oddball Äeronauts Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
  • Objective
• Card Types
• Learn the Ropes
  • Card Anatomy
  • Faction Decks
  • Top Card
  • Tricks
  • Discard
  • Recover
• Make Ready
• Begin the Game
  • Determine The "Lead"
• The Round
  • Step 1: Events
    • Note on Event Effects
  • Step 2: Announce Skill - Sailing, Guns or Boarding
  • Step 3: Play Cards - 1, 2 or 3 cards
  • Step 4: Results!
  • Step 5: Effects!
    • Draw
    • Win
    • Tricks
• The End
• Magic & Shadow
• More on Tricks
  • Top-Right Tricks
  • Tricks That Move Cards
• Glossary of Tricks
  • Extra Bonus
  • Bonus Versus Skills
  • Defence Bonus
  • Bonus Versus No. of Cards
  • Rig
  • Capture
  • Protect
  • Win
  • Lose
  • Lead
  • Opp.
  • Next Round
  • Support
• Deck Crafting
  • Examples
• Factions
  • Pendragon
  • Pirates
• Quick Reference
  • The Round
  • Effects!

Overview

Players: 2. Game Time: 15-20 minutes.

Objective

Your goal is to force your opponent to discard all their cards.

Card Types

• Crew (Faction Card): Crew are the most common and are best out front but give good support. They include deck hands, gunners, boarding parties and others.
• Officers (Faction Card): Good all-rounders, their key skills lie in coordinating crew and support. They are the chiefs, champions and such.
• Support (Faction Card): Best used to back up crew and officers and generally not good out front. They include bots, beasts and Enchantresses.
• Mercenary: Adventurers of other factions who will join your crew for a price.
• Events: Threats from the environment itself, including flash storms, creatures, local gods, demons, clashing rocks and other hazardous obstacles.

Learn the Ropes

Card Anatomy

• A - Skills: There are three Skills (Sailing, Guns, Boarding)
• B - Skill Level: 2, 4, 3, etc.
• C - Skill Bonus: +3, +2, +4 etc.
• D - Trick
• E - Faction Emblem
• F - Type: e.g. Pendragon Officer
• G - Level: e.g. 2
• H - Name: e.g. Hector Shackleton
• I - Class: e.g. Chivvier
• J - Core Card Tag: Two 'pips'

Faction Decks

A core Faction Deck is made up of 26 cards - the faction is noted on the card by way of the Faction Emblem, in the Type and by the colour of the card. You will also add in Mercenary and Event cards to your decks (see 'Make Ready').

Top Card

As you look at your deck, card faces up, the topmost card is the 'Top Card'.

Tricks

If you wish to use a card's Trick you simply announce it and apply it at the appropriate time.

You can only play one Trick per Round, unless a Trick states otherwise.

Only the Trick on the initial Top Card or a Magic Trick on any 'Played' card can be applied.

Most Tricks are obvious when to play during a Round. For instance, a '+Bonus to a Skill' is played when adding up a Skill's bonuses.

Discard

To Discard a card, turn it face down and place it at the bottom of your deck.

(NB. If you Discard multiple cards you can Discard them in the order of your choice)

Recover

To Recover a card, search down the deck for the first Discarded card and turn it face up, keeping it in the same position in the deck.

(NB. If you Recover multiple cards you can Recover them in the order of your choice)

(NB. If you Recover an Event immediately Discard it and Recover the next card instead)

Make Ready

Each player picks a Faction deck and adds one Mercenary card to their decks.

(NB. For your first games, make up your decks with all the cards that have the Core Card Tag. When you are familiar with the game, read the 'Deck Crafting' rules to be able to customise your decks.)

Shuffle all Event cards and deal each player 2 cards face down. Each player adds these 2 cards to their deck. The remaining Events go back in the box.

Players switch decks, shuffle them face down and give them back. Decks are then held face up in the hand so only you can see your own card faces.

Each player turns the bottom 3 cards of their decks face down.

Begin the Game

Determine The "Lead"

Play Rock, Papers, Scissors. The loser becomes the "Lead".

The Lead takes the Lead Token.

The Round

1. Step 1: Events
2. Step 2: Announce Skill - Sailing, Guns or Boarding
3. Step 3: Play Cards - 1, 2 or 3 cards
4. Step 4: Results!
5. Step 5: Effects!

Step 1: Events

If both players have Events in their top 3 cards, each player Discards their topmost Event. Repeat until either only one player has Events in his top 3 or neither player does.

If a player has 2 Events in his top 3 cards then the top Event is Discarded.

When only one player has 1 Event in his top 3 cards, resolve that Event.

If an Event has been played and another Event is now in your top 3 cards, Discard this Event.

Note on Event Effects

Events may require the Players to compare Skills. Players add together the Skill Level and Skill Bonus of their Top Cards only. The Player with the Highest, or Lowest, total (as noted by the Event) takes the Event and applies the effect. If the effect is not immediate, the Event is held onto until it is applied. Once used, the Event is Discarded.

If both players have the same Skill total then the Event is Discarded with no effect.

Step 2: Announce Skill - Sailing, Guns or Boarding

Each player fans their top cards so they can see the stats on the top 3. They can look beyond this if they wish but only the top 3 cards may be 'Played'. Each player chooses which Skill they will be using this round. The "Lead" announces his chosen Skill first, followed by his opponent.

Step 3: Play Cards - 1, 2 or 3 cards

It is up to each player how many of their top 3 cards they wish to Play this round. These will be their 'Played' cards. The Top Card is always Played. You may Play either of the 2nd or 3rd cards as well - or Play neither or Play both. (Note: If you decide to Play 2 cards you can choose to Play either your Top and 2nd or your Top and 3rd cards.)

If you have a Trick that limits how many cards may be Played this Round it must be announced at the start of this step.

When both players are ready, they announce how many cards they'll Play. The Lead counts to 3 and on '3' each player simultaneously reveals how many cards they are going to Play by showing 1, 2 or 3 fingers. If you delay or don't show any fingers you must Play your Top Card and only your Top Card.

Step 4: Results!

Your Skill Total = the Skill Level of your Top Card + the Skill Bonus of any other Played card (excluding the Top Card) + any bonus from a Trick or Event (if applicable).

Players compare Skill Totals for the Skill they announced in Step 2. The Lead announces his Skill Total first. The player with the highest Skill Total wins the round. If both players have the same Skill Total the round is a draw.

Step 5: Effects!

Draw

In the event of a draw, both players Discard their Played cards. The Lead stays the same and a new Round is started from Step 1.

Win

In the event that a player wins, both players Discard their Played cards. The winning player's chosen Skill then determines the 'Win Effect':

• Sailing - The winner Recovers 2 cards
• Guns - The loser Discards 2 cards
• Boarding - The winner Recovers 1 card and the loser Discards 1 card

Cards Discarded by the loser are in addition to any Played cards - the next topmost cards are Discarded.

The game then resumes from Step 1 with the winning player being the Lead through the next Round - give the Lead Token to this player.

Tricks

If a Trick affects the Win Effect, such as causing extra Discards, it is taken into account in this step. Keep in mind that the Top Card may have a Trick to apply in this Step and this is applied as normal regardless of it being Discarded.

The End

At the end of Step 5, if you have no cards face up then your opponent has Won the game.

If both players have no cards left (or only Event Cards left) then the game is a draw.

Magic & Shadow

Magic Tricks are titled 'MAGIC' in the Trick box and the Trick box has a different colour background to normal Tricks (this colour can differ per card).

If one of your top 3 cards has a Magic Trick then you can choose the Magic Trick as your Trick. If you do this then you must 'Play' that card this round.

When you come to apply a Magic Trick's effect, you must announce that the Trick is Magic to your opponent and if your opponent's Top Card has a Shadow Emblem on it, you can't use a Magic Trick or the Trick on your Top Card (if different).

Otherwise you can apply the Magic Trick's effect.

(NB. If you aren't using a Magic Trick, Shadow Emblems have no effect)

More on Tricks

Tricks are generally written in text so that the card itself explains the effect to apply. Some use symbols and you can find the meaning of these in the Glossary of Tricks, following.

Top-Right Tricks

Some Tricks are noted on a card twice, once in the Trick box in text and again in the top right of the card, abbreviated to symbols. The text is the definition of the top-right notations. This second notation is there for 'Next Round' type effects.

This can also be used to prove a Trick to an opponent without revealing the whole card: just flip the card over and peek the top right notation over the other cards.

Tricks That Move Cards

Some Tricks enable you to move cards in the deck - i.e. "Rig cards 2 and 4" allows you to swap your 2nd and 4th cards. All such Tricks must be carried out before Step 3 of a round.

Glossary of Tricks

Extra Bonus

+3 to your Skill Total if you use either of the Skills shown.

Bonus Versus Skills

+3 to your Skill Total if you use Guns this Round and your opponent uses either Sailing or Boarding.

Defence Bonus

If you Lose the Round, +3 to your Skill Total if you used Guns this round and your opponent used either Sailing or Boarding. If your Skill Total is now higher than your opponent's, the Round is a draw.

Bonus Versus No. of Cards

+2 to your Skill Total if you use Guns this Round and your opponent plays the number of cards noted.

Rig

If you Rig cards you can rearrange them into the order you want but only the cards noted in the Trick.

Capture

When you Capture a card you ignore the usual Win Effect - i.e. neither player Discards or Recovers cards. Instead, you take one of your opponent's cards and either place it in your deck as if you had just Recovered it or place it as your Top Card for the next round.

The Trick will specify which of your opponent's cards you Capture.

Protect

To Protect a card you take one of this round's Played cards and it becomes your Top Card next round. Note: You can never Protect a card that has a "Protect" Trick on it.

Win

You may only use this Trick if you are the Winner of the Round. If the word 'Win' is followed by a Skill symbol you must win with that Skill in order to use the Trick.

Lose

You may only use this Trick if you are the Loser of the Round. If the word 'Lose' is followed by a Skill symbol you must lose with that Skill in order to use the Trick.

Lead

You may only use this Trick if you are the "Lead".

Opp.

Short for Opponent. Where this is noted the effect applies to your opponent.

Next Round

The card with this rule has its effect come into play in the next round. This will be in addition to the Trick you will normally be able to play that round.

After discarding this card, turn it face up and push it up to reveal the Trick as noted in the top right of the card. At the end of the 'next round', turn it face down again as a normal Discarded card.

Support

'Support' is the action of using your 2nd and 3rd cards' Skill Bonuses.

Normally you can only use the Skill Bonus of the Skill that matches your chosen Skill for the round.

Some Tricks allow a Skill to be supported by other Skills - i.e. Sailing support with Sailing and Guns. You can then use the Skill Bonuses of any of the indicated Skills - Sailing and Guns in this example - if your chosen Skill is the first named Skill - Sailing in the example.

Play 0 Cards

To play 0 cards - at Step 3 of the round you show 0 fingers, your Skill Total will be 0 and you only Discard cards if your opponent wins using Guns or Boarding as part of the Win Effect.

Deck Crafting

Faction Cards without the Core Card Tag can be used to customise your deck. You should play a few games before you try your hand at customisation.

To customise your deck the following rules must be followed -

A. Start with a Faction Deck made up of all the cards with the Core Card Tag on B. With the exception of Mercenaries you can only add cards of the same faction C. To add a card to your deck you must remove one (or more) cards of the same 'Type' D. The total 'Level' of cards being added and removed must match E. You can only have multiple copies of the same specific card if all those copies have the Core Card Tag on them

There are 6 card Types: Officer, Support, Captain, Figurehead, Mercenary, and Crew.

• You can swap an Officer for an Officer of any 'Class'
• You can swap a Support for a Support of any 'Class'
• You can swap a Captain for a Captain of any 'Class'
• You can swap a Figurehead for a Figurehead of any 'Class'
• You can swap a Mercenary for a Mercenary of any 'Class'

For Crew, you can only swap a Crew of identical Class - i.e. you can only bring in a Crew Cannoneer for another Crew Cannoneer.

Examples

• You can add a Level 2 Crew Cannoneer into your deck if you remove either: 1 Level 2 Crew Cannoneer, or 2 Level 1 Crew Cannoneers.
• You can add a Level 4 Crew Fiends into your deck if you remove either: 2 Level 2 Crew Fiends, or 4 Level 1 Crew Fiends, or 1 Level 2 and 2 Level 1 Crew Fiends.
• You can add 2 Level 1 Chivvier Officers into your deck if you remove 1 Level 2 Officer of any Class.

Factions

Pendragon

Primary Skill: Guns. Secondary Skill: Boarding.

The mighty Pendragon rules the once warring Kingdoms from her arch-throne, her forces and fleets upholding the law and working to rid the trade routes of wily crooks and contraband. Honourable officers hail from various rival Houses with hardy crews entering the Pendragon's service from towns and domains all across the Realms. The Pendragon are renowned for their 'shoot first, ask questions later' approach to things.

Pirates

Primary Skill: Sailing. Secondary Skill: Boarding.

Pirates are a constant thorn in the Pendragon's side. They'll haul outlawed goods such as marshmallows or old Kingdom relics and evade paying taxes at the same time. Exiles and rebels flock to pirate banners to keep the flag of malcontent flying. Pirates are renowned for their 'evade first, answer questions later' way of things.

Quick Reference

The Round

1. Step 1: Events
2. Step 2: Announce Skill - Sailing, Guns or Boarding
3. Step 3: Play Cards - 1, 2 or 3 cards
4. Step 4: Results! (Skill Level + Skill Bonuses)
5. Step 5: Effects!

Effects!

• Sailing: Winner Recovers 2 cards
• Guns: Loser Discards 2 cards
• Boarding: Winner Recovers 1 card and Loser Discards 1 card
• Draw: No Win Effect is applied. Discard Played cards. Start a new Round.