diff --git a/cardsim/player.go b/cardsim/player.go
index a0eeaac..539a780 100644
--- a/cardsim/player.go
+++ b/cardsim/player.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ type Player[C StatsCollection] struct {
 	Name string
 
 	// Rand is a source of randomness that other components can use.
-	Rand rand.Rand
+	Rand *rand.Rand
 
 	Deck       *Deck[C]
 	Hand       []Card[C]
@@ -151,6 +152,27 @@ const (
 	GameStalled
 )
 
+// InitPlayer returns a mostly-uninitialized Player with the fields
+// that require specific initialization already configured and the
+// provided StatsCollection (if any) already assigned to its Stats.
+// Most fields are not configured and need to be assigned after this.
+//
+// The Player is initialized with an empty deck, empty rule collection,
+// a hand limit of 1, an actions-per-turn limit of 1, and a random
+// number generator seeded with the nanosecond component of the current time.
+// The Deck shares this random number generator.
+func InitPlayer[C StatsCollection](stats C) *Player[C] {
+	r := rand.New(rand.NewSource(time.Now().UnixNano()))
+	return &Player[C]{
+		Stats:          stats,
+		Rand:           r,
+		Deck:           &Deck[C]{rand: r},
+		HandLimit:      1,
+		ActionsPerTurn: 1,
+		Rules:          NewRuleCollection[C](),
+	}
+}
+
 // Over returns whether this state represents a game that is over.
 func (g GameState) Over() bool {
 	return g == GameLost || g == GameWon || g == GameCrashed || g == GameStalled