Five Fingered Severance Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Objective
• Overview
• Components
• Setup
• Game Play
  • Suspicion rolls
  • Collecting heat
  • Fired
• Game Turn
  • Draw Work Marker
  • Take 2 Actions
  • Actions
    • Move
    • Steal
    • Stash
    • Slack
      • Advancing a Slack
      • Completing a Slack
  • Actions (continued)
    • Work
    • Plot
• Playing Plot Cards
• Moving the Boss
• Suspicion
  • Been caught stealing
  • Been caught slacking off
• Suspicion & the Restroom
• The End & Winning
• Sample Game

Objective

Relax. Slack off. Just chill, and remember: You are getting fired no matter what. If you end your day with a great story to tell at parties, this will be your most kick-ass day at work. Ever.

Overview

In Five Fingered Severance players are trying to score as many points as possible before the shift ends or before they get fired. The shift ends when the game runs out of Work Markers. A player is fired when they accumulate 30 heat. The winner is the player with the highest accumulated point total after the shift ends or everyone is fired.

There are four ways to score points. A player can steal items that are worth points at the end of the game. In order for items to count toward their score, players will have to stash the items in their locker before they actually count as points. Getting caught with stolen items will earn a player heat.

Players can also insult customers that come into the store for points. This also makes the customer leave the store and earns the player more heat.

The third way a player can gain points is by slacking off. These are specific acts of vandalism that will come up around the store during play.

Finally, at the end of the game players get half their remaining heat as points. Players will have to decide if these points are worth all the time spent being a suck up.

During the game the boss will move around the store catching the player in the act. So be careful. On the up side characters have special abilities to help them earn points and avoid heat. Players also have a hand of plot cards that give them extra actions.

Components

Your game should include…

• Rules booklet
• 117 cards

Note on the printed component list: the booklet states 117 cards, but the items it lists add up to more (73 Work Markers including the 13 customer, 23 duty, 12 slack, 6 final slack and 19 event markers, plus 48 plot cards and 6 character cards). The counts are transcribed as printed.

• 73 Work Markers deck, including:
  • 13 customer markers (blue)
  • 23 duty markers (green)
  • 12 slack markers
  • 6 final slack markers
  • 19 event markers
• 48 plot cards
• 6 character cards
• 46 item tokens
• 30 slack tokens
• 6 heat markers
• 1 stand-up boss figure
• 6 stand-up character figures*
• Game board

*Disclaimer: The characters and the boss are described as stand-up figures because, well, they stand up on the game board while you play. Their moral fiber leaves a lot to be desired.

That don't look like work…

Yeah, not all of the work markers are actual work. Some are anything but. But slacking off is hard, so we just lumped them all together. And anyway, as long as you do it on the clock, you get paid for it. In our book, that counts as work. Don't like it? Go tell the boss…

Setup

Place the game board in the center of the play area. Find the office and place the boss figure there.

Next, sort the item tokens by location. Shuffle each stack and place it face down on the circle in its corresponding space.

Shuffle the work marker cards together and place them face down on the cooler (located near the center of the board). Flip over 6 Work Markers and resolve their effects before the game starts. Ignore Event Markers. When setup is complete shuffle them back into the Work Markers. You can see how to place Work Markers in "Draw Work Marker" on the next page.

Shuffle the six character cards and set them face down. Select a starting player. The starting player draws the top character card and places its corresponding figure in any empty space on the board. Then, in clockwise order, each player does the same. Discard the remaining character cards and figures. You won't need them for this game.

Shuffle the plot cards and deal five cards to each player. If Wendy is in play, deal eight cards to her player, who then discards down to five immediately. Place the remaining plot cards face down next to the game board.

Game Play

The starting player begins the game. Play continues in clockwise order, until either the work markers are exhausted or only one player remains to be fired.

You can perform two actions on your turn. You can play as many plot cards as you want, before, between, or after your actions. Players also make suspicion rolls and collect heat when required – sometimes during another player's turn.

Suspicion rolls

The boss may be a cranky old man, but he ain't stupid. If you have stolen crap or are slacking off and the boss ends in the same space you are, you must make a suspicion roll. If you fail the roll, you collect heat.

Collecting heat

If you screw around too much, you are bound to get caught. If you get caught, you mark how much heat you gained on the heat track on your character card. If you collect 30 heat points, you get fired.

Fired

When you are fired remove your character from play. Discard all of your plot cards and place all of the items you are carrying in the Office. Keep the items you have stashed as well as the other points you have scored and wait patiently for the end of the game. It won't be much longer.

Game Turn

Each turn consists of several steps, listed below.

Draw Work Marker

At the start of your turn you must draw one work marker and add it to the board. If the work marker is a customer you get to choose where it goes, based on what icons are on the customer card. If it is an event marker it has one of the following effects on the game:

• Heat Up: All of the players gain the heat listed.
• Boss Moves: The boss has some business in the part of the store listed. Move him there.
• Break Time: The boss moves to the Office. He cannot move again until the beginning of this player's next turn.
• Bad Nachos: The boss moves to the Restroom (displacing anyone in it to the Fountain). He can't move again until the beginning of this player's next turn.
• Rush: Draw 6 more Work Markers. The player resolves them in the order they are drawn.

If Break Time or Bad Nachos comes out while the other is in play the second event has no effect.

when you gotta go…

The restroom space on the board can only have one game piece (customer token, character figure, or boss figure) in it at a time. A player cannot move into the restroom while the boss is enduring Bad Nachos. Whenever a game piece moves into the restroom space, move any game piece already there to the Fountain. The sad truth is no one wants to bang a loser like you, let alone in a nasty convenience store restroom. Deal with it.

Take 2 Actions

After drawing a work marker, you perform any two of these actions. You can play plot cards before, after or during these actions (see "Playing Plot Cards.")

Actions

Move

Place your character figure to any space on the game board.

Steal

Take the top item token from the stack in the game board space where your character figure is. Place it face up next to your character card.

Exception: See Lucy's character card.

If the boss or any customers are in the space, you cannot steal. If there are no items left in the space, you cannot steal. Yeah, it sucks to be you. Deal.

The first time the players manage to empty a location of items, all of the players gain 1 heat. The second time yields 2 heat, the third time 3 heat and so on.

Stash

You can only perform this action in the store room. When you do, flip any face-up item tokens next to your character card face down. When the game ends, any stashed items count toward your point total. You cannot stash if the boss or any customers are in the store room, though. Imagine that.

Slack

To slack off, you must be on a space with a slacking off event marker. This is the only action you can continue from one turn to another. The more turns you spend slacking off, the more points it'll be worth. However, the more turns you spend slacking off, the bigger a target you become.

Each time you choose the slack action, you can choose to advance or complete the slack.

Advancing a Slack

If you choose to advance the slack, put a slack counter in the space where your character is slacking. You also do this when you start a slack. You may advance the slack until you have 5 slack counters on it. You may also stop slacking sooner, if you wish, but slack actions must be concurrent – you cannot slack, leave and come back. Not doing a slack action will force you to discard the slack counters on the slack marker, but the slack marker stays where you left it. Maybe if you picked up after yourself, these things wouldn't happen.

Completing a Slack

Once you have one or more (up to five) slack counters on a slack marker you may complete the slack. Completing a slack gives you points. If the Slack Marker reads ×1 then take the counters into your stash. If the Slack Marker reads ×2 then double the slack counters on the slack marker and place the slack counters into your stash. In addition all of the players in the game gain as much heat as half the points you scored (rounded up).

EXAMPLE: If Roger completes a slack and puts 3 slack counters into his stash, then every player in the game receives 2 heat.

You cannot advance or complete a slack while the Boss is in your space. You cannot advance a slack while a customer is present, though you are allowed to complete it. If the boss moves into your space while you're slacking, and you cannot get the boss to leave with a card immediately, you will have to abandon the slack. A customer placed in your space will allow you to complete it on your next turn.

Slacking off is fun, but you cannot "help" another player slack off. Once someone else starts a slack marker, you cannot take that same slack marker unless you find a way to interrupt their slacking.

Your ass is grass

There are seven slack actions that are so heinous, so shocking, and so scandalous that you just can't get away with them. These slack markers have the word "Final" on them (Amazing, eh?). When you start one of these final slacks, you place a slack counter and your piece on the slack token. If you get to your next turn without getting caught by the boss, you take six slack counters and you are immediately fired. If you are caught performing one of these you are immediately fired. Either way remove the final slack token from the board. If you use a card to move away from a final slack token, you abandon it as usual. Unlike regular slacking actions, no one else collects any heat when these slacking actions are done. But you know what? Yippee-ki-yay, mother...

Note: the sidebar says "seven slack actions" while the component list above prints 6 final slack markers. Both are transcribed as printed.

Actions (continued)

Work

Discard a green duty marker from your space. Reduce your heat by one point — two if the boss is in your space.

Exception: See Zack's character card.

Plot

Discard any plot cards you don't want and draw back up to five cards. If there are less than five Plot Cards in the deck, shuffle the discard pile back into the deck.

Exception: See Wendy's character card.

Call

Move the boss to your space.

Tattle

Move the boss to another space. You can only tattle if the boss is in your space.

Help

Reduce your heat by the customer's red heat rating, and discard the customer marker. You can only help a customer if you are in their space.

Insult

Increase your heat by the customer's red heat rating. Then, place the customer marker face down next to your character card. At the end of the game, the customers you insult will be worth points equal to the black number printed on them. You can only insult a customer if you are in their space. You cannot perform this action if the boss is also in the customer's space.

Exception: See Lock's character card.

Remember: You cannot steal, stash, or slack off in a space that has the boss or a customer in it. Also, you cannot insult a customer if the boss is in his space.

The customer is always a pain…

There are some customers that require special attention.

Angry SOB — Cockpunch: Insulting the Angry SOB will force you to lose your next turn.

Convenience Rats — Bad Influence: If you end your turn on a space with the Convenience Rats and have less than 5 cards in your hand draw 1 card. You may steal and slack with the convenience rats in your space.

Friend — Big Purse: Treat the friend's space as the store room for purposes of Stashing. You may steal and slack with the friend in your space.

Little Kid — Attention Deficit: When the Little Kid comes into play roll to place the little kid on the chart below. When a new customer comes into play roll again and place the little kid there. If multiple customers come into play on the same turn roll just once.

1 Aisle 1; 2 Aisle 2; 3 Aisle 3; 4 Register; 5-6 Fountain

Foreigner — Language Barrier: When attempting to help or insult the Foreigner, roll a die: 1-3 = insult; 4-6 = help.

Playing Plot Cards

You can play as many plot cards as you want, before, between, or after your actions on your turn. Playing plot cards isn't an action – it's something you just do, like breathing or stomping on ketchup packets. Sometimes, playing a plot card will allow you to do more stuff. That's not an action – that's a bonus. Shut up and smile.

There are two plot cards you can play when it is not your turn – "Sneak" and "Receipt." Those mess with the other players plans. Make sure you gloat when you play them.

Moving the Boss

During your turn the boss may only move one time whether from a Work Marker, Plot Card, or action.

Suspicion

If you have stolen items, but have not stashed them yet, or are slacking off and the boss enters your space – regardless of why, when, or how – you have to make a suspicion roll. For that matter, if you have stolen items (again, not stashed) or are slacking off and you end your turn in the same space as the boss, you have to make a suspicion roll. You also have to get your head checked.

To figure out what happens next, you will have to calculate your suspicion number:

• +1 for each item, +2 if it's a dangerous (red) item
• • the number listed on any slack you are doing
• +1 for each uncompleted task
• = Your suspicion number

Total up all those numbers, then roll a die. If you roll higher than this number you have dodged the bullet and you are fine. If you roll lower than or equal to that number, you are caught.

Exception: See Victoria's character card.

Been caught stealing

If you are caught stealing items (rolled lower or equal to the suspicion number), discard all your face up item tokens. Increase your heat by one for each normal discarded item token, and by 2 for each dangerous red item. All items that the boss confiscates are moved to the office and shuffled into a face down pile.

Been caught slacking off

If you are caught while slacking increase your heat by the number of slack counters, but keep those counters as a consolation prize. Remove the Slack Marker from the board.

If you are caught performing a final slack you are automatically fired, move your heat up to 30. Remove the Final Slack Marker from the board.

Exception: See Victoria's character card.

Suspicion & the Restroom

You'll never have to do a suspicion roll when you are in the restroom. Check the rules for the move action if you don't believe it, perv.

The End & Winning

The game ends immediately when either the work markers are exhausted or all but the last player are fired. There are no extra turns or consolation prizes, the game just ends.

After the game ends, add up the points from all the items tokens you stashed – yup, face up items don't count. Also add all the points for customers you insulted, all your slack counters (one point each), and half the spaces left to get to 30 on the heat track, rounded down.

The player with the highest score wins!

Sample Game

In this game, Roger and Lucy are wandering around the store. Roger has 6 heat and is currently standing in the Cooler. Lucy has 8 heat and is standing in Aisle 2. Lucy has the slack "Use Cellphone" in her space. Each unfinished task in your space raises your suspicion by 1.

Roger's Turn 1. Roger starts his turn. He draws a Work Marker and gets the Duty Marker "Restock Cooler." He places it in the Cooler.

Roger decides he wants to steal but there is also an uncompleted task in his space. He can steal but the task will raise his risk. His first action is to Work. He removes the "Restock Cooler" from his space and moves his heat down by 1 to 5.

Roger decides to steal with his second action. Roger flips over the top item on the stack in the Cooler. He gets Pot Pies. Roger's player sets the Pot Pies face up in front of himself.

Lucy's Turn 1. Lucy draws a Work Marker and get the Event Marker "Boss moves to the Register." She moves the boss to the Register.

Lucy is in Aisle 2. She decides to steal. Lucy can steal two things each time she steals. Lucy spends both of her actions stealing. She gets the following haul: Nuts, Soup, Licorice Ropes, Candy Ropes.

Roger's Turn 2. Roger flips over a Work Marker and gets the Event Marker Heat +2. Everyone gains 2 heat. Roger moves his heat up 2 to 7. Lucy moves up to 10.

Roger sees Lucy's haul and decides to do something about it. He plays a "Boss Moves to Aisle 2" plot card from his hand. The Boss heads over to Aisle 2. Playing the plot card doesn't take one of Roger's actions.

Lucy now has to deal with the boss. She has 4 items. This gives her a suspicion number of 4. She rolls a die and gets a 2. She is caught. She moves the items she stole to the office and gains 4 heat.

Roger is standing in the Cooler with Pot Pies in his hand. He decides to use both his actions to steal. He draws a Frozen Pizza and Pop.

Lucy's Turn 2. Lucy flips over a Work Marker. It is the Event Marker "Boss moves to the Fountain." The boss piece is moved to the Fountain.

Lucy wants revenge for the way she was treated. She plays "Boss Moves to the Cooler" from her hand. Playing a plot card doesn't take one of her actions. The Boss arrives in Roger's space. Roger has a suspicion number of 3 since he has three items. He rolls the die and gets a 6. Roger hasn't been caught stealing.

Lucy decides to Slack off now. With her first action she put her pawn and a slack counter on the "Use Cellphone" Slack Marker. She continues it with her second action. She places a second counter on it.

Roger's Turn 3. Roger flips over a Work Marker. It is a Rush. Roger flips over 6 more Work Markers, but none of them move the boss.

Roger would like to steal more but can't with the boss in his space. Roger could send the boss away but he is holding a fair number of points. He decides to get rid of the loot he is carrying.

Roger uses an action to move to the Store Room. Since the boss isn't present he can Stash his item tokens in his Locker. Roger flips over his Item tokens and keeps them for points. He can't lose these items now no matter what.

Lucy's Turn 3. Lucy draws "Boss Moves to the Register." She moves the Boss to the Register.

Lucy adds a slack counter to her slack marker, bringing her up to 3 slack counters. With her other action she then decides to finish the slack. The Slack she is doing is ×1. She gets 3 points to add to her score. Since the boss didn't catch her everyone gains 2 heat for her efforts.

Roger's Turn 4. Roger starts his turn and draws the customer "Off Duty Cop." He places it at the fountain. Roger moves out to the fountain with his first action. He then insults the customer. He collects 2 heat and keeps the "Off Duty Cop" for 3 points.