>Every spell has a subject. Protection and summons are usually cast on yourself, and attacks and enchantments on your opponent, but any spell may be aimed at any wizard or monster, and a spell aimed at something that no longer exists is lost.</p>
<p>Every spell has a subject. Protection and summons are usually cast on yourself, and attacks and enchantments on an opponent, but any spell may be aimed at any wizard or monster, and a spell aimed at something that no longer exists is lost.</p>
<p>Because everything is simultaneous, a monster killed the turn it appears still attacks that turn, a Resist heat cast in the same turn as a Fireball saves you, and a Remove enchantment cast in the same turn as a Fireball leaves you burned. <strong>Counter-spell</strong> stops every other spell cast at its subject that turn, except Finger of death and Dispel magic. <strong>Dispel magic</strong> stops every spell on the field, ends every enchantment and unmakes every monster after it attacks.</p>
</section>
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<section id="winning">
<h2>Winning</h2>
<p>Each wizard has fifteen hit points and dies on losing them all. If both die in the same turn the duel is a draw. Surrender loses, unless the surrendering wizard's last gestures also killed the opponent.</p>
<p>Each wizard has fifteen hit points and dies on losing them all. The last wizard standing wins. If the last wizards standing all die in the same turn, the duel is a draw. Surrender loses, unless the surrendering wizard's last gestures also killed the last opponent.</p>
</section>
<section id="spells">