Chainsaw Warrior

Chainsaw Warrior Rulebook

Table of Contents

What You Get
Preparing for Play
The Playing Cards
Creating Your Warrior
Playing the Game
Overkill Options (all OPTIONAL)
Reference Section: House Cards
Reference Section: Equipment
Example of Play

What You Get

4 piece, jigsaw-cut playing board
168 colour cards, representing rooms, encounters, equipment and weapons
90 small counters for marking the various charts on the board
Comic strip introduction
Rulebook
2 dice
Game box

Preparing for Play

Firstly, assemble the board by slotting the four pieces together. Press out the cards and the small counters using the punched lines, and keep them to one side to refer to. Then read the comic strip, which introduces the game. Now read these rules from start to finish. There aren't many and it won't take you that long. If there's something you don't understand go back and read the rule again, and maybe take a look at the particular cards involved. Don't worry too much about grasping every nuance of the game, though, as you'll find it very easy to pick up once you start playing!

The Playing Cards

Separate the cards into three decks. The Wandering Zombie deck is made up entirely of Zombies, the Equipment deck includes all the items you could be equipped with, and all the remaining cards comprise the House Deck (this last bunch will be referred to as the House cards).

The House Deck: This represents the house, which has been infested by Darkness and its minions. Look at the backs of the cards and you will see that each depicts a part of the house, under one of five categories: Room, Corridor, Elevator, Stairs and Balcony. It is these cards that you must explore, turning them over one at a time to reveal heaven-only-knows what nasties! Because the house is constructed in this random way every game of Chainsaw Warrior will be very different from the last.

Before you shuffle the House Cards, remove the Darkness card. Then shuffle the whole deck and split it into two equal piles. Take one of the two piles and place it face down in the 'Deck One' box on the upper part of the board. This deck is always used first. Add the Darkness card to the second pile, and shuffle it thoroughly before placing it in the 'Deck Two' box on the board. You only start turning over cards in the second deck once all of the cards from Deck One have been discarded. You didn't expect your greatest enemy to be hiding round the first corner, did you?

Finally, shuffle the Wandering Zombie Deck and place the pile face-down to one side alongside the board.

Creating Your Warrior

The first thing you must do is create your warrior. He is defined in terms of abilities and attributes, numbers which represent strength, fitness, skill with a gun, and so on. Have a look at the playing board while you work through the following sections.

Attributes

Endurance: Roll 4 dice and add results together. The number rolled is your Endurance rating. This determines how long you can resist the effects of things like radiation damage and zombie venom! Place the Endurance marker (circling arrows) in the appropriate box on the Endurance track on the game board.
Wounds: Roll 2 dice, and then add 6 to the result. This is your Wound allowance. This value will change as you fight the deadly inhabitants of the house. When this number is reduced to zero you are dead, the forces of Darkness win, and New York is lost! Again, place the appropriate marker (the red cross) on the correct space on the Wound track. Even when your injuries are healed by using the First Aid Kit or the Medi-kit your Wound allowance can never exceed this initial score. However, having already moved the Wound marker towards zero after being wounded, you may have trouble remembering what your initial wound score was. You may find it helpful to use one of the other chits provided with the game, turned upside down as an initial Wound score marker. As wounds are taken the blank chit stays on the Wounds track in the box denoting the original score.
Hand-to-Hand: Roll 1 die and add 6 to find how good you are at Hand-to-Hand combat. Place the HtH marker (two arrows meeting) at the appropriate place on the Hand-to-Hand track on the board.
Reflexes: Roll 1 die and add 5 to find your Reflexes rating. This shows how fast you are at reacting suddenly and favourably to unexpected events. Mark your score on the board with the Reflexes marker (the lightning flash). Your Reflexes can never fall beneath 6.
Marksmanship: Roll 1 die and look up the result on this table:

Die Roll	Marksmanship
1	-2
2	-1
3 or 4	0
5	+1
6	+2

Place the Marksmanship marker (the target) in the appropriate box on the board. This number affects your chances of hitting your target with a gun or other ranged weapon in combat. Your Marksmanship modifier never affects the Lucky Shot rolls in any way.

Skills

Now we know how physically strong and healthy you are. You also have a skill in which you have trained especially hard. This skill may raise an attribute above that normally possible, or allow special abilities not available to anyone else. To find out which skill your character has, roll 1 die and look up the result here:

Die Roll	Skill
1	Marksmanship
2	Endurance
3	Agility
4	Strength
5	Climbing
6	Hiding

Marksmanship: You are a great shot; add 1 to your Marksmanship rating and adjust the marker on the Marksmanship track (for example, from the +2 box to the +3 box, or from the -1 to the 0 box).
Endurance: You are strong and have good stamina. Roll 1 die and add the result to your Endurance score, noting the result on the appropriate track. (For example, you roll a 4 to take your Endurance from 13 to 17.)
Agility: Fit and dextrous, you may add 1 to your Reflexes rating, moving the marker along the track.
Strength: Add 1 to your Hand-to-Hand rating, to indicate that you are strong and powerful in a close fight.
Climbing: If you ever encounter the Chasm card, you can ignore its effects (but still add 30 seconds to the time as usual). The Chasm is treated as though it were a Clear card, though you don't need to roll for a Wandering Zombie. If you fall into a Spiked Pit, you may well be injured, but needn't spend any time climbing out again. Furthermore, you may treat any Elevator card as though it were a Clear card (no need to roll for a Wandering Zombie; in this instance you simply climb the elevator shaft instead of entering the cabin where a nasty may lurk!). When using this skill to treat an Elevator area as Clear you must decide whether or not to do so before turning the card over. If the card turns out to be the First Aid Kit, you may not take it.
Hiding: You are an expert at hiding in shadows and blending into the background when danger threatens. Whenever you encounter a creature, you may try to hide from it (before Testing Reflexes, etc). Roll a die; if you roll a 6 you are successful. Discard the creature, and continue to the next area as usual. If the creature was a mutant you must still take their radiation damage: you can't hide from gamma rays! Of course, if you rolled something other than a 6 you must encounter the creature as normal. If the creature you are hiding from is a Zombie and you are venom infected, you must still make a Corruption check even if you manage to hide.

Score Markers

Once you have defined the characteristics of your Warrior, there are a few more counters to be placed on the board. These are placed as follows:

Time Marker: Place the Time marker (the digital clock) in the '0' box of the Time Track. As soon as you enter the building this will start slowly ticking off the minutes: remember, you only have an hour to complete your mission!
Radiation Marker: Place the Radiation marker (radiation symbol) in the '0' box of the Endurance track. As you are exposed to more and more radiation this marker moves further along the track. If it reaches your Endurance marker you have succumbed to radiation poisoning and the game is lost!
Venom Marker: The Venom marker (the skull) is also placed in the '0' box of the Endurance track. On your mission you will encounter many undead Zombies, who will try and bite you. Once you have been bitten once, the venom will thrive and slowly spread through your whole body! As you are corrupted by the zombie venom the marker is moved along the Endurance track. If it reaches your Endurance marker you turn into a Zombie! Darkness wins.

Kitting Out

All that remains now is for you to collect your equipment and weapons. Take all the Equipment cards, remove the Laser-lance card, and divide them into separate piles according to the different codes on their backs. Shuffle each pile and place it face down alongside the board.

Type	Cost
Clothing	1
Devices	1
Gun	2
HtH Weapon	(cost not legible in source; the example below implies 1)
Hvy Weapon	3

Laser-lance: Place this card in the allocated space on the upper part of the board. You must take the Laser-lance with you, as it is the only thing (except only for the Implosion Waistcoat) which can destroy Darkness. However, it doesn't cost you any of your Equipment Allowance to take with you.
Equipment Allowance: To determine which equipment you can choose, you must find out your Equipment Allowance by rolling one die and adding 2. The result is the number of equipment points which you may spend (for example, a roll of 2 gives you 4 equipment points). Each type of equipment has a cost given on the back of the card and in the table above. You may choose as many items as you wish, up to your Equipment Allowance. However, you may only ever have a maximum of one gun and one heavy weapon at any one time, and you may never have more than 13 pieces of equipment in total. For example, if you roll a 3 to get an allowance of 5, you could choose 1 heavy weapon (3 points) and 2 devices (2 x 1 point); or 1 HtH weapon, 1 article of clothing and 3 devices; and so on. When you come to choose the items, you must pick them at random from the top of the face-down piles. Once you have chosen all the equipment and weapons you are allowed, place them in the boxes on the board. Each Equipment card has a brief description of its uses. You will find a more detailed description in the Reference Section.
Limited Use Items & Reloading: Some Equipment cards can only be used once, while others may only be used a certain number of times. Items which have a limited number of uses have a small box on them, together with a note of the number of shots or uses the item has. Place one of the small numbered counters corresponding to this number in the box. Every time the item is used, replace this counter with the next number down, and so on. In this way you'll keep track of how many uses are left in your equipment: how many shots your gun has fired, how many charges are left in your Laser-lance, how many Flash Bombs you have thrown, etc. When the uses number reaches 0, the equipment can no longer be used, as it has run out of charges, bullets or whatever powers it. Equipment that no longer has any uses remaining may be discarded, or kept in the hope that you'll find a Dump (see the Dump card explanation in the Reference Section). If you find a Dump before you have used all of your ammunition you may refill the weapon, or instead you may take along a completely fresh set of uses for the item. Take a Spare Clip counter and keep it alongside the card. When the uses number reaches '0' simply trade in the Spare Clip for a fresh set of ammunition or charges (doing this takes you 30 seconds, or one move of the Time counter). Equipment marked as being for One Use Only may not be recharged at a Dump. The card should be discarded after use.

All this done, leave the piles as they are, as you may find more equipment later in the game. Now you are fully trained and equipped you must enter the house and defeat Darkness and its deathless minions. The future of New York is in your hands!

Playing the Game

All the rules you'll need to play Chainsaw Warrior now follow. Don't worry if you don't understand every last detail as you read them through; when you start playing you'll find you rarely need to refer to them at all. Chainsaw Warrior is a simple game to play, but incredibly difficult to win. If at first you don't succeed just create a new warrior and have another go!

Rules Precedence

House cards which vary with the rules take precedence over the rules, and Equipment cards take precedence over House cards. If there is any doubt over a rule follow the order of precedence and apply common sense.

Sequence of Play

Time Phase: Move the Time marker one box along the Time Track. This shows that 30 seconds have passed during the Exploration Phase. When the timer reaches 30 minutes night falls, and you must reduce your HtH by 1 point. When the timer reaches 60 minutes you are out of time and Darkness has won!
Exploration Phase: Turn over the first face-down card of the current pile. Deck One is always used first; when that runs out move to Deck Two. Place this card face-up on the appropriate discard pile and respond to the encounter. Each of the cards has a brief explanation on it; for more details you will find the cards listed alphabetically on the Reference Sheet.
When the encounter is resolved the turn ends. Return to the Time Phase.
Play continues until you find and destroy Darkness, its minions destroy you, or the clock ticks out and you run out of time (see The End of the Game, below).

Fighting Creatures

When you are faced with one or more of the inhabitants of the hellish house, be they a Zombie, Chaos Agent, Mutant or Darkness itself, you must fight it (though there may be a chance to escape after one round). Follow the steps given below. If there is more than one creature facing you, refer instead to the section on Multiple Opponents.

If the creature is a Mutant, roll one die and move your Radiation marker that amount along your Endurance track. There is no way of avoiding this. If the Radiation marker reaches your Endurance counter you are dead and the game is over.
If the creature is a Zombie and you are already venom infected, roll one die. If you score a 5 or 6 you must move the Venom marker 1 box along the Endurance track. If the Venom marker reaches your Endurance marker you have turned into a Zombie and the game is over.
Do you want to shoot the creature? If so go to 4; if not skip two sections and go to 6.
Making an Aimed Shot. First of all, Test your Reflexes by rolling two dice and comparing the result to your Reflexes score. If you roll higher than it the creature jumps you before you can fire and you must engage it in Hand-to-Hand combat by going to 6. If you roll equal or under your score, though, you are quick enough to get a shot off, go to 5.
Look at the weapon you wish to use (it must be a Gun, Laser-lance, Heavy Weapon or Knife). You will see a list of creatures and numbers. If your opponent is not on the card you cannot shoot it; go to 6 to fight it Hand-to-Hand. If you can hit it, roll two dice and add or subtract your Marksmanship rating to or from the roll. If the roll is equal to or higher than the number listed on the card, the creature is killed and the turn ends. Don't forget to tick off the bullet you've fired by replacing the number of shots left with the next number down. If your roll is less than that required, you miss and must fight Hand-to-Hand by going to 6. Remember, again, to reduce your shots left by one.

For example, you have just stumbled across a Zombie. You are carrying a Blaster and have a Marksmanship of -1. The card says a 7 is needed; taking your poor aim into account you need to roll an 8 or more to beat the foul creature.
Making a Hand-to-Hand Attack. Roll 2 dice and add the score to the creature's HtH number, which is listed on its card. Then roll 2 dice and add the result to your current HtH score. Compare the two results. If they are equal there is a draw, with neither of you overpowering the other; go to 7. If you score higher skip the next section and go to 8; if you score lower go to 9 instead.

Roll	Result
2	Narrow miss. You are not wounded (move your counter back).
3	Opponent unbalanced. +2 to your HtH next round only.
4	Pushed apart. If trying for a Lucky Shot add 1 to the die roll.
5-6	No extra effects.
7	No extra effects. May not try an escape next round.
8	Lose balance. -1 HtH next round only. No lucky shot this round, or escape in the next.
9	Dazed. -2 HtH next round only. No lucky shot this round or escape in the next.
10	Floored. -3 HtH next round only. No lucky shot this round or escape in the next.
11	Savage cut. Take 1 extra wound. No lucky shot this round.
12	Arm damaged. Reduce your Marksmanship by 1 permanently. No lucky shot this round.

At the end of each round of HtH combat you may choose to attempt a Lucky Shot. This choice may be made after any round of combat and irrespective of the outcome of that combat unless you roll 8 or above on the Extra Wound table (if you have been wounded). You may only attempt a Lucky Shot with a weapon that is normally capable of killing that particular creature, i.e. the creature is listed on the weapon card. For example, with the Knife you could only attempt a Lucky Shot on either a Zombie or a Chaos Agent. To take a Lucky Shot roll a die (a Reflex test is not required) and follow the results, losing one from the weapon's supply on the roll of a 1 as well as a 4, 5, or 6 as listed below. If the knife is used and a 1 is rolled, you still drop it and must leave it behind unless you go on to defeat the creature. Choose which weapon you are going to use (Gun, Laser-lance, Heavy Weapon or Knife only), then roll a die and look up the result on the Lucky Shot table.

[Lucky Shot table: the source's table layout is garbled; its text reads in this order: "Die Roll: 1 or ... In the confusion you shoot yourself! Roll one die and ..." then "2: You don't manage to shoot. Your weapon is smashed (set it aside). 3: You don't shoot. Lose another wound. 4: You miss the creature. 5 or more: Test as normal to see if you hit (but do not test Reflexes). 6: The creature is killed; turn finishes." The exact mapping of the first row and of the "or more" wording could not be recovered.]

If you rolled 4, 5 or 6 tick off one shot from the weapon's supply as usual. If the creature is not dead add 30 seconds to the Time Track and return to 6.

Multiple Opponents

In some cases (such as the result of the Ambush card) you will be faced with more than one opponent. On such occasions you may try and shoot one of the creatures, but after that you must fight them using HtH combat, one after the other, in an order decided by yourself. You may try a lucky shot, against one creature, at the end of each HtH round as usual.

If taking an Aimed Shot at one of the creatures, you may choose your target but must still test Reflexes to see if you are fast enough. The only exception to this is where the rules specifically state otherwise. Creatures still to be faced must be dealt with in HtH combat one after the other. You may still try to fire off Lucky Shots, as normal, but no more Aimed Shots are allowed.

Venom Infection

If the creature which hurt you is a Zombie you are now infected with its venom (unless you managed to roll a 2 on the Wound Table). When you are first bitten by a Zombie the Venom Marker is left in the 0 box of the Endurance track. Before you are bitten it is suggested that the marker be in the 0 box, but upside down, and when you are first bitten it should be turned the right way up. Then go to 7.

Venom infection is never spread by combat damage itself but only by the die roll made in Step 2 of the combat round. The venom infection roll is only made once per Zombie encounter. That is, as soon as you meet a Zombie the check is made. Checks are not made for every 30 seconds in contact with any one Zombie. Furthermore, you should make 1 infection check per Zombie you encounter. If, as a result of the Ambush trap, you meet 5 Zombies, you should make five infection checks before beginning combat! In this case you would make all five checks before trying to shoot or engage in HtH or anything! The exception to these rules is Darkness, where (as is stated in the rulebook) a check has to be made for every 30 seconds of contact. Finally, you do not check for infection from the Zombie that first wounds and contaminates you.

Escaping

If you are still in HtH combat after the first full round you may escape (or try to) in a subsequent round. After you've added 30 seconds, but before you've gone to step 6 again you should look up the creature's Escape Rating:

Creature	Roll needed
Zombie	2 or more
Rat Pack	3 or more
Chaos Agent	4 or more
Mutant	5 or more
Meat Machine	6 or more

Opponents marked with a No Escape symbol on their cards cannot be escaped. Any Wandering Zombies encountered while you are stuck in a trap marked likewise cannot be escaped either.
You may attempt to Escape from any one combat encounter any number of times (one attempt per round).
You must roll the creature's Escape Rating or higher on one die to get away from it. If you roll less than the number listed you have failed to escape. Take the maximum number of wounds the creature could deliver you (for example, the Meat Machine would give you its full 3!). Make a roll on the Extra Wound table, and then proceed to 6 as usual.
If you make the roll you have managed to escape. Roll one die and move the Time marker that many boxes (i.e. taking up between 30 seconds and 3 minutes of time). The turn ends and you can start the next one.

Escaping the Building

If you have your Laser-lance stolen or smashed, or it runs out of ammunition and you are unable to find any more, or you cannot cross the Chasm house card, you will have to leave the building. However, unless you are equipped with a Teleport Implant you will first have to find the way out. Roll 2 dice. That number of cards must be revealed and encountered before you are out of the building.

Once you are free of the building you must do the following. First roll one die and add that many minutes (that many boxes) to the Time Track. You may recover one die roll of wounds, and gain a further Equipment Allowance equal to the roll of one die. One of these points must be spent on a new Laser-lance. Items of equipment already held cannot be exchanged, but you may spend 2 points on a refill or spare clip for any item. Gather up all the House cards and form a new pair of decks just as you did at the start of the game. If you had reached the second deck you may start at the top of that; otherwise you must start from the beginning again.

Pausing and Reloading

You are allowed to wait in any clear or empty area (either an area that was empty to begin with or one with a very recently deceased inhabitant). However, for every 30 seconds you wait you must roll for a Wandering Zombie (see Wandering Zombies below).

To reload a weapon using a Spare Clip you must again be in a free area. Reloading takes 30 seconds (advance the Time marker 1 box), during which time you should roll for a Wandering Zombie as usual. If the roll indicates that one arrives you may assume that it turns up after you have reloaded.

Testing Reflexes

Some of the cards call upon you to Test your Reflexes (to make a split second jump out of the way of falling rocks, for example). To succeed you must roll your Reflexes rating or less on 2 dice. For example, if your Reflexes are 8, a roll of any number from 2 to 8 is a success, while a roll of between 9 and 12 is a failure.

Missing Darkness

Some equipment cards allow you to skip cards. If one such discard turns out to be Darkness, stop what you are doing, reshuffle the second deck and start it again.

Night Time

After 30 minutes of play it gets dark, as indicated on the Time Track. This has two effects: you must subtract 1 from your HtH rating (unless you have an equipment card which counteracts this), but you can now use certain items which rely on light for their effect, such as Flash Bombs. If you start the game with an HtH rating of 7 you must still take the -1 modifier into account when fighting even though there is no '6' box on the HtH track on the board.

Wandering Zombies

Whenever you encounter a Clear or Empty area you should roll 1 die. If you roll between 1 and 5 nothing untoward happens, and you may continue as usual. If you roll a 6, however, a Wandering Zombie turns up to do battle. Flip over the first card on the face-down Wandering Zombie pack. All the normal rules apply. Once the Zombie has (hopefully) been dealt with, return it to the pile and shuffle thoroughly.

The End of the Game

You can die in one of two grisly ways while hunting for Darkness' lair:

If the Radiation marker reaches your Endurance limit you die of radiation exposure.
If your Wound marker reaches zero you will die of wound damage.

Furthermore, if your Venom marker reaches your Endurance limit you will pass from a living to an undead state and become a Zombie under the thrall of Darkness! The game will end in a victory for the forces of Evil as the clock ticks out New York's final minutes. Please note there is no complete cure for venom infection!!

Chainsaw Warrior ends when one of the following things happens:

Darkness is hit by a Shot (Aimed or Lucky) from the Laser-Lance.
Both you and Darkness are killed by the Implosion Waistcoat.
You die, either from radiation sickness or from your wounds.
You become a Zombie.
You fail to find Darkness in 60 minutes and New York implodes!

Killing Darkness and emerging alive is a full win - well done! Killing both Darkness and yourself in a desperate suicide by using the Implosion Waistcoat is a draw, but earns you an honourable mention. Dying, turning into a Zombie or running out of time is a lose.

Overkill Options (all OPTIONAL)

Players of Chainsaw Warrior might like to try the following optional rules, some of which appeared in the original prototype, but didn't appear in the final version of the game. (Most were originally published in White Dwarf 92 as "True Confessions of a Chainsaw Warrior", unless otherwise stated. Those marked as digital-version or fan options are not from the original publications.)

Advanced Equipment (optional; originally published in White Dwarf 88)

The following new cards can be added to your game of Chainsaw Warrior, simply add the cards to the appropriate Equipment decks when equipping your warrior at the start of the game. They are treated just like every other Equipment card, but as usual each has its own special characteristics. Combat Shotgun, R.E.A.P.E.R., Stun-Nux, Smash, X-oskeleton, Chameleon Suit, TDD, Holographic Imagizer, Dum-Dum Bullets. (Their card notes are in the Equipment reference below.)

Advanced Training (optional; fan variant from the internet)

Instead of rolling for your Attributes, you may distribute 24 points amongst your Attributes.
Each Attribute has a number of points already assigned to it (its "Basic" value) and a maximum number it can be raised to with these 24 points.
Note that this system will give you a Chainsaw Warrior whose abilities are slightly below average, but the increased control should make up for the difference.

Attribute	Basic	Maximum
Endurance	4	24
Wounds	8	18
HtH	7	12
Marksman	1	6
Reflexes	6	11
Equipment	3	8

Extra Training I (optional; digital-version option by Auroch Digital)

You may make the process of creating your Warrior less harsh, by changing the die rolls required. The original rules represent the harshest, most difficult level of the game. You may instead play with the following values for a medium difficulty.

Attribute	Rolls
Endurance	3D6+6
Wounds	2D6+6
HtH	2D6 (pick highest) +6
Marksman	2D6 (pick highest)
Reflexes	2D6 (pick highest) +5
Equipment	2D6 (pick highest) +2
Kitting Out	May use Kitting Out II

Extra Training II (optional; digital-version option by Auroch Digital)

As above, but for an easy difficulty:

Attribute	Rolls
Endurance	1D6+18
Wounds	1D6+12
HtH	3D6 (pick highest) +6
Marksman	3D6 (pick highest)
Reflexes	3D6 (pick highest) +5
Equipment	3D6 (pick highest) +4
Kitting Out	Must use Kitting Out II

Determination (optional; fan variant from the internet)

Each time you encounter a house card and fail to overcome it, you gain one Determination Counter. Once you overcome a House Card you must discard all Determination Counters.
The counter gives you +1 to all characteristics.
In addition, for tests not based on characteristics, you may add +1 to the required die roll. Guns will still miss on a "1".
Determination cannot apply to a Lucky Shot.

Frenzy (optional)

Enraged by wounds already sustained, the warrior may go berserk in HtH combat throwing all caution into the wind.

If you lose a round of combat and are wounded, you may choose to go berserk. Furthermore, if you roll an 11 or 12 on the Extra Wound Chart, you go berserk automatically.
A berserk warrior adds a +3 bonus to his HtH rating for the next round of combat only. If you still lose the following round, you may go berserk again. You may go berserk for any number of rounds. However, fighting in such a crazed manner has its risks and costs:
A berserk warrior who loses a round of combat takes double the normal amount of damage.
Finally, frenzied fighting is very tiring. For each round of berserk combat you must permanently reduce your Endurance rating by one (move the Endurance Marker one box down the track towards zero), which brings you that much closer to death by venom or radiation...

Escaping (optional alternative)

As an alternative to the instructions given in the rulebook you may like to try the following. The rules state that after failing an Escape attempt, you should go to Step 6 of combat and continue fighting. However, instead of going to Step 6, merely add 30 seconds and begin another round of combat either by going to Step 6 or by attempting to Escape once more. This was the original mode of play and whilst more time consuming can be less harmful to your character.

Kitting Out I (optional)

When kitting out at the beginning of the game, you may spend two points of your Equipment Allowance on a Spare Clip for a piece of equipment which you have already drawn, including the Laser Lance.

Kitting Out II (optional)

At the start of the game, you may spend two points of your Equipment Allowance so that you can choose which equipment cards to take with you into the building instead of drawing them at random.

Kitting Out III (optional)

After rolling for Equipment Allowance points, you may wait for more equipment if you want it. If so, you kit out in the usual manner and then immediately move the Time Marker onto the ten minute box of the Digital Timer. Then roll a die and divide the number rolled by two (rounding fractions up). The final result (from 1 to 3) is the number of extra Equipment Allowance gained. You may then spend these on more equipment.

Rapid Fire (optional)

If you have one of the four Guns (Automatic Rifle, Blaster, Sub-Machine Gun or the Combat Shotgun from White Dwarf 88) and you are facing a particularly mean creature, then you may try and blast it to bits with a spray of automatic fire!

After passing your Reflex test you decide whether you want to fire the usual single shot or a burst of rapid fire. If you want to fire a burst, you must decide how many shots you want to fire before firing. You may fire a maximum of six shots. Having decided on a number, you immediately deduct the amount from your weapon's supply of uses, then make a number of rolls equal to the number of shots used. No matter how many shots actually hit the creature, or in what order they hit, all the shots are used.

Example: You have the Sub-Machine Gun with 7 uses left when you're suddenly faced with the Meat Machine. You pass your Reflex test and decide to use rapid fire as there's no way that you want to go even near the thing! As you're only half way down Deck One, you don't want to use nearly all your ammunition up. On the other hand, you do want to live to see the rest of the deck. You decide to fire off five shots. With the Sub-Machine Gun you need to roll an 11 to kill the Meat Machine but as your Marksmanship is +1 you only need a 10. Your first roll is a 6 (miss) but your second roll is a 12. Although you destroyed the creature with your second shot, the other three are still used up (wasted in this case). You carry on rolling anyway and get stunning results: 11, 10 and 12. The shots may be wasted but you really enjoyed blowing the thing apart, well, into very small pieces!

Sprinting (optional)

If time is running out, you may attempt to run like crazy through the building in a frantic bid to find Darkness. Unfortunately, such all-out racing leaves no time for those peripheral activities like watching out for Traps or readying firepower.

Upon coming to either a Corridor or Stairs card, you may decide to sprint before turning the card face-up. If the card is Clear or Empty, you may rush through unhindered. You do not check for Wandering Zombies, as you're moving too quickly for them to reach you, and you do not move the Timer on 30 seconds for that card. You may sprint through any Corridor or Stairs area you come across.
However, should the area actually be occupied, you are in trouble! You may not fire an Aimed Shot at such a creature. This is irrespective of Devices, Reflexes etc. You go straight into HtH combat and must fight the first round with a -1 modifier to your HtH rating.
If the card is a Secret Passage, you run right past it and it is discarded without being used.
If the card is a trap, you automatically fail your Reflex test (if one is required) and suffer the worst possible results. To help you, here are some brief notes on the relevant traps:

Trap	Effect when sprinting
Ambush	Treat as normal, bearing in mind effects on combat.
Cave-in	Lose 6 minutes, take 1 wound and check for breakage. The Sonic Amplifier will not protect you from this trap.
Lunatic	Treat as normal. The Heat Detector provides no protection against this trap.
Mines	Take 6 wounds and check for breakage.
Net	If you have the Wire-cutters, Acid, Knife etc, this card does not affect you. If, however, you are caught in the Net, lose 6 minutes.
Wire	If you have Wire-cutters this card has no effect, but if you are caught in the wire, lose 3 minutes.

(The source's layout of the last three rows is garbled; this assignment of sentences to Net and Wire follows the source's reading order.)

Wandering Zombie Delays (optional)

For those of you out there who want a real challenge, try using this rule which also featured in the original version of the game. Initially, the idea was that after the warrior had spent his 30 seconds exploring the Clear/Empty area, he was then surprised by the unexpected and sudden appearance of the Wandering Zombie.

Whenever you encounter one of these creatures, immediately add 30 seconds to the time for each Wandering Zombie or group of Wandering Zombies encountered. This time loss should be made before considering any other action (i.e. combat with the creature).
Finally, the time loss should also take place if Wandering Zombies appear whilst you are caught in a Trap (such as the Net).

Reference Section: House Cards

These cards have back designs representing the different parts of the building you will explore as you creep or blast your way through the house. The designs represent the following areas: Balconies, Corridors, Elevators, Rooms and Stairs.

Chaos Agents

These fearsome warriors are trained to the peak of fitness. Worse, they seem to have strange mystical powers which allow them to control the Zombies, and which make them truly dangerous opponents. There are nine Agents, each with different powers and strengths.

Agents 1 and 2 are so quick they will not allow you to fire a shot. Go straight into Hand-to-Hand combat. These are so fast that you may not attempt an Aimed Shot. You may try lucky shots later.
Agent 3 is as quick as Agents 1 & 2, and will go straight into HtH combat. Furthermore, this agent also has a mission. Every time he wounds you, lose an item of equipment instead (your choice). The item is destroyed - remove it from the game.
Agent 4 is a specialist at knock-out blows. If you lose a round of combat you don't take a wound. Instead you must roll 3 dice and immediately lose that many minutes! When you awake discard the Agent card and continue as normal.
Agent 5 attacks with venom-coated knives. If he wounds you take normal damage, but you're now infected with zombie venom, just as if you'd been bitten by a Zombie. The Helmet will not stop you becoming infected from this venom attack.
Agent 6 is a martial arts assassin with lightning speed. When attempting to shoot him with an Aimed Shot, you must subtract 3 from your die roll, and when fighting HtH you must reduce your HtH rating by 3 as well. Lucky shots are unaffected, but you cannot escape.
Agent 7 is a one-man suicide squad! Unless you can shoot him with an Aimed Shot before he attacks (and he's so fast your die roll must be reduced by 1) he will dive at you and set off explosives wrapped around his body. Roll one die and take that many wounds, and roll a die for every piece of equipment you have. On a roll of 5 or 6 that piece is destroyed and should be removed from the game. After checking for each item discard the agent.
Agent 8 is an expert with knives. Before doing anything roll a die. If you roll a 5 or a 6 take one wound: he's thrown a knife at you! Once you've done this go straight into Hand-to-Hand combat.
Agent 9 is not alone - he's brought two friends with him! Upon revealing this card you should draw two Wandering Zombie cards (normal venom infection rules apply). Add one minute to the time, and start to fight by Testing Reflexes to get an Aimed Shot at one of the Zombies. The agent and any surviving Zombies must be fought using the Multiple Opponents rules, but don't forget to keep the time ticking off!

Clear

Certain stairways and balcony areas are empty and no encounter ensues. Don't forget, though, to roll a die to check for Wandering Zombies before continuing.

Contaminated Rat-Pack

If these creatures manage to score a hit on you, take one wound and 1 die of radiation damage.

Darkness

The main villain of the piece, Darkness is a billowing shapeless mass of pure Evil! If you can hit it with a shot from your Laser-lance or the blast from the Implosion Waistcoat it will be destroyed but otherwise it is invulnerable, and inescapable! If Darkness wounds you, take 2 wounds instead of one. Also, for every 30 seconds spent in its company roll one die; on a roll of 4, 5 or 6 advance the Venom marker by one space! (but only if infected already). Darkness is highly poisonous, with the power to make you die just by being in its presence, and so nasty you'll wish you hadn't found it!

You can kill Darkness with either a Lucky or an Aimed Shot. It does not matter which as long as the Laser-lance is used.

Dump

Dumps are fortuitous stores of weapons and equipment, possibly left behind by those previous squads who lost their lives attempting to clear this hellish place. Each may have something useful you can take with you. See the Limited Use Items section in the rules for more explanation. If you can't take either of the items offered discard the card.

Dump 1: Take a random Clothing card to add to your equipment, or a refill or Spare Clip for one item you already have.
Dump 2: Similar to Dump 1, except that you may take a random Gun card, a refill or a Spare Clip.
Dump 3: As Dump 1, except that the items on offer are a random Device, a refill or a Spare Clip.

Empty Rooms, Corridors & Elevators

Certain areas of the house contain no hazards, except, possibly, for a random Wandering Zombie, which will appear on a roll of 6 on one die.

First Aid Kit

Take this item and add it to your equipment (unless of course you already have 13 items, in which case you must leave one item behind). When you are in an empty or clear area you may use this to heal your Wounds. Add 30 seconds to the time and check for a Wandering Zombie as usual. If one does not appear, roll 1 die, recover that many wounds and discard the kit to the current discard pile. If a Zombie turns up, though, you must postpone your healing and fight it off. Once it is defeated you should move the Time marker on another box and start again, but don't forget to check for another Wandering Zombie!

You may pause and use this item in any free area as determined in Pausing and Reloading and not only in an Empty/Clear area as such, i.e. you may use the kit in the same room you have just killed the Mutant in, and not only in an area that was Clear or Empty to begin with.

Rat Pack

Unless you can shoot them first, these packs of vicious black rats will swarm all over you, biting and scratching. Whenever they score a hit they cause the number of Wounds listed on their card.

The Meat Machine

The Meat Machine is a bizarre device, part human and part robot, a sentient metal ghoul that roams the house searching for new flesh to graft onto its repulsive body! It is, of course, a vicious killer. If it wounds you in HtH combat roll a die:

Die Roll	Number of wounds taken
1-2	1
3-4	2
5-6	3

Even worse, each time it hits you the Meat Machine causes you to suffer a permanent reduction of one point from either your Reflexes or your HtH rating! You must choose which, adjusting your chart accordingly. Neither score can be reduced below the minimum number listed. When either characteristic reaches this point all further reductions must be taken on the other characteristic until it too reaches the lowest value; from then on any further reductions can be ignored: you're in such a bad shape it's not going to make any more difference!

Mutant Thing

These revolting mutants carry fatal radiation with them. Before you engage in combat or do anything else you should roll one die and advance the Radiation marker that many boxes! If you are still alive you may now proceed to combat.

Secret Passage

You've found a short cut through the house. Roll 2 dice. You may immediately discard up to that number of cards without any additional time loss. Turn over each card in turn; you may stop at any time, deciding before the next card is revealed. If Darkness is skipped in this way you must follow the rules in the section headed Missing Darkness. Once you decide to skip a card it must be discarded, regardless of what it is. There are no encounters for any of these cards.

Slime

Sentient slime: a revolting mass of oozing death! If you have Acid, a Flare Gun, a Flamethrower or the Laser-lance you must use it to kill the Slime before it can get to you. Do not Test Reflexes; roll 2 dice and adjust it for Marksmanship. If you score 7 or more you've singed it badly and it retires out of the way to allow you to pass. Roll less than 7, though, and you'll be engulfed in it with no escape: for you the mission is over! Not having any useful weaponry brings the same result. Good luck, you'll need it.

Trap - Ambush

Roll 1 die and draw that many Wandering Zombies from the WZ pile. Check for venom infection as usual; you may then make an Aimed Shot at one without Testing Reflexes if you wish. Each Zombie must be fought in turn. Don't forget to add 30 secs for each round of combat after the first.

Trap - Ceiling Cave-In

You are halfway to the other end when the ceiling cracks and falls in on you! Test your Reflexes. If you succeed you manage to leap to safety. If you fail, though, you are caught by the falling masonry and must dig yourself out. Roll one die and lose that many minutes, and take 1 wound. Also, roll 1 die for every item of equipment you have. A roll of 6 means that the item was caught in the fall and damaged beyond repair; discard that card.

Trap - Chasm

An immense hole in the floor blocks your route through the house. Unless you have a Rope Launcher or the Climbing skill you will have to retrace your steps and start again. Remove this card from the game and see Escaping the Building in the rules. Be warned: your time is running out fast!

When you escape the building as a result of coming across the Chasm card, you need not spend an Equipment Allowance point (indeed, you should not) if you still have a Laser-lance. However, 2 points may be spent on a Spare Clip for it.

Trap - Locked Door

If you have the Lock Pick this card has no effect. If not you must either shoot or smash the door open, or find another route. Breaking down the door is done just like combat. On each weapon's card there is a rating for smashing a door. You must roll this number or higher on 2 dice to remove the door. If you fail add 30 seconds, check for a Wandering Zombie, and either try again or retrace your steps. Don't forget to cross off the shots you use.

To retrace your steps you must shuffle the discard pile of the current pack and deal off the first five without looking at them. Add these five to the current pack and shuffle it. If there are less than five cards on the discard pile use as many as there are left. If you smash down a Locked Door, or attempt to do so, you then check for a Wandering Zombie because of the noise you've made. This explains why a check is not made if you use Acid, which is silent. If you retrace your steps and there are fewer than five cards currently on the Discard pile, the few cards that are there are shuffled back into the current House Deck. If there are no discards, then the Locked Door card has no effect and is merely discarded. Whether there are enough cards or not, the Locked Door card itself is not shuffled back into the House Deck. Instead it is placed on the Discard pile (to be possibly shuffled back into the House Deck should you retrace steps from a second Locked Door later on).

Trap - Lunatic

Before you do anything a half-crazed beggar leaps out of the shadows, grabs something from you and flees again! He may grab anything except an item of Clothing; select an item at random and remove it from the game.

Trap - Magnetic Field

There's a strong electrical current charging this room which could disrupt your equipment. Roll 2 dice and place a blank marker that many minutes ahead of the Time marker on the Time Track. From now until then you may not use any item powered by electricity; these are marked with a symbol on their card. You could wait in an empty room for the time to run out (see the Pausing & Reloading section of the rules), but don't forget to roll for Wandering Zombies, and that the room with this trap in is not empty.

Rather than wait in an 'Empty Room', you may wait in any free area (i.e. an area where a card has just been encountered and dealt with but not including the room holding the Field).

Trap - Mines

Without warning, several limpet mines go off, triggered by a trip wire. Test your Reflexes, adding 2 to the die roll. If you succeed you manage to leap out of the way without suffering any damage. If not, roll one die, add 1 and take that many wounds. Then roll one die for each item of equipment you own. On a 6 that item is damaged beyond repair and must be removed from the game.

Trap - Net

All of a sudden a large net drops from the ceiling, trapping you in its folds. If you have a Wire-cutter, Chainsaw, Acid, Laser-lance, or Knife you may cut yourself out and lose only 30 seconds (and one use if the weapon has limited uses). If not, you must roll one die and lose that many minutes as you struggle free. Check for a Wandering Zombie every minute. If one turns up you can only shoot it with a Gun (you may not use a Heavy Weapon). If the combat proceeds to HtH, the Zombie fights with an extra 3 points added to its attack rating.

Trap - Rad Canister

There's a large radioactive device in this room, and it's leaking! Roll one die and add 3 to the result, and lose that many points of radiation damage, moving your Radiation marker accordingly.

Trap - Spiked Pit

Before you know it the ground has opened up in front of you to reveal a pit lined with cruel spikes. Test your Reflexes, adding one to your die roll. If you make it you manage to leap across the pit, and may continue on your mission. If you fail, though, you slip into the pit. Roll one die and halve the result, rounding fractions up; take that many wounds. Then roll one die and move the Time marker that many minutes along the Time Track.

Trap - Weak Floorboards

There's a creaking, and the floor begins to give way! Test your Reflexes. If you succeed you manage to leap across to the far side. If you fail, you fall a short way and will have to pull yourself out. Roll one die and lose that many minutes. Roll for a Wandering Zombie every minute. If one turns up you may make an Aimed Shot without having to Test Reflexes, but in HtH combat you must temporarily reduce your rating by one.

Trap - Wire

There's cruelly barbed wire stretched across this area. Unless you have some Wire-cutters, which will let you proceed with no trouble, roll one die and move the marker that many boxes along the Time Track as you struggle through the tangles. Test every 30 seconds for a Wandering Zombie. If one arrives you may add 1 to your Marksmanship for any Aimed Shots, but you may not escape from combat.

Zombie

A foul undead Zombie staggers towards you, flesh hanging from its decaying body and hatred burning in its eyes. Fight for your life!

Reference Section: Equipment

Equipment is split into several types: HtH Weapons, Guns, Hvy Weapons, Devices, Clothing, and Special.

You may wear any amount of clothing and carry any amount of Devices, and each will have their full effect.
You may only carry one Gun.
You may only carry one Heavy Weapon.
Although you may carry any number of HtH weapons you may only use one in combat. HtH bonuses are not cumulative with the bonuses gained from other HtH weapons. So, you may use either the Chainsaw or the Knife but not both.
Note that the card backs determine what Deck an item belongs in, not what type of equipment it is. Some devices, for example, may be in other decks.

Acid (Device)

You have a vial of powerful Acid, which you can use (once only) for a variety of actions. It can be used to burn through a Locked Door or a Wire trap. It can be thrown at an opponent (though with a reduction of 1 from your Marksmanship, as it's not easy to aim). Acid can even be used for a Lucky Shot. There is no need to roll for a Wandering Zombie if you use Acid.

Anti-Rad Capsules (Device)

You have one dose of these handy pills. When you are first exposed to radiation you may take them to negate any damage. Once used you should discard this card. You may take these after exposure to any one source of radiation. If, for example, you meet a Mutant and roll a low number for radiation damage, you may save the capsules for later use when greater damage may be sustained. When you want to use the capsules, you do so immediately after rolling for radiation damage, irrespective of whether or not a Mutant is about to attack you. If exposure to radiation kills you, you may not then take the capsules to negate the damage!

Automatic Rifle (Gun)

The SRH VS220 automatic rifle is one of the most advanced around, capable of delivering up to 12 bursts of devastating firepower that will penetrate even the thickest of armour. This weapon has a limited number of uses and a list of the scores you need to roll on 2 dice to hit your opponents.

Blaster (Gun)

The McDonnell RFK3 Helium-cooled Blaster has a short range and low penetrating power, but its compact power pack allows it to deliver up to 16 shots. This weapon has a limited number of uses and a list of the scores you need to roll on 2 dice to hit your opponents.

Body Armour (Clothing)

The McDonnell Mk3 Body Armour is a revolutionary way of protecting yourself from damage. Every time you take a wound (including those from the Extra Wound table, etc) roll 1 die. On a roll of 1-4 you must take the wound as usual. On a 5 or 6, though, the damage is taken by the armour and you are unharmed. The armour loses one use. You cannot choose when this happens; the armour protects you automatically until its charge gives out.

Combat Shotgun (Gun)

CLAW stands for Close Assault Weapon, an appropriate description for this deadly short range weapon. The CLAW-15 Combat Shotgun is favoured by Police Assault Teams operating in built-up areas, who found that standard assault rifle bullets have a disconcerting ability to travel through several walls and injure or kill innocent bystanders. The CLAW-15, on the other hand, combines terrific stopping power with only limited penetration, making it the ideal weapon for use in inhabited non-combat areas. This weapon has a limited number of uses and a list of the scores you need to roll on 2 dice to hit your opponents.

Chainsaw (HtH Weapon)

The Chainsaw is a vicious and very effective weapon. Developed from the original tree-felling devices it now sports a strong pistol grip and a quieter, more efficient engine. Carrying one of these adds 3 to your HtH rating. It can also make short work of locked doors on a roll of 8 or more on two dice. When using the Chainsaw to demolish Locked Doors, you should make the usual Wandering Zombies test.

Chameleon Suit (Clothing)

The G Tech Chameleon Suit's highly advanced circuitry allows it to mimic the chameleon's natural ability to take on the colour of its surroundings. The very high cost of Chameleon Suits means they are generally only used by special operations units (such as the British SAS, US ASFU and Russian Spetsnaz) where the need for stealth and hidden movement are vital. Any character wearing the suit can act as if they had the 'Hide' skill. If they already have this skill they receive a +1 modifier to the die roll when using the skill. This item of clothing is powered by electricity and should bear an electricity symbol, which it doesn't do at the moment. Should you encounter the Magnetic Field, you lose all the benefits that this suit normally offers.

C.A.T.S. (Device)

The MarTech Computer Automated Targeting System (CATS) is a high-powered targeting device that gives a +2 bonus to your Marksmanship when using the weapon it's attached to. It also adds 1 to any Lucky Shot roll when using the weapon. CATS can be fitted to any Gun, Flamethrower, Man-to-Man Rockets or the Laser-lance, but once assigned to a weapon it cannot be switched to another. Place the CATS counter alongside the weapon it's attached to. If the weapon is damaged and discarded CATS must be discarded too.

Your equipment may be damaged, as a result of Mines for example. In such an event the CATS must be tested separately for breakage. If it does break, it is disconnected from the weapon to which it was fixed and removed from the game as normal. As stated in the rules, should the weapon break then the CATS is also discarded!

C.N.E.S. (HtH Weapon)

The GWC Industries Cyber Neural Electron Scrambler prototype you have damages opponents by drawing on your own physical power and using it to literally scramble up their component atoms! It can be used against any creature except Darkness. Instead of rolling for HtH combat you may use this. Your opponent is instantly destroyed, but you must take one die of wounds yourself. This device hasn't been tested sufficiently yet and is still very experimental, but it could get you out of a tricky situation. This weapon (which draws its energy from the character's nervous system!) may be used at the start of any one round of combat, even if you had previously used another HtH weapon in the same encounter. When it comes to Step 6 you may simply choose to use this weapon and follow the normal instructions.

Dynamite (Hvy Weapon)

This weapon has a limited number of uses and a list of the scores you need to roll on 2 dice to hit your opponents. Dynamite has an extra use. At the start of any turn, after adding 30 seconds to the time as usual, you may use one charge to blow a hole in a wall and make a self-made short cut! Roll one die and discard that many cards from the deck. At the end roll for one Wandering Zombie; one appears on a 4, 5 or 6 due to the noise of the explosion.

Flamethrower (Hvy Weapon)

The Hanson-King Mk16 Combat Flame Projector is an advanced flamethrower which looks more like a stub-nosed automatic rifle than the bulky devices of previous centuries. It is capable of delivering a constant spout of flame up to 12 metres, with a target accuracy of 6.2 centimetres! This weapon has a limited number of uses and a list of the scores you need to roll on 2 dice to hit your opponents.

Dum-Dum Bullets (Device)

Most companies produce explosive bullets for the weapons they produce, although the use of such ammunition is banned by the 1994 United Nations Treaty. Dum-dums can be used with any Gun (not Heavy Weapons or the Laser-lance) and should be placed next to the gun on the equipment display. If the warrior does not have a gun they may discard this card and choose another. Dum-dums may be used instead of the normal ammunition for the gun, as long as this is declared before the dice are rolled to see if the target is hit, and add +2 to the dice roll. When Dum-dums are used reduce the Uses Left marker on the Dum-dum card instead of the gun card. If a character with these loses his gun, the bullets are also discarded. The +2 modifier itself only applies to Aimed Shots.

Flare Gun (Device)

The Flare Gun can only be used at night, but when you fire it you can roll one die and treat that many cards as being Clear. There's no need to roll for Wandering Zombies, though, as they are scared off by the light. Each section still costs 30 seconds to move through. If one of the cards turns out to be a Trap or Darkness you must stop and respond to it, and the flare goes out. If you use this to make areas Clear, you may still stop to pick up a First Aid Kit, take items from a Dump or enter a Secret Passage. If you do any of these things, the flare goes out and you continue as normal after dealing with the Passage or whatever.

Heat Detector (Device)

The IR Heat Detector enables you to pick out the warmth of living beings before they reach you. While you have this device you don't need to test reflexes to shoot Rats or Chaos Agents, and the Lunatic card is negated: just discard it.

Flash Bombs (Device)

A Flash Bomb can only be used at night. Used at the start of HtH combat they give either a +3 bonus to your rating for the duration of that combat, or allow you to escape automatically at the start of the second round.

Helmet (Clothing)

Zombies use their claws to attack, but always try and bite the neck. While wearing this Helmet you can still be injured by a Zombie, but you can't become infected by its venom.

Geiger Counter (Device)

The Geiger Counter can help you detect strong areas of radiation, and avoid them. If a radioactive card such as a Mutant, a Rad Canister or Contaminated Rat-Pack is revealed you can avoid the card. Shuffle the discard pile, take 5 cards from it and shuffle them back into the current pack. Discard the radioactive card, and continue as usual. If, when avoiding a radioactive source, there are less than five Discards available, shuffle them into the current House Deck. If there are no Discards, the radioactive source is simply discarded with no penalty for the player. Whether or not there are Discards available, the radioactive card is not shuffled back into the House Deck; it is discarded. It might possibly be shuffled back into the House Deck should you use the Geiger Counter to avoid a second source later in the game.

Holographic Imagizer (Device)

The Sony Holographic Imagizer System (HIS for short) is based upon fairly standard technology from the HoloVision industry, of which General Electronics' Sony offshoot is a market leader. The HIS produces six perfect images of the character using the device, which usually proves highly disorientating to any attackers. Any character using the HIS may automatically escape from combat or receive a +1 modifier to a lucky shot die roll. The HIS may only be used for one escape or to affect one lucky shot die roll. This device is powered by electricity and should bear an electricity symbol. Should you enter the Magnetic Field with this device, it becomes useless for a while.

Implosion Waistcoat (Clothing)

This is a suicide device: a waistcoat packed with sophisticated microcircuitry that is capable of triggering Darkness' warp so it implodes before it is fully formed. It can be triggered at any time, killing anything in the same area with you as well as yourself. Remember that you must be alive to use the device; you can't trigger it after failing your final HtH roll!

Infra-Red Goggles (Clothing)

These standard-issue goggles allow you to see better in the dark. When night falls you won't need to have 1 deducted from your HtH rating.

Medi-Kit

The Medi-kit can be used to heal your wounds. When you wish to use it add 30 seconds to the time and check for a Wandering Zombie as usual. If one does not appear, roll 1 die, recover that many wounds and discard the kit. If a Zombie turns up, though, you must postpone your healing and fight it off. Once it is defeated you should move the Time marker to the next box and start again, but don't forget to check for another Wandering Zombie! You may use the Medi-Kit in any free area.

Knife (HtH Weapon)

Your beloved Bowie Knife adds 1 to your HtH rating. You can also throw it instead of firing a gun (reducing your Marksmanship by 1 point) against Zombies or Chaos Agents. If the shot misses you will have to kill your opponent in HtH combat (including a Lucky Shot) to retrieve it, or it will be lost and you must discard the card.

Lock-Pick Set (Device)

Locked doors have no effect while this set is in your possession.

Metal Detector (Device)

The Metal Detector will enable you to spot large masses of metal from a distance. While it's in your possession you needn't Test Reflexes to take a shot at the Meat Machine. Furthermore, you won't get caught in Wire or Mine traps; simply add 1 minute to the time and keep moving.

Man-to-Man Rockets (Hvy Weapon)

The Johnson FOD-42 'SuperWasp' Man-to-Man Rockets come as a small hand-held launching system which can deliver up to 4 rockets at 4 separate targets using inbuilt microcircuitry for their guidance systems. These devices are expensive and rather bulky, but their firepower is something else! On the card itself it says: All opponents (except Darkness) 4. This instruction, although it may not seem clear, is equally applicable to destroying Locked Doors. You may use a Man-to-Man Rocket to demolish a Locked Door and succeed in doing so if you can roll a 4 or above (taking Marksmanship modifiers into account). This weapon has a limited number of uses and a list of the scores you need to roll on 2 dice to hit your opponents.

Poison-Coated Metal Needle (HtH Weapon)

This sneaky commando weapon is kept in a small padded sheath. You must use it in HtH combat, where it is effective against every opponent except Darkness. Roll one die and halve the result (round fractions up). This is the number of rounds it takes your opponent to die, during which time you must hold it off. Of course, you may well kill the creature anyway or die yourself before the poison works! If you want to use this weapon, you must do so in Step 6 of the first round of combat with the creature.

Remote Camera (Device)

You can set up this video camera at any point in the house. It takes 30 seconds to set up, but then allows you to look ahead of you. Roll 2 dice and look at that many cards from the current deck. Once you've done this you must discard this card. This card may be used at any time except during combat, or if you are unconscious or stuck in a trap of any nature. Add 30 seconds, but do not check for a Wandering Zombie, roll both dice and look ahead at the rolled number of cards. This, of course, means that, if you find a Secret Passage, you may use the Remote Camera before entering the passage or at any point along it.

However, should you find a Secret Passage card while using the Camera, you can not then use it to look down the first few passage cards, even if the die roll entitles you to do so. This is because the Passage doors are presumed closed until you open them, and the Camera can not pass through such obstacles. The camera can only be used in a Passage if you find and [sic: source text garbled, presumably "use the"] device to enter one before using the Camera.

Rad Fibre Jumpsuit (Clothing)

This lightweight suit has minute lead and carbon strips sewn into it to absorb some of the radiation you are likely to be exposed to. Whenever you roll for radiation damage you may reduce the amount by one point.

R.E.A.P.E.R. (Hvy Weapon)

The H&W REAPER, Fully Stabilised Personal Hi-Calibre Machine Gun, is probably the most efficient anti-personnel weapon in the world. It is fitted to a specially designed stabilising mount worn on the firer's hip, which negates the terrific recoil of the weapon and allows one person to use it easily and efficiently. Its .50 calibre explosive bullets are capable of blasting their way through most forms of cover or light armour. Due to its bulk a character wearing the REAPER suffers a -1 modifier to their HtH value. This weapon has a limited number of uses and a list of the scores you need to roll on 2 dice to hit your opponents.

Rope and Launcher (Device)

This handy device can be used to get you past the Chasm card. After an encounter on a balcony you can use the Rope to bypass certain areas. Add 30 seconds to the time, roll one die and treat that many cards as though there's no need to roll for Wandering Zombies. If you bypass Darkness follow the Missing Darkness rules.

Steel Gloves (Clothing)

These reinforced gauntlets give you a powerful punch. Add 1 to your HtH rating. Also, when fighting a Rat Pack you need only take one wound if they succeed in biting you.

Smash (Device)

Smash is an illegal narcotic drug, which has the effect of greatly increasing the strength of any person who uses it. Originally developed by Carl Halliwell of Sargent-Laroche SA for use as a combat drug, research was stopped when dangerous side-effects proved impossible to prevent. However, a copy of the formula made its way onto the black market, where customers have been found amongst those who are stupid or desperate enough to try it. Smash can be taken by a character at any time except during combat. For the next 5 minutes (place a blank counter on the Time track to remind yourself when the drug wears out) the character adds +3 to their HtH value. On the turn the drug wears off the character suffers one die of wounds.

Stun-Nux (HtH Weapon)

Much favoured by the street gangs of the numerous ghettoes of the 21st Century, Stun-Nux are an updated version of the ever popular knuckle-duster. An extremely powerful electric charge is generated by the zircon battery housed in the grip of the Stun-Nux. This is discharged when the Stun-Nux hits a suitable conducting surface (such as human flesh), producing a spectacular and quite deadly effect. Stun-Nux add +2 to a character's HtH value when used. (Note that in the Electronic version, Stun-Nux give +4 against Mutants and Meat Machines.)

Sub-Machine Gun (Gun)

The Starling CFTC Sub-Machine Gun, affectionately nicknamed the 'Widowmaker', has an excellent capacity for damaging 'soft' targets, but its rate of fire is such that it tends to get through ammunition rather quicker than most weapons. This weapon has a limited number of uses and a list of the scores you need to roll on 2 dice to hit your opponents.

Sonic Amplifier (Device)

Our Sonic Amplifier is an experimental device that magnifies sound in a tight beam that affects certain types of target. While it's in your possession you needn't Test Reflexes to hit a Zombie opponent. You may also avoid the Cave-in Trap; simply add 1 minute to the time and discard the trap card.

Teleport Implant (Device)

This experimental device is implanted in your arm to give you a lifeline to the outside of the house. If your mission is placed in jeopardy by the loss or breakage of your Laser-lance, or the Chasm house card, you can immediately leave the building. See Escaping the Building in the main rules for what happens next.

Throw Nets (HtH Weapon)

In place of your first round of HtH combat you may elect to throw one of these small weighted Nets to trap and defeat one opponent. Nets do not work on Darkness or the Meat Machine, and don't protect you from radiation damage or venom corruption. If you want to use this weapon, you must do so in Step 6 of the first round of combat with the creature.

Torch (Device)

The Torch allows you to see in the darkness, meaning you don't take the HtH penalty for fighting after dark. When fighting creatures of the darkness (Zombies and Rats) it adds 1 to your HtH rating. This device and its +1 combat bonus against Rats and Zombies can only be used during Night Time.

TDD (Device)

Rigged up by scientists investigating the extraordinary phenomenon that is taking place, the Temporal Disturbance Detector is capable of registering the disturbance in space time generated by Darkness. Unfortunately its range is very limited, although it will provide some warning of Darkness' approach. Any character with the TDD will never miss Darkness when moving through secret passages. If the Darkness card is one of those discarded when moving through the passage you may stop and fight. In addition a character with the TDD does not need to Test Reflexes to see if they get off a shot with their Laser-lance.

Ultra-Violet Emitter (Device)

This device repels Zombies, who fear the powerful U/V light, and means you need never check for Wandering Zombies, and other cards which rely on them, such as Ambush, can be treated as Clear.

Wire-cutters (Device)

Use these to pass through Net and Wire traps as though they weren't there.

X-oskeleton (Clothing)

The Cytronic Industrial Xoskeleton is designed for lifting and carrying heavy objects in confined or inaccessible locations where standard heavy lifting equipment could not be used. Due to its bulk it is not ideal in combat situations, although the wearer's greatly increased strength does mean that any blow which does connect has a shattering effect on the target. Characters wearing an X-oskeleton receive a +1 bonus to their HtH value in addition to the modifier for one HtH Weapon and may smash through locked doors on an 8 or greater on two dice. However, they suffer a -1 modifier to their reflex value due to the Xoskeleton's bulk. Any character caught in the Electromagnetic Field trap suffers a -2 modifier to their HtH value instead of the +1 modifier until the effects of the trap wear off. The Xoskeleton may not be removed once the character has entered the building.

Time Grenades (HtH Weapon)

These experimental weapons cause small fluctuations in the fabric of space and manage to move their victims through short distances of time, and therefore space. Instead of fighting HtH combat use one of these (source text garbled here) to remove your opponent from play. Take the card and shuffle it into the other deck (in other words, if you are currently in deck 1 shuffle it into deck 2; if in deck 2 shuffle it into the deck 1 discards). If you want to use this weapon, you must do so in Step 6 of the first round of combat with the creature.

Example of Play

I am the warrior. I have the following ratings: Endurance 15, Wounds 14, Hand-to-Hand (including +1 for Strength skill) 11, Reflexes 9 and Marksmanship +1. My Equipment Allowance was 6, so I picked a Gun (Sub-Machine Gun), 2 items of Clothing (Infra-Red Goggles and Steel Gloves), and 2 Devices (Sonic Amplifier and a Lock-Pick Set). Now I am ready to enter this infernal hell-hole...

In through the door... directly ahead of me there are stairs, but there's no-one around. Phew, this place is creepy!

Empty area, check for Wandering Zombie. Roll a 5, nothing encountered. Move the timer on one box, and up the stairs... There's dust everywhere, but no footprints... I wish these stairs'd stop creaking! God only knows what the noise will attract... Now what's at the top? It's a small room, but again there's no-one here... What's THAT? Oh, thank goodness, it's only the shadows...

An empty room, and again the check reveals nothing. The clock moves on another box, and it's... Another room, just like the first but even filthier and dustier, if that's possible... and still with those creepy shadows... There goes my sonic amplifier, there's something nearby... Oh God! The shadow's moving... it's human, but it's obviously been dead... for some time... Flesh, peeling away in strips... and look at the teeth...

It's a room, with a Zombie inhabitant (Attack: 8). I let loose with my SMG immediately, as the Sonic Amplifier negates the need for a Reflex Test. SMG against Zombies is 5, but I've got a +1 Marksmanship so I need a 4 or more. A roll of 7 and there's one (hopefully truly) dead Zombie. Change the number of bursts remaining on the SMG from 10 to 9, and move on... The clock ticks on another box, as always, and it's into the next area.

Into the corridor quickly... let's hope I don't meet too many more of those... things back there... No one about, so let's creep down to the other end... SMG at the ready... come on you nasties, I'm ready for you now... corridor turns into another one, and... Unnghggh!

And there before me is Chaos Agent 2, waiting in ambush. He leapt at me as I came around the corner, taking me by surprise so I didn't have time to shoot him. He's got an Attack of 9, compared to my HtH 11 score. He gets a pair of 6s, giving an attack score of 21 (gulp!); I counter with a 3 and a 1, for a score of 15 and he's hit me! My Wound Marker moves from 14 to 13, but a roll of 7 on the Extra Wound table indicates only that I can't attempt an escape next round. Fat chance, I want this sucker!

I refrain from attempting a tricky Lucky Shot. The clock ticks on a box, and it's the second round of combat. The Agent rolls a total of 6, giving him an attack score of 15; I counter with a roll of 10 to give me 21. Got him, and he's out of it!! That'll show these creeps I mean business... Pause for breath... then on we go. The clock ticks inexorably on, and...

And it's out of the corridor and onto a balcony. There's no-one about, so it's on to... another corridor. This one is empty too... but at the far end is an elevator, its door standing invitingly open... If they think I'm going into such an obvious trap they've got a... no, wait, the reason the door's open is because there's a First Aid Kit blocking its track. It must have been left by one of Johnson's people. Should just be enough room in my pack for it... OK, let's chance this elevator then...

In the elevator I found the First Aid Kit, which now resides among the other items on my Equipment display. The clock ticks ever on... have I really only been in here five minutes?

Right, creeps, just you be waiting for me when this thing reaches the top, eh? Here we are, SMG ready... and there's no-one about. Hmm, appears to be some sort of sneaky passage. Well, I never was one for going by the most obvious route...

I've found a Secret Passage. I roll a 9, and can skip up to that many cards. Since I'm only on Deck One there's no chance of missing Darkness, so I'll ignore all 9 of them. It turns out I missed a Dump, but also 3 Traps, so I didn't do badly, and I saved all that time too. But now where am I?...