DCeased: A Zombicide Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Game Components
• Setup
• Game Overview
  • Winning and Losing
  • Game Rounds
• The Basics
  • Useful Definitions
  • Line of Sight
  • Movement
  • Reading an ID Card
  • Experience, Danger Level, and Skills
• Enemies
  • Walker
  • Brute
  • Runner
  • Zombie Hero
• Player Phase
  • Move
  • Open Door
  • Power-Up
  • Attack
  • Gain Trait
  • Interact with Objective
  • Rescue Bystander
  • Collect Equipment
  • Trade
  • End of Turn
• Enemy Phase
  • 1. Activate Enemies
    • Attack
    • Move
    • Runners and Zombie Heroes
  • 2. Spawn Enemies
    • Normal Spawn
    • Rush!
    • Extra Activation!
    • Special Action
    • Zombie Hero!
    • Running out of Miniatures
    • Spawning in Buildings
• Combat
  • Rerolls
  • Target Priority
• Power
• Bystanders
  • Bystanders in Danger
  • Bystander Eliminated!
  • Activating Bystanders
  • Escorting Bystanders
• Interactive Objects
• Missions
• Round Summary
  • 1. Player Phase
  • 2. Enemy Phase
  • 3. End Phase
  • Target List

Introduction

DCeased - A Zombicide Game is a cooperative game where 1 to 6 players control the last uninfected Super Heroes facing off against Zombie Heroes and the zombie hordes controlled by the game itself. The goal is to complete Mission Objectives, defeat the Enemies, and rescue Bystanders. Eliminating zombies gives you the experience needed to become an even more powerful Super Hero. But the stronger you are, the more zombies appear to hunt you down! Only by working together and pushing their powers to the limit can the Super Heroes hope to put an end to the Anti-Life threat!

ATTENTION ZOMBICIDE VETERANS! We highly recommend reading through ALL of the following rules carefully, as there are many differences, both big and small, from classic Zombicide rules.

Game Components

• 85 miniatures:
  • 8 Super Heroes: Green Arrow, Hawkgirl, Green Canary, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg, Lex Luthor
  • 6 Zombie Heroes: Aquaman, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, Superman, Catwoman
  • 8 Bystanders: Dan Turpin, Lois Lane, Mercy Graves, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Lana Lang, Bibbo Bibbowski, Martha Kent
  • 63 Zombies: 35 Walkers, 14 Runners, 14 Brutes
• 9 double-sided tiles
• 130 cards: 8 Super Hero ID cards, 45 Heroic Trait cards, 45 Spawn cards, 11 Bystander cards, 6 Zombie Hero cards, 12 Equipment cards, 3 Interactive Object reference cards
• 60 tokens: Lamp Post token (1), Phone Booth token (1), Daily Planet Globe token (1), Door tokens (open/closed) (25), Blue Door token (open/closed) (2), Green Door token (open/closed) (2), Objective tokens Red/Red (6), Objective tokens Blue/Red (2), Objective tokens Green/Red (2), First Spawn Point token (1), Spawn Point tokens Red/Red (5), Spawn Point tokens Blue/Red (2), Spawn Point tokens Green/Red (2), Exit token (1), Activation tokens (6)
• 6 dice
• 6 color bases
• 12 tracker cubes
• 6 plastic dashboards

Setup

1. Choose a Mission. Each Mission can be played with 4 Super Heroes, with additional instructions for 5-6 Super Heroes (controlled by 1-6 players). Any Mission may be played with fewer Super Heroes, but this increases the difficulty!
2. Place the Tiles as indicated on the Mission map.
3. Place any Spawn Points and other Tokens as well as any game pieces as indicated by the Mission.
4. Unless otherwise indicated by the Mission, remove both Secret Mission cards from the Bystander deck. Then, place 1 random Bystander Card facedown in each Zone featuring the Bystander Icon.
5. Unless otherwise indicated by the Mission, remove both Secret Mission Cards from the Equipment deck. Then, place 1 random Equipment Card facedown on each Zone featuring the Equipment Icon.
6. Take and separate the following card types, identified by their unique card backs. Shuffle each of these into their own deck and place them facedown near the board:
   • a. Spawn Deck: These cards bring the Zombie hordes and Zombie Heroes players will face during the game.
   • b. Zombie Hero Deck: Each time a Zombie Hero card is drawn from the Spawn deck, a random Zombie Hero is spawned. Each Zombie Hero presents a unique challenge!
   • c. Heroic Trait Deck: A deck of abilities that the Super Heroes can tap into, unleashing their new power.
   • d. Bystander Deck: Notable characters that can be found during the game for players to rescue.
   • e. Equipment Deck: Useful items that can be collected during the game to help players.

A Dashboard has an empty Equipment card slot, 2 empty Heroic Trait card slots, a Health Bar, a Danger Bar, a Power Track, an Activation token, and the ID Card on the central card slot.

Game Overview

Winning and Losing

The game is won immediately when all Mission objectives have been completed. The game is lost when all Super Heroes have been eliminated, or when a Mission-specific losing condition is met. This is a cooperative game, so all players win or lose together!

Game Rounds

DCeased - A Zombicide Game is played over a series of Game Rounds, which proceed as follows:

• Player Phase: This is the Phase in which the Super Heroes will perform various Actions, such as moving across the gameboard, performing Attacks, and Rescuing Bystanders!
• Enemy Phase: Once all Super Heroes have activated, the Player Phase ends and the Enemy Phase begins. During this phase, any Enemies currently on the gameboard attempt to eliminate the Super Heroes and new Enemies are spawned.
• End Phase: Each Mission, and some Skills, may list certain effects that happen during the End Phase. Otherwise, once the End Phase is completed, a new Game Round begins.

The Basics

Before we get into specifics, here are some general rules that will aid players.

Useful Definitions

• Super Hero: A living super-powered character controlled by a player.
• Zombie Hero: A zombie super-powered character spawned and controlled by the game to fight the players.
• Horde Zombie: A generic zombie Walker, Brute, or Runner spawned and controlled by the game to hunt the players. Note that expansions might include additional Horde types.
• Enemy: This term refers to all the various Hordes and Zombie Heroes.
• Zone: In Exterior locations, a Zone is the area between linear markings (or linear markings and the board's edge) and the walls of buildings. In Interior locations, each Room is a separate Zone (delimited by walls).

Illustrated examples: an Interior Zone is a Room delimited by walls; an Exterior Zone can straddle 2 or 4 tiles; an Exterior Zone is delimited by linear markings, a wall, and the board's edge; a Building can have several Rooms, forming separate Interior Zones (e.g. a Building with 3 Rooms forms 3 separate Interior Zones; 8 Interior Zones can form a single Building straddling 2 tiles).

Line of Sight

Line of Sight defines whether two miniatures on the board (Super Heroes, Enemies, Bystanders, etc.) can see each other.

• In Exterior Zones, Line of Sight is traced in straight lines that run parallel to the edges of the board. Line of Sight cannot be traced diagonally. Elements have Line of Sight through as many Zones as the line can pass through before reaching a wall or the edge of the board.
• In Interior Zones, Line of Sight can be traced to any Room that shares an opening with the Zone the miniature is currently in. If there is an opening, the walls do not block Line of Sight between 2 Rooms. However, Line of Sight into an adjacent Room is always limited to 1 Zone.
• Line of Sight traced between an Interior Zone and Exterior Zones may be traced through any number of Exterior Zones in a straight line, but only 1 Zone into the Building.
• Closed Doors block Line of Sight.
• Enemies, Bystanders, and Super Heroes do not block Line of Sight.

IMPORTANT: All Skills, Traits, and Abilities require Line of Sight, unless specifically stated otherwise.

Examples: Batman stands in an Exterior Zone; he sees in straight lines, up to walls and the board's edge, and can see into the Building through the open door, but not through to the other side. Lex Luthor has a Line of Sight into 3 different Rooms but can't see more than 1 Zone through Interior Zones; through the open door he can see out of the Building in a straight line over several Exterior Zones. Wonder Woman has a Line of Sight through the Exterior Zones, up to 1 Zone into the Building on the other side of the street.

Movement

Miniatures such as Super Heroes, Enemies, and Bystanders can move from their Zone to an adjacent one. An adjacent Zone shares at least one unobstructed edge with their current Zone. Corners do not count. This means no diagonal movements!

In Exterior Zones, movement from one empty Zone to another has no restrictions. However, game pieces must go through an open door to move from an Exterior Zone to an Interior Zone and vice-versa.

In Interior Zones, miniatures may move from one Room to another as long as their Zones are linked by an opening (such as an open door). The position of a miniature in the Zone and the layout of the walls do not matter as long as the Zones share an opening. Super Hero movement is hindered by Enemies in their Zone (see Move, page 13).

Examples: The Flash can move 1 Zone left or right across the exterior Zones, but he cannot move diagonally. The closed door prevents The Flash from entering the building; it must be opened first. Green Canary: one wall has an opening and the door is open, so she can move up or left. Remember: no diagonal Moves!

Reading an ID Card

Each Super Hero has a unique ID card featuring the following information:

• Power Track: Super Heroes are able to harness incredible Power from within themselves, which allows them to perform amazing feats. A Super Hero's Power increases at the start of every Round and can be further increased with Power-Up Actions (see page 13). Power can be spent to activate special effects or add extra Dice to Attacks (see page 20).
• Health: Each time a Super Hero is wounded, this track is reduced by 1. If it ever reaches 0 (zero), that Super Hero is eliminated.
• Attack: Each Super Hero has a unique Attack. Attacks are described in detail on page 19.
• Skills: Each Super Hero has their own unique Skills, unlocked as they gain Experience (see next section).

Experience, Danger Level, and Skills

Each time a Super Hero eliminates an Enemy, they gain 1 Experience Point (XP). Or, in the case of enemy Zombie Heroes, 1 Experience Point for each Toughness they had (see Zombie Heroes on page 12). Whenever Experience is gained, advance that Super Hero's Danger Bar by that amount. Some Missions may also provide additional ways to gain Experience.

There are 4 Danger Levels on the Danger Bar: Blue, Yellow, Orange, and Red. Reaching a new Danger Level provides the Super Hero with a new unlocked Skill to help them on their Mission.

Gaining Experience has a side effect, however! When players draw a Spawn card, read the line that corresponds to the highest Danger Level achieved by ANY Super Hero (see Spawn Enemies on page 17). The more powerful the Super Heroes become, the larger the zombie horde attracted to spread Anti-Life!

• A Super Hero starts the game at the Blue Danger Level with 0 Experience Points and a single Skill. From the start of the game, the Super Hero can use their unique Attack.
• The Yellow Danger Level is reached with 7 Experience Points. The Super Hero gains a 4th Action to use every Turn.
• The Orange Danger Level is reached with 19 Experience Points, unlocking another Skill.
• The Red Danger Level is reached with 43 Experience Points. All Skills are now available.

(The Spawn card example in the source shows lines of Red Level: 9 Walkers; Orange Level: 8 Walkers; Yellow Level: 3 Walkers; Blue Level: 2 Walkers.)

Enemies

There are 4 types of Enemies. Most Enemies have only a single Action they perform when they activate. The exceptions to this are Runners and Zombie Heroes, who each have 2 Actions per Activation. An Enemy is eliminated as soon as it is assigned enough Hits during a single Attack Action to match its Toughness value. The Super Hero that eliminates the Enemy gains 1 Experience Point, except in the case of Zombie Heroes, which grant Experience equal to their Toughness value.

Walker

While LexCorp Troopers may be slow and weak, the true danger of Walkers is in their numbers.

• Actions: 1
• Toughness: 1
• XP Reward: 1

Brute

LexCorp Heavy Troopers are strong and tough. These Brutes are hard to put down.

• Actions: 1
• Toughness: 2
• XP Reward: 1

Runner

LexCorp Shocktroopers are fast and deadly. These Runners are a real threat that must be prioritized.

• Actions: 2
• Toughness: 1
• XP Reward: 1

Zombie Hero

Each Zombie Hero is powerful and unique, but they have been overtaken by the Anti-Life Virus, driving them to destroy as much life as they can.

• Actions: 2
• Toughness: X. This is specific to each Zombie Hero, as indicated on their Zombie Hero card.
• XP Reward: Equal to their Toughness.
• Each Zombie Hero also has a unique Ability listed on their Zombie Hero card which is in effect as long as they are on the board.

Player Phase

During each Player Phase, the following steps must be taken, in order:

1. Gain Power: All players increase their Power Track by 1.
2. Refresh Activation Tokens: All players flip their Activation tokens to their green (Unactivated) side.
3. Activate Super Heroes: All the Super Heroes are activated, one by one. Each Round, the players choose the order in which to activate each Super Hero. During their Turn, a Super Hero can perform up to 3 Actions at the Blue Danger Level (not counting any free Action their Blue Level Skill might give them). The Actions available to a Super Hero are as follows:

Move

The Super Hero moves from their Zone to an adjacent Zone (they cannot move diagonally, through walls, or closed doors).

• A Super Hero must spend 1 additional Action per Enemy standing in the Zone they're attempting to leave. Example: Batman is in a Zone with 2 Walkers. To leave this Zone, he spends 1 Move Action +2 additional Actions (1 per Walker), for a total of 3 Actions. If there had been 3 Enemies in the Zone, Batman would have needed 4 Actions (1+3) to move.
• Entering a Zone containing Enemies ends the Super Hero's Move Action (this is important for Skills or effects that allow Super Heroes to move multiple Zones per Move Action).

Push: Some effects may indicate to "push" a figure. When a figure is pushed, it is moved the number of Zones indicated by the Push effect, ignoring Enemies. Unless specified as "towards" or "away from" something in the effect, the figure may be moved in any possible direction.

Open Door

The Super Hero breaks open a door in their Zone. Note that all Doors leading into Buildings begin the game Closed unless specifically noted by the Mission. Place an Open Door token where the closed door was, to indicate it is now open (or, in the case that there was already a Closed Door token there, simply flip it to its Open side).

NOTE: Once opened, Doors cannot be closed again.

Some Missions feature colored doors (Blue and Green Door tokens). Usually, these cannot be opened until some condition is met, like finding a specific Objective. Read the Mission description to learn more.

IMPORTANT: Opening a Building for the first time reveals all the Enemies and Bystanders waiting inside. This is explained in the Spawning in Buildings section on page 18.

Power-Up

While Super Heroes automatically gain 1 Power at the start of each Round, they may also, during their Turn, perform a Power-Up Action in order to increase their Power Track by 2. This can be done more than once per Turn.

• A Super Hero can only have 4 Power at most. Any Power gained beyond that is simply ignored.
• Many Skills and Traits require the spending of Power to utilize various effects, as described in their text.
• Power is also generally used to gain extra Dice when a Super Hero performs an Attack (see Power on page 20).

Attack

The Super Hero attacks an Enemy they are able to target. Combat is explained in detail on page 19.

Gain Trait

The player draws the top card from the Heroic Trait deck and places it in one of the 2 Heroic Trait slots on that Super Hero's Dashboard. A Super Hero can only perform a single Gain Trait Action per Turn, though other effects might grant them extra Heroic Trait cards.

• Each Super Hero may only have up to 2 Heroic Traits at any time. If they already have 2 when they draw a new one, they may discard the newly drawn Trait or discard and replace 1 of the 2 on their Dashboard.
• If the Trait deck ever runs out, reshuffle all the discarded cards to make a new deck.
• Heroic Traits have powerful effects but are discarded after a single use. Each Heroic Trait has specific instructions for its effects, so read each one carefully! Two Traits can be used together if their requirements are met.
• Unless indicated otherwise, using a Heroic Trait does not cost an Action. It is done for free when its requirements are met.

Interact with Objective

The Super Hero takes and/or activates an Objective in their Zone. The specific effects of doing this are detailed in the Mission description.

Rescue Bystander

If they are in the same Zone as a Bystander and there are no Enemies in that Zone, the Super Hero may Rescue that Bystander. The Super Hero gains their unique Bystander card, placing it next to their Dashboard. Once rescued, the Bystander miniature follows that Super Hero, becoming an Escorted Bystander (see the full Escorted Bystander rules on page 21).

• When a Super Hero Rescues a Bystander, they immediately fill their Power Track to its maximum.
• Rescuing a Bystander typically does not award any Experience, but some Missions might modify this.
• Unless stated otherwise, Bystander cards are not discarded upon use. They may be used repeatedly by the Super Hero escorting them.
• A Super Hero may Escort any number of Bystanders at any time.
• Escorted Bystanders may be traded among Super Heroes when the Trade Action is performed.

Collect Equipment

If they are in the same Zone as an Equipment card and there are no Enemies in that Zone, the Super Hero may Collect that Equipment. The card is removed from the board and placed faceup in the Equipment slot of their Dashboard.

• Equipment cards grant powerful Attacks and/or Abilities to the Super Hero that possesses them. If the Equipment has an Attack, the Super Hero may use it exactly like the unique Attack on their ID card.
• Unless stated otherwise, Equipment cards are not discarded upon use. They may be used repeatedly by the Super Hero possessing them.
• A Super Hero may only have 1 Equipment card at any time. If they already have an Equipment and collect another one, they may freely choose which to keep, discarding the other.
• Equipment cards may be traded among Super Heroes when the Trade Action is performed.

Trade

The Super Hero may trade any/all held Equipment and/or Bystander cards between 1 (and only 1) other Super Hero in their Zone. A Trade Action doesn't have to be equal. You can trade everything for nothing, if both parties agree.

End of Turn

A Super Hero does not need to perform all their Actions if they wish and may forfeit any remaining Actions and end their Turn. Once a Super Hero has completed all their Actions (or forfeited any remaining ones) their Turn ends. Flip their Activation token to its red (Activated) side to indicate this.

Enemy Phase

Once all players have activated their Super Heroes, the Player Phase ends and the Enemy Phase begins. No single player controls the Enemies. They do it themselves, performing the following steps in order:

1. Activate Enemies: All Enemies on the board activate and spend their Actions to either Attack a Super Hero or Bystander in their Zone or Move towards the closest Super Hero or Bystander if not currently in a Zone with one. Once all Enemies have activated, any Bystanders on the board activate as well (see Activating Bystanders on page 21).
2. Spawn Enemies: After all Activations are done, new Enemies appear on all active Spawn Points on the board.

1. Activate Enemies

Attack

Each Enemy in the same Zone as a Super Hero or a Bystander spends their Action to perform an Attack. An Enemy's Attack is always successful, does not require any dice rolls, and inflicts 1 Wound.

The Super Heroes in the Zone share the Wounds in any way the players prefer, even if it means inflicting them all onto a single Super Hero! Any Bystander in the same Zone as the Super Heroes can only be assigned a single Wound.

When a Super Hero is wounded, their Health Bar's tracker is moved 1 space to the left per Wound they receive. A Super Hero is eliminated as soon as their Health Bar reaches 0. If all Super Heroes are eliminated before completing the Mission Objectives, the game is lost!

Enemies fight together. All Enemies activated in the same Zone as a Super Hero or Bystander join the Attack, even if there are so many Wounds being dealt that it would be overkill.

Example 1: A Walker in a Zone with 2 Super Heroes inflicts 1 Wound during its Activation. The players choose which Super Hero takes the Wound.

Example 2: A group of 5 Walkers activates in the same Zone as 2 Super Heroes and 1 Bystander. Since both Super Heroes have 3 Health, the players choose to deal 2 Wounds to each Super Hero and 1 to the Bystander (eliminating it).

Bystanders Under Attack: Bystanders are eliminated if they receive 1 Wound. This is a heavy failure for the Super Heroes, triggering the Bystander Eliminated effects (see page 21). A Super Hero with any Escorted Bystanders (see page 21) may choose to discard them (the Bystander jumps in the way!) to ignore 1 Wound they would receive per Escorted Bystander sacrificed in this way. This is a desperate act, which also triggers the Bystander Eliminated effects.

Move

Enemies that did not Attack (because there were no Super Heroes or Bystanders in their Zone) spend their Action to Move 1 Zone towards Super Heroes or Bystanders:

• Enemies always move towards the closest Zone with Super Heroes or Bystanders in their Line of Sight.
• If the Enemy does not have Line of Sight to any Super Hero or Bystander, they move towards the Zone with Super Heroes or Bystanders they have the shortest open path to. If there are no open paths to Super Heroes or Bystanders, the Enemy doesn't move.
• If there is more than one closest Zone with Super Heroes or Bystanders, or more than one route of the same length to the closest Zone, Enemies split into groups of equal numbers, separated by type, to follow all possible routes. If it's not possible to split an Enemy type into groups of equal number, the players decide which group gets the extra Enemy.
• Enemies cannot open doors.

Example: A group of 4 Walkers, 3 Brutes, and 1 Zombie Hero activates at equal distance to 2 Zones occupied by Super Heroes. The Enemies want to target both Zones, so they split into 2 groups.

• 2 Walkers go one way. The other 2 take the other route.
• 2 Brutes go one way. The last one takes the other route (players choose).
• Players choose which route the Zombie Hero takes.

Illustrated examples: While Hawkgirl is closer to the Walker, it doesn't have a Line of Sight on her, so the Walker moves 1 Zone towards Green Arrow and Batman, who it can see at the end of the street. The Runner sees 2 Zones with Super Heroes, but since Wonder Woman is closer, the Runner ignores Green Arrow and Batman and moves 1 Zone towards Wonder Woman using its 2nd Action to attack her. Aquaman can see 2 Zones with Super Heroes, at the same distance, so the players can decide which path he takes. They choose to move Aquaman towards Cyborg and The Flash, and he uses his 2nd Action to attack them. An Enemy group has no Line of Sight to any Super Hero, and they have 2 open routes of the same length towards the closest Zone, with Cyborg and The Flash. The Walkers are separated to go both ways. Players choose which path the Brute takes.

Runners and Zombie Heroes

Runners and Zombie Heroes each have 2 Actions per Activation. Each time they activate, they perform 1 Action, either Attacking or Moving with the rest of the Enemies, and then perform their 2nd Action, either attacking if they're now in a Zone with a Super Hero or Bystander or moving again if they are still not in a Zone with a Super Hero or Bystander.

2. Spawn Enemies

The Mission map shows where Enemies spawn at the end of each Enemy Phase. These are Spawn Points.

Normal Spawn

Spawn Point tokens mark the Spawn Zones on the board. During the Spawn Enemies step, always start from the First Spawn Point, marked with a 1.

Starting with the First Spawn Point token, then proceeding clockwise, draw 1 Spawn card, reading the line that corresponds to the Danger Level of the Super Hero with the most Experience (Blue, Yellow, Orange, or Red). Place the indicated amount of the corresponding Enemy type in that Spawn Zone.

Repeat this for each active Spawn Point token.

Example (illustrated card: Red Danger Level: 9 Walkers; Orange Danger Level: 8 Walkers; Yellow Danger Level: 3 Walkers; Blue Danger Level: 2 Walkers): Green Canary has 5 XP, placing her in the Blue Danger Level. Cyborg has 12 XP, which puts him in Yellow. In order to determine how many Enemies spawn, read the Yellow line, which corresponds to Cyborg, as he has the most Experience.

IMPORTANT: Always spawn based on the highest Danger Level reached by any Super Hero, even if they have been eliminated. The horde never calms down!

Colored Spawn Points: Some Missions feature a Blue and/or Green-colored Spawn Point token. Unless otherwise stated, these Zones don't spawn Enemies until a specific event happens, dictated by the Mission. These Zones will only begin spawning Enemies once these conditions are met.

If the Spawn deck should run out, reshuffle all the discarded Spawn cards to make a new deck.

The Spawn deck features various types of Spawn cards:

Rush!

When a player draws an Enemy Rush card, the Enemies placed by that card immediately perform an Activation after being placed.

Extra Activation!

When a player draws an Extra Activation card, instead of spawning new Enemies, all Enemies of the listed type immediately Activate, performing their Action(s) as usual.

Special Action

There are a few Special Action cards in the Spawn Deck. Each one details its specific instructions when it is drawn.

Zombie Hero!

When a player draws a Zombie Hero Spawn card, draw the top card from the Zombie Hero deck, spawning the indicated Zombie Hero in that Zone, along with the number of Horde Zombies (Walkers, Brutes, or Runners) listed on that Spawn card.

Note that each Zombie Hero has a unique Ability that is active as long as they are in play and a specific Toughness value, so keep their Zombie Hero card faceup within view of all players.

If the Zombie Hero deck should run out, reshuffle all the discarded Zombie Hero cards to make a new deck. It seems they weren't really put out for good!

Running out of Miniatures

Players may run out of miniatures of the indicated type when required to place an Enemy on the gameboard. In this case, the remaining Enemies of that type are placed (if there are any). Then, all Enemies of the indicated type immediately resolve an extra Activation. Multiple extra Activations may occur in a row. Keep an eye on the Enemy population!

Spawning in Buildings

Opening a closed Building for the first time reveals all the Enemies and Bystanders waiting inside. A single Building extends to all Rooms connected by openings, sometimes straddling several tiles. Closed doors create separations between buildings.

Enemies waiting in a Building only spawn in the Zones marked with the Spawn icon. Draw and resolve 1 Spawn card for each of these Zones, one after the other, in any order the players choose (we suggest starting from the farthest to the closest).

Once all Enemies have been spawned, reveal any Bystander card inside that Building, replacing it with the corresponding Bystander miniature and placing the card faceup next to the board.

Equipment cards are NOT revealed until they are Collected by a Super Hero.

Illustrated example: Cyborg just opened this building. Enemies spawn in all Zones (marked 1 to 3), one after the other, in the order of the player's choosing. Players decide to spawn in the indicated order, from 1 to 3. A Spawn card is drawn for the first Zone. The most experienced Super Hero is at the Yellow Danger Level, so the yellow line is used to spawn. 3 Walkers are placed in this Zone. 2 Brutes spawn in the second Zone. As this is a Brute Rush! card, the 2 Brutes immediately Activate. One last card has to be drawn. An Extra Activation! card is drawn for the last Zone. All Brutes on the board immediately perform an extra Activation. That includes the ones that just spawned, even if they already had a Rush. Then, the Bystander card is revealed and replaced by its respective miniature.

Combat

When a Super Hero performs an Attack Action, they use their unique Attack, listed on their ID card, or the Attack from any Equipment card they have Collected. All Attacks feature the following information:

• Type: Attacks fall into 2 categories: Melee or Ranged. The Melee and Ranged symbols are used to distinguish each type. Some Skills or effects might interact with these types specifically.
  • Melee: Melee Attacks are identified by the Melee symbol and can only be used against targets in the same Zone.
  • Ranged: Ranged Attacks are identified by the Ranged symbol and can target Enemies in distant Zones within Line of Sight.
• Range: This indicates the distance to the Zone(s) the Attack can target.
  • A value of 0 limits the Melee Attack to the same Zone.
  • Ranged Attacks usually display two values: The first is the minimum Range. The Attack cannot target Zones closer than the minimum. That value is usually 0, meaning it can target Enemies in the same Zone (it is still a Ranged Attack). The second value shows the maximum Range of the Attack. It cannot target Zones beyond its maximum Range.
• Dice: Each Attack lists the base number of dice it rolls, though bonus dice can be added by other game effects (such as spending Power, see page 20).
• Accuracy: Each die result that equals or exceeds the Accuracy value of the Attack scores 1 Hit.

To resolve an Attack, perform the following steps, in order:

1. Target a Zone: Select 1 Zone within the Range listed on the Attack (remember you must always also have Line of Sight to your target).
   • You can use a Ranged Attack to target another Zone even if there are Enemies in your Zone. Any Enemies in a Zone between you and your target Zone are also irrelevant.
   • Remember that for Ranged Attacks in Interior Zones, Line of Sight is limited to the Zones that share an opening or inside the same large room (no diagonals). Line of Sight for Exterior Zones goes in a straight line parallel to the board's edge until it meets a wall or the edge.
2. Roll Dice: Roll the listed number of dice, plus any additional dice from Heroic Traits, Bystanders, Skills, or spent Power (see page 20).
3. Assign Hits: Assign any Hits scored to the targets in the Zone attacked, always following the Target Priority order (see below).

Rerolls

Dice can only be rerolled once by Super Hero effects and only once by Enemy effects. In the event that both Super Hero AND Enemy effects would cause the same dice to be rerolled, first apply the Enemy's rerolls, then apply the Super Hero's rerolls.

Target Priority

When attacking, whether with Melee or Ranged Attacks, Hits must be assigned according to Target Priority order:

1. Zombie Hero
2. Brute
3. Walker
4. Runner

The Hits must be assigned to targets on the first Target Priority level until they have all been eliminated, then to targets of the next Target Priority level until they have all been eliminated, and so on (e.g., Zombie Heroes first, Runners last). If several targets share the same Target Priority level, players choose the targets hit among them.

NOTE: Other Super Heroes and Bystanders in the targeted Zone are not affected by your Attacks, even if you miss. You are Super Heroes, after all!

Enemies are eliminated when they are assigned a number of Hits equal to their Toughness value. Remember that Walkers and Runners have a Toughness value of 1, Brutes have a Toughness of 2, and Zombie Heroes have their Toughness listed on their card. Enemies are only eliminated when they are assigned enough Hits to equal their Toughness during a single Attack Action. If not enough Hits are rolled to eliminate them, the assigned Hits do not carry over. It's all or nothing for each Attack!

Example: Cyborg performs Ranged Attacks using his Blaster (Dice: 3, Accuracy: 4+). In the targeted Zone there are 2 Brutes, 1 Runner, and 1 Bystander.

• Cyborg rolls 3 dice for his first Action, scoring 3 Hits. Following the Target Priority order, 2 Hits are needed to eliminate 1 Brute and the last Hit just bounces off the second Brute.
• Cyborg rolls 3 dice for his second Action, scoring 2 Hits. The remaining Brute still requires 2 Hits to eliminate, so the Runner remains unharmed.
• Cyborg rolls 3 dice for his third Action, scoring 2 Hits. 1 Hit is enough to eliminate the Runner. The last remaining Hit doesn't harm the Bystander since they are not affected by Super Hero Attacks.

IMPORTANT: Some Skills or effects may reduce an Enemy's Toughness. In such events, Toughness can never be reduced below 1.

Power

Super Heroes draw Power from within themselves to accomplish amazing feats. But that Power is not an inexhaustible resource and must be generated through sheer force of will.

• The Power Track shows how much Power a Super Hero currently has at their disposal.
• Each Super Hero's Power Track automatically increases by 1 at the start of every Player Phase.
• During their Turn, a Super Hero may perform a Power-Up Action to gain 2 Power (see page 13).
• A Super Hero can only have 4 Power at most. Any Power gained beyond that is simply ignored.
• Having 0 Power has no consequence, other than not being able to spend Power to activate effects.
• Many Skills and Traits require spending Power to utilize various effects, as described in their text.
• Each time a Super Hero performs an Attack, before rolling dice, they may decide to spend any amount of Power they possess to add that many dice to their Attack.

Example: At the start of the Round, Wonder Woman has 0 Power. The Player Phase starts, automatically giving her 1 Power. During her Turn, she performs a Power-Up Action, increasing her Power by 2 to a total of 3. She then performs a Sword of Athena Attack and decides to spend 2 Power on it, rolling a total of 4 dice (2 from the base Attack + 2 from Power). Afterwards, she decides to spend her last Power to activate her Battle-Ready skill, performing a free Attack on Enemies entering her Zone.

Bystanders

Bystanders represent key characters the Super Heroes should try to Rescue from the zombies. See page 14 for the full rules on Rescuing a Bystander. Once Rescued, a Bystander becomes an Escorted Bystander (see below). Before being Rescued, Bystanders have numerous special rules that are outlined below.

Bystanders in Danger

When Enemies activate, they treat Bystanders as potential targets, just like Super Heroes. If a Bystander is their closest target, they will move towards it. If a Bystander is in their Zone, they will attack it. If different Bystanders or Super Heroes are equally eligible targets, the players decide who the Enemy targets.

• Bystanders are eliminated upon suffering 1 Wound. This triggers Bystander Eliminated (see below).
• Bystanders cannot be harmed by Super Heroes. They are simply ignored by Super Heroes' Attacks.

Bystander Eliminated!

If a Bystander is eliminated, they are removed from the board and their card is discarded. This is a heavy blow for all the Super Heroes, as they have failed their primary purpose of protecting the innocent. Each Bystander that gets eliminated immediately triggers both of these effects:

• ALL Super Heroes lose 1 Power (if they have any).
• ALL Super Heroes must discard 1 Heroic Trait (if they have any).

Activating Bystanders

During the Enemy Phase, Bystanders attempt to flee the zombie hordes and reach the Super Heroes in order to be rescued. At the end of the Activate Enemies step but before the Spawn Enemies step, any Bystanders on the board are activated. They move 1 Zone towards the closest Zone with a Super Hero.

• If a Bystander has more than one closest Zone with Super Heroes, or more than one route of the same length to the closest Zone, the players decide which way the Bystander goes.
• If there are Enemies in their Zone or in the adjacent Zone they would move into, the Bystander does not move.

Escorting Bystanders

Once a Bystander is Rescued by a Super Hero, they become an Escorted Bystander, granting several benefits to the Super Hero:

• Place the Bystander card next to that Super Hero's dashboard. While Escorting a Bystander, that Super Hero may utilize their Bystander effect, typically by spending an indicated amount of Power.
• Keep the Escorted Bystander miniature next to the Super Hero who has their card. They always move with this Super Hero, regardless of any movement related abilities and effects.
• A Super Hero may Escort any number of Bystanders at any time.
• Any time a Super Hero would suffer Wounds, they may discard one of their Escorted Bystanders to prevent 1 Wound. This should not be done lightly, though, as it triggers Bystander Eliminated (see above)!
• Escorted Bystanders may be traded among Super Heroes when the Trade Action is performed.
• Once becoming Escorted, Bystanders cannot be moved away from their assigned Super Hero for any reason (such as being pushed by an effect).
• If a Super Hero that is Escorting Bystanders is eliminated, those Bystanders revert to being non-Rescued Bystanders and follow all associated rules.

Interactive Objects

Missions might include different Interactive Objects on the map. When a Super Hero moves out of a Zone containing an Object, they may move it with them to their new Zone. While in a Zone with an Interactive Object, Super Heroes may use an Action to utilize that Object. Some Objects allow the Super Hero to perform a special Attack, while others generate special effects. Each Interactive Object is different, so see its associated Reference card. DCeased features 3 types: Phone Booth, Lightposts, and Daily Planet Globe.

Missions

(No Mission text is included in the source build of the rulebook.)

Round Summary

1. Player Phase

1. Increase Power Tracks.
2. Refresh Activation Tokens.
3. Activate Super Heroes. Super Heroes activate in any order. On their Turn, each Super Hero can initially perform 3 Actions.
   • Move: 1 extra Action per Enemy in the Zone.
   • Open a Door: When a building is first opened, Spawn in its Zones and reveal Bystanders.
   • Power-Up: Gain 2 Power.
   • Gain Trait: Only once per Turn.
   • Trade: Equipment/Bystanders with 1 Super Hero in their Zone.
   • Rescue Bystander: No Enemies in their Zone. Fill the Super Hero's track.
   • Collect Equipment: No Enemies in their Zone.
   • Interact with Objective.
   • Attack: Use their unique Attack or Equipment.
     • May spend Power to roll extra Dice.
     • Deal Hits equal to a target's Toughness in a single Attack to eliminate them, always following the Target Priority order.

2. Enemy Phase

1. Activate Enemies: Each Enemy activates and spends their Action(s) on either an Attack or a Move, depending on the situation. Runners and Zombie Heroes perform 2 Actions.
   • Attack: Each Enemy in the same Zone as a Super Hero or Bystander performs an Attack, dealing 1 Wound.
   • Move: Enemies that have not Attacked use their Action to Move 1 Zone towards the closest Super Hero or Bystander.
   • Activate Bystander: After Enemies activate, any Bystanders not being escorted move 1 Zone towards the closest Super Hero (unless Enemies are in their current or next Zone).
2. Spawn Enemies: Starting from the First Spawn Point and going clockwise, draw and resolve 1 Spawn card for each Spawn Point token. Read the line corresponding to the highest Danger Level among Super Heroes.

Bystanders: Targeted like Super Heroes. Eliminated with 1 Wound.

• Sacrifice: Super Hero may discard an Escorted Bystander to ignore 1 Wound.
• Eliminated: If eliminated, all Super Heroes lose 1 Power and 1 Trait.

3. End Phase

Perform any effects indicated to take place during the End Phase. If ALL Super Heroes are eliminated, the players lose. Otherwise, start a new Round.

Target List

Target Priority	Name	Actions	Toughness	XP Reward
1	Zombie Hero	2	See card	Equal to Toughness
2	Brute	1	2	1
3	Walker	1	1	1
4	Runner	2	1	1