Not every room is a fight
Clearing a room does not empty it. Walk back through one and it re-rolls into something else entirely.
Backtracking is never free and never wasted. It is the one lever you have when a run is going badly.
The Shady Card Shark
He runs three tables and he is delighted to see you at any of them. Two of the three can hand you a Bad Luck curse, which takes up a slot in your deck and does nothing for you at all.
You never see his face. You only ever see what he is holding.
Pick a Card
"Pick a card, any card. No refunds."
Three cards, face up, drawn from the whole catalogue. Take one and it joins your deck for the rest of the run.
There is no walking away from this one, and no cost either. The only question is which.
Cut the Deck
Cut, or leave.
You each cut one card. High card takes it, Aces high. A tie puts the offer back on the table.
Win and you may remove any card from your run deck — the only way to thin a deck mid-run, and the reason this table is worth the risk.
Lose and he deals you Bad Luck.
Twenty-One
"Let's try a different table."
Two cards face up, then hit or stay. No dealer hand to beat — just a number to reach, and standing under 18 costs you nothing but the chance.
18 or 19 — he offers you a card to add.
20 — he lets you remove one instead.
21 — both, in that order.
Bust and it is Bad Luck again.
Other events
Rest Site
A quiet corner, and a moment to take stock.
Returns 10 health to your Monarch.
Your Monarch starts a run with 30 and does not heal between battles, so this is not a small thing. It is a third of everything you have.
Random Encounter
Someone else had the same idea about this room.
Your Monarch stumbles across a wandering enemy and a fight breaks out.
Drawn fresh from the Quarter's pool, so a room you cleared easily the first time can hand you something considerably worse the second.
Empty Room
Nothing here.
Whatever was in this room is gone, and nothing has taken its place.
This is what backtracking costs. Every room you walk back through might hand you a rest, a card, or a fight worth having — and might hand you this.
Mystery Event
Not on any table. Not marked on any map.
Walk into the same room enough times and something else is waiting for you there.
That is all you get.