Disaster
Disaster Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- Playing Board
- Attachments: 1 ship, 1 plane, 2 earth pieces, 2 fire pieces
- 20 Disaster Cards
- 30 Survival Chips
- 6 Tokens, 2 Dice
Object of the Game
Survive as many disasters as you can: sinking ocean liners, earthquakes, crashing planes, and burning skyscrapers. Gain a survival chip for every disaster you survive, lose one if you perish. First player to get 6 chips wins.
Setting Up the Game
- Place the attachments on the board: the ocean liner and airplane, spaces facing up, in their upright positions; the two earth pieces, closed together, in the area under the earthquake zone; and the two fire pieces off the board until called for.
- Shuffle the Disaster cards and place them face down in the centre of the board.
- With up to 4 players, each player chooses a token and places it on the corner he wishes to start from (one player per corner). When 5, 6 (or more) play, the extra tokens are each placed to start at random, one to a corner.
- Let each player take one survival chip and store the remaining near the board.
- Roll one die to select the first player to play.
Moving
You will move around the board in a clockwise direction, by throwing two dice and moving the same number of spaces as the number rolled. Move normally across the spaces of the plane, the ship, and the earthquake zone.
In the case of the skyscraper: On the move when you enter the building, you must turn and continue up the staircase space. On whatever floor your move ends, that is the floor on which you will cross the building. You will move across that floor and then turn down on the other side and out. (Note: If your move ends on the 1st floor, you will not turn up, but continue along the 1st floor.)
If your count is greater than it takes to carry you to the top floor, continue to the end of your move along the top floor.
More than one player may occupy the same space at the same time.
Disaster
A Disaster can happen in either of two ways:
- If you are in one of the disaster areas (plane, ship, skyscraper or earthquake zone) and you roll a double, a disaster happens in that area. (You do not move on that double roll.)
- When a Disaster card is played (see below: "Disaster Cards").
Whenever a disaster happens, all players who are in that area must immediately try to escape. Regular play stops until all such players have either escaped or perished.
During the escape attempt, each player rolls only ONE DIE ON EACH TURN. They can take their turns in any order (usually regular playing order).
After a disaster is over, regular play resumes, starting with the player following the one who caused the disaster.
Sinking Ocean Liner
When a disaster happens here, the ship is immediately moved down to the first sinking position. All escaping players take one turn each (roll one die); then the ship is moved down to the second position, and each player takes another turn; and so on. At each position of the ship, a player must deduct a certain amount from his die roll (marked in brackets under the position number). If a player has not escaped by the time the ship is moved past the fifth sinking position, it has sunk and he has perished.
To escape from the ship, a player must reach the "Lifeboat" space at the rear of the ship (thus, he moves backwards). If he reaches it, he immediately moves to the first space beyond the ship (the other end) and stops there.
Restore the ship to its upright position.
Earthquake
When a disaster happens here, the two earth pieces are immediately spread apart — one space in each direction. All escaping players then take one turn each (roll one die); they can move in either direction to get out of the zone, but they cannot move across the fissure. Then the earth is moved again, but this time and following times, it is moved by rolling one die. It is up to the player who caused the disaster to roll that die: each earth piece is moved outward the same number of spaces as the number rolled. Then each player takes another turn, and so on. (Note: Players do not have to deduct anything from their rolls here.)
If a player is caught with no earth beneath him (including when it first opens) he falls into the fissure and perishes.
To escape from the earthquake, a player must reach the space just beyond either end of the zone. Here he stops.
Restore the earth pieces to their original position.
Crashing Plane
When a disaster happens here, the plane is immediately moved down to the first descending position. All escaping players take one turn each (roll one die); then the plane is moved down to the next position, and each player takes another turn; and so on. At each position of the plane, a player must deduct a certain amount from his die roll (marked in brackets under the position number). If a player has not escaped by the time the plane is moved past the fifth descending position, it has crashed and he has perished.
To escape the plane, a player must reach the "Parachute" space at the rear of the plane. If he reaches it, he immediately moves to the first space beyond the plane (the same end) and stops there.
Restore the plane to its upright position.
Burning Skyscraper
When a disaster happens here, the fire breaks out on the ground floor. Place the two fire pieces, one directly on top of the other, across the middle five spaces of the first floor. Then the player who caused the disaster immediately rolls one die: if an EVEN number is rolled, move the top fire piece only, one space to the RIGHT; if an ODD number is rolled, move the bottom fire piece only, one space to the LEFT.
All escaping players take one turn each (roll one die); they can move in whichever direction they choose to get out of the building (down either staircase and out). Then one die is rolled again, by the player who caused the disaster, in order to spread the fire further: again, if an even number is rolled, spread the fire one space to the right, if an odd number, one space to the left. Then each player takes another turn, and so on. (Note: Players do not deduct anything from their rolls here. And while trying to escape, they may cross any floor.)
A player perishes if he is still in the building when the fire reaches both staircase spaces; or if he is caught on a space on the first floor when the fire breaks out.
To escape from the building, a player must reach the space just outside, on either side. Here he stops.
Remove the fire pieces.
Note on Sinking Ship and Crashing Plane
When deducting from your die roll, you never deduct more than the roll itself. If you roll less than what you should deduct, stay on the space you are on.
Disaster Cards
If you land on a "Disaster" space, pick the top card from the Disaster deck. You may either play the card immediately, or keep it (hidden) for future use. If you keep it, you may play it on any of your turns, after you have rolled and moved, no matter where you are on the board.
Note: 1) You cannot play a card during a disaster, or after a double roll which causes one. 2) While a disaster is in progress, a player who lands on a "Disaster" space does not pick a card.
You can only keep one Disaster Card at a time. If you land on a "Disaster" space when you already have one card, you may pick a second card, but you must immediately play one of the cards or discard one of them (place it face down at the bottom of the deck). Keep the other card.
When you "play" a Disaster Card, show it, and the disaster described on it immediately happens. Return the card to the deck and immediately reshuffle the whole deck.
You can "play" a card whether you are or not in that disaster area.
Perishing in a Disaster
A player who perishes goes back to the space he started the game from. A player must discard any Disaster Card he holds when he perishes.
Survival Chips
Every time a player escapes from a disaster, he takes one survival chip. Every time he perished in a disaster, he puts back one chip (unless he has none).
Winning the Game
The first player to get 6 survival chips wins the game.
For a longer game, make the win 8 chips. Ties can be played until broken, or consider both players as winners.
Special Rule when there are only Three Players
If there are only 3 players in the game, a disaster will also happen if you roll a total of "3" while you are in a disaster area.